Author: MikeBain

by Dr Stuart Lange, National Director, New Zealand Christian Network. In recent weeks, two important reports have come out. 1. The 2023 Faith and Belief study was commissioned by the Wilberforce Foundation and conducted by McCrindle, a social research organisation. It explored the attitudes of New Zealanders towards faith and spirituality, with an in-depth survey of 1009 people drawn from the population at large. Some interesting points we noted…81% of participants resonated with some form of spiritual belief (and of those, 37% believe there is an ultimate purpose and meaning in life, 35% believe there is one god, and 27% believe in the spiritual realm) Two top factors that attract people to explore spirituality include a personal trauma or major life change, or seeing at first-hand those who live out their faith authentically. 31% consider themselves Christian, another 26% are warm towards Christianity, and 13% are neutral. Only 30% are cool towards Christianity. Gen Z people (aged 18-28) are the least hopeful generation, and are also the most spiritually open among the younger generations. Over 90% have a positive view of Jesus, and know at least one Christian. Most people have a positive view of churches, especially their good worksAll of that suggests that many New Zealanders are more open to spirituality (and to Christian faith) than we may assume, and that loving, respectful sharing of Jesus by those Christians who live out their faith with authenticity can still be very effective. 2. The 2023 Church Life Survey was an internal survey across many Christian denominations, with 20,357 respondents. Some findings…Many New Zealand churches are ageing, with a median age over 70 for respondents in several denominations (compared to 44 median age in NZ for those 15+). But independent churches, evangelical churches, and most likely Pasifika and Asian churches, the median age is much lower Migration is helping rejuvenate some churches 95% of respondents believe the Bible is the Word of God 20% look for opportunities to share their faith, 55% are happy to talk about faith if it comes up, and 34% have invited family or friends to church in the last year When it came to what priorities respondents wanted for the church, good community within the church and fostering spiritual growth were among the most preferred the least preferred priorities were ministry to children and youth, care for the needy, and encouraging people to share their faith. The first of these bullet points, and the last, are particular cause for reflection. Are they connected?

Mā te Atua koutou e tiaki e manaaki i ngā wa katoa May the Lord bless and keep you at all times

Disabled people are not there to be pitied, ignored, looked down upon and for Christians they are not there to be cured, cared for or pushed aside.

Hello, I’m Jenna Orchard and at Christian Voice New Zealand we’ve spoken to many members of the church to get their thoughts on the disabled, and who better to go to, the disabled themselves.

On our journey we found God using the disabled in many ways, in worship teams, community care, evangelism and counselling.

In fact, there isn’t a single area in Christian life he isn’t using them.

Unlike us, God doesn’t see them as lesser beings because they have a disability, and nor should we.

But I must tell you, sometimes, we just don’t think.

When talking with one young woman, injured in a car accident, she said she felt ignored as people would speak to the person pushing her chair, and they condescendingly ask her, “Are you alright dear?”

Another said “Often, many Christians would want to pray for her.”

One said she lost most of her friends because they couldn’t cope with the chair.

Yeah, I know, sad right, but this is how they feel, but they refute the assertions they are any less than able bodied people.

Most are disabled through circumstance rather than design, accidents, health, genetics, all beyond their control.

Collectively, the people we spoke to accept their circumstances, in some cases they found it difficult, but it has brought them to an understanding of themselves, I put the question to abled bodied people if they can say that about themselves.

They embraced their circumstances, their physical, their sometime neurological differences as a unique gift from God.

One woman we spoke to said she is constant pain, and every day faces not only the challenge, her disability presents but the barriers to participate in life, at work and in church.

She found herself feeling marginalised at church and she was not alone.

Access into the church, although not an issue today was before building codes changed.

But once inside some agreed that they while they felt invincible other made them feel, well invisible.

When your invisible, it is hard to participate and have your voice heard as one of our people pointed out when they spoke of their church’s priority, the deaf ears her pleas were to the church leadership who at the time were raising funds for the restoration of a church organ, but no funds could be provided to give them wheelchair access to the toilet.

My experiences in church were particularly difficult she said, “I was seen as an object of others’ care and ministry, but people saw my wheelchair before they saw my gifts. I became invisible,unless I was being prayed for healing (by which prayers usually meant my cure) but no one ever asked whether I wanted prayer.

All agreed they didn’t want to be looked after, they wanted the church to change and listen to those like them who had disabilities.

And I must point out, not everyone who has a disability is aided by a device, their disability may be one unseen.

I want to make the point, while people have disabilities, they are strong in their faith and fight every day to fight and overcome all obstacles and barriers but it is God who promises they will and trust in his words where in 1 John 4 it talks about us, all of us as being children of God, in 1 Peter 5 it mentions victory for everyone born of God who overcomes  the world and believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

While some look down and pity the disabled and think they should be saved, look at what God has provided for them.

One woman said she turned her pity party into a ministry and was able to bring two people to the Lord, just by talking about her situation and her faith.

Another wheelchair bound rocks the stage in a mega church and leads their congregation in worship every Sunday.

Another uses their disability to reach out to others in a similar situation to speak into their lives the good news of Jesus Christ.

These are just some of the examples of where the church sees the heart, not the wheelchair, crutch, walking stick, Zimmer frame, or the mental disability, as no different to able bodied members of the congregation.

Look they may have days where they may be like diamonds and others sometimes, they maybe stone’s full of despair anxiety and self-pity, but then don’t you and I, but like all of us we have one thing in common, we are all made in God’s Image.

Disability seen or not, they too are children of God and deserve to be treated this way.

We as a church can make them belong, and not insignificant, we should include them in every aspect of church life not working for them but alongside.

They must no longer be seen as objects of care and charity but recognised as potential leaders, with gifts to offer.

Together, we could transform the Church to look a little more like God’s kingdom than it did before.

Buckle up your seatbelts and for Christians, I suggest you have a look at your lamp to ensure you have plenty of oil in stock, because the time of the return of Jesus is coming.

We, that is the generation alive today I believe is the generation Jesus spoke about in the book of Matthew 24:34 when speaking about the generation which wouldn’t pass until they had seen the signs of the last days he foretold earlier.

Every year since the beginning of our ministry since 2012 we have openly talked of these end times.

Back in 2012 when we started the world was in a woeful state, and in 2018 as we rebranded into Christian Voice New Zealand it was obvious to us New Zealand as a country had chased the God of heaven out of our culture, out of our country, and out of our lives.

Back then we could see what was happening and it was breaking our hearts as lust was predominant within our society as the apostle John put it in 1 John 2:16, “For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the father but from the world.”

Even the words from Paul, found in 2Timothy3:2 were clanging in our ears at the time. And even then I questioned , why, why is it people cannot see this happening for indeed the world was, and still is full of People who are lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, where children are disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. 

It was only going to be a matter of time when we would see an escalation of a lack of self-control as governments would become drunk with power and take control of people’s daily lives.

We see that, we have seen them drunk in this country, we have seen a leader filled with the spirit of Jezabel and is now being set upon by those who adored her just like the dogs of Jezebels Day.

We see the dogs of war continuing to be drawn into a battle the bible calls Armageddon, but first they must pave the way for the Antichrist, but he must have something to rule over and what better than the nations of this world as todays worldly Governments drunk on power make a clear pathway for a one world government. We have talked a lot about this in the past.

Unlike the next labour prime minister in New Zealand who hasn’t been born yet, the antichrist is here, just waiting, ready to take Centre stage.

We as Christians should be aware of these things, I don’t know how many times Jesus told his followers to stay awake, to stay on the watch, but they didn’t and yet you today, who have so much more knowledge, some of you continue in your slumber, rejecting the word of God, denying the signs, even go as far as denying what you know is true, just like Peter did at the braziers when he denied Christ.

But we are not in the dark, we should be burning our lamps and setting it on high so others can come from the darkness.

Paul, speaking to the congregation in Thessalonica called on them to remain as children of the light.

In verse ^{2, 1 Thessalonians 5 Paul} repeated Jesus warning that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

Complacency amongst God’s people today is the worst it has ever been and yet we should not be surprised when it happens, like it’s happening now.

You watching this are not children of the dark, but children of the light and children of the day

Pauls words again to the Thessalonians we do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

We need to stay awake as we watch the news of today and be aware of the times in which we live.

We cannot afford to be apathetic towards what it was Jesus said as he started to describe the signs in the end times.

First sentence out of his mouth was “Watch out that no one deceives you.”

Really interesting thought today, who is deceiving you?

Think of the news in its current context Jesus told his disciple You will hear of wars, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, wars between Taiwan, China, and the United States, who is it deceiving you today?

It was only a couple of years ago where we were told our government was the only single source of truth and still today, no one trusts mainstream media and yet here we are lapping up everything we hear.

We are without a doubt living in a time of turmoil, for those of the boomer generation we can see it, we have been around long enough to see changes, but it’s the next generation and those following who really concern me.

My generation is apathetic, complacent because we have lived through history, but fail to recognise when history starts repeating.

But this new generation, who deny history, claim it didn’t happen, who do not accept anything wto be true are the children living in darkness, I say that could be true of our own children, ask yourself, did I teach them as the Bible commanded me to or did, I allow them to be drunk with the freedoms of this world.

Have we taught them to obey the commands of God, would they even know what you are talking about when it comes to ensuring we have enough oil to light our way in these darkened times.

Or have we produced a generation like the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹ and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.

Remember the last line in the scripture “That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”

I come back to 1 Thessalonians where Paul said “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

And my friends I have to ask when was the last time you encouraged or built anyone up?

The world is such a big place and remember the harvest is great, but the workers are few. We need to harvest what is in front of us, rather than worry about the next paddock. Encourage your partner, husband, wife, son, daughter, neighbours, friends.

Let me leave you with Jesus’ words when he said.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Some people are like Bees to a honey pot – you know who they are, especially if you hold a garage sale on a Saturday morning.

The colins dictionary English dictionary’s definition of the phrase is

 “If something attracts people like bees to a honeypot or like bees round a honeypot, it attracts people in large numbers.”

Its an expression which is being used to describe reaction to the current middle East conflict between Israel and Palestine.

When the conflict fist hit the headlines, there was an outpouring in both rage and condemnation over the attack on Israel by the terrorist group Hamas.

I call them terrorists because anyone who launches attacks on civilians and slaughters children to be terrorist.

However, as I mentioned in a previous episode, I accept one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist dependent on what side of the gun you are on.

And I will restate what I said last time, as a Christian I am saddened to see this conflict affecting innocent lives on both sides, and while as a Christian I look to the land of Israel as being holy, but then so does Islam, which shows you, really there is no side to be taken.

But like bees to a honeypot, we are attracted to conflict, we have an opinion formed on what I consider to be unconscious bias brought about by our own upbringing.

As a journalist, and as a person who has been, and seen a lot of trouble over the years, we often see attitudes shift in a conflict.

Unquestionably, the recent terrorist attacks on Israeli people by Hamas fighters were brutal and evil.

The attacks reflected Palestinian bitterness about decades of conflict, and a rejection – by some – of the very existence of Israel.

Morally, though, such a massacre can never be justified.

The decision of Israel to invade Gaza and destroy Hamas is understandable, but fraught with considerable danger.

Such an incursion will inevitably lead to a huge loss of life.

Many have already died, and – whatever the rights or wrongs – Palestinian and international Muslim outrage will only be compounded.

Yep, just like bees to a honeypot.

It’s not just countries but anybody whose anybody is out supporting Palestine, and yet you would think it was Israel who started this conflict.

Speak support about Israel and watch the venom pour out of those antisemitic mouths.

The lack lustre response from our foreign minister over the conflict saw prime minister Chris Hipkins walk back and toughen up the condemnation.

New Zealand by the way has given millions of dollars in financial support to the Palestinians for its efforts to establish a homeland in the past.

And no one should be surprised that members of these three members of the Green Party who until recently were a part of the government have supported the actions of Hamas.

Yes, that is correct, they have supported the abduction, the killing of Israeli children and adults. Shame on them

And there was the usual sporting star Sonny Bill Williams putting his head above the parfait.

Oddly enough the only person you would expect to have a say would be saint Jacinda, but she hasn’t.

Isn’t it sad how The Auckland Museum in showing solidarity in support of the victims of Israel by lighting its building in Israeli colours had to apologise for the offence caused to Palestinian supporters. And yet we don’t see any building lit in Palestinian colours.

I guess the flavour isn’t what the bees who attend Islamic mosques in this country is not to their taste as we don’t hear them condemning terrorism at the hands of Hamas especially as how they themselves had been victims of terrorism recently.

Like Bees to a honeypot Palestinian supporters shut out a show of solidarity and grieving from the Jewish community in Australia and had to listen to this group chanting “Gas the Jews”

Around the world we are watching an outpouring of antisemitic, hate a vitriol from nearly every land.

Just last week, I found out that Climate change must have been involved in the middle eastern conflict as Greta Looney tunes voice has been heard in support of Palestine advocating, the use of sustainable bombs.

Like Bees attracted to a honeypot, they are unstoppable.

It’s a bit of an eyeopener, especially when one black guy dies in America and the world breaks out into mass protests, cities burn, and anyone in the public eye desperately bends the knee for a cheap photo opportunity in mock solidarity.

1,400 Jews are slaughtered, and the same people are out on the streets calling for the annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people.

Meanwhile, the celebrities, politicians and sportsmen who can’t wait to jump on every other tragedy remain silent. It’s certainly been an eye opener.

There is plenty of information available online about the history of Palestine/Israel, but one thing I found interesting was how the land was left barren and desolate until the Jews came back to the land in the mid-1800s and the land became refreshed with water and began to be fertile again.

Some may say it’s a coincidence, others may have differing opinions, but the land given to the descendants of Abraham was described as a land of milk and honey and doesn’t it seem strange to you that everyone is like a bee attracted to this honeypot.

I have recently seen other bees attracted to the honeypot of prophecy, some claiming this is the start of WWIII, could be, but it could also be the start of something even bigger and that is the battle foretold in the book of Revelation.

Jesus words recorded in Matthew 24:43 if you knew a thief was coming, you would stay awake, stay on the watch as the apostle Paul put it.  

My friends if you want a clearer understanding of the times, we live in then I suggest you find all the honey in the pot called The Bible and you and be like a bee and be attracted to the God of heaven and earth.

• We, New Zealand
•  cannot, nor should it support the killing of innocents,
• we cannot, nor should we be like the nation of Germany did in the days of Adolf Hitler enter or support acts of antisemitic behaviour towards the Jewish people,
• and we cannot, nor should we have members of our house of representatives support ethnic cleansing of one nation.

In an article last week, I read the story of a chicken farmer in Lebanon who wanted Israel to attack his country, he wanted rid of the scourge of the Hezbollah who overran his country more than a decade ago.

Not everyone Arab wants to see conflict but they certainly are and unquestionably, are attracted to the honeypot of Israel.

• I have heard calls for prayer, so yes, we should pray for those on both sides who mourn, or who are wounded, or homeless, or who now live in great fear.
• Pray for the vulnerable minority of Palestinians who are Christian.
• Pray for inspired and gifted peacemakers, for a general de-escalation, for a ceasefire, and for a negotiated settlement.
• Pray for a deeper miracle: for a new desire among both Jews and Arabs to live alongside each other not in hatred and violence, but with generosity, justice, mercy, and respect.
• Pray that large numbers of Jews and Palestinians may come to believe in Christ, and so find peace with God and a growing peace with others.
• Pray for God’s sovereign purposes to be fulfilled, across the world, and that God’s Kingdom may come.

And one last thing, look up, for your redemption is near.

I grew up in what was a small town on the Taieri Plains.

Its population was about two thousand people and down the road where we lived the tar seal on the road stopped just before our place, the footpaths were just dust tracks, and the drainage was a channel down the side of the road.

Like I said it was small town New Zealand where everybody knew who you were and what your parents were.

I say what and who because my father while not the town drunk, was like a lot of other men of that era, would join up with the daily six o clock swill before the bars closed for the day.

He would then come home full after the quick alcohol and mum and dad would have their nightly disagreement, later the cops arrived to sort it out or take Dad down to the station for the night to sober up. Really, it was no different to many homes of the era.

But that is not what defined us as a family, it was the uniform we as kids were forced to wear which made us stand out as different.

You see we attended the local catholic school; it was my dad who was catholic, mum wasn’t but Dad promised the priest at the time of the marriage we would grow up as catholic, attend a catholic school, go to mass every Sunday, you know the drill.

Being different, standing out, made life hell on earth as the school was on the other side of town and to get there, we had to walk past two state-run schools.

I can still hear the taunting from some of the kids when we passed by, they would sing this derogatory rhyme, “Catholic Dogs, stink like frogs, in their mothers bathing togs.”

Thing is, it didn’t worry me, the singing, it was the abuse, the bullying, and the beatings we took for being different.

I was used to violence, degradation, being the butt of someone else’s prejudice, so when later in life I was called a “redneck” by a woman I was having a conversation regarding homosexuality.

Obviously, I was disagreeing with her stance which was making her angry, when she told me I was a homophobe, which was it. I decided to question the descriptions she was calling me.

To call me homophobic meant nothing as I examined my own conscience and decided I had no phobia towards those who practiced sodomy.

Today we have so many people attempting to cause divisions in our society, look, I don’t know about you, but I am struggling to keep up with who is who and should I be opposed to this or agree with that viewpoint.

A couple of years ago Green MP Chloe Swarbrick used the word “boomer” when referring to Nationals Todd Muller, when they were debating in parliament.

To be fair, boomer is a term which refers to my generation, but in the heat of the debate to use the term in Parliament was wrong, disrespectful.

You see insults and name calling are okay in certain places and venues, but Parliament isn’t one of them.

Being a part of that boomer generation, we never went home and cried on anyone’s shoulders about being told we were dogs, we had stunk like mums bathing togs, because we would get no sympathy.

It would be toughened up or “sticks and stones may break your bones and names will never hurt you.”

And yet today, several generations on we are so easily offended.

Today’s culture is full of hate and when I say hate, I mean hate.

Back in my day it was okay to call a Māori, a Māori, many had nicknames like “darky”, and they were acceptable to the people at the time. It was a name, there was never any ill feeling about it.

Other kids were called sonny, sonny Jim, shorty, Lankey, fatty, skinny, look no one cared but today’s generation get off their precious bikes and start wringing their hands, saying we are degrading them, being hurtful to whom we are directing the name to.

We referred to one of the greatest all time singers Frank Sinatra as “old Blue eyes” and the group of other singers as the “Rat Pack.” No one took offense.

You probably have, everyone has a friend who is referred to by another name, get a group of guys who have been together on a fishing charter and see who doesn’t come off the boat without a new name.

So, what’s all this about?

Is it about being bullied, is it about name calling or even being degraded, well it’s none of those.

It’s understanding and an acceptance of our own prejudices.

Try not to look so stunned we all have them.

Today, like yesterday we all are suffering some form of persecution even here in New Zealand and the thing is we are all guilty of some type of persecution or prejudice.

Don’t believe me? Let me ask you did you laugh when the Indians landed on the moon, and someone suggest they were looking for a new site for a corner dairy? Or laugh at the meme of the rocket ship arriving with hundreds of Indians hanging on the side, like they do the trains.

Maybe there was some other group where a joke was made about a different group of people and they laughed or were you guilty of being the storyteller?

We all have an unconscious bias towards other people, other groups, some unlike in my day are loud about it while others quietly agree.

The current situation in the Middle East is an interesting one.

On both sides you have people who want the same thing, a place to call home and the problem is they both want the same thing, but have you noticed how nuts people are becoming?

Yes, I am a Christian and have a love for Israel, equally I am a Christian who has a love for people regardless of whether they are different.

And I admit I am torn over the Palestinian/Israeli predicament, where one man’s freedom fighter is a terrorist to another man and vice versa dependent upon which side you are on and how it affects you.

Yes, I was tormented as child daily for daring to be different, many young people today are still being tormented for being different but instead of using sticks and stones rifles grenades rockets and tanks we use something more potent, more devastating; we use the smallest muscle we have and that my friends are our tongues.

I have to say it, but the way we use our tongues needs to be reined in big time.
Words are easy to say, words when directed like arrows are hard to takeback.

Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words used to express hatred, incite violence, to divide race, to cause harm, they all hurt, they always have.

The Bible book of James we read Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,

Many today ae angry, angry with the government, the world, with themselves and they need to vent their anger and they do.

Many are quick to be angered and we can rightly be so, but then there are those who are just angry, but can’t explain why.

The kids from the state schools who referred to us a Catholic Dogs didn’t understand why they persecuted you, but they did it as they mirrored prejudice of generations before them.

It didn’t affect me as I grew older, instead it made me stronger, more resilient in life for those who disagree with my viewpoint.

Jesus himself was subjected to racial discrimination, to hatred, to abuse, to violence, rejected by those closest to him, by his mates, and yet when all seemed lost, he uttered the words,

Forgive them father for they do not know what they have done.

The middle East situation Palestine or Israel, I prefer not to take sides because I can see both sides, the Australian One Voice, I can see both sides, New Zealand’s race issues, I can see both sides, can I see a solution, just one.

We should all learn to live with each other, I know it’s easy said than done but the words from Proverbs 11 will help going forward “whoever derides their neighbour has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.”

Understanding who we are, understanding why we are here, understanding why your brother is here, and Understanding who God is will help us to live according to his will and purpose for our lives.

It will enable us to appreciate his love, grace, and mercy towards us.

Understanding who God is will inspire us to worship him in spirit and in truth, and to share his gospel with others.”

(time for cool heads to prevail)

Like you I am closely watching the news coming out of Israel and while many are grabbing their bibles and some of today’s so-called prophets are trying to make pieces of the jig saw fit bible prophecy.

If you are a regular subscriber to Christian Voice New Zealand, you will know we have been watching and warning about the clear indicators relating to the world situation and the time we live in.

Without getting too excited about the times I asked a friend yesterday “If this is the beginning of the end then, why are we still here.”

His answer was simple, as God’s people we have work to do, this conflict gives you and I the opportunity to speak and speak freely about what is to come.

My friend suggested it’s time for Christians to hit others in forehead with a 2×4 plank, he was speaking hypothetically, but given his background in the armed services, I’m not so sure.

However, I think the church itself needs a hit with the plank to awaken it from the state of slumber it finds itself.

Throughout the Bible you will find the word Selah noted about 74 times.

Sela is a musical term to take a pause and that is what I am saying to you today, to take a pause, take a breath before racing in and tell everyone the sky is falling.

When I first heard the news of the conflict my mind immediately went to the question “what is behind this?”

Today I received an explanation from a Christian in the United States which I am about to read it.

Before I commence, I personally agree his explanation is sound, call me a conspiracy theorist, I don’t mind, but at the end of it, you make up your own mind, but I think we can agree, there is evil intent in what is happening right now in the middle east, and it is the work of Satan.

My correspondent writes He has kept his eye on the Israel situation for the past few days.

Here’s what I’ve learned, & here are my blunt & honest thoughts:

1. Israel chose to ignore intelligence from Egyptian officials about a major attack coming from Hamas.

2. Multiple former IDF soldiers & Israeli intelligence personnel have come forward online and said there’s a zero percent chance Israel was unaware of this attack beforehand or couldn’t have prevented it.

3. We just watched unsophisticated terrorists on hang gliders soar into one of the most heavily defended & surveilled countries on the planet.

4. Within 48 hours of the attack, we’re now suddenly seeing enormous support for an American war with Iran and the genocide of the Palestinian people.

I’m witnessing American pastors and formerly level-headed influencers in our world completely lose their minds and call for genocide.

It’s unsurprising, but insane to watch. If the events of the past three years have taught me anything, it’s that when people get whipped into an emotional frenzy, critical thinking completely goes out the window.

People become highly suggestible and will rush to extremely dangerous conclusions without thinking about the consequences.

This is what we’re all witnessing with this situation in Israel.

I’m reminded of Pearl Harbor and 9/11. In both scenarios, the American government received intelligence in advance of the attacks but chose not to prevent the attacks. Why?

The American government was willing to sacrifice the lives of American citizens in order to advance its geopolitical goals.

Pearl Harbor gave the justification to enter WWII. 9/11 gave justification to invade the Middle East & drastically expand the American military industrial complex & our surveillance apparatus.

They were brutal & extremely traumatic events for the American public to witness.

The emotional trauma caused people to get whipped into an emotional frenzy. America wanted ONE THING in response to these attacks: The blood of our enemies. I see the same scenario playing out now.

People are whipped into a frenzied bloodlust. In their frenzied bloodlust, people are overlooking some SERIOUSLY important facts here, notably:

 1. The fact that none of this adds up,

2. innocent civilians are being threatened with genocide, and

 3. Escalated violence in the Middle East and a war with Iran both risk ***the rest of the planet getting dragged into WWIII. ***

 What happened in Israel this weekend was obviously gut-wrenching and awful to witness, but I do not trust Israel’s so-called “intelligence failure”, nor do I trust the snakes in Washington calling for war with Iran, & I no longer trust any of the emotionally frenzied influencers calling for explicit genocide of innocent civilians.

This was a defining moment in history, like Pearl Harbor, 9/11, COVID, the beginning of the Ukraine war, etc., and a lot of people just got played.

People responded by going full mask-off, exposing themselves as reckless & incapable of exercising sound judgment in moments of chaos and heightened emotion. And we’re now at the brink of WWIII because of it. This is all worth noting.

There’s a high likelihood there will be more chaos throughout the rest of this decade. There will be more psychological operations.

There will be more moments in time in which cooler heads ought to prevail, but people will get whipped into an emotional frenzy instead.

Keep your wits about you & be cautious in whom you allow yourself to be influenced by.

Recognize that governments & intelligence agencies spend enormous resources waging psychological operations on social media nonstop when stuff like this goes down.

Remember that when chaos is at its peak, history shows there is ALMOST ALWAYS a hidden agenda being played out, & that hidden agenda is ALWAYS designed to prey on our base emotions to facilitate a desired end-result.

As I mentioned at the outset, there are many opinions about what is happening in the Middle East.

As Christians we are not to sit on our hands and hope that someone else will preach the Good News.

The spirit of Haman is in the air just as it was in the days of King Xerxes found in the book of Esther.

Back then, it was just one person who had the courage to speak the truth into the ear of the king.

One person, Queen Esther for whom such a time was this.

This is “our moment, it is our “Such a time” when we should be speaking.

If there is only one thing you do in your Christian walk with God.

Be faithful to his word and preach the good news.

Your future and the future of your neighbours is dependent upon you simply speaking.

For such a time as this, you are a part of the generation that will see this through, but you cannot be passive in your belief.

You need to stand firm in the word of God. Yes, my brothers and sisters, I am hitting you with a 2×4 plank and encouraging you to put on that suit of Armour God has provided and speak the truth, speak the words in the ears of anyone who will listen about the Good News and the coming of Jesus Christ.

The choice is yours, make the right one, pray for the strength you need but this my friends is the time God has ordained for you. This was the plan he had for you.

Pray for world peace tonight.

By Michael Snyder- October 3, 2023.

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Will a “peace covenant” soon be announced that will permanently alter world history in a major way?  For months, Israel and Saudi Arabia have been quietly negotiating a deal that would normalize relations between the two nations.  But they aren’t the only parties involved.  Israel and Saudi Arabia both want formal security agreements with the United States as part of any agreement.  

In other words, if either of those two nations get attacked, the U.S. military would be required to intervene.  The Saudis also want to develop a nuclear power program, and they want U.S. assistance with that.  But the biggest barrier to a deal was always going to be the Palestinians.  

The Saudis are insisting that any agreement must include major concessions from both the U.S. and the Israelis.  And the Palestinians are publicly making it known that they will not accept any outcome that does not involve formal U.S. recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations.  At one time, such a demand would have killed negotiations, but the Biden administration is incredibly open to making such a move.

So much could change during negotiations, and there is still a long way to go.

And if an agreement can be reached, it will not happen until 2024 at the earliest but you can be sure President Biden would love to promote himself as the man who brought “peace to the Middle East”.

But at this moment something will happen.  In fact, on Friday National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the press that “a basic framework” for an agreement has been “hammered out”…

“All sides have hammered out, I think, a basic framework for what, you know, what we might be able to drive at,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

“But, as in any complex arrangement, as this will inevitably be, everybody is going to have to do something. And everybody is going to have to compromise on some things,” Kirby said.

I was absolutely floored when I first saw that.

After all these years, the sort of Middle East peace agreement that we have been anticipating could come to fruition.

But the Palestinians must be willing to accept the deal, and right now they are playing hardball.  It is being reported that the Palestinians are demanding the transfer of territory in the West Bank from Israel and “recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations” from the United States…

Last month, a US official, a PA official and a senior Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel that Ramallah is seeking “irreversible” steps that will advance its bid for statehood in the context of the US-brokered Saudi Israeli normalization talks.

Those officials said the PA proposals have included US backing for recognition of Palestinian statehood at the United Nations, the US reopening its consulate in Jerusalem that historically served Palestinians, the scrapping of congressional legislation characterizing the PLO as a terror organization, the transfer of West Bank territory from Israeli to Palestinian control, and the demolition of illegal outposts in the West Bank.

Will Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be willing to give up the territory that the Palestinians are asking for?

And will the Biden administration shock the world by formally recognizing a Palestinian state at the United Nations?

If those two things happen, it will have enormous implications for all of us.

A year ago, it seemed impossible that such a comprehensive agreement could happen before the next presidential election in the United States.

But now leaders on all sides seem optimistic.

For example, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman recently told Fox News that an agreement is getting “closer” with each passing day…

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) said that his country was moving “closer” each day toward reaching a normalization deal with Israel, the first time he has publicly acknowledged the process.

“Every day we get closer” to reaching an agreement, the 38-year-old heir to the Saudi throne told Fox News in an interview that aired Wednesday. “It seems it’s for the first time a real one, serious. We’re going to see how it goes.”

And during a speech to the UN General Assembly on September 22nd, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sounded like a man that is ready to make a deal…

In an address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “at the cusp” of a transformative peace agreement with Saudi Arabia. “Such a peace will go a long way to ending the Arab Israeli conflict,” said Netanyahu. “It will encourage other Arab states to normalize their relations with Israel. It will enhance the prospects of peace with the Palestinians. It will encourage a broader reconciliation between Judaism and Islam, between Jerusalem and Mecca, between the descendants of Isaac and the descendants of Ishmael.”

Of course, there are many in Netanyahu’s coalition that would not welcome such an agreement, especially if it means giving up land in the West Bank.

But would their minds change if the agreement also made it possible to start rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem?

This has been a dream of Jewish religious leaders for decades, and so making their dream a reality may be enough to get them to agree to a deal that formally divides the West Bank.

If the Temple is to be rebuilt, the Jewish government will inevitably be heavily involved, and we know that government agencies were already involved in transporting five red heifers to Israel from the state of Texas…

According to Jerusalem-focused non-profit Ir Amim, the Israeli government authorities helped the temple mount activist group, the Temple Institute, and Boneh Israel, an Evangelical organization, import five cows from the United States last year to be used for the red heifer sacrifice.

The Ministry of Agriculture allegedly assisted in bypassing standard regulations to import the live cows from the U.S., which is prohibited. In a press release, Boneh Israel and the Temple Institute claim they received permission to import the cows through the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage also assisted in the project. The Ministry’s Director General, Netanel Isaac, disclosed in a speech at the cows’ welcome ceremony in September 2022 that the agency has been funding the development of the Mount of Olives area where Temple Mount activists plan to initiate the red heifer ritual sacrifice.

So much is happening right now, and the days ahead are likely to be filled with lots of twists and turns.

All sides seem pretty determined to make an agreement happen, and once it is signed our world will never be the same again.

Originally published at End of the American Dream- reposted with permission.

Transcript of meeting presented on line via YouTube, Bitchute, Oddysee and Rumble.

Last month in our Town Hall meeting I made the statement we should ask ourselves what sort of a country we want to be.

Hello, and welcome I’m Mike Bain from Christian Voice New Zealand and thanks for joining us for this, our last Town Hall Meeting before what is being said to be the most important election in our time.

As we Incorporate our theme of Pray, Vote, Stand, as we have looked at the state of this nation in previous meetings, today I want to look at three questions about New Zealand.

• What sort of country did our forefathers want,
• What sort of country should we have become,
• What sort of country we ought to be?

Hopefully by the end of this meeting you will agree with each other and if you don’t you will ponder the thoughts expressed, and I welcome any thoughts, good or bad, you will leave in the comments section.

• What sort of country did our forefathers want.

It’s always been fashionable to look at the past and the reason why many people look in the rear vision mirror and that is to see how far they have come.

But what sort of country could we have been the question.

Jacinda Ardern talked about being aspirational and I think there is a great place to start.

A new colony of the British Empire was looking to aspire into nation built on Christian values and principles.

The underlying foundational principles are a bit vague, obscure to say the least.

It’s believed though by scholars they would have included relevant statutes based on

• The 1297 Magna Carta,
• the 1688 Bill of Rights,
• the 1700 Act of settlement which would have regulated succession to the throne among other matters.
• As well as the Treaty of Waitangi 1840.

The underlying principle was one of democracy.

• where the monarch of the day, in this case it was Queen Victoria, Today King Charles, he or she is represented by the Governor General, whose decisions are upheld by acting members of the crown such as the judiciary.
• But it was the place of Parliament where the power of the country was to sit and make the decisions for the country and by a majority of consensus from parliamentarians would then be signed by the Monarchs representative, The Governor General.

Once established other foundation principles could be adhered to such as

• the rule of law,
• The principle of legality—the dignity of the individual and the presumption in favour of liberty …

• Respect for property …
• Natural justice …
• Access to the courts …
• The spirit and principles of the Treaty of Waitangi …

It was on these foundations New Zealand became a part of the British Empire.

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in good faith by the queen’s representative and many Māori tribal leaders.

To say New Zealand underwent some growing pains as settlers and Māori clashed over lands, is a bit of an understatement, an issue which is slowly being settled.

However, around the turn of the century all were living and working towards building a nation.

In its first 100 years a lot happened with the Great War, then the second world war, but both European and Māori along with the growing generation worked harmoniously together.

Some people from other parts of the Pacific arrived in New Zealand and established a place to call home.

It was kind of like a eutopia with differing nationalities working together.

This was the real foundation of New Zealand and one which could have gone on and been aspirational to other lands such as the US with its civil rights issues and South Africa and its apartheid regimes.

But the rumblings of discontent were just starting to rumble with new generations starting to voice their discontent, it wasn’t just a New Zealand thing, as we see many indigenous peoples from all parts starting to rise.

And this really does bring us up to about the turn of the century.

We started to see people no longer accepting what had gone before, we started to have a culture of blame, it was like a cancer spreading across the land, everyone started to exert their own rights and yesterday’s agreements started to look a bit shoneky amongst the growing generations to the stage where discontent was everywhere.

Instead of a society built on Christian principles one of which was Love your neighbour as yourself became one where everyone started to love themselves and want what they thought was rightfully theirs.

Everything was wrong in this country where brother began arguing and exerting their rights against each other, where they chased God and common sense from the public square, out of parliament, out of education and dare I say it, off the marae and homes.

Any aspirations our forefathers had that we would become a land where everyone was welcome, a land where we would live in peace with each other was shattered.

I asked the question as to what sort of country did our forefathers want us to become, there was no real decisive plan, except to be an outpost of the British Empire.

New Zealand suffered hard times like other nations around the world with the great depression, it sent its young to distant shores to be sacrificed in the name of the realm and freedom.

Following the war New Zealand servicemen returned home and just got on with it.

They married their long-time sweethearts, producing a boomer generation and the country drifted along.

Either no one knew the word aspirational or knew how to spell it, but it was a great time for those who remember it.

The country was a safe place for everyone to live, all races, both brown, white, or any other color lived in harmony.

In 1840 after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi it was recorded there was a loud hurrah and a declaration made “we are all one people.” A sentiment that lasted well over a century.

In 1975 the Treaty of Waitangi Act was passed by parliament and altered again just a decade later.

Amendments were made to right the wrongs of the past and so they should.

I don’t think anyone in this country would disagree Māori may have been shafted at that time.

But this appears to be not enough among some members of Maoridom and the cracks in the cultural peace and harmony started to appear.

Which brings us to our lowest point in history thus far.

In 2017 democracy changed when New Zealand underwent its first political coupe where the majority party with the most votes were unbale to continue to rule.

We all remember Winston Peters wouldn’t allow National take the treasury bench and allied himself as the kingmaker and hitched his wagon to the Labour Party.

The transition from a country which championed democracy was about to change and we were to become a country which looked the same, felt the same but there was a differing agenda in the air.

We heard the word aspirational and fell in love with a Prime Minister who as history has recorded was clearly out of her depth as a leader.

Instead of the aspirational goals of Jacinda Ardern failure was starting its creep.

Before the pandemic there were signs despite all the promises, Housing, lifting people out of poverty, and improving the lives of ordinary citizens could not and still six years later been delivered.

Without a doubt Covid changed many countries around the world but here we saw things happen which we would have never accepted in any other time.

New Zealand became a nation which looked totally different because of emergency powers which were enacted under the guise to keep its citizens safe.

As I mentioned its always good to look back to see how far we have come and now hindsight tells us we, the New Zealand Public were sucked in by forces from offshore and we were ruled by fear.

The Covid years will be remembered as a time when left wing Marxism collided with straight out Fascism with lockdowns, border security, restrictions on everyday life, we were encouraged to report on the actions of friends’ neighbours and family members.

Society was separated into the haves and have nots over the mismanaged Vaccine roll out.

New Zealanders were signed up to become guinea pigs in a worldwide grasp for control.

It was during this time we heard the words “be kind” put a Teddy in the window, many put them at their gates and weren’t kind, they left them out there in all sorts of weather, Be Kind, it was the mantra of a smiling Prime minister who was indeed a Marxist, but also a puppet with her strings being pulled by the World Economic Forum and the United Nations.

My friends if you had told me in 2017, we would have censorship across our country with army checkpoints I would not have believed you.

Life after Covid is no better as the divisions in this country have become worse.

From the declaration of we are one people we are definitely not as one.

Although Jacinda Ardern has gone away Marxist ideals are still held by the governing party, Smile all you like Prime Minister Hipkins, a return to power for your government and what it stands for will see civil war, if not greater civil unrest as the divisions of the entitled come to the fore.

This is the country we are today, A country bent on destroying everything previous generations wanted for us.

We are a country with no aspiration because a country divided cannot stand. This is who we are, this is where we are, and all I can say is good luck to those fleeing from this land.

I asked at last months meeting, what sort of country do we want in the future and today I have changed that and ask what sort of country should we “out” to be?

For us to be a great little country at the bottom of the world we have, we must get along.

We need to put the past behind us and live with a sense of decency towards each other.

• Bob McCroskie from Family First will love this one.We need to bring families back to the dinner table,
• We need to take responsibility for our families, if you are going to let the village raise your child beware the village produces idiots as well, and there are plenty of them these days.
• We need to have a culture of dignity and acceptance of each other as we are all different and our families, tribes, we were all strangers to this land we call home.

With the forthcoming election we need to have strength, wisdom, and fairness back in parliament, above all we need leadership, not popularity.

If it means we need to change our constitution, then let’s start the discussion.

There is so much we can do, but it takes someone to make a start if we are to heal our nation and become what it ought to be. Can you be that person? Can you accept your fellow worker is different, has differing opinions, maybe even has different skin color, it doesn’t matter we need to accept and let others know we accept them.

So let me come to our theme of these meetings throughout the year Pray, Vote, Stand.

Without a doubt, if we as a nation return to God, his love, his mercy, and his sovereignty we as a nation will be blessed.

We need to pray for that to happen, it won’t just suddenly be all Kumbaya in the morning but if we took a biblical attitude to the way we treat each other, You won’t but help notice the difference, so yes, I ask you pray for this nation to become what it “out to be.”

Other ways we can make change is to ensure who we vote for has the country’s best interest at heart.

We, all of us, can send a message to our wannabe politicians that we reject the state and culture of this country, and encourage them to work towards a goal of being the country we ought to be.

Finally, the word stand, I am going to make an addendum here and say stand Firm.

New Zealand, we have a great country, one with its natural beauty, its climate, its cities but above all its people.

• We need to stand together, without entitlement, and adopt the old mantra and return to be a great country with its number eight fencing wire attitude.
• We need to continually pray for this nation, for each other, and ourselves.
• We need to return to democracy the way it was intended, one man one vote.
• We need to guard against anything else which will creep into and change this great country of ours.
• We need to stand, stand firm on the blessings God has given us by way of life, family, and home.
• We need to lift our voices as they did after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and declare “We are One People.”

That is the type of country we ought to be, and that would truly be aspirational.

A sermon, maybe it’s a prayer call but people will respond to the word of God.

But us old timers see it almost every week where a dozen or so go up front of the auditorium ang give their hearts to the lord.

And while its not always a stampede to the front its almost like that out of the back door of churches.

A friend of mine boasts he’s seen thousands of people in one night give their hearts to the lord.

Even in good ole America we recently heard the R word being bandied about, The R word? Revival.

Yep, the early days of February, something was happening on campus at Ashbury University.

What started out as an ordinary chapel meeting ended up being a weeklong gathering with what Time Magazine called fervent prayer and worship.

News of the gathering which soon became known as a revival spread globally gaining notoriety on social media and mainstream news.

What was happening to this university in Kentucky where he town was overwhelmed by a rush of media, outside and visitors.

And suddenly there was other universities reporting their own enthusiastic campus gatherings, leading excited Christians to contend this is the evidence of an unprecedented movement of God across the nation

Even here in New Zealand we were hearing about Ashbury from some of our church leaders.

Yeah look, I don’t know what was going on, I really think it’s too late for revival, we are too far down the path towards the return of God, but something obviously did happen, but was a movement of God across the nation.

Jesus gave us a marker for truth when he said in Luke 6:44 Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.

Question, in Ashbury what were the fruits from the week long pray in at the University.

When the harvest was done, did we hear about hundreds, thousands of lives changed across America.

After all Christians were claiming it as evidence of an unprecedented movement of God across the nation.

Reality it was just wishful thinking, and I am going to be really blunt about these people who witnessed Ashbury.

Yes, there was some form of euphoria happening at the University and then did you note, other universities were reporting they too were seeing something happening, but it was the universities, not the people in the towns, not the people in between, were the streets awash with people giving their lives to Christ,  there was no obvious change in the culture of American people, really what was the fruit from the revival.

Perhaps no American speaks of the hazards here as incisively as Frederick Douglass.

In his 1845 Narrative, the then-enslaved Douglass discusses his enslaver, who had just experienced conversion at a Methodist revival.

Douglass reports his hope that the revival might make his enslaver kinder, or even lead him to consider emancipation.

But it did the opposite, making him “more cruel and hateful in all his ways.”

But for Douglass, the answer wasn’t to reject revival or Christianity outright.

The answer was to point toward the “Christianity of Christ,” a religion characterized by love of neighbour and concern for the oppressed.

We might then carefully embrace the possibility of spiritual awakening even if we aren’t exactly sure from whence it came or where it’s going.

Some approaches to evangelism assume that people are ready and waiting to accept Christ as soon as they hear the message. We give Pastors too much credit.

We all have people we know who have made an instant decision and are still beside you each Sunday but there are many who aren’t.

After Church on Sunday some one may suggest heading of to Macca’s for a feed but when you’ve had it, sometimes you get buyer’s remorse.

Let’s not forget we live in an ‘instant society.’ We’re used to getting what we want almost immediately – from fast food to instant credit ratings.

I would not be surprised to hear we have churches doing fast-food type evangelism leading to quick commitments to Christ.

There’s a tendency for us Christians to presume people are ready to surrender to Jesus the very first time the Gospel is explained to them. This is rarely the case.

Of course, beautiful music and gathered community affect us; there’s a reason why even the most avid secularist is moved at the sight of natural beauty, why we appreciate the well-honed rhetoric of a speaker we also happen to agree with, or why it’s possible to feel moved (as I have been, I admit) amongst a bunch of grooving despots at a Dire Straits concert.

Usually, the person whose going to come next week is the one where the seeds have been sown by someone other than your pastor, John 4:38

Not saying it doesn’t happen but in New Zealand today, it is rare to find someone who is ready to accept Christ on their very first encounter with an evangelist!

And for those who do commit on Sunday, like I said my friend tells me he has seen thousands give their lives to the lord, on the day, but what was the follow up, he said he wasn’t sure, with such a large number its always going to be hard.

In New Zealand we know there’s evangelists like Tauranga’s Jesus Reigns whose outreach ministries are on streets and parks; they are unsure how many hearts have been turned to the Lord, but there creating an environment for people who can.

But like churches, when they follow up, sometimes they find they have been given false particulars, phone numbers and addresses, but it still doesn’t deter them, they’re there next week, but hey for them to react the way they did may have just been the seed being planted.

It means churches and evangelists must follow up on the individuals to ensure the next step they take is towards God but alternatively they must not, and I reiterate this point, they must not forget the members who make up their congregations.

I have witnessed churches who throw everything at newbies, while established members who are looking for true teaching, some meaty sermons become despondent and quietly slip out the back door.

Sometimes newbies are in the congregation, not necessarily for God although its hoped the spirit touches them, but even I can admit going to church as young man in the hope I could impress a girl.

Above all we must, all of us keep in mind what we are about as Christians, In 1 Thessalonians Paul in v 5  For we know, brothers and sister, loved by God, that he has chosen you,

Why did he choose them, choose us because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord,

We want people to accept Christ with power and passion.

It is up to us, for we are the church to ensure these people see us with that same passion Paul spoke about, that they will want to come and worship with you next week.

And dare I say it, it is up to the church organisation, and we should demand that we are equipped in order for us to ensure these new converts that they too are equipped with understanding, with passion that won’t be swayed, and knowledge  of God’s word, his love, his mercy and his sense of justice as they head out amongst the wolves of this world, out into the world of Satan.

Revivals like Asbury’s and even church on Sunday are simply sites of emotional manipulation, where participants are being swept up in charismata that is artificial, designed to induce chill bumps-on-arms responses.

If a revival or your church service is simply the powerful surge of collective emotion, or the product of stagecraft, is it really real?

If sexual abuse was an Olympic event, then I am sure the Catholic Church would make a clean sweep of the podium regardless of what category they would be in.

No other organisation can even come close, but the sad thing is, other Christian organisations are trying.

We have heard of the cover ups in the Pentecostal church like Hillsong, many evangelical churches in the USA, closer to home we have the west coast commune Gloria vale and now shock, horror, Jehovah’s Witnesses covering up eleven pedophiles’ who walk freely amongst the children of believers.

The scandals continue to make headline news, every organisation bury their heads in the sand and hope it goes away, we have seen that from the Catholics for years.

Jehovah’s Witnesses states its position is that it abhors child sexual abuse, and that “the incidence of this crime among Jehovah’s Witnesses is rare.”

This may be why the organisation sought leave not to be included in the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse by seeking a judicial review and High Court declaration that the church does not assume responsibility for the care of children, young people, or vulnerable people.

And yet here we are with a scandal in this organisation is in the news with allegations of cover ups where it’s been reported by both the New Zealand Herald and Radio New Zealand a Jehovah Witness elder claims was told to destroy confidential church documents, including those relating to child sexual abuse cases.

Their siege mentality only makes the scandals and the claims even more pronounced.

But is just not all about sex, its bad business practices, and exploitation which we have seen from the Arise megachurch, then there’s the medias obsession with making everything Brian Tamaki’s Destiny Church does as cultish and bizarre.

But back to the sex and we acknowledge sexual abuse has happened in the confines of Christianity, and still happens, in a vast range of contexts, all around the world.

It happens in families, neighbourhoods, schools, institutions, workplaces, clubs, sports, in armed forces, and in wars.

July saw the end of a seven year long Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) concluded by publishing its final report in Britain.

Among the horrifying accounts are plenty from those who suffered as a result of “hands on” vicars and priests, pastors, bishops, and monks.

An investigation by the Associated Press in the US claimed nearly 1,700 priests and other clergy members that the Roman Catholic Church, considers credibly accused of child sexual abuse, are living under the radar with little to no oversight from religious authorities or law enforcement.

Here in New Zealand the Crime and Victims Survey from the Ministry of Justice reveals the situation is still business as usual where almost 30 percent of New Zealand adults experienced intimate partner violence, or sexual violence, at some point in their life, with women three times more likely to experience sexual violence than men.

Can I suggest, holding inquiries is one thing but doesn’t stop the abuse from happening.

But what can be done?

The Brits are looking at the introduction of a new law which would see mandatory reporting.

This new law would create criminal penalties for anyone in a designated position (mostly those working with children or in a position of trust) who becomes aware of child abuse and doesn’t report it to the police.

It has long been a demand from victims’ groups and many children’s charities but has also been resisted by some within the Church, especially traditions which value the historic confidentiality of confession.

There is some good news with the Catholic Church in New Zealand has voluntary agreed to report cases of sexual abuse which may have been heard in the confessional.

Whatever laws are brought in to place to protect the victims I’m sure, all would support it.

But what can we do as an individual.

We need to understand sexual abuse reflects not just lustfulness, but our dark human capacities for         

•  selfishness,
• delusion,
• exploitation,
• domination,
• violence,
• and deceit.

It is a glaring manifestation of our human sinfulness.
Sexual abuse is never innocent, justifiable, or right.

It almost always leaves an enduring legacy of great harm.
It is utterly tragic that considerable sexual abuse has clearly taken place in some Christian churches, church-going families, and church-run institutions such as boarding schools and orphanages.

Sexual abuse is always 100% wrong.

But for it to happen in church-related contexts is doubly appalling and shameful, because it goes against everything Christian faith stands for, including God’s calls to love, mercy, holiness of heart and mind, integrity, and renewal in Christ.

The scandalous and inexcusable failings of some continue to bring huge reputational harm upon the church at large.

• Deplore what has happened.
• Empathise with and pray for those who have been victims.
• Be compassionate.
• Support justice.
• Be vigilant.
• Ensure our churches have very robust systems, to help protect everyone from harm.
• Disciple our people well.

And be determined to follow Christ in love, integrity, and purity.