Hezekiah’s Revival: A River of Life

King Hezekiah (700 BC) is famous for the amazing “Hezekiah’s Tunnel” which first carried water underground into Jerusalem to save the city from a siege. In the photo it's kind of grungy looking but actually the tunnel is pretty clean with cool fresh water than runs through your Tevas or flip flops, sneakers, whatever, as you shuffle your way along on a tour.

Like the tunnel he implemented, Hezi helped facilitate a spiritual revival, connecting people to the life giving water of God’s presence and word and impacting society for good. There’s no formula for revival, but it's a delight to look back and consider the path the revival took and consider how some of these attributes may apply to our lives today. The Psalmist stated “Great are the works of the Lord; they are studied by all who delight in them…” (Ps 111.2, NASB).

Study is work, as is teaching. As we work, God works, It's a kind of digging which leads to springs of life. Hezekiah's revival, as described in chapters 29-31 of 2 Chronicles, shows the historic step by step journey that took people deeper into the joyful springs of life found in God.

Murdered Ukraine Journalist Suspect Found

There have been many journalists murdered in Ukraine and Russia and the authorities rarely, if ever, pursue justice because, well, they are the ones usually implicated. But the 2000 Gongadze murder may become an exception. A key suspect, Oleksiy Pukach, has been detained by the authorities and Gongadze's wife, shown in this family photo, believes he may confess his secrets in court confirming previous evidence, including an audio recording, which linked the murder to former president, Leonid Kuchma:

"Former president Kuchma has reason to be afraid. The head of his administration, Volodymyr Lytvyn, has reason to be afraid. Many ranks within the Interior Ministry have to be afraid. Because this was a serious, great camapign," she said. "Georgiy's murder was just one of the crimes committed by President Kuchma. And if Pukach really tells everything he knows, I think we can expect great discoveries."

For more details see the Kyiv Post article, link here.

Walter Cronkite: Most Trusted Asset of Operation Mockingbird

“It is impossible to imagine CBS News, journalism or indeed America without Walter Cronkite,” said Sean McManus, president of CBS News, on the passing on Walter Cronkite. “More than just the best and most trusted anchor in history, he guided America through our crises, tragedies and also our victories and greatest moments.”

I wonder if Mr. McManus knew the real Cronkite — Cronkite the a former intelligence officer who was lured away from his UPI Moscow desk by Operation Mockingbird’s Phil Graham. Of course he did. Because the corporate media, at least at the level Walter Cronkite occupied, is rife with spooks, government agents, and disinfo operatives. The CIA has “important assets” inside every major news publication in the country, a fact established by numerous FOIA documents. A rare glimpse was also provided by Frank Church’s committee in the mid-70s.

The History of God: Myth, Truth or Both?

The books 1 and 2 Chronicles deal with the history of God from the time of the creation to the 6th century B.C. The genealogies don't mention Cain and Abel but do mention Seth. The reason for this is because it intentionally focuses on the lineage of Abraham, who is considered “the father of faith” for Hebrews, Christians and Muslims.

You see the same selective history with regard to the Southern Kingdom, Judah, vs. the Northern Kingdom, Israel. Though there were 19 kings in both the Southern and Northern Kingdoms, the Chronicles focus on the Southern Kingdom which is where Jerusalem was established as a capital by David and where the Hebrew temple was built. All in all, you see that there is a thread of history which becomes the main focus and this relates directly to the redemption of mankind. The literal translation of the Hebrew name Chronicles is Divrei Hayyamim, meaning "matters of the days." The book literally chooses “what matters” historically, to focus on. People’s lives are summarized in a few sentences as they relate to this thread of redemption. 1 Chronicles 2.7 describes how Achar, or Achan, was more interested in silver and gold than the true and living God. 1 Chronicles 4.9-10 describe a simple prayer by Jabez, which revealed his deep faith in God.

Banking Ballyhoo: Time to Audit the Fed?

People are becoming increasingly "fed up" with the Fed and the abuses of the bailout. The following are some documented reasons why:

- According to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll, only 31% of Americans supported the bailout.

- How was the amount of $700 Billion amount determined? "It's not based on any particular data point," a Treasury spokeswoman told Forbes.com. "We just wanted to choose a really large number."

- Citigroup of NY, the largest bank in the world by revenue (2008), received $20 Billion + from US taxpayer bailout money. - It was recently documented that $500M of this Citigroup money is going overseas to Saudi billionaire Maan al-Sanea Saudi and his businesses.

C.I.A. Crucifixions: This isn't Your Father’s World

Call me an “extremist,” but something seems a little off to me. According to documents recently released from the Pentagon, the C.I.A. is now in the crucifixion business. Of all the big name magazines, The New Yorker was the only publisher to cover the story and it was buried back on page 6 of the June 22nd issue. On the web, Time Magazine had described how a tortured prisoner, "the Iceman" was kept frozen "in order to hide the true circumstances of his dying." L.A. Times also covered many of the prison abuse cases ending in death. I love what America once stood for, but I'm saddened by the direction my country is headed in and the same for society in general.