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Rudolf IV of Habsburg (1339–1365), son of Albrecht “the Wise,” reigned as Duke of Austria for just seven years but left a lasting mark. Born when the dynasty seemed close to extinction, Rudolf secured Austria's survival and prestige. Politically, he sought to elevate Vienna by founding the University of Vienna (1365) and beginning construction of St. Stephen's Cathedral. Though he fulfilled his father's ambition to gain the Tyrol, the family fell behind their rivals, namely the Luxemburgs.Rudolf's most audacious act was the Privilegium Maius, a set of forged charters claiming ancient Roman emperors had granted Austria near-sovereign status, primogeniture, and the unique title of Archduke. Though denounced by Petrarch as absurd, the documents shaped Habsburg identity for centuries and underpinned later power.By creating myths of divine and heroic origins, Rudolf forged a sense of Habsburg exceptionalism. Though dying young without heirs, he truly was “the Founder.”The music for the show is Flute Sonata in E-flat major, H.545 by Carl Phillip Emmanuel Bach (or some claim it as BWV 1031 Johann Sebastian Bach) performed and arranged by Michel Rondeau under Common Creative Licence 3.0.As always:Homepage with maps, photos, transcripts and blog: www.historyofthegermans.comIf you wish to support the show go to: Support • History of the Germans PodcastFacebook: @HOTGPod Threads: @history_of_the_germans_podcastBluesky: @hotgpod.bsky.socialInstagram: history_of_the_germansTwitter: @germanshistoryTo make it easier for you to share the podcast, I have created separate playlists for some of the seasons that are set up as individual podcasts. they have the exact same episodes as in the History of the Germans, but they may be a helpful device for those who want to concentrate on only one season. So far I have:The OttoniansSalian Emperors and Investiture ControversyFredrick Barbarossa and Early HohenstaufenFrederick II Stupor MundiSaxony and Eastward ExpansionThe Hanseatic LeagueThe Teutonic KnightsThe Holy Roman Empire...
Episode Description Episode Description Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you: https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/18272 Dear Friend, The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go. It's strategic. Every people group in our database has been vetted by researchers and field workers. These aren't randomly selected communities. They're the 100 largest frontier people groups, the populations with the least gospel access and the greatest potential for kingdom impact. It grows with your capacity. Whether you're adopting as a family, church, or organization, the commitment adjusts to what you can offer. Some will pray weekly. Others will fund translation projects. A few will end up moving to the field. All contributions matter. When you adopt a people group today, you'll receive: Immediate next steps for your specific adopted group A digital covenant card to mark your commitment Information about your frontier people group Regular updates as we develop more resources and connections Beyond the practical resources, you'll receive something harder to quantify: the knowledge that you're part of a strategic response to the most urgent spiritual need on our planet. The Batak people have been sending missionaries to unreached groups for decades now. Their story didn't end with their own transformation; it multiplied exponentially. Your adopted people group could be the next
Xoloft, Ibrance, Zocor, Mounjaro: How do drug companies come up with these names? That's exactly what we explored in this classic episode of Plain English.When a pharmaceutical company develops a new treatment, the company creates both the generic (scientific) name and the brand name. They sound weird, but there's a method behind the madness of naming prescription drugs.Full lesson: https://plainenglish.com/lessons/prescription-drug-names --Upgrade all your skills in English: Plain English is the best current-events podcast for learning English.You might be learning English to improve your career, enjoy music and movies, connect with family abroad, or even prepare for an international move. Whatever your reason, we'll help you achieve your goals in English.How it works: Listen to a new story every Monday and Thursday. They're all about current events, trending topics, and what's going on in the world. Get exposure to new words and ideas that you otherwise might not have heard in English.The audio moves at a speed that's right for intermediate English learners: just a little slower than full native speed. You'll improve your English listening, learn new words, and have fun thinking in English.--Did you like this episode? You'll love the full Plain English experience. Join today and unlock the fast (native-speed) version of this episode, translations in the transcripts, how-to video lessons, live conversation calls, and more. Tap/click: PlainEnglish.com/joinHere's where else you can find us: Instagram | YouTube | WhatsApp | EmailMentioned in this episode:Hard words? No problemNever be confused by difficult words in Plain English again! See translations of the hardest words and phrases from English to your language. Each episode transcript includes built-in translations into Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Turkish. Sign up for a free 14-day trial at PlainEnglish.com
Join Thomas for a coffee break, in which you'll have the chance to practise and improve your German over just 10 minutes!We're firing up the barbecue and learning all about the art of hosting a German Grillparty!
Join us for daily coverage of the Vuelta a España recorded on the road as the race makes its way from Turin to Madrid. Our daily coverage features race analysis, interviews and daily postcards from Spain. OUR SPONSORS, LLOYDS The Cycling Podcast is proudly supported by Lloyds. Last year, Lloyds began a multi-year partnership with British Cycling, which includes becoming title sponsors of the Lloyds Tour of Britain races for men and women. Lloyds also sponsors the Great Britain team and National Championships across a range of disciplines – road racing, track cycling, mountain biking, BMX and cyclo-cross. Thanks to sponsorship from Lloyds, The Cycling Podcast will be covering the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men with daily episodes for the first time. Check out the full route of the race on the British Cycling website. EPISODE SPONSORS Babbel Learn a language the fun, easy way with intuitive 15-minute lessons you can do when you want. Choose from 14 languages including Spanish, French, Italian and German. Listeners can get up to 60% off for a limited time only at babbel.com/tcp Follow us on social media: Twitter @cycling_podcast Instagram @thecyclingpodcast Friends of the Podcast Sign up as a Friend of the Podcast at thecyclingpodcast.com to listen to new special episodes every month plus a back catalogue of more than 300 exclusive episodes. The Cannibal & Badger Friends of the Podcast can join the discussion at our new virtual pub, The Cannibal & Badger. A friendly forum to talk about cycling and the podcast. Log in to your Friends of the Podcast account to join in. The 11.01 Cappuccino Our regular email newsletter is now on Substack. Subscribe here for frothy, full-fat updates to enjoy any time (as long as it's after 11am). The Cycling Podcast is on Strava The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.
learn how to say 'interesting' in German
This content argues that a new political and cultural battle is underway, with Donald Trump's law and order policies in Washington, D.C. at its center. The speaker praises Trump's actions, including a push to bring back the death penalty for murder in the capital, as part of a necessary cleanup of crime. The speaker then draws an international parallel, using the story of an American tourist allegedly attacked in Germany by an asylum seeker to illustrate a global trend. He asserts that European governments and sanctuary cities in the U.S. have allowed a culture of lawlessness to flourish, where high-value illegal immigrant voters are not held accountable. The speaker concludes by framing this as a deliberate, systematic program of terror against those who oppose the political left, with Trump being the only person standing in its way. The speaker also claims that a victim of the attack in Germany did not reach out to the man who saved her because of fears she would be prosecuted under German law for criticizing her attacker.
Episode Description Episode Description Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you: https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/16951/IN Dear Friend, The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go. It's strategic. Every people group in our database has been vetted by researchers and field workers. These aren't randomly selected communities. They're the 100 largest frontier people groups, the populations with the least gospel access and the greatest potential for kingdom impact. It grows with your capacity. Whether you're adopting as a family, church, or organization, the commitment adjusts to what you can offer. Some will pray weekly. Others will fund translation projects. A few will end up moving to the field. All contributions matter. When you adopt a people group today, you'll receive: Immediate next steps for your specific adopted group A digital covenant card to mark your commitment Information about your frontier people group Regular updates as we develop more resources and connections Beyond the practical resources, you'll receive something harder to quantify: the knowledge that you're part of a strategic response to the most urgent spiritual need on our planet. The Batak people have been sending missionaries to unreached groups for decades now. Their story didn't end with their own transformation; it multiplied exponentially. Your adopted people group could be the next
Colleges and universities have survived many challenges. In this episode, Ian McNeely joins us to discuss how public higher ed institutions continued to thrive despite the challenges of the Great Recession, low-quality online diploma mills, and the COVID pandemic. Ian is a Professor of History and Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, He specializes in German history and the history of knowledge. Ian is the author of The University Unfettered: Public Higher Education in an Age of Disruption, which examines how modern research universities responded to the disruptions in higher education between the Great Recession and COVID-19 and the lessons learned from these experiences. A transcript of this episode and show notes may be found at http://teaforteaching.com.
What a wild show this week. Kirk starts things off with a listener submitted story about how researchers created fake fiddler crabs to better understand sexual signaling. CRAB VIDEO: https://youtu.be/UOFtsJkiRmE?si=eWpbJzBPtIGCpb8I Our special guest Brett Sieberer then brings us the amazing story of a wasp that can consume enormous amounts of alcohol with seemingly no effects. Rachel then wraps up the show with a wild mystery in a German aquarium. Something lives there that has never been seen. Join us weekly for more strange nature. Our supporters on Patreon get every episode ad-free! Support us: patreon.com/strangebynature Email us: contact@strangebynaturepodcast.com Visit us at: strangebynaturepodcast.com where you can sign up for our episode emails.
German duo The Ironix turned a high school friendship and shared passion for DJing into a vibrant Afro and Latin house project. The Ironix are known for their high-energy pop-up shows, where they connect directly with fans. Their latest track “You” with Skales blends urban and dancey house, while their Spotlight Mix features remixes and edits from Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, Fred Again.., and more!
The Secret History of Gold comes out this week. Here for your viewing pleasure is a fim about gold based on the first chapter.“Gold will be slave or master”HoraceIn 2021, a metal detectorist with the eyebrow-raising name of Ole Ginnerup Schytz dug up a hoard of Viking gold in a field in Denmark. The gold was just as it was when it was buried 1,500 years before, if a little dirtier. The same goes for the jewellery unearthed at the Varna Necropolis in Bulgaria in 1972. The beads, bracelets, rings and necklaces are as good as when they were buried 6,700 years ago.In the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, there is a golden tooth bridge — a gold wire used to bind teeth and dental implants — made over 4,000 years ago. It could go in your mouth today.No other substance is as long-lasting as gold — not diamonds, not tungsten carbide, not boron nitride. Gold does not corrode; it does not tarnish or decay; it does not break down over time. This sets it apart from every other substance. Iron rusts, wood rots, silver tarnishes. Gold never changes. Left alone, it stays itself. And it never loses its shine — how about that?Despite its permanence, you can shape this enormously ductile metal into pretty much anything. An ounce of gold can be stretched into a wire 50 miles long or plate a copper wire 1,000 miles long. It can be beaten into a leaf just one atom thick. Yet there is one thing you cannot do and that is destroy it. Life may be temporary, but gold is permanent. It really is forever.This means that all the gold that has ever been mined, estimated to be 216,000 tonnes, still exists somewhere. Put together it would fit into a cube with 22-metre sides. Visualise a square building seven storeys high — and that would be all the gold ever.With some effort, you can dissolve gold in certain chemical solutions, alloy it with other metals, or even vaporise it. But the gold will always be there. It is theoretically possible to destroy gold through nuclear reactions and other such extreme methods, but in practical terms, gold is indestructible. It is the closest thing we have on earth to immortality.Perhaps that is why almost every ancient culture we know of associated gold with the eternal. The Egyptians believed the flesh of gods was made of gold, and that it gave you safe passage into the afterlife. In Greek myth, the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, which Hercules was sent to retrieve, conferred immortality on whoever ate them. The South Americans saw gold as the link between humanity and the cosmos. They were not far wrong.Gold was present in the dust that formed the solar system. It sits in the earth's crust today, just as it did when our planet was formed some 4.6 billion years ago. That little bit of gold you may be wearing on your finger or around your neck is actually older than the earth itself. In fact, it is older than the solar system. To touch gold is as close as you will ever come to touching eternity.And yet the world's most famous investor is not impressed.‘It gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or some place,' said Warren Buffett. ‘Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head.'He's right. Gold does nothing. It does not even pay a yield. It just sits there inert. We use other metals to construct things, cut things or conduct things, but gold's industrial uses are minimal. It is a good conductor of electricity, but copper and silver are better and cheaper. It has some use in dentistry, medical applications and nanotechnology. It is finding more and more use in outer space — back whence it came — where it is used to coat spacecraft, astronauts' visors and heat shields. But, in the grand scheme of things, these uses are paltry.Gold's only purpose is to store and display prosperity. It is dense and tangible wealth: pure money.Though you may not realise it, we still use gold as money today. Not so much as a medium to exchange value but store it.In 1970, about 27 per cent of all the gold in the world was in the form of gold coinage and central bank or government reserves. Today, even with the gold standard long since dead, the percentage is about the same.The most powerful nation on earth, the United States, keeps 70 per cent of its foreign exchange holdings in gold. Its great rival, China, is both the world's largest producer and the world's largest importer. It has built up reserves that, as we shall discover, are likely as great as the USA's. If you buying gold or silver coins to protect yourself in these “interesting times” - and I urge you to - as always I recommend The Pure Gold Company. Pricing is competitive, quality of service is high. They deliver to the UK, the US, Canada and Europe or you can store your gold with them. More here.Ordinary people and institutions the world over use gold to store wealth. Across myriad cultures gold is gifted at landmark life events — births and weddings — because of its intrinsic value.In fact, gold's purchasing power has increased over the millennia, as human beings have grown more productive. The same ounce of gold said by economic historians to have bought King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon 350 loaves of bread could buy you more than 1,000 loaves today. The same gold dinar (roughly 1/7 oz) that, in the time of the Koran in the seventh century, bought you a lamb would buy you three lambs today. Those same four or five aurei (1 oz) which bought you a fine linen tunic in ancient Rome would buy you considerably more clothing today.In 1972, 0.07 ounces of gold would buy you a barrel of oil. Here we are in 2024 and a barrel of oil costs 0.02 ounces of gold — it's significantly cheaper than it was fifty years ago.House prices, too, if you measure them in gold, have stayed constant. It is only when they are measured in fiat currency that they have appreciated so relentlessly (and destructively).In other words, an ounce of gold buys you as much, and sometimes more, food, clothing, energy and shelter as it did ten years ago, a hundred years ago or even thousands of years ago. As gold lasts, so does its purchasing power. You cannot say the same about modern national currencies.Rare and expensive to mine, the supply of gold is constrained. This is in stark contrast to modern money — electronic, debt-based fiat money to give it its full name — the supply of which multiplies every year as governments spend and borrowing balloons.As if by Natural Law, gold supply has increased at the same rate as the global population — roughly 2 per cent per annum. The population of the world has slightly more than doubled since 1850. So has gold supply. The correlation has held for centuries, except for one fifty-year period during the gold rushes of the late nineteenth century, when gold supply per capita increased.Gold has the added attraction of being beautiful. It shines and glistens and sparkles. It captivates and allures. The word ‘gold' derives from the Sanskrit ‘jval', meaning ‘to shine'. That's why we use it as jewellery — to show off our wealth and success, as well as to store it. Indeed, in nomadic prehistory, and still in parts of the world today, carrying your wealth on your person as jewellery was the safest way to keep it.The universe has given us this captivatingly beautiful, dense, inert, malleable, scarce, useless and permanent substance whose only use is to be money. To quote historian Peter Bernstein, ‘nothing is as useless and useful all at the same time'.But after thousands of years of gold being official money, in the early twentieth century there was a seismic shift. Neither the British, German nor French government had enough gold to pay for the First World War. They abandoned gold backing to print the money they needed. In the inter-war years, nations briefly attempted a return to gold standards, but they failed. The two prevailing monetary theories clashed: gold-backed versus state-issued currency. Gold standard advocates, such as Montagu Norman, Governor of the Bank of England, considered gold to be one of the key pillars of a free society along with property rights and habeas corpus. ‘We have gold because we cannot trust governments,' said President Herbert Hoover in 1933. This was a sentiment echoed by one of the founders of the London School of Economics, George Bernard Shaw — to whom I am grateful for demonstrating that it is possible to have a career as both a comedian and a financial writer. ‘You have to choose (as a voter),' he said, ‘between trusting to the natural stability of gold and the natural stability of the honesty and intelligence of the members of the Government… I advise you, as long as the Capitalist system lasts, to vote for gold.'On the other hand, many, such as economist John Maynard Keynes, advocated the idea of fiat currency to give government greater control over the economy and the ability to manipulate the money supply. Keynes put fixation with gold in the Freudian realms of sex and religion. The gold standard, he famously said after the First World War — and rightly, as it turned out — was ‘already a barbarous relic'. Freud himself related fascination with gold to the erotic fantasies and interests of early childhood.Needless to say, Keynes and fiat money prevailed. By the end of the 1930s, most of Europe had left the gold standard. The US followed, but not completely until 1971, in order to meet the ballooning costs of its welfare system and its war in Vietnam.But compare both gold's universality (everyone everywhere knows gold has value) and its purchasing power to national currencies and you have to wonder why we don't use it officially today. There is a very good reason: power.Sticking to the discipline of the gold standard means governments can't just create money or run deficits to the same extent. Instead, they have to rein in their spending, which they are not prepared to do, especially in the twenty-first century, when they make so many promises to win elections. Balanced books, let alone independent money, have become an impossibility. If you seek an answer as to why the state has grown so large in the West, look no further than our system of money. When one body in a society has the power to create money at no cost to itself, it is inevitable that that body will grow disproportionately large. So it is in the twenty-first century, where state spending in many social democracies is now not far off 50 per cent of GDP, sometimes higher.Many arguments about gold will quickly slide into a political argument about the role of government. It is a deeply political metal. Those who favour gold tend to favour small government, free markets and individual responsibility. I count myself in that camp. Those who dismiss it tend to favour large government and state planning.I have argued many times that money is the blood of a society. It must be healthy. So much starts with money: values, morals, behaviour, ambitions, manners, even family size. Money must be sound and true. At the moment it is neither. Gold, however, is both. ‘Because gold is honest money it is disliked by dishonest men,' said former Republican Congressman Ron Paul. As Dorothy is advised in The Wizard of Oz (which was, as we shall discover, part allegory), maybe the time has come to once again ‘follow the yellow brick road'.On the other hand, maybe the twilight of gold has arrived, as Niall Ferguson argued in his history of debt and money, The Cash Nexus. Gold's future, he said, is ‘mainly as jewellery' or ‘in parts of the world with primitive or unstable monetary and financial systems'. Gold may have been money for 5,000 years, or even 10,000 years, but so was the horse a means of transport, and then along came the motor car.A history of gold is inevitably a history of money, but it is also a history of greed, obsession and ambition. Gold is beautiful. Gold is compelling. It is wealth in its purest, most distilled form. ‘Gold is a child of Zeus,' runs the ancient Greek lyric. ‘Neither moth nor rust devoureth it; but the mind of man is devoured by this supreme possession.' Perhaps that's why Thomas Edison said gold was ‘an invention of Satan'. Wealth, and all the emotions that come with it, can do strange things to people.Gold has led people to do the most brilliant, the most brave, the most inventive, the most innovative and the most terrible things. ‘More men have been knocked off balance by gold than by love,' runs the saying, usually attributed to Benjamin Disraeli. Where gold is concerned, emotion, not logic, prevails. Even in today's markets it is a speculative asset whose price is driven by greed and fear, not by fundamental production numbers.Its gleam has drawn man across oceans, across continents and into the unknown. It lured Jason and the Argonauts, Alexander the Great, numerous Caesars, da Gama, Cortés, Pizarro and Raleigh. Brilliant new civilisations have emerged as a result of the quest for gold, yet so have slavery, war, deceit, death and devastation. Describing the gold mines of ancient Egypt, the historian Diodorus Siculus wrote, ‘there is absolutely no consideration nor relaxation for sick or maimed, for aged man or weak woman. All are forced to labour at their tasks until they die, worn out by misery amid their toil.' His description could apply to many an illegal mine in Africa today.The English critic John Ruskin told a story of a man who boarded a ship with all his money: a bag of gold coins. Several days into the voyage a terrible storm blew up. ‘Abandon ship!' came the cry. The man strapped his bag around his waist and jumped overboard, only to sink to the bottom of the sea. ‘Now,' asked Ruskin, ‘as he was sinking — had he the gold? Or had the gold him?'As the Chinese proverb goes, ‘The miser does not own the gold; the gold owns the miser.'Gold may be a dead metal. Inert, unchanging and lifeless. But its hold over humanity never relents. It has adorned us since before the dawn of civilisation and, as money, underpinned economies ever since. Desire for it has driven mankind forwards, the prime impulse for quest and conquest, for exploration and discovery. From its origins in the hearts of dying stars to its quiet presence today beneath the machinery of modern finance, gold has seen it all. How many secrets does this silent witness keep? This book tells the story of gold. It unveils the schemes, intrigues and forces that have shaped our world in the relentless pursuit of this ancient asset, which, even in this digital age, still wields immense power.That was Chapter One of The Secret History of Gold The Secret History of Gold is available to pre-order at Amazon, Waterstones and all good bookshops. I hear the audiobook, read by me, is excellent. The book comes out on August 28.Hurry! Amazon is currently offering 20% off.Until next time,Dominic This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe
DEATH VALLEY Legends, Mysteries, and DisappearancesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.
Prime Minister Mark Carney wraps up his visit to Berlin and a former German politician tells us that, now more than ever, it's crucial for Canada and Germany to be bosom diplomatic buddies. Tens of thousands of anguished fans sign a petition to save the uniquely Québecois version of "The Simpsons". The actor who voices the lead character says this hits close to Homer.As wildfire threats grow across Canada, so do calls for a new national agency and aerial firefighting service. We hear from an NDP MP who's pushing for both.A longtime friend remembers Ron Turcotte, the Canadian jockey who expertly rode to fame on one of the greatest horses in racing history: Secretariat.You can't spell “pool” without the first three letters. But no one wants that stuff in an actual pool -- which is why a Finnish city is so troubled by the emergence of a serial pool pooper.Tired of fish being viewed as lesser vertebrates, a scientist explores their hidden emotional depths -- and finds they don't only feel fear or stress, but pleasure, as well.As It Happens, the Tuesday Edition. Radio that knows gills just want to have fun.
practice using mögen in German
practice using mögen in German
Exploiting intercepted Russian radio messages, which had not been encrypted, the Germans were able to anticipate the Russians' movements and concentrate their forces effectively. By 30 August, Russian resistance ...
Episode Description Episode Description Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you: https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/13592 Dear Friend, The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go. It's strategic. Every people group in our database has been vetted by researchers and field workers. These aren't randomly selected communities. They're the 100 largest frontier people groups, the populations with the least gospel access and the greatest potential for kingdom impact. It grows with your capacity. Whether you're adopting as a family, church, or organization, the commitment adjusts to what you can offer. Some will pray weekly. Others will fund translation projects. A few will end up moving to the field. All contributions matter. When you adopt a people group today, you'll receive: Immediate next steps for your specific adopted group A digital covenant card to mark your commitment Information about your frontier people group Regular updates as we develop more resources and connections Beyond the practical resources, you'll receive something harder to quantify: the knowledge that you're part of a strategic response to the most urgent spiritual need on our planet. The Batak people have been sending missionaries to unreached groups for decades now. Their story didn't end with their own transformation; it multiplied exponentially. Your adopted people group could be the next
Canadian and German companies sign new critical minerals deals, Prime Minister Mark Carney signals new port infrastructure could be announced soon. Demonstrations are being held across Israel in what is being called a Day of Struggle.Vietnam lashed with more rain and wind following Typhoon Kajiki. US President Donald Trump says he is firing the governor of the Federal Reserve.The wildfire in Nova Scotia's Annapolis County has more than doubled in size in the last two days.Technical glitch with Canada Disability Benefit prevents people from getting their money on time.
Angi at ChocolateSpiel takes visual appreciation of chocolate to a new level, using color to make each of her chocolate bars an edible piece of art. Her colorful bars are eye-catching, and they invite folks to try bean to bar chocolate who might not otherwise have taken the plunge.In this episode I talk with Angi about how and why she uses chocolate as a canvas for color, as well as pairing chocolate with beer, cider, wine, coffee, tea, and cocktails. Spiel means “game” or “play” in German, and ChocolateSpiel is all about having fun with chocolate! Founded by Angi—a chemical engineer turned chocolatier—she took one spark of inspiration during a factory tour (where chocolate machines reminded her of her old paint equipment) and turned it into a whimsical reality. From bean-to-bar creations to bonbons and nut spreads, every dairy-free treat is a colorful, playful twist on chocolate craft.You can learn more about Chocolate Spiel and order their bars here. Check out David's book Pairing Beer & Chocolate: A Guide to Bringing the Flavors of Craft Beer and Craft Chocolate Together.Follow Bean to Barstool on social media!InstagramFacebookPinterestSign up for host David Nilsen's beer newsletter for regular beer musings, and the Bean to Barstool newsletter for pairings, collaborations, and maker profiles.
Urban Planning in Nazi Germany: Attack, Triumph, Terror in the European Context, 1933–1945 (DOM, 2025) is edited by Uwe Altrock, Harald Bodenschatz, Victoria Grau, Jannik Noeske, Christiane Post, and Max Welch Guerra. The book includes contributions from Christian von Oppen, Piero Sassi, and Jannik Noeske. Two co-editors, Victoria Grau and Max Welch Guerra, join the New Books Network to discuss this work. In this book, urban planning under the Nazi dictatorship is for the first time examined not only as something that evolved during the different periods of Nazi rule but also in the context of other European dictatorships of the time. The period between 1933 and 1945 saw important changes in the focus of Nazi urban planning. These affected the cast of principal actors, the content of the regime's propaganda, cities and areas affected, programs and practices, and winners and losers. The result of this survey is a multi-layered picture that goes beyond the usual presentation of well-known power-projecting buildings to consider a range of other important aspects including housing construction, urban renewal, internal colonization, buildings for rearmament, large-scale infrastructure, industrial areas, educational institutions, and camps. This volume marks the conclusion of a series of academic publications about urban planning and dictatorship – in the Soviet Union, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Urban Planning in Nazi Germany: Attack, Triumph, Terror in the European Context, 1933-1945 is the English language edition of Stadtbau im Nationalsozialismus: Angriff, Triumph, Terror im europäischen Kontext, 1933–1945. Guests: Victoria Grau (she/her), *1999, studied Urban Studies at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and at University College Dublin. Since 2022 research assistant at the Chair of Spatial Planning and Spatial Research at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Research focus: Relationship between planning, politics and economy in European metropolitan centers in the 20th and 21st century. PhD project: History of the discipline of urban planning and its reception after 1945.Max Welch Guerra (he/him), *1956, political scientist (FU Berlin), since 2003 head of chair for spatial planning and spatial research at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Research and teaching on spatial planning and politics with a focus on German and European history in the 20th century. Member of the International Planning History Society (IPHS), the Academic Advisory Board of the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds / Zeppelin Grandstand and Zeppelin Field, Nuremberg, and Chairman of the Academic Advisory Board of the Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association (ARL). . Host: Jenna Pittman (she/her), a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at Duke University. She studies modern European history, political economy, and Germany from 1945-1990. Find Jenna on Scholars@Duke or her Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies
AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports German police have detained a suspect for the second time in an attack on a young American.
Urban Planning in Nazi Germany: Attack, Triumph, Terror in the European Context, 1933–1945 (DOM, 2025) is edited by Uwe Altrock, Harald Bodenschatz, Victoria Grau, Jannik Noeske, Christiane Post, and Max Welch Guerra. The book includes contributions from Christian von Oppen, Piero Sassi, and Jannik Noeske. Two co-editors, Victoria Grau and Max Welch Guerra, join the New Books Network to discuss this work. In this book, urban planning under the Nazi dictatorship is for the first time examined not only as something that evolved during the different periods of Nazi rule but also in the context of other European dictatorships of the time. The period between 1933 and 1945 saw important changes in the focus of Nazi urban planning. These affected the cast of principal actors, the content of the regime's propaganda, cities and areas affected, programs and practices, and winners and losers. The result of this survey is a multi-layered picture that goes beyond the usual presentation of well-known power-projecting buildings to consider a range of other important aspects including housing construction, urban renewal, internal colonization, buildings for rearmament, large-scale infrastructure, industrial areas, educational institutions, and camps. This volume marks the conclusion of a series of academic publications about urban planning and dictatorship – in the Soviet Union, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Urban Planning in Nazi Germany: Attack, Triumph, Terror in the European Context, 1933-1945 is the English language edition of Stadtbau im Nationalsozialismus: Angriff, Triumph, Terror im europäischen Kontext, 1933–1945. Guests: Victoria Grau (she/her), *1999, studied Urban Studies at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and at University College Dublin. Since 2022 research assistant at the Chair of Spatial Planning and Spatial Research at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Research focus: Relationship between planning, politics and economy in European metropolitan centers in the 20th and 21st century. PhD project: History of the discipline of urban planning and its reception after 1945.Max Welch Guerra (he/him), *1956, political scientist (FU Berlin), since 2003 head of chair for spatial planning and spatial research at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. Research and teaching on spatial planning and politics with a focus on German and European history in the 20th century. Member of the International Planning History Society (IPHS), the Academic Advisory Board of the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds / Zeppelin Grandstand and Zeppelin Field, Nuremberg, and Chairman of the Academic Advisory Board of the Academy for Territorial Development in the Leibniz Association (ARL). . Host: Jenna Pittman (she/her), a Ph.D. student in the Department of History at Duke University. She studies modern European history, political economy, and Germany from 1945-1990. Find Jenna on Scholars@Duke or her Linktree. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/architecture
We're back with another AFTN Soccer Show packed full of Vancouver Whitecaps and Major League Soccer chat and interviews and this episode we're joined again by special guest co-host, Global TV and CKNW's Asa Rehman. The football gods giveth and the football gods taketh away. Thankfully for Vancouver Whitecaps, they were in a generous mood on Saturday in the Whitecaps' last gasp win over St Louis. Thomas Müller got his first Whitecaps goal, Vancouver got the win, and everything is right with the world. Right?! We delve into the main talking points from the dramatic game and the aftermath from it all. It's been an incredible last month both on and off the pitch in Whitecapsland, so it felt like the perfect time for another one of our in-depth chats with Whitecaps GM and Sporting Director Axel Schuster. We sit down with Axel for a 35 minute chat about the Thomas Müller signing, the other new additions this past transfer window, scouting, a new stadium, the latest on the sale of the club, multi club ownership, and just how they'll keep the team sharp with three weeks off. Then Michael and Asa unpack it all. Music-wise, The Wonderstuff continue their residency as our Album of the Month, we've a Britpop song from Echobelly, and we continue our German themed songs in Wavelength. Here's the rundown for the main segments from the episode: 01.24: Intro - Asa's back, college action underway, Leagues Cup quarters 09.10: Müller scores in Whitecaps dramatic win over St Louis 51.55: Axel Schuster interview 93.30: Unpacking Axel 115.05: Wavelength - Neeskens - Gerd Muller song
Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture ECB President is pushing the WEF climate agenda, she wants the banks in charge and to dictate how to tax the people. Germany's economy is in a recession. Trump is bringing the manufactures to the US. The Fed is trapped, if they lower a little Trump will blame them, Trump and Bessent made it clear it must be a big cut. The [DS] is currently using the Judiciary as a delay tactic. They will try to delay Trump's Executive actions, but this will fail and they know it. The [DS] will then move into the next phase and this is what Trump is countering now. He is dismantling their riots right in front of their eyes. The National Guard and Military will clean it the cities before the D's can push their agenda. The playbook is known and Trump is forcing the [DS] to exactly where he wants them. Economy https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1959976919585173984 The ECB's Mandate: The ECB supervises major banks in the Eurozone through the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM). Lagarde argues that climate-related risks fall within this supervisory duty because they can directly impact banks' balance sheets and operations. She disagrees with views (likely from the interviewer in this case) that central banks should not involve themselves in climate issues, insisting it's not about environmental activism but about basic risk management. Christine Lagarde's emphasis on the ECB's duty to assess climate change risks for banks aligns with and is influenced by the World Economic Forum's (WEF) broader climate agenda, though it's not exclusively driven by it. The WEF has long promoted the integration of climate risks into financial systems as part of its push for sustainable finance, global economic resilience, and the transition to a low-carbon economy. This fits into the WEF's "Great Reset" and sustainable development goals, which call for rethinking capitalism to address climate threats. Central banks like the ECB are seen as key players in this, through "greening" finance (e.g., tilting investments toward low-carbon assets). German Economy Shows No Signs Of Emerging From Recession Germany's Mittelstand Collapses as “Investment Booster” Flops The German economy shows no signs of emerging from recession. The monthly Mittelstand index, compiled by the consulting firm DATEV, confirms that the downturn continues unabated. The crisis has spread across virtually all sectors of the economy. The recovery announced by the German government remains a summer fantasy. Data collected in July through DATEV's monthly survey of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) describes the economic situation as extremely fragile—with no upturn in sight. SMEs saw revenues fall by 1.7 percent year-on-year in July. The corresponding business cycle index dropped, seasonally and calendar adjusted, to 91.9 points—firmly anchored in recession territory. Source: zerohedge.com https://twitter.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1959877151680770323 ” Germany's universal welfare system is one of the most comprehensive in Europe, covering healthcare, unemployment benefits, pensions, housing aid, family subsidies, and more. But the strain of demographic aging, high immigration, and mounting debt obligations has led to growing political pressure to reform or scale back entitlements. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.
Casablanca finally falls to Gen. Patton's forces. In reaction, the Germans send reinforcements to Tunisia and occupy the rest of France. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You should buy a faster CPU The Trump-Intel deal is official Trump signals fourth delay of TikTok ban Trump to tap Airbnb co-founder as first government design chief Meet Macrohard, Elon Musk's AI simulation of Microsoft Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with heavy AI integration Gemini for Home is Google's biggest smart home play in years Copilot app gets a glowup, new features, for Windows 11 Apple explores using Google Gemini AI to power revamped Siri Bluesky blocks service in Mississippi over age assurance law 4chan will refuse to pay daily online safety fines, lawyer tells BBC Sports streaming enters a bold new era Waymo can now test its self-driving vehicles in New York City Oura secures decisive legal victory with ITC patent ruling T-Mobile claimed selling location data without consent is legal—judges disagree Developer gets prison time for sabotaging former employer's network with a 'kill switch' Nonprofit search engine Ecosia offers $0 for control of Chrome Perplexity's Comet AI browser tricked into buying fake items online Agentic browser security: indirect prompt injection in Perplexity Comet New zero-day startup offers $20 million for tools that can hack any smartphone YouTuber Mark Rober is getting a Netflix series German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers Satya Nadella says Microsoft must move beyond Bill Gates' software factory vision More frozen shrimp recalled for possible radioactive contamination Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Daniel Rubino and Paris Martineau Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/security expressvpn.com/twit canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT smarty.com/twit helixsleep.com/twit
Last time we spoke about the crossing of Nanjing's Rubicon. By November 1, Shanghai had become a lost cause, the Chinese were forced to retreat. In the wake of this turmoil, the Japanese set their sights on Nanjing, keenly aware that its fall would spell disaster for Chiang Kai-Shek's government. Despite the desperate situation, guerrilla fighters began fortifying the city as civilians rallied to support the defense, preparing for the inevitable assault that loomed. However, political divisions plagued the Chinese leadership, with some generals advocating for abandoning the city. After intense discussions, it was decided that Nanjing would be a hill worth dying on, driven largely by propaganda needs. As November 12 approached, Japanese troops rapidly advanced west, capturing towns along the way and inflicting unimaginable brutality. On November 19, Yanagawa, a commander, took the initiative, decreeing that pursuing the retreating Chinese forces toward Nanjing was paramount. #164 The Battle of Lake Tai Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. As the Chinese troops fled westwards, at 7:00 am on November 19th, Yanagawa issued instructions to his troops in the field. “The enemy's command system is in disarray, and a mood of defeat has descended over their entire army. They have lost the will to fight. We must not miss the opportunity to pursue the enemy to Nanjing.” The order went out to the 10th Army, sending, the 6th, 18th, and 114th Divisions west along the southern shore of Lake Tai, passing through Huzhou before turning right towards Nanjing. The Kunisaki Detachment, trained for rapid movement by water and land, was ordered east along the Yangtze River near Wuhu city and, if possible, cross the river to cut off the Chinese Army's retreat from Nanjing. Yanagawa envisioned an operation unlike any other conducted by the Japanese Army in recent history. He believed this could not only end the war but also surpass previous victories, such as the defeat of tsarist Russia more than three decades earlier. Confident in a swift victory, he wrote in a follow-up message to his commanders, “The day is near when the banner of the Rising Sun will fly over Nanjing's city wall.” However, Yanagawa's order elicited panic in Tokyo once it became known. His superiors viewed it as an outrageous attempt to entirely change the war focus away from the north. They understood that taking Nanjing was primarily a political decision rather than a strategic one. There was still hopes of finding terms through the Germans to end the conflict, thus carving up more of China. The Japanese did not want to become bogged down in a real war. Major General Tada was particularly opposed to increasing efforts on the Shanghai front. He belonged to a faction that believed the best way to avoid a quagmire in China was to deliver a swift, decisive blow to the Chinese Army. This mindset had turned him into a major advocate for landing a strong force in Hangzhou Bay in early November. Nevertheless, he had initially resisted expanding operations to the Suzhou-Jiaxing line, only relenting on the condition that this line would not be crossed under any circumstances. Tada's immediate response was to halt the 10th Army's offensive. Shimomura Sadamu, Ishiwara Kanji's hardline successor as chief of operations, strongly disagreed, arguing that field commanders should have the authority to make significant decisions. Undeterred, Tada insisted on restraining the field commanders, and at 6:00 pm on November 20th, the Army General Staff sent a cable to the Central China Area Army reprimanding them for advancing beyond Order No. 600, which had established the Suzhou-Jiaxing line. The response from the Central China Area Army arrived two days later whereupon the field commanders argued that Nanjing needed to be captured to bring the war to an early conclusion. To do otherwise, they argued, would provide the enemy with an opportunity to regain the will to fight. Moreover, the officers claimed that delaying the decisive battle would not sit well with the Japanese public, potentially jeopardizing national unity. On the same day it responded to Tokyo, the Central China Area Army instructed the 10th Army to proceed cautiously: “The pursuit to Nanjing is to be halted, although you may still send an advance force towards Huzhou. Each division is to select four or five battalions to pursue the enemy rapidly”. The remainder of the troops were instructed to advance towards Huzhou and prepare to join the pursuit “at any time.” Meanwhile Chiang Kai-shek officially appointed Tang Shengzhi as the commandant of Nanjing's garrison. Born in 1889, Tang embodied the era of officers leading China into war with Japan. They straddled the line between old and new China. During their youth, they lived in a society that had seen little change for centuries, where young men immersed themselves in 2,000-year-old classics to prepare for life. Like their ancestors across countless generations, they were governed by an emperor residing in a distant capital. Following the 1911 revolution, they embraced the new republic and received modern military training, Tang, for instance, at the esteemed Baoding Academy in northern China. Yet, they struggled to fully relinquish their traditional mindsets. These traditional beliefs often included a significant distrust of foreigners. Before his appointment as garrison commander, Tang had led the garrison's operations section. During this time, Chiang Kai-shek suggested that he permit the German chief advisor, General Alexander von Falkenhausen, to attend staff meetings. Tang hesitated, expressing concern due to Falkenhausen's past as a military official in Japan and the current alliance between Germany, Italy, and Japan. “That's not good, is it?” he asked. Chiang reassured him that Falkenhausen was an experienced officer who remembered earlier loyalties despite political shifts in Berlin. “It's all right,” Chiang insisted, “we can trust him.” Reluctantly, Tang acquiesced but never fully trusted the German officer. Tang also faced issues with morale. He was Hunanese, the majority of his troops were locals, many from Nanjing. Tang also suffered from many ongoing illnesses. While he put on a bravado face, its unlikely he expected to be able to defend the capital for very long. On November 19th, the IJA 16th division and Shigeto Detachment conquered Changshu, a crucial point along the Wufu defense line, spanning from Fushan on the Yangtze to Suzhou and then to Wujiang sitting on the shores of Lake Tai. The fight for Changshu had surprised the Japanese. As they approached they ran into a network of interlocking cement pillboxes that had to be taken individually, resulting in heavy casualties. Frequently, when the Japanese believed they had finally destroyed a position and advanced, they were dismayed to discover that some defenders remained alive, continuing to fire at their flanks. Another obstacle facing them was Chinese artillery. During the night's capture of the city, the Japanese makeshift camps were hit relentlessly by bombardment. That same day further south, the IJA 9th division captured Suzhou , reporting to the press they did so without firing a single shot. General Matsui wrote in his diary “The enemy troops near Suzhou have completely lost their morale. Some soldiers are discarding their equipment and surrendering, while others flee westward in utter chaos. Our forces have not encountered the resistance we anticipated. So far, the Shanghai Expeditionary Force has achieved all its objectives. I am thrilled by this.” In reality, this was mere propaganda. The IJA 9th Division actually had to overpower a series of Chinese pillboxes outside the city. Once they entered through the medieval walls, they faced the task of eliminating pockets of resistance one by one. According to Japanese sources, over 1,000 Chinese soldiers were killed during these clearing operations. The Japanese found a wealth of spoils in Suzhou. Among the booty were 100 artillery pieces and other military equipment. Historically known as one of China's wealthiest cities, Suzhou still contained an abundance of loot even after months of conflict. Many Japanese soldiers had their pockets filled with cigarettes after raiding a tobacco factory, while others transported barrels filled with coins after robbing a bank. Meanwhile the government had officially moved from Nanjing to Chongqing. Chongqing was an unusual choice for the new capital as it was historically something of a backwater, not very cosmopolitan such as the great coastal cities in the east. However it was distant enough to be out of reach from the Japanese land forces, but not so distant that it would make governing China impossible. Not all the governmental agencies moved to Chongqing at once. The foreign ministry first moved to Wuhan, as did most of the foreign diplomats. Yet out of some several hundred foreign nationals, 30 American and 19 British did stay behind in Nanjing. Tang Shengzhi met with the remaining foreign community and began promising them guarantees of their lives and property would be protected to the fullest. In turn the foreign community were thinking up ways to help defend the city's civilian population. They formed a special demilitarized district, akin to the one in Shanghai. They named it the Jacquinot Safety Zone after its founder, French Jesuit Robert Jacquinot de Besange. An international committee for establishing a neutral zone for noncombatants in Nanjing was formed on November 19th and famously John Rabe chaired it. The committee knew their neutral zone depended solely upon Japan respecting it, thus Rabe was an ideal pick for chairman. Meanwhile Chiang Kai-Shek was determined to stay for as long as possible in Nanjing, and remain in the public view to maintain morale. Song Meiling also went around touring the capital by automobile to raise public spirit. Preparations for battle were being dished out in haste. Du Yuming, the commander of Nanjing's armored regiment was called up to the headquarters of He Yingqin, then chief of staff. There Du was briefed on Chiang Kai-Shek's war plans and how his tiny armored force would fit in. He Yingqin said “It has been decided that Tang Shengzhi is to defend Nanjing. Chairman Chiang wants the German vehicles to stay in Nanjing and fight.” This was referring to their Leichter Panzerspahwagen or “sd KFZ 221” armored cars. These were recent purchases from Germany. Du questioned using them however “The German vehicles are the best armor we have at the moment, but they have no cannon, only machine guns, so their firepower is limited. We just have 15 of them. And they are not suited for the terrain around Nanjing, with all its rivers and lakes.” Du instead argued for using the British-made Vickers Carden Lloyd tanks. Of these China had recently purchased the amphibious variants. Du said “Those tanks both have machine guns and cannon, and they can float. They are much more useful for the Nanjing area.” He further suggested the tanks might even make it to the other side of the Yangtze once all hope was out. To this He replied “No, don't even think about crossing the Yangtze. The chairman wants the tank crews to fight to the death.” As far as war strategy was concerned, China had actually developed one against Japan decades prior. Ever since the nasty conflicts between the two nations had broken out back during the Great War days, China sought an answer to Japan's aggression. One man rose to the occasion, a young officer named Jiang Baili. In 1922 Jiang wrote “The only way to prevail over the enemy, will be to do the opposite of what he does in every respect. It will be to his advantage to seek a quick resolution; we should aim for protracted warfare. He will try to focus on a decisive blow at the front line; we should move to the second line of defense and rob him of the opportunity to concentrate his forces in one place.” Soon Jiang became the forefather in China for theories involving protracted war. One could also call it a war of attrition, and it was the type of war suited to China. In the words of Jiang “We should thank our ancestors. China is blessed with two major advantages, a vast land area and a huge population. Abstaining from fighting will be enough. And if we do fight, we should drag it out. We should force the front to move west, and turn our weakness into strength, while allowing the enemy to overstretch himself”. China's geography significantly influenced Jiang's military strategy. In his works titled Organization of Mechanized Forces, Jiang wrote “The flat North Chinese plain offers ideal conditions for a large mechanized army. In contrast, the agricultural regions further south, characterized by their mix of rice paddies and waterways, are far less suitable.” Faced with a technologically superior enemy, China had no option but to draw the opponent away from the north, where their armored units would dominate the battlefield, to the Yangtze River area, where their mobility would be severely restricted. Jiang served as the director of the prestigious military academy at Baoding, near Beijing, where he could instill his philosophies in the minds of upcoming leaders of the Chinese armed forces, including Tang Shengzhi. Tang was able to put Jiang's theories into practice. In the autumn of 1935, he played a crucial role in planning and executing the decade's largest military maneuver. Conducted south of the Yangtze, between Nanjing and Shanghai, this drill involved over 20,000 troops, allowing for a realistic simulation of battle conditions. Its primary objective was to test the strategy of "luring the enemy in deep." Upon concluding the maneuver, Tang described the location as exceptionally well chosen, a tank commander's nightmare. The area consisted of steep hills alongside rivers, with very few robust roads and virtually no bridges capable of supporting tanks. Countless small paddy fields were divided by dikes that rarely exceeded a few feet in width, perfectly suited for swift infantry movements but utterly inadequate for tracked vehicles. It appeared to be a graveyard for any mechanized army. As the war broke out with Japan, Jiang's ideas initially seemed validated. Chiang Kai-shek deliberately refrained from deploying his best troops to the northern Beijing area. Instead, he chose to instigate a significant battle in and around Shanghai, where the terrain presented the exact disadvantages for Japanese armor that Jiang had anticipated. Although the Japanese gradually introduced tactical innovations that allowed them to navigate the partly submerged paddy fields north and west of Shanghai, their tanks often found themselves forced along elevated roads, making them vulnerable targets for hidden Chinese infantry. For several weeks during September and October, the Shanghai area indeed resembled a quagmire, seemingly poised to ensnare the Japanese forces until they were utterly depleted. However, the successful Japanese landings in early November, first in Hangzhou Bay and then on the south bank of the Yangtze, dramatically changed things. The stalemate was broken, allowing the Japanese Army to advance despite the persistent challenges posed by the local geography. What would happen next would determine whether Jiang's theories from a decade earlier could work or if Japan's tanks would ultimately triumph even in the river terrain south of the Yangtze. The Japanese field commanders' decision to shift their focus from defeating Chinese forces near Shanghai to pursuing them all the way to Nanjing, sent ripples throughout the ranks. Every unit had to reconsider their plans, but none felt the impact more acutely than the 6th Division. As one of the first contingents of the 10th Army to come ashore in Hangzhou Bay in early November, its soldiers had advanced with remarkable ease, cutting through the defenses like a knife through butter. Now, with orders to drive west towards Nanjing, they were required to make a huge U-turn and head south. Geography hurt them greatly, specifically the presence of Lake Tai. The original Shanghai Expeditionary Force, bolstered by the 16th Division and other newly arrived units, was set to advance north of the lake, while the 10th Army was tasked with operations to the south of it. This situation implied that the 6th Division had to hurry to catch up with the rest of the 10th Army. Upon turning south, they reached Jiashan on November 21, only to face a brutal outbreak of cholera among their ranks, which delayed their advance by three days. Meanwhile the other elements of the 10th Army, including the Kunisaki Detachment and the 18th and 114th Divisions advanced rapidly, entering Huzhou on November 23. To speed up their advance they had commandeered every vessel they could grab and tossed men in piece meal across the southern bank of Lake Tai to its western shore. However the 10th army was unaware that they would soon face a brutal fight. As the Chinese government evacuated Nanjing, fresh troops from Sichuan province in southwest China were being unloaded at the city's docks and marched toward imminent danger. Starting to disembark on November 20, these soldiers formed the Chinese 23rd Group Army. They presented an exotic sight, sporting broad straw hats typical of southern China, often adorned with yellow and green camouflage patterns. While some appeared freshly uniformed, many were ill-prepared for the colder central Chinese winter, dressed in thin cotton better suited for subtropical climates. A number looked as ragged as the most destitute coolie. Nearly all wore straw shoes that required repairs every evening after a long day of marching. Their equipment was rudimentary and often quite primitive. The most common weapon among the newly arrived soldiers was a locally produced rifle from Sichuan, yet many had no firearms at all, carrying only “stout sticks and packs” into battle. Each division had a maximum of a dozen light machine guns, and radio communication was available only at the brigade level and above. The absence of any artillery or heavy equipment was quite alarming. It was as if they expected to be facing a warlord army of the 1920s. They were organized into five divisions and two brigades, supplied by Liu Xiang, a notable southern warlord. Remarkably, Liu Xiang had been one of Chiang Kai-shek's worst enemies less than a year prior. Now, Liu's troops fought alongside Chiang's against Japan, yet their loyalties remained fiercely provincial, listening to Liu Xiang rather than Chiang Kai-shek. China's warlord era never really ended. Chiang Kai-Shek was actually doing two things at once, meeting the enemy but also getting warlord troops away from their provincial powerbase. This in turn would reduce the influence of regional warlords. Now the Chinese recognized the had to stop the Japanese from reaching Wuhu, a Yangtze port city due south of Nanjing, basically the last escape route from the capital. If it was captured, those in Nanjing would be effectively stuck. General Gu Zhutong, who personally witnessed the chaotic evacuation of Suzhou, had already dispatched two divisions from Guangxi province to block the Japanese advance. However, they were quickly routed. Liu Xiang's troops were then sent to fill the gap on the battlefield. By the last week of November, the Japanese 10th Army and the newly arrived Sichuan divisions, were converging on the same area southwest of Lake Tai. Marching as quickly as possible, they were fated to clash in one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Nanjing campaign. As the Sichuanese troops reached the battlefield at the end of November, they quickly realized just how ill-equipped they were to confront the modern Japanese Army. The Sichuan divisions hurried towards Lake Tai, primarily marching after sunset to avoid harassment from Japanese aircraft. A significant challenge for the soldiers was the condition of the roads, which were paved with gravel that wore down their straw shoes. Despite their best efforts to repair their footwear late at night, many soldiers found themselves entering battle barefoot. Along their route, they encountered numerous Chinese soldiers retreating. One particular column caught their attention; these troops were better uniformed and equipped, appearing as though they had not seen battle at all. They looked rested and well-nourished, as if they had just emerged from their barracks. This prompted unspoken doubts among the Sichuanese soldiers. Upon arriving in Guangde, the 145th Division quickly began fortifying its positions, particularly around a strategic airfield near the city and dispatched units towards the town of Sian. On November 25, skirmishes erupted throughout the day, and on the following day, the Chinese soldiers began facing the full force of the advancing enemy. Japanese planes bombed the Chinese positions near Sian, followed by rapid tank assaults from the 18th Japanese Division. Unaccustomed to combat against armored vehicles, they quickly routed. The Japanese forces rolled over the shattered Chinese defenses and advanced to capture Sian with minimal resistance. To make matters worse, amidst this critical moment when the Sichuan troops were engaged in their first battle against a foreign enemy, Liu Xiang, fell seriously ill. In his place, Chiang Kai-shek assigned one of his most trusted commanders, Chen Cheng. The Sichuanese soldiers were not happy with the new alien commander. Meanwhile, the Nine Power Treaty Conference in Brussels held its final session. The delegates concluded three weeks of fruitless discussions with a declaration that immediately struck observers as lacking any real substance. The decree stated “Force by itself can provide no just and lasting solution for disputes between nations,”. This was met with approval from all participants except Italy, one of Japan's few allies in Europe. They strongly urged that hostilities be suspended and that peaceful processes be pursued, but offered zero consequences for either belligerent should they choose not to comply. As they say today in politics, a nothing burger. China found itself resorting to shaming the international community into action, with barely any success. In Berlin, the evening following the conference's conclusion, diplomats gathered as the Japanese embassy hosted a dinner to mark the first anniversary of the Anti-Comintern Pact. Among the guests, though he probably really did not want to be there, was Adolf Hitler. The Japanese Communications Minister, Nagai Ryutaro, speaking via radio stated “The Sino-Japanese conflict is a holy struggle for us. The objective is to hold the Nanjing government accountable for its anti-Japanese stance, to liberate the Chinese people from the red menace, and to secure peace in the Far East.” By hosting such an event, Germany was basically signalling that she would abandon her old Chinese ally to forge a stronger partnership with Japan. This was driving the world into two camps that would emerge as the Axis and Allies. My favorite boardgame by the way, I make a lot of goofy videos on my youtube channel about it. Back at the front, a city sat midway along the Yangtze River between Shanghai and Nanjing, Jiangyin. By Chinese standards, Jiangyin was not a large city; its population numbered just 50,000, most of whom had already fled by the end of November. The city's military significance had considerably diminished after a naval battle in late September resulted in the sinking of half the Chinese fleet, forcing the remainder to retreat upriver. Nevertheless, the Chinese still maintained control on land. This became a pressing concern for the Japanese after the fall of Suzhou and Changshu led to the collapse of the Wufu defensive line. Consequently, the next line of defense was the Xicheng line, of which Jiangyin formed the northern end. The city stood directly in the path of the 13th Japanese Division, positioned at the far right of the front line. Jiangyin featured 33 partially fortified hills, and like many other cities in the region, its primary defense was a robust 10-mile wall constructed of brick and stone. Standing 30 feet high, the wall was reinforced on the inside by an earthen embankment measuring up to 25 feet in diameter. Defending Jiangyin alone was the 112th Division, comprising approximately 5,000 soldiers. Only in November did it receive reinforcements from the 103rd Division, which had previously participated in the brutal fighting in Shanghai and withdrew westward after the Japanese victory there. Like the 112th, the 103rd also consisted of around 5,000 soldiers from former warlord armies, though they hailed from the hot and humid southwest of China rather than the cold and arid northeast. Both divisions faced an adversary with far superior equipment and training. Just hours after Japanese observation balloons appeared on the horizon, their artillery opened fire. The initial shells fell at approximately 30 second intervals, but the pace quickly accelerated. Most of the shells landed near the river, obliterating the buildings in that area. The explosions tore up telephone wires, severing communication between the scattered Chinese units. As the first shells began to fall over Jiangyin, Tang Shengzhi gathered with Chinese and foreign journalists in Nanjing, openly acknowledging the monumental challenge ahead but resolutely vowing to defend Nanjing to the bitter end. “Even though it is lagging behind in material terms, China has the will to fight. Since the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, we have suffered defeats in various theaters, but we will continue to fight until we achieve final victory.” Tang then promised that Nanjing would be fought to the last man. As early as November 14, the central government had ordered the evacuation of women and children from Nanjing, calling for all means of transportation available to be dedicated to this purpose. However, this directive proved to be an empty proclamation. Almost all resources were directed toward relocating government officials westward. Moving office furniture and filing cabinets took precedence over evacuating people. The government commandeered 600 trucks and 220 boats and ships to aid in this effort, but once those means of transportation were exhausted, little remained for the common people. In the final days of November, Nanjing's mayor, Ma Chaojun, attempted to rectify this dire situation. He sent a cable to the Ministry of Communications requesting that the ships used to relocate government agencies be returned to Nanjing as soon as possible to assist with the evacuation. For most vessels, there wasn't enough time to make the journey back. The people of Nanjing were left to fend for themselves. Meanwhile the battles south and west of the Lake Tai continued to rage in late November. While the 18th Japanese Division advanced toward Guangde, aiming eventually for Wuhu and the Yangtze River, the 114th Japanese Division received different orders. It turned right along the western bank of Lake Tai, clearly intending to push onward to Nanjing. Awaiting them was the 144th Chinese Division, consisting primarily of Sichuanese soldiers. They dug in across the one viable road running west of the lake, with a large body of water on one side and rugged terrain on the other. This terrain forced the Japanese to attack over a narrow front, constraining the advantage they held due to their technological superiority. The Chinese were able to concentrate their limited artillery, primarily mountain guns that could be disassembled and transported by mules or even men, on the advancing Japanese attackers, and utilized it effectively. They allowed the Japanese to shell their positions without immediate retaliation, waiting until the infantry was within 1,000 yards before ordering their mountain guns to open fire. The result was devastating; the Japanese column became disorganized, and their advance stalled. However, just as the Chinese artillery appeared on the verge of achieving a significant victory, the decision was made to withdraw. The officers responsible for the mountain guns argued that the Japanese would soon overrun their positions, and it was preferable to take preemptive measures to prevent their valuable equipment from falling into enemy hands. The commanders of the 144th Division reluctantly concurred. The Chinese did their best to maintain the facade that their artillery remained in position, but the Japanese quickly noticed the weakened defense and attacked with renewed fervor. Despite this setback, Chinese soldiers found their morale boosted as their division commander, Guo Junqi, led from the front, issuing orders from a stretcher after sustaining a leg injury. However, deprived of their artillery, the Chinese faced increasingly dire odds, and they were pushed back along the entire front. As the Chinese front neared collapse, the officers of the 144th Division faced yet another challenge: Japanese infantry approached across Lake Tai in boats commandeered in previous days. With no artillery to defend themselves, the Chinese could only direct small arms fire at the vessels, allowing the Japanese to make an almost unimpeded landing. This was the final straw. Under pressure from two sides, the 144th Division had no choice but to abandon its position, retreating westward toward the main Chinese force around Guangde. Jiangyin endured two days of continuous shelling before the Japanese infantry attack commenced, but the city was fortified to withstand such a bombardment of this magnitude and duration. The 33 hills in and around the city had long served as scenic viewpoints and natural strongholds. The tallest hill, known as Mount Ding, rose 900 feet above the area, providing a commanding view and boasted over 100 artillery pieces. By late November, when the Japanese Army reached the area, most civilians had fled, but their homes remained, and the Chinese defenders effectively utilized them, converting them into concealed strongholds. The attack by the Japanese 13th Division on November 29 was led by the 26th Brigade on its right flank and the 103rd Brigade on its left. The advance proved challenging, constantly disrupted by Chinese ambushes. As a row of Japanese soldiers cautiously crossed an empty field, gunshots would erupt, striking down one of their ranks while the others scrambled for cover, desperately trying to identify the source of the fire. The Chinese launched frequent counterattacks, and on several occasions, individual Japanese units found themselves cut off from the main body and had to be rescued. Despite some setbacks, the 13th Division made satisfactory progress, bolstered by both land and ship-based artillery, and soon nearly encircled Jiangyin, leaving only a narrow corridor to the west of the city. However, the Chinese artillery was well-prepared, effectively targeting Japanese vessels on the Yangtze River. This led to an artillery duel that lasted three hours, resulting in several hits on Japanese ships; however, the Chinese batteries also suffered considerable damage. In the sector of the 103rd Chinese Division, the defenders had taken time to construct deep antitank ditches, hindering the advance of Japanese armored units. During the night of November 29-30, the Chinese organized suicide missions behind enemy lines to level the playing field. Armed only with a belt, a combat knife, a rifle, and explosives, the soldiers infiltrated Japanese positions, targeting armored vehicles. They quietly climbed onto the tanks, dropping hand grenades into turrets or detonating explosives strapped to their bodies. Though reducing Japanese armored superiority granted the Chinese some time, the attackers' momentum simply could not be stopped. On November 30, the Japanese launched a relentless assault on Mount Ding, the dominant hill in the Jiangyin area. Supported by aircraft, artillery, and naval bombardments, Japanese infantry engaged the entrenched Chinese company at the summit. After a fierce and bloody battle, the Japanese succeeded in capturing the position. The Chinese company commander, Xia Min'an, withdrew with his troops toward Jiangyin to report the loss to the regimental command post. When the deputy commander of the 103rd Division, Dai Zhiqi, heard the news, he was furious and wanted to execute Xia on the spot. However, Xia's regimental commander intervened, saving him from a firing squad. Instead, he insisted that Xia redeem himself by recapturing the hill from the Japanese. Xia was put in command of a company that had previously been held in reserve. What followed was a fierce battle lasting over four hours. Eventually, the Japanese were forced to relinquish the hill, but the victory came at a steep price, with numerous casualties on both sides, including the death of Xia Min'an. The last days of November also witnessed chaotic fighting around Guangde, where the unfamiliar terrain added to the confusion for both sides. For the Chinese, this chaos was exacerbated by their upper command issuing contradictory orders, instructing troops to advance and retreat simultaneously. Pan Wenhua, the Sichuanese commander of the 23rd Army, prepared a pincer maneuver, directing the 13th Independent Brigade to launch a counterattack against the town of Sian, which was held by the Japanese, while the 146th Division would attack from the south. Both units set out immediately. However, due to a lack of radio equipment, a common issue among the Sichuanese forces, they did not receive the new orders to withdraw, which originated not from Pan Wenhua but from Chen Cheng, the Chiang Kai-shek loyalist who had taken command after Liu Xiang fell ill and was eager to assert his authority. Fortunately, the officers of the 13th Independent Brigade were alerted to the general order for withdrawal by neighboring units and managed to halt their advance on Sian in time. The 146th Division, however, had no such luck and continued its march toward the Japanese-occupied city. It was joined by the 14th Independent Brigade, which had just arrived from Wuhu and was also unaware of the general retreat order. Upon reaching Sian, these Chinese troops engaged in intense close combat with the Japanese. It was a familiar scenario of Japanese technological superiority pitted against Chinese determination. The Japanese brought armor up from the rear, while the Chinese lay in ambush, tossing hand grenades into tank turrets before jumping onto the burning vehicles to kill any surviving crew members. As the fighting around the flanks slowed, the area in front of Guangde became the focal point of the battle. Japanese soldiers advanced toward the city during the day, passing piles of dead Chinese and numerous houses set ablaze by retreating defenders. At night, the situation became perilous for the Japanese, as Chinese forces infiltrated their positions under the cover of darkness. In the confusion, small units from both sides often got lost and were just as likely to encounter hostile forces as friendly ones. Despite the chaos along the front lines, it was evident that the Japanese were gaining the upper hand primarily due to their material superiority. Japanese artillery bombarded Guangde, igniting many structures, while infantry approached the city from multiple directions. The Chinese 145th Division, led by Rao Guohua, was nearing its breaking point. In a desperate gamble, on November 30, Rao ordered one of his regiments to counterattack, but the regimental commander, sensing the futility of the move, simply refused. This refusal was a personal failure for Rao, one he could not accept. Deeply ashamed, Rao Guohua withdrew from Guangde. As darkness enveloped the battlefield, he and a small group of staff officers found a place to rest for the night in a house near a bamboo grove. Overwhelmed with anguish, he penned a letter to Liu Xiang, apparently unaware that Liu had been evacuated to the rear due to stomach issues. In the letter, he apologized for his inability to hold Guangde. Telling his bodyguard to get some rest, he stepped outside, disappearing into the bamboo grove. Shortly thereafter, his staff heard a single gunshot. When they rushed out and searched the dense bamboo, they found Rao sitting against a tree, his service weapon beside him. Blood streamed thickly from a wound to his temple. He was already dead. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. As the Japanese forces advanced on Nanjing, tensions escalated within the Chinese leadership. While Commander Tang Shengzhi fortified the city, some sought retreat. Japanese Commander Yanagawa, confident of victory, pushed his troops westward, disregarding high command's hesitations. Meanwhile, ill-equipped Sichuanese reinforcements hurried to defend Nanjing, braving cholera and disorganization. Intense battles unfolded around Lake Tai, marked by fierce ambushes and casualties.
267. Apologetics with Ray Comfort Acts 4:20 NKJV "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” **Transcription Below** Ray Comfort is a best selling author - having written over 100 books, including his most recent one, entitled Fifty Years of Open-Air Preaching: Everything I've Learned. He is a cohost of an award-winning television show that airs in 190 countries. Living Waters Website Living Waters YouTube Channel Questions and Topics We Cover: What are some memorable encounters you've had over the years as an open-air preacher? What fears do you notice holding believers back from evangelizing? What's an easy win or next step we can take today so that the inspiration from this conversation turns into action? Related Episodes on The Savvy Sauce: School Series (Legal) Gospel Sharing During School Hours with Joel Penton Stories Series: Faith Building Miracles with Dave Pridemore Stories Series: Testify to Glorify with Richard Gamble Thank You to Our Sponsor: Sam Leman Eureka Connect with The Savvy Sauce Facebook, Instagram or Our Website Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast! Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.” Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“ Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“ Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” *Transcription* Music: (0:00 – 0:09) Laura Dugger: (0:10 - 1:18) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook. I'm delighted with this opportunity to interview my special guest for today, Mr. Ray Comfort. Ray is a best-selling author of over 100 books, one of which we'll be discussing today, about 50 years of open-air preaching. He's also a co-host of an award-winning television show that airs in over 190 countries around the world. So, I'm pleased to welcome Ray Comfort and get to hear all of his stories and inspiration. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Ray. Ray Comfort: (1:19 - 1:27) Well, thank you for having me. Can you explain Savvy Sauce to me? Absolutely. That means knowledge, knowledge poured out. Laura Dugger: (1:27 - 1:46) Well, savvy is synonymous with practical or insight. And my husband having a background in Chick-fil-A, people always talk about the Chick-fil-A sauce or the secret sauce. And so, when we were creating this podcast, that just became the favorite question that I wanted to ask every guest. Ray Comfort: (1:47 - 1:50) Oh, that's great. Yeah, it's great to be with you. Thanks for having me on. Laura Dugger: (1:51 - 2:00) It's truly my pleasure. And I just love how everybody has a unique testimony. So, would you be willing to share your salvation story with us? Ray Comfort: (2:01 - 4:47) Yeah, sure. I came from a non-Christian background. My mother was Jewish. My dad was Gentile. And when my mom met my dad, it caused problems in the family. So, they brought me up with no Christian instruction or any instruction whatsoever. Until at the age of 10, an aunt taught me the Lord's Prayer, which I prayed every night for 10 years. I believed in God. And at the age of about 20, 21, I had an epiphany, just a revelation that I was part of the ultimate statistic. 10 out of 10 die. And I thought, this is ridiculous. We're all waiting around to die. And you can have fun while you're dying. You can play sports or save money. And I'd achieved everything I wanted to achieve by the age of 21. I had my own business and my own house, my own wife. I'd made one child by then. Everything material I could want. And I remember one night just going to sleep, or my wife had gone to sleep just before I went to sleep. I looked at my wife, we're newly married, and I just wept at the thought of her dying. And I just cried out, why? Why is this thing called death? It's like there's an elephant in the room stomping on all humanity and nobody talks about it. And so, I cried out, why? I didn't know I was praying. I didn't know God heard. And six months later, I was on a surfing trip, and there was a young Christian guy there, and he had a Bible, and I remember reading parts of it. And my eyes fell upon, you've heard it said, by them of old you shall not commit adultery. And I thought, well, if there is a heaven, I'll make it there because I've never committed adultery. But then I read the words of Jesus, but I say to you, whoever looks upon a woman to lust for her has committed adultery already with her in his heart. And it was like an arrow went into my chest. And I thought, whoa, boy, am I undone. Because like every red-blooded male, I was filled with unlawful sexual desire and eyes full of adultery, as scripture says. And that's when I understood the cross. I realized I had sinned. Jesus bore my sin. And we broke the law, the commandments. Jesus paid the fine. And that meant God could forgive my sins, grant me everlasting life. And I cannot express to you the joy, it was unspeakable, that's why I can't express it, that I had and the knowledge my sins were forgiven. It was like an explosion of gratitude filled my heart. And for the last 50 years, it's been the high-octane fuel that's driven me to live for God's will and honor. So everywhere I go and everything I do is centered around sharing the gospel with unsaved people. And every Christian should be like that. I call myself a normal, biblical Christian. Laura Dugger: (4:48 - 4:59) I love that. Well, and something that you speak about and that you live out is open-air preaching. And I just want to read a piece from the dedication page, if that's okay. Ray Comfort: (5:01 - 5:03) So, make sure you speak in a New Zealand accent. Laura Dugger: (5:03 - 5:28) Oh, goodness. I won't even attempt. But you define open-air preaching saying, going somewhere I don't want to go, to preach a message I don't want to preach, to people who don't want to hear it, but the love of Christ compels me. And so, Ray, what was your journey to becoming an open-air preacher? Ray Comfort: (5:30 - 9:18) Well, I'll go back to when I was 16. I was in high school, and the teacher had the bright idea to have class speeches. And I was horrified at the thought of class speeches. Have to get up and make a speech? Because I was kind of introverted, and the day came when I got caught. I used to stay away when they had class speeches, but my name was left on the roster, and it was last. And the teacher got me up, and I thought I'll speak on the subject of surfing because I just loved surfing. And I dried up in the middle of that speech. My heart just went thump, thump, thump, thump till I could hardly hear. It was like a drum beating, and I couldn't think straight. And I sat down humiliated in front of my peers at the age of 16, which is huge. And I vowed never, ever to speak in public again. But I got born again. I became a new person in Christ. And I had a message that I could not be quiet about. And I remember one day I was on a bus going to the city, and I remember looking at the people that were sitting on the bus, and I thought most of them probably not Christians. They die. They're going to Hell. I've found everlasting life. I should stand up and speak to them. And I thought the bus would stop, and a whole lot of them would throw me off. And I thought, what do I do? And I remember praying, oh, God, if there's just some way where I could speak in public to people knowing there wasn't. And two weeks later, they legalized public speaking in our city through just strange circumstances. And I thought, whoa, what an answer to prayer. Horrors. And I remember avoiding any thought of going into that speaker's corner for the next two weeks until I opened a newspaper. Remember what newspapers were? I opened a newspaper and had a picture of an elderly lady with a Bible in her hand, and underneath it had the Bible lady sharing her Christian testimony in speaker's corner. And I felt so ashamed that here was an elderly lady, and here I was hiding like Jonah. So, I went in, took a deep breath, and preached the gospel to a crowd that was standing or sitting there. And I went back about 3,000 times and commuted to it for about 12 years, almost daily for 12 years. So, I broke the sound barrier, and I've been doing it ever since. And I'll tell you why I do it, because the average church wouldn't reach as many people in a year as a good open-air preacher can reach in 30 minutes. And you just have to learn how to draw a crowd and what to say, and you've got to have the will to say it. And if you're a Christian and you've found everlasting life, you should be saying with the disciples, I cannot but speak that which I've seen and heard. And I'm so glad the disciples didn't stay in the upper room. They found everlasting life. God granted eternal life. They didn't carpet out the room, put in pipe music, with a little notice outside their door, tonight, 7 o'clock, all welcome. They didn't do that, because they knew fish don't jump into the boat. That's not normal. If you're a fisher of men, you've got to go where the fish are. So, they went open-air and preached. And as you read the book of Acts, that's all they did. They preached open air at peril of their lives. And so if we want to walk in the steps of Jesus, in the steps of the disciples, in the steps of Spurgeon, Wesley, Moody, Whitfield, others down through the ages, then we've got to open our mouths and lift up our voice like a trumpet and show these people their transgression. And so, I am thrilled that you want to do an interview on this book, because I've often said the church has as much excitement about evangelism as you and I have about having a root canal. It's not exciting. But we all have fears, and we can learn to overcome them. Laura Dugger: (9:18 - 9:38) Ray, you make already such a compelling argument for why we as Christians are called to evangelize and deliver the good news and specifically calling it as open-air preachers. So, will you still share a few more arguments or reasons to try and help people understand why this is of utmost importance? Ray Comfort: (9:39 - 10:47) Yes, we have a moral obligation. We're like doctors with a cure to cancer. We must speak, as the disciples said. And if you've got fear, let me ask you a question. Could you jump into a pond that had big chunks of ice in it? It was so cold that you would die if you stayed in it for three minutes. And most people say, no, no, you wouldn't get me jumping into that pond for anything. Let's say a four-year-old boy fell into that pond and his feet couldn't reach the bottom, and he began to drown. You wouldn't hesitate. You'd just jump in. You wouldn't worry about how cold it was. Grab that kid and pull him out. And the waters of personal evangelism are freezing. Ice cold. We're not excited about it. Last thing we ever want to do is get involved in something like this. But love cannot but do something. Love couldn't stand there and watch a child drown. And love cannot sit on a pew while sinners sink into Hell. So, if you've got problems with fear, don't pray for less fear. Pray for more love because that's the problem. Laura Dugger: (10:48 - 11:02) Ray, I'm curious. You seem so confident and comfortable with this, but clearly you've been doing it, like you said, for many years. So, was there fear at the beginning for you? And is there still fear when you do this today? Ray Comfort: (11:03 - 18:09) No, there wasn't fear at the beginning. Fear is here. Terror is here. Mortification is here. I was up there somewhere. So, the first time I did it was terrifying. Second time wasn't quite so terrifying. But after all these years, I still battle fear, always. Every person I got a witness to on a one-to-one basis looks like Goliath. It goes from a Zacchaeus to a Goliath in a split second. I think a witness to that guy, he's anti-Christian. I can see it by the look on his jawline. He hates Christians. Can't wait to get his fingers around the neck of any Christian because I've got overripe imagination. I remember once I was driving my car and I saw a dead dog on the road about 100 yards ahead of me and it was such a sad sight. I could see its head was all twisted back and I could see its ears. It was a German shepherd. And as I got up to it, it was someone's jacket that had fallen off his bike. That's all. And I just had an overripe imagination. And that's exactly what it's like when it comes to fear. I have an imagination that some guy's going to kill me if I share the gospel with him. So, I've learned to not listen when fear speaks. I've learned to think about the fate of the person rather than myself. I mean, think of a firefighter. He arrives at a fire, and he looks up and he has to climb a 60-foot ladder. At the top of the ladder is a woman and two children leaning out of a window and the place is on fire. It's the fifth story. And they're screaming because they're going to be burned alive in about three minutes. So, he's got to climb that ladder amidst the screaming, amidst the smoke and the sirens. He could drop one of those kids. He could drop that woman. And so, would he rather be at home with his wife and kids watching an old black-and-white movie? Of course. Is he terrified? Absolutely. But he doesn't listen to his fears because of this one fact. He's not thinking of himself. He's thinking of that woman and her terrible fate and those kids. And that's the key to overcoming fear. When I get my fears, I don't listen because I'm not thinking of myself and my silly little fears, my imagination. I'm thinking of this person and their terrible fate, that they die in their sins. Lake of fire. Damned. If you think death is fearful on this side, wait till the other side. It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And the apostle Paul said, Wherefore, knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men. So, if you've got a wrong image of God, it's kind of like a Santa Claus sitting in a cloud. You won't have a terror in your heart. You won't fear God enough to obey him. You know, Jesus said, “Why do you call me Lord and do not the things that I tell you?” And so, if we are submitted to Christ, if we yield to him, if he's our Lord, when he says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” We go. He didn't say to stay. Think of what he said. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. I've actually studied the original Greek words of the word all, every, and go. Go actually means in the original, I think it's passe. The original Greek, it actually means go. Into all the world and all the world. That word all means all in the original Greek. And to every creature means every creature. So, when Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”, in the original Greek, he actually was saying, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” So, we're so fortunate to have Greek lexicons and things that we can go back and see what Jesus was actually saying. And so, it's very simple. We shouldn't stay. We shouldn't want to fill our churches with people when they come in, where to go out and get them. And one of the most effective ways is with open air preaching. And so, we teach people how to get a crowd. Now, when I first started speaking, I would begin open air preaching with an anecdote, something very gripping. And it was always difficult because if I didn't live up to that, I didn't get a crowd. And so, for about four or five or six years, it was very difficult. And then I started asking trivia and giving away money. And I've been doing that for 30, 40 years, where you say to a crowd, I've got some trivia questions, giving away money. And a preacher giving away money is like water running uphill. It's kind of unnatural, so it gets people's attention. So, I'm going to ask trivia questions. I've got money here to give away. When you get it right. What's the capital of France? Anyone know? And someone says, “Paris?” That's right. Here you are. What's the capital of China? Beijing or whatever it is. Give out a dollar. Say, “What's your name?” Fred. That's right. And you give Fred a dollar and people laugh, and they gather around and it's just a great way to get rapport with a crowd. And while you're doing that, you look around to see who's got confidence. This guy over here, or Fred, laughs when I say, “Here's a dollar, and he yells out answers.” I say, “Fred, you want to go for $5?” He says, “Sure.” So, jump up on the box. So, we've got a box for the hecklers. So, you think you're a good person? He says, “Yeah, I'm a really good person.” So, if you are, you get $5. If you're not, give me $5 anyway. Just being a good sport. So, we're going to go through the Ten Commandments to see how you're going to do on Judgment Day and if you are a good person. Let me take him through the commandments as Jesus did with the rich young ruler. How many lies have you told? Ever stole something? Ever used God's name in vain? Ever looked at women with lust? And Fred says, “Yeah, I've done all those.” So, Fred, you've just told me you're a lying thief, a blasphemer, and an adulterer at heart. And you have to face God on Judgment Day. You're going to be innocent or guilty? He says, “Guilty.” Heaven or Hell? Hell. Does that concern you? Yeah, sure it does. And the crowd's listening. It's not some sweaty preacher pointing a finger at them. They're just listening to the gospel. And so, it's a great way. And then you go into that Christ died for our sins, took our punishment. And Fred, “Thanks for listening. I really appreciate this. Here's your dollar.” I've got a book for you that I wrote. I hope you enjoy it. Nice to meet you. He shook his hand. He's off. Anyone else, like any atheists here, never be intimidated by an atheist. Atheism is the epitome of stupidity. It's just so dumb. Every time I meet an atheist, I ask him one question, and I've seen so many atheists backslide when they've heard this. I say, “Do you really believe the scientific impossibility that nothing created everything? Puppies and kittens and flowers and seeds and the marvels of the human eye and the miracle of childbirth. All this happened because nothing created it. Do you really believe that?” They say, “Oh, no, I don't believe that. Oh, there was something in the beginning.” I say, “Oh, it just wasn't God. Is that it?” Yeah, that's it. It was something, but it wasn't God. Well, let's see if we can find out why you don't want it to be God. When did you last look at pornography? I say, “Oh, it was last night. What do you think God thinks of that?” And you realize the issue isn't intellectual. It's moral. They're running from God like Adam, hiding behind bushes. And so, you've just got to flush them out and then use the Ten Commandments to bring the knowledge of sin and address the conscience rather than the intellect. Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. With over 1,700 apartment units available throughout Pekin, Peoria, Peoria Heights, Morton, Washington, and Canton, and with every price range covered, you will have plenty of options when you rent through Leman Property Management Company. Leman Property Management Company They have townhomes, duplexes, studios, and garden-style options located in many areas throughout Pekin. In Peoria, a historic downtown location and apartments adjacent to the OSF Medical Center provide excellent choices. 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Check them out on Facebook today or email their friendly staff at leasing@lemanprops.com. You can also stop by their website at lemanproperties.com. That's L-E-M-A-N-P-R-O-P-E-R-T-Y. Check them out and find your place to call home today. As you've done this, what has been your experience along the way? And would you even share a few stories of times that this has gone miraculously well and times that have been such a struggle? Ray Comfort: (20:19 - 30:16) It's always a struggle. But let me share the two great keys that I use when it comes to evangelism. I don't even like using the word evangelism because it scares Christians. Apologetics. And that is this. I address the conscience, as Jesus did. When you're in apologetics, and I believe in apologetics, we've got what's called the Evidence Study Bible, which is pregnant with apologetics. So, I believe in apologetics, but they have their place. Apologetics are like bait when you're fishing for men. If you stay with bait, you're going to end up with fat, happy fish that get away. You've got to have a hook, and that hook is God's law. So, you bait the hook. And so, it's important if you bait the hook with apologetics and address the intellect to realize this one fact. Romans 8:7 says, “The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it's not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” What does that mean? It means the carnal, natural mind of man is in a state of hostility towards God, particularly His law. It's not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. And you can see this enmity by the fact that human beings lavished with life by God use His name as a cuss word, and the name of Jesus as a cuss word. Nobody in history has had their name used as a cuss word except Jesus, Jesus Christ, and God. And that shows the enmity they have towards their Creator because they're criminals. And as criminals hate the police, so sinners hate God without cause. So, you want to move away from the carnal mind because you're going to get enmity. If you say, “Look, I'm going to show you that Noah did build an ark. I'm going to prove it to you there was a big flood.” And so you go through the whole thing that the ark was really big and the animals were small and it could have happened. Then we've got oceans and that's evidence that the earth was flooded. You get this guy who was a skeptic who'd say, “Okay, I believe there was a big flood and Noah could have built an ark.” Well, great. Now you've got a mountain to climb of Jonah being swallowed by a big fish. Children of Israel shouting and walls coming down when they shout. Balaam's donkey speaking with a man's voice. Samson with strength in his hair. And you've got all these stories, and they're all an intellectual thing, and they're like a mountain you've got to climb to convince them to believe there's an easier way. And the early Christians didn't try and convince anyone the Bible is the word of God because they didn't have a New Testament. There was no printing press. No one could read or hardly anyone could read. Now they just preached the gospel, and you do it not by going for the intellect and trying to intellectually convince someone that God exists or the Bible's the word of God. You do what Jesus did with a rich young ruler. You address the conscience with the commandments. You shall not lie, shall not steal, shall not commit adultery. It's all written on the heart of man. Conscience means knowledge. So that knowledge is there. So, the commandments echo the truth, or the conscience echoes the truth of the commandments. When Paul used the commandments in Romans chapter 2, you who say you shall not steal, do you steal? You say, “You shall not commit adultery; do you commit adultery?” He was addressing the conscience. Romans 2:15, same chapter, would show the work of the law written on their hearts, the conscience bearing witness. So, I have an ally right in the heart of the enemy. I have a judge on the court and in the mind of every sinner that's going to affirm the truth of what I'm saying and point guilt to the sinner or show him that he's guilty. That's the conscience. The second great tool I have or weapon I have is the will to live. Human beings are not dogs, horses, cats, or cows. We're completely different. We're not primates. We're made in the image of God and God has written eternity upon our hearts. He doesn't seem to have done this with my dog. My dog's only concerned with chasing cats and eating. I don't think there's anything else that really interests her, although I love her, but she's not worrying about eternity, but human beings do. So, I know, according to scripture, that everybody has this will to live. So, when I go to the local college, and I go there twice a day, to interview people for our YouTube channel. I often say this, “Would you like to go on YouTube?” They say, “Yeah.” I'm going to ask you, “If you think there's life after death.” I say, “That's okay, and this is my first question. Are you afraid of dying?” And they go, “A little bit.” A little bit? It's huge. It's a tormenting fear of death. It haunts you, and that's what the Bible says, this fear of death that we have. And I can tell by the look in the eyes of this person, they're saying, “How did this guy know?” I haven't told mom or dad. I haven't told my boyfriend or my girlfriend, my brother, my sister, but there's something in me that's terrified of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us. Amplified Bible, so I'll quote it a little louder. It says, “That God has caused the fear of death or the will to live to be haunting,” it uses the word haunting, “within every human being all their lifetime.” Remember when I was a kid, maybe nine or ten, I used to play wars, cowboys and Indians, and someone would shoot me. I'd roll down a hill and lie there for two minutes and then get up. And then one day as I got older, I thought, I'm not going to get up one day. And that's that haunting fear of death. That revelation that comes to us, as light comes to us, as we get older. And so, I address that, and this is what I say, “Ever read the Bible?” “No, never opened it.” “Why not? It's the world's biggest selling book of all time. Did you know in the Old Testament, God promised he would destroy death? And in the New Testament, we're told how he did it. Did you know that?” They say, “No.” “Is he interested?” And even if it's an atheist, he's going to say, “Yeah, I'm interested.” Because he's got that haunting fear of death. And so, then I go through the gospel. This is the verse that I share with so many people, and it's the most illuminating verse, and I can see light coming to them as I say this. I say, “Have you ever heard the Bible verse, the wages of sin is death?” And they say, “Maybe.” It's saying that God is paying you in death for your sins. Like a judge who looks at a criminal who's committed murder, but he thinks he's a good person. The judge says, “I'm going to show you how serious your crime is. I'm giving you the death sentence.” This is your wages. This is what you've earned. And I say, “Fred, sin is so serious to a holy God, he's given you the death sentence.” You're on death row. You're in a holding cell. It's got a nice blue roof, good air conditioning, good lighting, but this life is a holding cell, and your death will be evidence to you that God is deadly serious about sin. That has a sobering effect on people because now they've got a reason why they die. Now they know what's going to happen after they die. It's appointed a man. It's appointment. It's appointed a man who wants to die, and after this, the judgment. And as you go through the commandments, it shows them how they need a Savior. And so many people say, I'm going to really think about this. Thank you for talking to me. I say, “When are you going to repent and put your trust in Jesus?” And so many people lately have been saying, “Today.” So, the pandemic, that plague that no one calls a plague, the pandemic did us a huge favor because it made a whole generation think about their mortality, made them realize they're going to die one day. And so, the harvest fields are white. One other thought regarding the fear of death and the will to live, the same thing. Think of a waitress who has to approach three men, businessmen wearing dark suits and little briefcases sitting at a table. They're obviously wheeling and dealing millions of dollars. Is she intimidated? No. She just walks up and says, “Can I take your order?” Why is she so bold? It's because she knows she has what they want. They're there for food. And so that makes her bold. And you and I have what this world wants. Right at this moment, there are people in torture chambers called gyms, lifting weights that are far too heavy for them, pulling things they shouldn't be pulling. And I believe in physical fitness is great. And at the same time, there are people drinking green slime. They would love a chocolate shake, but they drink because they want to increase their life just that little bit more. We have found everlasting life. So, if the world knew what we had, they would ask us. This is what Jesus said to the woman at the well. If you knew who it was that was speaking to you, you would ask me. And if the world knew what we had, everlasting life, they'd plead with us. So, because we know we have what the world wants, like that waitress, we must be bold. And when they realize that we have the answer to death that Jesus Christ has abolished death. When that revelation comes to them, what causes death. That Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, he destroyed death, bringing life and immortality to light through the gospel. That's when the light goes on and they say, “Thank you so much. Thank you for talking to me.” I've just about worn myself out. Laura Dugger: (30:16 - 30:30) Well, that's incredible to hear, especially the breakdown practically of how you do that. And I would say, “Do you even give people permission to use some of those examples if they want to give this a try?” Ray Comfort: (30:31 - 31:18) I would plead with them to do so. We've got the evidence Bible. It's filled with how to do these things. And that book, Fifty Years of Open-Air Preaching: Everything I've Learned is filled with stuff like this. How to get a crowd standing up nice and orderly. There's a picture, I don't know if you can see it, at Berkeley University. They're all standing around nice in a big circle. That's where you get stoned to death, Berkeley. But because we understand these principles, we just drew a circle out of chalk and said, stand behind the circle. If anyone got in front of the circle, approached us, we wouldn't talk to them unless they got to the edge of the circle. And people are like sheep. If you say, “Move back behind the chalk line. Do it now.” Okay. They'll do it, if you've got a little bit of authority. And so, you just learn to do things like that. And it means the gospel can go out. So yeah, please, please use these principles. Laura Dugger: (31:19 - 31:34) And then can you also just paint a picture. If somebody's never seen this before, they've never tried this before, are there any memorable encounters that you've had as you reflect back on these years of open air preaching? Ray Comfort: (31:35 - 33:54) Yes. Oh, I've got beaten up by a woman once. Oh dear. I'll have to tell you. I was in Santa Monica many years ago, and I had a crowd of maybe 40, 50 people. And there's a woman there that was very vocal and kept calling me, using the F word a couple of times. So, I said, “Ma'am, can you watch your language? There are ladies present.” And she said, “I'm a lady.” I said, “Ma'am, you may be a woman, but you are not a lady.” And with that, she ran at me like a bat out of heaven and began beating me up. Now, most women go scratch, and hair pulling, but she was like Mike Tyson's sister. She got in six punches, knocked me to the ground before my team pulled her off. They held her back. And she said, let me go and get my purse. They let her go. And she gave me a kidney punch and took two weeks for the bruising to go, but she doubled my crowd. She can come back anytime she wants. But that was my fault. And that was very memorable. So, I talk nicely to ladies now. One to one, one of the most memorable ones is a guy named Mario. Our YouTube channel's got 1.57 million subscribers, just past 314 million views. And one of the best, most gripping encounters was with a guy named Mario. I went out on my bike. My dog's on my bike. She's on a platform. She wears sunglasses. I wear sunglasses. It gets people's attention. She's the best bait I've ever had when fishing for men. Saw this guy standing by a tree on a pathway, and I said, “You want to come on camera?” He said, “Yeah.” I was surprised because I didn't have to talk him into it. And he was quite arrogant, very handsome young man. And as we went through the commandments, I saw a tear well in his eye and roll down his cheek. And I thought, oh, no, God's doing a work in the heart of this guy, and I don't want to mess it up. And so, I did my best to end up praying with him, and he was just beside himself in sorrow for his sin. And I think that's something like 4 million views on a YouTube channel. If you go to the most popular to see it, you'll see him there. But that was a very memorable encounter. One that I often think when I'm going out on my bike each day. Lord, give me a Mario today, please. Laura Dugger: (33:55 - 34:58) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you? Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world. So, we need your help. Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you. It's compelling to hear this and inspiring, but then also if we're going back to talking about the fears. What fears do you see holding people back from giving this a try or from evangelizing in general? Ray Comfort: (34:59 - 37:37) That is a great question, and you provoke something very important. I've traveled on about 2,000 flights, itinerating over the years, and so many times I've prayed, and when there's an empty seat on a plane beside me, I always pray for the person who's going to sit there. This is the prayer I subliminally pray. Lord, please don't let this guy show up. That's what I pray. And then he shows up, and I share the gospel with him. My hardest, my biggest mountain to climb was how do you bring the subject up? Okay, I'm on a plane. This guy's a businessman. He's wearing a three-piece suit. He's very intimidating, and I've got to talk to him about the things of God and sin and righteousness and judgment. How do I bring the subject up with this guy? Oh, see those clouds? Guess who made the clouds? God. No, it's just terrifying. But I learned something many years ago that just dissipated that fear of man and the fear of women, and that's this. I just say to any stranger, “Do you think there's an afterlife?” That's a simple question. Do you think there's life after death? I haven't mentioned God, Jesus, Heaven, Hell, sin, righteousness, judgment, any of those things that make him feel uncomfortable. I just said, do you think there's an afterlife? And this is how I do it, and I've done it many times. I'm at the ministry now in our studio. Many a time I've had workmen come. Let's say there's a plumber working on something. I go up to him and say, “Hey, how are you doing?” He says, “Good.” I'm Ray. What's your name? He says, “Eric.” Nice to meet you, Eric. Eric, what? I've got a question for you, “Do you think there's an afterlife?” Eric stands up and says, “I don't know.” I say, “Do you think about it much?” Yeah, all the time. His all the time just dissipated my fears. He's not antichrist. He hasn't stabbed me to death. He's a normal human being. He thinks about the issues of life and death all the time. And so, I've got confidence. And the thing that got me in there was that question, do you think there's an afterlife? You can ask anyone. Even Uncle Arthur at the Christmas lunch, sitting there and usually he's working. Uncle Arthur, do you think there's an afterlife? Haven't mentioned God, Jesus, Heaven, Hell. Just let him talk. He says, “Oh, I don't know about heaven.” So Rich, “You ever read the Bible?” Oh, let me get you my Bible. Let me lend it to you. It just opens the door and lets them do the talking. So never forget that. You can talk to any stranger about the things of God by just asking that question. Do you think there's an afterlife? And I do it every day. Laura Dugger: (37:38 - 37:57) Wow. And I love it, even before we began recording when we were just getting to know each other for a moment. And then you said, well, before we begin, shall we do this in the flesh, or should we pray? And I love that. I think that's such an approachable first step to this. Ray Comfort: (37:57 - 38:07) Well, you just have to do something in the flesh to know how terrible it is. You need a pulpit, and you think, oh God, I need your help. So, I always pray. Laura Dugger: (38:08 - 38:24) Absolutely. That's very relatable. And so, if we're considering this invitation to evangelize publicly, what do you think this looks like for men and for women? And do you see any difference between the two? Ray Comfort: (38:25 - 39:21) Yes, I do. When I look at my wife, I see different from the local workman that comes to work around our home. But physically, no, I don't. Yeah. When Jesus had gone to all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, he didn't say, “Oh, that's just for men.” No. Look at the woman at the well. She went off and shared the gospel with the whole village. And so, if a woman's got the courage to stand up and do what men won't do, God bless her. I think that's wonderful. And so, I'm all for women and women stay silent at the church. Well, that's for the church. That's church discipline. But when it comes to sharing the gospel, telling people how they can find everlasting life, women can do just as well with men and a woman can do good with five people or 10 people. Now she can gather a crowd of 200 at a university and share how to find everlasting life. God bless her. And thank you for her, Aud. Laura Dugger: (39:22 - 39:35) Thank you for sharing that. And can you think of just an easy or approachable next step, something that we could do today that takes inspiration from this conversation and turns it into action? Ray Comfort: (39:35 - 39:38) Yes. Get the book. Laura Dugger: (39:40 - 39:41) Absolutely. Ray Comfort: (39:41 - 39:48) And I'll watch our YouTube channel too. I love it. It'll really help you build confidence. Thank you for that. Laura Dugger: (39:49 - 40:01) My pleasure. So, if we do determine that we're going to apply what we've learned today, then there's another side to this as well. What kind of attack can we expect from our enemy? Ray Comfort: (40:02 - 42:34) Oh, full on. You're going to get negative thoughts. You can't do this. You shouldn't do this. What are you going to do if you dry up? The dry up thing is a real big fear. I'm going to get up there and I'll say, “My mind's gone blank.” Well, just have a Gospel of John in your pocket, a little New Testament, maybe a little Gideon in your pocket there. And if you dry up, just say, “Oh, excuse me, I want to read this to you.” You've got John 3:16, corner turned down. Just say, “For God so loved the world and gave his only begotten son who believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Please think about that. Close it and get down. Or you can keep speaking. And so, if you've got an out, that will dissipate your fears if you know you can get out if that happens. I've used it many a time. I mean the fear of every preacher is drying up in a pulpit. I remember I was in a church of 3,000 once and I lost my place. So, you know what I did? I just said, look at that over there. And everyone looked at the wall. I said, I just lost my place. Or I'll say something like this. “Turn to Leviticus 15:3.” And everyone goes, shh, shh, shh. I look for my place. I've got my thoughts back. And they say that was a fake scripture. I don't know what it is. I wanted to do something while I was trying to find my place. And there I've never had problems drying up in the pulpit because I know that's my way out. And it's the same with open air preaching. If you dry up, you're just going to quote John 3:16 or begin reading Genesis chapter 1 to the crowd. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” And just knowing you've got that out will help dissipate your fears. And when you're finished, you'll have such a joy. I say to our team, whenever you go to preach the gospel, you're dragging your feet. When you come back, you'll be clicking your heels. And that's exactly what happens. You'll have such satisfaction that you did what you know you should. You overcame that Goliath. You ran at Goliath and overcame your fears. And so just do it. If you want to learn to swim, you don't study water. You jump in. That's the best way to learn to swim. And, you know, if you're going to drown, it's a pity more people don't know this, but if you just relax, you'll float. If you panic, you'll probably sink. And it's the same with this. Don't panic. Just trust in the Lord. Say, “Lord, you'll fill my mouth. You'll help me out with this.” And he'll float. He'll float you. He'll take you by the hand, and you'll be fine. I've done it thousands of times, and God's never let me down. Laura Dugger: (42:36 - 43:00) Amen. I hope we all are willing to give it a try. I think that you really articulated it well when you narrow it down to that fear of man, fear of woman. And I love also that just do it, and we can do it scared. But you're so full of these practical tips. There's one about hecklers that we haven't covered yet. Can you share your perspective on hecklers? Ray Comfort: (43:01 - 44:02) Hecklers are wonderful. If you fear hecklers, you're fearing the thing that could make what you're doing a great success. A good heckler, if he's handled well, can take a crowd of 15 people to 150 people in about 30, 40 seconds. And all you do is let him vent. There's one, I think we've got, it's called The Angry Atheist. I think it's one of our videos. And this guy was furious, a Christian. So, I just let him vent, and the crowd thickened up, and then we started one by one dealing with his problems. And just always remember a soft answer turns away wrath. If someone's angry, you just speak, what's your name? And they'll say, “Oh, John.” Nice to meet you, John. That's a nice sweater. I remember once a lady came up, this young lady. She was really angry, and I did say the sweater thing to her when she was yelling at me. I said, “That's a nice sweater.” She said, “Really?” I said, “Where'd you get it?” And so, a soft answer turns away wrath. So, you just learn these little things that can really help. Laura Dugger: (44:03 - 44:14) I love that. And just as a model for us, if we want to share the good news of Jesus, you've done this time and time again. Will you share it with all of us now? Ray Comfort: (44:16 - 46:05) What are you trying to do to me? You mean you'd like the gospel? Absolutely. One-minute gospel presentation. Okay, let's do a nutshell. Let me say, I'm meeting a stranger. I'll talk directly to them. You know, God's placed a will to live within you. Something in you says, I don't want to die. Did you know the Bible says, “Jesus Christ has abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the gospel?” And the reason you're going to die is because you've sinned against God. And all you have to do for a few minutes with an honest heart is go through the commandments. The seventh commandment says, “You shall not commit adultery, but Jesus said if you look at a woman with lust, you commit adultery in your heart, lying lips and abomination to the Lord. No thief will inherit God's kingdom.” Ever stolen something? Ever used God's name in vain? And if you've been honest, you'll know you've sinned against God. And if all your sin comes out on Judgment Day as evidence of your guilt, you're going to end up justly in Hell, and that breaks my heart. And God is not willing that any perish. The Bible says, “He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and he's provided a way for you to be forgiven by Christ dying on the cross.” We broke God's law. Jesus paid the fine. It's as simple as that. That means you can leave the courtroom. God can dismiss your case. He can take death off you because of what Jesus did through his death and resurrection. And all you have to do is so simple a child can understand it. You must repent, turn from your sins. You'll never do that while you think you're a good person. And trust in Jesus like you trust a parachute. The minute you do that, you've got God's promise, and he cannot lie. He'll grant you everlasting life as a free gift, not because you're good, but because He's good and kind and rich in mercy. And don't put it off until tomorrow because you may not have tomorrow. Fifty-four million people die every year. Today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your heart. Laura Dugger: (46:07 - 46:10) It just never gets old hearing that. Ray Comfort: (46:10 - 46:10) No. Laura Dugger: (46:10 - 46:28) Thank you. And you also bring up even so clearly from scripture but sharing repent and believe. And is there anything else that you would want to make sure that we wouldn't leave out of a conversation if we were evangelizing to someone? Ray Comfort: (46:29 - 48:02) Well, another good question. Yeah, a lot of people are saying all you have to do is believe. Just believe. They say if you repent, that's works. Well, by saying you have to believe, that's works. If you have to do anything, believe. No, the Bible says, “By grace you're saved through faith, through faith, and not of yourselves.” It's God's grace that saves us. But if you read scripture, it comes through repentance and faith. And the reason they want to drop repentance is because they don't see the true nature of sin. And what the commandments do, the Ten Commandments, they open up the law and show sin to be exceedingly sinful, and that necessitates repentance. Like with David, when he realized he'd committed adultery and lied and stolen his neighbor's wife, covered his neighbor's wife, murdered his neighbor, that's when he cried out, “Oh, have mercy upon me, oh God, according to your lovingkindness.” If Nathan hadn't said, “Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, and David hadn't said, I've sinned against heaven, he would have just said, oh, just believe. No, he had to get before God and agonize. Scripture says, “Cleanse your hands, you sinners.” Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Let your laugh to be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness.” That's contrition. And the law that shows us the nature of sin produces contrition, sorrow for sin, which works repentance, godly sorrow, works repentance unto life. So, it's most necessary to preach, as Jesus did, repent and believe in that order. Laura Dugger: (48:04 - 48:13) That is so good. Ray, where can we go to continue learning from you and continue to be inspired by the faithful work that you're doing? Ray Comfort: (48:14 - 48:46) Very kind of you to say that. LivingWaters.com, sign up for our newsletter. We've always got interesting stuff. We give away a lot of stuff. Watch the YouTube channel. We have different videos each day. We put one up four days ago that's had 4.6 million views. And so, it's a wonderful way to reach the lost. So, follow us. Just become part of a YouTube channel, subscribe, and that really helps us and helps further our reach. So LivingWaters.com and LivingWaters YouTube. Laura Dugger: (48:47 - 49:05) Wonderful. We'll make sure to add those links in the show notes for today's episode. And as you already know, our podcast is entitled The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, Ray, what is your Savvy Sauce? Ray Comfort: (49:06 - 49:12) My wife. Is that okay to say that? Laura Dugger: (49:12 - 49:17) I love that. Do you want to say anything more specific about her? Ray Comfort: (49:17 - 49:44) Sue and I have been married for 108 years, 54. We love each other. She's my best friend. She works at the ministry and also I love my dog. And one thing I might say just as we close is don't call this anything to do with evangelism. That'll kill. Use the word apologetics or say Ray Comfort says this about his wife. Anything other than evangelism that scares Christians off. Laura Dugger: (49:45 - 49:50) Wow. Interesting. So that's been your experience. That makes sense. Ray Comfort: (49:51 - 50:25) Yeah. That's a principle we use at the ministry. If we have a conference, don't mention evangelism. No one will come. It's like someone saying to me, “Hey, want to go door knocking, tell people about Jesus?” I go; I just wouldn't want to do that. And there's a reason for it. As a new Christian, I knocked on someone's door, fully aware that Jehovah's Witnesses had stolen our thunder, and I said to this lady, “Hello, I'm not a Jehovah's Witness.” She said, “Well, I am.” And so, I've got this aversion to door knocking, and that's what most Christians are like when it comes to evangelism. So, call it something else. Laura Dugger: (50:25 - 50:50) Wow. So practical, again. And Ray, you've just stewarded your many gifts that God has given you. You've stewarded them so well and so wisely. I can just imagine God greeting you someday and having just, well done, good and faithful servant. So, thank you for generously taking the time to share with us today. I'm grateful for you, and I just want to say thank you for being my guest. Ray Comfort: (50:51 - 50:52) Well, thank you for having me. Laura Dugger: (50:53 - 54:35) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news. Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved. We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him. That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now? Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone. Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible, and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process. And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today. And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.
You should buy a faster CPU The Trump-Intel deal is official Trump signals fourth delay of TikTok ban Trump to tap Airbnb co-founder as first government design chief Meet Macrohard, Elon Musk's AI simulation of Microsoft Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with heavy AI integration Gemini for Home is Google's biggest smart home play in years Copilot app gets a glowup, new features, for Windows 11 Apple explores using Google Gemini AI to power revamped Siri Bluesky blocks service in Mississippi over age assurance law 4chan will refuse to pay daily online safety fines, lawyer tells BBC Sports streaming enters a bold new era Waymo can now test its self-driving vehicles in New York City Oura secures decisive legal victory with ITC patent ruling T-Mobile claimed selling location data without consent is legal—judges disagree Developer gets prison time for sabotaging former employer's network with a 'kill switch' Nonprofit search engine Ecosia offers $0 for control of Chrome Perplexity's Comet AI browser tricked into buying fake items online Agentic browser security: indirect prompt injection in Perplexity Comet New zero-day startup offers $20 million for tools that can hack any smartphone YouTuber Mark Rober is getting a Netflix series German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers Satya Nadella says Microsoft must move beyond Bill Gates' software factory vision More frozen shrimp recalled for possible radioactive contamination Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Daniel Rubino and Paris Martineau Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/security expressvpn.com/twit canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT smarty.com/twit helixsleep.com/twit
You should buy a faster CPU The Trump-Intel deal is official Trump signals fourth delay of TikTok ban Trump to tap Airbnb co-founder as first government design chief Meet Macrohard, Elon Musk's AI simulation of Microsoft Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with heavy AI integration Gemini for Home is Google's biggest smart home play in years Copilot app gets a glowup, new features, for Windows 11 Apple explores using Google Gemini AI to power revamped Siri Bluesky blocks service in Mississippi over age assurance law 4chan will refuse to pay daily online safety fines, lawyer tells BBC Sports streaming enters a bold new era Waymo can now test its self-driving vehicles in New York City Oura secures decisive legal victory with ITC patent ruling T-Mobile claimed selling location data without consent is legal—judges disagree Developer gets prison time for sabotaging former employer's network with a 'kill switch' Nonprofit search engine Ecosia offers $0 for control of Chrome Perplexity's Comet AI browser tricked into buying fake items online Agentic browser security: indirect prompt injection in Perplexity Comet New zero-day startup offers $20 million for tools that can hack any smartphone YouTuber Mark Rober is getting a Netflix series German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers Satya Nadella says Microsoft must move beyond Bill Gates' software factory vision More frozen shrimp recalled for possible radioactive contamination Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Daniel Rubino and Paris Martineau Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/security expressvpn.com/twit canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT smarty.com/twit helixsleep.com/twit
learn how to say 'old' in German
You should buy a faster CPU The Trump-Intel deal is official Trump signals fourth delay of TikTok ban Trump to tap Airbnb co-founder as first government design chief Meet Macrohard, Elon Musk's AI simulation of Microsoft Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with heavy AI integration Gemini for Home is Google's biggest smart home play in years Copilot app gets a glowup, new features, for Windows 11 Apple explores using Google Gemini AI to power revamped Siri Bluesky blocks service in Mississippi over age assurance law 4chan will refuse to pay daily online safety fines, lawyer tells BBC Sports streaming enters a bold new era Waymo can now test its self-driving vehicles in New York City Oura secures decisive legal victory with ITC patent ruling T-Mobile claimed selling location data without consent is legal—judges disagree Developer gets prison time for sabotaging former employer's network with a 'kill switch' Nonprofit search engine Ecosia offers $0 for control of Chrome Perplexity's Comet AI browser tricked into buying fake items online Agentic browser security: indirect prompt injection in Perplexity Comet New zero-day startup offers $20 million for tools that can hack any smartphone YouTuber Mark Rober is getting a Netflix series German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers Satya Nadella says Microsoft must move beyond Bill Gates' software factory vision More frozen shrimp recalled for possible radioactive contamination Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Daniel Rubino and Paris Martineau Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/security expressvpn.com/twit canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT smarty.com/twit helixsleep.com/twit
Those injection-free sublingual GLP-1 drops for individualized microdosing—do they actually work? Options for treating stubborn neuropathy; Her new doctor said, “Vitamins are hogwash”—so she fired him; There is hope for tinnitus—via diet and lifestyle; I'm taking German classes, and a new study suggests it'll help me ward off cognitive decline.
How'd you say in German: “After the start, the computer will boot up automatically.”?
Episode Description Episode Description Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you: Dear Friend, The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go. It's strategic. Every people group in our database has been vetted by researchers and field workers. These aren't randomly selected communities. They're the 100 largest frontier people groups, the populations with the least gospel access and the greatest potential for kingdom impact. It grows with your capacity. Whether you're adopting as a family, church, or organization, the commitment adjusts to what you can offer. Some will pray weekly. Others will fund translation projects. A few will end up moving to the field. All contributions matter. When you adopt a people group today, you'll receive: Immediate next steps for your specific adopted group A digital covenant card to mark your commitment Information about your frontier people group Regular updates as we develop more resources and connections Beyond the practical resources, you'll receive something harder to quantify: the knowledge that you're part of a strategic response to the most urgent spiritual need on our planet. The Batak people have been sending missionaries to unreached groups for decades now. Their story didn't end with their own transformation; it multiplied exponentially. Your adopted people group could be the next
What claims could Jewish veterans make on the Nazi state by virtue of their having fought for Germany? How often did Germans treat Jewish veterans differently from Jewish men without military experience during the Weimar and Nazi periods? How did perceptions of masculinity and of Germanness intersect to shape attitudes and behaviors of Jewish veterans? Michael Geheran's wonderful new book Comrades Betrayed: Jewish World War I Veterans under Hitler (Cornell UP, 2020) tries to understand how Jewish participation in World War I shaped their lives in 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. He uses a seemingly never-ending supply of diaries, letters, journals and other sources to paint a compelling picture of the ways in which German Jews understood their identities and influenced their interactions with Germans and with the restrictions imposed by the Nazi Government. It raises new questions about how to periodize the Holocaust and how to think about the role of Germans--both civilian and military--in the persecution and elimination of German Jews. Kelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history
You should buy a faster CPU The Trump-Intel deal is official Trump signals fourth delay of TikTok ban Trump to tap Airbnb co-founder as first government design chief Meet Macrohard, Elon Musk's AI simulation of Microsoft Google announces Pixel 10 lineup with heavy AI integration Gemini for Home is Google's biggest smart home play in years Copilot app gets a glowup, new features, for Windows 11 Apple explores using Google Gemini AI to power revamped Siri Bluesky blocks service in Mississippi over age assurance law 4chan will refuse to pay daily online safety fines, lawyer tells BBC Sports streaming enters a bold new era Waymo can now test its self-driving vehicles in New York City Oura secures decisive legal victory with ITC patent ruling T-Mobile claimed selling location data without consent is legal—judges disagree Developer gets prison time for sabotaging former employer's network with a 'kill switch' Nonprofit search engine Ecosia offers $0 for control of Chrome Perplexity's Comet AI browser tricked into buying fake items online Agentic browser security: indirect prompt injection in Perplexity Comet New zero-day startup offers $20 million for tools that can hack any smartphone YouTuber Mark Rober is getting a Netflix series German court revives case that could threaten ad blockers Satya Nadella says Microsoft must move beyond Bill Gates' software factory vision More frozen shrimp recalled for possible radioactive contamination Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Daniel Rubino and Paris Martineau Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: zscaler.com/security expressvpn.com/twit canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT smarty.com/twit helixsleep.com/twit
Each year, the Australian World Orchestra brings together Australia's top musicians from all over the world. On September 3 and 4, the orchestra plays Mahler's 4th and 5th symphonies — with German soprano Sarah Traubel. In conversation, she explains, among other things, what fascinates her in particular about Mahler, what role her solo plays — and why she experiences participating in the Australian World Orchestra like a class reunion in which she herself is the welcomed 'exchange student. ' - Das Australian World Orchestra vereint jedes Jahr Australiens Spitzenmusiker aus aller Welt. Am 3. und 4. September spielt es Mahlers 4. und 5. Symphonie – mit dabei die deutsche Sopranistin Sarah Traubel. Im Gespräch erzählt sie unter anderem, was sie besonders an Mahler fasziniert, welche Rolle ihr Solo spielt – und warum sie das Mitwirken im Australian World Orchestra wie ein Klassentreffen erlebt, bei dem sie selbst die wilkommene ‚Austauschschülerin‘ ist.
APAC stocks began the week on the front foot as the region took its opportunity to react to the dovish comments by Fed Chair Powell at Jackson Hole on Friday.European equity futures indicate a lower cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 future down 0.3% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.5% on Friday.DXY is a touch firmer but unable to recover much of Friday's lost ground. EUR/USD remains on a 1.17 handle.Bund futures have faded some of last Friday's gains, crude futures are steady.Looking ahead, highlights include German Ifo (Aug), US National Activity (Jul), Comments from Fed's Logan and Supply from the EU.Note, today is a UK bank holiday. The desk is open as usual. Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk
This episode, which is co-hosted with Delaney Chieyen Holton, features Dr. K. Ian Shin discussing his recently published book, Imperial Stewards: Chinese Art and the Making of America's Pacific Century (Standford UP, 2025). Imperial Stewards argues that, beyond aesthetic taste and economics, geopolitics were critical to the United States' transformation into possessing some of the world's largest and most sophisticated collections of Chinese art between the Gilded Age and World War II. Collecting and studying Chinese art and antiquities honed Americans' belief that they should dominate Asia and the Pacific Ocean through the ideology of imperial stewardship—a view that encompassed both genuine curiosity and care for Chinese art, and the enduring structures of domination and othering that underpinned the burgeoning transpacific art market. Tracing networks across both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, K. Ian Shin uncovers a diverse cast of historical actors that both contributed to US imperial stewardship and also challenged it, including Protestant missionaries, German diplomats, Chinese-Hawaiian merchants, and Chinese overseas students, among others. By examining the development of Chinese art collecting and scholarship in the United States around the turn of the twentieth century, Imperial Stewards reveals both the cultural impetus behind Americans' long-standing aspirations for a Pacific Century and a way to understand—and critique—the duality of US imperial power around the globe. Ian Shin is Assistant Professor of History and American Culture at the University of Michigan, where he is also a core faculty member in the Asian/Pacific Islander American Studies Program. In addition to Imperial Stewards, his articles and reviews on topics that range from the Boy Scout movement in New York's Chinatown to the role of colleges and universities in 19th-century U.S.-China relations to the history of museums of American art have appeared in Amerasia Journal, Journal of Asian American Studies, Journal of American-East Asian Relations, and Connecticut Historical Review. Donna Doan Anderson is the Mellon research assistant professor in U.S. Law and Race at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Delaney Chieyen Holton is a Ph.D. candidate in Art History at Stanford University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies
Orchids for Peace believes orchids are symbols for both peace and biodiversity. By empowering communities to conserve these plants, this wonderful organization encourages environmental stewardship and fosters a future where nature and humanity thrive together. Join me and founder Dr. Tatiana Arias as we explore why she started Orchids for Peace and how you can lend a hand in their mission to bring people and orchids together for the good of the planet. This episode was produced in part by Yellowroot, Wisewren, Nadia, Heidi, Blake, Josh, Laure, R.J., Carly, Lucia, Dana, Sarah, Lauren, Strych Mind, Linda, Sylvan, Austin, Sarah, Ethan, Elle, Steve, Cassie, Chuck, Aaron, Gillian, Abi, Rich, Shad, Maddie, Owen, Linda, Alana, Sigma, Max, Richard, Maia, Rens, David, Robert, Thomas, Valerie, Joan, Mohsin Kazmi Photography, Cathy, Simon, Nick, Paul, Charis, EJ, Laura, Sung, NOK, Stephen, Heidi, Kristin, Luke, Sea, Shannon, Thomas, Will, Jamie, Waverly, Brent, Tanner, Rick, Kazys, Dorothy, Katherine, Emily, Theo, Nichole, Paul, Karen, Randi, Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter, Whitney, Kenned, Margaret, Daniel, Karen, David, Earl, Jocelyn, Gary, Krysta, Elizabeth, Southern California Carnivorous Plant Enthusiasts, Pattypollinators, Peter, Judson, Ella, Alex, Dan, Pamela, Peter, Andrea, Nathan, Karyn, Michelle, Jillian, Chellie, Linda, Laura, Miz Holly, Christie, Carlos, Paleo Fern, Levi, Sylvia, Lanny, Ben, Lily, Craig, Sarah, Lor, Monika, Brandon, Jeremy, Suzanne, Kristina, Christine, Silas, Michael, Aristia, Felicidad, Lauren, Danielle, Allie, Jeffrey, Amanda, Tommy, Marcel, C Leigh, Karma, Shelby, Christopher, Alvin, Arek, Chellie, Dani, Paul, Dani, Tara, Elly, Colleen, Natalie, Nathan, Ario, Laura, Cari, Margaret, Mary, Connor, Nathan, Jan, Jerome, Brian, Azomonas, Ellie, University Greens, Joseph, Melody, Patricia, Matthew, Garrett, John, Ashley, Cathrine, Melvin, OrangeJulian, Porter, Jules, Griff, Joan, Megan, Marabeth, Les, Ali, Southside Plants, Keiko, Robert, Bryce, Wilma, Amanda, Helen, Mikey, Michelle, German, Joerg, Cathy, Tate, Steve, Kae, Carole, Mr. Keith Santner, Lynn, Aaron, Sara, Kenned, Brett, Jocelyn, Ethan, Sheryl, Runaway Goldfish, Ryan, Chris, Alana, Rachel, Joanna, Lori, Paul, Griff, Matthew, Bobby, Vaibhav, Steven, Joseph, Brandon, Liam, Hall, Jared, Brandon, Christina, Carly, Kazys, Stephen, Katherine, Manny, doeg, Daniel, Tim, Philip, Tim, Lisa, Brodie, Bendix, Irene, holly, Sara, and Margie.
Episode Description Episode Description Sign up to receive this Unreached of the Day podcast sent to you: https://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15884 Dear Friend, The Batak people of North Sumatra didn't have a written language until 1834. Today, they're one of the largest Christian populations in Indonesia, with over 6 million believers. The transformation happened because someone, a German missionary named Ludwig Nommensen, decided their spiritual poverty was unacceptable. That was 190 years ago. Today, 4,473 people groups are still waiting for their Ludwig Nommensen moment. The People Group Adoption Program launches today, and here's how it works: It meets you where you are. You're not being asked to become a missionary in the field (though if God calls you to that, we'll cheer you on). You're being invited to use your current gifts, prayer, advocacy, networking, research to support those who are already called to go. It's strategic. Every people group in our database has been vetted by researchers and field workers. These aren't randomly selected communities. They're the 100 largest frontier people groups, the populations with the least gospel access and the greatest potential for kingdom impact. It grows with your capacity. Whether you're adopting as a family, church, or organization, the commitment adjusts to what you can offer. Some will pray weekly. Others will fund translation projects. A few will end up moving to the field. All contributions matter. When you adopt a people group today, you'll receive: Immediate next steps for your specific adopted group A digital covenant card to mark your commitment Information about your frontier people group Regular updates as we develop more resources and connections Beyond the practical resources, you'll receive something harder to quantify: the knowledge that you're part of a strategic response to the most urgent spiritual need on our planet. The Batak people have been sending missionaries to unreached groups for decades now. Their story didn't end with their own transformation; it multiplied exponentially. Your adopted people group could be the next
Every generation returns to the titanic heroes and villains of the 20th century. And every generation produces a new set of biographies--often immense--in an effort to understand the role of that eras main figures. In the past three years, three important new books have reassessed Hitler's life, beliefs and actions. Two of the authors, Volker Ulrich and Peter Longerich, are historians of Germany who are German. The third, our guest for today's interview, is British. In his new book Hitler: A Global Biography (Basic Books, 2019), Brendan Simms offers us a different Hitler, one much more focused on global capitalism and on the Anglo-American world than either Ulrich of Longerich. Simms argues that fears that Germany would lose the economic and demographic competition with Britain and especially the US sat at the heart of Hitler's world view. Anti-Semitism, fears of German particularism, scientific understandings of race, all of these appear in Simms' portrait of Hitler. But they are joined by a constant fear that the American system was simultaneously seductive and corrupting, and that Germans and Germany would not be able to resist. This, Simms argues, drove many of Hitler's decisions, especially in the 1920s and 30s. We had some technological problems getting connected for the interview and had only 30 minutes to talk. But Simms does a marvelous job using that time to lay out the broad outlines of his argument and to sketch in some of his main lines of defense. It's a fascinating interview. Not everyone will agree with his conclusions. But at the least the book will prompt a stimulating debate about the role of the west in HItler's thinking. Kelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. He's the author of four modules in the Reacting to the Past series, including The Needs of Others: Human Rights, International Organizations and Intervention in Rwanda, 1994, published by W. W. Norton Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
47e6GvjL4in5Zy5vVHMb9PQtGXQAcFvWSCQn2fuwDYZoZRk3oFjefr51WBNDGG9EjF1YDavg7pwGDFSAVWC5K42CBcLLv5U OR DONATE HERE: https://www.monerotalk.live/donate GUEST LINKS: https://alexanarcho.live TIMESTAMPS (00:00:00) Monerotopia Introduction. (00:36:44) Monerotopia Price Report Segment w/ Bawdyanarchist. (01:22:28) Monerotopia News Segment w/ Tony. (01:23:27) German school cafeteria to adopt crypto. (01:24:47) Xmr job opportunity. (01:27:45) Kraken delisting xmr in CA. (01:29:01) Coincards + xmr. (01:30:21) Dero inflation? (01:31:55) Trump's communism? (01:33:53) Odysee to implement xmr. (01:34:56) 50k$ of xmr. (01:35:20) Don't forget the foundation. (01:37:14) Pony on self mining attacks. (01:39:05) US DOJ statement after tornado cash verdict. (01:40:32) Foundry USA. (01:40:50) BTC mining pools. (01:43:17) MEXC limits withdrawals. (01:44:25) XMR is live on unstoppable. (01:48:33) Are 51% attacks legal? (01:52:14) Tux xmr video. (01:56:59) XMR rock song. (02:01:56) Monerotopia Guest Segment w/ Mr. Wonderland. (02:46:11) Monerotopia Viewers on Stage Segment. (03:16:09) Monerotopia Finalization. NEWS SEGMENT LINKS: Tux xmr video: https://x.com/tuxpizza/status/1957978507923059180?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Are 51% attacks legal?: https://restislaw.com/liability-51-attacks-cfaa/ XMR is live on unstoppable: https://x.com/unstoppablebyhs/status/1957441352289165460?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Unstoppable on hardware wallets: https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/s/xihzqNlKVa MEXC limits withdrawals: https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/s/TnU5yBOWYL German school cafeteria to adopt crypto: https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/s/a2YDT55t5u Xmr job opportunity: https://www.reddit.com/r/Monero/s/5TDOSKj06n 50k$ of xmr: https://x.com/cfb/status/1957449837206503555?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Foundry USA: https://x.com/bawdyanarchist/status/1957834509514051621?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw BTC mining pools: https://x.com/jacobkinge/status/1957863664930689370?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Don't forget the foundation: https://x.com/ofrnxmr/status/1957991694760067292?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Kraken delisting xmr in CA: https://x.com/tuxpizza/status/1958197942428512416?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Odysee to implement xmr: https://x.com/gialloxmr/status/1957934249375412541?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Coincards + xmr: https://x.com/coincards/status/1958625635766870316?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw US DOJ statement after tornado cash verdict: https://www.theblock.co/amp/post/367858/writing-code-without-ill-intent-is-not-a-crime-says-us-doj-official-following-tornado-cash-verdict Trump's communism?: https://x.com/undercoercion/status/1959055561544142937?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Dero inflation?: https://x.com/derolytics/status/1959312322368827600?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw XMR rock song: https://youtu.be/xbXnZBN4hHA?si=a-wAx2w8rcZ4pJDG Qubic pool: https://x.com/cfb/status/1957810408313569610?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw Pony on self mining attacks: https://x.com/fluffypony/status/1957791643232289246?s=46&t=mVZ0A2C1bwwnAvgawJjlw SPONSORS: PRICE REPORT: https://exolix.com/ GUEST SEGMENT: https://cakewallet.com & https://monero.com NEWS SEGMENT: https://www.wizardswap.io XMR.BAR: https://xmr.bar Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE! The more subscribers, the more we can help Monero grow! XMRtopia TELEGRAM: https://t.me/monerotopia XMRtopia MATRIX: https://matrix.to/#/%23monerotopia%3Amonero.social ODYSEE: https://bit.ly/3bMaFtE WEBSITE: monerotopia.com CONTACT: monerotopia@protonmail.com MASTADON: @Monerotopia@mastodon.social MONERO.TOWN https://monero.town/u/monerotopia Get Social with us: X: https://twitter.com/monerotopia INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/monerotopia DOUGLAS: https://twitter.com/douglastuman SUNITA: https://twitter.com/sunchakr TUX: https://twitter.com/tuxpizza
Every generation returns to the titanic heroes and villains of the 20th century. And every generation produces a new set of biographies--often immense--in an effort to understand the role of that eras main figures. In the past three years, three important new books have reassessed Hitler's life, beliefs and actions. Two of the authors, Volker Ulrich and Peter Longerich, are historians of Germany who are German. The third, our guest for today's interview, is British. In his new book Hitler: A Global Biography (Basic Books, 2019), Brendan Simms offers us a different Hitler, one much more focused on global capitalism and on the Anglo-American world than either Ulrich of Longerich. Simms argues that fears that Germany would lose the economic and demographic competition with Britain and especially the US sat at the heart of Hitler's world view. Anti-Semitism, fears of German particularism, scientific understandings of race, all of these appear in Simms' portrait of Hitler. But they are joined by a constant fear that the American system was simultaneously seductive and corrupting, and that Germans and Germany would not be able to resist. This, Simms argues, drove many of Hitler's decisions, especially in the 1920s and 30s. We had some technological problems getting connected for the interview and had only 30 minutes to talk. But Simms does a marvelous job using that time to lay out the broad outlines of his argument and to sketch in some of his main lines of defense. It's a fascinating interview. Not everyone will agree with his conclusions. But at the least the book will prompt a stimulating debate about the role of the west in HItler's thinking. Kelly McFall is Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program at Newman University. He's the author of four modules in the Reacting to the Past series, including The Needs of Others: Human Rights, International Organizations and Intervention in Rwanda, 1994, published by W. W. Norton Press. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/german-studies
Kate Adie presents stories from Alaska, Washington, South Korea, Chile and France.From the military fly-past to the grandiose entrance on the red carpet, to the press conference, without any questions, the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin drew dismay from Western governments. Steve Rosenberg was in Alaska - and reflects on the aftermath.After the pomp and pageantry of Donald Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin, six European leaders rushed to Washington DC this week to meet with the US President in a show of solidarity with Volodymyr Zelensky. Tom Bateman followed the twists and turns and reflects on what was actually achieved at the White House.Vladimir Putin has come to rely on support from North Korea to bolster his troops in Ukraine. Pyongyang is now sending thousands of construction workers, to help fill a huge labour shortage created by the war. Jean Mackenzie has spoken to six workers who've managed to escape.In the hills of southern Chile and is an alluring tourist destination - a German-style village - but it was once home to a religious sect run by a manipulative and abusive leader. The Chilean government wants to expropriate some of its land to create a memorial for the people who were tortured and killed there during Pinochet's regime. But Grace Livingstone finds, it's proving divisive.In the Loire valley the summer months bring both extended bank holiday weekends in France and the return in the last few decades of the 'Guinguettes', waterside outdoor bars and dance halls which were once popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. Jamie Smith-Maillet went to soak up the atmosphereSeries Producer: Serena Tarling Production Coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie Hill Editor: Richard Vadon
Credit spreads are at the lowest levels in more than two decades, indicating health of the corporate sector. However, our Head of Corporate Credit Research Andrew Sheets highlights two forces investors should monitor moving forward.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Andrew Sheets: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Andrew Sheets, Head of Corporate Credit Research at Morgan Stanley. Today – what to make of credit spreads as they hit some of their lowest levels in over 20 years? And what could change that? It's Friday, August 22nd at 2pm in London. The credit spread is the difference between the higher yield an investor gets for lending to a company relative to the government. This difference in yield is a reflection of perceived differences in risk. And bond investors spend a lot of time thinking, debating, and trading what they think it should be. It increases as the rating of a company falls and usually increases for bonds with longer maturities relative to shorter ones. The reason one invests in credit is to hopefully pick up some extra yield relative to buying a government bond and do so without taking too much additional risk. The challenge today is that these spreads are very low – or tight, in market parlance. In the U.S. corporate bonds with Investment Grade ratings only pay about three-quarters of a percent more than U.S. government bonds of the same maturity. It's a similar difference between the yield on companies in Europe and the yield on German debt, the safest benchmark in Europe. And so, in the U.S. these are the lowest spread levels since 1998, and in Europe, they're the lowest levels since 2007. The relevant question would seem to be, well, what changes this? One way of thinking about valuations in investing – and spreads are certainly a measure of valuation – is whether levels are so extreme that there's not really any precedent for them being sustained for an extended period of time. But for credit, this is a tricky argument. Spreads have been lower than their current levels. They were that way in the mid 1990s in the U.S., and they were that way in the mid 2000s in Europe, and they stayed that way for several years. And if we go back even further in time to the 1950s? Well, it looks like U.S. spreads were lower still. Another way to think about risk premiums – and spreads are also certainly a measure of risk premium – is: does it compensate you for the extra risk? And again, even with spreads quite low, this is tricky. Only making an extra three-quarters of a percent to invest in corporate bonds feels like a pretty miserly amount to both the casual observer and yours truly, a seasoned credit professional. But when we run the numbers, the extra losses that you've actually experienced for investing in Investment Grade bonds over time relative to governments, it's actually been about half of that. And that holds up over a relatively long period of time. And so, while spreads are very low by historical standards, extreme valuations don't always correct quickly. They often need another force to impact them. With credit currently benefiting from strong investor demand, good overall yields, and a better borrowing trajectory than governments, we'd be watching two dynamics for this to change. First weaker growth than we have at the moment would argue strongly that the risk premium and corporate debt needs to be higher. While the levels have varied, credit spreads have always been significantly wider than current levels in a U.S. recession; and that's looking out over a century of data. And so, if the odds of a recession were to go up, credit, we think, would have to take notice. Second, the fiscal trajectory for governments is currently worse than corporates, which argues for a tighter than normal corporate spread. And the recent U.S. budget bill only further reinforced this by increasing long-term borrowing for the U.S. government, while extending corporate tax cuts to the private sector. But the risk would be that companies start to take these benefits and throw caution to the wind and start to borrow more again – to invest or buy other companies. We haven't seen this type of animal spirit yet. But history would suggest that if growth holds up, it's usually just a matter of time. Thank you as always for listening. If you find Thoughts on the Market useful, please let us know by leaving a review wherever you found us. And also tell a friend or colleague about us today.