“We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert.” –J. Robert Oppenheimer
This cheerfully and purposefully reposted WWG1WGA SUNDAY
open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody
to post whatever they feel they would like
to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.
Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil. Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.
Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS: I AM PRAYING FOR YOU
“Two are better than one because they have a more satisfying return for their labor; for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up.
Again, if two lie down together, then they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? And though one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
The wisdom teacher of Ecclesiastes illustrates the power of companionship in life. The Q Tree has provided much needed support for those of us engaging with a rapidly changing political/economic/social landscape. And for this we are grateful.
Think*3
I am fully confident that you all will keep this Sunday Open lively with discussion while I am away from my computer. I look forward to reading and catching up now that I have returned. God bless. Think*3
This cheerfully and purposefully reposted WWG1WGA SUNDAY
open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody
to post whatever they feel they would like
to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.
Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil. Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.
Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS: I AM PRAYING FOR YOU
Overcoming Offendedness
The following article is part of a larger series by Rick Joyner intended to help people prepare for the battles right on our horizon. I highly recommend prayerfully going over the entire set of articles as time permits.
“A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city.” (Proverbs 18:19a)
The Great Commission was to make disciples of all nations, not just individuals. The Lord said that when He returned He would divide the nations into “sheep” or “goats.” The sheep are good and the goats are bad. We have come to a time when nations are determining ultimate issues that will result in them being a sheep or goat nation.
In this series, I will continue to unpack the dramatic dream I had about the American Republic that deals with ultimate issues of our purpose from heaven’s perspective. Regardless of what country you are from, there will be a level of civil conflict coming in your nation too. Many will be similar to what is unfolding here.
Therefore, even though this is American-centric, in many ways it addresses the same basic issues all nations will be facing, as these are all connected to what The Lord said would come at the end of this age.
As covered previously, the first two Great Awakenings in America each preceded wars, the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. As we study the primary messages that came from those two Great Awakenings, we can see a direct link from the Awakenings to the wars.
So did these great spiritual awakenings cause the wars? In some basic ways they did. The light from these Awakenings exposed the darkness, and this required that it be confronted until it was driven from the land.
Could the darkness have been driven from the land by spiritual warfare so that the physical conflicts would not have been necessary? Perhaps. That certainly would have been desirable.
However, what I saw in my dream included physical conflict. I saw the nature of this, which I will share later in this study. Even so, it is my conviction that to the degree that evil strongholds in our land are destroyed spiritually, the degree of the physical conflict will lessen.
As we enter the Third Great Awakening in America, we can expect the same kind of light to expose the great darkness in our time. When powers of darkness are exposed, they rage. When they are cast out of their high positions they come to the earth with great wrath, as we see in Revelation 12.
God’s provision is to send us great champions of the truth to face specific evil strongholds in our time. They are being sent to completely destroy these strongholds, not just defeat them and push them back. What is happening in the Spirit will be reflected in the natural with rage and conflict.
It is always a tragedy when our differences degenerate into violence. It has been a great hope of Western Civilization to rise above war, to eradicate it completely from the earth. That is a noble hope, however, as we see up to the end of the Book of Revelation, there will be increasing war right to the end of the age.
As we see in Revelation 7, for a brief time the winds of war (winds of the earth) are held back so that The Lord’s bondservants can be sealed, but this is a short time and the winds are released again.
To be prepared for the times we must understand that violence has already begun, and it will get worse for a time. Again, this may be reduced by spiritual victories, but there is now a level of violence that we will not be able to avoid and we must be prepared for—spiritually and physically.
A major reason we can expect increasing violence is because of a contingent that not only does not want open debate, but cannot tolerate it. This is the fruit of an education system that no longer educates, but rather indoctrinates.
A generation has been conditioned so that if you disagree with them they will be offended, and being offended has been elevated to the level of being considered almost worse than a physical assault.
That many are so easily offended is a major cause that will make the physical violence unavoidable. As we are told in Proverbs 18:19, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city.”
One of the most important things we can do to prepare for the coming conflict is to refuse to be offended. This is basic Christianity and is called “forgiveness.” Jesus forgave the ones who had Him crucified and even those who nailed Him to the cross. Learning to be quick to forgive is basic discipleship and basic to following Christ.
To stay on the right side in what is unfolding, we must not engage in the rage and bitterness that is fueled by unforgiveness. We must learn not to react to personal offense, but take the actions that we do because they are the right thing to do.
To make it through what is coming upon the world will require all Christians to follow Christ more closely and be more like Him than we ever have. We must guard our hearts, especially from the evil stronghold of unforgiveness and offense.
The Lord will help us get ready by allowing opportunities to learn to forgive quickly and totally. Don’t waste these trials. Embrace them as the opportunities they are, especially when you are persecuted for doing what is right.
The Lord promised a special blessing for this. See these as an opportunity to get closer to The Lord by bearing your cross to identify with Him, and getting closer to Him will be the greatest blessing of all.
“One of the most important things
we can do to prepare for the coming conflict
is to refuse to be offended. “
We are in a battle for the ages.
Our lives, our families, our communities, our nation need us to win this.
Living in offense is like keeping your eyes on the rear view mirror.
Fixating on the rear view mirror is a distraction we cannot afford to entertain.
Let’s clear our vision so we can maximize our battle readiness!
Think*3
I am fully confident that you all will keep this Sunday Open lively with discussion while I am away from my computer. I look forward to reading and catching up when I return. God bless. Think*3
This cheerfully and purposefully reposted
STILL SINGING FROM THE STATE OF THE UNION SUNDAY
open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody to post whatever
they feel they would like to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.
Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil. Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.
Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS: I AM PRAYING FOR YOU
“We must choose whether we are defined by our differences —
or whether we dare to transcend them.
We must choose whether we will squander our inheritance —
or whether we will proudly declare that we are Americans.
We do the incredible. We defy the impossible. We conquer the unknown.
This is the time to re-ignite the American imagination.
This is the time to search for the tallest summit,
and set our sights on the brightest star.
This is the time to rekindle the bonds of love and loyalty and memory
that link us together as citizens, as neighbors, as patriots.
This is our future — our fate — and our choice to make. I am asking you to choose greatness.
No matter the trials we face, no matter the challenges to come,
we must go forward together.
We must keep America first in our hearts.
We must keep freedom alive in our souls.
And we must always keep faith in America’s destiny —
that one Nation, under God,
must be the hope and the promise and the light and the glory
among all the nations of the world!
Thank you. God Bless You,
God Bless America, and good night!”
— President Donald J. Trump, 2019 State of the Union Address
I am fully confident that you all will keep this Sunday Open lively with discussion while I am away from my computer. I look forward to reading and catching up when I return. God bless. Think*3
Here comes FRIDAY! Are you ready for the weekend? Time to say goodbye to summer.
Temps are starting to cool, Big T and I are running around like squirrels getting the house ready for winter. It’s the first real weekend of September and Labor Day kind of snuck up on us. The kids are back in school, and I’m polishing the crock pots. Unfortunately, we won’t see cooler temps until almost November…… but hey, a girl can dream. Meanwhile, our VSG never stops. President Trump and the White House Team runs 24/7/365.
Open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody to post whatever they feel they would like to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA / KAG! / KMAG world (KMAG being a bit of both MAGA and KAG!).
Free Speech is practiced here. ENJOY IT. Use it or lose it.
Please keep it SOMEWHAT civil. They tried to FORCE fake Orwellian civility on us. In response, we CHOOSE true civility to defend our precious FREEDOM from THEM.
Our rules began with the civility of the Old Treehouse, later to become the Wolverinian Empire, and one might say that we have RESTORED THE OLD REPUBLIC – the early high-interaction model of the Treehouse – except of course that Q discussion is not only allowed but encouraged, and speech is considerably freer in other ways. Please feel free to argue and disagree with the board owner, as nicely as possible.
Please also consider the Important Guidelines, outlined here in the January 1st open thread. Let’s not give the odious Internet Censors a reason to shut down this precious haven.
SPEAK THE FIVE WORDS BOLDLY TO OUR PRESIDENT!
“I AM PRAYING FOR YOU!“
AND WHAT TIME IS IT?
TIME TO….
DRAIN THE SWAMP
Our movement
Is about replacing
A failed
And CORRUPT
Political establishment
With a new government controlled
By you, the American People.
Candidate Donald J. Trump
Also remember Wheatie’s Rules:
No food fights.
No running with scissors.
If you bring snacks, bring enough for everyone.
Now that we think about it a little bit. The squirrels of September remind us of the US Media. They’re constantly chasing something, burying a nut, but can’t remember where it was. Here’s the crew from CNN. They went round and round for almost 3 years on “Muh Russia”.
Big tail, very impressed with himself, couldn’t harm a lion if he tried.
Yet, it is FRIDAY, so forget the media and their screeching, put your slick shoes on and dance with me. Can’t keep my feet still to this classic from Earth, Wind and Fire.
And don’t forget….
Where We Go One, We Go All.
Signing off. All our love, for Wolfie (the Boss) + Daughn (guest appearance)
PS: Have you guys started thinking about Halloween and Pumpkin Spice?
Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS: I AM PRAYING FOR YOU
This cheerfully and purposefully reposted
OH-MY-GOODNESS SUNDAY
open thread is VERY OPEN – a place for everybody
to post whatever they feel they would like
to tell the White Hats, and the rest of the MAGA world.
Say what you want, comment on what other people said,
comment on people’s comments.
Keep it civil. Treehouse rules, but expect lots of QAnon.
Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering,
not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)
Have you ever thought about how long God’s goodness has been hunting you down, cutting off all your avenues of escape, relentlessly hounding you until you finally surrender to it?
God is that committed to blessing you. And that should be good news.
You may remember a time when circumstances were particularly grim, when you felt like there was no escape, you were going to be crushed. But God somehow, someway, was with you, holding your heart so tenderly you barely could feel His touch, but you lived to see another day. And you knew it was the goodness of God.
Maybe you have sensed His goodness in a very deep way when you held a newborn baby in your arms for the first time.
Or perhaps you have never really sensed His goodness, but you still choose to trust in it by His grace.
It’s easy to fall out of the practice of remembering the goodness of God. But you really can never get too much of His goodness, right?
Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved chapters of the Bible. “Surely Goodness and Mercy will follow me all the days of my life.” Who doesn’t want that?
In fact, Jesus reminds us that our Heavenly Father shares His goodness with the undeserving as well as those who do well in His sight. And He calls us to do the same.
“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.
For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and
he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” (Matthew 5:44-45)
Let’s pull on Heaven together for more of His goodness.
The world around us certainly needs it.
Think*3
I am fully confident that you all will keep this Sunday Open lively with discussion while I am away from my computer. I look forward to reading and catching up when I return. God bless. Think*3
This past afternoon I was thinking about what I am going to do for those Sundays coming up when I will be traveling and not able to compose the usual on-the-spot posts that often happen pretty close to the beginning of Sunday (but sometimes arriving a tad bit late to our WQ Tree House).
I thought about an excellent fictional book series that I believe carries many important messages for us in the time we are living in. There’s a good number of books in the series. I could have covered a book per Sunday. But that just didn’t quite fit right.
What to do?
I thought about Psalm 119. Another good basis for a series.
But, no, still not it.
And then I recalled how strongly Candace and Steve’s conversation about the leftist media being cowards struck me yesterday. So there’s that.
Maybe a series based on the qualities of a Patriot? We shall see. But for today, we will ponder the quality of Steadfast Fortitude or Courage.
In church tradition, fortitude is often used when reflecting on the character of the martyrs. Fortitude is closely related to faithfulness, a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
FAITHFULNESS (πίστις)
“God is faithful” (1 Cor. 1:9. cf. Rom. 3:3), not as having faith, but as being constant (cf. 1 Cor. 10:13), trustworthy (cf. 2 Cor. 1:18). It is a divine quality. The martyrs were “faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10), not vacillating at the face of bodily harm and suffering, imitating thus their Lord “Jesus Christ the faithful martyr” (Rev. 1:5. cf. 3:14).
In lieu of an example from the life of a Saint, we quote the following lines from the Wisdom of Solomon, read in the Vespers service for Martyrs:
“The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.
For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of Himself; like gold in the furnace He tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering He accepted them.
In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them forever.
Those who trust in Him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with Him in love, because grace and mercy are upon His holy ones, and He watches over His elect” (Wis. of Sol. 3:1-9).
An important component to fortitude seems to be a quality of perseverance.
Can you think of anyone that has recently demonstrated fortitude in the public arena?
An interesting thought about how one goes about developing fortitude comes from the idea that it is a fruit.
That is, it is something we grow in our character, not something we build or think our way into. It has to come from something we have developed. Like learning to field balls behind 2nd base in baseball. You don’t just go out there and instantly do it well. But it’s not just an internal skill as you might think of will power or the like. No, it’s more like learning to dance.
We are learning to do hard things within the context of our trusting relationship with the One who leads in this dance called life.
And we will not go far without steadfast fortitude.
Today there is a planned confrontation (street brawl?) in Portland.
Oath Keepers have made a statement.
This is a time for discipline.
August 15, 2019
Public Notice: Oath Keepers Will NOT be Participating in the August 17, 2019 “End Domestic Terrorism” Rally in Portland, OR
by Stewart Rhodes
I wish I didn’t have to do this, but it must be done. I must make it clear that Oath Keepers will not be participating in the “End Domestic Terrorism” rally scheduled for this Saturday, August 17, 2019, which is being organized by Joe Biggs and the Proud Boys.
I must also make it clear that Oath Keepers is NOT an organizer of this event, as has been erroneously reported by some media outlets. This event is being organized by Joe Biggs and the Proud Boys, not Oath Keepers. Oath Keepers was invited to attend, but we will not be attending.
We fully support free speech, and we fully agree that Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that uses force and the threatened use of force to intimidate, silence, and suppress the free speech of Americans. However, we cannot participate in this event for the following reasons: A. We have not seen adequate steps taken by the organizers to exclude known or suspected white nationalists from attending this event. Oath Keepers has a zero tolerance policy for white nationalism or any other ethno-nationalist ideology that discriminates along racial lines (as our bylaws make clear) and we do not, and cannot, knowingly associate with known or suspected white nationalists.
First, we consider white nationalists (along with any other ethno-nationalists) to be dangerous domestic enemies of the Constitution, every bit as deadly to our Republic as the violent communists within Antifa, because white nationalists also hold the Constitution in contempt and wish to overthrow it and replace it with their own desired totalitarian system. On that, the white nationalists and the communists are in agreement. And all of us who swore to defend the Constitution must stand against both of them as clear domestic enemies of the Constitution.
Second, we have a considerable number of active duty military and police in our membership who cannot knowingly associate with racists and we owe it to them to be diligent in avoiding participating in any event where white nationalists will not be actively, stringently excluded.
Third, the left in this nation is desperate to paint all conservatives and, especially, all Trump supporters as “white nationalists” to the point of absurdity. Allowing any actual white nationalists into an event where attendees are encouraged to bring Trump flags as well as American flags would be a grave mistake and does no favors to either President Trump or to the broader conservative cause. Conservatives, libertarians, and Trump supporters must be diligent about making sure the events they organize exclude white nationalists who want the same thing the left wants – to paint the false impression that we agree with their racist, collectivist, anti-constitution agenda (which is exactly why CNN loves to give airtime to the white nationalist troll Richard Spencer, as he desperately tries to tie his Neo-Nazi agenda to Trump).
I want to stress that we at Oath Keepers DO NOT believe that Joe Biggs or Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, the two organizers of this event, are white nationalists. Nor do we believe that the great majority of those groups and individuals who plan on attending the event are white nationalists. But we do not believe the organizers are taking the steps necessary to ensure that white nationalist and suspected white nationalist groups and individuals will be excluded.
A closely related problem is that the organizers have not secured a permit for exclusive use of the Waterfront Park where they will be holding the rally this Saturday in Portland. Yes, they still have a right to free speech, but one of the advantages of securing a permit to use a public space for a particular time is that it allows you to exclude others from using that same space at that time, such as excluding known or suspected white nationalists.
We saw the problems a lack of a permit can bring when we helped to protect a free speech event in Berkeley, CA in April, 2017. That was an un-permitted event, and because the event organizers had not secured a permit for exclusive use of the MLK park, they could not exclude the white nationalists group Identity Evropa from entering the park. Identity Evropa promptly placed themselves and their anti-Semitic, racist signs front and center, facing off with Antifa.
I instructed those under our command in the event security element that under no circumstances were they to allow Identity Evropa to enter our security inner perimeter around the audience and the stage. I was willing to go to jail to prevent Identity Evropa from actually entering the audience for the event, but we could not kick them out of the park. And, of course, the media all focused their cameras on Identity Evropa. We were able to maintain some separation between them and the event we were securing, but it did give Identity Evropa the opportunity to attempt to co-opt the event for their own agenda.
For this event in Portland, in contrast to the April 2017 event in Berkeley, Oath Keepers is not in charge of the security element and, if we attended this Saturday, we would not be able to actively exclude suspected white nationalists as we did in Berkeley. As such, we cannot attend. B. Some of the past rhetoric, public statements, and memes/graphics posted online by the event organizer and by planned attendees expose those who attend the August 17 rally to possible civil and criminal law liability.
We understand the anger and frustration among patriots after watching the footage of the violent Antifa attack on Andy Ngo on June 29, 2019 and the horrific attack on two other patriots that same day. However, angry, undisciplined public statements that can be construed as expressing an intent to come to Portland to seek out Antifa and engage them in street fights and to assault them, and memes posted online to that effect, or worse, do a disservice to anyone who wants to attend a free speech event in protest against Antifa terrorism and against the failure of Portland officials to secure the free speech rights of Americans.
Those angry statements cannot be undone, and despite the organizers and planned attendees subsequently dialing back on the rhetoric, those prior statements are already being used against them by their political opponents and by the leftist dominated media. All of the angry videos,Twitter posts, and incriminating photos, etc by the organizer leading up to this rally have been preserved by Antifa and their supporters. Likewise for memes/graphics posted by planned attendees depicting violence against Antifa.
Further, those prior statements, videos, photos, and memes/graphics by the event organizer and other planned attendees potentially expose all attendees to possible prosecution using both an Oregon state “rioting” statute and a federal rioting statute that was used on some of the attendees of the disastrous Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally in August, 2017 (which Oath Keepers also did NOT attend). Even though the vast majority of the planned attendees for the Portland rally this Saturday have no intention of initiating unlawful violence against Antifa, the prior statements of the event organizer, expressing his intent, can potentially be used against all attendees.
I share the frustrations many patriots feel about the obvious double standard of Antifa having free rein in Portland while patriots are under the microscope. But I cannot and will not expose Oath Keepers members to possible persecution/prosecution because of undisciplined statements made by others, however understandable the anger that prompted the undisciplined statements. Therefore, I must urge all Oath Keepers members to stay clear of this event in Portland on August 17, 2019. C. More Than Ever, This is a Time for Discipline and Professionalism
Because of their own actions, Antifa is currently on the ropes and is on the verge of being declared a domestic terrorist organization. Much has taken place since Joe Biggs first announced his intent to hold this rally. First, on July 13, 2019, the self-identified Antifa terrorist Willem Van Spronsen used a rifle and Molotov cocktails to attack the ICE detention facility in Tacoma, WA. Only by the grace of God was he not able to kill responding officers. Van Spronsen pointed his AR-15 at the officers, but it apparently malfunctioned, and he was shot and killed before he could fix that malfunction. He also failed in his attempt to ignite a 500 lb propane tank. If he had been successful, it could have killed all the personnel and the detainees in the center. Thankfully he was an incompetent terrorist.
Since that attack, Antifa has lauded Van Spronsen as a martyr and an example to follow, and, in the graphics promoting their planned assault on the border in El Paso, Texas September 1-10, Antifa has openly threatened to kill CBP personnel.
And, of course, Antifa widely celebrated the July 12 illegal trespassing at the Aurora, CO ICE facility where protesters tore down the American flag, attempted to burn it, and in its place hoisted up the Mexican flagand also flew a defaced, upside down “blue lives matter” flag with “Abolish ICE” written on it in red.
And most recently, at 3am on August 13, 2019, shots were fired into the occupied ICE offices in San Antonio, Texas.
A maxim of warfare, expressed by Napoleon Bonaparte, is to “never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” Patriots, conservatives, Trump supporters, all need to be disciplined and let Antifa continue to show their true colors. It would be counterproductive to engage in undisciplined activities (or in a rally who’s main organizer made undisciplined statements of intent) that can be construed by the media and politicians to paint patriots as the aggressors and Antifa as the victims.
Frankly, given the prior statements of Joe Biggs that will be used against all attendees of his rally, it would be best for the patriot/conservative cause if this August 17 rally were simply canceled. Those who want to protest the way Portland coddles Antifa should start over, with a clean slate, and then do so in a much more disciplined manner.
In addition to the above noted Antifa terrorism, after the mass shootings in California, El Paso, and Ohio, we are in a decidedly “kinetic” (guns and bombs) environment and we should expect Antifa to use even more deadly force as they go full “Weather Underground” in their revolutionary communist-terrorist trajectory. Expect it.
As such, Oath Keepers will be very disciplined about what events we participate in, and we are currently instructing our members to focus on publicly supporting and directly backing up ICE and CBP personnel in a disciplined, purely defensive posture, using only clearly lawful self defense and defense of others, and to focus on our upcoming operation in El Paso, TX where we will also be assisting in securing private property (including homes) against deadly threat by Antifa.
If the event organizers do continue on with their planned event this Saturday, we sincerely hope it goes off without a hitch and is peaceful and successful. But Oath Keepers will be focusing our resources elsewhere.
For the Republic,
Stewart Rhodes
Founder and National President of Oath Keepers Credits: Author, Stewart Rhodes at OathKeepers.org Recommended by andyocoregon here at WQTH
Let’s P.R.A.Y.!
Whatever the outcome today, may I suggest to include this struggle in our prayers. Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will Be Done. Think *3
Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS: I AM PRAYING FOR YOU
2nd Amendment Sunday
Well, it’s really quite the hot August and there are a lot of chores to be done around our place. To be honest, the number of really excellent threads inspires me. To not be very wordy. To allow for some strong conversations here…
Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS: I AM PRAYING FOR YOU
You’ve Got To “Know When” Sunday
In researching for the prayer post earlier this week, I came across the following story of a family returning to their home town in Iraq after ISIS was finally driven out. It is told from the perspective of the young daughter and includes video of earlier interviews from the time when her family was in exile in Egypt.
This is a beautiful story of resilience anchored in hope.
Assessing Situations
The lyrics from Kenny Rogers song, The Gambler, succinctly sum up the necessary task of discerning the right response to a high stakes environment. If you judge the situation correctly you can sometimes take in big winnings, just stay in the game for future wins, move on or live another day.
See also: https://genius.com/Kenny-rogers-the-gambler-lyrics
Jesus’ Parable About Investment
Jesus often taught principles of the Kingdom of Heaven using stories (parables). In the following parable, Jesus is gently directing his disciples attention away from their expectation of God’s immediate judgment coming to earth, wiping out their enemies, and the restoration of Paradise for the righteous among them.
As you read through it, consider your own expectations. What you expect from God. From the White Hats. And, most important of all, what do you expect from yourself?
11 While he had their attention, and because they were getting close to Jerusalem by this time and expectation was building that God’s kingdom would appear any minute, he told this story:
12-13 “There was once a man descended from a royal house who needed to make a long trip back to headquarters to get authorization for his rule and then return. But first he called ten servants together, gave them each a sum of money, and instructed them, ‘Operate with this until I return.’ 14 “But the citizens there hated him. So they sent a commission with a signed petition to oppose his rule: ‘We don’t want this man to rule us.’ 15 “When he came back bringing the authorization of his rule, he called those ten servants to whom he had given the money to find out how they had done. 16 “The first said, ‘Master, I doubled your money.’ 17 “He said, ‘Good servant! Great work! Because you’ve been trustworthy in this small job, I’m making you governor of ten towns.’ 18 “The second said, ‘Master, I made a fifty percent profit on your money.’ 19 “He said, ‘I’m putting you in charge of five towns.’ 20-21 “The next servant said, ‘Master, here’s your money safe and sound. I kept it hidden in the cellar. To tell you the truth, I was a little afraid. I know you have high standards and hate sloppiness, and don’t suffer fools gladly.’ 22-23 “He said, ‘You’re right that I don’t suffer fools gladly—and you’ve acted the fool! Why didn’t you at least invest the money in securities so I would have gotten a little interest on it?’ 24 “Then he said to those standing there, ‘Take the money from him and give it to the servant who doubled my stake.’ 25 “They said, ‘But Master, he already has double . . .’ 26 “He said, ‘That’s what I mean: Risk your life and get more than you ever dreamed of. Play it safe and end up holding the bag.“
And so we come to the very heart of this exploration.
How do we assess the appropriate response when the place where we live is in outright rebellion to our Heavenly King and His ways?
Whether it’s Baltimore or Broward County, Cleveland or California, the right move for you and your family will require discernment. We can all agree that these places come with a higher level of toxicity than other places.
What is a Toxic Environment?
Chernobyl comes to mind. But did you know that plant and animal life around the reactor is stronger and more diverse than before the accident? From an Institute for Creation Research article just published this week (emphasis added):
“Interestingly, in addition to this innate resilience to radiation, some plants in the Chernobyl exclusion zone seem to be using extra mechanisms to protect their DNA, changing its chemistry to make it more resistant to damage, and turning on systems to repair it if this doesn’t work [added emphasis].” His observations coincide with research on the progeny of Arabidopsis plants from Chernobyl.
Several Russian scientists discovered that when exposed to high radiation there was a resistance to mutations through a more than 10-fold decreased frequency of extrachromosomal homologous recombination, major differences in the expression of genes controlling DNA-repair and for proteins removing dangerous free radicals, and a higher level of global genome methylation.
Other research on several bird species at Chernobyl found that they also have internal mechanisms for detecting free radical molecules that are a byproduct of radiation exposure and then up-regulate mechanisms for DNA repair.
Because all DNA damage was repaired more quickly, radiation-exposed birds surprisingly “may even obtain beneficial hormetic effects following an adaptive response.”
It is now obvious that creatures have innate mechanisms that enable them to self-adjust to a higher range of radiation than anticipated. The existence of these systems precedes radiation exposure—Chernobyl was a unique radiation producing event—as there has not been enough time for them to have developed due to evolutionary “tinkering” via “trial-and-error” struggles to survive.
… [T]he Institute for Creation Research has been promoting an organism-focused, design-based model of adaptation called Continuous Environmental Tracking (CET).
This model explains what organisms are doing when they adapt. The organism-focused arm of the framework hypothesizes that: organisms possess internal mechanisms that enable them to actively and continuously track environmental variables and respond by self-adjusting to changing environments—which results in their adaptation.
The other design-based arm assumes that these internal mechanisms utilize the same engineering principles that constrain how human-designed objects self-adjust to changes.
CET postulates that how organisms adapt is via innate systems with elements analogous to those within human-engineered tracking systems, namely: input sensors, internal logic mechanisms to select suitable responses, and actuators to execute responses. CET, therefore, expects that the creatures’ self-adjustments would be characterized as regulated, rapid, and targeted to specific challenges.
Growing up, I was mercilessly bullied.
I hated myself because I believed their lies.
The bullies never expected, however, how strong they made me.
As an adult, I choose to be a victor, not a victim.
In the parable above, the foolish servant was a complete failure at adaptation. Maybe he saw the rebellion fomenting and buried his master’s money in hopes of cashing in if the rebellion succeeded. Maybe he just was really afraid of loss and that’s why he hid it.
But look at the admonition of the King to this foolish servant, “Why didn’t you at least invest the money in securities so I would have gotten a little interest on it?”
Apparently, Jesus wants his followers to understand that He rewards smart risk taking for potential gain and will be more pleased with someone gaining a little in a very safe investment rather than not investing what they have been given at all.
Risky Investments: Exhibit A
"I'm not doing this just to have people vote for @realDonaldTrump. I'm not doing this just to have people vote Republican.
If I truly am a conservative activist that cares about my country, then I'm going to do this b/c it's the right thing.
His work reminds me of a story that takes place during the settling of the “promised land” by the Israelites. Certain tribes wanted to settle on the east side of the Jordan river which had already been conquered. This would be allowed, but the stipulation was that they had to agree to send their fighting men to the west side to help take the whole of the land for their nation before they could enjoy the peace of their own territory.
Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelites. You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.” Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.”
In Scott’s case, he is traveling around the country to invest his talents in whatever way benefits all patriotic Americans. He is fighting for us! May the Lord guide, protect and equip this young man for what lies ahead in his life.
Risky Investments: Exhibit B
Later in Israel’s history, their land was conquered and the people were carried away captive to Babylon. God gave their prophet, Jeremiah, instructions to help them know how to respond to this upheaval.
“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.”
Now imagine the risk of following these instructions. What if the situation changes and you are able to return to your homeland quickly? What if the Babylonians decide to relocate you and all your work is for nothing? Quite the risky investment.
And yet, they are told to pour their sweat equity into building houses, growing food and making big families. They are to seek the welfare of the city where they have been placed–while remaining in captivity!
As it turned out, they were there for some 70 years. Those that heeded the words of the prophet would be coming out of captivity strong and prosperous.
Risky Investments: Exhibit C
In the case of the Iraqi Christian family returning to Qaraqosh (mentioned at the top of this article), they are returning to their hometown which has been bombed, looted, nearly destroyed–with about half of the original residents choosing to not return to rebuild. A different set of risks, but certainly made the choice to return and invest in the community they came from instead of seeking refuge in another, perhaps safer, place.
So back to that pesky question…
How do we assess the appropriate response when the place where we live is in outright rebellion to our Heavenly King and His ways?
I don’t think there is a simple answer.
It’s true that for some people there comes a point in time when they just know in their hearts it is time to leave. And for others it is just as clear that they are to stay and “pray to the Lord” on the behalf of the city God has placed them in.
Many will spend a long time working out what is right for them. But that is the journey and no one else can tell anyone what is the right path for another. I have deep respect for anyone that takes that journey. A journey of truly seeking God’s highest and best purpose for them no matter the cost.
May God grant us all discernment, wisdom, and peace in the process. Think *3
This week’s installment by Rick Joyner on the Second American Revolutionary/Civil War is worthy reading for every patriot and provides much needed encouragement as we face the month of August which promises to be very, very intense.
I am offering this mid-week topic as
a place to fortify ourselves;
a place to pray for America,
for believers around the world,
for those blinded by the darkness,
and for the “good guys”
who are risking it all for liberty.
#WWG1WGA
Remember – your greatest gift to President Trump is FIVE WORDS: I AM PRAYING FOR YOU
U.S. President Donald Trump prays during the National Prayer Breakfast event in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 2, 2017. Photo courtesy of Retuers/Carlos Barria
July 30, 2019 * WEEK 31
The Second American Revolutionary/Civil War
by Rick Joyner
When Jesus was asked about the signs of the end of the age in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, He described the general conditions that have now come upon us and gave us three things to do: 1) stand up 2) look up 3) rejoice! These are the three main things that we should set our hearts to do each day. We must stand up for what we believe with courage and boldness. We do this by looking up to see the One who is on the throne above all rule, authority, and dominion. If we see Him as He is and where He sits, we will rejoice knowing with certainty that His kingdom is coming and His will is going to be done on earth as it is in heaven. This “joy of The Lord” will be our strength. It is our first duty to take a stand for The Lord and His truth. We must never retreat before the enemies of the cross. We must resolve that we will not stop fighting until the entire earth and all it contains serves The Lord. He has paid the full price for it, and it is His. As soldiers of the cross, it is our duty to stand resolutely for what belongs to our King. We have the strength and boldness to do this when we put our faith in Him, seeing Who He is and where He sits above all authority, power, and dominion. Those who live by seeing Him as He is live as He lived, and choose death over compromising what He paid such a price for. His truth is more precious than our temporary life in this world, and we must resolve that regardless of the cost we will stand for Him. We are here to preach the good news of His coming kingdom and to help prepare the way for His coming, building a highway that is His higher way. Knowing these things, how can we not rejoice regardless of how dark it may look for a time? The night gets the darkest and coldest just before the sun rises. It is during this darkest time that the stars shine the brightest. Throughout history, the brightest lights have appeared during the darkest times. We are told that the darkest times of all will be at the end of this age. So, it is then that we can expect some of the brightest stars of all, The Son of God and “the morning star,” a sure testimony that the day is about to dawn, will soon appear. So how do we stand up as one of those lights? We get engaged. “The future belongs to those who show up.” We get engaged where the darkness is. As we are faithful in engaging in even the small things, He will give us authority over bigger matters. We get engaged attending school board meetings and county and city board meetings. We get engaged in media, education, business, sports, and entertainment. We let our voices be heard clearly and often. We do not shrink back from confronting the darkness and resolutely standing up to it. We do not know how much longer the darkness will last until The Son appears, but let us resolve to embrace this opportunity to stand up for The King—to stand on His word and to make His Gospel known even against the greatest opposition. To stand against the greatest darkness is the greatest honor we could be given. At the same time, being a light in the darkness is not just about standing against the darkness; it is also having and being the answer to the greatest problems. We must be solution oriented people instead of just problem oriented people. Our message is how bright The Light is, not how dark the evil is. As racism rages, let us resolve to be the temple of The Lord that is a house of prayer for all races. Let us search our own hearts for any prejudice and resolve that we will not judge others by the color of their skin, but rather by the content of their character. Let us rise far above just tolerance of those who are different and determine that we will esteem these and rejoice to know them so that we can learn things we do not understand. As hatred rages, let us resolve to grow in love, even the ultimate love that loves our enemies. Let us determine to hold to the truth that people are never our enemy, and that we do not war against flesh and blood, but against evil spiritual forces of wickedness that have captivated people. We are sent to set the people free. Fear is the biggest demonic inroad, or “gate of hell.” Perfect love casts out fear, so let us resolve to grow in the love that casts out the fears by which the devil has bound people. We are told in Romans 16:20 that “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet.” Two major takeaways from this is that 1) He wants to do this under our feet, and 2) it is the peace of God that crushes him. Do not ever lose His peace. Peace is the result of our faith in Him—who He is and where He sits above all rule and authority and dominion. As we go into battle, peace is a primary weapon and our primary strategy. So let us resolve to protect it and use it to the fullest effect. In these times of rising anxiety and fear, those who walk in the peace of God will stand out as the great lights of hope that the world so desperately needs. NEVER LOSE THE PEACE OF GOD. Read more by Rick Joyner at MorningStarMinistries.org
The Great Awakening is Coming
We here, at Wolfmoon’s Q Tree House, like to watch for cues from the Q Team. That is, to ponder, discuss, consider, share, what the Q Team highlights for our consideration. One of the key phrases in the Q posts has been “Great Awakening.”
This is a well known term from the early days of our nation. There were times of “awakenings” where by the prayers of believers and by the sovereign mercies of God thousands of wayward souls were consumed by an uncharacteristic sense of the nearness of God through the Holy Spirit, with a correlating desire to be cleansed and restored to right relationship with their Heavenly Father through the redemptive work of His Son on the cross.
These awakenings seem to come at key times in our history when a course correction was needed. It is easy enough to see in our day that we have been long overdue for a course correction. And so it seems appropriate to open up this thread for prayer for those that are ready and willing to battle together for their King.
It is likely that we each will have our own way of participating. That’s good and right. Some have already said they are seeking God with fasting. Some are part of other groups that pray. Some have no words.
Maybe some will post a prayer meme or the text of a traditional prayer. Others might compose their own Spirit-breathed prayer for us to join in to pray with them. Everyone that wants to add their heart-felt prayers is very, very welcome.
Let’s P.R.A.Y.! Think *3
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Now imagine the risk of following these instructions. What if the situation changes and you are able to return to your homeland quickly? What if the Babylonians decide to relocate you and all your work is for nothing? Quite the risky investment.
