Michael Thacker

“Investigating the evolution of consciousness through integrated symbolic, archaeological, and psychological research.”

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  • Cannabis and The Christian Church

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    My latest book Cannabis and The Christian Church is now available on Amazon.com in paperback. Check it out and let me know what you think and God bless!

    Amazon: Cannabis and The Christian Church

  • Christianity and Climate Change

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    From the beginning we were commanded to subdue and have dominion over the earth, and with this comes the necessity of responsibility. In the Garden of Eden, Adam was to tend the garden, that is to take care of it, and this same calling still applies to us today. Just as we are called to take care of our bodies, so are we to take care of the earth. Each of us are called to take responsibility and conduct ourselves properly as caretakers of this earth that God has blessed us with by simply recycling more, driving less and walking more, using less electricity within our homes and finding more sustainable means of energy.

    Much of what we have seen over the course of time with climate change is part natural and part artificial. Some of the damage that has incurred is due to the greed of the human heart by detrimentally impacting the environment in exchange for financial gain. I am not proposing that we make radical changes as proposed by much of the extreme left, but improvements by companies to cut back on carbon emissions and toxic waste while not impacting the lively hood of individuals is a great place to start.

    Reducing the amount of trees cut down and rather utilize hemp for paper products and other materials. Utilizing more solar and wind power and cutting back on nuclear power plants. The list is endless and the benefits of sustainability for future generations of utmost value.

    -Michael Thacker

  • Fear Inhibits Growth

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    The more fear we live with the less wisdom we will gain. Fear inhibits growth which leads us down a road of immaturity. Let go of the fear and embrace the journey, and therein you will find wisdom and grow to your fullest potential.

    -Michael Thacker

  • What Will The Antichrist Be Like?

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    Many people wonder what type of person they might expect the antichrist to be with most portraying the man to have giant horns coming from his head and to be disgusting beyond belief, and yet how much merit does this hold according to what is describe in scripture? We read that Satan is an angel of like and was called the morning star, so the concept that he is disgusting looking, at least on the outside, seems to be incoherent with how scripture describes him. Looking at what scripture says about him and his coming will help bring clarity as well as help us be able to identify him when he arrives on the scene.

    MIGHTY AND CUNNING

    “And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their fullness, a king shall arise, having fierce features, who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the might, and also the holy people. Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; and he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But he shall be broken without human means.”

    daniel 8:23-25 nkjv

    Here we read that his countenance will be “fierce” as is translated in the NKJV text, but the Hebrew being used is, “az” which can also mean strong, mighty and power. This word comes from the root word, “azaz” which means to be strong, to prevail. A few times it is translated as fierce, and yet several times it is translated as strong and mighty including Exodus 14:21, Numbers 13:28, Psalms 59:3, Amos 5:9 and more.

    It seems to better understand what is implied here is that his countenance will be mighty and strong, that he will be portrayed as a great leader of the nations, at least initially. As time elapses during the tribulation and his rule is fully established, then the idea of a more fierce countenance will become evident as more of his true self is revealed and the evil is brought to the surface of his being.

    In verse 25 we see that “through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule.” This indicates that he will be someone whom people love and admire as a witty individual as not only will he be a strong leader, but he will be the one that initiates “world peace” and brings about “security” which is what will ultimately help him gain trust and propel him to become a world leader. This is confirmed in Daniel 11:32 where is states that “he shall corrupt with flattery” and in Revelations it says that “he was given a mouth speaking great things” which is the Greek word, megas and means things esteemed highly for their importance: of great moment, great weight.

    The antichrist will be someone whom the people marvel at with great signs and wonders, and not some beast-like character that is easily determined to be the antichrist. Another verse within Daniel goes on to verify this again in chapter 11 verse 21, “And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.” He will not be forceful in his approach, but rather win over the people and inherit the kingdom in a somewhat proper manner, something a hideous, horned beast-like man couldn’t do.

    DECEIVER

    “And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived.”

    revelations 13:14 nkjv

    It is said that he will be a deceiver of the world, something he is known for since the beginning of time itself starting with a third of the angels and moving on to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. At this time he will deceive the nations by the “signs and wonders” he performs as well as by his “flattery”. This character will more than likely be a handsome man and someone whom all the people admire and adore. He will ultimately deceive the world into worshipping him as well as the beast, and as we read in Matthew 24, possibly even the “elect” of God.

    Another way in which he will be able to deceive the world, even the elect of God is by the possibility of a post-tribulation rapture. We have be so indoctrinated to believe, and to put all of our hopes into the concept of a pre-tribulation rapture to occur that if it were to not occur, many Christians would become confused and discouraged and ultimately fall into the trap of the antichrist. You can find out more about how the rapture might occur post-tribulation by watching the video below.

    Will the rapture be post-tribulation?

    THE WORLD’S FIRST GAY LEADER

    “He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all.”

    daniel 11:37 nkjv

    One verse that is often overlooked is this one. When looking at this verse in light of what is happening in today’s society where the lesbian, gay and transgender propaganda is one of the most talked up topics, it makes sense that the antichrist himself will be a proclaimed gay man and the first gay world leader to come onto the scene. Could you imagine the response of the world if this were to occur? How many would applaud and celebrate this as a victory for gay rights and how much more they would admire and adore him and listen to every word as though it were gold?

    The Hebrew word used here for desire is “chemdah” which means to desire, that which is pleasant. The literal translation is that the man will not desire women, he will be gay. This correlates so well with our society today that the spiritual inspiration behind this is unbelievably profound.

    REMARKABLY GENIUS

    “He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.”

    revelation 13:15 nkjv

    Not only will this man bring about world (false) peace and seem to be the man with a plan as well as be able to do great signs and wonders, but he will also be tech savy as well. One of the most popular ideas in the tech community right now is that of quantum computing and a self-aware AI. When one looks at the origination of the image of the beast (abomination of desolation) in correlation with our technologically advanced society today, it makes sense that the image is some sort of technology that will be erected in the temple to be marveled at and worshiped.

    The Greek word for image being used here is “eikon” which means an image, figure or statue. This “statue” is to be erected into the temple to be worshiped. Image being used here is not just any old statue, but is a statue to be the image of a person of such. To really help bring clarity to this issue one only has to look at their phones and the siri voice or that of Alexa or Echo being used around the world. I believe these to be precursers to that of the image of the beast itself. The more reliant we are, as well as younger generations, to technology to guide us, the more susceptible we will become to worshiping it, which some have already begun to do.

    Looking to the word “breath” being used there is the Greek word, “pneuma”, which means the rational soul or concise. The hype of building a true quantum computer and creating AI with the capacity to be able to be “self-aware” or “concise” correlates so well with this verse that it brings about chills of terror. This verse indicates that the antichrist will be the one whom possess’s the capability to program the AI image to become self-aware and “help guide” humanity to a better future. Not only will this man be brilliant in bringing peace and security in the world, but will also be a technological genius as well.

    “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

    2 timothy 4:2 nkjv

    These are just some of the characteristics that scripture states that the antichrist will possess, and that we should be aware, or “sober minded” of what is going on, always being watchful and ready for what is to come. This is not to say that we should be fearful, but that we should be ready, being filled with the knowledge and power of the Holy Spirit, ready to fight the good fight.

    -Michael Thacker

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  • Climate Change and The Christian Life

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    Climate change is all the rage now days with political reforms popping up on both a national and global scale alike. With all the rage, though, what does this all mean, especially for the Christian community? There are so many people that have the mindset to work until you die and “if you’re not growing, you’re dying.” These types of people are mostly found within the industrial industry, although you do find them in other places, the vast majority tend to reside within some aspect of industrialization. Although industrialization has done much good for society since the industrial revolution, it has brought with it repercussions that weren’t quite for seen at its initial beginning.

    Since 1950 we have seen a dramatic spike in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere that have never before been witnessed in the past million years. This spike is something to be concerned with as it elevates global temperatures that melt glaciers causing sea levels to rise which lead to globalized flooding in lower lying areas. Not only do temperatures rise, but weather becomes more erratic (like they could predict it much before, now we’re really in trouble) and extreme, sea temperatures rise which kill off more essential marine life, air quality is lowered and toxic which increases the likely hood of contracting diseases including cancer leading to more premature deaths and much more.

    Pin pointing on the air quality for a brief moment, all around the world we see that cities and surrounding towns are having more frequent air quality alerts that increase the likely hood of more diseases and cancers. Where I currently live is an hour away from the nearest city, and yet we still have air quality quite often. Not only does the air quality affect human lives, but imagine what it is doing to our local ecosystems.

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    The solutions need adequate time to formulate, but I do believe that their are ways in which we can cut back on pollution over time in a manner that doesn’t cost the economy at the end, we just need to formulate them. The radical left has proposed their solution, but at the end of the day it is unsustainable economically. I will propose one quick example of sustainable change that could benefit the environment as well as the economy before moving into the theological understanding of humankind’s responsibility of taking care of earth properly.

    Extractions of trees to produce paper products and the like should be done away with and replaced with hemp. Hemp takes 20 weeks to grow while trees take up to 20 years or more. Hemp creates 10 tons of paper per acre while trees only produce 2.5 tons. Hemp paper can be recycled up to 10 times while paper from trees only 3 times. Hemp breathes 4 times more carbon dioxide which would help decrease the higher Co2 levels in the atmosphere overtime. Utilizing hemp would end up saving the world around 4 billion trees per year. Now, let’s move into the theological understanding of humankind’s responsibility with earth.

    “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

    Genesis 1:28 nkjv

    This verse is most often used by extreme conservative Christians as to mean that we can do whatever we want to the earth as we are called to “subdue” and “have dominion” over creation. But as we delve into the meaning of these words as well as other correlating verses, we will come to shed light on the issue and better understand where we stand on this issue. The word subdue in Hebrew is kabash, which means to bring into subjection, to subdue or to make subservient. At first glance, it makes sense to assume that we are to conquer and use up all of earth’s resources, but when you stop and think what it means to rule over something or someone, it begins to mean something different.

    Looking at the word of dominion in Hebrew is radah and means to rule, to reign, have dominion. Anytime someone is called to rule over something, whether it be a position at a job, political position, and so on, they are then endowed with responsibility. When looking at the kings of the Old Testament, one can assume that when kings were obedient to God and treated their citizens well and ruled over the kingdom responsibly and properly, only then did the king and kingdom prosper. But, as soon as a king was evil and mistreated his citizens and didn’t rule responsibly, then did we see the repercussion come upon the king and the kingdom. We are called to rule which requires responsibility on our part to utilize the resources of the earth properly and not to bring it to utter ruin.

    “A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”

    Proverbs 12:10 nkjv

    We should seek to rule the earth in righteousness rather than seeking to do those things that are expedient for gain that will ultimately affect generations to come. Referring to the statement at top where I speak of you’re either growing or dying is a wrong philosophy to live by as it promotes the necessity to constantly worry and establishes the idea that maintenance is wrong. This philosophy has gotten us to where we are now, and that is in big trouble. We must grow, of course, but we also must be able to maintain in due process. If you are constantly growing and never maintaining the surrounding essentials, it will eventually catch up with you as it already has.

    “And God said to Noah, ‘The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.’”

    Genesis 6:13 nkjv

    I find the above verse very fascinating as, just like in the days of Noah, we find ourselves right back in this particular scenario. We have resorted to living lives of expedience to gain money instead of living according to the will of God and taking responsibility and taking care of the earth He has blessed us with. The more we keep “growing” the more we will find ourselves sinking into the pit of climate disaster. If we are to live out a Christian life, we must then take time to reflect on our lives as individuals and see what we are doing to take care of our earth properly. If we are too busy to do such a reflection, then we may be growing monetarily, but spiritually we are regressing.

    One of the ways in which we can see more clearly is by avoiding extremes, whether it be on the left or the right. The mentality of growing or dying is predicated upon a radical view, such as is the view that we should all become hippies and do nothing. Jesus was our perfect example and as we can see within the text of the New Testament, He was constantly battling radicals on both sides. Balance is key and the only radical point of reference should be Christ Himself.

    “Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.”

    Proverbs 4:27 nkjv

    Each and everyone of us should be asking ourselves the question, “What can I do personally to better take care of the earth and to provide a better future for the generations to come?” Reform doesn’t just come through political measures, but through individual initiation. The same can be said in a spiritual aspect as the grow and maturation of individuals doesn’t come from the church, although it can help from time to time, but rather it comes from an individuals relationship with God and their willingness to learn and embark on a course of change. God has blessed us with this earth and has called us to rule over it which entails responsibility, so let’s move forward and do what we can as individuals as well as the body of Christ and make a difference in our communities and throughout the world itself.

    -Michael Thacker

  • End Time Update: The Rapture

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    Will the rapture occur prior to or following the tribulation? Check out the video to better understand the possible placement of the rapture.

    -Michael Thacker

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  • End Time Update: Neuralink

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    What is Neuralink? Could this be one of the components of the mark of the beast?

    -Michael Thacker

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  • Producing Good Fruit

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    No matter how hard we try, we cannot produce fruit ourselves. We can seek to do all sorts of awesome and mighty works, and yet at the end of the day it is empty without the Holy Spirit working in and through us while carrying out the work. In our modern society where workaholics are held in high esteem and to take any time to rest and relax is seen as a forbidden taboo, the question arises, “How Biblically accurate is this philosophy of life?”

    People strive to get things done, even within the church, all the while doing most of it out of their own ambitious drive and will. We see church programs being stacked up to the max that would overwhelm any sane individual, and yet there is no slowing down in sight. Work, work and more work is the key to producing fruit for God and succeeding in life, and although there is some truth that lies within this thought process, it is way off course compared to scripture.

    “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

    Matthew 21-23 nkjv

    The above verse should speak directly to the hearts and minds of Christians today and should convict many of us to the core. The verses preceding the ones listed above focus on the life of a believer and the fruits that they should produce. We are all called to produce good fruits for the Lord, and while many may believe that they are, most of what they produce is done from their own selfish ambitions and not the will of the Father. If we are striving so much to please God through our works and the fruit we produce, at that moment we have stepped out of the will of God and into the realm of works leading us to salvation.

    Now, I am not stating that we should be lazy and do nothing, but at the same time we should be careful to examine the desire within us that is prompting us to do certain works for God. We must understand that faith produces works and not the other way around. As we walk with God in the Spirit daily, fruit will be naturally produced from it and not something that we strive to produce out of our own being. The fruit of the Spirit is a byproduct of our faith in Jesus Christ and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us.

    “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

    john 15:4-5 nkjv

    The way in which we can discern where the desire within us is coming from, whether from ourselves or God, is by taking time to be still in prayer and meditation with God. When we quiet ourselves and focus on the Lord, we can then begin to see clearly as He brings clarity within our lives. Only by have a true personal relationship with God can we know what His will is for our lives and the works He has called us to pursue. This is not a one time “burning bush” moment, although there are times for “aha” moments, typically the will of God is revealed to us throughout time via daily connections with Him.

    “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

    Galatians 5:22-25 nkjv

    No matter how tempted we may become to drift into the flow of the world and have the “work, work, work” mentality, we must always keep our focus on the One in which all good fruits come. We must always look for balance within our lives as to not be lazy, and yet not be workaholics like the world. The more we flow and live in the Spirit daily, the clearer the will of the Father becomes and the more good fruit we produce.

    -Michael Thacker

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  • Reorganize Yourself In The Wilderness

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    We all have those days where we seem to be in a great fog that covers our thought process that hinders our every move. Some times this fog doesn’t just hinder a particular day, but rather an entire continuum of days that results in confusion in the direction we are wanting to go in life. This fog can be self inflicted due to drugs and alcohol, but it can also be due to a particular situation we are enduring that keeps our psychological “view” in a daze. These times can be regarded as “wilderness” periods in which the direction or path is not clear.

    “They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; they found no city to dwell in.”

    psalms 107:4 nkjv

    Just like the children of Israel, we too can find ourselves wandering around in the wilderness, unable to enter into the promise God has for us. In the case of Israel, the wandering period was due to disobedience to the Lord, and we too can catch ourselves wandering about blindly due to sin dwelling in our life. The key to success here is fairly simple, get rid of the sin! Once we rid ourselves of what is hindering us, only then will we see clearly and move forward into the promise God has for us. But what about wilderness experiences that is due to circumstances that are out of our hands?

    “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.”

    Mark 1:12 nkjv

    Here we read that Jesus was led into the wilderness, which means that God wanted Him to be there. There are times that God sets us in the wilderness to help us grow and mature as the promise He has for us requires us to be at a greater level of maturity than what we currently possess. We find the same parallel in the story of Moses and the 40 years he spent in the wilderness of Sinai before he was sent back to Egypt to lead the people of Israel to freedom.

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    The key to success during periods that God purposely sets us within the wilderness is prayer. As we fix our gaze and mind on the Lord while emptying ourselves of other thoughts, the clearer the way will become and the more we will grow spiritually. Just like when we want to find something we lost, the best way to find it is by reorganizing our stuff, which ultimately leads us to find whatever was lost. We must still ourselves and reorganize our thoughts by emptying our thoughts and fixating on the Source of all knowledge and wisdom in order to know the direction, or will of God for our lives.

    “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

    Psalms 46:10 nkjv

    When we reorganize, we also tap into the potential for growth in due process. Anytime you begin to reorder you thoughts, you then begin to change your overall perception. A change of perception will ultimately clear up our vision to help us see the path ahead. Empty yourself, be filled with the Holy Spirit, fix your mind on the Lord and reorganize your thoughts which ultimately changes your perception and clears your vision. An encounter with God always brings about change and clarity.

    -Michael Thacker

  • Moving Beyond Mistakes

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    Mistakes happen regardless of how much we may try to veer from manifesting them. Some are worse than others with some seeming so stupendous and bringing with it such harsh repercussions that the overall result being almost unbearable, if not impossible to deal with. How do we cope with mistakes and the repercussions thereof? How can one live life with regret etched deep within their very soul?

    It is a difficult matter to address as there are so many variables that outlay each mistake both disastrously large and minuscule in effect. The primary factor in which to handle mistakes or regrets, is by accepting them and the repercussions. Taking responsibility for your actions can help set the stage for resolution. The more we blame others or deny responsibility, the more likely we are to dwell on the past and remain trap in the old mode of being. As difficult as it is to accept such agony, it is better to accept it as it is which will in turn help you move to the next stage; that is reflection.

    Reflecting upon our mistakes after accepting them and the outcome is essential for personal growth. Taking a step back and viewing the situation from an outside perspective can help enlighten us to what initially caused the mistake and how to veer from manifesting them again in the future. Here you will come to better understand, not only what caused the mistake, but how to improve your overall mode of being as it will ultimately help you capitalize on other mistakes and areas of shortcoming as well.

    The third stage of dealing with mistakes and regret is by focusing your attention on solutions rather than the mistakes themselves. After completing the reflection process, it is best then to move beyond the mistake itself and spend adequate time on how to better improve your quality of life beyond the mistake itself. This is not the same as not making the mistake again, but rather better understanding what avenues to embark on to improve your experience of life after mistakes. A great way to initiate this is by asking yourself the question, “What would help me move beyond the mistake into a new mode of being?”

    To help you better understand the solution you will need to move to stage four, which overlaps with the prior stage, that is; visualization. By visualizing what your life would be like apart from the mistake, you can better understand what avenue is best to partake in. By projecting the ideal within your mind, you can then see what is the best approach to moving forward in your life as well as ways of initiation. Seeing your life beyond the mistake can help it become more of a reality, which in turn helps you to move into action.

    Moving beyond the visualization stage is done by articulating the ideal, both verbally and in written form. Once you begin to articulate the ideal goal, it then comes from within your mind going forth in the physical world. This stage helps initiate the manifestation of your new reality and mode of being beyond the mistake. Writing it down helps as well as you see the words in physical form, which then helps your mind believe it to be more real than just its conceptualized origin.

    The final stage is twofold consisting both of action and mindfulness, wherein you put the ideal into action and forget the negative past mistake. Here you will engage with the original conceptualization, making it a reality to be maneuvered and directed the way in which best fits your agenda. The more real the ideal becomes, the more you can move beyond the mistake. While you are in the mode of action, you must also practice mindfulness to better execute the action necessary to achieve the ideal. Focusing on the moment at hand and forgetting the past all while projecting yourself into the future ideal is crucial to moving beyond the mistake and accomplishing what you have set out to do.  

    “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

    Philippians 3:12-14 nkjv

    Now is all we have as the past is forever extended behind us and the future is the realm of the unknown which is set to be manifested according to what we focus our attention on. The more you focus on the past mistake, the more you will inhabit that reality. But, the more you focus your energy on the moment while shooting for the ideal future, the more it will become a reality to be contended with.     

    -Michael Thacker