Job 38:22

 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail?" Job 38:22

‘Neo-Socialist Wish List’

 Democrats’ $1.9 Trillion Relief Bill Is ‘Neo-Socialist Wish List’: Sen. John Kennedy by TOM OZIMEK

Republicans are rallying against Democrats’ proposed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, with Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) the latest to pan the package as a wish list of liberal spending priorities unrelated to the pandemic.

Kennedy made the remarks on Fox News‘ “America’s Newsroom” on Feb. 25, when he alleged that “the profligacy is mind-numbing.”

“The motto of the Biden administration seems to be ‘we can’t spend too much,'” he said.

Kennedy took aim at controversial provisions in the American Rescue Plan Act, which includes such spending priorities as $750 million for the global response to COVID-19, $270 million for arts and humanities endowments, $200 million for museums and libraries, and $100 million for an electric train in Silicon Valley.

“This isn’t a coronavirus bill,” the Louisiana senator said. “This is a left-of-Lenin, neo-socialist wish list.”

By late Feb. 24, not a single Republican in either chamber had publicly said he or she would back the Biden administration’s proposed relief bill.

“I haven’t seen a Republican yet that’s found something in there that they agree with,” said House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). “I think all Republicans believe in three simple things: They want a bill that puts us back to work, back to school, and back to health. This bill is too costly, too corrupt, and too liberal.”

The hardening opposition suggests that Biden’s first major legislative initiative could face a wall of unanimous GOP opposition.

The Republican Study Committee (RSC), the largest conservative caucus on Capitol Hill, released a fact sheet (pdf) exposing what “Democrats are hoping the public won’t find about” in the relief bill.

Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), RSC’s newly elected chairman, said in a memo sent to caucus members that Democrats have included items of “special interest pork and other liberal goodies” in the proposal. He echoed Kennedy’s take that the bill contains spending that’s unrelated to the pandemic.

“Keep in mind only 1 percent of this $1.9 trillion will go toward vaccines, and only 5 percent overall of this entire package is geared toward public health efforts directly related to the pandemic,” Banks said in an interview with Fox News.

The memo denounced Biden’s package as a job killer that does too little to reopen schools or businesses shuttered due pandemic, calling it not just wasteful but also unscrupulous—with provisions that are “pro-abortion,” “soft on China,” and that promote illegal immigration.

Democrats have shown no signs of backing down, however, citing the assistance as a measure that would spread to people, businesses, and state and local governments.

“If congressional Republicans want to oppose all that, my response is ‘good luck,’” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor.

Joe Biden has said that the legislation needs to pass: “We need Congress to pass my American Rescue Plan. It deals with the immediate crisis facing our small businesses, Now, critics say the plan is too big. Let me ask them a rhetorical question: What would you have me cut? What would you leave out?”

Biden said earlier that he expects his proposal will pass even without Republican support, as the bill is being advanced via budget reconciliation, which only requires a simple majority to clear the Senate.

Acts Chapter Twenty-four

 Acts Chapter Twenty-four

1: And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

2: And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,

3: We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.

4: Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.

5: For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

6: Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

7: But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

8: Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

9: And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

10: Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

11: Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.

12: And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

13: Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

14: But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

15: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

16: And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

17: Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings.

18: Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult.

19: Who ought to have been here before thee, and object, if they had ought against me.

20: Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,

21: Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

22: And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.

23: And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him.

24: And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

25: And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

26: He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

27: But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.

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Thoughts on 2 Corinthians 12:9

 Thoughts on 2 Corinthians 12:9 by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

God's grace is sufficient for us. Grace in general terms is "favor." It is what God favors us with, what He gives to us. It can include spiritual gifts or physical things that He provides. By His grace, we have food to eat every day, we have clothes to wear, and we have a roof over our heads or cars to drive. Every good thing we have is supplied by God's amazing grace.

Paul considered his "thorn in the flesh" to be part of God's grace, a hard thing to say. How could he say that an affliction that God allowed could be part of His grace toward him? Because with an infirmity, whatever it happened to be, God balanced out for Paul the revelations that he had received, so that he would not become big-headed, sin presumptuously, and lose his salvation.

It was good, for example, for Paul to be afflicted by imprisonment, because if he were not much of the New Testament would not have been written, He affirmed this when he said, "I'm content being afflicted, because I know that God's grace is sufficient for me."

This affliction was good because it helped him to achieve all that the Lord set before him to do in the behalf of God's kingdom.

We have a hard time thinking this way. We consider this sort of affliction to be evil, but Paul turns that on its head, saying, "No, it is good, because with this affliction, I am weak, and because I am weak, I rely totally upon God rather than on myself.

When God's people rely on him instead of on their own devices, the work of Heaven is completed through the will of the Holy One rather than through the arrogance of mere men.

Biden vs. Second Amendment

 Biden vs. Second Amendment

Joe Biden is reportedly considering “every tool” at his disposal to crack down on Second Amendment rights as left-wing activists are pushing him to deal with the issue of gun violence by declaring a national emergency and using executive orders.

“Among the executive actions under consideration by the administration is one that would require buyers of so-called ghost guns — homemade or makeshift firearms that lack serial numbers — to undergo background checks,” Politico reported. A White House official told Politico that Biden was considering “every tool at our disposal, including executive actions” to crack down on the Second Amendment.

Biden wants to ban so-called “assault weapons,” which are semi-automatic firearms. He also wants to ban so-called “high-capacity magazines,” an ultimately arbitrary term. Biden has previously said he wants to ban magazines that can hold “multiple bullets,” which would include all magazines. He also wants to end gun manufacturers’ immunity from liability, which would likely devastate the firearms industry quickly.

John Feinblatt, president of the left-wing, Michael Bloomberg-backed Everytown for Gun Safety, said that his organization is the “strongest” pro-gun control administration “in history” and that they have “full confidence they’re going to govern like it.”

Some gun control activists “are urging the administration to begin disbursing money to 40 cities across the country plagued by gun violence through discretionary agency grants or by declaring a national emergency,” the report added. “Rather than wait for Congress to pass funding in an infrastructure or gun control bill, groups like March For Our Lives and Community Justice Action Fund say agencies can and should start allocating funds to community-based programs now.”

The push from Biden comes as gun sales have surged to record highs over the last year, spurred in part by the coronavirus pandemic, race riots following George Floyd’s death, and the push by some Democrats to “defund the police.”

January was the third-highest recorded monthly in U.S. history for gun sales. However, this does not come close to accounting for Americans’ current demand for guns because many manufacturers are completely sold out of firearms, especially the types of firearms the Biden administration wants to crack down on.

Some manufacturers have disabled back orders because they are so overloaded. Other companies warn of lead times approaching six months, meaning a firearm ordered today may not arrive at the customer’s store until near the start of September. The demand for firearms is not counted in firearm sales statistics because the sales statistics are based on federal gun background-check data. Background checks on a firearm do not happen until the customer arrives at the store to pick it up, at which point they must then complete a federal background check before they are allowed to take it home.

Alan Gottlieb, the founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, warned in a recent interview that Biden has launched a “four-prong” attack against the Second Amendment.

“One is universal background check is really a universal registration system,” Gottlieb said. “Second is banning of assault weapons and then defining assault weapons as almost any semi-automatic firearm. Third is banning magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, you know, again, hurts people twice for self defense in our country, and then attacking the firearms industry so that any criminal that goes out and misuses a gun, the gun manufacturer can be sued for it, it’s going to put the industry out of business and nobody can buy a gun.”

“And that’s just what he wants legislatively,” Gottlieb added. “That’s not even what he’s talking about on executive orders. There’s a lot more of those coming to and appearing, some might be coming down the pike pretty soon.”

Thoughts on Today's Verse

 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish." Isaiah 41:10-11

Thoughts on Today's Verse by Phil Ware

Not only does God's blessing rest on us, his presence goes with us. We cannot ever be in a place where he is not with us (see Psalm 139). His presence and power will uphold us and strengthen us. No matter what may happen in our physical bodies or our physical worlds, God has given us the ultimate triumph over every enemy and all wickedness in Jesus.

Even Jesus' doubters and enemies will worship our Lord and kneel at his feet and will recognize that our faith is not only appropriate, but it is victorious (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1).

My Prayer...

Thank you, dear Father! You are not only the God of the heavens, but you are also my God. You know me and care about me. You hear my cries for help and mercy. You share my struggles and burdens.

Please deliver me from every enemy, both physical and spiritual, and give me boldness to stand firm in my faith in you. In Jesus' name I ask this. Amen.

Proverbs 26:1

 Like snow in summer and like rain in harvest, So honor is not fitting for a fool." Proverbs 26:1