Hello, dear friends.  August, normally a slow month for us at On Target, turned out to be very busy and exciting.  It began with my unpacking a whole new and very powerful idea about my new book project.  I will be sharing much more about this in the coming weeks and sending out some sample excerpts for you to review.  I do not believe anything like what we are attempting has ever been done before and I am believing this might be one of the best disciple-making resources for men today.

The highlight of the month came on Saturday the 12^th.  That was the day I married our first-born grandson, Parker to his lovely bride, Randi.  The event took place at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA.  With the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, it was a truly beautiful and wonderful occasion.  It was of course a great honor for me to preside over this precious event.  Parker and Randi are two very special people who love the Lord deeply.  

On the last weekend I was privileged to travel to Boise, Idaho to speak at a men’s retreat for Canyon Christian Church.  It took place at Camp Ivydale about an hour from the Boise Airport.  I spoke four times over the weekend, and we saw three men ask Jesus into their lives for the first time.  There were also a dozen men who raised their hands in pledging to stop following a god they want and begin pursuing The God Who Is.

While there I met a man named Ken.  He kind of reminds of the character Sy from Duck Dynasty—even sounds like him.  Ken was really struggling the entire weekend.  He is strapped to an oxygen bottle 24/7 on 5 liters.  I was so proud of him for braving the elements and coming there to honor his Lord. 

I had the chance of sharing Cindy’s story with him and told him how important it was for us to BELIEVE and EXPECT God to heal.  I then asked him if he had the faith to do the same for his circumstances—he said yes.  I felt like the Lord wanted me to end our event in a communion time and then surround Ken with all the men and pray for him.

It was a powerful time of prayer for Ken.  The look on his face when we were done was heartwarming.  He told us he felt so good.  Ken is going to continue to let me know how he is doing.  Initial reports are very encouraging as he seems to be weening from the oxygen.  I told him to leave it all in God’s hand.  Let’s continue to pray for this wonderful man.  Cindy and I are BELIEVING and EXPECTING God to heal him.

August was a good month indeed.  As I close, I want to ask you to join us on our new Substack platform if you are not already subscribed.  These newsletters and all our TargetPoint articles will be appearing there in the future.  You can find us here: https://vincedac.substack.com

The first one to plead his cause seems right,
until his neighbor comes and examines him. 
Proverbs 18:17

Often I hear people say, facts matter.  The fact is, no they do not…at least not anymore.

We have turned spin into an art form. In the face of irrefutable facts, someone will convince you to deny them or that they are outright wrong. Just listen in on any congressional hearing or investigation.  The facts discovered in the process are completely twisted by whomever is interpreting them.  How many times have you heard the term, its’s settled science?  I wish I had a dollar for every time we discovered the science was wrong.  Isn’t that the very nature of good science—to follow where the facts lead?

Instead, you and I are fed virtual nonsense and being asked to accept it as true.  Why?  Because the hidden motives or agenda, trumps the truth.  Lying becomes an acceptable means to an end and you and I are seen as pawns whose answer on poll questions is the real goal.  My concern here is not for the liars—they have been here since the fall.  My concern is for those who are hearing the deceit—you and me.   

If we dissect Proverbs 18:17, we see that when a person pleads, or states their case, it is usually accepted.  However, the verse also suggests that a further examination—or a look a little deeper—might lead to a different conclusion.  I am convinced that most people have been brainwashed to NOT look deeper.  I have noticed this happening now for at least the past 40-50 years.  We have evolved a generation of people who lack patience and the ability to apply critical thought.

Instead of allowing the facts to draw us to a conclusion, we allow our conclusions to direct us to ONLY the facts that seem to support them.  Our inability, or often unwillingness, to look deeper and more critically at the evidence, establishes fertile ground for deception.  Because we live in a quick-fix, soundbite society, we lack the patience it takes to flush out truth.  Besides, If I discover this news source is lying and manipulating me, I might have to find another channel—and I like this anchor.

Let’s look at some statements we have all heard and either agree or disagree with:

Backing Ukraine is a fight to protect Democracy, a fetus is not a life, a man can become a woman, homosexuality is a morally equivalent alternative lifestyle, masks work, vaccinations are safe and effective, Covid did not come from a lab, January 6^th was a planned insurrection, our country is much better off as a result of President Biden, white people are bad, sex trafficking of kids is being overstated, global warming is man-made and settled science, socialism is good, the border is secure, pharmaceutical companies have your best interest in mind, I could go on and on…

First, let me suggest that many of these statements are not only intended to mislead, but also to divide us.  Whether they are true or not is not the issue.  How you arrived at your conclusion is.  If you want to test my hypothesis, ask yourself which one of these you happen to think is solid and how much research you did to come to your conclusion.  Sadly, most people do not even try to dig for opposing views or facts to weigh out their conclusions.  

If you really want to know how we got here, just look up Mass Formation Psychosis and research what that is all about.  In one way or another you and I are all victims of it, but I digress.  After all this is said and done, what is the takeaway—what do I need to do—how should I think differently?

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.  Proverbs 12:22

First, we must understand how much God detests lying.  We also need to know what He means by acting faithfully.  I believe He wants us to be faithful in our pursuit of the truth.  This means we must do whatever it takes to keep ourselves from being deceived.  Jesus, referring to Himself in John 14:6 says, I am the way, the Truth, and the life.  He goes on to say in John 16:13, When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…  

Dear friend, as followers of Jesus we should never allow ourselves to succumb to lies and outright deceit.  He has given us His Holy Spirit and all we need to do is tap into that wonderful source to gain the proper biblical perspective.  How does that work, you might ask.  For me, I take whatever the world is trying to get me to believe and lay it on that altar of accountability before God.  I investigate the Bible and make sure that what I am considering is not contradicted by God’s Word.  Then I ask the Holy Spirit to speak and direct me if I am being deceived.

I then challenge myself to investigate the opposing views or data to gain an understanding of how people arrived at the opposite conclusion.  This, more often than not, surfaces information most people never see or hear.  

When I consider the amount of misinformation, outright lying and deceitful motives permeating our culture today, it is challenging not to become pessimistic.  On the other hand, I am also mindful of how great our God is and that He will never leave us or forsake us.  He is where our hope comes from, and we must always remember that.  

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Jeremiah. 29:11

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.  Romans 12:2

Understanding is a wellspring of life to him who has it.  But the correction
of fools is folly.   Proverbs 16:22

The following is excerpted from an article I wrote in November of 2017 by the same title.  Because of where we find ourselves today I felt the need to re-communicate these thoughts with some updated information.   –Vince

Lately I have done extensive reading and some research on how whole societies and countries have been overtaken, conquered.  In man’s earliest days the methods were always physical.  It took massive, well trained and well equipped armies—in other words—physical force.  Not so today.  The new weapon is persuasion and the tools for this type of takeover are both devious and very sophisticated.  If I can persuade you to surrender I have won without any physical effort or cost. 

In 1987 Allan Bloom wrote his number one best seller, The Closing Of The American Mind.  The subtitle for the twenty-five-year anniversary edition says, How Higher Education Has Failed Democracy and Impoverished the Souls of Today’s Students.  One of my favorite quotes from this amazing work is, the problem with an open mind is that your brains fall out.  Bloom's criticism revolves around his belief that the "great books" of Western thought have been devalued as a source of wisdom.  This would obviously include the Bible.  Bloom says The modern liberal philosophy enshrined in the Enlightenment thought of John Locke—that a just society could be based upon self-interest alone, coupled by the emergence of relativism in American thought—has led to this crisis. 

Thirty-six years later we are seeing the results Bloom predicted.  How did we get here? Carefully planned and artfully applied MANIPULATION!  Now, I know what you are thinking—even a casual leaning in this direction will label me a conspiracy theorist.  This label is another calculated strategy to stop any kind of honest effort to uncover the truth. Here is another example—when asked a very logical question regarding what the possible “end game” might be for all of this most will say, I don't know.  Many, including this writer, believe the end game is total takeover—complete control of our nation and the removal of everything we originally stood for.  If you openly say this—you are laughed at—again—manipulation.

In his well-written book, The Marriage Builder, Dr. Larry Crabb writes that in all human interaction you are doing one of two things only, you are either ministering or you are manipulating.  As someone with a modest background in behavioral science I remember thinking, it can’t be that simple.  He uses the illustration of a husband walking over to his wife after dinner, putting his arm around her waist he says, honey you look beautiful tonight.  So, for all you men reading this I know you get the picture. 

Forgive me ladies as I certainly do not mean to lessen your understanding of the scene here—in fact you are masters at discerning the motives behind all that we men say and do.  However, I wonder if this is true of us today as a body of believers?  Do we truly perceive the motives behind what is being acted out and told to us today?  

My friend is it possible that most of what we are seeing and being fed today is carefully choreographed theater designed to manipulate you and me, pawns in the eyes of those perpetrating all of this, into a socially engineered groupthink.  What if virtually every newsworthy major event is viewed by devious people as an opportunity to manipulate the vulnerable masses into a way of thinking that will move them closer to seeing their “end game” achieved?  What if it is no longer left or right, conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican and it is all set up to make us think there are two sides when the reality is—the leaders of these groups are working together in order to deceive? 

The problem is very few people are doing any critical thinking.  We are not trying to discern what the real motive or “end game” is.  We are being lied to or kept in the dark on almost every front.  Consider the following:

• Covid came from a fish market and was accidental, masks and social distancing work and the vaccines are safe and effective.
• Backing Ukraine is protecting democracy.
• LBGTQ+++ are to be considered normal and should be affirmed and celebrated.
• Pedophilia is now Minor Attracted Persons (sex trafficking is a 34-billion-dollar industry)
• There are more slaves today than in all of history just considering the millions of children being sold globally.
• Individual freedom is less important than the will of the collective.
• Killing the unborn is ok—it’s a matter of choice.
• Socialism and globalism are good for us, nationalism is bad.
• Global warming is caused by humans.
• Always trust science.
• Your kids do not belong to you—they are the property of the state. (As of this writing California is putting forth a bill to give children the legal right to leave home at age 12)

There are so many more messages and soundbites I could list here but I know these will garner a lot of emotions from my readers.  For this writer I have no trouble saying all of these are wrong, pathetic and disgusting.  But then I am not very opinionated.  Perhaps you will agree or disagree with some of these issues.  The question is, what is the source of these messages and are they designed to minister or manipulate me?  How can you know the real motives?

Let me suggest some thoughtful questions you should ask whenever you are trying to figure out truth from lies and ministry vs manipulation:

• Who is the source behind this idea or message?
• What vested interest might they have?
• Is there money involved?
• Is it about power and control?
• What are the facts when compared to the counter argument?
• Does it unite or divide us?
• And most important, what does the Bible say? 

Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?   Mark 12:24

Today is July 5^th, 2023.  As I finish the update for this TargetPoint I am reminded of what we just celebrated the Fourth of July.  I wonder how many of us remember what it cost our patriots who signed that precious declaration.  Thousands of lives—a lot of shed blood.  They knew the implications and were willing to pay the price.  Girded by prayer and a lot of bravery they came through. 

My friends I am persuaded that we are dangerously close to experiencing the same kind of tyranny and control they did way back then.  The question for us…WHAT IS THE PRICE YOU AND I ARE WILLING TO PAY TO SECURE FREEDOM?

We have moved from The Home of The Free and The Brave to a land filled with Slaves and Cowards, we are ideological slaves and practical cowards.  Vince D’Acchioli

A very special 4^th of July greeting to you dear friend.  Cindy and I experienced another great month here in Temecula settling in, enjoying the weather and especially seeing what God is doing through our ministry.  I am happy to report that with each new month Cindy’s health continues to improve here—no oxygen necessary.

At the beginning of the month, I had the privilege of speaking to a new group of young men and women who began meeting at Oceanside Beach.  The photo captures my sharing to about 50 of these hungry people and God did an amazing work.  Five of them gave their hearts to the Lord that night.  Meanwhile, I continue to work with my grandson, Hayden, as he leads his Holy Stakes group of young men every Monday night.

Earlier in the month my Son-in-law, Hayden’s dad Jason and I sat on two stools in front of this hungry group of young men and let them have at us—no question was off limits.  It was awesome.  Jason really hit the mark as he answered questions about real-life experiences as a CEO owning and running a business in today’s woke culture.  At the end of our time together I asked the group to tell us what is driving their generations openness today regarding spiritual matters. 

The feedback was amazing and very revealing.  Most of these young men are coming from deep brokenness within their own families, are tired of superficiality and being lied to and are desperate for authenticity.  Finding answers in their world is not working for them and they can see right through the cultural smoke and mirrors.

Later in the month I had another privilege of speaking to our local No Man Left Behind gathering that takes place every Thursday morning at a local coffee shop.  About fifty men came to this and I talked to them about getting back in the game.  I asked Hayden to come with me and at the end of my talk he got up and shared what is on the heart of young men in his generation.  The gathering of mostly older guys from every walk of life, were captivated.  Dear one, something very special is happening right now.  I have not seen this kind of hunger among a generation since the sixties.  We must seize the moment—all of us.

Last week I also met with about 7-8 CEO level executives to brainstorm firing up an old group that used to meet weekly in the San Diego area called Men With A Purpose.  This gathering, started by my friend, Dwight Johnson, has had a significant impact on so many over the years.  I am excited to say that after sharing with them my experience with these young men we all came away with a commitment to make discipleship a centerpiece of our objectives moving forward.

In addition to the above, I am also working on the framework for our new book project and planning an exciting social media campaign that will take advantage of some new platforms to get our message out there.  Stay tuned for this one—it is going to be BIG!

As I close, Cindy and I are praying for each of you and hope you had a blessed 4^th of July celebration time.  I also want to encourage you to go see the movie, The Sound Of Freedom.  It is a powerful story revealing how our enemy is going after the most vulnerable among us, our precious kids.  We need to stay informed so that we know how to pray and what actions we need to take.

Finally, be on the lookout for this month’s TargetPoint article, The Manipulation Of The American Mind (updated from 2017).  If you do not get our articles, please go to www.otm.co and sign up for our newsletters.

Who Am I? 
Why Am I Here?

The questions are not as important as where you look for the answers!

Thus says the Lord:  “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength,  whose heart departs from the Lord.”  Jer 17:5

I am persuaded that beginning with Adam and continuing to today, every human being has a built-in desire to discover their identity and their destiny.  For the first twenty years of my young life, I remember being obsessed with wanting to know who am I? and why am I here?  During that time, having little understanding of who God is, I found myself on a desperate quest for answers without ever considering the spiritual implications.  I was looking for answers through the lens of pride and had no concept of the importance of humility.

Currently I am taking a group of young leaders through the powerful book by Andrew Murray, simply titled Humility.  I have done this now about five or six times and find myself learning more with each reading.  Murray in his opening preface says this: When I look back upon my own religious experience, or round about the church of Christ in the world, I stand amazed at the thought of how little humility is sought after as the distinguishing feature of the disciple of Jesus.

So even as I look back to my earliest days as a new believer, the lack of a true understanding of the power of pride to squelch humility was a problem.  What is humility?  Tyron Edwards probably said it best: Humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit…it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us. 

There it is—as God sees us.  My friend your and my life can never be more glorious and satisfying as when we grasp a glimpse of who we are through His eyes.  Sadly, the opposite is also true.  When we allow our pride to push us to seeing who we are through the world around us it will usually lead to serious dysfunction at best.  This explains what we are seeing in our world today. 

Just take a look at the symptoms, porn, alcohol, drugs, sexual and gender confusion, suicide and a devaluation of human life are but a few.  When we seek to understand who we are through the world around us instead of our Creator we will never become the man or woman God intended.  I believe that humility is the number one attitude God is looking for in every one of His precious creatures if we are to obtain these answers. 

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.  For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name…  Philippians 2:5-9

Jacques Benigne Bossuet is quoted as saying, Man makes himself God through pride, God makes Himself man through humility. So there it is—Jesus is our model.  But, you might say, how can any human being live up to that?  In your fleshly, pride-filled state—you cannot.  If we truly desire to understand our identity and destiny through the eyes of our Creator we must empty ourselves of everything that resists total surrender and assume a humble position before Him.

I have discovered that my ability to understand my proper position is directly related to my true understanding of His.  Further, my true understanding of His can only be achieved by knowing Him intimately.  And finally, knowing Him intimately cannot happen without a very serious commitment to spending TIME, reading the Word, praying and worshipping Him.

In Andrew Murray’s earlier quote, he shows his frustration in not seeing an important distinguishing feature as evidence in the life of the believer questioning whether they are a true disciple.  I could not agree more and that is the reason why we are now unpacking what I call the Four Markers Of A Disciple. 

The Four Markers Of A Disciple

1. They have anIntimate relationship with God (they know Whose they are)
2. They have discoveredWho they are, their Identity
3. They know God’s plan for their life, theirDestiny
4. They are living out their purpose and have becomeThe Man God Intended

I am persuaded that as pastors and leaders we have failed to recognize the importance of the first marker in positioning people to experience the rest.  As I close, I want us to acknowledge two things.  First, those questions are never going to go away—they will always be relevant.  And second, it is not too late—we must move past our mistakes and begin to communicate, coach and guide people into experiencing a more intimate relationship with our Lord!

Self is the whole evil of fallen nature, self-denial is our capacity of being saved; humility is our Savior.  –Andrew Murray

On a final note, I want to invite any of you who may be interested in joining me on a weekly OTI Zoom call to please email vince@otm.co.  They take place every Wednesday at 6:00 PM Pacific Time.