On February 9-11, we hosted the 2012 Oak Initiative Summit. It was an exceptional gathering with many calling it the best yet. It began with a stunning presentation by Kevin Freeman, the author of Secret Weapon, which well deserves its present rise on the New York Times bestseller list. It is a brilliant and scholarly work on one of the greatest threats to America in these times—economic terrorism.
It is well-known that events like the 2008 stock market crash were caused by someone trying to do great harm to America. On an otherwise normal day, suddenly more than five hundred and fifty billion dollars was pulled out within just one hour, and the ensuing cascade led to the Fed declaring an emergency and shutting the trading down after estimating that five trillion would be pulled out in just a matter of hours. Congressman Jankowski related the following about the briefing Congress was given on the event, “We almost lost our entire economy and government.”
This leads to several questions that our government has never publicly answered: How have we been allowed to be in a place where something like this could be done to us? Who did this to us? Why did they do this to us? Are we still in such jeopardy?
The entire world is still reeling from the shot that was fired that day. With the European Union tottering on the edge of collapse and America still crippled, more damage was done to us, and more political change was wrought than virtually any war short of the two World Wars. Secret Weapon is an evaluation of how economic terrorism caused the U.S. Stock Market crash in 2008, who the source was, and how it can happen again. This is a must read for every concerned American, and at the Summit, Kevin did a brilliant job of explaining it simply and concisely.
We will do all that we can to circulate the DVD of this presentation. I encourage all Oak members to watch it carefully and to buy this important book. This is not just another conspiracy theory but illuminates a very real threat to America. If we see it, we can defend against it. If we don’t understand it, we are still in the most terrible jeopardy.
If we did not do anything else but hear Kevin’s presentation at the Summit, it would have been enough, but there was much more to come.
We Are Being Kept
After Kevin, I spoke on “the four winds of the earth” from Revelation 7. In 1990, I was shown that these are the Military, Religious, Political, and Economic powers that bring sweeping civilization-wide changes to the earth, have set the course of history, and are determining present events in the natural realm. These are easy to see and trace through human history, but an unseen force is the biggest factor of all—God. I then shared on how the universe reveals the power and glory of God and His ability to keep us through anything.
Someone did mean to do us in on that day in 2008, and though we can appreciate the swift reaction of those who were in a position to stop it, they were there and knew what to do because of the One who is keeping us. Even so, the One who helps us is called “the Helper,” not “the Doer.” Although we are being kept, He expects us to not be ignorant of the enemy’s schemes and to not be presumptuous, but rather to be wise. So we have faith, and we have peace, but we also must be vigilant.
I greatly appreciate our Oak members who are not like so many in these times who just want their “ears tickled,” but instead are willing and able to look at the real conditions and threats with soberness, maturity, and faith. It is crucial that we not be led by fear but by faith in the One who is able to deliver us from any threat or enemy. Light casts out darkness, and the fact that He is illuminating so much in these times is breaking the power of this present darkness. Even so, we have the responsibility to be bold in carrying this light, which is the resolve of The Oak Initiative.
Threat Assessment
To understand the times, we need to give far more attention to what Christ is doing than to what the enemy is doing, yet we are also exhorted to not be ignorant of the enemy’s schemes. The Oak Initiative was commissioned as an organization to seek understanding of the great crises of the times, and knowing this responsibility, we intend to carry it out. Even so, many ask why their churches do not discuss the things that The Oak does. If we do our part, churches can focus on the more positive things. The Oak was never intended to be what the church is called to be; rather it is called to be a watchman on the wall for the church.
Knowing this, we pressed on deeper Friday morning and asked Gen. Boykin to elaborate on the theme of the “Marxist Insurgency.” This was developed from his training in The Delta Force, which was raised up to be a counter insurgency force. This required Delta to be constantly aware of world events and to be ready to assess every potential threat in order to be able to quickly respond to them if called upon.
Last year, The Oak circulated a seven-minute video on the theme of Marxist Insurgency by Gen. Boykin and it went viral very fast, reaching millions. To some degree, this has been a topic of conversation around the world. The extended message Gen. Boykin gave Friday morning backed up and well established the precepts of the short video. It was as captivating as Kevin’s presentation had been the night before and helped to even further establish some of the conclusions of Kevin’s message. This is another “must-see” DVD we will be circulating.
Gen. Boykin has been in the news a lot lately because of the way that CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) has been attacking him, seeking to discredit him as an Islam-a-phobe. CAIR boasted that it had successfully pressured The West Point Army Academy to refuse to let Gen. Boykin speak there. This controversy brought a firestorm down on West Point, and has served to open even more doors for Gen. Boykin, who is already one of the most in-demand speakers.
The most shocking thing about this incident at West Point, as many are pointing out, is how timid our military leaders are becoming. This is certainly not true of the troops or the field commanders, but it has become shameful and frightening how many top military leaders so easily become political pawns when they get to a certain level. Of course, the military is under civilian authority, and for this we should be thankful. However, there is a difference in submitting to civilian authority and being manipulated and used by political pressure to unnecessarily compromise even the basic honor of the military, or worse, to fail to defend the basic tenets of the Constitution they swore their most solemn oath to defend.
As could be expected, the attacks on Gen. Boykin have only raised his stature and galvanized his resolve and boldness. He is not only one of America’s great military heroes of the last few decades, but he is fighting for his country as much today as he ever has. He lives with continual threats against his life, but we have never seen him waver. We are very thankful to have him on the leadership team of The Oak Initiative, and he never fails to inspire courage and resolve at the Oak Summits.
It is encouraging to the nation to see someone like Gen. Boykin, who has obviously proven his courage in the face of battle, but is standing with just as much courage in the face of the threat we are now facing from political correctness. We need to pray that this kind of courage will soon be found in our other top military leaders. There could be a time when their resolve to keep their oath to defend the Constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic is what saves our Republic.
Our U.S. Federal Court has declared CAIR to be a criminal organization, and a front for the Muslim Brotherhood that has a stated agenda of destroying the United States, and Western civilization. This was proven in the trial, “The United States vs. The Holy Land Foundation,” in 2008. CAIR was declared an unindicted co-conspirator with abundant and overwhelming evidence of this given to the Justice Department so they could indict them. Our Justice Department declared that it would not pursue the indictment. Since our Justice Department officers swore the same oath, as did our President, to defend the Constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic, their action or inaction, must fall somewhere between unprecedented incompetence or treason.
Our Justice Department recently stated in a memo that they consider those who often refer to the Bible or to the Constitution as threats. I am obviously one of those to whom they are referring, and this affront to both the religious and the patriotic is most revealing of where the allegiance of the present Administration really is. Their threats and intimidation may silence some, but one of the resolutions that the Oak Board made during this Summit is that the members who attended seemed to unanimously agree that we are going to be even bolder than ever in our warnings about the threats to our Republic and our faith.
The Oak Initiative is now in 164 nations, and we obviously have a megaphone for our messages since they are spread far and wide. We will use it in every way possible. We do get threats, and some from those who have a track record of carrying them out. Those who founded this great nation pledged their fortunes, their lives, and their sacred honor, and many paid that price to do it. Many since have also paid the ultimate price. How can we not do the same now that it is our time?
We also know that we will be called every kind of “phobe” you can be called for doing what we’re doing. We would much rather take that heat than to stand before the Lord on that great Judgment Day having been a watchman who did not sound the alarm. Even so, if we do get silenced in any way, when I look out at our Oak members I have no doubt many more will pick up the banner and keep going. This is our time, our watch, and on that great Judgment Day we want to be able to stand with you, and all of those who went before us who did their part in their time.
Even though we know we will be called extremists and alarmists, we do not want to be extremists, but devoted to sound, well-established truth. We are resolved to base every message that we put forth on the truth that is backed up with clear and proven evidence. We may not present all of the evidence because it is so detailed, and in many cases very tedious, but we want to have it. Even so, regardless of how accurate and true we are, we will be called extremists, bigots, and anything else that the media, which Marx called “the useful idiots,” can come up with to marginalize us. So be it, but we will not be silent.
An alarm must be annoying to wake us up. We expect to be controversial and annoying to many. We don’t do things to purposely be controversial, but when it comes, it can help greatly to get the message out, so we will embrace it.
When The Oak Initiative was formed, we were given the model of Winston Churchill. He became one of the most despised, ridiculed, and marginalized figures in his country because of his unrelenting warnings about the threat and evils of Nazism. This lasted for about eight years until one day the entire nation realized that Churchill had not only been right, but he had been the only one telling them the truth. Almost immediately, he went from being considered an extremist to being asked to lead the nation through the great crisis their previously naive leaders had led them to. We cannot be silent with the truth we have been entrusted with, regardless of the consequences.
The Heartbeat Bill
After Gen. Boykin spoke, Janet Folger-Porter gave a stirring report on their progress to get “The Heartbeat” anti-abortion bill passed in Ohio. Her courage, focus, and unyielding endurance were like a shot of adrenalin to the Summit. As the General said after her presentation, he is not afraid of many things, but being on the wrong side of Janet would be one of them. She is a warrior who we are all glad is on our side.
The “Heartbeat Bill” Janet has championed could be the biggest breakthrough yet in this fight against the ultimate evil of shedding of the innocent blood in our nation. The Scriptures are clear that the shedding of innocent blood defiles the land and brings a curse upon the nation that does it. What could be more innocent than the unborn? A victory in this could be the beginning of the healing of our land. Please pray for Janet, for Ohio, and go to the website www.faith2action.org and take a few minutes to email or call the legislators who could set a whole new course for our nation in this most important issue.
Nuttle’s Notes
I very affectionately call Marc “the hobbit.” He may have been the single most important factor in bringing down the Iron Curtain. He did this by gathering and fortifying the independence movements in the former Soviet bloc countries, especially the Ukraine. He imparted a vision of freedom to them, and then stood with them as they voted for independence from the Soviet Union even though Soviet tanks had lined their border to come if they did. At the obvious risk of their lives, the Ukraine voted to be free. When the tanks did not come, it gave courage to Hungary to open their border with the West, and then other Eastern bloc countries followed. Within weeks, the entire Iron Curtain was unraveled, capped by the dramatic tearing down of the Berlin Wall.
Certainly much more had happened to set the stage for the Iron Curtain to come down, including the great Solidarity Movement in Poland, the resolute proclamations of Pope John Paul II, as well as President Ronald Reagan’s courage and resolve to stand up to the Soviet Union and call it what it was rather than to gradually capitulate through détente as his predecessors had done. Even so, like in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, while all of the great battles were being fought, Marc slipped in to do the one thing that broke the power of the whole evil system—he gave courage to the people who were enslaved by it and helped them rise up against it.
Marc has been a part of other great shifts in civilization such as helping China develop its free market. Now he seems a little like Bilbo and Frodo in the years after their great exploits. He is gentle and wise, maybe the most uniquely experienced in many ways of anyone, but the fire still burns and he will pick up his sword to defend freedom any way that the situation requires. He is also wise and experienced enough to, in his words, “Not call anything a conspiracy until there is evidence to prove it.” Marc is a very unassuming and genuinely humble, but he has a firm hand on the rudder of The Oak and is still doing much to give understanding to those who can shape policy. Like the General, as much as he has done, Marc’s most important contribution may yet be future.
We asked Marc to share his principle on what he has called “the debt wall” that the world is about to hit as the liquidity is exhausted for absorbing any more sovereign debt. Marc’s predictions for the last few years have been amazingly accurate, even to the pouring into the U.S. of capital from around the world that is now happening simply because there is nowhere else for it to go (which is a major factor driving and holding up our stock markets right now). If you read his book Moment of Truth, which he wrote before the elections of 2008, he has been dead accurate in predicting the consequences if Obama was elected, and now we desperately need to hear his solutions for getting out of the quagmire we’re now in.
At the Summit, Marc then went on to brilliantly outline other economic conditions in a way that all could understand, but as he knows, few of our lawmakers and political leaders understand. Marc is not one to speculate about motives, but ignorance with even the best motives can be just as deadly as the most evil motives. We are in increasing jeopardy, and no one seems to be able or willing to address even some of the most basic issues.
The Presidential Race
America has a very obvious vacuum of leadership at the time when we need the greatest leaders we’ve ever had. We need more than another Reagan, we need a combination of Washington, Lincoln, Reagan and others who have navigated through the most troubled waters of our history.
In a conversation a few weeks ago, Marc told me about a grid he had helped prepare for a previous President for finding the best one suited to be his running mate for Vice President. As he talked about this, I felt that we should make a similar grid for the characteristics our next President would need. I flew out to spend a day and a half with Marc, and we worked on this, which I will present soon in another Bulletin to The Oak members.
You might think it is a little late for this as we are now down to four candidates, but there is a good chance the Republicans are headed for a brokered convention where no nominee has enough delegates to secure the nomination. There is also another option more people are beginning to talk about.
Even Republicans are beginning to talk about the possibility of a third party candidate. Most react to even mentioning this with the traditional wisdom that a third party candidate would ensure the re-election of Obama, but not necessarily. The right one would not only cause Obama to have to fight on two fronts, but would also have a very serious chance of winning. Even some of the most loyal Republicans are now getting increasingly distraught at the GOP’s establishment that they see leading them to a second defeat by Obama.
This may in fact be the most opportune time in history for a credible third party to emerge. The majority of Americans are fed up with both parties, and the majority of Americans are now independents. A very substantial foundation for just such a candidacy has already been laid, of which few are aware, but we will wait to discuss this in a future Bulletin. This may seem like “the nuclear option,” but it may be the only real option that can be successful in confronting the crises and issues of these times. A President who is not beholding to either of the present main parties could be the best of all options.
Regardless of party politics, the nation is in need of the kind of dynamic leader that has not yet appeared on the radar screen with the present Republican candidates. Each one does have some very good positions and characteristics, and it would be great if we could take these and combine them into one. If the favor, mercy, and grace of God are still with America, then there could be someone we don’t know yet who will emerge. We also cannot discount the potential for the Spirit of the Lord to come upon one of the present candidates, or even Obama, and change them into what we need.
Nicholas Papanicolaou
Nicholas is one of the founding board members of The Oak Initiative and is one of the most extraordinary people I’ve ever met. He is one of the greatest warriors to champion righteousness and justice around the world. In his own words, he is a Greek by birth but an American by choice. He became an American citizen in 2008, just so he could vote in the elections that he thought were so crucial for our country.
As is often the case with immigrants, Nicholas has a grasp of American history, the heart of America, and a love for it, which is hard to find in natural born Americans. He is truly a rare soul, and even though he is a new American, he is one of the greatest I know. From his unique experience, he also has a grasp of world finance and politics like few others.
In Nicholas’ short presentation, he may have made the single most important statement of the Summit. He had mentioned in one of the Oak Board meetings how The Oak could be used to return God to our schools, and though at the time this may have seemed way over our heads, in his presentation he gave a very simple and workable strategy for doing this.
Nicholas pointed out that the Constitution is clear that the “Congress” shall not establish a religion or prohibit the free exercise of it. This means that as the Constitution also makes clear that any authority not specifically given to the Federal Government by the Constitution is reserved by the States, so the States do have the freedom and the authority to establish religion. Of course, this opens the door to other questions and challenges, but it is true. Any State could establish that prayer in its schools is to be allowed. It would take great courage in its leaders, and would likely be challenged, but it is a Constitutional right of the States to do this.
Religious liberty in America has been so beaten back by the twisted concept of the separation of church and state, which is nowhere stated in the Constitution. The term came from a letter from Jefferson to a group of Baptists, and Jefferson was using the term in the exact opposite of the way that what many are now calling the Anti-Christ Legal Union (ACLU) has falsely imposed it on America, undermining one of our most basic and important freedoms. It is time to push back on the ACLU and maybe sue it for its basic attack on one of our most precious freedoms. It is time to throw off the yoke of “the tyranny of the minority,” where a handful of people claiming to be offended can steal the rights of the rest of America.
Again, this does lead to some other questions that need to be considered in depth, but it could also lead to some ultimate answers. We’ll also save this for a future Bulletin, but it is now on our radar screen and could be a mandate for The Oak to take up.
Bob Weiner, Larry Jackson, and Negiel Bigpond
Bob, Larry, and Negiel were all at the Summit and made contributions. Bob is always a force in the Board Meetings, and is a constant source of faith and vision, which he sows everywhere he goes. Putting Bob and Janet Porter together is like mixing nitro and glycerin and then shaking it up.
Larry Jackson’s devotion to prayer, and the paradigm he uses of the priesthood for teaching it, could be a major foundation of where we’re headed. He also brings one of the most unique and fresh perspectives on some of the important issues of the times that he often shares in sentences or brief statements that are like a necessary seasoning on food. He certainly adds richness and depth to The Oak perspective and is a valued member of the Board.
Negiel is a respected elder in the body of Christ and is like the conscience of the church. Even so, he is a conscience with unrelenting joy. His work is among one of the most wounded people groups, the Native Americans, but his calling is to the body of Christ and to the nation. He has worked with presidents, senators, and congressmen for many years, and though all may empathize with his cause, few have done anything. Even so, he is a happy warrior, and laughter is one of the best medicines according to Proverbs. Even though Negiel represents a people who have been terribly wounded by our government through everything from broken treaties to mass murders, he has grown to personally love our country and our government, and holds no bitterness, but rather extends grace and mercy whenever and wherever he can. Such are truly rare souls.
Negiel agreed to speak at both of our Sunday morning services at MorningStar, and as I expected, it was a perfect conclusion to the Oak Summit, as well as a significant impartation to our church body. Negiel is not one to promote himself, or seek invitations to speak, but if you want a speaker to come who will leave your church or meeting edified, he will do this. He is full of joy, but his words are also profound, and we are certainly thankful to have him as a part of our Oak Initiative Board.
The only Board Members who could not make the Summit were Cindy Jacobs, Lance Wallnau, and Ardell Daniels. Lou Sheldon had to resign from the Board for health reasons, and Sammy Rodriguez had to resign because of taking on the editing the Spanish version of Charisma Magazine.
The Best Wine for Last
Every session of the Summit was sobering and full of a lot of solid meat to digest, but the last session was full of encouragement. We opened the floor for members to share what they had been doing, and it was stunning. As our name indicates, the reason we exist is to promote depth and initiative, and both of these are being accomplished. It was like listening to the knights of the roundtable telling about dragons they had slain or other great exploits accomplished. I asked all to submit articles or testimonies so that we can share them with all of our members.
Not only was it very encouraging to hear what individual members or chapters have been able to do, but they also shared unique strategies they have come up with that can be used by everyone. This is initiative at its finest. We’ll get these out to you as they come in.
The State of The Oak Initiative
In many ways, The Oak Initiative has become what we envisioned—a fellowship of high-impact Christians who are growing deeper, stronger, and more effective as the salt and light they are called to be. If the whole church consisted of the same quality of people who have been attracted to The Oak, The Great Commission would have already been fulfilled. At every Summit, when we get to meet and interchange with the members, I see a little more clearly Isaiah 60:1-3. Darkness may cover the earth for a time, and deep darkness the people, but the glory of the Lord will also be revealed, and as we are told in verse 3, the nations will come to the light. The light is going to win.
The Oak is still small in numbers, but its impact is far beyond its numbers. This too was our vision, that we did not necessarily need a lot of people, but we just needed the right people, those we call “force multipliers.” The Oak does not have great financial resources, but we have something better—we have resourceful people. When resources are low, the resourceful become even more resourceful, and that is what our people have done. We also have the highest retention rate of any organization I know of. Those who have joined us are really with us. Thanks.
Of course, we would like to have more members and more resources, and we know that this will come. In the meantime, we want to grow strong and deep, like a healthy oak tree, and this we are doing.
Though we have not had the resources to build the Christian Information Service yet, or to train reporters and watchmen, some are pursuing the education and training on their own, and some are already contributing to this. This is initiative at its best and is obviously attracting the best. In many ways, we’re seeing the counter to the entitlement mentality—a resourceful people who will take the initiative to do what it takes to get the job done.
I confess that many times I feel like apologizing for not being able to do more, but on the other hand, it seems that if we had been able to do more from the central office, we might have stunted the most important growth of all. We may not be a very big oak tree at this time, but it is obvious that we are becoming a mighty oak tree. The formative times in any organization are usually the most exciting but also the most difficult. We have had and will have challenges, but they make us stronger.
I admit to being a dreamer, a visionary. I remember sitting with a group of bankers twenty-five years ago and describing to them what I saw MorningStar Ministries becoming. They laughed and said that it was not possible, and that they did not want our business. Many times I thought they were right, and it did take much longer than I thought it would, but now MorningStar is everything I envisioned and more. I have been this way before and I know where The Oak is headed. In twenty-five years, everyone may want to be a part, but it’s the ones who go through the formative years that will always be the Founders. We must not despise the day of small beginnings but enjoy them. Remember that every mighty oak tree was once a nut that did not quit.
