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Trump administration proposal would cut nearly 90% of federal funding to West Virginia water and sewer programs
The Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are two key programs that help West Virginia regulators fund water and sewer projects. The White House proposed slashing the majority of their funding.
Sarah Elbeshbishi, Mountain State Spotlight's Environment and Energy Reporter.
by Sarah Elbeshbishi
June 6th, 2025

President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
West Virginia could lose out on millions of dollars for drinking water and sewer systems under a Trump administration proposal to slash the federal funding for clean and drinking water programs in the state by 89%.

The two funds help states provide loans to communities at low or no interest to fund a variety of water quality infrastructure projects, including drinking water and sewer systems.

They are commonly known as revolving funds because repayments and interest go back into funding more projects.

In recent years, West Virginia regulators have increased efforts to address the state’s aging water and sewer infrastructure and expand access —- largely spurred on by “historic” investments in such projects by the Biden administration.

But that money is still just a little of what is needed.

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It would cost about $1 billion to fix and update water systems for just the communities that have already requested funds, according to the 2023 Needs Assessment by the central funding authority for infrastructure projects throughout the state. Sixteen to 20 times that amount would be needed to meet all of the state’s water and sewer needs.

Trump’s proposed cuts could cost West Virginia a crucial pot of money at a time where the state is already struggling to meet the needs for drinking water and sewer systems.

“It would decimate the ability to do meaningful projects that need to be done, whether they are repair and replacement or expansion of service,” said Amy Swann, who sits on the board of the state’s Water Development Authority.

While the state has various pots of money that help fund water and sewer projects, the Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds make up an “extremely significant portion” of that funding.

“I just don’t see a way that the state could make up that money,” she added.

The proposed cuts
In its budget for fiscal year 2026, the White House proposed cutting funding to the programs nationwide by nearly $2.5 billion, saying that states should “be responsible for funding their own water infrastructure projects.”

Such a cut would leave West Virginia with only a fraction of its previous funding levels.

For fiscal year 2025, the EPA has earmarked an initial $35.6 million for West Virginia through the two programs.

But under the proposed cut, the state’s annual funds for the programs could fall to under $4 million.

The loss in funding will feel especially harsh because money from the Biden administration’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act runs out at the end of 2026.


Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., questions a witness during a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
Senators from both parties have voiced concerns over the proposed cuts to the program that has often had bipartisan support.

“State revolving funds have helped many West Virginians, and many around the country, get connected with the water access and resources that they need,” said West Virginia’s Sen. Shelley Moore Capito in her opening remarks during last month’s hearing on the EPA’s budget request.

She told EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin that she hoped to work together to “make sure that adequate resources remain available to support our water systems.”


EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
This proposal is part of a broader set of spending cuts to the EPA. Trump’s proposal includes eliminating the federal agency’s environmental justice program and cuts to its research and development office and hazardous superfund program.

While Trump has submitted his budget to Congress, his proposal is just a recommendation and lawmakers aren’t required to adopt it.

The future of West Virginia’s water infrastructure
Last week, Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced grants to three “critical” water and sewer projects, including $1 million for the Town of Bradshaw’s sewer project.

“Today, we are making an investment in West Virginia’s future,” Morrisey said. “Infrastructure projects like these are critical for the daily lives of our residents, and will help attract new residents, businesses, and jobs to the Mountain State.”


Gov. Patrick Morrisey announces new grants for water and sewer projects across West Virginia on May 27. Photo courtesy the Governor’s Office.
That $8.6 million project to address Bradshaw’s long-standing sewer system issues also received $2 million in funding through the Clean Water Revolving Fund — one of the programs facing steep cuts.

When asked about the proposed cuts, spokesperson Drew Galang said that the governor “is working to address years of mismanagement that led to the current need for water and sewer upgrades across the state.”

Although West Virginia has made some improvements in its water and sewer infrastructure in recent years, the need remains much larger than the resources available. And such a cut in federal funding could further exacerbate that.

“It just really takes a vulnerable state like we live in and increases that vulnerability one million percent,” Swann said.

Welcome to the Rabbit Club !
A club where you polish your word skills & creativity.
Improve your English while having some good clean fun.

The real name of this type of game is RABBIT - Reverse Acronym Blissfully Back Into Text

Try: LU

I was wondering what filtering do others use on their wireless routers? I have software on my computer and Android phone that prevents access to inappropriate content, but I also wanted to setup some kind of filtering on the wireless router so that if I ever bought a new device which did not have the same software on it, when I connect to the router, filtering would still be applied.

I am leaning toward Open DNS Family shield which I think is free, but there is also a paid subscription with Tech Lockdown. I know there are also certain types of parental control wireless routers for sale. When I used Open DNS Family shield a number of years ago I think it might not have been effective at blocking images on Google Image Search if the website the image was loading from was www.google.com and not the separate website that Google found the image on.

Looks like its on, the US has sent the B2 bombers and struck the Nuclear sites in Iran.

"What we know about the three nuclear sites targeted by the US
From CNN staff
The US has struck three key nuclear sites in Iran, US President Donald Trump said on Truth Social Saturday evening. The sites are Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz, which lie at the heart of Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Here’s what we know about the three facilities:

Natanz: The nuclear complex, about 250 kilometers (150 miles) south of the capital Tehran, is considered Iran’s largest uranium enrichment facility.

Analysts say it is used to develop and assemble centrifuges for uranium enrichment, a key technology that turns uranium into nuclear fuel.

Natanz has six above-ground buildings and three underground structures, two of which can hold 50,000 centrifuges, according to the non-profit Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI).

Iran had been enriching uranium up to 60% purity at its above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Weapons-grade uranium is enriched to 90%.

Fordow: Much is still unknown about the full size and nature of this facility, located close to the holy city of Qom and buried deep in a group of mountains. A good chunk of what we do know comes from a trove of Iranian documents stolen years ago by Israeli intelligence.

The main halls are an estimated 80 to 90 meters (around 262 to 295 feet) beneath the ground. The US is the only country with the kind of bomb required to strike that deep, Israeli officials and independent reports have previously said.

Recent IAEA reports suggested Iran had ramped up production of enriched uranium to a level of 60% at Fordow. The facility now contains 2,700 centrifuges, according to experts and the IAEA.

Isfahan: Isfahan in central Iran, and is home to the country’s largest nuclear research complex.

The facility was built with support from China and opened in 1984, according to the NTI. According to NTI, 3,000 scientists are employed at Isfahan, and the site is “suspected of being the center” of Iran’s nuclear program.

It “operates three small Chinese-supplied research reactors,” as well as a “conversion facility, a fuel production plant, a zirconium cladding plant, and other facilities and laboratories,” the NTI says."https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-iran-conflict-06-21-25-intl-hnk


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This isn’t a Catholic thing per se other than the Holy Father has tried to dial this thing back a bit.

Iran’s anti-West protests exploded again on Friday as thousands of demonstrators set US and Israeli flags ablaze in Tehran, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
The massive outpouring followed Friday prayers, with crowds lining Tehran’s streets, brandishing Hezbollah flags and portraits of slain commanders hit in recent Israeli missile strikes. One banner read, “I will sacrifice my life for my leader,” reflecting the fervor uniting the demonstrators behind Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

I hope this left no doubt as to Iran's intentions toward America.

I'm TOTALLY ignorant on anything quantum related. So I found this article pretty helpful in understanding the experiments that the scientist are using to observe quantum mechanical tunneling effects. I'm also impressed that they are able to get laser pulses that are a fraction of a billionth of a second long.

Electrons caught in the act of tunnelling

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the US military struck three sites in Iran, directly joining Israel ’s effort to destroy the country’s nuclear program in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran’s threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country’s air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. But US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-lb. bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear program buried deep underground.

We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.”

Click to expand...

The strikes are a perilous decision for the US as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault, and for Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism.

I am a deep thinker, an introvert mostly, a snert of ambivert, I do not like chit chat it bores me to hell and I am too deep anyway so I stick out everywhere, an intellectual visionary with prophetic gifts, I feel I do not fit in there are so few that are deeper, I am INFJ too (myers briggs) I want to do something for God be effective burn and seek others born again but are there ANY?

An alarming new movement insists that sexual attraction to minors is not a psychiatric disorder to be managed but an identity to be affirmed. Leading this effort is B4U-ACT, a Maryland-based organization founded in 2003 to support pedophiles, or as they call them, “Minor-Attracted Persons” (MAPs). From May 2 through May 4, 2025, the group will host a conference in Ohio to train mental-health providers in “affirmative MAP therapy,” which seeks to help clients accept their “age of attraction” as an intrinsic and valid part of their identity. This approach abandons clinicians’ traditional risk-management focus when treating pedophiles and raises serious concerns about public safety.

Historically, mental-health professionals have classified pedophilia as a paraphilia, a psychiatric disorder characterized by an abnormal or harmful sexual interest in anyone or anything other than a legally consenting adult. For decades, clinicians treating pedophilia have sought to manage clients’ harmful impulses, prevent abuse, and protect potential victims. Researchers and clinicians working in this tradition aim to understand the condition and develop prevention strategies. They are in a tough position: to get pedophiles to participate, they must create nonjudgmental environments where they feel safe enough to disclose sensitive information, even though the language used can seem, to outsiders, to validate pedophilia. Working with pedophiles can help prevent child abuse, but the public often wrongly accuses these professionals of condoning it. Researchers typically distinguish people with pedophilic inclinations from those who act on them, and believe that such impulses can be effectively managed with cognitive-behavioral therapy, medications that lower sexual drive, and structured support groups.

Continued below.

USPS response to this proposal:

When Jesus finished fasting for 40 days and was hungry, the devil in Matthew 4:3 said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Jesus, hungry as he was, says to the devil in Verse 4, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Jesus quoted what was from Deuteronomy 8:3. Several inferences might be drawn from that scene alone. One is that the need for something like bread is temporary, lasting as long as you live on earth; but in God’s Kingdom, bread is not necessary for us to exist there, and bread itself doesn’t exist. Which leaves to another inference: Bread, and other things, are a product of the earth which is the devil’s domain. So bread, like other things found on earth, has no place in God’s Kingdom.

Given that, it is useless to accumulate earthly treasures for yourself, since where one hopes you may end up going will have no place to store those treasures. Jesus makes in plain in his parable of the rich fool, when in the story the fool has stored up treasures for himself and was in the act of accumulating more. God in the story, in Luke 12:20-21, says “‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” In the matter of treasures, you are rich toward God when you arrange to have your treasures given to the poor and needy. Variations of this are found in Matthew 19:21, and Luke 12:33-34. Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.”

Not that it is necessary to forego eating bread in order to gain favor with the Lord. Rather bread, like other essentials, should be considered as the means to enable you to gain entry in His Kingdom instead of as the end result. There is no doubt that Jesus, whose place in God’s Kingdom was already established, broke his 40-day fast at some point in time and went on to eat with the others, particularly during the Last Supper. There’s little to no doubt he ate before then as well.

What about circuses? Well, man needs to get off the racetrack sometime, even momentarily, in order to rejuvenate before getting back on the track. Circuses, like bread, are earthly things, which are needed for now, and as long as we engage in things that are not unjustifiably harmful to others, no harm is done.

What God wants from us is found in Jesus’ two great commandments specified in Mark 12:29–31. So, you can eat all the bread and attend all the circuses you can, if they help in getting you to God.

Forced to back up his boss' decision to needlessly send National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles, Vance utters fantastic false claims about recent events.

JD Vance refers to Sen. Alex Padilla as 'José Padilla' in remarks blasting Democrats during L.A. visit​

"What I see here today is the great tragedy, when a mayor and a governor encourages their citizens to harass and endanger the lives of our police officers and our law enforcement officers. It's heartbreaking to see, and thank God we've got great people who are willing to persevere despite it," Vance said.

[That did not happen.]

“I was hoping José Padilla would be here to ask a question. But, unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater, and that’s all it is,” Vance said.

When asked why he referred to the senator as "José Padilla," despite his first name being Alejandro ['Alex'], Taylor Van Kirk — a spokesperson for Vance — said "he must have mixed up two people who have broken the law." Van Kirk did not elaborate.

In 2007, a jury convicted U.S. citizen José Padilla on charges of supporting al Qaeda after he was initially accused of planning to carry out a "dirty bomb" attack in the U.S. He was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison; it was later increased to 21 years.

--

Vance also alluded to protestors "capturing" and assaulting law enforcement.

Fact checking Vice President Vance's claim that officers "were captured and beaten by violent mobs"​

In a press conference, Vice President Vance said that "there were law enforcement officers who were being captured and beaten by violent mobs, egged on by Gavin Newsom and other officials." LAPD, LASD, the FBI and the CHP officials could not point to any specific examples of law enforcement officers being captured and beaten.

[There are certainly arrests for assaulting police. Gavin Newsom did not egg anyone on to capture and beat law enforcement.]
[That local news was literally what I watched last night. Hat tip to Mike Rogers at 'the Desk'. Usually he's showing car crashes, police stand-offs and high speed police chases, but here he uses his quick connections to all the local law enforcement agencies to get statements that nothing like that happened.]

--
Mayor Bass: "How dare you say that city officials encourage violence? We kept the peace. You know that the federal officials that were here protected a federal building, they were not involved in crowd control. Crowd control was handled most aptly by the Los Angeles Police Department, the sheriff's department and local law enforcement," she said.

[If anything, local law enforcement pushed crowds away from the federal troops so that there was no chance for them to come into conflict. The federal troops have not been needed and served as an additional complicating factor on the situation.]

Newsom noted that Vance presides over the Senate and was a senator previously, so he should know Padilla's name. On social media he indicated it was 'not an accident'. Official statements encouraged Vance to tour the fire-ravaged sections of the city and work with the president to provide emergency aid that the latter appears unwilling to allow.
--

Vance is literally and falsely painting elected officials of the opposing political party as violent extremists and terrorists.

Not 'leftists' or 'protestors' or 'rioters', but the mayor, senator, governor 'and other officials'.

World conditions are scary, that is incontestable, is it a prelude to something bad? Or is it just business as usual?

The Church Fathers saw Malachi 3:1 as a profound prophecy pointing to both John the Baptist and Christ Himself, and they interpreted it with rich theological depth:

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in.”


1. “My messenger” — John the Baptist
Fathers like St. Jerome, St. Augustine, and St. John Chrysostom consistently identified this “messenger” as John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. They drew on the Gospel parallels (e.g., Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2) where Jesus Himself applies this verse to John. Chrysostom noted that John’s role was to prepare hearts through repentance, just as royal heralds prepared roads for a king.

2. “The Lord… shall suddenly come to his temple” — Christ
The “Lord” who comes to His temple was understood to be Christ, the divine Son of God. Origen and Hippolytus emphasised that this was not merely a prophet or angel, but God Himself, entering His temple—fulfilled when Jesus was presented in the Temple (Luke 2:22–28) and later when He cleansed it (John 2:13–17).

3. “Messenger of the covenant” — Christ as Mediator
This phrase was interpreted by Fathers like Irenaeus and Cyril of Alexandria as referring to Christ as the Mediator of the New Covenant (cf. Hebrews 8:6). He is both the divine Lord and the one who brings the covenant of grace, fulfilling the Law and the Prophets.

4. Theological Themes

• Dual fulfilment: The Fathers often saw a double advent in this verse—Christ’s first coming in humility and His second in glory.
• Temple imagery: The sudden coming to the temple was seen as a sign of divine judgement and purification, echoed in the next verses (Mal 3:2–3).
• Typology: Some Fathers saw this as a fulfilment of Isaiah 40:3, linking the “messenger” to the voice crying in the wilderness.

---

Malachi 4:5–6 is a striking and solemn conclusion to the Old Testament, and it carries deep theological resonance in both Jewish and Christian traditions:
Here’s how this passage is typically understood:

1. Elijah as the Forerunner​

In Jewish expectation, Elijah’s return heralds the coming of the Day of the Lord—a time of divine judgement and restoration. Because Elijah was taken up to heaven without dying (2 Kings 2:11), many believed he would return bodily to prepare the people.

In the New Testament, this prophecy is applied to John the Baptist, who came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). Jesus Himself affirms this in Matthew 11:14 and 17:12–13, though He also hints at a future fulfilment, suggesting a layered or typological reading.

2. Reconciliation and Repentance​

The phrase “turn the hearts of fathers to their children…” is often interpreted as a call to generational reconciliation, but also more broadly as a spiritual renewal—a return to the faith of the patriarchs. Some Church Fathers, like Origen and Hippolytus, saw this as a metaphor for restoring Israel’s covenant fidelity.

3. The “Great and Dreadful Day”​

This “day” is not merely historical—it’s eschatological. In Catholic tradition, it’s associated with the Second Coming of Christ, when judgement and mercy will be fully revealed. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 673–677) connects this with the Church’s final trial and the unveiling of the Antichrist.

4. A Conditional Curse​

The final warning—“lest I come and strike the land with a curse”—is unique. In Jewish liturgical tradition, this verse is often followed by re-reading verse 5 to avoid ending the Torah on a note of judgement. Yet theologically, it underscores the urgency of repentance and the mercy of God, who sends a prophet to avert destruction.

Political commentators Tucker Carlson and Stephen K. Bannon recently discussed their mutual discernment that the United States is engulfed in a spiritual war, and that palpable forces of evil are concentrated in Washington, D.C.

During a Monday interview on Carlson’s platform that focused primarily on the war between Israel and Iran, he and Bannon ended up discussing their sense that an oppressive spiritual force is active in the nation's capital, especially since the political upheaval in 2021.

“When you come to Washington, you can really feel it’s a spiritual war because of the dark specter that hangs over this town,” said Bannon, who lives there and served as an advisor to President Donald Trump during his first term. “That spiritual war manifests itself in money and power.” He added that he personally knows people who have been corrupted by both.

Continued below.

Chris Elston, an activist known for speaking out against performing trans procedures on minors, is sharing details about his recent arrest in Belgium.

Elston, known as “Billboard Chris” for his tactic of wearing sandwich boards with bold messages, told The Christian Post that he recently traveled to Brussels to meet with European politicians and to engage in conversations with citizens about the transgender issue.

He said he and Lois McLatchie Miller, senior legal communications officer for ADF International, ended up being detained after a crowd surrounded them and began hurling insults.

Continued below.

A Christian legal group in the United Kingdom is threatening to sue a city council in London for allegedly promoting a secular ideological agenda by displaying more than 300 Progress Pride flags on an iconic street.

Christian Concern, which is based in London and often represents Christians alleging discrimination in the U.K. and elsewhere, issued a press release earlier this week criticizing Westminster City Council for its annual tradition of replacing the U.K.'s national Union Jack flags on Regent Street with Progress Pride flags.

The group claims the display, which is scheduled to go up on June 22 and remain until next month, is implicitly threatening to those who disagree with LGBT ideology.

Continued below.

Peace in Christ.

While the Son of man is being revealed (through those who manifest Him in their mortal flesh,) He will be rejected by the unbelievers of “this generation” (an evil and adulterous generation) in the man-based churches. “this generation” has certain attributes. See Proverbs 30:11-14 .

Pro 30:12 KJV
(12) There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

Luke 17:26-33 address His people who are going to their man-based churches while Luke 17:34-37 deals with the people who are in the outside world who are sitting in deep spiritual darkness.

The life of Jesus....the Son of man...is to be made manifest/shine in our MORTAL FLESH so that the people of the outside world shall see Him in us. We shall shine as lights to this dark world when He is revealed and they (the seeing and believing people of the outside world) shall be gathered with us. The Father will draw them toward Him/us.

2Co 4:10-11 KJV
(10) Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
(11) For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

But it will “business as usual” in the man-based unbelieving churches when the Son of man is being revealed.

They will continue on as usual in their activities until it is too late. They will reject the Son of man. They will hear His words and NOT believe nor will they believe when they will “see” Him through us.

Luk 17:25-29 KJV
(25) But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
(26) And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
(27) They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
(28) Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
(29) But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

The man-based church goers (both church leader and layperson) who will believe the Word of Truth when they will hear it must flee from them. Let them not return back to them.

Those who are on the “housetop” are those who have high positions in their churches. They must not take anything out of their church with them. They must leave it all behind.

And he that is “in the field” (that is, a worker bee that has no high position in their church, a layperson,) let him not RETURN BACK.

Luke 17:30-33 KJV
(30) Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
(31) In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

Remember Lot’s wife. Do not look back. Leave it all behind. We must lose those things completely.

(32) Remember Lot's wife.
(33) Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

Paul/Saul did not seek to “save his life” when confronted with the “excellency of the knowledge of Christ.” He counted all of his religious things that he once was zealous of as a loss in order to win Christ.

Php 3:7-10 KJV
(7) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
(8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

He did not go about defending his own righteousness (which was of the law) but he was found in Him by having faith in Christ… the righteousness which is of God.

We also must be found in Him …having faith in what we hear Him saying…rather than be found by Him being contentious by defending our own “works of righteousness” which is being dictated by our church denominational handwritings of ordinances/dogmas.

(9) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
(10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Let him that is “in the field”…a church goer who does not have a high position in their church… flee from that man-based church and NOT TURN BACK AGAIN in order to “take up his garment.”

The Greek word for “garment” is “himation.” The himation is a classical Greek cloak, draped elegantly over the shoulders, symbolizing status. It is comparable to a Roman “toga” which symbolized a high status. A worker in the field does not have a high status.

Those whom we will leave behind will seek to allure you back to their churches “through the lusts of the flesh”….promising you a high position in their organization. You will no longer be a “slave” but a “free person” in them (according to their promise of “freedom.”)

Do not accept their promise and return. Do not “take up” your garment/himation that they will promise you if you return.

Mark 13:16
(16) And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment (himation).

The “himation” is symbolic of a high status. For example, the soldiers put on Jesus a purple “robe”….a purple himation....on Him.

Joh 19:2-3 KJV
(2) And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe (himation),
(3) And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

The following verses in Luke 17 deal with the people of the outside world who will be received by Christ at His manifest PRESENCE (the revealing of the Son of man through us.) They will be received accordingly to Him. One will be “taken” or received while another will not be. They are the “great multitude” who will see and believe in Him. They are the “cloud” of eye witnesses that the Son of man comes upon. There the eagles (who see) will be gathered together wherever the "body"...the LIVING BODY of Christ...is.

Luke 17:34-37
(34) I tell you, in that night there shall be two in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
(35) Two shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
(36) Two shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
(37) And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body (SOMA = living body) is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

When you shall see…that is, UNDERSTAND or discern…what the “abomination of desolation” is and where it is established (in the man-based churches,) we are to FLEE from them.

It is the handwriting of ordinances/dogmas that the church is “organized” around. It is structured by their “statements of faith” or “church constitutions” or “by-laws,” or “statutes,” or “creeds,” etc, etc, etc. They are "standing"....established in every organized church.

Daniel saw a “handwriting” on the wall written by a man’s hand.

Mar 13:14 KJV
(14) But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:

That organized church is void (desolate) of God’s glory for He does not give His glory to man’s gatherings around their “images”…their handwritings. He does not give His praise from those of the outside world to their gatherings. They are actively exchanging His glory for their “images” that their church scribes have written for them to keep and serve. His glory does not appear in them. His glory has departed.

We must flee from them. We must come out from among them and be separate and no longer be attached to them in their uncleanness and He will receive us. This is the “holy commandment” that is delivered to us to keep. We are to be completely separate from them to be sanctified...to be clean.

When we do His “holy commandment” and “clean escape” from them who live in error, they will try to allure us back through their great swelling words of emptiness…alluring us back through the lusts of the flesh….such as giving us a higher position in their “churches.” Do not RETURN BACK to take up your “garment”…the “himation” that they will promise you if you do go back.

2Pe 2:18-22 KJV
(18) For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
(19) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

“For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world.” The defilements of the “world” ( the Greek word for "world": “KOSMOS” - an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government ornament, decoration, adornment) is the abomination of desolation.

We are defiled by the “world”…that is, by the “orderly arrangement” of the church handwriting such as a “church constitution” which is an “orderly” governing document that that church is “built” upon. It is “standing” or established where it should not be found: in our places of worship of God. They are not keeping His commandments which are written upon our hearts and minds. No, instead they are keeping and serving their external writings rather than His internal writings.

In Greek, kosmos (κόσμος) fundamentally means orderly arrangement or a harmonious and well-ordered system… an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government ornament, decoration, adornment, ie the arrangement of the stars, 'the heavenly hosts'.

It encompasses the idea of something that is arranged in a structured way, often with an emphasis on visual appearance or design.

While often translated as "world" or "universe," the core meaning of kosmos in Greek thought is rooted in the concept of order and structure, rather than just physical space

It's not just a physical space, but also the way things are arranged and organized within that space.

For if AFTER they have escaped the pollutions/defilements of the "world"....the abomination of desolation of the "orderly arrangement" of their church governing documents....

(20) For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world (the orderly arrangement....the church handwritings of ordinances)through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

Remember Lot’s wife and not look back. Let us not return back after having known the way of righteousness…to flee the man-based churches and be completely separate from them.

(21) For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
(22) But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

They are not just threatening a nation. They are voicing rebellion against the Kingdom of God. The target is not merely political; it is spiritual. Their war is not with democracy or capitalism, but with the Judeo-Christian foundation that upholds law, love, justice, and truth.

This is not about one nation. It is about any nation, people, or institution that bears the testimony of Christ. Their cry is death to anything shaped by the Gospel- the dignity of man, the sacredness of marriage, the freedom of conscience, the protection of the innocent. It is to erase Christ and to establish godless radical regimes.

They pursue this not only through violence but by infiltrating education, politics, media, and culture, dismantling values in nations like the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, and beyond. This is a spiritual war. But hear this: God is not mocked. He sees. He acts. The evil they have planned will return upon them.

Their real cry is “Death to Christ.” But our cry is “Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). Their goal is the fall of righteousness. But the Lord will shake the nations, and only what is unshakable shall remain (Hebrews 12:27). Their kingdoms will fall. His will endure forever.

Their plans for dominion will crumble. Their thrones will be cast down. For the Lord has established His King, Christ, and His kingdom shall not be moved. Let the Church awaken. This is not a time for silence or retreat. This is a time to stand and to lift high the name of Jesus.

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’” Psalm 2:1-3

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“If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you.” John 15:18

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“Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.” Proverbs 26:27

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“They have prepared their net for my steps;
my soul is bowed down.
They dug a pit before me,
but they themselves have fallen into it.” Psalm 57:6

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“The Lord is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.” Psalm 9:16

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“I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who was sitting on the horse and against His army. And the beast was captured… and the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of Him who was sitting on the horse.” Revelation 19:19-21

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“Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over His kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.” Isaiah 9:7

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“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

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“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people He has chosen for His own inheritance.” Psalm 33:12

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“The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” Revelation 11:15

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@RileyG @Hazelelponi @All Becomes New @mourningdove~ @friend of @Oompa Loompa @Always in His Presence @Danthemailman @John G. @rjs330

I know a Name
That can silence roaring waves
I know a Name
That can empty out a grave
I know a Name
It’s the only Name that saves
And it’s worthy of all praise

I call You Jesus
I call You, I call You Healer
Risen and reigning in power
Something comes out of the grave
Every time I call You Jesus
I call You, I call You Savior
Worthy of glory forever
Something comes out of the grave
Every time I call Your Name

I have a King
With dominion over death
He holds the keys
In His Holy nailed scarred hands
He is the heel
(Yeah)
That has crushed the serpents head
Our resurrected Great I Am

I call You Jesus
I call You, I call You Healer
Risen and reigning in power
Something comes out of the grave
Every time I call You Jesus
I call You, I call You Savior
Worthy of glory forever
Something comes out of the grave
Every time I call Your Name

Chains break
Dry bones wake
Every time I call Your Name
The gates of Hell shake
Every time I call Your Name

Chains break
Dry bones wake
Every time I call Your Name
The gates of Hell shake
Every time I call Your Name

Oh
Every time I call Your Name
(Nothing like the name of Jesus)

Where oh death is now your sting and
Where oh grave your victory

Where oh death is now your sting and
Where oh grave your victory

Hey
Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
In the Name of Jesus

Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
In the Name of Jesus

Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
In the Name of Jesus

Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
In the Name

I call You Jesus
I call You, I call You Healer
Risen and reigning in power
Something comes out of the grave
Every time I call You Jesus
I call You, I call You Savior
Worthy of glory forever
Something comes out of the grave
Every time I call Your Name

Chains break
Dry bones wake
Every time I call Your Name
The gates of Hell shake
Every time I call Your Name

Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
Dead things come alive
In the Name of Jesus

Dead things come alive (Dead things come alive)
Dead things come alive (Dead things come alive)
Dead things come alive (Dead things come alive)
In the Name of Jesus Christ

Pastor and bestselling author John Piper recently explained that while Christians face real human conflict, such struggles are ultimately rooted in spiritual warfare, and emphasized the urgency of responding with Gospel-centered resilience and the armor of God.

In a recent episode of the Ask Pastor John podcast, the 79-year-old chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, addressed a listener wrestling with the practical meaning of Ephesians 6:12: “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces in the heavenly realms.”

The listener asked how Christians can apply that verse to the tangible, often painful realities of daily life, especially when interpersonal conflict makes it feel like people, not demons, are the real problem.

Continued below.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!’
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.
5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.” (Psalm 91:1-6 NASB1995)

What can we learn from this Psalm, based on New Testament teachings? Who are those who “dwell in the shelter of the Most High”? We are all who have trusted in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives. By faith in Jesus Christ we have died with Christ to sin, and we have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, in walks of obedience to his commands – all in the power of God, by his Spirit, and by his grace.

Because we have surrendered our lives to the Lord, submitted to his Lordship over our lives, and we are now walking (in conduct, in practice) in obedience to his commands, and sin is no longer what we practice, we are in genuine fellowship with God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. We know him intimately, and he knows us, and he calls us his sheep. He watches over us, and he gives us guidance and direction in the way that we should go, and so we follow him wherever he leads us, in his power.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10]

But this does not mean that nothing bad will ever happen to us. For the New Testament Scriptures, and the words of Jesus Christ, and those of his New Testament apostles assure us that, just as Jesus was hated, mistreated, rejected, persecuted, and put to death for who he was and for the things that he did and said, so will the same happen to us if we follow his example. If we are living for the Lord, and if we are spreading the truth of the gospel, we will be rejected and mistreated, even by other professing “Christians.”

We do not have to be afraid of what might happen to us, for the Lord will give us all that we need to endure and to remain faithful to him, even to the death. And if we submit to his will and purpose for our lives, and if we trust him with all our circumstances, no matter what may come our way, he will keep us from yielding to the flesh and to the enemy of our souls. But we must cooperate with him, trust him, and not flee out of fear. He will give us all we need to endure unjust suffering and to not give way to the enemy.

Now, there are many people today who are using this Psalm to teach that God will not allow us to suffer, and that nothing bad will happen to us at all if we put our trust in Jesus Christ. But that is contradictory to the teachings of Jesus and of his New Testament apostles who assured us over again that the Christian life is a life of suffering, which will include physical suffering as well as persecutions and rejections and even beatings, imprisonments, and death. For we must suffer with Christ if we are to live with him for eternity.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 10:16-39; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21; John 17:14; Romans 5:3-5; Philippians 3:7-11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 1 Peter 4:12-17; James 1:2-4; Hebrews 12:3-12; 1 John 3:13; Revelation 6:9-11; Revelation 7:9-17; Revelation 11:1-3; Revelation 12:17; Revelation 13:1-18; Revelation 14:1-13; 2 Corinthians 1:3-11]

So, be careful that you don’t end up believing the lies which teach you that will not have to suffer. And please do not believe the lies which tell you that you don’t have to repent of (turn from, die to) your sins, and that you don’t have to obey God, in practice, as part of believing faith which saves, and which must continue to the end. For most all the referenced verses in this writing will teach you that faith in Jesus Christ involves suffering, both in death to sin and in being persecuted like Jesus was for righteousness’ sake.

All Through the Night

Based off Various Scriptures
An Original Work / December 7, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Blessed are you when you’re persecuted
Because of your faith in Jesus Christ.
Blessed are you when people insult you,
And falsely say what leads folks to doubt.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is
Great in the heavens. You’re not alone.

When you are persecuted in one place,
Flee to another. God will be there.
You will be hated by all the nations
Because you testify of God’s grace.
Many will seize you and persecute you,
And put to death the foll’wers of Christ.

Yet do not fear what humans may do to you,
For I’m with you all through the night.
I tell you, love your enemies with my love,
And forgive as I forgave you.
Pray for those who do evil against you.
Rest in my love and grace from above.

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My Refuge and My Fortress
An Original Work / June 21, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

A resolution introduced by Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., condemning the riots in Los Angeles sparked by federal agents enforcing immigration law is expected to be voted on by the House next week.

The House Rules Committee announced it will consider the measure on Monday, setting the table for a floor vote next week, Politico reported Friday. The resolution could put Democrats in a bind, given they don’t want to be seen as condoning violence while they have also accused the Trump administration of escalating the situation by activating California’s National Guard and deploying the Marines.

Kim’s resolution “condemns unequivocally the violence perpetrated against Federal, State, and local law enforcement” during the riots and “calls on local and state elected leadership to work with the Federal government to end the violent riots.”
It also “recognizes the right to assemble and protest peacefully” and “expresses gratitude to law enforcement officers for keeping our communities safe in the face of danger.”

“Peaceful protests are a constitutional right, but vandalism, looting, violence, and other crimes are not,” Kim said in a statement. “Let’s be clear: The riots escalated before the National Guard was sent in and were enabled by California’s soft-on-crime policies – peddled for years by [Gov. Gavin] Newsom, Sacramento, and local prosecutors – that have allowed for lawlessness and endangered public safety of hardworking Californians.”

Co-sponsors of the resolution are the eight other Republican representatives from California: Ken Calvert, Vince Fong, Darrell Issa, Kevin Kiley, Doug LaMalfa, Tom McClintock, Jay Obernolte and David Valadao.

Protesters have held near-daily demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles since Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents began an operation July 6 to arrest illegal immigrants. Riots quickly erupted, forcing Trump to call in the National Guard and Marines to protect federal buildings and law enforcement. Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and other Democrat lawmakers widely criticized the move.

Police said Monday that 575 people have been arrested since the demonstrations started, the Los Angeles Times reported. Administrative Officer Matt Szabo wrote in a memo to the City Council that Los Angeles has incurred at least $19.7 million in costs through Monday, the Times reported.

Roughly $16.9 million, including $11.7 million for overtime, was spent by the police department and more than $780,000 was spent to repair damage at City Hall, a police headquarters downtown, and other city buildings.