“Let me be the first to tell you, drinking alcohol is the worst thing to do in cold weather. Hot soup is the best because the process of digesting food helps to warm you up”. Morgan Freeman
(Dee and the rest of the tour group decided that a glass of wine and soup is quite pleasant.)
I just returned from Iceland and agree with the name of this country. It can be very cold, especially in the north, where we saw the stunning aurora above. The hotels, small and comfortable dwellings, ask permission to wake you up if an aurora appears. That picture was taken because a hotel employee came knocking at our door. I put on every imaginable warm covering over my long johns, which is how I slept. Here are some things that I learned.
- The country is one of the most nonreligious countries on earth. Although Lutheran churches (Church of Iceland) are present, few attend. The Lutheran churches would be considered akin to the ECLA in the States, and they might say they are even more liberal. Our tour guide, a professor of ethics, claimed he respected those with faith. However, he often referred to some faith practices as “fairy tales.”
- The water from the taps everywhere was the best-tasting, ice-cold water I have ever experienced. It comes from groundwater, impermeable bedrock, and melting water from snow or glaciers. I found myself drinking more water and filling my water bottle often. The water is crystal clear due to the filtering of the volcanic rock.
- The island has frequent volcanic activity, and lava rock is everywhere. It reminded me a bit of Yellowstone, with steam appearing everywhere. They have perfected the use of geothermal activity to heat homes inexpensively. I was thrilled since it was pretty cold, and I was warm whenever I went indoors. Also, there are hot springs all over the place. We had fun in the touristy Blue Lagoon on a cold morning. On the other hand, it was hard to get out and run through the cold into a shower.
All in all, it was a successful trip.
Given that I am barely back. I thought I would provide a couple of updates.
Robert Morris is being criminally investigated, and he wants more money.
The Daily Kos posted Criminal investigation underway into former Trump spiritual adviser’s cover-up of sexual abuse.
At Saturday night’s service, Wilbanks revealed that an independent internal investigation by the law firm Haynes & Boone revealed the cover-up was made possible by flaws in Gateway’s culture.
They have not revealed details because…
Willbanks revealed that there were very big reasons why they couldn’t share more details—legal ones, including a very active criminal investigation.
Willbanks said he couldn’t release additional details because of a continuing criminal investigation and ongoing litigation against Gateway Church, including what he said were financial demands from Robert Morris.
“But I can share that neither the church nor its current leadership are subjects of this criminal investigation,” Willbanks said.
Amy Smith and I were made aware of this a few weeks ago but remained quiet, awaiting confirmation. I wonder what loophole in the law has been found.
Did Steve Lawson meet his gal pal even earlier than alleged? It looks like Phil Johnson lied. Whaddaya know?
Julie Roys posted Steve Lawson Began His ‘Adulterous Affair’ with Woman When She was a Student at The Master’s University, GCC Pastor Admits.
Phil Johnson, a pastor at John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church (GCC), stated five weeks ago that the woman with whom Steve Lawson “had a 5-year relationship” lived “nowhere close to any of the ministries Steve served.”
However, when recently accused of lying, Johnson admitted in an email that the woman was “a student at The Master’s College (University) during some of the time that (she and Lawson) were engaged in this adulterous affair.”
Besides…
They also have not responded to questions by The Roys Report (TRR), concerning whether the woman, whom Phil confirmed was in her “late 20s,” was under the spiritual authority of Lawson, who’s 73.
According to abuse experts, “any sexualized behavior by a church leader/spiritual leader toward someone under their spiritual care, who by nature is in a position of less power and authority” is clergy sexual abuse.
Phil Johnson continues claiming they “knew nothing” about this affair. I’m not sure I believe him.
A Partial Litany for the Election
I have found great solace in the LCMS’s prayers in this election. I appreciate that these prayers are not partisan. As always, this is not to pray for a particular candidate but for all of us during this time. Here is part of the litany as posted by Wolfmueller: Recovering the Joy of Theology.
We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
To give our nation, states, and municipalities fair and honest elections;
To bless all those who are serving in this election;
To give integrity to those who count;
To grant diligence to those who watch;
To give wisdom and lawfulness to all judges;
To grant to us good and faithful rulers:
We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.To give to all who lose elections peaceful resignation;
To give to all who win humility and wisdom to govern after Your good pleasure;
To preserve the rule of law and respect for the constitution of our country;
To grant a peaceful transition of authority;
And to give repentance and faith in Christ to all who are elected:
We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.To give all nations peace and concord;
To preserve our country from discord and contention;
To give to our nation perpetual victory over all its enemies;
To direct and defend our President, Congress, governors, all state and local officials, judges, and all in authority;
And to bless and keep our magistrates and all our people:
We beseech Thee to hear us, good Lord.
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Are you still doing first?
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A lot of good information in this podcast about Steve Lawson, his affair and who can even hold Lawson accountable. These are some points:
– They reiterated that Steve Lawson was not and elder or pastor at Trinity Bible church nor even a member. Thus Trinity Bible Church can’t discipline Lawson. This is based on someone at the Trinity they talked with.
– Though his affair was made public six weeks ago, they understand Steven Lawson was exposed/confronted on March 20, 2024. Thus it has actually been longer than the 6 weeks.
– Indicated they felt that the groups Lawson was associated with including One Passion Ministries, Ligonier Ministries & GCC should do a public rebuke.
Well worth the listen. This this group’s 3 podcast so far about the Steve Lawson scandal.
https://withallwisdom.org/2024/11/04/episode-98-updates-on-the-steve-lawson-situation/
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Love the pic with the Aurora behind you Dee!
Doesn’t have to be Iceland for me, but seeing those in such vibrancy is something I hope to do one day.
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I had a feeling it would be a tad bit nippy on Iceland.
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Muff Potter,
Yeah. November in a place called Iceland would likely do that. 🙂
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Dee – do the lights move at all? Or shimmer with some kind of movement? Or is it still and motionless)
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I’m not Dee, but lived many years in North Dakota and enjoyed many sessions with the northern lights. Sometimes they were just a glow, sometimes more like a patchwork quilt of many colors, and sometimes the green search light appearance made you question if they really were the northern lights, or if they were airports. But you knew there was no airport. It really was the northern lights dancing.
And when they decide to dance, it is magical.
No clue what they do farther north, but that was our experience.
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In order:
(1) Absolutely beautiful scene of the Northern Lights! Thanks for venturing out in the cold to record this for the TWW community.
(2) “cover-up was made possible by flaws in Gateway’s culture” … too many “pastors” in America get away with darn near anything because of a yes-man elder culture … the lure of the Inner Ring causes otherwise good men to cover what God hates.
(3) “Did Steve Lawson meet his gal pal even earlier than alleged? It looks like Phil Johnson lied.” … another example of a yes-man covering what God hates to protect what God rejects.
(4) “LCMS’s prayers in this election” … should be the prayer of every Christian in America, a non-biased non-political plea to God …some would call it “high church”, but it sure beats what’s going on in the steady string of TWW reports coming from “low church”
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As an election worker, I am thankful and grateful for the prayers for my work. I may not like the results (no matter who wins), and I’m sure you may disagree with my choice, but I do appreciate those posting their support.
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“Trust Me. I Have a Plan.
I can’t tall you what it is; if I did THEY would stop it.
But I Have a Plan. Trust Me.”
— Ross Perot, 1992
And these MenaGAWD have the Best Attorneys all that Tithe Money Can Buy.
“I don’t pay a lawyer to tell me whet I want to do is legal or not. I PAY A LAWYER TO TELL ME HOW TO GET AWAY WITH WHAT I WANT TO DO!”
— some 19th Century Captain of Induatry
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Because they are NOT,/b> “GIVE US A KING! LIKE ALL THE GOYIM!”
No Kat Kerrs with Magic Wizard’s Staffs, no Prophets having Dreams and Visions every 90 seconds (all of them for the same Party and Candidate/Leader/Second Coming of Christ), no Elijah List bobbleheasds on the split-screen bobbling “Wow… Wow… Praise God… Wow…” to whatever the Prophet/Visionary says.
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Whatever happens today, I just hope folks don’t buy all the toilet paper again!
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Is that the tradition of Oliver Wendell Holmes, William James and Bismarck?
The Bible doesn’t tell me I may not oppress people: and that’s because I am “civilised”, and don’t live in a primitive foreign country or even worse (gasp) Rome, and it’s not the first century: and those were the people that needed to be told quaint things like that.
(This is an English “new evangelical” and not just American view.)
The “new reformed” understand “context” quite well after all!
Dee, a propos, there was a church round the corner from me that outdid your Iceland in light shows. Funny, they have closed down because they couldn’t attract a congregation . . .
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LOL Max prudent people have a year’s supply of tp at all times. No need to run out and buy a lot.
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Belle,
Thank you for putting your time and effort into working the election.
And Dee, glad you had a good time in Iceland!
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No Isaiah 66:2 for these guys. Financial demands from Robert Morris? Why can’t he just go away and trust God to provide whatever he needs? So much for leading by example. And Dee, that is a great picture! I am so glad you had such a good trip.
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Actually, that quote’s been attributed to J.D.Rockefeller or (more likely) J.P.Morgan, tycoons of The Gilded Age. Illustrates the attitude of the super-rich of the period, when Money = Power and all the laws (and a lot of churches) bent in their favor. When Greed was THE Primary (and well-Signaled) Virtue among the Haves and Envy was among the Have-Nots.
The 19th Century Greed Capitalism that analyzed by Karl Marx in Das Kapital before he became an Apocalyptic Prophet for Envy with Communist Manifesto;. An economics textbook from my college days said Marx was much better at Systems Analysis and should have stayed a Systems Analyst.
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Ever since COVID.
That and paper towels.
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The Logic of Empire of the Anglo-Saxon Race, where Piltdown Man was The First Englishman and Wogs began at Calais.
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For the first time in our history, we are in danger of losing our Democracy.
It happened to the German people in 1933.
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Headless Unicorn Guy,
And the Falwell family (who were very big over here in the 1980s but conveniently forgotten) were the first respectable protestants.
Muff Potter,
Covington Catholic = Beer Hall. My home help is worried about her children.
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And German Christians cheered it on.
God had sent an Anointed One, a Strong Leader who had Won their Culture War against their enemies: the HOMOSEXUAL decadence of Weimar Berlin, the Global Radical Left, the All-Powerful Cabal controlling EVERYTHING behind the scenes (when they weren’t sacrificing our Christian Children and baking their blood into Passover Matzoi). Even putting Prayer and Discipline back into the schools!
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Headless Unicorn Guy,
And believe me, if they (MAGA) can find a way to blame the Jews, they’ll do that too.
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Some already are.
Nick Fuentes, CHRISTIAN, doesn’t use the Proper Code Words (The Cabal, The Illuminati, The Global Radical Left, The Satanists, etc). His podcast rants are about “THE JEWS! THE JEWS! THE JEWS!” The surrealism comes from him doing all this in the name of “YE-SHUUUU-AHHHHH!”
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They definitely weren’t that respectable over here, though that depended on who you talked to.
The Christian Insiders were Rejoicing, and those on the outside were fairly skeptical.
Here’s a novelty song of the period:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xpS-EPAEnA
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The criminal investigation might be on the repeated cover-ups by the elders and staff who ran interference for Morris.
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“Gateway Elder: Tithes Down 35%-40% and Staff Reductions Imminent”
https://julieroys.com/gateway-elder-tithes-down-40-percent-staff-reductions-imminent/
“If this teaching or movement is merely human, it will collapse of its own accord” (Acts 5:38 Phillips)
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Good Lord! Why isn’t it down 100%?!
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Carefully-cultivated Fear of GOD’s Wrath if you don’t?
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Remember the scene from HBO’s Chernobyl where Minister Shcherbina threatens to have Legasov thrown out of the helicopter? It was to illustrate that even 50 years after Stalin, the USSR ran completely on motivation by threatening.
The flood of new laws after the overturn of Roe v Wade has illustrated that Motivation by Threat is what’s normal among Christians as well as Soviets. Like the Soviet System, it’s the only way then can think of to motivate anybody – threaten to “PUNISH! PUNISH! PUNISH! PUNISH! PUNISH!”.
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And this has a side effect:
Arresting their pewsitters’ moral development at the Toddler Level, i.e. “Avoid Punishment whatever the costs”. “Costs” including “No Matter Who Else Gets Hurt” (like a little girl getting penetrated/colonized/conquered/planted by He Who Can Punish).
And this keeps the Toddlers dependent on their Leader with the Threats — Bug or Feature?
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Headless Unicorn Guy,
Lament over the generations of “preachers” who left their mark on the torn minds and spirits of their successors, who were to be the consciences of our nations. Jer 31:29, Dan 9: 3-21.
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Here’s an over-the-top example of where that can lead, in a Pre-Darbyite Pre-Mil scenario:
Antichrist comes to power. All the Christians arrested at this level line up to Take The Mark.
Because of what will happen to them if they don’t.
Avoid Punishment at all costs.
Armageddon goes down, Christ returns and smites down Antichrist, and the surviving arrested-development cases all suck up to Him just as they did to the Beast.
Christ now holds the biggest whip;
Avoid Punishment at all costs.
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Hence the profuse OT and NT prohibitions against religion bosses stealing the bread of truth from the lips of children / starving out their peers / salami slicing / revisionism. “Be ye zeroes for we are zeroes”?