Irma’s indiscriminate destruction

Hurricane Irma had no respect for national sovereignty as she wreaked havoc across the Caribbean last week.
 
BritVirginIslands 

Most domestic media coverage of Irma has understandably focused on the devastation here in the U.S., but the British Virgin, and other Caribbean islands felt the hurricane’s wrath before we did. This lengthy U.K. Daily Mail article, accompanied by dozens of pictures, covers St. Martin, B.V.I., Cuba, the Turks and Caicos and others, shows the wide-ranging extent of the damage ~

More than 100 ‘high risk’ prisoners escaped on British Virgin Isles after hurricane Irma as islanders now fight over the last scraps of food and evacuated tourists weep with relief that their hell is over
 

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More than 100 ‘high risk’ prisoners escaped on the British Virgin Islands during Hurricane Irma and around 40 are still on the run on Tuesday, according to a leaked government document.
 

There have been widespread reports of looting on one of the islands, Tortola, after inmates broke out of a jail amid chaos during the 185mph storm.
 
Photos of a British Cabinet Briefing paper have now revealed that officials are attempting to ‘secure the transfer of the prisoners’ to the island of St Lucia.
 
Irma-4 
Meanwhile, British junior foreign minister Alan Duncan told parliament: ‘We had a serious threat of a complete breakdown of law and order in the British Virgin islands (BVI). The prison was breached, over 100 very serious prisoners escaped.’
 
The minister also raised the death toll in British Caribbean territories to nine. Five people died in the BVI and four in Anguilla. The authorities had previously reported one person killed in Anguilla.
 
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Starving residents on St. Marin have resorted to fighting each other for food while tourists queued at the airport and wept with relief as they were being evacuated from the ‘biblical-scale destruction’. Hundreds of holidaymakers are still trying to leave, with dozens lining up outside the Princess Juliana Airport, which was left in ruins in the storm.

 

Irma-2

 
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Related:

Spare me billionaire tax-exiles and bargain-seeking tourists demanding British help after Hurricane Irma when the poor bloody locals have been left with nothing ~ UK journalist Katie Hopkins has no patience for wealthy British tax exiles like Richard Branson demanding assistance from the country’s emergency relief fund

 

Lucky Trump’s Caribbean Resort Among Few Left Standing ~

President Donald Trump’s multimillion-dollar Caribbean resort was among few structures left standing on St. Martin Island after Hurricane Irma destroyed much of what was left there, USA Today reported.

 ChateauDesPalmiers
The Chateau des Palmiers, Trump’s $17 million resort on Plum Bay beach on the French side of the land made it through the storm almost unscathed while reports said 95 percent of the island was destroyed by the storm on Sept. 6, the newspaper said.

 

Once there was an island known as Barbuda. After Hurricane Irma, much of it is gone ~ Tiny Barbuda, one-half of the dual state of Antigua and Barbuda, was flattened by Irma. Most of the island’s residents are homeless

 
The devastation wrought on Cuba after Hurricane Irma battered the island with 120mph winds and 30ft waves – leaving cities under water and homes destroyed ~

• Hurricane Irma hit parts of Cuba’s northern coast as a Category 5 storm on Friday and Saturday
• One resident of Nuevitas said: ‘The streets are full of rubble. There are houses with their roofs ripped off. Even the oldest trees in town have been knocked down’
• Images from St Martin, St Barth’s, Barbuda, Turks and Caicos show mounds of debris and destroyed buildings on street after street

Posted in Unvarnished | Leave a comment

Saturday Shorts (late Sunday edition)- 9-9-17

sshorts8-30-14

Random links of interest, concern or curiosity from the past week or so, that deserve at least a SHORT mention:

 
The Girl Suicide Bombers of Boko Haram ~ Why do we hardly hear about this horror in the West?

Boko Haram terrorists have so far used more than 145 girls in suicide bombing missions between January and July 2017 […]
 
(I)t was discovered that most of these hapless minors were “donated” to the terrorist sect by their heartless and misguided parents and guardians, as part of their contribution to the perpetuation of the Boko Haram terrorists’ dastardly acts against the Nigerian society and humanity.

 
New Poll: A Third of Americans Support Tech Companies Using SPLC ‘Hate Group’ List to Blacklist Conservatives ~ Welcome to AmeriKa ~

When asked whether “internet companies should use this list as an excuse to censor or suppress mainstream and non-violent conservative groups by denying them access to their services?” a full 32 percent of Americans said “yes.” A larger minority, 43 percent, said internet companies should not suppress conservatives, while a full 25 percent admitted they did not know enough to have a strong opinion.

 
So that 32% must be fine with this ~ SPLC Warns of ‘Turmoil and Bloodshed’ With New Map Identifying Confederate Monuments, Cities, MIDDLE SCHOOLS ~ The Southern Poverty Law Center is out of control. At what point does hysterical slander become the First Amendment equivalent of yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theater? ~

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a far-left outfit that labels mainstream conservative organizations “hate groups” and whose “hate map” inspired a terrorist attack in 2012, has released a map of every Confederate monument in America. But the map does not just include statues: it also lists towns, cities, counties, and even middle schools that bear the names of Confederate generals. […]
 
This listing of schools is utterly vile behavior, given the SPLC’s track record of inspiring politically motivated violence.

 
 Twitter Moves to Silence All Criticism of Islam ~ Part of the growing movement to silence conservatives on the web, especially on social media. Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch details the censorship he’s been experiencing ~

(Twitter) lets stand open death threats against me. It censors content to suit Iran’s Islamic authorities. It has flagged as “hateful” tweets stating the fact that Islam is not a religion of peace and reporting accurately about anti-Semitic statements by an imam. It has let Islamic State accounts stand while banning those of people who report terrorists. It has shadowbanned my account, preventing thousands of readers from seeing Jihad Watch posts.

 
BAD PARENTING: Actor Brian Austin Green Celebrates His 4-Year-Old Son Wearing Dresses ~ OK, there’s a reason they call it “Hollyweird” – but this is just a complete abdication of parenthood. Ben Shapiro explains ~

There’s another, broader point here. As a parent, it isn’t your job to throw up your hands with regard to a four-year-old boy and simply say, “It’s his life.” It isn’t his life yet; if it were, you wouldn’t feed him at home, tuck him in at night, teach him to read, send him to pre-school, or protect him from running into the street. His life is your responsibility. And the choices you make help shape his character and direction.
 
Children are confused. They are ignorant. They don’t know anything. They are incapable of making basic decisions, let alone being expected to “choose” their “gender.” It is up to us to inculcate and instill valuable and useful gender differences, not to allow children to confuse themselves.[…]
 
Parents are supposed to establish rules for children. There are children who cannot live within those rules; it’s worth dealing with those issues as they arise on a case-by-case basis. But celebrating children for cross-dressing, reinforcing gender confusion rather than helping guide children toward decisions that will be more likely to contribute to their happiness and wellbeing, is cruelty guised as open-mindedness.

 
Trump’s TV addiction is leading to big mistakes ~ This is what happens when you really don’t stand on any solid principles ~

Donald Trump is the first president in US history to have been baited into undermining his own negotiating position by negative TV coverage […]
 
Which raises the questions: Doesn’t the president have better things to do than watch political punditry on cable TV shows? As one of the most famous and powerful people on the planet, why does he care what pundits say about him? And doesn’t he realize his immigration agenda will get attacked by most commentators no matter what?

 
Comey’s incredible secret power: What if the FBI had a lot to do with that fake Trump ‘dossier’? ~ “If?” How about how much? ~

Powerful as Hoover was, even he never simultaneously investigated both major-party candidates for the presidency. Mr. Comey did, and Americans are now getting a glimpse of how much he influenced political events.

 
Parisians protest ‘genocide’ of rats as city battles rodent infestation ~ How crazy has western society become in the 21st century? ~

The French capital is facing its worst rat crisis in decades, and rapid proliferation of the animals has forced several parks to close temporarily amid fears that children could be bitten or infected by disease.
 
Paris authorities are spending £14 million this year on “deratisation”. […]
 
Thousands of Parisians have signed a petition denouncing efforts to control a rat infestation as a rodent “genocide.”
More than 2,000 comments have been posted online by defenders of the rodents. “Rats deserve the same consideration as people,” one said. 😯

 
D.C. Insider Sally Quinn Reveals She Put Hexes on People… and Two of Them Died! ~ Ephesians 6:12 ~

The embrace of the occult by the power brokers of Washington D.C. is disturbing. The fact that the Washingtonian would write a piece normalizing the behavior demonstrates how wicked and godless many of those who are tasked with shaping the future of this country truly are. Demonic influence is nothing to play around with. Having demonic influence flaunted so close to the halls of power is scary.

 
Black and Brown Students Refuse to Co-Exist ~ When your unrealistic demands become self-defeating…

African-American and Latino students at the University of Florida are refusing to share a proposed new state of the art facility because doing so would “erase and marginalize their black and brown bodies and their cultures.” So, we are to believe that foregrounding these identities in posh new digs is to erase them. Even though they demanded them in the first place, in order to be validated.

 

It Appears Out-of-State Voters Changed Outcome of New Hampshire U.S. Senate Race ~ Facilitated by same-day voter registration, here’s more of that voter fraud we’re supposed to pretend doesn’t exist ~

5,513 is a big number – more than enough to swing two very important elections. The closest major election was the contest between incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte and challenger Maggie Hassan (D). Hassan won the election by a razor-thin margin of 1,017 votes. Those 5,313 fraudulent votes were more than enough to swing the election. If 59.2 percent or more of them went for Hassan, then the election was stolen through voter fraud. That’s likely, since the surrounding states are Democrat strongholds.

More on this story from Fox News

 
Born of the Cajun Navy, CrowdRelief Inspires Citizen-Led Relief ~ Neighbors helping neighbors – what a concept! We can survive without Big Government controlling every aspect of our lives ~

(T)he Cajun Navy is run and funded by volunteers. The Cajun Relief Foundation helps anticipate, coordinate, and execute rescue operations. It also helps victims after the fact.
 
“These systems are going to be overwhelmed for several years,” (Rob Gaudet, founder of the Cajun Relief Foundation) said. “It’s time to innovate and collaborate [to] provide a way for citizen-led responses. Doing so will allow the relief effort to be equal to the disaster without spending a dime. When an unprecedented disaster happens, the volunteer response must also be unprecedented.”

 

Tweet of the week 🙂 ~

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If I live to be 100…

… I want to be like Eva!
 

“That’s the story of learning, if everything went perfect, you really wouldn’t learn.”
~ Eva Bossenberger

 

Watching this video makes me feel SO lazy. If this dear, wise woman can keep going at 100 years old, looking forward to “going home” but content to be persevering, still using her God-given talents to give back to others, what’s my excuse for anything less? And such a beautiful, genuine faith… What an inspiration!

Eva Bossenberger is 100 years old. Eva, who has enjoyed sewing since she was a child, makes dresses to pack in Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. She prays that every girl who receives a dress will hear the Gospel and come to know Jesus as her Savior.

 

 
Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child

Posted in Comfort & Joy | 1 Comment

Please pray for Pastor Brunson!

As I’ve blogged about before, Islamist fundamentalist and ruthless autocrat Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been determinedly dragging Turkey back to the 18th century (before it was modernized and secularized under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk) for the past few years, slowly but surely eliminating any remaining democratic obstacles to his absolute power. Last year’s coup – whether genuine or deliberately manufactured for the sole purpose of crushing dissent – was soundly defeated. Pursuing his ambitious goal of recreating the Ottoman Caliphate, Erdoğan has been imposing fundamentalist policies, imprisoning tens of thousands of supposed dissidents, purging the military and government of any suspect opponents and persecuting any remnants of Christian presence still in the country.
 

Caught up in this tyrannical power grab is Pastor Andrew Brunson; arrested last October on bogus charges. This is from my 4-20-17 post ~

PastorBrunson

Brunson and his wife Norine have lived in Turkey for more than two decades. They were originally detained last year on October 7th. Norine was released on October 19th but Andrew has been incarcerated at Izmir’s Sakran 3 Nolu T Tipi Prison since December […]
 
Under the current State of Emergency in Turkey, his file has been sealed and all visits from his attorney are recorded and all notes are copied. The only official written charge we have seen states, “membership in an armed terrorist organization,” a completely false charge against a peaceful pastor who has lived in Turkey for over 23 years without incident, raising his family there and humbly serving the people of Turkey.

 
Trapped in a situation straight out of a Kafka tale, Pastor Brunson has been imprisoned for almost a year now. ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice), who has been fighting for his release, published an update last week: New False Charges Levied at American Pastor Andrew Brunson as Unjust Imprisonment in Turkey Grows More Dangerous ~

In an unexpected video conference with a judge last Thursday, American Pastor Andrew Brunson was informed that the prosecutor had added additional charges upon which his continued detainment was now based.
 
These “new” charges, coming 322 days after his initial arrest in October of last year, are obviously just as false and ridiculous as the original charge of membership in an armed terrorist organization. Disturbingly, the new charges are even more serious than the original charge and carry stiff sentences, if convicted. Furthermore, Pastor Andrew’s file continues to remain sealed, making it impossible to defend against the unknown.
 
Although new charges have been added, any evidence supporting such absurd claims has yet to be presented, and no indictment has been handed down. In his response to the judge, Pastor Andrew adamantly maintained his innocence and denied the charges. He pleaded with the judge that evidence be provided. He reiterated his sole purpose for being in Turkey for the past 23 years was “for one purpose only. To tell about Jesus Christ.” He stated further that he has “done this openly, in front of the government.”

 
Last month Secretary of State Tillerson highlighted Pastor Andrew’s plight during the introduction of a report on International Religious Freedom ~

“[T]he United States continues to advocate for the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Turkey.”

 
Thanks Rex. Now can we please see some serious actions to back up your well-meaning intentions?!

 
In the meantime, please pray for Pastor Andrew – for his release – and that the Lord would comfort and sustain him in prison, enabling him to be a stalwart witness for the faith – even in the midst of his ordeal. Also that God would comfort and encourage his wife and family.
 
You can support ACLJ in their efforts to free Brunson and sign their petition HERE.
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Related:
Turkey’s Islamist regression – Trump approves?
O’Ministration sides with another tyrant
Reporters Without Borders: Turkey Is ‘World’s Biggest Prison’ for Journalists
Erdogan Marks Anniversary Of Coup Attempt By Firing Thousands Of Employees

Erdogan Seizes 50 Syriac Churches and Monasteries, Declares Them State Property ~ (June 2017)

Posted in Good vs.Evil | 2 Comments

What is “The Nashville Statement?”

Last week liberal Christians joined the secular Left in a frantic rush to condemn an unequivocal proclamation of what has been Christian theology with regard to human sexuality since oh – God created Adam and Eve. Issued by a group of Evangelical leaders last week, The Nashville Statement is an affirmation of the beauty of God’s design for human life. This is from the Preamble ~

We are persuaded that faithfulness in our generation means declaring once again the true story of the world and of our place in it—particularly as male and female. Christian Scripture teaches that there is but one God who alone is Creator and Lord of all. To him alone, every person owes glad-hearted thanksgiving, heart-felt praise, and total allegiance. This is the path not only of glorifying God, but of knowing ourselves. To forget our Creator is to forget who we are, for he made us for himself. And we cannot know ourselves truly without truly knowing him who made us. We did not make ourselves. We are not our own. Our true identity, as male and female persons, is given by God. It is not only foolish, but hopeless, to try to make ourselves what God did not create us to be.
 
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We believe that God’s design for his creation and his way of salvation serve to bring him the greatest glory and bring us the greatest good. God’s good plan provides us with the greatest freedom. Jesus said he came that we might have life and have it in overflowing measure. He is for us and not against us. Therefore, in the hope of serving Christ’s church and witnessing publicly to the good purposes of God for human sexuality revealed in Christian Scripture, we offer the following affirmations and denials.

You can read the entire statement HERE.
 
If you’re confused, the Babylon Bee – they’re sort of the Christian version of The Onion – offers this amusing Q & A ~
 

What does the Nashville Statement say?

 
It says some really controversial stuff for Bible-believing Christians, like that God made Adam and Eve as (trigger warning) male and female, that marriage was created by God to be the union between one man and one woman, that He loves people with gender dysphoria and same-sex attraction even if He doesn’t approve of all of their actions, and that He offers His grace and mercy to sinners of all stripes.
 

Who has signed the Nashville Statement?

 
A whole mob of fringe, hate-filled bigots with zero credibility, such as John Piper, J.I. Packer, Mark Dever, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Al Mohler, Russell Moore, Francis Chan, and Matt Chandler. Just look at that list of theological lightweights—couldn’t they at least have gotten some people who’ve proven themselves as faithful witnesses of Christ?
 

Who has come out in opposition to the Statement?

 
A bunch of folks who believed everything it says just a couple years ago.
 

What is their main argument in opposition to the Statement?

 
That those supporting the Nashville Statement are not doing so because they believe the Word of God, but because they are homophobic, neo-nazi white supremacists who worship Donald Trump—which makes sense, as long as you don’t think about it for longer than about three seconds.
 

How should I respond to the Nashville Statement?

 
You could start up a hashtag-based movement telling people to abandon the faith because the Bible doesn’t line up with their personal feelings, or you could launch into a 500-tweet-long rant about the Statement so that everyone knows how sensitive and caring you are. If you really want to effect social change, you could even change your profile overlay to a rainbow flag or #RESIST image macro for the next week or so. BUT, whatever you do, above all else, definitely do not read the Statement and actually attempt to honestly engage with its claims. That way, madness lies. 🙂

 
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Related:
Why The Nashville Statement Is Needed
Why the Rejection of the Nashville Statement on Sexuality is a Rejection of the Bible ~ Michael Brown asks, “for Bible-believing Christians, what is there to disagree with?” Answer: Nothing. It’s only those cafeteria Christians who wish to pick and choose the parts of scripture that make them feel good who are offended by God’s whole truth.

Posted in Comfort & Joy, Timeless Principles, Unvarnished | Leave a comment

“Inclusion” philosophy = apostasy

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Q. When is a church no longer a church?
A. When it’s the scene of a Hindu procession.

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Ceuta, Spain ~ A video of the procession shows people clapping and taking photos as the statue of Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god, processed through the church past statues of Catholic saints toward the altar. It was even in front of the tabernacle at one point, which houses consecrated hosts that the Catholic Church teaches are the literal body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ.

 
Seriously? If you have so little reverence for the traditions of your own church why even bother? The Spanish bishop for the diocese did apologize for the event, and the priest who allowed it resigned from his position as Vicar General. But of course, who are we to judge?

(T)he bishop said Hindu beliefs don’t need to be “rebuked” and that wasn’t the point of his statement. It’s unclear whether the priest, Father Juan José Mateos Castro, will remain in his position at that parish, Our Lady of Africa.

 
I guess the bishop forgot that God spent most the Old Testament rebuking those who worshiped false gods. This nonsense reminds me of the German church that hosted “A Mass for Peace” a few years back – an interfaith event to bring Christianity and Islam together – in the Memorial Church of the Reformation. I have news for these wishy-washy Christians who apparently aren’t too familiar with scripture, our faith makes a rather unequivocal claim to exclusivity ~
 

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life:
no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
~ John 14:6

 

The Dominican sisters at San Domenico School in San Anselmo, CA clearly skipped right over that rather central-to-Christianity verse. They’re even more open-minded than that Spanish padre ~ San Anselmo’s San Domenico School creates stir by removing Catholic statues. All in the name of “inclusion” of course ~

 
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Amy Skewes-Cox, who heads San Domenico School’s board of trustees, said the relocation and removal of some of the school’s 180 religious icons was “completely in compliance” with San Domenico’s new strategic plan, approved unanimously by the board of trustees and the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael last year. She said at least 18 icons remain, including a statue of St. Dominic at the center of the campus.

 

(How liberal of them to leave the school’s namesake in place!)

 
I’m not Catholic so don’t have quite the same reverence for saints and their statues, but I can certainly understand the sentiments of those who do – as Michael Voris explains them in the following video. These statues are visible symbols of the Catholic faith. By removing them the school is tacitly rejecting that faith ~
 

 
This apostasy appears to be a conscious decision ~

Mirza Khan, the school’s director of philosophy, ethics and world religions, said, “The Dominican teaching philosophy is not to teach there is only one truth. It is to foster conversation, to intentionally invite in participants that have different perspectives in a very open-ended process of philosophical and spiritual inquiry. That has been a long-standing part of the Dominican tradition.”

 

It’s a pretty safe bet that Saint Dominic, the original “Dominican” would take issue with Kahn (or is it “Con”?) over her “teaching philosophy. His entire life was dedicated to only One transcendent Truth.

 

All worldviews are not equal. There’s only one that’s TRUE. Which makes all the others FALSE. As Voris states, these “churches” can’t have it both ways. They either need to embrace Christianity – or be honest about the fact that they’re deliberately rejecting it.

 
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Related:
Here’s The Answer Rob Bell Won’t Give Aaron Rodgers About Salvation ~ Peter Burfeind at The Federalist explains the problems with (inclusive) faux, feel-good faith far better than I ever could

Posted in Good vs.Evil, Mendacity | Leave a comment

More evidence of Obama’s Iranian treachery

Well isn’t this special? Before the onerous nuclear deal even went down it appears that the Iranian regime was illicitly ferrying militants into Syria on commercial aircraft – and Obama and his henchmen knew it! But hey – why alienate your major political supporters by jeopardizing the multi-billion dollar deals that they had all lined up with Tehran’s state-controlled airline sector?
 
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Unbelievable. Washington Free Beacon, reports on this latest revelation in the whole shameful treaty debacle ~

(C)ongressional leaders are calling for an investigation into Iran for using its state-controlled air carrier, Iran Air, to ferry militant fighters into Syria, where they are taking up arms in defense of embattled President Bashar al-Assad.
 
Photographs provided to Congress show Iran using Iran Air to ferry these soldiers between 2016 and 2017, in part when the Obama administration removed sanctions on Iran Air and promoted multi-billion dollars sales between the carrier and aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which is seeking to provide Iran Air with a fleet of new planes that many suspect will be used to carry terrorist fighters and weapons into regional hotspots.
 
This behavior violates international laws governing the nuclear deal and has now led lawmakers and others to accuse the Obama administration of downplaying Iran’s illicit activity in order to promote the nuclear deal and ensure Tehran receives a new commercial fleet.
 
Multiple senior Obama administration officials, including former secretary of state John Kerry, traveled the globe to promote trade with Iranian companies, including Iran Air, at the same time Iran was found to be ferrying militants into Syria.

 
iranDeSantisquoteSeveral Republican congressmen have petitioned the Treasury Department to investigate the photographic evidence for this illicit use of commercial aircraft. Whether they will or not remains to be seen ~

Administration insiders have expressed confusion over the matter, saying they are unsure where Trump officials stand on scrapping the nuclear agreement.

 

Wonderful. Far from draining the swamp – and ripping up this Iran deal as promised during the campaign – the Trump administration seems to be morphing into the Obama administration ~

Multiple proponents of ending the deal were recently removed from the White House’s National Security Council and it appears that those officials supporting the deal currently are now the majority voice. This includes Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

 
Even more ominous, it appears that former UN Ambassador John Bolton can no longer get an audience with President Trump. Bolton is one of the most knowledgeable and sane voices on the Middle East and radical Islam in D.C.. He was once in the running for Tillerson’s job (and should have it!). He’s been a staunch advocate for exiting the Iranian deal all along. If Trump won’t even talk to him now we’re in trouble.

 

Unlike the media’s phony “Russia-Russia!” circus, this scandal deserves to be widely reported on – and investigated at the highest levels of our government – as the serious threat to national security that it is. A veteran congressional adviser bluntly told the Free Beacon, half of the O’Ministration must have colluded on this disaster ~

“The Obama administration actively politicized and downplayed intelligence about Iran to preserve the deal. They had State remove references to Iranian terrorism, had Justice ignore Iranian sanctions-busters and proliferated, and even had Energy buy off Iranian deal violations. So of course they had Treasury look the other way while the Iranians were facilitating Assad’s mass slaughter.”

 

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irandeal 

Right now the nukes everyone is focused on are the ones in North Korea. But it’s only a matter of time before their fellow terrorists (and nuclear comrades) in Iran start threatening us with theirs as well. All part of the Obama legacy. And soon to be Trump’s – if his administration refuses to address this outrageous treaty scandal.

Posted in Good vs.Evil, Mendacity, Unvarnished | 3 Comments

National Day of Prayer – September 3, 2017

‘God Is Our Refuge and Strength’: President Trump Declares Sunday ‘A National Day of Prayer’ ~

I call on all Americans and houses of worship throughout the Nation to join in one voice of prayer, as we seek to uplift one another and assist those suffering from the consequences of this terrible storm.

 
Governor Greg Abbott had also issued a proclamation, on Thursday, calling for an official day of prayer for Texans “of all faiths and religious traditions and backgrounds.”
 harvey-flags

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Father in heaven, thank you for your many blessings on our land. You are our Ordainer, Creator, and Sustainer – all of life is held up by Your right hand. You are our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble.
 
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and the ongoing flooding in Texas and other Gulf states we ask that you comfort the victims, survivors, those who have lost everything. We are grateful for so many selfless volunteers who stepped up to lend their support. Please keep everyone safe and heartened as they begin the long, slow journey to recovery.
 
We pray for our nation in the midst of our current ideological polarization. As only You can, please turn this natural disaster into a blessing for America. Heal our land, help us realize we have far more in common with one another than we have differences. Change hard hearts and bless our nation with trusting faith.
 
In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen

Posted in Comfort & Joy | Leave a comment

Saturday Shorts – 9-2-17

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Random links of interest, concern or curiosity from the past week or so, that deserve at least a SHORT mention:

 
Muslim activist Linda Sarsour caught soliciting funds to her PAC by disguising it as hurricane relief ~ This chick is an evil charlatan. Her middle name is probably “Taqiyya” ~

Muslim activist and hero of #TheResistance, Linda Sarsour shamelessly used the tragedy of Hurricane Harvey to solicit funds for a left-wing political organization… […]
 
They will use the funds to rabble rouse and complain that minorities aren’t getting enough help. They won’t actually do anything to help anyone rebuild from this devastating hurricane.

 
Germany’s ‘Transition’ Back to Coal: Renewable Energy Push Smacks Into Reality ~

After a near death experience in January this year (when wind and solar power output collapsed for weeks and the grid nearly collapsed, too), Germans, and German industry in particular, got serious. Its power generators were forced to fire up mothballed coal-fired power plants and accelerated their efforts to build new and more efficient plants […]
 
Warm fuzzy emotion is no substitute for the laws of physics and economics.

 
City of Boston issues handy guide for infidels: How to react to Islamophobia ~ Hey, just because two Muslims blew up three people and injured hundreds at the Boston Marathon four years ago there’s no need to go getting all Islamaphobic ~

The sensitive progressives running the city of Boston have issued a handy guide for infidels who don’t know how to react when they spot Muslims being harassed.
 
Apparently, not a minute goes by in Beantown in which some poor hijab-clad woman isn’t bullied by some white supremacist.

 
Trump pledges $1M to Harvey relief from personal funds ~ This story has gotten little-to-no media play. In fact when I did a Yahoo search for “Trump donates 1 mill to Harvey,” I got nothing on the entire first page! (I highly recommend clutter-free DuckDuckGo as an alternative search engine) ~

Meanwhile… here’s the guy who admonished successful Americans, “At a certain point you’ve made enough money” ~ Obamas looking to buy a $15 million vacant lot on Martha’s Vineyard ~

…According to Realtor.com, he’s looking to purchase one of two vacant lots on his favorite vacation Island, Martha’s Vineyard. Of course, he doesn’t want to live inland like some commoner, so both properties are ocean front. They’re also not cheap. The man who wonders when ‘enough is enough’ is looking at plots that start at $12 million and, remember, that’s without a house.

 
Florida Democrat Election Official Admits Noncitizens, Felons Voting ~ Oops, the Democrat scam that must-not-be-named ~

A veteran Democrat chief election official in Florida has conceded in court that noncitizens and felons possibly voted, in a case that could have national implications for how localities clean up voter rolls […]
 
Broward County Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes is defending her office against a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Rights Union, a conservative legal group that contends there are more voters registered on Broward’s rolls than there are eligible voters in the county.

 
And in other unreported news ~ Impressive Economic Growth Steadily Continues ~

The Commerce Department released its revised figures for U.S. gross domestic product in the second quarter, and there’s good news — GDP grew not 2.7% but 3.0%. In other words, the U.S. economy is growing faster than was initially thought, and Donald Trump’s ambitious target of 3.0% annual growth for 2017 is closer than many had believed legitimately possible. Now some economists are estimating that third-quarter growth could be has high as 3.4%, based on early job numbers from August […]
 
Trump’s greatest contribution to the economy has been his focused Washington deregulation crusade. It has saved Americans billions of dollars and has freed businesses from mountains of over-reaching, economically stifling regulations.

 
Trigger warnings, ‘Brave Spaces,’ social justice commitment: Inside a RA training ~ The pablum they’re pushing on these college snowflakes is just pathetic. The instructions for incoming Clemson University Resident Assistants are a complete load of meaningless drivel. I can’t take it! I must be “triggered.” 😡

 
Poll: Majority of Voters Support Work Requirements for Medicaid ~ This is encouraging; we could save billions… Wonder if our elite ruling class will pay attention? ~

A new poll revealed on Monday that 51 percent of voters support work requirements for Medicaid, while 37 percent of percent of American voters oppose the measure.

 
Suspects disguise themselves as nuns in attempted bank robbery Good grief 😯 Is nothing sacred? ~

The Pocono Township Police Department and the FBI are seeking the public’s assistance to identify and locate two women who disguised themselves as nuns during an attempted bank robbery.[…]
 
The suspects are described as two Hispanic females, both approximately 5’-5’2” tall and of medium build. Each woman was wearing a black nun’s habit and veil, with a white wimple covering her hair and part of her face. One woman also had on dark sunglasses.

 
And speaking of the Poconos… Abandoned States: Places In Idyllic 1960s Postcards Have Transformed Into Scenes Of Abandonment ~ This unique site features picture postcards of resort destinations in the Poconos and Catskills during their heyday – 50-70 years ago – morphing into how the same scenes look today. A fascinating but bittersweet look at history.

 
McMaster brings top Obama admin officials into NSC, sources say ~ What the hell? This guy has to go ~

National security adviser H.R. McMaster has quietly pulled in high-ranking officials from the Obama administration into senior positions on his staff, current and former administration officials told Conservative Review.
 
In recent months, McMaster has hired influential members of the Obama Pentagon. One of these individuals was assigned to boost the Iran nuclear deal with Tehran(!), while the other became a trusted aide to former defense chief Ash Carter.

 
The Post-Charlottesville Nervous Breakdown Was Deliberately Induced ~ Stella Morabito at the Federalist skillfully explains the nefarious agenda behind the heightened polarization, anger and anarchy we’re witnessing across the country. Enlightening! ~

The coordinated mob violence we see playing out essentially over the existence of historical monuments and free speech goes well beyond indoctrination and brainwashing. It is a cult mindset deliberately cultivated by elites in education, pop culture, and academia.

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Harvey’s many teachable moments…

Despite the Left’s divisiveness, Antifa’s hateful violence, Hollywood perversion, and the mainstream media’s distorted views of reality, our country – at heart – still is exceptional. It’s amazing to realize that even the wrath of a hurricane named Harvey can’t dampen the courage, resolve, self-reliance and compassion of most Americans.
 
Despite the widespread devastation, this catastrophe affords us so many invaluable lessons about our people, priorities and perseverance:
 harvey10

When you’re going through hell – keep going!

 harvey1

Skin color is irrelevant

 harvey4

When the going gets tough, Texans get going

 harvey5

Necessity is the mother of American ingenuity

 harvey2

Patriotism still matters

 harvey6

We’re all in this together – with God’s help

 harvey7

Note to snowflakes: Life won’t always guarantee you a “safe space”

 harvey8

The all-volunteer “Cajun Navy” is awesome!

 harvey12

Mainstream media has some very warped priorities

 harvey11

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
~ Galatians 6:2 ~

 harvey9

America IS exceptional

 
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And finally ~

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Updated 9-1-17 [10:30 p.m.]:
I forgot to include this heart-warming video from the Daily Signal; neighbors helping neighbors, selflessly practicing the Golden Rule 🙂 (As a baby boomer it made me nostalgic for the America in which I grew up!) ~
 

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Rogue judge: “It’s illegal to ban illegal sanctuary cities”


 

In this week’s episode of “Disorder in the Court,”
we find yet another lawless judge who thinks within his
purview to rule based on feelings – not on legality ~

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That’s correct. The state of Texas tells it’s municipal jurisdictions (like Austin, Houston, San Antonio) that they must comply with federal immigration law — and self-appointed judicial tyrant, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, says otherwise ~
Federal judge blocks enforcement of Texas’ ‘sanctuary cities’ law ~

In a 94-page ruling, Garcia wrote that there “is overwhelming evidence by local officials, including local law enforcement, that SB 4 will erode public trust and make many communities and neighborhoods less safe” and that “localities will suffer adverse economic consequences which, in turn, will harm the state of Texas.”

 
So without any consideration for the actual legality of SB 4, Garcia just decided he didn’t like the new bill, the hell with Texas’ legislative and executive branches. As Daniel Horowitz at Conservative Review says, this outrageous behavior is essentially a form of civil disobedience. And it’s not the first time this particular judge has gone rogue ~

Coming on the heels of another federal judge blocking Texas’ photo ID law, U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia, a Clinton appointee who previously redefined marriage from the bench, blocked most of Senate Bill 4, which was designed to clamp down on sanctuary cities. S.B. 4 punished local law enforcement that failed to comply with federal detainer requests of illegals held in local jails before they are released […]
 

Remember, Garcia is the same judge who earlier this year directly nullified federal law and said ICE detainers are unconstitutional. Now he’s hiding behind federal preemption to say states are precluded by laws he doesn’t even recognize. This judge overturned several of Texas’ district maps earlier this month and was rebuked earlier this week when Justice Alito placed a stay on his injunction.

 
Garcia has abused his authority long enough. He needs to be impeached.
 
Impeachment is just one of the desperately needed actions Horowitz recommends if we’re going to put an end to the judicial tyranny that’s been plaguing this country for the last couple of decades. His other suggestions include 1.) simply ignoring decisions from lower courts that are 100 percent political and pertain to broad public policy issues; and 2.) Congressional action to place restrictions on the authority of lower federal courts. (In this case for instance, why in the world should a federal lower court get to rule on an individual state law? It should have gone to the Texas courts. But progressives love to forum-shop.)
 
Horowitz continues ~

Folks, we are living through a judge-created political emergency, the likes of which were never seen even during the depths of the Warren era. The judiciary has now codified the entire Democrat agenda into the Constitution. As such, elections are now meaningless, because to the extent Republicans do anything we’d like them to do, the courts will nullify it. The only reason we don’t see the effects of judicial tyranny more often is because Republicans barely do anything. Yet, the few states like Texas that are trying to restore a modicum of sanity to our government are being bullied by the judicial autocracy.

 
These leftist judges are in open rebellion against the wishes of we-the-law-abiding-citizens, against our national sovereignty and against the Constitution. They need to be reined in. NOW.

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Canaanite DNA disproves proves Biblical account

A recent archaeologic discovery in Lebanon has stirred up a bit of historical controversy over the fate of the ancient Canaanites. DNA, found in some 4000 year-old bones in Sidon, on the shore of the Mediterranean, was shown to be a 90% match with contemporary Lebanese populations. This would mean that the current occupants of that area are the modern descendants of the Canaanites.
 
Canaan-BibleTimesAs Jeffrey P. Tomkins, Ph.D. at the Institute for Creation Research explains ~

This area of the world corresponds to the ancient Phoenician civilization that descended from the Canaanites mentioned in the Bible. Numbers 13:29 notes their specific location, saying, “The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”

 

The controversy was sparked when some secular sources gleefully reported the finding as inconsistent with Biblical accounts ~ Bible says Canaanites were wiped out by Israelites but scientists just found their descendants living in Lebanon ~

For God had ordered the Israelites to slaughter the apparently sinful Canaanites, saying: “You shall not leave alive anything that breathes. But you shall utterly destroy them.” And, according to the Old Testament’s Book of Joshua, they did just that…

 
Well, not exactly. You need to keep reading to find out what really happened; the story is continued in the Book of Judges. Kari Rohde at Patterns of Evidence provides a helpful recap ~

[The various peoples mentioned were all sub-groups of the Canaanites]

But the people of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem, so the Jebusites have lived with the people of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day. – Judges 1:21 (ESV)
 
Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its villages, or Taanach and its villages, or the inhabitants of Dor and its villages, or the inhabitants of Ibleam and its villages, or the inhabitants of Megiddo and its villages, for the Canaanites persisted in dwelling in that land. When Israel grew strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not drive them out completely.
And Ephraim did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites lived in Gezer among them.
Zebulun did not drive out the inhabitants of Kitron, or the inhabitants of Nahalol, so the Canaanites lived among them, but became subject to forced labor.
Asher did not drive out the inhabitants of Acco, or the inhabitants of Sidon or of Ahlab or of Achzib or of Helbah or of Aphik or of Rehob,so the Asherites lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.
Naphtali did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, or the inhabitants of Beth-anath, so they lived among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless, the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became subject to forced labor for them.
The Amorites pressed the people of Dan back into the hill country, for they did not allow them to come down to the plain. The Amorites persisted in dwelling in Mount Heres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim, but the hand of the house of Joseph rested heavily on them, and they became subject to forced labor. – Judges 1:27-35 (ESV)

 

Now this particular episode of Bible history is not all that unusual, in fact it was a classic example of Israelite mission failure. The Old Testament is replete with accounts of the Lord commanding the Israelites to go somewhere, do something, not do something. And, while they may have started out with good intentions, – the results never quite lived up to His expectations (Pretty typical for most of us humans eh?).
God was not amused by the incomplete execution of His Canaanite directive ~

Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim. And he said, “I brought you up from Egypt and brought you into the land that I swore to give to your fathers. I said, ‘I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you.” – Judges 2:1-3 (ESV)

 
In any event, it’s clear that – far from disproving the Biblical version of the Canaanites’ fate – this new discovery only confirms it. These progressive media types would be better served if they didn’t let their secular worldview get in the way of their reportage.

 
Maybe they could start by reading the whole Bible 🙂

 
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Related:
For Culturally Illiterate Science Reporters, Canaanite DNA Yields Occasion to Slap Bible Around

DNA vs the Bible: Israelites did not wipe out the Canaanites
Associates for Biblical Research ~ Christian apologetics ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible through archaeological and Biblical research

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