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
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, God’s purpose for everything He does is the Christian’s sanctification. In this sermon titled “The Mighty Process of the Holy Spirit,” he outlines three dangers: Christians must not separate justification and sanctification; Christians cannot believe to both receive sanctification at the time of salvation and also at a point in the future; and Christians must be wary of preaching a false evangelism that stops at forgiveness and excludes holy living. The Christian should care about living a life that is pleasing to God because God is holy. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains the Christian’s responsibility in sanctification. While the Holy Spirit is at work within them, they must not resist His work. Paul wrote about this in Romans 8 and other passages, teaching that Christians must actively seek to eliminate sin from their lives. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains how Christians can come alongside the Holy Spirit in His work of making them more like Jesus Christ.
“I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies but not the madness of people.”1
“Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy.”
“Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise Physician prescribes because we need them; and he proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us trust his skill and thank him for his prescription.”
“What we know is a drop, what we don’t know is an ocean.”
“Live your life as an Exclamation rather than an Explanation.”
“Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.”
“If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
“Plato is my friend, Aristotle is my friend, but my greatest friend is truth.”
“The more time and devotion one spends in the worship of false gods, the less he is able to spend in that of the True One.”
“Gravity may put the planets into motion, but without the divine Power, it could never put them into such a circulating motion as they have about the Sun; and therefore, for this as well as other reasons, I am compelled to ascribe the frame of this System to an intelligent Agent.”
“The wonderful arrangement and harmony of the cosmos would only originate in the plan of an almighty omniscient being. This is and remains my greatest comprehension.”
“Don’t doubt the Creator because it is inconceivable that accidents alone could be the controller of this universe.”
“I believe the more I study science, the more I believe in God.”
“To explain all nature is too difficult a task for any one man or even for any one age. ‘Tis much better to do a little with certainty & leave the rest for others that come after you.”
“We account the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatever.”
“No sciences are better attested than the religion of the Bible.”
“A Heavenly Master governs all the world as Sovereign of the universe. We are astonished at Him by reason of His perfection, we honor Him and fall down before Him because of His unlimited power. From blind physical necessity, which is always and everywhere the same, no variety adhering to time and place could evolve, and all variety of created objects which represent order and life in the universe could happen only by the willful reasoning of its original Creator, Whom I call the Lord God.”
1 All of the following quotes are from the websites below:
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne…He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. REVELATION 3:21, 22
The kind of Christianity that relies upon the influence of its own human and earthly power makes God sick, for the church of Jesus Christ is a heavenly institution. For myself, if I could not have the divine power of God, I would walk out and quit the whole religious business. The church that wants God’s power will have something to offer besides social clubs, knitting societies and all of the other side issues. If any church is to be a church of Christ, the living, organic member of that redeemed Body of which Christ is the Head, then its teachers and its members must strive earnestly and sacrificially with constant prayer to do a number of things. We must strive to make our beliefs and practices New Testament in their content. We must teach and believe New Testament truths, with nothing dragged in from the outside. We must keep our little field of God’s planting healthy, and there is only one way to do that: keep true to the Word of God! We must constantly go back to the grass roots and get the Word into the church. We must live to gear ourselves into things eternal and to live the life of heaven here upon the earth, empowered by the Spirit of God with that same power that came on the earliest believers. We must put loyalty to Christ first at any cost. Anything less than that really is not a Christian church!
Tozer, A. W., & Smith, G. B. (2015). Evenings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings (p. 47). Moody Publishers.
My soul! sit down this evening and contemplate the languishing state of Zion. Did ever the Church of Christ lie in more desolate circumstances than now? Amidst a great profession of zeal for religion, how little possession of the divine life is to be met with among men! And who is there that seriously lays it to heart? For whom doth a throne of grace witness, that they are holy mourners for Zion, and are earnestly wrestling, night and day, with the Lord, that he would visit Zion, and make his glory to appear? Where is the priest, the minister of the Lord, that is weeping between the porch and the altar, and saying, “Spare thy people, O Lord! and give not thine heritage to reproach?” (Joel 2:17.) And where are the people that seriously lay it to heart? My soul! what sayest thou of these things, personally considered? Dost thou really love Jesus? Surely, then, thou canst not be indifferent to his interests! Is not Zion the purchase of his blood? Are not her walls, in all her ruined state, constantly before him? Yea, is not her name engraven on the palms of his hands? And shall her name be on Jesus’s hands, and no concern for Zion in thy heart? Moreover, look and see, in the tribulations of the present day, are not God’s judgments abroad in the earth? And is not his jealousy for his Church the sole cause? And if the nations of the earth are under the frowns of thy God, canst thou rejoice in aught but the Church’s prosperity? Are thousands dying in sin, and shall not the children of God mourn? Where are the trophies of the Redeemer’s precious death and salvation? When shall Jesus see, agreeably to the promise, the travail of his soul, and be satisfied? Oh! for a portion of that holy zeal with which the Lord inspired the prophet, when he cried out, “Oh! that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” O holy Lord! give my soul from henceforth a more earnest concern for the prosperity of thy Zion! Oh! for grace to enter through the blood of Jesus, into the retirings of the Lord, and to plead with him, as the patriarch did, with an importunity not to be resisted, that he would turn the captivity of his people. Oh! take away the rebuke of thy chosen, and let it be no longer said of thine, who know Jesus, and have been made partakers of salvation by him: “There is none to guide her, among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons that she hath brought up.” (Isaiah 51:18.)
Hawker, R. (1845). The Poor Man’s Evening Portion (A New Edition, pp. 49–50). Thomas Wardle.
Come, my soul, think thou of this. Believing in Jesus, thou art actually and effectually cleared from guilt; thou art led out of thy prison. Thou art no more in fetters as a bond-slave; thou art delivered now from the bondage of the law; thou art freed from sin, and canst walk at large as a freeman, thy Saviour’s blood has procured thy full discharge. Thou hast a right now to approach thy Father’s throne. No flames of vengeance are there to scare thee now; no fiery sword; justice cannot smite the innocent. Thy disabilities are taken away: thou wast once unable to see thy Father’s face: thou canst see it now. Thou couldst not speak with him: but now thou hast access with boldness. Once there was a fear of hell upon thee; but thou hast no fear of it now, for how can there be punishment for the guiltless? He who believeth is not condemned, and cannot be punished. And more than all, the privileges thou mightst have enjoyed, if thou hadst never sinned, are thine now that thou art justified. All the blessings which thou wouldst have had if thou hadst kept the law, and more, are thine, because Christ has kept it for thee. All the love and the acceptance which perfect obedience could have obtained of God, belong to thee, because Christ was perfectly obedient on thy behalf, and hath imputed all his merits to thy account, that thou mightst be exceeding rich through him, who for thy sake became exceeding poor. Oh! how great the debt of love and gratitude thou owest to thy Saviour!
“A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear with thy righteousness on,
My person and offerings to bring:
The terrors of law and of God,
With me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour’s obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view.”
Spurgeon, C. H. (1896). Morning and evening: Daily readings. Passmore & Alabaster.
THE way in which the Lord supplied the needs of his people in the desert, suggests to us a meditation upon the divine care and faithfulness as to the temporal wants of his people. It is our privilege to depend upon the Lord for everything as much as Israel did in the wilderness. It is still true that our God will supply all our needs. Hencé our Lord Jesus has taught us to keep clear of all carking care and to walk by faith. Let us read his words in
MATTHEW 6:25–34
25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? (Do not fret and worry about such secondary things. God who gives us lives and bodies will give us food and clothing). 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? (Martin Luther was one day walking in the fields when in great straits, with his Bible in his hands, and reading the Sermon on the Mount, was much comforted by Matt. 6:26, “Behold the fowls of the air, they toil not neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them.” Just then a little bird was hopping from sprig to spray, with its sweet chirping note, seeming to say,
“Mortals, cease from toil and sorrow,
God provideth for the morrow.”
It then came to the ground to pick up a crumb, and rising merrily, again seemed to repeat its simple song—
“Mortals, cease from toil and sorrow,
God provideth for the morrow.”
This greatly comforted the Reformer’s heart.) 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? (All the thought in the world cannot lengthen our stature or our life.) 28, 29, 30 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (This is good reasoning: he who cares for poor fading lilies and robes them so sumptuously, will not let his own immortal sons go bare. Surely we can trust our own Father.) 31, 32 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (All anxious care is forbidden. We have a Father in heaven, shall we fret as if we had none? Doubt not till you have cause to doubt.) 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Never anticipate troubles, each day has its own, and enough of them; yes, and enough grace comes daily to bear us through them.)
LET us cheer our hearts by reading that délicious song of contentment,
PSALM 23
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
He leads me to the place
Where heavenly pasture grows,
Where living waters gently pass,
And full salvation flows.
If e’er I go astray,
He doth my soul reclaim;
And guides me in his own right way,
For his most holy name.
Spurgeon, C. H. (1964). The Interpreter: Spurgeon’s Devotional Bible (p. 88). Baker Book House.
Exodus 37:1 — Many people say the Bible is just a book written by humans, nothing special. Although humans were involved in the writing, it was really God accomplishing His will through the means of human skill and ingenuity. That’s special! Consider this: God directed a human being, Bezaleel (Exodus 31:2), to do His will (Exodus 31:6) as a man filled with the Spirit of God (Exodus 31:3). Bezaleel made for God and for His people an object (the Ark) out of earthly materials (Exodus 37:1) and was assisted by Aholiab, a skilled worker (Exodus 38:23).
Another human being several years later, Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:1), also received the Word of the LORD (Jeremiah 1:2) and was commanded by God to obey it (Jeremiah 2:2). Interestingly, Jeremiah made an object of great significance (the scroll) out of earthly materials (Jeremiah 36:2). He too had an assistant by the name of Baruch, a skilled writer (Jeremiah 36:4).
While God will not tell you to make a supernatural Ark or to write another book of the Bible, God may use your skill and earthly materials, if you will do His commands, to make a difference today.
When D.L. Moody was just starting in the ministry he heard a preacher say, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully surrendered to Him.” Moody that night said, “By God’s grace I’ll be that man!” It is said that Moody shook two continents for God, and over a million souls came to Christ under his preaching and ministry. Moody had little formal education, and he was not a polished speaker. But God greatly used his life.
Up from the grave He arose! With a mighty triumph o’er His foes! He arose the victor from the dark domain and He lives forever with His saints to reign! He Arose! He Arose! Hallelujah, Christ Arose!
Matthew 28:19-20 — It is not the Great Suggestion. It Is the Great Commission! May we make His last command our first concern!
Psalm 34:22 — ”None of them that trust in Him shall be desolate!”
I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Joshua 1:5)
This word to Joshua is often quoted; it is the basis of that New Testament word “He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Beloved, a life of warfare is before us, but the Lord of Hosts is with us. Are we called to lead a great but fickle people? This promise guarantees us all the wisdom and prudence that we shall need. Have we to contend with cunning and powerful enemies? Here is strength and valor, prowess and victory. Have we a vast heritage to win? By this sign we shall achieve our purpose; the Lord Himself is with us.
It would be woe to us indeed if Jehovah could fail us; but, as this can never be, the winds of disquietude are laid to sleep in the caverns of divine faithfulness. On no one occasion will the Lord desert us. Happen what may, He will be at our side. Friends drop from us, their help is but an April shower; but God is faithful, Jesus is the same forever, and the Holy Spirit abideth in us.
Come, my heart, be calm and hopeful today. Clouds may gather, but the Lord can blow them away. Since God will not fail me, my faith shall not fail; and as He will not forsake me, neither will I forsake Him. Oh, for a restful faith!
Anxiety. Everyone’s experienced it. Ask the child who gets bullied at school, the teenager who compares herself to others on social media, the college student preparing for exams, the young professional striving for a promotion, parents caring for an injured or sick child, and the elderly facing significant health issues. Anxiety is one of the top reasons people seek counsel. Books abound on the topic. And today it’s considered an epidemic, both in the United States and around the world. When you hear the word anxiety what do you think about? Specifically, what makes you anxious?
Anxiety is not new. In fact, the Bible addresses anxiety, which begins in the heart. In the Bible the heart includes our emotions, will, and mind. Since Jesus taught about anxiety in His famous Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7), let’s examine what He had to say about it with the aim to understand why we’re anxious and what we can do about it.
Jesus exhorts us to not be anxious, “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on” (Matt. 6:25). Jesus doesn’t want us to be anxious about the needs of daily living, such as food, clothing and shelter. Earlier in His sermon He had taught us to pray to the Father for such needs, “Give us this day our daily bread” (v. 10). By asking a question Jesus reminds us that life is about more than these bare necessities, “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” While Jesus doesn’t deny these are basic needs, He reminds us that to worry about such things robs us of the life He has for us. We cannot glorify God and enjoy our relationship with Him if we’re anxious about food and clothing. These concerns are meant to lead us to God in humble dependence upon His provision and care.
I wish I could say otherwise as a Christian, but if you’ve been faithful to Jesus for a while, you’ve probably discovered that following Jesus isn’t exactly a walk in the park. In fact, Jesus actually tells his followers that they will have trouble in this world (John 16:33), and the apostle Paul actually flatly states that if you want to follow Jesus, you will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). These words are not exactly ringing endorsements to become a Christian!
And yet, many Christians still have a hard time dealing with disappointments. Yes, we know that the Scriptures are full of stories of people in deep pain and anguish, but somehow, we still believe that God is only with us when our pockets are overflowing, our stomachs are full, and all seems right and good in the world.
But ignoring disappointments actually misses a significant part of what Christians believe and inevitably go through. In fact, we often minimize a significant teaching in the Scripture when we don’t expect disappointment.
The truth is that everyone — Christian or not — experiences both beauty and disappointment in life. You know, good days and bad days, sunshine and rain, bliss and bumps befall us all.
If anything, though, Christians should be the most equipped people to face disappointment.
Why? Because Christian belief explains why disappointment exists while also giving us the resources to cope with it: grief.
Two Kinds of Pain — and How We Are to Grieve Them
A mentor of mine often talks about two kinds of pain: dirty pain and clean pain.
‘Dirty’ Pain
Dirty pain is the ache you feel after you haven’t really made the best choices in your life and are now dealing with the consequences. You know, eating milkshakes and burritos at 11:00 pm and hoping to have a good night’s rest as a middle-aged man — that kind of pain (I might be speaking from experience). Dirty pain can be immediate, or it can be a slow burn — either way, we all experience it because the Scriptures teach a couple of truths related to it: 1) we are all sinners (Romans 3:23), and 2) we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7).
Dirty pain affects the entire world, including nature (e.g., pollution that harms the environment), culture (e.g., using technology for cruel ends like cyberbullying), and human relationships (e.g., when I say intentionally hurtful words to my wife when I’m upset). Much of our disappointment in life comes from dirty pain.
How to Grieve Dirty Pain
The way we “grieve” our dirty pain in the Scriptures is through confession and repentance. Confession and repentance require an admission of my guilt in the matter, which is no small feat. I grieve how I’ve contributed to the dirty pain, recognizing that I’m a sinner in need of forgiveness (Romans 3:23, Psalm 51:1-2, Matthew 6:9-15, Acts 2:38-39). Repentance entails turning in an opposite direction — owning my mistake but now aiming for a new trajectory toward God and a godly lifestyle.
Of course, confession and repentance are only possible if I humble myself (1 Peter 5:6, Colossians 3:12), getting off my own ego trip and recognizing my fallibility and culpability. Instead of blaming others for disappointments in life, I need to first own my own mistakes, admit my wrong to another (James 5:16), ask for forgiveness where appropriate, and attempt to chart a new path. The good news of confession and repentance is that God says that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:9) — a rather amazing offer considering how often we sin!
‘Clean’ Pain
And then there’s clean pain. Clean pain is the harm that comes to us when we have no reason why — we don’t deserve it, we don’t understand it, and it’s a mystery why we’re going through this hardship that we didn’t see coming. Clean pain is awfully disappointing because there seems to be no logic or explanation to it.
We simply turn to the fallenness of our world, the way our “flesh” (1 John 2:16), the “world” (Romans 12:2), and Satan (John 8:44) are realities that contribute to the brokenness of life. And we wonder why God would allow it all.
The book of Job is a story of visceral grief in the midst of hardship that God permits. In the end, there are no real answers, just the reality that God is God, we are not, and grief via clean pain has a way of humbling us and forming us like nothing else.
How to Grieve Clean Pain
If anything, that’s what clean pain does — it humbles us and invites us to vulnerable lament. Laments are replete throughout the Psalms (some scholars estimate 2/3s of the Psalms) — honest and bare sharing of people bringing their complaints to God.
Disappointment from clean pain is to elicit grief, a grieving that forms us into more humble, dependent, and resilient followers of God (James 1:2). Somehow, God uses our weakness and pain to mold us and shape us into the kinds of vessels that can continue to depend on Him (2 Corinthians 12:9) while being a people who can receive and give comfort to those who are suffering (2 Corinthians 1:3-7).
Indeed, grief does not solve our disappointment — but it helps absorb it to mold us into Christ-like people who share in Christ’s suffering.
And Yet, There’s Still Hope
And yet, there’s still hope. Yes, grieving is the Biblical antidote to disappointment — but thankfully, the Christian story does not end in a never-ending cosmic war between beauty and disappointment where we’re wondering who will be left standing after an exhausting contest between good and evil.
The Christian story ends with hope victorious — a living hope found in a resurrected Jesus (1 Peter 1:3)! We cling to this hope with all that we have.
Yes, we celebrate what is beautiful in life. And yes, we grieve what is disappointing. But we embrace both beauty and disappointment with an overarching hope in Jesus.
Jesus allows us to embrace disappointment without ever losing hope. Because even in death, which is the ultimate disappointment, we have a Savior who offers us a hope that the world cannot give, nor take away.
And so in the meantime, in this beautiful and disappointing life, we live with gratitude and grief, embracing it with hope and grace found in Jesus.
In his book Beautiful, Disappointing, Hopeful, Drew Hyun explains how the Christian faith provides a lens through which we can understand the beautiful and disappointing world we live in, while offering the kind of promising hope we long for.
Many people experience varying degrees of discomfort when flying. Prayer can connect you with the peace that only God can give—much more powerful than any anxiety you’re feeling.
Recent tragic plane crashes in the news have spiked anxiety about air travel. Even without such triggers, flight anxiety is a common struggle. The enclosed space, feeling out of control, and the potential for turbulence can all contribute to fear. If you find yourself grappling with these feelings, you aren’t alone. Many people experience varying degrees of discomfort when flying. Prayer can connect you with the peace that only God can give—much more powerful than any anxiety you’re feeling. Here are seven prayers for flight anxiety and related well-being practices you can do while you pray these powerful prayers.
1. A Prayer for Acknowledging Anxiety:
It’s important to acknowledge your anxiety to God without shame. God understands your feelings and wants to share your burden. Denying or suppressing the anxiety you feel will only make it stronger. Be honest and open with God about how you feel. It can be helpful to reflect on Psalm 34:4: “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
This verse reminds you that God pays close attention to your cries for help, and you can trust Him to deliver you from fear. That doesn’t necessarily mean God will remove the fear entirely, but God promises to be with you and give you the strength to face it. You can trust God to fight anxiety for you. While you pray this prayer, practice deep breathing: Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, hold for a count of four, and exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. Repeat several times.
Pray: “Lord, I confess that I’m afraid of flying. The recent news has made my anxiety worse, and I feel overwhelmed by fear. The thought of being so high in the air, enclosed in a metal tube, makes my heart race. I feel vulnerable and out of control. I know that fear is a natural human emotion, but I don’t want it to control me. So, I’m bringing this fear to you now, asking for your comfort and peace. Help me to notice your presence with me, even in the middle of my fear. Remind me that you are always with me, and that all I need to do is seek you to find you when I need you. Thank you, God. Amen.”
Facing your fears requires strength and courage. The Bible encourages you in 2 Timothy 1:7: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to overcome your anxiety. Whenever you catch yourself worrying about flying, pray for the Holy Spirit to remind you that God’s power is much greater than anything you’re worrying about and to give you the strength and courage you need to travel by air with confidence. Courage isn’t the absence of fear but the ability to act despite fear, empowered by God’s presence. Joshua 1:9 declares that you can be strong and courageous because God will always be with you: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Take your mind off your anxieties by doing something that reminds you of God’s presence with you, such as listening to worship music or reading one of your favorite Bible verses.
Pray: “God, I feel weak and vulnerable when I think about flying. I need your strength to face this fear. Please give me the courage to trust in you and to take each moment as it comes. Help me remember that you are always with me, wherever I am—including when flying on an airplane. Let my breathing remind me that you are constantly with me, giving me everything I need anywhere I go. Thank you, God. Amen.”
Remembering that God is in control can be a powerful antidote to flight anxiety. God is a loving Heavenly Father in ultimate control over everything and everyone, including the plane you are on, the weather, and the pilots. It’s all in God’s hands. This understanding can bring you a sense of calm in the middle of the chaos of your anxious thoughts. Isaiah 41:10 reassures you: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” This verse is a powerful reminder that God is not distant or uninvolved. He is actively present with us, strengthening and upholding us. While you pray this prayer, practice mindfulness. Focus on the present moment. Notice the feeling of the seat beneath you, the sounds of the cabin, and the temperature of the air. Acknowledge these sensations without judgment, returning your focus to the present whenever your mind wanders.
Pray: “God, I recognize that you are in loving control over all creation. You are the one who holds all things together. I know that you are with me, even in this airplane. Help me trust in your perfect plan, even when I feel anxious and uncertain. Remind me that you are in control and that nothing can separate me from your love. Help me to release my need to control the situation and rest peacefully in your perfect control. Thank you, God. Amen.”
While acknowledging that God is ultimately in control, praying for protection and safety during your flight is also natural. Praying for protection and safety is a powerful way to declare to God that you’re relying on His care and believe He will answer your prayers. Psalm 91:11 describes how God assigns holy angels to guard you in every situation: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” As you pray, visualize a safe and smooth flight with God’s angels accompanying you and everyone on board. Imagine the plane taking off and landing gently. Picture yourself feeling calm and peaceful.
Pray: “God, please protect me and keep me safe as I travel. Watch over the plane, the pilots, and all the passengers traveling with us. Please guide us all safely to our destination. I trust myself to your care with confidence that you will do what’s best. Thank you, God. Amen.”
5. A Prayer for Peace That Goes Beyond Understanding:
5. A Prayer for Peace That Goes Beyond Understanding:
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Anxiety often comes from a lack of peace. So, pray for the peace that only God can provide—God’s perfect peace that transcends your human understanding. God’s peace doesn’t depend on your circumstances but on God’s presence with you. That’s good news because God is always with you. You can notice God’s presence with you by intentionally reaching out to God for help, paying attention, and connecting with him.
Philippians 4:6-7 encourages you: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This Bible passage suggests that God’s peace acts as a guard, protecting your heart and mind from anxiety. Isaiah 26:3 says of God: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Focus your mind away from anxiety and toward God. You can use a well-being practice known as cognitive restructuring to challenge anxious thoughts when you notice them. For example, if you think: “This plane is going to crash,” counter that anxious thought with some positive facts, such as: “Air travel is statistically very safe. I am in God’s hands.”
Pray: “Lord, I ask for your peace so powerful it goes beyond my understanding. My mind races with worries and what-ifs, and I’m struggling to be calm. So, please quiet my anxious thoughts and fill me with your peace. Help me focus on you and your promises rather than my fears. Help me to breathe deeply and to feel your presence with me. Thank you, God. Amen.”
Practicing gratitude can shift your perspective away from anxiety and toward the blessings in your life. It can help to reframe your thinking and reduce the intensity of your anxiety. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds you to: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Even in difficult circumstances, practicing gratitude can help you develop a more positive and peaceful mindset about flying and anything else that makes you anxious. Take a few minutes to journal about blessings you’re grateful for, from your family and friends to your health and opportunities. Then, consider how the opportunity to experience other parts of the world through travel is a tremendous blessing.
Pray: “God, in the middle of my anxiety, I want to thank you for your goodness and your faithfulness. Thank you for the opportunity to travel and for constantly pouring all sorts of blessings into my life. Please give your perspective on what matters most, even in situations where I’m afraid. I appreciate how you’ve kept me safe on past trips. I trust you to continue to keep me safe as I enjoy the adventure of traveling. Thank you, God. Amen.”
Some people deny the wrath and justice of God by announcing, “My God is a God of love.” Today, R.C. Sproul explains the words of 1 John 4:8—“God is love”—and shows what this statement actually teaches about the character of our Creator.
DOJ Ordered to Turn Over Fani Willis Files In another legal victory for Judicial Watch, a federal court has ordered the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to furnish all available files they have on any communications between now-former Special Counsel Jack Smith and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis pertaining to the prosecution of President Donald Trump.
Religious Israelis More Opposed to Palestinian State, Favor Annexation Religious Israeli Jews are far more likely to reject Palestinian statehood and support full Israeli annexation of the West Bank and Gaza, according to an exclusive Jerusalem Post poll conducted by Menachem Lazar and Panel4All. The survey, carried out on February 10-11, reveals significant differences in political and security perspectives based on religious affiliation.
Trump says he and Putin have agreed to start ‘negotiations’ to end Ukraine war Donald Trump discussed the war in Ukraine on Wednesday in phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the new US president’s first big step towards diplomacy over a war he has promised to end.
Tulsi Gabbard confirmed as director of national intelligence The U.S. Senate voted 52-48 today to confirm former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii to serve as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined with the Democrats to vote against Gabbard in the final vote.
Israelis warned against participating in anti-settler documentary by Louis Theroux The Israeli Sovereignty Movement warned Israelis not to participate in or speak with Louis Theroux for his upcoming documentary, which is likely to put settlers in a negative light. Documentary film presenter Louis Theroux will return to Judea and Samaria for a show on the BBC called “The Settlers.”
UCLA faculty group denounces school’s ‘ongoing silence’ amid rampant campus antisemitism A Jewish faculty group at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is sounding the alarm about antisemitism on the campus, issuing an open letter calling attention to a slew of indignities to which they are subjected. The primary agent of anti-Jewish hatred named by the Jewish Faculty Resilience Group (JFrg) is the Task Force on Anti-Palestinian, Anti-Arab, and Anti-Muslim Racism (AAAR),
Explosion in a bar in Grenoble According to eyewitnesses, a grenade was thrown into the bar in the Olympic Village in the alpine town, reports French media. Two of the victims have, according to authorities, severe injuries. The university hospital has raised its alert level to receive the injured.
State Department: Rubio’s Israel visit to center on Phase II of hostage deal “Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Munich on February 13 to participate in the Munich Security Conference, where he will discuss a range of US priorities with international partners. While in Munich, Secretary Rubio will also participate in the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. He will then travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates from February 15-18,”
Israel considers striking Iranian nuclear sites An American intelligence assessment determined that Israel may be considering strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities this year, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night. The assessment, conducted during the final days of the Biden administration, concluded that Israel has been considering large-scale strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, with the aim of exploiting Iran’s weaknesses.
Trump orders revamp of US diplomatic corps to ensure they follow his agenda The order, which follows upheaval at the US Agency for International Development, comes as Trump institutes changes to ensure US foreign policy is aligned with his “America First” agenda. He has also repeatedly pledged to “clean out the deep state” by firing bureaucrats that he deems disloyal. The order also says failure to implement the president’s agenda is grounds for professional discipline, which may result in the termination of personnel.
American Jews Believe Republicans Handling Antisemitism Better Than Democrats, 39 percent indicated support for how the Democratic Party “is responding to antisemitism in the United States.” In comparison, 59 percent responded that they were “dissatisfied” with how the Democrats are handling the problem. Meanwhile, the Republican Party performed better among Jewish American respondents, with 45 percent indicating “approval” and 54 percent indicating “disapproval” with how the GOP has handled antisemitism
White House spokesperson: Trump won’t waiver from Gaza relocation plan Speaking to reporters, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that while King Abdullah opposes the relocation, Trump remains committed to moving Palestinian Arabs out of Gaza and into neighboring countries, including Jordan.
Cabinet Officials: ‘USA will allow Israel to remain in Lebanon’ according to senior officials, the Israeli and American teams discussed the matter before and during the meeting last week between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump. Preliminary understandings were reached, and further work is expected to close the details. The senior officials noted that the IDF presence in parts of southern Lebanon was necessary to ensure the security of the residents of the north, and that the United States understood this.
Russian Red Sea base deal still on the table, Sudanese FM says An agreement signed years ago for the creation of a Russian naval base in Sudan remains on the table following talks in Moscow, Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Yusef Sharif said in an interview with Russia Today on Wednesday. Such a deal has been discussed for years since an agreement was signed under former President Omar Al-Bashir. The army generals who overthrew him in 2019 said later the plan was under review, and a base has never materialized. “In our meeting we did not negotiate the deal … there was a deal signed and there is no disagreement,” he said, saying that as before all that remains is the issue of ratification.
US tells UN: We cannot pay forever for Syria camps with ISIS-linked prisoners US assistance for managing and securing camps in northeastern Syria with ISIS-linked prisoners “cannot last forever,” the acting US Ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, told the Security Council on Wednesday. “We accordingly continue to urge countries to expeditiously repatriate their displaced and detained nationals who remain in the region,” she said. Packed with families linked to ISIS after the extremist group’s defeat in Syria in 2019, the al-Hol camp has a population of around 40,000.
CDC Data Shows That Each Dose INCREASED Mortality by 7% The CDC All-Cause Mortality data (using CDC Wonder) leads to the conclusion that each vaccine dose INCREASED MORTALITY by 7% in the year 2022 compared to the mortality in year 2021. Dr. McCullough names Anthony Fauci, Francis Collins, Jeremy Farrar (now the chief scientist at the WHO), Peter Daszak at the EcoHealth Alliance and others —they all conspired to cover up what they knew in Jan. 2020.
Disney removes two pro-LGBT initiatives from latest SEC filing The corporate trend away from “woke” activism may be claiming its biggest scalp yet, according to entertainment giant Disney’s removal of two diversity initiatives from its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings.
Study of 2.3 Million: Covid ‘Vaccines’ Destroy Immune System A major new study involving over 2.3 million patients has confirmed that Covid mRNA “vaccines” destroy the human immune system by attacking thyroid function. The group of leading researchers behind the study is sounding the alarm with an urgent warning about the long-term effects of Covid mRNA injections on thyroid health.
Meet The Shadowy Group That Intends To Use Boycotts To Hurt The U.S. Economy And Make President Trump Look Bad You have got to be pretty sick to want to damage the U.S. economy just so that you can make President Trump look bad. Whether you agree with President Trump’s policies or not, we should all want things to start moving in a positive direction. For the past several years, economic conditions have steadily deteriorated, and now we are at a real crisis point. It is literally going to take a miracle to turn our economic momentum around, and there are those that want to make this task even more difficult by purposely sabotaging the system.
Pursuing A Godless One-World System: The Agenda Behind Globalism Is Far From Innocent Humanly speaking, man has always tried to achieve true and lasting peace and prosperity. Those are the goals that have long been touted by leaders, politicians, and governments. Mankind has also searched for relief from pain. But these pursuits have always been in vain and will continue to be. Yet they explain why there are people who are always looking for ways to make peace and prosperity happen. They set up programs and organizations in the hopes of reaching those goals. They want war and poverty and inequality to go away, but no matter what mankind tries to do, it fails. Satan has convinced people that if they only try harder, they will succeed. If only they can get everyone on board with the agenda, they can make things happen.
Netanyahu: Ceasefire ends unless hostages are freed on Saturday Unless Hamas returns Israeli hostages by noon on Saturday, Feb. 15, the ceasefire will expire and the Israel Defense Forces will resume fighting until it defeats Hamas totally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday.
“The Constitution on which our Union rests, shall be administered by me [as President] according to the safe and honest meaning contemplated by the plain understanding of the people of the United States at the time of its adoption – a meaning to be found in the explanations of those who advocated, not those who opposed it, and who opposed it merely lest the construction should be applied which they denounced as possible.” —Thomas Jefferson (1801)
Douglas Andrews, Thomas Gallatin, & Jordan Candler
Trump talks peace with Putin and Zelensky: “They’re dying, Russians and Ukrainians,” Donald Trump said during a 2023 town hall. “I want them to stop dying.” Trump then promised to end the war “in 24 hours” if elected, but it was never going to be that easy. Still, the president is pushing hard, and yesterday we got wind of a possible breakthrough. Trump explained that he’d spoken with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, and the result is a high-stakes summit tomorrow in Munich, Germany. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will lead the American delegation in the wake of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement yesterday that Ukraine wouldn’t be granted NATO membership and would likely need to cede Crimea and the Donbas as part of a peace deal. “It is time to stop this ridiculous War,” said Trump. “God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine!”
Gabbard confirmed: Yesterday, the Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. One Republican, Mitch McConnell, voted against Gabbard, arguing that she has “a history of alarming lapses in judgment.” The former Senate GOP leader specifically objected to Gabbard’s past support for and refusal to condemn Edward Snowden as a traitor for stealing and indiscriminately disseminating top secret documents. Despite McConnell’s objection, Gabbard successfully won over the rest of the Republicans. Senate Majority Leader John Thune supports her “plans to focus on identifying and eliminating redundancies and inefficiencies to restore the office to what it was originally designed to be.” What likely proved to alleviate GOP concerns was her commitment to support FISA Section 702, which allows for government surveillance of foreign nationals living outside the U.S. without needing a warrant.
Hamas blinks, says it will hold to original deal: Hamas has announced that it will release three more Israeli hostages this Saturday in accordance with the original negotiated ceasefire. This sudden change comes after Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Hamas an ultimatum to return all hostages by Saturday or face an immediate renewed offensive. Hamas had ended its return of hostages last week, dubiously claiming that Israel had violated the ceasefire agreement. Egyptian and Qatari mediators are taking credit for convincing Hamas to return to the original deal, which took effect on January 15. There is no word yet as to whether the Israelis will accept this or are holding to the full hostage release ultimatum.
Buyout closed, layoffs begin: Donald Trump’s federal worker buyout offer that a federal judge temporarily halted has now been unpaused. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole ruled in the White House’s favor, concluding that labor unions who challenged the offer “are not directly impacted by the directive.” Following yesterday’s decision, a spokesman for the Office of Personnel Management stated, “As of 7:00 PM tonight, the program is now closed.” Roughly 75,000 federal employees took the buyout offer, which gives them eight months of continued salary and benefits. Meanwhile, an email from OPM stated that widespread layoffs of government workers, or “reduction in force,” will continue.
AG Bondi charges NY “sanctuary” officials: Attorney General Pam Bondi yesterday announced lawsuits against New York Governor Kathy Hochul, AG Letitia James, and DMV Commissioner Mark Schroeder, whose sanctuary policies have fueled our nation’s illegal immigration catastrophe. “New York has chosen to prioritize illegal aliens over American citizens,” Bondi said. “It stops. It stops today.” Is New York free to do what it wants on immigration? Constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley says the state’s so-called “tip-off” provision, by which it warns suspected illegals if they learn that the federal government is planning to apprehend them, is especially dubious. Echoing the actual complaint, he says, “That’s more than refusing to cooperate. That’s actually frustrating federal enforcement.” According to the complaint: “A State’s freedom to stand aside is not a freedom to stand in the way. And where inaction crosses into obstruction, a State breaks the law.”
Dems dismiss USAID waste: In the face of revelations uncovered by DOGE of widespread corruption and the misuse of American taxpayers’ dollars by USAID to push a radical leftist agenda, Democrat lawmakers have elected to play the ostrich by sticking their collective heads in the sand. “I’d like to see the evidence,” huffed Senator Elizabeth Warren in response to $75 million that USAID spent pushing DEI overseas. Representative Hank Johnson accused DOGE of peddling “mis- and disinformation” while asserting that even if true, it didn’t matter because “the value of the expenditures outweighs by far any mistakes that may have been made in terms of individual line items.” Representative Jan Schakowsky echoed Johnson, saying, “I don’t know that I would defend all of the programs or not, but overall, this has just been a fantastic thing that the United States does, and I support it.”
A trillion dollars in COVID fraud? Democrat lawmakers are fighting furiously against Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, but it’s hard to sympathize with them when one considers the abominable waste of taxpayers’ money by our federal government. Exhibit A could well be the astounding levels of criminal theft of government benefit funds during the COVID pandemic. “Outdated government systems permit criminals to access unlimited sums of money,” said Haywood Talcove, CEO of Lexis Nexis Risk Solution and a witness at a House DOGE subcommittee hearing yesterday. “During the pandemic, they stole $1 trillion dollars. Seventy percent of those dollars went overseas. Shockingly, it’s just not criminals exploiting the system, it’s the flawed system itself acting as the accomplice.” Talcove added that our federal government “will continue to lead the world in funding cyber criminals” if it doesn’t get its act together.
American pirates to fight the cartels? Utah Senator Mike Lee recently burnished his reputation as a Constitution nerd by dusting off that document’s Article I, Section 8, Clause 11, which talks about “grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal.” These, he says, allow Congress “to designate a particular enemy or a problem zone to authorize what are called privateers — essentially pirates operating with the permission of the United States government.” What might be the purpose of such language? Think about the asymmetric threat posed by non-state entities like the Mexican drug cartels that traffic in deadly fentanyl, or the Houthi pirates who plague the vital shipping lane of the Red Sea. Now imagine retired special operators and other rough dudes being able “to go out and attack and undermine those entities to retrieve spoils [and] keep a cut of the value of the loot they recover.” We’d bet Erik Prince could find a few volunteers.
Headlines
RFK Jr. confirmed by the Senate to be secretary of health and human services (Daily Caller)
Kash Patel’s nomination to lead FBI clears first major Senate hurdle (Fox News)
House GOP finally unveils budget plan for Trump’s agenda with space for at least $4.5 trillion in tax cuts (NY Post)
Wait until you see how the federal government stores retirement files (Townhall)
Is there any more tired, more hackneyed, more melodramatic phrase than the so-called “constitutional crisis” canard that the Democrats and their Leftmedia lickspittles keep trotting out? If you’ve been away for a spell, here’s a sampling.
Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called all this coordinated fearmongering “an extremely dishonest narrative,” but, to be fair, the Democrats do this every time they’re on the defensive, every time Donald Trump runs roughshod over them. In a way, this “constitutional crisis” is the Left’s new Russia, Russia, Russia. It’s all they seem to be able to talk about.
“If you keep yelling, people are going to stop paying attention,” said Pennsylvania Democrat Senator John Fetterman, who has by default become his party’s lone conduit to political reality. “Democrats have already used the most severe kinds of language and condemnation. It’s going to lose its value, and no one’s going to pay attention to it.” Welp, at least The Hoodie gets it.
“I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly since Watergate,” said Senator Chris Murphy, who clearly didn’t get the Fetterman memo. “The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes. The president wants to be able to decide how and where money is spent so that he can reward his political friends, he can punish his political enemies.”
There’s zero evidence to back up any of Murphy’s hysteria, but the Democrats have never allowed the truth to get in the way of a good narrative. Think of the Charlottesville lie, for example, or the “suckers and losers” lie, or the COVID “bleach” lie. But beyond that, we seem to remember Barack Obama once saying that he had “a pen and a phone,” and that he could use them to give amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens. More recently, there was Joe Biden buying votes by forgiving loans: “The Supreme Court tried to block me from relieving student loan debt. But they didn’t stop me. I’ve relieved student debt for over five million Americans. I’m going to keep going.”
Where were Chris Murphy and his concerned colleagues during these moments of constitutional crisis? Anyone? Where were they when Biden was gaffing off a ruling not from some cherry-picked partisan hack but the United States Supreme Court? Bueller? Bueller?
In any case, the Democrats are now judge-shopping to slap injunctions on the president’s every move. As Axios gleefully reports, every single one of Trump’s most consequential executive orders is now the subject of multiple lawsuits. As of Tuesday, Trump’s federal workforce EO had drawn 18 separate lawsuits, and his immigration EO had drawn 17, while his actions on birthright citizenship, “transgender” rights, DOGE’s access to financial records, and the reinstatement of the Schedule F “firing” clause had all drawn multiple lawsuits.
What we now have, then, is both Article I and Article III going after Article II. Less than a month into his term, Trump is being constitutionally sandwiched, and his agenda is being thwarted by what Thomas Jefferson presciently warned might be “a despotic branch.” But are these mid-level judicial stewards of the status quo correct? Is Trump really running afoul of the Constitution by enlisting the help of Elon Musk to improve government efficiency?
Vice President JD Vance — who went to the same law school, Yale, as Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh — doesn’t think so. In fact, all this came to a head when he weighed in with some commonsense wisdom about the separation of powers: “Judges,” he said, “aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
Former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy agrees with Vance, calling this a usurpation. “But you didn’t need the vice president to tell you that,” he says. “The Court occasionally tells you that. During the Biden years, a number of red states sued to attempt to make Biden enforce immigration law, in part by reinstating [Trump’s] ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy. But a court has no power to force a foreign country to agree to something, let alone to direct the president to negotiate such an agreement.”
McCarthy continues: “In theory, the judiciary is the least powerful branch because it has only judgment, not the purse or the sword,” adding that in a constitutional republic, “most federal decisions are supposed to be made by politically accountable officials — members of Congress and the president.”
This isn’t a slam-dunk, though — far from it. Alan Charles Raul, who served as associate White House counsel under Ronald Reagan and OMB general counsel under Reagan and George H.W. Bush, penned an op-ed in The Washington Post that sees things entirely differently. If I were to put myself in Chief Justice John Roberts’s black robe, I’d probably be most persuaded by this part of Raul’s argument:
The radical reorganization now underway is not just foot-faulting over procedural lines; it is shattering the fundamental checks and balances of our constitutional order. The DOGE process, if that is what it is, mocks two basic tenets of our government: that we are a nation of laws, not men, and that it is Congress which controls spending and passes legislation. The president must faithfully execute Congress’s laws and manage the executive agencies consistent with the Constitution and lawmakers’ appropriations — not by any divine right or absolute power.
To Raul’s last point about the executive branch being the enforcement arm of the legislative branch, well, yeah. But an American president must also be able to exercise discretion over the branch he runs — or so it would seem.
Have you heard of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974? Neither had I until earlier this week, when I noted it in a piece about President Trump’s energetic OMB director, Russell Vought. Essentially, the law says that a president can’t spend less money than that which Congress has appropriated. Think about it: Even if an administration finds a way to deliver services at a lower cost, it has to spend every last dime of the taxpayers’ money. Richard Nixon signed the ICA into law a month before resigning the presidency. I have no idea what he was thinking, but it’s hard to imagine a nastier impediment to presidential discretion and government efficiency.
Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee would seem to agree. On Tuesday, he once again introduced legislation to repeal the ICA, calling it “a Watergate-era relic of misguided overreach.” As Lee explains: “For nearly two centuries, presidents exercised the authority to impound funds as a critical check on runaway spending. The ICA’s unconstitutional limitations on this power have contributed to a fiscal crisis. Repealing this law will restore the balance of power envisioned by our Constitution and empower the President to reject wasteful, unnecessary spending by administrations that voters resoundingly rejected.”
Lee and Vought are surely likeminded about this. It’ll be interesting to see what happens to Lee’s bill, and likewise to any action the OMB director might take to short-circuit or circumvent the ICA.
As it stands, though, Donald Trump is in a fix. Asked Tuesday about the latest ruling from an obstructionist judge, he said, “I always abide by the courts, and then I’ll have to appeal it. But … he’s slowed down momentum. And it gives crooked people more time to cover up the books.”
Thus, a handful of left-wing, lower-level judicial appointees can continue to hold the Trump agenda — and the 74 million American citizens who voted for it — hostage. It’s not all gloom and doom, though. Yesterday, a sensible judge lifted a lower court’s freeze on Trump’s federal employee buyout plan, which gives the go-ahead to 75,000 staffers who’ve agreed to the deal.
Is this a constitutional crisis? No — not yet anyway. As commentator Dave Rubin put it, “The Constitution is doing just fine, it’s the Democrats who are in crisis.”
Still, the Supreme Court had better keep its docket clear. The Democrats have shown us their game plan for the next four years, and we don’t expect Donald Trump and Elon Musk to just shrug their shoulders and move along.
Thomas Gallatin: DOGE Digs Into FEMA — Trump’s audit machine shines the light on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s dubious spending.
Emmy Griffin: Trump Champions Christian Rights — The new Oval Office occupant has established a task force to weed out anti-Christian bias to go along with a Faith Office in the White House.
Patrick Hampton: Can America Forgive Pastor Steve Caudle? — This is another case of how the mass media can manipulate narratives to pit different factions against each other.
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Latest PodcastPopCon #83: Tucker Carlson vs. Piers MorganTucker Carlson and Piers Morgan have gone head-to-head in a debate, covering issues like the war in Ukraine to government censorship to woke culture and everything in between. Join Thomas and Sterling as they recount the debate and weigh the problem with Carlson and his increasingly conspiratorial tendencies.
BEST OF VIDEOS
Republicans Are Very Happy — The Wall Street Journal seems shocked and horrified that Donald Trump supporters aren’t aware of the fact that Trump is in the process of dismantling the federal government.
‘Constitutional Crisis’ — Democrats accuse Donald Trump of unconstitutional actions for wielding his authority over the executive branch, while federal judges steal executive power.
No More Transing the Military — President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth announce an end to gender dysphoria capitulation in the military.
“I’ll speak on behalf of my colleagues. I think I can say we are all willing to work with anyone who’s serious about doing the work of censoring the American people.” —Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley
Keen Sense of the Obvious
“Voters Were Right About the Economy. The Data Was Wrong.” —Politico Magazine headline
Dumb & Dumber
“Americans woke up this morning to bad news for their bank accounts. They woke up to a grim reality that Donald Trump is not going to keep his promise to lower costs. Americans woke up to an era of Trumpflation, and unfortunately, this is only the beginning on DOGE.” —Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer
“As we all know, [Trump] campaigned on a platform to cut back large parts of the government. But nothing, nothing in the Constitution, nothing in our grand tradition of American separation of powers allows Donald Trump to break the law in order to achieve those goals.” —Chuck Schumer
Belly Laugh of the Day
“The CFPB is one of the American people’s best defenses against waste, fraud, and abuse. Demolishing it will, of course, lead to more waste, fraud, and abuse.” —former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
For the Record
“I know some liberal lawmakers go, ‘Oh, well we didn’t vote for Elon Musk.’ Yo, none of us voted to let USAID waste our taxpayer dollars by exporting dopey woke initiatives around the globe.” —Jimmy Failla
“Donald Trump gave America plenty of advance notice that he intended to put Musk in a role looking for ways to cut federal spending. … So, no, Americans did not elect Elon Musk, but they did elect the guy who clearly laid out that he was going to assign this task to Musk.” —Jim Geraghty
“It’s interesting how leftist politicians assert that democracy is under threat if leftist politics and policies aren’t being promoted over and against conservative or contrarian voices.” —Thomas Gallatin
Upright
“The United States faces consequential threats to our homeland. We must — and we are — focusing on securing our own borders. We also face a peer competitor in China with the capability and intent to threaten our homeland and core national interests in the Indo-Pacific. … As the United States shifts its attention to these threats, European allies must lead from the front.” —Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
“We want a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. But we must start by recognizing that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.” —Pete Hegseth
Up Next
“The next necessary step is to restore athletic records to women who have for years been devalued, ignored, and forced to watch men steal their accolades.” —Department of Education deputy general counsel Candice Jackson
And Last…
“The Constitution is doing just fine, it’s the Democrats who are in crisis.” —Dave Rubin
The White House sent letters to multiple Biden-appointed holdover U.S. attorneys informing them of their termination, sources familiar with the matter confirm to ABC News.
The emails were sent on Wednesday by the deputy director of the White House’s office of presidential personnel, Sergio Gor, and informed the U.S. attorneys they were ousted “effective immediately.”
According to Reuters, the email reads as follows: “At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as U.S. Attorney is terminated, effective immediately.”
What makes this move unique is that the orders for termination come directly from the White House rather than from the Attorney General. During the last Trump administration, then-AG Jeff Sessions asked Obama-appointed U.S. Attorneys to resign.
One of the terminations hit a career prosecutor who was court-appointed as the U.S. Attorney according to NBC News’s Ryan Reilly.
It’s unclear how many U.S. attorneys have been fired so far. Some Biden-appointed US attorneys had already voluntarily resigned starting in December and January as Bloomberg law notes.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek Barron also sent out an office-wide farewell email, which was seen by Reuters shortly after the terminations were announced:
“As many of you may know by now, my time with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland has come to an end,” Barron wrote. “It has been an honor to lead such a talented and dedicated team.”
By removing most of these remaining Biden appointees, Trump is now closer to having a DOJ that will put the American people first and focus on the issues that matter, such as removing illegal aliens.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The reign of terror perpetrated by the Trump administration looked to continue this week, with Democrats and Republicans alike going into panic as President Donald Trump looked to bring the world to the brink of peace.
Just over three weeks into his term, Trump reported that he had spoken to both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to initiate negotiations and finally bring much-needed peace to the region, causing American politicians to sound the alarm.
“Our world is dangerously close to descending into all-out peace,” warned Senator Chuck Schumer. “These measured and recklessly diplomatic moves by the Trump administration have brought us closer than we’ve ever been to a complete lack of large-scale bloodshed and amicable relations among all countries around the world. I’ve been unable to sleep at night due to the looming threat of peace.”
Politicians across the aisle agreed that Trump’s efforts have created an existential threat to the prospects of a world war. “We tried to warn the American people that this would happen,” said Senator Lindsey Graham. “All of Trump’s talk during his campaign about bringing an end to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East weren’t just empty posturing. He’s serious. He may actually get Putin and Zelenskyy to sign a peace agreement. My colleagues and I shudder to think what might result from that, and we’re looking for ways to stop it.”
At publishing time, Democrats and Republicans were reportedly in an emergency closed-door meeting to fast-track World War 3 before Trump could usher in a new era of peace and prosperity around the world.
Meet Devyn. The 16-year-old Chick-fil-A worker who has replaced the entire government.
Today’s 20-min top headline news brief includes:
[1:53] Hostage Marc Fogel is home after a harrowing ordeal in Russia. [Newsmax Breaking]
[4:12] Is Jimmy Wilgus next? [The Record]
[7:41] At the White House, King Abdullah says Jordan will take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza, and Israel follows President Trump’s lead. [Newsmax Breaking]
[9:22] Trump’s Strength on Full Display. [Rob Schmitt Tonight]
[15:08] “Elon Musk is exposing government secrets, going after workers, and stealing taxpayer money.” Why is Musk stealing taxpayer money? [Greg Kelly Reports]
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