Happy Sunday everyone! I’m back with another Sunday Gospel message for you, this week we go again to our good friend Pastor Robb Goodman: Good day to everyone on We Love Trump. Here’s today’s Sunday message on YouTube titled, God’s Gift Of Righteousness We must understand the true meaning of true Righteousness.Without God’s Gift Of His Righteousness, we would never be able to get into heaven. Please join me as I teach you what the Word of God says about real Righteousness.I pray that this message will bless you and encourage you to seek the Lord’s true Righteousness. Pastor Robb GoodmanSr. Pastor of Zion Freedom Fellowship USA. What a great topic, as it is also in the liturgical calendar today known as the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It is a major feast day observed by the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and many other Protestant denominations and it celebrates and remembers Jesus being Baptized by John. And when John objects and says it should be the other way around, what answer does Jesus give? He says it must be done for righteousness! Great tie in from Pastor Robb! Matthew 3:10–17 (ESV) 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Please enjoy: TRANSCRIPT: Good morning, everyone. My name is Pastor Robb Goodman, and I am the pastor here at Zion Freedom Fellowship in Maryland, in the beautiful United States of America. It’s a blessing and a privilege to be with you again today to share the food of life: the Word of the living God. Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God.” So thank You, Lord, that what Jesus spoke is truth. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and nothing—no one—will ever be able to change that. Amen. Well, I’ve got an exciting message for you today. You know, we just came out of a season of giving, right? Christmas and New Year’s. It’s a time where we celebrate and have fun with our families, and join together with our friends and colleagues, and we celebrate… you know, life is something wonderful to celebrate. Life is a beautiful gift from the Lord. But today, we’re going to talk about a different gift, and I will share the title of this message with you in just a few moments. So let’s pray. Heavenly Father, we give You praise, and we give You thanks for this wonderful message. Lord, I ask that You speak through my lips of clay today. That You would anoint me, Lord, to bring forth the Word of life, the Word of truth, and that this message would be tailored to the needs of every person that’s listening today. Father, cause Your Word to go forth like a mighty two-edged sword. Let it pierce to the division of soul and spirit, to the joints and the marrow of the body. And Lord, let it be a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of our heart. Lord, You know everything about us. There’s nothing that can be hidden from You. Lord, there is nothing whatsoever that You do not know. You know every thought that a man or woman thinks. You know everything that we contemplate. You know how we weigh things in our mind, in our thinking. You know everything. So, Father, we praise You today that You are our God, and You also gave us the gift of Your Son—but He gave us an even more blessed, wonderful gift. And we’re going to talk about that in just a minute. Father, anoint this Word today. Anoint this message. Thank You, Lord, for using it wherever this message goes. All over the world, this message travels. And I thank You, Lord, that this message is anointed by the Lord our God. And it will break every fetter, every yoke of bondage, every chain of bondage. It will break it in the mighty name of Jesus, by the power of the living God. And in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen and amen. Praise be to God. Well, isn’t the Lord good? Yes—God is mighty. Okay, today we’re going to talk about God’s gift of righteousness. And you know, righteousness is a profound meaning. It really is, because only the righteous will inherit the kingdom of God. We’re going to talk about scriptures about that. We’re going to dive into a lot of different scriptures today. But God has to give us that gift of righteousness. It comes through the blood that Jesus shed—our sins that He bore on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago. And we need to receive that gift. We cannot enter into heaven without having been given this gift of righteousness. You know, when somebody gives you a Christmas present, you don’t reach into your wallet or in your purse and say, “Well, here—let me pay you for that.” No, it’s a gift. It’s a gift. Now, you may feel that you’re not really worthy of that gift. That the gift that you wanted to give somebody else at Christmas maybe didn’t cost as much, didn’t have the same amount of value, and you start to feel guilty, right? You start to feel guilty. “Oh, well, you know, I need to buy you a better gift.” And the person’s like, “No, I wanted you to have this.” And we argue about it, don’t we? That happens a lot, doesn’t it? Well, praise be to God. You can receive this gift of righteousness. It’s a free gift from God. And Jesus paid the price to give it to you. So receive it now, I pray in Jesus’ name. As we get into these scriptures, I pray that the Lord would touch you, and that He would anoint you to hear these words, and He would tailor this message to every need that you have today. Thank You, Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Let’s turn to Psalm 119, and we’re going to look at verse 142. Psalm 119, verse 142. And I’m reading out of the New King James Version right now. And this is what the scripture says: “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth.” Wow. “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth.” That’s amazing. God’s Word is the truth that will set you free and keep you free. And as long as you’re abiding in the Word of God, and as long as you’re looking to the Word and just hungering after righteousness, you will be filled with the gift of righteousness. God’s righteousness will overtake you. It’ll cause you no longer to want to sin. It’ll cause you no longer to want—well, you won’t be comfortable in your sin. You know, that’s the difference between a Christian and someone that doesn’t believe in Jesus. When a Christian sins, they immediately feel sadness in their heart. They know that what they did was wrong. And they immediately, typically, will begin to say, “Oh Lord, I’m so sorry. You know, I’m sorry. Please take this desire away from me. Please renew my thinking. Change me. Mold me. Make me what You want me to be.” That’s what we all do, right? It’s because we care about what God thinks and sees in us. We care very, very much. All right. So: “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness.” And that’s the wonderful thing about this new covenant that Jesus bore for us. He birthed that new covenant—the covenant of grace. It is an eternal covenant. It will last throughout the endless ages of eternity, and no one will ever be able to stop it from manifesting. Blessed be the name of Jesus. God is so awesome. He’s so mighty. God’s righteousness is eternal through the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross. Let’s go to Proverbs 21, and we’re going to start with verse 21. Proverbs 21. Proverbs 21, and we’re going to start with verse 21. “He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.” So this is very plain. “He who follows righteousness and mercy finds life, righteousness, and honor.” Those are three fruits of walking in righteousness: life, righteousness, and honor. “A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the trusted stronghold.” “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Wow—that is such an important verse right there. Again: “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Man, I’m telling you—that is one that will convict me. Amen. Because we must guard our tongue and guard what—because out of the mouth the heart speaks, right? The heart will speak through what you say. And we must be careful, and ask the Lord to guard our hearts and our minds. Amen. Let’s guard our hearts and our minds with the Word of God. Praise be to God. “A proud and haughty man—scoffer is his name. He acts with arrogant pride.” “The desire of the lazy man kills him, for his hands refuse to labor.” “He covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and does not spare.” Wow, what a difference. Amen. “He covets greedily all day long, but the righteous gives and does not withhold.” He doesn’t spare, because he knows that what he gives unto God, God is going to bless it back to him again. Amen. Very true indeed. Very, very true. All right, let’s go to Romans chapter 9. We’re going to start with verse 30. Romans chapter 9. We’re going to start with verse 30. “What shall we say then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained to righteousness—even the righteousness of faith.” “But Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.” “Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that great stumbling stone.” “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Wow—this is some powerful verses right here. So, Israel pursued righteousness. How did they pursue it? By obeying the law. And there were very few people in the scripture that obeyed God and the law. One of them was Zacharias and Elizabeth. Amen. And Zacharias went into the temple to burn incense at the altar of prayer, and a vision—an angel—appeared to him, and said that he was going to have a son, and he would be a mighty prophet, who was John the Baptist, by the way. And you know, Zacharias did not believe him, because he started to question. He started to say, “Listen, I am a man well in age, and my wife has been barren all these years. This is impossible.” Well, we know what happened to Zacharias, don’t we? He could not speak until John was born, because he did not believe what the angel said to him. Now Mary—completely different situation. The Virgin Mary—angel Gabriel appears to her and says that she’s highly favored. And you know, she was wondering what kind of greeting this was. And he said to her, “You are going to have a son, and you’re going to call His name Jesus.” And she said, “But I’ve never known a man. I’ve never had intimate relationships with a man before.” And all she did was question how it could be. But what did she say? What was her response? “Be it unto me according to your word.” She received it, and the power of the Spirit of God came over her and overshadowed her, and the Word of God was birthed in her womb. That’s amazing. Just absolutely—a miracle of God took place, and she carried that child for nine months. And of course, we know the rest of the story. Amen. And it’s a beautiful, beautiful story of faith and victory. And Joseph had to have faith, too. And he believed what the angel came and spoke to him in a dream. He believed it. So, we must pay attention to what the Lord says. And we must make sure that our response to Him is in faith—and believing the Lord. Amen. Praise God. The Lord is just absolutely amazing. And the last verse: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of offense, and whosoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” That’s us. We’ve got no reason to be ashamed or to be afraid. Glory be to God. We have received the author and the finisher of our faith—Jesus the Messiah. He is living in us right now. And if you’ve never—if you’ve never prayed that prayer with the Lord, then I want you to pray that prayer with me tonight at the end of this service. I want you to pray what God wants you to receive: His Son, Jesus Christ. Isn’t that amazing? It certainly is. I’ve got to show you this cup, guys. Hold it up to the screen so you can see it. This is really cool. A friend of mine—a nurse at Red Cross—she’s with the Lord right now. She gave me this mug about three years ago, and it says: “I never dreamed to be a super cool pastor, but here I am killing it.” Yes. Amen. Well, I shouldn’t say “killing it.” I’m making it alive, right? The words that I speak—like Jesus said—they are spirit and they are life. Praise be to God. The Lord is awesome. He is so, so awesome, and He will never change. Only real righteousness comes through faith—the act of believing on what Jesus did on the cross, for all who believe, for everyone that believes. You don’t get it by your good works. You don’t get it because you were supernaturally pleasing to God. No, you get it because you believe the gospel, and God gave you the gift of righteousness. And righteousness just means right standing with God. It’s that simple. You know, when you walk in righteousness, you walk in a way—you live your life—that’s pleasing to the Lord. You don’t live your life in a way that brings shame to the gospel. No—you live your life according to the Word of God. Amen. Let’s look at Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10, and we’re going to start at verse 1. “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.” “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” They didn’t have the knowledge of salvation. They tried to work to receive God’s grace—and you can’t work for it. You cannot work. By grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone could ever even boast about it. But you’re saved by grace—the grace of God that is poured out to you. That is the true message of the gospel. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” Christ—He fulfilled the law. He fulfilled it completely, totally. And then He turned around and says, “Because I did this, I’m giving you the gift of righteousness. Take it. Receive it.” That’s awesome. That is just absolutely phenomenal and awesome. “For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law: ‘The man who does those things shall live by them.’” “But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way: ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down from above)” “‘Or, “Who will descend into the abyss?”’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)” “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach).” Which we preach. So righteousness can speak. Amen. It speaks because you have it in your heart, and out of your heart the mouth speaks. Amen. Out of your heart your mouth will speak. But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith which we preach:” “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness”—right standing with God. With your heart you believe that. “And with your mouth confession is made unto salvation.” “For the scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’” So this is something we must understand. It is very important that you can confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus—that you believe that He paid the price for your sins. And as you make confession of that—what you believe in your heart—it will come out of your mouth, and salvation will be manifested in your life. I remember when I was seeking the Lord. I sought the Lord for about a year—year and a half—before I was saved, before I was born again. And I came across all kinds of books. The Lord was sending different Christians across my path to minister to me, and you know, I wanted nothing to do with it. I was like, “Oh, these Jesus freaks—these are some weird people.” One time my cousin’s car broke down—I’m sorry—um, we were driving up on Belair Road, coming up out of the city, and right before we got to Taylor Avenue—which my house was off of Taylor Avenue—and, um, my cousin Robin, she lived right off of Taylor Avenue, too. But anyway—what’s so funny—this van pulls up, and they’ve got words like: “Jesus saves” written on it. “God loves you.” “Repent,” you know. And I’m thinking, “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” And my cousin says, “You’ve got to go with them. You’ve got to get to a phone so we can get help.” Back then, they didn’t have cell phones. You know, you just pull your cell phone out of your pocket and make a phone call—nope. Not in those days. Those were the ancient of days, I’ll tell you. You had to get to a pay phone to call somebody. Well, guess what? I get voted by my cousin to go with them. She didn’t want anything to do with them. And I’ll be honest with you—back then, I didn’t blame her. As soon as I got into that van: “Well, hey, brother.” And I’m thinking, “I’m not your brother.” You know? “Why are you calling me brother?” It made me laugh so hard to think about it. And: “Well, if you knew Jesus, you’d be my brother. Have you ever received Jesus as your Lord and Savior? You know Jesus died for your sins. And if you don’t allow Him to come into your heart, you’re going to wind up in hell when you die. Do you want to go to hell?” I don’t think anybody wants to go to hell. Do you? And I was like… uh… I didn’t know what to say, you know. But they planted seeds in my heart. Their boldness planted seeds. And now I do the same thing when I talk with people, you know—it’s just phenomenal. But we should never forget how sinners feel when they’re confronted with the gospel. You know, they do. They feel ashamed of their sin. They’re getting convicted of their sin. And it’s up to us to lead that conversation in the right way—to bring them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Man, I’m telling you. So, righteousness speaks, and it speaks out of the heart. Did you know that righteousness can talk? Yes—it can speak. It has a mouth: your mouth. That’s why confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus gets you saved. That’s a really good revelation to understand. All right, let’s go to Isaiah 32. We’re going to start with verse 16. Isaiah 32—back to the old covenant again. Isaiah 32, and we’re going to start at verse 16. “Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.” “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness will be quietness and assurance forever.” “My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” That’s amazing. That’s just absolutely amazing. So again: “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness—quietness and assurance forever.” Wow. So amazing. So beautiful and so amazing. So, when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you then have peace with God. There’s peace between you and God. There’s no more feeling that, “Oh, God doesn’t accept me.” Um… well, the enemy will try to lie to you and tell you: “You’ll never change. God doesn’t forgive your sin.” Well, He does. And you need to learn how to fight against that and say, “Hey—my sins are washed away. They’re in the sea of forgetfulness.” He says, “Your sins and your iniquities I will remember them no more.” No more. Gone forever. “The righteousness of God is now a gift that you receive, and you have peace with God.” Wow. That’s amazing. That is absolutely phenomenal and amazing. What a great promise to us. The work of righteousness is peace. The end result is peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ forever. If our lives are cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we will then have peace. Everlasting joy will be upon our heads. Sorrow and mourning will flee away from us. Now, I’m not saying you’ll never cry. I’m not saying you’ll never be upset. But as you work out your salvation on a day-to-day basis with fear and trembling before the Lord, He’s going to give you promises about your future that is going to enable you to stand—to stand in righteousness—and to be strong, and to be bold. Hallelujah. Let’s go to Isaiah 56, verses 1–7. Isaiah 56, verses 1–7. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Keep justice, and do righteousness,’” So righteousness is something that we have to walk out in our flesh—in our boots—every day. “For My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.” “Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it; who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” “Do not let the son of the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord speak, saying, ‘The Lord has utterly separated me from His people;’” “Nor let the eunuch say, ‘Here I am, a dry tree.’” “For thus says the Lord: ‘To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant,’” “‘Even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, and they shall not be cut off.’” “Also the sons of the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord—to serve Him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants—everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant—” “Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.” “Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” And Jesus quoted that scripture when He went into the temple that day and turned over the money-changer tables, and He addressed, in His wrath, the indignation of the Lord that was going on in the house of God. And I tell you what, guys—I’m going to say it again—it’s a sad, sad thing that many people today are playing games with God. They’re playing games with God in church. Church is just a place where they want to make money. They want to have their fancy clothes, their television shows, and they want to get rich. “Oh, because God promises you to be prosperous.” Well, one day you’re going to answer for how you used God’s blessings in your life. Did you squander them, or did you use them to further the kingdom of God? And they always say, “Oh, we want to win. Please send money to our… um… to our church because we want to win more souls to the kingdom of God.” Well, that sounds nice on the outside, but what is the true motive of their heart? Enough said about that. Amen. Oh, thank You, Jesus. You are so good, Lord. You are so, so good. These are incredible promises to the Gentile church—those of us who have been grafted in. Wow. Our God is truly amazing, is He not? All right, let’s go to Jeremiah 33. We’re going to look at verses 14 and 15. Jeremiah 33. Jeremiah 33, and we’re going to look at verses 14 and 15. “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” “In those days, and at that time, I will cause to grow up to David a Branch of righteousness. He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.” “In those days Judah shall be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell safely.” “And this is the name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Wow—that’s powerful. “The Lord our righteousness.” Jesus is my righteousness. I have none of my own to claim. But the righteousness of God—the gift that Jesus gave to me—His righteousness will change me. It will continue to change me every day that I live on the face of this earth. God will never give up on you. I don’t care where you’re at. I don’t care how far you have fallen away from God—God will never give up on you. He will never let you go. He will continue to lift you up and raise you up out of the miry clay, and will set your feet on a rock. And that rock is Jesus Christ. He is the Lord of our salvation, the God of Israel. Praise be to God. Hallelujah. Blessed be the name of Jesus. All right, let’s go to Matthew 5. We’re going to read 17–20. Matthew 5:17–20. Matthew 5:17–20. And Jesus speaks and says this: “Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Wow—that’s amazing to think about. Now, think about the scribes and the Pharisees. Think about them for a minute. Jesus speaks very clearly to His people such great truth. The gift of righteousness that Jesus gives certainly exceeds the fake act that the Pharisees and scribes did. Think about that for a minute. They were bearing before men that they were righteous, but God knew their hearts. Jesus said, “You’re like white-painted sepulchers, and inside you’re filled with dead men’s bones.” Man—what an insult that was. Here are these highly respected religious people. You know—“They’re so holy and so righteous.” Not in the least. Jesus said, “Unless our righteousness exceeds those of the scribes and the Pharisees, we’ve got nothing.” Nothing whatsoever. But the righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ is the righteousness that allows us to stand unashamed before the Lord, and to follow hard after Him. That is what real truth is. And that’s how the gospel changes each and every one of us. Amen. Do you believe that? Praise be to God. Let’s go to Hosea chapter 10. We’re going to look at verses 12 and 13. Hosea chapter 10. So you’ve got Ezekiel, Daniel, then Hosea. And we are going to look at Hosea chapter 10, and we’re going to start at verse 12. “Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord, till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” “You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped iniquity; you have eaten the fruit of lies, because you trusted in your own way, in the multitude of your mighty men.” And I’m telling you guys—that’s like a punch, you know, right in the chest. Because are we really seeking the Lord? Why do you go to church? What—I’ve got a question for you. Why do you go to church? Why do you give offerings to your church? Why do you do it? What is the heart motive behind your giving? Are you proud because you go to such-and-such church? How do you act to others who are not on the same level that you are? Do you shun them? Do you put them down like the scribes and the Pharisees did? They despised Jesus and His disciples. When Jesus walked through the fields—the wheat fields—on the Sabbath, and they were hungry, and all they did was take the grain off of the wheat to eat it—they were hungry. And the Pharisees had a fit. I’m telling you, folks—what is your heart motive? Why do you serve God? Why do you give your money? Why do you go to church? Just a thought. Let’s go to Proverbs chapter 10. We’re going to look at verse 1. Proverbs chapter 10, verse 1. “The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is the grief of his mother.” “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.” “The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked.” Man, think about that. “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.” “He who gathers in summer is a wise son; he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.” Wow. Now think about these words, okay? “Treasures of wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivers from death.” And you know what? The righteousness that you and I got from Jesus is delivering you and me from eternal death and hell. We will never, ever have to go to hell because of what Jesus did for us. And I’m telling you—living for God is a serious thing. It’s a serious thing. And you must obey Him. You must obey Him. All right, let’s turn to our last scripture. We are going to go to Revelation chapter 22, and we’re going to look at verse 15. Revelation chapter 22, and we are going to look at verse 15. This is talking about the kingdom in heaven now: “But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts say, ‘Come!’ Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Wow. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that amazing? Jesus plainly tells us over and over and over again that the unrighteous will not get into the kingdom of heaven. Where do you stand today? Where are you in your relationship with the Lord? Is your relationship right with God? If you’ve never asked Jesus to come into your heart before, I’m going to pray a prayer of salvation with you. And if you pray this prayer with me today, I would love for you to email me and let me know, and I’ll give you that email address in just a few minutes. All right, let’s pray this prayer. Say: “Holy Father, I come to You in the name of Your Son, Jesus. I ask You, Lord, to forgive me and to cleanse me from every sin that I’ve ever committed. Lord, I have backslidden away from You. I ask You to forgive me. I do not want to live a life of sin any longer, but I want to live in Your righteousness—in the gift that You have given to me. Jesus, I receive You. I ask You right now to come into my heart. Come into my heart and cleanse me from every evil, wicked thing that I’ve ever done through the power of Your blood. Jesus, have Your way with me. I am Your servant. I want to love You, and I want to serve You. Cause me, Jesus, to be born again. I want to be born of the Spirit of God and live a new life for You. I dedicate my life to You. Have Your way with me, Jesus. Have Your way with me. I love You, Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You. Oh, my soul, rejoice. Take joy, my King, in what You hear. Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear.” In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. If you just prayed that prayer with me, please email me at this email address: Zion Freedom Fellowship. Z I O N F R E E D O M Fellowship. F E L L O W S H I P at gmail dot com. That’s zionfreedomfellowship at gmail dot com. That email will come to me, and I will answer you as soon as I can. Thank you so much, and may God richly bless you. To all of you that know the Lord: continue to pursue your faith. Walk after your faith—hard. Don’t ever let any blessing that the Lord has given you go. Don’t let the enemy rob you and lie to you and tell you lies, because he is a liar and the father of all lies. Let Jesus have His way with you. Well, I look forward to seeing you again next week. This is Pastor Rob Goodman, senior pastor at Zion Freedom Fellowship here in Maryland, in the United States of America. I love you all, and have a wonderful Sunday with your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen and amen. I love you all very much. Blessings, blessings, blessings in Jesus’ name. Amen.

I know this may be hard to believe, but Minneapolis apparently does not have a very strong police force. According to multiple reports and videos on the ground, the local police have reportedly been overwhelmed by the anti-ICE mobs and have retreated, fleed and surrendered to the mob. The Gateway Pundit reported the following: Minneapolis police officers, including Chief Brian O’Hara, were attacked and chased out of a downtown area by violent anti-ICE rioters on Friday night. Officers were seen in video footage from the riot abandoning the streets, leaving the area under the control of leftist anarchists who have been protesting federal immigration enforcement operations. Riots have escalated in the wake of the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a radical anti-ICE activist, who nearly mowed down an agent with her vehicle last week. Independent journalist Nick Sortor, who has been on the ground covering the story, posted shocking video showing police in full retreat. A large crowd of protesters can be seen advancing on the officers, shouting demands, as police speed away. Watch as the mob “escorts” the police car out of the area: MINNEAPOLIS, MN: Minneapolis Police attacked by anti-ICE rioters while escorting police car out of the protest zone.@Julio_Rosas11/@TPUSA pic.twitter.com/MWycFinul7 — FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) January 10, 2026 Who is running the show here? It’s not the police. Summer of Love 2.0 incoming? No-go zones incoming? CHAZ 2.0? Nick Sortor is live on the ground and he reports the police have completely given up, abandoning the area: BREAKING: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE SURRENDER TO ANTI-ICE RIOTERS AFTER OFFICERS ATTACKED They have now RUN AWAY and ABANDONED the area which has been TAKEN OVER by leftist anarchists IT’S TIME FOR THE INSURRECTION ACT, PRESIDENT TRUMP! LOCAL POLICE HAVE CEDED CONTROL TO ANARCHISTS pic.twitter.com/8u6D93Qi8X — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 10, 2026 Mr. President, it’s time to invoke the Insurrection Act! Call the ball. Deploy the USMIL. Clean it all up and arrest all the Deep Blue Governors engaged in fraud and stirring up this unrest. It is no longer acceptable in America. Rioters in Minneapolis have established their own Quasai POLICE FORCE. They’ve totally blocked the roads with their bodies and cars surrounding the Canopy Hilton and are directing Local police is totally absent. pic.twitter.com/P5kXt3jXYM — Cam Higby (@camhigby) January 10, 2026 They are also now taking over hotels. Gee, that sounds familiar! MINNEAPOLIS: Rioters have breeched ANOTHER hotel that ICE agents are suspected to be staying at. pic.twitter.com/o7xrcuRpxo — Cam Higby (@camhigby) January 10, 2026

It turns out, Venezuela was the lynchpin to an astonishing house of cards on the world stage, which is now systematically starting to fall. Iran seems to be on the verge of complete collapse, or perhaps has already fallen according to some reports. And Cuba, closely intertwined with Venezuela, is fast unraveling and should collapse next. President Trump just made the announcement on TruthSocial, reposted by The White House on X: “…THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”- President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/bHEIysJ7q1 — The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 11, 2026 FULL POST: FULL TEXT: Cuba lived, for many years, on large amounts of OIL and MONEY from Venezuela. In return, Cuba provided “Security Services” for the last two Venezuelan dictators, BUT NOT ANYMORE! Most of those Cubans are DEAD from last weeks U.S.A. attack, and Venezuela doesn’t need protection anymore from the thugs and extortionists who held them hostage for so many years. Venezuela now has the United States of America, the most powerful military in the World (by far!), to protect them, and protect them we will. THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO! I strongly suggest they make a deal, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DJT I fully expect we will soon control Cuba.

Dan Bongino is officially OUT of the FBI and officially BACK on X and back on his podcast show. And I’m sad to report it’s not going well. I’m not taking any sides in this, because I hate all the infighting. But I do have to report on it because that’s what we do around here. In fact, I’ve waited several days to cover this because I just kept thinking and hoping it was going to get better, that surely Dan would right the ship ad give us the insight we’ve all been waiting to hear, like what the Hell actually happened inside that FBI? What did he see that “shook him to the core”? Why did he campaign for two years on releasing the Epstein Files and then do absolutely nothing on them except for that one horrible Fox News interview where he looked like he’d seen a ghost and was in a hostage video telling us there are no Epstein files. But instead of giving us ANY of that, he seems like the only thing he wants to do is fight with the “black-pillers”. First it was Matt Gaetz: UGLY: Dan Bongino Fued With Matt Gaetz EXPLODES! That was about a week ago. And while I hoped that was just a flare up that would disappear, it's only gotten worse ever since. Also, from what I can tell, a "black-piller" seems to be just another name for a Panican.  Seems like the same thing.  Seems like a title for people who are constantly panicking and expecting Trump to fail. So I don't like "black-pillers" either, but Dan read the room bud! The tens of thousands of people who listened to you rant and rave on your show for 2+ years and had your back and were so excited when you got appointed to be SECOND IN COMMAND at the FBI and then were disappointed when you didn't deliver on any of the big items only on routine law & order arrests (which is fine, but exactly what I predicted would happen), and then these same people are confused why you are now refusing to talk about any of it or own any of it now that you're back in the air -- those people are not "black-pillers"! Those people are just people who actually listened to all the ranting and raving you did on the air, and now they're confused why you seem to be the dog who caught the car and then had no idea what to do with it. Those people are not the enemy, no matter how many of them you want to block and fight with! So, as we were all waiting with baited breath to see what he would finally say back on the air, all we got was this: ? BREAKING: Dan Bongino IS BACK, everyone just heard him on-air for the first time since leaving the FBI CUTESY TIME IS OVER! You love to see it! ? "The president calls and asks you to serve? The only answer is YES." ?? "This experience was really illuminating. You see who… pic.twitter.com/JFYDyDDbQU — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 7, 2026 And almost immediately, the attacks on his audience started: Dan Bongino launches an attack against those who criticized him over how he handled the Epstein situation, calling them blackpillers who are endlessly complaining. He says these blackpillers constantly demand accountability for things they know nothing about. Bongino urges… pic.twitter.com/AWKL9mrQZ5 — Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) January 8, 2026 Then he found himself in a beef with comedian Dave Smith. Did you see what I said? COMEDIAN. Dan is now literally fighting with comedians who are calling him out for hypocrisy: NEW: Dave Smith Challenges Dan Bongino to a Debate: ‘I Will Chris Cuomo That Dude’ “He actively covered up the Epstein case … He exposed himself as the deep state … He knows I'm sitting here challenging him to debate … He won't do that. I will Chris Cuomo that dude if he… pic.twitter.com/iLsO1TwtHn — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) January 10, 2026 Many are also questioning why his head seems to be bugging out and full of sweat. He does not look good: Dan Bongino claims he and Kash Patel “saved” the FBI, saying his time inside the bureau revealed the existence of two very different FBIs. According to Bongino, one of them was entirely made up of a “politically weaponized” faction operating from within. He says sweeping… pic.twitter.com/spFdBb8nFV — Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) January 9, 2026 He is getting rightfully mocked by many online and while I hate the infighting it sure seems like he brought this on himself: You guys better stop with the black pills pic.twitter.com/1CT4DqEr7u — Ben Stoeger (@BenStoeger187) January 9, 2026 Dan, what is that? That's is SUPER cringe and really embarrassing for you! For reference, this appears to be from January 2025. Dan, you really think this makes you look cool? I think Trish Hope nailed it with this post: Dan Bongino is not smart. All he had to do was say, man it is far worse than I ever knew and there is no fixing it. He would have earned back some respect, instead he attacked having no clue 80% think the FBI needs to be disband. He deserves the treatment he is getting, I… — Trisha Hope - National Delegate-TX (@JustTheTweets17) January 9, 2026 She's 100% right. All he needed to do was address it in some way... Just tell us it's worse than anyone imagined. Do something! Say something! But the strategy of ignoring it and spending all your time attacking people and getting into fights is not a winning strategy. Of course, this video is also not aging well: I woke up this morning and thought... what causes are close to my heart? America First? Protecting the women and children God put in my life? Conservation of the natural beauty of this world? Nah... pic.twitter.com/E1hpd552fP — Kyle Seraphin (@KyleSeraphin) January 10, 2026 OUCH. Does that explain it? Why is it literally EVERY single time!? This post also hits the nail on the head. When you're in control and in the right, you have a quiet confidence. When you're in the wrong and out of control, you fight everyone around you. If @dbongino had anything earth shattering about his recent job experience to share on his show moving ahead he would sit in a quiet cool of confidence in the face of his detractors. Instead, he has nose dived straight into an extremely defensive, angry, weird, unhinged, and very… — Five Times August (@FiveTimesAugust) January 10, 2026 If @dbongino had anything earth shattering about his recent job experience to share on his show moving ahead he would sit in a quiet cool of confidence in the face of his detractors. Instead, he has nose dived straight into an extremely defensive, angry, weird, unhinged, and very off-putting “I am too a tough guy” baby demeanor, waging an unnecessary lame war on anyone who happened to notice what an absolute sell out and disappointment he became (or always was). He’s not actually mad at you though. He’s mad at himself. Because deep down he agrees with you. He has no balls and now he knows it. But instead of admitting it, he’s taking it out on the average Joe. So don’t expect any grand revelations when his show comes back. You’re getting a two hour commercial of excuses via tough-talking paid Con Inc. influencer slop. Stop forgiving these people like they are your buddies. You don’t owe them anything. He owes us. That was his job. And he let us down. End of story. Dan, this is not a winning strategy: BREAKING: After accomplishing NOTHING at his real job, Dan Bongino is back to PODCASTING. His first message? Yelling at Republicans who are upset at Trump. pic.twitter.com/bj9Pb5yC3M — Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) January 8, 2026 We all had your back. We even had your back after you quit after a year, thinking at least now we'll get the straight scoop. But no. Another great post here: Dan, I say this with total and the utmost respect. You've spent every single day back on X since leaving the FBI crashing out at people criticizing the Trump administration. You are retweeting Catturd hating on Thomas Massie, Mark Levin attacks, and fighting with Matt Gaetz.… https://t.co/Dr9FUurZoU — Evan Kilgore (@EvanAKilgore) January 10, 2026 Dan, I say this with total and the utmost respect. You've spent every single day back on X since leaving the FBI crashing out at people criticizing the Trump administration. You are retweeting Catturd hating on Thomas Massie, Mark Levin attacks, and fighting with Matt Gaetz. You are calling people antisemitic and "declaring war" on private citizens using their First Amendment right to express discontent with broken promises. You yourself championed exposing Epstein throughout 2023/2024, as did your former cohorts in the FBI. People feel conned here. Dan, this is a serious question, can you read the room? Do you not understand the frustration from the common man? We've been promised so many things by those in the GOP and Trump Administration, and aren't seeing many of them happen. Some, yes, but not many After years and years, people get tired and will start to call the bullshit out. That's what is happening. People had grace for you leaving because we thought maybe it was because you wanted to comeback and blow the whole thing open. Maybe you had seen too much and you couldn't suppory it. But, you're now just crashing out on people who used to love you because we haven't gotten an answer in almost anything the past year. We thought things might be different, amd they haven't been. No Epstein Arrests No Russia Gate Arrests No Clinton Arrests No Covid Crime Arrests No Election Interference Arrests No Biden Laptop Arrests No answers on Thomas Crooks We were all literally told by Donald Trump he didn't want our support if we wanted answers on Epstein. Do you know how eye-opening that was and infuriating after the complete SHIT SHOW the Epstein charade has been these few months? People are extremely pissed that literally NOTHING has changed and the FBI seems complicit. My genuine advice if you want the criticism and attacks to stop—be transparent and start exposing everything you can, if you're even allowed. If not, you will come off as a PR mouthpiece sent by Trump to silence and attack critics and it will only further the damage to your credibility. I know we've gotten into it in the past, but I say this with all sincerity. I think you're a good man with a soft heart. God bless. Truly. Another heartfelt response here: As a J6er who's been through the wringer with the weaponized FBI, I'm beyond disappointed in @dbongino Dan Bongino. We trusted him to drain the swamp from the inside as Deputy Director, to expose the corruption that targeted patriots like us on January 6th. Instead, he's folding… pic.twitter.com/a3LVLSQhnJ — Shane Jenkins | The Real J6 (@TheRealJ6Shane) January 11, 2026 As a J6er who's been through the wringer with the weaponized FBI, I'm beyond disappointed in @dbongino Dan Bongino. We trusted him to drain the swamp from the inside as Deputy Director, to expose the corruption that targeted patriots like us on January 6th. Instead, he's folding after less than a year—quitting in January 2026 without releasing the Epstein files or holding the deep state accountable for their J6 witch hunts. This isn't leadership; it's surrender. Where's the fight, Dan? We deserve better. #J6WasASetup #FireTheFBI #MAGA #NoAmnestyForTyrants Dan, read the room. Try to reel this back in, if you care about anyone who previously had your back. So, Dan Bongino actually thought he was going to come back to podcasting and police the right without answering one question about the Epstein cover up and the FBI putting zero deep state arrests on the board. Hilarious. I’m proud that none of us will let him live this down. — Dave Smith (@ComicDaveSmith) January 11, 2026 Sadly, I predicted this is how this would go. I said they would let Dan do a lot of low-level arrests, or even medium-level arrests, but no big names, just routine crime. I said they'd let him rack up a ton of those, but none of the big stuff any of us wanted. And it appears that is exactly how it played out. Dan was never the same after that "hostage video" where he looked pale as a ghost on Fox News and seemed like he was reading a script against his will telling us there are no Epstein files. Remember this? Hey Dan Bongino, Where Did This Guy Go and When Is He Coming Back? I really wish I didn't have to keep driving this home, but I feel like the Dan Bongino of 2020-2024 would want me to. I'm not sure who this new guy is that keeps going on Fox News in that horrible grey suit, but that's not Dan Bongino. Sorry folks, it's just not. You may not like it, you may have extreme cognitive dissonance about it, you may tell me that Dan has to follow some vague and unknown "ethical rules of the FBI" that are preventing him from shooting us straight, but I'm just calling it like I see it, and the Dan Bongino who keeps going on Fox News recently with really bad takes is NOT the same as the Dan Bongino we all know and love. Where did THIS guy go? ? Dan Bongino what happened to your “source”…..? pic.twitter.com/x2OrkwfUG9 — Isaac’s Army (@ReturnOfKappy) June 7, 2025 TRANSCRIPT: About a year and a half after that, I'm in a green room at Fox, and I'm not gonna say who — 'cause they didn't give me permission to share it — but, well, they— Short story, but I don't know who they are, says,"You know Epstein's an intelligence asset for people in the Middle East, right?" I'm like,"No, I didn’t know that."I'm like,"You sure of that?" Person — let's say — is like,"I'm absolutely sure of that, that he's either a witting or unwitting asset. Intelligence asset." Meaning his plane, and that island, the cameras—There's a big assumption out there that these videotapes were exclusively in the custody of Epstein. That's a huge mistake.The reason they wanted this story to go away is because there's an assumption like,"Oh yeah, Epstein had 'em."No — he wasn’t the only one who had 'em, according to this source. These assets — that’s why this blackmail story makes so much sense.Which Middle Eastern countries they are, I don’t know.But this person — who’s a very, very good reporter, I mean aces, right —Swore Epstein was either a witting or unwitting intelligence asset, And they may have had his plane wired up,And they’re the ones who have all this stuff. So the point is, to sum it up,How do you know some of these countries aren't going to some of these power playersWho are making decisions with,"Hey, you wouldn’t want this video out there," right? How do you know 100%?I mean, uh, that—Let’s… let’s get personal. MEMO TO DAN BONGINO: Maybe you should track down all these other copies of this video you told us existed instead of just telling us the FBI file is empty?  Just an idea. Full screen video player with captions added here: Hey @FBIDDBongino where did this guy go and any idea when we could expect him to return? pic.twitter.com/B0Qz2oerfu — Noah Christopher (@DailyNoahNews) June 8, 2025 I like that guy! I miss that guy! In my mind, I imagine that guy is hidden in a closet somewhere with duct tape over his hands and mouth (figuratively of course) screaming out HELP ME! So I'm going to keep shouting from the rooftops that yes, I'm rooting for Kash, Dan and Pam, but something is wrong.  Something is very, very wrong.  And I'm not going to zip my mouth and claim it's all 4D chess or it "just takes time" or Kash and Dan are now bound by some weird and vague "FBI ethics" and that's what's causing them to look so bad. Sorry, I don't buy any of it. I do understand they've been airdropped behind enemy lines and they face a Herculean task.  Possibly one they can't win.  The odds are almost insurmountable and stacked against them. I get all of that. I get that Kash and Dan left lucrative (and easy) careers for a tough life to try and save this Country. I get that too.  I applaud it.  I admire it. I get that this will take time and you can't expect everything in the first 100 days or even the first one year. I get that too, even though I'm not the one who kept saying "On day one", but ok, set that aside. None of ANY of that is being called into question. What is being called into question is their absolutely horrible body language.  The fact they both look like they're starring in a hostage video each time they go on Fox News. The fact that both of them are really bad liars and they're not fooling us by pushing these narratives that we can see as plain as day on their faces that even they don't believe. So I don't think it's "un-loyal" to call these things out.  Not at all. In fact, I think the Dan Bongino that's in that video up above is secretly standing up and applauding. Dan (and Kash) never wanted us to blindly follow anyone, including themselves. They wanted to teach us how to THINK on our own and call it out when things look wrong. And that's what I'm doing. Honoring their legacy, even as they both currently destroy it. Here's actually what I think is going on: MY TAKE: Dan Bongino and Kash Patel Are Compromised…and This Is The Deal They Made MY TAKE: Dan Bongino and Kash Patel Are Compromised...and This Is The Deal They Made Noah here, and I wish I didn't have to write this post, but I do.  I hope I'm wrong, but my gut is absolutely SCREAMING on this one.  Allow me to explain... Some of you are not going to like this, but I have to say what my eyes and ears see and hear, and that is that something is very, very wrong about Dan Bongino and Kash Patel. No, it's not because I expected them to walk into the FBI and arrest everyone Day 1. It's not because they are slow rolling (or "no" rolling?) the Epstein files, although that doesn't help. It's just basic common sense and body language. These two did not do themselves any favors going on Maria Bartiromo's show on Sunday. They appeared nervous, shifty, defensive and almost gave off vibes of a hostage video. In short, their body language was awful! Eyes shifting all over the place, awkward pauses, statements that sounded extremely forced, bad body posture. You don't need to be a body language expert to see something is very, very wrong here. Watch this clip as Dan Bongino tries (and fails) to convince people that there's nothing abnormal at all with the Trump Assassinations, nothing to see here! To quote Dan, "there's no there there". Watch: Dan Bongino says there is no "big, explosive there there" with regard to the Trump assassination attempts. So either FBI officials Bongino and Kash Patel are part of a Deep State coverup, or there really is no hidden sinister truth to reveal about the Trump assassination attempts pic.twitter.com/LE0fVuUvL0 — Michael Tracey (@mtracey) May 18, 2025 Everything these two guys are saying DIRECTLY contradicts everything they both said repeatedly over the last 4 years. Something is very wrong. Are they compromised? Blackmailed? Families threatened? I'm telling you, that is 100% the vibe I'm getting. And yes, I fully understand that certain things need to remain confidential as the legal process plays out, but you really expect us to believe that "you've been fully briefed" and now you 100% believe there was no funny business of any kind and no Secret Service failure at all related to the Butler, PA assassination attempt? Really Dan? Back up for a second and pause to understand how absolutely LUDICROUS that sounds.... You were briefed? Oh really, by who? By the entrenched Deep State in the FBI? And you took that at face value? You were briefed by the entrenched Deep State FBI career employees loyal to James Comey, briefed with material that has almost certainly been doctored and corrupted, and you just bought it hook, line and sinker? I'm sorry, but something is very wrong here. That's why the only conclusion I can reach right now, especially based on their terrible body language, is that these are two honest guys, two smart guys, who have in some way been compromised and/or their families threatened, and they just went on Fox News to try and sell a bill of goods that neither one of them believes in. It didn't work. For his part, Dan has made several posts on X that demonstrate he is keenly aware of the public sentiment and essentially the fact that the community is turning on him and Kash. Here is his latest: I haven’t done any media interviews to this point because I want to keep the attention on the work. I don’t work for myself anymore, I work for you. But it is important to relay to you what we’re doing, and the media can be a tool for that. That’s why we chose a long-form… — Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) May 18, 2025 I haven’t done any media interviews to this point because I want to keep the attention on the work. I don’t work for myself anymore, I work for you. But it is important to relay to you what we’re doing, and the media can be a tool for that. That’s why we chose a long-form interview with Maria Bartiromo for our first interview. I hope you saw it. If you missed it, here are some of the questions that were asked and answered: -Yes, we are moving FBI headquarters out of the Hoover Building. The process has already begun. Stay tuned for updates on the details and timelines. -I was asked about some of the details surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein case. I have reviewed the case. Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. There’s no evidence in the case file indicating otherwise. I’m not asking you to believe me, or not. I’m telling you what exists, and what doesn’t. If new evidence surfaces I’m happy to reevaluate. -I was challenged on “accountability.” It’s a fair question. I aggressively responded because the Director and I have been working tirelessly to uncover the bad actors. We cannot get into HR specifics, and this creates an information vacuum. Unfortunately bad actors looking to tell you “a story,” not THE story, want you to believe we haven’t taken harsh and decisive action against rogue employees. That’s absolutely false. And the bad actors know it. -We were asked about FBI priorities. The Director and I told Maria that the President, the Attorney General, the Director, and I are absolutely committed to getting your FBI back to its roots. We will make your communities safer. Illegal immigration ops, child sex crimes investigations, 764 cases, and violent criminal fugitive apprehensions are all on our expanding radar. And while America is enjoying the summer we are already planning a massive operation to clean up your streets. The counter-terror and counter-intell missions are critical and will continue at our customary high-tempo too. This is what you pay us for. God bless America, and all those who defend Her. If I read between the lines, here's what I'm seeing.... Dan and Kash are 100% compromised. I believe this is the deal that was reached (or perhaps more accurately said: imposed on them): They've been told certain things are off-limits, like the Epstein List will never come out.  They've also been given a job to white-wash the Epstein suicide and also to white-wash the Butler, PA fiasco. In exchange for those things that are off-limits, they will be allowed to do other things like shutting down the Hoover building and making a bunch of low-level arrests of drug dealers and sex predators.  They'll try to champion those things as mission accomplished, but none of the big stuff we all wanted will ever happen. That's my take. RELATED REPORT: Kash Patel and Dan Bongino Trust The FBI File On Jeffrey Epstein? You Kidding Me? Kash Patel and Dan Bongino are turning a lot of heads for many things they said on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. Something is definitely very off. First, let's watch the clip where Kash Patel says Epstein clearly killed himself and Dan Bongino chimes in at the end with "He killed himself, I've seen the file." Watch here: https://x.com/thequartering/status/1924170709359558997?s=46&t=fQPc05aE4Kkb738_xetJBg Backup here if needed: NEW: Kash Patel and Dan Bongino double down on Jeffrey Epstein claim, “He killed himself.” It’s the most infamous death of the century. And when Kash Patel told Maria Bartiromo he believed Epstein committed suicide, she pushed back. “You said Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide.… pic.twitter.com/oDRxJM7fA8 — Vigilant Fox (@VigilantFox) May 18, 2025 Let's just say almost NO ONE is believing them. I sure don't. I like(d) Kash, and I like(d) Dan, and I trust(ed) Kash and I trust(ed) Dan, but now I'm not so sure. This is one of the best comments I saw in response: I think that is spot on. I also have to completely agree with this guy who points out that the "FBI file" seems like a really weird place to look for evidence about the truth: Hey Dan, nobody likes a guy who walks in off the internet to tell you how to do your job but...Epstein’s FBI file seems like a really weird place to look for evidence of what may have happened. I mean, if he didn’t kill himself, that file is bound to be a crime scene all its own. https://t.co/iDH7vHE1AK pic.twitter.com/2veYl7GCUV — Bret Weinstein (@BretWeinstein) May 18, 2025 Come on Dan, you're better than that! Are you kidding me? Let's just assume for a second that Epstein did NOT in fact kill himself, and he was killed by our Government....do you really think the Government file would contain the truth? Dan, that doesn't even pass any basic logic of any kind! If the Government killed him, they surely would have doctored the file too, but you "saw the file" and now you're convinced? I'm just going to say this as plainly as I can:  Dan and Kash are either compromised or dumb beyond imagination, because there's no other way to square this information. Glenn Beck agrees, saying he knows and trusts Dan and Kash, but he smells a rat here. Watch here: Glenn Beck doesn't believe Kash Patel or Dan Bongino -- nor do I. pic.twitter.com/jLoVLNywgn — Noah Christopher (@DailyNoahNews) May 19, 2025 FULL TRANSCRIPT: Kash Patel and Bongino come out and they said a couple of things.Uh, they said that Epstein's death was suicide. Bongino came out and said,"I fully—I mean, I've seen it. You know it when you see it. It was suicide." Immediately I thought to myself, "I don't think so."However, I know Dan Bongino. I've known him for years.I think he's a credible guy. I think he loves his country.I know Kash Patel—not as well as I know Dan Bongino,but I know Kash Patel. I think he's an honorable guy. I think he loves his country.I know that they both work for Donald Trump.I know Donald Trump. I know that he loves his country.So wait—if I don't believe them, if I'm saying,"I don't believe that," just like I say,"I don't believe the prostate thing is new to the family,"I have no evidence of that. I have zero evidence of that. It's just what Stu said.I've been lied to over and over and over,especially from those people, about his health.So I—I—I just—I don't believe any of it. But that is—the key word is "believe."Believe. Not know—believe.I wanna show you—there are seven stages of an empire.We are in the last stage,and there's only two things that have to happen in that last stage. When I give it to you here in a minute,uh, I think it'll blow your mind.We have no trust at all in anything.If I don't believe Patel and Bongino,then do I believe Donald Trump? Do I believe that there's some conspiracy inside of MAGA?You see, where does this end?This is where critical thinking comes in.Critical thinking is something that is no longer taught. You have to ask yourself these questions.Instead of saying, "I don't believe it," ask questions.And here's the question I asked myself:"To believe Epstein killed himself, what is it I would need to seethat could be produced?" One: full, unredacted forensic and autopsy reports.I'd like to see it. I'd like to hear other coroners talk about it.I'd like to see other people—not just handpicked by the media—but I'd—I'd like to see the evidence myself.I'd like to hear from coroners all over. I'd like to see the surveillance footage,or sworn testimony from neutral parties confirming no foul play on that.I wanna know the history of that camera.I wanna know when it went out, exactly—and I know we do—but I want the whole thing, including the video leading up to it going out. I want a timeline that explains the broken cameras,the sleeping guards, and why the most high-profile prisoner in Americawas removed from suicide watch just days before.Why did that happen? You see, it is the string of coincidenceand the constant lies from both sides of the administration—both Republican and Democrat.We don't believe the Department of Justice anymore. We don't believe our FBI.We don't believe, apparently now, our own administration.That doesn't lead anywhere good.That's—let me just say the one name: Robespierre. That's what leads to out-of-control revolution.So instead of saying, "I don't believe it,"—which I don't.I don't believe it.But what would be much more helpful is— I want to see those things.I want to hear from Dan Bongino and say to him,"Dan, specifically what did you see?Because I know you. You didn't believe this either.So what is it? And show it to me. What did you specifically see that changed your mind?Because I wanna be there with you. I really do.So show it to me." Now with the FBI agents—the other story where they're trying to, you know, erase everybody's name that was involved—I want concrete threats of violence against specific agents.I don't want just general fear. Don't tell me that there are 5,000 agentsand they may not be able to prosecute them because of statute of limitations,and so they all just walk away and we're going to destroy their names.That's what's being asked: destroy that list. Why? General fear.I'm sorry, general fear is no longer good enough.Evidence that the list is incomplete or misused—show that to me,and you can make a case. Show me a legal or constitutional rationalefor why law enforcement that was involved in January 6thshould remain anonymous.Show that to me—a legal or constitutional rationale. Without any of that, that looks like self-pre—uh, um—preservationinstead of institutional transparency.I have to see things.I'm sorry, but we should all be Thomas. Need to put my finger in the hole. So....what do you think? What's going on with Kash and Dan?

Radical Lebanese preacher Mohamad Baajour has lived in the US for thirty years, preaching radical Islamist ideology. Baajour is a director at the East Plano Islamic Center in Texas [EPIC]. EPIC has been condemned for its extremism and sued for violating state securities laws. Originally founded by the Islamist Yasir Qadhi, its ideological agenda is […] The post Parliament Member Wants to Stop Radical Texas Islamist from Britain appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, the radical “ICE Watch” organization that she was working with is pushing to get more activists onto the streets. The ICE Watch groups, which organize activists to follow and obstruct federal immigration agents making arrests across the country, are trying to get more activists out onto the streets where the Trump administration has warned that they could put their lives in danger. On Saturday, thousands of activists participated in a church training in Roseville, Minnesota, where they were encouraged to annoy agents like “mosquitoes.” The group running the training session, Monarca, has scheduled six trainings since the shooting, all of which are “at capacity,” according to their website. One of the local Minneapolis ICE watch groups, known as “defendthe612,” held a training the day after the shooting “for anyone who wants to learn how to plug in and for those who have already been in the streets and can share lessons from that experience,” according to an Instagram post. “Practicing ICE Watch keeps our neighborhoods safer by ensuring people know their rights, have a plan, and know how to act in the event of targeting by ICE,” the post read. The group also organized a protest Friday night that later grew violent as rioters broke into a local hotel where they believed ICE agents were staying in Minneapolis. A Minnesota woman named Kristin Peter said Good was on the same ICE Watch team as one of her coworkers, the New York Post reported. And despite Good’s fatal interaction with law enforcement, the activists don’t seem deterred. Peter said she herself was planning to attend of the group’s meetings Thursday night — and Minneapolis ICE Watch member Flannery Clark told CNN she’s not stopping either. “We have to do what we can to protect our immigrant neighbors,” she said, adding that it’s “too dangerous” to block ICE. “We document and make sure that the families of people who are kidnapped can find them.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Defend the 612 (@defendthe612) Just hours after the shooting, an Instagram account called “ICEoutoftwinports” said “NEED BODIES” in response to apparent Homeland Security Investigations activity at a daycare in Duluth, Minnesota. Another post from the group that day asked “for people to SHOW UP in numbers” to an area where 100-200 agents were apparently spotted. “Show up, record, inform them of their right to remain silent and not sign anything! Please proceed with caution and do not interfere directly with any investigation unless you are willing to face potential legal consequences,” the group wrote.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by @iceoutoftwinports The organization has also been asking agitators to harass hotels in the hopes to get them to kick ICE agents out. View this post on Instagram   A post shared by @iceoutoftwinports And some have already acted on the instructions from “ICE Watch” organizations. Video captured by Fox News Friday showed Border Patrol agents warning two drivers against following them and impeding with their arrests in Minneapolis. “If I continually see you following us, interfering with us, honking your horn, blocking our cars, you have a very high probability of making a really bad decision and being arrested today,” a masked Border Patrol agent said to the first woman as she sat in her car. “I think I’m making exactly the right decision,” the woman responded. Good apparently joined one of the activist groups after learning about it through her 6-year-old son’s leftist charter school, which prides itself on “involving kids in political and social activism,” according to the New York Post. A mother named Leesa, whose child attends the same school, told the outlet that Good “was trained against these ICE agents” on “what to do, what not to do, it’s a very thorough training,” adding that the training included how “to listen to commands, to know your rights, to whistle when you see an ICE agent.” Good was killed after she appeared to be blocking a road ICE agents were trying to pass through. The officers could be heard in a video ordering her to get out of her vehicle, before she put it in reverse and then in drive. BREAKING: Alpha News has obtained cellphone footage showing perspective of federal agent at center of ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/p2wks0zew0 — Alpha News (@AlphaNews) January 9, 2026 One video appeared to show the ICE officer take a hit as he was standing in front of the car before shots were fired. ? BREAKING: Was just sent a video showing the moments before the shooting. In it, you can clearly see Renee Good’s vehicle blocking ICE agents for over 3 minutes as she’s dancing to her own car horn. Kinda ruins some narratives, doesn’t it? pic.twitter.com/aXtiTjAtF9 — Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) January 10, 2026 Video taken minutes before appeared to show Good repeatedly honking her horn as her car blocked the road and she danced to the loud noise from the driver’s seat. “I’m not happy that this woman was there at a protest violating the law by interfering with a law enforcement action. I think that we can all recognize that the best way to turn down the temperature is to tell people to take their concerns about immigration policy to the ballot box,” Vice President JD Vance said during a press conference Thursday. “Stop assaulting and stop inciting violence against our law enforcement officers. That’s the best way to take down the temperature,” he said.

On My Shelf helps you get to know various writers through a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their lives as readers. I asked Stephen O. Presley—senior fellow for religion and public life at the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy (CRCD) and the author of several books, including Biblical Theology in the Life of the Early Church: Recovering an Ancient Vision—about what’s on his bedside table, his favorite fiction, the books he regularly revisits, and more. What’s on your nightstand right now? While my formal academic training is in early Christian studies, my research and writing have expanded to include the broader questions of Christian cultural engagement. On my nightstand right now are a few books assessing the sobering state of the church. One is Christian Smith’s newest work, Why Religion Went Obsolete, a kind of state-of-the-union address for the modern church struggling with the turbulent cultural shifts of recent decades. Smith’s sociological analysis argues that traditional religion isn’t merely declining but increasingly irrelevant to public life. I’m also reading Ryan Burge’s The Vanishing Church, which echoes several of these concerns. What’s clear across these studies is that the church in the West is undergoing dramatic transitions, both in its denominational character and in its relationship to the surrounding culture. What are your favorite fiction books? When it comes to fiction, I’ve always been drawn to stories connected to places I’ve lived or visited, especially those that explore spiritual themes. Every year, I visit Savannah, Georgia, as part of CRCD’s student programs—the city where Flannery O’Connor spent her childhood. Walking its beautiful streets with Spanish moss eerily dangling from the trees provides the perfect backdrop for imagining her Southern-Gothic short stories and novels. My favorite, The Violent Bear It Away, weaves together profound religious themes with dramatic narrative force. When I lived in Kentucky, I wasn’t far from the places that inspired Wendell Berry’s fictional town of Port William. I can still remember driving the winding roads of the Bluegrass State, thinking about the lives of Hannah Coulter and Jayber Crow, or taking in the scenery that shaped Berry’s poetry, such as his Sabbath poems in A Timbered Choir. Growing up in Texas, I’ve appreciated novels like Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory and Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, which resonate with the culture and landscapes of South Texas and Mexico. During my doctoral program, I lived in St. Andrews, Scotland, and turned to reading books set in the United Kingdom or written by influential British authors such as J. K. Rowling, Ian Rankin, and especially C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Sitting in The Elephant House near the High Street in Edinburgh with a view of Edinburgh Castle—where Rowling reportedly began writing the Harry Potter series—was deeply inspiring, as was dining at Oxford’s Eagle and Child, the historic meeting place of the Inklings, the informal literary group that included Lewis and Tolkien. And though these aren’t strictly fiction, my years in the U.K. also prompted me to read many of Bill Bryson’s travel literature, especially A Walk in the Woods, The Lost Continent, and Notes from a Small Island, which capture, with wit and insight, the peculiarities of life in both America and Britain. What biographies or autobiographies have most influenced you and why? The most influential biographies in my life have been the stories of early Christian lives that deeply informed my books on patristic exegesis and cultural engagement. I argued that we live in a moment strikingly similar to the pluralistic world of the ancient Roman Empire, which makes the early Christian accounts of faithfulness and martyrdom so compelling. In the initial years of the church’s ministry, what mattered most was not only what Christians believed but how their beliefs took shape in their lives. In the words of Rodney Stark in The Rise of Christianity, the secret to the triumph of church “was the way [its] doctrines took on actual flesh.” In the initial years of the church’s ministry, what mattered most was not only what Christians believed but how their beliefs took shape in their lives. Bryan Litfin has written two good introductions to these early Christian lives: Getting to Know the Church Fathers and Early Christian Martyr Stories. Michael Haykin also has a good introduction to important early Christian lives: Rediscovering the Church Fathers. Ancient works such as Athanasius’s Life of Antony and Augustine’s Confessions offer firsthand accounts of faith and fortitude amid cultural diversity and moral confusion. Augustine’s candid portrayal of his sin and conversion remains vivid and timeless. I also enjoy reading the works and stories of people, both ancient and modern, with whom I have genuine disagreements, including theologians such as Marcion and Arius. I’ve found I often learn a great deal by engaging conflicting narratives and listening carefully to those who whom I have deep disagreements. A good example in the modern context is the spiritual journey of Gnostic scholar Elaine Pagels. Though I approach Christianity from a very different perspective, her books, such as Beyond Belief and Why Religion?, help sharpen my own understanding of Scripture and doctrine and challenge me to think carefully about how to communicate faithfully in a world often resistant to the gospel. I love modern biographies as well. I’m currently reading Tommy Kidd’s biography of Ben Franklin and appreciate the clarity of his prose and the way he weaves together Franklin’s history and theology. It’s a rare combination among historians. I also enjoy the humorous memoirs of Harrison Scott Key, especially The World’s Largest Man and How to Stay Married. The latter story is among the most profound accounts of marital faithfulness I have ever read. As a child of evangelicalism, I must also mention Andrew Peterson’s Adorning the Dark and The God of the Garden, which recount his rise to stardom and struggles of faithfulness amid the burgeoning Christian subculture of the 1990s. His spiritual journey stirred a deep sense of nostalgia in me as he described youth group life, the music of Rich Mullins, the chaos of church lock-ins, the quirks of evangelical worship, and the slow, steady growth of the love of God through it all. What are some books you regularly reread and why? I often return to many of the books I mentioned above, but I also regularly revisit the classic works of church history, books that have shaped the trajectory of Christian theology for centuries. Augustine’s City of God, Martin Luther’s On the Freedom of a Christian, and Jonathan Edwards’s Religious Affections are among the most influential in my own life. I also reread books that help refine the craft of research and writing. As Helen Sword argues in Air & Light & Time & Space, most academics receive little training in the art of writing, which is why so much academic prose becomes needlessly dense and cumbersome. I’ve read widely on the writing life, but I keep returning to a few favorites. Cal Newport’s Deep Work and Slow Productivity remind me of the value of a disciplined and sustainable writing routine; Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird offers a gentle, honest reflection on the frustrations and joys of getting thoughts down on the page; and Roy P. Clark’s Murder Your Darlings, which I’ve reread many times, serves as a kind of “greatest hits” of writing advice. I’ve tracked down most of the books he recommends. What books have most profoundly shaped how you serve and lead others for the sake of the gospel? Since my time in seminary, the church fathers have been constant companions. I still remember reading Irenaeus’s Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching and being amazed by the way he weaves the biblical story together around Christ. I was also struck by his description of the faith, his rule of faith, that expressed many of the same fundamental convictions I held. That sense of continuity strengthened my own faith in ways I didn’t expect. Augustine’s On Christian Teaching has likewise shaped the way I interpret Scripture; his guidance on reading the Bible has often been more helpful to me than many modern books on the subject. These early Christian texts, along with others I discuss in my own work, offer profound wisdom for ministering in a world still “groping for God” (see Acts 17:27). Augustine’s guidance on reading the Bible has often been more helpful to me than many modern books on the subject. More recently, I’ve been shaped by books that diagnose our current cultural moment and help us imagine faithful paths forward. I’ve mentioned a few already, but others include Nonverts and The Great Dechurching. Like skilled physicians, these authors help us discern the condition of the church in our age. Carl Trueman’s writings, along with the philosophical insights of Charles Taylor and Alasdair MacIntyre, have given me a conceptual framework for understanding many of our cultural challenges. James Davison Hunter’s works, especially To Change the World and Democracy and Solidarity, have also been formative in helping me think about how Christians can live faithfully today. What’s one book you wish every pastor would read? In my church history classes, I always required Gregory the Great’s On Pastoral Rule. This is one that pastors should read often and regularly; it has timeless wisdom for pastoral care. In an age of upheaval, we need pastors willing to remain committed to the essential features of pastoral ministry. For any readers who are familiar with Gregory, I would recommend Andrew Purves’s Pastoral Theology in the Classical Tradition, which distills the best of the insights of pastoral ministry in the history of Christian thought with wisdom from great theologians such as John Chrysostom and Richard Baxter. What’s your best piece of writing advice? Next to my desk is a quote from the opening lines of Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art: “There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write.” The whole book is fun and centers on the discipline required to push through resistance and establish a regular writing rhythm. I also appreciate the old dictum “Not a day without a line,” which goes back to Pliny but has been repeated by many writers since. Authors like Stephen King (see On Writing) and Lamott likewise emphasize the importance of cultivating a daily writing routine. Writing, after all, is less about inspiration and more about dedication to the craft; there is simply no shortcut around the struggle of the writing process. What are you learning about life and following Jesus? In recent years, my writing has emphasized the importance of sanctification and Christian virtue. I am increasingly convinced that we are living in a time when Christians must learn—or relearn—what it means to live the Christian life. In an age marked by religious diversity and dominated by secular mores, the church is too often weakened by scandals or by leaders who use their institutional positions to build personal platforms rather than focusing on serving the people of God. The church desperately needs Christians who recover a deep commitment to the people of God and the spiritual life. My abiding prayer for the church is that Christians would live such good lives among the pagans that they “see [our] good works and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Pet. 2:12).

'Are you Latino?' or 'Are you Somali?'