Signs of a large split between liberal and conservative

Democrat voters support harsh measures for those who refuse the jab

Rasmussen Reports tells us of a recent poll where Democrat voters favored a number of harsh measures against those who refused the COVID vaccination.

While many voters have become skeptical toward the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of Democrats embrace restrictive policies, including punitive measures against those who haven’t gotten the COVID-19 vaccine.

A new Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 48% of voters favor President Joe Biden’s plan to impose a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on the employees of large companies and government agencies. That includes 33% who Strongly Favor the mandate. Forty-eight percent (48%) are opposed to Biden’s vaccine mandate, including 40% who Strongly Oppose the mandate. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Voters are similarly divided over the federal government’s top COVID-19 expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Forty-five percent (45%) view Fauci favorably, including 28% who have a Very Favorable impression of him. Forty-eight percent (48%) have an unfavorable impression of Fauci, including 34% who have a Very Unfavorable view of him.

The even split among voters is the result of deep partisan divisions. While 78% of Democratic voters support the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate plan, only 22% of Republicans and 41% of voters not affiliated with either major party support the vaccine mandate. And many Democrats would support even harsher measures, including fines for Americans who won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine and criminal punishment for vaccine critics.

“After two excruciatingly long years, likely voters are beginning to question the federal government’s handling of the pandemic,” said Chris Talgo, senior editor and research fellow at The Heartland Institute, which commissioned this poll. “First and foremost, likely voters are beginning to sour on Dr. Anthony Fauci, who seems to have lost credibility after countless flip-flops.”

Talgo continued: “Moreover, almost half of likely voters oppose President Biden’s vaccine mandates, which seem less about stopping the spread of COVID-19 and more about increasing the power of the federal government. When asked about several other potential strategies, such as fining those who refuse to get vaccinated, the consensus among likely voters is that the federal government should do less, not more.”

(continued)

The survey found that 75% of likely Democratic voters – but only 21% of Republicans and 38% of unaffiliated voters – have a favorable opinion of Dr. Fauci. Among other findings of the survey:

• Fifty-eight percent (58%) of voters would oppose a proposal for federal or state governments to fine Americans who choose not to get a COVID-19 vaccine. However, 55% of Democratic voters would support such a proposal, compared to just 19% of Republicans and 25% of unaffiliated voters.
• Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Democratic voters would favor a government policy requiring that citizens remain confined to their homes at all times, except for emergencies, if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Such a proposal is opposed by 61% of all likely voters, including 79% of Republicans and 71% of unaffiliated voters.
• Nearly half (48%) of Democratic voters think federal and state governments should be able to fine or imprison individuals who publicly question the efficacy of the existing COVID-19 vaccines on social media, television, radio, or in online or digital publications. Only 27% of all voters – including just 14% of Republicans and 18% of unaffiliated voters – favor criminal punishment of vaccine critics.
• Forty-five percent (45%) of Democrats would favor governments requiring citizens to temporarily live in designated facilities or locations if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Such a policy would be opposed by a strong majority (71%) of all voters, with 78% of Republicans and 64% of unaffiliated voters saying they would Strongly Oppose putting the unvaccinated in “designated facilities.”
• While about two-thirds (66%) of likely voters would be against governments using digital devices to track unvaccinated people to ensure that they are quarantined or socially distancing from others, 47% of Democrats favor a government tracking program for those who won’t get the COVID-19 vaccine.

(Read the entire poll summary at Rasmussen Reports)

They called Trump a dictator, but want house arrest, fines, imprisonment, gulags, and tracking devices to control a virus that has a survival rate between 99.9973% and 99.41%

For a disease that only kills between 0.0027% and 0.59% of the population, Democrats want to permanently lock down the world.

Maybe it is time to dissolve the union and let them have their own socialist nation.

…

Biden’s Selective Service may be collecting data on those who ask for exemptions from the jab

An anonymous source within the government has indicated that Biden has directed his Selective Service to track everyone who asked for a medical or religious exemption from the COVID vaccination.

I will not call this a bona fide report or a verifiable story; however, the main stream press has been known to spike (hide) stories that look bad for Democrats (and this looks very bad for a Democrat that has redefined “digging his way to China.”)

Still, now that he has had his COVID mandate struck down by the Supreme Court, why would he do this?

1/2 Bombshell from my sources “The Biden Admin used 2 executive orders to task the Selective Service System to coll… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Adam Housley (@adamhousley) January 14, 2022

…

Admittedly, this divide goes back some years

A comprehensive poll on patriotism in 2017 showed that 65% of conservatives were “proud to be American,” while just 37% of liberals agreed

The Washington Examiner reported in a 2017 commentary how a poll showed the split between liberals and conservatives.

The nation is deeply divided over patriotism, what it means to be an “American,” and even what businesses are pro-U.S., according to a new national survey.

The comprehensive poll released Friday found the biggest split yet between liberals and conservatives over how they view the U.S. — and even if they want to stay in America. For example, nearly 20 percent of liberals want to live in another country, while only 5 percent of conservatives agree.

How political opposites associate patriotism, from the Ear to the Ground Listening Project poll.

And 65 percent of conservatives said that they are “proud to be Americans,” but just 37 percent of liberals agree.

The country, said poll sponsor Anne Sorock, executive director, Ear to the Ground Listening Project, “is fractured.”

The survey and report, titled The Tale of Two Patriotisms, found that most feel patriotism is in decline in America, though far more conservative than liberals agreed.

And the political opposites couldn’t agree on what groups or businesses are patriotic. For example, liberals cited the Democratic Party, the NFL and Planned Parenthood as patriots. Conservatives cited the NRA, Hobby Lobby and Chick-Fil-A.

(Read more at the Washington Examiner)

…

Likewise, the partisan divide in media trust widened in 2021

Pew Research reported on a 2021 poll that showed a partisan divide in media trust driven by a decline of trust in the press among Republicans.

In just five years, the percentage of Republicans with at least some trust in national news organizations has been cut in half – dropping from 70% in 2016 to 35% this year. This decline is fueling the continued widening of the partisan gap in trust of the media.

Nearly eight-in-ten Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (78%) say they have “a lot” or “some” trust in the information that comes from national news organizations – 43 percentage points higher than Republicans and Republican leaners (35%) – according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted June 14-27, 2021. This partisan gap is the largest of any time that this question has been asked since 2016. And it grows even wider – to 53 points – between liberal Democrats (83%) and conservative Republicans (30%).

The 35% of Republicans who have at least some trust in national news organizations in 2021 is half that of in 2016 (70%) – and has dropped 14 points since late 2019 (49%). By comparison, Democrats have remained far more consistent in the past five years, ranging somewhere between 78% and 86%.

(Read more at Pew Research)

Additionally, British market tracker Press Gazette notes that 67% of respondents do not trust the main stream media

As noted at their monthly assessment of the British press and press overall, the Press Gazette noted the results of a recent Edelman survey.

A majority of people  around the world are concerned that they are being lied to by journalists, according to the latest trust survey from PR firm Edelman.

Two-thirds (67%) of people globally said that they believe that journalists and reporters purposely try to mislead people by saying things they know are false or grossly exaggerated  –  an increase of eight percentage points on the company’s last report published in 2021.

Edelman’s Annual Trust Barometer for 2022 also found that trust in media had fallen across the world with concern over fake news at an all-time high.

Faith in the media fell in 15 countries with the US among those reporting the biggest drops. Just 39% of people in the US said that they trust the media – down six points compared to the last survey undertaken in 2021.

Fewer Brits (35%) also said they trusted the media, a fall of two points. The UK and the US are among 14 countries where Edelman says that the media is generally distrusted. In contrast, in some authoritarian states such as China and Saudi Arabia more respondents said that they trust the media. 

(Read more at the Press Gazette)

 

Concepts to consider as the omicron seems to die out

Conservatives hit Kavanaugh for siding with liberals on health care vax mandate

DeSantis and fellow Conservatives hit Kavanaugh for siding with liberals on health care vax mandate

The Daily Wire lays out the complaints of Governor DeSantis and other conservatives against Justice Kavanaugh for joining with the liberals against health care workers who don’t want the jab.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) knocked Supreme Court Justices Brett Kavanaugh and John Roberts for siding with the liberal justices to allow a vaccine mandate for medical facilities that take Medicare or Medicaid payments.

“On the nurse mandate and the doctor mandate, Roberts and Kavanaugh joined with the liberals to allow the nurse mandate,” DeSantis said on the “Ruthless” podcast, The Daily Wire reported.

“So here’s what’s going on, think about how insane this is,” he continued. “Now, in Florida, we protected the nurses, so we have people that are working. But in other states, they fired nurses who were not vaccinated.”

The governor continued, noting that some liberal states could have COVID-positive employees working in hospitals who are vaccinated, “meanwhile the unvaccinated, likely immune through prior infection, healthy nurses are on the sidelines fired. How insane are these policies?”

“But honestly, Roberts and Kavanaugh did not have a backbone on that decision,” DeSantis emphasized. “That’s just the bottom line.”

Though Kavanaugh sided with the liberals on the health care mandate, he joined the conservatives to successfully block a Biden administration mandate that would have forced private businesses with at least 100 employees to require workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to regular testing.

“OSHA’s COVID–19 Vaccination and Testing; Emergency Temporary Standard, 86 Fed. Reg. 61402, is stayed pending disposition of the applicants’ petitions for review in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and disposition of the applicants’ petitions for writs of certiorari, if such writs are timely sought,” the court decided. “Should the petitions for writs of certiorari be denied, this order shall terminate automatically. In the event the petitions for writs of certiorari are granted, the order shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of this Court.”

(Read more at the Daily Wire)

Why Roberts, Kavanaugh, and other purportedly conservative jurists go liberal is beyond me

Why not just uphold the Constitution? Why not just work for individual liberty?

What would be advanced by blocking the rights of doctors and nurses? California hospitals have already started forcing COVID-positive doctors and nurses to work. By many estimations, the omicron variant (possibly the last variant) has played out.

…

Biden and Trudeau tried to mandate all truckers passing into Canada get the jab

Canadian truckers protested and blocked that move

Reuters reported in a 13 January 2022 article how Canadian truckers blocked the US/Canada border in support of Canadian truckers not having to get the jab.

Canada will allow unvaccinated Canadian truckers to cross in from the United States, reversing a decision requiring all truckers to be inoculated against the coronavirus, Canada’s border agency said on Wednesday.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had faced pressure from the main opposition party and trucking lobby to drop the vaccine mandate for truckers, due to come into force on Saturday, saying it could result in driver shortages, disrupt trade and drive up inflation.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said that unvaccinated, or partially vaccinated Canadian truck drivers arriving at the U.S.-Canada border will remain exempt from pre-arrival, arrival and post-arrival testing and quarantine requirements.

However, truckers from the United States will still need to be vaccinated or they will be turned back at the border from Jan. 15, a CBSA spokesperson said.

A Canadian government source said the decision was taken to ensure smooth supply chains.

(Read more at Reuters)

Thanks, Canadian truckers

We owe you a debt of gratitude for fighting for your own freedom. Now we will see how much in American goods piles up at the border.

Canadian truckers stand for FREEDOM! They block all lanes of traffic to and from the United States. Note “ Mandat… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
VeBee🇺🇸✝️ (@VeBo1991) January 18, 2022

In the early morning hours on January 17, 2022, a truck convoy descended near the U.S.-Canada border in Emerson, Ma… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) January 17, 2022

Truckers at the U.S.-Canada border in Emerson, Manitoba, Canada protest against mandates impacting the trucking ind… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) January 17, 2022

 

God’s final Word – Chapter 2, verses 12 through 17

God’s final Word

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. Pergamum: A Church That Compromised the Truth – Revelation 2:12-17
   

   “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’ (Revelation 2:12‭-‬17 NASB)

   As mentioned last week, the Greek term translated to “angels” — “ἄγγελοι” (messengers or stars) — referred likely to either the elders of the church or the pastors. It does not refer to heavenly beings who would remain in the service of God, since we have no indication in the Bible that they have ever been offered forgiveness of sins. Therefore, they cannot be called to repentance.

2. Satan’s Throne Room — Revelation 2:13
   

   ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. (Revelation 2:13 NASB)

   Satan has many strongholds. Can you name any?

   One class member called out “The Woodlands” due to its current plague of greed, crime, and violence. Another named the stronghold of “abortion” and its death of innocents.

   The teacher pointed out that Antipas (who we would consider innocent) had died at the end of a Roman sword due to his refusal to burn incense to Caesar.

   Christ says Pergamum is where Satan dwelled. If Satan has a throne in the United States, what city do you think would be his residence? Why?

   A class member named the throne of “silence” and its seeming approval of evil by not presenting an opposition.

   Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21 NASB)

   Another class member noted a throne of “passivity” and encouraged Christians to stand against the Devil.

   Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12 NASB)

3. The historical setting

   Mark Ramsey pointed out that Pergamum (as the Roman provincial capital of Asia) was home to a number of Roman temples. Furthermore, it housed the first temple of the cult of Caesar worship. Even outside of that cult, Christians were pressured to bow to Caesar.

   Additionally, Christians in Pergamum found themselves at the focus of not only Romans (where the pressure was to burn a pinch of incense to the emperor), but also from the Jews (who did not consider Christians to be true God-followers).

   How do you respond to this statement: “By compromising with the world, the world fails to see any difference that Jesus Christ makes in your life.”

   One class member responded by observing that focusing only on the love of God has resulted in parts of the “church” (for example, the “gay” church) that ignores the holiness of God.

   Mark Ramsey then broke in and pointed out that just as the Church of Ephesus sinned by leaving their first love, the Church of Pergamum sinned by focusing on love and ignoring the sinless perfection of God.

   but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15‭-‬16 NASB)

   Clearly, where there is severe human suffering and/or moral perversion, Satan has a stronghold.

4. Compromise
   • Wise Compromise

     There is wise compromise. When someone with the “Good News” waits for someone to receive that message, that is wise compromise. When a Christian bows the knee to God, that is wise compromise on the part of the believer. Compromise, as a coming together of two people from differing points of view over one matter, is required for harmonious life.

   • Worldly Compromise

     Worldly compromise occurs when we give in to sin. It does not take long for the practice of worldly compromise to become a pattern of worldly compromise. Pergamum chose to love the sinner and accept, embrace and celebrate the sin.

     1. Do you have any illustrations of how churches today compromise the truth?

        One class member cited a Houston-area preacher famous for his prosperity gospel message. Another member pointed toward churches who want to hear the first part of John 3:16, but not the last (and definitely not the message of 1 Corinthians 6:9‭-‬11). They want to hear a message of love, but not of belief in a singular Christ or repentance from sin.

        “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NASB)

        Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9‭-‬11 NASB)

     2. How do we compromise with the world (in our thinking or decision making; in our attitude; in our behavior)? How did you feel when you compromise in this manner? Explain.

        One class member noted that, too often, we are silent. Yet other times, we let key concepts lay on the side while those who do not know Christ spout their misconceptions.

     3. What temptations do you deal with on a regular basis that might cause you to compromise your faith?

        One class member mentioned the story of the story of the two dogs that were always fighting. Which one eventually won? The one that you feed the most was the one that won.

        Another class member took comfort in the fact that Jesus was tempted in all ways, but resisted.

        For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15 NASB)

     4. How do you deal with the compromises that are a part of your past life experience and do these past failures affect your effectiveness today?

        One class member offered how she brought these failures to God in prayer.

     5. Today, in what ways can you prevent yourself from compromising your faith and your morals?

        Referring back to the story of the two dogs, that class member said he did his best to starve the bad dog.

5. The two-edged sword — Revelation 2:12
   The two-edged sword symbolizes punishment by a ruling power.
   • In Revelation 2:12, Christ holds the means of punishing the world and His Church.
     

     “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:
     (Revelation 2:12 NASB)

   • In Revelation 1:17, the Word of God is depicted as a means of punishing the world.
     

     In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. (Revelation 1:16 NASB)

   • Here, the commonly sharp feature of the sword is emphasized in illustrating the power of the Word.
     

     For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 NASB)

6. Faithful witness — Revelation 2:13
   

   ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. (Revelation 2:13 NASB)

   Those who refuse to compromise are “faithful witnesses.”

   When threatened, they do not flee. When tested, they stay true. How often today can we say we, as Christians, run from such pressures?

   1. How can we refuse to compromise without looking like a “fundamentalist?” (How do you strike the balance between being a part of your community and keeping yourself separate from sin?)

      One class member pointed out that, sometimes, there is no way to avoid being called a “fundamentalist” or “Bible thumper” by family members who would rather call names than let you show Christ to your grandchildren.

   2. Have you ever been so tired of fighting for what is right or speaking out against those things that are against God that you feel like giving up? Did you?

      Several class members acknowledged that the fight can be tiring. However, though some had taken a rest, nobody was quitting.

   3. If you were to face Jesus today, would he commend you or confront you regarding compromise?

      One said there would be a degree of both.

7. Three gifts to overcomers — Revelation 2:17
   

   He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’ (Revelation 2:17 NASB)

   Jesus had three gifts for those who endure.

   1. Hidden manna

      Just as God fed the Israelites as they travelled to the Promised Land, Christ will reward us with a hidden manna.

   2. White stone

      In Roman trials, jurors indicated their decision by placing a white stone (to indicate “not guilty”) or a black stone (to indicate “guilty”) in an urn. Here, Christ declares us innocent.

   3. A new name

      This reveals a level of intimacy between Christ and the believer.

 

The man who shot the Cracker Barrel manager through the door was out on bond

In another case of a Democrat-released criminal killing an innocent grandmother, Nathan Humphrey, Junior was out on bond

As reported by Houston Fox affiliate KRIV, Nathan Humphrey, Junior has been accused of murdering while out on bond. To add insult to injury, he was not the only felon who murdered recently while on bond.

28-year-old Nathan Humphrey Jr was a career criminal.

“Here’s someone, as a teenager, he gets five years in the penitentiary back in 2012 for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon,” said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers.

In August 2021, Humphrey was freed from jail with a personal recognizance bond for a terroristic threat charge. He never returned to court but picked up two felony assault charges.

He was a wanted fugitive when officers say he gunned down 59-year-old Robin Baucom, the manager of a northside Cracker Barrel.

“The greatest love a person can have, is giving their life for another person, and that’s exactly what she did,” said Baucom’s brother Billy Crumpton.

On Saturday, police say Baucom was trying to help her co-worker get inside the business after Humphrey stole her purse.

“And was wrestling with the guy trying to get him away, so she could shut the door, and lock it, and he took the gun up there and shot her,” Crumpton said.

(Read of the fate of Mr. Humphrey at KRIV)

To fix this, stop electing Soros-backed, social justice judges and district attorneys

Stop electing social justice judges and district attorneys like Kim Ogg of Harris County, Texas.

When nearly 200 people over several years have been killed by felons released by Democrat judges, it is time to make a change in the judges. Additionally, if that doesn’t wake you up, there has been a spate of murders over the past week. I will bet that a large portion will be attributed to felons on bond.

…

Is that not enough?

17-year-old who has been accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend 22 times has been released on bond

Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reports that 17-year-old Frank DeLeon has been accused of shooting 16-year-old Diamond Alvarez as she walked her dog.

The 17-year-old accused of shooting his girlfriend 22 times as she walked her dog has been released from jail on bond, court records show.

A judge set bail at $250,000 in the case of Frank DeLeon. He’s due back in court later Wednesday.

The video above is from previous reporting.

According to police, the victim, Diamond Alvarez, and DeLeon were in a romantic relationship, but Alvarez had recently learned that DeLeon was romantically involved with someone else.

The two met at a park near Alvarez’s home on Jan .11. That’s when DeLeon shot Alvarez 22 times, mostly in the back, according to prosecutors. 

DeLeon was taken into custody Monday.

NEW: 17yo Frank DeLeon just showed up for his first official court appearance, surrounded by family. He’s charged w… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Michelle Choi (@MichelleKHOU) January 19, 2022

(Read more at KHOU)

If you need another reason, listen to the story of Brianna Kupfer

According to Fox News, Brianna Kupfer (a graduate student at UCLA) was stabbed to death by a criminal out on $1,000 bond.

Los Angeles police have identified the suspected killer of 24-year-old Brianna Kupfer, a UCLA grad student stabbed to death at her furniture store job last week.

Shawn Laval Smith, 31, should be considered armed and dangerous, according to the LAPD.

Los Angeles County Jail records show Covina police arrested him on Oct. 27, 2020, on a misdemeanor charge. He was released on $1,000 bail. The outcome of that case was not immediately clear.

A law enforcement source tells Fox News Digital that Smith has a rap sheet that spans both coasts, including in San Francisco and South Carolina. His most recent charge is allegedly for shoplifting — and he landed up in jail in San Mateo after allegedly assaulting a police officer.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Read more at Fox News)

Considering that some districts in California release criminals who steal less than $2K or commit crimes short of murder, the fact that he got arrested says something.

…

 

Fake conservatives prevent the Attorney General of Texas from prosecuting election offenses

Eight supposedly Republican judges prevent the Texas AG from prosecuting election offenses unless invited by the county District Attorney

Townhall comments on the inane ruling by eight Texas judges in the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Texas is one of only two states with a bifurcated court system: After going through intermediate appellate review, criminal matters are routed to the Court of Criminal Appeals while civil matters are routed to the Texas Supreme Court. It’s unique. But so is Texas!

This division of labor is supposed to get Texans better legal results. Civil lawyers take the bench on the Supreme Court and handle civil matters while criminal lawyers take the bench on the CCA and handle criminal matters. But a recent decision coming out of the CCA has exposed what many have been shy to say out loud—That’s where I, your Liberty Loving Latino, come in.  The word “shy” and Salcedo are rarely used in the same sentence. The CCA judges are mostly B-team players whose sole audience is the overwhelmingly liberal criminal law bar. Alarmingly, as reflected in recent headlines, it seems these judges are not committed to delivering justice to, “we the people.” Instead, these agendized jurists consistently render judgments designed to shore up the power of their friends and colleagues in district and county attorney offices around Texas.

A few weeks ago, the CCA handed down an 8-to-1 decision in State v. Stephens declaring unconstitutional a statute giving the Texas Attorney General authority to “prosecute a criminal offense prescribed by the election laws of this state.” That statute—section 273.021 of the Texas Election Code—which has been around for several decades— has allowed Texas Attorneys General to doggedly pursue election integrity. It’s why Texas elections have been more secure than any other state in the union. And it’s also why committed leftists find that statute to be such a pain in the rear. Enter the CCA’s rather obvious and boneheaded decision.

First, CCA’s decision is illogical. The Court says that because county and district attorneys are created under an article called “Judicial Department,” their role in prosecuting crimes is a judicial rather than an executive function. At the same time, because the Attorney General is created under the “Executive Department” article, he cannot prosecute crimes because that’d be “judicial” and thus an impermissible encroachment on a “judicial” function by an executive. You read that right! The court has laughingly proclaimed that a Texas Attorney General cannot prosecute crime. That would come as a shock to…well…just about anyone with a brain.  I was going to reference Wikipedia; you know how left-wingers love Wikipedia? But I thought I’d give the eight judges on the CCA a remedial lesson in the Attorney General’s duties, courtesy of Ballotpedia.

“The Attorney General of Texas is the chief lawyer and legal officer for the state of Texas. According to the Texas Constitution, the attorney general defends the laws and the constitution of the state of Texas, represents the state in litigation, and approves public bond issues.”

Did you catch the part where the AG is supposed to defend the laws? Who would the Texas AG be necessarily defending those laws from? People who would BREAK those laws, perhaps? Here’s another remedial lesson for the Judges on the “Criminal” Court of appeals. Those who break laws are referred to, in the common vernacular, as “criminals.” Odd that judges on the “Criminal” court don’t seem to grasp the word “criminal.” There’s no excuse, really. Isn’t the word “criminal” on every business card for each of these so-called judges for crying out loud?

Secondly, the CCA’s decision sweeps away over a century of precedent. If taken to its final conclusions, the Court’s sophomoric separation-of-powers analysis would strip the Texas Attorney General of power to litigate—an apparently “judicial” function—any civil case in state court, and even throws into question the authority of the Attorney General to litigate in federal court as well, since that duty is not expressly assigned to any agency in the Constitution. This can’t be right. And, of course, it isn’t—not under 120 years of Texas Supreme Court common law. But the CCA, that you’ll remember, doesn’t know the basics of what a criminal is, seems to think they are there to deliver this power grab for the leftist criminal law bar. And they are willing to say, “to hell with 120 years of that pesky precedent,” to do it.

Thirdly, the CCA’s decision thwarts the will of the People of Texas as expressed through the Legislature. The Texas Constitution directs the Attorney General to “perform such other duties as may be required by law.” In enacting section 273.021 of the Election Code, the Legislature several decades ago gave another “such duty” to the Attorney General: “prosecute…criminal offense[s] prescribed by the election laws of this state.” But the activist CCA shoves the People and their representatives, improperly legislating from the bench, by striking that Constitutional provision from the books. How is it that these mental midgets in the CCA dare to lecture our people on the separation-of-powers, when their very actions denote they couldn’t care less about that?

Finally, worst of all, the CCA’s decision is dangerous. By stripping the Attorney General of his rightful power to criminally prosecute violations of Texas’s election laws, the Court instead vests that authority exclusively with county and district attorneys.

(Read a little more of the assessment by Chris Salcedo at Townhall)

Some Republicans are really Democrats, but no Democrats are really Republicans

This push by eight judges exposes the liberality allowed within the conservative ranks, but what can we do? We must take the names of these judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals and vote them all out.

Until then, nothing that the legislature in Texas does (short of another Constitutional Amendment) means anything when it comes to election integrity.

Since there are nine judges on this court and eight voted to annul the law, it seems reasonable to just vote against any incumbent in the court.

…

 

Obama-era Islamist attacks resume, but Biden FBI says White supremist groups stand as our greatest threat

British Malik Faisal attacks a Texas synagogue, demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui (aka “Lady al-Qaeda”)

Fox News reported on the hostage-taking situation at a Jewish synagogue where a man with an Islamic name took four Jewish hostages, but the FBI couldn’t see a connection between this act and past events. Never mind that the convicted terrorist (Akram) travelled to a point within 15 miles of where “Lady al-Qaeda” has been incarcerated for 10 years and demanded her release. The FBI couldn’t connect the dots.

Malik Faisal Akram, the British national who was killed Saturday night after allegedly taking four people hostage inside a Texas synagogue, spoke “repeatedly” about a convicted terrorist during negotiations with law enforcement, according to an FBI statement obtained by Fox News.

The statement, which was released late Sunday, does not identify the terrorist serving an 86-year prison sentence in the U.S. on terrorism charges, but may shed new light on a possible motive. 

Akram could be heard on a Facebook livestream demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist suspected of having ties to Al Qaeda who was convicted of trying to kill U.S. Army officers in Afghanistan. 

“This is a terrorism-related matter, in which the Jewish community was targeted, and is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force,” the statement read.

The Associated Press pointed out that Siddiqui is serving her sentence in Fort Worth. Colleyville is about 15 miles northeast of the city.

(Read about who put down Malik and about his associates at Fox News)

This really does make sense that the FBI would repeat this idiocy

Let’s see. A convicted terrorist (Malik Akram) travels to within 15 miles of where another convicted terrorist (Aafia Siddiqui) is being held. The first terrorist (Malik Akram) takes four people hostage from a synagogue and demands the release of that second terrorist. Still, the FBI cannot establish a motive behind the acts of the first terrorist.

Parents at school board meetings are instantly labeled domestic terrorists in writing on official DOJ letterhead.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) January 16, 2022

I remember events that paralleled this during the Obama regime. Major Hasan was known to have visited numerous Islamist sites, gave lectures on the Muslims’ duty to behead infidels, and pulled a number of other acts that would have gotten him thrown out of the Army had he not been a member of Barack Obama’s protected class of Muslims. Due to an enforced blind eye, our Army had to endure the shooting of 51 Fort Hood personnel (including 13 soldiers killed). Following that, the press and Barack Obama told us “not to rush to judgement.”

On This Day: Nov 05, 2009 Former Army psychiatrist, Major Hasan, also known as Soldier of Allah, according to his… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Amy Mek (@AmyMek) November 05, 2018

This sounds like a repetition of the same old lie.

By the way, speaking about old lies, Biden claimed that Malik Akram got his weapons from the homeless population of Texas (you know, the broke ones who panhandle at the corners of Democrat-ruled cities) before he went on to make another pitch for gun confiscation.

…

Main stream media Kool Aid

Report warns of threats from white supremacists

In a 17 March 2021 article, Reuters joined in with domestic spy agencies to set their hair on fire and scream that the sky was falling (or that “White supremacists have become the greatest threat to Americans.”)

U.S. spy agencies warned on Wednesday of an ongoing threat that racially motivated violent extremists, such as white supremacists, will carry out mass-casualty attacks on civilians while militia groups target police and government personnel and buildings.

Agencies contributing to the assessment by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence included the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center.

The assessment said extremists who promote white racial superiority have potentially frequent communications with extremists abroad who hold similar ideological beliefs and each seeks to influence the other.

The agencies said that recent political and social developments – such as claims by Republican former President Donald Trump and his supporters about fraud in November’s U.S. presidential election, restrictions related to COVID-19, fallout from the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot, and conspiracy theories – “will almost certainly spur” some domestic extremists “to try to engage in violence this year.”

Other domestic extremist categories which concern government investigators include animal rights and environmental activists, anti-abortion protesters, anarchists and people who call themselves sovereign citizens who “believe they are immune from government authority and laws,” the agencies said.

(Read nothing of conservatives or Republicans quoted at Reuters, but more from two Democrats and the ADL)

Are they going to call Malik a “White Supremacist” or just ignore him and go on prosecuting 11 people for protesting without guns, fires, or violence?

Note this: when reading the last paragraph quoted, I have a hard time believing that animal rights activists, environmental activists, and anarchists (aka Antifa) will be prosecuted. Recent (that is, February-June 2021) reports on Antifa court cases showed the courts letting the rioters and looters off scot free.

However, when it comes to people who went to Washington to express a political point of view that runs counter to the socialists currently running things, 11 Americans who were protesting have been charged with sedition, but have not been brought up on weapons charges. So were they going to take over the Presidency, the House, and the Senate with the force of their words?

The press that told us the Wuhan disease did not come from China before it admitted that COVID-19 likely came from a Chinese lab now wants us to believe that these people conspired to bring weapons into Washington (but just had not done it on the 6th).

So does the press think that we are that dumb or are we using “pre-cogs” in the Justice system, now?

…

 

News items effecting the Chinese and other American enemies

Chinese, Russian, and Qatari engineers likely have had a look at the air force equipment left by Biden

Taliban refurbishing equipment to build their own air force

Al Jazeera reports that the Taliban has been repairing equipment (including helicopters and jets) left by Joe Biden.

Al Jazeera has obtained exclusive access to vast amounts of military hardware left behind by United State and coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Much of it was destroyed, but the Taliban believes some can be salvaged as it looks to build an air force.
Al Jazeera’s Osama bin Javid has more from Kabul’s military airfield.

Although we are told Biden did not leave any top level weapons in Afghanistan, surely our enemies will be more than willing to go over our equipment that he left

Giving the CCP a chance to go over our military equipment never works well for us. Additionally, while the prognosticators in the video downplay the technical expertise of the Afghans, similar prognosticators of earlier years probably said the same of Chinese engineers in their efforts around nuclear bombs and jet aircraft. Likewise, the Pakistanis and Indians likely were underestimated in their engineering prowess concerning various warfaring technologies.

…

A Communist Chinese wind farm in Texas could be “the greatest national security concern”

San Antonio Fox affiliate KABB reported in a 24 August 2020 article how a Chinese purchase of a wind farm next to a U.S. Air Force base could be “the greatest national security concern.”

A windmill project near Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio has many concerned because the owner is a Chinese company. Fox San Antonio investigates why some fear that company could tap into the U.S. Government.

Its 130,000 acres, the size of Tulsa, Oklahoma, bought legally for wind energy.. so what’s wrong with that? Well, according to the congressman whose district includes Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, the question is: should a company that has connections to the ruling Communist Party in China, have the ability to connect to our grid and be so close to the air force base that trains so many?

Laughlin Air Force Base… since the 1950’s, more than 21,000 silver wings have been pinned on pilots trained here. American and allied nations invited to learn to fly, but now an uninvited neighbor has bought land by the base that has many worried about the security of the U.S. power grid and the security of United States secrets.

“The question about, should a company that has connections to the ruling Communist Party in China have the ability to connect to our grid?” said Congressman Will Hurd.

Congressman Will Hurd and Senator Ted Cruz have raised questions about Houston-based GH America Energy, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinese Guanghua industry investment group. Its CEO, a former Sun Guangzin, a member of the Communist Party and a former member of the Chinese military, now wants to build wind turbines on the more than 130,000 acres that he has purchased since 2015 by Devils river.

“These are the broader questions. A retired general or admiral from the U.S. military would not be able to buy property outside of Beijing and put up a wind farm and connect to the Chinese grid. So for me, this is a broader question about reciprocity,” said Hurd.

In layman’s terms when Texas deregulated our energy market, Texas being one of 3 power grids in the U.S., we left ourselves open according to Congressman Hurd for other countries including adversaries like China to tap in to our source of energy.

“And what’s scary about that is, if you become a provider, all the updates about a tax to our grid, that CPS energy gets, in order to defend, that could potential be going to an adversary as well,” said Hurd.

This would never be allowed to happen in China according to Hurd, who is a retired CIA agent.

“There’s a national security law that says Chinese companies have to work with the Chinese government when it comes to national security issues. This is not like in the U.S. where a Department of Justice has to have a judge to decide if this information is valuable,” said Hurd.

(Read more at KABB)

Having a listening post, a energy-interruption site, and a spy center must be working out well for the CCP

One has to wonder how the Chinese Communist Party was allowed to purchase a wind farm next to Laughlin Air Force Base. Did they not consider:

• The Chinese Communist Party interest in shooting down aircraft in the event of a conflict
• The coded and uncoded messages (ranging from personal phone calls to text messages to emails to controller-to-aircraft chatter) that might benefit the CCP
• The ability of the CCP agents to cut power to Texas (or even the base) through the grid
• The base of operations for spies seeking to infiltrate the base

…

A GOP bill would allow the President to ban foreign (especially Communist Chinese Party) land purchases in U.S. for 5 years

Breitbart points to a bill written by Gohmert and Miller that would place a five-year moratorium on foreign land purchases to protect “American sovereignty” from being “eroded.”

A bill being co-led by Reps. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and Mary Miller (R-IL) would place a five-year moratorium on foreign land purchases to protect “American sovereignty” from being “eroded.”

Breitbart News exclusively obtained the bill’s text before its official introduction on Wednesday. The legislation, named the “National Security Moratorium on Foreign Purchases of U.S. Land” would give the president power to prohibit the purchase of public or private real estate in the U.S. “by any foreign person” for the five-year period after the enactment of the law.

The bill defines a “foreign person” as “any foreign national, foreign government, or foreign entity; or any entity over which control is exercised or exercisable by a foreign national, foreign government, or foreign entity.” The ban would also extend to any corporation, partnership, or other association created under the laws of a foreign country.

Subsequently, the Comptroller General of the U.S. would be required to submit a report to Congress six months after the enactment of the bill detailing the history of foreign public and private real estate purchases located in the U.S. The Comptroller General would also be required to make recommendations as to how “to make it easier for United States citizens and harder for foreign persons to purchase real estate located in the United States, including farm land,” and to provide a percentage of real estate located in the U.S. that is owned by foreign persons. 

The bill lists several concerning findings as reasons for the creation of the legislation, including several statistics on how foreign ownership is increasing housing costs for American citizens. 

According to the text, foreign investors now account for almost one-third of institutional investments in single-family rental homes in the U.S. Breitbart News previously reported how global investors are “gobbling up” middle-class suburban homes, “enriching wealthy investors and turning would-be homeowners into lifetime, no-equity renters.”

The legislation states that increased foreign investment in urban areas has led to a rise in gentrification.

This is “pushing many long-time residents out of their homes, including some of our most vulnerable and poor communities,” according to the bill. Additionally, “roughly 47 percent of rural renters pay a third or more of their income in rent each month. The Federal government has done nothing to help rural Americans deal with the rising costs in housing.”

The bill also calls for the EB-5 visa system, which allows foreign nationals to obtain green cards if they invest in specific business ventures, to be made “more stringent.”

The proposed moratorium hammers the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and notes that Chinese Nationals have reportedly led foreign investments in U.S. homes “for the past seven years.”

(Read more at Breitbart)

Considering that the CCP has been purchasing large sections of American farmland, this is overdue

As reported by Politico, it seems that the CCP has purchased a large swath of American farmland.

American farmers are asleep as a thief strips machinery, barn, bins, and fields of all valuables—and then returns for more. China has breached the inner walls of the U.S. agriculture industry in what has arguably been the most expansive heist in farming history, and is currently attempting to steal or hack every conceivable facet of U.S. agriculture technology.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) openly has declared its intent to dominate high-tech industries across the world, including agriculture, by 2025. Undergirding its technological superiority effort, China has unabashed plans for a solo climb to the top rung of the global power ladder by 2049—international dominion. In order to fuel its ascendance, the CCP is engaged in widespread theft, cyber-hacking, and espionage, with the U.S. as the honey hole of illicit gain.

A 2017 report by the U.S. Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property speaks volumes, and estimates a cost of $255 billion to $600 billion to the U.S. economy each year, and fingers China as the “principle IP infringer.” In 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) acknowledged multiple espionage benchmarks: a new China-related counterintelligence case opens every 10 hours; over half of all active FBI counterintelligence cases involve China; and across the last 10 years, economic espionage with links to China jumped by almost 1,300 percent.

Over the past decade, China has appropriated trillions of dollars in sophisticated U.S. technology, with a keen interest in the latest advances in the agriculture industry. In 2013 and 2015, Chinese nationals were nabbed in flagrante delicto by federal authorities, attempting to transport pilfered corn and rice seed to China. However, as the arrests and prosecutions made national headlines, the hard evidence remained ignored. Based on a cursory examination of the CCP’s espionage footprint, the seed thefts are merely emblematic and represent the tip of the iceberg: Beijing is looting the American farm.

“Happening Right Now”

* In 2011, when Mo Hailong, the U.S. director of international business for Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group, was spotted crawling through Iowa corn rows in two separate incidents, pocketing Pioneer and Monsanto seed corn, the curiosity spurred a multi-year FBI investigation, and revealed Hailong was mailing high-value seed to a relative in China.

Hailong and several Chinese cohorts were arrested in 2013, attempting to board a plane for China, and their luggage contained the purloined proof of old-school crime. Hidden beneath a façade of microwave popcorn bags and Subway napkins, authorities found hundreds of seed samples.

Hailong received 36 months in prison. (At least five years prior to the arrests, documents revealed high-quality praise from China regarding Hailong’s stolen seeds, suggesting the total haul was massive.)

* Weiqiang Zhang studied biotech crop production at Kansas State University, obtained a doctoral degree in rice genetics at Louisiana State University, and gained employment at Ventria (Kansas-based private biopharmaceutical corporation using GMO rice in production of recombinant proteins) as a seed breeder.

(Read more at Politico)

Remember this

Remember this when you look at the empty shelves. While this had little effect on the supply chain issues that have primarily created our empty store shelves, it also does not help.

…

Then again, maybe the CCP is ideologically here

Democrats OK with fines, prison, and mandates for vaccine deniers

The Washington Examiner reports on a poll that reflects how far down the socialist track Democrats have been willingly taken.

Nearly two years after former President Donald Trump tossed politics into the nation’s battle against the coronavirus, the partisan divide appears to have grown, with Republicans fighting mandates and Democrats calling for harsh punishments for those who refuse to get vaccinated.

In an expanded survey of the public’s view of mandates and punishments to get people vaccinated, Rasmussen Reports found that Democrats even support fines, home confinement, and prison for those who fight the government on masks and shots.

Over several questions in the survey for the Heartland Institute, the differences in how Republicans and Democrats view the crisis were stark.

Consider: Twenty-nine percent of Democrats would go so far as to support taking children away from parents who refused to be vaccinated.

The first question in the survey set the tone. It asked if likely voters approved of coronavirus czar Dr. Anthony Fauci. Just 21% of Republicans said they view him favorably, compared to 75% of Democrats.

Next came a question on President Joe Biden’s mandate that companies of 100 employees or more should demand workers to get vaccinated. Just 22% of Republicans agreed, while Democrats were all in at 78%.

Asked if voters favor a federal or state fine for those who refuse a vaccine, only 19% of Republicans said “favor” to 55% of Democrats.

Favorability for FINES for vaccine non-compliance: 38% Party breakdowns: R-19% I-25% D-55% With the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) January 13, 2022

(Read about the figures concerning home confinement at the Washington Examiner)

The attitudes held by these Democrats concerning COVID are why I refer to the disease as “COVID-1984”

As with the dystopian novel, the big-statist mindset of Democrats who wholeheartedly believe the COVID tripe seems to feed into a future that shows no future.

…

 

Biden’s push to classify you as a domestic terrorist

The Department of Justice forms a new domestic terrorism unit in response to “growing threat”

The Washington Post reports that the DOJ has formed a new domestic terrorism unit on the behest of Merrick Garland in order to respond to the “growing threat” from Virginian mothers and fathers at school board meetings.

The Justice Department is forming a new domestic terrorism unit to help combat a threat that has intensified dramatically in recent years, a top national security official said Tuesday.

Matthew G. Olsen, the head of the Justice Department’s national security division, announced the creation of the unit in his opening remarks before the Senate Judiciary Committee, noting that the number of FBI investigations of suspected domestic violent extremists — those accused of planning or committing crimes in the name of domestic political goals — had more than doubled since the spring of 2020.

Olsen said that the Justice Department previously had counterterrorism attorneys who worked both domestic and international cases and that the new unit would “augment our existing approach.”

His testimony came just a few days after the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, an event that some lawmakers say showed that the FBI underestimated the threat posed by domestic extremists and violence-prone members of far-right groups.

“This group of dedicated attorneys will focus on the domestic terrorism threat, helping to ensure that these cases are handled properly and effectively coordinated across the Department of Justice and across the country,” Olsen said.

(Read about the bull**** pulled by Dick D****** to pull the focus away from the real topic at the Washington Post)

Democrats investigate parents who complain about CRT while releasing felons

I am not sure how Democrats have come to equate parents who complain about critical race theory with Trump voters. While the two groups may have some overlap, I remember some momma bears that got put off by the recording of the “locker room talk.” Additionally, considering the number of Black moms and dads who don’t want their kids taught an alternative, race-based history, it seems counterintuitive for Democrats to attack those who complain about CRT.

Nonetheless, the focus of Democrats now falls on anyone who complains against CRT. At the same time, we should forget about the record or near-record murders in major Democrat cities for 2021 (Houston/Harris County saw 617 — a portion of which were killed by felons put on bond by Democrat judges — murders, Dallas had 220, Chicago/Cook County saw 797, Minneapolis got 96, New York City had 485, and 12 other Democrat cities across America with record murder rates).

Additionally, we are not supposed to look at our wallets. We are not supposed to look at the 7%-less in our pockets (in other words, if this keeps up for 10 years, everything will cost double of what it costs now).

…

Biden’s Education Secretary allegedly requested the “domestic terrorism” letter from the school boards group

The Epoch Times has discovered evidence that shows the letter that instigated Merrick Garland’s announcement of “domestic terrorism” came as a response to a letter from within Biden’s Department of Education.

Newly surfaced emails suggest that the U.S. Department of Education might have played a more important role than previously thought in the creation of a highly controversial letter, which likened concerned parents to domestic terrorists.

In a letter (pdf) sent to President Joe Biden on Sept. 29, 2021, the National School Boards Association (NSBA) characterized disruptions at school board meetings as “a form of domestic terrorism and hate crime.” The organization also urged the federal government to invoke counterterrorism laws to quell “angry mobs” of parents seeking to hold school officials accountable for teaching Marxist critical race theory and for imposing COVID-19 restrictions such as mask mandates on their children.

Just five days later, on Oct. 5, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a memo directing federal law enforcement to help address an alleged “disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence” against teachers and school leaders. The memo remains in effect, despite the NSBA having since apologized for and rescinded the letter.

According to email exchanges obtained by advocacy group Parents Defending Education (PDE), the NSBA letter appears to be a response to a request for information by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

On Oct. 5, NSBA board member Marnie Maldonado sent an email (pdf) to fellow board member Kristi Swett, asking her whether the NSBA had gone through all the correct procedures before sending the letter to Biden.

“I am very concerned about the process by which the statement was made and the tone that essentially allowed the White House to direct the Attorney General to consider members of our community ‘domestic terrorists,’” Maldonado wrote, adding that she wanted the NSBA “to focus on civility.”

In response, Swett said she agreed that there were “communication issues” within the NSBA. She also mentioned that Chip Slaven, then-interim director of the NSBA, “told officers he was writing a letter to provide information to the White House, from a request by Secretary Cordona [sic].”

In an interview with Fox News, PDE President Nicole Neily indicated that the letter Cardona allegedly requested and the “domestic terrorism” letter are the same thing.

(Read more at The Epoch Times)

This proves that charges of terrorism were not a mistake

From the beginning, the charges of terrorism were meant to paint anyone who might stand up against liberal lunacy in schools as a terrorist. As a fringe benefit, the Democrats may have also been able to isolate the parents most likely to start supporting school choice (since nobody would likely want to keep their kids in the schools that won’t listen to the parents).

…

A Rochester mom who was arrested at a school board meeting files a federal lawsuit and vows to not “back down”

The Christian Broadcasting Network reports on the arrest of a Rochester, New York mother at a school board meeting (ostensibly for a mask worn under her nose) and her struggle with the school board.

A Rochester, New York, mother has filed a federal lawsuit against her school board after being arrested during a meeting last year for supposedly not wearing her mask correctly.

Appearing on SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly’s show, Shannon Joy recalled the incident in question, when she wore her mask just below her nose. At a certain point, the school board broke for a recess, and members purportedly called 911 and directed authorities to arrest her for her violation.

Yup. I was handcuffed & detained by Monroe County Sheriff tonight for inappropriately wearing my mask at the Fairp… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Shannon Joy (@ShannonJoyRadio) August 25, 2021

Once police arrived, Joy was handcuffed, arrested, and charged with “trespassing.”

The latter charge, though, was eventually dismissed. The mother believes she was targeted as a result of her activism amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

She told Kelly she filed her lawsuit in hopes of helping other parents slapped with similar charges over supposed pandemic regulation violations.

“When they called the recess, I got this sinking feeling that they were going to arrest, potentially, me,” she said. “This particular meeting was very different than previous meetings. The board had worked with an outside organization called ‘Black In The Burbs,’ which is a suburban version of [Black Lives Matter] and they brought in about 25 activists, all with red shirts.”

(Read more at the Christian Broadcasting Network)

My bet is that Ms. Joy has already been included on an FBI list

Does anyone have any other theories?

…

So much for gloom. Here are the comics that don’t run for office.

A reason to pack and shoot first

Awash in Democrat lies and they want to focus on …

Bad news for the wokesters who walk like an Egyptian

Blame the meathead, not the meat packer

CDC takes a hit from science

Centers for Disease Contradiction and Confusion

Crime sanctuary, New York

Fauci’s crooked attack

Government resignation: good and bad news

Great uniter against freedom, filibustering, and fluff

If there were “truth in political advertising”

In the small print

Mangled Voting Act

Most transparent …

Not keeping up

Of COVID or with COVID?

Sotomayor graffiti

Stupid is as stupid does (again)

The last word

The non-VP at the non-memorial

Things to remember over 6 January

Time for producers to cut the chain

Here, I trust the 8-ball more

Two years, two cups of Kool Aid

Two dogs, one alpha

Ukraine’s way out

WaPo did change it to one Pinocchio after liberal reaction

The worst part of the controversy related to the cartoon above that the “We have over 100,000 children, which we’ve never had before, in serious condition and many on ventilators” isn’t the stupidest of Sotomayor’s comments on that day. (By the way, in contradiction to her statement, only about 3,342 children were hospitalized with COVID-19 [according to the CDC].)

She also claimed that Biden’s mandate is “not a mandate.” (The problem with this statement is that the word “mandate” is in the title of the OSHA document.)

Beyond that, she said she doesn’t see the “distinction” between federal and state powers. (Maybe she should investigate “federalism.”)

At one point, Sotomayor asked “Why is a human spewing a virus not like a machine spewing sparks?” (First, the law creating OSHA allows that agency to control machines. Second, environmental hazards have not in the past included viruses or other infectious matter. Third, no previous OSHA action has required humans to inject something into their bodies.)

Finally for this set of responses to the Supreme idiocy [but not for the mistakes she made in the court], Sotomayor claimed that the omicron variant is as deadly to children as the delta variant [which it is not]. (The cumulative stupidity of all of these statements is draining my will to respond.)

So much for her “wise Latina” moniker.

Of course, the good news is that the majority of the Supreme Court invalidated the idiocy of Sotomayor and Breyer (who was obviously either channeling or imitating Biden when he said there were “750 million new cases of COVID” [despite the population of the US being limited to 332 million]).

Women’s rights takes it in the rear for trans rights

Worm in the apple

 

God’s final Word – Chapter 2, verses 8 through 11

God’s final Word

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey.

1. The church of Smyrna – Revelation 2:8-11
   

   “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ (Revelation 2:8‭-‬11 NASB)

   As mentioned last week, the Greek term translated to “angels” — “ἄγγελοι” (messengers) — referred likely to either the elders of the church or the pastors. It does not refer to heavenly beings who would remain in the service of God, since we have no indication in the Bible that they have ever been offered forgiveness of sins. Therefore, they cannot be called to repentance.

   The believers in Smyrna faced physical, emotional and economic pressure from both the Jews and the Gentiles.

   Do you see anything which is similar or parallel in our society today in which non-believers worship something or someone other than the true God?

   In our western culture, do you see or expect opposition to Christianity? Explain.

   We know 215 million Christians worldwide are experiencing high levels of persecution. If this type of persecution happens in America, does it scare you? What do you believe is your responsibility if this persecution starts to take place in America?

   How do you evaluate yourself in relation to the description of the church of Smyrna?

2. Revelation 2:8
   

   “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life, says this: (Revelation 2:8 NASB)

   What impact do the words of Jesus have on you as He identifies Himself in this verse?

   We see Jesus calling Himself, “the first and the last”. These are the same words He used in Revelation 1:17 (and throughout the Bible).

   When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, (Revelation 1:17 NASB)

   “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. (Isaiah 44:6 NASB)

   “Listen to Me, O Jacob, even Israel whom I called; I am He, I am the first, I am also the last. (Isaiah 48:12 NASB)

   Here is a profound mystery. How can the everlasting One who transcends time, space and history die?

   For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; (1 Peter 3:18 NASB)

   Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14‭-‬16 NASB)

3. Revelation 2:9
   

   ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2:9 NASB)

   How do you face persecution, intimidation or coercion?

   Jesus says, “I know your afflictions and your poverty but you are rich.” How do you think those words would impact you?

   Do you feel you are rich as Jesus describes? Explain.

4. Revelation 2:10
   

   Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10 NASB)

   How would you respond or react to the statement of Jesus that more suffering is to come? Notice that Jesus tells His followers that they will receive “the crown of life.”

5. Five crowns for Christ followers
   1. The crown of righteousness (II Timothy 4:8) for those who live in expectation of the return of Christ.
      

      in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8 NASB)

   2. The crown of life (James 1:12; Revelation 2:10) for those who endure persecution because of their faith even unto death.
      

      Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12 NASB)

      Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10 NASB)

   3. The crown of imperishability (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) – for those who run the race of life in purity and self-control.
      

      Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24‭-‬27 NASB)

   4. The crown of glory (1 Peter 5:2-4)- for those who lead the church with humility.
      

      shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as Lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1 Peter 5:2‭-‬4 NASB)

   5. The crown of exultation (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 19) for those who win others to the Lord Jesus Christ.
      

      For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NASB)

      For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? (1 Thessalonians 2:19 NASB)

   What happens to the crowns? (Revelation 4:10-11) knowing this, does it give you an incentive or desire to obtain a crown?

   the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” (Revelation 4:10‭-‬11 NASB)

6. Revelation 2:11
   

   He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’ (Revelation 2:11 NASB)

   Notice the glorified Lord gives the message, John writes the message, the angel guards and assures the arrival of the message, and, then, the Spirit speaks the message to listening ears and open hearts. This promise from Jesus of eternal life in Heaven with no possibility of experiencing death and damnation inspires and instills hope for all believers.

 

An open letter to Joe Biden on vaccine mandates

	Mark Armstrong Spring, Texas
President Joe Biden Jr. Subject: Rescind unconstitutional vaccination mandates I would like to take you at your word. That is, when you said that you would “shut down the virus and not the economy,” I would hope that you would do just that. However, your mandate that every company with more than 100 employees force those employees to be vaccinated is having the effect of shutting down our economy. During your campaign, you promised you would not issue a vaccination mandate for the coronavirus. Now, you have broken that promise three times by mandating vaccines for public sector employees, health care workers, and federal employees. More problematic than your broken promises is your violation of the U.S. Constitution which gives you no executive authority to issue such mandates. This cannot stand as an example for future tyrants. I urge you to immediately rescind and scrap your unconstitutional COVID vaccination mandates.   Sincerely

By the way, the banner image came from a 22 October 2020 post at this blog where I documented how Biden supporters made terroristic threats against Trump supporters. There has been no word as to whether Merrick Garland has looked into this.

…

 

Biden’s America and his messaging problems

One view of Biden’s messaging likens it to the husband who beats his wife for mentioning divorce

The American Mind reminds us of Biden’s first problem: overcoming the effects of his divisive, often incorrect, and many-times self-contradictory message.

On December 19, 2021—less than a week before Christmas—the Biden White House issued a statement containing the following extraordinary sentence, which astonished even the Administration’s harshest critics and alarmed many inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt:

For the unvaccinated, you’re looking at a winter of severe illness and death for yourselves, your families, and the hospitals you may soon overwhelm.

It’s rare to employ this kind of undiplomatic language even against America’s global adversaries. Against American citizens? Hence so many shocked and angry responses.

But few should have been surprised. Blue rhetoric toward Red America—unquestionably the target of the above outburst—has been unrelentingly punitive since at least 2015, and increasingly so in recent months. As one illustration, when offered the opportunity to “walk back” the above statement, the White House doubled down, and its media allies followed suit. Clearly, they’re committed to this kind of talk. To what end, we shall see below.

Political Messaging 1.0

Time was, a political “message” was crafted to appeal to people: either to the broadest possible majority (think FDR in ’32, LBJ in ’64, Nixon in ’72 and Reagan in ’84) or to a committed base that can eke out a narrow victory (G. W. Bush, twice, Obama’s reëlection, and Trump in 2016).

A good message may be positive, negative, or—like Biden’s in 2020—both: “I’m not Trump” and “Let’s get back to normal.” (A message does not have to be truthful to be effective.) In fact, political consultants generally agree that a dual message—why I’m great and the other guy is awful—works best. But they also emphasize that the positive one—what I’m going to do for you—is more important than the negative: what the other guy will do to you. A negative message by itself typically leads to defeat.

Broadly speaking, consultants recognize two kinds of “messaging problems”: no message, and a bad message. As to the former, there’s Hillary Clinton in 2016. She was clearly animated by no issues, no burning concerns except her own lust for power. For a bad message, look no further than Terry McAuliffe’s 2021 campaign for Virginia governor. Highlights include telling parents they should have no say over their children’s education and asserting that one of the state’s great crises is too many white teachers; i.e., mounting a direct assault on his party’s key constituency.

One type of message consultants never discuss is the negative message aimed at those whose votes you’re ostensibly trying to win. Call it: here’s how I plan to screw you. This would seem to be, in political terms, the quintessence of the “bad message”: not merely ineffective but downright counterproductive.

Yet this is Blue America’s consistent message for Red. One may reply that since no Blue politician honestly seeks any Red votes, the observation is inapt. But elite Blues are seeking something from Reds. Not votes, to be sure—they know that Red votes are immaterial to Blue success—but acquiescence. Acceptance. Quietude. Compliance. Obedience. Fealty. Even gratitude. And they’re trying to catch Red flies not with honey but with oceans of vinegar.

We Need to Talk

There has been, lately—and mostly but not entirely from the Right—a great deal of talk about some form of separation, ranging from the late Angelo Codevilla’s call for “radical federalism” to David Reaboi’s bolder proposal for “national divorce.” The latter, obviously, would split the Union but the former is designed to keep it together, by reducing domestic tensions that presently threaten to tear it apart.

The responses from Blues to both proposals were instantaneous, furious, and uniform: Hell, no! and How dare you! Under no circumstances may Reds have any degree of independence, self-determination, or control of their collective destinies. We know what would happen then: “the accelerated subjugation of women and people of color in a new, adjacent Red America,” the rejection of climate orthodoxy, and endless attacks from our religious zealot neighbors. Ed Kilgore, the author of this admirably frank screed, concludes even more bluntly:

I won’t let you go. I have no illusions of compromises yet untried or “third ways” left unexplored. So let’s have it out right here in America as peacefully as we can manage. Perhaps if we continue to battle for control of our common country, one side or the other might win a popular mandate to exercise real power and change the facts on the ground, breaking the perpetual stalemate. If not, then let’s consider the wisdom of those who crushed the Confederacy in the belief that the misery of political conflict is better than the literal civic death of national disunion. [Emphasis in the original.]

Won’t let you go … have it out right here … battle for control … exercise real power and change the facts on the ground … misery of political conflict … and, the coup de grace, crushed. You will stay in this marriage forever whether you like it or not and do what you’re told.

(Read about the Democrat push for CRT and how they think themselves indispensable at the American Mind)

Of course, if Joe could get out of the way of his own message that would help

If Joe Biden would stop:

• Inventing useless, bald-faced lies that do nothing to advance his cause (such as his claim to have been arrested in Georgia despite his being close friends with Senator Byrd, a KKK Grand Wizard),
• Contradicting himself (on polls, on COVID deaths, on his policies, and other topics)
• Continually making the same slips (such as the “President Harris” reference that he keeps making),
• Stop pushing the agenda items that go counter to public wishes (such as his expanded social safety net that has worked to advance inflation or his embracing of critical race theory within the Department of Education — something rejected by most Americans), or
• Ignoring how his policies exacerbate problems that Americans struggle against (for example, how vaccine mandates magnify the supply chain problems, how his stimulus checks and pay-to-stay-home benefits stoke inflation, and other issues) …

Then maybe someone, somewhere might start believing a few more of the words that spew out of his mouth. However, that someone is not me.

…

Biden’s message of “free” COVID-19 tests completely ignores the root cause of the shortage

The Washington Examiner shows how Biden’s messaging on the COVID-1984 tests actually contributes to the problem of the shortage.

It doesn’t take a lot of backbone or moral courage to give away other peoples’ money. So, it’s disappointing, although hardly surprising, that the Biden administration’s “solution” to the national shortage of COVID-19 tests is simply to declare them “free.”

Per a statement released Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services will require private health insurance providers to cover over-the-counter COVID-19 tests with no out-of-pocket costs for insured consumers.

“Under President Biden’s leadership, we are requiring insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests at no cost. By requiring private health plans to cover people’s at-home tests, we are further expanding Americans’ ability to get tests for free when they need them.”

There are a few glaring problems with this approach.

For one, it doesn’t actually make these COVID-19 tests “free” in any meaningful sense. Yes, insured people will not have to pay directly to receive them, but insurance companies must pay for the tests. And insurance costs are ultimately pooled across all consumers. (That’s literally what private health insurance is by definition.) So the cost for these tests will still, in fact, fall on consumers, just indirectly. “Free” is just a political spin.

Secondly, making something “free” doesn’t do anyone much good if there aren’t any available products to begin with.

Saying insurance providers must cover tests doesn’t fill the empty pharmacy shelves across the country with inventory. It doesn’t eliminate the hourslong lines and queues of people waiting for a limited supply of tests. It is a shortage of available tests, not the cost, that has been preventing most people (including myself) from getting their hands on at-home COVID tests.

So, simply addressing the cost is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet hole. No, it’s like putting a Band-Aid next to a bullet hole.

(Read more at the Washington Examiner to find how U.S. regulations have made the tests more expensive)

Additionally, this may be partially a problem in messaging over a “free” test

Because the largest portion of my acquaintances carry medical insurance and most of those I talk to haven’t investigated to see that insurance companies were paying for the “free” test, it seems that we were assuming that politicians were telling the truth on one matter and the tests did not carry a cost. Therefore, people like myself tend to place little value in something that purportedly does not carry a cost. Therefore, I may have over-ordered the item.

If Biden and his lot would be truthful about this, part of the problem might get solved.

…

Tone-deaf to inflation, pressures grow on Biden to forgive student loans

The Hill points out the push for Biden to forgive student loans.

Advocates and lawmakers are stepping up the pressure on President Biden to act on student loan forgiveness, focusing on it as a major issue some warn Democrats could pay for at the ballot box in the upcoming midterm elections.

Biden has been called on to work with Congress on the issue and provide more transparency about his authority to wipe out all federal student debt for millions of Americans. The extension once again of the student loan repayment pause amid record spikes in COVID-19 cases made advocates optimistic that more action will come out of the White House. 

“I think the administration needs to engage more with Congress on this because I think there’s real concern,” Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) told The Hill.

(Read about the support from Schmuck Schumer at The Hill)

How many of those loans might be for Finance majors? Ask those Finance majors what happens when you print money and dump it into a portion of the market.

There are $1.57 trillion in federal student loans floating out there. Therefore, if Biden forgave those loans, that would be $1.57 trillion that would not be coming in to the U.S. Treasury. In other words, we would increase our debt by $1.57 trillion in one fell swoop. And that assumes that only current loans would be forgiven.

If this signals a program of making college education free, then it does these things:

• It sets in place a program where everyone in America (including those who cannot or don’t go to college and those who went to college overseas) pays for the education of those who go to American colleges
• It opens the possibility of governmental control over institutions who accept students in this program 
• It cheapens the worth of a college degree
• It throws more money into the college system (and, therefore, into the American system — increasing inflation)

…

 

Comparing the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots to the 6 January riot

Comparing the 500+ Black Lives Matter riots in 2020 to the one riot on 6 January 2021

With a hat tip to the Chris Salcedo Show, Britain’s The Guardian, RealClearPolitics, and a few other linked sources, here is a table comparing the two events:

500+ BLM Riots Left Wing	6 January Riots Right Wing
The initial riots lasted 10 weeks. Additional riots drug on for seven months.	Lasted 5 hours
At least 25 murders of citizens (unless you include the 34 killed just in CHAZ)	No murders (unless you count the shooting of Ashli Babbitt by a Capitol police officer). Three other protesters died.
Hundreds of small businesses destroyed (369 in Minnesota, no media mention of New York businesses destroyed — except for a list of 10 minority-owned and 450 New York businesses mentioned as damaged, “over 20” in Portland, no media mention of Chicago — except for mentions of 85 fires, 35 businesses destroyed in Kenosha, “hundreds of businesses” in Seattle were destroyed, Philadelphia had no mention of numbers — just total destruction, …)	No small businesses destroyed
Over 150 federal buildings and 303 police cars damaged	One federal building damaged
$1B-$2B Damage	$1.5 M Damage
Retired police officer Dorn was shot and killed. Twelve officers (Dorn included) were shot during the BLM riots.	No officers were killed or shot. (Officer Sicknick died of natural causes. Four other officers died by suicide after the riot. Officer Evans, cited by Pelosi in her 6 January 2022 speech, was actually killed by Nation of Islam supporter Noah Green on 2 April 2021.)
2,037 officers assaulted	140 officers assaulted
Protesters bailed out by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden staffers	Protesters kept in solitary confinement
Encouraged by leading Democrat politicians (Waters, Pelosi, Harris, …)	Encouraged by new Republican politicians (Greene, …)
Encouraged by main stream media personalities (Lemon, Reid, …)	Encouraged by agitators not yet arrested (Ray Epps, John Sullivan, and others)
Not focused on by the main stream media	A constant topic for the main stream media (when they weren’t hyperventilating over COVID-1984)

…

 

 

Rasmussen poll finds nearly half of Americans see Biden’s FBI as a “personal Gestapo”

Almost half of Americans see the Federal Bureau of Investigation as “politicized thugs”

The Western Journal drew a picture of the results of a recent Rasmussen Reports poll where almost half of Americans were revealed to see the FBI as “politicized thugs.”

These numbers tell a story even worse than President Joe Biden’s plummeting approval ratings.

A poll released Tuesday by Rasmussen Reports found nearly half of American voters surveyed consider the Federal Bureau of Investigation — the nation’s premier law enforcement agency — no better than a band of “politicized thugs” on a par with the president’s “personal Gestapo.”

And the worst part is, it isn’t at all hard to figure out why.

But given the behavior of the Biden administration and its execrable attorney general, Merrick Garland, many more Americans are probably seeing themselves as potential candidates for the Roger Stone treatment in the future — and if they’re not considering that possibility, they should be.

Garland, after all, has sicced the FBI — the agency generations of Americans were brought up to admire — on parents whose only “crime” against the state has been showing up at school board meetings to demand that their children not be exposed to pornographic filth and leftist indoctrination while attending public schools. He then apparently lied to Congress about it.

(The fact that Garland is not now enjoying a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court is something every American should be thanking God and Mitch McConnell for every day, and no honest conservative can ever forget that.)

And the FBI is the agency, remember, that used a fraudulent “dossier,” bought and paid for by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, to justify the Russia “collusion” investigation that bedeviled most of Trump’s term in office.

The FBI is also the agency that has been in possession of a laptop formerly owned by first son Hunter Biden that almost certainly contains evidence of criminal conduct that would have put him away if he had a different name — “Donald Jr.”, “Eric” or “Ivanka,” say.

The FBI, in short, has given observant Americans plenty of reasons to distrust it in recent years, but even that didn’t keep a healthy majority of those surveyed less than two years ago from approving of the agency.

(Read on the acts of Merrick Garland that may have shadowed the FBI at the Western Journal)

With the reinforcement on 6 January, it is easy to see why many might keep this attitude

Since Merrick Garland announced that his top priority was to hunt down anyone associated with the 6 January riot (but did not mention the DOJ blind eye for nursing home deaths or the deaths and property loss in Democrat cities — although one conservative source found the DOJ did quietly look into who funded Democrat city violence), we know that this partisan will not bring justice.

…

 

Did we have a Dem-surrection or a Dem-opolipse?

Representatives Gaetz and Greene claim government staged “fed-surrection” of 6 January 2021

The Daily Mail outlines claims by Representatives Matt Gaetz and M. T. Greene regarding what they call the “fed-surrection” of 6 January 2021.

GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene held a press conference marking one year since the Capitol riot Thursday where they promoted a fringe conspiracy theory that the federal government was behind the deadly events that day.

They claimed that people added to the FBI‘s Most Wanted list for breaking into the United States Capitol last year simply ‘fall off’ like Ray Epps, a military veteran who members of the far-right have claimed to be an ‘FBI plant’ goading Donald Trump‘s supporters into violence that day. 

‘Congresswoman Greene and I are not here to celebrate January 6. We’re not here to obsess about it, but we’re here to expose the truth, to ask key questions about what happened on January 6, what animated the violence, the extent to which the federal government had been involved,’ Gaetz said at the outset of their media event.

‘We know this — January 6 last year wasn’t an insurrection. No one has been charged with insurrection. No one has been charged with treason. But it may very well may have been a fed-surrection.’

The two firebrand Republicans countered Democrats’ solemn day of retrospection to with their own alternative slate of programming focused on questioning the security failures that occurred that day and undermining House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s January 6 committee. 

That included Greene appearing outside of the Capitol with the mother of Ashi Babbitt, the Air Force veteran who was shot and killed by a Capitol police officer when she was at the head of a mob breaking through a window near the Speaker’s Lobby. 

Greene and Gaetz sought to frame the Trump supporters who entered the Capitol as having been manipulated by undercover federal agents and those who were subsequently arrested over it as political prisoners.

‘We are very concerned that we have sent letter after letter to Attorney General Garland and FBI Director Wray to simply get to the bottom of unexplained circumstances where people are on the FBI Most Wanted List from January 6, and then they fall off of that list,’ Gaetz said during the press conference. 

They played a series of videos that showed Epps, a Marine veteran who once ran a chapter of the far-right Oath Keepers group, directing people toward the Capitol on January 6.

There is no evidence that Epps ever entered the building himself that day and he was never arrested in connection with the storming.

In one video he’s seen in the street on January 5 saying: ‘I’m going to put it out there. I’m probably going to go to jail for it, OK? Tomorrow, we need to go into the Capitol. Into the Capitol…peacefully.’

At that point some in the crowd clearly believe he is a plant and begin to chant: ‘Fed! Fed! Fed!’

The following day, Epps can be seen in another clip dressed in military-style clothing and yelling to a crowd: ‘OK folks, spread the word. As soon as the president is done speaking, we go to the Capitol, where our problems are.’

(Read at the Daily Mail for more of Rep. Gaetz’s speech and a summary of Rep. Greene’s speech)

These speeches remind those of us who pay attention of a number of central facts

While there are a number of other items you can pick from these speeches, Gaetz and Greene remind us:

• One person commanded the Capitol Police before and on 6 January 2021 (Nancy Pelosi)
• Nancy Pelosi was not all that afraid of the incursion, since she was asking about lunch delivery
• Nancy Pelosi rejected an offer from President Trump to have the National Guard in the Capitol
• Capitol Police (who are under Nancy Pelosi’s command) ushered protesters into the Capitol

…

GOP pressures Biden regime over the torture of 6 January detainees

One America News Network reports how Republicans have pressured the Biden regime over the torture of 6 January detainees.

Republican lawmakers are ramping up pressure on the Biden administration to stop the harsh treatment of January 6 defendants. They are also calling on the administration to address the evidence of foul play before and during the capitol protest.

“Americans need to wake up and understand that people are being tortured. Tortured!” exclaimed Joseph McBride, attorney for January 6 detainees. “Are you okay with people being tortured five miles from the White House right now?”

The Department of Justice is advancing the prosecutions of January 6 protesters despite mounting legal challenges and evidence of foul play. In a statement Wednesday, Attorney General Merrick Garland vowed to punish hundreds of protesters regardless of whether they played an active role in the demonstration or even if they were not on Capitol Hill that day.

“The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6 perpetrators at any level accountable under law, whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy,” he stated.

Garland appeared to suggest the supporters of President Donald Trump are solely responsible for clashes at the U.S. Capitol, echoing the rhetoric of Democrat-controlled January 6 Committee. However, the Justice Department has yet to clarify the reports of federal agents and far-left operatives who Republican lawmakers say incited violence at the protest.

While the debate continues of what actually happened on January 6, around 1,400 protesters have been detained in connection with the protest, according to a Daily Caller estimate. Federal investigators have tried to accuse some of the defendants of “domestic terrorism” despite admitting hardly any of their actions meet the legal definition of terrorism.

Republican lawmakers, who have looked into the matter, are sounding the alarm.

“Here’s the thing, what’s going on is we have inhumane treatment of people who have not been convicted of a crime,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, (R-Ariz.). “These folks are being held in pre-trial detention.”

Attorneys for January 6 detainees have said their clients face inhumane detention conditions, psychological pressure and even torture. They argued the federal government’s actions violate the U.S. Constitution and the international law on human rights.

The argument for political motives behind miserable detention conditions is further reinforced by reports of a political bias that some prison guards have shown by expressing anti-Trump and hard left views.

(Read of those looking into this matter and how Garland seeks to widen the dragnet at OANN)

The more this kind of stuff goes on, the more Biden earns the title of Kомиссáр

The longer we hear stories of people being beaten in the 6 January “jail,” the additional times that people are denied chances to visit those prisoners, the more regularly we hear of unreasonably-long sentences for minor offences — the more Biden earns the title of комиссáр (Kommisar).

It seems that we don’t have an inept, demented jackass at the helm of our nation. We have a full-fledged socialist dictator.

…

 

Not a pandemic of the unvaccinated

Nearly half of Houston omicron patients who were hospitalized are fully vaccinated

According to Just The News, nearly half of the Houston patients who were hospitalized for COVID testing were fully vaccinated.

Nearly half of omicron cases in a Houston hospital system were breakthrough cases, but overall the new COVID variant seems to be less severe according to a not-yet-peer-reviewed study funded in part by the U.S. government.

Researchers studied COVID cases at the Houston Methodist healthcare system and identified 862 people with symptomatic omicron infections from late Nov. to Dec. 18, 2021. The study, published Sunday, reported that early signs show more people are getting infected with omicron despite being vaccinated. Patients with the new variant are “significantly less likely to be hospitalized,” and the disease is less severe overall. 

Of the patients with omicron, 430 of them had been vaccinated, and researchers state that compared to patients with other variants, omicron caused “a significantly greater percentage” of breakthrough cases.

Additionally, according to the study, nearly 9.9% of omicron patients had received a COVID booster.

“Consistent with Omicron causing a significantly increased number of vaccine breakthrough cases, it has been reported that this variant has reduced sensitivity to antibody neutralization in vitro, likely in large part due to the extensive number of amino acid and other structural changes occurring in Omicron spike protein,” the researchers wrote.

The study was authored by researchers from the Houston Methodist Research Institute, the University of Chicago the ​​Argonne National Laboratory and other locations. It was funded by the Houston Methodist Academic Institute Infectious Diseases Fund and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the latter of which is under Dr. Anthony Fauci. 

The researchers state that key findings include the fact that omicron “rapidly increased as a cause of COVID-19 and spread throughout the metroplex in an unusually short period of time, far faster than any other SARS-CoV-2 variant.” 

(Read more at Just The News)

This will not be reported not only because Dementia Joe needs an emergency in order to force mail-in balloting again, but because of Democrats’ plans for the elimination of competition

As the past few months of January 6 committee have demonstrated, the Democrats do not have anything to run on beside demonizing conservative Republicans. They can’t run on their economy. They cannot run on their gender equity bills (taking in mind that they also claim 57 genders and a need for “tree equity“). They cannot run on their support of critical race theory (which was part of what caused them to be thrown out in Virginia).

Therefore, they have to find a way to throw massive numbers of Republicans out of office and keep them from running for office. And, by two things, I believe they have tipped their hand on their plans to retain power over the desires of the electorate. First, just as they did over the first “Russia-Russia-Russia” permeated years of Trump’s administration (a story too many Americans believed — due to our biased press), Democrats have used the press to spread lies (such as Nancy’s lie that four policemen were killed on 6 January 2021) without being challenged.

Sicknick died of a stroke. Evans was killed by a leftist lunatic weeks afterwards. The other two were suicides. Pel… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) January 06, 2022

Second, having impeached President Trump twice without evidence, Democrats know that they can convict Republicans without charges. Furthermore, the 6 January detainees (many of whom remain locked up awaiting trial on charges of trespassing, parading, and similar minor charges) may be a set of test cases for seeing what Americans will tolerate. Nonetheless, because Democrats have been charging that “insurrection” has occurred on 6 January since they first spoke on the matter (and since the 14th Amendment states that nobody who has committed insurrection can be elected or hold office), I believe that Democrats plan to charge every Representative, Senator, and presidential candidate that they have to defeat with insurrection.

…

Danish study finds omicron spreads faster than delta within vaccinated individuals

The Epoch Times reports that a Danish study has found that omicron spreads more quickly among vaccinated individuals that delta.

A Danish study of nearly 12,000 households has discovered that Omicron spreads faster than Delta among those who are fully vaccinated, and even faster between those who have received booster shots, indicating the variant’s ability to better dodge vaccine-induced immunity. Unvaccinated individuals were about as susceptible to infection as vaccinated. Those with a booster were less susceptible.

The Omicron variant was found to evade the immunity of vaccinated individuals much more easily compared to Delta, while among the unvaccinated, it spread only somewhat faster than Delta, according to the study conducted by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Statistics Denmark, and Statens Serum Institut.

The likelihood that one person infects another—secondary attack rate (SAR)—was 17 percent higher for Omicron than Delta in unvaccinated households, 161 percent higher in fully vaccinated households, and 266 percent higher in those with a booster shot “demonstrating strong evidence of immune evasiveness of the Omicron VOC,” said the preprint of the study.

A fully vaccinated individual in an Omicron-infected household was about as susceptible to get infected as an unvaccinated one. Boosted individuals were about half as susceptible. For Delta, fully vaccinated were about 57 percent less susceptible and boosted about 84 percent less susceptible than unvaccinated.

Transmissibility—the likelihood that one infects another person—was about the same for both variants, the study found. Unvaccinated were about 40 percent more likely to transmit the virus than fully vaccinated and about twice as likely than the boosted.

There were altogether 11,937 households involved in the study, out of which 2,225 already had Omicron. After one to 7 days, the team followed up with the households and found 6,397 secondary infections. The SAR was found to be 31 percent with the Omicron, and 21 percent with the Delta variant.

(Read more at The Epoch Times)

Even if Democrats don’t use “insurrection” to exclude Republicans, they might use COVID as an emergency to force mail-in ballots; therefore, the press will ignore this

The press will ignore this, since giving attention to it might erode both their fear porn and Biden’s chance to use fear porn to force mail-in balloting.

…

The Louisiana Department of Health estimated that 84% of its omicron cases were fully vaccinated

The Louisiana Department of Health published an online estimate saying that 84% of its omicron cases were fully vaccinated.

The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) estimates the proportion of Omicron cases in our state is 84.6% for the week ending December 18.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the proportion of Omicron in HHS Region 6 (which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas) is 92.1%. Additionally, the CDC estimates Omicron represents 73.2% of all cases nationwide.

Limited Louisiana sequence data are available for the most recent reporting period. Estimated proportions are preliminary. LDH will now report the Omicron variant proportion rather than case count. Case-based surveillance for Omicron is no longer sustainable due to the volume of cases being identified. In addition, providing case counts of confirmed and probable cases will provide an inaccurate representation of the amount of Omicron circulating in our state. This is because: 1) probable cases are only able to be identified by one specific PCR assay that picks up the S-gene dropout, 2) not all PCR samples are submitted for sequencing, and 3) many people are tested by rapid antigen or molecular tests, which are not able to be sequenced. 

Updated LDH Guidance

Given the fast-spreading Omicron variant, Gov. John Bel Edwards extended Louisiana’s Public Health Emergency Order requiring all state employees, contractors and visitors to wear mask indoors in most state buildings. Additionally, LDH issued revised recommendations and guidance for Louisianans during the holiday season, particularly if they are traveling. These include getting vaccines and boosters, masking indoors – regardless of vaccination status – around people who aren’t in your household and getting tested multiple times – before traveling, before a gathering, and upon returning from traveling.

According to the CDC, unvaccinated people are 14 times more likely to die and 8 times more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID compared to a fully vaccinated person.

(Read more at the Louisiana Department of Health)

…

 

Media and Biden administration cover up these many scandals in “scandal-free” year

Media and Biden administration cover up these three scandals in “scandal-free” year

Fox News focuses on three scandals that other media outlets seem to want to ignore.

With the conclusion of the first year of the Biden administration, White House chief of staff Ron Klain sought to end on a high, or at least higher, note by retweeting a column saying that 2021 was not “all bad.” It was like bragging that a bad first date told you that the evening could have been worse. 

However, what really stood out in the column by Albert Hunt was the key rationale: the first year was “scandal free.”

Calling 2021 “scandal free” is not merely an example of blinkered commentary, it is an exercise of willful blindness. This is why magicians often make audience members part of the illusion. Houdini did not actually make his 10,000-pound elephant Jennie disappear. It was there the whole time, but the audience did not want to see it. That’s the trick.

At his inauguration, President Joe Biden promised the return of good government and newspapers like the Washington Post heralded the end to Trump’s “­scandal-plagued single term.” Now, at the end of the first year, readers are being asked to “think back four years ago: The Trump administration looked more like ‘The Godfather’ – without the skill.”

There is ample reason for the White House and many in the media to celebrate the lack of scandals in the Biden administration because it was a collective effort. Of course, four years ago, the media was all-in on the Russian collusion allegations. The media was doing non-stop coverage of the Steele dossier with little scrutiny or effort to uncover those who funded it. 

The dossier was later discredited and American intelligence warned that Russian intelligence may have used it to plant disinformation. While the Clinton campaign repeatedly denied funding the dossier, it was revealed (after the election) that not only did the Clinton campaign fund and push the dossier but also allegedly lied to Congress, the media, and the FBI. Clinton campaign chair John Podesta allegedly denied such funding to congressional staff. According to reports, sitting next to him was Clinton attorney Marc Elias (who was later found to have funded the dossier through the Clinton campaign’s legal account).

(continued)

The Hunter Biden Laptop

The successful effort to bury the Hunter Biden story is the single greatest political achievement in modern politics, but it took a concerted effort by reporters and columnists in Washington. What was most impressive is that the Biden campaign and family never denied that the laptop was authentic. The laptop details potential criminal acts by Hunter Biden from extensive drug use to hiring prostitutes to alleged financial and tax violations.

(continued)

Biden Family Influence Peddling

Influence peddling has long been associated with the Biden family but only sparingly reported, even though both President Biden’s brothers Frank and James are accused of openly hawking their ties to him. Hunter’s laptop added evidence of hundreds of emails on transactions by Hunter Biden, his uncle James Biden, and Joe Biden. The emails magnify earlier allegations that the Biden family engaged in open influence peddling when Joe Biden was Vice President with an assortment of foreign figures and countries. Some of those dealings continued into the Biden presidency.

(continued)

The Ashley Biden Diary

The latest scandal involves the other first child, Ashley Biden. Like her brother Hunter, Ashley has struggled with addiction and left her diary with some clothes in a house in Delray, Florida. The diary was later sent to Project Veritas, a conservative publication which decided not to run the information. The contents of the diary, however, have been reported on other sites, including allegations against her father involving “inappropriate” contacts.

(continued)

The media was not interested in the use of the FBI to launch a national investigation into the missing diary. Indeed, the raiding of the home of a conservative publisher was barely noted even though the New York Times could also have been raided on the same grounds as Project Veritas. The Times acquired confidential and presumably stolen legal material from Project Veritas and, unlike Project Veritas, published the presumably stolen information. However, the Biden Justice Department was only interested in cracking down on the acquisition or coverage of the Ashley Biden diary.

(continued)

(Read all the skipped paragraphs at Fox News)

The press also ignores the ballot harvesting in Georgia, the Arizona independent audit, and other proof of 2020 election fraud

If it were not for Brad Raffensperger’s futile attempts to get back in the good graces of Georgia voters, we wouldn’t know about ballot harvesting that has shown up on video.

Additionally, why must us lowly bloggers remember that the likes of John Sullivan and Ray Epps have not been charged despite their documented incitement on 5 and 6 January 2021?

But, if the press were to investigate the Biden family the way they should be looked at, then we might hear more of the Hunter Biden/call girl love child, the Hunter Biden art/influence peddling, and other ongoing issues.

…

“Ghost” flights near Lehigh Valley show Pennsylvania isn’t immune to border crisis issues

Lehigh Valley Live outlines how “ghost” flights have been sneaking into an airport near Lehigh Valley with plane loads of illegal aliens.

Pennsylvania is over 2,000 miles away from border towns like El Paso, Texas and one may assume that an unsecure southwest border does not affect their distant community. That assumption couldn’t be farther from the truth.

It was recently discovered that the Biden Administration has been covertly chartering flights of over 100 illegal aliens into Northeast Pennsylvania. These “ghost” flights are done under the cover of darkness without a flight manifest. No information is available to show if there was vetting and medical checks before the flights. The deliberate lack of transparency is astounding.

Predictably, Gov. Tom Wolf and Attorney General Josh Shapiro had refused to answer questions about the flights until the story became public. Wolf stated that Scranton was a mere transfer point but did not specify the destinations where passengers were headed and if those destinations would be in Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, their allies in the corporate media choose to look the other way; just as they have with this administration’s failed COVID policies, unconstitutional edicts, shut downs of businesses, and the reckless and deadly decision to send COVID positive patients back into long term care facilities.

It is only thanks to a whistleblower that we know about the flights to Scranton. Earlier this summer, there was a news report of at least one busload of illegals being dropped off in Erie. How many more flights have landed in Pennsylvania towns in the middle of the night? How many buses have arrived at bus stations? Have they been vetted? Have they been medically screened for COVID? Where will they live? Where will they work? Who will cover the added costs for the community and increases in taxes resulting from this?

(Read about the “Remain in Mexico” policy at Lehigh Valley Live)

What really illustrates the fact that we are all border states are the instances of crime by illegal aliens

For example, when an illegal alien posed as minor and then murdered a Florida man, that draws a clear picture of why our nation needs borders.

What’s more, when a search on “illegal alien drunk driver kills” brings up a list of 12 articles with only a few repeated articles gets completed — this tells us much (considering that Google restricts searches on the phrase “illegal alien”). This tells us that, even with suppression by Big Tech, drunk antics by illegal aliens have become too common. We need a border and a border wall.

…

Texas audit finds over 11,000 potential non-citizens registered to vote and other problems

The Epoch Times points out how a Texas audit of the 2020 election found over 11,000 potential non-citizens registered to vote (along with other problems).

Voting irregularities—including potentially thousands of votes cast by noncitizens and dead people—were reported during the first phase of the Texas secretary of state’s forensic audit of the 2020 general election, but critics deemed it more of a risk-limiting audit at this point.

The secretary of state’s office released its findings on Dec. 31; the issues found aren’t enough to significantly affect 2020 election results of the four counties involved in the audit—Collin, Dallas, Harris, and Tarrant counties—which account for about 10 million people, or a third of Texas’s population.

“Generally speaking, nothing was found on such a large scale that could have altered any election,” Sam Taylor, assistant secretary of state for communications, told The Epoch Times.

Findings include:

• Statewide, a total of 11,737 potential non-U.S. citizens were identified as being registered to vote. Of these, 327 records were identified in Collin County, 1,385 in Dallas County, 3,063 in Harris County, and 708 in Tarrant County. So far, Dallas County has canceled 1,193 of these records, with Tarrant County canceling one. Neither Collin nor Harris have canceled any potential non-voting records.
• Since November 2020, 224,585 deceased voters have been removed from the voter rolls in Texas: Collin County removed 4,889 deceased voters, Dallas County removed 14,926 deceased voters, Harris County removed 23,914 deceased voters, and Tarrant County removed 13,955 deceased voters.
• Statewide, a total of 67 potential votes cast in the name of deceased people are under investigation. Of those, three were cast in Collin County, nine in Dallas County, four in Harris County, and one in Tarrant County.
• In a review of each county’s partial manual count report required under Texas law, three of the four counties reported discrepancies between ballots counted electronically versus those counted by hand. The reported reasons for these discrepancies will be investigated and verified during phase two of the audit.

Taylor said the state’s audit, currently moving into its second phase, is the first of its kind for Texas.

(Read more at The Epoch Times)

Take in mind that this was a self-audit of the three largest Democrat (the big cities) and the three largest Republican (the mid-size cities) in Texas

The internal audit was done by the counties on an honor basis. If an independent audit were conducted, the results may have been significantly worse.

…

While this is not a Biden scandal, it is a Democrat scandal

Groping charges and other charges against disgraced ex-NY Governor will be dropped

The Daily Mail outlines the overall lawlessness seen in the dropping of charges against Andrew Cuomo for both groping women and his part in the deaths of numerous victims at nursing homes.

Charges of forcible touching against the disgraced former Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, are to be dropped by Albany County District Attorney David Soares.

Cuomo was due to be arraigned on Friday for allegedly groping former staffer and current state worker Brittany Commisso, 33, in November 2020.

Although Commisso is said to have wanted to move forward with the case, she was told by prosecutors on Monday that the charges will be dropped because of the matter in which the criminal complaint was filed.

Further details on the blunder made by prosecutors have not been shared.  

Commisso, a former aide, alleged how Cuomo pulled her in close to give her a hug, reached under her blouse and then fondled one of her breasts while in the Executive Mansion.

(continued)

Also on Monday, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced it will not file criminal charges in connection with Cuomo’s handling of coronavirus deaths in New York.

‘I was contacted today by the head of the Elder Care Unit from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office who informed me they have closed its investigation involving the Executive Chamber and nursing homes,’ attorney Elkan Abramowitz said in a statement.

(continued)

(Read more at The Daily Mail)

This from the party of women

Laugh the next time a Democrat claims their party represents women, because Cuomo proves it is a joke.

…

So much for gloom. Here are the comics that don’t run for office.

$20 billion in unemployment fraud vs. smash-and-grab (both Biden’s)

You may have any opinion as long as it is ours

AOC with Santa

AOC to Special Ed

Approval Numbers and the agenda

Biden in World Chess match

Biden policy explained

Biden poll numbers have fallen and he can’t reach his agenda

Biden supporters who haven’t been shot

Chaos 2022

Clear!

COVID hysteria

COVID infinity

Quotes from Democrats on “fear”

The Democrat official calendar

Democrat ready to be hatched
Because his head is almost in his a**

…

 

Deadbeat district attorneys do injustice to the poor

Manhattan DA orders his attorneys to stop prosecuting crime other than murder

The New York Post reports that Manhattan’s District Attorney has decided to “not seek a carceral sentence” except with homicides (and a few other crimes).

Who needs soft-on-crime judges when the district attorney doesn’t even want to lock up the bad guys?

Manhattan’s new DA has ordered his prosecutors to stop seeking prison sentences for hordes of criminals and to downgrade felony charges in cases including armed robberies and drug dealing, according to a set of progressive policies made public Tuesday.

In his first memo to staff on Monday, Alvin Bragg said his office “will not seek a carceral sentence” except with homicides and a handful of other cases, including domestic violence felonies, some sex crimes and public corruption.

“This rule may be excepted only in extraordinary circumstances based on a holistic
analysis of the facts, criminal history, victim’s input (particularly in cases of
violence or trauma), and any other information available,” the memo reads.

Assistant district attorneys must also now keep in mind the “impacts of incarceration,” including whether it really does increase public safety, potential future barriers to convicts involving housing and employment, the financial cost of prison and the racial disparities over who gets time, Bragg instructed.

In cases where prosecutors do seek to put a convict behind bars, the request can be for no more than 20 years for a determinate sentence, meaning one that can’t be reviewed or changed by a parole board.

(Read more on Bragg’s memo at the New York Post)

This will result in an escalation of violence against women and minorities

Take away the punishment for giving a woman a broken arm or a black eye — then the violence-prone will take their actions to the next step. More women will end up in comas or the morgue.

Additionally, by removing the disincentive for stealing little items, do you think that the bigger items will be less appealing or do you think that the criminal will think “I got away with this, why not that?”

…

Harris County DA Kim Ogg released the illegal alien who fatally shot a Houston Police Sergeant

The Police Tribune reported in a 21 October 2020 article how Kim Ogg both released an illegal alien and returned his gun and ammunition before that illegal alien went on a murderous rampage.

The illegal alien accused of murdering Houston Police Sergeant Harold Preston and wounding a Houston police officer and a 14-year-old boy was a violent convicted felon who had been released from custody by the Harris County District Attorney just days before the deadly shooting.

Houston Police Officer’s Union (HPOU) attorney Mary Nan Huffman issued a scathing press release on Tuesday, blaming Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg for the 65-year-old police sergeant’s brutal murder.

Huffman, who is running to unseat Ogg in the upcoming election, said that Sgt. Preston’s death “was 100% preventable.”

The accused gunman, 51-year-old El Salvador national Elmer Manzano, is “a convicted felon with multiple prior assaults on his record,” and had been released from police custody by Ogg just days before the deadly attack, Huffman said.

“While Mr. Manzano pulled the trigger, Kim Ogg put the gun in his hands,” she declared. “Her actions were directly responsible for the death of HPD Sergeant Preston.”

Houston Police Officer Courtney Waller, a three-year veteran of the department, and Manzano’s 14-year-old son were also shot during the attack, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday.

Officer Waller was also involved in another incident with Manzano on Oct. 18, the Houston Chronicle reported.

(Read more on the consequences for Monzano’s ex-wife at the Police Tribune)

In this case, a woman’s 14-year-old son was injured during the same incident where one policeman was killed and another injured

You cannot tell me that Manzano’s ex-wife left him without considering Manzano’s violent tendencies. Therefore, for Kim Ogg to return Manzano’s gun and ammunition (despite his violent and felonious history) defies logic (unless her logic aims to create more violence).

…

So much for gloom. Here are the comics that don’t run for office.

We didn’t see it coming

Filibuster = brake

Flip-side reporting

Good old days of 2020

Good riddance 2021

If we only would

Ignoring the real wave

It’s a Terrible Life

LGB

Look who else got cancelled

Mental hospital for three, please

MinnExit

No more pants-on-fire

Problems trailing …

 

Democrats’ crazy bills up for consideration

Senator Steve Daines says the Democrats’ “reckless” BBB plan includes a $400 billion tax increase

Newsmax reports that there are $400 billion in new taxes built into Biden’s BBB bill.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., told Newsmax that President Joe Biden’s and the Democrats’ proposed $1.75 trillion ”Build Back Better” budget reconciliation bill includes $400 billion in tax increases.

“It’s just a great big, huge, reckless tax and spending spree, and it’s what the Democrats do best,” Daines said on Friday’s “Spicer & Co.” “It’s about $400 billion of tax increases that are inside this bill that [are] trying to get jammed through Congress.”

Democratic leaders in Congress said this week that they will still try to move the bill, which includes several key items that are part of the party’s agenda, through the Senate after the new year despite currently lacking the required 50 votes from 48 Democrats and two independents in the evenly divided chamber.

Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., said they will oppose the legislation, effectively killing it in the Senate.

Key portions of the bill include expanding healthcare, child care, and several climate change initiatives.

The House passed its version of the plan in November with a 220-213 vote with all Republican members of the lower chamber opposing the measure.

”This is fiscal madness. It’s absolute insanity,” Daines said. ”This great big bill that Biden is trying to jam through Congress is actually going to cost $5 trillion, is going to add $3 trillion to our national debt.”

Daines also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for not doing her job along the southern border after being tasked by Biden to deal with the surge in illegal immigration.

(Read more on Harris looking at “root causes” at Newsmax)

When the economy is booming, we need to pay down the debt. When inflation is booming, we don’t need this.

There is no good time to build up debt. There are only times that you find yourself weakened by circumstances that you want to put off paying that which is due. However, causing yourself to have to pay the principle plus interest will only compound the pain.

…

Don’t expect Joe Manchin to save us from BBB: Manchin returns to BBB negotiations with demands

In a 2 January 2022 article, Axios pointed out that Senator Manchin returned to negotiations with Joe Biden over the BBB bill (aka the Green New Deal bill).

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is open to reengaging on the climate and child care provisions in President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda if the White House removes the enhanced child tax credit from the $1.75 trillion package — or dramatically lowers the income caps for eligible families, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.

Why it matters: The holdback senator’s engagement on specifics indicates negotiations between him and the White House could get back on track, even after Manchin declared he was a “no” on the package on Dec. 19.

• The senator’s concerns with the size and the scope of the package remain.
• His belief that it could cost more than $4 trillion over 10 years extends beyond the CTC issue, and he continues to tell colleagues he’s concerned about the inflationary effects of so much government spending, Axios is told.
• The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its next Consumer Price Index on Jan. 12. Last month’s reading put inflation at 6.8% for the year — fueling Manchin’s opposition.

The big picture: Manchin and top White House aides traded recriminations after their negotiations fell apart — but President Biden and the senator subsequently spoke by phone late in the evening of Dec. 19.

• They agreed to continue to talk, and Manchin stayed in touch with senior White House officials over the holidays.
• The week before Christmas, reports emerged about how close he and Biden were on a potential deal.
• The details included a $1.8 trillion offer from Manchin that contained money for universal preschool and green tax credits but nothing for the child tax credit, which provides families up to $3,600 per child per year.
• Families who make up to $400,000 had been receiving some CTC payments under the program that ended Jan. 1.

(Read about the finer details — like support by RINO Romney — at Axios)

Mind you, Axios is liberal and Manchin has reiterated elsewhere that he has not met with Biden or his staff

Even liberal CNBC reports that Joe Manchin has had no talks with Biden’s side about resurrecting the BBB plan. Therefore, anything that sounds optimistic on that part may just be happy talk for a liberal audience.

…

Schumer vows to kill the filibuster in order to push the Democrat cheat-by-mail bill through

The New York Post reported in a 3 January 2022 article how Chuckie Schumer promised to kill the filibuster in order to push Biden’s cheat-by-mail bill through.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) asserted Monday that he will force a vote on a measure to change the upper chamber’s rules by Jan. 17 in order to pass a sweeping election reform bill — a gambit that is certain to fail due to opposition by moderate Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to making such changes along party lines. 

The announcement in a letter to colleagues marked Schumer’s strongest call yet to change the 60-vote legislative filibuster rule in order to ease the path for Democrats to force through the massive legislation.

Schumer linked his calls for the Senate to overhaul the rules to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, when supporters of former President Donald Trump breached the building in an attempt to derail the certification of the 2020 election.

Schumer also cited election law changes in states like Texas and Georgia while laying out his case to change the Senate rules in a so-called “Dear Colleague” note.

A handful of Senate Democrats, as well as President Biden, have been pushing for an exception to the filibuster to allow them to move on the election bill, but Manchin and Sinema have so far held firm in their support for keeping the 60-vote hurdle in place.

“All my discussions have been bipartisan, with Republicans and Democrats,” Manchin told reporters last month. “A rules change should be done to where we all have input in this rules change, because we’re all going to have to live with it. Because we’ll be in the minority sometime and then in the majority, back and forth.”

Similarly, a spokesperson for Sinema told Politico in December that the Arizonan “continues to support the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, to protect the country from repeated radical reversals in federal policy which would cement uncertainty, deepen divisions, and further erode Americans’ confidence in our government.”

(Read about Democrats’ whining over tightened voting laws in Republican states at the New York Post)

If Chuckie kills the filibuster, we need to push every conservative in Congress to make him rue the day he did it

The only way that RINO’s and Democrats will learn is if the conservatives stand. Until then, the liberal coalition will use conservatives as a door mat. 

Still, the reason the bill Chuckie even gets mentioned is the deleterious effects the bill will bring to us. To be clear, the Democrats’ For the People Act (as dissected by The Heritage Foundation) will:

• Federalize and micromanage the election process
• Reverse the Constitutional decentralization of the American election process
• Implement the worst changes in election changes that occurred in 2020 and further damage our election security
• Seize the authority of the states and make voter registration illegal
• Require early voting, automatic voter registration, same-day registration, online registration, and no-fault absentee balloting
• Make it easier to commit fraud
• Tamp-down voter turnout through mandated early voting
• Degrade the accuracy of voter registration lists by requiring states to automatically register all people from Department of Motor Vehicle databases, Department of Corrections databases, Welfare databases, and other inputs.
• (Refer to The Heritage Foundation for 15 other points)

By the way, call your senators. Tell them to stand against this.

…

 

Rep. Banks says Nancy Pelosi is hiding things in her 6 January investigation

Representative Jim Banks claims that San Fran Nan is lying about her 6 January investigation

In the following Fox News video clip, Republican study committee chairman Rep. Jim Banks and House of Judiciary ranking member Jim Jordan discuss on “The Ingraham Angle” unanswered January 6th questions as the one-year anniversary approaches.

 

Democrats describe themselves and blame Republicans

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, how can Democrats delude of them all? Democrats describe themselves

Democrats use the 6 January 2021 riot as “partisan political weapon” according to Representative McCarthy

The New York Post reports the observations of Representative McCarthy as he points to the shameless acts of Democrats calling conservatives “a threat to democracy.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy slammed Democrats over the weekend for using the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as a “partisan political weapon” just days before the first anniversary of the violent attack. 

In a Sunday letter to members of his conference, McCarthy (R-Calif.) described 2022 as “a big year” and “maybe the most important of our time in Congress.” 

“We all enter 2022 with renewed optimism, but against the same backdrop of challenges that faced our country this past year,” McCarthy wrote. “No matter how you slice it, the first year of the Biden administration with Democrat control of Washington has set our nation back.” 

The Republican leader highlighted inflation, the rise in crime, the southern border crisis and the recent surge of COVID-19 that has led to thousands of flight cancellations and hours-long testing lines. 

“Even now, we are seeing the President’s central promise — ‘to shut down the virus’ — be so mismanaged that Americans are starting the year with as much uncertainty and unease as at the start of the pandemic,” McCarthy claimed.

Later in the letter, the Republican leader pivoted to the Jan. 6 anniversary, writing that the actions by President Donald Trump supporters that day were “lawless and as wrong as wrong can be.”

“Our Capitol should never be compromised and those who broke the law deserve to face legal repercussions and full accountability,” McCarthy added. “Unfortunately, one year later, the majority party seems no closer to answering the central question of how the Capitol was left so unprepared and what must be done to ensure it never happens again. Instead, they are using it as a partisan political weapon to further divide our country.”

(Read of the planned Democrat response to 6 January 2021 at the New York Post)

If this were only a review of Democrat foibles, it would be enough

Were this just a review of the idiotic moves of San Fran Nan and her compatriots, this would be enough. However, with do-nothing McCarthy seems intent here on driving away the conservatives who might vote for Republicans and endearing himself to the Democrats.

Does he expect the Democrat bill that shifts all election powers to federal hands to not be overturned by the Supreme Court? Maybe he knows about turncoats on the court.

Does he expect a select number of turncoat Republicans to vote for the measure, so that no filibuster is needed in the Senate? Either the stupidity or the Machiavellian moves behind this letter abound. Maybe both.

…

Biden, Harris to speak on Jan. 6 while Cheney says GOP must pick Trump or Constitution

The New York Post also reported on how Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have been scheduled to deliver 6 January Capitol Riot speeches.

The White House has announced that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will deliver remarks Thursday to mark the anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as lawmakers prepare a series of events reflecting on the events of that day. 

Hours before the White House announcement, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), vice chair of the House select committee investigating the riot, warned on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that the GOP “can either be loyal to our Constitution or loyal to Donald Trump, but we cannot be both.” 

“Any man who would provoke a violent assault on the Capitol to stop the counting of electoral votes, any man who would watch television as police officers were being beaten, as his supporters were invading the Capitol of the United States, is clearly unfit for future office, clearly can never be anywhere near the Oval Office ever again,” Cheney told host George Stephanopoulos.

The Wyoming lawmaker has become a staunch critic of the former president, despite voting with his position nearly 93 percent of the time. 

Cheney told “This Week” that Trump “crossed lines yno American president has ever crossed before,” saying that “when a president refuses to tell the mob to stop, when he refuses to defend any of the coordinate branches of government, he cannot be trusted.” 

The violence of Jan. 6, 2021, began after hundreds of Trump supporters marched to the Capitol from a rally where the 45th president urged then-Vice President Mike Pence to remain “loyal” and stop the congressional count of electoral votes.

(Read about Trump’s original reaction to the riots and more current responses from Nancy at the New York Post)

These idiots hold a mirror and attribute the reflection to conservatives

While President Trump may have kept himself from using the term “loyal” and just said “constitutional” or “true to the voters,” I cannot disagree with the underlying sentiment. Oddly, in this instance, the Democrats (both the registered ones and the ones like Cheney) decide to look in the mirror and attribute the reflection to conservatives. They act like there are no videos out there. They act like new videos don’t surface daily and that non-liberal platforms allow those videos to remain out there.

…

As proof of the effects of Democrat policies, a grocery store chain implements policy

Supermarket chain Hy-Vee introduces new security efforts as smash-and-grab robberies continue

The Daily Wire tells us how Hy-Vee has implemented security measures to countermand the effects of Democrat policies that release criminals for “low-dollar” crime.

Hy-Vee — a supermarket chain that operates in the Midwest — launched a “Retail Security Team” amid a rise in smash-and-grab robberies.

The company said in a statement:

As part of its ongoing efforts to ensure the health and safety of both its customers and employees, Hy-Vee is introducing its new Hy-Vee Retail Security team to retail stores across its eight-state region. Hy-Vee has long worked with third-party security contractors or off-duty law enforcement that work in a security capacity throughout its eight-state region. The goal with this team is to create a consistent look for the security team and consistent approach to customer service and security across all of stores.

Hy-Vee Retail Security officers will be present in Hy-Vee stores during operating hours. These officers, many of whom come from a law enforcement background, are specially trained to defuse situations and equipped to protect the safety of both Hy-Vee customers and employees. The officers have been through training designed by Hy-Vee retail security leaders alongside law enforcement partners.

“Hy-Vee has a strong history of doing anything for our customers, and these officers will be held to that same standard,” Hy-Vee President and COO Jeremy Gosch said. “These officers will help provide another layer of safety and security for our customers, and will work alongside our store employees to deliver the same helpful smiles and outstanding service everyone expects at their local store.”

For the past few months, stores across the United States — especially in large cities — have been terrorized by large crowds of people executing group robberies. Days ago, one such incident in Palm Beach, Florida, resulted in the theft of nearly $1 million in Hermes handbags.

(Read more on the speculation of experts on additional problems at the Daily Wire)

Even worse, Harris County has seen over 150 murders by felons released by liberals

Law Enforcement Today reported in a 29 December 2021 article that over 150 murders have been committed over the past three years by felons released by Democrat judges and the Democrat District Attorney.

“Catch and release” Judges presently on the bench in Harris County have released more than 113 defendants charged with capital murder back onto Houston streets on bond, and more than 150 people have been murdered by accused criminals released on bond.

In Harris County, no fewer than 113 defendants charged with capital murder – have been inexplicably granted bond and released back onto our streets pending trial. https://t.co/p2WCrsUGcc

— FOX26Houston (@FOX26Houston) December 26, 2021

FOX26 reported that liberal judges have allowed more than 50,000 accused felons out of prison under liberal reforms.

The local news outlet poin ted out that capital murder is the most “egregious” offense in the Texas criminal code, which has a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty. The news outlet wrote:

“In all, more than 50,000 accused felons have benefited from the ‘catch and release’ philosophy of “criminal justice,” perpetrated by the current crop of democratic ‘reform’ judges.”

(Read more of quotes from Crime Stoppers, KHOU, and others at Law Enforcement Today)

Of course, anyone who has read my posts on Kim Ogg knows that this comes as old news.

…

 

Biden’s 2021 in almost one tweet

Thanks to @JohnHackerLA, we have a close approximation of 2021 and six reasons to not elect socialists

Thanks to meme creator @JohnHackerLA, we have the following summary of Biden’s 2021.

https://t.co/kvB3O76F37

—
john (@johnhackerla) December 18, 2021

The only thing that is weirder is the tweet that inspired it. Obviously, Dementia Joe was trying his best to be cool.

Additionally, I would like to know a few points about these musicians who, the last time I looked, were marketing their music to a Christian audience. Why the Jonas Brothers would lend their name to a sinking ship like Joe and the Democrat party, I don’t know.

Does anyone know if they have done benefits for Planned Parenthood? I hear that PP has had almost as bad a year as Joe.

Dinner plans @POTUS? https://t.co/VW1JHLT5iQ

—
Karine Jean-Pierre (@KJP46) December 17, 2021

Counting our 2021 blessings, part 3

We were blessed in 2021 because …

… Biden and Soros funded a crime surge across America (and America saw)

How George Soros funded progressive “legal arsonist” District Attorneys behind America’s crime surge

The New York Post exposed the Soros funding of district attorneys who refuse to implement the law.

For the last several years, billionaire philanthropist George Soros has been quietly financing a revolution in criminal justice reform, doling out tens of millions of dollars to progressive candidates in district attorney races throughout the country amid movements to abolish bail and defund the police.

Working with an activist attorney, Soros, 91, mainly funnels cash through a complicated web of federal and state political action committees as well as non-profits from coast to coast, public records show.

Last year, the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a nonprofit in Soros’ orbit, gave $3 million to the Community Resource Hub for Safety and Accountability, according to a recent report. The group provides resources to “local advocates and organizations working to address the harm of policing in the US.”

Hungarian-born philanthropist Soros and his Open Society group of non-profits have mainly doled out cash to political action campaigns controlled by attorney and criminal justice reform activist Whitney Tymas, 60. She is the treasurer of the Justice and Safety PAC as well as 20 other similarly named groups at both the state and federal levels, according to public filings.

The goal of the myriad PACs is focused on electing progressives to end tough policing and mass incarceration, according to Tymas. “If we are to reach a place of true progress, it will take the sustained efforts of local elected prosecutors across the country to rectify and reimagine their role in the criminal legal system — not just as gatekeepers, but as active catalysts for change,” wrote Tymas in an opinion article last year.

(Read about Soros funding Chicago’s Kim Foxx and four other district attorneys at the New York Post)

Never forget the hundreds in Harris County that Soros-backed Kim Ogg has let off

As frequently discussed at this blog, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has a long history of releasing felons to have them kill innocent citizens.

This must not be forgotten, no matter which town that Democrat District Attorney has used as a base of lawlessness.

Thankfully, many of those who have been able to look around the main stream news have seen that Soros and the Democrats have a close, supportive link to the violent crime surge. 

Therefore, we must be thankful for this and continue on our push to reverse this trend and stop the crime.

Bail fund backed by Kamala Harris and Joe Biden staffers bailed out alleged child abuser

Fox News points out how Harris and Biden staffers bailed out an accused child abuser Black Lives Matter protester.

A bail fund promoted by Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris and many staffers on Joe Biden’s campaign helped release an accused child abuser, documents obtained by Fox News indicate.

Timothy Wayne Columbus, a 36-year-old-man, is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly penetrating a girl in 2015 when she was about 8 years old. A warrant was issued for his arrest on June 25. But he was later bailed out of jail and according to a court document, filed to have his bail money returned to Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF), the organization Harris and many Biden staffers asked their followers to donate to during the rioting in Minneapolis earlier this year.

The story was first reported by Alpha News MN and The Daily Caller.

(Read more at Fox News)

Harris promoted group that put up bail for alleged violent criminals

Fox News reminded us through a 12 August 2020 article of the bail put up by Harris for accused violent criminals in Black Lives Matter and Antifa.

Sen. Kamala Harris, who Joe Biden picked on Tuesday to be his running mate, promoted the bail fund group that several Biden staffers donated to during the protests that followed George Floyd’s death, which since has posted bail for multiple alleged violent criminals, including an alleged murderer and a previously convicted rapist.

A FOX 9 report from Monday revealed that the Minnesota Freedom Fund (MFF) in recent weeks has bailed out individuals including Darnika Floyd, who was charged with second-degree murder after allegedly stabbing a friend to death, and Christopher Boswell, who is facing charges of sexual assault and kidnapping. The group put up $100,000 on behalf of Floyd and $350,000 on behalf of Boswell.

MFF received about $35 million in the wake of Floyd’s death — which came after a Minneapolis Police Department officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes — with at least some of it coming from a number of Biden staffers who donated to the group and then tweeted about it. And Harris, D-Calif., a former prosecutor who served as the attorney general of California for six years, promoted the fund herself in a June 1 tweet, telling her followers that the group would be able to help protesters swept up in clashes with police as unrest gripped Minneapolis.

(Read more at Fox News)

…

… Details come out on who can and cannot be trusted with elections.

Representative Ramthun lays out evidence of undeniable voter fraud in Wisconsin 2020 election

The Gateway Pundit lays out Representative Ramthun’s case showing voter fraud in the 2020 elections in Wisconsin.

Even in July there was enough evidence of likely fraud that there were calls in the state for a forensic audit.

Rep. Ramthun first called for a forensic audit back on July 16th and he continues to speak out against the alleged fraud. Ramthun told Jim Hoft and Joe Hoft that he has heard from several experts outside the state including Seth Keshel on their thoughts for the need of an audit in Wisconsin.

Ramthun also spoke in favor of Representative Janel Brandtjen’s announcement push for a forensic audit in the state. Rep. Brandtjen called for an Arizona-style audit of Wisconsin’s November election.

Earlier this week Rep. Ramthun along with Wisconsin state Representatives Rep. Janel Brantjen, Rep. Chuck Wichgers, and Rep. Scott Allen released a statement calling out the latest Zuckerbucks venture the EOLDN announced earlier this week. The EOLDN is another Zuckerberg venture whose purpose is to stifle dissent among the masses who question the fraud in the 2020 election.

Rep. Ramthun is calling for a forensic audit in the state. He released a new video on Saturday where he recaps all the facts that support our efforts to reclaim Wisconsin ballots, and he also recaps the excuses used to obstruct the legitimate request for a forensic audit in Wisconsin.

(Read more at The Gateway Pundit)

In order to push his federal voting bill through, Biden changes his tune on the filibuster

Townhall discusses how Dementia Joe has changed his mind on the filibuster that holds back his federal takeover of voting.

President Biden has changed his tune on the filibuster, saying Thursday that he supports an exception when it comes to the election reform bill that stalled in the Senate earlier this year after passing the House.

“If the only thing standing between getting voting rights legislation passed and not getting passed is the filibuster, I support making the exception of voting rights for the filibuster,” the president told ABC News’s David Muir. “Whatever it takes. Change the Senate rules…”

For the first time, President Biden officially endorses changing Senate rules to allow voting rights legislation to… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
The Recount (@therecount) December 23, 2021

If that were to happen, the 60-vote threshold for passage would be lowered to 50. If all Republicans opposed the measure and Democrats could get Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, the two moderates, on board, Vice President Kamala Harris would serve as the tie-breaking vote.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said they will push forward on the legislation in January.

“The Senate will consider voting rights legislation, as early as the first week back,” he wrote in a letter to the caucus, according to The Hill. “If Senate Republicans continue to abuse the filibuster and prevent the body from considering this bill, the Senate will then consider changes to any rules which prevent us from debating and reaching final conclusion on important legislation.”

Manchin and Sinema have remained firm in their support of the filibuster. 

“If you can make the Senate work better, the rules are something we’ve changed over the years; 232 years, there’s been rule changes. But there’s never been a change with the filibuster, the rights of the minority,” Manchin told “Fox News Sunday” recently. 

In a June opinion piece for The Washington Post, Sinema argued “there’s more to lose than gain by ending the filibuster.”

“I understand bipartisanship seems outdated to many pundits. But the difficult work of collaboration is what we expect in Arizona,” she said. “And I still believe it is the best way to identify realistic solutions — instead of escalating all-or-nothing political battles that result in no action, or in whipsawing federal policy reversals.”

(Read more at Townhall)

Thankfully this has come to light in conservative media. Now we need to push main stream media to cover it.

Now that conservative media has exposed the corruption of the Democrat vote-creating machine, our continued and America’s wider exposure to this knowledge now works as the central concern here. We can be thankful that the issue came up at all. However, we must shine light on this for all of America to know.

For the Democrat federal takeover of election law to happen would mean the end of the two-party system. From then on, it would be a socialist, one-party America.

…

 

Counting our 2021 blessings, part 2

We were blessed in 2021 because …

… Biden fouled up the one thing Americans would not forgive: Screwing up inflation and killing the supply chain

Key inflation gauge pops again, this time hitting highest level in nearly 40 years

The Epoch Times reported in a 23 December 2021 article how Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testified that a key inflation gauge used by the Reserve has inflation at a 40-year high.

The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge, the so-called PCE price index, vaulted again in November, this time hitting its highest level in nearly four decades and delivering a fresh data point reinforcing the persistence of inflationary pressures.

The Commerce Department reported on Dec. 23 that the headline Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index rose by 5.7 percent in the 12 months through November. That’s a higher pace of inflation than the 5.1 percent logged in October, which was the highest since 1990, and nearly three times higher than the Fed’s inflation target of 2 percent. It’s also the highest level since July 1982, when PCE inflation hit 5.8 percent.

Meanwhile, the so-called core PCE price index, which excludes the volatile categories of food and energy and is the inflation gauge the Fed relies on most heavily when calibrating monetary policy, rose in the year through November at 4.7 percent. That’s well above October’s over-the-year rate of 4.2 percent and slightly higher than forecasts of 4.5 percent. It’s also the fastest pace since 1989.

Some economists warn that underlying inflationary pressures, which the core PCE measure reflects, could intensify further. Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said in a note that he expects even more upside for core PCE inflation, predicting the gauge has “further to rise before peaking in February.”

The new figures follow a number of other data releases pointing to the persistence of inflation, including the third-quarter PCE inflation coming in at 5.3 percent and the consumer price index (CPI) measure rising in the year through November at 6.8 percent, with the latter gauge surging to its highest level in nearly 40 years.

Commenting on the consumer price hikes, Bankrate Chief Financial Analyst Greg McBride told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that inflation rising faster than wages was dragging down consumer confidence. He predicted that “it is only a matter of time before it impacts consumer spending in a material way.” Consumer spending is a key driver of the U.S. economy, accounting for around two-thirds of output.

(Read on the assessment from the director at the University of Michigan’s program at The Epoch Times)

Biden-backed antitrust crackdown could worsen inflation

The New York Post records the words of Larry Summers (who suggests that Biden’s anti-trust crackdown could make inflation worse).

The Biden administration’s push to crack down on antitrust violations could cause the ongoing inflation crisis to worsen rather than improve, economist Larry Summers warned this week.

Summers, the Treasury secretary during the Clinton administration, said proposed antitrust actions were “more likely to raise than lower prices.”

President Biden has called for scrutiny of top meat industry firms and US oil companies, arguing that a lack of competition has contributed to artificially high consumer prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The emerging claim that antitrust can combat inflation reflects ‘science denial,’” Summers wrote on Twitter. “There are many areas like transitory inflation where serious economists differ. Antitrust as an anti-inflation strategy is not one of them.”

(Read more on Summer’s assessment at the New York Post)

As Nixon taught us, America will forgive predictable inflation, military ineptitude, and corruption, but (as Carter learned), not that with total financial breakdown

When Nixon pulled out of Viet Nam (with the disastrous pull-out of Saigon), America forgave. All during the span that Nixon set up government-expanding departments like the Environmental Protection Agency, Nixon’s numbers remained high (along with moderately-high inflation that continued from the Kennedy and Johnson years).

However, when Jimmy Carter imposed an oil embargo that resulted in the doubling of gas prices and rationing of gasoline, America disapproved.

In the past few months, Biden has continually flopped on his promise to not lock down America. Still, America initially forgave him (for the most part). Biden flopped on his promise to lock down the virus. America pretty much forgave. Biden flubbed the withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving Americans, allies, and equipment behind. True to the Nixonian days, America forgave — even overlooking Biden’s continual checking of his watch at the memorial services.

But what does America not forgive? What caused NASCAR fans and college crowds to join together in chanting “F**k Joe Biden” for what seemed to extend to hours? It was the way Joe so eagerly suppressed business, printed money, distributed fistfuls of money chasing ever-more-scarce goods, and kept repeating this cycle while telling us that all was well.

We can be thankful that Joe went off the ledge and followed the crowd of socialists dominating the Communist Youth League wing of Congress. Had he instead taken a more moderate, Nixonian type of big-government system, he might have won the day. Had he taken a Johnsonian, socialist-light set of programs, he might have gotten away with it. However, we can be thankful that the effects of the socialism have been noted.

…

… Who we could and couldn’t trust in social media: Some disregard the First Amendment and actively censor conservative thought.

Newsmax points out how Twitter has even banned one of the key scientists who created the mRNA treatment for COVID.

Twitter has issued a suspension to Dr. Robert Malone, a key architect of mRNA technology that has helped catapult COVID vaccines into early use who has become a vocal critic of COVID-19 mandates and regulations, The Epoch Times reported on Wednesday.

Writing on his Substack page, the news site said, he confirmed that his account had been “permanently suspended from Twitter.”

Malone is a physican-scientist who has worked in the field of infection disease countermeasures. Epoch said he had more than a half-million followers.

“We all knew it would happen eventually,” he added about the Twitter account action.

Malone said the sudden move seems to suggest “I must have been on the mark, so to speak.”

“It also means we lost a critical component in our fight to stop these vaccines being mandated for children and to stop the corruption in our governments, as well as the medical-industrial complex and pharmaceutical industries.”

(Read more at Newsmax to find out about Malone’s comments and The Epoch Times substack)

During the Trump administration, many of us were convinced of the one-sidedness of the social media

Whether it was the blocking of certain Trump tweets, the eventual banning of Trump from Facebook and Twitter, or the banning or shadow-banning of Trump’s followers, a number of conservatives were convinced of the unfairly-liberal nature of many social media platforms.

Add to this the great amount of funds and manpower Facebook founder Zuckerberg devoted to the mail-in ballot initiative (and other Biden supporting efforts, including Biden’s transition team), social media has not done anything to help itself in the eyes of conservatives.

Therefore, who could blame conservatives for creating their own social media platforms (which, of course, the Left was quick to try to sabotage)? Nonetheless, create them we did — and some are now flourishing (e.g., Rumble).

Therefore, we can be thankful that much of the liberal social media has exposed itself for what it is.

…

 

Counting our 2021 blessings, part 1

We were blessed in 2021 because we found out …

… Who we could and couldn’t trust in the press: Some repeated the lie of “a pandemic of the unvaccinated”

The National Pulse revealed through a 14 December 2021 article how this has become a pandemic of the vaccinated.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced this weekend that 80 percent of COVID-19 “Omicron variant” cases are found in so-called “fully vaccinated” individuals. Forty-seven percent of Omicron cases – which are far milder than original COVID-19 cases – are found in those who received the first round of vaccinations, and with 33 percent of cases found in people with both vaccination and booster shots.

Only 19 percent of cases were identified in unvaccinated individuals.

In a surveillance report released in the first week of December, the CDC described 43 cases of Omicron in the United States. No deaths and no hospitalizations have been linked to the variant. Symptoms are mild in both the unvaccinated and vaccinated.

Cases were reported in 22 states. Fifty-eight percent of those testing positive were between the ages of 18-39. People under the age of 18 and over the age of 65 accounted for nine percent of cases.

Omicron was initially identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Botswana. Though the first case was only found on November 24th, and no cases were recorded in the U.S. until December 1st, the Biden Administration suspended entry to the U.S. for noncitizens on November 26th.

(Read more at The National Pulse)

Oddly, even Reuters came up with a back-page article on the same day pointing out 80% of Omicron patients are fully vaccinated

Even liberal Reuters decided to publish a cover-your-backside article admitting that over 80% of omicron patients have been fully-vaccinated.

Oddly, I never heard that during November or December on the main-stream nightly news or in the press front-page accounts of COVID-19 (usually speaking so glowingly of Biden).

…

… Who we could and couldn’t trust in the press: Some only act as cheerleaders for Democrat causes

The Daily Caller reported how Nicolle Wallace admitted to being a Fauci groupie rather than an objective journalist.

MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace gushed Monday during a panel about how she is a “groupie” for White House chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci.

“I’m a Fauci groupie, I’m a thrice-vaccinated, mask adherent, I buy N-95 masks by the caseload, they’re in every pocket, I wear them everywhere except when I sit down,” Wallace said as three other panelists smiled and nodded. “And I am certain that this is not a variant I can outrun and I wonder where you think this sort of conversation is heading at this moment?”

Wallace later reiterated her fear, which she says is shared by other vaccinated Americans.

“I don’t think anyone is suggesting anyone is trying to get Covid but I think that the polling suggests that vaccinated Americans are more scared of getting Covid than unvaccinated Americans,” Wallace said. “The rupture is so complete that the people who carry around multiple masks in their pockets, have had three shots, have unvaccinated kids under 10, are scared out of their freaking minds and the unvaccinated are sort of humming along until they end up on a ventilator.”

Fauci conceded Monday the nation “should have had more [COVID] tests available” as Omicron cases surge. States like New York have seen hours-long lines and stores across the country are struggling to keep tests in stocks, according to The New York Times.

(Read more and watch the video at the Daily Caller)

While this has been evident from the 2016 election, it has become more evident recently

From the days of Jim Acosta making a fool of himself in the Rose Garden (and being applauded by the main stream press), we knew that CNN, MSNBC, and the Young Turks were primarily devoted to destroying conservatism. Likewise, from the cheerleading provided by CBS, NBC, and ABC, we knew that the fix was in with them, too.

However, with the support of news outlets like American Greatness, we have been able to view heretofore unreleased videos of a woman being beaten at the 6 January 2021 riot.

As per @julie_kelly2, Victoria White was violently beaten while trapped between police on 1/6, while trying to esca… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
D a r t h C r y p t o (Kyle is FREE) (@DefNotDarth) December 25, 2021

Through the articles of Julie Kelly at American Greatness, we can know both the names of those still awaiting trial for “protesting” and “loitering” or just being contributors to political groups. 

Additionally, there are now-stalwart news outlets like Breitbart, The Washington Examiner, The Epoch Times, The Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, Newsmax, One America News, the New York Post, and the Washington Times.

Therefore, we have a good way of getting around the gas lighting and misdirection of the main stream news.

…

We were blessed in 2021 because we found out …

… Who we could and couldn’t trust in politics: Now Biden claims that “there is no federal solution” to COVID

CNBC blathered on about how Biden purportedly showed leadership by pushing COVID leadership back to the states.

President Joe Biden on Monday pledged to support governors struggling with the omicron variant of Covid-19,  but acknowledged the states will need to take the lead in controlling the pandemic.

Speaking just before a meeting with some of the nation’s governors, Biden said: “There is no federal solution. This gets solved at a state level.”

Those comments represent one of the most explicit acknowledgements to date from the Biden administration that it will need help from state and local governments in its efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The president may be concerned that federal initiatives to contain the virus can’t be effective without states’ help. The comments could also be an attempt to put added pressure on governors to take a greater role in trying to control the disease.

After his remarks, Biden took one question about whether he supports revised recommendations for shortened quarantine periods.

(Read more blather if you can stand it at CNBC)

Does this mean he will rescind his vaccine mandates? Does this mean he will waive the dishonorable discharges to soldiers?

Will he reinstate soldiers given dishonorable discharges? Remember how Newsweek recently reported that over 8,000 Marines will likely be dismissed over the vaccine mandate?

The U.S. Marine Corps may ultimately end up administratively separating up to 8,000 Marines who refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to new data released Thursday.

The news came as the Marine Corps stated that they have already separated 169 unvaccinated members, including 66 this past week. A separation from the Marines is akin to a relief of duty or dismissal. It is not punitive like a court-martial; it is solely an administrative maneuver.

Active-duty members of the Marines had a Nov. 28 deadline to either be fully vaccinated or put in an application for a vaccine exemption, and Marine officials had warned that unvaccinated troops would eventually face separation, according to a previous statement.

(Blah, blah, and some excuses for Joe at Newsweek)

Just as Dementia Joe will likely not walk back his mandate to companies employing more than 100 people, he will not come to the aid of our military personnel who choose to not get another jab.

In fact, there are reports that the White House has started walking back the “no federal solution” claim. I am sure that this will last until they decide they MUST blame the states for the COVID crisis. Then the press will let them walk THAT back.

…

 

 

Encouragement on this day

Encouragement for gift-receivers

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17 NASB)

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift” — “Good” and “perfect” are high standards. In the gospels (Matthew 19:16-17; Mark 10:17-18; and Luke 18:18-19), a young ruler called Christ “good teacher.” In reply, Christ tried to draw him to the truth by both asking a question and making a point: “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.”

Only God is good — God, the Father (Isaiah 63:16), the Son (John 14:9), and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us And Israel does not recognize us. You, O Lord, are our Father, Our Redeemer from of old is Your name. (Isaiah 63:16 NASB)

Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (John 14:9 NASB)

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (Matthew 28:19 NASB)

“is from above, coming down from the Father of lights,” — All truly good things come from God, from the Father of light. When light enters a room, the light drives the darkness out (never the other way around).

“with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” — In God, there is no hint of sin or variation. He does not waiver in His support of His own (Hebrews 13:5).

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5 NASB)

…

Kidnapped missionaries made daring escape from their captors and fled for their lives on foot at night

The Christian Broadcasting Network reported in a 20 December 2021 article how a group of 13 kidnapped missionaries escaped from their captors.

Christian Aid Ministries is revealing the stunning details of how their missionaries finally escaped captivity in Haiti, and it sounds like something straight out of a movie.

The remaining group of 12 missionaries made a daring overnight escape last week, eluding their kidnappers and walking for miles over difficult, moonlit terrain with an infant and other children in tow.

The group used the stars as their guide to reach freedom after a two-month kidnapping ordeal, officials with the Ohio-based agency said Monday at a press conference.

“The hostages were sensing God nudging them to attempt an escape,” said the ministry’s spokesman Weston Showalter. “Over the time of their captivity, God gave various hostages a desire to attempt an escape.”

“To attempt such a thing would be dangerous,” he continued. “They sought God over and over again seeking direction from Him.”  

“After much discussion and prayer, they became solidly united that God seemed to be leading them this way.” He said they sought specific signs from God, and He confirmed over and over that the timing wasn’t right yet. Then, the night of Wednesday, December 15 arrived.

“When they sensed the timing was right, they found a way to open the door that was closed and blocked, filed silently to the path that they had chosen to follow, and quickly left the place that they were held despite the fact that numerous guards were close by,” Showalter said. “In the distance, they could see a mountain feature that they had recognized and identified in the previous days. They identified this landmark before and they knew that this was the direction they needed to go. They also followed the sure guidance of the stars as they journeyed through the night, traveling toward safety.”

“After a number of hours of walking, day began to dawn and they eventually found someone who helped to make a phone call for help,” he said, his voice beginning to choke. “They were finally free.”

The ministry had revealed on Thursday that the missionaries were finally free but it wasn’t clear if they were freed by ransom since their captors had demanded $1 million for each of the 17 hostage missionaries.  

All the members of the group are reportedly in good shape and are now back home with their families.

(Read more at CBN)

…

 

Encouragement despite Biden’s failure at the border

Chief Patrol Agent says authorities apprehended “Potential Terrorist” at Southern border

The Daily Caller reports that a key agent has pointed out how the Biden “open border” policy has allowed a potential terrorist into our land.

Yuma Border Patrol Sector agents apprehended a “potential terrorist” with alleged ties to Yemen at the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday evening, U.S. Border Patrol announced Monday.

The 21-year-old migrant was captured after he illegally crossed the southern border into Yuma, Arizona, Chief Border Patrol agent Chris T. Clem announced. The unnamed suspect is a migrant from Saudi Arabia who has reported ties to several “Yemeni subjects of interest.”

“#USBP #YumaSector agents apprehended a potential terrorist who illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico Thursday night. The 21-year-old migrant from Saudi Arabia is linked to several Yemeni subjects of interest. #BorderSecurity is #NationalSecurity,” Clem said via Twitter.

#USBP #YumaSector agents apprehended a potential terrorist who illegally entered the U.S. from Mexico Thursday nigh… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Chief Patrol Agent Chris T. Clem (@USBPChiefYUM) December 20, 2021

(Read more at the Daily Caller for information on earlier apprehensions)

This is encouraging just because we caught this one

Of course, who knows how many of Biden’s friends in the Taliban, Al-Shabaab, or other of the other Islamist love groups of the Obama years that did get through. Certainly, we will find out soon.

…

Texas starts building Trump-sized border wall

The Washington Examiner points out how Texas has had to take up the slack left by Biden and his “open borders” policy.

Texas has broken ground on the construction of a wall along its southern border with Mexico, a deliberately extravagant gesture intended to show a willingness to defend the area against illegal immigrants while Washington remains idle.

The go-it-alone effort is meant to deter mass migration to and through Texas after a year that saw more people come across between ports of entry than during any year in the Border Patrol’s 97-year existence.

“We’re actually breaking ground and sending a message more importantly to the federal government that if you’re not going to do your job, Texas will,” Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush said in an interview.

“We are a can-do people — a resilient people,” Bush said. “We know when we’re being stiffed, and in this case, it’s this blatant disregard for enforcing federal immigration law.”

Construction began this week in Rio Grande City, a small town in southeastern Texas. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott will announce the project during a press conference slated for Saturday. The wall will be at least 18 feet tall and stretch two miles.

The state has focused its initial building efforts on a 3,100-acre tract of land where a farmer’s crop has been “totally destroyed” due to the number of people who come across the Rio Grande and then trample through the fields, Bush said.

Bush, the son of former Florida governor and 2016 GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush, as well as nephew to former President George W. Bush, has overseen the state’s search for land to build on.

In July, the Texas General Land Office sued the Biden administration in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas for preventing the border wall from being constructed. President Joe Biden canceled billions of dollars of border wall projects, including ones that were funded by Congress during the Trump administration and others that were funded with money that the White House diverted from defense and treasury coffers. The Texas General Land Office sued over the congressionally funded portion of the wall.

In late November, Bush signed a lease agreement that authorized the Department of Public Safety to begin construction on a portion of land in Starr County. The Texas Facilities Commission is overseeing the actual construction.

The section of farmland getting wall now is owned by the Texas General Land Office and leased to the farmer, allowing the state to build on its own land.

__

Just as President Nixon was not allowed to ignore the distribution of congressionally-allocated funds, Biden cannot also

In response to President Nixon’s overreach, Congress passed the Impoundment Control Act; however, prior to that, the Supreme Court ruled that Nixon had exceeded his authority in holding back funds that had been allocated by our representatives in Congress.

Therefore, why does this Supreme Court and this Congress allow this petty dictator to refuse to spend money allocated for our protection at the border? Why does this fall to the state of Texas?

Nonetheless, it is encouraging that someone is picking up the slack at the border. At least someone might slow the flow of human trafficking, sex trafficking, drugs, and other crime at the border.

…

 

God’s final Word – Chapter 2, verses 1 through 7

God’s final Word

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey.

1. To the church of Ephesus – Revelation 2:1-7
   • • Application for us today – Revelation 2:7a

   He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2:7 NASB)

   When Jesus says, through these letters, that the Spirit of God speaks to anybody with ears to hear, that means you and me.

2. Christ’s presence – Revelation 2:1
   

   “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: (Revelation 2:1 NASB)

   As mentioned last week, the Greek term translated to “angels” — “ἄγγελοι” (messengers) — referred likely to either the elders of the church or the pastors. It does not refer to heavenly beings who would remain in the service of God, since we have no indication in the Bible that they have ever been offered forgiveness of sins. Therefore, they cannot be called to repentance.

3. The strengths of the Church of Ephesus – Revelation 2:2-3 and 6
   

   ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. (Revelation 2:2‭-‬3 NASB)

   Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Revelation 2:6 NASB)

   • Commendations
     1. Hard work — Do you think Christ would commend our class/church for hard work? Explain.
     2. Perseverance — Do you think Christ would commend our class/church for perseverance? Explain.
     3. Doctrinal Discernment — Do you think Christ would commend our class/church for doctrinal discernment? Explain.
4. “Yet” – Revelation 2:4
   

   But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Revelation 2:4 NASB)

   • “You have forsaken your first love”
     1. In what way, if any, has your love for the world changed since you became a Christ follower?
     2. In what way, if any, has your love for God changed since you became a Christ follower?
     3. Do you need to reignite the flames of your love for Jesus?
     4. Is it possible to keep your love for God intense and enthusiastic?
     5. What are some practical ways to keep your relationship with the Lord a top priority?
     6. In what ways can you motivate others to renew their relationship with Christ?
     7. What did your original encounter with Jesus inspire you to do and how much of it have you stopped doing?

     Our greatest strengths can become our greatest weaknesses. The Ephesians were pitbulls guarding the truth and chasing away false teachers. But, in their zeal, they substituted knowledge for grace and hating for loving.

     They forgot Jesus, their first love. All that was left was truth without without love. grace. Law without love.

5. “Remember, repent, repeat” – Revelation 2:5
   

   Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent. (Revelation 2:5 NASB)

   1. Remember from where they had fallen (keep on remembering).
   2. Repent.
   3. Repeat the deeds they did at first. Matthew 22:37-38; Matthew 10:37-38; John 8:42; John 14:21;23
      

      And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. (Matthew 22:37‭-‬38 NASB)

      “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. (Matthew 10:37‭-‬38 NASB)

      Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. (John 8:42 NASB)

      He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) *said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. (John 14:21‭-‬23 NASB)

   4. Consequences
      “I will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent.”
   5. What do you need to do to prevent the consequences of this warning?
6. Promise to “overcomers” – Revelation 2:7
   

   He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2:7 NASB)

   Do you consider yourself an “overcomer?” Explain.

   For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:4‭-‬5 NASB)

   He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’ (Revelation 2:7 NASB)

   What impact does this promise have on you as an “overcomer?” Explain.

7. Application — Colossians 3:17
   

   Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:17 NASB)

 

Encouraging signs from liberal land

Milwaukee county residents push Wisconsin governor to fire District Attorney over Waukesha attack

The Daily Wire points out how the residents of one county have pushed for the firing of the liberal District Attorney over the Waukesha attack.

Milwaukee County residents are pushing Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers (D) to terminate a district attorney after a man released from jail after posting bail allegedly killed several people and injured more than 60 others by driving an SUV through a Christmas parade last month.

A group of Milwaukee County residents sent a complaint to Evers asking the governor to fire Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm following the attack in Waukesha that killed six people, including an 8-year-old boy. The suspected driver was released from jail days earlier after posting an “inappropriately low” bail that Chisolm’s office had pushed for, according to a statement from the DA.

“I think it’s in his best interest, and clearly, it’s in the best interest of the people of southeast Wisconsin to fire John Chisholm and make southeast Wisconsin a safer place,” Orville Seymer, who organized the complaint and runs Citizens for Responsible Government, told FOX6.

“We’ve got six people dead, including an 8-year-old boy, people’s mothers and grandmothers, and there are thousands of people around southeast Wisconsin who are thinking, ‘That could have been my son, that could have been my mother, that could have been my grandmother’ and John Chisholm knew this could have happened,” he added.

Evers said of the complaint that he will “take it seriously.”

(Read the rationale for asking for the firing as explained at the Daily Wire)

Considering that the District Attorney who released the Waukesha attacker two days before had said his progressive views would get someone killed, this is fitting

Although this might be argued by some to fall into the category of premeditated murder, at least this shows there to be a little accountability in the system. That is to say, since this DA said his progressive ideals would get someone killed, then at least the killing of his current job (and, hopefully, progressive jurisprudence-related views) seems fitting.

…

Michael Flynn sues Nancy Pelosi and January 6 committee

The Washington Examiner reports on the Michael Flynn lawsuit against San Fran Nan and her merry band of anti-Trump demagogues (aka the January 6 committee).

Former national security adviser Michael Flynn filed a lawsuit requesting a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the Jan. 6 committee and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday.

Flynn’s filing with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida seeking declaratory and injunctive relief argues the committee has engaged in “outrageous intrusion” by issuing extensive subpoenas to Flynn and his family, as well as “secret seizure of his and his family’s personal information from their telecommunications and/or electronic mail service providers.” The onetime national security adviser denied involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot that precipitated the congressional committee.

“General Flynn did not organize, speak at, or actively participate in any rallies or protests in Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, and he of course did not participate in the attack on the Capitol that day,” his lawyers argue in the lawsuit.

Flynn accuses the committee of engaging in “partisan harassment,” saying congressional committees do not have “boundless authority to engage in investigations” and expressing concern that cooperating with the subpoenas would violate his First and Fifth Amendment rights.

The Trump ally also suggests that the committee is illegitimate because it did not allow Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to appoint the ranking member of the committee, an argument first made by Alex Jones’s lawyers. Although ranking member Liz Cheney is a Republican, she was not appointed by McCarthy.

While Flynn claims he did not attend the rally on Jan. 6, he made public comments on Newsmax musing about how then-President Donald Trump could “rerun” elections in key states. His comments came a day before he attended a meeting on Dec. 18, 2020, to discuss the possibility of declaring a national emergency and seizing voter machines, the Jan. 6 commission alleges.

(Read more, including a central tweet, at the Washington Examiner)

The January 6 committee has overreached. Now is a good time for their hand to be slapped.

Prior to this suit, the RINO’s and socialists on this committee seem to have forgotten our constitution. They seem to have no concept of God-given rights owned by all of us. Moreover, they seem to have no concept of the fact that the pendulum might soon swing and, should any Republicans want to remain in office, then the draconian tactics they use now might be laid at their throats.

 

Encouraging news regarding the 6 January 2021 riots

Mark Meadows claims that Cheney’s text leak exposes the witch-hunt

Newsmax reports how Mark Meadows points out the perverse logic within the leaked messages from Liz Cheney.

Democrats and anti-Trump Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., used Donald Trump Jr.’s text message to smear former President Donald Trump and Mark Meadows, but all she did was make their case that they had no desire for protesters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told Newsmax.

“They’ve been making the argument that this was a preplanned idea that we had, and not only have I said publicly that no one in the West Wing had any advanced knowledge that any breach of security at the Capitol was going to happen – and certainly this message from Don Jr. says the same thing,” Meadows told host Jenn Pellegrino on Tuesday.

“We were all shocked and horrified by what happened. We were surprised by what happened. And candidly, you know, when you look at the people that are there, they need to be held accountable. But yet at the same time, it was not a plan by Donald Trump or anybody in his administration.”

The Jan. 6 Select Committee’s narrative Republicans sought an “insurrection” is shot down by Cheney’s own evidence, Meadows added.

“It’s how the left wants to portray it, as if somehow conservatives condone that,” he said. “But here’s what we don’t condone. We don’t condone a congressional committee using really someone who is honoring the executive privilege of the president that I had the honor of serving – and then going out and trying to use the very same information that was nonprivileged to spin a story that would suggest that Donald Trump has something to hide, or that Mark Meadows has something to hide.

“Neither of us have anything to hide. That’s why we participated, but obviously they’re not about a real investigation. They’re about advancing a political narrative.”

Cheney used a text exchange between Meadows and Trump Jr. on Jan. 6 – handed over to the Jan. 6 Select Committee under its subpoena – to achieve a vote to recommend a House resolution to hold Meadows in contempt of Congress.

Cheney ostensibly argued Meadows defied Congress’ subpoena power, Meadows noting the irony, with texts she was given through Meadows’ willful cooperation.

Then she used them for “personal political gain,” Meadows told Pellegrino.

“This is not about me,” Meadows continued. “It’s about our country, and it’s about a Jan. 6 commission that has used the power of Congress in a way that it should scare every American – when you can go out and throw out subpoenas and try to go into private messages and then use them for personal political gain. It’s a sad day.”

It is not only an attack on Meadows and Trump, but also his supporters and patriotic Americans, Meadows concluded.

“This is designed to silence not just Mark Meadows, but every Trump supporter – every person that is out there willing to say that they love their country, they love their flag, they love their Constitution,” Meadows said.

(Read more at Newsmax)

Even on this top level (targeting the rights of Trump voters), these Democrats are despicable

When only considering this level of deception and subterfuge (where Democrats knowingly undermine the rights of Americans based only on who those Americans voted for), this reveals an issue that must be rooted out and eliminated.

With this recognized, maybe the news can be spread (as it was with the CRT issue) and the problem fixed on a large-scale basis.

…

January 6 committee admits it doctored Republican text message in Adam Schiff’s presentation

Breitbart shows how the 6 January committee had to admit that it doctored the text message in Representative Schiff-for-brains presentation.

The United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack admitted Wednesday that it had doctored a text message cited by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) in his push Monday to hold former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows in contempt.

The Federalist’s Sean Davis first reported Wednesday morning that Schiff had manipulated the text message, cutting out the full context and adding punctuation into it, which he falsely implied was authored by a Republican lawmaker.

As Breitbart News summarized:

One message, which Schiff attributed to a Republican lawmaker, was doctored to read: “On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate, should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all.”

But the original message came from former Department of Defense Inspector General Joseph Schmitz, who had drafted and summarized legal arguments that Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) forwarded to Meadows. And Schiff left out the full exchange, which read (emphasis added):

On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate, should call out all the electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all — in accordance with guidance from founding father Alexander Hamilton and judicial precedence.

‘No legislative act,’ wrote Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 78, ‘contrary to the Constitution, can be valid.’ The court in Hubbard v. Lowe reinforced this truth: ‘That an unconstitutional statute is not a law at all is a proposition no longer open to discussion.’ 226 F. 135, 137 (SDNY 1915), appeal dismissed, 242 U.S. 654 (1916).

Following this rationale, an unconstitutionally appointed elector, like an unconstitutionally enacted statute, is no elector at all.

Schiff omitted the portions in bold, above, which referred to a legal basis for rejecting electors. As Davis reported:

In his statement and on-screen graphic, Schiff erased the final two paragraphs and the final clause of the first paragraph of the text message before inserting punctuation that was never there, all without disclosing what he was doing. The graphic displayed by Schiff, which was doctored to look like an exact screenshot, was similarly doctored, as it contained content that was never in the original message and eliminated content that was.

Schiff has repeatedly faked evidence in investigations. In 2019, at the opening hearing of the House Intelligence Committee investigation into President Trump, he faked a conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

On Wednesday afternoon, The Federalist reported that the January 6 committee admitted that it had manipulated the text:

In a statement provided to The Federalist via email, a Democrat spokesman for the Jan. 6 committee confessed that the committee doctored the text message.

“The Select Committee on Monday created and provided Representative Schiff a graphic to use during the business meeting quoting from a text message from ‘a lawmaker’ to Mr. Meadows,” the spokesman wrote. “The graphic read, ‘On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate, should call out all electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all.’”

“In the graphic, the period at the end of that sentence was added inadvertently,” the spokesman admitted. “The Select Committee is responsible for and regrets the error.”

As Davis noted, the committee’s statement did not explain why Schiff cut out the last phrase of the first text message, or why he falsely attributed it to a Republican lawmaker (without naming the lawmaker in question, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio).

The committee recommended that Meadows be held in contempt, and the House voted to do so, largely among party lines.

(Read more at Breitbart)

Lying Democrats with a compliant main-stream press could present a real problem for our democracy (if it were not for the independent, conservative press)

If it were not for Breitbart, The Epoch Times, and other conservative outlets, we would be up a creek.

However, with their reach limited by Big Tech and their credibility marred by the main stream press, we need to do as much as we can afford to support these outlets.

…

January 6 Committee: “Jim Jordan texted Mark Meadows nonsense on electoral count”

Esquire becomes the unwitting (or maybe witting) accomplice in the deception mentioned in the article from Breitbart.

Oh, Congressman Jim Jordan, you noisy, jacketless, spotlight-gobbling omadhaun. Bennie Thompson has teed you up right properly. It was your turn in Bennie’s barrel on Wednesday, boyo. Enjoy it. From Politico:

Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-Ohio) office confirmed that he is the sender of a text message to former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, partially revealed this week by the Jan. 6 committee.

Here’s the full text: “On January 6, 2021, Vice President Mike Pence, as President of the Senate, should call out all the electoral votes that he believes are unconstitutional as no electoral votes at all — in accordance with guidance from founding father Alexander Hamilton and judicial precedence. ‘No legislative act,’ wrote Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 78, ‘contrary to the Constitution, can be valid.’ The court in Hubbard v. Lowe reinforced this truth: ‘That an unconstitutional statute is not a law at all is a proposition no longer open to discussion.’ 226 F. 135, 137 (SDNY 1915), appeal dismissed, 242 U.S. 654 (1916).”

It’s probably a waste of time to point out that a) as much as we all love the Federalist Papers, they were a series of newspaper columns with the specific political purpose of ginning up support for a Constitution that hadn’t been ratified yet, and b) Hubbard v. Lowe was a case involving the constitutionality of the Cotton Futures Act and, as such, has no value in judging the constitutionality of how Mike Pence conducted the constitutional powers of his office. It’s like citing Marbury v. Madison while appealing a decision by your condo board. But chasing after everything Jim Jordan doesn’t know anything about is an exhausting pursuit.

What’s clear is that the committee investigating the events of January 6 has made it quite plain that Jordan was hip-deep in the parliamentary front of the general assault on the democratic process, and that, if this week is any indication, Chairman Thompson is a pretty deft hand at the drip-drip-drip school of persuasion for reluctant potential witnesses.

(Read this at Esquire)

“Esquire” demotes itself to well below a commoner’s status

Since “esquire” means a rank slightly above gentleman and below knight, the deliberately lying (or easily fooled) reporter who created this article have done their best to demote the magazine.

…

“Nothing Short of Human Rights Violations:” Greene Decries Treatment of Jan. 6 “Political Prisoners”

The Epoch Times reports on the words of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as she exposes the excesses of the Democrats as they campaign against citizens.

Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and others in the GOP on Tuesday blasted the treatment of “political prisoners” who took part in the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally.

Currently, some who entered the Capitol building on Jan. 6 are being held in the D.C. jail in conditions that Greene described as “unusually cruel.”

Greene listed a slew of examples of this treatment.

According to Greene, Jan. 6 prisoners held in the D.C. jail have been beaten by guards and prison staff, have been unable to speak with their attorneys, have been denied haircuts or razors to shave, and have not been given proper medical treatment when they needed it, among many other examples.

Greene noted another peculiarity of the Jan. 6 defendants: Usually, Greene says, members of Congress have no problem in gaining access to jails when they make the request. In this case, however, Deputy Warden Kathleen Landerkin denied Greene and her coalition access to the facilities on several occasions before finally allowing access to the representatives.

“In fact, [Landerkin] locked us out before,” said Greene, adding, “It’s clear that there was a lot to hide.”

Greene contrasted the treatment of these Jan. 6 prisoners with the treatment of those who took part in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots that tore across the country in the summer of 2020.

“Approximately 6 percent of [the nationwide BLM protests] were violent,” Greene said, judging that in total that equated to around 570 violent riots.

“But here’s the deal,” Greene continued, “there was only one riot that took place here at the Capitol.”

Compared to the treatment of Jan. 6 defendants, Greene argued, the treatment of BLM rioters was exceedingly lenient.

“Approximately 90 percent of BLM and Antifa rioters have been released from jail and their charges have been dropped,” Greene said, despite the 2020 riots causing “over $2 billion in damage.” The damages caused by the Capitol breach were approximately $1.5 million, Greene said by way of comparison.

“We have a two-tiered justice system in this country,” Greene said.

Greene then turned to the thrust of her speech, addressing the treatment of Jan. 6 prisoners.

(Read more at The Epoch Times)

Considering that Black Lives Matters and Antifa members who burned have been released on bail and that Harris cheerlead for their release, we certainly have a two-tiered justice system.

As recently reported, one Black Lives Matter rioter bailed out twice by a fund supported by Kamala Harris was charged with murder in a road-rage killing.

If this were the only case, it would be bad enough. However, numerous stories in a multitude of liberal outlets document the releases of Black Lives Matters criminals for serious crimes that eclipse the events of 6 January. Therefore, Biden evidently has political prisoners.

…

Growing List of Federal Court Suits Could Force End of January 6 Riot Select Committee

The Epoch Times points out how a growing list of federal court lawsuits could force the end to the January 6 Riot Select Committee.

A subpoena issued by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol seeking private cellphone information from Verizon isn’t valid for at least five reasons, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this week in federal court by a noted constitutional law professor.

The suit, filed on Dec. 14 by professor John Eastman in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asks that the select committee’s subpoena to Verizon for his “phone records, text messages, contact lists, etc. for the period of November 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021,” be declared invalid.

Eastman’s action is one of several recently filed in federal court that could result in a court ruling that forces Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic leaders to either reorganize and relaunch the select committee or shut it down completely.

Eastman claimed the subpoena to Verizon is invalid for the following reasons:

“First, public statements by J6 Committee members make clear that the Committee is attempting to exercise a law enforcement function, rather than genuine legislative activity. The United States Congress has no power to issue subpoenas for law enforcement purposes.

“Second, the subpoena was issued in violation of House Rules and the J6 Committee’s own authorizing resolution. … The Committee’s lack of validly appointed minority members or a validly appointed ‘ranking minority member’ makes such compliance impossible. A subpoena issued in violation of applicable House Rules is invalid.

“Third, the subpoena violates the Fourth Amendment. Dr. Eastman has a reasonable expectation of privacy in the private cellphone information which the Committee now seeks to access without a search warrant.

“Fourth, the subpoena violates the First Amendment. The subpoena seeks detailed information on Dr. Eastman’s protected First Amendment activity. Allowing a highly partisan congressional committee to invade the First Amendment activity of a political opponent would have a chilling effect on free speech.

“Finally, the subpoena infringes attorney client privilege. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Eastman is engaged in the practice of law representing clients. The subpoena makes no provision for protecting attorney client privileged information.”

(Read more at The Epoch Times)

With these five issues recognized, Republicans still need to return 

The dichotomy between the lawless Democrat party and the law-abiding Republicans needs to end.

Democrats need to suffer for the issues they have created. Then they need to suffer enough that they know that they will not be allowed to return to their cheating ways after that punishment.

…

The story of how a Jewish Trump supporter saved the life of a Black Trump supporter may warm people’s hearts

With a hat tip to the NWO Report, the Gateway Pundit tells us how Jake Lang rescued Philip Anderson, but finds himself facing nine years in prison in a plea deal.

Jake Lang was trampled when Capitol Police attacked and then without warning pushed Trump supporters down the stairs outside the US Capitol in Washington DC.

Jake was buried under several people when the Capitol police continued to push protesters on top of him. He was next to Rosanne Boyland who was killed by police when they trampled her and pushed Trump protesters on top of her. Jake saw Rosanne die. He saw it in her eyes. He also saw Philip Anderson’s limp body who was laying next to Rosanne Boyland.  This was all while DC Police continued to beat, push and pepper spray the protesters on the ground.

That’s when Jake Lang decided to take action.

Jake, who is a former wrestler, was able to save himself and then he saved Philip Anderson who he pulled to safety.

Jake’s rescue of Philip Anderson was caught on video. The entire time he was pulling Philip to safety the police continued to beat protesters with sticks and spray them with pepper spray.

Jake saved Philip Anderson’s life.

Then he went back and confronted the police who were still attacking the Trump supporters.  It should be noted that the Trump crowd was entirely peaceful until the Capitol Police decided to fire flash grenades on the men, women, children and seniors who had gathered outside the US Capitol.

On Thursday Jake Lang and Philip Anderson joined The Gateway Pundit for an audio interview.  Jake is being held inside the prison and had to call in twice because the prison cut off his first call when it timed out.

Philip Anderson thanked Jake Lang for saving his life that day.

Jake told us he has seen video from “inside the tunnel” near the US Capitol on January 6th.  The Democrats and Liz Cheney refuse to release this video.  Because they know it is a game-changer.  Jake Lang was there that day and witnessed DC Police viciously beating seniors and women in this tunnel.  Jake says the police were wailing on the Trump supporters.  They used all their force to beat the unarmed Trump supporters that day.  This story is not being told.  Democrats and Liz Cheney refuse to release the video.

(Read at the Gateway Pundit to find about Jake’s response to the plea deal)

Hopefully, we will hear from other conservative outlets on these prisoners

With input by other conservative outlets, maybe we can get a full picture of the truth.

…

Here’s the latest screw-up from the Keystone Cops on the 6 January Committee

Townhall comments on the latest foul-up by the Democrats as they try to spin 6 January into something worse than what occurred.

I think this is a sign, folks. When a committee is established on a bed of lies, this is what’s going to happen. It’s been a week of disaster for the anti-Trump January 6 committee. It was set up to go after Trump, not to uncover the truth about the riot that occurred last winter. It was not an armed insurrection. It wasn’t a coup. It wasn’t worse than 9/11. It was not Pearl Harbor. Everyone has moved on from this event. No one cares. No one. There is a slew of other crises plaguing the nation. Democrats being upset is not a national crisis.

But back to this circus, we have doctored texts being entered into the congressional record. We have other text messages from Mark Meadows being read that show other Republicans and even members of Trump’s family calling for the president to condemn the rioting. From day one, the GOP was against rioting. It was no different on January 6. Also, Trump addressed the violence in less than a half-hour. He did not dither for 187 minutes, which was the original talking point from this clown car. What’s the latest? Oh, just another Democrat peddling a doctored text message (via Washington Examiner): 

Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat, incorrectly described on Tuesday a message to Meadows describing a strategy to overturn the results of the 2020 election as coming from a House lawmaker.

[…]

Raskin wrote a letter to correct the Congressional Record, according to the report, which noted the Jan. 6 panel declined to comment on the actual author of the text.

Raskin cited the text message during debate on holding Meadows in contempt of Congress after he stopped cooperating last week with the panel’s investigation into the Capitol riot.

“HERE’s an AGRESSIVE STRATEGY: Why can t (sic) the states of GA NC PENN and other R controlled state houses declare this is BS (where conflicts and election not called that night) and just send their own electors to vote and have it go to the SCOTUS,” the message said.

The CNN report claimed members of the Jan. 6 panel believe the author is Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who was also the former Texas governor, but a spokesman for him denied the text was his.

Why can’t these people do their jobs? It’s simple. It’s because they know it’s a lie. They know they’re just sifting through lies—and they got tripped up again on this one.

(Read more at Townhall)

…

 

Joe Manchin, Biden policies, and Nancy Pelosi all speak against Democrat moves in their own ways

Joe Manchin scolds the media over Biden’s radical agenda

Breitbart documents the way Joe Manchin called out the media over their coverage of the radical Biden financial agenda.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) scolded the establishment media after he was questioned about President Biden’s $1.9 trillion reconciliation package.

“This is bullshit. You’re bullshit,” Manchin told a Huffington Post reporter when swamped with questions about his opposition to Biden’s package.

“I’ve always been for child tax credits,” Manchin responded in reference to a subsidy he supports in a limited fashion.

“This is bullshit. You’re bullshit,” Joe Manchin just told me

—
Arthur Delaney 🇺🇸 (@ArthurDelaneyHP) December 15, 2021

Manchin is reportedly not in favor of increasing and extending the child tax credit to the lengths presently included in the reconciliation package.

As a result, Wednesday afternoon saw Biden’s package reportedly fall prey to Manchin’s worries that increasing welfare expenditures during 40-year-high inflation would hurt the nation.

(Read more at Breitbart)

While I cannot align with Joe Manchin’s politics, I thank God for this buffer

It seems that Joe Manchin has provided more resistance to Joe Biden’s socialist vision than Mitch McConnell.

…

Bidenflation: Long-term inflation expectations jump higher

Breitbart outlines how long-term inflation may result from Biden policies and actions.

The expectations of U.S. businesses for inflation over the coming decade moved significantly higher in recent months, an indication that inflationary pressures continue to build and push expected inflation well above the Federal Reserve’s target rate of two percent.

The Atlanta Fed said Wednesday that its latest survey of U.S. businesses showed that long-term inflation expectations had increased. Over the next ten years, businesses now expect inflation to average 3.2 percent. The Atlanta Fed’s business expectations survey asks for long-term forecasts every quarter. Last time, the 10-year average was expected to be three percent. This is the highest level of expectations in survey data that go back to 2012.

Federal Reserve officials tend to believe that inflation expectations play a significant role in the direction of prices. When firms expect more inflation ahead, they adjust their own prices and costs, which then can push up prices. Not all economists agree that expectations play as significant of a role as Fed officials think.

(Read more at Breitbart)

We don’t need this. What we need is conservatives who will stand against this socialism.

We cannot afford another loan using the future of America as collateral.

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Nancy Pelosi wants to get even richer by investing in the companies she subsidizes and regulates

The Washington Examiner exposes how Nancy Pelosi plans to get richer from the companies she will funnel money to and regulate.

Nancy Pelosi owns more than $500,000 in Apple stock, according to her financial disclosure reports. Pelosi is also the speaker of the House. Congressional Democrats and Republicans alike have introduced multiple antitrust bills that would affect Big Tech companies.

The CEO of Apple, Tim Cook, called Pelosi personally in June and told her not to move ahead on these bills. The House Judiciary Committee passed six of these bills in June. Not one of them has seen movement on the House floor in six months, with some reports pinning the inaction on the speaker.

Back in January, Pelosi’s husband, Paul, bought at least a quarter million in “call” options for Apple, which is a more sophisticated way of betting on a stock going up in value.

Paul Pelosi also bought at least half a million in call options for Tesla, which stood to get subsidized by the Build Back Better bill his wife shepherded through the House.

The Pelosis are already very rich, and nobody but the Pelosis themselves knows the motivations of Nancy Pelosi or the calculations of Paul Pelosi. But still, it ought to raise eyebrows that the speaker of the House keeps taking actions that benefit her stock portfolio.

Yet Pelosi said on Wednesday that there should be no restrictions on her ability to buy and sell stocks in the companies she’s regulating, subsidizing, protecting, and taxing.

(Read more, see the video, and see the tweets at the Washington Examiner)

“Rules for thee, not for me” has to end

We need to end these perks for Congress. No more going to Congress penniless and leaving 6 to 90 years later with a dynasty built.

…

 

God’s final Word – Chapter 1, verses 9 through 20

God’s final Word

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. The setting of the vision – Revelation 1:9-11

   Regardless of your age, are you willing to suffer for “the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus?” Explain.

   I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” (Revelation 1:9‭-‬11 NASB)

   Notice that John also references suffering (or tribulation), as well as perseverance, in light of the coming kingdom. The term “suffering” refers to general trials and persecutions experienced by Christians of every age.

   The term “kingdom” refers to a future earthly kingdom that will be established at the return of Christ.

   “Perseverance” comes from the word which implies endurance under extreme difficulty. God gives believers the ability to endure such hardship through the power of the Holy Spirit (as told in Colossians 1:11)

   strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously (Colossians 1:11 NASB)

   In John’s day, Jesus drew believers together by giving them purpose and perspective in the midst of suffering. If Christ, the coming King, could suffer unjustly for them — they could certainly endure persecution for Him. Do you believe the same thing is happening today? Does this scare you or bring reassurance to you?

   “On the Lord’s day” refers to Sunday (in which John was worshipping and praying).

   “I was in the Spirit” refers to being under the control of the Holy Spirit and (in that state) God supernaturally revealed these things to him. Ezekiel had a similar experience (as documented in Ezekiel 2:2; 3:12, and 3:14) as did Paul (as shown in Acts 22:17-21; 2 Corinthians 12:1-4).

   As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me. (Ezekiel 2:2 NASB)

   Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a great rumbling sound behind me, “Blessed be the glory of the Lord in His place.” (Ezekiel 3:12 NASB)

   So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away; and I went embittered in the rage of my spirit, and the hand of the Lord was strong on me. (Ezekiel 3:14 NASB)

   “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” (Acts 22:17‭-‬21 NASB)

   Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. (2 Corinthians 12:1‭-‬4 NASB)

   As these letters are written to the churches, pray about how these words address our church and us individually and your response to these words.

2. The unfolding of the vision – Revelation 1:12-16 and 20
   

   Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, when it has been made to glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength. (Revelation 1:12‭-‬16 NASB)

   As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20 NASB)

   As John turned to see the voice which was speaking to him, he saw seven golden lampstands, which are identified in Revelation 1:20 as the seven churches. These symbolize the churches as the lights of the world.

   Do you see our church as a light in the world? Explain.

   Do you see yourself as a light in the world? Explain.

   “Someone like the son of man” — this was Jesus, but not the kind of Jesus that John remembered except at the Mount of Transfiguration and, now, near the end of his life, he sees the risen Lord in all his splendor.

   This is the fulfillment of John 21:20-23.

   Peter, turning around, *saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” So Peter seeing him *said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” Jesus *said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?” (John 21:20‭-‬23 NASB)

   Look at the symbols which characterize John’s vision — he uses the best descriptive terms he could think of to put into words what was essentially indescribable (especially in Revelation 1:13-16).

   • The long robe with the golden sash representing Christ’s role as the Great High Priest (as in Hebrews 7:25)
     

     Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25 NASB)

   • His head and hair are white (which symbolizes wisdom and purity – as reflected in Daniel 7:9).
     

     “I kept looking Until thrones were set up, And the Ancient of Days took His seat; His vesture was like white snow And the hair of His head like pure wool. His throne was ablaze with flames, Its wheels were a burning fire. (Daniel 7:9 NASB)

   • His eyes are like blazing fire, from which nothing can be hidden. Fire speaks of judgement (Hebrews 4:13)
     

     And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13 NASB)

   • His feet are like bronze, glowing in a furnace — again, an image of judgement. In ancient days, the feet of a king symbolized his authority and the furnace, a sign of judgement.
   • His voice was like the sound of rushing water — the voice of sovereign power and supreme authority (Ezekiel 43:2)
     

     and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone from His glory. (Ezekiel 43:2 NASB)

   • The sword of the Word of God, by which Jesus reveals the truth to us.
   • The face is like the sun shining — the brilliance symbolizes the burning intensity of truth.
3. The effects of the vision – Revelation 1:17-19
   

   When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. (Revelation 1:17‭-‬19 NASB)

   “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though I was dead” — He was overwhelmed by the manifestation of Christ’s glory. Daniel, Ezekiel, and Paul had similar experiences. When brought face-to-face with the blazing, holy glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and realize your sinful unworthiness to be in His Holy presence, what do you think your response will be? (Hebrews 12:28-29).

   Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28‭-‬29 NASB)

   Jesus touches John with comfort and speaks reassurance with the words, “do not be afraid.”

   Jesus comforts John based on who He is and the authority He possesses.

   • “I am” — the covenant name of God;
   • “The First and the Last” — the title used of God in the Old Testament;
   • “The Living One” — the title used throughout scripture to describe God;
   • “I was dead and behold, I am alive forever” — I Peter 3:18
     

     For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; (1 Peter 3:18 NASB)

   • “I hold the keys of death and Hades” — Jesus Christ has the authority to decide who dies and who lives. Those who are redeemed have nothing to fear as Christ has delivered us from death and Hades. Knowing Christ has the authority over death provides assurance and hope for believers. (Hebrews 2:14-15)
     

     Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. (Hebrews 2:14-15 NASB)

4. Angels – Revelation 1:20

   In the Greek translation of the Old Testament and New Testament, the word sometimes refers to a human messenger, as one who represents the king or carries an important message. The context of the word “ἄγγελοι” (messengers) suggests that these are head elders or pastors of the churches. In Revelation 2:4, 14, and 20, the messenger is charged with bad behavior and is addressed in the singular, “you.” Heavenly, angelic beings cannot be charged with wrongdoing and asked to repent. So, I believe these “ἄγγελοι” are pastors of the churches.

5. Application
   • The better we understand who Christ really is, the quicker we will respond in humility, obedience, and faithfulness

     Do I know and adore the awesome, glorious, and powerful Jesus portrayed in the book of Revelation or have I adopted a culturally user-friendly Jesus after my own imagination?

     Does John’s portrayal of Jesus affect my thoughts, words, prayers, and actions?

   • The greater we are willing to submit to Christ, the deeper His truths will be revealed to us
     

     The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever. (Psalms 111:10 NASB)

     The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7 NASB)

     The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10 NASB)

 

First CNN and then the New York Times pans a Biden second term

CNN presents a list of 11 replacements for Joe Biden

CNN panned the possibility of a second Biden term by presenting a list of (completely impossible) replacements from the Democrat field.

Combine President Joe Biden’s age (he’ll be 82 shortly after the 2024 election) and his ongoing political struggles (he’s mired in the low 40s in job approval) and you get this: a series of stories examining whether Biden runs again and, if not,  who might take his place.

We are in the midst of just one of those news cycles, with The New York Times publishing a big takeout on the potential Biden replacements within the Democratic Party over the weekend.

The White House, aware of the whispers, made clear Biden is planning to go for a second term. “The President has every intention of running for reelection,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.

But … what if Biden’s plans change? Below, a look at the most commonly mentioned names for 2024 contenders and a single line on their viability.

* Kamala Harris: She’s undoubtedly struggled as vice president but she’s still the most likely Democrat not named Biden to wind up as the Democratic nominee in 2024.

* Pete Buttigieg: The most naturally talented candidate in the 2024 field, “Mayor Pete” has also been front and center selling Biden’s infrastructure bill.

* Elizabeth Warren: The Massachusetts senator is still popular among liberals — and wouldn’t be splitting the vote with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders this time around like she did in 2020.

* Amy Klobuchar: Other than Buttigieg, the Minnesota senator was probably the best regarded of the losing candidates in 2020 — and her Midwest roots are always a plus given the electoral map.

* Roy Cooper: Term-limited out of office in 2024, the North Carolina governor has ample time to consider his next step — starting with his service as the vice chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.

* Mitch Landrieu: Being tasked with implementing the infrastructure bill is a big (and high-profile) job that the former New Orleans mayor has taken to with relish.

* Gina Raimondo: She made the leap from Rhode Island governor to Biden administration commerce secretary but doubts remain as to whether she is too moderate to win a Democratic primary in this moment.

* Gretchen Whitmer: The Michigan governor needs to win what could be a tough reelection race next year before she can turn to considering a national run in earnest.

* Phil Murphy: The record of New Jersey governors running for president isn’t great of late (sorry, Chris Christie!) but Murphy could use the next few years of his governorship as a testing ground for some national policies for the party.

* J.B. Pritzker: Pritzker has two things going for him — 1) He’s the governor of a major Midwestern state (Illinois) and 2) he’s very, very rich.

* Stacey Abrams: Abrams talked openly about running in 2020 before passing on the race; but she needs to win the Georgia governor’s mansion in 2022 before thinking too much about 2024.

(Read this at CNN, if you can’t otherwise believe it)

Biden can keep denying, but this is the first death knell

For all of the delusional claims from the Biden regime, the ones ignoring the calls from the most liberal outlets for Biden to give up in his first year should not be ignored.

Likewise, for all of the delusional claims out of the press (where they denied their glowing coverage of this incompetent figurehead), don’t you find it telling when all they can come up with is a list that starts with two people who have never accomplished anything and ends with a mayor of one of many cities in the toilet.

…

A New York Times opinion piece all but begs Biden to bow out now

The New York Times digs deep to try to forestall a second Biden term by pointing out all of the obvious: his age, his idiocy, his health, and more tripe that should have come center stage during the election (and maybe did, but were “fixed” by Democrats at 4 a.m.).

Is it a good idea for Joe Biden to run for re-election in 2024? And, if he runs again and wins, would it be good for the United States to have a president who is 86 — the age Biden would be at the end of a second term?

I put these questions bluntly because they need to be discussed candidly, not just whispered constantly.

In the 1980s, it was fair game for reputable reporters to ask whether Ronald Reagan was too old for the presidency, at a time when he was several years younger than Biden is today. Donald Trump’s apparent difficulty holding a glass and his constricted vocabulary repeatedly prompted unflattering speculation about his health, mental and otherwise. And Joe Biden’s memory lapses were a source of mirth among his Democratic primary rivals, at least until he won the nomination.

Yet it’s now considered horrible manners to raise concerns about Biden’s age and health. As if doing so can only play into Trump’s hands. As if the president’s well-being is nobody’s business but his own. As if it doesn’t much matter whether he has the fortitude for the world’s most important job, so long as his aides can adroitly fill the gaps. As if accusations of ageism and a giant shushing sound from media elites can keep the issue off the public mind.

It won’t do. From some of his public appearances, Biden seems … uneven. Often cogent, but sometimes alarmingly incoherent. What’s the reason? I have no idea. Do his appearances (including the good ones) inspire strong confidence that the president can go the distance in his current term, to say nothing of the next? No.

And many people seem to know it. On Sunday, my colleagues Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns reported on the Democratic Party’s not-so-quiet murmurs about what to do if Biden decides not to run. Aspirants for the nomination appear in the story like sharks circling a raft, swimming slow.

This is not healthy. Not for the president himself, not for the office he holds, not for the Democratic Party, not for the country.

In 2019, the Biden campaign — cognizant of the candidate’s age — sold him to primary voters as a “transition figure,” the guy whose main purpose was to dethrone Trump and then smooth the way for a fresher Democratic face. Biden never made that promise explicit, but the expectation feels betrayed.

Things might be different if the Biden presidency were off to a great start. It’s not. Blame Joe Manchin or Mitch McConnell or the antivaxxers, but Biden’s poll numbers have been deeply underwater since August. The man who once gave his party hope now weighs on his party’s fortunes like a pair of cement shoes.

(Read more at the New York Times)

While I agree with the negative outlook for the Democrats, I don’t want this loser to open the field to other socialists

The Democrats (as socialists, now) cannot be given another lifeline. There are too many that might actually be fooled by the bait-and-switch games and the inflation-causing programs that Biden’s Democrats just passed.

Nonetheless, if the press Democrats want to make an impression on the political Democrats, they at least need to pull out a similar article in the Rolling Stone and the Atlantic.

…

 

Things that don’t make headlines, but should

Admittedly, I compiled this on 10 December 2021 (Friday). Luckily, two of the three news items remain undiscovered by the main stream press.

According to Kayleigh McEnany, the “media asks Jen Psaki ‘softball questions'”

On Fox New‘s 5 December showing of Sunday Night with Trey Gowdy, the Press Secretary under President Trump (Kayleigh McEnany) assessed the lackluster reporting of the press.

Former White House press secretary compares how the media treated her during Trump administration to the media’s questions to Psaki on “Sunday Night in America.”

Much of the press wants to pretend they are treating Biden as poorly as they did President Trump

The reporters of CNBC, CNN or MSNBC might argue that they are shining the light on Biden. However, before I will accept that, you will need to give me an example of the equivalent in the Biden regime of:

• The rude outbursts of CNN‘s Jim Acosta that still got direct responses from the President
• The race-bating of PBS‘s Yamiche Alcindor
• Any instances of an unscripted press conference that President Trump held regularly (where he never was afraid of getting in trouble for calling on the wrong people)

…

As shown by yesterday’s post, some of the main stream press has taken notice of 40-year-high inflation

Inflation blooms under Biden

If you went to Trading Economics during the month of December 2021, the following text and graphic will appear (less the line showing the consistent rise in inflation under Biden , the highlighting, and the “Biden Takes Office”).

Annual inflation rate in the US accelerated to 6.8% in November of 2021, the highest since June of 1982, and in line with forecasts. It marks the 9th consecutive month the inflation stays above the Fed’s 2% target as global commodities rally, rising demand, wage pressures, supply chain disruptions and a low base effect from last year continue to push prices up. Upward pressure was broad-based, with energy costs recording the biggest gain (33.3% vs 30% in October), namely gasoline (58.1% vs 49.6%). Inflation also increased for shelter (3.8% vs 3.5%); food (6.1% vs 5.3%, the highest since October of 2008), namely food at home (6.4% vs 5.4%); new vehicles (11.1% vs 9.8%); used cars and trucks (31.4% percent vs 26.4%); apparel (5% vs 4.3%); and medical care services (2.1% vs 1.7%). On the other hand, the inflation slowed for transportation services (3.9% vs 4.5%). Excluding food and energy, inflation went up to 4.9% from 4.6%, the highest since June of 1991. source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

(Read the original, if still in December 2021, at Trading Economics)

This graphic requires a hat tip to Chris Salcedo.

Luckily, at least for a day, the press paid attention to 40-year-high inflation

Let’s see about tomorrow.

…

Exclusive whistleblower video: Pennsylvania election workers discuss hiding “derogatory” records

The Federalist provides an insight into the Democrat election workers as they talk about hiding “derogatory” records on a video.

A new whistleblower video obtained by The Federalist shows Delaware County, Pennsylvania election workers discussing ways to hide from the public “derogatory” information about the management and administration of the November 2020 election. The video is further evidence of fraud undertaken to conceal the widespread violations of Pennsylvania election law that occurred during last year’s presidential election, according to a source familiar with the recording.

The video, surreptitiously recorded by whistleblower Regina Miller, is one of many Miller took while working as a contract employee for the county. Miller began secretly recording the behind-the-scenes conduct after witnessing concerning behavior by several election officials, a person with knowledge of a lawsuit filed last month against county election officials, based in part on the recordings, told The Federalist.

In that lawsuit, Delaware County residents Ruth Moton, Leah Hoopes, and Gregory Stenstrom, as well as the Friends of Ruth Moton campaign, alleged former Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar, Delaware County, the Delaware County Board of Elections, and more than a dozen individual election officials destroyed election records and conspired to do so, to hide violations of election law.

Among the election law violations, according to the lawsuit, was the failure of the defendants to reconcile the votes after the close of the polls, as required by Pennsylvania’s election code. However, unlike the other lawsuits that followed the November 2020 election and alleged claims under the U.S. Constitution or state election codes, the petition in Moton v. Boockvar focuses instead on the defendants’ alleged fraud to cover up those purported violations.

In fact, four of the five counts set forth in the court filing were premised on Pennsylvania’s civil law of fraud and misrepresentation. The fraud and misrepresentation, according to the petition, involved the defendants’ alleged destruction of evidence and their purported representation of compliance with a May 21, 2021 Right to Know Request filed with Delaware County.

That request, according to sources with knowledge of the lawsuit, sought documentation from the county to confirm the November 2020 election results that were certified. According to the Moton lawsuit, the Right to Know request specifically requested the “final certified return sheets from the November 3, 2020 general election” for all Delaware County precints, along with the attached machine tapes from the voting machines. Significantly, as we will see, the request also asked for “any additional notes written on the back of the return sheet, as well as any attached notes that are related to each return sheet.”

The latest video obtained by The Federalist appears filmed soon after the Right to Know request, displaying a June 3, 2021 date. The recording shows two men identified by a source close to the matter as Delaware County election official James Ziegelhoffer and Delaware County lawyer Tom Gallagher.

The video captures the duo flipping through a box marked November 2020 “return sheets,” with the individual identified to The Federalist as Gallagher saying: “When we Xerox these return sheets there are notes on these return sheets and we are going to have to cover them over with paper. Somebody wrote on there ‘this is an outrageous example.”

The man identified by sources as Ziegelhoffer, whom county records show held the position of “Judge of Election” for the Western Precinct in the Media Borough, is heard on the recording saying, “So, like, any derogatory or whatever.”

“Right,” the tape records the apparently more senior election official responding, then adding that “most of the stuff is written on the back so we’re alright.”

The two then finger through the return sheets, appearing to discuss the markings, with Gallagher heard saying, “Okay that’s fine. But you know what I’m saying, ‘refused to come in,’” an apparent reference to a note he wanted covered when copies were made in response to the Right to Know request.

(Read the continued discussion of the two and the fallout at The Federalist)

…

 

Inflation in Biden’s America

Obama economists warn: Biden’s Build Back Better will make inflation worse and his stimulus caused inflation

The Daily Wire quotes Obama economists (who either want to save face or distance themselves from Biden) in a 13 December article as they point out how Biden’s COVID stimulus caused the current inflation and how his Build Back Better multiply the inflation problem.

Two former top economic officials for former President Barack Obama are warning that President Joe Biden’s massive social spending bill, known as the Build Back Better Act, will increase inflation at a time when rates are already skyrocketing and will add hundreds of billions of dollars a year to the national debt.

Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary for Clinton and Obama administration official, and Steven Rattner, Obama’s former auto czar, made the warnings in an interview last week with Bloomberg News.

When asked during the interview if Biden’s multi-trillion-dollar leftist spending bill would worsen inflation, Summers responded, “I think the inflation rate would be slightly higher in 2022 and 2023 with the Build Back Better than it would be without the Build Back Better.”

Obama and Clinton economist Larry Summers: Prices will be "higher in 2022 and 2023 with [Biden's] Build Back Better… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
RNC Research (@RNCResearch) December 11, 2021

Summers said that the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), which was 6.8%, “confirmed” that the inflation that has erupted under Biden is “not transitory,” like the administration has tried to claim.

“And I think everybody recognizes now with the statements from Chairman Powell, with the statements from Secretary Yellen, that this isn’t going to just go away of its own accord,” Summers warned. “That the Fed’s going to have to take substantial action to control inflation … we put in motion for the first time in 40 years, excessive inflation, caused by overheating of the economy, and that’s going to have to be worked out of the system and that’s probably not going to be such an easy thing.”

Rattner weighed in sg that he “completely agree[d]” with Summers’ analysis of the problem and that ” it’s going to take multiple years certainly to work it out.”

(Read more at the Daily Wire)

If the CPI were still the 1970’s CPI, then other things would be obvious

Because the equation used to track inflation has changed multiple times in ways that mask the true amount of inflation which has occurred, we might have found as early as October 2021 that inflation had then jumped to a 30-year high.

What would we have now, since the current economists use the watered-down current CPI?

…

Sixty-nine percent of Americans disapprove of Biden’s handling of inflation

A 12 December 2021 article in The Hill suggests that a full 69% of Americans disapprove of the way Biden has handled inflation.

Nearly 70 percent of Americans say they disapprove of how President Biden is handling inflation, according to a new ABC News-Ipsos poll released on Sunday.

The poll found that 69 percent of Americans disapprove of how Biden has handled inflation, while only 28 percent said they approve. Along party lines, 94 percent Republicans said they disapprove, while 54 percent of Democrats said the same. Among independent voters, 71 percent disapprove.

When it came to the economic recovery, 57 percent said they disapprove of Biden’s performance so far. 

ABC News noted that Biden’s approval ratings also dropped when it came to crime and gun violence, with 36 and 32 percent of those surveyed approving of his handling of those issues.

However, Biden has managed to maintain a slim majority of approval in one area of his presidency: his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the ABC-Ipsos poll, 53 percent said they approved of how Biden has managed the pandemic.

The ABC News-Ipsos poll was conducted from Dec. 10 to Dec. 11 using a random sample of 524 adults. The results of the poll have a margin of error of 5 percentage points.

These new approval ratings come as inflation rates continue to soar. Last week, it was reported that consumer prices had risen by 6.8 percent in the past year leading into November — the highest annual inflation rate since 1982.

(Read more at The Hill)

This is what made this post “low fruit”

Considering the amount of griping that came out of my compatriot’s mouths as we exited Sunday School, picking the topic of Biden’s poor performance in inflation-handling performance was picking low fruit.

And, from the results of this poll, most of America agrees. The only thing that would make it lower fruit would be contrary claims by Biden and contrary proof by the main stream press.

Surprise:

Biden BRAGS About Jobs Report That CNBC Calls a 'HUGE MISS' | The News &... youtu.be/C3Y4u_GyAZU Biden BRAGS A… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
..::ELPANAMEÑO::.. (@ELPANAMEN0) December 03, 2021

…

CNN tries to spin terrible inflation news as “sign of a really strong economy”

NewsBusters points out the terrible spin laid on a particular CNN story.

CNN can’t help itself. The network actually spun news of Americans seeing the highest inflation in nearly 40 years as positive news in an attempt to benefit President Joe Biden.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a jaw-dropping report showing that the Consumer Price Index skyrocketed 6.8 percent on a year-over-year basis in November. The inflation was “even more than expected,” and was the “fastest rate since 1982,” according to CNBC.

CNN Chief Business Correspondent Christine Romans kicked off her coverage of the inflation news on CNN Newsroom by initially characterizing it as a “gut punch that feels like it really peaked there,” and “the worst in years.”

Then came the incredible spin: “But demand is strong. This is a sign of a really strong economy, guys. People are rushing out all at the same time to buy the stuff they want after we’ve been in a huge pandemic.” Perhaps Romans didn’t realize that “too many dollars chasing too few goods” is actually a glaring reason why the U.S. is experiencing horrific inflation now.

(Watch the video and read more at NewsBusters)

As an afterthought, since I posted this after Bunkerville had posted a very similar post — I need to acknowledge that post

I don’t know if it is just that conservative minds think alike or if we were both going after the low fruit, but here is an acknowledgement to Bunkerville

…

 

God’s final Word – a continued introduction

God’s final Word

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. Key terms
   • ΑΠΟΚΑΛΥΨΙΣ (Apokalypsis) — “Unveiling, disclosure, revelation”

     Although the word appears only once in the book (1:1), the Greek term (αποκάλυψίς) functions as the title of the entire book. The word simply means uncovering of something that had been hidden. The book of Revelations sheds light on Old Testament prophecies, reveals spiritual truths, and ultimate revelation of God through Jesus Christ at the end of time.

   • ἐν τάχει (en tachei) — “soon” or ἐγγύς (engys) — “near”

     When Revelation says Christ will come “soon” or that His return is “near,” the terms express Christ’s return as impending, not immediate. The terms reflect the suddenness of Christ’s coming, not a short lapse of time before His coming. If Scripture meant to indicate that Christ’s coming would be in a short amount of time after His ascension, it would likely have used “oligos” to indicate a short span of time. The terms ἐν τάχει and ἐγγύς support the doctrine of imminence — Christ could return at any moment.

   • ὁμοίας (homoios) — “like, resembling, similar to”

     This term is used 21 times, especially in passages using highly symbolic language (e.g., Revelation 9:10; 13:2). We must keep in mind that in many cases, John saw symbolic representations of future events and tried to put into words things which were essentially indescribable.

     They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. (Revelation 9:10 NASB)

     καὶ ἔχουσιν οὐρὰς ὁμοίας σκορπίοις καὶ κέντρα, καὶ ἐν ταῖς οὐραῖς αὐτῶν ἡ ἐξουσία αὐτῶν ἀδικῆσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους μῆνας πέντε.(Revelation 9:10 Nestle Greek)

     And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. (Revelation 13:2 NASB)

   • προσκυνήσουσιν (proskyneosee) — “bow down before, show reverence to, worship”

     This term is used 24 times. Those in heaven worship God, but the wicked worship demons, Satan, the Antichrist, or idols. The clear question is simple: to whom will you bow down and worship?

2. Practical lessons
   • God’s inerrant Word is a reliable map

     No matter how difficult it may seem to comprehend the visions of Revelation, we have the confidence that God’s Word will accomplish its purpose in our lives. Isaiah 55:10-11.

     For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10‭-‬11 NASB)

   • God’s sovereign plan replaces fear with hope

     The book of Revelation demonstrates that no matter how bad things appear to be, God is working out His sovereign plan. This book assures us that in the end, the Lord God Almighty wins!

   • God’s glorious Son is worthy of worship

     The book of Revelation consistently and repeatedly points us to Jesus Christ as the center of prophecy. We praise Christ for what He has done for us on the cross by taking away our sins. We praise Him for what He is doing for us by interceding for us in heaven. This book gives us reason to praise Him for what He will do for us in the future. As such, Christ remains the center of our worship now and forever.

3. Interpretation

   Prior to going into these interpretations of Revelation, Mark Ramsey explained that he does not hold to the first three interpretations.

   • Preterist — is a person who views Revelation as a historical record of events in the first century Roman Empire. Problem: This ignores the book as prophecy and all the events predicted in Revelation were not fulfilled in the first century.
   • Historist — is a person who views Revelation from a historical view from apostolic times until the present. Problem: This ignores the book as prophecy. Resorts to allegorizing the text to support historical events (the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of the Catholic Church, the French Revolution, the advent of Islam).
   • Idealist — is a person who views the book as a struggle between good and evil that is played out in every age. Problem: Revelation is neither a historical record or a predictive prophecy.
   • Futurist — is a person who views chapters 4-22 as predictions of people and events yet to come in the future. This view gives full justice to Revelation’s claim to be prophecy. Anything other than the futurist approach leaves the meaning to human ingenuity and opinion. We will study this book based on the futurist approach accepting what the text says.
4. Messages of the Majestic Savior

   If Jesus Christ were to show up in our church unannounced and evaluates our worship and carefully investigated our interpersonal relationships in our class and congregation, how would He react?

   It is a frightening prospect to be evaluated directly by the One Who knows everything. Yet this is exactly what Christ did, according to the first three chapters of the book of Revelation. Christ holds back neither encouragement nor rebuke. He called all the believers in the seven churches to examine their lives and ministries.

5. The Author of the book

   Revelation 1:1 states that this book is “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him” and which Jesus in turn made known to John, using His angel as an intermediary. The author of Revelation is God the Father, Himself. No other book in the Bible has been given to us in this manner. John’s role in the writing of this book is virtually that of a secretary taking dictation.

6. The main message

   Jesus Christ is the conqueror and all believers share in His great victory!

 

God’s final Word – Introduction

God’s final Word

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. Jesus Christ as he is today

   The book of Revelation is the only book of the New Testament that presents Jesus Christ as He is today.

   The gospels introduce Him as the “man of sorrows” during His incarnation. Revelation presents Him in His true glory and majesty after His resurrection and ascension into heaven.

   This book reveals the Lord and His wonderful plan to redeem His church, but also discloses the terrible plight of this world and all those who reject Him.

   How do you visualize Jesus as he is today?

   One class member related that she expected arms that reached out in a welcoming gesture and a face that beamed love.

   Another class member said that she expected a robe that glowed like the sun and a face that shone even brighter. Yet another class member said that he expected a forgiving face.

   Why do you want to study the book of Revelation?

   One class member responded that all history books discuss the past. This book, along with a select set of other Bible books, discusses the future.

   Do you think of this book is frightening and/or confusing?

   One class member responded that the book may be confusing due to our inexperience with Old Testament imagery or allusions. Likewise, another class member noted that there are a number of hard things in Revelation.

   What is your impression of the book today?

   One class member noted that the promises of blessing in the book gave her a sense of hope and peace.

   Have you studied this book previously? If so, what was your experience?

   Just about all of the class indicated that they had studied Revelation.

   Is there anyone who does not want to study this book? If so, explain.

   Nobody dissented to the study.

2. The circle of Bible truths

   The book completes a circle of Bible truths

   Genesis shows man’s beginning in a beautiful paradise.	Revelation shows the wonderful paradise to come.
   Genesis tells of man’s first rebellion against God.	Revelation promises an end of man’s rebellion against God.
   Genesis records the first death.	Revelation promises that “there will be no more death.” (21:4)
   Genesis shows the beginning of the curse (3:15-18)	Revelation shows that the curse is lifted. (22:3)
   Genesis introduces the devil for the first time as the tempter of men.	Revelation shows the final doom of Satan. (20:10)

   Do these examples give you hope and peace?

3. Outline of the book of Revelation
   • Christ and the Church Age (chapters 1-3)
   • Christ and the Tribulation (chapters 4-18)
   • Christ and the future (chapters 19-22)
4. Foundational information

   More than 60 years have passed since John and his brother dropped their fishing nets to follow Jesus.

   Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. (Matthew 4:21 NASB)

   During the three years of public ministry of Jesus, John witnessed things that most of the disciples didn’t. With Peter and James, he witnessed the resurrection of a young girl from the dead (Mark 5:37-42); the transfiguration of Jesus on Mount Hermon (Matt. 17:1-2); and the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:33-34).

   And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They *came to the house of the synagogue official; and He *saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. And entering in, He *said to them, “Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep.” They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He *took along the child’s father and mother and His own companions, and *entered the room where the child was. Taking the child by the hand, He *said to her, “Talitha kum!” (which translated means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. (Mark 5:37‭-‬42 NASB)

   Six days later Jesus *took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and *led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. (Matthew 17:1‭-‬2 NASB)

   And He *took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” (Mark 14:33‭-‬34 NASB)

   John witnesses the Lord’s crucifixion and received the responsibility to care for and comfort Mary, the mother of Jesus (John 19:26-27). After Jesus’ resurrection, John and Peter were the first to rush to the tomb and although Peter entered the tomb first, it was John who sized up the empty tomb and believed that Jesus had risen (John 20:8).

   Then He *said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household. (John 19:27 NASB)

   So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. (John 20:8 NASB)

   In the 90’s, John was exiled to the island of Patmos, a penal colony, by the Emporer Domitian because of his faith. It was on this island that John was invited into the presence of the risen, glorified Jesus and was commanded to write in a book what he sees.

   The book of Revelation is the result of John’s encounter with the risen Lord. The title of the book comes from the Greek word, apokalypsis, meaning “unveiling.”

   God revealed the future to John in order to inform His people what will take place (1:1). With this unveiling comes a special blessing to those who read the book and hear its words (1:3). Like a second bookend, the book closes with a restatement of this blessing for those who, in addition to reading and hearing the Word, also keep it (22:7).

   The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, (Revelation 1:1 NASB)

   Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. (Revelation 1:3 NASB)

   “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:7 NASB)

5. Key verse (Revelation 1:19)

   This is an inspired outline of the book with a threefold command:

   • The past — “the things which you have seen” — referring to the startling vision of Christ that John witnessed in 1:10-16.
   • The present — “the things which are” — this refers to the messages that Jesus directs to the seven churches (chapters 2-3)
   • The future — “the things which will take place after these things” — this refers to the events described in 4:1 – 22:1
6. Knowing what the Bible teaches about the future

   The Bible communicates the full character of God; gives us hope for today and alleviates unnecessary fears about the future; compels us to live godly lives and moves us to worship God Who will ultimately triumph over evil.

7. Timeline

   The Church Age – from the day of Pentecost to the Rapture – 1 Thess. 4:13-18

   Seven year tribulation – Divine judgements – Revelation 4-19

   The Second Coming of Christ – Rev. 19:11-21

   Millenial Kingdom – 1,000 years of peace on earth – Rev. 20:1-8

   Great White Throne Judgement – Rev. 20:11-15

   The new heaven and new earth – Rev. 21-22

 

Hope and courage in times of trouble: the day of the Lord

The day of the Lord – 2 Peter 3:8-11

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. Eternity … (2 Peter 3:8)
   

   But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. (2 Peter 3:8 NASB)

   At the beginning of 2 Peter 3:8, Peter urges us to take note of one thing in response to the mocking of skeptics who doubt God will judge them

   For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it passes by, Or as a watch in the night. (Psalms 90:4 NASB)

   Peter’s paraphrase from the Psalm encouraged his readers to note that God’s perspective on time is much different from humanity’s. The amount of earthly time that passes is of no consequence from God’s timeless perspective. In context, while Christ’s return may seem far off to human beings, it is imminent from God’s perspective. The Lord Jesus Christ will return at the exact moment determined by God the Father.

   In some cities, the Freedom from Religion Foundation has erected billboards with prominent messages of “Sleep in on Sunday.” What is your reaction to this message?

   

   One class member speculated about the bad fix we would find ourselves in had Christ determined to respond to the Father on the hard day: “I’d like to take a pass on this one and sit this out.”

   One class member responded that this was a violation of the command given to Christians in Hebrews 10:25.

   not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 NASB)

   The Freedom from Religion Foundation has also erected billboards proclaiming “There is no afterlife.”

   

   One class member noted that this group took pride in claiming to hold a scientific perspective. However, how would they have observed the certainty of no afterlife or repeated the experiment?

   What do you think about the return of Christ? Why do you think there has been so much time, from a human perspective, for the return of Christ?

   One class member responded that the long time reflected God’s grace, by giving us sinners more time to see our sin, be convicted, and come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

2. The character of God … (2 Peter 3:9)
   

   The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 NASB)

   This verse refers to God’s patient plan. He’s deliberately holding back the events of the end times in order to give as many people as possible an opportunity to turn to Christ and be saved.

   who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4 NASB)

   To make this personal, imagine if Christ had returned two weeks or two days before you came to faith. You would have missed salvation and now, the fires of judgment fall.

   Put the names of those who do not know Christ in 2 Peter 3:9 — “God is patient toward _______ , not wishing for __________ to perish but for _______ to come to repentance.” Does that change your perspective?

   God’s patience is not only beneficial to unbelievers, but it is also an opportunity for believers to get back on track from having wandered from the faith

3. The assurance of Divine judgment … (2 Peter 3:10)
   

   But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10 NASB)

   There are several separate days mentioned in the Scripture regarding the end times:

   • “The Day of the Lord” is the day of judgment that climaxes with the return of Christ to the earth. (2 Peter 3:10)
   • “The day of God” is the period when God’s people enjoy the new heavens and the new earth. (2 Peter 3:12)
     

     looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! (2 Peter 3:12 NASB)

   • “The day of Christ” is the rapture. (1 Corinthians 1:7‭-‬8)(Philippians 1:10)(Philippians 2:16)(1 Thessalonians 4:16‭-‬17)
     

     so that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:7‭-‬8 NASB)

     so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; (Philippians 1:10 NASB)

     holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. (Philippians 2:16 NASB)

     For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16‭-‬17 NASB)

   The day of the Lord will come like a thief — unexpected, without warning, and disastrous for the unprepared.

   For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2 NASB)

   This day is revealed in nineteen Old Testament references and four in the New Testament. These are horrifying judgments from God rendered because of the world’s overwhelming sinfulness.

   God’s power will consume everything in the material realm — the entire physical earth and the surrounding celestial universe. It will be replaced by a completely new heaven and new earth, where the righteous will live with God forever.

   And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5 NASB)

   Does this description and knowledge of what will happen have any impact on you? If so, what influence does it have?

   Just about the whole class had a response of how their witness had been changed.

4. What sort of people should we be … (2 Peter 3:11)
   

   Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (2 Peter 3:11 NASB)

   One day this universe will be utterly destroyed. For God’s enemies, that final judgment will be an inescapable nightmare. For God’s children, it will mean the fulfillment of the Christian hope, ushering in the dawn of Christ’s rule on earth, followed by the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. For God, it will be a total triumph over all who oppose Him including the final destruction of death and the complete eradication of sin.

   Peter is not really asking a question when he comments “What sort of people should we be.” It actually translates “how astonishingly excellent you ought to be.” In light of God’s promised judgment, Peter challenges us to allow our anticipation of Christ’s return to impact our daily behavior.

   “Holy conduct” is external actions and behavior while “godliness” is the internal heart attitude and reverence, devoted to pleasing God.

   We are to be different, but not odd. When we are different, we are more apt to attract people. If we are odd, we will repel them.

   Do you consider yourself different? if so, how?

   A number of class members confessed that we are different in that we show ourselves:

   • Different in by going to church (instead of staying in bed),
   • Different in our walk and talk,
   • Different in that light repels dark,
   • Differenct in our joy,
   • Different through our hope,
   • Different through our talk with Jesus

   Do you consider yourself odd? If so, how?

   One class member cited 1 Peter 2:9 (where the phrase “a people for God’s own possession” is translated “a peculiar people” in the King James version). The teacher let it go at that.

   But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9 NASB)

5. Eternal perspective … (2 Peter 3:12-13)
   

   looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:12‭-‬13 NASB)

   How do Christians hasten the Day of God? For one thing, every time we pray as Jesus taught us “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.”

   Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10 NASB)

   It would also appear from Revelation 5:8 and 8:3-4 that the prayers of God’s people are related in some way to the pouring out of God’s wrath on the nations.

   When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. (Revelation 5:8 NASB)

   Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. (Revelation 8:3‭-‬4 NASB)

   Also, the sooner the church is completed, the sooner the Lord will return.

   Several passages in the book of Revelation which describe tribulation events offer vivid previews of the kind of power that God will display at the final destruction. Revelation 8:7-11; 16:17-21; 18:8-10.

   The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed. The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter. (Revelation 8:7‭-‬11 NASB)

   Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.” And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of His fierce wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And huge hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, *came down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, because its plague *was extremely severe. (Revelation 16:17‭-‬21 NASB)

   For this reason in one day her plagues will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for the Lord God who judges her is strong. “And the kings of the earth, who committed acts of immorality and lived sensuously with her, will weep and lament over her when they see the smoke of her burning, standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ (Revelation 18:8‭-‬10 NASB)

   Following the final destruction of the universe, the day of God will arrive and this corrupted world system will be forever abolished. According to His promise, there sill be a new heaven and a new earth.

   Here is a description of the wonder of that new universe: Revelation 21:1-4; 22-27.

   Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1‭-‬4 NASB)

   I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:22‭-‬27 NASB)

   Knowing this, we should live in constant expectation — always looking for Christ’s return and continually viewing everything in light of our eternal destiny.

 

Hope and courage in times of trouble: a warning to skeptics

A warning to skeptics – 2 Peter 3:1-7

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. A reminder to believers … (2 Peter 3:1)
   

   This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, (2 Peter 3:1 NASB)

   Peter reminds believers of the ministry of the Holy Spirit to lead us to all truth. Additionally, this letter reminds us to rely on the standard of truth, which is God’s Word (which is sure, authoritative, and inspired through the Holy Spirit which stimulates us to wholesome thinking.

   We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, (2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB)

2. Recall these things … (2 Peter 3:2)
   

   that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles. (2 Peter 3:2 NASB)

   • Recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets
     

     For behold, the Lord will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. For the Lord will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the Lord will be many. (Isaiah 66:15‭-‬16 NASB)

     “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 4:1‭-‬3 NASB)

     The theme of God’s final wrath, often called “the day of the Lord” is heralded in Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 2:31; Micah 1:3-4; Zephaniah 1:14-18; and John 5:39.

     For the day is near, Even the day of the Lord is near; It will be a day of clouds, A time of doom for the nations. (Ezekiel 30:3 NASB)

     The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. (Joel 2:31 NASB)

     For behold, the Lord is coming forth from His place. He will come down and tread on the high places of the earth. The mountains will melt under Him And the valleys will be split, Like wax before the fire, Like water poured down a steep place. (Micah 1:3‭-‬4 NASB)

     Near is the great day of the Lord, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the Lord! In it the warrior cries out bitterly. A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of trumpet and battle cry Against the fortified cities And the high corner towers. I will bring distress on men So that they will walk like the blind, Because they have sinned against the Lord; And their blood will be poured out like dust And their flesh like dung. Neither their silver nor their gold Will be able to deliver them On the day of the Lord’s wrath; And all the earth will be devoured In the fire of His jealousy, For He will make a complete end, Indeed a terrifying one, Of all the inhabitants of the earth. (Zephaniah 1:14‭-‬18 NASB)

     You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; (John 5:39 NASB)

     What impact does this have on you when you are reminded of these words?

     One class member said that she wanted to shout the good news from the mountaintop. When queried, she related how she had shared the good news of Christ with her grandkids and her Awana kids.

   • Recall the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles

     Twenty-three of the twenty-seven books in the New Testament explicitly refer to the Lord’s return. From Matthew to Revelation, Jesus’ return is reiterated time and time again.

     What impact does this reminder have on you that Jesus will return?

     One class member responded that he was determined to share the news of Jesus despite the resistance from people (as he referred to the arrest of the pastor in Canada) and the Devil.

     After this strong reminder for believers to stand firm on the teachings of the Scripture as the foundation of their faith, Peter now offers a series of somber warnings to the unbelievers.

3. Sober warning to the ungodly
   • Something to know about the present
     

     Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3‭-‬4 NASB)

     In the last days, scoffers will come … The term, “last days” refers to the time between the first and second coming of Christ. Peter addresses those who reject our faith by mocking, teasing, and speaking in a condescending manner. Sometimes, this can also include false teachers

     Jude 1:17-19

     But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. (Jude 1:17‭-‬19 NASB)

     Who do you consider as scoffers today?

     One member suggested that the main stream media, the entertainment system, and a number of our general acquaintances (for starters) would fall in the category of “scoffers.”

     Mark Ramsey then extrapolated that just about the whole world would be in the realm of scoffers.

     Have you talked to someone who mocked/scoffed at God’s Word and your faith? What were the results?

     One class member related that they had been able to share Christ despite the condescension. Another class member said she had sometimes been quieter than she had planned.

   • Something to know from the past (2 Peter 3:5-6)
     

     For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. (2 Peter 3:5‭-‬6 NASB)

     The mockers forget what God has done in the past. They reject two bedrock foundations of a Christian view of history: creation out of nothing and a global flood.

     One classmate pointed out that, since the materials for the “Big Bang” had to come from somewhere, the vast majority of kids in our school systems are convinced of a theory that depends on the creation of something from nothing.

     Genesis 1:6-10 describes both acts of creating atmosphere and forming the inhabitable world described in 2 Peter 3:5.

     Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:6‭-‬10 NASB)

     Atheists, humanists, materialists, and other skeptics openly reject these special creative acts of God in fact, Peter says that “they deliberately forget …” Instead, they come up with all kinds of theories to push the notion of a sovereign Creator out of their minds. They banish Genesis 1 to the category of myth or an antiquated worldview.

     Have they succeeded in convincing you or your children or your grandchildren?

     All class members indicated that we were not convinced of this worldview. However, a few indicated that their children held this view. More indicated that their grandchildren held this view.

     Peter also described the judgement of the earth by the worldwide flood in 2 Peter 3:6 and also described in Genesis 7:11-12.

     through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. (2 Peter 3:6 NASB)

     In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened. The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. (Genesis 7:11‭-‬12 NASB)

     Peter’s point is that just as God catastrophically intervened with water during the flood, He will, on day, intervene again — but next time with fire.

4. Something to count on in the future (2 Peter 3:7)
   

   But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:7 NASB)

   This fire will come on the day of judgement, when God destroys the world and the works of the ungodly people.

   What will come after the judgement by fire? 2 Peter 3:11

   Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (2 Peter 3:11 NASB)

   Genesis 1:8 (original heavens and earth)

   2 Peter 3:6 (judged by flood)

   Genesis 8; Revelation 20 (current heavens and earth)

   2 Peter 3:7; (judged by fire)

   Revelation 21-22 (future heavens and earth)

   Regardless of the way things appear day in and day out, despite the mockery of the skeptics at the idea of Christ’s return and the coming judgements, you can book it that God’s Word is true and the Lord will return and there will be a new heaven and a new heaven and a new earth where we will live for all eternity in His shekinah glory!

   What should we do in light of Christ’s return?

   If you are not absolutely ready to fly when Christ comes to snatch His own (1 Thessalonians 4:17; Malachi 3:16-18), you better get your ticket. Fast. Don’t wait. By the time you finally make up your mind, it may be too late and you will be left behind.

   Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17 NASB)

   Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. (Malachi 3:16‭-‬18 NASB)

 

Hope and courage in times of trouble: disobedience and death

Disobedience and death – 2 Peter 2:12-22

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. But these men … (2 Peter 2:12-14)
   

   But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; (2 Peter 2:12‭-‬14 NASB)

   Humans, created as a reflection (but not a full recreation) of God, initially received the task of ruling over all other creation. Genesis 1:26-27.

   Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (Genesis 1:26‭-‬27 NASB)

   However, while still in the garden, Adam and Eve chose to submit and listen to the Serpent rather than exercising the authority given to both of them. Genesis 3.

   Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (Genesis 3:1‭-‬6 NASB)

   Ever since that tragic fall, human beings have continued to abandon their place of dignity over creation in exchange for behavior that puts them on par with the very beasts they were meant to dominate.

   They size up every situation for unseen opportunities to sin. They hunt for naïve, weak, and unstable victims to devour — preying on the spiritually weak and convincing them to believe doctrinal lies. Peter knows the only strong defense against these tactics is ay strong foundation in God’s Word.

   Those who would mislead are experts in greed and masters at conning, extorting, and deceiving. Their immorality is always accomplished by avarice. They are experts in getting what they want. Matthew 7:15

   “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15 NASB)

   Peter calls them “like unreasoning animals.” Why do you think Peter is so harsh in his words about false teachers?

   One class member responded that the false teachers were judged so severely because they cost people their souls through deception.

2. Balaam — their model (2 Peter 2:15-16)
   

   forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet. (2 Peter 2:15‭-‬16 NASB)

   Instead of following Christ, the true Prophet, they follow in the footsteps of Balaam, the false prophet. The story of Balaam is a classic example of a prophet who was motivated by financial gain. As we know, when Joshua lead the children of Israel into the promised land, the king of Moab paid Balaam to curse the the children of Israel. However, Balaam was stopped from this greedy mission when his donkey stopped during the trip. Then, in response to being beaten, the donkey spoke and revealed that Balaam was near to being killed by an angel (Numbers 22:1-29).

   Today, false teachers may appear to be in it for the ministry, but they are really in it for the money.

   How can you determine this?

   One class member responded that we must inspect the fruit of their lives (Matthew 7:16-19).

3. Springs without water (2 Peter 2:17)
   

   These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. (2 Peter 2:17 NASB)

   Three main features have always characterized the ministry style of false teachers. They are authoritarian, ruling over churches in a domineering fashion. Jeremiah 5:31.

   The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it? (Jeremiah 5:31 NASB)

   They strongly denounce any who question their authority. 3 John 9-10

   I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. (3 John 1:9‭-‬10 NASB)

   Secondly, false teachers minister in a man-centered way, pandering to what they think people want to hear with the focus on themselves. Jeremiah 23:16.

   Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the Lord. (Jeremiah 23:16 NASB)

   Third, they treat historic Scripture-based doctrines of the church with contempt, purposely distancing themselves from the past and arrogantly endorsing some new cultural ideology. Jeremiah 6:16.

   Thus says the Lord, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ (Jeremiah 6:16 NASB)

   What should you do when you recognize these warning signs?

   One class member responded that we should follow the conflict resolution measures outlined in Matthew 18:15-17. If the false teacher will not listen to the advice, then we must move to a fellowship of believers where the Word of God is followed closely.

   What happens when you disregard these warning signs?

   One class member suggested that the next generation would suffer when they might conform to the false teachings. Another class member pointed out that failure to remove ourselves from the teaching of a false teacher would damage our own relation to God, interpretation of the Bible, and witness to the world.

   Peter knew these false teachers for who they really are and described them as follows:

   • Springs without water — they appear to have something refreshing to offer, but when you get close, you realize it is just a spiritually barren mirage
   • Mists driven by a storm — false teachers deceive people with thunderous claims and flashy appeal, but they only provide useless mists and not spiritually-nourishing doctrine
   • Blackest clouds are reserved for them — they promise the light of fulfillment and joy, but their end is only blackness and gloom — the place of eternal punishment.
4. Promising freedom while they are in bondage (2 Peter 2:18-19)
   

   For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved. (2 Peter 2:18‭-‬19 NASB)

   False teachers entice others with arrogant, seemingly impressive words that impress unsuspecting victims. The gullible gobble it up.

   Peter makes the point that the impressive words of the false teachers do not point us toward the truth. The point us toward the teacher.

   Though they promise freedom, they actually drag others into the enslavement of corruption.

   How can you determine if the words of freedom are actually empty words?

   One class member noted that we should compare the words of the teacher against the Word. We should follow the example of the Bereans (Acts 17:11).

5. A dog and a sow (2 Peter 2:20-22)
   

   For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:20‭-‬22 NASB)

   Peter focuses on those who knew the way of righteousness through Christ, but turned their back and went the other way. These false teachers appeared to be authentic, but in reality, they are counterfeits. Through their fruit, we can discern that they don’t have a saving knowledge of Christ that genuinely transforms their lives.

   What fruit would reveal they don’t have a saving knowledge of Jesus that transforms their lives?

   They are/were intellectually aware of the truth, but never allowed the truth to transform their hearts. As a result, they are in worst condition that those who never heard. They knew enough about the Christian faith to conduct themselves in ways that appeared genuine, but eventually they are exposed for who they really are.

   How are they exposed? Peter likens their conduct to the wild and vicious dogs of his day and pigs who return to their stinking muck. How would you liken his description for what a false teacher does?

   Since these false teachers did things that resulted in the eternal deaths of others, none of us could change the description provided by Peter.

   Luke 12:47-48.

   And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes, but the one who did not know it, and committed deeds worthy of a flogging, will receive but few. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more. (Luke 12:47‭-‬48 NASB)

   Hebrews 10:29-31.

   How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:29‭-‬31 NASB)

   How do we know whom to shun? Discernment. Hebrews 5:14.

   But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. (Hebrews 5:14 NASB)

   We have a definite frame of reference separating good from evil. 1 John 4:1

   Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1 NASB)

   Think! Lack of discernment invites more heresy. A Christian without discernment is like a submarine at full speed ahead without sonar or periscope.

Hope and courage in times of trouble: God’s wrath and rescue

God’s wrath and rescue – 2 Peter 2:3-11

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. A brief review of what was happening in the life of Peter when this book was written
   

   But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;
   (2 Peter 2:1-2 NASB)

   Peter wrote this letter from jail while knowing his execution on the cross was soon coming.

   He wrote it wanting to prepare the church for the false teachers who had started introducing false teachings into the church.

   Seeing these conditions in the early church, do you feel persecution? Do you see your time as being abbreviated? Do you see false teaching as entering into the conversation?

   One class member responded by pointing out how her grandchildren have started to not want to hear about the Bible.

   Another class member related the same problem while another recalled the words of 2 Timothy 4:3 and 4.

   For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
   (2 Timothy 4:3‭-‬4 NASB)

2. The Promise of God

   • 2 Peter 2:3a

     and in their greed they will exploit you with false words (2 Peter 2:3a NASB)

     The primary motivation driving false teachers is an unbridled love of money.

     Satan’s goal is to deceive as many people as possible, inside and outside of the church, by means of false teachers. In contrast, God’s desire is to identify and expose such hypocrites.

     How would you grade Satan’s success with false teachers? What do you attribute this success to?

     • One class member rated Satan’s efforts with an “A+” due to a certain mega-church in Houston where the health-and-wealth false gospel finds center stage. Although that class member would not name the mega-church spreading a false gospel, the teacher (Mark Ramsey) pointed to the church lead by Joel Osteen (and the class agreed).
     • Another class member pointed out how Islam sprang from an mixing of the Jewish Torah with Christian scriptures and a predominance of the Bedouin culture of the Saudi Arabian area.

     Remember Paul’s admonition to the elders at the church of Ephesus: Acts 20:28-31

     Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. (Acts 20:28-31 NASB)

   • 2 Peter 2:3b
     

     their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. (2 Peter 2:3b NASB)

     Although false teachers will not face their eternal judgement until death, their sentence was decreed by God long ago.

3. Wrath and Rescue

   Two sides of God — His compassion and His judgement — come together in 2:4-11. For the false teacher, judgement is coming. For those who are saved, God will rescue them from wrath.

   • 2:4 (fallen angels)

     “For if” is better translated as “since.” Since God did not spare the angels when they sinned against Him, humans who pervert His truth will not escape His vengeance either. Peter is probably referring to the demons who were cast into the abyss.

     Peter used this illustration to emphasize that God severely judges all those who oppose Him and His truth. Like those angels, false teachers will face divine wrath.

   • 2:5 (ancient world)

     God wiped out the people living at the time of the flood, all of whom were wicked, except for Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives. Genesis 6:5-7.

     Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:5-7 NASB)

     God, however, preserved Noah (who was righteous, a true worshipper of God) who was immersed in a wicked and corrupt society. Genesis 6:8-13.

     But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
     These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. Noah became the father of three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

     Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.

     Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:8-13 NASB)

     While Noah was building the ark, he also labored as a preacher of righteousness, warning the people and calling them to repent.

     Can anyone relate to Noah?

     One class member responded that he has been forced into a position of choosing between his job of almost 40 years and his Christian faith due to LGBTQ influences at work.

     How does our world/culture compare with the world during Noah’s day?

     After a bit of silence, one class member replied that the current world might be only slightly less evil (due to the restraining effect of the Holy Spirit).

   • 2:6-8 (Sodom and Gomorrah)

     Because of their gross sins, God condemned both cities to destruction. Genesis 19:24-25.

     Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19:24-25 NASB)

     More than 20 time in Scripture, these cities are used as an example of those who would live ungodly lives and the consequences of such lifestyles.

     Knowing the Genesis account, why do you think that Lot is designated as righteous three times?

     One class member responded that Lot (like his faith example, Abram) followed God by faith and that faith was counted as righteousness.

     Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, (Romans 4:4-5 NASB)

     Genesis 13:8-13; Genesis 19:30-35.

     So Abram said to Lot, “Please let there be no strife between you and me, nor between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are brothers. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me; if to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left.” Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere—this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled in the cities of the valley, and moved his tents as far as Sodom. Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. (Genesis 13:8-13 NASB)

     Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. On the following day, the firstborn said to the younger, “Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve our family through our father.” So they made their father drink wine that night also, and the younger arose and lay with him; and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. (Genesis 19:30-35 NASB)

     Peter is pointing out that Lot is righteous in his heart and was distressed by the filthy lives of those around him. At times, he may have been materialistic and morally weak, but he did not want any part of the sensual conduct of Sodom’s culture. Their conduct “tormented his righteous soul” — the phrase conveys the idea of exhausting someone and deeply troubling his soul.

     Do you think that many Christians are like Lot today? Explain.

     One class member pointed out how the Methodist church has split over two disagreements:

     • Acceptance of the LGBTQ agenda in the church and
     • Removal of references to “the blood” in sermons and songs

     What are some everyday situations that challenge followers of Christ today? What helps a Christ follower from surrendering to the cultural norms that are antithetical to the gospel?

   • 2:9-11 (the pattern of judgement)

     God know who to judge and who to rescue in the past and He knows how to do the same in the present and future.

     Malachi 3:16 – 4:3

     Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name. “They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.” So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.” “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:16 – 4:3 NASB)

     In 2:10b and 2:11, Peter re-emphasizes that pride and arrogance are the primary characteristics of God’s enemies. “Bold and arrogant” or “reckless and self-willed” is translated to mean they exalt themselves and are determined to have their own way at any cost.

4. Application

   How can we avoid from being deceived by false teachers? (The following was attributed to a Chuck Swindoll sermon.)

   • Stop! Compare the views being taught and discussed with the clear teachings of the Scripture and the central doctrines of our faith. Don’t be afraid to leave if things don’t feel right deep within your spirit.
   • Look! Observe the life of the main spokesperson. Do they model Christlike values and virtues in how they treat their staff and their congregation (the flock)? Is there accountability and transparency? Do they exhibit true humility? Do they submit themselves to the authority of the Word of God? Never be swayed by somebody’s apparent charisma.
   • Listen! Pay close attention to the words that the teacher uses while he teaches as well as in his informal discussions. Listen to not only what they say, but how they say it. Also note what is not being said. Listen closely and think critically.

Now, do you believe that you can identify a false teacher? If so, do you know what to do if you find yourself under the leadership of one?

Hope and courage in times of trouble

Living stones – 1 Peter 2:4-12

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. Becoming living stones
   

   My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6 NASB)

   What is this knowledge of which the prophet speaks?

   One class member mentioned how he had studied Hosea and that the Israelites had backslidden into worshipping other gods in addition to the true God.

   They were tempted to return to a lifestyle less offensive to their secular neighbors. If anything, it was a safer way to live. Do you ever feel this way?

2. The living stone (1 Peter 2:4-8)

   Stone or rock is mentioned 9 times in these 5 verses. Why do you think Peter uses the stone as imagery in these verses?

   What occupation did Jesus and Joseph, his earthly father, have before Jesus began His earthly ministry as a Rabbi when He turned 40?

   One class member recalled from a previous-week’s sermon that Jesus had likely not been a carpenter, but an architect/stonemason (considering that, even during Solomon’s time, the cedars and woodworkers had to be imported from Lebanon). Therefore, the use of stone in this section was more appropriate.

   With the imagery of the stone throughout the Bible, it makes sense that Jesus was a craftsman, stonemason, or architect. He is the Architect of all creation.

   All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (John 1:3 NASB)

   So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, (Ephesians 2:19‭-‬20 NASB)

   Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. (Isaiah 28:16 NASB)

   In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.” (Daniel 2:44‭-‬45 NASB)

3. The Living Stone and the living stones
   “As you come to Him” (1 Peter 2:4a)
   • When we come to Jesus – we come to the “Living Stone.”
   • When we come to Jesus – we come into God’s Kingdom.
   • When we come to Jesus – we become God’s “spiritual house” and His “holy priesthood.”
   • As we draw near to Christ, we are being built up. We are in the middle of an ongoing construction project. Christ is in the process of building up His church – those dead stones that are being quarried from the pit of sin, brought to life as “living stones,” and fitted into His glorious structure. Each time someone trusts Christ as Savior, another stone is placed into that living, growing church.
   • Do you realize that, without you, something is missing? The wall and structure would be weakened. You represent a vital part of the church and you should never underestimate your important part in the larger community of Christ.
   • How do you view your role as a “living stone?”
   • Would anyone be able to identify me as a stone that belongs in God’s temple or would I be mistaken for a common rock unfit for a building? Explain.
4. A holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5)
   Multifold implication:
   • We have unrestrained access to the throne of God. Hebrews 4:15-16. We need no middle man or earthly priest – we have direct access to God.
     

     For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15‭-‬16 NASB)

   • We have a privilege and responsibility of serving as priests on behalf of each other. James 5:16. We are called to be full-time priests. Hebrews 13:15-16. Praising God, thanking Him, doing good and sharing – these are the kinds of sacrifices pleasing to God. Clearly, we can all serve as priests in this holy and royal order.
     

     Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:16 NASB)

     Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. (Hebrews 13:15‭-‬16 NASB)

   • How do you see your role as a royal priest in the Kingdom agenda?
5. Who are we? (1 Peter 2:9-10)
   

   But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of G od; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9‭-‬10 NASB)

   In addition to being living stones in God’s building and priests in His temple, we are also members of a chosen race, citizens of a holy nation, a new people of God for God’s own possession (people belonging to God) and beneficiaries of God’s mercy.

   The fact that we are not our own makes a difference in how we live and for whom we live.

   Does that make a difference to you? Explain

6. Exhortations to God’s people (1 Peter 2:11-12)
   

   Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11‭-‬12 NASB)

   • As God’s royal priesthood, we are called to live an exemplary life in a world of opposition and temptation, which is possible only through trust and reliance on the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.
   • We must do good deeds among unbelievers. Matthew 5:16.
     

     Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NASB)

     • Have I become a “Sunday Christian” doing my best deeds for fellow Christians or do I let the light of the Holy Spirit shine before others in a way that draws their attention to Christ in me? Explain.
   • We must never forget that we are being watched.
     • When I am outside my circle of Christian friends, do I maintain my Christian convictions or do I compromise with the world?
7. The day He visits us (1 Peter 2:12d)
   

   Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12 NASB)

   “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, (Luke 1:68 NASB)

   Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited His people!” (Luke 7:16 NASB)

   and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” (Luke 19:44 NASB)

   God’s redemption is inherent in Peter’s reference to the day of visitation. Peter uses the expression to show that because of the observation of good deeds, believers would be privileged to glorify God when He visits them with salvation

   Do you long for God’s day of visitation in which He will be glorified through your life?

   By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Hebrews 11:9‭-‬10 NASB)

 

Hope and courage in times of trouble

The necessity of true community – 1 Peter 1:22 – 2:3

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. The antidote for the disease of defeat

   What do we need to do, as Christ followers, when we begin to experience a loss of hope and a fragmenting of our community of believers?

   One class member responded by quoting Hebrews 10:25 and pointing out that, when we lose hope, we need to seek out our fellow believers for support.

   not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:25 NASB)

   Another class member quoted Romans 12:10 and said that we all should support one another in brotherly love.

   Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; (Romans 12:10 NASB)

   How do we develop unity and community so that we don’t slip into lonely and hopeless lives? (Especially with the pandemic and government shutdowns?)

   A class member suggested that, while it was not our situation in Texas, maybe some standing up to government might be in order. She quoted Acts 5:29.

   But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:29 NASB)

   Another class member went back to the question of how to support one another. He said that we should support each other physically, spiritually, and emotionally — especially as lead by God. Another class member chimed in and made reference to John 13:34 and 1 John 4:20‭-‬21.

   A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34 NASB)

   If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also. (1 John 4:20‭-‬21 NASB)

   How can we support one another?

   After a moment of silence (maybe we were all jotting notes or sipping coffee or just shy that day), someone said, “Whatever the question is, the answer is ‘Jesus.’ “

   We all laughed.

   Do you believe it is important to be part of a community of believers in times of trouble?

   Yes.

2. A love that lives

   Do you love because you live?

   A class member suggested that our sin nature made being self-centered more likely and loving less likely.

   But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. (1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB)

3. Developing unity and community (1 Peter 1:22)
   

   Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, (1 Peter 1:22 NASB)

   Three ways:

   • Purify ourselves – cleanse and remove those things which stand between brothers and sisters in Christ — we remove prejudice, bitterness, grudges. If something separates you, address it in a biblical manner. (Matthew 5:23-24 and Matthew 18:15-17)
     

     Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. (Matthew 5:23‭-‬24 NASB)

     “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (Matthew 18:15‭-‬17 NASB)

     Is this difficult?

     Yes.

   • Obedience to the truth – we don’t follow our inner urges or the examples of others in our culture (or the cultural norms). We obey the truths – God’s standard of what it means to be Christ-followers. How difficult is it to overcome the cultural norms?

     One class member pointed to how Paul had to admonish Peter for favoring the Jews and displaying prejudice against Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-13).

     But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. (Galatians 2:11‭-‬13 NASB)

     So, yes. It is hard to overcome cultural expectations.

   • Sincere love – as we cleanse our souls and obey the truth of God’s Word, we are free to love genuinely, sincerely, and without hypocrisy.

     We are given a command to “love one another deeply from the heart.” The translation is “constantly love” with an agape love – unconditional love. In practical terms, we are called to support one another. We are called to provide a refuge of care and encouragement for one another by loving one another deeply from our hearts. In reality, what does that look like?

     One class member referred back to our study in James and said that, because we are saved by a gracious God, we will want to put shoe leather on our faith.

     If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? (James 2:15‭-‬16 NASB)

4. Four essential reminders of why we need to support one another
   • We are all children of the same Heavenly Father (1 Peter 1:23)
     

     for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. (1 Peter 1:23 NASB)

     The implication is that we all have the same Father – we are born-again and, although our conversion experiences are unique to each of us, we believers are all reborn spiritually in the same way – through the living and enduring Word of God. We are all members of the same permanent family – so, let us live like it.

     Are you treating fellow believers as children of the same Heavenly Father?

   • We take our instructions from the same source (1 Peter 1:23-25)
     

     for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass, A nd all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, And the flower falls off, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you.
     (1 Peter 1:23‭-‬25 NASB)

     The living and abiding “Word of God” endures forever. Peter quotes Isaiah 50:6-8 to contrast the frailty of life to the enduring, everlasting power of God’s word. To pull together, we need to receive the instructions from God’s Word and diligently implant it in our minds, hearts, and lives.

     Do you ponder the meaning and significance of God’s Word for you, personally? Do you plan specific actions to respond to the Word of God?

   • We have the same struggles (1 Peter 2:1)
     

     Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, (1 Peter 2:1 NASB)

   We should strip ourselves of malice (wickedness, evil); deceit (disingenuous, two faced); hypocrisy (being one thing on the outside and another on the inside — wearing a mask); envy (inappropriate jealousy) and slander (defamation) — all of these have potentially disastrous effects on our relationships with others. Do you struggle with any of these sins

   They each and all cause division and not unity.

   • We focus our attention on the same objective (1 Peter 2:2-3)
     

     like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. (1 Peter 2:2‭-‬3 NASB)

     As newborn babies, believers must feed on the milk of the Word and grow in the understanding and application of the principles and precepts of the Bible and our salvation. Our goal is spiritual maturity and our model is the Lord Jesus Christ.

     Is Christ-like spiritual maturity your primary ambition? What is your top priority in life? Where do you direct your most time, energy, and money? If a video crew followed you around for a week, would anyone conclude that your top priority was spiritual maturity to honor God?

 

Hope and courage in times of trouble

The importance of hope – 1 Peter 1:13-21

The following is a lesson presented by Mark Ramsey along with some of the responding comments from the class.

1. The importance of hope
   How many of us have felt paralyzed, fearful, or depressed because of the pandemic and the shutdowns? Explain.

   But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:33‭-‬34 NASB)

   How do you define “hope.”

   For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “T he reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me .” For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:3‭-‬4 NASB)

   but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (1 Peter 3:15 NASB)

   What or who do we too often put our hopes in?

   Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish. How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, (Psalms 146:3‭-‬5 NASB)

   Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:5‭-‬7 NASB)

   Do you think it is important to have hope?

   This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19‭-‬20 NASB)

   What happens when you lose hope?

   Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. (2 Corinthians 13:11 NASB)

   Do you think that it is difficult to have hope in the times in which we are living?

   “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. (John 15:18‭-‬20 NASB)

   As Christ followers, we have a known God and we have His letters from home. There are 365 “fear nots” in the Bible. One for each day of the year. Coincidental? I think not.

   • A call to “set our hope”
     How do we go about maintaining this hope while living in this world.

     Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:5‭-‬7 NASB)

2. Two Distinguishing marks of decided hope
   • A healthy mind
     

     Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13 NASB)

     We must prepare our minds for action. We are to pull in the loose ends of our lives. How do we do this?

     • Discipline our thoughts
       

       And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NASB)

     • Live according to biblical principles
       

       But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33 NASB)

     • Disentangle ourselves from the world’s sinful hinderances
       

       Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (Hebrews 12:1 NASB)

     • Live in view of the future grace that accompanies Christ’s return
       

       Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:2‭-‬4 NASB)

     Is it easy to pull in the loose ends based on Scripture, to be sober minded? (Looking at the lives of Job, Elijah, and Jesus — no.) What makes it less difficult? (A focus on the Word is central.)

     If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:7 NASB)

   • Holy living
     

     As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, (1 Peter 1:14 NASB)

     What does this mean to us? If God is not your Father, living a holy life will be impossible because a holy life is the fruit of being a member of God’s family. How much impact does the fact that you are God’s child and the Lord God Almighty is your Father, have on you? If we are in Christ, we are born into a new family and Jehovah God is our father. The dominant, compelling reason for us to live in holiness is our relationship with our Creator. We are called to love and serve God and to separate ourselves from immorality and uncleanness of the world. We have been adopted into the family of God and must heed the sovereign call to bear His image. We are His representatives.
     Does this have any impact on you as you go about your daily life? Explain.

3. Three motivations for holy living
   • God’s character
     

     but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15‭-‬16 NASB)

     For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. (Leviticus 11:44a NASB)

     We are set apart for the glory of God.
     What does that mean to you that you are set apart for a special and unique purpose to bring glory to God? Do you believe it? Does it humble you? Explain.

   • God’s judgement
     

     If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; (1 Peter 1:17 NASB)

     So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12 NASB)

     For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10 NASB)

     One day, we as believers will be brought before the judgement seat of Christ, where we will give an account of our lives and he will reward us accordingly.

     If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:15 NASB)

     1 Corinthians 3:15 makes it clear that even the believer who gains no reward will still be saved. However, God’s judgement will separate the quality things from wasted time, money, energy, and motives that tainted a believer’s holiness. Our hope for heaven must induce us to holiness on earth.
     Do you ever think about this? Does it have any influence on the way you conduct yourself?

   • Christ’s sacrifice
     

     knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. (1 Peter 1:18‭-‬21 NASB)

     “Redeemed” is the key word in this passage. The term means “to purchase release by paying a ransom” or “to deliver by the payment of a price.” To the Greeks, it meant paying money to buy back a prisoner of war.

     knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; (Romans 6:6 NASB)

     and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:18 NASB)

     For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:15 NASB)

     God redeemed us with the blood of His Son and our Savior.

     No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him— For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever— (Psalms 49:7‭-‬8 NASB)

     The blood of Christ is the most precious blood of all because Jesus was the only perfect Person who ever lived.

     But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. (Hebrews 9:11‭-‬15 NASB)

     There is no other solid ground of hope in troubled times that the fact of Christ took it all on Himself and rose victoriously, ready to lead us all to victory with Him.
     The unfathomable sacrifice of Jesus should compel us to live lives worthy of our calling. We were truly bought with a price. Our salvation was costly beyond our comprehension. Do I really need any other motivation for holy living than this?

Ben Shapiro: The Myth of the Tiny Radical Muslim Minority

The problem with politically-correct myth of Islam is that it is a system of explaining things that does not consider the cold, hard numbers. Ben Shapiro provides the following hard numbers in debunking the myth of the tiny radical Muslim minority in the video provided at the bottom of this blog.

First, he asks, “Is radicalism in the Muslim world a tiny minority phenomenon?”

Then he lays the groundwork by stating, “There are 1.6 billion Muslims on the planet, living in 49 countries. All the stats are from Pew Research as of 2011.” He then provides the following numbers showing that the radicalism is vastly under-estimated.

Nation	Population	Indicators of Radical Islam	Numbers of Radical Muslims
Indonesia	205 million	50% support strict Sharia law 70% blame US or Israel for 9-11	143 million
Egypt	80 million	65% want strict Sharia in all Islamic nations 70% positive or mixed feelings on Bin Laden	55.2 million
Pakistan	179 million	76% want strict Sharia law in all Islamic countries	135.4 million
Bangladesh	149 million	26% suicide bombings or killing of civilians justified 82% want Sharia law over Bangladesh 75% honor killings of women sometimes justified	121.9 million
Nigeria	75.7 million	71% favor Sharia law	53.7 million
Iran	78.4 million	83% favor Sharia law as the law of Iran	62.1 million
Turkey	74.7 million	32% honor killings of women sometimes justified	23.9 million
Morocco	32.4 million	76% support Sharia law	24.6 million
Iraq	31.1 million	78% honor killings of women justified	24.3 million
Afghanistan	24 million	76% support honor killings of women 99% want Sharia as law of land	24 million
Jordan	6.4 million	60% approve of Hamas	3.8 million
Palestine	4.3 million	78% positive or mixed feelings to Bin Laden 89% support terrorist attacks 89% support Sharia law	3.83 million
France	4.7 million	35% suicide bombers sometimes justified	1.6 million
Great Britain	2.8 million	78% want cartoonists of Mohammad prosecuted	2.2 million
United States	2.6 million	13% violence against civilians justified 19% were favorable toward Al Qaeda	500,000

If these percentages are extrapolated to the uncounted nations (Syria, Saudi Arabia, Lybia, etc.), over half of Muslims fall into the radical Muslim category. That is a majority, not a minority; therefore, that makes the “minority of radical Muslims” nothing but a myth.