Bill Quick: Donald Trump Harks Back to JFK's Mainstream America

At his Daily Pundit blog, Bill Quick writes:

"It’s interesting to compare Donald Trump to John F.  Kennedy.  Both JFK and PDT supported civil rights for black Americans, but not for illegal aliens.  JFK’s coalition looked a lot like PDTs does today, as JFK’s Democrat Party still catered to the needs and desires of working class and southern Americans – just as PDT does today.

"JFKs judicial appointments were more liberal that PDTs, because the litmus issue in those times was civil rights.  The Vietnam war arose as a national issue only after the mass drafts of the post JFK years began to bite.  Nor did the Boomers elect JFK.  In 1960, they were still in high school, and more than ten years away from getting the right to vote as 18 year-olds.

"It is popular among today’s pop “historians” to present the years of the 1960s and 1970s as the decades in which America as a whole finally took up the New Left’s philosophy en masse, but that is simply not the case.  The New Left, the hippies, the massive use of drugs, and all the rest of the cultural appurtenances of that time were always a practice of the minority.  More young men went off to serve in Vietnam than rioted in the streets for one cause or another.  With the possible exception of marijuana, drug use was never practiced by any significant majority of Americans (as is still the case). .... "

Do go read the whole post. It is quite heartening.

President Donald John Trump in Sobieski's Homeland

Our President Donald John Trump never mentioned John III Sobieski in the speeches he made while in Poland... but the memory of the "Savior of Christendom" is palpable throughout.

In his amazing speech To The People Of Poland, he spoke in detail about Poland's heroic and determined past: the Miracle of Vistula, "the Katyn forest massacre, the occupations, the Holocaust, the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the destruction of [Warsaw], and the deaths of nearly one in five Polish people", Jerusalem Avenue. He named Casimir Pulaski  and Tadeusz Kościuszko (heroes of the American Revolution and of Polish Insurrection against Russia), and declared :" I am here today not just to visit an old ally, but to hold it up as an example for others who seek freedom and who wish to summon the courage and the will to defend our civilization. "

As his conclusive statement confirms, President Trump stood up in defiance of  Globalism and of invasive enemies of civilization. Malcolm Pollack described it well:

 "“Brilliance”! “Excellence”! Reverence! Traditions! Heritage! The defense of the West! Protecting our borders! Preserving our civilization!
"Strong stuff, and as far as the epicene political, academic, and media elites of the modern West are concerned, it might as well be the language of Mordor. Can you imagine Barack Obama saying such things? The words would have burnt his tongue."

President Trump reminded listeners of his historic peace-making trip to the Middle East in which he  engaged with the Muslim nations of the world to work themselves to bring peace to their own countries and to themselves drive out the militant islamists who are destroying every civilization within reach:

" We are confronted by another oppressive ideology -- one that seeks to export terrorism and extremism all around the globe.  America and Europe have suffered one terror attack after another.  We’re going to get it to stop.  (Applause.)
During a historic gathering in Saudi Arabia, I called on the leaders of more than 50 Muslim nations to join together to drive out this menace which threatens all of humanity.  We must stand united against these shared enemies to strip them of their territory and their funding, and their networks, and any form of ideological support that they may have.  While we will always welcome new citizens who share our values and love our people, our borders will always be closed to terrorism and extremism of any kind.   "

President Trump's choice of Poland in which to vocalize his stand for "The West" and civilization shows his understanding of history & of another time when islamists used war and terror to attack the West. It was Poland's King, John III Sobieski who drove back the Islamic Turks at the "Gates of Vienna" in 1683 when the Islamic Ottoman Empire had Europe under siege. The Pope called him the "Savior of Christendom", a constellation was named after him, and Sobieski has since been known as the "Savior of Vienna and Western European civilization".

And thus, some of the most powerful paragraphs of President Trump's speech are those in which this "new Cyrus" invokes our Father God within a country that has recently reaffirmed its identity as a Christian Nation:

"The Polish martyr, Bishop Michael Kozal, said it well:  “More horrifying than a defeat of arms is a collapse of the human spirit.”
"Through four decades of communist rule, Poland and the other captive nations of Europe endured a brutal campaign to demolish freedom, your faith, your laws, your history, your identity -- indeed the very essence of your culture and your humanity.  Yet, through it all, you never lost that spirit.  (Applause.)  Your oppressors tried to break you, but Poland could not be broken.  (Applause.)  

"And when the day came on June 2nd, 1979, and one million Poles gathered around Victory Square for their very first mass with their Polish Pope, that day, every communist in Warsaw must have known that their oppressive system would soon come crashing down.  (Applause.)  They must have known it at the exact moment during Pope John Paul II’s sermon when a million Polish men, women, and children suddenly raised their voices in a single prayer.  A million Polish people did not ask for wealth.  They did not ask for privilege.  Instead, one million Poles sang three simple words:  “We Want God.”  (Applause.)

"In those words, the Polish people recalled the promise of a better future.  They found new courage to face down their oppressors, and they found the words to declare that Poland would be Poland once again.

"As I stand here today before this incredible crowd, this faithful nation, we can still hear those voices that echo through history.  Their message is as true today as ever.  The people of Poland, the people of America, and the people of Europe still cry out “We want God.”  (Applause.) 

"Together, with Pope John Paul II, the Poles reasserted their identity as a nation devoted to God.  And with that powerful declaration of who you are, you came to understand what to do and how to live.  You stood in solidarity against oppression, against a lawless secret police, against a cruel and wicked system that impoverished your cities and your souls.  And you won.  Poland prevailed.  Poland will always prevail. (Applause.)
"AUDIENCE:  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!  Donald Trump!  "

Our God is moving in the world to accomplish His purposes. And Our Father God has given us a man to lead us.

Isaiah 45:

The Lord says this to Cyrus, His anointed,
whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him,
to disarm[a] kings,
to open the doors before him
and the gates will not be shut:
2 “I will go before you
and level the uneven places;[b]
I will shatter the bronze doors
and cut the iron bars in two.
3 I will give you the treasures of darkness
and riches from secret places,
so that you may know that I, Yahweh,
the God of Israel call you by your name.
4 I call you by your name,
because of Jacob My servant
and Israel My chosen one.
I give a name to you,
though you do not know Me.
5 I am Yahweh, and there is no other;
there is no God but Me.
I will strengthen[c] you,
though you do not know Me,
6 so that all may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
that there is no one but Me.
I am Yahweh, and there is no other.
7 I form light and create darkness,
I make success and create disaster;
I, Yahweh, do all these things."

Our President Donald John Trump QOTD : Space Exploration

 "[S]pace exploration is not only essential to our character as a nation, but also our economy and our great nation’s security.  ...

"The human soul yearns for discovery.  By unlocking the mysteries of the universe, we unlock truths within ourselves.  That’s true.  Our journey into space will not only make us stronger and more prosperous, but will unite us behind grand ambitions and bring us all closer together.  ...

"... It is America’s destiny to be at the forefront of humanity’s eternal quest for knowledge and to be the leader amongst nations on our adventure into the great unknown. ..."


~ from Our President Donald John Trump's remarks on The National Space Council, June 30, 2017

Verse of the Day

Verse of the Day:

"So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known." Matthew 10:26

~ courtesy of Joe Dan Gorman, Intellectual Froglegs

Hold On. Stand Firm. Keep The Faith.

We didn't imagine the danger. It was - and still is - very real. But we are not helpless. That is where Carl Sagan was wrong.

Pragmatic Americans saw our nation slipping into darkness, slavery, and superstition, and took a stand for our God and our Country.

We all took peaceful action in a Hail Mary vote for a new "Cyrus". By the Grace of God, thanks to President Trump and ALL the DEPLORABLES, we finally have a chance to overcome the terrors that Sagan foresaw.

Now, remember what we are escaping from. Keep the faith. Stand firm.

All shall be well.

President Trump and The Deplorables: "Hope, and a Future"

President Donald John Trump is doing the Lord's work in bringing "Hope, and a Future" to ordinary Americans, and he laid out that vision last night in his first speech to the joint Houses of Congress.

President Trump laid out a concrete vision and showed us how to reach for it. By tagging America's 250th birthday - and by not calling it the "Semi-quincentennial - President Trump just gave a future to the descendants of our nation's founding people.

For a decade or more, struggling Americans have recited Jeremiah 29:11 and made it our by-word. We have written it on the walls of Food Banks, have spoken it over children's ministries, have memorized it and repeated it while trying to pay the bills:

 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

And our Father God heard the prayers of the ordinary people across the great, vast expanse of our nation, and sent us a new Cyrus to point the way back home. All the Deplorables whose life expectancy has been dropping, have reasons to live again.

President Trump told us we can speak again about our hopes for our children, and for ourselves, and our families, and communities - and assured us he will clear the path so that we can work with our own hands to bring our own dreams to life. Here are excerpts from his speech:

"Each American generation passes the torch of truth, liberty and justice –- in an unbroken chain all the way down to the present. ...

"The rebellion started as a quiet protest, spoken by families of all colors and creeds -– families who just wanted a fair shot for their children, and a fair hearing for their concerns.....

".. I am not going to let America and its great companies and workers, be taken advantage of anymore. ..

"The time has come for a new program of national rebuilding. ..  ... This effort will be guided by two core principles:  Buy American, and Hire American. ...

"Everything that is broken in our country can be fixed.  Every problem can be solved.  And every hurting family can find healing, and hope.

"Our citizens deserve this, and so much more –- so why not join forces to finally get it done?  

"Every American child should be able to grow up in a safe community, to attend a great school, and to have access to a high-paying job.

"My job is not to represent the world.  My job is to represent the United States of America.

"We want peace, wherever peace can be found.  America is friends today with former enemies.  Some of our closest allies, decades ago, fought on the opposite side of these World Wars.  This history should give us all faith in the possibilities for a better world.

"Hopefully, the 250th year for America will see a world that is more peaceful, more just and more free.

"On our 100th anniversary, in 1876, citizens from across our Nation came to Philadelphia to celebrate America’s centennial.  At that celebration, the country’s builders and artists and inventors showed off their creations. Alexander Graham Bell displayed his telephone for the first time. Remington unveiled the first typewriter.  An early attempt was made at electric light. Thomas Edison showed an automatic telegraph and an electric pen. 

"Imagine the wonders our country could know in America’s 250th year.

"Think of the marvels we can achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people. Cures to illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope. American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream. Millions lifted from welfare to work is not too much to expect. And streets where mothers are safe from fear — schools where children learn in peace — and jobs where Americans prosper and grow — are not too much to ask. ....

"We are one people, with one destiny.

"We all bleed the same blood.

"We all salute the same flag.

"And we are all made by the same God.

"And when we fulfill this vision; when we celebrate our 250 years of glorious freedom, we will look back on tonight as when this new chapter of American Greatness began.

"The time for small thinking is over.  The time for trivial fights is behind us.

"We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts.

"The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls.

"And the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action. ....

"Believe in yourselves.

"Believe in your future.

"And believe, once more, in America.

"Thank you, God bless you, and God Bless these United States."

 ~   ~     ~  

Thank you Father God for sending President Trump to lead us, and to give us a new vision. Americans, we have a new and blessed chance!  Isaiah 51:1  :

 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
    and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
    and to the quarry from which you were hewn;" 

Thank You and God Bless All The Deplorables!

Via Waka Waka Waka, a traditional poem in honor of our new President that reflects his Scottish heritage. Notes from the author:

"§ Domhnall, the Scottish form of the name Donald, is pronounced like “TONE-all”
§ Torquil was the royal progenitor of the MacLeods of Lewis, the outer hebridean island and birthplace of President Trump’s immigrant mother, Mary Anne MacLeod. "

"Come out for the Domhnall, ye brave men and proud,The scion of Torquil and best of MacLeod!With purpose and strength he came down from his towerTo snatch from a tyrant his ill-gotten power.Now the cry has gone up with a cheer from the crowd:“Come out for the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod!”

"When freedom is threatened by slavery’s chainsAnd voices are silenced as misery reigns,We’ll come out for a leader whose courage is trueWhose virtues are solid and long overdue.For, he’ll never forget us, we men of the crowdWho elected the Domhnall, the best of MacLeod! ...."

Be sure to go read the whole poem  --- OR LISTEN to the poem read in a Scots accent here:  http://classicalpoets.org/inaugural-poem-for-donald-j-trump/

A Prayer For This Time, And For President Donald John Trump's "First Hundred Days" In Office

Father God, please protect the "new Cyrus" you have sent us, and guard Donald John Trump, his family, all who voted for him, and everyone who supports him, from all enemies, foreign and domestic. Psalm 83:
"O God, do not remain silent;
do not turn a deaf ear,
do not stand aloof, O God.
2 See how your enemies growl,
how your foes rear their heads.
3 With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
4 “Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation,
so that Israel’s name is remembered no more.”
....
13 Make them like tumbleweed, my God,
like chaff before the wind.
14 As fire consumes the forest
or a flame sets the mountains ablaze,
15 so pursue them with your tempest
and terrify them with your storm.
16 Cover their faces with shame, Lord,
so that they will seek your name.
17 May they ever be ashamed and dismayed;
may they perish in disgrace.
18 Let them know that you, whose name is the Lord—
that you alone are the Most High over all the earth."

"Old Christmas": Merry Christmas to Our Christian Brother Vladmir Putin and All Orthodox Believers Worldwide

Today, January 7th, 2017, is the day known to many of our ancestors as "Old Christmas" from the date used under the Julian Calendar. Calendars need tweeking every so often to stay accurate, and Pope Gregory authorized a new calendar for use in the West in 1582. Thus, "Old Christmas". The Orthodox Churches, and various Protestants in Europe, including the Amish, retained use of the old calendar, esp for calculating Holy Days,

Russia's President Vladmir Putin is a devout Christian, and attended services:





May 2017 bring a new era of peace for all followers of Jesus Christ, and the spread of genuine faith in Our Lord to the ends of the earth.

2016 Was A Very Good Year, and IronBear Predicts "That 2017 Is Gonna Be Great!"

Iron Bear, over at Daily Pundit, has cataloged a few of the many blessings we saw in 2016 as a nation, in a list of nearly a hundred.  A few of my favorites:

1. Donald J. Trump won the 2016 Presidential Election with 306 Electoral College votes, becoming the 45th President of the United States of America.....
2. Hillary Rodham Clinton will never be President of the United States.

15. Trump’s Election proved that Polls can’t be trusted, and Pollsters no longer matter.

36. Historic vote for Brexit stuns Europe, dominates front pages.

50. The private company SpaceX successfully landed a rocket vertically on April 8 upon a floating autonomous drone ship.

60. Politico reports that Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill “are loath to say anything remotely critical” of President-elect Donald Trump or his agenda for fear of the coverage such actions will receive from Breitbart News and the possible reaction from voters. In other news, Voters celebrate unprecedented announcement that Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill are finally becoming aware that they have constituents to appease.

65. “Turning Texas Blue” turns out to be a Democrat pipe dream. Trump turns Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Florida Red instead.

69. Despite the best efforts of Global Warming enthusiasts, polar bears are thriving and stubbornly refusing to go extinct.

93. After fourteen girls and women were captured by Boko Haram, a massive raid in multiple villages resulted in over 800 hostages being rescued by the Nigerian Army.  ... no self indulgent celebrity Twitter selfies were included among the armaments used in the rescue.


Plus don't miss the comments~

The Alt-Righteous and the Waiting Time: A Christian Advent in the Year of Elections

This year in particular, we are in a curious holding pattern while we wait for President Trump's Inauguration. The Globalist Left is telling us daily about their plans to undo the legal election, trying to undermine our confidence, reacting like the abusers they are.   It is ESSENTIAL that we stand firm and be unyielding in our FAITH that God's purpose is unfolding toward His ends, whatever we may think we see or hear. In other words, don't let doubt enter in.  President Trump WON.  And as this great meme from The Last Refuge reminds us, Donald Trump stood up when the Lord God called. Can we do less than to stand firm?

 The entire force of all the media, Dems, & GOP that hated Trump before the election, now hate him and us even more, and are pulling out all stops to try to cause doubt and fear and to undermine our confidence in everyone on our side. They attempt to isolate each of us.

Remember: everything they say is a LIE. In their minds the election is not over - just like Gore's election was never over. Remember that and laugh at them every time they pedal their duplicitous mantra of fear and loathing.

President Trump WON. YOU won. God told us "Fear Not! The Lord Himself will fight for you. All you have to do is stand!" God did not raise up a new Cyrus to free his people to rebuild our land, in order to abandon us now.   Now, our work begins to accomplish the tasks God gives us.

Those tasks involve physical work, political work, social work, and spiritual work. During the "waiting time" that is Advent, we've  spiritual work to do to continue restoring our faith and the Christian faith in America.

Many of us fasted before and up to the election. Fasting, usually understood as going without food for a period of time or of forgoing particular foods for a period of time, is an old discipline that has been neglected in the modern Christian world. Not everyone is called to it, and a wise Christian woman once told me that we need God's help to fast, so not to worry if I weren't able to.  Here's a good article with the basics of fasting to get started (not endorsing the website, just this article). And here is an outline of guidelines for an Orthodox Advent fast.  From the latter, the Antiochan Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America, comes also this advice:

• *Fasting in itself is not a means of pleasing God. Fasting is not a punishment for our sins. Nor is fasting a means of suffering and pain to be undertaken as some kind of atonement. Christ already redeemed us on His Cross. Salvation is a gift from God that is not bought by our hunger or thirst.

• *We fast to be delivered from carnal passions so that God’s gift of Salvation may bear fruit in us.

• *We fast and turn our eyes toward God in His Holy Church. Fasting and prayer go together.

• *Fasting is not irrelevant. Fasting is not obsolete, and it is not something for someone else. Fasting is from God, for us, right here and right now.

For me, at 21 days it was the longest fast I have ever undertaken, and I was able to do it without telling anyone but Paul.  I allowed myself to drink anything I wanted, including milk and broth, and I had one small meal every second or third day (that is what enabled me to avoid telling others about my fast. I scheduled meals within gatherings) .  While not as rigid as some may have done. it helped me remain focused on the value of my quiet relationship with God in effecting His work.  For the three days leading up to the election, I did not eat, finally enjoying a meal only after the polls had closed on the West Coast. I have not yet come to see whether or how I should fast for Advent - and for the preservation of President Donald Trump's election and full inauguration.

The themes of King Cyrus continue to crop up. Today, a passage on the particular kind of fasting that our Father God approves of, starts by reminding us we as individuals must look after our own, and ends with a strong statement about rebuilding the ruins and restoring the walls. It also adds a pointed reminded about keeping the Sabbath - the day of rest every week:

6 “The kind of fasting I want is this: Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. 7 Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.

8 “Then my favor will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. 9 When you pray, I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond.

“If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; 10 if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. 11 And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry.

12 Your people will rebuild what has long been in ruins, building again on the old foundations. You will be known as the people who rebuilt the walls, who restored the ruined houses.”

The Reward for Keeping the Sabbath:

13 The Lord says, “If you treat the Sabbath as sacred and do not pursue your own interests on that day; if you value my holy day and honor it by not traveling, working, or talking idly on that day, 14 then you will find the joy that comes from serving me. I will make you honored all over the world, and you will enjoy the land I gave to your ancestor, Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken.”

                                                                                         Isaiah 58: 6-14 (Good News Version)

This does NOT mean we are supposed to "be nice". Nice does not equal Good.  We remove oppression when we speak the truth, even when it is not politically correct. We free the oppressed when we stand up against persecuting people for speaking out against Progressive and Globalist distortion. The forced "migration" is unjust to all concerned, criminal governments pushing people out of their homes and sending them into indentured servitude. We help the homeless, needy, and poor in our own communities, not by allowing Open Borders to push people from other lands out of their original homes to fulfill evil Elitist agendas of increasing "migrants" and "remittances" and "majority minority voters". We remove oppression when we build and maintain good boundaries and strong borders. When we allow people to earn a living in their own land, trading with their own neighbors.

Our pastor suggested before the election: What if the prayer and supplication of our little cowboy church really could affect the outcome of the election and could make a difference for all eternity?  What if my private actions and worship really do make a singular difference?

Whether or not we fast for Advent, or perhaps give something up, it can only help our cause to refocus our minds on taking a good look at ourselves and listen for the words God is speaking to us as direction for the coming months.  A new course of study, a simple daily meditation, some new discipline to focus our minds and our will toward whatever unknown we will be called to very soon.

As expectant families do, we pray for the safety and easy birth of our new government led by President Trump. We pray for the washing of that government, scrubbing it clean of corruption and guile, restoring to all positions mighty men and women of honor who will conduct their affairs in Godly ways.

We also pray for guidance and focus for our own roles in rebuilding our ruined cities, in reconstructing our walls, in looking after our own families and the *individuals* we see right in front of us, in our own towns in our own states, instead of continuing to follow the globalists orders to ignore our American family's pleas and look over their familiar heads toward more exotic or interesting strangers over the far horizon.  There are many who are called to serve those in foreign lands, and we pray for bold new proclamation of the Living Gospel to be the central purpose of their work, not some watered down globalist project that forbids the mention of Jesus' Name in the doing.

The work of Christians in this time is to be done, as it was of old, with Jesus Christ paramount. For as CS Lewis noted, " Jesus Christ did not say, ‘Go into all the world and tell the world that it is quite right.’ The Gospel is something completely different. In fact, it is directly opposed to the world."

Instead, the only true Commandment and single imperative that Jesus Christ gave us after his resurrection is to preach the Gospel to every creature :

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  Matthew 28:19