Quote of the day:

"The truths that I know best I have learned on my knees. I never know a thing well, till it is burned into my heart by prayer."

^{- John Bunyan}

Today’s Headlines

Supreme Court Adopts Ethics Code

The U.S. Supreme Court has introduced its first formal code of conduct for justices, a response to mounting pressure and media reports revealing undisclosed luxury trips and interactions with wealthy benefactors. This new code, however, has received mixed reactions due to its lack of enforcement mechanisms.The code aims to prevent justices from being influenced by external relationships, outlines restrictions on fundraising activities, and reiterates limits on accepting gifts. It also advises justices to avoid any appearance of impropriety when considering speaking engagements.

Unlike other federal judges, Supreme Court justices previously operated without a binding ethics code. This absence led to a perception that justices were not bound by any ethics rules, a misunderstanding the court sought to dispel with this new code. The code’s introduction follows revelations about justices partaking in undisclosed private jet trips, luxury vacations, and other activities. The code's long-term effectiveness and commitment to ethical conduct remain to be seen.

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The Remnant's Response

Whenever we see a society acknowledging the need for ethics and morality, we see a society acknowledging the existence of God. Only a fool says there is no God (Psalm 53:1), and only a fool believes anything less than a God who is the source of absolute truth (Luke 21:33) can provide a foundational understanding of right and wrong (Romans 2:14-16). As Chuck Colson compellingly argued when he spoke at HBS in 1991, atheism, post-modernism, or similar relativistic philosophies "precluded the teaching of real ethics" because they, like the university which had embraced them, "abandoned a belief system based on absolute truth." All that is left when you abandon objective reality is a simple system of pragmatics, which is nothing more than tips and pointers suggesting "best practices", which of course begs the question - "best practices" according to whom? (Judges 21:25)

While it is of course true that people who don’t believe in God can be moral, it is not possible to define objective morality or ethics without an ultimate creator of them. Thankfully, there are moral atheists and sadly there are immoral theists; but without something greater than us to begin with, we have no basis to define what is moral except our own opinions. (Proverbs 1:7) While we can be glad that our Supreme Court is being held to an ethical standard, we can be even more thankful that there is a Supreme One who tells us what those standards should be. (Proverbs 30:5-6). It is the land of fools which denies the existence of God and then says "in God we trust" (Romans 1:22), and it is telling that a world increasingly filled with "God denying men" continually finds itself calling for the world to operate as if the God they deny actually exists. They do this because the Lord has “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11) and part of that eternity is a knowledge of eternal truths that no matter how much we try to suppress them, will be the final ethic by which we are all judged. (Romans 1:18-21).

NHS Death Sentence to Infant

Indi Gregory, an 8-month-old baby with a rare and incurable mitochondrial disease, passed away in the U.K. after a legal battle between her family and the National Health Service (NHS). Despite her parents' efforts to continue treatment and transfer her to an Italian hospital, the courts sided with the NHS, ruling that it was in Indi's best interest to be taken off life support. The family, supported by Italian officials, argued for alternative treatments. The courts rejected their appeals, deeming the invasive treatments causing the baby significant pain and distress.

Indi's life support was removed, and she was transferred to a hospice, where she died. The family criticized the NHS and the courts for denying Indi the chance to live longer and pass away at home. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed grief over the outcome despite their efforts.

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The Remnant's Response

Human dignity and value will always be reduced to what the most 'powerful' humans think is valuable until the powerful acknowledge that something more powerful than themselves determines what is valuable (Psalm 50:21) Just as abortionists ignorantly advocate that it is in the "best interest" of a child to be denied life if they are 'unwanted' by a mother and or father, we now have courts adjudicating to deny a child care whose mother and father want to continue to fight for their life. Without an objective standard outside of human reasoning, all human life will soon only be given as much dignity as 'ruling' humans determine useful, desirable, or economically beneficial. This utilitarian philosophy will ultimately move us from abiding by the "Hippocratic Oath" to a much more hypocritical one.

Instead of medicine's age-old commitment to "do no harm", a world which defines value in its own terms will ultimately only value life that "does no harm" based on a man-made subjective valuation which is sure to be inconsistently (hypocritically) applied. (Proverbs 22:2) When a land considers an individual worthy of healing only when it will benefit the world beyond the cost of the health care necessary to keep it alive, it won't be long before the old, disabled, and 'undesirable' will be dead and gone.

When a land considers an individual worthy of healing only when it will benefit the world beyond the cost of the health care necessary to keep it alive, it won’t be long before the old, disabled and ‘undesirable’ will be dead and gone. This is not a problem for the strong and able who claim the right to determine value, until the strong and able are weak and unable to make the case for themselves. Only then will the wickedness of their value system be evident to themselves. (Psalm 32:6) Ultimately, everyone will give an account to the One who determines all of our value, and it is the remnant's job to advocate for dignity and value for all now. (Proverbs 31:8-9)

The culture of death will increase until those of us who know the author and giver of life (Genesis 2:7) advocate for the dignity and protection of all people made in the image of God. If we don’t speak up for other's life now, we should not expect there to be other lives to speak up for us when we are not valued. It was the foolishness of man that led to the slave trade in the past, and it will be the foolishness of man that will make all of us a slave to a diminished worth in the eyes of the wicked in future days if the remnant does not speak up. (Proverbs 24:11-12)

Megan Rapinoe Plays In Her Last Game

United States women's soccer player Megan Rapinoe suffered an Achilles injury in what will end up being the final match of her career, as the OL Reign lost to Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League Championship.

In the sixth minute, Rapinoe, who suspects an Achilles tear, attempted a defensive play before a non-contact injury forced her out. In the post-match press conference, Rapinoe said she was going to get the "Aaron Rodgers treatment" to try and recover from the injury. She mentioned she’d reach out to him or whoever did his surgery. Furthermore, Rapinoe went on to say, "I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a god, like, this is proof that there isn’t,".

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The Remnant's Response

“Whatever is in the well … will come up in the bucket”. Pain and suffering have a way of drawing out the innermost parts of a human being’s heart. In Megan Rapinoe’s case, the well of her heart has nothing to draw from. It is dry. In the middle of her pain, suffering, and disappointment her bucket yielded only an empty realization of “proof” there isn’t a God. It leaves her hopeless and bitter.

Our first response to people like Ms. Rapinoe’s spiritual poverty should be one of compassion and prayer for her eyes to be opened and her heart to be softened to the Truth. (Ephesians 1:18-21) We should pray that God might use this circumstance in her life, and that she may come to know the “hope” that Jesus offers from the “well” that will never run dry (Isaiah 58:11; John 4:14).

It also presents a fantastic reminder, as believers, to make sure they we also drawing from well that will never run dry. Are we meditating on scripture day and night? (Joshua 1:8) Are we reminding ourselves of the truths of God’s word? (2 Peter 1:12) Are we encouraging one another toward love and good works in Jesus? (Hebrews 10:24) These practices will ensure that “when”, (not “if”) pain and suffering come our way… the buckets of our hearts will yield hope even in the midst of suffering. (1 Thessalonians 4:13) so that we can have an “even if” faith, not an “if then” one. (Daniel 3:17-18)

 Other news you should know

⛸️ Matt Petgrave arrested in death of former Pittsburgh Penguin Adam Johnson

🕵️‍♂️ Secret Service opens fire

👀 100 State Department Staffers Sign Letter Accusing Israel Of War Crimes

🇮🇱 Israel raids Gaza's Al Shifa Hospital, urges Hamas to surrender

🗳️ House Passes Johnson’s Plan to Avert Shutdown in Bipartisan Vote

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