Bible Lesson for Trump and Biden

         Not that they'll heed it. 

     Before the Israelites had kings, they battled the Philistines and were defeated (1 Samuel chapter 4). The elders wondered, why the Lord brought defeat? 4,000 killed. 

     Idea! Bring the Ark of the Covenant from Shiloh and take it into battle. Then the Lord will bring victory. 

     The army received the Ark, and great shouting seemed to shake the earth. Philistines heard and were afraid. "A god" must be with them, they assumed. But the priesthood was corrupt, and people were disobedient. When this battle was over, another 30,000 Israelites were lost, and Philistines took possession of the sacred Ark. 

     Israelites got their Ark back in seven months, when Philistines, who had their own priests and diviners, thought it safer for them. 

     What's this got to do with our 2024 election season? 

     I don't know. Maybe signs reading convict won't assure successful results? Maybe calling the procedure rigged won't either...although a guilty verdict was certainly the goal of the trial. And Biden's speech praising the justice and the jury was as phony as it gets.  

     Campaign money is pouring into the Trump cause, and the "war" is heating up. What neither side has is God, his spiritual presence, power, holiness and gifts. Nor are they supposed to. This is politics, government and money. Not worship.  

     However, I have no doubt that Satan invited himself to the show. We see November 5 either as a temporary extension of our founding principles, or the end of the experiment in democracy. President Biden speaks of democracy while his party is bent on destroying it. 

              Jimmy

So Long, Eagle 

     It's been nice to know you. 

     It looks like the American bird has been replaced by a kangaroo.

     In a precinct that is 85 percent Democrat, a procedure rigged for political purpose, the jury convicted Donald Trump on all 34 charges. We might have some respect had they convicted him on a few points. Not. 

     They went all the way. Liberals are celebrating. We don't fault the jury so much as those who birthed and controlled the proceeding. 

     From now until November 5, Trump will be called "convicted felon." He might win his appeal, but his political enemies achieved goal no. 1. Now, to the election itself. 

     Whatever your reaction, this case - a cousin of practices in other countries - may signal the end of our republic. If Democrats can do this once, they can do it again. And Republicans can respond in kind, though we hope not. 

     Remember this date: May 30, 2024. It may not be a "date that shall live in infamy," but it is proof that liberals intend to destroy our republic, if that hasn't already been clear.

           Jimmy

  

     

Toward Left-wing Politics 

     The election is coming. Values shift toward abortion and other liberal social causes. including gay-affirming policies. Generous social programs keep the voters on board, although crime is out of control. 

     Neither Biden nor Trump can do anything about this. It describes our neighbor, Mexico, where they will elect a new leader this Sunday. 

     Claudia Sheinbaum, 61, leads by 27 points. She wears a rosery, crucifix, and has bragged about meeting Pope Francis. It's all for show in this largely Catholic nation. Sheinbaum is of Jewish heritage, but she holds no affiliation.  

     Mexico has three candidates on the ballot, all who support liberal social causes the church has condemned. There are two concerns most voters consider more important than morality. They want current generous social programs to continue, and they want crime stopped.

     The current president won loyalty with government handouts to lower classes the ruling elite have ignored. Sound familiar? Meanwhile, he has harmed family, life and liberties.

     Americans have an interest in Mexico. Criminals ship fentanyl and other deadly drugs to the U.S. There is no one on the ballot who signals opposition. The president has discouraged police from confronting cartels, which took over 12 mid-sized cities, and tourist areas are no longer off limits. 

     Homicides top 30,000/year, and 50 priests have been killed since 2006. Mexico has been under liberation theology since the 1960s. Isn't that when liberalism took over the U.S. Democrat Party? 

   Source: WORLD magazine

Tomorrow: a verdict? 

 

   

Recognition/Consternation   

     One day we honor those who died in military service, with flags, parades and speeches. We remember Memorial Days long ago when we paraded with our high school band, always ending up at the cemetery where a short speech and 21-gun salute ended formalities. 

     This year, the same holiday, Americans dealt with life and death in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. 

     That's the way it is sometimes. National holidays fall on calendar dates. Storms don't bother with calendars, as if to say, "You self-important people, you have no power over us."

     At least 25 people died on Memorial Day, and hundreds lost their homes in some 72 tornadoes. Mother Nature was not concerned with who she claimed. One family lost two children, ages 5 and 2. As of Tuesday morning, several people were missing. 

     Buildings were torn apart, and cars were no match for sometimes hurricane level winds. It seems that the U.S. is having more tornado outbreaks than usual. There were numerous Americans coming to the aid of victims, help that must continue for months.

     It's been said: We have only today. Tomorrow will not come for many people, with or without storms, earthquakes and floods. Do we know the One who can take us to glory? Does He know us?

             Jimmy

     

     

Who Knows Better 

Than All?

Faith-based Philosophy

     What people think. It dates at least to Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270 B.C.). More recently, Darwin gave philosophy a scientific cover. Twentieth Century discoveries proved him wrong, as he would admit had he lived long enough...so we read.

     Evolutionists still thrive. They can believe in their own progress. Progressives dominate U.S. education, government and media. One thing they cannot do: live forever.

Faith-based Creationists

     And God said...and there was... Then God said...and it was so. And God saw that it was good. 

     Creation is now the most-proven fact of history...so we read. Some 500 witnesses testified of seeing the risen Christ. Having spent his time on earth in one place or another, as humans do, He ascended. Then He sent the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, to live in all those who believe, trust and obey...the world over. 

     The Spirit - without a name - lives within millions of people, representing the Father and the Son, and transmitting our prayers to heaven.

     Those who experience the Spirit, often or not, believe we will live forever, but not on earth. Faith is important, and we think we choose God. But it is God's grace that saves. He who died for us and rose again decides who will spend eternity with him. 

Philosophers Hate Creationists

     Some unbelievers reject people of faith, and sometimes martyrdom happens. Those who defend the truth give their lives rather than deny their Savior. This war continues, as Lucifer, once the highest of angels, knows the truth better than any of us. 

           Jimmy

 

Memorial Day    

     We've been writing about war in its various forms, begun by Satan, who continues sponsoring bloodshed and hatred across the world. 

     As for military war, remembrance of the dead began in Georgia three years after our Civil War ended. Various cities, states and finally the nation now mark the holiday, with parades, speeches, flowers on graves, and 21-gun salutes. 

     A poem written by Canadian Officer John McCrae, who lost a friend in Flanders fields, Belgium, in WWI. 

in Flanders Fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place, and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead, short days ago

We lived, felt drawn, saw sunset glow

Loved and were loved, and now we lie   ...in Flanders fields

Take up our quarrel with the foe

To you with failing hands we throw

The torch, be yours to hold it high

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

                                    ...in Flanders fields

   This was written early in the war, before it turned to bitterness and disillusion.

     Tens of thousands of men died in WWI (too bad Germany's Hitler wasn't one of them), owing to the arrogance of national leaders, we assume. 

             Jimmy

Christian Optimism Anyone?  

World War, Part 2

     World War I was not the first world war. Whatever number you wish to give it, war diminished Christian optimism. Darwinism (are you counting the isms?) seemed like a better bet than God, who had not stopped the slaughter in Europe. 

     World War II further armed the doubters, and Darwin's "superior" and "inferior" races led to Hitler's Holocaust. Hitler's escape - by cremation - was no defeat for old Lucifer. Fears of nuclear annihilation were soon upon us. 

     The years have turned on Darwin. Discoveries of "intelligent design" - complicated cells, extremely fine-tuned life and other evidence - destroyed any confidence in evolution. The absence of verified "missing links" in the so-called evolution of man and animals has disappointed the evolutionists.

     No scientist defends it, except those who suggest life evolved in another universe and somehow arrived on earth. For those who aren't believers: Godless livelihoods are still rewarded. And surrendering to God would require suppressing sexual freedom. Perhaps intellectuals don't read far enough to discover the word "judgment."

     The war goes on. Educators, government types, judges and others have not heard, or they sluff it off until a "convenient" time. (see Governor Felix, Acts chapter 24). With their worldviews they fight public issues tooth and nail. 

     Our enemy, Lucifer, known as Satan, is not going anywhere. Yet. 

Next: in Flanders fields

The Real First World War 

    Part 1 of 2

     The first world war involved Adam and Eve, Lucifer the fallen angel who started the war (of words), and his opponent, Almighty God, watching to see who Adam and Eve would believe, a snake or their Creator. (see answer in Genesis 3.) 

     Earth has been "enemy occupied territory" ever since. Following the flood judgment, Noah's descendants introduced the "isms" of falsehood: paganism, polytheism, atheism, pantheism, dualism, materialism and humanism - all outgrowths of evolutionism. 

     Even God's "chosen people" eventually fell for vanities. From Babylonia to Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Greece and Indo-European lands, men followed philosophies. The Roman culture and man-made religions inherited these humanistic falsehoods, and the idols that represent them. 

     Numerous Americans follow astrology, and some visit palm-readers and other mystics. Old forms of pantheistic evolution were revived in the New Age movement. Variance in people, whatever beliefs, doesn't invalidate our immutable God and his infallible Word. 

     James, half-brother of Jesus, wrote: Friendship with the world is hatred toward God. 

Tomorrow: The war drones on

             Jimmy

Mocking Protesters    

     We would rather write about mockingbirds than mocking protesters. But, our habit of covering human stories leads to human stories covered out of habit. 😏

     Today, political narrative favored over spiritual and historical realities.

Article in WORLD magazine

     Harassment of Jews has a long history dating back to the Amalekites, nomads who gave Israelites trouble at the beginning of the exodus and beyond. Today, trouble comes in the form of social justice and victimhood, elevated above reason and nature. 

     Instigators thrive in colleges, as German teachers in the 1930s who taught a false history, focused on "what makes us human." Today, students lacking spiritual literacy are molded by liberal ideas, rainbow flags and even the violent side of Islam.

     Hamas wins over college students with social justice language, calling for resistance against Israel "by any means necessary." Protesters near Columbia University chanted "Burn Tel Aviv to the ground." Anybody in favor of returning to their studies? Anyone? 

     Even Christian students are on edge, with friends both Jewish and pro-Palestinian. Is there a chance for the gospel in this environment?

What About Children? 

     Meanwhile in America, children don't need much - mostly to be taken seriously as children, not little adults or units in the system. To have a mom and dad who care about them, however imperfectly. That's God's plan, and if that's all you can do, it will likely be enough.  

    - Janie B. Cheaney

 

 Our Visiting Mockingbirds 

     Each spring at least one husband and wife (mockingbirds mate for life) make a nest in a hedge beside our house. The hedge is six feet high. On May 11 or 12, our daughter snapped a picture of a nest with four eggs. Normally - it's any number from 2 to 6 eggs. She also recorded songs the male (most likely) was singing from atop a pole. 

     The male (probably) chooses the nest site and builds several foundations. The female chooses one to finish lining. (You women - don't get any ideas) The nest may include twigs, grass, leaves, trash, plastic, aluminum foil or cigarette filters. Creative, these birds.

     One day last week the eggs hatched. The incubation is 12 or 13 days, and the nestling likewise. That's where we are today. 

     So, Mrs. Donut and I sit at our kitchen table and watch a mockingbird fly into the hedge at the exact same entry, every time, about a foot below the top. We assume he or she delivers food. Within seconds the adult flies out from the top and zips into the trees in our small woods. 

     In no time, somehow, the bird has found food, and returns to the nest. The shortest turnaround has been about two minutes. Speaking of kids, these birds begin the nestling blind and helpless. 

     Mockingbirds will sit and sing (over 200 songs to choose from) atop anything. On the ground they walk, run and hop. Males will perch on houses or poles, leap and flutter down. Trouble? Males will confront males and females...females. And humans. 

     They may have two or three nests in a season. One female laid 27 eggs in one season. 

     If you hear sounds like machinery, frogs, toads and other kinds of birds, it all may be coming from a mockingbird.  

     Amazing nature reminds us God is real, creation is his handiwork, and mockingbirds are just one of many examples of his brilliance.  

                Jimmy

 Tomorrow: ignorant protesters

The Greatest Singers

     Sinatra? Cher? Jackson? Madonna? Franklin? Williams? Fitzgerald? Presley? 

     Don't mock me, but there's a group that out-performs them all...and it isn't the Beatles. 

     They have many sounds, mimic other singers, and sing almost endlessly, day or night, 

     The males know more than 200 songs, with a selection for Spring and another for Fall. Females sing more quietly, mostly in the Fall, and usually when the male is away. In 1828, you could buy one for $1,300 (in today's money). Well, it was illegal.

     Here's a clue: They eat things like berries and insects. Their Latin name is Mimus polyglottos (many-tongued mimic). 

     Okay! Okay already! We call to your attention the Northern mockingbird. I know. I know. We're writing from Florida, which in all aspects is South. The "Northern" here refers to the northern hemisphere. These mockingbirds live as far south as Mexico. 

     There are Southern mockingbirds in Central and South America. It would be awesome to have competition between Northern and Southern birds on television. If some network would set aside 18 hours. Well, no, neither bird would shut up and take turns mimicking. 

Tomorrow: Our visiting mockingbirds

 

     

     

     

     

     

      

Police Hunt Women 

     ...in Iran  

     On April 1, Iran announced a new police agency to enforce rules against improper wearing of the hijab (head covering) in the Islamist nation. 

     All women must cover their heads in public or be flogged, fined or jailed up to 10 years. Human rights groups verified videos of women and girls being dragged into vans by chadorclad (cloth wrapped around the head and upper body; only the face is exposed) women. 

     Police arrested men who tried to interfere. Reportedly, women have been beaten, tasered and sexually assaulted. Authorities have closed businesses that did not enforce hijab rules. Women who travel without a hijab have had their cars confiscated. 

     This is the country President Biden restored to wealth and prominence (and harm to Israel) by his policy on oil. 

     This is the country whose president (since 2021), Ebrahim Raisi, 63, died in a helicopter crash a few days ago. Raisi in 1988 organized the death of some 10,000 dissidents (who had sided with Iraq during their war). 

     Raisi as president excelled at "violent suppression of women's rights," "terrorism" and "economic turmoil." The U.S., our democratic government, joined other nations in extending condolences to Iran for the demise of "the butcher of Tehran." Biden and others have some interest in Iran, and it isn't sympathy for its women.  

     Supreme leader Ali Kyhamenei, 85, he, not voters, has 50 days to clear (choose) candidates for president. Democrat heavyweights in the U.S. can choose their candidate in far less time. The November vote is just a formality.

               Jimmy

Changing the Game   

     Sports "fans" spent almost $11 billion in 2023, and a big increase is expected this year. For what? 

     Tickets? No. Hot dogs and beer at concessions? No. Shirts and hats with the team logo? No. 

     The gambling industry has grown like weeds since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Sports Protection Act in 2018. Floodgates opened for both amateur and professional sports. Maybe the Court was being consistent by striking a federal law that should be state business. For what? 

     The gambling industry has grown like weeds since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Sports Protection Act in .as it did with Roe. 

     Well, 38 states have made sports gambling their business, and others may join them.

All bets are on    

     Let them bet? It's a free country. If only betters were honorable. Legal sports gambling is changing the culture of sports.

     Gamblers sent messages to an NBA coach, about knowing where he lives and about his children. Abuse and threats show that fans have more than an interest in who wins. The NCAA President wrote, "...one in three high-profile athletes receive abusive messages." An NCAA survey found 67 percent of college students bet on sports and 35 percent have placed bets with student bookies. 

     Players can become targets whether they play well or poorly. Ohio State's quarterback received death threats after a close loss to Michigan. Winning doesn't shield players, either. A Purdue basketball player made a three-point shot late in a 2023 tournament victory. One message said, "Kill yourself." His basket changed the spread. Oh oh. 

     There is pressure for players and even referees to cheat. The NFL has suspended 12 players so far. Millions watch sports...a relief from politics and other crummy news. The joy may be fading.

              Jimmy

 

Modern Times 

Return to Babel, conclusion 

     Massive peacetime budgets rendered the dollar no longer sound to be the world's reserve currency. Afghan and Iraq wars led to a noninterventionist spirit. Americans outraged over 9/11 became weary of being the world's policeman. Bretton Woods became null and void.

    The World Bank and IMF were caught between not lending to corrupt regimes, or lending while knowing the money would not go for intended purposes. 

     Globalists have used "climate change" to encourage - force? - national governments to comply. Nothing new about the agenda. It's an appeal for power "to save the world." Dire warnings. Flogging "science deniers" on Instagram. 

     Again, Americans are reluctant to fully embrace climate-control agreements. We all know the two biggest obstacles to any accord are the polluters, India and China. Xi isn't joining anything run by Western elites. Russia's Putin puts Russia's interest first. India's Modi said (probably with a smile), "Global governance has failed." 

     Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa have more combined wealth than that of G7 countries. Should have been obvious. Nations don't share the same worldviews, cultures or goals. Global elites still gather, and posture. 

     This article's author: "It is God who made the nations and ordained government as a national, not global, enterprise. Globalism appears to be in decline. But history shows that the spirit of Babel is never far off."

     What did Jesus say, speaking of end times? You will hear of wars and rumors of wars... Matthew 24:6  

 Tomorrow: All bets are on

     

 Scientific Globalism

Return to Babel, Part 3 of 4

    At the end of WWII, scientists were terrified by the new weapon: atomic bomb. Many thought "the only way out of atomic warfare" was a "superior world government."  

     The United Nations was being developed at Harvard University. President Truman, a Christian, told UN delegates in June 1946: it was God who had brought us "so far in our search for peace through world organization." 

If not for Josef Stalin

     Scientists believed they should run the UN...the world government. American elites could not sway American individualists to buy in. Meanwhile, Stalin's allies had slaughtered 20,000 in Bulgaria, built a dictatorship in Hungary, and arrested politicians in Poland, all in defiance of UN goals. 

     In 1949 the Soviet Union exploded its own atomic bomb. So ended any discussion of international control of weapons. 

     Economists at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, designed a form of international economic globalism, the U.S. dollar being the measuring stick. This required the creation of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The dollar must retain its strength, but with demands for U.S. foreign aid and commitments, the dollar began to lose its value. 

    Foreign wars (foreign aid) and President Johnson's Great Society programs rapidly increased inflation. 

Tomorrow: Modern Times

Strategy for World Domination 

Return to Babel - Part 2 of 4

     We're a bit late here. Every January the World Economic Forum (titans of commerce, industry and government...today's Nimrods?) meet in Switzerland to - shall we say - fix the world? Their words: "to shape global, regional and industry agendas."

     Napoleon Bonaparte raked over Europe (1800-14), after which egoistic kings met in Vienna (1814-15) to create a "new world order," as they saw it. Within the coming century, five signers of the peace treaty were at war, twice. 

Article by Larry Schweikart

     After World War I, the Versailles meetings (1919-20) were supposed to fix everything, with leadership by progressive U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. He was greeted in France by two million people, weeping and carrying flowers. His 14 globalist points included the League of Nations. 

     Wilson's own people were not enthused about foreign entanglements; nor were the communist Russians. The U.S. joined only as "a spectator." Meanwhile, no one wanted to fight the aggressive Japanese or the Italians. 

     But the League did have lasting effects. It's "moral force" cobbled together new nations and broke established ones apart. They supplanted practical, localized relationships, and chaos broke loose in every case. Of course, Soviet Russia had surfaced, with collective ambitions of their own. 

Tomorrow: Scientific Globalism

 

     

     

From Babel to the World Economic Forum 

Part 1 of 4 

     Before we slide into our series on world government, we go way back to Genesis 11 and the story of Babel (Shinar/Babylon). Is there a connection? 

     A few generations after the flood, Noah's great grandson, Nimrod, ("a mighty warrior and hunter") founded Babylon. They began to build a "tower that reaches the heavens." They intended to "make a name for ourselves." No one knows how far they got. Probably not far. 

     And they were determined "not to be scattered." 

     Historians suspect - pride and arrogance. In Jewish literature, Nimrod was angry with God, who destroyed all civilization except for Noah and his family. The tower Nimrod's people began to build "to the heavens" may have been an attempt to reach God...and not to worship.  

     Well, they didn't need a tower to reach God, who confused their language and scattered people over the earth, as he had planned. 

     Do Babel's sins resonate today? We're not calling skyscrapers in America, Shanghai, Taipei, Malaysia, Dubar, Beijing and Singapore sinful. But tall, awesome towers were not built to honor God.

Tomorrow: Globalism 

Smiles From the Bible 

What kind of man was Boaz before he married? Ruthless

What do they call pastors in Germany? German Shepherds 

Who was the greatest financier? Noah. He floated his stock while everyone else was in liquidation

Who was the greatest female financier? Pharoah's daughter. She went to the bank of the Nile and drew out a prophet. 

What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible? Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out in a Fury. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. The apostles were all in one Accord.

Who was the greatest comedian? Samson, he brought the house down.

Who was the worst lawbreaker in the Bible? Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once. 

Which area of Palestine was very wealthy? The banks around Jordan were always overflowing. 

Which Bible character had no parents? Joshua. He was son of Nun.

Tomorrow: A series on globalism begins 

He Chose Disciples

     "You did not choose me, but I chose you to go and bear fruit. I have chosen you out of the world." - John 15:16, 19 

He Chose Foolish Things

     "But God chose the foolish things of the world, to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world, to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are so that no one can boast before him. Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord."  - 1 Corinthians 1:27-31

He Chose to Adopt Us 

     "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will." - Ephesians 1:4.

~~~

Commentary: God's standards and values are different from those accepted by the world. God will overthrow the world's false standards and wisdom. 

Through Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection...choosing the lowly things of the world, God nullifies the esteemed things of this present age, including all philosophy. Jesus is our wisdom! - 1 Cor. v. 1:30 

Do we want to be chosen, or not?

Mother Earth Formed

     "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. 

     "Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm."

     Psalm 33:6-9

Mother Earth Destroyed

     "As for Mother Earth, when God is done with it, he's going to burn it up (we assume by destroying atoms and molecules) and destroy the stars. Everything touched by sin must go. 

     "He will make a new heaven and new earth. That will be awesome beyond belief, our wonderful "feeling" and enjoyment forever. 

     "So, don't love this earth too much. Your spirit will outlive it. That doesn't mean you can't enjoy hiking, camping, fishing, snowboarding etc., and be friendly to the environment."

~ ~ ~

     The above: We found this - the last of eight paragraphs - while cleaning out some drawers - which I had typed long ago. Judging by depth of knowledge, I doubt that I wrote it. ...thought you might be interested.

 

Rock or bedrock? 

     You may already know that this blogger spent nearly all the 1950s in high school, then college. Back then, Americans generally claimed membership in an established church. Even backsliders and unbelievers belonged somewhere, in the fellowship of Elks, Lions or golf-course membership.

     The 1960s saw upper mobility as the depression and war faded away, and enemies of Christianity saw an opening. Laws prohibiting Christ in public schools took effect, without complaint by Christians, that I know of.

     Then followed a weakening of family bonds. Divorce rates shot up in the 1970s. Columnist Janie B, Cheaney says "Gen Xers grew up in broken homes and perpetuated single parenthood themselves. Millennials eschew marriage and babies, and Gen Z isn't even dating."

     A quarter of Americans are atheists, agnostics or unaffiliated, and public engagement is in decline. 

     Many who have left or never knew organized religion have found no alternative method to build a sense of belonging. Mobility has stalled, she writes, replaced by technology. "The shallow and solitary experience of smartphones replaced the deep and communal experience of church."

     Even atheist Richard Dawkins is "slightly horrified" - not at the decline of Christian faith - but the decline in cathedrals, hymns and Christmas carols. He and others see the church as a crucial bedrock of society. 

     What they don't see, writes Cheaney, is that "social trends will not defeat the church. If Egyptian bondage and Babylonian captivity couldn't forestall God's purpose, neither will smartphones. The Rock is Christ."

            Jimmy

     

Henry Wallace's Naivete

Book review, conclusion 

     "Wallace praised the farming and mining techniques of the Soviets, never suspecting the vast prison system underneath." His biographer observes, "For him, the arc of Russian history bent toward justice."

     "Such naivete characterized Wallace's entire career, from his devotion to One World mysticism to his Quixotic run for the presidency in 1948. Journalist Walter Lippman wrote, 'his heart was detached from reality.'" 

     "But the world he influenced lives on in the aggressions of China and Russia and the idealism of anti-war protesters - many of whom understand peace as a 'policy choice' rather than a fragile state often secured by arms." 

     Of the book, The World That Wasn't, Janie Cheaney writes, "The deal making, back-stabbing details can be overwhelming. But...readers should be grateful for the party bosses who kept Wallace off the 1944 ticket. Naive idealism can be as dangerous as the cynical kind." 

     To that we ask, will the party bosses keep communists or communist sympathizers out of the White House in 2025, 2029 and beyond? Democrats have conquered way more of American politics, education, business, news media etc., than they dreamed of in 1944. 

              Jimmy

Our Almost President 

Book review by Janie Cheaney

     It was 1944 and WW II was still raging. Frankin D. Roosevelt was running for his fourth term, knowing he likely wouldn't survive four more years. His vice president, Henry Wallace, could be the next leader of our nation.

     "Delegates to the convention chanted 'We Want Wallace' - to replace FDR. There was an abrupt close to the proceedings. After a night of politicking, Harry Truman won on the second ballot, to be vice president." 

     "Left-wing historians and activists were deeply disappointed." (Communism was growing in Democratic circles since the 1930s, when Marxists fled Hitler's Germany and settled in the U.S. Their offspring are active in Democratic think tanks today. - Jimmy)

     "Henry Wallace had no interest in politics at first. But enthusiastic support for the New Deal led to an appointment as secretary of agriculture. Though raised a Presbyterian, he came to mock 'the wishy goody-goodliness and infantile irrelevancy' of Christian orthodoxy."   

     Instead, "he settled on Soviet-style communism as a path to peace and unity. Though never a communist himself, he made friends with party members." 

Conclusion tomorrow

 Robot on the Runway 

     Are you vacationing in Alaska?

     Officials up there have a new method for chasing wildlife away from the airport's runways - a robotic dog named Aurora.

     In March, transportation officials released a video of what it called its newest hire, a robot about the size of a Labrador retriever that can be camouflaged as a coyote or fox. 

     Officials say the robot will be responsible for disrupting flocks of birds and other animals at Fairbanks International Airport beginning this fall. If successful, Aurora will keep migratory birds that stop over at the airport from staying and lessen the chance of a mishap with a plane. 

     Could Aurora be the answer to the problem with your neighbor's dog?

Freedom for the Dali

     So, salvage crews will use explosives to free the big ship from the broken bridge in Baltimore. That will be interesting.

     Surprise: The ship's crew, which has been onboard the entire time, will "shelter in place." The governor said this is "best practices for removing large amounts of steel." Really? 

     Can we have a second opinion? 

     The crew might be needed to guide the ship after it is free. Did they already solve the original issue that allowed it to ram the bridge? We know...they'll be a distance from the explosives. 

     What do I know? I couldn't keep my canoe from capsizing in a fast-moving river. 

                  Jimmy

     

They Think They Won 

     Did they?

     Your blogger debated whether or not to use time and space griping about the riots (oh...sorry) that is, the mostly peaceful demonstrations on college campuses. You have already seen all the wreckage and heard all the opinions you need. 

     Okay...here's one more. 

     When billionaires (including the Rockefeller organization) can sponsor this behavior, and leftist professors can encourage it, and politicians at the highest level can hide from the cameras, you know our nation is on a slippery slope. 

     Demonstrators, some coached by former Black Panthers, were/are backing the very terrorists who wish to wipe Israel off the map. Identical tents. Identical chants. "Shame" they holler. Well, shame on school authorities who treat these as legitimate protests. 

     We'll know the night of November 5 if they really won. The election is what this is all about.  

           Jimmy 

        

     

Many Against One 

     Did they win?

     His disciples were to learn though his prayer. As he finished:

     Righteous Father, though the world does not know you...I have made you known to them...that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.

     Notice the emphasis on love, not power or other human desires. Then Jesus and his disciples - all but one - crossed the valley and went into an olive grove. 

      So it was that night. The betrayer, Roman soldiers (who normally would be hated) and officials from the chief priests and Pharisees would find him. They were after one man, and their verdict was fixed in their minds. They came with torches, lanterns and weapons to arrest...or worse? 

     If you are looking for me, then let these men (his disciples) go. 

     They bound him and took him ultimately to the Roman governor who had power to order a horrible beating followed by an execution that would be even worse.

     Did they win?

     Yes and no. Yes! Those who wanted him dead refused to believe reports of his resurrection. They considered themselves justified. No! Romans ended their reign in A.D. 70.

     Jesus had no further contact with them, but focused on the gospel that his disciples and other believers would take to Jews and gentiles scattered over the world. The refusal to believe continues today. 

     On the cross, Jesus forgave them. That's love. God determined before creation that the Christ would bear the punishment we all deserve. He made a way for those who trust and obey to receive salvation, as did Abraham and many others. 

           Jimmy

     

Christian Nationalism? - Part 2

     Article 6 of the Constitution: No religious test may be required for public office. The First Amendment prohibits Congress from establishing any religion and from making laws to bar religious free exercise. As for God blessing America only if America is Christian, Gregg Frazier asks how one explains Sparta. Sparta lasted 800 years and was maybe the most ungodly regime in history.

     It is true that American settlers fled a political system with a desire to create a better one. Many of us recall a time of two-parent families, prayer in public schools...and abortion and transgenderism were not common. The 1950s, minus racism, were welcome, though no era is fault free.  

     Christians who oppose Christian nationalism don't want government doing the Church's work or adding the Ten Commandments or the Apostles Creed to the Constitution.

     Jesus himself said, My kingdom is not of this world. 

     A reformer warns that amid America's cultural moral slide, something will emerge to fill the vacuum...win the day, in terms of our laws, customs, traditions in the public square. 

     A professor, Anglican priest, says, "Progressives have no qualms equating Christian nationalism with white supremacy and theocracy...it alienates people from aligning with conservatives. They want to frighten people into thinking, "all Christians have extremist beliefs." 

     He warns against combining church and state. "We need to keep the main thing, the main thing. Focus on the gospel." 

#

Battle for America's Identity 

   Excerpts from Sharon Dierberger and Emma Freire

     January 6, 2021. A Regent University professor waiting at Dallas-Ft. Worth airport knew nothing of events taking place at the U.S. Capitol. 

     A reporter emailed, asking him to comment on Christian imagery among the protesters. He began scrolling through online videos, appalled by the riots, seeing no Christian imagery within a mile of the Capitol. Except, a rioter with crazed look and a Christian symbol, dressed all in black holding a Bible. He told the reporter the man didn't look like any Christian he'd ever known. 

     "The next day," the professor said, "the headline was, 'Christian nationalists have attacked the U.S. Capitol building.' She didn't mention anything I said." 

     That was the beginning of the mainstream media's adoption of "Christian nationalist" as its new pet contempt. A 2020 academic book, Taking America Back for God, sparked commotion. The authors used a six-question survey to conclude that most Americans are somewhat supportive of Christian nationalism. Critics called the survey seriously flawed. 

     Supporters of Christian nationalism disagree among themselves, but most want to see laws that are grounded in Biblical teaching and promote Christian living. 

     Gregg Frazer, a college dean, examined the private writings of eight founders: Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Morris, Wilson, Madison, Hamilton and Washington. He says personal diaries and correspondence reveal their most candid thoughts about belief. "And it wasn't Biblical Christianity, even though they believed in God and used Christian-like terminology." Some scholars see it differently than Frazer. 

To be continued

       

The Bible

contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. 

     Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true and its decisions are immutable.

     Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy.

     It contains light to direct us, food to support us and comfort to cheer us.

     Here, Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good the design and the glory of God its end.

     It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. 

     It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment and be remembered forever. 

     It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor and condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents. 

Author unknown

Like a Business

     Federal and state agents took down a sophisticated crime ring operating within the state of Georgia's prisons. There were 150 arrests and contraband valued at over $7 million. Drones were transporting drugs, weapons and cell phones in and out. There was a drone repair shop where authorities seized 50 drones. 

     The governor's office says more than 1,000 criminal charges have been filed against inmates, Dept. of Corrections staffers, and civilians. Many could face charges under the RICO act. Wow! 

Like a Day

     This is interesting for a man who lived to 120. Writing as if to God, "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day." Moses, (Psalm 90:4).

   Centuries later, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "...the time is short. From now on...those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. I would like you to be free from concern...that you may live in undivided devotion to the Lord (1 Cor. 7:29-35).

     The author of our magazine column wrote, "Keep a loose grip on the nice things for they will soon be over. Bear with the not-so-nice things for they will soon be over." 

     She adds, "I always thought it would take longer to get old." Double that! 

     And we add: Whether our bodies die at age 2, 52 or 102 is not the most important fact. What matters most is where our souls go.

              Jimmy

  

Rottenest Nation? 

     Let's pick up where yesterday's Islamic activist in Michigan left off...claiming the USA is "one of the rottenest" nations. Aside from the fact "rottenest" is not in the dictionary... 

     We have our problems. We wonder if he would say the same about Islamic Afghanistan, where public flogging and stoning is punishment for adultery. 

     Taliban-appointed judges have ordered 417 floggings and executions, 57 of which targeted women. In February, there were public executions in two different stadiums, with citizens encouraged to attend. 

     Back home, there once were 100 applicants for every police opening. The way our "rottenest" nation is going, we may not have enough police to flog anyone. Since George Floyd's death, disrespect for police has led to an "exodus" of retirement and resignation. Three minutes can mean life or death. In New Orleans, average response time is over 2 hours.   

     Some small towns are relying on neighboring agencies. And some have loosened rules on tattoos, felony convictions, past drug abuses and poor credit history to attract potential officers. 

     If that isn't trouble enough, we're about to be attacked...by cicadas. They live underground, one brood surfacing every 13 years, the other, every 17 years. Both are coming up to mate this year, making a racket of 90 decibels, as loud as a lawnmower or motorcycle. In some counties, there could be 1 million per acre. 

     In the mid 1980s, our home and car in Ohio were overrun with these insects. A "rottenest" problem. Then, along came a tornado, after which not a single cicada was to be found...or half the shingles on our roof. 

           Jimmy 

Looking Down on Us 

     If you read yesterday's Views, you might assume we're referring to God...looking down. Well, the Holy Spirit is God with us. 

     Here we refer to U.S. insurance companies, using satellite imagery to check the condition of homeowners' property, such as roofs. Sometimes they cancel policies as a result. Thank goodness we had our roof cleaned on Monday, for $1,000. Whew! 

     Meanwhile, we're looking for someone to clean and seal the pavers on our driveway. Two companies said they didn't need us to describe condition, size etc. They were looking down, thanks to a satellite. 

     We don't need a satellite to count the number of readers we have. Our "day" starts and ends at 8 p.m. Normally, it's in single digits. Suddenly, eight days ago, 166 read Views. Then there were five more days over 100, then 66, followed by a record 244. While you were reading my welcome, 172 more readers joined you, for a 24-hour record 416. 

     What's going on? We're super glad you are checking us out...we try to provide worthwhile information you may not otherwise have. We're also challenged. We don't want to waste your time. 

     We close with a quote by an Islamic activist - looking down on us - at a rally in Dearborn, Michigan: "We live in one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this earth." The crowd responded with shouts of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel." 

...the mouths of liars will be silenced. Psalm 63:11 

           Jimmy