Volume X, Issue VIII
The Test of a Prophet
Reading through the texts of Scripture, one finds that the Prophets of old often shared some uncomfortable situations. They were often shunned by leaders, thrown into prison, ridiculed and ignored. But the test of the Prophet was in the veracity of his or her message. That is the test of a Prophet.
When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." -- Deuteronomy 18:22
Saeed Abedini has languished for far too long in an Iranian prison while Western leaders pretend that it is possible to 'buy' a treaty with the Iranian government. Forced to watch the execution of six of his fellow prisoners, Abedini was being told: "You're next" by his captors. But his wife reports that fellow prisoners are intrigued to know the G-d that Abedini serves and many have come to Faith through his testimony. Realizing they had a 'problem' on their hands, his captors threatened to put him in with the murderers if he didn't cease from sharing his Faith. He stayed firm, many murderers became curious to know the G-d that sustains him.
Abedini's testimony is resulting in changed lives, as was promised in Scripture. Even as he repeatedly endures beatings and is denied medical attention, his testimony has been proven true. His wife Naghmeh is still pleading with our leaders and now the visiting Pope, seeking help in securing her husband's release.
Pope Francis came to America accompanied by much fanfare. He has spoken to Congress and will address the United Nations. What speaks the loudest is his silence over the horiffic treatment of fellow Christians by militant members of groups like ISIS, Boko Haram and the like. One's mind wanders to a time not long ago when Mother Theresa was a guest at the Clinton White House. She received a cool reception to her plea for unborn life that was being taken by abortion. This tiny nun too passed the test of a Prophet -- indeed the Planned Parenthood selling of babies' body parts, recently revealed in videos, makes her point all too clear.
But the Pope has become the darling of the Leftist Glitterati as he embraces 'Climate Change' and 'Wealth Redistribution.' Even as the 'data' for 'Global Warming' -- er -- 'Climate Change' has been discredited, the narrative remains in play. It fuels their demands that Western nations curtail their economic activity... even as they seek new and creative means to take the money from developed nations in the form of Carbon Taxes and the like and redistribute it to third world states.
One has to ask: "Why is this man and his message so warmly embraced by our President and certain world leaders?" The answer may be that he has become one of the best spokespersons for Agenda 2030 [click to read], a sweeping agenda for 'transforming our world.' (That's from the UN's website, not THYME's editorial staff). Though Eastern Europe is littered with the wreckage of failed experiments in social planning, Agenda 2030 proposes further experiments in the same vein. This time the experiment will be conducted on a larger scale than the old Soviet Union, this requiring the giving up of national sovereignty.
In fact, Economist Lawrence Reed offers the Pontiff a better message. Here is his 'The Speech Pope Francis Should Have Given:'
Pope Francis, Address to the United States Congress — September 24, 2015:
Members of the U.S. Congress and the American people:
I come before you in glowing admiration for the historic accomplishments of your spirit of enterprise. In the pursuit of personal gain — the desire to improve your lives while serving others in the process — you Americans have fed, clothed and housed more people at higher levels than all the combined efforts of humanitarians worldwide throughout history. More [click to read].
While the issues of stewardship and compassion are certainly ones the Church needs to lead in, the expansion of a failed Socialism must NOT be invoked as the tools to do so! One must never forget the great achievements of free men and women in free societies in these pursuits.
If there is a 'hidden agenda' in my book 'Pontifus' [1.] (written long before the Pope planned his visit), it is the promotion of the notion that there might just happen to be great power in the unleashed human spirit, enlightened by Divine inspiration. Again, Lawrence Reed warns us:
The fact is, one can scour the Scriptures with a fine-tooth comb and find nary a word from Christ that endorses the forcible redistribution of wealth by political authorities. None, period. More [click to read].
Special Book Section
Several weeks ago we began the serial presentation of "Pontifus, The Bridge Builder's Tale in Three Parts." [1.] This week (Wedensday) we present the eleventh chapter of the second book: "Zimmerman's Folly" Here [click to read]. This special book section will continue through the Summer. The full publication of THYME will resume in the Fall. Look for a new installment each Wednesday morning.