America is, legally speaking, a Christian Nation

I recently find myself engaged in a number of discussions regarding the recent Supreme Court decision on gay marriage, and how that impacts the US legal system as a whole, and how it can be that Kim Davis, famous for refusing to allow her county clerk office to issue same-sex marriage licenses, is not ACTUALLY in violation of any laws.

Before I engage in this discussion, let me be clear.  This is not a debate on the legal or moral right or wrong of gay marriage, and I will not entertain that discussion here.  I will be clear on my opinion.  I don't care.  I simply DON'T CARE.  It's your bedroom.  Your time, your life, and your judgement day.  You decide what conversation you want to have when you get there.  On the subject of Kim Davis, I think she should do her job, and if it violates her beliefs, she should probably find another job.  She was not elected to judge others.  Either way, my opinion is irrelevant, and is only stated to get it out of the way of the point.

This is a conversation about accuracy, and the truth. I hate inaccuracies more than just about anything, except lies.  That is the reason for the writing of this post.   If you want to debate me on the Biblical legality of same sex marriage, and YOUR opinions of such (I've already stated I don't care) please make a new post and invite me to it.

The Supreme Court does not make, write, or enforce law.  The Supreme Court can "tell a President that his actions are not allowed by the Constitution. It can tell Congress that a law it passed violated the U.S. Constitution and is, therefore, no longer a law. It can also tell the government of a state that one of its laws breaks a rule in the Constitution." (Reference: http://goo.gl/eCrQF2)

The recent Supreme Court decision does not make law.  The state of Kentucky does not have a same-sex marriage law in place, so the judge cannot lawfully hold her in contempt for violating a law that doesn't exist.  He may be able to hold her based on violating the terms of her service as clerk overall, but he cannot hold it against her that she violated a law that didn't exist.  However, that IS what is happening in this case.

So, what's my point?  My point is this.  If we, as a law abiding nation, are going to give the Supreme Court the right to make law, as is happening in this case, then we must obey ALL of the decisions of the Supreme Court along that line.

If that is the case, than the United States truly IS a Christian nation, and that voids any decisions or laws about the allowance of homosexuality in this country.

In 1892, the Supreme Court came to a decision on the matter of "Holy Trinity vs. United States." (Text: https://goo.gl/ChDcHJ)  Up for debate was the illegality of the church, Holy Trinity, to employ a minister from another country based on the law that forbade this practice.  Their decision, ultimately, was that it did not violate the law, since the spirit of the law was to stop the practice of bringing in unskilled, cheap labor, and not to prevent churches from hiring qualified ministers.

In their pursuit of an opinion on this case, the justices and their staff went through hours and hours, volumes and volumes of American documentation and literature to determine the nature of the nation overall.  In the language of their officially issued opinion:   "These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation."

Let's be clear.  In a Supreme Court opinion, it is stated in clear English, THIS IS A CHRISTIAN NATION.  If Supreme Court decisions MAKE law, then any decisions made after this 1892 decision are null and void if they are opposed to CHRISTIAN ideals.  This would include Roe vs. Wade and the most recent gay marriage decision.

 Please stop being inaccurate.  Supreme Court decision does not make something law.  This nation was and is founded on Christian ideals and Christian principles by Christian individuals who wanted to make a place for Christians (and others) to freely celebrate their religion.  AND...while laws cannot be made prohibiting same sex marriage, individuals are still not required to obey laws that do not exist.

Thank you.

Prophecy

Revelation 13:3 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
² And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.


Prophecy makes people very uncomfortable.  Bring it up in a social situation, and see what happens. 
However, prophecy is sort of like Islam...closing your eyes and putting your hands over your ears will not make it go away.

I think one of the reasons people are so uncomfortable with prophecy is that Americans are taught to "hope for the best,"  "reach for the stars," "envision the world you want and build it that way!"  Americans have grown up in an "if you can imagine it, then it can become true" kind of world. Being told that someone has already seen the outcome...that doesn't sit well with "positive" thinkers.

I personally think this is a lovely thing about our culture, and the very reason we have managed to become the dominant world power after only 250ish years of American culture. 

However, this sort of thinking, while constructive for building countries, is not real constructive at facing certain realities.  Islam is one of those ugly realities.  Americans seem to believe that if they just say positive things about it, and close their eyes and click their heels together, that Islam will magically change and become a better religion.  That is not going to happen.

ISIS/ISIL is written in prophecy.  They are the lion/leopard/bear hybrid beast found in the Bible.  The Bible is full of symbolism, and John's vision on Patmos was also full of them.  From the hindsight vision of history, we know that the animals used to depict the nations in this prophecy were the ancient symbols of Babylon (Iraq) (Lion), Medo-Persia (Iran) (Bear), Syria (Leopard.) According to the Bible, these beasts would be born together as an ancient hybrid.

Looking at recent history, ISIS/ISIL came to power in Syria, courtesy of the idiots in the White House, and have swept through Iraq like a freight train.  Iran will shortly be joining up with them, and then they will control the "whole world," as the word predicts...well, at least the "whole world"as the Bible saw it. 

This is happening.  Arguing with it will not change it.  Positive thoughts will not change it.  I know, cause I've read the end of the book.  :(  Shalom.

10 Things You Would Lose Under Islam

10 things you would lose under Islam

10.  No freedom of choice: Muslims are called to make the whole world Islam…by force if necessary:

“Omar M. Ahmad founder of CAIR said: 'Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant' he said. 'The Koran, the Muslim book of scripture, should be the highest authority in America , and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth,' he said.”  http://www.islamreview.com/articles/sharia.shtml

9.  No more freedom from other religions: Islam/Sharia is not just a religion, like Christianity or Buddhism.  It’s a complete government and civic system: “ sharia, the religious law of Islam. As Islam makes no distinction between religion and life, Islamic law covers not only ritual but many aspects of life.” http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/society/sharia.html#ixzz3T9b9d6qB

8.  No more protection from US courts: Sharia law, the law encoded into the religion, is not compatible with the American legal system.  For instance, actual evidence is rejected over oral testimony: “Forensic evidence (i.e. fingerprints, ballistics, blood samples, DNA etc.) and other circumstantial evidence is likewise rejected in hudud cases in favor of eyewitnesses, a practice which can cause severe difficulties for women plaintiffs in rape cases.” http://the-american-catholic.com/2010/06/25/sharia-law-and-the-u-s-constitution/

7.  No more equality for women: “According to Sharia law, women must always defer to their husbands or male guardians in administering their assets. Widows cannot even manage inherited assets; they must transfer the administration to sons or other male family members. Similarly, women have no access to bank loans; access to all forms of credit is reserved only for men.” http://mwcoalition.org/quotas/id10.html

6. No more liberation for women: Wives are actually slaves under Sharia. “One time, a woman came to the prophet of Islam to ask about her obligations to her husband. He said, “If he had pus from his hair part to his foot [from head to toe] and you licked him, you would not have shown him enough gratitude.” http://thequrandilemma.com/uncategorized/women-under-sharia-law-the-dilemma-of-wife-beating-protocol

5.  No more recourse for rape: Rape is acceptable in the Quran, an argument that has already been successfully used by one Moslem man in America to avoid prosecution: “In the US, there are at least seventeen instances of Sharia law being applied in eleven states. Most notably, a NJ court held that a man did not commit rape because according to his belief in Sharia law, a man cannot rape his wife, since the wife serves him. So Sharia law was applied to the mental state element of the crime of rape. An American court actually adopted this reasoning: [The defendant] was operating under his belief that it is, as the husband, his desire to have sex when and whether he wanted to, was something that was consistent with his practices and it was something that was not prohibited.”  http://www.solopassion.com/node/8244  Sharia requires four male witnesses to prosecute for rape.  Since Islam forbids speaking out against a fellow Muslim, this never happens.  Women go to jail for being raped: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/12/alicia-gali-raped-uae-jailed_n_3263593.html

4.  No more freedom of religion:  A woman was arrested and forced to give birth shackled to a prison bed because she had sex with her legal husband: http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/raymond-ibrahim/religious-freedom-under-attack-in-the-muslim-world/  She was actually sentenced to death my lashing, but international outcry got her released.

3. No more tailgating, beer pong, or just evening cocktails: Drinking alcohol is a way of life for Americans.  We’ve already tried prohibition and we see the result of that.  Under Sharia, there is no alcohol and the penalties for drinking are severe: http://www.islam101.com/sociology/alcohol.html

2. No more sexy!!!  Under Sharia, women are the property of their menfolk, and women are not allowed to show ANY flesh in public (In it’s most extreme forms.  Adherence varies by culture.)  Imagine the next time your wife puts on a sexy dress to go out, and then drapes a giant curtain over the top of it to hide her beauty.  (Yeah…that’s what you like.  Show me that fabric, baby!!)  Finally, you’re out eating and she accidentally shows an ankle or wrist, and now she’s subject to public punishment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cdc_CIROnHY

1. You are being lied to: Everyone HATES being lied to.  Islam is not a “religion of peace.”  In no time in it’s 1400 year history has Islam ever actually advocated peace.  Their concept of peace is that when the whole world is Islam, there will be peace. Muhammed and his followers took over all of the Middle East and a good portion of Europe through murder and rampage and conversion at sword point.  http://thereligionofpeace.com/  In fact, the Quran advocates killing the non-believer, lying to the infidel (non-believer) and enslaving the non-believer.  Most of the “advances” attributed to Islam, including “Arabic” numbers and math are really cultural attributes they pillaged from the cultures they enslaved: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mathematics  It’s actually a Hindu advancement, and they should get the credit for it.  Moslems killed millions of Indians/Hindus in their jihad.  One of the most bloody and violent, and least notated, historical incidents of mass genocide: http://www.hindunet.org/hindu_history/modern/hindu_kush.html  These are just a few examples of ways you’ve been lied to.  Find out more here: http://thereligionofpeace.com/pages/myths-of-islam.htm#islammeanspeace

I would never advocate discrimination or violence against others.  What I do advocate is awareness, education, and self-defense.  It’s not inevitable unless we do nothing to stop it. 

Bonus topic:  Islam advocates hate against dogs: http://www.islamicconcern.com/dogs.asp  Why would you ever support a religion that doesn’t love dogs?

Evil in the Seed

I've never told this story in public before.  I'm a little afraid to tell it now.  Everybody has testimony, and most other people see it as tripe.  I see it as beautiful and if you would like to share yours with me, please direct me to your page, your blog, or comment here.  In the meantime, thanks for reading mine.

Before I start, it's important for me to express that for a very long time, ten years in fact, I did not obey this charge.  Until very recently, I ran away from it and pretended I didn't understand what it meant.  I tried to be popular by pretending that the many truths that have been entrusted to me were somehow not ever meant for me to speak out loud.  I know that is sinful now, and disobedient.  I seek to walk in his paths.  I seek to obey his will.  I believe that all things happen in his time, not mine, but I wonder if I might not have pulled one more person into the lifeboat before the waters overwhelmed them.  I can only hope that I have the chance to pull one more.  Each day, Father, put one more before me.  Amen. 

First, I was sleeping.  I had not been asleep long.  I was awakened quite suddenly by what sounded like a shotgun going off very nearby.  I startled awake, then went to check on my husband, who was still awake.  He said there had been no noise, and looked at me like I'd lost my mind.  Feeling like he probably had a point, I turned and went back to bed.

I fell back to sleep almost immediately, which was strange since my heartbeat was still racing.

I began dreaming that I was walking along a dirt road.  There are many such roads in Oregon, but I knew that I was not in Oregon, somehow, but in Isreal.  The road was dry and the dirt was brown.  The sun felt hot on my skin, and the wind was blowing slightly.  I could smell the grass and the smell of the dirt.  I was looking at my bare and dirty feet.

To my right, I could see a hand come into my line of sight.  The hand was spreading seed onto the field where we were passing.  As he spread the seed, he began speaking the parable of the sower.  For those of you who don't know it, I've included it here, along with the explanation in the word.  This can be found in Matthew 13, and you can read the whole passage here at my favorite Bible site:
Matthew 13: Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

13 That same day, Yeshua went out of the house and sat down by the lake; ² but such a large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there while the crowd stood on the shore. ³ He told them many things in parables:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he sowed, some seed fell alongside the path; and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky patches where there was not much soil. It sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow; ⁶ but when the sun had risen, the young plants were scorched; and since their roots were not deep, they dried up. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ But others fell into rich soil and produced grain, a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as had been sown. ⁹ Those who have ears, let them hear!”

***and then the explanation***

¹⁸ “So listen to what the parable of the sower means. ¹⁹ Whoever hears the message about the Kingdom, but doesn’t understand it, is like the seed sown along the path — the Evil One comes and seizes what was sown in his heart. ²⁰ The seed sown on rocky ground is like a person who hears the message and accepts it with joy at once, ²¹ but has no root in himself. So he stays on for a while; but as soon as some trouble or persecution arises on account of the message, he immediately falls away. ²² Now the seed sown among thorns stands for someone who hears the message, but it is choked by the worries of the world and the deceitful glamor of wealth, so that it produces nothing. ²³ However, what was sown on rich soil is the one who hears the message and understands it; such a person will surely bear fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

 In my dream, this entire first part of the passage was spoken to me, and the words came to life.  The seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it.  The seed sown on the rocks came up and then withered to brown in the sun.  The seed fell among the swords and grew, but was choked up. But the seed which fell on the field nearby us sprung up immediately and began to grow robustly. 

We turned together, and began walking through the rows of the field next to the road, where workers were performing the task of harvesting the now grown grain.  As we walked, I could see the blue sky, and the brown barley, and the people straining with their tools to harvest the grain.  As we walked, my companion, who I still could not see, was describing how the grain was planted in the winter, and lay dormant until spring, when it came to life to announce the new year of abib (ripe) barley.

We approached a shack; Oregon retirement home style.  The wood was weathered and worn to grey, and the bottom had developed cracks that let in the wind.  We went into the shack, and I could now see my companion.

He was tall of darkish skin, but almost no hair.  He wore a pair of blue bib overalls and nothing else.  His shoulders and arms were strong, and his eyes were an amazing color of blue.  He was beautiful in a plain sort of way.  He held a pitchfork and began describing the process of separating the wheat from the chaff.  A wind began blowing through the cracks of the shack, pushing hot air through the shack.   He threw the wheat stalks into the air again and again, and the chaff blew off while the grain fell to the winnowing floor.  He talked the entire time, telling me how the process separated the good grain from the useless chaff.

Suddenly the wind turned cold and the day dark.  My vision narrowed on one of the cracks along the floor.  A green snake with red stripes and a red tongue slid in under the crack and began moving along the grain, scoring the neat piles of grain with his twisty body.  My sight went back to my companion.  He spun the fork in his hands expertly, and then jabbed it into the body of the snake.  Then he lifted it before me, and held out the writhing animal on the fork before me. I was captured by his eyes.  I couldn't look away from him or the snake.

In a clear voice he said to me, "There's evil in the seed.  You must get the evil out of the seed."

For one instant, I felt the pain of the snake at the end of the fork.  Then it was gone, and I was awake.


I had that dream in 2000, shortly after marrying my second husband.  I told him about it at the time, and he seemed like he was a little angry about it, so I never brought it up again.  I never told anyone again until I remarried.  I have told my husband about it now. 


I know that the evil are the many lies being perpetuated on the body of Christ, the people that are his children, the church.  I know that it's my charge, per this dream, to reveal those lies, and to help people find their way to the truth.  I know that by the sheer fact that I talk about things no one wants to think about, that I will never be popular, and that I was not called to fit in, but to be a peculiar person.  I think I got that part covered.

Thanks for reading.

Shalom.

Photo courtesy: http://goo.gl/48Vwm8

The Lie of Christmas -or- Don't do as the Pagans Do

People often ask me why I don't celebrate Christmas.  I usually say that it's a biblical thing, and leave it at that.  Nobody ever wants to talk about the bible, so it's usually a pretty safe bet they're going to drop it.  

In fact, I don't just not celebrate it, I despise it from the bottom of my soul.  It's an abomination, and a big, fat lie against the creator of the universe, and it disgusts me how few people can open their heart to the truth of it and see what is happening. 

It’s the first commandment, and supposed to be the easiest one to understand.  NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME. 

Before you argue with me that Christmas is a "Christian" holiday, and the birthday of the Christ, please educate yourself .  Once you have a complete understanding, and if you still believe that Christmas is of the God of Heaven, we'll talk then.  A good place to start is right here:  December 25

I learned the truth about Christmas in 1991.  I was pregnant with my second child at that time, and discovered a book lying in my parents house that had no business being there, "National Sunday Law" by Jan Rasmussen.   I read that book cover to cover, then cried for two days.   I didn't stop celebrating Christmas though. 

It was nearly 10 more years before I stopped, even though I knew the truth.  I got that help through a book called "Fossilized Customs" by Lew White.  I believed I worshipped him in my heart, so it made it ok.  I told myself that it was my intentions that mattered, and what difference did it make what day we celebrated his birthday, as long as we did?  Of course, back then, I didn't understand the issue with the Hebrews and the golden calf.

I had heard the story many times, of course, being  a winner of awards for Sunday School attendance.  Moses, after leading his people through the desert and literally through the Red Sea, after guiding them through more desert, lead them to Sinai.  After seeing the power of Yahweh settle on Mt. Sinai, and hearing his voice bellow down at them to cause them such fear as to ask to never have to speak directly with him again, they built an idol unto Him. 

The word says they built it, "Unto Yahweh."  As a child and young adult, I used to ask myself, "What's the big deal?"  They did it unto Him, right?  Weren't their intentions good?  That's what should matter, right? 

Of course, I was wrong.  Yahweh specifically tells us in his word not to worship him as the pagans worship their gods, which involves golden idols.  The idol they built was of an Egyptian god Hathor, not just some random calf.  They built an idol of this calf, and gave it their worship, or gave it worth.  You can see that very altar by copying the map coordinates into Google maps  and zooming in as deep as you can: 28.5813277777778, 35.3961277777778  You can see some pictures and videos of the areas on this website:  Mt. Sinai

This was the problem the Hebrews had.  They wanted to worship Yahweh the same as they had been taught to worship Hathor.  It was not enough to see the power of their god with their own eyes, and hear it with their own ears.  The tradition of worshiping an idol was more real to them than the decrees of Yahweh.  

Yahweh tells us in the bible not to worship him as the pagans worship their gods. 

12 These are the decrees and laws you must be careful to follow in the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given you to possess—as long as you live in the land. ² Destroy completely all the places on the high mountains, on the hills and under every spreading tree, where the nations you are dispossessing worship their gods. ³ Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.⁴ You must not worship the Lord your God in their way.  Deuteronomy 12

It's simple fact that Christmas has nothing to do with the Bible.  The reformation knew it.  Protestant's like Martin Luther and John Calvin knew it.  The American pilgrims knew it.  My atheist friends, my few Muslim acquaintances, and even a few Wiccans I am acquainted with all know this to be true.   The Christians I know stuff their fingers in their ears and scream "Deck the Halls" at the top of their lungs until December 26th.  They are so proud of their own great faith, they cannot imagine humbling themselves to see the truth.

It's not just commonly known fact, it's archeologically true. 

Christians give me a lot of excuses for why they celebrate Christmas, none of them based in biblical truth.  They tell me they are at peace with God about it, and no matter who tells them otherwise, they won't quit, even though the bible tells us that our brethren are meant to be correctors.  They tell me they have prayed about it and that they are at peace with it.  Yahweh has not told them otherwise, they say; yet He is trying, and they ignore him.  They tell me they know what it means in their heart, when the bible says the heart is deceitful above all things.  It's Christianity based out of the emotional need to follow tradition, and has nothing to do with the hard truth of the word.

I follow a  person on Facebook who typifies this sort of emotional Christianity.  The Facebook profile presents itself to be tellers of the truth, and the watchmen on the wall.  Yet, they are liars.  They spread the yeast of this indoctrination into everyone they speak with.  Nearly every day comments show up that are stiff-necked declarations that their own understanding is more important that the biblical truth.  They say that they have prayed, and are at peace with it.   Yahweh sends brother after brother, sister after sister, to try to talk to them and help them, and every day they close their ears, shut their eyes, and keep speaking the blasphemes of the Catholic church and it's residual effect on the body of Yahshua's bride.  It seems that every day a brother or sister tries to correct them, tries to provide the truth.  The people behind this profile attack them, then forbids them to talk about it in the open, shuns them from their thread.  I've seen the people behind the profile question the salvation of others, and deny the truth of the bible, then shun people from speaking openly about it.  Whenever someone refuses to let others speak it is, in my opinion, because they know they are wrong, and they refuse to hear the truth.    They lash out openly against the truth, and love the lie instead. 

I no longer believe the things this profile says.  I no longer read or participate in the posts. I have shaken their sand from my feet.   I watch them cling to the traditions of man in the face of Yahweh's beautiful truth and I pray each day that their pride is brought down, that they  be chastened from their stiff-necked pride.   I can't stand to see these truth telling believers be told to shut up as they lovingly try to share the truth and be denied by the prideful heart of another, again and again, like moths banging up against a light bulb.  I follow their page still because of the occasional news article or meme that comes through.  I do question everything they post, however, and look it up myself.  If they don't know this truth...who knows what lies they will unknowingly pass on.  Rule of thumb:  If you are praying for insight and truth into something, and brethren show up every, single day to share something with you, it might be the answer.

I can't trust them to tell the truth when they are so blatantly rejecting it.  If they can't see something that even non-believers can see, they are deliberately lying to themselves and everyone they think they are reaching out to, and I refuse to participate in such obvious untruths. 

Pride goeth before the fall.  Help me, Yashua, to never be too prideful to understand any small morsel of your truth.  Please keep my neck bent, and my heart soft toward you.  Amen.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about Jehovah's Witness followers, and being lukewarm.

A couple of women came to my house the other day.  They were very nice.  They told me that Jesus loves me, and that all of my loved ones would live here on Earth with me, and wasn't that wonderful?  I nodded my head and smiled a lot, accepted their tract, but not their request to come back. 

I don't want to talk to them, and their religion is completely unbiblical.  But here's the thing.  They are living what they believe.  They are living their life with conviction, declaring the truth of their belief.  What did you do last Friday?  Did you spend the day proselytizing something that matters to you, or did you spend the day as I did, on selfish pursuits?

In the book of Revelation, Yeshua calls his church of this age "lukewarm."  He says he will spew them out of his mouth.

Have you ever tried to drink lukewarm water?  It's pretty nasty, and can make you vomit.  Today's Christian is completely lukewarm.  Today's church teaches people to be lukewarm.  Never offend, never speak out.  Be tolerant toward other lifestyles. 

I think that's why I'm making this blog.  I don't want to be lukewarm.  I don't care about being wrong, or beautiful, smart or rich. Ok...maybe a little richer.  ;)  What I care about is being a good and faithful servant. 

I'm going to start acting like a Jehovah's Witness.  Don't worry...I'm not likely to knock on any doors.  I am going to start talking to people about the truth.  I already have started.  Sometimes, it costs me friends. Sometimes, it makes me look crazy.  Sometimes, it makes me realize how deceived and sad the world really is, and that even those I hold in high esteem are willing to believe a lie over the truth.  Me, I'll take the truth.  It is sweet in my mouth, though it is often bitter in my stomach.

Shalom

Revelation 3:15-17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
¹⁶ So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
¹⁷ Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: