WHEN WAS THE FIRST DISABILITY PENSION IN THE USA WAS ESTABLISHED? IN 1776!

SYNOPSIS: The origins of disability benefits in the United States go back to the Revolutionary War, when the Continental Congress voted to support soldiers wounded in the fight for independence. History enthusiasts, students, veterans, seniors and people with disabilities want to understand where the American social security tradition actually began, which shows that care for disabled veterans was written into the fabric of the nation before the country itself was fully formed. READ MORE: https://open.substack.com/pub/robertdhosken/p/when-was-the-first-disability-pension

Chapter One: The Art of Hitting Yourself with a Spiritual Stick
‎
‎Let us talk about a most exquisite, silent comedy: the secret, simmering grudge so many of us hold against the very thing we claim to be chasing—righteousness, holiness, all that jazz. It’s like a man who announces to the world that he adores swimming, but every time he approaches the water, you can see his face contort into the expression of someone who has just swallowed a wasp. He splashes about furiously, grumbling, “I love this! So refreshing! Why does nobody else understand how delightful this is?” while visibly drowning in his own resentment. The man is not swimming; he is aggressively sinking in a devotional manner. As Scripture puts it, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Jesus said that about folks who had turned worship into a grim performance, and frankly, if Jesus were at the pool today, He’d probably hand the man a life preserver and say, “Sir, your lips are praising, but your flailing arms are telling a very different gospel.”
‎
‎Countless souls genuinely seek the truth. They roll out of bed each morning and lace up their spiritual combat boots for another day of holy trench warfare. But if you corner them with a sympathetic smile and a cup of tea, they will confess: righteousness feels like an exhausting, forced march through treacle. It feels like they have a second job—night shift—working for a Celestial Supervisor, an Ancient of Days with a celestial clipboard, ticking boxes, muttering, “Hmm, Wednesday's prayer lacked enthusiasm, minus three points. But that spontaneous act of charity had a nice flair, plus two. We’ll deduct it from your balance of existential dread.” To them, the spiritual life isn't a dance; it's a grim rebellion against a satanic kingdom, a tiresome war where the only point of the whole ridiculous fight is to secure a payout in blessings and a future mansion just beyond the clouds—a sort of deferred heavenly pension plan. No benefit now, just overtime. And out of this sweaty, joyless striving, a deep loathing grows—a hatred of the very holiness they think they are chasing. It’s like being a baker who despises the smell of bread. You’d think the baker would just quit and become an accountant, but no, he stays in the bakery, kneading dough with the face of a man attending his own tax audit, and calls it “faithfulness.”
‎
‎And here's the beautifully absurd critical point: every attempt to fight that loathing, to whip yourself into a better, holier emotion, will fail in the long run. You cannot, by sheer muscular will, permanently maintain a feeling against a deeply held belief. That’s like trying to hold a beach ball underwater. It’s going to pop up and smack you in the face, and you will be terribly offended. You’ll blame the beach ball, you’ll rebuke the beach ball, you’ll bind the spirit of buoyancy, but the ball obeys a law higher than your panic. The cause of the emotion is a wrong view, a piece of false knowledge lodged in the mind like a piece of psychic popcorn in the gum. That, not the feeling, is what must be surgically, or perhaps humorously, removed. As the prophet Hosea lamented, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Not for lack of effort. Not for lack of all-night prayer vigils where they’ve sweated through their prayer shawls. Knowledge. But we’d rather arm-wrestle our own amygdala at 3 a.m. than admit we might have been holding the map upside down. The feeling is just the check-engine light; you can smash the dashboard with a hammer, and the engine will still be on fire.
‎
‎The core confusion is this: man treats the symptom as the disease, and then exhausts himself fighting the symptom while the disease quietly continues its work untouched, humming a little tune. It’s like the old proverb: “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11). But the modern version would be: “As a fool attacks his own nausea while continuing to eat the same rotten wisdom, so a man rebukes his feelings while refusing to question his beliefs.” The dog gets called a fool for eating the vomit; the man gets called a theologian for fighting the resulting stomachache with fasting and decreeing. It’s a very poor reward for a digestive system that was only trying to send a memo.
‎
‎See how the trick is played. A person holds a piece of false knowledge deep in their understanding—for example, the belief that “God is a cosmic headmaster who requires a flawless performance of spiritual gymnastics before He will even glance in my direction.” That belief, whether it’s your daily conscious monologue or a silent assumption hovering like background muzak, will produce a specific emotional harvest: dread, resentment, a heavy heart, and a sincere desire to run away from anything labeled “holiness.” The emotion is not the original problem; it is the fruit of the root. The emotion is simply the inner, felt experience of what the mind already holds to be true. It’s the echo; the shout happened long before. You don’t call the echo a liar; you check who’s doing the shouting. And unfortunately, that inner shout often sounds like a twisted version of a memory verse: “The Lord disciplines those He loves” (Hebrews 12:6) becomes “The Lord is disappointed in you before breakfast, and you should feel bad about it permanently.” That’s not Scripture; that’s a bad translation done by a committee of your insecurities.
‎
‎Now, what does man do when he feels that dreadful inner resistance, that “Oh God, here comes another commandment” feeling? He does not trace the feeling back to the belief that caused it. Oh no. He declares a holy war on the feeling itself. He tells himself, “I should not feel this way. This resentment is a sin. I must launch a crusade against my own insides. I will try harder to conjure up authentic, Grade-A love for God and a sparkling delight in holiness.” He sets out to strangle the emotion directly—through willpower, through suppression, through whipping up a forced enthusiasm that sounds like a game show host who’s lost his cue cards, through generous helpings of self-condemnation. He approaches God’s commandments by trying to copy and paste them into his own behavioral operating system, without ever understanding why God hates sin in the first place, or why he himself, in his own right mind, might find it detestable. But the underlying belief hasn’t moved a single inch. It’s like a hidden projector in the basement, still faithfully casting its dreary movie on the screen of his consciousness. And because the belief remains unchanged, it keeps silently manufacturing the same emotion day after day. The man, in turn, keeps battling the emotion, mistaking it for the enemy, never realizing he is doing the equivalent of snipping off the leaves of a weed while giving the root a nice, warm glass of water and singing “How Great Thou Art” to the gardening shed.

Today's Gospel
19 June 2026 · Friday
11th Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 6:19–23

Jesus said to His disciples:

"Do not store up for yourselves
treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys,
and where thieves do not break in
and steal.

For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.

The eye is the lamp of the body.
So if your eye is healthy,
your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is bad,
your whole body will be full of darkness.

If then the light in you is darkness —
how great is that darkness!"

Reflection

Jesus asks us
a very simple question
that is actually
one of the hardest questions
we will ever answer.

Where is your treasure?

Not what do you believe.
Not what do you say on Sundays.

Where —
in the actual ordering
of your days,
your attention,
your energy,
your time —

where does your treasure lie?

Because that is where
your heart will follow.

Every human being
stores treasure somewhere.

The question is never
whether you are storing it.

The question is always:
in what?

In security —
the bank account,
the pension plan,
the fallback that says
"I'll be safe no matter what"?

In recognition —
the approval of people,
the title,
the image carefully managed?

In comfort —
the pleasures that require
no sacrifice,
no risk,
no stretching toward anything greater?

None of these things are evil.

But Jesus warns us
that they are not stable foundations.

Moth destroys.
Rust corrodes.
Thieves steal.

Time erodes everything
that cannot outlast time.

And then comes
the image of the eye.

"If your eye is healthy,
your whole body is full of light."

In the ancient world,
the eye was understood
as the organ through which light
entered the whole person.

But Jesus is using it
as a metaphor for focus —

for what we are actually
oriented toward.

If your focus — your deepest gaze —
is on what is eternal,
what is true,
what is good —

your whole interior life
will be illuminated.

But if your gaze
is fixed on what is passing,
what is hollow,
what cannot satisfy —

"how great is that darkness."

This is not a teaching
about poverty or wealth.

It is a teaching
about where we are looking.

About what has captured
the gaze of our heart.

Today's Word of Life
calls us to build unity —
to find common ground
rather than division.

And that only becomes possible
when we are no longer hoarding treasure
for ourselves —

when the gaze of our heart
is oriented
not inward and downward,

but outward and upward —

toward God and toward
the people God has placed
before us.

Unity begins
when two people
are both looking
at the same light.

Truths to Remember

• The heart follows treasure —
not the other way around
• What you give your attention to daily
shapes who you are becoming
• A "healthy eye" = a focused,
well-ordered gaze toward what is eternal
• Earthly things are not condemned,
but they cannot be the foundation
• Detachment from things
creates freedom to love people

Prayer

Lord,
show me where my treasure truly lies.

Not where I think it lies —
not where I say it lies —

but where my heart actually goes
when no one is watching.

Reorder my gaze.

Help me fix my eyes
on what is eternal,
so that my whole life
may be full of light.

Amen.

If you could see clearly
what your heart treasures most —
what would you find?

#DailyGospel #Matthew6
#TreasuresInHeaven #RiseWithTheWord

A Stranger Named James

A few weeks ago, I met a man named James.

What started as a brief conversation on my mail route turned into one of the most meaningful friendships I've ever experienced.

James wasn't always homeless.

In fact, he had lived a life most people would envy.

He spent decades teaching history at major universities in Ohio and at several others throughout his career. From an early age, everyone knew he was exceptionally intelligent. His family expected him to become a doctor or a lawyer. Instead, he followed a different path and became a professor of history.

Books were his lifelong companions.

During the school year he taught, and during the summers he disappeared into the world. He traveled to places most people only read about, collecting stories, experiences, and knowledge that filled a lifetime.

When he retired in 2013, his life became much quieter. He largely stayed at home, ordering what he needed and avoiding most modern technology. He never owned a computer. He never carried a cell phone. He preferred books over screens and conversations over social media.

Twice a week, former students would visit him. They would sit for hours discussing history, politics, and world events. His classroom had simply moved from the university to his living room.

Then everything changed.

In late 2025, James was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

He pursued treatment, hoping for more time. Instead, the treatments seemed to steal what time he had left. After months of suffering and declining health, he made a decision.

He stopped treatment.

He returned home to Columbus, Ohio, got his affairs in order, wrote his will, and gave away everything he owned.

His pension.

His houses.

His possessions.

All of it.

Knowing his time was limited, he chose to walk away from the life he had built and spend his remaining days on the road.

By the time I met him, he had been living outdoors for about five months.

He had traveled from place to place, sleeping under bridges, in tents, and wherever he could find shelter. He happened to be staying under a bridge along my route when our paths crossed.

The first day we spoke, he noticed how much walking I did.

"You walk a lot," he said.

I laughed and told him he probably walked more than I did.

At the time, I had no idea how true that was.

Over the next several weeks, I saw him regularly. Every time I stopped, I learned a little more about the man behind the weathered appearance.

I would ask if he needed anything.

Sometimes it was cash.

Sometimes a cold sweet tea.

One day I brought him a pair of lightweight pants because summer heat was settling in.

Little by little, a friendship formed.

Then one day I stopped to check on him, and the first thing he said was:

"Well, this is it."

I asked him what he meant.

He told me complaints had been made and he could no longer stay under the bridge.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"Maybe head south to Paintsville."

I told him I'd come back after work and we'd figure something out.

That afternoon, when I returned, he was packed and ready. Or at least as ready as someone can be when they have nowhere to go.

We gathered what belongings he had accumulated: a tent, a few personal items, and the remnants of a life that once looked very different.

Then we started driving.

Neither of us knew exactly where we were headed.

At one point we reached Louisa, Kentucky.

"You can just drop me off here," he said.

I couldn't do that.

Not yet.

I wanted to make sure he had food in his stomach, some supplies, and a safe place to sleep.

We looked at one place, but he thought it cost too much. Even with almost nothing, he was concerned about someone else's money.

That was James.

Eventually we continued another thirty minutes south and arrived in Paintsville.

The first motel turned him away because he had no identification. His ID had been lost months earlier after he was assaulted and robbed.

The second motel gave him a chance.

We rented him a room for two nights.

As we carried his belongings inside, he noticed something that immediately made him smile.

The room had a bathtub.

To most people, that's nothing special.

To James, it meant he could soak in hot water and ease the relentless pain that had settled deep into his bones from the cancer.

For a moment, he looked genuinely happy.

We talked for a few more minutes before I told him I needed to head home.

As I left, I realized something.

Knowing James for only three weeks had changed me.

Here was a man who once had everything society tells us matters: education, success, respect, money, property, and status.

Now he had almost none of it.

Yet somehow, he still carried himself with dignity.

He wasn't a panhandler.

He would accept help, but he was wired to earn his way. If he could find an odd job, he'd do it. If he could work for a meal, he preferred that.

His mind remained sharp.

His body was simply wearing out.

As we said goodbye, he thanked me for being a friend.

The truth is, I think I received far more from that friendship than he did.

James reminded me how temporary everything is.

The houses.

The bank accounts.

The titles.

The possessions.

One day all of it stays behind.

What remains is the impact we have on other people.

Tonight I find myself praying for him.

I pray God places kind people in his path.

I pray someone offers him comfort and shelter.

I pray his final days are filled with dignity, peace, and human kindness.

Most of all, I'm grateful.

Grateful that a stranger named James walked into my life for a few short weeks and somehow felt like a friend I had known my entire life.

-Dan Stokley

pulled out of te pit parts 5 and 6

Chapter 5


Psalm 40

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

2
He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.
3

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the Lord.

PULLED OUT OF THE PIT

I have said in previous chapters, that I was a churchgoer, and so I was, but not because I wanted to, but because I was forced to.

We got prizes for going, I still have a book with photos of the UK gives as Sunday school prize in 1971, all I was interested in was getting things, it was all about Me and I.

Arriving in class 4s I looked around and wondered who I could upset first, the lucky person was a rather stout boy who sat by the window, often I could be found by his desk teasing and tormenting him, and he was more religious than me, he went to church youth groups on Friday night, Saturday night and church twice on Sunday, talk about fanatical, you need to get yourself a life Andrew!.

So he became the butt of all my anger, I punched him, pulled his hair and did other really bad things, hit out and shouted at him and yet, no response. Everyone else responded, but not him, what is up with this guy?

Our class became 5s and yes we were in the same class.. how annoying. Mr Scott said to Andrew, you will never get Keith to become a Christian, how wrong he was!

He was getting under my skin, he started to invite me to meetings on Saturday night, are you joking...I would rather cut my toe nails.. with a hacksaw!.

He's at it again, come on Saturday Night, I'll pick you up at the bus station, oh ok, anything to shut him up.

So on this Saturday night, I was let out of the house, my parents should of known better, so off I went.

We met up and went up to Moorlands gospel hall, the place was packed, what's happening, all these religious nutters.

So we started the meeting, hymns were sung, some people stood up and said how Jesus had changed their life, Good for them, but it went over my head.

The preacher stood up, Victor Jack from Suffolk, he spoke about what would happen if Jesus came back tonight, I remember being a little scared, I had not heard anything like this, he talked of Jesus being the only answer, at the end he said I'm going into a side room, if anyone wants to come and talk to me, knock on that door.

All I remember is closing my eyes and it was a curtain going up, my eyes had been opened, I turned to Andrew and said "I'm going into that room", his jaw dropped, we arrived just before someone else did, if they had got their first, I wouldn't of gone through with it, but I was ushered in, Victor took my through the book Journey into life by Norman warren, I said the prayer at the end and meant it, I remember going home and blurted out to my parents "I've become a Christian", my fathers retort was "you should of been home earlier".

So life changed on that night, I passed from death to life on that night.

Back in 2024, I was able to see my beloved friend Andrew and also to meet Victor again, now 87, he welcomed me and my family into his home and his home church.

I owe them both a debt, I can never repay, on that night, I was truly PULLED OUTOF THE PIT.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

Salvation from sin through Christ is a miracle, it cannot be accomplished through our good works or any other man made religion.

I should know, I tried. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, you can sit in Burger king and change your name to Mr A Hamburger, but you aren' t and can't be a hamburger.

It is what Christ has done for you on the cross, he brings you to God, he is the saviour, he is the divine substitute, the one who had to die in your place.

I wasn't good enough to come to God on my own, someone had to take my sin and that one was God's perfect son Jesus.

As soon as I trusted Him, he made me justified and accepted by God the Father, I was sealed by the precious Holy Spirit, he was the one who opened my eyes and my heart that cold February night, he alone can do that.

We can witness and share the gospel till we are blue in the face, we can convince people of the existence of God and the reality of the cross and the resurrection, but it is only when the Holy Spirit, opens someone's eyes and heart can they be saved.

Every true born again believer is a trophy of God's grace, they have a new heart, a new nature, a new focus.

They are now on the pilgrim road, I thank God, that I am on that pilgrim road.

I am a living walking, talking miracle of God's grace.

Are you?


Chapter 6

Ezekiel 36:31
Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.


College, Church and Cars

I was now a Christian and I became a member of Andrew's church, and also of his youth group.

My Christian faith started to grow and in 1980,just past my 21st birthday, I was baptised by immersion to signify my commitment to Christ.

During this time, I had a wonderful Pastor David Green, who spent many hours counselling me, likewise my dear brother Kevin.

Just before I came to China, I was able to phone Pastor David and apologise and tell him, that I was walking with the Lord, he was as usual very gracious.

Kevin died of cancer in 2024, whilst in the UK, I was able to phone him and talk with him, I owe you a great debt my friend.

Just before my 21st birthday, I lost my dear father, he died right in front of my eyes, just quietly passing away, he had given up as his will to live was gone.

This was a terrible blow to mum as she blamed herself, he had been retired for six months and had no chance to enjoy his retirement.

After school, I went to the local college to get more GCE O levels and then to another college in Preston to get accounting qualifications, this is hoped was the door to working in an office, but due to my stammer, employers felt, I would be unable to communicate, especially when answering the phone.

So, in late 1979, I took a job as a storeman at the local mental hospital, I only took this job on a short-term basis, but it lasted ten years. This was not the happiest time of my life, I was living at home and working full time, I was fully involved in church activities, but was still a rebel.

This was a very manual job, our store had everything from food to furniture in it. Fifty kg bags of rice, sugar and flour had to lifted off wagons every day, It was certainly no job for the weak hearted.

I ended up in the medical store as this was the best job in the store, but the stores closed in 1989 as all the stores in Lancashire were centralised in one central location forty miles away.

Although my time there was not particularly happy, I paid into the National health pension scheme and now I receive that pension here in China, so God knew exactly what I needed in the future, he prepares everything for us.

As a Christian, I was in the church, but still with one foot in the world.

During this time, I was able to buy a car, my first car was a little lime green mini, which got the nickname "the lime green terror", I used to love driving this little car, I had it for nearly 8 years and was so much fun, not so much when driving it down the aptly called Cemetery road in Bradford, where pothole avoidance meant it was like an obstacle course.

Sadly by the mid 80's my faith was waning, I left membership of the Baptist church, this was no one else's fault but mine, I had chosen my own way and the penalty I paid was very severe, the scars remain.

Have I been forgiven completely by God?

Yes of course I have, but the regret for the nearly two decades I wasted still sting.


DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

I say this with shame, I have wasted large swathes of my life, this is something I am not proud of, I write it because I don't want anyone else making the same mistakes.

Even thinking about these things leave a bitter taste in one's mouth, you get lots of things you lose in your life, clothes, furniture etc, but you can never replace time.

The time is lost, I can never reclaim it, it is gone.

The wasted years, and to be honest in my case, it was because of my bad sinful choices, the devil had his way for too many years, the years I lost were between the ages of 25-40, these are the best years of our lives and what did I do, I wasted them on frivolities and things that did not matter.

There is always a price to pay for sin and disobedience, sure God will restore and totally heal, like he did with David but scars and consequences remain.

So please don't waste a minute of your life on things that don't truly satisfy and don't let bitterness, anger or selfishness take over your life.

I am a prodigal, the prodigal, thank God did return and was restored.

Praise God for his forgiveness , mercy and grace.

Maybe I am speaking to one who has made bad choices and strayed far away from God, there is restoration and healing at the foot of the cross.

Coming back to God took many years, the time in-between took me to places I rather wouldn't of gone too and to see things, I shouldn't of seen.

The Lord is very patient, slow to anger, the words of Psalm 103 come to mind.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.


Come and receive that healing.

LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.

THE VATICAN BANK’S, NEW FINANCIAL INDEXES.
A Prophetic, And Biblical Analysis.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18NYmooH9p/

In recent global financial news, the Vatican Bank, officially known as the Institute for the Works of Religion, has launched two new equity indexes, one focused on the United States and the other on the Eurozone. These indexes are designed to select companies that align with Catholic teaching. At first glance, this appears to be a simple move toward ethical investing. But when viewed through the lens of Bible prophecy, this development carries deep religious, social, economic, and political implications that deserve serious attention.

This article will explore the documented facts, draw clear biblical patterns, and show the end-time significance of this financial move.

According to financial reports, the Vatican has partnered with Morningstar to launch two major stock indexes. Each index includes 50 large and medium companies selected because they comply with Catholic teaching on issues such as life, social responsibility, and environmental ethics.

These indexes are not merely symbolic. Equity indexes are the foundation of major financial products such as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Financial experts believe this step will lead to new global investment products shaped by Catholic religious criteria.

Furthermore, this initiative is intended to influence global capital markets and serve as a standard for Catholic institutions worldwide. When adopted broadly, it will affect how billions of dollars are invested and how corporations operate.

This is not simply a religious activity. It is an economic system with global reach.

There is also a striking symbolic element in this financial development that should not be ignored. The Vatican’s partnership with Morningstar raises a prophetic connection that becomes even more significant when examined in the light of Scripture.

The Bible says in Book of Isaiah:
Isaiah 14:12 – “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!”

The name “Morning Star” is deeply symbolic in biblical language. In this passage, Lucifer is described as the “son of the morning,” or the shining one. He is presented as one who sought authority over heaven and earth but fell through rebellion.

This connection becomes spiritually significant because prophecy reveals that the final system of global control is not merely political, it is also spiritual. Behind earthly powers stands a deeper conflict between Christ and Satan.

Throughout history, false worship has often been linked to the sun. Ancient pagan religions worshiped the sun as the source of life and power. Over time, elements of sun symbolism entered religious and political systems. The use of solar imagery, Sunday observance in place of the biblical Sabbath, and the blending of pagan and Christian practices all point to a long-standing struggle over worship.

The symbolism of “Morning Star” in the financial system may appear harmless, but in prophetic thinking, symbols often reveal deeper realities. The same Lucifer who “weakened the nations” in ancient times works today through deception, influence, and control.

Revelation 12 shows that the great dragon deceives the whole world. Revelation 13 reveals that this deception eventually leads to a global system of control over worship and commerce.

When religious institutions form partnerships with global financial powers, it raises serious prophetic questions. Who is truly guiding these movements? What spirit stands behind the uniting of religion and economic authority?

In these developments, there is an open declaration, in plain sight, of allegiance to a system rooted in rebellion against God’s law. This reminds thoughtful observers that the final conflict is spiritual.

Faith-based investing is not new, but this move represents a shift from local religious investing to centralized global influence. Catholic-aligned funds already manage billions of dollars.

What makes the Vatican’s move unique is that it creates official benchmarks. Benchmarks influence:
- Pension funds
- Institutional investors
- Government and corporate investment policies
- Global financial regulations

Because large institutions often follow such benchmarks, companies will be pressured to adopt specific policies in order to remain investable. This creates a powerful economic incentive for conformity.

Bible prophecy reveals that in the last days, religion will not operate only in the church but will influence the entire economic system. The book of Revelation describes a power that unites:
- Religion
- Politics
- Economics
- Global authority

Revelation 13:16–17 states that a final system will control buying and selling.
This is not merely about worship. It is about economic pressure.

The development of religious investment systems creates a framework where religious standards will affect business access to capital. Companies that do not comply will face:
- Loss of investment
- Market exclusion
- Financial penalties
- Social pressure

Thus, economic control becomes a tool of religious enforcement, just as prophecy said it would be.

History shows that when religious authority merges with political and economic systems, freedom of conscience suffers. During the medieval period, the church influenced:
- Governments
- Trade
- Banking
- Education
- Laws
- Commerce

Economic pressure was used to enforce religious conformity. Today, a similar pattern is emerging but in a more sophisticated and global form. Instead of direct persecution, economic systems are used. The difference now is scale. Global markets make worldwide influence possible. This creates a pathway for Catholic values to become global economic norms.

This system will influence millions of people because:
1. Workers depend on corporations influenced by these funds.
2. Governments rely on financial markets shaped by large investors.
3. Global institutions respond to economic pressure.

Modern control does not always appear as persecution. Instead, it often operates through:
- Financial incentives
- Social acceptance
- Regulatory compliance
- Economic survival

The greatest danger now is not open persecution but subtle control. The final crisis will not only be religious but economic.

Conclusion
The Vatican Bank’s launch of two global Catholic investment indexes, in partnership with Morningstar, may appear to be a simple financial innovation. Yet when viewed in the light of biblical prophecy, it reflects a broader trend toward the merging of religion and global economic power.

This development will influence business, government, and society on a worldwide scale. It shows how Catholic authority will move from the church into the marketplace and eventually into global governance.

Now more than ever, thoughtful people must watch, study, and prepare for the final events foretold in Scripture.

Gospel Angels Broadcasting.

GUIDELINES FOR LIVING
January 28th, 2026
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Never Give Up Until God Says, “Come Home!”

Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said. Joshua 14:12, NASV

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There are some individuals whose spirits can’t be conquered. No matter how they are repressed or persecuted, how they get hit, they just get up and walk, then run, then climb to new heights. They just don’t know how to quit. Such was the old man who presented his claim to Joshua, “I am eighty-five years old!” he began,” and he quickly adds, “I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.” And then he got to the bottom line. He said, “Give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day!” (Joshua 14:12 NKJV).

Who is this man? Is he slightly senile, or rather is he a model for us to emulate today? You can read about Caleb in Numbers 13 and 14 when Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land and ten of the twelve come back moaning and crying about the walled cities and the inhabitants who looked like giants. Only Joshua and Caleb came back saying, “Sure, things are going to be tough. These guys are not push-overs, but the Lord will surely give us the land.”

Then in Joshua 14, Caleb appears again. Now he’s an old man. He could have said, “Look guys, I’ve done my fighting. How about a pension and a cool place to relax while these younger men go up and do battle?”

Not so. He wanted to be on the vanguard, the cutting edge. “Give me this mountain,” he insists. There’s another factor which you also need to know. Caleb was a Kenite, so says Scripture, and the Kenites were nomadic blacksmiths, so he couldn’t boast of pure Jewish blood. He must’ve been a brawny man who wielded a blacksmith’s hammer and forged muscle to prove he was good at it.

So, he became an adopted son of Abraham, claimed by the tribe of Judah. He proved himself, too. When twelve men needed to spy out the land, he was one of them, probably a volunteer.

Now at age 85, he’s still ready for battle. In his book, Lives that Oft Remind Us, E. K. Cox says of Caleb, “Age is measured by the springs of life. When they run dry, men are old at thirty or forty. When they keep running, men are young at a hundred. Old? Get a picture of Joshua galloping down the lines, marshaling Israel for battle! Is Caleb old? Ask someone who marched with him all day or kept by his side while his sword made a path through the ranks of the enemy.”

Caleb took his mountain, and what happened after that? We really don’t know. Apparently, the historians got tired of waiting for him to die and forgot to tell us, but when he went to heaven, Israel was the poorer for it.

Like General Douglas MacArthur, who said, “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away!” Caleb took his place among the annals of men who had the courage of their convictions and were willing to stand by them.

I’m still convinced that age is a matter of the mind. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. Though our bodies may not be as strong as they were at age 40, in spirit we can still soar with the eagles and run with the horses.

Today scores of people are living longer and longer. Are you one of them? While you may have to pace yourself, don’t quit, don’t give up, and don’t let down the gates of your soul to pessimism and defeat. As long as God leaves you alive, friend, He has a purpose for you. May God give us more Calebs, men who not only beat iron but have the filings of iron in their soul and their muscles—the determination to never, never give up until God says, “It’s time, come on home!”

​Resource reading: Joshua 14:6-15

FIVE MAJOR SIGNS(5)

When the anti-christ system and satans man begin to take hold, CHRIST JESUS gave me this(5) signs to tell HIS ELECT.

(1) JEWS---- He will pretend to be a friend of the Jews, and wotk with them, much promises, and flattery. And work a plan with them and a way that both control the wealth
of the world. But in the end tricks them and absorbs the gold. Watch Rome and your news!

(2) RUSSIANS --- He will begin to work with the Communist Leaders behind closed doors. And make them the same promises, he made the Jews about the wealth. He make many promises in order for them to side in with him, that America knows nothing about. Then he gets everything under His control they will come under his grip for awhile. His plan is (peace and lies, and promise of wealth).

(3) FRIEND OF GOD --To Western Europe, United States and England, (like Judas was to CHRIST)----he will promise a solution to their social problems, and wealth as he says we
need better understanding. He will say come together as one as the Bible said. He will use part of the Word of God to trap them! (He says lets become one body under God.) This
looks good, and looks like God, but the (Lord is gathering His in another way in a spiritual body by His word and supernatural gifts). Watch!

(4) THE POOR ----He will pretend to be a friend to the poor. And begin to work a plan to use the wealth from the U.S.A. England and Western Europe to feed the Orientals and Communist countries at our expense! This helps them to get on his side, and shows a sign of peace. He is lying to each major
nation, in order to get all the gold so he can issue a mark. Also the poor of this nation will be helped. I believe in feeding the poor.
But not through trickery and some diabolical scheme, also I am not against our relief pension system either, this is Something different than that. it is a sinister plot. By
promising to feed the world and bring pace through his system he shifts all the gold into one Treasury! ---His! The world is drained and a mask is issued. You will hear these
words. (War is to costly, ought not this to be spent and given to the poor nations, to bring peace) ! But he lies and is about to defraud the world into his mark ! Watch! he will
begin to change the Bible, for the Jews, Catholics and Protestants! But all his plans back fire and on to Armageddon----the Communist rebel. The (Clay) breaks
from the (Iron), he brings the Western World to a clash. The world erupts! His kingdom is burnt by fire, Atomic Horrors!

TIMES----Holidays will be changed, working days shortened,, GODs Commandments, Laws Words will be changed. Our Calendar will be Changed. The World is headed for (anti-christ revolution !)Bro. EVANGELIST --NEAL FRISBY Prophecy

FIVE MAJOR SIGNS(5) Running....

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Guidelines for living
December 17th, 2025
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How To Be Truly Miserable … Or Content.

… Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Timothy 6:6

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An eminent psychologist, Joseph Kreisler, recognized the importance of contentment from having observed the problems of human nature from a professional viewpoint. Dr. Kreisler says, “If you wish to be miserable, think about yourself and what you want, what you like, what attention other people ought to pay to you, and then you will find nothing will satisfy you. You will spoil everything you touch, and finally, you will make pain and misery out of everything God sent you.”

“Godliness with contentment,” said Paul long ago, “is great gain.” Now, those words of advice were spoken by a battle-hardened veteran to a young soldier whose name was Timothy. Well, Timothy really wasn’t a soldier in the sense of being a man who bears arms for his country, but he was in the sense of having begun a spiritual battle, one that had engaged his mentor, Paul, for most of his adult life.

Now, the point is you can be about as content as you choose to be, and thus as happy as you want to be, or as miserable and frustrated as you please. You are the one who really decides.

Now, Paul isn’t alone when it comes to saying that contentment is great gain. Christ told soldiers they were to be faithful to their government and to be content with their wages, which was also quoted by Paul. Early Christians were instructed to “be content with such things as you have.” But it was the old warrior, Paul, who had the most to say about contentment. “We brought nothing into this world,” he said, “and it is certain that we will carry nothing out. And having food and clothing let us therewith be content.” To the Philippians, Paul wrote, “I have learned in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.”

And what kind of a man was this individual who had learned the value of contentment? Was he a rather laid-back fellow who spent his life in indolence, who really didn’t care what happened to him or anybody else? Not so. Or, had he learned, rather, the constant pursuit of gain leaves you frustrated and miserable?

Well first, Paul was a brilliant intellectual. He grew up in the university city of Tarsus. Whether or not he received his early education there is not certain, but we do know he went to Jerusalem. In the tradition of the great rabbis, he studied under the master teacher, Gamaliel. As a zealous young rabbi, he was the archrival of the church—he went out of his way to make life miserable for those who followed Jesus. And then, Paul met Christ on the road to Damascus. That encounter changed his life.

For the next thirty years, he became the great champion and literary giant of Christendom. The spiritual battles that he fought gave him insight into life and what it takes to be happy and content. And that is why he could say from experience, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Now, you can be content without God—at least, to a degree; but a person who has really found God will discover a far deeper measure of contentment because contentment is not a destination, it is something you stumble over in the will of God. Bottom line: How content are you? Are you frustrated, maybe angry, all worked up trying to get to the next stop when you’re not happy where you are right now?

The man who wrote, “I have learned in whatever state I am therewith to be content,” was a person who was shipwrecked three times; he had been given the forty-stripes-save-one treatment and five times a beating so brutal that often a man died under it. He had walked across most of Asia Minor. He had no income, no pension, yet he was content. If he could be content, so can you.

​Resource reading: Philippians 4:1-20