Podcasts about Damascus

When does one recite the Beracha "Al Netilat Yadayim" over the morning hand-washing? The Tashbatz (Rav Shimshon Ben Sadok, Germany, 13 th century) relates that the Maharam Me'Rutenberg (Germany, 1215-1293) would recite the Beracha over the morning washing in the synagogue, well after he washed his hands. He would wash his hands at home, after waking, but he recited the Beracha "Al Netilat Yadayim" later, together with the other Birkot Ha'shahar (morning blessings) upon arriving in the synagogue. Rabbenu Peretz (France, 13 th century), in his glosses to the Tashbatz, writes that although this was the custom in German communities, in his region the custom was to recite Birkot Ha'shahar at home, when washing one's hands. The Rambam, in one of his responsa, addresses a report that the Jews of Damascus would recite the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim" in the synagogue, well after the morning washing, and he writes that the blessing recited at that point unquestionably constitutes a Beracha Le'batala – a blessing recited in vain. A well-established rule requires reciting a Beracha "Ober La'asiyatan" – before performing the Misva, and thus once a person completes the Misva, he cannot then recite the blessing over that Misva. Hence, the Rambam writes, the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim" cannot be recited after one washes his hands. He adds that even if a community has a long-standing tradition to follow this practice, it must be discontinued, as this practice is incorrect. The Rambam rules that the Beracha must be recited before one begins the performance of the Misva – meaning, before he pours water over his hands. Maran (Rav Yosef Karo, author of the Shulhan Aruch), in Bet Yosef, offers an explanation for the custom of reciting the Beracha upon arriving in the synagogue. He notes the view of the Rashba (Rav Shlomo Ben Aderet, Spain, 1235-1310) that the morning washing was instituted as an expression of gratitude to Hashem for restoring our souls in the morning. In response to the return of our souls, we wash our hands like Kohanim who wash their hands before entering the Bet Ha'mikdash to serve – showing that we are prepared to serve Hashem like the Kohanim. According to this understanding of the Misva, one could perceive the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim" as a blessing of thanksgiving, expressing gratitude to Hashem for restoring one's soul. If so, then this Beracha indeed resembles the Birkot Ha'shahar, which give praise to Hashem for the gifts we receive each morning, such as the ability to open our eyes, to stand up straight, and to put on clothing. As such, the custom to recite "Al Netilat Yadayim" together with the other blessings in the synagogue is perhaps valid. This explanation given by the Bet Yosef appears already in the commentary of the Maharam Halawa (Spain, 14 th century) to Masechet Pesahim (7b), who supports the custom of reciting "Al Netilat Yadayim" together with the Birkot Ha'shahar in the synagogue. However, the Bet Yosef concludes his discussion by noting that the general custom among Sephardic Jewry does not follow this practice, and the more correct custom is to recite the Beracha at the time the Misva is performed. Hacham Ovadia Yosef noted that this issue could hinge on the fundamental question regarding the nature of the Birkot Ha'shahar. The Rambam maintained that each of the morning blessings must be recited at the time of the phenomenon for which it praises Hashem. For example, according to the Rambam, only if and when one hears the rooster crow does he recite "Ha'noten La'sechvi Bina." Likewise, one recites the Beracha "Poke'ah Ivrim" immediately upon opening his eyes, and one recites "Malbish Arumim" immediately when he puts on his clothes. In the Rambam's view, these blessings are recited over the personal experience of these phenomena. Others, however, viewed these blessings as expressions of praise for the general phenomena, and not of personal gratitude. This was the view of the Arizal, who maintained that one recites "Ha'noten La'sechvi Bina" even if he did not hear the rooster's crow in the morning. This is the basis for the accepted practice to recite all the morning blessings together, and not as one experiences each phenomenon. Hacham Ovadia observed that the Rambam, who viewed these blessings as expressions of personal gratitude, also argued that "Al Netilat Yadayim" must be recited at the time one washes his hands. Even if the Rambam would agree that "Al Netilat Yadayim" is recited over the gift of the soul's restoration in the morning, he requires reciting it at the time of the washing, just as he requires reciting all the morning blessings at the time one experiences each phenomenon. On the other hand, Hacham Ovadia added, the Arizal agreed that one does not recite "Al Netilat Yadayim" in the morning unless he washed his hands (and that one does not recite "Asher Yasar" in the morning unless he performed his bodily functions). And thus if one remained awake throughout the night, he does not recite "Al Netilat Yadayim" in the morning. Hence, it seems that the Arizal viewed "Al Netilat Yadayim" in the morning as a typical Birkat Ha'misva (Beracha recited over a Misva), in which case it must be recited at the time one fulfills the Misva, and not later. However, there are – surprisingly – those who require reciting "Al Netilat Yadayim" after the morning hand-washing, despite viewing this Beracha as a classic Birkat Ha'misva. The rationale behind this opinion is the fact that one cannot recite a Beracha while his hands are contaminated by the spirit of impurity that descends upon them during the night. Rabbenu David Bonafede (Spain, 13 th century), in his commentary to Masechet Pesahim (7b), draws a comparison between the Beracha over the morning hand-washing and the Beracha recited by a convert over his immersion in a Mikveh. The convert cannot recite the blessing before immersing, because he is at that point still a gentile. Therefore, the ordinary rule of "Ober La'asiyatan" is suspended, and the Beracha is recited after the fulfillment of the Misva – meaning, after the immersion. By the same token, since we cannot recite a Beracha in the morning until we dry our hands to eliminate the impurity, the rule of "Ober La'asiyatan" is suspended, as the Beracha must be recited afterward. And once the Beracha in any event cannot be recited before performing the Misva, it may be recited later, in the synagogue, together with the other morning blessings. (This brings to mind the Beracha of "Ga'al Yisrael" which we recite at the end of the Maggid section at the Seder, which many have viewed as the Beracha over the Misva to tell the story of the Exodus. When we begin the Seder, we are to see ourselves as slaves, and slaves have no Misva obligation. Hence, we cannot recite the Beracha before performing this Misva. Through the process of Maggid, we experience Yesiat Misrayim, and at that point we are then able to recite the Beracha which were unable to recite before performing the Misva.) Indeed, the Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) cites the Maharam Nigrin (16th century) as stating that the impure forces remain on the hands until after they are dried, implying that the Beracha should be recited only after one dries his hands. This is the ruling of several Sephardic Poskim, including Rav Haim Palachi (Turkey, 1788-1868), the Hesed La'alafim (Rav Eliezer Papo, 1785-1828), and the Zechor Le'Abraham (Rav Abraham Alkalai, 1750-1811). Rav Eliyahu Mani (Hebron, d. 1899) wrote that the prevalent practice was to recite the Beracha only after drying the hands, though his custom was to recite the Beracha before drying his hands. By contrast, the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) brings the Arizal's teaching that the forces of impurity leave the hands after the water is poured on them, even before they are dried, and so the Beracha should be recited at that point – right before they are dried. As this is the Arizal's opinion, this is the practice that should be followed. If, however, one is unable to recite the Beracha before drying them, then he may recite it later, relying on the opinion that the Beracha should be recited after drying. This can happen if there is a foul odor in the area where one washes – such as if there is a sewage blockage – and it is thus forbidden to recite a Beracha at that spot. Likewise, if somebody forgot to recite a Beracha before he dried his hands, he recites the Beracha afterward. If one washes his hands and cannot remember whether or not he recited the Beracha, he does not recite the Beracha, as we follow the famous rule of "Safek Berachot Le'hakel" – a Beracha is not recited when there is some uncertainty about whether it is required. The proper text of the Beracha is "Al Netilat Yadayim." If somebody mistakenly recited "Li'tol Yadayim," he does not repeat the Beracha. If one does not have a towel available for drying his hands, he may use a hot-air machine, like those stationed in many public restrooms. If one slept with gloves, then he washes his hands in the morning without reciting the Beracha. The Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yehiel, Germany-Spain, d. 1327) understood the morning washing as resulting from the fact that a person's hands likely touched unclean parts of the body during the night. Therefore, according to the Rosh, one who wore gloves during the night does not bear an obligation to wash his hands in the morning. Although Halacha requires the individual to wash his hands due to the other reasons given for the morning hand-washing, he should not recite a blessing, in deference to the view of the Rosh. Summary: Some Poskim maintained that in the morning, the Beracha "Al Netilat Yadayim" should be recited only after one dries his hands following the morning hand-washing, and some have the custom to recite this Beracha together with the Birkot Ha'shahar in the synagogue. The more correct practice, however, is to recite the Beracha immediately after the washing, before drying the hands. If, however, one did not recite the Beracha at that point, then he recites the Beracha afterward. One who cannot remember whether or not he recited the Beracha of "Al Netilat Yadayim" does not recite it. One who slept with gloves must wash his hands in the morning, though he does not recite the Beracha.

During Syria's long civil war, Russia propped up the Assad regime with military and diplomatic support. Now, the new government in Damascus is recalibrating the power dynamic with Moscow. Also: today's stories, including how Iowans could elect a Democratic governor for the first time in two decades, how a drought in the western United States has affected food sources for black bears, and a tribute to one of America's most beloved and iconic performers and songwriters, Dolly Parton. Join the Monitor's Matthew Bell for today's news.

Summer is winding down, the Jewish year is coming to a close, and apparently the news has decided to get even weirder. This week we take on out-of-control charity spam, skyrocketing meat prices, Mamdani's latest plans for New York, and Tucker Carlson's newest obsession with Israel — including a shocking discovery about Israeli school education. Also this week: Iran feels the squeeze, Saudi Arabia manages to blow $50 BILLION and Palestinians literally wearing their money to weddings.   ________ ** Now's the time to get your brand new gorgeous Sukkah from SukkahOutlet.com!! ** National Sukkah Outlet has been building sukkahs since R' Ezriel Munk started out in his Passaic garage 36 years ago. Panels, fabric, travel, bamboo and schach under Badatz — and honestly, the customer service is off the charts. First sukkah or an upgrade, they've got you. Locations in Brooklyn, Monsey, the Five Towns, Queens, and Lakewood. Visit: https://sukkahoutlet.com Call: 800-778-5624 WhatsApp them directly: wa.me/8483827990 ________ ** Medical weight loss made simple and affordable! Skip the waiting rooms and start losing today with SlimRxCenter.com !** Featuring personalized plans with medical providers, and a team that understands the frum community and its unique lifestyle challenges. Visit: https://slimrxcenter.com/ Call: 845-414-6499 ________ ** Town Appliance - For All Of Your Appliance Needs! ** No matter the budget, Town Appliance will get you the right appliance for your needs and give you the most value for your money. Visit: https://www.townappliance.com/ Call/Text/Whatsapp: 732-364-5195 ________ We have a call-in number where you can hear the cast! Tell your friends and family who may not have internet access! 605-417-0303 To Call In From Israel: +079-579-5087 To Call In From UK: +03-333-66-0768 Also! Subscribe for our bonus content by phone! Available at the same number. ________ Get official KC swag and show your support to the world! https://kiddushclubmerch.com ________ Subscribe now to keep us going and access bonus content! https://buymeacoffee.com/kiddushclub/membership   Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiddushclubpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kiddushclubcast Join our WhatsApp chat: https://whatsapp.kccast.com Send us you thoughts comments and suggestions via email: hock@kiddushclubpodcast.com  

Have you ever wondered if someone is simply too far gone to change? Maybe it’s someone you love. Maybe it’s you. Maybe your past is so broken, your choices have caused so much damage or you’ve wandered so far from God that you wonder if there’s any way back. In Acts 9, we meet Saul, a man who wasn’t just skeptical of Jesus. He was actively persecuting and killing His followers. Then, on the road to Damascus, Saul has a collision with the risen Jesus that changes everything. The man who once wanted to destroy the church becomes one of the most influential instruments in building the church, a man God uses to help change the world.Acts 9 reminds us that nobody is too far gone for God’s grace. You can’t out-sin the cross. You can’t outrun the grace of God. But Saul’s story also reminds us that transformation isn’t meant to happen alone. What would change in your life if you really believed God’s grace could reach you? And who might God be asking you to move toward with courage and compassion?– – – – – – – What stood out to you from this message? Share your biggest takeaway in the comments. If this message encouraged you, share it with someone who needs the reminder that nobody is too far gone for God’s grace. Join us as we study through the book of Acts: crosspoint.tv/acts Find a Cross Point campus near you in Middle Tennessee: crosspoint.tv/locations

Witness Saul's life-changing transformation as an enemy of Jesus is reborn into a new creation, setting him on a path that will change history forever.In this episode of The Jesus Podcast, Saul's journey to Damascus is abruptly transformed by a divine encounter with Jesus, leaving him blinded and filled with conviction. Through Ananias, Saul is healed and baptized, shedding his old identity and stepping into his new purpose as a follower of Christ.Today's Bible verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17, from the King James Version.Download the ⁠Pray.com⁠ app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In today's episode of Trending Middle East, the US has announced sweeping new sanctions against Iran, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he expects other countries to take similar action as Washington steps up its campaign to economically isolate Tehran. We also look at the US decision to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, clearing a major obstacle to Damascus's economic recovery. And leading Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour has died, aged 79, after more than five decades shaping a visual language of Palestinian identity. Abu Dhabi's Lulu Island is set for a major transformation under developer Eagle Hills Properties, while Dubai's public parking operator Parkin is expanding its smart parking services into Bahrain and Egypt. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.

https://cdn.enduringword.com/audio/devotional/Devotional08222026.mp3 The post Headed to Damascus – Acts 9:1-2 – August 22, 2026 appeared first on Enduring Word.

Turkey is moving deeper into Syria, Israel has drawn a clear red line, and Damascus may once again become the flashpoint to watch. Could the events unfolding along Israel's northern frontier ultimately lead to the war foretold in Ezekiel 38?Connect with us on social:Telegram: @beholdisraelchannelInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amir.tsarfati/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beholdisrael/X: https://x.com/beholdisraelYouTube: https://youtube.com/@beholdisrael

A landmark trial has begun in California with the tech giant Meta accused of deliberately making Facebook and Instagram addictive to children. We'll hear the case for the prosecution and the defence. Also on the programme: a court in Damascus sentences to death a cousin of the deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad; and how short-sighted tree-shrews could be a big help to humans. (Photo: A woman holds a smartphone with a Facebook logo in front of a displayed logo for Meta in this illustration picture taken on October 28, 2021. Credit: Reuters)

Acclaimed historian Simon Sebag Montefiore returns to Unholy to discuss his sweeping new book, The Cauldron: A History of the Middle East between 1900 and 2026. He tells Yonit and Jonathan that understanding the region today requires starting at the dawn of the 20th century — thanks to the long shadow still cast by the Ottoman Empire and its collapse. They talk of the often underestimated significance of Saudi Arabia, the convulsions that followed the Iranian revolution of 1979 and the extent to which Israel is - unexpectedly - a Middle Eastern state like any other.   ⏱ CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 00:52 Why the book starts in 1900 02:49 Ibn Saud and the House of Saud 07:31 1979 and the Iranian revolution 09:55 The empire states, none of them Arab 13:13 Israel as a post-Ottoman state 18:22 Ben Gurion, Ataturk, Reza Shah 21:46 Middleness, pipelines and Haifa 26:35 The 1840 Damascus blood libel 30:02 Purity tests and historians' nerve 33:58 The King and Britain's minorities    

SPONSORS: 1) SHOPIFY: Build your own business with a free trial at https://shopify.com/julian 2) GHOSTBED: Get an extra 10% off sitewide at https://GhostBed.com/julian with promo code JULIAN. Some exclusions apply; see site for details. JOIN PATREON FOR EARLY UNCENSORED EPISODE RELEASES: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey CLIPPERS DISCORD: https://discord.gg/8QmWEKJ3BT (***TIMESTAMPS in Description Below) ~ Mariana van Zeller is an Emmy-Winning Journalist & YouTuber. She has had shows on many channels, including National Geographic. MARIANA's LINKS - YT: https://www.youtube.com/marianavanzeller - IG: https://www.instagram.com/marianavz/?hl=en FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY IG: https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://x.com/juliandorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 - Mariana in Niger, Gold Trafficking Funds Terrorists 00:11:32 - Trapped Nine Days, Escaping by G5 at Night 00:21:51 - Broken Systems, Not Broken PEOPLE 00:31:52 - Blondie, CJNG & Arms Dealers Selling Both Sides 00:41:05 - Sinaloa, Chinese Precursors & the Fentanyl Boom 00:50:41 - Inside an Explosive Fentanyl Lab 01:00:54 - Portugal's Decriminalization & Florida's Pain Clinics 01:10:53 - American Pain, the George Brothers & the DEA 01:21:39 - Insys, the Sacklers & Two-Tiered Justice 01:30:26 - Cartel Presence in Small Town Georgia 01:41:21 - Predator Hunters, Context & Trafficking in America 01:52:01 - CJNG Scam Empire & "Super Scam Me" 02:03:43 - Damascus, Selling Carpets & Fighters Bound for Iraq 02:12:56 - "Too Soon to Give Voice to the Enemy" 02:23:01 - The Amazon Diamond Mine & Federal Police 02:31:41 - North Korea, Bill Clinton & Becoming a Mother 02:42:03 - Ping Pong Diplomacy & Why Access Is Everything 02:54:28 - Black Market Organs, King Coyote & the Death Train 03:03:31 - Ukraine Surrogacy & Myanmar Pig Butchering 03:13:58 - Epstein, Impunity & "It's Inequality" 03:19:18 - Mariana's Work CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 462 - Mariana van Zeller Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who suffers when AI gets things wrong? In Brazil, where fighting crime is a top priority for citizens, facial-recognition technology is exploding, even though the legislature is still working on laying out clear rules. Also: today's stories, including a look at how a rising pragmatic approach to clean energy is slowing Europe's green transition; how AI is rattling the book publishing industry; and a photo essay on climbing in Damascus and its uplifting effect on Syrian life. Join the Monitor's Matthew Bell for today's news.

Hannah Lucinda Smith is a veteran foreign correspondent. Her new book Hinterlands explores whether hidden conflicts unfolding in little-noticed border areas might be shaping a new world order. In today's episode, she speaks with All Things Considered's Mary Louise Kelly about “overlooked” places caught between the Russian and Turkish spheres of influence and the West. They also discuss Smith's comparison between the political circumstances in Damascus in 2011 and Sarajevo in 1914 – and the dynamic nature of borders.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show's perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In this episode, we explore Acts 22:3–15 and Saul's life-changing encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. God didn't just change Saul's direction—He redirected his passion and purpose. We'll discover what it means to be chosen, surrender our own plans, renew our minds, and obey God's call to live as a new creation.You were chosen for a purpose. The question is: Will you obey?

IntroductionThere can be a disconnect in the Christian life. We can become so focused on doctrine that we forget that we are called to live out the gospel. Or we can become so focused on living the Christian life that we lose sight of the doctrine that gives us the strength and assurance to live it.The Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 23 understands this tension. As we come to justification by faith, it essentially asks us, Is this doctrine really helpful? Is this something that actually benefits us? Does knowing that we are justified by faith make any difference in the Christian life?I think those are important questions. So, let's begin. Is This Helpful?The first thing we have to understand is the seriousness of our problem.Our problem is that we minimize sin. We sometimes like to think that if we can just clean up enough of the outward problems, we will be okay. Maybe we haven't done everything right, but we have done better than the person next to us. Maybe we have kept 99.99% of the commandments.But the problem is that sin is not merely a collection of bad behaviors. Sin is at the core of who we are. Our behavior or actions are merely the fruit of the deeper root problem. In the fall, humanity essentially told God, We don't want your order. We don't want your holiness. We don't want you ruling over us. We were exiled from Eden, and God gave us what we wanted. And that leaves us in a desperate position.We see this even in some of the great saints of Scripture. Jacob spent much of his life trying to accomplish the promises of God in his own strength. He wrestled with God and came away limping, learning that the promises of God come through weakness and submission to the Lord.Job wanted his day in court with God. He wanted to present his case and demonstrate that God had gotten things wrong. But when Job finally comes face-to-face with the living God, he puts his hand over his mouth. He learns that God's wisdom is far greater than his own. Paul was a man who considered himself blameless according to the law, yet Christ had to stop him on the road to Damascus. Even Paul had to learn that God's strength is manifested in weakness.And then there is Isaiah. Isaiah appears to be one of those Old Testament saints who was pretty dialed in. Yet when he comes into the presence of God, he doesn't say, "I dwell in the midst of unclean people who make me unclean." No, he says, “Woe is me. I am a man of unclean lips” That is the point. Apart from Christ, we have nothing.Paul makes this very clear in Romans 3. He gives a staccato of Old Testament references and demonstrates that there is a universal problem that impacts Jew and Gentile. It doesn't matter how religious you are or how well you have cleaned up your life.All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.That is why justification by faith is so helpful. It tells us the truth about our condition. We cannot save ourselves. We need a rematch and not a participation trophy.The championship game has already been played. Adam failed, and in Adam we have all failed. The verdict has been issued. We need someone to reengage the competition and overturn the previous verdict. And that is exactly what Christ does in his work. However, this can still be all doctrine. Is there a place where this really impacts our Christian life? Is This Assuring? This is where the beauty of justification really comes into view. The Heidelberg Catechism says that I share in all of Christ's benefits. He has made perfect satisfaction for my sin. He has given me his perfect holiness. And I am regarded before God as if I had never sinned and as if I had perfectly obeyed all that God commanded. Think about the beauty of that.It is not my righteousness. It is Christ's righteousness.It is not my perfect obedience. It is Christ's perfect obedience. It is not something I have earned. It is a gift. God has freely given it to his unworthy children.Paul says in Romans 3 that we are justified by God's grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Justification is a legal declaration. Before the heavenly court, we deserve condemnation in Adam. But in Christ, we are declared righteous.And this is what makes grace so amazing.Sometimes we define grace as “unmerited favor.” But I think Scripture gives us an even deeper picture. Unmerited favor could mean that God just gave us something. We did not earn it. However, we could be neutral. For instance, you love your kid, so you just buy your kid ice cream. The kid did not specifically deserve it, but you want to spend some quality time together.We actively rebelled against him. We told God that we didn't want his holiness, his rule, or his order. If we continue with the illustration of buying a child ice cream, we can ask: Would you buy your child ice cream after your child washed your car with a Brillo pad? I am guessing that the child is not getting ice cream. However, we did far worse to God in the fall. He also gives us more than a participation trophy or ice cream. God gives us heaven through the work of his son. Christ doesn't simply overlook our sin. This is why Paul uses the language of redemption. Redemption is buying someone out of slavery. That is what Christ did. He purchased us out of our bondage of sin to set us free to live in him.Christ had to lay down his life in our place. He has to die because sin is that heinous. It is not that God is so villainous, but sin is that heinous. We cannot find a simple solution to this complex problem. So if someone wants to mock justification by faith as a “participation trophy,” I say, "I'll gladly take it." I'll put it on the shelf and proudly say, I am in Christ Jesus, and apart from Christ I have no hope. However, we need to remember that Christ reengaged the championship game. He won the game and gives us the credit.Conclusion So is justification by faith helpful?Absolutely.Because we have a 100% problem, and we need a 100% Savior.Is justification assuring?Absolutely.Because Christ has done what we could never do. He has satisfied God's justice, paid our debt, redeemed us from slavery, and given us his righteousness.And is my faith good enough?No, but Christ is.That is the good news. The gospel isn't that God looked at us and decided that we were basically good enough to receive a participation trophy. The gospel is that we were condemned in Adam, and Christ came into the heavenly courtroom and stood in our place. He took the judgment we deserved and gave us the righteousness we could never earn. He overturned the previous loss and won us our victory. And so we don't use grace as an excuse to push the boundaries of sin. If we really understand what sin is, why would we want to return to it? Sin is destructive. It tears us away from the true peace and shalom that God created us to enjoy.So let us continue to take hold of Christ by faith. Let us forget what lies behind and press forward toward what lies ahead. Christ Jesus has made us his own. And as the Holy Spirit continues to conform us to Christ, let us walk in him, trusting not in the strength of our faith, but in the strength of our Savior.

Syria's former President Bashar al-Assad and his brother, Maher al-Assad have been sentenced to death in absentia by a Damascus court for war crimes and crimes against humanity, while their cousin Atef Najib faced trial and sentencing in person. BFM 89.9 speaks with Dr. James M. Dorsey, adjunct senior fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, on the political significance of the verdict and whether it represents meaningful justice for Syria.

What happens to a person when the country they were born in decides they were never really from there?What does a play about the women of a sacked city, written 2,400 years ago, have to say to an actress walking out of Syria on foot?And how do you stand on a stage in Edinburgh and make an audience laugh about the worst thing that ever happened to you?At the Edinburgh Fringe, Peter Frankopan meets Arwa Omaren, whose one-woman show sets her own escape from Syria inside the story of Hecuba, Queen of Troy — along with William Stirling and Charlotte Eagar, who have spent a decade staging Euripides with refugees.Arwa Omaren found out she was a refugee at twelve, in a playground fight in Damascus. She graduated top of her class from Syria's leading drama school in 2011, signed a television contract, and then the war took all of it. She walked for five weeks through the mountains of Kurdistan. Britain granted her asylum, then she was evicted, and she slept on the street with her dog. Hecuba: Why Am I In Your Country? is what she made of it. Euripides wrote the first play about refugees in 415 BC, the year after Athens massacred the people of Melos. Twenty-four centuries later it is still the play that fits.Hecuba: Why Am I In Your Country? runs at the Gilded Balloon Teviot, Edinburgh Fringe, until 31 August: edfringe.comMore on the Trojan Women Project: trojanwomenproject.orgPeter has written about the play at peterfrankopan.substack.comJoin Legacy Plus for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more.legacy.supportingcast.fm[0:00] Peter at the Fringe, and a performance he could not stop thinking about[3:23] Oxfam, 2013, and the Greek tragedy that turned out to be about refugees[9:50] Who Hecuba is, and why a queen reduced to nothing is the right story for now[16:18] A playground fight in Damascus, and the day Arwa found out she was a refugee[17:24] Five weeks walking, and the paperwork that told her she belonged nowhere[33:13] Jacko: the dog she left behind in Syria, and the charity that brought him backStay connected with Legacy:Instagram: @originallegacypodcastTikTok: @legacy_productionsExplore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas:Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.comJoin Legacy+ for bonus episodes, early access, Q&A's, fewer adverts and more.legacy.supportingcast.fmStay connected with Legacy:Instagram: @originallegacypodcastTikTok: @legacy_productionsExplore more from Peter and Afua — essays, sources, and ideas: Substack: peterfrankopan.substack.com | afuahirsch.substack.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Read OnlineLimitless ForgivenessPeter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21–22In the Book of the Prophet Amos, a poetic formula is repeated: “For three crimes of Damascus, and now four—I will not take it back…” (cf. Amos 1). By the time of Jesus, rabbinic tradition had adopted the interpretation of this passage to mean that God forgives three times, but not four and, therefore, so should we: “When a person commits a transgression the first time, he is forgiven; a second time, he is forgiven; a third time, he is forgiven; but the fourth time, he is not forgiven” (Yoma 86b).In today's Gospel, Peter's question is generous but still rooted in human calculation. His question follows immediately after Jesus teaches about fraternal correction. Peter, taking in this instruction and knowing the rabbinic tradition, more than doubles the expected number of times to forgive, suggesting seven. But Jesus immediately corrects him—not to reject his generosity, but to elevate it: “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”This phrase, “seventy-seven times,” is not a literal number; it signifies that forgiveness must be limitless, reflecting the boundless mercy of God. It is not merely a command to repeat acts of forgiveness, but an invitation to let our hearts be formed by Divine Mercy.The parable Jesus tells in response to Peter's question offers deeper insight into His meaning. It echoes the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” A king has a servant who owes him a huge amount—an unpayable debt, symbolizing the incalculable weight of our sin before God. When the servant begs for patience, the king goes beyond all expectation: he forgives the entire debt out of compassion. But that same servant, having just received mercy, encounters a fellow servant who owes him only a small amount. Rather than extending the mercy he himself had received, he becomes violent, demanding repayment and imprisoning the man. The king, upon hearing this, is enraged—not merely because of injustice, but because of the servant's utter failure to mirror the mercy he had been shown. Jesus concludes with a sobering warning: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”Limitless forgiveness is very difficult unless we have a deep and abiding gratitude for the Divine Mercy God has shown us. Our debt before God is incalculable. We could never repay it on our own. Though we might be tempted to think, “I'm a good person,” Scripture reminds us: “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Without Jesus taking on our human condition and paying the debt of our sin through His suffering and death, we could not be saved. Grasping this truth and allowing it to penetrate our hearts is essential to living the Christian life.Only when we become keenly aware of the mercy God has poured into our lives can we foster true gratitude. And it is that gratitude that must inspire and compel us to offer the same limitless mercy to everyone who sins against us—no exceptions, no conditions. Just as we have been forgiven, so must we forgive, from the heart.Reflect today on how deeply you are aware of the mercy God has shown you. Do you take it for granted, or have you allowed it to transform you? Consider especially those you struggle to forgive. Let gratitude for God's mercy soften your heart. From that softened heart, choose to forgive—not seven times, but seventy-seven times and beyond. In doing so, you will reflect the very heart of God and become a vessel of His saving grace in the world.Most merciful Jesus, there is no limit to the love and forgiveness You continuously offer us. We are indebted to You with our very lives. Please give me the grace I need to be truly grateful for Your Divine Mercy and to express that gratitude by showing the same limitless mercy to all. Use me, dear Lord, as a vessel of Your grace and tender care. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Jesus and Saint Peter, by Jean-Baptiste CapronnierSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

"Good morning, Mr. Phelps." If you were a fan of the old school classic TV series, "Mission: Impossible," you would know those words always began a riveting adventure. Jim Phelps was the head of all the Mission Impossible Force before all the big movies, you know. He would listen to this tape, outlining this assignment that seemed, well, impossible. Key word–seemed. And even in more modern times when it's not a tape anymore, and when it's Tom Cruise who's doing Mission: Impossible, it's still sort of the same idea. You begin building a team of specialists, you concoct this elaborate, perfectly-timed plan to do what couldn't be done, and every time they get it done. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Such Thing as Mission Impossible." That's the conclusion you reached after watching that show for a while. For them, there's just no such thing as mission impossible. That's great fantasy stuff. It's a much greater reality when it comes to rescue missions undertaken by the One of whom the Bible says, "For with God, nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). That might be important for you to know right now, because there's a person in your life that seems beyond His reach. Well, wait a minute! There's no such person. The living proof of that is our word for today from the Word of God. Saul, the man leading the crusade to eradicate the early Christians. He is on the way from Jerusalem to Damascus to round up more of those hated believers. Acts 9:3 says, "As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' 'Who are You, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting...'" After this dramatic encounter with Jesus, the Bible says, "Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind..." You probably know that this persecutor of Jesus' followers will ultimately become the greatest proclaimer of Jesus in the world; the world-changing Apostle Paul. I cannot imagine anyone in the world of the early Christians whom they would have considered a greater "mission impossible." But there's no such thing when it comes to God, including that person in your life who seems to be so hard, so far from God, so antagonistic, so impossible to get through to. In fact, maybe you've almost stopped believing, stopped seeking opportunities to point them in Jesus' direction. Maybe you've even stopped praying very much for them. Please, don't stop going to God on their behalf. Ask God, "Lord, do whatever it takes within Your will to get through to their heart." That's a powerful prayer...the "whatever it takes" prayer. He may have to knock them off their high horse, as He did Paul. He may have to bring them to a position where they're helpless, as He did with Saul. He may have to show up dramatically in front of them, but Jesus didn't die for them just to give up on them now. As you pray, this very moment, Jesus the ultimate Mission Impossible Man, is moving people, He's moving events to bring someone you love face to face with Him. You may not even be here for the answer to your prayers, but God has this promise for you in Galatians 6:9, "we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Mission Impossible? For Jesus, there's no such thing.

Syrians in the city of Deraa, where the 2011 uprising began, celebrated after a court sentenced Bashar Al Assad to death in absentia. Damascus also sentences his brother Maher, security official Atif Najib and other officials on charges of murder and torture. The Yemeni government says that six people have been killed in a Houthi missile attack on a cargo ship in the Red Sea. The Iran-backed group has also claimed an attack on a Saudi ship carrying military equipment. In the Strait of Hormuz, shipping has fallen to just seven commodity vessels in a day, down from a 10-day average of about 12. Traffic had recovered in June as hopes of a US-Iran deal grew, but has fallen sharply since talks broke down. Lebanon's parliament has approved a law to abolish the death penalty, making it the first country in the Middle East to end capital punishment. The move formalises a moratorium that has been in place since 2004. In the UAE, businesses including cafes, restaurants and hotels will soon have to start paying an annual fee to play copyrighted music. The Ministry of Economy said 10 per cent of the money collected will go to a fund that supports musicians. Trending Middle East is AI-assisted, using original reporting published in The National and curated and edited by humans.

Ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his younger brother were sentenced to death in absentia by a Damascus court today, nearly two years after rebels forced them to seek exile in Russia. Also, at least 179 people have been killed and thousands more remain missing after a massive earthquake in Colombia. And, Europe's new biometric border system has been causing chaos at some airports across the continent this summer. Plus, a roundup of food stories to celebrate summertime. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In this Conflicted Conversation, Nicholas Morton discusses his new book The Crusader Storm: A Global History of the Wars for the Middle East. Associate Professor in History at Nottingham Trent University, Nicholas reframes the Crusades as one part of a much larger transformation of the medieval Middle East, driven above all by Seljuk-Turkmen expansion, Byzantine contraction, Fatimid decline and the fragmentation of political power. Nicholas explains: The Seljuk-Turkmen transformation of the medieval Middle East Why the Crusades were not the region's main event Dandanqan, nomadic warfare and the rise of Seljuk power Abbasids, Fatimids and fragmented government before the First Crusade Manzikert, Byzantine civil war and the Turkish conquest of Anatolia Frankish-Turkish rivalry, alliances and shared warrior culture Crusader violence and Christianity's uneasy relationship with holy war Nizari Ismailis, Seljuk civil wars and competing Muslim priorities Damascus and Byzantium as key powers in Crusader geopolitics The Middle East as a crossroads of trade, ideas and cultural exchange Follow Nicholas on X: https://x.com/NicholasMorto11 On Bluesky: @nicmorton.bsky.social On Instagram: @Nicholas Morton And his You Tube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MedievalNearEast Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports many Syrians are joyful at the death sentences handed down to ousted president Basher Assad, his brother Maher, and army commander Atef Najib, with families and victims gathering outside the Damascus courthouse.

“Where does the book of Revelation mention the Antichrist?" This pivotal question from Shannon kicks off our discussion of the central figure of the end times. While the specific term "Antichrist" is found in John's epistles, the book of Revelation refers to this figure exclusively as "the Beast," appearing over 40 times in the text. In this discussion, Pastor Ryan Speakman and Sarah reveal their discovery of a startlingly precise candidate for this role: “Our Guy in Damascus,”  and the current President of Syria. He currently meets 44 prophetic checkboxes across Judeo-Christian and Muslim eschatology, including the shocking calculation of his name equaling 666 through Greek isopsephy. Key highlights in the full video include:Why the Antichrist is called the "King of the North" in the Book of Daniel.The connection between the Abraham Accords and the final seven-year treaty.The mathematical breakdown of how Al-Sharah's name fits the biblical number of the Beast.Why the post-tribulation rapture means Christians must be spiritually prepared to face these events.Watch the FULL conversation on our YouTube channel to see the evidence and learn how to stay filled with the Holy Spirit for the days ahead. For more resources and to find the book "These Final Days, Part Three," visit thesefinaldays.org.CONNECT WITH THESE FINAL DAYSWebsite: thesefinaldays.orgSubscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheseFinalDaysTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesefinaldaysFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesefinaldays X: https://x.com/TheseFinalDays

If God knows the future, why would He create someone who will ultimately reject Him?This is one of the deepest questions in Christian theology, and one that was asked by a 15​-year-old Orthodox Christian. In this episode, Nathan Jacobs​ reads one of his favorite theological letters, exploring how the Eastern Church Fathers—especially St. John of Damascus—approach God's​ foreknowledge, human freedom, divine goodness, and the mystery of damnation.Rather than offering a simplistic answer, this discussion challenges many common assumptions​ about God's knowledge of the future and reveals a​ profoundly hopeful vision of God's unwavering love for every person He creates.======================================Timestamps00:00 Introduction01:48 A Letter to Agatha02:39 The Common Assumption About Damnation04:20 The Eastern Church Fathers' Answer05:10 Why We Exist07:03 God's Knowledge and Creation08:51 Why God Doesn't "Choose the Saved"09:27 Why Not Simply Avoid Creating the Damned?11:04 God Always Chooses the Good12:08 Outcomes vs. Goodness14:44 King Saul and Divine Justice16:26 The "Future Hitler" Thought Experiment18:11 Free Will and God's Omnipotence19:27 Can God Make a Square Circle?21:55 Abraham and Isaac24:20 Damnation Is the Creature's Choice25:20 Christ's Victory Over Hades27:18 A Prison Without Bars29:01 Hope for Universal Salvation?30:30 St. Sophrony's Final Reflection======================================Do you like this content? Join Jacobs Premium to get exclusive access to essays, lecture series, monthly Q&A Zoom calls, and ourbook club. Use code: LEWIS to get a discount: https://www.thenathanjacobspodcast.com/Support the East West Series: http://theeastwestseries.com/======================================Relevant Links:God's Omnipotence Explained: Can God Really Do Anything? https://youtu.be/qEYzy1Wbjcg ​From Heretic to Orthodox: https://youtu.be/cWcVOvEu7dM​ On Apokatastasis and Universal Salvation: https://open.substack.com/pub/nathanajacobs/p/on-apokatastasis-and-universal-salvation?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=webAll links:The Theological Letters (Substack): https://nathanajacobs.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenathanjacobspodcastX: https://x.com/NathanJacobsPodFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanandrewjacobsAcademia: https://vanderbilt.academia.edu/NathanAJacobsListen and please review the podcast elsewhere:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0hSskUtCwDT40uFbqTk3QSApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nathan-jacobs-podcast

Join us as we dig deeper into last Sunday's sermon from Pastor Randy Duncan "The Gospel for the Persecutor" and hear from Amy Duncan and Nya Martinez on "Christ Be Magnified". Digging Deeper Questions: Saul wasn't looking for Jesus. Jesus was looking for Saul. When have you experienced God pursuing you, even when you weren't seeking Him? How does Saul's story change the way you think about people who seem "too far gone" for God?   Ananias had every reason to fear Saul, yet his first words were, "Brother Saul." Is there someone in your life whom you've quietly labeled as beyond hope, forgiveness, or acceptance? What would it look like to see that person through the eyes of Jesus?   Saul's encounter with Jesus didn't simply improve his life. It completely re-centered it. What area of your life is Jesus currently turning "right side up"? Where is He calling you to surrender control?   Jesus told Ananias that Saul would suffer for His name, but He also promised His presence. How does knowing that Christ is with us in suffering change the way we face hardship or opposition for our faith?   The sermon reminds us that the Gospel is bigger than our sin, our failures, and our assumptions about others. This week, who is your "Saul"? What is one intentional step you can take to pray for, encourage, or reach out to someone who needs to experience the pursuing, embracing, and transforming grace of Jesus? Scripture Reading: Acts 9:1-22 1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.   10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Here I am, Lord." 11 And the Lord said to him, "Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight." 13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." 15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; 19 and taking food, he was strengthened.   For some days he was with the disciples at Damascus. 20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God." 21 And all who heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem of those who called upon this name? And has he not come here for this purpose, to bring them bound before the chief priests?" 22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ.   Intro/Outro Song: "Only One" Nate Zuellig ULC Artist In Residence    "Christ Be Magnified" Cody Carnes CCLI Song # 7139866   CCLI License # 11254293

Chloe learns of allegations that Asma - the ‘mother of the nation' - had an active role in one of the regime's cruellest strategies: separating the children of dissidents and rebel fighters from their parents to use them as bargaining chips. At an orphanage in Damascus, Chloe gets closer to the truth. We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.To binge listen to more episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.You'll get access to:This series and all our podcasts before anyone elseAd-free listeningPremium newslettersPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordExclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescapeTickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineOr subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.Reporter - Chloe HadjimatheouProducer - Gary MarshallSound design - Karla Patella & Hannah VarrallPodcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza BournerExecutive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UNRWA USA CEO Mara Kronenfeld is a Jewish American woman and the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor — and she leads the American nonprofit supporting the UN agency for Palestine refugees. In this episode of Immigrantly, Saadia Khan asks her what it costs to break the script. Mara traces her path from Riverside, California to a Fulbright year in Damascus, where friendships built in Yarmouk refugee camp reshaped everything she thought she knew about the Arab world. She explains what UNRWA actually is, why it was designed to become obsolete, and answers the "UNRWA institutionalizes refugeehood" critique head-on. She describes conditions in Gaza after the October 2025 ceasefire that hasn't stopped the killing — rodents biting children in tents, women unable to afford or find menstrual supplies, a father tearing up his last clothes for his daughter. She tells the story of her colleague Hani Almadhoun, who lost two brothers in Gaza — including Chef Mahmoud of the Gaza Soup Kitchen, killed by a drone as he walked to Kamal Adwan Hospital, the hospital whose director Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya remains in Israeli detention without charge to this day. And she takes apart the Board of Peace, which declared this summer that UNRWA has "no place" in Gaza's future and framed its work as perpetual aid dependency. Mara also answers the hardest one in her line of work — when a Palestinian says, "This is our story to lead," where does your voice end and theirs begin? Mara Kronenfeld is the CEO of UNRWA USA. She speaks Arabic, holds a Master's in Middle East studies, and has worked across the Middle East for more than two decades. Learn more and donate at unrwausa.org. The NYC Gaza 5K returns to Prospect Park, Brooklyn on Sunday, October 11. Keywords: UNRWA, Gaza, Palestinian refugees, Mara Kronenfeld, Kamal Adwan Hospital, Hussam Abu Safiya, Board of Peace, humanitarian aid, Jewish American identity, ceasefire, Immigrantly podcast UNRWA USA's Gaza 5K page Voices of UNRWA blog post: Inheriting Exile: The Identity Struggle of a Palestine Refugee Voices of UNRWA blog post: Live from Gaza: Hani's Family UNRWA USA FAQ page UNRWA is still in Gaza, Washington Post, Dec. 2025 UNRWA USA donation page Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Work has been recast in our culture as something to escape, endure, or minimize. But if you read Scripture from beginning to end, you find exactly the opposite. God himself is described as working. Adam and Eve were placed in the garden to work it. Moses was shepherding his flocks when he saw the burning bush. Gideon was threshing wheat. David was watching sheep. Matthew was collecting taxes. James, John, and Peter were fishing. Even Saul, who would become Paul, was vigorously pursuing his mission on the road to Damascus when everything changed.The pattern is consistent across every person God called to do something significant in Scripture: they were all working when it happened. Not resting, not waiting for clarity, not praying for direction before taking any steps. They were already in the middle of something. God doesn't seem to be in the habit of calling people off couches. He calls people who are already engaged — and work is the environment in which he molds them.Paul reminds believers in Ephesus of something foundational: you are the handiwork of God, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which he prepared in advance for you. That's not a sentiment. It's an identity claim. You were not put here simply to take from the world, but to contribute something to it. Something specifically yours.Support the mission of the Salty Pastor ministry! Visit our donations page at https://pushpay.com/g/thesaltypastor to help us continue sharing truth with a world in need. Visit thesaltypastor.com to sign up for our weekly email, designed to coach, inspire, and encourage you to a mature faith.Discussion Questions1. Do you think of yourself as the "handiwork of God, created to do good works"? Does that description feel real to you — or does it feel like something you'd say but don't quite believe?2. The biblical pattern shows everyone God called was already working. How does that challenge the way you think about waiting for God's direction versus stepping out?3. What does "work as the environment where God molds you" mean in your specific situation right now? What might he be trying to develop in you through what you're currently doing?

Paul gets one more hearing, this time before a king who actually knows the Scriptures, and he makes the most of it. He lays out his old life as a persecutor, what happened on the road to Damascus, and why the prophets and Moses point to a Christ who suffers and rises. Festus interrupts and calls him insane. Agrippa is smoother about it. Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian? Then he stands, agrees that Paul has done nothing worth death, and walks out. Paul could have been set free, but the Holy Spirit was leading him to appeal before Caesar.  The Rev. Timothy Barkett, pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Kingman, AZ, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 26:1-32.  To learn more about Good Shepherd in Kingman, visit goodshepherdlckingman.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

The Time Traveler’s Quick Guide to Armageddon       Over the last several months, we have done some deep dives into the principalities and powers in high places, the beast kingdoms, and then more particularly, into the kings of the east, another category that intersects with the beast kingdoms, including the Persian bear.   In term of their proto-prophecies in the Torah, we’ve been all over the place because prophecy is cyclical, even though not identical, from generation to generation. When we read of events in the Psalms, Writings, Prophets, and New Testament, the writers expect us to already be familiar with those proto-prophecies.   It was important to establish the earmarks of the battles with the kings of the east in Torah because Adonai declares the end from the beginning. If we want to have the basic understanding of the sixth and seventh bowls of wrath in the end and how they lure in the nations to Armageddon (Har-Megiddo), then we familiarize ourselves with them at the beginning:   “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”)   And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.   Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, “It is done.” And there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty.” (Re 16:12-18)   Har is “mountain,” and Megiddo is “a place of crowds,” so important in its military situation that it has been destroyed and built over numerous times. It overlooks the Jezreel Valley's flat, agriculturally fertile abundance as well as the road to the Western Sea, or Mediterranean, an excellent place to monitor the coastal trade route that connected continents from ancient times. John prophesies of a final crowd that will be drawn to this ancient hill in the ol’ breadbasket of Israel.   Rather than review some of the many points from our Heaven Shaking the Bear series, I will use them to augment some additional points in this newsletter. You can always go back and access the transcripts (thank you, volunteers!) or videos for little details, such as why even Canaanite kings are considered kings of the east. I'd rather add some new information for your handy time travel guide to Armageddon. We'll be half Marty McFly and half Indiana Jones on our hunt for clues to Armageddon.   Let's take a seat in our time machine, the Word, and travel back to our familiar story in Judges 4-5, the story of Deborah, Barak, and Sisera with his 900 iron chariots. A little clue is in Sisera's 900 chariots. It links the ancient with the future. Nine hundred years (plus some) is the typical age of the pre-flood notables from Adam to Noah. In human history, they are the ancients. It was an era marked by the rebellion of the “sons of Elohim” who provoked human beings to such a violence.   Sisera's chariots were iron, denoting the Roman beast kingdom that is mingled with clay in the feet of his image. In other words, something of Deborah's story will establish a template for understanding the final defeat of the Red One, who appears in Revelation as the chosen steed for the Great Harlot Babylon. The nine-hundred-year era of the days of Noah and its violence will link to the end time of Armageddon.   Every time I see the word “Babylonian,” my mind says, “babaloney.” Don't know why. But ick.   Okay, now let's power up the time machine. We need to visit Abraham's time during the battle for Sodom among the kings of the east, the Covenant Between the Pieces, and then visit Moses in the wilderness.   Ready? Push the Abraham button. It might say, Avram, but you'll recognize it. Here we go.   Wait, wait. First, tape a copy of Judges 4-5 and a map of Israel on your steering wheel. We'll need to compare what we see with the first battle of Armageddon that Deborah fought against Sisera to our past future locations.   Okay, here we come, Abrahamic period. We are landing among the four kings of the east, led by Amraphel (perhaps Nimrod), who marched through and defeated territories east of the Jordan. The five kings of the Sodom coalition have quit paying their taxes, so the four kings are on their way to collect plus interest.   Even though those cities of Sodom are situated mostly to the east of the Salt Sea, after the four kings first march and defeat cities east of the Jordan and in the highlands of Bashan, they are continuing as far as the Negev near Kadesh, En-Mishpat, and Hazazon-Tamar. By bypassing the Sodom coalition cities, the four kings are giving the five kings time to muster before the four kings turn back east and meet them near the Salt Sea in battle. Do you see this? Inexplicably, Sodom's five kings are falling into tar pits! Shouldn't they know about those tar pits? After all, this is their territory! How strange!   And there goes Lot and his family as captives. And there…someone escapes and runs to tell Abraham. Okay, we don't have to follow them up to Damascus. We know how this ends. Check your Judges 4-5 Scriptures and map. They're taped to your steering wheel, remember?   Something similar happened to Sisera's iron chariot. Like Pharaoh drove his chariots into the Reed Sea and there his chariot wheels became “confused,” so Sisera drove his chariots into the mud of the Kishon, which he should have known about because he was a Canaanite.   Although Pharaoh was not a “king of the east,” he is the dragon, and his authority was passed to them. This suggests that our soggy bottom boys are experiencing a Divine intervention, not just a human battle. Something flies in their brains, stings them, and causes confusion…perhaps the tzirah, the supernatural hornet of Moses and Joshua?   The tzirah went before the armies of Israel, and it helped Moses conquer on the east side of the Jordan and Joshua on the west side of the Jordan. It first causes confusion, and then it cuts off root and fruit. It is the supernatural bug described as being released from the King of Abaddon in Revelation.   Not so coincidentally, Deborah's name means “bee” in Hebrew, and “hornet” in Aramaic. The root of her name is “word,” as in Devarim, the fifth book of the Torah and perhaps the most apocalyptic since it is the little scroll of Torah. There was a reason Barak would not take his soldiers into battle without her; she represented the Divine power of the Word going before them!   How does Deborah know to tell Barak that he needs exactly 10,000 soldiers mustered from a place named “Kedesh”?   Deborah judged Israel under the “palm tree of Deborah.” A palm tree is a tamar:   “She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel came up to her for judgment (mishpat ????????????).”   Can you see Deborah studying the scrolls of Torah? Those scrolls are rolling her right into the time of Avraham, and she sees the conquests of Moses and Joshua in the wilderness, such as Amalek. She recognizes the conquests of the four kings as having the same names that are in the hill country of Ephraim near Har-Megiddo: From Kadesh to Kedesh. From Hazazon-Tamar to the tamar providing her shade to read the scroll. From En-Mishpat to her job rendering mishpat for Israel.   We know Deborah has spent time scroll-rolling back to Abraham's time because she mentions something specific in her Judges Five song. The Song of Deborah mentions the courage of the tribe of Ephraim in the defeat of Sisera's chariots:   “From Ephraim, those whose root is in Amalek came down…”   If you need to, program in “Amalek in the Wilderness,” and travel there to see a bit of the battle. This “root in Amalek” is thought to refer to the wilderness battle under Moses in which the Ephraimite Joshua defeated Amalek. The tribe of Ephraim is rooted in its leadership in the victory in the wilderness in Israel's first encounter with Amalek.   Deborah knows Amalek is enticed to attack when its opponent looks weak, so that gives her a Divine strategy in enticing this king of the east Sisera to his Armageddon. Okay, now travel back to the battle between the four kings and the five kings. The four kings of the east also conquered Amalek before turning back to battle the five kings of Sodom.   While the battle continues, let's return to this question (you already know how that battle ends): How does Deborah know to tell Barak that he needs exactly 10,000 soldiers mustered from a place named “Kedesh”?   We've only partially answered it. And our answer is based on the battle between bad kings of the east vs worse kings of the east. We don't want to take this as the only source of Deborah's inspired strategy to lure Sisera to Har-Megiddo. Deborah is scrolling through the rolls of the Torah, and she must have some even better prophecies on which she bases her battle with Sisera. Let's leave these guys for Avraham to deal with and travel forward and back to Deborah's palm tree for more clues.   Yes, time travelers. Next week we'll go back to the future with Deborah and spend some more time with Avraham and Moses. There must be a connection between Deborah's forty years of peace in Israel and Moses' forty years in the wilderness. Deborah has the handy traveler's guide to help her map it all out. We'll see her secret of selecting 10,000, and we might even take a peek inside Yael's tent to find that she knew the Torah, and it guided her hand when she drove the tent peg into Sisera's head.   Oh, dear, oh dread. Sandals muddy like heavy lead. Some yogurt he was fed. Then he went to bed. Now Sisera is dead. A tent peg's in his head.   Okay, Deborah is better at composing songs than I am. I gave it a shot. Roll your time travel machines to Judges 4-5, and we'll see you next week.   Please SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to get new teachings.

After 200 years of idolatry, God finally allowed the northern kingdom of Israel to be destroyed and the people carried off by Assyria. Meanwhile, the southern kingdom of Judah was being ruled the young, foolish, idolatrous King Ahaz. After being defeated in battle by the Aramean Kingdom of Damascus, Ahaz decided to worship the gods of Syria rather than turning to God for help. He also sacrificed his son to Molech in the Valley of Hinnom southwest of Jerusalem. Then he turned to the Assyrians for help against Israel, Syria, and Edom, cutting up fixtures in the Temple to send to Assyria as tribute. Needless to say, God was not pleased. Apparently, neither were the people of Judah. Ahaz was buried in the City of David rather than in the tombs of the kings of his forefathers. Sharon's niece, Sarah Sachleben, has been battling stage 4 bowel cancer and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah. Derek's new book War of the Watchers Book One: From Baal to Balfour is now available at Amazon in paperback and as a Kindle e-book! If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources: Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821)Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (link to book at Amazon)Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (link opens free PDF)Book of 1 Enoch - R. H. Charles translation (link opens free PDF) The SkyWatchTV store has a special offer on Dr. Michael Heiser's two-volume set A Companion to the Book of Enoch. Get both books, the R. H. Charles translation of 1 Enoch, and a DVD interview with Mike and Steven Bancarz for a donation of $35 plus shipping and handling. Link: https://bit.ly/heiser-enoch JOIN US IN ISRAEL (NOTE NEW DATES)! We will tour the Holy Land Oct. 25–Nov. 6, 2027 with an optional three-day extension to Jordan. For more information, log on to GilbertHouse.org/travel. Follow us!• X: @gilberthouse_tv | @sharonkgilbert | @derekgilbert• Substack: GilbertHouse.substacdk.com | SharonKGilbert.substack.com• Telegram: t.me/gilberthouse | t.me/sharonsroom | t.me/viewfromthebunker• YouTube: @GilbertHouse | @UnravelingRevelation | @thebiblesgreatestmysteries• Facebook.com/GilbertHouseFellowship Thank you for making our Build Barn Better project a reality! We truly appreciate your support. If you are so led, you can help out at GilbertHouse.org/donate. Get our free app! It connects you to these studies plus our weekly video programs Unraveling Revelation and A View from the Bunker, and the podcast that started this journey in 2005, P.I.D. Radio. Best of all, it bypasses the gatekeepers of Big Tech! The app is available for iOS, Android, Roku, and Apple TV. Links to the app stores are at www.gilberthouse.org/app/. Gilbert House T-shirts and mugs! New to our store is a line of GHTV and Redwing Saga merch! Check it out at GilbertHouse.org/store! Think better, feel better! Our partners at Simply Clean Foods offer freeze-dried, 100% GMO-free food and delicious, vacuum-packed fair trade coffee from Honduras. Find out more at GilbertHouse.org/store. Our favorite Bible study tools! Check the links in the left-hand column at www.GilbertHouse.org.

It's Friday, July 31st, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Syrians in America have to leave the country The expiration of Temporary Protected Status for Syrians in America this week has renewed attention on the fragile security environment facing civilians in Syria, particularly Christians who remain vulnerable 18 months after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's dictatorship in this 87% Muslim country, reports International Christian Concern. Temporary Protected Status is a humanitarian immigration designation that allows nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict to remain and work legally in the United States for a limited period. The designation does not provide a pathway to permanent residency but shields recipients from deportation while conditions in their home country are deemed unsafe for return. In December 2024, rebel forces, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, forced al-Assad from power.  Al-Sharaa's group had previously been associated with Muslim jihadist movements, including al-Qaeda. Before the Syrian civil war, Christians represented a significant minority of Syria's population concentrated in Damascus — where the Apostle Paul was converted on the street. While Christians have not experienced the same level of targeted mass violence as other groups, there has been harassment and attacks on Christian communities. President Trump floats temporarily pulling Blache nomination to be AG President Donald Trump said on July 30 that he was willing to temporarily withdraw his nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General until next year, if two Republican senators continued to withhold their support, reports The Epoch Times. Blanche's nomination has been held up in the Senate Judiciary Committee after Republican Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina said they would not back bringing it to the floor for a full vote. Those two votes are necessary for the nomination to advance. Earlier this year, both Cornyn and Tillis lost their bid for re-election after President Trump endorsed their opponents during the primaries. The president now intends to wait them out. In the meantime, Blanche will remain the acting head of the Department of Justice. You can express your objection to the senators for dragging their feet by calling Senator John Cornyn at 202-224-2934 and Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina at 202-224-6342. You can call 24 hours a day/7 days a week and leave a voicemail. Dr. Fauci invoked Fifth Amendment 90 times in GOP-led committee In a hearing of the Senate's Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on July 29th, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, announced in his opening statement that he would invoke the Fifth Amendment and not answer any questions about his culpability in a cover-up about the source of the COVID-19 virus or what happened subsequently. Listen. FAUCI: “Members of the committee, I served at the NIH for over 54 years, 38 of those as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Over that period, I proved that I believe in and respect the value of legitimate congressional oversight. In fact, I testified before and/or briefed Senate and House committees well over 200 times over those 38 years. During and after the COVID pandemic, I have appeared multiple times for hearings in the Senate and the House, usually under oath, and sat for several days-long, transcribed, sworn interviews answering questions about the very issues that are now the subject of this hearing. “However, given Senator [Rand] Paul's obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution, his repeated slanderous comments about me, and recently his publicly releasing my unredacted personal diary aimed at embarrassing and intimidating me, the only conclusion I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, ‘behind bars'. “Any reasonable person who has followed his unhinged obsession with me would readily come to the same conclusion. Therefore, although it pains me to do so because of the respect I have for the legislative branch of government and my decades-long record of cooperating with Congress, under the advice of my attorneys, I will invoke my right, under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution, to refrain from answering your questions.” Over the course of his time in front of the Senate Committee, Dr. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment a whopping 111 times, reports Fox News. Dr. Fauci stonewalled Senator Rand Paul numerous times Dr. Anthony Fauci repeatedly stonewalled Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, the Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The senator started with asking about former President Joe Biden's bizarre “full and unconditional” pardon of Dr. Fauci. PAUL:  “As a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, or the White House COVID-19 Response Team, or as Chief Medical Advisor to the President, have you refused this pardon? Or do you have any reason to believe this full and unconditional pardon, this grant of immunity, would somehow require you to plead the Fifth Amendment?” FAUCI: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.” PAUL: “Based on the facts presented, I'm going to direct you to answer the questions. The committee has issued a valid subpoena. They have requested your presence here. The questions are very pertinent to your decision making as head of [the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases], as well as a chief advisor to the president, do you still refuse to answer the questions?” FAUCI: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.” PAUL:  “Were you ever made aware of gain-of-function research on monkeypox being conducted at the National Bio Defense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, and back at Fort Detrick, [the center of the U.S. biological weapons program from 1943 to 1969]?” FAUCI: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.” PAUL:  “Dr. Fauci, did the CIA ever transfer funds to [the National Institutes of Health] under interagency agreement?” FAUCI: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.” And Senator Rand Paul took this parting shot. PAUL: “The chairman has denied your assertion of privilege and directed you to answer, but you nonetheless refuse and stand on privilege despite the existence of the pardon. The committee will have to consider after this hearing what appropriate action should be taken against you for the failure to testify after being directed to do so. “It's against the law to obstruct an investigation of Congress. There will be repercussions to your refusal to testify today.” Watchdog group: Medical groups should condemn transgender surgeries on minors The medical watchdog group, Do No Harm, is calling on 10 major medical associations to explicitly condemn transgender genital surgeries on minors, reports The Daily Signal. On July 29th, Do No Harm sent open letters to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Medical Association among others. In the letter, the group wrote, “Do No Harm, and its 54,000 members, are calling on your society to publicly reject genital surgery on minors for the purpose of producing [so-called] ‘gender transitions.' While this process is uncommon, we believe that it should never occur.” In Matthew 19:4, Jesus asked, “Have you not read that [God], who created them from the beginning, made them male and female?” Marijuana should not be reclassified as a less dangerous drug Marijuana could be reclassified as a less dangerous substance under federal law. Kevin Sabet, CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and the former drug policy advisor for the Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama presidential administrations as well as President Trump's former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, thinks that would be a terrible idea. He said that reclassifying marijuana as a drug with accepted medical use and a lower risk of abuse than drugs subject to greater controls would be reckless. Sabet added, “The evidence presented at the hearing confirmed what decades of data have shown: Raw marijuana has no scientifically established medical value and carries a high risk of abuse. Today's marijuana is more dangerous than ever before. [Reclassifying] marijuana would create the false impression that it is safe, would reduce penalties for peddling the drug illegally and would give those who purvey it legally a huge tax windfall. That would be a disaster.”  The Department of Justice held a hearing last month to consider it at President Donald Trump's request. Despite the fact that President Trump is a teetotaler who eschews alcohol and drugs, he told his administration last December to push forward on easing marijuana restrictions, after an aggressive lobbying push by advocates including a cannabis CEO, a Florida sheriff, and a Mar-a-Lago member, the Wall Street Journal previously reported. Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family, previously wrote, “Use of cannabis increases a person's chance of developing a bipolar disorder or schizophrenia by an average of 47%. It's also shown to significantly increase hallucinations and paranoia. “In fact, it's been determined that regular use of medical marijuana leads to a higher chance of heart attack, stroke and coronary artery disease. … If the established goal is to make America healthy and great again, this objective will not be reached by increasing access to poisonous pot.” In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, the Apostle Paul asked, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” Montana listeners like our brevity and updates on the persecuted Here at The Worldview in 5 Minutes, Winston and Heather Royal in Helena, Montana, wrote, “Adam, we appreciate the newscast because it's short, to the point, and from a Christian perspective. We appreciate hearing about our Christian brothers and sisters around the world. And we often listen to it at breakfast time. Thank you for your work!” Texas listener values boldness and truthfulness of The Worldview And Byron Barlowe in Plano, Texas wrote, “Adam, your newscast is something I've evangelized about for four reasons. I find the integration of a Biblical worldview into reporting the news to be effective and refreshing. Brevity matters more than ever. I also relate to the brevity of your newscast since Probe Ministries, a group I write for, produces a 3-minute daily feature. The candor among you and the two other writers of The Worldview is bold, truthful, and necessary. For example, I appreciate your reference to homosexual faux marriage instead of so-called ‘gay marriage.' Spade-calling is truth-telling and, when done in a gracious spirit led by the Spirit of God, can have good effect. You have a golden radio voice that emanates masculinity without undue forcefulness. Both women and men need that in the era of so-called ‘toxic masculinity' and the feminized Church which follows a confused culture. I just like it, too.” Byron, thanks for your encouragement as we use the instruments of our laptops and voice to communicate. 23 Worldview listeners gave $13,150.04 And finally, by Thursday night at 9:00pm Central, 23 Worldview listeners stepped up to the plate and invested their treasure to fund the 6-member team behind The Worldview for another year. Our thanks to Jerry in Angie, Louisiana and Thomas in Spartanburg, South Carolina – both of whom gave $25 as well as David in Wilmington, Ohio and Lori in Rockford, Illinois – both of whom gave $50. We appreciate Tony and Jennie in Palmdale, California who gave $80.04, Samuel in Greensboro, North Carolina who gave $90, and Jeanne in Thomasville, North Carolina and Ron in Orange Park, Florida – both of whom gave $100. We're grateful to God for Jody in Westerlo, New York and Kevin and Shelly in Columbus, Nebraska – both of whom gave $200, Glenn and Linda in Palmdale, California who gave $240, Marlowe in Freetown, Prince Edward Isalnd, Canada who gave $250, Kelly in Rio Rancho, New Mexico who pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300, and Vanessa in Templeton, California and Nicki in Carthage, Missouri – both of whom pledged $35/month for 12 months for a gift of $420. We were touched by the generosity of Serge in Simpsonville, South Carolina who gave $500, Charles and Pamela in Sierra Madre, California  who gave $500, Sean in Burlington, Wisconsin who gave $500, and Francesca in Rockaway Township, New Jersey who also gave $500. All four of them were matched by our friend in Naples, Florida who gave another $2,000. And we were blown away by Frederick in Gainesville, Florida who pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600, Jeff in Sevierville, Tennessee who gave $1,000, and Steve and Carla in Katy, Texas who gave $5,000. Wow! Those 23 gifts add up to $13,150.04. That's the largest total amount in a single day throughout this July 2026 fundraiser. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll sound effect) $94,270 (sound effect of people cheering) We need to raise $29,230 by midnight tonight, July 31st! That means in order to hit our final goal of $123,500 by midnight tonight, Friday, July 31st, God needs to prompt folks to give an astounding $29,230 in order for the 6-member Worldview newscast team to be fully funded for another year. So, as I've said over the last several days, if you have been waiting until the last minute, this … is … it!  We could really use your help.  The finish line is upon us. Perhaps in our national audience, there are three others, just like Steve and Carla in Katy, Texas, who feel led by God to give a one-time gift of $5,000. If that $15,000 comes in, we would need just 15 people to either give a one-time gift of $1,000 or make a monthly pledge of $83.33 for 12 months which adds up to $1,000. If all of that is way out of your budget, just give what you can. $10. $20. $30. Every dollar gets us closer. Now, if you can't give a dime, then pray. Pray that God would stir the hearts of those who can give! Just go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish.  And remember this, if you want to continue your monthly pledge to The Worldview that you started prior to July 1, 2026, please let me know so we can count your generous ongoing gift toward our total. This newscast team champions the truth and uses the Bible as our plumbline.  We actually cite relevant Bible verses that really come alive as we look at the news of the day.  Plus, we report, and we're unique in this, on the persecuted church, the battles for life and a godly perspective on sexuality, often including action steps on how you can make a difference as a believer. Don't forget: The Worldview in 5 Minutes is also commercial free. We have no sponsors. Nor do we have a pay wall.  Anyone who wants to access this newscast can get it for free. So, all we have is you! What is God prompting you to do right now? Go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give. Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, July 31st, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

It's Wednesday, July 29th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus India looking to restrict foreign funding of Christian groups India's Parliament is considering a bill to restrict foreign funding of Christian and other faith-based groups.  The measure would allow authorities to seize the assets of such organizations if their registration is canceled. Officials have already canceled the registrations of over 22,000 non-governmental organizations.  Republican Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey is calling on the Trump administration to address this issue with India. He wrote, “If adopted, the bill would sharply expand the ability of the Indian state to seize the property and assets of groups that receive foreign funding — the vast majority of these being Christian churches and charities, such as hospitals and schools.” According to Open Doors, India is the 12th worst country worldwide for the persecution of Christians. In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japanese island A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan's southern island of Kyushu yesterday.  The quake caused a collapse at a shopping mall, killing several people. Dozens of people are missing or injured. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency advised over 260,000 people to evacuate the area.   Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority reported no issues with nearby nuclear power plants.  Please pray that God would comfort the Japanese families of those who have died and restore those who have been injured. Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence The U.S. Senate voted on July 28 to confirm Jay Clayton, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next Director of National Intelligence, reports The Epoch Times. Clayton's confirmation by the Senate came after the Senate Intelligence Committee voted 9–8 along party lines on July 21 to advance his nomination. He was ultimately confirmed with 51 senators' support to 47 voting against. SENATOR: “On this vote, the yeas are 51, the nays are 47, and the nomination is confirmed. And the president will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.” Previously, Jay Clayton served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York as well as the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission under President Trump's first administration. Justice Department affirmed parents' right to disciple children The United States Justice Department issued religious liberty guidance to all executive departments and agencies last week. The memo reaffirmed many religious freedom protections in federal law. It also added a new piece of guidance.  The memo stated, “Parents have the right to direct the religious upbringing and education of their children. This right extends beyond a mere right to teach religion in the confines of one's home and encompasses the choices parents make for their children outside the home.” In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, God said, “These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Drinking water in three cities contained Abortion Kill Pill A new peer-reviewed study found that the drinking water in multiple cities contained the Abortion Kill Pill called Mifepristone. Those cities include Austin, Texas; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Carbondale, Illinois. For years, pro-life groups have been calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to track Mifepristone.  Kristan Hawkins with Students for Life of America stated, “A study inspired by [our] clean water advocacy shows that our concerns are valid. In three cities where water was tested, the active metabolites of Mifepristone, the Chemical Abortion Pill, were in the water. We need the EPA to nationalize this examination, especially in light of so many struggling with infertility.” About 700,000 chemical abortions each year send long-lasting abortion drugs and human remains into America's wastewater systems. Mifepristone blocks progesterone, thus starving the baby. This drug has long-lasting metabolites that remain in the water because the water treatment plants are generally not capable of filtering out these chemicals. GOP Congresswoman Mary Miller of Illinois has introduced the Clean Water for All Life Act. Appearing on EWTN, Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life, said this. HAWKINS: “Mothers are taking these pills at home, in their dormitories, and when they are told when the cramping gets too severe to go on the toilet and to keep flushing and not to look -- meaning chemically tainted placenta and blood, as well as the human remains of our child, are being flushed in our waterways. And when you think about the fact that you're talking over 700,000 abortions a year are happening this way, this means, at a minimum, 50 tons of chemically-tainted blood and placenta are being flushed down our toilets with human remains every year, laced with anti-progesterone metabolites, which, shockingly, after they pass through the mother's body, starve the child and kill the child, do not go inactive. “They actually remain active as they pass through our water system. And is what we've tested across the country is that this water -- it's actually laced with these metabolites before they get to the wastewater treatment plant, after it passes through the wastewater treatment plant, and now we've proven it's actually in the tap water.” Through a special link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com, you can send faxes to Congress and demand they take action to stop this public health threat. Or you can contact your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. Congressman by email, phone or letter to the district office nearest you.  (Because mail sent to the D.C. offices of U.S. Senators and U.S. Congressmen has to go through so many scans, it can take months to get there). Voters want political candidates to address the economy The U.S. midterm elections are coming up in November.  Pew Research surveyed voters on what issues they want candidates to address. The top issue was the economy. Voters are especially concerned about affordability and the cost of living. Americans are evenly divided over which party they agree with on economic policies.  If the election were held today, 43 percent of respondents said they would back a Democrat candidate for Congress. Meanwhile, 37 percent said they would back a Republican.  Younger churchgoers want more liturgy in worship service Lifeway Research released a survey on liturgy in worship services at Protestant churches. Liturgies can include elements like set prayers, readings, and formal patterns. Forty-two percent of churchgoers say their church has some of the liturgical style. Twenty-seven percent say they have no liturgical style. And 24 percent say they have a very liturgical style. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they are satisfied with the amount of liturgy at their church. Thirteen percent want more liturgy, while five percent want less. Surprisingly, younger generations are more likely to want their church to include more liturgy.  California lifeguard saved 10-year-old boy NBC Bay Area reports a lifeguard saved the life of a 10-year-old boy at a California beach this week. Waves were overwhelming the boy at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz. A 16-year-old lifeguard rushed into the water to save him. Other joined in as well.  The dramatic rescue drew the attention of President Donald Trump. He wrote on X, “We're going to bring this heroic young man, and his family, into the White House with, perhaps, the boy he saved, to give him a High Civilian Honor. Very brave, he deserves it!”  Worldview listeners weigh in from Oregon and North Carolina Here at The Worldview in 5 Minutes newscast, Carole Crowley in Damascus, Oregon wrote, “Adam, I love starting my day with The Worldview. I love praying for specific needs of people throughout the world, using God's Word! Thank you so much for your love and dedication to our Lord and bringing the needs of others to us.” Julie Scott in Charlotte, North Carolina, who attached a picture of her addressed letter, said, “Adam, I wanted to show you that, as a result of your July 9th newscast, I wrote a note to Suzanne McCormick, President of the Young Men's Christian Association, objecting to the YMCA allowing men, pretending to be women, in women's bathrooms and locker rooms. In fact, I grabbed several note cards and put stamps and our return address sticker on them so I am poised for action! [You can join her and send a letter: Suzanne McCormick, President, Young Men's Christian Association, 101 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.] “I also phoned the office of my U.S. Congressman and asked him to vote to continue to defund the abortion giant Planned Parenthood.   Thank you for including the link.” Minnesota college student gave $500 to help fund newscast And Maylivia in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, whom I spoke with on the phone last night for 20 minutes, wrote, “Adam, my family and I listen to The Worldview every morning. If I'm around when my dad, also named Adam, is preparing and eating breakfast, we listen to it on repeat about six times, literally. He says he doesn't want to miss any of the details. Now, if he's already gone to work, I listen to it on my computer with the transcript, but only once. My mom and sister also listen as part of starting their day. We love having a concise wrap-up of the news, especially for updates on persecuted Christians. “Considering that my family uses it so much, I've decided to give $500. I am a college student, living at home, working part time. This money is partly from my savings and partly from my tutoring business. I was hesitant to give at first. But God laid it on my heart and reminded me that He can provide for all my needs and my parents are providing many of them for me right now! Thank you for your newscast. May God guide the team in His wisdom and remind you of the hope of the cross.” 19 Worldview listeners gave $7,597 And finally, by Tuesday night at 8:00pm Central, 19 Worldview listeners stepped up to the plate and invested their treasure to fund the six-member team behind The Worldview for another year. Our thanks to Kelly in Montgomery, Texas who gave $10, Cathy in Fate, Texas who gave $15, and Paul in Brush, Colorado who gave $25. We appreciate Sarina in Barnwell, Alberta, Canada and Dan in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada – both of whom gave $100, as well as Kevin in North Bend, Oregon, Eric in Castle Rock, Colorado, and George in Edinburgh, Indiana – each of whom gave $200. We're grateful to God for Steven in Plainview, Texas and Richard in Lometa, Texas – both of whom pledged $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300 as well as Israel in Yuma, Arizona who gave $347. And we were touched by the generosity of Ed in Wellsburg, Iowa who pledged $30/month for 12 months for a gift of $360, Frances in Beacon, New York who gave $500, Maylivia in Eden Prairie, Minnesota who gave $500, Danny in Abingdon, Virginia who gave $500, Kimberly in Lebanon, Oregon who gave $500, Mary in Highland, New York who pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600, Stephen in California, Maryland who pledged $100/month for 12 months for a gift of $1,200, and our friend in Naples, Florida who generously matched the 4 donors who gave $500 with a gift of $2,000. Wow! Those 19 gifts add up to $7,597. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll sound effect) $79,344 (sound effect of people cheering) We need to raise $44,156 by midnight on Friday, July 31! That means in order to hit our final goal of $123,500 by this Friday, July 31st, God needs to prompt folks to give an astounding $44,156 in order for the six-member Worldview newscast team to be fully funded for another year. So, if you have been waiting until the last minute, this … is … it!  We could really use your help.  The finish line is in just 2 days! Count ‘em. Two! Would you consider being one of 20 people to pledge $100/month for 12 months or give a one-time gift of $1,200, one of 16 people to pledge $50/month for 12 months or give a one-time gift of $600, or one of 32 people to pledge $25/month for 12 months or give a one-time gift of $300? Remember, the next four people who give a one-time gift of $500 will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, by our friend in Naples, Florida. Just go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish.  And remember this, if you want to continue your monthly pledge to The Worldview that you started in a previous year, please let me know so we can count your generous ongoing gift toward our total. This newscast team champions the truth and uses the Bible as our plumbline. We actually cite relevant Bible verses that come alive as we look at the news of the day.  Plus, we report on the persecuted church, the battles for life and a godly perspective on sexuality, often including action steps on how you can make a difference as a believer. What does God want you to give to sustain this one-of-a-kind newscast? Go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give. Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, July 29th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Chloe travels to Damascus to meet people close to Bashar and Asma. One source tells her that Asma took a drastic decision in the early years of the war - she tried to leave Syria. Only it's not for the reasons you might think. We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.To binge listen to more episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.You'll get access to:This series and all our podcasts before anyone elseAd-free listeningPremium newslettersPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordExclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescapeTickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineOr subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.Reporter - Chloe HadjimatheouProducer - Gary MarshallSound design - Karla Patella & Hannah Varrall Podcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza BournerExecutive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

French war reporter and global jihadism expert Wassim Nasr was part of the presidential press party during Emmanuel Macron's recent visit to Damascus. He shares his first-hand account not only of what happened between Macron and Syrian president Ahmad al-Sharaa during the visit, but also what he discovered afterwards, during a trip to Aleppo and to the northern town of Kobane. Wassim and Thomas discuss: What it was like inside Macron's presidential delegation to Syria France–Syria relations after the fall of Bashar al-Assad Macron and Ahmed al-Sharaa at the Umayyad Mosque and Mount Qasioun Islamic State bombings during Macron's Damascus visit French investment in Syrian reconstruction, energy, ports and transport Aleppo's security, political representation and slow post-war recovery Kobani, SDF integration, PKK influence and Arab–Kurdish tensions Ahmed al-Sharaa's Islamist pragmatism and Syria's dependence on his leadership Join the Conflicted Community here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Wassim on X: https://x.com/SimNasr Find us on X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ And Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠megaphone.fm/adchoices⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced and edited by Thomas Small. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Monday, July 27th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Pakistani Supreme Court releases Muslim murderers of Christian couple The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the release of the final three men on death row in the 2014 murder case of a Christian couple, Shahzad Masih and his pregnant wife, Shama, reports International Christian Concern. With this decision, along with the dismissal of a state appeal against the acquittal of 102 other suspects, no one remains convicted or in prison for the attack.  Here's the back story.  On November 4, 2014, in a village in the Punjab Province, a violent mob attacked Shahzad and Shama after they were accused of desecrating pages of the Quran, Islam's misguided book. The mob severely beat the couple before throwing them into a hot brick kiln, where they both died.  While five men were sentenced to death and nine others received short prison sentences, they all were released back into society. Let's pray the prayer of Amos 5:24. Lord, “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Wildfires in France and Spain have displaced 250,000 people France sent a hulking military cargo plane to dump tons of flame retardants as it battled raging wildfires on Saturday and slashed the final stage of the bicycle race, Tour de France, to redeploy security personnel to the blazes that forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes, reports the Associated Press. The giant A400M transporter swooped in low, its long plume of ochre-colored retardant trailing over drought-hit woodlands on the ground that fought flames that authorities feared could spread toward the wine region city of Bordeaux in southwest France, 310 miles away from Paris. Wildfires in southern Europe last week have now displaced more than 250,000 people. Former Maine lawmaker replaces Graham Platner on Democratic ticket On Saturday, former state lawmaker and logger Troy Jackson secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine and will face longtime GOP Senator Susan Collins in November in a race that could decide which party controls the Senate, reports The Associated Press. Jackson replaces Graham Platner, who won the Democratic primary in June, but withdrew from the race earlier this month following an allegation of sexual assault that Platner has denied.  Maine Democrats met Saturday to choose a new Senate nominee to face Collins. Trump's CDC nominee commits to abortion data reporting Former Deputy Surgeon General Dr. Erica Schwartz, President Donald Trump's nominee to head the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, testified last week that it is “absolutely critical” for the CDC to gather reliable abortion data upon which policymakers and health analysts can make decisions, reports LifeSiteNews.com. Nominated in April, Schwartz is currently appearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for her confirmation hearings. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri raised the matter of abortion data collection and analysis which the CDC had paused in November without explanation. HAWLEY: “The CDC collects data on abortions that are committed in the United States of America through a system called the ‘Abortion Reporting System.' This system is voluntary, and so a number of states, not coincidentally large blue states, do not turn over any data so that it's difficult to get a picture of just how many abortions, and under what circumstances, are committed in this country. We do know the numbers are going up, way up. Since the Dobbs decision -- well over a million abortions last year.  “Would you commit to collect the data on the number and circumstances of abortions, as is provided for in this system, and to work with those states that are currently holding out and not giving it to actually get the data so that we can know we can get a picture of what really is going on here? Will you do that? SCHWARTZ: “Senator, you have my commitment. Abortion surveillance is absolutely a critical component of what the CDC is currently doing. I will look into that.” HAWLEY: “Thank you.” SCHWARTZ: “But I also want to make sure that certain states are not conflating emergency services and hiding abortions in that emergency services case definition. We need to make sure we're pulling out true abortions and making sure that we're really having clear case definitions regarding abortions, so the data is actually accurate.” HAWLEY: “Fantastic!” Christian WNBA star attacked for opposing men in women's sports Sophie Cunningham, an eight-season WNBA veteran, got re-baptized earlier this year to reaffirm her Christian faith as an adult, reports The Christian Post. Appearing on “The Travis Hearn” podcast, she was asked about her faith. HEARN: “What's it like being a believer in Jesus Christ, a follower of Jesus, a woman of God, in the WNBA?” CUNNINGHAM: “For me, to be a believer in the W[NBA] … I think there's a lot more believers than you would actually, because a lot of people don't speak out about it. I am loud, I am confident, and I think being actually a woman of God, it's allowed me to walk into rooms with my shoulders back. I have a different type of swag and confidence about me because I know God has me.” Cunningham made headlines in 2022 when she approvingly retweeted an X post by CBS host Josh Prate opposing trans-identified male swimmer Will Thomas, who pretends to be a woman named “Lia,” being allowed on the women's team. As a result, the Left spewed hateful remarks about her on social media.  Indeed, 2 Timothy 3:12 says, “All those who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” During an interview with ESPN last week, Cunningham asserted that she does not hate transgender-identifying people, but believes in standing up for young girls in their private spaces. CUNNINGHAM: “I think it's really important to protect children, and that's little girls who are also involved in that category. And so, I do have beliefs. I have morals, and I'll always stand on those and be true to who I am. And when it comes just to protecting young girls in sport and women in sport, I feel very strongly about that.” On July 23rd, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt expressed the Trump administration's solidarity with Sophie Cunningham. LEAVITT: “This is something the President feels strongly about as well, and the American people do too. Men should not be playing in women's sports. It's completely ludicrous that anyone could support that.  “It's even more ludicrous that you do have Sophia Cunningham, a female athlete herself, very accomplished in her own right, coming forth and speaking that truth that men shouldn't play in women's sports. We want to protect women and girls. “The backlash she is receiving from Democrats is astonishing. They are clearly very out of touch with the American public on this issue, which is an 80/20 issue. It's common sense. It's rooted in basic biological fact that men should not be competing against women on playing fields across the country.” And ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith affirmed Cunningham's insistence that men, pretending to be women, should not compete against biological women. SMITH: “I can't applaud her enough. This notion that you're hating on the ‘trans community' because you are not a proponent of them participating in female sports is utterly ridiculous. Sophie Cunningham said every word right on the money. There's no hate involved. There's only love we're talking about.  “But what happened to loving girls who are born biologically as girls. What about their rights? What about fairness associated to them?  Smith cited the story of Will Thomas, the male swimmer at the University of Pennsylvania, who is now pretending to be female as a good case in point revealing how demonstrably unfair it was to let him compete against biological women like Riley Gaines. SMITH: “'Lia Thomas.' I'm gonna keep bringing that name up: 400+ in the world competing as a male, transitions to female and he was number one. If we're gonna act like transitioning from male to female doesn't involve an advantage for that trans athlete, I have nothing to say to you. You're not exercising common sense.” Pastor Robert Jeffress' ministry surpasses 1 million YouTube subscribers Pastor Robert Jeffress' Pathway to Victory YouTube channel has surpassed 1 million subscribers, reports the Christian Post. Jeffress, who leads the 16,000-strong congregation at First Baptist Dallas, said the YouTube channel's launch was "an amazing opportunity to share the Gospel through our Bible-teaching ministry. We're grateful for the response.”  Amazingly, the church only launched the channel in 2024. Pathway to Victory was launched in 1996 and serves as the broadcast ministry for First Baptist Dallas and airs on 900 radio stations across the United States. Pastor Jeffress said, "Our mission has always been to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word, and this [1 million subscriber milestone] is a testament to the power of the Gospel to transform lives." Worldview listener in North Carolina: Your news gives me hope! Karen Heyda in Hillsborough, North Carolina wrote me and said, “Mr. McManus, I was just listening to an episode of your tremendously uplifting, edifying and encouraging newscast. I am deeply grateful to you for giving us the world news from a Biblical perspective.  “That Biblical perspective gives me hope. Why? Because world news is typically BAD NEWS. It's often frightening and depressing. Yet when world news is presented from a Christian perspective, there is hope because Christ, our Redeemer, reigns and we are able to pray to Him and trust in Him Who makes all things new. “Reminding us of this truth encourages us to listen to your news program and to get on our knees and unite ourselves in prayer with and for those we've just heard about who need our prayers. Thank you for waking me up to a deeper and better way of responding to the world news today and every day.” 17 Worldview listeners gave $6,320.25 And finally, by Saturday night at 7:00pm Central, 17 Worldview listeners stepped up to the plate and invested their treasure to fund the six-member team behind The Worldview for another year. Our thanks to the McVeda Family kiddos in Great Falls, Montana who raised another $42.25 on Friday selling chocolate chip cookies and glasses of tea.  This is their third donation. One lady bought 10 cookies for $20, a glass of tea for $5, and then donated an extra $10.  Their initial two gifts, which totaled $347, have inspired a growing number of Worldview listeners to donate $347 or make a monthly pledge of $28.92 for a year totaling $347. And that was exactly what 10-year-old Anna McVeda had prayed – that God would somehow use their fundraiser to excite others to contribute. I am so touched by the McVeda kiddos. By the way, Fred and Cathy in Cascade, Montana, the grandparents of the McVeda Family kids, were so inspired by what their grandkids are doing that they contributed $347 themselves last Thursday.  McManus is crying again! We appreciate the donations of Edward in Oro-Medonte, Ontario, Canada who gave $50, Logan and Quinn in Manzini, Eswatini, Africa $120, and Eli who is also from Eswatini, Africa and pledged $10/month for 12 months for a gift of $120. We're grateful to God for Marty in Roseburg, Oregon and an anonymous donor in Phoenix, Arizona – both of whom gave $200, Jason in Seffner, Florida who plans to continue his $25/month pledge for a gift of $300, and Bradley in Damascus, Oregon who gave $300. We were touched by the generosity of the McVeda Family-inspired donations of Frederick in Kennesaw, Georgia who pledged $28.92/month for 12 months for a gift of $347 as well as Rick in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Charlene in Wallkill, New York, and Keith in Watrous, Saskatchewan, Canada – each of whom gave $347. And we were touched by the sacrifice of Sam in Fellsmere, Florida, Brian in Dassel, Minnesota, and William in Lee's Summit, Missouri – each of whom gave $500. Plus, as I mentioned on Friday, an anonymous donor in Naples, Florida has just matched those first three gifts of $500 with another $1,500.   So, if you are one of the next 9 Worldview listeners to give a one-time gift of $500, the man in Naples, Florida will match your gifts as well. And we are appreciative of Andrew in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who pledged $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600. Those 17 gifts add up to $6,320.25. Ready for our new grand total? Drum roll please. (drum roll sound effect) $62,383 (sound effect of people cheering) We need to raise $61,117 by midnight on Friday, July 31! That means in order to hit our final goal of $123,500 by this Friday, July 31st, God needs to prompt folks to give an astounding $61,117 in order for the 6-member Worldview newscast team to be fully funded for another year. At this newscast, we champion the truth and use the Bible as our plumbline. So, if you have been waiting until the last minute, this … is … it!  We could really use your help.  The finish line is this Friday! Would you consider being one of 25 people to pledge $100/month for 12 months for a gift of $1,200, one of 26 people to pledge $50/month for 12 months for a gift of $600, or one of 52 people to pledge $25/month for 12 months for a gift of $300? Just go to TheWorldview.com, click on Give, select the dollar amount, and make sure to click on the “recurring” button if that's your wish.   And remember, if you want to continue your monthly pledge to The Worldview that you started in a previous year, please let me know so we can count your generous ongoing gift toward our total. What does God want you to give? Go to TheWorldview.com and click on Give. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, July 27th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

When Asma arrives in Syria, there's a palpable sense of hope. People in the country and around the world dare to believe that she is a force for good. Chloe hears from people who worked with her in the early years who - despite everything that's happened - still believe her intentions were genuine but that she became trapped by the regime.We call her Emma is a 6 part original series from Tortoise Investigates and The Observer.To binge listen to all episodes today, ad-free, subscribe to The Observer and use the code AUDIO50 to get 50% off your annual subscription.You'll get access to:This series and all our podcasts before anyone elseAd-free listeningPremium newslettersPuzzles from the inventors of the cryptic crosswordExclusive offers from our partners including Mubi and iescapeTickets to join Observer events in our newsroom or onlineOr subscribe to Observer+ on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to listen to all our podcasts, including this one, without any ads.Reporter - Chloe HadjimatheouProducer - Gary MarshallSound design - Karla PatellaPodcast artwork - Lola Williams & Eliza BournerExecutive producers - Jasper Corbett and Basia Cummings Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SCHEDULE JBS, 7-13-26.1914 PALESTINESamuel Ben-Ur — Israel controls 70% of Gaza, creating a buffer zone while Hamas remains on the coast; 98% of the population resides on the Hamas-controlled side, where the group exploits humanitarian aid for revenue, and the Board of Peace proposes a "pilot zone" in Tel Sultan for non-Hamas civilians. (1)Samuel Ben-Ur — The Board of Peace remains underfunded, with only $23 million confirmed of the $17 billion pledged; Hamas rejected an eight-month disarmament plan, its leadership has largely relocated from Qatar to Turkey, and Netanyahu's political standing depends on his hardline refusal to cede Gaza territory. (2)Bill Gertz and Gordon Chang — Rose Gottemoeller suggests Vladimir Putin nearly used tactical nuclear weapons in 2022 to stop a military rout, allegedly dissuaded by private pressure from the U.S., China, and India; reports indicate China is now providing covert military training to Russian forces. (3)Mark Simon and Gordon Chang — China released Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri following a request from Donald Trump, showing Xi Jinping can make concessions without losing face; however, billionaire publisher Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned for political crimes, viewed by the Chinese government as a significant threat and a "one-man wrecking crew." (4)Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter — Guests pay tribute to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, highlighting his role in the Abraham Accords and US-Israel relations; Israeli elections are set for October 27th, and regional tensions rise as the U.S. reimposes a naval blockade on Iran following renewed attacks on Gulf neighbors. (5)Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter — Anti-Semitism is surging in the UK, leading to a £250 million government allocation for protection; Iran continues to act as an "octopus" of instability across the Middle East, and guests argue that dealing with Iran is the only way to achieve regional peace and allow the area to bloom. (6)David Daoud — Hezbollah fighters are integrated into southern Lebanese villages, making evacuation north of the Litani River unfeasible; while Lebanese law requires disarmament, the government lacks the will to confront Hezbollahdue to its significant social support, turning Lebanon into a hollowed-out, failed state. (7)David Daoud — Prime Minister Netanyahu uses theatrical tours of the border to project strength ahead of the October elections; he faces criticism for being unable to say "no" to President Trump, and ultimately the fate of Israeli military deployments in Lebanon and Gaza depends more on Washington than Jerusalem. (8)Bridget Toomey — Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa airport to prevent Iran from establishing direct flights to Houthi-controlled territory; the Houthis have vowed retaliation, potentially targeting Saudi oil infrastructure or airports with drones and missiles, though they have avoided attacking U.S. vessels to prevent renewed air campaigns. (9)John Hardie — President Trump signaled he will grant Ukraine a license to produce Patriot missile systems, though standing up production will take years; meanwhile, Germany is financing 50,000 AI-guided drones for Ukraine, which use terminal guidance to strike targets despite electronic warfare interference. (10)Edmund Fitton-Brown — The U.S. is reimposing a naval blockade on Iran after the collapse of the poorly drafted memorandum of understanding; Iran's economy is "choking to death" under these measures, and guests argue the U.S.must prioritize controlling the Strait of Hormuz through international cooperation and naval power. (11)Edmund Fitton-Brown — The truce between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis may be over following strikes on Sanaaairport, with retaliatory attacks potentially targeting major Saudi international airports and oil facilities; despite Iranianinfluence, the new Iraqi prime minister appears to be drifting toward the United States for security and stability. (12)Ahmad Sharawi — President Trump has agreed to review lifting Syria's state sponsor of terror designation to aid its economic recovery; however, the country remains unstable, with rampant ISIS activity and foreign leaders facing security risks in Damascus, while Turkey and Saudi Arabia position themselves to invest heavily in Syria. (13)Jonathan Schanzer — The naval blockade on Iran represents the "maximum pressure" campaign, effectively dropping Iranian oil exports to zero; this economic strangulation poses an existential threat to the regime, which struggles to pay its personnel, and recent direct missile exchanges suggest diplomatic understandings between the U.S. and Iran have collapsed. (14)Bob Zimmerman — China successfully recovered a reusable rocket stage, joining SpaceX and Blue Origin in the race for cheaper launches; on the ISS, a private company successfully manufactured human kidney and liver tissues, and SpaceX continues to break records, with boosters flying up to 36 times, significantly reducing satellite launch costs. (15)Bob Zimmerman — SETI has tightened protocols for announcing alien life to prevent "clickbait" claims lacking evidence, with scientists encouraged to be more transparent about mistakes and maintain anonymity during discoveries; future missions include deploying helicopters to Mars and launching the Habitable Worlds Observatory in the 2040s. (16)Corrections: Samuel Bener → Samuel Ben-Ur; Bill Girtz → Bill Gertz; Pastor Jyn / Ezra Jin Mingu → Ezra Jin Mingri; Jimmy Lie → Jimmy Lai; Thaddius McCotter → Thaddeus McCotter; Bridget Tumeh → Bridget Toomey; John Hardy → John Hardie.One question: the batch ended with "1-8" — I've numbered the full run (1)–(16), but if you wanted this split as tails (1)–(8) across paired segments, or only the first eight numbered, say the word and I'll renumber.

NATO's most important global summit has begun in Turkiye. It's an event where the world's leaders meet, mingle, and above all, try to keep President Donald Trump from doing something inconceivably stupid… like threatening to pull troops from Europe if the US does not gain control of Greenland. But NATO has even bigger problems: Russia's war in Ukraine and the threat Russia poses to the entire coalition. So to talk more about NATO, Trump, and how the summit is trying to keep the president of the United States from throwing an epic temper tantrum, we spoke with Felicia Schwartz, diplomatic correspondent for Politico.And in headlines: Democrats are calling for Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner to drop out of the race in light of a sexual assault allegation against him, a new lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration has been illegally sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, and French President Emmanuel Macron met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus restoring official diplomatic ties.Show Notes: Felicia Schwartz's work – https://www.politico.com/staff/felicia-schwartz Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com