Saturday, October 08, 2011

Who is in charge of your account?

Have you seen this incident?



Online banking with Bank of America has been changed, also. About a year ago BoA changed its access requirements for online banking. One day I tried to log on, and after entering my username and password, it would not allow me to access my account online, not even to see the account information. Now one must grant them permission to use electronic notification at their discretion. If one allows this, then BoA can make changes to one’s account and notify by e-mail only, if they so choose. This gives them absolute control over the account.

Can e-mail notification be trusted? The banks recently allowed hackers to steal information through the processing company that they use. Moreover, have you ever had an e-mail fail to reach its destination, being lost somewhere along the way? Furthermore, what is to keep BoA or any other company from claiming to send notification that was never sent? What individual account holder could prove it?

This incident with this gentleman shows the objective. Who controls the accounts?

The sheep are being led to the slaughter.

What if this gentleman truly needed his money on that particular day?

But then, is this even the real question? Whose money is it? Whose account is it?

What does it mean when a bank can call for a SWAT team or any other law enforcement team to keep people from accessing their accounts? What does it mean when a bank can block people from accessing their accounts online unless they give “permission” for the bank to change its notification policies against the account holder’s wishes?

I have mentioned this change to a number of tellers at BoA. Each one I informed of this said that the person was unaware of this. How many customers of BoA simply grant the permission for the sake of “convenience”? How many have said, “No. You will not take control of my account!”?

But then, as this video demonstrates, they already have taken control of the accounts. The government at every level enforces it.

Why do I bother posting this? Why should this concern me?

This concerns me because of what I see happening to my neighbors as well as to me. Our liberties are being nullified. Our possessions are being absorbed by banksters and corporations. I care about my neighbors.

Why?

What? What sort of question is that? I am a child of God, generated from above through Baptism. God is my Father, both as my Creator, and again as my Redeemer. He loves my neighbors, even as He loves me. He provides for us all everything that we need for this body and life. How can I not also love and care for my neighbors and their well-being? How can I not protest what I see done to this man in St. Louis? How can I not call attention to this? How can I not be filled with desire that my fellow countrymen be informed of this outrage? How can I not desire that my fellow countrymen be informed so that they can speak out as well?

Is it possible for one who knows the love of God to ignore the wrongs that he sees done to his neighbors? Is it possible for one who lives in God’s grace in Christ to be vacuous of concern for the encroaching tyranny that he observes?

Ultimately, however, is this even the truly great tyranny?

Is not the greater tyranny the stealing of the Gospel from the churches? Is not the greater tyranny the theft of God’s grace, forgiveness, peace, and everlasting life from the repository that God has established for all of mankind through the pure means of grace? When God, our loving Father, has paid all of our everlasting debt with the sacrifice of His only-begotten Son on our behalf and has placed the fullness of this payment on reserve for us to be administered to us through the pure means of grace, is it not a crime against humanity when this free access is changed by those who claim to have the authority to control it?

Oh that the people would awaken from their stupor! Oh that the people would hear what the Spirit says to the churches! Oh that they would hear and be gathered truly into the name of Jesus to be fed and nurtured and renewed through God’s true Church!

How can they recognize this true Church? All that they need to do is look at how their account is being treated. Are the gifts of God being administered in accord with what He has ordained? Are the bank administrators changing the requirements for access to the accounts? Or are these administrators (pastors/teachers) administering the gifts in accord with the pure Word? Are they preaching this Word without changing it? Are they using the Sacraments as genuine means of grace? Are they guarding against adulteration of the doctrine of the Scriptures? Are they guarding against mockery of the Holy Communion by which people eat and drink judgment on account of not discerning the body?

Recognizing the Truth really is not difficult. The Truth is consistent. The Truth does not vary. The Truth does not contradict itself.

     Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. (John 5:39-40)

     And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
     And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
     Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
     But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
     But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
(1 Corinthians 2:1-16)

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1 comment:

Gary Cepek said...

Thank you for the apt comparison. Earthly and spiritual hazards daily lay on the path our individual lives are following. Lord, be merciful to those of each category who are being victimized by tyrants. Lord, use your people as the mouths and hands of your mercy to others.

Gary Cepek