A Conspiracy?

I've been intrigued by the possibility of their existence since my early adult years when I was first clued in to them by a friend. I'll admit that I've been on both sides of the fence as far as what I actually believe about these "shadow government" organizations. I mean...are the Bilderbergers really bent on world domination? What about the Illuminati...who are they? There's the Council on Foreign Relations, the United Nations, and of course the Freemasons for us to keep our eye's on!

But I've left someone out of my previous listing, someone who is as I understand it a key behind the scenes player in all the other scenario's. Someone who's stated objectives aren't limited to merely ruling the world under a central government structure.... No, someone who instead has their eye on the big picture, who's not playing for the chump change of this mist that appears for a while we call a life but instead for keeps, for all...

ETERNITY!

Do we, is there, can he? whoa, whoa, my conspiracy fascinated friend!

Perhaps the short answer here is YES! But NO!

Lets start with a look at our "shadow" enemy's declared mission statement...

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

And our Saviors answer...

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

I just have to stop right here and say this...
Praise You Jesus, for you are the way,the truth,and the life! Praise you for Your amazing and abundant love given to each of us!

A Conspiracy? If you're a child of God there's definitely one against you! And just as it is with any true conspiracy or plan, secrecy is essential to it's success. The usual tactic is to take full advantage of the darkness or the ignorance of the victim who never see's it coming and typically isn't prepared for it at all.

C S Lewis said it like this...

“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

I think we're pretty good at doing both here in America...

According to Christian pollster George Barna, 60 percent of American adults contend that Satan does not exist but is merely a "symbol of evil." In 2005 Barna also reported that 46% of born again Christians deny Satan’s existence. It's certainly not my intent to promote any unhealthy interest or preoccupation with our enemy, but based on these statistics I'm thinking a higher awareness than what we presently claim to have might be beneficial to us in many ways.

In all of those moments our enemies attack seems the most acute, we can, instead of being full of despair, do as the Apostle Paul did and rejoice in the persecution that's directed upon us for his name sake! Are all of our most challenging circumstances in this life examples of persecution? Of course not! There have been times in my life when I have felt persecuted or under spiritual attack and yet there have been other situations that were entirely my own doing! But even the wisdom to discern what is ours to change and the courage and strength to then do so are gifts from God! Neither am I saying that we should give thanks for all things but instead that we should give thanks IN all things! Praising God is our greatest weapon against the enemy! If, in the midst of our own affliction's or those of others we can't bring comfort and hope by revisiting our own stories of despair and deliverance we have I believe been spared by God in vain!

2 Corinthians 1:4
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

Everyday the full arsenal of the enemies weapons are arrayed against each of us! Only one who's walked down the same road as us can really know how we feel. Only someone who knows how it feels understands that we can't judge others because all of us have either been there before ourselves and were delivered from it, are there now, or will in the future go through something similar. We must stand together and support each other in love when we're going through trials! If we as members of Gods family view spiritual attack's against the brethren as nothing more than some "conspiracy theory" we're all in trouble! If we have no awareness of, or compassion for those experiencing these very real struggles in life and who are presently feeling the brunt of the terrible weapons our enemy uses to beat down our brothers and sisters in Christ then our problem is manifest in that we ourselves are also easy prey!

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Matthew 10:28
And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

John 16:33
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Ephesians 6:12

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Tis' The Season!

No, not that season....but you're close!

In these parts, beyond the political season it's deer season that takes center stage! Here in the Ozarks it's kind of a holiday, the schools are even let out of session to allow students to fully participate. People make plans all year long to spend some time with friends and family in the deer woods. They often travel great distances from larger cities to small rural areas like this to hunt, drink lots of beer, eat deer meat, and secure their bragging rights for the coming year. Its a time where men bond with their sons (or daughters) around a campfire in the wilderness. It's also an opportunity for people to play lots of practical jokes on one another, hopefully get them on film, and tease them mercilessly all year long about it!

This is how the big boys do it...

Speaking of bragging rights, this monster buck that was taken in Iowa back in bow season...

31 points I think!

It's not always the biggest deer that makes for the proudest conversation. Check out this picture below of an albino deer! The gentleman who shot it said he thought he'd shot a goat!

Hold on, it gets even weirder, a friend of mine told me a story about a deer he'd shot that had a third horn coming out of it's head kind of like a unicorn...(he has it mounted on his wall at home) He said that Bass Pro Shops out of Springfield,Mo. had offered him 20,000 for it and he turned them down!

I know...crazy!

Basically, it all comes down to the available food supply and when the doe's come in season. That's what determines where you'll find them, How many acorns they can find determine how deep in the woods they'll be. The scent of the does are what makes the big bucks crazy enough to run out across an open field and get shot! This year the doe's have come into season early so hunting will be somewhat more challenging. This area is really great for hunting! Deer, turkey, you could actually survive pretty well living off of wild game around here. The other day I was listening to a couple of guys talk about fishing for walleye, strange thing was they were complaining that you couldn't hardly throw a line into the water without catching a doggone small-mouth bass!

Psalm 104:27

These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.

Psalm 42:1

As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.

A Mighty Wind!

The wind is commonly used in literature as a metaphor to represent a powerful force of some kind or as a harbinger that's acting as a catalyst or agent of change. From a meteorological perspective wind is simply a physical manifestation of the effects of gravity and barometric pressure on static air that's enacted between geographic regions.

Recently I've felt as though I'm living in a windy metaphor of my own that's pulling and pushing me both literally and figuratively. Allow me to explain, it's been so windy here the past couple of days and extremely dry for the past couple of months that we're now under a county wide burn ban. As an aside I'm wondering, is it more than a coincidence that we've just recently come through a hotly contested political season? I don't know, and for me to jump to any conclusions about it at this point might seem unsportsmanlike so I won't. When I first saw from a distance the large and yet very low cloud-like plumes of smoke I initially ruled out a fire, let alone one purposely started. After asking around about it I was told that the Conservation Dept. was conducting an out of control controlled burn of about 1000 acres just north of me... Now I'm being told that it was intentionally set by some other individual!

Can you see God? You haven't seen him? I've never seen the wind. I see the effects of the wind, but I've never seen the wind. There's a mystery to it.
- Billy Graham

I've also been feeling a bit of mystery or confusion concerning other winds blowing and fires burning in my life right now that are moving me in a direction I thought I'd never go again. I'm not at all certain but there's a better than even chance that I might soon be going back to driving a truck over the road. On the one hand it's a matter of practical survival, a temporary measure, that will along with other things get me and mine to a better place in time where hopefully better opportunities will meet us. And on the other it could also be a way for me to usher in some needed changes that might be good for me personally as well. At any rate I feel compelled to accept the position if offered to me, perhaps being back in the wind is exactly what I need. A change of scenery, a chance to see a few places again and reconnect with memories from my not too distant past. To observe what's changed and what still remains since I've been "out there" running up and down the road.

To conclude this windy post there's one final movement that I've sensed growing stronger of late having to do with Eschatology or the study of or interest in biblical prophesy. I realize that it's been hot stuff since before Christ walked on the earth but naturally, as I see it this new interest is being generated by a number of currently ominous "ill winds" that are swirling around these days.

We've seen severe flooding as well as historic drought worldwide resulting in record low harvest yields. As a result we're staring a worldwide food crisis in the face right now!

Our debt problem in this country combined with the anemic GDP stats spell out a recipe for a coming global economic meltdown starting with hyperinflation in the US that will take out all other economies whose currencies are tied to the dollar. Read more:

There's a new world-wide church coming to the forefront of late. One of many modern progressive organizations whose message is based on the premise that man is essentially good. Their contention is that despite man's long history indicating otherwise he's going to somehow cast that aside and finally save himself. The belief is that the "New Earth" or "world Order" will be made possible by eliminating what causes division among people and uniting everyone under a banner of world peace.

Are we also currently experiencing an increase in the frequency and strength of earthquakes, volcanic activity and natural disasters? Did Christ specifically say that we should regard these things as significant prior to the tribulation? Read the Olivet Discourse and make up your own mind! The Institute for Christian Research has a lot of interesting articles concerning this topic for you to check out.

Are you feeling the pressure building in your world? I know I am...

The wind and the Holy Spirit also move. The wind from areas of high pressure to low pressure while the Spirit moves or leads us to Christ! In this atmosphere of high pressure and high stress, I can feel them both bearing on my life, drawing me into the peaceful presence of my Lord where the storms of life, tremendous pressures, and struggles of living cease. I don't know about you but I want to be on the first load out of here! Just as the church's arrival was described in the book of Act's, with the sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, so I believe it must be with it's leaving at whats called "the catching away" or harpazo. So blow wind, blow your beautiful trumpet!

Revelation 4:1

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.