David Powlison was a well-regarded Biblical Counselor who passed into glory in 2019. In his book Seeing with New Eyes, in chapter 7 Powlison addressed idolatry by setting before the reader some questions. He called then “X-ray questions.” They are designed to allow the Christian to ask him or herself some insightful questions to get at the ‘heart’ of one’s heart.
Of course we know the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, but in honestly addressing ourselves with some purposeful questions we can chip away at the darkness around our heart and bring light to any sin or idolatry that may be forming there.
X-ray is a good title for his questions. X-rays see beyond the flesh down to the bone.
My dentist told me that after 3 days particles on one’s teeth become tartar. I know you are hearing the dentist’s scraper now! He or she uses a scraper (called a curette or a scaler) to forcibly remove hardened particles known as tartar from teeth. If tartar is left too long, it darkens the teeth and damages the teeth and gums.
That’s like sin. Unaddressed it hardens and clings. Eventually becomes like mini-barnacles. It takes more work to remove the long-unaddressed sin from our heart and sometimes, not without damage.
But the best way to remove hardening from our heart is sincere repentance and asking forgiveness from God. He can easily remove it! (But sometimes there is still damage or consequence).
Remember, idolatry can happen any time, anywhere and even through ‘good’ things like marriage, children, or worship , etc.
What are these questions Powlison had written for us to ask ourselves? Here they are. I’d suggest taking one or two questions a day and pondering them. Pray and ask the Spirit to illuminate the answers to you. Because God is transcendent and because He knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, He will deliver direction to you on these issues. It glorifies Him for the blood-bought Christian to earnestly and vigorously partner with Him in pursuit of holiness.
Last weekend I did a deep dive into the concept of idolatry. I’d researched the “Trad Wife/Trad Life” trend and realized that for many women who live this aesthetic, it’s an idol for them. Meaning, it isn’t based on humble obedience to biblical standards for our gender, but a performance of works for the public to see, thinking this pleases God.
To better understand idolatry, I started researching what exactly IS an idol, delving into scripture, commentaries, then a Free Grace Broadcaster from Mt Zion Chapel Library. The FGB was chock full of essays commenting on idolatry.
I ended up posting 5 successive essays all around the concept of idolatry. Here they are:
I’ll end this week with a quote from Charles Spurgeon from that same Free Grace Broadcaster, called “Idols Abolished” (full sermon here).
You remember the Rich Young Ruler? You remember the Rich Man (Lazarus used to lay at his gate?) You remember the Pharisees, Saul/Paul among them? They all had the same idol:
SPURGEON: “Attend earnestly dear hearers, for, perhaps, some of you may be worshipping idols now. We will go into the temple of your heart, and see whether we can find a false god there. I go into one heart, and, as I look up, I see a gigantic idol; it is gilded all over and clothed in shining robes: its eyes seem to be jewels, and its forehead is “as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires”; it is a very lovely idol to look upon. Come not too close, do not examine too severely, nor so much as dream of looking inside the hollow sham. Within it you will find all manner of rottenness and filthiness, but the outside of the idol is adorned with the greatest art and skill, and you may even become enamoured of it as you stand and gaze upon it.”
“What is its name? Its name is self-righteousness.”
–end Spurgeon
And the LORD alone will be exalted on that day, And the idols will completely vanish. (Isaiah 2:17b,18)
I finished reading through Amos. A hard book, but a majestic one. God is at the center of it. His wrath, righteousness, and holiness. It ends with a promise, as do most of the prophetic books-
I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them, says the LORD your God. Amos 9:15
Virgin of Quito from the sculpture of the same name, is a monument in Quito, Ecuador. It is located on the top of the hill of El Panecillo, a loaf-shaped hill in the heart of the city and serves as a backdrop to the historic center of Quito. Wikipedia. EPrata photo.
Yesterday I wrote about idolatry: what is it, how we manufacture idols, and worshipping an idol isn’t always (or even very frequently) bowing down to a wooden idol.
It made me think of the idolatry Catholics people have for Mary.
Due to Mary’s role in being selected to gestate and birth the incarnated Jesus and to raise Him alongside Joseph, the Roman Catholic religion has exalted the woman to a position she does not biblically hold. The Roman Catholic believers call Mary a co-redemptrix along with Jesus, the Queen of Heaven, and more. They pray to her, ask for her blessings, and more.
The Catholics will complain that ‘we just don’t understand’ about Mary, but if you look at their Papal Bulls, Catechisms, and other material, it’s all there. They worship Mary, which is bad and wrong and heresy.
It is always good to push back on the blasphemies and promote the truth about Mary.
Ex-Catholic VM Swiderskipublished some refutationson Twitter, which as expected, Catholic believers complained about. Catholicism is a false religion, but I do admire their adherents’ vigorous protection of their reputation. Satan does a good job of pushing back. What follows is her material, which is also linked above-
VM Swiderski @VMSwiderski wrote:
I was raised Roman Catholic. When God caused me to be born again by His Spirit, I began reading, understanding, and devouring His Word. I began rejecting false doctrines I had been taught. In the process, I overlooked something very important. Mary.
Mary was chosen by God. Mary worshiped God. Mary was humble. Mary was submissive to the will of God. Mary was favored by God. Mary was blessed by God. Mary was a virgin before Jesus was born. Mary had many children after Jesus was born. Mary was among the disciples. Mary prayed to God.
Bible verses about Mary:
“Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” Luke 1:28
“And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’” Luke 1:32
“And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’” Luke 1:34
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.’” Luke 1:38
“‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!’” Luke 1:42
“‘And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’” Luke 1:45
“‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.’” Luke 1:46
“‘And holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.’” Luke 1:49-50
“‘For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me.’”
“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:19
“And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51
“‘Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also).” Luke 2:34-35
“‘Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him.” Mark 6:3
“But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister…” John 19:25
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” Acts 1:14
end of VM Swiderski’s material
Like all men and women who are mentioned in the Bible positively, Mary was not only favored, but selected to become virginally pregnant with Jesus, to raise Him, and sadly, also to witness His horrible death – as Simeon prophesied. (Luke 2:35; John 19:25).
However, we must remember Mary was a sinner. She herself recognized that fact when she acknowledged “my Savior”. (Luke 1:47).
Mary was not a perpetual virgin. She bore other children after Jesus. (Mark 6:3).
Mary was not conceived immaculately. Many people errantly believe the Immaculate Conception refers to Mary’s conception of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. No. It is the Roman Catholic idea that MARY was conceived immaculately, that is, she was free from sin. Yet Romans 3:10 says we are all sinners, there is none righteous, no not one.
Only Jesus is preeminent. He is not Co-preeminent with Mary. She is not “Queen of Heaven.” There is only one Sovereign in heaven, and that is Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There are no queens. Daughters, yes. But Mary was a human, lived and died, and is in heaven awaiting her resurrected body and is in the throng praising and worshiping her King, just like the rest of the redeemed. Jesus alone is supreme. (Colossians 1:18).
Pope Benedict XVI had just placed a crown on the statue of the Virgin Mary at the Vatican Basilica on the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. source
The following was a sermon by Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones titled “The Roman Catholic Church,” preached at Westminster Chapel in London, and originally published in The Westminster Record, May 1963.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones [MLJ] said, ‘You and I, as Christians, go to Him to confess; they [Catholics] go to the priest.“
MLJ: The cult of the Virgin Mary in Roman Catholicism is increasing rapidly in an alarming manner. They say that she is the “Queen of Heaven,” and that she is the one to whom we should go primarily. In many of their churches you will find that she is placed in front of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is almost hidden by her somewhere in the background. Why? This is what they say, that she being human is much more loving and tender than He is; that He is so great and powerful and authoritative, that He is so stern—this is what they teach, this is the whole explanation of the cult of the Virgin Mary—that He is such that we cannot go to Him directly.
The cult of the Virgin Mary in Roman Catholicism is increasing rapidly in an alarming manner. They say that she is the “Queen of Heaven,” and that she is the one to whom we should go primarily. Ah, but fortunately she is there, and she is loving; and after all she was His mother and she can influence Him.
So we should pray to the Virgin Mary and ask her to intercede on our behalf. She is right there between us and the Son of God, the Saviour of our souls. And increasingly they have been adding to her power.
They began in 1854 to teach the “Immaculate Conception” which means not only that the Lord Jesus Christ was born free from sin, but that Mary was also.
The recently they have announced this doctrine of the “Assumption of Mary,” that she never died like everybody else and was buried, but that she literally ascended up to heaven even as her Son did.
And this, you see, so builds up the Virgin Mary, and makes her so prominent that Christ Himself is hidden out of sight. –end MLJ
The Kaaba is built around a sacred black stone, a meteorite that Muslims believe was placed by Abraham and Ishmael in a corner of the Kaaba, a symbol of God’s covenant with Abraham and Ishmael and, by extension, with the Muslim community itself. Source
We make idols out of anything. Real things like a big black cube the Muslims worship, or idols out of people like the Catholics did for Mary, or idols out of concepts & philosophies like appearance, communion, comfort, motherhood, and so on.
The depths of our sin know no bounds, thus, it’s easy for satan to tempt us to make idols out of good things.
Little children, guard yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21 LSB)
I recently wrote about the “Trad wife/Trad life” issue. I said that idolizing a lifestyle can replace genuine worship of biblical life standards. Anything can be an idol, including a lifestyle.
I decided to look into the topic of idolatry to understand it better. Also to make sure I was not misrepresenting it to you or to myself. When sin is on the table, our sinful nature wants to marginalize it, water it down, or ignore it. We always should strive for understanding, even when we think we already understand. The depths of God’s word never end.
I happened to have on hand a Free Grace Broadcaster from Mt. Zion Chapel Library. Chapel Library is a marvelous ministry, offered free to one and all. You can read online, or order a hard copy to be mailed to you for free. Yes, free. Their monthly magazine is based on one topic each month and contains essays from old-timey theologians and pastors of the past on that topic. In this Idolatry edition I found so much to bookmark and ponder and I’d only read 3 of the essays yet!
I constantly think on these things. I ask myself- is my blog my idol? Is my comfort an idol? Is my apartment and idol? I must always be vigilant. I’d read a startling thought in Spurstowe’s book “The Wiles of Satan.” One of satan’s strategies is to tempt us. We know that. But an even wilier strategy is to “cease to tempt, or to feign flight.” Have you ever thought of that? It’s to provoke our pride. We SEEM to have won the battle. We think, ‘Oh great, I’ve got this temptation licked! I got the victory of that sin!’ But no. Just as we release our guard, satan comes back! (Luke 4:13).
Martyn Lloyd Jones preached “Keep Yourself from Idols,” verse from 1 John 5:21. His was one of the articles in the pamphlet.
“Let me, therefore, put this in the form of three propositions. The first is that the greatest enemy that confronts us in the spiritual life is the worshipping of idols. The greatest danger confronting us all is not a matter of deeds or of actions, but of idolatry… What is idolatry? Well, an idol can be defined most simply in this way: an idol is anything in our lives that occupies the place that should be occupied by God alone…Anything that holds a controlling position in my life is an idol.”
“Of course, an idol may indeed be an actual idol. … idolatry may consist of having false notions of God. If I am worshipping my own idea of God and not the true and living God, that is idolatry… But let me go on to point out that idolatry can take many other forms. It is possible for us to worship our religion instead of worshipping God.”
“It is possible for us to worship not only our own religion but our own church, our own communion, our own religious body, our own particular community, our own particular sect, our own particular point of view—these are the things we may be worshipping.”
In this next excerpt on Idolatry, from “Soul Idolatry Excludes Men out of Heaven,” in The Works of David Clarkson, Vol. II. Clarkson (c. 1621-1686) we read that was a Puritan preacher, colleague of John Owen, and successor to Owen’s pulpit. Misunderstanding who God is can be idolatry:
“If either you do not think of God or think otherwise of Him than He is—think Him all mercy, not minding His justice; think Him all pity and compassion, not minding His purity and holiness; think of His faithfulness in performing promises, not at all minding His truth in execution of threatenings; think Him all love, not regarding His sovereignty—this is to set up an idol instead of God. Thinking otherwise of God than He has revealed Himself or minding other things as much or more than God is idolatry.” –end Clarkson
Charles Spurgeon notes that idols are not merely graven images but can be philosophies and concepts. Even though he wrote this in 1874, his warning is fresh today.
“I would say to you, beloved, in closing my observations upon this point: in the matter of your faith, be sure to keep yourselves from the idol of the hour. Some of us have lived long enough to see the world’s idols altered any number of times. Just now, in some professedly Christian churches, the idol is “intellectualism,” “culture,” “modern thought.” Whatever name it bears, it has no right to be in a Christian church, for it believes very little that appertains to Christ.”
…[T]he minister who goes into a pulpit and addresses people when he knows that he does not believe any of the doctrines that are dearer to them than their own lives. Yet, the moment the congregant is called to account for his unbelief, he cries out, “Persecution! Persecution! Bigotry! Bigotry!” A burglar, if I found him outside my bedroom door and held him till the policeman came, might consider me to be very bigoted because I did not care to have my property stolen by him and because I interfered with his liberty. So, in like manner, I am called bigoted because I will not allow a man to come and assail from my own pulpit the truths which are dearer to me than my life.”
“Believe me, my brethren, that the Church of Christ, if not the world, shall yet learn that the highest culture is a heart that is cultivated by divine grace; that the truest science is…Jesus Christ and Him crucified; and that the greatest thought and the deepest of all metaphysics are found at the foot of the cross; and that the men who will keep on simply and earnestly preaching the old-fashioned gospel, and the people who will stand fast in the old paths are they who will most certainly win the victory.” –end Spurgeon
John Calvin, in his The Institutes of the Christian Religion, famously said that the heart and mind of man is “a perpetual forge of idols.” (1:11.45) This has often been translated as an “factory of idols.”
We create idols for ourselves when we’re not paying attention. We create idols for ourselves when we are paying attention. We create idols for ourselves when we are asleep. We create idols for ourselves when we are awake. MLJ wrote of the 1 John 5:21 verse (Keep yourselves from idols), that those were very likely the last words John wrote. He said the point cannot be proved, but if those were the last or nearly last words John wrote, we must pay even closer attention, saying,
“The last words of all people are important, but the last words of great people are of exceptional importance, and the last words of an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ are of supreme importance…”
I love the ministry of Answers in Genesis. The first book of the Bible is so important to understand and believe literally.
As John MacArthur has said, “If you don’t believe in the literal 6 day creation, when does your belief in what Genesis presents kick in? Chapter 3? Chapter 6? Chapter 11? You see, that is analogous to the issue of creation. You can observe the way things are now but that doesn’t tell you anything about how they became what they are. Creation cannot be understood any other way than by believing the revelation of the creator. And that’s your first test when you open your Bible. I am absolutely astounded at how many people who call themselves Christians, who lead large and effective Christian ministries, don’t have any position on Genesis 1 and 2 except that they find it hard to believe it. And I ask them, “At what chapter do you kick in?” When do we finally get you on board? Is it Genesis 3? Do you buy that? Or maybe 4? What I’m saying is, creation has no connection at all to science, any more than the behavior of Lazarus could in any way reveal how he was raised from the dead. Creation is not a scientific event, cannot be explained scientifically as if natural law played any part. Creation was a massive supernatural miracle…” Source- The Theology of Creation
Here is Answers in Genesis, a ministry I love, with an essay exploring the Effects of the Fall on the Physical Creation: A Biblical Analysis. They look at pre-Fall, the Fall and the Curse, then the effects present day of the former, and last, gloriously, the Restoration!
IDOLS
The Chosen: G3 Ministries discusses the issues with the television series The Chosen, in this fourth episode of Season 3 of the G3 Podcast, Josh Buice, Virgil Walker, and Scott Aniol discuss the television series The Chosen and its connection to Mormonism, the 2nd Commandment, and the way truth is communicated through art and media.
I am fervent that the serious Christian should study eschatology, come to a gracious, settled conclusion of the Last Things, as they are known, and then live with the end in mind. We do not want to be counted as believers who are like the pagans, who mock last things and judgment by saying things like where is the promise of His coming? All things are going on as they have been! Why study eschatology?” (2 Peter 3:4). The different stances generate some heat, I know, but still, last things comprise almost 30% of the entire Bible. Study it!
Here is an article from Ligonier’s TableTalk Magazine about Eschatological Living. It’s a very short article: here is one quote:
Kingdom citizens, therefore, are looking ahead while living in the present. The believer longs for Jesus to usher in the kingdom in its fullness (Rev. 21–22)
Here is a John MacArthur sermon called The Grim Reality of the Last Days. I call my blog The End Time because we are IN the end of days, which are between Jesus 1st and His 2nd coming. Understanding what is ahead for the non-believer hopefully will undergird your evangelism. Remember, none of the people to whom an angel appeared could stand and cowered in fear, and they came in friendliness! Imagine a sinner facing the full glory & wrath of Jesus Himself as the Lion!! No, live in eschatological fervor on behalf of the glory of God and for those who do not know Him.
KOINONIA
The above is a word for one anothering, or commitment to each other in the Gospel, fellowship Gospel style. Alistair Begg has some things to say about how we should love one another in this devotional
If you like the Puritans, John Owen has a fantastic book called Duties of Christian Fellowship: A Manual for Church Members. In a short 96 pages, “In just a few pages “it sets out in very concise terms the responsibilities all Christians have, first, to their pastors, and then second, to one another within the fellowship of the local church”. Unavailable at Reformation Heritage Books and out of stock at Amazon, but can be read online at Monergism or downloaded as a .pdf from the same site 🙂
MUSIC
Here is Hymnology’s Youtube channel of season 4. The hosts explain the origin of a hymn or its meaning, then sing it. Phillip Webb sings and the music is just beautiful. Strongly doctrinal music in church and in life is a must.
We should not listen to music coming from heretical organizations such as Elevation or Bethel. Michelle Lesley comments here, and also explains further “Why Our Church No Longer Plays Bethel or Hillsong Music (or Elevation or Jesus Culture), and Neither Should Yours” here
Be kind to one another, live as if this day could be your last for the Lord (because one day, it will be!), and watch out for what you watch on media 🙂 Thank you for reading! I appreciate you.
After making their covenant, Moses taught the people what God wanted. This included instructions on worshipping God. God was very specific about it. So the Israelites worshipped God His way, which included making an altar with nothing man-made on it- no objects, no idols, nothing even that a man made tool had touched or fashioned. Only stones. Then God called Moses back up to the mountain so He could give him the law in physical form (the tablets containing the Ten Commandments). Moses was gone 40 days and 40 nights.
Being stiff-necked and impatient, the Israelites worried about Moses and they decided he was not coming back. Abandoning the worship of God His way,
“when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, “This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”
“So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.”Exodus 20:22-25, Exodus 32-34
They worshipped a golden calf. An idol.
Paul wrote to Timothy that there will be Godlessness in the last days. We are in the last days. They are the time between the Ascension of Jesus and His return. Paul wrote: “Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry.”1 Corinthians 10:7.
Are you ready? Turn your eyes upon Jesus and Him only. Serve Him and walk in His ways. Forego the golden idols of this world. There are so many! For Westerners, they might not be actual cast idols, as they are in the East, but we have idols that fill football fields, we set up monuments to worshiping work, we’ve got idols of entertainers and musicians. Instead, plan on eternal rewards. The temporary rewards and idols of this world are just that, all too temporary.
That was me, before I was saved. I was saved by grace of Jesus Christ. My parents were intensely interested in raising their children as “self-sufficient” and “independent”. I heard those words so often. I had to ‘figure it out’ or ‘do for myself’ more times than not. By the time I reached adulthood, I was proud of all the things I could do by myself, for myself, leaning on no other. Asking for help was anathema.
Of course all the instilling of self-sufficiency was a stumbling block to bending the knee, realizing how hopeless I was on my own, and asking Jesus for help. The fact that He calls us and we don’t choose Him is a grace that will manifest itself in untold aspects throughout all eternity. I never would have asked. He chose me.
The pagan heart builds many idols. Any and all idols are in opposition to God. Idols are an enemy of God, and at enmity with Him. For me, the root of all that vaunted self-sufficiency is pride. I was proud of all that I could do. I was proud that I needed no one. I was proud of my capabilities- capabilities I’d cultivated and no one else.
Anything can be an idol. Self-sufficiency is one.
The Chaldeans were swimming in self-sufficiency. This idol permeated their actions and drenched their hearts in evil. Habakkuk proclaimed against it in chapter 2 of the book of Habakkuk. This prophet pronounced 5 woes on the Chaldeans (though they were not named, this was the original target audience.) As scripture has one meaning but many applications, these verses can and do apply to us today as we learn object lessons about doing for ourselves and not bowing to God’s will for us.
The fifth woe was the woe upon idolators (2:18–20). In poignant verses, God asks if idols can speak-
What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it.(Habakkuk 2:18-19).
Oh! How terrible for the idolater who asks dead wood and stone to speak! How sad we seek instruction from dead objects and not the Living God!
Any and all idols in our hearts teach us lies. We are the maker of the idol, so because of our sin nature, it teaches us the lie of sin. Can stone awaken and instruct us in the ways of righteousness?
“But I don’t worship idols,” you say. “I don’t ask stone or wood to speak.”
Do you seek instruction from horoscopes? The sun? “Mother Nature”? Do you rely on your intellect? Your capabilities? Your money? All idols! All dead!
The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23a). God speaks of this New Testament truth in the Old Testament in Habakkuk 2:8, 2:17…
The Good News is that the rest of the Romans verse continues after speaking of the wages of sin, by a glorious promise.
but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:6b)
The antidote to self-sufficiency is humility. As this woman spoke so eloquently on Twitter this week,
Anna Crouse @annacrouse_
Humility isn’t a burden or humiliation or oppressive weight but is the only posture that can receive the wondrous grace gifts of God
Instead of “I can do it” we say “I can’t do it. Lord I need you!”
Resources
Elyse Fitzpatrick: Idols of the Heart
Do you feel discouraged, even defeated, in your battle against habitual sin? Are you dismayed or surprised by the situations that bring out your fear, anger, or distress? Elyse Fitzpatrick delves into the heart of the problem: deep down, we’re all idol-worshippers who put our loves, desires, and expectations in God’s place—and then suffer the consequences of our misplaced affections. Yet God loves his people and can use even our messy lives and struggles for his glory. Fitzpatrick shows us how to better search and know our hearts, long for our gracious Savior, and resist and crush our false gods. Includes questions for further thought.
the-end-time.org 