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
Todd Friel is back at Kennesaw State University to speak with students and emphasizes the importance of approaching evangelism with love and understanding while pointing individuals toward the hope and joy found in Jesus Christ.
Segment 1:
• Cole, an agnostic with an interest in history, approaches Todd out of curiosity about Christianity.
• The conversation shifts from historical Christianity (like the Crusades) to the core problem of humanity—our standing before a holy God.
• Todd uses the Ten Commandments as a mirror, revealing that Cole isn’t just imperfect—he’s guilty before God.
Segment 2:
• Cole admits his shortcomings, but Todd emphasizes that comparing ourselves to “worse people” doesn’t make us good before God.
• The courtroom analogy drives home the seriousness of sin—one day, Cole will stand before God and answer for his life.
• Todd lays out the gospel as the only solution: Jesus bore the punishment Cole deserves, offering him a perfect record in return.
Segment 3:
• An agnostic admits she struggles to believe in things she can’t see, but Todd challenges her with logic—design points to a Designer.
• She’s been hurt by aggressive evangelism, leading her to reject Christianity.
• Todd gently shifts the focus back to Christ, urging her to judge Christianity by Jesus, not by the failures of His followers.
Segment 4:
• The student acknowledges she’s broken God’s laws, but struggles with the idea of judgment.
• Todd explains Easter: God’s justice demands punishment for sin, but His mercy sent Jesus to take that punishment.
• The student remains skeptical but admits Todd’s reasoning makes sense—Todd leaves her with a challenge to reconsider Jesus, apart from past hurts.
2 Corinthians 2:10-11
New American Standard Bible
10 But one whom you forgive anything, I also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
Defeating Satan’s Devices – Part 4/5 – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon
▶️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
…For the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 1 JOHN 3:8
I have observed among spiritual persons in the Christian fellowship a tendency either to ignore the devil altogether or to make too much of him. Both attitudes are wrong! There is in the world an enemy whom we dare not ignore. We see him first in the third chapter of Genesis and last in the twentieth of Revelation, which is to say that he was present at the beginning of human history and will be there at its earthly close. This enemy is not a creation of religious fancy, not a mere personification of evil for convenience, but a being as real as man himself. The Bible attributes to him qualities of personality too detailed to be figurative, and reveals him speaking and acting in situations hard and practical and far removed from the poetic imagination. He is said to be a liar, a deceiver and a murderer who achieves his ends by guile and trickery. While he is not omnipresent (omnipresence being an attribute of God alone) he is ubiquitous, which for his purpose amounts to the same thing. Satan hates God for His own sake, and everything that is dear to God he hates for the very reason that God loves it. Because man was made in God’s image the hatred with which Satan regards him is particularly malevolent, and since the Christian is doubly dear to God he is hated by the powers of darkness with an aggravated fury. In view of this, it cannot be less than folly for us Christians to disregard the reality and presence of such an enemy.
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (p. 46). Moody Publishers.
Here is a sweet thought, my soul, suggested in these words of Samson, and wilt thou not hope that the Holy Ghost may make it blessed to thy evening meditation? The Lord had wrought a great deliverance for Samson, in the discomfiture of his enemies; and now, on a renewed pressing occasion, he makes this the plea of looking up for being again delivered: “Thou hast given,” saith he, “this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant, and now shall I die for thirst, and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?” As if he had said, “Shall my God cease to be God; or shall I now want his help, who hath always helped me in what has passed? Hath he begun to deliver; and will he now cease to do so?” Pause, my soul! and when thou hast duly made thine observations upon the blessedness of faith, which, when in lively exercise, always finds unanswerable arguments for future blessings, in the recollection of those that are past, take the same plea to thy Jesus for every event which thou meetest with, in thine exercises. Hath one like the Son of man redeemed thee, bought thee out of the hands of infinite justice; given thee this great deliverance, from both the guilt and dominion of sin; taken thee into covenant relations with himself; opened a new and living way for thee in his blood; and doth he ever live to keep it open by his intercession? Hath Jesus indeed saved thee, loved thee, blessed thee, given himself for thee, and treasured up for thee a fulness of all needed supplies of grace for thy sojourning here; and is he gone before, to prepare an everlasting fulness of glory for thy enjoyment of himself to all eternity hereafter? And shall any circumstance now befal thee in the way, to cast down thy hopes, and to lessen thy faith in such a Saviour? Shall any thing arise to frustrate his designs, or ruin thy cause? Is it possible that any new evil, for which Jesus hath made no provision, can happen? or any unthought of, unexpected calamity arise, which shall counteract the covenant of redemption, ordered in all things and sure? Precious Lord Jesus! help me ever to keep thee in view, and then all the springs of dependence on thee will be sure to flow.
Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Evening Portion (A New Edition, pp. 48–49). Thomas Wardle.
Great Father revealed himself to believers of old before the coming of his Son, and was known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the God Almighty. Then Jesus came, and the ever-blessed Son in his own proper person, was the delight of his people’s eyes. At the time of the Redeemer’s ascension, the Holy Spirit became the head of the present dispensation, and his power was gloriously manifested in and after Pentecost. He remains at this hour the present Immanuel—God with us, dwelling in and with his people, quickening, guiding, and ruling in their midst. Is his presence recognized as it ought to be? We cannot control his working; he is most sovereign in all his operations, but are we sufficiently anxious to obtain his help, or sufficiently watchful lest we provoke him to withdraw his aid? Without him we can do nothing, but by his almighty energy the most extraordinary results can be produced: everything depends upon his manifesting or concealing his power. Do we always look up to him both for our inner life and our outward service with the respectful dependence which is fitting? Do we not too often run before his call and act independently of his aid? Let us humble ourselves this evening for past neglects, and now entreat the heavenly dew to rest upon us, the sacred oil to anoint us, the celestial flame to burn within us. The Holy Ghost is no temporary gift, he abides with the saints. We have but to seek him aright, and he will be found of us. He is jealous, but he is pitiful; if he leaves in anger, he returns in mercy. Condescending and tender, he does not weary of us, but awaits to be gracious still.
Sin has been hammering my heart
Unto a hardness, void of love,
Let supplying grace to cross his art
Drop from above.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.
AND the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God. One would have expected a far severer rebuke than this, but the Lord was very pitiful towards them, as he is also towards us. These first murmurings were not visited so severely as those further on. The Lord is loath to use his rod. 13, 14 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. 15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. (They had the best of flesh and better than the best of bread. No king’s table was better spread than theirs. Rest assured he who fed murmurers will not desert believers.) 16 ¶ This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents. (Heaven’s bread must be gathered. We must hear the word, and retain it, or it cannot profit us.) 17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. 18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. 19, 20 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses: but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. There were misers in the wilderness, and their hoardings stank; there are other misers now upon the earth, whose scrapings are cankered and corrupt. Covetousness is loathsome. 21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. (Yet it could be cooked! Strange that it could bear one heat and not another.) 22 ¶ And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23, 24 And he said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. 25, 26 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. (Thus the seventh day was honoured by the ceasing of the visible manna, but our first-day Sabbath has a double fall of spiritual manna, and we ought to gather in good store for all the week-days.) 27 ¶ And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. (This was the surest way of stopping the sin, but it was very grievous that a people so marvellously favoured should be guilty of such a superfluous provocation.) 28, 29, 30 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day. 31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. (God might have made it bitter, but he delights to see his creatures happy. What a blessed God he is!)
Day by day the manna fell;
Oh! to learn this lesson well:
Still by constant mercy fed,
Give me, Lord, my daily bread.
“Day by day,” the promise reads;
Daily strength for daily needs;
Cast foreboding fears away;
Take the manna of to-day.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 86). Baker Book House.
Exodus 35:21, 22, and 29 — We see ‘willing’ used 4 times in this passage. As 2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
Matthew 27:51 — We read in Exodus about the elaborate preparations for the Tabernacle, including the coverings and curtains designed to keep people and the elements out. When Jesus was crucified the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom signifying that mankind could once again personally and without a mediator connect with his Maker.
Matthew 27:57 — Jesus, crucified between two thieves (vs. 38) who probably targeted rich men, was buried in the tomb of a rich man (vs. 60) in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9.
Psalm 34:3 — J. W. Pepper has an arrangement of “O Magnify the Lord” (based on this verse), complemented with “All Creatures of Our God and King”.
Psalm 34:6 — A well-known Christian leader would write this verse under his autograph. I always appreciated the humility of this leader – recognizing that he was merely a poor man saved by the Lord.
Proverbs 9:8 — When rebuked, do you hate or love the one bringing the rebuke? That tells us if you are wise or foolish.
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When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Proverbs 16:7)
I must see that my ways please the Lord. Even then I shall have enemies; and, perhaps, all the more certainly because I endeavor to do that which is right. But what a promise this is! The Lord will make the wrath of man to praise Him and abate it so that it shall not distress me.
He can constrain an enemy to desist from harming me, even though he has a mind to do so. This He did with Laban, who pursued Jacob but did not dare to touch him. Or He can subdue the wrath of the enemy and make him friendly, as He did with Esau, who met Jacob in a brotherly manner, though Jacob had dreaded that he would smite him and his family with the sword. The Lord can also convert a furious adversary into a brother in Christ and a fellow worker, as He did with Saul of Tarsus. Oh, that He would do this in every case where a persecuting spirit appears!
Happy is the man whose enemies are made to be to him what the lions were to Daniel in the den, quiet and companionable! When I meet death, who is called the last enemy, I pray that I may be at peace. Only let my great care be to please the Lord in all things. Oh, for faith and holiness; for these are a pleasure unto the Most High!
In this episode of the Cold-Case Christianity Podcast, J. Warner Wallace begins a two-part program in which he describes ten reasons why we, as Christians, fail to share our faith. Are these reasons legitimate concerns or convenient excuses? J. Warner talks about the first five reasons and provides tips to overcome the obstacles that typically prevent us from sharing what we believe. The Cold-Case Christianity Weekly Podcast is located on iTunes or our RSS Feed:
When I was about fourteen I started listening to teachers such as Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, Jerry Savelle, and Creflo Dollar. I had grown up going to church, albeit a very liberal church, but these guys were different than what I was used to. They had passion, zeal, and spoke with power and authority. They taught very differently than what I had heard before, but they used Scripture to back everything up (well, and some direct revelation from God, so they said).
They taught that Jesus had secured our physical healing for this life, that we had power over sickness and the devil, that we could transform our finances through our faith, and that we could even use faith the way God does—the God kind of faith. I really enjoyed listening to these teachers, particularly Copeland and Duplantis. I was even able to meet Duplantis and his wife at a meeting in Charlotte, where I gave him a letter thanking him for teaching the truth. Little did I know at the time that I was being sucked into a heretical mess. Since I did not know much at the time about orthodox theology, much of what was said sounded biblical and right. After having spent over a decade of learning theology in college and seminary (long after I left the movement), I began to realize how dangerous their doctrines really are. Let’s look at some of the main teachings of the Word-Faith movement.
God
While the orthodox, traditional view of God among Christians is that God exists as an immaterial being, one in essence with three persons, Word-Faith teachers state that God is a physical being who lives on a planet called heaven. According to Copeland, God stands around 6’2″ around 200lbs. Not only that, God is the “greatest failure in the Bible” since he lost more than any other being at the fall. Further, God has to use faith to do things, like create. God used the “force of faith” that according to Copeland “is a physical force” that is “perceptible to the touch.” We can use this same faith with our positive confession to bring about realities. Our confession, however, can also bring about sickness, disease, and death.
Jesus
According to Word-Faith teachers, Jesus is not divine. According to Dollar, if he were, he would not have needed any special anointing. Rather, he was adopted by God at his baptism. According to teachers like Copeland, Jesus died spiritually and was reborn in hell before his resurrection. He was the first to be born-again. Regarding this, Copeland makes the scariest, most heretical utterance I have ever heard:
“He [God] said, ‘A born-again man defeated Satan, the firstborn of many brethren defeated him.’ He said, ‘You are the very image and the very copy of that one.’ . . . And I said, ‘Well now you don’t mean, you couldn’t dare mean that I could have done the same thing?’ He said, ‘Oh, yeah, if you’d known that, had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did you could have done the same thing. ‘Cause you’re a reborn man too.’”
Jesus did not accomplish his work because of his divinity, according to Copeland, but because he was reborn and had certain knowledge.
Jesus not only secured our salvation, he also secured our physical healing, according to such passages as 1 Peter 2:24 and 3 John 2. He is also our example to live by. But not just for holiness. We need to emulate his faith (through positive confession), attain knowledge (like him), and live the way he lived.
Man
Man is created by God, and so is in the god-class of beings. We are little gods, according to Copeland (and others like Benny Hinn). As already mentioned, man uses his positive confession to activate the force of faith to control his reality and bring about health and prosperity that was secured by Jesus. Man can function like God, since both man and God use the force of faith.
When created, Adam was just like God. After the fall, however, God lost his domain to Satan and had to work with people to covenant with him to get back what he lost (such as Abraham, Moses, etc.). As Robert Bowman says, “Copeland teaches that the true meaning of redemption is the restoration of human nature to godhood.”[1] On that same page, he cites Copeland’s words:
“Peter said it just as plain, he said we are ‘partakers of the divine nature.’ That nature is life eternal in absolute perfection. And that was imparted, injected into your spirit man, and you have that imparted into you by God, just as same as you imparted into your child the nature of humanity. That child wasn’t born a whale—born a human. Isn’t that true? Well now, you don’t have a human, do you? No, you are one. You don’t have a God in you—you are one”
If you are a Christian of the orthodox sort, then the worries should be obvious. If you are a follower of these teachers, it might not be so obvious. There are more worries and problems than I will address here. I’ll just choose a few.
Regarding God, if he is physical, he is necessarily limited. He can’t be everywhere all at once; he can’t know all things, etc. The Trinity can’t be true since a physical being is a being all to himself. But the doctrine of the Trinity teaches that God is one in being, but exists as three persons. If God the Father is physical, then there are at least two beings that make up the divine nature.
Jesus is taught to be a human with a special anointing and knowledge that allowed him to live the way he did, do miracles, and defeat Satan. The orthodox teaching, however, is that Jesus is completely God, and took on the human nature (without sin).
Finally, man is taught to be a little god, in the class of gods. He can use the force of faith (where did the physical faith that God uses come from?) in the same way God did. According to Copeland, man could have defeated Satan as Jesus did. It did not take God, just being reborn and having certain knowledge.
The Word-Faith teaching has striking similarities with Mormonism: Both teach that God is a physical being, people get direct revelation from God even today, we can become gods just like God, both deny the Trinity, and both downplay the role of reason and stress the spirit as a way of learning.
As you can see, while the positive confession and health and wealth teaching is bad, it does not compare to the heresies of the other teachings. And this is why I left the Word-Faith movement.
References:
[1] Robert Bowman Jr., Word-Faith Controversy: Understanding the Health and Wealth Gospel, unabridged ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2000), 184.
J. Brian Huffling, PH.D. has a BA in History from Lee University, an MA in (3 majors) Apologetics, Philosophy, and Biblical Studies from Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES), and a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from SES. He is the Director of the Ph.D. Program and Associate Professor of Philosophy and Theology at SES. He also teaches courses for Apologia Online Academy. He has previously taught at The Art Institute of Charlotte. He has served in the Marines, Navy, and is currently a reserve chaplain in the Air Force at Maxwell Air Force Base. His hobbies include golf, backyard astronomy, martial arts, and guitar.
We must beware of immature Christians who can bring harm upon themselves while at the same time doing harm to the entire church. And there are three particular types of people who cause damage to the local church.
Anyone who is part of a church will encounter immature Christians along the way.
The local church is God’s will for his people. God never saved anyone and sent them on a journey to heaven as a lone ranger. We need the local church as we journey onward. We must strive to see the privilege of membership in a local church and come to value it far more than we often do. Within the church, there are many different types of people. For instance, there are leaders and followers, men and women, boys and girls, young and old, rich and not so rich, white and black all other colors in-between, along with a multiplicity of other categories.
3 Immature Christians in the Church
As we consider the life of the local church, we must beware of three types of immature Christians in the church who can bring harm upon themselves while at the same time doing harm to the entire church. Look out for such people and when you identify one in your church—labor in discipleship in order to save them from much error.
1. The Silent Critic
All criticism is not bad. We can learn from healthy critique, but when we consider the way the certain people offer critique within the life of the church—it’s far from constructive. The silent critic offers smiles in the hallway and seems to be content in the public eye of the church. However, behind the scenes the silent critic speaks with a voice that creates division, diminishes trust for leadership, and causes people to doubt the direction of the church as a whole. This type of person thrives in the shadows, causing people to be angry with leaders, and perhaps to leave the church altogether. The silent critic isn’t silent—often employing a sharp tongue dripping with slander and gossip.
The silent critic offers no public voice for people to hear constructive criticism which says, “The one who conceals hatred has lying lips, and whoever utters slander is a fool.” In fact, Paul writes to the church at Corinth and says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander and obscene talk from your mouth” (Col. 3:8). Beware of such people—their agenda is unbiblical.
2. The Nominal Attendee
The church often has immature Christians who hang out around the peripheral without engaging in meaningful membership. The one who is constantly around the outer edges of the church, but not really engaging into the life of the church is a nominal attendee. Such a person may claim to be a Christian, but they place little effort into their attendance, their service, and their worship with the church. The nominal attendee will frequently be absent and will place other things above the church life. Such a person seems interested in the things of God and the life of the church during seasons, but then they cool off. Often the nominal attendee never pursues true membership. Josh Harris makes a clear point in his book Stop Dating the Church as he writes:
The church community is where we learn to love God and others; where we are strengthened and transformed by truth from the Word; where we’re taught to pray, to worship and to serve; where we can be most certain that we’re investing our time and abilities for eternity; where we can grow in our roles as friends, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, fathers and mothers. The church is earth’s single best place – God’s specially designed place—to start over, to grow and to change for the glory of God. [1]
While the nominal attendee claims to believe the gospel, they show little desire to go any further by engaging in meaningful church membership and embracing a church covenant with a group of fellow believers. The danger with such a position is that it diminishes the meaning of church membership, keeps the person from serving God, and endangers their soul as they, in most cases, are not true Christians at all. They have fooled themselves. They have been fooled. Remember the warning of James 2:19, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” Even worse is the warning of Jesus who said:
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (Matt. 7:21-23).
3. The Church Hopper
One of the greatest hindrances to the local church in our day is the church hopper. This individual often engages in meaningful membership from the beginning, but after a period of time (could be months or years), they decide to “change churches.” Like a shooting star, they appear in the life of the church and then vanish away. Without any job transfer that moves them out of their community and without any heresy within their church that they need to separate from after engaging in church discipline efforts to bring about correction—they simply show up missing in action without any word to the leaders of the church.
The church hopper often uses a spiritual language in their decision to leave one church for another one across town. They often claim that God is “leading” them to that specific church. They claim to have no problems in their present church, but they simply believe they need to be across town rather than where they are presently based on a feeling they experience. Often such decisions are made without seeking the leadership counsel of pastors (shepherds who are given charge to watch over the souls of God’s flock—Heb. 13:17) and approaching the decision through prayer and the Scriptures.
Another version of the church hopper is the church shopper. These immature Christians often hop from church to church more frequently and it’s often like a consumer who is shopping for something that another church could offer them or their family (especially their children). Maybe it’s the music or perhaps it’s the youth group of the other church—but the church hopper is attracted to something else in another church and they move on from one church to another without considering the impact such decisions will have upon the church as a whole and relationships within the church.
The danger of such practices is that it diminishes a high view of church membership and often creates division or confusion in local churches as people simply walk out the door for another church. This often damages relationships and leaves the leadership clueless as to how to properly shepherd people who approach membership with this mindset.
Paul referred to the church as a family (1 Tim. 5:1-2), he referenced the church as a body (1 Cor. 12), the church is described as an assembly (Heb. 10:25), Peter calls the church a flock (1 Pet. 5:2), and Paul refers to the church as a building (1 Cor. 3:9). When we consider such imagery, it should be clear that body parts down just casually change bodies, flocks stick together, families strive for unity and avoid separation, and building blocks must stick together with the building or it will crumble to the ground. So it must be when we approach our membership in the local church. We can’t approach it with a church hopping mindset. There must be a perseverance and dedicated approach to our membership.
Perhaps you see these different types of immature Christians in your local church. Rather than identifying them and avoiding them—why not try to befriend them, pray for them, and labor to help them see the value of a meaningful church membership? The investment in such discipleship matters. Remember, you don’t always have to go across the ocean to make disciples.
Joshua Harris, Stop Dating the Church, (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Publishers, 2005), 21.
This article about immature Christians originally appeared here.
No skin in the game – What U.S. Jewish lawmakers don’t understand The diverse opinions, among Jewish members of congress, to Trump’s idea that the U.S. will control Gaza have one thing in common, whether pro or con. Those living outside of the land of Israel simply have no skin in the game. So, while their personal conclusions might be interesting, until and unless they decide to make this part of the world their home, their thoughts and concerns remain of little relevance when it comes to what is best for those of us who live here and have to bear the consequences, for better or worse since we are the most affected.
Trump’s White House Meeting Rescues Netanyahu’s Coalition Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington wasn’t just another diplomatic photo op – it was a political game-changer for Israel’s domestic landscape. While international headlines focused on Trump’s provocative statements about Gaza’s future, the immediate impact was far more significant: the stabilization of Netanyahu’s increasingly fragile coalition government.
Iranian ex-commander – now believer in Jesus – addresses members of Knesset: ‘I’m here, standing with Israel’ Azadmehr told members of the Knesset, “I was trained by the regime, I was completely brainwashed, I was a commander… but one day, I prayed to the God of Israel, “show me the truth.” He came to me, the God of Israel, Yeshua the Mashiach [Jesus the Messiah], He changed me completely. Now I’m here, standing with Israel with a big heart, crying and standing with you until the end.
Trump to Jordan’s King Abdullah: ‘We will take Gaza’ In a meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan on Tuesday, the President Donald Trump said that the US would take control of Gaza. He explained, “Palestinians will live safely in another location that is not Gaza,” adding that the US would “run it very properly.” Trump said that Gaza would come under US authority but that he would not personally be involved in its development. The president also predicted that Hamas would not meet the Saturday deadline to release all of the hostages and added, “If this happens, ‘all bets are off.’”
Arab-Israeli murder rate 3rd-highest in developed world The murder rate among Arab Israelis is one of the worst in the developed world, with the number of killings per 100,000 people nearing that of Mexico, a recent study found.
American pastor threatens Elon Musk: ‘Sometimes violence is necessary’ A report in the Gateway Pundit identified the preacher as Steve Caudle of the Greater Second Missionary Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. A pastor has used his Sunday sermon to threaten Elon Musk, who heads President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency and is cracking down on all sorts of fraud and inappropriate spending by the government. He presumptively assigned God to have the opinion, apparently, that wasteful government spending is good. He continued, “When Elon Musk forces his way into the United States Treasury and threatens to steal your personal information and your Social Security check, there is a possibility of violence.
‘You Disgust Me’: JD Vance Eviscerates Democrat Attempting to Cancel DOGE Employee with Lengthy Takedown Graduate schools in the United States often teach students to cloak their sinful pride and authoritarian sensibilities in fine-sounding jargon. From time to time, however, those institutions accidentally produce gifted truth-tellers who can challenge the authoritarians on their own terms. On Friday, Vice President JD Vance, a 2013 graduate of Yale Law School, told Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna to “grow up” after the congressman, displaying the performative outrage typical of woke authoritarians, demanded an apology from 25-year-old Marko Elez, a staffer from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) who resigned Thursday following revelations that he had anonymously posted racist comments online.
Calling Card for US Democratic Party Found Along with Missiles, Rifles in Terrorist Weapons Cache Packages from the United States Agency for International Development were found last year in a cache of weapons owned by the terrorist group Hezbollah, … The packages were found in Lebanon, sniper rifles, anti-tank missiles, and explosives were found, along with USAID materials in a Lebanese village from which Hezbollah had withdrawn.
Ilhan Omar Did Marry Her Brother, Says Personal Friend Who Has Finally Gone on Record According to a report in the U.K. Daily Mail, sources confirm Omar told friends that her “second husband” was actually her brother and that the marriage was a scam to get him immigration papers. Furthermore, one of these friends told the outlet that the relationship was a major scandal in Minneapolis’ Somali community when it happened, long before Omar became a major political figure.
JD Vance: Expect This Breakneck Pace for the Next Four Years President Donald Trump has already moved the news cycle forward at breakneck speed. Beyond the flurry of executive actions he issued in his first couple of days, Trump and his team seem to pivot toward new areas of emphasis constantly, from mass deportations and tariffs to banning men in women’s sports and renaming major geographic features. Vice President J.D. Vance says that the country can expect that breakneck pace not just in the first few weeks, but for all four years.
European Union Threatens Trump Over Tariffs: ‘Will Not Go Unanswered’ U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum “will not go unanswered,” European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen vowed Tuesday, adding that they will trigger tough countermeasures from the 27-nation bloc. The warning means iconic U.S. industries like bourbon, jeans and motorcycles should beware.
Trump on Judea and Samaria annexation: ‘It will work out very well’ Asked about his statements that Hamas should release all hostages by Saturday, Trump explained “I don’t want to do two [hostages] and then we do another two and another week, and then we do 4 and 3 weeks. No, no. They either have them out by Saturday at 12:00 or all bets are off.” When asked if he would guarantee that Israel would not annex Judea and Samaria, Trump answered that the issue “will work out very well, I think it will work out automatically and it’s in good shape. We discussed it, and other people have discussed it with me. The West Bank is going to work out very well.”
Nancy Mace Drops Jaws With Surprise Rape Claims on House Floor Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina called four men, including her former fiancé, predators from the House floor Monday. “I rise today ready to call out the cowards who think they can prey on women and get away with it. Today I’m going scorched earth. So, let the bridges I burn this evening light our way forward,” she said in a video posted to X. “God placed this burden in my path—not to crush me, but to ignite something within me – a purpose, a calling. A responsibility.
Prediction: Courts will show targeting of USAID is within Trump’s authority Donald Trump’s handling of the United States Agency for International Development is nothing beyond the scope of his presidential authority, a former White House liaison for USAID said on Washington Watch Monday. Now the curtain has been pulled back, revealing far-left abuse of taxpayer dollars – abuse that Democrats are defending as they heap insults and threats against Musk and DOGE.
Egypt offers ‘comprehensive proposal’ to rebuild Gaza after refusing refugees Egypt plans to offer a “comprehensive proposal” to rebuild Gaza while ensuring Palestinians remain on their land, according to a foreign ministry statement on Tuesday. It said it is looking forward to cooperating with US President Donald Trump to reach comprehensive and just peace in the region. However, Egypt rejected any proposal to allocate land to Gaza residents,
‘Are you kidding me?’ British journalist floored by activist’s Hamas ‘kindness’ claims Pro-Palestinian Arab activist Yvonne Ridley cites Hamas’ “goody bags” that were given to freed hostages as examples of Hamas’ kindness. Journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer: The hostages must have had a wonderful time at that holiday camp that Hamas ran for them for the last 16 months. Ridley insisted that Hamas had been kind to Israel, and cited as an example the “goody bags” that were given to Israeli hostages as they were freed.
Democrats reeling from Trump fatigue Over the past three weeks, President Donald Trump has unleashed a blitzkrieg of executive orders designed to reduce government and bring back sanity. Surrounded by grateful female athletes in the Oval Office, he signed a directive to keep males out of girls’ and women’s sports teams and locker rooms, undoing his predecessor’s madness. … Democrats are taking this political sea change badly.
Trump’s Border Czar Has Some Harsh Words for Pope Francis President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan did not hold back as he responded to Pope Francis’ criticism of mass deportations in the United States. “I’ve got harsh words for the Pope,” Homan told reporters. “Pope ought to fix the Catholic Church.” He has a wall around the Vatican, does he not? So he has a wall to protect his people and himself, but we can’t have a wall around the United States,” Homan said. “I wish he’d stick to the Catholic Church and fix that and leave border enforcement to us.”
‘Mind-blowing’: Trump and Musk find people ‘150 years old’ receiving Social Security payments ‘We do find it sort of rather odd that there are quite a few people in bureaucracy who have ostensibly a salary of a few hundred thousand dollars but somehow managed to accrue tens of millions of dollars in net worth while they are in that position’ “We had no idea we were going to find this much,” Trump said. “We have already found billions of dollars of abuse, incompetence, and corruption.” “Could be close to a trillion dollars that we’re gonna find.”
State Republicans ask DOJ to investigate Walz administration’s ‘continuous inaction’ on fraud Minnesota Republicans are asking the Department of Justice to step in and investigate “the growing fraud in our state,” according to a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. The letter, signed by House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, and Reps. Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, and Kristin Robbins, R-Maple Grove, explains how Minnesota has experienced “years of rampant unchecked fraud” due to the “failed leadership of Gov. Tim Walz, his agencies, and legislative Democrats.”“Democrats’ refusal to show a modicum of concern about serious fraudulent activity has resulted in this disaster,” the letter says. It then highlights “25 known instances of fraudulent or wasteful activity,” which accounts for “over $610 million in services that were never provided to needy Minnesotans.”
Over 12,800 earthquakes hit Santorini-Amorgos zone in 10 days, Red Cross mobilizes to aid residents, Greece ‘Over 12,800 earthquakes were recorded in the Santorini-Amorgos zone between February 1 and 10, 2025, with the strongest, an M5.3 event, registered at 22:16 LT (20:16 UTC) on February 10. In response, the Hellenic Red Cross (HRC) has deployed rescue teams, social workers, and psychologists to assist residents in the affected region.
Wild storms lash Australia as train stations flood, streets turn into rivers after feet of rain falls Eyewitnesses reported ankle-deep water near the Sydney Fish Market, stranding bicycles and forcing vehicles to navigate the flooded streets – even a garbage bin was seen floating down the road. With additional thunderstorms forecast, the Bureau of Meteorology has urged residents to stay indoors and avoid the floodwaters.
Islamic Pressure Campaign Forces Minnesota Public School to Submit – Graduation Date Moved for Eid Controversial Imam Asad Zaman, who leads the radical Muslim American Society (MAS) Minnesota, has successfully forced an American public school to submit to Islamic demands, proving that with enough political pressure, legal threats, and leftist complicity, Islam can assert control over Western institutions and dictate public policy.
Canadian Minister Calls for Removal of ‘Savior’ from Core Christian Beliefs The Rev. Brent Hawkes, a gay rights activist and Canadian clergyman at the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) of Toronto, has argued for the removal of the word “Savior” to describe Jesus Christ because the word is a “stumbling block” for many.
Trump tells Jordanian king that US will ‘take Gaza,’ Palestinians will live safely elsewhere President Donald Trump told Jordan’s King Abdullah that the US is going “to take Gaza” in a meeting between the two on Tuesday. “Palestinians will live safely in another location that is not Gaza,” he said, adding that the US wasn’t going to buy Gaza but rather “run it very properly.”
Global Famine Is Literally Inevitable As 77.6% Of The Earth Becomes More Arid And The Ground Beneath Our Feet Becomes More Unstable Did you know that more than three-quarters of the land on the surface of our planet has been steadily getting drier? All over the world, forests are being ripped out, greenery is disappearing and once vibrant soil is being degraded. Meanwhile, governments are monkeying around with the weather and conducting all sorts of secretive geoengineering experiments. As a result, we now have an unprecedented crisis on our hands.
11 Signs That A Recession In The U.S. May Have Already Started The Biden administration has given us an economy in which homelessness is at an all-time high, demand at food banks is at an all-time high, and poverty is growing all around us. The rising cost of living is absolutely crushing households throughout the nation, and now delinquencies are rising, businesses are going bankrupt at a staggering pace, and mass layoffs are happening from coast to coast. We won’t officially know whether we are in a “recession” at this moment or not until months from now, but I guarantee you that it certainly feels like a “recession” to millions upon millions of us.
Leadbeater’s euthanasia bill is a step towards a slaughter of the innocent and infirm Kim Leadbeater’s Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, in other words “euthanasia bill,” is at the committee stage in the House of Commons. Dr. Vernon Coleman warns that the Bill is a step towards “genocide” and the “slaughter of the innocent and infirm” and urges people to help stop it from becoming law.
The People’s Vaccine Inquiry: Bias, censorship and ethical failures of the UK Covid Inquiry On the first day of the long-awaited Module 4 of the UK Covid Inquiry, it became clear that the Inquiry was going to do everything it could to bury evidence that does not suit the narrative of “vaccines are safe and effective” and continue to gaslight the many who have been vaccine injured.
“I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power.” —Thomas Jefferson (1820)
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Marc Fogel comes home: It was a sublime scene last night on the South Portico of the White House: President Donald Trump greeting a smiling man with an American flag draped around his shoulders and snowflakes falling all around them. That man, Marc Fogel, is free today, thanks, he says, to Trump. “I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now,” he said. Fogel had been in Russian custody since August 2021, having been sentenced to 14 years in prison for bringing into the country what he and his family say was medical marijuana. Newly minted Pennsylvania Senator Dave McCormick, who was part of the team that helped secure Fogel’s release, noted that he and Trump had met Fogel’s 95-year-old mom, Malphine, at their Butler rally last fall, where Trump promised her that he’d bring her son home. Promises made, promises kept.
Gaza update: On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed Donald Trump’s ultimatum to Hamas, stating, “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end, and the IDF will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.” On Monday, Hamas broke its end of the deal, reneging on returning the last nine hostages in the agreed-upon first phase. Hamas falsely claimed that Israel had broken the ceasefire. IDF forces have gathered on the Gaza border, preparing to once again go in to take out Hamas. Meanwhile, Jordanian King Abdullah II told Trump that he is willing to bring to his country 2,000 Palestinian children who are suffering from illnesses such as cancer. He further noted that Egypt will soon offer a plan to work with Trump on dealing with the Palestinians.
Household appliance standards deregulated: In his effort to return “common sense standards” to Washington’s regulatory agencies, Donald Trump has issued an order reversing the Biden administration’s green-energy-based regulations targeting household appliances. Trump ordered EPA Secretary Lee Zeldin to return to his prior environmental orders that “were terminated by Crooked Joe Biden.” This covers a variety of household items and appliances — everything from sinks to toilets to dishwashers to lightbulbs. This deregulation order is a welcome development that will serve as a cost-saving measure for consumers.
Will the Dems shut down the government in protest of DOGE? Government shutdowns have never ended well for Republicans, but the Democrats might soon try their own luck to fight the financial auditing of DOGE. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says he’ll use the federal government’s March 14 funding deadline as leverage. New Jersey Democrat Senator Andy Kim decried Donald Trump’s “lawlessness,” also dropping the Democrats’ hardy perennial of a “constitutional crisis” in his remarks. The Democrats, of course, are the Party of Government, and the mainstream media carries their water, so they’ll have some inherent advantages. But they’ll also be seen as siding with rampant fraud, waste, and abuse. So there’s that.
Red states creating their own DOGE programs: In yet another example of the Trump Effect, eight conservative states have launched their own versions of Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. “This is a magic moment to shape the size and scope of government in our lives,” said Jonathan Williams, the president and chief economist of a consortium of red-state lawmakers. “Voters are watching closely after voting in large numbers for President Trump to reduce the federal debt.” Funny, though, how it took Trump and Elon Musk to light a fire of frugality under all these folks. Among the lowest hanging fruit for these state cost-cutters are fraudulent Medicaid payments, including payments to dead people; wasteful education spending, which might be better directed toward school-choice initiatives; and transportation funds, which are commonly diverted to other Big Government pet projects. Godspeed, we say!
SecDef Hegseth addresses NATO: “Stark realities prevent the United States from being the primary guarantor of security in Europe,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in a bracing address to NATO nations earlier today. Hegseth added that Europe must become more lethal, pay its fair share, and provide for its own defense while the U.S. pivots to China and the security of its own southern border. Donald Trump wants NATO countries to spend 5% of their GDP on defense, as reports indicate that Russia is spending more on defense than the entire continent of Europe. As for the awful war in Ukraine, Hegseth delivered hard news to President Volodymyr Zelensky: No NATO membership for Ukraine and no pre-2014 borders in any peace deal with Russia — which means that Russia would likely keep both Crimea and the Donbas region, both of which it has now occupied for two years.
Republicans push Big Tech to dump NewsGuard: Newly installed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is calling on Big Tech companies Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta to cut ties with NewsGuard. This self-appointed arbiter of news outlet “trustworthiness” leans heavily left and encourages companies to avoid advertising on right-leaning media outfits. Carr called it Orwellian and said one of his top priorities is ending “censorship cartels” that have actively engaged in the suppression of free speech. NewsGuard may soon be subject to a Federal Trade Commission investigation because, as FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson noted in December, “it can choke off the advertising dollars that are the lifeblood for many websites.” Congressional Republicans have also targeted NewsGuard, with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee launching an investigation into its impact on free speech rights.
Judge orders leftist gender ideology back into HHS, CDC, and FDA: In a great example of the judicial branch interfering with the executive, U.S. District Judge John Bates granted a temporary restraining order sought by a leftist group called Doctors for America hoping to restore leftist gender ideology onto the websites of the HHS, CDC, and FDA after Donald Trump ordered it removed. Bates concluded that the executive agencies likely acted unlawfully in stripping this “medical information,” which harms “everyday Americans, and most acutely, underprivileged Americans, seeking healthcare.” Furthermore, Bates noted that two of the doctors in the case claimed they would not be able to treat and meet their patients’ needs if this information were not publicly published on these government websites. In truth, this is all about the Left’s ongoing effort to prop up the gender-bending cult as “scientific.”
Headlines
Consumer prices rise 0.5% in January; annual rate rises to 3% (CNBC)
As DOGE targets FEMA, the aid agency is accused of illegally destroying records (Washington Examiner)
Trump admin tells NCAA to strip records of male athletes who competed in women’s sports (Daily Wire)
Disney walks back DEI initiatives, changes disclaimers on classic films (Daily Wire)
The beauty of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is its incredible, well, efficiency. Donald Trump had four long years to think about what he might have done differently in his first term and, more importantly, what he would pursue in his second term. Making the federal government — or at least the executive branch — operate efficiently and accountably was very high on his list, and in his first three weeks, he’s moved with lightning speed to make it happen.
Yesterday, with DOGE chief Elon Musk and his four-year-old son Lil X in the Oval Office, Trump signed another executive order. “Implementing The President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative” is about reinforcing the drive to thin out the ranks of federal workers by getting federal agencies to coordinate with DOGE. It requires “a data-driven plan” for only “essential” new hires, stipulates that “each agency hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart,” and reiterates that the goal is “large-scale reductions in force.”
The order is simply the latest prong in Trump’s attack on the bloated, wasteful, and unaccountable bureaucracy running America into the ground.
Democrats want to keep this bloat in place, of course, because most of it benefits them politically. Most federal workers also are Democrats themselves. That’s why they’ve filed over 50 lawsuits to stop Trump wherever they can, and sometimes it’s worked.
“I hope that the court system is going to allow us to do what we have to do,” Trump said. He also said rather sarcastically, “It seems hard to believe that judges want to try and stop us from looking for corruption.”
Unfortunately, on Monday, U.S. District Judge George O’Toole extended his restraining order on Trump’s buyout offer for roughly two million civilian federal workers. More than 65,000 federal employees (about 3%) have already taken their severance pay and left.
Let me pause to say that there are absolutely some and maybe many great and effective people who work federal jobs. They do their jobs because they love America and want to serve.
Dare I say, however, that is not the rule. Far too many federal employees don’t work hard because they don’t have to. Public unions and the Democrats they buy off have their backs. Once a federal program is in place, the “logic” says, it must always remain in place. Ergo, their jobs are safe even if “job” is barely the right word. All the while, we taxpayers work hard to produce money and then watch it disappear before our paychecks even hit our bank account. That money funds wasteful and unconstitutional things that we don’t want.
Musk spoke to that point. “If the bureaucracy is in charge, then what meaning does democracy actually have?” he asked. “It does not match the will of the people, so it’s just something we’ve got to fix.”
He added, “If money is spent badly, if your taxpayer dollars are not spent in a sensible or critical manner, then that’s not okay. Your tax dollars need to be spent wisely on things that matter to the people.” As an example of the opposite, he pointed to finding people who are supposedly 150 years old but still receiving Social Security. “That’s a case where I think they’re probably dead,” said Musk. “Or they should be very famous. One of the two.”
“The people voted for major government reform, and that’s what the people are going to get,” Musk also noted. “That’s what democracy is all about.” Making another vital observation, he said, “Transparency is what builds trust.” The last four years utterly destroyed trust in government. The upheaval Trump and Musk are bringing will be messy and painful at times, but the goal is good and right — restoring accountability, responsibility, and trust to the government.
USAID, CFPB, and FEMA are all justifiably in the crosshairs. The swamp draining is welcome, and we hope it continues because there’s a lot more where that came from.
Douglas Andrews: Yes, Let’s Keep Talking About USAID — For some strange reason, the Democrats want to fight about the most infuriating uses of American taxpayer money.
Michael Swartz: Next Up for DOGE: the CFPB — The utterly unaccountable Democrat bureaucracy is now in Team Trump’s crosshairs.
Emmy Griffin: Eric Adams Off the Hook, for Now — The Trump administration says the allegations against the NYC mayor were politically motivated.
Sorry, Liberals, DOGE Is 100% Legal. Here’s Why. — While many continue to berate Elon Musk for his role in defunding bloated federal programs and agencies, Donald Trump remains largely unscathed. Is this part of a larger strategy?
‘I’ve Never Seen Anything Like That Before’ — At a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Cynthia Lummis questions Stephen Gannon about a quote from a confidential Federal Reserve handbook.
Humor: We Got Fired by DOGE — Two dedicated pillow fluffers at the National Pillow Fluffing Association (NPFA) were fired by Elon Musk himself. Let’s just say … they’re not handling it well.
SHORT CUTS
Non Compos Mentis
“You know I don’t do football, so I wasn’t watching the [Super Bowl]. But listen, I think today Donald Trump is gonna sign an executive order banning black people from halftime.” —”The View” co-host Ana Navarro
Chicken Little
“This isn’t hyperbole to say we are staring the death of democracy in the eyes right now. The centerpiece of our democracy is we observe court rulings.” —Senator Chris Murphy
Clown World
“Apparently the ‘constitution’ allows any other president to fight a forever war without a declaration from Congress- but President Trump can’t offer bureaucrats a generous buy-out package without an activist judge throwing a fit and pretending he can shut it all down.” —Buck Sexton
“Eye-opening to see how many Democrats believe federal bureaucrats are unfireable, have a right to implement statist policies of their choosing irrespective of election outcomes, and can openly defy direct orders from the President.” —Buck Sexton
For the Record
“Unelected bureaucrats do not have a right to be a shadow force that runs our government and our country.” —Gary Bauer
“‘Who voted for Musk?’ is the cry by some Democrats who are resisting his and Trump’s effort to downsize government, something Trump promised to do during his campaign.” —Cal Thomas
Touché
“In hopes of finding themselves, [Democrats have] latched onto this new shiny object called the rule of law. We’d like to welcome them to the concept.” —House Speaker Mike Johnson
“Among the blue-hairs and opinion-writers in Washington, we’re losing. Among the American people, we’re winning.” —Senator John Kennedy
Re: The Left
“Democrats are struggling to isolate which issue to attack. Imagine their thought process: ‘OK, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Accord, so we’ll play the “we’re all going to die” card. Hang on: Trump just ended racial discrimination. Time to play the race card. But now, he’s protecting women’s sports. Ahhhhh.’“ —Victor Joecks
“In many cases, companies have abandoned DEI policies — not because they had to — but because even woke corporate America can sense a looming wave of common sense that rejects the Left’s ideological overreach.” —Tony Perkins
Political Futures
“Barack Obama in 2008 won 18- to 29-year-olds by 34 points. When he ran for reelection, he won them by 23 points. Joe Biden won them by 25 points when he defeated Donald Trump in 2020. Kamala Harris won [them] by only four points. Donald Trump cut what has been a 20-point favorite rating for the Democrats … down to four points.” —Ari Fleischer
“Hey Democrats, if you want to win back disaffected voters, don’t keep blocking the changes they voted for.” —Jack DeVine
Observations
“I would be a huge fan of the USAID if it was out there destabilizing commie governments. Instead it’s spreading social science quackery and keeping lefty newsletters afloat.” —David Harsanyi
“Populism isn’t about rejecting wealthy individuals like Trump or Musk, whose personal fortunes pale beside the kind of money government spends. The point of populism is to curtail the self-dealing of an insider class that feeds off everyone’s taxes.” —Daniel McCarthy
“Has anybody noticed the illogic on display during the protests against Trump’s immigration policies? These open borders protesters are carrying Mexican flags while demanding that Donald Trump not send them back to Mexico. Which is it? Do they love Mexico, or do they hate Mexico?” —Gary Bauer
The Bottom Line
“To the extent that Hamas does anything other than murder and make war, it’s to issue threats of murder, war, and genocide.” —Ed Morrissey
Leading From the Front
“When I can get down, do pushups and deadlifts with the troops, and just hear from them — What’s working? What isn’t? How do you see your mission set? — I love that.” —Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
And Last…
“I want to find out about the two assassins… Why did the one guy have six cell phones, and why did the other guy have [foreign] apps? No more holding back because of Biden… I’m entitled to know. And they held it back long enough.” —Donald Trump
Border czar Tom Homan advised Pope Francis to focus on the Catholic Church after the pope criticized the Trump administration’s deportation of illegal aliens from the United States.
When asked by a reporter on Tuesday about the pope’s “harsh words” criticizing the Trump administration’s mass deportations of illegal aliens who have been residing in the U.S., Homan advised Pope Francis to “fix the Catholic Church and concentrate on his work.”
Homan’s words came after Pope Francis wrote an open letter to U.S. Catholic bishops, stating that illegal aliens “should not be treated as criminals,” according to CBS News.
“I’ve got harsh words for the pope,” Homan responded. “The pope ought to fix the Catholic Church. I’m saying this as a lifelong Catholic — I was baptized Catholic. … He ought to fix the Catholic Church and concentrate on his work and leave border enforcement to us.”
Homan pointed out that Pope Francis wanted to attack the Trump administration for wanting to secure the U.S. southern border, while there is a “wall around the Vatican.”
“He wants to attack us for securing our border … he’s got a wall around the Vatican, does he not?” Homan questioned. “So, he’s got a wall around to protect his people and himself, but we can’t have a wall around the United States? So, I wish he’d stick to the Catholic Church and fix that and leave border enforcement to us.”
Breitbart News’s Thomas D. Williams previously reported that in Pope Francis’s open letter, he also criticized Vice President JD Vance for “allegedly misinterpreting the Augustinian concept of ‘ordo amoris.’”
In his letter, Pope Francis writes:
I have followed closely the major crisis that is taking place in the United States with the initiation of a program of mass deportations. The rightly formed conscience cannot fail to make a critical judgement and express its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly identifies the illegal status of some migrants with criminality. At the same time, one must recognize the right of a nation to defend itself and keep communities safe from those who have committed violent or serious crimes while in the country or prior to arrival. That said, the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness.
The pope’s criticism of the Trump administration’s deportations of illegal aliens comes as the Vatican recently announced that it was increasing its border security and would be increasing “monetary sanctions and prison sentences” for violators who cross its borders without having permission.
In a decree from Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, who serves as the president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, it was explained that people who enter the Vatican’s airspace or territory without permission “will face monetary faces ranging from 10,000 t0 25,000 euros.” Violators would also face prison sentences ranging from one to four years.
JERUSALEM, Israel – President Donald Trump insists Hamas free all of the Hamas-held hostages in Gaza by noon Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is echoing that, yet it is unclear whether he means all the hostages or just the few who Hamas had previously committed to free on Saturday.
Netanyahu told the nation, “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end and the Israeli Defense Forces will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.”
One thing is clear: Israel is ready to go back to war in Gaza because Hamas is suddenly holding up hostage releases.
Since President Trump invoked the words, “So help me God” on Inauguration Day, the non-stop flurry of activity has not slowed down one bit. It’s been quite a difference from his first term as president. Back then, he signed 33 Executive Orders during his first 100 days. Now, in just the first three weeks, he has signed 59.
“The luxury of a second term is you don’t have to run for reelection,” says Corey Lewandowski, a senior advisor to President Trump. “You can just go in all in with your ideas.”
The president also has more momentum this time around. In 2016, his victory came as a bit of a shock. By winning the popular vote in 2024, he now has more of a mandate. Eight years ago, only 49 percent approved of his inaugural address. This time around though it jumped to 62 percent. He also has a more supportive GOP in Congress that is wary of crossing him.
New consumer price index data showed egg prices had the largest month-over-month change in years.Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Americans haven’t seen this big of a monthly increase in egg prices in 10 years.
The 15.2% jump brings egg prices to a record high in January.
Gas and housing were two other pain points in January’s 3% year-over-year increase in inflation.
The last time egg prices spiked this much in one month, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar‘s “Bad Blood” dominated the airwaves.
Egg prices rose 15.2% between December and January, the biggest month-over-month increase since June 2015. A dozen Grade A large eggs hit an all-time high average price of $4.95.
Egg prices contributed to overall inflation rising to 3% year over year in January and were a major driver of a jump in grocery prices. Eggs weren’t the only category showing price spikes — rising housing costs, for example, were responsible for almost a third of total inflation last month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said, and gas and energy prices crept up as well.
Still, a worsening bird flu crisis continues to hit shoppers in the egg aisle.
“The H5N1 bird flu sweeping through the U.S. agriculture industry is forcing farmers to cull infected birds and sending egg prices soaring, a big supply-side shock to food prices,” Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank, said in a statement.
To avoid egg hoarding, some grocery stores are cracking down on how many can be purchased at once. A Trader Joe’s spokesperson recently told Business Insider that customers can buy one carton per customer per day.
“We hope these limits will help to ensure that as many of our customers who need eggs are able to purchase them when they visit Trader Joe’s,” the spokesperson said.
Restaurants are also struggling with high prices. CNN reported that Waffle House added a temporary surcharge for egg orders.
“The continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (bird flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices,” Waffle House said. “Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions.”
Fresh, whole milk and white bread are also expensive compared to before the pandemic. The average price of coffee remains higher than just a few years ago, too.
Mark Hamrick, Bankrate’s senior economic analyst, said in a statement to BI that coffee and eggs are outliers that “can aggravate many consumers who sometimes mistakenly see the anecdotal cases of inflation as an indication of general inflation.” He added that’s not always true.
“There are specific reasons why eggs and coffee have been moving up on their own, issues that are not easily resolved,” Hamrick said.
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