AGENDA Weekly Brief Week of February 10-16 of 2024 – by Curtis Bowers

Dear Friends,

John Owen said, “When the Holy Spirit sanctifies believers, He does a complete work in them. He puts into their minds, wills and hearts a gracious, supernatural principle which fills them with a holy desire to live to God. The whole life and being of holiness lies in this. This is the new creation.”

1. WOKE SUPER BOWL AD PERVERTS THE GOSPEL: The Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers reportedly brought in a record 123.4 million views, including the largest number of female viewers ever, likely due to pop star Taylor Swift.

Beyond accusations of Satanic symbolism (here and here), one of the worst features was the “He Gets Us” ad produced by a far-left ad agency and funded by Hobby Lobby co-founder David Green and a woke Christian group run by a man who lists his “preferred pronouns” on his bio.

One slide in the ad showed a person washing the feet of a woman about to go into an abortion murder clinic, another displayed a priest washing the feet of an LGBTQ individual, and another showed a lawful citizen washing the feet of an illegal. The video ended with the message, “Jesus didn’t teach hate. He washed feet.”

Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey responded, “If you’ve got the money and opportunity to buy a Super Bowl ad slot, share the gospel. Don’t waste it on some ambiguous mumbo jumbo that makes Jesus into our image rather than depicting Him as the King and Savior He is.” Talk show host Steve Deace noted that repentance was left out of the commercial and that, in reality, the only people whose feet Jesus washed were “the disciples, those in closest fellowship with him, those he specifically called to leadership, those he had poured his grace into and who were now to pass that grace on to others in return.”

The Federalist’s Tyler Cochran wrote, “Unfortunately, by focusing too much on ‘us’ and not enough on Christ, the ad prioritizes outreach and cheap grace at the expense of the Gospel message…the ‘He Gets Us’ ad campaign merely perpetuates our society’s cult of self-adoration.”

Ed. Note: Goal #27 of the Communist’s goals for America in 1958 stated, “Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with ‘social’ religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a ‘religious crutch.’” Thanks to the Marxist softening of the church, many no longer call sinners to repent and believe. Elements of the organized church are actively destroying America, as much of America’s illegal immigration pipeline is funded by Christian and Catholic NGOs.

2. SENATE PASSES MASSIVE FOREIGN AID BILL: 70 U.S. Senators, including 22 Republicans, voted to pass a $95.3 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Hamas-controlled Gaza, with the lion’s share ($60 billion) going to Ukraine. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) promised to block the bill, declaring, “America deserves better than the Senate’s status quo.” Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK) observed, “You could almost have a long-standing completion of a physical barrier with that $60 billion that they’re advocating to put towards Ukraine.”

3. SWAMP HYPES “NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT” TO CONTINUE UNCONSTITUTIONAL SPYING: House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) warned of a new national security threat from Russia via an anti-satellite nuclear weapons platform in space.

The Federalist’s John Daniel Davidson noted, “Consider the timing of the panic provocations, which came almost immediately after House Speaker Mike Johnson said he and other Republicans weren’t going to be ‘rushed’ into approving the $61 billion aid package for Ukraine.” Following the announcement and pushback from moderate Republicans, Speaker Johnson halted a planned vote on revisions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) tweeted that House members were “winning the debate on requiring warrants for domestic spying in the FISA 702 reauthorization” before Johnson yanked the bill.

4. CONGRESS IGNORES THE BIGGEST FOREIGN THREAT TO AMERICA: Retired Air Force General Blaine Holt wrote, “Tens of thousands of military-age men have come across our border and are now in America, organized by group and nationality. Among them are terrorist and state actors, in particular, members of the People’s Liberation Army of China. As we speak, these actors are training, making plans and obtaining weapons, watching our patterns, and learning our vulnerabilities…We are vulnerable to attack. Our enemies eagerly wait.”

Ohio’s Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones stated, “It’s not if they are going to attack, it’s just when they are…There are people already here who have come to this country who hate us and want to kill us.”

Ed. Note: Congress has confirmed it is more concerned with spying on the American people and wasting their money than with protecting life and liberty.

5. NEW REPORT REVEALS OBAMA ROLE IN RUSSIAGATE SPYING: In a new 2-part report, journalists Michael Shellenberger, Matt Taibbi, and Alex Gutentag revealed that the intelligence agency spying on Donald Trump began “long before the summer of 2016.” To circumvent U.S. law, Obama CIA Director John Brennan asked the “Five Eyes” (U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) intelligence alliance to illegally target 26 Trump associates in 2015. Later, this surveillance was used to launch the Russia-collusion hoax.

The journalists also revealed that former Trump CIA Director Gina Haspel repeatedly blocked the declassification of a “binder” that unmasked the intelligence community’s role in Russiagate. One source called the binder “Trump’s insurance policy” and said Trump may have taken it with him after leaving office. From the story: “Multiple sources believe that Trump’s possession of the binder, or one of multiple binders, led the FBI to raid his home in Mar-a-Lago, which led to the prosecution of Trump by Justice Department special prosecutor Jack Smith.”

John Daniel Davidson concluded, “The most serious threat facing America isn’t Russian nukes in space or overseas terrorist plots, it’s the political class in Washington and our intelligence agencies that think they’re above the law…the U.S. intelligence community itself has become a far greater threat to our republic than Russia or any other country.”

6. VALENTINE’S DAY AND THE STATE OF MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND MANHOOD: The Daily Signal’s Rachel Sheffield observed that fewer Americans chose to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year than previously, even as spending over the holiday increased. Sheffield wrote, “In the 1960s, 90% of 30-year-olds were married. Today, just a little more than 40% of 30-year-olds are married.” Sheffield noted that many are not just delaying marriage, but skipping it altogether, and concluded, “Marriage used to be seen as the cornerstone of adulthood. Couples grew and built a life together. Today, marriage is more often considered a capstone to a years-long process of personal development and exploration. The capstone model…is leaving too many people detached, alone, or in less stable relationships.”

Business Insider reported that the “gender gap” between Gen Z men and women is increasing as men become more conservative and women more liberal. Aldo Buttazzoni, director of the new PragerU documentary MIA: Masculinity in America, explained that the left is actively seeking to divide men and women, and “They are becoming more polarized. Men are without a sense of identity and purpose. Women are less happy. Relationships are declining. Marriages are declining.”

Ed. Note: Valentine’s Day was inspired by a Christian martyr who was arrested and executed for sharing the gospel and secretly marrying Christian couples, in opposition to a ban on marriage implemented by Emperor Claudius II. Family can only be revived if real, Christ-like, sacrificial love is restored.

7. YOUNG PEOPLE ON TRACK TO ABANDON CHRISTIANITY: A new survey from George Barna and the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University warned, “The foundational beliefs held by 8- to 12-year-olds put them on track to abandon biblical Christianity in record numbers.” Only 21% believe in absolute truths, only 36% believe that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ, and only 17% believe life success is defined in obedience to God. Sarah Holiday of The Washington Stand connected this trend with worsening mental health and social media addiction among pre-teens.

Barna explained, “We are on the precipice of Christian invisibility in this nation unless we get serious about this crisis and invest heavily in fixing what’s broken. Children are intellectual and spiritual sponges in their preteen years…Parents, in particular, have a duty to focus on and invest in the development of their child’s worldview, which is simply their decision-making filter for life. If parents do not fill that vacuum, other sources – such as the media, the schools, and even the child’s peers – will influence that worldview construction.”

Ed. Note: Deuteronomy 6:6-7 declares, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”

8. CONFUSED INDIVIDUAL BEHIND THE LAKEWOOD SHOOTING: 36-year-old Genesse Ivonne Moreno shot two people at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. Moreno was likely a transgender individual (she had used male aliases in the past), she had “Palestine” written on her gun, and she initially considered targeting a pro-Israel rally.

The New American reported, “The suspect had a 19-year criminal history involving assault, drug violations, and gun crimes. Neighbors in Conroe, Texas, say that they had warned officials about the Moreno many times.”

A tragic shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs parade left 22 injured and one dead. Joe Biden responded with another call to “ban assault weapons.”

Ed. Note: James Madison warned, “Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant.” Rather than acknowledging heart motivations and the government’s own encouragement of lawlessness, corrupt powers seek to implement more control.

9. INFLATION AND ECONOMIC UPDATES: Economist E.J. Antoni, Ph.D. of the Heritage Foundation responded to the latest Consumer Price Index inflation report with these words: “Inflation isn’t dead, you’re $6,800 poorer because of it, and it’s poised to get much worse next year…monthly mortgage payment on median price home is up 90.4% in just three years…Inflation isn’t dead – in fact, it’s being undercounted…”

Breitbart reports that Biden’s jobs growth came from the hiring of 2.9 million illegals, while 183,000 fewer Americans have jobs compared to 2019. The New York Fed reports that household debt rose $212 billion in 2023’s fourth quarter, to a record $17.5 trillion. The Bank of America and Money Morning warn that small regional banks are at risk of collapse due to interest rate pressure.

10. IS THE GEORGIA TRUMP PROSECUTION FALLING APART? Atlanta District Attorney Fani Willis is at risk of being disqualified from her case against Donald Trump in Georgia following revelations of an inappropriate relationship and money laundering with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Law Professor Jonathan Turley exposed the double standard in the recent court testimony of Wade and Willis, stating, “But what was really damaging here is the fact that both of these attorneys now stand credibly accused of filing false information with courts. That’s what they are prosecuting defendants in this case for…”

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton tweeted, “There were mass political arrests of Donald Trump and other Americans in Georgia by Democratic politician Fani Willis. There is now strong evidence the whole scheme was part of a scheme by her to launder money and advance a romantic affair. Incredible! Where are Governor Kemp and other Georgia state leadership? Speaker Johnson?”

Election integrity warrior Mark Davis, president of Georgia-based Data Productions Inc., estimates that almost 35,000 Georgia voters cast ballots from wrong jurisdictions in 2020, but his warnings have been ignored by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Davis warned, “The same thing is going to happen again in 2024. I first brought this up to the State Elections Board in 2002. You can’t fix a problem if you don’t admit you have a problem.”

11. MORE BIDEN FAMILY CORRUPTION REVEALED: Former Biden business associate Tony Bobulinski told the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees, “From my direct personal experience…it is clear to me that Joe Biden was ‘the Brand’ being sold by the Biden family. His family’s foreign influence peddling operation – from China to Ukraine and elsewhere – sold out to foreign actors who were seeking to gain influence and access to Joe Biden and the United States government…The Biden family business was Joe Biden, period.”

CBS News reporter Catherine Herridge was one of 800 people fired from Paramount Global. The firing came just hours after Herridge reported on how Biden may have “retained sensitive documents related to specific countries involving his family’s foreign business dealings.”

12. TWO RUSSIA UPDATES:  47-year-old Putin critic Alexi Navalny died in prison. Human Events’ Jack Posobiec responded, “Biden’s admin has indicted the leader of the political opposition on bogus charges. They want to to lock him up before the election. They said nothing when Zelensky locked up a US citizen who died in prison. They have zero moral standing today to say anything about Navalny.” Entrepreneur and investor David Sacks tweeted, “For a conservative, authoritarianism abroad is regrettable, but authoritarianism at home is intolerable. For a liberal, authoritarianism abroad is an obsession, but authoritarianism at home is necessary.”

When asked, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he preferred Joe Biden to Donald Trump as president, because Biden was more “predictable.”

13. NOTEWORTHY STORIES:

• The Daily Wire reports, “NFL star Travis Kelce is going Hollywood by signing on as producer for a new film, ‘My Dead Friend Zoe.’ The project is notable because it’s the first movie to take advantage of President Joe Biden’s renewable energy tax credits for financing.”
• William Bock has resigned from his position at the NCAA in protest over the organization’s failure to protect women’s sports. Bock said, “I have watched the NCAA double down on regressive policies, which discriminate against female student-athletes.”
• Under a new law passed in France, anyone who warns against mRNA or “medical treatments” that are “obviously suitable” could face up to 3 years in prison and be fined up to 45,000 Euros.
• A viral video shows how one Chinese citizen’s life has been destroyed due to his low social credit score, highlighting the dangers of Central Bank Digital Currencies. Journalist Leo Hu said, “I can’t buy property, my child can’t go to private school. You feel you’re being controlled by the list all the time.”
• The Democratic National Committee accused Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign of receiving an illegal $15 million contribution. Records reveal that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas personally denied RFK Jr.’s request for Secret Service protection in July 2023.
• The Daily Signal reports that liberal billionaire John Arnold, dubbed by some as the “next George Soros,” employs several former GOP lobbyists, including a former senior staffer for Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, in “an effort to sway GOP lawmakers to move to the left.”

14. NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:

• “No man escapes when freedom fails; the best men rot in filthy jails. And those who cry ‘appease, appease,’ are hanged by those they tried to please.” –Hiram Mann
• “At the most basic level, the news you consume is a lie. A lie of the stealthiest and most insidious kind. Facts have been withheld on purpose, along with proportion and perspective. You are being manipulated.” –Tucker Carlson
• “If you think of the business model of the drug industry, it is to get as many people taking as many drugs as possible for as long as possible…The third most common cause of death now globally, after heart disease and cancer, is prescribed medications.” –Dr. Aseem Malhotra
• “Online dating apps promise a world of romantic fulfillment and the ability to find a soulmate who shares your values, lives locally, and may be contacted from your living room. But instead of romantic fulfillment, online daters are finding disappointment – and betrayal.” –Katrina Trinko
•  “Wake up and unshackle yourself from tech addiction. Don’t rely on the government and a CEO. It’s time for the American people to start taking control.” –Jesse Waters
• “I’ve noticed a pattern in what is being represented. People think this stuff is just a game, [but] there is a reason why you see people dressed up as Satan [ or with] upside-down crosses…or pentagrams on their clothes…They know that God exists; they also know that Satan exists. They’re just counting on the fact that y’all don’t know that, but either way, the things that you take in – that they’re feeding you – those things affect you, whether you realize it in the moment or not.” –Former Disney star China McClain
• “Patriots. Critical thinkers. Truthers. Sovereign citizens. Conservatives. Whatever label you want to give yourselves…a lot of you are aware of the agenda, and you see what’s happening to our country, but you are still sending your kids to government indoctrination camps.” –The Plant Based Omnivore

FAITH, FAMILY, & FREEDOM REPORT

1. CHIEFS’ KICKER ENCOURAGES FATHERHOOD: In a recent speech, Super Bowl Champion Harrison Butker, kicker for the Kansas City Chiefs, stated, “One of the many negative effects of the pandemic is that a lot of young adults feel a sense of loneliness, anxiety, and depression…The antidote: Get married and start a family. None of my accomplishments mean a thing compared to the happiness I found as a husband and father. We leave our mark on future generations by the children we bring into the world.”

2. ‘HE SAVES US’ AD GOES VIRAL: Pastor Jamie Bambrick released the “He Saves Us” ad to counter the woke “He Gets Us” ad aired during the Superbowl. Bambrick stated the “He Gets Us” ad “failed to convey anything of the gospel to the hundreds of millions who saw it.” The pastor’s ad features examples of people whose lives were radically redeemed by the gospel and proclaims, “Jesus doesn’t just get us. He saves us. He transforms us. He cleanses us. He restores us. He forgives us. He heals us. He delivers us. He redeems us. He loves us.”

3. US HOUSE IMPEACHES DHS SECRETARY: The U.S. House of Representatives voted 214-213 to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, after failing to impeach Mayorkas in a vote the week before. Rep. John Joyce (R-PA) stated, “Our nation’s southern border has descended into crisis due to Secretary Mayorkas’ willful and systemic refusal to comply with federal immigration laws.”

4. DOCTORS REFUSE TO EUTHANIZE IN CANADA: The Canadian government has been forced to delay its euthanization program for the mentally ill as doctors refuse to carry out the procedure. Slay News reported, “Canadian health officials announced that the extension of its ‘assisted suicide’ program, to people suffering solely from mental illness, has been delayed…euthanasia accounted for 4% of all Canadian deaths in 2022.”

5. POLISH FARMERS GO ON STRIKE: Polish farmers have gone on strike, saying their industry is in danger of bankruptcy and is being overrun by foreign agricultural products. The farmers asked “for understanding and awareness of the situation we all find ourselves in,” and declared, “We are fighting for our common good, which is to prevent the collapse and bankruptcy of Polish family farms, often multi-generational.”

6. FINNISH MEN MORE RELIGIOUS: Surveys have found that, unlike much of the West, the number of men in Finland who identify as religious has been growing rapidly. Findings show that “In 2011, only 5 percent of men attended church monthly, while in 2019, that figure rose to 12 percent…Young men who prayed at least once a week went from being 16 percent in 2011 to 26 percent in 2019.”

7. BABY RESCUED IN MISSOURI SAFE HAVEN BOX: A baby was dropped off in a Safe Haven box at the Mehlville Fire Protection District House 2, the first baby to have arrived at that location. Fire Chief Brian Hendricks stated, “MFPD is committed to making a difference in the lives of those we serve and safeguarding the most vulnerable members of our community. The surrender of a baby to us is an example of how we make that difference.”

8. CONGRESSMEN CALL TO HONOR ABORTED BABIES: Representatives Chip Roy (R-TX) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) joined pro-life activists to host a press conference calling for the truth about “The Five” aborted babies in the possession of D.C. officials. The babies’ remains had been taken from an abortion clinic in the city almost two years ago, and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) stated, “We have received word from friends of ours in the community who have stepped up to cover the costs of caskets for the five babies to give them a respectful burial. These children deserve justice and a dignified funeral.”

9. ABORTION PILL REVERSAL SAVES LIVES: Data shows that over 5,000 babies have been saved because of the Abortion Pill Reversal Protocol. Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, stated, “Despite Big Tech’s big hand of censorship and misguided state officials’ [attempts] to suppress Abortion Pill Reversal, women desperate for a different choice than the abortion pill they took are finding their way to the help they want.”

10. PRO-LIFERS FIGHT AGAINST ABORTION AMENDMENT: Pro-life groups are gearing up to meet an abortion amendment challenge in the state of Arkansas. The pro-death amendment would make it impossible to fully ban abortion in the state. Life Site News reported, “Arkansas Right to Life has launched its Decline to Sign campaign…to ‘ask all Arkansans unwilling to sign a death warrant on innocent unborn children to POLITELY’ deny the amendment’s pushers the signatures they need.”

11. 40 DAYS FOR LIFE BEGINS 2024 CAMPAIGN: 40 Days For Life began its 2024 campaign in over 650 cities, aiming to save as many lives as possible. After an abortion clinic closed down in Fredericton, New Brunswick, the organization stated, “Pro-lifers brought a 40 Days for Life campaign to town last year, and the facility’s financial problems became too much to bear…this is the first Canadian abortion facility to close in response to pro-life efforts in decades.”

12. TRUMP SAYS FOREIGN AID SHOULD BE LOANS: Presidential candidate Donald Trump stated that in the future, “no money in the form of foreign aid should be given to any country unless it is done as a loan, not just a giveaway. We should never give money anymore without the hope of a payback, or without ‘strings’ attached. The United States of America should be ‘stupid’ no longer!”

13. IDAHO MAY GIVE DEATH PENALTY TO CERTAIN SEX OFFENDERS: The Idaho House voted 57-11 to impose the death penalty or mandatory life sentences for those convicted of child sex crimes. State Rep. Bruce Skaug (R) declared, “There is a deep, dark, dark side in our culture, and it’s our job to protect the children. There are times when things are so wicked that retribution is appropriate.”

14. HOMESCHOOLERS PROTEST IN OKLAHOMA: Over 400 homeschooled families protested at the Oklahoma State Capitol over various anti-homeschooling bills proposed in the legislature. One such bill would allow the Department of Homeland Security to “conduct background checks and biannual database checks on those involved in homeschooling. If any suspicions of abuse arise, the permission to homeschool could be denied.”

15. SISTER SAVES BROTHER FROM BEING KIDNAPPED: A quick-thinking and brave sister saved her 4-year-old brother from being kidnapped at a Florida Walmart. Pablo Pintueles Hernandez attempted to grab the child and walk away with him, but his sister pulled him back and stood behind a shopping cart. Police ended up arresting Hernandez later in the day.

HYMN OF THE WEEK

The Bible Stands by Haldor Lillenas

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted
’Mid the raging storms of time!
Its pages burn with the truth eternal,
And they glow with a light sublime.

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble!
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands!

The Bible stands like a mountain tow’ring
Far above the works of men.
Its truth by none ever was refuted,
And destroy it they never can!

The Bible stands and it will forever,
When the world has passed away!
By inspiration it has been given,
All its precepts I will obey!

The Bible stands every test we give it,
For its Author is divine.
By grace alone I expect to live it,
And to prove and to make it mine!

The Bible stands though the hills may tumble,
It will firmly stand when the earth shall crumble!
I will plant my feet on its firm foundation,
For the Bible stands!