Letter of the Law

Now that Christmas is behind us and things have slowed down for me, I decided I wanted to write down my thoughts regarding what I have learned about our November, Presidential election. 

We all know President Trump has refused to concede. For me, being an ardent supporter of Trump, and following as closely as I have, I completely understand why. We have all heard about the court challenges and lawsuits that have been brought. There has been mounds of misinformation and misreporting regarding this. For example, the media loves to report how "50 Trump lawsuits" have been lost, or turned down by the courts. But this is simply not true. One of President Trump's attorneys, Jenna Ellis, reiterated yesterday it is not the Trump team that has brought those suits. Those have all been brought by private individuals and were mostly thrown out by the courts due to "Lack of Standing". The Trump team was not surprised, nor troubled by this fact, as they are concentrating on their own efforts. The team has only brought just a few lawsuits, albeit without much success, thus far.

We of course have all heard about what was probably the biggest and most publicized lawsuit. It was brought by the state of Texas. Now again, this was not orchestrated by President Trump. It was the Attorney General of the State of Texas bringing suit against four states: Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin. The suit was brought in regard to the illegal changing of election laws in each of these states. The states' actions in effect, disenfranchised the votes of all the other states. Seventeen other individual states joined Texas in an effort of support. Unfortunately, (and it can be argued, unconstitutionally) the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) refused to hear this case. Contrary to what people believe, it was not due to lack of evidence that the Supreme Court refused to hear it. It was due again to what they call "Lack of Standing" under Article III, of the US Constitution. Chief Justice Roberts cited that Texas did not demonstrate clearly how another state affected their state's general election. In reality, Texas wasn't given opportunity. Mark Levin (Constitutional lawyer and scholar) has an excellent commentary as to why this was so negligent on the part of the Supreme Court.  

 
None of the evidence has been seen in ANY court, thus far as they have all refused to let it be presented for various "Trumped" up reasons. Pardon the pun. In this case, it fits. I suspect if it involved any person other than Trump, the case would have been allowed to be presented. The Supreme Court has allowed judicial review before; case in point - Obamacare.

At any rate, the evidence the Trump Team has gathered is astronomical. The team has hundreds of sworn affidavits taken under the penalty of perjury from willing witnesses, testifying as to what they saw on election night, throughout many states. As well, there is no doubt in Pennsylvania and Georgia, election laws were unconstitutionally changed before the election to the benefit of Democrats. Article II, Section 1, Clause 2 of the US Constitution gives state legislators the sole right to make election laws. The Founders of our great nation, did this intentionally because they saw the danger in overreach from the federal government, or from a state judiciary. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Wisconsin  and Michigan all allowed Democratic governors, State Election Committees, and/or state courts to unconstitutionally change election laws in their states to the benefit of Democrats. This alone, is reason enough to bring the lawsuits the Trump team is bringing. In Pennsylvania, the SCOTUS has finally agreed to hear their case. Unfortunately, it is not on the docket until January 22nd, 2021 which is, of course, after Inauguration on January 20th. And yes, I point to these Democrat held states as the problem. In Georgia, there were some members of the Republican Party who betrayed unity and cohesiveness of the election, by contributing to the undermining of long-held election laws. But it has been primarily done by Democratic leadership in states controlled by Democrats.

The Supreme Court had every responsibility to hear these cases. But the court failed. They ducked the responsibility for reasons we can only surmise. I suspect it was out of fear of what might happen if they actually saw the evidence. And that would be that they would have to resolve among themselves to find a solution to the fact that this election was indeed stolen and that there is in fact, mountains of evidence proving it. I also suspect it was out of fear of what may happen because of what we saw this summer in so many cities across America that are ran by Democrats. It's hard to forget the "peaceful protests" and "Summer of Love". ( Please, note sarcasm!)

Now, there are so many suppositions and narratives making the rounds, it is almost impossible to keep up, or monitor. They of course involve a number of attorneys desiring to take a variety of directions. I just want to explain what I have learned. I hope to make it a bit easier to squelch rumors and correct things that are simply not true. I have used sources I trust, to finally bring this all together for me. One is a website I sought early on, that fully explains the election process. I also follow Jay Sekulow and his son, Jordan, with ACLJ whom I have listened to and trusted decades before Jay was ever counsel to this President. I also trust the other two most prominent members of the Trump Team, Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis. I have long followed Rudy, being well-pleased with everything he did as the mayor of New York. And more recently, I have researched Jenna Ellis and could not be more pleased with what I have learned about her. I trust the President's team. I have also used American Thinker as a reliable news source and it is another one that I have followed for years. And of course, Governor Mike Huckabee is a reputable and trustworthy source of information.

So with those sources cited for my facts, let me explain exactly what I believe is happening with this messy, messy election MESS. Yeah, I know that's redundant. I will attempt to give the mini-version of what has been occurring, and attempt to make this as concise as possible.

As I have already stated, the Constitution leaves election laws to the states. Each state may vary to some degree with how they handle their elections within their individual state law. That's okay. That is what the Founders intended, i.e. for our government to be handled at the most local levels and keep the federal government at bay as much as possible. States are obligated, however, to obey anything which is laid out in our US Constitution, as under Article II, for example.

Now with this election getting so messy and with so many calls of fraud, we have necessarily had to look at exactly what the courts' responsibility is in each of the states where questions and problems were presented. Initially a case would be brought to state courts and state Supreme Courts before being brought to the SCOTUS. And even before that, the acting Supreme Court Justice of the district in question would give directive first. There are 12 districts or "circuits". There are four that are especially in play at this time. For example, in Pennsylvania which is the Third Circuit, the Justice overseeing is Justice Alito. In Georgia, which is Eleventh Circuit, the Supreme Court Justice who has jurisdiction is Justice Clarence Thomas. Wisconsin is the Seventh Circuit, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett having oversight. And Michigan, is the Sixth Circuit, under Justice Brett Kavanaugh. I mention this, because in the final outcome this is important. It is going to be indicative as to why and if a case might be heard by the Supreme Court. Thanks to directive from Justice Alito, Pennsylvania has had votes that were to be left uncounted, as they were questionable in authenticity and therefore their legitimacy. PA disobeyed this order. This case will eventually be heard at the Supreme Court on January 22nd, 2021. Likewise in Georgia, if and when things go awry, it will be Justice Clarence Thomas who has authority; and who has proven time and again that he cares more about the Constitution, than he does politics.

On another note, there has been a lot made of the fact that the President has removed Sidney Powell and Lin Wood from his team. It seems the President has distanced himself from both of them. Jordan Sekulow explained this well in a recent interview with David Brody (from CBN) on his podcast, the Water Cooler. (That link was not available, but Just News has an article regarding that conversation.) It isn't necessarily that the President doesn't respect these two attorneys. And it certainly isn't that they are doing anything that is not according to the Constitution. Rather, it is simply a difference in the choice of direction the President wants to go. Jordan admitted he was even uncertain at times what that would be. This is why it has been so confusing and what appeared as if they were all going different directions and working against each other. They are simply working with in Constitutional law on separate issues. It has been reported on some news outlets that Sidney Powell and Lin Wood were encouraging the President to enact Martial Law. No one was certain as to which direction the President would take until he recently made clear he was not going to impose the Insurrection Act or Martial Law, even though he is Constitutionally allowed to do so should he decide. I like how Jordan explains so kindly in this interview that it was not out of any disrespect for Powell, simply different desires to the outcome. There have been groups advocating for Martial Law. But the Trump Team has made it clear they are not a part of this and that they do not support this effort. Jenna Ellis has been especially diligent the last few days in getting this word to citizens.

Now unfortunately, none of this has been reported accurately in mainstream media. With this being the case, it is in fact extremely dangerous because it leads people to believe the election is a done deal. Ask your friends. Most people believe this election is over. But it isn't. Yes, the electors have all certified their votes by December 14th, leading people to believe that means it is over. But in reality, those certifications are merely fluff - all for appearance. In truth, the actual election is not completed until January 6th, when both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate are required by the Constitution to gather in session to finalize these votes. If any representative has doubts or questions, they can contest the results. It merely takes one person from each chamber of Congress - one Representative and one Senator to do so. Once contested, then a debate will begin as to the reasoning and legitimacy. This could go on for several hours and can occur with each slate presented. Further, in some states there have been two slates of electors submitted. It is up to this body to decide which one will be accepted. Finally, it is the Vice President of the United States that has the final authority regarding the outcome. In fact, according to the Constitution the VP does not even have to accept either slate presented if there are two, but simply explain there is not ample reason to accept either slate.

There is the possibility Vice President Pence will choose not to contest the votes. There is also precedent of that. Richard Nixon did exactly that in 1960, saying it would make governance too difficult. There is also precedent of a Vice President, contesting to his own benefit of winning the election - President Thomas Jefferson. Clearly there is precedent for both scenarios.

It is my belief, with the Supreme Court date of January 22nd in Pennsylvania and the contest being held up in Georgia, that is reason enough for the VP to not accept either slate of electors in those states. There are also pending efforts in Wisconsin and Michigan that could give the Vice President pause. If the VP does not accept the slates, it would remove the votes from Biden, but they would NOT be handed over to President Trump. They simply would not be counted. If this happens in each of these contested States, it will put the electoral votes back to where they were before all this chaos began on the night of the November 3rd election - with seven states in question. If all are not accepted, it leaves Biden with 222 electoral votes and President Trump with 232. If this is the scenario that plays out, according to the 12th Amendment, the election will be given to President Trump.

It will appear to half of our society, that it is Trump who stole the election, when in fact he has done everything to the letter of the law. There is tons of proof that there was fraud in this election; and in fact, that the election was stolen from President Trump. Yes, there will be rioting in the streets when this is Constitutionally resolved. And yes, we can thank mainstream media for that for failing to report any of this even though it is all within the confines of the Constitution. Media have instead been acting as if it is all a done deal. That is going to come back to bite all of us. We can also point a finger at the Supreme Court of the United States for not having guts enough to hear the Texas case. I'm sure there is enough blame to go around. Including silent citizens who have not risen up to help right this obvious injustice. The last I checked, 83% of Republicans, 30% of independents, and 17% of Democrats believe the election was stolen. We cannot let concerns like that left unresolved. In truth, a stolen election is something we should ALL care about, regardless of party.* We are no longer America, if this continues and we can no longer trust our election process. May God have mercy. May truth be revealed.

_________________

For additional reading, I highly recommend this article from Newt Gingrich.

*Edited December 28, 2020

** Updated January 4, 2021. Updated with new, recently released articles and information.

            The Texas court rejected Louie Gohmert's appeal the next day.

    And this:

           Jenna Ellis, The Water Cooler

           

I had the hardest time finding any comment from Jay Sekulow during this time. He and his son Jordan were remaining silent on behalf of ACLJ. Sometime later, I found this clip from Jay saying that it is not Constitutional for the Vice President to nullify an election. I am sure that is accurate in that context. And I fully trust Jay Sekulow and ACLJ. This clip is referring to that discussion. However, I do not believe that is what Trump was asking of the Vice President. 

Trump was only asking that when they were to meet in session on January 6th to certify the votes, that he stop to hear the contests from the Senators and Representatives that were bringing questions. That is perfectly fine to do that and it is Constitutional. The Democrats did it in 2016 when Hillary ran against Trump. They did it during the Bush/Gore election. It is standard practice. This time, however, it did not take place because of the Capitol riots of January 6th. Those riots most certainly did not help Republicans. They didn't get to bring their questions regarding the slates on that day, as they were planning on doing and had every right to do. I believe that is the only thing that President Trump was asking of Vice President Pence. Should fraud or problems be exposed during those discussions, then the VP would have a right to send those slates back to the states, as I explained in this article. But instead, the riots took place, and then Pence had a plane to catch...obviously that plane was more important...in my view.

Please see this link (or below) for Sekulow's view on Pence nullifying the election. Keep in mind, that wasn't what Pence was asked to do.

Jay Sekulow, ACLJ

*If you find a broken link, it is because the source has not allowed it to be used on this server. Instead, I have also written out the link below for you to copy and paste into your browser:

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6214542601001#sp=show-clips 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/jenna-ellis-trump-campaign-legal-adviser-martial-law-reaction 

The Anchor in the Checked Dress

 A concerning video came to my attention the other day. I watched it rather quickly, but was convinced it was just another fake video making the rounds. I wanted to more carefully research it. And now having done so, I want to tell you what I found and attempt to explain why I believe this is a fake video.

I have no doubt the woman that posted this video to Facebook believes it. She appears to be a homeschooling mom. She doesn't mention being a Christian. But many of these homeschooling moms, Christian or not, have been deceived by the vaccination issues and the gurus that promote their theories. Some of their information may be valid; much of it is not. This video is not.

One of the first clues this is a fake video is there are no credits mentioned. No one takes any credit for making it, but they are sure to include logos from well-known sources - CBN, CBS, PBS being some of those sources. Also interesting, is in the segment with the black female news anchor in the checked dress, there is no logo shown. She is seemingly the main source of the report, yet this is the part of the video where no logo is revealed. Very suspicious, in my opinion.

As far as the woman posting it to Facebook, there is one by the same name on "Linked In" that claims to be a Creative Producer / Executive Producer from California. I can't verify it's true, but it wouldn't be unreasonable to suspect it could be the same woman. I have found connections like that in the past. It would explain the manipulated video. It wouldn't explain her claim to be a homeschooling mom on Facebook. The woman that posted the video to Facebook appears to live in another state, so I will make no claim of it being the same woman at this time. I would like to look into that further, though. She does have a pretty good following. That suggests to me she does do something outside of Facebook. Most of us don't have hundreds of "Followers" and another list of "Friends" without a connection of another sort, or some notoriety. It is difficult to determine simply from her Facebook page. She does have hundreds of "Facebook Live Videos" on her page. So there is obviously more to her than "homeschooling mom". This led me to researching what exactly that might be. I found that some of her "following" is due to a product she sells - CBD Oil. Yeah, big surprise there. 

There always seems to be a connection with this and the anti-vaxxers. And the anti-vaxxers always seem to be behind the fake videos using scare tactics and manipulation. I knew I would find it. Sorry, if that offends anyone. It is simply always just there to be exposed. I am not talking about the lay people - the moms that do not want to vaccinate their kids. I am talking about those behind the fear-mongering. This woman has posted videos about events from "Prime My Body" - this "is a global health and wellness company that helps people to live wellness and create lifestyle," in their own words. Their merchandise is CBD oil and hemp products. They claim there is no THC in their product according to their website, but that using their product could result in a positive drug test. I am not convinced there is no THC, as they claim. There is THC in their items for pets, but they claim it is safe for the animal. Regardless, I believe this is a gateway to legalization of marijuana and I always find the connection with homeschooling anti-vaxxers, though probably unwittingly, a fact.

But let's get to the video. Obviously it is anti-vaccine. It claims that chips are put into the COVID-19 syringe to inject under the person's skin who is receiving the inoculation. This, in order to track the person, the video claims.

The truth is, there are trackers ON the syringes, but they are NOT implanted into people. The trackers on the syringe are to identify batches, in case of problems or issues, similar to dating and barcoding on canned goods to ensure safety.

At this link is an article from USA Today where some of the claims used in the video have been discussed. The producer of the video uses  "Natural News," and "Breaking Israel News" as resources, but from this article one can see the information was twisted to make it look like the chip is inserted into the skin. It is not.

The fake video uses Mike Adams of "Natural News" as a source. I have been warning people about Adams for years. He is a 9/11 Truther. In other words, he would rather blame the United States for the attack on the Twin Towers than assign any blame to radical Islam. His research on vaccines is not credible either and you can find that in the way he carefully orchestrates what he claims, not using any affirmative words but instead using words like "possible" and "may" cloaking them as claims of fact. He has connections with InfoWars and conspiracy theorist, Alex Jones. That should be enough said.

From the ABC article one can see "Breaking Israel News" was warning about the possibility of FORCED vaccines, but they were not warning of a chip being inserted. Here is the actual quote:

"Those who think the government is planning on forcing every American to inject themselves with a coronavirus vaccine may have just received an indication confirming their fears," David Sidman of Breaking Israel News wrote in reference to a May 12 news release from the Defense Department."

It speaks only of the fear of government mandating vaccines, nothing about chips. And again it is Natural News' Adams that makes the claim of a military-enforced vaccination mandate. He later amended his statement after the President announced there would be no forced vaccinations. We remember when the President came out and stated that. (Yes, this goes that far back.)

"If coronavirus vaccines were planned to be optional – respecting the vaccine choice of individuals – not more than 100 million doses would be needed. The fact that 500 million doses are being manufactured is an admission that the DoD and HHS plan to make coronavirus vaccines mandatory," Adams wrote.

However, Adams amended his article when the White House released a video of a May 15 news conference where President Donald Trump addressed the claim.

"We're looking for a full vaccine for everyone that wants to get it," Trump said. "Not everybody's gonna want to get it."

Adams double-downed on the thought though, saying the states may in fact, mandate it. This is simple fear-mongering that has always been part of his MO.

I know fact check sources are not always popular, but just seeing the article and the connections from it that are used out of context in the video should be a red flag. Additionally, USA Today footnoted reputable sources at the end of the article. And again this is in regard to forced vaccinations, not vaccinations with chips inserted under the skin.

In the "CBN section" of the fake video, I am not convinced that was an actual CBN clip that was used. It is easy to make a video and put the logo of any company on the video. I don't recognize the woman hosting the interview as being from CBN. If it is actually from CBN, one can see where the doctor talking about the chip being on the syringe could have easily been manipulated. He is explaining the chip is actually ON the syringe, but then it jumps to photos of a syringe and a woman claiming the chip is IN the vaccine and inserted into the skin. That is not what the man is explaining. The conversations are from two separate sources. This is video (possibly from CBN) that is easily manipulated by using dialogue from one video, but splicing it together by the makers of the fake video. I am convinced this claim of inserting a chip under the skin did not come from CBN.

This is some actual footage from CBN. It is a positive report from CBN regarding the Covid-19 vaccines.

While I don't agree with everything the gentleman says in this actual CBN video, the positive nature of the report negates the negative claims in the fake video. Why would CBN do one negative report (as in the fake video) and then do a positive report all within the same time frame? Obviously, the fake video is just that: fake.

I do believe the makers of the fake video may have used the voice of Gary Lane (reporter for CBN) later in their video. It sounds like him, but is also likely taken out of context. I believe this may have been a report Gary gave about the foolishness that is taking place in regard to actions being taken from a source called "Dangerous Things".

The fake videos uses a clip from "Dangerous Things" (also questionable resource) to lead people to believe chips are in the vaccine, when instead the video from "Dangerous Things"" is simply talking about chips in general and makes no mention of vaccines. I suspect this is what Gary was reporting, if that is indeed his voice in the background.

It is curious to me, that if you google "Dangerous Things" pages and pages of their videos come up. But it is difficult to find anything critiquing their videos, or to look for truth regarding them. I spent about 30 minutes and could not find anything regarding them other than their videos...even typing in 'dangerous things Wikipedia" did not offer any results about "Dangerous Things". I had to go to duckduckgo.com to find anything. And this is all they had:

Dangerous Things ^[1] is a Seattle based cybernetic microchip biohacking implant retailer company formed in 2013 by Amal Graafstra^[2] following their crowdfunding campaign.^[3][4] 

Dangerous Things built the first personal publicly available implantable NFC compliant transponder in 2013.^[5]

When you click on the name of the founder, Amal Graafstra, no information is revealed about him at all. The link only goes to a Wikipedia page stating they have no information. I don't like that, and I don't trust a video using his "technology" videos taken out of context. His implants may be real. They are NOT real in conjunction with a chip used in vaccines. It appears to me someone went to great lengths to allow any information about him to be found. We all know how Google is manipulating things they want found and things they do not. Obviously they want his implant videos found. They do not want who he IS found.

Regardless, I don't believe he is a part of the fake video. They are using his videos, in the same way they possibly used the CBN video - in other words, if it was actually from CBN; they absolutely did use the CBN logo. They are taking things out of context from CBN reports about the tracking codes ON the syringes and leading people to believe the chip is being inserted into people.

Media have been reporting about technology to implant chips in people for decades! This is a link to an article as far back as 2002.  Some of the comments used in the fake video are likely from reports that go years back and are not in regard to the Covid-19 vaccine at all. CBS, PBS logos are being shown in the fake video and a mainstream reporter is used. It doesn't mean it was a recent report about chips in vaccines, as we are led to believe in the video. From the ABC article I linked, we see this discussion,  with the same verbiage, went as far back as 2002.

I reiterate, this section of the video is clearly talking about what is revealed in the ABC News Article from 2002, that I linked in the last paragraph. The video clip is discussing the same thing as in the article. But then once again the fake video jumps to the news anchor in the checked dress who is speaking about the chips in the vaccine. It is intentional deception. Does anyone know who the lady in the checked dress is? For which media does she work? Kinda important. But we are left without that info, or any info regarding who created this video.

I am also trying to figure out the timing of these fake videos. I have noticed they come out in groups. If there is one, there are many. And then all of a sudden it is quiet for awhile. I am not sure what triggers the onslaught of videos, actually. I suspect they are used for a distraction. Or maybe it is something as benign as anti-vaxxers promoting their ideology using scare tactics. I simply do not know. I just know I always recognize the not always subtle and probably not intended connection with anti-vaxxers, hemp, and homeschoolers. Someone is using deception and someone is being used. We all need to be more careful in what we believe and we need to work harder to always try to discern intent.

Faith, Freedom and Holding Fast to Foundations

John Piper's article has created quite the stir on social media in the last week, or so, Personally, I found his article infuriating. And as many articles as there have been to counter what Piper wrote, none of them have been a strong enough rebuke, in my opinion.

What has upset most Christians, like me, is that basically, Piper is saying in his article that Trump's character is a greater sin that is far more deadly than abortion. He tries to cloak this accusation by saying he stands for life, but is intent is very clear.

The second shockingly divisive intent is that he denies President Trump any grace at all that the rest of us have received as Christians. Rather, Piper assumes Trump is still wallowing in past sins. That simply has not been demonstrated since Trump has taken office. And I, for one, take offense at his assumption.

Here are a few quotes from Piper. And I will link the article here, if you want to read it.

"Actually, this is a long-overdue article attempting to explain why I remain baffled that so many Christians consider the sins of unrepentant sexual immorality (porneia), unrepentant boastfulness (alazoneia), unrepentant vulgarity (aischrologia), unrepentant factiousness (dichostasiai), and the like, to be only toxic for our nation, while policies that endorse baby-killing, sex-switching, freedom-limiting, and socialistic overreach are viewed as deadly."

In other words, he is saying Trump is unrepentant for sexual immorality (no one knows his heart). He is presuming that Trump continues in sexual immorality! Really?!! Piper claims the President's boastfulness and vulgarity is worse than baby killing and changing ones gender. He thinks people are wrong to be more concerned about socialism, than Trump's "immorality". Piper doesn't see it obviously, but Piper could also be seen as sinning by judging Trump's heart! AND!!  Believing rumors and bearing false witness!!!

Speaking of what he thinks Trump has done (it's only Piper's view), Piper is sure to note that “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:21) and that “those who practice such things deserve to die”. He shamefully implies that Trump is beyond receiving God's grace. How does he know what is between God and Trump? So disheartening to see this come from a Christian pastor who is supposed to believe in redemption.

Piper tweeted:

“Flagrant boastfulness, vulgarity, and factiousness are not only self-incriminating; they are nation-corrupting.”

And then he justifies that tweet by claiming the decaying society of the last five years is all on Trump. I hardly think it began there. It has been decaying for decades!! It is my belief that Piper should be more concerned about the failures of pastors to preach truth, or walk a holy walk, which has become all too common. Did he condemn the "Swearing Pastor" and the off-colored jokes he made from the pulpit several years ago? Did he condemn the pastor tossing back shots of alcohol with Justin Bieber at his concert? Thousands have been misled by these progressive, hip pastors who think the way to share the Gospel is to join the world and be cool. I don't think I hear Piper talk much about that. Maybe that is where he should keep his focus. Actually, there are plenty of well-known pastors that have displayed the same type of behavior he condemns in Trump. Maybe he should concentrate on that. Maybe that's where his concern should lie.

I certainly can't quote everything he says here, but he advances the same old rhetoric that is all too common with progressive Christians which is that conservative Christians are being a bad witness to unbelievers by caring about social political issues, but not about one's character. That is just a flat out incorrect characterization and flat out wrong on its face. It should all be our concern and our focus.

He then takes 1 Kings out of context and notably fails to mention there are absolutely times God used (and still uses) ungodly leaders. King Cyrus as one example. David another.

He states: 

"I find it bewildering that Christians can be so sure that greater damage will be done by bad judges, bad laws, and bad policies than is being done by the culture-infecting spread of the gangrene of sinful self-exaltation, and boasting, and strife-stirring (eristikos)."

And then he asks how can we know bad laws are more destructive!! Well duh, there is a reason God tells us to obey the laws of government. And "righteousness exalteth a nation". (Proverbs 14:34) Let's put his ill-conceived thought in reverse. There absolutely must be good judges, good laws and good polices to ensure a nation remains righteous.  I also find it curious he includes bad judges here, just after Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court. I find it extremely difficult to believe his point and mention of judges at this time was coincidental. Again, he says Trump's boasting is worse than bad judges and bad laws. Really? Good grief! Our judges and laws are the final word with what happens in our society and retaining any righteousness at all, so that God can BLESS our nation. Certainly Trump's bombastic personality is not what is leading to the degradation in our society. Nor is it what has led to the destructive intent to change our nation from what our Founder's intended. NO! He is the one that is working at protecting our nation's Godly foundation. "Strife-stirring"? Oh that  must be directed at those of us who believe we must take a stand politically to ensure our foundation remains intact.

I am trying to address his positions in the order he brings them in his article, so bringing up abortion again may seem redundant, but he then claims abortion comes from self absorbed arrogance and boasting. And he takes James 4:1-2 our of context attempting to use it as why people seek abortions.

4 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:1-2)

Chapter 3 of James ends with the peace that comes from knowing the wisdom of God. The first 2 verses of chapter 4 are meant to be in regard to personal conflict and conflict with others that results without God's Wisdom. These verses are certainly not a reason to point to the reason for abortion.

Next he includes this tweet following it with a justification: 

“It is baffling to assume that pro-abortion policies kill more people than a culture-saturating, pro-self pride.”

Really???? In attempting to justify this, he gets to the crux of his whole intent. It's "presumptuous to assume that pro-abortion policies kill more people than a culture-saturation, pro-self pride." Yet he doesn't explain how "pro-self pride" kills more people than the millions of abortions which have occurred since Roe V Wade. Not even a hint at how that is possible; or more importantly how it is factual, At least he admits Roe is evil legislation. Kinda had to do that, didn't he?!

Piper claims self-absorbed, self-exalting boastfulness, is the most deadly behavior in the world. But again, without statistics, proof or example. Oh, and he misleadingly blames the leader which he views whose "self-absorbed, self-exalting boastfulness models the most deadly behavior in the world." SMH

He takes time to lecture pastors, telling them to "imagine" what might happen due to what they haven't done. Basically, he accuses those who believe it is right to be politically active. And again, he condemns those that believe it is right to be concerned about the direction of America...just as he has ALWAYS done! That is, way back when he was busy attacking the American Dream. The dream he incorrectly visualized, not the real one. He has always failed to see how important it is to keep America vital and strong in order to continue in the efforts of what everything is all about - the Great Commission. How does a weak American continue to spread the true Gospel? And further, to bring a little benevolence to the world along with sharing the Gospel. We can only share our wealth if we have it.

Finally, he gets to his civic duty. Apparently he has none - assuming, even proclaiming, it all leads to destruction. Both paths, he states, leads to "cultural corruption and eternal ruin". Really? How dare him! Talk about being presumptuous and arrogant. Who made him sole authority. And though he tries to say he isn't trying to sway anyone, of course he is! Why else write the article at all?

Through it all, he regretfully has little mention of the need for prayer, to pray, or to petition. Personally, I think that speaks volumes. Further, he neglects the fact that not everyone is called to the same work. It is an absolute fact that some are called to enter the political realm, while others should focus only on the Gospel message. If there is to be another Billy Graham, there must be a Pat Robertson protecting that freedom. It is not right to put down or negate what God has called another to do.

Piper's article is extremely judgmental - not just of Trump, but of Christians who support him. Piper, himself,  comes across as condescending and arrogant. What is the difference in his own high self esteem and that of the President's? The attitude he displays in his article is exactly what he claims is the dangerous and deadly character flaws of President Trump.

Piper's article holds no weight of factual evidence, and he really had to work at making someone's character more deadly than the despicable, disgusting and far too common-place procedure of abortion. It is infuriating he even tried; he certainly in no way succeeded in making his point. His attempt is shameful, in my opinion. I don't think God will look kindly on his position.

Truthfully, I don't believe this is about Trump at all. I think Trump is just his scapegoat. In my opinion, writing  this article was simply an opportunity to push his liberal, progressive ideology which he has always held. Personally, I think he is simply another person that has let his deep hatred for Trump cloud his vision and he took this opportunity to vent and push his own decades old agenda - denigrating America.

"With a cheerful smile", I write this to share with others. Scripture instructs me to expose falsehoods. And my allegiance to Jesus requires it.

 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. ~  1 Thessalonians 5:21 

Lives Matter

Iyiyi...the conversation is getting messy!

I will be the first to say, I love dialogue and truthfully I am thrilled about seeing so many people commenting on social media! FINALLY! I have always wondered why we are so afraid to talk - to say what we think; and find out what someone else thinks as well! How does one learn, if we are afraid to discuss the things that matter.

It seems the most prominent discussion right now is regarding the "Black Lives Matter" movement. I will say, I think there is a lot of misunderstanding among people about what BLM means. People are looking at it in completely different ways. And the differences in perception, have absolutely nothing to do with race.

For some it is black and white...Poor choice of words, I know; but that is the best I can do right now. In other words, for some, it means only what it says "Black Lives Matter".  It's kind of a no-brainer. Of course they do!!! No one is in disagreement about that! For some, that is all they see plain and simple - Black Lives Matter. And it is both black people and white people that see only those words and choose to believe in them. The truth is every race has an ear. Plain and simple - "BLM". But in reality, though it sounds so noble, many people really have no deeper understanding about what is actually taking place within that organization.

The truth is "Black Lives Matter" is a highly organized and well-funded political agenda. And a global one at that. I would find it a bit distressing if no one is bothered by that. If you go to their website, you will find there are a number of political issues they address. It isn't at all about only standing for black lives...in fact, I dare to say, it is BARELY about that.

From the BLM official website:

BLM’s #WhatMatters2020 will focus on issues concerning racial injustice, police brutality, criminal justice reform, Black immigration, economic injustice, LGBTQIA+ and human rights, environmental injustice, access to healthcare, access to quality education, and voting rights and suppression.

This initiative will inspire and motivate people to ask themselves and their candidates are you really addressing What Matters in 2020?

Find out more about our campaign goals and focus.

Go ahead; check it out. I am not going to go too deep on all of this. I just feel like jotting down some thoughts. Everyone knows how to scroll. Maybe this will anger some, maybe some will agree. Maybe no one at all will read this. Kinda really don't care. I just need to write it down.

The thing about this movement is, it is deceiving millions of people. Let's take "economic injustice" from the above quote. President Trump has done more for black people in this area than any other President since Lincoln. He brought about the lowest black unemployment in history - until the virus. And yet, they call him racist. Why is that success story not talked about?

"Criminal Justice Reform" - This was one of the things on the top of President's Trump list to address. Some of that was seen with the First Step Act.

"Black Immigration" - Isn't that a bit racist? Pretty sure that hasn't been the issue at the southern border. What about the 70,000 Somalia Refugees in Minnesota for example under Obama? Immigration is not about the color of ones skin. It is about coming legally and following the proper procedure so that it is fair to all. No one should be able to cut in line above those who are following proper channels.

"Environmental injustice"? I think all races are in the same environment. That's a leftist talking point.

"Access to quality education" ? It's the Democrats who have opposed school choice, vouchers, and homeschooling. Why? Choice in education would help black lives. But Democrats oppose it because the NEA, (National Education Association) the largest union in America, is one of the largest donors to the Democrat Party. And everything else to them is a threat to the public school system that they seek to contol.

"LGBTQIA+" - I think God has plenty to say about that, Christian. I don't have to touch it.

"Police Brutality"? It is an absolute fact that more whites have been killed by police than blacks, every. single. year. And there have been plenty of black cops killed too, that barely get a mention in today's news media, because it doesn't fit the narrative.

The truth is there are a whole lot of people being played. This movement - the financed one, not the grass roots one that people think they are supporting - is really about division. Keeping blacks under the thumb of the Democrat Party is in effect the new slavery. Careful! Several black people said it, long before I did.

On the BLM website, they call me a "white supremacist". Not just me, but everyone who isn't black. They tell us that this is our culture. Isn't that a bit racist? I don't see it that way. I know there are a lot of black people that don't see it that way, either. I know, because I read and listen to them daily. They see the danger in this movement. Those people are called Uncle Tom's or Oreos, even House____ not even going to go there. But I have heard the testimony and seen the hurt in their eyes.

And now I want to ask Christians, something - those Christians who choose to support this movement. Do you think maybe it is you who is not hearing clearly. Could maybe you be the political pawn? Maybe your efforts are not really the holy endeavor you envision. Maybe you haven't looked deeply enough. Maybe this whole interest group needs to be tried for deception. Research the roots. Pray and listen to the Spirit. Because this organization is not merely about standing up for blacks. It is my belief, this is about the divide. And the color of ones skin doesn't necessarily determine the way it is seen.

Maybe some of the people opposed to BLM knows something you don't. From their website:

"As organizers who work with everyday people, BLM members see and understand significant gaps in movement spaces and leadership. Black liberation movements in this country have created room, space, and leadership mostly for Black heterosexual, cisgender men — leaving women, queer and transgender people, and others either out of the movement or in the background to move the work forward with little or no recognition. As a network, we have always recognized the need to center the leadership of women and queer and trans people. To maximize our movement muscle, and to be intentional about not replicating harmful practices that excluded so many in past movements for liberation, we made a commitment to placing those at the margins closer to the center."

And this:

"It became clear that we needed to continue organizing and building Black power across the country. People were hungry to galvanize their communities to end state-sanctioned violence against Black people, the way Ferguson organizers and allies were doing. Soon we created the Black Lives Matter Global Network infrastructure. It is adaptive and decentralized, with a set of guiding principles. Our goal is to support the development of new Black leaders, as well as create a network where Black people feel empowered to determine our destinies in our communities."

"Black power"? Really? I thought we were concerned with equality. "State sanctioned violence"? Really? You have seen state-sanctioned violence? Don't hardly think so. We are seeing state and federal government trying desperately to prevent violence at every level and city.

"....in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise." 

Really?  INTENTIONALLY targeted for DEMISE? That isn't my world. And I would bet my life it isn't most black lives either.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would like to share this video from Michael Knowles. Perhaps it is time to look a bit further about the deception and agenda behind Black Lives Matter.

 

 

 

HR- 6666

Once again, we are seeing unnecessary fear-mongering in "you-tube" videos making their way through social media.

The most recent video is regarding House Resolution, HR-6666. Now naturally, a few people are upset with the number used to identify this bill. Let me get this out of the way right from the get-go. This is NOT the first time there has been a House Resolution with that number. In 2011, the 112th Congress also created a bill with the same number. It was in regard to health and obesity. So it is nothing unusual, or anything to worry about. Let's not even go there.

Now. For the important stuff. This House Resolution is reportedly a mere 5 pages long and is extremely easy to read. I printed it out and it was actually only 3 pages. You can read the entire text here.

The goal of the bill:

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19, and related activities such as contact tracing, through mobile health units and, as necessary, at individuals’ residences, and for other purposes.

It is known as the TRACE Act - "Covid 19 Testing Reaching and Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act." It was created and brought to the House on May 1, 2020. It is in regard to contact tracing, which brings concern for many people. And I suppose that concern could be justified in an abusive administration. But the fears have been exaggerated about what is contained in this bill. Contact tracing is simply a means to helps us understand who might be infected and with whom those people may have come in contact. This is certainly not the first time contact tracing has ever been used in our society. In fact, it has been used for preventative medicine and public health for decades. It was used as far back as the smallpox and polio outbreaks. A bit more recently, in the 1980's, it was used for HIV/AIDS. And it was used during the outbreak of SARS in 2003, as well as the Ebola epidemic in 2014. And truthfully, contact tracing is even used for food poisoning outbreaks on cruise ships, restaurants and convention events. Again, this is something for which we shouldn't be too fearful. In fact, HR-6666 provides precautions for privacy.

e) Federal privacy requirements.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede any Federal privacy or confidentiality requirement, including the regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191; 110 Stat. 2033) and section 543 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd–2).

But let me address the video that is now spreading through social media from Dr. Rashid Buttar. I have linked it below. Watch with a careful eye. I cannot find it available on "you-tube", only on the Facebook page of Dr. Buttar. So you will have to click on this link and probably be signed into Facebook in order to view it. That should be a red flag. https://www.facebook.com/DrRashidAButtar/videos/554900395460372/

It seems there is absolutely full-blown, unnecessary fear-mongering going on in this video with a surprise entrance by Mikki Willis at the end of the clip. Willis is the producer of "Plandemic" and so many of the other short videos we are seeing make their way through social media. They clearly wanted their connection with each other to be known. Maybe they thought with the "success" Willis' videos have had it would lend credibility to this one. In truth, they are bringing alarm and misinformation. (Surprised, not surprised.)  

Let's break this down.

Now this may be a bad bill; I don't know, entirely. I do have concern that so far there is only one Republican sponsoring it. It is sponsored by 44 Democrats and only one Republican.  I think it is probably good to contact our Representatives, to let them know our concerns and so they will know we are being attentive to exactly what is going on. But it is also very important to know this bill has very little chance of ever being made into law. Only 4%, by some accounts.  It must pass the House, first; and then the same bill must be passed in the Senate, which due to the partisan nature of it, I am sure will never happen. It would then still need to be signed by the President. All highly unlikely. But, I am all for people being in contact with our representatives about this. I always think it is good to have communication with them and remind them for whom they are working.

The main author of the bill is Bobby L Rush Congressional Democrat from Illinois serving the 1st Congressional District (Chicago area). He was first elected to Congress in 1992 and has served consecutive terms ever since. He is 73 years old and was a civil rights activist in the 1960's. It concerns me that he was the co-founder of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers. Let's hope he has mellowed since then. He has also been a pastor with a Master's degree in Theology and he is a United States Army Veteran. BUT!  He is a proud liberal advancing every aspect of that agenda.

Below, and at this link, is his statement from his website, promoting the bill.

"This bill would provide $100 billion in grants to faith-based organization, clinics, medical centers, and other organization which perform testing for COVID–19, tracing of exposure to COVID–19, or services for individuals who are isolating at home. The funding could be used to pay their staff or purchase personal protective equipment to protect their staff. 

No provision in this bill would make testing or quarantining mandatory. The bill includes privacy protections for the medical information of individuals that would limit how grantee organizations could share information collected with the federal government. (A large-scale disinformation campaign has made absurd claims about this bill.)

Really, there is not too much more to this bill. It lines out use of the funds, it provides funds for personal protective equipment and other supplies, and it provides funds for hiring people to test and trace. I suspect Republicans oppose it out of concern for tracing. But as I have said, we have done that for years. I am not endorsing the resolution. I oppose it simply for the fact of who wrote it. It does have language identifying "medically underserved community" which appears to demonstrate a bias that wise legislatures would not want to support. And it is a whole lot of money, that certainly should be justified. I oppose the bill for those reasons. But it is certainly not the danger that is being spread through media by these antagonists - for lack of better word.

Now there are other issues in several Democratic states such as Washington and Michigan, whose governors are absolutely doing things that should bring concern to many. But those things are not mandated in this bill. This is something entirely different than what is occurring in some of our blue states with heavy-handed governors - some with a whole agenda of their own.

That aside, we absolutely need to ask ourselves why the people making these videos continue to misrepresent so much information. We need to ask, what is their agenda? Is it truly that they are afraid, and their fear is causing them to misunderstand what is taking place? Is it that they are purposefully deceiving to advance another agenda? Are they using an old Saul Alinsky tactic known as "stirring the masses" to create problems among our citizens. What is it, exactly, that is taking place here? This has happened so many times, creating such a stir that we really need to find out exactly what the motive is from the people purposefully distorting facts.

I have already blogged about Mikki Willis. So I won't do it again. You can read my thoughts about him here.

But let me share a little information regarding Dr. Buttar.

To simplify things below is a quick quote from Wikipedia. It is all easily verifiable with other sources and even with the doctor's own website. Though there is plenty of controversy surrounding him, there is nothing controversial about this description:

"Rashid Ali Buttar is an American osteopathic physician, conspiracy theorist, and anti-vaccine proponent from Charlotte, North Carolina. He is known for his controversial use of chelation therapy for numerous conditions, including autism and cancer."   

I am not surprised. Truthfully, for me, that is all I need to know. Again, another anti-vaxxer promoting false information. I have written many times about the anti-vaccine connection and these popular fake videos making the rounds on social media. I do encourage you to research him further, if you have questions. Personally, I have seen enough.

This video is scaring people about "false positives" pointing out that people could receive an inaccurate test and it would then be used against them by authorities. Dr. Buttar attempts to scare people about the government removing children from their homes. It is infuriating to me. Especially once learning who is behind it.

Let me address the identification label on the video: "Center For Advanced Medicine." It is a well known fact that many fake videos have been altered with a realistic looking logo running across the bottom of the video as a credit making it look like it came from a credible source. So, I wanted to be sure to check this out as a starting point to find more out about Dr. Buttar. I originally researched the wrong clinic. I have removed that information and I am doing an update.*

This link is instead his website and his clinic is called "Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research". It is located in Mooresville, North Carolina. Below is a quick synopsis from their "About Us" page. It is difficult to determine legitimacy. His page appears to be a bit gimmicky, with books and movies for sale, as so many of these sites do, but I can't say that it is fake. Perhaps, he is someone simply promoting his own agenda. Regardless, he is offering phony information about this House Resolution. I also find it interesting that he has a form on his site with a link to oppose HR 6666. And he has a form asking all kinds of private information, that I would certainly never answer without knowing more about this doctor, his website, clinic and his agenda. Curious. This is the quote from his site.

"Our clinic was founded in 1996 with the goal to give those with “untreatable conditions” an opportunity to recover. Over time, we acquired the reputation of specializing in “treatment failures”, ie, patients that had gone to other medical facilities but had failed all conventional treatments as well as “alternative” treatments. Soon, patients were driving long distances, many flying across the country, and others traveling from distant parts of the world to get help for their previously “unsuccessfully treated” medical ailments.

We acquired this reputation by emphasizing a complete and holistic approach to healing, recognizing the interdependence of the body’s various organ systems and the body’s need for balance. By utilizing any and all necessary conventional, traditional, as well as integrative and alternative medical treatments, we have been able to restore this essential balance and reestablish health and vitality in the vast majority of our patient population."

The bottom line in all of this, is we have got to get to the root of these fake videos. Time and time again, they lead back to the anti-vaxx agenda. I am not looking to find that agenda! It is just always there, upon researching! Maybe these people are creating these theories, because they think it will lead more traffic to their websites and they will be able to better promote their products. Maybe that is as sinister as it gets. Honestly, I don't know. But "anti-vaxxers" really need to consider if they want to continue to be aligned with people who are spreading a false narrative. They have been continually debunked, shown to use unnecessary drama and statements that are not factual. It is not helping their cause, but rather it is something that is in reality creating a distrust in everything else they claim. It is my opinion, that they are being used by the people stirring these controversies. The "anti-vaxxer's" distrust of the government and their anti-government positions make them an easy target for anyone that claims "the government is out to get us". Classic examples are the many conspiracies concerning the coronavirus and Bill Gates. As well, the 9/11 conspiracy theories also continue to grow. They all blame our government and take our focus off the real enemies: Communist China and radical Islam, respectfully.

 

And finally, let me say, this has nothing to do with the vaccine/anti-vaccine debate. That should be argued and researched with other methods, at another time. This has to do with people who are deliberately lying for what ever agenda they may be trying to promote. It is absolutely anti-government beliefs at the root. And they are without doubt using those people who have the tendency to already have a distrust of our government. We absolutely must consider the end gain. These fake videos are doing harm to the trust we have in our President and ultimately the government our Founders took such God-ordained care to create. Now I don't think we should put much trust in polls, but there are polls that the President's numbers are dropping. I have watched comments from people on social media who are the administrators of certain pages, that have noticed the same thing. They have been trying to alert people to the danger of not standing with President Trump.

I simply do not understand such blind trust that we are seeing from conservatives and especially conservative Christians. There have been many articles and podcasts speaking about the gullability of Christians. It is first and foremost a bad witness. Christians are also influencers with people that watch us for the right path to follow and to see how we handle situations. We are blowing it. We absolutely need to put an end to this if we are ever to be effective in our goals, our politics, and especially our faith. This absolutely affects the credibility of everything.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am going to include Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals" here. I wonder if anything seems familiar in what we are seeing with these fake videos.

 

Rules for Radicals

1. "Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have."
2. "Never go outside the expertise of your people."
3. "Whenever possible go outside the expertise of the enemy."
4. "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules."
5. "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon."
6. "A good tactic is one your people enjoy."
7. "A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag."
8. "Keep the pressure on."
9. "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself."
10. "The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition."
11. "If you push a negative hard and deep enough it will break through into its counterside."
12. "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative."
13. "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."

Certainly something to think about...especially in regard to numbers 5, 6, and 9.

 

 

 

Text of the bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6666/text?r=2&s=1
 

Co-sponsors of the bill: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6666/cosponsors?r=2&s=1



*Updated and edited for correction May 12, 2020 at 4:38 PM.