A Look Ahead at 2015

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

NKJV

Hebrews 13:5

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.

NKJV

It is comforting to know that Jesus will never leave or forsake us and that we can do all things through His strength.  As we face a new year there is always uncertainty but when we believe in Christ, we can be like Joshua, strong and courageous.  Let us take a moment to look back at events of 2014 and what we might expect in 2015.

In 2014, we saw the first enrollments or attempted enrollments in the Affordable Care Act or as many of us like to call it, Obamacare.  Like many of the programs of the Obama Administration, this one too had its share of problems and incompetency.  (1)  On top of the failure of many to be able to sign up, those that did experienced Obamacare sticker shock when they discovered their health insurance was not free and would cost them more than they were promised when the law was passed.  (2)

In 2015 man y will suffer shock when they prepare their taxes.  Those that chose not to, or who were unable to secure or afford health insurance will be penalized.  This year the penalty is relatively small at $95 per person or 1% of their adjusted gross income whichever is larger but in future years, the penalties will increase substantially.  (3)  Those that did secure coverage through one of the exchanges, and who received a subsidy may discover their subsidy, based on an estimate of their 2014 income was actually too much.  In this instance, they will be required, through their tax return, to pay back the excess subsidy they received.  (4)

History may also record 2014 as the year of the hack.  (5)   First, there was Target, then Home Depot, and then Sony.  Initially the FBI cited that the hack on Sony was from North Korea.  (6)  However, some cyber experts claim the attack was an inside job.  (7)  It’s uncertain which story is true but the fact that we continue to experience data breaches coupled with our increased reliance on digital data in the information age is concerning.  It would appear all the firewalls and encryptions we have in place to protect our data are insufficient, making us vulnerable to attack.

In addition, the fact that the FBI had reason to believe the data breach at Sony originated from a sworn enemy of our nation means they have reason to believe our nation could experience a cyber-attack from an enemy.  Such a cyber-attack could be against more than just a movie company because of a movie and the next attack could be against sensitive infrastructure or the financial data of the nation.  (8)  After all, the terrorists on 9/11 did attack the Twin Towers in an effort to cripple the financial infrastructure of the United States.  Perhaps the next attack on the financial infrastructure may come in the form of a malicious cyber-attack and not hijacked planes.  It is time to seriously punish cyber-crime and begin finding ways to better protect our digital infrastructure against cyber-attack. 

However, there is hope on the horizon in the United States for the voters spoke loudly in the 2014 election.  Since Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives in 2010, the Democrat controlled Senate, led by Harry Reid, has taken on the role of buffer.  (9)   They have accomplished this by shelving all legislation passed in the House thus shielding President Obama from having to veto any legislation. 

In the 2014 mid-term elections, voters expressed their disgust with the do nothing Senate and voted overwhelmingly for a change in leadership in the Senate.  Now, we can hope that the Senate will pass the legislation originating in the House and President Obama will have to dust off his veto pen.  Unfortunately, however, this is not the pen President Obama was referring to in his famous comment about having a phone and a pen. 

Unfortunately, the pen Obama was speaking of was the pen he recently used to sign his executive order to grant amnesty to 5 million people living in the United States illegally.  This means in that 2015 we may witness President Obama using his veto pen in conjunction with his executive order pen.  However, Congress, and the courts can stop Obama’s tyrannical disregard for the constitutional rule of law. 

Armed with the power of the purse, Congress can defund any executive order programs initiated by President Obama.  (10)  The question is will they have the courage to do so.  The first test of their resolve will be when they begin debate on funding Homeland Security for this will give them an opportunity to defund Obama’s executive amnesty, forcing Obama to either postpone his executive order or shut down Homeland Security. 

If Congress fails to act, states injured by the executive amnesty can sue, forcing the courts to decide.  (11)  However, this is a risky strategy as we witnessed with the Supreme Court’s decision on Obamacare.  I therefore believe the best strategy for protecting citizens against an out of control executive is through Congress.  (12)

As we can see, we face many challenges in 2015.  However, there is also hope for we know God is with us and through His strength, we can do all things. 

 

1. Simon, Phil. Healthcare.gov: Government IT Project Failure at its Finest. www.huffingtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, October 18, 2013. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/healthcaregov-government_b_4125362.html.

2. Coca, Onan. Obamacare Fans Get Sticker Shock. eaglerising.com. [Online] Eagle Rising, October 9, 2013. [Cited: October 29, 2013.] http://eaglerising.com/2162/obamacare-fans-get-sticker-shock/.

3. WebMD. Tax Penalty At-a-Glance: Who Will Pay & How Much. www.webmd.com. [Online] WebMD. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/insurance-costs/tax-penalties-aag.

4. Consumer Reports. What happens to my premium subsidy if my income fluctuates? www.consumerreports.org. [Online] Consumer Reports, December 17, 2013. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/12/will-i-have-to-pay-back-my-obamacare-subsidy/index.htm.

5. Peterson, Ryan. 2014: Year of the hack. www.wnct.com. [Online] WNCT9, December 30, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.wnct.com/story/27729087/2014-year-of-the-hack.

6. Chabrow, Eric. FBI Attributes Sony Hack to North Korea. www.bankinfosecurity.com. [Online] Bank Info Security, December 19, 2014. [Cited: December 19, 2014.] http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/fbi-attributes-sony-hack-to-north-korea-a-7703/op-1.

7. NY Post Staff. New evidence Sony hack was ‘inside’ job, not North Korea. nypost.com. [Online] The NY Post, December 30, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://nypost.com/2014/12/30/new-evidence-sony-hack-was-inside-job-cyber-experts/.

8. Snow, Gordon M. Statement Before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. www.fbi.gov. [Online] Federal Bureau of Investigation, April 12, 2011. [Cited: December 2014, 2014.] http://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/cybersecurity-responding-to-the-threat-of-cyber-crime-and-terrorism.

9. Fox News. Krauthammer: 'Harry Reid is a living veto pen’. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, December 29, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/29/krauthammer-harry-reid-is-living-veto-pen-1730022062/.

10. Siegel, Josh. Report: Yes, Congress Can Stop Obama’s Immigration Moves With ‘Power of Purse’. dailysignal.com. [Online] the Daily Signal, November 26, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://dailysignal.com/2014/11/26/report-yes-congress-can-stop-obamas-immigration-moves-power-purse/.

11. Hohmann, James. 17 States Sue to Block Obama Immigration Order. www.politico.com. [Online] Politico, December 3, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/states-sue-obama-immigration-order-113299.html.

12. Kenny, Jack. Supreme Court Sidesteps Commerce Clause, Cites Tax Power, Says ObamaCare Is Constitutional. www.thenewamerican.com. [Online] New American, June 28, 2012. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/11897-supreme-court-sidesteps-commerce-clause-cites-tax-power-says-obamacare-is-constitutional.

The Emergence of a Dangerous and Destructive Class System in the United States

By:  Dale Weckbacher   

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

NKJV

We often tend to complicate simple things and in the process create stressful situations in our lives.  For example, simple math tells us we cannot survive financially if we continue to spend more than we earn.  Unfortunately, many, including many in government cannot or choose not to adopt simple math and continue to outspend their earnings or the tax revenue they collect. 

The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is also very simple, we are all sinners, but instead of rejecting man, God chose to love him and provided forgiveness for man by providing a replacement to take the death penalty for man's sin, His Son Jesus Christ.  This simplicity of the Gospel is what makes it difficult for many to understand including some religions, even some Christian Denominations.  Instead of declaring the simplicity of the message of grace contained in the gospel, they add a system of rules and regulations.  It does not surprise me that non-Christians view Christianity as a ball and chain around their ankle depriving them of the ability to enjoy life.  God views all men and women as equal and equally provided them a path to a restored relationship with Him. 

In the Declaration of Independence, the founders of the United States stated their core belief that all men are created equal.  (1)  However, much as we like to revere the founders of the United States, they too were flawed individuals who condoned slavery in the interest of unity in their newly formed Republic.  (2) (3)  Even though slavery became illegal after a bloody Civil War, the problem of racism moved from slavery, to social racism, (4)  and now we have the emergence of a race industry that profits from the continued creation of an atmosphere that all white people hate black people.  (5)  This atmosphere of perceived racism is what is fueling the riots in Ferguson and other parts of the country. 

Economically and politically we are also beginning to observe division in our country and the creation of an economic and political class system, something that goes against the premise of the Declaration of Independence.  In the United States, we are beginning to observe the emergence of,

1)      A ruling class – The main reason the colonists in the United States took up arms with the monarchy in England was that the monarchy, or ruling class, of England had lost touch with the needs and desires of the Colonists in the New World.  (6)   This is precisely why the authors of the U.S. Constitution created a republic with three co-equal branches of government.  These three branches included an executive branch but Congress and the Judiciary constitutionally hold the President, the head of the executive branch, in check.  (7) (8)   Unfortunately, through the history of the United States the Congress and Judiciary have surrendered pieces of their power to the executive branch and today, President Obama gleefully ignores court orders (9) and touts that if Congress fails to act, he will.  (10)  As Constitutional attorney, and renowned talk show host Mark Levin has stated on numerous occasions, we now live in a post constitutional republic.  (11)   A republic that now has a ruling class much like the ruling class the colonists fought against for their independence. 

2)      A donor class – The British monarchy was supported by an aristocracy of wealthy lords.  These wealthy lords had intimate access to the monarchy and thus enjoyed special privileges.  Crony capitalists now dominate the economy of the United States and donate massive amounts of money to the campaigns of the ruling class.  These massive donations grant them special privileges through loopholes written into legislation and regulations that allow them to profit.  Meanwhile, those who do not donate to the campaigns of the ruling class suffer through excessive corporate taxation and stifling regulation.  (12)

3)      The dependent class – The remaining citizens of the British Monarchy were peasants who struggled for survival on the crumbs the ruling class and aristocracy allowed them to have.  Mitt Romney took much heat, and may have lost the 2012 Presidential election due to his 47 percent comment.  (13)    I believe that the reason the ruling class and donor class took offence at this comment was that it exposed their strategy of essentially buying the votes of people in the dependent class by keeping them dependent on some form of government subsistence. 

4)      The middle class – in essence there was no middle class in England at the time of the American Revolution, but throughout the history of the United States, there has been a thriving middle class.  This class consists of small business entrepreneurs and many of the people who work for them.  These people are termed the middle class for they make too much money to be part of the dependent class but make too little to be part of the donor class or aristocracy of the United States.  You will see these people on the roads each workday during rush hour in any major city of the United States.  The growing dependent class and the cronyism of the donor class are putting the squeeze on the middle class.  As the ruling class grants more privileges to the donor class, the crony capitalists of the donor class are able to unfairly compete against struggling middle class entrepreneurs.  This results in many middle class entrepreneurs losing their businesses and laying off their middle class employees.  Many of these middle class individuals now find themselves in the dependent class.  In essence, the middle class of the United States should now be placed on the endangered species list.  (14)

God viewed all men as equal, sinners, but out of love, sent His Son to die for them, thus declaring He believed in the equality of all men and provided a choice.  However, this is not a choice dependent on one’s economic, political, or ethnic status but a choice of will equally provided to all men and women.  Likewise, the founders of the United States, even though they had their imperfections, envisioned a nation where all men are viewed as equal.   

Neither God, nor the founders of the United States would have supported the class system now emerging in the United.  However, the founders of the United States are no longer with us, leaving us with the task of destroying the emerging class system now forming in the United States.  Next Saturday, we will look at what we must do to destroy this emerging class system before it completely destroys the middle class. 

1. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: December 16, 2014.] http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/.

2. Eddie01. Constitutional Convention: The Problem of Slavery. www.freerepublic.com. [Online] Free Republic, November 27, 2010. [Cited: September 9, 2014.] http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2633657/posts.

3. Truths, Confederate. The Gathering Storm; Debate Over Slavery at the Constitutional Convention August 21-22, 1787. www.confederatepastpresent.org. [Online] [Cited: December 2, 2014.] http://www.confederatepastpresent.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:debate-over-slavery-at-the-constitutional-convention-august-21-22-1787-&catid=41:the-gathering-storm.

4. Gale Group. Racial Segregation in the American South: Jim Crow Laws. find.galegroup.com. [Online] The Gale Group, 2007. [Cited: December 2, 2014.] http://find.galegroup.com/gic/infomark.do?&idigest=fb720fd31d9036c1ed2d1f3a0500fcc2&type=retrieve&tabID=T001&prodId=GIC&docId=CX2831400031&source=gale&userGroupName=itsbtrial&version=1.0.

5. Lopata, Andrew. Al Sharpton Cashing In On Ferguson Franchise By Announcing 25 New Locations To Protest. www.business2community.com. [Online] Business 2 Community, November 20, 2014. [Cited: December 2, 2014.] http://www.business2community.com/us-news/al-sharpton-cashing-ferguson-franchise-announcing-25-new-locations-protest-01074949.

6. hottamaleholly. How Did King George Iii Lose His 13 American Colonies? www.studymode.com. [Online] StudyMode, June 28, 2005. [Cited: December 26, 2014.] http://www.studymode.com/essays/How-Did-King-George-Iii-Lose-61515.html.

7. National Center for Constitutional Studies. Checks And Balances: The Constitutional Structure For Limited and Balanced Government. www.nccs.net. [Online] National Center for Constitutional Studies. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.nccs.net/checks-balances-limited-and-balanced-government.php.

8. Kelly, Martin. Checks and Balances. americanhistory.about.com. [Online] About.com. [Cited: October 1, 2013.] http://americanhistory.about.com/od/usconstitution/a/checks_balances.htm.

9. Dobbs, Lou. Obama ignores Court rulings and orders, pushes ahead with his labor agenda. www.youtobe.com. [Online] YouTube, February 14, 2013. [Cited: December 26, 2014.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvPNwCl1yKM.

10. Kaplan, Rebecca. Obama: I will use my pen and phone to take on Congress. www.cbsnews.com. [Online] CBS News, January 14, 2014. [Cited: December 26, 2014.] http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-i-will-use-my-pen-and-phone-to-take-on-congress/.

11. Jeffrey, Terence P. EXCLUSIVE—Mark Levin on ‘Ameritopia:’ ‘We Now Live in a Post-Constitutional Country’. cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, January 16, 2012. [Cited: December 26, 2014.] http://cnsnews.com/news/article/exclusive-mark-levin-ameritopia-we-now-live-post-constitutional-country.

12. Maxwell, Ron. THE NEW ARISTOCRACY. Ron Maxwell. [Online] Breitbart News, July 5, 2014. [Cited: December 26, 2014.] http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2014/07/05/the-new-aristocracy/.

13. The Daily Conversation. Mitt Romney's "47 Percent" Comments. www.youtube.com. [Online] YouTube. [Cited: December 26, 2014.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2gvY2wqI7M.

14. Schwartz, Nelson D. The Middle Class Is Steadily Eroding. Just Ask the Business World. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, February 2, 2014. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/business/the-middle-class-is-steadily-eroding-just-ask-the-business-world.html.

Fear Not for the Prince of Peace has come

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Tomorrow is Christmas.  It can be a time of great stress and fatigue with last minute packages to buy and wrap, food to buy and prepare, and if you happen to be hosting friends and family, a time of getting the house ready for guests.  There is also unrest in our society with riots, especially in Ferguson that have disrupted what should be a joyous season for people.  Many also remain out of work or are relegated to having to work part-time. 

I especially encourage everyone to remember the families of the two police officers in New York that were brutally assassinated this past Saturday just because they wear the uniform.  These families no doubt had plans for a joyous celebration with family and friends tomorrow but now have to plan a funeral for their lost loved one.  I pray that they find peace that can only come from the Prince of Peace in the middle of this tremendous loss.

It is the birth of the Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, and Savior that is the true meaning for Christmas.  I want to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers a Merry Christmas.  I also urge you to take a brief pause from the busyness of the season and read the account of the first Christmas as written in the Gospel of Luke.

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them,"Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 "Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"  

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.  

(Luke 2:1-20, NKJV)

Merry Christmas everyone and may the peace that can only come from the Prince of Peace rein in your life.  

A Quasi Fairness Doctrine

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Mark 7:35

Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.

NKJV

During Jesus’ ministry on earth, he healed the sick, opened blind eyes, cast out demons, and even raised the dead.  Jesus also healed the speech impediment of the man mentioned in Mark 7.  Jesus understood the importance of the ability for someone to speak.  However, the Bible also reminds us that the tongue is a powerful tool that can do good as well as evil (James 3:8). 

The authors of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution did not believe government had the duty to distinguish evil speech from good speech and authored the First Amendment to insure the free expression of ideas through speech.  This left the duty of differentiation between good and evil speech up to the listener who could judge speech against a moral standard such as the Bible.  However, the recent data breach at Sony and the subsequent revelation that the motivation behind the breach was to stop the release of a movie represents a threat to free speech. 

When I first heard of the data breach at Sony, I did not give it much attention equating it with the data breaches at Target and Home Depot.  However, as the story unfolded and we discovered the data breach originated in North Korea in retaliation to a movie, (1) I have determined that what occurred to Sony is something we all need to give our attention.  Besides the obvious data breach and potential identity theft, we have the fact that a foreign country was able to restrict free speech by preventing the production of what they viewed as a controversial movie.  (2)   Failure to respond to this data breach as a threat to constitutionally protected free speech and an act of war against the United States is tantamount to a foreign country initiating a fairness doctrine on the United States. 

To understand why the attack on Sony is a form of fairness doctrine we must first understand what the fairness doctrine is.  The policy, initiated in 1949 by the predecessor to the FCC, the Federal Radio Commission was a casualty of Reagan administration deregulation.  The FCC initiated the policy in an interest to insure balanced coverage of controversial issues.  (3) 

The main benefactors to the reversal of the Fairness Doctrine are political talk radio.  (4)   This is because a radio host no longer is required to present both sides of an issue and instead can present his or her side and let the public decide what is right.  Some believe the fairness doctrine should be reinstated (5) but when we investigate the motivation behind their wanting to reinstate the doctrine, we most likely find that they are not able to have their opinions heard in the arena of the media and want to silence opposition voices by reinstating the Fairness Doctrine.  (6)

I believe the authors of the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution would be against the fairness doctrine.  The reason behind their desire for free speech was not that everyone involved in public discourse be required to present both sides of an issue but that each person be free to present his or her opinion.  The First Amendment authors believed in the ability of the public to form their own opinions based upon what they heard from people on both sides of an issue. 

What, however, does the fairness doctrine have to do with the data breach at Sony?  The answer is that whereas the Fairness Doctrine amounted to the U.S. Government restricting free speech by media outlets in the United States, the pulling of the movie “The Interview” by Sony due to a data breach from North Korea constitutes implementation of a fairness doctrine by North Korea against Sony.  In addition, the failure of the U.S. Government to respond to this breach as a threat to the Constitution and national security is disturbing.  This data breach constitutes a threat by a foreign enemy and we must treat it as an act of war.  I am not calling for the sending of troops to North Korea but we should implement additional sanctions and protections to insure a breach such as this does not occur again. 

There is now a dangerous precedent in place that not only restricts free speech but also inhibits the ability of citizens to be properly informed on issues.  The Interview is a comedy movie depicting an attempted assignation attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.  (7)   The movie is a comedy and made strictly for entertainment purposes.  However, comedy is a great vehicle for the expression of opinion for as people are being entertained and their guard is down, they are open to learning.  (8)   We must speculate that the reason behind the data breach was to stop the movies production out of fear that people who normally pay little attention to global politics would learn of the evils of the regime in North Korea.  The precedent now in place means that movie studios may hesitate to produce controversial movies about evil world leaders (7) out of fear of some data breach thus depriving many who pay little attention to world events of the opportunity to learn the truth about these evil leaders. 

Any enemy of the United States, or any other country for that matter, now knows they can stop the expression of the truth concerning their evil activities by hacking a movie studio’s computers and threatening violence against theaters showing the movie believing the studio will stop production and the government will not treat the hack as an act of war.  In essence, we now have a quasi-global fairness doctrine threatening free speech and hampering the exposure of truth. 

Jesus came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37) and scripture also tells us truth will set us free (John 8:32).  However, without free speech, tyrannical leaders that will suffer removal from power if truth is revealed easily suppress truth.  Government’s main duty is the protection of its citizens, which includes companies doing business in that country.  The First Amendment of the Constitution protects movie companies doing business in the United States and the government has a duty to do whatever is necessary to protect that right. 

It is only a matter of time until someone hacks a TV network, book publisher, or even a web host such as Google, which hosts this blog.  Will they respond to a hack of their data by stopping the TV show, book, or blog that offended the country’s leader who originated the hack, or will they take a stand for their first amendment right to allow the free expression of opinions through their media.  We must also ask if the government will do whatever is necessary to deal with the source of the breach or just allow a foreign enemy to restrict free speech through a form of quasi fairness doctrine.  We can only hope those hacked and the government will stand up and defend their First Amendment right to free speech. 

1. Chabrow, Eric. FBI Attributes Sony Hack to North Korea. www.bankinfosecurity.com. [Online] Bank Info Security, December 19, 2014. [Cited: December 19, 2014.] http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/fbi-attributes-sony-hack-to-north-korea-a-7703/op-1.

2. Steinberg, Joseph. Massive Security Breach At Sony -- Here's What You Need To Know. www.forbes.com. [Online] Forbes, December 11, 2014. [Cited: December 19, 2014.] http://www.forbes.com/sites/josephsteinberg/2014/12/11/massive-security-breach-at-sony-heres-what-you-need-to-know/.

3. Gill, Kathy. What is the Fairness Doctrine. uspolitics.about.com. [Online] About News. [Cited: December 19, 2014.] http://uspolitics.about.com/od/electionissues/a/fcc_fairness.htm.

4. Sobel, Robert. Repeal of fairness: How Ronald Reagan gave us Fox News and other bias sources. www.muscletak.co.uk. [Online] Examiner, March 24, 2014. [Cited: December 20, 2014.] http://www.muscletak.co.uk/article/repeal-of-fairness-how-ronald-reagan-gave-us-fox-news-and-other-bias-sources.

5. AARP. It is time to reinstate the "Fairness Doctrine". community.aarp.org. [Online] AARP, March 3, 2012. [Cited: December 20, 2014.] http://community.aarp.org/t5/Politics-Current-Events/It-is-time-to-reinstate-the-quot-Fairness-Doctrine-quot/td-p/459767.

6. Limbaugh, Rush. Rush Limbaugh and Liberalism’s Fatal Flaw. www.freerepublic.com. [Online] Free Republic, May 15, 2006. [Cited: December 20, 2014.] http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1632393/posts.

7. Bahr, Lindsey. 'The Interview' Jeopardizes Overseas Movie Villains. abcnews.go.com. [Online] ABC News, December 18, 2014. [Cited: December 20, 2014.] http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/interview-jeopardizes-overseas-movie-villains-27704760.

8. Atkins, Amy. "Comedy is The Last Great Expression of Free Speech" . www.boiseweekly.com. [Online] Boise Weekly, December 27, 2006. [Cited: December 20, 2014.] http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/comedy-is-the-last-great-expression-of-free-speech/Content?oid=930561.

Reigniting the Fading Fire of Liberty

By:  Dale Weckbacher

2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

NKJV

Next Thursday we will celebrate Christmas.  In addition, today is the beginning of Chanukah.  Both of these holidays have much in common.  Christians and Jews who both worship the God of Israel and the Bible celebrate the holidays.  Both holidays also celebrate a miracle of light. 

Chanukah celebrates two things,

1)      The 2nd century BCE victory of a small, greatly outnumbered and out-armed army of Jews, known as the “Maccabees,” over the mighty Greek army that occupied the Holy Land.  The rebellion was in response to the Greek attempt to force a Hellenistic G‑dless lifestyle on the Jewish inhabitants of Israel.

2)      The kindling of a seven-branched Menorah (candelabra) was an important component of the daily service in the Holy Temple.  When the Maccabees liberated the Temple from the hands of the Greek invaders, they found only a small cruse of pure and undefiled olive oil fit for fueling the Menorah.  The problem was, it was sufficient to light the Menorah only for one day, and it would take eight days to produce new pure oil.  Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days and nights.  (1)

For Christians, the celebration of Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ who came to bring salvation to lost mankind (Acts 4:8-12).  Jesus may have been humbly born in a manger but his birth was anything but normal.  Jesus birth was momentous for an announcement of angels and a great light accompanied it (Luke 2:8-12).  The gift of Jesus, given by God the Father on the first Christmas made it possible for the light of the Spirit of God to enter peoples’ lives.  All anyone has to do is believe and they will receive eternal life (John 3:16). 

The founding of the United States of America lit the torch of liberty.  The Statue of Liberty was given to the Nation by the people of France in recognition of the friendship established between the two nations during the American Revolution.  (2)  Thousands of immigrants that came to the United States from Europe saw Miss Liberty and many no doubt understood that they were coming to start a new life in the land of liberty.  However, through the years, the fire of the torch of liberty has begun to grow dim but the embers of liberty are still hot in our country, which means we still have an opportunity to reignite the fire of liberty in the United States. 

To reignite the fire of liberty we must,

1)      Return to the Godly principles of the Bible – The Bible is the inerrant Word of God.  It is God speaking to us and provides the guideline with which we should live.  Unfortunately, the United States has drifted from following these principles and replaced it with the ungodly philosophy of post-modernism.  One of the most surprising movies to come out recently is the movie God’s not Dead.  I do not want to spoil it for those that have not had an opportunity to see the movie and would encourage everyone reading this to secure a copy and watch it.  The movie presents a contrast between God, and His Word, and secular philosophies like post-modernism.  The movie also shows how easily young minds can be deceived but also demonstrates the power of one individual taking a stand for what is right. 

2)      Realize the true source of the rights of citizens – The Declaration of Independence tells us that citizens are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights.  (3)  Rights are inalienable or irrevocable and their source is our creator, not the government.  Governments’ role as outlined in the U.S. Constitution is the protection of the citizens God given rights.  Unfortunately, for many years in the United States, citizens have turned away from the principle of God as the purveyor of rights and instead, look to government as the purveyor of their rights.  Of course, there is always some opportunistic politician ready to take advantage of this power and develop some government program that supposedly provides a right for some group of citizens.  These opportunistic politicians use their power to continue winning election by telling voters their opposition wants to deprive them of their rights.  As voters continue to look to government for the provision of their rights, the light of liberty for the nation keeps growing dimmer and dimmer. 

To reignite the flame of liberty in our nation we must as individuals learn to live according to Godly principles.  In these times of uncertainty, many are seeking answers.  They continue to turn to government only to be continually disappointed.  This causes the spirit or flame to dim in our lives.  It is only the light of the Holy Spirit that can reignite the spirit within and give us individual liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).

We then must return to the role of government as the protector of individual rights and not the purveyor of these rights.  Unfortunately, secular philosophies have indoctrinated several generations to look to government as the solution to their problems.  This is where each of us that are believers in Jesus Christ comes in.  Jesus parting words to His followers was to share the gospel with every creature.  Jesus understood that the only way to reignite the flame of liberty for a nation was to reignite the spirit of mankind by being born again through the power of the Gospel. 

I want to challenge everyone reading this to join me and begin sharing the Gospel in both our words and deeds.  If you are unsure how to share the gospel, you can point people to www.dalewsr34.wix.com/needanswers.  This website contains a presentation of the Gospel, access to an affordable print and free online Bible, a church finder, access to services online, and additional reading to encourage them to grow in their walk with the Lord. 

As the light of the Spirit of God begins to shine in the hearts of men and women, I believe they will begin to realize the true source of their rights and provision and begin to rely less and less on government and more on God. 

1. www.chabad.org. Chanukah FAQ's. www.chabad.org. [Online] Chabad.org. [Cited: December 16, 2014.] http://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/605036/jewish/Chanukah-FAQs.htm.

2. Skillings, Pamela. Statue of Liberty. manhattan.about.com. [Online] About Travel. [Cited: December 16, 2014.] http://manhattan.about.com/od/historyandlandmarks/a/statueofliberty.htm.

3. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: December 16, 2014.] http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/document/.

The Power of Truth

By:  Dale Weckbacher   

John 8:31-32

"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

NKJV

Truth has a liberating effect on us for when we indeed know the truth, we will not fall for lies and deception.  In John 8:31-32 Jesus is speaking to Jews that have chosen to believe Him.  He is telling them to abide in His word and since Jesus is the Word become flesh (John 1:14), Jesus is teaching these Jewish believers that abiding, or studying and living according to the Word of God will set them free. 

In another instance, Jesus was speaking to his disciples at the last supper and told them He was the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).  After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus' believers would have realized that Jesus was the truth, the truth that set them free from the power of sin over their lives.  In fact, when confronted by Pilate at His trial, Pilate asked Jesus if He was a king, Jesus replied by saying,

"You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

(John 18:37 NKJV)

The truth Jesus bore witness to is that all men and women are sinners (Romans 3:23) and the penalty for their sins is death (Romans 6:23).  However, Jesus, God in the flesh, came to the world, died, was buried, and rose from the dead making it possible for all of us to be saved from the death penalty of our sins (Romans 10:9-10, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4).  All Jesus asks of us is to believe (John 3:16).  This is the power of truth, the truth that sets us free and gives us eternal life.  However, what would happen if there were no absolute standard for truth?

The answer is possibly what we are seeing in our world and society today for the philosophy of post-modernism now dominates our culture.  The epistemology of postmodernism brings into question previous approaches to knowing, including the Bible.  Its approach is to deconstruct previous sources of power and authority and attempts to set up a less hierarchical approach.  To put it more simply, it abolishes any belief in a supreme source of truth and accepts all things as truths.  (1)

This philosophy dominates institutions of higher learning (2) from which many of our business and political leaders come today.  (3)  This would explain why we now have a President of the United States that won election promising the fundamental transform of the United States and then once in office proceeded to ignore the rule of law of the nation to further his personal vision for the country.  As a person indoctrinated in the philosophy of post-modernism, he would see no problem with ignoring the U.S. Constitution, the supreme rule of law of the land.  After all, who are we to believe that the Constitution should be the only standard of law with which we judge what is right or wrong for the United States. 

It is also why the U.S. Congress continually fails to meet its budgetary deadline each year (4) and instead waits until the last minute to pass a temporary spending bill to keep the government from shutting down.  Of course, this last minute drafting of a spending bill means representatives and senators vote on these bills without having a chance to read them.  Meeting a deadline for passing a budget of course would mean congress could no longer hide the lard in their spending of taxpayer money.  (5)  I guess Nancy Pelosi is not the only one that can say we have to vote for the bill before we can find out what is in it.  (6)

Post-modernism also dominates the business world.  No longer is it the goal of many businesses to profit by providing a product or service in demand by the public and instead companies seek government handouts for products that purport to solve some manufactured problem like global warming  (7)  or a failed healthcare system.  (8)  Since government produces nothing, they fund these crony capitalists by taking money from the producers in the economy, you know those that actually provide a product or service consumers demand, and redistribute it to these crony capitalists.  (9)   Is it any wonder that U.S. debt now exceeds $18 trillion (10) and the rich crony capitalists continue to get richer while the middleclass continues to shrink.  (11) (12)

It is time that we as a nation once again adopt a standard of truth from which to govern the nation.  We must

1)      Get back to the Godly principles this nation was founded on as seen in its founding documents. (13) (14)

2)      Demand government operate within the limits placed upon it in the Constitution.  Belief that one man or group of men is somehow able to rule a nation is a failed belief.  History is full of tyrannical leaders that failed (15) so, what makes us think things have changed today.  This is precisely why the authors of the U.S. Constitution formulated a form of government with a separation of powers and a system of checks and balances.  (16)  Even though the Constitution is imperfect for failed men too authored it, it has stood the test of time as the best form of government for protecting the rights and liberties of citizens. 

Truth is all-powerful and liberating but we cannot have truth without some higher supreme standard from which to judge what truth is.  The Bible, the Word of God stands as the supreme standard for living our lives and is the standard we must live by.  The U.S. Constitution stands as a proven successful standard of governing that protects the rights and liberties of citizens.  The liberating power of truth exists in our learning to live and govern according to these standards. 

1. PhD., Louis Hoffman. Premodernism, Modernism, & Postmodernism:. www.postmodernpsychology.com. [Online] [Cited: September 7, 2013.] http://www.postmodernpsychology.com/Philosophical_Systems/Overview.htm.

2. Post Modern Psychology. Postmodernism and the Academic Disciplines. www.postmodernpsychology.com. [Online] [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.postmodernpsychology.com/main_topics/PM_and_academic_disciplines.htm.

3. Penfold, Michael J. Postmodernism. www.webtruth.org. [Online] WebTruth. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.webtruth.org/articles/cultural-issues-26/postmodernism-35.html.

4. Baumann, David. Budget Deadlines: Made To Be Missed. uspolitics.about.com. [Online] About News. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://uspolitics.about.com/od/thefederalbudget/a/Budget-Deadlines-Made-To-Be-Missed.htm.

5. Taylor, Andrew. $1.1 Trillion Spending Bill Would Bury Budget Battles. www.huffiungtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, January 14, 2014. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/13/spending-bill-budget-battle_n_4592524.html.

6. You Tube. Pelosi: "We Have to Pass the Bill So That You Can Find Out What Is In It". www.youtube.com. [Online] You Tube, March 9, 2010. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV-05TLiiLU.

7. Toback, Steve. The Myth of Global Warming. www.foxbusiness.com. [Online] Fox Business, May 31, 2013. [Cited: December 13, 2014.] http://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/2013/05/31/myth-global-warming/.

8. Asness, Clifford. Health Care Mythology. www.realclearpolitics.com. [Online] Real Clear Politics, July 23, 2009. [Cited: December 13, 2014.] http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/07/23/health_care_mythology_97552.html.

9. Intellectual Takeout. Free Market Capitalism vs. Crony Capitalism. www.intellectualtakeout.org. [Online] Intellectual Takeout. [Cited: December 13, 2014.] http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/library/business-and-economics/free-market-capitalism-vs-crony-capitalism.

10. Sargent, Michael. Since Obama Took Office, the Federal Debt Has Increased by Almost 70 Percent. dailysignal.com. [Online] The Daily Signal, December 3, 2014. [Cited: December 6, 2014.] http://dailysignal.com/2014/12/03/since-obama-took-office-federal-debt-increased-almost-70-percent/.

11. Schwartz, Nelson D. The Middle Class Is Steadily Eroding. Just Ask the Business World. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, February 2, 2014. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/business/the-middle-class-is-steadily-eroding-just-ask-the-business-world.html.

12. Tavernise, Sabrina. Middle-Class Areas Shrink as Income Gap Grows, New Report Finds. www.nytimes.com. [Online] The New York Times, November 15, 2011. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/us/middle-class-areas-shrink-as-income-gap-grows-report-finds.html.

13. age-or-the-sage.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.age-of-the-sage.org. [Online] [Cited: July 2, 2013.] http://www.age-of-the-sage.org/philosophy/declaration_of_independence.html.

14. The U.S. National Archives & Records Administration. The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription. www.archives.gov. [Online] [Cited: August 6, 2013.] http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/print_friendly.html?page=constitution_transcript_content.html&title=The%20Constitution%20of%20the%20United%20States%3A%20A%20Transcription.

15. elistmania.com. 10 Most Notorious Leaders In History. elistmania.com. [Online] December 9, 2008. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://elistmania.com/juice/10_most_notorious_leaders_in_history/.

16. National Center for Constitutional Studies. Checks And Balances: The Constitutional Structure For Limited and Balanced Government. www.nccs.net. [Online] National Center for Constitutional Studies. [Cited: December 12, 2014.] http://www.nccs.net/checks-balances-limited-and-balanced-government.php.

The Vietnamisation of Law Enforcement:

By:  Dale Weckbacher

John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

NKJV

Jesus made this statement while walking with eleven of his disciples.  They were on their way, after eating the Passover meal, to the Garden of Gethsemane.  The reason there were only eleven disciples with Jesus is that Judas was in the process of betraying Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:47).  Jesus knew that He was about to demonstrate the greatest expression of love possible and not just for these eleven disciples but also for everyone past, present, and future in the world.  The United States and most other nations on earth also have men and women that love their nation and its people so much that they too are willing to lay down their lives for them. 

This past Sunday we honored those that were lost during the vicious attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1942.  President Roosevelt stated in his address to a joint session of Congress the next day that the day would be remembered as a day of infamy.  (1)  Unfortunately, as time has passed, December 7 also passes each year with fewer and fewer people taking time to honor the fallen heroes that died that day. 

In the days after President Roosevelt’s address, the U.S. Military confronted the axes powers of Japan, Germany, and Italy with one goal in mind, winning the war and defeating the enemy.  Unfortunately, since that time, wars have become political and the thought of total victory has gone away.  I remember growing up during the Vietnam War era.  Every evening during the evening news, viewers saw a scorecard showing how many of our brave heroes had died.  Instead of fighting to win, soldiers, and their commanders were concerned about the image portrayed by the media and not offending the enemy or the citizens at home with the brutalities of war.  This politicization of the war led to the United States pulling out of the War in Vietnam before achieving victory, leading to the fall of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975.  (2)

Instead of staying in the fight until achieving victory, which in this instance would have been the surrender of North Vietnam, President Nixon embarked on a policy of Vietnamisation.  This policy involved the gradual replacement of US military personnel with Vietnamese military.  However, since the enemy, North Vietnam remained, they were able to overrun the South Vietnamese army using 180,000 NVA troops armed with massive Russian material support.  (3)

The main reason for our early exit from Vietnam was the media’s ability to use real time reporting, something not possible during previous wars, to bring the horrors of warfare into the living rooms of people each evening on the 6 O’clock news.  The nightly barrage of war footage caused the nation to become war weary, demanding we pull out.  Media real time coverage of wars has changed how wars are fought.  (4)  Wars are no longer fought to achieve victory but are fought to make political points.  When there are no more political points to gain, we pull out without achieving victory, placing our brave soldiers, and citizens they swore to protect at risk. 

The real time coverage of the riots in Ferguson Missouri is having a similar effect on how many in the public view law enforcement.  There was a time when a majority of people respected law enforcement officers in uniform.  Granted, there have always been bad cops just as there are bad people in all professions.  However, in no other profession are we asked to throw all people in that profession under the bus, as we are expected to do with all police officers and members of the military who daily risk their lives to keep us safe.  Now, every time an officer is required to use his or her weapon to defend themselves and the public, he or she has to face the very real possibility of causing a riot or losing their job.  This is especially true if the officer is white and shoots a minority giving race baiters ammunition to advance their racist agenda.

Perhaps the greatest danger however in politicizing the actions of law enforcement is that it may cause officers to hesitate for a split second when finding themselves in danger.  This moment of hesitation gives criminals additional time to harm the officer and escape, leaving a dangerous criminal on the streets seeking out additional victims.  If you are reading this and believe this is not going to happen I want to refer you to the recent attack on a border patrol agent near the Ajo Station of the Tucson Sector on the U.S. Mexico border.  (5) 

The agent suffered multiple head fractures from Carlos Manuel Pena-Nieblas as he bashed the officer’s head in with a rock.  The agent, perhaps apprehensive about using his firearm instead deployed intermediate weapons, which include pepper spray and his baton.  These weapons were ineffective and caused what could have been fatal injuries to the agent while allowing the perpetrator to escape.  (5)  Let us pray more law enforcement officers do not become apprehensive in using deadly force when endangered and instead continue to perform their duties of protecting the citizens they swore to serve. 

The only way for Jesus to save mankind was to lay down His life for our sins.  Law enforcement officers and first responders can find themselves in a situation where the only way to save the citizens they swore to protect is to also lay down their lives.  However, this should not be the norm.  So let us insure they have the resources and are allowed to carry out their sworn duties without having to fear political ramifications for their actions. 

1. Tube, You. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Pearl Harbor Address. www.youtube.com. [Online] You Tube. [Cited: December 9, 2014.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE.

2. History Learning Site. The Fall of Saigon. www.historylearningsite.co.uk. [Online] History Learning Site. [Cited: December 9, 2014.] http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/fall_saigon.htm.

3. History, Alpha. The fall of South Vietnam. alphahistory.com. [Online] Alpha History. [Cited: December 9, 2014.] http://alphahistory.com/vietnam/fall-of-south-vietnam/.

4. Dunn, J.R. The Media Have Changed War. www.americanthinker.com. [Online] American Thinker, January 29, 2007. [Cited: September 25, 2014.] http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/01/the_media_have_changed_war.html.

5. Darby, Brandon. UPDATED: ILLEGAL ALIEN BASHES BORDER PATROL AGENT IN HEAD WITH ROCK, AGENT SEVERELY INJURED. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, December 6, 2014. [Cited: December 9, 2014.] http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Texas/2014/12/06/BREAKING-Illegal-Alien-Bashes-Border-Patrol-Agent-in-Head-With-Rock-Agent-Severely-Injured.