EvangelismRSA

Sunday, 27 November 2022

Christianity: The Biggest Country On Earth!

█ POPULATION. Christianity is the biggest ‘country’ (i.e., the largest ‘nation’) on the face of the Earth. According to the latest statistics, Christianity already comprises almost 2.8 billion ‘citizens’ (followers) … and counting. A brief description:

“Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest religion with about 2.8 billion followers, representing one-third of the global population.^[2][3] Its adherents, known as Christians, are estimated to make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories,^[4] and believe that Jesus is the Son of God, whose coming as the messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible (called the OldTes tament in Christianity) and chronicled in the New Testa ment.^[5]”

[Wikipedia, Christianity].

With a population of ‘about 2.8 billion followers’ (Wikipedia) Christianity thus represents a ‘country’ or ‘nation’ with a population just about the size of China (>1.4 billion ) and India (about 1.4 billion) put together, which makes Christianity in effect the ‘biggest country’ and/or ‘largest nation’ on earth.

█ CHRISTIANITY’S CONSTITUTION.

Christianity’s ‘Constitution’ is the BIBLE, comprising two parts, i.e., the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible).and the New Testament. Theologically speaking, the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) was founded on the Moral Law of Moses (and the history of the Israelites) with the New Testament founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ (and the history of the first Jewish & Gentile Christian disciples and followers).
It is thus clear that Christianity (the Gospel of Jesus Christ) has its roots in the Moral Law of Moses (Judaism) founded on the Ten Commandments which together comprise what Jews and Christians refer to as Judeo-Christian values, an unbreakable, divinely ordained symbiosis so lucidly explained by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (Chapter 11:1-36).

█ THE MAIN TENETS OF CHRISTIANITY. In short:

l Jesus Christ has, as God the Father’s de facto 'Projects Engineer' and 'Architect', created the worlds. [Hebrews1:1-4].

l All power in Heaven and Earth is given to Jesus Christ, the ‘Last Adam’ (superseding the ‘first Adam’).[Matthew28:19; 1Corinthians15:45].

l All men (people) have sinned, fall short of the glory of God and must be saved. [Romans3:23; 6:23].

l If we say we have no sin we make God a liar. [1John1:10].

l The wages of sin is death [Romans6:23a].

l There is life after death. [Romans6:23; John3:16].

l God wants to save us for Eternity by forgiving our sins [Isaiah1:18].

l Jesus Christ is the only Name by which mankind can be saved for Eternity. [Acts4:12].

l God wants all men (i.e., all people irrespective of race, culture, tribe, caste, creed, skin-tone, gender, age, political affiliation or current religious persuasion) to be saved. [Romans5:18; 1Timothy2:4].

l To be saved for Eternity people must repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. [John3:16; Romans6:23b].

l Those (atheists included) who confess their sins to God will be saved. [1John1:9].

l Jesus Christ has promised to return physically (not ‘metaphorically’) to planet Earth in great power and glory. [Matthew24; Revelation1:7].

l In the final analysis, God the Father will only honour those who honour His Son, Jesus Christ. [John5:23; 12:26].

l Jesus Christ will one day sit as Chief Justice to preside over the Great White Throne Judgment and Bema Judgment Seat of Christ in Eternity. [John5:22-27].

l There’s a New Heaven and a New Earth (a new cosmic dispensation) coming. [Revelation21:1].

l Jesus Christ will take His followers with Him to live forever in the Father’s House of Many Mansions. [John14:1-3].

l God the Father Himself will yet dry the tears from the faces of those followers who had suffered in this life. [Revelation7:17; 21:4].

█ GOD’S GUARANTEES. There are at least 34 scriptures, if not many more, in the Bible affirming that the Word of God is eternal, indestructible, immutable: Examples:

“The grass withers, the flower fades; but the Word of our God shall stand forever.” [Isaiah40:8MKJV].

“The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.” [Matthew24:35MKJV].

“The Words of Jehovah are pure Words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” [Psalm12:6MKJV].

“Therefore whoever shall relax one of these commandments, the least, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven.” [Matthew5:19MKJV].

"And I give to them eternal life, and they shall never ever perish, and not anyone shall pluck them out of My hand. My Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand." [John10:28-29MKJV].

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ATHEISM: The Two Atheisms

▊ VERY FEW REAL ATHEISTS. The true test of a real atheist works like the true test of a superhero: Jump from the Empire State building (New York) or the Burj Khalifa (Dubai) and see if you can fly; fail the test and you’re gone.

We have one life to live and, should we choose Atheism and were found to have chosen wrong, we are gone forever. In this life there may be several ‘second chances’ but after death … none.

The Christian’s true test of a real atheist, however, is relatively simple: A real atheist will not repent from his/her Atheism to make his/her peace with God … not even on his/her deathbed.

▊THE RELIGION OF ATHEISM EXPOSED. Contrary to what atheists would want us to believe, there is no such thing as a ‘neutral position’ or ‘demilitarised zone’ in this war of ideas of light versus darkness, good versus evil. As imperfect beings in a broken world, we nevertheless are still living in a moral Universe and usually will have an affinity either for good or for evil.
According to the Bible all people, including the wicked and the ungodly, are sinners; but not all sinners are necessarily wicked or ungodly. God may be in the ‘salvaging of sinners’ business, but He will salvage only those who want to be salvaged. Furthermore, in terms of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, sinners who accept Jesus Christ become children of God (John1:12) and 'sinners saved by grace' (i.e., 'saints' founded on the righteousness of Jesus Christ and not on their own merit), an important distinction.

Really evil, wicked and ungodly people will, for obvious reasons, rarely if ever want to be salvaged; like the proverbial derelict drunkard drowning in the wine vat, they refuse point blank to be rescued. Just as a drunk driver on the road and the drunkard in the wine vat usually will reckon themselves to be 'sober enough', so the atheist reckons himself to be 'safe enough' by depending on his own experience, resources and faculties.

Be that as it may, when we reject the friendship, mercy and grace of God, we risk being labelled by the Bible as 'wicked', 'ungodly' lovers of darkness and may be in mortal danger of losing the friendship of the Heavenly Father forever, a prospect simply too ghastly to contemplate (and also too ghastly not to contemplate).

▊ALL THE TRAPPINGS OF A RELIGION. Atheism has all the hallmarks of a bona fide religion.

⦿ A CAUSE to believe in. "We BELIEVE in Atheism." (Religious terminology).

⦿ PRINCIPLES to espouse. Atheism is predicated upon the principle that there are 'No ‘Deities’ and with values like Moral Relativism & Situational Ethics, i.e., 'No Moral Absolutes' and 'No Absolute Truth'.

⦿ A BELIEF-SYSTEM. e.g., 'Death-after-Death'; 'the Bible is a myth'; 'God is dead'; 'God is evil'; 'Jesus Christ was a charlatan, an imposter' etc.

The atheists’ religion-of-choice usually is Darwinism ('Scientific Pantheism' or ‘creation-by-chance’) i.e., belief in the mystical triumvirate of Father TIME (for the magic wand of ‘billions of years’), Mother NATURE (for ‘natural selection’, ‘beneficial mutations’, ‘survival of the fittest’ etc.) and their de facto ‘messiah’, Charles Darwin; or, some hybrid forms of Darwinism, e.g., 'World Transformation Movement', 'Scientology', 'Christian Atheism' ('Postmodernism'),

▊THE TWO ATHEISMS. Now, there are many brands of Atheism as there are brands of cellphones or colours of lipstick, but which can easily be reduced to the two major worldviews of i.e., (i) 'God is dead' and (ii) 'God is evil'.

Now how God can be both dead and evil at the same time is a bit puzzling; maybe it is a new form of ‘divine ultra-omnipotence’ that Christians have not been informed of yet. The point is that, between the atheists themselves, at least one of the two ‘worldviews’ is untrue (invalid); they cannot both be right (valid) at the same time. As far as we are concenred, they are both untrue. So, already to begin with the atheists had not yet encountered a single Christian apologist and they are already contradicting each other over 'who' and 'what' God is. That is the hallmark of Atheism ... confusion.
The fact that Atheism is growing with the number of atheists in the world increasing actually affirms the historicity, authenticity and veracity of the Bible, for the Bible has warned in no uncertain terms of the apostasy ('falling away from the true faith') to come. Population growth alone will already anyway guarantee an influx of compassless candidates into the fold of Atheism.

Bear in mind, however, that being on the side of the ‘majority’ may not always be a good idea: The majority of citizens of Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed in spite of being in the majority as against the hapless minority of Lot and his family. During the Great Flood, only Noah and his small family were saved ... the majority drowned. In Eternity and at the Great White Throne Judgment (to be presided over by Chief Justice Jesus Christ) ‘majority rule’ will not be accepted as a legitimate defence just as it wasn’t accepted as a defence by the justices at the Nuremberg trials of the Nazis.

▊ WHAT DO ATHEISTS HOPE TO ACHIEVE? What does the belief in Death-after-Death hope to achieve? For instance, should the atheist be ‘right’ then this life would be all there will ever be with no hope of any future beyond the grave (and what a depressing, morbid way to look at life and our existence in the Cosmos). Should the atheist, however, be wrong, he/she will one day in Eternity have to stand before Chief Justice Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment with no reasonable, rational explanation or legal defence for his/her Atheism, for the Bible clearly teaches that atheists have no excuse for not fearing and not believing in God. [Romans1:18-22].
The strangest aspect of Atheism is the atheist’s insistence on the principle that there is no such thing as Absolute Truth … except for the 'absolute truth' of Atheism.

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Saturday, 26 November 2022

Sotho Boy From Witsieshoek

▊SOTHO PEOPLE. Sotho people are described briefly as follows: “Sotho, also called Suthu or Suto, linguistic and cultural group of peoples occupying the high grasslands of southern Africa. The main groups are customarily classified as the Transvaal, or northern, Sotho (Pedi, Lovedu, and others); the western Sotho, or Tswana (q.v.); and the southern Sotho (often called Basuto) of Lesotho and adjoining areas.” [Britannica.com].

▊BASOTHO QWAQWA (WITSIESHOEK). “Qwaqwa, also called Basotho Qwaqwa, formerly Witsieshoek, former nonindependent Bantustan, Orange Free State, South Afri -ca, designated for the southern Sotho (often called Basuto) people. Located in a section of the Drakensberg, Qwaqwa was a glen among mountains at elevations from 5,500 feet to more than 10,000 feet (1,675 m to more than 3,050 m). It was a headwaters area for several streams, including the upper Elands, an important source of water for the Vaal Dam complex.” [Britannica.com/place/qwaqwa].

▊GROWING UP. Now, before I come to the story about my erstwhile friend ‘Piet’ from Witsieshoek, I first must sketch my background in order for the picture to be clear. Before my father had opened his string of small ‘general dealer’ shops in our district, I’ve been growing up in Randgate on Johannesburg’s ‘West Rand’ as the son of a ‘goldminer’ and on one of the richest gold reefs of South Africa, if not indeed in the world.
My father’s designation at the ‘Randfontein Estates Goldmining Co.’ was that of a ‘shaft carpenter’, and, at the time of the ‘incident’ that later involved some of my dear friends, we’ve been living in the bustling mining town of Carletonville in a stereotyped (but decent) company ‘bungalo’ in Kaolin Street and where my father, at that time, was working at the ‘West Driefontein Goldmining Co.’, the same mine where I later, in 1967, started working as 'a 'tracer' after leaving school and after having finished my year of compulsory military conscription in 1966.

▊ENTERS ‘PIET’ FROM WITSIESHOEK. I was in Standard 5 (now Grade 7) when my mother had, a few months earlier, given a temporary job to a migrant (domestic) worker from Witsieshoek in Lesotho who had a son of my age with whom I shared a name and with whom I had been playing in our yard after school, e.g. boxing, wrestling and some boyish ‘African stick-fighting’ or ‘sword-fighting’, with some makeshift swords made from our (by then) threadbare little blue ‘hula hoops’, so in vogue in 1958 thanks to champion swimmer Esther Williams and Hollywood movies.
Bear in mind that, at the time, I also had two brothers, years younger than I, and whom I (as the eldest) did not consider of much ‘utility value’ except for being an annoying nuisance on Saturday mornings when I tried to sleep late; the upshot of that childish snobbery was that ‘Piet’ from Witsieshoek and I became inseparable buddies, spending many a summer afternoon boxing, wrestling and ‘sword-fighting’ on the lawn in our front yard. Years later my mother, at, for instance, Christmas time, would recall how she, much amused, used to watch us from behind lace curtains in the lounge as we were boxing, wrestling and rolling in the grass in our mortal struggles for survival at all costs.
The plot, however, was to thicken and thicken badly, and never did I realise that, at that moment, I was being physically prepared, and my sedentary muscles being honed, for the most epic of battles in my boring and rather uneventful little suburban life.

▊THE AMBUSH. It was in 1959 and I was going on 12 when, while we were having dinner one evening (I remember the scrambled eggs-on-toast so vividly), two of my neighbourhood friends, Wayne and Bill (aliases), came up to our house to proposition my father for me to go with them and play on an empty plot at the back of our house; my father acquiesced and, within minutes. I jumped the wooden ‘splitpoles’ fence that gave access to the empty plot of land and where my two pals were already waiting for me, installed menacingly on top of a heap of derelict, weed-infested building gravel.
Like the proverbial lamb to the slaughter, I had no idea what kind of ‘design’ they had in mind, but since we had earlier been involved in all kinds of Tom Sawyer type mischief, i.e., like catching little silver lizards and colourful brown geckos with our bare hands and stocking my mother’s storeroom in the backyard with all kinds of horrid reptiles or, trying to make ‘wine’ from surplus grapes from Wayne’s father’s vineyard (it didn’t work).

▊THE OPENING VOLLEYS. So, without any prior warning, and for no (known) reason whatsoever, they jumped me and started beating me up. I was, however, so shocked and outraged by this unprovoked treachery that I, within a matter of seconds, turned into a frenzied dynamo of energy probably sparked by the adrenalin rush from the fight-or-flight impulse.
I was doing reasonably well well due to our months of preparatory, Spartanlike gladiatorial activity when welcome help suddenly parachuted in from an unexpected quarter; through my tears and the barrage of blows and kicks I looked up only to see my skinny, brown little Sotho pal jump that fence like the proverbial ‘bat out of h…ll’ and boy, did we give my two ’assailants’ a thorough thrashing.

▊CONCLUSION. Now, the Bible rarely if ever mentions the skin-tone of the various folks involved in the entire Biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation, though ‘race by nationality’ (e.g., ‘Ethiopian’, Egyptian, Hebrew etc.) is often implied. When the chips are down, however, I have found that we are all the same of only two possible ‘colours’, i.e., on the side of either DECENT and KIND vs. UNDECENT* and UNKIND which has nothing to do with the colour of our skin or the language we speak, but everything with our humanity (or lack of it).

*Not to be confused with 'indecent'.

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MEDITATIONS & CONTEMPLATIONS

Straight out of Joburg!

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God Is Watching Us!

▊ INTRODUCTION. When I refer to ‘GOD’ I mean the Yahweh (i.e., the unpronounceable ‘YHWH’) of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses of the Exodus and the Ten Commandments, and not some ancient, mythical idol in the shape of a dust-collecting ornament on someone’s mantelpiece.
I am, in other words, referring to the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, i.e., Heaven’s de facto architect and projects engineer through whom the Heavenly Father created the worlds [Hebrews1:1-4MKJV].
I am referring to the GOD with, metaphorically speaking, the assumed I.Q. of INFINITY to the power of Infinity (INFINITYinfinity), i.e., the Absolute and Infinite Master of the Universe and beyond.

▊ HOW GOD’S VISION DIFFERS FROM OURS. While we cannot (visually) see GOD, He nevertheless can see us. Obviously there is no way the finite mind of mankind will ever, in this world and in this present condition, be able to see, grasp or comprehend the Absolute & Infinite Mind and Persona of GOD; had it been possible GOD would not have been ‘God’ but some kind of an intruder or imposter ... after all, you won’t expect to find Henry Ford in the engine compartment of a Ford automobile. We are all, compared to GOD, as blind as the proverbial mole.

Image: Humanly Visible Spectrum in the Electro-Magnetic Spectrum
(Creative Commons)

GOD can see the entire Electromagnetic Spectrum as it exists in the physical Universe; as far as the metaphysical Universe(s) are concerned, it remains a mystery to us, bearing in mind that GOD does not need space, time and matter as we know it to secure or guarantee His existence. In fact, the Universe (space, time and matter) needs GOD for its creation, maintenance and existence. The Bible teaches that the Universe is expertly serviced and maintained by Jesus Christ personally [Hebrews1:3MKJV].
Be that as it may, as compared to GOD, mankind’s vision is limited to only a very small (380 to 700 nanometers) part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum, the size of which is given as (Small) 10-18m to (Big) 100km (3 x 1026Hz to 3 x 103Hz).

▊ BIBLICAL EVIDENCE THAT GOD IS WATCHING US.

☀ “For His eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps.” [Job34:21MKJV].

☀ “He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous, but they are like kings on the throne; yes, He causes them to sit forever, and they are very high.” [Job36:7MKJV].

☀ “Jehovah is in His holy temple … His eyes behold, His eyelids examine the children of men.” [Psalm11:4acMKJV].

☀ “The eyes of Jehovah are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.” [Psalm34:15MKJV].

☀ “He rules by His power forever; His eyes behold the nations … ” [Psalm66:7aMKJV].

☀ “My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, so that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve Me.” [Psalm101:6MKJV].

☀ “For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah, and He watches all his paths.” [Proverbs5:21MKJV].

☀“The eyes of Jehovah are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.” [Proverbs15:3MKJV].

☀ “The eyes of Jehovah keep knowledge, and He overthrows the words of the transgressor.” [Proverbs22:12MKJV].

☀ “For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.” [Jeremiah16:17MKJV].

☀ “For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro in all the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him.” [2Chronicles16:9aMKJV].

▊WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW THAT GOD IS WATCHING US. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He IS [EXISTS] and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” [Hebrews11:6MKJV].✋

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Getting Rid Of The Remnants Of Colonialism: Is That What South African Citizens Really Want?

▋INTRODUCTION.

Reportedly some politicians have vowed to rid South Africa of the last vestiges (‘remnants’) of colonialism in the land. The idea may have fallen pleasantly on some ears, but, as the adage goes, ‘be careful what you wish for!’ Some perspective: I too have an axe to grind with colonialism, as during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) my maternal grandmother was, together with other folk, driven on foot by British soldiers (on horseback) from Lichtenburg to the Potchefstroom concentration camp.

Be that as it may, let’s however, see whether getting rid of the ‘last remnants’ of colonialism would be such a smart idea after all. To be consistent with the argument, getting rid of the remnants of ‘colonialism’ would mean getting rid of, among others, the following too:

⬤ Socialism/Communism. Founded by e.g., colonialist Karl Marx (1818-1883) with his books, The Communist Manifesto (1848) and Das Kapital (1867) etc. and supported among others by colonialists Leon Trotsky & Friedrich Engels.

(RSA adherents: Tripartite Alliance (ANC, SACP, COSATU & EFF, among others).

⬤ Evolution/Darwinism. Founded by colonialist Charles Darwin (1809-1882) with his books On the Origin of Species by means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (1859) and The Descent of Man (1871) etc.

(RSA adherents: WITS University, Maropeng: Cradle of Humankind & Ditsong/Transvaal Museum, among others. P.S. Notice racist slur in book title).

⬤ Psychoanalysis/Psychotherapy. Founded by colonialist Sigmund Freud (1856-1939).

(RSA adherents/Regulatory) South African Psychoanalytic Confederation/SAPC).

⬤ Atheism. Currently espoused among others by colonialist Bertrand Russell, Bill Nye, Richard Dawkins (b.1941) etc.

(RSA adherents: SA Secular Society).

⬤ Dianetics/Scientology. Founded by colonialist L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986) with his book Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health (1950).

(RSA adherents: Church of Scientology/Castle Kyalami).

⬤ Soccer/Football. Originated in England in 1863 and brought to South Africa by colonialists in the late 19^th century.

(RSA adherents: SAFA/Regulatory: Founded in 1892).

⬤ Rugby. Rugby was founded in 1823 by William Webb Ellis of England and brought to the Cape Colony by colonialists during the 19^th century (around 1875).

(RSA adherents: SARU/Regulatory: Founded in 1891).

⬤ Cricket. Origins in South-East England, 16^th century. ICC founded in 1909. Established in South Africa by the colonialists (British) in the 19^th century. First played in the RSA: 1808.

(RSA adherents: CSA/Regulatory).

⬤ Tennis. Origins in France (12-13^th century). The ITF (UK) was founded in 1913. Brought to South Africa by colonialists with first national championship in 1891. First tennis club: Berea, Durban (1881).

RSA adherents: TSA/Regulatory).

⬤ Technologies. Most, if not all, of the modern technologies we enjoy today have been imported by colonialists (non-Africans). Think again: Do we really want to get rid of (examples):

Electricity; modern vehicles, tarred road networks; telephone; cellphone; eMail; social media; DSTV (Satellite communications technology); GPS; radio; television; airplanes; airports; the rail network (e.g., Transnet, PRASA etc.); computers & PCs; Microsoft & Windows; information technology; computer games & gaming; the Westminster Parliamentary system of politics (democracy); modern armies & weapons of war; modern surgical instruments, medicines & vaccines; advanced scientific instruments & machines; engineering tools and machines; universities & colleges, modern hospitals and millions of books (scientific, educational, recreational etc.) by colonialist authors and publishers; fashions & clothes (should we return to loin-cloths and animal skins?); imported consumer goods of all kinds: modern musical instruments & classical & modern music, agricultural science & modern farming methods and implements, among others etc?

⬤ The English Language. Imagine an African country of which the citizens could neither read, write or speak a single word of English; how long would such a country last in today’s competitive (globalized) business world? Without dismissing the priceless value of local indigenous African languages (including Afrikaans), is it not indeed true that the English language (the world’s most popular lingua franca) is one of the greatest gifts the English have brought to this country?

⬤ The Bible. The only Book in the world (and still the world’s bestseller of all time) that speaks to humankind from beyond the grave, i.e., immutable, indestructible, timeless & Eternal. Those who purport to dismiss the lifesaving message of this Book (and considered to contain some of the greatest literature on earth) as nothing more than a ‘colonialist import’ will only do so with consequences probably too ghastly to contemplate.

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Friday, 25 November 2022

Jesus Christ: True Prophet Or False Profit? You Decide!

█ THE VOICE OF ROYALTY. On the eve of His departure Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, Saviour of mankind and Messiah of the Jews, stood up and triumphantly proclaimed:

“All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.”

[Matthew28:18-20MKJV].

Evangelical Christians thus believe exactly what the Bible teaches, i.e., that Jesus Christ was/is, during His short tenure on earth, not an ordinary mortal but divinity in human form. The Bible further teaches that He was/is God the Father’s de facto Architect and Projects Engineer responsible for the original creation, maintenance and managing of the Cosmos:

“God, who at many times and in many ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son [JESUS], whom He has appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the shining splendor of His [THE FATHER’S] glory, and the express image of His [THE FATHER’S] essence, and upholding all things by the word of His power, through Himself cleansing of our sins, He sat down on the right of the Majesty on high,”

[Hebrews1:1-3MKJV].

█ THE STUDY OF BIBLICAL PROPHECY. Read any good book these days on the prophecies of the Bible, especially those Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) and those Escha-tological prophecies from the Book of Revelation and most serious students of the Bible will affirm that Jesus of Nazareth has appeared in that unique prophetic window in history where those Old Testament prophecies could, against all mathematical probability, be 100% fulfilled; any ‘wannabe messiah’ emerging from the woodwork today will be exposed as a charlatan who had missed the prophetic bus by at least 2000 years. There was no one like Jesus of Nazareth before the advent of the New Testament era and neither will there ever again be someone successfully replicating His divine persona and status in future.

█ JESUS CHRIST: HOW CREDIBLE HIS WORDS? During His ministry Jesus, as a prophet, has issued numerous prophetic statements almost as if He were looking into the future through a high-resolution looking glass, and, from events reported today, it can be easily deduced that the prophecies of Jesus are being fulfilled right before our eyes and Jesus vindicated as a credible prophet of history. From the Gospels, and especially from Matthew24:3-14 & Luke21:25-26, the following, founded on the prophecies of Jesus Christ, can safely be concluded:

☀ Are false Christs (e.g., ‘gurus’, ‘messiahs’, ‘avatars’, ‘godmen’, ‘swamis’ ‘holymen’, ‘false prophets’ etc.) and false religious cults coming increasingly to the fore these days? [YES]

☀ Do we hear of wars and rumours of wars? [YES]

☀ Are nations and kingdoms rising against each other? [YES]

☀ Are famines experienced and being reported by the media? [YES]

☀ Are ‘pestilences’ (epidemics & pandemics) experienced and reported worldwide? [YES]

☀ Are Christians (including defenceless women & children) often being increasingly harassed, hated, persecuted & even killed by diabolical anti-Christian forces? [YES]

☀ Does iniquity (e.g., vice, crime, injustice, immorality etc.) abound in the land? [YES]

☀ Do we observe ‘signs’ in heaven from the sun, moon & stars etc. (natural as well as technological, i.e., developments in astronomy e.g., space exploration & travel)? [YES]

☀ Are nations experiencing anxiety i.r.o. the sea and waves roaring (e.g., killer-floods, typhoons, tsunamis etc.) [YES]

☀ Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ being preached (published, broadcast etc.) in the entire world today? [YES].

P.S. According to certain online sources and a recent BBC report of 2020 the traditionally Buddhist country of China is (at the annual growth rate of 7%) expected to be >50% Christian by the year 2030.

█ THE TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE. The teachings of the Bible (i.e., Hebrew Bible or Old Testament plus the New Testament) outstrips and transcends anything ever produced on earth and in history. It is the greatest literature in the world and in all of history and, what’s more, it is not fiction, but irrepressible and indestructible content predicated upon truth encapsulated in still the bestselling Book of all times.

Over and above announcing creation by a Divine Creator and the coming of a Messiah at the end of the age with the forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God and Salvation based on faith in Christ and not on rickety good works and personal merit, the Bible also serves as the ultimate Moral Compass for people and nations to regulate conduct and behaviour by. Show me a nation not founded on Biblical (Judeo-Christian) values and principles and I’ll show you a nation (no matter how educated) in moral and mental decline. As it has been said before, “Babylon in all its desolation is a sight not so awful as that of the human mind in ruins.” [Scrope Berdmore Davies, 1782-1852).

█ THE GREATEST SERMON EVER PREACHED (HEBREW BIBLE/OLD TESTAMENT). The greatest sermon ever preached in the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) can be read and studied in the Book of Job [Job38:1-41; 39:1-30; 40: 1-24; 41:1-34]. It’s a masterpiece of divine eloquence on the mysteries of creation and not the most select of science-fiction writers would ever have been able to, in all of history, concoct anything remotely so profound and useful in the realms of literature.

█ THE GREATEST SERMON EVER PREACHED (NEW TESTAMENT). The greatest sermon ever prea-ched in the New Testament can be read and studied in the Gospel of Matthew [Matthew5:1-48; 6:1-34; 7:1-29]. Like the greatest sermon from the Old Testament, It cannot be replicated here, but to illustrate the beauty and moral musicality of the ‘Sermon on the Mount’, the ‘preamble’ to this very lengthy sermon should perhaps not be left out:

“And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,

Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn! For they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek! For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness! For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful! For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers! For they shall be called the sons of God.

Blessed are they who have been persecuted for righteousness sake! For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for My [JESUS’] sake.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for your reward in Heaven is great. For so they persecuted the pro-phets who were before you.”

[Matthew5:1-12MKJV].

█ NO DEMILITARISED ZONE IN THE WAR OF IDEAS. Many may say that they have taken a ‘neutral position’ on God and the Bible until the world’s theologians have sorted everything out; this is a dangerous philosophy or ideological position. I would rather accept the Bible and the promises of God at face value until someone has proved the contrary than to reject the Bible and the promises of God until someone has proved the contrary. Just as one only gets one chance in life to make a ‘good first impression’, so we have only one life with one chance to decide about God and the Bible. The Bible says:

“And as it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment. [Hebrews9:27MKJV]. Jesus Christ has warned: “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”

[Luke11:23MKJV].

█ IT’S DECISION TIME. I once heard this anecdote where the wife, sick of her husband’s drinking, binging and drunkenness, had said: “Sweetheart, the time has arrived for you to choose between the liquor and me. You cannot have both; it is destroying our marriage.” The husband reportedly replied: “Luv, rather you decide on my behalf … I might decide wrong.”

The greatest mistake we can make today is to leave this critical decision for Leftist professors, theologians, atheists, agnostics, apostates & postmodernists (‘Christian atheists’) and evolutionists to make on our behalf. We must pick up our Bibles and begin to read and study it for ourselves like never before, our souls are at stake. The atheists are under the blissful impression that they are 'informed enough/wise enough' just like a drunk driver would consider himself 'sober enough'.

█ WARNING AGAINST NEGLECTING SALVATION. The unknown author of the Book of Hebrews, probably the Apostle Paul, has issued a stern warning against anyone neglecting the Gospel of Salvation:

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and if every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a sal-vation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by those who heard Him;”

[Hebrews2:1-3MKJV].

The Bible further teaches that we should never be ashamed of Jesus Christ:

“Therefore whoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My Words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man shall also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Jesus Christ has also promised: “And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life shall lose it. And he who loses his life for My sake shall find it.”

[Matthew10:38-39MKJV].

█ THE FUTURE OF UNBELIEVERS. The Bible says:

“And I saw a great white throne, and Him sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And a place was not found for them. And I saw the dead, the small and the great, stand before God. And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead in it. And death and hell delivered up the dead in them. And each one of them was judged according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire.”

[Revelation20:11-15MKJV].

█ CHIEF JUSTICE AT THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT. To many peoples’ surprise (including for some Christians) the Chief Justice at the Great White Throne Judgment will be Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. The Bible says:

“For the Father loves the Son [JESUS] and shows Him all the things that He Himself does. And He will show Him greater works than these, so that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and makes alive, even so the Son of Man makes alive whomever He wills. For the Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son, so that all should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, He who hears My Word and believes on Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into condemn-ation, but has passed from death to life. Truly, truly, I say to you, The hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they who hear shall live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has given to the Son to have life within Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.”

[John5:20-27MKJV].

█ BEFORE THE END TIMES KNOWLEDGE SHALL BE INCREASED. The Prophet Daniel prophesied:

”And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine as the brightness of the sky; and those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars forever and ever. But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”

[Daniel12:2-4MKJV].

█ THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE. Is your name written in the ‘Book of Remembrance’? The Bible says:

“Then those fearing Jehovah spoke together, each man to his neighbor. And Jehovah listened and heard. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Jehovah, and for those esteeming His name.”

[Malachi3:16MKJV].

✋

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