U.S. PROMISES "FULL IMPLEMENTATION" OF UN GUN CONTROL AGREEMENT

U.S. PROMISES "FULL IMPLEMENTATION" OF UN GUN CONTROL AGREEMENT

BY  Joe Wolverton, II, J.D.

SEE: https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/29424-us-promises-full-implementation-of-un-gun-control-agreement; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:

June 29 marked the end of the Third Review Conference (RevCon) of the United Nations’ Programme of Action (PoA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Delegates at the conference, including representatives of the United States, worked on producing updates to the global gun-control agreement.

According to the text of the latest draft of the agreement, the PoA will serve as an “international instrument to enable states to identify and trace, in a timely and reliable manner” the small arms and light weapons that are the target of the scheme.

In practice, this means that the governments of member nations (including the United States) should create a massive, all-inclusive database of all parties that manufacture, own, sell, trade, or transfer arms and ammunition.

If recent history is a reliable indicator of how such data would be used, after the catalog is complete, Congress could, hypothetically, pass a law (or the president would issue an executive order) compelling “voluntary” surrender of whatever privately-owned weapons, ammo, parts, and components (including reloading equipment) the UN deems “illicit.” If, after a statutorily set window, citizens don’t turn in these now-illicit items to their local law enforcement, then officers will be sent to remind violators of their responsibility under the law to disarm.

The delegates — including those from the United States — present at the PoA planning meeting have agreed to begin developing domestic legal frameworks that will provide for the “proper management of small arms and light weapons stockpiles.”

To assist member states in the implementation of the disarmament and stockpiling of the prohibited small weapons and light arms in the hands of anyone other than approved government entities, the PoA places the enforcement of the provisions “into the operational activities of United Nations peacekeeping missions.”

In other words, should the Congress and the president fail to begin seizing and stockpiling privately owned weapons “in a timely manner,” then the UN will deploy blue-helmeted peacekeeping troops to assist in the operation.

Regarding the implementation of the PoA at the national level, the final draft of the report of the latest RevCon lists six points to which all member states agreed to advance within their respective domestic governments. Here are those six commitments, taken directly from the document:

1.To establish or strengthen national laws, regulations and administrative procedures in support of the full and effective implementation of the Programme of Action.

2. To strengthen coordinated national approaches for the implementation of the Programme of Action, including, as appropriate, the establishment or designation of national coordination agencies or bodies involving relevant government agencies, including those responsible for law enforcement, border control and export and import licensing.

3. To promote the full participation and representation of women in mechanisms relating to the implementation of the Programme of Action and to encourage strong cooperation with civil society, parliamentarians, industry and the private sector.

4. To establish or designate a national point of contact to act as a liaison between States on matters relating to the implementation of the Programme of Action; and to share and update this information regularly; and to provide the point of contact with the necessary means to carry out its role.

5. To encourage the development and implementation of national action plans or other national policies in support of the implementation of the Programme of Action by making better use of existing information to improve the measurement of progress and to coordinate the development and implementation of such plans or policies, as appropriate, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including those from civil society and industry, with those relevant to target 16.4 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the relevant United Nations resolution on women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.

6. To significantly reduce the illicit flows of small arms and light weapons, as appropriate, through illicit weapons recovery and voluntary surrender programmes.

Anyone with even the most cursory constitutional education will be able to identify several significant problems present in this list of commitments, a list to which the United States has agreed.

First, in order to legally comply with the goal of “full and effective implementation of the Programme of Action,” the Second Amendment to the Constitution would have to be repealed. That critical provision of the Bill of Rights explicitly forbids the federal government from infringing whatsoever on the right of the people to keep and bear arms. The Programme of Action, on the other hand, requires that member states do all they can to not only infringe on the right to keep and bear certain arms the UN doesn't approve of, but on the right to buy, sell, and trade them (and the ammunition that makes them effectual), too.

Second, the agreement would require the repeal of the 10th Amendment, as it would place state governments, as well as state and local law enforcement, subject to federal and international agencies tasked with licensing weapons and controlling international borders. Placing the state governments and their resources at the mercy of the federal and international governing bodies would turn the Constitution upside down and would violate the anti-commandeering principle which holds that the federal government cannot coerce states into participating in federal programs.

Third, the appointment of a “liaison” between the federal government and the United Nations would be an extra-constitutional act that would result in the endowment of an unelected person with the “necessary means to carry out” the Programme of Action in the United States. One wonders how liberally the globocrats and the homegrown gun-grabbers would define the phrase “necessary means” in order to accomplish their shared goal of seizing weapons and ammunition from civilians.

Could this liaison call upon the General Assembly or the Security Council to send UN “peacekeepers” into the territory of one of the sovereign states of the American union charged with assisting law enforcement with the mandated registration and eventual seizure of all light weapons? While this seems far-fetched, is it really outside the realm of possibiliity for some future date?

Next, the Programme of Action calls for the domestic implementation of some system capable of using “existing information to improve the measurement of progress” of the full implementation fo the Programme of Action, including disarmament and the control of all sale, purchase, and trade of disapproved firearms.

How, do you imagine, would the progress of implementation be measured? By means of a compulsory national firearm registration? By means of tracking the manufacture and sale of ammunition from factory to end-user? Yes.

If you doubt it, consider this paragraph from the PoA agreement: “To take advantage of the opportunities that new technologies, when available, can offer for enhanced small arms and light weapons stockpile management and security, including through improved marking and record-keeping, and for the destruction of surplus small arms and light weapons that have been designated for destruction.”

Finally, there are many, many more patently unconstitutional provisions of the UN’s Programme of Action and the United States, in order to protect the Second Amendment, must refuse to negotiate with those who would see Americans disarmed and vulnerable to rule by the global plutocrats.

Right now, that seems unlikely though, as the “Working Paper Submitted by the United States” declares that “Implementation [of the PoA] must remain priority #1” and that “the United States continues to support full implementation of the PoA at the global, regional, and national levels.”

Perhaps Americans who oppose eventual disarmament by the UN and the participation of our government in that betrayal should contact President Trump and encourage him to get the United States out of the UN.

NEW EUROPEAN UNION DEAL CONTINUES MIGRANT INFLUX, ADVANCES GLOBALISM

NEW EUROPEAN UNION DEAL CONTINUES MIGRANT INFLUX, ADVANCES GLOBALISM

BY ALEX NEWMAN

SEE: https://www.thenewamerican.com/world-news/europe/item/29422-new-eu-deal-continues-migrant-influx-advances-globalism; republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:

With the European Union superstate on the brink of collapse over disagreements on how to handle the migrant tsunami swamping the bloc, EU leaders met in Brussels last week and inked a “compromise” deal that will encourage further mass migration while advancing globalism in Europe and beyond. Globalist EU bigwigs and United Nations bosses all celebrated the plan. Even some ostensibly “populist” leaders expressed support due to some minor concessions they secured. But as Western governments continue to promote mass immigration from the Third World, the latest polls show Europeans, like Americans, are overwhelmingly opposed — and public outrage is reaching a boiling point. Meanwhile, warnings that tens of millions of migrants are waiting to pour in are growing louder.

Under the new EU plan, agreed to this week, “secure centers” for migrants would be set up across the EU to process asylum claims of those who arrive. That is supposed to be a “victory” because previously, migrants would generally be released into the country while their cases were considered. If the decision on their application was negative or uncertain, the migrants would simply disappear rather than face deportation. The exact same phenomenon occurs in the United States, where the overwhelming majority of migrants released pending their hearing simply never show up in court. A Department of Homeland Security report from 2015 said 84 percent of migrants with children did not appear in court for their final decision.

Also part of the new EU plan will be to work more closely with African governments — especially the regime in Libya, a nation destroyed by the globalist warmongers in D.C. and Brussels posing as humanitarians — to supposedly help stem the tide. And it vows to work with the globalist African Union, an artificial construct funded by the EU, the U.S. government, and the mass-murdering Communist Chinese dictatorship to rule over Africans. “Tackling the migration problem at its core requires a partnership with Africa aiming at a substantial socio-economic transformation of the African continent building upon the principles and objectives as defined by the African countries in their Agenda 2063,” says the EU deal, referring to a globalist central plan to be imposed on Africans over the next half-century by the foreign-funded AU.

Basically, EU taxpayers will be funding a massive plot to put Africans under the jackboot of an EU-style regime that will indoctrinate children, promote abortion, mandate feminism, and much more. “Particular focus should be laid on education, health, infrastructure, innovation, good governance and women's empowerment,” the EU agreement says, as if EU globalists knew what was best for Africans or anyone else. “Cooperation between the European Union and the African Union is an important element of our relationship. The European Council calls for further developing and promoting it.” The New American has exposed the African Union, its foreign backers, and its real agenda in a series of articles. Basically, like the EU and similar structures emerging worldwide, it is a regional building block on the road to what globalists call the “New World Order.”

Beyond “transforming” Africa with globalism and social engineering, part of the deal calls for the EU to “explore the concept” of what it describes as “regional disembarkation platforms.” Because migrants picked up at sea are still being dropped off in Europe, where they often disappear to avoid the law, there is a huge incentive for them to make the journey. Under the proposed “regional disembarkation platforms” scheme, those picked up at sea would instead be processed in centers based in Africa, Turkey, or elsewhere, where a determination would be made about whether they could come to Europe. While the establishment press reported this part of the plan as done deal, the agreement simply calls for it to be “explored.” In other words, the mass influx will continue, media deception notwithstanding.  

The agreement goes on to say that “irregular migrants,” whatever that means, would be denied access to Europe. But those “in need of international protection” would be sent to Europe and resettled at taxpayer expense. Of course, everybody knows that the migrants in the centers will deny being “irregular migrants” and will instead claim to be in need of international protection. For some, that may well be true. But as has been well documented even by governments involved, there have been concerted efforts by pro-open borders groups to coach migrants on what to say to obtain asylum. For instance, for many governments, simply claiming to be a homosexual will secure entry. Many migrants also simply throw their passports and identification away and make up a story to help them qualify.  

Another key part of the deal was a concession to the governments that have been most adamant about not accepting mass migration: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and others. While the EU was trying to force them all to accept “quotas” of migrants at proverbial gunpoint, the so-called Visegrad group of nations said that was completely off the table and unacceptable. Under the new plan, all resettlement will be of a “voluntary” nature, and no government will be coerced into accepting migrants against the will of those it represents. That alone was a major blow to the hopes of billionaire open-borders zealot and anti-Christian fanatic George Soros, a Rothschild protege and a key driver of the mass-migration agenda who has been waging a propaganda war against Hungarian leader Viktor Orban and others. Among other concerns, Orban says the orchestrated mass-migration of Muslims into Europe is a plot by a “treasonous conspiracy” to destroy Christianity and nation-states.  

Yet another major development in the newly agreed upon scheme was the practical dismantling of the so-called “Dublin Regulation.” In essence, the rule mandates that refugees and those claiming to be refugees be processed and absorbed by the first EU nation that they enter. The plan calls for it to be “reformed,” but the details have not yet been worked out. That was a sticking point because the vast majority of migrants arriving via the Mediterranean have been landing in Italy and Greece, with both countries being overwhelmed and swamped by the incoming tsunami. Under the new plan, other governments are supposed to help ease that burden.  

The new EU scheme also promotes globalism by further solidifying EU control over migration and super-sizing EU agencies, including a plan to “bolster European defense.” Also benefiting will be FRONTEX, the EU “border” agency that has failed miserably, leaving countries such as Hungary to fend for themselves as EU globalists shriek about the Hungarian government's efforts to actually secure the border. The agreement also calls for a “new Common European Asylum System,” which will usurp power over national decisions on immigration. So while some governments and journalists were duped into believing this deal would rein in mass migration, the EU will eventually flood nations simply by virtue of being able to decide who is and is not a “refugee.”

Statism combined with globalism is also infused throughout the EU deal. For instance, the agreement called for the superstate to work on improving censorship of “content that incites hatred,” which includes criticism of Islam, homosexuality, mass migration, gender confusion, and much else. And the deal demands that the fight against “tax avoidance,” which is legal and desirable, be “vigorously pursued at global level.” Just to be perfectly clear about its globalist agenda, the EU Council agreed that it was important for the EU to work on “preserving and deepening the rules-based multilateral system.” The “rules-based multilateral system” is also known as “global governance,” the architecture being imposed on humanity to shatter self-government and national sovereignty.

Despite the tough-sounding rhetoric about controlling external borders and stopping illegal immigration in the European Council's agreement, even if fully enforced, the deal will solidify the trends. Consider: Even if the borders were sealed totally now, with millions of new Islamic migrants just from recent years already residing on the continent, they will soon be able to sponsor their families, who will then be able to sponsor still more immigration. Plus, with Muslim families having far more children than the mostly secular, hedonistic Europeans indoctrinated with bogus concerns about “global warming,” London and Frankfurt will not be the last major European cities in which natives become a minority. London already has a Muslim mayor, too, and he appears far more interested in arresting critics of Islam than those responsible for surging violence and murder rates.   

In Sweden, Kurdish-Iranian immigrant and prominent economist Tino Sanandaji estimated in 2016 that, if current trends continued, Swedes would be a minority in their own nation within 15 years. In the nation's third-largest city, that has already happened. “This is an irreversible social experiment that no wealthy state has ever attempted,” he explained, calling the results of the Swedish government's immigration policy “quite disastrous.” The existing welfare state, which is already creaking, will never be able to survive the pressures, he added. And other European nations are not far behind. But as that happens, the public is fighting back, with a plurality even among liberal Swedes now telling pollsters that the staunchly anti-immigration Sweden Democrats is their favored party ahead of upcoming elections.  

Considering the globalist agenda infused throughout the agreement, it was hardly a surprise that leading EU globalists celebrated it. “A complete approach was adopted,” boasted globalist French President Emmanuel Macron, a former Rothschild banker and committed advocate of surrendering his nation's sovereignty and self-government to regional and global institutions. “We are protecting better. We are cooperating more. And we are reaffirming our principles. All hastily-made solutions, be they solely national ones or a betrayal of our values that consists in pushing people off to third countries, were clearly set aside.” The new “anti-establishment” leaders of Italy also celebrated the deal, claiming it at least helps spread the burden around.

Reaching some sort of deal was seen as critical by EU leaders. In Germany, the government of “former” East German Communist Party propagandist Angela Merkel, who invited millions of African and Middle Eastern Muslims into Germany at taxpayer expense in recent years, is on the verge of collapse. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, part of Merkel's own coalition, threatened that without a deal reached by this weekend, he would start turning migrants away. In Italy, meanwhile, which has borne the brunt of the mass migration of recent years, the new anti-establishment government has vowed to deport 500,000 migrants and stand up to the EU. Greek authorities are also on the brink as migrants flood into their nation.

Even top globalists running the EU superstate have warned that it is cracking up amid the migrant influx. “The fragility of the EU is increasing,” said unelected EU Commission boss Jean-Claude Juncker. “The cracks are growing in size.” Part of the reason for that is that the so-called “free movement of people” principle is in danger of breaking down, as European nations threaten to restore border controls to avoid having their cultures and civilizations swept away. Across Europe, stopping the influx of Third World migrants is at the top of voters' concerns. Despite the fringe views pushed by the media and the political establishment, the overwhelming majority of Europeans oppose more immigration from outside Europe — and especially more Islamic immigration. According to a survey of Europeans by the Nezopont Institute, three fourths of those polled said migration from outside the continent was “not good.” Two thirds of respondents also said Europe's Christian culture must be preserved.    

Throughout the negotiations, the Soros-funded voices seeking to flood Europe with migrants from alien cultures and religions were trying their best to pressure the EU and nations to open the gates even wider. Some fringe groups and propagandists have even started blaming Brussels for the deaths of illegal immigrants in the Mediterranean Sea. For reasons that are never made clear, European governments' refusal to accept totally open borders is being cited as the cause of just about everything bad and awful in the world. Adding to the confusion, the establishment media painted the deal as a “fundamental shift in the continent's traditionally liberal migrant policy,” as theWall Street Journal put it. That is simply dishonest propaganda. The reality is that this agreement changes little, while ensuring that globalism and mass migration will continue.

Related articles:

Hungarian Leader: Only Christianity Can Save Europe

In African Union, Globalist Agenda Becomes Clear

Hungarian PM: Mass Migration a Plot to Destroy Christian West

Refugee Crisis: Using Chaos to Build Power

Refugee Crisis Has Europe on the Brink

Hungarian Leader: Immigration a “Treasonous” Conspiracy to Marginalize Nation States

Americans, Europeans Agree: Trump Is Right on Immigration

Globalists Who Created Refugee Crisis Now Exploiting It

Soros and CFR Exploit Refugee Crisis for New World Order

Swedes and Germans Told to Integrate Into Their “New Country” 

Insider: EU-U.S. Must Take More Refugees, Get Rid of Sovereignty

The EU: Regionalization Trumps Sovereignty

EU in Final Phase of Destroying Democracy, Czech President Warns

EU Globalists and Chinese Communists Team Up To Protect NWO

London Called “Wild West”: Fewer Than 5% of Robberies Solved — But “Hate Crimes” Still Priority

VIGILANCE & SEPARATION IN THE INTERNET AGE

Vigilance and Separation in the Internet Age Republished July 3, 2018 (first published December 5, 2017) by David Cloud www.wayoflife.org Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational and research purposes:

The following is excerpted from The Mobile Phone and the Christian Home and Church. “Neither give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:27). “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them” (Eph. 5:11). “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise” (Eph.5:15). “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Eph. 5:3-5). Even if you are saved and love the Lord and are studying the Bible and seeking His will, there are still powerful enemies within and without, and victory requires keen vigilance and strict separation. David, the “sweet Psalmist of Israel,” was a passionate seeker of God, but we know what happened to him when he ceased being vigilant. The things of the world can choke the Word in the believer’s life so that he doesn’t bear spiritual fruit (Mk. 4:19; Lk. 8:14). Jeremiah warned about sowing among thorns (Jer. 4:3). This refers to trying to serve the Lord without separating from sin, which is exactly what multitudes of professing Christians are doing in fundamental Baptist churches. Their daily lives are filled with worldly lusts and pleasures by the definition of 1 John 2:15-16, but they profess Christ and attend church and perhaps even read the Bible and pray. This was the condition of Israel of old. “.. this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart from me...” (Isa. 29:13). It is not possible to love God and also to love the wicked world. To love the wicked things of the world is to be the enemy of God (Jam. 4:4). Young people who want to know and do God’s will must separate from the world. Note the strictness of biblical separation: “all uncleanness” (Eph. 5:3), “no fellowship” (Eph. 5:11). Separation from the world is strongly emphasized throughout Scripture. See Deuteronomy 7:26; Psalm 101:3; Proverbs 4:14-15, 23-27; 6:25-26; 7:6-10; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 Peter 5:8; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17. Remove temptations from your phone. - Examples are wrong music, wrong apps, even the web browser if necessary. - One young man says: “Before I got saved, I listened to rock music, copying it to my memory cards. After I get saved, for some time I couldn’t delete the songs. I used to say that I would be able not to listen to them, but I was easily tempted to listen to the things that were already in my phone. I was making provision for the flesh while promising not to fulfil the lusts thereof (Rom. 13:14). So one day I decided to delete them totally from my memory card and from my computer too. I thank the Lord, I have never regretted that decision.” Use a web browser filter like CleanInternet. Have an accountability partner.  - Some use Covenant Eyes for accountability. It monitors the individual’s Internet usage and emails reports to selected people for accountability. The accountability report lists web sites visited, Internet searches, and the times of day when the Internet is used. It also features a score that ranks the individual’s level of objectionable Internet usage. Covenant Eyes also has a filtering service that can be used in combination with the accountability service. Another service of this type is X3 Watch. It provides accountability on computers, cell phones, and tablets. While I have not used this personally, it has been recommended by friends. - Others use a church leader or mature Christian friend as an accountability partner. One single young adult wrote: “I have a friend in Bible college who has the restriction codes to my phone. I cannot access the App Store, I cannot access the browser. I personally deleted every game I had off the phone, deleted Facebook and anything else that I felt ‘drawing’ my mind away in ways that I thought were a hindrance to my walk with God. A great example of this is FoxNews. The App shows a lot of news, to be sure. The space directly below it has a lot of entertainment news, which was basically nothing but soft porn. I got sick and tired of seeing this and deleted that app as well. If SnapChat or other items are a hindrance, the partner can block those as well by restricting it. Remember that browsers can be downloaded through the App Store, so even if Safari or the base browser is blocked, there are ways around it.” SOME OF THE GREATEST DANGERS Videos YouTube, music videos, X-rated movies, parents used to keep MTV out of the home, but now MTV and much worse is on the kids’ phones! Pop music 29 of the 30 most popular YouTube videos in 2015 are music videos, and most are filthy. The total views of the 29 videos is 26 BILLION! Psy “Gangnam Style” (2.3 billion views) Justin Bieber “Baby” (1.2 billion) Katy Perry “Dark Horse” (1 billion) Taylor Swift “Blank Space” (1 billion) LMFAO “Party Rock Anthem” (906 million) Eminem “Love the Way You Lie” (896 million) Shakira “Waka Waka” (889 million) Jennifer Lopez “On the Floor” (846 million) Miley Cyrus “Wrecking Ball” (784 million) Rock is intimately associated with illicit sex and always has been. Even a mere glance at iTunes proves this. The covers of the albums and the lyrics are filthy, and a child of God seeking purity will not touch the unclean thing (2 Cor. 6:17). Consider the following testimonies by rock & rollers: “That’s what rock is all about--sex with a 100 megaton bomb, THE BEAT!” (Gene Simmons of the rock group KISS, interview,Entertainment Tonight, ABC, Dec. 10, 1987). “Rock ‘n’ roll is 99% sex” (John Oates of the rock duo Hall & Oates,Circus, Jan. 31, 1976). “Rock ‘n’ roll is pagan and primitive, and very jungle, and that’s how it should be! … the true meaning of rock … is sex, subversion and style” (Malcolm McLaren, punk rock manager, Rock, August 1983, p. 60). “The THROBBING BEAT of rock provides a vital sexual release for adolescent audiences” (Jan Berry of Jan and Dean, cited by Ken Blanchard, Pop Goes the Gospel). “The great strength of rock ‘n’ roll lies in ITS BEAT ... it is a music which is basically sexual, un-Puritan ... and a threat to established patterns and values” (Irwin Silber, Marxist, Sing Out, May 1965). “Everyone takes it for granted that rock and roll is synonymous with sex” (Chris Stein, lead guitarist for Blondie, People, May 21, 1979). “Rock and roll is fun, it’s full of energy ... It’s naughty” (Tina Turner, cited in Rock Facts, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum). “Pop music revolves around sexuality. I believe that if there is anarchy, let’s make it sexual anarchy rather than political” (Adam Ant, From Rock to Rock, p. 93).“The sex is definitely in the music, and sex is in ALL ASPECTS in the music” (Luke Campbell of 2 Live Crew). Pop music and rap will steal your heart for the world. At best you will have a divided heart. Pastor Dave Sorenson tells how that as a teen his heart was captured by rock music that he listened to in his bedroom via a transistor radio that his pastor father let him have. I was captured by rock music via 45-rpm records at a friend’s garage. He was a deacon’s son. Video Games “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:15-17). Video games are very addictive and they are great time wasters. Also many of them have very wicked content. Even the more innocent games use rock music as a background, thus addicting young people to the sensual rock rhythms. If young people are allowed to play video games, they must be carefully chosen and the play time must be strictly limited by the parents. Video games and addiction “The more we looked into it the more we found that gaming was taking over the lives of kids.” “Some studies suggest that gaming is absolutely taking over the minds of children all together.” “Virtual life becomes more appealing than real life.” Beware of role playing games. Nothing takes over young people’s hearts and minds more than these. They are called MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing games). The most addictive games in 2015 are the following: Madden, Dota 2, Grand Theft Auto, Tetris, Candy Crush Saga (the company is valued at $7.5 billion), Minecraft, EverQuest (called “never rest” and “ever crack”), The Sims (player has omnipotent control over people), World of Warcraft (called World of War Crack), Call of Duty (the last two are played by more than 100 million players), Halo 3 (called Halodiction), Total War, Pong, Civilization, Diablo 3, Super Meat Boy, Team Fortress 2, Dark Souls 2, Counter Strike, Starcraft 2, Persona 4 Golden, Monster Hunter 3, Elder Scrolls, Angry Birds, Faster Than Light, Peggle, League of Legends, Civilization V, Pokemon. Even in remote places like Nepal, gaming competition is becoming popular. A report on Nepali gamers in the Kathmandu Post (Aug. 29, 2015) was entitled “By Their Bootstraps.” Gaming started in Nepal in internet cafes in 2010. The 2015 Colors E-sports Carnival at the Civil Mall had 500 participants competing at Defense of the Ancients (DOTA), a multi-online battle game. Video games and violence  Beware of violent games. One of the most popular is Grand Theft Auto. Players assume the role of lawless, destructive criminals who kill innocent bystanders, policemen, and military personnel, “while dealing with only temporary consequences.” It has been called a cop-killing training machine. Some of the versions require the player to torture people in brutal ways to advance to new levels. Sexual elements include hiring and killing prostitutes (by means of the player’s choice of fist, machete, bat, or gun). Real life murders have been committed by people who were obsessive players of Grand Theft Auto and have even admitted to being inspired by the game. Video games and the occult Many of the video games are occultic. Consider the current craze,Pokémon Go. Almost overnight it has become the most popular mobile game in American history, increasing the stock market value of part owner Nintendo more than 50%. “Pokémon Go, the newest iteration of the nearly 20-year-old Pokémon franchise, engages players in an ‘augmented reality’ where they try to find and capture Pokémons hidden throughout the real world. The Australian Business Review has suggested that it may be a ‘watershed moment’ in the development of virtual reality” (“Pokémon Go craze drawing gamers to church,” Baptist Press News, July 15, 2016). The game “uses the mobile phone’s camera to create the perception that the Pokémon characters are actually in front of the players.” It is so engaging and addictive that people have crashed their automobiles and walked into dangerous situations. Two men recently fell off a cliff near San Diego while engaged in the game.  Pastor David Brown, First Baptist Church of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, who made the effort to investigate Pokémon and apply the test of God’s Word to it in 1999, says, “The name Pokémon is derived from POCKEt MONster. ... One of the first things I did was to find out who produced the Trading Card Game. Here is an exact quote right from the Web page of the producer - ‘The Pokémon Trading Card Game is a new collectable Card Game that is made and distributed by Wizards of the Coast. The same company that made the best-selling game ... Magic: The Gathering.’ Wizards of the Coast also owns TSR, the producers ofDungeons & Dragons. When I discovered who owned the AmericanPokémon Trading Card Game rights, I knew it was not just an innocent card game for elementary school children. [The Pokémon rap mantra says]: ‘I will travel across the land/ Searching far and wide/ EachPokémon to understand/ The power that’s inside/ Gotta catch them all.’ ... To be sure it is a game, but a game that does not glorify God! When God says something is wrong, it is wrong regardless of what form it is in. Not only that, but many of the kids who play this game are seduced into believing the principles that the game subtly teaches” (Dave Brown, “The Problem with Pokémon”). In the official literature, the main characters of the game are described as headstrong, stubborn, quibbling, hormonal, having a fascination with and trying to “score” with the opposite sex, self-centered, vindictive, obnoxious, and prone to cross-dressing! Pokémon promotes the search for occultic power. The cards are called “energy cards.” Players engage in “pretend” occultic warfare. Currently there are 729 species of Pokémon monsters, and 151 of them are sought by Pokémon Go players. Two of them are named Abra and Kadabra, long associated with magic. The Abra card promotes the ability to read minds. The Kadabra character has a pentagram on his forehead. What an incredibly dangerous, wicked influence for children! Nintendolife says there are poison types, psychic types, dark types, fairy types, dragon types, and ghost types. There is nothing innocent about Pokémon. It is a clever attempt at demonic mind-control. For more about the dangers of Pokémon see “The Problem with Pokémon” by David Brown,http://logosresourcepages.org/Occult/more.htm Even the more innocent games use rock music as a background, thus addicting young people to the sensual rock rhythms. Video games and wasting time “How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man” (Prov. 6:9-11). The average gamer spends eight hours per week playing video games. This equates to 416 hours per year. Last year, a teen told me he wanted to learn to study the Bible on his phone, but when I asked to look at his phone, I found that it was filled with games. I challenged him to get rid of them and to spend that time on Bible study and other profitable things. I told him that until he was willing to put aside wasteful things, he wouldn’t make much progress in his spiritual life. One young Christian lady we know became concerned about how much time she was spending on video games, and she decided to figure it up. She concluded that she was spending three months out of a year playing games! She deleted the games from her iPad and is spending that time memorizing Scripture and other profitable things. Young people who want to find God’s will must learn to be careful about time. “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16). We deal with this in the section of the course on “The Youth.” Pornography  “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Mat. 5:28). “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1). “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?” (Prov. 6:23-28). “Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong menhave been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death” (Prov. 7:24-27). Consider some frightful facts about pornography and the Internet: Pornography makes up nearly 40% of the total content on the Internet. Nearly 25% of Internet search queries are about pornography. Over 50% of boys and over 30% of girls first viewed pornography before age 13. A study in the UK in 2013 found that 50% of 18-year-olds have received nude pictures. Nearly 70% of boys and a majority of girls have seen homosexual acts online. Nearly 70% of young adult men and about 20% of young adult women view pornography at least once a week. About 55% of divorce cases involve one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic websites. The man is visually oriented in his sexuality, which is why the Bible repeatedly warns of the man’s lust of the woman’s body (Job 31:1; Prov.6:25; Mat. 5:28). Women are not naturally inclined to be so visual in their sexuality, though they can become perverted as is happening today. The heart is a bottomless pit of evil, and pornography will carry the heart deeper and deeper into filth and perversion (Jer. 17:9). This terrible process is described in Romans 1:21-30. Note that it begins with what is happening with the “imagination” and “heart” (verse 21) and ends with the corrupt of the “reprobate mind” (verse 28). The only victory is complete abstinence. It requires making a covenant with one’s eyes as Job did (Job 31:1). Young people (and old) must remember that pornography will do the following and more: - It will enslave you. - It has the power to carry you into ever deeper and unspeakable regions of moral filth. - It will pervert your way of looking at women and hinder your ability to have proper relationships. - If you are single, it will ruin your chance for a truly pure marriage. - If you are married, it will harm or even destroy your marriage. - It will hurt your children. - It will hurt your testimony and result in shame and disgrace. Sexting  Sending sexy pictures of oneself by text messaging is hugely popular. A study in the UK in 2013 found that 50% of 18-year-olds have received nude pictures. Studies have found that many young people consider sexting mere entertainment. “As a criminal lawyer, I can tell you that teens (and sometimes even younger children) use the picture taking capacity of most cell phones to take and communicate vile images of themselves. The possibilities for harm are virtually endless. This is not a minor matter. ... I don't think this particular danger can be overestimated.” Snapchat is often used for this purpose. It is used by 60% of smartphone users ages 13-34. It is used to send a photo, video, or drawing that disappears in 1-10 seconds (user determined). The messages are called “snaps” and over a billion are sent daily. “It is popular for ‘teasing/sexting’ as teens think the pic cannot be saved. But all one has to do is take a screenshot or even a picture of the photo with another phone.” There are also unofficial apps and web tools that override snapchat’s deleting function. The FBI has warned that Snapchat is being used by pedophiles to lure young victims. Snapchat can also be used for video chatting. Conversations with the wrong people “Girls need to know that boys should not be any part of their lives until they are old enough to marry. Fathers need to keep their daughters’ hearts until they love Christ with all of it.” Many of the people who wrote to us on this subject shared horror stories of girls who have been enticed away from their families by men they met either by phone or texting or Facebook. This happened to a girl in our church about three years ago. A young man started calling her on her cell phone, and at first she said that she didn’t want to hear from him. Her parents and church leaders warned her against talking with him, but she refused to listen. Eventually they ran away together out of wedlock. A girl recently told my wife her sad story. A man started calling her and wooing her. He told her that he had passed high school, had a good job, and didn’t drink. Finally she ran away with him and quickly learned that he was lying about everything. He eventually left her for another woman. With a broken heart she said to my wife, “I shamed my parents; they don’t want me back; I ruined my life.” A pastor friend told me about a girl who got a SIM card from another person. An unknown male called that number and started talking to her. She unwisely continued conversing with him on the phone. When she resisted, the guy threatened to commit suicide if she didn’t marry him, and eventually she eloped with him. Don’t talk on the phone or Facebook, etc., with a young person of the opposite sex except relatives. Creeps are using social media to trap unsuspecting victims. Don’t make plans to meet the wrong people. Don’t hide anything you are doing from your parents and church leaders. God has given them for your protection.