By Editorial Staff
Published March 31, 2008
By Nathan Middleton
ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A large and beautiful mountain. It was the envy of all the other mountains. Everyone who saw it was enamored by it’s strength and majesty. There have been many mountains through the ages, some even larger than this one, but somehow, this mountain stood out among them all. In fact, mountain dwellers everywhere streamed to it to live while still others sought to copy its forms and structure and apply it to their mountain homeland. It was truly magnificent.
But there was one special and often overlooked characteristic of this mountain that made it unique. For rooted throughout the entire mountain landscape was a forest. But not just any forest. For this was an oak forest with deep roots and huge trunks; they were strong, resilient and tall – giving all who lived on the mountain protection and a deep abiding sense of security.
But then one day, one of the mountain dwellers said to one another, “You know, it sure would be nice if some of these trees were out of the way. For I love to frolic and play on the mountain and I’m sick and tired of the confining limitations these trees impose.” Well soon, many more mountain dwellers began to agree. And they found themselves discussing all the many things they could not or felt should not do because of the forboding presence of the forest. And the more they talked about it, the more angry they became and soon began to despise the centuries old forest.
And so they began to consider ways to begin to remove the oak from the mountain. And they began to implement their their ideas with little or no success at first. Patches of trees were removed here and there, but as a whole the forest was still strong and vibrant. But soon, the disgruntled mountain dwellers became quite adept at tree removal and the planting of a new species of trees that were smaller and more flexible – what became known as the “tolerant” species – to allow for the fun and frolic that became their just cause. And they gave convincing proofs to many other mountain dwellers to join in the advancement of their cause, creating strong alliances and coalitions, forming protests and even organizing lawsuits and boycotts against the mountain dwellers who sought to protect the forest any way.
And before too long, for the first time in mountain history, the strong protective oak foliage no longer dominated the landscape. In fact, many of the mountain dwellers scorned those who dared even consider the great mountain by what they now considered its archaic name – Oak’s Mountain. Little thought was given to the consequences of this massive movement. “After all, our cause is just,” said the mountain dwellers.
That is until one day. For a common rainstorm came, as they do to all mountains and just as it had come to the former great oak forest countless times before. But this time a strange thing happened. Violent landslide erosions were being triggered by the storm. This had never occurred before even when the scattered patches of oaks were removed. Unfortunately, the “tolerant” species of tree roots lacked the strength and depth that the oaks possessed and therefore could not stop the erosion. And the mountain dwellers were “stumped” for the answer as to how to stop it.
Interestingly, the mountain dwellers had so convinced themselves of the justice of their cause to remove the forest that they could not accept the true reason for the massive, consistent and gradual erosion. And so, not understanding the “root” cause, they just got used to the erosion. And then ultimately, one day, quite unnoticeably, the great, strong, majestic, enviable mountain had so eroded to become just like all the other mountains – groping for aid, strength and security it once gave to others.
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:23).
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Revival, Resistance, Reformation, Revolution
An Introduction to the Doctrines of Interposition and Nullification
In 1776, a short time after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were assigned to design an official seal for the United States of America. Their proposed motto was Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God. America owes its existence to centuries of Christian political philosophy. Our nation provided a model for liberty copied by nations the world over.
By the 21st century, we need a “Puritan Storm” to sweep away the Hegelian notion that the state is “God walking on earth.” We need revival and reformation in full force to vanquish the problems that plague us as a nation — from government controlled healthcare — to abortion on demand — to same sex “marriage.” This booklet gives a primer on our founders’ Christian idea of government and examines how the doctrine of nullification was woven into the Constitution as a safeguard against federal tyranny. It concludes with the history and theology of civil resistance. A Second American Revolution is coming with the Word of God growing mightily and prevailing! (Acts 19:20).
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Is there a connection between pagan religion and the abortion industry?
This powerful presentation traces the biblical roots of child sacrifice and then delves into the social, political and cultural fall-out that this sin against God and crime against humanity has produced in our beleaguered society.
Conceived as a sequel and update to the 1988 classic, The Massacre of Innocence, the new title, The Abortion Matrix, is entirely fitting. It not only references abortion’s specific target – the sacred matrix where human beings are formed in the womb in the very image of God, but it also implies the existence of a conspiracy, a matrix of seemingly disparate forces that are driving this holocaust.
The occult activity surrounding the abortion industry is exposed with numerous examples. But are these just aberrations, bizarre yet anomalous examples of abortionists who just happen to have ties to modern day witchcraft? Or is this representative of something deeper, more sinister and even endemic to the entire abortion movement?
As the allusion to the film of over a decade ago suggests, the viewer may learn that things are not always as they appear to be. The Abortion Matrix reveals the reality of child-killing and strikes the proper moral chord to move hearts to fulfill the biblical responsibility to rescue those unjustly sentenced to death and to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 24:11,12; 31:8,9).
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After 40 years of intense study and world-wide ministry, Dr. Francis Schaeffer completed his crowning work of scholarship – to present profound truths in simple film language. Dr. Schaeffer’s brilliant analysis of the past and predictions for current trends have proven so uncannily accurate that this amazing series still feels contemporary almost three decades after its initial release. Ultimately, Schaeffer concludes that man’s only hope is a return to God’s Biblical absolute, the truth revealed in Christ through the Scriptures.
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Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation?
Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry’s insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation — and even more importantly — amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview!
Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue — but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today.
Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study — for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John’s famous letter “… to the seven churches which are in Asia.” (Revelation 1:4)
Running Time: 145 minutes
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By Jay Rogers, Larry Waugh, Rodney Stortz, Joseph Meiring. High quality paperback, 167 pages.
All Christians believe that their great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will one day return. Although we cannot know the exact time of His return, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of the signs of His coming (Mat. 24)? How are we to interpret the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the time when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:19)? Should we expect a time of great tribulation and apostasy or revival and reformation before the Lord returns? Is the devil bound now, and are the saints reigning with Christ? Did you know that there are four hermeneutical approaches to the book of Daniel and Revelation?
These and many more questions are dealt with by four authors as they present the four views on the millennium. Each view is then critiqued by the other three authors.
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