Free Republic

Early Friday morning, April 5, I was listening to news while getting ready to start morning work. The announcement came that a 4.2 earthquake centered somewhere beneath New Jersey had shaken the northeast, with 4.8 on the Richter recorded in New York City. While 4.8 would be barely noticed in parts of California or some of the western environs, an earthquake of any magnitude in the northeast U.S. provokes considerable angst. These just don’t occur that often beneath the solid rock that is Manhattan. A day or two before the quake, a torrential storm of rain, wind, and lightning struck...

18 April 2024 Thursday of the 3rd week of Eastertide St. Emma Monastery - Greensburg, PA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 8:26-40 ©Philip baptizes a eunuchThe angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, ‘Be ready to set out at noon along the road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza, the desert road.’ So he set off on his journey. Now it happened that an Ethiopian had been on pilgrimage to Jerusalem; he was a eunuch and an officer at the court of the kandake, or queen, of Ethiopia, and was in fact her chief...

The attack of Iran on Israel on April 13, 2024 was unprecedented. We know that Iran has sponsored terrorism for a long time, working with proxy groups like the Houthis, Hezbollah, and, of course, Hamas on that horrific attack on the Jewish homeland on October 7th—where 1,200 people were butchered and murdered. It is unbelievable. And there are still so many being held as hostages. But when Iran directly attacked Israel, that is literally without precedent and it has Bible prophecy significance. Now, we had this solar eclipse recently and some people thought that that was a sign of the...

17 April 2024 Wednesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide St. Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 8:1-8 ©They went from place to place, preaching the Good NewsThat day a bitter persecution started against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled to the country districts of Judaea and Samaria. There were some devout people, however, who buried Stephen and made great mourning for him. Saul then worked for the total destruction of the Church; he went from house to house arresting both men and women and sending them to prison....

For over four years now, almost everyone who pays attention to what’s going on in the world lives in a constant state of anxiety. The reason? They’re waiting for the next shoe to drop – the next major global event that will upend their lives. This is understandable. Over the past four years, we’ve endured COVID, the government response to COVID (lockdowns, passports, mandates, etc.), global supply chain issues, global inflation, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the October 7th Hamas attack on Israel, the shutdown of Red Sea shipping lanes, and numerous rumors of other major events set to break at...

16 April 2024 Tuesday of the 3rd week of Eastertide Saint Bernadette Catholic Church, Arlington, VA Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 7:51-8:1 ©'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit'Stephen said to the people, the elders and the scribes: ‘You stubborn people, with your pagan hearts and pagan ears. You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted? In the past they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, and now you have become his betrayers, his murderers. You who had...

15 April 2024 Monday of the 3rd week of Eastertide Ukrainian Catholic church in Star-Peno, Alberta Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 6:8-15 ©They could not get the better of Stephen because the Spirit prompted what he saidStephen was filled with grace and power and began to work miracles and great signs among the people. But then certain people came forward to debate with Stephen, some from Cyrene and Alexandria who were members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of Freedmen, and others from Cilicia and Asia. They found they could not get the better of him...

PaRaDeS...The evening of April 10, 2014, in Las vegas: the death of The Juice (know your memes) at age 76.Simpson's attorney confirmed to TMZ he died Wednesday night in Las VegasOrenthal James Simpson (July 9, 1947 -- April 10, 2024) was an American football player and actor. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills, and is regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. His professional success was overshadowed by his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron...

As we open the daily news, there is one action that is guaranteed to be reported: violence. No matter which country you live in, violence is a fact of everyday life and is only growing worse. I am sure I am not alone when I say that most days, I lift my eyes to the heavens and ask, “How long, o Lord, how long?” Concerning Israel, though the violence of war reverberates throughout their land (and will continue in the Tribulation Period), how wonderful to read of the promise of Isaiah 60:18 concerning the Millennial Kingdom: “Violence shall no longer...

The individuals listed below are Christians (past and present) who are passionate about their faith. Some are recognized pastors, scholars and teachers of Bible prophecy and eschatology (study of end-times) who also belong to various denominations. Also listed here are those from pseudo-Christian organizations (so-called Christian groups that adhere to doctrines outside mainstream Christianity). This comprehensive list of individuals is meant to help you identify sound teaching on Bible prophecy and prophecy topics only. Some have devoted their entire lives to teaching Bible prophecy. Not all are always in agreement, and not all are sound in their doctrines. Therefore, study...

14 April 2024 3rd Sunday of Easter The high (main) altar in the basilica of Saint Lidwina (Liduina) in Schiedam, Netherlands. In this church relics of the saint are kept.Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 3:13-15,17-19 ©You killed the prince of life: God, however, raised him from the deadPeter said to the people: ‘You are Israelites, and it is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, who has glorified his servant Jesus, the same Jesus you handed over and then disowned in the presence of Pilate after Pilate had decided to release...

13 April 2024 Saturday of the 2nd week of Eastertide San Hermenegildo Chapel, Cathedral of Seville Readings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: B(II).First readingActs 6:1-7 ©They elected seven men full of the Holy SpiritAbout this time, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists made a complaint against the Hebrews: in the daily distribution their own widows were being overlooked. So the Twelve called a full meeting of the disciples and addressed them, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the word of God so as to give out food; you, brothers, must select from among...

A community of Catholic monks on a reputably 'holy island' off the coast of Wales is at the centre of a major child abuse scandal going back more than 50 years. Thousands of tourists visit Caldey off the Pembrokeshire coast each year unaware of its dark history of sex abuse against infants as young as three. Visiting children, who have now grown to adults, say they were raped in the historic abbey, sexually abused in the ornate gardens and threatened that they would go to hell if they breathed a word to anyone back on the mainland. This week, The...

Victor Davis Hanson, a historian and professor emeritus of California State University, Fresno, pushed back on criticism of Israel on the American Right, adding that recent comments by right-wing pundits like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens do not represent the conservative movement or the American Religious Right. Hanson, who has frequently appeared as a guest on Carlson’s now-cancelled Fox News show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight”, and his current, independently-produced “Tucker Carlson Uncensored,” spoke with Megyn Kelly on Wednesday regarding the rise in anti-Israel rhetoric on the American Right. Ignorant Arguments about Christians and Israel“Most of the evangelical community I know is...

In a prophecy written by Zechariah about 3,000 years ago, we learn, “Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples all around. Now the one in siege against Jerusalem will also be against Judah. But it will be in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who heave it up will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it” (Zechariah 12:2-3.) It is very unfortunate, but it is part of the word of God and it is...

The woke professor tearing up Baylor University continues his wild ride of unrestrained progressivism, recently interrupting church liturgy to unironically point out that the title of a centuries-old hymn is “sexist” for containing the word “brethren” and that he’s edited and moved around parts of it as to not cause offense. The last thing that I’ll mention is because I’m Episcopalian, I don’t like to interrupt liturgy. Liturgy is holy. It works when it’s together. We have a song that is 200 years old, which will be our opening hymn. I am well aware that the title Brethren We Have...

Notable Evangelical pastor, author and radio personality Chuck Swindoll is stepping down as senior pastor of Stonebriar Community Church, a Texas megachurch based in Frisco, but he will continue to preach on Sundays. The 89-year-old pastor, who has held the position since 1998, will take on the role of founding pastor effective May 1, according to a statement from the elders of Stonebriar. Jonathan Murphy, the chair and professor of Pastoral Ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary, will become the church's new senior pastor. "Pastor Chuck will continue to preach God's Word at the pulpit on Sundays, while Jonathan will shepherd...

I will shake heaven and earth. I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms; I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms. I will overthrow the chariots And those who rode in them; The horse and their riders shall come down, Everyone one by the sword of his brother. Haggai 2:21-22 Looking back, Volume One dealt largely with the military applications of the RPA. Volume Two dealt with exponential growth in advanced technologies and how they threaten to change everything. Volume 3 looked at how the fascist policies from World War Two are being repackaged and recycled in our day....

We see, therefore, that War is not merely a political act, but also a real political instrument, a continuation of political commerce, a carrying out of the same by other means. Carl von Clausewitz, On War It has been said, and largely understood that the last days final government will have three main components to its structure: the political, economic, and the religious. As such, if we are, indeed, in the last days, we should expect to see all three advancing an equal measures. Thus, shifting gears away from technology for a moment, we will look at the accompanying political...

In the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-16), in the context of His impending trial, crucifixion, burial, resurrection, and departure (His Ascension), Jesus told His disciples that it was to their advantage that He go because when He does, the "Helper" (some translations say Comforter) would come. Jesus was referring to God the Holy Spirit who would convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment, as well as testify of Jesus and guide the believers into all truth (John 14:16-18, 16:5-11). This divine narrative progresses with the Holy Spirit's descent on the Day of Pentecost, as chronicled in...