Good & Evil All Around Us

 After reading the news a few days back, I did a quick internet search to find out more about the Boogaloo movement. Along with links to items about this "movement" something came up about The Order of Nine Angles (ONA/O9A). (I actually kept reading it as "angels" for the first couple of minutes.)

Have you ever heard of these groups? I had not. And I tend to pay attention to a lot of podcasts and videos about conspiracy theories. I am fascinated with things that reinforce the truth that there's evil in our existence.

And let's talk about my flirtation with conspiracy theories.  I will do a brief history:

• I grew up in the Pentecostal "Holiness" denomination. We were called "Holy Rollers" and believed in speaking in tongues and "shouting" (Holy Ghost dancing). I left that denomination and had ever since considered myself a non-denominational Bible-believing Christian.
• I never bought the official JFK assassination story.
• My father joined the Freemasons and, for lots of personal reasons, I have problems with Freemasonry and all their affiliations.
• I have known people who belong to pagan religions. I have witnessed things that truly disturbed me.
• Some years ago, I heard a pastor breaking down the occult influences in Hip Hop, entertainment, and other media outreaches. I checked out much of what he talked about and... he wasn't exaggerating. By the way, the series is called The Truth Behind Hip Hop and there is also a book available.
• I remembered what the Ephesians 6:12 says:

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

• I pay attention to things the Bible says about coming out of and away from pagan practices. Many of these practices still exist.
• Satan told 4 lies in the Garden that are still being re-worded and told today.
• I realized that there were other Christians who recognized that we live surrounded by strange influences that get downplayed as being "conspiracy theories".
• I started watching videos and podcasts where others were discussing topics I found interesting.
• I listen to podcasts by people like Isaac Weishaupt of Conspiracy Theories and Unpopular Culture (because he too is a Christian) and Freeman Fly of the Freezone (not a Christian but very informative about culture). Weishaupt wrote an interesting book. 
• I now pay way more attention to the details in any movies, books, or movies I give time to. 

I cannot remember where I copied this from.
Pinterest, I think.

It's to the point that I can no longer just watch a movie or read a book or hear music without paying close attention. Any and everything in this world is so easily corrupted. 

So I am not surprised that in almost every social and political agenda, there is another power behind that agenda. Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, environmental advocacy, education, healthcare... Every agenda is polluted with some kind of darkness.

What did surprise me is that I had not heard of the ONA/O9A. Once I realized who they are supposed to be, I realized that they are just another dark thing to use this chaotic time to market themselves to a wider audience. The ONA/O9A and the Boogaloo folk aren't original - not in their theme or goals. Charles Manson was probably an influence. He, after all, was on the race war wagon before most of these new thugs were born.

Anyway.

I am not sure what more to say. Maybe I just needed to rant about this. Maybe I just worry that not enough people - not enough Christians - are paying attention to the spiritual darkness that is creeping ever closer in around us. My thoughts just wandered to the memory of Art Bell. I don't think he was a conspiracy theorist any more than Jerry Springer likes to brawl and name-call. Art, may he be resting in peace,  liked being entertained by conspiracy theories and theorists. At least, that's my opinion. I only bring him up because of something he started talking about not too many years before he passed. He, like many of us, pick up where previous generations left on and wondered if we aren't living in times close to the end. He had a great name for this feeling of warning. He wrote and titled a book after it called "The Quickening".  

Peace

--Free

P.S.: This was kind of a rushed post so forgive me for any missing links or pieces of info.

Theories of Rumblings and Warnings

Wow. This COVID situation is a little bit of a wakeup call, isn't it?

We Christians probably all immediately thought of every second-coming prophecy, but even non-believers have to be thinking about what this could mean. Do I think that this is prophetic? Yes. But I don't think it's the "big one".

I believe that this is a result of man scheming and planning. Because I can be a bit of a conspiracy theorist (CT), I have to wonder about some of the end-of-days rumblings in the Christian and CT forums online - whether true or not:

• Why did Bill Gates step down from Microsoft? His reasons for doing so sound suspect to ay avid CT. And why is he making plans to live on his yacht? (Two types of people I am wary of: someone with that much money and no faith in God and someone with that much money and who talks of God.) Even some atheists suspect Gates' "evasive" responses to questions of his beliefs.
• What's up with that Event 201 happening right before all this panic popped off? That sounds creepy anyway but gets creepier when referred to as "transforming our world". Actually, most things with the UN creeps me out a little. Of course, some sources think CTs are crazy to link Event 201 to anything nefarious.
• Then there are CTs who speculate on the long-term goals of a government leading us into the trap of digital currency and the eventual prophesied Mark of the Beast. Whatever you believe, we are being steered toward the use of digital money. There was the allure of bitcoin and all the digital and mobile wallet apps like Samsung Pay and Apple Wallet. Now, the talk
  
  has started getting serious. I think the COVID is helping that along. Others are wondering the same.
• Speaking of getting marked, there is something so off-putting about getting a "Real ID" star on your license. It makes me think of the awful Holocaust. COVID has, at least, delayed that. Good thing because I'm not trying to get a new license.
• Already there were people jumping on the chance to get 'chipped'. It's about the convenience and, I think, the trendiness. What bothers me about the RFID chip is that there might come a time when we won't be given a choice to refuse it. I'm not the only one ready to protest that. There will be arguments for the chip but I will wait to see what I have to pledge allegiance to first.

Here's the thing, the Bible teaches us that there will come a day when we will have to openly pledge our allegiance to either the Lord or to this world. There will come a day when the battle gets 'real'. Even if COVID is just another human-made catastrophe, it is at the least good training for us Christians. We need to always pray and stay faithful. Don't get caught up in the hysteria of what is or is not a conspiracy.

For my fellow CTs who love the Lord, I will say that I think we need to remember that our Father is not the author of fear and confusion. As long as we are faithful, we don't need to be shaking in our boots about COVID or anything else. 

This world is already under the rule of evil. If there are those who want to share in this kingdom of sin and disease and greed, let them have it. We have a home in the kingdom of Heaven. 

Of course, I will continue to speculate but I will never lose my faith.

Peace

--Free