RIGGED (Review)

Mollie Hemingway, RIGGED How the Media, Big Tech, and the Democrats Seized Our Elections, Regnery, Washington DC, 2021, (Hardcover), 448 pages.

With eighty-four pages of endnotes, Mollie Hemingway accurately details how the 2020 US election was rigged. She writes, “This book rose out of a desire to do what the media failed to do: investigate how the election was handled in a year when states, counties, and cities rapidly changed their election procedures with minimal oversight.” p. 333.

Her exhaustive investigation sets the record straight for posterity. It is a book that had to be written. As an outside observer and admirer of American Constitutionalism, I am thankful that Hemingway took the time to go into so much detail regarding the degeneration and corruption of present-day US politics.

The four “swamp-draining” years of President Trump gave the US and the rest of the West some hope for our future. However, who knew that the Left’s corruption was so “yuge” as to involve a corrupt media, Big Tech, and the whole of the Democrat party? Sure, there are still people out there who believe the lies put forth by these entities, even though they have been proven to be false time and time again ad nauseam. Hemingway in this book has done a sterling job of setting the record straight. Says Hemingway,

 

“The 2020 election is just the tip of the iceberg. The left’s vehement anti-Trumpism – and willingness to lie, contort reality, and ruin Trump’s supporters to advance its agenda - has undermined half the country’s faith in America’s most vaunted institutions. Restoring that trust will take a gargantuan effort. And regrettably, it does not look like anyone in the political and cultural establishment is willing to do the work required to do so.” Page 330.

 

            God bless America! And may He be pleased to raise up enough patriots to do the good work of getting the nation back on track.   

CHRIST'S GOVERNMENT

 Swords beaten into ploughshares, spears into pruning hooks the nations study war no more. In their preappointed times and within the boundaries of their dwellings the nations are many yet one under the doting eye of the Triune God – the original One and Many. In solemn league and covenant with each other and God, the Bible (applied to their diverse situations), is their constitution and unity. God’s law is their delight, meditated on day and night. On each nation’s flag the words, ‘Love God and your neighbour as yourself.’ Says Jehovah, ‘Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it.’ Isaiah 2:2. As was the red cord of Rahab, so their nation’s flag will be draped from a window of their own homes. Each person under their own fig tree meditates on things noble, just, pure, lovely, and virtuous – praiseworthy things, things of good report. Each season their vineyards and fruit trees give forth in abundance.

While receiving his sight a blind man once said, ‘I see men like trees, walking.’ The LORD says, ‘For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of my people, and My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.’ Isaiah 65:22b. Like trees planted by rivers of waters, each brings forth fruit in its season. And written on each renewed heart is the Law of Love, the Ten Commandments. Age-wrinkles all but ironed out, the centenarian dies a young man! And, ‘the nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.’ Isaiah 11:8-9.

Christ’s government began as a seed, the Seed of the Woman. The LORD said to the serpent Satan, ‘And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.’ Genesis 3:15. As the woman Jael swung the workman’s hammer to pound a tent peg into the ground through Sisera’s head, as ‘a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull,’ so the Woman’s Seed crushed the serpent’s head by the nails of His cross and the stone that rolled away.

Jehovah-Jesus says of Himself, ‘And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.’ Matthew 21:44. Christ is the Rock from which streams of living water flow. His kingdom is the stone that was cut out without hands crushing the image of all that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. ‘The stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.’ Daniel 2:35b. Like the covering cherub cast out of Eden – the mountain of God – so will be all who oppose the spread of Christ’s Gospel kingdom. ‘For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called, Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.’ Isaiah 9:6-7. ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.”’ Matthew 1:23. At the birth of the Prince of Peace the angels said, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’ Luke 2:14. The thief on the cross said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ Luke 23:42.

After His resurrection and coming into His kingdom Jehovah-Jesus met with His trained disciples on an appointed mountain, saying to them, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Matthew 28:18-20. Daniel takes up the story, ‘I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages, should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.’ Daniel 7:13-14.

Vote for Christ’s government today!

PIONEERS

                                                                            Pioneers

Neil McKinlay, Ontario 1956

To me the word pioneer is all about wagon trains going west to tame and settle the North American frontier. After growing up in Scotland, upon return to Canada in 1977, my home and native land, I was called a DP. ‘What’s a DP?’A friend responded, ‘A DP is a delayed pioneer!’ Seriously, I love the sense of adventure. Like the old TV Star Trek series, ‘To boldly go where no man has gone before’, pioneers are always first.

Who was the first man to walk on the moon? Neil Armstrong said in 1969, ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ Who was the first Presbyterian elder to take Communion on the moon? Crew member Buzz Aldrin said, ‘I silently read the Bible passage [‘I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without Me’] as I took the wafer and the wine, and offered a prayer for the task at hand, and the opportunity I had been given.’ Irregular as it was, his church had given elder Aldrin special permission. What was the first Scottish tartan on the moon (different trip) in 1969? Alan Bean said in 2005, ‘I took Clan McBean Tartan to the moon and returned it to Earth.’ He donated a piece of the tartan to the Clan Macbean in Scotland.

MacBean Tartan

Who was the first man to walk on earth? Adam in 4004 BC. ‘And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being’ (Gen. 2:7). Who was first to take Communion here? The last Adam. ‘Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”’ (Matt, 26:26-28). The first tartan on earth? Joseph’s. ‘Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colours’ (Gen. 37:3). Joseph’s brothers decided to add the colour of blood: ‘Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood’ (Gen. 37:31).

A bit of a stretch describing Joseph’s robe as tartan? Well, what about Armstrong, Aldrin, and Bean? Did man really land, walk, and celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the moon? Did the McBean tartan go to the moon and back? Or is it all a hoax? Indeed, some even doubt the Word of God! This is nothing new. Who pioneered unbelief by being first to doubt God’s Word? Eve, then her husband Adam. They were the pioneers of many things, including sin, rebellion, and everything that springs from it, such as false religion, autonomy of self over God, and reason over revelation. However, by eating the forbidden fruit, they were the first to pioneer death: ‘For in the day you eat of it you shall surely die’ (Gen. 2:17b). One small step for [a] man, one large leap for mankind? These pioneers brought mankind death, i.e., spiritual death (as in your spirit is dead to God), followed by physical death (your body is dead to your soul), followed by everlasting death (your soul is in torments forever). However, the good news is that there is a greater pioneer than Adam, Eve, Joseph, Armstrong, Aldrin, or Bean, yes, the resurrected Jesus.

'He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God’ (Rev. 19:13).  Jesus went to death and back, is pioneer of the new heavens and earth (Rev. 21:21), and is the One before whom all, including the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars, bow (Gen. 37:5-10; Matt. 28:16; Eph. 1:22; Phil. 2:9-11; Col. 1:16). Call on Him today!       

COMPUTERS

                                                                       Computers

Neil & Juno, Isle of Skye

We’ve come along way since sundials, cuckoo clocks, and digital musical alarm clocks. We can now ask our clocks questions and have them answer! I asked why the sky was blue. A soothing female voice explained it all to me! Computers are wonderful things. What was once the size of a double-decker bus, can now be as small as your pinky-nail. I must ask my clock how many algorithms can dance on the head of a pin!

Mind you, no longer do government agencies and large corporations need to stick listening devices under tables and chairs etc. Ordinarily algorithms are given credit, but computers seem to be able to hear our discussions, and at times even read our thoughts. Advertisements pop-up on our computer screens which leave us wondering about this. It may be ominous or maybe it’s just the chip trying to address our ‘felt needs’. However, it gives a new application to, ‘Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter’ (Eccl. 10:20). Instead of ‘a little bird told me’, we can now say, ‘a little computer algorithm told me.’

God doesn’t need birds or angels to ‘dob us in’. Nor does He need listening bugs or computers. Being omnipresent He is already aware of every intent and thought of our hearts (Gen. 5:5). Think about the immensity of God, i.e., His everywhere at once-ness. Then think about the size of Adam, God’s own image and likeness. Adam could ask God questions and receive verbal answers. Eve could do the same with Adam, as could Cain and Abel with Adam and Eve. God is the original computer. Mankind is the computer-chip version of God. Now think of a computer virus. The Bible calls this virus ‘sin’. Like an infected computer each of us do things contrary to how God first designed us. The difference between mankind and the computers we have made is that, though we image God, He gave us free will. Books are written and movies are made about what happens when computers have free will. It never ends well for us! Well, the reality is that individually and collectively humanity has turned against our creator. We seek to destroy Him. How so? The ways are endless. Denial of His existence, all false religion (including atheism) to name a couple.

How do we get rid of a computer virus? Through protection against and elimination of the virus by using apps and devices to scan our computers. How does God deal with our sin? ‘For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account’ (Heb. 4:12-13). How do we know we have the sin virus? The Spirit works with the Word to scan our heart. As Jesus said, ‘And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment’ (John 16:8). What do you do with your sin-virus, i.e., your guilt and your feeling of guilt? Jesus fixed this on the cross. Ask God about it. ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved’ (Rom. 10:8-10).

A clear conscience before God is a heart cleaned of the sin-virus.

ATTENDING TO THE NATIONAL SOUL (Book Review)

Attending to the National Soul: Evangelical Christians in Australian History 1914-2014, Stuart Piggin and Robert D. Linder, Monash University Publishing, Clayton, Victoria, 2020, (hardcover), 680 pages.

This book is a follow-up on The Fountain of Public Prosperity (2018).

As with its predecessor, I really loved this book. To be sure, because it is dealing with Australian history and historical Australian issues, there will be some room for some disagreement. Regardless of your church affiliation, this is an important book for all Christians. It shows us where we’ve been, where are, and possibly where we’re going.

I was particularly interested what the book had to say about chaplaincy during both wars, and how much Presbyterians added to the Christian fountain of prosperity. It was really good to see that my old Professor F. N. Lee was deemed worthy of a mention: “Dr Nigel Lee, a prolific writer and Professor of Theology at the Queensland Presbyterian Theological Hall, exuberantly led the resurgence of Reformed theology, while the venerable Calvinist, Robert Swanton, the long-serving minister of Hawthorn Presbyterian church in Melbourne, edited the Reformed Theological Review, and filled the Chair of Systematic Theology at the Presbyterian College of Victoria until the late 1980s.” (p. 365). Also, the material on the Australian view of the usually misunderstood so-called separation of church and state is well worth taking the time read.

“The conclusion of this study of evangelical Christianity in Australian history is that it has been a strong a persuasive influence on the shaping, not only of the heart and soul of the Australian nation, but also of its body. This claim seems preposterous because it has been so little recognised by historians, but this has been a study of the role of the Gospel in nation building. It is the story of how Jesus has stamped his image on the character and values of the Australian people.” (p. 559).

FROM MASON TO MINISTER

 

An adventurous, captivating, and poetic memoir of the author’s courageous and spiritual journey—from Scotland to Canada to Australia—in his quest to “find the Truth and know the living God.” Neither an apologetic nor a polemic, he corrects much misinterpretation and misunderstanding of Freemasonry. We learn how inspiration from Masonic teachings about Solomon’s Temple, the arch, and keystone led him to a deep study of the revelation from the Bible of the “stone the builders rejected,” which is Christ. Readers will be uplifted, inspired, and delighted as they follow along with him in the discovery of his calling to become a minister.

See: From Mason to Minister - Nordskog Publishing

"This book is a poetic memoir of the author’s quest to “find the Truth and know the Living God.” Once a high-level Mason, Neil McKinlay offers firsthand insight into Freemasonry and its teachings, which inspired him to a deep Biblical study of “the Stone the builders rejected”—Jesus Christ. You will be uplifted as you follow his absorbing journey “through the lattice” to the discovery of his calling to ministry.

"A captivating journey of courage through a world of secrets, soul-searching, and ultimate success, it is an intriguing and inspiring read from shadows to sunlight!"

William J. Federer

"It truly amazes me to learn how God leads His elect in various ways back to the great Jehovah Elohim without Whom no one can come to God. I heartily recommend this readable book."

Rev. Professor Emeritus Dr. Francis Nigel Lee, author of God's Ten Commandments 

See:  God's Ten Commandments - Nordskog Publishing

"I read a lot of books. Those that I seek most keenly, like pearls without price, are books like this, books that get me in touch with God. There is a sense (it seems to me) that only literature of this kind is actually important.

Billy Scobie, author of Upon This Rock, Song of the River, Mightier Than the Sword, Whisk in the Jar, The Cup

JEFFERSON'S TEARS

Great hope accompanied the movement of freed African-American slaves who migrated to Liberia. The Liberian national Constitution was a nurtured sprig from the American tree. Yet the African soil proved relentlessly challenging. Over the decades, Liberia became a morally bankrupt nation beset by criminality and vicious revolution. How could God save a young man in such a cauldron of chaos?

Jefferson Williams Kollie’s story is one of horror, despair, and deliverance. The degraded and revolution-torn African country of Liberia reduced a boy’s life to brutal survival. The once-promising nation was now threatening both body and soul. Yet somehow Jefferson found hope and life. Read how one young man confirmed God’s radical emancipation, in his new home of Australia.

See: Jefferson's Tears - Nordskog Publishing

"A thoroughly well-researched, historically accurate portrayal of the incredible life of a man, his family, and his country. Neil’s ability as a wordsmith shines through as he takes readers from the depths of human depravity to a place where hope soars as on the wings of an eagle. One man’s hope, against all odds, found only in Christ. "Benjamin Swift, author of Beyond the Fish Sticker