I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)
So I had a week off blogging … last Wednesday was Wim Verhoeven’s funeral, perhaps that had something to do with it. Wim’s now having an eternity off everything (according to the majority view of the familiar faces at the funeral). It makes you think.
The funeral celebrant told us that now is a time for mourning Wim’s death, but it is also a time for celebrating Wim’s life. This is no mere euphemism. In the words of Kahlil Gibran (The Prophet)
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be? The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven? And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives? When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are inseparable. Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed. Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy. Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced. When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
This post is my small tribute to Wim. Some other tributes are here and here.
Was Wim’s life a success? Did he live a life worth celebrating? I think the answer is a resounding yes. Wim certainly ticked all his own boxes!
I didn’t know Wim particularly well but we conspired to overthrow the government at many, many Libz events and meetings. For a time, Wim hosted our regular meetings in his own home after we got kicked out of The Quiet Lady in Karori. I think it was fitting that after the funeral, half a dozen or so of the Libz members (past and present) who attended held an impromptu Libz meeting at a nearby coffee shop. Wim’s dead, but the cause of freedom, to which Wim contributed so much, is still very much alive. Onward Christian (and non-Christian) soldiers!
Tyndale. Myrtred for Translating The Bible into English.
It has taken me several weeks to start writing this 4th part .
I have been stricken with a nasty does of the flu, and also had to take care of my baby boy, whom is likewise afflicted. This affected my ability to focus. And on top of this I have also been pondering how best to proceed , not from lack of material, but how best to systematically present it.
Now that I am over the worst of this Bot, the time for procrastination is over and I will now attempt to build upon the previous posts.
And I must say those previous posts have laid down some very important foundations, and moved the subject onto the heart of the matter.
The difficulty with moving forward is that are at least three main streams of thought which must flow together, and this tests my writing skills.
All hope of keeping this series brief is now in vain.
Those who seek to avoid the just judgment of the Almighty are legion.
They may all attempt divers means of escape, yet they all may be classified as belonging to one club.
The Club of Infidelity.
The members All argue that the Bible ought not to be believed to be the perfect and inerrant word of God.
They attack the existence of God.
They attack the reliability of the biblical claim to be Divine revelation.
And on top of a myriad of other angles, They attack the Moral character of the God it professes to Reveal.
And this series of blogposts is attempting to Defend the character of the God of the Bible, yet it is important to understand that this argument is but one sector of an all round assault on the veracity of the biblical claim to be the infallible word of God.
It is therefore absurd to attempt to discuss this subject of the character of the Biblical Deity in isolation of this greater question.
Now what is both interesting, and very important to appreciate about the above truth is that it separates those who, like myself believe the Bible is 100% reliable, from everyone else.
And thus the Bible believing Christian must be distinguished from those Christians who don’t believe the Bible is 100% reliable.
It is interesting to understand that the attacks upon the veracity of the bible do not merely come from outside the church, ie from atheists and heathens, but that Many/ most Christians have themselves come to accept many of the arguments which undermine faith in the trustworthiness of the scriptures, and thus have join ranks with the atheists and heathen in attacking the Bible believers position.
Furthermore not only do many so-called Christians think the Bible believers position is intellectually untenable, they relish the Idea with as much fervor as the infidel, and for the very same reasons.
Ie They don’t like portions of the scriptures, and seek to justify their rejection of them as authorotive with as much fervor as the infidel.
The main cause of this Christian Apostasy is that they have succumbed to the ‘Logic’ of the rationalist attacks on the trustworthiness of the scripture, and character of the God it describes.
What more this Rationalist skepticism is what hold sway in most of the centers of learning.
Bible believing Faith as I hold has been in retreat for over a century, and with the progression of atheist Materialism there has been a century of Anti-biblical rationalism so that my type of faith is now very rare in Academia, and very unpopular in general.
By shear force of numbers my position is today considered ‘Unenlightened’, Backward, and Barbaric… especially by contemporary Schooled Christian Intellectuals.
And of course the ‘Educated’ will always peer downward at their pitiable ‘uneducated’ fellows like myself.
Thus it is against the weight of the world that my faith must contend, and It is in a pond of utter contradiction and confusion which I must swim.
Why do I bother?
Because to my mind nothing less that the whole Christian faith is at stake, and the hope of Salvation via the Gospel as well!
All this, in my mind hangs upon the veracity of the Bible and it’s accuracy in respect to the character of God.
And to Defend the faith I must thwart the False dichotomy that Faith and Reason are opposites.
Accepting this false dichotomy Academia seek to present my bible believers position as mere superstition… and imply reason, (and all the arts of Learning) are squarely on their side.
And so it is under this incredible weight and ferocity with which faith in the trustworthiness of the Bible is assailed, that has caused the majority of Christians to surrender it, and to even go on the offensive… on the side of infidelity. And by doing this they will today swear by Heaven they are doing Gods work and are defending Christianity… from the block heads like me who trust the Bible!
Thus it may be thought the height of arrogance and futility on my part to dare defy such a universal army!
For Christs sake Tim Nobody believe the Bible anymore!
Not even the Christians are on your side!
Surely Tis a display a suicidal Fanaticism!
A testament to the impregnability of superstitious Ignorance!
Modern evolutionary Psychologists might reason that I, (along with most of the most the Religious whakos of the ages) suffer a deranged mind… a collection of perversely stupid genes…etc
Satan laughing spreads his wings.
It was by getting Adam to doubt God’s character and word, that he convinced his to disobey God and bring Death and separation from God upon himself and his offspring.
It is in the wisdom of apprehending this fundamental error that I refuse to abandon those precious pages which introduced me to my God and Saiour!
I stand upon the Rock!
I defy the Storms of infidelity.
Though the tempest Roars, my position is not moved.
My reputation means nothing.
What matters to me is my testimony to my Children, friends and loved ones, and that when I stand before my God that in some measure my life has made a difference for truth, righteousness, and salvation of the lost.
Though many ‘Credentialed’ fellows will attempt to smear me as being Anti-intellectual …anti-schooling, and therefore dismiss me with a wave of the hand… that is more a testament to their utterly caged minds, and vested interest in maintaining the charade that their schooling gives them a status above ‘rude amateurs’ like myself rather than a valid criticism. It is an Ad Hominem attack, and certainly is not a rebuttal.
I know the power of the rationale which underpins my faith.
It is powerful enough to endure every Fiery dart of Satan and infidelity.
It is my deepest hope that I can transmit this wisdom onto my children, and anyone else who seeks to know God.
“I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” 1 john 2:14)
“Let God be true and every man a Liar” Saith I. (Rom 3:4)
“And he [Abram] believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness..” Gen 15:6
“ Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away” (Mat24:35)
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed; Rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim 2vs15)
The word of the Lords are pure words,as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation forever” (Psalms12:6,7)
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:” (1 Peter1vs 19)
“ Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
(2Tim4vs2-4)
In this series I can only present a tiny fraction of the Biblical doctrine about trusting Gods word over Atheist Rationalist doubt, I hope it is sufficient to cement my contention that the moment the Bible is believed to be 100% true that this will force many Christians to re-evaluate their faith in respect trusting in the goodness of God…in spite of the apparent difficulties involved with believing a Good God could destroy the world by flood, or condemn the wicked to eternal damnation.
When presented with the truth… will they still worship God, or will they be exposed as fundamental Infidels and haters of the Lord God, and instead prefer to maintain their position beside Dawkins and others who call Christ and the Father, Moral monsters?
I know by taking the side of infidelity in attacking the word of God All such Christians have sold the farm. I find their convoluted intellectual wranglings which attempt to incorporate the ideas of infidelity into a bastardized/ watered down version of Christianity to be a pathetic exercise in futility. The Infidels laugh along with Satan at the pathetic Christians who today endorse such things as The Theory of Evolution, and do backflips attempting to suggest things like Noah’s flood were never intended by God to be believed as literal. What these fools don’t appreciate is that they have already abandoned the high ground! The forces of Darkness are advancing.
Only a Revival in Faith in the trust worthiness of the Bible can stop the slide into the abyss.
All right then.
I think I can now get back to business…
Tim Wikiriwhi
Re: Maori Grab for ownership of Water.
The latest saga in the perverse politics of Waitangi apartheid are very telling of how our shameful separatist system functions.
It is a testament to the Machiavellianism of the Maori Radicals of this country watching how they use the opportunity presented By John Keys plan to sell off assets like hydropower, to make a bid for ownership of the Water. “>By admitting the recommendations of the Waitangi tribunal may be ignored by parliament in respect to Maori claims to ownership of the water, John Key exposes the travesty of the whole Treaty Grievance industry!
It is an admission that the tribunal is not as we have been told… a legitimate tribunal which functions to right supposed injustices of the Past, but a militantly racist body with an biased and extortionate agenda… and whose findings and ‘recommendations’ ought never tobe believed to be just.
Key has been caught in a web of his own construction.
.
This confrontation with the Maori Party exposes John Key himself as a Political shyster who was prepared to sell New Zealanders out to the racists… simply to acquire and maintain Political power for himself!
This is patently obvious because he has measured just how much political capital he can afford to surrender to the Racist Maori Party whom he relies on for support, without ‘spooking the sheeple’ in the larger General electorate.
It ought to be obvious why Key has assumed this new position in regard to The Waitangi tribunal.
It is not because of any freah realisation that the tribunal is corrupt , or any principle other than the political expedience of self preservation… ie It simply because he understands that cannot afford to surrender as mush political capital as they demand… without risking his own political power base.
This history is repeating itself.
The Key-Turia relationship hangs in the balances just as not long ago the Clark-Turia relationship hung in the ballance… in the days of the Foreshore and seabed debate .
Like John Key, Helen Clark was a cold calculator of her own political self-interest., and figured out that it was cheaper to alienate the racist radicals in her midst, rather than loose massive proportions in the general electorates to Don Brash, whom was championing the abolishment of the Racist electoral system, winding up the Grievance industry, and establishing ‘One Law for all New Zealanders’.
This is how the Maori Party was formed… out of Radical racist jettersoned from the Labour Party.
And not being as principled as Don Brash, it is these radicals whom John Key decided he needed on his team.
Right now Key is not concerning himself with Justice for New Zealanders. He is not even concerned about Justice for Maori. He is busy scheming how he can maintain his own grip on power …just as Helen Clark once did.
I have no doubt that he will be negotiating with the Maori party for a huge share of the state assets which are to be sold to be given to their separatist support base, in exchange for a temporary reprieve regarding the ownership of the water itself.
This is an old trick the Racists have used to gain ‘custodianship’ of things like the Waikato river.
They will agree to this deal knowing they can come for the water again at a latter date.
That we find ourselves in the very same situation…being held to ransom by the very *same racists*… just goes to show that Don Brash was right… there will be no end to this Racist Political charade until we end Waitangi apartheid and the grievance industry…and the lies they are founded upon.
Tim Wikiriwhi.
Libertarian Independent.
Hamilton West.
Thank heaven for little girls
for little girls get bigger every day!
Thank heaven for little girls
they grow up in the most delightful way!
Those little eyes so helpless and appealing
one day will flash and send you crashin’ thru the ceilin’
Thank heaven for little girls
thank heaven for them all,
no matter where no matter who
for without them, what would little boys do?
Thank heaven… thank heaven…
Thank heaven for little girls!
One Sunny day, Adam was yarning with God in the garden and he asked him
“Tell me Father, Why did you make woman soooo beautiful?
God replied… “So that you would love her my son”.
Then Adam thinking about that asked… “But why did you make her so stupid?”
“So that she would love you my son”… God replied.
The Bible has Mankind pegged.
It’s description of our deviant character is beyond dispute, and proven true by everyday experience.
Is this article true?
We’ll from personal experience I must confess it holds true for me.
The lust of the eye is truly a Powerfull thing.
God sure did an awesome job when he made the feminine form!
It is Art at it’s best, and one of the reasons I believe in him!
Yet I confess to ‘lusting’ rather than merely ‘appreciating’.
It is a very difficult problem to overcome.
The danger is in ‘Worshipping the creature more than the Creator’
The Islamic solution.
Nice try….
The lust of the Eye is as St Paul would say ‘A Thorn in the flesh’ which humbles me.
It exposes my sinfulness and lack of moral fibre, and need for Christ.
I post this to the net because I have no desire to pretend to be ‘Holier than thou’.
If I am going to be saved from the just Judgement of God it will be by Grace alone.
My own imperfection is one of the reasons I believe Libertarianism is the correct political philosophy for such Christians as I in that while i believe the morality of the Bible is valid… I am in no position to cast the first stone.
Tim Wikiriwhi
King James Bible believing Dispensationalist Libertarian Christian.
I have actively defended sex workers Liberty…
Here I am in 2010 ‘Boobs on bikes parade’ Hamilton. (see me step into the parade @ about 0:40)
Check me out the next years Parade in 2011 (at aprox 2:40)
