As a child, I remember well the parades in July of each year to celebrate those who came home from the World War 2. The bands, the heady drone of the bagpipes, the thrill of the drums, and the ranks of uniformed soldiers marching lock-step paraded right up the main street of our modest Ontario town. Later that evening, the great choir decked in red, white, and blue would lead two-thousand voices in that thrilling, patriotic hymn of celebration: “Rule Britannia, Britannia rule the waves, Britons never, never, never shall be slaves!” As part of the British Empire, pride of conquest, love of country, and the smell of freedom were the bedrock of our public education system, our jurisprudence, and yes, the very fabric of our lives.
Recently I have been considering the book of Daniel and how there are great similarities in the life of Daniel to the life of Joseph but also great relevance for every Christian reading this book in our time.
On a recent trip to the UK, I had opportunity to speak in a church in Neath, Wales. When I walked inside the church, I could immediately tell there was a rich history associated with the building. It was one of those amazing old church buildings with the wooden balconies and beautiful stained glass windows.
Many of you will remember that we have recently distributed a fully translated set of Ken Ham’s Foundations series to Russian-speaking nations. In fact, that translated series can also be viewed for free on our website. The Russian Foundations series was well received and has already been viewed by thousands of people. The impact of this translation has been truly outstanding, and we are thanking God for the steady stream of testimonies coming from this venture. We are also thankful for the good follow-up work from our good friends at the Slavic Gospel Association.
Read more on Should Russia Be Panicking About the End of the World?…
Thank you to everyone who was praying for my trip to the UK. Over the next few days I want to highlight some events to give you more information so you will know how to pray for the AiG team there.
In a previous blog post, we attempted to make the point that the goal of true Christianity is centered on Christ. It’s all about Him, not me. Self-aggrandizement can sneak into our lives in subtle ways and take hold of our minds so that we become the sun in our own sky.
There is a hilarious parody on YouTube that offers a collection of songs with titles such as, “I Exalt Me,” “I Am Why I Sing,” “O Come Let Us Adore Me,” and others. The sad thing about this bit of foolishness is its proximity to the truth. The church meeting and other Christian gatherings seem to be comfortable places for “me worship.”
What a glorious theme the first epistle of John opens with. “God is Light.” It is a motif that permeates the whole of the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. What a contrast this is to the muttering dualism of Gnostic thought which pits light against darkness in a cosmic battle for supremacy.
This weekend, I had the privilege to speak to a breakfast group of pastors and in two churches in Leicester. It was a great privilege to speak to people who were hungry to hear the message of Answers in Genesis as we point toward the credibility of Scripture and the gospel of Christ. Many of the pastors told me how refreshing it was to hear a strong message upholding the truth of Genesis. Sadly, in the UK those who uphold the literal history of Genesis are the exception to the rule.
As we pointed out in a previous blog, the strength of gnostic thinking comes from its ability to morph and mutate. The frightening thing is that one would be hard pressed to find a “First Gnostic Church of Jonesville.” Rather, it finds itself most comfortable buried in the skirts of the Christian church. It flourished in the second century, and yet it lives today. The great Lutheran historian Phillip Schaff says, “All speculative theologians who endeavor to reconcile reason and revelation, may be called Christian Gnostics … bringing with them a morbid pride of wisdom, an arrogant, self-conceited, ambitious knowledge, which puffs up, instead of edifying … resting on an over-valuation of knowledge and a depreciation of faith.” (Schaff, History of the Christian Church, vol. 2, p. 445.)
