Senate Chaplain Barry Black's prayer at hearing to increase affordable housing

  

Senate Chaplain Barry Black's prayer at hearing to increase affordable housing - March 2, 2026

Chaplain Barry Black:

Mighty God..> we pray in YOUR POWERFUL NAME, Amen.

Something BIBLICAL Is Happening in Iran — And the World Doesn't See It

 

Something BIBLICAL Is Happening in Iran — And the World Doesn't See It

Scriptures Illustrator

 Feb 27, 2026 End Time Events

🚨 The United States just assembled its largest military force in the Middle East since the 2003 invasion of Iraq

...

No Respecter of Persons, February 23

God’s Character and Providences

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. Acts 10:34, 35.

God is no respecter of persons.... Those who have the light and do not follow it, but disregard the requirements of God, will find that their blessings will be changed into curses and their mercies into judgments.

110Testimonies for the Church 3:172.

God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude; there are degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that of man; but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Man’s judgment is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all things as they really are. The drunkard is despised, and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God; for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character, to that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe.111Steps to Christ, 30.

The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be estimated only in the light of the cross. When men urge that God is too good to cast off the sinner, let them look to Calvary. It was because there was no other way in which man could be saved, because without this sacrifice it was impossible for the human race to escape from the defiling power of sin, and be restored to communion with holy beings—impossible for them again to become partakers of spiritual life—it was because of this that Christ took upon Himself the guilt of the disobedient, and suffered in the sinner’s stead. The love and suffering and death of the Son of God all testify to the terrible enormity of sin, and declare that there is no escape from its power, no hope of the higher life, but through the submission of the soul to Christ.112Steps to Christ, 31, 32.

Let the soul be uplifted from the lowlands of sin to contemplate the God of all goodness, mercy, and love, but who will in no wise clear the guilty.113The Review and Herald, March 19, 1889.

The Faith I Live By, p.60.

Brown University shooting person of interest in custody, Hanu...

'Providentially hindered': American pastor stranded in Jamaica amid 15-day water-only fast

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Thursday, October 30, 2025

Pastor Bill Devlin helps residents of Jamaica clean up after Hurricane Melissa tore through the island nation, Oct. 29, 2025. | Bill Devlin

An American pastor stranded in Jamaica by Hurricane Melissa is currently in the middle of a 15-day fast and is encouraging others to fast in prayer for those impacted by the storm that has left hundreds of thousands without power and dozens dead across the Caribbean.

Pastor Bill Devlin — a veteran of the Vietnam War and Purple Heart recipient who serves as the outreach pastor for Infinity Bible Church in Bronx, New York, and runs the ministries REDEEM! and Widows and Orphans — first arrived in Jamaica on Oct. 23 to deliver a speech at a pro-life Christian conference and officiated a wedding for "a brother in Jesus that has traveled the world" with him on Sunday.

After the wedding, Devlin learned that the airports were closed and flights were canceled in anticipation of Hurricane Melissa.

"I was providentially hindered here for a reason," Devlin insisted. "I'm just waiting on God to direct my steps at this point."

Melissa made landfall as a Category 5 storm in Jamaica on Tuesday and, as of Thursday morning, is now a Category 2 storm moving away from the Bahamas toward Bermuda. At least 30 people have been killed across Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, with about two dozen killed by an overflowing river in Haiti. The storm caused widespread power outages, road blockages and communications issues.

Roger Williams founded Providence R.I. in 1636 as a refuge for those seeking religious freedom

AI Overview

Roger Williams founded the settlement of Providence, in what is now Rhode Island, in 1636 as a refuge for those seeking religious freedom and fair dealings with Native Americans, establishing a colony based on the principles of separation of church and state and individual liberty of conscience. Though banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his views, Williams purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and created a haven for diverse religious groups. He is celebrated today through the Roger Williams National Memorial and the city of Providence.

Founding Providence

Religious and Political Banishment:
Roger Williams, a Puritan minister, was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 for his ideas that the state should not dictate religious beliefs and that land should be purchased from Native Americans rather than confiscated.

Establishment of Providence:
With a few followers, he founded Providence at the headwaters of Narragansett Bay, purchasing land from the Narragansett Indians and naming the settlement after "God's merciful Providence".

Liberty of Conscience:
The settlers formally agreed to hold "Liberty of Conscience," making laws only in civil matters, which allowed Providence to become a haven for various religious groups, including Baptists, Quakers, and Jews.

Roger Williams's Legacy

Champion of Religious Freedom:
Williams was a staunch advocate for religious liberty, separation of church and state, and fair treatment of indigenous peoples.

Inspiration for Future Generations:
His ideas about freedom of conscience and separation of church and state greatly influenced the founders of the United States, laying the groundwork for the First Amendment.

Memorial and Recognition:
The Roger Williams National Memorial is located in Providence, commemorating his life and the founding principles of the city and colony.

AI Mode

President Trump Credits the ‘Hand of God’ for His Miraculous Survival

President Trump Credits the ‘Hand of God’ for His Miraculous Survival

Abby Trivett 11:13AM July 11, 2025

President Trump is giving all glory to God for protecting him after last year’s assassination attempt.

Journalist Salena Zito told Fox News about what she witnessed at the Butler, Pennsylvania rally last year, and how the president credited the Lord for his survival afterward.

“I see him grab his ear. I see the blood streak across his face,” Zito said during the Brian Kilmeade Show.

Zito, who was supposed to interview Trump following the rally, said he called her the following day to see how she and her family were doing. In total, Zito says he called her “seven times that day.”

When asked about why he took certain actions while in survival mode, Zito says that he: “[Trump] comes to the conclusion, several times, that it was the hand of God.”

Why Does the World Feel So Strange Right Now?

Dr. Conrad Vine | The Call of God | Sun 19:00 | Mission Convention SA

U.S. Senate chaplain urges 'unconditional benevolence' in talk in Providence church

By Kevin G. Andrade
Posted Feb 16, 2019 at 9:38 PM
Updated Feb 17, 2019 at 1:37 AM

U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black speaks at the Central Congregational Church, in Providence, on Saturday night. [The Providence Journal / Kevin G. Andrade]▲



Barry Black spoke about integrating citizenship and faith for the 2019 Darrell West Lecture Series on Religion and Politics.

PROVIDENCE — When you hear U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry Black speak, you might be struck by how many Bible verses and citations he knows by heart, but he has a simple explanation for his ample mental reserve of sacred text.

"Five cents a verse," he said, eliciting a laugh from the roughly 200 people gathered at the Central Congregational Church Saturday night to hear him speak. "That is all it took."

That pocket change came from his mother, who handed over the money for every Bible verse he and his siblings committed to memory, Black said during his talk on integrating citizenship and faith for the 2019 Darrell West Lecture Series on Religion and Politics.

"I cannot imagine what his job is like," West, a former Brown University professor of political science and current senior vice president at the Brookings Institution, said of Black. "I know that he manages to be meaningful and neutral at the same time, which is quite important in his position."

Black framed his conversation in terms of a concept that has become an ideological battleground in the United States — citizenship.

Sarah Sanders tells Christian Broadcasting Network: God wanted Trump to be president

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told Christian Broadcasting Network that she believes God "wanted Donald Trump to become president." (CBN News) 

By Michelle Boorstein 

 

Michelle Boorstein

Religion reporter

January 30 at 6:28 PM

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told a Christian television station Wednesday that God “wanted Donald Trump to become president” so he could support “a lot of the things that people of faith really care about.”

The early, abbreviated transcript provided by the conservative evangelical station CBN, the Christian Broadcasting Network, didn’t include specifics from Sanders. However, many in a devoted segment of Trump’s base have said they consider any drawbacks of his presidency worth it, considering the president regularly speaks about their priorities and picked two Supreme Court justices believed to oppose abortion. On Monday, Trump lauded proposed state-level legislation meant to bring more teaching of the Bible in public schools.

[Trump just tweeted support for Bible courses, but it's already legal to teach about the Bible in public schools]


“Does it kind of blow your mind that someone like Donald Trump, who is sitting in the Oval Office, I know you can list the accomplishments, but at the same time just from a spiritual perspective there are a lot of Christians who believe that for such a time as this --” said David Brody of CBN, trailing off, according to the transcript.

Sanders replied: “I think God calls all of us to fill different roles at different times, and I think that he wanted Donald Trump to become president and that’s why he’s there. And I think he has done a tremendous job in supporting a lot of the things that people of faith really care about.”

The interview, which was to air later Wednesday, was on CBN’s show “Faith Nation.”

Much of CBN’s audience is composed of white evangelicals, Trump’s most fervent supporters. In a new Washington Post-ABC poll, Republicans and white evangelical Protestants were the only segments of the U.S. population in which a majority said they would “definitely” support the president in 2020. Fifty-six percent of all Americans said they would definitely not support Trump if he were the GOP nominee again, the poll found.

A New World Order Is Coming – Who Will Usher It In?

IS a New World Order something we should look forward to? Will it take place and if so, when? Who will be responsible for bringing in this New World Order? Will it be the president of the United States or maybe even the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the pope himself? Where can we find these answers? Does the Bible say anything about this important subject that will affect the whole world? Let’s look at some information that will help us get a better picture of upcoming events. 

Pope Calls For A New World Order

We have an obligation, says Pope Francis current pope as of 2018, to take care of those around us. And to do that, we have to steward our resources. It should be the new world order.

Francis made the comments during his South America tour, according to the Associated Press.

"As stewards of these riches which we have received, we have an obligation toward society as a whole and toward future generations," he told reporters. "We cannot bequeath this heritage to them without proper care for the environment, without a sense of gratuitousness born of our contemplation of the created world."

This isn't the first time the Pope has called for a focus on sharing resources, and in doing so, he's gained many critics.

Some have called the Pope's suggestions "pure Marxism," and some believe that his policies indicate he is the last pope before Christ returns.

Yet Francis remains firm.

"The goods of the earth are meant for everyone, and however much someone may parade his property, it has a social mortgage," Francis said. "The tapping of natural resources, which are so abundant in Ecuador, must not be concerned with short-term benefits." 

Under God's Discipline

September 15 

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty: for he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole. Job 5:17, 18. 

Our heavenly Father does not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men. He has His purpose in the whirlwind and in the storm, in the fire and in the flood. The Lord permits calamities to come to His people to save them from greater dangers. He desires everyone to examine his own heart closely and carefully, and then draw near to God, that God may draw near to him.

Our life is in the hands of God. He sees dangers threatening us that we cannot see. He is the giver of all our blessings; the provider of all our mercies; the orderer of all our experiences. He sees the perils that we cannot see. He may permit to come upon His people that which fills their hearts with sadness, because He sees that they need to make straight paths for their feet, lest the lame be turned out of the way. He knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust. Even the very hairs of our head are numbered. He works through natural causes to lead His people to remember that He has not forgotten them, but that He desires them to forsake the way which, if they were permitted to follow unchecked and unreproved, would lead them into great peril. Trials come to us all to lead us to investigate our hearts, to see if they are purified from all that defiles. Constantly the Lord is working to our present and eternal good....

Every soul that is saved must be a partaker with Christ of His sufferings, that he may be a partaker with Him of His glory. How few understand why God subjects them to trial. It is by the trial of our faith that we gain spiritual strength. The Lord seeks to educate His people to lean wholly upon Him....

Let everyone examine his own course of action. Let everyone ask himself whether he is meeting the standard that God has placed before him. Can we say from the heart, I lay aside my own will? “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart”? Do we ask daily, “Lord, what is thy will concerning me?”

In Heavenly Places, p.265.

The First Baptist Church in America wishes Muslims a 'blessed' Eid (an Islamic holiday).

Eid Mubarak or (Arabic: عيد مبارك‎) is a traditional Muslim greeting reserved for use on the festivals of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. Eid means "celebration" and refers to the occasion itself, and Mubarak means "blessed"; for example, performing the Eid prayer. So Eid, meaning “celebration,” and Mubarak, meaning “Blessed” literally translates to wishing your friends a blessed holiday. In the social sense, people usually celebrate Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan and Eid-al-Adha in the month of Dhul Haj (12th and Final Islamic month), greetings like "Eid Mubarak". Some state this exchange of greetings is a cultural tradition and not part of any religious obligation. However, it is only used during the celebration of the two Muslim holidays.[1][2] Children get a day off school if it is before or on a school day.

The First Baptist Church in America is the First Baptist Church of Providence, Rhode Island, also known as the First Baptist Meetinghouse. It is the oldest Baptist church congregation in the United States, founded by Roger Williams in Providence, Rhode Island in 1638. The present church building was erected in 1774–75 and held its first meetings in May 1775. It is located at 75 North Main Street in Providence's College Hill neighborhood and is a National Historic Landmark.

Source: Wikipedia

Photo credit:  Arsenio A. Lembert Jr. 6-13-18, Providence, RI.

End Times Headline News - January 20th, 2017

At Democratic fundraiser in Newport, Obama calls for a better Congress / Gallery, Video

Published: August 29, 2014 11:15 PM




The Providence Journal / Steve Szydlowski
8.29.2014
President Obama greeted onlookers after arriving at T.F. Green Airport Friday evening on his way to a Democratic fundraiser in Newport.



By Tom Mooney

Journal Staff Writer

tmooney@providencejournal.com


NEWPORT, R.I. — President Obama dropped into the City by the Sea Friday to spend a summer evening at a lavish seaside estate where he held company with members of the state’s top Democratic echelon and those willing to offer up as much as $32,000 to attend.

The fundraising event for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee attracted about 60 guests to Seafair, the rocky shoreline home of Richard Bready, former Nortek chief executive officer, and Betty Easton. And if any of the dinner guests took a particular shine to the Ocean Drive citadel as they enjoyed their plates of prime sirloin and Maine lobster tails with local parsnip purée, it’s for sale. For $19 million.

Related


Presidential visits to RI began with George Washington in 1790 / Gallery


Chef created menu for president with cooks from 2 of his restaurants, White House officer


Gallery: Obama visits Rhode Island for lavish Newport fundraiser


Gallery: Presidents, pre-presidents and ex-presidents who've visited R.I. 

 Air Force One landed at T.F. Green Airport shortly after 6 p.m. from Westchester County, N.Y., where Mr. Obama had attended events for the Democratic National Committee. After accepting greetings from Governor Chafee, and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, he hopped aboard a helicopter for a short flight over Narragansett Bay, landing at 6:40 p.m. at Brenton Point State Park, where his motorcade whisked him to Seafair without experiencing the summer tradition of Newport traffic. (Air Force One left T.F. Green at 9:53 p.m.)

In remarks to dinner guests crowded into a yellow-walled dining room at the fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, he faulted the Republican Party for congressional paralysis.

The president said that the reason Congress doesn’t function is because the Republican Party has been captured by an “ideological, rigid, uncompromising core that ignores science [and] isn’t particularly interested in facts or compromise.”

He added, “They are just interested in having their own way.”

The secret to better government isn’t complicated, he said: “We need a better Congress. If we create a Congress that just comes close to functioning,” the country would be much better off. In order to do that, the president said, “We need to get people to vote.”



At Seafair Friday evening, the president spent the first several minutes of his 15-minute talk to those seated at six round dinner tables recalling the accomplishments in his first six years, from the return-from-the-dead of the auto industry to health care for millions of Americans to a recovering economy. But the recovery has been much slower for “the working stiff” — the middle class that remains anxious and pessimistic, he said.

Congress needs to function better for Americans, and that can only be accomplished by electing better representatives. “We’ve got to restore in people that they have the power to move their government forward,” the president said.

Also with the president were Democratic House Leader Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., chairman of the DCCC.

The guest list included Rhode Island’s entire Washington delegation — U.S. Senators Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives James Langevin and David N. Cicilline. Rhode Island House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, and Newport Mayor Harry Winthrop also attended.

Reed said earlier Friday on CNN that he expected to talk to Mr. Obama during his visit to Rhode Island about foreign policy matters such as the Islamic State group, ISIS, in Syria and Iraq and the situation in Ukraine.

Reed said it was important that it become a regional effort dealing with ISIS and not simply the United States.

Reed called it “very challenging — this is a time where we have to be very careful, very thoughtful, leading to decision. I mean, this is not just putting things off, it’s making sure we make decisions based on fact and hard policy on the ground, not just our best wishes and thoughts and our ideologies and slogans.”

It was Mr. Obama’s first visit to Rhode Island since 2010, a visit that made national headlines even before the president’s plane touched down, when then Democratic candidate for governor Frank T. Caprio greeted the news that Mr. Obama would not be endorsing his candidacy that day with two resounding words: “Shove it.”

Mr. Obama said then that out of respect for Chafee, his friend and former Senate colleague, seeking the office as an independent, he would stay out of the race.

Caprio, who is running for general treasurer this year, had campaign stops in Providence and Johnston Friday night but “he wishes the president and Democratic Party a successful evening,” said his spokeswoman Patti Doyle.

Seafair has played host to many high-brow social gatherings, including Bready’s 60th birthday party in 2003, when 180 guests were treated to a concert by Elton John.

Bready, now 70, has been one of the state’s leading businessmen, political donors and philanthropists. He was a long-serving CEO of Nortek Inc., a publicly traded company that manufactures residential and commercial building products.

He retired in July 2011 after 36 years, and, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, received a $5.25-million severance, $1-million lump sum, and $750,000, in other compensation. He now serves as chairman of the board of trustees at Roger Williams University.

With reports from Linda Borg and Thomas J. Morgan


Source
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He is eternal truth

For the disheartened there is a sure remedy--faith, prayer, work. Faith and activity will impart assurance and satisfaction that will increase day by day. Are you tempted to give way to feelings of anxious foreboding or utter despondency? In the darkest days, when appearances seem most forbidding, fear not. Have faith in God. He knows your need. He has all power. His infinite love and compassion never weary. Fear not that He will fail of fulfilling His promise. He is eternal truth. Never will He change the covenant He has made with those who love Him. And He will bestow upon His faithful servants the measure of efficiency that their need demands. The apostle Paul has testified: "He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. . . . Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.

Prophets and Kings, p.165.

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There shall be showers of blessing

25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

27 And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

Ezekiel 34:25-27
King James Version (KJV)
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Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord

1 Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.

4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.

5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.

6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies.

9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.

10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Psalm 112
King James Version (KJV)
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NSA's Utah Data Center Suffers New Round Of Electrical Problems

Tech
|
10/17/2013 @ 2:09PM

 


The NSA data center in Utah has had emergencies

The NSA’s Utah data center is still struggling to get up and running. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that the site slated to hold exabytes of NSA spy data has been suffering from lightning arcs and meltdowns that have destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and prevented the NSA from using the center for its intended purpose: massive data storage and mining. The WSJ reported there had been ten incidents thus far. A source familiar with the project says the center underwent yet another shutdown over the weekend after electrical problems on Thursday and Friday.

The data center was shut down through Tuesday. The source says there aren’t “arcs and fires anymore” but that the experts on the site still haven’t figured out what’s causing the problems. They have figured out how to prevent flashes of lightning, though.


The NSA's Hugely Expensive Utah Data Center Has Major Electrical Problems And Basically Isn't Working 

 
Kashmir Hill Forbes Staff

 

As NSA Director Alexander Plans Departure, Here's How Former Top Spooks Cashed In On 'Retirement' 


 
Andy Greenberg Forbes Staff

“They’re seeing a pattern of where it gets to the meltdown point and they stop it before it blows again,” says the source. The source says that contractors have been injured and taken to the hospital due to electrocution, but not in the most recent shutdown.

NSA spokesperson Vanee Vines provided a statement about the problems at the site that had previously been provided: “The failures that occurred during testing have been mitigated. A project of this magnitude requires stringent management, oversight, and testing before the government accepts any building.”

“As we’ve said, acceptance testing is underway,” she added.

The facility’s headaches are not limited to what’s happening inside the building. A protest group, Restore The Fourth, has adopted the highway in front of the data center.

“The group plans to carry picket signs as it picks up litter,” reports the Salt Lake Tribune. According to a Facebook event posting, the group is planning its first highway cleanup/mass surveillance protest on Saturday, October 26. With the electrical problems plaguing the billion-dollar data center, rendering it inoperable, the group might prefer protesting government waste rather than spying.


Source
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