There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "…truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity–it is simply true and that is the end of it" – Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” – Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
We come before You with hearts full of reverence and awe, recognizing Your infinite power and majesty.
We acknowledge that without You, we are nothing, and we humbly confess our deep need for Your guidance.
Grant us the strength to persevere in prayer, to seek You earnestly, and to wait patiently for Your answers.
May our prayers not be born of routine, but of a sincere desire to commune with You, to know Your will, and to align our lives with Your purpose.
Teach us, Lord, to pray with faith that moves mountains, with a trust that does not waver in the face of trials, and with a heart that remains steadfast in love for You.
May our prayers be a reflection of our dependence on You, and may they rise before Your throne like sweet incense, pleasing and acceptable in Your sight.
We ask for the fullness of Your Spirit to dwell in us, to guide us in all truth, and to empower us to live out our faith boldly.
May our lives be a testament to Your goodness, and may our prayers be the channel through which Your power flows into the world.
In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, we pray. Amen.
▶️Pastor Patrick Hines has recently had a brand new book published, called, “Earth’s Foundational History – Part 1: Genesis Chapters 1 Through 5.” (Paperback – May 4, 2023) https://cutt.ly/16RCeZ0
These two books are also available on Amazon. All proceeds go directly to Pastor Hines:
▶️Am I Right With God?: The Gospel, Justification, Saving Faith, Repentance, Assurance, & The New Birth https://cutt.ly/S6RCbuM
▶️Redrawing the Battle Lines: 23 Sermons on Critical Issues Facing the Church https://cutt.ly/m6RCTi0
Keys to Assurance of Salvation and Heavenly Glory -Pastor Patrick Hines Podcast
From the church website:
We subscribe to the Westminster Standards as our doctrinal statement. It consists of the following documents:
The Westminster Confession of Faith The Westminster Larger Catechism The Westminster Shorter Catechism
We also believe that Christian Worship is to be regulated and defined by God’s Word, the Bible.
Our worship services are designed to please and honor the Triune God of the Bible. We place Scripture reading and the preaching of the word of God at the center of worship along with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. These are God’s gifts to His church and ought to always be at the center of Christian worship. We are a congregation that loves to sing God’s praises, recite His Word back to Him, and actively engage in hearing and learning from God’s Word.
We embrace and promote a comprehensive Christian world and life view.
There is no area of life which is not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is to God and His law which all people, including governments and civil rulers, will answer. The Word of God embraces and informs the way we view marriage, the family, children, education, politics, worship, law, government, war, the church, missions, evangelism, and worship. In the world today there is a battle of opposing worldviews. There are basically only two positions: God’s Word and man’s ideas. We stand positively for Biblical truth and negatively against man’s ideas which are opposed to Biblical truth.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope for mankind.
Because all men fall short of obeying God’s law, all men everywhere are in need of divine grace and salvation from God. This salvation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ who died for sinners, was buried, rose again, and is alive today seated at God the Father’s right hand.
We Worship God Together as Families.
We offer nursery during the morning worship service for newborns and infants but encourage people to keep as many of their children as they can with them for morning worship. The audio of the service is in the nursery via speakers. There is also a crying room with a video screen and audio of the sermon. We offer Sunday school classes for all ages, but worship together as families. We do not offer “children’s” church.
All who profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and are members of an evangelical church are cordially invited to participate with us in the Lord’s Supper.
Our conscience is a tremendous gift from God—one we must be careful not to ruin. Today, R.C. Sproul shows the importance of shaping our consciences according to the truth of God, not the ways of the world.
Nehemiah 12:31 — Cup Bearer, Building Inspector, Commander, General Contractor, Negotiator, and Singspiration Architect – Nehemiah wore many hats!
Wopod’s Blog includes a helpful map to show you what the choirs were doing. The Eastern Choir (Nehemiah 12:31-37) and the Western Choir (Nehemiah 12:38-39) circled around the city, leaving the Dung Gate and entering the Sheep Gate.
Nehemiah 12:42 — The singers sang loud (even without electronic amplification)!
This was not immediately consequent on the dedication of the city wall and gates, but after Nehemiah’s return from the Persian court to Jerusalem, his absence having extended over a considerable period.
“… therein was found written …” What’s sad is there was so little familiarity with the Law of the LORD that it shocked them. How familiar are we with God’s Law?
Nehemiah 13:15 — Ezra and Nehemiah had done so much to restore the Kingdom. They were vigilant about trusting God, prayer, sanctification, and so much more! But when Nehemiah left this young congregation, he returns to see people marrying unbelievers, people violating the sabbath, and his old enemy Tobiah was now living in the temple complex.
Nehemiah didn’t trust the people who had been watching the gate, he had to put his personal staff at the gates to make sure the Sabbath would be kept.
Nehemiah 13:21 — Not the cry of the weary mother of a toddler, but the cry of a commander of Jerusalem to those who would cause his people to sin!
1 Corinthians 11:1 — Is Paul giving merely cultural advice to those in 1st Century Corinth? John MacArthur in his commentary on 1 Corinthians 11 says:
[Some] believe that Paul, Peter, and other scriptural writers added some of their own opinions to God’s revealed truth or that the apostles sometimes taught culturally determined customs rather than divinely revealed standards. When that approach is taken, man must decide for himself what part of Scripture is revealed and what is not – making him the judge over God’s Word.
MacArthur, John F., Jr. 1 Corinthians. MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1984.
Strangely, by the time he gets to 1 Corinthians 11:4, he says:
It seems, therefore, that Paul is not stating a divine universal requirement but simply acknowledging a local custom.
MacArthur, John F., Jr. 1 Corinthians. MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1984.
As we go through this passage, we will not be quoting from Dr. G.I. Barber’s message on the “Doctrine of Hairology.”
1 Corinthians 11:4 — Not only did Jesus reverse the Mosaic Law on bacon, Jesus also reversed the Mosaic Law on head coverings for the religious leaders (Exodus 28:4, Exodus 28:37, and Exodus 28:40). Under Moses, the priests all wore head coverings, but now that Jesus is our head, that is forbidden! This verse is in contrast to most religions, including the Muslim Taqiyah, the Jewish Kippah, the Sikh Turban, and the liturgical Zucchettos and Birettas. Interestingly, Paul is talking about almost all religious activity, per MacArthur:
In the most general senses praying is talking to God about people, including ourselves, and prophesying is talking to people about God. One is vertical (man to God) and the other is horizontal (man to man), and they represent the two primary dimensions of believers’ ministry.
1 Corinthians 11:10 — What do angels have to do with head coverings? Are angels watching what you wear in church? Apparently (Ephesians 3:10, 1 Timothy 5:21)!
NOTE: Today’s reading from 1 Corinthians may seem difficult to understand – but anytime we read something in the Bible that seems difficult to understand, 1) Don’t give up! 2) Dig in! Keep reading as you interpret Scripture with Scripture.
Psalm 35:1 – Do you remember how difficult life has been? Thank God for His salvation (Psalm 35:9)!
Proverbs 21:17 – Don’t rich people spend their days in leisure? Don’t they buy expensive stuff? They may, but loving pleasure is unsustainable. God created man to work in the Garden (Genesis 2:15).
Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Called by the name of the Lord, we are nevertheless erring men and women. What a mercy it is that our God is ready to forgive! Whenever we sin let us hasten to the mercy seat of our God, seeking pardon.
We are to humble ourselves. Should we not be humbled by the fact that after receiving so much love we yet transgress? O Lord, we bow before Thee in the dust and own our grievous ingratitude. Oh, the infamy of sin! Oh, the sevenfold infamy of it in persons so favored as we have been!
Next, we are to pray for mercy, for cleansing, for deliverance from the power of sin. O Lord, hear us even now, and shut not out our cry.
In this prayer we are to seek the Lord’s face. He has left us because of our faults, and we must entreat Him to return. O Lord, look on us in Thy Son Jesus, and smile upon Thy servants.
With this must go our own turning from evil; God cannot turn to us unless we turn from sin.
Then comes the triple promise of hearing, pardon, and healing. Our Father, grant us these at once, for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake.
· Like most mystics, Christian mystics tend to prioritize spiritual practices and experience over dogma and doctrine…Even mystics who radically accept the core teachings of Christianity (or any faith) may say that assenting to such beliefs only makes sense when it emerges out of the authority of one’s own inner experience.https://www.anamchara.com/what-do-christian-mystics-believe/
“Christian” mystics (CMs) emphasize their commonalities and unity with mystics from other religions. However, Biblical unity can only be found within the Body of Christ:
Ephesians 4:3–6 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
It is believing the truth that connects us to God:
Romans 4:3–5 ( “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” [Genesis 15:6] Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
Although CMs might venerate Jesus, they have made Him irrelevant through their affirmation of mystics from other religions. However, all other religions are in darkness and without hope:
Ephesians 2:12-13 (NLT) In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him [Christ alone] who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
According to McColman, the “authority [is] of one’s own “inner experience” rather than the Scriptures, which interpreted through the “light” of subjective experience—hardly the basis for any unity. But McColman wrote:
· Like most mystics, Christian mystics believe it is possible to experience heightened or altered levels of consciousness that can facilitate a sense of either the presence of God, or union with God…But it seems to entail a marvelous (if not miraculous) sense of a heightened awareness or consciousness, of perception or vision or “knowing,” of a felt sense of God’s presence (or even union with God). These Divine encounters seem to change the person’s life, forever.
God does this routinely by His Spirit through the Word, which is the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). He opens our hearts/minds to understand the Scriptures:
Luke 24:44–45 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
We do not have to resort to the various mystical techniques available to all other religions. Instead, we need only have faith in Christ:
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
We love God by obeying His Word and not through a subjective experience:
John 14:21, 23–24 “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”…“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”
When the Christian goes beyond the Word, he risks being demonically deceived and has no way of knowing whether or not he is uniting with God or with a demon:
1 Corinthians 4:6 …that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written…
Matthew 4:4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Jesus had resisted the devil by citing Scriptures. We can do no less! McColman wrote:
· Like most mystics, “Christian” mystics find meditation, contemplation, silence, solitude, stillness, and asceticism (a life of intentional simplicity and even austerity) to help to facilitate the encounter with God.
Instead, the God of the Bible doesn’t care about such things but about faith, trust, repentance, truth, righteousness, and obedience.
Moses had such a transforming experience with God that his face shined light as he spoke with Him. However, when he came down from the mountain after 40 days, rather than highlighting his mystical experience, he spoke the words God had given Him (Exodus 34). The words took precedence over all else. So too does obeying God’s words:
John 15:9–10 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
However, mysticism regards the Scriptures as unnecessary. Nor is Jesus necessary for mystical practice. Could we be missing out on spiritual blessings if we do not practice a form of mysticism? No!
2 Timothy 3:16–17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
We have everything we need in Jesus:
1 Corinthians 1:30–31 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
Church History is the study of Christianity from the close of inspired history in the New Testament to the present. This includes the study of the people whose lives and ministries shaped the development of the Church and the growth of movements within the body Christ. Very often at the heart of our Christian past are the martyrs of the cross and their profound influence upon the Church of the future. Church History also involves the study of controversies within the Church and the divisions that they sparked. As these disputes were largely theological the Church learned to carefully define doctrine in order that heresy might be avoided in the future. This particular aspect of Church History is known as Historical Theology. Church History, therefore, studies the heretics and the apostasy of the Church as well as the champions of the faith, the revivals and missionary endeavours.
A VITAL DISCIPLINE
Church History (and Historical Theology) is a most vital discipline of Christian study. Many of the great theologians in history, including the Church Fathers were historians, who took with seriousness, the importance of recording and learning from the past. Outside of Scripture, preachers derive more material for their sermons from Church history than any other source. A Bible College which does not regard the importance of Church History is unworthy of the name.
RELATIONSHIP WITH SECULAR HISTORY
Furthermore Church History frequently intersects with what we may loosely call secular history. Indeed the title for this article may well have been “Why Should the Christian Study History”; the answer would be substantively the same. Secular history has influenced the Church and the Church has likewise influenced the State. Governments, Emperors and Nations have persecuted Christianity, while Christian virtues eventually made their way into the ethos of every country in the western world. Any student of Church History will therefore, only understand each period by knowing something of the secular background. Every Church historian is also an historian of all history. Therefore, those who study the history of the Church see the big picture. Secular historians who major on temporal matters in the affairs of men only get a snap shot; they miss the most important historical truths of all.
Taliban parades US military vehicles 3 years after Biden-Harris’ disastrous withdrawal The Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of the regime’s rise to power in Afghanistan by holding a celebration at a former U.S. air base and parading U.S. military vehicles that were abandoned in the disastrous withdrawal under the Biden-Harris administration in 2021. According to The Associated Press, the Taliban held a celebration at Bagram Air Base, which previously served as the center of U.S. operations against the Taliban and al-Qaida terrorists in Afghanistan.
Harris Campaign Teams Up With Google To Fake Endorsements, Edit News Headlines Mainstream media outlets have been running cover for Democrats for years, but now a top Democrat is faking endorsements from prolific newspapers and networks. According to multiple reports, Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign has been editing Google ads to give the impression that major media outlets are endorsing or supporting her policies and presidential campaign.
Senior Jerusalem rabbis urge in Hebrew, Arabic not to visit Temple Mount The rabbis harshly criticized the politicians who visited the site and denounced the dozens who prostrated themselves there in direct violation of the status quo. Many Orthodox Jews believe that Jews should not enter the site so that they do not step in the areas of great holiness.
Islam Claims To Be The Enemy Of The Jews And Christians — Shouldn’t We Believe Them? “Israel, Judaism, and Jews challenge Islam and the Moslem people. ‘May the cowards never sleep.’” — (Hamas’ Founding Charter, Article 28) This statement and many like it come straight from Hamas’ Founding Charter, which outlines the organization’s motivations in its own words. If we follow the Marxist narrative of “believe the victim,” allowing Hamas to be the victim, shouldn’t we believe these terrorists when they say their fight is a struggle of the “Moslem people” against the Jews?
Ayatollah Khamenei faces tough dilemma when it comes to retaliating against Israel The 85-year-old despot is keenly aware of the repercussions of a major strike on Israel and, given the delicate timing of Masoud Pezeshkian’s first steps as president, it’s somewhat likely Iran’s Supreme Leader will opt for a more prudent approach
‘Catastrophe for Jewish Students’: Historic Body of University Professors Approves Academic Boycotts The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has issued a statement in support of academic boycotts, a seismic decision which reverses decades of policy and clears the way for scholar activists to escalate their efforts to purge the university of Zionism and educational partnerships with Israel.
Internal strife: Iran’s delayed retaliation to Israel sparks rift within terror proxies Iran has angered its allies, particularly Hezbollah and Hamas, by once again urging caution in responding to Israel after the assassinations of high-ranking Hezbollah terrorist Fuad Shukr and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, the Kuwaiti newspaper al Jarida reported on Wednesday.
China is now goading Iran into attacking Israel China, from all indications, wants more war in the world’s most war-torn region. As countries around the world pressure Iran not to strike Israel … — China was, in effect, publicly goading Iran to act.
Iran is helping Kamala’s campaign Like everything else Iran does, it’s a strategic choice. Iran has been boosting Biden-Harris while doing everything possible to undermine Trump. the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) revealed that “a group run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence unit—sent a spear-phishing email to a high-ranking official of a presidential campaign from a compromised email account of a former senior advisor.” The campaign was the Trump campaign.
Hamas launches rockets at Israel from inside humanitarian zone …IDF troops were actively operating in the area of Khan Younis, after civilians were instructed to evacuate the area, two rockets were launched toward Tel Aviv in central Israel. Shortly afterward, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck targets in the area from which the rockets were launched.
As massive cyberattack cripples banks in Iran, Supreme Leader Khamenei vows ‘divine wrath’ if Iran backs down from attacking Israel most media coverage has focused on Iran’s blustering threats and Israeli preparations. … the new government already showing signs of disarray, even before a massive cyberattack reportedly crippled the nation’s banking system on Wednesday. … the cyberattack significantly disrupted the operations of the Central Bank of Iran and other financial institutions, shutting down all computer systems.
Kamala Harris’ VP pick Tim Walz is a pro-abortion coward to the left of Nancy Pelosi How does one define a coward? Or if we don’t want to judge their character, perhaps their actions, which we would call “cowardly”? And what is a “chicken hawk”? This was a term used by the media to define politicians who were eager to use military force but to let others do it. … now the Democrats will have their own. Tim Walz is a chicken hawk
US envoy in Beirut: The clock is ticking for a ceasefire Hochstein told a Beirut news conference that he and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, discussed “the framework agreement that’s on the table for a Gaza ceasefire, and he and I agreed there is no more time to waste and there’s no more valid excuses from any party for any further delay”.
Smotrich in Metula: Move the security belt to southern Lebanon Bezalel Smotrich holds a working meeting in Metula and sends a message to Hezbollah: Don’t mess with us. Israel must go to war against Hezbollah. “the State of Israel must go to war against Hezbollah, move the security belt from our territory to their territory.
Saudi Crown Prince fears assassination if he normalizes with Israel Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told American officials that he fears being assassinated if he goes through with normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Politico reported. According to the report, bin Silman has raised the concern in multiple conversations with American Congressmen, invoking the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian President who was murdered in 1981, two years after he became the first Arab leader to make peace with Israel.
Ethics complaint filed against Moriarty claims she freed convicted murderer for political gain A formal ethics complaint has been filed against Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, alleging misconduct in the recent post-conviction case of Marvin Haynes, Jr. The complaint, filed by former Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Mike Furnstahl, who served as the lead prosecutor during Haynes’ trial, accuses Moriarty of manipulating evidence to achieve a politically motivated outcome, resulting in the release of Haynes, who had been convicted of murder and assault in 2006.
Mpox declared public health emergency in Africa Mpox, the high infectious disease that used to be called monkeypox, has been declared a public health emergency in Africa by the continent’s top health body. Scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) say they are alarmed by the speed at which a new strain of mpox has been spreading. Since the beginning of the year, more than 13,700 cases and 450 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Israel Shifts to Homegrown Arms Amid Strained US Relations In response to mounting tensions with the United States and ongoing conflict, Israel is making a strategic pivot towards the domestic production of critical weaponry for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Historically reliant on foreign suppliers, particularly the United States, Israel is now focusing on developing and manufacturing its own heavy bombs and other essential military equipment.
Ernesto on verge of becoming hurricane as storm lashes Puerto Rico | Fox Weather Tropical Storm Warnings remain in effect for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as Tropical Storm Ernesto continues to pound the islands with flooding rain and damaging wind gusts, and forecasters warn that the storm is expected to become a hurricane sometime Wednesday.
Erdan at UN: ‘You convened for these terrorists, but not for the children of Majdal Shams’ Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, presented the Council with images of the Hamas terrorists who were eliminated in the school. Strongly criticizing the Council, he remarked: “You convened for these terrorists who used a school as their terror base, but for the children of Majdal Shams, murdered by Hezbollah’s rocket fire, you couldn’t find the time for an urgent session! Shame on you!”
Thousands Of Businesses Are Going Bankrupt, But The Economy Is “Fine” Businesses are declaring bankruptcy at a much faster rate than they did last year. Thousands upon thousands of once-thriving businesses are failing, but this just must be another sign that the economy is “fine.” No matter how bad the numbers get, we are assured that the people running things have everything under control and that the outlook for the future is wonderful.
Most Americans Believe That The U.S. Economy Is Already In A Recession Most Americans believe that the U.S. is currently experiencing a recession. Large employers have been conducting mass layoffs from coast to coast, the cost of living crisis is absolutely crushing millions upon millions of working families, and the number of business bankruptcies has jumped by more than 40 percent in just one year.
Dissolving Illusions: After 60 years of working on flu vaccines, they are unable to develop vaccines that reduce mortality rates England began gathering data on measles in 1838. The mortality rate decreases gradually from an initial high and then significantly drops from the 1920s. From the mid-1900s, the measles mortality rate in England is virtually zero. “They started vaccinating in 1968 in England, and by that point, they had almost a 100% [99.8%] decline in mortality rate from measles,” Bystrianyk said. “So, basically, the problem was solved by the time they started vaccinating.”
The Olympic Games closing ceremony was a homage to Lucifer Having created a satanic ritual for the Olympic Games opening ceremony, artistic director Thomas Jolly ended as he had begun. The closing ceremony, writes Winston Smith, was a homage to lucifer.
What goes on at Bohemian Grove? Bohemian Grove is a 2,700-acre private campground and summer retreat located in Monte Rio, California. It is said to be a summer retreat for some of the most prominent men in the world. But is it simply a summer retreat?
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Politics
Yes, Hunter Biden peddled his influence to Burisma: Next to Kamala Harris, the biggest benefactor of Joe Biden’s “decision” to drop out of the presidential race has been none other than his son Hunter, whose influence-peddling activities have mostly dropped off the media’s radar screen. But that doesn’t mean those unlawful activities never happened. As the New York Post reports, “First son Hunter Biden, acting on behalf of a Ukrainian energy company, requested help from the US Embassy in Rome to land a lucrative business deal, while his father, Joe Biden, was vice president… Hunter’s big ask and apparent attempt to use his father’s position of power to land the deal for Burisma — the Ukrainian gas giant on whose board he sat — came to light only after State Department records were released to the New York Times after Joe Biden ended his 2024 re-election bid last month.” How convenient, too, that these records were only coughed up after the Big Guy became a lame duck. The timing is even more interesting, as Junior prepares to stand trial next month for tax evasion based on — yep — the millions he raked in from Burisma and other overseas dealings.
DOJ suddenly located Biden biographer transcripts created by Robert Hur (Fox News)
Trump may be sentenced to prison on September 18: Deeply conflicted Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan has repeatedly refused to recuse himself from the 34-count felony case against Donald Trump. At the same time, he’s repeatedly vowed to sentence Trump on a date certain: September 18. Legal analyst Andrew McCarthy suggests that the objective might be one of allowing the Democrats and the mainstream media to label Trump “a convicted felon sentenced to prison.” As McCarthy points out, early voting in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania begins two days later, on September 20. McCarthy also makes clear that the ultimate driver of Trump’s Manhattan prosecution “was politics, not justice,” adding: “That’s why we call it ‘lawfare.’ The prosecutors and judge are not concerned about whether convictions ultimately get thrown out on appeal. And it’s not like Merchan is actually going to put Trump in prison; it is virtually certain that Trump will get bail pending appeal, so Merchan can appear to impose a stiff incarceration sentence without any real incarceration — at least for now, and probably ever.”
Kamala’s campaign says she will not push Medicare for All. She fully supported it five years ago. (Daily Wire)
Tim Walz plays the victim after stolen valor exposed (Breitbart)
Murphy to appoint George Helmy to replace Menendez in Senate (Roll Call)
Thousands of noncitizen registered voters in AL: In another reminder of the importance of election integrity, Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen recently announced that his office had discovered over 3,000 noncitizens who were registered to vote in the state. “I will not tolerate the participation of noncitizens in our elections,” Allen stated. “We have examined the current voter file in an attempt to identify anyone who appears on that list that has been issued a noncitizen identification number.” Some 3,251 noncitizens were registered to vote who held noncitizen ID numbers issued by the Department of Homeland Security, though it’s possible some have since become citizens, which Allen’s office is looking into. Tellingly, however, DHS has refused to help with the investigation. Laney Rawls, Allen’s director of communications, noted that this issue has been sent to the state attorney general for further investigation and potential criminal prosecution.
Culture
J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk targets of a harassment lawsuit by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif (PJ Media)
Injunction against anti-Semitic UCLA: The University of California, Los Angeles, was blasted by a federal judge when he issued a preliminary injunction against the school over its failure to protect Jewish students from discrimination and exclusion on campus. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi wrote, “Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith. This fact is so unimaginable and abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom that it bears repeating.” This ruling is regarding a complaint filed against UCLA by three Jewish students who were prevented access to certain parts of the campus by anti-Israel activists who had set up and enforced a “Jew Exclusion Zone.” UCLA attempted to absolve itself of any responsibility by noting the exclusion zones were orchestrated by a third party. Scarsi rejected that excuse. A spokeswoman for UCLA claimed the ruling “would improperly hamstring our ability to respond to events on the ground and to meet the needs of the Bruin community.” She then ridiculously added, “UCLA is committed to fostering a campus culture where everyone feels welcome and free from intimidation, discrimination, and harassment.” Well, except if you’re Jewish.
Pro-Hamas activists storm Democrat event in NYC, clashing with police and setting off smoke bombs (Townhall)
Gascon punished prosecutor for “misgendering” sex offender: A Los Angeles prosecutor has blown the whistle on George Soros-funded District Attorney George Gascon, alleging that he was directed by Gascon to hide evidence against a convicted sex offender who claimed to be “transgender” after his conviction in order to get sent to a women’s prison. Last week, Deputy District Attorney Shea Sanna filed a lawsuit against Gascon, asserting the leftist DA retaliated against him in an effort to silence him. Sanna also says he was demoted, transferred, and suspended. Sanna was accused of “misgendering” the perpetrator and given a five-day suspension without pay. His attorney, Anthony Fusaro, claims, “When Mr. Sanna informed his supervisors and the public of Gascon’s suppression efforts, Gascon responded with a relentless retaliation campaign against Mr. Sanna that persists to this day.”
MLB’s heterophobic Red Sox swing and miss: Is the “F”-word the new “N”-word? It sure seems so if we’re to judge by the Boston Red Sox’s treatment of one of their players. That player, Jarren Duran, was in the batter’s box during a recent game with the Houston Astros when a heckler can be heard telling him that he’ll need “a tennis racket” to hit the ball. Duran’s spur-of-the-moment response? “Shut up, you f***ing fa**ot.” On Monday, the Red Sox announced that they’d suspended Duran, who later apologized for the remark. That apology likely wasn’t good enough for the Rainbow Mafia, though, nor was it good enough for the Red Sox. As The Federalist reports, “In addition to being suspended for the team’s Monday and Tuesday games against the Texas Rangers, Duran’s salary for those two games was stripped by the Red Sox and given to the pro-LGBT organization known as PFLAG.” PFLAG, though, isn’t just any gay rights group. Instead, as The Federalist adds, it’s “an extreme LGBT advocacy group that supports the ‘transing’ of children.”
Left-wing nonprofits discuss strategy to stay “under the radar” and “tweak language” to dodge discrimination lawsuits (Washington Free Beacon)
Security
Russia sentences Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina to 12 years in jail for donating to Ukraine charity (NY Post)
Google confirms Iranian-backed hacking group targeted Trump, Biden, Harris campaigns (National Review)
Palestinian whose name appears on terror watchlist captured at southern border (NY Post)
Illegal alien charged with sexual assault, murder of child was released into U.S. by Biden-Harris admin (Daily Wire)
Army intelligence officer pleads guilty to selling defense information to China (Daily Wire)
The cost of “privacy” just went up: Every once in a while, we get word that a security breach somewhere has allowed hackers to access the personal records of millions of Americans. And we naturally wonder whether our own information is now in the hands of some Chinese or Russian crime ring. Well, wonder no more. A recent hacking effort may have compromised the Social Security numbers of every single American citizen. As the Los Angeles Times reports, “About four months after a notorious hacking group claimed to have stolen an extraordinary amount of sensitive personal information from a major data broker, a member of the group has reportedly released most of it for free on an online marketplace for stolen personal data. The breach, which includes Social Security numbers and other sensitive data, could power a raft of identity theft, fraud and other crimes.” The Times adds that the breach may amount to 2.9 billion records.
Taliban’s swanky military parade: In a frustrating reminder of Joe Biden’s disastrous surrender and retreat from Afghanistan, the Taliban on Wednesday celebrated the third anniversary of the U.S.‘s withdrawal by having a parade featuring billions of dollars in U.S. military equipment that was left behind in the haphazard withdrawal. The equipment left behind — valued at a total of $7.12 billion, according to a Defense Department Inspector General report — consisted of “military aircraft, ground vehicles, weapons, and other military equipment.” So the Taliban is now armed with U.S. military equipment, not to mention it’s making money by selling American technology to Western enemies. Furthermore, had the Biden-Harris administration not given away Afghanistan to the Taliban, Vladimir Putin might not have invaded Ukraine — a conflict that has cost the U.S. billions more in aid and military equipment.
This month, we’re sending our kids back to school, which for too many Americans means returning them to the halls of a failing public school.
But it could be worse. For example, your child could be headed back to Columbia or Harvard or Penn, or to some other equally rotten Ivy League school. If so, you can expect them to be indoctrinated anew on the virtues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and on the evils of white supremacy, and on the righteousness of the “Palestinian” cause and the insidiousness of the Israeli cause, which apparently poses a greater threat to world peace and global and prosperity than, say, a Chinese bioweapon or an Iranian nuke.
So if your kid has instead been consigned to one of those compass-point colleges or land-grant state schools, well, count your blessings.
We say all this amid the news yesterday that Columbia’s beleaguered president, Minouche Shafik, has decided to, er, spend more time with her family. As the New York Post reports, “Shafik suddenly resigned Wednesday and is escaping back to her home country after leading the elite institution for less than a year that was marked by constant — and sometimes destructive — anti-Israel protests.”
In a letter to the student body, Shafik said she’d be “stepping down,” and she pointed to the recent “period of turmoil” as the cause of it. “This period has taken a considerable toll on my family,” she wrote, “as it has for others in our community.” Those unnamed “others” in the Columbia community would no doubt include the school’s considerable Jewish population, which has been made to feel very afraid due to the failure of Shafik and her lieutenants to stamp out the Jew-hatred in their midst and within their ranks.
Shafik thus becomes the third Ivy League leader to step down, joining former Harvard President Claudine Gay and UPenn President Liz Magill, both of whom resigned in disgrace in the wake of their all-too-public evisceration by New York Congresswoman and Harvard graduate Elise Stefanik at an April 17 congressional hearing. (We should note that while Gay ultimately resigned amid plagiarism allegations, she was already on thin ice due to her refusal to denounce the anti-Semitism on the Cambridge campus.)
As for Shafik, when asked about whether mobs of people shouting “Long live the intifada” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free” were anti-Semitic statements, she disgracefully answered, “It’s a difficult issue.”
Difficult for whom?
The toll-taking “period” to which Shafik refers is one of the ugliest and most shameful in the history of American higher education. As Inside Higher Ed writes:
The protests at Columbia — which set off a wave of similar demonstrations at colleges across the nation — culminated in the construction of an encampment in the center of campus and the occupation of an administrative building for nearly two weeks, resulting in the arrest of more than 100 protesters in April.
How bad was it at Columbia, and how pathetic was the school’s response? As one 2024 Columbia graduate, Yola Ashkenazie, herself a Jew, noted on Fox News this morning, one of her fellow Columbia students had gone on Instagram to say that the rest of us “should be grateful that they are not going out and murdering Zionists.” She added, “And guess what? That student is set to return to Columbia this fall.”
Clearly, Shafik has failed. But we needn’t shed any tears for her. As the Post continues, she’s “leaving the prestigious [sic] school to return to the United Kingdom — where she spent most of her career — for a gig with its foreign secretary as a chair tasked with reviewing the government’s approach to international development.”
Fine. And good riddance. At least she won’t be in a position to enable the corruption of young minds.
But all isn’t lost within American higher education. There are pockets of hope. As The Wall Street Journal reports, “The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill is opening the doors at its new school committed to free expression, after hiring 11 faculty, including seven tenure-line positions.”
The Journal adds, “Students will be introduced to materials like the Federalist Papers, the Lincoln-Douglas debates, and philosophical predecessors including Aristotle and Montesquieu. The goal is creating an environment where, as dean Jed Atkins puts it, ‘students can disagree better.’”
In other words, students can be introduced to what higher education once was, and ought once again become.
Samantha Koch: Jail Time for Rowling and Musk? — The author and the entrepreneur are champions of free speech and common sense, but it could cost them their freedom.
Thomas Gallatin: UBI Breeds Laziness — A recent study on Universal Basic Income found that it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Gary Bauer: Never Forget — To “celebrate” its third-anniversary takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban organized a military parade at Bagram.
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Reader Comments
Editor’s Note: Each week we receive hundreds of comments and correspondences — and we read every one of them. Click here for a few thought-provoking comments about specific articles. The views expressed therein don’t necessarily reflect those of The Patriot Post.
Latest PodcastPopCon #57: Assault on Free Speech and the West’s Islam ProblemFrom riots in the UK to the influence of global organizations like GARM and the World Economic Forum, there are troubling forces at play that are shaping media narratives and eroding free speech. Musk and X (Twitter) have illuminated the clash between Western values and Islamic practices in Europe and America, exposing the challenges posed by mass immigration and the rise of woke ideology. Musk has even been threatened with legal action from European governments for his free speech position. Join Thomas, Sterling, and Andrew as we dive deep into the growing cultural and ideological conflicts facing the West today.
Taliban Parades Stolen U.S. Military Equipment — The Taliban paraded around a former U.S. air base in Afghanistan in celebration of its takeover of the country after the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal three years ago.
Disney Fumbles With ‘Snow White’ AGAIN — Disney just released a new trailer for its live-action “Snow White” movie. It’s better than the original, but it still has problems.
I Fled Venezuela to Fight for America — Born in Venezuela, Franklin Camargo and his family struggled to survive and prosper under socialism. After a family trip to the U.S. as a young boy, Franklin made it his goal to live in a capitalist society.
Propagating Misinformation — According to Perplexity.ai, being correct is “misinformation” but being incorrect isn’t.
SHORT CUTS
Double Standards
“Former President Donald Trump’s vow to stop taxing tips would cost the federal government up to $250 billion over 10 years, according to a nonpartisan watchdog group.” —CBS News, June 17
“Vice President Kamala Harris is rolling out a new policy position, saying she’ll fight to end taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.” —CBS News, August 12
“Tone Down the Rhetoric”
“Some [Republicans], I just say: ‘We’re out to get you. You’re dead.’” —Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
World’s Smallest Violin
“These guys are even attacking me for my record of service.” —Democrat VP pick Tim “Stolen Valor” Walz
“I firmly believe you should never denigrate another person’s service record.” —Tim Walz
Don’t Believe Your Lying Eyes
“[Kamala] Harris … goes to work every single day to make sure families don’t just get by, but they get ahead.” —Tim Walz
Baghdad Bob
“Violent crime has plunged to its lowest ever in almost 50 years.” —White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
Belly Laugh of the Day
“America is doing great. … We’re stronger than ever economically. We’re stronger than ever militarily. We’re stronger than ever culturally.” —MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough
For the Record
“[Harris] said she’s going to tackle the affordability crisis affecting American families on Day One. Think about that. Kamala, Day One was January of 2021. Day One was four years ago!” —GOP VP nominee JD Vance
“Everything about her campaign is fake. … It’s a fake ticket that never earned a single Democrat primary vote. It’s a fake platform that offers no specifics … and a fake promise to change the government, even though she’s been in charge of that very government for almost four years.” —JD Vance
And Last…
“Kamala Harris promising to secure the border is like O.J. Simpson promising to find the real killer.” —Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Today’s top headline news brief from NEWSMAX includes:
[1:15] – President Biden and VP Harris appearing together today in Maryland.
[2:05] -Trump makes remarks after campaigning in Asheville, NC yesterday. [Newsmax Breaking]
[7:32] – Newsmax host Joe Pinion: “Facts don’t seem to matter to Democrats.” [Greg Kelly Reports]
[10:35] – Newsmax panel discusses reported manipulative headline edits by Harris campaign. [American Agenda]
[15:55] – Rep. James Comer: “It is disturbing that Hunter Biden is linked to the State Dept.” [The Record with Greta Van Susteren]
[18:08] – Columbia University President resigns over her handling of protests related to the Israel-Hamas war.
McDonald’s, KFC, and Starbucks all recently reported drops in comparable US sales.NurPhoto/Getty Images
Fast-food giants, including McDonald’s, KFC, and Starbucks, reported drops in comparable US sales.
Diners say fast food is too expensive after years of price hikes. Lower-end consumers are particularly cutting back.
Not enough higher-earners have traded down into the category to offset the loss of lower-income diners, analysts say.
A slate of fast-food companies have reported earnings over the last three weeks — and it’s painting a bleak picture of the American consumer.
Executives have referred to “more cost-conscious consumers” and “challenging consumer environments,” which in many cases led to a slump in comparable sales growth.
At McDonald’s, comparable US sales fell 0.7% in the quarter year-over-year, compared to 10.3% growth in the same period the prior year. At Starbucks, US comparable sales were down 2% in the quarter, versus the 7% increase it posted a year ago.
KFC, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, and Firehouse Subs also reported a drop in same-store sales growth.
At some chains including Burger King, Popeyes, and Wendy’s, sales at comparable US restaurants increased compared to the same period in 2023, but at a much slower rate.
Lower-income earners are cutting back
Part of the decline in comparable sales is simply because of a return to pre-COVID operating trends, Jefferies restaurant analyst Andy Barish told Business Insider. At some chains, sales boomed during the pandemic.
In particular, chains have said that it’s lower-end consumers who are cutting back.
“The low-end consumer has continued to feel pressure and that’s been going on for more than a year now,” Barish said. Some are placing smaller fast-food orders while others are buying more groceries instead, he said.
“What’s unusual is that you get a couple of the big players like McDonald’s and Starbucks that are having negative traffic right now,” Barish said. “And that’s something we don’t typically see even in these kind of environments where those brands would be typically gaining share.”
Edward Jones analyst Brian Yarbrough told BI that typically during a slowdown, lower-end consumers trade out of fast food while middle- and higher-income consumers trade in at a rate that “more than offsets” the loss of lower-earning diners.
But fast-food chains have raised prices “so much,” causing the gap between fast-food and fast-casual prices to shrink, that not enough higher earners are trading down into fast food to offset the trade out, he said.
And for some chains, it doesn’t look like they expect spending to rebound anytime soon.
“We expect customers will continue to feel the pinch of the economy and a higher cost of living for at least the next several quarters in this very competitive landscape,” Joe Erlinger, the president of McDonald’s US, told investors in July.
It’s not bad news for every fast-food and fast-casual chain, though. Wingstop, for example, said that same-store US sales grew 28.7% in the quarter, up from 16.8% for the same period the year before. Domino’s and Taco Bell both reported increases in comparable sales growth in the US.
Consumers want value
“Value” is the word on restaurant executives’ lips this summer. Joshua Kobza, CEO of Restaurant Brands International, which owns Burger King, Popeyes, Tim Hortons, and Firehouse Subs, used the word nine times in his opening remarks at the company’s August earnings call.
Fast-food chains have been trying to lure cash-strapped diners in with combo deals and value menus. It’s been the summer of the $5 deal: McDonald’s, Burger King, and KFC have launched combo deals for five bucks.
Barish, the Jefferies analyst, said that the recent focus on value menus and bundled meals represented a return to a normal pre-COVID promotional environment.
Executives say the bundles have performed well — both McDonald’s and Burger King said that their $5 deals had been selling especially well among lower-income consumers and that the average transaction that included the combo meal came to more than $10 because diners added other items to their orders.
The challenge is that the value deals have to drive enough traffic to offset the lower prices. Restaurant revenues are determined by average check size and number of orders. With the value deals, “you got to drive enough traffic to offset the pricing pressure, and that’s going to be the toughest part,” Yarbrough, the Edward Jones analyst, said.
Consumers should expect to see even more promotions in the fall, Northcoast Research analyst Jim Sanderson told BI. He said that consumer-packaged goods companies would increase promotions to boost sales and that restaurants would have to compete “more aggressively” with grocery stores by promoting lower-priced options or bundles.
Are you a fast-food superfan? Email this reporter at gdean@insider.com.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In an uplifting, inspiring address to the American people, Vice-President Kamala Harris offered a valuable bit of advice to American citizens struggling to put food on the table: just try sleeping with your boss.
While Kamala refused to elaborate on her pearl of wisdom for the everyday American, she did go on record by saying that it “worked for me every time.”
“So if we examine the passage of time in making ends meet, we can see that the easiest solution is to just try sleeping around with your boss,” Kamala explained, cackling at every pause for breath. “HAHAHAHA! It works every time — and there’s great significance to the passage of every time. Sleeping with your boss is very simple: you just sleep with them in order to make ends meet. That way your ends will meet. There is great significance to making ends meet. HAHAHAHA!!”
While several political commentators have compared Kamala’s advice to Marie Antoinette’s infamous “Let them eat cake,” most mainstream media outlets have thoroughly debunked this far-right conspiracy theory with the irrefutable observation that “Kamala never told anyone to eat cake — she just advised sleeping around.”
At publishing time, Kamala Harris had also suggested that Americans who are struggling financially should just try getting hired in a better job as DEI picks.
Watch how a D.E.I. consultant magically turns a video game into… well, something else entirely.
Amid talk of a broader war in the Middle East, there is also news that a Jesus Revolution may be underway. An unprecedented number of Muslims are choosing to follow Christ, especially in Iran as people search for a better life.
If you’re paying attention at all, you understand that in spite of all the evidence stating that over 17 million people have died following the rollout of the C0V jab (gee, I wonder what if any connection there might be?), that there is virtually no benefit from that inoculation according to studies done in 125 countries,[1] and there appears to be massive fraud in the way government agencies have handled the matter, the powers that be continue to move ahead with more (what they hope to be) fear-inducing messaging. In essence, they will likely try to ramp things up because they know that the people who did not submit themselves to the death jabby will also not take the next one, regardless of the alleged pandemic.
It is certainly best that people decide now what they are going to do because every indication assures us that the globalists and their puppets will increase the tension and demands. Peter Hotez has essentially stated to the WHO that aggressive actions need to be taken against “anti-vaxxers.” I find it fascinating that many of us had childhood vaccinations and tetanus shots through the years, but all of a sudden when we don’t want a potentially life-altering jab, we are now classed as “anti-vaxxers.” Besides Hotez, there is Bill Gates (who essentially runs the WHO), the CDC, the FDA and the usual dimwitted politicians who are keen to set the Constitution aside and force their will on the rest of us.
During C0vid, Australia not only had lockdowns but internment camps for people who were said to be “infected” with the virus. This was determined by using the infamous PCR test that the inventor clearly stated was not meant to be used to determine illnesses. That’s completely ignored now because the new science is based on upping the ante of people’s fears of getting sick. In order to do that, the “science” must constantly be evolving.
Here is a great example of this from Fauci himself. In this short video, he essentially argues that if someone already has the flu, that’s better than a vaccine for providing benefit to the immune system.[2] That is not the case now, apparently. Did the science change? Of course not. What changed was the globalist’ intent to overpower and control society for their own benefit.
Remember when Fauci and others said that if you got the jab, you would not contract C0V nor would you transmit it to others? Another lie. Fauci himself says he now has C0V (for the 4th time apparently). I’m not sure I believe he was ever jabbed, unless he’s that stupid. It’s a game being played to ramp up the fear.
What can be maddening is when you know they’re lying and they know that you know they’re lying but they continue lying! They don’t care that you see their lies because they also know that there are people in this world who will always believe what they say. They simply ignore the people who question what they say and how often they change opinions.
It should be obvious to most that globalists are not going to quit. They need to keep pushing the next pandemic and then the next. They need to get people injected with their poisons to depopulate the globe and force society down one path so that globalists can ultimately gain full control over our pesky (to them) lives. It is the best thing they have going in order to garner as much control as possible.[3] They need their new world order because of their directives from Satan and he needs his new world order so that he can fully possess a human being who will ultimately become the focus of the world’s worship (Revelation 13). When the Antichrist is worshipped, the world will actually be worshiping Satan. He will have arrived at becoming “like the Most High” (Isaiah 14). Of course, this celebration of Satan as God will be short-lived but globalists don’t know that. They fully believe that they will become princes in Satan’s established new world order. They are in for a rude awakening.
To that end, it appears globalists are planning to hit global society with a poly-crisis meant to completely overwhelm. This will include a new pandemic, more civil strife and upheaval throughout the world and potential nuclear war. Does any of this scare you? If it does, you’re not looking in the right place. Try to remember that globalists always use these situations for three reasons: to divide people, to distract from what globalists may be doing behind the scenes and to depopulate.
Here’s an interesting discussion between Tony Koresh (A Minute to Midnight) and Journalist Alex Newman that touches on some of these things.[4] It makes perfect sense that globalists don’t simply try one thing. This was what they did with C0V most likely to see how everyone would react. Those of us who distances ourselves from the stated “cure” against C0V are more resolved against coming measures. Because of this, they need to up the ante to ensnare as many people as possible. So, I can imagine throwing many things on the table at the same time.
If we consider what is happening in the UK right now, with people being sentences to 20 months for a social media post in which they did not incite violence, but simply shared their opinion about what they consider the illegal nature of migrants illegally flooding into that country, or even “forwarding/reposting” something that someone thought to be true but was deemed by the courts to be “misinformation,” then we see the type of tyranny that is gaining momentum in society.
While the UK police run away from migrants with sticks, bats, hammers, machetes and knives/swords, they have to problem chasing down native UK people who have the mendacity to express an opinion, arrest then, try them quickly and send them to jail. Meanwhile, migrants who rape young children are often allowed to go free because they didn’t “know” that rape was a crime. Okay…
So if we stop to consider the warmongering in the Middle East, the incursions of Ukraine into parts of Russia, the huge problem with importing people from third world countries who have no loyalty to their new country but instead want to conquer it with Sharia Law or simply lawlessness, the world is obviously experiencing problems. Add to this the constant hand wringing associated with the next pandemic, whatever it happens to be – bird flu? Mpox? Sloth Fever?
Oh, and let’s not forget that the climate is apparently experiencing a huge emergency and if we don’t all come together to reverse God’s order (with people on the top and animals and plants underneath; put here for our benefit), then the world will be destroyed before we know it. All of these things added together are intended to create such a fear of death and destruction that people will be willing to do whatever it takes to be “safe.” The problem is that the safety envisioned by the globalists and their puppets is not safety at all. It’s control. Absolutely, unequivocal control over everything we do, buy and even say.
A reader recently sent me an article about how badly globalists (billionaire techs who control Big Tech), want to eliminate politicians so that they can control things directly.[5] This idea is nothing new really. Patrick M. Wood said this years ago because of his writing on Technocracy. Globalists are forced to use politicians to get things done so that the aura of political fairness continues to exist. However, let’s be real. Many of these globalists fully control many to most elected officials so they get what they want through those political puppets that are “elected” into the system. But I can see that it’s an extra loop they would like to see erased. Getting rid of politicians will give them direct and complete control and not have to worry about sending the message (and hoping politicians “get it”), to politicians.
Think of Australia and New Zealand and even the UK. Every leading politician (prime minister or what have you), in those countries are owned by globalists. They report directly to them and carry out their given orders. Globalists have to contend with the fact that maybe a politician here or there doesn’t understand the full meaning of the globalists’ orders. With politicians out of the way, they can simply send in troops or whatever else is needed to ensure their orders are obeyed to the T.
Okay, so when will all this happen? Well, unlike many “prophecy experts,” I have no idea. Maybe I should have spent more time working toward my PhD in Prophecy and then I could tell you. Sarcasm aside, we don’t know the times, seasons or dates because if we did, then of course Satan would also know. God keeps things that close to His chest to keep Ol’ Slewfoot from knowing too much. Funny that Satan continues to see himself becoming like “the most High” in spite of the fact that he doesn’t know everything about God’s plans. Absurd, but Satan is likely insane and he knows how to create that insanity in human beings who are willing pawns in his goals.
Here’s what I believe I know. Big problems will (possibly rapidly) increase throughout society. Depending upon society’s reaction to these problems, will determine what globalists do next. It’s a situation in constant flux and not even a million of their table top “games” will provide them with absolute knowledge of the future course of events.
As inflation soars, wars increase and spread, pandemics are released and demands for all to be inoculated against those pandemics, we can be sure that globalists will try their best to lock down society again. I fully believe this is why so many young, military-aged single men are being sent all over the world. I believe they are here at the behest of the UN and China and are simply waiting for their orders and go time. Here in the USA, many of these migrants live high off the hog receiving thousands of dollars per month in order to live with ease while they wait for their instructions. This is happening in the UK and other countries as well and speaking of the UK, it is easy to see the civil strife that is occurring because citizens of the UK whose taxes go to support those illegally there are facing the constant frustration of having a government that will not listen to them and wants to incarcerate them at every turn.
Let’s also not forget that an election is coming up in just a few months. We may see some surprises in just a few days at the Democrat National Convention. But if we do not, expect to see things happening as the election draws closer. The Democrats and Left cannot take the chance of Trump winning because he will most likely undo what the Left has been doing. The Left will fight and even cheat their way to remain on top. If by some chance, Trump is elected, we can expect the same attempts to stop him from accomplishing anything except it’ll be far more overblown. I’ve already read that if he is elected, Democrats on Capitol Hill are trying to pass legislation that will keep him from taking office. It’s funny how the Left constantly intones that they stand for “democracy” all the while attacking it at every turn.
So what can you do? It’s simple really. Don’t give in. Don’t comply with any illegal orders (like having to take the next jab). Stay out of the limelight. Focus on your family and your community. Don’t be intimidated. If you draw close to God, relying on Him, He will draw close to you. Fear nothing except being disobedient to God. Continue to be charitable to those who are not as fortunate as you are, either directly or through your local community church.
Lastly, look up. The more you focus on Jesus and what He is accomplishing, the less you will fear what Satan is trying to accomplish. Though I believe the time is short now for our departure, I cannot pin it down. Maybe it’s because I’m spending more time focusing on our Lord and His eventual return to this earth?
The West is quickly descending into totalitarianism.
We used to think of ugly totalitarianism as applying to monstrous ideologies such as Communism and Nazism. They certainly do indeed fit the bill, but sadly we are seeing other nations starting to clearly move in this direction. Now, we have so-called free and democratic societies increasingly seeking to emulate these police states of last century.
Indeed, with the help of new technologies and the like, the prospect of a totalist state arising in the West has gone from far-fetched to something to be quite concerned about. And, of course, the full proof of this is what we have witnessed over the past four years, especially during the Covid reign of terror.
Lockdown madness, medical fascism, scientific fraud, vaccine passports, rampant fear-mongering, Big Media complicity, and statist overkill were all on full display. If all that was just a dry run for a future full-tilt takeover of cultures and peoples, we now know just how things will next pan out.
Noted intellects and authors such as Orwell, Huxley, Tolkien and Lewis – to name but a few – all wrote quite sober works warning about such things, whether in the form of fiction or non-fiction – or both. One of the newest volumes to offer more of the same is by Auron MacIntyre.
He draws primarily on political theorists and moral philosophers such as Joseph de Maistre, Bertrand de Jouvenel and Alasdair MacIntyre, and also appeals to noted Christian writers such as Chesterton and Lewis. He examines how Western democracies are being undone not just by our political elites but by flawed notions of progress, efficiency and individualism.
Swallowed Up
One key theme that he discusses is that of mediating structures – those institutions that stand between the individual and the state (the family, churches, and so on). Increasingly, they are disappearing before the growing state. The state is usurping the role of these entities and gaining ever more power as a result. He writes:
In his book On Power, Bertrand de Jouvenel explains that it is the collapse of these competing social spheres that has allowed government to centralize and grow more totalitarian while making the individual feel more liberated.
Historically, a large extended family was the norm, binding together children, parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Churches and other community organizations lent aid, but care for an ailing grandparent or destitute niece fell primarily on the family.
As the bonds that held together traditional societies wore away, the obligations that foundational communal institutions had once placed on the individual faded. Families shrank, church attendance fell, unions and civic organizations dissolved, and the individual was suddenly freed from these obligations.
Even his residual duties, like caring for an ailing or destitute loved one, were largely transferred to the state. Insurance for the unemployed, medical care, social security, the supervision and education of children, all that used to burden the individual was lifted off of his shoulders.
This is how a totalizing government has made unprecedented demands on its subjects without them feeling the squeeze. It replaced the competing social spheres that had previously served to check the power of the state and removed the extensive personal commitments they had entailed. (p. 19)
Both sides of politics can make this happen: “By dissolving the bonds and obligations of family, tribe, and religion, the ruler can make his subjects entirely loyal to and dependent on the state. Liberalism does this in the name of freedom for the individual, while socialism does it in the name of the collective good, but the result is the same.” (p. 22)
Destroying Families
As but one example of all this, we can see how the radical sexual revolution has served the total state so very well. It is a key weapon in tearing children away from their parents:
There is a reason why every organ of power in the United States seems obsessed with introducing sexual and gender identity to children at an increasingly young age. Normalizing the idea of transexual children is an incredibly useful tool for the regime because it can serve as a reliable wedge between kids and their parents.
If children can choose their own gender, if the ability to choose their gender is a human right, then it becomes the duty of the government to protect that right. Protect that right from whom, you might ask? The parents, of course. (p. 24)
He also spends a good amount of time on “The Managerial Revolution”, as James Burnham famously wrote in his 1941 book by that title. Managers and technocrats will end up running the show, Burnham had warned. MacIntyre later speaks more to this grip of the state on our children:
The total state’s management of children is most effectively achieved through compulsory state-funded education. The student is managed at all times by credentialed experts, with every aspect of their day planned through the constant application of managerial techniques.
All issues of discipline are settled through increasingly therapeutic models of resolution. At every stage, undesirable prejudices and moral peculiarities are stripped away through the application of therapeutic courses of behavioral modification. Mothers and fathers who do not heed the advice of a state-appointed manager can be stripped of their parental rights… (p. 103)
Atheistic Regimes
He also reminds us of the myth of the neutral institution, something which our elites are pushing. Education is not neutral, our corporations are not neutral, and the state certainly is not neutral. In the West, the values and beliefs once provided by Christianity have been almost entirely removed.
But a vacuum cannot last. The state has come along and replaced these old values and imperatives with those of their own making. Says MacIntyre, “As odd as it sounds, we are governed by a decentralized atheistic theocracy. A religious system without an official holy book or central church, but a religious system of moral assumptions all the same.” (p. 15)
He goes on to remind us that the American Founding Fathers “never envisioned a secular society where the entire ruling class received moral instruction exclusively from progressive universities.” But that is where we have now come to. So, at the end of the day, this is really a religious war, with two radically different worldviews battling it out. And the total state – the secular, materialistic state – is winning in much of the West.
All this nicely explains nefarious entities such as the World Economic Forum, with its unapologetic slogan, “You will own nothing, and you will be happy,” He writes:
The ideal system is one in which every aspect of the subject’s life is rented from massive entities, ensuring no stability can ever be achieved. Similarly, independent employment and entrepreneurship is a threat to the total dependence demanded by the managerial formula. Everyone who is allowed to earn a living apart from the mass bureaucracy is a threat. This is why the eradication of the American middle class is a top priority for the total state… (p. 113)
The woke corporate world is fully involved in all this as well. Consider the well-known debacle surrounding Bud Lite. By running with a trans activist in its advertising campaign, the company lost over $27 billion in market value. But instead of changing course, it dug its heels in and sought to push this madness even further. Says MacIntyre:
If a cabal of Anheuser-Busch enemies wanted to take the company down, they could not do better than placing Dylan Mulvaney’s face on the Bud Light can. Why did this happen? The answer is that the individual managers inside Anheuser-Busch do not, in fact, act in the interest of the company or its shareholders.
Each of these managers knows that they will eventually need to get another job to advance their careers. Some will do so by moving up inside the organization, but most will move to other companies. Skill sets inside the managerial class are largely interchangeable and bureaucrats freely move between employers to climb the ladder. Losing market value is not great, but betraying the managerial class itself is far more deleterious to your employment prospects. (p. 134)
He looks further at the dehumanisation and disintegration that occurs at the hands of the totally managed and controlled state. It can only get worse. But despite all the bleak reading found in this volume, there is nonetheless some good news.
Disintegrating
MacIntyre reminds us that the modern Western total state is ultimately not sustainable. The Soviet Union, of course, had collapsed under its own internal weight of inefficiency and dysfunction (along, of course, with the strategic placement of Cruise missiles in Western Europe). Totalitarian regimes cannot long last, despite all the coercion and attempts at total control:
Ultimately, the total state will fail because widely different peoples spread across vast distances cannot, and will not, be governed as one unified whole. The total state may have dissolved the social fabric, destroyed meaningful spiritual connection, and eliminated hard property in order to make its subjects easier to rule, but it has also made the nation’s human capital sadder, less healthy, and less competent in the process. (p. 153)
And again:
The materialistic and hedonistic pseudo-religion used by the total state to liquify cultures and produce more efficiently managed bureaucracies has no staying power. The ideological need to sever man from the transcendent abolishes that which truly makes him human. The posthuman future is not one of wondrous space travel, but the slow decline of a society no longer capable of innovation, creativity, or even general maintenance.
Each generation of managerial elites becomes more powerful by creating more uniformity, limiting options, and standardising thought. The ability to maintain systems fades, while individuals become too atomised and hedonistic to sacrifice on behalf of the future. The attempt to construct the perfect posthuman managerial subject capable of integrating into a global society dooms itself by ignoring essential truths that are both material and spiritual in nature. As G. K. Chesterton rightly observed, “Every high civilization decays by forgetting obvious things.” (pp. 154-155)
That should give us some hope. But we dare not let our guard down. The power-hungry elites will not stop seeking to get full control of everything and everyone. The Covid madness made this quite clear, something MacIntyre also regularly draws attention to in this book.
But being aware of the war we are in is part of how we fight back. And reading a book like this is a good element in that process.
Israeli Defense Forces are on high alert over a possible attack from Iran due to the recent killing of Iran-related proxy group leaders. Some speculate that this might only be hours or perhaps days away. There’s concern that an attack could spark a greater regional war. This has resulted in the U.S. deploying both increasing naval and air assets to the region to defend Israel in an attempt to hopefully deescalate tensions.
What might this signal in terms of Bible prophecy? Returning to Crosstalk to answer that question was Dr. Gary Frazier. Dr. Frazier is a respected speaker and writer on the subject of Bible prophecy. He’s the founder and president of Discovery Missions. He is the author of numerous books including: Miracle of Israel, It Could Happen Tomorrow, Hell is for Real, Divorcing God: The Two Americas and The Event: The Dream of World Peace Realized.
Gary explained that from the days of former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to Israel today, we see that Islamic leaders have not changed their mind concerning the total annihilation of Israel and its people. He also noted that there is no such thing as a political solution to a religious problem. So why would anyone, especially the people in Washington, think that Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah would desire to enter into a negotiated agreement to establish peace, especially when under Islam it’s OK to lie, manipulate and use infidels to accomplish one’s goals?
This is the foundation of this edition of Crosstalk that also discusses the following:
China has allegedly been goading Iran into attacking Israel. What’s behind this?
What influence might the U.S. be having on Israel concerning their response toward Iran?
What is the Muslim “long game” strategy and how does it contrast with America’s materialist mindset.
Gary explains why the pre-tribulation rapture teaching is biblical, which was an answer to one of several calls from listeners nationwide.
David and Pastor Brandon Holthaus discuss upcoming conferences and the urgency of the hour for true Christians as we approach a pivotal November election. And then what?
The wealthy are doing just fine at the moment, but they don’t seem to understand that much of the country is deeply hurting right now. 59 percent of Americans believe that the U.S. economy is currently experiencing a recession, and that is because most of them are personally experiencing economic pain. Literally just about everything is substantially more expensive in 2024, more major layoffs are being announced with each passing day, and thousands of businesses are going bankrupt. We haven’t seen a tsunami of economic suffering like this in a long time.
If you live in a wealthy area in a good part of the country, you may wonder what all of the fuss is about.
If you and everyone around you is still doing well, life may still seem quite good.
But the truth is that there are vast stretches of this country that are so depressed that they literally look like something out of a horror movie.
There are many communities that are so plagued by poverty, drugs, homelessness, violence and theft that it seems like there is no possible way that things could ever turn around.
A man named Drew Binksy recently visited one of the poorest parts of West Virginia, and he discovered that most of the people there are living in poverty…
‘Most of [the residents] live below the poverty line and life expectancy is well below the national average.
‘Many families rely on Government assistance just to get by and there’s limited access to healthcare.’
Today, tens of millions of Americans are heavily dependent on the checks that they get from the government each month.
In areas where most people have lost hope of ever finding a better life, drug addiction often runs rampant, and that is precisely what Binksy witnessed…
He also notes that ‘crystal meth and Fentanyl addictions run wild’ in the state, while many people are ‘living so isolated, they have their own dialect.’
The content creator starts his journey in Bluefield and as he wanders through the once prosperous manufacturing city, he says it feels like he has stepped into ‘a forgotten world.’
He continues: ‘Empty streets and closed shops stretch as far as the eye can see. It’s like life just stopped.’
This is where the entire country is heading.
Just a few days ago, I wrote about the “retail apocalypse” that is rapidly spreading across America.
Thousands upon thousands of stores are closing, and most of those abandoned stores will not be filled any time soon.
But at least they will make convenient locations for drug addicts to gather.
One woman in the store tells the camera crew: ‘We’re the poorest county in the United States or we were.
‘About 30 per cent of our community are dopers, druggies… more than 30 per cent!’
The same conditions are being repeated in rural community after rural community all over America.
Sadly, the standard of living in our rural communities is going to continue to go down because the cost of living just keeps going up…
The cost of frozen noncarbonated juices and drinks has risen by 19.2 percent from July 2023 – the most of any grocery item.
Eggs, meanwhile, have increased by 19.1 percent in price, and frankfurters are now 9.7 percent more expensive.
The cost of bacon, beef roasts, pork chops and butter have also risen notably in the last year.
In terms of non-food items, car insurance is the biggest riser in the last year – with an 18.6 percent price hike.
We have already reached a stage where a large portion of the population cannot even afford the basics.
As I shared yesterday, I was absolutely shocked to learn that 39 percent of Americans have been forced to skip meals so that they will have enough money to make their housing payments…
39% of Americans say they’ve skipped meals to make housing payments, per Clever Real Estate survey.
And among millennials, that figure rose to 44%. Among Baby Boomers, it was 20%.
It is no wonder why so many voters are so deeply frustrated with the current state of the economy.
This is our country now, and the outlook for the future is not positive at all.
In fact, it appears that very alarming changes are starting to happen in the employment market as large companies lay off large numbers of workers…
Another domino falls for recession as job creation turns negative for small businesses, which employ nearly half of all Americans.
In the past year, payrolls for companies with under 50 employees plunged by nearly 100,000, while job trends were flat for midsized businesses up to 500 employees.
The only bright spot was big businesses—which might be changing, given recent layoff announcements, including 2,500 at Chrysler, 4,000 at Cisco, 12,000 at Dell, and 15,000 at Intel. Paramount and the left-wing Axios both cut 10% to 15% of their workforce.
20 years ago, most American families were clearly thriving.
Today, most American families are clearly struggling.
This change occurred so gradually that most people didn’t even realize what was happening.
The gap between the wealthy and the rest of us is now larger than ever, and our major cities are teeming with millions of highly desperate people.
When people feel like they have nothing left to lose, it doesn’t take much to push them over the edge.
Unfortunately, it appears that the next few months represent a major tipping point, and it won’t be too long before all of the frustration that has been building up in this country starts to boil over.
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