I read the news today oh Boy!
Horrible headlines, and Photo of a crumpled car.
A Waikato mother died after pulling out in front of a truck, and her 9 year old son is in a very bad way in Starship hospital.
In the same article another horrible tale of a Toddler killed in a driveway.
Oh the Humanity!
Such stories are tragic and disturbing.
We all fumble our way through life, driven by our emotions, or consumed by worries, and yet most of the time we survive. Most days the phone remains happily silent, and then out of the blue…because of a momentary lapse of Judgment, or distraction, evil conjunctions deliver merciless fates.
I find reading about these sorts of tragic misfortunes of others is almost enough to drive me insane.
I marvel at the courage of The Emergency crews, the doctors and nurses whose Job it is to clean up the mess, to try and mend broken Bodies. I wonder what mechanisms they employ to keep from flipping out?

Though I don’t smell the gore, or hear the cries and screams, I am still affected, shaken to my bones, experiencing a mixture of sorrow and dread, and troubled by a cascade of implications flowing from living in such a traumatic world.
I worry about the souls of those involved…Where do they stand before God? Have they received Jesus Christ as their Savior? I worry for the souls of those whom love the victims…Will this tragic event cause them to harden their hearts against God?.
And these events effect almost every one who hears about them. After hearing about these sorts of events via the media, many people allow themselves to take umbrage, and shake their fist at Heaven, as if it was God’s fault the dead woman pulled out in front of the truck. They look at such events as evidence that proves belief in a Good and caring God to be folly.
It is truly horrible when an innocent child is killed. It can rattle the faith of those like myself whom believe in a Good God and Divine providence. In this way I admit the difficulty…the test… of Faith.

C’est la vie!
It is in this type of world that the Christian salesman must pedal his wares.
Because Death, mayhem, and injustice hold such a sway over us mortals, It is in many ways a hostile territory.
It is the burden of the Christian to confront the darkest of realities and to shine a light to guide our Friends, neighbors, and loved ones through this valley of the shadow of Death.
I am grateful to God Almighty that he opened my blind eyes to his truth.
It truly was a miracle that someone as militantly Atheistic and as rebellious as I was, to see the Light of the Gospel.
It pains me to think of anyone dying without having the hope of Salvation.
Thus it behooves me to use my finite hours of life to share my faith in Jesus Christ, In the hope that my testimony can retrieve those whom walk in Darkness, Meaninglessness, and despair.
Much of the Despair that robs people of their love of life is founded upon nihilistic notions such as ‘Death is the end’…’I will never see my loved one again’… ‘There is no divine justice’… etc, thus if it be possible to instill faith that ‘Death is not the End’… ‘I will see my loved one again’… ‘There is Divine Justice’…,etc, then it ought to be obvious how such faith will alter how we respond to tragedies, and bring solace to ease our spiritual pains.
I declare that Evidence/Reason enough does indeed exist for such an uplifting and optimistic faith! (Keep visiting this Blog to find out what I’m talking about)
There are valid reasons why God does not intervene to prevent tragedies from happening… but allows the Natural Laws to take their course.
The first chapters of the Book of Genesis explains why we suffer Death, chaos, and evil. The picture it gives of Fallen Mankind wandering Naked, full of violence, and exposed to the elements still holds 100% true today.
And when the scripture declares That God rested on the seventh day, yet the Universe carried on functioning autonomously, shows that God has so framed Nature to obey fixed Laws, and it is by these laws that the Universe is stable, and constant, and rational. We can trust the universe to behave like the universe does… and this is a form of ‘Blind Justice.’… God is not a capricious God rolling dice, he causeth it to rain upon the Just and the unjust.(Mat5vs45)
Thus it is that if our car is in Good condition that we can rely on our brakes to work. The flip side of this is that if we put our foot on the Gas pedal… even though a truck is coming … Our Car will carry us out into oblivion… and terrible as that is… it is just.
If we send aid money to a disaster relief, we can help alleviate the suffering of people enduring calamities, yet still if we roll out of our driveway without first checking it is clear… we could cripple, or end an infants life… That’s how this world works… Our actions can have serious consequences for good or ill.
Though We may think of ourselves as Advanced Human beings in comparison to the ancients, yet still we must contend with the very same realities.
Rich or Poor, old or young, we are all equal in this sense. Like gamblers, We must all play the hand we have been dealt… with dignity, and not allow bitterness and envy to corrupt our souls.

There are Deeper truths yet still!
when I consider our lot, living upon this planet, in this solar system… the fact that every one of us frail creatures lives life poised upon a razors edge, yet day after day goes by and all my friends and family arrive home safely… I get a sense of Providence! Though it can not be proved… it is as if an invisible hand does indeed keep evil at bay…most of the time. I believe God can and does opperate in the world as suits his Divine purposes. He has been Merciful unto me.
Thus I would like to point out that while tragedies occur in all our lives… We all have an apointment with death… yet still this in itself does not negate the many days of Providential goodness that we ought to be very grateful for.
In fact If it were not for the punctuations of calamity in our lives, we would not be aware of Providence at all! We would become puffed up.
Yes Faith in God not only gives you someone to call out to in your darkest hours, but also someone to thank and to worship for all the blessings we enjoy every day.
For the atheist. Good days are as meaningless as bad ones. If they find love, or something fortunate happens to someone they love, they have nothing to thank… you cant be grateful to a cold and indifferent Materialist universe. The Christian can celebrate and worship His God!
So many people blindly take all the great blessings of heath and wellbeing for granted. They live an ignorantly ungreatful existance… whining about the smallest of inconveniences. Tragic events such as the death of innocent children or the loss of bodily health ought to make us appreciate the many blessings we have.

I am acutely aware that Death and Chaos stalks us all. Every day that goes by, that I arrive safe home, and I don’t receive any dread news or phone calls… I count myself blessed. I rest in God’s Mercy and Grace. The Bible tells me that through Jesus Christ I have peace with God. I know not what will happen on the morrow. I expect that I will switch off my alarm, Put my pants on, and head on out the door… ???
The Pendulum swings. The hour of my departure becomes less distant. I must use my time wisely. Every hour of labour doing Good, in the service of Christ is an hour well spent.

Yes I believe in Gods Blessed Grace and Providence!… yet also realize that I must walk wisely… It is evil to tempt God by foolishly taking rash and unnecessary risks. God is not our Fairy God-mother, not your Genie in a bottle.
Satan temped Christ by trying to get him to test God’s Providence by taking him to the top of the Temple and even quoted the Scriptures saying “Throw yourself off! God will save you…wont he?”
Christ replied “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God”. (Mat4vs1-11)

When we face a tragic personal circumstance Remember that though God did not intervene, yet he suffers with us too.
He knows the pain we feel. He feels it. He felt it…yet did not intervene when his sinless Son Jesus Christ was arrested on false charges, was wrongfully convicted by a corrupt court, and was murdered.
Yes God knows what suffering is!
He herd the mockers enjoying Christ’s crucifixion who said… “Where is his God Now?”
Yes God allows things to transpire that many mistake as evidence that evil is victorious…
Mankind is quick to form such opinions… men love darkness because there deeds are evil.
Yet The Truth shall make you Free!
God was there when Christ was crucified!
Providence was working upon the Salvation of countless Millions!
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom8vs28)
Thus it is that, not only when the sun is shinning that we ought to rejoice in faith, but also during the terrible storms. That is the true test of our mettle.

“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him… For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”
(1Thes4vs13,14,16-18)

Tim Wikiriwhi

End Note: I started this Post Last week. Since then I read the News that the little 9 year old Boy injured in the Car crash has Died. His photo was in the Paper.
Things happen on Earth that are not God’s will.
Two things I ask of you. Please take care… esp when driving on the roads, and secondly Don’t Let the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune blind you to the truth of Jesus Christ. Search him out. Make a decision to trust him with your soul. Life without Christ is hollow. Death without Christ is utter hopelessness. It is not God’s will that anyone rejects Christ … but he allows you to have your own will and make your own choice.

Life is tuff. And the response of many to the ongoing battle is ‘Get Hard!’ Now there is a lot of merit to that way of thinking. It is a heroic notion, and much better than wallowing in victimism and self-pity, yet it can also render a person cold and indifferent.
It can seer the conscience. It can be an armour plate. A Wall.

Now walls can be good at keeping trouble out, yet they can also keep you trapped within, and like lunatics trapped in an asylum, your Madness, your regrets, your Demons, are also trapped inside with you. A wall cannot give serenity. For that We need answers. Powerful answers. We need to have a shining Light in our lives. We need understanding and hope.

In todays ‘Post Christian era’, many People don’t believe hope is possible. Many people are suicidal. Many think the best that can be ‘hoped for’ is to spend the fleeting hours in pursuit of temporal pleasures, with little scruple on how they get their fix. ‘It’s a dog eat dog world’ they say. ‘Better to be a hammer than a nail’… a wolf than a Lamb. Believing this turns people into cold calculating predators and users, whom existing as slaves of their own lusts and envy, live in such an amoral manor that they become purpetrators and propigators of the very evils and misery in the world which makes life so hard to bear.

This is why I am writing this message. As a contemporary of this era, I myself have grown up steeped in this world view. I have tasted it. I have lived it, tested it, and by the grace of God I have survived it… so far. It has profoundly shaped the person that I have become. I carry about me the scares of Battle, the pain, and the perversions of a life lived as a selfish sinner among sinners. Yet I have seen the light my friends, and it is this enlightenment of the soul which I wish to share with you today. I wish to show you how it is possible to tear down the wall and live a life of victory, facing the world with your head held high… and most of all… with self esteem and real hope.

Many people wont like me using the terms ‘soul’ or ‘sinner’. They have been taught that such terms are ‘religious bunk’. I want to remove the scales from your eyes and for you to receive Sight! I want you to become an objective thinker. I want you to save yourself from self delusion. I want you to recover yourself from the snares of the Devil.
I want to declare to you that your anti-religious mindset is a product of modern indoctrination, and a heinous delusion, the myth that ‘Science has killed off God’. That is not ‘realism’, but a monumental delusion my friends, built upon a pile of false premises and mountains of Pseudo-science. In the following months I will take a pick to these, and hack them down, and cut a path trough to reveal a fantastic reality that can forever alter your perception. Dare you but open your eyes and Look. It infuses a dead reality with life, value, and meaning. *That is what is at stake* That is what the atheist materialist delusion has robbed from you. Surely the high stakes involved… seeing the consequences our personal world views… *our religion* has upon our lives makes consideration of what I say worth the effort.
*Atheism is a religion*… a very short sighted one at that.

I want you to open your mind up to Objectivity in yet another way. Understand that while Atheism robs its victim of all hope, of all value, of all meaning, it does offer one thing many people find irresistibly appealing… It removes Objective morality and thereby removes Moral obligations, and moral guilt. You don’t have to be a philosopher or a psychologist to understand how this ‘escapism’ has a powerful and addictive quality to us. To live a guilt free life… to have a conscience ‘as light as a feather’ is so powerful a desire that Millions of people are prepared to sacrifice objective reality, all humanity, and all value, to maintain the delusion. They become consumed with hatred against those whom suggest to them that there is an Objective Morality which is over and above humanity, by which they ought to live, and by which they will ultimately be judged. They decry such a belief in Moral reality as ‘Slavery’… as controlling lies etc. Thus they seek to render reality nihilistic, and mankind to be merely beasts, so that they may wallow in their own lusts and depravity. ( Maynard James Kennan )

*How convenient!*
If theistic religion is the opiate of the Masses, then Atheistic religion is Crack Cocaine!
It is here that I appeal to you to ‘wake up’ to the fact that your denial of Objective morality is nothing more than a whimsical self delusion… an escape from reality. Reality is Tuff for human beings. Reality is grim. It is difficult to live honourably. It is hard work to live by the sweat of our own brows, and it takes a powerful integrity to be able to admit to ourselves that sometimes we do things that are really morally wrong. That we are in fact *sinners.* . This may be distasteful, yet it is an objective fact and therefore a vital reality to grasp. You see being objective means having the ability to accept truths, even when they place ourselves under condemnation. Even when to admit their truthfulness, is to accept guilt.

It is here that I appeal to you to wake up the fact that the very best Ethics of the Western civilization are founded upon the Book of Genesis and the Bible. Such things as religious Liberty, inalienable rights, equality before the Law, Self responsibility, Free speech, The pursuit of your own happiness, etc, and that the very worst oppressions and dependencies we suffer today are a result of the corrosion of theistic values, via the subversion of the atheist materialist worldview inherited from Marx, Darwin, Mill, etc. (These are bold and sweeping ‘general’ claims which I shall do my best to elaborate in the coming months.)
I am asserting that most atheists whom claim themselves to be ‘Good people’, are living in self-contradiction. Many assume they can hold many ‘Christian values’ yet without the theistic underpinnings. ( Maynard James Keenen… though extremely deluded, is still a far more ‘honest’ atheist than most and in fact if Jesus Christ was a fraud, Maynard James Keenan would be a mighty prophet of truth… instead of the deranged fool that he is!)

Now The bible tells us That God created Mankind in his own image, and gave him a rational mind and freewill, yet that Mankind choose to forsake God, and to commit evil, and that this resulted in God passing a death sentence and hiding himself from us. The Bible says that we are members of a fallen race… lost in sin.

As an Atheist evolutionist this worldview was so Alien to me that it was beyond belief. Yet as Providence would have it I encountered some Christians, and I entered into dialogue with them… actually listening to what they had to say… and nobody was more shocked than I, the day that I realized their Theistic World view made perfect sense! ‘It was a Revelation! The explanatory power of that short paragraph above this one is massive! It can explain the whole of human history…but for one thing. The loving grace and interventions of God for the Salvation of mankind. It is in this context that that the historical advent of Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and Resurrection all make perfect sense.

And this is where the Hope, the value, and the meaning of life is to be found! For sin, judgment, and death are only half of the truth…grim reality. The glorious and life affirming revelation is that though we are sinners and stand in moral condemnation, God loves us, wants to forgive us, and desires to restore fellowship with us. He wants us to understand that he created us for a purpose, and for us to Live in the knowledge that our actions do have ‘moral weight’…that there really is Good reason to be Good, and that evil truly is evil, and that these distinctions are objectively true, they are not mere human conventions, not illusory.
I cannot adequately express how infinitely massive are the ramifications of grasping the reality that The Bible is *the truth*. The Bible says “Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness”. The whole Bible is about bringing individuals to grasp Gods reality…and thereby discover what they are themselves, and what is going on in this world. It is to reveal the truth, and to germinate faith and hope. The Bible Story is a message to save ‘the lost’. This is the beginning of a new life, in a universe of meaning and value.

I will leave you with some words from the Apostle of Gods grace unto us Gentiles, St Paul…
“ There is none righteous, no not one. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. For by grace are ye saved, through faith. And that not of yourselves; it is the Gift of God lest any man should boast. Beware lest any Man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily…. And you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the newmoon, or of the Sabbath days….Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. [of the Law]
Tim Wikiriwhi