239 World on the Brink: Seeking the Kingdom in a Time of Collapse
“The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.” ~ Psalm 14
World on the Brink: Seeking the Kingdom in a Time of Collapse
Teetering on the edge, where the powerful prey on the weak and deception reigns, the ancient Truth does not change: those who exploit others will inevitably face their own downfall. With the collapse of systems in which we once trusted, we find ourselves crying out, knowing that on our own we are too small. The chaos and conflict overwhelm, but there is a greater power. There is a Scatterer who is not fazed by the forces that threaten us. Even amidst widespread devastation, Children of God still have hope that never disappoints; certainty that what has been lost shall be reclaimed. Amid darkness, stability shines in an unshakable wisdom from Above, peaceable and pure even as steeples fall. Saving the past is futile. Lost power is not restored by crocodile tears. The breakdown of communications and the betrayals of trust that have undermined every fair road in our society shall render attempts at restoration in the ruins of the human condition useless; for with the ways of men, all things are lost. Still, the Light shines in the darkness—a Greater One than ourselves; a Root is Beams Truth, never stops lifting his Holy Voice to Call. Publishing the Peace of Heaven exposes the hollow efforts of worldly power, even as the fires of destruction consume and rage against that which once was thought unassailable. It is in these flames that the waters of renewal purify most clearly, the vision of seeking a Kingdom rooted in Grace and Truth appeals more than ever. In this critical moment, the call is not just to survive, but to act. It is not the time to hide, but to urge with all integrity. It is not the time for silence, but the season to reject quick gain, oppression and deceit, and to root our entire life in what is right and just. Those who stand firm in Truth will find refuge and provision, even as the world around them crumbles. They who wait on Christ the King in effective and fervent prayer are seizing every opportunity to create a redeemed future in which the Kingdom’s justice and peace prevail publicly, for which the memories of past fears no longer dictate their actions but serve their steadfastness to the future. Oppressive forces lose their grip on our lives, first and foremost, through the present activity – our faith alone. Today is the Day to reclaim that which was lost, to renew that which cannot be shaken, to live enduring abundance as confidence that the King has it all well in hand. Freed from the narrative controls of those who once sought to dominate you, true leadership and authority re-establish themselves among us in the Word, in the everlasting principlalities of justice and judgment, owned by Christ the King as his Reign of Grace. His Kingdom is the way to a secure tomorrow. With old “new” world fading and cracking with its concrete, we shall shape the next age in promises that shall never disappoint: cleansing, forgiving, and unwaveringly defending what is right for those who cannot defend themselves is the freedom for which we have been set free.
Till angel cry and trumpet sound,
R.J.M.F
Births, Deaths and Marriages
The Supreme Court of Arkansas has rejected a pro-abortion ballot initiative because “organizers reportedly failed to provide proper documentation for hired signature gatherers.” The initiative would have “allowed abortion on demand in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and abortion after that time for rape, incest, threats to maternal health, or fetal abnormalities inconsistent with life.” God be praised! (Just the News)
A very well-funded abortion measure will be put to Floridians in November. The initiative would legalize second-trimester abortions and very few people know about it. If you’re in Florida or know anyone there, make them aware. (The Federalist)
Planned Parenthood made clear that its anti-human mission is to reduce the amount of people in the world, setting up a mobile clinic providing free vasectomies and abortions outside the Democratic National Convention last week. (Not the Bee)
Too many Americans don’t know that there are better ways than using IVF to overcome fertility difficulties. (The Federalist)
The world’s oldest person died last week in Spain. Maria Branyas Morera was 117. She attributed her longevity to “good connection with family and friends, contact with nature…lots of positivity, and staying away from toxic people.” Oh and “luck and good genetics.” (Guinness World Records)
Crime and Punishment
A federal court ruled last week that Robert F. Kennedy Jr has standing to sue the Biden-Harris administration for their role in censoring him during the pandemic. The joint effort of government and Big Tech to deplatform, demonetize or “shadow ban” dissenting voices during the pandemic was taken up by the Supreme Court earlier this year, but a 6-3 majority concluded that the plaintiffs (several states and some individuals) did not have standing to bring the case. (Reclaim the Net, The Blaze)
Disney has given up on seeking arbitration in a case brought by a man whose wife died from an anaphylactic reaction in a Disney restaurant. The case will now proceed in court. (The Verge)
Former Republican Congressman George Santos will avoid a September trial after agreeing to a plea deal on “federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.” (WNG)
A Kentucky man has been sentenced to 81 months in prison after hacking government servers to falsify his own death certificate. Jesse Kipf faked his death in order to avoid paying overdue child support. (Justice.gov)
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Thunderdome 2024
There is a lot to say about the Democrat National Convention, which concluded last week as Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the party’s nomination to be its presidential candidate. However, Frisby’s round up is not quite ready! Keep an eye out for it tomorrow.
But in other election news..
It appears the 2024 race has more plot twists in it yet.. Robert Kennedy Jr suspended his campaign and threw his endorsement behind Donald Trump. RFK did not mince his words when giving his reasons, blasting the Democrats for underhanded tactics in hounding lawmakers to remove him from state ballots and selling out their values to become the “party of war, censorship, corruption, Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big Ag, and Big Money.” Kennedy accused the Democrats of covering up President Biden’s mental decline and for pushing Vice President Harris forward without voting. Donald Trump has said he will consider a place for Kennedy, should he take the White House again. (Perhaps not the EPA. Or the CDC. Or the FBI..!) Kennedy has been famously outspoken about mandates and vaccines and has a mission to invest in the health of American children. He still holds pro-abortion and “green” credentials. While RFK’s campaign support has been dwindling, the news of his stepping back has added fresh chaos into the race. Kennedy family members took to social media to recoil at the idea that a Kennedy was running with a Republican, but it is 2024 so they will have to roll with it. RFK said his name will remain on ballots in blue and red states, where it will not hurt Trump’s chances, but he will remove his name from all swing states. Stepping down also means Kennedy will lose his Secret Service protection, which seems significant in our current political environment. So it wouldn’t hurt to lift up prayers for all our leaders, that they would punish evil and reward good and be preserved to do so. (PJ Media, Red State, New York Post) Key points of RFKs address at the Vigilant Fox via X.
We know anyone can appear a bit strange if you scrutinize close enough, but governor Tim Walz’ fascination with China seems more than a justifiable admiration for its people, history or culture. He did say that one man’s socialism was another man’s “neighborliness” and a love for collectivism and Chairman Mao now seems very evident. (Peachy Keenan)
U.S. intelligence officials have warned that Iran is trying to meddle in American elections. (CBS)
Politics
The Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 to approve a request from the Republican National Committee (R.N.C.) to partially reinstate an Arizona law on voter registration. The law requires officials to discard registration which does not provide proof of identity. R.N.C chairman, Michael Whatley, said the decision was “a seismic win in the fight to stop non-citizens from voting.” The law is in effect while a challenge is before a ninth-circuit court of appeals. (Epoch Times)
A new House Committee report has collated evidence that the Biden family secured favors and received large payments from overseas sources while Joe Biden was vice president. (The Blaze, The Federalist)
Where do they find these people? A new hire at Biden’s energy department says “queer theory” is essential for America's national security and the diversity hiring is necessary for effective nuclear policy. (Fox)
Military
A federal judge has ruled against the Department of Defense’s ban on recruiting HIV+ individuals into the armed forces, as long as they have “undetectable viral loads”. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema didn’t buy the D.O.D’s argument that the incurable disease could spread through blood splatter especially if infected soldiers neglect take daily medications. They also pointed to the higher financial burden such recruits place on the military and the struggle to deploy them to countries with restrictions around the disease. But it’s hard to see how the D.O.D. has a leg to stand on in this case, since it defended the inclusion of transgender individuals who present most of the same liabilities for a strong and ready force. The judge stated her determination to “remove stigma” around HIV. (The Hill)
Coming to America
Poor communication between the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) has resulted in thousands of unaccompanied children who crossed illegally into the U.S. now unable to be unaccounted for. A new report from the D.H.S. inspector general’s office says that 32,000 children had “failed to appear for immigration court hearings” in the last four years with no follow up. House Republicans blamed botched tracking of these kids on the Biden-Harris administration and raised concerns that some may be prey for traffickers. Immigration officials also failed to issue court orders for another 300,000 children, who may also be lost. (WNG, The Federalist)
Guatemalan police have arrested seven gang members for allegedly running the human trafficking operation which resulted in the deaths of 53 illegal immigrants in 2022. The migrants died in a tractor trailer in San Antonio from heat and asphyxiation. (WNG)
Panama has deported 25 Colombian men who were heading for the U.S. border. The group’s flights home were paid for by America, as per an agreement with Panama. (Al Jazeera)
U.S. border agents have intercepted a truck carrying $5 million worth of methamphetamine disguised as watermelons. (BBC)
The Digital Age
The founder of encrypted messaging app, Telegram, has been detained in Paris by French authorities. Pavel Durov was arrested “as part of an inquiry into allegations of fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, promotion of terrorism and cyberbullying”, because he refused to “curb the criminal use of his platform” nor hand over police access to data and messages. No doubt the app is used for bad actors, but Telegram issued a statement saying that Durov has nothing to hide and that the platform abides by E.U. law. Durov left Russia in 2014, but now its Paris embassy is accusing France of failing to allow access to Durov. Dude, whatever you do, don’t drink the tea.. (The Guardian)
A telecom which transmitted a deepfake robocall purporting to be from President Biden will pay a $1 million fine. The Federal Communications Commission has also proposed fining the political consultant behind the calls an additional $6 million. A pre-recorded message imitating Joe Biden was made to New Hampshire voters, urging them not to vote in the state’s presidential primary. The calls were intended to bolster support for then Democrat presidential hopeful Dean Phillips’ campaign. (The Verge)
A mayoral candidate for Cheyenne, Wyoming wants an A.I. bot to run the city – “to a degree”. Victor Miller said he would be the “meat avatar” for the digital assistant – he will “attend ceremonies and events, [but] the bot would veto or sign legislation and take charge of decision-making matters.” (News Nation Now)
Chicken and chill: Chik-Fil-A says it is launching a streaming service of family-friendly content. (Deadline)
Money, Markets and Jobs
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has revised its annual job estimates down by over 800,000. The B.L.S gives a “best guess” for the year’s job numbers and confirms them later, revising up or down as needed. But this downward revision is the biggest in 15 years. Donald Trump was quick to accuse the Biden administration of fraud, but it is likely more the evidence of a terrible economy than out and out lying. But either way that’s not good. (NBC, Alpha News)
A federal judge has blocked the Federal Trade Commission’s ban on non-compete clauses from going into effect. Non-compete agreements are used to prevent employees being poached by rival companies, giving a “cooling off” period for employees who may have insider knowledge when moving to a new job. U.S. District Judge Ada Brown ruled that the F.T.C’s rules were overly broad without reason. (The Verge)
Canadian-owned Circle K has offered to buy rival, 7 eleven. The convenience store company is owned by the family of Japanese businessman Masatoshi Ito, who is credited with turning the American chain into a global empire. The unexpected offer is being considered but insiders say the family is unlikely to divest its “legacy businesses”. (BBC, VN Express)
Ford is abandoning its plan for a fully-electric S.U.V. and reducing its capital spending on E.Vs. Ford says “it won’t release any new electric vehicles until it can ensure profitability on the models within the first year of launch.” (The Verge)
Why toilet paper rolls keep getting shorter. (The Hustle)
Education
M.I.T has released enrollment data for its incoming students, revealing that the ethnic make up of its class of 2028 will be noticeably impacted by the Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action policies. College press said that there would be no changes to their standards, but lamented that there was no doubt “that we left out many well-qualified, well-matched applicants from historically under-represented backgrounds who in the past we would have admitted.” (Matt Yglesias via X, MIT News)
Arts, History and Sport
A long time ago, in a very diverse galaxy far away.. Disney’s Star Wars show “The Acolyte” has been cancelled after one season, for failing to meet the company’s viewer threshold. We understand Disney wants a return on investment with such a big budget production but with reports all ‘round saying everything about it was terrible, that was a long shot. Deadline reports that this series “divided” the Star Wars fan base. Maybe because it features lesbian space witches who created life using the Force. (Deadline)
Willie Nelson is set to release his 153rd album at age 91. (Stereo Gum)
The coach of world no. 3 ranked female tennis star, Aryna Sabalenka has been spotted wearing an XX-XY hat in protest of transgender individuals in women’s sports. (Outkick)
Divers believe they’ve found a “remarkably well-preserved” battleship, sunk 110 years ago, off the coat of Scotland. Over 500 men were killed when the H.M.S. Hawke was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1914. (BBC)
Last week in history:
1455 Gutenberg prints the first Bible using movable type. (Britannica)
1617 London [apparently] introduces one-way streets. (Exploring London)
1902 President Theodore Roosevelt is the first president to [publicly] ride in a car through the streets of Hartford, Connecticut. (Connecticut History)
Health, Medicine and Food
Microplastics have now been found in human brains, with experts calling for the declaring of a global emergency to deal with plastic pollution. (The Guardian)
The injustice of the West’s public health imperialism: while panic has gripped the world over around 500 monkeypox deaths in Congo, treatable diseases like malaria and problems like clean drinking water are putting vulnerable people at risk. That is not to downplay the tragedy of so many deaths but the focus of many health agencies in the West is misplaced. “Tuberculosis alone kills about 1.3 million people globally each year, which is a rate about 1,500 times higher than Mpox in 2024.” Pressure to conform to climate goals is destabilizing regions of Africa, but the “public health industry is [now] dependent on emergencies…While the risk from pandemics is not significantly different than decades ago, there is an industry dependent on making you think otherwise.” (Brownstone)
“Is obesity itself an energy balance problem, caused by eating too much, or a carbohydrate-insulin problem triggered by the refined and sugary carbohydrates in modern diets?” (Unsettled Science)
Harvard University researchers used Alzheimer’s drug donepezil to place tadpoles into a “hibernation-like torpor state”. It is hoped that the study may lead to a way to “extend the time for lifesaving medical treatment, often referred to as ‘the Golden Hour,’ following traumatic injury or acute infection.” (Wyss)
A U.S. government report has found that heavily-fluoridated drinking water is linked with lower IQ in children. (AP)
The E.U. is taking the fight to the fake olive oil market. (Food Navigator)
Hearts and Minds
Oliver Burkeman, who writes about productivity and work habits hit some really interesting points in a post last week. Speaking of a teacher he admires he writes that in “her teaching style..her goal wasn’t to lighten the burden of the student, but to make it so heavy that he or she would put it down.” Burkeman writes of the relief he feels in facing reality, “That means seeing that as a finite human you’ll never get on top of everything, never fully understand what makes others tick, never immunize yourself from distress. The burden of reaching that goal is an impossibly heavy one. And so you put it down.” Burkeman’s strategy for dealing with overwhelm in productivity reminded us that Jesus’ did it first to help us see the reality of our sin! He gently pushed the rich young ruler to admit he could not save himself and so repent and be free! But he went held onto his burden and went away sad. (The Imperfectionist)
Just a five second break can defuse a fight. (Nature)
Becoming a careful spender of your focus in the “attention economy”. (CNN)
God’s Green Earth
Media reports are blaming climate change for contributing to the wild water spout which claimed the lives of several people, including U.K. cyber security tycoon Mike Lynch and Morgan Stanley executive Jonathan Bloomer. A freak storm off the coast of Sicily hit a luxury yacht which capsized and sank, leading to speculation that there is more to this story. (Semafor, Not the Bee)
A Belgian company has opened its wind-powered electric charging station for boats, in the Belgian North Sea. (Good Good Good)
A mining company in Botswana has found a very big diamond. (AP)
Malaysia is inviting countries that buy its palm oil to help contribute to preserving its endangered orangutan population. (Channel News Asia)
A film crew spent 17 days 700ft underground in one of the biggest caves in the world. (Petapixel)
A company in Sweden has trained crows to pick up cigarette butts, saving the city millions in clean up. Now if we could only train humans to do that… (The Cool Down)
Science
Astronomers think they might know the source of a mysterious space signal, first recorded in 1977. (Gizmodo)
Amateur astronomers discovered something traveling about 1 million mph through the universe. (Mashable)
Religion and the Church
To infinity and beyond! Actor Tim Allen posted on social media that he is reading the Bible for the first time and it is “not what he expected”. (Not the Bee)
War and Rumors of War
Secretary of State Antony Blinker says Israel has agreed to President Biden’s new bridging proposal but is tight-lipped about what is in it. The return of living hostages, taking during Hamas’ attack last October, is key but Hamas can’t say whether any are still alive. Hamas is hoping for many prisoners released and a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, but Israel wants to control the Gaza-Egyptian border to prevent Hamas from re-arming. Hamas wants a ceasefire but Israel wants to finish off the terrorist group. So it will probably be back to the drawing table. (BBC)
Israel says it has recovered the bodies of six more hostages in tunnels near Khan Younis. (BBC)
Ukraine’s war efforts have forced it to overturn bans on women working in dangerous conditions. Women have taken positions as bus drivers, steel workers and miners. (Semafor)
Russia says it has repelled a Ukrainian drone attack over Moscow. (Reuters)
Mongolia has sent signals that it may bow out of a planned gas pipeline which would run from Russia to China through its territory. Mongolia’s new government has conspicuously left off mentions the plan in a manifesto released recently. Arguments over pricing are likely the cause of some hesitation but fears of getting too close to Russia are also factoring in. (Intellinews)
China and the E.U. are going blow for blow in a subsidy war. Beijing has announced it will look into subsidies of some European dairy products imported into China. The announcement comes after the European Commission added tariffs to imported Chinese electric vehicles saying that China had unfairly undercut prices of local European cars. (Barrons)
Stories from Far Away
🇦🇫The Taliban has banned women from singing or reading in public. The new law says “a woman’s voice is considered private and should not be heard by others. It also forbids women from looking at men who are not their relatives.” (The Standard)
🇬🇧 U.K. woman, Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, has received a payout from her police department after it was deemed that her two arrests for praying silently within the “protest-free buffer zone” at an abortion clinic violated her religious freedom. Why do they fear prayer so? We appeal to the God of heaven! (WNG)
🇬🇧 The U.K. government is fast tracking the release of some prisoners to free up cells to “tackle violent thuggery on our streets”. Operation Early Dawn will also see delayed sentencing for those arrested during recent riots, until “prison space is available”. (BBC)
🇧🇷 X has announced that it is closing its offices in Brazil after ongoing requestsby the government to censor content. Brazilians are reportedly scrambling to download VPN apps to enable them to anonymously browse the internet as rumors that X, which has platformed critics of Lula da Silva’s government, will be shut down entirely. Apple was also accused of removing VPN apps from its Brazilian app store to comply with government demands. (Tech Radar)
🇧🇷 Brazil has broken ground on the site of a planned maximum-security biosciences lab. While the public are understandably concerned at having nasty pathogens in their backyard, Flávio Fonseca, a virologist, says there is a clear need for such a facility in South America. (Nature)
🇨🇳 China is mounting a case to take possession of the physical diaries of Li Rui, once a secretary to Mao Zedong. Li left vague instructions about his wishes for the writings which are currently housed at the Hoover Institution. (The Guardian)
🇰🇵🇰🇷 A North Korean soldier has cross a heavily militarized zone into South Korea, two weeks after a citizen also defected. The soldier is being questioned. (Al Jazeera)
🇹🇼 🇩🇪 Taiwanese chip giant TSMC has begun to build a massive new plant in Germany. (Semafor)
🇨🇭Switzerland is offering cash to anyone who can suggest a way to remove thousands of tonnes of munitions stored in its lakes. (BBC)
🇷🇴 Influencer Andrew Tate has had his home in Romania raided and faces the possibility of new charges. (BBC)
🇦🇺 Australia conservationists are trying to save freshwater crocodiles from food poisoning by feeding them poisonous toads. (NPR)
🇨🇳 Distressed tourists climbing China’s Great Wall can now phone in some assistance via drone-delivered food and medical supplies. (CNN)
☄️ A amazing gallery of gastronomy pics
🍞 A short history of canned bread
💨 Ephemeral version of tic-tac-toe
🍊The reason oranges are sold in red mesh bags
🇳🇵 The logistics of Mt Everest’s pop-up base camp
🇳🇵 The world of tiny hotel rooms
🤷🏼 The airline that doesn't fly anywhere
📟 The seven-segment display font is older than you probably know
🛵 I can’t imagine what the prompt might have been
🏖️ Massachusetts’ very squeaky Singing Beach
🦅 A Pew study finds 32% Americans have at least one tattoo
In our last issue, Rev Fisk threw out a question: Why do you read Mad☧Mondays? Thanks to Erica for her response:
I am here because Fisk gets it, and he does so out loud. Thank you.
(fixed!) Last week’s Starfall2029 was packed with wisdom for our age! Jonathan spoke about using influence in godly ways and using discernment in times of scarcity. Meridith spoke about our culture’s tendency to treat children as status symbols rather than little people. Watch on YouTube or Rumble, or listen here. Show links:
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcom Gladwell
The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse by Fernando "Ferfal" Aguirre
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini
If you missed it, Meridith put out a call for anyone who would like to make a quilt for men who stay at the Hebron Collegium. If that is something you would be interested in helping out with, please reply to this email or send a message through madpxm.com/contact.
Our disclaimer: These are some resources the Fisks have found edifying, but when dealing with human-authored texts, apply discernment liberally!
This Week Preached:
Podcast Release:
Let us pray. Almighty and merciful God, defend Your Church from all false teaching and error that Your faithful people may confess You to be the only true God and rejoice in Your good gifts of life and salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
You can also make a one-off or recurring donation here. Thank you!
So much value. -Jonathan.