Is The Government Tracking You By GPS?

When I heard this, it chilled me to the bone:

"Government law enforcement agencies issued 8 million requests to Sprint to track individual cell phone users’ exact GPS location. The cell-phone users were, presumably, all unaware, that they were being tracked.  This was just Sprint!"

Visions of 'FEMA camps' danced through my head and I felt weak in the knees . . . It's really happening . . .  Then, thankfully, the Lord reminded me that Satan uses a spirit of fear to manipulate and disempower believers.  Even though the report was from a source I have trusted, I looked into it more.

I believe the explanation Sprint gives is credible:
Many (most?) of the requests were for the GPS location of people calling 911 from cell phones, and from criminal and Amber Alert investigations. Each request is a 'ping'--a brief signal sent out to locate a phone (or computer).  Sprint adds "It’s critical to note that a single case or investigation may generate thousands of individual pings to the network as the law enforcement or public safety agency attempts to track or locate an individual."

I am of the opinion that 'law enforcement request', in regards to GPS location, probably means that the computer of a police department makes contact with a computer at Sprint--perhaps much like the way PayPal is contacted if you are buying items online and select PayPal as your payment option.  It does NOT mean the federal government sent over 8 million subpoenas to Sprint for records of the whereabouts of particular customers.  I'm not saying it hasn't sent out any--I don't know.  But nowhere near 8 million, if it has.

If you are concerned about being tracked by GPS (which maybe we should be, although it is probably inevitable), then turn off the GPS tracking on your cell phone, if you can.  If not, you might consider looking for a phone without it. And remember, that handy 'Onstar' in your car does the same thing.  I don't have a navigational system, so I'm not familiar with them, but I expect many of them can track your location too.

I don't necessarily think that the people reporting this story are trying to create a false panic--but that could have been the result.  Too much of this, and not only will we fail to heed the call when there truly is a cause for panic, but we will lose our credibility as well!  (Let's keep it for as long as we can!)

The tables have turned.  In a country where Christians once received the highest respect, we are now becoming a laughingstock.  Of course, that will happen, as the power of darkness increases during these last days.  The truth will be distorted, lies will be told, jokes will be made at our expense.  We will be 'smeared' and slandered.  But lets have it be because of the truth of the gospel, rather than for being fanatically paranoid at everything that happens.

When we hear something frightening, lets take a deep breath, and get all the facts.  It is entirely possible (probably even very likely), these days, that things are being/will be said and done to bait us into a potentially dangerous panic for which our government can take some kind of action against us.  This administration has demonstrated that it cannot stand opposition, so I don't think that is being paranoid.

We know that a lot of things will take place that will have horrible end results.  However, that doesn't mean that is the motivation for these things happening (at least not in the human realm).  Although it will be the case at some point, no one is 'out to get' Christians--yet.  Lets not create a self fulfilling prophecy.  We need to 'pick our battles' carefully.  And, we need to understand that a lot of these horrible things that are going to happen . . . are part of God's will.  They are part of a bigger picture and plan.

God Wants Us To Go To War!!
The Gates Of Hell Shall Not Prevail Against Us