Conservatives Should Stop Embracing Liberals Just Because They Say Something We Like

Is America a 'Failed Historical Model'&;#63;

from The Salty Cracker:  TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

BREAKING: O’Keefe Media Uncovers who is really running the White House. Undercover cameras catch Special Advisor @SBAgov call former @facebook Board Member @WHCOS @ZientsJeff27574 “the second most powerful person in Washington” where “whatever this guy says‚ it’s what the… pic.twitter.com/vLeollXEFX — James O'Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) April 17‚ 2024

by Eric Zuesse‚ The Duran: The U.S. regime’s aggressive intent against China is now undeniable. There was much concern‚ in international circles‚ about the the U.S. Government’s recent efforts to open a NATO office in Tokyo so as to extend its military alliance against Russia to become also a military alliance against China. When that […]

by Stefan Stanford‚ All News Pipeline: Joe Biden has proven to be a puppet of the Chinese‚ Russian‚ and Ukrainian oligarchs—a true Manchurian Candidate. Hunter Biden‚ Joe Biden’s princeling‚ raked in millions of dollars at arm’s length from Uncle Joe for the Biden crime family from adversaries for no credible business reason. Why&;#63; The purpose was to gain access to […]

A Prayer for the Door that Was ClosedBy Lynette Kittle &;quot;Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you&;quot; – Matthew 7:7 If you've been around cats much‚ you've probably noticed how they don't like closed doors. Cats can have every door in a home opened to them except one‚ and it will be the door they sit in front of and plead to be opened‚ even seemingly devising ways to get through it. Still‚ before criticizing cats for their fixation on a closed door‚ consider human nature. Doesn't it sound familiar‚ like a garden full of lavish fruit except for one forbidden tree&;#63; Instead of enjoying all the other fruit in the garden‚ Adam and Eve wanted to taste fruit from the one and only off-limits tree. When we're faced with a closed door‚ it might be beneficial for us to consider both Adam and Eve's story‚ and maybe even cats‚ too‚ because God sometimes reveals truth to us through them. What Makes a Closed Door Seem So Irresistible&;#63;Although I didn't observe Adam and Eve's reasoning firsthand in the Garden‚ I have observed our cat‚ Panda's‚ behavior concerning a closed door. She could go into any room in our house except the garage‚ yet she would sit for hours in front of it‚ meowing at the door and pleading with us to open it for her. Not knowing how cats think‚ I'm wondering if Panda thought of it as a wonderful‚ mysterious place to go. Of course‚ as a cat‚ she didn't possess our knowledge and understanding of the dangers it held for a small kitty like herself‚ such as sharp tools‚ cars driving in and out‚ and escaping into the wild outdoors. Listening to her sit there for hours crying to go through the closed door‚ when she had every other door in the house open to her reminded me of myself at times. How often‚ when the door closes on what we consider a great prospect in our lives‚ whether it's a new house‚ relationship‚ job‚ or position‚ does it become the primary thing we choose to think about‚ even fixating on it and spending all our time dwelling on it&;#63; Closed Doors Don't Mean We Aren't Loved We closed the door to Panda because we love her and want to protect and keep her safe. Yet‚ when God does the same for us‚ it's often hard for us to believe He loves us. Rather‚ we tread through feelings of distraught‚ disappointment‚ heartache‚ and hopelessness at losing an opportunity. Sometimes‚ we even blame God or hold Him responsible for withholding good from us. But Psalm 84:11 describes how‚ &;quot;For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.&;quot; So perhaps‚ like Panda‚ at times we're unknowingly asking God to open a door that could lead to destruction and cause more pain than we can imagine. So is it a lack of faith and trust in God to dwell on closed doors and question His leading in our lives&;#63; Like we wish Panda would trust us and accept the closed door for her own good‚ God wants us to do the same. Instead of letting regret torment us with the &;quot;why nots&;quot; of losing an opportunity‚ we should rather choose to walk away from closed doors‚ trusting His wisdom in the situation‚ knowing that He loves us and has better plans for us. In facing a closed door‚ we can choose to turn and walk away‚ believing that if God had wanted it for us‚ it would have opened. And if He didn't want it opened‚ then it's for our good. God Understands the Significance of Opened and Closed DoorsGod understands‚ too‚ the importance of open and closed doors. In John 10:9‚ Jesus tells us He is the door‚ and whoever enters through Him will be saved. So the doors we enter through can have eternal consequences. As Jesus proclaims in Revelation 3:20‚ &;quot;Here I am&;#33; I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door‚ I will come in and eat with that person‚ and they with Me. Let's pray:  Dear Father‚ Thank you for the closed doors in my life‚ because I know if they had been in your plans‚ You would have opened them to me. Forgive me for not trusting closed doors to You and for doubting Your love for me‚ even at times blaming You for my missed opportunities. As well‚ help me to forgive those I've believed closed those doors‚ seeing they were led by You in their decision-making‚ even if they believed it was their own doing. Help me to truly believe what Genesis 50:20 explains concerning other people's actions towards me. &;quot;You intended to harm me‚ but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done‚ the saving of many lives.&;quot;In Jesus' name‚ Amen Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Aliaksandra Ivanova / EyeEm Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith‚ marriage‚ parenting‚ relationships‚ and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family‚ Decision‚ Today's Christian Woman‚ kirkcameron.com‚ Ungrind.org‚ StartMarriageRight.com‚ and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week‚ she gives you practical‚ real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day‚ click below&;#33; Now that you’ve prayed‚ are you in need of someone to pray for YOU&;#63; Click the button below&;#33; Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for the Door That Was Closed – Your Daily Prayer – April 18 appeared first on GodUpdates.

How to build an authentic faith community April 18 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. – &;gt;James 5:16 A cowboy was driving down a dirt road late one night in his pickup truck with his horse riding in the trailer behind. He failed to negotiate a curve and his truck tipped over and landed in a ditch‚ knocking the cowboy unconscious. Several minutes later‚ he awoke to the flashing lights of a highway patrol officer. The officer walked up to the horse‚ saw his leg was broken‚ and did what only he could do. He pulled out his service revolver and put the horse out of his misery. The cowboy heard everything and felt terrible about losing his horse. But more painful was what he felt from his own leg‚ which was surely broken. The officer walked up to the cowboy and asked‚ &;quot;Are you okay&;#63;&;quot; The cowboy took a look at the smoking revolver in the trooper's hands and quickly replied‚ &;quot;Never felt better&;#33;&;quot; That story is a picture of a stark reality for many Christians. They walk around broken. And yet when they're asked by a fellow believer how they're doing‚ they put on their best Sunday school smile and say‚ &;quot;Good&;#33;&;quot; The Christian life is meant to be lived among believers who are open and honest about what's really going on. So don't ever feel like you have to put on a happy face. Find someone you can trust‚ share what's really going on‚ and you'll build an authentic community of faith around you. Prayer Challenge Pray that God will help you to open yourself up to other believers and build an authentic community of faith with others. Questions for Thought Why do you think it's so difficult to take that first step of being very honest and sharing your hurts and struggles with someone&;#63; Who is one person this week to whom you can open up and be honest about what's going on in your life&;#63; Visit the Senior Living Ministries website Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post How to Build an Authentic Faith Community – Senior Living – April 18 appeared first on GodUpdates.

April 18‚ 2024 Quit Telling Yourself ThatMEGHAN MELLINGER Lee en espa&;ntilde;ol &;quot;Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world‚ but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you‚ which is good and pleasing and perfect.&;quot; Romans 12:2 (NLT) &;quot;I am tired of being tired.&;quot; The words spilled out of my mouth like the tears from my eyes. Here I was‚ yet again‚ in what had become my default state: weary and worn. Something had to change. While I couldn't change my circumstances‚ I could control what I was thinking about my circumstances. So I decided to do some digging into the depths of my mind: What was I actually telling myself&;#63; I'm a pretty positive‚ upbeat person‚ but my investigation felt like a walk through a haunted house - uncovering a new terrifying thought around every corner. On days I woke up with a no-end-in-sight workload awaiting me‚ I'd tell myself: You've never handled stress well‚ so it looks like today is going to be awful&;#33; Congrats&;#33; Then I'd hit the snooze button. When I struggled to make progress toward a goal‚ I'd tell myself: What's the point&;#63; You're not going to achieve this - you don't have what it takes. When I wondered where and how I might meet my future husband‚ I'd tell myself: At this point‚ it's looking pretty impossible. Can you be a “cat lady” if you’re allergic&;#63; Yikes. No wonder I wasn't doing well. The things I was telling myself weren't offering hope or help. I have a feeling I'm not alone. What are you telling yourself&;#63; Break out your journal‚ laptop or phone‚ and do your own investigation. Notice some themes in what you tell yourself on a daily basis‚ and write them down‚ bringing your thoughts to light. Why are you telling yourself that&;#63; Where do your thoughts come from&;#63; A past hurt&;#63; A friend&;#63; A fear&;#63; Your experiences and relationships can influence your thoughts‚ but they don't have to have the final say. What can you tell yourself instead&;#63; Romans 12:2 says God makes us new by transforming our minds: &;quot;Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world‚ but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you‚ which is good and pleasing and perfect.&;quot; We can change the way we think by allowing the Holy Spirit to rewire our old thoughts with empowering‚ helpful and truth-filled thoughts instead. Here are a few God-centered thoughts you can borrow today: I have an all-powerful God who wants to help me and whose Spirit is always available to me‚ anytime‚ anywhere. I have an identity in God that isn't dependent on my performance‚ achievements‚ job or relationship status. I have a relational God who loves me unconditionally and still chooses me even with my imperfections. Jesus‚ what I tell myself impacts my well-being and the overall direction of my life. Transform my mind so the thoughts I have reflect who I truly am‚ whose I am‚ and whose power I have within me. In Jesus' Name‚ Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS Are your days feeling jam-packed&;#63; Do you find yourself racing around from the minute your alarm clock goes off until bedtime many hours later&;#63; Lysa TerKeurst understands these struggles. But here's what she's come to learn: Experiencing the kind of rest we long for won’t come from escapism‚ more vacation days or stuffing our feelings. It's Jesus Himself who provides rest to our weary souls. In the new devotional‚ Clear Mind‚ Peaceful Heart: 50 Devotions for Sleeping Well in a World Full of Worry‚ Lysa and other Proverbs 31 Ministries writers will help you find relief from the stress of daily obligations and pressures‚ by incorporating the Bible into your nightly routine. Purchase your copy here&;#33; ENGAGE For more from Meghan‚ connect with her on Instagram @megswritesthings. FOR DEEPER STUDY 2 Corinthians 10:5‚ &;quot;We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God‚ and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ&;quot; (NIV). Scripture and science both agree: We can change our thoughts. Just because we've had the same thoughts for a long time does not mean that's the way it always has to be&;#33; We are not held captive by our thoughts; we have the power in Jesus‚ through the Holy Spirit‚ to hold our thoughts captive&;#33; What is one thought you can quit telling yourself today&;#63; Share with us in the comments&;#33; © 2024 by Meghan Mellinger. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews‚ NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Quit Telling Yourself That – Encouragement for Today – April 18‚ 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.