What I read in newspapers and see on TV has changed over the years.  I started paying attention to the larger world in college in 1978 and then in the 1980 election of Ronald Reagan.

I grew up thinking that Walter Cronkite was America’s newsman and was sad when he retired in 1981.  I believed he reported truth and facts.  and maybe sometimes he did.  He reported that the USA was losing the Vietman war and I believed him.  The truth. 

“The American public believed that if Cronkite reported it, it must be true. If it wasn’t true, then when Cronkite reported it, it became the truth. That was how a 10-year-old kid viewed Cronkite. Multitudes of politicians, activists, journalists, academics and ordinary Americans who mourned his death expressed that same singular belief in Cronkite’s omniscience regarding any news event he reported on…”  “There is an old saying: The devil’s greatest trick is to make people believe that he doesn’t exist. In my opinion, Cronkite’s greatest (or most infamous) legacy during his storied 50-year career as a journalist was to make most Americans believe he was a blue-blooded patriot; a political “progressive” who represented the best ideas of what it was to be an American – liberty, freedom, intelligence, respectability, trustworthiness, unimpeachable character.”

The US lost the war due to political changes in the US during 1972 to 1975.  Militarily the US won every battle and forced the Vietcong to the peace talks.  the lack of support for the South Vietnamese in 1975 allowed the vietcong to overrun the south.  The US wasted the lives of every one of the 58,000 + who died in Vietnam.  Once started,  the US should have pushed to victory in military defeat.

Global Warming and Climate change Watts up with that  is a good source of science based facts and research on Climate and Weather and the  antidote of truth vs the fake news industry created by Al Gore and the religion of climate change as a reason to do more abortions, stop economic activity, etc.

Fossil Fuels the greenest energy

“It was Michael Crichton who pointed out in his Commonwealth Club lecture some years ago that environmentalism had become the religion of Western elites. Indeed it has. Most notably, the burning of fossil fuels (a concomitant of economic growth and rising living standards) is the secular counterpart of man’s Original Sin. If only we would repent and sin no more, mankind’s actions could end the threat of further global warming. By implication, the cost, which is never fully examined, is bearable. So far the evidence is not convincing. It is notable that 13 of the 15 older members of the European Union have failed to achieve their quotas under the Kyoto accord — despite the relatively slow growth of the European economies.”  2005 ARTICLE IN WSJ

What happened in 2016 election and since?

News outlets talk of Russia and collusion,  Trump is many bad things?  The special counsel investigation was formed to convict Trump and stop the Russians influence.

So far, except for grand jury indicting  a few Russian nationals in court, who when they showed up with counsel, the special counsel Mueller h

hastily filed motions to keep the opposing counsel from getting any of the evidence used to produce the indictments….

1. collusion definition – secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others.
   1. I have yet to see evidence of any secret conspiracy to do some underlying criminal activity.  it is now 1.25 years and millions spent by Mueller’s team.
   2. only process crimes have been pursued.
2. Trump is not an angel
   1. everyone who vote for Trump knows this,  we held our noses to keep Hillary out.
   2. Trump is proud to be an American
   3. Dems are ashamed of the USA and want America to be 2nd rate.  And tell us what to do.
3. Hillary and the DNC and the Clinton foundation appear to have cooperated with the Russians in a pay for play deal on Uranium
4. The Foreign agent crimes pursued by Mueller – where is the pursuit of Dems? who did the same thing except larger?
5. The hillary email scandal – ?
6. The FBI/DOJ/Fusion GPS/Steele/FISA Court/Dossier – Dems pay a foreign national Steel via Perkins / Fusion GPS and classify the deal as legal fees.  Where is the pursuit by special counsel?

What is real ? , and what is a narrative?,  offered by the combined forces of what we used to be able to call journalists and the reporting of reality instead of opinion.

As Christ the living Word is truth, so his written word is truth. Though heavenand earth will pass away, God’s truth never will.

Over half the New Testament uses of “truth” (aletheia) are in John’s gospel. Truth is reality. It’s the way things really are. What seems to be and what really is are often not the same. As I develop in my novel Deception, “Things are not as they appear.” To know the truth is to see accurately. To believe what isn’t true is to be blind.

God has written His truth on human hearts, in the conscience (Romans 2:15). Shame and twinges of conscience come from a recognition that truth has been violated. When the world hears truth, if spoken graciously, many are drawn to it by the moral vacuum they feel. The heart longs for truth—even the heart that rejects it.

As followers of Christ, we are to walk in the truth (3 John 1:3), love the truth, and believe the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12). We’re to speak the truth “in love” (Ephesians 4:32).

excerpts from an excellent article on what God intends for a man. By George Paul Wood

What, for Jesus, was the primary marker of manhood?

At the outset of His ministry, Jesus proclaimed, “The time has come …. The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15).

disturbing to say the least

 

As all of this suggests, we are now at a turning point. The Lavender Mafia controls the Papacy and the Vatican overall, and Pope Francis is packing the College of Cardinals, who will elect the next Pope, with sympathizers. Pope Francis and his minions have now been exposed, named, and shamed; and there will be a civil war within the Roman Catholic Church. Either Francis leaves and his supporters and clients are purged. Or the Church is conceded to those who for decades have sheltered and promoted the pederasts and those who regard their abuse of minors as a matter indifferent. It is time that those bishops, archbishops, and cardinals who are innocent of such conduct stand up and force a house-cleaning. In the meantime, the laity should speak up loud and clear.

Milton Friedman: The Intellectuals and Collectivism

McClaughry: Would you say that the movement toward collectivism has been largely among intellectuals?

Friedman: Yes I would, and this is a real puzzle. In some ways you’d think it would be the other way around. Intellectuals, of all people, ought to value freedom of speech, freedom of thought. In fact they do value them in intellectual areas for themselves. But their attitude in general is that they want freedom for themselves, but control over everybody else.

 

5 John 14:6Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

 

In this day of confusion, biased or fake news, continual drama on social media.  Drink from the true source of life/truth/peace…John 4: 13Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; 14but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life…..21Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22“You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23“But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24“God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

take time to set your mind and your eye on Jesus today.  He is the Way!

Five Amorite Kings Executed

16These five kings fled and hid themselves in the cave at Makkedah. 17And it was told to Joshua, “The five kings have been found, hidden in the cave at Makkedah.” 18And Joshua said, “Roll large stones against the mouth of the cave and set men by it to guard them, 19but do not stay there yourselves. Pursue your enemies; attack their rear guard. Do not let them enter their cities, for the LORD your God has given them into your hand.” 20When Joshua and the sons of Israel had finished striking them with a great blow until they were wiped out, and when the remnant that remained of them had entered into the fortified cities, 21then all the people returned safe to Joshua in the camp at Makkedah. Not a man moved his tongue against any of the people of Israel.

22Then Joshua said, “Open the mouth of the cave and bring those five kings out to me from the cave.”23And they did so, and brought those five kings out to him from the cave, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon. 24And when they brought those kings out to Joshua, Joshua summoned all the men of Israel and said to the chiefs of the men of war who had gone with him, “Come near; put your feet on the necks of these kings.” Then they came near and put their feet on their necks. 25And Joshua said to them, “Do not be afraid or dismayed; be strong and courageous. For thus the LORD will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.” 26And afterward Joshua struck them and put them to death, and he hanged them on five trees. And they hung on the trees until evening. 27But at the time of the going down of the sun, Joshua commanded, and they took them down from the trees and threw them into the cave where they had hidden themselves, and they set large stones against the mouth of the cave, which remain to this very day.

The Sun Stands Still

1As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction,^a doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2he^b feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4“Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” 5Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.

6And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” 7So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who^c struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

The Gibeonite Deception

1As soon as all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowland all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, heard of this, 2they gathered together as one to fight against Joshua and Israel.

3But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, 4they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, 5with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. 6And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” 7But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” 8They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” 9They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, 10and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. 11So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ 12Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. 13These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” 14So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the LORD. 15And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.

Joshua Renews the Covenant

30At that time Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal, 31just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, “an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings. 32And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written. 33And all Israel, sojourner as well as native born, with their elders and officers and their judges, stood on opposite sides of the ark before the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, half of them in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded at the first, to bless the people of Israel. 34And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived^camong them.

the shekel in Exodus 30:13 is defined as a particular kind ofshekel called “the shekel of the sanctuary.” This shekel was defined by weights kept in the tabernacle as the standard. A standard shekel weighed 11,5 grams. Later, a “shekel” would also refer to a coin.