chapter 1 in 'precious remedies against satan's devices' by thomas brooks
...DEVICE 1
TO PRESENT THE BAIT AND HIDE THE HOOK
to present the golden cup and hide the poison
to present the sweet, the pleasure and the profit that may flow in upon the soul by yielding to sin
and by hiding from the soul the wrath and misery that will certainly follow the committing of sin.
by this device he took our first parents:
'and the serpent said unto the woman,
ye shall not surely die:
for God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then shall your eyes shall be opened
and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. genesis 3.4-5....
there is an opening of the eyes of the mind to contemplation and joy
and there is an opening of the eyes of the body to shame and confusion.
he promiseth them the former,
but intends the latter
and so cheats them
-giving them an apple in exchange for a paradise,
as he deals by thousands now a days.
foot: so to reduce dr. rowland taylor, martyr, they promised him not only his pardon, but a bishopric
(note: i am thinking...to get him to renounce Christ...and then kill him anyway...but i'm not sure.)
...he promises the soul honour, pleasure, profit,
but pays the soul with tyhe greatest contempt, shame and loss that can be.
(note: the smile of their creator and redeemer, the only true Lover of their soul.)
by a golden bait he laboured to catch Christ (matt. 4.8-9)
he shows Him the beauty and the bravery of a bewitching world,
which doubtless would have taken many a carnal (note: self seeking) heart;
but here the devil's fire fell upon wet tinder and..took not.
these tempting objects did not at all win upon his affections, nor dazzle his eyes,
though many have eternally died of the wound of the eye
and fallen for ever by this vile strumpet the world,
who, by laying forth her two fair breasts of profit and pleasure,
hath wounded their souls and cast them down into utter perdition.
she hath, by the glistening of her pomp and preferment, slain millions;
as the serpent Scytale30
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
8.1.2014 THE WORLD'S ON FIRE
shattered vision by orsenio orteza, world magazine, 8.9.2014, p34
'the world's on fire' recounts a patriot losing his ideals.
concept albums are a blessing and a curse.
they give thinking songwriters room to develop ideas,
but they also often expose how shallow and confused those ideas tend to be.
'the world's on fire', the latest album by the vermont band Over Orange Heights,
is an exception.
composed by the group's leader,
the 41 year old lawyer and former marine intelligence officer, adrian otterman,
it addresses a growing sense on the Right that the 'war on terror'
may have morphed into a War on Freedom.
'due to concerns regarding government reprisals,
reads the mock disclaimer on the back cover,
'including politically motivated IRS audits,
ongoing active internet/social media monitoring,
indefinite detention without due process
and/or assassination by the FBI or CIA
pursuant to the USA Patriot act and the national Defence Authorization Acts of 2013,
those involved in the recording of this album hereby publicly state
that the views contained herein are not necessarily their views'.
'i was always proud of my nation, says otterman,
but perhaps simplistic in my views of good versus evil'.
the World's On Fire reflects otterman's de-simplification.
'the realization that one's closely held beliefs may be wrong
or that one's understanding of the world has been manipulated
is painful, he admits.
'this album is the art that followed that pain.
united by otterman's yearning lead vocals
and lyrics that challenge military-industrial complexities,
the 11 songs flow together with an ominous folk-rock, progressive-rock calm.
given otterman's background and christian faith,
the questioning - rhetorical and otherwise
-feels sharper than it might coming from a leftist or anyone else
whose default setting is 'might makes wrong'.
'a nation without a foe can't be saved, he sings sarcastically in 'false flag',
concluding that 'it's just history repeated. ...
lest anyone miss the point, "the world's on fire reprise' finds otterman reciting the following:
'we have been conditioned
through the use of entertainment, war, pharmaceutical products and advertising
to believe that we are 'free' when in fact, we are all slaves of the rising marxist oligarchy.
the watered down notion of freedom to which we cling
is actually tyranny in disguise....
'people instinctively know that they cannot trust
their media, their universities, their scientists or even their government, otterman says,
but they can't quite find the words to express their frustration.
i hope that this album gives them some words.
note: the growing loss of freedom always tracks with the growing loss of
Jesus, the living Word of God, and the bible, the written word of God.
we find the ongoing dismantling and destruction of america by looking within not without.
as the old negro spiritual illustrates:
IT'S ME, IT'S ME, IT'S ME Oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer,
not my brother or my sister but it's me Oh Lord standing in the need of prayer.
'the world's on fire' recounts a patriot losing his ideals.
concept albums are a blessing and a curse.
they give thinking songwriters room to develop ideas,
but they also often expose how shallow and confused those ideas tend to be.
'the world's on fire', the latest album by the vermont band Over Orange Heights,
is an exception.
composed by the group's leader,
the 41 year old lawyer and former marine intelligence officer, adrian otterman,
it addresses a growing sense on the Right that the 'war on terror'
may have morphed into a War on Freedom.
'due to concerns regarding government reprisals,
reads the mock disclaimer on the back cover,
'including politically motivated IRS audits,
ongoing active internet/social media monitoring,
indefinite detention without due process
and/or assassination by the FBI or CIA
pursuant to the USA Patriot act and the national Defence Authorization Acts of 2013,
those involved in the recording of this album hereby publicly state
that the views contained herein are not necessarily their views'.
'i was always proud of my nation, says otterman,
but perhaps simplistic in my views of good versus evil'.
the World's On Fire reflects otterman's de-simplification.
'the realization that one's closely held beliefs may be wrong
or that one's understanding of the world has been manipulated
is painful, he admits.
'this album is the art that followed that pain.
united by otterman's yearning lead vocals
and lyrics that challenge military-industrial complexities,
the 11 songs flow together with an ominous folk-rock, progressive-rock calm.
given otterman's background and christian faith,
the questioning - rhetorical and otherwise
-feels sharper than it might coming from a leftist or anyone else
whose default setting is 'might makes wrong'.
'a nation without a foe can't be saved, he sings sarcastically in 'false flag',
concluding that 'it's just history repeated. ...
lest anyone miss the point, "the world's on fire reprise' finds otterman reciting the following:
'we have been conditioned
through the use of entertainment, war, pharmaceutical products and advertising
to believe that we are 'free' when in fact, we are all slaves of the rising marxist oligarchy.
the watered down notion of freedom to which we cling
is actually tyranny in disguise....
'people instinctively know that they cannot trust
their media, their universities, their scientists or even their government, otterman says,
but they can't quite find the words to express their frustration.
i hope that this album gives them some words.
note: the growing loss of freedom always tracks with the growing loss of
Jesus, the living Word of God, and the bible, the written word of God.
we find the ongoing dismantling and destruction of america by looking within not without.
as the old negro spiritual illustrates:
IT'S ME, IT'S ME, IT'S ME Oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer,
not my brother or my sister but it's me Oh Lord standing in the need of prayer.
8.1.2014 'FREED' BUT NOT FREE
to be free a person must be a slave to Jesus Christ.
to the degree i am a slave of Jesus, to that degree i am truly free.
to the degree i am not a complete slave to His will as expressed in His word, the Bible,
to that degree i am a slave..to myself, others or both.
Jesus said, 'if the Son (speaking of Himself) shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. john 8.38
how does this happen?
i become a slave to what the Living Word, Jesus, says to do..how Jesus' shows us to think, speak and live...
He says, 'and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. john 8.32
He says, 'sanctify them by Thy truth, Thy word is truth'. john 17.17
a man is truly free when he does what he ought.
he is truly enslaved when he does what he wants.
article by marvin olasky in world magazine, p80, 8.9.2014
'Jesus' is not only the answer to just about every question in sunday school.
he's also the answer to the question, 'who's the best news commentator ever?
for example here's a headline: 'towaer in siloam falls, kills 18'.
and here's the news analysis from Jesus:
'do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in jerusalem?
no, i tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish'. luke 13
i've just returned to america after visiting five countries that used to be part of yugoslavia.
one commonality was evident:
communism's slow dying a quarter century ago did not lead to happy ever after living.
totalitarianism gave way to authoritarian regimes
and that's no small mercy, but the tallest stalk still gets the sickle.
journalists, for example, are no longer jailed by the thousands for telling the truth,
but a few murders go a long way toward getting others to hunker down.
sadly, the death of communism has not brought economic freedom, for country after country did not move from marx to markets.
most moved from governmental control to control by those chosen by government.
i'll be writing in future months about the past and the present of these countries,
but here now are tidbits from three interviews:
*in croatia, according to zabreb banker goran gazivoda, 'corruption is everywhere'.
a state owned privatizations fund plays favorites.
loans go to those who will not repay them.
'all the numbers are crooked'.
in short, croatia has crony (pal, buddy) capitalism for the benefit of 200 prosperous families,
while unemployment surges.
getting anything done takes so many permits that ordinary folks often give up.
*in slovenia, according to journalist blaz zgaga, citizens received certificates
for a share of formerly owned companies,
but many did not understand the value of the shares and sold them cheaply to financial funds,
so oligarchs (rule by a few powerful) now dominate the economy.
corruption is widespread and the government, which controls 80% of the media,
makes only pinprick strikes against it.
*in montenegro, according to reporter marko vesovic,
the prime minister's brother, sister, and friends prosper while others are jobless.
example: because of deals with cronies, an aluminum plant that employed 200
now employs 300.
bribery has played a central role in the privatization of telecom and other industries.
drug and prostitute smuggling is rampant.
it's like this throughout the former yugoslavia on big deals and small ones.
a resident of serbia needed 16 or 17 stamps to get a construction permit for his house,
with bribes the common currency.
bosnia is gridlocked politically and economically
and one sarajevo whistle blower smoked cigarette after cigarette
as she nervously told me about the corruption she has witnessed.
it's easy to say, 'that's the balkans', where warring ethnic groups killed each other
throughout the 20th century
-but news analyst Jesus wouldn't stop there.
the use of governmental power to attain wealth in ways that hurt the unconnected
is common even in the united states.
democrats mix socialism with crony capitalism
and many republicans seem to have signed a declaration of Dependence
that pledges them to support life, liberty and the pursuit of special favors.
we all know the obama administration plays favorites
-can you spell soyndra?
-but many GOP leaders have supported agribusiness subsidies and corporate bailouts.
a key test is coming soon:
when the charter of the $27 billion export-import bank,
which began 80 years ago as a device to help the soviet union, ends on sept. 30,
will republicans vote to reauthorize subsidies for the favored 2 percent of exporters?
another reason to avoid saying 'that's the balkans':
US crony capitalism is not just a washington phenomenon.
as WORLD reported in 2011, SpectraWatt (which received new york taxpayer funds)
declared bankruptcy just weeks before solyndra collapsed.
those two states are democrat-controlled,
but our story pointed out hundreds of millions in taxpayer-backed loans
given to government favorites in republican bastions such as mississippi and texas.
in the old testament, the prophet amos thundered not against hard work to gain wealth,
but against those who 'exact taxes of grain', 'stretch themselves out on their couches'
and 'trample on the needy'.
pray for the people of eastern europe, freed from communism
but still not free, economically or spiritually.
but also pray for us.
to the degree i am a slave of Jesus, to that degree i am truly free.
to the degree i am not a complete slave to His will as expressed in His word, the Bible,
to that degree i am a slave..to myself, others or both.
Jesus said, 'if the Son (speaking of Himself) shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. john 8.38
how does this happen?
i become a slave to what the Living Word, Jesus, says to do..how Jesus' shows us to think, speak and live...
He says, 'and ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. john 8.32
He says, 'sanctify them by Thy truth, Thy word is truth'. john 17.17
a man is truly free when he does what he ought.
he is truly enslaved when he does what he wants.
article by marvin olasky in world magazine, p80, 8.9.2014
'Jesus' is not only the answer to just about every question in sunday school.
he's also the answer to the question, 'who's the best news commentator ever?
for example here's a headline: 'towaer in siloam falls, kills 18'.
and here's the news analysis from Jesus:
'do you think they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in jerusalem?
no, i tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish'. luke 13
i've just returned to america after visiting five countries that used to be part of yugoslavia.
one commonality was evident:
communism's slow dying a quarter century ago did not lead to happy ever after living.
totalitarianism gave way to authoritarian regimes
and that's no small mercy, but the tallest stalk still gets the sickle.
journalists, for example, are no longer jailed by the thousands for telling the truth,
but a few murders go a long way toward getting others to hunker down.
sadly, the death of communism has not brought economic freedom, for country after country did not move from marx to markets.
most moved from governmental control to control by those chosen by government.
i'll be writing in future months about the past and the present of these countries,
but here now are tidbits from three interviews:
*in croatia, according to zabreb banker goran gazivoda, 'corruption is everywhere'.
a state owned privatizations fund plays favorites.
loans go to those who will not repay them.
'all the numbers are crooked'.
in short, croatia has crony (pal, buddy) capitalism for the benefit of 200 prosperous families,
while unemployment surges.
getting anything done takes so many permits that ordinary folks often give up.
*in slovenia, according to journalist blaz zgaga, citizens received certificates
for a share of formerly owned companies,
but many did not understand the value of the shares and sold them cheaply to financial funds,
so oligarchs (rule by a few powerful) now dominate the economy.
corruption is widespread and the government, which controls 80% of the media,
makes only pinprick strikes against it.
*in montenegro, according to reporter marko vesovic,
the prime minister's brother, sister, and friends prosper while others are jobless.
example: because of deals with cronies, an aluminum plant that employed 200
now employs 300.
bribery has played a central role in the privatization of telecom and other industries.
drug and prostitute smuggling is rampant.
it's like this throughout the former yugoslavia on big deals and small ones.
a resident of serbia needed 16 or 17 stamps to get a construction permit for his house,
with bribes the common currency.
bosnia is gridlocked politically and economically
and one sarajevo whistle blower smoked cigarette after cigarette
as she nervously told me about the corruption she has witnessed.
it's easy to say, 'that's the balkans', where warring ethnic groups killed each other
throughout the 20th century
-but news analyst Jesus wouldn't stop there.
the use of governmental power to attain wealth in ways that hurt the unconnected
is common even in the united states.
democrats mix socialism with crony capitalism
and many republicans seem to have signed a declaration of Dependence
that pledges them to support life, liberty and the pursuit of special favors.
we all know the obama administration plays favorites
-can you spell soyndra?
-but many GOP leaders have supported agribusiness subsidies and corporate bailouts.
a key test is coming soon:
when the charter of the $27 billion export-import bank,
which began 80 years ago as a device to help the soviet union, ends on sept. 30,
will republicans vote to reauthorize subsidies for the favored 2 percent of exporters?
another reason to avoid saying 'that's the balkans':
US crony capitalism is not just a washington phenomenon.
as WORLD reported in 2011, SpectraWatt (which received new york taxpayer funds)
declared bankruptcy just weeks before solyndra collapsed.
those two states are democrat-controlled,
but our story pointed out hundreds of millions in taxpayer-backed loans
given to government favorites in republican bastions such as mississippi and texas.
in the old testament, the prophet amos thundered not against hard work to gain wealth,
but against those who 'exact taxes of grain', 'stretch themselves out on their couches'
and 'trample on the needy'.
pray for the people of eastern europe, freed from communism
but still not free, economically or spiritually.
but also pray for us.
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