RADIO PROGRAMME STARTED

The weekly Radio Programme "God Talk" has started on 90.3 Near Fm broadcasting from Dublin's northside at 5pm to 5.30pm on Mondays.  The programmes are also podcasted and can be accessed the following day. Also you can follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/nearfm.GodTalk . Comments on any issues raised are welcome here. Be blessed. Anthony Brabazon (with Paul Caffrey).

THE SCAN TO BEAT ALL SCANS

THIS SCAN COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE...FOR THE GOOD!

It's the Bible app which gives free online and mobile access to the Bible in the translation or language of your choice.  Over 274 million people have downloaded it so far...I kid you not!  If God exists (which He does) and if He sent us 66 love letters (which He did) and if it's free for your smart phone (which it is) can there be a good reason not to explore it?  I personally can testify that no set of books (the Bible) have taught me more nor helped me more on my journey on this planet.  With all the spin of trashy opinionated propaganda which passes as today's news feeds many people seek truth.  God's Word points to the Person who said "I am the truth" (which He is!).  So download and be blessed and changed!

STREET PREACHING Q+A

A few years ago I was interviewed by David Swanson of Christianity Today about Street Preaching. I think my answers are still valid. Your comments are welcome of course.

What led you to preach on the streets of Dublin?

A few things: Primarily the command of Jesus in the great commission and his promise to be with us. Also, a love for the lost that are not attracted to church and greatly deceived by what the media says about Jesus. In Ireland virtually nobody can explain why the Lamb of God was slain at Calvary. I am also aware that time is very short and the work is very great. Because he went up that hill for me, I can be bold for him. I often think that the first 2 letters of God are GO while the first 3 letters of Satan are SAT!

Here in the USA, there has been an effort to reinvent church so the "unattracted" people will, in fact, be attracted to church. Do you think this is a valid effort, or is street preaching more effective? 

In a church, Jesus-focus can shift to church-focus and the message of Ephesians 4—where the work is done by "the saints"—can be filtered out as leadership is elevated higher than servanthood and all works are checked out for approval, leading the saints to clam up and becoming spectators.

Jesus went to seek and save the lost, and I don't see him passing out flyers for the upper room meeting but healing, preaching, and ministering where people were. Many pray for seats to be filled by incoming sinners, while I often pray for them to be emptied by the outgoing saints.

Many of the street preachers I have encountered portray a very one-sided Jesus: angry and bent on sending people to hell. What do you think a person's perception of Jesus is after encountering your street preaching?

When I speak of hell, I normally speak about it being a place I deserve. This gets people's attention because they expect me to be self-righteous and tell them they deserve hell. I also say how Jesus went there for us and speak of holy God's love for us in doing this.

I imagine you have experienced many different reactions to your preaching. Do you have a favorite story?

One night I was in a busy pedestrian zone in Dublin called Temple Bar. As I held high the name Jesus, a French atheist started asking questions. I felt the Lord told me not answer him while he began to give his opinion about the Bible being untrustworthy. I asked the Lord silently whether there was anything about this man I needed to know and then, without hesitation, I asked whether he had a sore chest. He immediately stopped talking and his eyes widened. I told him that God knows everything about him, loves him, and sent Jesus to take his sin on the cross. He slowly moved off, and when he got to the end of the street he turned around and stared back at me. I knew the Lord had given me a "word of knowledge" and that this impacted him much more than my reasoning with him would have. To God be all the glory.

Another time, after my wife preached, a young heroin addict asked how he could get this new life. We prayed with him, he repented, and over the following days we had ongoing contact. Two years later I was on the street witnessing and he came up to me with his fiancé. They both were fervent for the Lord and testified to the great work God was doing in their life. Needless to say I was blessed and encouraged beyond measure. Hallelujah!

Do you think more pastors should get out of their churches and spend more time preaching on the street corner?

If the Lord leads them to do, I would be delighted. To stand up for Jesus publicly is life changing and it would bring great new vision into any church.

If a family never goes out but only meets with its own members it goes a bit weird (although it always sees itself as normal). The church can become a bit like this when we do not regularly engage atheists and pre-believers with the message of the cross.

We have been given food for distribution in a famine land and, as the Lord leads, every distribution method should be considered. There is a war on for the souls of men and women and, while not all are called to be front line troops, all are called to help in the effort. A fisherman needs the boat builders, the fish processing plant and many other persons to be effective—but the goal is to catch fish! Pastors need not regularly preach on the street but they might be open to God calling them to do it on occasion. They certainly should lead by example and on occasion do some form of street work.

MOTHERS DESERVE BETTER

The Attorney General has correctly advised of the certain constitutional failure of the Wallace Abortion Bill yet in the ongoing war on the unborn it appears to me that political capital is being sought by Shane Ross and others in supporting an unconstitutional bill in order to attack ... the constitution.  Mothers with unwanted, difficult or handicapped pregnancies deserve better than the “final solution” abortion delivers.

Half Million saved by Eighth Amendment to Irish Constitution

Before I join the crowd at todays Celebrate the 8th rally organised by the prolife campaign I’ve been thinking about a few figures.  For England and Wales in 2014, the last published year, the government figures say that 184,571 abortions were carried out.  With 56.6 million people living in those countries the abortion rate is therefore 1 per 303.  The equivalent for Ireland, with a population of 4.58 million would be 15,115  annual abortions.  If we had abortion since 1983, that being 33 years ago then the total abortion figure, based on the above, would have been 498,795 or half a million approx. 

I understand that somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 women currently travel to England or Wales for abortions and I have often heard this fact being used as a reason why we should allow it here.  Perhaps it’s England and Wales who should change their laws as what was thought to be “restrictive” abortion law in 1967 was soon proven to be “abortion on demand”.

While I respect and support a woman’s right to choose matters regarding her own body, and while I will never as a man understand the pressures an unexpected pregnancy brings on some, the presence of a second body (the baby) surely ought to put limitations on such a right to choose.  

A Question for all the Smart Alec's out there...

Well ...2 questions actually:

Q1: Ever heard of the term "The Lamb of God"?

Q2: If so do you know what it means?

Over the last few years I have asked this question many many times and 100% answer "yes" to Q1 and at least 95% answer "no" to question 2.  The proper answer to Q2 is not just helpful but essential in understanding the true meaning of life. Can you answer Q2?

Jesus and YouTube

Ifey Stanley, a humble servent of Jesus

Would Jesus use YouTube if it was around 2,000 years ago?  I don't know to be honest.  I see how he was moved with compassion and often told those healed to tell nobody,  which of course never happened,  while in other cases he was quite public with the demonstration of the Kingdom of God's presence through miracles.  He spoke privately to many while on other occasions he preached publicly on a hillside or by the shore from a boat, taking advantage of the natural acoustics.  I was with Ifey Stanley 2 weeks ago doing outreach in Temple Bar and he filmed a miracle of healing, as he often does, and like Torben Sondergaard of The Last Reformation his street videos give huge encouragement to other evangelists and believers, while others question this public demonstration of miracles.   I had the privilege to spend some fellowship time with Ifey and I have to say he is an extremely likeable and humble chap.  What he didn't record on the video was the chap praying to receive Jesus after his healing.

He correctly sees miracles of healing being of lesser importance than repentance and the new birth in Jesus but he understands that the miracles are what gets peoples attention.  I concur with this view as I myself have often seen God's power break through deep intellectual barriers.  Miracles are truly the "dinner bell" of salvation.

In themselves the videos may not convince the deepest sceptic but then again I don't believe that what thy were made for.  We live in an age when people can broadcast to the world from their smartphone and a world where people get their information largely from Facebook and the like. The temptation to be watchful for is that our motivation drifts from compassion for people in outreaching to simply trying to promote our own ministry, something I believe neither Ifey nor Torban are guilty of.  Would Jesus use YouTube?...I'll let you decide!

KEEP THE EIGHTH

ILLOGICAL TO DENY

In Jerusalem after the death of Jesus there was a great desire among the authorities to put an end to the followers of Jesus.  They only had one problem....They couldn't produce the dead body.  Embarrassing to say the least!  There was no doubt that he was killed on a cross, taken down as a corpse and put in a rock tomb with armed guards at the sealed entrance.   Let us consider the 3 options: (a) The authorities took the body,  (b) The disciples took the body or (c) Jesus rose from that dead like he had promised.

We can rule out option (a) as they would have publicly displayed the dead body to quickly end the matter.  This did not happen.  Option (b) can be also ruled out because virtually all of the 12  apostles, not to mention many other followers went to their death because of their conviction that he rose from the dead.  Under pain of death surely one of them would have spilled the beans and said where they put the body, but this didn't happen.

We are left with option (c), the resurrection. Not quite sure how Hollywood will handle the upcoming "Risen" movie but the challenge to believe remains for all. When you consider the 3 options the denial of the miracle of Jesus' resurrection is proven illogical to say the least.

FAIRY TALES FROM MY ALMA MATER

1st Specimen: Ape.
2nd Specimen: Fantasy art based on a dug up tooth.
3rd Specimen: Human suffering from rickets following lack of sunshine after ice age caused by extensive cloud cover due to warmer seas after Genesis flood and opening of subterranean springs.
4th Specimen: Man with stick.
5th Specimen: UCD professor trying to make a monkey out of us all!

CONVICTION CAN LINGER FOR A LONG TIME

While walking my dog the other morning on Sandymount Strand I met a friend who was a former colleague in  a large office over 22 years ago.  At the time I would witness for the Lord on the odd occasion and being the only born again believer among about 60 staff I did represent a curiosity for many.  The office had a tradition where people bring in their own cake to the tea room on the occasion of their birthday.  One Ash Wednesday I took the step of bringing in the cake and when people asked "whose birthday is it?" I'd say " Mine...I was born again this day a number of years ago".  This Holy Spirit stunt sure got the office talking....  Now fast forward 22 years:
My friend remarked, when we met, that it was good to have a brighter hour in the mornings (the clocks had recently moved back). I thought about the darker evenings and said "Yeah but we have to pay for it later".  He then retorted "Not a chat for now but you'd know all about paying for things later".  Thus ended our brief morning chit chat but it made me think that sometimes conviction can linger over a long time.  I pray my friend meets Jesus soon.

THE MADNESS CONTINUES (No surprise)

How bizarre can it get you might ask.  A Christian Cafe in Blackpool England were told last month by police to stop displaying Bible verses. You heard right!  A complaint was made and the result sadly was the now predictable visit from the local bobby!  You can read the details on the website of the Chrisitian Institute. 

With the continual perversion of language leading to liberal interpretation of law I thought it was worth digging below the surface of alleged "Hate Speech".  As an evangelist we continually need the wisdom of God to communicate the truth of the Cross to a very confused world.

Matt Slick wrote an excellent article on the matter of "Hate Speech". I have pasted it in full below.  Your comments are very welcome.

"Hate Speech" is a term often used by liberals in their attacks on Christians. Anything that does not agree with the liberal viewpoint is sometimes labeled as hate speech and ridiculed. But, what really is hate speech?

• dictionary.com, "speech that attacks a person or group on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation."
• usaeducationguides.com, "A term for speech intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against someone based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. The term covers written as well as oral communication."
• definitions.uslegal.com, "Hate speech is a communication that carries no meaning other than the expression of hatred for some group, especially in circumstances in which the communication is likely to provoke violence. It is an incitement to hatred primarily against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and the like. Hate speech can be any form of expression regarded as offensive to racial, ethnic and religious groups and other discrete minorities or to women."

So we can see that hate speech is that which attacks a person or group based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation and has the potential result of inciting harm.

Maybe the liberals should study hate speech a little more. Apparently they don't get it. Don't we Christians have the right to our opinions? Don't we have the right to exercise the freedom of our religious beliefs? We do--for now. But that may change as a result of the hate speech of liberals, which is so often directed at Christians. Liberals like to name-call (homophobes, hate-mongers, etc.,), label us as bigots and say that we serve an antiquated God. In doing this, they commit the very error of which they accuse us. Here's how . . .

They degrade and attack us as Christians (a religious group), and, I am sure, attempt to intimidate Christians into staying out of the political realm and social structuring of our culture--based on our religious beliefs. They degrade our Christian lifestyle which includes the right to disapprove of homosexuality, bestiality, pedophilia, polygamy, polyandry, pornography, etc. Also, they incite prejudicial action against Christians with their ill-informed misrepresentations of Christianity. For example, they will sometimes call the God of the Old Testament a baby-killer, murderer, genocidal maniac, homophobe, etc. Such accusations can easily incite anger, hatred, and violence towards Christians. After all, if you accuse a religious group long enough, people will begin to believe the accusations. And, as we all should be aware of, beliefs lead to actions (think of Hitler's propaganda effect on the Jews).

What would happen to Christians if everyone around them thought they were following a murderous, baby-killing, homophobic God who casually supported genocide? By labeling groups (i.e., Christians) in negative ways, it makes it easier for one group (liberals?) to hate another, to become emotionally detached, increasingly irrational, and potentially violent. Would those thus indoctrinated by the hate speech of liberal hypocrisy (which modern societies seem to embrace so readily) treat the Christians with love and kindness or with fear and intimidation? Which would bring peace and which would bring persecution?

Ah, but such reasoning does not stop liberals from their doublespeak and hypocrisy (probably because they haven't thought things through very far). The name-calling, accusatory, intolerant liberals are quick to judge and slow to love. They are eager to blame while ignoring their own guilt. They readily condemn and remain blind to how they do the very thing of which they accuse others. Who knows? Perhaps their attitudes have been shaped by their own hate speech more than they realize.

But if we are persecuted, we count it a blessing for Christ who was also persecuted unrighteously (1 Cor. 2:8). Our response is to bless those who persecute us (Rom. 12:14). If we are accused, we should bear it well (1 Pet. 4:16). This does not mean to be idle and do nothing. We have the right of self-defense (Luke 22:36) as we give an answer to everyone who would ask (1 Pet. 3:15). Yet, while we do this, our love is to be without hypocrisy (Rom. 12:9). We are never to pay back evil for evil (Rom. 12:17) and as far as it is possible, we are to be at peace with all people (Rom. 12:18)--even those who may not want to be at peace with us.

Finally, it is not bigoted, narrow-minded, or hate speech to say we follow God and believe that homosexuality, pornography, pedophilia, rape, adultery, etc., are all wrong. We are expressing the freedom of our religion--in spite of what the liberals fear and foment. Rest assured, fellow Christians, it is for righteousness and truth that we are persecuted, reviled, mislabeled, and falsely accused by those who seek to sit in judgment over our faith.

Fish..despite the mother-in-law!

Recently, when on outreach on Grafton Street with the Jesus sign, a young girl walked by and shouted back: "You lost".  She was speaking about the recent referendum in Ireland where 62% said yes to gay "marriage".  All she saw was the name of Jesus, no political slogan...interesting.  Amongst followers of Jesus (and what He said and endorsed (i.e The Bible)) I am sensing a deep shock and sadness and some fear...I understand this as the freedoms we have taken for granted for so long are now genuinely threatened.  

Little has really changed in the hearts of men and women in that the Gospel has represented 3 things to 3 people as follows: To the Gentiles: foolishness, to the Jews: a stumbling block but to us who are being saved: the power of God.

If you dip your toe into the amazing and rewarding world of evangelism you will encounter these 3, one who thinks we are fools, one who is offended and one whom God is calling and who ends up being eternally grateful for our witness to the awesome love of God in sending His beloved Son Jesus to take it in the neck for us rebels and satisfy the correct justice of Holy Creator God.

So in our strange mixed up morally aimless world where feelings are king and Kanye West is lumped with an extra mother in law he didn't bargain for I have this to say to the saints:.... Never give up!!

P.S. Print out a copy of the Geneva Convention ( I have underlined parts for emphasis) and slip it in your pocket in case the (thought) police come to arrest you...but be sure to be lead by the Holy Spirit and stay at home if you can't find it in your heart to love the people.

• Article 18 Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
• Article 19 Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
• Article 20.(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.  (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
• Article 30.Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

EVENTFUL NIGHT

The outreach last night in Temple Bar between 11pm and 2am was rather eventful.  The place was buzzing and we had significantly more discussions about the Gospel than we have on an average afternoon outreach.  The "Good News for Ireland today" NT Bibles, kindly given to us by Paul and Nuala O'Higgins of Reconciliation Outreach were gratefully received by 2 different ladies.  One such lady, Cathleen, went away with Romans 10:9-10 underlined in hers and a big smile on her face as she surrendered all to our wonderful King.  The other lady left her friends in the pub after they had seen us on the street for a good while outside the window,  and were talking about Jesus.  She was tough at first but then softened and was amazed of her gift of the Word.
While most people were sent to us by God the enemy sent one in particular who was highly demonised and slimy in his attitude.  We learn every day how to handle such matters and I have to confess I was momentarily taken in by his mock sincerity....I'm learning!
When a Brazilian Christian lady was standing beside me and the Jesus sign to have her photo taken I asked her, with great sincerity, to pray for the land of Ireland and I promised to pray for her country.  Ireland needs the mercy of God.

NIGHT FISHING RETURNS!

SHED BLOOD NOT ENOUGH!

At our recent outreach in Temple Bar we got into discussion with 3 ladies who were over from Liverpool for the day.  At least 2 of them were deeply impacted by the testimonies we shared about how God made Himself real to us through Jesus.  Initial hostility and resistance vanished to such a degree that they were deeply grateful to us for sharing the gospel. In a separate encounter I had the opportunity to pray for a younger Dublin chap for his migraine healing and...he turned to his friends in amazement declaring that the pain had instantly vanished.  Isn't God amazing!
Jim made a comment to me as we were travelling into the city which I have been thinking much about all week.  He said that there are no Christian youth on the street sharing the gospel....Let me know if I'm wrong on this one,  and if not then pray that the Lord of the harvest would thrust His labourers into the rich harvest. The need is immense and He deserves all. Reinhard Bonnke's Facebook post today said: To shed the Passover Lamb's blood in Egypt was not enough. It had to be applied to the door posts of the house to show its saving power. The same is true of the blood of Jesus. Apply it to your sinful LIFE. It will work. God bless you. 

LIVING GUILT FREE !!

Guilt is to sin what pain is to sickness. I once got a gum infection, which got serious because the chemist misread the dentist’s prescription and only gave me pain killers and not antibiotics! The pills removed the symptoms but did not solve the problem!

When we sin, we feel the pain of guilt. People try, and do many things to get rid of this pain (spend money, use drugs/alcohol, relationships, gossip etc) without success. The “painkillers” work for a short while but then the pain returns! To get rid of this “guilt pain” we must deal with the cause, sin. But how? You need to find someone who is not subject to sin to help and heal you. The Bible shows us that God loves us. It is His plan for us is to live guilt free and united with Him. To make a guilt free life possible Jesus, the sinless/innocent one, willingly took the cause of guilt (sin) upon Himself. He allowed himself to be crucified and killed even though He had the power to save Himself! He dealt with“the cause” and opened the door for us to live guilt free. Now God can offer us complete forgiveness and a guilt free life that does not compromise His Holy justice. Jesus heals us, He does not just numb the pain!

You can reject Jesus and live in deception or denial about your guilt …or you can ASK GOD TO APPLY WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS TO YOUR LIFE AND GIVE YOU A GUILT FREE LIFE (forgiveness, a new start and a new heart!). This is called salvation, it is the first step into a guilt free life.

The Hangover Cure

There ended up being 7 of us today on Grafton Street holding high the wonderful Name above all names to the Patrick's day crowds. After a few hours of sharing Jesus to the many enquirers I personally felt exhausted, but delighted.  Jesus graciously healed one chap of a back problem and another lady of ...guess what... a hangover.  That particular lady was from Auckland in New Zealand and I'm sure that when she was planning her trip to Ireland she was probably thinking more of the Guinness than the Cure. To my knowledge nobody bowed the knee to the King but I trust and believe that of the many encounters we had the day will come when many will ultimately testify to the Good News they heard this St Patrick's day in Dublin.  We are honoured to be one of the few countries on earth where we can freely preach and witness on the street without fear of arrest.  This window may not last forever as the laws close in on Truth, Truth being a person called Jesus.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day from Dublin Ireland. We all like to let our hair down on occasions and if you venture onto Grafton Street today you'll find an entire nation doing just that!  It's probably a combination of a day off in early spring after months of near darkness and freezing cold, combined with an early surge of tourists, all youthful and sporting far more green than the Irish themselves, as well as a city wide festival atmosphere, that leads to this unusual celebration, not to mention a few scoops of alcohol at the wrong side of lunchtime.
In the fog of the revelry and madness the entire reason for the day off is mostly lost.  Who was Saint Patrick anyway?  Some think he simply replaced snakes with the mass and smashed up a good old pagan hooly in the process.  Myth and ignorance have a funny habit of taking root when it suits people but, for the day that's in it, it's worth looking at who he really was.
By the time the 5th Century came around the Roman Empire was in decline and anarchy was breaking out on its fringes in these isles.  Lads were swiped and sold as slaves and thus Patrick as a teen found himself with the sheep in Antrim.  From his past he remembered what God had done for him and he apologized to the Creator for his personal rebellion and selfishness. The first and biggest miracle happened then...his heart was changed and his hatred diverted from God to sin and his love also switched from sin to God.  He then began to hear the voice of God himself and was led to get the boat home to Wales.  The captain told him to get stuffed but God nudged him to persist and he was soon on the ferry.  Sundry adventures followed and trials including the amazing provision of food, in the form of wild pigs when all seemed lost to his unbelieving travelling companions.  Later on he was called back to Ireland to bring the life changing message about Jesus and what His death means for us.  Through many travels, much preaching, healings, baptisms and church plantings the entire nation was, in a short space of time, transformed for the better and this led to Ireland became a leading light in an otherwise very dark dark ages.
Now back to the Grafton Street of 2015 as another drunken teen falls to the floor and the nation staggers under the leadership of men and women who have lost their moral compass I believe the time is again ripe for a revival of truth where the personal saving work of Jesus Christ can again lift the Irish, and their foreign guests, out of the abyss...in even sense of the word!  Happy St Patrick's Day!

Ask Questions to expose truth on same sex "marriage"

Often the best way to get people to depart from non-fact based assumptions is to ask pointed questions.  2 issues come to mind in the debate (or lack thereof!) on gay marriage these being:

Opponents of gay lifestyles and marriage are portrayed as being Homophobic.  This leads to my first question: "Can you explain the difference between homophobia and  non-homophobic opposition to homosexuality?"

The second issue is the claim that being gay is inherent, as opposed to a choice. Since the 1986 US supreme court Bowers v Hardwick case (where the rights of individual states to criminalise homosexual conduct was upheld) the gay movement changed tack and began arguing (without scientific basis) that homosexuality was immutable and therefore in line for constitutional protection. To this day this is the (clever but dishonest) political strategy used worldwide and we are witnessing the next step of this evolution in Ireland with the upcoming constitutional question.  Politicians are falling over themselves in the blindfolded politically correct race to support this referendum without a calm thought on this point.  Is homosexuality innate or a choice? So here's my second question on this sub topic: "Are you aware that  If an identical twin has same-sex attraction the chances the co-twin (which has same DNA) has it are only about 11% for men and 14% for women according to 8 major studies in the last 2 decades."  This fact flies in the face of the "innate" argument.

Men and Women are different and both essential for marriage. Lawmakers have a duty to protect family and the extension of marriage to a pair which excludes one sex if adopted will have to then be promoted to young children as "normal" when it is manifestly unnatural. I spoke to a Labour party TD recently on the matter and he assured me that he was of the view that society had changed and we need to get with it.  I asked him if everyone was stabbing each other  in 20 years time should the law follow suit and allow that.  He said no because that is harmful.  It al sounds a bit arbitrary to me.  The majority can be wrong.  I would argue that truth ought to be established by something more that a plebiscite.  I make no apology for the fact that as a christian I believe our Creator established the truth about sexuality, among other matters, and to violate His design leads only to wheels falling off wagons.

No bile for Easter Bunny!

The recent Stephen Fry outburst against God on RTE shows how much atheists hate the One they don't believe in. Seems odd that the easter bunny, or any other fairy tale for that matter,  doesn't attract such bile. It's also interesting how atheists have no problem in believing in Julius Caesar, probably because Caesar makes no demands of them whatsoever.  On the other hand if God exists then their very (self centred) life is an affront to Him.  When I say self centred I am not suggesting that they are not "kind" people who don't help old ladies cross roads etc. but that their entire "raison d'etre" is ..."we ourselves" (translated as Sinn Féin in Irish).  I lived that life so I do know what I'm talking about.  I lived for a divine trinity: me, myself and I.  I was the most important person in my life for the first 23 years of my existence until the day I apologised to my Creator and got down off my high horse of pride. In Fry's outburst he blamed God for the corruption in creation.  This is typical ...reject the One who holds all things together and then blame him for things coming apart.

2 Words 2 topics: Gay Marriage

John Manning, host of Godtalk radio programme (90.3 Near FM Sundays 4pm) asked me to comment on his recent radio programme. The result was this letter which I sent to him. It caused me to think about the upcoming referendum on Gay marriage in Ireland. Here it is in its entirety:

Dear John,

Your programme last week was excellent.

While homosexuality is a hot potato which few have the courage to discuss the issue of Gay Marriage is being forced upon us to both discuss and vote in the near future.  I for one will be voting NO.

Gay Marriage is 2 words and 2 topics. Marriage first of all is primarily a Covenant. Covenant is about unbroken commitment. God’s word is all about covenant, primarily God’s covenant with man sealed with the blood of Jesus, something your listeners might be familiar with. Many however don’t believe in God and don’t want to know Him in any way, as it might cramp their sinful style .  If something is made for a purpose and someone uses it for a different purpose it might be called a perversion. If a car is designed for transport and I use it as a hen house then that’s a perversion. God created man and God created woman, different but both essential and complementary. I won’t get into the biological details but clearly God who created sex made Man and Woman amazingly compatible together and for a procreative purpose, as well as one of intimacy…but Covenant was essential before such union.  This is where marriage comes from.  Man did not invent it.

The apostle Paul in his first letter to the immoral Corinthian church (6th chapter)  made it clear there is great danger in sex before marriage as we become one with the harlot (or sex partner) and we should run from this type of union. This is what he said: 

16Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”^b 17But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

We live in a fallen world saturated with temptation of every description. In our religious upbringing in Ireland we are thought to nit pick every sin out of our lives but this is impossible without first having the miracle of a heart transformation through a relationship with Jesus Christ as you speak of in your healing and conversion prayer.  It appears hypocritical for a glutton or a liar to tell a homosexual he is in sin. However God’s word makes it clear that practicing sex with one of the same sex is offensive to Holy God.  Much accusation is hurled against not only Christians but also directly at God’s word because of this clear condemnation of homosexuality.  

God himself is much mis-understood. For example on RTE tonight Gay Byrne will be talking to actor Stephen Fry who says:

“Why should I respect a capricious, ean-minded, stupid God who created a world which is so full of injustice and pain?” 

For an intelligent chap he displays an extraordinary lapse of intelligence in attributing evil to the creator. When God made man it was in HIs image and with free will, and it was the exercise of the free will against God that started this whole messing up of His wonderful creation, one which God called “Very Good” at the end of day 6.  To blame the creator for the perversion is akin to blaming Toyota when I drunkingly wrap my car around a tree . Not very smart.

Christians are called to love all people including those who practice homosexuality but we are also called to speak the truth in love and the truth is: God created, man (and woman) perverted but then God came down in the form of his son Jesus and took the rap for all the perversions and opened up a way for fixing the mess personally and corporately.

Gay marriage may or may not become law in Ireland and the day after the vote I don’t expect a change in peoples behaviour.  What would be nice is a lifting of the blindness over Ireland whereby all could see the true nature of the loving creator God we have so callously violated and His awesome Son Jesus.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes to you and your dear listeners.

Anthony Brabazon

Hardening of arteries...Hmmm.

The recent diabolical attacks in France were truly appalling but so too was much of the commentary. I have never read the Koran nor have plans to do so but have had many discussions with muslims and on the most part they have not been radicals. If the truth be known they, like many "Christians" in Ireland and western europe are trusting in their works to appease holy God. This is not how its done. If it was then Jesus wasted his time at the cross, which he didn't of course.

Most media, political and press commentators (i.e virtually all the voices you will hear) come from the assumption that mankind is basically good and that if they "misbehave" it's someone else's fault. They means that if Hamas fires rockets into Israel then its Israel's fault for "being the aggressor".   If muslims are radicalised and turn violent then it's America's fault for their "war on terror".  The blame game started the moment after sin started on this planet. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed serpent, remember.

God has a different view, one I believe, and that may not be politically correct but yet is 100% true: mankind is rotten and in need of redemption by God himself (Read Paul's letter for the Romans if you don't believe me).

Deception comes, again according to God, from a hardness of heart towards the true God (Ephesians 4:18 for this one).  We are warned by Him to not harden our hearts if we hear His voice yet too often too many do and the depth of the utter stupidity in their belief system becomes staggering..and yet they rigidly and stubbornly believe such nonsense.  We talk about hardening of arteries but who talks about hardening of heart?

Long Standing Strongholds...no more!

New Chris Rowe Podcast worth listening to available here. Don't forget to comment if possible. Blessings. http://shalomdublin.wordpress.com

SIgnificance and recent origins

Hubble Telescope image of Fomalhaut debris ring

While I was having a leisurely coffee at the Grand Canal basin today I heard some chaps walk by having a rather animated discussion about the significance of man in the Cosmos .  What I heard during the brief moment as they passed was that the universe was billions of years old yet man has only been around for a fraction of that time and is therefore very insignificant.  All I could think of was that they had taken the Kool-Aid like most people who are fed with the Darwinian view of the cosmos which is propagated virtually everywhere. The tragedy is that they were unaware of the fact that man's life is of far more significance and recent origin. The entire cosmos was actually created for man (and woman) and it wasn't billions of years ago but merely thousands. I know I wasn't there at the creation to witness this beginning myself but I can rest on the truth of God's word on the matter, a view that is also supported by true, non Darwinian, science