The Metaverse Is the Next Generation's Opium War

Facebook announced a name change for its company this week. Meta is its new name. 

You probably have little idea of the significance of the name change. I believe Meta has the capability of destroying the discipline, drive, and determination in future generations of Americans. 

Have you heard of the Greatest Generation? These were American men and women who sacrificed everything during World War II to protect our land, our liberty, and the American way of life. 

Meta could be the seedbed that destroys what the Greatest Generation obtained.  

Meta is a Greek word that means "higher," or "beyond," or "behind." It is carried over into English to refer to an alternate reality to something concrete. Meta (Facebook) is wanting to help you create an alternate life (e.g. "second life") through virtual reality that takes you "beyond" the real-life that you are living on earth. 

Meta is a drug. It is a form of escape. It is a game. 

But don't tell people involved in Meta that it is a game. It will anger them. Just like when you tell a person hooked on heroin that they're addicted. "What do you know? Nothing that feels this good and is as beautiful as what I have experienced can be bad for me." 

Oh, yes it can. 

Here's how Meta works. Meta (Facebook) will soon be opening storefronts around the world to sell you next-generation virtual reality glasses called Oculus. Slap those glasses on, integrate with the digital world, and soon, you will be living a Second Life, an alternate reality.

In this virtual world that exists in your mind, you will interact with other people who enter your Second Life by asking you (audibly through Oculus) if they can join you in your virtual house, your virtual business, your virtual lakefront home, your virtual gym, your virtual vacation, etc. You live the life that you want to live but can't live in the real universe.

That's right. 

It's the metauniverse. You are in control of parallel universes that you digitally create to escape the reality of the one real universe in which you live. You become your own god. You ignore the real God. You go beyond the real truth to create your own version of the truth. You go beyond reality to escape the harsh world in which you really live - and which the one true God can help you thrive, not just survive.

But why bother with the real world?

In the digital metauniverse of Mark Zuckerberg's Meta, people can hide behind an Avatar (a character) that they create in the metauniverse. The Avatar represents them in their alternate reality. 

Here's how it works.

You upload an image of your face (or someone else's face) after digitally manipulating it to remove those characteristics you don't like. 

In the metaverse, you can create muscles where you have none in the real universe. You can create a house that you "buy" in the metaverse with cryptocurrency (meaning, you own it digitally, and if someone sees it in your alternate digital life and they want it, they can "buy" it from you with cryptocurrency). Your meta house can be much nicer than the one you rent in the real universe. You can buy clothes and wear them in the metaverse, clothes that you "buy" with crypto coins to escape the reality of having to wear the inexpensive clothes that are wearing in the real universe because you can't afford anything nicer.

I find it interesting that the two biggest cryptocurrencies in the digital metauniverse are MANA (a Hebrew word that means "What is it?") and SANDBOX (SAND). A sandbox carries the idea of making any castle you desire, and wiping it clean if it doesn't meet your fancy. 

In your meta life, all that you know about others that you meet in virtual reality is what they appear to be, and all that they know about you is what you portray and appear to be in the metaverse. 

Meta is a drug. 

Many young people who are transitioning - young people who don't like being a boy in the real universe - create themselves as a girl in the metauniverse. Thus, they find a home for themselves in this second life and live — virtually — as who they really believe themselves to be. 

The people who enter the metaverse disconnect from reality. 

Have you ever watched a show like American Idol and listened to singing auditions where the singer thought they were fantastic and on the road to becoming the next American Idol? You knew in reality that the singer was off-key, possessed no musical talent, and was simply delusional. But when people are disconnected from reality and only focused on MetaMe (who I want to be, not who I am), then that disconnect leads to failure in every area of life. It takes self-awareness in the midst of reality for discipline, drive, and determination to kick in to improve one's reality. 

In the metauniverse, the reality is what the player imagines it to be. The alternate, imaginary life becomes an addiction. When addicted, you risk missing the responsibility and real-life rewards from the personal drive, determination, and discipline required to succeed - just like drug addicts - because you have been sucked into your alternate, imaginary reality.

The metaverse is the next generation's Opium War. 

During the 1840s, the empire of England sought to trade opium from India with the Chinese people.

The Qing Dynasty of China, the government rulers of China from AD 1644-1912, sought to prevent the Chinese from opium drug addiction. China declared war on England twice to stop the opium trade. These two wars are called the Opium Wars. 

England won. The profits made from addicting the Chinese people to opium were enormous for England. A nation's character is often crucified on capitalism's cross. 

Meta and Mark Zuckerberg wish to make money.

They will addict your children in order to do. The next time you see your child slap on a VR headset, find out if they are entering the metaverse. You have a responsibility as a parent to know. If you are an adult emersed in the metaverse, you are an addict and don't even know it. 

The Chinese Communist Party has banned the metaverse, cryptocurrency, and by law, has limited to three hours a week the time that Chinese children can play video games. 

Why are the communists taking such drastic steps to ban Meta? 

Chinese Special Forces

Because they know when they invade Taiwan and go to war with the West to rule the world by 2049,
soldiers from the West made out of Meta will cower on the beaches in the face of disciplined, determined, and driven soldiers from China and Russia. If you dare, watch the link comparing the tactics and recruiting videos of the Chinese, Russian, and the United States' governments seeking soldiers for their respective armed forces. I bet you can guess which nation is building its future on  Meta.

China and Russia will win the next Opium War unless Americans can restore an understanding of objective truth, live in the only Universe that God created, and break the drug addiction of virtual reality.

Where's the Greatest Generation when we need them? 

It's up to us to resurrect the principles that drove the Greatest Generation to defend our lives, our liberty, and the American way of life. Buckle up.  The next decade's fight to restore Western Civilization's former character is going to be existential for our American way of life. 

"Gabriel Is Coming" - Prayer and Satan's Resistance

The sovereignty of God is a cardinal doctrine of Scripture. God does, as A.W. Pink once wrote my grandfather, "as He pleases, only as He pleases, and always as He pleases." Nothing happens in this world but that God either promotes it, prohibits it, or permits it. 

However...

One must never let a theological construction override biblical instruction. Systematic theology is never better than biblical theology. Even if you don't understand what the LORD reveals in His word, don't sit around in the dark until you do. 

Flip the switch. 

Believe in the Word of God over the doctrines of men. 

For example, when it comes to prayer, those of us who believe in God's sovereignty have a tendency to trust God and His goodness, and as a result, avoid prayer and any petitions. "God will work it all out for good whether I pray or not," is the common misperception. 

The Bible is clear. Heaven moves when people pray. 

For example, Daniel prayed in Daniel 9 for his people (the nation of Israel). He pleaded for the LORD to forgive them for their rebellion. Heaven moved as Daniel prayed. The angel Gabriel came to Daniel and said:

"At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come..." (Daniel 9:23). 

When God's people pray, heaven begins to move. At the beginning of Daniel's prayer, a command (from heaven) was issued, and Gabriel came to Daniel with a response to his supplications. 

But in the very next chapter (Daniel 10), there is a different outcome. Daniel begins praying, and he prays for twenty-one straight days. During the time that he prays (and fasts) there is no answer from heaven. Gabriel does not appear on the first day, the second day, the third day, etc... Finally, on the twenty-first day, Gabriel appears to give heaven's response to Daniel's supplication. 

Remember, in the previous chapter, Gabriel is sent and appears "at the beginning of" Daniel's supplications. But here, in Daniel 10, it takes twenty-one days for Gabriel to appear. Why? What Gabriel says about his delay in responding to Daniel's prayers is revealing. 

"From the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days..." (Daniel 10:12-13)

The "prince of the kingdom of Persia" is not a man. It is a fallen angel - a demonic entity - that sought to hinder heaven from bringing Daniel an answer to his prayers, a refreshment to his soul, and Divine protection for his life. 

I believe in the sovereignty of God. 

But I also know that if I am in the middle of a deep conflict over losing something very precious, the enemy will fight against any comfort from heaven being brought my way.  Daniel felt deep agony over the end of God's covenant with Israel, and he cried out in his pain to the LORD, seeking relief. Hell fought the messenger from heaven for twenty-one days. 

Take heart. If you have been placed by God in a position of leadership, and your circumstances are such that you are beginning to feel as if there is no hope for the future, no stability in the present, and no confidence in God's deliverance in your past - and you are praying for mercy - take note of biblical theology. Understand that a delay in heaven's response may not be of God. It may be from your enemy. 

Or, to put it succinctly.

The more Kingdom impact you are having on the earth, the more Satanic assaults you'll be having in your prayer. 

Keep on praying. 

Keep on pleading. 

Keep on trusting. 

Gabriel is coming. 

Pergamum - Satan's Throne - Government as God

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.” Mark Twain

We have a generation of blissful young Americans ignorant of history and theology. This is one of the reasons they wrongly believe that any opposition of older folks' to government mandates and the removal of personal liberties is purely political. 

Nothing is further from the truth. My principled opposition to the intrusion of government into individual and personal medical choices is based on my knowledge of ancient history and biblical theology. 

Pergamum Where Satan Lives

Jesus, a few years after His ascension, sent a message to His followers who lived in Pergamum (Pergamon, Turkey), a message recorded in the book of Revelation.

"I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in Me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives." (Revelation 2:13). 

Jesus makes four statements in his message about the city of Pergamum and the Christians who lived there:

1. Satan had his throne in Pergamum during the first century A.D.
2. The Christians in Pergamum were faithful to Jesus Christ.
3. Antipas, a Christian living Pergamum, stayed faithful even when dying a martyr's death.
4. Satan lived in Pergamum during these difficult days.

Jesus' statements are not from a conspiracist; they come from the Creator of the world.  The only way you'll understand the impact of Jesus' words is to know the history of Pergamum, and thus, to understand the meaning of Satan's throne, who Antipas was, and why Antipas lost his life as a Christian martyr in Pergamum. 

The Throne of Satan

The throne of Satan in Pergamum was a literal throne that figuratively represented the seat of Satan's influence in the ancient world.

The throne of Satan, excavated in Pergamum in 1878 AD, now sits in the Pergamonmuseum in Berlin, Germany. 

This throne was the Temple of Zeus Soter (Savior) in Pergamum, and it was the center of Emperor worship during the days of Jesus.

What is Emperor worship?  

It is the belief that the state or the head of state (e.g., Emperor, King, President, Dictator, etc.) should be obeyed, revered, and even worshiped. 

At the Temple of Zeus Soter in Pergamum, the people express their allegiance to the Emperor, believing that the state was their source of prosperity, security, and safety. 

Ancient Pergamum and the Throne of Satan

Near the "throne of Satan" in Pergamum was the asclepeion or "the healing center" for the people. The peoples' worship of Asclepius, the god of medicine, was as crucial as their state worship.  Citizens flocked to Pergamum to express their obedience to the state and receive an opportunity to be healed of their diseases at the Asclepieia.

Here's how it worked.

After the sick and diseased visited the Temple of Zeus Soter and expressed their trust in the Emperor, they moved to the healing center to receive their treatment. 

Ritual purifications would be followed by offerings to Asclepius according to one's income.

The supplicant would then spend the night in the asclepeion. A particular type of non-venomous snake was often used in the Asclepius' healing rituals. These snakes— the Aesculapian snakes — slithered around freely on the floor in the dormitories while the sick and injured slept. 

Today, the Aesculapian snake is often represented in medical logos, including the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization. 

The people of Pergamum were not stupid. They had a massive library in the city, second only to the great library in Alexandria, Egypt. They were wealthy, educated, and at peace. The "throne of Satan" was where the people expressed their belief that their security, prosperity, and safety were due to the Emperor and the state. 

Photo of Satan's throne before removal to Berlin

There was a physician in Pergamum, however, who believed differently. His name was Antipas. He spread his belief that Jesus alone is the Savior of the world and that everyone's trust should be placed in Him for their security, prosperity, and safety. Antipas practiced medicine, but he believed one's trust should be in God, not the state or even the medical treatment at the Aesculapian. 

The cult of Aesculapians, who formed the members of the medical establishment, accused Antipas of disloyalty to Caesar. Upon being asked to deny Jesus and express his belief in the state's power to heal and protect the people, Antipas refused. The medical establishment condemned Antipas to death, believing him to be a danger to the state. 

State officials placed Antipas alive inside a hollow brass container shaped in the form of the bull. They filled the brass bull with water and set it over a blazing fire, boiling Antipas to death. 

The beliefs held by the Pergamum people have as much popularity today as they did in Jesus' day. Citizens depend on the state. The state demands obedience from citizens, especially in communist states like China or the Soviet Union. The founders of these collective states, Mao and Lenin respectively, were each elevated to godlike status by citizens, similar to the veneration of ancient emperors by the citizens of the Roman Empire

More and more Americans are expressing their trust in, and dependence upon, the government. In pseudo-intellectualism, American citizens ridicule the ancients for their belief in the "gods," but these same American citizens adhere to similar beliefs. Acquiescence to forced injections by government mandate is similar to the ancient worship of the Emperor and Asclepius. In our day, anyone who expressed a belief that the state or state health departments do not know best is persecuted. In some cases in the Chinese and Russian collectivist states, dissidents are treated like Antipas in Pergamum. 

In Marx and Satan, a short book by Richard Wurmbrand, the author shows how Lenin's Tomb expresses a denial of the existence of God and encourages faith in the state, just like at Pergamum. Wurmbrand writes: 

"Architect Stjusev, who built Lenin’s tomb, took the Pergamos altar as the project prototype. This was in 1924. It’s a known fact that Stjusev received all the needed information from Frederic Paulsen – an acknowledged authority in archaeology." (Richard Wurmbrand, Marx and Satan).

 

Lenin's Tomb in Red Square, Moscow, an intentional replica of the Throne of Satan, Pergamum. 

Billy Graham once called communism "The religion of the devil."

He's correct. The throne of Satan - or the seat of Satan - is figuratively any city, state, or country where citizens believe the government is the source of their security, safety, and prosperity.

My principled opposition to forced therapeutic shots for Covid-19 is based on the history of Pergamum, the faithful witness of Antipas, as he sought to remind people that only Jesus Christ is Savior and Protector of this world.

I'm not against medicine or vaccines, and any rational person who says I am is lying to advance their agenda.

I am against any medication that the government mandates all its citizens to take. I'm against it because I will never let the government become God in my life, and I will warn people of the dangers of allowing the government to believe they are God.

If you don't think a powerful state will one day put people to death for failure to comply with their mandates, you need to study history. As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

Do as you please in making personal medical decisions. Take any shot or medicine that you desire for the benefit of yourself and your family. However, trust the faithful Savior and not the totalitarian state. Place your faith in the protection of God and not the provision of the government.

Please respect that some of us have a principled opposition to government-mandated forced injections because we know a great deal about Antipas and Pergamum.

Jesus has risen from the dead. He is Savior and Lord, the King of kings.

Lenin remains in his tomb. Satan's throne loses in the end. Never trust the state. Never give an inch. Do as you please, but respect those who resist the throne of Satan for the good of the world.

Work, Government Checks, Socialism, and Idleness

"For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat." We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat." (II Thess. 3:10-12)

The Bible is amazingly practical. Though the apocalyptic prophecies of Daniel in the Old Testament can seem at first obscure and complex, by the time you come to the ageless principles of Paul in the New Testament, the Bible leaps off the page with wisdom for individuals and societies

Let's take a look at the concept of work or labor from the Bible's perspective and compare it to what "We the People" have allowed our government to do in violation of biblical principles. 

Restaurants like this pizzeria in Chicago are closing due to a shortage of help. National supply lines are choked for a lack of truck drivers (80,000 are needed). Unemployment is low because people are choosing not to work because they don't have to work. The United States government has created a massive problem by ignoring one of the basic principles in God's Word. 

If a man will not work, he should not eat. 

The United States government is giving people money so that they can eat without working. 

If you feel the government should be giving people monthly income, then maybe your ears have grown as soft to the LORD'S Word as the hands of men have grown soft to laborious work.  When a nation removes God from its governance, chaos comes to its culture. 

Three examples: 

1. Last week I met with a sweet, Christian grandmother who needed help with the Department of Human Services. She was caring for her grandchildren. "Where are their parents?" I asked. She explained that the mom and dad are living in a tent, smoking dope and meth, drinking alcohol, and playing games on their phones. "What?" I said. "Are they drug dealers?" No, explained the grandmother. They don't need to work because the government gives them "child tax credits every month" as well as "unemployment checks." They spend the money on their addictions. I was stunned. I live in the heart of conservative Oklahoma. If that's happening in our city, I guarantee you it is happening all over the United States. 

2. The non-profit where I work is looking to hire cooks for our kitchen. We have had over 20 people apply, but nobody hired. I asked our management staff, "Why?" They explained to me that at the end of the interview, the interviewee that they  "sign this government form to prove that I came in for this interview." My staff could tell I was puzzled by this explanation, so they continued. "They don't really want a job. They just want to continue receiving unemployment. The government says as long as they go in for an interview and turn in the documentation that proves it, they'll continue to receive unemployment. It doesn't make any difference if they get a job or not, the government keeps paying them because 'They are trying to get a job.'" Unbelievable. 

3. Forbes magazine says that the United States is on the fast road to 50 TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT. That is an incomprehensible number. It is not repayable. The United States is bankrupt and will default on its obligations. It's not a matter of IF, but only WHEN. We are like the family who doesn't care how much they spend, they intend to charge the credit cards to the max and then commit suicide. It's shocking how little "We the People" care about the financial suicide of our country. All because we ignore the biblical principles - "If a man will not work, he will not eat."

Don't get me wrong. We should all desire to help the poor. We should work to provide shelter for the needy. We ought to do all we can to make our city a better place. But everyone who benefits from the food and shelter provided should work for it. Pick up trash. Paint a building. Move some dirt. Deliver some supplies. Do something, don't just sit there and smoke weed. 

Maybe you'll remember the biblical principle "If a man will not work, he should not eat" with a visual of our nation's debt.

One hundred dollars

One Million dollars

One Billion dollars

#LastTrainToWuhan and My Resistance to Tyranny

Perspective is personal. When someone loses a loved one to the nasty disease called Covid-19, that someone is offended when I speak out against mandatory vaccines. "Why?" they ask. "Why do you show such a lack of compassion for those families who've lost family members? Just take the shot! That's the Christian thing to do."

Perspective. 

This post is my perspective. It serves as an explanation to my friends, family members, and acquaintances for why I write against forced mandatory vaccinations. 

Our world is descending into tyranny. Governments, led by China, including Australia, Canada, and the United States, are beginning to oppress their citizens. 

Tyranny is defined as "the cruel or oppressive rule of governments." Tyranny is evil. People of courage and conviction must stand up and speak up. 

I've acquired immunity against Covid-19 naturally. I was infected with the highly transmissible Sars Cov-2 virus in 2020.  My infection resulted in the illness called Covid-19. I recovered nicely, and my disease recovered immunity is sufficient.  Even when American government authorities mandate or coerce, I will not take a therapeutic shot for Covid-19. 

I object to taking any Covid-19 shot for both scientific and political reasons. 

First, I refuse the shot because of a potential dysfunctional response within my now robust immune system. The potential dysfunctional response is called a cytokine storm. The scientific data on how often a cytokine storm is created after receiving a Covid-19 shot is limited, but when the body's immune system enters a cytokine storm state - induced either naturally by contracting Covid-19 or artificially by vaccination - the body is at risk of severe lung inflammation, stroke, heart attack, and blood-brain membrane breaches. The scientific risk/benefit ratio of taking a Covid-19 therapeutic shot for someone who has recovered from Covid-19 is high risk and low benefit.  I know of what I speak. 

Second, I refuse to take the Covid-19 shot to fight against America's descent into tyranny. I refuse for my grandchildren's sake. It is best for future generations of Americans if they receive a country from their forefathers where people are free to make their own informed medical decisions and not a country where the government makes those decisions for its citizens.

For those who object and say, "But you're killing Americans!" I respond, "On the contrary, I am saving America."

Perspective.

 
In Isaiah 54, God's people had spent years of enslavement under the tyrannical and oppressive rule of the Babylonians. This chapter, a poem of hope in the Hebrew language, contains a promise from the LORD regarding the future of His people after He delivers them from their captivity (see Isaiah 54:13-14).

"Then all your children will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children’s prosperity. In righteousness you’ll be established;

You will be far from tyranny, for you won’t be afraid You will be far from terror, for it won’t come near you.

Watch! If anyone does attack you, it will not be from Me; whoever may attack you will fall because of you."

For two generations, America's children have not been taught of the LORD. Our culture celebrates sexual immorality instead of following God's commands of morality. We talk more about those things that entertain us than we do God's Word that should constrain us. As a result, the government has become our God, our comfort has turned from our Savior to our sins, and we take for granted individual liberty and are blind to government tyranny. 

What Really Happened in Wuhan

Australian award-winning investigative journalist Sharri Markson recently published her book What Really Happened in Wuhan. There is no question mark in the title. She proves how Sars-Cov-2 came from a Chinese Communist Party biological warfare laboratory in Wuhan, China, one of only two such laboratories in the People's Republic of China. The United States has one such laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland. 

Research conducted in the Wuhan Institute of Virology by Chinese scientists - research funded by American government grant dollars - sought information about animal coronaviruses and "gain of function." In other words, Chinese scientists sought to turn animal coronaviruses into highly transmissible human coronaviruses. Sars-Cov-2 is evidence that they succeeded. Whether the release of Sars-Cov-2 from Wuhan, China was intentional or accidental has yet to be determined by investigators. 

When Covid-19 broke out in China in November of 2019, the Chinese government began covering up the accumulating death toll in Wuhan. The tyrannical and oppressive Communist government of China (CCP) began lying to the world. "This new virus cannot be spread by human contact. We have this under control." 

The Chinese Communist government was lying. All the while crying, "Peace, peace!" the CCP sent planes worldwide, full of infected Chinese citizens from Wuhan. Furthermore, the CCP kidnapped and removed from society any Chinese person who dared to stand up and speak out about what was happening in Wuhan. 

Over 1,000 Chinese attorneys, journalists, scientists, and citizens who spoke out against their government's lies and Chairman Xi Jinping's attempt to cover up the biological catastrophe in Wuhan have "disappeared."

The Last Train to Wuhan

In Chapter 6, entitled The Last Train to Wuhan, investigative journalist Sharri Markson describes what happened to a young attorney named Chen Quishi. On January 24, 2020, Chen caught the last (empty) train TO Wuhan (not away from Wuhan) in an attempt to reveal to the world what was really happening in that city.

The 34-year old arrived in Wuhan on the night of January 24, 2020, after the five-hour train ride. He immediately began going to the hospitals and documenting (filming) with his iPhone the Chinese dead and dying in emergency rooms and surrounding streets. At that time, the Chinese government said they had "everything under control," and nobody was dying. In reality, thousands were dying and the hospital system was on the verge of collapse. 

Attorney Chen Quish went back to his hotel to upload the video to YouTube. Over 300,000 people had FLED Wuhan by January 24.2020.  Chen Quish, by himself, went INTO Wuhan on January 24, 2020. He stared into the camera as he explained why he was doing what he was doing. 

"Why do I come here? I took the last high-speed train to Wuhan so that you could know the truth. If, unfortunately, I become infected, I will accept my fate. I'd rather die in the city than flee... it is the cover-up of the truth and the block of information that leads to outbreaks. We can and should allow the news and information to be spoken out and spread. If we spread the news and information faster than the virus, then we can win this war." 

Chen Quish's original video has been viewed more than 2 million times. 

Chen continued his work in Wuhan, giving as much information to the world as possible. He believed that China's existential quality of life is freedom from government tyrannical attempts to control the narrative. 

Unfortunately, after his first 41-minute video on January 25, 2020, the Chinese police began looking for Chen Quish. 

In his last video, an emotional Chen Quishi sits on a bed in a small hotel room, with ruffled hair and sunlight streaming in. He stares at the camera and says: 

"I'm scared. I have the virus in front of me. Behind me is China's law enforcement. If I am still alive in this city, I will continue reporting." 

Fighting back the tears, Quishi clenches his fist and points one finger at the camera. 

"I'm not scared of death. You think I'm scared of you, Chinese Communist Party?" 

One week later, Quish disappears. For over 600 days, he has been missing. The Chinese government captured him, imprisoned him, and tortured him. In late September 2021, in response to Chapter 6 of What Really Happened in Wuhan, the CCP released a report that Chen Quish was alive - but in government CCP custody.  Australia's investigative journalist Shari Markson may have saved Quish's life with her book because it forced the CCP to "save face."  Other Chinese citizens may not be as fortunate as Chen Quish.

Chinese Journalist Li Zehua 

A Chinese reporter named Li Zehua watched the YouTube videos of Chen Quish. He traveled to Wuhan, risking his own life, to find Chen Quish. 

In one of the videos that Li Zehua posted on YouTube,  he says, "I'm more scared filming in Wuhan than I was reporting from North Korea."

Zuhua sets out with his GoPro and Sony camera, traveling the deserted streets of Wuhan, China, looking for Chen Quish. He goes to the Wuhan Institute of Virology to ask some questions. That trip sealed his fate.

On February 26, 2020, while filming LIVE on YouTube, he posted an "SOS" video, capturing Chinese police chasing him. He manages to escape and shuts off the LIVE stream, only to begin filming in a dark hotel room. With lights off and cameras rolling, reporter Li Zehua describes the danger from Chinese government forces. 

Suddenly, you can hear the bang of police knocking on the hotel door. Zuhua is silent. The banging continues. Eventually, the police gain entrance to the room. Zuhua is taken. The LIVE stream stops. 

Reporter Li Zehua has been missing for nearly two years. 

Chinese Businessman Fang Bin

Like attorney Chen Quishi and reporter Li Zehua, Chinese textile businessman Fang Bin made his way to Wuhan to tell the world what was happening. 

Wearing just a mask, Fang Bin bravely enters hospitals and overcrowded wards, filming coronavirus victims in January 2020, when the Chinese and American health officials said, "There is nothing to worry about."

On February 2, 2020, Chinese police confiscated Bin's laptop and took him in for interrogation. After being released, Mr. Bin records his last LIVE video for YouTube. His video lasts just 12 seconds and it is difficult to watch. 

Mr. Bin shows a roll of paper with eight Chinese characters that translated into English: 

"Let all citizens resist! Power to the people." 

Chinese businessman Fang Bin disappeared and has not been heard from since. 

These are three of over 1,000 stories that could be told of those resisting the tyranny of the Chinese government. Resistance to tyranny comes at a heavy cost, but the collective payment from brave, courageous men and women purchases the priceless product of individual liberty for their children.

The American Government and Tyranny

I am a follower of Jesus the Anointed One. I belong to the Kingdom that will never end and cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:18-29). I am a citizen of the United States of America, but my allegiance is to Christ first. My country comes second, after the LORD. 

I will resist the incredible overreach of the government of the United States of America with all my power. I will never accept tyranny over liberty. I owe it to Christ who sets people free and to my fellow citizens who must remain free. 

My resistance to tyranny and my willingness to speak up and speak out is inspired by people like Chen Quish, Li Zehua, and Fang Bin, not to mention the hundreds of others who have "disappeared" for opposing the Chinese Communist Party's official narrative.

The United States government is becoming more and more like the CCP. I am neither afraid of death nor the government. 

You may not understand how I think, but LORD willing, you will one day thank me for writing what I write, doing what I do, and feeling what I feel.

If you begin someday to understand, it will mean that tyranny is being defeated. 

Soli Deo Gloria.

Your Core Identity Illustrated by a Matryoshka Doll

My mother has been in a conversation with a friend about "dying to self" and what it practically means in the Christian's life. She sent me an email this morning that sparked some thoughts on this excellent subject.  

The concept of dying to self is based on the teachings of Jesus and the early Apostles. Here are three examples of what they said:

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for Me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" (Luke 9:24-25)

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me." (Matthew 16:24).

Paul wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

In order to understand the very important concept of "dying to self," the definition of "self" is critical. 

Think of yourself and your identity in terms of a Russian matryoshka doll. This doll is also known as a "nesting doll." It is a set of hand-painted wooden dolls that fit inside one another, each one inside the other until you come to the inner-most matryoshka doll that is completely whole and cannot be broken. 

This inner-most doll could be compared to your true personhood. It is "who I am by the grace of God."

 This is the "you" that is eternal. This is is your identity as God sees you in Christ (accepted by Him, loved by Him, cherished by Him, forgiven by Him, rewarded by Him, etc.). This is your true self. This is who the Father has made you by His work through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of your Savior and Lord, Jesus the Anointed One.

You don't die to this self. Your goal is to discover this inner-most person. This is your identity through God's grace. To discover this person, you must continually "grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18). 

All of us must die to the outer shells of self for this discovery to occur. The outer matryoshka dolls hide what is whole and complete about us. The outer shells must either be broken, or removed, or separated for us to discover our true identity. We could call those outer matryoshka dolls ego shells. To discover my true self - that is, who I am by the grace of God - these outer "ego shell dolls" must die. For example:

1. My Facebook outer shell of self. This is the person I want to project. This is the part of me that is more concerned with how others perceive me than what God says about me. Until I die to controlling what others say about me, think about me, or perceive me, I'll never discover my true self that the Father has created for me. In other words, resting in the nesting of the inner-person God has made can't happen if I'm always concerned with the paint of my outer shell.

2. My Friends inner shell of self. This is person I want to protect. Friends are those who know you better than acquaintances. These are the ones who get a peek into the struggles of my life, and they remain my friend. Treasured friendships are therefore protected, because in a way, friendships protect me. But in time, I must be willing to die even to my friendships to discover my true identity. For example, Jesus warned us that when He begins to transform us, sometimes even our friends will turn against us. Friends want someone like them, and if our friends aren't in tune with Christ the way that we are becoming, then they won't be in tune with us. One of the most remarkable ways to measure our comprehension of who we are by the grace of God is to see how much our closest friends love, respect, and honor Christ. If they don't, we must set them aside as an impediment to discovering our true self.

3.  My Family deeper shell of self. This is the person I want to respect. We so badly want our family of origin to be whole and complete. All of us want family happiness and wholeness. Our family of origin is important because it gives us our first memories, our first relationships, our first formations of person. Unfortunately, family trust in our families of origin is often broken.  The wounds on this shell of self are deep and difficult to repair. When events occur that lead to "family secrets," things that nobody else knows and must never know, we find this shell of ego fragile and broken. But to uncover and discover my true personhood - who I am by the grace of God - I must die to the need for my family of origin to be perfect and whole. God is always teaching His children that personal and eternal identity never is derived from divorce, abuse, addictions, or familial relational failures. That shell is real, but it is temporary. Who I am is deeper. 

4. My Father's handiwork of grace.  This is the person I must learn to accept. This is my true self. Or as the song says, "This is me." This who I am in Christ by the grace of God. I am forgiven, loved, accepted, guided, protected, blessed, and cherished by HIM who is my very life. This is my true self, my true identity.  No matter what others say of me, do to me, or think of me. It is who I am as a person, and it is all the doing of God in His love for me through His Son, my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.  

Only when the outer dolls are opened, or in a sense, broken, can this inner doll be discovered. In this analogy, until I die to the shells of ego, the person that is whole, perfect, and complete will never be discovered.  My true self is not on God’s agenda to be broken, put to death, or extinguished. Who I am by God's grace is to be uncovered and revealed.

So next time you find yourself going through a deep and hurtful family problem, or the next time you find yourself losing a friendship, or the next time you discover some pretty bad things that were said about you on Facebook, social media, or through gossip at a church dinner party, remember this:

God is in the business of removing our outer matryoshkas to reveal the inner beauty of who He has made us by His grace, for His glory, and our eternal good. 

Why a Prophet Is Not Welcome in His Home Town

A prophet is a person who "speaks on behalf of the LORD." 

The LORD's message throughout time has been simple and clear. He will exalt the humble who depend on Him and strike down the proud who trust in themselves (Proverbs 16:18). 

God sends prophets to a nation, a civilization, a city, and a family where there are people refusing to depend on Him. However, people resist the prophets, and by their resistance, they exhibit their rebellion toward God (Jeremiah 25:4). 

The Bible tells us the prophets were rejected and ridiculed because the people determined the prophets unremarkable and deemed their proclamations uncomfortable. 

If someone is from your hometown, you're familiar with them. That familiarity often brings contempt. When a prophet sent from God is from your hometown, it is difficult to listen to the prophet because you're thinking, "Wait a minute! Isn't this Joseph the carpenter's boy?"

God uses the prophets to jolt His people awake.

I will again jolt this people awake...
And the wisdom of their wise ones will fail,
and the intelligent know-it-alls will have no explanations.

                    Isaiah 29:14 - The Passion Translation

God throws a monkey wrench into the plans of men that have no blueprint for trusting in God. But rather than hear the message and repent, people turn on the prophets and persecute them. 

How were the prophets in the Bible persecuted by the people? They were persecuted through ridicule (2 Kings 2:23, Luke 22:64, Jer 20:7); by being told to be quiet (Amos 2:12, 7:13); by unpleasant looks (Jer 1:8,17, 5:3); through accusations and having their message reported back to the authorities (Jer 18:19, 37:13, Amos 7:10, Jer 20:10); by being debarred from attending God's house (Jer 36:5); and by having their prophetic words, both spoken and written, rejected (Isa 30:10, Micah 2:6, Amos 7:12,16, Jer 36:23).

Physical violence to their persons took various forms: they were placed in the stocks (Jer 20:2); they were kept in chains (Jer 40:1); they were slapped in the face (1 Kings 22:24); they were imprisoned in cells, dungeons, and cisterns (Jer 37:15-16 & 38:6) in some cases just on bread and water (1 Kings 22:27); they were threatened with death (1 Kings 19:1) while others were actually put to death (2 Chron 24:21, Jer 26:20-23).

Others were killed whose names are not recorded. Jesus gives us reason to believe there were many who made the ultimate sacrifice (Luke 11:50-51).

The modern equivalent of prophets is those Christians who speak up and speak out on behalf of God's Word and the veracity of its claims. 

People may disrespect you, call you names, assign conspiracy theories to you, and do a host of other things that are unhealthy and unprofitable for the Kingdom. 

Take heart. If the prophets of old were deemed worthy of persecution for their belief in the Word of God, you should deem it no strange thing to be persecuted for believing God's Word in 2021.

The crowds greeted Jesus by saying, "A great prophet has appeared among us" (Luke 7:16). The two disciples walking to Emmaus with Jesus would later say of Him, "He was a prophet powerful in word and deed before God and all the people" (Luke 24:19). 

Like all the prophets, Jesus was persecuted. He was ridiculed, opposed in his teaching, had his miracles attributed to the devil, was handed over to the authorities, and suffered at the hands of violent men. Finally, he was crucified and demonstrated (as men thought) to be a false messiah.

In our day of easy-believism, comfortable Christianity, and theology that turns God into a Divine Santa Clause instead of King of kings, our Boss, and the LORD of our common salvation,  we often fall into the temptation of fashioning God into an image of our own making. 

It's time for prophets to stand and proclaim the truth. The Kingdom of God is upon us, and today is "the acceptable day of deliverance." 

For those of you with  Divine convictions and the boldness necessary to convey those convictions to the world, get busy! You may not be welcome in your hometown, but you'll have hundreds if not thousands that you will welcome into your eternal home. 

- Voluntary Consent Is the Transcendent Principle -

"My view of government places trust not in one person or one party, but in those values that transcend persons and parties. The trust is where it belongs — in the people." (Ronald Reagan, in his acceptance speech for the Republican Presidential Nomination, June 17, 1980)

"Certain basic principles must be observed in order to satisfy moral, ethical, and legal concepts of medicine, including:

The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential.

This means that the person should have the legal capacity to give consent; should be so situated as to be able to exercise free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, over-reaching, or other ulterior forms of constraint or coercion; and should have sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved as to enable him to make an understanding and enlightened decision."

The NUREMBERG CODE: FROM TRIALS OF WAR CRIMINALS BEFORE THE NUREMBERG MILITARY TRIBUNALS UNDER CONTROL COUNCIL LAW NO. 10. NUREMBERG, OCTOBER 1946–APRIL 1949. WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. G.P.O, 1949–1953.

German physicians hung for their war crimes after the Nuremberg Trials (June 2, 1948)

When the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party) came to power in the 1930s, Adolph Hitler began shutting down all public dissent over government policies. Before the Nazi takeover, Germany had 4,700 different newspapers, reflecting all shades of political opinion. The Nazi regime quickly eliminated freedom of the press in Germany, shutting down oppositional newspapers and manipulating the press. The Nazi Party's press empire rapidly expanded after 1933, as did the readership of its newspapers. The Nazi press accounted for more than 80% of the newspapers circulated in Germany by mid-1941. Adolf Hitler and the Nazis succeeded in destroying Germany's vibrant and diverse newspaper culture. The newly created Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment handed out daily instructions to all German newspapers, Nazi or independent, detailing how the news was reported. Any dissenter to the official narrative became an enemy of the state. (Source; The Holocaust National Museum)

The German people were kind, trusting, and caring people. They were told by the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and German physicians that Jews, Gypsies, and Nazi Party dissenters all carried vermin, parasites, and diseases. Nazi ideology focused on the idea that the "blood of these weak, ignorant peoples" threatened German national prosperity. The German media, controlled by the Nazi government narrative, depicted Jews, political opponents, and other "enemies of the state" as parasitic organisms that threatened the overall health of the so-called Volksgemeinschaft (the German people).  Reflecting common themes in Nazi propaganda, physicians repeatedly pushed the false claim that Jews were primarily responsible for outbreaks of typhus—a deadly contagious disease.

For this reason, non-compliant Germans, ethnic Jews, and zealots like the gypsies and Poles were gathered into "Concentration Camps" so that the Volksgemeinschaft might be protected from these disease carriers. Only the pure had the right to live, travel, and shop freely. The pure were only those who obeyed the government mandates. 

Who watched over the unclean and made sure they were punished? The German elite like Colonel Karl Kock, superintendent of Buchenwald Concentration Camp, and his wife, Ilse Kock. 

Ilse Koch's mug shot

Ilse was trained as a librarian. She was a proud German woman. Ilse believed that she and her husband were responsible to German society to protect the Voksgemeinshaft from the diseased people who walked among them.  Ilse was a good, moral woman. But Ilse's fear of spreading disease, a fear propagated by the German government and its media propaganda arm, caused this otherwise ordinary woman named Ilse to do things in the early 1940s that few Americans can comprehend in the early 2020s. 

While her husband Karl supervised Buchenwald, Ilse developed a reputation of her own. She had no formal government authority in the camp, but she was known to beat prisoners with her own hands or her horse's riding-whip. She would walk with her husband's German Shepherd beside her and delighted in ordering the dog to attack pregnant women. Those were her mild-mannered activities. 

Ilse believed that medical experimentation at Buchenwald would benefit German society as a whole. Due to her academic background, she personally supervised medical research conducted by German physicians, research designed to save "thousands of lives." Men and women in the concentration camps were injected with tetanus, rabies, typhus, syphilis, and other diseases and then used as laboratory rats to experiment with new treatments. In a movie based on Ilse's life, a prisoner asks for anesthesia before being injected with a new strain of typhus. Isle responds, "One does not give caviar to guinea pigs." (Source: Holocaust Pornography: Profaning the Sacred in "Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS" Shofar, Fall 2002, Vol. 22, No. 1. Special Issue: Jewish Film (FALL 2003), pp. 53-79, Purdue University Press). 

Ilse believed that the pharmaceutical research conducted by German doctors would benefit German society. It mattered not that the patients would not give their consent. Indeed, based on orders and instructions from German pharmaceutical corporations, SS physicians carried out pharmacological experiments in Dachau, Buchenwald, Ravensbruck, Sachsenhausen, Natzeiler, Strutthof, and other concentration camps. Patients were injected with either disease or medicine without their consent. These experiments took place on the initiative of the highest German medical authorities of the Reich and under the watchful eye of Ilse Koch at Buchenwald. The experiments were forced upon the patients by pressure, government strategies, and deception. 

Isle Kock on trial. 

Ilse believed medical coercion suitable for the Volksgemeinschaft. Any resistance by "the diseased" brought more punishment from the elite. The prisoners in Buchenwald had no power. The  German Socialist Workers' Party-controlled their bodies. 

In time, Ilse Koch's hard heart led her to do things to prisoners at Buchenwald that gave Ilsa the
nicknames "The Beast of Buchenwald," "Queen of Buchenwald," "Red Witch of Buchenwald," "Butcher Widow," "The Bitch of Buchenwald," and "The Lady of the Lampshade." 

Reports at her trial indicated that Ilse treated skins of deceased medical prisoners at Buchenwald and then used their skin as home accessories. She bragged to friends that the skins of gypsies and Russians made the best lampshades because of the "swirls of color" across their chests and backs. Albert Grenowski, a Jew who was forced to work in the pathology laboratory of Buchenwald, told Allied judicial authorities at Ilsa Koch's trial that men with tattoos were Ilsa's favorite:

"After they were examined by her, those who were deemed artistically interesting specimens were killed by lethal injection. It was important that the skin of the victims was not damaged. There was one sure way to find yourself in a coffin and that was to damage the skin that the Hexe (witch) wanted for her lampshades. The bodies were taken to the pathology lab where they were treated with alcohol and the skins were removed with painstaking attention to detail so as not to split them or otherwise mark them. Then they were dried, often oiled afterward, and taken in small packages to Ilsa Kock so they could be made into lampshades or gloves. Once we saw Ilsa walking around the compound wearing a brightly patterned pari of summer gloves and just sexy underwear - you know, like she had forgotten to put a dress on. I particularly paid attention to the gloves. The last time I had seen their decoration was on the back of a gypsy prisoner on my block." (Source: Alan Hall, Murder and Madness, Leicester, UK: Bookmart, Ltc, 1993, p. 51).

Forcing medical treatment on the unwilling is the first step toward the dungeon of believing that people who don't think like you are vermin.  

After World War II, Ilsa Kock and dozens of German physicians were placed on trial by the Allies at Nuremberg. All were convicted for war crimes, and seven were hung. Ilsa Kock was sentenced to prison, and twenty years later, on September 1, 1967,  Ilse Koch hanged herself at Aichach women's prison at age 60. Ilse experienced delusions and had become convinced that concentration camp survivors would abuse her in her cell.

Why do I tell you Ilse Kock's story? For five reasons: 

1. The Nuremberg Code of 1947 -  the official statement issued by the Allies in conjunction with the Nuremberg Trials where German doctors were executed for injecting patients with disease and/or medicine without their consent -  categorically states the main transcendent principle of ethical medical treatment is "the voluntary consent of the human subject."   

2. I have had Covid-19 twice and nicely recovered both times. I have always taken my personal health seriously, eating healthy, exercising, and taking vitamin supplements (Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc) as needed. I have robust natural immunity to the entire DNA chain of coronarivuses, over 6000 variants. The Oklahoma Blood Institute has scientifically determined that I have natural antibodies to coronaviruses. I will not voluntary consent to an injection of a Covid-19 therapeutic shot nr any other shot for coronavirus varients no matter the pressure, coercion, or government punishments that come my way. 

3. I am not afraid of shots nor "vaccines." I have received many vaccines throughout my life. This Covid-19 innoculation is not necessary for me.  I am not afraid of the Covid-19 shot and would encourage any person with who feels led to take it. Thank you for your concern that I may day unvaccinated against coronaviruses, but I have done my research, and I am neither afraid of dying from Covid-19 nor of the belief that I will die. I have recovered and developed natural immunity. I do not consent to the Covid-19 innoculation because I believe it is in my best health interest as well as society's best interest for me not to consent. Were I to give in to coercion, be it public, private, or governmental, I would enable the Ilse Kock's of this world.

4. I respect and affirm all my fellow citizens who have by their "free power of choice, without the intervention of any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, over-reaching, or other ulterior forms of constraint or coercion; (having) sufficient knowledge and comprehension of the elements of the subject matter involved" made the choice to voluntary receive the Covid-19 therapeutic shot. Good for you. 

5. If you don't understand what I have just written, then I would encourage you to re-read this article. "Those who fail to learn history are condemned to repeat it." (Winston Churchill, 1948 Speech to the House of Commons). 

The Writing on the Wall a Warning for Tall Trees

We are studying the book of Daniel on Sunday mornings. I can’t think of a better book to encourage those who place their trust in the LORD than Daniel.

I received an email from a young man named Camden who is a freshman in college. He spoke of what he learned from Daniel yesterday, as well as something he learned from his study of the fall of Czechoslovakia to communism.

It’s emails like the one below that give me encouragement for the future of the United States.

________________________________________________________________

Hi Pastor Wade!

I just wanted to share this neat little occurrence that just happened to me.

In Bridge this morning, I was captivated by the story of Belshazzar’s fall, and your explanation of the euphemism of seeing the “writing on the wall” as God’s message to the tall trees of this world. I had been thinking of your lesson from earlier today whenever I started to read Rod Dreher’s book “Live Not By Lies.” It starts by giving a story about Father Kolaković, a Slovak Catholic who, while living under Nazi oppression, had been preparing his church community for the possibility of future Soviet oppression (which as you know ended up happening) and how he is attributed to inspiring a generation of Christians who founded underground churches and ultimately challenged communist rule.

*Side note: I was immediately intrigued by this man Father Kolaković, and I believe part of the reason why is because I detect that the goals of his teachings are similar to yours, in the regard of strengthening the church and preparing for possible persecution of our faith and beliefs. If you haven’t already, I think he may be an interesting studying topic for you!*

Anyway, I continued on in the book. It explained how this line of people who were prepared for difficulties and prepared for persecution, specifically in Czechoslovakia, led to the Velvet Revolution in the late 1980s. Not knowing too much about this topic, I did a quick search and found an article on it from history.com. At the end of this article, my mouth dropped open when I read "the writing was on the wall for one-party rule in Czechoslovakia. The Communist Party’s leadership resigned on November 28 and an anti-communist government was in power by December 10.” Here I had a direct correlation between how Biblical Babylon, as well as the Soviet rule, fell. These people had remained strong and vigilant in their faith for half a century in the face of Soviet persecution, and I can only imagine the relief they must have felt when God fell that tall tree. It came as a relief to me because this specific story with the Velvet Revolution caused the light bulb to go off in my head that He was not finished toppling tall trees just when the Bible was finished, and that if he can do all of that barely a decade before I was born, then what safety do the sinful rulers of this present day have!


On a final note, I’ve been really interested in this study of Daniel, and I’ve also been attending Hey Jude, which I’m equally enjoying. I’m not sure why exactly, but I have been soaking up this Biblical wisdom lately more so than I have ever before, while simultaneously thirsting for more Biblical wisdom! With that said, I would like to say keep up the great work, and I’m excited for what is next!

Best,

Camden

————————————————————————————————————-

Shake Off the Dust, ARISE, and Sit Down! - Is. 52:2

There are two theological errors in modern Christian evangelicalism that stunt the spiritual maturity of God's people. 

The first is from theological Calvinism in neo-reformed evangelical churches. Reformed pastors who focus exclusively on the sovereignty of God in saving sinners are prone to emphasize, re-emphasize, and further emphasize that "you are a sinner" in need of a Savior. In an attempt to exalt God's grace and Christ's cross, reformed pastors unintentionally excuse saints' sins. "We are but sinners..." becomes the excuse for continuing to roll in the dust of one's sins.

On the other hand, the "feel-good" me-oriented "self-care" churches with little interest in the Bible only focus on what makes them feel good. From the songs to the small groups, everything is about "finding balance for my life and family." The error of this kind of evangelicalism results in the same error as the first. Rolling in the dust of sin is excused because sin is not thought of in terms of bondage but "self-care."

The Old Testament Jews in Babylonian bondage (609 BC to 539 BC) picture God's people in bondage to sin and death. Isaiah 52 is a beautiful chapter of God's redemption of His people Israel, but it is also a beautiful picture of how God redeems spiritual Israel (the church). This chapter precedes the great Messianic chapter of Isaiah 53, the chapter that beautifully describes how the Suffering Servant would die on a cross for the sins of His people. 

Isaiah 52:2 is a prescription against the error of both neo-reformed evangelicals and "self-care" evangelicals of our day. 

"Shake off the dust, ARISE, and sit down!" 

What does that mean? 

Servants are people of the dust. When Ruth and Naomi became slaves in Bethlehem because of their debts, they rolled in the dust to glean from the fields of Boaz. When the Jews were taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, they were "people of dust," in bondage to the wicked Gentiles who mocked the name of their God. Dust is a picture of slavery.

"Shake off the dust." When the LORD redeems you by His grace, you are called to "shake off your sins." What you used to serve - that is yourself and your sins - you now "shake off." You die to self, and you die to your sins for the sake of your Redeemer and His Kingdom.

"ARISE" - to a new life and a new you. If any person is in Christ, he or she is a NEW person with a NEW life. Arise and live differently than you did in your days of servanthood to your sins. 

"..and sit down." But what does it mean to "ARISE and sit down"? The Jewish Targum translates this, "ARISE and sit on your throne." You have become a child of the KING, a co-heir with Jesus Christ. Take your place on the throne, and rule this world with the power and grace of your Master. 

In other words, a BELIEVER REDEEMED is BEHAVIOR REFORMED.

Suffering has a way of separating the dross from the pure. Christianity has been too comfortable in America for too long. We are about to find ourselves imprisoned by the Gentiles who mock the name of our God. Redemption, however, has come.  

"Shake off the dust, ARISE, and sit down!"

Separate from your sins, stand up with Christ with your new life and take your seat on the throne of His Kingdom. Man's kingdoms come and go, but you've been given an unshakeable Kingdom so don't settle for something less than the Kingdom that will never end.