Search the Community

REMEMBER, no one really knows what will happen, or when. They're simply stating their opinions based on what they perceive to be happening in Iraq... So, take everything with a grain of salt ... RON Pimpy Even with Kuwait 90% of their budget is on the sale of oil. Where Iraq gets hurt and Kuwait doesn’t, if the oil prices dropped. That’s what happened at the end of 2019 and 2020. Their [Iraq’s]…economy was going to crash. They had to devalue the currency and it saved them. With Kuwait, that’s not going to happen. Their Wealth Fund is something they can fall back on…Iraq cannot do that…Iraq is going to get there no doubt about it…We want it to go up in increments and keep the same currency we have… Sandy Ingram Kuwait, is a country that successfully revalued its currency in the early 90s. Following the Gulf War Kuwait's economy was in ruins, yet within a short span the Kuwaiti dinar was reinstated as one of the most valuable currencies in the world...Unlike Iraq, Kuwait had a relatively stable political environment and a resilient economy backed by vast oil reserves. The international community had faith in Kuwait's ability to rebuild and stabilize which facilitated the revaluation process...A stable political environment, a strong economy, a positive balance of trade and the trust of the international markets are all critical ingredients for successful revaluation. It's not a magic wand...

REMEMBER, no one really knows what will happen, or when. They're simply stating their opinions based on what they perceive to be happening in Iraq... So, take everything with a grain of salt ... RON Pimpy Iraq has experienced multiple devaluations and revaluations of the currency...From 1988 to currently where we are these are the major events that affected currency. 1988 the IQD as introduced. This was replacing the IQP (Iraqi pound). This was done at a fixed rate of 1 to 1. You could exchange your IQP straight across 1 for 1 for the Iraqi dinar (IQD). 1990 when Bush went to war with Iraq of course the gulf war caused significant devaluation of the IQD. The currency lost about 80% of its value against the US dollar. You could exchange 1 Iraqi dinar for $0.31 cents US. [Post 1 of 3] Pimpy The funny thing is I would take that right about now because I have about four or five million Iraqi dinars. If it jumped up to $0.31, woo, I'd be happy with that because I'd get over a million dollars back. 1995 the IQD was officially pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of 1 IQD for $2.85 USD. 2003 we know the US led an invasion of Iraq...This led to economic instability and currency fluctuations. The Iraqi dinar was devalued to around 1 IQD for $1.30 USD, then to pennies...Got rid of the ones with the faces of Saddam Hussein... 1 new IQD was equivalent to 1,000 old IQDs (3,000 to $1US). In 2012 (before 2012) the central bank...allowed the IQD to float freely. This led to a significant devaluation of the currency with the IQD losing 20% of its value.(this is a gross misrepresentation - The CBI lowered the value several times since late 2020...see chart: https://tradingeconomics.com/iraq/currency select "all" )..[Post 2 of 3..stay tuned] Pimpy 2014 IQD experienced another devaluation. This time it was due to the decline in oil prices and conflict with ISIS. The currency lost about 15% of its value against the USD. [Later] the CBI implemented a new exchange regime allowing the IQD to float freely against the basket of currencies. I think a lot of what Pimple wroth was from memory - again, check the chart. This led to further devaluation of the currency with the IQD losing another 10% of its value against the US dollar and then not even a year later to turn around and...increase the value of the Iraqi dinar exchange rate...So yeah at one time the Iraqi dinar was more valuable than the US dollar. Do I think it can get there again? Of course I believe that absolutely but there are hurdles that Iraq has to get over. [Post 3 of 3] 12-26-2023 Newshound/Intel Guru Walkingstick At what rate will the IQD go into the [Middle East] basket? I don't know...This is an RI. This is the reinstatement phase. The goal is to reinstate the value that the Iraqi dinar once was proud of...It's a reinstatement to get to the Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER) to a float. The key is to let them get to that number.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/june-21-2023 June 21, 2023 The Cape Henry Assignment The past four days - beginning Friday in Ohio, then to Virginia Beach and Cape Henry, and finally, home late last night, Monday - have been a whirlwind for me, almost a blur. As I write this post today, Tuesday, I am trying to process all that has taken place. (The posts are always written and recorded the day before their release.) And I want to begin by thanking the thousands of you who joined us in prayer during these significant four days. The time at Cape Henry on Monday morning was very strong and deeply moving. I was joined by Jay Comiskey and Greg Hood. Standing on the shores where Robert Hunt and his fellow worshipers planted the cross in 1607 always touches something deep in my heart. That day began a new chapter in Earth’s history: God began His work of raising up a booming trumpet for the Gospel of the Kingdom, the good news of Jesus Christ’s redemption and rule. He also announced His purpose for this nation, a nation that was still in seed form, and recorded it in heaven and on earth. Hell and all those aligned with her have sought to silence this voice of spiritual and natural freedom. And though the voice is currently weak, at times barely a whisper, it remains. And America’s voice is being restored. I am reminded of Christ’s words in Matthew 12:20: “A bent reed He will not break, And a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish, until He leads justice to victory” (NASB). The great Passion Translation says, “He won’t brush aside the bruised and broken. He will be gentle with the weak and feeble, until His victory releases justice.” Jesus was quoting Isaiah 42:3, a prophetic reference to Himself. His heart has not changed; He is still fanning the sparks of smoking wicks and nursing wounded reeds. His mercy endures forever. As we stood on the shores of Cape Henry, agreeing with Holy Spirit’s words through Robert Hunt, we knew we were blowing on the remaining spark of America’s destiny and applying the healing oil of Christ to her wounded soul. We read from the dream in which we were told to “command the foreword,” and then did so, reading Hunt’s prayer, dedication, declaration, and Psalm 22:27-28, which he also quoted. We also commanded the “Foreword” inscribed on the Liberty Bell, whose sound waves pierced the heavens on the day of America’s formal birth, July 4th, 1776: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land to all the inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus 25:10). As I have stated on previous posts, this was a verse describing the Year of Jubilee, an ordinance in Israel that forgave all debts and restored liberty to all, which was fulfilled by Christ, our Jubilee. America’s destiny is to partner with Christ, proclaiming to all the world the freedom offered in Him. We commanded the words of the Mayflower Compact, written in 1620: “For the glory of God and advancements of the Christian faith.” We commanded the words spoken by John Winthrop on March 21, 1630, describing America as “a city on a hill,” a phrase taken from Christ’s words in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:14). No less than 14 U.S. Presidents have quoted Winthrop and this verse in reference to America. We commanded from the Declaration of Independence - its four references to God and an appeal to Him for help. All of these decrees at Cape Henry on Monday morning were laced with other Scriptures, along with spontaneous prayers and declarations inspired by Holy Spirit. We honored those who have gone before us, and we honored our Lord Jesus Christ, taking communion there on this sacred ground. After partaking in communion, we performed a prophetic act, pouring juice and placing a piece of bread in the sand, declaring that the blood of Jesus is cleansing our land and returning us to our destiny. A memorable day, indeed. But it wasn’t over. I went back to Virginia Beach, the headquarters of CBN, Regent University, The 700 Club, and other international ministries founded by Pat Robertson, in order to attend his memorial service. Hundreds of leaders from around the world were there to honor this great man. It was extraordinary, celebrative yet very moving, and conducted with true dignity and excellence. I was impacted by all that was said and done, but throughout the entire service kept being reminded of how Pat Robertson, a descendent of Robert Hunt, had been used to literally fulfill Hunt’s “Foreword” of 1607. Hundreds of millions of people around the world have heard the Gospel through The 700 Club, with perhaps as many as a billion of them praying to receive Christ. The Gospel has literally gone from there to the entire earth. It was incredibly moving and very humbling to be present at the honoring and celebration of this great man’s life and legacy. How appropriate that on this day, we had gone to the place where his calling actually began four centuries ago, and commanded it into America once again. I’m sure a couple of men in “The Cloud of Witnesses” - Hunt and Robertson - were smiling. We must now move this “foreword” forward. No pun intended. We must finish our assignment of seeing America healed and restored through a Third Great Awakening. This voice of the Gospel - America - must be strong in the days ahead. We, Christ’s Ekklesia, have been commissioned to this cause. By God’s grace, the authority of Christ, and the help of Holy Spirit, we will not fail. In the words of the great hymn, written by Martin Luther and sung at Robertson‘s celebration service: “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe, does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. “Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and He must win the battle. “And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him. “That Word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; His Kingdom is forever!”(1) Pray with me: Father, our prayer today is that we would be found faithful, worthy of the legacy left to us by Christ and those gone before us. May the Church of Jesus Christ in this nation find its voice once again, releasing that voice with the thunderous strength and power of Holy Spirit. Rend the heavens and come down! Display Your awesome strength and glory. Heal and restore this land, regardless of what it takes. We will not fear the shaking, for our Kingdom cannot be shaken. Give us the strategies we need with which to fulfill our role and the wisdom to implement them with Your understanding and counsel. The greater One, Holy Spirit, is in us; we will listen to Him! All this is for You, Father, for Yours is the Kingdom, and power, and the glory, forever. Amen. Our decree: We decree that we, the Ekklesia, will fulfill the purposes of God in our generation. (Acts 13:36) ********************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. _______________________________ Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, [A Bulwark Never Failing], written in 1529. Public Domain.

7 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/may-1-2023 May 1, 2023 America’s Christian Heritage After sharing several posts last week on the importance of history, the synergy of the ages, placing ourselves in the storyline, and the Appeal To Heaven flag, it seems appropriate to quote from some of America’s history. Sometimes we “move on” too quickly. The following prayers and quotes are from some of America’s Founders and Presidents. The following prayer was “adapted from Washington’s Circular Letter to the States, which he wrote on June 8, 1783, as the commander in chief, at his headquarters in Newburgh, New York. This circular was directed to the governors and states of the new nation. His reference to them has been replaced by the words ‘the United States.’ Otherwise, the words and the spellings are those of General George Washington of the Continental Army.” “I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have the United States in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristics of the Devine Author of our blessed Religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation. Amen.”(1) On June 28, 1787, when our framers were struggling to agree on a suitable Constitution, Benjamin Franklin - considered one of the least spiritual of the Founders - made the following statement. His appeal began the practice of opening sessions of Congress with prayer: (I have included the entire Proclamation for you, although I won’t read it all today.) “The small progress we have made after four or five weeks of close attendance & continual reasonings with each other -- our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ays, is methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the Human Understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those Republics, which having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution now no longer exist. And we have viewed the Modern States all around Europe, but find none of their Constitutions suitable to our circumstances. “In this situation of this Assembly groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for Divine Protection. -- Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a Superintending providence in our favor. To that kind providence, we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His assistance? “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth -- that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without [H]is notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without [H]is aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings that "except the Lord build they labor in vain that build it." I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without [H]is concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a bye word down to future age. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human Wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest. “I, therefore, beg leave to move -- that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the Clergy of this City be requested to officiate in that service.” (2) Abraham Lincoln wrote the following proclamation to Americans on March 30, 1863: (I have included the entire speech for you, although I won’t read it all today.) “Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation: “And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord: “And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness. “Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion. “All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace. “In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.” (3) In 1911, the year before he was elected president, Woodrow Wilson assured the listeners that he was right with the Lord, and said: "America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness, which are derived from the revelations of Holy Scripture. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have a very simple thing to ask of you. I ask of every man and woman in this audience that from this night on they will realize that part of the destiny of America lies in their daily perusal of this great book of revelations -- that if they would see America free and pure they will make their own spirits free and pure by this baptism of the Holy Scripture." (4) On one of his famous radio addresses, FDR said the following: "No greater thing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of religion -- a revival that would sweep through the homes of the nation and stir the hearts of men and women of all faiths to a reassertion of their belief in God and their dedication to His will for themselves and for their world. I doubt if there is any problem -- social, political, or economic -- that would not melt away before the fire of such a spiritual awakening." (5) And finally, President Harry Truman, in a 1950 speech before a conference on law enforcement, said: "THE FUNDAMENTAL basis of this nation's law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings which we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, Isaiah, and St. Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days. "If we don't have the proper fundamental moral background, we will finally wind up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for anybody except the state." (6) Selah - pause and think about that one! So much for the revisionist attempts to steal our Christian heritage. It is there, and it will remain. Put yourself in the storyline, agree with these leaders - help create the synergy of the ages, and appeal to heaven. It still works. Pray with me: Father, this week during which America will honor a National Day of Prayer, we look back at our beginning and thank You. Thank You for righteous women and men who believed Your Word, honored the gospel of Christ, and realized that unless You built America, they - and we - labored in vain. Though their words have been dishonestly and shamefully hidden, they are on record and alive in Heaven. We honor these words, agree with them, and declare them over America today. You told Jeremiah his words, given to him by You, would “pluck up…break down…destroy…overthrow…build and plant” (Jeremiah 1:10). Surely our Spirit-led words, authorized by Jesus, can do the same. You said Your Words are Spirit and life (John 6:63), a spiritual sword (Ephesians 6:17), and seeds that birth and bear fruit (Mark 4:14; 1 Peter 1:23). Therefore… Our decree: We boldly decree today: America was birthed by God for His purposes, those purposes are alive and well, and America shall be saved! *********************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. ________________________________ https://www.mountvernon.org/the-estate-gardens/the-tombs/george-washingtons-prayer-for-his-country/ Franklin, Benjamin. “Constitutional Convention Address on Prayer.” June 28, 1787. Philadelphia, PA. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=lincoln;rgn=div1;view=text;idno=lincoln6;node=lincoln6:336 https://www.pureflix.com/insider/5-founding-fathers-and-presidents-powerful-quotes-about-god-prayer?hs_amp=true https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1986/09/21/fdr-invoked-god-too/741f9d68-057c-4bf3-b0be-6faca4c8e2ef/ https://www.pureflix.com/insider/5-founding-fathers-and-presidents-powerful-quotes-about-god-prayer?hs_amp=true

6 min read April 27, 2023 Yesterday, I told you that I would be sharing a dream with you today. I’m not. I am deferring to Ceci, who insisted that I needed to share the story of when the Appeal to Heaven flag was first presented to me. In that chapter of my book, An Appeal to Heaven, I include some of the flag’s history. She felt that the dream which I will share tomorrow would have much more meaning after hearing this, especially to those who may be new to the story. A Flag Reborn My discovery of the Appeal to Heaven flag occurred in May of 2013. I was at the graduation ceremony of Christ For the Nations Institute. As the Executive Director at the time, it was my responsibility to choose the commencement speaker. I chose one of my spiritual sons, not because he’s a great preacher, but because he isn’t a preacher at all. Will is a military man, a JAG attorney (at the time; now retired) for a branch of our Special Forces with the rank of Major. I chose a soldier as our commencement speaker because I wanted our graduates to know they did not have to be a pastor or preacher in order to minister for God. At the end of his commencement address, however, Will threw me a bit of a curve. “I believe the Lord has asked me to give a special gift to Papa Dutch,” he said. I wasn’t sure I liked this, not wanting the emphasis to move from the graduates to me. But he had the microphone - what could I do but trust him? “Before I give you the gift,” he said, “I need to explain the history behind it. It’s a replica of a flag displayed by George Washington and America’s Founding Fathers. This flag was actually used before the Stars and Stripes existed. In many ways, it is the banner under which America was born,” he explained. This fact does nothing to dishonor “Old Glory” - I display her proudly and still tear up during the Pledge of Allegiance. Nonetheless, the symbolism of this earlier flag is extremely important. “This banner has the phrase ‘An Appeal To Heaven’ across the top,” he continued (the original version didn’t have the word “An”), “a phrase our Founders took from the writings of John Locke, an influential English philosopher from the mid-1600s. Locke wrote a series of papers on ‘Natural Laws,’ stating that human rights originated with God, not with government.” (1) Locke made the case that when people had done everything humanly possible to experience those God-given rights and failed in doing so, there remained but one option: “And where the body of the people or any single man, is deprived of their right, or is under the exercise of a power without right, and have no appeal on earth, then they have a liberty to appeal to heaven…” (2) Will continued, “Locke’s phrase, ‘appeal to heaven,’ connotes that when all resources and the ability to attain justice on earth are exhausted, an appeal to earth’s ultimate Judge is the final recourse. This concept would become a foundational philosophy in American society, used even in the Declaration of Independence.” (3) George Washington and his contemporaries used the Appeal to Heaven phrase in America’s cause for freedom from Britain’s tyranny. Having exhausted all peaceful possibilities of experiencing the liberty they so desired, the colonists realized their only hope for freedom was through war. Yet with Britain’s great military, weaponry, and wealth, contrasted by the colonist’s dire lack of these resources, any military attempt to break free from British rule was preposterous, even laughable. Laughable, that is, unless Almighty God intervened. The stance of the colonists was simple; their right to freedom came from God; He would help them. “We will appeal to heaven!” they declared. And a flag was born. From the days of the pilgrims, godly men and women have believed Almighty God was involved in the birth of our nation. They also felt that if a nation chose to partner with and honor God, it would experience His favor and blessing in extraordinary ways. Washington and the colonial dreamers agreed. They believed the Sovereign was, indeed, birthing “a city [nation] set on a hill that can’t be hidden...a light to the world,” (Matthew 5:14). They no doubt knew of John Winthrop, a leader of the Puritans’ Massachusetts Bay Colony, using this verse in his 1630 speech on board the Arbella to describe what he believed God wanted to build in America. (4) They knew of the planting of the cross at Cape Henry in 1607, and of the ensuing prayer meeting dedicating the land to His glory. They had read the Mayflower Compact of 1620, stating the voyage was made “for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith….” Would God honor these events and prayers? Even more importantly, was He inspiring these actions? Was America God’s dream, not just theirs? They believed the answer to these questions was, “YES.” The pilgrims absolutely believed America had a God-given destiny, and our Founding Fathers did, as well. Throughout our history, America’s presidents and leaders have also reiterated this belief. John F. Kennedy referenced Matthew 5:14 and Winthrop’s famous speech, as did Ronald Reagan and numerous other U.S. Presidents. Though modern-day revisionists try to rewrite and remove this from our history, the truth will always trump their lies. General George Washington, leader of the American Revolution, obviously believed in this divine plan. He commissioned several ships for the Revolutionary War efforts and, highlighting their dependence on providential help, each vessel was to fly under the Appeal to Heaven banner, also known as the Pine Tree Flag. The popularity of the flag spread, and was soon flying throughout the colonies, as well as being adopted as the flag of the Massachusetts State Navy. It became the symbol of these colonists’ unwavering spirit of liberty, as well as a clear statement of where they placed their faith. Do you find it interesting, as I do, that America was born under a banner of prayer? And that 230 years later, God would bring that dusty old banner out of hiding in order to serve as a stark reminder that our strength alone did not birth this nation? We were birthed by the hand of God. And we were born not just for our personal blessing and freedom; we were created to represent Christ around the world. In our now spiritually weakened state, America must appeal again. Just as we were no match for the military power controlling us in that day, in our own strength, we are no match for the spiritual powers controlling us now. Only that which birthed us then can rebirth us now: an appeal to heaven. Pray with me: Father, the way You raised America up as a voice in the earth is indeed remarkable. You did so knowing You would use her to be a trumpet of the gospel to the ends of the earth. We are humbled and inspired by this. We are deeply impacted by the knowledge that we were born under a movement of prayer, that it truly was through appealing to You that our freedom was produced. Just as You have brought this flag, the Appeal To Heaven flag, out of hiding, we pledge to You that we will appeal once again. And we believe You will once again free us from oppression, this time from within. Overthrow the evil trying to destroy our heritage and destiny. Overthrow those who defile our children and promote perversion We bind these efforts in the name of Jesus! Just as our Founders placed in the Declaration of Independence, we are “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions.” And so, Lord, we ask You to bring revival to America. We pray for Your church, the Ekklesia, to rise to the glorious level You speak of in Scripture: a worthy bride for You and an expression of Your authority in the earth. Make us an Ekklesia the gates of hell cannot prevail against, just as You said. We call this forth in the name of Jesus, and decree that America shall be saved! We ask and declare this in the name of the Lord Himself, Jesus Christ...Amen. Our decree: We decree that the appeal to heaven will be heard...and will succeed! ************************* Portions of today’s devotional were taken from my book An Appeal to Heaven. (8) Click on the link below to watch the full video. ______________________________________________ Laslett, Peter. “Right of Revolution: John Locke, Second Treatise, pp. 149, 155, 168, 207--10, 220--31, 240--43.” Electronic resources from the University of Chicago Press Books Division, https://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch3s2.html. Accessed 2 February 2021. Ibid. “Declaration of Independence: A Transcription | National Archives.” National Archives, 8 June 2022, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript. Accessed 2 August 2022. John, Winthrop. A Model of Christianity. Sermon. 1630. Bradford, William. "Of Plymouth Plantation." Manuscript: 1630-1650. Van Engen, Abram C. Van Engen. City on a Hill: A History of American Exceptionalism. Yale University Press, 2020. Report of the Proceedings of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee at the Thirtieth Meeting, Held at Toledo, Ohio, October 26-17, 1898. F. W. Freeman, 1899, p. 80. Sheets, Dutch. An Appeal to Heaven. Dutch Sheets Ministries, 2015, pp. 41-46.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/april-18-2023 April 18, 2023 As a follow-up to the dream I talked about last week, Overtaking and Occupying the Cedars, I felt I should release a post on the power of covenant. In the dream, cedars represented America’s covenant with God. I have taken today’s post from my devotional, Give Him 15: An Appeal To Heaven. (Thank you, by the way, for the wonderful feedback we have received regarding this book. Many have been blessed through the teaching devotionals it contains.) War With Covenant The first thing God tells us in the story of David and Goliath is the location of the battle. “Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle; they were gathered at Socoh which belongs to Judah, and they camped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. Saul and the men of Israel were gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array to encounter the Philistines.” (1 Samuel 17:1-2) I realize that doesn’t interest you. You’re like me: Come on, Holy Spirit, get to the good stuff: Goliath’s description; the drama of his taunts; the fear of the Israelites; David, the young sheepherder; the battle; off with the giant’s head. I skipped over those two “boring” verses for the first 50 years of my life. And missed a nugget. This location was in the territory of Judah, which was the tribe David came from. Holy Spirit was informing us, right from the start, that this land belonged to David and his tribe. It had been given to them by God generations ago. David had more than squatter’s rights to the property the giant was trying to claim; he had divine rights. These first two verses of the story assured him of victory. The God who created and owns the earth (Psalm 24:1) has the right to give it to whomever He pleases. And He had given it to Judah. Battle over. Don’t think so? I’ll give you another reference that reinforces this truth. When Nehemiah was allowed, by the Persian King Artaxerxes, to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls, he faced great opposition. The locals despised the Jews and were determined to stop them from building. When Nehemiah faced their threats and opposition, he stated his case for success in one verse: “I answered by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We, His servants, will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.’” (Nehemiah 2:20 NIV) “We have a historical, God-given right to this city,” Nehemiah declared. “You don’t. Therefore, we win, you lose.” Case closed. It is beyond doubt that God raised up America for His purposes. He owns America, just as He does the entire earth; in that right of ownership, He delegated stewardship of this nation to followers of Christ, believers who would partner with Him in His great cause of redeeming the world. Do not listen to the liars, revisionists, or those they have influenced that say otherwise. If the body of Christ in America ever fully grasps this revelation, the giants attempting to steal our nation have no chance. Uncircumcised Philistine David’s next “history weapon” can be seen in the fact that not once did he call Goliath by name. He referred to him only as the “uncircumcised Philistine.” What is that all about? Imagine two guys about to fight who begin to shout insults at one another. Jed: “You’re ugly.” Jethro: “Your mama is ugly.” Jed: “You’re a wimp.” Jethro: “You couldn’t beat up a flea.” I know, these are a little weak. Not exactly Rambo-level insults, but I’m trying to keep it clean here. And you get my point - insults and degrading salvos are flying back and forth. Then, one of them shouts at the other, sealing the deal with the ultimate insult: “Well, You’re UNCIRCUMCISED!” Huh? Didn’t see that one coming. As strange as this seems, there was actually an important reason for David’s choice of names. Circumcision symbolized covenant with God (Genesis 17:13). Since the days of Abraham, this had been the case. David was stating to the giant, I’m in covenant with God; you’re not. Whereas to those in covenant, you’ll be fighting God, not just me. This battle won’t be decided by your size, experience, weaponry, or strength. It was decided long ago when my grandfather cut covenant with God, and I’m going to defeat you through the power of that covenantal history. I win; you lose. This is confirmed by David’s statement to the “uncircumcised Philistine”: “I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts…the Lord will deliver you into my hand…for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hand,” (1 Samuel 17:45-47). No wonder secularists want to steal America’s history with God! We shouldn’t be surprised that former President Obama once said we were not a Christian nation, contending that we were also a Muslim nation, a Hindu nation, an atheist nation, and so on. Karl Marx once said, “The first battlefield is to rewrite history.” The demons controlling Marx knew the importance and power of history. And, of course, demons today inspire anti-Christ forces in America to try and rewrite our history for the same reasons. As believers, we must stake our claim on the fact that God birthed America, and that He and our Founders made covenantal agreements/promises to one another. I’m not suggesting that God and those who came to these shores entered into a covenant carrying the same weight as the Old and New Covenants in Scripture. There are different levels of covenants, however. The biblical word means “a compact, confederacy, league.” The great Brown Driver-Briggs Lexicon defines it not only as covenant, but as “an alliance (of friendship); an alliance (of marriage); a constitution; agreement.” The fact that our Founders covenanted with God when they came to this land is beyond dispute. Consider reading America's Covenant With God, by Dr. Eddie Hyatt, which makes this abundantly clear. Do not underestimate the importance of this. God put into the hearts of our forefathers to come to this land. He did so to raise up a nation that would form an “alliance,” a sacred “agreement” (the definitions of covenant) to partner with Him for the propagation of the gospel to all the earth, to be a city on a hill shining His light for all to see. Obviously, God’s intent was not for this to be accomplished through abusing First Nations people. His plan is for all races and ethnicities to share in the privilege of representing Him and enjoying the benefits that come with this. However, in spite of our failures, God redeems, cleanses, and continues to use us, just as He did with Abraham. We must believe this, and do as David did: stake our claim to this land based on our alignment with God and His purposes. As we mentioned earlier, those joined by covenant share resources and strengths; they also share enemies. If the Ekklesia in America faces the giants of our day armed with the truth that this land belongs to God (“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,” Psalm 24:1); if we stand on the truth that He established our nation to represent Him; and if we now resist the giants in His name - we will defeat them! War with covenant! War with history! Pray with me: Father, America has an important, meaningful history with You. We are humbled by the privilege of partnering with You in Your great cause. You have brought us cleansing and healing at times in our past. We acknowledge that we are in another season that finds us requiring Your mercy, forgiveness, and healing. The powers of darkness have determined to cripple - and ultimately stop - America from being a voice and light for You. A rebellious culture, enabled by a lukewarm church, has allowed those powers to make great progress. Today we grab hold of our covenant with You, standing on the fact that You keep covenant and mercy to a thousand generations (Deuteronomy 7:9). We reach back into our history, declare our faith in You, and decree that we will once again be a light to the nations. We will once again be a strong voice of the gospel, and of freedom, to all the nations of the earth. We exalt You; we honor You. We declare that revival has begun and will intensify. Through it, not only shall America be saved, but all the earth will experience revival. We declare that the “cedar trees,” representing our covenant with You, will be recaptured and restored. In Christ’s name, we ask and declare this, Amen. Our decree: We decree that our covenant with Yahweh through the blood of Jesus Christ, and the covenant we made with Him as a nation, will defeat every giant of darkness in America. ************************** Portions of today’s teaching were taken from my newest book, Give Him 15: An Appeal to Heaven. You can find this book on our website (DutchSheets.org) or by going to Amazon. Click on the link below to watch the full video. ------------------------------------ 1. Obama, Barack. “‘Call to Renewal’ Keynote Address.” Washington, D.C., June 2006. 2. Washington, Ellis. The Progressive Revolution: History of Liberal Fascism Through the Ages, Volume V, 2014-15 Writings. Hamilton Books, 2017, p. 219. 3. Strong, James. The New Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Red-Letter Edition. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001. Reference no. 1285. 4. Brown, Francis. The Brown, Driver, Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Hendrickson Publishers, 1996.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/july-28-2022 July 28, 2022 Not One Was Lost Sometimes it’s great to just hear a good “praise report,” as we used to call them in Bible College days, 100 years ago. They encourage our faith and glorify our Lord. The following story not only pictures the protective hand of God released through watchman prayer, but also reveals His providential hand working - even when we are unaware. Sometimes our activities or schedules are interrupted by circumstances, other people, or even demonic entities. However, at times it can be Holy Spirit, working for His purposes and our good. As watchmen, we must check in with Him before assuming changes are bad. This is the story of Francis Barton and was written by his daughter, Linda Henson. The account has been added to the Archives of the WWII 292nd Engineers. And Linda begins: ******* “In 1943, my father had the best job he’d ever had. One day the dreaded draft notice arrived. Many of his family and friends encouraged him to go to the courthouse and claim exemption due to working in a munitions plant and having two small children. His answer was, ‘If the man who went in my place was killed, I couldn’t live with myself.’ So, off he went to thirteen weeks of training that turned gentle family men into warriors. “Following training, he was sent to New York, where he boarded a ship to be a part of the World War II military force. On the ship, all the recruits were assembled, and the Commander asked if anyone had any experience cutting hair. No one volunteered. Dad seemed to be the only one who responded. His only experience consisted of trimming his brother’s and father’s hair on Saturday nights so they could go to church, but that was of little consequence. He was assigned the task of being the company barber for the duration of his military service. And, of course, the barbering was done after all other training and chores were completed. Dad says he enjoyed the extra job; it helped to keep his mind off of the loneliness and the horrors of war and gave him extra funds to send home to his family. “Dad was an engineer. Engineers built the roads and bridges so that the troops could travel. “Just after the famed “Battle of the Bulge,” his 292nd Engineers were given the task of building a bridge across the river which would open the way for the Allies’ invasion troops into Berlin. The Germans knew of the planned attack and gathered all the artillery they could muster, lined the river with big guns, and flooded the river. “Dad’s company approached the river and found it flooded, so they set up camp several miles away from the river, where they rehearsed their plan, prepared their equipment, and....waited ....and waited for the waters to recede. At any moment, the command would come, and they would have to rush to do their job. To say the atmosphere was tense would be an understatement. While they waited, the officers daily reminded the men to write letters home to their families because most of them would not come back from this assignment. It was not unusual to see a man wiping tears as he wrote his letter to his family, and some were praying with Chaplains. “On the first Christmas of my parents’ marriage, there was not much money, so they decided that they would buy a Bible, and that would be their gift to each other. This is the kind of man who was facing death alongside so many others. “One night, after all the military duties were finished, he set up his barber shop and began to cut hair. It almost seemed ludicrous that so many men wanted their hair cut when any day could be their last, but maybe it seemed a hopeful thing to do. At any rate, it felt like everyone in the company needed a haircut; he thought the line would never end. The last man raised up out of the chair around 3:00 A.M. Dad was so tired he just fell into his cot. “Around 6:00 A.M., he awoke with a start! Somehow he felt something was wrong. Immediately he was on his feet. As he looked around, he saw that no one else was in the tent. He ran to the next tent. NO ONE. The next. NO ONE. What had happened? Cooks never leave camp, so he ran to the mess tent. ‘Where is everybody? What’s happened?’ The cooks said that the call had come for the engineers to build the bridge. “‘Why didn’t someone wake me” he asked in total desperation. “‘The colonel said you worked all night; let you sleep.’ “Now, it’s unheard of for an officer in the armed forces to have mercy and let a soldier sleep when such an important job has to be done. But that’s what happened. My father was beside himself. Men might die in his place! They were too far away, he’d never catch them in time. “He did the only thing that he knew to do. He ran back to his tent and fell on his knees. He prayed through the first hour. He prayed through the second hour. He prayed all afternoon. He never got up. He could hear the shells bursting miles away and feel the earth tremors as bombs dropped. His mind conjured up images of his friends being slaughtered. He kept on praying. Finally, he heard sounds of the returning army. “He was so stiff from being on his knees he could hardly walk, but he began to trudge down the trail that they had made as they left. Who would be missing? Terrors invaded his mind as he limped toward the advancing men. He could see the trucks in the distance and hear shouts but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Were they angry that he was left asleep? “Tears filled his eyes at the thought of trucks loaded with the dead. The closer he got, he heard more shouting, and still, he couldn’t make out what they were saying. He prepared himself for the looks of disappointment from his friends. “Finally, he came into hearing distance and stopped dead in his tracks, for the words they were shouting were, ‘NOT ONE WAS LOST! NOT ONE WAS LOST.’ “Just a few miles up the river, two other companies had been given the same assignment, and they were cut to shreds. Many families of those men received the letters that had been written. “Heroes come in many forms. I believe my Dad saved the lives of those men that day. “Note: One of Dad’s buddies had kept a diary every day of the war even though it was not allowed. Just before my father died, the children of his army buddy put the diary on the computer and sent it to us. We quickly turned to the date of this event. There, he told the same story of how Barton was left sleeping because he had worked all night. He ended by saying, ‘The Man Upstairs must have been watching out for us because we all came back.’” (1) Pray with me: Father, thank You for encouraging us with this incredible testimony. Your sovereign hand is working at times when we are completely unaware of it. Teach us to listen, to be alert for divine occurrences and setups. Far too often it takes a burning bush to get us to turn aside and listen. Usually, You speak through the still small voice. We pledge to listen more carefully for Your alerts. You told us to watch/be on the alert for one another (Ephesians 6.18). As we listen to You, we’ll save lives, thwart attacks of the enemy and seize opportunities. You have told us we are in a critical month for our nation. Several have gone to DC to pray, others to their state and city government headquarters. We agree now for Your breakthroughs to occur. Batter through demonic strongholds and barriers. We declare that Baal’s strong hold on America is broken, in the name of Jesus. The national covenant with death has been reversed, he may no longer rule our nation. We declare also that his regional entrenchments are uprooted, freeing entire cities and states. And we now ask for Holy Spirit to be poured out. Our decree: We declare that we are watching, alertly listening to the warnings of Holy Spirit, and thereby are shapers of history! ******************** Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________ Taken from the Pentecostal Evangel, Springfield, MO, November 9, 2008 and November 9, 2014. Used by permission from author Linda Henson.

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/july-27-2022-1 July 27, 2022 Modern Day Heroes Needed Thank you for all the tremendous feedback regarding Monday’s and yesterday’s posts. It is obvious that just as the prophets have spoken, this month of July is incredibly significant. God is doing much. I have heard of at least four major prayer journeys to DC and elsewhere over the weekend, which Holy Spirit led others to do independently from one another. Some have sent us pictures from their prayer assignments. This is all so obviously orchestrated by Holy Spirit, which makes it incredibly encouraging. We must continue to persevere. After my assignment in Washington, DC, on Thursday of last week, I went to Boston to be with my friends, Jon and Jolene Hamil, at Faneuil Hall. This gathering, like DC, was very powerful and timely. Faneuil Hall is referred to as the “Cradle of Liberty.” It was there where founder Samuel Adams and others met to give impassioned speeches, appealing to New Englanders to fight for liberty. The building reeks of history; when there, I can feel it oozing from the floors and walls. Without question, in the 1700s, the world was changed from Faneuil Hall. In our era, God has led many back to this important place in order to tap into the synergy of the ages and re-stake claim to our nation. I have spoken there four times in the last dozen or so years. Preaching with pictures and busts of Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, George Washington, and other patriots staring at you is daunting and humbling, to say the least. Last night for a couple of hours, I watched a TV series regarding the American Revolution. It was very moving. Thousands of patriots paid a horrible price for the freedom we enjoy and to further the God-given destiny of our nation. We must never let this be stolen. I cried as I heard a phrase from Emerson’s poem, Concord Hymn. The poem is considered a classic, but the phrase that overwhelmed me speaks of the “Spirit, that made those heroes dare to die, and leave their children free.” (1) Those heroes indeed possessed incredible hearts and spirits, and they gave everything - including their very lives - to purchase the freedoms we enjoy. Yet, the price they paid forever changed the world. Their ranks consisted not only of fully grown men, but also young teenage boys and girls, women, and, yes, freed slaves. Whether it be teenager Sybil Ludington’s 40-mile midnight ride to help gather militiamen for a battle in Danbury, Connecticut, or Betty Zane’s heroic dash to retrieve gunpowder for the fighting men around her, there were many heroes. Nancy Hart is another example. “Standing six feet tall, the red-headed and muscular Hart made an imposing figure for those who dared to cross her. Her fearlessness prompted Cherokee neighbors to call her ‘Wahatche,’ which meant ‘war woman.’ This nickname would prove appropriate as the Revolution moved into the Georgia backcountry, and Hart became a staunch defender of the Patriot cause… “As the Revolution moved into the Southern colonies, Nancy played an important role fighting against Tories in the Georgia backcountry. Hart succeeded in outsmarting British opponents on multiple occasions, frequently disguising herself as a ‘crazy man’ and wandering through British camps to procure information for the Patriots. When one of Hart’s children discovered a British soldier spying on the Hart home, Nancy doused the man with boiling water that she was using to make soap before tying him up and turning him over to Patriot forces… “Though Hart gained recognition after the war for a variety of exploits, one of the most popular stories involved her capture of several British soldiers. According to local legend, six British soldiers entered the Hart home to question Nancy about assisting a Patriot in escaping from the Redcoats. The soldiers then demanded that Nancy feed them, and displaying unusual hospitality, Nancy agreed to host them, providing a fair share of food and drink. With help from her 12-year-old daughter, Sukey, Hart succeeded in discreetly removing several of the soldiers’ muskets from the stack they had formed in the corner of the room. Hart had passed two of the firearms to Sukey through a gap in the wall before the soldiers noticed. Hart instructed the soldiers to remain where they were, and when one of them rose to approach her, she shot him dead and wounded one of the others before taking the remaining four men hostage. Sukey ran to inform Benjamin [her husband], who returned to the cabin. After debating whether to shoot the remaining men or hang them, the Harts and their neighbors decided to hang the soldiers from a nearby tree. The story became a local legend after the war, and variations of the tale have continued to circulate since then. In 1912, a railroad company’s archaeological excavation of the land near Hart’s cabin unearthed six skeletons, suggesting that some version of [the story] was true.” (2) I encourage you to pick up freedom’s baton; it has been handed to our generation, but we must each do our part. Though our weapons are spiritual, not physical - and the battle is, as well - it is no less real and important. If you see the spiritual war for America’s future as only about money, possessions, and physical well-being, you are missing heaven’s point of view. This spiritual battle is regarding the eternities of hundreds of millions of people around the world. America was raised up to take the gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth. That…is what we must contend for. I encourage you again, as I did in Monday’s post, to move out from the prayer closet occasionally, and do some onsite praying. Ask Holy Spirit to show you, your prayer group, or even your congregation where He needs you to pray. It may be your neighborhood, a school (after hours), your city or state government headquarters, a historic site, or perhaps a trip to DC. Be wise, obey laws and respect other people, but consider doing this. I’ve been on some prayer journeys that have changed my life! And one other thing: Pastors, I urge you never to let a service take place where prayer for government, your city, and the coming revival does not take place. Real prayer! - not just a perfunctory mention. Take some time and pray! Ask a trusted leader or two, or perhaps some kids to lead in prayer for a couple of minutes. Doing this regularly will help you build your church into a house of prayer, as Jesus declared it to be (Matthew 21:13). I also challenge pastors and leaders to pray over the children before this new school year begins. It’s important that we are diligent in keeping them covered with prayer, and also teach them about the armor of God, placing it around them each day (Ephesians 6:10-18). Let’s all do our part to continue the prayer siege in America. We are winning…because appealing to heaven still works! Pray with me: Father, thank You for the awakening that has occurred in the Ekklesia. Incredible amounts of revelation have been poured out on us over the past 40-50 years. “Yet, still our ancient foe, doth seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate” [taken from A Mighty Fortress (3)]. He works consistently to counteract us. But we declare that he will lose. We ask You for a heightened level of alertness and discernment for Your church. We are grateful for increases of prophetic revelation - dreams, visions, prophecies, and Spirit-led direction for our prayers. But we ask for more…from glory to glory, faith to faith, and strength to strength. You overcame satan; as Your body, we will enforce Your victory. Send Your people out into their world to release Your Kingdom authority. We continue to ask for the release of Your battering rams into the spirit of Baal’s defenses in Washington, DC, especially at the White House. We ask for warring angels to implement these battering rams. You have exposed Baal, now you are expelling him. We declare by faith that we will have a Spirit-filled, Spirit-led person in the Oval Office, one who openly welcomes You in on a daily basis. Give us anointed worship and 24-hour prayer in the White House. Take over, Lord! We boldly ask for these things in Christ’s name. Our decree: We decree that when we die, we will leave our children free, and America will continue exporting the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. ********************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. __________________________ https://www.quotescosmos.com/quotes/Ralph-Waldo-Emerson-quote-28.html https://www.battlefields.org/learn/biographies/nancy-hart https://hymnary.org/text/a_mighty_fortress_is_our_god_a_bulwark

6 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/january-25-2022 January 25, 2022 Our Roots Are Alive Liberals in government, education, and media attempt to revise America’s history - except, of course, when it supports their cause. One of their most famous revisions is the “separation of church and state” myth, which they have dishonestly used for decades. The “wall of separation” phrase was used by Thomas Jefferson in a letter, not in the Constitution. He was assuring denominational leaders that our government would never be controlled by one religious group (as had been the case in England), nor would government have the right to control the church (as also occurred in Britain). NEVER was it implied by our founders that God and religion were to be prohibited from influencing government, education, or public life. Nor is it true that government money (which is really ours!) or public facilities were to be prevented from use by the church. These are all lies designed to remove the influence of God from our nation. It may surprise you that the man who wrote the phrase, “wall of separation”, (Thomas Jefferson) attended a church service in the Capitol 2 days later! (1) Numerous presidents and members of Congress attended church services there - for decades! - including John Quincy Adams, James Madison, Lincoln and others. Adams explained why he attended: “I consider it as one of my public duties - as a representative of the people - to give my attendance every Sunday morning when Divine service is performed in the Hall.”(2)The Rostrum of the House Speaker was used as the pulpit, and Congress purchased the hymnals! I realize you probably weren’t taught this in our public school system, which now propagandizes and revises history, but it is true. Actually, the Capitol was used for church services before ever being used by Congress. Approved December 4, 1800, by both the House and Senate, (3) services began before the entire Capitol was completed and Congress itself could move in. Jefferson, as Vice President at the time and therefore leader of the Senate, approved it on behalf of the Senate. He attended the services for years, throughout his time as Vice President and President, (4) had a designated seat, (5) and was so committed to it he even made the journey in inclement weather. (6) Services first began to be held in the north wing of the Capitol, moved to Statuary Hall as they grew in number, and eventually landed in the House Chamber. It was, in fact, the first official use of the Chamber on December 13, 1857, with as many as 2000 people in attendance! (7) Services were interdenominational, speakers were local pastors or the House and Senate Chaplains, (8) and included women (9) and blacks. (10) Some churches were actually allowed to use it as their meeting place until they procured other buildings. (11) And when needed, the Supreme Court Chamber, then in the Capitol building, was also used! (12,13) How ironic is that! Don’t allow the lies of politicians and educators to deceive you. Our Founders were God-honoring and God-fearing men and women and were guided by Judeo-Christian ethics. 106 of the first 108 colleges in America, including the Ivy League colleges, were Christian. We must never accept the efforts of the left to steal our godly roots. Pray and decree with me: Father, Nehemiah told Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, those trying to stop him from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, they had “no historical right” or “claim” to Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:20; NIV and Expanded Bible). We echo those words today regarding those who want to transform America into a non-Christian nation: they have no covenantal, historical right to America. You, who own all the earth, raised up America for Your purposes. We stand in Your authority and decree that we forbid this to be stolen. And though we have previously lost ground in this spiritual war, You have told us America shall be saved. Your mercies endure forever, and we ask now for this never-ending mercy to be extended. We overthrow, in the all-powerful name of Jesus, the forces of darkness trying to disconnect America from her Christian roots. We declare that the systems and groups these forces are using will be unsuccessful in every way, and that many from within them will come to Christ. We declare with our Founders that America has “no King but Jesus,” and will serve no other gods. We declare that our roots are still alive and will once again bring forth the fruits Holy Spirit intends America to produce. We will experience a turnaround comparable to the great restorations of Israel. We declare that we will be a light and blessing to the nations of the earth. And we pray now for complete deliverance from the principalities and powers, led by Baal, who have orchestrated America’s spiritual decline. We ask You, Father, to do as You spoke in the World Seers Series dream and destroy the voice of Baal-Zephon in America. You began a concerted effort in 2007 to deliver us from this spirit and restore us to covenant with You, and we ask for this to now be brought to conclusion. Full victory. One hundred percent. Deliver us from Baal and his coworkers. We ask for victory in the Dobbs abortion case being decided now by the Supreme Court. We ask You to speak loudly and clearly to 5 or more Justices, motivating them to vote for the overturning of Roe versus Wade. End this hideous child-sacrifice system in America. And please heal all who experience grief, shame, and physical damage from having been involved. Prepare the church for our role when this law ends. May we be ready to take the unwanted children and give them loving homes and families. Bring about an amazing and unprecedented movement of adoption in America. Father, we thank You in advance for the great revival that is beginning. We thank You for millions of people coming to know You in this nation, and hundreds of millions around the world. We thank You for the incredible revival coming to the campuses of America and the world. Thank you for saving a generation from the strongholds of humanism, rebellion, drugs, immorality, gender confusion, and more. May they taste and see just how good You are. May they fall in love with Your Word and become acquainted with Your ways. We ask You to continue to transform the church. Mature us into the glorious church You spoke of in scripture. Build the Ekklesia You promised to build that cannot be overcome by the plans and government of hell. Bring revelation of our strength in You. Show us, the members of Your church, that we are more than conquerors, are overcomers, and can do all things You ask us to do through Your mighty power. We ask and decree all of this in the all-powerful name of Jesus. Amen. ******************************* Click on the link below to watch the full video. ______________ William Parker Cutler and Julia Perkins Cutler, Life, Journal, and Correspondence of Rev. Manasseh Cutler (Cincinnati: Colin Robert Clarke & Co., 1888), Vol. II, p. 66, letter to Joseph Torrey, January 4, 1802. Cutler meant that Jefferson attended church on January 3, 1802, for the first time as President. Bishop Claggett’s letter of February 18, 1801, already revealed that as Vice-President, Jefferson went to church services in the House. John Quincy Adams, Memoirs, Vol. XI, p. 169, June 5, 1842. Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States (Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1853), p. 797, Sixth Congress, December 4, 1800. Smith, The First Forty Years, p. 13. Smith, The First Forty Years, p. 13. Cutler and Cutler, Life, Journal, and Correspondence, Vol. II, p. 119, in a letter to Dr. Joseph Torrey on January 3, 1803; see also his entry of December 26, 1802 (Vol. II, p. 114). William C. Allen (Architectural Historian of the Capitol), A History of the United States Capitol, A Chronicle of Design, Construction, and Politics (Washington, D. C.: Government Printing Office, 2001), p. 271. Smith, The First Forty Years, p. 15. Smith, The First Forty Years, p. 15. Henry Highland Garnet, Memorial Discourse (Philadelphia: Joseph M. Wilson, 1865), p. 73 Fundraising brochure, Charles B. Boynton. Washington, D.C.: November 1, 1867, Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress; available at Library of Congress at https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06-2.html. Hutson, Religion and the Founding of the American Republic, p. 90. From the Library of Congress, at https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel06-2.html.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/january-24-2022 January 24, 2022 Our Presidential Heritage It is always great to reflect on the influence God has had on the founding and growth of America. Though revisionists try to erase God from our history, as Founding Father John Adams so plainly stated, “Facts are stubborn things.” Today we celebrate this godly heritage and ask God to once again give us leaders who revere and honor Him. He has offered us mercy and deliverance from the powers of darkness that have ruled our nation for several decades, and we stand on His gracious promise. We also ask Him to give us righteous leaders in government, leaders who will honor Him, our heritage, and life. The remainder of today’s post is just a few of the hundreds of quotes from previous Presidents, stating their faith in God, respect for His Word (the Bible), and honor of Christ and Christianity. Enjoy..! “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." George Washington “The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself has ordained." George Washington “We recognize no sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus!" John Adams “I consider a decent respect for Christianity among the best recommendations for public service.” John Adams “The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart." Thomas Jefferson “The Bible is the first and almost the only book deserving of universal attention." John Quincy Adams “My custom is to read four or five chapters of the Bible every morning immediately after rising. It seems to me the most suitable manner of beginning the day. It is an invaluable and inexhaustible mine of knowledge and virtue." John Quincy Adams “We have staked the whole future of American civilization not on the power of government, far from it. We have staked the whole of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves according to the commandments of God. The future and success of America are not in this Constitution, but in the laws of God upon which this Constitution is founded.” James Madison “Finally, it is my most fervent prayer to that Almighty Being before whom I now stand, and who has kept us in His hands from the infancy of our Republic unto the present day, that He will so overrule all my intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of my fellow-citizens that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and continue forever a united and happy people.” Andrew Jackson “We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us." Abraham Lincoln “I am profitably engaged in reading the Bible. Take all of this Book upon reason that you can, and the balance by faith, and you will live and die a better man." Abraham Lincoln “All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship." Grover Cleveland “Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe. And to the same Divine Author of every good and perfect gift we are indebted for all those privileges and advantages, religious as well as civil, which are so richly enjoyed in this favored land." James Monroe “A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education." Theodore Roosevelt “The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings of the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country." Calvin Coolidge “The study of the Bible is a post-graduate course in the richest library of human experience." Herbert Hoover “The rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God." John F. Kennedy “You can’t divorce religious belief and public service. . . I’ve never detected any conflict between God’s will and my political duty. If you violate one, you violate the other.” James Earl Carter, Jr. “We asked for God’s help; and now, in this shining outcome, in this magnificent triumph of good over evil, we should thank God.” George H. W. Bush “Each day millions of our citizens approach our Maker on bended knee, seeking His grace and giving thanks for the many blessings He bestows upon us." George W Bush “Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible." Ronald Reagan “If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Ronald Reagan Pray with me: Father, it is an indescribable privilege to be part of a nation raised up by You to propagate the gospel of Your kingdom. You birthed America, and You have prospered and blessed us beyond measure. Our Founders knew You were involved in our formation; they knew and honored You as the only King. They worshiped You, honored Your Word, and believed in Your Son, Jesus Christ. And they led from “servant hearts” and unselfish motivations. America now has many leaders who do not know You, do not respect You, and do not want You honored in our nation. They do not honor Your principles in Scripture, do not honor life, and many have become fools. They have led America down a path of rebellion and wickedness. Like the prodigal in Scripture, we have squandered our inheritance and wasted it on sin and selfish desires. But also like the prodigal, we believe in Your mercy. We believe in the power of the shed blood of Jesus. We believe it cleanses us from all sin and unrighteousness. And we believe in restoration. We believe that You are restoring America to You and to our calling. We place our faith in nothing but Your blood and grace and, because of them, we boldly declare, “America shall be saved!” Our decree: We decree that America shall once again have a God-honoring person as our President, and a Congress led by a majority who love God and His ways. *************************** Click on the link below to watch the full video.

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/december-6-2021 December 6, 2021 A Lesson from Cuba We all become too inwardly focused at times. Life has a way of distracting us from important “basics.” One of those is a care and concern for others not of our household or tribe. Larry Tomczak encourages us to pause today from our busy routine to ponder the plight of friends and fellow Christians still enslaved in the socialist state of Cuba. We are instructed by Holy Spirit to: “Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on the victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you” (Hebrews13:3 MET). Larry shares: “Anyone listening to Bernie Sanders, A.O.C. and other progressive Democrats promoting a socialist utopia for America, should consider the brutal realities of what life is like in a country just 90 miles away. Bottom line: it's heartbreaking. Ask folks in Venezuela, as well. People Are Suffering and Scared “Four months ago thousands of Cubans, repressed for over 70 years, took to the streets to protest in one of the largest demonstrations there in decades. Then on November 15, a second peaceful protest entitled ‘Civic March for Change’ called for in 10 cities, sadly fizzled as Cuba’s totalitarian Marxist government employed their strong-arm ‘cancel culture’ tactics to frighten the people and stifle the rallies. “Hundreds of dissidents who dared to demonstrate peacefully at the July rallies remain in jail, and a cooperative media makes sure the other people are reminded of their fate. Uniformed police and plain-clothed enforcers intimidate people, along with state security officers who stake out homes of pro-democracy leaders. “A young female dissident (who would love an opportunity to educate millennials in America who are being seduced by socialism) stated it simply, ‘People are scared.’ Representatives of the leftist regime make sure people understand that they will not tolerate those who are a ‘part of the destabilization campaign initiated by the United States.’(1) Biden Administration Response “U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned ‘intimidation tactics’ by Cuba’s government and vowed that Washington would ‘seek accountability’ for the crackdown. What that means is anybody’s guess, especially in light of Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the abandonment of Americans and our allies who’ve been trapped behind enemy lines for almost 100 days. “July's dissident march in Cuba gained global attention but has faded from most people’s memory, while multitudes there and in Afghanistan face continual repression, horrible penalties, suffering, and persecution. In our nation, as malcontents and Marxists try to tear down our country, it is Christian compassion to ponder their plight and pray for divine intervention. The Brutal Realities “After 70 years of totalitarian rule in Cuba and the barbaric treatment of dissidents daring to question the socialist state, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in July. The Cuban people, just like citizens in Venezuela, are suffering under another economic crisis with severe food shortages, high prices, and pandemic sickness and death. “Communications remain cut off so the world can't see the military's brutal shooting and beating of the protestors. “Today in Cuba, Castro’s ‘revolutionaries’ masterfully manipulate the masses. Here in America, radical rabble-rousers present ‘history’ that does not reflect reality, but romanticizes ‘heroes’ like the Castros and Che Guevara (murderers and criminals), while working aggressively to dismantle our nation's founders and foundations. It's happening in the U.S. through CRT (Critical Race Theory) and the 1619 Project, whose creator praised Cuba as the ‘Most Equal country in the Western Hemisphere - a model for the U.S.’ Helpful History Lesson “In 1959 Fidel Castro assured the world that he was not a Communist. Taking office he admitted he was a ‘Marxist’ (like BLM leaders), leading gullible citizens on a pathway to ‘peace and prosperity.’ “Castro called himself a ‘freedom fighter,’ yet he eventually curtailed any ownership of private property and private enterprise. He told the people, ‘universities are tuition free’ but that was only to those embracing his revolutionary beliefs. He took control of media communications and implemented ‘cancel culture’ long before radical leftists launched it here. “People trying to flee Cuba were tortured and executed. Castro killed over 3500 people by firing squad. In 1994 he was caught as he ordered a tugboat of women and children sunk while they were fleeing the repressive socialist state. “Castro’s government took control of elections with the goal of a one-party state (sound familiar?). He called Cuba a ‘People’s Paradise,’ yet what was once a beautiful vacation destination became a prison where people lost liberty, human rights, and religion. “Castro demolished scores of church buildings and mandated children be indoctrinated with new curriculums. He propagandized the people into believing Cuba’s old order was systemically evil and needed to be replaced with the new order of caring for needs from cradle to grave. ‘Free healthcare! Free education! Free childcare!’ Sound familiar? “Pre-Castro Cuba in 1958 led Latin America in low infant mortality, literacy rates, passenger cars per capita, food consumption per capita, along with TVs, radios, and telephones. Cuba’s Gross Domestic Product was ahead of Italy, Spain, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, and most of Africa, Asia, and Latin America! Millennials and Manipulation “Today Cuba is an impoverished nation with minimal and archaic healthcare, contrary to Michael Moore's documentary ‘Sicko,’ which was replete with propaganda. Higher education? It's possible for the elite who meet the ‘state's’ rigid standards. “The average wage in Cuba is now about $20 per month with people living in deteriorating shacks. Its harbor is almost empty of boats so people cannot flee. The few people that own cars have 1950s models. On an island with a population of 11 million, 1.5 million have managed to escape. “Today in America half of Millennials say they choose socialism over capitalism. Time to wake up! [Our children are being fed lies; arm them with these facts.] Past Progressive Plans “When Fidel Castro died in 2016, Obama eulogized him: ‘History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people in the world around him.’(2) Biden sided with him in numerous ‘pro-Cuba’ initiatives. “Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Leadership Council says, ‘They served as a de facto endorsement of one of the most oppressive regimes in recent history.’(3) “When he was president, Donald Trump repeatedly expressed his empathy for the Cuban people and a firm commitment to foster freedom. His policies raised salaries of their counterparts in America (38% of Hispanics voted for him in 2020), as he demonstrated strong leadership regarding his opposition to communism by employing a strategy to strangle their economy and engender discontent on the island to stir the Cuban people to seek change. “After seven decades of communist tyranny, may we pray for our suffering friends facing ongoing brutal crackdowns. CiberCuba recently captured a woman’s husband, shot and beaten in front of the family, then taken away. While enjoying lavish meals, lifestyles, and many freedoms, let's not forget our friends 90 miles away as we again remember God's directive: ‘Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you’ (Heb. 13:3 MET). “Please pass this along to educate others as we declare, "Viva la Cuba por Jesus Cristo..!’” Pray with me: Father, we pray for our brothers, sisters, and also those who don’t know You, suffering in Cuba and elsewhere. Break off of America all selfish mindsets that say we should ignore suffering elsewhere, as long as it doesn’t impact us. Send the coming revival to Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and other impoverished nations. Liberate them from evil leaders, and may the power of the gospel and the Spirit of truth liberate their spirits. Liberate Cuba! Liberate Venezuela! Liberate Afghanistan from the Taliban. Liberate Haiti from their dark traditions and evil leaders. Visit all the earth with Christ’s salvation and love. We pray against the deception and lies being propagated in America. Break the influence of socialists and communists; silence their voices and frustrate their evil plans. Awaken those who have been deceived. Save them, Lord. We pray these things in Christ’s name. Amen. Our decree: We decree that truth will win in America and around the world. Lord, send revival! ***************************************** Today’s post was contributed by our friend Larry Tomczak. You can find out more about Larry here. Click on the link below to watch the full video. _______________________________ https://news.trust.org/item/20211115190401-d8qvq https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/11/26/statement-president-passing-fidel-castro https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/statement-by-dr-samuel-rodriguez-president-national-hispanic-christian-leadership-conference-nhclc--conela-regarding-president-obamas-announced-plans-to-normalize-diplomatic-relations-with-cuba-and-ease-economic-restrictions-300011482.html

5 min read https://www.givehim15.com/post/november-26-2021 November 26, 2021 The Amazing Story Behind Our National Anthem How do you feel when you see Americans dishonor our national anthem as it is sung? Personally, I put my hand over my heart and thank God for the brave men and women who have fought for our freedom. Actually, the historical meaning behind the writing of our national song dates back to The War of 1812, when we were fighting Britain because of trade interferences. The song was inspired by a flag that flew over a fort after America had won a decisive battle. What about the “Great Garrison Flag” that waved? It was a massive flag with 15 stars and 15 stripes—the one we sing about that Francis Scott Key saw in the early morning light of September 14, 1814, as it flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore’s harbor, signifying America’s victory. It measured 30-feet by 42-feet, weighed more than 50 pounds, and it is said that it took eleven men to hoist it to the top of its 90-foot pole. It was reportedly the largest flag flown in combat at that time. And yet, it was not the same flag that actually flew over the fort during the heat of the battle for Baltimore.(1) I’ll explain momentarily. What led up to this battle? We need to get a full picture. Great Britain had well-trained soldiers and the most powerful navy in the world. On August 24, 1814, British General Robert Ross, with his five-thousand-member force, defeated the Americans at Bladensburg, Maryland. That night British troops entered Washington, D.C., setting fire to the Capitol, the President’s Mansion and other public buildings. President James Madison and his wife Dolley barely escaped. The British plan was to capture Baltimore and its important port next; Baltimore was currently America's third largest city. So they advanced up the Chesapeake Bay to the mouth of the Patapsco River. (2) Early on September 13, 1814, British ships began what became a 25-hour bombardment of Fort McHenry. Rockets burst. Mortars exploded. The fort’s commander, Major George Armistead, with just one thousand troops, had ordered them to return fire, but their guns could not reach the enemy’s ships. “The British guns had a range of 2 miles and the British rockets had a 1.75-mile range, but neither guns nor rockets were accurate. The British ships were unable to pass Fort McHenry and penetrate Baltimore Harbor due to its defenses, including a chain of 22 sunken ships, and the American cannons. The British, having depleted their ammunition, ceased their attack on the morning of September 14.” (3) What were the results of the 25-hour battle? “Only one British warship, a bomb vessel, received a direct hit from the fort's return fire, which wounded one crewman. The Americans…had four killed…and 24 wounded. At one point during the bombardment, a bomb crashed through the fort's powder machine. However, either the rain extinguished the fuse or the bomb was a dud.”(4) To celebrate the British retreat, the American troops fired their guns and played “Yankee Doodle.” The storm flag came down, and up went the Great Garrison Flag which could be seen from several miles away. (Three months later on December 24, 1814, the war formally ended).(5) Now, about that famous flag. A year before the battle, Major Armistead knew his fort, which was built to guard the water entrance to Baltimore, would probably be a target. So, he requested a flag “so large that the British will have no trouble in seeing it from a distance.” A professional flagmaker, Mary Young Pickersgill of Baltimore, and her helpers made two. The larger Garrison Flag measuring 30-feet by 42-feet had 15 stars and 15 stripes -- each star and stripe representing a state. They used 300 yards of English wool bunting. But the stars, each measuring two feet in diameter, were made from cotton. They also made the smaller storm flag measuring 17-feet by 25-feet, which actually flew over the fort during the battle. Unfortunately, it was lost.(6) Today the famous flag we know as the “Star Spangled Banner” is displayed in the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of History in Washington, D.C. Extensive repairs were made due to damages from years of use at the fort and from pieces being removed as souvenirs.(7) Let’s talk about the song’s origin. Francis Scott Key, a 35-year-old American lawyer had come from Washington D.C. to Baltimore with approval of President James Madison a week earlier, to appeal to the British admiral to release their captive, an American doctor, William Beanes. The admiral finally agreed but required them to wait until the battle was over. So, the American civilians watched aboard a ship probably eight miles away, while rockets glared and bombs burst. Due to the intensity of the attack, Key believed the British would win.(8) With “the dawn's early light" of September 14, when the smoke of battle lifted, Key spotted the American stars and stripes flying -- not the British Union Jack. The British were retreating and the fort still stood. On the back of an envelope, Key wrote a few lines of poetry describing the moving scene. Later that night in his hotel room in Baltimore, he revised and finished four verses about America’s victory – as an eyewitness to the bombardment. He called it “Defence of Fort M'Henry” and it was soon joined with the tune of a popular English song. Before long it was being sung across the country. By the 1890s, the military had adopted it for ceremonial purposes, to be played at the rising and lowering of the colors. Congress officially declared it the national anthem of the United States on March 3, 1931.(9) Some of our USA passports have an artist’s drawing of Francis Scott Key standing on a boat looking out over the waters at a waving flag. Handwritten words above it read: “O say does that star- spangled banner yet wave o’re the land of the free & home of the brave.” That massive “banner” inspired Key to write his long poem, now our national anthem. Portions of the last verse read: “Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land Praise the pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust" And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave” (10) ********************************** Pray with me: Father, thank You for giving our forefathers victory when our country’s future hung in the balance. And we thank You for the 50 states that now make this the United States of America. May we accomplish Your will and purpose for our nation. We are grateful for our beloved homeland. We decree: I will honor my flag when I hear the anthem played and will thank God for the freedom I enjoy in America. *********************************** Today’s post was contributed by our dear friend, Quin Sherrer. You can find out about Quin and see her amazing books here. __________________________ Click the link to watch the full video: 1. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/star-spangled-garrison-banner 2. https://music.si.edu/spotlight/flag-day/banner-facts 3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McHenry 4. Ibid. wikipedia 5. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-story-behind-the-star-spangled-banner-149220970/ 6. Ibid. Smithsonian 7. Ibid. Smithsonian 8. Ibid. Smithsonian 9. Ibid. Smithsonian 10. https://amhistory.si.edu/starspangledbanner/the-lyrics.aspx

Mein Kampf is drivel, but what about Stalin’s poetry and Mussolini’s bodice-ripper? And does an autocrat lurk within every dreadful writer? Will Self Wed 25 Apr 2018 07.30 BST Last modified on Wed 25 Apr 2018 13.16 BST Writers’ bloc: Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler, 1937 Photograph: Alinari Archives/Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/apr/25/dictator-literature-daniel-kalder-review

The civil rights veteran, one of only two surviving witnesses to King’s murder 50 years ago, says his mentor’s response to Trump would have been: ‘We must not surrender our spirits’ Sat 31 Mar 2018 07.00 BST David Smith in Washington The Rev Martin Luther King stands with Jesse Jackson and other civil rights leaders on the balcony of the Lorraine motel in Memphis on 3 April 3 1968, a day before he was assassinated Photograph: Associated Press More pics in link https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/31/jesse-jackson-martin-luther-king-assassination

Sorry for the all CAPS........but I believe this is important to anyone who visits this site and I wanted to get your attention...especially if you are from the U.S. Many are here for many reasons......social, financial etc.....but..... If you take nothing else away from this site...ever.........take this with you.......and remember ....HISTORY often repeats itself....CL ============================================================================================== There was a time, centuries ago, that France was the dominant superpower in the world. They had it all. Overseas colonies. An enormous military. Social welfare programs like public hospitals and beautiful monuments. Most of it was financed by debt. France, like most superpowers before (and after), felt entitled to overspend as much as they wanted. And their debts started to grow. And grow. By the eve of the French revolution in 1788, the national debt of France was so large that the government had to spend 50% of tax revenue just to pay interest to its lenders. Yet despite being in such dire financial straits the French government was still unable to cut spending. All of France’s generous social welfare programs, plus its expansive military, were all considered untouchable. So the spending continued. In 1788, in fact, the French government overspent its tax revenue by 20%, increasing the debt even more. Unsurprisingly revolution came the very next year. There are presently a handful of countries in the world today in similar financial condition-- places like Greece, which are so bankrupt they cannot even afford to pay for basic public services. But the country that has the most unsustainable public finances, by far, is the United States. The US government’s ‘Fiscal Year’ runs from October 1st through September 30th. So FY2017 just ended last Friday. During that period, according to the Department of Treasury’s financial statements, the US government took in $2.95 trillion in federal tax deposits. And on top of that, the government generated additional revenue through fees and ‘investments’, including $62 billion in interest received on student loans, and $16 billion from Department of Justice programs like Civil Asset Forfeiture (where they simply steal property from private citizens). So in total, government revenue exceeded $3 trillion. That sounds like an enormous amount of money. And it is. That’s more than the combined GDPs of the poorest 130 countries in the world. But the US government managed to spend WAY more than that-- the budget for the last fiscal year was $4.1 trillion. So to make up the shortfall they added $671 billion to the national debt-- and this number would have been even larger had it not been for the debt ceiling fiasco. Plus they whittled down their cash balance by $194 billion. So in total, the federal government’s cash deficit was $865 billion for the last fiscal year. And, again, that number would have been even worse if not for the debt ceiling that legally froze the national debt in place. That’s astounding. Just like in 2016 (where the cash deficit was $1 trillion), this past fiscal year saw no major recession. No full-scale war. No financial crisis or bank bailout. It was just another year... business as usual. And yet they still managed to overspend by nearly $1 trillion, with costs exceeding revenue by more than 20% (just like the French in 1788). What’s going to happen to these numbers when there actually is a major war to fund? Or major recession? Or banking crisis? More importantly, they’ve been overspending like this for decades without any regard for the long-term consequences. That’s why the national debt exceeds $20 trillion today. And including its pension shortfalls, the government estimates its total ‘net worth’ to be NEGATIVE $65 trillion. Thousands of people are joining the ranks of Social Security and Medicare recipients each day, pushing up the costs of those programs even more. Yet their Boards of Trustees warn that both Social Security and Medicare are quickly running out of money, raising the specter of a major bailout. Plus there’s trillions of dollars more in needed spending to maintain the nation’s infrastructure. The list of long-term expenses goes on and on. The obvious truth is that none of this is sustainable. From the Roman Empire to the French in 1788, history tells us that the world’s dominant superpower almost invariably spends itself into decline, ignoring the consequences along the way. It would be foolish to presume that this time will end up any different… especially given that there’s zero sign of any changes to the trajectory. Congress has already put forward a new spending bill for this Fiscal Year-- another 4+ trillion, not including any emergency spending that might arise (like hurricane relief, for example). So we’re already looking at another nearly $1 trillion loss for the coming fiscal year, especially given that there’s almost no growth to tax revenue. Don’t take this the wrong way-- the sky is definitely not falling. The world isn’t coming to an end. And the US isn’t going to descend into financial chaostomorrow morning. But at a certain point, a rational person has to take note of such obvious and overwhelming data, and take some basic steps to reduce your exposure to the consequences. For example, if your country is objectively insolvent, it probably doesn’t make sense to keep 100% of your assets and savings within its jurisdiction… … especially if your government has a proud history of Civil Asset Forfeiture, AND you happen to be living in the most litigious society that has ever existed in the history of the world. It’s easy (and incredibly cost effective) to move a portion of your savings to a safe, stable jurisdiction overseas that’s out of harm’s way. Or to hold physical gold and silver in a safety deposit box overseas. Or even cryptocurrency as an alternative. This isn’t some crazy idea for tin-foil hat-wearing doomsayers. Rational, reasonable, normal have a Plan B. And in light of the circumstances and all the data, it would be truly bizarre to NOT have one. Simon Black

Two books, one by Elizabeth Drayson and one by Matthew Carr, investigate the harsh fate of the Moors and their heirs from the 15th to 17th centuries Giles Tremlett Thursday 15 June 2017 10.00 BST The Alhambra: spectacular home of the Nasrid dynasty. Photograph: Alamy Stock Photo https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/15/moors-last-stand-blood-and-faith-spain-muslims

Carlo and Nello Rosselli were influential opponents of Mussolini. This excellent book uses letters and police files to tell their story Lucy Hughes-Hallett Wednesday 7 June 2017 09.00 BST Members of the Italian antifascist movement Giustizia e Libertà (Justice & Freedom) in the 1930s. In the middle, Carlo Rosselli, Giovanni Bassanesi and Ferruccio Parri. Photograph: Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori via Getty Images https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/jun/07/bold-dangerous-family-mussolini-caroline-moorehead

One hundred years ago, Lenin’s Bolshevik uprising overturned centuries of feudalism in Russia. But what does it mean for the world today? Saturday 6 May 2017 10.59 BST By China Mieville Vladimir Lenin addresses the crowd in Red Square in 1919. Photograph: Heritage Images/Getty Images More pics in link https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/06/russian-revolution-matter-china-mieville

Here is some interesting history of words and the origins of words. There were pictures in the post that didn't come through Wikipedia They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot. Once a day it was taken and sold to the tannery. If you had to do this to survive, you were “piss poor.” But worse than that were the really poor folks who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot. They “didn’t have a pot to piss in” and were considered the lowest of the low. Wikipedia Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married. History.com Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and men, then the women, and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!” History.com Houses had thatched roofs with thick straw-piled high and no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained, it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs.” There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That’s how canopy beds came into existence. Wikipedia The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the term, “dirt poor.” The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, it would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence, “a thresh hold.” New Deal Network In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day, they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, “Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old.” Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could “bring home the bacon.” They would cut off a little to share with guests, and would all sit around and “chew the fat.” History.com Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the “upper crust.” Wikipedia Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom of holding a “wake.” Wikipedia In old, small villages, local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside, and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (“the graveyard shift”) to listen for the bell. Thus, someone could be “saved by the bell,” or was considered a “dead ringer.” Now, whoever said history was boring? Lastly: When I was in Maryland last, we went and toured a house in Gettysburg. It was owned by Jenny Wade's family. She was the only woman shot at Gettysburg. We went upstairs to the bed rooms, there was a headboard with a decorative attachment that came off. When you went to bed, you hit the hay (mattress) to make the bed bugs fall out. Thus hit the hay Jenny had been making the bread and giving the loaves to the Union Troops every morning. The Confederates found out and started shooting at the Union Soldiers. A bullet went through the door and hit Jenny, she died 2 days later.

http://marcbrecy.perso.neuf.fr/history.html Hold onto your seat, don't blink your eyes for a second! This is amazing. Seventeen year old Joe Bush got a high school assignment to make a video reproduction. He chose history as a theme and tucked it all into two minutes. Take pictures from the internet, add the track Mind Heist by Zack Hemsey (from the movie Interception) and then you get something like this.