sermon: Simplifying Life (Part Seven): Practicing Spiritual Scales
David F. Maas
Given 20-Dec-25; Sermon #1851B; 35 minutes
The Simplifying Life series:
Over the past 8 months, we have taken a spiritual journey, simplifying life by eliminating clutter, organizing time, managing relationships,
waiting on God's timing and keeping His 7th day
Sabbath, yielding to God's and man's laws. Now today we move to the concluding message in this series, actually my 100th message on the CGG website. But before we begin, I'd like to move to a significant sidebar. Back on February 22, 2020, that's about six years ago, my speaking partner for today, that's Clyde, Brother Clyde, broached the subject in his commentary, The Pale Horse, in which he announced the Wuhan laboratory in China launched a deadly virus into the atmosphere. Now, actually, when we investigate, this virus was developed at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill using gain-of-function techniques approved by Doctor Anthony Fauci and paid for by American tax dollars. Now, about 2 weeks ago, Jeremy Hammond, citing data discovered by RFK Junior, uncovered some salient details that the federal government during the previous administration has tried to conceal from the American people, stating that on September 9th, Senator Ron Johnson held a hearing on how the corruption of science has impacted public perception of vaccine safety. Testifying at the hearing was attorney Aaron Siri, who has worked closely with the Informed Consent Action Network, ICAN, to get the truth about vaccines. Mr. Siri explained how ICAN had approached Doctor Marcos Zervos at Henry Ford Health about utilizing the hospital's network's data to compare health outcomes between vaccinated and completely unvaccinated children. That's a study the CDC has long refused to do. Now Doctor Zervos agreed to do it because from his personal perspective, it could help put to rest parental concerns about vaccines causing chronic diseases and establishing greater trust in existing vaccine policies. But according to Jeremy Hammond, the study did not turn out the way Zervos anticipated. Instead of exonerating the CDC's recommendations, the data showed vaccines to be strongly associated with allergies, asthma, developmental delay, I'm sorry, and autoimmune disease. Overall, vaccinated children were 2.5 times more likely to develop a chronic disease than completely unvaccinated children. Now, fearing that it would end his career, Zervos refused to publish the study, much like the way that the Eli Lilly Company has insanely blocked research into effective, safe alternatives to insulin. Zervos' cowardice is in no way speculative. The founder of ICAN, that's Informed Consent Action Network, Del Bigtree, documented Zervos' admission on camera as featured in a documentary film, An Inconvenient Study, which was released on October 12th of this year. Now, I have provided links to this documentary film in the manuscript. Siri also entered this study into the Congressional Record and it is available at the Senate's website. In response to Siri's testimony, Big Pharma and government cohorts went into damage control mode. The mainstream propaganda narrative is that the idea was held because of its findings is conspiratorial nonsense. The very same establishment trying to impeach RFK Junior because he opposes science, which, if it is, I Timothy 6:20, that is science falsely so-called, all of God's chosen saints should also oppose with every bit of strength
God has given them. Now Jeremy Hammond affirms that here is how we can know the truth. The public vaccine apologists, including the WHO, the CDC, Big Pharma, including the executives at Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, conveniently omit how the idea, the study was censored, did not originate with Siri or ICAN. But it is documented admission by the Henry Ford Health researcher who headed up the study. Secondly, the arguments used to dismiss the study as fatally flawed cannot withstand scrutiny. Instead, the damage control narrative reveals an institutional bias whereby any studies finding vaccines to be associated with harm are dismissed as flawed, whereas seriously flawed studies finding no association are trumpeted as yet more conclusive proof that they are safe and effective. Now Hammond concludes that the real disinformation is coming not from the anti-vaxxers, but from the so-called public health establishment which saturated the previous administration. Now brothers and sisters, I am positive that if RFK Junior, probably the most God-fearing man in Washington since Ezra Taft Benson under President Eisenhower, Secretary of Agriculture, I'm positive that if RFK Junior would have been the counselor to the president, we would not have had to endure tyrannical government vaccine mandates, mask mandates, or criminal directives against assemblies of worship, all enforced vigorously by folks such as Gavin Newsom, Tim Walz, or James Pritzker. On December 12th, 8 short days ago, RFK Junior imposed black box warning labels on all vaccines prescribed for children. A black box warning or boxed warning typically appears at the top of the medication's prescription information insert within a black border. It is the most consequential type of warning designed to inform prescribers of risks such as life-threatening reactions that must be considered carefully against this vaccine's so-called benefits. Some of you, no doubt, have seen the ads for skin care or eczema medication whose risks include contracting tuberculosis. Debbie, I'm certainly happy that you did not try this deadly medication. I strongly urge you to request Jeremy Hammond's free new 95-page insightful e-book titled The New York Times, a Left-Wing Organization Versus Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: How the Mainstream Media Spread Vaccine Disinformation. When any government mandate conflicts with Almighty God's holy and spiritual laws, we, as God's loyal servants, are commanded to disobey it with our entire being. In Acts 5, verse 29, the apostle Paul admonishes us, if there is a conflict between
God's law and a Satanic government mandate, which we have had a lot, our responsibility is to embrace the priority of the divine over human authority in all matters of obedience and
faith. This powerful statement draws a firm, clear line to obedience to God and obedience to human authorities. While God's chosen saints are generally called to respect and obey civil authorities, as seen in Romans 13:1, there are numerous instances where God's commands conflict with man's tyrannical laws, which according to my conscience includes not being able to assemble in our places of worship. Obeying God rather than man must serve as a guiding principle for God's people, reminding them to prioritize their relationship with God above all else, calling for discernment in navigating the complexities of faith and obedience in a troubled world where human authority too often conflicts with divine will. As God's called-out chosen saints, we cannot forget that we are not citizens of any human government, but ambassadors of an alien government, namely the coming
Kingdom of God, with our citizenship currently registered in heaven. That is II Corinthians 5:20 and Philippians 3:20. As ambassadors, we do not vote in elections or participate in politics, even though as God's chosen people, we must absolutely hate evil and
love good. Amos 5:15, Psalm 97:10, Proverbs 6:16-19, Proverbs 8:13, and it is tempting to want to neutralize politicians who support infanticide, sexual mutilation of minors, and sodomy as we have seen throughout all governments of modern Israel. As my brother in Christ, Austin del Castillo, has warned us, we cannot meddle in God's plans. Who has the sole prerogative of putting leaders in office and kicking them out. Daniel 2:21, as well as Proverbs 16:4, which reads, the Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. When I hear the plethora of asinine questions from the leftist woke press corps attacking Karoline Leavitt, I must swallow my anger, realizing that God is using these evil, biased people to establish His ultimate purpose. Please turn to Proverbs 16:4. Proverbs 16:4. Proverbs 16:4. The Lord has made all for Himself, yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. The Amplified Classic Edition provides the additional details. Proverbs 16:4, the Lord has made everything to accommodate itself and contribute to its own end and His own purpose, even the wicked are fitted for their role in the day of calamity and evil. Now, in the meantime, we must assiduously avoid getting in the way of Almighty God's divine purpose, leaving vengeance and justice solely in His hands. Now for the final segment in this series of simplifying life, my purpose statement, or SPS, is that by practicing spiritual scales, namely prayer, Bible study, meditation, and fasting, we could avoid costly wasters of time, like Hunter mentioned in a sermonette about letting little things slide, which we have the tendency to do, namely social media, the mendacious legacy media, and tons and tons of spam email. How we practice our spiritual scales, that is how we practice the spiritual life, not just understand or eliminate negative habits, but habitually engage in spiritual scales, prayer, Bible study, meditation, and fasting so that our lives become simplified and fine-tuned. Just as a musician assiduously practices scales to bring precision and simplicity into their playing, we as God's saints must practice spiritual scales to bring precision, harmony, and maturity to our life in Christ. Professional musicians do not just play pieces. They practice scales daily. That's my band director back in Saint Peter and Andre Aru used to say, the fastest way to build musical skills is to practice scales, because scales build foundational muscle memory, precision, ease, and simplicity under complexity. Similarly, our spiritual life becomes simpler, less chaotic, and more tuned when we practice the spiritual tools. Please turn over to I Timothy 4:7-8. I Timothy 4:7-8. I Timothy 4:7-8. But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. Verse 8, for bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that is now and of that which is to come. Now, the Amplified Classic Edition adds the additional salient concrete details. But refuse and avoid irreverent legends, profane and impure and godless fictions, mere grandmothers' tales and silly myths, and express your disapproval of them, that is, train yourself toward godliness, piety, keeping yourself spiritually fit. Verse 8, for physical training is of some value, useful for a little, but godliness, spiritual training, is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life as well as the life which is to come. Now, the apostle Paul uses the metaphor of training, like exercise for godliness, reminding us that spiritual maturity is not automatic. As John Ritenbaugh expressed last night in the Bible study, it takes practice, lots of practice. Practicing spiritual scales simplifies life because we are not always reacting against unfamiliar patterns. But when we are tuned, we are ready. It simplifies life by reducing cacophonic noise and chaotic responses, requiring constant retuning or relearning. A pianist wakes up and spends 10 minutes performing scales before tackling a new repertoire, acclimating his fingers to know the patterns so that the complex piece becomes easier. For the past year, I have been practicing the clarinet for an hour a day, strengthening my embouchure as well as acclimating myself to new keys beyond C, F, and G, learning to master works in E or E flat. Now Rex, at the Feast last year, threw me two pieces that required me to learn E flat, and I had to practice the scales, B and C, and other keys that have proven difficult in the past. The late Benny Goodman, whom I had the pleasure of hearing, along with Al Hirt in Bourbon Street, New Orleans, back in 1974, suggested that the last organs to wear out in the human body were the lips and the throat, organs necessary for producing the embouchure, for playing the clarinet, as well as the trumpet for that matter. Consequently, I have resolved to practice the clarinet Monday through Friday for the rest of my life, weekly at 9:00 a.m. California time and 11:00 a.m. Illinois time. Aaron and I practice online together for one hour. We are putting together a repertoire for the annual Ulmer jam session at the Feast this year to take place in Nashville. Aaron and I have been listening to videos of polka bands, learning to play them by ear. Heretofore when we thought the key was too difficult, we transpose them into easier keys, C, F, or G. But at our last practice this week we agreed to begin learning the key in which the band performed the tunes. On Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I tune into the Dinner Bell Hour on KNUJ radio, having a karaoke practice with the Six Fat Dutchmen, Babe Wagner Band, Mali Fisherman, Fez Fritchy, Romy Haas, Bernie Roberts, the Whoopee Band, and dozens of other bands, learning to perform these key pieces in the same key that they are performing. I've been writing in my journal the various keys in which they perform them. When the key is difficult, I have begun forcing myself to play along until I feel comfortable with the heretofore impossible key. When Deborah Armstrong was my student back at Ambassador, I complained to her that sometimes her dad seemed to be a sadistic composer, writing pieces in 5 or 6 flats or sharps. At the recent Feast in Myrtle Beach, I was grateful to borrow Stephen Muse's cheat book, playing these hymns in far more humane key signatures. But nevertheless, in the coming future, I plan to practice the more difficult key signatures daily, striving for eventual mastery of every key signature. God's called-out saints similarly need to expand their daily use of spiritual scales, extending their meditation time, scripture readings, and systematic Bible study. Now, having entered retirement age 7 years ago, I decided that instead of allowing my nervous system to be bathed in social media or the Satanic left-wing media, making me profoundly discouraged or depressed, I would choose a path that would align with
God's will, increasing the daily quota of a systematic Bible study, focusing on a daily portion of Psalms, Proverbs,
Old Testament readings, New Testament readings, and longer periods of meditation. As we age, we find that gravity limits what we can do, forcing us to carefully choose our options. As I have mentioned in previous messages, I would often send vituperative salvos to several of my reprobate students and faculty members who drifted to the leftist, woke, Satanic, God-hating, dark side. But then I started to appreciate the old Johnny Cash ballad, The One on the Right Is on the Left, especially the verse, now this should be, now this should be a lesson if you plan to start a folk group. Don't go mixing politics with the folk songs of your land. Just work on harmony and diction. Play your banjo well, and if you have political convictions, keep them to yourself. Consequently, following the Feast, I have stopped responding to my former students and colleagues, finding pleasantly that when or if a man's ways please the Lord, Proverbs 16:7, He makes even his enemies to be at
peace with him. Some of my students that I had previously written off as hopelessly brainwashed started to respond positively to my Facebook postings to my extreme admonishment. Back in 1967, the late Karl Beyersdorfer counseled the Duluth, Minnesota congregation that our time was our life and that the only practical way of scheduling our time was to set aside time for prayer, time for study, time for meditation before we scheduled anything else, adding that when we do that, everything else will fall into place. We have the obligation to shift our attentions away from concerns of the Satanic culture in which we live and on to God's agenda. Exchanging carnal habits for godly habits describes the process of character development. Motivational specialist Millard Bennett teaches habit is like a cable, and you weave a strand a day until it becomes unbreakable. God's habits, that is good habits, it's God's habits too, I guess, carry you to success and bad habits ruin you. It's as simple as that. A little bit by little bit, except that instead of building up, as good habits do, bad habits tear down. Again, as Hunter Swanson mentioned in his message, for the past several years following the counsel of the psalmist David, I have tried to gradually increase the quantity of spiritual food entering my nervous system, hiding God's Word in my heart that I might not
sin against Him. Psalm 119:11. Consequently, I have set daily, monthly, and yearly goals, resolving to systematically navigate through the Scriptures for the rest of my life. When sermon preparation, abstract preparation, or Forerunner commentary preparation became more pressing, then I can go to the minimum of one verse for the Old Testament reading or one verse for the New Testament reading. But I realize that I have made a commitment to navigate through the entire Bible over and over and over and over again for the rest of my life. The meditation time I have confined for the hikes through the boulders and mountains of the Santa Susana Mountains on the Corriganville Movie Ranch. I am currently in my 8th year of electronic prayer journal keeping along with the already established habit of daily journal writing since the fall of 1971, that's 54 years ago, what I refer to as a pilot light to sustain creativity, which would rapidly become dormant or go out if I ceased keeping it up. Just like getting down on the floor, doing 50 scissors kicks prevent me from becoming prematurely mobility challenged like my late father at the age of 93. Writing down our prayers and God's responses helps us to remember better, providing a valuable record to which we can go back and refer to later. In my electronic journal, after laying out my intentions to my Heavenly Father, I color the urgent plaintive petitions in red. There have been a whole bunch of them lately, incidentally. God's affirmative responses or what I consider them, I color in green. But the petitions answered contrary to my desire, the frequent Proverbs 16:9 adjustments and detours, I color in purple for study and pondering. I realized that many of us have been going through horrendous trials during the past several weeks and years. The purple roadblocks provide necessary insightful data as to how we can realign our spiritual trek with Almighty God's purpose. Perhaps, in practicing our spiritual scales, we have mastered the key of C, F, and G, but do not do so well on E, E flat, B flat, or God help us, C or F. We should set as our goal to become proficient in every key, learning the circle of fifths, the related minor keys, and the intricate mathematical patterns of music. Consequently, as God's called-out saints, we must begin the day, ah, and do that again. Consequently, as God's called-out saints, we must begin the day with our scales or what they call in the monastery our daily breviaries, Psalms, Proverbs, Old Testament readings, New Testament readings, prayer, meditation, and regular fasting, preventing us from falling into unproductive ruts. What short scale are we willing to practice this week, 5 to 10 minutes a day that will tune our lives? Perhaps, brothers and sisters, a good place to begin would be Psalm 119:11, hiding God's Word in our heart that we might not sin against Him.