Crosstalk America from VCY America

Andy Ferrier is a Representative of the Midwest Messianic Center. Andy is burdened with reaching Jewish people with the good news that Jesus -Yeshua- is the Jewish Messiah.--An anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment is exploding on university campuses across the country especially in the bluest of cities. There are those calling for another -October 7th- on every day of the year. There are those calling for the Intifada, which is wiping Israel off the face of the earth. University campuses have been the breeding grounds for anti-Jewish hatred.--Just earlier today, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement condemning the anti-Semitic protests saying it was reminiscent of 1930's Germany.--This hatred of Jewish people is growing during this week of Passover. Not only is there trouble at home, but Hezbollah attacked Israel during the Passover holiday. This program discusses the antisemitism taking place, and gives information and understanding about Passover itself.

Robert J. Morgan is the Leader of Robert J. Morgan Ministries, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to energize God's people with a greater understanding and appreciation of the Bible and Christian heritage. He served in pastoral ministry for over 40 years.--Do you struggle in your faith as you observe a world that is falling apart-- Each day do you wake up wondering what is going to happen next and will you be able to survive-- We observe a political system that has run amok with more of our freedoms being taken while -the system- gains control. There is unrest in the world and we wonder when or where the next military action will take place. We see problems in our healthcare system with escalating rates, longer wait times and denial of care. Our education system is doing more brainwashing than educating. Uprisings are taking place on university campuses. Inflation is off the charts and we wonder what the next grocery item will be that we can no longer afford. There is a growing animosity toward Christianity and a greater intolerance of Christian values and beliefs. Are these things rocking your boat----The early Christian church in Philippi was distressed over the terrible things that had happened to the apostle Paul such as his imprisonment in Caesarea, his shipwreck on Malta, and his looming trial in Rome. Would Paul ever see freedom again-- And yet while Paul was imprisoned, the church provided him with both personal support and financial support. Paul being filled with gratitude sent an inspiring letter which we know as the book of Philippians. It's a book that helps us stay strong in our faith as the world falls apart.

Don Feder is a writer, researcher and columnist. He is a graduate of the Boston University College of Liberal Arts and the Boston University Law School. He was admitted to the practice of law in New York and Massachusetts. He was a Boston Herald editorial writer and syndicated columnist for 19 years. Since November of 2021, he has been a staff writer for the Washington Times. He has been a communications consultant, writer and conference organizer for various pro-life and pro-family NGO's. He is the recipient of numerous awards.--In Genesis 1 we see the handiwork of God in creation. He created man in his own image. He created male and female. In Genesis 1-28 it says, -And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it- and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.- We see Adam and Eve having Abel, then Cain, and then Seth. In Genesis 5-4 we read that Adam and Eve begat sons and daughters. This carried on person after person. You can read the genealogy in Genesis 5.--However, there is a growing problem. It's not that we have too great a population, but rather that worldwide fertility is declining. It's being reported that every industrialized nation today has fertility rates under replacement levels. Our guest today has indicated that we are heading for a demographic train wreck, which he is terming a -demographic winter.- Demographers and governments know about it, but no one can figure out what to do about it.

Once again there was no shortage of news stories to review as Jim provided the following for listeners along the network-----Israel's IDF carried out an aerial attack within Iran in response to the barrage of missiles and UAV's launched toward Israel by Iran last Saturday evening.----Senator Ted Cruz slammed President Joe Biden this week for Iran's unprecedented attack on Israel saying the Biden administration paid for the missiles and drones that Iran used.----President Biden's administration announced a new round of sanctions intended to punish key figures in Iran's drone program after those system were used to strike Israel on April 13th.----A band of more than a dozen House lawmakers voted against a resolution condemning Iran for its drone and missile attack against Israel over the weekend. ----The U.S. blocked Palestine's latest effort to become a full member of the U.N. on Thursday, using its veto power during a meeting of the United Nations Security Council. ----Days after the Biden administration gave its blessing to a newly formed Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank, the P.A. handed out dozens of bonus payments for security forces involved in the attacks on Israel.----About 100 protesters that took part in pro-Palestinian occupation camp on a Columbia University lawn were cuffed and hauled away by police in riot gear. ----Hundreds of Jew haters armed with torches marched on the campus of Columbia University.----Dozens of Google employees at the company's headquarters in California and New York held protests against company management after they signed a 1.1 billion dollar deal with the Israeli government.

David Rubin is former mayor of Shiloh Israel as well as the author of seven books including, Confronting Radicals- What America Can Learn from Israel. He's the founder and president of Shiloh Israel Children's Fund, established after he and his then three-year-old son were wounded in a terror attack. His websites are DavidRubinIsrael.com and IsraelChildren.org. He is in the region of Judea and Samaria.--David began by describing how he reacted upon hearing that Iran had sent missiles toward Israel. Fortunately, 99- of the missiles were picked off by air defenses. One child was wounded badly and there was some property damage.--He commented on President Biden who has warned Israel not to retaliate against Iran in a big way. However, David pointed out the reality that Israel is currently fighting a war on five fronts- Lebanon where the Hezbollah terrorist organization is located, Judea and Samaria -West Bank-, Gaza, and the south where Iran has been supporting the Houthis. Iran is the fifth front, a nation that is on the nuclear threshold. In the end, he says there will be a response by Israel, and it will be -pretty soon.- --Is the Biden administration trying to play both ends in the Israel-Iran dilemma-- How large is Iran's arsenal and what is the status of their nuclear program-- Is the attack by Iran giving Hamas time to regroup-- How does David view the anti-Israel protests on college campuses and in leftist cities-- These and other questions are answered on this edition of Crosstalk.

Shahram Hadian is a former Muslim from Iran who came to the states in 1978 and committed his life to Jesus Christ. He has served as a pastor, a police officer, and a former candidate for Governor in Washington State.--Some people today are conflicted when it comes to the issue of what authority we must give our allegiance-submission to in various situations. Some believe we must obey the government no matter what, while others take exception to that position.--So what does the Bible say-- Romans 13-1-7 lays out what our responsibility is to be to the governing authorities. However, Shahram believes there are some who have misused this passage to justify false obedience to the government, especially if the government is in violation of God's Word.--The foundation for his reasoning comes from his explanation of Romans 13-1. He noted that modern translations use the phrase, -governing authorities- while the King James Version says, -Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.- He explained that the phrase, -higher powers- comes from an original Greek term -hyperecho- that refers to the highest authority. From this he contends that since government isn't the highest authority, that portion of the text must be referring to God.--Shahram then moved on to explain what he referred to as the four rulers or magistrates and the program wrapped up with input from listeners nationwide.

Our present society has been compared to a Romans 1 society. Jim read verses 18-28 and if you do the same, you'll see how this parallels America today. It's especially pertinent as we see the LGBTQ- movement proliferating among us. Is this rebellion against God's design for mankind actually a judgment from God----To help answer that question and update listeners on how this movement continues to affect Christians, Crosstalk welcomed the return of Peter LaBarbera. Peter is founder and president of Americans for Truth. He's a former reporter for the Washington Times and LifeSiteNews.com and a former contributing editor for Human Events.--Here's the list of stories that Jim had Peter comment on during the first quarter hour of the broadcast---Males who are gender confused are no longer allowed to compete in women's NAIA sports competition. The vote was 20-0 and impacts about 83,000 athletes in universities around the U.S.--Idaho had placed a ban on so-called gender affirming care for adolescents. A lawsuit was filed against this. The court placed a hold on the ban and yesterday the Supreme Court lifted the ban while the case is pending.--The Kansas legislature passed the -Forbidding Abusive Child Transitions Act- that would protect minors from the harmful effects of the transitioning procedure. Governor Laura Kelly vetoed this legislation but the senate has the ability to override the veto.--Pro-lifers in Michigan have condemned Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer for signing into law a pro-LGBT bill that allows women to be compensated for renting their wombs to people who are looking to obtain a child through surrogacy.

Mat Staver is founder - chairman of Liberty Counsel. Mat is a constitutional attorney with three landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He's an author and the host of the radio broadcasts Faith - Freedom and Freedom's Call.--The new World Health Organization -WHO- pandemic treaty has been unveiled. The intergovernmental negotiating body of the WHO has been meeting and refining the pandemic treaty in preparation for the 77th World Health Assembly which takes place May 27th through June 1st in Geneva, Switzerland.--Multiple planning meetings have been underway since the last world health assembly and in recent weeks the World Health Organization released their revised draft of this pandemic agreement.--The Biden administration doesn't refer to this agreement as a treaty, merely an agreement or an accord. Mat contends that it is, in fact, a treaty. Remember, a treaty must be affirmed-ratified by a two-thirds majority vote in the U.S. Senate. Mat believes they won't get that kind of vote, especially when it jeopardizes U.S. sovereignty. The result is that there's an attempt to re-categorize this as a pandemic agreement so that there's no need for a two-thirds vote.--In addition to the pandemic treaty-agreement there's also 300- amendments to the existing international health regulations of the WHO. Mat believes those are just as bad and the Biden administration is pushing to sign on to those amendments as well as the pandemic agreement next month.--Can President Biden do this unilaterally-- Will it be legally binding and if so, what will this mean for American sovereignty-- Find out more, and also hear what was said concerning Iran's attack on Israel.

Today Dalton Windsor did us the honor of sharing several news stories. Here is a sampling of the various topics---- Federal law enforcement officials are concerned that the U.S. will come under attack much like Israel has-- Dearborn MI- Protestors shout 'death to America' and 'death to Israel' in addition to 'America is the most rotten country on the earth'-- FBI arrests 18 year old in Idaho after uncovering a truly horrific and violent plot to attack churches on behalf of Isis-- Milwaukee WI school receives second bomb threat in 5 days-- Watertown WI police respond to threat on local church-- Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu will invade Rafah despite international objections, one of which is from President Biden-- Three sons of Hamas leader killed in air strike in Gaza-- Hungary has condemned plans for NATO military alliance mission in Ukraine-- Christians in Ukraine face torture and destruction of churches at the hands of Russia-- Biden Administration still hasn't set a trial date for the man who planned to kill Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh-- Clinton Administration had 9 opportunities to take out Osama bin Laden

Many people are in distress as they see America as a nation in decline. However, if you could go back to the early 20th century, Germany didn't look like a nation that was on the brink of world-shaking terror. It looked like many of us have known the U.S. to be.--The guest on this edition of Crosstalk wrote a book in 2010 and it's as relevant today, perhaps even more so, than it was then. It warns us of a nation and its future that none of us wants to see. So what can we do in times like these-- --Joining Jim to answer that question was Dr. Erwin Lutzer. Dr. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church where he served as the senior pastor for 36 years. He is the speaker on three radio programs that are heard on more than 750 outlets.--Is America currently experiencing a political problem or a spiritual one-- Dr. Lutzer believes it's both. He contends that there are problems that Washington cannot solve, yet in spite of that, he still believes that politics is very important. After all, as he noted, -Would you rather live in North Korea or South Korea--- On the other hand, for those of us as Christians, politics, as important as it is, is not supremely important. What's supremely important is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. --Dr. Lutzer brought up numerous critical points. The first concerned laws. He noted that if you don't have transcendent values when you make your laws, you have Hitler's laws.--Another critical point concerned propaganda. He indicated that it's very powerful and it's used on both sides of the aisle. The result is that there are cultural streams that few people are willing to stand against.

Mat Staver is founder - chairman of Liberty Counsel. Mat is a constitutional attorney with three landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is an author and the host of the radio broadcasts Faith - Freedom and Freedom's Call.--Since the Dobbs decision was released that overturned Roe v. Wade, a battle has been underway in many states in the matter of either protecting human life or targeting it. --One of the more ironic happenings in this battle occurred in the state of Florida. On April 1, on the same day and by the same court, two different decisions came about. One affirmed no right to abortion in the Florida constitution, taking Florida from being the most liberal state on abortion to being the most pro-life state. However, within moments of that decision, the same court released a 4-3 decision that allows a Planned Parenthood-ACLU-backed abortion amendment to move forward and possibly be placed on the ballot in November. If it gets on the ballot and passes, it would undo that previous life affirming decision and make Florida more liberal than it's ever been concerning abortion. --Jim also had Mat comment on other states that will have abortion on the ballot in November. Listeners wrapped up the program with their comments.

Increasingly, energy is being used as a weapon against the American people. Some are being denied the use of energy or there are curbs, penalties or denials on the use of energy. Couple this with the attack on personal property rights and you can see that we have a government that is overreaching and simply out of control. --Returning to Crosstalk to discuss the weaponization of energy and property rights was Tom DeWeese. Tom is president of American Policy Center.--Tom began by noting that when you don't have your own property to stand on, how do you declare your independence, such as your freedom of speech. More and more property is becoming government property where they dictate to you what you're going to say and if you violate that you're in big trouble. Don't believe that-- Tom said he's asking people around the nation to go to one of their city council meetings and ask the following question- What can I do on my property without your permission-- --Tom went on to describe a situation in Pataskala, Ohio, where the Chinese are moving in to build a -monster- solar panel assembly plant. He believes the lead company in the project is merely a -shell- designed to get around U.S. regulations that would otherwise prevent a foreign company from owning property. Local activists that are trying to fight back are up against a mayor and city council that are seeing dollar signs. Hence, those that are fighting back are being referred to as -radicals- to be ignored.

Dr. Jimmy DeYoung, Jr. is speaker, teacher, Mideast guide, videographer and speaker on Prophecy Today. He lived and worked in Jerusalem for many years before returning to the U.S. for continued ministry. He's a fully credentialed journalist and has led numerous tours to Israel. He is one of the speakers on Prophecy Today.--6 months ago yesterday, Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel. More Israeli's were killed on October 7th, 2023, than at any time since Israel became a nation. --Dr. DeYoung noted that the Biden administration is definitely making its presence felt in the decision making process concerning what to do next. He believes the Israeli people are in it for the long haul. That means finishing the job at hand. President Netanyahu and the war cabinet have pulled a key division out of southern Gaza to re-arm in order to do just that and finish the next stage of the battle which is in Rafah. In addition, Dr. DeYoung believes the step after that would be to wipe out Iran.--He also indicated that 600 plus Israeli soldiers have been killed, 97 hostages are still alive and 36 bodies are being held by Hamas. --Complicating matters is Iran as Israel has killed one of their generals and Iran has yet to retaliate.--This is a subject with a lot of variables and Dr. DeYoung attempts to touch on all of them on this important edition of Crosstalk.

Dalton was at the helm this week, bringing news headlines of importance to Christians worldwide. Stories included- ----Earlier today, New Jersey and New York suffered a 4.8 magnitude earthquake.----A 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Taiwan resulted in collapsed buildings, landslides and at least 9 deaths.----According to a Wall Street Journal poll, President Joe Biden is trailing Donald Trump in nearly all battleground states that helped decide the 2020 election regardless of whether 3rd party candidates are factored in.----President Biden finalized new civil service protections that are aimed at preventing the sort of bureaucratic house cleaning that former President Donald Trump plans should he win re-election.----A new poll indicates that over two-thirds of Americans disapprove of President Joe Biden's handling of the southern border.----Hundreds of thousands of immigrants have flown in to Texas and Florida as part of expanded immigration parole procedures. ----Illegal immigrant deported 7 times arrested for murder in Butler County, Ohio.----Peter Doocy of Fox News presses the White House on release of migrants who allegedly beat Texas National Guardsman.----An alleged smuggler was arrested in Kentucky charged with bringing minors across the border and producing child pornography.----A federal judge ordered the U.S. government to expeditiously house migrant children who illegally enter the U.S. instead of allowing them to remain in open-air locations along the border.----Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law permitting immediate removal of squatters.----President Joe Biden is funding border security in foreign nations.

Dr. Tommy Ice is the director of the Pre-Trib Research Center which he co-founded in 1994 with Dr. Tim LaHaye. He has authored or co-authored over 30 books, written hundreds of articles and is a frequent conference speaker. He's also served as a pastor for 17 years. He appeared on Crosstalk to discuss his book, 'The Case for Zionism- Why Christians Should Support Israel'.--According to Dr. Ice, Zionism involves people, including Christians, who believe that God has given Israel the land of Israel.--There are Christian anti-Zionists. This goes back to the 2nd century of the early church when people began to say that the church was the new Israel. That developed into the belief that the church has replaced Israel -Replacement Theology or Supersessionism-. This has been the majority view down through church history especially within the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches.--Dr. Ice disagrees with Replacement Theology. He noted that there are 3 chapters in Romans where Paul says that God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Paul then goes on to note that their hardness is temporary and that sometime in the future all Israel will be saved. For Dr. Ice, that means every Jew that's alive toward the end of the tribulation will become a believer.--Dr. Ice's book teaches that the world has witnessed -in the last few years- the greatest increase of anti-Semitism since WWII. Dr. Ice believes this to be especially true when you factor in the Islamic world. Up to about 70 years ago when Israel became a nation, anti-Semitism involved hatred toward Jewish people. Today that includes hating the nation of Israel and Zionism.

The numbers of children dealing with gender dysphoria is off the charts. The result-- A recent report out of the UK indicated over one-third of children on puberty blockers were experiencing worsened mental health. LifeSiteNews.com has reported on disturbing new data from the Canadian Institute for Health showing hundreds of minor girls from Canada have had their breasts removed in the past 5 years under the guise of treatment for gender confusion. The Washington Free Beacon reported that Planned Parenthood is helping teenagers transition after nothing more than a 30 minute consult, doling out prescriptions for estrogen and testosterone, including to special needs children.--In response, the American College of Pediatricians has launched a new biological integrity initiative with the goal of exposing the dangers of transgender procedures on children. --With more on this issue, Jim welcomed Dr. Jill Simons. Dr. Simons is executive director of the American College of Pediatricians. She is a Board-Certified Pediatrician and is in private practice in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and also a professional staff member of Children's Minnesota and Mercy Hospital.--What is gender dysphoria-- Dr. Simons noted this is a -catch all- phrase that refers to a person that is uncomfortable being the sex that they are. She believes social media is contributing to this problem, but the underlying problem for those suffering from gender dysphoria is mental health. Specifically, this can include anxiety, depression, poor self-esteem, abuse, or they may suffer from autism. In short, they're looking for answers as to why they feel the way they do.

With each passing day you can't help but wonder, what's next-- The things happening in America are happening so quickly. For example, just a few years ago we had the most secure borders ever and we were energy independent. Evidence indicates that America is more divided than ever and from the highest office in the land, Resurrection Sunday was hijacked by a transgender day of visibility.--So as you look at our nation from these facets as well as others, it's clear that America is -falling apart at the seams.- --Returning to Crosstalk to explain why was Alex Newman. Alex is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He is senior editor for The New American.--Alex began his analysis by describing his prognosis for the future of America. He believes that when you look at the situation objectively and honestly, we're a nation that is on the verge of collapse and that we're seeing the judgment of God due to wickedness that unfortunately pervades much of society. That is coupled with blatant rebellion that will only bring more judgment to our land. --Our national debt situation topped the list of areas of concern. Jim indicated that the U.S. debt stands at 34.6 trillion dollars. That doesn't include what's been raided from Social Security and other funds. Alex responded by indicating that we're on the verge of -economic catastrophe.- We have over 200 trillion in unfunded liabilities. That's about ten times the size of the national economy and what we produce in a year and there's no way that this figure could ever be paid off. Alex believes that this alone means certain economic doom.

Gene Sharp is a radio planting missionary serving with IBM -Independent Baptist Media- to carry the Gospel around the earth through technology.--It all began from humble beginnings when starting a Christian radio station in Ohio in 1997. So join Gene as he presents his testimonial timeline describing the effect of lives that continue to be impacted by the Gospel via Christian radio around the world. Station locations he discussed included Paupa New Guinea, the Catholic-heavy Philippines, Uganda and even the Islamic stronghold of Iraq---Also included was discussion concerning video recording studios in Brazil, Egypt and India, as IBM provides assistance to local churches and missionaries not just with radio stations, but in the areas of audio, video and graphics.--Listeners wrapped up the program with their comments.

Those of us that follow Jesus and his teachings know that he has a message that must continue to go out. Souls are depending on it whether they know it or not. That's why Trail Ridge Camp in Hillsboro, Wisconsin, exists- to share the good news of Jesus Christ and what he did for sinners. --Last year, Trail Ridge Camp hosted their father-son retreat, which included hearing challenges from God's Word. This included the closing message just after the breakfast fellowship featuring Dr. Dean Taylor. Dean was once a youth pastor, a senior pastor and now a professor at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary in Iowa. He shared a message that looked at the following 5 points- - -God has a plan.-People have personal responsibility.-Sin has a price.-Jesus has great love.-You and I have a choice regarding what we see at Calvary.--This last point is of great importance. When you look at Calvary, you have a choice, just like the criminals on either side of Christ. What side have you taken-- It's the most important question you'll ever face. Consider its implications, and hear how Jim helped Dalton wrap things up, when you review this special edition of Crosstalk.

Brad Mattes is president of Life Issues Institute which was founded in 1991 to serve the educational needs of the pro-life movement. Brad is the host of Life Issues, a daily radio commentary, also the weekly Straight Talk on Life Issues and has produced numerous radio specials standing for life.--19 years ago on March 31, 2005, after almost 14 days without nutrition or hydration, Terri Schindler Schiavo died by severe dehydration. What was her crime-- Her crime was that she needed a feeding tube and fluids, all to stay alive. --Terri's case went national. President Bush became involved, the Florida legislature sought to intervene on her behalf, while requests made by her parents were struck down by the courts. Pro-life organizations from around America were involved as well and eventually her case went all the way to the Supreme Court, more than once.--What led to the collapse at her home-- What do we know about her then husband Michael-- Was she brain dead, in a coma or reliant upon machines to keep her alive-- What led up to her death sentence by court order-- Join Brad as he answers these and many more questions surrounding this tragic death that we must never forget.

Mat Staver is founder - chairman of Liberty Counsel. He is a constitutional attorney with three landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Mat is an author and the host of the radio broadcasts Faith - Freedom and Freedom's Call.--This program dealt with a number of issues, but the primary focus concerned recent Supreme Court cases. The first one dealt with the court's hearing of oral arguments on March 18th in the case of Murthy v. Missouri. At issue was the Biden administration's pressuring of social media platforms to remove posts that they believe are falsehoods dealing with topics such as the COVID pandemic or the 2020 presidential election. --The next item discussed involved the court's hearing of oral arguments over two cases that were consolidated- FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine and Danco Laboratories LLC v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine. Some say that this could have the potential effect of stopping mail-order abortions. That's because, as Mat explains in detail, these cases deal with the FDA's approval of Mifepristone, a drug that's used to terminate pregnancies during early stages.--Listeners brought their comments to the discussion during the second half of the broadcast.

Twila Brase is president and co-founder of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom, a national patient-centered, privacy-focused, free-market policy organization to support health care choices, individualized patient care and medical and genetic privacy. Twila is a certified public health nurse and author of the eight-time award-winning book, Big Brother in the Exam Room- The Dangerous Truth About Electronic Health Records. She's the speaker on the daily Health Freedom Minute heard on radio stations across the nation.--14 years ago this past Saturday, the so-called Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Obama. Jim shared the opening of a press release that went out last Friday from the Biden-Harris campaign. It communicated that the ACA provides millions of Americans with the freedom and security for people to live life the way they want without the fear that one accident or illness will bankrupt them or their families.--Twila agrees this was a very consequential law but she believes it didn't improve freedom or security. It gave us unaffordable premiums and deductibles and no other options. So from her perspective, there's nothing affordable about it and the price for care itself is not any lower. The high prices are at every level from care to coverage and in addition, the health plan is allowed to deny you access to care. For Twila, it all fits the agenda of moving us toward a national health care system.--Join Jim and Twila as they look at more including---Has this situation pushed medical professionals into early retirement---How secure is everyone's medical information---What do we know about the cyber attack that took place last month.

Deportation cases dismissed, massive spending bill creates controversy, the so-called Affordable Care Act celebrates a birthday and more. These and other headlines are covered on the -Round-Up- this week.----The massive spending bill presented by House Republican leaders is filled with millions of dollars in funding for LGBT organizations, including -845,000 for gay garden parties. --The 1.2 trillion dollar spending bill released by Speaker Mike Johnson was blasted by Representatives Chip Roy and Marjorie Taylor Green. Jim provided audio from both representatives.----Days after underwriting the 92 million dollar bond for former President Donald Trump's E. Jean Carroll defamation appeal, insurance giant Chubb, has now declined to underwrite the half-billion dollar appeal bond that the GOP frontrunner needs in his New York civil fraud case.----New York Attorney General Letitia James recently took the first steps toward seizing Trump's assets according to public records. ----Former President Trump and other defendants in the Georgia election interference case have the go-ahead to appeal last week's ruling that allows Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis to continue to lead the prosecution. ----Tomorrow is the 14th anniversary of the so-called Affordable Care Act.----Despite the fact that over 90- of the U.S. population has some form of health insurance, medical debt remains a persistent problem.----By nearly two to one, voters believe President Joe Biden is using the Justice Department to hobble former President Donald Trump and jail him so that he can't win the Fall election.

We have an identity crisis in America. People are trying to discover who they are, especially those from the younger generations. In fact, some will spend large sums of money to discover themselves on self-awareness retreats. With this phenomenon there's been a rise in attention on psychology, gender, sexuality and identity politics. Life has become subjective for many as their search is based on feelings and the flames of this model are being fanned by social media, politics and pop culture. --Appearing on Crosstalk to discuss this issue was Martyn Iles. Martyn is an Australian-born lawyer, commentator, and the Executive CEO of Answers in Genesis, home to the highly acclaimed Creation Museum and the world-renowned Ark Encounter. Previously, Martyn was the co-founder of a not-for-profit law firm specializing in religious freedom cases. He also led one of Australia's largest grassroots political movements through a period of remarkable growth.-Martyn believes the genesis of this identity crisis starts with the fact that for some their ultimate authority has changed. It used to be that people looked above themselves to ultimate authority in God, seeing him as the one who defines reality and how we should live. Then we went through the secular age where it's believed that science answers everything. However we know that can't last because without God, science makes no sense. After all, the only reason we do science is because we believe there's ultimate truth in reality. So people have been searching for yet another ultimate authority and truth and they're attempting to find it in self.--Listen in as Jim has Martyn explain the puzzle pieces in the book.

The State of Texas has been overrun by those attempting to enter illegally. The safety of residents has been put in jeopardy, crime has increased, public services have been stretched, the healthcare system has suffered, disease has been brought in and more. The state is saying, -enough is enough- because the federal government has refused to follow the law so the state legislature and governor have stepped up to deal with the issue. The problem is that at every turn, they've been opposed and taken to court by the Biden administration.--With more on this issue, Crosstalk welcomed back Mark Krikorian. Mark is a nationally recognized expert on immigration issues serving as the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies.--Earlier this year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said that the federal government has broken the compact between the U.S. and the states and that the executive branch of the U.S. has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting the states, including immigration laws.--Mark responded by noting that what states are now experiencing from this lack of protection by the federal government should be considered an invasion under the Constitution. This argument hasn't been fully litigated but the contention is that since the states are being invaded, they can't be expected to simply stand by when the federal government refuses to do its job. Mark indicated that politically speaking this is true. However, does that come under the definition of an invasion in the Constitution-- That's what needs to be answered while ultimately, the federal government needs to change its policies.

Scott Schara is the father of Grace Schara, the 19-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome who tested positive for COVID, was hospitalized and treated following the protocols carried out in hospitals across the country. Grace was ushered into eternity on October 13, 2021. Scott is presently engaged in a landmark lawsuit, Schara vs. Ascension Health et all. He warns about the dangers of incentivized healthcare. His work and story have been chronicled in a chapter of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Rise of the Fourth Reich.--Scott began with a brief review of the equipment and drugs that were used to treat his daughter. Part of this involved the drug -cocktail- that she had been given for her COVID condition. Another critical factor is the Do-Not-Resuscitate -DNR- order that was placed on her without Scott's permission at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, Wisconsin.--As a result, Scott brought forth a landmark lawsuit -Schara v. Ascension Health et al-. In the lawsuit, Scott has a wrongful death claim, a medical malpractice claim, a lack of informed consent and a declaratory judgment for both the illegal DNR and illegal medicine combination. However, it's the fifth claim that's the most important. It's a medical battery claim. This takes Grace's claim outside of state statutes because such statutes attempt to shield doctors and nurses so they cannot be sued. --At stake are factors such as informed consent and whether health care workers should have the right to unilaterally, with limited liability, be able to label patients as DNR.--Scott has been granted a trial date of November 6th in the Outagamie County Court system.

April 15th is a day that has gone down in notoriety. On April 15, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln died. He was shot the night before in Ford's Theatre. On April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank, having struck an iceberg the night before. April 15, 1927, was the Great Mississippi Flood where some 15 inches of rain fell in 18 hours causing the river to break out of its levee system at well over 100 locations and caused flooding in 10 states. In 1954, April 15th became the deadline for filing income tax returns. No doubt you've heard the familiar quote of Benjamin Franklin who said, 'Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable- but in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.' --We have all come to realize the impact taxes have upon us, but are you aware of the history of the income tax and how it came about-- What was its purpose-- Is today's modern system of taxes a breach from what was originally intended--

The -Round-Up- brought the following stories and more to listeners this week-----Israeli and U.S. leaders reacted to what some are calling an unprecedented call by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for new elections in Israel. Schumer wants elections so Israeli citizens can replace the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.----The Israeli Defense Forces aided an international, non-profit organization in evacuating nearly 70 orphans from Gaza and transferring them to safety in Bethlehem in the biblical region of Judea and Samaria. ----The Israeli Cabinet convened earlier today to discuss the response of Hamas who is shifting their demands in a new hostage swap offer. ----The Biden administration is poised to issue a fresh sanctions waiver for Iran that will grant them access to upwards of ten billion dollars in frozen assets.----With all of his influential critics dead, jailed or in exile, Russian President Vladimir Putin was due to win a controversial presidential contest cementing his role as the nation's longest running leader since Joseph Stalin.----Leaked Kremlin documents have shown that it wants Putin to win 80- of the vote on a high turnout and to prove that Russians support his war in Ukraine.----Ukrainian drone attacks halted 3 oil refineries deep within Russian territory in an assault Russian President Vladimir Putin said was aimed at disrupting the presidential elections. ----A drone attack in Odessa, Ukraine, resulted in the tragic deaths of 12 individuals including a Baptist pastor's daughter and grandson. ----On Tuesday the White House announced a 300 million dollar military aid package for Ukraine.

Robert Knight is a former Los Angeles Times news editor, is a current columnist for the Washington Times and contributes to other publications as well. Robert has held senior positions in a number of pro-family organizations. He has written several books including The Coming Communist Wave- What Happens If the Left Captures All Three Branches of Government, Liberty on the Brink, and Crooked- What Really Happened in the 2020 Election and How to Stop the Fraud.--There are very intense efforts underway in our culture today attempting to sway, manipulate and motivate individuals to surrender their morals, values, sovereignty, free speech, Biblical faith. They want individuals to accept this world's system which includes immorality, socialism, diversity, equity, inclusion and deep-state solutions.--There are entities who want the populace to do nothing more than follow the pied piper and the allurement of his magical tune. We have seen shifts in our culture change in ways never dreamed by our founders.--But amidst this shift, which began so subtly, there are individuals who are waking up and saying that enough is enough- The winds of change are blowing and Americans are revolting against the policies and dictates of the left.

Dr. Richard Schmidt is pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church, and founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries. He's the speaker on the weekly TV program, Prophecy Focus and the radio broadcast, Prophecy Unfolding. He spent 32 years in law enforcement including that of Acting Sheriff of Milwaukee County until his retirement. He has authored several books.--When you look at what's being said on university campuses today, when you hear politicians condemning Israel for taking direct action to protect herself, when you observe the U.N. resolutions coming out against Israel, and when you see the growing number of legacy media stories scolding Israel, it's as if October 7th never happened. Also, how many sources will be telling you that just today, over 100 rockets were launched from Lebanon into northern Israel----There's a reason for all of this and Dr. Schmidt explained why from a biblical perspective as he looked at the following---While some concentrate on the 30,000 Palestinians that are said to have been killed in the war thus far, what they don't tell you is that Israel has been trying to move people out of harm's way in Rafah in the southern part of Gaza as this area will be under attack in the near future.--What did President Biden mean when he was caught on a hot mic after his State of the Union address, telling someone that he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu need to have a -come to Jesus moment-----How many terrorists were in Gaza and at this late stage in the war, how many might still be operating----Is there a move afoot by the current administration to collapse Benjamin Netanyahu while at the same time trying to support Israel--

Rev. Jim Harden is president and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services in New York. Jim pioneered the first measurable and repeatable medical model in the pregnancy center movement, helping hundreds of centers nationwide become more effective at reaching more women and saving more babies from abortion. He's written extensively on medical ethics, executive leadership and pro-life strategy.--This broadcast involved some tough-talk, not just about abortion, but the idea of what it really means to be human as it discussed the following---Rev. Harden's clinic was fire-bombed shortly after the Dobbs decision was leaked. What's the status of those who launched this act of terrorism----Rev. Harden believes we now have two different justice systems in America. He explained what this means for our constitutional rule of law, for the pre-born and those who support life.--Kate Cox, the woman who wanted to abort her child due to a genetic abnormality and her appearance at the State of the Union address.-The Alabama Supreme Court decision, why in vitro fertilization -IVF- is just as horrific as abortion and why we should never let emotion drive legislation. --Has technology outpaced morality to the point where we no longer have a bioethical standard----The abortion pill, how it works, and the involvement of Walgreens and CVS.

There is a growing skepticism toward God in American culture today. Some foolishly deny that God exists. Others say they do not know if God exists, while others merely hope that God exists. God wants us to know that he does exist and that his word, the Bible, is his timeless and unchangeable revelation to mankind.-In fact, from Psalm 19-1 to Romans 1-20, we see that nature reveals God's existence and everyone is accountable and without excuse. --Appearing on Crosstalk to demonstrate this fact was Bruce Malone. Bruce is executive director of Search for the Truth Ministries, an organization that widely disseminates Bible-affirming creation materials. Bruce has spent over 30 years bringing the scientific evidence for creation to churches and schools at seminars throughout the U.S. and around the world. He's authored or co-authored ten books on the evidence for creation.--The story behind Bruce's book actually goes back to a Superbowl party 20 years ago that his church would put on for the city. At halftime the gospel would be presented to the youth in a large auditorium. Bruce asked the youth pastor if he could have 5 minutes with the youth to present evidence for creation. Part of his presentation involved giving them the book, Refuting Evolution by Jonathan Sarfati. Weeks later he asked the kids how they liked the book and not a single student had read it. Why-- It's because it looked like another textbook. --It's from that point on that Bruce decided that if he's going to write books, they'd be short, visual and fun to read. So he began to write creation devotionals where each day of the year he'd present wonderful examples of God's creativity and genius.

Here's a sample of stories from the Crosstalk news desk that made the cut for this week's broadcast-----Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked President Biden's motorcade as he arrived at the Capitol ahead of last evening's State of the Union address.----President Biden kicked off his State of the Union speech, not by addressing the U.S. border or the economy, but by praising Ukraine almost immediately. ----Also during his speech, President Biden warned the Supreme Court Justices, calling on the power of women to help restore Roe v. Wade and abortion on demand.----Pete Buttigieg was challenged by a CNBC host regarding immigration. Jim provided audio of the exchange.----Jim also provided audio of Bill Clinton from 1995 talking about the problem of illegal aliens during one of his State of the Union addresses.----In the official Republican response to last night's speech, Senator Katie Britt of Alabama highlighted several of the Biden administration's failings, notably its handling of the southern border which she called a disgrace.----Members of the Republican National Committee elected a replacement for former chairwoman Ronna McDaniel after she stepped down. - ---Former President Barack Obama said he's all-in for Joe Biden's re-election but there's been a question. NBC News reports that a question nagging at many Democrats is what role Michelle Obama might play.----Former President Trump all but locked up the Republican nomination this week.----President Biden did appeal to voters of Nikki Haley to back him in the November election.----Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has endorsed Donald Trump for president.

Tonight, President Biden will deliver his State of the Union address. Before Jim opened the phone lines for listeners to weigh in on that topic, he brought forth information on the following stories---The U.C. Santa Barbara Black Studies Department has organized what's being called, -A Day of Interruption.- It's taking place today with subsequent -work slowdowns- to protest steps that the administrators recently took to support Jewish students and to quell anti-semitic protests on campus.--According to Axios, more than half -65-- of voters think that the nation is heading in the wrong direction. That's according to a poll the New York Times and Siena College published Saturday.--The GOP led House passed the Laken Riley Act. This bill would require the detention of illegal immigrants who commit certain crimes. It would allow states to sue the Biden administration for not enforcing parole. It's designed to prevent another murder like the one of Laken Riley by ending the -catch and release- of illegal aliens, increasing immigration enforcement, detaining and removing criminal aliens, reinstating the -Remain in Mexico- policy and ending Biden's abuse of parole authority and securing the U.S. border. It now moves to the U.S. Senate.--President Biden ordered protective fencing installed around the U.S. Capitol in advance of tonight's State of the Union address. It's apparently designed to keep -bad actors- from infiltrating the security perimeter. So why can't we have such protection at the nation's border-- --During the remainder of the program, listeners were asked to call in and answer the following question- The state of the union is...

This is part 3 of audio from a roundtable discussion hosted by Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. This roundtable was held at the U.S. Capitol last week, February 26, 2024. It was titled- Federal Health Agencies and the COVID Cartel- What Are They Hiding-- In this discussion, the senator and a panel of experts exposed the corruption and censorship of the COVID cartel including federal health agencies, Big Pharma, legacy media and Big Tech. This event opened the public's eyes to the failure of the global elite and their institutions while at the same time giving a platform to suppressed and marginalized voices.--As this roundtable concludes, you'll hear more from panel participants including Dr. Brian Hooker, Del Bigtree, Dr. Pierre Kory, Rodney Palmer, Dr. Bret Weinstein, Randy Hillier and some wrap-up comments from Dr. Ryan Cole and Senator Ron Johnson.--Consider sharing this series of broadcasts with your family, loved ones and friends.

Yesterday on Crosstalk we began sharing audio from a roundtable discussion hosted by Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. This roundtable was held at the U.S. Capitol on February 26, 2024. It was titled- Federal Health Agencies and the COVID Cartel- What Are They Hiding-- In this discussion, the senator and a panel of experts exposed the corruption and censorship of the COVID cartel including federal health agencies, Big Pharma, legacy media and Big Tech. This event opened the public's eyes to the failure of the global elite and their institutions. This forum also gave a platform to suppressed and marginalized voices.--Yesterday's broadcast featured testimony from Senator Ron Johnson, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Jessica Rose and Ed Dowd. Ed Dowd, with Finance Technologies, spoke about the impact of the COVID shots, including the 1.1 million excess deaths, 3.5 million excess disabilities and lost work of -135 billion dollars. You can listen to yesterday's program at Crosstalkamerica.com. For the full conference you can find links at Senator Ron Johnson's website.--In part 2 of this edition of Crosstalk, you can hear testimony from Kevin McKernan, Dr. David Gortler, Dr. Harvey Risch and Barbara Loe Fisher.

On February 26, 2024 U.S. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin led a roundtable discussion titled, Federal Health Agencies and the COVID Cartel- What Are They Hiding-- In this discussion, the senator and a panel of experts exposed the corruption and censorship of the COVID cartel including federal health agencies, Big Pharma, legacy media and Big Tech. This event opened the public's eyes to the failure of the global elite and their institutions. This forum also gave a platform to suppressed and marginalized voices.--Forum participants included---Dr. Robert Malone-Dr. Jessica Rose-Mr. Ed Dowd-Kevin McKernan-Dr. David Gorthler-Dr. Harvey Risch-Barbara Loe Fisher-Dr. Brian Hooker-Dr. Pierre Kory-Dr. Raphael Lataster and many others.

Dalton handled hosting duties as he brought listeners the following from the news desk-----The Texas wildfire has now destroyed over 1 million acres.----Congressman Pat Fallon of Texas questioned Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the number of military member deaths and Putin's behavior under Trump vs. under President Biden. Dalton provided audio of the exchange. ----At the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville, former President Trump indicated that the greatest threat to Americans is from within. Dalton provided 3 audio clips from Trump's speech. ----According to a statement from the National Religious Broadcasters, they oppose the use of the erroneous term, -West Bank- to describe the biblical heartland of Israel.----In the face of increasing global pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his vow to destroy Hamas and ensure that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel. ----4 underwater communications cables between Saudi Arabia and Djibouti have been damaged disrupting communications between Europe and Asia.----The House overwhelmingly passed its latest temporary spending measure to avoid a scheduled government shutdown over the weekend.----House Republicans are considering lending the Ukrainian government funding for the country's war against Russia rather than providing 61 billion under the Senate-passed foreign aid bill.--Details on these and other stories, along with listener comments, can be heard on this edition of Crosstalk.

There are just over 8 billion people on earth and according to World Population Review, an estimated 2 billion of those are children between the ages of 0-14. This means it's critical that children be reached with the Gospel message. One such group that's focusing on this demographic is Child Evangelism Fellowship. Through their Good News Clubs and other outreach efforts, they have a vision of reaching every child, every nation, every day. --Moises Esteves is Executive Vice President of Child Evangelism Fellowship. He was born and raised in Portugal, was saved at the age of 9, and at the age of 17 felt God's call into vocation ministry.--In 2001, the Supreme Court decided by a 6-3 vote, in favor of Child Evangelism Fellowship in the case of Good News Clubs v. Milford Central School. The court said it was constitutional for CEF to hold Good News Clubs in public schools after the last bell rings and that they could not be discriminated against because of their religious content. --Each child must have a parental permission slip in order to attend. The gatherings run for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes after the school day has ended. During this time children are taught a Bible lesson, they sing songs, there are games, and sometimes there's a missionary story.--In the past year in the U.S., CEF ministered to 102,000 children, although they're still rebuilding post-COVID. That's about 2,600 clubs in the public schools with an additional 1,000 clubs in other locations.--On this broadcast you'll hear about- ---- The importance of local church partnership with CEF.-- The 4-14 window. - -...and much more-

Pastor Jack Hibbs is senior and founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, California. He's the author of the newly released book, Living in the Daze of Deception.--Pastor Hibbs began by pointing out that the word, -daze- in the title isn't a typo, it's deliberate as it came out of a sermon series that he did. As Jim noted, the first part of the book goes to great length to awaken the reader to the many kinds of deception that have many in such a daze in our time. --So who is he trying to target with his warning-- Pastor Hibbs responded by noting that initially the warning was meant for the church, but then the publisher noted that people were buying multiple copies. When he looked into it more he discovered that people have been buying these extra copies for non-believers. As he explained, you don't have to be a Christian to figure out that what's in this book is happening in your living rooms, neighborhoods, state and world.--He believes the elements of deception are everywhere. In other words, evil knows no limits. So if it's in church, politics or business, evil needs to be exposed and deception is the key tactic within evil.--One point this broadcast discusses is global deception -often taking the form of agendas- because of modern communication methods. This can be seen by how easy it is for people to be gripped by fear because they read a headline. This situation was certainly leveraged as the world was basically shut down due to COVID-19. We saw -experts- on both sides in total contradiction and Pastor Hibbs concluded that when you have experts in disagreement on a topic, then there are no experts- the jury is still out on that issue.

This Crosstalk featured guest Dr. David Brown. Dr. Brown is Pastor Emeritus of the First Baptist Church in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. He has a Masters in Theology and a Ph.D in History specializing in the history of the English Bible.--The United States Supreme Court has upheld that the Second Amendment to the Constitution is an individual right, yet there are many questions that people have. So if you're wondering, for example, if you can be pro-gun and pro-life, you'll want to review this important edition of Crosstalk as Dr. Brown brings clarity on these and other points of concern. For example----Was Jesus a pacifist----How do we deal with -Thou shalt not kill--- According to the Bible, when is killing not murder----Does Romans 12-19-21 mean that we're to just leave things up to God for vengeance every time-- What is the place of law enforcement in this----What is the difference between self-defense and vengeance----Does carrying a gun show a lack of trust in God----Listeners had Dr. Brown answer additional questions to round out the broadcast.

Chris Katulka is assistant director of North American Ministries at The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry and host of The Friends of Israel Today radio program. He is a Bible teacher, and writer for Israel My Glory magazine and is author of the book, Israel Always.--Jim began the discussion portion of this broadcast with comments from the Biden-Harris team concerning President Trump and those that gathered at the National Religious Broadcasters convention. Chris responded with a review of Trump's accomplishments on behalf of Israel.--As the conversation moved along, Chris commented on the following----Did the IDF miss something that allowed for the October 7th attack----How October 7th was the result of a constant festering in Gaza -15 years of missiles lobbed into Israel from Gaza- that gave way to the massacre on the Gaza border.--Why doesn't humanitarian aid get to where it's needed, even to the hostages----What's the latest on the hostage talks----Is a cease-fire in the best interest of Israel----Why the idea that Israel is occupying the West Bank is incorrect. This land is disputed. Israel can't be occupying land that never belonged to the Palestinians to begin with. After all, there never was a Palestinian state, president or king. So Anthony Blinken is looking at this from an -occupation- standpoint whereas most Israeli's look at this land from a -disputed- perspective.--There's even more points that Chris covered, while callers brought their perspective to the program as well.

Last month, Alex Newman was the featured speaker at a VCY America rally in southeast Wisconsin. Alex is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He's senior editor for The New American and contributes to other publications as well. He is author of Crimes of the Educators and Deep State- The Invisible Government Behind the Scenes. He is Founder of Liberty Sentinel.--In part 2 of this presentation by Alex, he discussed people like Yuval Harari -the author of the book Homo Deus- and others who believe we are acquiring divine powers and will become like God. --The Hebrews often times worshiped the things that they made and from what Alex explained, apparently things haven't changed much because the architects of the Great Reset seem to worship their creation of artificial intelligence which they hope will help get us to that point of being like God.--President Biden is quoted on food shortages and how they are on the way. No need to worry because the World Economic Forum has a solution. They want you to eat the food of the future-bugs---Alex then moved along to touch on the following---The move toward an in-between stage of world government known as regionalization.-Audio from Henry Kissinger who openly admitted to what he believed was the need for a New World Order.-In the memoirs of David Rockefeller he said that some see him and his family as conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global, political and economic structure. He admitted that if this is the charge, he stands guilty and is proud of it.--What does God think about all of this--

Last month, Alex Newman was the featured speaker at a VCY America rally in southeast Wisconsin. Alex is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He's senior editor for The New American and contributes to other publications as well. He is author of Crimes of the Educators and Deep State- The Invisible Government Behind the Scenes. He is Founder of Liberty Sentinel.--Is the threat of a Great Reset a conspiracy theory as some may allege-- Alex played audio from numerous people who are on the cutting edge of this movement. Some personalities heard from include---Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, feels that the COVID-19 pandemic proved that our old systems are inadequate for the 21st Century. So as we head into the 4th industrial revolution, we need a Great Reset. -Antonio Guterres, Head of the United Nations, talked about how wonderful the Great Reset is. --King Charles also expressed his enthusiasm for change.-Bulgarian Communist Kristalina Georgieva, Head of the International Monetary Fund, is also excited about the Great Reset. --As Alex noted, this is no conspiracy theory because a conspiracy assumes secrecy. Since these people readily admit to what they feel is the need for a Great Reset, what else are they admitting-----Alex looks at some basic biblical principles and contrasts them with a quote from the Danish Environment Minister describing how life could change for her by 2030. After all, under the Great Reset, you'll own nothing.--Alex presented much more which you'll discover when you listen to this broadcast of Crosstalk.

At younger and younger ages, people are being exposed to pornography. The impact is being carried through the teen years and into adulthood. Many secretly struggle with porn and those inside the church are not exempt. Too often local churches ignore this problem with some not wanting to admit its existence. For others it's a lack of knowing how to deal with it and help those trapped by it.--Marriages have been shattered, families have been broken and the vocational livelihoods of many have been ruined by pornography and according to the guest on this Crosstalk, there is great risk in doing nothing. --Sam Black is a renowned author and expert in the field of pornography recovery. He is the author of The Healing Church- What Churches Get Wrong About Pornography and How to Fix It and The Porn Circuit- Understand Your Brain and Break Porn Habits. He regularly speaks at parenting, leadership and men's events across the country. He is Director of Recovery Education at Covenant Eyes.-Sam began looking at this issue by explaining what Jesus said about lust and what's impactful to our hearts. Jesus said that if you look at another with lust in your heart you've committed adultery. If that's you, you must think what's causing you to objectify someone else because as Christians, that's what pornography is to us. --What does Sam believe is causing this great proliferation of porn-- He believes we've been on a steady march from the 1950's. In the 80's there was VHS video, the '90's brought us the internet and in 2007 came the iPhone. This means that today, if we have a smart phone, we're literally carrying around the world's largest library of pornography ever created.

Dr. Richard Schmidt is the Pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church and also heads Prophecy Focus Ministries. He is the speaker on the WVCY-TV program Prophecy Focus and the radio program Prophecy Unfolding. Prior to his current pastoral ministry, he spent 32 years in law enforcement including becoming Acting Sheriff of Milwaukee County in 2017 until his retirement in 2019. He is the author of several books including the one being discussed today, Tribulation to Triumph- The Olivet Discourse.--For thousands of years, mankind has been fascinated with the question of what will happen in the future. For answers people turn to their local neighborhood palm reader shop. Some follow their daily horoscope. Psychics abound on many television channels, by telephone, and online. Just type the word -psychic- into a search engine and in half a second, 230 million responses will come up.--There is great interest in the future. However, one place that people have refused to look at is the pages of Scripture. Jesus Himself was asked by his disciples about future events. Our program today focuses primarily on two chapters of Scripture- Matthew 24 and 25. Here Jesus addresses this important issue in what has been coined -the Olivet Discourse.-

Dr. Jane Anderson is Vice President of the American College of Pediatricians and Lead Author of their Position Statement, -Mental Health in Adolescents with Incongruence of Gender Identity and Biological Sex- released in February, 2024.--As then former Vice-President Joe Biden was running for the presidency, he said that -transgender rights are the civil rights issue of our time.- Since being awarded the White House, he has made great efforts to transform government, our society, schools, sports and even medicine as he has carried through on his promise of advancing and seeking to normalize something which is not normal spiritually, mentally or even biologically. His administration has often claimed that gender transition procedures are -necessary- and has even used the phrase -life-saving.- Without body mutilating surgeries or the blocking of hormones or taking opposite sex hormones, his administration has warned of depression and even suicidal death.--While the Department of Health and Human Services continues to advance their so called -gender affirming care,- a doctor's group has issued their own position paper titled -Mental health in Adolescents with Incongruence of Gender Identity and Biological Sex- and it doesn't fit the Biden Administration narrative.

The stories flowed quickly as Jim had much to share on yet another edition of the Round-Up. Here's the bulk of the stories mentioned during the first quarter hour-----On Tuesday, the House narrowly voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.----Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher announced that he will not be seeking re-election this year. He voted against the impeachment of Alejandro Mayorkas. ----Senator Marco Rubio talked about refugees and those here illegally. He communicated that those coming into this nation are getting paid more than those who have worked and are entitled to benefits. Jim provided audio of his comments.----An article from the Epoch Times alleges that it's the U.S. that is bankrolling our own invasion by funding the U.N. and its partners, which in turn give hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and aid to migrants that eventually cross the U.S. southern border illegally. ----Newly discovered emails between the Department of Homeland Security officials and journalists show the agency tasked with protecting the U.S. border and domestic security admitted that it's not tracking illegal immigrants after they were released from federal custody into the interior of the nation.----A recent 60 Minutes segment reveals that migrants have been using the information provided by the helpful communist TikTok posters to locate gaps in the border barriers where they can cross into the U.S. undetected.----A Latin street gang with origins in Venezuela could be forming an alliance, at least temporarily, with the brutal gang MS-13 in New York City according to an FBI agent.

What is happening under the guise of public education is both frightening and appalling. Last Fall we learned of a Christian student who filed a religious discrimination lawsuit indicating she was ordered by Chicago Public School staff members to meditate during a required quiet time. She was told to bow to deity that she didn't recognize and to internalize mantras in order to reach -Zen.- --Other school districts have required students to memorize the Islamic pillars of faith and even take a field trip to a mosque. Textbooks have been rewritten to push Critical Race Theory and a false accounting of our nation's history. Planned Parenthood has been invited into schools for their services. Then there's the account earlier this month of a drag-queen teacher in West Virginia that was arrested on child sexual exploitation charges. In Colorado, legislation is being considered that would require the state's public and charter schools to socially transition any gender-confused student by adopting that child's preferred name and pronouns. Finally, the U.S. Department of Education has submitted to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget it's final Title IX rule that would force widespread recognition of LGBT identities throughout the entire education system in America. --Is all of this just happenstance or is there history proving that the education system has been steered toward this result-- Returning to Crosstalk to answer that question was Alex Newman. Alex is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He's senior editor for The New American and co-author of Crimes of the Educators.

This Crosstalk featured the return of Dr. Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Dr. DeYoung is a speaker, teacher, Mideast guide, videographer and speaker on Prophecy Today. He lived and worked in Jerusalem for many years, is a fully credentialed journalist and has led numerous tours to Israel.--Just over 4 months ago, Israel suffered a very barbaric attack by Hamas, an Islamic terrorist group, that denies Israel the right to exist. Due to this planned genocide by Hamas, Israel declared war and has been systematically rooting out and eliminating the evil doers. --A dramatic rescue this past weekend freed a couple of Israeli hostages, while many more still remain. Negotiations to release the rest have fallen short. A truce or cease-fire seems unlikely as well. Meanwhile, Israel has discovered a top secret Hamas intelligence center right underneath the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency, and recently President Biden described Israel's response in Gaza as -over the top---Don't miss the coverage of these and other aspects of the Israel-Hamas war, as described by Jimmy DeYoung Jr., on this edition of Crosstalk.

Perhaps you're not aware, but there are ways in which Agenda 2030 is being methodically implemented, not just in the U.S. but around the world. This has ramifications for our economy, our food supply-security, land use, private property, our energy independence and much more. This pressure isn't just coming from the United Nations. Sometimes this pressure comes from our own state legislatures and city planning commissions.--Regardless of the level of influence, there are those making a positive impact on many fronts. These individuals realize that this is not a spectator sport and that as many as possible must be engaged to make a difference. --One of those difference makers is Tom DeWeese. Tom is president of American Policy Center. Tom is one of the nation's leading advocates of individual liberty, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, back-to-basics education, American sovereignty and independence and protecting our Constitutionally-guaranteed rights. Tom is also the grassroots coordinator for CFACT.--Tom framed the discussion by noting that there's always been a force in human society that seeks to rule everyone else. They usually put together armies, invade, break things, kill people and subjugate others. In the same way we have people today who are diabolical. They've come up with a way to get us to voluntarily give up our liberties in order to subjugate us. It's the scare tactic of environmental Armageddon. It's about creating a crisis leading to fear. If you look deeply into it you'll find that almost everything they're proposing to allegedly save the planet is actually much more damaging than anything currently being done.

There are significant warnings being expressed by some individuals concerning the internal safety and security of the United States. These warnings are coming from the highest levels of government all the way down to the level of our county sheriffs.--The importance of this matter cannot be overstated. Jim proved the point as he aired 3 audio clips. The first was from Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson as he questioned Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas concerning what's been taking place at the southern border. The second audio clip featured Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, who noted how multiple foreign terrorist organizations have called for direct attacks on the U.S. or its assets and the threat from domestic extremist groups. In the third clip, FBI Director Wray discussed the ongoing, multi-pronged threat of China. --These audio clips set the stage for comments that came from Butler County, Ohio, Sheriff Richard Jones. At a press conference conducted last week, he shared information obtained while attending the National Sheriffs Association Winter Conference that was held in Washington, D.C., on February 3-6. The sheriffs were briefed at the conference by numerous high level government officials and heard the latest regarding crime and national security, border crime, gangs, drugs, terrorism and violent extremism.--You'll want to share this information with others as you'll hear Sheriff Jones discuss the warning as well as the actions he's taking in his county.

Here's a sample of the many stories Jim rolled out to get listeners caught up on the news. Listeners were given their chance to comment as well.----The Supreme Court seems poised to allow former President Trump to remain on the Colorado ballot and expressing deep concerns about permitting a single state to disqualify the leading Republican candidate from seeking national offices.----A visibly upset President Joe Biden addressed the nation late Thursday to respond to news that a special counsel tasked with investigating his handling of classified documents had chosen not to charge him but also detailed numerous examples of his memory loss. The special counsel report, while clearing the president, sparked questions about his mental fitness. ----President Biden got completely lost during a press conference and a reporter had to remind him they were talking about Hamas. ----Congressional Republicans were quick to condemn the Justice Department for not prosecuting Joe Biden for his mishandling of classified documents despite charging former President Trump in the case against him.----Nikki Haley was defeated in the Nevada GOP primary Tuesday night despite the fact that Donald Trump was not on the ballot. The person who won was labeled, -None of these candidates.- ----Former President Trump cruised to an easy victory in the Nevada GOP caucus on Thursday evening.----A federal appeals court Tuesday ruled that Donald Trump does not have immunity from charges that he plotted to overturn his 2020 election defeat, bringing him a step closer to an unprecedented criminal trial.----Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Hamas' cease-fire demands on Wednesday.

Jay Seegert is the founder - managing director for The Starting Point Project. He holds degrees in both Physics and Engineering Technology. Jay is an international speaker and author.--This coming Monday, February 12th, is the birthday of Charles Darwin who was born in 1809. This is the same day as Lincoln's birthday, but unlike the former president, Darwin was a promoter of evolution and his teachings have been promoted throughout society, especially in educational settings and museums. Sadly, this theory has also been adopted by many churches and religious organizations.--Back in 2004, a man named Michael Zimmerman was engaged in a battle against a school district in Wisconsin because he didn't like creation being taught. He brought approximately 200 clergy together to sign a letter to the school board. As a result, they retracted their policies regarding the teaching of creation.--Zimmerman was encouraged by this and others encouraged him to take this nationwide, so he started the Clergy Letter Project. The goal was to get churches to celebrate evolution on the Sunday closest to Darwin's birthday. So from 2006 to 2007 they celebrated what was called, -Evolution Sunday.- That was expanded to -Evolution Weekend- from 2008-2022. Then last year it was changed to -Religion and Science Weekend.- --This program covers who Charles Darwin was and what he believed, evolution's undeniable racist thread, the biblical problems with evolution, and the unfortunate attempt at syncretism that's causing some churches to fall prey to this errant teaching.

Many skeptics feel the Bible is a fairy tale or myth. Some claim it can't be trusted because it's full of contradictions and errors. Still others doubt the locations and events that the Bible describes. While the historical accuracy of the Bible has fallen under increased scrutiny and has been a topic of debate, new archaeological discoveries from an expanding host of ancient sites found in Bible lands continue to provide evidence pertaining to questions of reliability.--To provide insight on this issue, Crosstalk welcomed Dr. Titus Kennedy. Dr. Kennedy is a professional archaeologist and a research fellow at Discovery Institute. He is a consultant, writer and guide for history and archaeology documentaries and curricula, and currently directs archaeological projects in Bible lands. He's also researched and photographed archaeological sites and artifacts around the world. He's an author of the newly released, The Essential Archaeological Guide to Bible Lands- Uncovering Biblical Sites of the Ancient Near East and Mediterranean World.--Dr. Kennedy noted that if we didn't know where many biblical ancient sites were, we'd have a very different view of geography and specifically, biblical geography. So don't miss this edition of Crosstalk as Dr. Kennedy shares examples showing why archaeological sites have been instrumental for furthering our understanding of ancient locations, geography, history, chronology, economics, language, religion and the culture of the biblical world. For example, you'll hear about the following---What archaeology tells us about the size of the ancient biblical world.-What constitutes an archaeological site--

Recently Jim reported on some startling figures indicating that nearly 30- of Gen-Z'ers are identifying as LGBTQ-. In some areas, Social Services are removing minor children from parents because they believe parents are not affirming. --The Daily Caller is running a story today regarding audio they've obtained of a psychologist at a medical training summit in 2022. This psychologist indicated that it's parents who do not affirm their child's gender identity as having a mental illness.--What's causing this brainwashing that makes people believe that socialism is better for America, that taking the life of the unborn is good but abusive to women to protect that same life-- --Perhaps even more telling is a statistic from George Barna and the Cultural Research Center indicating that pre-teens are on track to abandon biblical Christianity in record numbers. --Can we document what's causing this deterioration of society-- William Federer can and he does just that on this broadcast. He's a nationally known speaker, historian, author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc. He's the speaker on The American Minute daily broadcast. He has authored numerous books including, America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations, Who is the King in America--, and Socialism- The Real History From Plato to the Present - How the Deep State Capitalizes on Crises to Consolidate Control.--The best way to summarize this edition of Crosstalk is through the following quote by socialist Antonio Gramsci, who realized that if you're going to defeat the West, you have to do it slowly by rotting things from the inside. It's known as the long march through the institutions.

Andrew Arthur is Resident Fellow in Law and Policy for the Center for Immigration Studies. He began his legal career through the Attorney General's Honors Program as a clerk to an Administrative Law Judge in the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer at the United States Department of Justice, Executive Office for Immigration Review. Later in his career he was promoted to the Immigration and Naturalization Service General Counsel's Office in D.C., first as an Associate General Counsel, then as an Assistant General Counsel and Acting Chief of the INS National Security Law Division.--Crosstalk continues to monitor progress on our nation's southern border because many believe this to be a national security issue. One state, however, decided to take action. The governor of Texas made great efforts to secure his state but is being thwarted and fought against by the Biden administration. Speaking of the President, he curtailed many of the Trump policies which brought much broader protection to the U.S. He seeks to blame the previous administration and Congress as a source for failing to take action on what he describes as meaningful border control legislation. So what about the Senate-- Just yesterday they released their border bill. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson described it as -dead on arrival.---Just how bad is the situation-- FBI Director Christopher Wray has indicated that the number of illegal immigrants evading border patrol agents and escaping into our nation is a source of -great concern for the FBI.- Andrew noted that in December, Customs and Border Protection encountered about 300,000 people entering the U.S.

Below is a brief look at a number of key stories presented by Jim from this week's broadcast-----Earlier this week, Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri grilled Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta -formerly Facebook-, at a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting. Jim provided audio from the exchange.----A bipartisan bill to slash taxes for businesses and enhance the child tax credit is a step closer to becoming law.-----Joshua Schulte betrayed his country by committing some of the most brazen, heinous crimes of espionage in American history.- That's a statement from U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. Schulte, a former CIA officer, was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Thursday over a litany of charges. ----Mat Staver will bring oral arguments Wednesday morning before the Florida Supreme Court regarding a proposed amendment to the Florida constitution that would codify unrestricted abortion as a right. Mat appeared via a pre-recorded segment with Jim where he outlined the issue.----Representative Ilhan Omar made concerning comments about her primary interest while serving in Congress. What is that interest-- It's to protect Somali interests. Jim presented audio from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene who commented on the issue from the House floor.----The Council on American-Islamic Relations -CAIR- has welcomed introduction of a congressional resolution. It's Senate Resolution 534, recognizing January as Muslim-American Heritage Month, designed to celebrate the achievements of American Muslims.----The House of Representatives voted on banning all perpetrators of the October 7th Israeli massacre from having entry into the U.S. The House voted in favor of it, 422-2.

Alex Newman is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He is senior editor for The New American. He is co-author of Crimes of the Educators, author of Deep State- The Invisible Government Behind the Scenes and the new book, Indoctrinating Our Children to Death. He's also founder of Liberty Sentinel.--The World Health Organization is promoting a pandemic treaty for all nations of the world to surrender individual sovereignty to a worldwide body to make your healthcare decisions and that of the world. In fact, next week, February 5th-9th, is the seventh meeting of the working group on amendments to the International Health Regulations. The document would be binding as international law.--Also on the international health front, world leaders gathered in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum, and one of the topics of discussion was preparation for a worldwide pandemic known as Disease X. Alex described it as a hypothetical-theoretical disease that might be 20 times more deadly than COVID-19. It's a -placeholder- that governments and international organizations are using to make preparations in terms of pharmaceutical preparedness and equipment. He also sees it as a pretext to justify some radical policy power grabs on the international level. --Jim provided audio from Tedros Ghebreyesus, the leader of the World Health Organization, as he spoke to the World Economic Forum. Alex unpacked the comments of Ghebreyesus in light of his background as he was one of the top leaders of a Marxist-terrorist organization in Ethiopia.--Was COVID-19 a trial run for what might take place with Disease X--

Increasingly, the push for full acceptance and promotion of the LGBTQ- agenda is advancing. In fact, According to one poll, 28- of Gen-Z adults are identifying as LGBTQ. --The result-- Women's sports are being decimated and dominated by men who are identifying as women. Leading up to the Super Bowl, the NFL is committed to bowing to the diversity, equity and inclusion movement as it will be hosting the third annual, -A Night of Pride- with GLAAD during Super Bowl Week. Politically, additional LGBTQ- appointments to the federal bench are being made by the Biden administration, while polyamory is on the increase.--Are we fast approaching the days of Lot-- That's a question to ponder as Crosstalk welcomed Peter LaBarbera back to Crosstalk. Peter is the founder and president of Americans for Truth. He's a former reporter for the Washington Times and LifeSiteNews.com and a former contributing editor for Human Events.- -The Public Religion Research Institute is the organization making the claim that 28- of Gen-Z adults -ages 18-25- are identifying as LGBTQ. Peter doesn't completely believe that figure because he contends that the PRRI is a liberal polling group and that it's in their interest to promote progressive ideas in religion and Christianity. Nonetheless, he found out from Gallop in early 2022 that based upon polling from the previous year, 20.8- of Gen-Z'ers were identifying as LGBT. --Peter believes this crisis is the result of the -mainstreaming- of perversion toward young people and that this activity expands the list of perversions. This broadcast demonstrates what recent history has shown us in this regard.

Dr. Erwin Lutzer spoke at the Waukesha Expo for the VCY America Rally on March 18th, 2023. His topic was We Will Not Bow.--Dr. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church where he served as the senior pastor for 36 years. He's the speaker on the radio programs Running to Win and Songs in the Night. He is a speaker and an award-winning author on several books. Some of his titles include The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent, Life Changing Bible Verses You Should Know, We Will Not Be Silenced, No Reason to Hide and The Power of a Clear Conscience.--Dr. Lutzer began by mentioning Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn who told an interesting story. Solzhenitsyn said that in 1937 a speech was given by someone who extolled the virtues and the greatness of Stalin. When he finished, everyone rose to clap. Solzhenitsyn described how this went on for several minutes. Under such circumstances, who's going to sit down first-- After 11 minutes of non-stop clapping, the director of a paper factory stopped his clapping and sat down. Everyone else then stopped as well and sat down.--That same night the director of the paper factory was arrested and sent to prison for 10 years. During his interrogation he was told never to be the first one to stop clapping.--Dr. Lutzer said, -How does freedom die-- Solzhenitsyn would say with thunderous applause- everybody clapping at the Soviet system.---Dr. Lutzer then asked if America is being -sovietized--- Victor Davis Hanson asked that question and he indicated that in the Soviet Union it wasn't merit that enabled people to climb the ladder. Instead, it was loud enthusiasm for the communist system.

January 27th, was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The words -Never Again- was associated with lessons learned from the holocaust that never again would such genocidal actions take place. Yet on October 7th, 2023, another genocidal attack took place by Hamas. Calling this attack genocidal is no exaggeration as the Hamas charter expresses the goal of wiping Israel off the face of the earth. So as a means of self-preservation, Israel has gone to war against Hamas in an attempt to permanently eradicate the threat.--The war is now in its 17th week. As of today, rockets continue to be launched toward Israel. Recently, at an outpost in Jordan, 3 U.S. soldiers were killed and over 30 service members were injured by a drone attack. All this is taking place while threats continue to come from Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi camps.--Appearing on Crosstalk to bring his perspective on Israel and the Middle East was Dr. Jim Showers. Dr. Showers is executive director of The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry. He leads this ministry that for over 85 years has been meeting the spiritual and physical needs of Jewish people worldwide, standing against every form of anti-semitism, while supporting the right of the Jewish people to live in their ancient homeland. This ministry is also actively engaged in providing bomb shelters for Israelis. Dr. Showers also leads tours to Israel and serves as a conference teacher. He's served with FOI since 2002.--The discussion between Jim and Dr. Showers covered many aspects of current life in Israel and how the nation is moving forward in the midst of war.

Here are some of the headlines that Jim shared---- Trump backs Abbot, urges states to provide Texas full support to secure southern border-- Biden Administration has released 6.2 million illegal migrants into U.S. in 3 years, often through parole loophole-- Mom sues DHS for -100M after daughter raped, killed by suspected migrant MS-13 member-- Is the Arizona migrant who said 'soon you're gonna know who I am' head of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan---- Vermont resettled Somalis, shootings are up 185--- Speaker Johnson says he confronted Biden to his face about the border- 'Do your job'-- Ex-FBI officials warn of 'soft invasion' at border-- Trump White House official Peter Navarro sentenced to 4 months for defying Jan 6 subpoena-- Trump vows to demolish the Deep State globalists in New Hampshire primary speech-- WEF panel moderator says elections in 2024 are a risk because people may elect the wrong leaders-- Trump wins New Hampshire primary, breaks vote record-- Trump wins 14th Amendment ballot fight in Massachusetts-- Expert testifies in court- Dominion voting systems easily hackable-- Joe Biden- If Democrats win control of Congress, I'll sign bill for abortions up to birth-- Wisconsin Assembly passes bill to legalize killing babies in abortions up to 14 weeks-- House Speaker Mike Johnson tells March for Life- I am the product of an unplanned pregnancy-- Joe Biden wants to put 6 pro-life Americans in prison for a decade for protesting abortion-- Joe Biden invites woman who aborted her disabled baby as State of the Union guest-- 11-month-old baby boy dies after being forced to wear mask at Taiwan daycare--Even so, come, Lord Jesus. -Revelation 22-20b-

Mike Gendron is the Founder and Director of Proclaiming the Gospel Ministry. Mike was a devout Roman Catholic for over 3 decades and was taught to rely upon the authority of the church above all else. Mike searched the Scriptures and was amazed to find that what he read in Scripture contradicted the teaching and tradition of the church he had been a part of for so long. He trusted Jesus as his Savior and now the Bible has become his sole authority in all matters of faith. Mike is the author of the books Preparing for Eternity and Contending for the Gospel, and has produced numerous videos with warnings concerning false teachings versus the truth of the Scriptures.--Paul's second letter to Timothy has so many important applications for believers in Jesus Christ. I'd like to draw your attention to Chapter 3 in which Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, -This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.- He then warned about the marks of the last days such as -men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy- and the list goes on. In verse 5 it warns of those -having a form of godliness.- And then in verse 13 Paul warns, -But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.---There is mass deception going on throughout the world today and it is not limited to the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, or the World Health Organization. Although there is much deception coming from these entities, there is another deception taking place that we'll call a spiritual deception and many are falling prey.

R. Cort Kirkwood is a former newspaper editor and a long-time contributor to The New American.--If you listen and swallow the message from the leftist media and leftist politicians, you will come away believing there was an insurrection on January 6, 2021 that was wholly instigated by then President Donald Trump.--President Biden indicated just a couple weeks ago that this January 6th was the day -we nearly lost America.- In that speech on the 3rd anniversary, 12 times he referred to this as being an -attack- and 12 times he used -insurrection.- He has also intimated that January 6th was supposedly the worst attack on our democracy. He has accused Donald Trump of rewriting the facts from that day.--You can watch selective footage from that day and you will find some who insist this was a terrorist attack. You'll be informed about all the information and testimony that came forth from the House Select Committee. But you will not be told about the number of FBI or DHS assets that were mixed into the crowds. You won't be shown the footage of those walking through the halls of the capitol with an occasional fist bump with an officer or those just taking pictures in the capitol. You will also likely not be told what the disbanded House Select Committee did with their files before the GOP took the majority in the House.

Usama Dakdok is the Founder of the Straight Way of Grace Ministry. He is the speaker on the daily radio broadcast Revealing the Truth About Islam. He speaks fluent Arabic and has translated the Quran into English. He is the author of Exposing the Truth about the Qur'an and Exposing the Truth About Jihad as well as the booklets The Violent Truth about Islam and The Straight Way to Eternal Life.--Tragically, today it was announced that 21 Israeli soldiers were killed by a group of Hamas terrorists who came out of the orchards and fired RPG's at two buildings which immediately collapsed upon the soldiers. The ages of the soldiers ranged from age 22 to 40. This is the largest killing of Israelis since the Islamic attack on October 7th, 2023. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his mourning pledged to continue the war with Hamas until -absolute victory.---As Islamic terrorist attacks continue to be launched, Islamic religious leaders are heating up their rhetoric. One such Imam preached that Jews -will all be executed by Muslims- this is a divine promise.-

Last week we passed the 100 day mark since Hamas launched its attack on Israel followed by Israel's war in response. So much has been learned since that time as Israel continues to root-out Hamas as they know that it's impossible to have peace with this terrorist group. --Why-- It's because the preamble to the Hamas covenant states- Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it.--So how is it possible to co-exist with a group that has as its core mission the goal to wipe Israel off the face of the earth----Returning to Crosstalk to look at this issue and more dealing with the Middle East was Dr. Richard Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt is pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church and founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries. He's the speaker on the weekly TV program, Prophecy Focus and the radio broadcast, Prophecy Unfolding. He spent 32 years in law enforcement including that of Acting Sheriff of Milwaukee County until his retirement.--This edition of Crosstalk had much to cover in its look at the Middle East and its relation to world conflict. Discussion took off quickly with Dr. Schmidt discussing the following---Israel continues to be viewed by some media sources, and in other areas, as an occupier or colonizer. For some, this is all about liberating -Palestine,- giving them title to the land. In Genesis 12 we see how God called Abraham and told him about a very specific area of land that He was going to give to the Jewish people. Genesis 15 gives the actual borders and that land includes 90- more land than the Jewish people have today.

Friday brings another pile of news stories. Here are some of the headlines---- Klaus Schwab predicts AI will make elections obsolete-- Victorious Trump says it's time for country to come together-- Trump pledges to never allow a central bank digital currency if reelected president-- Asa Hutchinson drops out of 2024 race- says his message against Trump didn't sell in Iowa-- Establishment plots military coup against Donald Trump if reelected-- DOJ acknowledges Hunter Biden laptop content is legitimate for first time-- Congress passes another continuing resolution to avert government shutdown-- New Mexico Republicans start effort to impeach governor-- This state will take kids away if parents refuse to allow them to undergo transgender treatments-- Supreme Court rejects appeal on school bathroom policies for transgenders-- Prominent LGBT activist arrested on child sex charges-- USA Boxing's new transgender rule could kill a woman, coach warns-- Electric car owners stranded with dead batteries during blizzard-- CDC drafted alert for Myocarditis and COVID-19 vaccines, but never sent it-- Arizona county GOP passes 'Ban the Jab' resolution declaring COVID shots biological weapons-- Bill Gates at WEF- We need better needle-free vaccines-- TSA says illegals can board jetliners without identification-- Anti-Semitic activist gets cheers in London after he says 'we must normalize massacres'-- Massachusetts threatens medical licenses of doctors who promote abortion pill reversal-- Pastor faces charges for keeping church doors open to help homeless

The World Economic Forum is happening right now in Davos, Switzerland -Jan 15-19, 2024-. They convened under the theme -Rebuilding Trust.---The program consists of four interconnected thematic priorities- 1- Achieving security and cooperation in a fractured world, 2- Creating growth and jobs for a new era, 3- Artificial intelligence as a driving force for the economy and society, and 4- A long-term strategy for climate, nature and energy.--Many organizations are partnering with the goals of the WEF. To name a few, there is AIG, Google, Amazon, Bank of America, BP, Chevron, Citi, the Coca-Cola Company, Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, IBM, Johnson - Johnson, JPMorgan Chase - Co., Mastercard, Microsoft, PayPal, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Sony Group, Unilever, and Visa.--In a nutshell, they seek to push transhumanism, silence truth, promote the idea of climate change, enforce global governance, prepare the world for an unknown disease, command our children for us, give the earth human rights, end fossil fuel, and stop elections.--One has publicly stood out against the WEF agenda. Argentina's president Javier Milei told the WEF that socialists are promoting population control and 'the bloody abortion agenda' because they believe that human beings damage the planet.--This program is worth your immediate attention so you can share it with others.

Brad Mattes is President of Life Issues Institute which was founded in 1991 to serve the educational needs of the pro-life movement. Brad is the host of Life Issues which is a daily radio commentary, and the host of the weekly Straight Talk on Life Issues, and has produced numerous radio specials standing for life.--It was January 22, 1973 that a majority of United States Supreme Court Justices issued their opinion that abortion was a right found in the United States Constitution. It took 49 years, but on June 24, 2022 the Court overturned Roe v Wade in a decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. And right now, the floodgates have opened with a number of states protecting life in the womb, whereas others are targeting life in the womb.--Annually on the Sunday closest to the Roe v Wade decision is Sanctity of Life Sunday. That's this coming Lord's Day. This Friday, January 19th is the 51st annual March for Life in Washington DC.

It's not unusual to hear about entire homes that have collapsed due to an insufficient foundation. So here's a question- As it applies to your life, how strong is your spiritual foundation-- What about the spiritual foundation of your family-- Sadly, there have been tragedies due to a lack of a sure foundation even in Christian homes. --Joining Jim to discuss a resource that can help you develop a strong foundation was Israel Wayne. Israel and his wife Brook are homeschooling parents to eleven children. He is also an author and conference speaker who has a passion for defending the Christian faith and promoting a biblical worldview.--Conversation began with Israel describing the foundation of the majority of Christian homes today. He noted how he had the chance to interview Dr. George Barna, the leading researcher on all things related to the church in the U.S. Barna's latest research shows that only 1- of people under the age of 29 in the U.S. have a basic, foundational, biblical worldview. This shows that Christian families and churches have not been effective when it comes to passing on the Christian faith and its values to the next generation.--So why all the biblical illiteracy when copies of the Bible are plentiful and we're inundated with Christian literature, Christian broadcasting, podcasts, etc-- Israel believes it's because parents have not taken their biblical mandate to disciple their children seriously. They've left it up to the church to do that for them and that hasn't worked. In addition, churches have increasingly moved toward an entertainment focus in attempting to reach children rather than preparing them through sound biblical doctrine.

From Stephen to the Apostle Paul to a man named Jason who assisted Paul, for 2,000 years, followers of Jesus Christ have been persecuted. Paul told Timothy that those who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.--What we must realize is that persecution isn't simply something that happened during biblical times. Right now, in 2024, there are those who are suffering on account of their faith, but often we become so caught up in the activities and concerns of our everyday life that we lose sight of this reality. --Returning to Crosstalk to once again open our eyes to the reality of Christian persecution, Jim welcomed Todd Nettleton. Todd is the Chief of Media Relations and Message Integration for the Voice of the Martyrs-USA and is also the host of The Voice of the Martyrs Radio. He serves as a voice for persecuted Christians, inspiring Christians with the faithfulness of Christ's followers in over 70 nations where they face persecution for being a follower of Jesus Christ. Todd is author of Forbidden- 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians.--Todd presented much information during this update dealing with numerous nations. Particularly notable are those that for some reason failed to make the State Department's list of nations of particular concern. Review this program and you'll hear the following---The nation of India has been reclassified to -restricted nation- status.-The attacks against Christians in Nigeria.-The Taliban and their persecution of Christians as they rule Afghanistan. -Todd communicated that North Korea is probably the most closed nation on earth where Christians are singled out for the greatest persecution.

From war in the Middle East to Hunter Biden, Crosstalk covers it all. Here's a sample of what Jim presented this week from the news desk----Tomorrow, in Washington, D.C., Hamas supporters are planning a big jihad jamboree at the National Mall called, -The March on Washington for Gaza.- It's being sponsored by every jihadi partner of the Muslim Brotherhood in America.---325 pro-Palestinian protestors were arrested after blocking 3 bridges and a tunnel in New York City on Monday, blocking lanes bound for New Jersey on the Holland Tunnel along with blocking traffic on the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges.---Wednesday was the first day of a new session of the Colorado State House and immediately, pro-Hamas demonstrators set the tone by disrupting the proceedings as Colorado House Speaker Julie McCluskie did nothing.---Over the weekend, pro-Palestinian demonstrators defaced the Los Angeles National Cemetery. ---The Justice Department has effectively issued a stand-down order to federal law enforcement and U.S. attorneys to stop them from investigating incitement, violence and vandalism committed by Hamas supporters who hold U.S. visas, according to a complaint filed with the Justice Department.---A member of Congress investigating the January 6th, 2021, protests at the Capitol estimates that the FBI had 200 undercover assets both inside and outside the building. ---Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, suggested that law enforcement will soon target those who merely stood outside the Capitol on January 6th.---The United States and Britain carried out a series of air strikes on military locations belonging to Iran-backed Houthis.

Last week, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson led the largest congressional delegation ever to the border. It consisted of 64 House Republicans representing 26 states and one U.S. territory. He said that there's no order at the border. It's completely open and what was seen was so alarming, it would break the hearts of every American and infuriate them as well.--Returning to Crosstalk with an update on this vital issue was Mark Krikorian. Mark is a nationally recognized expert on immigration issues serving as the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies.--How bad is the immigration problem-- According to Mark it's really bad. It terms of numbers, he indicated it's at almost 300,000 illegals entering the U.S. per month. This has occurred because both during the campaign and through almost 3 years of his policies, President Biden basically invited people who have no right to come here to cross the border and turn themselves in, at which point they're let go.--Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted that over 85- of those who show up at the border are let go. Mark believes it's almost certainly over 90-. They're here, they're not going to leave on their own, and Mark feels this administration isn't going to make sure that they do leave. The result is historically unprecedented numbers of individuals crossing the border. They're not fleeing war, prosecution or climate change as the administration tries to say. Instead, they're trekking through up to five different countries to arrive here because they know they can get away with it.

The globalist agenda never gives up. It backs off for a while only to be repackaged in another wrapper. However, its goals always remain the same because it strikes at national sovereignty, taking every opportunity to gain central power in its desire to dominate the lives and liberties of people around the world.--To prove this point via the latest news on this subject, Jim welcomed back Gary Kah. Gary is founder and director of Hope for the World. Gary is Editor of Hope for the World Update. He's an author and former Europe - Middle East Trade Specialist for the Indiana State Government.--Gary began with comments concerning Israel's war with Hamas. He believes that the timing of this war is not coincidental and that it's intended to set the stage, through fear and panic, for a lunge into a more globalist system. --This war has a lot of -moving pieces- and Gary shared what they're up to as he noted that 10 top Iranian generals took up positions in Syria, so Iran is basically running things there. Also, unlike Hamas, Hezbollah has over 120,000 precision guided rockets and missiles to launch at Israel. So right now all the weapons are coming from Iran, through Syria, and into southern Lebanon and if Hezbollah ramps up their efforts, Israel is going to have to respond and that might mean going after Syria.--Complicating matters are the Russian advisers that Gary indicated have been there all along. This means that if Russia and Iran become part of the war, while simultaneously you have the Russia-Ukraine war taking place, this could grow into something much larger than a regional conflict.

This Monday, January 15, the Republican caucus gets under way in Iowa. After that comes the New Hampshire primary on January 23rd. That is followed by the Democratic primary in South Carolina on February 3rd. Nevada is next with their caucus and then Michigan votes on February 27th. Super Tuesday is March 5th, the Republican convention is in July, the Democrats have their convention in August and it all wraps up on election day which is November 5th.--Jim indicated he believes that as Christians and citizens of the United States, we have been granted a stewardship. We have what many people in other nations do not have. It's the right to vote and we can either squander it or use this stewardship for the glory of God. Also, with that vote we can either uphold biblical truth or vote to work against it. So how will you use the stewardship of your vote----As Samuel Adams once said----Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual-or at least that he ought not so to do- but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.---Also, consider this from Proverbs 21-1----The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water- he turneth it whithersoever he will.---It's with these thoughts in mind that Jim opened the phone lines to allow listeners from across the nation to express who they're voting for to be president and why.

From the earliest months of the release of the COVID vaccine, promises were made that if you were vaccinated, you would not get COVID. We all know now that this isn't true. In spite of that, various mandates came forth along with a lot of -arm-twisting- to get people vaccinated.--The result is growing skepticism toward government agencies and now, 3 years since the COVID vaccine was released, there are more concerns including the lack of timely transparency on the part of pharmaceutical companies.--To bring listeners an update on these issues, Crosstalk welcomed Barbara Loe Fisher. Barbara is president of the National Vaccine Information Center -NVIC-, a non-profit charity she co-founded with parents of DPT vaccine injured children in 1982.--Barbara began by noting there's a lot of push-back on the mRNA vaccines. She described how last month, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Pfizer over its mRNA COVID vaccine, saying that the company misled the public by claiming that it had an efficacy rate of 95- against the SARS CoV-2 virus. Barbara and her organization knew that the FDA had only required Pfizer and Moderna to show that there was a reduction in symptoms of COVID, not actual prevention. Instead the public was told that if we got the vaccine, we wouldn't get COVID nor would we transmit the infection to others. --So the Texas lawsuit is seeking 10 million in fines against Pfizer for willfully and unlawfully committing false, unsupported and misleading acts, practices and claims and misrepresenting the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.--Then there's the issue of the censoring of public discussion about the vaccine that's also a part of this lawsuit.

Coast to coast and around the globe, Jim wrapped up the week by presenting key news stories, some of which are listed below-----Ohio Republican Governor Mike DeWine banned transgender transition surgeries on minors today with an executive order. The move comes just a week after he vetoed a bill that would have banned the practice and required single-sex sports teams to be established at schools, colleges and universities throughout the state. ----More information is coming out concerning the school shooting that took place in Perry, Iowa, yesterday morning. The alleged shooter had posted on Tik Tok. Those that were able to obtain screen shots of his online presence shows he had a pride flag in his Tik Tok bio and has allegedly participated in a transgender Reddit group.----Hamas fired at least 27 rockets at the south and center of Israel as the nation attempted to celebrate the start of the New Year.----Israeli Defense Forces announced Monday the killing of Hamas Commander Adil Mismah who took part in the October 7th invasion of Israel. ----Saleh L. Arouri, Deputy Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, was killed in an explosion in Southern Beirut on Tuesday.----Israel began withdrawing thousands of troops from Gaza as prolonged fighting is expected to continue. ----Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas's Political Bureau, said that they're open to the idea of a national unity government to run the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.----ISIS is claiming responsibility for the suicide bomb attacks in Iran this week. ----More than a dozen nations have issued an ultimatum to Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthis.

There are some very significant matters facing appellate courts as well as the U.S. Supreme Court for 2024. With a review of the past year as well as what's ahead, Crosstalk welcomed Mat Staver. He is founder - chairman of Liberty Counsel. Mat is a constitutional attorney with three landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. He's an author and the host of the radio broadcasts Faith - Freedom and Freedom's Call.--Discussion began with Mat commenting on the case of Ermold v. Davis. In this case, Liberty Counsel will be filing a motion to set aside the jury verdict against former Rowan County Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis who was sued by two same-sex couples for not issuing them marriage licenses. Mat believes there was insufficient evidence to award damages to the plaintiffs. If the motion is denied, Liberty Counsel will also file an appeal which would take it to the Court of Appeals. Mat believes this case could rise to the level of overturning Obergefell.--Other critical cases Mat referred to involved one where the court shut down the affirmative action for college admissions. This overruled a precedent that goes back to 1978. There was also the overruling of a 1977 case -Trans World Airlines- regarding religious discrimination in the workplace. There was the overturning of both the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision and also the 1971 Lemon v. Kurtzman decision, the latter of which did immense damage to the First Amendment. --Mat also sees action at the appellate and Supreme Court levels with cases that began in 2023. One is in regard to the government's coercion of private, social media entities, requiring-forcing them to censor the private speech of individuals.

Today there are numerous attacks taking place upon the authority of God's Word. The mantra in society today is often what we see communicated by Satan in Genesis 3-1---Yea hath God said--- The result is that many are turning their backs on God's Word and the result is that great efforts have been underway to remove God from the halls of government and academia. However, even more alarming is the increasing number of churches and other Christian institutions that are doing much the same thing. This merely echoes the words of the serpent from Genesis 3.--Joining Jim to bring his perspective on this battle as he looked back at 30 years of ministry, Crosstalk welcomed Ken Ham. Ken is the founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis-US, and the highly acclaimed Creation Museum, and the world-renowned Ark Encounter. Ken is a biblical apologist and is one of the most in-demand Christian speakers in North America.--Ken moved to the U.S. in 1987 and he compared the spiritual atmosphere then in the U.S. with what it's like now. He described America now as -...very, very secularized and anti-Christian.- The result, as Ken noted, is that Christians have become the enemy in American culture. So if you stand for God's Word in regard to marriage, pro-life or male-female genders, you'll be accused of hate speech, intolerance, misogyny and homophobia. This has even impacted the church as many have gone -woke- and become soft on such issues.--Ken described how this goes hand-in-hand with the generational loss in the church. Less than 9- of Generation -Z- attends church whereas if you go back to the 1700's, 75-80- of the population attended church in America.

In days like ours, when the world is in turmoil like never before and with the current state of the family and the church, it's good to be reminded of Scriptures like this one that Jim noted from Isaiah 40---Hast thou not known-- hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary-- there is no searching of his understanding.--He giveth power to the faint- and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.--Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall---But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength- they shall mount up with wings as eagles- they shall run, and not be weary- and they shall walk, and not faint.--As Jim also noted, it's critical that as we begin 2024, we keep our focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and his word. After all, as Jesus said in Matthew 24-35- Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.--Then there's 1 Peter 1-25 which says- But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. --With these thoughts in mind, Jim dedicated this first Crosstalk of 2024 to the truth and infallibility of God's word. He asked listeners to provide specific scriptures that they believe we need in such a time as this.--Find out how your fellow listeners responded, and be blessed, when you review this edition of Crosstalk-

T. A. McMahon is the President and Executive Director of The Berean Call ministry. He is also editor-in-chief and contributing writer for the Berean Call newsletter. He is co-author of The Seduction of Christianity and America- The Sorcerer's New Apprentice. He is the author of Showtime for the Sheep-- and Temporal Delusion. He has also researched and written numerous documentaries.--If you are a regular listener to Crosstalk, you will know that we have warned about deception and how it is on the increase just as Scripture said it would be. Many have wondered about the end times, such as how one would be able to control what people buy or sell, but look at how rapidly countries around the world are accepting and even mandating a central bank digital currency. This advancement is happening rapidly in the U.S. as well.--Others have wondered how there could be a one-world religion. With all of the different religions out there, what makes anybody believe this will actually come about-- This will not happen suddenly, but rather, such a system has been at work for a long time, slowly and subtly. In 2 Corinthians 11-13-14 it is written- For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel- for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Here's a look at some of the headlines that made the cut for this final edition of the News Round-Up for 2023-----Yesterday Maine's Democratic Secretary of State removed former President Trump from the state's presidential primary ballot under the Constitution's insurrection clause. ----The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected an attempt to remove former President Trump from their 2024 ballot. ----California's election chief yesterday approved former President Trump to be on the state's primary ballot.--Louisiana is considering removing former President Trump from their state's primary ballot. ----A poll indicates that 50- of Americans have said that the national media intended to mislead, misinform and persuade the public. ----A Christmas message from Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Jim provided the audio.----Iranian state TV announced Sunday that Iran's navy had enhanced its weaponry with the integration of advanced, locally manufactured cruise missiles. ----A senior official in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was killed Monday in an alleged Israeli air strike in the Syrian capital of Damascus.----Tehran claimed the October 7th massacre in Israel was a response to the 2020 killing of Iranian Commander Qasem Soleimani by the U.S. Hamas has denied the claim, insisting that the massacre was a response to alleged Israeli crimes at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.----Anti-Israel protesters wreaked havoc on unsuspecting shoppers and travelers in an effort to spread their cease-fire and -Israel is guilty of genocide- messages near JFK Airport in New York City and at Los Angeles International Airport.

From massive demonstrations that have been shutting down traffic and blocking access to other forms of transportation to Christmas events that were interrupted, sadly, anti-Semitism is running rampant at levels in the U.S. and it's growing around the world.--One of the significant breeding grounds for this anti-Semitism has been college and university campuses. --To help listeners sort through this issue, Crosstalk welcomed Brad Dacus. Brad is president and founder of the Pacific Justice Institute. Their mission is to defend, without charge, the religious freedoms, parental rights, and other civil liberties of individuals who cannot defend themselves. Brad previously served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Phil Gramm and received his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas, School of Law.--Earlier this month, the Anti-Defamation League reported that from October 7th to December 7th, a recorded 2,031 anti-Semitic incidents took place. That's up from 465 recorded incidents recorded in the same period in 2022, a 337- increase year over year.--What's going on here-- Have people just suddenly become anti-Semitic-- After all, Brad reminded listeners that the massacre of Jews by Hamas on October 7th was the catalyst. He indicated that while a small amount of this might be young people just looking for a cause, he believes that this is anti-Semitism coming to the surface that was there even before October 7th and that's what should be very alarming.--Brad also noted that these deep issues of anti-Semitism are coming from Muslim students who are here in the U.S. through visas, as well as a large percentage of first, second, third and fourth generation Muslims.

The Bible tells us in 2 Peter 3-18, -But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.- So while you may be growing in other aspects of your life, are you growing in your spiritual life-- If not, what changes are you willing to make as we approach the new year----You may answer by asking, -How can I do that-- What resources are available that can help in my quest to obey 2 Peter 3-18----Joining Jim to answer that question was Randy Melchert. Randy is a school administrator, a researcher, a consultant and a member of the VCY America Board of Directors.--Randy began by presenting some statistics that show just how critical the need is for resources and tools to help people in their spiritual growth and development. This is important because in spite of all the Bibles available in print form as well as through internet sources and apps, in America there's actually a spiritual famine taking place.--He cited futurechristianity.com where it's said that 80- of young millennials reject the idea that there are clear standards for right and wrong. The American Bible Society's annual survey says that just since COVID, 26 million people have stopped reading the Bible. Also, the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, claims that this past year, 100,000 self-described evangelical protestant women had an abortion. --Such statistics are why VCY America offers resources to help you become acquainted with God's word so that 2 Peter 3-18 is not only a reality for you, but a joy and something you look forward to daily as you seek a deeper relationship with your Creator-

Colorful lights, family gatherings, the baking, the presents, the special candy, the programs, and all the music of the season...you can become engulfed in all of these things and more, and still not understand the meaning of what's being celebrated.--From Paul in Galatians 4 to 1 John 4 and other related Scriptures, it's our hope that in the busyness of these days you will recognize the fact that at the precise moment in history, Jesus Christ came into this world, born as a baby yet fully God and fully man.--It's with that thought in mind that Jim opened the phone lines, encouraging listeners to express their Christmas thoughts. From testimonies of praise to God, favorite Christmas verses or stories, what people were doing to keep the focus on Jesus- all such expressions and more were welcome. --Merry Christmas from Jim and the Crosstalk team-

Due to a special Christmas edition of Crosstalk tomorrow, Jim moved up the News Round-Up broadcast. Here's a selection of stories from the program-----The Colorado Republican Party is planning to withdraw from the state's primary election and move to a caucus system if the ruling against having President Trump on the ballot stands.----The California Lieutenant Governor is calling for former President Trump to be barred from their primary ballot. ----Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick suggested that the chaos on the border could be grounds to remove President Biden from the state's 2024 ballot. ----Senator Marco Rubio posted on -X- that the U.S. has put sanctions on other nations for doing exactly what the Colorado Supreme Court did against President Trump.----The Satanic Temple now has a display at the Michigan State Capitol.----A Pennsylvania school attempted to execute damage control after issuing a memo instructing bus drivers to remove Christmas decorations from their vehicles, to stop wearing anything related to the holiday and to avoid playing Christmas music.----The Israel Defense Forces are reportedly close to completing their ground offensive in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, having significantly dismantled the presence of Hamas battalions in the region.----The head of a Gaza hospital has admitted to Israeli forces that Hamas used his hospital to advance its military operations since the hospital is a safe place.----Israeli Defense Forces soldiers in Gaza managed to reach the home of the leader of Hamas, shortly after he fled the scene.----The steps leading up to the Lincoln Memorial were vandalized with red colored graffiti reading, -Free Gaza.-

As we look at poverty around the world, some individuals are forced into some very desperate situations just to provide the basic needs of life. Sometimes prostitution appears to be the only way out. With that comes exploitation and sex-trafficking.--Fortunately, someone's engaged in a ministry designed to break that cycle. That person is Alex Kuhlow. Alex is the founder - executive director for Threads of Hope, Inc.--While growing up, becoming a missionary was simply not a part of Alex's vocational plans. As the son of a plumber, Alex grew up in the affluence of Neenah, Wisconsin, where he eventually became a machinist. Working long hours, he reasoned that he wanted to retire and live a comfortable life.--One day as he was reading about the rich young ruler, the idea of selling everything, giving it to the poor and following Christ hit Alex hard. He wondered what his response would be if Christ was giving these instructions to him personally.--As Alex noted, he wasn't a pilot, a church planter or a Bible translator. He was just a blue-collar machinist so he didn't think he had anything to offer the mission field.--But God had other plans...--One day a missionary came to to his church who happened to be a journeyman plumber. He was sharing with youth that whatever skills and abilities you have, the Lord can use them on the mission field. After the presentation, Alex asked the missionary what the greatest obstacle was in getting to the mission field. The missionary told him it was financial debt. That was the very week Alex and his wife had become financially debt free. There went that excuse-

California will disallow the sale of new cars powered by gasoline in 2035. That radical move, along with other environmental policies combined with the state's sky-high taxes, and it's no wonder so many are leaving California. --Looking elsewhere, there was a new bill introduced December 5th in the state of Washington -House Bill 1868- aimed at making gas powered lawn mowers and other lawn equipment illegal, with heavy fines and even jail time for violators.--The push for electric vehicles continues by the federal government despite their deficiencies, especially their cold weather performance. In addition, they're slow sellers on new car lots.--So why is all of this going on-- Returning to Crosstalk to answer that question was Tom DeWeese. Tom is president of American Policy Center. He is one of the nation's leading advocates of individual liberty, free enterprise, private property rights, personal privacy, back-to-basics education and American sovereignty and independence and protecting our constitutionally-guaranteed rights. He is also the grassroots coordinator for CFACT.--As Tom explained, -net-zero- is the target, despite the fact that C02 is not a pollutant. So much of what exists on our planet needs C02 to survive. Yet in spite of that, a new study claims humans are contributing to global warming by breathing, and if you're female and over 30 years old, you're the biggest culprit---To place blame on people just for breathing sure sounds like an excuse for lowering the human population does it not-- Tom believes that's the contention.

There are those who insist that believers in Christ should have nothing to do with Christmas or its observance. The guest on this edition of Crosstalk, and his fellow workers in ministry, have put together a book to address this important matter.--Frank Figueroa Jr. is a speaker and presenter for Reasons For Hope, a ministry dedicated to presenting, proclaiming and defending the biblical worldview. He has a Science Education degree from the University of Hawaii. He formerly served as pastor in Hawaii and now speaks to numerous youth camps, youth assemblies and private schools. He's a contributor to the book, Glad You Asked- Answers to 12 Tough Questions About Christmas That You Need Answers For.--Is Christmas, as some would say, a pagan holiday-- Frank said that the answer is both yes and no. He noted that there are some things used from past pagan traditions. However, the reason we celebrate Christmas is not due to any of those things. It's because of the birth of Christ and ultimately so that he would die for our sins. --He used an example from the book, Glad You Asked. Imagine if Christians took the month of June, which is currently known as Pride Month, and began calling it Prayer Month, using it as a springboard to witness to the lost, especially those who are pro-pride. Then, if over time, Pride Month instead became known nationally as Prayer Month, 100 years from now would Christians feel as though we shouldn't have taken a secular idea and turned it into something that we can use to serve the Lord's purposes-- No, of course not.--Listen to the discussion as Jim has Frank tackle tough questions that Christians sometimes debate concerning Christmas.

Finish the week with Crosstalk and get caught up on news from around the world. Here's a sample of what Jim presented to listeners this week-----At the U.N.'s COP 28 gathering, governments from around the world agreed to a global transition from fossil fuel, greater limits on energy use, and a new fund to compensate governments of poor nations for alleged damages caused by C02 emissions from wealthier nations.----The U.S. Supreme Court will take up a January 6th defendants appeal of the Department of Justice's novel use of evidence tampering law to prosecute hundreds of defendants for obstruction of Congress. ----In October of 2021, Joe Biden called on the Department of Justice to prosecute people who defy congressional subpoenas. Now President Biden's son Hunter skipped out on a deposition before Congress this past Wednesday. ----Hunter Biden claimed the investigation into his business dealings is a move to undermine his father's tenure as president. Jim provided audio from his public statement.----Jim also provided audio of Republican Congressman Jim Jordan speaking out on Hunter Biden being a -no-show.- ----The House narrowly approved opening an impeachment probe into President Biden Wednesday, hours after his son Hunter defied a congressional demand to testify on Capitol Hill. ----A Christian veteran tore down the satanic shrine at the Iowa capitol and beheaded it.----An after-school Satan club is coming to a Tennessee elementary school.

Becki Dudley is a children's author who has written titles such as When You See a Rainbow, When You see a Cloud, and When You a Star, Noah's Ark for Kids and more. She's written and recently released God's Story- From the Beginning to the Promised Return.--Becki is a mother as well as a grandmother of seven. She communicated that because of the things we're seeing that are happening in the world, the most important thing we can do is to teach children the truth that's given to us in God's word.--The result is God's Story, a collection of 125 illustrated stories from the Bible that takes a child from Genesis to Revelation. Her hope in writing this was to connect the dots of the -big picture- for children, to reinforce that these were real people and that they're not fiction or fairy tales. In other words, God's word is real history and children can learn from it.--During the two year process of writing the book she used the scarlet thread of redemption as a general outline beginning with the Garden of Eden and culminating on the Cross. She definitely wanted to include those stories that foreshadowed Christ's ultimate sacrifice and what that means. --The book is illustrated with wonderful pictures by Bill Looney. Becki feels his pictures themselves tell stories and help to bring those in the book to life.--As the broadcast moves along you'll hear why this isn't just a -feel good- book, why there's an emphasis on the holiness of God, what the -thread of hope- sections are all about, the colorful maps that allow you to compare the land in Bible times to the land today, some key points from Christ's ministry, and much more including calls from listeners-

Many of you are perhaps burdened concerning the eternal state of unsaved family members and friends. The good news is that the Christmas season provides many unique opportunities to cross paths with some of these individuals and share the hope of Christ with them.--If you believe that doing so will -rock the boat- and that you must remain silent in order to -keep the peace- at Christmas, you may not be aware that there is a way to share Christ with grace, love and effectiveness and that's what this broadcast is all about. --Appearing on Crosstalk to share his experiences was John Sorensen. John is president - CEO of Evangelism Explosion International, a ministry that trains people how to share their faith in Christ and how to bring people from unbelief to belief. He's the daily speaker on Share Life Today.

Since November 30th, when you were wrapping up your Thanksgiving celebration time with family and friends and planning for Christmas, the United Nations Climate Change Conference was underway in the United Arab Emirates. This was the 28th gathering of the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, otherwise known as COP 28. The guest on this Crosstalk has been in attendance and has summed up the totalitarian nature of this effort in just a few words- censorship, global taxes and tyranny.--Joining Jim to let listeners know what was being discussed and proposed was Alex Newman. Alex is an award-winning international freelance journalist, author, researcher, educator and consultant. He is senior editor for The New American. He is co-author of Crimes of the Educators and author of Deep State- The Invisible Government Behind the Scenes. He is founder of Liberty Sentinel.

Since Hamas launched its barbaric attack against Israel on October 7th, more and more uprisings are appearing around the world. Those involved are saying with great boldness that Israel is the problem, they should be destroyed, and as occupiers, they have no right to defend themselves.--Why are they saying such things-- The goal is a worldwide caliphate which includes the United States. It would be a world where only Islam is accepted. All others would need to be killed because the Qur'an teaches that all Jews and Christians are infidels.--Bringing more clarity to this subject was Shahram Hadian. Shahram is a former Muslim from Iran who came to the states in 1978 and committed his life to Jesus Christ. Shahram started the Truth in Love Project and is the founding pastor of Truth in Love Ministry. He exposes the true goal of Islam and the threat of Sharia in America. He's served as a pastor, a police officer, and a former candidate for governor in Washington State.--Fathi Hamad, a Palestinian politician and political leader of Hamas, declared on December 1st on Al-Aqsa television that Palestinians are preparing to establish an Islamic caliphate with Jerusalem as its capital.--What is a caliphate-- Shahram explained how Islam has been working on establishing a worldwide caliphate for 1,400 years. They seek global domination where every nation on earth is governed by Islamic law. This means that a caliphate in Islam is both religious and political. The mosque is the state and the state is the mosque. This can take the form of subjugation by force or the majority of the population becoming Islamic.

Crosstalk and the Friday News Round-Up, your source for news stories that impact you. Here's a sample of what Jim presented for listeners-----A 53 year old Israeli taxi driver who was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7th has been murdered. His body is still held by Hamas in Gaza. ----IDF soldiers on Tuesday recovered one of the largest stockpiles of weapons belonging to Hamas, again showing how Hamas uses Palestinian citizens as human shields. ----A compromise 900 billion dollar defense bill doesn't contain any restrictions on paying for military members traveling to get an abortion, nor does the bill block coverage of transition surgeries for transgenders and hormone treatments. ----The Israeli security minister says his ministry is now approving up to 3,000 gun applications per day.----The Biden administration is considering getting behind new restrictions on who can seek asylum and an expanded deportation process to secure new aid for Ukraine and Israel in the supplemental funding bill.----A young, male, African migrant expressed his gratitude to President Biden for the opportunity at a better life in the U.S. Jim provided the audio.----President Putin of Russia arrived in the Middle East where he's meeting with the leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to shore up support from the major oil producers.----The House Judiciary Committee passed a bill to reform FISA. ----The U.N. Human Rights Bureaucracy released a scathing report last month slamming America as a bastion of horrors.----Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy will be retiring from Congress at the end of this year.

Dr. Richard Schmidt is pastor of Union Grove Baptist Church and founder of Prophecy Focus Ministries. He is the speaker on the weekly TV program, Prophecy Focus and the radio broadcast, Prophecy Unfolding. He spent 32 years in law enforcement including that of acting sheriff of Milwaukee County until his retirement. He's authored several books including- Are You Going to a Better Place--, Daniel's Gap Paul's Mystery, Tribulation to Triumph- The Olivet Discourse, Globalism- The Great World Consumption and Artificial Intelligence, Transhumanism and the De-Evolution of Democracy.--It's been 60 days since Hamas brutally attacked Israel. Dr. Schmidt believes the reason so many are jumping on the pro-Palestinian bandwagon at this time is because we're forgetting the barbaric-horrific things that Hamas did 60 days ago. He described what they did as an animalistic attack that's demonic in its nature.--As proof, Jim presented audio clips. One is from State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, who responded to the raping of Israeli women by Hamas as a weapon of war. The other was from Jimmy Pacheco. Before being taken hostage, he was living in a Kibbutz as a caretaker for an elderly man who had been immediately killed by Hamas.--As this broadcast progressed, Dr. Schmidt commented on the following---- V.P. Kamala Harris and her statements concerning Israel's right to defend itself and how she and the president see Israel's responsibility to Palestinian citizens.--- What the IDF is doing about the Hamas tunnel system. --- How the IDF communicated with Palestinians to help save lives. --- The Arrow missile system that shot down a ballistic missile in outer space.

As Israel's war against Hamas rages, we continue to see pro-Hamas-pro-Palestinian uprisings around the world and in the U.S. Through all this the media has been all too willing to bow to the narrative presented by the enemies of Israel, even blaming Israel for bombing a hospital and carrying out the October 7th attack on their own people.--Pastor Jim Scudder Jr. just returned from Israel to document the story. Jim is pastor of Quentin Road Baptist Church in Lake Zurich, Illinois. He's an author and is speaker on the program InGrace which airs both on WVCY Television and VCY.tv on the VCY America Radio Network and on other facilities across the country.--Having led so many trips to Israel, Pastor Scudder felt compelled to go back and see first-hand, what was taking place. While there, he wanted to document what he experienced and come back and present the true story, in contrast to America's media, which he believes is slanted against Israel.--You'll hear about his experience flying in, why he believes this is a five-way war, his ride with an ambulance driver -Why this driver doesn't wear a seat belt--, audio clips from his experience, information on the InGrace bookmark to show your support for Israel, how you can see the finished TV program of the trip and more.

On many occasions, individuals will do something so that they remember a significant life event. The Israelites gathered stones as they crossed the Jordan River. With the stones, they built a monument so that when future generations asked what the stones meant, they would hear of how God led them through and provided for them.--We also put up monuments, not to worship, but to remember individuals or events that have impacted our nation in a significant way. Unfortunately, it's these statues and monuments that are under attack. Why is this happening----To address this issue, Crosstalk welcomed Dr. Tim Schmig. Dr. Schmig is executive director of the Michigan Association of Christian Schools, director of Stories in Stone and author of Stories in Stones- Our Heritage of Evidence.--So why is there such a concerted effort to remove statues and monuments today-- Dr. Schmig believes part of it is because people today are looking back through the lens of their own personal experiences, therefore they view our nation's founders based upon what's known as -presentism.- In other words, they weigh the actions and productivity of the founders -and others who've gone on before us- based on what they believe is right today.--As he noted, none of us are perfect, including America's founders. The present day protesters that tear down monuments aren't perfect either. So if you look at our nation through the lens of idealism, we'll be weighed in the balances and found wanting. Yet if you look at America's history based upon the times that they lived in, you'll see that those individuals did some amazing things.