He is risen!
He is risen!
This is the open thread for Sunday, April 1st, but today is too important of a day to get bogged down in the normal trivialities of the open thread.
“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go and anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.” (Mark 16:1-4 NIV)
“But when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood before them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he is risen!” (Luke 24:3-6 NIV)
Here is “Hallelujah–He is Risen.” From what I have been able to glean from the internet this hymn was written in the late 1800’s, but in this version the words from this hymn are set to the tune of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” I hope you enjoy it.
‘Above All’
Over the Lenten season I started writing a series of posts on Christianity which I intended to culminate on Resurrection Sunday with this post. But it struck me it would be out of place to focus on the death of Jesus on the day we are celebrating Him rising from the dead and what it means for all of us. It seems more appropriate to share this today on Good Friday.
A few weeks ago when we were at worship on Sunday morning the praise band played a song I had not heard them play before, in fact I had never heard any version of this song before. When the chorus came in I was hit with emotion; I felt a shudder in my body, and my eyes welled up. The song is called “Above All” and here are the lyrics which struck me:
Laid behind the stone
You lived to die
Rejected and alone
You took the fall
And thought of me
Above all
Here is a video of the song set to scenes from “The Passion of the Christ.” I know this movie is hard to watch but I find it to be a very powerful reminder of what happened on that day.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” John 12:24 KJV
Jeff Sessions names Federal prosecutor to help investigation into alleged FISA abuses by the FBI
Yesterday we learned that the Department of Justice Inspector General finally opened up an investigation into the allegations the FBI misled the FISA court to obtain a warrant to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. The FBI allegedly did not bother to tell the FISA court the Russian dossier was not verified by a second source and also failed to mention the dossier was paid for by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee.
Today Jeff Sessions announced that he has named a Federal prosecutor to aid in the investigation, here is more:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions revealed on Thursday that he had tapped a longtime federal prosecutor to help investigate FBI decisions in 2016, saying a new special counsel was not yet needed to look into GOP criticism about the bureau’s handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and the Trump campaign.
In a letter to senior Republican lawmakers, Sessions said that in November, he named U.S. Attorney John Huber — unanimously confirmed to lead the Justice Department’s Utah district under President Barack Obama and again under President Donald Trump — to partner with the Justice Department’s inspector general in the inquiry.
The move adds legal muscle to an internal investigation being run by Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who is nearing the release of an extensive report on the FBI’s handling of its investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.
As you read in the block quote above, this is not the special prosecutor many of us have been clamoring for but this is another step in the right direction. I still have trouble trusting Jeff Sessions because I am still concerned as a member of the establishment he is looking at whitewashing the investigation, but maybe there is a chance he is following procedure and the Federal prosecutor will dig up enough evidence which will lead to a special prosecutor. Still not getting my hopes up yet…
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
California Attorney General threatens to arrest Orange County Sheriff for adhering to Federal law on illegal immigration
The situation is getting very interesting in California over the state’s decision to basically nullify Federal immigration law through legislation. In case you have not been following this story: California passed a law declaring itself to be a “sanctuary state” and which forbade local police from cooperating with Federal ICE agents–in violation of Federal law. The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against the Golden State and earlier in the week Orange County voted to join the Federal lawsuit against the state.
Now we are learning, according to this story, the California Attorney General is threatening to arrest Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchins for adhering to Federal law and violating state law. Here is more:
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has threatened to arrest Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchins after her county’s board of supervisors voted Wednesday to assist federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
In keeping with the board of supervisor’s decision, Hutchins said that she would be publicly announcing release dates for any illegal immigrants her department is holding — in accordance to federal law — in order to assist ICE.
That decision drew a rebuke from Becerra, who threatened to take any action necessary in order to force Orange County officials to comply with the state’s sanctuary laws that forbid state law enforcement officials from cooperating with ICE in most instances.
“State law is state law. And it is my job to enforce state law. I will do so,” Becerra said during a press conference.
“And we want to make sure that every jurisdiction including Orange County, understand what state law requires of the people and the subdivisions of the state of California,” he continued.
When asked if that meant filing suit against Orange County or even arresting the sheriff, Becerra stepped away from the podium saying, “I think I just answered that.”
As a state’s rights advocate I believe the Federal government has too much power, however at the same time I do believe the Constitution grants the Federal government the power to regulate immigration in Article 1, Section 8, Paragraph 4 so I believe California is wrong here and Federal law trumps state law in this case.
I think I am being consistent in defending the Federal government over the states here but the left is not being consistent at all. I still remember when there was talk about states nullifying Obamacare and other Obama administration era laws and hearing the left tell us that nullification was not an option because in the antebellum period South Carolina’s attempt at nullification ended this debate once and for all.
Suddenly now that is no longer the case and according to the left you can arrest a person for nullifying a state law which nullified a Federal law. Does anyone else see the inconsistency (hypocrisy) here or is it just me?
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Just over a month ago Jeff Sessions announced he was directing the Department of Justice Inspector General to open an investigation into allegations the FBI misled the FISA court to obtain a warrant to spy on Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. We are now learning, according to this story, that General Michael Horowitz has opened up the investigation. Here is more:
The Justice Department’s inspector general is investigating Republicans’ allegations that prosecutors and FBI agents misled a federal judge so they could track a Donald Trump campaign adviser with ties to Russia.
In an announcement Wednesday, DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz said his office will review what DOJ and FBI personnel knew when they asked the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, in the midst of a political campaign, for a warrant to monitor the communications of Carter Page, an American and an adviser to then-presidential candidate Trump.
The IG announcement was prompted by allegations from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) and other Republicans that federal investigators omitted key information from their October 2016 application for the warrant to monitor Page. Nunes wrote in a memo made public last month that officials failed to disclose that a private intelligence dossier they used to make their case was financed in part by Democrats.
Of course the “private intelligence dossier” is the mostly discredited Russian dossier which was paid for by the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign and the allegation is that the FBI did not bother to tell the FISA court who paid for the dossier and also that it was not independently verified as required.
This is a step in the right direction but let’s hope this is a legitimate investigation and not part of a whitewashing designed to placate the base by making it appear as if the Department of Justice is doing something. Jeff Session is part of the establishment and I do not trust him to do the right thing.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Orange County votes to join Donald Trump’s lawsuit against California over ‘sanctuary state’ status
As you all know California recently passed “sanctuary state” legislation which forbids the local police from complying with ICE agents. There is now a bit of a civil war brewing in the Golden State: First Los Alamitos “opted out” of the law and now, according to this story, Orange County (of which Los Alamitos is a part) has voted to join the Federal lawsuit against California’s sanctuary state law. Here is more:
Leaders in Orange County, California, have voted to join a U.S. government lawsuit against the state over its so-called sanctuary law for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.
By a 3-0 vote, the all-Republican Board of Supervisors decided in closed session Tuesday to take the action.
The vote comes a week after the small Orange County city of Los Alamitos voted to opt out of the state law that limits local police collaboration with federal immigration agents.
California passed the sanctuary law last year to try to protect immigrants from stepped-up deportations under the Trump administration.
In addition to this the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is already defying the law by creating a new database which releases to the public the dates inmates are to be released from prison.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, whose leadership opposes the new California sanctuary law that limits cooperation with federal immigration officials, announced Monday that it is now providing public information on when inmates are released from custody.
As of Monday, March 26, an existing “Who’s in Jail” online database includes the date and time of inmates’ release – a move agency officials say will enhance communication with its law enforcement partners.
The release date information applies to all inmates, not just those who are suspected of being in the country illegally. But the goal is to assist agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
“This is in response to SB-54 limiting our ability to communicate with federal authorities and our concern that criminals are being released to the street when there’s another avenue to safeguard the community by handing them over (to ICE for potential deportation),” Orange County Undersheriff Don Barnes said.
California has basically been in the process of nullifying Federal Law and it is hard to see how the state can win this battle, history in South Carolina shows us how nullification ends…
But this is California after all and I am sure they will find a sympathetic court…
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Debbie Wasserman Schultz introduces legislation which would require background checks to purchase ammunition
There has been quite a bit of talk lately about strengthening background checks on people who are purchasing weapons but Debbie Wasserman Schultz has taken it to another whole level, she wants background checks on people who are purchasing ammunition. Here is more:
Monday, Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ reported on Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (D-FL) news conference announcing the Ammunition Background Check Act of 2018, which was legislation requiring background checks to purchase ammunition.
Surrounded by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Wasserman Schultz said, “Unlike firearm purchases, someone who wants to go into a store that sells ammunition can buy as much ammunition as they want without so much as being asked their first name.”
To be honest I do not have a problem with strengthening background checks but this is just insane and I cannot picture this going anywhere in the House.
But it is ironic this is coming from a person who apparently did not do a proper background check on the Awan brothers before hiring them to her IT staff. These brothers were accused of hacking into government computers, bank fraud, and funneling money to the Middle East and two of them fled the country. Imran Awan was not so lucky as he was arrested at the airport while trying to flee the country.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
Is Paul Ryan going to resign as Speaker of the House?
Representative Mark Amodei appeared of Nevada spoke to a local television show and he said it was rumored in Washington that Paul Ryan was going to step down as Speaker of the House within 30-60 days. Here is more:
Rep. Mark Amodei (R-Nev.) told a local news station that there is a “rumor” that Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will resign soon, stepping up speculation about the Speaker’s political future.
“The rumor mill is that Paul Ryan is getting ready to resign in the next 30 to 60 days and that Steve Scalise will be the new Speaker,” Amodei told Nevada Newsmakers, referring to the Majority Whip.
“Now this is interesting, because no one has talked to members on how they are going to vote,” he added. “Now, maybe they have talked to all of the members but me. I don’t know, so that is the rumor mill from last week.’”
I am not going to pretend I know anything about Mark Amodei, in fact I do not recall ever hearing his name before, so I do not know how reliable this is. But there has to be something here, would Mark Amodei go on television and make this up? I would not think so. Would Mark Amodei go on television and spread a rumor if it was not more than a rumor? I would tend to think not but maybe he has an agenda and Paul Ryan is beginning to be pushed out, but that is just speculation on my part.
For his part, and for what it is worth, Paul Ryan is denying this claim:
“The speaker is not resigning,” said Ryan’s spokeswoman AshLee Strong in a statement on Monday.
Of Course we heard for weeks that H.R. McMaster was not on the chopping block but when he resigned we were told this was in the works for weeks so those rumors ended up being true so who knows what to believe any more? Quid est veritas?
Personally I hope this is true, Paul Ryan cannot step down fast enough for me. I do not think he should have been named Speaker of the House in the first place.
malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium
‘We have no King but Caesar’
Today is Palm Sunday. On this day Jesus entered Jerusalem as a hero, the Messiah, the One would deliver Israel from the Roman empire and the people threw down palm leaves at His feet and glorified Him.
At least the people thought Jesus would deliver them from the Roman empire but the people did not understand that Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36) because they did not understand scripture and they turned against Him.
It always strikes me at how quickly the people turned against Jesus at the behest of their leaders after the Triumphal Return. The leaders saw Jesus as a threat to their power and they wanted Him dead by any means necessary. (I might argue they wanted His death to be as painful, degrading, and as humiliating as possible to set an example.) The willingness of the Jewish leaders to say anything it took to condemn Jesus, in my opinion, comes to a head in John 19:15.
But first let us set up the story:
Jesus was arrested and tried illegally by the Jewish high priest, Caiaphas, the chief priests, and the elders. They condemned Him to death but Roman law forbade the Jews from administering corporal punishment so they appealed to Pilate. Pilate could find no grounds for condemning Jesus so he in turn appealed to Herod but Herod basically told Pilate to deal with it.
Pilate was in a tough situation, he did not want another Jewish insurrection because he was already on shaky grounds with the Roman empire so he tried to appease the Jews without condemning Jesus to death. Pilate had Jesus flogged, ridiculed, and tortured but it still was not enough to appease the chief priests and the elders.
Pilate then asked the Jewish people to choose between Jesus and a murderer, hoping they would choose Jesus. But listening to the chief priests and the elders they chose Barabbas.
This must have shaken and shocked Pilate so he made one last plea to the Jewish leaders and this takes us to John 19:15: “But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.”
This is an astounding passage! The Jews deeply resented Roman rule and when they had the choice to either abide by Caesar’s law or follow Jesus they chose the former over the latter. This hypocrisy cannot be understated! Suddenly they were friends of Caesar! This was the ultimate betrayal and as Jesus told Pilate upon being condemned to death, “therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.” (John 19:11 KJV)
Caiaphas, the chief priests, and the elders acquiesced to the empire they despised and rejected the eternal kingdom standing right in front of them. This reminds me in a way of the rich man in Mark 17:21-22 who was unwilling to give up his riches to follow Jesus, but in this case they were unwilling to give up their earthly power to follow Jesus.
These Jewish leaders thought that by killing Jesus they would secure their power, but in actuality they fulfilled scripture and unknowingly ended their power and sealed their own fate because they were not condemning Jesus but rather they were condemning themselves.
I feel this is still happening today: too often we put our trust and, dare I say it, our faith in our political leaders, hoping they will save us from the evils and misfortunes of the world when the true answer is still standing in front of us.
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (John 1:5 KJV)
Sunday, March 25th open thread: ‘The Trooper’
Here is the open thread for Sunday, March 25th. Please feel free to post links to interesting articles and to discuss whatever issues arise during the course of the day. Nothing is off-topic here.
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Here is Iron Maiden performing “The Trooper” live in 1985:
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