Please pray for our family! President Trump has paused immigrant visas for Ethiopians, and the pause is currently set to be permanent. Pray with us that this delay is immediately lifted so we can go home and build our family, home, and ministry together. We know this is in God's will! We praise God for blessing us with marriage and a daughter. As missionaries—an American husband and an Ethiopian wife—we've seen God guide us through every step of the immigration process. Our daughter has her US passport and my wife's marriage visa is approved. Now we just need the path cleared so we can all return to the USA together. God bless all who pray for us in Jesus' name! Amen!

Please pray for our family! President Trump has paused immigrant visas for Ethiopians, and the pause is currently set to be permanent. Pray with us that this delay is immediately lifted so we can go home and build our family, home, and ministry together. We know this is in God's will! We praise God for blessing us with marriage and a daughter. As missionaries—an American husband and an Ethiopian wife—we've seen God guide us through every step of the immigration process. Our daughter has her US passport and my wife's marriage visa is approved. Now we just need the path cleared so we can all return to the USA together. God bless all who pray for us in Jesus' name! Amen!

Your listen Spiritual Leaders who are misleading listeners telling them that they don't like Trump because of his immigration policies for the Caribbean? These leaders sound very foolish and criminal. The US has a right to take steps against welfare fraud: https://share.google/1bpwC5f7kv3i0UpVS

A British millionaire is putting his own money on the line to defend Christian street preachers. Samuel Leeds, a successful property entrepreneur and devout Christian, has publicly pledged to personally fund legal representation for any Christian street preacher in Britain who faces police action simply for sharing their faith. He says he is “outraged and shocked.” “I am outraged and shocked to see Christians getting arrested on the streets and being told that they’re offensive for preaching about Jesus when we are living in a Christian country,” Leeds told Truth Times in an exclusive interview. “We see Christians being persecuted all over the world, but seeing it happen in Great Britain — seeing the disdain, the hatred and now the oppression of Christian voices — really bothers me.” Recent cases have made headlines. Pastor Dia Moodley was handcuffed and thrown in a cell in Bristol for preaching. Pastor Steve Maile was arrested in Watford under circumstances he strongly denies. In both situations, and others like them, police intervention has sparked national debate about free speech and religious liberty. Leeds is done watching from the sidelines. “Having been successful in business, I felt it was only right and appropriate for me to put my hand in my pocket and help these people,” he said. “Where Christians are being unfairly targeted simply for preaching their faith, I’m prepared to put my money behind defending them. They deserve proper legal representation rather than simply being silenced by police officers who sometimes overstep the mark and don’t even understand the law themselves.” He is blunt about what he sees as a growing double standard in modern Britain. “No, it’s not fair,” Leeds said when asked why highly sexualised advertising and near-nudity face little scrutiny while a man reading from the Bible can be arrested. “Britain has definitely developed a double standard. We’re a Christian country that’s tolerant of everybody and every religion — apart from, increasingly, Christians themselves.” Leeds does not blame immigration. He points the finger at Britain’s own institutions. “Migration is not the problem here. If people are coming into England to work and add value, their religion or faith, quite frankly, is irrelevant. Most people do respect the culture. The pressure is coming from within our own institutions — in interactions with the police, in the constant pandering from some of our leaders, and in this apologetic mentality where we seem to be apologising for being British, apologising for flying an English flag, and apologising for being Christian.” He is equally clear about the deeper issue: Britain’s relationship with God. “The only hope for Great Britain now is turning back to God and repenting on its knees,” he has said repeatedly. “God blesses us when we follow His principles in the Bible. When you turn your back on God, take His name in vain and openly mock Jesus Christ, which has become so normal in Britain, you cannot then expect everything to continue prospering without consequences. The wages of sin is death. The UK is in a mess right now. No matter who you vote for, the real answer is that people need to turn back to God.” Yet Leeds is not purely pessimistic. He sees signs of a quiet revival — rising belief in God among young people and growing church attendance — and he is putting practical action behind his words. Alongside funding legal defence, he has launched efforts to buy churches at risk of being sold off and converted into flats, determined to keep them open for worship and community use. His message to ordinary Christians is simple and direct: “Don’t just be angry about what’s happening. Draw closer to God. Stand up for what you believe. Support your church. And do something about it.” Samuel Leeds is doing something about it. He is writing the cheques so that Christian street preachers are not left alone when the police arrive. Britain was built on the Christian faith. Leeds is refusing to let that foundation be quietly dismantled without a fight. What do you think — is this the kind of stand more people of faith should be taking?

THE HIGH COST OF UNVETTED TRUST: BIBLICAL WISDOM ON NATIONAL, SPIRITUAL, AND MINISTERIAL BOUNDARIES 1/ Proverbs 20:16 in the NASB 1995 reads: "Take his garment when he becomes surety for a stranger; And for foreigners, hold him in pledge." While modern ears might find this instruction severe, Scripture is providing an essential lesson on stewardship, governance, and spiritual boundaries. 2/ On a physical and economic level, standing as surety means guaranteeing the debt of another person. Biblical wisdom warns that co-signing for a stranger without collateral or proof of character is financial recklessness. Entrusting capital to unproven individuals invites ruin for households, corporations, and entire nations. 3/ Today, political movements frequently weaponize Old Testament commands to love the stranger, selectively stripping those verses of their original context. Ancient biblical law did extend hospitality to foreigners, but it explicitly required assimilation, obedience to the law of the land, and a commitment to the nation's God and moral order. 4/ Socialist and progressive ideologies warp these scriptures to justify open-ended state funding and unchecked immigration. True Christian charity is voluntary, sacrificial, and wise. Forcing taxpayers to act as financial guarantors for unvetted foreigners is not compassion; it is state-mandated recklessness that violates biblical principles of stewardship. 5/ When leaders compel a country to assume responsibility for individuals who have not demonstrated worthiness or a commitment to assimilate, they destroy the foundation of the nation state. A government that bankrupts its own citizens to fund unproven entities abdicates its primary duty: to protect and serve its own household first. 6/ On a spiritual level, this verse addresses the guardrails of the mind and heart. In scripture, garments represent our moral standing, thoughts, words, and choices. When you become surety for a stranger spiritually, you are allowing unvetted ideas, worldly philosophies, or destructive habits to take host in your soul. 7/ This same betrayal occurs within controlling and abusive Christian ministries. When spiritual leaders twist the Word of God by blending it with Greek philosophy, secular ideologies, or humanistic psychology to dominate others, they give in to their own evil inclination. By substituting man's wisdom for divine truth, they cross over into the realm of spiritual idolatry. 8/ These abusive systems surrender the pure garments of faith to foreign deceptions. By replacing biblical truth with psychological manipulation and authoritarian control, they abandon true shepherdhood and lead believers onto the other side of spiritual corruption. 9/ God calls His people to be generous, but never naive. Genuine compassion always operates within the framework of order, law, and absolute truth. Whether in national policy, church leadership, or personal faith, true strength requires discerning boundaries over reckless sentimentality and subtle heresy.

A Brief Timeline of Halloween 1000 BC and previous Pre-Christian Celts celebrate November 1 as their New Year (Samhain) and practice the night before as the evening where the veil between the living and the dead was opened. AD 43 The Romans conquer the Celts and the Roman harvest festival, Pomona (celebrated on November 1), eventually merges with Samhain. 609 or 610 Pope Boniface IV designates November 1 as All Saints’ Day. 835 Pope Gregory III rules that All Saints’ Day always falls on the same day as Samhain. He also declares that young men can go door to door to collect food for the poor and that villagers can dress in costumes as saints to celebrate the holiday. 1517 On October 31, Martin Luther posts the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Church. 1600s New England Puritans ban Halloween since it is Catholic in origin. Only Catholics and Episcopalians continue to observe the holiday. 1840s A surge in Irish immigration to the United States sparks growth in Halloween traditions. 1912 The Dennison Manufacturing Company begins publishing Halloween books with party, decoration, and costume ideas. (It first began publishing Halloween materials in 1909.) 1921 Anoka, Minnesota, becomes the first American city to officially sanction Halloween as a holiday. 1923 New York City begins Halloween celebrations. 1925 Los Angeles begins citywide Halloween celebrations. 2004 The Puyallup, Washington, school district bans Halloween from schools out of fear of offending local Wiccans.

Editor’s note: This July, we are praying for the Chinese diaspora throughout Asia. This week Ruth, a Chinese missionary in Japan, introduces us to the many Chinese living in Japan. She and her family hope that, as they minister to Chinese, they will also be able to share the hope of the gospel with the Japanese. Today, she tells us about the struggles Chinese face as they seek to establish themselves in Japan. Japan: Praying for the Chinese Diaspora Meet the Missionaries China Partnership: Can you introduce yourself, your family, and your church? Lily: Before I married my husband, both of us already had a fairly clear missionary calling. We studied theology, then planted a church in [a northeastern Chinese city]. We hoped we could become missionaries, sent out by our own church. God prepared everything very smoothly. We were successfully sent out by our church as missionaries, and came to Japan a few years ago. We have already begun an international church in Japan. So far, our main group is still Mandarin-speaking Chinese, but our goal is not only to serve the Chinese community. Our church has some second-generation bilingual Chinese, and some second-generation Chinese who speak only Japanese. We are also very grateful that a Japanese auntie came to faith among us a month or two ago. Waves of Immigration to Japan CP: What are the needs of the Chinese community in your city? What struggles and hopes do Chinese in Japan commonly face? And what kind of challenges do they encounter as they adapt cross-culturally? Lily: It may be clearer if we briefly review the history of Chinese in Japan. There were three waves: the 1980s, where science and engineering international students came to earn money; the 1990s and 2000s, where many came for tech-related fields and better career opportunities; and then 2015 to the present, where many people brought their families seeking a better education and better life. The main struggle of these groups is identity. They know they are Chinese. But living in Japanese society, there is a sense of not quite fitting in. Then there are descendants of Chinese in Japan. The children of those first migrants may now be second- or even third-generation. Some were born and raised in Japan, while others spent part of their childhood in China and then came to Japan. The cultural world of first category is basically Japanese, and mainly shaped by Japanese culture. Another group is shaped by both Chinese and Japanese cultures. The main struggle of these groups is identity. They know they are Chinese. But living in Japanese society, there is a sense of not quite fitting in. On the surface, they appear to form a stable part of the structure of Japanese society, and would find it hard to return to China. But even so – do they truly belong to Japanese society? This struggle is a major part of their experience. Their dreams are not mainly for themselves, but for their descendants. Many Chinese born and raised in Japan choose Japanese citizenship when they grow up, because many basically cannot even speak Chinese. Some hope to migrate again, to what they consider an even better country. For those who have not been in Japan very long and have not yet obtained long-term, stable status, the struggle is security and stability. Japan’s immigration policies toward Chinese communities have tightened, which creates great unease. Can people settle down amid a rapidly changing Japanese society and a rapidly changing global economy? New immigrants here less than five years have even greater struggles. Language, finances, family, understanding culture and adapting to Japanese society all bring many challenges. Identity: Who Am I? For [children raised here], identity is a deep struggle: “Who am I? Japanese people look at me and think I am Chinese; Chinese people look at me and think I am Japanese.” They seem to know the gospel, but they have not truly gained a God-given identity from the gospel. They may be a confused generation. Although Japan accepts immigrants from many countries, it is still a nation with strong ethnic homogeneity. Its culture is very strong, and is not highly open. There are real survival challenges: basic consumption is very high. In Japan, it is even possible to go hungry, because the basic cost of living – rice, flour, cooking oil, food, housing, transportation – is high. These are struggles that would be hard to imagine facing in China. For children of Chinese families who were born and raised in Japan, there is this issue: their families keep telling them, “You are Chinese,” but they have never understood China and cannot identify themselves as Chinese. One feature of Japanese society that may be more pronounced than in other countries is that Japan is a collectivist society. There is a strong tendency to go along with the crowd; if everyone else is doing something, it is hard not to. Although Japan accepts immigrants from many countries, it is still a nation with strong ethnic homogeneity. Its culture is very strong, and is not highly open. There is something overwhelming about this. If someone does not have an identity rooted in the gospel, it can be very painful. The descendants of Chinese in Japan face major challenges in their relationships with their parents. Some Chinese children are Japanese not only in language, but in their way of thinking. Their parents, however, may not even speak Japanese well. This means the generations may be unable to communicate deeply. It’s very common that children become dissatisfied with their parents’ Chinese way of doing things. Parent-child relationships are deeply entangled with language and cultural differences. Passing the Faith to the Next Generation For Christians, faith transmission is a major issue. Around fourth grade, Chinese children in Japan “must” attend cram school and take entrance exams for private middle schools. Not only does this consume money; more importantly, it consumes time. A lot of these children stop coming to church around this time. In their parents’ choices, the children see their parents’ values: “Oh, God is not that important; worship and commitment to the church are not that important. You tell me to believe in God, but when decisions are made, it’s cram school.” Parents subtly pass on to their children society’s values: faster, higher, stronger, and better. This is a very, very big challenge. I met some sisters here who were deeply grieved their children no longer came to church. We reflected together on when their child’s attitude toward faith began to change, and they traced it back to those moments and choices. The important question is: what is your primary identity? Are you seeking identity from Japanese society, or are you living in the identity Christ gives you? This becomes more visible in this Japanese social culture, but is a general issue in Christian families’ transmission of faith. If you care about your child’s faith, that concern must be embodied in every daily decision. This is the challenge facing the church: we cannot skip the first generation and directly shepherd the second generation. We can only reach children through the parents; we cannot skip one generation and directly enter the next. What is your primary identity? Are you seeking identity from Japanese society, or are you living in the identity Christ gives you? It is essential for the church to proclaim the gospel in a contextualized way. Children need to see God’s grace, love, and power in the gospel. They must not simply be pushed into church community or seek Chinese identity in the church community – they must truly come to know God there. In God, they receive a renewed identity. Then, as they live on earth, they can become genuine witnesses of the kingdom of heaven. That is the foundation for a stable identity in the future. The most important thing for Chinese Christians is their faith, their relationship with God, their identity in Christ, and whether they can live out that real identity in society. This may also be the biggest challenge.

What is the greatest threat to the church? Is it wokism, Marxism, gender confusion, uncontrolled immigration of military aged young men, destruction of family life? No all these are harmful to society for sure, but there is something else lurking around the corner, as a matter of fact we are already there. https://youtu.be/jcERwgFDTTY

TODAY'S MESSAGE PRAY FOR OUR SECURITY PERSONNEL Theme Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1–2 > "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." Every day while many of us sleep peacefully, thousands of security personnel remain awake. They stand at checkpoints, patrol dangerous roads, protect communities, rescue victims, and confront criminals. Many leave their families not knowing whether they will return home. We often complain when security fails, but how often do we pray for those who risk their lives to protect us? The Church has a divine responsibility—not only to pray for pastors and missionaries but also to intercede for those entrusted with maintaining peace and order. A praying Church strengthens a nation. The battle for the safety of a nation is not won by weapons alone. It is also won on the altar of prayer. Key Bible Verses 1. 1 Timothy 2:1–2 Paul commands believers to pray for those in authority so that society can enjoy peace and stability. Prayer is a spiritual investment in national security. 2. Psalm 127:1 > "Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." No amount of training or sophisticated equipment can replace God's protection. Human effort succeeds only when God watches over the city. 3. Proverbs 21:31 > "The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. Preparation is necessary, but victory ultimately belongs to God. 4. Psalm 91:11 > "For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways." God is able to assign heavenly protection over those serving in dangerous places. 1. Security Personnel Carry Heavy Responsibilities Whether they are soldiers, police officers, intelligence officers, civil defence personnel, immigration officers, firefighters, or other emergency responders, they daily face danger. Many work under pressure, endure harsh conditions, and make difficult decisions within seconds. Their assignment deserves our respect and our prayers. 2. The Church Has a Responsibility to Intercede Prayer is not optional. Throughout Scripture, God's people prayed whenever danger threatened the nation. When believers pray: God grants wisdom. God exposes evil plans. God preserves lives. God frustrates the works of darkness. God brings peace to communities. Intercession changes situations that weapons alone cannot change. 3. Pray That God Will Preserve Their Integrity Security personnel face many temptations: Corruption Abuse of authority Fear Discouragement Bitterness Moral compromise Our prayers should ask God to raise officers who love justice, reject corruption, and serve with integrity. A righteous officer becomes a blessing to an entire nation. 4. Pray for Their Families Behind every uniform is a family waiting at home. Many spouses worry. Children long for their parents' safe return. Some families have endured the pain of losing loved ones in the line of duty. Let us pray for divine comfort, provision, strength, and protection for every family connected to our security personnel. Biblical Example: King Jehoshaphat In 2 Chronicles 20, a great army came against Judah. King Jehoshaphat understood that military strength alone would not guarantee victory. He proclaimed a national fast and sought the Lord. God intervened, confused the enemy, and gave Judah victory without the usual battle. This teaches us that national security depends not only on strategy but also on God's intervention. Practical Action Steps Pray regularly for security personnel during your personal devotions. Speak words of encouragement instead of constant criticism. Obey lawful authorities and cooperate with security agencies. Refuse to aid crime or protect criminals. Teach your children to respect lawful authority. Ask God to raise righteous men and women into positions of leadership. Deep Spiritual Insights Prayer builds a spiritual hedge around a nation. Peace is both a spiritual blessing and a societal necessity. God can expose hidden enemies before they strike. Every believer has a role in national transformation through faithful intercession. National revival and national security often advance together when God's people seek Him. Questions for Reflection 1. When was the last time I sincerely prayed for our security personnel? 2. Do I criticize more than I intercede? 3. Am I contributing to peace in my community? 4. How can I encourage those who daily protect others? 5. Am I helping build a safer society through my words, actions, and prayers? Powerful Prayer Points 1. Father, protect every member of our security agencies wherever they are deployed. 2. Lord, frustrate every plan of terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbers, and violent criminals. 3. Give our security personnel wisdom, courage, discernment, and strength. 4. Deliver them from corruption, compromise, and every evil influence. 5. Surround them with Your angels and preserve their lives. 6. Comfort and provide for their families. 7. Grant peace to our communities, states, and nation. 8. Raise leaders who fear God and pursue justice. 9. Let every hidden plot against innocent lives be exposed and destroyed. 10. May righteousness, justice, and peace prevail throughout our nation, in Jesus' name. Call to Action Beloved, our security personnel need more than appreciation—they need our prayers. Every peaceful night, every safe journey, and every protected community is strengthened when God's people stand in the gap. Let us refuse to be spectators. Become an intercessor for those who protect our land. As we lift them before God, may the Lord shield them from harm, grant them wisdom in every assignment, comfort their families, and establish lasting peace in our nation. May the Lord preserve our security personnel, defend our nation, and cause righteousness and peace to flourish, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen. If you have not given your life to Jesus kindly do so by joining a Bible believing Church. You can get inspirational ebooks from my sela shops below https://selar.com/m/umoh-edem1 https://selar.com/m/umoedem Email pastor.umoedem@gmail.com Join our Facebook page for more messages below https://www.facebook.com/share/1EsArnwJVM/ #UMOHEDEM

DOES THE BIBLE SAY THAT GOD WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS ISRAEL? Tucker Carlson has made something of a hobby out of mocking the idea that God blesses those who bless Israel and curses those who curse her. When Senator Ted Cruz could not cite the verse on the spot, Carlson declared victory in what became a viral moment for him. But winning a theological debate on a technicality against a non-theologian is not the same as being right. Let us look at what the Bible actually teaches — and then let the history books add their own testimony. THE FOUNDATIONAL PROMISE The foundational passage is Genesis 12:1–3. God speaks to Abraham and declares, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Tucker’s counter-argument is essentially: fine, that was a promise to Abraham personally, and Abraham is dead, so case closed, or maybe, that was a promise to the future church! But this reading does violence to the entire arc of Scripture. A DYNASTY PROMISE, NOT A ONE-MAN DEAL Any serious Old Testament scholar understands that the Abrahamic covenant was not a one-man arrangement — it was a dynasty promise. The covenant God made with Abraham and later reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob is of transcendent significance, containing promises that were explicitly everlasting — even through “a thousand generations” (Psalm 105:8–11). The Lord reaffirmed through oath His commitment to bless Abraham and his seed — understood as the corporate physical progeny (meaning his actual physical descendants) — and the covenant came through Isaac and Jacob as well.[1] The Scripture makes this extension of the covenant unmistakable. When God appears to Isaac in Genesis 26:3–4, He says: "Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed." The same covenant. The same nations. Now addressed to the next physical generation. Then God reaffirms it again to Jacob at Bethel in Genesis 28:13–14: "I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Abraham, Isaac, Jacob — three generations, one unbroken covenant. Psalm 105:8–11 seals the case: “He REMEMBERS his covenant FOVEVER, the word that he commanded, for A THOUSAND GENERATIONS, the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac, which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an EVERLESTING COVENANT, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.’” This is not a personal promise to one man. It is a covenant made to Abraham, renewed to Isaac, confirmed to Jacob, and declared everlasting to the nation of Israel. BALAAM AND THE BLESSING OF THE NATIONS Most strikingly, in Numbers 24, a pagan diviner named Balaam is hired by the Moabite king Balak specifically to curse Israel. But what came out of Balaam’s mouth instead of a curse was this: “Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you”— spoken over the twelve physical tribes of Jacob wandering in the wilderness.[2] Commentators note that Balaam’s blessing formula deliberately echoes the original words of Genesis 12:3 and Isaac’s blessing of Jacob — confirming the assurance of divine favor to the righteous and their seed forever.[3] By Numbers 24, Abraham has been dead for centuries. But the blessing-and-cursing principle is applied without hesitation to the living nation of his descendants. Tucker's argument — that the modern nation of Israel (which DNA proves are the descendants of the Israelites) has no connection to the biblical promises — cannot survive contact with the text. NOTE: I do not believe that the modern nation of Israel is guiltless or should not be held accountable like any other nation. Wherever there is injustice, it should be called out. But that also means in Russia, which attacked Ukraine without cause, any Iran, where 50,000 citizens have been murdered for protesting. It seems that people like Tucker are fixated on Israel's sins while making excuses for the Islamic world. What the Bible teaches is that believers should contend for Israel's salvation in order to provoke her to jealousy (Romans 11:11). That doesn't mean unquestioned support and no accountability. THE CHURCH IN GENESIS 12 Before we turn to history, a reasonable question must be answered: what about the Church? If the Abrahamic covenant extends to Israel as a nation, where do Gentile believers fit in? The answer is not complicated — it is actually hiding in plain sight in Genesis 12 itself. God makes two distinct promises to Abraham in those opening verses. First, He says He will make Abraham into a great nation — that is, Israel, the physical descendants through Isaac and Jacob. But then God says something broader: "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Those are two different things. One is a nation. The other is the multitude of nations. The promise is not either/or — it is both/and. Israel is the vehicle through which the universal blessing travels. This is why God changes Abram’s name to Abraham in Genesis 17 to indicate that he will be the father of a multitude of nations. And we know exactly what that blessing is. Paul makes it explicit in Galatians 3:8, where he quotes Genesis 12:3 and says that God was preaching the gospel in advance to Abraham — that through his seed, meaning, ultimately, the Messiah Jesus, all nations would be blessed with salvation. So the Church is not in competition with Israel in Genesis 12. The Church is the fulfillment of the second half of the promise. Gentiles who believe in Jesus are the "all the families of the earth" God was already talking about when He first spoke to Abraham. That does not cancel the covenant with the nation of Israel — it completes the picture. NOW, LET THE HISTORY SPEAK In 1917, the British government issued the Balfour Declaration, expressing its support for the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine — an act many believe represented divine favor at work, and which historians describe as among the last great acts of the British Empire.[4] Britain was then the world’s dominant superpower, controlling roughly a quarter of the earth’s landmass. It was said that “the sun never sets on the British Empire” because it had lands all over the globe. For several decades, under leaders with strong evangelical sensibilities, Britain had championed Jewish restoration to their ancient homeland. Then Britain turned. In May 1939, the British government issued the White Paper, heavily favoring Arab demands: it limited Jewish immigration to 75,000 over five years, ended Jewish land purchases, and effectively declared that Britain had fulfilled its obligations to the Jewish people — closing the Holy Land’s doors even as Jews were fleeing Nazi persecution across Europe.[5] It was a breathtaking betrayal, and it came precisely when the Jewish people needed refuge most. The timeline of what followed is striking. In 1940, the British Empire still contained a quarter of the world’s population and a fifth of its landmass. Yet within the following two decades, more than twenty British territories gained independence, and by 1980, only a handful remained under British control.[6] The sun, so to speak, began setting on the empire almost immediately after Britain slammed the door on the Jewish people. Meanwhile, the United States stepped into the void. America had long been shaped by a deep biblical heritage and a Puritan identification with Israel’s story. America championed the founding of the modern State of Israel in 1948 — Harry Truman, himself a student of Scripture, recognized Israel eleven minutes after independence was declared at 9 AM EST on May 14. In the decades that followed, the United States became the undisputed dominant world power in every category: economic, military, cultural, and technological. For nearly a century now, no nation on earth has come close. ANECDOTE OR EVIDENCE? The cynic will note that empires rise and fall for many reasons — wars, economics, nationalism. That is true, and no honest theologian claims the blessing-and-cursing principle operates as a simple vending machine. But the trajectory is undeniable. The nation that championed Jewish restoration rose to global preeminence. The nation that betrayed the Jewish people and locked them out of their homeland as the Holocaust unfolded lost its empire within a generation. That is not merely anecdote. That is a pattern consistent with what the Scripture promises — a promise that did not die with Abraham, but was passed to his seed, renewed through Isaac and Jacob, reaffirmed through a pagan prophet named Balaam, and written across the history of nations ever since.  Tucker Carlson is free to dismiss that pattern. But dismissing it does not make it disappear.