De ja vu all over again In the early 1980s, while pastoring a local church and participating in the Christian Action Council’s first “Pastor’s Protest” in front of a local abortion chamber I was confronted by was friend who chastised me for not having “thought the issue through”. At that time I considered myself “pro-life” without much real thought as to the issues and implications involved. The rebuke stung and I began to study, think, and wrestle with the issue resulting in a decision to join with those blocking the doors of abortion chambers who, at that time were mostly Roman Catholic. Since I was a Protestant pastor, my action cost me a few “friends” and generated much confusion in the minds of long-term friends. I was naïve in thinking that if only more Pastors got involved the local Christian communities would wake up, rise up and bring a halt to this holocaust. After ten years, scores of arrests and jail sentences, even a Federal Grand Jury I “saw the light”. Only the remnant cared; the church at large cared little. With the Federal Government’s FACE efforts and utilization of the RICOH statutes I determined, personally, to get off the sky line and wait for “another” time ( Ecclesiastes 3). Well, years have passed and recently viewing the Introductory Video of the Abortion Matrix, my mind has been stirred, afresh. What might God have in store for me? View the video and ask God to enable you to "...think without confusion, clearly..."

The Power of the Prophetic Blessing. John Hagee, Worthy Pub., 2012 Without question, John Hagee is an engaging and accomplished author. He has a wide audience in evangelical circles, most especially and I suspect, among those who might be called Christian Zionists. This is the first book of his I have read and my initial impression was, “Is he of the ‘Word of Faith’ stripe? (I don’t know.) That he is a Christian Zionist is without question. (I only mention this in terms of wondering why he had to make this so explicit throughout the book when Zionism is a political movement organized by a secular Jew with little relationship to God’s supposed promise to Israel?) Seems to me the title ought to have been: The Power of the Prophetic Blessing When Uttered By a Divinely Directed Individual. The biblical examples of such “prophetic blessings” cited were from the lips of those God the Spirit moved toward such utterances. To suggest believers today have warrant to make such declarations with the same assurance of fulfillment seems, to me, to require a leap of faith. The fact certain “prophetic utterances” were made by Mr. Hagee, his father, and a few others he cites does not establish this as a norm for believers. That we, as believers, ought to pray for our children and loved ones is a given; but to assume those prayers are on the same level as “prophetic utterances” recorded in scripture appears to be a stretch. I greatly appreciated the author’s personal testimony of answered prayer in certain instances, and that of others he relates but, none of them establish the biblical validity of a Prophetic Blessing in the era of The New Covenant. I was personally impressed with the author’s heritage and attribute same to the grace of God. His track record and that of his family line is umpteen times better than that of any biblical character which, in my mind, is concern for pause relative to the Thesis of the book. I would recommend this book as an insight into John Hagee with a word of caution as to the author’s theology on this subject. Prophetic pronouncements on the order of the biblical examples cited, in my mind, ended with the close of the Old Covenant.

Now What?

Shamgar, what do you have to teach us?

Is there anything we can draw form you model?

Well, in my limited understanding let me suggest three things not original with me;

1) Shamger did what he could

2) Shamgar did what he could, where he was

#) Shamger did what he could with what he had.

This is precisely what Caesar fears. He is trapped in Bureaucratic thinking whereas the mindset of "free market folk" stymie him, hence our long-term advantage.

Shamgars: rise up, focus on long-term,fundamental particulars, oriented toward the Glory of God and the lesser minions will quake

Ron Paul and Reality

Thank God, a measure of reality has returned to the political spectrum.

But, for how long?

No longer are voters governed by our version of Pravada or Investia, known as the corporate or government lackeys. Until the statists close down the airways, a venue dedicated to alternative views of reality will plague statists til they are pressed to quelch any and all dissent.

At that point, we are pressed to admit out status as slaves, irrespective of our seeming "freedoms":. One walking in the "yard" seems free, eh?

The Internet has afforded us a measure of access and insight into "wassup".

Soon and IMO, very soon, this access will be submerged under Caesar's boot.

Than, what?

Long Time-No Comment

Wow. Have we not gradually slipped into Tyranny?

Being 70+ years of age, I recall the freedoms I had back in the 40s.

Since then, those more equal than myself have defined and proscribe my "freedoms" such that I am now a Serf.

In the vernacular, Wassup?

When, in God's good providence will a legion of Shamgars rise?

The sooner, the better, since my days have been determined.

Big, Dumb, and Ugly

Miraculous versus Moral

Absent any consideration of the 1st through 3rd Century, succeeding generations of believers came to rely on the Miraculous versus the Moral as it came to considerations relative to the Kingdom’s advance.

Each succeeding generation seems to have forgotten the parable of the leaven in the lump of dough.

To me, personally, 2 things are obvious: 1) the lump of dough is to be and will be leavened, and 2) we haven’t the foggiest idea as to what the final product will look like.


In both areas we have failed, historically, and abjectly.

Might we not be more judicious in our focus on teaching the word rightly handled while affording folk to be “…fully persuaded in their own minds…”

Just a thought

Mad Dog of the Middle East

Observing our President abjectly demonstrating obeisance to a foreign dignitary, it dawned on me where the real politick power lies.

No, it is not Achmadinnejad, though he is a bull in a china closet or maybe a rabid dog running wild.

But, in comparative terms he is a piker compared to Benyamin Netanyahu.

The later is far more likely to promote a catastrophic conflagration in the Middle East to the detriment of nations with little to no interest in the area, save for oil.

Maybe, this is ultimately for the long-term best.

Zionism will suffer a significantly long-term setback, the West will be forced to re-think its perspective and priorities, the East will rise to assume a new and long-term role in civilization’s march, allowing Christianity time to reassess its fascination with Zionism and return, after years of suffering, to a more biblically oriented Gospel of the kingdom focus.

Hey…this is just one man’s focus having observed 60+ years of Evangelicalism’s infatuation with a biblically bankrupt ideology.

Oh, well; we live and hopefully learn

A Tribute

Approximately sixty years ago, it was my good fortune in the providence of God to be adjudicated by the Juvenile Court of MN and placed under the supervision of a Probation Officer whose name I cannot recall and who subsequently effected my residence in The Victory Farm for Boys in Ortonville, MN.

The ministry of the Victory Farm for Boys did not last long after my departure in 1955; maybe another 5 years.

At that time, Jim and Barb Larsen were the resident house-parents, both of whom came to be my surrogate parents, to my great delight and good fortune.

Words cannot do justice to their impact on my life. Each served as a role model. Jim, as a father and husband; and Barb as a wife and mother.

Through their lives and ministry I came face to face with the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and, again, in the good providence of God had my eyes of understanding opened to the Truth.

Through their lives I was able to experience a "normal" childhood.

At the same time, I must acknowledge the gracious acceptance on the part of my classmates at Ortonville High School. Without their acceptance, life would have been miserable. With their acceptance, life was awesome.

For their acceptance and contributions, (the Larsen's most especially and my classmates as well) the extent of which I only came to appreciate in my later Adult years, I am eternally grateful.

May their tribe increase.