During our season of “St. Brendan’s Launch” in Kieran’s Irish pub, we wrote and performed a play called “Would the REAL St. Patrick please stand up.” It was a humorous attempt to debunk the notion in the US that St Pat was all about green beer and bagels! At the end of the skit we drew the audience into joining us in a prayer for the resurrection of the true spirit of Patrick embodied in the lives of many Irish heroes of faith, sung, and unsung, over the centuries.
“ARISE and SHINE O mighty one
ARISE and SHINE your sleep is done
ARISE and SHINE your light has come.
Your light is Christ, Ireland’s true Son.”
Subsequently God opened doors for us to perform the play and lead this prayer all over the US in Australia and even back in Ireland.
What is REAL is a crucial question in this ‘VIRTUAL’ age in which we live in which deceit and corruption run deep.
I would like to continue our Journey into Hope by pointing out a few people who have struck me as ‘lights’ in this present darkness.
Let’s begin with another PATRICK!
Patrick Woods is author of “Technocracy Rising : The Trojan Horse of Global Transformation.” Just as the original St. Patrick challenged the dark druidic religion of Ireland, I sense this Patrick is another ‘saint’ who has been raised up to take a courageous STAND and SHINE light on the challenge of the new dark ‘religion’ of Scientism.
Scientism was first proposed by the French philosopher Henri De Saint-Simon (1760-1825). He wrote,
“A scientist, my dear friends, is a man who foresees; it is because science provides the means to predict that it is useful, and the scientists are superior to all other men.”
Alex Zeck has said, “ In Science questions are welcomed, alternative ideas are cherished, and concerns are explored. In Scientism questions are not welcomed, alternative ideas are banished and concerns are ignored.”
The disastrous consequences of the arrogance where man thinks he can outsmart our God given, innate immune system are now beginning to be felt and anticipated……….
You can find out more about Patrick Woods important work at www.technocracy.news
A second man I have come across who is taking a courageous STAND to SHINE light on the shockingly rampant corruption in US government spending is Adam Andrzejewski (Did you know for example the government paid 1 billion dollars to dead people last year?) Adam talks about how the transparency and accountability his company, OPEN BOOKS began to bring, was welcomed, and was ushering in REAL change under the previous administration. This video is from last year. The recent $1.9 trillion spending bill displays current Swamp corruption ‘on steroids’
A third man I have come to respect as I have observed the corruption at the political level here over the years is Devin Nunes. His story of taking a courageous STAND to SHINE is told in the recently released epic documentry, “The Plot against the President.” which you can watch for free by clicking here…….
Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matt.24:37)
In Genesis 6 we read, “Now the earth was CORRUPT.” and that, “Noah had God’s approval and was a man of integrity among the people of his time.”
God had a way to deal with the corruption of Noah’s days. I believe the three men I have pointed to above are a sign of hope that God is also dealing with corruption in our day be it in the fields of science, government, business, media or religion.
After the last blog I received this message from a very prophetic sister in Ireland.
“Hi Paul,
You mentioning the adage, ‘March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb’. I hope it is going to be very prophetic this year. I was teaching Biblical Hebrew on Thursday evening, mentioned ח (khet) – the final letter of נח (Noah – rest) and how Noah and his family were caused to rest in a lock-down or for them, lock-up situation. ‘How long were they in the ark?’ I asked. As I shared I calculated 13 months, I said ‘Wow’ as I realised April will be 13 months. If this is prophetic for our situation of world-wide lockdown, then at the beginning of April we all should have rested enough in the Lord to be free again. If so, let us be like Noah and be quick to worship God, giving thanks to Him.“
No matter the exact timing of how things play out in ‘the big picture’ our responsibility is to those God has set before us in the here and now. We are delighted to report that the two ‘new things’ that God has begun here in the BGH are ‘springing up‘ beautifully.
One Sunday we have a dozen young people – couples eager to find and fulfill God’s vision for their marriages, their families – and beyond! On the alternative Sunday another dozen folk gather to experience Jesus setting us free, in anticipation of his using us as ‘coaches’ at the FREEDOM! retreat in April, as he sets many others free!
These folk too are all ‘little Patricks’ – ‘hostage losers’ seeking to STAND and SHINE.
A few months ago I mentioned our being at “an inflection point” Just a few days ago I got word that a book I had been eagerly anticipating for many months had just been published by our son Ben’s father – in – law. I ordered it immediately, and knowing the man, his integrity, spirituality and literary skill, would even before my opening it, recommend you read it too! Published on March 5 (Grace), the day after MARCH FORTH, I discovered it bore this HOPE filled title!
The author’s names meaning, “Yahweh is gracious” and “Crowned with laurel” guarantee the VICTORY of our God of GRACE that is coming and is indeed already here, as like Noah we enter into the ‘rest work’ of God…. that he has foreordained, that we should each walk into! (Eph.2:10)
…..and the icing on the cake! Just this morning one of ‘the children’ from our community in Belfast who is now serving with his family as a missionary engineer in Uganda sent me this video of “Lord Jesus we enthrone You….we proclaim You are King……come and take your place”….. being sung outside his window in Africa……overlooking Lake VICTORIA
“May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rm. 15:13)