And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
(John 14:16-18 NKJ)
Today is known by many as Reformation Day. This is on account of an event that occurred 495 years ago on October 31, 1517. On that day, a relatively obscure monk and doctor of theology posted 95 theses concerning abuses within the Church of God, or at least what people had been taught to believe was the Church of God. The truth is that the Church had been taken captive by a larger body that was really not the Church at all. Yet within this larger body, God had preserved a few who miraculously still clung to the promises of God in Christ, though they were terribly persecuted whenever they dared to speak openly concerning these things.
Dr. Luther wrote his concerns in the form of the famous, or infamous in some circles, 95 theses and he posted them on the community theological bulletin board, that is, the door of the Wittenberg Church. His intention was to begin discussions regarding what the Holy Scriptures declare for the Church, especially in contrast to the posted abuses. From this grew a mighty firestorm as the validity of these challenges became apparent to more and more theologians and people. This reaction to Luther and his challenges, which grew to become a movement throughout the world, became known as the Protestant Reformation, and that which remained closer to the doctrine exposed by Dr. Luther and his fellow theologians was more narrowly labeled the Lutheran Reformation.
Having shared this background information, it is fitting to ask a larger question: “What is Reformation Day really about?”
If a house is handed down within a family from generation to generation, there could be a number of occasions for celebration regarding this house. One occasion for celebration could be the day of the purchase of the land. Another could be the day of first breaking ground for the laying of the foundation. Another could be the day of completion of the building. Another could be the day the family actually began to reside in the house. If a loan or mortgage was involved, the day of the payoff could be another occasion. The birth of the first child could be another. On and on the occasions for celebration multiply.
Perhaps the house caught fire and burned in the seventh generation and had to be rebuilt. This would become yet another occasion, one that may even encompass many of the previous occasions and combine them all into one great celebraton.
Reformation Day is much like this.
However, if such an occasion were to be celebrated in perpetuity, would those who enjoyed the benefits of the house make one of the tools the focus of the celebration? Would they make the focus the pick axe that was used to break the ground? Would they choose the saw that made the first cut in the new timber for rebuilding the burned house? Moreover, would they name the house after the pick axe or rename the rebuilt house after the saw?
Does this sound ridiculous?
What is the Reformation really about? Is it about the tool, Luther, whom God used to call out His children from a burned out and crumbling house? Or is it about the house of God to which He called out His children and the joyous and blessed life within this house that He provides for all who hear His calling and gather to the means of this blessed life?
Moreover, what is the house of God, anyway? Is it the building upon which people place their signs after they erect their stones or bricks or lumber? Is it the corporation that they charter and define with a constitution and bylaws?
Did Luther and his brethren who stood with him in the face of threats against their lives and persecution of many kinds have anything to say on this? Did they give a clear definition of what they believed the house of God, the Church, to be?
Indeed they did. They spoke of this in the confession of faith that they were required to present to the Emperor in 1530 at the Diet of Augsburg. This has come to be called the Augsburg Confession. Within this confession many of the articles of the faith are addressed, stating what these churches and teachers who stood together in concord believed, taught, and confessed from the Word of God.
Article VII: Of the Church.
1] Also they teach that one holy Church is to continue forever. The Church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.
2] And to the true unity of the Church it is enough to agree concerning the doctrine of the Gospel and 3] the administration of the Sacraments. Nor is it necessary that human traditions, that is, rites or ceremonies, instituted by men, should be everywhere alike. 4] As Paul says: One faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, etc. Eph. 4, 5. 6.
Article VIII: What the Church Is.
1] Although the Church properly is the congregation of saints and true believers, nevertheless, since in this life many hypocrites and evil persons are mingled therewith, it is lawful to use Sacraments administered by evil men, according to the saying of Christ: The Scribes and 2] the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat, etc. Matt. 23, 2. Both the Sacraments and Word are effectual by reason of the institution and commandment of Christ, notwithstanding they be administered by evil men. 3] They condemn the Donatists, and such like, who denied it to be lawful to use the ministry of evil men in the Church, and who thought the ministry of evil men to be unprofitable and of none effect.
Do those who celebrate the Reformation today share with these confessors of the Faith the same understanding? Do they celebrate what the “Reformers” celebrated?
What really is the cause for celebration this day?
Is it not that God worked through various men throughout the many generations to proclaim His saving Gospel and to administer His Sacraments for our salvation and preservation as His children within His holy household of faith? When we celebrate Reformation Day, is not the true cause for celebration the gifts of the Gospel and the Baptism by which God regenerates us as His true children and the Holy Supper by which He nourishes us with His forgiveness and renewal in the one true faith in His Holy Communion?
How many times does the Lord Jesus emphasize the fact that the Gospel is the call of the King to all of His scattered children to be gathered to the wedding banquet?
Is this not the true focus of Reformation Day?
Is this gracious activity of the Lord our God not true cause for celebration?
At Zombie Attack JBS CEO Art Thompson discusses: Zombie attack - U.S. Military and police engage in a mock zombie attack as part of training to control American civilians; and voter fraud, enough of it exists for Obama to welcome UN poll watchers to the U.S.
I have heard former military people say that they do not believe that the American military personnel as individuals will obey orders to take action against American civilians. Yet this is exactly what they are being trained to do. Both the military personnel as well as the citizenry are being prepared to accept this as what is soon to come.
Many people accept and even defend the unconstitutional actions and even existence of DHS, and TSA, the Patriot Act, and NDAA. Some people even imagine that it is a good thing to have UN poll watchers monitoring the American elections.
Once upon a time the American people believed the bold statements of the Declaration of Independence, especially those dealing with the declaration that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Once upon a time the American people believed that the Declaration’s stated purpose of government is absolutely correct, saying, “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, ...”
Is this not what the American people believed once upon a time?
Did the people not believe that the purpose of government was to SECURE these rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness, and not to restrict or control or even take away these rights?
Did the people not believe that governments and those who govern are the servants of this God who endows mankind with these unalienable rights? Is this not what caused America to be a land that flourished in spite of the fact that the elite abused this time and time again?
Surely as we examine America’s history, these unalienable rights have not been secured for all who lived under the protection of the American government. Surely we must admit that certain groups especially have suffered injustice and have endured the trampling of these unalienable rights.
The majority of Americans have turned a blind eye to these things so long as they were not personally affected by them. Sometime ignorance of the abuses or at least partial ignorance was the reason for people’s indifference and tolerance of these things. Sometimes it was motivated by prejudice. Sometimes it was fear. Sometimes is was simple apathy. Sometimes it was greed of various manifestations. The government schools certainly have played a role through indoctrination of the children and university students. The media also has added to this indoctrination.
Perhaps we are getting what we deserve or have asked for. Perhaps we are responsible for continually compromising and voting for “the lesser of two evils,” without accounting for the truth that this is still voting for evil.
The turning from true fear, love, and trust in God is undeniably the most significant factor.
Even those who do not truly fear, love, and trust in God, who nevertheless valued the doctrine of the Bible which teaches the commandments of love for neighbor, even such “unbelievers” held to a different standard and a different understanding of life in this world than is now being observed generally among us.
Those who signed the Declaration of Independence had this as the concluding paragraph of their Declaration:
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
While these men were not united in their understanding and confession of who God is, and while they were not all of the same confession of the faith given by this God, they all signed their names and gave their pledges to the just ways declared in the Bible. It was their confidence and “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence,” that moved them to further say, “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
Because of their “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence” they were unwilling to turn a blind eye to the tyranny that was being forced upon them and their fellow countrymen, a tyranny that they knew would grow even worse for their progeny.
They stood against the king’s troops who were trained and sent to act against the citizens. They established a constitution that was designed to prevent the necessity of such action in the future.
But tyrants are crafty. They know how to twist words and used them for the opposite purpose of what they are intended. And in time the people forget their duty to love neighbor as self and to vote out the tyrants, even at the cost of losing some person fortune, honor, or even life or livelihood.
People forget that compromise is the same as surrender.
Consider the follow illustration using simple plus signs:
Surely this is enough to demonstrate the pattern and the reality of compromise.
Compromise of principles is always one sided. Those who want to reduce or eliminate the principle never compromise anything. The goal is to lessen or change or destroy the principle.
The side that holds to the principle or believe is the only side surrendering anything. They lose with the very first compromise. Once the principle has been compromised it is no longer the same principle. It has been lost and the power that it held has been broken.
The next compromise is easier to accomplish because the original purpose of the principle has already been lost. The power to protect or provide the original purpose is diminished.
Such is the way with the principle of limited government. Such is the way with the unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
When people forget who the author and giver of these unalienable rights is, they have already lost them or surrendered them. Then they begin looking to government and other sources to provide these. With the one who gives these purely by grace divorced from their trust and belief and confidence, they begin looking to those who must take from them to give back less than is taken.
The best example of this is given in1 Samuel 8 with the account of how the people of Israel turned from the freedom of having theLord as their king to demanding that Samuel give them a king like the rest of the nations had.
The Lord warned them concerning what they were bringing upon themselves, but they would not listen.
As is always the way, this began with compromising what the Lord had established. This began when Samuel’s sons began to compromise and to take bribes and to pervert justice.
The same thing happened with Eli’s sons a generation before. However, in this case the people cried out to the Lord, trusting Him to set things right again, which He did. He used the wicked Philistines to remove these unjust rulers. Then He appointed Samuel, who ruled justly, in accord with the decrees of the Lord.
But now, with Samuel’s sons, who apparently were not even as abusive as Eli’s sons were, the people turned from trusting the Lord to bring the needed reform, and looked instead to the ways of the other nations and demanded a king like they had. The result was that the protections that the Lord had given were lost through their own faithless choice.
Are we not seeing the same today as people turn more and more to earthly rulers and government, saying, “That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”
Prior to this, they had only the Word of the Lord to rule and judge them. Now they would have an extensive legal system designed by their government. Now they would taxes and MORE taxes. Now they would have a standing army to support with both their money and theirs sons. Now they would have a police state. On and on the changes came until finally they rebelled against the king whom they had demanded to have rule over them, just like the other nations.
This is the way of the sinful human race.
But the Lord remains a God of grace, mercy, and peace. His continual desire is to call people back to His merciful love and forgiveness. He desires that people acknowledge Him as their Father, who rules with divine fatherly goodness and mercy so that they may enjoy the freedom of living in His kingdom, which is from above.
Thus He came to the world as one of us, born of the Seed that He built into the human genome with the creation of Woman, whom her husband renamed Eve, or Life, because of the promise of this future birth and victory of this Seed. God showed Himself as Immanuel, with us God. He took the special name of Jesus, the Lord saves. He reestablished His kingdom by coming in the flesh to His people so as to redeem all of mankind from the power of sin, which is death. He died with the sin of world in His own body. He was buried and then rose again free from this horrible burden for the sake of the everlasting freedom of all of mankind, to be received freely by grace through His appointed means. For all who do receive His grace through these divinely ordained means, life is restored in it fullness and they are regenerated into His kingdom of righteousness. For such people as receive His grace through these means, they are governed once again in spirit through His Word. Rules and regulations and laws are not necessary for they live by grace through faith. They live in this world, enduring the many things that unbelieving mankind imposes upon everyone, yet they live free of these things in the knowledge of their place in God’s everlasting kingdom in which all things are made right again, which will be fully revealed when He comes again in the fullness of His glory to separate the unbelieving wicked from those who are justified through faith.
Sadly, the AP report about the government labeling citizens as zombies actually is an accurate label. And so the zombie citizenry marches mindlessly to the tune of the devil, the flesh, and the world, not even realizing that they are voting for their own demise. Even though there are at least two candidates running for the office of president who openly oppose this way of tyranny, most will not even consider voting for either of them. The Constitution Party has a candidate and the Libertarian Party has a candidate. They both are far an above either of the Two Party Drones of the imperial globalists.
Amazingly, if everyone who said that these two so-called third party candidates cannot win actually voted for them, either of them could win by a landslide.
The question is whether people will vote according to what they believe to be right or whether they will yet again compromise and surrender to the evil empire.
It is amazing how powerful the result is when even a few people actually stand for what they believe is right. While I do not agree with everything that was said and done by those who stood against the tyrannical rule of the British empire, I certainly am left in awe of their commitment to what they believed. It is truly awesome to recount the horrific things that stood against them and to see that they nevertheless prevailed and birthed a new nation, a nation through which many, many people have been richly blessed. Even in the face of the atrocities that also have occurred, still, many, many people have been richly blessed.
If you would care to hear what some of the third-party candidates are saying, Free & Equal provided a forum for them to debate, which you can view at Third Party Presidential Candidates Debate - C-SPAN Video Library or view below. It is a 90 minute video with candidates from the Green Party, the Justice Party, the Constitution Party, and the Libertarian Party.
After this debate the viewers were permitted to vote for two candidates to be included in a second debate which is scheduled for November 5, 2012. The debate will feature Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, whom the viewing voters chose.
Here is the first debate video for anyone who would like to view it:
As for myself, strictly speaking, I am not a Libertarian.
I do not believe that true liberty can exist without it being given from above. Liberty does not exist in a fallen world unless the hearts of people are first changed so that they love their neighbors as themselves. This requires that people love themselves. This requires that they know love themselves. This knowledge is a gift from the one who is love.
Love must first rule over all in order for true liberty to be realized by and for anyone.
Where love does not stand over all, tyranny raises itself and tramples all.
Love is a bondage in which true freedom is realized: freedom to love and live in love.
To break from this bond in an attempt to live freely is to bind oneself to everlastingly lovelessness and the fear of abuse. This is to make oneself both an abuser as well as the abused.
Government and governance are not causes of tyranny and abuse. Those who usurp this role are the causes of tyranny and abuse.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
For all who live in the subjugation of God’s love, there is no fear of punishment nor torment. Where God’s love rules, those who are ruled live in the happy freedom of loving and being loved.
Such is the governance that exists in God’s kingdom of righteousness and holiness. In His kingdom the Law is nothing more than a declaration of His holiness which is shared by all.
It is only when His rule of love is not acknowledged that the Law takes the form of something to be feared, because then the Law has a sharp edge that cuts and pierces, as well as the blunt force of the hammer that crushes and mangles and destroys. Then fear of the consequences of disobedience arise.
When these laws are enforced by ungodly rulers, then fear of abuse also arises.
Such is the world in which we live, because the holy fear of God that casts out all fear is not observed.
People generally do not understand how fear of God can cast out fear. And so they redefine fear as something else, such as, respect. But true respect flows from perfect fear, love, and trust.
As an example, consider the force that we call gravity.
Ordinarily we give it little thought, even though we fear it. It is a powerful force that can destroy us. It causes us to experience what we call weight. It allows us to propel ourselves on account of the friction that it produces between our feet and the ground or our tires and the pavement. It keeps us from floating off into space. It holds things in place.
But if we fall, it causes us to accelerate toward the ground so that we receive injury. If we go deep enough under water it causes us to be crushed.
We fear it because it is powerful and so we also respect it and live in accord with the manner that it requires of us. But we cannot live safely without it. While it restrains us in certain ways, it also gives us freedom to live and act within the parameters that it establishes for us. Most of the time we do not even notice the restraining functions of this invisible force, simply enjoying its benefits to us. We ordinarily do not act fearfully concerning it and are even glad to experience its power in our daily activities, even though we many not consciously consider it.
In many ways, true and holy fear of God is like this. For those who truly fear God, love and trust are inseparable aspects of this relationship. When the triune God is known in connection with this trinity of relational aspects, life is experienced in its fullness and perfect freedom is enjoyed. Through this God rules the heart with grace, mercy, and peace. For those who truly fear, love and trust Him above all things, this is true even now, even while tyrants rule and abuse and pillage and plunder, but through lawlessness and through abusive laws.
Thus, while Libertarianism has worthy points, I am not a Libertarian. I rather confess and walk and live in the way of bondage to true freedom and love.
As I was reading various news articles and contemplating the recent laws and executive orders that have been enacted, this image came to my mind:
On one US postal stamp it was reduced to this:
This truly does seem to portray what the powerful elite have transformed the American government to be and do and seek.
I find my self wondering how I ever was duped into believing that the government was about serving the people. How many generations have accepted this stern and even vicious image and its slogan as a portrayal of the United States and her government?
It is really quite frightening to realize what it actually says. It is perhaps even more frightening to realize that by and large we all have accepted this.
A blog that I sometimes visit is Worldview Everlasting. When I first stumbled upon this blog I was fascinated by it. Over time I became aware of the cause of my uneasiness with this “Lutheran” and his “style” and the compendium of topics and contributors. Now I visit the site occasionally just to see whether things have moved in a more helpful direction. My visits are becoming less and less frequent, due to the continual disappointment.
The very title, with its world-mimicking bad grammar and style, makes me squirm. It immediately sets off the holy alarms in my spirit and soul. It is akin to the feeling of having a caterpillar or other creature crawling down my neck inside the back of my shirt. Sometimes this sense is more like the feeling of having bird poop fall on me from overhead. Other times it is like the sense of feeling my foot slip when I step upon a fresh pile of doggy poop in someone’s back yard.
The immediate sense is that something is not right. Something is out of place.
Such senses should not be ignored in life. The warnings are genuine. They are signals that one should be alert and on guard.
These uneasy sensations are the natural response to things that do not fit, things that are not honest and true.
In the case of these titles of video posts, they do not fit with the manner of what the blogger claims to represent. This is not the norm for the one holy catholic Church that is called, gathered, enlightened, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit and kept with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. This simply is not the way of those who are called out of the world to stand apart from the world. This is not the way of those who live in the world but are not of the world.
Read the Scriptures and see. Does the Lord conform Himself and His ministry and preaching to the style and manner of the world? Do His apostles preach or write in this way? Do they try to incorporate the modern lingo and mannerisms so as to try to make themselves more appealing?
The Scriptures do speak of those who use this approach. What the Scriptures say concerning this way is not flattering.
In the video post listed above, All Ur Labels R Belong to Us, the content matches the style. It is consistent with the overall approach of the web site. It tries to blend the world’s view of reality or the “worldview” with the view of the Church with the catchy title of “Worldview Everlasting.” It sounds very spiritual. It sounds very “other-worldly.” But it is really very worldly in the end. It is a reduction of “the things above” to acceptance in terms of things below.
This is demonstrated powerfully in the following portions of this video post.
On the time line, at 4:16, a question from a commentator is shared.
At 4:26, Fisk addresses this.
Here Fisk identifies the problem with Lutheranism, including his definition of Lutheranism. The problem is one of dishonesty and total lack of integrity.
Notice the statement in the center of this where Fisk replies, saying:
You are not a Lutheran - which is fine, so long as you are honest about it.
This is a recurring doctrine throughout this video post. It flows throughout the entire blog and its many posts.
At 5:14 Fisk says in this video,
Be what you are. Love what you are. If you believe something, embrace it. . . . I’m not trying to put you in a hole, I’m just trying to get you to, you know, enjoy what you actually think. Embrace it!
Is this what the Lord Jesus teaches? Is this even remotely like what the apostles teach? Do the Scriptures ever say this? Or do the Scriptures actually declare that we should hear the truth and be turned from what we are and what we think and what we construct for ourselves?
Do the Scriptures ever declare that it is OK to believe what we want so long as we listen to what others say and accept them for who they are?
Is this the way of the Holy Scriptures? Is this what is exposed in the “Lutheran Confessions” that Fisk claims to believe and confess and teach?
Do the Lutheran Confessions say that it is OK to love and embrace the ways of Wesleyan Baptist theology and practice?
At 9:12 Fisk says:
But if your ism happens to be Lutheranism, which basically has six chief things, there’s like six things that make a Lutheran, we call them the six chief parts, and we believe they’re actually six things that make you a Christian, too, although you can be a Christian without believing everything about every piece of the chief parts, but they are the fullness of Christianity and they all point you back to Christ and the cross, but pretty much to deny any of these six things, I mean, it’s not like it’s this big giant list somewhere, it’s six stinkin things, right, you believe these six things and you are a Lutheran. You don’t believe these six things and you’re not a Lutheran. We call these six things the Small Catechism, because it is rather small, and catechism means: “teaching.” It is just the small list of teaching that actually makes you Lutheran. I don’t define this. I mean, where do you get off accusing me of that? As if it is my idea. You think I’m making this stuff up? You think it’s about me? If you think it’s about me, you just got to watch these videos a lot more, because you know, go back and watch the old ones. This sucker aint about me man, this sucker’s about the Word of God.
Do people who speak this way ever even listen to themselves so as to hear the amount of double-mindedness that is expressed in their preaching?
For openers, where does Lutheran doctrine ever speak of Lutheran Christianity?
Hmm?
Where do the Lutheran Confessions ever speak of anything other than the one holy catholic/universal/Christian Church?
How can Fisk say, “they’re actually six things that make you a Christian, too, although you can be a Christian without believing everything about every piece of the chief parts”?
How can he say two diametrically opposing things within the same sentence and not hear the fallacy?
How can people listen to this and accept this as genuine?
How can he furthermore refer to the six chief parts of the one true faith by which God’s grace is declared and taught and imparted as “six stinkin things”?
Is this the way of someone whose first thought is to proclaim the truth of God’s Word, or is it the way of someone who is more concerned about sounding cool?
If these six chief parts are what make a person a Christian, how is it possible not to believe everything about them without losing one’s Christianity?
Does a baker accept this notion regarding the ingredients for a cake or a loaf of bread? Does a mechanic say this regarding the parts of an engine that is being reassembled? Does an electrician say this concerning the wiring of a house?
Would you trust any of these if they did?
How can Fisk make such statements while demanding integrity and honesty of others?
How can Lutherans in general follow this way as most do today?
The answer rests at least in part with the rest of what Fisk says about these six chief parts. He says that we call them the Small Catechism. He makes this false statement because he is falsely focusing upon the “smallness” of the essential and necessary parts of the Christian faith. He is attempting to minimize the content of the doctrine that must stand as what is believed.
What does Luther and the catholic Church call these six chief parts?
The Catechism, is what they are called.
The so-called Small Catechism is the smaller and more concise of Luther’s explanations of the Catechism. Luther wrote a Small Catechism in which the six chief parts are briefly explained so that the simple and young could understand them.
Luther also wrote a Larger Catechism in which he expanded his explanations of the Catechism or the Six Chief Parts more extensively.
Something that Luther does not say concerning these six chief parts is that anyone ever may dare to deny them in any part. To deny these in any way, to reject so as not to believe any portion of these, is to deny the Word of God Himself, to deny Jesus, and to lose one’s salvation.
Luther treats this very seriously. He never speaks of those who reject the efficacious nature of Baptism as true Christians. He never speaks of those who deny the body and blood of Jesus in the Sacrament as true Christians. Rather, he warns them against eating and drinking judgement upon themselves and cutting themselves off from God’s Holy Communion.
But Fisk and nearly every Lutheran today mocks this, saying that a person can be a Christian while denying and refusing to believe what Jesus and His apostles plainly declare.
The Christian faith, the faith by which salvation is imparted by God to those who stand desperately in need of being saved, is an “All or Nothing” faith. It cannot be divided into portions that are necessary and unnecessary or even less necessary.
As an arborist who climbs trees using ropes for my own positioning and safety as well as for securing and lowering tree limbs and controlling the felling of trees in dangerous situations, I have come to value a saying by Clifford Ashely:
A knot is never nearly right; it is either exactly right or it is hopelessly wrong, one or the other; there is nothing in between.
This saying is exemplified in the following explanation from “Tie, Dress, and Set (TDS)” in “The Tree Climber’s Companion.”
Tying knots involves more than just making the “rabbit come out of the hole, go around the tree, and back in the hole” as with the Bowline. A properly tied knot must also be finished properly by dressing it and setting it. Dressing the knot means properly aligning, arranging, or straightening all the parts of the knot so it matches the description and picture in the book. Knot and rope strength can be significantly reduced if the knot is dressed improperly.
Setting the knot involves tightening all its parts so they properly touch, grab, and press against each other. This creates friction on the rope—the reason a knot works. A knot that is loosely tied could “capsize” and come untied when a load is applied. It is good practice to periodically inspect knots while in use to ensure they remain tied. New knots should never be employed aloft until they can be skillfully tied, dressed, and set (TDS) while on the ground.
From this it is easy to recognize the absolute importance of 100% accuracy in the doctrine of knot tying. It also is easy to see that one must believe all aspects of this in order for the doctrine to have its effect in practice.
For example, a knot that is tied correctly will not hold if the person does not believe that it must be properly set and therefore skips this absolutely necessary step.
The same is true concerning the Six Chief Parts of Christian doctrine.
No part can be ignored or rejected if the doctrine is to be effective.
God does not give His doctrine without purpose. He does not teach things that are not necessary. All aspects of the truth are necessary. Any departure from the truth is a departure from the truth.
This should be committed to heart, mind and soul.
Any departure from the truth is a departure from the truth.
If one does not hold to this, what difference does it make whether or not one is “honest” about being a Lutheran? What does it matter if the article of doctrine concerning Baptism can be rejected and one can still be Christian?
The reason that the many imagined Lutherans think that it is important to be Lutheran is that they are actually promoting themselves.
One of Shakespeare’s famous quotations is from Hamlet:
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
Lutherans often fall into this category, as Fisk seems to protest too much when he says,
I don’t define this. I mean, where do you get off accusing me of that? As if it is my idea. You think I’m making this stuff up? You think it’s about me? If you think it’s about me, you just got to watch these videos a lot more, because you know, go back and watch the old ones. This sucker aint about me man, this sucker’s about the Word of God.
If it is not about “being Lutheran,” why do they protest so much? Why do they not simply proclaim the doctrine of the true faith as absolutely necessary and stand upon this? Why do they insist on the name of “Lutheranism” and their church bodies?
God says many times and in various ways, both through the ministry of His Son and through the ministry of His apostles, “Baptism saves you.” (For example: 1 Peter 3:19-21)
If someone says that this is not true, what does that person say of God, of God’s Word, of the Scriptures, of the faith declared in the Scriptures, of the Holy Spirit who inspired men to write these Scriptures, of the men who wrote them and proclaimed them, and of the Church?
If one says that what God says is true but that one can be a Christian while saying that what God says is not true, what does this mean?
Why even bother preaching and teaching concerning these things at all?
Unless of course, it really is about you after all.
Whose word really matters? In whose words do you really trust?
To a person who is knowledgeable concerning body chemistry and function this is a ludicrous question. To any doctor or dentist or pharmacologist, each of whom has been required to study organic and biochemistry as well as human physiology, this question should seem absurd.
How much poison is dangerous for people knowingly to ingest?
Fluoride is a very dangerous toxic substance. It has the capacity to do serious damage or even to kill.
On every fluoride toothpaste package a standardized warning is posted, warning against ingestion of the toothpaste. The warning reads that if more than the normal amount used for brushing should be swallowed that immediate medical attention should be sought.
How much actual fluoride is this?
On the toothpaste cartons that I have examined, the amount of fluoride ranges from 0.15% to 0.24%.
Thus according to the usual amount of toothpaste promoted by the toothpaste manufacturers, that is, one inch squeezed onto the toothbrush, an amount weighing about 1.5 grams, the total amount of sodium fluoride would be about 3.6 milligrams (0.0036 grams).
If the calculations are made using the lower percentage the amount of fluoride is even less.
In both cases, both higher and lower percentages, the warning is the same, that anything more than this should be considered cause for seeking immediate medical attention.
Now . . .
. . . consider the amount that is commonly added to municipal water supplies:
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services the current standard is 0.7 to 1.2 mg/liter.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also has announced a proposal to reduce this amount to 0.7 mg/liter.
“The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day. ”
For a man such as myself, who works outdoors, on a hot summer day this consumption is 2 to 3 gallons or 7.57 to 11.36 liters.
Consider the amount of fluoride that the toothpaste warning says is cause for seeking immediate attention. On the carton that lists 0.24% the amount of 3.6 milligrams is the amount. On the carton that lists 0.15% the amount of 2.25 milligrams is the amount. According to the warning, anything exceeding this is cause for seeking immediate medical attention.
For children, the ADHA recommended amount of toothpaste is limited to 0.25 grams or a mere 0.6 milligrams of sodium fluoride.
And how much is the amount of fluoride being added to municipal water?
0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter!!!!
This is like telling one’s children to brush their teeth and be sure to swallow it all every time that they brush.
How many parents would do such a thing?
What sort of dentist or doctor or pharmacologist would sign a statement saying that this is safe?
If you would like to see the official list, here it is.
My wife and I will be seeking another dentist, one who does not say that it is a good idea for the city to poison its citizens.
For a very brief time earlier this year the mainstream media actually reported this matter as in this video clip:
Of course, the full truth is not disclosed, and in fact a lie is embedded in what the Feds say. In this video it is said: “The government says there’s no evidence fluoride causes serious illness. The only concern for now is the potentially serious damage to children’s teeth.”
As anyone can read on ANY toothpaste carton, this is an outright lie.
Even in what is reported in this video, this is shown to be false. First it is shared that it is causing serious bone damage and then it is said that there’s no evidence of causing serious illness. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
If one performs an Internet search for “fed gov says too much fluoride” Google shows “About 559,000 results”. These results show that the mainstream coverage of this issue was very short lived.
The toxicity of fluoride and fluorine is well known. It is a scientific fact.
The EPA has regulations controlling disposal of this toxic waste byproduct of industry.
Yet there exist proponents of putting this toxin in our drinking water and these propagandists are spending large amounts of money to convince the public that this is acceptable.
Fluoride is NOT an essential nutrient. It is not required in our bodily functions. This is well documented at:
The City's drinking water contains approximately 0.3mg/L (PPM) of naturally occurring fluoride.
From the MSNBC article linked to above:
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is announcing a proposal to change the recommended fluoride level to 0.7 milligrams per liter of water. And the Environmental Protection Agency will review whether the maximum cutoff of 4 milligrams per liter is too high.
The standard since 1962 has been a range of 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter.
So why is there a push for more fluoride in Wichita’s drinking water? Wichita’s water already has .3mg/L of naturally occurring fluoride. The new and improved federal level is a reduction to only .7mg/L of this poison.
Rather than adding this toxic substance to our drinking water we should be demanding that it be filtered from it.
Sadly, many families cannot afford to install effective filtration for their homes and so they and their children are being bombarded with this terrible toxin already. So the proposed action is to add more of this poison to the water.
The EPA regulates how much fluoride a company is allowed to have in its effluent. Additionally, sewage treatment plants are regulated concerning the levels of fluoride released into rivers.
Yet we are told that adding this substance to our drinking water is safe.
In our home we installed a reverse osmosis filtering system for our drinking water needs. But what of the many families who do not know to do this or cannot afford to do this? A reasonably priced one can be purchased and installed with minimal knowledge of plumbing, yet when families are struggling to afford even basic necessities, what then?
It is a very sad matter when those who have been entrusted with our protection are the very ones who are poisoning us.
Is there any other immediate response that one would expect upon first viewing this?
Of course, no such device actually exists. But the animation is fantastic.
Do people think beyond the “Wow” moment after viewing this video? Do people consider how short the durability of such a gadget will be?
Do people consider at all how this sort of video is programming their thinking?
The music chosen is powerful. It creates the immediate sense of something heroic being accomplished. It leaves a person feeling as though the creation of this gadget is going to accomplish liberation and empowerment of the people who own them.
If one really considers what these gadgets are designed to accomplish, the exact opposite purpose will be perceived. They are designed to make people more dependent upon the already failing cellular networks. They are designed to bind people to these tracking devices.
Notice what is being taught about genuine customer service where a person can expect to have actual contact with another person and obtain real help when things go awry. We are being taught even in this video that such personal interaction will no longer be available and that a computer will tell us what we can and will do. Don’t bother calling. All that you will receive is an extended litany of harassing, preprogrammed automation.
All of our personal information will be (and is) stored in a massive data base which will be immediately accessible to those who have the right connections.
In the meantime, the smaller independent businesses are being eliminated and real jobs are evaporating. Freedom to operate and function independently is being eliminated. Thinking that stretches beyond what is promoted by those who have predetermined the new societal programming is diminishing.
Thus the title for this post is: “Is this cool, or what?” with the emphasis on the “or what.”
Do most people even ask “or what” anymore?
I find it alarming to realize that if I drive away from the house without my cell phone that my first thought is that I should drive back to get it, even if I am only going to the store to purchase a gallon of milk. This has actually happened on a couple of occasions recently. I was aghast when I heard myself think, “Oh, what will I do? What if I need to call Stephanie with a question?” For crying out loud! I was only to be away for 15 minutes or perhaps half of an hour!
Yikes! I’ve been programmed!
And this is only a tiny example of the social programming that is prevalent in society today.
Perhaps it is time for people to stand back a bit to gain a broader perspective and to begin asking the “or what” and not merely allowing the reflex response of “Wow! How cool!”
The Lord Jesus gave a very powerful warning:
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24)
Mammon is treasure, things, possessions.
What happens when mammon becomes one’s god? What happens when a person becomes dependent upon and puts one’s trust in mammon? Does one not subject oneself and willingly make oneself the slave of the things that one loves?
Furthermore, who in this world controls these things, these gadgets and the networks through which they are connected?
Are these not questions that people would do well to ask themselves?
I myself find it amazing that so many people are afraid of being enslaved to God and religion but eagerly enslave themselves to welfare and other government assistance, to gadgetry and those who sell and control the gadgetry, to social media, to health care providers, to insurance companies, to Social Security payments, and to employers who provide benefit packages. All of these demand subjugation and servitude. They all offer very low levels of security. And, they all ultimately fail those who give them their trust.
Yet God, the Lord, who makes Himself known through the Scriptures and through His means of grace, gives freely even to those who refuse to trust Him. He makes His sun to shine and His rain to fall for both the just and the unjust. He gave His Son for the sake of the entire world, even those who would reject and hate Him and work against all of the good that He desires to provide for all. He promises a life of hope and peace and contentment and joy to all who trust Him and receive His grace as He gives it. What is His demand? He demands that we receive His gifts and His mercy and His love through the means that He has established, means that guarantee that the true giver is acknowledged so that His beloved do not cut themselves off from Him and the life that He gives.
Oh my. What a meanie! “Trust Me and receive My gifts and life as I give them so that you remain in the safety of my Communion.” Oh what a tyrant!
Yet those who do trust Him and abide in His Word, acknowledging the goodness of His commands and precepts, do indeed enjoy what He promises to work through them. Even those who do not truly know Him and do not truly live in His Communion, when they embrace what is taught in the Commandments and other declarations of what is good, they do indeed experience the goodness therein proclaimed. Such is the way of this God and His decrees. What He says is. What He promises actually is observed. And this efficacious way is everlasting.
Test this with a cell phone or other gadgetry. Test this with your own feelings. Test this with your own bodily strength. Test this with your own mental prowess. Test this with the health care industry. Test this with your government and leaders. Test this with your family and friends. Test this with your whatever.
As for myself, I know that the Lord is faithful. He never fails. Even when I imagine that He fails, I eventually see that His promise in Romans 8 is true:
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:28-32)
I may not always perceive the good that the Lord is working, especially through the hardships and suffering that I face. For sometimes the good is being worked for someone else, someone who observes from a distance the faithfulness of the Lord in preserving me through the fiery trials that I face. Sometimes the lessons that I learn I do not realize that I have learned. Yet the good has been worked for me, most especially the good of not losing hope and not despairing completely and the good of not becoming the monster that I would otherwise become. Looking to the Lord and waiting upon Him in faith is truly a great and even immeasurable good.
For me, this is the “or what” that is truly exciting! This is the gift that truly stretches to cover all of my needs through faith. It especially stretches to cover my most essential need, the need for forgiveness and the new life of holiness that exists only in true communion with Christ. In Him my guilt and my shame and my fears are drowned and washed away and replaced with confidence and freedom to live with hope and joy.
Why would I ever trade this for the temporal mammon that fails?
More and more this sort of “mistake” is occurring worldwide. How can such things be happening? How is it that this is becoming more and more common?
It is happening according to the plan.
People are being trained to see terrorists everywhere. Police are being trained to suspect everyone. Police and military personnel are trained to look for this.
At the airport and at city hall, ordinary citizens are treated as potential perpetrators of violence. A fingernail clipper is treated as a weapon and a bottle of water is counted as a possible bomb making ingredient.
People are being trained and encouraged to report “peculiar” behavior of their neighbors.
Is it really surprising that this is causing hysteria of the kind that leads to overreaction and use of force against a blind man carrying a cane for assistance?
People need to wake up and realize that this is bad news. We need to stop this before it is too late.
Certainly there exist proper causes for suspicion. But these are obvious in their peculiarity. A stranger lurking around the back window or back door of a neighbor’s house, is a good example. Someone wearing a ski mask in August is a very suspicious action.
But unless you believe that Highlander is a true to life story, reporting a man walking down the street with a samurai sword is insanity. For the police to react to such reports without extreme discretion is absolute insanity. When the suspected man is an elderly man walking slowly and with care, not threatening anyone, there is no excuse for such behavior.
But this hysteria is growing. It is being promoted by the government bureaucracies, by the media, and by the government schools. It is actually being taught and fostered.
Police and military personnel should not be such fools as this. They are thinking people. But they are taught to obey orders above all else. They are actually taught to be abusive, as with this elderly blind man, to apply assertive and abusive force and to make the handcuffs tight enough to hurt. They are taught not to hesitate. They are taught that protecting themselves against a suspected aggressor is more important than being certain.
Family and friends need to confront their loved ones who serve as law enforcement and military, lovingly reminding them of their vows to protect and serve. If they do not count right as more important than might, they should resign. If the lives of those they are sworn to protect are not more important than risking their own, then they should resign.
The country is safer without them if they have the wrong mindset. At least most criminals cannot call for hundreds for backup.
And what of the notion that collateral damage is acceptable in a faux war against terror? What is the proportion of people killed in the war against terror to the number killed by so-called terrorist attacks? How many thousands and tens of thousands have been killed directly in the so-called war against terror? And if the extensive collateral damage of poisoned water and effects are counted, how many more tens of thousands?
Which is more terrifying, really? Which is the greater atrocity?
Then there are the massive changes that have been forced upon the citizens of the nations fighting this war on terror. I can still remember when one could escort loved ones all the way to the embarking gate without even showing ID. I can remember when people were not afraid of the police and security people at airports and elsewhere. I can remember when police smiled and waved back when we waved to them. I remember when we were not afraid to wave to the police as they passed by.
I also remember when we were not afraid of what our neighbors would report concerning our actions. I remember when a spanking was not counted as abuse of one’s naughty child. And yes, I am thankful that my parents were free to use such measures when they believed them to be necessary.
Today parents are arrested and their children are taken away if the parents dare to discipline them strongly. Yet the TSA regularly frightens children and even gropes them publically, taking their toys and their drinks from them. The police assist bankers in driving families from their homes. The military confiscates guns from homeowners in the aftermath of horrific natural disasters.
These things became more prevalent during all of the presidents and their administrations and congresses of the past fifty years. Isn’t it time that we wake up and stop putting these goons in office? Isn’t time that we act responsibly?
Isn’t it time that we acknowledge the fact that voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil? If everyone abandoned this insane notion and voted their conscience instead, the world would truly become a safer and more peaceful place to live.
If people truly acted responsibly and only voted according to their consciences, voting only for those whom they perceived as clearly and truly godly and faithful and honest, imagine how much smaller government would be and how much less money would be required to run it?
One of the toons on this site seems to apply to me:
At the very least, it is something for me to consider, especially regarding the Lord’s admonition and command not to worry.
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:25-34)
And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. (Luke 12:4-36)
It would seem that most people still believe that America is the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Is there reason for anyone to reconsider this belief? Is there any evidence that the Constitution of the United States no longer is the law of the land and that other laws have superceded the Constitution so that police and military now rule with absolute control?
In October of 2001 Congress passed and George W. Bush signed into law the "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001," also known as the USA Patriot Act. It is available at many places but here is an official site: USA PATRIOT Act.
Along side of this the so-called government also established other so-called responses for the need to “protect” us from terrorism, such as the Homeland Security and TSA.
Last year the global elite of Congress passed The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012. It was signed into law on December 31, 2011, by President Barack Obama.
In March Obama issued and signed Executive Order 13603 -- National Defense Resources Preparedness, in which he calls upon and extends what this Act previously declared.
Are the people of America and the world paying attention to what these say and effect?
Perhaps more terrifying than even what these things say and establish and do is the fact that most people are willing to accept them without even questioning their validity, necessity, and constitutionality.
I myself have not flown since 2006 when my father was dying. But at that time I was not allowed to pass the security checkpoint because I had these:
I was told that I would have to surrender them to my so-called protectors to be stolen from me. I refused and was made to return to the airline desk and have my luggage retrieved so as to place the items in my luggage, which I had to leave unsecured (unlocked). This, even though they x-ray scan all of the luggage and clearly see all that is inside. Protection? From whom?
Those who regularly fly are aware that things have become much worse. How can any reasonable person with functional mental capacity allow this to be called proper? How can anyone actually believe that this is honoring our constitutionally guaranteed liberty?
This past week I was required to go to the city hall to pay a bill because the bureaucrats have complicated this process to such a point that they cannot keep the procedure straight amongst themselves and we, the citizens, have to pick up their messes and correct them. In years past this was a fairly simple matter. But today one must subject oneself to the same fraudulent security molestations as at the airport. Even after their procedures that included taking off my belt, then I was told that I would have to sign over my keys and sign for them again when I would leave.
Why was this required? Because I had this on my keychain:
Half a dozen armed police officers were present in the entrance lobby alone and this is counted as a threatening weapon? What real threat would such a tiny tool pose?
After obtaining my paperwork and receipt, and after signing to have my vicious weapon returned to me, I asked the very sweet Barbie doll with a gun why she thinks that treating honest citizens this way is OK. I don’t call her this disrespectfully, but to demonstrate the ludicrous nature of this matter. I am a working man of almost 220 lbs. She is a lovely young lady of possibly 120 but more likely 110 lbs. I have sufficient strength that I regularly tear tree limbs apart the size of her arms. When I hug wife of the same size as this woman, I must be mindful to be careful so that I don’t break her ribs. What on earth would I do to a person with a little key tool barely sharp enough to cut string? How can she or anyone else imagine that this is in anyway related to protecting us?
Like most people, I have never hurt anyone in my life. I have never been arrested. I have never caused trouble. Yet I am treated by the police and others who have sworn to protect the Constitution and those it represents as though I were a terrorist threat.
I am a preacher of the Gospel. I invest myself in comforting people and helping people. I serve my neighbors. I help the homeless when I can. I feed hungry people. I give people a ride to the doctor and hospital. I work hard to earn a living and to serve others.
This is the way of the vast majority of the citizenry. Why should ordinary and law abiding and peaceful citizens be subjected to such disgraceful and wicked treatment?
Why are the people not demanding that this stop?
Why are the people imposing this upon us reelected?
When I took the paperwork to the inspection site for my truck, my receipt was taken from me until I would return with the trailer that also needed to be “inspected.” I asked that my receipt be returned to me so that I would have proof of my payment. They curtly refused. I demanded my receipt before leaving and was told that then I would not be leaving. The police told me that they were just people on the front line doing what they were told. I asked whether this would include shooting me if they were told to do so. The police puffed up their chests and told me to move along. When I asked what violation I would be charged with they told me that I had better do as I was told. The fact is that they helped the others steal my property, yet I was threatened with being arrested.
The report begins, saying, “Three days before Independence Day, Milton Hall died in a fusillade of police gunfire outside a strip mall.”
The actual number of shots was 46.
If you watch the video, be aware that it shows the full scene. The man is gunned down in full view.
The man was known to have emotional issues. He was upset and belligerent. He says that he actually called the police because he wanted to voice his frustration. He had a knife.
The police were six in number. They had an attack dog, guns, and presumably batons and tasers.
When Mr. Hall began moving his knife was not raised.
The dog was not released. Batons were not drawn. Tasers were not drawn. Guns were drawn and fired. The man stops in his tracks. The guns continued to fire. The man fell down. The guns continued to fire. The man lay motionless on the ground and at least 8 more shots were fired.
This is a very extreme example but it is not an isolated incident.
Do the people have cause for concern?
Mr. Hall had a knife. He had a previous altercation with a store owner where apparently no violence occurred and Mr. Hall left. During his agitated conversation with the police no apparent attempt was made by the police to ask why he had called them. They only threatened him. He stood in the middle of a parking lot far from anyone whom he could harm. The attack dog could easily have been used to subdue him at least long enough to taser him or tackle him.
At the time of his killing, this man was not a threat to anyone.
What action prompted this barrage of gunfire?
He said “NO!” to the police. He had a history of saying “no” to the police. He had a history of being a nuisance.
They shot him 46 times without attempting any other measure.
Was the man who made this video in danger from Mr. Hall? Were the people driving by in danger from Mr. Hall? Were other passers-by in danger from Mr. Hall? Was the store owner in danger from Mr. Hall? Were the police in genuine danger from Mr. Hall? Were the little birdies nearby in danger from Mr. Hall?
Yet Mr. Hall was shot 46 times to protect us.
Should not people with a conscience be troubled by this to the point of calling for a change other than what Bush and Obama have brought upon us? Should we not be outraged that such a man as Mr. Hall can be gunned down as he was?
This man needed help. Instead he was shot. He was shot 46 times!
What does this say about the attitude of the police?
He was not shot in the leg or shoulder to stop him. After he was immobilized they continued shooting and shooting.
Over the Trayvon Martin shooting, where he actually attacked a man and was shot and killed in the altercation, Obama joined in. Did he say anything about this man who was shot 46 times? Where is the outrage by those who caused so much turmoil regarding Trayvon’s killing?
It apparently is acceptable for the police and the military and the CIA and Homeland Security and the TSA to abuse and molest and even to kill.
Meanwhile, the big bankers are getting rich, foreclosing on homes of people who have lost their jobs that the big bankers have moved to China. More and more people are being forced to become homeless and destitute. Our water is being poisoned with fluoride. Our food is being poisoned with glutamates, aspartic acid, fluoride, and pesticides. Our air is being sprayed with toxins. Drugs are being pushed as the answer to every problem. Health care is being confiscated by the government. And working people who carry a pocket knife and mothers who carry a finger nail clipper are treated as terrorist threats to society.
Yet people are not concerned. When asked, Mitt Romney says that he approves of the NDAA, TSA, HS, Patriot Act, invading other countries in the name of a war against terrorism, of the TARP bailouts and the stimulus money. Yet some people imagine that voting for such a man is voting for change.
Ultimately, this is to be expected. People have not changed. Adam listened to his wife who listened to the serpent. Then, when confronted by the Lord they began the blaming game. Cain killed his brother. Wars have raged ever since. Nations rise up against each other. Neighbors envy one another’s possessions and spouses and then act according to their lusts. It has been this way since sin came into the world. Freedom from fear cannot be found.
It can only be received. Perfect love casts out all fear. Perfect love is from above. It is given freely, but it is received through means. The Lord has established those means to be utilized and administered within His Church.
He has forewarned that as the last days approach that things would become more intense and worsen. He said that we should remember that He has told us of these things beforehand so that when we see them and suffer them that we take comfort in His promises. He says that these are all signs that the end of this evil age is approaching. He says that these are signs that the evil one is raging on account of knowing the limits of his time. He says that we should look up and see that our redemption draws nigh. Our trust, our hope, is not in princes and rulers, presidents and congresses, judges and courts, doctors and hospitals, police and military. Those will all surely fail us and even abuse us. But the Lord deals with us in grace offering us His merciful goodness and love.
For whom do I write this? I suppose that first and foremost I write for myself and my wife. I also write for all others, but I myself need to hear and believe God’s promises in Christ. I need that comfort and assurance. I need to be renewed in the knowledge that this world is not all that there is and that the evils of this world and of the worldly shall not prevail. The many abuses can be endured. The many hurts can be suffered without being overcome. For the just shall live by His faith, and through Him we are saved and kept safe forevermore.
Not everyone will hear this and believe it. But for me and my house, I repeat it again and again and again until we finally behold the fulfillment of all of God’s promises. And for anyone who sees the peace of God that rules our hearts in the face of all that is happening in the world, I share the source of that peace so that they may enjoy it for themselves as well.
Luther sums this up very powerfully in the last stanza of his marvelous hymn:
1. A mighty Fortress is our God, A trusty Shield and Weapon; He helps us free from every need That hath us now o'ertaken. The old evil Foe Now means deadly woe; Deep guile and great might Are his dread arms in fight; On Earth is not his equal.
2. With might of ours can naught be done, Soon were our loss effected; But for us fights the Valiant One, Whom God Himself elected. Ask ye, Who is this? Jesus Christ it is. Of Sabaoth Lord, And there's none other God; He holds the field forever.
3. Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us. We tremble not, we fear no ill, They shall not overpower us. This world's prince may still Scowl fierce as he will, He can harm us none, He's judged; the deed is done; One little word can fell him.
4. The Word they still shall let remain Nor any thanks have for it; He's by our side upon the plain With His good gifts and Spirit. And take they our life, Goods, fame, child and wife, Let these all be gone, They yet have nothing won; The Kingdom ours remaineth.
Conspiracy theories cease to be theories once verified by undeniable facts.
A cowardly attempt to counter the truth is often made by opponents of the truth by falsely and deceitfully applying the term “conspiracy theory” so as to evoke an emotional response and rejection of the facts by those who do not know the facts.
Such a coward left a comment on one of the posts below regarding fluoride toxicity. The coward hid as “anonymous” and gave no supporting evidence or facts, only saying, “Wow, I didn't know the fluoride conspiracy theories still existed.” I deleted the comment but quote it here.
An Internet search will provide many solid sources of reliable scientifically proven facts regarding the terrible toxic effects of fluoride.
One such Internet site is found at Medscape Reference, entitled, Fluoride Toxicity . There are many sources that address this issue. This particular site only addresses the immediate toxicity and not long term, and so it addresses the more dramatic effects. But fluoride has cumulative effects as well.
For those who desire to drink this substance, they may certainly choose to do so. However, I will not stand by without dissenting against forcing this upon the entire community. Neither will I remain silent while liars seek to deceive people who would not willingly partake of this dreadful toxin if they were properly informed.
The term “conspiracy theory” is a term that should serve as a red flag when it is heard. Honest people do not ordinarily resort to this term. They prefer to present facts that allow people to make informed decisions.
I am an Evangelical Lutheran pastor who earns his living as an arborist. I own my own small tree company, All Tree, and operate in Wichita, KS. I list Arborist before Pastor under Occupation because I earn my living as an arborist but my vocation is that of Pastor. I am an arborist because I take care of trees, but I am a pastor because proclaiming the Gospel of Christ crucified is my life. I can choose to stop trimming trees, but to stop proclaiming the Gospel would be to stop breathing.
Web sites for business and congregation are:
[All Tree];
[Bride of Christ ELC]
