Feb 14, 2022

Published on: by RR7 Category:Nearing Midnight

The Government’s New Love for a Kill Switch

When Congress passed the Biden Administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, few people knew that the government insisted on a new requirement for automakers. Tucked into the whopping $1 trillion bipartisan spending bill is a provision requiring car companies to prescribe a “federal motor vehicle safety standard for advanced drunk and impaired driving prevention technology, and for other purposes.”

What the government is asking for is a kill switch that can be applied to all cars. We already have the ignition interlock device (IID), a breathalyzer that is installed in vehicles to prevent drinking and driving. It is made up of a mouthpiece, a handheld unit that attaches to your vehicle’s ignition system. This new system would be more proactive and could monitor all drivers.

Bob Barr represented Georgia’s Seventh District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. Barr wrote an article that warned this system is a very dangerous threat to our liberties. He explains:

Everything about this mandatory measure should set off red flares. First, use of the word “passively” suggests the system will always be on and constantly monitoring the vehicle. Secondly, the system must connect to the vehicle’s operational controls so as to disable the vehicle either before driving or during, when impairment is detected. Thirdly, it will be an “open” system, or at least one with a backdoor, meaning authorized (or unauthorized) third parties can remotely access the system’s data at any time.

This is a privacy disaster in the making, and the fact that the provision made it through Congress reveals — yet again — how little its members care about the privacy of their constituents…. The lack of ultimate control over one’s vehicle presents numerous and extremely serious safety issues…. If that is not reason enough for concern, there are serious legal issues with this mandate. Other vehicle-related enforcement methods used by the Nanny State, such as traffic cameras and license plate readers, have long presented constitutional problems, notably with the 5th Amendment’s right to not self-incriminate and the 6th Amendment’s right to face one’s accuser.

…. These “vehicle kill switches” may be sold to the public as a safety measure aimed at keeping drunk drivers off the roads, but they will quickly become a convenient tool in the hands of government agents to put the government in the driver’s seat while rendering null and void the Constitution’s requirements of privacy and its prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Many people could get killed by a system that suddenly decided they were drunk and disabled their car. Drivers on a busy freeway could get rear-ended. Someone in a very hot or very cold environment could succumb to the elements. It will probably be 50 years before we have software that can safely drive a car. It would be a far greater task to have a computer judge someone’s level of impairment.

A growing number of people would love to turn America into a Nanny state. The former mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, wanted to control the size of soft drinkers for health reasons. The average home in Bloomberg’s world would have an Alexa-type system managing people’s lives. Someone going to the kitchen for a Pepsi would be asked to step on a scale before the system would unlock the refrigerator. If you were overweight, Alexa would advise you to have a glass of water. If you used more than your 15 gallons of water to show, the water would cut off. If a student had a big test the next day, there would be no TV or video game access.

It is now possible to have such a system in every household. One of my neighbors has Alexa in their house. The system turns on lights, plays music, and answers basic questions. I would never have Alexa in my house because you could never know if you were being monitored by Big Brother.

The fallen nature of mankind is the key reason why we should reject the concept of a kill switch. If we provide the government with the ability to control our lives, at some point it will choose that option.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).

–Todd

Evil Men and Seducers

Today when we look around the world and the way things have moved from a “saner” time until now, those who care to consider these matters see an increasingly wicked world. Such observers see, for example, Russia and Vladimir Putin, China and Xi Jinping, and North Korea and Kim-Jong-un. These are leaders who hold their populations under absolute control. They do so sometimes with the greatest cruelty imaginable.

Sadly, there are few observers who care to gauge the evil, the wickedness we face as a world while things are sucked into the gravity of the increasingly evil times.

And as a result, America herself, under the greatest, most noble experiment in human government of all of history, now faces insanity that threatens tyranny the equal of some of the most terrible regimes ever upon the planet. This is, of course, in keeping with God’s prophetic Word for the wrap-up of history.

Many, including this writer, considered in times past that the Antichrist system of control would suddenly leap onto the scene once the Rapture occurred. The call of Christians into the air would be what set in motion that sucking of left behind mankind into the gravity of what would almost instantly become Tribulation tyranny.

Some warned of incrementalism –the slow changes through luciferian incursion into the human condition. But none foresaw the almost instantaneous dive into the reprobate sea of debauchery into which much of mankind has plunged during this late hour.

Freedom found in God’s Rx for mankind has been abandoned to the upside-down madness that separates humankind farther and farther from the Creator Who Knows Best for us. That Heavenly Rx is, of course, Jesus Christ, the opposite Truth from the total lie with which the evil men and seducers of this present evil day deludes and destroys.

Paul forewarned that the end times generation would face exactly what we are experiencing.

“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” (2 Tim 3: 13)      

And it is not just the Vladimir Putins, the Xi Jinpings and Kim-Jong uns who are the evil men and seducers. We, in this once great republic, face now some of the most evil and seductive forces on Planet Earth. These are determined to bring not only America down but are even more determined to destroy all Christian vestiges. They are making inroads in this regard not by banning Christianity, but by changing what Christianity means in many instances.

I found the following think piece most interesting in considering this force of evil men and seducers.

In a recent Front Page column, Dennis Prager criticizes the idea that people are basically good.  The belief that humans are inherently good is both “foolish” and “dangerous,” writes Prager, and it leads to much suffering.  He offers several sobering examples from recent history of what happens to people who put their trust in human nature.

Prager was prompted to write his rebuttal when a respected Jewish publication published an article by an Orthodox rabbi claiming that “Judaism posits that people are basically good.”  The idea has long been prevalent among non-Orthodox rabbis, but Prager was surprised that an Orthodox Jew would subscribe to an idea that is clearly rejected in the Torah.

The notion that human nature is basically good is also rejected in the rest of the Bible—and just as strongly in the New Testament as in the Old.  Which brings me to my main point.  Over the last six decades, belief in human goodness has become an article of faith for many Christians as well as for Jews. This is particularly true of many mainstream Protestants and Roman Catholics.  For the Catholic Church, the belief has served as a wrecking ball. Numerous polls have shown a massive decline in church attendance among Catholics (and other Christians), and a corresponding drop in the number who identify as Christians.

Different people give different reasons for the decline of Christian belief, but for me the obvious reason is that Christians have replaced the idea of human sinfulness with the idea of human goodness.  And when you do that, you undercut the whole rationale for Christianity—namely, that we are sinners in need of redemption.  If human beings are good the way they are, then there is no need for a Savior to free us from our sins.
[Source: The devastating impact of the premise that people are essentially good, William Kilpatrick , Frontpage Mag, February 4, 2022]

The founding fathers of the United States recognized the Biblical Truth of the depravity of man. The idea that man is good flies in the face of God’s Truth. “There is none good, no not one…”

Unless the individual is willing to admit they are not good and need a Savior to save them from their sinfulness, there is no hope. And this is the great, seductive ploy of the devil, and has been since his time of tempting Eve in the garden. “Ye shall be as God,” he seduced and beguiled. The ploy is working now more effective than ever, and we see the results with man’s turning their back on God –doing what is right in their own eyes– in preparation for the time of God’s Wrath and Judgment. As looked at many times, we now are at the Romans 1:28 place at the very end of the age. Man has turned his back to the God of Heaven and now has been given over to a reprobate mind.

Good is called evil and evil good. Thankfully, God still Calls individuals to Salvation, but the creature called man continues en masse down that broadway to destruction.

There is the Narrow Gate Jesus said. As a matter-of-fact, Jesus is that Narrow Gate that leads to Eternity spent with God the Father.

Don’t listen to the evil men and seducers of these increasingly sin-darkened days. Here again, is how to enter that Narrow Gate.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10: 9–10)

— Terry

14 Feb 2022

Published on: by RR7 Category:Prayer Center

The Cauldron is Bubbling

SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND LAST DAYS OF LOT RETURNED

Biden puts gender-fluid drag queen ‘pup’ fetishist in charge of the nuclear waste that could be used for terror bombs. Responsibility of the deputy assistant secretary of spent fuel and waste disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy for the Department of Energy requires a person of scientific/technical erudition, good judgment, and responsible character. Meet Sam Brinton, hired by the Biden administration for that role. Brinton’s drag queen name is “Sister Ray Dee O’Active.”

The Senate Education Committee in Florida approved SB 1834, which says schools “may not encourage discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” The US White House Resident Biden called it a “hateful attack’ on gay children.” Other critics don’t like the bill either. It ruins their reprobate agenda.

Democrat congresswoman Angie Craig (Minn.) took to the House floor to read a radical children’s book on a young girl’s gender transition that was put out by her wife. She used her five minutes of speaking time to read Calvin, a children’s book produced by the Human Rights Campaign’s Welcoming Schools program, which is directed by Angie Craig’s wife Cheryl Greene. The book, suggested by HRC for kindergarten students, encourages children to explore gender transition and reject biological sex.

Soros-Backed Virginia Prosecutor Hired Registered Sex Offender for Paralegal Job. Loudon County Commonwealth Attorney Buta Biberaj hired the sex offender in March 2021 despite his serving five years in prison for having been caught with over 600 images of child pornography. Biberaj’s 2019 campaign for top prosecutor spot in Loudon County raked in nearly $660,000 from the Justice and Public Safety PAC funded by Soros. Biberaj has become notorious for seeking to arrest the parent of a daughter who accused a “transgender female” biological male of raping her in the school’s girl’s bathroom.

In Ontario, Canada: Halton Catholic school board reverses decision and votes in favor of flying Gay Pride flag at all of its schools. The Board of Trustees voted to fly the Pride Flag outside of all HCDSB schools and the Catholic Education Centre for the month of June, and each June moving forward.

Zillow commercial promotes same-sex relationships; also, airs when children would be watching. The newest commercial for Zillow features two women playfully and lovingly stroking, caressing, and tickling each other’s hands. The ad states, “Ah, the Feeling of Finding Your Place.” One Million Moms continues to stand for Biblical truth, which is very clear in Romans 1:26-27 about this sexual perversion. Airing this advertisement during family viewing time crosses a line Zillow should have never crossed.

Britain: First Gender-Neutral Award: Woke Bunch Angry That Adele Said She “Loves Being a Woman” After Winning Gender-Neutral Category Award for Best Artist; Called ‘Transphobic.’

In England, the number of new HIV diagnoses among straight people is higher than in gay and bisexual men for the first time in a decade, the latest figures show. Half of all new HIV infections were in heterosexual people (50%) in England in 2020, compared to 45% in gay and bisexual men.

ABORTION ABOMINATION

Texas Demo-crat Beto O’Rourke Complains Abortion Companies Can’t Kill Babies Under Texas Abortion Ban: Says It’s “Bad for Business.”

Texas Heartbeat Law is Saving So Many Babies from Abortion, But Planned Parenthood Calls it “Devastating.”

AT&T Commercial Star Milana Vayntrub: ‘I Am Grateful for the Beautifully Boring Abortion I Had.’ Comedian-actress Milana Vayntrub, known to T.V. viewers for playing cheerful saleswoman “Lily” in AT&T’s wireless commercials, penned a personal essay in which she expresses gratitude for abortion, describing her own experience as “no big deal.” She also describes women as “all of us with a uterus” and abortions as a form of “essential health care.” “Over the past decade, I’ve hardly thought about my abortion, except when I think of those who may not have access to one,” she wrote.

Anthony Fauci’s NIH is Funding 80% of All Research Using Body Parts from Aborted Babies. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which Fauci directs, is behind $27 million in taxpayer funding for research involving tissue or body parts from babies killed in abortions, or approximately 80% of the funding for all such research in the United States.

THE OCCULT

Satanic Temple hosted ‘Satancon 2022’ from Feb. 11-13. Tickets for “Satancon” were sold out. The origins of the event date back to 2016 when their request to deliver a satanic invocation before the Scottsdale City Council meeting was denied.

EXPOSING LAST DAYS TRAITORS

Biden abandoned as many as 9,000 Americans in Afghanistan, new report from Senate Foreign Relations Committee shows. The report contradicts the Biden administration’s earlier claims that just 100-150 were left behind.

Biden Lifts Sanctions on Iran’s Nuclear Program as the administration desperately tries to get Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, to re-enter a nuclear deal. U.S. officials believe that even a restored Iran nuclear deal would still leave Iran capable of amassing enough nuclear fuel needed to make a nuclear weapon in a matter of mere months. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) slammed the Biden administration over its weakness toward Iran. “As a result of President Biden’s weakness and appeasement, this administration is ramping up to give a nuclear arsenal to the Ayatollah in Iran,” Cruz said. “The very same Ayatollah who chants ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America,’ the Biden administration is preparing to facilitate that Ayatollah having the weapons of mass murder to carry out those pledges.”

Building Jihad Better: Biden returns $29 Billion in previously frozen assets to Iran.

China Falls Woefully Short of Commitments to Purchase U.S. Goods Amid Biden Lack of Enforcement. At the same time, a separate N.Y. Times report detailed that “The U.S. trade deficit in goods soared to record levels in 2021, topping $1 trillion as Americans continued to spend heavily on computers, toys, bicycles, clothing, pharmaceuticals and other goods made in foreign factories during the pandemic.”

Drug Shortages. Right Now There Are Shortages Of 116 Different Pharmaceutical Drugs in The United States. Much of our drug production has been outsourced to China [due to the greed of traitors], and our relations with China are not going so well right now. In fact, the moment that China invades Taiwan we are going to have a major league national crisis on our hands.

In Summary of Terrorism Threat to U.S. Homeland, Those Who Don’t Trust Their Government Institutions Are Branded Domestic Terrorists. They’re accused of promoting false or misleading information that undermines trust in U.S. government institutions. “In other words, if the fact-checkers, who have partnered with the government, decide that your point of view is “wrongthink,” you are now part of the domestic terrorism problem and will likely end up on Homeland Security’s radar.”

Feds suspend a Homeland Security chief following raid on his Michigan home. The focus of the investigation is unclear but raises questions about the conduct of Homeland Security Special Agent in Charge Vance Callender, 49, of Royal Oak. He is tasked with helping prevent terrorism, protecting the country’s international borders and combating a range of federal crimes, including child pornography and sex trafficking.

DELIBERATE BORDER DISORDER

Arizona Attorney General Declares Illegal Immigration Surge an ‘Invasion,’ Enabling the State to Defend Itself. Under ‘Resident’ Joe Biden, Arizona and other border states have seen a record number of illegal immigrants streaming across the border. According to the ruling, the illegal immigration crisis, which includes cartels fomenting violence at the border and helping many aliens reach and cross into the United States, meets the definition of an invasion outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

ILLEGAL DRUGS AND THE BORDER DISORDER

Outrageous: House Democrats Block Fentanyl Trafficking Bill. A health crisis has found its way to America with a growing number of fentanyl crossing the border, increasing deadly drug overdoses. Yet, on Wednesday, House Democrats actually blocked H.R. 6184, the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act. The severity of the crisis has been demonstrated by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, (CBP), which announced they seized a record-breaking 11,201 pounds of fentanyl in 2021. In just the first three months of fiscal year 2022, they’ve already seized over 2,700 pounds – almost more than the amount seized during the entire 2019 year at 2,804 pounds.

100 bags of ‘extremely high purity level’ fentanyl found in bedroom of dead 13-year-old. Over 100 bags of the lethal drug fentanyl that has been claiming lives of thousands around the U.S. were found in a 13-year-old’s bedroom after he died from the substance. The boy collapsed while at school. The school was shut down and searched after two more students reported dizziness and were taken to the hospital for evaluation. Drug tests later confirmed that fentanyl – a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine – was in a substance located near the students. While the school was in lockdown, drug-detecting canines found around 40 bags of fentanyl at the school, believed to have been brought in by the 13-year-old.

PITTING NATION (ETHNIC) AGAINST NATION (ETHNIC): Deliberate Takedown Agenda by Marxists.

College planning appreciation lunch for non-white staff only. The irony of an apparently “non-whites only” event hosted by a college’s “equity and inclusion” office was not lost on some observers. Gustavus Adolphus College, a private liberal arts college in Minnesota is planning an appreciation lunch for just non-white staff and faculty later this month, which potentially violates federal civil rights law.

World Economic Forum Blasted for ‘Insane Pro-CRT Propaganda’ Video. The video pushed critical race theory along with an accompanying essay describing racism as “persistent and prevalent” everywhere. The short-form clip lists only one example of such supposed inequality against blacks: the high number of incarcerated black males throughout the country. Quote from the video: “CRT says this disparity is a legacy of America’s racist past,” it claims, adding that opponents complain that it “paints all white people as bigots.”

GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED

In a Poke at Unvaxxed Christians, ‘Comedian’ Heather McDonald Brags About Being Triple Jabbed, Mocks Jesus, Then Collapses on Stage & Fractures Her Skull (Video). She bragged of being “vaxxed, double vaxxed, booster, flu shot and… shingle shot… and still get my period…. Traveled to Mexico twice, did shows, went to meet and greets, and never got Covid.” Then she delivered her “punch line,” saying, “CLEARLY, Jesus loves me the most.” As her audience began to laugh, she suddenly collapsed onto the stage, fracturing her skull. She didn’t lose consciousness and is recovering.

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

A Nation Once Blessed Has Forgotten God

Is The Real Rate of Inflation in the US More Than Twice as High as The Number We Were Just Given? On Thursday, we learned the consumer price index was 7.5% higher in January than it was a year ago.  We’re told it’s the highest reading since Feb 1982, and that sounds really bad.  But it isn’t exactly honest, because the way the inflation rate is calculated has been changed over two dozen times since 1980. So if we’re going to compare the rate of inflation today to historical numbers, we should actually be doing an apples-to-apples comparison. If inflation was still calculated the way it was in 1980, the official rate of inflation would be above 15% right now.

AS TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, ARE ANIMALS IN DANGER AS WELL AS HUMANS?

Scientists Warn Wireless Radiation, 5G May Endanger Animals. Researchers published a three-part, 150-page review of how wildlife could be harmed by the non-ionizing electromagnetic fields (EMF) produced by wireless infrastructure, raising questions about the environmental safety of the technology as 5G begins to blanket the United States. “We’ve known for a while now, through a number of scientific studies, that cellular radiation is harmful to wildlife as well as people,” said epidemiologist Devra Davis.

Davis is the founder of Environmental Health Trust, an organization that has drawn attention to the possible risks of 5G, wi-fi, and similar infrastructure for human health as well as wildlife. In recent weeks, airlines warned that the nationwide rollout of 5G by AT&T and Verizon could interfere with flights, particularly the Boeing 777. The concerns prompted those wireless companies to hold off on launching 5G near airports.

PLAGUE

England: Lassa fever: Patient dies of Ebola-like virus as third case in U.K. confirmed. (Bedfordshire). All three cases are members of the same family and are understood to be linked to recent travel to west Africa, where in some parts the animal-borne acute viral illness is endemic.

AND THE PLANNED-DEMIC, I.T.’S CONTROL AGENDA, AND THE CONSEQUENCES

Doctors said 6-year-old needed the COVID vaccine; now the child has myocarditis and can’t walk. Six-year-old Milo Edberg already had chronic lung issues before the vaccine. His mother agreed to the vaccine despite reservations.

Israeli study: Antibodies perform best after COVID infection, not the vaccine. Over time, the number of Covid antibodies falls in both previously infected and vaccinated people, but the performance of antibodies improves only after previous infection and not vaccination. This groundbreaking finding, led by Dr. Carmit Cohen of Israel’s Sheba Medical Center, will be presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in April.

Amazon Cuts Off Coronavirus Leave for Unvaccinated Employees. Amazon will cut off paid leave for workers that contract coronavirus if they’re not fully vaccinated. Unvaccinated workers will be required to wear masks in the warehouse, while vaccinated coworkers can go maskless. The changes are expected to take place on March 18.

U.S.: 55 federal agencies tracking religious objection to vaccine requests amid concern from conservatives. The First Liberty Institute, a conservative law firm based in Plano, Texas, released a statement in response to The Heritage Foundation’s report, calling the objector lists “alarming.”

Europe: E.U. Disease Agency Wants COVID Vaccine Tracker Applied To 40 Other Vaccines.

Fighting Back

Official poster of Israel’s Freedom Convoy: Trucks driving through Red Sea split. Israel will have its own Freedom Convoy inspired by Canadian truckers. The convoy will take place on February 14. The convoy will begin in the central region and make its way to Jerusalem. The message is clear: Just as Moses led the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt to freedom in Israel, so too will this convoy to Jerusalem lead the people of Israel to freedom from some of the world’s strictest Covid mandates.

Orwellian Surveillance Society Censoring Covid Information

Study: Big Tech censored dozens of doctors, 800 accounts for what they deem COVID’ misinformation.‘

EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

La Niña is back; more drought is ahead for the U.S., targeting the southwestern corner of the nation, especially, which is already deep into a drought.

Over 90% of Utah in severe drought, officials say.

Brush fires rage in Southern California amid record heat, worsening drought. Reports of brush fires in Laguna Beach and Los Angeles County Thursday. That leads up to what could be, on Sunday, the hottest Super Bowl ever played, with heat advisories in effect for Orange County, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire and Deserts. The heat advisories are the first on record issued in the state during the winter. Eighteen of the top 20 largest wildfires in California’s history have occurred in the past 20 years.

EARTHQUAKES

With the number of earthquakes rising, USGS warns West Texans to prepare for higher magnitudes. West Texas has seen a massive increase in earthquakes over the past few years. In 2017 and 2018, Midland-Odessa had 0 recorded earthquakes with a magnitude of at least 2.0. In 2019, that number increased to 4. In 2020, it ballooned to 40 earthquakes. In 2021, it reached 98. As of Feb 7, 2022, we’ve already seen 14 earthquakes 2.0 or greater. That’s on pace for 134. What’s happening in West Texas has been seen before.

Israel adds ‘earthquakes’ to army’s early warning system. This comes after several earthquakes shook Israel in recent months. On Jan 11, a 6.5-magnitude quake hit off the coast of Cyprus and was felt in Israel and other Levant countries. Roughly two weeks later, two small earthquakes were felt in northern Israel within hours. Another quake off the coast of Cyprus was felt in Israel last week, an aftershock of the Jan 11 earthquake. Israeli national security experts predict that a massive earthquake will hit Israel in the coming years, and some say that the country is not prepared for the potential destruction.

Two days after a nationwide earthquake drill, fourth quake hits (or is felt by) Israel in just 3 weeks. A 4.5 earthquake rocked Cyprus Wednesday night. The quake struck only 388 kilometers (241 miles) northwest of the northern coastal Israeli city of Nahariya, where it was also felt by Israeli residents. Massive earthquakes in Israel are prophesied to accompany the multinational Gog and Magog conflict that will signal the end of times. Earthquakes and volcanoes are explicitly mentioned by the prophets as playing a role in the end of days.

ISLAM AND TERRORISM

13 arrested in Belgium in major anti-terror raid. The Belgian cities of Brussels and Antwerp have been singled out in the past as alleged rear bases for Islamic jihadists.

Iranian man confesses to decapitating wife. Iran’s semi-official ILNA news agency is reporting that two brothers in police custody confessed to decapitating the wife of one of them, after a gruesome video of the victim circulated online.

WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS

The cauldron is bubbling and getting ready to boil over, it appears. We’re reminded of Isaiah 17, Ezekiel 38-39, for starters, followed later in the Tribulation by the Kings of the East. But we brethren in Christ are not to be in fear.

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).

Russia threatens nuclear war. Russia threatens that its “response will be military” if NATO continues to send military aid to Ukraine. Putin said at a press conference: “…I’d very much want you to finally hear me, and to deliver it to your audience in print, TV, and online. Do you understand it or not, that if Ukraine joins NATO and attempts to bring Crimea back by military means, the European countries will be automatically pulled into a war conflict with Russia? Of course, the [military] potential of NATO and Russia are incomparable. We understand it,” Putin said. “But we also understand that Russia is one of the leading nuclear states, and by some modern components, it even outperforms many.” According to the Federation of American Scientists, Russia has just under 4,500 nuclear warheads in its stockpile, making it the largest military superpower in the world today.

China threatens US with ‘strong measures’ over $100M Taiwan arms sale. China vowed this week to take “legitimate and strong measures” against a $100 million arms sale between the U.S. and Taiwan that it claims is a violation of its sovereignty.

North Korea Boasts of Testing Missiles That Can Strike U.S. Mainland. Days after North Korea’s Kim Jong Un was featured in the country’s latest propaganda video on a white horse prancing around in a forest and on a beach, he’s issued a new threat, saying advanced missile technology possessed by Pyongyang will “shake the world.”

Iran unveils new Khaibar Shekan missile said to put Israel and U.S. regional bases within range. State T.V. reported that the missile uses solid fuel and has a range of 1,450 kilometers (900 miles). It is called the Khaibar-buster, a reference to a Jewish castle overrun by Muslim warriors in the early days of Islam.

Military expert warns ballistic missile launch from Yemen could reach Israel.

Russia calls on Israel to stop Syria airstrikes. Israel regularly strikes Iranian targets in Syria, giving advance warning to Russia, which has troops there. However, Russia maintains that this should not be seen as approval of the practice. Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, “We will continue to prevent the Iranian entrenchment that is eating Syria up from the inside. This is a supreme interest for the Syrian people and the regime: to stabilize, to remove Iranian forces from their territory and allow the country to be rehabilitated.”

Alleged Israeli Airstrike Targets Sites Near Damascus. The attack was alleged to have occurred on Jan 31, the first alleged Israeli airstrike reported in Syria this year. The strikes were said to have targeted sites belonging to the Assad regime northeast of Damascus, causing injuries and material damage. A series of cargo flights on airlines used to transport Iranian weapons traveled between Iran and Syria in recent weeks, according to independent flight trackers. The strike comes a week after Syrian and Russian military jets jointly patrolled the airspace along Syria’s borders, including along the Golan Heights.

Israel says it hit military targets in Syria in response to missile fire. Syrian state media said the country’s air defenses had been activated against Israeli fire “in the vicinity of Damascus” on Feb 9. Israel hit anti-aircraft batteries in response to a missile fired from Syria towards Israel (which exploded in midair). Syrian state media said one soldier was killed and five others wounded, “along with material damage.” Israel rarely comments on the air strikes it carries out in Syria but has said repeatedly that it will not allow its archfoe Iran to extend its footprint in the country.

CONCLUDING SCRIPTURE

“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matthew 13:15).

“Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7).