They Love to Kill

Katrina Blair and others have identified a bunch of plants that could save our lives. In her case she identified thirteenn plants that she says thrive where people live and on every continent. As I researched these plants I found that references were almost always how to get rid of them--how to kill each plant. Yet in other countries many of them are grown as food plants or at least used if found in the wild state.

It seems that the Great American Dream is to live surrounded by a lawn that resembles Astro Turf. This lawn must be mowed to keep it very short, even in hot, dry, weather. The sound of mowers seems to be the demonstration of manhood. "My lawn is better than your lawn!" G.B. Shaw said that man proves his strength by his destructiveness.

I had a mullein growing in the roadside in front of my house. I went out of my way not to disturb it. It is one of my all-time favorite plants. After it had grown about three feet tall I found it crushed to the earth. Marks in the nearby earth showed that someone had driven off the pavement to run over the mullein and destroy it. The plant had marred the terrain by standing tall above the others.

Not only are such people the great destroyers of any plant that dares to rise above its fellows, I do believe they are of the ilk that wants to level off people too. How dare anyone try to be different, to stand out against a uniform world?

Thankfully, there is a very different group that loves creation, that eats so called noxious weeds and even thrives on them. The men grow ragged beards as soon as they can, and the ladies wear a kind of muu muu and have hair dos that look like Cousin Itt's. There's a face in there somewhere. But I love them and what they do.

Could it be that God in his graciousness has provided us with wild food aplenty for those who not only LET IT LIVE, but even nurture it? When grocery shelves are empty these people will not starve. I hope the others are buried in nice, neat graveyards where the grass is always mowed.

Some Other Grain

And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or some other grain. I Corinthians 15:37

I never feel closer to Paul than when he uses earthy images. This passage is from a wonderful chapter. It bridges the gap between what is really deep, and what everyone understands.

Today we buy our bread from the store, except for those wonderful people who bake their own. Almost no one sows wheat. But everyone knows that one little grain must be buried to become many more grains. Paul uses such an unmistakable image, one that no one can misunderstand.

But now I want to ask, Why does Paul say, "or some other grain?" We may ask why not just quit with wheat?

Today, we understand. But there was a time when people fastened upon each word as something to possibly worship. They became fixated upon the symbol, instead of what it should represent. Does this sound extreme?

I think of Ceres, the goddess who gave us the word "cereal". I suppose no one understood the pagan mind better than Paul. There is a lesson in Bible interpretation here. Don't get hung up on the symbol. Rather see what it teaches.

I see Paul as saying "or some other grain" to tell us not to think of a type of grain. Any grain can serve as an example. The important thing is, some day you will be resurrected. Your old body will be gone, and you will have a new one.

I love the truth about resurrection and our new lives. Soon, I expect to experience it.

A Helicopter Trip All Around the World

You have unlimited funds so you plan to take a high speed flight everywhere. Maybe leave out the South Polar regions. In fact, leave out where there are no people at all. You decide to take a close look at people and how they are doing.

You even have vision and listening devices you can lower to hear and see the lives of individuals. Off you go, starting with America, Canada, and Mexico. If you did this you would have a view that God has all the time.

I watched a video that took a look at a man and his son living in Cairo. They had a little cart, and an old, starving horse that they urged to speed through the streets making deliveries. They were barely making a living--enough for food, and not enough for the horse, as he was very thin. You could see his ribs.

Their desperate, hurried , lives were followed until their poor horse, their means of living, collapsed and died. You could see how horrible their situation was, and had been.

Rescue? Happy ending? There was none. The last scene was of the little boy grieving over the horse, his eyes brimming with tears.

How many scenes like this one will you see as you take your whole-world trip? A French philosopher once wrote, “Sooner or later, life will break your heart." Such a dismal view!

Some will cry out for a positive viewpoint. “Let’s talk about what’s good about Cairo.” Many things, I am sure, but they will not wipe away the tears of that little boy, and many just like him.

You take your amazing helicopter trip. Starting with the USA, what will you see and hear? Much hurrying. Much commerce. Isn’t this good? But as you listen to individuals, will you see happiness?

I promise not to get into stats, even if I could, but I believe what you would see would not be the happiness you have been told is everyone’s birthright. Monitoring will reveal a high misery index, in economy, in marriages, in health.

Your helicopter sweeps you through Europe, whose crumbling structure shows the feet of the great image in Daniel Chapter 2. People crowd in from Africa for a better life, many from regions of severe drought. But the governments that support them are running out of money.

We haven’t even mentioned South America, a continent that gets almost no mention by the gatekeepers of the press.

You conclude your flight. What will you have seen and heard?

I feel the clumsiness of my analogy, but I have no patience with the positive thinking of people who would tell us that all will be well. Only if the Bible is wrong.

Things will be shown to be hopeless by the end of your trip. People will suffer and weep even more, until God intervenes. But he will intervene.

I have found that many avoid the Bible because it has such a sad and terrible viewpoint. They have not seen the rescue that is coming. They have stopped reading too soon.

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Revelation 7:17

A Hopeless Case

Two psychiatrists were having lunch as they often did. Their offices were in the same building, a large mental health facility. After they had exchanged the usual pleasantries one asked the other how his cases were going.

"Anything unusual?"

"Afraid not," he answered. "We get a lot of cases referred by the courts, competency judgements, the usual murderers, assault people, thieves. You know, run of the mill."

His lady companion sympathized. It gets routine after awhile, she thought. "I have a case you might find interesting. He is an old man with really bizarre obsessions, not drug related. We always check on that, first thing."

"Perhaps just senile dementia. Lot of that these days, as I'm sure you know."

"No, he checked out ok on that too, though he is at the age for that sort of thing. This one has me puzzled. I'm pretty sure his problem is not organic. His cognitive functions are not impaired, for a man his age."

The young man was an Old School Freudian--Jungian. His luncheon companion was a Behaviorist, though their methods and results tended to overlap somewhat.

"So, tell me some specifics. What kind of obsessions?"

"Well, I thought I had heard them all. We both have. This man is obsessed with food."

"Nothing too unusual about eating disorders. Is he an obsessive eater or does he try to starve himself? That's usually a problem with female clients."

"Neither," the lady replied. "He is convinced the country will soon run out of food. He can be very convincing, as objective as I try to be. He has all kinds of data too. He is very logical. He almost has me believing it! Now don't give me all that archetypal, collective unconcious stuff you people believe in."

"Well, humanity does seem to subconsciously remember famines. I raise horses and they are terribly afraid of fire, even little bonfires. I figure their ancestors escaped from forest and barn fires, and they have memories of that."

This was too much for the behaviorist lady. "Please don't add racial memory to your list of crimes against rational science. I haven't told you his delusional solution to all this starvation thing. It is weeds. He thinks there is enough nutrition in weeds to keep people alive. 'Until Jesus comes,' he tells me."

The Freudian-Jungian sat up. "This one is really serious" he said. "obviously a hopeless case."

Life as an Irish Setter

"Fast in the field, with a clown-like personality." That is how this breed was once described.

I inherited my dog, Emmy, when a dear friend of mine drowned. Her family asked if I wanted her. I did, as I knew her and she would be a part of my friend's life I could hang onto. She was lonely when we first had her. Big as she was, I used to hold her and feed her by hand until she got over it.

I took her out to a friend's field and let her go. She zoomed off to the the distant field edge before she returned to me. I felt a kinship to this breed as I learned how they hunt, though I do not hunt.

In World War Two the U S Navy asked mathematicians to describe the most efficient pattern for destroyers to sweep for submarines. They could have watched this breed search for game birds, as they do this by instinct. No one has to teach them.

Where do I come into this empathetic relationship with these setters? The clown-like personality part is easy, but sweeping the field came a lot harder. I have searched for knowledge as she did birds, but in my case with a lot of false trails.

Once in a woods behind our house, I stopped to rest against a tree. My wife spotted me and let Emmy out, telling her, "Go find Gerald." I watched with fascination as she charged off searching for me. She really could follow a scent trail with speed. She overshot her search for a moment, then came back right to where I was sitting.

Oh, for the talent of my dog, not to be deceived but for a minute! My life has led me in so many wrong directions. I was tempted by a number of cults. They seemed to have what I was searching for.

Worst of all, churches were not interested in such problems as doctrine. They had "other fish to fry", such as increasing membership, acquiring more real estate, and fellowship dinners with people who did not know whether the Gospel of Luke was in the Old or New Testament. Nice people, some of them, but they could not guide me. I was on my own.

Dogs are lucky. They just know things, with no doubt whatsoever. I found the truth,eventually. Or rather it found me. I only wish I could have found it as fast as Emmy could follow a trail.

Eh, What's Up Dock?

Actually, that is what's up. A tiny baby Dock plant.

It does not know it, but it is just a kind of token plant. I just want one, that's all. I want to see it's second set of true leaves. It only has two leaves now, but they are sturdy and off to a good start.

I love seedlings, don't you? No matter what the odds they are all optimists. "We can make it!" is what they seem to say.

I don't know about the others, but I plan on this one making it. It is close to a fluorescent light. Every breath I take gives it it's vital atmosphere. I will always know what a curly dock looks like, since I will have watched it as a child.

It is a biennial, except in long warm seasons. But having babies or seeds at age two is doing very well, don't you think?

I don't want it to get a big head from all this attention though. I mean, after all, as wonderful as it is, it's no giant Amaranth, or even a Lamb's Quarter.

Weed Eaters Make Big Gains in Polls

Don't I wish! I confess I just made this up. But in my Alternative Reality it could happen.

Who are these people anyway? They are the guys and gals with chlorophyl-stained green teeth, the people whose breath smells like hay. I add that they are an odd bunch. They have never been so thin, but they say they feel great, once their bodies have adapted to this new non GMO menu.

It won't be easy. We will need support groups for people who can't forget the old ways. We even plan a group for those with insatiable cravings for macaroni and cheese. I'll be a charter member of this one.

But aside from staying alive by eating the world's last pure non- GMO food, these Weed Eaters will avoid the dependence on Government Issue nutrition. Especially children and mothers to be, will be saved.

Remember, until you make your exit, maintain a blank stare. I learned this one from the hero of "The Killing Fields". Once we get away we can be as angry as we want.

View RT Exposes Eugenics Agenda: Governments, Nestlé, Monsanto, Bill Gates Cause Misery&Death.

View the documentary, Seeds of Death.

Miraculous Healing Trees

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month : and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2

I listened to a long video today by Leuren Moret, the lady who quit her job in the nuclear industry to pursue an antinuclear stance. She warns, not only of the threat of the industry, but the present poisoning of us all. The death of a thousand cuts is upon us and from a number of causes.

I cannot think of one aspect of our lives that is not impacted by government and their bosses, the would be world conquerers. Honestly, if I could, I would extol it. The number and modes of our domination and our poisonings are manifold.

Before I heard the video, I read more about the world's two most used herbicides. The limits of toleration for these poisons has been raised by those hired to protect us. It is a program of depopulation, slow moving, but deadly, especially for children.

A fair assessment of my faith regarding this threat is that I believe in the greatest airlift in history, the Rapture. For those who do not share this view or even know of it, I will say that it is plainly portrayed in both type and prophecy throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. I am not on the defensive concerning this doctrine. Rather I ask why all do not believe it?

But even with this wonderful evacuation from the planet in view, I am concerned about those who will survive the times ahead, who will live on a planet so poisoned and horrible that without the intervention of God, no flesh will survive. The period of peace to follow is a wonderful thing to think about. But this time to follow, peaceful as it will be, will need a lot of healing.

What of these trees, descendants of the Tree of Life in Eden. Some believe they exist, maybe in some remote region of an Amazonian rain forest. But the Gardener who created the first garden is able to plant these healing trees once again. In fact, He will.

I see no remedy for the multitude of things ahead, under the present Devilish world system. To look to them for remedies is like a mouse asking for protection from a cat. It is simple to cause harm and death for those in control, but healing is beyond their power and intent.

One last comment from me. Do I believe the trees will be literal? Yes, just as the street and river will be. And so will be the presence of God.

View the Leuren Moret view on depopulation here.

A Tribute to Clarence Larkin

I went from a bookstore that had been a saloon to a fancy down town place that had an elevator. Both places sold really neat books, fundamental, in fact. A common factor was the books of Clarence Larkin.

He died in 1924, so he was pretty much a lonely pioneer. He is famous for his charts and drawings.

I saw a cartoon in "Christianity Today." It showed angels blowing trumpets. A man holding a prophetic chart looks up and says, "You're early." Ha, ha.

A lot of people hate prophecy charts. I love them.

Larkin's books stood out as a way to understand complex ideas. He helped me so much. I never had a mentor to discuss things with. I was a member of churches which ignored my favorite subject, or mocked it. They could not disprove Larkin, or, later, Walvoord, so they called them kooks, beneath their contempt.

Ever notice how those who rule over the common people lose contact with them? Kind of makes you think of our government.

So, instead of comingling with the elite, I spent years with books written so that normal people could use them to understand the deep things of God. Church heirarchies hate this, but the so-called laity loved these books which I passed out among them. It was like a latter-day reformation, only within the church.

Larkin led the way for so many of us. I love the man. I will always be grateful to him for what he did for us.

The Search for Princess Bunita’s Mate

"The Rabbits Are a Timid Race, Their Weakness is Their Strength
To shun a Gun a Bun Will Run to Almost any length."

Princess Bunita was of age to marry. But a suitable husband was sought. Her father, the rabbit king, wanted the most cowardly rabbit he could find to marry her. Brave rabbits, those who sought to stand and fight, were disqualified right away. They would leave Bunita a widow and her babies fatherless.

So went a fascinating children’s story I read over 50 years ago. It ended happily. A cautious, timid, bunny husband was finally found and won the princess’s paw in marriage.

What a moral for young and old today. For there are those, many ex-service men, who plan to duke it out with the U.S. military and their auxiliaries. Brave men and women, but with a fixed military mind set totally off base. Forget Lexington Green.

In those years both sides of the conflict were equally armed. Today, drones, and fighter jets guided by satellites, make for a totally unequal conflict. Armored vehicles can be deployed in city streets. Public water supplies can be turned off, as with sewage and electricity. A card may be necessary in order to buy food, if any is available.

This is not prophecy, it is history, as in The Great Hunger, a study of population control in Russia, by denying people access to food.

A new situation has arisen and a new way of meeting it is in order. Over a generation ago young people asked, “What if they held a war and nobody came?” Amen, brothers and sisters. You were so right. Wise rabbits do not seek an unequal fight. Can we be as smart as they are?

Turning Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, and the United States Around

It is so simple. Just vote Republican, or Democratic, or Independent. Get out the vote for the right candidate. Get involved. We can do it. Then there is prayer. Pray for the U S. But first maybe study to see if it is God's will.

Let's say you have a good old dog. You have loved him for eighteen years. He is fading fast. But if you take him to the vet, why can't he live forever? Because, like humans, all dogs die.

I wish I could still have my pets. I wish I could still have my country.

When making plans at least consider taking an independent course of action. To believe that countries cannot die is delusional. But must you die with them?

For me, I have a country that will never die. It is called heaven. My hopes are all there. I have treasures there too--a heavenly bank that will never crash. Our futures are assured. This leaves us considering what we should do until we go there.

The Roman Empire faded away, but the Italian people live on. What if the USA faded away. Would you still go on?

I Need a Little Railroad

My wife and I liked to drive the scenic route along the Mississippi. Occasionally we would visit the site of a dam. Talk about neat places. The whole operation always looked "ready for inspection". Nothing was out of place in the buildings and parking lots. Except tons and tons of old wood that had drifted down the river and was piling up against the concrete.

From the huge area of upper America and the Missouri River you get a lot of wood. So why am I writing about this at 1:32 in the morning? It certainly is not because I am worried about driftwood that accumulates at the dams. Even if I was, I learned how these neat operators handle that problem.

On top of the dam there is a length of rails and a nifty rolling crane. It lowers a device that grips the logs and then they are loaded into a little car and hauled away. So much for the drifted wood.

Now for the reason I awoke and am writing this. You see, I have a kind of "driftwood" problem of my own. I'll be 78 today. You can pick up a lot of mental "wood" in that time. Enough so you can't sleep at night. It won't let you.

Mine is not oaks and ashs and willows though. They were once beautiful trees. My detrius is not so nice. So you see why I really need a little railroad to capture and haul away my accumulated sorrows and regrets.

I know the remedies well. They are how I make it through the night and through the day. But they sometimes are not enough. So that is why I am up and writing to you this at such an early hour.

Israel's History in Her Temples

I may not have much time-at all. I wish to share a very simple plan for understanding the history, present status, and future of Israel. It is very simple and foolproof. Read of her temples in the Bible.

We who are Christ's do not have temples. We are temples. But Israel has met God in temples, beginning with the temple of Solomon which was destroyed in 586 B.C., to the restored temple at the time of Jesus. I could look up all the scriptures, but is 2:47 in the morning and I feel I must set this down.

The presence of the Glory of God in His temple is an even deeper way to know the state of Israel. But for now, it is the literal structures I have in mind. You may already know all this. Forgive me if this is so, but for one who does not I offer this very simple plan.

Israel has always been God's people, and always will be. But only when she has her temple, with God's Shikinah Glory there, is she God's nation. This is a very important distinction.

You may say, "Is Israel not a nation now? She was restored by U.N. mandate in 1947." I will simply answer "No." Simple as that. The Zionist attempt to try to create Israel was, and is now, a complete hoax.

We all have heard "Where's the beef?" I will rephrase it. "Where's the temple?" This, to some, is an outrageous statement on my part. I will go even farther. I will say Israel was not a nation at the time of Christ.

"But what about the temple?" one may ask. Again I will say, "Israel at the time of Christ had a temple, but the Glory of the Lord had long ago departed from it. Israel was a vassal state which paid tribute to Rome."

Am I one of those who say that God has turned away forever from His Nation to the church? Many would say so. Israel is like a hibernating bear, asleep in a cave. Someone has dragged her out of her den, but there is no conciousness in her. She is in abayence. God's covenant with her still stands, but it is not yet time.

I imagine a football team. They seem to be losing, so the coach benches his star quarterback. In his place, he puts a new quarterback in the game. Rumors go through the crowd. The coach is finished with this old player. He will be fired. Others say, "But this player has a contract. It is ironclad."

You see, like the original quarterback, Israel has been "benched", but her covenant with God still is valid. She is still on his team. Meanwhile the church is in the game. When the first half is over, the old quarterback will still have his job, just as Israel will play again for God. He will be put back on the field.

It is now 3:27 a.m. so I close with this thought. Please remember the temple idea. Israel now has no temple. But she will have one. It is in Ezekiel 40-48. Israel and the Church are both on God's team. It is just a matter of timing.

Are We in the Last Days? - No.

And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Matthew 24:6

There are people who have turned the misinterpretation of Matthew 24 into an industry. In verse 4 of this chapter Jesus warns you not to be deceived by any concerning this prophecy. Yet where Jesus says "the end is not yet (v.6), many reverse His admonition and say that this is the end time. Please do not expect a positive message from me on this.

Imagine a town located on a river below a dam. It starts to rain a whole lot in the area. There is flooding. Then the word goes out that the dam has burst. People panic thinking that the town will be wiped off the map.

Someone thinks to call the dam operators, and they find out the dam, so far, is intact. What a relief! The dam has not burst. So they decide to drive to a store to pick up a few things. There are lots of signs warning of high waters, but they go on as if they were not in danger because the dam has not burst.

This crude analogy is offered to help explain how things are today. No, the dam has not burst, so to speak.

There are specific events, well documented in the Bible, that will occur prior to the Tribulation. Daniel 9:21-24 gives us a timeline, accurate to the day, of a necessary event which has not yet occurred. It is the signing of a treaty that "many" in Israel will make with Antichrist, the man of sin. Has anyone heard of Israel making such an agreement?

Paul adds that the time of great trouble begins when this man of sin enters into the temple and proclaims himself to be god. Without a temple, without such a treaty or agreement there is no great tribulation. We all know how many in Israel desire to build the temple. There is an annual attempt to lay it's cornerstone, with big skirmishes shutting it down.

The time is not yet. So things must happen that have yet to occur, before the big trouble begins. Folks should not hurry up prophecy with false interpretations. The dam has yet to burst, but be cautious of local flooding.

2 Thessalonians 2:3-5
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. .v. 3

Hand Pollination

There is a lot of information on the disappearance of the honey bee. There is a very interesting illustration in Rense today about the loss of our food crops if bees were gone. Much of this is true.

But it is not so bad as you might think. I understand that the lovable little honey bee is not native to America, but was introduced into this country. If the most likely candidate for bee deaths is insecticides, and they succeed in killing almost all bees, all is not lost.

I hope the bees make it. I love honey and the crops that bees pollinate and hope they continue to grow. But native Americans lived with no bees and so could we. We will not grow millions of acres of crops like alfalfa which rely on bee pollination. But corn will grow with just gravity and wind spreading their pollen.

Let me suggest a wonderful food source that can easily be hand pollinated and supply its own seeds for next year. This is the squash, a much over looked plant that is very nutritious and can last until next year's planting time. Some varieties were developed as baby food and really are very good food for little ones and adults, too.

Let us say that a very prudent person (I love prudent people, don't you?) goes to a grocery store and buys just one squash. I am speaking in this case, of one winter squash. They bake it for supper. Of course, they scrape out the seeds before baking it, and spread them on a sheet of newspaper or a paper towel to dry. Now what do they have? A very nice vegetable for supper and enough seeds for their garden in the spring, plus some to give away or even barter.

Now about pollination. Let us say the terrible thing happens, and at least in your area, there are no bees. You just pollinate your own plant's blossoms.

Some use little brushes, like artist's brushes. Some even use Q-tips. And some just take the pollen bearing stamens off one bloom and apply it to the female flowers--the direct approach. The male flowers stand out on long stems, and the female flowers grow lower and closer to the vines.

A few moments and you are done. The plant cares not whether pollination occurs by bees or by you. They are equal-opportunity employers.

With the expenditure of a dollar or so, the prudent person has begun their own food chain and seed source. By mashing up some baked squash with a fork, you have made some wonderful baby food, and after the first purchase, you have a free supply of both food and seeds.. If you don't add any chemicals your food will be pure.

My best friend grew some enormous vines. One morning he found a squash partly eaten, maybe by a raccoon. Even then it was not all lost. He saved the squash's seeds.

I trust you are a prudent person. Would you care to invest a dollar or so for just one squash?

She Hates God

A good friend tells me that she hates God. Her best friend has had a severe stroke and has been consigned to a hospice. The belief of all is that her friend will soon be dead. She asked me why her friend is being taken from her. Is this the act of a loving God? For she is convinced that God has done this to her.

She cringed at my reply to her. She dreaded a barrage of scriptures from me, showing her that she is wrong. I sent her none. Nor was I one bit shocked. To say that one hates God is as common as a child screaming at a parent because they insist the child wear a certain garment to school. I know God can take it.

Martin Luther was asked if he did not love God. "Love him?" he replied. "Sometimes, I hate Him!"

Now a non-believer might be tempted to say, in both cases, "A lover's spat." I would agree. When Jacob wrestled with the angel all night do we think Jacob was filled with loving thoughts?

A daughter said to her mother, concerning a certain boy, "I hate him. I never want to see him again!" Her mother told her, "When I hear a girl say she hates, with tears in her eyes, I don't believe her."

My friend thought she might have gone too far in what she said, that she would lose my friendship. As if I was some kind of "Holy Joe" that would be fatally shocked by her remarks. Should I tell her that I've heard it before, including from those who really meant it?

I sent my friend no scriptures, as she requested. I won't argue with her. She is not going through a spiritual or "truth problem". She knows better. So I let her go. God is ready when she is.

Thank You for Becoming Small

"You think you big? You think you BIG?
You ain't big, I tell you who big.
I big, that who big."

How's that for telling someone off? I have had all kinds of people loom over me to show me how big they were. I've had church big shots try to loom over me. Since I am only five foot seven you might think it would work. But I don't "loom" well. It only raises my ire.

What gets to me though, are the small ones. Small children, little kittens--they touch me.

I was walking to school in the rain, when a big dog began to bark at a little boy in a rain outfit. His mother had sent him off well dressed for the rain. But his raincoat made a rustling sound as he walked, and the big dog, Rookie, got upset by it. Rookie was the only dog I have ever known that had a negative I.Q.

By now, the little boy was crying. I bent over to him and said, "Don't worry about him. He's really a softie." I called Rookie over and told him to "sit". He did, and then I told him to "give paw." He shook hands with the little boy who then stopped crying.

Our gracious God could frighten us to death if He so chose. He told Moses that His face would consume him. When it was the fulness of time He became small, a baby. Every one can appreciate the tenderness of a baby.

It is apparent that Jesus was not big. He was no Saul. When it was time for Judas to betray him, Judas did not tell the Roman soldiers, "He is that big man over there." Rather he singled him out with a kiss.

Thank you Lord for becoming small. Thank you for weeping at the tomb of Lazarus. Thank you, even, for stumbling under the weight of your cross. We see how human you were. You became like us. We have every reason to love you as you became a man.

Then you resurrected, so we could see you as God. Thank you for becoming great once more, so we can worship you.

"Kill"adelphia

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; Revelation 3:7

The days of an America as portrayed by Norman Rockwell are long past. Your grandparents may remember them, but it is gone. A wonderful description of what the nation is becoming is in a book by Thomas Chittum. He is more than a military historian, but has been a rifleman in wars on three continents.

He is the ultimate realist. In a recent interview he said that this country was born in blood and will die in blood. "Drown in blood," I believe he said. His wonderful book, Civil War Two, on this subject is now much sought after.

Recently people from drug-infested Philadelphia were interviewed. Their description of their town is where I got the title. I used to spend weekends there when I was stationed at Ft. Dix. I went to the historic sites, touched the Liberty Bell on its yoke of hackberry wood.

High on a dome is a statue of Benjamin Franklin. The shattered neighborhoods of much of this city would be beyond the belief of Ben, were he to see them today. This is not a lament, it is a description of what we have become.

Do I believe it will ever change? Yes, it will become far worse. I am so thankful that my heavenly home is far beyond such harm and sorrow.

Moses, Horns and All

We have all seen portrayals of Moses with big horns jutting out of his head. This was because an early translation says when he came down from Siniai he had rays of light coming from his face. The form of the light was translated as "horns" in the Latin Vulgate Bible. We know better today and have corrected this error.

How about early Christians described as having double tongues of fire over their heads? A better understanding is that the "cloven" tongues were separate fires over each person's head, and not just one big flame. One big flame would be a miracle, but the divided, or personal, flames show us that each person at Pentecost was gifted with the Holy Spirit.

Some people might cite these differences as evidence of errors in translation. But any failure is in the presentation of real events. All Bibles tell us that Moses had bright light coming from his face, and that in one event, the origin of the church, men in Jerusalem had signs of the Spirit of God visible to those present. When I say, "all Bibles" I mean sources in ancient texts, of which there are thousands. No ancient book has so many supporting texts.

The form of the light and the shape of the tongues of flame are not essential to any doctrine, and are mainly problems for illustrators. I say these things as a "naive believer" or fundamentalist, in witness to my belief in the infallibility of Scripture.

I Own a Vitamin Plant

I feel like a big shot. Imagine owning a highly technical vitamin plant. My factory mainly makes Omega-3 vitamins. The same as are found in fish--very necessary and nutritious.

But may I say, I make no money from the manufacturing of this vitamin making concern. In fact I have recently spent several dollars investment money to get control of more plants. But this is a non profit operation.

With me at the helm that is no problem. I plan to have many more plants soon. Expansion is in the air. We only operate in the warm months of the year, so being CEO is a snap.

I would love to move farther south and keep my plants in operation even longer. I really don't know the technical end of the business. All I know is that it is highly complicated. But it works.

And there are never any labor disputes. Think of that. My workers are non-union and get no wages at all. They are happy just to get blazing sunshine and a little water. They spring up all over it seems.

So, though I am not a big shot, I do look forward to having many, many purslane plants. The ones I have are ready to be transplanted.

I don't have a private jet or a helicopter. I'll have to settle for a walker. But I plan to keep in touch with them all.

I can hear my English teacher saying, "You call this a transition?"

People Are Strange

I was a stranger and ye took me in: Matthew 25:35

I just listened to Tiny Tim do "People Are Strange". Call me old fashioned and sentimental, but I love it. Not only is the music stirring, but the vocal range of Tim is amazing.

There is a message there. Of course, Tiny was about as strange as they come, and unappreciated, until he died of a heart attack. So what about the message of the song? It is how ominous and strange people seem when you are alone and rejected. It as though they, not you are the strange ones.

I used to sit at a big desk in study hall. I was allowed to sit there so I had access to an ancient set of the Encyclopedia Brittanica. It was so old that it was illustrated with wood cuts. I loved them. They fit my own mood of strangeness--a boy out of time. I used to read them instead of doing my homework. I was fascinated with such subjects as making sodium metal and ballooning.

In spite of my neglecting my home work I managed to flunk high school. Huh? Later I weaseled my way into college and got a degree.

But while I was there in the study hall I was given the task of writing permission slips for people who temporarily needed to leave. I remember a shy black girl who came to my desk. Before she spoke I wrote her name on the slip. This was at a time when people did not cross the racial barrier and even speak to one another. She was amazed that I knew her name. She asked how I knew of her. That was easy. I had heard her and her friends talk many times and I listened.

Another person I remembered was a young guy who no one spoke to. He looked a little rough, probably a hood, people thought--if they thought of him at all. I was looking at a map as he approached my desk. He very quietly asked if I liked maps. "I collect them," he told me. Some hood! He should have had his hood license torn to shreds. He was just a guy who didn't fit in, like me, only I was proud of it.

My father was strictly Old World. The authorities were always right and not to be questioned. My mother was just the opposite. She voted for Norman Thomas, the socialist. When she had to go to a hospital, she listed her religion as "Jehovah's Witness", though she was not one. All she knew was that the status quo people were wrong. I took after her.

At this time, near the end of my life, I still feel for the "stranger in a strange land". The strange people are those who conform without thinking. Turn up the music Tim, I'm with you all the way.

Listen to Tiny Tim's rendition of "People Are Strange" here.

What Do You Want to Be, Little Boy?

It was Halloween--not night, but afternoon--when the doorbell rang. There stood a little boy, with a paper bag. His mother stood in the background. He was a fireman, wearing a black raincoat that had a little badge on it. He had on a red helmet.

Lots of kids are cute, but this boy gave off a different emanation. Instantly, I liked him. But more than admiration, I felt sympathy for him.

Can you get a correct impression in a few seconds? I am a bit psychic, to partially make up for my many failings. I had the strong impression he had no father. His mother had taken him out before the mayhem could start later on. He was alone and shy. He could have been me, at that age.

I was unprepared, so I knelt down to be nearer his height and admire his uniform. I gave him enough money to buy a bunch of candy. He thanked me and left.

That was years ago, and I still feel the emotion he gave me, not in my head, but in my heart.

I suppose lots of boys would really want to be firemen, and many make it. I had no such ambition, but a toy fire truck was my favorite thing to play with.

I am in awe of people who succeed. They have goals, and achieve them. They are focused, even in youth. I have never had a good job, or made much money. My head was in the clouds. Now it is far too late. I can't make up for a largely wasted life.

Yet I have great ambition. What do you want to do, old man? I want to see the face of God.

I Tried to Get Away

I don't know how long i was out there. it could have been days. I had lost my hat. I didn't know where i was.

I thought i had a stash out here somewhere. it was just some Spam and an aluminum water bottle wrapped in an old Army blanket. It would have been enough to get me to my canoe hidden by the river's edge. Then I'd be ok, i was sure of that.

Even when I got tired of paddling, I could drift with the current until I got to my little camp. They might not find me there. I was alone and not worth sending a drone for.

But everything gave out. The lights went out as they say. Then I heard dogs baying--hunting dogs. They weren't looking for me. Probably raccoons, but one of them must have picked up the scent and veered off course until he found me.

I remember him licking my face as the hunter approached. I came to as the pickup truck hit a rut. "Sorry about that," said the driver.

I wondered for a moment if he was an Informer. The government didn't pay much, but a gas voucher was worth its weight in gold. I saw a plastic cross swinging from the rear view mirror. He must be a good guy, I thought as I drifted off again.

I woke up in a chilly green room. I remember the wall paint was shiny green. I craved water. I took a drink from a nearby pitcher. "Your water bill is gonna go up," i said to a nearby lady. She was not a nurse, but some kind of military person.

She smiled ironically as she stepped aside for two men pushing a big wheeled litter. It had heavy leather straps. "Our water bill isn't going up, but our gas bill will."

Not Larry Dock, Not Moe Dock, But Curly Dock

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, Genesis 1:29

I just ordered 10 seeds for $2.99. They are curly dock seeds. 10 weed seeds for almost three dollars!

Curly dock is a very common plant, so what's the deal? Well, I can't get around like I used to and I just wanted to grow my own. Plus, I think of the people who sell curly dock seeds. I want to buy from them.

Imagine a guy eating supper who looks at his wife with a gleam in his eyes. He says, "You know, I want to quit my job and go into business for myself." His wife asks him what kind of business. He tells her, " I want to sell curly dock seeds."

That's the kind of dream I can really get into. I'd start small. Then when people heard about free food, the orders would start to pick up.

Soon I would have a secretary. Not the kind of empty headed sexy babe like you see in the movies. She would be at least 50, with gray hair, the more gray the better. We're talking wisdom here. She would wear a kind of Ukranian bandana.

Each day she would slowly walk through a big weedy patch in back of my house and talk to the plants. When she selected a curly dock she would deftly pull off the seeds into a little basket. I asked why she always left some on the plant. "I don't want the plant to have lived in vain," she told me. "It went through a lot in a whole season to produce seeds and I don't want to take away all it worked for. Besides, where will next year's plants come from?"

Her name would be Eileen, and I think she was from Scotland originally. In my dream, when she had gathered enough seeds she would bring them into my old fashioned office with a roll-top desk. She would begin to hand address the padded envelopes. She kept the customers' addresses in a wooden box of file cards. She used a stick pen and a crystal inkwell containing green ink.

When she had finished the day's orders, she would look out the window at the sun. "Guess I'll call it a day," she would say. She walked down the gravel lane to the road. No matter what time it was, just as she arrived at the edge of the road, an old bus would stop to pick her up. It was the kind with the engine up front and a luggage rack on top.

I never could figure out the bus thing. We never have had bus service out here in the country, and she was the only passenger. Do you suppose Eileen knew Mary Poppins?

Guess it doesn't really matter, this is just a dream. But each curly dock makes thousands of seeds. At $2.99 per ten seeds, Eileen and I could have had a great business. But as long as someone else has them for sale, I'll be a customer.

The Attack on the Scofield Bible

Like a mother cat, defending her kittens. That is how I feel as I come to the defense of my most beloved study Bible.

One of the sites I regularly read to keep up with trends is Rense. Some of the articles, are fluff. Some are very deep, including the illustrations that head up this site.

But presently I was amazed to see there an illustration of a church wrapped in chains. On the chains is a kind of medallion with a Zionist motif. A man in the midst of all this holds up a Scofield Bible. Now what is wrong with this picture? Not the actual picture--it is skillful propaganda. But what is wrong with the intended link between my favorite study Bible and Zionism?

Let's start with--everything.

The one great method of sorting out Bible themes, both theological and prophetic is so-called "Scofieldism". It is really not a theology but a sorting out of Bible themes, a kind of filing mechanism.

The only invention or discovery in this Bible is the listing of a hitherto neglected covenant, the Deuteronomic covenant. How dare anyone call this a distinct covenant? Let me quote God's words:

These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. (Deut. 29:1).

Pretty simple isn't it? God informs his people that he is making a covenant in addition to one he made before.I have read chapter 29 many times but find re-reading it is very refreshing and promising. I would recommend it and chapter 30 to be read by Christians and Jews alike.

When I worked in a large motel I got a call that someone with a large dog was scaring patrons. I found three young people with a Great Dane. They had brought him to the motel grounds for exercise. They had come inside to use the Coke machine. As people came down the hall they were frightened by the dog's large size. I asked the kids not to let their dog scare people.

I found the children were part of a near-by Jewish community. They seemed to want to talk. I asked them if they had read the wonderful promises in the Bible that were made for the Jewish people. I recommended some passages. They returned the next night. They had read the passages but didn't see how they applied to them. But a rapport had been established.

That is what this portion of Deuteronomy is all about--Israel's future blessings. Now why would anybody get mad about a Bible that separates these out as its own covenant? God himself said it was a covenant besides one he made previously.

I think I know the real issue. The Scofield says that Israel will be restored. You might ask, well doesn't Zionism say the same thing? The answer is of course, yes, but with one all-important difference. Zionists say that Israel was restored by a UN treaty in 1947. Scofield says that the restoration is future.

Further, this great dispensational Bible tells what must take place before Israel is restored. First the church must be completed, as in Acts 15, and Romans 11. Then Israel must go through a great period of testing called the time of Jacob's trouble. This is the Scofield time line.

Israel will be led into the Holy Land by Messiah himself, and not under a United Nations mandate. Those who are trying to grab the Holy Land now are violating the Bible, simple as that.

Ever buy a book and as you read it find two pages stuck together? Covenant theologians, among others. just skip ahead. We dispensationalists separate the stuck pages. What do we find when we do? The covenant of Israel's restoration. What could be the motive for those who get angry over this?

The Redemption of a Moabite

So both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today.
Genesis 19:36, 37, NIV

There was a girl in my school named Hannah. She was the daughter of one of my friends. I want to tell you about her appearance. Her eyes were crossed, her short cut hair was very plain and unstylish. She wore wire rimmed glasses that looked like something an old lady of the time would wear.

Hannah was not looked down upon, she was ignored. Her father, who ran a bar, shot himself. She was in a lower grade than I was. Though I had been to her home because I was friends with her brother, I never met Hannah.

A few years after this I went to a little party of my school chums. I saw a girl across the room who stood out from the others by her understated elegance. Her clothing was stylish, yet conservative. Her hair was done in a most attractive way. She was what some of that time would call a "smoothy." I asked who she was and I was told, "That is Hannah."

Rising from a humble or even degrading beginning is a part of the Bible, and is well represented by the story of Ruth. The Word calls her a Moabitess, a member of a cursed race. Yet Naomi knew Ruth as a very loving person. For those of us who become weary of violence and curses, however well earned, the Book of Ruth brings a most welcome relief. I know of no more tender story than this one.

And what is the result of Ruth's love and devotion? She became an ancestor of Jesus. She is listed in the Bible's most wonderful genealogy stated in Ruth chapter four, and in the first chapter of Matthew. How is that for rising from a bad beginning?

The Snake and the Quake

The Lord said to Moses, Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live. Numbers 21:8

I was next door when I got a call from my wife. "Come over right away. I think there is a snake in the house." I dashed over expecting to see a little garter snake. Instead, there was a large black snake slithering on our tile floor.

My Irish Setter, Emmy, was with me. I was afraid the snake, usually harmless, would bite her. Janie had closed her door when she heard the unmistakeable serpent sound of a crawling snake. I grabbed a hoe and killed the snake.

A peculiar thing occurred. Emmy looked at the dead snake as I lifted it with the hoe and closed her eyes to mere slits. It was an expression I had never seen on a dog's face and have not seen since that day. It was not fear, but disgust. It was as if she knew in her dog wisdom that this was an ancient enemy.

In the evening, we had a small earthquake. The snake was attempting to evade what animals often sense.

I realized, , that as I lifted up the blacksnake I was holding a caduceus , the old symbol of healing derived from the Bible in Numbers 21:6-9. But why did the Lord command a bronze snake be made and held up to heal the snake bitten people? This cannot be a symbol of worship, no serpentine version of a golden calf.

Rather this bronze snake was a symbol of the victory of Christ over Satan. Who in that day could look ahead and see this great truth? Eve was told by God of her child who would someday tread the serpent underfoot. The bronze serpent was a symbol of that day.

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him. John 3:14

Ode to the West Wind

My sister's oldest boy came to visit me. His visit was a surprise, as he had always come with his family. But just two of us were to have time together today.

His name was Rudy and he was my sister's first born, a little quiet and could be very serious. He had a perpetually young face with big blue eyes. He could laugh, but today he needed a little help. He was having trouble with a school paper and needed to figure out a poem by Percy Shelly.

I loved to read Shelley, so I looked forward to talking about him. We read "Ode to the West Wind" together. I believe he had trouble with the indirect images, as delightful as they are. Shelly could make dead leaves significant and beautiful. You can see them being blown about by a winter wind.

I suggested to Rudy that he should just let Percy have his way with language. He was, after all, a poet.

"But why doesn't he just say what he means?" was the question. I asked Rudy what these words mean, "The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind, If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"

He thought for a short time. "Things look bad now, but they'll be okay pretty soon." "You've got it," was what I told him. Shortly, Rudy said good bye and drove away in his father's car.

I wish people would look at Bible prophecy this way. If we see past the horrible things ahead--the winter of the human race--things will be "okay". We won't make them that way, but God will.

God's Healing Music

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1 Samuel 16:23

Ronald Price was diagnosed with a Parkinsonian degenerative disease. He was studying to play the French horn for a professional career. The disease progressed to the point where his left hand fingers were limp. Doctors, after a week of tests, told him to give up his horn playing.

But he decided to learn another instrument, and chose the harp. Within hours of playing he detected improvement in his motor skills. He could strum with his left hand, and pluck with the fingers of his right. This is told in a wonderful article by Mary Laney in the Lifestyles section of the Chicago Tribune. She further relates that Mr. Price was awarded the chairmanship of the music division of a university.

Some of his troubled students were arsonist, some violent and suicidal. Through his remedial teaching, these and many other symptoms disappeared. Eventually, his students played before a gathering of The American Psychological Association and received thunderous applause.

One of these young harpists, hearing the applause, cried for the first time. Two explanations are given. One is psychological, and another is physical. Since the harp rests upon the shoulder, it is thought its vibrations stimulate the thymus gland. Either way, the Bible was ahead on this by three thousand years.

Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player upon a harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand , and thou shalt be well.
1 Samuel 16:16

Noah and Deucalion

What do they know of England, that only England know?

It was through the writings of Immanuel Velikovsky that I learned of sources that parallel the Bible. I remember my first reading of Worlds In Collision that a new source of information opened up to me. Now it is said that all we need is the Bible as our final authority. Let me say it this way, "All WE need is the Bible."

There is a whole world in academia, for instance, that has never been exposed to the Scriptures, but will listen to pagan sources. Paul understood this, and in his ministry to the Greeks even quoted a pagan poet to get their attention. How amazing, people said. "Behold, a Jew who speaks Greek!" Not only did Paul speak Greek but he apparently was familiar with their poetry.

So many in the church gather with their fellow Christians to exchange views on the Bible. Many include pagan concepts, like hell, in their most beloved errors. They will say, "All I know is my Bible is true." I agree, but how does that help you to reach out to those who do not know it?

We have become so insulated from the reality of the world that we are proud of our ignorance and have trouble relating to it. Baptists can only really talk to other Baptists, and even there, are we talking about the distinction between Southern Baptist and Independent Baptists, between storehouse tithers (book of Malachi) or free will Baptists, regarding voluntary giving?

I am not against people taking a stand for their beliefs. That is how the Protestant church began. But my experience in the college world showed me they do not care about these arguments. To show such people that you know about things not written in God's Word, really gets their attention. They begin to listen to you.

How do I know this? I have not just heard it, I have lived it. I am not talking about compromise at all, as I am a Fundamentalist. I speak of getting the attention and respect of others, far from our beliefs.

I know it is said, "Peter was a simple fisherman." Fine. His ministry was to the Jews. I love his writings, which are so profound.

But Paul could address the Gentiles in their own language. On Mars Hill he got their attention on their own turf. After all, the New Testament was written in Greek and the Old was translated into Greek in such accurate form that Jesus quoted from it.

Someone saw my Bible at work. They said, "I guess that is all you know." I replied, "I read more books in a month than you have read in your lifetime." I took a chance on that one, but my critic did not reply to contradict me.

The more you look into the Flood story, the more you find that it is fundamental to all cultures. Deucalion, the Greek god, is quoted on building a huge box to survive the coming flood. This version is crude, but is a starting point. The Ipuwar Papayrus, from ancient Egypt, matches the account of Moses concerning the Exodus.

We don't need corroborating evidence to prove the Bible, but many people do. Let's think of them when we witness.

Grandma and the Giants

The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward- Genesis 6:4, NIV

My grandmother was a very devoted Bible person. Trouble is she had no one to share it with. Her only son was an athiest all his life. He was very intelligent and wrote a book still available on coal-tar dyes. He was a world wide expert on dyes. But he scoffed at the Bible, leaving his mother alone in this regard.

The church she attended was a ceremonial one. But through the radio ministry of M.R. De Haan she studied the Bible, though in solitude. As I grew into young adulthood she attempted to share her beliefs with me.

"You know the Bible says there used to be giants on the earth...." I thought it was just legend and smiled. Poor old lady. I still tried to judge the Bible by scientific standards. I had years to go before I judged science by God's Word.

It was much later when I learned of great scientists who embraced the Faith. Who would think that Sir Isaac Newton today would be considered a fundamentalist? There are many more, to this day. But such men will not be published in any "peer reviewed" journals. I have come to understand that "peer reviewed" means, "Believe as we do, or you are an outcast."

As I emerged from the fog of partial belief, I found that much of scientific discovery is concealed from the public. A young person in the Faith is limited to debunking false science because facts supporting true science are relegated to museum basements not open to the public.

Believers try to prove creation by disproving evolution. This is such a negative way to contend for the truth. Thanks to the internet truth is coming out all over the place. Through word studies and paleontology and archeology discoveries, the giants are back!

A naive believer, like myself, can save much grief by just believing the Bible. But for those who, like Thomas, need evidence, it is now there in abundance.

Dear Grandma, how I wish we could have studied together. It would have been so sweet.

Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29, NIV