Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is now among the leading candidates to become Donald Trump’s running mate, according to a report. The New York Times cited sources familiar with the former president’s thinking who said Cotton has emerged as a top contender in the Republican veepstakes alongside other current favorites North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), and J.D. Vance (R-OH).

--

It's an interesting list. A few months ago, that list probably had Scott and Vance on it, but it would also certainly have featured:
Nikki Haley (who has recently endorsed Trump, perhaps in a vain hope to get back on the shortlist)
MTG
Kristi Noem (who may have shot her chances along with her dog)
Elise Stefanik
Kari Lake (who may not have had much chance, but she spent enough time at Mar a Lago angling for it)

If the list is accurate, it may indicate that the campaign has made at least one major decision about the veepstakes.

Revelation 6 : 2And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

As school kids we were taught that stars are suns , so how could suns fall to the earth ?
Even if one of them came close wouldn't we burn up?

Yet our bible says they fell to the earth.

Thanks

"SBA’s MOU with Michigan proves that the agency is more concerned with registering voters than performing its official duties," Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, told Fox News Digital.
"This outrageous misuse and abuse of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars will not go unpunished under my watch. Chairman Williams and I will continue shining a light on the SBA and exposing Biden’s bad actors."
The data for the maps was compiled after the committee says it became aware of a video recording of an SBA adviser discussing SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman traveling to battleground states and "indirectly campaigning for Biden," according to the committee, and inviting Democratic members of Congress on the trips at a higher rate than Republicans.

Once again taxpayer dollars are being used for political purposes.

My body is trying to pass a kidney stone right now. Our book study is at church is in 2 1/2 hrs., I don't want to miss it, but I'm in a lot of pain.

This is my 3rd kidney stone in the past couple weeks.

Thank you all for your prayers.

Royce White, podcaster who railed against Jews, wins Republican nod in Minnesota​

Candidate has described himself as an ‘antisemite,’ said Jews invoke Holocaust to cover for corruption, and called Israel the ‘lynchpin of the New World Order’​

Royce White, a former professional basketball player turned right-wing podcaster, won the state party’s endorsement at its convention over the weekend. More than two-thirds of the delegates voted to endorse White, though the state party said its endorsement came with “reservation.”

Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, Royce has also opposed his own party’s “unwavering support for Israel,” calling Israel “the lynchpin of the New World Order.”

--

His endorsement has also raised some scrutiny of his failed 2022 election bid

GOP Senate Candidate Spent Thousands in Donor Funds on Strip Clubs, Luxury, and Mysterious Wire Transfers​

At five in the morning one week after Republican Royce White lost his 2022 Minnesota congressional primary, his campaign shelled out more than $1,200 in donor funds to a vendor 1,800 miles away not typically associated with political expenses—an all-nude strip club in Miami, Florida, called “Gold Rush Cabaret.”

Several campaign finance experts characterized some of the expenses as potentially illegal spending.

The unusual expenses include a total of more than $100,000 in mysterious wire transfers and checks reported as paid to the campaign; hefty tabs at spicy nightspots; getaways at posh hotels in at least seven states; thousands of dollars in limousine services; unexplained cash withdrawals; eye-popping purchases from electronics, sporting goods, clothing, and musical instrument retailers; and the DribbleUp smart basketball training app that White himself admitted might be personal use.

“We’re not talking about small stuff,” said Brendan Fischer, a specialist in campaign finance law and deputy director of Documented. “This takes us well outside the realm of FEC fines. This looks a lot like the kind of thing that people go to jail for.”

The incident comes as pro-Palestinian protests at the university intensified this week.
Seventeen activists were arrested by police after occupying an administrative office on Wellington Square on Thursday. All 17 have been released on conditional bail.

Fascism isn't gaining strength only in the U.S. DEI, CRT, and other hateful and racist philosophies are thriving in Europe as well. Will the U.S. citizens continue to accept tyranny?

Brooklyn rappers accused of murder conspiracy join Donald Trump at Bronx rally

Rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow — who were indicted last year as part of an investigation into a vast murder conspiracy by two Brooklyn gangs — exchanged warm words with the presumptive GOP presidential nominee in Crotona Park.

Sheff G, known to the government as Michael Williams, was out on bail set last month at $150,000 cash or $1 million bond for conspiracy charges and multiple counts of murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the case covering 27 different acts of violence — including a dozen shootings.

Thirty other members of the 8 Trey Crips and the 9 Ways gangs — which allegedly teamed up to wage a yearslong campaign of violence in Brooklyn — were involved in the criminal case against Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said last year.

Here is my side by side table that I made comparing the verses in Revelation 11 to the verses in Revelations 12. I made the table in two parts to cover all the verses. The 7th trumpet sounds, resulting in the third woe - Satan cast down to earth having a time, times, half time left. Basically the second half of the 7 years.

Three family members charged in the killing of a 3-year-old girl during an “exorcism” ritual at a San Jose church in 2021 have been ordered to stand trial in the case, authorities said.

The trio pleaded not guilty Monday to one felony count of child abuse resulting in the death of toddler Arely Naomi Proctor, court records show. Their next trial setting hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14; all three are being held without bail. If convicted, they each face 25 years to life in prison.

Proctor died Sept. 24, 2021, inside Iglesia Apostoles y Profetas, a Pentecostal church run by Trigueros Hernandez, authorities said.

Claudia Hernandez-Santos told police that she believed her daughter was “possessed.”

“Arely looked different. Her eyes were different. They looked empty and it ‘wasn’t her,’” she said, according to court records.

As counterintuitive as it may seem, the universe has no center, and it has no boundary.

Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has passed away from cancer at the relatively young age of 53:


If you are of a certain generation, this guy was iconic. Even greater than Michael Moore, IMO, in terms of producing this type of investigative journalism mixed with empathy, humor, and entertainment.

Trump just made more promises to oil industry campaign donors​

In a rambling fundraising pitch to oil executives in Houston on Wednesday, former president Donald Trump promised them that he would immediately approve their projects and expand drilling in a second term

The event, organized by three oil executives, underscores how Trump is courting an industry that ranked as a main beneficiary of his time in the White House, as he seeks to narrow President Biden’s fundraising advantage.

One co-host of Wednesday’s fundraiser was Kelcy Warren, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Energy Transfer Partners, the builder of the Dakota Access pipeline.

Warren appears to be firmly in Trump’s camp. In addition to co-hosting the Houston fundraiser, where attendance cost $250,000 per person, he donated $800,000 to the Trump campaign throughout the 2024 campaign cycle.

Another co-host of the Houston fundraiser was Harold Hamm, the executive chairman of the oil giant Continental Resources and a pioneer of the country’s fracking boom.

The third co-host of the fundraiser was Vicki Hollub, the CEO of Occidental Petroleum

“Be generous, please,” he said to end his speech, after making policy promises and touting his energy record. One person involved in the event said it raised more than $25 million.

Trump promised the oil executives that he would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling.

At the Houston fundraiser, Trump again griped about wind energy, claiming that turbines kill bald eagles and that wind “doesn’t work,”

He also mocked energy-efficient and water-saving appliances, calling them a “scam” and “the energy hoax.”

The fundraiser covered a range of other topics. He bragged about his golf game — saying he had improved over the past 25 years — and ... bragged about his ability to save Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) from impeachment, saying his critics backed down after Trump weighed in to defend Paxton.

“I’m the greatest [election] denier in history.”

Despite the oil industry’s complaints about Biden’s policies, the United States now produces more oil than any country ever has, pumping nearly 13 million barrels per day on average last year.

A massive gathering of Christians across California reportedly broke a record over the weekend when participants collectively held the nation's largest-ever baptism.

Baptize California, an event that unfolded Saturday and Sunday at various locations throughout the Golden State saw a historic number of people immersed at individual churches and during a main-stage event at Huntington Beach.

The two-day extravaganza showcased countless examples of life change and spiritual renewal, featuring speakers, worship music from leaders like Sean Feucht, and more.

The Stunning Numbers​

Continued below.

Pair of brown noddies (by Phil Guest, CC license); and red-footed booby (by Gregg Yan, CC license)

18 years after rats were eradicated, Tromelin Island off the coast of Madagascar is a thriving colony of seabirds once again.

The same story happened over and over during the age of exploration: Europeans brought rats or rabbits on board their ships and dumped them on delicate, pristine island ecosystems.

Hundreds of islands became desolate wastelands this way, damage that has for the most part been reversed, as GNN has reported, in one of the greatest conservation stories ever told.

Continued below.

Should there be a flag for women priests?

March 19, 2012

I was talking to the Lord about stuff going on in my life. I had just written out my devotions from the book of Amos, chapters 1-2. I was thinking about how Amos was just a shepherd when God called him to be a prophet and to give out his messages. I thought about all the prophets from the Old and New Testaments who had to give out difficult messages, confronting sin, calling for repentance, and often warning of judgment.

Then I thought about the calling of God on my life to share what he teaches me each day from his word, in all practicality in applying Biblical truth to today’s world and church, and to my own personal life, too.

I talked with the Lord about all of this, and how I am sometimes weary of giving out such difficult and unpopular messages, and wish I could share happier messages more often. I often identify with Jeremiah who sometimes lamented over the weight of the messages and the responses of the people to the messages. Yet, as I prayed through all of this, I told the Lord, “Yet, I can do no less than obey you in whatever you have called me to do, to say, and to be.” And, from that, he gave me the words to this song, “No Less.”

No Less

An Original Work / March 19, 2012

I can do no less than praise You,
Lord, for all You’ve done for me.
You died for my sins to save me,
So I would be set free.
I adore You! Lord, I praise You!
Jesus, Savior, King of kings!
You provided my redemption.
Your grace has pardoned me.

I can do no less than serve You.
Lord, Your witness I would be,
Telling others of Your love,
And why You died on that tree.
Tell of how You gave of Your life,
So from sin we’d be set free,
So we could worship You forever,
And live eternally.

I can do no less than love You,
Lord, for You have first loved me.
You gave of Your life so willing,
Because You cared for me.
Turn from my sin! Obey freely!
Live for You each passing day.
Read Your word, and follow Your lead,
Lord, as I humbly pray.

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Lately I have been very aware of the reality that so many people who profess faith in Jesus Christ only want to hear what makes them feel good. They only or primarily only want to hear about the good that God wants to do for them, to bless them, but not about the good that they are to do for God, to bless him. They want to hear about how Jesus gave his life up for them on a cross to forgive them their sins and to promise them eternal life, but they don’t want to hear about how they need to give up their lives to serve the Lord and to die with him to sin and to obey his commands.

I hear so many different gospel presentations, many of which totally leave out the believers’ requirement of God to die with him to sin and to walk with him in obedience to his commands if they want salvation from sin and eternal life with God. But Jesus said it when he said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self and take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we die to sin and walk in obedience to our Lord, then we have the hope of eternal life with God (Luke 9:23-26).

Now some people take it to the extreme one direction and they only say that we need to make a profession of faith in Jesus and now all our sins are forgiven and we are on our way to heaven, but regardless of how we live. Well, some take it even further than that by denying that we must repent of our sins and that we must obey our Lord’s commands. And others will teach that we are to forsake our sins and to follow Jesus in obedience, but they leave it more like a recommendation rather than as a command of the Lord, and they do not warn of the consequences should we continue living in sin.

Now, what does this have to do with loving other humans? Everything!! For if we feed them lies or deliberate half-truths (lies) and we tell them that all they have to do is to “receive Jesus into their hearts,” but without telling them that faith in Jesus Christ means death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord in holy living, and without warning them that if they continue living in sin and not in walks of obedience to the Lord, that they will not have eternal life with God, then that is not love. If we knowingly do this, it is selfishness, probably because we want to be liked by them, instead.

For there are so many professing Christians, at least here in America, who are still walking in sin, living for the flesh, doing whatever it is they want to do with their lives, without regard for God and for what he wants for their lives, and without regard for his commands that we no longer walk in sin – lying, cheating, stealing, committing adultery, hating, murdering, and the like. They feel they have their “ticket into heaven,” which they believe can’t be taken away from them, and that all their sins are forgiven, so they have little conscience about how they live and whether or not God is pleased.

And then we have so many people pronouncing the blessings of God over some people who are not even living for the Lord. And they could be moral people, but their lives are still not surrendered to do the will of God with their lives. But with all of God’s promises to his people come stipulations, i.e. requirements. For example I hear so many people quoting the second half of Romans 8, and they are giving out these promises to everyone who professes the name of Jesus, but if you read the first half of Romans 8 you will realize that those promises are for those who are obeying the Lord.

For the love that we are to have for other humans is agape love, which prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, righteous, godly, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful, and obedient to the Lord. And when we love God with this love we will prefer to live through Christ and to walk in obedience to his commands in holy living, as empowered by God. And we will not deliberately and habitually sin against the Lord nor against other human beings, especially not against those closest to us. For that is not love. But we will want to serve and honor the Lord and do what is right to others.

But to love others as God loves us is to show concern for their spiritual conditions, as well as to be concerned when they are hurting emotionally and/or physically. And so this love will speak the truth of the gospel of our salvation to other humans, and we will not cut the gospel message short to make it less offensive or more appealing to human flesh. For lies, although they may feel good, are never kind. If all we do is just tell people the feel good stuff, even if it does not apply to them, then we are not loving them. But they will like us, and they will approve of us, because it felt good.

So, why am I saying all of this? Because it needs to be said, and because it relates to the second half of this passage of Scripture, as well as to the first half. For our salvation from sin is not a one-time experience that we go through and now heaven is guaranteed us when we die and now Jesus is going to bless us and be there for us regardless if we are there for him or not. Our salvation is something that is progressive, if we are truly saved, and it will not be complete until Jesus returns for his FAITHFUL ones and he takes us to be with him for eternity, and only if we continue in that faith.

For Jesus also said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father. And many professing Christians will stand before the Lord on the day of judgment, and they will proclaim him as “Lord,” and they will claim all that they did in his name, and he is going to say to them, “I never knew you! Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” because they did not walk in obedience to the Lord, but they still lived to please the flesh. But few are preparing them for that eventuality (see Matthew 7:21-23).

For look at what this last section of the Scripture passage is saying to us. Those who are still spiritually asleep, even if they profess Jesus as Lord, need to wake up from their slumber and realize the times that we live in and the nearness of our Lord’s return, which is when our salvation will be complete. And they need to cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, God’s spiritual armor of his salvation, the Scriptures, our faith, etc. (Ephesians 6:10-20). And all of us need to walk in moral purity and not in sensuality, and we are to make no provision for the flesh.

Why? Because if we don’t, and if we go on living in sin and not in walks of obedience to the Lord Jesus, it won’t matter what our lips professed. We will die in our sins, we will not have eternal life with God, and heaven will not be our eternal destiny, but hell will be. So, please take what I have just shared with you to heart, and please read the following Scriptures and let the Lord speak truth to your hearts. For if we walk in sin, and not in obedience to our Lord, and if we are not following God’s will for our lives, but we are living life as we want it, we will not have life eternal with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

No Less

An Original Work / March 19, 2012

I can do no less than praise You,
Lord, for all You’ve done for me.
You died for my sins to save me,
So I would be set free.
I adore You! Lord, I praise You!
Jesus, Savior, King of kings!
You provided my redemption.
Your grace has pardoned me.

I can do no less than serve You.
Lord, Your witness I would be,
Telling others of Your love,
And why You died on that tree.
Tell of how You gave of Your life,
So from sin we’d be set free,
So we could worship You forever,
And live eternally.

I can do no less than love You,
Lord, for You have first loved me.
You gave of Your life so willing,
Because You cared for me.
Turn from my sin! Obey freely!
Live for You each passing day.
Read Your word, and follow Your lead,
Lord, as I humbly pray.

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Globally the world is becoming more and more religious with Christianity and Islam together representing a majority of the world's population and with growth rates that exceed global population growth.

In the Western world, the narrative is of a church in decline and of the inevitable advance of atheism. However, the facts are very clear:

1) The largest religion in the world is Christianity which has been growing nonstop for two millennia.
2) Global birth rates of Christians average 2.7 per woman so above the replacement rate(This is true in every continent except Europe). The fastest growth is with Evangelicals and Pentecostals worldwide. So the Christian population is becoming more conservative overall.
3) Global birth rates of Non-religious average 1.6 and their share of the world population is in decline.
4) Conversion is mainly statistically irrelevant compared to natural growth but most atheists convert from Christian backgrounds in countries where it is less dangerous to declare oneself godless.

Why has the church so easily fallen for this clear atheist delusion when we are obviously on the winning side?
How did atheists come to control the political narrative despite the realities on the ground?

The Lord has supported me through the process, and I just got the email this morning saying that it was official.

Step 1 to acquiring Biblical Studies master's degree complete. Praise the Lord.

China holds military drills around Taiwan as 'strong punishment'

The military manoeuvres come three days after William Lai was sworn in as Taiwan's president.

www.bbc.com

China has started two days of military exercises around Taiwan, with its military calling them "strong punishment" for the self-ruled island's "separatist acts".

The drills come three days after the inauguration of President William Lai, who called on China to stop threatening the island and accept the existence of its democracy.

China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province that will eventually be under Beijing's control, but the island sees itself as distinct.

Taiwan's defence ministry condemned the Chinese drills as "irrational provocations".

Taipei dispatched naval, air, and ground forces to "defend the [island's] sovereignty", its defence ministry said.

Thursday's drills for the first time simulated a full-scale attack, Taiwanese military experts said, rather than an economic blockade.

The exercises took place all around the main island, and for the first time also targeted the Taipei-controlled islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu and Dongyin which lie close to the Chinese coast, according to maps released by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA).



China has repeatedly rehearsed encircling Taiwan with fighter jets and navy ships over the past year. Taipei had reported an uptick in incursions into Taiwanese waters and airspace in the run-up to Mr Lai's inauguration.
China carried out its first “encirclement” operation in August 2022, following a historic visit by then US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, simulating a blockade of the main island of Taiwan with ships, aircraft and missile strikes.
The PLA said Thursday's drills were a "strong punishment for the separatist acts of Taiwan independence forces and a stern warning against the interference and provocation by external forces."
Meanwhile China's foreign ministry insisted the drills were a "necessary and legitimate move" to safeguard national sovereignty.
"I need to stress that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory. This is both a fact based on history and the true status quo. This will not change in the future. Taiwan independence is doomed to fail," spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
In his inauguration address last Monday, Mr Lai called on China to "stop threatening Taiwan".
Beijing denounced the speech, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi describing Mr Lai as "disgraceful".
After Mr Lai's election victory last January, Beijing issued a statement insisting that "Taiwan is part of China". It has also repeatedly rebuffed Mr Lai's offers for talks.
Beijing has previously labelled Mr Lai a "separatist" and "troublemaker" over remarks he made in the past supporting Taiwanese independence.
Taiwan's defence ministry said the drills on Thursday "highlight [Beijing's] militaristic mentality".
"In recent years, the continuous harassment by Chinese aircraft and ships has significantly harmed global peace and stability," it said.
Taiwan’s presidential office has said it was “regrettable” to see China “using unilateral military provocations to threaten Taiwan's democracy and freedom”.
Meanwhile Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council - which oversees relations with China - said Taiwan's aim of maintaining cross-strait peace has not changed.
"Beijing should understand that its intimidating tactics will not win hearts and minds," said spokesman Liang Wen-chieh.
While China and Taiwan remain trading partners, they no longer have a formal channel of communication and much of the world offers diplomatic recognition to China, but not Taiwan.
Analysts say Bejing’s claims have become far louder and unyielding under Xi Jinping, who has repeatedly stressed that “reunification” will happen - most recently in December, weeks before Taiwan’s election.
So far, China's military manoeuvres around Taiwan have fallen short of an invasion and stayed within a grey zone.
Analysts have told the BBC that grey zone warfare tactics are aimed at weakening an adversary over a prolonged period - and say that is exactly what China is trying to do with Taiwan.

Orthodox only:

Few questions.

1. If we are supposed to watch in order to be vigilant, however, my husband and aunt have told me to NOT watch the news, I am supposed to be obedient to not watching it, correct?
2. If I am not allowed to watch the news, how can one be watchful?

Thanks

Be blessed!