Matt 24 watch, 214: Muslim author Reza Azlan's anti-Christian apologetic against the historic, C1 rooted Christian understanding of Jesus is being improperly presented in major US media as if it were objective history . . .

By their biases and suppressed material contexts shall ye know them, it seems.

Per a Fox News report that just caught my eye, Azlan's anti-Christian Muslim apologetic seems to be riding a tide of favourable media coverage in the US to no 2 on Amazon. However, there are troubling aspects -- the "Liberal" media seem to be consistently suppressing that context, and the writing by Azlan is being portrayed as if it were objective history rather than attractively packaged Muslim apologetics.

I think it appropriate to quickly highlight the just linked as a heads-up, as we are sure to see the claims presented as if they were cold hard fact based on scholarly research. 

We must not be caught off guard.

Fox's John S Dickerson comments:

Reza Aslan, author of the new book, “Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth” has been interviewed on a host of media outlets in the last week. Riding a publicity wave, the book has surged to #2 on Amazon's list.

Media reports have introduced Aslan as a “religion scholar” but have failed to mention that he is a devout Muslim.

His book is not a historian’s report on Jesus. It is an educated Muslim’s opinion about Jesus -- yet the book is being peddled as objective history on national TV and radio . . . .

“Zealot” is a fast-paced demolition of the core beliefs that Christianity has taught about Jesus for 2,000 years. Its conclusions are long-held Islamic claims—namely, that Jesus was a zealous prophet type who didn’t claim to be God, that Christians have misunderstood him, and that the Christian Gospels are not the actual words or life of Jesus but “myth.”

These claims are not new or unique. They are hundreds of years old among Muslims. Sadly, readers who have listened to interviews on NPR, "The Daily Show," Huffington Post or MSNBC may pick up the book expecting an unbiased and historic report on Jesus and first century Jewish culture. (I will let my Jewish friends address Aslan’s statement on MSNBC that, “there were certainly a lot of Jewish terrorists in first century Palestine.”) . . . . 

Aslan informs us that we cannot trust the Gospel of Mark--because it was written 40 years after Jesus’ death. He then chides us to trust his new book, written almost 2,000 years later.

  Dickerson then observes:

I believe in Aslan’s right to hold and propagate any opinion. It’s a right that, ironically, Christians do not have in many Muslim countries. 

My concern is that national media coverage be smart and forthright about this conflict of interest, just as it would be if I—a Christian author and pastor—wrote a book about Muhammad.

Pouring praise onto “Zealot” as new information about Jesus, without explaining its author’s devotion to a combatting religion, is blatant bias. This same bias would be unthinkable if the Christian and Muslim roles were reversed.

Sobering words.

Before parting, I again draw attention to Lee Strobel's video presentation on Jesus, which is based on interviews with leading scholars in response to commonly held skeptical and dismissive views:

  The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel from Slaves4Christ on Vimeo.

(For more, cf. the 101 discussion here on in context.)

"Whose report will we believe . . . ?" And, why? END

Capacity focus, 73: Google's US$35 Chromecast announced today -- with 32" LCD TV's at US$ 200 and 42" ones at US$400+, a potential education, evangelism and discipleship breakthrough (we are all our own TV broadcasters now!) . . . and stay tuned for a more flexible alternative using a wireless keyboard with track pad

Just announced, watch:




It seems this synchronises with Wi Fi and Google Chrome as well as certain web sites. Plug in in a HDMI port on the TV, and it will synch with devices on the local Wi Fi. (Assumption, you have that.)

Since it works with Chrome, it can show anything on a Chrome tab, including web pages, PDFs, and online documents (such as Google Doc or whatever they call it now.)

Of course, the Google lock-in is a commercial gambit, but you don't need to have just one browser.

This turns a living room or classroom sized television into a giant screen, great for education, evangelism and discipleship training.

What do I mean?

Simple, here is a technology that with broadband access, instantly turns a YouTube, Vimeo etc channel based course or a video podcast into something a group can sit down together to watch in a living room or seminar room or even a classroom. Then, with facilitation, things can be paused, watched in segments, discussed, gone back to, and more.

All of this in a context where it is now astonishingly low cost to get a camera, software etc and produce videos and kiosk style presentations that can easily be integrated with a panel or a "magazine show" format where hosts and guests in effect invite the watcher into their "living room" (more usually, actually a set up on a stage). Or you can do the equivalent of a mini series or a full one, a Semester will typically have 11 - 12 taught weeks. A Sunday School quarter is about that length too.

That is, if we will put in a modest investment and make a sustained effort, we are all educational broadcasters with channels of our own now.  

(Cf. here and here at CF # 3 and # 44, on that. Includes two major freebie vid editing and much more packages. I am also seeing that moderate packages go for about US$ 40 - 90, and if you are willing to accept an older generation, as I have on order, as low as US$20. Good enough video camcorders are going for US$150 - 250 or so, and fluid head tripods, camera cases, spare batteries etc can be had perhaps in kits for US$ 50 or so. I assume the reader knows that if s/he gets a modest laptop or 20 - 23" All In One (AIO) Desktop, for US$ 400 - 600 . . . think of that as a giant tablet with its own separate keyboard and mouse, there will be all the processing horsepower needed.)

My suggestion on content is, that we need at least:

• bridging, Mars Hill stuff, and something that uses Ac 17 as a basis would be great,
• Church renewal and mobilisation for discipleship [Titus 2:11 - 14 is a great start point], 
• Evangelism as a lifestyle training
• Setting up youth with a vision, a mission, calling, talents, and gifts  for Christian life, service and missions
• 1 Cor 15:1 - 11 and putting first foundational things first
• Apologetics 101 primer with an emphasis on young people
• addressing scientism and evolutionary materialist ideology dressed up in a lab coat
• disciples in recovery from Orwell's 1984 media manipulation world
• disciples in recovery from the idolatry of political messianism
• disciples in recovery from the benumbing, endarkening sensualism, porn-perversion agenda and dark corners of the web
• family life engagement
• missions mobilisation and engagement (the mission of the church IN our region and FROM it in light of the great commission and the fullness theme of Eph 1 and 4 etc.)
• Three tidal waves: prophetic intellectual and cultural, God blessed transformational service and leadership in church, home, school, college, workplace, community, nation and world
• Engaging the battle for the soul of our civilisation

Or, we can be instant pundits (do, make sure you know what you are talking about), etc.

(And if we don't do this, someone else will, who does not have our interests at heart.)

Logitech multi-touch wireless keyboard (HT: Amazon)

Of course a concern is, the commercial lock-in.

No problem, mon.

There is another alternative, using a wireless keyboard with track-pad, an HDMI cable and the two screen mode of a Laptop etc. Which, will give a giant screen to any PC, and the wireless keyboard allows control from anywhere in a room. 

Logitech's wireless keyboard with a large multi-touch track-pad (shown) is interesting, at US$ 30. 

With this setup, of course, one can do anything that the PC is set up to do. (Skype teleconferencing comes to mind.) 

And, stepping down a few tech level notches, a laptop with a DVD drive is capable of transmitting the video to a TV set up as second monitor. Or, simply put the vid etc on a thumbdrive USB memory stick. These days, a lot of TVs are set up to play from a USB memory stick. (In short, a seminar facilitation kit could include printed support, a DVD or two and handouts. Just add a seminar room -- which can be your friendly local living room or Den.)

So, we have alternatives. END

Icky, dirty cash -- what's on those dollar bills [you DON'T want to know] . . . even crispy new ones from the ATM (and so also, what about keyboards, door-knobs, hand rails, steering wheels, phones and cell phonesetc?)

I ran across a reminder of just how dirty -- in the literal sense -- money can be, sometimes (it seems) even if fresh from the ATM and neatly crispy.

It seems, people handle cash with dirty hands, and all sorts of stuff gets on the bills.

In the US, notoriously, Cocaine.

Germs and viruses can live on the bills for a long time.

Don't ask about whether people have washed their hands properly.

It is so bad that I am led to ask whether we should handle cash with latex gloves and/or should use strict hand washing rules once we handle cash. At minimum, investing in one of those alcohol gel no water hand cleanser squeeze bottles makes a lot of sense. 

Carry in pocket or purse and do a little quick clean-up. (You can keep a refill bottle at home.)

If hospitals and clinics love the stuff, that is a sign. (And notice the paper wipes kept right next to them.)

And, could we have time release disinfectants in our bills, please? Please? Pleeeeeeeze?

Anyway, if your stomach is up to it, you can click here for more. 

And that raises questions: keyboards, ATM Machine keypads, cell phone keys, steering wheels, door handles, hand rails and more.

Ick! END

Matt 24 watch, 213: The Nuke red line nears in the Middle East

As the last post shows, I have been a bit busy on real world matters recently.

A 7" tablet in a keyboard folio.
The dongle to the right is gone now,
thanks to a mini USB port.

(BTW, as a part of the real world developments, my son has been equipped with a 7" reasonable quality "white box" hecho en la Chine 7" Android Tablet of modest capability, and  a low cost keyboard folio. A test drive indicates the configuration is promising, though I would prefer a bluetooth keyboard. As a second best a USB to mini USB adapter with an L-shaped plug would be nice. I find I miss a small track-pad on the keyboard, having got used to my Eee Netbook. Overall, such a config is definitely promising, and Kingsoft's Android Office Suite does the job. I still have high hopes for Libre Office's port to Android, but this is delayed by lack of resources. I even found a freebie HP-15C calculator.)

I have also been focussed here at KF on a series of responses to Mr Patrick White, which will continue.

However, I have seen that things are boiling up in the ever turbulent Middle East again, and wish to draw attention to what looks like an Israeli Submarine [cruise?] missile attack guided by intelligence on some advanced anti-shipping missiles sold to Syria by Russia. (Russia here seems to be pretty irresponsible.)

I note,  from a The Weekly Standard article:

An attack two weeks ago that destroyed an advanced Russian missile shipment delivered to Syria’s Assad regime should also serve as a warning to Iran – and to those complacent Western diplomats who have (dangerously in my view) reconciled themselves to the idea of allowing Iran to go nuclear and then trying to contain it. For it seems that the July 5 attack on an arms depot near the Syrian naval base of Latakia, which has been attributed to Israel, came not from the air (as CNN and the New York Times reported last weekend) but from under the water.

Many Western officials who have apparently concluded that Israel could only destroy Iran’s nuclear program from the air – and that Israel does not have the capability to carry out such long-range air strikes in a decisive way – should take note. In recent years, Israel has greatly advanced its sea-based capabilities, and the geographical range of operations that Israel can mount from the sea, I am reliably told, now spans the entire globe. Israeli submarines are no longer confining themselves to the Mediterranean . . . .

When asked in a CBS interview about reports of Israeli responsibility for the Latakia strike, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in line with Israel’s long-standing policy of neither confirming nor denying such actions, said, “Oh God, every time something happens in the Middle East, Israel is accused. I’m not in the habit of saying what we did or we didn’t do. I’ll tell you what my policy is: My policy is to prevent the transfer of dangerous weapons to Hezbollah and other terror groups. And we stand by that policy.”

“The fact that the crisis in Syria is getting worse by the minute is the central consideration in my eyes,” he added. “Syria is disintegrating, and the huge advanced weapons stockpiles are beginning to fall into the hands of different forces.”

Sobering enough, but there is more, on a bigger matter:

The Iran red line . . . now only weeks to go

Even more alarming for Israel, however, is that Iran is said to be only weeks away from crossing Netanyahu’s “red line” of possessing 250 kg of 20 percent enriched uranium – enough fissile material for a nuclear bomb. 

Netanyahu told CBS that Iran was now just 60 kilograms short of crossing this line, and “they should understand that they’re not going to be allowed to cross it.” His assessment is in line with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s report in May, which alleged that Iran possessed 182 kilograms of 20 percent enriched uranium. 

Israel fears that the Iran situation is becoming critical at the exact same time when there has been a lowering of the sense of urgency among many Western officials. Many in the West have become distracted from the Iranian nuclear issue due to a focus on events in Egypt, Syria, and elsewhere, coupled with the election last month of the regime-approved Hassan Rouhani as Iran’s new president, whom Netanyahu called “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” . . . .

Israel believes that a nuclear Shia Islamic regime in Tehran will not only prove to be a threat to the entire region and beyond, but it will almost certainly result in nuclear proliferation among the Sunni powers such as Saudi Arabia (who could simply buy a nuclear arsenal from fellow Sunni Pakistan) and Egypt, states which are liable to become far less stable in future.

 In light of what just happened, perhaps we should reconsider our evaluations of likely Israeli response to such threats:

The Israeli air force has limited flight range while carrying heavy payloads, but submarines can place themselves much closer to Iranian nuclear installations. Iran has sonar capabilities, and has devoted considerable resources to confronting both surface and underwater naval threats, yet it remains vulnerable to both. It is much harder to track the movement of submarines than it is of aircraft.

I would add, that it is known that Israel is a leading aeronautical nation and that terrain-hugging cruise missiles powered by small jet engines can be built with ranges of 1 - 2,000 miles and more. 

Add GPS, inertial navigation and picture recognition technologies and Israeli weapons could target down to the right lab window or ventilation stack. 

So,  as this map shows:

. . . I would see (I) a sub-launched Persian Gulf cruise missile strike.

I would also reckon with (II) the possibility of surface ships carrying containers that launch weapons from out in the Indian Ocean in much larger numbers than might be recognised, once an initial wave of sub launched missiles knocks out Iran's air defence capability. With proper intelligence driven, GPS "in the right window" precision targetting, a lot of precise damage can be done to Iran's nuke programme. 

Before (III), a follw-up wave of low-flying supersonic aircraft wearing blue stars of David arrive to clean up the job, and maybe from unexpected directions, too. (Remember at Entebbe, in 1976, the actual final stage of the rescue came out of Kenya. Frankly, it would not astonish me under the emerging threat of an Iranian nuke attack, to hear -- after the fact of course -- that Israeli aircraft operated from bases in even Saudi Arabia or Iraq or other countries not even on our radar screens now; so worried must the Arab governments be.)

 Such a blow would not eliminate the Iranian capability to get back on its programme, but it would buy precious time for good sense to prevail. But, will good sense prevail in the ever polarised Middle East?

 Iranian brinksmanship has brought the world to a terrible threshold.

And we in the Caribbean need to think about an all but inevitable consequence: skyrocketing oil prices, maybe to double, treble or quadruple present levels of coming on US$ 110/barrel. (These levels are a significant part of the lingering global economic woes since 2008 or so.)

That has happened with previous Middle East conflicts.

Let us take sober warning. END

A prayer request . . .

Given the extreme hostility and bullying, "out"- and- intimidate tactics that too often are associated with today's online skeptical community (of which I am a target), I hesitated to bring up the following general prayer request.

However, I have more reason to trust in the power of God in answer to fervent prayers than I have reason to be concerned on possible consequences at the hands of the vicious and twisted. (They, too, need prayer and a healthy dose of guilt leading to repentance and transformation.)

I have a son, now on his way to major medical intervention overseas in light of recent developments, of such delicacy that the difference between success and devastating failure is literally 1/8 of an inch.

Accordingly, I request prayers for the proverbial guidance of the final diagnosis and surgical interventions and follow up care that lie ahead; also, for the logistical details connected therewith.

Thank you. END

Rom 1 reply, 38d: But isn't talk about "reformation" just a cover-up for Christofascist conspiracies to push us into theocratic censorship and dictatorship? (A continued answer to Patrick White in the Gleaner, July 1, 2013)

That's one of the predictable responses to talk of gospel based reformation, these days (as we were doing last time).

How can we answer it?

Not simplistically, and not in absence of doing a lot of hard work to provide genuinely credible and public spirited community based leadership and service. (Perhaps, next time I want to take that point up a bit more.)

We do need to give a serious answer though.

But first, let us refresh memory on the series in response to Mr Patrick White so far, for we have:

1: Exposed and rebutted the agenda of willful defiance of God, his creation order for sexuality and consequential sound principles of morality under false colours of law and "rights."

2: Corrected the misleading historical myth that Christian sexual ethics are part of an inevitably losing war of irrational religion against science and reason.

3: Addressed the issue of grounding ethics and morality in the teeth of the rise of evolutionary materialist scientism, which cloaks atheism and amorality in the lab coat, demanding genuflection. 

4: Raised the question that the gospel naturally leads to reformation of lives, communities and nations.

A good place to begin our main answer, is with the same point where John Locke, setting out to ground what would become modern democratic liberty and self-government in his second essay on civil gov't, Ch 2 sect 5, found the ethical basis for rights balanced by duties. That is, "the judicious [Anglican Canon Richard] Hooker, " In his 1594+ Ecclesiastical Polity:

. . . if I cannot but wish to receive good, even as much at every man's hands, as any man can wish unto his own soul, how should I look to have any part of my desire herein satisfied, unless myself be careful to satisfy the like desire which is undoubtedly in other men . . . my desire, therefore, to be loved of my equals in Nature [--> at they are also created in God's image], as much as possible may be, imposeth upon me a natural duty of bearing to themward fully the like affection. From which relation of equality between ourselves and them that are as ourselves, what several rules and canons natural reason hath drawn for direction of life no man is ignorant [--> by light of conscience set in us as God's candle and as further reinforced by the word and teachings of authentic prophets, and apostles]. . . [[Hooker then continues, citing Aristotle in The Nicomachean Ethics, Bk 8:] as namely, That because we would take no harm, we must therefore do none; That since we would not be in any thing extremely dealt with, we must ourselves avoid all extremity in our dealings; That from all violence and wrong we are utterly to abstain, with such-like . . . ] [[Eccl. Polity,preface, Bk I, "ch." 8, p.80, cf. here. Emphasis added.]

In short, the Golden Rule of Moses, Jesus, and Paul, grounded in Creation,  is an excellent basis for grounding that balance of freedoms and responsibilities that gives us genuine liberty and not destructive, abusive, chaotic license by which every man, benumbed in conscience and endarkened in heart and mind, feels it his 'right' to do as he pleases without due regard to consequences. And, such men will abuse democracy by binding together to elect legislators and executives who will pander to their twisted desires and habits.

 So, while of course the American Founders were imperfect, flawed men and were forced to make compromises that we of a later time can easily use to deride, demonise and dismiss, we should respect the courage theyhad to put on paper as a birth certificate of the American Republic ideals that they knew they could not then meet and which would be a challenge for all times to come:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security . . .

Plainly, they meant the American experiment to always be being further reformed and renewed towards an ever more "perfect union" that used "just powers" to guard liberty and the civil peace of justice, securing "the blessings" of the Creator for each succeeding generation. (And how, in our time, in large part due to the rise of a rebellion against that Creator that comes straight out of Rom 1, those ideals are being perverted.)

In short, there is no good reason why Christians who respect the principles of ethics that are rooted in Creation, should not be supporters of democratic experiments in government, once these make due provisions for the protection of liberty, rights and justice. Indeed, historically, there is every reason to see that Christians can make good citizens and leaders in and of the community. yes, Christians, too have too often stumbled into folly, error and abuse, but that is not a peculiarity of being Christian, it is a reflection of our common moral hazard of being finite, fallible, morally fallen and struggling, too often ill-willed. Especially, when such is multiplied by a lack of reasonable balance of powers, and checks against abuses, in political systems of all stripes. Something that is unfortunately abundantly demonstrated by the history of all civilisations and times.

As for the notion that Christians are ever so tempted to become right wing, Christofascist theocrats who wish to impose a dark night of tyranny, this is largely over-wrought polarised and poisonous rhetoric, a rhetoric that is ignorant of some basic facts of the history of Fascism.

What do I mean?

Let's put it in a riddle: What were the ideological roots of fascism in Germany and in Italy in the past Century? ANS: The left, statist end of the political spectrum. Yes, the LEFT. For, probably the best in a nutshell on fascism is that it is statist, polarising political messianism that seeks to elevate a maximum leader (a Nietzschean Superman figure) as saviour for some mass-based victim group and in so doing becomes idolatrous and not surprisingly sacrifices the rule of law and restraints on injustice. As an earlier post at KF blog describes:

Fascism. 

Right wing fanaticism!  

I hear someone: "Of course that is really dangerous, but we are not going to be taken in by such, especially those silly fundy TV preachers and their fleeced, mindless flocks! Not to mention the right-wing politicians who prey on them!"
That sentiment brings out my precise concern. 

First, are you aware that the founder figure of modern Fascism -- he was trying to become a modern Caesar -- was a leading socialist in Italy, who then took on the focus on nationalism that led to his identity politics? [Cf. Steele's summary here.] 

Are you aware of the statism -- utter dominance of the state in political and community life -- that is pivotal to fascism from its roots? 

Let me cite Mussolini's words:

"Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State."

And, let me add (April 28, 2013) this from Hitler in a May day Speech, May 1, 1927:

That is a part of why, yesterday, I noted on what Fascist political messianism is and how it works:

FASCISM: At heart, it is the notion that in a day of "unprecedented" crisis that targets a large -- locally dominant or pivotally influential -- perceived victim group or class or religious or racial/national body, a super-man figure emerges to rescue the victims; one who is beyond ordinary human powers and limits (including those of morality and just law). A political messiah who stands as champion for the identity group to save it, defending it from the various scapegoated out-groups who are held to be to blame for the victimisation of the in-group. That super-man political messiah then seizes power and is widely recognised as a man of "destiny." In an atmosphere of hysteria, slander and propagandistic deception that is usually multiplied by chaos and violence or at least riotous assemblies in the streets baying for blood, the power blocs, political, legal, military, corporate, religious, etc then align with him, giving him effectively unlimited power in the face of a crisis. We have now reached the threshold of tyranny. And because of the perceived unprecedented crisis, that super-man "people's champion" figure is cheered on and supported in taking extraordinary measures; measures that sacrifice liberty and justice for the sake of the promised utopian order. And so reigns of terror and aggressive wars naturally emerge. (Cf. here on the last couple of times around, with particular reference to arms races and where they often lead.)
_____________
[NB: Cf here for a good description in light of comparative studies. Enc Brit online, here on is good. Fascism is generally tagged as a "right wing" phenomenon, but this is actually misleading, as for instance the single most destructive fascist party ever was the National Socialist German Worker's Party, the Nazis.

Fascists generally are clever enough to strike deals with existing power blocs, and so establish a sort of state controlled cartel based economy. But the central pivot is the state and the politically messianic man who embodies the state.

Statism -- dominance of the society by the state in the name of the people -- is inherently of the left. For mind-blowing reading, cf. Daniel Pipes here. A clip is instructive:

Benito Mussolini was a leading Socialist figure who, during World War I, turned away from internationalism in favor of Italian nationalism and called the blend Fascism. Likewise, Adolf Hitler headed the National Socialist German Workers Party.

These facts jar because they contradict the political spectrum that has shaped our worldview since the late 1930s, the political spectrum which places Communism at the far Left, followed by Socialism, Liberalism in the Center, Conservatism, and then Fascism on the far Right. But this spectrum . . . reflects Joseph Stalin's use of the word "Fascist" as an epithet to discredit anyone he wished – Trotsky, Churchill, Russian peasants – and distorts reality. Already in 1946, George Orwell noted that Fascism had degenerated to signify "something not desirable."

Given what is happening again in our day, we need to re-think and more accurately understand Fascism and its poisonous spiritual root in political messianism. as well as in Nietzschean super-man nihilist amorality, and the onward roots of that in ideological evolutionary materialism as Plato highlighted in The Laws, Bk X, 360 BC.

All of which, of course, points ominously to the Christian eschatological expectation and warning against an ultimate false politico-religious messiah figure expected to dominate the world, known as The Anti-Christ or the Man of Sin or The Beast of 666 -- a veiled allusion to the demonically mad Roman Emperor who scapegoated and murdered many Christians to divert blame for the AD 64 fire in Rome, Nero Caesar.]

Boiling down: Fascism is an irrational -- hysterical and brainwashed -- cultic political reaction to difficult circumstances, manifested in worship of the state as saviour of the dominant "victim group", multiplied by blind loyalty to the projected political messiah and usually intensified by the focussing of "legitimised" hate, slander and blame on designated scapegoat groups and individuals.

If we look hard in the mirror, too often -- if we are honest, we will recognise ourselves in this summary. [ADDED: Cf further discussions here, here, here. (On the Hitler was a Christian talking point, cf. here. It is more accurate to say he sought to first get some agreement with then subvert the churches in Germany.)]

Indeed, I am going to suggest that the first step in a solution to this, first, is to identify political messianism as idolatry. Putting the state, glib-tongued politicians and their real or imagined powers in the place of loyalty and devotion that belong only to God.
Then, frankly, we need to repent.

And yes, I am saying that we of the Caribbean are particularly prone to the blandishments, media polished images, lies and frankly bribes of would be political messiahs.

In short, I am saying that the real problem is not so much with imagined theocratic would be tyrants (though some are out there and indeed IslamISM -- as opposed to ordinary non-radicalised people who have grown up in a Muslim tradition -- reminds us that this would not just come from any one religious tradition, but our proneness to the idolatry of political messianism and our refusal to take responsibility for setting out to build capacity and build our own nations through a lot of hard, patient, self-sacrificing study and work..
After we face and do something about that, we can set about truly sustainable development, in light of good and sound participative democratic and just government and sound community life, with an economy that is built on a solid education system and finding a way to compete effectively in targetted markets that suit our resources and capabilities.

And in that situation, as knowledgeable, public spirited, high integrity citizens engaged in the community, we will be much less vulnerable to fast talking political operatives with slick and deceptive promises and stories.

So, let's lay off the sort of scapegoating highlighted in the headline to this post, which simply plays into the hands of those who would cynically manipulate us as "sheeple" useful to their wolfish ends (at our expense). END

Rom 1 reply, 38c: The road to reformation (a yet further reply to Patrick White in The Gleaner, July 1, 2013)

So far in this series of responses to an article trying to dismiss the Judaeo-Christian foundations of our civilisation by Mr Patrick White in the Jamaica Gleaner of July 1st, 2013, we have:

1: Exposed and rebutted the agenda of willful defiance of God, his creation order for sexuality and consequential sound principles of morality under false colours of law and "rights."

2: Corrected the misleading historical myth that Christian sexual ethics are part of an inevitably losing war of irrational religion against science and reason.

3: Addressed the issue of grounding ethics and morality in the teeth of the rise of evolutionary materialist scientism, which cloaks atheism and amorality in the lab coat, demanding genuflection.

Now, we must pause from correcting specific errors (DV, much more to come! We will have to range from origin of the cosmos and the earth to life and ourselves and more, so high has the wall of fallacies and myths cloaked in lab coats been made that we need to break down . . . ), to highlight the road to reformation, as we understand nationhood, law, rights, freedoms, responsibilities and government under God and the dynamics of repentance, renewal, revival and reformation leading to God-blessed transformation through key biblical examples and the seminal analysis of Francis Schaeffer a generation ago.  (BTW, his How Should We Then Live videos here will be a good investment, as will be the book. His complete works are here, though the price is a bit stiffish. [I am glad I bought my copy about 20 years ago!])

A good place to begin our reflections is Acts 17, where we see Paul c. AD 50, in Athens. 

For, having gone to Macedonia in answer to a vision that called him to come over to "help us," he had been harried and hounded from one city to the next, through unjust persecution. Now, at length in Athens, this great lion of God turned at bay, having been provoked to his core by seeing this proud capital of learning, freedom and the arts wholly given over to dumb idols and the intellectual and moral chaos that stem from those rotten roots. 

He therefore started in the market place as had Socrates nigh on five hundred years before, and reasoned with passers by. 

Mars Hill, in Athens. The text of Paul's speech in Ac 17
is on a bronze plaque at the foot of the outcrop of rock,
to our right of the cluster of three people

There was puzzlement and debate, and the members of the Areopagus Council invited him to come talk with them. Perhaps on Mars Hill itself, more likely, in the nearby Agora, the marketplace where in C1 that council seemed to habitually meet. Of these learned men, most were apparently only seeking intellectual entertainment at Paul's expense by intending to expose his assumed half-baked ignorance -- they were deriding him as a "spermologos" (a seek-picking sparrow of a dabbler who had only a few half understood scraps of knowledge taken out of context) --  and routing him in debate.

They got more than they bargained for.

A lot more.

For, just as a great lion pushed too far turns at bay and vexes those who unwisely kept on pushing, harrying and pursuing, the apostle took a bold stance before the Areopagus:

Ac 17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly upset because he saw the city was full of idols. 17 So he was addressing the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue, and in the marketplace [the Agora]  every day those who happened to be there. 18 Also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were asking, “What does this foolish babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) 

19 So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus [possibly, on Mars Hill itself -- pictured below -- or (more likely)  in the neighbouring Agora], saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 20 For you are bringing some surprising things to our ears, so we want to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to something new.)

22 So Paul stood before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects. 23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you.

24 The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone.

26 From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live,  27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’

29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination.  30 Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

32 Now when they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul left the Areopagus.

34 But some people joined him and believed. Among them were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. [NET]

 Paul's approach gives us some key examples and ideas:

1 --> As we have already outlined, he first found a culturally bridging point of contact, the now famous altar to the unknown god that points to the rhetorical kairos, the opportunity and occasion that focuses attention and opens the way for the speech to effect a breakthrough.  So, while he is going to do a "look at the foundations and their cracks" radical critique, he is not introducing something utterly strange, but is explaining what the unknown God honoured in a municipal monument right there in their city has told him to say to the Athenians (and through them, to all peoples).

2 --> Subtly, he is also reminding the Athenians -- proud guardians of Greece's intellectual heritage (which is the heart of our own intellectual culture) -- that on the most important point of knowledge, the foundational ground of reality, the root of being, they have had to build a public monument to their ignorance. Craaack . . . the foundations of the pagan, cynical, skeptical worldview and culture -- "the common people thought the stories of the gods were equally true, the philosophers that they were equally false, the politicians that they were equally useful" [cf. Gibbon et al.]  --  have a fatal structural flaw.

3 --> He then proceeded to correct common misunderstandings: the Creator of the cosmos is not dependent on us, nor is he confined to temples like the idols are. Instead, we depend on him, and as their own poets have put it we are his sons and daughters; it is in him that we live, move and have our being.

4 --> He is the creator of nationhood, and is Lord of the times, places and resources we have as nations; so supervising the course of history that from time to time, in the face of pivotal moments [kairous], we are moved to grope for him, however blindly.

5 --> In this time, he has decisively intervened in history, showing us that we will stand before the bar of eternal judgement by raising  Jesus (the one who will be our Judge, having felt the full force of human frailty and temptation) from the dead.

6 --> Accordingly, he calls us to face and acknowledge the credible truth, repent and put our trust in God in the face of Christ.:

 It is worth pausing to read here on in context, and (esp. if we have not yet done so . . . ) to  watch here, to flesh this out:

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel from Slaves4Christ on Vimeo.


Thus, Paul -- as do today's Christian thinkers -- found an acceptable point of contact, pointed to the key error he would correct, outlined our status as creatures and nations accountable before our common Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Father, then introduced the gospel. The key point of warrant for the gospel (and thus for the reality of that hitherto unknown God) is the resurrection, as attested by over five hundred eyewitnesses and the fulfillment of scriptural prophecies given in the key case some seven hundred years beforehand.  And, in light of that gospel, we are all called to repentance.

Alas, as outlined, that was the sticking point. 

For, the idea of a bodily resurrection cut across deeply entrenched worldview assumptions. 

So, many in the audience in effect said: never mind our acknowledged ignorance and whatever evidence you may present, we don't accept that God can be like that. 

The immediate results were therefore scanty, and Paul was literally laughed out of court. 

The plaque, at the foot of Mars Hill (HT: Ben & Kristy )

But, today, Dionysius the Areopagite (one of the few who heeded the gospel call that day) is remembered as the first bishop of Athens, and as its patron saint. 

Indeed, from a map of modern Athens, we can see that the road by Mars Hill is now called Apostle Paul Street. Its continuation by the Acropolis is Dionysius the Areopagite street. Behind the Agora is Holy Apostle church.
 
 To cap it all off, the above once- mocked Mars Hill speech is on a man-sized bronze plaque affixed at the foot of the hill itself. 

The verdict of history is in: the future belonged to the Apostle and even more to the gospel he proclaimed that decisive day. 

Not to  the skeptical scholars or to cynical politicians of the ilk of a Pilate: "what is 'truth'?"

Just so, in our day, by God's grace the well-warranted truth of the gospel will again prevail. For:

7 --> as Paul put it in Acts 17, God created the nations, and so controls our places and times [kairous], that we are forced to grope (however blindly and ignorantly) for him in the midst of crises.

8 --> Then, as Paul’s presence in Athens exemplifies, God sends his spokesmen into such places at such times with the call to repentance, renewal and reformation, opening the door --

“so that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles [εθνη -- ethne, from  ἔθνος -- ethnos  n. 1. a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe] through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit.”[Gal. 3:14, NIV '84] 

9 --> Therefore, following Eph 4:9 - 16, "[Jesus] . . . gave" leaders to the church, "to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up . . . attaining to the whole measure of the fulness of Christ." [NIV '84]

10 --> So, God is now sending the gospel of blessing to the nations of the Caribbean in our time of kairos, thus calling out, creating, building and equipping his body, the church “the fulness of him who fills everything in every way” as the means of blessing for our region and beyond, to the wider world.  It is worth pausing to list some follow up resources here, on:

1. The gospel as an historical fact-anchored, life- and community- transforming game changer "of first importance"
2. The six first principles foundational discipleship teachings of Heb 6:1 - 2 . . . lay and build on these
3. The Fulness of Christ vision (cf. Eph 1:17 - 23 & 4:9 - 24), discipleship, working with the cell dynamic (N.B. Manual) and godly transformation. (Cf. also reference note, here and a discussion in light of the issue of the sins of Christendom etc, here.)

11 --> Thus, God is sending us out as his disciples, into — and beyond — the local community as “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

12 --> Consequently, as we live, love, evangelise, disciple, serve, and provide high integrity leadership, Christ’s reforming and transforming redemptive fullness will naturally, often invisibly and imperceptibly, spread through "all things" across the Caribbean Basin and beyond.

13 --> This promotes truly sustainable -- God-blessed -- development under the vision of Psalm 127:

 PS 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house,     
its builders labor in vain.   
Unless the LORD watches over the city,     
the watchmen stand guard in vain. [NIV '84]

We see here a picture of the God who is not only Creator and Lord, but enters into  history, bringing us to repentance and reconciliation, graciously opening the doors for a mutual agreement -- a covenant -- with promises, conditions and blessings.  Thus, opening the door for the four R's of reformation:

R1 Repentance: True revivals start here.  As we repent, we "put off [our] old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires . . . [and will] be made new in the attitude of [our] minds . . . put[ting] on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."  [Eph. 4:18, 20 - 24.]

R2 Renewal: this is the living out of repentance as we learn and live by the light of God’s word and the power of God’s Spirit. "Don't let the world squeeze you into its mould.  Instead, be transformed from within by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is." 

R3 Revival, proper: the pouring out of God's Spirit in times of refreshing.  Thus, we receive anointed power from God to walk in good works in the face of a deceived, corrupt world. "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people," so we are called to "Repent . . . and turn to God, so that [our] sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

R4 Reformation: the transformation of a community, its institutions and culture under the impact of the Lordship of Jesus as those who surrender to him fill their lives and ways with his fulness.  Of course, this threatens those who draw pleasure and power from sin (or even make their living from it), so revivals will also face persecution.One man's revival and renewal of life and culture is another man's rebuke and challenge to power base, pleasures, favourite sins or profits.

That is exactly the challenge that faced Nehemiah, in the aftermath of the exile and an only partly successful resettlement, when he learned about the broken down walls of Jerusalem. After prayer of identification and repentance, he obtained the permission of the King, and letters of authority. Then, he arrived and did not announce himself, quietly surveying the damage for himself.

He then called a public meeting:

Nehemiah's night tour (HT: BSO)

Neh 2:¹¹ . . . I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. ¹² Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.

¹³ I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. ¹⁴ Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. ¹⁵ Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. ¹⁶ And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” ¹⁸ And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. [ESV]

But of course, there were those who from v. 10 had been greatly displeased  "that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel."

Cleverly, they showed up with an offer to "help" -- as in, stop the suicidal rebellion that "obviously" was being plotted. (Just as, the serpent in the Garden showed up with an offer to "help" Eve and Adam.)

Neh 2:¹⁹ But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” ²⁰ Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim^[a] in Jerusalem.” [ESV]

They set out to rebuild, amidst difficulties, internal divisions, entrenched sins that had to be exposed and corrected,  and in the face of slander and threats from without (with collaborators from within!). Eventually, they had to set a guard even as they built, but then:

Neh 6:¹⁵ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. [ESV]

(Sadly, our own case is so much more devastated that it cannot be fundamentally corrected in seven and a half weeks! But, we can use this little exercise as a break in project, to begin by scoping out the problem and seeing what we will need to do to begin to fix it, if we will.)

But the matter did not stop there, repentance and renewal led to a breakthrough of revival that led on to reformation for Israel.  This we can see in Chs 8 - 9, esp:

Neh 8:1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. ² So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. ³ And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law . . . . 

⁵ And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. ⁶ And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. ⁷ Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,^[a] helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. ⁸ They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,^[b] and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading . . .

⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” [ESV]

 This is the spiritual breakthrough moment. 

Hearing and heeding the Word of God read and expounded so they could understand their covenant of nationhood under God, the people were broken in heart, and turned, in a Spirit-inspired resolve to restore their nation under God.  From this moment, the reformations led by Ezra and Nehemiah came that would restore the nation to spiritual and moral health, through the power of the truth that is the Word of God.

But, there was an enduring consequence of national sin: never again was Israel wholly free from foreign, pagan dominion or overlordship, until that sad generation came when Messiah came, but was rejected by leadership gone astray, ending in exile and dispersal. Which has been restored from only in our time, nearly two thousand years later.

Sins have consequences, and national sins have national consequences.

So also, we see the significance of prophetic intellectual and cultural leadership in the name of God, and with the intellectual horsepower to challenge and break entrenched unbelief. 

This, in the past generation, Francis Schaeffer emphasised, and we can illustrate this by adapting one of his diagrams, taking the roof off of a worldview:

Schaeffer -- cf. here on -- also provided another pivotal diagram that we can adapt (with the correction of his error on the role of Aquinas), the line of despair, which will help us understand key intellectual currents over the past centuries and their consequences in our civilisation:

The key force of the line of despair is that it invites the lower storey to eat up the upper one, as Schaeffer often said, when nature is made artificially autonomous from the union with the Grace that gives us truth from God by authenticated revelation, nature eats up grace:

No wonder, the serpent in the garden always wants us to reject the Word of God and turn to the things we see around us, refusing to heed the authenticating sign of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead with 500+ witnesses.

In reply, let us determine to apply the scripture principle, as taught by Paul:

2 Tim 3:¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom^[a] you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God^[b] may be complete, equipped for every good work. [ESV]

Peter speaks likewise, in the face of impending unjust execution at Nero's hand:

2 Pet 1:¹⁵ And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 

¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son,^[i] with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 

¹⁹ And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 

²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. [ESV]

We must never underestimate the significance and power of the Word of God. 

But for those who have been misled to suspect, deride and dismiss it, we must be willing and able to provide both warrant for confidence in the gospel and the wider word of God, and a solid worldviews case. 

Sometimes, things are so bad that we have to start where Paul started in Athens, with key cultural markers that can be used to anchor a worldview case, from the ground up.

But once that has been put in place, we can tehn ser about the worlk of discipleship of individuals and fsamilies in communites and nations, which "naturally" leads to reformation as a community and then indeed a nation is more and more filled with Christ and his gracious blessing by the power of the gospel. Indeed, that is actually an overlooked part of both the gospel call to repentance and a part of our discipling mandate:

Eph 2:⁴ But^[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 

⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 

Titus 2:2 But as for you, teach what accords with sound^[a] doctrine . . . . 

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority . . . 

Matt 28:¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”[All ESV]

So, our work is cut out for us, to provide godly, prophetic intellectual and cultural leadership that restores our understanding across our region and the wider world that we are nations under God, with government, laws and cultures under God. In that context, we are called to build our worldviews and lives on a sound foundation, informed by the gospel. 

Through this same gospel, we are led to repentance, renewal, revival and reformation, issuing in God-blessed transformation.

Any who would lead us away from this sure anchor for our souls, lives, families, churches, communities and nations speak with the voice of the snake in the Garden. A voice that -- whether or not they know it -- echoes the lies of the Dragon. From such let us turn away.  lest we become like those Jesus had to rebuke:

Jn 8:⁴³ Why do you not understand what I say?

It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁴⁵ But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me . . .   ⁴⁷ Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” [ESV]

It is time, high time, to turn from destructive apostasy cloaked in a lab coat, to the truth from God that gives us life, transformation, blessing and hope. END