(Disclaimer: Some articles and links to articles published in this ezine may contain false doctrine. They are included due to some valuable content. The fact that they are printed here does not mean that we accept or endorse their doctrine. All writings of men, including ours, should be carefully compared to the New Testament writings.)


Benard Ooko Kagaga is an itinerate evangelist in the Southwest and West portions of Kenya. He is a highly productive worker for the Lord and he is my friend. Benard baptized over 30 converts in 2006. JH

Pagan worship existed from early on, probably only a century or so after the flood. All nations were engulfed in them except for Israel who also found them enticing and dabbled (dabble: To undertake something superficially or without serious intent; play at; tinker) in them so much that God allowed their enemies to overrun them and scatter them abroad forever ending their recognition as a nation in His eyes.

It seems that all the populated areas of the world had their own array of gods and goddesses. We are all somewhat familiar with Greek mythology but not as much emphasis has seemingly been put on the Norse (Scandinavian) pantheon. It has much similarity to the Greek group yet is dfferent. I won't attempt to describe it but give you a couple of links below that will at least partially explain it. The Romans also had theirs.

If all the various gods and goddesses of all the medieval peoples were gathered together, it would fill volumes, I believe. The nomadic and located arabs (precursors of Islam) had a god for each day of the year and a few others for good measure. It was from these and the Roman gods that "Christians" now celebrate (dabble with) Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Certainly not from the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The word "Pagan" is the same or very similar in meaning to that of "Heathen" and it's Aramaic root can be found as early as Genesis 18: 18 when God said, "Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"

The word "nations" here is from the Hebrew term "goyim" or "goiim" and is in this case, referring to all peoples of the world. However, after God gave the law to the Israelites through Moses, the word took on the meaning of all people (or even moreso, all religious people) other than the Jews. And in the present day, has also excluded Christians and sometimes, Muslims.

Through the ages, the term has become more derogatory and carries the connotations of "uneducated", "ignorant", "irreligious" and even "uncivilized". Certainly, some of these suggestive connotations cannot be accepted as accurate or there would be few pagans on the earth. When in reality, there are vast numbers of people who worship strange and multiple gods, not acceptable to Jehovah God nor to those who believe in Him and that the Bible is His inspired word. It would appear to me that the most accurate meaning of the word is that to include all people who do not follow or believe in Jehovah God and his word, the Holy Bible. This would necsssitate the inclusion of the Muslims into the Pagan group. They may profess to believe in Jehovah God, but they certainly do not believe in His inspired word, the Bible. If they did, they would accept that Jesus of Nazareth was His only Son. And they would not believe in any latter day prophet. (Muhammad)

How poor are they who have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees...William Shakespeare

He who has injured thee was either stronger or weaker than thee. If weaker, spare him; if stronger, spare thyself...William Shakespeare

The book of Hebrews declares that ``we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip'' (Heb. 2:1). Another way of translating the final phrase of this verse is, ``lest we drift away.''

Nothing in the world is easier than drifting. No person drifts upstream, only downstream. It is so easy. All you do is sit back and relax and let the boat go. You may not even be aware you are drifting until it is too late and the boat is on the rocks. Satan is very wise. He seldom urges a Christian to leave the church or to give up his faith in the Lord. Instead he causes us to relax, rest on the oars and drift along in the Christian life.

All around us are Christians who have drifted into a state of coldness and indifference. They have stopped caring about others who need to hear the message of God's saving grace.

Are you drifting? Wake up now! Grab the oars and pull. Your active concern is needed as we seek to lead others to find Christ and His will for their lives.

After almost 2000 years of greed, immorality and heinous crimes (of all types), the Roman Catholic Church now seems to be coming under public scrutiny. But as the frequently used phrase goes, it is too little, too late.

From the time of the great apostasy, they have had bloody and dirty hands. They persecuted, tortured and killed dissidents (as heretics) from the beginning. Faithful Christians were first treated thusly by the Roman government, but the Catholics took over and continued this treatment toward those who were trying to remain faithful.

Not only did they persecute Christians, their hierarchy has been a cesspool of immorality, criminal sexual activity and almost every other thing imaginable. When I was a child, back in the 1930's, my parents told me of a scandal in the Catholic church, where slain babies were found buried under a Convent (or perhaps a church building), some of the newborns were ripped asunder before burial. These were offspring of illicit sexual activities between the priests and nuns.

During my tour of duty in the army during the Korean conflict, perhaps my best friend, was a Catholic, a graduate of Loyola University in Chicago. (One of the Catholic church's most touted schools.) When I confronted him with the above mentioned incident, he did not attempt to justify the slaughter of the infants, but he did try to show that sex between the priests and nuns was scriptural and right since the priests were representatives of Christ and the nuns were representative of the church, the bride of Christ!

They have been masters of cover-ups although there have been numerous unexplained incidents that have caused many questions. And their enormous political and financial powers have kept them from much trouble and publicity over the centuries. I may be wrong, but I have not known of any culprit among them, having ever been punished by civil law, at least to any extent comensurate with the crimes. And they probably will not this time.
(Now, almost 5 years later...How many of those accused of sodomy and statutory rape, etc., are serving time? JHH)

05/14/02 JHH

A drowning man is not troubled by rain...Persian Proverb

A man is not honest simply because he never had a chance to steal...Yiddish Proverb

A lie travels round the world while truth is putting her boots on...French Proverb