We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum. A.W. Tozer
Therefore let God-inspired Scripture decide between us; and on whichever side be found doctrines in harmony with the word of God, in favor of that side will be cast the vote of truth. --Basil of Caesarea
Once you learn to discern, there's no going back. You will begin to spot the lie everywhere it appears.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service. 1 Timothy 1:12

Friday, June 26, 2026

Why were these heretics and corrupt people invited to speak?!?!?!?

I sincerely doubt that Jesus would have invited them.

 

Thursday, June 25, 2026

Credentials, Part 13--Last


Way back in Parts 1 and 2 I gave a summation of the training/schooling I have received (since I have no college education) and the teaching/training I have done. Some comments have wanted more specifics for proof of my qualifications regarding schooling and teaching. So I hope this will satisfy my detractors. While much of my schooling has been technical training, I would have to say my main education outside of technical and apologetics was in management-supervision/leadership and Instructor courses.


Education/Training

U.S.Army 6/17/70 to 2/27/75

6/17/70 to Ca.8/15/70: Basic Combat Training. 10th Bn, 2nd BCT Bde (1st Plt)

Combat Engineer Training (technical training):

Ca.8/31/70 to Ca.9/12/70: A Co, 1st Bn, 1st EAIT Bde  (1st Plt)

Ca.9/13/70 to 9/25/70: Leadership Preparatory School, HHC Leadership Academy

9/27/20 to 11/21/70: B Co, 3rd Bn, 1st EAIT Bde (1st Plt)

Ca.11/29/70 to 1/25/71: Jump School

Permanent Duty at Ft.Bragg, 1/27/72 to 2/27/75:

1972: Basic Leadership Course, Distinguished Graduate (2 weeks?)

Pilot Training (technical training):

Private Pilot from 4/16 to 11/6/71

Commercial Pilot from 12/2/71 to 10/19/73

Multi-engine Airplane from 11/20/73 to 3/10/74

Instrument-Airplane from 6/16/74 to10/24/75

Helicopter from 11/5/75 to 3/18/76


Air Traffic Control (ATC is technical training)

Chicago Air Traffic Control Center, Aurora, IL 

9/78 to 12/78: FAA Academy in Oklahoma City for fundamentals and simulations.

1/79 to 2/81: OJT at Chicago Center for Non-Radar control.

2/81 to 8/81: Radar training with simulations.

DuPage Airport, West Chicago Control Tower

8/81 to 4/82: Trained in tower control operations.

4/82: After becoming certified on the tower position I volunteered to train new people coming in, and I had to take Facility Instructor Training.

3/84: Promoted to Acting Manager for a few months. Took 150 hours of FAA Fundamentals of Supervision course.

4/86: I was promoted to supervisor and was sent to take Phase I FAA Management Training at a college in Lawton, OK. (A month)

2/2-12/87: Sent to Phase II FAA Management Training at a college in Lawton, OK. (Three weeks)

8/21-30/90: FAA Management Training at FAA Academy, Oklahoma City.

12/91: Attended two courses at Chicago O’Hare Airport: OJT Teaching for ATC Instructors and OJT Teaching for ATC Examiners.

1/6-9/92: Management Training at the FAA Center for Management Development in Palm Coast, FL.

1/6-10/93: Went to Chicago O’Hare ATCT for classes on Managing Change.

7/11-16/93: Went to Chicago O’Hare ATCT for classes on Labor-Management Relations. 

Cedar Rapids, IA Control Tower

12/95 to 4/08: Trained in local tower procedures and then trained in RADAR separation.

6/08-2/10: Contract Instructor..

3/31-4/7/09: Took Facility Training Administration course in Oklahoma City’s FAA Academy.

Civil Air Patrol

I was a member from 10/87 until Spring 1995. On 6/92 I was promoted to captain as the Deputy Commander for Cadets, which required me to attend Squadron Leadership School at the College of DuPage: Level l on 12/11-12/93 and Level II on 1/30-31/94.


Apologetics

1974 to current. Self-taught through reading hundreds (possibly thousands) of books. My apologetics and biblical studies have been in depth, studying materials by some top-notch biblical and/or apologetics scholars. I also attended classes in these conferences: 

(Note: PFO conferences and the EMNR conference had multiple scholars, including Ph.D theologians, teaching classes from Thursday evening, all day Friday and until noon on Saturdays. From 2002 to 2008 PFO were held at a church in Florissant, MO but had to move to St. Charles for the other two.)

5/98: Evening conference with Roger Oakland at Believers In Grace Church, Marion, IA.

4/00: St. Louis Biblical Discernment Conference, by Personal Freedom Outreach Ministry.

4/02: St. Louis Biblical Discernment Conference, by Personal Freedom Outreach Ministry.

11/02: Biblical Counselors’ Conference, Fairview Heights, IL (Friday PM, Saturday all day.)

4/04: St. Louis Biblical Discernment Conference, by Personal Freedom Outreach Ministry.

2/05: Evangelical Ministries to New Religions (EMNR), Kansas City, KS.

4/05:  Biblical Counselors’ Conference, Fairview Heights, IL (Friday PM, Saturday all day.)

4/06: St. Louis Biblical Discernment Conference, by Personal Freedom Outreach Ministry.

4/07: Biblical Counselors’ Conference, Fairview Heights, IL (Friday PM, Saturday all day.)

4/08: St. Louis Biblical Discernment Conference, by Personal Freedom Outreach Ministry.

4/09: Faith Bible Church, Robins, IA Spring Bible Conference with Ron Sauer.

4/10: St. Louis Biblical Discernment Conference, by Personal Freedom Outreach Ministry.

4/12: St. Louis Biblical Discernment Conference, by Personal Freedom Outreach Ministry

2/15: Intelligent Faith Conference, Cedar Rapids (Frank Turek, John Stewart, J. Warner Wallace) (2 days)

4/16: Intelligent Faith Conference, Cedar Rapids (J. Warner Wallace, Alycia Wood, Gary Habermas (2 Days)

5/16: EMNR Conference, Palatine, IL


I would say the hours and hours of teaching/training I have received would at least equal a college associate degree and perhaps even a bachelor’s degree! And if the Army, FAA, and CAP all saw me as a good leader, who am I to argue!


TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Army

10/73 to 10/74: Training Sergeant for the 27th Engineer Battalion.

10/14/74 to 2/26/75: Training Sergeant for B Company, 27th Engineer Battalion.

These positions required ensuring all unit members met all Army training requirements; I updated training standards for the units. 


FAA

8/81 to 2/82: Being at a VFR (Visual Flight Rules—no radar, just looking out the window) tower, I learned that aircraft recognition could be important. I knew military aircraft and civil counterparts as well as types I had flown, but when using binoculars to help separate and control the aircraft it was much easier if you knew the types. So I went to the library and checked out issues of “Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft” and taught myself what I needed within the week. I was still new in training on the tower position (after certifying on Ground Control) and one day it got busy with lots of different types (we were 3rd busiest airport in Illinois, behind Chicago O’Hare and Chicago Midway airports but we were only general aviation — no airlines. Lots of corporate, freighters, flying clubs, training schools, and 500 airplanes based, including WWII aircraft). The supervisor training me that hour said aircraft recognition training was not useful, so to test me he pulled all my strips (tiles with aircraft call signs) into a pile and told me to put them back in order. Now, normally strips got mixed, everyone would just ask every plane their position and this took many transmissions. To prove my point I used the binoculars and as I found each aircraft I aligned all the strips but two; two aircraft were the same type so I asked one to rock his wings and that was that—one transmission to sort out 12 aircraft. The supervisor training me just said, “Fxxx You” and laughed. 

The manager then asked me to teach a/c recognition to the rest of the controllers, who were anxious to learn! So I developed a slide program with a text (I was given carte blanch on the field with a radio to photograph all the types based and then I went to other airports on my off time to get more). It worked so well that my manager told other tower managers in the area and soon I was making copies for not only the Chicago area, but by managerial word-of-mouth I also made copies for Oklahoma City and Las Vegas as well as some other Illinois towers. I then expanded the course a bit and entered it in the FAA suggestion program; the FAA selected it and paid me $1000 award. 

09/85 to 11/95: Appointed as an Accident Prevention Counselor; I met with pilots and pilot clubs to teach safe aircraft and airport operations.

1986: Designed an instrument approach to DuPage Airport for Microwave Landing System (MLS) but it was adopted for an Area Navigation (RNAV) approach.

1986 to 1995: As Supervisor my administrative duties included accident/incident investigations and facility training. I wrote all classroom lesson plans as well as taught them in the classroom.

4/82 to 12/95: I trained controllers at DuPage Airport until I transferred to Iowa in December 1995. During this time I was also selected to teach pilots about ATC procedures at annual FAA Aviation Education Seminars; Illinois Department of Transportation annual Airman Recurrency Seminars; numerous flying club, EAA Chapter and pilot association meetings. In addition to the meetings, I was responsible for writing Letters of Agreement between the tower and the four pilot schools on the airport. Finally, I was selected to teach at Aurora, IL Public Schools’ American Education Week, teaching high school students about aviation.

10/26/92: I taught about ATC to the IDOT Aviation Education Workshop.

1996 to 2008: Trained new controllers at Cedar Rapids, IA airport on Ground Control and Tower Control in classroom (along with my updated recognition course) and OJT position.

4/5/97: Attended a Civil Air Patrol Flight Clinic in Cedar Rapids to teach about the various types of ATC.

5/97: Attended Cedar Rapids Linn-Mar High School Career Day to teach about ATC as an occupation.

6/08 to 2/10: As contract instructor: Cedar Rapids’ training program hadn’t had a full update in years, just “jerry-rigged” with newer stuff, and of the 20 radar simulation problems no one knew what was in them and what was supposed to be learned, only that the higher numbers were more difficult—no scripts available, having been lost long ago. So I completely revised the training program to make it up-to-date and then ran all 20 problems two or three times each so as to reverse-engineer scripts for them. I also conducted all classroom training and radar simulation training.


Civil Air Patrol: 

10/85 to Spring 1995: Aerospace Education Officer (1st LT) and that had me teaching the cadets what was essentially ground school. (it was a composite squadron, seniors and cadets.) With cadet interest I ran my recognition course for them and then I did another course with military aircraft. I also took cadets on familiarization flights so as to teach them about aircraft operations.


Sunday School

1988 to summer/92: Taught Junior High Sunday School at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Batavia, IL.

Summer/92 to 11/95: Taught High School Sunday School at Trinity Lutheran Church, West Chicago.


Apologetics

1992 to 1995: Taught High School Sunday school basic apologetics at Trinity Lutheran Church, West Chicago, IL.

1/97 to 11/98: Taught High School Sunday school basic apologetics at Maranatha Bible Church, Cedar Rapids, IA.

2000: Taught adult Sunday School apologetics and cults at Cedar Rapids Bible Chapel.

2003 to 2016: Book table ministry in Iowa City

https://watchmansbagpipes.blogspot.com/2009/12/public-apologetics-evangelism-ministry.html

2005: Taught adult Sunday School apologetics and cults and general discernment.

2005: I was asked by a friend to team with him in writing a seminary paper describing biblical problems with the field of clinical psychology and its associated disciplines. This research was the basis for several articles posted on this blog in 2011.

10/07: Began using a blog to teach apologetics.

2008: After providing to Personal Freedom Outreach ministry my research on Beth Moore’s horrid DVD series “Believing God,” I was asked to co-author an article for their Quarterly Journal. It was published in the January-March 2009 (Vol.29/No.1).

2009: I was asked by a homeschool group to write an “Introduction to Apologetics” course for high schoolers. I completed the course in 2010 and many copies were requested. Much of this course has been converted to articles on my blog.

2020: I was contacted by Personal Freedom Outreach about writing a feature article for their last Quarter Journal (the were shutting down after 40 years). The article I wrote was titled: “The Influence and Success of Hillsong Church: Exploring Brian Houston’s Controversial Religious Empire,” and was published in the October-December Quarterly Journal (Vol.40/No.4) 


Counseling

Counseling is a form of teaching. My wife and I have done pre-marital, marital, and family counseling off and on since 2002.


Other:

I have been teaching bagpipe lessons since 2003 and currently have two students!


I’ve always enjoyed teaching and if I had ever gone to college it would have been to be a teacher.  After all, along with my wife I homeschooled our children!


Tuesday, June 23, 2026

What sort of Christian is this Pope?!?!

So because some people are rich, and others are poor, does that mean things are unfair? How much work did it take to become rich? How many of the poor are that way because they depend on government handouts. How many are poor because of government corruption? Is it fair for the government to steal money from those who earned it to provide for the poor? Are wealth disparities unbiblical? NO. 

What about “migrants”—how many are illegally entering the nations?
No one has a right to have a “dream” so how can someone “scorn” what isn’t a right? Why did they leave a family behind? It was THEIR choice! What about the “dignity” of the people whose lives are destroyed by these “immigrants”? If they are illegally in the country, what about the Pope suggesting they obey the law as in Romans 13:1-7 and 1st Peter 2:13-17?

The Pope obviously doesn’t remember that GOD instituted capital punishment for murder. So there is nothing unjust about capital punishment, Mr. Pope. Go home and read your Bible.

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Credentials, Part 12


Books Read Regarding Cultural/Social Issues 

A Disease in the Public Mind, by Thomas Fleming

A Nation in Shame, by D. James Kennedy

Abortion: The Silent Holocaust, by John Powell, S.J.

America’s Real War, by Rabbi Daniel Lapin

Arguing With Idiots, by Glenn Beck

The Assault on Parenthood, by Dana Mack

Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of 

        Miseducation, by Peter Hegseth

The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American 

        Left, by Dinesh D’Souza

Black Rednecks and White Liberals, by Thomas Sowell

Blood Money, by Carol Everett with Jack Shaw 

The Case Against Pornography, by Donald E. Wildmon

Cheap Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, 

        and Monogamy, by Mark Regnerus

Climate Change Conflict, by Jake Hebert

The Closing of the American Mind, by Allan Bloom

Conservative Comebacks to Liberal Lies, 

        by Gregg Jackson

Correct, Not Politically Correct, by Frank Turek

Cosmos, Creator and Human Destiny, by Dave Hunt

Creation and Evolution, by Alan Hayward

The Criminalization of Christianity, by Janet L. Folger

Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of 

        America, by Jeff Pollard

Darwin Day in America: How our politics and culture 

        have been dehumanized in the name of science, 

        by John G. West

Death of a Nation: Plantation Politics and the Making of 

        the Democratic Party, by Dinesh D’Souza

The Demon in Democracy: Totalitarian Temptations in 

        Free Societies, by Ryszard Legutko

Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual 

        Tolerance, by R. Albert Mohler, Jr

Dismantling America, by Thomas Sowell

Discrimination and Disparities, by Thomas Sowell

Domestic Enemies: The Founding Fathers’ Fight 

        Against the Left, by Daniel Greenfield

Dumbing Down Our Kids, by Charlie Sykes

The Dust of Death, by Os Guinness

Eugenics and other Evils, by G.K. Chesterton

Faith & Freedom, by Mathew D. Staver

The Flip Side of Liberation: A Call to Traditional 

        Values, by Hope MacDonald

Forbidden Fruit: The Ethics of Humanism, by Paul Kurtz

The Founders’ Key: The Divine and Natural Connection 

        Between the Declaration and the Constitution and 

        What We Risk by Losing It, by Larry P. Arnn

From Darwin to Hitler, by Richard Weikart

Going Home to School, by Llewellyn B. Davis

Government Nannies, by Cathy Duffy

Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood, 

        by George Grant

Grave Influence, by Brannon Howse

Greek Homeschool Course

Hitler and the Nazi Darwinian Worldview, 

        by Jerry Bergman

Hollywood Vs. America, by Michael Medved

The Home-schooling Father, by Michael Farris

The Homosexual Agenda, by Alan Sears & Craig Osten

Homosexuality and the Politics of Truth, 

        by Jeffrey Satinover, M.D.

Immaculate Deception, by George Grant

Impossible People: Christian Courage and the 

        Struggle for the Soul of Civilization, 

        by Os Guinness

The Improvement of the Mind: A Supplement to Logic, 

        with A Discourse on the Education of Children and 

        Youth, by Isaac Watts

Inside American Education, by Thomas Sowell

Intellectuals and Society, by Thomas Sowell

Kids Who Kill, by Mike and George Grant

The Language Police, by Diane Ravitch

Legislating Morality, by Norman Geisler & Frank Turek

Manufacturing Victims, by Dr. Tana Dineen

Marriage on Trial: The Case Against Same-Sex 

        Marriage and Parenting, by Glenn T. Stanton 

        and Dr. Bill Maier

Logic: The Right Use of Reason in the Inquiry After 

        Truth, Isaac Watts

No Safe Spaces, edited by Dennis Prager and 

        Mark Joseph

None Dare Call It Education, by John A. Stormer

Obama’s America, by Dinesh D’Souza

Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, 

        by Anthony Esolen

Persecution: How Liberals Are Waging War Against 

        Christianity, by David Limbaugh

The Philosophy of Humanism, by Corliss Lamont

The Politics of Deviance, by Anne Hendershott

Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments, 

        by Randy Alcorn

The Ring Makes All The Difference: The Hidden 

        Consequences of Cohabitation and the Strong 

        Benefits of Marriage, by Glenn T. Stanton

The Same-Sex Controversy, by James R. White 

        & Jeffrey D. Neill

Same-Sex Partnerships? by John Stott

Saving Leonardo, by Nancy Pearcey

Saving Normal, by Allen Frances, M.D.

Saxon Math Books

Slouching Towards Gomorrah, by Robert H. Bork

Sodom’s Second Coming, by F. LaGard Smith

Steeling the Mind of America, by numerous

Straight & Narrow? by Thomas E.Schmidt

The Tempting of America: The Political Seduction 

        of the Law, by Robert H. Bork

Total Truth, by Nancy Pearcey

The Trouble With Textbooks: Distorting History and 

        Religion, by Gary A. Tobin and Dennis R. Ybarra

The Un-Civil War: Blacks vs Niggers, by Taleeb Starkes

Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing 

        Worldviews, by David A. Noebel

Understanding the Times: A Survey of Competing 

        Worldviews, by Jeff Meyers & David A. Noebel

The Vision of the Anointed, by Thomas Sowell

War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s 

        Campaign to Create a Master Race, 

        by Edwin Black

War of the Worldviews: Powerful Answers for an 

        “Evolutionized” Culture, by several.

We Will Not Be Silenced, by Erwin Lutzer

When A Nation Forgets God, by Erwin W. Lutzer

When You Were Formed in Secret, by Gary Bergel

Who Killed the Constitution? By Thomas E. Woods Jr 

        and Kevin R.C. Gutzman

Women Exploited, by Paula Ervin

The Worm in the Apple: How the Teacher Unions 

        Are Destroying American Education, 

        By Peter Brimelow

You’re Teaching My Child What? by 

        Miriam Grossman, M.D

Zionism and Anti-Zionism, by Gregg H. Rosenberg