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And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Revelation 14 : 6
Wu Weiren, CPPCC member and chief designer of China’s lunar probe program speaks to the media before the opening session of CPPCC
By Eduardo Baptista
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – The chief designer of China’s lunar exploration programme accused the United States on Wednesday of interfering in Beijing’s attempts to cooperate with Europe and other foreign partners in space programmes.
Wu Weiren, in a rare interview with foreign media, told Reuters that China pursued a policy of open space diplomacy, in contrast with the U.S., and that it remained open to cooperating on lunar exploration with developing and developed countries.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.Hebrews 4 : 12
Wu said the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), an initiative led by Russia and China to establish a permanent base on the moon by 2035, was developing well, with 17 countries and international organisations already signed up as members.
But he suggested China had not been able to attract as many lunar project partners as the U.S. because of U.S. interference, though he didn’t provide details.
The warning of the third angel, which forms a part of the same threefold message, is to be no less widespread. It is represented in the prophecy as being proclaimed with a loud voice, by an angel flying in the midst of heaven; and it will command the attention of the world. In the issue of the contest all Christendom will be divided into two great classes—those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, and those who worship the beast and his image and receive his mark. GC 449.2 – GC 450.1
“The ILRS’ development trend is very good but compared to the U.S.’ Artemis Accords, ours is much smaller in terms of countries because the U.S. is always interfering in our cooperation with other countries, including with Europe,” Wu said, without elaborating on the interference.
For their rock (word) is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.Deuteronomy 32 : 31
Establish norms of behaviour in space
The Artemis Accords are a U.S.-led multilateral agreement meant to establish norms of behaviour in space and on the moon and Mars, which has over 50 signatories so far.
“China and Russia cooperate the best with each other now,” Wu said, adding that China looked forward to further cooperation with Russia on moon-based nuclear energy.
The missionary work in Australia and New Zealand is yet in its infancy; but the same work must be accomplished in Australia, New Zealand, in Africa, India, China, and the islands of the sea, as has been accomplished in the home field. Under the appropriate symbol of an angel flying through the midst of heaven is represented the work of the people of God. In this work heavenly intelligences co-operate with human agencies in extending the last message to the inhabitants of the world. BEcho September 1, 1892, par. 24
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.1 Corinthians 3 : 1
Ecumenism / Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation
Recent Chinese unmanned missions to the moon, to lay the groundwork to eventually build a manned lunar base, have carried foreign payloads from countries like Pakistan, Thailand, Italy and France, raising the profile of Beijing’s space diplomacy.
We are to follow where God’s providence opens the way; and as we advance, we shall find that Heaven has moved before us, enlarging the field for labor far beyond the proportion of our means and ability to supply. The great want of the field open before us, should appeal to all to whom God has intrusted talents of means or ability, that they may devote themselves and their all to God. BEcho September 1, 1892, par. 24
“ILRS is the sole mission in the world that provides equal opportunities for any country to be accepted and to participate actively by proposing payloads and satellites,” said Hernan Merino Choque, a deputy director at the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization, an ILRS member and a multilateral grouping whose biggest funder is Beijing.
We are to be as faithful stewards, not only of our means, but of the grace given unto us, that many souls may be brought under the blood-stained banner of Prince Immanuel. The purposes and ends to be attained by consecrated missionaries are very comprehensive. The field for missionary operation is not limited by caste or nationality. The field is the world, and the light of truth is to go to all the dark places of the earth in a much shorter time than many think possible. BEcho September 1, 1892, par. 24
Train a Pakistani astronaut to join a future Space
China in February said it would train a Pakistani astronaut to join a future space flight next year to the country’s Tiangong space station. This will be the first time a foreign astronaut enters the station.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Space Agency (ESA) ruled out joining the ILRS due to Russia’s involvement.
Meanwhile, U.S-China space diplomacy has been limited by the Wolf Amendment, a U.S. law passed in 2011 that banned NASA from collaboration with “China or any Chinese-owned company unless such activities are specifically authorised.”
While ESA sent a payload aboard China’s latest lunar probe, the Chang’e-6 mission, it has since said there were no plans for it to join the Chang’e-7 and 8 missions, slated for next year and 2028, respectively.
In 2023, the European agency said it would no longer consider sending European astronauts to the Tiangong space station.
(This story has been refiled to change the dateline)
(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista and Xiuhao Chen; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
RAMALLAH (Reuters) -Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas on Wednesday to lay down arms and hand the running of Gaza to his Palestinian Authority, part of efforts to answer international doubts over the authority’s role at a key moment for the region.
Abbas was speaking at a leadership council where he is expected this week to name a successor amid pressure from Western and Arab powers concerned about the PA’s ability to play a viable-long term role in peace efforts.
While Abbas had previously called on Hamas to put its forces under the PA’s control, he has not done so since the start of the war in Gaza, when the militant group’s gunmen attacked Israel, prompting fierce military retaliation by Israel.
Hamas killed around 1,200 people and seized about 250 hostages in its October 7, 2023 attack, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s campaign has killed more than 50,000 people, local health authorities say, and left much of Gaza in ruins.
Diplomatic efforts to craft a plan for Gaza’s future have focused on pushing aside Hamas but Israel has also said it will not accept any role for the PA, which exercises limited autonomy in the West Bank.
“Hamas must hand over (its) Gaza responsibilities and hand over its arms to the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority and transform into a political party,” said Abbas.
Our people have been regarded as too insignificant to be worthy of notice, but a change will come. The Christian world is now making movements which will necessarily bring commandment-keeping people into prominence.94 The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists, because they will not yield homage to the papacy, by honoring Sunday, the institution of this antichristian power. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to be blotted from the earth, in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disputed. Mar 217.2 – Mar 217.3
Hamas, which ousted the PA from Gaza during a brief civil war in 2007, has refused calls in recent months by Israel and the United States to lay down its arms.
PRESSURE TO NAME A SUCCESSOR
Abbas was speaking to the Central Council of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which holds observer status at the United Nations as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and dominates the PA.
Abbas, 89, took over the Palestinian leadership after the death of veteran PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 2004. He has for years resisted naming a deputy or successor but the war in Gaza has intensified pressure for him to do so.
Every position of truth taken by our people will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the highest of the world’s great men will be brought in contact with truth, and therefore every position we take should be critically examined and tested by the Scriptures. Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the world’s greatest men, it will be done. Mar 217.4
Last month, Arab states proposed a post-war plan for Gaza to be temporarily run by a committee before being returned to the PA’s control. The United States, European Union and Gulf monarchies expected to play a role in financing any post-war reconstruction of Gaza have repeatedly urged PA reform.
Abbas has criticised the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which he said gave Israel a pretext to destroy Gaza. Israel launched its military campaign against Hamas in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack.
(Writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi and Angus McDowall, Editing by Peter Graff and Timothy Heritage)
For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:Acts 24 : 5
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference at the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)More
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has charged an alleged high-ranking member of Tren de Aragua in Colombia with terrorism offenses, making the first case of its kind against a member of the gang the Trump administration has designated a foreign terrorist organization, officials said Wednesday.
The case is part of a broad push to target Tren de Aragua or TdA, a Venezuelan gang that has been blamed for drug smuggling and violence in the United States. President Donald Trump has labeled the gang an invading force under an 18th century wartime law to deport Venezuelan migrants to a notorious El Salvador prison as part of Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown.
Criminal Statute Primarily Reserved in recent years for Extremist Groups
The Justice Department’s application of a criminal statute primarily reserved in recent years for extremist groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida underscores the extent to which the administration is relying on a strikingly expansive definition of terrorism as it pursues a national security agenda focused on drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists, because they will not yield homage to the papacy, by honoring Sunday, the institution of this antichristian power. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to be blotted from the earth, in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disputed. Mar 217.3
Evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.”
“TdA is not a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that put down roots in our country during the prior administration,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.”
The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17. Our people have been regarded as too insignificant to be worthy of notice, but a change will come. The Christian world is now making movements which will necessarily bring commandment-keeping people into prominence. Mar 217.1 – Mar 217.2
Jose Enrique Martinez Flores, 24, was charged in Texas federal court with drug offenses as well as conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors described him as part of the “inner circle of TdA leadership,” and accuse him of playing a role in the international distribution of cocaine.
He is in custody in Colombia awaiting further proceedings. The Justice Department said he faces up to life in prison.
The material support statute has long been a favored tool of the Justice Department to build prosecutions against people who are suspected of facilitating the operations of a militant group but not always carrying out violence themselves.
The addition of TdA to the State Department list of foreign terrorist organizations enables the Justice Department to wield the statute against individuals suspected of supporting that group.
The announcement comes days after prosecutors announced what they said was the first case to bring federal racketeering charges, which were famously used to bring down the Mafia, against the Venezuelan street gang
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas holds a leadership meeting in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on April 23. – Mohamad Torokman/Reuters
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called Hamas “sons of dogs,” demanding the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza and the disarmament of the militant group.
Abbas said the priority is to stop “the Israeli genocide that the Gaza Strip is being subjected to.” He said the hostages present an excuse for Israel to continue attacking the besieged territory.
“Sons of dogs, release the hostages and block their justifications,” Abbas said in a lengthy televised speech from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against. Acts 28 : 22
Conscientious obedience to the word of God will be treated as rebellion. GC 608.1
Israel has vehemently denied accusations of genocide, saying its war in Gaza is being fought in self-defense and targets Hamas.
The unprecedented remarks are perhaps Abbas’s strongest public criticism of Hamas to date and mark a significant shift in tone from the aging Palestinian leader. They come amid a renewed push to advance ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, with Egypt also floating the idea of the group’s disarmament recently.
Parents need to awake, and purify their souls by practicing the truth in their home life. When we reach the standard that the Lord would have us reach, worldlings will regard Seventh-day Adventists as odd, singular, straight-laced extremists. “We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” RH January 9, 1894, par. 10
By every means at their command they will endeavor to suppress the discussion of these vital questions. The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and, in this work, papists and Protestants unite. As the movement for Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. GC 607.1
No occasion should be given to unbelievers to reproach our faith. We are considered odd and singular, and should not take a course to lead unbelievers to think us more so than our faith requires us to be. 1TT 169.3
While Abbas has never outright condemned the October 7 attack on Israel, he has criticized Hamas for it in the past and reiterated his general condemnation of attacks against civilians.
Heretofore those who presented the truths of the third angel’s message have often been regarded as mere alarmists. Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain control in the United States, that church and state would unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have been pronounced groundless and absurd. It GC 605.3
Abbas’s speech laid out his vision to create a Palestinian state, calling for an end to the war in Gaza and renewed calls for a unification of Palestinian political factions under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). His list of priorities also called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
“Hamas must end its control over the Gaza Strip, hand over all its affairs to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the legitimate Palestinian National Authority, and refrain from carrying arms, transforming into a political party that operates according to the laws of the Palestinian state and adheres to international legitimacy,” he said.
Smoke rises after Israeli attacks over Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City on April 17. – Mahmoud Issa/Anadolu via Getty Images
The PLO is a coalition of parties that signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1993 and formed a new government in the PA with promises of statehood that never materialized. Both are dominated by Fatah, which Abbas leads. Hamas was not party to the 1993 accords and does not recognize Israel.
‘Severe damage’ to the Palestinian cause
In his speech, Abbas accused Hamas of “inflicting severe damage to the Palestinian cause” since it took control of the strip in 2007.
It required a desperate struggle for those who would be faithful to stand firm against the deceptions and abominations which were disguised in sacerdotal garments and introduced into the church. The Bible was not accepted as the standard of faith. The doctrine of religious freedom was termed heresy, and its upholders were hated and proscribed. GC 45.2
“It has provided the occupation (Israel) with dangerous free services, whether intentionally or unintentionally, and allowed this criminal occupation to find free justifications for executing its conspiracies and crimes in the Gaza Strip, with one of the most prominent excuses being hostage-taking,” he said.
For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:Acts 24 : 5
Hamas rejected Abbas’ claims and questioned his “competence
In response, Hamas rejected Abbas’ claims and questioned his “competence,” saying in a statement that he “insists, repeatedly and suspiciously, on placing the responsibility for the crimes of the occupation and its ongoing aggression on our Palestinian people.”
Abbas also called on the international community to implement past UN Security Resolutions and convene an international peace conference.
agreement to unite the two separate Palestinian territories under one governance structure
There is a long history of bitter enmity between Hamas and Fatah. The two sides have tried – and failed – multiple times to reach an agreement to unite the two separate Palestinian territories under one governance structure, with a 2017 agreement quickly folding in violence.
After a long and severe conflict, the faithful few decided to dissolve all union with the apostate church if she still refused to free herself from falsehood and idolatry. They saw that separation was an absolute necessity if they would obey the word of God. They dared not tolerate errors fatal to their own souls, and set an example which would imperil the faith of their children and children’s children. To secure peace and unity they were ready to make any concession consistent with fidelity to God; but they felt that even peace would be too dearly purchased at the sacrifice of principle. If unity could be secured only by the compromise of truth and righteousness, then let there be difference, and even war. GC 45.3
The PA held administrative control over Gaza until 2007, after Hamas won the 2006 legislative elections in the occupied territories and expelled it from the strip. Since then, Hamas has ruled Gaza and the PA governs parts of the West Bank.
Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation agreement in Cairo in October 2017 under pressure from Arab states, led by Egypt. As part of the deal, a new unity government was expected to take administrative control of Gaza two months later, ending a decade of rivalry.
But the deal’s lofty aspirations quickly collapsed. When PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah visited Gaza in March 2018, he was the target of an assassination attempt when a bomb detonated near his convoy. Fatah immediately blamed Hamas for the attack.
Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement on “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity
In Beijing last July, Hamas and Fatah signed an agreement on “ending division and strengthening Palestinian unity.” The move followed reconciliation talks hosted by China involving 14 Palestinian factions.
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President Donald Trump with a portrait of 40th President Ronald Reagan in the background.
President Trump’s tariff policies have led markets to decline since he was elected, as investors have realized he is serious about upending the global economic order to achieve his goals. Any positive news has pushed markets up from a baseline of negativity, but the lack of clarity on tariffs means that any upturn is tentative, experts say.
Markets are plunging, economic instability is on the rise, and investors are starting to realize that betting against President Trump is a losing battle.
[8] And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. [9] Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household. [10] So they came and called unto the porter of the city: and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and, behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were.
2 Kings 7 : 8-10
On the campaign trail, and even years before, President Trump railed against what he portrayed as “unfair trade” and threatened tariffs on major trading partners. Still, investors were reluctant to believe, or price in, what now appears to be the start of a fundamental shift in global economic policies.
And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? Luke 2 : 49
God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution. GC 581.2
Fewer than 100 days into the second Trump administration, traders have woken up to the reality
Fewer than 100 days into the second Trump administration, traders have woken up to the reality that the president may be more willing than expected to upend global trade to increase domestic manufacturing and reduce trade deficits with other countries, especially after the April 2 “Liberation Day” tariff announcement. That new reality has roiled U.S. stocks.
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8 : 32
From Election Day through Tuesday’s market close, the benchmark S&P 500 was down about 8%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq had fallen 11%. Just earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Dow Jones industrial average may be on its way to its worst April since the Great Depression.
While there may be long-term benefits to bringing some supply of vital resources like aluminum and some pharmaceuticals to the U.S., investors have realized that Trump may upend global trade to achieve this. The result is equal to an outside shock, such as the COVID pandemic, said Mike Reynolds, vice president of investment strategy for boutique wealth management firm Glenmede.
“There’s a common saying: ‘Don’t fight the Fed.’ Well, it almost feels like ‘Don’t fight the Oval Office,’ is the new ‘Don’t fight the Fed,’” he told Fortune.
The constant hawkish news on tariffs and recent comments Trump made about Fed Chair Jerome Powell have spooked investors and weighed down markets to a baseline of negativity, despite some recent positive economic indicators and company earnings results, said Marta Norton, chief investment strategist for Empower Investments.
Any positive news from the administration, such as Tuesday’s comments by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that trade tensions with China will de-escalate, has led to spikes away from that baseline negativity, Norton added. On Tuesday, following Bessent’s comments, the Nasdaq and the Dow closed up 2.7%, while the S&P 500 closed up 2.5%. On Wednesday morning, stocks again opened higher.
“Investors are just on edge as we try to figure out the true cost of tariffs, the length, the duration of tariffs, what the economic impact is,” Norton said. “That kind of environment makes every little piece of news just kind of reverberate all the more.”
They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;Psalm 107 : 23, She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. Proverbs 31 : 14
Despite Bessent’s prediction that tensions with China would de-escalate in the coming months—and that the final tariff on China would ultimately be lower than the 145% already imposed—he said a longer deal could still take two to three years, Bloomberg reported.
Although markets reacted positively to the news, Fordham Business School professor Paul Johnson said Bessent’s comments showed just how different the reality of the Trump administration’s economic policies has been for those who expected a quick shift to the lower regulations and lower taxes that have been the hallmark of previous Republican presidents.
“Even a statement like that sends the market gyrating, because is it short or is it long? No one knows,” Johnson said.
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;Matthew 13 : 3, Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. 2 Kings 7 : 1
To avoid taking a hit from the recent downturn in equities, investors may want to shift some allocation to international equities and other non-dollar-denominated assets. Some of the assets that have been hit hard, such as small-cap equities, could also be an opportunity, Reynolds said.
[13] Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market. [17] Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.Ezekiel 27 : 13, 17
Volatility in the markets is here to stay until policy uncertainty eases, or until U.S. business acclimates to the new tariff environment, Reynolds added.
Yet, because of Trump’s fickle stance on tariffs, investors should be hesitant to sell much of their holdings, and should instead maintain a patient approach and stick to their long-term investing plan, he added.
“Probably one person in the entire world … knows where trade policy is going to go, and he’s sitting in the Oval Office,” Reynolds said.
A flurry of recent surveys paint a troubling picture for Donald Trump: growing disapproval of his handling of the economy, increasing concerns about inflation, a majority disapproval of tariffs and a general pessimistic view on the potential for a recession.
The economy has long been one of Trump’s strongest issues, and he championed his economic agenda on the campaign trail, blasting the Biden administration on inflation and presenting himself as the “Art of the Deal” candidate. But following a tariff onslaught that sent markets into a tailspin and caused worldwide concerns about the future of the global economy, Americans are souring on Trump’s plans.
A series of recent polls lay out the warning signs for the White House.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday showed just 37 percent of respondents approve of Trump’s economic agenda — compared with 42 percent who approved immediately following his inauguration in January.
I am trying to get our brethren to get out of the cities on a piece of land and be prepared to raise their own produce. This they will have to do. The Sunday laws have been passed, and just as stringent as a people ignorant of the laws of God can make them. We must be prepared for any emergency. The churches are making history fast. We must be more oft at the footstool of mercy, pleading with God. Walk humbly with God, but do not manifest a craven spirit but a spirit of dependence upon God as one who believes and trusts in God. The Lord is our trust and the crown of our rejoicing. Walk in the way of the Lord and you will walk securely. 12LtMs, Lt 177, 1897, par. 7
Confidence in Trump’s handling of the economy also reached a low in Pew Research Center’s survey released Wednesday, where 45 percent said they’re confident in the president’s handling of the economy — the lowest rating in Pew’s surveys of Trump going back to 2019.
These persecutions, beginning under Nero about the time of the martyrdom of Paul, continued with greater or less fury for centuries. Christians were falsely accused of the most dreadful crimes and declared to be the cause of great calamities—famine, pestilence, and earthquake. As they became the objects of popular hatred and suspicion, informers stood ready, for the sake of gain, to betray the innocent. They were condemned as rebels against the empire, as foes of religion, and pests to society. Great numbers were thrown to wild beasts or burned alive in the amphitheaters. Some were crucified; others were covered with the skins of wild animals and thrust into the arena to be torn by dogs. Their punishment was often made the chief entertainment at public fetes. Vast multitudes assembled to enjoy the sight and greeted their dying agonies with laughter and applause. GC 40.1
That’s a sharp downtick from the 59 percent confidence immediately following the 2024 election last November. With Republicans alone there’s been a 12 point drop since November.
In another blow for Trump, CNBC’s All-America Economic Survey from earlier this week said the president had his “worst economic approval numbers of his presidential career” — with 55 percent disapproval compared to 43 percent approval, his first net negative CNBC economic numbers while he was president. Their polling showed a deep divide along partisan lines, but noted independents are 23 points more negative than during Trump’s first term.
The increasingly negative polling spiked after Trump announced sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” on April 2, dubbed “Liberation Day” by the administration. Trump has argued the tariffs would reset economic relationships and fix imbalances with trading partners. As markets shot down and global leaders denounced the move, Trump issued a 90-day pause on the tariffs, leaving a 10 percent baseline in place and opening the door to negotiations.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement that Trump is delivering on his promises on the economy, pointing to recent jobs reports, a March inflation report and “trillions in historic investment commitments from industry leaders.”
Trump has defended his agenda, saying the tariffs will bring in billions of dollars to the U.S. and help build up the country’s manufacturing sector.
“Everyone’s going to be happy,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re going to make a lot of money for our people. We’ll be able to lower taxes substantially, and we’re going to be proud of ourselves. We’re not going to be a laughing stock that got taken advantage of by virtually every country in the world.”
But these tariffs are not terribly popular with many Americans. Pew reported 59 percent of people said they disapprove of the tariff hikes, while 39 percent approved. This splits deeply along partisan lines, with 70 percent of Republicans approving and 90 percent of Democrats disapproving. CNBC reported that 49 percent disapproved of across-the-board tariffs, and “majorities believe they are bad for American workers, inflation and the overall economy.”
The Roman Catholic Church, with all its ramifications throughout the world, forms one vast organization under the control, and designed to serve the interests, of the papal see. Its millions of communicants, in every country on the globe, are instructed to hold themselves as bound in allegiance to the pope. Whatever their nationality or their government, they are to regard the authority of the church as above all other. Though they may take the oath pledging their loyalty to the state, yet back of this lies the vow of obedience to Rome, absolving them from every pledge inimical to her interests. GC 580.2
The immediate worldwide market panic over the ramifications of Trump’s tariffs lessened in the aftermath of the 90-day pause, but the economic uncertainty has persisted as Trump has launched (and walked back) attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and promised dozens of trade deals that may take months to materialize.
Amid the back-and-forths by the administration, surveys show the larger economic picture for many Americans looks increasingly negative. A new Gallup poll from Monday reported that 53 percent of Americans believe their personal financial situation is getting worse, with the pollsters writing that Americans are feeling “unusually pessimistic” about their personal finances.
Inflation predictions have also spiked 11 points since January to 63 percent, according to Gallup. A whopping 60 percent of respondents to CNBC’s polling said they disapprove of his handling of inflation, compared to 37 percent who approve.
In the long term, there’s also fears of a growing recession. Reuters/Ipsos reports 76 percent said they’re concerned a recession is coming, and those concerns are rippling among Republicans too. One in four Republicans said Trump’s approach on the economy is “too erratic,” the poll showed.
Trump’s overall job approval rating has dropped slightly, but he’s got a big swath of the Republican base behind him, multiple polls showed. Over 70 percent of Republicans approve of Trump’s overall job performance, according to Pew.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 4,306 U.S. adults nationwide from April 16 to April 21, with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 2 percentage points. Pew’s survey was conducted from April 7-13, interviewing 3,589 adults with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 1.8 percentage points. Gallup polled 1,006 adults from April 1-14, with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4 percentage points. CNBC’s survey of 1,000 adults was conducted April 9-13 with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.1 percentage points.
[9] Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. [10] Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her:Isaiah 66 : 9-10
The White House has been fielding proposals aimed at persuading people to marry and have children, an effort being pushed by outside groups focused on increasing the nation’s birth rate after years of decline.
When the destroying angel was to pass through Egypt, to destroy the first-born of man and beast, the command to Israel was, to gather their children and families into their houses with them, and then mark their door-posts with blood, that the destroying angel might pass by their dwellings, and if they failed to go through this process, there was no difference made between them and the Egyptians. RH March 28, 1893, par. 12
And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, This day is a day of trouble, and of rebuke, and of blasphemy: for the children are come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.
Isaiah 37 : 3
One such proposal that has been pitched to White House advisers is a $5,000 “baby bonus” to every American mother after she gives birth.
“Sounds like a good idea to me,” President Donald Trump said Tuesday when asked about a $5,000 incentive for new mothers.
PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he participates in the swearing-in ceremony for Paul Atkins, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Oval Office of the White House on Washington, April 22, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)More
When asked by ABC News about the proposals the administration has been fielding, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is “proudly implementing policies to uplift American families.”
“The president wants America to be a country where all children can safely grow up and achieve the American dream. As a mother myself, I am proud to work for a president who is taking significant action to leave a better country for the next generation,” Leavitt said.
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;Exodus 3 : 7
Sources cautioned that while advisers are considering the ideas, Trump hasn’t made a final decision on any of the proposals.
A White House official pointed ABC News to the policies Trump has taken so far to help families, specifically citing his executive order aimed at increasing access and affordability for in vitro fertilization, or IVF. The official also cautioned against linking outside proposals to the White House.
The Trump administration has made a significant effort to promote families and emphasized that more babies need to be born in the United States.
On the campaign trail, Trump coined himself the “King of IVF,” and in March, he joked that he would be known as the “fertilization president.”
PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he participates in the swearing-in ceremony for Paul Atkins, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the Oval Office of the White House on Washington, April 22, 2025. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)More
Vice President J.D. Vance has also made a concerted effort to encourage people to have more children. During the 2024 campaign, Vance said the child tax credit should be expanded, stating that he would love to see it at $5,000 per child, but he noted that it needs to be worked out with Congress to see its viability.
The destroying angel is soon to go forth again, not to destroy the first-born alone, but “to slay utterly old and young, both men, women, and little children” who have not the mark. Parents, if you wish to save your children, separate them from the world, keep them from the company of wicked children; for if you suffer them to go with wicked children, you cannot prevent them from partaking of their wickedness and being corrupted. It is your solemn duty to watch over your children, to choose the society at all times for them. Teach your children to obey you, then can they more easily obey the commands of God, and yield to his requirements. Don’t let us neglect to pray with and for our children. He who said, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me,” will listen to our prayers for them, and the seal, or mark, of believing parents will cover their children, if they are trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Mrs. E. G. White RH March 28, 1893, par. 13 – rh b.null.1893
And at the March for Life in late January, Vance told the crowd he wanted “more babies in the United States of America” and called on the government to do its part to ensure families can afford to care for their children.
“I want more happy children in our country, and I want beautiful young men and women who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them. And it is the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids, to bring them into the world and to welcome them as the blessings that we know they are,” Vance said.
“We need a culture that celebrates life at all stages, one that recognizes and truly believes that the benchmark of national success is not our GDP number or our stock market but whether people feel that they can raise thriving and healthy families in our country,” he added.
PHOTO: Vice President JD Vance, his wife Usha Vance, daughter Mirabel and sons Ewan (L) and Vivek pose during their tour at the Taj Mahal in Agra, April 23, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool via Reuters)More
Simone Collins and her husband, Malcolm Collins, are pro-natalists who have advocated actions to make it less difficult for families to have children and ultimately reverse declining birth and marriage rates. Simone Collins told ABC News that she and her husband have submitted several draft executive orders to the White House Domestic Policy Council, including bestowing a “National Medal of Motherhood” to mothers with six or more children. They also proposed that couples should not face a tax penalty for getting married.
She said the White House was receptive to the draft orders and is reviewing them.
However, MomsRising CEO Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, whose organization says it advocates on behalf of more than a million mothers and families, said the programs are “sheer lunacy — coercive, counterproductive recipes for failure.”
“There’s no question that families need policies that make it possible for moms and parents to care for their kids, go to work and contribute to their communities,” she said in a press release, arguing that affordable child and elder care, access to maternal health care and paid family leave would better encourage people to start and grow their families. “This president has had endless opportunities to support those tried-and-true, proven policies that lift families and our economy, but his administrations have utterly failed to do so.
“The proposals the Trump administration are reportedly considering will not open avenues for moms, families and our economy to thrive,” she added. “Those who want families to have more babies should support the policies that build the care infrastructure families and businesses need. When we become a family-friendly country, families will have more children.”
When the destroying angel was to pass through Egypt, to destroy the first-born of man and beast, Israel was commanded to gather their children and families into their houses with them, and then mark their door-posts with blood, that the destroying angel might pass by their dwellings, and if they failed to go through with this process, there was no difference made between them and the Egyptians. RH September 19, 1854, par. 12
The Trump administration and conservative Christians are aiming to overturn Lawrence v. Texas
It was only a matter of time.
The news this week in The New York Times that the Trump White House is searching for ways to “persuade” women to have more children is not some quirky cultural proposal or a benign baby boom fantasy — it’s another attack on bodily autonomy after restricting reproductive rights and limiting types of gender-affirming care.
If you were shocked to hear this news, just wait until you see how far it emboldens conservative Christians to go even further. Their assault on sex has only just begun.
Chaplain of the United Nations, Sunday Laws and Mass With Families! the federal government is coming!
It’s a dystopian unveiling of a pro-natalist agenda that social conservatives have been carefully constructing brick by brick, headline by headline led by Elon Musk, until now, when the facade has finally fallen and the truth stands exposed. And that truth is that the federal government is coming for your bedroom, your uterus, and your right to choose if, when, and how to have children — and sex.
Let’s be clear. Telling women to have more children is not “encouragement.” It is coercion wrapped in a phony flag and sealed with a sanctimonious cross. It’s a policy designed not for liberty but for control. The same extremists who cheer when a woman is forced to carry her rapist’s child are now crafting federal proposals to “incentivize” women into becoming baby-making machines.
The destroying angel is soon to go forth again, not to destroy the first-born alone, but “to slay utterly old and young, both men, women and little children” who have not the mark. Parents, if you wish to save your children, separate them from the world, keep them from the company of wicked children; for if you suffer them to go with wicked children, you cannot prevent them from partaking of their wickedness and being corrupted. It is your solemn duty to watch over your children, to choose the society at all times for them. Learn your children to obey you, then can they more easily obey the commandments of God, and yield to his requirements. Don’t let us neglect to pray with, and for our children. He that said, “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not,” will listen to our prayers for them, and the seal, or mark, of believing parents will cover their children, if they are trained up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. E. G. White. RH September 19, 1854, par. 13 – rh null.null.1854
What’s next? A government birthing schedule? A state-sanctioned pregnancy quota? Or a ban on sex between two men or two women? Because the Christian right believes that sex should be only about having babies. Sex for love or pleasure is a damnable sin.
A day of great intellectual darkness has been shown to be favorable to the success of the papacy. It will yet be demonstrated that a day of great intellectual light is equally favorable for its success. In past ages, when men were without God’s word and without the knowledge of the truth, their eyes were blindfolded, and thousands were ensnared, not seeing the net spread for their feet. In this generation there are many whose eyes become dazzled by the glare of human speculations, “science falsely so called;” they discern not the net, and walk into it as readily as if blindfolded. GC 572.3
Does all this sound familiar? It should. Margaret Atwood wrote the warning decades ago. In The Handmaid’s Tale, fertile women were forced to bear children for powerful men and shuffled between households like property. You had three chances, three homes, three assignments. Refuse? Resist? You’d end up in the Colonies, discarded, punished, or worse. It was fiction once. But now it’s a blueprint for Trump, Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and Sen. Ted Cruz, among others.
I stopped watching the miniseries of The Handmaid’s Tale after the first season in 2017, and that is because I long felt that Donald Trump and the extreme right would someday try to mimic the plot of the show. That series scared the hell out of me. It didn’t come to fruition in the first term, but here we are, and I’m astounded and horrified to say I told you so.
I was pointed back to faithful Noah. The rain descended, the floods came, Noah, and his family had entered the ark, and God shut them in. Noah had faithfully warned the inhabitants of the old world, while they had mocked and derided him. And as the waters descended upon the earth, and as one after another were being drowned, they beheld that ark that they had made so much sport of, riding safely upon the waters, preserving the faithful Noah and his family. So I saw that the people of God, who had warned the world of his coming wrath, would be delivered. They had faithfully warned the inhabitants of the earth, and God would not suffer the wicked to destroy those who were expecting translation, and who would not bow to the decree of the beast, or receive his mark. I saw that if the wicked were permitted to slay the saints, Satan and all his evil host, and all who hate God, would be gratified. And O, what a time of triumph it would be for his Satanic majesty, to have power, in the last closing struggle, over those who had so long waited to behold Him whom they loved. Those who have mocked at the idea of the saints going up, will witness the care of God for his people, and their glorious deliverance. As the saints left the cities and villages, they were pursued by the wicked. They raised their swords to kill the saints, but they broke, and fell as powerless as a straw. Angels of God shielded the saints. As they cried day and night for deliverance, their cry came up before God. 1SG 203.1 – 1SG 204.1
Today In China 🇨🇳, Tomorrow in the USA 🇺🇸
As reported in the Times, officials are exploring how to “support” women in having more children, complete with cash payments, policy shifts, and a looming sense that your worth to the state may soon be measured in diapers and delivery dates.
Thus the false science of the present day, which undermines faith in the Bible, will prove as successful in preparing the way for the acceptance of the papacy, with its pleasing forms, as did the withholding of knowledge in opening the way for its aggrandizement in the Dark Ages. In the movements now in progress in the United States to secure for the institutions and usages of the church the support of the state, Protestants are following in the steps of papists. Nay, more, they are opening the door for the papacy to regain in Protestant America the supremacy which she has lost in the Old World. And that which gives greater significance to this movement is the fact that the principal object contemplated is the enforcement of Sunday observance—a custom which originated with Rome, and which she claims as the sign of her authority. It is the spirit of the papacy—the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for human traditions above the commandments of God—that is permeating the Protestant churches and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation which the papacy has done before them. GC 572.3 – GC 573.1
It eerily echoes China’s recent expansion of its family planning allowance from two children to three, under the watchful eye of the Chinese Communist Party. We used to criticize authoritarian regimes for such population engineering. Now we imitate them. And we might be at war with China on tariffs, it seems we also want to compete with them on how many children our citizens have.
But make no mistake, this isn’t about economic growth, declining birth rates, or family values. This is about a radical right-wing movement, fueled by white nationalism, Christian domination, and toxic masculinity.
Trump and his ilk seek to rebuild America in their own image: white, straight, and male-dominated like a UFC championship fight, where men are men, and women are … well, just subservient women.
[9] The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. [10] Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. [11] If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.Micah 2 : 9-11
Pronatalism, as chillingly outlined in The Guardian, is the ideological backbone of this movement. It’s not just pro-birth, it’s anti-choice. Anti-freedom. Anti-you. And virulently anti-LGBTQ+.
In the pronatalist worldview, the womb is a tool for the state
In the pronatalist worldview, the womb is a tool for the state. Your sexual autonomy is negotiable. Your career, your goals, and your body are all secondary to your duty to reproduce. If that doesn’t scare you, you’re not paying attention, because you’re about to see The Handmaid’s Tale become reality.
And where this is heading is even darker. The same extremists behind this push to increase birth rates are the ones who celebrated the fall of Roe v. Wade. They’re the ones who now target IVF and contraception.
[9] The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. [10] Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted, it shall destroy you, even with a sore destruction. [11] If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people. [12] I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men. Micah 2 : 9-12
They want to outlaw your family
They’re also the ones like Cruz, who are openly calling for a reversal of Lawrence v. Texas, the 2003 Supreme Court decision that found it unconstitutional to criminalize sex between two consenting adults of the same gender. They want to outlaw your family, your love, your very existence, and most especially “deviant homosexuals.”
Because if sex isn’t for procreation, it’s sinful in their eyes. That’s the logic. That’s the theology masquerading as law. Christian fundamentalists believe that the only righteous form of sex is between a married cisgender man and cisgender woman with the intent to conceive.
Everything else, including gay sex and even straight pleasure without pregnancy, is perverse. So if the government can tell a woman she should have more children, it can also tell two men or two women they must not have sex. It’s all part of the same crusade.
They want to reshape American bedrooms into sterile procreation chambers.
They want to reshape American bedrooms into sterile procreation chambers. They want to replace intimacy with obligation, consent with command, desire with duty. It’s not “family values.” It’s state-imposed M-F breeding. And when they’ve finished controlling women’s bodies and trans bodies, they will come for other queer bodies next. Count on it.
If this administration truly cared about families, it would be investing in child care, paid family leave, affordable health care, and maternal mortality prevention. It would stop criminalizing abortion, banning books, and attacking LGBTQ+ parents. But they’re not doing any of that. Instead, they’re offering cash bounties for babies while stripping away every freedom that lets a woman choose her own life.
A future where choice is eradicated, where privacy is policed, and where the personal becomes punishable.
And eventually, freedom for two women or two men to have sex.
So when Trump’s advisers talk about “persuading” women to have more children, understand the code. This isn’t persuasion — it’s preparation for something much larger. For a future where choice is eradicated, where privacy is policed, and where the personal becomes punishable.
If you’re not terrified yet, you should be. Because this isn’t fiction like The Handmaid’s Tale anymore. It’s federal policy in the making. And it’s coming for all of us.
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Protesters rally to show support to Palestinians and Hezbollah, in Sanaa
By Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO (Reuters) -Hamas wants a comprehensive deal to end the war in Gaza and swap all Israeli hostages for Palestinians jailed in Israel, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group said, rejecting Israel’s offer of an interim truce.
Our people have been regarded as too insignificant to be worthy of notice, but a change will come. The Christian world is now making movements which will necessarily bring commandment-keeping people into prominence.94 The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists, because they will not yield homage to the papacy, by honoring Sunday, the institution of this antichristian power. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to be blotted from the earth, in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disputed. Mar 217.2 – Mar 217.3
In a televised speech, Khalil Al-Hayya, the group’s Gaza chief who leads its negotiating team, said the group would no longer agree to interim deals, adopting a position that Israel is unlikely to accept and potentially further delaying an end to the devastating attacks that restarted in recent weeks.
Instead, Hayya said Hamas was ready to immediately engage in “comprehensive package negotiations” to release all remaining hostages in its custody in return for an end to the Gaza war, the release of Palestinians jailed by Israel, and the reconstruction of Gaza.
While Paul tarried at Caesarea, “there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us,” Luke says, “he took Paul’s girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” AA 397.2
“Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners (hostages),” said Hayya, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We will not be part of passing this policy.”
Egyptian mediators have been working to revive the January ceasefire agreement that halted fighting in Gaza before it broke down last month, but there has been little sign of progress with both Israel and Hamas blaming each other.
“Hamas’s comments demonstrate they are not interested in peace but perpetual violence. The terms made by the Trump Administration have not changed: release the hostages or face hell,” said National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt.
We shall be attacked on every point; we shall be tried to the utmost. We do not want to hold our faith simply because it was handed down to us by our fathers. Such a faith will not stand the terrible test that is before us. We want to know why we are Seventh-day Adventists, what real reason we have for coming out from the world as a separate and distinct people…. Mar 217.6
The latest round of talks on Monday in Cairo to restore the ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said.
Hamas has already rejected one of its conditions – that it lay down its arms.
Israel had proposed a 45-day truce in Gaza to allow hostage releases and potentially begin indirect talks to end the war. Hamas has already rejected one of its conditions – that it lay down its arms. In his speech, Hayya accused Israel of offering a counterproposal with “impossible conditions.”
Hamas released 38 hostages under a ceasefire that began on January 19. In March, Israel’s military resumed its ground and aerial offensive on Gaza, abandoning the ceasefire after Hamas rejected proposals to extend the truce without ending the war.
Israeli officials say that the offensive will continue until the remaining 59 hostages are freed and Gaza is demilitarized. Hamas insists it will free hostages only as part of a deal to end the war and has rejected demands to lay down its arms.
ISRAELI STRIKES
On Tuesday, the armed wing of Hamas armed said the group had lost contact with militants holding Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander after the Israeli army attacked their hideout. Alexander is a New Jersey native and a 21-year-old soldier in the Israeli army.
The armed wing later released a video warning hostages’ families that their “children will return in black coffins with their bodies torn apart from shrapnel from your army.”
Israeli military strikes killed at least 32 Palestinians, including women and children, across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, local health authorities said.
One of those strikes killed six people and wounded several others at a UN-run school in Jabalia in northern Gaza Strip. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas command center.
The war was triggered by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Since then, more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to local health authorities.
(Reporting and writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi. Additional reporting by Muhammad Al Gebaly and Ahmed Tolba, Gram Slattery in Washington; editing by Don Durfee and Deepa Babington)
[32] But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. [34] Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.John 4 : 32, 34
The United Nations has warned of a dire humanitarian situation for the 2.4 million inhabitants of the Palestinian territory (Eyad BABA) (Eyad BABA/AFP/AFP)
With food scarce in the besieged and war-battered Gaza Strip, some desperate families have turned to eating sea turtles as a rare source of protein.
[9] On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: [10] And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, [11] And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: [12] Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. [13] And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. [14] But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. [15] And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.Acts 10 : 9-15
Once the shell has been removed, the meat is cut up, boiled and cooked in a mix of onion, pepper, tomato and spices.
“The children were afraid of the turtle, and we told them it tasted as delicious as veal,” said Majida Qanan, keeping an eye on the chunks of red meat simmering in a pot over a wood fire.
[26] But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. [27] And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Matthew 15 : 26-27
For lack of a better alternative, this is the third time 61-year-old Qanan has prepared a turtle-based meal for her family who were displaced and now live in a tent in Khan Yunis, southern Gaza largest city.
Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the LORD.Jeremiah 8 : 7
After 18 months of devastating war and an Israeli blockade on aid since March 2, the United Nations has warned of a dire humanitarian situation for the 2.4 million inhabitants of the Palestinian territory.
Israel has accused Hamas of diverting aid, which the Palestinian militant group denies.
The heads of 12 major aid organisations warned on Thursday that “famine is not just a risk, but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts” of the territory.
“There are no open crossings and there is nothing in the market,” said Qanan.
[30] But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. [31] And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like? [32] They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. [33] For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil. [34] The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners! [35] But wisdom is justified of all her children. [36] And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. [37] And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, [38] And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.Luke 7 : 30-38
“When I buy two small bags (of vegetables) for 80 shekels ($22), there is no meat,” she added.
Sea turtles are internationally protected as an endangered species, but those caught in Gaza fishermen’s nets are used for food.
Qanan mixes the meat with flour and vinegar to wash it, before rinsing and boiling it in an old metal pot.
– ‘Never expected to eat a turtle’ –
[2] Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. [3] Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Isaiah 55 : 2-3
“We never expected to eat a turtle,” fisherman Abdel Halim Qanan said.
“When the war started, there was a food shortage. There is no food. So (turtle meat) is an alternative for other sources of protein. There is no meat, poultry or vegetables.”
The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that Gaza is facing its most severe humanitarian crisis since the war began on October 7, 2023, triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Fighting has raged in Gaza since then, pausing only twice — recently during a two-month ceasefire between January 19 and March 17, and in a previous one-week halt in late November 2023.
The World Health Organization’s regional chief Hanan Balkhy said in June that some Gazans were so desperate that they were eating animal food, grass, and drinking sewage water.
Hamas on Thursday accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon” against Gazans by blocking aid supplies.
Fisherman Qanan said the turtles were killed in the “halal” method, in accordance with Islamic rites.
And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. Mark 1 : 17
“If there was no famine, we would not eat it and leave it, but we want to compensate for the lack of protein,” he said.
But the masses of the people turn away their ears from hearing the truth and are turned unto fables. The apostle Paul declared, looking down to the last days: “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4:3. That time has fully come. The multitudes do not want Bible truth, because it interferes with the desires of the sinful, world-loving heart; and Satan supplies the deceptions which they love. GC 594.2
Adventist Angels Watchman Radio 