There is one outstanding thing that defines everyone over the course of these early years of this new century. That one thing is the 9/11 attack. Everyone in government and every field of endeavor the world-over is being defined by their position on this event.

It is not necessary to know all the facts. It is only necessary to know the basic lies in order to define any leader in any position anywhere in the world. By what they have said and by what they have not said, one can accurately judge who is an enemy and who can be trusted. One can accurately determine who is a tool of the psychopaths or one of them...by how he or she reacts to 9/11.

This works for self-evaluation as well. Think about what you pass by, ignore, deny and defend. This defines you. It defines the degree of your personal courage, your relationship to the truth, your values, your principles and what you will pass on to your children and everyone you meet. It tells you, in that place where your conscience must once have lived, whethter you are a hypocrite and a fool or whether something greater still lives within you.

Nineteen men pass through airport security. Eleven of them are stopped and questioned but then allowed to board. Several large passenger planes wind up hijacked and flown at high speed into enormous buildings. None of these men had the skills or capacity to accomplish this feat. These men were armed with box cutters. No jet fighters were scrambled to intercept these planes, although the authorities in charge of such actions knew immediately what was happening. Airport traffic controllers were ordered to destroy all recording evidence of the event. Some of them physically broke the CD's and scattered the pieces into different containers at the airports.

Within hours, three of the biggest buildings in the city, buildings designed to absorb the impact of the very planes which hit them, all crumbled into their own footprints at the speed of freefall. It was said that the fire, which burned below the melting point of steel, caused this to happen. No fire in history had previously accomplished such a thing...not once. Previous fires had burned hotter and longer, yet no building fell. Now, three have fallen in one day. Months later molten steel burned white hot underneath the rubble, and clean cuts in huge metal beams were photographed.

A passport from one of the hijackers appears on a city street undamaged. Cars are discovered at airports with flight training videos and Korans. Apparently the men who were deeply religious enough to give their lives to attack these buildings thought nothing of leaving their sacred texts behind. Some weeks later, seven of the alleged hijackers are found to be alive in their native countries.

Some days earlier some of these men were observed drinking and having lap dances in a Florida bar. This sort of behavior is not normal for such dedicated Muslim men. Around the same time, the ringleader of these men and some associates were observed by the FBI boarding a gambling boat belonging to Jack Abramoff. These men were tracked to Las Vegas and watched by the FBI, yet they passed through the airport security checkpoints. Even though eleven of them were stopped and questioned they still boarded.

On the day of the event several men were observed videotaping the attack as it happened. They were seen to be dancing and celebrating as well. The police stopped and arrested them. They were found to be Mossad agents. Some time later they were quitely released and returned to their home country with no reasons given.

Members of the Bin Laden family; the man accused of masterminding the attack, were immediately flown out of the country. Bin Laden denied any connection to this attack. Direct evidence of this exists and no evidence of his admitting his involvement exists.

As a result of this event, major wars have been launched. Over a million people have died with nearly 5 million displaced. The wreckage of the WTC was gathered together and shipped overseas. No one was sllowed to investigate it.

In every event...in New York City...in a Pennsylvania field...at the Pentagon...all of the evidence is contradictory. The amount of evidence on every level that directly refutes what we have been told fills thousands of pages. Meanwhile, the administration and the Congress belligerently oppose any inquiry into the matter. People in government who have questioned the official story have been fired from their jobs or driven from office by the very party they are a member of. University professors are fired for dicussing it. Independent investigators are ignored. Major web sites composed of experts in their fields, are ignored and censured.

Casual investigation of who benefited and who engineered actions of global impact based on official 9/11 findings ALL lead to the same parties.

Therefore, here is what you must know, given that the official story is patently absurd. Anyone...anyone who promotes the official story; who accepts the official story, who oppresses those who doubt the official story, who does not question the official story is involved...or too stupid to pat their head and chew gum at the same time. Any presidential candidate who does not dispute the official story is a traitor to their nation and a tool of those who accomplished the attack.

It all comes down to 9/11. Everything that has happened has happened based on a lie. Everyone in government; in the media, in entertainment, in organized religion, in the public eye and in the public who accepts and promotes the official story is either a traitor or a tool. Everyone who does not stand forth and speak truth to power is a coward, a liar and complicit in mass murder. Everyone everywhere can be measured according to this litmus test.

I have included here only a small portion of the damning evidence that runs counter to the official lies. The prepondereance of evidence that refutes the official lies is overwhelming.

Measure everyone by their position and their comments or lack of comments concerning this signal event.

June 14 is the day Americans celebrate the flag which symbolizes our liberty and freedom as a nation. Each year the president proclaims Flag Day and encourages all citizens to fly the American flag outside their homes and businesses. Many states hold special celebrations and observances, and people are encouraged to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to our great nation:

Since September 11, 2001, many Americans have rediscovered the importance of flying the flag as a symbol of hope, determination and national unity in the face of the threat of danger. The true spirit of America--one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all--is being restored.

The history of our flag began June 14, 1777, when the Continental Congress issued a resolution establishing an official flag for the United States to express liberty and separation from Great Britain. It has undergone some changes over the years, but the basic design has remained the same with alternating red and white stripes and a rectangular blue field containing white stars in the upper corner near the staff. I've heard it said the red stripes represent the stripes Jesus bore for us and the blood He shed, the white reprsents the purity of the new birth, and the blue represents the truth of the Word of God. I believe that!

Sometimes called the Stars and Stripes, the flag is a powerful symbol for our nation. It is not a political symbol, but rather, it represents a mighty and free people--the freest people on the face of the earth. It represents all that is good, sacred and godly in this country.

Our flag is a standard of liberty and freedom to worship God as a Christian nation. Isn't that what the Founding Fathers came here for? Isn't that what many of them fought and died for?

The freedom to worship and praise God has never been cheap. It cost Jesus His life. It cost a lot of other people their lives too. Our flag represents those who shed their blood for freedom--including Jesus.

That's why Satan hates the banner called Old Glory. He hates it the way he hates the Constitution. He hates it the way he hates God. And he hates it the way he hates the blood and the Name of Jesus. Satan hates Old Glory's guaranteed freedoms.

It has always been God's plan to have a nation where the glory of God could be sown and nurtured, from which His glory could spread throughout the whole earth. That nation would have to be a nation where all people could freely praise and worship Him.

Why?

Because God inhabits the praises of His people, and His glory is in His presence.

Our flag represents a nation where men and women are not only free, but they can also worship and praise God without fear.

"Conquer We Must, When Our Cause It Is Just"

God began to deal with me about ministering "The Star-Spangled Banner" to people. He told me it is actually a psalm--an ode, or poem from the Spirit of God, set to melody.

When I began to study "The Star-Spangled Banner" and looked into the heart of the man who wrote it, I discovered that Francis Scott Key wasn't trying to write a national anthem, although that is what it became. Rather, as an eyewitness to a historic battle, he wrote his testimony during a time of war when men had decided they would rather die for freedom than live under tyranny.

It so happened that during the War of 1812, Mr. Key, a lawyer, sailed to the British fleet to negotiate the release of a captured American. That night, detained by the British on a ship in the harbor, he witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry. As the battle raged and the sky filled with smoke from the shelling, Francis Key kept his eyes on the Stars and Stripes until the sun went down and it was no longer visible.

Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?

All night, through this critical battle, he had his eyes fastened on the place where that standard flew. The question in his mind, as important as the battle itself, was: Is the flag still there?

The flash and glow of the rockets interrupted the black of night to reveal welcome glimpses of the Stars and Stripes.

Then in an instant, everything went quiet. Smoke hung in the air. The sun had not yet come up. Francis Scott Key didn't know if the flag was still there or not. He ends the first verse by asking God:

Are we still a nation? Are we still a free people?

There was not another free nation on the face of the earth. Some people even considered the establishment of this country to be an experiment that would fail. I imagine that throughout the night, these kinds of thoughts were rolling around in this lonely man's spirit and in his mind: Oh God, if that flag is not still there when the sun comes up, this thing is all over. There won't be a free nation anywhere. But it has to be, Lord...it must stand as the home of the free and the brave.

Surely God would help this nation to stand strong as the ragtag army of courageous farmers and churchgoers dared to go up against the most powerful, best-equipped expeditionary force on the face of the earth.

These were people of faith who were not moved by the odds. They were not moved by what they could see. They were moved by what they believed--and they believed they were already free, as of the day the Declaration of Independence of 1776 was signed.

They fought the fight of faith and praise as well as the fight of war. Throughout the war with Great Britain, Congress declared days of fasting and prayer and encouraged Americans to seek God's help in the battle for freedom. They were careful to declare days of thanksgiving and praise when God intervened and blessed them with victories.

Once more during the battle at Fort McHenry, God honored their faith and the colonists stood strong against the enemy. As the smoke cleared at dawn, Francis Key was thrilled to find the beloved American flag still flying high, proclaiming victory for all to see. Historians report that the sight of that majestic flag inspired the words which became "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Francis Scott Key was a man of faith, and I believe he learned something as he witnessed the fierce battle that was ultimately between freedom and oppression. I'm certain he meditated throughout the night about what the outcome of that fight would mean to our infant country. The words of the song give us insight into what was going through his mind. I believe Mr. Key began formulating these words during the night and that the last verse was the answer of his faith. He could not see the flag--except by faith. Spirit-inspired prophetic utterance came out of his mouth:

As relevant as Francis Scott Key's words were then, they are even more so today. We must not forget to praise the One who has given us peace. We must not forget to praise the One who has given us the victory during wars to keep America free, to keep the glory alive, to keep the Word alive, to keep the Name of Jesus on the lips of its citizens throughout this whole North American continent!

Thank God, we're free and our trust is in God. He has preserved us as a nation and will continue to do so. If our cause is just, we will always triumph. And our most powerful symbol of freedom, the Star-Spangled Banner, will continue to wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave...forever!

It was the plan and intent of our founding fathers for godly people, and thereby godly principles, to be intimately involved in the political, judicial and educational realms. The founders believed only the godly would understand the unalienable freedoms provided by God and thus protect them in our government. They never intended for Christian principles to be divorced from public affairs.

Unfortunately, over the years Christians en masse have voluntarily removed themselves from the political, social and legal arenas. Whenever the godly depart from any arena, their godly values depart with them. A person in office always legislates according tho his personal beliefs and convictions, and herein is the wisdom of Proverbs 29:2 made evident: "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan"(NKJV).

Christians, through bad doctrine, political inactivity and apathy, handed over the reins of the nation to leaders who awarded lifelong appointments to justices eager to uproot Christian values that had been the heart of this nation for centuries. Quite frankly, the court's religion hostile decisions were merely an outgrowth of what the Christian community at large had permitted and encouraged in the decades preceeding those rulings.

A biblical description of how this process worked is given by Jesus Christ in Matthew 13:24-26. In this parable, good people had a good field growing good seed. However an enemy came in and planted bad among the good, thus contaminating the entire field. What afforded the enemy such an opportunity? The stark answer is found in verse 25: "While [the good] men slept, [the] enemy came [in]..."

Jesus never faulted the enemy for doing what he did, for it was his task and purpose to destroy. Jesus placed the fault on the good men who went to sleep, thus allowing the enemy the opportunity to contaminate the field. Very bluntly what has occured in America happened first because the church went to sleep--and then because the enemy came in and caused the damage.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

The problems we have created for ourselves, although colossal, can be solved. The first thing we must do is to put first things first: "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving thanks, be made for all men; for [leaders], and for all that are in authority"(1 Timothy 2:1-2).

This is not an arbitrary, haphazard plan given by God. God wants every individual to pray for civic leaders first, because civic leaders and their policies affect every individual. For our own benefit we should be praying regularly for our leaders at local, state and federal levels, in each branch of government. Prayer is the first key to effecting significant change, for situations do not change on earth until they have been changed in the heavenlies.

Additionally we need to pray God will uproot the wicked from office and raise up righteous individuals to replace them. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and having the right individuals in office will prevent the enactment of damaging policies.

CHRISTIANS ARE A MAJORITY

The political realm, formerly dominated by Christians, is still available to us. The elimination of religious activities and acknowledgment of God from public affairs occurreed through the political system; it can therefore also restore those principles. While it might seem easier to empty the ocean with a thimble than to change politics, it is not as difficult as you might think. You've probably heard, or perhaps even made statements such as: "My vote won't make a difference anyway." "It does no good to vote. As Christians, we're already in the minority."

Sound familiar?

The fact is, such statements are not true.

A Gallup Poll showed that 84% of this nation firmly believes in Jesus Christ and a separate poll indicated that 94% believe in God.

Polls have also shown: More than 80% approves of voluntary prayer in school

Additional findings could be cited, but the conclusion is inescapable: Although we have been led to believe that we, the 94% who believe in God, are the minority--we most definitely are not!

Imagine a hypthetical vote in the U.S. Senate where the final tally was 94 to 6. It would be untenable for the 6 to be declared the winner and their policy enacted over the votes of the 94--yet this is exactly what happened when public acknowledgment of God was prohibited. Can such an act truly be appropriate either in a republic (to which we pledge our allegiance) or in a democracy(which we most often claim to be)? Certainly not! Yet unfortunately, this travesty occurs on a regular basis today.

While polls show the overwhelming majority seems ready to return godly precepts to public affairs, it is clear that a vast number of our elected officials are not. Whose fault is that?

Notice President James Garfield's answer to this question:

Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature...if the next centennial does not find us a great nation...it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.

Positive change actually rests in the hands of us, the citizens, not our leaders. This has been proven time and again over recent years. For example, in US Senate races a decade ago, five candidates who stood for returning godly principles to public affairs were defeated by a collective total of only 57,000 votes--less than 12,000 votes per state. Yet in those five states, there were more than 5 million Christians who did not vote! If only one of every 100 nonvoting Christians--1%--had voted for the godly candidates, those five would have been elected resulting in a 10-vote swing in the Senate toward godly policies. Imagine how different America would be if those godly leaders had been working in the Senate for the past decade.

And in the last election(prior to 2008), five incumbent God-fearing US Senators were defeated in their five states by a collective total of only 100,000 votes--and millions of Christians did not vote in those states. If only Christians had returned those five to the Senate, partial-birth abortions would now be bannned, religious liberties protected, and many other measures reflecting biblical values would have been passed over the past two years.

This is not the disheartening report it seems--it is actually encouraging in that it shows godly candidates are most often defeated not by activists and radicals, but by inactive Christians! This means the ability to change the current situation is in our hands. As Edmund Burke explained: "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

BELIEVERS TO THE BALLOT BOX!

There is much that "good men" can do to stop the triumph of evil. And one of the most important is to vote, and to vote biblically.

Founding Father Noah Webster delivered this admonition:

Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who rule in the fear of God[Exodus 18:21]...If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted...If government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.

And Charles Finney, a prominent minister in the early 1800s, succinctly declared: "The time has come that Christians must vote honest men and take consistent ground in politics or the Lord will curse them...God cannot sustain this free and blessed country which we love and pray for unless the Church will take right ground."

It is time to believe and to behave differently. We are not a minority--we are the majority! It is time to declare at the ballot box that we will no longer allow officials who embrace the values of the 6% who do not believe in God to repeal the rights of the 94% who do. We must remove officials who do not comply with traditional, historical and biblical principles and replace them with those who do. Our vote does count!

We must regain the conviction that biblical principles are vital to national success, and be willing to pusue their reinstatement. In recent decades, we have wrongly allowed the very principles which produced morality and virtue, and thus national stability, to be restricted in public life. We need once again to recognize the truth so well understood by George Washington that: "The propitious[favorable] smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained."

We must become convicted of the principle expressed by Abraham Lincoln and then accept the civic responsibilities implied by his statement: "The truth announced in the Holy Scripture, and proven by all history[is] that, 'Those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.'"

First Written on 12 May 2008

Rewritten on 19 May 2009

James H. Bartholomai