Podcasts about Red Sea

The bye week is over and the Arizona Cardinals are back in the building preparing for Monday Night Football in Dallas. Will they have their starting quarterback back on the field? Craig Grialou, Paul Calvisi and former Cardinals linebacker Lorenzo Alexander discuss if this will be the week Kyler Murray returns from injury. If so, it might be the perfect matchup as Murray has never lost a game at AT&T Stadium coupled with the Cowboys' defensive struggles; Trey McBride's continuing impact on the offense; and how can the defense improve late in games and affect the quarterback at a higher level. Plus, the Cardinals are getting healthier as the practice windows for cornerback Garrett Williams and linebacker BJ Ojulari will open this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Houthi Cooperation with Al-Qaeda and ISIS in Regional Destabilization Bill Roggio Bill Raggio of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies discusses the disturbing cooperation between the Houthis and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. The Houthis, who have successfully blockaded the Red Sea and effectively closed the Suez Canal to world traffic, rely on Al-Qaeda networks to smuggle supplies and weapons into their firing range. This collaboration extends to supplying Al-Qaeda cells in Somalia and Islamic State operatives, representing a dangerous convergence of extremist groups. Raja characterizes this cooperation as part of Iran's broader strategy to destabilize the region, keep the United States militarily engaged, and force an eventual American withdrawal from the Middle East.

Today's Promise: Deuteronomy 20:4 When the Israelites stood on the edge of the Promised Land, they faced a daunting reality — new challenges, powerful enemies, and overwhelming odds. Yet Moses reminded them of a powerful truth: “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”   In this episode, we're reminded that just as God fought for Israel, He still fights for His people today. Every day brings its own battles — physical, emotional, or spiritual, but you never face them alone. The same God who parted the Red Sea and brought down the walls of Jericho goes before you, stands beside you, and fights on your behalf.   Don't let fear or insecurity take control. Victory doesn't come from your strength or your strategy, but from God's presence and power working through you. Whatever battle you face today, you can stand firm knowing that the Lord your God goes with you — and He never loses a fight.

What does baptism say about our freedom in Christ? Like Israel crossing the Red Sea, baptism pictures our deliverance from sin's power. We now walk free, no longer slaves, but alive in Christ.In this four-part series on the command “Baptize My Disciples,” we are invited to see baptism not as a symbolic obligation, but as a profound declaration of our union with Christ. Rooted in the authority and love of the risen Savior, baptism marks the believer's identity in Him, testifying that we have died to sin and been raised in newness of life. Through teaching, testimony, and Scripture, we are reminded that this command is both deeply spiritual and practically essential—anchored in Christ's power, pointing always to His glory, and flowing from a life of discipleship. Join Nate and Gabe as they explore Christ's command to “Baptize My Disciples.”Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at https://homediscipleship.comStudy guide includes: Scriptures referenced in podcastReview of Old Testament contextGuide for Scripture meditationQuestions for application and prayerFor more information, visit us at https://homediscipleship.comFind us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshiphttps://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetworkhttps://instagram.com/commandsofchristpodcast

TODAY'S TREASUREBy faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.Hebrews 11:23-29 (ESV) (also see Exodus 1-15)Send us a comment!Support the show

Revelation 17 presents a powerful vision of a great harlot representing an apostate church that has forsaken Christ for worldly alliances. This symbolic woman sits on many waters, which represent peoples and nations under her influence. The chapter reveals how three interconnected powers - political rulers, the apostate religious system, and daughter churches - will unite to destroy God's people. However, during the seven last plagues, particularly the sixth plague when the Euphrates dries up, these very supporters will turn against the harlot. This mirrors the Red Sea deliverance, where God intervened when circumstances seemed most hopeless. The Kings from the East, led by Christ Himself, will arrive for the ultimate deliverance of God's faithful people.

Parashat Noach: Righteousness and Covenant Parashat Noach introduces us to the first man Scripture calls righteous. Noah's righteousness wasn't merely moral behavior but represented a covenant relationship with Yahweh that extended to his entire household. This Torah portion marks the first biblical mention of covenant (brit), establishing a pattern where Yahweh's covenants flow through individuals to bless families and future generations. The Hebrew word for Noah's ark (tevah) carries messianic significance, appearing only for Noah and Moses' basket, both instruments of deliverance. This parallels our spiritual ark, Yeshua Mashiach, who provides salvation for those who enter His protective covering. Noah's story prefigures crossing water as symbolic rebirth, echoing Israel's Red Sea crossing and believer's immersion. This prophetic understanding reveals how Yahweh's faithfulness spans generations, creating spiritual families united not by blood but by covenant faith. Through covenants we see how YHWH's plan builds in our lives. The covenant with Noach leads into the covenant with Avraham. Through Mashiach, we become Abraham's descendants and covenant heirs, walking in the righteousness that Yahweh provides through grace.   Watch on YouTube here:  https://youtu.be/ku2jnfvSuFg  If these have been a blessing to you, please consider donating to help us continue to put these teachings out. You can donate at https://www.ruachonline.com/donate       If you like this video and would like to know more about Ruach Ministries International you can check us out on many venues: website: www.RuachOnline.com  Facebook: www.facebook.com/RuachMinistries  Twitter: @RuachTweets Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/Ruach  YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/theruachlife  Instagram: www.instagram.com/ruachminintl  Podcast Hub, Main site: https://stone2flesh.podbean.com  iHeart  https://ihr.fm/3VmLpyt  Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/3PXP8Bp   Amazon Music https://amzn.to/3jnsqX2  Spotify https://spoti.fi/3C71u4i  Google Podcasts https://bit.ly/3jrcTp7 & Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Ruach

Even in the face of fear and uncertainty, God is by your side as you walk toward His calling. We see that through the life of Gideon, a man from the smallest clan and the least in his family, yet led by God to do great things on His behalf. Notes: Focus verse - Judges 6 It seems like our culture has been turned upside down. Isaiah 5:20–21Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. When culture is upside down, hearts are anxious. 84% of Gen Z say they feel anxious or stressed regularly. 1 in 3 adults say they lose sleep over finances. Nearly 70% of Americans say the future makes them afraid. Top fears include failure, rejection, loneliness, global conflict, and health. We will look at a man named Gideon who was really afraid when Jesus came to him.He was hiding from his enemies, the Midianites. Jesus turns fearful into faithful,hiding into fighting, andpanic into purpose. Things were really turned upside down in the days of the book of Judges. Judges 17:6 (NLT)In those days Israel had no king; so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. God raised up 13 judges to guide His people through this difficult time. The book of Joshua is the story of conquest.While Judges is a book of unbelief and disobedience. Joshua is a book about people uniting around one man to lead them, JoshuaJudges is about “everyone doing what was right in their own eyes.” But whatever and wherever the time, Jesus will show up. Don’t just pray when you are in crisis.Remember also to thank God when things are going well. James 5:13 (NIV)Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. This was a time of crisis for Israel. It was the year 1256 b.c.Approximately 200 years had passed since Joshua had led the Israelites. They did not drive all the Canaanites out and they lived to regret it.The same can be true in our lives as Christians. 200 years later the Canaanites regained strength and began to dominate the Israelites. As Judges, chapter 6 opens, we see the Israelites living under the power of the Midianites. Israel was living in despair, and finally they called out to God to deliver them,and Jesus shows up. Jesus meets fearful people where they hide. As our story begins, we find Gideon hiding from his enemies.Hardly a picture of heroism and courage. Read Judges 6:11–14 Gideon wanted to know why this difficulty was happening.He had heard about the “good old days” but where was God now? Judges 6:13“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? “ The Christian life is full of difficult questions. 1 Corinthians 13:12“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely.” So often we are looking for an answer to the why question when it is about a Who.As in, “Who do I turn to?” The answer to that question is Jesus. This was not a mere angel (as powerful as they are) this was Jesus. Why is this a Christophany instead an angelic appearance? The speaker at first is called, “The angel of the Lord.”But then the narrative shifts and simply calls Him, “The LORD (YHWH).” The messenger says, “I am sending you.”Judges 6:14 He uses the first-person pronoun and assumes divine authority. Gideon realizes he has seen God. Judges 6:22When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” Judges 6:15 (NLT)"But Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!" Another translation says, “I am the runt of the litter!” God uses people who are humble. They are not proud and arrogant but see themselves for what they are. Giving hope to all the people out there who were not extraordinary but ordinary. God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people. God saw Gideon for what he would become. Gideon asks, “Who am I?”The Lord says, “That’s not the issue, ‘Who am I?’ for I will be with you!”Judges 6:15–16 The Lord calls Gideon a mighty hero. Judges 6:12The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” We see failure, God sees potential.We see a vacillating, unsure Simon, God sees a rock like Peter. Before public victory, obey God at home. God’s first test for Gideon was in his home. Some people set the world on fire, while others are still looking for a match. I would rather try and fail than never try at all. Nicodemus had a weak beginning, but he had a strong ending.Better that than a strong beginning and a weak finish. Under cover of night, Gideon tore down the alter his father had erected. Instead of turning on his son, the father defends himand seems to have his own faith rekindled. Don’t give up on your family. You don’t need to preach sermons to them all day long.You need to show it by the way you live and decisions you make. You need to take a stand in your home. Are you reading scripture to your children? Are you praying with them?Are you taking them to church every Sunday? A survey was done that found if the mother and father attend church regularly,72 % of their children will also attend regularly when they’re young adults. When only the father attends, 55 % will remain faithful. But if only the mother attends regularly, only 15 % of the children will remain faithful. If neither mother nor father attend regularly, only 6 % will remain faithful. Gideon was able to rally 32,000 men. Read Judges 7:2–3 Fear is contagious. The Christian life is not a playground, it’s a battleground. Is there something frightening you right now? Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, only believe.” David said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom then shall I be afraid?Psalm 27:1 Isaiah 41:10Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Proverbs 3:24–25You can sleep without fear; you need not be afraid of disaster or the plots of wicked men, for the Lord is with you. He protects you. Gideon lost two-thirds of his army. There is always God’s part and our part. The Red Sea parted but Israel still had to march through. The walls of Jericho fell but Israel still had to march around them. The giant Goliath fell but David still had to attack. 2 Chronicles 20:12O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." The Lord told Gideon, “You still have too many warriors.” “Divide the men into two groups. The ones who just plant their face in the water without caution, leave them.” The lappers could have easily been ambushed and killed. The cuppers were alert, watching, and cautious. God gave Gideon the battle plan. No swords, knives, spears, or any kind of weapon, just clay jars and torches. The Midianites think it is some kind of ambush and they freak out.They begin to kill each other and the Israelites watch in amazement. The enemy was defeated because God’s people called on Him. Gideon’s army won a crushing victory over the Midianites. Ephesians 6:12For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood,but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. There is no way we can impact our culture with the gospel without His help. So, we call on God and say, “If You don’t come through, there is no hope.” 2 Corinthians 12:9–10“My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good. Paul concludes, “I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong!” It is not easy being a Christian in today’s culture.You will be criticized, mocked, slandered, possibly even killed. God imposed this test to get rid of the half-hearted people. God can do more with 300 committed people than 10,000 half-hearted. God is looking for faithful, obedient, watchful servants to change this world. “Give me 100 men who love God with all of their hearts and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world!”—John Wesley Acts 17:6“Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down,and now they are here disturbing our city," they shouted. The Lord is looking for some men and women who will “blow the trumpet,”and take some chances and obey God, taking a stand first in their own homes. God can turn zeros into heros, fear into faith, hiding into fighting, and panic into purpose. Mark 5:36Don’t be afraid; only believe. Looking for hope or know someone who is? Join Greg Laurie at the Harvest Crusade: Hope for America on November 16! Get event information here. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even in the face of fear and uncertainty, God is by your side as you walk toward His calling. We see that through the life of Gideon, a man from the smallest clan and the least in his family, yet led by God to do great things on His behalf. Notes: Focus verse - Judges 6 It seems like our culture has been turned upside down. Isaiah 5:20–21Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. When culture is upside down, hearts are anxious. 84% of Gen Z say they feel anxious or stressed regularly. 1 in 3 adults say they lose sleep over finances. Nearly 70% of Americans say the future makes them afraid. Top fears include failure, rejection, loneliness, global conflict, and health. We will look at a man named Gideon who was really afraid when Jesus came to him.He was hiding from his enemies, the Midianites. Jesus turns fearful into faithful,hiding into fighting, andpanic into purpose. Things were really turned upside down in the days of the book of Judges. Judges 17:6 (NLT)In those days Israel had no king; so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. God raised up 13 judges to guide His people through this difficult time. The book of Joshua is the story of conquest.While Judges is a book of unbelief and disobedience. Joshua is a book about people uniting around one man to lead them, JoshuaJudges is about “everyone doing what was right in their own eyes.” But whatever and wherever the time, Jesus will show up. Don’t just pray when you are in crisis.Remember also to thank God when things are going well. James 5:13 (NIV)Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. This was a time of crisis for Israel. It was the year 1256 b.c.Approximately 200 years had passed since Joshua had led the Israelites. They did not drive all the Canaanites out and they lived to regret it.The same can be true in our lives as Christians. 200 years later the Canaanites regained strength and began to dominate the Israelites. As Judges, chapter 6 opens, we see the Israelites living under the power of the Midianites. Israel was living in despair, and finally they called out to God to deliver them,and Jesus shows up. Jesus meets fearful people where they hide. As our story begins, we find Gideon hiding from his enemies.Hardly a picture of heroism and courage. Read Judges 6:11–14 Gideon wanted to know why this difficulty was happening.He had heard about the “good old days” but where was God now? Judges 6:13“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? “ The Christian life is full of difficult questions. 1 Corinthians 13:12“Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely.” So often we are looking for an answer to the why question when it is about a Who.As in, “Who do I turn to?” The answer to that question is Jesus. This was not a mere angel (as powerful as they are) this was Jesus. Why is this a Christophany instead an angelic appearance? The speaker at first is called, “The angel of the Lord.”But then the narrative shifts and simply calls Him, “The LORD (YHWH).” The messenger says, “I am sending you.”Judges 6:14 He uses the first-person pronoun and assumes divine authority. Gideon realizes he has seen God. Judges 6:22When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he cried out, “Oh Sovereign Lord, I’m doomed! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” Judges 6:15 (NLT)"But Lord," Gideon replied, "how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!" Another translation says, “I am the runt of the litter!” God uses people who are humble. They are not proud and arrogant but see themselves for what they are. Giving hope to all the people out there who were not extraordinary but ordinary. God can do extraordinary things through ordinary people. God saw Gideon for what he would become. Gideon asks, “Who am I?”The Lord says, “That’s not the issue, ‘Who am I?’ for I will be with you!”Judges 6:15–16 The Lord calls Gideon a mighty hero. Judges 6:12The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!” We see failure, God sees potential.We see a vacillating, unsure Simon, God sees a rock like Peter. Before public victory, obey God at home. God’s first test for Gideon was in his home. Some people set the world on fire, while others are still looking for a match. I would rather try and fail than never try at all. Nicodemus had a weak beginning, but he had a strong ending.Better that than a strong beginning and a weak finish. Under cover of night, Gideon tore down the alter his father had erected. Instead of turning on his son, the father defends himand seems to have his own faith rekindled. Don’t give up on your family. You don’t need to preach sermons to them all day long.You need to show it by the way you live and decisions you make. You need to take a stand in your home. Are you reading scripture to your children? Are you praying with them?Are you taking them to church every Sunday? A survey was done that found if the mother and father attend church regularly,72 % of their children will also attend regularly when they’re young adults. When only the father attends, 55 % will remain faithful. But if only the mother attends regularly, only 15 % of the children will remain faithful. If neither mother nor father attend regularly, only 6 % will remain faithful. Gideon was able to rally 32,000 men. Read Judges 7:2–3 Fear is contagious. The Christian life is not a playground, it’s a battleground. Is there something frightening you right now? Jesus said, “Do not be afraid, only believe.” David said, “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom then shall I be afraid?Psalm 27:1 Isaiah 41:10Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Proverbs 3:24–25You can sleep without fear; you need not be afraid of disaster or the plots of wicked men, for the Lord is with you. He protects you. Gideon lost two-thirds of his army. There is always God’s part and our part. The Red Sea parted but Israel still had to march through. The walls of Jericho fell but Israel still had to march around them. The giant Goliath fell but David still had to attack. 2 Chronicles 20:12O our God, won't you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You." The Lord told Gideon, “You still have too many warriors.” “Divide the men into two groups. The ones who just plant their face in the water without caution, leave them.” The lappers could have easily been ambushed and killed. The cuppers were alert, watching, and cautious. God gave Gideon the battle plan. No swords, knives, spears, or any kind of weapon, just clay jars and torches. The Midianites think it is some kind of ambush and they freak out.They begin to kill each other and the Israelites watch in amazement. The enemy was defeated because God’s people called on Him. Gideon’s army won a crushing victory over the Midianites. Ephesians 6:12For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood,but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms. There is no way we can impact our culture with the gospel without His help. So, we call on God and say, “If You don’t come through, there is no hope.” 2 Corinthians 12:9–10“My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ’s good. Paul concludes, “I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong!” It is not easy being a Christian in today’s culture.You will be criticized, mocked, slandered, possibly even killed. God imposed this test to get rid of the half-hearted people. God can do more with 300 committed people than 10,000 half-hearted. God is looking for faithful, obedient, watchful servants to change this world. “Give me 100 men who love God with all of their hearts and fear nothing but sin, and I will move the world!”—John Wesley Acts 17:6“Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down,and now they are here disturbing our city," they shouted. The Lord is looking for some men and women who will “blow the trumpet,”and take some chances and obey God, taking a stand first in their own homes. God can turn zeros into heros, fear into faith, hiding into fighting, and panic into purpose. Mark 5:36Don’t be afraid; only believe. Looking for hope or know someone who is? Join Greg Laurie at the Harvest Crusade: Hope for America on November 16! Get event information here. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faith Principle #8 Biblical Faith Gives Us the Strength and Ability We NeedTODAY'S TREASUREBy faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them. By faith the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned.Hebrews 11:23-29 (ESV) (also see Exodus 1-15)Send us a comment!Support the show

This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard speaks with Crisis Group Yemen expert Ahmed Nagi about what the ceasefire in Gaza means for the Israel-Houthi conflict, risks of further attacks in the Red Sea and the future of the intra-Yemeni peace process. In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group's Yemen expert, Ahmed Nagi, to discuss where the Israel-Houthi conflict may be headed after the ceasefire in Gaza. They examine the Houthis' attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, which the group links to Israel's assault on Gaza. They assess Israel's recent attacks in Yemen that killed senior Houthi political and military figures, and how the group is adapting. They also unpack the Houthis' ties to Tehran, as they have become the most capable actor within Iran's “axis of resistance”, as well as the group's sharper rhetoric against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Finally, they discuss the standoff between the Houthis and its Yemeni rivals, the state of the internationally recognised government under the Presidential Leadership Council, risks of renewed conflict, and prospects for reviving intra-Yemeni talks.Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For more, check out our Yemen country pages. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Cardinals on a bye, Jess and Seth give their position-by-position grades for the team. 

How did the Israeli economy react to the war against Hamas?  Hear from a major player on the ground – Dr. Eugene Kandel, former economic adviser and Chairman of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, discusses Israel's financial resilience after the war against Hamas. Having made aliyah from the Soviet Union in 1977 with his family, Dr. Kandel covers the stock market rebound, missed economic opportunities with Jordan and Egypt, and the success of the Abraham Accords.  *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC. Take Action: Elected Leaders: Demand Hamas Release the Hostages  Key Resources: AJC's Efforts to Support the Hostages Listen – AJC Podcasts: Architects of Peace The Forgotten Exodus People of the Pod Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Manya Brachear Pashman:   Professor Eugene Kandel served as economic adviser to the Prime Minister of Israel from 2009 to 2015, and with Ron Sor is a co-founder of Israel's Strategic Futures Institute. He is also chairman of the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the only public stock exchange in Israel, known locally as the Bursa. He is with us now to talk about the impact of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza on Israel's economy, the potential and impact so far of the Abraham Accords, and how history could one day view October 7 as a turning point for Israel's democracy.  Dr. Kandel, welcome to People of the Pod. Eugene Kandel:   Thank you. Thank you for having me.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   Before we begin, your family came to Israel in 1977. Can you share your family's Aliyah story? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, when I was 14, my family was living very comfortably in the Soviet Union. My father was a quite known writer, playwright, a script writer. And around him was a group of Jewish people of culture that were quite known in their domains, mostly Jewish. And so at some point in 67 he sort of had this vision and started studying Hebrew. But 1970 and then by ‘73 when I was 14 years old, he came to me and said, Look, your mom and I decided to immigrate to Israel. What do you think about it, and I said, I don't know what I think about it. Okay, you know, if we want to immigrate, let's immigrate. I never felt too much belonging there. So unfortunately, Soviet authorities had other ideas about that. So we spent four years as refuseniks. My father, together with Benjamin Fine, were the editors of the underground publication called Tarbut. And for people who did not live there, they put their names on it. So this was, these were typewritten copies of Jewish culture monthly. And there were two names on it. You could go to jail for this. My father was always pretty brave man for his petite size, because during the Second World War, he was very, very hungry, to say the least. So he didn't really grow very much. But he's very big inside.  And so the following four years were pretty tough on them, because he couldn't work anywhere. Just like in McCarty years in this country, people would give work to their friends and then publish it under their own name. That's what he did for his friends, and they would share the money with him, or give him most of the money. There were very, very brave people. And then, you know, there was an incident where they wanted to send a message to my father to be a little less publicly outspoken. And so two KGB agents beat me up.  And that started a whole interesting set of events, because there was an organization in Chicago called Chicago Action for Soviet Jewry. Pamela Cohen. And I actually met Pamela when I was studying at the University of Chicago. And thanked her. So they took upon themselves to harass Soviet cinema and theater and culture officials. And so they were so successful that at some point, the writers league from Hollywood said that nobody will go to Moscow Film Festival unless they release us because they do not want to associate with people who beat up children. I wasn't a child, I was 17 years old, but still. And that sort of helped. At least, that's how we think about it.  So it's worthwhile being beaten up once in a while, because if it lets you out, I would take it another time. And then we came to Israel in a very interesting time. We came to Israel four hours after Anwar Sadat left. So we came to a different Israel. On the brink of a peace agreement with Egypt. And so that was it.  We came to Mevaseret Zion, which was an absorption center. A small absorption center. Today I actually live probably 500 yards from where we stayed. Sort of full circle.  And today, it's a significant, it's about 25,000 people town. And that's the story, you know, in the middle, in between then and now, I served in the military, did two degrees at Hebrew University, did two degrees at the University of Chicago, served as professor at the University of Rochester, and then for 28 years, served as professor of economics and finance at the Hebrew University. So I keep doing these circles to places where I started. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You say you arrived four hours after Sadat's visit to Israel on the brink of a peace agreement with Egypt. Did that peace agreement live up to expectations? Eugene Kandel:   Well, it depends what are your expectations. If your expectation will continue in the war, it definitely did, because, you know, for the last, you know, whatever, 48 years, we didn't have any military activity between Israel and Egypt. And we even have security collaboration to some extent. But if you're thinking about real peace, that would translate into people to people peace, business to business peace, it did not generate that at all. Because there was a very, very strong opposition on the street level and on the intellectuals level.  It actually started to break a little bit, because today you can find analysts on Egyptian television that are saying that we are, we are stupid because we don't collaborate with Israel. It is allowed today, It's allowed to be said in, you know, 20-30, years [ago], that person would have been ostracized and would never be allowed to speak.  So there is some progress, but unfortunately, it's a huge loss for the Egyptian economy. For Israeli economy, it is probably also a loss, but Israeli economy has a lot of alternatives in other countries. But Egyptians don't seem to be able to implement all the things that Israelis implemented a long time ago. You know, whether it's water technologies, whether it's energy technologies. Lots of lots of stuff, and it's really, really unfortunate that we could have helped Egyptian people, the same people who rejected any relations with us. And that's a pity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   The next peace agreement that came was with Jordan in 1994, quite some time later. Did that peace agreement live up to expectations, and where were you in 1994? Eugene Kandel:   1994, I was a professor at the University of Rochester, so I wasn't involved at all. But again, it was a very, very similar story. It was the peace that was sort of forced from above. It was clearly imposed on the people despite their objections, and you saw demonstrations, and you still see. But it was clear to the leadership of Jordan that Israel is, in their case, is absolutely essential for the survival of the Hashemite Dynasty. In the end the Israeli intelligence saved that dynasty, many, many times.  But again, it wasn't translated into anything economic, almost anything economic, until in the early 2000s there were some plants in Jordan by Israeli businessmen that were providing jobs, etc. But I was privileged to be the first to go to Jordan together with American officials and negotiate the beginning of the gas agreement.  We were selling gas to Jordan, because Jordan was basically going bankrupt because of the high energy costs. Jordan doesn't have its own energy, apart from oil shale. Sorry, shale oil. And for some reason they weren't able to develop that. But Israeli gas that we are selling to them as a result of what we started in 2012 I believe. Actually very important for the Jordanian economy. And if we can continue that, then maybe connect our electrical grid, which is now in the works, between the water-energy system.  And now maybe there is a possibility to connect the Syrian grid. If we have an agreement with Syria, it will help tremendously these countries to get economic development much faster. And it will help Israel as well, to balance its energy needs and to maybe get energy, provide energy, you know, get electricity, provide gas. You know, there's all these things where we can do a lot of things together. If there is a will on the other side. There's definitely will on the Israeli side. Manya Brachear Pashman:   In addition to gas, there's also water desalination agreements, as well, right? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, there was a Red to Dead project, which was to pump the water all the way from the Red Sea along the Arava Valley. And then there is a 400 meter, 500 meter drop. And so to generate electricity through that desalinate that water that you pump, and then send that water to Egypt, send the electricity that was generated and not needed to Israel and then dump this salt stuff into the Dead Sea. Frankly, I don't know where this project is. Nobody talks about it for the last seven, eight years. I haven't heard.  Now there are different projects where you would get energy generated in Jordan and sold to Israel in Eilat, for example, because it's difficult for us to bring electricity all the way South. And so if the Jordanians have large fields of photovoltaic energy they can sell, they can satisfy the needs of a lot, and then in return, we can desalinate water and send it to them. So there's all kinds of projects that are being discussed. Manya Brachear Pashman:   But Israel does provide water to Jordan, correct? Eugene Kandel:   There are two agreements. One agreement, according to our peace agreement, we are supposed to provide them with a certain amount of water. I don't remember the exact amount. But that's not enough, and so we also sell them water. So think about it. There is a sweet water reservoir called Tiberius, Kinneret, in the north, and we sending water from there into two directions according to the agreement. We're sending it to Amman, pumping it up to the mountains, and then we're sending it throughout the Jordan Valley, all the way along the Jordan River, to the Jordanian side. So it's quite striking when I used to go between Jerusalem and Amman, it's actually an hour and a half drive. That's it. You go down, you go up, and you're there.  And so when you're passing the Israeli side, you see the plantations of date palms that are irrigated with drip irrigation. So very, very economically, using the brackish salt water that is pumped out of the ground there. You cross two miles further, you see banana plantations that are flood irrigated at 50-centigrade weather, and the water that comes from them comes on an open canal. So basically, 50% of the water that we send this way evaporates. Growing bananas in that climate and using so much water, it's probably, if you take into account the true cost of water, it's probably money losing proposition, but they're getting the water. The people that are the settlements on that Bank of Jordan River, are getting it for free. They don't care. And if somebody would just internalize that, and instead of sending the water down in an open canal, would send the whole water up to Amman, where there is a shortage of water, enormous shortage of water. And then you would take the gravity and use that water to generate electricity, to clean that water, the sewage, clean it and drip irrigate plantations, everybody would make enormous amounts of money. Literally enormous amounts of money. And everybody's lives would be better, okay? And I'm not talking about Israelis. It's within Jordan. And you can't say that there's no technology for that, because the technology is two miles away. You can see it.  And it just puzzles me. Why wouldn't that be done by some entrepreneurs, Jordanian entrepreneurs. We could really help with that. We could even help by buying the water from them back. The water that we give them, we can buy it back. Because in Israel, the water is very expensive. So we could finance that whole thing just by sending the water back, but that would be probably politically unacceptable, I don't know. But it's really, really . . . for an economist, it's just a sad story. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Missed opportunities. Well, let's go back. I introduced you as the chair of the Tel Aviv stock exchange, the Bursa. And I am curious. Let's talk about the economy. Does Israel treat its stock market the same way we do? In other words, are there opening and closing bells at the beginning and end of every day? How does the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange work compared to the United States? Eugene Kandel:   Well, we do have the opening bell, but it's usually reserved for some events. We don't have the events every day. Usually, if there's a new listing, or there's somebody celebrating, like, 20 years of listing, we have all kinds. Recently, we had Mr. Bill Ackman came and gave a speech and opened the trading together with us.  There are events around Jeffries Conference. But it's much more, you know, ceremony, I mean, it's not really connected to anything. Trading starts whether you press the button or don't. But Israeli stock exchange is unique in the following sense: it is an open limit book. What means that there is, you know, buyers meet sellers directly, and it works like that, not only in stocks, which is similar to what it is everywhere, but it's also in bonds, government bonds, corporate bonds, and in derivatives.  So in that sense, we do have our ceremonies, but the interesting thing is, what is happening with the exchange in the last two years. Accidentally, I joined two years ago as the chairman, and over the last two years, the stock exchange, the indices of Israeli Stock Exchange were the best performing out of all developed countries, by far. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Did that have something to do with the war? Eugene Kandel:   Well, it should have been, you know, in the opposite direction, but, the war is, not this length of war, not this intensity of war . . . but if you look back over at least 25 years, the Israeli economy responds very robustly to military conflict. Usually they're much shorter. If you look at even quarterly returns of the stock exchange, you would not know that there was a war in the middle, definitely not annual. If you look over the last 25 years, and you look at this stock, annual returns of the indices, you would not know that there was anything wrong, apart from our 2003 crisis, and Corona. Even the great financial crisis, you would not see it. I mean it was basically past us, because we didn't have a financial crisis in Israel. We had repercussions from, you know, the rest of the world's financial crisis, but we didn't get our own. And so we do have resilience built in, because we're just so used to it. However, having said that, it's the first time that we have such a long and intensive war on seven, whatever fronts. So it is quite surprising that just like any other time, it took about three months for the stock market to rebound after October 8. It was a big question whether to open the market on October 8. We struggled with it, and we decided that we do not want to give anybody the right to disrupt the Israeli economy.  I mean, it was a really tough decision, because there was certain people were saying, Well, how can you do that? It's a national tragedy. And of course, it was a national tragedy. But closing the market would have meant two things.  First of all, it would have shown the world that our economy can be interrupted. It would have given the benefit to those people that did these atrocities, that they managed to do more damage than they already did. And we didn't want to do that. And it didn't collapse. It went down, of course, but it rebounded within less than three months. By the end of that year, it was back on the same level. And then it did this comeback, which was quite phenomenal. And it's an interesting question, how come? Because during that time, we had some cases where Israel was boycotted by investors, very few, by the way, but we also saw many, many new investors coming in.  You could look at the war from the negative side. Of course, huge costs. But with all that, it was about 10% of annual GDP, because we are, you know, we're a big economy, and we borrowed that very easily because we had a very strong macro position before that. So we now 76% debt to GDP ratio. It's much lower than majority of developed countries. But we still had to borrow that. It was a lot of money, and then the defense budget is going to go up. So there is this cost.  But vis a vis that, A, Israeli technology has been proven to be unmatched, apart from maybe us technology in certain cases, but in some cases, even there, we have something to share. And so we have huge amounts of back orders for our defense industries. During the war, and they were going up when some of the countries that are making these purchases were criticizing us. They were learning from what we did, and buying, buying our equipment and software, etc.  And the second thing, we removed the huge security threat. If you look before October 7, we were quite concerned about 150,000 missiles, some of them precise missiles in Hezbollah's hands, an uninterrupted path from Iran through Syria to Hezbollah, constantly replenishing. We would bomb them sometimes in Syria, but we didn't catch all of them. We had Hamas, we had Hezbollah, we had Syrians, we had Iranians. We had, you know, not, you know, Iraqi militia. So, Hezbollah doesn't exist. Well, it exists, but it's nowhere near where it where was at. And the Lebanese Government is seriously attempting to disarm it. Syria, we all know what happened in Syria. We didn't lift a finger to do that. But indirectly, from what happened in Hezbollah, the rebels in Syria became emboldened and did what they did. We know what happened with Hamas. We know what happened with Iran. Okay, Iran, even Europeans reimposed the sanctions. So that's the side effect.  So if you look at the Israeli geopolitical and security situation, it's much, much better. And in that situation, once the war is over and the hostages are returned, and hopefully, we will not let this happen again, ever, to work hard so we remember that and not become complacent. It's an enormous, enormous boost to Israeli economy, because this security premium was quite big.  So that is on the positive side, and if we play smart, and we play strategically, and we regain sort of good relations with some of the countries which are currently very critical of us, and somehow make them immune to this anti Israeli antisemitism propaganda, we can really get going. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You mentioned investors. There were more investors after the war. Where were those investors coming from, internally or from other countries?  Eugene Kandel:   It's interesting that you asked this question, because in 2020, early 2024 a lot of Israeli institutions and individuals moved to S&P 500, and they got really hammered. Twice. Because A, S&P 500 was lagging behind the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. So there was some other players coming in, because otherwise, when you move money, usually, you should see a drop, but you saw an increase. That meant that there are others came in. But the more interesting thing is that shekel was very weak when they bought dollars, and now shekel is about 15% stronger, so they lost 15% just on the exchange rate. And so a lot of money that went to S&P came back in the last six, eight months. So the internal money came back.  But on top of internal money, we looked at the behavior of foreign investors right after October 7. They didn't flee the country. Some of them sold stocks, bought bonds. And then so Israeli institutions made money on that, because Israeli institutions bought stocks from them at about 10%, 15% discount, and then when it rebounded, they made money. But that money didn't leave, it stayed in Israel, and it was very costly to repatriate it, because the shekel was very weak. And so buying dollars back was expensive. And the money slowly went into stocks. And then people made quite a lot of money on this. Manya Brachear Pashman:   The last topic I want to cover with you is external relations. You mentioned Syria, the potential of collaborating with Syria for water, gas. Eugene Kandel:   Electricity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Electricity. And I presume that you're referring to the possibility of Syria being one of the next members to join the Abraham Accords. That has been mentioned as a possibility. Eugene Kandel:   Maybe. But we can, we can do something much less. Manya Brachear Pashman: Outside of the Accords. Eugene Kandel:   Outside of the Accords, or pre-Accord, or we can, we can just create some kind of collaboration, just we had, like as we had with UAE for for 15 years before the Accord was signed. Was a clear understanding.  Maybe. But we can, we can do something much less outside of the Accord, or pre-Accord, or we can, we can just create some kind of collaboration, just we had, like as we had with UAE for for 15 years before the Accord was signed. Was a clear understanding.  You know, I was in UAE, in Dubai on the day of signing of the Accord. I landed in Dubai when they were signing on the on the green loan, on the White House lawn. And we landed. It was amazing. It was the degree of warmth that we received from everybody, from ministers in the economy to ministers that came to speak to us, by the dozen to people in the hotel that were just meeting us. They issued, for example, before signing the Accord, there was a regulation passed by by UAE that every hotel has to have kosher food. We don't have that in Israel. I mean, hotels mostly have kosher food, but not all of them, and, and it's not by law.  This was, like, clear, we want these people to feel comfortable. It was truly amazing. I've never, I could never imagine that I would come to a country where we didn't have any relations until today, and suddenly feel very, very welcome. On every level, on the street, in restaurants. And that was quite amazing, and that was the result of us collaborating below the surface for many, many years. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Parity of esteem, yes? Suddenly. Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, they didn't feel they did exactly the important part when the UAE businessman or or Ambassador order you feel completely no chip on the shoulder whatsoever. They feel very proud of their heritage. They feel very proud of their achievements. They feel and you feel at the same level. They feel at the same level, just like you would with the Europeans. We always felt that there was something like when, when, Arab delegations, always tension. I don't know whether it was superiority or inferiority. I don't know. It doesn't matter, but it was always tension in here. I didn't feel any tension. Was like, want to do business, we want to learn from you, and you'll to learn from us. And it was just wow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Same in Bahrain and Morocco? Eugene Kandel:   I haven't been to Bahrain and Morocco. I think Bahrain wants to do business. They were very even, sort of some of, we sent the delegation to Bahrain to talk about sort of Israeli technology and how to build an ecosystem in the same with Morocco. I think it's a bit different. I think it's a bit different because we didn't see much going on from from these two countries. Although Morocco is more advancing much faster than Bahrain. There are a lot of interesting proposals coming out of it.  There's a genuine desire there. In the last two years, of course, it was difficult for for anybody to do anything in those but interestingly, when almost no European airlines or American airlines were flying to us, Etihad and Emirates were flying to Israel. They were flying. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Past two years? Eugene Kandel:   Yeah, they would not stop. And you're just like, wow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So would you say the Abraham Accords have had a significant impact on Israel's economy at all? Eugene Kandel:   I do not know. I mean, I don't have data on that by the sheer number. I mean, the the number of Israeli tourists Sue UAE, it's probably 10 or 20 to one to the vice versa. So we've been Israelis flooding UAE. In terms of investments, there are some technology investments. There's some, some more infrastructural investors, like they bought 20% of our gas field. There are collaborations between universities and research centers. So it's hard to measure, but you have to remember that there was a huge amount of trade and collaboration under the surface. So it surfaced. But that doesn't mean that there was an effect on the economy, just people suddenly saw it. So you don't know what the Delta was. If the same amount of business was suddenly coming out of Jordan, we would have seen, you know, big surge. So I'm not sure how much . . . I don't mean to say that there was no impact. I'm just saying that the impact was much more gradual, because there was so much already, right? But I'm sure that it is continuing, and the fact that these airlines were continuing to fly, indicates that there is a demand, and there's a business. Initially a lot of Israelis thought that there was, this was a money bag, and they would go there and try to raise money and not understanding culture, not understanding. That period is over. I mean, the Emiratis conveyed pretty clearly that they not. They're very sophisticated investors. They know how to evaluate so they do when they make investments, these investments make sense, rather than just because you wanted to get some money from somebody. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, thank you so much.  Eugene Kandel:   Thank you.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed our last episode, be sure to tune in for my conversation with AJC's Director of Congressional Affairs Jessica Bernton. We spoke shortly after receiving the news that a deal had been reached and the hostages from the October 7 Hamas terror attack might finally come home after two years in captivity. That dream was partially realized last week when all the living hostages returned and the wait began for those who were murdered.  

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 13 Exiled In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             You can live without freedom the same way you can live without light, happiness, or music       Chastity, Hope, and I were exiled to our rooms for the rest of the day, and I pretty much spent it in isolation. Cordelia had disabled my own private internet hookup in case my domicile was ransacked so I was left with school work to go over. At 12:30 they brought me lunch and at 6:30 a student brought me dinner. As I was eating, there was another knock on my door. This time there was a girl I didn't recognize from the dorm. "Yes?" "Hi, I'm Alice Hendricks, and I'm your new Dorm Mother," this bright-eyed brunette with pigtails and a gymnast's body greeted me. "Good for you," I replied then started to shut the door. "Wait," she said hurriedly. "The code you gave Barbie Lynn Masters doesn't work." I sighed. "Do you see that green pad beside the keypad?" I indicated the object. "Yes," she nodded. "It is the thumb pad scanner. You enter your code and scan your thumb," I told her. She entered the code and scanned her thumb, and nothing happened. "It doesn't work," she noted. I rolled my eyes. "Let's think about this," I groaned. "You used Barbie Lynn's code and scanned your thumb." I watched as the wheels turned behind her eyes. "Oh, my thumb doesn't match the code, how is this going to work now?" she questioned. "I need to access your room." "Fine," I shrugged. I pushed her aside, covered the keypad with my body, and entered the proper code to generate a new number. "4-7-4-4 is your number. Punch it in and scan your thumb and you're set." "Good night," I told her, and headed back upstairs. "Wait. I need to check out your room," she informed me. I grunted, turned, and faced her. "Do you have a phone?" I asked. Alice nodded. "Can I see it?" She hesitated but handed it over. "You are one of the Enemy," I stated. "What do you mean?" Alice asked. I handed her phone back. "The majority of the girls in this dorm don't have phones anymore because of the Chancellor. You only have one because you are in with the Chancellor and you are pretty much going to be hated for it. Don't get caught alone in the showers, you scumbag," I warned her. "That's not fair," she declared. "Oh, we are past being fair, Alice. Now come upstairs and get your tour over with," I shrugged. Once we got there, Alice stumbled and gasped. "How am I going to search through all of this?" she wondered. "That's not my problem," I told her. "I will be in my bedroom." I went in that direction and I noted she was following me. I flopped down on my bed and listened to her low whistle. "This is your room? How did you get all this, stuff?" she inquired. "I bought all of this for the freshman class to use so we could be safe from the Handmaiden's Duty from time to time," I answered. The door opened and a double set of footsteps came running up the stairs. Rio and Iona came bolting into my room, stopping short when they saw Alice. "Hi, I'm Alice, your new Dorm Mother," she stated crisply. "What are you doing in Zane's room?" "Oh, the fuck you say?" snapped Rio. "Where the hell is Barbie Lynn?" "That is quite enough of that, Ms. Talon," Alice demanded. "Can you please give us some space?" I requested. "No, I don't think that would be wise," Alice countered. "Fine, whatever," I shrugged. "What's the news, girls?" "They sent 40 of our people to the infirmary," Rio said while glaring at Alice. "They preferred to shove us down stairs. Barbie Lynn hurt her knee and Pandora Jaspers bust her scalp open." "Alice, you are going to go out and sit on the sofa now," I told her. "No, I am not," she responded. "This is your last chance to keep things civil, Alice," I cautioned her. "You seem to have forgotten why I am here," Alice replied. "I haven't forgotten, Alice, but you clearly don't understand the cost of that decision," I said. "What is that supposed to mean?" she shot back. "Ladies, I'll see you tomorrow, but we clearly aren't going to be given any common courtesy tonight," I told my ladies. Rio came up, kissed me hungrily, and then glared at Alice. "Cordelia needs to see you at the corner of the Clegger Building at 12:15," Iona whispered in my ear as she hugged me. I gave her a wink as we parted. The girls left and I had to put up with Alice for an hour as she tried to make conversation and I did my best to ignore her. "Zane," Dana Gorman called out as I reclined on a sofa and Alice skulked around. "Over here," I motioned. "You have been temporarily reinstated by the Review Board," she informed me. "Don't waste this opportunity." It was 8:00 o'clock at night so I had to wonder what discussions had taken place. "Am I supposed to be grateful?" I scoffed. "I didn't hear an apology for treating us students so shabbily, nor Heaven being re-admitted. All you did is give us something today that you plan to take away tomorrow." "Don't be an idiot," Dana snapped. "You aren't in a position to make demands." "Well, it was nice to see you, Dana," I shrugged. "I am sorry about this morning. You were very impressive, by the way." Dana shook her head in disgust and left. "You shouldn't have been mean to Coach Gorman," Alice scolded me. I shrugged. Alice tried to be nice, insisting she wasn't in the way, but ended up staying with me until my last bathroom break. I pretty much hated her. Retribution, Removals, and Recouping strength. The post-midnight meeting with Cordelia and a rag-tag group of students was probably the most insane stunt I'd pulled for some time. I thought Cordelia was nuts but my opinion was not solicited. I was wanted for my upper body strength and long reach. See, one of the Administration's greatest tools was the school's surveillance network. As Cordelia saw it, there was one point of weakness for the system and that was in the heart of the Security Center, the system servers that coordinated all the incoming data and video feeds. We weren't going to sabotage it; that would be simple. No, we were going to steal it, and that's exactly what we did. I had to admit that was the last thing Gorman would have suspected us of trying to pull off and the best part of it was that all the surveillance devices were rendered impotent because we stole the objects that held the information of our misdeeds. We stole out the back gate of the campus and buried the equipment out in the woods. Lightning Strike I knew there would be hell to pay and I couldn't contact my normal shower-mates so I went to the shower early and was back in bed by the time Dana Gorman stomped into my room. "You weren't in the shower," she growled, "but several other students were." "Why are you angry for me not being in the shower with the girls?" I yawned. "Because it would give me leverage to make you give me back my security system, you Jackass," she snapped. "And you blame me, why?" I slipped out of the covers, naked, and started to get dressed. Dana didn't seem to mind looking me over. "This is no longer a game," Dana pointed out. "You've stolen thousands of dollars of University property. If I can't find things and quickly, I am going to have to bring in the Sheriff's Department and that equals criminal charges." "Should I take it you've made no progress in the assault on the students yesterday, or is their support for Christina good enough reason for you to let them suffer?" I continued. "You are being an idiot again," Gorman accused me. "We can deal with that once you and the others stop treating this like some social experiment and get back to your studies." "I think this is the point where we cease having anything to discuss, Coach," I muttered. Gorman looked down at the ground and clenched her fists in frustration. "A third of the Soccer team walked off yesterday. I lost half the Karate club as well," she ground out. "Archery disbanded, and it looks like Orienteering and Marksmanship will do the same today. I'm telling you, this is nuts. I've worked my ass off making this school athletically competitive and everyone is throwing that away." "I don't know what to tell you except that I doubt any of this would have happened if someone hadn't been gunning for Rio on our first day," I said. "I certainly made mistakes but you made the first one. I do have one thing I want you to think about." "What is it?" she asked warily. "How do you like your war now?" I stated with intensity. She didn't laugh it off this time. "You think this is going to keep going?" she questioned. "You have our backs against the wall; you are beating and expelling us," I explained. "We don't have many options." "I won't let you win," she said evenly. "I'm afraid it is out of our hands, Dana," I warned her. I didn't know for sure things were going to spiral out of control but I couldn't see any way out of it. Dana shook her head and left. Around 6:45 Alice came to escort me to breakfast. She talked; I remained quiet until I picked up Rio, Valerie, and Iona. We were crossing campus to the Dining Hall when Valerie nudged me. I looked in the same direction she was and saw Hope walking across the lawn on a definite mission. It didn't take me a second to see where she was heading; Rhaine and two of her associates were in huddled conversation. Rhaine never saw what hit her. Hope did a spin kick to her head and sent her flying. She punched the other two, followed up with a heel kick to one and two blows to the head to the last one. Hope then swooped down, snatched up their phones, and rapidly walked away. The first attack hadn't lasted ten seconds. "This is your last chance to get out of this," I whispered to Valerie. "I'm sorry, Mother," Valerie sighed. I didn't have time to know what that meant because I figured the open nature of Hope's attack was Christina's way of telling the rest of us it was time to strike back for what Rhaine's people had done to our side yesterday. I turned and clocked Alice hard enough to knock her down. "Rio, get her phone," I hissed to my friend. Rio was surprised for a second, then jumped on Alice's body. People around us began murmuring but most were in shock. I didn't wait around because I had spotted a group of five of Rhaine's people a few feet ahead. The ripples of Hope's attack started to reach them when I kicked the first one in the back. Valerie was right at my side, flipping a second girl over before she had a chance. I saw Iona grabbing up their phones even as we fought on. The remaining three were able to turn and face us but it didn't do them any good. We steamrolled over them, punching and kicking them into the ground. The first girl near us began to scream as I closed on the next group. This turned out to be Joy and Mercy. Valerie was about to pummel them but I held her back. "Joy, Mercy, sit on the ground and give us your phones," I growled. They hesitated and tried to back up. "Mercy, do it," Rio hissed. "I don't want to see you get hurt." That did it for Mercy, and she took to her seat and handed her phone to Rio. Rio showing compassion toward Mercy was unlooked for and something we'd have to talk about when this bout of madness ended. Joy went down beside Mercy, allowing Valerie and I to move on. By the time we closed on the fourth group, the general student body had figured out something bad was happening and parted like the Red Sea as we approached our quarry. The three girls we approached knew we were coming. I could read their disbelief in their eyes; they couldn't imagine that the attacks they'd perpetrated on our people were coming back to haunt them. One got a blow into my stomach before we finished them off, giving their downed forms a few extra kicks before heading for our last targets. There were four of them, with the added complications of a history teacher named Mrs. Cunningham who was a matronly, sixty-something-year-old instructor. They were standing at the four doors that entered into the Dining Hall and if I had been them, I would have run, but I guessed that the teacher standing so close made them assume we'd hold back; we didn't. The first girl stepped up to say something to me when I split her lip and sent her stumbling back. I kicked the one farthest away while Valerie punched another one in the throat. I chased the second girl down and while she was bent over, I pounded her in the cheek and planted her in the ground. I spun back and kicked the first girl in the face, flipping her over, and witnessed Valerie run the fourth girl into a door and knock her out. Mrs. Cunningham finally recovered enough to grab my arm. "What are you doing?" she muttered weakly. "Yesterday, these girls thought it would be fun to kick some of their fellow students down some stairs, landing them to the infirmary," I responded. "Today they reaped what they sowed." I had no idea if any of the girls I'd attacked had actually beaten up any of Christina's people, but that wasn't the point. The Administration had let Rhaine's girls know that they wanted Christina's people intimidated and suppressed. Not being schooled in the application of force, things had escalated when Christina's people had not backed down. The Chancellor had let them think they were entitled and we'd just shown them they were not; they were going to be held accountable for what they did. Mrs. Cunningham released me and bent over the first moaning girl. Iona came up with a handful of phones. "What do we do with these?" she asked. "Give them to me," chuckled Rio. She took the phones, took out the memory cards, and chucked the phones up on the roof. In the end, Christina only used twenty of us to send eighty of Rhaine's people to the infirmary, and we accomplished it all in under five minutes. We brazenly arrived at breakfast, most of us making for the food line but Rio sprinting for the bathrooms to flush the evidence. Up with the teachers, things were in utter chaos. Gorman's walky-talky didn't seem to be working (thank you, Cordelia) so she grabbed the closest student and wrote them a message. She handed it to the girl (a freshman) who promptly read it, then ate it right in front of the coach. Coach sat that girl down, grabbed a second girl. This one took the message and ran straight to the bathroom and flushed it. Around Chancellor Bazz a storm was boiling over. Several teachers had witnessed the violence and wanted something done about it before one of them was drug into the matter by means of a physical confrontation. They were demanding the attacking students to be rounded up immediately. Several teachers, led by Doctor Larson, were begging, pleading, and demanding that the Chancellor call it quits with this whole suppression scheme. Bazz refused to budge, ordering Gorman to round everyone up and hold them in the parking lot. Gorman was trapped. "That's insane," Dana snapped. "What am I going to round them up with, students? We've seen how well that's worked. I don't have enough security guards to peacefully bring them in and my only alternative is to bring in the Sheriff's Department and use force, and I'm not going to do that." "You will if I tell you to," the Chancellor threatened. Dana threw her hands up in the air and backed away. She paced for about a minute, long enough for us to get our food and take our seats, which were all in one section of the Dining Hall due to some 'screw up' (read: Cordelia) in their seating assignment. There appeared to be around three hundred of us now and morale was high. I caught sight of Gorman angling toward Christina and starting to talk. Christina signaled for her to stop but only long enough to summon three people to her, one being me. Temperance, the senior, was one of them, and the third was a girl I'd only known by her photograph. She was Hannah Cartwright, the Sophomore Class President. "I'm asking for a cease-fire," Dana reiterated. "The fighting ends on both sides, strict discipline will be enforced for any and all infractions, and there will be no administrative actions for what has happened over the past forty-eight hours." "We want our phones, tablets, and laptops back, plus the ability to use them," Temperance stated. "All expulsions are to be cancelled and the procedure to bring Heaven back is to begin immediately," I continued. Dana nodded to both addendums. "I want my security system back," Dana countered. "We will start looking for it as soon as this deal goes through," Christina agreed. "That is the best I can hope for," Dana sighed. She stuck out her hand to Christina, who stood and shook it. "Deal?" Christina looked around to get our consensus. "Deal," Christina echoed. I wanted to sit back and savor our partial victory but Christina was tense and nervous and that infected us all. When Dana got back to the Chancellor, she made her case. Doctor Bazz glared at her for a moment but the words that followed, while spoken in a low voice, reverberated throughout the hall. "That's idiotic; we will not negotiate with these children. Your incompetence has led us to this point, Ms. Gorman; you are fired." Several teachers immediately protested but Dana simply put down her walky-talky, turned, and strolled out of the room. Doctor Bazz cancelled classes for the day and confined everyone to their dorm rooms and dorm floors until the situation was resolved. Christina told us to ignore the travel restrictions but to keep in groups and avoid confronting security. When we were ordered from the hall, I noticed everyone was traveling in groups now, even the teachers. Things had become totally crazy. As Valerie, Rio, Iona and I returned to our dorm, we ran across Alice coming back from the nurse's office. When she saw us, she looked hurt and a bit afraid, but she showed enough courage to confront me. "Why did you hit me?" she demanded. "I did nothing to deserve that." "Alice, you were sent to spy on me, or did you search every dorm room as thoroughly as you searched mine?" I shot back. "I was told to do that when I accepted the position of Dorm Mother," she replied. "Did it occur to you that I might resent being singled out for persecution and, if given a chance, I'd strike back?" I explained. "If not, it should have, especially after yesterday." "I had nothing to do with what happened to those other girls," she shook her head. "Listen, you stupid cunt," Rio snapped. "You got orders from the same person who sent those girls to hurt our friends." "When you chose to take Barbie Lynn's place, you placed yourself side by side with those mean girls, Alice," Iona added. "You chose to be a soldier in their army. Soldiers get shot, even if they don't get involved in shooting at the enemy themselves." "It is time for you to go," Valerie told Alice. Alice stayed in the hallway as the rest of us walked away. By the time we made it to my door, Pandora, Paige, Brandi, and Opal had joined us. "Cordelia wants your hook-up activated once more," Pandora informed me. She had a bruised right eye and a bandage above the eyebrow. "She figures any minute now, the Chancellor will shut down our regular internet lines." "Sure thing," I agreed. "I'll get the hot oil and work Valerie over after that tough fight she was in," Rio volunteered. "Boundaries," Valerie cautioned my buddy. "Besides, if anyone works over this body, it will be Zane." Rio chortled and I gave the tall biker-chick a skeptical look. "Just kidding," she laughed, "though we both could probably use some stress relief." That train of thought was interrupted by a fresh group of freshmen entering the area. I went over to one of the glass panels that gave me a view over the campus. Small groups of students were violating the curfew, and here and there a lone campus security guard gave chase but it was an uneven struggle. Students could run inside a dorm and vanish, and Campus Security didn't have the resources to search every dorm room. The pair that came up the stairs thirty minutes later was a real stunner. It was Barbie Lynn with her knee wrapped up, being supported by, Dana Gorman. Dana also had a backpack that clinked very time she moved. "Look what I found sneaking across campus," Gorman snorted. No one said anything; she was the Evil Henchman, after all. "Thanks, Dana," I said, as I took Barbie off her hands, "take a seat and relax for a while. What brings you to my room, anyway?" Barbie looked terribly concerned by this turn of events. "My cable is dead, no internet or TV, and I don't have access to the few remaining security systems, so I figured if anyone had access to the outside world, it would be you," Dana related. "What do you need?" I continued. "I'd like to watch some international soccer," she told me. I looked toward Paige, who shrugged, then nodded. Dana took a spot on the closest sofa to a TV and sat down. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out a beer. Rio homed in on that and jumped over the sofa beside Dana. "What do you think you are doing?" Dana asked Rio as my friend put her hand into the satchel. "Getting a beer; I figure we are all rebels here," Rio smirked. "No, you are a rebel; I'm unemployed, and I don't want to add a criminal conviction for giving alcohol to a minor to my list of accomplishments," Dana explained. "Come with me," Valerie commanded, as she scooped up Rio's arm and headed away. "Let's play some pool." "Oh!" Rio bubbled, "Are you going to use your big hard stick on me?" "Yes; it is called caning," Valerie retorted. Barbie Lynn, Iona, & Zane Iona was looking lost with everyone seemingly going in different directions, so I took her by the hand and, with Barbie Lynn, retired to my bedroom. "I love you two," I sighed as the stress slowly started to recede. Barbie Lynn pulled close to my side and when I looked at her, we kissed. Iona pressed into my front and rested her head on my chest. Our lips parted and I looked to Iona, who was giving me a wide-eyed smile. We kissed for some time until Barbie Lynn began massaging my rod through my pants. I returned to Barbie until Iona hugged me tight, resulting in me going back and forth for a while. "Let's go to bed," Iona suddenly spoke up. Barbie Lynn chuckled at the smaller girl's assertiveness while I marveled at how far she'd come from the scared girl who had grabbed my arm only a few weeks earlier. I sat Barbie Lynn down on the edge of the bed and worked off her skirt first. I stopped Iona from doing the same, preferring to undress her next. I alternated taking off items of clothing until they were finally naked on the bed, side by side before me. "Well, Zane," Barbie Lynn began, sliding one leg up until the heel was touching her thigh. "What are you waiting for," Iona finished, mimicking Barbie's movements. "I would like to express right now how much I've missed the both of you," I swore to them. "Less talk; more action," Barbie Lynn instructed. I began stripping as fast as I could and the girls crawled underneath the covers. Iona was on her back, propped up on her elbows as I finished shedding my clothes. Barbie Lynn surprised her by rolling onto her side and taking a nipple into her mouth, causing Iona to give a startled squeak. Iona had not expected to be the center of our attention, that was normally Barbie Lynn's role, so she couldn't mount an effective defense against our combined affections. We each feasted on a nipple, taking the occasional stop to kiss Iona deeply, or one another, with Iona's breasts rubbing against our cheeks. Both our hands made our way to Iona's honey box, pulled her reluctant legs apart, and began rubbing all over her pubic area. We pushed fingers almost a knuckle deep into her super-tight virgin cunt. Barbie and I spread her juices around, making the whole pubic mound slick and fluid. We even put our fingers on opposite sides of her clit and rolled them back and forth, sending her over the edge. "Jesus," she panted. "Oh, thank you, thank you, oh, thank you," she gasped. "This feels so good, Yes!" she cried out. At this point, I was thinking about letting Iona go but Barbie Lynn kept flicking her clit and probing her cunt while sucking in and twirling her breast. I added a finger to the mix and kissed Iona, who desperately tried to suck my tongue out of my mouth, ouch! At the same time, Iona's back arched off the bed again and again, her thighs trembled, and she clutched at the headboard so hard it shook. At the point I feared Iona's heart would explode, I pushed Barbie Lynn's hand away and she looked up with her lips slick with the saliva generated by sucking on Iona's tits. "She is the best friend I've made all year," Barbie Lynn confided in me. "Better than me?" I questioned. "Honey," she drawled, "I think we can agree you're a tad more than a friend." "What am I, then," I teased; "pen pal, cyber-fan, bosom buddy?" "I think bosom buddy, she grinned as she squeezed her magnificent orbs together, ", is closer to what I'm aiming for." "My cunt is still quivering," Iona mumbled in a tiny voice. "Did I lose my virginity?" "No, Baby," Barbie Lynn cooed to her, "You had a really good one is all. That is what an orgasm is supposed to feel like. That is what Zane does to me every time." Huh? I do? "Oh," Iona sighed dreamily, "I like that. Isn't it your turn now?" "It certainly is, and Zane knows what I want, don't you," she winked. "I'll get it," I feigned annoyance, "but I'm still going to take my time with you. I'm not rushing into anything." "I like the way you think," Barbie Lynn purred. She laid out on the bed, her beautiful breasts spreading out and her hair cascading over the pillows she rested on. It hurt to move away from the sight of her. I got a small tube of lube, crawled over to her, and wedged the tube to the small of her back. Letting her body warm it up would make the sensation more pleasurable. "Whoa, that's cold," she gasped and wiggled. "Let me warm you up, then," I grinned. I moved underneath the sheets and then between her legs. "Hello," she said demurely, my body poised over hers, our faces nose to nose. She rested her elbows on my shoulders with her arms up. "This feels good, Zane, feels right." Her thighs pressed against mine and my cock rested on her pubic mound. I moved my face down and stole a quick kiss. Barbie followed suit and soon we were lip-locked. In time we were trading kisses on the neck and earlobes, our heads playfully moving back and forth. When I reached the top of her breastbone, Barbie Lynn flinched; she'd tried to loop her bum knee over my leg and the pain had been a sharp reminder of her limitations. I lowered myself and took a nipple into my lips and tickled it with my tongue. "Does that make it feel better?" I teased her. "Uh-huh," she purred, "now get back to it." I hardly felt inclined to deny her request and began alternating each nipple and breast. I let my lips and tongue go over every inch of her breast, especially along the base where a slight taste of sweat mixed with the scent of her body soap. "Zane, I want you in me," she pleaded with sultry passion. "But I want this," I responded, running my hand along her puffy cunt lips. "I promise we can do that later, you know how much I love your tongue, but I'm missing something else even more," she expressed her desire. I thought about the body dynamics of the situation and decided the best solution was to roll Barbie Lynn's hips on their side, lifting her left, uninjured leg to my shoulder. Retrieving the warm lube, I rubbed some liberally over her ass hole and two of my fingers, pushing the middle finger gently in first. Barbie Lynn flexed her body and moaned as the finger pressed into her. Soon she was rocking her hips and pushing down on my hand. "That still looks painful," Iona whispered as she moved in for a closer look. "The pleasure far exceeds the pain, Shugah." Barbie Lynn expressed what was about to come. I leaned/crawled over her hips, one hand still working Barbie's tits over while I kissed a nipple and tugged on it with my teeth. Barbie was letting her arm roam around when Iona intercepted it and put the blonde's fingertips to her mouth. Unbidden, Iona began sucking on those fingers and I could see that Barbie was torn between the eroticism of the act and the fact it was innocent little Iona who was doing it. Barbie Lynn used her free hand to push her succulent boob deeper into my mouth, not that there was any way I could get it all into my mouth. Iona went from finger to finger, spending extra time on the thumb. Barbie's chest began heaving from the excitement and took a jolt when I sunk my second finger into her rectum. "Are you okay?" Iona worried. "Yes, yes, yes," Barbie Lynn exulted happily, "and it's going to get better real soon." I decided to move two fingers along her sopping wet slit and let my thumb depress her clit and rub it around. "Aha, ah, oh, yeah," she panted as my hands began working in tandem. I could tell Barbie Lynn was fighting a losing battle against her orgasm and I wasn't in a mood to make things easy. I rammed my two fingers deep into her ass while biting her nipple and strumming her clit as fast as I could. "Lord Jesus loves Me!!!!" she went off. "Gah! Yeah, yeah, oh, ugh, baby, Yes!" Barbie Lynn went on and on with increasing volume. Her cunt dripped all over my fingers, slick and sensual to my touch. I brought those fingers to my lips, going back for a second taste while her body still shook from her climax. "Don't mind us," Rio announced as she strolled into my room, pulling a reluctant Mercy behind her. "My bitch is here and I'm going to bite a chunk off." "Hi, Mercy," Iona waved. Mercy shot her an embarrassed smile. Rio led her to the far side of the bed. I was a bit concerned that too many people were coming into my room but I couldn't look everywhere and pay attention to Barbie Lynn and Iona too. I took up the lube and coated my cock. Before I could spread it out evenly, Iona reached down and did the job for me, even sharing a shy smile with me as she did so. She even helped me lodge it against Barbie Lynn's anus. Iona felt the tension along my cock until Barbie's sphincter gave way and let me in, then she moved her hand away. "Wow," she whispered, even as Barbie Lynn sighed in satisfaction. As a counterpoint, we heard "On your knees, Slut-Bunny," Rio barked to Mercy. She pushed Mercy forward face-first on the bed, flipped up her skirt, and took a bite out of her ass. Mercy yelped and buried her face in the sheets. Sometimes Rio could be sane, but totally nuts was her default setting. I measured the tremors in her body as I gently pressed my body onto Barbie Lynn's hips, deepening the penetration of my cock into her back passage. "Oh, God, Zane," she moaned. "This never gets old, filling me up like you do." I slapped her meaty ass cheek hard enough to leave an angry red handprint. Barbie gave a deep intake of breath that became a squeal of joy. Mercy grunted as Rio yanked her panties off her ass and down her legs. "Crawl over there and give Barbie Lynn a kiss," Rio demanded. Mercy gulped and hesitated to respond so Rio hauled off and smacked her ass hard enough for people outside the room to hear. Mercy's eyes grew wide, her mouth gaped open, and her cheeks flushed, then she smiled. She made her way slowly across the bed, clearly enticing Rio to spank her several more times. Mercy first brought Barbie Lynn's gaze over toward her by tipping her chin with one careful hand. The first kiss was tentative and tender. SMACK! "Kiss her like you want to be kissed, you whore!" Rio taunted Mercy. As she spanked her with one hand, she drove two fingers into Mercy's cunt with the other. I had to assume that Mercy was already pretty wet because instead of pulling away from the penetration, Mercy leaned forward on her elbows while thrusting her hips back against Rio's intrusion. While I was being sensitive to the slow burn Barbie Lynn was going through, Rio drove her hand rapidly like a maniac. It was a good thing that Mercy liked it rough, but then she chose to be with Rio as much as Rio chose to pick on her. At the opposite side of the expression spectrum, Iona curled up against Barbie's other side and let her lips gracefully flit along the shoulder and arm. Mercy returned for another kiss at the same time I reached my full expansion inside of Barbie Lynn. "Oh, my," Barbie gasped. I waited as she adjusted internally while Mercy kissed her with a lot more passion and intensity. That didn't stop Rio from administering a few more sharp smacks to Mercy's bottom, compelling Mercy to rumble with a hunger for more. Iona let her lips migrate from arm to hip, and leading up Barbie Lynn's hip to my stomach. "Reach a hand back here and take over, you slut," Rio told Mercy. When Mercy made the maneuver, Rio began stripping down. Unlike this weekend, she had only her two labia piercings in, though she still had her tattoo along the hip. She gave me both raised eyebrows to go along with her insane grin as the clothes finished coming off. I partially withdrew my member from Barbie Lynn, eliciting a moan. Iona settled up against me, resting her hands on my chest and hip. I kept a grip on Barbie's hip and slipped a hand around Iona's hip and buttocks, rubbed it along her anus, ending at her cunt. "Ugh," Iona grunted, as I stroked her kitty and sunk a finger inside. The group of us got into a rhythm once Rio knelt behind Mercy and began lapping up her cunt and squeezing her ass. By the way Barbie Lynn was pushing and rotating her hips, grabbing the sheets in tight fists and moaning between her kisses with Mercy, she was approaching her second orgasm. "Zane, Jesus Christ, Zane, oh, God, Baby, ah, aha, Yes!" she screamed. Her ass muscles gripped, twisted, and squeezed my cock so hard, it took all my concentration to not shoot off into her rectum. Barbie Lynn kept pulsing and rocking over the sheets as waves of intense pleasure crested and slowly worked its way through her system. Iona and I started seriously kissing as she stood on her knees beside me. "I want to try something," I told her. "He wants to try something?" I heard Valerie's voice talking to an unseen party. "Somehow the current five-way isn't enough for him." There was a snort in agreement of that. I pumped Barbie Lynn four times in quick succession, then leaned back until my cock was at the very edge of leaving her ass. My torso pivoted, I slipped my arms between Iona's legs and pulled her up by her buttocks and to me. "What?" she gasped. As Iona rose up and I twisted back to a face-forward position, I licked and tongue-tickled my way from her chest, to her stomach, and finally to her pubic hair. "Ah, oh, okay," Iona exhaled with pleasure. She put her hands on my shoulders, moved higher, and moved her legs over my arms and rested them on my shoulders. I still had to hold tight to her ass and raise her to the point I could get my mouth fully on her clit and moist lips. "Oh, damn," Rio giggled, "Zane's making me pull out my toys." SMACK! "Mercy, you behave." Rio moved off the bed, stopped, and said, "You had better not remember where I'm getting these from," to another person. "I wouldn't think of it," Dana Gorman allowed. Clearly my surprise showed in my body because she spoke again. "I wanted to see what all my girls were giggling and whispering about in the showers. I put it down to standard virgin girl hysteria. Now, " "I half expect some porn director to say 'Cut, print' at any second," Valerie added. I really didn't need my sex life critiqued at this moment. I was balancing one girl on my face, licking her silly, while pounding Barbie Lynn's ass. Seriously, can't a man have a simple three-way with two college girls in his room in peace? I was soon too overwhelmed by the price of my sexual ambition to worry about that question. I drank deep of Iona's nectar, licking along the folds from top to bottom while letting my upper lip press against her throbbing clit. She took one hand from my shoulder, wrapped it up in my hair, and cautiously pushed my face deeper into her cunt. "Oh, God, Zane, ah, yes, yes, yes," she panted. "That's it, right there, Ah!" Iona began riding my face with greater and greater vigor. Barbie Lynn gyrated against my crotch. I heard a vibrator cut on and Mercy groaned as Rio did something to her. I suspected that was moving her off Barbie because Barbie began using greater force against me. I began to feel a tightness building up in my guts as my blood pounded from the exertions I was putting myself through. "Come here, Mercy," Rio coaxed, "On your back, my little slut, and spread those legs." I wished I could see what she was up to because soon Mercy was moaning and gurgling all over the place. "Please, Rio," Mercy pleaded, "please, " "Do you like that?" Rio teased. "Wiggle that ass for me, then, Baby." "Ah, oh, Rio, I love you," Mercy moaned. Smack! "None of that, you skank," Rio snapped. "You are my toy, nothing more." "Yes," sobbed Mercy. "Good girl," Rio responded. Mercy gave off a hiccup, then a gasp of pleasure. "You know you are my tight-ass whore; right?" Her victim lurched and moaned several more times. "Yes, yes, I understand," Mercy gasped. "I'm yours, whenever, you want." SMACK! "Good girl. Now shake that ass, Bitch," Rio continued. Mercy began making choking, sobbing sounds. "Don't you dare cum until you get me off. Work that tongue like you mean it." I could now visualize Rio and Mercy in a sixty-nine, Rio on top, with a dildo up Mercy's ass. While figuring that out, I almost missed Iona starting to spasm on my face. I could feel her cunt contracting on my tongue. One hand was yanking and releasing my hair while the fingernails on the other dug into my shoulder. I moved my tongue and latched onto her clit with my lips and sucked on it for all I was worth. "Ah, oh, oh, oh, Zane!" Iona screamed. Her fluids dripped over my nose, into my mouth, and down my chin, but that wasn't my problem. My problem was that Iona's body was convulsing, bending her backward toward the head of the bed and me forward into Barbie Lynn. Of course, if I couldn't stop Iona's progress, she'd topple onto Barbie Lynn too. "Oh, God fuck damn!" Barbie exploded as I rammed my full length into her inadvertently. "Jesus, love, which was cut off by her orgasm taking over. Her anal muscles constricted and that was it for me. Hot semen shot down Barbie's gut, causing her to scream even louder. My whole body was trembling from my ejaculation, plus the strain the two women were putting on me. Somehow I hung on long enough for Iona to reach behind her, catching the headboard, while Barbie Lynn extended her arms up to brace Iona from tumbling over. "Fuck, yeah, that's what I'm talking about," Rio laughed. "Mercy, you can come now." "Uh, uh, thank, oh, God," Mercy gasped out. "Rio, umm, ugh," she choked out before she buried her face into Rio's cunt and muffled further expressions of ecstasy. "Gurr," Rio growled, before burying her face into the top of Mercy's thigh. I figured by Mercy's thrashing that Rio took a bit of a nip out of her playmate's flesh. In a shuddering heap of sweaty flesh, Iona, Barbie Lynn, and I flopped onto the bed without anyone being crushed. They lay there while I remained on my knees. "Damn," Valerie chuckled, "I feel like a virgin all over again." "Hell, I need to take a shower and I just sat here," Gorman agreed. I moved between Barbie Lynn and Iona. "Fuck, he's still hard." "Zane's like that," Barbie Lynn laughed between gasps of breath. "He's always hard after the first round, God bless his soul." Iona snuggled into me, kissing my chest between gulps of air. "It's only been thirty minutes," Iona sighed. "We'll let him recharge a little bit before going at him again." "Yes, my ass hurts," Barbie Lynn added. "I won't be ready for, say an hour." Rio dismounted Mercy and rolled next to Barbie Lynn. "Mercy, get up here and kiss me, damn it," Rio breathed huskily. Mercy staggered around on all fours and crawled up Rio's body until she straddled her. A dreamy smile on her face, Mercy went to kiss Rio on the lips but Rio stopped her. "No, you don't, you cunt," Rio chastised her. "Here," she indicated her chin. Mercy kissed it. Rio then led Mercy on a slow quest over her nose, cheeks, earlobe, and finally the lips. Rio grabbed Mercy's hips and pulled the older girl down on top of her. "Okay, I have to ask; how did Rio end up in bed with Mercy? Mercy is one of my better martial artists and Rio is, well, Rio, kind of an annoying little twerp," Gorman wondered. "I won her playing bingo," was Rio's smarmy comeback. "They developed a relationship when you put her in our path," I was a bit more honest. "Mercy discovered something about herself and someone in Rio who could satisfy her needs." To emphasize the point, Rio spanked Mercy's ass hard and the girl humped Rio in response. "So, besides Cappadocia, are there any of my other girls you, have a relationship with?" Dana inquired. She even leaned forward on the chair she was sitting on. "What makes you think Cappy and I have a thing?" I asked. "On Monday," Dana rolled her eyes at my naivet , "she hated you and on Wednesday, she couldn't keep her eyes off of you and couldn't drive the other teammates out of the gym for your, private lesson. Just because I'm over thirty doesn't mean I'm soft in the head." "That's not fair, Coach," Rio smiled past Mercy. "We never thought you were bright." Before I could say or do anything, Barbie Lynn elbowed her. "Ow!" Rio snickered. "Why are you hitting me?" "I owe you. You said a bad thing, and Zane says never fight yesterday's battles. Now that the Coach is no longer the bad girl, we don't pick on her," Barbie Lynn explained. "But I'm always annoying," Rio countered. "Why is this time special?" "Rio, don't you think Zane deserves a break? He's always throwing himself onto the train tracks for you and you give him shit for it," Barbie Lynn sounded a bit cross. "After all, you wouldn't have Mercy if you'd had your way. Zane was right about you being good for the rest of us to know, and he was right about saving Mercy. I trust him about Coach because I trust you too." "Trust, smust, I'll keep my spank-o-matic," Rio grimaced. She clearly got Barbie Lynn's point but admitting it at the moment wasn't in her. "So, does anyone want to give Mercy a hard spanking? If not, I'm going to get my big strap-on and ream her ass until she is so hoarse, she can't scream anymore." "Don't you think you two need to grow together before using the 'OMG' model?" I warned her. That thing would tear Mercy's unprepared ass to shreds. I reached over Barbie Lynn and spanked Mercy four times, two to each ass cheek. She yelped and jolted with each contact, and while tears welled in her eyes, she couldn't have been happier. "I'm getting my favorite strap-on, then," Rio wiggled from under Mercy. "Hold her back," Valerie joked. "She's lost her mind." Mercy buried her face in the bed, shook her head, and raised her ass up in the air. "Fine, if it's the Spas-monkey you want, so be it." "Have some of this," Barbie Lynn fished out the lubricant and handed it to Mercy. "I don't know how patient Rio is going to be when she gets back." Rio, who was only a few feet away getting out and attaching her strap-on, stuck out her tongue at Valerie and Barbie. "Spas-monkey? I prefer Vibrator-Bunny, or didn't you two get my tweet?" "How about Vibrating Spas?" Iona suggested. Rio howled and charged the bed. "That's it," she giggled, "that tight little virgin ass-hole is mine!" Iona squawked and buried herself under my side. "That's my virgin ass to nurture and enjoy, bro, not yours," I taunted Rio as I reached around and put a comforting arm around Iona. I wasn't sure how Iona would take that. Her kisses to my ribs ended those worries. "I'll nipple twist you for her," Rio grinned. Belying her threat, she was lining up behind Mercy while Mercy was rubbing lube all along her ass cleft and anus. "I never considered the benefits of anal sex in a school full of virgin school girls," Valerie mused. "Oral sex, I expected, but not anal." "Somehow, when the Founders created the Purity Pledge, I suspect they were forbidding all kinds of intercourse, but they never counted on Zane," Dana stated. "Rio, I'm not going to take you on in a contest you love and I hate," I smiled. "How about a shoot-off? I'll spot you two orgasms." "Four," Rio hissed. She'd spread the oil over her dildo and was slowly pushing it into the ass of Mercy. Mercy had her face still buried in the sheets, her fists balled up and her hips pushing back. "Uh, uh, uh," Mercy groaned, as Rio penetrated with short jabs. She rested her hands on Mercy's shoulder and neck. "Okay, now I'm grateful I sleep on my back," Valerie commented. "I promised Zane I wouldn't break her, but if I felt that poking my hiney, I'd stick it somewhere she'd not soon forget." "Do the world a favor and stick it in her mouth," Dana smirked. "Hardy, har-har," Rio chuckled. She reached down beside Mercy, retrieved her vibrator, and began rubbing it along that girl's cunt slit and clit. Barbie Lynn reached for my cock and began stroking it, rubbing it along her ass and between her cheeks. "I need another beer," Dana sighed. "All this is doing is reminding me that plastic doesn't really get the job done." "Get me a Coke and I'll get the popcorn," Valerie said. "After all, I have an open invitation to join whenever I want." I had to wonder when that had happened, then I remembered Rio and her big mouth. Iona had settled in on her side, head propped up on her elbow, as she watched me push into Barbie Lynn once more. I had my hands on her hip and thigh, pushing in with more force this time around. "Feels, so, good," Barbie Lynn sighed, as my cock filled up her rectum. "Make me feel good, Daddy." I lifted up her left leg, then gingerly took her wounded leg and raised it to my shoulder as well. As I felt the deep reaches of her bowels envelop me, Barbie Lynn arched her back and let out a sob of joy. "Oh, that's what I need," she moaned, "That's what I've missed." Unlike our first round, this time we were raw with our hunger for one another. I kneaded her breasts, teasing and pulling the nipples from time to time. Her body was folded up so that our faces were close enough for me to lock onto those gorgeous bedroom blue eyes. Barbie licked her lips and blew kisses at me. I was so into Barbie sensually that I almost missed Mercy going off next to us. "Oh God, oh fuck, oh God!" she verbally exploded. "Please!!!" Rio kept up the slap, slap, slap of her thighs against Mercy's ass. "Don't you give up on me, Bitch," Rio taunted her. She grabbed a handful of Mercy's hair and pulled her shoulder up off the bed until she was balancing on her hands and knees. Rio shot a look my way and mouthed 'I love you' as she kept working Mercy over into one cascading orgasm after another. I was pounding deep into Barbie Lynn's tight orifice, Rio was happy, and Iona was giving me a dreamy, contented look. Life could hardly be better. "Zane, we need to, Oh, My God!" Virginia Goodswell cried out in a shocked voice. "Here, have my seat, Virginia," Gorman grinned. "You look like you are about to fall over." I hadn't even heard Dana or Valerie return. "Zane, what are you doing?" Virginia questioned. "I'm a little busy," I ground out. Fucking was hard, attention intensive, and pleasurable work. "Virginia, he's having anal intercourse with Barbie Lynn Masters," Dana chuckled. "I thought that would have been obvious. Rio Talon is using a strap-on and a dildo on Mercy Chaplain, and Iona, having been touched and licked to two orgasms, is sitting this round out." "I can see that and, Dana, what are you doing here?" Virginia, my Spiritual Advisor, asked. "I'm unemployed so they aren't my students anymore," Dana snorted. "Also, Zane's got one of the few illegal internet hook-up plus satellite TV. My apartment is a tomb, comparatively." "This was the farthest thing from my mind when I learned my Dad was sending me to an All-Girl Christian University," Valerie added. "It is the skirts," Rio giggled. "Zane can't keep his hands off the skirts." "In my experience, Zane has the pathological desire to worship the female form," Iona joined in. "Listen, I knew Zane was having, relationships, but coming in and finding him in bed with four women, girls, students is a bit much to wrap my mind around," Virginia related. "My sex life has been a bit vanilla." "I prefer to think of mine as disappointing," Dana confessed. "All my boyfriends have lived under threat of dismemberment, so I've had it pretty safe too," Valerie stated. "Threat of dismemberment?" Virginia stammered. "She's a member of a major criminal biker organization in the Rockies," Dana informed her. "We are a motorcycle club," Valerie defended her family. "I'm having sex here," I growled. "If you don't mind, " "We are good, Zane," Valerie replied. "Don't worry about us, and Barbie needs you." "Gee, thanks," I grumbled, but she was right; Barbie Lynn needed my attention. "Ms. Palmer, every one of your known associates, except your baby sister, has a criminal record," Dana said. "I've never been convicted of anything," Val countered, "and Mom got off on a bad search." Mercy cried out as Rio shifted to sharp powerful jabs with her artificial cock. "I've got a record," Rio crowed proudly. "That only means you were sloppy enough to get caught," Valerie pointed out. "It wasn't my fault; I ran out of road while driving a stolen Porsche," Rio told us. "You stole a Porsche?" Valerie asked. "How do you run out of road in an expensive, high-performance sports car?" Virginia wondered. "Yes, take that, Mercy, you bitch," slap, slap, "I stole a Porsche and I ran out of road when I cruised into another car showroom on the far side of town. Who knew that those dumb sons-of-bitches didn't put a back way out that place?" "Rio, why did you steal something that didn't belong to you in the first place?" Iona begged to know. "Blame drugs, teenage hormones, or the fact that it was a school night, I hadn't studied for a test the next day, and this sounded like the best way of not having to take it," Rio suggested. I would have told them that was Rio-speak for 'I have no idea' except I'd finally stretched Barbie Lynn's hamstrings to the point we had our tongues entwined, mouths pressed, and teeth nibbling on each other's lips like famished lovers. I could feel her anal spasm vibrating up through her body and her lungs fighting for air. She was getting close and I thought it was going to be a big one. "That would be an exhibition of low impulse control," Dana chided Rio. "I think it shows poor life choices," Virginia stated. "I think it shows she's fucking nuts," Valerie declared. "Fine, whatever, but I'm one of the two people fucking a sweet piece of ass while you dykes are sitting on the sidelines," Rio taunted them. "You are my students," Virginia began, "I don't, She was interrupted by Barbie Lynn. "Ugh, Oh, Lord Jesus, Zane," she gasped then, "Ai!" she screamed so loud I was afraid my brain would explode. She kept trying to buck me off and thrash about so violently that I was afraid she'd hurt herself, or me. I rode that wave for almost a minute before Barbie Lynn made one final strenuous effort, then went limp in my arms. I gently shifted her legs down my sides to rest on the bed. I remained propped over her until her eyes focused on me and an ephemeral smile graced her lips. "Umm, sleepy," she purred. "Okay, Babe," I said, then kissed her nose. Her eyes closed and her breathing became low and regular. "Okay,&quo

“You part the crowd like the Red Sea, don't even get me started.” This week, we're deep diving "Now That We Don't Talk" from 1989 (Taylor's Version). This vault track is lyrically dense, structurally complex, and emotionally devastating in its exploration of uncertainty, insecurity, and the relationships that leave us wanting more. We analyze biblical references, rhetorical questions, enjambment, and why this song was ultimately too insecure to make the original 1989 album. Join us as we unpack how Taylor uses poetic devices to create a haiku-like meditation on the aftermath of an intimate relationship—whether romantic, platonic, or something in between.   Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics! Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com    Mentioned in this episode:  Wicked, the book, movie, and musical E102: Wicked  E3: Alice in Wonderland E98: Unreliable Narrators E55: Rhetorical Questions   ***   Episode Highlights:  [01:53] “Now That We Don't Talk”  [05:06] “You went to a party/I heard from everybody” [10:25] “And from the outside/ It looks like you're tryin' lives on” [15:38] “I call my mom, she said that it was for the best” [25:47] “Truth is I can't pretend it's platonic, it's just ended” [37:00] “I don't have to pretend I like acid rock” [42:48] “And the only way back to my dignity” [49:02] The purpose of “Now That We Don't Talk” Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!  TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm →  tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com  Affiliate Codes:  Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!  Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro   This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.  

Blind To Blessing #RTTBROS #NightlightBlind to BlessingIn every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18About 3,500 years ago in the wilderness of Sinai, the Israelites witnessed the most spectacular miracle in human history. God parted the Red Sea, they walked through on dry ground, and the Egyptian army that had pursued them was swallowed up by the waters. They saw walls of water standing on either side of them as they crossed. That's the kind of thing that should stay with you forever.But just three days later, they were complaining. And about a month after their miraculous deliverance, they actually said they wished they had died back in Egypt. They told Moses, "Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full, for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (Exodus 16:3).They had trained their minds to search for problems, and when you're looking for bad things, no surprise, you find what you're looking for. Even when really good things happen, you discount them or find fault with them. You essentially become blind to blessing.The Israelites had manna from heaven, bread that literally fell from the sky every morning. They had water from a rock. They had the presence of God with them in a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. But their negative mindset kept them from seeing it. They were looking through a filter of discontent, and it colored everything.I've seen this in my own life. There have been seasons when I was running on empty, when it seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong. And in those seasons, if I wasn't careful, I could focus so much on what wasn't working that I completely missed what God was doing. I remember a time when a friend came by and blessed my family out of the blue with some money. It left me speechless, and that does not often happen to me. It was God's way of tapping me on my shoulder and saying, "Don't worry, I got this." But if I had been consumed with my problems, I would have missed that moment of grace.Here's what Paul teaches us: "In every thing give thanks." Notice he didn't say "for everything," he said "in everything." We don't thank God for the hard things themselves, but we thank Him in the midst of them because we know He's still on the throne, still taking care of His kids, still providing in supernatural ways.The Israelites finally made it to the Promised Land, but it took them 40 years for a journey that should have taken 11 days. Why? Because they couldn't see past their complaints to recognize God's faithfulness. Don't let that be your story. Train your mind to see His hand, to recognize His provision, to count your blessings. Start searching for blessings instead of problems, because I promise you, you'll find what you're looking for.Today's Growth PrincipleGod is always working in your life, but if you train your mind to hunt for problems, you'll miss His hand of blessing and provision.#Faith #Joy #ChristianLiving #DailyDevotion #TrustGod #BiblicalWisdom #SpiritualGrowth #RTTBROS #NightlightBe sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.https://linktr.ee/rttbros

SHOW  10-20-25 1965 GAZA POWS  CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE GAZA CEASEFIRE... FIRST HOUR 9-915 Regional Powers React to Tenuous Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal. Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani discuss how the Gaza agreement is viewed regionally as a tenuous ceasefire and hostage deal, not a path to peace. Saudi Arabia was displeased, seeking a long-term Palestinian state solution. Egypt supported the quiet to prevent domestic instability and refugee influx. Conversely, Qatar and Turkey championed the ceasefire because they are invested in Hamas and want its political and military structure to survive. 915-930 Regional Powers React to Tenuous Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Deal. Bill Roggio and Husain Haqqani discuss how the Gaza agreement is viewed regionally as a tenuous ceasefire and hostage deal, not a path to peace. Saudi Arabia was displeased, seeking a long-term Palestinian state solution. Egypt supported the quiet to prevent domestic instability and refugee influx. Conversely, Qatar and Turkey championed the ceasefire because they are invested in Hamas and want its political and military structure to survive. 930-945 China's Military Purge Signals Deep Crisis of Confidence in Xi Jinping. Charles Burton and Gordon Chang discuss how China expelled eight senior generals, signaling a severe internal crisis and lack of confidence in Xi Jinping's leadership, potentially orchestrated by his adversaries. This turmoil suggests foreign governments should interact carefully with Xi. Economically, figures show industrial production outpacing consumption, and proposals for mandated municipal consumption goals reflect a state struggling to maintain prosperity, leading to pervasive gloom among the people. 945-1000 China's Military Purge Signals Deep Crisis of Confidence in Xi Jinping. Charles Burton and Gordon Chang discuss how China expelled eight senior generals, signaling a severe internal crisis and lack of confidence in Xi Jinping's leadership, potentially orchestrated by his adversaries. This turmoil suggests foreign governments should interact carefully with Xi. Economically, figures show industrial production outpacing consumption, and proposals for mandated municipal consumption goals reflect a state struggling to maintain prosperity, leading to pervasive gloom among the people. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 US-Ukraine Summit Yields No Tomahawk Commitment; Focus on Attrition. John Hardie and Bill Roggio discuss how reports suggest President Trump pressed Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire based on Russian territorial demands, though no commitment was made on providing Tomahawk missiles. Tomahawks would provide Ukraine with a highly useful long-range strike capability but would not be a "wonder weapon." With Russia holding a material advantage, Ukraine's best strategy is exhausting Russia's offensive potential by inflicting disproportionate attrition, independent of Trump's softening support. 1015-1030 US-Ukraine Summit Yields No Tomahawk Commitment; Focus on Attrition. John Hardie and Bill Roggio discuss how reports suggest President Trump pressed Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire based on Russian territorial demands, though no commitment was made on providing Tomahawk missiles. Tomahawks would provide Ukraine with a highly useful long-range strike capability but would not be a "wonder weapon." With Russia holding a material advantage, Ukraine's best strategy is exhausting Russia's offensive potential by inflicting disproportionate attrition, independent of Trump's softening support. 1030-1045 Gaza Ceasefire Interrupted by Violence; Hamas Reasserts Dominance. David Daoud and Bill Roggio discuss how the Gaza ceasefire was violated when Hamas killed Israeli soldiers, prompting Israeli retaliation to reinforce red lines without restarting the conflict entirely. Hamas is deliberately slowing the return of dead hostages to stabilize the ceasefire internationally. In Gaza, Hamas immediately began cracking down on rivals to reassert its dominance and prevent others from filling the power vacuum left by IDF withdrawals, signaling it remains the top power. 1045-1100 Gaza Ceasefire Interrupted by Violence; Hamas Reasserts Dominance. David Daoud and Bill Roggio discuss how the Gaza ceasefire was violated when Hamas killed Israeli soldiers, prompting Israeli retaliation to reinforce red lines without restarting the conflict entirely. Hamas is deliberately slowing the return of dead hostages to stabilize the ceasefire internationally. In Gaza, Hamas immediately began cracking down on rivals to reassert its dominance and prevent others from filling the power vacuum left by IDF withdrawals, signaling it remains the top power. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 Houthis Maintain Threat Despite Gaza Ceasefire; New Military Chief Named. Bridget Toomey and Bill Roggio discuss how the Houthis have paused attacks in line with the Gaza ceasefire but remain capable and intent on striking Israel or the Red Sea if fighting resumes. They announced the death of strategic planner and Chief of Staff Muhammad al-Ghamari, who was killed by Israel. His replacement, Yusef al-Madani, is believed to have close ties and training with Iran. The Houthi core mission, driven by perpetual animosity toward America and Israel, remains unchanged. 1115-1130 Tomahawk Missile Threat Puts Pressure on Putin's Air Defenses. Rebecca Grant and Gordon Chang discuss how Russia is highly anxious about the possible deployment of US Tomahawk land-attack missiles to Ukraine. Tomahawks, with a 1,600-mile range, can fly low and strike over 60 Russian air bases and critical energy targets. Experts say the weapon presents an "almost unsolvable air defense problem" for Russia because Putin lacks sufficient air defense systems, like the S-400, to protect such a wide area. 1130-1145 US Pressure on Venezuela/Colombia Narco-States Splits Latin American Left. Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa discuss how the US military is ramping up pressure on narco-terrorism gangs operating out of Venezuela and Colombia, causing nervousness in the Maduro regime. Trump openly attacked Maduro's key ally, Colombian President Petro, calling him an accomplice and threatening to cut aid and raise tariffs. The Venezuelan opposition is heartened, believing Maduro's fall will expose deep drug-related corruption linking members of the São Paulo Forum across the continent. 1145-1200 US Pressure on Venezuela/Colombia Narco-States Splits Latin American Left. Ernesto Araújo and Alejandro Peña Esclusa discuss how the US military is ramping up pressure on narco-terrorism gangs operating out of Venezuela and Colombia, causing nervousness in the Maduro regime. Trump openly attacked Maduro's key ally, Colombian President Petro, calling him an accomplice and threatening to cut aid and raise tariffs. The Venezuelan opposition is heartened, believing Maduro's fall will expose deep drug-related corruption linking members of the São Paulo Forum across the continent. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 China Dominates Ukraine's Drone Supply Chain Despite Export Controls. Jack Burnham discusses how Ukraine's survival relies on its ability to produce up to 200,000 FPV drones monthly. However, 97% of Ukrainian drone producers source primary components, including rare earths for engines and chips, from China. Despite China imposing export controls on finished drones, smaller components are circumvented and supplied to both Ukraine and Russia. Finding alternative, self-reliant supply chains, potentially through US allies like Taiwan, is crucial for Kyiv. 1215-1230 China's Economic Woes and Rare Earth Export Controls Raise Global Alarms. Elaine Dezenski discusses how the US Treasury Secretary remarked that China's worrying economic fundamentals—including high debt and youth unemployment—are leading Beijing to use tactics like rare earth export controls to undermine the global economy. China acts as a "non-market player" using subsidies and forced labor, which corrodes the free market. Experts suggest the US must acknowledge these non-market practices and push for transparency and adherence to new, strict global trade rules. 1230-1245 Iran Trash-Talks Trump; Nuclear Ambitions Become More Overt. Jonathan Sayeh and Bill Roggio discuss how Iran's Supreme Leader publicly rejected Trump's appeals for negotiations, a move primarily aimed at boosting domestic morale following regional setbacks. However, a top nuclear scientist overtly claimed Iran has the capacity to build a nuclear bomb, suggesting weaponization ambitions are becoming less covert. Tehran views its regional position as a lose-lose scenario but uses the Gaza ceasefire as a critical breathing room opportunity to rearm its weakened proxies. 1245-100 AM Hamas Cracks Down on Rival Clans in Gaza Post-Ceasefire. Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio discuss how following the Gaza ceasefire, Hamas cracked down on rival clans and militias, like the Dughmush clan, to reassert its dominance. Hamas labeled the Dughmush clan, known for smuggling and past criminal activity, as Israeli collaborators. Anti-Hamas groups, including former PA security forces, are vastly outnumbered and less capable than Hamas, which remains the strongest faction in Gaza and uses these executions to deter future competition.

Houthis Maintain Threat Despite Gaza Ceasefire; New Military Chief Named. Bridget Toomey and Bill Roggio discuss how the Houthis have paused attacks in line with the Gaza ceasefire but remain capable and intent on striking Israel or the Red Sea if fighting resumes. They announced the death of strategic planner and Chief of Staff Muhammad al-Ghamari, who was killed by Israel. His replacement, Yusef al-Madani, is believed to have close ties and training with Iran. The Houthi core mission, driven by perpetual animosity toward America and Israel, remains unchanged. 1926 SANA'A

Today’s Bible Verse:"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." — Exodus 14:14 Sometimes, God’s greatest victories happen when we do nothing—at least, nothing but trust Him. When the Israelites stood trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea, panic was the natural reaction. But God’s instruction was simple and profound: be still. “Want to listen without ads? Become a BibleStudyTools.com PLUS Member today: https://www.biblestudytools.com/subscribe/ Meet Today’s Host: Jennifer Dotzler Hear more from Jennifer D on Your Daily Bible Verse at LifeAudio Jennifer Dotzler is a passionate Bible teacher and disciple-maker with a heart for helping others grow in their faith. She brings together her love for Scripture and a practical, compassionate approach to encourage listeners through life’s highs and lows. With a deep desire to see believers strengthened in truth and equipped to walk closely with Christ, Jennifer offers thoughtful, biblically grounded insight in every episode. She’s honored to be part of the Your Daily Bible Verse team, where she aims to inspire and uplift others with truth that transforms.

The last ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been released from a treatment centre in Kasai province. Can the country now be declared free of this latest outbreak?What is behind the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over control of the Red Sea?And we hear from the Nigerian scientist, who has been recognised with a global award from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, on how her pioneering work is protecting yam and cassava crops and making them more resilient.Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke and Alfonso Daniels Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

The last ebola patient in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been released from a treatment centre in Kasai province. Can the country now be declared free of this latest outbreak?What is behind the escalating tensions between Ethiopia and Eritrea over control of the Red Sea?And we hear from the Nigerian scientist, who has been recognised with a global award from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, on how her pioneering work is protecting yam and cassava crops and making them more resilient.Presenter: Nyasha Michelle Producers: Mark Wilberforce, Yvette Twagiramariya, Stefania Okereke and Alfonso Daniels Technical Producer: Chris Kouzaris Senior Producer: Patricia Whitehorne Editors: Andre Lombard and Alice Muthengi

Following a close 27-23 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Cardinals have now dropped five straight games as they head into a much-needed bye week. Craig Grialou, Paul Calvisi, and former Cardinals linebacker Rob Fredrickson break down Sunday's defeat and discuss what went wrong. While the offense moved the ball effectively, it failed to score in the final moments. Tight end Trey McBride stood out with one of the best performances of his career, but once again, the defense couldn't protect a fourth-quarter lead. The crew also looks ahead to a tough Monday Night Football matchup against the Cowboys in Dallas, a place where Kyler Murray has traditionally played well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when AWS failures disable your Stop Recording button?You let Lars Jensen keep talking — and you get one of the most in-depth updates yet. In this week's Supply Chain Secrets, Caroline Weaver and Lars unpack:Why IMO's “Net Zero” framework just became a zombie proposal,How that decision could stall billions in green-fuel investment,Why spot-rate spikes may be more sentiment than substance, andThe latest on the Red Sea ceasefire and tariff tension between the U.S. and China.This episode proves that when you can't stop recording, you might just capture your best conversation yet.

Revelation 17 presents a powerful vision of a great harlot representing an apostate church that has forsaken Christ for worldly alliances. This symbolic woman sits on many waters, which represent peoples and nations under her influence. The chapter reveals how three interconnected powers - political rulers, the apostate religious system, and daughter churches - will unite to destroy God's people. However, during the seven last plagues, particularly the sixth plague when the Euphrates dries up, these very supporters will turn against the harlot. This mirrors the Red Sea deliverance, where God intervened when circumstances seemed most hopeless. The Kings from the East, led by Christ Himself, will arrive for the ultimate deliverance of God's faithful people.

Houthis Maintain Red Sea Threat Despite Gaza Ceasefire. Bridget Toomey of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies discusses the status of the Houthis of Yemen and their barrage against Israel and Red Sea shipping during the ceasefire. Toomey notes that while everyone would like the Red Sea to return to normal, there is great concern that the Houthis continue to possess the capabilities to terrorize the area and are not deterred. Although the Houthis are choosing to be quiet at the moment because of the ceasefire in Gaza, this temporary quietude does not instill confidence in companies and countries that the Red Sea is actually secure for navigation or commerce.

Crystal Rivers | Word for Now | Oct 20, 2025 You live in a world layered with illusion—a structure shaped by darkness to conceal true reality. Yet beyond that veil, divine truth waits to be unveiled by the Spirit of God. When the light of God enters your soul, it awakens you to see that life in Christ is not theoretical; it is a living participation in divine reality. The Spirit does not merely speak with words but with realities—burdens that grip your heart, reshape your desires, and draw you into alignment with heaven. These burdens are not random feelings; they are coordinates in the Spirit, blueprints of what heaven wants to manifest through you. Every burden of the Lord is an invitation to build. When it settles in your heart, it changes how you think, what you pursue, and what you create. Noah's ark, Moses' tabernacle, and Solomon's temple were not ordinary constructions—they were physical expressions of heavenly patterns. Each design, number, and dimension represented a spiritual law, a divine coordinate linking the natural to the supernatural. Through obedience to revelation, portals of divine encounter were opened, allowing God's reality to enter human history. The same principle applies today. Darkness thrives in every part of your life where the light of truth is absent. But when the Spirit of truth fills that space, deception collapses and reality emerges. You are called to ascend—to lift your consciousness above the distractions of this world and dwell where Christ sits in heavenly places. As your affections rise, you begin to host the presence of God, not as a visitor but as an atmosphere that governs your existence. Everything in creation responds to those who carry divine reality. The winds, waters, and even matter itself yield to those aligned with heaven's order, just as the Red Sea parted or the mountains trembled before God's presence. To walk in that power, you must let the burden of the Lord distill within you until it becomes revelation—until prayer transforms into insight, and insight becomes creation. The world builds towers of Babel—solutions without God, systems of progress divorced from the Spirit. But those who carry heaven's burden build differently. They build from presence, not ambition; from revelation, not reasoning. Their obedience opens portals of glory where others see only ordinary life. Therefore, seek the Lord until His burden becomes your own. Allow His Spirit to map divine coordinates into your soul. Let every revelation turn into construction—into prayer, obedience, creativity, and transformation. For you are not meant to live as one confined to illusion, but as a living gateway through which heaven touches earth. Zoom every weekday : http://www.caveadullam.org/zoom

Recorded October 15th 2025. The Trinity Long Room Hub is delighted to welcome author and historian William Dalrymple to present the 2025 Edmund Burke Lecture, entitled 'The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire', which is supported by a generous endowment in honour of Padraic Fallon by his family. About William Dalrymple William Dalrymple is one of Britain's great historians and the bestselling author of the Wolfson Prize-winning White Mughals, The Last Mughal, which won the Duff Cooper Prize, and the Hemingway and Kapuściński award-winning Return of a King. His book, The Anarchy, was long-listed for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2019, and shortlisted for the Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History, the Tata Book of the Year (Non-fiction) and the Historical Writers Association Book Award 2020. It was a Finalist for the Cundill Prize for History and won the 2020 Arthur Ross Bronze Medal from the US Council on Foreign Relations. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a revolutionary new history of the diffusion of Indian art, religions, technology, astronomy, music, dance, literature, mathematics and mythology, along a Golden Road that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific. A frequent broadcaster, he has written and presented three television series, one of which won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary Series at BAFTA. He is the co-host of the Empire podcast, which explores the intricate stories of revolutions, imperial wars, and the people who built and lost empires. He has also won the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award, The Sunday Times Young British Writer of the Year Award, the Foreign Correspondent of the Year at the FPA Media Awards, and been awarded five honorary doctorates. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and has held visiting fellowships at Princeton, Brown and Oxford. He writes regularly for the New York Review of Books, the New Yorker, and the Guardian. In 2018, he was presented with the prestigious President's Medal by the British Academy for his outstanding literary achievement and for co-founding the Jaipur Literature Festival. He was named one of the world's top 50 thinkers for 2020 by Prospect. Learn more at www.tcd.ie/trinitylongroomhub

In The Glory Due His Name, Megan J. Conner reminds us that in a world obsessed with the artificial, it’s easy to lose sight of the majesty of God’s creation. Drawing from Psalm 29:2–4, this devotional calls believers to lift their eyes from the screens and distractions of daily life and return to authentic worship—to “ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name.” Highlights In a world filled with man-made distractions, we often overlook God’s true glory in creation. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, we easily forget God’s faithfulness and miracles when we focus on worldly comforts. God’s handiwork is all around us—every breath, seed, and heartbeat declares His majesty. Worship is not just a Sunday activity; it’s a daily act of remembrance and gratitude for God’s provision and redemption. We are called to lift our gaze, turn from distractions, and proclaim His greatness to the world. Join the Conversation How do you intentionally worship God in your daily life? Share your reflections and inspire others to glorify Him amid life’s noise. Tag @LifeAudioNetwork and use #AscribeGlory #WorthyIsTheLord #FaithInAction to join the conversation.

October 19, 2025 (Pastor Casey Shutt) - A sermon considering Israel's dramatic crossing of the Red Sea from Exodus 14.

Obedience is partnership with God. In this powerful fourth message of the "Immeasurably More" vision series, Pastor Ryan reveals why God sometimes asks us to move before He shows us how and reminds us that what feels like silence might actually be God waiting for your yes. From the Red Sea moment to a compelling testimony about overcoming church hurt and financial mistrust, this teaching will challenge you to stop waiting for perfect clarity and start walking in faith. Whether you've been stuck asking God to move while He's been waiting for you to move, or you're wrestling with taking the first step without seeing the whole path—this message is packed with biblical truth, honest conviction, and the power of obedience. The miracle in your life doesn't meet you where you sit. It meets you where you step. Scripture Reference: Exodus 14:15-19 Big Idea: God's ability to do immeasurably more has never been the issue—our availability to partner with Him is. Move before you see, and God will move in power. Key Quote: "Obedience doesn't just activate God's power in our life. It also activates his protection and his provision. When we'll have the courage to move in obedience, he moves into position." ⸻ Topics in this Message: The difference between able and available: God's power vs. our partnership Why God sometimes stays silent when He's actually waiting for your yes How to shift perspective: stop looking at what's chasing you, focus on who's leading you The ordinary staff becomes extraordinary when obedience touches it Stretching before seeing: faith in action How obedience activates God's protection and provision From "What can I afford?" to "How will I stretch?" - Reframing commitment +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Pastor Daniel emphasizes God's call for believers to move forward in faith and obedience, illustrating through Israel's Red Sea crossing and Elisha's journey from Gilgal to Jordan how each step—circumcision, meeting with God, righteousness, and death to self—leads to deeper consecration, anointing, and entrance into God's promises.

Should we believe in miracles? If so, why are they so rare? Why doesn't God intervene more often? And is there anything we can do to get more miracles? These are some of the core questions we will explore this Sunday as we continue our study of the life of Moses and come to one of the Bible's most spectacular miracles -- the parting of the Red Sea.

After crossing the Red Sea, Moses and Miriam lead Israel in an act of creative, holistic worship, showing us that creativity is a natural response to God, rooted in story, ripe with imagery, and rekindling hope for all that God is yet to do.

Sometimes, we head off in our own direction - and then we discover, at some point, that we've strayed so far away from God's plans for our lives. We've all done it. You have, I have. And yet the amazing thing is that God always, always provides us with a way back home. Always.   Israel's Dilemma Over these last few weeks on Christianityworks, we've been looking at what it means to take God at His Word. Sometimes it can seem that God's promises are just too good to be true. An abundant life full of blessing and we think, “Oh, yea – right!” But it also seems that some people who meet Jesus end up living out this abundant life of blessing, and well, others don't. Why is that? I believe that one of the key factors of living a victorious life through our relationship with Jesus Christ is taking God at His Word. Because when we see all the troubles of life; when we see the struggles of life, sometimes it's just too good to be true. Today we are going to look at overcoming adversity, by taking God at His Word and it's a special kind of adversity – it's an adversity that we bring on ourselves, because sometimes we go through tough times as a direct consequence of our own actions and choices and behaviours. Bad choices, wrong motives, wrong thoughts, wrong behaviour have consequences. If I spend too much money on my credit card there are going to be financial consequences. If my wife Jacqui and I don't spend time together, there are going to be consequences in our relationship. We have to live out those consequences and a number of times through the Bible we see this principal “as we sow, so shall we reap”. It's a spiritual, emotional and physical principal that free choice has consequences and we have this good and loving Father who lets us bear the consequences of our sin. The sin of gluttony – if we eat too much, we put on weight, we get lethargic, we get disease. What we eat and how we eat has a direct impact on our lives. There's a cause and effect relationship – as we sow so shall we reap. And sometimes our own choices and decisions bring us to a place of adversity. Now, please, it's not always like that. If you read the story of the blind man – the man who was blind from birth, in John's Gospel, chapter 9. Here was this man who was blind from birth and the disciples said to Jesus, “Well, who sinned - this man, his parents? What sin caused this man to be blind?” And Jesus said, “It's no one's fault; there's no sin. This guy is blind so that I could heal him.” And as I look back on my life, it's certainly true. Sometimes I have done things that have brought consequences on my life, and have brought times of adversity. Sometimes it wasn't my fault at all but today we are going to look at that specific form of adversity that comes when we are living out the consequences of our own sin. And when we are in that place; when we are in that place of adversity, how do we get out of it, how do we deal with that? What is God's way? What is God's wisdom for us? We are going to go to the last book of the Old Testament – the Book of Malachi, chapter 3 and we will be looking at specifically verses 6 through 12, so if you have a Bible, go and grab it, open it up – it's the last book before Matthew's Gospel. It's a short book – only a few pages long, and we are going to see the relevance of how God provides us with the road back. Now in this particular passage, (you may have heard this passage a lot of times in your church) we are going to read just right now, verses 8 through 12. And it says this: Will anyone rob God, yet you are robbing me? But you say, “How are we robbing you? And God answers: “In your tithes and offerings. You're accursed with a curse for you are robbing me; the whole nation on you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house and thus put me to the test,” says the Lord of Hosts. “See if I won't open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. I'll rebuke the locusts for you so that it will not destroy the produce of you're soil and your vine in the field shall not be barren,” says the Lord of Hosts. “Then all the nations will count you happy for you will be a land of delight.” says the Lord of Hosts. Now in a lot of churches you hear that particular verse quoted and it says something like this, “If you tithe your income; that is if you give a tenth of your income to church, then God will open the windows of heaven and bless you. Now there is truth in that because there is a spiritual principle that "as we sow, so shall we reap", and if we sow abundantly into God's Kingdom then God will bless us abundantly. The problem is that we can take this verse on its own out of context, and all of a sudden God becomes like a slot machine. You know, we put a coin in and we pull the handle and the money flows out the bottom, and that's not what God intended because this passage comes in a particular context; it comes in the context where Israel was supposed to be getting blessed. You know, they started off with the promise of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and Jacob had twelve boys and the whole of that family ended up in Egypt and they grew into a large nation and God took them out of slavery through the Red Sea, through the exodus of forty years in the desert into the Promised Land – the land that He had promised to Abraham. They went through a time where Judges ruled the land and then kings and then Israel split into two nations and because they were unfaithful. In 586 BC, the Babylonian empire overran Jerusalem, destroyed them, took them into captivity for seventy years and then God brought them back after the seventy years. Now the exiles were turned back and you'd think they'd have it all sorted out by then, but they continued on with their failure to obey God. There's several wonderful pictures in the Books of Haggai and Zachariah, that once they come back from their Babylonian captivity that God will bless them - you know, God will pour out His blessing on this land, material prosperity. If you look at Zachariah chapter 8 verses 1 to 8, there's this sense of the captives streaming back into this land of abundance. Yet, the completion of the temple – they rebuilt that – it hasn't ushered in all this blessing. They had an expectation of blessing but instead of blessing, there's Persian domination; there are hostile foreigners, there are plagues, there are droughts, there are locusts – it's that like our Christian walk? God promises this enormous blessing and sometimes we turn around and say, “But, hang on a minute, this isn't a blessing at all – this is hell – all these bad things are happening to me. God, why are these bad things happening? What's going wrong? We are going to have a look at exactly what God tells Israel, next.   God's Perspective Well, there was Israel; they were back in the Promised Land again. They'd had prophesy after prophesy of blessing and all of a sudden they discover – they turn around and say, “Life is actually awful. Life is not going well at all.” Have a look what Malachi writes in chapter 3 verses 13 to 15: You have spoken harsh words against me, says the Lord, yet you say, “How have we spoken against you? You've said it is vain to serve God, what do we profit by keeping His command or by going about as mourners before the Lord of Hosts? Now we count the arrogant happy; evil doers only prosper but when they put God to the test, they escape. In other words, things were not going as well for Israel as they expected from the prophesies that they had been given. Now Malachi is the last of the Minor Prophets, the last book of the Hebrew Canon – the Old Testament and it's a monologue from God. It's God's perspective; God points them to the problem and He gives them the solution. And here's the problem – let's just move quickly through the Book of Malachi and have a look what God says. In chapter 1 verse 2, He says this: “I've loved you,” says the Lord, “but you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother,” says the Lord, “Yet I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau. I have made his hill country desolation and his heritage a desert for jackals.” God says ‘I have preferred you;' when He says ‘I have loved Jacob,' He is saying ‘I have loved you.' God says, “I love you, yet you show contempt for God's love.” And then you look further down, in verse 6, and He says: Look, a son honours his father, and servants their master. If I then am a Father, where is the honour due to me and if I am your master, where is the respect due to me? , says the Lord of Hosts, to you. O priest who despise my name. You say, “How have we despised you name?” By offering polluted food on your alter and you say, “How have we polluted it?" By thinking that the Lord's Table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, isn't that wrong? Oh, that someone among you would shut the temple doors so that you would not kindle the fire on my alter in vain. They weren't putting God first – they weren't giving God their best. The whole sacrificial system was set up so that animals would be sacrificed – a blood sacrifice – to atone for sin. Now we don't go through that any more because Jesus is our blood sacrifice; Jesus died for us. We are forgiven through that sacrifice but that wasn't the case back then and God had commanded them to give their best – their first fruits, their best animals, their best food in sacrifice. And these people were giving God their second best or their third best and worse than that, the priests were bored. Look at verse 13: “What a weariness this is,” you say and sniff at me, says the Lord. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick and this you bring as an offering? And further down, in chapter 2: And now, oh priest, this command is for you, if you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to me, says the Lord of Hosts, then I will send a curse on you and I will curse your blessing and indeed, I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart. They're hearts weren't in it. They were going through religious rituals without ever really thinking about it and the population followed them. In verses 8 and 9, it says this: But you've turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble in your instruction; you've corrupted the promise of Levi, says the Lord of Hosts and so I make you despised and abased before all the people inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but you have shown partiality in your instruction. So God's people have been through this enormous thing as a nation, where Jerusalem was destroyed and burnt down; for seventy years they were in captivity; they come back. Wouldn't you think they would have learnt their lesson? Wouldn't you think they'd have it all sorted out? No! No, no. they do the same thing over and over again and then look what happens – verse 13 of chapter 2: And this you do as well: you cover the Lord's alter with tears, with weeping and groaning because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favour at your hand and you ask, “Why doesn't He?" Because the Lord was a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did not God make her? Both flesh and Spirit are His and what does God desire? Godly offspring. So look to yourselves and do not let anyone be faithless to the wife of his youth. For I hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel, and covering one's garments with violence, says the Lord of Hosts, so take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless. He is talking to a faithless nation – people were getting divorced, they were being unfaithful to their wives, they weren't honouring God, they weren't putting Him first and surprise, surprise – God didn't bless them!! Surprise, surprise, they were not living in the blessing that God had planned for them. The problem, according to God is sin and God says, “You wonder why you are not being blessed.” And they're thinking, “Has God taken a holiday; can't He cope with us? Doesn't God want to bless me? Why are the locusts eating our food, what's going on? And God says, “It's not my faithfulness that's at stake here, it's yours. I chose you; I uphold you and I continue to bless you. I chose you, I uphold you and the only reason you are still alive is because I am the same.” Look at what He says in chapter 3 verse 6. For I the Lord your God do not change, therefore you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. The only reason I haven't destroyed you is because I made a promise to Abraham and to Isaac – I promised to bless their offspring and you are their offspring. If I hadn‘t made that promise, I would have destroyed you by now. The problem is your sin; your imperfect offerings, not the best fruits, not the first fruits, the second, the third and the forth fruits. You're bored with me; you're unfaithful and we do that sometimes in our Christian walk too. We're a living sacrifice – we don't give God our best, we get bored with God, we stop reading God's Word, we stop praying, we stop enjoying His presence and we chase after other gods and we chase after worldly ideals and God says, “What's the matter with you? Are you surprised that you are not being blessed? The most important thing for God is the relationship that we have – He takes it so seriously – His Son died to give us that and we race off and we do other things and we wonder why God isn't blessing us. We are living through the consequences of our own sin, of our own rejection, of our own rebellion of God, and because the relationship is so important to God, He won't let the blessing flow while we're doing that. It's His way of giving us a wakeup call; it's His way of bringing us back home; it's His way of saying, “I love you”, so when we're living through the consequences of our sin, can I encourage you to hear those words in the middle of that – “I love you so much, I'll let you live through those consequences.” Well, God made a road back for Israel and we are now going to look at what that road looks like.   The Way Home We are looking at this whole dilemma of what happens when we live out the consequences of our rebellion of God and this is where we pick up the answer. God looks at Israel through this Book of Malachi and says, “You people have forsaken me, despite every thing you've been through in the Babylonian captivity. You haven't learned, you're not putting me first, you're not honouring me, you're just going through a religious mumbo-jumbo and routine, but really, your hearts not in it and I want your heart, and until your hearts in it, well, you are not going to be blessed by me.” And the people rightly go, “well, what are we going to do about it?” In fact they ask that question in the Book of Malachi. Let's look at it – beginning at chapter 3 verse 7. Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them, says the Lord. Return to me and I will return to you, says the Lord of Hosts, but you say, “How shall we return?” This is the crux of this whole small Book of Malachi. They've left God and God says, “I want to be with you; I want to bless you; I want to spend time with you, come back to me and I will come back to you.” God always, "always" wants to have a relationship with us. There's never a time where God says, “Well, you know, I know this person believes in me but they've been so bad, I'm never going to spend any time with them again. I'm going to reject them.” NO! Because He sent Jesus to die for me; He sent Jesus to die for you. There is never a time where God rejects us in this life. And here the people say, “Well, ok, ok! We know that we've done the wrong thing. We know we've failed. We know we've gone in the wrong direction. Um, but now what? How do we come back to you? You say, “How shall we return to you?” and in answer to that question, this is what God says. This passage about tithing that we read earlier on. He said, “Will any one rob God? Yet you are robbing me.” Isn't it interesting? “How shall we return to you?” And God points to one thing that they are doing wrong. “Will anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, how are you robbing me? In your tithes and your offerings! You are cursed with a curse because you are robbing me - the whole nation of you.” You see part of the Mosaic Law; part of the law of Israel; part of the law of what we call the Old Testament today, was that every one of God's people had to give one tenth of their income to God's work. It was called a tithe; a tenth; it was part of the law. It was almost ... well it was, it was exactly like, we have to pay taxes today and if I avoid my taxes, the Tax Office will come after me and ultimately I can be fined or put into jail – it's against the law and Israel was breaking God's law by not giving God the tenth; the tithe, that was due to Him and God said, “You're robbing me.” Now they were doing a whole bunch of other things wrong too – we read it before; they weren't putting God first, their heart wasn't in it, they were just going through the actions, they were being unfaithful, husbands and wives, but God just picks one thing out of that in answer to the question, “How shall we return?” God says, “This is the one thing I want you to do. I'm not going to get you to fix everything and all your mistakes and all your sin and all your rebellion at once, I'm just going to pick one thing. Start tithing again, bring the full tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Sow seed while things aren't going well, because things weren't going well – locusts were eating their food. They didn't have a lot to spare. “Bring the full tithe into my storehouse, that there may be food in my house and thus put me to the test,” says the Lord of Hosts, “See if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour out for you an overflowing blessing.” How can we come home? “Just do this one thing – just obey me because loving me is obedience – obedience that you can actually cope with.” Don't you love that about God? We may have a problem in one area of our life but God knows who we are, what we can cope with, so He may choose something quite different, in another area, and says, “Be obedient in this area, that I know you can cope with and when you have been obedient there; when you're working there, that bit that I have put my finger on through my Spirit and my Word, when that's working, just watch and I'll bless you. And then as I am blessing you, there are lots of other things that we are going to deal with too, but I know you can't deal with those now, so just deal with this one issue.” I think that's awesome! And then God says, “I'll rebuke the locusts, I'll make sure they don't destroy your food, I'll make sure that the vine isn't barren, that the windows of heaven will be open and my blessing will pour out. That's God's love - that's God's encouragement because God rewards our faithfulness. No father will bless a child that is not being faithful. Dad wants to bless us, but He wants more than that – a relationship with us. That is just so awesome and look what it says down in verse 16 of chapter 3, just finishing up this discussion of God's blessing. Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another and the Lord took note and listened and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who revered the Lord and thought on His name. They shall be mine, says the Lord of Hosts; my special possession on the day when I act and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them. Wow! God wants to bless us but that blessing – that hand of blessing comes off our lives when we rebel against God, because more important than the blessing is the relationship. More that any thing, God wants to have a relationship with us and so if your traveling through a time in your life when you know that you are living the consequences of your own failures and your own sin, I would encourage you to do this - go to God and say, “Lord how shall I return?” And I promise that God will speak to you through His Spirit in the most amazing way and say, “Be obedient to me in just this one area of your life and put me to the test. See if I won't open the windows of heaven and pour out all my blessings on you.” It's time to take God at His Word.

Kate Adie presents stories from Israel and Egypt, Haiti, Italy and Ireland.President Trump received a hero's welcome when he landed in Israel this week, following his central role in brokering the Gaza ceasefire and hostage exchange deal. He also flew into the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh, where he declared ‘an historical turning point' to the gathered world leaders. Tom Bateman travelled with the president on Air Force One.Mr Trump was short on detail when it came to how peace will proceed over the coming weeks, months - and years. That leaves the question: what happens next? Jeremy Bowen reflects on this moment in the region's long history – and wonders if there will ever be reconciliation.In Haiti, armed criminal gangs still have a firm grip on the capital's impoverished neighbourhoods. On a recent visit, Jasmin Dyer saw the ruined communities the gangs have left in their wake, and met some of the young victims of their brutality.Last month a London-born boy became the first millennial saint. Carlo Acutis died of leukaemia aged 15, but in his short life he built websites documenting miracles as a means of spreading Catholic teaching – and became known as 'God's influencer'. Isabella Redmayne met pilgrims in the hilltop town of Assisi.And it's perhaps a bit of a cliché when travelling to the US for locals to boast of their ancestry – part English, part German, part Scots and, more often than not, part Irish. On a recent visit to Ireland's south coast, James Helm bumped into some trans-Atlantic travellers and learned more about the country's enduring international appeal.Series Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinator: Rosie Strawbridge Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Summary of Sermon – Joshua Session 3 Text Focus: Joshua chapters 3–5 — Israel's crossing of the Jordan River, covenant renewal, and Joshua's encounter with the Lord. 1. Crossing the Jordan: Following God's Presence Joshua leads Israel to the Jordan River as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. The ark of the covenant symbolizes God's presence and direction. The people are instructed to keep a reverent distance and follow where they have not been before — a metaphor for trusting God's leadership into new seasons. Emphasis: Check with God before acting, as David did. Without divine guidance, human wisdom leads to destruction. 2. Sanctification and Preparation Joshua tells the people to sanctify themselves—prepare their hearts before encountering God. Spiritual application: many believers fail in preparation; we rush to worship or prayer without focus. Encourage deliberate quieting of the heart before God. 3. The Miracle and Memorial When the priests step into the Jordan, the waters stop—a new generation witnesses God's power, as their parents did at the Red Sea. Twelve stones are taken from the river to build a memorial at Gilgal, a lasting reminder of God's faithfulness. Application: Tell your children what God has done; leave spiritual testimonies, not just material inheritances. Forgetting the cost leads to complacency—just as people forget the price paid for freedom or salvation. 4. Covenant Renewal at Gilgal God commands the new generation to be circumcised, renewing the covenant their fathers neglected. Gilgal means “rolled away”—God rolls away the reproach of Egypt. Spiritual meaning: God circumcises our hearts, removing spiritual blindness. Revival is not for the lost (“unvived”) but for believers to be revived—to renew their first love. 5. Transition of Provision After the Passover, the manna ceases, and Israel eats the fruit of Canaan. Message: God changes seasons—He may not move in the same way He once did. Mature believers learn to hear the still small voice, not depend on grand emotional experiences. 6. The Divine Encounter Joshua meets the Commander of the Lord's army—a divine or pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. He is told to remove his sandals, as Moses did at the burning bush, for he stands on holy ground. Application: The deepest encounters with God often happen alone, not in crowds. God desires one-on-one time with His people—to reveal Himself personally and intimately. 7. Final Exhortation Make room for personal encounters with God, beyond church gatherings. Strength, joy, and peace flow from direct relationship with Christ. No one—not even loved ones—can take the place of Jesus in bringing joy or fulfillment. Closing Prayer A call for God's people to keep Him first, walk closely with His Spirit, and regularly make time for intimate communion with Him—away from distraction.

The Cardinals face the Packers at home on Sunday, but will do so with a four-game losing streak and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the lineup. Jess and Seth look at what the Packers have done this season, look at the keys and matchups for the Cardinals to win. They also make their game predictions and talk about the bet prop bets from the game. 

The Cardinals return home in Week 7 to play the Packers for the second year in a row. Packers Wire writer Mark Oldacres joins Jess on the show to preview the game, talking about the Packers' season so far, keys and matchups for the game and picks and predictions. 

This message by Dr. Bobby Allen, is a sermon or devotional text centered on the biblical principle of letting go of the past and striving toward future purpose, largely drawing from Philippians 3:13. The author emphasizes that God is calling believers to move forward despite past failures or setbacks, asserting that the past should not control your present or dictate your future. To accomplish this, the text advises believers that You Must Reach Forward with Faith, likening this action to the effort shown by the Israelites at the Red Sea. The core message stresses that Forward Is the Direction of Purpose, requiring God's Strength to overcome weariness and reminding readers that Your past is not your future.

The Cardinals lost for the fourth straight game, this time to the Indianapolis Colts. Jacoby Brissett started for the Cardinals at quarterback and played well. The offense played better than it had previously, but the defense failed again. Jess and Seth talk about Brissett's play, the offense, the defense and whether there is or should be a quarterback controversy. 

Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Morning by Morning, New Mercies #RTTBROS #Nightlight"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." — Lamentations 3:22-23Some of the most beautiful songs come from the darkest places. Take the hymn "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." You'd think it was written during some mountaintop experience, some season of overwhelming blessing. But the scripture it's based on, Lamentations 3, was written by Jeremiah while watching Jerusalem burn.Let me paint you the picture: Jeremiah had spent forty years warning God's people to turn from their sin. Nobody listened. Now he's sitting in the rubble of his destroyed city, everything he'd known and loved reduced to ashes. And in the middle of that absolute devastation, he writes these words about God's faithfulness.Thomas Chisholm, who wrote the hymn in 1923, understood something of life's difficulties. He struggled with poor health most of his life and wasn't writing from a place of prosperity or ease. He was writing from lived experience, from having watched God prove faithful morning after morning, year after year, even when circumstances were hard.Here's what I love about this hymn: it's not about dramatic miracles or huge interventions. Look at the words: "Morning by morning new mercies I see." Not once in a lifetime. Not occasionally when things get really bad. Morning by morning. Every single day. It's the faithfulness of God in the ordinary moments, the daily provision, the steady presence that never wavers.I think sometimes we're looking for God to show up in the earthquake, the fire, the mighty wind, and we miss Him in the still small voice. We're waiting for the Red Sea to part when God's already providing manna for today."All I have needed Thy hand hath provided." That's a testimony to God's faithful provision of exactly what we need, when we need it. Not always what we want. Not always what we ask for. But what we need.I'm reminded of God's promise to the Israelites in the wilderness. He gave them manna every morning, enough for that day. God was teaching them to trust Him day by day, morning by morning. That's hard for us, isn't it? We want next week figured out, next month secured, next year planned. But God says, "Trust Me for today."Jeremiah was right when he wrote those words in Lamentations, and Chisholm was right when he turned them into this hymn, and it's still true today. God's faithfulness hasn't diminished one bit. His mercies are still new every morning. His compassions still don't fail. And great, truly great, is His faithfulness.So whatever you're facing today, remember: you don't need strength for next week's trial. You just need what God has for you this morning. And guess what? It's already there, fresh and new, waiting for you like manna on the ground.Prayer:Father, thank You that Your faithfulness never wavers, never fails. Help us to see Your mercies new every morning, to recognize Your provision in the ordinary moments, and to trust Your faithfulness even when circumstances are hard. Give us eyes to see all You've already given, and hearts that rest in Your unchanging nature. In Jesus' name, Amen.Be sure to Like, Share, Follow and subscribe it helps get the word out.https://linktr.ee/rttbros

Just as God parted the Red Sea for Israel, He is still delivering His people today! Pastor Corey Erman teaches how the anointing of the Holy Spirit breaks chains and brings supernatural freedom. “He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.” - Psalm 18:16To support this ministry and help us reach the nations with revival visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠RiverWPB.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or text GIVE and any amount to (855) 968-3708.

HEADLINE: The Houthis: Status of Attacks and Ideology GUEST NAMES: Bridget Toomey, Bill Roggio SUMMARY: Houthi attacks on Israel and the Red Sea have recently quieted down, with their leader instructing a temporary cessation following the Gaza ceasefire. The group, whose motto includes "Death to America, Death to Israel," maintains an ideological commitment to fighting Israel long term. They act independently of Arab countries, focusing instead on their own interests and those of Iran. 1957

CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE DISARMING OF HAMAS... 10-13-25 FIRST HOUR 9-915 HEADLINE: Escalating Border Conflict Between Pakistan and Afghanistan GUEST NAMES: Bill Roggio, Husain Haqqani SUMMARY: A major border conflict has erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan, resulting in significant casualties and air strikes. The tension is rooted in the Afghan Taliban supporting the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and historical issues over the Durand Line. Pakistan views the Afghan Taliban as ungrateful clients, threatening Pakistan's stability. 915-930 HEADLINE: Escalating Border Conflict Between Pakistan and Afghanistan GUEST NAMES: Bill Roggio, Husain Haqqani SUMMARY: A major border conflict has erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan, resulting in significant casualties and air strikes. The tension is rooted in the Afghan Taliban supporting the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) and historical issues over the Durand Line. Pakistan views the Afghan Taliban as ungrateful clients, threatening Pakistan's stability. 930-945 HEADLINE: Iran's Isolation and Weakening "Axis of Resistance" Post-Gaza Ceasefire GUEST NAMES: Janatyn Sayeh, Bill Roggio SUMMARY: Tehran is in a tough spot concerning the Gaza ceasefire because stability does not work in its favor, contradicting its strategy of regional destabilization. Iran skipped the Cairo peace summit, demonstrating its isolated diplomatic position. Experts note that the Iranian-led "axis of resistance" (including Hezbollah and Iraqi PMF factions) is severely weakened due to sanctions and cash flow reductions. 945-1000 HEADLINE: Iran's Isolation and Weakening "Axis of Resistance" Post-Gaza Ceasefire GUEST NAMES: Janatyn Sayeh, Bill Roggio SUMMARY: Tehran is in a tough spot concerning the Gaza ceasefire because stability does not work in its favor, contradicting its strategy of regional destabilization. Iran skipped the Cairo peace summit, demonstrating its isolated diplomatic position. Experts note that the Iranian-led "axis of resistance" (including Hezbollah and Iraqi PMF factions) is severely weakened due to sanctions and cash flow reductions. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 HEADLINE: US Intelligence, Tomahawks, and Escalation in the Ukraine War GUEST NAMES: John Hardie, Bill Roggio SUMMARY: The US is considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, potentially facilitating strikes on Russian energy nodes using US intelligence. While Russia warns of escalation, experts believe their response will likely be strengthening air defense rather than direct conflict with NATO. Ukrainian officials are urgently seeking air defense systems due to increasing Russian missile and drone production. 1015-1030 HEADLINE: US Intelligence, Tomahawks, and Escalation in the Ukraine War GUEST NAMES: John Hardie, Bill Roggio SUMMARY: The US is considering providing Ukraine with long-range Tomahawk missiles, potentially facilitating strikes on Russian energy nodes using US intelligence. While Russia warns of escalation, experts believe their response will likely be strengthening air defense rather than direct conflict with NATO. Ukrainian officials are urgently seeking air defense systems due to increasing Russian missile and drone production. 1030-1045 HEADLINE: US Response to China's Rare Earth Threat and Stockpiling GUEST NAMES: Victoria Coates, Gordon Chang SUMMARY: China injected the rare earths threat into trade talks, a serious move given they supply 70% of US needs and US stockpiles are low. President Trump responded with 100% tariffs but later sought an off-ramp. Experts stress the urgent need for the US to develop a domestic supply and a national stockpile, similar to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, to counter future Chinese blackmail. 1045-1100 HEADLINE: China's Desperate Rare Earth Export Curbs and Economic Collapse GUEST NAMES: Alan Tonelson, Gordon Chang SUMMARY: China's sweeping curbs on rare earth exports are described as a desperate "hail mary" heave, risking severe economic damage, particularly given the collapse of its property bubble and external pressures. Experts agree China is undergoing a major deflationary spiral, and this move ironically contradicts the globalization from which it prospered. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 HEADLINE: China's Aggressive Ramming Policy in the South China Sea GUEST NAMES: Captain James Fanell, Gordon Chang SUMMARY: The purposeful ramming of a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries vessel by a massive Chinese Coast Guard cutter is part of a consistent CCP strategy to claim total control over the South China Sea. Experts warn that this aggressive pattern will continue unless the US takes stronger action, such as having Navy and Coast Guard vessels escort Filipino ships, bolstering support for its treaty ally. 1115-1130 HEADLINE: China's Aggressive Ramming Policy in the South China Sea GUEST NAMES: Captain James Fanell, Gordon Chang SUMMARY: The purposeful ramming of a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries vessel by a massive Chinese Coast Guard cutter is part of a consistent CCP strategy to claim total control over the South China Sea. Experts warn that this aggressive pattern will continue unless the US takes stronger action, such as having Navy and Coast Guard vessels escort Filipino ships, bolstering support for its treaty ally. 1130-1145 HEADLINE: Analysis of Political Speech and "Dark Passions" in American Politics GUEST NAME: Peter Berkowitz SUMMARY: Peter Berkowitz discusses William Galston's book on "dark passions" (anger, fear, domination), asserting that President Biden's rhetoric characterizing MAGA Republicans as a threat exemplifies this concept. Galston views Donald Trump as a new kind of politician who aggressively appeals to these passions. The current spiral of rhetorical extremism and lawfare destabilizes American politics; restoring civic education is recommended to combat this. 1145-1200 HEADLINE: Analysis of Political Speech and "Dark Passions" in American Politics GUEST NAME: Peter Berkowitz SUMMARY: Peter Berkowitz discusses William Galston's book on "dark passions" (anger, fear, domination), asserting that President Biden's rhetoric characterizing MAGA Republicans as a threat exemplifies this concept. Galston views Donald Trump as a new kind of politician who aggressively appeals to these passions. The current spiral of rhetorical extremism and lawfare destabilizes American politics; restoring civic education is recommended to combat this. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 HEADLINE: Critical Analysis of the Gaza Hostage Exchange and Path to Peace GUEST NAME: John Bolton SUMMARY: The Gaza hostage exchange deal is criticized for lacking a path to the necessary Hamas disarmament, raising doubts about the plan's next stages. The release of 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many hardened by prison, significantly boosts radicalism. Iran, responsible for arming Hamas, is likely to continue supporting terrorist proxies if it revives its nuclear program. 1215-1230 HEADLINE: The Houthis: Status of Attacks and Ideology GUEST NAMES: Bridget Toomey, Bill Roggio SUMMARY: Houthi attacks on Israel and the Red Sea have recently quieted down, with their leader instructing a temporary cessation following the Gaza ceasefire. The group, whose motto includes "Death to America, Death to Israel," maintains an ideological commitment to fighting Israel long term. They act independently of Arab countries, focusing instead on their own interests and those of Iran. 1230-1245 HEADLINE: Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado and the Future of Venezuela GUEST NAMES: Ernesto Araújo, Alejandro Peña Esclusa SUMMARY: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize for her courage against the dictatorship, inspiring Latin America. She believes liberation requires US military support against the powerful drug cartel regime. After Maduro leaves, $1.7 trillion in investment is needed, along with food and medicine, to reconstruct the nation suffering the largest Latin American humanitarian crisis. 1245-100 AM HEADLINE: Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado and the Future of Venezuela GUEST NAMES: Ernesto Araújo, Alejandro Peña Esclusa SUMMARY: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize for her courage against the dictatorship, inspiring Latin America. She believes liberation requires US military support against the powerful drug cartel regime. After Maduro leaves, $1.7 trillion in investment is needed, along with food and medicine, to reconstruct the nation suffering the largest Latin American humanitarian crisis.V

The Cardinals are still looking for answers after a 31-27 loss to the Colts on Sunday, their fourth straight defeat. Backup QB Jacoby Brissett, filling in for the injured Kyler Murray, led the offense to 400 total yards, but it wasn't enough. Craig Grialou, Paul Calvisi, and Zach Gershman break down the strong offensive showing and examine the defense's ongoing fourth-quarter struggles. They also preview Sunday's matchup against the Green Bay Packers at State Farm Stadium.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

He's a Blue Dot in a Red Sea. It's Howard and he's back direct from rural Minnesota. Let's get into it.

He's a Blue Dot in a Red Sea. It's Howard and he's back direct from rural Minnesota. Let's get into it.

As we celebrate 50 years of God's unwavering faithfulness at Willow, Pastor Shawn Williams invites us to reflect on all God has done and boldly trust Him for what's ahead. Just like Joshua, we step into new beginnings with our eyes fixed firmly on God's limitless power, not our own. The same God who parted the Red Sea and the Jordan River is leading us today, filling us with confidence that His faithfulness then guarantees His faithfulness now—because the God who has done it before will do it again!

We enter in the final years of Afonso de Albuquerque as he continues his master strategy to bring the Indian Ocean under Portuguese control. He heads west to subdue the Red Sea and the Persian gulf. In doing so, he earns his title "The Lion of the Sea"   PLEASE LEAVE A RATING AND REVIEW ON APPLE PODCASTS!  Flash Point History YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTYmTYuan0fSGccYXBxc8cA Contribute on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FPHx Leave some feedback: flashpointhistory@gmail.com Follow along on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FLASHPOINTHX/ Engage on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlashpointHx

PREVIEW HEADLINE: Egypt's Populist Stance vs. National Interest and the Red Sea Crisis GUEST NAME: Hussain Abdel-Hussain SUMMARY: John Batchelor speaks with Hussain Abdel-Hussain about Egypt as a problem for itself, standing by while the war continued. Driven by populism rather than national interest, Egypt failed to open borders for Gazans or force Hamas to surrender. This inaction saw Egypt's Suez Canal income halved due to Houthi Red Sea actions.