The Challenge News Magazine April and May 2025 by Harold Bailey

The Bible provides a comprehensive understanding of the p p g consequences of human actions, emphasizing the q,pgpprinciple of sowing and reaping, divine justice, and the moral pgpg,j, order established by God. Throughout Scripture, the ac- y g p , tions of individuals and nations are shown to have significant and often far a g r reaching consequences, both in this life and in the life to come. e. e

Sowing and Reaping g

The principle of sowing and reaping is a central theme in ppgpg the Bible, illustrating that actions have corresponding outcomes. s g , Galatians 6:77-8 pg states, "Do not be deceived: God , is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. The one who sows to please his flesh, p, from the flesh will reap de- p struction; but the one who ; sows to please the Spirit, p p , from the Spirit will reap eter- p p nal life." This passage un- pg derscores the inevitability of y consequences based on q one's actions, whether they , y are aligned with the flesh or the Spirit. t.

Examples from Scripture re

Numerous biblical narratives illustrate the consequences q of human actions. The account of Adam and Eve in n Genesis 3 demonstrates the profound impact of disobe- pp dience, resulting in the fall of humanity and the introduc- ,gy tion of sin and death into the world. King David's sin with Bathsheba, as recounted in in g n 2 Samuel 11 1 12, led to per- , , sonal and familial turmoil, despite his repentance. p e.

Conversely, the Bible also highlights positive consequenc- y,ggp es of righteous actions. The account of Joseph in in q n Genesis 37 p 7 50 exemplifies how faith- p fulness and integrity, even in gy, the face of adversity, can y, lead to divine favor and the fulfillment of God's purposes. s.

Eternal Consequences es

Divine Justice ce

The Bible consistently portrays God as a just judge who y p y j j holds individuals accountable for their actions. In n Ecclesiastes 12:14 4 , it is written, "For God will bring ,g , every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, y j g , g y g whether good or evil." This assurance of divine gjjustice serves as both a warning and a comfort, affirming that no g,g action escapes God's notice and that ultimate justice will p be served. d. d

The Bible teaches that human actions have eternal consequences. In n Matthew 25:31 31 46 6 q , Jesus describes the final judgment, where indi- , viduals are separated based on their deeds, with eternal p, life granted to the righteous and eternal punishment to the ggp wicked. This underscores the gravity of human actions gy and the eternal significance of living in accordance with God's will. ll.

Moral Order and Natural Consequences es

The moral order established by God is evident in the natu- y ral consequences of actions. s Proverbs 14:12 warns, q , "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is yg, the way of death." This highlights the inherent danger in yggg following human wisdom apart from God's guidance, lead- gp ing to destructive outcomes. Similarly, y g, y, Romans 1:18 , 8 32 gy describes the consequences of rejecting God, resulting in q moral and societal decay. y

Repentance and Redemption n p

While the Bible emphasizes the consequences of sin, it p q , also offers hope through repentance and redemption. 1 pgpp John 1:9 assures, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful ,, and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all j g unrighteousness." Through Christ's atoning sacrifice, Believers are offered forgiveness and the opportunity to gppy restore their relationship with God, altering the course of p,g their eternal destiny. Consequences of Human Actions ns s

The Bible provides a comprehensive understanding of the ppg consequences of human actions, emphasizing the re q,pg Continue on page 5.

Continued from page 4.

People of sowing and reaping, divine justice, and the mor- pgpg,j, al order established by God. Throughout Scripture, the y g p , actions of individuals and nations are shown to have significant and often far a g r reaching consequences, both in this life and in the life to come. g e

Sowing and Reaping g

The principle of sowing and reaping is a central ppgpg theme in the Bible, illustrating that actions have , corresponding outcomes. s g Galatians 6:77-8 states, pg , "Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. ,p

The one who sows to please his flesh, from the p, flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows p ; to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eter- pp,pp nal life." This passage underscores the inevita- pg bility of consequences based on one's actions, yq, whether they are aligned with the flesh or the Spirit. t p

Divine Justice ce

Examples from Scripture re

Numerous biblical narratives illustrate the consequences q of human actions. The account of Adam and Eve in n Genesis 3 demonstrates the profound impact of disobe- pp dience, resulting in the fall of humanity and the introduc- gy tion of sin and death into the world. King Da- g vid's sin with Bathsheba, as recounted in in 2 Samuel 11 1 , 12, led to personal and familial tur- ,p moil, despite his repentance. e

The Bible consistently portrays God as a ypyjjust judge who holds individuals accountable for their jg actions. In n Ecclesiastes 12:14 4 , it is written, "For , , God will bring every deed into judgment, along g y j g , g with every hidden thing, whether good or evil." This assur- yg,g ance of divine justice serves as both a warning and a jg comfort, affirming that no action escapes God's notice and ,g that ultimate justice will be served. p d

Moral Order and Natural Consequences es

The moral order established by God is evident in the natu- y ral consequences of actions. s Proverbs 14:12 2 warns, q , "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is yg, the way of death." This highlights the inherent danger in y g g g following human wisdom apart from God's guidance, lead- gp ing to destructive outcomes. Similarly, y g, y, Romans 1:18 , 8- g 32 , 2 describes the consequences of rejecting God, resulting q in moral and societal decay. y. y

Conversely, the Bible also highlights y,ggppositive consequences of righteous actions. The ac- qg count of Joseph in g in n Genesis 37 7 50 exemplifies p p how faithfulness and integrity, even in the face gy, of adversity, can lead to divine favor and the y, fulfillment of God's purposes. s.

Eternal Consequences es

The Bible teaches that human actions have eternal consequences. In n Matthew 25:31 31 1 46, q , Jesus describes the final judgment, where individuals are separated based on their deeds, p, with eternal life granted to the righteous and gg eternal punishment to the wicked. This under- p scores the gravity of human actions and the gy eternal significance of living in accordance with God's will. ll. l

Repentance and Redemption n p

While the Bible emphasizes the consequences of sin, it p q , also offers hope through repentance and pgppredemption. 1John 1:9assures, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful ,, and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all jg unrighteousness." Through Christ's atoning sacrifice, be- ggg, lievers are offered forgiveness and the opportunity to re- gppy store their relationship with God, altering the course of p their eternal destiny. y

Chicago, IL: As an abundant number of Minority Americans linger behind prison walls without potential freedom, an exclusive body of others who may have committed greater crime, were awarded clemency...for the sake of political favor and diabolical motives.

Some politicians yet struggle to prove this action to be fair for there is no law to justify unscrupulous acts. However, in the beginning of time, God set the law for humanity that would show that humans would enter His gates—and into His courts, thusly, man must extensively answer for not obeying the law of God.

Caring less as to voters ’ concerns; various officials find it challenging to justify the validity of altering the law of the land for personal gain. However, virtuous individuals see no justice in what seems like a U.S. overthrow.

Numerous politicians find it politically fearful to explain the act of their comrades altering the law for a personal benefit in a way that appears fair.

Are some authorities engaging in actions that resemble an insurgency?

Consider the Law: Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

United States Lawmakers ought to be reminded that this is not their world, but it is the Creator of all humanity… it belongs to God who is the Architect who set the guidelines with expectations of the laws being obeyed and respected with the reverence and fear of God.

First Amendment:

As man sitting in seats of authority continue to listen to monstrous voices from the pit of hell, there is a still small voice that whispers the scriptures that was uttered to each creature upon birth, which stands for an opportunity to have life abundantly. Nonetheless, the ancient serpent Satan, who from the beginning of time, and even then, deceived Adam and Eve, and now again, raise his bigoted head to have humans call right wrong –and wrong right!

Congress is not allowed to create laws that set up religion, restrict religious practices, limit freedom of speech or the press, or obstruct peaceful assembly and petitioning of the Government.

Do not Forget The Preamble:

We, the People of the United States, establish this Constitution to create a better Union, ensure justice, maintain peace, provide defense, promote welfare, and secure liberty for ourselves and future generations.

The Burden of Legalism

Legalism places heavy burdens on people, focusing on rules rather than relationships. Jesus calls us to a life of grace and freedom, not one of oppressive legalistic demands.

People with good intentions should read their birth manual, designed for all humanitarians. This precious humanity’s manual is called the written word of God –The Bible.

Anything said by man that does not have a Biblical frame of reference is not authentic! The Bible says to let every man be a lie and let the word of God be true.

As followers of Christ, we are called to help others with their burdens, not add to them.

Self-Examination

Believers should examine their own lives for areas of hypocrisy or legalism, looking to align their actions with the teachings of Christ.

Continue from page 7.

Continued from page 6.

Is the once respected White House now the Mafia House?

The idolized house that slaves built for only a few coins, has served many presidents including the first African American. However, now, the famous house once muchloved, is now highly criticized around the world for the newly elected president’s policies policies that tons of people said has the aroma of Mafia tactics.

Recently, pardons were extended to certain individuals, including those with connections to President Donald Trump or individuals with political associations both within and outside the White House. Actually, one would think that the donations for ‘freedom’ could be considered a payback but for what dire purpose becomes the question.

The president's antics have bewildered even the street criminals. The unbelievable drama from the White House is unfolding live in Washington, DC, much like a mafia show on many television screens.

Young people may feel uncertain about whether to emulate actors who avoided consequences for their actions, or to look up to a president who was re-elected despite being convicted of crimes and not serving time in jail or prison. Black youth cannot physiologically agree to this in-your-face action, for many are serving serous time for far less offense.

In Mafia movies, powerful criminals often help those less fortunate, but

they must swear loyalty to the boss. Is this being repeated on the big screen in Washington?

Are many Black players not being pardoned for the mafia sequels? If so, what is the reason? What might be the significant implications for freedom? The Bible said: What would it profit a man to gain the entire world and lose his soul?

The charges included a hammer attack that sent one worker to the hospital and a threat to cut a New Jersey restaurant owner in half with a knife.

Many members of organized crime groups have agreed to cooperate with government agencies by providing information on other criminals in exchange for reduced sentences. Is this happening in the face of America?

The Mafia is back —but they are not worse than ever unless you are afraid of podcasts or hang out in eyeglass shops.

Earlier, it almost sounded like old times. Ten alleged mafioso from the Gambino crime family —one of New York’s big five families — were indicted by the feds for alleged violent attempts to take over the city’s garbage hauling and demolition industry.

The story is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston, who has been investigating ties between Trump and the Mafia for “years.” The former Atlantic City reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer has also published a book, “Temples of Chance: How America Inc. Bought Out Murder Inc. to Win Control of the Casino Business.” Johnston claims that over the years he has “encountered multiple threads linking Trump to organized crime.”

Here are the five most damning items contained in the report.

1. Trump used “mobbed-up” concrete

Trump allegedly bought “ostensibly overpriced” concrete from a company controlled by mafia leaders Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno and Paul Castellano,” according to Politico.

The concrete used to build Trump Tower was allegedly made from materials that Trump bought for inflated prices from “Fat Tony” and Castellano, in exchange for union cooperation.

2. After 27 years covering Trump, Journalist, Johnston is convinced Trump has mob ties

By y Joan n Petterson n

Chicago, IL: In Trump’s role as 45th and 47thpresident of the United States(January 20, 2017 –January20,2021andJanuary20, 2025 –present), Donald Trump granted executive clemency to 237 individuals in his first term, and over 1,500 individuals as of January 22, 2025, in his second, all of whom were charged or convicted of federal criminal offenses.

Trump's use of the pardon power was marked by an unprecedented degree of favoritism.[15] He frequently granted executive clemency to his supporters or political allies, or following personal appeals or campaigns inconservative media, [19]as in the cases of Rod Blagojevich, Michael Milken, Joe Arpaio,Dinesh D'Souza, and Clint Lorance, as well as Bernard Kerik. Trump granted clemency to five of his former campaign staff members and political advisers: Paul Manafort,Roger Stone, Michael Flynn,Stephen K. Bannon, andGeorge Papadopoulos. Many of Trump's grants of clemency were criticized by the federal agents and prosecutors who investigated and prosecuted the cases. Trump's grant of clemency to Stone in July 2020 marked the first time Trump granted clemency to a "figure directly connected to the president's campaign." RepresentativesJerrold Nadlerand Carolyn B. Maloney, who chair two House committees, said that "No other president has exercised the clemency power for such a patently personal and self-serving purpose" and said that they would investigate whether Stone's commutation was

a reward for protecting Trump.

[17]Most Republican elected officials remained silent on Trump's commutation of Stone.

[18]Exceptions were Republican senatorsMitt Romney, who termed the commutation "unprecedented, historic corruption," andPat Toomey, who called the commutation a "mistake" due in part to the

and called into question the U.S. commitment to the law of armed conflict. Tensions between Trump and the Defense Department regarding Trump's interventions in the military justice system culminated in the firing of Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. Two ex-military officers pardoned by Trump appeared with the president at campaign events in 2019.

January y 2021 and January 20, 2025 present), Donald Trump granted executive clemency to 237 individuals in his ﬁrst term, and over 1,500 individuals as of January 22, 2025, , in n his s second, all l of f whom were charged or convicted as federal l criminal l offenses.

Congressmen

Trump issued pardons to seven Republican congressmen convicted of crimes: Chris Collins, Duncan D. Hunter, Steve Stockman, Rick Renzi, Robin Hayes, Mark Siljander, and Randall "Duke" Cunningham.

severity of the crimes of which Stone was convicted, Requests by celebrities...following a request by celebrity Kim Kardashian, Trump commuted the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson who had been convicted of drug trafficking. In August 2020, he pardoned Johnson after she had praised his leadership in a campaign video at the 2020 Republican National Convention. Military personnel accused or convicted of war crimes

Trump granted executive clemency to three court-martialed U.S. military officers who were accused or convicted of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. Trump granted the pardons against the advice of senior military and Defense Department leadership, as well as U.S. military lawyers. Critics state that Trump's pardons of the officers undermined military discipline, constituted an inappropriate interference in the U.S. military justice system,

Healthcare industry

Trump also granted clemency to at least ten healthcare executives and doctors convicted in large-scale Medicare fraud schemes. The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association criticized Trump's pardons to executives who orchestrated massive Medicare frauds. Wealthy individuals

Many wealthy individuals paid tens of thousands of dollars to former advisors to Trump for them to lobby Trump to grant pardons, bypassing the review process of the Office of the Pardon Attorney. Trump former personal lawyer John M. Dowd was hired by a number of convicts to lobby Trump for clemency, taking advantage of his direct access to Trump's White House Counsel's Office. Matt Schlapp, the chairman of the American Conservative Union and a lobbyist close to Trump. The Trump administration, lobbied for clemency on behalf of their clients, Continue on page 14.

Luke 21:20

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.

Matthew 24:6-11

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ...

Psalm 83:4

They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation; let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”

Mark 13:1-37

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” And as he sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” And Jesus began to say to them, “See that no one leads you astray. ...

Zechariah 12:2-3

“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be againstJudah. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the

nations of the earth will gather against it.

Revelation 9:1-21

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. They were

told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. ...

Daniel 11:40

“At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through.

Revelation 16:16

And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Matthew 24:22

And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Revelation 6:1-17

Now I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures say with a voice like thunder, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer. When he opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” And out came another horse, bright red. Its rider was permitted to take peace from the earth, so that people should slay one another, and he was given a great sword. When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” And I looked, and behold, a black horse! And its rider had a pair of scales in his hand. ...

Joel 3:1-21

“For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, and have cast lots for my people, and have traded a boy for a prostitute, and have sold a girl for wine and have drunk it. “What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily. For you have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried my rich Continue on page 11.

Continued from page 10.

treasures into your temples.

Daniel 12:9

He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end.

Revelation 20:1-7

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection.

Revelation 19:16

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 17:1-18

heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” ...

Matthew 24:1-5

Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. ...

Revelation 13:11

Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon.

Revelation 11:15

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”

theLordcame to the prophet Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, son of Iddo, saying, “The Lord was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, Thus declares theLord of hosts: Return to me, says theLordof hosts, and I will return to you, says theLordof hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says theLord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? ...

Ezekiel 25:17

I will execute great vengeance on them with wrathful rebukes. Then they will know that I am theLord, when I lay my vengeance upon them.”

Revelation 16:14

For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.

Amos 3:7

“For the LordGoddoes nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.

Daniel 11:31ESV / 4 helpful votes Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate.

Revelation 3:10ESV / 3 helpful votes

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven

Matthew 22:37-40

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Zechariah 1:1-21

In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.

3 John 1:4ESV / 3 helpful votes

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

2 Thessalonians 2:3

Let no one deceive you in any way. Continue on page 12.

Continued from page 11.

For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Luke 4:4

And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”

Daniel 12:11

And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.

Daniel 12:1

“At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.

Daniel 11:1-45

And as for me, in the first year of Darius the Mede, I stood up to confirm and strengthen him. “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty

king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these. “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. ...

Luke 21:1-38

Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.” And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, ...

Matthew 24:21

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

Continued from page 7. Mafia Connection.

in court; some have not. And some of those links have continued until recent years, though when confronted with evidence of such associations, Trump has often claimed a faulty memory.”

3. Trump allegedly had links to Gambino Family associate John with their burdens, not add to them.

Believers should examine their own lives for areas of hypocrisy or legalism, looking to align their actions with the teachings of Christ.

Is the once respected White House now the Mafia House?

The idolized house that slaves built for only a few coins, has served many presidents including the first African American. However, now, the famous house once muchloved, is now highly criticized around the world for the newly elected president’s policies… policies that tons of people said has the aroma of Mafia tactics.

The president's antics have bewildered even the street criminals.

The unbelievable drama from the White House is unfolding live in Washington, DC, much like a mafia show on many television screens.

In Mafia movies, powerful criminals often help those less fortunate, but they must swear loyalty to the boss. Is this being repeated on the big screen in Washington?

The Mafia is back — but they are not worse than ever unless you are afraid of podcasts or hang out in eyeglass shops.

Earlier, it almost sounded like old times. Ten alleged mafioso from the Gambino crime family — one of New York’s big five families — were indicted by the feds for alleged violent attempts to take over the city’s garbage hauling and demolition industry.

The charges included a hammer attack that sent one worker to the hospital and a threat to cut a New Jersey restaurant owner in half with a knife.

Here are the five most damning items contained in the report.

1. Trump used “mobbed-up” concrete

Trump allegedly bought “ostensibly overpriced” concrete from a company controlled by mafia leaders Anthony “Fat Tony” Salerno and Paul Castellano,” according to Politico.

The concrete used to build Trump Tower was allegedly made from materials that Trump bought for inflated prices from “Fat Tony” and Castellano, in exchange for union cooperation.

2. After 27 years covering Trump, Journalist, Johnston is convinced Trump has mob ties

“I’ve encountered multiple threads linking Trump to organized crime,” Johnston wrote. “Some of Trump’s unsavory connections have been followed by investigators and substantiated in court; some have not. And some of those links have continued until recent years, though when confronted with evidence of such associations, Trump has often claimed a faulty memory.”

3. Trump allegedly had links to Gambino Family associate John Cody.

Continued from page 9. as did Mark D. Cowan, another lobbyist allied with the administration. Trump's White House Counsel Pat Cipollone was officially in charge of the internal White House pardon process, but "key gatekeepers" included Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump was also influenced by a "kitchen cabinet" that included Tolman;Americans for Prosperitychair Mark Holden; Trump's former acting attorney general Matt Whitaker; Trump clemency recipientAlice Marie Johnson; and Trump's former attorney Pam Bondi, a formerFlorida Attorney General.

Chronology

From 2017 to 2019, the pardons included former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio; former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier, who was convicted of taking classified photographs of classified areas inside a submarine; Scooter Libby, a political aide to former vice presidentDick Cheney;conservative commentatorDinesh D’Souza. He pardoned or reversed the sentences of three American soldiers convicted or accused ofwar crimesin Afghanistan or Iraq.

In November and December 2020, Trump pardoned fourBlackwaterguards convicted of killing Iraqi civilians in the 2007Nassour Square massacre; white-collar criminalsMichael MilkenandBernard Kerik;and daughter Ivanka's father-in-lawCharles Kushner.He also pardoned five people convicted because of inves-

tigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections: Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, Alex van der Zwaan, Roger Stone, whose 40-month sentence for lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstruction he had already commuted in July, and Paul Manafort

In his last full day in office, Trump granted 143 pardons and commu-

Responses

Trump in the Oval Office with commutation recipients

tations, including to his former chief strategist Steve Bannon, Trump fundraiserElliott Broidy, and former Republican congressmen Rick Renzi,Robert Hayes, and Randall "Duke" Cunningham. He also commuted the sentences of dozens of people, including former Detroit mayorKwame Kilpatrick and sports gamblerBilly Walters; the latter had paid tens of thousands of dollars to former Trump attorney John M. Dowdto plead his case with Trump.

In October 2019, New York enacted the TRUST Act, which was signed into law by Andrew Cuomo. Among other things, the act closed adouble jeopardy provision of state law to allow state prosecutors to pursue charges for violations of New York law against individuals pardoned by the president for a violation of federal law. The New York legislation was aimed at Trump's use of pardon power.New York state attorney generalLetitia James, proposed the law after multiple former Trump associates were investigated in New York state. James' office also investigated the finances of Trump andthe Trump Organization.Upon passage of the law, James said that "We have a responsibility to ensure that individuals who commit crimes under New York state law are held accountable for those crimes. This critical new law closes a gaping loophole that could have allowed any president to abuse the presidential pardon power by unfairly granting a pardon to a family member or close associate and possibly allow that individual to evade justice altogether."

Trump recently pardoned ex-Illinois Gov. Blagojevich 5 years after commuting sentence on corruption charge.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1,807 Black men per 100,000 were held in state or federal prisons in the U.S. during 2021 after being sentenced in 55.

How To Obey Your Parents In The Lord

Most of the time obedience is the right choice, so how do you follow through? Unfortunately, there’s this backwards notion that obeying your parents is somehow your ticket to heaven. I don’t know how Jesus got left out of the salvation story, but it’s been said more than once, “If your kids don’t learn to obey you, they’ll never obey God.”

Obeying your parents in all things will never make you right with God.

“The mind of the flesh is hostile toward God; for it is not subject to God’s law, neither indeed can it be.Those who are in the flesh can’t please God” (Romans 8:7-8).

Only after you have given up on your own attempts at righteousness andsurrenderedto the righteousness that comes from salvation in Christ, do you even have the ability to obey.

Obedience is the result of righteousness, not the means.

AsTimothy Kellerput it, “Religion says, ‘I obey; therefore I am accepted.’ Christianity says, ‘I’m accepted, therefore I obey.’”

Obedience that pleases God means choosing to do what someone God has put in authority tells you to do because you trust and love God (Philippians 2:8, John 14:15, Romans 6:17).

Only after you have clothed yourself in Christ, can you overcome sin and temptation and make the right choices. And these choices are not powered by fear, but by love.

Jesus says in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey my commands.”

So if you find motivation lacking, remember how much God loves you, and how much Jesus sacrificed to show that love. And this Jesus is telling you to obey your parents. When you struggle, focus on the love.

How To Get Your Children To Obey

Chances are, more parents than kids are going to read this. This blog is calledGentle ChristianParenting, after all.

And if you are a parent, maybe what you’re looking for is that motivation to get your kids to start behaving, obeying, and honoring you.

Getting your children to listen to you well can be tricky. Demanding obedience often backfires. Obedience done under compulsion binds the one who serves, making it impossible to freely respond in love and with joy.

Consider what you really want. Children who are happy to obey or children who put on a good show so they don’t get caught?

It’s important to consider the additionally challenges of a being a kid. Your kids have different goals and abilities than you do as an adult. Developmentally, they don’t have the same aptitude for self-control. And if you’re honest, are you perfect at self control? Do you perfectly obey God?

So then how do you get your kids to obey?

7 Steps To Get Your Kids To Obey

Obviously having your children obey is beneficial for you and for them. You need them to listen to you so you can protect and teach them. So here are 7 steps to get your kids to obey. This isn’t a promise or a formula. This is what I see in scripture as to what leads us all to obey.

Step 1. Get Your Priorities Right

“Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of the weak, and not to please ourselves” (Romans 15:1). Yes disobedience is a big inconvenience, but until they are spiritually and developmentally ready –they can’t. Remember their weakness andbe gentle.

Step 4. Lead By Example

Teach them to obey as Jesus taught us to obey. He encouraged us with words, scripture, and by example. Let them see you do messy, unfun things for Jesus, like washing feet.

“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash

one another’s feet” (John 13:14).

Step 5. Build Them Up In Love

If your goal is to teach them to obey like they would obey God, then they should obey out of love and trust.Build them up in love. Doing humble work (like washing feet) is an act of love.

Showing them mercy and forgiveness is also a great way to build them up in love. Jesus points this out when the woman of low regard washed and anointed his feet at a dinner party. “I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47).

Step 6. Prove You Are Trustworthy

Forgiveness is free, but trust is earned.Your children start out in the first two years trusting you wholly. They have to in order to survive. But as they grow more independent, they start to question, and disobedience happens.

With their newfound ability to choose what they want to do, they need reasons to trust you. They need to know that your voice is the right one to listen to. As Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me” John 10:27.

Let them experience the natural consequences (when it’s safe to do so), so they learn what happens when they don’t listen to your voice.

Why do you trust and obey God? It’s probablypartlybecauseHehasshownyouthat He is faithful and trustworthy. He is always there for you, always dependable, always good. And you know if He is telling you to do something, you can trust that it serves a good purpose.

As James 1:7 says, ”Every good gift and Obey Parents.

every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.”

Step 7. Teach Them To Do The Right Thing. Continued on page 17.

Continued from page 17.

The new book by Larry Horist, ‘Who Put Blacks in That Place,’ cites the Rev. Harold Bailey

The book speaks of the long, sad history of the democratic party’s oppression of Black Americans… to this day.

The book stated that Harold Bailey was a Chicago Black minister who had founded and was president of Probation Challenge, an organization that worked to lower recidivism rates among minority ex-convicts. His success in reducing recidivism won him wide acclaim from many admirers and supporters –and the enmity of the Chicago Democrat machine in City Hall. Bailey won innumerable awards and recognitions including the prestigious Nelson Mandela Award.

Bailey’s Probation Challenge relied on education and jobs as a core service in preventing a return to prison. In an editorial about what he has dubbed a racist ‘criminal ‘just us’ system, Bailey said:

Enough is enough and too much stinks!

The book by Horist ‘Who Put Blacks in That Place,’ speaks openly about the false face of politics and can by

Larry Horist is a political and civic activist who played a significant role in the Chicago City Club. He served as the executive director of the City Club of Chicago during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Under his leadership, the City Club became a prominent forum for public debate and civic engagement in Chicago.

Horist said, It is no secret that institutional racism, segregation, social oppression, and vigilantism characterized the Democratic Party in the Old South for a century after the Civil War.

Tragically, institutional racism continues in the segregated urban centers ruled over by one-party political machines. As a result, millions of Black Americans remain impoverished, poorly educated, unemployed and unsafe in inner city ghettoes to this day. They are denied social mobility and access to opportunity.

Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? pushes back on the Democratic Party's false narrative of civil rights advocacy. It reveals in detail how de facto racism operates in American cities to this day. It explains how generational welfare dependency took the place of constitutional civil rights. It corrects the misconception of the comparative roles of the Democratic and Republican parties in supporting civil rights, said Horist.

The Rev. Dr. Harold E. Bailey, founder and president of the Probation Challenge organization, gives homage to predecessors who from earlier years supported the organization in successfully educating youth filtering through the criminal justice system.

Individuals who assisted in success of the Probation Challenge program were Mayor Harold Washington, Justice R. Eugene Pincham, Justice William Cousins Jr., Judge Mary Maxwell Thomas, Judge Earl Strayhorn, Judge Cynthia Brim, Judge William (Bill) Hooks, Federal Judge Prentis Marshall, Art Norman, Federal Judge Blanch Mannings, and from the corporate world were Joe DuPar, Halley Taylor, Joe Wilbourn, Cornelius Young, and other Xerox employees.

Lending spiritual and financial support was Dr. Margaret Burroughs, Howard Saffold, Butch Nelson, the Rev. Helen Sinclair, Warner Hughes, Mother Christine Moore, Mother Lillian Bailey, Clarence McMillian, Lillian Williams, Chinta Strausberg, Juanita Bratcher, Maureen ’Moe’ Forte,’ Geri Patterson, Pastor Lottie Woods Hall, Pastor Mitty Collier, Bob Marovich, and countless others.

Proba on, gives to onChallenge

Dr. Har-old E. Bailey, founder and president of the Proba on Challenge organiza on, gives homage to prede- DrHar oldEBaileyfounderand presidentofthe P

parents and children.

Sometimes we get so focused on what wedon’twant our kids to do, that we forget to tell them whatto doinstead. Generally speaking, instructive correction is more effective. So instead of “Don’t stand on the chair” and expecting your little one to figure out what to do, you’d say “Chairs are for sitting, please sit on the chair.”

Proper teaching also meansteaching scripture. Scripture will lead them to God and to know what it is God wants. And God wants children to “Obey your parents.” And isn’t that the very best reason for your children to obey you?

How beautiful when children obey not because they have been coerced with fear and shame –but because they love God and want to obey and honor his word.

Why You Should Obey Your Parents And Elders

Parents and elders have more life experience, more knowledge, and more wisdom than kids. The vast majority of the time, parents and elders will have the best guidance. Listening to them will benefit a child.

As we are told in Hebrews, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they watch on behalf of your souls, as those who will give account, that they may do this with joy, and not with groaning, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).

But, there’s no biblical basis for unquestioning obedience of earthly authorities. If recent history has taught us anything, children shouldn’t always obey elders. People in positions of power are prone to abuse it. Elders and parents sometimes abuse children.

Beware. Sometimes leadership goes against God and disobedience to an earthly authority is the right choice. As Peter and the other apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Keep in mind, deciding to disobey authority to honor God should be done with extreme care. It is more often the situation that obedience is the right choice. Chances are your disobedience will mean un-

pleasant consequences, even when it is the right thing to do.

Does

Honoring Your Parents Mean Obeying Them?

Sometimes, but not always. To be disciples of Christ, you must reject every other authority and submit first and foremost under the authority of Christ. As Jesus says in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple.” In most translations the word “disregard” is translated as “hate.”

children in the wilderness, ‘Don’t walk in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their ordinances, nor defile yourselves with their idols. I am Yahweh your God: walk in my statutes, and keep my ordinances, and do them’” (Ezekiel 20:1819).

How To Honor Your Parents When You Disobey

If there’s a situation where you feel certain, backed by scripture and prayer, that God is telling you to disobey your parents, then do so, but with great care. Let’s say, using the example above, that your parents are telling you to worship idols. Here, disobedience is the right choice.

This doesn’t mean acting in a disrespectful or dishonoring way. As Paul commends us in Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men.”

So how do you honor your parents when choosing to disobey them for the sake of Christ?

To disregard or hate essentially is saying you must “love less” than Jesus or put them aside for Jesus. You certainly don’t obey them over Jesus.

God is the greatest authority and no single command on earth overrides a child’s call to obey Him.

In fact, God has called children to disobey their parents in scripture. “I said to their

You honor them by seeing them through God’s eyes. Respect their intelligence and make your case for not going along with their plans. Share who Jesus is and why you must obey him. Do it with love, gentleness, and honoring them as precious children of God. Be respectful as you share.

Final Thoughts On Obedience

I’m guessing this way of thinking about obedience might take some time to digest. Pray on it, search scripture more, see what God says.

And you may want to consider teaching your kids how to disobey. Teach them discernment and safe boundaries. Teach them about Daniel and all the other biblical characters who stood up to authority when it was right.

Drill into them that you love them, even when they disobey. And ironically, you will probably find that it that will lead them to want to obey you more.

So how about you have you ever disobeyed an authority because you knew it was right? What happened?

Children love your parents for this what the Lord desire of you.

Antoinette Harrell

Chicago, IL: White landowners enslaved black Americans for at least a century after the Civil War.

had become indebted to the plantation's owner and were not allowed to

That is the conclusion of decades of research by historian and genealogist Antoinette Harrell, who described her findings in a series of interviews for Vice published today (Feb. 28). Harrell has uncovered many examples of white people in Southern states entrapping black workers into peonage slavery —slavery justified and enforced through deceptive contracts and debt, rather than claims of ownership — even though peonage was technically outlawed in the United States in 1867, four years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

child, Miller would get sent up to the landowner's house on the farm where her family was enslaved and "raped by whatever men were present," sometimes alongside her mother.

Harrell pointed out that not every person enslaved through this system was African American. Immigrants from places like Eastern Europe occasionally got caught up in it as well, she said, but "the vast majority of 20th-century slaves were of African descent."

People enslaved through peonage may not have appeared in any ledgers as belonging to their enslavers, but the experience was indistinguishable in many respects from the brutal practices of the antebellum period.

"I met about 20 people all who had worked on the Waterford Plantation in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana," Harrell told Vice. "They told me they had worked the fields for most of their lives. One way or another, they

leave the property At the end of the harvest when they tried to settle with the owner, they were always told they did not make it black and to try again next year. Every passing year, the workers fall deeper and deeper in debt. Some of those folks were tied to that land into the 1960s."

And Harrell found that the cruelty practiced by modern white enslavers toward the black people they enslaved through peonage was reminiscent of records from the height of chattel slavery. Harrell described the case of Mae Louise Walls Miller, who did not get her freedom until 1963, when she was about fourteen. As a

Why hasn't this story been more widely told?

"People are afraid to share their stories," Harrell told Vice, "because in the South so many of the same white families who owned these plantations are still running local government and big businesses. They still hold the power. So, the poor and disenfranchised really don't have anywhere to share these injustices without fearing major repercussions."

You can read the fully collected interviews with Harrell at Vice. The article also has a short documentary that follows Harrell as she conducts her research and includes interviews with people who were enslaved through peonage.

Chicago, IL> Different but the Same Colorism, as defined by the Webster Dictionary, is prejudice or discrimination, especially within a racial or ethnic group, favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin. In many cases, It reminds me of Willie Lynch!

ICE is an acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which enforces federal laws governing border control, customs, trade, and immigration.

So, I am sharing this information along with an incident that happened to me over the past months as we here in Chicago become the dropping place of many immigrants that were dropped here with no place to live but in shelters and police stations!

A couple of weeks ago, while in the low end of Chicago in a Spanish neighborhood, I was spoken to in Spanish, to which I responded in Spanish and then asked for identification papers!!!

The conversation Him: Buenos Dias (Good morning) Me: Buenos Dias (Good morning) Him: Donde Esta tu esposo? (Where is your husband?) Me: Esposo? (Husband?) no Esposo! (No Husband) Him: Donde están sus papeles o identification? (Where are your papers or identification?)

street to Walmart and Shop.

On one day I am with my older sister, and we are at Walmart off the Bishop Ford 111th! I drop my sister at the door, and I go to park! This is about 10:30 am! So, as I enter Walmart, the security guard, a Black Woman, stops me and tells me I cannot enter!! I asked What's going on? My sister is in there, and now I am concerned! Wait!!!! The Black Security Woman tells me, "We allow the immigrants in for shopping after noon."

Now Lol! I am speaking in English! At first, I thought he had me confused with someone he knew when asking where my husband was. I told him in English, I am a citizen, elected official, and I am Black! The funny thing about it was that he was wearing nothing on him that identified him as ICE, Police, or Security! I showed him my badge as an elected official and my ID!! He responded to me, "Losiento" (sorry). So, I shared this with the store I was shopping in, and they said bounty hunters are being paid to find potential immigrants!

I asked her, "When did We, as a Race of Black People, not know our people?" I told her I was Seriously Black and showed her my badge! U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was formed under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. ICE, a component of the DHS, was established in 2003 after the 9/11 attacks. My other concern is the ability to ask for identification on the street. Many states have "stop-andidentify" laws. Illinois is one of those states. An officer can ask for identification and can detain you if you refuse to provide identification, which would fall under resisting an officer's lawful order. I was told I could be detained for 24 hours to verify my identity if I had no identification. Being Black in America Continues to be a Struggle! Only in America, paraphrased from Dr Martin Luther King Jr., where the color of your skin and not the content of your character is an issue! We are the only Race that comes in Shades of Blackness, from light to nearly white, bronze, brown to Black as midnight! We are Beautiful, Educated, Talented, Resourceful, Compassionate, and Caring People!

Well, before this, on 111th off the Bishop Ford Expressway, the police station housed many immigrants on their grounds. The immigrants were allowed to go across the

Colorism and ICE are different but the same! I AM UnapologeticallyBlackMaureenMoeFortéHonorableMaureen Forte' National Action Network Chicago Chapter, President N' The Know With Moe for Social Justice, Founder/ President N' The Know With Moe Talk Radio Host.

Elon Reeve Musk born June 28, 1971 is a businessman known forhis key rolesinTesla, Inc.,SpaceX, andTwitter(which herebranded as X). Since 2025, he has been asenior advisorto United States president Donald Trump andde factohead of theDepartment of Government Efficiency(DOGE). Musk is thewealthiest person in the world; as of February2025,Forbesestimateshis net worthto be US$353billion.

Born toa prominent familyinPretoria, South Africa, Musk emigrated to Canadain1989andacquireditscitizenship though his mother. He moved to the U.S. and graduated from theUniversity of Pennsylvaniabefore moving toCaliforniato pursue business ventures. In 1995, Musk cofounded the software companyZip2. After its sale in 1999, he cofoundedX.com, an online payment company that later merged to formPayPal, which was acquired byeBayin 2002 for $1.5 billion. That year, Musk also became a U.S. citizen.

In 2002, Musk foundedSpaceXand became its CEO and chief engineer. The company has since led innovations inreusable rock-

etsandcommercial spaceflight. In 2004, Musk joinedTesla, Inc., as an early investor, and became its CEO and product architect in 2008; it has become a market leader inelectric vehicles. In 2015, he co-

foundedNeuralink, a company focused onbrain–computer interfaces, and in 2017 launchedthe Boring Company, which aims to develop tunnel transportation. Musk was namedTimemagazine's Person of the Yearin 2021. In 2022, he acquired Twitter, implementing significant changes and rebranding it as X in 2023. In January 2025, he was appointed head of Trump's newly created DOGE.

Musk's political activ tiesandviewshave made hima polarizing figure. He has been criticized for making unscientific and misleading statements, includingCOVID-19 misinformation,affirming antisemiticandtransphobic comments, andpromoting conspiracy theories. His acquisition of Twitter (now X) was controversial due to a subsequentincrease in hate speechand thespread of misinformationon the service.

He has engaged in political activities in several countries, including as a vocal and financial supporter of Trump.

foundedOpenAIto advanceartificial intelligenceresearch, but left its board in 2018. In 2016, Musk co-

If is reported that Elon Musk donated seventy-five million to help get trump elected. Is it payback time now...but of course, it doubled, at tax payers expense? Will l Americans s experience e a

Musk was the largest donor in the2024 U.S. presidential electionand is a supporter of globalfarrightfigures, causes, and political parties.

By Chinta Strausberg

Chicago, IL: Flanked by a multicultural group of supporters including veterans, Father Michael L. Pfleger raised the U.S. Flag upside down to show that America is in a state of emergency and to illustrate the racism that hovers over the White House.

Father Pfleger blamed Trump for banning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as the venue for his firing Blacks and others to “Make America White Again (MAWA).”

Flanked by a multi-cultural coalition of supporters including veterans, Father Pfleger painted a solemn picture of Trump’s executive orders especially the one entitled, “Ending "Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing” that began a cascade of employee firings, closing and/or downsizing of federal buildings and a decree to universities, colleges and corporations to end all DEI programs.

“While Medicare and Medicaid are at risk, thousands of government workers are being fired, shutting down the Department of Education, ending Black history, African, Haitian, Venezuelan, and Mexican individuals are being identified as criminals and scooped up like animals to be deported, and unraveling gun laws,a billionaire citizen has been given total access to government and to American citi-

zens confidential information,” said Pfleger referring to multibillionaire Elon Musk.

And he said Trump’s confusion and chaos extended to the Middle East accusing him of engaging in a “take over and ethnic cleansing of Gaza and blamed Ukraine for a war when Russia invaded it.

“This is not normal. This is unacceptable, and we will rise up and

we will resist,” Pfleger said during a press conference held by St. Sabina Church. “We are fighting for freedom.”

That is why Father Pfleger had the flag, which is located adjacent to the St. Sabina Academy, hoisted upside down to show that “America is in distress and in a State of Emergency.”

Pfleger was joined by Rev. Ciera Bates-Chamberlain, who is the founder and executive director of the Live Free Chicago, Rochelle Crump, a Vietnam era veteran and a member of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps,Crump said, “We are under attack.” She strongly objected to Trump firing 1,000 VA staffers. “That is somebody who is mentally ill. The fires will impact the level of VA Patient

care.

Pastor Julie Contreras, from United Giving Hope, objected to the ICE agents seizing children and Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, and many others.

Contreras objected to Trump and the ICE agents taking immigrant children and calling them, “criminals, terrorists, and a threat to this nation. It is not true,” she said.

Father Pfleger led his supporters to the flagpole and as the upsidedown flag slowly made its way to the top, Pfleger said, “Heal the land, God. We will not be silent. We will resist. Heal the land, God.”

Father Pfleger then led his supporters with a song, “Ain’t going to let nobody turn me around. Keep on walking. Keep on walking into freedom land.”

He then said, “What they are trying to do is to divide us, Black, white, brown, Chicago homeless. We have to unite right now. They ain’t going to tear us apart.” Then linking arms, they sang, ‘We Shall overcome some day.” We shall walk in peace one day,” as they marched back to the church.

In an interview with theChicago Crusader, Father Pfleger said, “These guys are trying to turn back the clock and we’ll go all the way back to slavery to control too Sheriff Clark, George Wallace, to Bull Connor’s.” referring to Birmingham, Alabama sheriff who opposed civil rights in the 1960’s.

• Continue on page 25.

Continued from page 25.

Referring to Trump, Pfleger warned, “He wants to turn it back to an all-white America, make America white again. That is what he wants, and if we do not stand up stand up to this and resist it, we will see the Oligarch’s” rule.

“We need to fight because it’s right because to many people fought to get us where we are at. We got to do it because we don’t have gun laws, and our children are in the streets who are vulnerable, and violence rise up again around this country.

“Nobody is safe right now, and they will come for us one-by-one. If we are not careful, white, rich people will run this world, and they will join with all the other terrorists like Putin, North Korea, and Benjamin Netanyahu. That’s his group who will rule the world, and if we let that happen, shame on us.

“Dr. King said, ‘Our lives begin to end the moment

I do o not t believe e all l politicians s realize e that t there e is s Heaven n and d Hell. . Actions s show w that t many y are e listening g to o the Master r of f their r destiny. .

You u would d think k that t adults s would d instill l in n their r children n that t life e is s supposed d to o be e formed d of f morals s and d principles. . The e absence e of f decency y is s shown n in n many y who o have e put t their r private e principles s onto o front t street t America! !

Would d these e actions s show w the e End-times s when n

we’re silent about things that matter. ’ “This is not the time to be silent. It is time to stand up, to resist and to fight and be uncompromising.”

Ask his feelings on Trump vowing to get rid of Dr. King’s birthday and Juneteenth, Pfleger said, “He wants to get rid of anything to celebrate anything other than rich white people.”

Asked what can be done, Father Pfleger said, “We fight. We resist. There is more power in the streets than in the Oval Office and once we come together, we’ll let them know we are not rolling over.

But three veterans held their own press conference before Father Pfleger held his. U.S. Navy veteran Esteban Burgon chastised Father Pfleger for hoisting the flag upside claiming he “disrespected” veterans and the country. He said Pfleger should be preaching peace rather than “chaos” and the flag “does not represent Trump.”

people e would d call l right-wrong g and d wrong-right? ? Evil l is s right t in n your r face e and d with h little e or r no o shame. . These e fruits s show w that t who o those e persons s are e who o would d follow w the e leading g of f Satan. . The e scripture e says s that t we e would d know w ‘them’ ’ by y the e fruit t they y bear r – well, , here e it is s right t in n the e face e of f the e American n citizens. .

I ask, , where e now w are e the e evangelicals s who o made e the e declaration n for r a man n whose e background d was s tainted d by y an n avalanche e of f diabolical l traits…where e are e they y now? ?

In Biblical times, followers of Christ Several disciples and followers of Jesus faced imprisonment in the Bible for preaching their faith. Here are some notable ones:

Peter and John: They were arrested multiple times, including in Acts 4 for proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection and in Acts 5 after performing miracles. An angel eventually freed them from prison.

Paul and Silas: As we discussed, they were imprisoned in Philippi for casting out a spirit (Acts 16). Their faith led to a miraculous earthquake and the conversion of the jailer.

John the Baptist: Although not one of the apostles, he was imprisoned by Herod Antipas for criticizing Herod’s marriage and was later beheaded (Mark 6).

Paul (alone): Paul was imprisoned several times, including in Caesarea and Rome, for boldly spreading Christianity. Many of his letters (Epistles) were written during his imprisonment.

James: He was arrested and later executed by King Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12).

The imprisonments often served as pivotal moments for sharing their faith, demonstrating courage, and spreading Christianity.

often faced persecution. Paul and Silas were imprisoned, but they prayed and sang praises at midnight. Suddenly, an earthquake shook the prison, opening all doors and loosening the prisoners' chains. The jailer, believing the prisoners had escaped, was about to harm himself, but Paul assured him they were still there. Trembling, the jailer asked how to be saved. Paul and Silas told him to believe in Jesus Christ.

They shared the word of the Lord with him and his household. That night, the jailer washed their wounds, was baptized with his family, and provided them food, rejoicing in his newfound faith.

Under the guidance of the late Mayor Harold Washington, several notable individuals contributed to bringing stability to the youth of Chicago.

Some supporters were: Howard Saffold was the former chief security to the late Mayor Harold Washington and founder of Positive Anti-Crime Trust (PACT). The Howard Saffold history dates to a Chicago police league that concerned themselves with protecting and serving the community with love, care, and concern. Saffold and others became the selected mouthpiece for the late Mayor Washington in the community geared toward our youth and adults. The Mayor’s message sent to our youth was well received and respected.

The late Queen Mother Helen Sinclair, administrator of 'Ma Houston Prison Outpost/Rainbow PUSH,' played a significant role in reforming Illinois jails and prisons. Sinclair’s acclaimed mother ‘Jessie ‘Ma’ Houston,’ now deceased, spiritually changed the mind-set of inmates and those sitting in authority over the Illinois Department of Corrections. The late daughter, Queen Mother Helen Sinclair, followed in her mother’s steps until her retirement as Senior Chaplain Sinclair.

Chinta Strausberg, former political reporter for the Chicago Defender Newspaper, is presently editor for the 3:16 Magazine. Strausberg has an extensive career in political-reporting and has followed the steps of the greatest of politi-

Cook County Board President John Stroger, and others. As a talented songwriter, known artists have recorded her songs. Bratcher’s successes have been documented in several Who’s Who publications.

cians. Her detailed stories included the late Mayor Harold Washington, and his city hall struggles. Strausberg is a prominentnamearoundChicagoand throughout the state. The journalist community highly respects her. The ‘Strausberg Report’ airs on the PCC Network 24/7 and On-Demand.

The late Juanita Bratcher is a former education and political reporter for the Chicago Defender Newspaper; however, was editor and publisher of her own CopyLine Magazine. CopyLine Magazine until her death. Bratcher is an author of successful books written about Chicago Mayor Harold Washington,

Maureen ‘Moe’ Forte,’ is president of the Chicago Chapter of the National Action Network (NAN). Forte,’ a retired Chicago Public School Teacher and a street fighter for justice, She is noted for her crossing into gang turf with boldness vying for peaceable measures. Forte’ has successfully engaged gang members to register and vote in the 2013 elections. She serves as chairperson for the Probation Challenge Board of Directors. Forte’ works with the Rev. AL Sharpton and the National –National Action Network. Forte’ is also a Village Trustee with the Village of East Hazel Crest, Illinois.

The Rev. Harold E. Bailey has been the president of the Probation Challenge Organization and the PCC Broadcast Network since 1979. He developed radio, television, and Challenge Magazine available on the PCC Network 24/7 and On-Demand. Bailey, an ordained minister, is a former Chicago/Cook County Adult Probation Officer and chairperson of the Chicago/Cook County Board of Corrections. He has led the Probation Challenge Organization for over 46 years and is listed among 'The History Makers.' He had access to the office of Mayor Harold Washington.

By Chinta Strausberg

SinceJanuary 20th, 2025, America has never beenmore divided than she is now thanks to the re-election of Donald J. Trump who is moving fast to Make America White Again (MAWA), according to Father Michael L. Pfleger.

And Trump, who will be 79 years old on June 14th, is doing it with the help of his sidekick, 53-year-old Tesla, Inc., SpaceX, and Twitter (X) owner South African born billionaire Elon Musk who is doing his dirty work.

Having won his re-election on a mountain of lies and according to Gregg Palast, an investigator for more than 25 years, he stole the election with the help of dozens of organized voter vigilantes who challenged thousands of Black and brown voters he says robbed Vice president Kamala Harris of the presidency.

Since the election, Trump has signed more than 100 executive orders that have led to the firing of thousands of federal employees many of whom have had either stellar work reviews or had not received one at all based on Musk’s allegations that they were not productive without showing any proof at all.

Families are being destroyed; unemployment is inching up all because Trump wants his legacy to shine while he is in office and even wanting his picture on a newly created $250 bill that is being pushed by Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) even though the law says a living person cannot be put on legal tender.

But the law never stopped Trump from doing what he wants to do after all

And to be led by 53-year-old Musk, who was born in Pretoria, South Africa during the apartheid era and is the

father of 14 children by four different women, is a bit much for Democrats like Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-1st) who like his mentor, Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-7th), and Reps. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and Al Green (D-TX) are fed up with Trump and Musk’ lies.

In fact, during Trump’s speech before the joint session of Congress was the boiling point for Rep. Green who

couldn’t take Trump’s lies anymore. While some Democrats walked out during Trump’s speech. Green stood, waved his cane at Trump and yelled out, “You don’t have a mandate to end Medicaid.” House Speaker Mike Johnson ordered him to sit down, but Green refused and was kicked out of the chambers.

Other Democrats began chanting, “January 6” while their peers, wearing black T-shirts turned their backs on Trump as he spoke proudly displaying their T-shirts that read “RESIST” in white letters.

On the other side of the aisle, Republicans hooped, hollered, whistled and

clapped their hands repeatedly knowing he was lying.

“The President said he had a mandate, and I just wanted to make it clear that he doesn’t have no mandate,” Rep. Green told reporters after being escorted out of the chambers. “I have people who are very fearful. These are poor people, and they have only Medicaid when it comes to their health care.

“I want him to know that his budget calls for deep cuts in Medicaid. We need to save Medicaid. We need to raise the cap on Social Security, and we got to protect Medicare. There is a possibility it’s going to be hurt, and we got to protect it.

“These are the safety net programs that people in my Congressional district depend on, and this President seems to care less about them and more about the people he can remove from the various programs and buildings.

”

Green told reporters if there were a punishment that he would accept it.

“This is not about me. This is about the people who will suffer if Medicaid is cut, and their Social Security is cut.”

Green said he does not want to block grant Medicaid it to states because “Texas refused $100 billion Medicaid money because Texas didn’t want to bear any portion of the cost to help poor people.”

When he stood up and shouted out to Trump, Green said he was “following the wishes of conscious. There are times when it is better to stand alone than to not stand at all.

“This President is disrupting the healthcare system. He is all but defying court orders. At some point we all will have to stand up,” said Green who is also a lawyer. By standing up and protesting while ‘trump was speaking, Continue on page 27.

Continued from page 26.

“is the best way to get a point across to a person who uses his incivility against our civility.”

Green said he would accept any punishment for his actions because it was worth getting his message across, and by the way, he told reporters that he is still working on his Articles of Impeachment against Trump who has been indicted four times, impeached twice and is a felon.

The House censured Rep. Green in a vote of 224-198, but as Speaker Johnson read the censure resolution, Democrats began singing, “We shall Overcome.” They ignored Johnson’s gavel and calls for order forcing him to call for a recess, but when Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) yelled at President Biden when he was speaking, there was never talk about censuring her.

But there is an even more pressing problem Democrats are facing as they deal with Trump’s revenge politics and determination to reduce the federal workforce and shut down departments like Education. It’s the 2026 elections and the lessons learned during the 2024 General Election.

reporter for the BBC-TV, the Guardian in Britain and Rolling Stone. He works with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Black Lives Matter and the NAACP on a case involving the purging of Black voters in this last election.

Before Palast was a reporter, he was an economist for the U.S. Justice Department including the Attorney General of Illinois. With a degree from the University of Chicago, Palast also taught statistics at the University of Indiana.

In his investigation using U.S. government numbers, Palast concluded that if all legal voters were allowed to vote, Trump would have lost the states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Harris would have won.

“If not for the mass purge of voters of color, if not for the mass disqualifica-

mail-in ballots were disqualified for minor clerical errors like postage due. At least 585,000 ballots cast inprecinct were also disqualified, 1,216,000 “provisional” ballots were rejected, not counted and 3.24 million new registrations were rejected or not entered on the rolls in time to vote.

Palast blamed Harris’ lost on “Old Jim Crow, racist, voter suppression tactics including help from a resurrected 1946 pro-Trump KKK voter purge plan. He said Harris would have won Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Georgia.”

Explaining, Palast, who also presented the number of votes Harris won in these states in court on behalf of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Black Lives Matter, the NAACP and ACLU.

If it were not for vote “Jim Crow” vote suppression tactics, blocking the count and purging Black voters from the voter rolls, Democratic Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris would have defeated Donald Trump by 1.2 million votes, according to investigative reporter Greg Palast and his team of experts.

Palast, an investigative reporter for more than 25 years, said Harris would have also won another 3,565, 000 in the popular vote.

Palast is the author of “Vigilantes Inc.: America’s new Voter Suppression Hitmen.” He works as an investigative

tion of provisional and mail-in ballots, if not for the new mass ‘vigilante’ challenges in swing states,” Palast said Harris would have defeated Trump by 1.2 million votes and would have gotten gained at least another 3,565,000 popular votes.

Trump won the 2024 presidency with 312 electoral votes vs Harris’ 226. Neither received 50 percent of the electoral vote. Palast first told theChicago Crusaderon Friday, February 14th, and again Sunday, February 16th, on WVON that Harris “really did win this election.” Palast said, “4,776,706 voters were wrongly purged from voter rolls according to US Elections Assistance Commission data.” Palast said no less than 2,121,000

Palast equated the November 5, 2024, election to that of the Bush v. Gore in 2000 presidential election where he said Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, knocked off 78,000 Blacks. Palast said that helped his brother, Gorge W. Bush, to ultimately win after a 36-day recount that forced Al Gore to concede the election. “Gore really won that election,” said Palast.

Referring to the November 5, 2024, general election, Palast said, “In too many other miscarriages of democracy, this election was determined by good old ‘vote suppression,’ the polite term we use for shafting people of color out of their ballot. We used to call it Jim Crow.”

Making it clear, Palast said he and his team investigators confirmed that, in the year before the election, 4,776,706 voters were wrongly purged from voter rolls according to U.S. Elections Assistance Commission data.

•Continue on page 29.

Continued from page 27.

“We have a government agency which not only tracks our votes but tracks the votes that don’t get counted. That is the nasty little secret of American democracy. We don’t let every citizen vote, and we don’t count all of the vote. We purge people,” he said.

So, Palast said he went through the purge list for Black Lives Matter and the ACLU where he said people of color were purged in Milwaukee and in Georgia. “I hired the experts from Amazon,whoknowwhereyoulive,and the U.S. Postal service, and they went through the list of voters who had been purged.

They gave names and addresses of 198,000 who were wrongly purged from the voting rolls. ACLU and Black Lives Matter took that list to court.

“It’s not just numbers,” said Palast. Having called 800 of them, he said, they were overwhelmingly Black voters.

While in Atlanta during last year’s election, Palast said he watched a number of Black voters thrown out of the polls denying them right to vote including Christian Jordan, 92-year-old woman on a cane who was Dr. King’s cousin.

“She had been voting there for 50 years. Her granddaughter was in tears,” he said. The woman took Palast to her home where he saw a picture of her with Dr. King. “That is how Donald Trump won Georgia” by selective purges of Black and people of color and then they didn’t count their votes if they got back in.”

According to the U.S. Elections Assistance Commission, he said 2,120,000 mail-in ballots were thrown out. In the state of Washington, a government analysis, “They found out if you are Black, the chances of your ballot will be rejected for technical reasons is 400 percent higher than if you are white.”

In Georgia, he said Black Democrats either mailed in the ballots or used the drop box method of voting. “They figured out a way to disqualify your ballot.” He did an analysis for Black Lives matter and found that in Milwaukee most of the purged voters were in Black communities except for the students in Madison, Wisconsin.

But Palast said brand new this year is the “resurrection of the old KKK plan to challenge voters of color in mass.

By August of 2024, for the first time since 1946, Palast said, “selfproclaimed True The Vote, a Trump front proudly announced that they had

already challenged 317,886 voters. These are self-appointed volte fraud vigilantes.

In Georgia, in Pennsylvania and in Mississippi, you have these mass voter challengers like a career military officer who lives in Georgia but was sent to California on assignment. When Turner asked for an absent ballot, he was told he had been challenged and could not vote.

Turner flew 2,700 miles to Georgia where he ultimately voted. However, Palast said the other 4,000 Black military voters in Turner’s county who were challenged did not vote. “It was racial. It was the old KKK plan that hasn’t been used since 1946. Trump used that to knock off 2 million voters, it barely got mentioned in the U.S. press,” Palast stated.

Palast said the NAACP of Georgia estimates that by Election Day, the challenges exceeded 200,000 in Georgia alone.”

According to Palast, less than 2,121,000 mail-in ballots were disqualifiedforminorclericalerrorssomehe said was due to insufficient postage or the wrong return address on the envelope.

Palast said at least 585,000 ballots cast in-precinct were also disqualified along with 1,216,000 “provisional” ballots that were rejected and not counted. Additionally, he said 3.24 million new registrations were rejected or not entered on the rolls in time to vote.

“If the purges, challenges and ballot rejections were random, it wouldn’t matter. It’s anything but random,” he said.

He gave as an example an audit conducted by the State of Washington that allegedly found that a Black voter was 400% more likely than a white voter to have their mail-in ballot rejected.

Explaining, Palast said the rejection of Black in-person votes, according to a US Civil Rights Commission study in Florida, ran 14.3% or one in seven ballots cast.

And voter threats were also present. “There are also the uncountable effects of the explosive growth of voter intimidation tactics including the bomb threats that closed 31 polling stations in Atlanta on election day,” said Palast.

“These voter intimidation threats, Palast explained, are part of the “nasty little secret of American democracy thatwe don’t count all the votes nor let every citizen vote” that he said not just because their skin was Black but also that they represented “blue” for Democrats.

“In 2024, especially, after an avalanche of new not-going-to-let-youvote laws passed in almost every red state, the number of citizens Jim Crow’d out of their vote soared into the millions,” Palast stated.

Continue on page 29.

Continued from page 28.

Citing theBrennan Center for Justice, since the 2020 election, Palast said, “At least 30 states enacted 78 restrictive laws” to blockade voting.The race-targeted laws ran the gamut from shuttering drop boxes in Black-majority cities to, for the first time, allowing non-government selfappointed “vote fraud vigilantes” to challenge voters by the hundreds of thousands.”

Palast is disturbed that while some media outlets did protest the voter suppression tactics, he said, “the mainstream press never, ever not once would say, “that these ugly racist attacks on voters changed the outcome of an election.”

“If these voter suppression laws had no effect on election outcomes, then why did Republican legislators fight so hard to pass these laws? The answer is clear on the Brennan Center’s map of states that passed restrictive laws. It’s pretty much Trump’s victory map,” said Palast.

You can get a free copy of his movie, “Vigilantes, Inc: America’s new Voter Suppression hitmen,” at Gregpalast.com.

Rep. Davis said, “We must resist, resist, resist and fight back. We must change this this trifecta equation,” he said referring to the Republican majorities in the House, Senate and now the presidency. We must take back these seats in 2026.”’

By Pastor Lottie Woods Hall all

Greenville, South Carolina, When I think of the challenges which we now face as a nation, I am reminded of the words of Thomas Paine, author of the essay, entitled “The American Crisis” or simply “The Crisis”. It was written during the Revolutionary War to the original thirteen colonies now known as The United States of America, as they sought their independence from Great Britain. He wrote to the colonies, “These are times that try men’s souls.” Today our souls are being tried and tested as we see our democracy under attack, and we seek to preserve our democratic way of life, and secure the blessings of liberty for all.

There are varying opinions, positions, philosophes, and mind-sets in this nation that causes us to see issues through different lenses. However, one thing that we can hopefully agree on is that there are needs in this nation; there is disunity, divisiveness, unrest, and an absence of peace. We have thrown many solutions at our problems; solutions mostly emanating from the soulish realm (mind or intellect, emotions, and self-will). Yet our search for a nation where all of its citizens can fully participate in a manner envisioned by the founding fathers, as included in The Declaration of Independence, and The Constitution of The United States, continue to elude us. Nothing happens in this nation (or the world) without the hand of God. He is the Maker, Creator, Giver, and Sustainer of Life. Nothing is, was, or will ever be without Him. “The earth is the Lords, the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell there in.” -Psalms 24:1.

God’s Will is always at work in the

earth. He has a Permissive Will, and a Divine Direct Will.

THE WAY OUT begins with a belief that God is The Maker and Creator of everything, including you and me. The automobiles that we drive were purchased with a belief in the manufacturer, and a belief or expectation that we would receive maximum performance.

THE WAY OUT includes turning situations over to God, and trusting Him for the outcome.

The first order of believing in Goddeveloping our belief system (which was stated earlier) is inclusive of SELF -EXAMINATION. The Greek philosopher, Socrates, said, “Know thyself, the unexamined life is not worth living.” In William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, he said, “To thine own self be true.” King David, the psalmist, spoke of God’s requirement in Psalms 51:6, when he said, “ Behold thou desires truth in the inward parts,” that is, knowing the truth about one’s self; knowing what is really in your heart; what you truly stand for; the motives behind your actions.

The Bible commands that we examine ourselves, and prove whether we walk in the faith of our Lord, Jesus Christ. It is important to walk in HARMONY AND TRUTH with our own selves, meaning, what we do, what we say, what we think, and what we feel are all the same.

When there is disorder in the automobile, we return it to the dealership that represents the manufacturer. We cannot correct the problems. The automobile was purposely designed that way. This world was created with a divine order, things must function in a certain way, and we cannot fix things. God is calling us to return to His mechanics (problem solving representatives). We can no longer “tinker” with our lives and find effective, God designed solutions to the issues.

The enemy (the devil, Satan) has sought to change the “exit signs”. He is a liar and deceiver. He works through tricks, traps, and tragedies. Jesus, himself, said, “The thief cometh not but to steal, kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” -St. John 10:10. The GOOD NEWS is that the creature is not above The Creator. He (God the Creator) is able to thwart the plans of the devil at any time.

I refer again to our opening scripture. “There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” -Proverbs 14:12. This means that relying on one's own judgement rather than seeking God’s guidance can result in disastrous consequences. Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it, • Continue on page 31.

•Continued from page 32. The Way Out.

except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wakes but in vain.” -Psalms 127:1.

Walking in LOVE AND OBEDIENCE to the Will of God is the life that He has designed for us, his believers and followers. The simplicity of the Gospel and God’s requirement is LOVE. Love God, and love your neighbor, as you love yourself. The Old Testament focuses on the message of obedience to God. The New Testament focuses on “Love one another.” This commandment is recorded in Luke 10:27, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.”

1 Corinthians Chapter 13 makes clear the manifestation of love-how it conducts itself. GOD IS LOVE. “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, the love that you have for one another.” St. John 13:35. This is the identity and example that God designed for us in the world as evidence of our true relationship with Him.

I conclude with brief comments on highly relevant and important factors which cannot be overlooked in the quest toward A WAY OUT. They are COMMUNICATION AND FORGIVENESS. God created us for relationships. Communication is a relationship building tool. We communicate with God through prayer. Prayer is not just talking

but listening. Prayer opens us up to the Heart and Will of God. Life can and will be better when we seek to build good relationships with others, which includes communication (talking and listening). Barriers can be broken down, fears can be removed, and understanding and acceptance can be achieved through being “other’s focused”-being slow to speak and quick to listen. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.”-James 1:19. WORDS HAVE POWER. They can help or they can hinder. Words can cause strife, confusion, broken relationships, sleepless nights, disunity, hate, etc. “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” -Proverbs 16:27. Speak the truth, but always speak it in LOVE. Guard your heart, for whatever is in the heart will be reflected in your communication. One of the ways we guard our hearts, is to empty it of UNFORGIVENESS. God requires that we forgive one another, even ourselves. The model prayer (The Lord’s Prayer) states, “Forgive us our debts (trespasses), as we forgive our debtors (those who trespass against us).” -Matthew 6:12.

“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification.” -Romans 14:19. Change in this nation, in spite of the challenges we now face, is within our grasp. IT IS ATTAINABLE. We have the power, through God, to walk toward the exit that leads to THE WAY OUT.

Chicago, , IL: : I do not believe that all politicians realize that there is Heaven and Hell. Actions show that many are listening to the Master of their destiny.

You would think that adults would have instill in their children that life is supposed to be formed of morals and principles. The absence of decency is shown in many who have put their private principles onto front street America!

Would these actions show the End-times when people would call right-wrong and wrong-right? Evil is right in your face and with little or no shame. These fruits show that who those persons are who would follow the leading

of Satan. The scripture says that we would know ‘them’ by the fruit they bear –well, here it is right in the face of the American citizens.

I ask, where now are the evangelicals who made the declaration for a man whose background was tainted by an avalanche of diabolical traits…where are they now?

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform same-gender acts, Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?

Many Christians believe Jesus will return at any moment but is their ideology based on scripture? Critics often sco at the mere mention of Christ’s return. A sco er is one who shows contempt toward a subject or person, usually with a liberal dose of mockery. Sco ers show no regard for the things of God and could be categorized as ‘swine’ (Mat 7:6). The Second Epistle of Peter warns us:

“Knowing this ﬁrst, that there shall come in the last days scoers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming?for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”

2nd Peter 3:3-4

The fundamental doctrine of the rapture of the church is Many Christians believe Jesus will return at any moment but is their ideology based on scripture? Critics often sco at the mere mention of Christ’s return. A sco er is one who shows contempt toward a subject or person, usually with a liberal dose of mockery. Sco ers show no regard for the things of God and could be categorized as ‘swine’ (Mat 7:6). The Second Epistle of Peter warns us:

2nd Peter 3:3-4

The fundamental doctrine of the rapture of the church is under heavy attack within Christian circles. This should come as no sur-

prise because Satan’s been questioning God’s word from the very outset, whether from inside or outside the church walls. The followingtwelvesigns o er encouragement to us, as we wait patiently for our Savior’s return:

1. The rapid increase in knowledge (Daniel 12:4)

In the 1980’sBuckminster Fullercreated the “Knowledge Doubling Curve.” Until the early part of the 20thcentury, knowledge doubled every 25 years or so. But currently,knowledge is doubling every 13 months, and according to IBM that could become every 12 hours in the not-too -distant future. Google enables us to capture millions of threads of data at our ﬁngertips. The prophet Daniel spoke of this knowledge increase which would reach its climax at the end of time: ”Butthou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased…9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end…10 Many shall be puriﬁed, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”

Daniel 12:4-10

The ‘time of the end,’ spoken of by the angel in this passage refers to today, i.e., ‘the last days.” Our time is reserved for not only a general knowledge explosion, but more precisely, knowledge of God’s word. I dare say this seal was cracked at the beginning of the 20thcentury. It is for the ‘wise’ to understand the signs of the

times, and the wicked will remain ignorant of what is going on around them, right up until Christ’s coming.

The knowledge of ‘all things is increasing rapidly.

2. The rise of false cults(Matthew 24:5)

In Christ’s Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25, Luk 21, Mk 13), He o ers several clear markers for His return, withdeceptionbeing ﬁrst on the list.So far there have been at least twenty-two notable false Christ’s since the 18thcentury, spanning from Ann Lee to Alan John Miller of the present day. The Russian leader,Sergey Anatolyevitch Torop, has publicly claimed to be the risen Christ, since 1991 and currently has 5,000 followers worldwide. Brazilian born Alvaro Theiss has also claimed to be Jesus Christ for more than 30 years and enjoys a wide following.

Two of the latest clowns who claim to be Jesus Christ(Sergey Torop–Left,Alvaro Theiss–Right)

Anyone who knows their Bible would never be deceived by such men, because Christ’s return will follow the protocol, laid out in the Holy Writ. Biblical ignorance leads to rife deception and cult leaders’ prey on our disregard for God’s Word.Horace Greeleyonce said, “It is impossible to enslave, mentally or socially, a Bible reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom. “Sadly, the popularity of cult leaders and false Christ’s in our day and age, is purely a reﬂection of our biblical ignorance.

3. Many shall go back and forth(Daniel 12:4)

Up until the late 19thcentury, the light two-person horse and buggy were the main mode of transport. In 1885 Karl Benz invented the ﬁrst car. In 2020, there were 287 million cars in the United States alone. The minor prophet Nahum, prophesied the modern-day freeway, stating:

“The chariots shall rage in the streets, they shall justle one against another in the broad ways: They shall seem like torches, They shall run like the lightnings.” Nahum 2:4

The Wright brothers invented the world’s first motor operated airplane on Dec 17th, 1903. Modern airplanes are inferred in the Bible, “Who are these that fly as a cloud, And as the doves to their windows?” (Isa 60:8).Today there are five thousand airlines in the world, with approximately eight thousand jets flying commercially around the globe on any given day. Many do ‘go to and fro’ in these last days,as the Book of Daniel predicted thousands of years ago.

Commercial jets are causing tra ic jams at 30,000ft.

4.The sign of the ﬁg tree(Matthew 24:32)

The main sign of Christ’s return is the formation of Israel as a nation. Israel is symbolized as a fig tree in the books of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Joel, and Hosea. Following their rejection of His son, God promised to restore Israel as a nation with an outstretched arm and gather them out of the countries into which they were scattered (Eze 20:33-24).This was fulfilled by the fig tree blossoming on May 14th, 1948. Jesus said, the same generation •Continue on page 35.

• Continued from page 34.

that sees this ﬁg tree blossom will also see His return (Matt 24:32).

The question then becomes, how long is a generation? If it is a century (see Gen 15:12-16), then Christ will return no later than 2048. Israel has certainly blossomed as a nation since its founding. It is $100 Billion economy is larger than all its neighboring countries combined. It has the highest standard of living in the middle east and is a world leader in the invention of modern technologies. Since Mark Twain visited Israel in 1867, describing it as a “hopeless, dreary and heartbroken land,” God’s blessing has once again returned to the land. Many realize the Balfour declaration paved the way for Israel to become a nation, yet few consider the prophetic implications of the leadership ofBritish Field Marshal Edmund Allenby.

The ﬁg tree of Israelis blossoming before our very eyes.

World War I ended at 11am on November 11th, 1918. This was the 11thhour, of the 11thday of the 11th month, just 11 months afterField Marshal Allenbyentered Jerusalem on December 11th, 1917. It was at that time; he made Palestine a homeland for the Jews. God was sounding the alarm bell over one hundred years ago, that the 11thhour was upon us, one hour prior to His midnight return (Mat 25:5-6).

The number eleven can symbolize disorder, chaos, or judgment. It is used twenty-four times in the Bible. If it was the 11thhour (over a century ago), how close are we to Christ’s return today? Christ warned in the parable of the foolish virgins (Mat 25:1-13), that He would return at the ‘midnight hour.’ Midnight is soon to strike for all of us, are you ready? I also be-

lieve this 11thhour typology, symbolizes God judging the present world system, putting it on notice, that His Millennial kingdom is soon to appear on earth.

5. The increase in the number and diversity of earthquakes (Luke 21:11)

Every year, there are some 50,000 detectable seismic or microseismic disturbances around the world. Seismology emerged as a science only in the mid-19th century. Seismographs were invented in 1853 and made available then to record quakes. Robert Mallet introduced the term seismology. He proposed a seismic map of the world and compiled a catalogue of 6,831 major shocks from the year 1606 BC to his time.

The increase in frequency and diversity of earthquakes have been meteoric since records began. In the 14thcentury there were 157 major earthquakes, in the 15thcentury 174 major earthquakes, in the 16thcentury 253 major earthquakes, in the 17thcentury 278 major earthquakes, in the 18thcentury 640 major earthquakes, in the 19thcentury 2,119 major earthquakes and ﬁnally, in the 20thcentury there were more than 900,000 earthquakes! This is equivalent to one earthquake every hour!

From the Almanaccomes another set of facts: there were only six earthquakes of strength between 1800 to 1896. But in each decade from 1897 until 1947, there were either 2 or 3, and in the decade from 1947 to 1956, there were seven. From 1957 to 1966, there were seventeen.Timemagazine’s front cover for its Sept. 1, 1975, issue was a split earth with this inscription: “FORECAST: EARTHQUAKE.”

Since the formation of Israel on

May 14th, 1948, there has been a relative explosion of earthquakes worldwide.As soon as ‘the’ sign of Christ’s return hit the timeline (i.e., the formation of Israel), earthquakes have been on the increase ever since. Since the year 2000 there have been 1433 earthquakes recorded worldwide, more than ﬁve, on the Richter scale, conﬁrming thatmajorearthquakes are also on the rise.

6. Apostasy of the church (Revelation 3:16)

The church has compromised in recent years and God is reshu ling the deck. Key leaders are stepping down and new leaders are rising.The Book of Revelation warns the church of this age (LaodiceaRev 3:14-22) would become ‘lukewarm’ and most assuredly this has happened right before our eyes.America is in its darkest hour, meanwhile the church is experiencing an untimely identity crisis. Our tepid attitude stems from a position of economic abundance, which is now under threat. Our spiritual apathy, causes Jesus to gag, spewing us out of His mouth! (Rev 3:16). If that is not a wake-up call, I do not know what it is.

This Apostasy is all part of a dark spiritual agenda by seducing spirits, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed toseducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1stTim 4:1). Several of the more prevalent false cults arose fromwithinthe church walls, including,Jehovah’s Witnesses,Mormonism,Christian Scientist is, etc. These cults have forged ungodly doctrines, seeking after their own lusts,’ having ‘itching ears,’ and turning away from the truth, they once knew, unto fables (2 Tim 3:1-5).

People such as Charles Taze Rus-

sell (1852-1916), Joseph Smith (1805-1844), Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) and Ellen G. White (1827-1915), all told fables, and in the process, founded new religions, leading millions astray to damnation. Each one of them will give an account to God for their heresies.

7. Wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6)

Someone once described ‘peace’ as, ‘that brief time in history when man stops to reload.’ Warfare is a long-held tradition of man. Consider, there were twenty-one world skirmishes in the 18thcentury, rising to fifty-three wars in the 19thcentury, leading to thirty-five larger worldwide conflicts in the 20thcentury. Not far into the 21st century we are on the verge of nuclear war. The cause for all these conflicts ranges from contention over natural resources, to the wickedly devised plots of the elite, who typically fund both sides of a conflict to amass wealth. Their co ers will be filled regardless, profiting from either outcome. History bears witness to the countless innocents killed by despots, desirous of power at all costs.

under heavy attack within Christian circles. This should come as no surprise because Satan’s been questioning God’s word from the very outset, whether from inside or outside the church walls. The following 12signs o er encourage-