Cards

I was prompted to walk to the coffee shop yesterday.  I thought about driving because the weather forecast had a slight chance of showers and I could see a few on the radar, but the instruction was specific so I was obedient and walked.

It takes me about an hour to walk from my house to the coffee shop.  When I got there, I was offered a chair across a small table from the leader of the "non-profit" coffee-shop business.  She and another woman were playing Skip-Bo^™️, a popular card game in the shop.  I sat and watched until they finished and then had them deal me into the next game.

I listened to the conversation and observed what was going on in the room.  The leader occasionally got up to serve customers because it was her usual shift, and when she did so the other player and I skipped her turn to keep the game moving.  That is why it is called "skip bo," of course!  Even with frequently being skipped, she had won all of the games.

There was an empty seat at the table which was successively occupied by one of two "special needs" young men who were visiting the shop with their "staff."  These people have significant handicaps and are supported by the Welfare State.  Part of that support includes regular escort by a paid employee of a State-of-State franchise corporation who takes them out to socialize and assists them with their day-to-day needs.  Everyone refers to this help as "staff," and there were several people in the shop with staff at that time.

I have seen "special needs" people frequenting the coffee shop ever since I started going there almost two years ago.  The drinks are free and the people are kind, so the "staff" commonly use it as a good destination to spend time with their charges.  My spiritual sibling has "staff."  I immediately realized the Father was bringing these people into the coffee shop and each one was an opportunity for healing and glorification of the Name of Jesus.

My spiritual sibling wanted to be healed.  After getting to know her and showing her examples of healing in the Bible, she came up to me, stuck out her hand, and said, "It's a deal!"  I replied, "I guess this is happening!" and off we went to a couch and I began praying for her to be healed.  Things started happening and people were amazed.  I was, too, because I had not done it very much and was pushing outside of my "comfort zone."

We prayed for her to walk, just like Jesus did, and we were both very determined.  I am a trouble-shooter and if things are not working I try something else.  Soon, I was using my prayer language because I did not know what was needed, ... and it worked.  Between the two of us, my spiritual sibling and I worked to free her from many things, but she did not walk.  For some reason that was blocked from happening, and it still is.

As I used my prayer language, I came under attack.¹  One day as I prayed, I had an unusual headache that almost made me sick.  People in the shop prayed for me, but I did not get relief until I had gone home and laid it in front of Yeshua, who was sitting right next to The Father.  I sneezed four times and then the headache was gone.  God is good.

Many people in the coffee shop started to become uncomfortable with what we were doing.  That is not surprising because the denomination of the particular church sponsoring the coffee shop does not teach about "Pentecostal" kinds of things.  The non-churched people did not comprehend what we were doing, but some of the churched people became hostile.  I was asked to stop, and I immediately complied.

At the time, the coffee shop leader had been out of the country on a mission trip and when she came back I was told she had received complaints about what I had been doing.  Even though I was no longer doing it, I was reprimanded.  "Stop trying to cast demons out of [my spiritual sibling]!"  We had proven to ourselves that there was a demon tormenting her because ... it spoke.  Twice.  My sibling did not say those things.

My spiritual sibling is very outspoken, and when people tried to tell her she did not have demons, she would reply, "I only have one."  I became a pariah for doing this, and am apparently still one according to some people by the way they treat me.  That's okay; it is part of the battle.

When I was reprimanded (on the day before Good Friday, of all things!), I ended the discussion by saying, "We're done," and turned to leave the establishment.  As I was about to "wipe the dust off my feet," I was reminded of my spiritual sibling who had temporarily left the coffee shop while I was having my "meeting" with the leaders.  When she came back, I was gone.  She became very upset because the two people she loved the most in the coffee shop (me and one of the other leaders) were fighting.  She ended up being the catalyst to bring us back together.

Even though I had stopped using my prayer language, I continued to read to my sibling from the Bible during subsequent visits to the shop.  She had never heard those things before and was fascinated.  Soon, I began hearing criticism about even doing that!  Apparently they "did not know what I was teaching her" in their shop and we started being pressured to cease what we were doing.  We decided to leave and take our discussions down the hall.

The coffee shop is part of an indoor mall, which is comfortable year round in four-season Michigan.  We found a bench in the common area away from the shop and met together there for more than a month.  I continued to pray for her using my prayer language and we made even more progress, but she remained unable to walk and in the power chair.

Some of the people who frequent the coffee shop are "mall walkers" who get exercise by walking circuits around the perimeter of the common areas.  They, of course, saw us and would occasionally stop and talk with us.  So would the housekeeping staff, and other people who knew us.  It became common knowledge that we were consistently there and having a great time.  God's ways are not our ways, and I was overjoyed to be used by Him.

I was able to help my sibling with many things, and eventually we realized we are spiritual brother and sister.  I am her big brother, and in some ways have been able to give her fatherly advice.  She is on good terms with her dad, but I have more insight into the spiritual matters she needs right now.

We eventually got to the point where things had significantly improved for her, but she was still unable to walk and still had her speech impediment, the two things that are most visible to people.  Her "friend" was still there, and it was still tormenting her.  I told her the next thing to try was baptism in water, and I pointed out that the church sponsoring the coffee shop does immersion baptisms.  With my encouragement, she went and asked to be baptized, and they did it for her.

What a difference that made!  She went from being tormented to being almost completely free.  She said that her friend was still there, but it was like it was hiding.  Her frantic, emotional text messages to me and her dark Facebook posts ceased.  God is good.  We moved on to other things to improve her life.

People have acknowledged that my efforts have greatly helped her, and as of the 15th of Nisan this year, she has been much more independent from me, although we still mutually crave and enjoy what we call "sibling time."  This has freed me up to work with other people, and those efforts have been noticed, too.

Which brings me back to the card game yesterday.  I was there because I had the time, and because The Holy Spirit had led me to go.  I made further observations as we played...

Someone came over and started talking about getting tattoos.  The two women I was playing with mentioned the typical side effects of that practice, such as inflamed skin, pain, and the time required for healing.  They were all very matter-of-fact about it and seemed to consider tattooing mainstream, which it is these days.  Apparently, they are not aware the practice of tattooing is something God forbade the Israelites from doing (Leviticus 19:28).  The leader of the coffee shop business has a big tattoo on her right arm.

The leader of the coffee shop is leaving today with her husband for a vacation overseas.  She "checked in" to their flights on her phone as we played our game.

The leader of the coffee shop lives with her husband in the parsonage of the church she preaches at.  It is in a small town, and there is a well that provides both the church and their home with water.  For some reason, they have no water, and she was making inquiries about getting it fixed.

As we got near the end of our final Skip-Bo game, both women said it would be their last because they each had things they needed to do.  I took that as my cue to head home and got up to leave when we were done.  The leader answered someone's question about the time difference where she was going, and I related that when we lived overseas our small children had a hard time with that.  I wished her a good trip, and she thanked me for coming in.  I think it surprised her that I had spent time with her.

As I walked home, I chuckled.  I had all of a sudden won that final game.  God has an interesting sense of humor.

This morning, The Spirit debriefed me about the reasons for my walk to the mall yesterday.  That is His pattern, letting me know just before I get out of bed what He wants me to do during the day.

The people running the coffee shop just do not see what is plainly there.  Opportunities to heal people in the Name of Jesus are everywhere,² but people just serve coffee and play cards.  Two of those opportunities sat at the table with us while we played the game yesterday, as I mentioned above.

Before I finished this post today, I needed a photo of the card game, so I went to the coffee shop and ended up indirectly talking about these things with someone who is beginning to have some of the same concerns I have.  We agreed the leadership is stuck in their box and does not see the opportunities the LORD is creating, and we agreed we need to continue praying for these folks and helping them understand the real game we should be playing.

I shared this meme I made at the bottom of an update to another post, and am re-sharing it here in this more prominent location because I think it is important...

I hope the people I care about will soon realize what their true job is:  to glorify the Name of Jesus by performing miracles so people will be receptive to the full and complete Good News, so that they might repent and praise our Father in Heaven.

 

All glory to God.

UPDATE, September 27, 2023...

Putting it another way, Jesus did not say:

"Go and serve coffee to all nations, serving only the finest beans from remote parts of the world, and teaching them everything except what I commanded you.³  And surely I am with you always, no matter what you do."

Think about it.

UPDATE, September 28, 2023...

¹Added the meme I made.

²Why do people not see these opportunities?  Frankly, I think it is because they do not believe it is possible for average, everyday people to do miracles.  They think it is only for Jesus to do, and they put their faith in doctors instead.  This is all based on lies and does not line up with The Book.

I used to think that way, too.  I did not believe.  Jesus said:

"...Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”  (Mark 16:16-18 NIV)

And...

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, ... you will never believe.”  (John 4:48 NIV)

It is crucial for people to see miracles, or they will never really believe.  They may notionally believe some things about Jesus, but they do not really and truly believe.

We must believe like a child:

And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." ...  (Matthew 18:3 NIV)

Institutional churches are Babylon in modern apparel.  Most of them are operated as a corporation, a contemporary form of structure that controls the masses.

The coffee shop is operated as a corporation, too, and when I started to demonstrate what can and should be done I came under attack and was eventually driven out and controlled by those who are being used as tools of the Darkness.

Is there hope for these people?  I always have hope, and when things don't pan out I hope some more, but it can get discouraging.  Saying that, God is faithful and I work for Him.  He is going to do what he intends.  He is righteous, even if we are not.

He is developing my faith.

UPDATE, November 1, 2023...

I had a stressful day yesterday, and late in the afternoon I wanted to spend some time at the coffee shop to unwind.

When I arrived at the mall, the parking lot was pretty full.  "What's this?" I thought.  Then I remembered... Trick Or Treat.  It was Halloween.

The mall was full of parents with kids in costumes lining up at the various stores getting "treats," commercially-available candy.  The coffee shop had extra volunteer staff handing them out, too, along with free coffee for the parents.  I waded through all of this and made my way to the back of the shop to visit with friends.

As the time period for the festivities wound down, the coffee shop volunteers cleaned up in preparation to close.  They were exhausted.

This morning, I had some thoughts about this.  I am sure the folks serving the crowds for the coffee shop saw themselves as loving their neighbor, and I actually saw one of them wearing something that said something like that.  I'm sure it was fun, but was it really what Yehoshua (Jesus' real name, the one he prefers) wants us to do?

Some of the people probably noticed the coffee was free, but that would have been the only difference distinguishing the coffee shop from any of the other businesses handing out candy in the mall.  Actually, what is the difference between handing out free candy and free coffee?  Hmmm. 🤔

Did this really do anything to advance Yehoshua's cause, especially given all of the effort involved?  Was it actually "loving the neighbors," as He described it in his parable about The Good Samaritan?  Or was it conforming to the world?

The world indoctrinates children through traditions like "Trick Or Treat."  That lesson seems to teach them to disguise themselves, chant a mantra and be rewarded.  I was indoctrinated in that same way as a child and later realized what was going on, but only after I had learned The Truth and came under its influence.

We are so easily led off onto unproductive and exhausting paths.  Yehoshua's way is so much different.

 

UPDATE, January 1, 2024...

³ Added this link to a new post I made today about Yehoshua's commandments.  Ever since I made that update about His non-existent words, I have been thinking about His commandments.  I felt it was important to study them and share what I have learned.

 

UPDATE, August 19, 2025...

This past Saturday (8/16/25) was an unusual day in the coffee shop.  Saturdays during the summer are typically slow, and it has been a blessing that the leadership has allowed it to be open.  Were it not for my close friend who is essentially the "Martha" of the coffee shop, it wouldn't be open.  She strongly feels called to be there. 

I self-identify as the "Mary" of the coffee shop, and we "sisters" were sitting at a tall table at the back of the shop with three men who I consider to be "special needs."  One who is very introverted and quiet was offering his opinions about things and the other two were very content to be in our presence.  There was nobody else in the shop.

For me, it was an awkward time because I need deep and thoughtful conversations, and these gentlemen, bless their hearts, are not capable of that.  I managed to engage in a bit of small talk, but eventually felt called to return home to my current reading assignments.  I obtained my hug from "Martha," told her I was heading home to read, and bid the gentlemen goodbye.

 

This morning, the significance of Saturday occurred to me. 

We normally sit more in the middle of the shop, but on Saturday they were sitting at the tall table in the back when I arrived.  That is the table where I was betrayed and reprimanded for praying for my spiritual sibling to be healed and set free back in 2022, as discussed above.  Saturday was over forty (40.67) months since that flashpoint.  Actually, 40.0 was about the time I started my reading assignments.

I am certain if Yehoshua had encountered those three gentlemen he would have healed him.  Actually, Yehoshua was present in "Martha" and me ("Mary"), but we had been forbidden from doing that kind of work by the leadership of the corporation that runs the coffee shop.  Just as Yehoshua could not heal many in his hometown due to their lack of faith, I can't either.

I'm beginning to feel some closure in the coffee shop.  We shall see what happens.

Four-Drachma Coin

Are we seeing "four-drachma coins?"

After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

“Yes, he does,” he replied.

When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

“From others,” Peter answered.

“Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”  (Matthew 17:24-27 NIV)

When I refer to "four-drachma coins," I am talking about miracles.  Are we seeing miracles happen in our lives?  Miracles are signs from Heaven.  Jesus performed miracles, and they were his credentials from The Father.  If we are doing the things that Jesus did by following the Holy Spirit, we should be seeing miracles, too.  It tells us we are "on the right track."

Those who do not believe or who do not have the right heart and attitude will not see these things.

“A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” ...  (Matthew 12:39; also 16:4 NIV)

Those who do not respond to miracles by repenting will be held accountable.

"Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” ...  (Matthew 11:21; also Luke 10:13 NIV)

And, Jesus was not honored in his hometown.

Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. ...

And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.  (Matthew 13:54-58 NIV)

As I have learned to do the things Jesus did, I have found most people do not see those things and do not understand me.  Some people even become hostile and take offense, but I have come to terms that this is a spiritual truth and I cannot do anything about it.  If Jesus had these problems, so will I.

My hope and prayer is that those I love here in my own town and my own home will eventually understand, and that God will send others to witness to them.  They are not going to listen to me.

This is why I have included on my blog the name and location of the town where I live.  I am confident people in other parts of the world are more likely to listen to me, and I have seen evidence of this.

I suspect Wisdom has orchestrated this aspect of the spiritual battle for my overall benefit and protection.  It allows me to try things and learn without attracting a lot of overt push-back from the Darkness.  It allows me to make mistakes while I learn to be patient with people.

This reminds me, once again, of the "volleyball metaphor."  My college friend and I worked hard on our own to develop our neophyte volleyball skills, until we were ready to go play with the Volleyball Club.

I expect one day I will go someplace else to practice what my Master has been teaching me, but right now I am called to be in my home town.  I must honor my mother and help her in her sunset years, and her situation has dictated where I must live.  There are also many other "signs" that show me I am right where I am supposed to be.

All glory to God.

The Lie

It is the oldest one in The Book and it is still around, because it works.

The armor of the Darkness is lies.  I discussed that in a previous post.  If we take away the armor, then we can "rob the house."  We must recognize lies and confront them so people can recognize their sins and perhaps repent.

I have been frequenting a particular coffee shop and have talked about it in updates to my Worship and Pattern posts.  It is a big part of my life right now because it is where The Spirit has me working.

The coffee shop is mainly run by women, and it is women who I mostly get to talk with.  That's fine, but where are the men?  I crave talking to anyone about spiritual matters, and it is men who I really want to talk with.  Iron sharpens iron, and there are a lot of dull blades in the shed.

I am going to be frank about my job.  At the risk of exalting myself, my job is to say, "You have sin in your life; and this is the direction we have to go."  I try to do that as lovingly as I can, and with discernment, but sometimes bluntness is necessary.  Go read Matthew 23 if you are in doubt.

The lie I am talking about is women can be in authority over men, and Jesus is okay with that.  It is a lie permeating our culture like tendrils of a disgusting fungus in our refrigerator.  It is everywhere, and we don't even notice it.

The Book is clear about this from start to finish, but many people take bits and pieces out of context to justify the lie.  In some cases, they don't even get their notions from The Book.  I have heard women mention "the unconditional love of God" many times in the coffee shop, but that adjective does not appear anywhere in Scripture.

Paul was very clear about it in 1 Timothy 2:12, and he had good reasons...

I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.  (NIV)

I care deeply about the people I have gotten to know in the coffee shop, and it grieves me to see what I see:

• Women teaching men.
• Women leading "seekers" astray with erroneous and incomplete "gospels."
• Women censoring what men can say and do.
• Women acting as though men are not necessary and are irrelevant.
• Women who are afraid of men.
• Women disrespecting men.
• Women running everything.
• Women who have divorced at least once.
  

I do not see men leading people in the coffee shop, and believe it is because:

• Men are working for corporations as SLAVES.
• Men are in their garage or in their "man cave."
• Men are watching sports.
• Men are in the woods hunting, or getting ready to be in the woods hunting (or fishing).
• Men are too sick and disabled to do much of anything.
  

And this is what I see the church doing:

• Operating as a corporation.
• Promoting derivative books, pamphlets and programs that displace public reading of Holy Scripture.
• Supporting the coffee shop financially, but being almost entirely absent from any meaningful discussions.
• Using the coffee shop as a meeting place for their religious club cliques.
• Promoting "following Jesus" as accepting and "loving" everyone without eventually sharing actual Truth.
• Closing shop on Sundays so they can go meet in their clubhouses.
  

I am grateful for the coffee shop, and I know the Godhead (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is responsible for its continuing existence.  It will be there as long as He wants it to be there.  And so will I.  This is a season.

I am looking for people who want to actually do what is in The Book.  I am looking for people who will listen to me and take me seriously, who want to see The Kingdom and actually do the work Jesus has called us to do, and that he is desperate for us to do.  I want to see people healed and set free.  I want to see people full of joy that the Bible is real, that miracles are real, and that Jesus is real.

We cannot do those things if we believe the lie.  If we do, we will continue to wallow in sin, ... until we die.

All glory to God.

UPDATE, September 22, 2023...

The Darkness promotes other lies, such as confusion about "gender."  The Book says...

...male and female he created them.  (Genesis 1:27 NIV)

... so the actual Truth is clear.

Of course, we should have compassion for people who are deceived about this, but validating that deception by trying to justify it with bits and pieces of The Book is just reinforcing the lie.

The Holy Spirit will help us help people, if we actually have Him and if we are listening to Him.

UPDATE, September 24, 2023...

One of my managers told me a humorous story.  There was a guy who got a new job, and when he showed up at his new office he found his predecessor had left a note and three envelopes in the desk.  The note said, "When things get difficult, open an envelope."  Each envelope was numbered: 1, 2 and 3.

The guy smirked and thought, "Ah, I'm not going to have any trouble."

And he didn't.  At first.  About six months into the job, however, he started to realize there was more to it than he had anticipated.  He remembered the envelopes, opened the drawer and took out the one labeled "1."  He opened it.

Inside was a single piece of paper, and on it was written, "Blame your predecessor."  So, he did.  He blamed his predecessor for all the things that were not going right, and things got better.  For a while.

About six months later, he decided to open the second envelope.  It said, "Reorganize."

So, he hired some consultants and they helped him to reorganize his department.  And things got better.  People were happy and productive, and he received a decent job performance review from his boss.

But, eventually things started to become difficult again.  He remembered the third envelope.  When he opened it up, it said, "Make three new envelopes."

My manager and I laughed, and he pointed out in the business world there are few things we can do to improve our circumstances.  Reorganization is something visible that people can see, and it can improve things if the previous organization was poor, but for the most part it is simply a way to take the attention off of our problems and distract everyone with excitement.  If the fundamentals aren't there, a new organization is not going to fix anything.

I have a friend who is passionate about their faith, and they left Michigan to pursue their calling.  They care deeply about people and have been working very hard to help those they care about in their community.  I share their empathy about the topic and would like to help, but my friend is doing things their way.

I wrote the previous update to this post two days ago, and I used the word "compassion" in what I wrote.  Later that day, I noticed my friend had just renamed their business with the word "compassion" in it.  As I woke up the following morning, I realized this apparent coincidence was a 'four-drachma coin.'  I smiled, and wished I could share this experience with my friend, but they are not talking to me right now.  I believe it has to do with what I discussed in the post I wrote today.

I pray the LORD will allow my friend to eventually understand me and let me help.  It would be so much fun. 😊

40000

[source]

Notice has been given.

The testimony of two or three witnesses is valid.

Those you trust are the most evil.

Churches are placebos.

Those who do not gather with me scatter.

There was never a virus.

You cannot serve two masters.

They are killing off their creditors.  Again.

Masks are useless.

Those who are wearing masks are still watching television.

Corporations are unaccountable.

What appear to be governments are zombies.

The money is worthless.

Happy slaves are docile slaves.

The elites worship Satan.

What you think you know is a lie.

They do not "protect and serve" you.

You are an insect.

The injection was the bio-weapon.

Only 1 in 40,000 will be alive in seven (7) years.

Agenda 2030.

All glory to God.

 

UPDATE, February 5, 2024...

If that video disappears or becomes disabled, try here...

https://www.bitchute.com/video/SM9ykt1shwuq/

https://rumble.com/v4akkwx-mistakes-were-not-made.html 

https://odysee.com/@ADistantMirror:9/Mistakes-Were-NOT-made:f5b

https://www.brighteon.com/26365e0a-347e-4b82-930c-9590a686aada 

https://adistantmirror.com

UPDATE, April 17, 2025...

...the Process One Covid 19 "vaccine" formula was beta tested on 200,000 people in 2013, and today, twelve years later, exactly five (5) survivors of that test remain. Process Two Covid 19 "vaccine" made up the bulk of that distributed to the unwary public, and it's trials, though less extensive in terms of numbers, showed that it was even more deadly, with an expectation that nearly all those who received the injection would be dead in only seven (7) years.
    
We are now seeing, literally, the end results in the form of thousands of reports of deadly foreign clots in arteries from morticians and embalmers, thousands of reports from cardiologists worldwide, and most of all, the rapid spread of "turbo cancer". Statistically significant numbers of people in this country are reporting "more than three deaths" among friends and family members in the past month, mostly from cardiac arrest, stroke, and cancer. We are also seeing a vast increase in autism symptoms in vaccinated children -- a condition that is virtually non- existent among unvaccinated babies worldwide.

We have more than enough data to conclude that: (1) the "vaccines" produced by the pharmaceutical corporations responsible have been engineered to produce profit-making disease, not health; (2) that these "vaccines" have been weaponized to cause broad spectrum death and to expedite commercial crimes beneficial to the promoters; (3) that any continuance of any vaccine program under the current circumstance, much less any adherence to any "childhood schedule" of recommended vaccines is criminal lunacy and a public danger.

We call for an immediate cessation of all vaccine production, sale, and deployment, period, at all, throughout The United States and within our Territories and Possessions, and also require that no Federal Employees will be forced or coerced or bribed or otherwise induced to take or administer any vaccine product as a condition of employment or obligation of citizenship.

The appropriate Principals and Shareholders, their Boards of Directors and corporate Executive Officers are hereby placed under public demand and provided explicit Public Notice of our Will in this matter.

...

The full article is here...

Article 5336, International Public Notice: We Consider All Vaccine Mandates Criminal Acts in Breach of Trust and Violation of Contract, April 16, 2025.

Wannop

Adelaide Clemens, "Valentine Wannop"

My eyes fell upon one of my dear, departed wife's Blu-ray Discs and I was prompted to watch it.  I had never seen the program before.

The five[5]-part BBC mini-series Parade's End is a love triangle between a man named Christopher, his wife Sylvia Satterthwaite, and a young nymph called Valentine Wannop.

Christopher Tietjens is very intelligent and always does what is right, but he is unhappy.  He marries Sylvia knowing she is carrying a child that may not be his, but he treats it as his own.  When she runs off with another man he eventually takes her back, but then goes off to war.

Sylvia is Catholic and promiscuous, but becomes infatuated with her husband and remains chaste for years waiting for him to love her.

Christopher knows Valentine, who is much younger than him, and they maintain a respectable relationship, but rumors spread about them.  They are seen together in a horse-drawn carriage on a foggy morning and the worst is assumed.  They do have feelings for each other, but his sense of doing what is right prevents things from going anywhere.

Christopher describes his duty to maintain traditional values as a "parade," as in what military troops do on a "parade ground."  He does not like it, but does it because it is required.

"Mr. Tietjens" and "Miss Wannop" keep each other at arms length as the series progresses, but the sexual tension between them intensifies and people notice.  One man observes she is, "twenty three and fresh as paint," which subliminally reinforces the notion of her arousal.  [Also: 23, 2 + 3 = 5, 5.]  The name "Valentine" is obviously erotic and "Wannop" eventually begins to cognitively morph into "wanna 'pop'" in my mind, meaning "have sex."  It's subliminal.

The young woman takes a job in a school for girls and she begins to look like a schoolgirl herself, although it has already been established she is old enough to consent.  She eventually finds a book about married sex the girls had been reading and she reads it herself.  After a contentious discussion with the schoolmarms, it is agreed the book is a good thing and she puts it back.  I agree with that conclusion.

It has been two years since I lost my bride, and I miss her.  The romance of this story drew me in as I desire romance myself.  And that's okay.  God wired men and women to long for relationship.  But the Darkness uses those good things to get us to sin.

Parade's End was made by the British Broadcasting Corporation/BBC.  The BBC has a respectable reputation due to its association with the British Government and The Crown.  In America, the Public Broadcasting Service/PBS have a similar reputation and many people donate their hard-earned money to it because they see it as "quality" television.

But who really runs the BBC and PBS?  Who controls what is produced and the content?  We must be discerning.

Parade's End uses a kaleidoscope as a visual metaphor throughout the series.  Kaleidoscopes are made of mirrors, and those mirrors make it difficult to tell what is actually real.

I enjoyed the romance and sexual undertones of the series but was troubled by what was actually being promoted.  Sex between an older man and a young woman was the "shiny object," but that was not the problem.  The Bible says nothing negative about that.  Adultery was the issue.

The Law of Moses is very clear about adultery.  Jesus is, too, and David Pawson did a very loving and thorough analysis about it at this link¹.

Many, many, many people in our modern, western culture have married, divorced, and remarried again.  I am not judging anyone about that, but I do look at what Jesus said and what he did about it...

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”  (John 8:2-11, NIV)

Men had set a trap for Jesus, and I will not fall into that same trap.  It is not my job to judge what people do, but it is my job to tell people what is right and what is not right.  Jesus did that here.  He confirmed what she had done was sin, but he encouraged her to not do it anymore.

This is what the Bible does for us.  By reading it, studying it, and taking it seriously we can learn what is sin and what is not sin, and with the help of the Holy Spirit we can stop sinning and live a holy life.  Jesus will counsel each of us about our own situations, if we ask him.

Television programs like Parade's End are creations made by sinful men and they send us in the wrong direction.  They are propaganda from the Darkness.  They mislead us into sin, and sin leads to death.

Christopher did what was right, and the program portrayed him as an unhappy man.  Righteousness was his duty.  As his character changed he gave up his "parade" and became happy.  The program discredits righteousness and encourages pursuing the flesh.

In reality, righteousness is joyful when we are forgiven and living in the Spirit.  I know this from experience.  Living in my monogamous relationship with my wife was absolutely wonderful and I would love to enjoy it again if the LORD graces me with the opportunity.  My parade will not end; I will rejoice in it.

All glory to God.

UPDATE, December 3, 2023...

¹ The David Pawson website has been changed and this link no longer goes to the analysis I heard.  You can access similar resources through links in the November 20, 2023 update of my Lessons Learned post.

A Cooler Hat

I recently acquired a new hat.  I like it.

The August 24, 2022 update of my Larvae post talks about a "cool hat" I was given for doing some television camerawork.  I like that hat, but have not worn it in a long time.

I expect to wear this new one a lot.  If you have read my earlier posts I think you will "comprehend" why.

It's time for me to do more homework, ...and begin taking on some new responsibilities.

All glory to God.

Coffee

Fix yourself a cup.

¹ Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside.
There behind the glass stands a real blade of grass.
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along.

Come inside, the show's about to start.
Guaranteed to blow your head apart.
Rest assured you'll get your money's worth.
Greatest show in Heaven, Hell on Earth.
You've got to see the show, it's a dynamo.
You've got to see the show, it's rock and roll, oh.

² ...Soon the Gypsy Queen in a glaze of Vaseline.
Will perform on guillotine, what a scene, what a scene.
Next upon the stand will you please extend a hand.
To Alexander's Ragtime Band, Dixieland, Dixieland.

Roll up, roll up, roll up.
See the show.

When I was a senior in high school (12th Grade), I got to work as a "co-op" in a research lab at one of the multinational chemical companies in the city where I lived, and where I live today.  A friend of mine and I took turns driving each other to work after lunch.  We had been lab partners in 10th Grade Chemistry, and we were partners again in 12th Grade Advanced Chemistry, a college-level course.  We both worked in the same laboratory building, number 118.  I was in Lab 7; he was down the hall.

These work opportunities were exceptional experiences, and could only happen in a town like ours.  We both cleaned a lot of glassware, of course, but I also got to set up and run experiments and operate sophisticated testing equipment.  I learned "proper lab techniques," such as how to precisely weigh out milligram amounts of materials, how to use appropriate amounts of grease to assemble glassware, and how to use ventilated hoods and personal protective equipment to avoid becoming sensitized to the isocyanates we were working with.  In addition, my boss³ took the time to take a piece of paper towel and diagram the chemistry for me using a pen.  He was a PhD Chemist and he wanted me to learn his subject of expertise.  He did such a good job that towards the end of my year-long assignment another PhD Chemist came from down the hall to learn what my boss had been doing, and my boss told him, "Go ask the co-op."  The guy did, and I got out a piece of paper towel and diagrammed the chemistry for him with my pen, just as my boss had done.  The guy stared at me with big round eyes.  I still smile about it.

When my friend was the one driving our commute he always popped in a cassette tape of music, and it exposed me to lots of Rock and Roll.  I remember hearing a lot of Pink Floyd and Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP).  One of the ELP tapes was called Brain Salad Surgery, and the cover art was very creepy.  The lyrics at the top of this post are part of a song called Karn Evil 9.

 

I'm telling you this because my sister and I were lamenting about the current state of the world:  graphene oxide, messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), nanotechnology, fraudulent health tests, ineffective and dangerous "safety measures," cruel isolation of the elderly and the dying, medications that shut down the kidneys and flood the lungs, genocidal protocols and denial of lifesaving treatments, forensic election audits, propaganda and censorship, and other unprecedented turmoil.⁴  We know people who received the experimental gene therapy earlier in the year and recently received a seasonal influenza vaccination, and now they are getting sick.  We expected they would get sick because we understand what is going on, but many people still don't.  It's really starting to get old.  My sister said, "This is the song that never ends."  That triggered my brain cells and I started searching for the song that had those lyrics.  That's the reason for my discussion, above.

When we understand the "big picture," it is easy to look back and see that much of what we are experiencing was predicted by the culture decades ago.  That's because the Darkness runs the culture, and the Darkness can't help but boast about its plans.

It has been said, "Future proves past."  Some individuals pridefully announce "prophecies," and many people take them seriously, but their predictions rarely materialize, and most are never even checked.  But if events consistently match specific predictions in hindsight, it lends credibility that the "predictor" was somehow in control and made things happen.  That is what biblical prophecy is all about.  Micah predicted a ruler would come out of Bethlehem (5:2), and that is where Jesus was born.  It helped confirm that Yeshua was the Messiah.  God the Father is in control, and He used Micah to prove it.

Emerson, Lake and Palmer wrote and performed Karn Evil 9 in the early 1970's, and if you examine the lyrics they foreshadow some of the dark things happening now, fifty years later.  How did they know?  Apparently, they must have been clued in by those who were planning and orchestrating future events.

It has also been said, "Symbolism will be their downfall."  The number 9 means things to some people, and they use it to communicate with their friends.  That is why "9" and "11" show up as an emergency telephone number and the date of a particularly evil event.  Symbols transcend language barriers, and some people think they wield or convey power.  Whatever their reasons, their use of symbols divulges their presence and activities to those who recognize the symbolism.

So, the ELP song title contains a "9" and the actual word "evil."  And the song certainly seems to celebrate evil.  Even the initials of their band give away their symbolism and allegiance.  Substituting the numbers of the individual letters of the alphabet for each initial (ELP):  E = 5, L = 12, P = 16; and adding them together: 5 + 12 + 16 = 33 results in the number of the highest level of achievement and knowledge in the Freemason secret societies.⁵  There is a reason the freezing point of water is 32 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale.  These people have been colluding in secret and influencing society for centuries, and our culture is full of their questionable "fingerprints."

So, the boys who wrote Karn Evil 9 are boasting through the initials of their names that they think they know what is really going on.  Take them seriously; it's right in front of us for all to see.  They aren't hiding it, if you know the code and simply listen to what they say!

After my last post, I began reading articles about our actual American history and government.  To put it bluntly:  we've been lied to and defrauded.  I'm still learning and have more to read.  There is a lot to learn.  I'm going to discuss one particular topic in this post:  corporations.

The sole purpose of a corporation is to make a profit.  An incorporated entity enjoys the option of bankruptcy protection.  That means they can shield themselves from their creditors, which means they can borrow money and then "legally" not pay it back.  It's a perfect tool for criminals, and it has been used often.

Corporations can own other corporations, but they can never be sovereign.  There is no higher authority above a sovereign, except the King of kings, of course.  Monarchs are sovereigns, and so are Americans, thanks to their Declaration of Independence and William the Conqueror.

This means a corporation cannot be a sovereign government, and the entities acting as most governments around the world are just government service-providing corporations.  They only have authority over their own employees, but most people have been fooled into believing they must obey them.  Not true.  At all.

Click to enlarge

Carefully examine this screenshot from the Dun & Bradstreet website.  It clearly shows that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a corporation, and that it is a subsidiary of another corporation.  Most people and businesses assume the CDC has authority as part of the government, and they obeyed all of the CDC's recommendations during the so-called "pandemic."  But as a corporation, the CDC only has authority over its own employees and direct subsidiaries.  They may provide useful and good advice, but the general public is not obligated to follow that advice.

If anyone tells a member of the general public they must do something because it is a CDC recommendation, that person is operating under "color of Law."  It is unlawful for them to do that, but many people do it because they are misinformed and have been taught error.

The Wikipedia article about the CDC says it is "the national public health agency of the United States."  Which "United States" are they talking about, you might ask?  There are several -- in this case, it is the MUNICIPAL United States -- but that is another discussion for a different day.

The article says the purpose and mission of the CDC is to protect public health.  That is what the public presumes their government would do, but as a corporation the CDC is really only in business to make a profit.  It is a government services corporation, providing services, just like a lawn-care corporation mows the grass for my mother's senior living facility.  Its purpose is to make money for its shareholders.  Who are the shareholders?  Good question.  Who actually controls the CDC and what are their motives?  The answers are out there, but they are not what we might think.

I find the CDC's name interesting.  "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."  The word "centers" implies there are multiple parts of that organization.  How many parts are there?  How many are visible; how many are not?  What are all of those "centers" doing?

The word "prevention" seems straightforward, but "disease control" could have multiple meanings.  If we assume the CDC is working for us, we would likely presume they are keeping disease under control and keeping us safe.  But what if they are simply controlling disease, and what if the purpose of that control is to make a profit, or exert influence, or coerce people, or some other unknown, nefarious purpose?  What if they are using disease as a tool to control people or the whole population?

The English language can be imprecise and ambiguous, and unscrupulous people sometimes use it to take advantage of others.  It actually happens a lot.  That is what I am learning as I read about our actual American history and government.

So, I had you get a cup of coffee before you started reading this post.  I hope you did.  Coffee tastes good in the morning, and it can help wake us up.

I hope you are waking up to what the Darkness is doing.  I have been.  I'm sure glad God the Father is still on the Throne, and Jesus is right there beside Him.  We're gonna need 'em.

All glory to God.

-----------------

¹ Karn Evil 9, quotation begins at the [8:42] mark.

² [11:38] mark.

The quoted lyrics are recited at https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/emerson-lake-palmer/karn-evil-9

Complete lyrics are recited at https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/emersonlakepalmer/karnevil9.html

UPDATE, April 12, 2022...

⁴ For more up-to-date information about this, please watch this video.

Here are some observations by a funeral director:  video  (Published October 15, 2022)⁶

Patent information is revealing what this "virus" chapter in history is really all about. Anna von Reitz provides a good list of references:  here.⁷ A researcher found the master patent that points to ninety (90 --> reduces to 9) other patents and lays it all out, and it is not what we were told.  The researcher explains this in a video interview on Bitchute, which is linked through Anna's document.

One of the things the researcher said is...

mRNA viruses are completely unstable single-helix viruses that cannot infect a human body unless they are encapsulated in lipid nanoparticle technology.  (Starts at 06:38 in the video.)

This was admitted by "government" health "authorities."  The whole story about a virus was theater to create panic and herd people into making decisions necessary to carry out the actual scheme that has been in play.

This is about inoculating humans with an AI [Artificial Intelligence] bioweapon that has parasitic properties.  That's what it's about.  [Starts at 30:09 in the video.]

The injections are just one of the delivery methods of the bioweapon.  So are the swabs for the "tests."  There is no reason to invasively obtain samples this way for a highly contagious respiratory virus.  They were gathering genetic material from the patient (victim) and depositing nanoparticles to "innoculate" them.

Nanoparticles are extremely small, much smaller than a virus and a human cell.  They are engineered, and they have been patented.  The patents describe the whole thing.

Injections and swabs are not the only way to get these things into our bodies.  The patents claim they can be put into anything:  masks, food, animals that we eat, even the air.  These things can be aerosolized.  Your cloth masks are absolutely useless, and the manufactured ones may be tainted.

So, why are they going to so much trouble to do this?  Remember the Georgia Guidestones?  They are trying to kill us.  Worse than that, they are trying to put things into the cells of our bodies so they can remotely control us and put us into an existence that is worse than death.  They plan to use 5G and 6G cellphone towers and transmitters, which will activate the "quantum dots" they have put into our God-created bodies.  These people are absolute psychopaths and are completely insane.  And they are not afraid to openly boast about their plans through movies such as:  The Matrix, Divergent, Oblivion, Jason Bourne, etc., etc., etc...

Most people will probably find the patent documentation and discussion beyond comprehension, but I strongly suggest you try listening to what she says in the bitchute video.  She also has articles at her website, which you can access through Anna's document.  You are bound to learn things, no matter what your technical background is.

The "snake venom" phenomenon and its inherent loss of taste and smell was part of the ploy to get people to take the injections.  This whole thing is many-layered, and is full of deceptions and lies.

...But God the Father knows what's going on.  Get into the Ark. 😉

UPDATE, July 12, 2022...

Corporations are unaccountable monsters.  They are legal fictions.  Imaginary.  They only exist in our minds.

They manifest on paper, in electronic images and descriptions, and as trademarks.  They seem to have substance because they are housed in buildings, behind walls and fences, and many produce physical products that we use and consume.  But it is in our minds where corporations actually reside.

People are physical.  They have physical bodies.  They are also living beings with souls and spirits.  Cows, chickens, pigs, and goldfish are living things, too.  Corporations are not.  They are dead.  They have no substance.  Legislators and courts may have defined corporations as "persons," with the same rights as living people, but that is hogwash.  Just like the edicts that created those "persons," corporations are figments of imagination.  They are not equal to creations from God.

Corporations are unaccountable.  They consist of employees, a top employee (CEO), a board of directors (BOD), and shareholders.  If things go wrong the employees will point at their bosses; the CEO will point at the BOD; and the BOD will claim they are just trying to keep the shareholders happy.  Most shareholders own a few shares of the corporation through mutual funds, pension funds and brokerage accounts, so they don't have a clue what is actually going on.  My mother owns shares in Pfizer and Moderna through a brokerage arrangement her late husband set up, and she can't even tell you what she ate for dinner just two hours ago!  (Sorry, Mom!  Luv ya!!)

Corporations are inhabited by many, many people who just want to make a living.  I worked for a corporation.  There are also a few very, very selfish people who do not have a conscience and who worm their way into the inner workings of corporations and find ways to enrich themselves and gain power.  One way they do that is by acquiring other corporations and businesses, stripping them of useful assets, and then disposing of anything remaining.  That is how they eliminate their competition, and what results are a few huge, global monopolies with interlocking directorates, which means board members sit on the boards of other corporations where they collude and coordinate strategy to dominate the world.  Sounds crazy, but that's what's going on.

It reminds me of the Doomsday Machine Star Trek episode, where a giant machine goes around the galaxy gobbling up planets and star systems.  Knowing some things about Gene Roddenberry, the series creator, that are not necessarily listed in his Wikipedia article, I suspect this is another example of the culture foreshadowing fifty years ago what is happening now.

What is the alternative?  Taking responsibility for ourselves and what we do.  Most people have been lured into incorporating their businesses, but they were not told that doing so would transfer ownership to whoever they were "registering" their business with.  They gave it away by signing on the dotted line.  And for what?  Bankruptcy protection?  Unless someone is doing something highly risky, or unlawful, there is really no need for the option of bankruptcy.  Insurance can cover monetary problems and we should always obey the Public Law.  Most people have been deceived.

As the original post said, it's time to wake up.  Drink more coffee.

All glory to God.

UPDATE, July 15, 2022...

Corporations are hierarchical structures.  The "Peter Principle" observes that people tend to ultimately be promoted into positions of incompetence.  An organization populated with incompetence produces bad products and lousy customer service.  Over my lifetime I have seen great companies and trademarks deteriorate into empty husks or disappear altogether.  Those that remain only feed "the machine."

I have also observed that "scum always rises to the top."  Ruthless people do whatever is necessary to climb the ladder.  They don't care about anybody but themselves.  They are princes of this world, and they unknowingly work for the Prince of this World himself.  I tremble for them.

I am so grateful that God drew me out of that system and did not let me rise to a level of incompetence.  He had me leave my job at the peak of my career, which ultimately led to further job experiences where I could remain competent.

As I have said elsewhere, God uses apprenticeship through the Holy Spirit to do his work, which is a much more effective way to manage people than hierarchical structures.

UPDATE, August 24, 2022...

Pink Floyd produced a song for their 1975 album, Wish You Were Here called "Welcome to the Machine."  The official video is very creepy, and may be another example of evil foreshadowing.  If you go to the Official Pink Floyd YouTube channel, you will need to sign in to prove your age.  There are some pirated versions on YouTube that do not require that, ...at least as long as they stay up and are not removed.

UPDATE, August 31, 2022...

I encourage everyone to pursue these two things with urgency...

1)  Please take time to comprehend what is really going on in the temporal world, meaning the things we can see.  Investigate the real American Government, which has actual authority over all jurisdictions in each of the fifty American states.  You can start by visiting their website at:  https://tasa.americanstatenationals.org

⁸ The Michigan Assembly website is new, and seems to be particularly good, in my opinion:  https://mymichiganassembly.land.^{9, 10}

I summarized these things in my Authority post and its updates.

2)  Please seriously consider your faith and your calling.  Read through my featured post, Apprentice of Jesus, and inquire of the LORD what He wants you to do.

Deception is real.  The Darkness has never been this exposed.  These times are perilous.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

UPDATE, October 24, 2022...

⁶ Added this link.

UPDATE, November 3, 2022...

⁷ Added this link.

 

UPDATE, November 13, 2022...

This video describes how corporations relate to Admiralty Law.  It also explains what Admiralty Law is.

 

 

The YouTube channel has some related videos that are very informative.

⁸ Added this sentence and link.

 

UPDATE, November 17, 2022...

⁵ I recently heard the highest level is actually 99.  Why doesn't that surprise me?  Of course it is.  I discuss this more in my Manifestations post.

 

Altered footnotes to maintain proper order in the main text.

 

UPDATE, January 2, 2023...

Updated some of the links to https://annavonreitz.com in various places across the entire blog to go through https://searchannavonreitz.americanstatenationals.org because many of the articles in that second website now contain the article number and the publish date.

Also added the copyright © notice in the footer of the blog.

 

UPDATE, June 16, 2024...

⁹ Changed the link to the website of the new Michigan Assembly.¹⁰  The Assembly existing at the time of the update was dissolved and replaced.

 

UPDATE, April 26, 2025...

³ Added a link to his obituary, in his honor.  He died recently (3/6/2025 --> 3 + 6  = 9, 2 + 2 + 5 = 9; 9 + 9 = 18 --> 9).

Turns out he had a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering (like me, eventually) and a doctorate in materials science.  He probably told me that, but I was just a kid in high school at the time.  I remember him having me read his organic chemistry book early in my assignment, probably to give himself time to figure out what to do with me.  I was his first, and probably only, co-op.

He was the first adult to not let me call him "Mister".  He insisted I call him "Alex".

A lack of a photo in his obituary makes sense, given his faith.  I think our pairing is extremely interesting, given what I know now.  Amazing.

His obituary says he was born in Horodenka, now part of Ukraine.

Adjusted the footnotes to keep the red references in appropriate order.

 

UPDATE, Junk 15, 2025...

¹⁰ Updated the link to the permanent Michigan Assembly website.  The June, 2024 update pointed at a temporary website. 

Gentile Teachings

God chose Abram.  He chose Isaac instead of his brother.  He chose Jacob instead of Esau; he hated Esau.

God changed Jacob's name to Israel.  He demonstrated his power by delivering the descendants of Israel from the Egyptians.

God made his expectations known through Moses.  He destroyed nations and made the name of Israel feared.

When the people of Israel rebelled against him, he punished them.  He killed many, but always kept a remnant of faithful Israelites.

Jesus is the King of Israel.

God sent Jesus to save the Israelites from their sins.

Jesus told the Canaanite woman he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  Except for that woman and the Roman Centurion, Jesus exclusively interacted with Israelites.

Israelites wrote all of the works of the Bible.  Paul said they were entrusted with the words of God.

Of the twelve apostles, only Paul was sent to the Gentiles.  He told Gentiles how to become Israelites.

Gentiles took Paul's works and used them to assemble the Bible.  Then they created the Gentile Church, ... and scorned the name of Israel.

The name of God's people is Israel.  He disciplines his people, and many are unfaithful.  But God is always faithful.

Satan is a liar.  He sets up counterfeits.

Many people desire to do what is right and follow God.  They want to believe in Jesus and belong to him.  But many have fallen for counterfeits.

Every Gentile church is a counterfeit.  Each one looks right, but there is something wrong in every single one of them.  That is because they are not Israel.

The name of Israel has God's blessing, and those who are a part of it receive the nourishing sap.  The words and ideas in the Bible are products of that sap, so they are holy.  They have power and authority.

Gentile teachings are not products of the nourishing sap.  They contain lies and half-truths.  They are spiritual dead ends.

What attracts flies?  Death?

Gentile churches and their various manifestations are under constant harassment from the spiritual forces of evil.  They are infiltrated, deceived, and worn down.  It's like a swarm of flies.

Those who are in Israel are alive.  They do not attract flies.

The flies don't even notice they are there.

All glory to God.

-----------------

NOTES:

1. Exactly 33 years ago this morning, I got to meet my babies, ... and then I had to say goodbye.  I believe my wife is with them now.
   
2. Exactly 13 years later, I gave notice to my employer that I was leaving my career to "follow the Lord."
3. Today, exactly 20 years after that, I am posting what I believe to be the key message I have been called to proclaim.
4. I do not believe in coincidences.  This was not planned by me.

UPDATE, November 21, 2023...

Yehoshua confronted the scribes and Pharisees, the "religious professionals" of the time, because they were misleading the people.  We must do the same today.

I have learned to spot certain tells as I evaluate whether specific voices are worth listening to.  Here are a couple of them:

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority..."  (Acts 1:6-7 NIV)

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.  (Ephesians 6:19-20 NIV)

These statements are almost always skipped and ignored.  Similar to the seeds sown on the hardened path, these are seeds not even cast.  This should make us question the "sower," and whether they can be trusted about anything they say.

My INTJ personality has learned to be very efficient at evaluating these things.  Impersonal analysis may be foreign to some people, but someone has to do it or people will be led astray.  This is a big part of my job.

People should simply read the Bible.  Derivative works such as commentaries and workbooks can be helpful, but we must remember that they are works of men, and they can mislead us.

Also, I have observed many people hang on the words of certain pastors, theologians, and famous teachers.  My question is, are we following them or are we following Yehoshua?

Just like the name "Jesus" is a distortion of a transliteration of a transliteration, the messages from Gentile preachers are almost always faulty in some way.

Shutdown

Chemical plants and refineries operate continuously for many months and even years, but eventually they must be shut down for maintenance.  When they are, they are very different places.

Instead of the loud roar of compressors and high pitched whine of pumps, there is relative silence.  The clanging of tools, crackling of welding arcs, and humming of diesel generators fill the air, but it is nothing like the sound of the operating plant.  Lots of things have to happen in a short amount of time, because "time is money."  The system must be emptied out, cleaned out, inspected, repaired, and modified where necessary.  Safety equipment must be checked and refurbished, and known weak points must be replaced with new parts.  Then everything must be buttoned back up and safely refilled with hazardous materials so it can all be restarted.  This typically all takes a number of weeks to accomplish, and requires a lot of planning and preparation.

You can always tell where there is a shutdown happening.  Cranes.

Our bodies apparently need occasional "shutdowns," too.  They are designed for it, but we rarely, if ever, carry them out.  They are called "fasts," and they are a foreign concept to our modern, western culture.

Fasting is not something I ever really considered doing for any lengthy period, but I did write about it as part of a previous post in 2016.  I concluded...

I believe fasting is appropriate when we are specifically called to do so by the Holy Spirit, or we have lost contact with Him, but most of the behaviors promoted by this particular book are not relevant under the New Covenant.

I still agree with that assessment, and the analysis I did in that post.

As I previously discussed, I lost my wife in January, and since then it has basically been just the Holy Spirit and me.  My wife and I had been doing some intermittent fasting, eating about twice a day.  In recent weeks I had decreased that to eating one big meal a day.  I had also started growing out my beard, simply to see what it did.  Eventually things got to the point where the refrigerator was pretty empty, I had used up anything that needed to be used, and I really had no motivation to go to the grocery store.  This was not out of laziness, however.  It was like I was being blocked.

So, I decided to start fasting, to see what it was like.  It was easy because I just did not eat that meal the next day.  Or the next.  Or the next.  The "detox" headaches came first, but I've had those before.  Then I had a couple of days where I had a sore throat.  Then one ear started popping, and a few days later some wax came out.  Lots of interesting things happened, but it all made sense.

I'm not going to go into details, and I am definitely not giving anybody any advice.  I will leave that to those who think it is their job to do.  I am also not going to get into the length of the fast because this is not about boasting.  I just want to convey some of the things that I learned.

...when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  (Matthew 6:17-18 NIV)

This fast did not start out being "spiritual," but once I was into it I realized it actually was.  My beard was long enough that it masked any gaunt appearance of my face.  Some of my clothing was already baggy, especially my work clothes, and it was really not obvious to anybody what I was doing.  The Holy Spirit had arranged this, but I was still doing it for "health reasons."

Autophagy is the body's mechanism for removing damaged and old cells.  It roughly means "self-devouring."  Being the engineer that I am, I wanted to see how it worked.

The bottom line was, my body found peace.  It was almost like it was saying to me, "Thank you.  Thank you for giving me a break!"  I continued to take my daily walks, mowed the grass, worked in the garden, talked with the neighbors, and walked downtown to see a couple of concerts.  And nobody was the wiser.  At least for a while.

I started keeping track of my weight after I was well into it, because I'm an engineer and I wanted to make sure I understood what was going on.  Staying hydrated was important, and I continued with my use of sea salt to maintain electrolytes.  I got very tired of drinking water.

Later on, I did slow down a lot, and I got weaker.  I started thinking a lot about food, and my stomach would periodically try to remind me that it was boss, but it was not.  This is where the "spiritual" learning started to kick in.  I found myself ignoring my flesh and easily found myself passing much time in spiritual thoughts.  These are things I did not anticipate.

More than midway through the fast I needed to fix my mother breakfast in order to get her to an early appointment where she had to be alert, and I made her fried eggs and toast.  It was not a problem at all.  The next day, I took her grocery shopping, and that wasn't a problem either.  It was amazing.

Not knowing how it would end, I decided if someone wanted to arrange a meal, or some event, I would call it quits.  Soon after, my mother asked me a number of times to take her out to get something to eat, and she also started to quiz me about what I was doing.  I explained it to her and told her it was time to be done.  I had started making unforced errors and my primary responsibility was taking care of her.¹ 

God desires mercy, not sacrifice.  As I discussed in that other related post, spending time fasting does not show anyone any mercy.  Asceticism doesn't do anyone any good; it's showboating.  It was time to go eat with my mother, although I told her I needed to take things slowly.

Recommissioning

I picked the time to end my fast, and I recommenced by starting with chicken broth.  Then I moved to a couple of eggs.  Then, I had a small spoon of raw honey.  I had been craving a peanut butter and Miracle Whip sandwich, which is something I ate as a child, but I had to settle for Mayonaise.  Then I wanted some of the Gatorade I had bought for my mother because she had been dehydrated, and she gladly gave it to me because she doesn't like the stuff.  I asked her for a peanut butter and dill pickle sandwich, which is something our family always ate, and she gladly gave me one.  (I wanted her to remember that I had ended my fast.)  Then I went home and had part of a pastie.  You get the idea.

I took it slowly, but it was amazing how quickly my body realized the "famine" was over.  I've been craving a lot of bread, which is something I typically do not eat, but apparently that's what my body wants.  It doesn't surprise me that Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread.  I can sense that these foods are necessary to recharge my glucose stores in my muscles.²  I'm resting a lot.

This is my second day out of my fast, and I went to the grocery store today.  I was at such peace.  There are some recipes I intend to do, but my primary focus was on getting bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and yogurt to repopulate my... you know.  My body is amazing, and it is guiding me about what to do.

God's design is so incredible.  All glory to him!

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UPDATES, April 3, 2022...

¹Relocated and clarified this sentence.

²The book Body By Science by Doug McGuff has been very useful to me.  It promotes a very sensible method for building muscle mass and includes the scientific background behind it.  You can view a free Internet archive of the book here.

UPDATE, November 6, 2022...

According to these articles in The Epoch Times, fasting and autophagy are natural methods for detoxing from COVID infection and vaccination.  So is exposure to sunlight.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/natural-ways-to-increase-autophagy-and-detox-spike-proteins-after-covid-infection-vaccination_4827913.html

https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/signs-you-have-a-spike-protein-blood-clot-and-what-to-do-about-it_4842975.html

UPDATE, August 11, 2023...

Now that I have reclaimed my birthright political status as a Michiganian, I can actually speak freely.  My unalienable rights are intact and protected by the Bill of Rights of the Constitutions.

U.S. Citizens and citizens of the United States are welcome to listen to my opinions and take my advice at their own risk.  We all must learn to self-govern and take responsibility for ourselves.

It has been over two years since my fast, and I feel great.  I go to sleep when it gets dark (although not always to bed right away 😂), and wake up when it starts to get light.  I am naturally eating less and eating when I get hungry.  I have also relaxed some of my dietary practices and moved away from supplements.  I get my nutrition through eating food, as God intends.

Out of curiosity, I weighed myself this morning, the first time since ending my fast.  I have regained 29 pounds and believe I am at my ideal weight.  My "love handles" are gone.  My Sweetie would be proud of me, and maybe even a bit amorous.  Wouldn't that be nice? 💞

In the year or so after my fast, I did strength training five times.  I would like to get back to the gym at some point, but it has not really been important in the big scheme of things.

I am convinced that fasting is an essential part of life and its effects are long-lasting.  Eating the way God intends and getting appropriate amounts of sunlight are also key.  When we do things God's way, we will be rewarded.