The Democratic National Convention got underway on Monday in order to officially coronate Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for President. Just prior to the event, Vice President Harris announced her economic plan for America, should she be elected. In short, she intends to bring the full weight of the government into the marketplace in order to combat out of control inflation. Her remedy: the U.S. government will go after industries the government deems to be guilty of price gouging and impose federal price controls on things like food. Democratic socialist Senator Bernie Sanders rallied behind this price-fixing plan saying it is an “important step forward.” My question would be an “important step toward what?”

This plan is being blasted, not only by the right, but many on the left. The Washington Post, not known for its’ conservative sympathies, had this to say: “When your opponent calls you ‘communist,’ maybe don’t propose price controls?” The Post editorial took Harris to task for her claims that price gouging is the cause of sky rocketing inflation. The Post also said that, rather than offering a plan to fix it, she has offered “populist gimmicks.” Her economic amounts to this: the government knows better than the market and should, therefore, dictate what the free market charges for certain commodities such as food. 

Her plan doesn’t end there; it would give $25,000 in subsidies towards a down payment to first time home owners. Most economists agree this is a disastrous plan and suggests that she and her team weren’t paying attention to the 2008 financial meltdown that occurred as a result of basically the same thing she is currently proposing. Frankly, her views are indeed radical — some might say ultra-progressive. Her positions, at the very least, have socialist tendencies, and at worst smack of Marxism and Communism. And when has there ever been a Marxist or Communist government that didn’t oppress and try to silence true believers in the Almighty? 

Also in Chicago, thousands of protesters have been rallying outside the DNC since its opening day, to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza and other issues. At times, this crowd has gotten testy which is potentially problematic seeing that city officials are expecting upwards of 100,000 demonstrators during the convention. Essentially, the protesters are gathering to influence, maybe even intimidate the Dems, into taking a position hostile to Israel and sympathetic to Hamas.

In regard to those protestors, President Biden said during his speech at the DNC, “Those protesters out in the street, they have a point … a lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.” That’s true, starting with about 1200 Israelis who were massacred on October 7. Biden added, “We’re working around the clock to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally deliver a ceasefire and end this war.”

I might add that these protestors represent the extreme wing of the Democratic Party. I would also add, the Democrats have not disavowed these protests, which include pro-Hamas sentiments and threats of violence. So far, it seems that Kamala Harris is inclined to pacify this element within her party. Her selection of Minnesota Governor Walz fits nicely with the extremist views of the so-called Squad and other such radicals.

On that note, it was reported this week that the head of a prominent “social justice” group that published an essay calling for “decriminalizing Hamas,” along with defunding the police and eliminating immigration agencies, visited the White House multiple times earlier this year for a total of three meetings with members of the Biden administration. This reminds me of an old saying: “Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future.” Except in this case, the company the White House have been known to keep might have a detrimental affect on my future — and yours.

Speaking of which: another old friend of the Democratic Party, Planned Parenthood, made an appearance at the DNC, offering free vasectomies, medication abortion, and emergency contraception. Planned Parenthood parked a “mobile health clinic” a few blocks from the convention and, along with street vendors and food trucks, began offering their “services” to attendees — and I assume anyone who wanders up to their van. According to reports, they are staying very busy.

Abortion access took center stage at the DNC, being one of the main issues the Democratic Party vigorously defends. Kamala Harris has been outspoken about her intent, should she be elected President, to restore federal abortion rights, blaming the reversal of Roe v. Wade on Donald Trump. Planned Parenthood is offering these free “services” to demonstrate “what is possible when policies truly support accessible reproductive health care.” The chief medical officer at Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which covers the St. Louis region said, “I’m excited that we are able to demonstrate for the world in a state like Illinois — where we have supportive policies — we can do these things that are a little bit more creative.” These are the people, along with many Democratic leaders, who say that people who promote family values are the “weird“ ones.

Think about this: Planned Parenthood is a welcome guest in Chicago during the DNC with the stated purpose of ending some pregnancies and preventing many others. In reality, Planned Parenthood and the DNC celebrate death, not to mention possessing an aversion to personal responsibility. This kind of posturing is a demonstration of the far Left’s disdain for the concept of family. In turn, it is a demonstration against what God places value on.

Now let’s turn out attention to developments from overseas. There is a report issued just this week suggesting Iran might declare itself a nuclear power by the end of the year. Aiding in this frightening development is the uncertain (bizarre) political situation in the U.S. One expert on foreign affairs said, “If I were the Iranians and I were going to do it, I would do it now because Biden will do nothing.” Even if Trump wins, so says this expert, by the time he could take office, they will probably already have the capability — it would be too late for Trump to do anything.

On that note, I want you to consider that the upcoming election will determine, for better or for worse, the trajectory of these five primary issues: inflation, immigration, infanticide, Iran and Israel. A lot of things to consider. So along with the uncertainty here in America, there is the threat of an expanding war in the Middle East; the apparent escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian war (where no one is being pressed to end hostilities) and now, there is a growing civil unrest in the United Kingdom. Some are even using the term “civil war” to describe what is developing in Britain.

The issue is rooted in the ongoing immigration crisis in the UK and Europe and the fear among Brits that many of these immigrants have come into their country with nefarious intentions. According to the BBC, the latest rioting was the response to the fatal stabbing of three young girls in the north of England. What followed was the worst unrest the UK has seen in more than a decade. According to British media, the violence is fueled by “misinformation online, the far-right and anti-immigration sentiment.” All of this sounds familiar doesn’t it?

But here is something that has emerged from this situation that every American should take note of. The head of police in London, England is threatening to extradite and prosecute U.S. citizens for online posts that he alleges encourages the violence in England. Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said: “We will throw the full force of the law at people and whether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online we will come after you.”

For the record, U.K. authorities have already arrested British citizens for making statements online that they deemed “false communication.” Now it seems, they feel they have the ability and authority to threaten, intimidate and silence citizens of other nations. In essence, they wish to hold anyone  — including those who hold no allegiance to Britain and have no responsibility to obey the laws of Britain — legally accountable and subject to prosecution and incarceration.  

In a similar story, the European Union just threatened to “weaponize” the law against Elon Musk, apparently, because he decided to host an interview with former President Trump. The EU Commissioner warned Musk against “amplifying hateful content” and threatened possible prosecution if they felt the conversation was incendiary — according to their definition — and in violation of the EU’s policy on so-called hate speech. A Trump campaign spokesman weighed in on the threat, saying it was the EU’s attempt to interfere with U.S. politics. The spokesperson said: “The European Union is an enemy of free speech and has no authority of any kind to dictate how we campaign.”

Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio said: “The silence from the pro-censorship Biden-Harris administration is deafening” on the issue. “You would think censorship of American speech by foreign governments would be a step too far even for them.” Now, while it seems ridiculous — even laughable — that Americans could be held legally liable by foreign officials, I would not scoff at the notion just yet. In other words, how confident are you that our present government would stand against this kind of threat if they thought you were too far right in your political views? What if they classified your positions on issues like abortion, LGBTQ “rights,” same sex marriage as undesirable and problematic? Might they prefer to see your voice on the matter shut down?

In another related story: Franklin Graham’s upcoming tour of the UK tour has been essentially scuttled after every venue canceled planned appearances. This is following an outcry over his comments on what the Bible has to say about homosexuality and his views of radical Islam. Also this week, Elon Musk had to close an entire staff office in Brazil because the employees were threatened with arrest and prosecution if Musk and X did not comply with the government’s  censorship orders. Brazilian officials ordered X to take down specific accounts earlier this year, accusing the platform of harboring “digital militias” and spreading misinformation and hateful material regarding Brazil’s former President. 

It would seem that there is an outbreak of threats against people, even notable people, who don’t toe the line when it comes to approved speech. If it all this were just an isolated case or two of strong arm tactics, one might pass it off as innocuous. But this has the air of something beyond coincidental and harmless — it almost seems intentional and coordinated. Why is this important to us? We shouldn’t think this attempt to silence opposing voices will be limited to politics. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the tip of the iceberg; the real intent is to silence any and all voices that speak truth — especially the Truth of the Word.

In the beginning, the Bible says that God formed man from the dust of the earth and, then, breathed the breath of life into him and he became a “living soul (nefesh).” In one Aramaic version of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Targum of Onkelos, this phrase is translated as man became a “speaking spirit.” Think about it; the Breath of God imbued man’s spirit with the power to speak. By His Spirit, we were given the ability to transcend our base instinct and nature, and to transform inspired thought and ideas into speech — e.g. words. Furthermore, through words, we were given the ability to convey those ideas to others and, through communication, cause those ideas to become realities in the physical world. In short, we were given ability to become a speaking spirit in the image and likeness of God. Why is that important to consider?

God’s Word brought everything that is into existence. That includes Man, who like every other created thing came to be because God spoke the word and it was so. But of all those created things, man is the only part of the creation that can respond to God, and others, with words. I realize that other creatures “communicate,” but it is the Breath of God within us that distinguishes man from other created beings. As one rabbi said, “Man connects to God through speech.” With speech we communicate with God through prayer. A rabbinic adage says, “One who does not pray is effectively muzzling his “speaking soul” (his speaking spirit). With speech, we extol Him with praise and worship. And when we declare His Word through speech, we propagate His truth and express His purpose throughout the world.

Seeing that the Breath of God infused us with His Presence, and consequently, unique abilities that emanate from Him, I would suggest that the spoken word is where heaven and earth come together as one. Think about it: our breath is given to us by God (Heaven) and we cannot speak without it. Thus God deposited breath into these jars of clay (Earth). So when we speak, it is evidence that Heaven has joined with earth. (I believe this is why Messiah, is called the Living Word — He is the Word made flesh). Therefore, when we speak under the inspiration of the Spirit of God — when we proclaim the Word of God — our words have power. They have the power to impact those who are hearing and listening, and as a result, affect a change in heart and attitude. But therein lies the issue at hand: the conflict between the world and the Word of God — Truth and the narrative the world wishes to impose on mankind. 

The Adversary understands the power of the spoken Word, which is why, he desires to silence those who would speak the Truth of the Word. Again, this is not just about political speech, this is about silencing those who speak the Truth. If those who proclaim truth are silenced, then the minions of hell are given opportunity to fill that silence with lies, falsehood and lashon ha’ra which is “evil speech” They fill the culture with speech that redefines terms in order to conceal the truth: e.g. looting mobs are peaceful protestors; abortion is reproductive rights; acceptance of evil is tolerance. These are words that hasten rebellion and eventual death.

It is written that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Consequently, tongues that speak life and truth are a threat to the kingdom of darkness; a threat that he wishes to shut down. That is why so many of the righteous have been jailed or put to death throughout history — to silence them lest they do too much damage to the enemies of God. But let me share an example of how we are to face this opposition and threat. In Acts, Peter and John were boldly preaching the Gospel in the name (authority) of Yeshua which put them at odds with the leaders of the day. I should also mention that an unexplainable miracle occurred at that time which heightened the drama. The Bible records that when they were called before the San Hedrin, the religious leaders inquired among themselves what to do with these men: 

For fear that the people would hear what Peter and John had to say and, worse from the point of view of the men in power, actually believe their testimony, these leaders threatened them and commanded that they keep silent. Of course, this didn’t work; they continued to boldly preach the Good News which continue to spread. But don’t miss the point: the disciples did not allow intimidation, not even the threat of death, to silence them. Nor should we allow the threats of corrupt judges (who like to impose unjust gag orders), politicians, organizations etc. threaten us into silence. They may silence some, but they can’t silence all of us.

It is important to remember that we should not use words to incite hatred, strife and violence. To the contrary, we should be voices that declare Life and the Truth of the Word; we must be a voice crying to make the crooked paths straight and to prepare the way of the Lord. Besides, if we don’t speak up, God will find someone or something that will. When religious leaders admonished Yeshua about His disciples lauding Him as the Son of David, trying to persuade Him to rebuke them and have them to stop, He replied, “If these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out” (Luke 19:40).

So I’ll leave you with this thought: perhaps it’s not really “free speech” that is under fire; it is true speech that is being threatened. In this day and age, a person can say just about anything they’d like as long as it lines up with the prevailing mindset of the culture. For instance, a man can say that he is a woman even though it is ridiculous and untrue. But when I say there are only two genders — male and female — it incites the ire and wrath of people who would love nothing more than to shut me (and you) down. Labeling truth as misinformation, even hate speech, is the ploy being used by the Adversary to silence the people of God — at least those bold enough to declare the Truth. Nevertheless, you and I were placed here on earth to serve the Will of the Almighty. One way we are to serve Him is to declare His glory among the nations. 

The Messiah expressly charged His disciples to go into the world as witnesses and teach the nations what they had been commanded. In other words, we are commanded to declare those things we have seen and heard and know to be true. Through words, we must declare the Truth that others might believe. As Paul said: How can someone believe if they have not heard; how can they hear if no one is sent to speak the Word to them? (Romans 10:14). As Peter said: If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. (1 Peter 4:11)

We are here at this time for a reason; that reason is not to remain silent while false voices and tale-bearers fill the world’s ears with lies and deceit. It is the season to do as Paul charged Timothy: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). And so, let us be bold and declare the Word of the Lord, no matter the cost.

Bill Cloud was raised in a traditional Christian home in South Georgia. Yet it was a trip to Israel to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles, in 1990, that truly provoked him to become more interested in his faith. It was during this aEoeappointed timeaE that God gave him a deep love for the land, the people and the language.

Soon thereafter, Bill began learning Hebrew under the tutelage of a local rabbi and has since spent many hours studying, not only the Hebrew text, but the Hebraic roots of Christianity as well. This interest in the language is tied to BillaE™s desire to unlock the hidden treasures within the Word of God and to teach them, along with our Hebraic roots, to believers in Messiah. Furthermore, this insight has allowed Bill to better understand the prophetic element of Scripture. As a result of this study, Bill has developed a variety of media resources dealing with prophetic themes as well as teachings related to our lost Hebraic heritage.

Bill is a featured speaker in venues throughout the country and has appeared with notable teachers such as Perry Stone, Jonathan Cahn, Joel Richardson and Hal Lindsay. He has also made several appearances on a variety of television broadcasts seen on different Christian networks throughout the world. Recently Bill, along with his wife, Beth, and their children started a fellowship in the Cleveland TN area.

Through Shoreshim Ministries, Bill and his family strive to re-introduce Christians to the Jewish Yeshua and to educate believers in the Hebraic roots of their faith. As a result of this information, disciples of the Messiah can more accurately interpret end-time events and better discern our role in these last days.
Bill and his family reside in Cleveland, Tennessee.