[email protected] @dmjohnsen

@hbcharlesjr You are free to check out my sermon manuscripts: Ecclesiastes: A Smart Guy’s Journal on the Meaning of Life amazon.com/dp/B00DQ33H3A

Paul Simon pays tribute to 9/11 by performing "The Sound Of Silence". A native New Yorker, you can see the deep emotion in Paul's face as he sings. Heartbreaking.

Today is as good a day as any to remember that evil does not begin in political agendas, religious heresies, international conflicts, or terrorist organizations. It always begins in the same place: the human heart. It's also as good a day as any to remember that good does not begin in moral effort, self-sacrifice, religious performance, or social programs. It always begins in the same place: the heart of God. That heart of God, on cosmic display atop the cross, is the ultimate answer to every evil in the world.

This was the most powerful speech yet from the RNC, maybe of the entire year. RFK Jr. was masterful. Worth watching every word.

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Few phrases in American history are quoted more often than Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation between Church and State.” But Jefferson was not writing to atheists who wanted religion removed from society. He was writing to Baptists who feared government interference with their faith. The phrase appeared in an 1802 letter to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut. At the time, Connecticut’s Congregational churches occupied a privileged position within the state. Baptists and other dissenting Christians could worship, but their liberty was often treated as an exemption granted by government rather than an inherent right. That deeply troubled them. In their 1801 letter to Jefferson, the Baptists argued that religion was a matter between a person and God. Civil government possessed authority over harmful conduct, but not over religious belief. They complained that their religious privileges were considered “favors granted,” rather than “inalienable rights.” These were not secularists attempting to drive Christianity from public life. They were Christians seeking protection from a government-supported religious establishment. Jefferson answered them with a statement of principle. He wrote that religion was a matter lying “solely between Man & his God,” that a person owed no civil account for his faith or worship, and that the legitimate power of government extended to actions rather than opinions. He then quoted the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” These two protections formed what Jefferson called “a wall of separation between Church & State.” The purpose of that wall was not to make Americans irreligious. It was to prevent civil authorities from assuming power over religious belief and practice. Jefferson’s surviving draft provides further context. He originally connected this principle to his refusal, as president, to proclaim national days of fasting and thanksgiving. The British monarch was the legal head of an established church. The American president was not. This did not mean religious people could not influence public life. Churches and individual believers remained free to preach, pray, persuade, vote, and participate in politics. The distinction was between religious influence and governmental religious authority. “Separation of Church and State” did not mean separating religion from society, morality, politics, or public discussion. It described a boundary between two kinds of authority. The church was not to possess the coercive power of the state. The state was not to establish worship, govern doctrine, or treat religious liberty as a privilege it could grant or withdraw. Jefferson’s wall was a defense of liberty of conscience. Faith cannot be produced by legislation, compelled by force, or safely placed beneath the authority of civil rulers.

“The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.” 🤍 Psalm 25:9

Incredible how many Republicans don’t comprehend this reality 🎯

@TNTJohn1717 I appreciate your posts , but could you use New King JAMES so that your posts are easier to repost

The early church was (1) multi-ethnic/against racism (2) committed to the poor (3) forgiving and reconciling (4) anti-abortion/pro-life (5) committed to sex only within marriage between a man and a woman. Those five combined were seen as radical and out of step with the culture. Today, our secular culture has sought to maintain some ethical values from Christianity while rejecting its theology and worldview (see T.Holland “Dominion”), so The Five theological-ethical stances appear to be a ‘middle ground’ between ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’. But they aren’t a middle ground or ‘third way’ at all, except via accidental appearance. Taken together (which they must be—since they are based on the same distinct Christian view of power and service) The Five are still radical and out of step with the culture. The conservative church GENERALLY tends to reject calls for justice and reconciliation (1-3) while the progressive church and ex-Evangelicals reject 4-5. I'd argue that they hang together—not just theologically but practically (and historically). Read more here: buff.ly/ZWaQVoO

🚨‼️Every promise in the Bible is true, but every promise in the Bible is not addressed to you. That statement will upset the fellow who treats Scripture like a bowl of fortune cookies, grabbing whatever line makes him feel prosperous, protected, and important. But believing the whole Bible does not mean stealing every verse from its recipient. It means believing God meant what He said, to whom He said it, when He said it. A promise has an address on it. If God addressed it to Abraham’s physical seed concerning a literal land, you cannot scratch out “Israel,” write “the Church,” and call that faith. Claiming another man’s check does not increase your bank account; it exposes you as a forger. The modern promise peddler has made a career out of opening somebody else’s mail and selling the contents from a church platform. This is how Psalm 91 becomes an insurance policy, Israel’s Kingdom becomes a fundraising scheme, apostolic signs become a religious circus, and Tribulation endurance becomes a counterfeit plan of salvation. The verses are inspired; the interpretation is stolen. The problem is not that these people believe the Bible too literally. The problem is that they refuse to read the name on the envelope. Right division does not take one promise away from the Christian. It delivers the promises that actually belong to him: redemption, justification, forgiveness, adoption, reconciliation, eternal security, a heavenly calling, resurrection, and an inheritance in Christ. You do not need Israel’s deed when you are already seated in heavenly places. Stop fighting over somebody else’s mail and start reading the riches God addressed to you.

President Trump is not trying to win the next news cycle. He is trying to change the structure of America. That distinction matters. Americans are rightly worried about groceries, gas, rent, mortgages and everyday costs. But there is a bigger question: What is this President actually trying to build? Energy independence. Manufacturing. Trade. Border security. Defense. Supply chains. Government efficiency. Foreign policy realignment. These things do not change overnight. A refinery takes years. A factory takes years. A supply chain takes years. Major trade and geopolitical shifts can take even longer. That is the difference between chasing applause today and building a legacy for tomorrow. You can criticize President Trump. You SHOULD hold him accountable. But understand the strategy, the timeline and the intended outcome before judging every decision through a 24-hour headline. Because politics today is an information war. Politicians spin. Media chase clicks. Algorithms reward outrage. People read three lines and think they understand the whole issue. That is dangerous. Take a few minutes every day to understand how government actually works. Learn how policy moves. Learn how long implementation takes. Learn how energy, trade, debt and foreign policy eventually hit your household. OPEN YOUR EYES AND SEE THE DIRECTION THE COUNTRY IS GOING. You do not need to worship politicians or go to school to understand everything. You need to become harder to manipulate. Read. Question. Think. God gave you a brain. Use it.

@farman4x 48

@farman4x 25

@linadreaamy 70

Not all heroes wear capes… some have four paws. 🐕🏆😂 Today, this dog understood the assignment! 🔥 Make the dog’s

ARE YOU WONDERING WHAT PRESIDENT TRUMP IS REALLY DOING? Let me tell you what I see. I hear people asking why President Trump is fighting with Canada, dealing with Venezuela, using tariffs and talking so much about energy. Those are fair questions. When people are paying more for gas, groceries and electricity, they are naturally worried about today. I understand that because I am paying those bills too. But if we only look at the price on the gas pump, we are going to miss the biggest part of what President Trump is doing. Remember Clinton and Bush’s new world order? Well for more than 30 years, presidents from both parties managed America’s decline, the only way the new world order works is to tear down America and build up the rest of the world. They sent our factories to China, made us depend on OPEC for oil and allowed foreign countries to control the minerals needed to run our economy. They called it free trade, but there was nothing free about America losing millions of jobs while China grew rich and powerful. President Trump is the first president in my lifetime who looked at that entire system and said we are not doing this anymore. He is not just trying to lower gas prices next month. He is rebuilding America so no foreign country can hold us hostage for the next 50 to 100 years. His administration is negotiating a deal that could give the United States an ownership stake in more than a dozen Venezuelan oil fields holding around 90 billion barrels of proven reserves. If completed, that could more than double America’s oil reserves. That oil will not reach your gas tank next week. Socialism destroyed Venezuela’s oil industry, and rebuilding it will take years and billions of dollars. President Trump is thinking past the next election and planning for the future of our children and grandchildren. The fight with Canada is also about much more than a few tariffs. Canada has some of the world’s largest supplies of uranium, which is needed for nuclear power, and potash, which is needed to make fertilizer and grow food. At the same time, Canada has been sending uranium and potash to China while expecting full access to the American market. President Trump is telling Canada it cannot have it both ways. You cannot expect all the benefits of being America’s closest trading partner while helping strengthen Communist China. Canada must choose which side it is on. That is a major reason behind this trade fight. The tariffs are leverage, not the final goal. Canada depends heavily on the American market and cannot replace it. President Trump holds the stronger hand, and I believe we will win if Republicans stand behind him and give him time to finish the job. Now look at the whole map. The United States has oil, natural gas, farmland and manufacturing. Canada has uranium and potash. Venezuela has oil. Argentina, Chile and Bolivia have lithium. Brazil has iron, rare earth minerals and farmland. Mexico has manufacturing capacity. The Western Hemisphere has almost everything we need to feed ourselves, fuel ourselves, build our own goods and defend ourselves without begging China, Iran, Russia or OPEC for anything. That is what President Trump is really building. He is building an America where Iran cannot raise the price of every gallon of gas by threatening one shipping lane. China cannot shut down our factories by withholding critical minerals. OPEC cannot control our economy by cutting oil production. A war 8,000 miles away may still be a tragedy, but it should not become an American family’s mortgage payment. Our young people should be working good-paying jobs in American factories, mines and refineries instead of carrying rifles through another endless war overseas. I am not telling you every decision will be painless or that everything will happen exactly as planned. No honest person can promise that. I am telling you there is a much bigger plan at work than the media is explaining.

What an excellent way to use AI! We forget that before Henry Ford brought the Model T to market in 1908 well over 500 car companies had sprung up in America alone, making somewhere in the range of 2000 to 3000 distinct models of vehicles. It was the Wild West days of the automotive industry and it was anyone's guess who would come out on top. It's exactly the same today in robotics. Seemingly every day a new robotics company is announced with a promise or with a prototype. The variety is huge and the field is wide open. I believe that the Steel Bot robot has just the right mix of features and performance specifications to be widely useful and to dominate in the market. I'm working with all my being to bring it to fruition.

@Mark_Wilson_25 amazon.com/What-Do-Until-…

which of these covers do you prefer?

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