Podcasts about ministers

Rev. Nathan Detering and Ian Evans, ministerial intern, led our service on Sunday, February 15, 2026 with a sermon titled, “Ask the Ministers: A Sermon of Your Questions Answered.”

Alberta is the land of recall petitions right now!But with most of the focus on whether or not recalls are successful, there's a lot that's being overlooked in the conversation. We sat down with three recall organizers to hear from them as to what made them decide to initiate recall petitions, what the experience has been like and perhaps most importantly, when the recalls are done is this the end of their activism or just the beginning? If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're looking for our new merch lineup, you can find that at www.thebreakdownabmerch.comIf you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Substack, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will not send any cabinet minister to an annual ceremony for the Takeshima Islands, now under effective control of South Korea, in Shimane Prefecture, it was learned Monday.

Act hasn't made it's ‘radical' public service reform a bottom line, for potential post-election negotiations. It wants to cut government departments from 41 down to no more than 30. The number of ministers would be reduced from 28 to 20, with all of them sitting around the cabinet table. Act leader David Seymour was asked by Mike Hosking whether it's a non-negotiable. He says it's easy to say something will never happen if something isn't a bottom line..but everyone has to negotiate a position, and this is their's. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sunday School: February 15, 2026   Teacher: Teacher Nathan Ruble

Isn't David Seymour the guy who got himself into government at the last election and then went and set up a new government department? But, despite the irony, I agree with him that we need fewer government departments and fewer Cabinet ministers. Previously, the ACT leader has described the public sector as "a big, complicated bureaucratic beast". There are the numbers to back that up. We have 82 cabinet portfolios, 28 ministers and 41 separate government departments and agencies. David Seymour thinks that's crazy and says ACT will campaign in this year's election on changing that. And, instead of having 41 government departments and agencies, he wants us to have no more than 30. As for cabinet ministers - at the moment there are 28, David Seymour thinks we need no more than 20. I remember Oliver Hartwich from the NZ Initiative think tank saying last year that we could get away with having as few as 15 cabinet ministers, instead of the 28 we have at the moment. But he thought that 20 was more realistic. As for government departments, they are monsters. They operate in silos. They compete with each other for funding. They don't talk to each other. That's why there's so much duplication. For example, do we need a Ministry of Education and an Education Review Office? I don't think so. Do we need a Ministry of Justice and a Department of Corrections? Possibly not. As for cabinet positions, do we need a mental health minister? Could that all be part of the health minister's job? And don't get me started on things like the Minister for the South Island or the Minister for Auckland that Labour brought in. So, I'm with David Seymour and I think we could do with fewer government departments and agencies. But it will never happen. Talking about having less government departments and less cabinet ministers is easy and politicians talk about it because they know it tends to go down well with people. But it will never happen. Because, whether people admit it or not, they still expect the government and its departments to fix everything. And, unless that changes, the government isn't going to get any smaller. And its list of departments isn't going to get any shorter. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Manna-Fest is the weekly Television Program of Perry Stone that deals with in-depth prophetic and practical studies of the Word of God. As Biblical Prophecy continues to unfold, you will find Manna-Fest with Perry Stone to be a resource to help you better understand where we are now in light of Bible Prophecy and what the Bible says about the future. Be sure to tune in each week!

What happens when you lose the party whip? A conversation with Neil Duncan-Jordan MPLabour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan joins us this week to reflect on his experience as one of the new intake's most prominent rebels. He describes defying the whip over the means-testing of the Winter Fuel Allowance and proposed disability benefit cuts, the fallout from his suspension from the Parliamentary Labour Party, and the personal and political pressures that come with rebellion. He also discusses his relationship with the Whips and explains why he has twice called for Sir Keir Starmer to step down, most recently in the wake of the Mandelson affair. In this week's episode, we also assess Starmer's increasingly fragile position following the Mandelson–Epstein controversy, examining the risk of further damaging disclosures about Mandelson's contact with Ministers and the potential implications for the Government's legislative programme. We untangle the constitutional confusion surrounding proposals to strip Peter Mandelson and other disgraced peers of their titles, exploring weaknesses in the House of Lords' Code of Conduct, and the broader dangers of legislating in response to a single scandal. Gordon Brown has called for sweeping “root and branch” standards reform – from a new anti-corruption commission to greater use of citizens' juries on parliamentary standards and enhanced select committee scrutiny of ministerial and other public appointments. Ruth and Mark question whether such changes would genuinely rebuild public trust, pointing to nearly two decades of Hansard Society polling showing consistently low levels of trust in politicians and in the effectiveness of the political system. They also argue that the current focus on expelling disgraced Peers from the House of Lords misses a fundamental issue: the Prime Minister's largely unchecked power to appoint them in the first place. We return to the slow progress of the assisted dying bill in the House of Lords, where disagreement continues over whether the pace of debate reflects legitimate scrutiny or amounts to filibustering. Some MPs are calling for accelerated Lords reform in response – but would a wholly elected second chamber be more likely to block legislation rather than less? Finally, we discuss two significant reports from the Procedure Committee: one recommending against the introduction of call lists for debates in the Commons Chamber, and another proposing changes to the way select committee chairs and deputy speakers are elected in the House of Commons.

Ministers Talking S#!T is where faith meets the real world — without filters, platitudes, or spiritual bypass.This week Rev Dr Robert Brzezinski and Rev Elzia Sekou come together to talk honestly about what's happening in the world right now. Politics. Culture. Gun violence. Racism. Injustice. Power. Fear. Hope. The stories of the week that shape our lives and test our values.We don't look away — and we don't leave you stuck in despair.Instead, we ask better questions. We challenge harmful narratives. We name what's broken and point toward what's possible. Through a New Thought lens rooted in spiritual maturity, compassion, and responsibility, we explore how consciousness shapes culture — and how love can still be practiced in an unsettled world.This isn't about being polite.It's about being present.It's about telling the truth with courage and care.If you're tired of shallow takes, toxic certainty, and spirituality that avoids the hard stuff, you're in the right place.Join the conversation. Reflect deeply. Stay awake.Produced by New Thought Media Network, sharing voices committed to truth, justice, and the ongoing work of becoming.

Nog even en dan presenteert kabinet Jetten I zich op het bordes. Die foto zie je straks overal: in de krant, op TV, online, maar wat je ziet is meer dan een groepsfoto. Het is een visuele regeringsverklaring: de visualisatie van het coalitieakkoord ‘Aan de slag!'. Hoe ziet ‘Aan de slag!' eruit?Waar de mannen aan een strak protocol zijn gebonden, is er voor de vrouwelijke ministers meer keuzevrijheid. Dat maakt het interessanter, maar niet per se gemakkelijker. Wat je op zo'n moment aantrekt is geen stylingkeuze, het is een strategische communicatiekeuze. Een keuze die bepaalt hoe het publiek jou waarneemt en beoordeelt. Zoals ik het zie, zou de bordesscene de titel ‘Aan de slag!' moeten visualiseren. Zodat wij als publiek kijken naar een groep politici die geloofwaardigheid, eenheid en bestuurskracht uitstralen. Ministers die hun beloftes gaan waarmaken. Dat maakt de appearance van de ministers en de kleding die ze dragen tot een belangrijk, en niet te onderschatten, onderdeel van die boodschap. In deze aflevering vertel ik je wat ik de vrouwelijke ministers zou adviseren en in het bijzonder welke kleurkeuzes. Luister dus zeker naar deze aflevering als je wilt weten wat ik de ministers adviseer en hoe jij deze adviezen ook kunt gebruiken.  

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has categorically ruled out implementing a 'water tax' that's mentioned in the proposed Resource Management legislation. Federated Farmers today asked the Government to remove clauses they say give Ministers sweeping powers to tax water as a tool for managing demand. Bishop says it's not that simple, and it's not a policy the current Government is proposing. "There's a provision in there to allow it to be turned on into the future, if the Government did policy work around that, and I can tell you that we're not doing a policy work on our water tax." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In deze aflevering van EW Politiek Vandaag analyseren Sam Verbeek en Victor Pak de samenstelling van het nieuwe kabinet. Welke ministers leveren VVD, D66 en CDA? Wie zijn de opvallende nieuwkomers, welke ervaren krachten keren terug en waar zitten de politieke risico's? Van stikstof en klimaat tot zorg en migratie: we bespreken de belangrijkste ministersposten en beoordelen de kwaliteit van de bewindslieden. Is dit kabinet klaar voor de grote dossiers in politiek Den Haag, of dreigt middelmaat de toon te zetten?EW Politiek Vandaag is je korte update over Nederlandse politiek: wat doet het laatste (geo)politieke nieuws met de bloeddruk op het Binnenhof? Victor Pak (politiek verslaggever) en Sam Verbeek (online redacteur) duiden twee keer per week de impact van Tweede Kamer-debatten, verkiezingen, kabinet en internationale ontwikkelingen (EU, VS, China). Elke maandag en donderdag in je podcastapp én op YouTube. Wil je reageren? Stuur dan je vraag of opmerking naar podcast@ewmagazine.nl. Deel de podcast met vrienden en kennissen en laat een review achter.

The Government plans to introduce a three-year ban on family reunification for recognised refugees, along with new financial requirements. Ministers say it's about tightening the system — but critics argue it risks leaving spouses and children in danger. With just over 2,500 family members reunited since 2022, is this necessary reform or an unfair restriction? Nasc Chief Executive Fiona Hurley, joined Sean to discuss

The Government plans to introduce a three-year ban on family reunification for recognised refugees, along with new financial requirements. Ministers say it's about tightening the system — but critics argue it risks leaving spouses and children in danger. With just over 2,500 family members reunited since 2022, is this necessary reform or an unfair restriction? Nasc Chief Executive Fiona Hurley, joined Sean to discuss

Dr. Tim Maness discusses the behaviors and habits ministers can practice to remain mentally and emotionally healthy. He also shares some of the behaviors church leaders can demonstrate to help manage expectations and boundaries between their family and their congregation.

Pastor Kirk Hall continues the sermon series entitled, "The Pastoral Epistles: Biblical Ministers & Biblical Ministry" Today's message is entitled "The Role Of Deacons" — focusing on 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

As we celebrate the ministry of the laity of Avenue Church, Rev. John Van Tine shares about the call for all persons to engage in ministry. 

Künstliche Intelligenz statt Lateinunterricht. Dieser Vorschlag des NEOS-Bildungsministers, Christoph Wiederkehr, hat für viele hitzige Debatten gesorgt. Die zweite Fremdsprache, ob lebend oder nicht, soll im Unterricht gekürzt und stattdessen ein Digitalisierungsfach eingeführt werden – Stichwort KI, Medienkompetenz und Ähnliches. In "Thema des Tages" diskutieren wir den Vorschlag des Ministers mit zwei Kollegen, die eine ganz unterschiedliche Meinung dazu haben. Eric Frey, Leitender Redakteur beim STANDARD, sieht 2026 die Zeit für weniger Latein gekommen. Thomas Mayer, EU-Korrespondent beim STANDARD wiederum möchte das Fach in der Schule nicht missen und argumentiert für ein Beibehalten des Unterrichts in der derzeitigen Form.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

It's time for another Alberta Politics Roundup!There's a grab bag of things going on with Alberta Politics and we try to cover a bunch of them! What does the new Legislative calendar have to say? Are overdoses being underreported? What's going on with the Tory Party? AND!We have a double deep dive on both Danielle SMith's attempts to consolidate power by demonizing the courts as well as a deep dive on the conspiracy theories behind some of the separatist movement leaders and why they shouldn't be dismissed!If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're looking for our new merch lineup, you can find that at www.thebreakdownabmerch.comIf you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Substack, Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!If you're looking for the link to the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation Gofundme me, you can find that at https://www.gofundme.com/f/sturgeon-lake-cree-nation-lawsuit-injunction?attribution_id=sl:5ac02c23-41da-48f4-84d6-7317b6d73517&ts=1769452718&utm_campaign=pd_ss_icons&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

2 Timothy 1:15-18 "Christians as Ministers of Mercy," Blake Johnson | 2 Timothy by Evangelical Fellowship Church

ADULLAM CONFERENCE 2026Theme: THE WISE MASTER BUILDERA holy convocation convened for Pastors and Ministers of the Gospel.In a time where ministry is often shaped by extraneous principles and traditions, the Adullam Conference is designed to equip ministers with divine tools for building according to God's templates in a modern world.This gathering is a space for refreshing, alignment, and spiritual impartation as ministers are prepared for the year ahead.If you are a Pastor or Minister of the Gospel whether a Pioneer, Associate Pastor, or Ministry Leader, this conference is for you.

Met vandaag: Lars Geerts over de verdeling van de nieuwe ministersposten | Drie jaar na de zware aardbeving in Turkije blikt journalist Arda Kaya terug | Willy de Beer: de eerste vrouw die meedeed aan het langebaanschaatsen op de Winterspelen | Het Rijksmuseum toont kunstwerken geïnspireerd op de Metamorfosen van Ovidius | Presentatie: Lucella Carasso

Alicia McCarthy reports as pressure grows on Ministers over the Peter Mandelson scandal.

The Trump administration has put aside its tariff threats, and is calling for a new trade bloc to focus on critical minerals. Ministers from 55 countries attended talks in Washington aimed at reducing their reliance on China, which dominates the production and processing of the elements. Meanwhile, Japan hopes to revolutionise its own mineral supplies, becoming the first country to retrieve deep-sea mud containing rare earth elements. 

Walking Boldly into the New Year.Scripture: Joshua 1:9 — “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”Walk boldly—not because life will be easy, but because God will be with you. Boldness is not the absence of fear. Boldness is movement in spite of fear.Accept Jesus Today: https://youtube.com/shorts/bIwAUlz7Kg4?si=BNOhv44iLWIR4eVJIf you would like to accept Jesus into your heart today, pray this simple prayer:****God, I have sinned against You. I believe that Jesus is Your Son, who died and rose for my sake. I ask you to forgive me for my sin. I place my trust in You for salvation. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, I am forgiven! Amen!"****Congratulations! You are now a child of the most high. John 1:12 says, But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. If you just prayed this prayer to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, I welcome you to the family of God. Subscribe to my channel and type in the comments right now, “I just prayed that prayer.” I would love to connect with you and chat with you about all the amazing things God is doing in your life.Click here for FREE eBook Download: https://tinyurl.com/ISAIDTHEPRAYERShow your love, support the channel:*PayPal: PayPal.me/malachimitchellministry*Cashapp: https://cash.app/$MalachiMitchNote Journals and Puzzles: https://tinyurl.com/WalkinFaithPublishingAuthored Books: https://tinyurl.com/BooksofMalachiJoin Our Support Club: https://tinyurl.com/Support-ClubInvesting Opportunity: https://coinholders.hnocoin.com/signup/?refer=Malachi2uFREE Ways to Support Me:

Pastor Kirk Hall continues the sermon series entitled, "The Pastoral Epistles: Biblical Ministers & Biblical Ministry" Today's message is entitled "The Role Of Church Leaders Pt 2" — focusing on 1 Timothy 3:2-7.

Een nieuw #nerdland maandoverzicht! Met deze maand: Imbolc! Artemis! Kwallen & Anemonen! Het slimme LEGO-blokje! (P)ISS! Fossielrijk zand! Noorderlicht! Koeiengereedschap! En veel meer... Shownotes: https://podcast.nerdland.be/nerdland-maandoverzicht-februari-2026/ Gepresenteerd door Lieven Scheire met Jeroen Baert, Els Aerts, Kurt Beheydt, Bart Van Peer en Koen De Poorter. Opname, montage en mastering door Els Aerts en Jens Paeyeneers. (00:00:00) Intro (00:01:22) Het is weer zover, het is weer Imbolc! (00:05:12) Astronauten teruggehaald uit ISS. Mysteries! Roddels! Schandalen! (00:14:28) Alzheimer teruggedraaid in muizen (00:17:20) AI-choker helpt mensen spreken na een beroerte (00:22:34) Virussen en bacterieën vechten anders in de ruimte (00:29:49) Is er een evolutionaire reden voor same-sex attraction? (00:41:38) We maken ons klaar voor de maan: Artemis missies (00:49:50) AI NIEUWS (00:50:07) Petra De Sutter AI quotes (00:58:43) AI gegeneerde weerkaart maakt vuile mopjes (00:59:51) Politieverslag met AI beweert dat agent in kikker veranderde (01:02:18) Kwallen en anemonen slapen ook (01:08:57) Bomen in zee gooien om het klimaat te redden (01:14:11) Ministers wil stranden ophogen met fossielrijk zand (01:17:22) SILICON VALLEY NEWS (01:17:39) OpenAI lanceert ChatGPT health (01:20:09) OpenAI denkt aan advertised content (01:22:17) Iemand heeft de ISSpiesniveaumeter gebouwd! (01:25:36) CES-beurs (01:31:10) Robots op CES (01:35:25) Slimme LEGO-blok (01:42:33) Bril ontwikkeld die zijn sterkte automatisch aanpast (01:48:19) Personal wifi triggert navo alarm (01:49:58) Microplastics gevonden in aardlagen uit 1750 (01:53:08) Er was Noorderlicht in België (01:57:49) Sony bouwt AI die uw computerspel speelt (02:03:16) Schansspringers spuiten zuur in hun piemel. Enfin: misschien. (02:07:07) Koe gebruikt gereedschap (02:10:09) Het robotpaard van Kawasaki gaat in productie (02:12:18) RECALLS/EIGEN PROMO (02:12:25) Eerste namen festival komen op 10 februari online, je hoort het eerst via Nerdland Newsletter (02:12:52) Lieven speelt in maart in UK! Leeds, Bristol, London, Chelmsford, Worcester, Lichfield, Exeter, Andover,… (02:13:17) Lezingen Jeroen te boeken via Nerdlandtalks.be (02:13:36) Franqui-leerstoel Hans Van Dyck UHasselt (02:14:03) Welke opname-apparatuur gebruiken wij, Els? (02:16:50) Sponsor Flanders Make

The panel (JP, Carl and Lucy) discuss the big news this week - More pupils suspended for bad behaviour will have to stay in school under supervision, rather than being sent home, in a bid to curb learning loss and reduce exposure to phones and social media. Ministers say the changes are designed to strengthen discipline while ensuring pupils continue learning during short-term suspensions, particularly for non-violent behaviour.

Vision, Purpose & Direction.Scripture: Proverbs 16:3 — “Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.”As a new year begins, many people feel pressure to have a plan.They feel behind if they don't have clarity.They feel anxious if direction isn't obvious.They feel insecure if others seem more certain. But Proverbs 16:3 gives us a divine order: commit first, and clarity follows. God never promised to reveal every step in advance. Accept Jesus Today: https://youtube.com/shorts/bIwAUlz7Kg4?si=BNOhv44iLWIR4eVJIf you would like to accept Jesus into your heart today, pray this simple prayer:****God, I have sinned against You. I believe that Jesus is Your Son, who died and rose for my sake. I ask you to forgive me for my sin. I place my trust in You for salvation. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, I am forgiven! Amen!"****Congratulations! You are now a child of the most high. John 1:12 says, But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. If you just prayed this prayer to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, I welcome you to the family of God. Subscribe to my channel and type in the comments right now, “I just prayed that prayer.” I would love to connect with you and chat with you about all the amazing things God is doing in your life.Click here for FREE eBook Download: https://tinyurl.com/ISAIDTHEPRAYERShow your love, support the channel:*PayPal: PayPal.me/malachimitchellministry*Cashapp: https://cash.app/$MalachiMitchNote Journals and Puzzles: https://tinyurl.com/WalkinFaithPublishingAuthored Books: https://tinyurl.com/BooksofMalachiJoin Our Support Club: https://tinyurl.com/Support-ClubInvesting Opportunity: https://coinholders.hnocoin.com/signup/?refer=Malachi2uFREE Ways to Support Me:

What does a resilient Arctic look like? What are the challenges and opportunities when it comes to energy security in the region? And how are Arctic nations navigating these transformations in communities, industries, and ecosystems?The conversation is introduced by H.E. Karen Ellemann, Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and continues with a panel discussion featuring:H.E. Naaja H. Nathanielsen, Greenland's Minister for Business and EnergyH.E. Jóhann Páll Jóhannsson, Iceland's Minister of the Environment, Energy and ClimateHonor. Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs & Minister Responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development AgencyClaude Véron-Réville, EU Special Envoy for Arctic MattersModerating is Patti Bruns, Secretary General of the Arctic Mayors' Forum.This Session was recorded live at the 2025 Arctic Circle Assembly, held in Reykjavík, Iceland, from October 16th to 18th.Arctic Circle is the largest network of international dialogue and cooperation on the future of the Arctic. It is an open democratic platform with participation from governments, organizations, corporations, universities, think tanks, environmental associations, Indigenous communities, concerned citizens, and others interested in the development of the Arctic and its consequences for the future of the globe. It is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization. Learn more about Arctic Circle at www.ArcticCircle.org or contact us at secretariat@arcticcircle.orgTWITTER:@_Arctic_CircleFACEBOOK:The Arctic CircleINSTAGRAM:arctic_circle_org

Letting Go of Fear & Anxiety.Scripture: Isaiah 41:10—“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”You cannot walk boldly into the future while gripping fear from the past.Accept Jesus Today: https://youtube.com/shorts/bIwAUlz7Kg4?si=BNOhv44iLWIR4eVJIf you would like to accept Jesus into your heart today, pray this simple prayer:****God, I have sinned against You. I believe that Jesus is Your Son, who died and rose for my sake. I ask you to forgive me for my sin. I place my trust in You for salvation. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, I am forgiven! Amen!"****Congratulations! You are now a child of the most high. John 1:12 says, But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. If you just prayed this prayer to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, I welcome you to the family of God. Subscribe to my channel and type in the comments right now, “I just prayed that prayer.” I would love to connect with you and chat with you about all the amazing things God is doing in your life.Click here for FREE eBook Download: https://tinyurl.com/ISAIDTHEPRAYERShow your love, support the channel:*PayPal: PayPal.me/malachimitchellministry*Cashapp: https://cash.app/$MalachiMitchNote Journals and Puzzles: https://tinyurl.com/WalkinFaithPublishingAuthored Books: https://tinyurl.com/BooksofMalachiJoin Our Support Club: https://tinyurl.com/Support-ClubInvesting Opportunity: https://coinholders.hnocoin.com/signup/?refer=Malachi2uFREE Ways to Support Me:

We're recovering from an absolutely bonkers week in legal land, so instead of a live show, we're excited to bring you a special interview!

Recently, we got to sit down with Geoff Dembicki from "Desmog" to talk about their recent story on Danielle Smith's bizarre ties to the US governor who was tasked by Trump to oversee the takeover of Greenland.No, really. It's a legit thing.Geoff explains it all and we get into the bigger security implications Alberta and Canada should be thinking about right now!If you're able to support our legal defense fund to fight back against the $6 Million lawsuit against us by Sam Mraiche, the man who imported Vanch masks and the Turkish Tylenot as well as who hosted MLA's and Ministers in his skybox as he had business with the government...You can do that at www.savethebreakdownab.ca!As always, if you appreciate the kind of content that we're trying to produce here at The Breakdown, please consider signing up as a monthly supporter at our Patreon site at www.patreon.com/thebreakdownab and we can now accept e-transfers at info@thebreakdownab.ca!If you're looking for our new merch lineup, you can find that at www.thebreakdownabmerch.comIf you're listening to the audio version of our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a rating, and don't forget to like and follow us on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Threads!

This episode we are talking about the Four Great Temples--Asukadera, Daikandaiji (aka Kudara Odera), Kawaradera, and Yakushiji.  Much of the information, outside of the Nihon Shoki itself, comes from Donald F. McCallum's book:  "The Four Great Temples: Buddhist Archaeology, Architecture, and Icons of Seventh-Century Japan". For sources, photos, and more information, check out our blogpost at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-142 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 142: The Four Great Temples   Rising up into the sky, the bronze spire atop the pagoda seemed to touch the heavens.  The beams, doors, and railings were all painted bright red, with white walls, and green painted bars on the windows.  At each level, the eaves swept out, covered in dark ceramic tiles, with shining bronze plaques covering the ends of the roof beams.  At each corner, a bronze bell hung, chiming in the breeze.  This pattern continued upwards, tier after tier. Around the base of the pagoda, throngs of government officials dressed in their formal robes of office moved past, flowing through the temple's central gates.  As they passed, they looked up at the impressive tower, the largest of its kind in all of Yamato.  From somewhere, a deep bell chimed, and the crowds made their way towards the lecture hall.  There, the monks were prepared, with sutras and voices at the ready.  Facing a sacred image, they would read through their sutras in unison.  Their voices would carry through the great empty space and reverberate through the crowds—those that could get close enough to hear, anyway.  The chanting created a musical cacophony.     In that sea of human voices, one could almost sense something more—something spiritual.  A power, that one could almost believe could hold at bay just about any disaster that could befall a person—or even the state itself.   Alright, so this episode we are still in the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou.  I know we've already seen how that ends, but there is still a lot to cover. But before I go too far, I'd like to first give  a shout out to Lisa for helping to support the show on Ko-Fi.  I can't tell you how much we appreciate it.  If you would like to support us as well, we'll have more information at the end of this, and every episode. We've talked about how the reign of Ohoama was a time where the court reinforced, but also subtly adjusted, the laws of the Ritsuryo state.  They seem to have equally courted the Kami, Buddhism, and even continental ideas of yin and yang.  Today we are going to dive into Buddhism and the State.  More specifically, I want to talk about something called the Yondaiji, the Four Great Temples, and look at how these government temples, also known as "kanji" or "Tsukasa no dera" came to be, what we know about them from archaeological research, and the role they played in the State.  This is going to probably recap things from earlier episodes.  I am also drawing a lot from a book by Donald F. McCallum called, appropriately, "The Four Great Temples", which goes into a lot more detail than I'll be able to get into, here, but I recommend it for those who are really interested in this subject. Up to this point, we've talked a little about the relationship that the court had with Buddhism.  By the late 7th century, Buddhism had spread throughout the archipelago, and there were many temples likely created by local elites.  Sensoji, in Asakusa, Tokyo, claims a founding of 628, though it may have actually been founded sometime just after 645.  There are other temples around Japan, far from the Home Provinces, which likewise had similar claims to being founded in the early to late 7th century, and I question how much a role the government had in each of them. .  In 673, there were two temple-related mentions of note in the Chronicles.  In one of Ohoama's earliest edicts he orders the copying of the Issaiko, the Buddhist canon, at Kawaradera.   That same year, 673, Prince Mino and Ki no Omi no Katamaro—whom we discussed last episode—were sent to build Takechi temple, later known as Daikandaiji.  I mention Daikandaiji specifically because while it was originally built as the Temple of Takechi, at some point took on that other  name—"Daikandaiji", aka Ohotsukasa no Ohodera—which Aston translates as the "Great Temple of the Great Palace", as it appears to have specifically been designated as the great temple of the government. In other words, it is one of a few National Temples.  And this became particularly important in the year 680, which is the year we are told the government stopped administering—and, more importantly, stopped funding—all but a handful of so-called "national temples".  At this point, as I've mentioned, Buddhism was widespread enough that there were enough adherents that could maintain their own local temples. Of course, local elites likely found some cachet in funding temples, and communities of believers in various areas would likewise have been asked to provide funds as well. So the court accordingly declared that going forward, the government would only administer 2 or 3 national temples.  For all other temples, if tthey had been granted the proceeds of sustenance-fiefs, those would be limited, from the first year to the last, of 30 years in total.  As I read it, that indicates that if they had received the fiefs 15 years ago, they would be allowed to hold onto them for another 15 years, after which point they would need to find alternative sources of funding.  The early national temples appear to be Daikandaiji and Kawaradera.  Finally, there is Yakushiji, which Ohoama began construction on in 680 for his queen, Uno no Sarara, when she was ill—and just hold on to that for now.  Interestingly, Asukadera, or Houkouji, in many ways the original national temple, was not designated as such in the new reorganization, but it would continue to be administered by the government as a temple in a special arrangement. That's why the original count in the Nihon Shoki mentions "2 or 3" national temples instead of four.  These four temples are mentioned in the Shoku Nihongi, the Chronicles following the Nihon Shoki, as the Four Great Temples, or Yondaiji.  Although that work wasn't compiled and published until the end of the 8th century, the term Yondaiji appears in an entry for 702, about five years after the last entry in the Nihon Shoki, and over a decade before its publication So at this point we're going to look at each of these "great" temples individually, plus a couple of other important ones, and what they tell us about the history of Buddhism, Buddhist temples, and the Yamato state at this point in Ohoama's reign. The first of these four temples, chronologically, is Asukadera.  This is the temple originally built by the Soga, and the first major Buddhist temple built.  Its layout shows three separate golden image halls, or kondou.  And here we should probably recap something about the general layout of a Buddhist temple, so we can understand what we are talking about. The most important buildings in a Buddhist temple at this time were the kondou, the golden image halls; the pagoda, or stupa; and the koudou, or lecture hall.  The golden image halls held golden Buddhist images—Buddhas, Boddhisatvas, Arthats, and more.  These rooms are often somewhat dark, and would have been lit mainly by candles, as well as the sun coming through—though even then the sun often is obscured by overhanging rooves and latticework.  Sometimes the doors would have small openings so that the sun's rays strike in a particular way at different times.  All of this presents an image of bright gleaming gold in the darkness—a metaphor for the teachings of the Buddha, but also an intentionally awe inspiring display for those who came to view them and pray. The kondo were usually the first structures to be built for a temple, so if your temple had nothing else, it probably had an image hall. The next structure that one would probably build would be the stupa, or pagoda.  A pagoda was a tower, in which were sometimes kept images, but more importantly, it would often hold some kind of relic.  The idea of the stupa originated as a place to house relics—often bone fragments and teeth attributed to the Buddha, even if those were actually precious stones.  Stupas were originally (and still, in many places) large mounds, but as Buddhism made its way over the Silk Road, these were replaced with multi-tiered towers. Pagodas are often 3 or 5 storeys, though the number of stories can go up to 7 or 9 or as low as 1.    Once again, in a world where most buildings, other than perhaps a specially made lookout tower, were only one or maybe two stories in height, a three to five story pagoda must have been something to behold, especially covered with tiled eaves, adorned with bronze bells, and brightly painted in the continental fashion. In Europe I would point to similar uses of gold and ostentatious ornamentation on the cathedrals of the day, and even in churches more generally, if on a smaller scale.  This is meant to impress and thus lend authority to the institution.  And of course, because that institution was so closely aligned to the State, it gave the State authority as well.  We mentioned, previously, how the monumental structures of the kofun had given way to the Buddhist temples as a form of ritual display. The last of the three buildings I would mention is the lecture hall, or Koudou.  This would also likely have Buddhist images, but it was more of a functional hall for conducting rituals, including recitation of sutras and presenting Buddhist teachings.  The koudou was often at the back or north end of the temple complex.  In early Buddhist temple layouts, it was common to have everything in a straight line, more or less, and to remain symmetrical.  So there would be a main gate through which one would enter.  In front of you there you probably saw the pagoda.  Beyond the pagoda was a path, and then the kondou, or image hall, typically with a lantern in front, and behind that was the koudou, or lecture hall.  This was all typically oriented on a north-south axis, such that one would enter through the southern gate and walk north towards the lecture hall.  The north-south orientation is likely another feature from the continent, where the most important buildings were often south-facing, and thus in the north of the compound.  This was the same with the palace layout, and likely for similar reasons—not just cultural, but also practical.  After all, the sun, in the northern hemisphere, remains slightly to the south, and so this would have provided the most light through the day.   This layout was not strictly adhered to, however. For instance, if we look at Asukadera, you would enter through the southernmost gate and you were then met with another gate for an inner compound.  This middle gate would lead you to a large courtyard, about 320 meters on a side, with a covered walkway, or gallery, along the entire circumference of the compound.  Entering through the middle gate one would have first noticed the large pagoda and not one but three golden image halls.  A path led to the pagoda, and then beyond from the pagoda to the central kondou.  There is even a stone where a large bronze lantern was likely situated between the pagoda and the kondou.  Based on archaeological evidence, it appears that there was originally just one image hall, directly north of the pagoda, but at a later date, they added two more kondou to the east and west of the pagoda.  This has been compared to a temple layout found in Goguryeo, but given that these were likely later additions, and we know that Baekje artisans were involved, I suspect that is just later coincidence. Connecting the layout of the temples to continental examples has been a keen area of study for many scholars.  The general theory is that temple layouts can help point to whether there was more of a Baekje, Silla, or Goguryeo influence during the construction of the temple, and what that might have meant for Yamato's international relations as well as various political factions in the court who may have leaned more towards one group or another. The last building at Asukadera, the koudou, or lecture hall, was directly north of the kondou, but you couldn't get there directly.  The entire pagoda and image hall compound was separate from the lecture hall, which stood north and apart, though still on the temple grounds, which would have been surrounded by an outer wall.   At this point, since we're talking about the layout of Asukadera and where it came from, I'm going to digress from the next of the four great temples and talk about two other early temples that are important for understanding Buddhist temple building at this time. So bear with me for this slight detour. The first of these is Shitennoji, the Temple of the Four Heavenly Kings, in modern Osaka.  This temple is said to have been built in 593, and is attributed to Shotoku Taishi.  Presumably he made a vow to do so during the war between the Soga and the Mononobe, which we discussed back in episode 91.  As you may recall from that and earlier episodes, the Mononobe were considered to be against the idea of Buddhism, while the Soga were promoting it.  Shitennouji was important, but doesn't show up in the Chronicles as much as other temples, and was all the way over in Naniwa.  As such, I suspect that it was not considered a good candidate for "national" temple status at the time.  Still, if we look at the original layout, Shitennoji is quite similar to what we see in Asukadera.  Everything is on a north-south axis.  You go through a middle gate to the inner compound.  There you find a pagoda, and past that, a lantern and then the kondou.  Unlike Asukadera, the koudou, or lecture hall, is incorporated into the back wall, such that the gallery continues from the middle gate around to either side, and then meets at the sides of the lecture hall.  There are also east and west gates, as well as other buildings, but the main layout is pretty comparable. The second is another temple, which also lays claim to being founded by Prince Shotoku Taishi, and which was not included in the four great temples.  This may have had to do with the fact that it wasn't in the Asuka valley, but also may have had to do with just the timing.  That temple is the famous one known as Horyuji.  Horyuji was founded on the site of the Ikaruga palace, said to have been the home of none other than Prince Umayado, aka Shotoku Taishi.  As such, one imagines it was quite the prominent temple in its day.  However, it was at a distance from the capital, and it also had the misfortune to have burned down in about 670, just before Ohoama ascended the throne, and it wasn't fully rebuilt until about 711, leaving a forty year gap where the temple was not necessarily at the forefront of Buddhism. Still, like Shitennoji, it is interesting to look at the original layout for Horyuji and compare it to Asukadera.  First off, you have the same north-south orientation, and you have the same separate, internal compound for the image hall and the pagoda.  Unlike in Asukadera, however, the kondou and the pagoda, which both faced south, were on an east-west axis, flanking the central pathway.  Entering through the middle gate one would have seen a five storey pagoda on the left and the kondo on the right.  The Koudou was outside the inner compound in the rear, along that central north-south axis.  There is also evidence of two other buildings.  One likely held a large bell—and possibly a drum—and the other was likely a sutra repository, where they could keep holy texts and various ritual implements. I will also note that, even though Horyuji burned down in 670 and was accordingly not that prominent during Ohoama's reign, it is absolutely worth visiting because substantial portions of those rebuilt buildings are still standing today. Indeed, both the Horyuji pagoda and kondou are among the oldest wooden buildings in the world. The central pillar of the pagoda was felled in 594 according to dendrochronological dating. The kondou was damaged by fire during a restoration in 1949, but about 15-20% of the original building from 670 still remains.  Going back to the Great Temples, the next of these to be built was Kudara Ohodera.  Kudara here means "Baekje", but this appears to refer more to the temple's location near the Kudara river, rather than to the kingdom of Baekje.  Kudara Ohodera is remarkable in a couple of different ways.  First off, there is the fact that it is the first temple with a firm royal lineage—that is to say a temple that claims to have been founded by the sovereign.  Asukadera was founded by Soga no Umako, the Prime Minister, and though Prince Umayado is said to have been the Crown Prince, nonetheless, he never reigned as sovereign, though he was considered the founder of both Shitenouji and Houryuuji.  Kudara Ohodera, however, is said to have been founded at the behest of Tamura, aka Jomei Tennou, who reigned from 629-641.  The temple appears to get its start in a record dated to 639, and by 645 it appears to be fully operational. There is another tale of its founding—in the Daianji Engi, the history of Daianji, a successor temple to Kudara Ohodera, there is mention of a Kumagori Dojo, and many modern histories claim that this was the actual first temple, but there isn't much evidence.  Donald McCallum, in his treatment of Kudara Ohodera's history in his book, "The Four Great Temples", suggests that the Kumagori Dojo story is likely a later legendary founding that got recorded, as there is scant evidence for it, and no mention of it in other records.  On the actual founding of Kudara Ohodera, however, there does appear to be general agreement with the Nihon Shoki, despite some minor differences in the dates. The call to build Kudara Ohodera comes alongside Tamura's also building Kudara Palace.  Kudara Ohodera was also built on a grand scale, and it is said to have had a nine-storey pagoda—almost double the size of a five-storey pagoda, which already towered over other buildings of the time. Despite all of this, for a long time it was unclear where Kudara Ohodera was actually situated.  There were several sites proposed, but most recently archaeological research on Kibi Pond seems to have placed the temple there.  At excavations on the southern side of the pond were found remnants of the foundations of two buildings, arranged in an east-west format.  The western foundation would appear to be for a pagoda—but one much larger than any of the five storey pagodas we've seen elsewhere.  And to the east was the foundation for what appears to be the kondo.  This golden image hall, however, is likewise much larger than any other hall of this time.  This arrangement would fit very well with a Houryuuji-like temple layout.  There were also various other traces that were consistent with the early mid-7th century, which would coincide with the 639-645 dates for Kudara Ohodera's construction.  Subsequent excavations appear to have found quarters for the priests, as well as at least part of a gallery wall and one gate, situated due south of the kondo.  There may have been another gate south of the pagoda.  The koudou, the lecture hall, may have been in the area that was later excavated to create the pond, and therefore we may never have any hard evidence of its location, despite numerous attempts to dig trenches to find more of the temple buildings.  This probably also means that, similar to Shitennouji, the lecture hall  was incorporated into the enclosing gallery wall rather than being outside, because if it was outside, then it likely would have been farther north and we would probably have seen some trace.  As it is, the lack of any trace suggests that it was inside or part of the enclosure with the pagoda and kondou. The large size of this archeological site concurs with what we know about Kudara Ohodera, both in its description and in the fact that it is referred to as "Ohodera", or "Great Temple"—no other temple has really been given that name directly, though there are a few references to "Ohodera"  that are ambiguous and might refer either to this temple or Asukadera..  Still, if this temple, sometimes also called Kibi Pond Temple due to its location, is *not* Kudara Ohodera then that just brings up more questions.  How could there have been such a monumental Buddhist temple this close to Asuka and within the bounds of the later Fujiwara-kyo and yet nobody thinks to mention it?  It doesn't appear to have been started and abandoned, as there were quite a few structures built.  So if this isn't Kudara Temple then someone has some 'splaining to do. Indeed, McCallum notes that while there are some objections, the preponderance of evidence seems to lean greatly in favor of the Kibi Pond site for Kudara Ohodera.  We still have yet to find the Kudara palace, however, so who knows.  There are also questions about the construction as various architectural features are missing in ways that are not consistent with other sites. Some oddities, such as a seeming lack of rooftiles given the apparent size of the building, actually may be a point in favor of this being Kudara Ohodera, since we know that the temple was moved in 673 when Ohoama requested that they build the Takechi Ohodera, which appears to have been Kudara's successor temple.  If they had reused the material from Kudara Ohodera to build, at least in part, Takechi Ohodera, that could explain why rooftiles and other such things are not present in the numbers expected at the Kibi Pond site. Takechi Ohodera is another bit of a mystery.  I can't help but note that Takechi is the name given Ohoama's son who was with him on the front lines of the Jinshin no Ran.  We also see a "Takechi no Agata-nushi", who is noted as the governor of the district of Takechi.  In all cases here it is spelled "Taka-ichi", or "high market", and it is not an uncommon name—we even find a Miwa no Kimi no Takechimaro.  In the record of the Jinshin no Ran it is noted that the governor of Takechi was possessed by the kami of Takechi and of Musa.  These were named as Kotoshironushi and Ikuikazuchi.  They claimed that they had been the kami that escorted Ohoama to Fuwa and saw him safely there.  As such, donations were made to their shrines.  Musa is an area in modern Takaichi district, which includes the area of Asuka, and is part of Kashihara city.  The Takaichi Agata Jinja—or the Takechi District Shrine—sits in the Shijo area of Kashihara city, north of Mt. Unebi. There are several proposed locations for Takechi Ohodera, but despite excavations, no clear temple features have been found.  As such, there isn't anything to clearly point to one or the other. What we do know is that Takechi Ohodera underwent another transformation.  According to the Daianji Engi, the Takechi Ohodera was renamed to Daikandaiji in 677.  There is no specific mention of this in the Nihon Shoki, other than a note that Takechi Ohodera was also known as Daikandaiji and a reference, in 679, of "fixing the names".  Personally, I can't help but wonder if this is a case of a nickname becoming the name-in-fact.  As I mentioned earlier in the episode, Daikandaijij, which can also be read as "Oho-tsukasa no Oho-tera" can be translated into something like Great Government Official Great Temple or Great Temple of the Royal Court.  We do know the location of this temple in later years, but this is probably not exactly where Takechi Ohodera was originally built. For one thing, it is suspicious that the temple lines up exactly with the later grid for Fujiwara-kyo, the later capital city that was built north of Asuka.  We also are told by the Daianji Engi that a nine storey pagoda and kondou were built between 697 and 707 CE.  There are also notes about activities at the temple mentioned in the Shoku Nihongi for the same period.  And yet there were also activities being held during that time which would not seem feasible if they were renovating in place.  So likely the new construction was at a new site—possibly near the old site.  And at this later site, the rooftiles were from a later period, closer to the period of the later construction and not really matching with earlier construction dates. So what did this temple of many names – Kudara Ohodera, then Takechi Ohodera, then Daikandaiji – actually look like?  We probably have a layout for the original temple and the later temple.  If Kibi Pond Temple is the original Kudara Ohodera, the original temple had the kondou and the pagoda on the same east-west axis, and likely had the koudou north of that – very Horyuji-like.  But based on the layout at the later temple site, we have something quite different.  From the central gate, there is a path straight towards the Kondou, with the Koudou directly north of that, and the nine-storey pagoda in an odd, off-set position, southeast of the kondou.  This disrupts the symmetry even more than the Kudara Ohodera layout.  There is some speculation that this asymmetry was temporary and that they planned to fill the other space but just never got around to it, but there is no indication that they had prepared for anything, either.  Also odd is the fact that the koudou, the lecture hall, was the same size as the image hall, the kondou, and that was roughly the same size as the enormous hall at Toudaiji, which is really saying something.  This really was a tremendous building, fitting for the main temple of the royal government. The third of the four great temples is Kawaradera, and this one is challenging to plot out chronologically as there isn't a lot of documentation.  There is no exact date for the building of Kawaradera.  There is a mention of it in 653, but the same entry in the Nihon Shoki also states that there are sources that claim it should be Yamadadera, instead.  Based on other evidence, this actually seems more likely.  Yamadadera is thought to have been the work of Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro, and it is where he eventually fled when accused of treason.  It was founded in 641, according to the Joguki, the record of Prince Shotoku, but construction didn't actually start until2 years later, and monks only began to occupy it in 648.  The following year, however, construction halted as that is when Ishikawa no Maro fled there and committed suicide.  Construction was resumed in 663, but still took time.  Still, even in the middle of this very long DIY project, it makes sense that there might be some activities in 653, even if construction was paused.   Later the temple would be completed, and seems to have had powerful backing.  Uno no Sarara, Ohoama's queen, was a granddaughter of Ishikawa no Maro, and so likely had a connection to the temple, but it never attained the status of a national temple the way the others had.  As far as its layout—it was similar to Shitennouji, with the pagoda, kondo, and koudou all in a line on the north-south axis. Kawaradera was another matter.  Though we aren't sure when it was built, exactly.  If we discount the 653 date as applying to Yamadadera instead, then the first date we really see anything at Kawara is Kawara Palace, built for Takara Hime—aka Saimei Tennou—who took up residence there when the Itabuki Palace burned.  Later it would be used for her mogari—her temporary interment.  The next mention of a temple at Kawara isn't until this reign, in 673, when Ohoama had the Buddhist canon, the Issaiko, copied, as I noted at the top of the episode.  So it must have been established and built some time before 673. Although we don't know when it was founded, we very clearly know where it was, as the foundations stones are still present, and quite clear—and unlike other Asuka era temples, it would stay in Asuka, rather than being removed up to the new capital at Heijo-kyo. Given everything else and its apparent importance, the lack of information on when Kawaradera was established is quite odd.  McCallum suggests that this could have been deliberate as a way to help delegitimize the temple in the 8th century, but also admits that it may have just been due to the general problems with early record keeping back in the day and there may not have been a good record of why and when the temple was founded.  The rooftiles are similar to those used during the time that the court was at Ohotsu.  I would also note that there is a connection between the foundation stones and a quarry up near Ohotsu at what is, today, Ishiyamadera.  That still doesn't tell us when Kawaradera was founded, as that could have been any time, and doesn't necessarily mean that it was during the time the court was in Ohotsu. Regardless of what textual evidence does or does not exist, the archaeological evidence is pretty staggering.  Even today you can go and see some of the exposed foundation stones.  This was a massive temple.  There was a south gate and then a middle gate just north of that.  The main enclosure was divided into two courtyards.  In the first, just beyond the middle gate, at the north end was the middle kondo, while in the courtyard itself, facing each other on an east-west axis, was a western kondou and the temple pagoda.  Past the middle kondou was a larger courtyard, with the koudou, or lecture hall, in the north, with a bell tower or sutra hall in the south west and southeast corners.  The walls of the enclosure were made up of a covered gallery, and around the outside of the northern courtyard, containing the koudou, were smaller chambers believed to be the monks quarters, something we don't necessarily see at all of the other sites. Despite being an important temple, and one of the Four Great Temples during the Asuka periods, when the capital eventually moved to Heijo-kyo, in modern Nara, Kawaradera had the distinction of being the only one of the four that was not moved as well. All three of the other Great Temples had new compounds built in Heijo-kyo, and the temples were thus "transferred" to the new capital.  Presumably that means that most of the monks and administration moved there, and those new temples took up the roles, duties, and responsibilities of the old temples.  The temple complexes in Asuka were not necessarily destroyed or deconstructed, but instead were apparently left to their own devices, becoming reduced in status.  Many of them fell into disrepair, and when disasters, such as fire, struck they were not rebuilt to the same extent as before, if at all.   Kawaradera, however, appears to have not been transferred.  It would eventually be replaced as one of the Four Great Temples by the temple of Koufukuji, which was specifically a temple for the Fujiwara family, who were having a bit of a moment in the Nara period.  Some have speculated that Kawaradera was specifically left behind in Asuka for that reason—so that the Fujiwara family temple could sneak into the ranks of national temples.  Or it may have been that Kawaradera had a particular connection to Takara Hime and the site of her interment.  If it was a memorial temple to her, then perhaps it didn't seem appropriate to remove it from its physical location.  McCallum also suggests that it was so powerful in its position in Asuka that it preferred to stay and keep its stipend-fiefs, perhaps believing that even the move to Heijo-kyo would be just another short fad, as had been Ohotsu and Fujiwara-kyo.  Of course, if so, they were sorely mistaken. And so Kawaradera would eventually fade from the picture, but during the time of Ohoama's reign, and into that of his immediate successors, it seems that it certainly held some sway. The fourth of the Four Great Temples was the temple of Yakushiji—the temple of the Medicine Buddha.  This is the latest temple of the bunch.  Its construction was ordered in the year 680 in response to Ohoama's queen, Uno no Sarara, falling ill.  And so he vowed to build a temple for her—specifically a temple to Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha, whom we discussed last episode.  That said, there is considerable time between the order to construct a temple and getting enough of it built to actually be functional.  I haven't really touched on this, except when I briefly discussed Yamadadera and how long that took to build, but all of these temples were massive works, much more complicated than the traditional palace buildings.  For the most part, palace architecture could be built relatively quickly with the tools and labor available.  This was a good thing, seeing as how, for many years, the sovereign had moved again and again, either because of the previous sovereign's death in the palace or just because they chose a new location for a palace.  As such, one couldn't spend years building a new palace.  So palace buildings were simply made with wooden posts, sunk into the ground, with thatched roofs.  In a few examples we see attempts to use wooden boards or tiles, but they weren't complicated. A temple, on the other hand, was something different.  Temples were largely wood, but they were massive in size and their roofs were covered in heavy ceramic tiles.  All of that weight had to be properly distributed on a strong base—simple posts were not likely to work.  Instead they were built on raised stone foundations.  That's great for us looking at them, today, but at the time it would have been an inordinate amount of labor.  Hence why a temple like Yamadadera took so long to build. So Yakushiji may have been founded in 680, but was likely not finished until much later, which is why we don't really see it in the records for Ohoama's reign and why the order for national temples probably only states that there were just two or three.  However, it would become one of the four great temples, and is also notable because, in its transfer to Heijokyo, it largely retained its shape and layout, meaning that you can go to it, today, and still get some sense of what it may have been like back in the Asuka period.  Granted, there are certainly differences, but there are enough similarities that it is likely worth a visit.  Many of the other temples were significantly modified when they were rebuilt in the new capital in Nara.  The layout for Yakushiji is a basic rectangular layout.  North of the central gate there is not one, but two pagodas, on an east-west axis from each other, flanking the path to the kondo, roughly in the center.  Finally the koudou at the north end, built into the roofed gallery.  The modern Yakushiji, a UNESCO world heritage site, maintains one of the pagodas from 730.  Other buildings have been lost and rebuilt over the years.  Today, the covered gallery only goes around half of the compound.  This temple would be important, but mostly in the period following the current reign. This period of the four Great Temples perhaps gives us some insight into the relationship between Buddhism and the State.  Early on, Buddhism was the province largely of the Soga family, and Soga no Umako was apparently the most powerful figure of his day.  He founded Asukadera, and early temples weree founded by Soga or their associates, including Prince Umayado.  McCallum points out that the National Temples, however, were, with one exception, founded by sovereigns.  Kudara Ohodera was the first, Kawaradera was likely founded for Takara Hime, and Yakushiji was founded for Queen Uno.  The only one of the four that wasn't expressly founded on a sovereign's order was that of Asukadera, the temple by Soga no Umako.  This may explain why it was both included and excluded as a national temple in the Chronicles.  After all, there is no doubting its importance, but the narrative of a single, strong, royal house is somewhat impeded by the idea that one of those temples was founded by what was, for all of his power and authority, a private individual.  Ultimately they didn't include it in the edict and yet still acknowledged it as one of the Great Temples. McCallum also points out that these four may not have been fixed quite so early on.  For example, on the matter of Houryuuji—there is a bronze plaque that mentions an "Ikaruga no Ohodera", suggesting that the Ikaruga Temple—that is to say Houryuuji, founded on the estates of Prince Umayado—was at one time granted that title.  Of course, there are questions as to the exact date of the inscription, and whether or not they meant "Ohodera" in the later sense of a national temple or simply in the sense that it was large; and the term may have meant something else, earlier on. The roster of official temples, the Tsukasa no Tera or Kanji, would grow over time, but that is something for a later period.  It is worth noting, though, that the Chronicles at this point seem to distinguish between three types or levels of temples at this time, based on other edicts that we see.  There is also the matter of temple names. The first edict is from the 5th day of the 4th lunar month of 679, six years into Ohoama's reign.  The declaration states that the court would consider the history of any temple with sustenance fiefs and add or remove them as appropriate.  This suggests that there were temples with sustenance fiefs—that is, that had stipends based on lands whose official output went to their upkeep—and temples without such fiefs.  The latter were likely more local temples, likely funded by local elites, possibly out of actual devotion, or an attempt to gain the power that Buddhism presumably brought, or possibly just in emulation of the central court, much as the peripheral elites had also constructed the keyhole shaped kofun.  Along with the adjustments of stipends, we are also told that the administration quote-unquote "fixed" the names of the temples. This again goes to the government's control of the temples and Buddhism.  McCallum suggests that what is meant here is that they moved away from locative names to Buddhist names for the temple; up to this point, temple names appear to be about the location of the temple.  So we have Asuka dera, or Asuka Temple, built in Asuka.  Kudara Ohodera is Kudara Great Temple because it was by the Kudara river and the Kudara palace.  When it was moved to Takechi, they changed the name to Takechi temple.  Kawaradera was at Kawara, while the temple we know as Houryuuji was known at the time as Ikaruga Temple—or possibly Ikaruga Great Temple.  But later these temples would be known by their Buddhist names, so Asukadera is Houkouji.  Kudara Ohodera becomes Daikandaiji—and in fact, it is after this point that we see Daikandaiji in the narrative.  Ikaruga dera—though not one of the yondaiji, or four Great Temples—becomes Horyuuji.  I'm not quite so sure about Kawaradera, but Yakushiji, which is founded after this decree, comes to us with a Buddhist name rather than just the name of a location. This change in name likely simplified, somewhat, the concept of moving, or transferring the temples.  Rather than establishing a brand new temple with new administration and everything, they could build a new temple, but grant it the name and rights of the old temple.  The old temple grounds could still be used and occupied—it was still *a* temple, but it was no longer *the* temple, at least for official purposes.  It would be strange, however, to move the Asuka Temple up to the area of modern Nara city and still call it the Asuka Temple. The year after reassessing the stipends and fixing the names of the temples we get the edict about the 2 or 3 national temples.  And we've mostly discussed that, but here I would just point out that it does add a third distinction to the types of temples.  So we have temples with no stipends, temples with stipends—but they would only last for 30 years total after which they were expected to find new sources of funding—and the national temples, which would presumably receive funding through the government in perpetuity—or until the court changed its mind. So why do we care about any of this?  Obviously Buddhism has had a huge impact on Japanese culture.  However, this isn't just about the religion as an idea, but about the institutions.  These temples—especially these great temples—contained a fair amount of wealth.   It wasn't just the golden images, or the elaborate amount of work and materials that went into the creation of the buildings.  There was also the sustenance-fiefs that were paying for the upkeep.  These temples were also being managed by formal government administrators.  They also performed rituals that the court relied on.  Association with these temples was no doubt important.  Later we see princes and other members of high status families taking high ranking positions, and the temples ended up cultivating their own power.  Over time, the power of various Buddhist institutions would grow,  often challenging or even rivaling the power of the court itself. There are a few other items from this reign that we see related to these temples and Buddhism, more generally.  In 677 we see a Buddhist festival at Asukadera, where the entire canon was apparently reda out.  The sovereign himself showed up and did obeisance to the Three Precious Things—an interesting bit of religious piety and humility.   At the same time, he had all of the Princes and Ministers find one person each to renounce the world and become a monk or nun—both men and women were chosen, without apparent distinction.  We are also assured that they all did so of their own volition, and weren't forced.  In 679, we see a regulation on the clothing of priests and nuns, as well as the men and horses who  accompanied them when they traveled.  If priests are going around with a full on noble retinue, well, that probably says something about the status of priests—at least the abbots and heads of these institutions. 680 – A fire breaks out at the nunnery at Tachibana temple.  Tachibanadera is situated south of Kawaradera, and similar to that temple, it seems to have previously been the site of a royal palace and also isn't recorded as being founded in the Nihon Shoki—it appears fully formed in this record.  Tachibanadera's own records seem to suggest that it was founded in 606, and claims a founding by Shotoku Taishi.  It is also said to be the site of the palace where Shotoku Taishi was born to his mother, Princess Anahobe no Hashibito, consort of Tachibana no Toyohi, aka Yomei Tennou.  Shotoku Taishi is also the subject of the primary image of Tachibana temple, today.  Although Tachibanadera wasn't one of the Four Great Temples, it was likely connected to one—Kawaradera.  Not only was it built on the same north-south axis as Kawaradera, but some of the tiles are similar to Kawaradera's founding tiles.  The layout was similar to Yamada-dera or Shitennouji, with the pagoda, kondou, and kooudou, all in a single north-south orientation.  It is possible that Kawaradera was a monastery for male monks while Tachibanadera may have been the complementary nunnery for female initiates.  680 had a lot going on.  In the 10th lunar month, the sovereign handed out alms to monks and nuns—silk and cloth.  A month later, Ohoama vowed Yakushiji in hopes that it would help his wife, Queen Uno, who was unwell.  He also granted a general amnesty, likely to just add further merit.  Apparently it was successful, as she would go on to live for quite some time after that, even helping to take the reins of government when Ohoama himself fell ill. In 682, Princess Hidaka fell ill.  190 people, both men and women, were pardoned for capital or lesser crimes, in an attempt to make merit, and the following day we are told that over 140 people renounced the world at Daikandaiji—likely on the Princess's behalf. The year after that, 683, we see the sovereign making appointments to the official buddhist offices of Soujou, Soudzu, and Risshi—Doctors of the Law.  This was probably a somewhat regular occurrence, though this is the first time we see the Risshi, it seems.  The mention here is apparently due to the admonition given that "Those who control the monks and nuns should act according to the law."  Definitely seems to be something there—perhaps a reason as to why the Soujou and Soudzu were being appointed.  But the Nihon Shoki doesn't give us a lot more to go on other than speculation. Later that same year, in the 7th lunar month, we see priests and nuns gathered at the palace for the first ever ango, or retreat.  An ango is where priests and nuns of different temples are brought together.  The term refers to a practice said to come from the time of Shakyamuni, before there were temples.  Shakyamuni's acolytes, who spent much of the year wandering, would return to one place during the rainy season. At that time they would listen and discuss Shakyamuni's teachings.  In some sects, this practice of coming together would be particularly important, and it was a mark of honor for how many retreats a monk might have attended over the years. In 685, the court promoted Buddhism with an edict requiring every household to maintain a Buddhist altar, with a statue of the Buddha and a copy of a sutra inside.  It is unclear to me if this was just for merit-making or what, but it must have been somewhat lucrative for the various temples, who would have likely been the source for said sutras, and, at least peripherally, the statues as well.  Later that year, in the 4th lunar month, there was another ango at the palace.  The month after that, Ohoama went to Asukadera and presented precious objects and worshipped.  In the 8th lunar month Ohoama went to Joudouji – Aston claims this is Asukadera, also known as Houkouji—and the next day he visited Kawaradera and provided rice to the monks there.  One month after that, Ohoama was feeling ill, so the court ordered Daikandaiji, Kawaradera, and Asukadera—the three Great Temples that were fully operational at that point—to chant sutras for his sake.  In return they were granted various quantities of rice. Ohoama recovered for a time, but it was perhaps a precursor of what was to come.  A month later a monk from Baekje and a lay monk were sent out to seek a medicinal herb known as white okera.  Today, a similar compound is known in Chinese traditional medicine as Bái Zhú.  A few months later Ohoama went to the medicinal herb garden of Shiranishiki, and a few weeks later he was presented with Bai Zhu, the boiled white okera.   That same day, ritualists performed the Chikonsai, the "Calling of the Spirit".  All of this seems to indicate the early onset of symptoms that may have been temporarily abated, but likely were part of the disease or illness that would eventually take his life. But we covered most of that last episode, and we are already dragging on longer than I expected, so I think I'm going to end it here.  Coming up in the narrative, since I started to mention it, I'll probably take a look next at the founding of the new capital of Fujiwara kyo, and what that would mean, along with other initiatives that would outlive Ohoama. Until then if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

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Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture The American people are growing their wealth again. Trump admin are reversing everything the [CB] has done. Trump is 5 steps ahead of the [CB]/[DS] players, he is allowing the younger generation to start at an early age building their wealth. The Federal Reserve Note is weakening, we are in the process of taking back economic control. The [DS]/D’s are now trapped, they thought they would stall and get the people on their side, but it is backfiring. Ilhan Omar money laundering system is being exposed, did she stage an event to distract? The D’s are now saying the quiet part out loud. Illegals, antifa and criminals will be creating chaos during the midterms. Trump and team have begun the process of exposing the election fraud in 2020, the FBI raided the GA elections. It’s about to fall apart for the D’s.   Economy (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs"); https://twitter.com/profstonge/status/2016488930518921261?s=20 (VIDEO) Trump Announces John Deere is Building $70 MILLION Factory in North Carolina – “This is Going to be the Only Excavator Entirely Made in the United States of America” President Trump announced on Tuesday that agriculture and construction machinery manufacturer John Deere is building a $70 million factory in North Carolina, moving its construction of excavators from Japan to the United States. John Deere is also building a distribution center in Hebron, Indiana, according to a press release from the company. “In keeping with our strong tradition of building America, we are excited to announce plans to open two new U.S.-based facilities: a state-of-the-art distribution center near Hebron, Indiana, and a cutting-edge excavator factory in Kernersville, North Carolina, both set to open in the next year,” the company said. Each project is expected to employ 150 Americans. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2016546217237369225?s=20 Bank of America to match $1,000 government deposits for Trump accounts The 100% match is available to all eligible Bank of America employees in the United States  Bank of America announced Wednesday that it will be contributing funds to the proposed “Trump accounts” for eligible employees. The bank said it will match the government's $1,000 contribution to the newly established accounts for children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028 for all 165,000 U.S. employees. Additionally, the bank will enable its employees with children under age 18 to make pretax contributions to Trump accounts through payroll deductions. According to the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Analysis, a fully funded Trump account could be worth as much as $1.9 million by age 28, with lower-end returns approaching $600,000 over the same period. Treasury estimates the savings account would rise to between $3,000 and $13,800 over 18 years without contributions beyond the federal government's initial $1,000 deposit. Source: foxnews.com https://twitter.com/SteaknShake/status/2016521248088477733?s=20 https://twitter.com/GordonGekko/status/2016457976761266259?s=20  TRILLION debt inflated away  China/EU competitive advantage destroyed Strong dollar = America buys cheap foreign goods Weak dollar = World buys American goods Trump isn’t losing. He’s winning a game you aren’t even aware is being played. https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/2016368889588810171?s=20   https://twitter.com/NewsTreason/status/2016437444669772102?s=20 https://twitter.com/TheGreatLander/status/2016596027751715064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016596027751715064%7Ctwgr%5E39d637d875750db480861c1ca4ea03cd3df6bd53%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fwardclark%2F2026%2F01%2F28%2Ffed-holds-rates-steady-in-january-2026-key-decision-details-n2198607 https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2016287802632106145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016287802632106145%7Ctwgr%5E2ab81191000b8625268417e79ce0ffc79deee62c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fturnto10.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-world%2Ftrump-promises-rate-cuts-with-new-fed-chair-pick-as-powell-defends-cautious-approach-federal-reserve-chair-jerome-powell-interest-economy-job-market-mortgages-borrowing-costs President Donald Trump, as the sitting president in January 2026, can nominate a successor to Jerome Powell as Chair of the Federal Reserve in advance of the term’s expiration. However, the actual replacement can only occur once Powell’s current term as Chair ends on May 15, 2026.  Political/Rights Geopolitical Spain's Socialist Government Moves to Legalize Up to 500,000 Illegal Migrants in Sweeping Decree Spain's entrenched leftist political class is once again moving to normalize illegality, this time through an extraordinary mass regularization that could grant legal status to more than 500,000 illegal immigrants. The deal, announced Monday by far-left Podemos and the Socialist government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, represents one of the most sweeping amnesties in modern Spanish history, La Gaceta reports. According to party sources and reports from Cadena SER, the measure will be approved by royal decree at Tuesday's Council of Ministers. It bypasses ordinary parliamentary scrutiny and fast-tracks a policy that will undoubtedly have catastrophic, long-term demographic, economic, and security consequences. Under the plan, illegal immigrants who can demonstrate as little as five months of residence in Spain will be eligible for legal status. The regularization applies regardless of how they entered the country or whether they previously violated immigration or labor laws. The cutoff date for eligibility is December 31, 2025, meaning anyone already residing illegally in Spain before that date may qualify. Government estimates suggest more than half a million people could benefit, making this not an isolated humanitarian measure but a structural transformation of Spain's migration policy. Source: thegatewaypundit.com President of European Parliament Bans EU Nations from Purchasing Russian Gas Without Paying Commission to Third Party   the European Union is now banning the EU countries from purchasing discounted Russian oil and gas directly. Instead, the EU will force their assembly to purchase Russian oil and gas from India at a premium.  The EU is still buying Russian oil and gas; however, paying more, they believe, will work out better for them in the long-term.    European Parliament President Roberta Metsola made the announcement via X: [SOURCE] The actual target of this oil and gas ban is the nation of Hungary, who as a landlocked nation is dependent on the gas from Russia.  The EU ban expressly hurts the position of Hungary because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has refused to kneel to the dictates of Brussels. Prime Minister Orban has vowed to sue the European Parliament over the ban. The lawsuit will likely be supported by other EU countries who understand the stupidity of paying India for what amounts to a brokerage fee to deliver the same oil and gas. Source: theconservativetreehouse.com https://twitter.com/SnowflakeSlayr1/status/2016495583419130320?s=20 https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/2016259110048829789?s=20   mentioned. Even more striking, the United States is constantly accused of insufficient zeal for Ukraine, yet it is the only country actually willing to confront China and India over their support for Russia. The whole thing is completely insane. https://twitter.com/Rob_Roos/status/2016423309622059098?s=20   short-sighted leaders this continent has ever seen. https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2016345497787892018?s=20  supplies drying up, and Mexico’s support now under threat. https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/2016563107397591404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016563107397591404%7Ctwgr%5Efb0a706a2ffe3303cdd5433ec1a2ccc7032b01f9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fredstate.com%2Fnick-arama%2F2026%2F01%2F28%2Frubio-lights-dems-up-during-hearing-on-venezuela-protester-also-goes-down-to-a-brutal-defeat-n2198605 Rubio pointed out how the Helms-Burton Act has codified that we’re trying to promote a different form of government in Cuba. That’s the purpose of the boycott we’ve had for decades. So Rubio can’t commit to not doing what we’ve been doing for years, and that’s required by the Act. Then there was this truly funny moment when a protester stood up with a sign and didn’t even last fifteen seconds. Committee Chair Jim Risch (ID) delivered a great response. You can see Rubio grinning. War/Peace   Iran once before, MAKE A DEAL! They didn't, and there was “Operation Midnight Hammer,” a major destruction of Iran. The next attack will be far worse! Don't make that happen again. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP Ali Khamenei out as Supreme Leader? Medical/False Flags [DS] Agenda https://twitter.com/RickyLaFleurRX7/status/2016218369507152259?s=20 https://twitter.com/BuckSexton/status/2016379291060052426?s=20 https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/2016616967067537667?s=20   https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/2016369871483781293?s=20   Who Attacked Ilhan Omar? What We Know So Far We reported Tuesday evening about the bizarre attack on the far-left Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-5) in Minneapolis. As RedState's Susie Moore wrote, Omar was “speaking at a town hall event there when a man approached her and appeared to spray an unknown substance at her while pointing and yelling at her.” The man was quickly taken down by what appeared to be a security guard, and an apparently unharmed Omar initially moved toward the assailant and yelled angrily at him. https://twitter.com/EndWokeness/status/2016375584331354404?s=20 Kazmierczak, a 55-year-old Minneapolis resident, was arrested on January 27, 2026, for third-degree assault after spraying Omar with an unknown substance (reported to smell like vinegar) during a town hall event she hosted in Minneapolis. He shouted demands for her to resign, claiming she was “tearing Minnesota apart,” amid tensions over federal immigration enforcement in the area.  . Public records indicate Kazmierczak has been unemployed since at least 2017 (when he was receiving disability payments), has filed for bankruptcy, and has a history of two DUI convictions but no prior violent crimes. He has been married and divorced twice, but there are no verified links between his ex-wives and Omar. Some social media speculation has suggested connections—such as claims that he worked for Omar’s husband’s business partners or that an ex-wife supported Omar—but these appear unsubstantiated, with no supporting evidence in news reports or public records.  Source: redstate.com https://twitter.com/mymomcare/status/2016495436018733441?s=20   President Trump Weighs In With a Highly Provocative Take Regarding the Spray Attack on Ilhan Omar Shortly following the attack, Trump was asked by ABC's Rachel Scott regarding whether he had seen the video. https://twitter.com/rachelvscott/status/2016365247817257360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016365247817257360%7Ctwgr%5E18f7c1027a366f0d59a4aaa3f423ebe67276fc1e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Fpresident-trump-weighs-highly-provocative-take-regarding-spray%2F Source: thegatewaypundit.com How do we know it was staged 1. sprayed unknown liquid, keyword unknown 2. was it poison, was it a virus, etc. 3. why wasn’t everyone evacuated or contained in this location 4. why wasn’t poison control called, no hazmat suit people coming 5. why did she decided to continue with the townhall if she doesn’t know what the liquid was, she doesn’t want to be checked out.  Forensic investigators determined the substance was apple cider vinegar  https://twitter.com/WallStreetApes/status/2016410811024216116?s=20  https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2016482991220851124?s=20 Soros-backed Philadelphia DA vows to ‘hunt’ down ICE agents: ‘We will find you’ https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/2016501035414466807?s=20   President Trump's Plan https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2016585424840339831?s=20 https://twitter.com/MayorFrey/status/2016241048209518736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016299403230036327%7Ctwgr%5Ee97929c3cc41b95d49cf21728478f8315dc83629%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fx22report.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D28444action%3Dedit  They were stalling/lying. Surrender is not a feasible option for them. Their only hope is chaos. https://twitter.com/WarClandestine/status/2016269118693847148?s=20   the Dems just made it worse on themselves. Now they have to deal with Homan, and the more the Dems resist, the closer they get to Trump sending active duty military who are on standby. Trump would later go on to say that he is not retreating, he says it's “the opposite”. The show goes on. https://twitter.com/drawandstrike/status/2016288343789539487?s=20  you don’t see is that we have hundreds of accountants and from all of the different people. We have hundreds of accountants going over everything that’s happening.” “And we’re finding fraud on top of fraud on top of fraud. And I think that they don’t want that to happen. You’re talking about $19 billion. Probably that’s a minimal number.” “If they think it’s $19 billion, triple it or quadruple it. And if we catch a lot of this fraud, and I felt it for a long time, but now we know what’s happening.” “And the answer is, yeah, there will be accountability!” https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/2016378613042446355?s=20 2416 Q !!mG7VJxZNCI No.405 Nov 4 2018 17:33:58 (EST) [PANIC IN DC] If you witness members of ANTIFA or any other people or organizations stationed at ‘key’ voter locations making threats or attempting to use scare tactics [voter intimidation] please contact local authorities immediately and report the incident(s). Internal comms suggest preparations are being made and organized to conduct a 29+ location push [battleground locations]. See Something Say Something Uniformed and Non-Uniformed personnel will be stationed across the country in an effort to safeguard the public. If you witness anything out of the ordinary with regards to staff, officials, machinery & equipment failures and/or malfunctions, unusual ‘grouping’ [buses dropping off people w/ guide and/or instructor], voter prevention [blocking], or other suspicious activity please contact local authorities immediately and report the incident(s). See Something Say Something [take a picture and/or video only when safe to do so] Q https://twitter.com/mrddmia/status/2016501286292865280?s=20 Virginia Judge SHUTS DOWN Democrats' Power-Grab Redistricting Scheme — Rules Map CANNOT Go to Referendum Until After 2027 Election   In a stunning victory for election integrity and a humiliating defeat for the Virginia Democrat establishment, a circuit court judge has officially deadlocked the Left's desperate attempt to rig the state's congressional maps. On Tuesday, Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. issued a blistering ruling that effectively dismantles the Democrats' partisan redistricting scheme, declaring their process unconstitutional and blocking any referendum on the matter until after the 2027 House of Delegates election. Source: thegatewaypundit.com https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/2016273639398588734?s=20 https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/2016569917668053396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016569917668053396%7Ctwgr%5Eb5cf3202d5098a19625a7ace645f34ff34541c9d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Ffbi-is-executing-search-warrant-fulton-county-reportedly%2F   https://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/2016526106950517128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2016526106950517128%7Ctwgr%5E40a229b9865812f6b3f2a7723f6eb6ffe7ce3e40%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thegatewaypundit.com%2F2026%2F01%2Ffbi-is-executing-search-warrant-fulton-county-reportedly%2F   They knew it, and they covered it up.    https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/2016341798730313735?s=20 https://twitter.com/RealAbs1776/status/2016363642090815500?s=20   (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:13499335648425062,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-7164-1323"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="//cdn2.customads.co/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");

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Dr. Michael Reynolds joins Dr. Tim Maness to discuss ministering to police and other civil servants while maintaining your own personal mental health. Dr. Reynolds is the Director of Ministerial Development at the Church of God Division of Education and an Associate Professor at Trinity College and Affiliate Professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Pastor Kirk Hall continues the sermon series entitled, "The Pastoral Epistles: Biblical Ministers & Biblical Ministry" Today's message is entitled "The Role Of Church Leaders Pt 1" — focusing on 1 Timothy 3:1.