12 Mar
North Country Farmer has moved! Please take note that from now on you need to visit www.northcountryfarmer.com. I am also working on launching the North Country Farmer Report podcast and some video reports as well. These will be found on the new site soon.
See you over at the new site,
Scott M Terry
12 Feb
The bible is in many ways a blueprint for building a decentralized order and society. The modern American Christian can’t see this because they have been taught something very different. All the groups fighting for power and influence today are centralist, hoping to erect a tower of babel. Unfortanatly the church is included and she wrongly thinks that placing a giant cross on top will make it less evil. In this post I hope to lay out some of the presuppositions that are the foundation for the decentralized order.
First of all, scripture dose not allow for a powerful church or a powerful state. Both of these important institutions are limited in their power and scope. According to Numbers 18 25-28, the church (sanctuary) is limited to 1/10 of the tithe. The rest went to the Levites who handled education, welfare and other things. The state or civil authority is likewise severely limited. Its income in the bible was limited to a tax of 1/2 a shekel for all males 21 and older.
In scripture we find the family as the central institution for exercising dominion and subduing the earth and replenishing it. The family is given the responsibility of education, land ownership and inheritance. The Law Word of God is given to the families in Deut and Proverbs, to be the guide for Kingdom work. I think there is a bigger problem at the heart of the American church’s misunderstanding here. Americans see salvation as the end point of the Gospel. If you think the end sum of the Christian life is salvation then its not hard to see the church as the main power in society, just as the humanist see the state. If you believe that nothing less than the total transformation of this world is the end sum of Christianity it is easy to see that the family and the individual are given the tools and responsibility to carry out the ground level work required.
Consider these points made by Rushdoony…
The purpose of God’s Law is to provide government under God, not under men, not the church, nor the state. God’s Law is the the means to a free and godly community.
The Law of God requires a trustee family…It requires the covenant people of God to establish God’s order, beginning in their families.
We have too long sought to establish God’s Law order through the state or the church. Both are necessary but limited spheres under God.
The Law of God thus is a charter and constitution for a decentralized society in which the basic powers of government are exercised by God’s covenant people in their self-government in every sphere, in their families, their vocations, the tithe agencies they creat to minister to a variety of social problems and needs, and so on.
The ideas in this post will be seen as treason by both church and state. Sadly the most venomous reaction will be by churchmen. I’m often asked “Why would a Christian support this whole agrarian/decentralization thing?”. It makes no sense to most Americans because Biblical Christianity doesn’t make any sense to them.
12 Feb
I read the book Sovereignty, by Rushdoony, last winter and I found this quote extremely powerful.
Because He is the King here and now and forever more, His law-word must govern us now and always, and all things must be reordered and remade to conform to His royal word. No sphere of life is exempt from His government, and not an atom of creation was created apart from Him or has any right to independence from Him. Christ is not lord over merely a corner of creation, nor only the church, but over all things. He is not less than God but very God of very God as well as very man of very man. There can be no justice or righteousness in man nor in society apart from Jesus Christ as Savior and King.
Moreover, no more than the Romans could lock up Jesus Christ inside a sealed tomb can the churchmen of our day confine Him to the church. If they continue to try to lock Him into the church, He will shatter the church as He did the tomb, and leave it empty as He emerges to rule the world, for He “is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15).
RJ Rushdoony, from his book Sovereignty
9 Feb
Check out a little promotional video I made for the Infowars’ You are the Resistance / V for Victory campaign.
If you want to keep up to date on my anti-New World Order activities check my other site, The Rural Resistance
1 Feb
The social consequences of debt include a covetous and inflationary society. When men spend prospective and still future earnings in the present, then, as the present passes, they are chained to their past spending by debt. Debt becomes a form of karma, a past which governs the present and the future and produces a society with a closed future. The slavery of debt binds man to the worst in their past; their debt-living cripples their present and helps determine and limit their future.
~R.J. Rushdoony
The issues of personal debt and the debt based monetary system we have in the Federal Reserve are the great sins of our generation. Churchmen don’t address them because its easier to denounce the sins of the pagans. Since most Christians haven’t had an abortion or been engaged in homosexuality, those are the sins we speak out against. But brethren, Judgment starts at the House of God and we have much to repent of. Our callus disregard for the bible’s guidelines concerning debt have made us a useless group of slaves. We can’t afford to be future oriented, because we’ve sold our future. Even the paper we call “money” is nothing more than a debt instrument and a means for the banking establishment to rob and steal even more of our future. For years no one railed against the FED because we loved paying yesterdays debt off with todays cheaper dollars. Those who have saved money and stayed out of debt fared the worst, losing almost all their buying power. Where are the sermons against the Federal Reserve? Where are sermons being preached against debt in general and the biblical limit of 6 years for any debt. I won’t even get into usury! Debt is one of the chief sins that has made God’s people the tail and not the head. Until we address this sin in a serious manner there is no hope to change the future. May God raise up a generation who steers clear of debt and can afford to think in terms of the future.
30 Jan
Within the Reformed faith we have what I call the “neo puritans”. Folks obsessed with being just like the English Puritans in every way. Now, there is much to like about the Puritans but we must hold them up to the Deut 28 test and ask what went wrong with these people before we dedicate our lives to imitating them. As great as they were, within a few generations the New England Puritans became Unitarians and some of the families went on to establish luciferian secret societies for crying out loud! Is that what we want, our grandchildren denying the faith and working for the New World Order gang? I dare say we should spend our time figuring out what about the Puritans we should NOT emulate. Lets examine the past and learn from it, being future oriented. Otherwise we can plan on history reaping itself over and over. Then when we’re dead someone can dig up our old writings and seeing how smart we were will want to be just like us too. Its an ugly cycle.
23 Jan
I came across this post by Ian Hodge a while back and have been giving it some thought.
I know you might think this is crazy. But bear with me, and see if the logic fits.
While driving through Canada in 2009 I listened to a lecture Dr. Rushdoony gave somewhere. It was an introduction to lectures on Corinthians, and he had one vitally interesting point that I cannot get over.
Rushdoony pointed out that the word ekklesia in the Greek — usually translated “church” or “congregation” in the New Testament — has its origins in Greek culture. The ekklesia were the “called out ones.” This would be a group in a city or town who were “called out” to deal with issues of the township.
In other words, the ekklesia was the governing body of the township. In antiquity, they met sometimes 30-40 times in a year, and usually discussed issues that involved a change to the law, appointments to official positions, contracts, peace, war, and finance. (You can read more on this in Colin Brown’s, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, 3 vols.)
Got that? Now extend your thinking a little.
If this is the meaning of ekklesia then it is not too hard to figure out why the early Christians were using the word to describe themselves. They were the new governing body of the township or city — governing in terms of God’s law not the law of either Greece or Rome.
Think a little more on this. How on earth could we have a governing body of ekklesia — called out ones from the Christian community — in any town today when Christians are divided into a myriad of denominations whose raison d’etre is to be “separated” from their Christian brothers and sisters who do not see eye-to-eye with them on some point in theology?
Do you get the direction of my thinking here? The church is so disunited it cannot possibly put together a governing team of called out ones who are unanimous in how to address issues form a biblical perspective.
Maybe this, in part, explains why the earlier church — undivided by so many denominations — was able to transform parts of the Western World and thus create Christendom.
How on earth are we going to duplicate that feat when we are united on only one thing, the need to to be separated from everyone who disagrees with us?
Figure that one out, if you can. I can’t. But Rushdoony’s insightful comments on the ekklesia have helped me understand where the problem lies, and why we are losing the culture war.
It’s simple, really. There is no real ekklesia today in the sense that Rushdoony describes. And because there is no ekklesia we look to politics to transform culture. As my friend John says: “This is nuts”.
And that is just another reason why Christianity is failing.
Have a great week, being a blessing to others.
As someone who genuinely longs for more catholicity in the church, I must admit that it seems all but impossible at this time in history. I have time and time again been hurt and disappointed whenever I thought I was making progress on this front anywhere that I have lived. Years ago I told you about the Baptist missionary that told me the chief competing religion to Christianity was Presbyterianism. At the time I was offended, some free will credo baptist antinomian had called me a damned heretic; for crying out loud! Later someone remarked at hearing the story that “well, at least they could see that biblical Christianity was a different and competing religion”. For all practical purposes they really are completely different religions. I have given up for the most part trying to have conversations with non reformed-theocratic-dominion oriented Christians, simply because the gap in our worldviews and presuppositions is just to far to bridge. The truly sad thing is that even among “my own people” the reformed-theocratic-reconstructionists, there are divisions over the most minuet deviations in doctrine. Reformed folks are the most divisive group of people there has ever been. Just try to figure out the alphabet soup of Presbyterian micro denominations all started because they and they alone represent the great doctrines of the Reformed Faith. The state of the church is pretty sad and it makes reconstruction look less and less possible in our own age. I don’t have the answer to this dilemma. I wish I did.
16 Jan
The world of agriculture, and the food that all people eat, has been forever changed with development of Genetically Modified crops. Many Christians have pondered whether or not GMO crops are a legitimate form of exercising dominion. I would like to examine a couple of areas that Christians should consider.
The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof. Psalm 24:1
The whole earth, every atom of creation, belongs to the Lord. He created it, He owns it. Fallen man always attempts to make himself god and claim sovereignty for himself. We see this everywhere in today’s culture and very specifically in mans attempt to patent life and claim total ownership of it and all its offspring. Should man be able to patent life? This question is very much at the core of the GMO dilemma.
The Law of Divers Kinds, Lev 19:19
Most of the work in GMOs is in direct violation of the Laws and principles of concerning the mixing of species. It is commonplace for scientist to mix the genes of plants, animals and bacteria. In one extreme case they placed human genes in rice plants, not only violating Lev 19 but also make people into unwilling cannibals. There are many differing opinions as to what Lev 19:19 means for us today, even among theonomists. Some argue there is no modern application. Some would argue that principle of this verse probably pertains to preserving genetic diversity, and if this is its purpose, GMOs still violate the statute.
Containment and liability
The courts in our country and around the world have broke with biblical law and centuries of legal precedent. The Bible places responsibility on the owner of agricultural lifeforms to contain them. Examples are found in Exodus chapters 21 and 22. You are required to keep your cattle, for instance, in there own pasture and out of your neighbor’s crops. It is not his job to keep your cattle out of his crops! Since pollen from GMO crops (carrying patented genes) can blow into your crops, it should be the responsibility of the owner to keep the pollen to himself. He should be liable for contamination. The opposite is true in our courts. The man who’s crops are contaminated by GMOs is sued for patent infringement and bankrupted in the process. Man in his attempt to be god and control the world is making great progress in controlling food, and through food, all of mankind.
These are just a few areas within the larger GMO debate that need thinking through in light of scripture. Thoughts and comments welcome…
7 Jan
Well, I don’t why, but I just didn’t have any interest in blogging last year. A new farm, a new baby, and plenty of work in the barn might have had something to do with it. But really, I just didn’t have anything to say. But now I have some things to say! I’ve been thinking and rethinking about a lot of things lately. I’ve been reading and listening to a lot of Rushdoony these days, and that always gets me thinking. I’ve got a book review I need to get finished up for a survival gardening book that a publisher sent me. I think you’ll find it interesting. Hopefully we can resume the conversations we used have on the web about agrarianism and christian reconstruction.
Here is some great news for folks! Date Dabitur is back online. A lot of valuable writing there. I know a lot of people that were sad when it all disappeared, me included.
The farm is doing very well, but the work load has also grown. We work from 4:30 am to after 7 pm every day. Some nights we don’t eat supper until 8pm. God has blessed us with a good herd that has multiplied greatly. The barns are full and that means more work in the winter months.
My wife has started a yarn and knitting supply business. Be sure to stop in and check it out at This Link River’s Edge Country Store is named partly because we now live in the St Lawrence River valley and partly because of the promise of Psalm 1.
Stay tuned…..
5 Aug
But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. ~1 Timothy 5:8
Among the various groups of conservative Christians, this verse is still taken somewhat seriously. The main problem that our people face is that this verse is always viewed through the lens of the modern culture. No one ever expects you to actually and literally “take care of your family’s needs.” You are expected to trade your labor for money so you can trade money for all the things you need that you can’t provide for your family because you are always at work. In fact if you busy yourself providing for your family with your own hands from the land many “christians” will question whether you are “providing for your family” because of your lack of cash! Cash you don’t need to buy things that you grew yourselves! Christian men need to start asking themselves what would happen if the whole pagan economic system collapsed. Could you feed your family? Could you keep your house? Do you have any of the skills every human throughout history (until now) had for providing for his own, or would you be “worse than an unbeliever”. Lets take this even further and consider this quote by Berry.
A person dependent on somebody else for everything from potatoes to opinions may declare that he is a free man, and his government may issue a certificate granting him his freedom, but he will not be free. He is that variety of specialist known as a consumer, which means that he is the abject dependent of producers. How can he be free if he can do nothing for himself? What is the First Amendment to him whose mouth is stuck to the tit of the “affluent society”? Men are free precisely to the extent that they are equal to their own needs. The most able are the most free.
–Wendell Berry, “Discipline and Hope” in A Continuous Harmony (1972), pp. 124
How dose the church expect to ever change the culture or fight the pagan economic establishment when they are Total Slaves to the corporate-banking elite. Did Paul not warn us about becoming slaves to men after Christ bought us and made us His slaves! Why don’t we hear these things on Sunday morning. Could it be the institutional church is as dependent on this wicked system as its members. This why the establishment is not at all worried about the Tea Party Crowd or Birchers or any other anti NWO group. Go ahead and spend time and money fighting for the second amendment of the first or the tenth. They know you can’t feed yourselves, they know how to end your revolt before it gets off the ground. Food for thought, ain’t it. Articles like this are in the news every other day now and its only a matter of time before they have total control. Forget gold and silver, invest in food production while you still can. Or you could go sip some fluoride water and eat some GMO corn chips on the way to the neocon endorsed protest.
North Country Farmer 
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