October 30, 2014 Steps to Life Newsletter

Dear STL Supporter

Professing Themselves to Be Wise, They Became Fools

This sounds a bit like a riddle. But the apostle Paul was not playing word games when he was writing his letter to the Christians in Rome. He was making a timeless observation of what happens to people when they try to reason away our Eternal Creator God. In their wisdom they become fools. A fool is a person who acts unwisely. The Psalmist's warning is that The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. (Ps 14:1, PS 53: 1) Biblical history is full of people who ignored, challenged or attacked God.

Twenty first century history has its share of people who are considered in terms of worldly qualifications and status to be wise and knowledgeable, leaders of contemporary thought, highly achieving academics, but who aggressively reason away our Eternal Creator God. They go under the banner of the New Atheists. Whether their arguments are new or not is debatable. They are described as a 'movement' because they have become a rallying point for large numbers of like-minded people. Their aggressive evangelism now is pervading much of the scientific and academic world, social comment and school curricula. They get a lot of exposure in the press, on TV and in the publishing world which perpetuates their ideology. Our children particularly, are indoctrinated with age appropriate propaganda that arises out of their Godless reasoning. It's strategically placed into books, music and mainstream media which informs the culture we and they live in.

When did the movement of the so-called New Atheists begin? This modern sustained and concerted attack on God, had its origins in an atheistic response to all religion. Not just Christianity, but it is certainly focused on Christianity. New Atheism arose in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Up until then it was just called atheism and agnosticism.

In 2004 Sam Harris launched his best selling book The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason. Shortly after he followed up with a book entitled A Letter to a Christian Nation. Joining the chorus were other New Atheist authors including Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion - a book scathingly attacking Christianity topping the New York Times best sellers list for 51 weeks; The Root of All Evil - TV documentary), and Christopher Hitchens (God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) and Daniel Dennett (Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon). These champions of the New Atheist movement have become known in secular circles as The Four Riders of the Apocalypse! They and their kind have been blitzing those who dare to profess a belief in the Biblical God. Popularizing New Atheism has become a big dollar earner for publishing houses, produces readership for the press and a viewing audience for TV.

The New Atheism phenomena takes one's thoughts back to the French Revolution and its bloody events, where 'Lady Reason' was enthroned as the goddess and the two witnesses of the Old and New Testament were trampled and clothed in sackcloth. (Revelation 11:3 - The Great Controversy 1888 ed, CH 15, E G White). In France during November 1793 the Festival of Reason was held to celebrate Voltaire's claim that he and the French

Revolution had destroyed Christianity. Many decades later Voltaire's own home was used to store French Bibles for mass distribution!! Rivers of blood were the result of attempting to dethrone God and to enthrone Lady Reason.

Atheists, infidels, and apostates oppose and denounce God's law: but the well-being of man is bound up with his obedience of the divine statutes. Those who will not read the lesson from the book of God, are bidden to read it in the history of nations. (Ibid pg 310)

The atheists and the New Atheist movement would have us believe that our belief in the God of the Bible, as well as others' beliefs in the gods of their religions, is the root cause of the world's ills. Their champion, Karl Marx, promulgated that - The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. (As quoted on pg 84, Gunning for God, John C Lennox). How much happiness has the abolition of the true God produced?

John Lennon, in his song - Imagine - imagined a world without heaven, hell, religion (by implication therefore, without the Christian's loving God). Ironically he practiced Buddhist meditation, so therefore, did have a belief in a god, not The God. It's a pity he didn't imagine a world without atheism. His philosophy of living for today has ruined many.

A contemporary world without atheism, but with the true God of the Bible, would have given us a world without the resultant atrocities and hopelessness of Marx, Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Communism in many countries, Pol Pot, genocide, discrimination, inhumanity on many fronts and a true brotherhood of humankind. Societies in which God has been banished or ignored end up in mayhem! And Satan smiles. The Goddess of Reason has never fixed any of this world's problems.

Let's stand with the apostle Paul when he declares boldly - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (Romans 1: 16 to 18)

Noah's Ark - Deluge of Evidence. 6.30 PM, Sunday November 2, At STL, Lilydale.

Come and see Rod and Nancy Walsh's amazing to scale Noah's Ark Model's. Rod is a Creation Ministries International speaker.

November Weekend Seminar - Islam and Christianity in Bible Prophecy.

The Kings of the North and South are both prophetic figures spoken of in Daniel Ch 11. They both have a major role in world and salvational events before Jesus returns. How well do you understand who or what they are? Pastor Tim Roosenberg's presentation will challenge us to think deeply about this topic. It's current and his presentations are easy to follow. See the enclosed/attached advertising for full details of dates, times and locations.

Christian greetings from Cherryl the Steps to Life Team.

Brian Way/Programs Coordinator