Revolution Or Martial Law

Pope Francis at Angelus: One can't dialogue with Satan

Print

2014-03-09 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) During his weekly Angelus address on Sunday, Pope Francis spoke about the day’s Gospel reading, which focused on the temptation of Jesus in the desert.
Satan, the Pope said, tried “to divert Jesus from the Father’s plan” by tempting Him “to take an easy path,” a path “of success and power.” Jesus definitively rejects these temptations, reaffirming His “firm intention to follow the path established by the Father, without any compromise with sin or with the logic of the world.” This commitment to follow the plan of the Father is realized in Jesus actions; “His absolute fidelity to the Father's plan of love will lead Him, after about three years, to the final confrontation with the “prince of this world” (Jn 16:11), in the hour of the Passion and of the Cross, and there Jesus will achieve His final victory, the victory of love!”
The Holy Father encouraged all of us to take the opportunity afforded by Lent to renew our Baptismal promises, renouncing Satan and his seductions, “in order to walk the paths of God and ‘to arrive at Easter in the joy of the Spirit.’”
Below, please find the complete text of Pope Francis remarks during the weekly Angelus:
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Good day!
The Gospel of the first Sunday of Lent each year presents the story of Jesus’ temptations , when the Holy Spirit, having descended upon Him after His baptism in the Jordan, urged Him to openly confront Satan in the wilderness for forty days, before beginning His public mission.
The tempter tries to divert Jesus from the Father's plan, that is, from the path of sacrifice, of love that offers itself in expiation; to make Him take an easy road, [a road] of success and power. The duel between Jesus and Satan is takes place with quotations from the Holy Scriptures. The devil, in fact, to divert Jesus from the way of the Cross, makes present to him the false messianic hopes: economic well-being, indicated by the ability to turn stones into bread; a spectacular and miraculous style, with the idea of casting Himself down from the highest point of the Temple of Jerusalem and being saved by angels; and finally the shortcut of power and domination, in exchange for an act of worship to Satan. There are three groups of temptations. We also know them well.
Jesus decisively rejects all these temptations and reaffirms [His] firm intention to follow the path established by the Father, without any compromise with sin or with the logic of the world. Note well how Jesus responds: He doesn’t dialogue with Satan, as Eve did in the terrestrial Paradise. Jesus knows well that one can’t dialogue with Satan, because he is so cunning. For this reason, instead of dialoguing, as Eve did, Jesus chooses to take refuge in the Word of God and to respond with the power of this Word. Let us remind ourselves of this in the moment of temptation, of our temptation: not arguing with Satan, but defending ourselves with the Word of God. And this will save us. In His responses to Satan, the Lord — using the Word of God — reminds us, first, that “one does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4; cf. Dt 8:3), and this gives us strength, sustains us in the fight against the worldly mentality that lowers human beings to the level of their basic needs, causing them to lose the hunger for what is true, good, and beautiful, the hunger for God and His love. He also recalls, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord, your God, to the test.’” ( v. 7) , because the road of faith also passes through darkness, doubt, and is nourished by patience and persevering expectation. Jesus notes, finally, that “it is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shall you worship and him alone shall you serve,’” that is, we must get rid of idols, of vanities, and build our lives on the essentials.
These words of Jesus will then find concrete responses in His actions. His absolute fidelity to the Father's plan of love will lead Him, after about three years, to the final confrontation with the “prince of this world” (Jn 16:11), in the hour of the Passion and of the Cross, and there Jesus will achieve His final victory, the victory of love!
Dear brothers and sisters, Lent is a favourable opportunity for all of us to make a journey of conversion, sincerely confronting ourselves with this page of the Gospel. We renew the promises of our Baptism: we renounce Satan and all his works and seductions — because he is a seducer, right? — in order to walk the paths of God and “to arrive at Easter in the joy of the Holy Spirit” (cf. Collect of the First Sunday of Lent, Year A).
Greetings after the Angelus:
I extend a cordial greeting to the faithful of Rome and to all pilgrims!
I greet the parish groups from Biella and Vercelli, from Laura di Paestum, San Marzano, Aosta, Latina, Avellino and Pachino.
[In Spanish] I greet the Colegio “Santa María” of Elche, Spain.
A special thought goes to the young people of Rosolina who next Sunday will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation; and to those from Tuscany who are in Rome making the “promise” to follow Jesus; and those from Paderno Dugnano, Seregno, Bellaria, and Curno. I also greet the parents and children Cabiate.
During this Lenten season, we keep in mind the invitation of Caritas International in its campaign against world hunger. It is my for all that the Lenten journey which has just begun will be rich in fruit; and I ask you to remember me and my collaborators in the Roman Curia in your prayers, as we start the week of Spiritual Exercises this evening. Thank you!
Have a good Sunday and a good lunch. Arrivederci!

Black Caucus Wants Issa Removed As Oversight Chairman

Black Caucus Wants Issa Removed As Oversight Chairman

Home  »  IRS Scandal  »  Black Caucus Wants Issa Removed As Oversight Chairman

Mar 7, 2014 No Comments ›› Infidel Alie
Excerpted from PJ TATLER: The Congressional Black Caucus has asked House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to remove Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee after Wednesday’s IRS hearing at which Issa cut off the microphone of Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.).
Caucus chairwoman Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) also called on Boehner to make Issa publicly apologize to Cummings. Issa called Cummings on Thursday night to privately apologize.
Issa ordered that the microphones be turned off after pressing former IRS official Lois Lerner, who took the Fifth, to answer questions. Cummings wanted to deliver a statement, but Issa refused, saying the hearing was adjourned. “I am a member of the Congress of the United States of America,” Cummings said. “I am tired of this. You cannot conduct a one-sided investigation.”
“Congressman Darrell Issa of California abused his authority and therefore must be reprimanded to ensure the dignity of the House of Representatives is preserved,” Fudge wrote. “On behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus and the people we represent, I urge you to take immediate action to address the recent deplorable conduct of Oversight & Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa.”
Fudge said the CBC wants Boehner to “take immediate action to address the recent deplorable conduct” of Issa.
“Under the applicable Rules of the House, we strongly encourage you to take disciplinary action against Mr. Issa and force him to present himself before the American people on the House floor with an apology,” she wrote. “Under Rule 9, questions of the privileges of the House are those that affect its rights collectively, its dignity and the integrity of its proceedings. Additionally, according to Rule 23, a member of the House shall behave at all times in a manner that reflects creditably on the House, and shall adhere to the spirit and letter of said Rules, including those established by committees.”
Keep Reading

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Back to Articles

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Creflo A. Dollar

As the time for Jesus’ return to the earth draws near, Believers everywhere must prepare themselves spiritually for the increase in turbulent times. One glance at the newspaper headlines and you will quickly learn that we are truly living in the Last Days. Sin and perversion are reaching a level not seen before and the rate and intensity of natural disasters occurring all over the globe is a clear sign that we are in the end times. For those living without the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives, this is a time of fear, distress and disaster. However, the Christian who is grounded in the knowledge of God’s love, and his or her covenant, has nothing to fear.

With disaster breaking out all around us, it is easy to be tempted to get into fear and worry. But when the enemy tries to attack you with his thought injections, take solace in the Word of God. As you read the Scriptures, picture Jesus talking directly to you, and hold on to His words because they will provide the strength and faith you need.

We really should not be surprised at the horrendous events that are occurring in the world today; Jesus predicted them long ago. In Matthew 24:3-8, He foretells the signs of the end of the age:

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Every one of the things Jesus mentioned in this scripture is currently taking place, and with the greatest intensity seen by mankind. But in the midst of the turmoil that rages in the earth during this time that Jesus prophesies, He says that we are to not be troubled. These events are signals of the beginning of even greater sorrows and disaster.

The good news is that Believers have nothing to be afraid of. As a child of God, when you walk in the love of God and obey the Lord at every turn, you remain in His circle of protection. Psalm 91 says that when you dwell in the secret place of the Most High, you will remain stable in Him and no enemy can come against you and succeed (verse 1). In addition, God promises to give His angels charge over you to protect you and defend you in all your ways of obedience and service (verse 11). Angelic provision is your covenant right and when you are serving and obeying God and trusting and believing in God’s power to keep you safe in the midst of danger, your safety is ensured.

Now is the time to get in the Word like never before and shut out the words of the enemy. Now is the time to confess the Scriptures continually. Take communion over your family and loved ones. Declare the promises of God boldly and know that all of heaven will back you up when you speak the Word of God in faith.

While it is important that you are aware of current events, don’t feed your spirit with reports of fear and death. The world’s system is running scared because they don’t know God and you have no business running out there with them. Your hope is in God through Jesus! Instead, feed on the Word of God and let it build your spirit up so that not a trace of fear can be found in your spiritual system. Walk in love, obey God and trust Him to take care of you. These are the keys to successful end-time living.

God is getting ready to pour out His glory on those who would dare to believe and receive from Him. While it is getting darker in the world, the body of Christ will be the light that shines in darkness. When you are tempted to be afraid, just take Jesus’ advice and let not your heart be troubled.

How Mumia Abu-Jamal doomed Debo Adegbile in the Senate

It took just hours for the attacks to begin.

AP FILE PHOTO

Following a morning vote on President Obama's nominee to head the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, vulnerable Democrats who voted for Debo Adegbile's confirmation were already in the line of fire.
The New Hampshire GOP blasted out a statement this afternoon declaring: "SHAHEEN VOTES FOR RADICAL OBAMA NOMINEE WHO DEFENDED UNREPENTANT COP KILLER." The North Carolina Republican party issued a statement saying: "Kay Hagan Votes For Extremist DOJ Nominee Who Helped Get A Convicted Cop Killer Off The Hook."
The Adegbile vote failed 52-47 with seven Democrats plus Majority Leader Harry Reid (he voted "no" for procedural reason) opposing the nomination. It's the latest political incarnation of the long legacy of Mumia Abu-Jamal -- a journalist and former Black Panther who has become as internationally-recognized cause celebre in the 31 years since he was convicted of the murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.
Republican lawmakers seized on the fact that Adegbile, while working for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, had participated in the preparation of a legal brief filed on Abu-Jamal's behalf in order to woo several Democrats in GOP-leaning states into voting against his confirmation.
The vote exposed a rift in the Democratic caucus, in which the Democratic leadership was unable to deliver the votes to confirm an Obama appointment -- despite having pushed through a rule change last year that lowered the number of votes needed for such confirmations.
The nomination angered some Democrats, who noted that the vote placed vulnerable Democratic Senators in the middle of the decades-long tug-of-war over control of Abu-Jamal's legacy between the law enforcement community and civil rights groups. That consternation only grew after the nomination failed, meaning some vulnerable Democrats had walked a political plank for not much.
Initially sentenced to death, Abu-Jamal eventually got that penalty reduced to life in prison and has continued to insist upon his innocence --branding himself as a political prisoner. He's written books and granted interviews from his prison cell, and his fight to be released has earned the support of countless celebrities, civil rights activists, and groups that focus on racial disparities in the justice system. A suburb of Paris even named a street after him.
But while his plight has been lionized by some, Abu-Jamal remains a political lightning rod and object of scorn in the law enforcement community; the Fraternal Order of Police vocally opposed Adegbile's nomination.
Abu-Jamal has been a political football before. In 2009, Van Jones' support for a new trial for Abu-Jamal was one of the things Republicans seized on while pushing for his ouster from the White House. In 2012, the National Republican Congressional Committee launched a series of robocalls against Pennsylvania congressional candidate Kathy Boockvar -- who was challenging GOP Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick for Pennsylvania's eighth district seat -- that the committee claimed "exposed her ties to convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal. The calls focused on the fact that Boockvar's husband had previously served as an attorney for Abu-Jamal's literary agent -- who faced charges after being arrested while protesting the conviction.
Democrats representing red states and up for reelection in 2014 were stuck in the miserable position of choosing between defecting from their caucus by opposing an Obama nominee or voting for Adegbile and facing the potential that they would face campaign ads that alleged they supported someone who defended a cop-killer hit the airwaves. In the words of one Democratic aide: "It's a 30-second ad that writes itself."
Added Linn Washington, a Philadelphia journalist who has covered the case for three decades: "Mumia Abu-Jamal remains a convenient bogey man. It is perhaps the most well known murder case in the United States... the Republicans are going to continue to try to prove guilt by association for anyone who they can link to him. At this point, it's pattern and practice."

Wesley Lowery covers Capitol Hill for The Fix and Post Politics. Prior to joining the Washington Post in February 2014, he worked as a breaking news and local politics reporter for the Boston Globe, and has also reported for the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. Follow him on Twitter @WesleyLowery.

Obama Nominee For Surgeon General Says Banning Guns Is Part Of Medicine

AP

Obama Nominee For Surgeon General Says Banning Guns Is Part Of Medicine

• Facebook
• Twitter
•   Share
•   Email

(Liberty Unyielding)
After being burned by his nomination of Debo Adegbile to head up the civil rights division at the Department of Justice, President Obama has jumped right back into the fray with another radical nominee, this time for Surgeon General.
But what makes Vivek Hallegere Murthy such a controversial choice for the post is not what you might expect. It’s not that he is a champion of late-term abortions (though he probably is) or believes in fully government-subsidized sex reassignment surgeries (though he probably does).
The problem with Murthy, rather, is his position on guns.

Malaysia launches terror probe over missing plane, debris reportedly spotted

Published time: March 09, 2014 14:44
Edited time: March 09, 2014 23:45

Get short URL

Passengers queue up for customs checks at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang March 9, 2014 (Reuters / Edgar Su)

Tags
Accident, Asia, Planes, Terrorism, Transport

Malaysia has launched a terror probe into the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines passenger plane which vanished from radars en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing while carrying 239 people on Saturday. Debris from the jet has reportedly been spotted.
The massive search operation for the Boeing 777, which has been ongoing for about two days, might have brought forth its first results, with possible debris from the aircraft reportedly found in the sea off the coast of south Vietnam.
“We received information from a Vietnamese plane saying that they found two broken objects, which seem like those of an aircraft, located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the south-west of Tho Chu Island,” an unnamed official from the National Committee for Search and Rescue told AFP. “As it is night they cannot fish them out for proper identification. They have located the position of the areas and flown back to the land.”

#MH370 Vietnam search and rescue aircraft spotted new floating object. Authorities are not sure what it is. pic.twitter.com/m0peec6DVm
— Vu Trong Khanh (@TrongKhanhVu) March 9, 2014

These objects are believed to be a piece of the jetliner’s tail and part of its inner door, The Wall Street Journal reported.
But, a US team involved in the search operation in the South China Sea refuted reports that the debris found belonged to the missing plane, Vietnam’s Tuoi Tre news reported.
According to the US embassy representative in Hanoi, Jacky Ly Thang, the American team carried out an investigation and concluded that the object found 100 kilometers southwest of the Vietnamese island of Tho Chu has no connection to the missing aircraft.
So far there has been no official confirmation from Malaysian authorities that the debris is connected to flight MH370, which lost touch with Subang Air Traffic Control around 02:40 local time on Saturday morning. The plane was carrying 227 passengers, including two infants, and 12 crew members.

At this point, no further developments regarding MH370 has been confirmed. We are waiting for new updates from DCA on the SAR efforts.
— Malaysia Airlines (@MAS) March 9, 2014

Officials investigating the mysterious disappearance of the aircraft are considering the possibility of the airliner’s mid-air disintegration, a source involved in the investigations told Reuters.
“The fact that we are unable to find any debris so far appears to indicate that the aircraft is likely to have disintegrated at around 35,000 feet,” said the source on condition of anonymity. If the aircraft had plunged intact from such a height, breaking up only upon impact with the water, search teams would have expected to find a fairly concentrated pattern of debris, the source added.
Earlier Sunday, China sent two more navy ships to join the search, China Central Television reported. The US was also reported to have dispatched additional aircraft.

#USNavy SH-60R Seahawk departs to aid in the search efforts of the missing airliner. #MH370 #MalaysiaAirlines pic.twitter.com/7VSNi8xLSi
— 7th Fleet (@US7thFleet) March 9, 2014

Adding more mystery to the story, the family of one of the passengers aboard the missing plane successfully rang the person's cell phone, but nobody answered, Mirror Online reported.
The relatives asked Malaysia Airlines to use satellite technologies and intercept the phone signal before its battery is run down.

Malaysia launches terror probe

Malaysian authorities have launched a terror probe into the disappearance of the passenger plane. They were checking CCTV footage at the airport and investigating the identities of four passengers, at least two of whom boarded the flight using stolen passports.
The country’s Prime Minister Najib Razak said that airport security procedures were being reviewed.
“We will enhance them if necessary, because we still do not know the cause of the incident,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.
Meanwhile, Interpol is “examining additional suspect passports.”
The agency confirmed on Sunday that at least two passports – an Austrian and Italian – recorded in its database were used by passengers on board the missing flight. Both passports were stolen in Thailand in 2012 and 2013 respectively, the agency said in a statement.
No checks of the stolen passports were made by any country between the time they were entered into Interpol’s database and the departure of flight MH 370, according to Interpol. Therefore, Interpol said it is currently unable to determine how many times the passports have been used to board flights or cross borders.
“Whilst it is too soon to speculate about any connection between these stolen passports and the missing plane, it is clearly of great concern that any passenger was able to board an international flight using a stolen passport listed in Interpol's databases,” said Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble.
Interpol also criticized loose security measures at international airports.
“For years Interpol has asked why should countries wait for a tragedy to put prudent security measures in place at borders and boarding gates,” said Noble. “Now, we have a real case where the world is speculating whether the stolen passport holders were terrorists,” the agency said, adding that it would like to know why “only a handful of countries worldwide are taking care to make sure that persons possessing stolen passports are not boarding international flights.”