Belarus on the Front Line

https://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/belarus-crowds-rally-against-closer-russia-ties-wave-eu-flags/

Were these marches funded? Probably not as they were too small to have a real impact, but it's a well known tactic, one certainly at work in Hong Kong and undoubtedly in Iran... or soon will be once again.

Trump and the Asian Pivot

The US Navy has been doing something unusual, carrier swapping. Usually when one enters the Navy you more or less spend your career either plugged into the Atlantic or Pacific fleets. But due to personnel problems, the need to re-fuel existing craft (that would be nuclear refueling) and in order to keep the active or cutting edge on the Pacific side, the Navy has been in the process of swapping ships and crews between locations like San Diego and Norfolk.

A White Helmeted Fog

In November 2019, James Le Mesurier the founder of the White Helmets fell to his death from a balcony in Istanbul. With good reason, many people believe he was murdered and given that these events took place in Istanbul, many have pointed to the Erdogan government.

The Dust is Still Settling from the Years of Lead

http://www.ansa.it/english/news/2020/01/09/former-terrorist-gets-life-for-1980-bologna-bombing_6d16ec5c-a46d-4cd6-88dc-b126ff3c186b.html

Apart from the kidnapping and assassination of Aldo Moro in 1978, the worst incident in Italy's Years of Lead was the Bologna Bombing in 1980. It was a wake-up for some as the perpetrators seemed to be not the Leftist Red Brigades but Right-wing fascist groups.

Citizenship and Travel in the Coming Dystopia

https://www.politico.eu/article/future-passports-biometric-risk-profiles-the-codes-we-carry/

Is it the Mark of the Beast? Actually no, but I'm still not doing it. I'm not a Dispensationalist looking for a One World Government and a Seven Year Tribulation but at the same time this sort of technology and the way it's being used is certainly bestial.

The Click-Bait and Spin Machines of the Christian Right

https://pulpitandpen.org/2020/01/10/not-a-single-democratic-senator-supports-u-s-military/

Pulpit and Pen wants so badly to be taken seriously as the bastion of discernment and the font of all wisdom when it comes to things Reformed. And yet this is seemingly accomplished by means of a Christianised version of click-bait. Through sensationalist and misleading headlines the outlet plays a game of bait and switch that in the end amounts to little more than a dog and pony show.

The United Methodist Church (UMC) is Still Apostate

There has been extensive coverage in Christian circles with regard to the proposed split of the United Methodist Church. Many Evangelical leaders count it a good thing as for once there is resistance within a Mainline body, a sign of life and a sign of vitality, that people are willing to stand for something. The acceptance and open embrace of sodomy by a large faction within the UMC is a step too far and the conservatives are revolting.

The Downed 737 in Tehran

The downing of a Ukrainian 737 over Tehran was a tragedy with well over one hundred lives lost. It took place amid the confusion and angst surrounding the assassination of Iranian general Suleimani and in particular the Iranian missile strike in which US bases in Iraq were hit as a form of retaliation.

VCY-CrossTalk Chaos

Here's the summary for the 9 January 2020 radio show:

Jim finished yesterday’s Crosstalk by reading Psalm 20:7:

‘Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.’

As Dr. Gary Frazier mentioned earlier this week, we’re seeing both an increase in the frequency and intensity of the events that point to the return of Christ.  The Bible also tells us that things will get worse and people will go about deceiving and being deceived.  

So while our nation still has its strengths, particularly from a military standpoint, ultimately we need to remember the name of the Lord our God, especially as we see what’s unfolding in our nation and the world.

With this in mind, Jim asked listeners to call in and share what they believe is the Scripture verse/verses our nation needs in such a time as this.

Trump +1079: Military Schisms, the Legality of Assassination and Iran

There's been something of a military schism at work within the Trump administration. For some time it's been an open secret that the special forces are more or less out of control. Twenty years of endless war, and certainly war of this kind has proven to be a golden age for these groups and they've grown wild and undisciplined.

The Soleimani Assassination

There will be wars and rumours of wars. A good thing to remember at a tense moment like this.

And yet one hopes that Soleimani isn't the Franz Ferdinand of our hour and the unleashing of a chain reaction. Soleimani was a major figure within Iran and one whose name often surfaced when looking into Iranian foreign policy and its roles in places like Syria. Soleimani has been at the forefront of the fight against ISIS and is viewed as the major figure in keeping them out of Iran.

Incirlik AFB Under Question

https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-and-security/news/turkey-warns-it-could-kick-out-us-from-incirlik-nuclear-base/

Incirlik Air Force Base has long been a key outpost, staging area and strike platform for the US and NATO. It has played an important role in how the US projects power into the Middle East.