"Obamacare Slammed by 'Cruz' Missile"

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) gave one of the world's longest speeches this week--21 hours and 19 minutes--supporting the defunding of Obamacare.

Known as a 'filibuster', the overnight talkathon did more than just put Cruz on the radar, it forced the MSM (mainstream media) to discuss the train wreck that is Obamacare.

Contrary to what we've been told, the Affordable Care Act (nicknamed 'Obamacare') is anything but.

Promised savings per family? $2500.00

Actual projected cost increase per family of four per year: $7450.00 (according to the Medicare actuaries).

If Obamacare is so great, how come everyone (and his brother) is trying to opt out?

"The Obama administration's decision to exempt members of Congress and their staffs from participating in Obamacare is fundamentally unfair," says former Education Secretary William Bennett. "Regardless of whether or not they support Obamacare, members of Congress should refuse the special exemption," Bennett said. "The law they enacted should apply to them."

Republican Senator Rand Paul intends to introduce a constitutional amendment that would force all federal employees onto Obamacare.

"I support any effort to make all laws applicable to Congress that we pass," Paul said. "The president wants 100% Obamacare, we want zero. Maybe we make it less bad through a compromise."

Compromise? What a novel idea. This bill has no Republican backing. Not even one Republican voted for it. Not one Republican helped write it.

What's wrong with that, you ask?

Where's the checks-and-balances? We have a 2 party system but only 1 party was invited to the Obamacare dance. Last time we checked it still took 2 to tango. Too bad for us the Republicans (for the most part) are too whimpy to stand up for the folks.

On board or not, the Obamacare train wreck is scheduled to hit the tracks October 1st.

A wise man once said: "I hope to 'stand firm' enough to not go backward, and yet not go forward fast enough to wreck the country's cause." -- Abraham Lincoln

"But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same mighty power that He will use to conquer everything, everywhere."  -- Philippians 3:20,21

News:

• DEBKAfile: Iran calls on international community to demand nuclear disarmament of Israel; while Syria claims they have weapons able to "blind" Israel.
• Washington Free Beacon: Russia, China hold large-scale war games; NATO to conduct large-scale maneuvers designed to counter growing concerns of a westward Russian military
• Fox News: 300+ companies report widespread cuts because of Obamacare

"Does America Suffer From Low Self- Esteem?"

Last week Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote a New York Times op-ed denouncing the concept of American exceptionalism as 'dangerous'.

Fine and dandy. He's entitled to his opinion.

The real issue is not what Putin thinks of us, but what we think of ourselves. Lately, it seems America has lost her mojo, or at the very least suffered a drop in her national self-esteem. Suddenly, American exceptionalism is being mistaken for conceit or arrogance--especially by those who have not been taught American history.

Our exceptionalism is not rooted (as so many seem to believe) in our military might, our standard of living or our superpower status (with the implication that the rules don't apply to us and we are therefore entitled to be the world's bullies).

We are exceptional because:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."--United States Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

We are exceptional because we are free.

If our national self-esteem has taken a nose dive, it's because many Americans have traded freedom for free stuff.

According to a Fox News poll, 74% think Americans rely too heavily on the government and not enough on themselves. According to CNNMoney: more than one in three Americans lived in households that received Medicaid, food stamps, or housing assistance last year and that number is even higher today.

And is it any wonder when we have House Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) saying in regards to Obamacare:

"We see it as an entrepreneurial bill, a bill that says to someone, if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, you can leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations, because you will have health care. You don't have to be job-locked."

Really? (Let's forget we just read that, and move on, shall we?)

Is Vladimir Putin correct? Should we denounce the concept of American exceptionalism as dangerous? Only if we no longer hold:

"...these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." 

This is the foundation of our exceptionalism. If we want to keep it, we must remember, recite, repeat (as necessary). The real danger lies in forgetting.

We are exceptional because we are free. Period. End of story.

"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."  -- Abraham Lincoln

"Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart's desires."  Psalm 37:3

News:

• Drudge Report: Dollar falls to 7 month low as Fed continues pumping money into the system.
• DEBKAfile: Obama softens on nuclear Iran: 'Keep components, just promise not to weaponize them.'
• FNC: US Post Office in "midst of disaster", expecting to lose an additional $6 billion this year after losing $16 billion last year. 

"Will Prophetic Events Unfold Soon?"

Prophecy buffs: Start your engines!

Every major player mentioned in end-time Bible prophecy has been front page news in recent weeks:

• Syria
• Egypt
• Iran 
• Israel
• and......Russia!

The only nation in the news that is NOT mentioned in the prophetic profile is the late, great U.S.A. 

President Barack Obama's decision to climb-down and back away from military action against Syria, and hand the reins over to Russian President Vladimir Putin, marks the beginning of the end of U.S. leadership in the Middle East.

Russia is only too happy to fill the vacuum--a situation predicted in the book of Ezekiel.

Russia, it seems, recognized the opportunity and pounced. They also recognized (even if U.S. leaders did not) the humongous potential for an early Armageddon.

"If a warhead, by design or by chance, were to hit the Miniature Neutron Source Reactor near Damascus, the consequences could be catastrophic," Moscow warned last Wednesday. Such a strike could set off a chain-reaction of unintended and horrific consequences.

The possibility of this happening is high. According to DEBKAfile, "important chemical weapons research facilities are located in the same compound  as the small Syrian reactor.  Moscow fears if the area were targeted the entire region could be at risk of contamination by highly-enriched uranium that could 'fall into the wrong hands.' 

In other words, Putin is afraid Obama will miscalculate and trigger a domino effect that sets the tinderbox known as the Middle East ablaze. 

Given these circumstances, it takes little imagination to see how the prophecy regarding Damascus, found in Isaiah 17, might be fulfilled: "This message came to me concerning Damascus: 'Look, Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins" (Isaiah 17:1).

Both Syria and Iran have threatened to retaliate against Israel should the U.S. attack Syria. If Syria makes the mistake of lobbing chemical weapons into Israel, you can bet on a swift and devastating response.

The seriousness of today's geopolitical landscape cannot be overstated. The Bible predicts:

• The city of Damascus will be destroyed (Isaiah 17:1)
• Egypt will dissolve into civil war (Isaiah 19)
• Israel will be attacked by her surrounding Muslim neighbors (Psalm 83)
• Russia will form a strategic military alliance with Iran (Persia), Ethiopia and Libya (Ezekiel 38:5), attack Israel in what sounds like either a chemical or nuclear exchange (Ezekiel 39:14)
• All the nations of the world eventually come against Israel  (Zechariah 12)

The Bible gives us detailed descriptions of what will happen in the Middle East. What it doesn't give us is the precise timing or order of these events, saying only that they will happen in 'the latter days' or 'the time of the end.'

Remember, 27% of the Bible is prophetic. There are literally hundreds of prophecies scattered throughout its pages. Many appear to be coming to fruition in our life time, indicating that we are the last generation.

Hard to believe?

Coincidence is one thing--but when every player mentioned begins to line up exactly as predicted--it's harder not to believe.

Before rolling your eyes, open them to the possibility that maybe---just maybe---God really does know the future, and He wants you to know it, too.

Why? So you can believe in Him, repent, and be saved (Ezekiel 38:16)

U.S. vs. Syria may be averted thanks to Putin, of all people. If so--great. But make no mistake: 

Damascus, one of the world's oldest cities, will one day face destruction.

And so will the rest of us if we refuse God's offer of salvation

"Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12).

"Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing His plans to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

A wise man once said: "Wisdom too often never comes, and so one ought not to reject it merely because it comes late." Felix Frankfurter--Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice from 1939-1962.

News:

• Washington Post: Opinion writer (and former Bush speechwriter) Marc A. Thiessen, accuses President Obama of "lifting his Syria speech from Bush. Obama essentially copied Bush's speech making a case for military action back in 2002, while attacking him at the same time."
• DEBKAfile: Western strike force for Syria disperses. Syria launches offensive near Israeli border

"Rush to War: Too Little, Too Late"

Authorization of U.S. military action in Syria was approved Wednesday by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This paves the way for a full vote next week.

Apparently, the Democratic leadership was in such a hurry to pass the war authorization that they didn't even adhere to their own rules.

"This was a rush to war behind closed doors," one senior GOP aide said. "We were told there was a need to have a thoughtful and public debate about how this nation goes to war, but this seems to be about simply getting a resolution done to cover the president."

According to Senate rules, seven days of advance notice is suppose to be given so that members have an opportunity to mull over the resolution before having to vote on it. This time they were only given a matter of hours. Considering the fact that 59% of Americans oppose going into Syria, you'd think they could at least follow their own protocol.

There are so many problems with going into Syria now, we hardly know where to begin. Assad is a monster and should have been dealt with two years ago. Now, after 120,000 deaths and millions of refugees, no one knows who the good guys are.

And why are we announcing our intentions to Syria?

Intelligence out of Syria reports the Assad regime has already hidden its WMD throughout Damascus hospitals and schools (Dang those guys! Who could've seen that one coming?)

While everyone hates to see what is happening to innocent Syrian people, it is now a classic example of 'Too little, too late'. If we are going to fight Assad now--we better fight to win. This 'shot across the bow' business won't cut it.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, complained to reporters that this administration has put military planners in the Pentagon in a "strategic bind." (ya think?) A limited Syrian strike could potentially open a can of worms that unravels the whole region.

One can only hope this whole Syria thing is just a diversionary tactic and what they're really planning is a surprise attack against Iran's nuclear program.

But that's just crazy talk. Taking out one of the world's biggest threats in a timely manner makes too much sense.

A wise woman once said: "Happy are all free peoples, too strong to be dispossessed. But blessed are those among nations who dare to be strong for the rest." -- author Elizabeth Barrett Browning

As the Scriptures say: "I will destroy human wisdom and discard their most brilliant ideas. So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made them all look foolish and has shown their wisdom to be useless nonsense" -- 1st Corinthians 1:19-20.

News:

• DEBKAfile: Hizballah mobilizes to defend Damascus under U.S. attack, while also preparing to launch a rocket attack against Israel.
• CNN: Russian President Vladimir Putin made veiled threat to sell highly advanced S-300 defense system to Iran if western nations attack Syria without UN backing.