Friday, November 11, 2011

Spiritual Warfare. "Drink water, pray, drive on."


Doug Ross, writing at Director Blue, linked to this article of mine and paid me a great compliment.

Via the invaluable Sipsey Street Irregulars comes the following press release issued by the House Judiciary Committee. In related news, Eric Holder just downed another roll of Tums.


Invaluable?

These past couple of weeks, I must confess, I have felt less than "invaluable," and the quality of posts here at Sipsey Street reflect that. The Georgia case hit me hard, as no doubt it was designed to do by the FBI, else they would have worded the warrant differently. The Georgia Geriatric Waffle House Conspirators (sorry folks, but there is no way you can characterize these geezers as a "militia"), if indeed they WERE conspirators, seem to have been confused about a lot of basic things and must have been putty in the hands of the FBI paid snitch. (Interesting that the Fibbies admitted up front that their snitch couldn't even pass a polygraph. It highlights the weakness of their case.) And whether they or the snitch first mentioned Absolved, it was seized upon by the FBI to accomplish a collateral political purpose -- smearing me, discrediting my work on the Gunwalker Scandal, and tarring people (principally FOX News) with the broadest of wrong brushes as "terrorist sympathizers." I have been told that this was the entire reason that such a weak case was put forward at this moment in time. It doesn't surprise me.

When I say, "hit me hard," I do not mean that I accept the premise that my fiction inspired the Georgia four to do whatever it is that the snitch said they did, or that I bear any responsibility for their alleged plans. Nor do I mean that I am disheartened by all the name-calling in the Two Minutes Hate. Rather, it is the sense of responsibility that I feel for these people who may not have been charged at all if my name had not been mentioned.

The forces of FedGov have never been able to entrap me -- despite 17 years of trying -- but they have no compunction about bringing unwarranted pressure and threats on my friends and acquaintances. Or, in this case apparently, even total strangers that they can tenuously link my name to.

That has always been a cause of pain to me in the wee hours of the sleepless nights, that innocents are targeted because of me. It has not stopped me, but it hurts and I do not deny it.

It may not be coincidental, then, that I have been experiencing another bad case of writer's block lately when it comes to the congressional briefing paper that I was tasked to write. That, plus my daughter getting sick highlighting our dearth of resources to deal with it, has made this week something of a low point for me.

But just as my personal pity party was getting cranked up, I heard the whispered words of Paul in Ephesians Chapter 6:

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. -- Ephesians, Chapter Six, Verses 10-20.


I always carry a challenge coin with some of these words on it in my right pants pocket, given to me by a good friend, who I met in this struggle, who purchased it in a Pentagon gift shop. Never have these verses speak to me more powerfully than this morning, as I sat at my computer, totally devoid of any creative impulse.

The Gunwalker Scandal, like everything else in the world, is just one more battle between good and evil, between the forces of darkness and those of the Light. It is a manifestation of the spiritual warfare that has gone on since Lucifer's rebellion.

For some of you, this opinion is unfashionable. I understand that. All I know, however, is that I am commanded to stand for the principles I believe in and enunciated by Paul above.

As I try to do that, those of you who do not find that unfashionable, keep me in your prayers.

This is a spiritual battle as much, or more, than anything else.

I know our side wins, whether in this world or the next.

But right now, just right now on this particular battlefield, I would prefer winning this one. The outcome is in God's hands, so prayer is the most effective weapon we mere mortals possess. I believe that. I believe it utterly and completely.

As you know, we have a saying in the Vanderboegh family when faced with any adversity, large or small, "Drink water, drive on." I hereby amend that to "Drink water, pray, drive on."

Now, back to my protracted struggle with that cursed briefing paper. ;-)

LATER: I no sooner finished this post, than I discovered this comment on a post below by MALTHUS:

"But an evil spirit of this kind is only driven out by prayer and fasting." --Matt. 17:21

The response to "Operation Fast and Loose" ought to be "Operation Fast and Pray" if we wish to be rid of these devils.


Exactly.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fast, Pray, Pray again for inspiration and then Plan.

For there is no longer any doubt. We face evil here and they know that they are evil and laugh and are content in it.

Female III said...

"Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil." Ephesians

There are many militias that shun all but the practicing Christian. Who wants to soldier up next to a liability? And this is why: "For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places." Recall the army of Gedeon along with the words above.

God is never out of "fashion", Mike. Have nothing to do with those who think He is.

WarriorClass III said...

It's always been a spiritual battle, but never have the human adversaries seemed so demonic.

You are in my prayers, Mike.

WarriorClass
III

Anonymous said...

Keep. Moving. Forward.

Your efforts are appreciated and valuable to the Republic.

Thank you for doing what you are doing. The rest of us are eternally grateful.

Anonymous said...

"For some of you, this opinion is unfashionable."

God's word is immutable. It speaks to every generation. As such, it never goes out of style.

That said, the number of those who are obedient to the faith seems to be in short supply these days and I am glad that men like you are available to fill the ranks.

I pray that the strength of the faithful few will suffice for victory.

MALTHUS

theprfesser said...

Mike, you have no idea how good it is to hear those words from someone besides myself. I have long believed that we are entering the final battle between good and evil. Doubt we'll see the end of it in our lifetime.
Keep on truckin' brother,
Rick
III

Dedicated_Dad said...

YOU COULDN'T BE MORE RIGHT about the solution, though I'd submit that the only ones whose conscience should be bothered were those vermin responsible.

If your writer's muse is "blocked", perhaps your EDITOR might find some time to get busy wrapping up Absolved?!

Anonymous said...

"As I try to do that, those of you who do not find that unfashionable, keep me in your prayers."

I will, absolutely.

And don't forget the Psalms. Plenty of encouraging stuff in their showing us that God is with us, provided we remain faithful.

Not to mention showing us the ultimate fate of the enemy. Soon, it will suck to be them.

Anonymous said...

Fasting and praying for you today.

Brother in arms said...

"The outcome is in God's hands, so prayer is the most effective weapon we mere mortals possess."

Amen. You are in my prayers brother! You are clearly on the side of goodness and light. The enemy will be defeated by the persistent casting of light on their evil deeds.

Ashrak said...

Holding the proverbial gun to the head of an innocent in order to get to one a terrorist seeks to influence is the last bastion of a scoundrel.

Mike, you near no responsibility for the actions of a scoundrel who doesn't have the guts to face you head on but instead tries to play on your sense of compassion for innocents.

Yes, it does hurt when the scoundrels, the terrorists, target innocents trying to get to you inside your own head, but that hurt, that grinding pain, has to be turned into fuel for resolve, it has to feed the fire that burns within you to Tell The Truth.

We are going to win this one. Let there be no doubt about that. Here is why.

Let's say I'm the one with the gun to my head, and you are faced with a choice, issued to you by my captor to stand down your Truth Telling or I will be shot.

I say to you, Sir, from within that grip, Soot the Bastards with the Truth......do not stand down that truth trying to "save me". For if you make the decision to stand down the truth, you save me not. You simply doom me to being the one who must later face another with a gun held to their head........

Just Keep Shooting, Mike. You are not afraid of "them" and neither are We. Only when that sentiment grows, nurtured by example, will We succeed in this fight. As more and more people are in the position of having that proverbial gun to their heads, they face a decision. More and more have had enough of living in that fear and are standing up say "Enough is Enough.

Fight on, Sir. Fight on. Shoot the Bastard. And know that in doing so, you save not only me in the moment, but posterity itself for all time.

Ruckus and Mahem said...

Great idea! I will be fasting and praying tomorrow for health and protection and the power to get the right thing done for everyone involved in your important work here. Every person who has secret info that troubles him will be given the guts to tell. Spill it for the Lord. I dare ya'.

"Trouble takes time energy and money that could have been used for something much better and more fun," is what I tell the kids. This waste of corruption makes me physically ill.

Go, Mike, Go!!! You're covered...

Anonymous said...

Stand firm as you have so far. cast any burdens on Him who is willing to carry you. Do not let the darkness weaken you.
We pray for you and yours.......

Dave said...

You have chosen a difficult road in life, Mister Vanderboegh. I'm sure the only reason you've made it this far is that you are following a spiritual roadmap.

skybill said...

Hi Mike,
I can understand how getting dragged "by referrence Only!" into the "Geriatric Wafflehouse Militia" fiasco has you rattled. You've been living "rent free" in their heads for so long now that "they" are getting scared! Remember,"First they ignore you,(which they did) then they ridicule you,(which they did) then they fight you, (which they are now doing!!) then you win!! 'Sent you that post a while back, 'seems to be working out. Prayers are said.
BSBD,
III%,
skybill-out

Kevin Wilmeth said...

Mike, many of us don't care what's "fashionable" and what's not: only what is, and what we can do about it.

I am in no sense a religious man, but your comments about your own spiritual perspective don't bother me in the least. It's not like you foist that upon others; some do...but you are emphatically NOT one of them.

That you have your own personal conviction, and yet do not burden others with it, is itself a measure of your value, and your appeal. I am myself pretty sympathetic to what's "unfashionable", and I admire your capacity to retain your faith and still embrace such a big tent.

Do keep up the flashlight work, please; you are very, very good at it and it is work that matters. You have support from people you have never met. People who do not fail to note the subtler injustices along with the more obvious ones.

No, I don't "pray", exactly, but I'm there.

WV Mtn Mama said...

Dear Mike,
Really enjoyed reading & admire you for writing concerning the spiritual warfare upon us.
You have a place in my prayers forever.

Mt Top Patriot said...

Mike you are more right than we can imagine. Never has faith been so important for all of us. For the restoration of Liberty and the greatness of our Nation.
For ourselves.
It is faith that created this amazing place called America.
It is faith that empowers us to believe in something larger and better than ourselves.
It is this very thing you inspire with your words.

Please never think you have to qualify your faith. It is unalienable, just as Liberty is.
It is wonderful beyond words you wrote of such heart felt things.
It is beautiful.
You are a beautiful brave courageous man.
Thank you for all you have done and continue to do.
Where would we be if not for you?

God bless you and your Loved ones Mike, America too.

Newbius said...

They have us surrounded. That greatly simplifies our tactics. :)

I continue to pray for you.

Newbius
|||

Backwoods Engineer said...

"[Gunwalker] is a manifestation of the spiritual warfare that has gone on since Lucifer's rebellion."

Agree 100%. You are in my prayers.

-- Steve the Backwoods Engineer

Anonymous said...

Maybe it is also time to remember the famous quote attributed to Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson. "Duty is ours, the consequences are God's." Keep prepping, everyone.

Anonymous said...

A prayer, a drink of water, a look around and drive on.
AMEN

Thank you - Happy V-Day - Thank you

Robert
III
OK-LM

Not Real Eloquent said...

Shoot Mike, I've got an ex-wife that makes the Feds look like pansies. Just do like I do, march on and ignore them. God Bless.

TPaine said...

The full armor of God has always been my first defense, Mike. And you can't go wrong with that! And from the looks of the comments up here, we are all on the same page. God is in control! Always. And we can also recall 2 Chronicles 7:14, which I'm sure everyone up here also knows verbatim.

Torque said...

F*'em all but six and feed'em oatmeal, as the saying goes.

Cheer up Buddy, got hot chow and showers at the end of the march.


Cheers,

Anonymous said...

This all does seem overwhelming, and it appears that evil is winning now. Thank you for reminding us all of the truth.
Also:
"There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord," Prov. 21:30
and
"The Lord works out everything for his own ends, even the wicked for the day of disaster." Prov 16:4

Plus all of Psalm 37 including:
“Do not fret because of evil men, or be envious of those who do wrong,For like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. V 1

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked for He knows their day is coming. V 12 -13

Luke 12:2 Jesus: There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed or hidden that will not be made known.

Mike Foster said...

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.