President Donald Trump referred to those urging the government to release more information in the Jeffrey Epstein case, which includes many of his "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) supporters, as "troublemakers" in a social media post Saturday.

...Criticism of the Trump administration's handling of records in the Epstein case has seen many of his former supporters reversing course. The scrutiny intensified following a Thursday report from the Wall Street Journal citing a letter from to Epstein on his birthday from Trump.

Trump has since sued the newspaper, seeking at least $10 billion in damages and accusing them of "malicious" effort to "malign" him with a story based on a "nonexistent" letter.

Trump slams "troublemakers" after grand jury order to unseal Epstein files

Trump called people demanding more transparency in the Epstein investigation "troublemakers" and "radical left lunatics" in a Truth Social post.

www.newsweek.com

President Trump penned an executive order Thursday to form a new classification of noncareer federal employees who will be hired to “help faithfully implement the President’s policy agenda.”

The employees will be listed under the “Schedule G” classification and will engage in “policy-making or policy-advocating work,” according to the White House.

The move essentially creates another class of political appointees who, unlike career federal workers, can be hired and fired at will. This will allow the administration to funnel new hires into such roles, giving the Trump administration greater power over the federal workforce.

[This is literally an authoritarian move, with Trump as the sole authority.]

“We are still carefully analyzing this new order, but we remain deeply concerned about executive actions that expand the number of positions throughout the federal government that can be hired and fired based on political loyalty instead of competence and merit,” AFGE president Everett Kelley said in a statement.

Low birthrate has catastrophic consequences over time

Login to view embedded media

Trump admin. announced funding cuts for Trevor Project-linked hotline last month

A leaked recording of a counseling session with a controversial LGBT activist group appeared to endorse a fictional teen’s plan to leave home and move in with her coach, who promised to facilitate access to cross-sex hormones and a double mastectomy.

The recording, shared by “mom activist” Beth Bourne, captures a conversation where Bourne, posing as a 15-year-old girl identifying as a transgender boy, described feeling unsafe at home due to her mother’s alleged misgendering. After telling an unidentified Trevor Project crisis counselor that she felt unsafe at home after she was “misgendered,” Bourne asked if moving into her softball coach's house was a good idea since he “promised to help me get online [testosterone] and my breasts removed.”

The counselor responded, “Yeah, yeah, that makes sense,” adding, "It sounds like her feelings about this have gotten worse over time. And it sounds like you have two options, maybe, to leave the situation and find a better space for yourself." The counselor then asks, "What would it be like to go live with your coach?"

Continued below.

Dear prayer family,

I’m reaching out for prayer over a deeply important relationship in my life.

There is a woman who has become like a mother to me. Though we are not related by blood, I cherish her and the connection we share. It’s a relationship full of meaning, but also one that has seen its share of pain—misunderstandings, emotional distance, and moments of heartache.

Despite the challenges, I believe there’s a purpose behind our bond, and I want to walk in love, humility, and faith.

Please pray with me:

For healing, clarity, and peace between us.

For growth in mutual love, trust, and understanding.

That past hurts be healed and that our hearts remain soft toward each other.

That I would respond with grace and patience, and be led by God in every interaction.

And that His will be done—whether in deepening our connection or bringing closure in peace and love.


Thank you for standing with me in prayer. Your support means so much.

With love and faith,
Jane Chai

Israel expressed “deep regret” over Thursday’s incident in Gaza, where three Christians were killed by an errant Israeli shell fragment that hit the Catholic Holy Family Church, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office stated.

“Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful. We are grateful to Pope Leo for his words of comfort,” the statement read.

“Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.”

Continued below.

A reported strike on the only Catholic Church in Gaza killed three people and injured nine others July 17, according to a statement from the Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM. Among the injured was the parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli. Pictures showed damage to the church’s roof and windows.

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, the parish has been a refuge for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Here are eight things to know about Holy Family Church in Gaza:

The priests of the Latin Parish of the Holy Family in Gaza with the group of altar servers. December 2024. Courtesy of Father Gabriel Romanelli

1) The parish is the only Catholic Church in Gaza​

Continued below.

Pray that The Holy Spirits Stops the heavy torrential rains that South Korea has right now:

The U.S. federal government issued guidance on Wednesday to encourage robust accommodations for religious liberty among federal employees, including telework options and modified work schedules, to ensure that federal workers have as much freedom as possible to practice their faith during the workday.

The Office of Personnel Management sent the heads and acting heads of all federal government agencies a memorandum, citing new policies to comply with the Trump administration’s push to ensure that “all executive departments and agencies (agencies) honor and enforce the Constitution’s guarantee of religious liberty” and end “any form of religious discrimination by the federal government.”

Additional justifications for the new guidance include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination in employment based on an individual’s religion and requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious beliefs and practices unless doing so would create an “undue hardship” for the employer.

Continued below.

Do the Lord’s promises come true? Does anyone have experience of the promises in His word coming true in your life? Asking for encouragement.

An American Evangelical leader who heads an organization that provides aid to people in war-torn Gaza condemned the United Nations for attempting to undermine its efforts by spreading talking points from Hamas, which he says is trying to prevent civilians from receiving free resources.

During a recent Christian Post interviewwith journalist Billy Hallowell, Rev. Johnnie Moore, executive chairman of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and president of the Congress of Christian Leaders, said Gazans have expressed gratitude for the aid his U.S.-backed organization has provided in the last couple of months despite the negative press.

"Our job is just to feed Gaza," Moore said of GHF, which he became executive chairman of early last month.

Continued below.

"Their egregious abuse of power and blatant rejection of our Constitution threatens the very foundation and integrity of our democratic republic. No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. The American people’s faith and trust in our democratic republic and therefore the future of our nation depends on it. As such, I am providing all documents to the Department of Justice to deliver the accountability that President Trump, his family, and the American people deserve."

I think a deal should be cut for an admission of guilt with heavy fines and no jail time.

I am going to confession and Mass tomorrow night.

Please pray for the grace of a good confession.

God bless

And who did Cain build cities for ?

When God Marked Cain who was going to kill him ?

The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, thanked Trump and the Salvadorian president, Nayib Bukele, for securing the agreement.
“Ten Americans who were detained in Venezuela are on their way to freedom,” Rubio tweeted.

Those ten Americans are fortunate.

Colbert told his audience at New York’s Ed Sullivan Theater that he had learned Wednesday night that after a decade on air, “next year will be our last season. … It’s the end of ‘The Late Show’ on CBS. I’m not being replaced. This is all just going away.”

The audience responded with boos and groans.

“Yeah, I share your feelings,” the 61-year-old comic said.

Three top Paramount and CBS executives praised Colbert’s show as “a staple of the nation’s zeitgeist” in a statement that said the cancellation “is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”

Click to expand...

For once, I believe CBS.

I'm surprised there hasn't been more crowing about this.

"The database will reveal to ICE officials the names, addresses, birth dates, ethnic and racial information, as well as Social Security numbers for all people enrolled in Medicaid. The state and federally funded program provides health care coverage program for the poorest of people, including millions of children."

By now Palentir has it all.

My wife and I are struggling to maintain any form of relationship with God right now just because of all that we have to do now that we have our child. What can we do to seek God more? It’s especially going to be hard if I get put on 10s at work and am getting up at 3 in the morning. I’m not really sure what to do other than have a rigid schedule, does anyone else have advice?

It took evolution 300 million years ago to cut off the production of Coal.
This first 4 minutes of this video goes into a lot more information into how coal was produced than I understood. The rest is a plea for money to plant trees.

Login to view embedded media

Hi all,
as much as I disagree with almost everything about Trump with every fibre of my being, I personally doubt there could be anything devastating against him in the Epstein files simply because I'm sceptical about conspiracy theories - and feel human beings are too prone to leaking something THAT big!

Mind you - decades ago I was a Department of Community Services officer in the NSW government. I can tell you with some authority that sick, powerful men in a society do cluster together and form paedophile conspiracies. They form networks to enable their sick addictions.

Leaks like this can be kept quite by the same logic with which NATO have not nuked Russia - it's Mutually Assured Destruction. I don't have details on me, but have read departmental training material on various local cabals in NSW back in the day. The only stuff more disturbing? When this gets combined with "Ritual Abuse" - when it gets into Satanic stuff. Even us DOCS officers were not to attempt investigating THAT stuff - we would tell our managers who would escalate it to a special unit. (I like to think of them as a child welfare version of Mulder and Scully! Fortunately I never had a case like that. But the curiosity of this old X-Files fan does sometimes make me wish I knew more about that special unit. From a distance. I don't even know the unit's name!)

The thing that makes me sceptical about a cabal in Federal Administrations - especially under Trump - is the sheer scale - and the venomous energy of those he burns! Think about the vast number of public servants he has yelled "You're fired!" at like he's the star of his own reality TV show. I guess he still is? Unfortunately for us, it's called "The News!"

If any of the more bitter ex-staffers knew anything - surely it would have been leaked by now?

HOWEVER - having said all that - Trump is not helping himself!


QUIZ TIME: Trump has explained away the Epstein files by claiming:-
A: They're one of America's largest conspiracies - written by Obama and Hilary Clinton and Democrats and "Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration",

B: Then tried to blame the Democrats for NOT releasing the files THEY created!?,

C: In doing so contradicted US Attorney General Pam Bondi who says there ARE NO Epstein files (even though she had them on her desk in February),

D: Anyone who asks about Epstein all these years later is a bad person. (Even though he still can't stop lying and crying about the 2020 election 'being stolen' and a thousand other petty grievances he has with anyone ever who has ever opposed him or his policies.)

E: Said of his own MAGA base asking these questions - "Let these weaklings continue forward and do the Democrats work, don’t even think about talking of our incredible and unprecedented success, because I don’t want their support anymore!"

F: ALL OF THE ABOVE!
30 seconds thinking time...
...
...
...
...
ANSWER:
The correct answer is E - all of the above!

Well done! You have demonstrated you have a grip on logical inconsistencies and self-contradiction. Just as his MAGA base are starting to discover!

This was his first ever "Truth Social" post to get MORE COMMENTS than likes - indicating the MAGA base want to question him more than adulate him. This is a new low with his OWN base - and now he is turning on his own base as 'weaklings'. Interesting times.

Full coverage here on Australia's ABC
Login to view embedded media

I recently had a conversation with someone explaining the Provisionist mode of salvation. They said that 'God chooses those that choose Him'. I was brought up more Calvinistically, but I have thought about it since, and I have two questions;

1) Was the Apostle Paul chosen or did he choose to be saved?

2) Was he forced or was he drawn to believe?

I thought of Acts 9:15 'But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:'

The way I see it, by this method, God 'chooses' as a result of man's choice. For this to fit Paul's testimony, Paul would need to have accepted by his own choice before he was chosen, but I do not see this Biblically. If you are a Provisionist, how would you answer these two questions? Please explain this to me.

Thank you.

Speaking as someone who once walked in the ways of the world and of the flesh and of sinful desires, but who has also walked in the ways of the Lord in obedience to the Lord in holy living, I can tell you from experience that there is no better life on this earth but to walk in the ways of the Lord, and no longer in sin, and no longer according to the sinful patterns of this world. Even with all the persecutions and rejections that come along with being a follower of Christ, I would never want to go back to living in sin and for self.

Faith in Jesus Christ, if it is of God, and not of the flesh of man, will result in us dying with Christ to sin and us walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. For in Jesus’ death on that cross, he put our sins to death with him so that, by God-persuaded faith in him, we will now die to sin and live to God and to his righteousness, in holy living. We are now to be followers of Christ who walk in his ways, following him wherever he leads us in doing whatever it is he calls us to do, no matter the cost, because we love him.

We should be those who seek the Lord with our whole hearts, eager to do his will, to be his witnesses in taking the truth of the Gospel to the people of the world, and in loving the people of this world enough to tell them the truth, even if they hate and persecute us in return. We should be people of God who minister God’s love and grace to others because we love God, and because we love the people of this world, so we want them to know Jesus as we know him, and to be saved from their sins and to have new life in him.

I would not trade the life I have in Christ with any other way of living, by his grace, in his power. Knowing that I am loved by God, and that I am in the center of his will, doing as he commands, in daily practice, is the best life ever! And knowing that I am making a difference in other people’s lives, in sharing with them what the Lord is teaching me from his word each day, brings me much joy. And this is how I feel, even when I am being hated by some, and when I am being attacked and falsely accused sometimes, too.

So, I would encourage everyone who is reading this today, if you have not already done so, to surrender your hearts and lives completely to the Lord, to doing his will, to obeying his commands, and to walking in his ways and in his truth and righteousness, and no longer in sin. Let him truly be Lord of your lives, and serve him in doing what he has for you to do as one of his followers. Then you will have the hope of salvation from sin and of eternal life with God, and you will be blessed of God in your walks of obedience.

As the Deer

By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You

Login to view embedded media
Caution: This link may contain ads

With Uprightness of Heart
An Original Work / July 18, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Substitutionary atonement is the biblical teaching that Jesus Christ died in the place of sinners, taking on Himself the punishment we deserved, so that we could be forgiven and reconciled to God through faith.

In other words:

1. We broke God’s law.

2. We deserve judgment (Romans 6:23).

3. Jesus stepped in as our substitute, taking the penalty in our place.

4. Because of His sacrifice, God’s justice is satisfied, and His mercy is freely given to us through faith.

So the cross is both justice and love meeting together. Let us not forget this beautiful gospel message.

Reading Thomas Merton Ascent of Mt Carmel p 92-93. Help me wrap my head around this.


"But there exists no word, no idea, that can contain the reality of God. We must never talk about the wisdom and justice and power and even the being of God as if these divine perfections could be fitted into the definitions of these things as they are known to us. [ok. I get that.]

Saint Thomas says, of every concept of the divine perfections, that “the reality [in these divine names] remains unbounded, exceeding the signification of the term.” All the perfections of God are unlimited and they are therefore all one identical reality. [ I am not sure about that "one identical reality".]

It is impossible for us to understand the notions of justice and mercy unless they are somehow divided from one another and opposed. In God, justice is mercy, mercy is justice, and both are wisdom and power and being, for all His attributes merge in one infinite Reality that elevates them beyond definition and comprehension. [Sound like we are just playing with words now.]

Nevertheless, although all the Divine Names are objectively one identical reality in Him, they are not to be understood as synonymous by us. Like white light, broken up into different colors by the spectrum, the one Reality of God can only be attained by us under many different aspects."

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee blasted the Israeli interior ministry for continuing to restrict visas issued to Christian organizations working in Israel in an exceptionally harshly worded letter that leaked to the Israeli press on Thursday.

In a response letter, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party expressed his shock, claiming that his office had quickly addressed every request that was brought to his attention.

Arbel added he was “particularly surprised” about the manner in which Huckabee raised his concerns, as he sent copies of his letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.

Continued below.