Tag: bible

The Unthinkable: The World on the Brink of Four Simultaneous Conflicts

by MikeBain, posted in Uncategorized

As published in The Daily Examiner News Website and based on the Christian Voice New Zealand podcast: The Unthinkable

It’s hard for the typical New Zealand citizen to imagine that the country’s Defence Forces might be required to participate in a military conflict before the year is over.

The United States might need to lean on its military allies as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran eagerly anticipate challenging the world’s most powerful military.

For many Christians as these events unfold may recall the words of Jesus Christ from the Bible, warning that in the last days, there would be wars and rumours of wars.

This year and more so now as 2024 draws to a close, we have reached a moment in history that none of us will forget.

As the world stands on the brink of four major conflicts, we are standing on the precipice of the unthinkable.

Horrific wars have a way of erupting when most people are not expecting them.

Hardly anyone expected a global war to erupt in 1914, but then tens of millions died over the next four years.

Hardly anyone expected a global war to erupt in 1939, but once again tens of millions died over the next six years.

This time around, what is happening should be glaringly obvious to everyone. 

If the nations currently beating the drums of war do not change course, not tens of millions but billions could die during the nightmarish global wars that are rapidly approaching.

Since the end of World War II in 1945, the prospect of another global conflict has loomed, yet the nations have been reluctant to tread the path again.

Since the end of World War II in 1945, the prospect of another global conflict has loomed, yet nations were reluctant to tread that path again. Now, that reluctance has vanished as the drums of war grow louder each day, causing major concerns across the United States.

There’s no longer an eagerness, only an obligation for the US to engage in conflict, and indications are they soon will be.

China continues to flex its muscles in the South China Sea, right in front of the US fleet stationed off the coast of Taiwan. Speculation is rampant that an invasion by Chinese forces is imminent.

President Xi Jinping, recently seen in military fatigues, has emboldened his troops to prepare for war.

Chinese analysts believe that the directive from Xi to “strengthen their preparedness for war” signals that a strike in Taiwan is likely. This could lead to a direct confrontation between the United States and China.

The conflict in Europe remains ongoing, with Russian forces, bolstered by reinforcements from North Korea, continuing their attempts to reclaim control over Ukraine.

 In response, Western leaders, spearheaded by French President Emmanuel Macron, are considering the deployment of NATO troops to assist Ukrainian forces.

If this decision is implemented, the United States, as a treaty partner, would be obliged to deploy its own troops, entangling the nation in yet another conflict.

The recent tensions between North Korea and South Korea are raising alarms in the United States, particularly as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un seeks to demonstrate military strength and has labelled South Korea a “hostile nation.”

Observers in Asia suggest that South Korea’s patience is limited, and if conflict were to erupt, the U.S. would feel compelled to intervene due to its obligations to South Korea.

The situation underscores the ongoing instability in the region and the complexities of international relations involving North Korea.

There is a genuine concern that four major conflicts could overburden the U.S. military, which remains focused on the Middle East, where the situation could rapidly become unmanageable. The prospect of war is inevitable, painting a grim picture for the United States Military, once regarded as the best in the world, now a mere shadow of its former self.

At the AUSA conference in Washington DC last week, General Charles Flynn of the United States Pacific Forces admitted, “the U.S. military is not the overwhelming global force that it once was.”

He emphasized that “Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea have been placing increasing pressure on American military resources.” While other major powers have been fervently preparing for World War III, Flynn concluded, “our military has been rapidly becoming a politically correct joke.”

He warned, “the day of reckoning is upon us, and we’re not ready.”

Concerns regarding New Zealand’s security and potential involvement in a global conflict remain unanswered by the New Zealand Government.

New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister, the Right Honourable Winston Peters, has described the NZ Defence Force as “utterly unprepared,” consistently reminding that “we are no longer safe in our place in the world.”

As a member of the ANZUS alliance, New Zealand is obligated to support its military partners. Consequently, if the United States calls, New Zealand troops could find themselves deployed in any of these conflicts.

The unthinkable may soon become a reality.

He Wore a Chaplains Shirt.

by MikeBain, posted in Uncategorized

The following is a word of appreciation I wrote to the New Zealand Chaplains group following my time in hospital in 2022 after a near fatal accident which nearly took my life.

To whom this may concern,

Absolutely, without question, God is great, and few individuals are lucky to serve him on a daily basis.

On July 7 kissing my wife goodbye as she put my cell phone in my back pocket and rode down the drive on my bike with the intention of cycling my regular fifty kms from Te Awamutu which would take in the streets of neighbouring Hamilton City.

It would not be until mid-September, until I returned home, having spent the period in Hamilton’s intensive Care Unit, Ward M2 and ABI in Auckland.

I am unsure of the exact date, but told, it was sometime in August I can recall a woman in face mask rubbing and kissing my arm.

In those moments of regaining consciousness, I was confused as to who this woman was, but I could tell by the kisses that this was my wife, Mandy.

I vaguely recall her telling me I had been involved in an accident and was in hospital, and I am quite sure the first thing I mentioned was that I could feel the weight of prayer offered on my behalf, I was aware God was with me.

Although in a coma and heavily influenced by drugs, I was aware of certain people being around me like a nurse, my family, a member of my church pastoral team and someone called Brian who was in and out of those moments. He was the one wearing the chaplain’s shirt.

As I became more lucid and checking memory with Mandy as to what was real and what was drug induced memory, I spoke about Brians presence and his prayers.

It was later I found out how instrumental Brian had been during this time period I was unconscious.

Mandy and the family speak highly of Brian’s commitment to me in visiting on regular occasions each day and the support he provided for them.

He certainly wore the chaplain’s shirt, both physically and spiritually.

Mandy was and will be forever appreciative of the time, commitment, and compassion, he showed in being the hands and feet of Jesus at the time.

Although I can say, had I not met Brian recently, I may have passed him in the street without recognition, so much as my memories were, but I was always aware and appreciative of his presence, it gave me a sense of peace when under the influence of administered drugs.

I understand Brian was not the only member of the team who had visited and made supplication for healing on my behalf, I appreciate their time and commitment.

Once released from ICU, I spent weeks in a general ward and recall, chaplain Lance Langley sitting by my bedside praying and comforting me.

A year plus on as a part of my recovery, I joined the volunteers at parkrun, a 5km run around Hamilton Lake on Saturday.

Mandy has been involved as an athlete for years and before my accident I would bike through to Hamilton and meet up as she was finishing for coffee.

It was only in recent weeks that my family told me that the Lance I spoke to on a regular basis was the chaplain I had prayed with and he too, like Brian and the rest of the team were at my side on a regular basis.

Somewhere in the blur I recalled saying to Brian, when this is all over, we must have coffee, because even then I recall he was there.

There is one thing I have understood from this experience is that King David was correct when he wrote the 23rd Psalm.

Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,[a]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

Brian may well have worn the chaplain’s shirt, but I do believe God had both appointed and anointed him to help me through that dark valley.

Having gone through all the trauma at the time it was great for Mandy and me to be able to catch up with Brian and acknowledge the hard testing times he put in with both me and my family.

Brian was able that day to facilitate a trip back to ICU and had a chance to catch up with others whom I did not recognise but knew they had also worked on my recovery.

There is no way or words that can really express our gratitude for their work except to say, “Thank You.”

Brian, Lance, and the rest of the team may have “just” been wearing the chaplain’s shirt during those days, but I know, those who were wearing the shirt were walking with God.

I want to finish this off with a verse from the book of 2 Samuel 7 as King David sat before the Lord although speaking of the new temple, he was to build I hope these words will pass onto the chaplaincy team.
Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”

I thank God daily for you and may you continue to bring peace and assurance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

CALL FOR GREATER EQUALITY AND ACCESS TO LAND

by MikeBain, posted in Uncategorized

Ever since I sat down to write this blog, I have struggled with its content.

It concerns race issues, relating to New Zealand, but it is a message which goes against the delicate grain of Political Correctness.

To be fair, and not getting into a discussion on who came first and who has rights to the Land, the rivers, the lakes, the coastal foreshore, or the air we breathe, I think we can all agree on the Bibles version as to how the earth was created.

WE can agree that God the creator and giver of life, gave land to Abraham for his descendants to occupy.

And yet here we are in the most confused period where information is at our fingertips still fighting over ownership.

Let me just say, regardless of how many deeds you have for land, nobody really has ownership, but you have rights and obligations regarding occupation.

To sum it up, Its Gods land, and to my knowledge, God has only ever given the Israelite nation land they can call home.

In New Zealand’s culture, today very few of us accept God exists and now can rewrite its own history.

According to the radical left the judgment of history is on us and upon our children.

Thomas Sowell

Historically we accept things to be true like, Morori were occupiers, were wiped out by Māori upon their arrival, Dutch explorer being the first European to our shores named it Nieuw Zeeland  and then sometime after Captain James Cook anglicized the name to New Zealand.

European settlers arrived and land became an issue with Europeans trading items with Māori and it was accepted with this trade, a right to occupy.

And it is accepted that some Europeans were less than scrupulous in their dealings, which was less than fair.

Trading companies such the one headed by Edward Gibbon Wakefield, “The New Zealand Company” were responsible for many questionable real estate practices.

The Land Wars and other issues saw Māori losing their occupational rights to land.

And then in 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed by both Māori and representatives of Queen Victoria which ceded all land to come under the control of realm.  

So that’s a quick history on land transfer but if you were to listen to people like members of the Māori political Party and members of the Māori caucus in the Labor Party along with some Māori radicals the tribes, their version of history says their land was stolen by European’s.

In reality no one owns the land, I say that because God created the earth for all mankind to live on.

In Genesis 7 we read where God promised land to Abraham as a place where his descendants would live.

There is nowhere else in the Biblical record which refers to the ownership of land.

I said no one can really own land (it’s a touchy subject) but we do have rights through various actions and causes to have the sole right to occupation.

History shows that Māori occupied New Zealand first. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman was the first European and gave it a name, Niew Zeeland. British explorer James Cook was the next to arrive and anglicized the name as New Zealand.

So here we are 182 years after the signing of the treaty of Waitangi some sections of New Zealand being made to feel guilty for living in New Zealand, or call it by another name.

Guilt because it is an evil land and because New Zealand was founded by white Europeans and Māori activists, (please note I am not saying all Māori) but the radicals amongst them, most likely want the white skinned members of society to hate themselves, hate their ancestors, after all  the alleged white supremacist who are deemed to be the source of all ills in New Zealand now .

The prevailing narrative in some schools is what white students are supposed to see themselves as systematically racist and the only proof that they need is the color of their skin.

I feel sorry for radicals like Willie Jackson who gets vocal about things like colonization but has done ok for himself with a net worth more than $3m.

There can be no doubt about it, white guys are living on stolen land.

Colonization has never ended it’s just become normalized instructing New Zealanders to learn which tribal land you’re currently occupying.

Yes tragically, there were atrocities against the native Māori people were committed in New Zealand when the country was established.

 They experienced terrible suffering and were often physically and sexually abused.

 My point is not to justify such evils and God will rule justly about everything that transpired.

But we cannot live with perpetual guilt about matters we had nothing to do with and cannot change.

History should be a rudder to guide us but not an anchor that keeps us from moving forward to a better future.

Cultural Marxism as we’ve learned, teaches us that we must deconstruct New Zealand, the foundation pillars of our country must be undermined and this is accomplished by generating self hatred among white New Zealanders, stifling their ingenuity, and destroying New Zealand’s religion, its religious history. According to Karl Marx the author of Cultural Marxism, the evils of the past generation cancel any possibility that the white New Zealanders can succeed legitimately, if they do succeed it is solely because of their white privilege.

If you’re white and successful feel guilty,  author Thomas Sowell in his book , Discrimination and disparities” argues congenitally they don’t know and with hard data that the disparities which exist in different communities were not necessarily the result of discrimination.

 He says the bedrock assumption underlying many political or ideal ideological crusades is the that social socioeconomic disparities are automatically somebody’s fault so that our choices are rather to blame society or blame the victim.

He argues against the assumption that if a group is failing it’s always the fault of someone else.

According to the radical left the judgment of history is on us and upon our children.

Those who are white should figuratively speaking go into a confession booth and never exit for no matter how long the contrition.

They are never able to resolve the fact that they are racists who stole the land from Māori but it is difficult for anyone to seek absolution for sins they did not comment commit, and as to the reparations for the past, how much and for how long and to whom should these funds be distributed.

And is it fair to expect this generation to pay for the wrongs they did not commit to reward a generation that did not experience these wrongs.

But what of the question of stolen land?

The unwritten though unbreakable law of the radical left is this, don’t ever compare New Zealand with other countries, it’s hard to get people to hate New Zealand if we apply the same standard to them

 If we did that, we would discover that no nation is truly legitimate.

Here is the reality, nations are established by wars, conflicts, and hostile takeovers.

 No matter where you go in this world, the story is one of various people groups displacing other people groups.

Even in New Zealand history there are reports Māori tribes fought territorial wars against each other.

 As the great historian Toynbee is quoted as saying blessed is the nation that has no history, for history is a record of war.

Let me conclude with this thought, God created the earth, which is the planet which encompasses land, seas, air, light, and darkness as a home for every man, woman, and child, from every tribe and nation whether we are white, brown, or black. He allows us to occupy the land, and life is too short to spend time on questions regarding ownership

DID SPLIT ENZ GET IT WRONG?

by MikeBain, posted in Uncategorized

On what planet were the writers of the Split Enz hit song, “History Never Repeats”? No matter how catchy the tune or how they incorporate the word Aotearoa, it’s simply untrue.

Right off the bat, the song was great, and as history shows, it was another modest hit from an exceptionally talented group. But I’m not here to discuss Split Enz or delve into music anthologies. I want to talk about the concept of history.

Let me ask you, how do you think we got our history? For Māori, history is shared and passed down orally from generation to generation. For others, like me, we rely on historical records from newspapers, documentation, diaries, photographs, and even film archives. I worked as a journalist for many years, reporting on events, people, and providing a factual, concise record of what was happening on any given day. I told stories about the people involved and gave insights into the culture of the country at that time.

When I displeased my editor, I was often assigned to write historical features, working with old newspaper copies to write about past events and people. Those newspapers, though they might have been tomorrow’s fish-and-chip wrappers, were historical documents, records of what had transpired before my time. Many people have written books using this method, incorporating diaries and stories handed down from the past, sometimes even eyewitness testimony.

Split Enz claimed, “History Never Repeats,” while others say we should learn from history to ensure it doesn’t repeat. But what is history, really? It is an account of one person’s understanding or version of events, which can be manipulated to fit their beliefs. History is essentially a version of someone’s belief at the time, which may change as they reflect and reconsider.

For example, the interpretation of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre was recorded from many perspectives. There are numerous accounts from the West about the murder of over 3,000 innocents, and equally, there are accounts from Islamic nations about the deaths of infidels and the martyrdom of those who executed the event. Today, our news and historical reports are so diverse and influenced by agendas—political, religious, racial, environmental, gender-related, and more.

Even stories handed down from previous generations can be inaccurate, shaped by the perspectives of those who told them. My own family didn’t speak to an aunt for years over a long-past incident. We missed out on the richness of knowing her because of an inaccurate historical fact.

So, why does history repeat itself? It’s a flawed assumption, but we should learn from history, even if it’s imperfect, to prevent dreadful things from happening again. However, in today’s culture, individuals and groups often want history rewritten to suit their current narratives. The New Zealand Government, like many others, has held inquiries and apologized for past abuses in government and faith-based care facilities, saying such things should never have happened.

The world has said similar things about war, apartheid, slavery, and genocide. Knowing the history of these atrocities, were Split Enz right that “History Never Repeats,” or were those who said we should learn from history correct? The fact that history repeats itself time and again proves them both wrong.

Two centuries ago, the Roman Empire, on its path to glory, seized areas including Judea. Early history was documented by Josephus, whose accounts are considered independent records of the players and politics of his time. Josephus wrote about a man who was the victim of racial and religious hatred, sentenced to death, tortured, and crucified. You know who I’m talking about—Jesus Christ, whose story is at the heart of the Bible, based on eyewitness interpretations.

While no Christian has been killed in the exact manner of Christ, many followers have suffered brutal deaths. History, in this case and others, continues to repeat itself, sometimes more brutally and unimaginably. We often forget the past, despite agreeing with our lips that we won’t repeat these actions, and the notion that one person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter complicates things further.0

In conclusion, humanity has a rich tapestry of history, recorded in newspapers, preserved on film, and from firsthand accounts. Yes, we can learn from it. I mentioned Josephus earlier, whose accounts were backed by other sources, whether they were a doctor, fisherman, tax collector, or even someone who fell off a horse. The history of God’s word has remained intact. It’s true we can learn from history and even rewrite it, but at the end of the day, we need to learn from the truth. Building our lives on a foundation of truth is essential.

At Christian Voice New Zealand, we view today’s culture through the lens of the Bible because we believe its historical accou0nt of humankind is accurate, and therefore, we accept its prophecy for the future of mankind as accurate.

True Church in New Zealand: Reality vs. Expectation

by MikeBain, posted in Uncategorized

A young farmworker finds himself outside of church in a well to do part of a city.

He gets out of his muddy Ute which he has parked in the church car park amongst Audi’s, Bentleys, and other top-class European brands.

He raises eyebrows as he’s dressed in his black singlet, canterbury shorts and wearing his muddied Redband’s.

On entering the church, he can’t help but feel everyone was staring

She finds a seat near the front.

As he was leaving after the service, he bumped into the Pastor who said to him,

I don’t believe I have seen you in this church before and the young man said, “no I haven’t been, but I would sure like to come back.”

The Pastor said “well, why don’t you have a chat with God and be guided on the appropriate style of dress for next Sunday.

The following week the young man returned to the church dressed exactly like he was the week before.

After the service the Pastor approached him and asked, I thought you were going to enquire of the Lord as to what you should wear to church.

The young man replied, I did, I said to him I went to this church I had never been to before, what do think I should wear and Gods reply to me was, “he didn’t know, He’s never been to this church either.”

Today in New Zealand we literally have hundreds of churches.

Different streams, differing theology, traditional, evangelical, Pentecostal, charismatic, and some would say cultish.

But here’s the thing I would challenge anyone to tell me their church is practicing, promoting, and encouraging like the true church described in the book of Acts.

Remember the old TV series Undercover Boss?

Well, if Jesus were to visit a New Zealand church what would he see.

What he would see is the Church falsely claiming to represent him and his Kingdom

Churches working and acting like a business.

Churches who have copied the model from the entertainment sector.

“Congregations want this they will tell you. when your church acts like a café before the service with its lattes and long and short blacks.

When you enter the auditorium your met with a gigantic screen, dimmed lighting to get you into the mood.

Then out pops the jester greeting everyone, building up the anticipation of we are going to have a great time today.

The Lord is going to be in the house today. Probably true but it’s not this one.

Then the music beats out, complete with a worship leader designed to get you moving with their up-tempo music only to bring it down so the audience can move into a trance-like condition.

Then it’s time for the star of the show

Who Jesus?

No don’t be silly it’s just the pastor.

He’s here to tell you oh I should have used the word teach, my mistake

To teach you the word of God. By the end of his 30-minute, 3-point dissertation on God and his family he’s encouraging you to pay him and his multitude of support people who work for the church.

Then the paid worship leader comes back on stage for another final song to send you off on a high note so you can be buzzing with that soy latte.

Now yes, I may have well described a Pentecostal church but if he were to go to another branch something more traditional.

Its more likely he would find a congregation claiming to be steeped in tradition but led by an openly gay minister, who would be extolling the virtues of love and acceptance.

Would Jesus recognise this church today?

What if the boss came back undercover, what do you think would be his first statement?

Matthew 7. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and, in your name, perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

My friends we do not need churches in New Zealand who are competing for crowd numbers.

Every day, and it’s with sadness, I receive emails from dispirited people who have left churches disillusioned because they are not hearing the word of God, many have left church years ago and are seeking, not the entertainment but the heart of true teaching, the heart of worship the heart of love the true Jesus.

This is a word for the man-pleasing preacher or pastor who cares more about man’s applause than God’s approval.

Sadly, the truth in your church is often neglected, watered-down to the same volume of milky froth on the coffee you serve after a service or avoided altogether in the hope of not offending members and building a large audience.

 Judgment is never mentioned; repentance is never sought; and sin is often excused.

These days pastors want to build a church rather than break a heart; be politically correct rather than biblically correct; coddle and comfort rather than stir and convict.

This leaves people confused and deceived because we teach and live a form of Christianity void of repentance … void of truth…”

Pastors back when I was a boy were pillars who supported truth, not opposing it. Truth is not “flexible” when it comes to absolutes—it’s solid and unyielding. Truth liberates. Truth rebuilds. Truth restores. Truth heals. Truth transforms. Truth prevails—you don’t change truth—truth changes you!

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15), yet many avoid words such as sin and repentance.

The good news about Christ can only be appreciated with the bad news as the backdrop.

There are times when the saints must be fed, and there are times when the sinners must be warned.

Preaching, witnessing, and teaching are to be done with God-given authority to truly be effective.

When we fail to proclaim God’s Word faithfully, we run the risk of “encouraging sin” and “perverting the words of the living God” (cf. Jer. 23).

As the church falls deeper into self-reliance and further from reliance on God, our need for bold leadership has never been greater.

Change in our nation will only occur when there is a strong conviction of sin, genuine faith, humility, and sincere repentance, beginning in the pulpits.

To all you Christians who have left churches I give you this word of encouragement from Philippians

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

If you want to be found, then take heed for God is near

In Luke 15 Jesus talks about the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. And then there is great rejoicing.

My question to any pastor, minister, church leader.

Not when, but have you ever really, truly in your heart done this?

Is your church one who professes to speak truthfully and teach the word in the Bible.

And if Jesus was to come to you after an undercover boss, what do you think he would say to you.

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The collapse of society is imminent

by MikeBain, posted in Uncategorized

The collapse of society really is coming, and most of us will find themselves completely and utterly unprepared when it finally happens.

Survey after survey in New Zealand points to a genuine concern we are not confident of our future.

If you look at the political polls conducted over the past decade, especially the question on optimism, like are you happy where the country is headed, there are more dis-satisfied people than there are satisfied.

I acknowledge over the past decade we have had changes in government, and although the recent change has brought about an increase in optimism but is that superficial based on some form of hope brought about by an inner fear, it might not happen.

If you are feeling this way, you are not alone.

In his Olivet discourse (Matthew 24) when speaking of the time of the end times Jesus used a nearby fig tree to make his point and said to his disciples “learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.

So what is it exactly that’s causing people to lose heart, to lose certainty about their future.

As an honest person, one who is not afraid to speak the truth, the answer comes down to what you believe, what it is which occupies the space in your head.

There is just so much mistrust these days, every night when I watch the news, I find myself checking each story as to whether its true and not spun in a way that it “just looks true.”

Faith in all of our major institutions is dropping, and here in New Zealand the Readers Digest every year takes a poll to find what is the most trusted brand and or profession.

Last year we voted we trusted Whitakers Chocolate as the most trusted brand and doctors were number one trusted professional.

But there is a growing consensus that very challenging times are ahead of us.

Here in 2024, we will be facing huge issues not just at home, but from overseas, and while we may have plenty to say about the rights and wrongs of things like societal change it won’t matter one iota, because we here are just a small country at the bottom of the planet.

And because of our geographical isolation, we are not living in the same nightmares people on other continents find themselves in.

 Later this year the people of the United states will get to vote in what is already being described as the most chaotic election season in the countries entire history, multiple wars are erupting all over the planet, economic problems are rapidly growing, destructive natural disasters are becoming more frequent, global authorities are warning us to brace ourselves for the next pandemic, and our cities are being absolutely overwhelmed by endless waves of new migrants.  

The stage is set for a societal implosion of epic proportions, and many around the globe are feverishly preparing for a coming collapse that they believe is inevitable.

In New Zealand, our civil defence message was “get ready, get through.”

Remember. How we, were encouraged to have emergency kits to get us through a disaster?

The idea, like wearing life jackets on a boat is a good one but really who complied.

And like the people of Hawkes Bay found out last year having faith in your government would help keep society stable was unfounded.

Today, if you actually believe that the government will be there to rescue you when things really start hitting the fan, you are delusional.

Many New Zealanders are realizing that they will be forced to rely on themselves as society collapses, but no one, and I mean no one is spending significant money on emergency preparedness, given the cost-of-living crisis in this country, no one can afford to think beyond dinner time let alone next week.

But spending a couple hundred dollars on some emergency preparedness items simply is not going to be enough to survive what is eventually coming.

I keep coming back to this point, many, and that number increases, but many wealthy are divesting assets around the world and building shelters for themselves, some have built them here in New Zealand.

Come back to Jesus words “learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[e] is near, right at the door.

This is not a doomsday message by any means but ask yourself, When things get really bad, will you shut your door to those that are requesting help?

We have all seen the dystopian movies where people will be so desperate and take what they want for themselves.

We no longer have to wait for those times here in New Zealand. We see certain groups of people already helping themselves in supermarkets with no consequences.

Discussions on collapse often turn to signs and signals – The economy, politics and social tensions have become increasingly unstable for many years now, and much like adding more and more weight to a man standing on a frozen lake, eventually the ice is going to break. The question is, how do we know when that moment will be?

As cultural systems begin to dissolve due to political clashes and economic decline the real evil tends to slither out of the woodwork.

It happens slowly at first, then all at once. A sure sign of accelerating collapse is the growing prevalence of psychopaths and psychopathic behavior in the open.

As New Zealand as a country we are in the middle stages of such a collapse with many sociopaths and psychopaths beginning to feel that they might be able to act out their worst impulses without consequences.

They are beginning to test the waters to see what they can get away with.

Years ago, last century, I asked a man about the changes in society we were seeing back then if the end of civilisation was coming, his answer to me was, “If you think it’s happening, then it really is.”

The old mans words really resonated with me, because they are so true.

I am sure that you have noticed the same thing.  Evil is literally growing all around us, and the inmates are taking over the asylum.

And I am entirely convinced that 2024 is going to be a historic turning point.

Are you ready for the tremendous chaos that is coming?

If you have not figured it out yet?

Then let’s start by understanding why these things are happening, why Jesus told his disciple about terrible things to come and why he said, for these must happen.

Each one of us, in order to get through, we need to get ready, yes we need to ensure we have an emergency kit prepared, that is just commonsense, but we also need to ensure we have the right standing before God.

I talked about trust earlier, you can put your trust in a Whitakers chocolate Bar or your doctor, but I’ll tell you this. When society goes to hell in a handcart, I would rather have trust in what many refer to as the mystical man in the sky, I am talking about the God of the Bible who already has a record for saving individuals and nations from destruction.

How about you, who are you putting your trust into today?

If you want to find out more about God, the bible, or even what can give you faith in your future, then feel to reach out to your local bible believing, teaching church, or contact us through our website and we will be able to help.

This is not a game.

AND YET, ANOTHER MESSAGE FOR CHURCH LEADERS

by MikeBain, posted in Uncategorized

Since our inception we have called for a united voice from Christianity, and especially the churches which represent it.

Despite being shunned by some for even daring to mention it, we will continue to call out churches and church bodies who refuse, or too cowardly to speak out on behalf of those who oppose the evil which is rife in this country.

Over the past month I have noted articles relating to the rich people in this world selling off shares and assets and the building of shelters around the world, on private islands and even here in New Zealand.

All very well for them as they must know something we don’t and dare I say it, Church leaders in this country are either too blind, stupid, or ignorant to notice what is happening in the world and being replicated in this nation of ours.

If you are a church going person, what is the viewpoint of your church leadership towards things like abortion, euthanasia, same sex marriage.

Let’s go deeper and ask, what is their position on the end times discussions, are they open to debate on any of today’s issues.

In New Zealand we have church leaders mentioned in the media, Brian Tamaki from Destiny Church is the most well-known, what about Peter Mortlock from City Impact, unlike Brian Tamaki, Mortlock doesn’t get the same headlines, but his position on events happening is similar.

While Tamaki and Mortlock, both whom I have respect for, play to their own congregational audience, which is fine as they are being good shepherds in warning and steering their flock from the dangers which are fraught in our culture, the rest of New Zealand doesn’t see it.

We may scoff at the billionaires of this world building shelters, but at least they are preparing themselves for whatever may be getting them spooked.

Another voice is staring to speak and is now beating its drum within Christian circles, and this is the New Zealand Christian Network headed by Dr Stuart Laing.

In a recent newsletter to his membership of Christian based organisations Dr Laing spoke of the “growing numbers of people in New Zealand who are rejecting God, and who are wary of the church”

He mentioned the many challenges faced by Christianity today such as sexual abuse in churh related contexts, also, some of the social legislation passed by government in recent years has cast some shadow over the freedoms of belief and expression.

Dr Laing at least is asking the question of the organisations which are members of the network.

He said “In the face of such challenges, what should Christians and churches do? Succumb to pessimism? Lie low? Blame someone else. Give up?”

In considering Dr Laing’s question, try and at least answer this age-old question, “what would Jesus do.”

Funny, I already know your answer to that, but if you think that is what Jesus would do, and as a follower of Jeus Christ would you remain silent on today’s issues.

I have stated it many times over the years but for those who haven’t heard it before.

We need for the wimps who stand behind the pulpit, knees knocking as the deliver their sermon on Sunday, scared they may offend someone in the congregation, too scared to preach the word of God, too scared to mention the words sin or judgement, then they need to stand aside and allow someone who can roar like the Lion of Judah to come forward.

You can see what is happening in this nation, you are not stupid enough to bury your heads in the sand, but you also think my voice will not be heard, well you’re wrong.

Every time you open your mouth God hears you, just one voice, all alone in the wilderness.

But let me ask you this, if a lonely dog in an alleyway howl at the moon? How many people hear it.

I am not sure why the billionaires are seeking shelter, but I do know something is about to happen to this world and it’s been going on for some time.

In my presentation “When a Nation Forgets God” which we took through the country prior to Covid I spoke often, about how we should engage with today’s world.

I am so glad to hear people like Dr Stuart Laing, Brian Tamaki, Peter Mortlock engaging their congregations and asking the pertinent questions for living today rather than burying their heads in the sands of mediocrity.

We need strong leadership, we need courage in our pulpits and we ourselves must remain strong as we identify what the issues are, that we as a church must confront to represent the God we worship.

I asked earlier for you to consider what would Jesus do?

The church and remember, we are the church, the building down the road is not the church, we are so here’s the thing while we spend some time, but not too long to identify those issues we as a church must confront.

Then we need to seek and ask what Jesus’ instructions would be to us, as we prepare for the darkness that is enclosing upon us and the deeper darkness which is yet to come.

Remember Dr Laing asked “In the face of such challenges, what should Christians and churches do? Succumb to pessimism? Lie low? Blame someone else. Give up?”

Our churches, our church leaders need to both humble themselves and repent for their own sin of not leading their flocks to safety.

We need not fear the future as it is Jesus who walks amongst us and hold us in his hands and in Philippian’s: 2:15 read it with me where Jesus can empower us to… “Be blameless and innocent children of God, without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among you who shine as lights in the world.”

Today I urge you not to be a bystander in this world but to engage with it, meet it head on and be the light within the darkness as this time draws to an end.