Thanks to the Elites, College Is Now a Costly Path to Nowhere

Trump Administration Energy Policy Imperatives

One Story That Says It All

While some people champion raw milk, consuming it comes with significant risks. Here are some of the starkest examples of the problems it poses.

by Mac Slavo, SHTF Plan: Russian President Vladimir Putin has likened the striking capabilities of its new cutting-edge Oreshnik ballistic missiles to that of a meteorite impact. In comments to the Collective Security Treaty Organization summit in Kazakhstan, Putin said: “This is like a falling meteorite. We know from history where meteorites had fallen and what the […]

God's Word doesn't say, "You will not face trials of any kind so long as your life is filled with joy." What it tells us is that we will face trials throughout all of life, and to count it as joy, which will lead to steadfastness.

I’ve always dreaded cancer. When I’d drive past cancer clinics, I’d pray for the people inside. That dread became more personal four months ago. When I woke up from my regular colonoscopy, they wheeled me in to see my wife and she told me I had colon cancer. The surgeon came in and filled in the details. I’d need surgery, chemotherapy probably—maybe worse. The stage 3 cancer hadn’t escaped from my colon or intestines, but it had invaded the lymph nodes and pushed into my intestinal walls. I’d have to endure six months of intense chemotherapy, which started in early September. Twelve rounds, one every two weeks, each worse than the last. (I’m now in round five.) Plus, there’d be additional treatment for the eventual side effects: crashing white and red blood cell counts, bone pain, mouth sores, cold sensitivity, deep exhaustion, nausea, and more. Yet today I’m happier than I have been in many years. Why? I haven’t struggled with doubts, anger, or a sense God is treating me unfairly. I know many suffer from these thoughts. I’m not better than those people, and my profoundest sympathies are extended to them. But so far, God has spared me that. Jesus Christ has never left me. All I’ve learned of his faithfulness and love toward me over 49 years of the ups and downs, the progress and backsliding, of the Christian life is now so real to me. I’ve experienced Christ in new and beautiful ways. Anchored in a Psalm At the beginning of this nightmare, God gave me Psalm 139, making it clear this psalm was to be my anchor. It crystallized my theology, making it real to me as I suffered in this fallen world. Even though my children didn’t know about it, many of the songs they recommended to me pointed directly to this psalm. I have no doubt that God has wanted me to embrace it, to memorize it, to live it. He gave me this psalm to get me through. And he has made each part profoundly personal. The God Who Thinks of Me All I’ve learned of his faithfulness and love toward me over 49 years of the ups and downs, the progress and backsliding, of the Christian life is now so real to me. I’ve experienced Christ in new and beautiful ways. There’s not one thought, not one fear, not one doubt—in the past, present, or future—that he doesn’t know before I speak or even think it. And yet he assures me his thoughts toward me are loving, perfect, and whole (vv. 1–6, 17–18). This would strike fear in unbelievers, but they move through life unaware. For those who do believe it, for Jesus Christ’s redeemed sheep, this is profoundly comforting if we understand it aright. And for me now, though I’ve understood this theologically and doctrinally for a long time, it has become incredibly real, something I’m directly experiencing in ways I’ve never known. When I awake, he really is there, and that’s comforting. The God Who Is with Me I couldn’t flee from his presence even if I wanted to. Was waking up post-op and into the reality of the misery of surgery recovery like making my bed in Sheol? Was the grief and fear of my wife, my children, my grandchildren, and my children-in-law like descending into the pit? Have the multiple and intensifying chemo hits been to me like being in the valley of death? Yes. And yet he has been there with me. Right there. When I woke up in the purgatory of pain, it was in his presence, him there with me. There has been no place for me to hide but also no place I’ve wanted to hide—not Sheol, not heaven, not the wings of the dawn, not lightness, not darkness. Jesus Christ has been real, present, and tangible—not just as doctrine or theology but there. Suffering with me, comforting me, assuring me, his hand in mine (vv. 7–12). He didn’t take hell away from me. He went into hell with me. And that’s far, far better. The God Who Made Me He made me, fearfully and wonderfully, before the foundations of the earth (vv. 13–16). With care, intimately crafting every cell, ordaining each of my days into eternity. In a fallen world, this included those cancer cells. He put them there to accomplish his will in me, not against me. There were no surprises for him, just for me. There was no dismay or doubt or fear for him, just for me. My body, including my cancer, is what a loving God gave me—willed for me—from before time. Why should I rail against it now? My body has been good to me; it has served me; from inside it has issued precious offspring, and it has enabled me to fulfill my calling in this world, to serve others, to care for my family. My DNA, every cell, every detail was given to me by One who loves me beyond anything I can ask or even imagine. Anger has no place here. Grief? Yes. Fear? Yes. But not anger. The God Who Conquers for Me Are the pangs of death my enemies? Yes, they are. Do I hate them with profound hatred? Yes, I do. But Jesus has defeated my enemies (vv. 19–22). He has conquered death. Whether from this or something else, I will die. There’s no escaping it. But he will be present then too; he will love me then too; he will carry me then too. He will not leave my side in this cancer or in my death. Isn’t it good to be reminded of this now? If this is what it takes for me to trust him in the hour of my death, then it’s a lesson well learned. The God Who Sanctifies Me And so now he searches me, rooting out every wickedness, every unworthy action or thought (vv. 23–24). He’s using this cancer to move me along this path of sanctification. Exposing and digging out the evil inside me. And always in love, with patience and kindness and mercy, even as I’m experiencing it now. My tears are stored in his bottle (Ps. 56:8). Anger has no place here. Grief? Yes. Fear? Yes. But not anger. This work in me is woefully incomplete, but he has given me a promissory note that all will be made right in eternity: every question answered, every sin destroyed. I’ll be clean. I’ll be whole. Do I enjoy cancer? No. Has it been worth it? Absolutely yes.

As period epics go, Gladiator II is vintage Ridley Scott: strong on spectacle and style but only loosely tethered to historical accuracy. From Napoleon (2023) to Exodus (2014) to Kingdom of Heaven (2005), Scott loves history’s cinematic potential, even as he recognizes that Hollywood movies aren’t meant to be history textbooks. So while most of Gladiator II’s characters are based on real people in Roman history, don’t expect what happens to them, and when, to closely hew to history’s script. Still, there’s something real in history that Gladiator II gestures toward subtly without mentioning it explicitly more than once. It’s the looming transformation of Rome from pagan decadence and conquering bloodlust to an unlikely accelerant of Christianity. Set 16 years after the events of the original Gladiator, the sequel takes place during the reign of corrupt emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn). Only a century later, Constantine would become Rome’s first Christian emperor, providing significant fuel to the already-in-motion growth of Christianity across the ancient world. In Gladiator II, we see foreshadows of the Christian revolution to come. A decadent, bloodthirsty culture cries out for moral transformation. A brute, conquering regime—where strength is the only value—sows the seeds of its own destruction. People long for something different: honor, equality, dignity, community; hope of meaningful life in a world of ubiquitous death. And as much as Gladiator II hints at factors that set the stage for the empire’s Christian turn 1,700 years ago, it also gives reasons for hope in our day. Could a new Christian revolution be on the horizon in today’s decadent West? From ‘Strength Only’ to ‘Strength and Honor’ The Rome of Gladiator II (rated R for violence) is one of moral decadence, corrupt rule, and military excess. Emperors Caracalla and Geta epitomize it in their bloodlust (gladiatorial games, endless military campaigns, “They can eat war!”) and self-serving hedonism (orgiastic sexual libertinism, ostentatious parties complete with rhino-head platters). So does the film’s other main villain, Macrinus (Denzel Washington), whose only orthodoxy is the creed of brute force (“Violence is the universal language”) and a rage-driven vengeance wherein the oppressed become oppressors. Could a new Christian revolution be on the horizon in today’s decadent West? While the hyperviolent film’s villains are defined by the excesses and entailments of a “strength only” philosophy, the heroes are defined by strength and honor. These heroes include the offspring of virtuous emperor (and Stoic philosopher) Marcus Aurelius: daughter Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and grandson Lucius (Paul Mescal). But other nonhistorical characters also embody the “strength and honor” philosophy. Pedro Pascal plays General Acacius, a celebrated military leader who recognizes the immorality of endless warfare and seeks a more peaceful regime (“I will not waste another generation of young men for their vanity”). Perhaps the most honorable character—and one who may actually be a Christian—is the gladiator-turned-medic Ravi (Alexander Karim). He’s the film’s moral center, and he speaks a few times about forgiveness and salvation, even invoking river imagery in connection with redemption. Ravi’s character arc alone hints at Rome’s coming Christian revolution: He goes from killing-machine gladiator to compassionate healer, defender of the weak, and devoted family man. He no longer takes lives; he saves them. Notably, many of the “strength and honor” men in Gladiator II are married and have loving relationships with women. The “strength only” men are only really around other men: in many cases romantically. It’s perhaps unsurprising that bloodlust and hedonism prevailed under the joint rule of two men, Caracalla and Geta. Gladiator II hints in the direction of Rome’s Christian future—where sexual libertinism, patriarchal abuse of women and children, and asymmetrical gender power would give way to Christian visions of monogamous marriage and a much-elevated status for women and children. We’re seeing similar signs in today’s world, which may herald a re-Christianizing of the West. Women are recognizing the post-Christian sexual revolution has failed them, and the excesses of a gender-fluid world victimize them most. Meanwhile, men seem to be recognizing the emptiness of hedonistic pleasure and brute power. Younger men are showing a surprising affinity for church, and Bible sales are booming. If they aren’t yet Christians, increasing numbers of people fall into the categories of “reality respecters” and “meaning makers.” They don’t want a world where shifting power dynamics are the only narrative and individualism runs amok. They want transcendent purpose, natural law limits, and honor beyond mere strength. Behind this trend, and in an interesting connection to pre-Christian Rome, Stoicism is enjoying a resurgence among men in the modern West. This is fueled both by new self-improvement gurus (Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan, Ryan Holiday) as well as ancient voices like Aurelius (whose Meditations has sold hundreds of thousands of copies in recent years). It remains to be seen whether this neo-Stoicism and hunger for honor, improvement, and wellness will prime the pump for Christian revival or undermine it in some sort of consumeristic mutation. ‘Dream of Rome’ and Cinema’s Eternity-Glimpsing Power Both Gladiator films often reference the “dream that was Rome.” It’s an expression of a desired peace—a return to the Pax Romana and a utopian desire for a true republic where all people flourish and stable peace endures. But this “dream” is fragile—it can only be mentioned in whispers. In the world of Gladiator, there’s an eschatological quality to this “dream,” a recognition that it’ll only come to pass by divine intervention. In the hands of fallen men, even honorable men, it’ll always be fragile. Still, this longing for a peaceful kingdom ennobles us in the present. This is a key idea in Gladiator II, which ends with a blatant nod in the “dream” direction. Major spoiler ahead. In the film’s revisionist-history “Hollywood ending,” villainous Macrinus (who openly mocks the “dream of Rome”) is killed, when in reality he succeeded Caracalla as emperor and held the role for over a year. The film implies Lucius goes on to usher in a “dream of Rome” peace, not through dominating tyrannical power but by turning power back over to the senate. Like his father in Gladiator (Russell Crowe’s Maximus), Lucius wields power for the flourishing of others, not himself. These sorts of heroes represent a deep longing in Western culture for nobility dressed in humility—selfless leaders whose power resides in their willingness to cede rather than consolidate it. In this “humble king” ideal we see again how the Gladiator films gesture toward Christianity. It’s worth noting that the only time Christians are explicitly mentioned in Gladiator II is a passing reference to their lowly status as the sort of people executed by crucifixion. The cross of Christ—who was the ultimate servant king (Phil. 2:5–11)—haunts the film’s drama, silently framing its vision of heroism and hope. Gladiator II’s ending will doubtless frustrate historians. But I loved it in the same way I loved the ending of Quentin Tarantino’s Once upon a Time . . . in Hollywood and its alternate history of the Manson family murders. Both films demonstrate how “movies are an inherently eschatological medium” that “present viewers with visceral brushes with eternity.” Movies are dreams more than they’re history. Does the Obsession with Rome Foreshadow Christian Revival? Gladiator II isn’t an intentional apologetic for Christianity. But its fanciful vision of the dream of Rome coming true nevertheless hints at Christianity’s rise and an eternal kingdom we can, by the Holy Spirit’s power, glimpse here and now. Only the City of God offers an answer to the hopeless fragility of the City of Man, which Augustine says “aims at domination” but is “itself dominated by that very lust of domination.” Only in Christianity is there a foundation on which to build meaningful morality, virtue, peace, and purpose from the rubble of Babel/Babylon/Rome. Only in Christianity do concepts like equality, dignity, goodness, truth, and beauty make any sense. Only in God’s kingdom does the dream of Rome come true. Only in Christianity is there a foundation on which to build meaningful morality, virtue, peace, and purpose from the rubble of Babel/Babylon/Rome. Why do we think of the Roman Empire a lot these days (another example is Francis Ford Coppola’s divisive recent film Megalopolis)? Perhaps it’s because the dream of Rome—and the dream’s fragility—speaks to our moment in powerful ways. We feel the decadence of contemporary Western society and the diminishing returns of economic affluence, technological progress, and moral autonomy. We sense that society’s fragility, and ultimate collapse, will parallel that of Rome and other empires. And yet the aspirational dream of Rome—a heavenly city—lives on with enduring appeal, whispering to us as it has through the ages. It’s the whispers of something better than what we have, a city beyond what we can build ourselves, a God-given peace that will outlast all fleeting empires. Christianity flourished as revolutionary hope and solid truth in the shaky inertia of the Roman empire’s waning days. Will it flourish anew in our own crumbling empire? There are recent rumblings and predictions of it. May it be so.

Acne affects millions of people of all age groups every year. From moderate to severe acne outbreaks on the face, back, and other areas of the body can lead to scarring, if left untreated. Acne | Natural Remedies You Might Want To Try Some will turn to their doctor for prescription medications and topical creams to treat their acne. However, long term use of these prescription medications and topical creams can be potentially dangerous. Treating acne naturally is possible and is a much healthier long term solution. In today’s article, I will cover natural remedies to help fight moderate to severe acne such as: DIY Honey Face Wash Using Apple Cider Vinegar For Toning Your Skin DIY Cinnamon And Honey Mask Exfoliating Your Skin With Natural Ingredients Natural Spot Treatment Naturally Moisturizing Acne Prone Skin Let’s get started! DIY Honey Face Wash This natural DIY face wash is gentle but, if used thoroughly, it can be quite effective for treating acne. What You’ll Need: 3 tablespoons of honey 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon of coconut oil 2 capsules of live probiotics 20 drops of tea tree essential oil Directions: Combine all ingredients and blend well. Store in a closed mason jar and place in a dark cool area. To wash your face: Dampen your skin with lukewarm water, massage cleanser onto your face and neck area, rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a clean towel. Repeat every morning and evening before bed. Also recommended after excessive sweating. Avoid over cleansing your skin as it can cause skin irritation which causes your skin to produce extra oils.   Using Apple Cider Vinegar For Toning Your Skin Toning your skin after cleansing is important. It helps to remove any residue created by facial cleansers and also helps to improve your skin’s pH levels. ACV is loaded with magnesium, potassium, acetic acid, and enzymes which will help to kill bacteria on your skin. Directions: Use all natural ACV after cleansing in the morning and evening. Soak a cotton ball with ACV and gently smooth over your face and neck areas, making sure to cover the areas with active breakouts.   DIY Cinnamon And Honey Mask Facial masks are a great way to keep your skin hydrated which is so important for your skin, especially during an active breakout. Here is a greatly effective all natural mask using cinnamon and honey. When combined together, these natural ingredients possess anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties. What You’ll Need: 1 teaspoon of coconut oil 2 tablespoons of raw honey ½ teaspoon of cinnamon Directions: Combine ingredients and mix well. Smooth the mixture over your face, making sure to avoid your eye area as cinnamon can be irritating to your eyes. Leave on 10 minutes and wipe off with a clean, damp cloth. This all natural mask can be applied a couple of times a week. Note: If you are in the midst of an active breakout, add 2-3 drops of tea tree essential oil to the mask mixture. Exfoliating Your Skin With Natural Ingredients Dead skin and clogged pores can cause acne, therefore, gently exfoliating your skin is necessary to remove build up on your skin. What You’ll Need: A natural gritty ingredient such as sea salt, ground oatmeal, or brown sugar Coconut oil or honey Directions: Combine 2 tablespoons of the natural gritty ingredient of your choice with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or honey. Mix well. Gently rub onto your forehead, face, and neck using circular motions. Pay extra attention to the acne prone areas. Gently wipe off with a clean, damp cloth and rinse well with cool water. Skin exfoliation should be done 1-2 times a week, about 5 days apart.   Natural Spot Treatment Tea tree essential oil is great for acne prone skin due to its antibacterial properties. Here is a highly effective DIY spot treatment using tea tree oil. What You’ll Need: 6-8 drops of tea tree essential oil 1 teaspoon of coconut oil Directions: Combine ingredients and gently dab on acne areas. A slight tingling sensation is normal. Note: Never apply tea tree essential directly onto your skin. Always use a base, which for this remedy is coconut oil.   Naturally Moisturizing Acne Prone Skin It has been a popular belief that moisturizing your skin can cause acne or make existing acne worse. Keeping skin dehydrated can actually irritate your skin and when that happens, your skin can actually produce more oils, which will create a breakout or worsen an existing one. Coconut oil is a great all natural way to moisturize your skin. The lauric acid, fatty acids, and antioxidants within coconut oil hydrate your skin which, in turn, helps to actually repair your skin. To use coconut oil as a daily moisturizer, warm ¼ teaspoon of coconut oil and smooth over your face and neck. Allow it absorb into your skin for 5 minutes. Next, wipe off all of the excess oil with a clean, dry towel.   Shruti Arjun Anand shows how to remove pimples overnight: Do you have a natural remedy for acne that you would like to share with us? Share with us in the comment section below. Up Next:: Avoid These 17 Ingredients For Naturally Beautiful Skin At Any Age The Best Homemade Skin Care Recipes Homemade Sugar Scrub Recipe [Just Mix Raw Sugar And Coconut Oil] Follow us on facebook, instagram, pinterest, and twitter!   The contents of this article are for informational purposes only. Please read our full disclaimer.