Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

What Those 107 Democrats Got Wrong About Israel
Dec 4th, 2019
CommentarySTEPHEN FLATOW/JNS.ORG
Categories: The Nation Of Israel

The letter from 107 Democratic members of Congress declaring that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, and much of Jerusalem, are illegal is wrong on so many levels that I wonder if even most of the signatories themselves understand the implications of what they signed.

Members of Congress are busy men and women. I get that. They don't have time to carefully read every request that comes across their desks. They can't familiarize themselves with every nuance of the issue under consideration. They often must rely on their senior staff to provide guidance. If that's what happened here, then they received very poor guidance indeed.

Most of the letter consists of predictable slogans and irrelevancies. For example, it warns against "settlement expansion into the occupied West Bank," which is irrelevant because the new U.S. policy refers to existing Jewish communities and has nothing to do with whether or not they "expand."

The letter also claims that the new U.S. policy could "lead to a more entrenched conflict." More entrenched than a 100-year-long Palestinian Arab war against Jews and the existence of a Jewish state?

More entrenched than the Palestinian Authority's refusal even to negotiate with Israel? More entrenched than an entire generation of Palestinian Arab youth being raised--in the aftermath of the Oslo accords--on hatred of Jews and glorification of terrorism?

The letter asserts, absurdly, that the U.S. policy harms the possibility of "a contiguous Palestinian state" and therefore "jeopardizes Israel's future." I wonder how many of the signers have any idea what a "contiguous" Palestinian state is.

It refers to the idea of a "State of Palestine" that is one unit, physically linked, running from Gaza through Judea-Samaria and including parts of Jerusalem. Obviously, such an entity would be stronger and pose a much greater threat to Israel than the current reality of two physically separated Palestinian entities.

Yet in the Orwellian language of the Democrats' letter, a more dangerous Palestinian entity is good for Israel's future, and a less dangerous Palestinian entity "jeopardizes Israel's future."

But there are two other aspects of the congressional letter that so far have received scant or no attention.

The first is the letter's complete misrepresentation of international law. The letter points out that Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention "affirms that any occupying power shall not 'deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.' "

That's correct, but it has nothing to do with Judea-Samaria and Jerusalem. Article 49 was drafted in the aftermath of World War II. It was specifically aimed at countering what the Nazis did, such as the deportation of German Jews to death camps in Poland.

The quote that the congressional letter includes leaves out an important word. The beginning of that paragraph in Article 49 states that it is referring to "forcible transfers." The Democrats left out the word "forcible." I wonder why. Maybe because it would make clear that Article 49 does not apply to Israel? 

The Jewish residents of Judea-Samaria and Jerusalem were not forced by the Israeli government to live there. They chose to take up residence in a region that has been at the center of the Jewish national homeland for more than 3,000 years.

Which brings us to the final point. The term "Occupied Territory," as used by Article 49 and cited by the Democratic congressmen, refers to a country like Nazi Germany, which illegally occupies somebody else's territory.

But Judea-Samaria and Jerusalem were never somebody else's territory. Throughout history, they were never part of a sovereign country other than the Jewish kingdoms. The Jewish claim to that land is rooted in history, international law, and of course, the Bible. The Arab claim is based on lies, wars and terrorism.

The critics of Israel who organized the Democrats' letter evidently have chosen to accept the Arab lie that Judea-Samaria and Jerusalem belong to the Arabs, not the Jews. The fact that the critics were able to rope so many members of Congress into adopting that position is tragic. But that, it seems, is today's sad political reality.

Transgenderism is Just the Start: Racial Self - Identification is Next
Dec 4th, 2019
CommentaryJONATHON VAN MAREN/BRIDGEHEAD.CA
Categories: Contemporary Issues

We all knew it was coming, and here it is - according to The Telegraph, one major lecturer's union has declared that people "should be allowed to identify as black no matter what color they are born."

After all, if your genitalia doesn't tell us anything about your sex, your skin color obviously tells us nothing about your race. I'm a bit surprised it took so long for this to take off:

The University and College Union (UCU), which represents more than 100,000 university lecturers and staff, set out its position on whether people should be able to self-identify as different races or genders.

In the paper "UCU Position on Trans Inclusion", it stated: "The UCU has a long history of enabling members to self-identify, whether that is being black, disabled, LGBT or women."

The union's stance was criticized by some of its own members as "nonsensical". Kathleen Stock, a professor of philosophy at the University of Sussex, wrote on Twitter: "I'm still a member of UCU but... they make it hard when they publish this nonsensical, anti-intellectual propaganda."

The debate over racial self-identification has become heated in recent years. Last November, Anthony Lennon, a white theater director who describes himself as an "African born again", drew criticism for securing public funding intended to help ethnic minorities develop their stage careers. 

Mr Lennon, 53, who was born in London and whose parents are Irish, won a place on a two-year Arts Council-funded scheme, after a leading black theater company accepted his claim to be of "mixed heritage". 

Trevor Phillips, the former chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, said allowing people to self-identify their race meant members of ethnic minority communities "lost out".

The UCU's paper also reaffirmed that it supported a "social, rather than medical, model of gender recognition". 

A spokesman for the UCU said: "Self-identification is a standard practice in many organisations and the Office for National Statistics says 'there is no consensus on what constitutes an ethnic group and membership is something that is self-defined'."

The interesting thing about our new era of radical autonomy and forced social acceptance of any self-identification, no matter how ludicrous, is that it is displacing and replacing groups that previously had to fight for decades to achieve their rights--rights that are now simply being "named and claimed" by whoever happens to identify with that group. 

Pope Francis Declares That Christian Fundamentalists are "a Scourge"
Dec 4th, 2019
CommentaryMICHAEL SNYDER/END OF THE AMERICAN DREAM
Categories: One World Church

Why does it seem like virtually everyone wants to attack Christian fundamentalists these days?  Two weeks ago, Pope Francis made some extremely controversial remarks, but those remarks really didn't get much attention from the mainstream media.  Of course if the Pope had targeted the LGBTQ community or some other favored group, it would have instantly made headlines all over the globe. 

But he didn't.  Instead, Pope Francis specifically attacked fundamentalists, and in today's world that is considered to be perfectly okay.  The following comes from the official transcript of the remarks that the Pope made on the 18th of November...

Beware of the fundamentalist groups: everyone has his own. In Argentina too there is a little fundamentalist corner. And let us try, with fraternity, to go forward. Fundamentalism is a scourge and all religions have some kind of fundamentalist first cousin there, which forms a group.

Ostensibly, these remarks apply to fundamentalists from all religions.  But by mentioning Argentina, the Pope made it exceedingly clear who his real target was.

 There aren't any "Muslim fundamentalists" or "Hindu fundamentalists" in Argentina.  The fundamentalists that he was referring to are the Christian fundamentalists in Argentina, and in the very next sentence he denounced such people as "a scourge".

Of course "a scourge" is another way of saying "a plague", and what do we try to do to "a plague" when one breaks out?

That is something to think about.

We reported on the tremendous growth of Evangelicals (while Catholics saw deep declines) in Argentina in one of our news reports last week .  These dramatic changes have no doubt caught the Pope's attention.

And although the term "fundamentalist" is now sometimes used to refer to other religions, from the very beginning it has always been a Christian term.  The following comes from the Encyclopedia Britannica...

Christian fundamentalism, movement in American Protestantism that arose in the late 19th century in reaction to theological modernism, which aimed to revise traditional Christian beliefs to accommodate new developments in the natural and social sciences, especially the theory of biological evolution. 

In keeping with traditional Christian doctrines concerning biblical interpretation, the mission of Jesus Christ, and the role of the church in society, fundamentalists affirmed a core of Christian beliefs that included the historical accuracy of the Bible, the imminent and physical Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and Christ's Virgin Birth, Resurrection, and Atonement. 

Fundamentalism became a significant phenomenon in the early 20th century and remained an influential movement in American society into the 21st century.

So what is a "Christian fundamentalist"?

Well, it is basically someone that believes the Bible is literally true, that believes that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again, and that believes that Jesus is coming back someday.

In other words, the Pope considers millions upon millions of American Christians to be a plague that is infecting our planet.

During those same remarks on the 18th of November, the Pope also once again pushed his "interreligious cooperation" agenda...

As I said during the World Conference of Human Fraternity: "There is no alternative: we will either build the future together or there will not be a future. Religions, in particular, cannot renounce the urgent task of building bridges between peoples and cultures. 

The time has come when religions should more actively exert themselves, with courage and audacity, and without pretence, to help the human family deepen the capacity for reconciliation, the vision of hope and the concrete paths of peace" (4 February 2019). Our religious traditions are a necessary source of inspiration to foster a culture of encounter. 

It is fundamental for there to be interreligious cooperation, based on the promotion of sincere and respectful dialogue that goes towards unity without confusion, maintaining identities. But a unity that transcends the mere political pact."

This Pope has become increasingly aggressive in his efforts to foster unity among the various major religions of the world.  

Last month, he held a much publicized meeting with Thailand's supreme Buddhist patriarch Somdej Phra Maha Muneewong.  That historic meeting was held at Bangkok's famous Ratchabophit Temple, and the Pope met with the Buddhist patriarch directly in front of a 150-year-old gold statue of Buddha.  The Pope even removed his shoes as a sign of respect for the Buddhist temple.

Pope Francis also brought a gift for the Buddhist patriarch.  It was a copy of a document entitled "Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together" which the Pope and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar both signed in Abu Dhabi last February.  The following is what Vatican News had to say about the exchange of this gift...

Pope Francis presented gifts to the Supreme Buddhist Patriarch, including a copy of the Abu Dhabi Declaration on "Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together". The Pope signed the document together with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates in February this year.

According to Cardinal Ayuso, including the Abu Dhabi Declaration among the gifts exchanged, highlighted the importance of spreading its message on Human Fraternity for peace and coexistence beyond the Middle East to Asia.

"Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together" sounds like an innocent title, but it is actually a loose blueprint for uniting the various religions of the world.

For example, at one point in the document it specifically says that the fact that there is such a diversity of religions in the world has been "willed by God in His wisdom"...

"The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings. This divine wisdom is the source from which the right to freedom of belief and the freedom to be different derives. Therefore, the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected, as too the imposition of a cultural way of life that others do not accept"

In other words, this document is saying that God is pleased with all of the religions of the world and that they exist because it was His will for them to do so.

And the document concludes with an appeal for "reconciliation and fraternity" among the various religions of the world in order that "universal peace" may be achieved...

In conclusion, our aspiration is that:

this Declaration may constitute an invitation to reconciliation and fraternity among all believers, indeed among believers and non-believers, and among all people of good will;

this Declaration may be an appeal to every upright conscience that rejects deplorable violence and blind extremism; an appeal to those who cherish the values of tolerance and fraternity that are promoted and encouraged by religions;

this Declaration may be a witness to the greatness of faith in God that unites divided hearts and elevates the human soul;

this Declaration may be a sign of the closeness between East and West, between North and South, and between all who believe that God has created us to understand one another, cooperate with one another and live as brothers and sisters who love one another.

This is what we hope and seek to achieve with the aim of finding a universal peace that all can enjoy in this life.

On the political front, globalism may have lost some momentum, but in religious circles it is steaming right along.

The push for a one world religion is happening right out in the open, and very few people seem alarmed by it.

Live Birth Abortions Continue to Happen in Canada
Dec 4th, 2019
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

New Prayer Campaign Pushes to Open the Temple Mount for Jews on Sabbath
A new campaign has been launched in an effort to get the Temple Mount opened on Shabat (the Sabbath) for Jewish pilgrims. The campaign calls upon as many Jews as possible to gather at the Gate of the Chain of the Temple Mount to pray the Shabat morning prayer of Musaf.

Ramallah: Anti-Israel Secular Jews Attack Anti-Israel ‘Religious’ Jews
Last week’s ceremony was held in the Mukata presidential headquarters in Ramallah. The Jewish attendees were generally of two types: secular left-wing extremists and ultra-Orthodox from the Neturei Karta sect. The Anti-Defamation League identifies Neturei Karta as an anti-Zionist group that claims to“pray for the peaceful dismantlement of the state of Israel.”

Gantz Accidentally Brings Rabbi’s 30-Year Old Prophecy About Netanyahu to Fruition
“It really pains me, as a friend, as a brother, as a close friend, to see how people constantly spill Netanyahu’s blood,” Rabbi Schneerson confided to Nachshon. “But I have a surprise for you, he’s going to come out of it, and he’ll stand tall, on G-d’s side. He has a promise from the Rebbe, and he’s going to make it through this. We’ve seen it happen up to now, and that’s how it’s going to be now as well. He will make it through this, and he will continue, and I hope he’ll be able to hand his keys over to Moshiach (the Messiah), and we’ll have the complete and true Redemption.”

Polls Showing Third of Blacks Support Trump May Herald Huge Political Upheavals Ahead
Democrats have relied on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s coalition to control the White House and Congress for much of the past eight decades, with black voters being the most reliable bloc in the alliance. But three recent national polls may signal big changes ahead in America’s political balance of power. Rasmussen Reports announced Nov. 22 that 34 percent of blacks in the latest survey said they now support President Donald Trump.

Israel’s war with Iran will cause never-before-seen images
A war against Iran and Hezbollah will see Israel pounded by over a thousand rockets per day, causing never-before-seen images in the Jewish State, an unnamed former senior officer from the Israeli Air Force told The Jerusalem Post. “It’s a severe threat to the homeland, and there will be images that have never ever been seen in the past,” he said.

Jimmy Carter hospitalized again
Jimmy Carter was admitted to a hospital in Georgia over the weekend for treatment of a urinary tract infection, The Hill reported on Monday. He was taken to Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, said a statement from the Carter Center. “He is feeling better and looks forward to returning home soon,” his spokeswoman said, adding that another statement will be released once he is discharged from the hospital.

POSSIBLE GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY THIS WEEK
Solar wind flowing from a southern hole in the sun’s atmosphere could graze Earth’s magnetic field later this week, probably on Dec. 3-4. No geomagnetic storms are expected. However, Arctic auroras will brighten when the solar wind arrives.

Trump campaign yanks Bloomberg News press credentials over ‘openly biased’ and ‘troubling’ practices
President Trump’s campaign will no longer credential Bloomberg News reporters in light of the news that the agency’s owner, Michael Bloomberg, is entering the 2020 Democratic primary race. Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said Bloomberg News recently reported approach to covering the election “is troubling and wrong.”

At Least 21 Dead After Mexican Shootout Violence Erupts Near Texas Border
According to Fox News, the hour-long gunfight took place in Villa Union. That’s a small town in Coahuila State. If you were wondering what cartels were doing there, here’s something that might not shock you: The town is about an hour from the border crossing at Eagle Pass, Texas. According to The Washington Post, of 16 major Democrat candidates polled eight said they favored decriminalizing the criminal penalty for crossing the border under Title 8, Section 1325 of the United States penal code. That’s… including Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Bernie Sanders.

California Has Earthquakes, Wildfires, Floods and Volcanoes
“Most people are surprised that there are any volcanoes in California,” said Kari Cooper, a geologist at the University of California, Davis. “It’s just really not on people’s radar.” It should be. According to a report Mangan and her colleagues released this year, the risk of a small-to-moderate eruption somewhere in the state over the next 30 years is 16% — about the same as for a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake along the San Andreas Fault. Those odds are “not something to ignore,”

Super Typhoon Kammuri slams into Philippines after rapid strengthening
Super Typhoon Kammuri — which rapidly intensified overnight into a Category 4-equivalent monster — is ravaging parts of the Philippines with 130 mph winds, a potentially destructive storm surge and copious amounts of rainfall.

Angela Merkel Argues Freedom of Speech ‘Has Its Limits’ and Government Should Regulate It
There’s an intractable lesson in politics that pretty much anyone can understand: Those who say they need to limit free speech in order to save it have no intention of trying to save free speech. That’s the takeaway we should have from German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s speech in Berlin last week in which she said that Germans had freedom of expression, provided it was freedom of expression that the government liked.

Israel’s war with Iran will cause never-before-seen images
A war against Iran and Hezbollah will see Israel pounded by over a thousand rockets per day, causing never-before-seen images in the Jewish State, an unnamed former senior officer from the Israeli Air Force told The Jerusalem Post. “It’s a severe threat to the homeland, and there will be images that have never ever been seen in the past,” he said.

Israeli scientists find way to treat deadly pancreatic cancer in 14 days
A new treatment developed by Tel Aviv University could induce the destruction of pancreatic cancer cells, eradicating the number of cancerous cells by up to 90% after two weeks of daily injections of a small molecule known as PJ34. Pancreatic cancer is one of the hardest cancers to treat. Most people who are diagnosed with the disease do not even live five years after being diagnosed.

Italian local politician ‘offended’ over Holocaust survivor saying Jesus was Jewish
A local Italian politician said that he felt offended because a Holocaust survivor and senator for life noted that Jesus was Jewish, Italian media reported on Friday. Fabio Tuiach, a member of the municipal council of Trieste, made the comment ahead of a council vote on a motion proposing to award Auschwitz survivor Liliana Segre the city’s honorary citizenship.

Nato summit: Divisions exposed ahead of meeting
Turkey has said it will oppose a Nato defence plan for Baltic countries, exposing tensions in the alliance ahead of a summit for its 70th anniversary. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants the military bloc to recognise the groups Turkey is fighting as terrorists but members are reluctant to do so. Last month, the French president angered some countries by suggesting the alliance is “brain dead”.

Trump to ‘restore’ tariffs on steel from Brazil and Argentina
US President Donald Trump has said he will place tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from Brazil and Argentina. He justified the move saying those countries’ weak currencies had made it harder for US food exports to compete. “Brazil and Argentina have been presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies, which is not good for our farmers,” Mr Trump said.

American jobs are getting worse, new economic index shows
Although the U.S. is on a record streak for job-creation, many Americans still feel like they can’t get ahead — it’s not their imagination. The last three decades have seen the economy churn out more and more jobs that offer inadequate pay, a group of researchers found. “The history of private-sector employment in the U.S. over the past three decades is one of overall degradation…

New York Fed Adds Liquidity Amid Heavy Demand for Year-End Funding
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York again saw very strong demand for liquidity aimed at helping financial markets navigate the turn of the year. The demand once again arrived as the Fed added temporary liquidity to financial markets Monday. All together the central bank pumped in $97.9 billion in two parts. One was via overnight repurchase agreements, or repos, that totaled $72.9 billion.

Data on your spending habits could be a gold mine for banks
There’s a powerful new player watching what you buy so it can tailor product offerings for you: the bank behind your credit or debit card. For years, Google and Facebook have been showing ads based on your online behavior. Retailers from Amazon to Walgreens also regularly suction up your transaction history to steer future spending and hold your loyalty.

U.S. homeland security proposes face scans for citizens
The Trump administration intends to propose a regulation next year that would require all travelers – including U.S. citizens – to be photographed when entering or leaving the United States, according to the administration’s regulatory agenda. The proposed regulation…would be part of a broader system to track travelers as they enter and exit the United States.

Israel set to seek UN recognition of Jewish refugees from Arab countries
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon was to announce on Tuesday a plan to advance a resolution recognizing Jewish refugees from Arab countries. The move comes as the UN General Assembly marks 72 years since the November 29, 1947 partition plan that established the State of Israel.

Heavy rain batters southern France, causing new wave of deadly floods
Torrential rain has once again battered southern France on December 1, 2019, resulting in deadly floods that killed 5 people, including 3 emergency workers killed after their helicopter crashed near Marseille. The event occurred just a week after devastating floods in the region also killed five.

Kammuri rapidly intensified before hitting Philippines, more than 100 000 evacuated lahar-prone areas
Authorities are evacuating more than 100 000 people living in lahar-prone areas in the Bicol region, Philippines, ahead of the landfall of Typhoon “Kammuri”, locally known as Tisoy. The storm has further intensified into Category 4 hurricane equivalent and its eyewall is now bringing violent winds over Northern Samar, Catanduanes, Albay, Camarines Sur, and Sorsogon.

Jammu and Kashmir receives 171% excess rain in October, November – Kashmir’s heaviest November snow in 40 years
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) received 188 mm (7 inches) of precipitation during October and November 2019, making it 171% above usual. On November 6 and 7 this year, Kashmir also saw its heaviest November snow in four decades. According to the MeT Department, summer capital Srinagar registered 228 mm (9 inches) rain and snowfall during the same period, which was 685% higher than normal precipitation.

State Of Emergency Declared And National Guard Deployed
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today declared a State of Emergency in Albany, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Saratoga and Ulster Counties as a large winter storm continues to impact New York.

Netflix, Disney, and Hulu are bleeding customers who are sick and tired of all the perversion
There’s a revolt taking place against entertainment streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney Plus, all of which are threatening to pull their television and film productions out of Georgia and other “red” states for enacting “heartbeat” bills to protect the lives of the unborn.

Israel Ranked 8th Most Powerful Country in the World Throughout 2019
The Spectator Index has recognized the Jewish state of Israel as the 8th most powerful country in the world; Additionally, Israel is ranked 29th on the world’s best countries list; Report: For its relatively small size, the country has played a large role in global affairs.

Charter School Reverses Decision to Ban Student from Playing ‘Joy to the World’
On Nov. 21, a California charter school barred 13-year-old Brooklyn Benzel from playing her favorite Christmas carol, “Joy to the World,” because it was deemed “too religious.” The school reversed its decision less than a week later, after threat of legal action.

Democratic Party Leaders Conspire with CHICOMS and Mexican Cartels to Destablize America
I am sympathetic to the plight of immigrants to an extent. However, when national security is in danger due to various aspects of the threat that immigration poses, I sing a decidedly different tune. We have within our political structure of government a group of radical subversives who are using immigration to overthrow our government.

Multiple Day And Nighttime Sightings Of A Strange ‘Snake-Like’ UFO Across Several US States And Even As Far Away As Scotland Are Baffling The Experts
Over the last month, an elongated, snake-like unidentified flying object has been spotted in several US states, from California to Wyoming, and even Scotland. However, there is still no explanation of what it was or where it came from.

New UN nuclear agency chief pledges ‘firm and fair’ stance on Iran
The incoming head of the UN’s atomic watchdog agency said Monday he would take a “firm and fair” approach toward inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities, and plans to visit Tehran in the near future.

Alpha Conference 2020 At Hillsong Church In Phoenix Will Feature A Mass By Roman Catholic Priest And Promote The One World Religion Of Antichrist
..The Alpha Conference 2020, to be held by Hillsong Church in Phoenix, Arizona, is again featuring a Roman Catholic priest, a mass, as well as the stunning news that The Alpha Conference is now endorsed by all the Laodiceans and apostates that make up the One World Religion of Antichrist currently being formed by Pope Francis. We call it Chrislam, and it’s a thing.

Free Distribution of HIV Prevention Drug Begins Dec. 2: Gilead
The Trump administration is set to begin nationwide distribution of free HIV prevention medication to uninsured patients on Dec. 2 to coincide with World AIDS Day.

Supreme Court to take up first gun rights case in nearly a decade
The U.S. Supreme Court, in its first gun rights case in nearly a decade, will hear arguments Monday from Second Amendment advocates challenging a New York City law that restricts licensed holders to a handful of shooting ranges within the city.

Epstein Tapes? Sordid Case Takes A Bizarre Turn After Mystery ‘Hacker’ Emerges
Shortly after Jeffrey Epstein’s August death in a Manhattan detention facility, a shadowy figure claiming to have set up encrypted servers for the convicted sex offender told several attorneys and the New York Times he had a vast archive of incriminating evidence against powerful men stored on overseas servers, including several years worth of the financier’s communications and financial records which allegedly showed he had vast amounts of Bitcoin and cash in the Middle East and Bangkok, and hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of gold, silver and diamonds.

VIDEO: America collapses into a pharma state; just like a “narco state” but run by prescription drug cartels
A “narco state” is a nation where nearly every aspect of society — politics, law enforcement, media, etc. — is controlled by narcotics traffickers. Mexico is a modern-day narco state.

Hear What the Unjust Judge Saith - Luke 18:6
Dec 4th, 2019
Morning MeditationF.B. Meyer
Categories: Commentary;Inspirational;Book Study

The force of this parable lies in its succession of vivid contrasts, which rise to an irresistible climax. The judge is unjust. - He neither fears God nor regards man. His one idea is to extort as much money as he can from the prisoners who desire to get out of jail, and from those that want to keep them in, or put others to share their fate. But God is our Father, unimpeachable in His integrity, and only eager to promote our welfare.

The judge had no personal interest in the claimant. - She had no personal attraction for him. Had she been possessed of property, he might have cared more. But now he looked on her as a pest that plagued and worried him. But we are God's elect, over whom His tender heart yearns. Did He not choose us before all the worlds unto His glory?

The judge answered the widow's cry just to save himself trouble. - Whenever he went to his seat, there she was. Though he had refused to hear her a score of times, there was her voice again, as clear and penetrating as ever. She had been forcibly hurried from his presence by his officials, and she had been borne screaming and remonstrating into the rear; but she never knew herself defeated. At last he could bear it no longer, and gave orders that her patrimony should be restored.

And will not God do as much, as, generation after generation, He sees His Church, like a widowed soul, oppressed by the great enemy and avenger? As He hears the cries of martyrs and saints; the perpetual prayer, Come, Lord Jesus; the insolent boast of the foe - will He not arise and avenge? Yes, verily, speedily! But it may seem long to us, because one thousand years with Him are as one day.

Chief Threat to India's Hindu Only Nation: Christianity
Dec 4th, 2019
MICHAEL BROWN/ASKDRBROWN.ORG
Categories: Persecution

You might never know their names. But you need to hear their stories. Two more pastors have been killed for their faith in India, yet the work they started continues.

It is very true that persecution is intensifying in India.

But the gospel cannot be stopped.

Not by mob violence. Not by government opposition. Not by intimidation. Not by bloodshed.

In the midst of many deadly challenges, the name of Jesus is being proclaimed.

Let me tell you the story.

I am just now returning from my 27th trip to India, a country I love dearly and a country I visit annually to spend time with dear friends there.

I heard the report about these two martyrs from another pastor who worked with them closely.

Not only so, but I was directly connected to both of them, having laid hands on them and commissioned them some years back. They had graduated from a colleague's ministry school, and I spoke at their graduation ceremony.

And when we prayed over them, we sent them out to share the good news of Jesus with the lost, whatever the cost or consequences.

All of the graduates pledged themselves for the gospel, whether by life or by death.

They did this in the spirit of Paul's words: ". . . it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20).

These were not just idle words for them. They knew the dangers inherent in their mission. They knew that standing for Jesus might literally cost them their lives, as it has with millions of others worldwide in previous generations.

On my first trip there in 1993, we visited a tribal region whose location I will not mention for security purposes. Suffice it to say it was quite remote, to the point that we were warned not to leave our guest quarters at night because a man-eating tiger was on the loose. (I kid you not.)

It was tribal in every sense of the word, and its many villages had almost no churches. 

Over the years, every single village has been reached, as Christian workers trekked over mountains and endured all kinds of hardships to make Jesus known. The light has shined brightly in the darkness, and many thousands of lives have been transformed.

But there have always been militant Hindus who have opposed the work, along with radical communists (known as Naxalites).

And so, over the years, many of the workers have been threatened or beaten, and some have been killed.

But now, under the current government of Prime Minister Modi, hostility against Christians has been rising, to the point that India is now ranked #10 on Open Doors' list of the most dangerous countries for Christians. (This is the first time India has made the top ten.)

In short, Modi's party, the BJP, wants India to be a Hindu nation, and the chief threat to that is Christianity, which sees many Hindus converting every year. And although the BJP is not formally persecuting Christians, its openly hostile stance has stirred up negative sentiments among the populace, and more radical groups, like the RSS, are now running free.

As the Open Doors report states, "Hindu nationalists in India continue to attack Christians with what seems like no consequences."

A report on the With Open Eyes website sheds further light: "Modi has increasingly tied Hinduism to identity as an Indian citizen. The belief that any religion other than Hinduism is foreign to India and must be eradicated is emphasized through the pressures Christian converts face from family and friends to return to the national religion."

As a result of this hostile climate, pastors are being killed, church buildings burned down, and congregants dragged out of services and beaten. And for the most part, the police are simply looking the other way. Christians in the West must not ignore this!

In the case of these two pastors, within the last year, in different villages in this tribal region, they began to build small church buildings for their congregations. (In America, we would hardly consider these structures to be shacks. But in these villages, they take on great importance, especially since most of the people live in tiny hut-type homes.)

In both cases, the villages rose up as a whole to attack these men, and both were killed.

But that is not the end of the story.

Somehow, the construction was completed after their deaths, and their widows are now caring for the Christians who meet there. 

As for their children, they are being cared for and educated in the ministry's headquarters in the main city about 5 hours away, where they have a thriving children's home and school. This is necessary, not only because of their husbands' deaths but because of constant health threats and virtually no schools.

As for the killers, not a single thing has been done, and no charges are being brought. After all, the villagers turned on these pastors together, and it was a Christian who was killed. Why would anyone care?

Yet it's not as if India does not know how to punish criminals. As the New York Times reported on December 6, "Extrajudicial killings are common in India. The term for a police killing here is 'encounter' and in recent years the Indian police have killed countless people in such encounters. Many of the killings are later revealed to have been staged or planned."

But there will be no justice in this world for the murderers of these two Christian pastors, both of them young men.

And the truth be told, they would not want to see justice as much as mercy. They would want to see their killers find forgiveness and redemption in Jesus. And it wouldn't surprise me to hear in years to come that some of their persecutors are now part of the church they once tried to destroy.

That is the power of the gospel, and that is why persecution and violence will never quench the flames of Christian love.

Please pray for the persecuted church of India. 

You can also write to your elected officials, asking them to urge President Trump to call on Prime Minister Modi to foster an environment of religious freedom.

You might never know their names. But you need to hear their stories. Two more pastors have been killed for their faith in India, yet the work they started continues.

It is very true that persecution is intensifying in India.

But the gospel cannot be stopped.

Not by mob violence. Not by government opposition. Not by intimidation. Not by bloodshed.

In the midst of many deadly challenges, the name of Jesus is being proclaimed.

Let me tell you the story.

I am just now returning from my 27th trip to India, a country I love dearly and a country I visit annually to spend time with dear friends there.

I heard the report about these two martyrs from another pastor who worked with them closely.

Not only so, but I was directly connected to both of them, having laid hands on them and commissioned them some years back. They had graduated from a colleague's ministry school, and I spoke at their graduation ceremony.

And when we prayed over them, we sent them out to share the good news of Jesus with the lost, whatever the cost or consequences.

All of the graduates pledged themselves for the gospel, whether by life or by death.

They did this in the spirit of Paul's words: ". . . it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20).

These were not just idle words for them. They knew the dangers inherent in their mission. They knew that standing for Jesus might literally cost them their lives, as it has with millions of others worldwide in previous generations.

On my first trip there in 1993, we visited a tribal region whose location I will not mention for security purposes. Suffice it to say it was quite remote, to the point that we were warned not to leave our guest quarters at night because a man-eating tiger was on the loose. (I kid you not.)

It was tribal in every sense of the word, and its many villages had almost no churches. 

Over the years, every single village has been reached, as Christian workers trekked over mountains and endured all kinds of hardships to make Jesus known. The light has shined brightly in the darkness, and many thousands of lives have been transformed.

But there have always been militant Hindus who have opposed the work, along with radical communists (known as Naxalites).

And so, over the years, many of the workers have been threatened or beaten, and some have been killed.

But now, under the current government of Prime Minister Modi, hostility against Christians has been rising, to the point that India is now ranked #10 on Open Doors' list of the most dangerous countries for Christians. (This is the first time India has made the top ten.)

In short, Modi's party, the BJP, wants India to be a Hindu nation, and the chief threat to that is Christianity, which sees many Hindus converting every year. And although the BJP is not formally persecuting Christians, its openly hostile stance has stirred up negative sentiments among the populace, and more radical groups, like the RSS, are now running free.

As the Open Doors report states, "Hindu nationalists in India continue to attack Christians with what seems like no consequences."

A report on the With Open Eyes website sheds further light: "Modi has increasingly tied Hinduism to identity as an Indian citizen. The belief that any religion other than Hinduism is foreign to India and must be eradicated is emphasized through the pressures Christian converts face from family and friends to return to the national religion."

As a result of this hostile climate, pastors are being killed, church buildings burned down, and congregants dragged out of services and beaten. And for the most part, the police are simply looking the other way. Christians in the West must not ignore this!

In the case of these two pastors, within the last year, in different villages in this tribal region, they began to build small church buildings for their congregations. (In America, we would hardly consider these structures to be shacks. But in these villages, they take on great importance, especially since most of the people live in tiny hut-type homes.)

In both cases, the villages rose up as a whole to attack these men, and both were killed.

But that is not the end of the story.

Somehow, the construction was completed after their deaths, and their widows are now caring for the Christians who meet there. 

As for their children, they are being cared for and educated in the ministry's headquarters in the main city about 5 hours away, where they have a thriving children's home and school. This is necessary, not only because of their husbands' deaths but because of constant health threats and virtually no schools.

As for the killers, not a single thing has been done, and no charges are being brought. After all, the villagers turned on these pastors together, and it was a Christian who was killed. Why would anyone care?

Yet it's not as if India does not know how to punish criminals. As the New York Times reported on December 6, "Extrajudicial killings are common in India. The term for a police killing here is 'encounter' and in recent years the Indian police have killed countless people in such encounters. Many of the killings are later revealed to have been staged or planned."

But there will be no justice in this world for the murderers of these two Christian pastors, both of them young men.

And the truth be told, they would not want to see justice as much as mercy. They would want to see their killers find forgiveness and redemption in Jesus. And it wouldn't surprise me to hear in years to come that some of their persecutors are now part of the church they once tried to destroy.

That is the power of the gospel, and that is why persecution and violence will never quench the flames of Christian love.

Please pray for the persecuted church of India. 

You can also write to your elected officials, asking them to urge President Trump to call on Prime Minister Modi to foster an environment of religious freedom.