Maybe putting a TV host in charge of the military wasn't such a bright idea. Kind of like electing one with 34 felony convictions to be president. Just a smidge over 100 days. Long way to go... hold on to your butts!

“And in all your getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.” (Proverbs 4:7-9)

TRUTH often seems non-intuitive to the natural mind. There was a time when the world of atoms and molecules seemed like a fairy tale to minds and eyes that could not see (and therefore disbelieved) them. In a similar way, God and the realm of the Spirit can seem like mere religious myths to a materialistic, naturalistic, unredeemed mindset that cannot perceive and/or receive revelation.

That is why we need to often unplug from electronica and pop culture and have our minds renewed. That is why we need to intently and regularly study the Scriptures. That is why we must cry out for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Because we have been called to abide and navigate in a Kingdom and Realm whose "physics" is very different than that of this natural world. And our success in that Kingdom and that Realm depends on this transformation of mind, if we are to know the will of God and accomplish it.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. (Ephesians 1:17)

Assume for a moment that you are single, never married, no kids, and your closest relatives are nephews and a niece that are the adult children of your lone, now deceased sibling who was estranged from you before their death. There's no real relationship between you and those nephews and nieces. You might as well be dead from their perspective, with the exception of one, who turned out better than the other two, and who at least returned a phone call when you needed to get their birthdates for financial records. (naming an account beneficiary requires their names and dates of birth).

You're now in the process of making out your will, including the designation of beneficiaries, and (without going into too many details that would just cloud the mattter), you don't feel like any of them are particularly deserving of inheriting anything from you. So you've thought about leaving it to a worthy non-profit, if you can find one.

Their parent, which is your sibling, died of cancer. His own immediate family 'abandoned him' when he was homeless and dying (according to reports from more distant cousins.). You weren't there, so you don't know exactly how they treated him.
Who do you leave your assets to, even if it's just the proceeds from a modest house and very old car that are paid for?
Or, to put it another way, do you hold it against your siblings kids - the fact that their dad was someone you would never consider an heir of anything you have?

Why These Hawaii Travelers Were Jailed And Deported​

Charlotte Pohl, 19, and Maria Lepere, 18, arrived in Honolulu from Auckland with plans to explore Hawaii before continuing to California and Costa Rica. However, their flexible travel style — including a lack of pre-booked lodging for their planned five-week Hawaii stay — raised red flags for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Despite having ESTA travel authorization, the two were accused of potential illegal work intentions, a common concern for border officials screening young travelers without fixed plans.

The German Foreign Office later reminded travelers that ESTA approval does not guarantee entry to the U.S. — a decision always left to border officials at the point of arrival.

The ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) allows citizens of certain countries to travel to the U.S. for short stays without a visa. However, ESTA approval permits travel to a U.S. port of entry, where border officials have the final say on whether to grant entry.

[They were cuffed and removed to a deportation detention facility] There, they reported being subjected to full-body scans, strip searches, and issued green prison uniforms.

Sin is missing the mark, its a archery term meaning that you did not hit what you were aiming for. John 12:47 says Jesus came to save the cosmos not judge it, /
Luke 19:10 For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost. John 4:42 Jesus is the Christ the savior of the world.
If you believe that most of the people that God creates will be in torcher forever or annihilated then Jesus did not hit the mark.
Even if one person is not saved in the end that would mean that Jesus did not hit the mark, so would that make Jesus a sinner?

So before it even starts…a reminder.


The so called prophecy is not recognized by the Church.

Your taxpayer dollars at work.

Court documents say a Border Patrol agent arrested Hermosillo “at or near Nogales, Arizona, without proper immigration documents” and that Hermosillo admitted to illegally entering the U.S.

Hermosillo and his girlfriend, who have a 9-month-old child together, live in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and are visiting family in Tucson. He says he has never been to Nogales.

The family later provided officials with his birth certificate and social security card.

A magistrate judge in Tucson dismissed his case on Thursday, and family says he was released much later that night.

He seemed to me like a man bent on reminding us of the devastating personal and social effects of suffering and instability in the world.

Pope Francis dies aged 88

Last month on National Women's Day, President Trump declared himself to be the "fertilization president". Here are a few proposals being discussed:

- reserve 30 percent of scholarships for the Fulbright program, the prestigious, government-backed international fellowship, for applicants who are married or have children.

-give a $5,000 cash “baby bonus” to every American mother after delivery.

-fund programs that educate women on their menstrual cycles — in part so they can better understand when they are ovulating and able to conceive.

Trump Aides Solicit Ideas to Raise Birthrate, From Baby Bonuses to Fertility Planning

The White House is soliciting policy proposals designed to give women incentives to have more children, a priority for many social conservatives.

www.nytimes.com

Our pope was truly blessed by the Lord and given a very important task.

I think it is no coincidence our Lord performed the first recorded eucharistic miracles where the bread was seen in progressive conversion to forensically confirmed living heart tissue, in Buenos airies , in the cardinal bergoglios diocese, so he got to decide “ worthy of belief” as the science says. Our Lord then made him pope to give him the chance to shout it from the rooftops.

I think this was a very public revelation , not of new dogma, but confirming the old , so a sceptic world see and believe!
yet if Francis ever spoke of it, he said little, and certainly did not make it his mission!

Popes Have spoken openly on such as Fatima.
Francis had been given a pulpit to reach the world with it!

it seems even Islam took it more seriously than Francis.
One the most feared Iran hacker groups by big corporations and governments , took down the site of the church where it happened!

So to me Francis was a big disappointment.

Ortega-Lopez is currently in the Dona Ana County Detention Center, where he is charged with being an illegal alien in possession of firearms. It is unclear whether Judge Cano or his wife will be facing any charges for harboring an illegal alien suspected to be a member of a violent terrorist organization.

Of course they should face charges. Enough with letting criminals off just because they are Democrats.

I was just awoken by the news. It happened at 7:35am the morning after Easter Sunday.

We’ll be covering this at length on EWTN, I’ll do what I can to offer any more details that come my way and I know @Michie will be on it.

Requiem aeternam Dona ei, Domine
Et lux perpetua luceat ei
Requiescat in pace
Amen.

ETA: EWTN News will be going live at 10am ET/7am PT with coverage so feel free to tune on TV or online to see more of this historical moment.

The Sabbath. Stunning admissions?
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"Kidnapped" is a well known story written by RL Stevenson. What do you think of it?

I recently began experimenting with a Catholic church and became curious how many of them are atheists or may become atheists. I have read statistics suggesting that as many as 4 in 5 "abandon traditional theology" while 2 in 5 will leave the Catholic church. To me, these statistics seem unrealistically high but when I was in inside an actual Catholic church recently (Palm Sunday) and their clergy style seemed extremely unenthusiastic to the point that I became convinced that there are many of them who are irreligious. Their service almost sounded sarcastic, like it was some SNL skit to mock how the Catholic church is all tradition and no religion (as some Protestants retort). I might just be too unfamiliar with the Catholic church's traditions, but I don't understand their worship style and each service is kinda repetitive. I almost feel like I'm watching the exact same movie over and over when I go to this particular Catholic church.

To me, this simple fact seems extremely discouraging toward experimenting more with the Catholic faith. I agree with the Catholic principle that all who espouse belief that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior and are saved through baptism, faith, and works will enter heaven regardless of denomination (as I don't believe any denomination that denies these things is truly "Christian"). But I'd rather be protestant my whole life than enter a denomination with a poor track history of having religious leaders who are actually religious. The fact that as many as 81% are pretending is a statistic that hurts. Some statistics claim it is lower however, but never a number lower than 1 in 3 being irreligious. I want to believe that it's rare but when common people in most Christian nations are (statistically speaking) more religious than your religious leaders, that's a huge problem.

Forgive me if you're Catholic and this post offends you. I'm curious about those two things primarily: why do Catholics worship in such a lackluster manner that it seems as if they don't actually believe a word they are saying, and what is the data on those who lose their faith? And what could actually be the reason they lose their faith? I was on Quora and some users claimed it's because of the rules on Catholic priests, who are required to abstain from marriage or any form of romance. News of sex abuse scandals between the clergy and parishioners have also been cited as motivating factors for them to lose their faith and become apostates of Christianity, either openly or secretly.

Regardless, I'd love to be educated by either Catholics or others who may know the answer or part of the answer. Thank you and God bless you all this Easter Sunday evening (from the east USA).

South Carolina officials have leapt to the defense of German premium automaker BMW after White House claims that its South Carolina factory was a “scam" that was “bad” for the US economy”.

While White House trade advisor Peter Navarro went on CNBC to criticize BMW and other international automakers with North American operations, BMW fired back from its position as the leading exporter of cars from the US by value.

"This business model where BMW and Mercedes come into Spartanburg, South Carolina, and have us assemble German engines and Austrian transmissions — that doesn’t work for America,” Navarro claimed.

“It’s bad for our economics. It’s bad for our national security,” he said, claiming that all parts should be made in the US, rather than from international suppliers.

Click to expand...

Peter Navarro's comment was so dumb even Republicans attacked him over it.

Even heavyweight South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham came to BMW’s defense, with a statement of support after Navarro’s attack last night.

“BMW has been in South Carolina for over 30 years and has proven to be one of the best corporate citizens in our state,” he said.

“Their presence is a major benefit to the South Carolina economy, and it is much appreciated.”

Click to expand...

So apparently making things in the US is also bad. As is being America's largest automotive exporter by value. But will the Trump cult see it.

The defense secretary sent sensitive information about strikes in Yemen to an encrypted group chat that included his wife and brother, people familiar with the matter said.

Why you shouldn't place a unqualified FOXnews talking head with drinking a problem as the head of DOD. I think there is a Inspector General's investigation started.

A few weeks ago, I asked if I could visit a local Easter camp for teens aged 13 to 19 and share the Gospel using a flip chart. The organiser later got back to me and said I could come around lunchtime. I arrived a little earlier than that, and not long after I got there, the organiser approached me and explained that they had scheduled afternoon electives—sessions where the kids could choose a topic and hear a speaker for 30 minutes. One of the elective leaders had just pulled out, and the organiser asked if I’d be willing to fill in and share something about the Gospel.

Now, public speaking has never been my strength—especially when I’m unprepared—and I’ve always felt nervous addressing large crowds. But I jumped at the opportunity, knowing this was a great chance to share the Good News with many people.

Before the electives began, each speaker had 30 seconds to stand up and explain what their elective was about. When it was my turn, I wanted to grab their attention right away. So, I asked, “Who likes money?” and just about every hand shot up. I told them I was going to give a million dollars to everyone who came. I then held up a million-dollar Gospel tract. I added, “But one lucky person, if they can pass my test and prove they’re a good person, will get a real $20 note.” And I held up a crisp new $20 note. The crowd was instantly intrigued.

Because this opportunity came so last minute, I hadn’t prepared anything apart from my usual flip chart presentation. I figured I’d share the Gospel with one person in front of the crowd and just go with the flow from there. When the time came, I had about 50 young people in front of me. I asked, “I need one person. If you think you’re a good person and could pass my test, I’ll give you $20.” A bunch of hands went up, and I chose a boy around 14 years old to come forward.
I explained that we were going to do this like a courtroom. He would be in the dock, and the crowd would act as the jury. If they thought he wasn’t being honest, they were to let me know by booing. We even practiced a loud boo together!
I began the “Good Person Test.” First, I asked, “How many lies have you told?” He admitted, “Many.” Next, “Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours?” He said, “Yes.” Then I asked, “Have you ever used God’s name in vain?” He answered, “No,” but the crowd instantly booed—and someone called out, “I heard him do it about half an hour ago!” Finally, I asked if he’d ever hated someone. He answered, “Yes.” I told him that made him just like me—a lying, thieving, blasphemous, murderer at heart and that he was not good.
Once we had established that none of us are truly “good” by God’s standard, I was able to share the Gospel. I explained how Jesus gave His life for us as a free gift. I then held up the $20 note and told him, “You haven’t earned this, but just like Jesus gave us salvation freely, I’m giving you this as a free gift.”

After that, I invited another person to come up and pretend to be an atheist. We had a conversation in front of the group where I explained how, just as a building needs a builder and a painting needs a painter, creation points to a Creator.

To wrap up, I said Mark 16:15, where Jesus commands us to go into all the world and share the Gospel. I encouraged them to tell as many people as they could. I then gave the example of seeing a blind person about to walk off a cliff—of course, we’d shout and stop them. It would be wrong not to. In fact, there’s even a law called "Depraved Indifference," which punishes someone who lets another person come to harm without acting. If earthly courts recognise that kind of injustice, how much more will a holy and just God recognise the injustice of us not warning of eternal death? I encouraged them to study God’s Word, be ready to defend their faith, memorise Scripture, and boldly share the truth.

When the session ended, people were supposed to head to their next elective, but several stayed behind in silence, clearly moved. Some told me later that what I shared had a real impact and hit home.

I left feeling so encouraged. Even though I regularly go out to share the Gospel and evangelise, this was the first time I truly felt I had walked in the gift of evangelism, not just sharing the message myself, but equipping others to do the same. As it says in Ephesians 4:11-12:
"And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, so the body of Christ may be built up."

I want to wish a most happy Feast of the Resurrection to all of my friends in the Traditional Theology forum including but not limited to @MarkRohfrietsch @ViaCrucis @Ain't Zwinglian @Shane R @Paidiske @Deegie @prodromos @FenderTL5 @jas3 @dzheremi @Michie @chevyontheriver @boughtwithaprice @Andrewn @George95 @Jipsah and everyone else who has been such a great blessing to me.

I hope you had a blessed Paschal liturgy, and enjoy this glorious Easter Sunday as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, this year on April 20th together for both those of us who celebrate according to the Coptic, Julian and Revised Julian calendars and those of us on the Gregorian Calendar.

If any of you have any videos or images of the services of your churches on Palm Sunday through to today, please share them. I might post some interesting liturgical texts comparing the historical celebration of the Paschal liturgy between the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox liturgies and the traditional Western liturgies, which are more similar than they are different due to the Hagiopolitan nexus of our worship. Indeed much of what we do on Easter can be attributed to St. Cyril of Jerusalem in the fourth century.

God bless you all, and please pray for me, a sinner.

Happy Easter, friends! The tomb is empty, the stone is rolled away, and we proclaim with joy, “Alleluia, alleluia!” Christ is risen — truly risen! After walking through the solemn days of the Triduum, through the Upper Room, Calvary, and the silence of the tomb, we’ve arrived at the great feast of our salvation. It’s time to rejoice — and yes, even to laugh.

That’s right, there’s a centuries-old tradition, “”Risus Paschalis,” the “Easter laugh,” where priests would include a joke or something humorous in their Easter homily. The reason? Because Satan has been defeated, and it is right to laugh in the face of his defeat.

One of my favorite stories from the Dominican tradition recounts the same impulse to laugh at Satan: when some novices burst into laughter during evening prayer, Blessed Jordan of Saxony, rather than scolding them, simply said, “Let them laugh, for Satan has been defeated.” There’s a holy freedom to our Easter joy.

Continued below.