The Muppets Go Hardcore

The makers of “Sesame Street” tried and failed to block the release of the R-rated film the “Happytime Murders.” The film is scheduled for an August release. It has a human detective who teams up with a puppet partner to investigate grisly puppet murders. The movie is loaded with every form of sin that could be imagined; with explicit profanity, drug-using, prostitution, violence, copulation, and even ejaculating puppets.

The Sesame Workshop owns the rights to puppets like the Cookie Monster, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Big Bird. They were all created by the Jim Henson Company, which controls the Muppet Show characters like Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. The Happytime Murders movie has all new puppets.

The lawyers for Sesame Street argued that the film’s tagline “No Sesame. All Street” infringes on the Workshop’s trademark. Judge Vernon Broderick said that the tagline actually distinguished the upcoming film from Sesame Street in a “humorous, pithy way.” The Judge also ruled that the film’s endless filth did not tarnish Sesame’s brand.

Jim Henson must be spinning in his grave right now. He was a man of very high morals, and would be absolutely horrified to see what has become of his creations. The Jim Henson Company is run by Jim’s son Brian Henson, who has sold out to the recent trend that calls for adding vice to movies that were once aimed at kids. The movie “Ted,” with the foul-mouth teddy bear, gave the signal to go blue in his market when it became a huge hit in 2012.

One sign of shame over the making of the movie is that it was produced by the company’s subsidiary, “On The Day Productions.” Brian Henson claims to have argued against the reference to Muppets and Sesame Street, but he said “contractually we don’t have the right to change it,” according to court papers.

He said he didn’t want to have the film viewed as a debauched parody of the Muppets. “…Therefore, trading off the famous Muppets to sell the film is exactly what we did not want to have happen,” said Henson in court records. This is just a mind game that people play. They say they don’t want to do something, and then they do that exact thing under some pretext.

The movie has Muppets performing acts that would be seen as X-rated a generation ago. It’s telling of how we are in the last days when evil finds its way into everything that was once seen as virtuous or wholesome. Even Christian movies are now being produced that have profanity. You can’t even trust the rating system. The day will come when a G-rating will mean that there is only a small amount of nudity in a film.

Another sign that this world is becoming totally depraved was the recent vote in Ireland to repeal an amendment banning abortion. The referendum saw 66.4 percent of the electorate voting to make abortion services legal by January 2019. People were dancing in the streets like Ireland has just won the world soccer championship. Years ago, the ability of a woman to murder her unborn child would be welcomed with regretful silence.

Ireland’s first openly gay Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, gave the most fitting reaction to this travesty: “I said in recent days that this was a once-in-a-generation vote. Today I believe we have voted for the next generation.”

Ireland is in the new generation, but it’s the type that leads to self-destruction.

It just seems like humanity is on a huge ship that is in the midst of a hurricane that is constantly getting more furious. The moral anchors that have been resisting the storm have been snapping one by one from the stress. I can only think of the storm that Jesus and his disciples faced on the Sea of Galilee. In our case, the calming of the waves only comes when the rapture takes us away from this turmoil.

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (Matthew 8:23-26).

–Todd

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Elam Prophecy in View?

Israel, always in the news while planet earth closes in on Christ’s Second Coming, again is drawn into the center of stage-setting for prophetic fulfillment. I’m referring specifically to prophecy involving ancient Persia–modern Iran.

We’ve looked at the prophecies involving these end-times players over the past number of years. Dynamics generated from things going on in the region have increased in intensity as of late. It is therefore worthwhile to catch up with developments involving Israel and its biblically foretold enemies.

Iranian leaders are angered over the Trump administration’s taking the U.S. out of the “nuclear deal.” They are threatening the Jewish state and vowing that soon Israel will feel their wrath.

Development of nuclear weaponry is at the heart of the threat. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump have both vowed that Iran will not have nuclear weapons. However, it is known that they already possess missiles thought to be capable of carrying nuclear payloads. And, their centrifuges and nuclear laboratories, deeply ensconced within Iran’s mountainous regions, are beyond inspection by the people who came up with the “worst deal in history,” according to President Trump.

A primary reason Trump considered the “deal” as such is because the inspectors could neither “trust” nor “verify,” as President Ronald Reagan insisted in the case of dealing with the Iranian’s chief ally, Russia.

A Jerusalem Post article reports Israel’s present mindset.

Netanyahu said he spoke over the weekend with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and expressed Israel’s appreciation for the strong and determined position the US administration is taking against the Iranian nuclear agreement and the Islamic Republic’s aggression in the region.

“The regime in Tehran is the main factor undermining stability in the Middle East,” he said. “The campaign against its aggression is not over, and we are still in it.”

Netanyahu said that Israel is working against the Iranian regime on three fronts: preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons, working against its military entrenchment in Syria, and working against the transfer of game-changing weapons from Syria to Lebanon, or the manufacturer of that weaponry in Lebanon.

“Those weapons are intended for use against Israel, and it is our right – by virtue of the right of self defense – to prevent its production or transfer,” he said. (Netanyahu says campaign against Iran ongoing on three different fronts, by Herb Keinon,  Israel News – Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2018)

As mentioned, we have previously, and on several occasions, covered the threat to Israel from its prophesied enemy, Persia (Iran). That nuclear threat hasn’t gone away since we last paid attention in one of these commentaries. It has, as a matter of fact, progressed toward becoming not just a threat, but, possibly a real assault. The former U.S. presidential administration aided and abetted that ratcheting-up of Iran’s eventual achievement in producing atomic weapons. Israel’s military posture as of late, combined with Netanyahu’s elevated words of concern, illustrate, I think, just how near might be some action to neutralize Iran’s growing danger to not only the Jewish state, but to other nations as well.

I wrote the following in a commentary on June 14, 2014:

My friend, Bill Salus, has just released an especially fascinating book relative to our time. NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN IN IRAN: The Ancient Prophecy of Elam points to a particular prophecy in the book of Jeremiah that the author believes foretells a devastating blow to a certain part of Iran–the area of ancient Elam.

One of my own burning questions has been: Why does Persia (modern-day Iran) seemingly intend to attack Israel alongside Russia in the Gog-Magog attack of Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 without apparent deployment of nuclear weaponry? –Thus, since Iran is obviously developing such weapons as fast as it can.

That prophecy that both Bill and I had and still have in mind is the following:

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might. And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come. For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies, and before them that seek their life: and I will bring evil upon them, even my fierce anger, saith the Lord; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them: And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes, saith the Lord. But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord. (Jeremiah 49:35-39)

The title of Bill’s book–NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN IN IRAN: The Ancient Prophecy of Elam–might itself prove to be prophetic, as things wind up for the end of the age.

–Terry

No Lesson Learned in Venezuela

The worst way to run an economy is one based on socialism. The Soviet Union killed 30 million trying to make it work. China murdered an equal number of people under the socialist banner. Once China turned to capitalism, its economy began to boom. Many European nations have experimented with socialism, and the typical result has been economic stagnation.

“I would rather be subjected to the few failures of capitalism than the few successes of socialism.” –Unknown

The nation of Venezuela is the most current example of socialism’s destructive nature. About 40 years ago, Venezuela was the richest country in South America. It has the world’s largest reserve of oil. According to OPEC’s 2015 figures, Venezuela has the most proven crude oil reserves in the world, with over 300 billion barrels. That puts it ahead of Saudi Arabia (266 billion barrels), Iran (158 billion barrels) and Iraq (142 billion barrels).

The Rise of Hugo Chávez was the turning point for Venezuela. Chávez kicked out all the Western oil companies that he claimed were stealing the nation’s wealth. He used the oil money to provide free goods to people. For a short time it appeared that Chávez had finally proved that socialism can be made to work.

The socialist dream began to turn into a nightmare when oil revenues began to decline.

Immediately after the state kicked foreign oil firms out of the country, the production of oil began to decline, going from 3.1 million barrels per day to 1.6 million barrels per day.

Chávez was so focused on filling his pockets with money from the oil, he neglected to reinvest back into the national oil company.

When global oil prices declined from $140 to $30, the Venezuela economy completely unraveled. There have been numerous food riots, and people stand in line for hours to buy whatever is available.

Venezuela’s Marxist government made matters worse by seizing private businesses. In 2016, Venezuela’s new leader Nicolás Maduro took over a plant belonging to US-based hygiene products manufacturer Kimberly-Clark. The plant was turned over to the workers. Venezuela quickly ran out of toilet paper because the workers at Kimberly-Clark could not obtain or hadn’t the incentive to find the needed raw materials.

Last week, the socialist Venezuelan government seized a closed Kellogg’s factory. Maduro, who has previously accused the United States of waging economic war against his government, called the factory closure “absolutely unconstitutional and illegal,” even though his policies are the ones which caused the closure of the factory to begin with. Most people won’t work long without being paid, and if Kellogg’s cannot find supplies to produce their infamous cereals, it’s unlikely the workers will be successful.

No new business will want to invest in Venezuela. The firms that remain in the country are likely looking for the exit.

Life for the average Venezuelan citizen has become extremely difficult. A domestic survey of Venezuela’s living conditions found that over 73% of the population lost an average of 19 pounds due to food shortages in 2015 and 2016. The IMF forecasts that inflation in 2018 will likely top 13,000%. Prices rise an average of 4% each day. One woman told a reporter that a single banana now has the same worth her house had five years ago.

The hardships have not been enough to force out the socialist government. Nicolas Maduro has just won re-election with 67.7% of the vote. The election was a sham. The mainstream opposition called for a boycott, and turnout was 46 percent compared with 80 percent in 2013’s presidential election.

Now that Maduro has a “mandate” to continue destroying Venezuela for another six years, citizens are buying bus tickets for a mass exodus. According to Reuters, some Venezuelans have saved for months to buy a bus ticket out of the country. Nearly one million Venezuelans have left their country over the past two years.

There is no lesson to be learned from Venezuela’s attempt at socialism. Most media outlets ignore the hardships that are taking place in the nation. The few reporters that do cover Venezuela blame the poor economy on U.S. sanctions. John Oliver of the HBO show “Last Week Tonight” blamed Venezuela’s problems on “epic mismanagement.”

The fact that we almost had a communist as the Democratic candidate in the last election just shows how deception has taken over in these last days. If people can’t notice what should be an obvious truth, they will be no match for a cunning lie.

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

–Todd

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Careful, Mr. President

There is growing worry that the Trump administration’s move to cut funding for various Palestinian causes formerly provided by previous administrations might incite uprisings. This, while talk of a soon-to-come peace plan proposal by the administration grows among the several interlocutors within the process.

But, the peace deal is far from a done deal. The following news excerpt frames the obstacles.

Yet any Palestinian willingness to even consider the plan would require conditions to improve and anger to subside considerably in the coming weeks, an unlikely scenario as the Palestinians say evidence of one-sided Trump giveaways to Israel continues to pile up. US allies in Europe and the Persian Gulf also have felt compelled to criticize the administration for its approach. Ostensibly, Trump would need buy-in from those same countries to build enough momentum for any peace plan to succeed. (“US Readies Mideast Peace Plan Rollout Next Month, but Threatens Palestinian Aid,” by Matt Lee, Times of Israel, 5/20/18)

Sources say that the Trump administration will release the peace proposal following the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Reportedly, a number of US officials tell that the administration will likely release the peace plan in mid to late June. However, the timeline for release is subject to conditions in the regions at the time.

Word has it nonetheless that the primary authors of the plan, President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner and special envoy for international negotiations Jason Greenblatt, have already begun unveiling the plan to key people involved in the process.

It is said that there is a great furor growing over details of the plan because there is in the offing significant cuts to funding Palestinian programs. This, of course, is something Donald Trump promised even during the run for the presidency in 2016. He, like many of us, sees only foolishness in continuing to throw taxpayers hard-earned dollars at those blood vowed to exterminate our chief ally in the region, the nation Israel.

Added to the threat of withdrawing considerable amounts of American dollars from the Palestinian cause is the move of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This has caused the controllers of the Palestinian militants to incite rioting. Israel, in defending against assault after assault, is universally condemned by the international community. Always, the American media–news and otherwise–show the film and still photos of the relatively few rioters who are killed or wounded. Always the mainstream newshounds take the side of those who do their best to inflict damage to Israeli men and women simply defending Israeli borders.

Hatred, worldwide, for the Jewish state–for Jewish people in general–is ratcheting up.

While Europe, despite increases in rapes, killings, and other crimes by Muslim immigrants, continues to pamper and coddle those who have invaded their borders, those European leaders castigate Israeli leadership for simply defending Israel’s borders against such hostile invaders. It seems to me that this is a form of insanity going on in Europe today. Perhaps it is an insanity of the sort that will one day welcome the prince that shall come…

All of this enragement is certainly something the president of the United States should be wary of–of which he should be cognizant. But this is not the purpose of this commentary’s title: “Careful, Mr. President.”

The reason for the caution in the title of this essay is directed at the so-called peace effort itself. Any president–any leader–involved in the peace process that has as its center the nation Israel should be fully informed of the dangers posed. The very heart and mind of the Creator of everything is focused on this one issue being toyed with in the Middle East at this moment. Anyone on the wrong side of this issue holds his own fate as well as the fate of the world in his hand. The God of Heaven is uncompromising in His holy view of the peace of Jerusalem.

There is only One who can bring that peace. His Name is Jesus.

Those who try to force the peace, God’s prophetic Word says, will be responsible for Armageddon itself.

“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.” (Joel 3: 1-2)

So: Careful, Mr. President. Don’t concern yourself with the possible hostilities that will break out by supporting God’s chosen nation. Be concerned about being party to forcing that nation to give up land for peace in order to achieve a peace that Isaiah the prophet termed “a covenant made with death and hell” (Isaiah 28: 15, 18).

–Terry