General

I’ve learned over the years that the best subjects to write on are those you’ve experienced personally. Life savvy brings authority. That’s why I appreciated getting my Masters and Doctorate in my fifties, because by that time, I wasn’t a deer-in-the-headlights who knew nothing about the real world.

For the past few months I have been trying to sell our family home–which, for nearly a quarter of century, served as the Boehme savings plan for the future. My current run-in with the regulatory state, and other examples I’ve encountered over forty years, lead me to conclude that we desperately need a new American Revolution to cast off the tyranny of the regulatory state.

If the “frog in the kettle” analogy is accurate anywhere, then it certainly applies to the blood-sucking tentacles of government regulations that are killing this nation.

Here’s my story.

First, let’s look at the bigger picture. For one hundred and fifty years, the government of the United States was relatively small and the burdens of government minimal. In the 1940s under FDR, we began the march toward a cumbersome and expensive regulatory state which continued to grow under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

There’s no partisan blame here. US government regulations have been a rising tide for over seventy years. Local and state governments have followed suit.

But Barack Obama has taken the growth of government intrusion into our lives to stunning new heights. A recent article in the American Thinker states:

“There’s nothing moderate or incremental about the increase in federal regulations – and hence in centralized executive power – under President Obama.  To the contrary, according to figures published by the Obama White House, the costs of regulations issued by this administration have dwarfed the costs of regulations issued by prior administrations.”

In fact, the costs of “major” regulations – those estimated to cost at least $100 million in any one year (in 2001 dollars) – issued by the Obama administration in its first three years nearly tripled the cost of those issued by the Clinton administration in its first three years, nearly quintupled the cost of those issued by the George W. Bush administration in its first three years, and nearly doubled the cost of those issued by Bush and Clinton combined.  Again, that’s according to the Obama White House’s own tallies.”

In real terms, it’s estimated that the Obama administration has increased the burden of federal regulations between 7-10% over the past four years. That’s 11,327 pages of new constraints on Americans.

So regulations are exploding. New York’s Mayor Bloomberg is even trying to control how big a soda you can drink and whether salt is served in your restaurant of choice.

Nanny state.

This growing regulatory creep is like a cancer that has metastasized to every part of the “American body” and is literally choking out the lifeblood of hard-working Americans.

Here is my personal evidence.

I had a recent conversation with my 93-year-old father who was a family doctor for most of his life. He told me that he became a physician at the right time when he was free to practice medicine, make some money for his family, and not be burdened by government sanctions.

He told he that if he were alive today, he probably wouldn’t go into medicine. There are too many regulations and hoops to jump through.

Apparently, many young people today sadly agree with him. Recent studies project a shortage of doctors in this nation  because of Obamacare–a vast expansion of federal regulations and controls on the medical world. Doctors are being regulated out of business.

I told my father that, based on these trends, maybe the “best years of medical care are behind us.” He agreed.

That’s so un-American to admit. We have always believed that the best was ahead–that we could create a better world for our children. But the growth of government control is beginning to suppress this historical hope and faith.

Zoning restrictions are another area where government regs are out of control. Let me share an example that really hurts.

Youth With A Mission was given a beautiful thirteen acre campus about ten years ago in the Pacific Northwest near Port Townsend, Washington. At the time we acquired it, the facilities were in poor shape, but years of hard work and expenditures of hundreds of thousands of dollars eventually spruced up the waterfront property with its fifteen buildings and accommodations for over one hundred people.

Today, we call it YWAM Discovery Bay, and use it to train and send missionaries all over the world–especially to China.

A couple years ago, I led a campaign to develop a master plan for the campus. The buildings had been renovated, but they were old, and we wanted to bring it into the 21st century with new condo-like structures and a central lodge or training facility.

An experienced architect from Illinois drafted a master plan for us and we excitedly took it to a meeting with Jefferson County officials to begin talks and launch the project.

At our first planning meeting there were about eight of us around the table. The county had reps for building codes, electrical systems, septic issues and other departments. As we showed them the plans for new buildings and modernization, many of the the government types gave us detailed input, and I thought the proceedings were off to a terrific start.

After about two hours of discussions, the final county representativew spoke. He had listened to all the recommendations of the others while sitting silently in his chair.

I’ll never forget his words:

“Your plans are good, but unfortunately you won’t be able to do any of them. The zoning restrictions on your property don’t allow you to build any structure bigger than 3000 square feet (the size of the house). The only way around it is for you to put park model trailers (400 square foot each) around the campus. You can’t do anything else.”

We were stunned and asked why not. His answer: It’s the regulations.

Our master plan sits on a shelf collecting dust to this day. We have tried everything to get permission to upgrade our facilities–which would be a great blessing to the community and the world.

But to no avail.

The regulatory state is limiting the future of YWAM Discovery Bay.

(As a post-script to this sad tale, we have since learned that the only way around our dilemma is to sue the government using the RLUPA standards that were inaugurated during the Clinton years. These laws state that church buildings or expansion are protected under the First Amendment. One church in our area fought for those rights–but it cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and ten years worth of litigation.)

Now back to my “house” as exhibit A of regulatory over-reach.

Three years ago I needed to upgrade the septic system on our property. I brought in a licensed contractor and began doing the work of putting in a standard $4000 system. But the county stopped us. The “regulations” had changed. They demanded (with the force of law) that we put in a $24,000 whitewater system with four tanks, a pump, an ultra-violet light (that doesn’t work), and numerous bells and whistles.

A Washington State contractor friend of mine says that our county “worships” pure water.

Well, their worship ended up taking $20,000 away from our family savings.

Today, I am trying to sell our house. It’s a beautiful property that we built in 1989 with 3400 square feet on three-quarters of an acre of land. When I first got the idea to sell, I went to my dad to get his advice. He told me that he had sold three homes in his lifetime, and that it was no big deal–just clean it up, make sure there are no major problems, and let someone buy it.

He did so three times, and everything went well.

So we put our house on the market. Now we have a buyer, but the current regulations called for an inspection that took four hours. The inspection is ordered by the FHA which is the housing arm of the federal government. You wouldn’t believe what they told us (unless you’ve sold a house recently):

• We needed to re-roof the house, a $10,000 to $15,000 expense. Was the roof bad? No. I had kept it in pristine condition for over two decades and it would probably last for 10-20 more years. So, why did we have to replace it? Government regs. It’s too old. Doesn’t matter what condition it is in. (So then what really matters? Reality (a good roof) or government fiats? You know the answer.
• We needed to service the furnace. Why? The reality was it was only five years old (new). I’d had it serviced a couple years ago. Why do it again? Because the regulations say so.
• We were told to put smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms in every bedroom. Por que? Because that’s the new law. Never mind our smoke alarms on each floor are fine and CO2 is the latest fad.
• The inspector had seen some pest droppings in the crawl space and an old bird’s nest in the attic. Easy to take care of with bird block and a screen. But no–we are required to pay for a pest control expert to come and clear up everything. (Do government inspectors qualify as pests?)
• Seven to nine windows had seal leaks. I asked whether it was seven or nine. They didn’t know. But new glass had to be put in because they “suspected” a broken seal.
• The hot water heater (brand new) needed seismic straps, cover plates and heat shield, and TPR valve piping. What does that mean and who cares? They did. The regulations say so.

These changes and many more large and small–based on picky bureaucratic mandates–are basically forcing me to create a “new house” for the prospective owners–and then the federal government will release the money.

Bottom line: due to the shenanigans of Big Brother, I will lose $40,000 on this transaction which is 70% of the profit I should have made on selling our most important family asset.

It’s like the government coming and taking 70% of our nest egg–all in the name of safety or we-know-better-than-you. Shirley and I have spent a quarter of a century of blood, sweat and tears, developing an asset that we should be able to be used to bless our family and others.

But in the end, out-of-control regulations will steal two-thirds of it.

That’s not fair–and then there’s all the local, state and federal taxes–including a $5000 “excise” tax on something that we own.

(Oh–I forgot to tell you that I got a letter from the county health department saying it would cost $200 for them to send a letter saying that our septic was fine. The company who services it has already done so–but the county wants its cut too. $200 for a letter. And today I received another letter from a government agency saying that even though the ultra-violet lights are “under study” in our over-priced whitewater septic system. when we sell the house, we need to replace it anyway. Cost? Probably $500.)

Can I scream somewhere?

My fellow Americans: We need a new American Revolution in this country!  Government regulations are killing our jobs, our families, our education system, our quality of life, our wealth and property, our future and our hope.

Tell me your story.

What can we do together to stand up to and shrink the all-powerful regulatory state?

May the 2013 Tea Party begin.

It’s hard to keep up with the scandals that are engulfing the Obama administration.

This week we learned that the National Security Agency (NSA) which is currently building a one million square foot data storage facility in Utah, is also engaged is secretly monitoring the phone records of millions of Americans while retrieving monstrous amounts of data from various social sites.

We are told that the purpose of this espionage is “national security” but legitimate concerns are being raised about the practice which could infringe upon our 4th amendment rights to privacy.

Simply put, the Federal Government has been caught red-handed “spying” on nearly all of us.

That allegation brings to mind the work of America’s original spy master, J. Edgar Hoover, and some vital lessons that we can learn from his life.

I recently read a 750 page biography entitled J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets by Curt Gentry. It’s a detailed and fascinating read on the man who created the modern Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and probably knew more “national secrets” than anyone in history.

Before we analyze the NSA scandal and how it applies to us, let me share some highlights from the life and times of America’s number one spy master.

1. John Edward Hoover, who changed his name to J. Edgar so he wouldn’t be confused with a fraudulent check writer who shared his name, was born on New Year’s Day 1895 and died at the age of 77 in 1972. He served under ten different American presidents including eight as head of the FBI. He ran the American spy division for nearly one quarter of America’s history.

2. Hoover was born in Washington, D.C., only left the country once to visit Mexico, lived with his mother for half of his life, never married, and was buried in Congressional Cemetery only a few blocks from his home. For a spy, he certainly never traveled the world–but stayed close to his roots in the nation’s capital.

3. After overcoming a childhood stutter by deliberately speeding up his speech cadence, Hoover became valedictorian of his high school class, an accomplished high school debater, and marched in the inaugural parade of Woodrow Wilson as a member of the Central High School Cadet Regiment. He nearly became a minister, but changed to law and government service because of a “lifelong conviction that he had been ordained to distinguish right from wrong.”

4. In 1916, he went to work at the Library of Congress where he meticulously learned the merits of the Dewey Decimal System which he would later adapt and apply to the voluminous record-keeping of the FBI. He had an “eye for detail, the ability to dominate conversations and in the process almost always manage to get his own way.” Hoover set “impossibly high standards for himself and achieved them.”

5. Many believe Hoover was a closet homosexual who had a lifelong friendship with his second in command, Clyde Tolson. As bachelors, they ate many meals together, took vacations to Florida and California in each other’s company, and often enjoyed the local race track on weekends. Personally, I  doubt the homosexual theory. Hoover was a very principled, religious Presbyterian who seemed to detest all aspects of sexual sin including homosexuality while keeping files on many American leaders who didn’t practice what they preached.

6. One of those leaders, whose FBI file contained hundreds of pages, was John F. Kennedy. He became a target of FBI surveillance in 1942 when he became involved, as a Navy ensign with Inga Arvad, 28-year old former Miss Denmark, Miss Europe, and a married woman. Inga’s real claim to fame was meeting Adolph Hitler at Hermann Goering’s wedding (Hitler was the best man) and then was invited to be Hitler’s personal guest at the 1936 Olympic Games.

Hoover’s commitment to weed out Fascist and Communist sympathizers in the US led to the surveillance of Arvad who ended up having intercourse with Kennedy numerous times in a South Carolina hotel. JFK was smitten and wanted to marry Arvad, but his father Joseph knew the relationship to Hitler would damage his son’s political aspirations and so he squelched the marriage plans.

Arvad divorced her second husband and ended up marrying a third–an aspiring actor named Tim McCoy. She died of cancer at the age of sixty in Arizona. When her first son, Ronald, was in his twenties, she confessed to him that she wasn’t sure if his father was “Jack or Tim.”

Hoover’s Kennedy file contained many other Kennedy affairs and secrets including the Marilyn Monroe trysts, the “real story” of the drowning of Mary Jo Kopechne in Senator Ted Kennedy’s automobile, and a strong dislike for Bobbie Kennedy and his brash and informal style as Attorney General where he served as Hoover’s boss for three years.

4. Hoover also distrusted Dr. Martin Luther King because of alleged Communist leanings and associations–but especially for his immoral lifestyle. MLK had said to the world during the famous “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963 that “my four little children will one day be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

It was a great line, but Hoover’s FBI taps had listened in that same evening as Martin Luther King  engaged in immoral and “orgiastic sex” with numerous women who were not his wife at a Washington, D.C. hotel.

Hoover despised hypocrisy.

5. J. Edgar Hoover grew the FBI from a small $30,000 agency of intelligence gatherers in the 1920s to a 300 million dollar colossus by the time he died in 1972. Over the years his agency waged war on famous criminals (John Dillenger, Ma Barker, and numerous gangsters), multiple Mafia families during the fight against organized crime, fascist and communist sympathizers during the 30s and 40s, and the rioters and anti-war movements of the 1960s.

6. Hoover gave personal approval to the 60s “FBI” television series where Efrem Zimbalist Jr. played his role in a way that Hoover greatly admired. In fact, real FBI agents in training were encouraged to emulate the “skills and commitment” of the actor. The FBI needed to approve every script of the popular television series and also received royalties from the series.

7. When John Edgar Hoover died of a heart attack at his home on May 2, 1972, many of his government secrets died with him. His long-time secretary, Helen Gandy, spent the next two and a half months combing through and destroying most of his personal files.

John Edgar Hoover took many of his secrets on ten presidents, countless public officials and numerous organizations, corporations and individuals to the grave with him.

He was truly America’s spy master–the original “G Man.”

I learned a lot from Gentry’s book–though his view was a bit cynical on the character and policies of the famed FBI director. Gentry thought Hoover often went too far and was a power hungry man. I believe, rather, that Hoover had a sense of destiny, strong character and work ethic, and generally used intelligence gathering in legal and ethical ways for the good of the US government and national security.

It’s true that Hoover became somewhat of an “institution” in his later years with great respect and standing within the halls of government. But what he lawfully “knew” about people in high places was an overall restraint on sin and abuse. He made mistakes, and sometimes bent the rules in spying on people and pushing his theories. But he kept a consistent moral compass that helped deliver America from many evil plots and schemes.

I’m an overall fan of J. Edgar Hoover, partly because I, too, have an uncompromising commitment to “distinguish between right and wrong.”

That brings us to some final thoughts on the NSA scandal and secrets in general:

• The current NSA debacle of collecting information on millions of Americans is not the same as the targeted write taps, bugs, and surveillance of Hoover’s FBI. It’s far too broad and literally invites abuse by evil people in high places. It should be exposed for what it is–a gross violation of the 4th amendment and ordinary people’s right to personal freedom and privacy.
• On the other hand, it’s important for all of us to realize that in this digital age, it is very difficult to keep everything secret. So be careful of the “dark areas” you have in your life. They may come back to haunt you.
• Governments do have a need to track evil-doers to protect society from criminals. I’m in favor of national security spying–but it must be targeted, legal, moral and have many necessary checks and balances to keep it from becoming a greater evil in itself.

And finally, the Hoover book greatly sobered me that “things are not really not what they seem” in this sin-sick world. A person’s image may be just that–a carefully choreographed caricature (like that of JFK) that bears little resemblance to reality. Many of our lives are riddled with “secrets” that do not tell the true story of who we really are.

All of us can be deceived by the secrets that we keep. Proverbs 9:17 highlights this temptation: “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!”

But that’s a lie from the author of lies. The truth is that secrets tend to destroy–and in the end, they will all be exposed for everyone to see.

One of the glories of the rule of God and the coming heavenly world will be the exposure and destruction of all secrets and lies. We may live in a foggy, lying world now, but one day the Righteous King will sweep away all the secrets and falsehoods and banish them from his presence.

There will be no reason then to spy because only truth will prevail.

When Jesus returns and this world is at an end, 1 Corinthians 4:5 tells us:

“Don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time–before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due.”

Accordingly, it would be wise to deal with your own “secret” problems now. One day they will all be known. You can’t hide from them or your Maker.

That’s a good thing which would meet the approval of J. Edgar Hoover.

I was going to write on a particular issue this week, but the devastating May 20 tornado  in Moore, Oklahoma and other places cause every other story to take a back seat.

Our hearts are broken as we hear of the loss of life, homes, schools–even whole neighborhoods– that took place in a matter of minutes.

We especially ache for the families who lost children at Plaza Towers Elementary School where many drowned or were crushed by fallen debris.

These sobering natural catastrophes cause great pain for those who experience them, but they are also used to remind all of us of a number of important truths–ones that relate to children, compassion, and our need of a Heavenly Father.

First of all, I think it’s important to remind ourselves where natural disasters originate. Should we blame God, the weather, bad luck or ourselves?  There are four possibilities or combinations to consider:

GOD

The Bible is clear that the God of the Universe uses weather and physical events on earth to reveal truth and draw people to change their lives. In the 8th century B.C., God brought a vision through the prophet Amos “two years before the earthquake” (Amos 1:1)  during the reign of King Uzziah that spoke of the land being shaken by God (8:8), houses being smashed (6:11), altars being cracked (3:14) and even the Temple at Bethel being struck and collapsing (9:1).

As Stephen Austin writes, “The prophet’s repeated contemporary references to the earthquake is why it bears his name. ‘Amos’ Earthquake’ impacted Hebrew literature immensely. After the gigantic earthquake, no Hebrew prophet could predict a divine visitation in judgment without alluding to an earthquake. Zechariah says “Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah” (Zechariah 14:5). The panic caused by Amos’ earthquake must have been the topic of legend in Jerusalem because Zechariah asked his readers to recall that terrifying event 230 years later.”

The prophets said for centuries that God used famines, natural diasasters, invading armies, and pestilence to bring people to repentance. This is why even insurance companies categorize natural disasters as “acts of God.” This is a valid, historical view. As C.S. Lewis famously stated: “Judgment is a severe form of mercy.” When we don’t listen to God in our hearts, he uses environmental means to get our attention. The goal is always repentance i.e. a changed life and hope for the future.

SATAN

The Bible also records that the devil, Lucifer or Satan, has some delegated powers to bring physical calamities upon people. This was the case of the trials of Job whom God allowed Satan to sift to prove and strengthen his faith (Job 1:12-19). In this particular story, fire, invading tribes, and violent winds were used by the enemy to test and impoverish Job.

In the end, God used Satan’s physical testings to bring Job to a renewed faith and actually expand his prosperity (42:5-10).

NATURE

We also know that we live in a fallen world where accidents, both of man and nature, happen to people in every culture. The world is no longer a Paradise, but one where “the whole creation groans and travails in childbirth” until it is set free from its fallenness (Romans 8:18-30). Thus, many of the physical disasters and calamities we face might not be the direct hand of God or Satan, but simply the fruits of a fallen and imperfect world that are allowed by the Creator.

For the next few days our eyes will be glued to our media devices as meteorologists explain to us how warm air from the Gulf of Mexico colliding with cool air from the Rockies, coupled with the power of the upper atmosphere jet stream, create the ideal circumstances in “Tornado Alley” (from Texas to Illinois), . In fact, I learned last night there are more tornadoes in this region than anywhere else on earth. That’s a fact of nature.

HUMAN SIN

A final possibility for human suffering is the curse of human sin. Notice the graphic word picture in Isaiah 24:1-6: “Look! The Lord is about to destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. See how he is scattering the people over the face of the earth. Priests and lay people, servants and masters, maids and mistresses, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, bankers and debtors–none will be spared…The earth dries up, the crops wither, the sky refuses to rain. The earth suffers for the sins of its people, for they have twisted the instructions of God, violated his laws, and broken his everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth and its people. And those who live in it are guilty.”

This possiblity involves God but stresses man’s part in the curse of creation. None of this scenario is God’s fault. It’s the direct result of man’s sin.

So when a natural disaster strikes us, all four of these causes should be considered. We should ask ourselves a number of important questions:

1. Is God trying to get our attention for some reason and what should be our response? It was encouraging last night to hear governors, mayors, first responders, and reporters all say with conviction that “our thoughts and prayers”  are with the people of Oklahoma. When many residents were interviewed, they also invoked the need for prayer and for God.

That’s a good sign. Prayer means we need and believe in God. Maybe God does use certain calamities to wake us up from our busy lives and remind us of our need for relationship with Him.

2. Does this storm or disaster have some Satanic origins and what can we do about them? This spiritual reality is harder to discern, but it’s certainly biblical and real. Maybe the peoples of “Tornado Alley” or the “Hurricane Region” or those living on the earthquake fault lines of the west coast need to press into God to do spiritual warfare against an unseen enemy that can use weather patterns to destroy. How can we “watch and pray” to stop Satan’s attacks and get closer to our Protector and Savior?

3. What should we do in a fallen world to limit nature’s upheavals? Should we build our homes, schools and businesses in a different manner, or avoid living in some areas that are prone to tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding or earthquakes? This has been done in some parts of the world which is one reason there are less casualties in places where the infrastructure is more reinforced and prepared. How should they rebuild Moore, Oklahoma to be as prepared as possible for future storms?

4. What is God trying to say to us about our sins or separation from Him? This should really be the first question we attempt to answer after a natural disaster. Are we in right relationship to God? Have we been trying to live without him and become self-sufficient in ourselves?

I am always sobered when human disasters lead to increased prayer, humble hearts, seasons of repentance and people turning to the Lord. In the greater scheme of things, this is the most lasting and powerful fruit–for people to meet God through trials and tribulations. Their eternity depends on that encounter.

And “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Especially when he calls through the pain of disaster.

There are a couple of other reminders that emerge from the Oklahoma Twisters.

First, children are very special to us and to God. As we watched the news last night, the greatest expressions of grief and concern came over the loss of the children–especially graphic and haunting at the Plaza Towers Elementary School. Of course, all the devastation was heart-wrenching. But nothing was more grievous than children dying.

The same could be said of the Newtown, Connecticut massacre. We were deeply impacted because children died. Why does the death of children touch our hearts so? Because children are so young, vulnerable, and  innocent, with their whole lives before them. We hate to see them suffer or have their lives snuffed out early–as we should. 

But this should be another wake-up call to to us and should have been learned from the recently-completed Gosnell Murder Trial where a gruesome abortionist was exposed and convicted of his evil practices. His recent case and others have shed increasing light on the real evil of abortion.

But, wait America. It’s not just the grisly details of Dr. Gosnell snipping spinal cords of born babies that should move us to revulsion and concern. In the womb, many of us are still killing the same innocent. vulnerable children! There’s no difference between us and him–just more exposure in his case.

May God use both natural disasters and human atrocities to bring us to a love of all children who so beautifully reveal to us the character of  God.

And finally, may the flood of relief services as seen through both government aid and especially the tireless humanitarian efforts of the Body of Christ, remind us that the God of the Universe is deeply compassionate and desires to save us.

Thousands of years ago, Job renewed his trust in God through a whirlwind (Job 38:1). in 2013, may we all find God in the Tornado.