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
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
PSALM 5:4, 5
God’s Word is unusually plain in teaching us that the operations of grace within the heart of a believer will turn that heart away from sin and toward holiness; “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11–13).
I do not see how it could be plainer!
The same grace that saves teaches the believer inwardly, and its teaching is both negative and positive. Negatively it teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. Positively it teaches us to live soberly, righteously and godly right here in this present world. The man of honest heart will find no difficulty here.
He has but to check his own bent to discover whether he is concerned about sin in his life more or less since the supposed work of grace was done. Anything that weakens his hatred of sin may be identified immediately as false to the Scriptures, to the Saviour and to his own soul.
Whatever makes holiness more attractive and sin more intolerable may be accepted as genuine!1
Some of the sweetest enjoyments in grace, are the freeness and undeserved nature of that grace towards the happy objects of its distinguishing favour: and as the first and ultimate design of all, for which grace is given, is the glory of Jehovah; so the promotion of that glory, in the redemption and sanctification of the Church of Jesus, is the means and end. Now, my soul, sit down this evening, and mark well, in the blessed effects wrought in thine own heart, what the apostle hath here said, that if thou art chosen, it must have been from the beginning thou art chosen to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth. Pause, and ask thyself: Art thou chosen? Hath this sovereign act of grace passed upon thee? How shall I know? Look at the effects. Art thou humbled to the very dust before God, under the impression of the distinguishing nature of it? Dost thou know, dost thou feel, dost thou stand as one most fully convinced, that the eternal choice of thee was not for aught wherein thou differedst from others, but wholly of the Lord’s own free and sovereign grace? And in the review that such love was shown to thee, when meriting it no more than others; yea, when meriting wrath, instead of receiving grace, as much as others, dost thou lie yet lower in the dust on this account? And in proportion to the astonishing goodness of the Lord, do thine own conscious undeservings make thee continually yet more acquainted with thine own vileness? And as the views of grace rise higher, does the sense of sin make thee fall lower; that where “sin hath abounded, grace should much more abound?” Look at the subject under another point of view, to the same conclusion: As the consciousness of being chosen, from the beginning, to salvation, through the sanctification of the Spirit, becomes the highest and strongest of all possible motives to hide pride from the eyes, and to lay the soul down in the deepest self-abasement before God, so in the same breast, and from the same source, through the sanctification of the Spirit, there will be a most ardent affection towards the gracious author of such distinguishing mercy! Say then, my soul! should Jesus put the question to thee, as he did to Peter, “Lovest thou me more than these?” couldst thou appeal to him, who reads hearts, that he would find love in thine heart, because he himself had put it there? Pause over this great volume of inquiry, and follow up the question, in the numberless methods by which it might be sought and discovered. And, to add no more, if to those two great branches, under which God from the beginning makes choice of all the beloved of the Lord, through sanctification of the Spirit, thou canst add a satisfactory conclusion, in a third instance also of sovereign power; and discover that since God called thee by his grace, and revealed his Son in thee, thou hast been conferring less and less “with flesh and blood,” and by the Spirit hast been “mortifying the deeds of the body, and crucifying the flesh, with its affections and lusts;” oh! what cause wilt thou find also for holy joy in the distinguishing grace of God, and to cry out with the apostle, “I am crucified with Christ:” and, “I am bound to give thanks alway to God, because from the beginning he hath chosen me to salvation, through the sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth!”1
Genuine seekers who as yet have not obtained the blessing, may take comfort from the story before us. The Saviour did not at once bestow the blessing, even though the woman had great faith in him. He intended to give it, but he waited awhile. “He answered her not a word.” Were not her prayers good? Never better in the world. Was not her case needy? Sorrowfully needy. Did she not feel her need sufficiently? She felt it overwhelmingly. Was she not earnest enough? She was intensely so. Had she no faith? She had such a high degree of it that even Jesus wondered, and said, “O woman, great is thy faith.” See then, although it is true that faith brings peace, yet it does not always bring it instantaneously. There may be certain reasons calling for the trial of faith, rather than the reward of faith. Genuine faith may be in the soul like a hidden seed, but as yet it may not have budded and blossomed into joy and peace. A painful silence from the Saviour is the grievous trial of many a seeking soul, but heavier still is the affliction of a harsh cutting reply such as this, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” Many in waiting upon the Lord find immediate delight, but this is not the case with all. Some, like the jailer, are in a moment turned from darkness to light, but others are plants of slower growth. A deeper sense of sin may be given to you instead of a sense of pardon, and in such a case you will have need of patience to bear the heavy blow. Ah! poor heart, though Christ beat and bruise thee, or even slay thee, trust him; though he should give thee an angry word, believe in the love of his heart. Do not, I beseech thee, give up seeking or trusting my Master, because thou hast not yet obtained the conscious joy which thou longest for. Cast thyself on him, and perseveringly depend even where thou canst not rejoicingly hope.1
OUR reading is taken from our Lord’s parting discourse, which is full of every precious thing, a mine of wealth, a treasure-house of gems.
John 16:1–15
1 These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. (Fully has this warning been verified: the blood of martyrs has flowed in rivers, yet the Church has not been offended with her Lord. He is so glorious that she follows him even to prison and to death.)
4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
And therefore they were safe at his side; now he was about to leave them and they would need to be doubly on their guard.
5 But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou?
6 But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. (They were too bowed down with grief at what he had told them to be able to make any more enquiries. It is an evil connected with excessive sorrow that it often closes the eyes to facts which are full of consolation.)
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
If Jesus were here in one place we could not all reach him, and for this reason the presence of the Holy Spirit is more valuable than the bodily presence of the Redeemer would be. The Comforter can be in all the assemblies of the saints at the same time, and can teach at one moment all the disciples of the Lord; he can prompt prayers and inspire praises in myriads of souls at once, and apply the word with power to millions of hearts at the same instant. The glory of the church is the abiding power of the Holy Ghost, comforting the church and convincing the world.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
The most heinous of all sins, for it reveals the deep enmity of the heart to God. Men are enemies to God indeed, since they will sooner perish than be saved in God’s way.
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
By God’s raising him from the dead and receiving him into glory the perfection and acceptance of the righteousness of Jesus were proved.
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. (The life, death, and teachings of Jesus pronounce the clearest judgment upon the powers of evil and their unfruitful works.)
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
Ye are not yet baptized with the Spirit, and are not able to grasp the higher mysteries.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (May the Holy Spirit reveal to us the person, work, and love of Jesus. He can teach the dullest scholar. His teachings all tend to glorify Jesus; they are no novelties, but the doctrines of Jesus laid home to the heart. Most blessed Spirit, teach thou each one of us!)
Jeremiah 16:17 — God is watching! God is watching our ways, and He sees our actions. My wife is very observant, but I can hide stuff from her. The CIA may be tracing my laptop, but there are ways with torrents and proxies to hide my internet traffic. Nothing is hid from our God, however. “… neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.”
Jeremiah 17:5-8 — I just talked to the desk clerk at the hotel I’m staying tonight. He enjoys learning and philosophy, yet due to a tragedy in his family, he seems to think that if there was a loving God, then He would have prevented it. Instead of trusting in God, he trusts in the potential of mankind. Pray for him that God would reach him and heal his hurting heart (Jeremiah 17:14).
Sadly, God warns us against trusting in man. He gives a vivid contrast between trusting in man (like a heath in the desert) and trusting in God (a tree planted by the waters).
Jeremiah 17:19-20 — Jeremiah the street preacher! Yes, today we can speak on the sidewalks of America and warn the nation about the sin in our country.
Jeremiah 17:25 — God had offered to protect the city from invasion forever if they would obey. Seven hundred years later, the people would crucify the King who entered the city by the Eastern Gate (Luke 19:37).
Jeremiah 18:9-10 — During the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin said:
“I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth – that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.Exodus 23:22
The Lord Christ in the midst of His people is to be acknowledged and obeyed. He is the vice-regent of God and speaks in the Father’s name, and it is ours implicitly and immediately to do as He commands. We shall lose the promise if we disregard the precept.
To full obedience how large the blessing! The Lord enters into a league with His people, offensive and defensive. He will bless those who bless us and curse those who curse us. God will go heart and soul with His people and enter in deepest sympathy into their position. What a protection this affords us! We need not concern ourselves about our adversaries when we are assured that they have become the adversaries of God. If Jehovah has taken up our quarrel, we may leave the foemen in His hands.
So far as our own interest is concerned we have no enemies; but for the cause of truth and righteousness we take up arms and go forth to conflict. In this sacred war we are allied with the eternal God, and if we carefully obey the law of our Lord Jesus, He is engaged to put forth all His power on our behalf. Wherefore we fear no man.
Josh Daws, @JoshDaws, wrote on Twitter/X on 7:30 AM · Oct 2, 2024 the following-
🤯 Jacques Ellul on the role of the small group in spreading propaganda. The church has yet to fully reckon with how small groups, without strong pastoral oversight, can and have become vehicles for spreading woke ideology within congregations.
The dynamics of small groups often favor conformity over true discipleship. The most assertive individual usually sets the tone, and the group’s consensus follows. This makes it easy for ideology, rather than genuine biblical teaching, to take root.
I thought this made sense. I’ve written before about the danger of para-church ministries that are loosely or not-at-all attached to a local church. I’ve also warned about Sunday School classes led by laymen, and Women’s ministries where false doctrine can be and often is introduced in any of these extensions of the main service of a solid church.
Small groups are another area of concern. In one church I know of, they have family groups at homes of different people after the service to discuss the points in the service. But the elders insist an elder or a deacon to lead each of these where they occur. So, there is either pastoral oversight or delegated elder oversight at each group.
In my church, Bible study on alternating Wednesday nights for both men and the woman are led by the teaching elder.
Women have written to me in concern that in their small group, when false doctrine is spoken or taught it is so hard to rebut it. The close-intimacy dynamics of the group often makes it intimidating to say anything ‘negative’ or to counter a statement with a contradiction even if the lady has scripture at the tip of her tongue. Too many women just respond “Well, that’s MY truth”, and the woman who lovingly raised the concern is at a loss as to how to continue rebutting.
Father Timothy Rossow, a Lutheran priest, wrote about conventicles/small groups here. I’ve excerpted the part about small groups. He defined conventicles: “Conventicles are groups of instruction and prayer that are held apart from the supervision of the office of the ministry.”
Concern 2: Conventicles lead to division. Your small group may have sound doctrine and may not be divisive but many have seen and testify to how they often become divisive and do tolerate false doctrine. The temptation is great to use the small group to complain about the church or about the pastor or to gossip about others. The church is a body with Christ as the head and the pastor as the under shepherd of Christ. It is also hard for church members to recognize false doctrine and then even when it is spotted it is hard for one member to criticize another member’s doctrine. What usually happens is that false doctrines are just left unchecked in small groups, if recognized at all. I do not always know exactly what is wrong with me when I am sick but I do not go to a neighborhood small group discussion on medicine to find out. My doctor is trained in medicine and so I go to her to find out what is wrong with me. My pastor is trained in doctrine and so I go to him for knowledge about religious truth.
Famous dissenter, feminist, and divisive personality Puritan Anne Hutchinson led a conventicle in her home. That was the ground zero location from where the tension in the Puritan colony built. The resulting religious tension erupted into what is known to historians as the Antinomian Controversy. The roiling controversy disrupted the entire colony, and Hutchinson was eventually exiled to Rhode Island.
Fr. Rossow answers the following question:
Can There Be Small Groups for Things Other than Bible Study? “Yes there should be. That helps to bring the church together so that we can know when one is rejoicing and when one is hurting (I Corinthians 12). Small groups can and should be arranged for fun and fellowship (cards groups, dinner parties, etc.)“
Fellowship is important, and should be encouraged and celebrated among the congregation’s members. But for doctrine, the pastor or elders are responsible for that. We remember Paul’s admonition in Acts 20:28-30,
Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.
How to raise a concern if a false doctrine was brought to your small group:
1. Be decisive and act fast. False doctrine spreads like gangrene. Pray. Raise a concern, gently but don’t be combative or dogmatic. G tot he leader after for further discussion.
2. When you go to the leader parse out if they just misguidedly or badly explained a biblical doctrine. Was it just a garbled delivery, a sincere mistake, or something deeper? Or does she beleive what she had taught? Don’t immediately assume your small group leader is nefarious.
3. When you meet privately bring scripture that pertains to your concern. If during the conversation it turns out the leader admits the mistake or you learn it’s a simple fix, great. if not, then you have scripture ready to gently contradict the error espoused in the small group. if it’s a male leader, bring your husband or ask your husband to meet.
4. Pray again. If the issue continues, do not attend the group any longer. If the pastor asks, tell him why. If he doesn’t ask, share why anyway. Kindly. Often times pastors are busy and leave the responsibility of leading a small group delegated to someone else to take the load off.
We must always be on guard, vigilant, and mildly suspicious of groups that meet outside the purview of the elder. This is becuase church is the biggest battlefield on earth. Many verses and passages deal with ng to be wary, and many passages list what to do if false doctrine enters the church. This is because satan hates holiness, he hates Jesus, and he wants to impact your walk as much as possible.
Paul said to test everything (1 Thessalonians 5:21), to check against the written word (Acts 17:11), and Peter said to be vigilant (1 Peter 5:8). It’s sad that we have to be, but we often forget that we are in a battle and the battle is on earth against ideas (2 Corinthians 10:5). Those ideas come in the form of false doctrine, among other ways.
We can relax our vigilance into an eternal peace when we get to heaven. Until then, oppose those philosophies that oppose Jesus.
‘If you choose to stay…you’re gonna die’: Florida mayor warns over hurricane The mayor of Tampa, Florida, warned residents on Monday that if they choose to ignore evacuation orders and stay in the city when Hurricane Milton hits, they are “gonna die.” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CNN that the “number one message” for Tampa residents was “to prepare, do whatever you need to do, and then get out of the evacuation zones” before the Category 5 hurricane hits Florida this week.
CDC to screen travelers for Marburg, as outbreak of Ebola-like disease grows In response to an unprecedented outbreak of Marburg virus in Rwanda, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now plan to screen arriving international travelers for their risk of bringing the deadly Ebola-like disease into the country. The stepped-up screenings will start the week of Oct. 14 for arriving travelers who have been in Rwanda during the past three weeks, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday.
More than 50 jihadist cases in 29 states show ‘persistent terror threat’ (The Center Square) — A new report published by the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security states that “foreign jihadist networks and homegrown violent extremists” represent a “persistent terror threat to America.” It identifies more than 50 cases in 29 U.S. states between April 2021 and September 2024, including dozens of attempts to provide material support to Islamic designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), ISIS, Hezbollah and al Qaeda, with individuals receiving military type training from ISIS and Hezbollah, and committing fraud.
Biden to Netanyahu after killing of Fuad Shukr: ‘Bibi, what the …?’ Biden was furious with Netanyahu and told him: “Bibi, what the f-?” Biden added, “You know the perception of Israel around the world increasingly is that you’re a rogue state, a rogue actor.” In response, Netanyahu said that “the target was one of the leading terrorists. We saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. The harder you hit, the more successful you will be in the negotiations.” Biden claimed that in his opinion there is a 50 percent chance that Russian President Vladimir Putin will start a nuclear war.
Joe Biden Directly Undermines Kamala Harris as She Appears on ‘The View’ President Joe Biden may yet have the last laugh. if the cognitively impaired octogenarian president actually knows what he is doing at the moment … then his apparent undermining of Vice President Kamala Harris will go down as one of history’s most epic acts of political sabotage. On … “The View,” …Biden … praised Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, whom Harris had accused of selfishness and “political gamesmanship” only a day earlier.
IDF Hits Over 70 Hamas Targets Amid Escalated Gaza Operations The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Tuesday that it had intensified its military operations across the Gaza Strip, targeting over 70 Hamas positions in the past 24 hours. These strikes come as the IDF continues its campaign to dismantle terrorist infrastructure in northern, central, and southern Gaza.
US Senator Graham Pushes for Israel-Saudi Normalization by Year’s End During a visit to Jerusalem on Tuesday, US Senator Lindsey Graham called for Israel and Saudi Arabia to establish diplomatic ties by the end of 2024, cautioning that the next US administration might face challenges securing enough Senate votes for the deal. Graham, a prominent Republican with significant influence on foreign policy, stressed the importance of striking a defense agreement under President Joe Biden’s term, which ends in January.
Supreme Court to weigh legality of Biden administration’s ghost guns rule The court fight involves a 2022 regulation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that sought to ensure the difficult-to-trace weapons known as ghost guns are subject to the same requirements as commercial firearms sales. The issue before the justices is not whether Second Amendment rights were violated, but rather if the Biden administration went too far when it issued the rule.
‘They Can Never Defeat Us’: Jewish Students Commemorate Oct. 7 Victims at George Washington University Speaking to The Algemeiner on Monday, several students who attended the gathering remarked on the swiftness of the passage of time and why, one year removed from Oct. 7, it still feels like only the day after. “It still feels like Oct. 8, because we’re still missing our loves ones,” GW Chabad president Sabrina Soffer said during an interview on Monday. “Israel is such a small country, and there, everyone is like family. We’re still missing over 100 people; we’ve lost so many, people are displaced from their homes — and the war is still ongoing and only escalating from here.
Israel poised to attack Iran’s oil fields, a move that will hurt China Iran’s oil minister Mohsen Paknejad visited country’s key facilities amid regional tensions, raising global concerns about energy disruptions if Israel strikes Iran; Such an attack would not favor China, which heavily relies on discounted Iranian oil exports
Israel must go crazy and strike Iran The free world is held captive by an industry of lies where the axis of evil is deemed righteous, while Israel is portrayed as the problem; We are approaching the moment of decision because only striking Iran will end the current war
Lebanese fishermen stay ashore after Israeli warning Piles of fishing nets lay on land unused in the southern Lebanese port of Sidon on Tuesday as fishermen stayed ashore after the Israeli military warned of strikes against militants along the coast.
Israel says it killed a senior Hezbollah commander as more rockets are fired The Israeli military said Tuesday it killed a senior Hezbollah commander in a strike on Beirut while the militant group’s acting leader promised more fighting against Israeli troops in southern Lebanon and rocket fire into Israel. The military said the strike killed Suhail Husseini, who it said was responsible for overseeing logistics, budget and management of the group.
No, the earthquake in Iran was NOT a nuclear bomb, but… Mountains shall be overthrown, cliffs shall topple, and every wall shall crumble to the ground. Ezekiel 38:20 While it is extremely unlikely that Saturday’s earthquake resulted from an Iranian thermonuclear device, it may be attributable to an end-of-day process. The prophets explicitly mention earthquakes and volcanoes as playing a role in the end of days, preparing the world by burning away impurities, as a crucible is used in metallurgy to purify metal.
Hurricane victims buried in yards as morgues overflow: Report A new report claims that North Carolina residents have been forced to bury their dead in their yards as “all the morgues are full” from the victims of Hurricane Helene. According to The Spectator World, residents in North Carolina and other southern states have had a difficult time finding space in local morgues for those killed by the massive storm and flooding in the region.
Putin to meet Iranian president as war rages in Middle East Putin plans to meet with his Iranian counterpart, Masud Pezeshkian, this week amid fears the crisis in the Middle East threatens to spin out of control. Official Russian news agencies quoted presidential aide Yury Ushakov on October 7 as saying the two leaders will meet in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, on October 11. Ushakov added that Putin also plans to hold talks with Pezeshkian at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan that runs on October 22-24. The announcements signal continued cooperation between the two countries amid the ongoing Middle East crisis.
US adds 2 more Chinese companies to Uyghur slavery blacklist The United States has banned imports from two more Chinese companies suspected of using Uyghurs for forced labor, bringing the number of entities on the blacklist to 75. Wednesday’s announcement by the Department of Homeland Security is the latest under the 2021 Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. The UFLPA aims to eradicate forced labor and hold China accountable for its genocide and crimes against humanity against the mostly Muslim Uyghurs and other minority groups in the far western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,
‘God Versus Aliens’: Inside The Vatican’s High-Stakes UFO Hunt This idea isn’t as outrageous as it might seem. The Vatican has a history of grappling with cosmic questions. For centuries, the (Vatican) church has been involved in discussions about the nature of the universe and our place within it. Some researchers speculate that the church’s involvement in UFO research might be part of a broader effort to cover up the truth, … he theory suggests that while we might be open to the idea of extraterrestrial life, the notion of beings from other dimensions or realms could be too unsettling … extraterrestrial intelligence might choose to interact directly with AI on Earth rather than making contact with humans.
Coincidence? Days After the International Bird Flu Summit, New Cases of Bird Flu in Humans Reported Just days after an International Bird Flu Summit in Washington, DC, we get reports that new cases of bird flu in humans have been reported in California. John Leake, of the McCullough Foundation, attended the conference and rightfully points out the suspicious/auspicious timing of this new possible pandemic: The new bird flu cases were immediately picked up by the mainstream media that is hungry for the threat of a new pandemic:
The Opposite Of Truth Is Not Just Lies, It Is Chaos… The Democrats have always relied on lies, especially when it comes to their campaigns for political office. The Democrats regularly lie about Trump’s many achievements in an attempt to make themselves relevant. But they are all anti-American now, especially Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Milton reaching max limits leads to calls for a new Category 6 designation for hurricanes Hurricane Milton is threatening to reach known maximum limits with wind gusts already topping 200 miles per hour — leading to calls for a new Category 6 designation for such a historic superstorm. “This is nothing short of astronomical,” Florida meteorologist Noah Bergren said late Monday as Milton reached sustained winds of 180 mph and “gusts 200+ mph.”
Heavy rainfall across Karnataka claims 3 lives after 130 mm (5.1 inches) overnight, India Severe flooding hit northern Karnataka overnight on Saturday, October 5, 2024, as heavy rains, triggered by cyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal, claimed three lives, injured two, and damaged 150 houses. The torrential downpour, with over 130 mm (5.1 inches) of rainfall, caused widespread destruction across multiple districts, including Ballari and Bengaluru.
Fireball over Andalucia and Murcia, Spain A bright fireball was observed over Spain’s eastern regions of Andalusia and Murcia at approximately 03:36 UTC on October 6, 2024, featuring a nice final intense flash (fulguration) before disintegrating.
North Carolinians burying their dead in back yards as morgues overflow: report North Carolinians have been forced to bury their dead in their back yards as the death tolls have continued to rise. Americans in impacted areas are having trouble finding spaces in morgues for their deceased loved ones. Across six different states, the number of deaths has risen to at least 227, with about half of those victims being in North Carolina.
Germany Rushes to Expand Biometric Surveillance It is disappointing that the German government is trying to push through Parliament, at record speed, a “security package” that would increase biometric surveillance at an unprecedented scale. The proposed measures contravene the government’s own coalition agreement, and undermine European law and the German constitution.
This Is Why The Death Toll From Hurricane Milton Could Be Absolutely Catastrophic A 15-foot-tall wall of water is about to slam directly into a major American city. More than 3 million people live in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area, and hundreds of thousands of them are very tightly concentrated along the coast. Most of them are attempting to evacuate, but there are apparently large numbers of local residents that are choosing not to do so. This is very foolish, because their homes are about to be underwater.
Did Hurricane Milton Have Help In Suddenly Becoming One Of The Most Powerful Storms In History? This normally doesn’t happen. During regular times, a hurricane is not supposed to go from Category 1 to Category 5 in less than a day. At this moment, the roads out of the Tampa Bay area are absolutely jammed with vehicles as local residents attempt to get out of the path of the coming storm. We literally just witnessed one of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history, and now we are being told that Hurricane Milton could also be one of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history. So what in the world is going on here?
Net Zero is a scam, built on the myth of climate change Climate change and the Net Zero initiative is a scam. In an excerpt from Dr. Jack King’s book, `Net Zero will destroy you and everything you care about’, Dr. King highlights that the push towards Net Zero is based on misinformation and propaganda.
Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso Slams Critics of Israel’s Right to Defend Itself Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has fiercely defended Israel’s right to protect itself against ongoing Islamic terrorist attacks, criticizing those who demand the country remain passive in the face of such violence. Speaking on the matter, Ayuso expressed frustration at the hypocrisy of expecting Israel to allow its own destruction, calling it both “perverse” and “unfair.”
Proposed Northern Ireland Public Health Bill sets into law mandatory vaccines The proposed Northern Ireland Public Health Bill is attempting to implement mandatory vaccinations. UK solicitor Anna de Buisseret has written to the UK representative to the World Health Organisation’s (“WHO’s”) ethics group, questioning proposals to implement mandatory vaccinations when such a proposal violates both domestic and international civil and criminal laws, including the law of war, as well as medical ethics and morals.
“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined.” —Patrick Henry (1788)
Kamala wouldn’t change a thing: In one of the most damning — and telling — moments of the 2024 presidential campaign, change agent Kamala Harris, the candidate proclaiming “a new way forward,” confessed that she wouldn’t change a thing from the past 44 months. As Harris continued her tour yesterday of unserious “media” interviews, she was served up a softball by “The View’s” Sunny Hostin: “Would you have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years?” Her response showed a shocking inability to think on her feet. “Uh, there is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of—” she stumbled, “and I’ve been a part of, of, of most of the decisions that have had impact.” What we have here is a candidate who is unable to distance herself from one of the least popular presidents in American history and who has now shackled herself to the mast of the Bad Ship Biden. No wonder they’re trying to hide her from real journalists. She can’t even handle the cupcakes.
“60 Minutes” airs two different answers from VP Harris to the same question (Fox News)
CBS’s Tony Dokoupil offers “regrets” at teary staff meeting after grilling anti-Israel author (NY Post)
Walz wants to abolish the Electoral College: “I think all of us know the Electoral College needs to go,” Tim Walz stated during a fundraiser in Sacramento, California, on Tuesday. The Left has increasingly embraced calls for eliminating the Electoral College, viewing it as a roadblock to electoral control. Walz’s sentiments against the Electoral College are nothing new for him or the Democrat Party. Unfortunately, this view has risen in popularity among voters, as a Pew Research Center survey from September found that 63% of voters favor changing how we elect our president (just 35% favor remaining with the Electoral College). Evidently, a majority of voters don’t understand our representative federal Republic. Notably, the last Republican to win the popular vote was George W. Bush in 2004. If Donald Trump wins a second time while again losing the popular vote, Democrat calls to eradicate our constitutional order will reach fever pitch.
What price gouging? A few weeks back, Kamala Harris sought to redirect the blame for our nation’s devastating 20% inflation spike under the Biden-Harris regime. The culprits, she said, were the price-gouging grocers, and she proposed Soviet-style price controls as the solution. It’d be bad enough if this were solely about Harris’s affinity for communist economics. But in this case, it’s also about her penchant for making things up. She’s called for a federal ban on price gouging, and she’s proposed to give the Federal Trade Commission the power to enforce it against companies that are unduly profit-motivated. The problem is that there’s no evidence that any such price gouging is occurring. Indeed, the typical profit margin among grocers is around 2%.
When you’ve lost Charlamagne Tha God… If Donald Trump wins the presidency on November 5, one reason will likely be his growing support from young black men, a traditional Democrat voting bloc that polls show increasingly support Trump. “One place where I think [Harris and Walz] mess up in regards to messaging — like you know, you’ll listen to a lot of reporters and they’ll be talking to Trump or JD Vance, and they’ll be talking … about things that are happening right here in America,” says black radio host Charlamagne Tha God. “It’s always America First. But then, you know, you go to Tim Walz and they’re asking him about geopolitical politics, and I think a lot of times that makes them sound, you know, very out of touch.” Out of touch is right. For black men, as for most everyone else, the kitchen table issues are key.
Christopher Steele rehabs his image: The former British spy who produced the infamous and false Trump/Russia dossier has published a book aimed at salvaging his credibility. Promoting his book, Christopher Steele wrote in a Newsweek op-ed, “A lot of disinformation is true and factual, but it’s slanted, or it leaves things out, or emphasizes some things at the expense of others.” He blamed journalists for effectively being too stupid to know the difference: “My fear — and I don’t wish to sound condescending about it — is that your average journalist, even your average investigative journalist, really doesn’t have the depth of knowledge and skill to deal with these things properly.” Steele claimed there was more data tied to his dossier than the “raw document” that was published in the press. He gave it to the FBI, which he claims added needed context. So, what about the fact that his “raw document” was filled with false information? It’s no secret that Steele was and is opposed to Donald Trump and that he aimed to prevent him from becoming president, hence the fallacious dossier. After being exposed as a non-credible source, even The Washington Post asks, “Will anyone buy it?”
Supreme Court signals openness to Biden’s “ghost gun” crackdown (BBC)
EPA opts for more stringent rule on lead pipes (Roll Call)
Pennsylvania Supreme Court dismisses RNC lawsuit over mail-in ballot curing (Just the News)
Probe into whether Democrats use ActBlue platform to cheat at fundraising expands to 19 states (Just the News)
Security
Afghan man in Oklahoma plotted Election Day ISIS terror attack: In yet another near-catastrophic failure of the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy, Fox News reports: “Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, obtained firearms and ammunition to conduct a violent attack on U.S. soil, as well as taking a number of steps to prepare for the plot, authorities said. He entered the United States on Sept. 9, 2021, weeks after U.S. troops pulled out of Afghanistan, on a special immigrant visa and is currently on parole status pending adjudication of his immigration proceedings.” Tawhedi’s goal was to carry out a terrorist attack on Election Day, November 5, on behalf of ISIS, “in which he and an underage co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs.” It’s a chilling thought, as polling places are soft targets. And it’s an infuriating thought, given that the Biden-Harris administration had guaranteed us that all these Afghan refugees had been properly screened for jihadism in advance of punching their one-way tickets to our homeland.
Hundreds of millions of U.S. research dollars are helping China’s military (Washington Free Beacon)
Netanyahu says Israel has “taken out” slain Hezbollah leader’s successors (Reuters) | Decimated Hezbollah says it is ready for ceasefire talks with Israel (NY Post)
Social Media
X is back up in Brazil: Brazil is no friend to free speech. Conversely, X CEO Elon Musk is a big promoter and defender of free speech, which got the social media company sideways with Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who ordered the company shut down nationwide for failing to adhere to his speech censorship demands. Well, after a little over a month, X has capitulated to Moraes’s demands, which included the removal of several political individuals’ accounts from the platform, paying fines, and the naming of a legal representative in the country. X released the following statement: “X is proud to return to Brazil. Giving tens of millions of Brazilians access to our indispensable platform was paramount throughout this entire process. We will continue to defend freedom of speech, within the boundaries of the law, everywhere we operate.” Musk’s decision to capitulate seems more out of market reality, even if it comes at the cost of free speech.
More than a dozen states sue TikTok, alleging it harms kids and is designed to addict them (NPR)
Culture
Good news: Christian cake baker finally sees victory: Colorado cake baker Jack Phillips is a man who puts his Christian faith before anything else. He has continued to stand against those who seek to force him to capitulate to the evil demands of the Rainbow Mafia. For 12 years, he’s stood his ground against a corrupt state government that essentially persecuted him for his strongly held Christian beliefs. Even after a winning decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, Colorado continued its attacks against Phillips. The charge was that Phillips was violating the state’s dubious anti-discrimination law because he held to his Christian faith and refused to make cakes that specifically celebrated same-sex unions and “transgenderism.” Thankfully, on Tuesday, Phillips got another win as the Colorado Supreme Court threw out the latest lawsuit against him over procedural issues. Phillips deserves our thanks for standing not just on his Christian faith but also in defense of the First Amendment.
Over 200 hospitals provide irreversible transgender procedures to children (Daily Signal) | Hospitals earned nearly $120 million in four years for sex-change treatments on minors (Breitbart)
Deadspin loses bid to toss defamation suit over article accusing young Chiefs fan of racism (AP)
Misc.
U.S. deficit hits $1.8 trillion as interest costs rise (WaPo)
“Wife guy” Doug Emhoff hired part-time model as “trophy secretary,” was known in office as “misogynist” (Washington Free Beacon)
Amid Eric Adams scandal, former city hall official arrested, charged with witness tampering and destroying evidence (ABC News)
U.S. natural gas-fired electricity generation set new daily records in summer 2024 (EIA)
Whenever a Democrat says “I support the Second Amendment” or “I own a gun,” you know a “but” is coming.
That was no different for Kamala Harris when she revealed in her lone debate with Donald Trump that “Tim Walz and I are both gun owners.” She didn’t use the word “but,” but her next sentence was just that: “We’re not taking anybody’s guns away. So stop with the continuous lying about this stuff.”
Trump had accused her twice earlier in the debate of having “a plan to confiscate everybody’s gun.” Memo to Harris’s army of “fact-checkers”: That was hyperbole, but not that far off from the literal truth, which I’ll get to momentarily.
In any case, Harris owning a gun doesn’t disprove the confiscation claim. After all, the government agents who would be tasked with “taking anybody’s guns away” don’t show up unarmed, knock, and ask nicely. They will be bearing firearms themselves, almost surely vastly outgunning any private citizen in his home.
Remember, Joe “Double-Barrel Shotgun” Biden routinely threatens the American people with superior firepower, but I digress.
Harris, who heads Biden’s White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, has reiterated a few times since the debate that she’s a gun owner, including telling Oprah Winfrey that anyone breaking into her house is “getting shot.” In her Sunday interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes,” she went further, claiming, “I have a Glock, and, um, I’ve had it for quite some time. Look, my background is in law enforcement, so there ya go.” Asked whether she’d fired it, she responded with a nervous giggle, “Yes, of course I have. At a shooting range.”
Well then.
What model Glock? Most Glocks are considered by California to be “unsafe handguns” and cannot be sold there. Many Glocks also have standard ammunition capacity that exceeds California’s draconian 10-round limit. Does hers exceed that limit or otherwise run afoul of state law? Is it registered as California and DC laws require? She didn’t say, and CBS’s Bill Whitaker didn’t ask.
Notice in her X post of the video clip that whatever staffer made that post apparently doesn’t even know that Glock is a brand and should be capitalized.
National Review’s Charles C.W. Cooke emphasizes the important point here: hypocrisy. “From her previous statements, we know that it’s a Glock handgun, and from her previous actions, we therefore know that it’s exactly the sort of firearm that, at two points in her career, she’s tried to prevent her fellow citizens from owning.”
That’s right. When Harris was San Francisco’s district attorney, she backed Proposition H, which would have banned buying, selling, or possessing handguns in the city. Fortunately, it was struck down as unconstitutional in court, but there’s no question Harris would enact it nationwide if she could. Indeed, undeterred, she backed the gun banners in Washington, DC, by signing an amicus brief in DC v. Heller, in which the Supreme Court struck down the District’s handgun ban as unconstitutional.
“As California attorney general,” notes The Federalist’s Jordan Boyd, Harris “attempted to enforce experimental microstamping of firing pins as a requirement for any sellable guns.” For a time, that made most firearms manufactured after 2013 illegal for sale in California.
Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration was before the Supreme Court just yesterday arguing against so-called “ghost guns.” The Team Biden-Harris overall argument is essentially this: You might be able to keep (in a locked box) and bear (in extremely limited contexts) arms (that aren’t especially scary looking), but you can’t make your own.
Would an interviewer somewhere ask Harris why it’s okay for her to own a Glock and to shoot an intruder while her fellow citizens in the only two places she’s lived in the last 20 years should not be able to own a firearm?
Maybe that interviewer should also ask Harris about what she said as San Francisco DA: “We’re going to require responsible behaviors among everybody in the community, and just because you legally possess a gun in the sanctity of your locked home doesn’t mean that we’re not going to walk into that home and check to see if you’re being responsible and safe in the way you conduct your affairs.”
Speaking of which, given the red-flag allegations that Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, has been a philanderer and domestic abuser, maybe someone should check on their home to ensure that Kamala’s Glock is being handled safely and responsibly.
Thomas Gallatin: The CBP One App: A Migrant’s Ticket In — The Biden-Harris administration has twisted and exploited a rule that was designed to limit illegal immigration.
Jack DeVine: Controlling the Narrative — Last week’s VP debate is one more example of the media’s insistence on telling us how to think.
Linda Moss Mines: Bless His Heart! — From the time of his inauguration until his quiet departure from the White House, James Buchanan’s term witnessed a whirlwind.
“I’m confident [the election will] be free and fair. I don’t know whether it will be peaceful. The things that Trump has said and the things that he said last time out when he didn’t like the outcome of the election were very dangerous. … I’m concerned about what … they’re going to do.” —Joe Biden
Non Compos Mentis
“We have long known that Donald Trump has revered the Nazis. … I think that the danger of a Donald Trump is that he would absolutely try to exterminate an entire group of people because he thinks that their genes are somehow different.” —Democrat strategist Aisha Mills
Birds of a Feather
“There is not a thing that comes to mind.” —Kamala “New Way Forward” Harris when asked, “Would you have done something differently than President Biden during the past four years?”
Lack of Self-Awareness Awards
“I think there’s an obvious one in mind, which is Iran. Iran has American blood on their hands.” —Kamala Harris when asked, “Which foreign country do you consider to be our greatest adversary?” (“Correct answer: China. But to call out Iran, and mention ‘blood on their hands,’ is astounding given this administration’s record with Iran and the blood on its hands in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Israel.” —Mark Alexander)
“No one should be able to take for granted that they can just declare themselves a candidate and automatically receive support. You have to earn it.” —Kamala Harris
Delusions of Grandeur
“President Biden made a decision that I think history is going to show is rare among leaders, which was to put country before self.” —Kamala Harris
The BIG Lies
“We now have historic low unemployment in America among all groups of people. We now have an economy that is thriving by all macroeconomic measures.” —Kamala Harris
“Because of what we have done, we have cut the flow of illegal immigration by half.” —Kamala Harris
“Donald Trump, if he were president, Putin would be sittin’ in Kyiv right now.” —Kamala Harris
Useful Idiot
“Prime Minister Netanyahu has unleashed unthinkable violence on innocent civilians in Gaza.” —Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Moral Equivalency
“We mourn the loss of all innocent lives from this ongoing conflict. We stand against the rising antisemitism and Islamophobia.” —NFL’s Minnesota Vikings
Upright
“When you say ‘From the river to the sea,’ what you are fundamentally promoting, and fundamentally celebrating, is the end of a Jewish state altogether.” —JD Vance
“The only way this war is going to end is when Hamas gives up its arms and stops the fighting and lets the hostages come home.” —JD Vance
For the Record
“‘The rich aren’t paying their fair share’ is an exhausted talking point, an economic myth promulgated by partisan hacks attempting to stir up a tide of envy and resentment.” —Jim Geraghty
“To that end, the United States will provide nearly $157 million in additional assistance to the people of Lebanon… This additional support brings total U.S. assistance to Lebanon over the last year to over $385 million.” — Vice President Kamala Harris, X.com, October 5, 2024.
Israel & Hezbollah still exchanging fire, as Defense Minister Gallant says Iran will realize after the smoke clears they have lost Hezbollah, Prime Minister Netanyahu calls on the Lebanese people to overthrow the jihadists, Hezbollah now backs a ceasefire after Israel has devastated its leadership and weapons, and Iran is reportedly secretly also looking for a ceasefire, & Israeli troops destroy Hezbollah terror tunnels; Chris Mitchell talks about what he saw when he was in a Hezbollah tunnel, the purpose of those tunnels, Israel’s progress against Hezbollah, if Israel would go along with a ceasefire, and what the Middle East could look like after the current warfare ends; evacuations and preparations underway as the dangerous Hurricane Milton approaches Florida; how Operation Blessing is helping victims of Hurricane Helene recover in North Carolina; and our Studio 5 interview with Lupita Nyong’o, who voices the lead character in the hit animated film, “The Wild Robot.”
Fox News host Greg Gutfeld and the panel discuss Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent media blitz and her ‘60 Minutes’ interview on ‘Gutfeld!’ #foxnews #fox #gutfeld
NEW YORK, NY — Following allegations of showing different clips of Kamala answering the same question, CBS News defended themselves by revealing they interviewed Kamala Harris for 721 hours in order to compile 60 minutes of usable footage.
A spokesperson for CBS News disclosed that the network had spent months working tirelessly to accumulate just enough usable video to piece together in order to produce this week’s episode of 60 Minutes.
“People don’t understand how much work we had to put into this show,” said CBS News public relations representative Jeannie Landrum. “We started meeting with Vice President Harris back in July, scheduled regular talks with her along the campaign trail, and ran our poor video editors into the ground to cobble this interview together. People criticizing it just don’t realize all the blood, sweat, and tears that were shed to make this episode possible. And the hours… my goodness, the hours.”
One editor admitted on the condition of anonymity that he nearly quit during the project. “I went weeks without seeing my family,” he said. “Now, I’m left with horrible nightmares about the footage we had to cut. Trust me, you do not want to see what ended up on the cutting room floor.”
At publishing time, a CBS News insider revealed the network had reached out to famed movie special effects company Industrial Light & Magic to create all future Kamala Harris interviews by using advanced computer-generated imagery.
BIG NEWS: We made a movie, and you can watch the trailer NOW:
The Word of God has something to say about all of life, including politics. So why are so many pulpits avoiding politics and even silent? Dr. Jerry Newcombe gives five reasons why the church should not be silent about government: #TheBibleAndPolitics #GodAndGovernment #VoteBiblicalValues #ForGodAndCountry #CoralRidgeMinistries
60 Minutes splices Kamala Harris’s answers together to make her sound coherent and normal. She’s that bad.
This is the definition of election interference.
Apparently, Kamala’s interview with 60 Minutes was much worse than we first thought.
Fake news 60 Minutes was caught editing Kamala’s answers to make her sound coherent and normal.
In fact it was so bad that ’60 Minutes’ spliced her nonsensical answer and replaced it with a completely separate sentence she said earlier in the interview.
cut Kamala’s nonsense answer on Israel and replaced it with a completely separate sentence she said earlier in the interview…
Mixing and matching questions and answers. This isn’t journalism. It’s fraud.
Here is the original 60 Minutes exchange:
Bill Whitaker: But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening?
Kamala Harris: Well, Bill, the work that we have done has resulted in a number of movements in that region by Israel that were very much prompted by or a result of many things, including our advocacy for what needs to happen in the region.
And here is ’60 Minutes” edited exchange:
Bill Whitaker: But it seems that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not listening?
Kamala Harris: We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.
Well, that confirms it. You can NEVER trust 60 minutes again to give you not only unbiased news but unedited clips from an interview.
Democrats are running a buffoon who can’t even complete a sentence. Think about that for a minute! You really can’t trust a single thing they tell you.
Gary Kah is founder and director of Hope for the World. He’s editor of Hope for the World Update,an author and former Europe & Middle East Trade Specialist for the Indiana State Government. The audio of this broadcast is from his speech at a September VCY America Rally in Southeast Wisconsin.
Before looking in detail at the national and world situation,Gary reminded the audience about Daniel who was told by an angel that knowledge would increase at a rapid pace during the end-times and current events are bearing this out. He then went to Psalm 2 where it reminds us that God is in control and He, not scheming and powerful people, will have the final say.
Gary noted that not since the 1860’s has our nation been so divided and greatly deceived by the propaganda of socialists with their empty promises and lies. He believes that socialists, dedicated to a globalist, anti-Christ agenda, are firmly in control of most of America’s government agencies. There appears to be no going back because as history shows, once socialists are in power, they stay there, often by force if necessary. He went through the recent history of Venezuela, a nation that once was the 2nd wealthiest nation on a per-capita basis, to prove his point. They went on to become a socialist nation and the leader has spent the past two months rounding up the opposition and placing them under house arrest.
His point? The people of Venezuela didn’t think this could happen. Could that happen here in the U.S.? Gary believes we are on a very similar track as socialism has become very fashionable. The media has communicated its ideals under the guise of compassion and tolerance in order to make it very appealing. Now that President Biden has been forced out, VP Kamala Harris, who Gary sees as even more radical, has become the new face of the socialist movement in America.
What’s behind this? What are the forces and variables, both in and beyond America, that want to destroy everything good that’s left in America, forcing us into their anti-Christian, new world order? Keep in mind that the United Nations is only one step away from being able to seize control over all its member nations, including the U.S., in the event of an international emergency. Find out the specifics regarding current efforts to take away American sovereignty and your freedom, when you review this edition of Crosstalk.
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