Tuesday, November 8, 2022

LIVINGSCIENCE FOUNDATION: RESPONSE TO NAFDAC’S STATEMENT ON USE OF MERCURY-CONTAINING CHILDHOOD VACCINES IN NIGERIA





Summary: NAFDAC’s current regulations will not permit in a body lotion, the level and form of mercury it claims to be harmless in some vaccines being administered to children.

Copious news reports have brought to our attention a Press Release  issued by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on 24th October, 2022.  The Release attempts to underplay the indisputable fact that vaccines, in formats long-proscribed in the developed nations, on safety considerations, are still being shipped to Nigeria for use in our children.

The NAFDAC’s Press Release was craftily directed at an uncited media “statement” which supposedly claimed that the mercury content in the vaccines in question is 40%. The focus of the Release was thereafter directed at this wrongly quoted value.  In actuality, it is thimerosal that contains 49.6% of ethyl mercury, while the concentration of thimerosal in vaccines could range from 0.003 to 0.01% as correctly stated in the NAFDAC’s statement.  Since the NAFDAC’s Release is obviously directed, ultimately, at submissions made at the recently concluded 7th National Conference on Environment and Health convened by us, we reproduce here, for the records, our exact statement on the issue.  Observation No 3 in the Conference Communique reads:

 

i. It was observed that while the use of thimerosal (49.6% ethyl mercury) as preservative in traditional vaccines had been proscribed in the USA for over 2 decades, and in Europe for more than 30 years, this practice is still ongoing in Nigeria.  This is based on recommendations stemming from Risk Assessment exercises carried out by foreign/global agencies.  Vaccines so affected include Hepatitis B and Tetanus-Diphteria multidose vaccines.  Mercury in all forms is known to be neurotoxic.

                                                                                                                 

ii. By switching to single-dose forms of the same vaccine, as is done in the developed countries, the need for the use of thimerosal (as preservative) will be eliminated.

 

The full Communique can be obtained from http://conferences.lsfnigeria.org.

 

The issue is therefore not the wrongly-ascribed (possibly a typo) value of 40%  as mercury content in the vaccine  The 0.003 – 0.01% value quoted by the NAFDAC, while sounding miniscule as expressed in percentages, is actually humongous in trace elements toxicology. The upper limit actually translates to 25 microgram of ethyl mercury in a typical 0.5mL dose which could be administered, in the case of Hepatitis B vaccine, to day-old low-birthweight babies.  By comparison, the WHO recommended limit for mercury in 0.5 mL of waste water that can be used for agricultural purposes is 0.0005 microgram. That is 50,000 times lower than the mercury level in the vaccine!

 

The NAFDAC is certainly not unaware of the highly toxic nature of mercury.  Indeed the Agency has literally ZERO tolerance for mercury appearing, in any form, in all cosmetics and other household products.  A statement on NAFDAC’s website explains this proscription:

“Mercury is prohibited in cosmetics products because it can be harmful to health and can be absorbed into the body and causes damage to the kidneys and nervous system, as well as disrupt the brain development of young or unborn children…” https://www.nafdac.gov.ng/public-alert-no-007-2020-alert-on-ban-on-distribution-of-three-cosmetics-products-by-malaysian-ministry-of-health/

Deliberately loading babies, repeatedly, with such humongous amount of mercury is therefore clearly unconscionable. The practice was proscribed in Europe over 30 years ago, and despite considerable resistance by the formidable Vaccine Lobby, it was also proscribed in the USA some 10 years later.  Despite NAFDAC’s repeated claim of no evidence of harm, the sole reason for the proscription of these vaccines in the developed nations is SAFETY.

The NAFDAC attempts to befuddle this straightforward issue by repeatedly appealing to the World Health Organization.  According to the NAFDAC, since the WHO has not placed an outright proscription on the product, NAFDAC can continue to load the brains of Nigerian children with levels of mercury which would be unacceptable in waste waters and cosmetics. 

And just to be clear, global bodies such as the WHO or the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) are primarily concerned with issues that traverse nations.  Using negotiations and consensus-building, acceptable middle-ground solutions that would least rock the boat are endorsed and recommended in the sensitive task of accommodating the widely different values and interests represented in nearly 200 member states.   It is left for each nation to decide on strictly local issues – such as how much mercury to pump into the brain of their babies. 

For emphasis, it was not the WHO that proscribed the use of thimerosal in vaccines in the developed nations, but the national agencies - the equivalents of our NAFDAC – in those nations.  The WHO’s perspective for risk assessment of the continued use of thimerosal-containing vaccines is not by any means a secret.  It is clearly indicated in several technical articles, such as the one by Drain et al (2003) published in the official Bulletin of the WHO (Drain PK, Nelson CM, Lloyd JS. Single-dose versus multi-dose vaccine vials for immunization programmes in developing countries. Bull World Health Organ. 2003;81(10):726-31).  Simply put, if a nation considers herself too impoverished to afford safer single-dose vaccines which do not contain mercury as preservative, it is better to recommend they accept the morbid risk of impaired neurodevelopment in their children than the mortal risk associated with such infections as hepatitis, tetanus, and diphtheria.  And, of course, there is also the need to stabilize a sensitive global vaccine industry.

It is not our intention to by any means discredit the NAFDAC or take up issues with her.  This issue in question predates her by decades and there are several intimidating global players involved.  Our overriding concern is that health products which are not acceptable for use in the manufacturer/donors’ own children cannot be good enough for our own children and grand children.  We encourage NAFDAC to rather side with the Nigerian people and advise government on budgetary requirements to shift to the use of single-dose vials, or other upcoming innovations; such that Nigerians who require vaccines could continue to have them with at least the same relative safety enjoyed in other climes.

Prof Joshua O. Ojo

President/CEO, LivingScience Foundation, Ile-Ife

www.lsfnigeria.org

 

Ile-Ife, 3rd November, 2022

 

“That Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations” - Psalms 67:2

Saturday, August 27, 2022

NATECO 22 - EDUCATION: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

 

NATECO ‘22

EDUCATION: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

(Focus on Trainees)

 

Joshua Ojo

0805 710 6482; Joshua@churcharise.org

President, Church Arise! LivingWater Ministries, Ile-Ife. www.churcharise.org

 

·         Introduction

·         Purpose of Education and the Conflicting Worldviews (Zion vs Greek Systems)

PAST: Challenges at Ideological/Doctrinal Level. Manifested at Physical/Material dimensions

PRESENT: Challenges now full-blown. Manifested at Soulish dimension

FUTURE (Future is already rolling in!): Ultimate manifestation. Being manifested at Spiritual dimension

·         Conclusions/Action Points:

For the cited quotations (and more), See chapter 15 of Behold I Come QuicklyVolume 2.  Soft copy free at http://www.churcharise.org/archives/index2.htm

Printed copies available @ N1,000 per book, N1,500 for any 2 volumes, or N2,000 for the Trilogy (vols 1, 2, and 3)

====================================================

I: Purpose and Worldviews in Education

1. Purpose of education:

Olanipekun:  Education equated to “Human resource development”

Obiageli “Oby” Ezesekwili: education is the most important national resource available.  Far more important than solid minerals. – Testimony at Redemption Camp. Reported in CA! Vol 10 No 1

“The main purpose of education is the integral development of a person.  In addition, it is a source of its obvious benefits for a fuller and better life.  Education can contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.  It develops a society in which people are aware of their rights and duties.  Education is a cultural and learning process.  Through this, all people can develop cognitive abilities, physical abilities and establish values and beliefs.  That allows us to act as good citizens.”

Punjab Colleges https://pgc.edu/purpose-of-education/

 

2. Clash of Worldviews in Education: Zion versus Greek - Zechariah 9:13

“When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man. “

“The sons of Zion versus the sons of Greece describe the epic battle in this age between two world views.  There are world views that continue to inform policies, values, and philosophies of education all over the world.  The sons of Greece like Aristotle, Socrates, and Plato have shaped the mind of nations.  There is hardly any field of human endeavor where the Greek philosophers are not being studied and providing fundamental principles that have shaped the thoughts of many.  Greek philosophy, as embraced today, focuses on the cultivation of the mind with the exclusion of the heart.  Moral education and instructions are not considered necessary in today’s education curricular.

 

“The sons of Zion, however, include biblical philosophers.  Examples of which are Moses, David, Solomon, the Prophets and Paul to name a few.  Their works are excluded from studies because they are confined to religion.  Education from Zion;s perspective goes beyond the cultivation of the intellect to the development of character, morality, and values.  Communities of the world can agree on values that they need to cultivate in school or early education and include such in the curriculum.  Whatever man sows, that he reaps.  If we sow nothing in the area of morality and values then we get citizens who are intellectually smart but not kind to one another.  Education is incomplete without deliberate, concerted cultivatin of morality.  The Greco-Roman pattern of education focuses on the cultivation of the intellect alone but Zion;s educations system is holistic.  Zion develops the total man: spirit, soul and body.” Pg 58 Segun Olanipekun, Nation Building, A Biblical Perspective.

Cf Eden: Fruit of Knowledge (without wisdom!) versus True knowledge

Underlying bedrock of Zion: Creationism (completed and good at the beginning); of Babylon/Medes-Persian/Greek/Roman: Evolutionary (gradual increase forward)

 

3. Some Features/Fruits:

1. Education in Greek is Godless. Zion is God-based

See a related article at  <http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/024750.php>

 


UK school kids to be taught atheism [“Non-religious religions] in religious classes   VOL 7 NO 2

 

2. School Prayers. Campus Fellowships – officials

3. All encompassing holistic education: Babylon trains the fit Dan 1:3-5.  Zion trains all. Cf David’s mighty men. 3Ds -1 Sam. 22:2; 2Sam 23:8. Israel autistic population).  Special Education only in Zion. Deemphasised in Greek.  (Presently, with advances in Technology, more inclusive education now possible.)

Pix: (Sept 2019): Exiting David Ben Gurion Airport, at the close of the 4th ALS, I discovered one of the key reasons Israel is such a great and blessed nation. EQUAL RIGHTS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY LAW

 

Saw this on social media recently:

What is Education?

At the end of World War II, this letter was found in a Nazi concentration camp.  It is addressed to Teachers.

 

Dear Teachers,

I am a survivor of a concentration camp.  My eyes saw what no man should witness: Gas chambers built by learned engineers, children poisoned by educated physicians, infants killed by trained nurses,.  Women and babies shot and burnt by High School and College Graduates.  So, I am suspicious of education.  My request is: Help your students become human.  Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled Psychopaths, educated illiterates.  Reading, writing, arithmetic are important only if they serve towards making our children more humane.”

 

To impart ability to take information, be instructed, and key in meaningfully into society, ultimately leaving it better than we met it.  Sons of Zion seek to bring heaven to earth.  Education gives the training.  Cf Moses! Read and Write, compose song for teaching , learned in all the learning of Egypt (Acts 7:22) etc.  Luke’s Gospel, Paul’s Epistles, John in the Book of Revelation: the various gems surrounding the throne… All these demonstrate learning. The human subjects wouln’t have been able to fulfil these great ministries without prior sound learning.

 

II. Education Past, Present, and Future

I assume we are treating Formal Education here. (Most of the traditional methods have changed very little)

1.  Education Past: Challenges at Ideological/Doctrinal Level. Manifested at Physical/Material dimensions

·         How past is past? Moses? Aristotle?... Let’s stick to Nigeria. First formal school in Nigeria:St Thomas Anglican Nursery and Primary School, Badagry, 1843.

·         Then clearly it was Zion worldview.  Christian missions. But now gradually being supplanted by Greek thinking.  Greek worldview challenged by Ishmaelite, which can be seen as adulterated Zion. – Boko Haram, Taliban,..

·         Funding, facilities, motivations, remunerations and rewards ok.

·         Most people in my generation attended public primary and secondary schools.  University, we had expatriate teachers, Someone once came from UK to do sabbatical with my Prof.

·         Thank God for children of Zion having Christian schools, homeschools, etc.  But it is important that the battle be fought at the Public Schools level.  Cf ongoing University strike crisis: 95% of students (about 2 million) in the public Universities.

 

 

2. Education Present: Challenges now full-blown as Greek worldview is gaining momentum. Manifested at “Soulish” dimension (morality, etc)

i. War against School Prayers: US, Europe, Nigeria (mainly Ishmaelites,cf Kwara State)

"Anyone who violates these orders, no kidding, is going to wish that he or she had died as a child when this court gets through with it." – that was U.S. District Court Samuel B. Kent of the Southern District of Texas in 1995 ordering students  and even ministers not parties to the lawsuit not to pray in Jesus' name at graduation ceremonies, warning that that federal marshals would be on hand to take violators to jail for six months on the grounds of contempt of court.

A dozen students attending Heritage High School in Vancouver, Wash., were suspended recently for praying at school.  The individuals, who met for about two weeks before 7 a.m., decided to pray in the school cafeteria because of the inclement weather outside. As a result, they were suspended for ten days.  [Vol 10 No 3]

 

ii. Exam Malpractice: (I’ve been on Exam Malpractice Committee for over a decade. We see things!). With emphasis on paper qualification more than skill/value-adding

At the entrance gate of a university in South Africa the following message was posted for contemplation:

"Destroying any nation does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long range missiles. It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students."*

Patients die at the hands of such doctors.

Buildings collapse at the hands of such engineers.

Money is lost at the hands of such economists & accountants.

Humanity dies at the hands of such religious scholars.

Justice is lost at the hands of such judges...

"The collapse of education is the collapse of the nation."

 

Unfortunately today, teachers, administrators, even parents now actively take part in Exam malpractices!

iii. Sabotage by Greeks! Unjustified mandates in Schools: (government-supervised education;  vaccination!). All working to actualize the World Core Curriculum of the future (now here!)

Homeschooling movement: under immense pressure. US, Germany. Canada(vol 9 No 5).   (CA! intervention in Norwegian situation Jan. 2016)    [VOL 11 NO 4]

·         At a radio programme, few weeks ago, pondering the question how do we prepare for the next pandemic: it was clear to me that the 3 major steps were: education, education, and education. Cf a vaccine that has no sterilizing immunity, and does not prevent transmission, with considerable adverse effect in the short term, and long-term not known for a disease which is not fatal and can be treated…..government is indemnified, etc

Cf Lockdown of schools for several months in US and elsewhere.  (Adverse effect of schools lockdown – UNESCO)

Refs: Case Against Mandatory Vaccination in Nigeria (www.NigerianCovidResponseAlliance.org);

 Letter to Liberals (RFK: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/letter-to-liberals-ebook-20220802.pdf)

·         Here in Nigeria: OAU, Must teach large classes virtually, even when orientation, social and religious activities are allowed physically.  UI no hostel accommodation for unvaccinated. It is very clear that some people somewhere want to destroy our education system!

·         In DC US, no vaccination no classes. And no alternatives (virtual class) provided! (August 2022)

·         For instance in Canada, the Quebec Ministry of Education has bluntly told unlicensed Christian evangelical schools that they must teach Darwin's theory of evolution and sex education or fold up their operations.[Vol 10 No 1]

 

 

iv. Greek Curricula being crafted and imposed:

·         Sex Education Curriculum now ready – says Council  vol 5 no 1

·         Eckankar for schools in Nigeria VOL 7 NO 6

 

·         McAthur pumps over 5 billion naira into selling Sexuality Education in Nigeria. (Vol 9  No 1).  From the MacAthur foundation alone, over five billion naira has been given to various NGOs in less than 3 years, to see to the task of ramming the odious pill of Sexuality Education down the throats of Nigerians, by all means

All these from just one of several donors alone! For instance Action Health Incorporated, in 2004 got a separate $1,100,000 from the Ford Foundation “to strengthen the documentation, training, public education and field and constituency-building programs of the Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Center”  (www.fordfound.org/elibrary/documents/520/029.cfm). 

 

v. Immorality:

·         Bill Funds 20 New Elementary School Health Clinics Offering Condoms and Birth Control for Students

http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/may/07052307.html  VOL 10 NO 3

·         University of Cincinnati organizes “sexploration”

Details at www.onenewsnow.com/Education/Default.aspx?id=412040  VOL 12 NO 2

 

·         Thank God for response to the outcries on sexual harassment. At least some tertiary institutions in Nigeria are waking up to confront the evil.

 

vi. Cultism, Violence, Drugs

·         AMORC vs UI.  Secret cults (MtZion’s Abbatoir!) Cultism – opon imo with incantations for hypnotizing ladies!

·         School Violence (US, Japan….)

·         Cultism and Drugs (CETCON… check website. Hopefully this November also)

·         Cult Renaissance on Campuses [VOL. 5 NO 2]. Lecturer Gunned down at UNIBEN: (Punch Feb 1, pg 9)

 

vii. Evolution theory (especially at tertiary education level)

·         Lies in high scientific places [Vol 9 No 1].(www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/23/news/clone.php)

 

 

3. Education Future: Knowledge Explosion. Misinformation, Disinformation, Propaganda, Gas lighting. Mandates. (Future is already rolling in!): Ultimate manifestation. Being manifested at Spiritual dimension

i. US Public Schools: Propaganda and Persecution - In the US, there is a 70-to-80 percent likelihood that a [Christian] child will abandon the church and their faith in a public school career!  Facing this sober statistics, President of the Southern Baptist Convention, Frank Page, is calling on Southern Baptist churches to expand into K-12 education, making it available for families whether they can pay a private tuition or not.  Christians need Exodus from 'Pharoah's system' he warned.

ii. Alice Bailey, Robert Muller + Djwahl Khul (a demon!). UN-sanctionedWorld Core Curiculum.  Full expression of the fruits of the World Core Curriculum

Visit www.churcharise.org to download TTIF and BICQ.

·         Here a sampler of the New Educational Curriculum for the New World (from SA):

 

For instance on the subject called Life Orientation, Nursery 1 pupils are to be able to identify symbols relating to AT LEAST three religions other than their own. 

·         By Primary 3/4 they are supposed to be able to describe the worship practices, value systems, as well as festivals, RITUALS and customs of AT LEAST 3 religions, OTHER THAN THEIRS. 

·         By Primary 6 your children are expected to be able to “describe how nature can be a source of spiritual health and  MUST be able to sing canons from AT LEAST three different cultures/religions” e.g chant mantras or Odu Ifa etc. 

·         By the end of JSS 3, pupils are to be introduced to ‘holistic and traditional healing.’.  They will taught  “life cycles” (based on acceptance of reincarnation as a fact) and made to “understand how similar belief systems are”.  Having thus been taught that all religions are one, Christianity is highlighted as the uncompromising selfish one that refuses to accommodate the others.  The curriculum puts it as “Understand that it was not only politics that vilified Africa but also ‘imported’ religion”.

 

·         On Social Sciences, nursery grade pupils are to be taught to identify private parts of their body (an old idea from the humanist camp).  By Primary 6, Children are to understand  their rights such as the freedom to choose their own religion or sexual preferences from age 13, as well as accept evolution as a “fact”

 

·         Everything happens over a span of years during which many other “excellent” programmes will be taught. The little poison ingested here and there along the years however will guarantee that any child who is so indoctrinated will reject the value system of his/her old-fashioned superstitious parents!

 

iii. Artificial Inteligience (AI), Technology can rob students of critical thinking.

·         Anthony Levandowski, founder of what is called the AI (Artificial Intelligience) Church describes a new god referred to as “Whatever”, which the AI community believes is going to emerge at some point when the internet-of-things has become operational (see GLOBAL GOVERNANCE RIDES IN ON CORONAVIRUS BACK)./  With Google, and possibly Google Plus with AI, what education is really required?  (e.g. with calculators and computers, relevance of arithmetic skills?)

·         Robot Teacher debuts in Japanese Schools www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,508184,00.html.

Fox news sees Saya as representing “Japan’s determination to put a robot in every home by 2015.”   At Church Arise! however, we see in Saya the impatience of New World Order buffs to turn teachers and educationists to robots – teaching their new curricula of evolution theory and new sexuality, etc.  Bringing in robot-teachers will certainly hasten the process – no questions, no conscience!   VOL 12 NO 2

 

iv. Mandates! (Physiologically facilitated by prior mass vaccinations, Digital Passports, Green Cards, etc)

·         Parents who opted to take their children off government-supervised schooling have been jailed in Germany  (Vol 10 No 1).  Even those who keep them in public school with the hope of having them excused from certain corrupting classes, such as comprehensive sex-education, are also being jailed.  VOL 14 NO 1

·         mandatory government-supervised education for all kids, new sexuality with emphasis on advocating for homosexuality, abortion and contraceptives; or on another note, global citizenship, “interconnectedness” of all living in the world with the “ancient ascended masters” and all that stuff, you know what the game is all about.

·         In Quebec, Canada, students are now required to attend a mandatory class where they are specifically taught that all religions are equally true.  The course, requiring about two hours per week is also mandatory in private schools. (see details at http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=29813)  VOL. 5 NO. 4.

 

v. Education as “tool for Global Peace” VOL 4 NO 6 

·         “Education for All for Learning to Live together” - that was the theme of an International Conference on education held in Geneva, Switzerland under the auspices of UNESCO between Sept 5 and 8.  Over 600 delegates from all around the world were in attendance at the Conference presided over by Nigeria’s education minister, Prof Babalola Borishade.

Christianity (Zion) teaches us to live, as far as it depends on us in peace with our neighbours. But we must keep ourselves holy. Summary of conditions for heaven! (Heb. 12:14).  New World Order (Greek) teaches we all dilute our convictions and find a new meeting point where the individual identities are lost. In State (UN) and in Religion. (UR).

 

III. CONCLUSIONS/ACTION POINTS:

Teachers need to be careful not to be tools in the hands of nefarious people for evil agenda.

1.Take heed to yourself. Don’t be corrupted (1 Tim 3:  ), Must learn to challenge dogmas.  Ask questions.  Train yourselves to build up confidence. Prepare yourself.  Prepare your students purposively for the exciting future ahead! Great privilege!

2. Win others to Zion.  Let them know (1 Chr. 12:32; Mat. 28:18-20)

Leadership Development (ALS): Identify/Raise; Develop/Train; Equip/Protect/Defend; Network/Empower

3. Hence a gathering like this.  But NATECO must go beyond an annual engagement. There must be ongoing [daily, eg. Via social media] engagement -.  Invitation to partner/network with CLAY, ALS.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

The Tsunami and the Watchman’s Burden (CA! Vol 8 No 1, 2005)

 The world will certainly not forget in a hurry the devastating December 26 tsunami that left behind some 150,000 people dead and 500,000 others injured last year. Yet millions of others were rendered destitute and homeless as trillions of dollars worth of property perished in a matter of minutes. 

           How did it happen?  The physics of a tsu-nami (Japanese word for habour wave) is described in lay terms in the article by Prof. Bolaji Aluko (www.dawodu.com/aluko107.htm). Following an earthquake under the Ocean, the sea bed is pushed upwards several meters.  This results in an overflow of a huge amount of water which together with the waves, surge towards land at an incredible speed that could be up to about 800 km/h, comparable to the speed of a commercial airliner.  The current tsunami is an example of what can result from such a phenomenon.

        Now, why did it happen?  Why did so many – mainly children -  have to die so violently, so suddenly?  Here science breaks down, and religion and philosophy comes up, many of them showing their abject bankruptcy and total hopelessness.  In a study carried out by BBC News (Jan 3: An Act of God?), the views of various religions were sought to explain the tsunami and the associated great loss of lives.  Rani Moorthy, a Hindi actress and  writer offered:  “The tsunami brings into question both  personal and collective destinies for Hindus. In terms of the latter, we are born in an age of destruction, known as Kali Yuga, an age that lasts for perhaps 1,000 years. This says that we must go through a series of set-backs, obstacles, suffering, eg AIDS, and a propensity for natural disasters as nature shows its malevolent side. Mankind goes through this to be renewed. As for my personal destiny, there is no central text in Hinduism as there is in other religions so it's up to each of us to formulate our own understanding”….The`outlook of Bhuddism is not much different: “What might have precipitated the tsunami was a lot of people coming together who had the karma for a short life and, to an extent, this is perhaps a reflection that these areas were over-populated”, reflected an adherent. 

It is instructive that people hardly consider the possibilities that God might actually have reduced the possible impact of the event (see Matthew 24:22 to confirm the consistency of this with His character) or that He might not really have wished the event to have happened at all. (See also Luke 13:1-5; Ezekiel 18:32).

     Of the many lessons that could possibly be drawn from this incident, Church Arise!, will  want to soberly point out a few.  If learnt, then at least those saddening loss of lives would not have gone entirely in vain.

        First, is the ephemeral nature of materials and utter helplessness of man.  The energy of the tsunami was estimated as greater than 10 times those of the atomic bombs unleashed on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945.  We may guard all we can against terrorism, war etc, but no amount of resolution-passing at the UN can stop such, well, “acts of God”.

.      Second is the suddenness of it all.  One fact that struck most eye-witnesses was the brevity of the whole incident.  One moment, calm and camaraderie, a sudden gale of water, and 2 minutes later, all calm again, this time, a ghostly calm. The Bible says the coming of the Lord will happen “in a twinkle of an eye’.  One moment, it will be business as usual, the next, it will be all over and the world will never be the same again!

The above  leads to the point on the urgency of preaching the Gospel.  Unfortunately the vast majority of those who perished in the tsunamis did not get to understand that through Jesus Christ, they could have a solid hope for the eternity. Most eastern religions teach a hopeless future of repeated reincarnation till one day one may earn enough good works to break the cycle.  And to think they only needed to know the Truth to have had a gloriously different destiny.  Now for these, it’s too late to preach!

         Lastly, and perhaps most critical, is the problem of getting people to respond to otherwise unpalatable realities. Virtually everyone knows that the fault lines are there and that the Tsunami could, indeed MUST, one day happen.  Prediction systems exist to warn people ahead of a developing tsunami, but with these rushing in typically at a speed of 800 km/h, the real challenge is to get people to respond to this warning either on time, or at all!   According to a BBC analysis: “An operator sitting in an early warning centre in Jakarta might know about an impending tsunami, but how does he warn the fisherman in Sumatra, the sweet seller in Sri Lanka, the tribesman on Nicobar island?” 

          The challenges of accurately predicting that a particular quake under the ocean will develop into a harmful tsunamis are rather daunting that but for the most advanced (and expensive) systems such as the Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting (DART), three in four tsunami alerts turn out to be false alarms  (newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6839).  Evacuations in such cases are very costly and can damage a delicate industry such as tourism.   The inevitable resultant is complacency or wishful thinking on the part of the majority!  Clearly there are some events for which preparations for possible escape must not be delayed till they commence.

      Certainly, the saddest (and least told story!) about the whole Asian Tsunami is the fact that there were professional scientists who seeing clearly the handwriting literally shouted themselves hoarse hoping somebody will pay attention. The Newscientist article already cited above, quietly mentioned the story of Samoth Dhammasaroj, a meteoroligcal expert in Thailand.  Soon after the massive ocean quake, he realized that a deadly tsunami might be on the way, but he was “unable to contact government officials to raise the alarm”.   Even more pathetic is the story of Kerry Sieh, distinguished professor of geology at CalTech, who several weeks before the event repeatedly warned Indonesian officials that an earthquake and tsunami would soon strike their shores.

         Prof. Sieh, who has studied the region for nearly a decade, was so frustrated in his attempts to get the attention of Asia's leaders that, in desperation, he began handing out fliers, posters and brochures to residents of the islands worst hit by the waves.  He spoke at churches and schools – wherever people gave him audience.  According to a report in WND (Jan 9, 2005), his appointment to discuss with Indonesian officials, about a month to the catastrophe, “was reportedly canceled at the last minute by the officials”.   According to Sieh, "No one can predict exactly when an earthquake will happen, but it was clear that this area was at relatively high risk and such an event would definitely happen one day," he said after the devastation. "We told them it would kill people, wreck infrastructure and destroy livelihoods. But our warnings were falling on deaf ears. My team and I decided to bypass the national and local government and start warning people directly. I hope our efforts saved some lives."

       The sad story shows how little things have changed since the times of Noah or Lot! It takes great courage to warn people to flee from the danger to come, especially when that means asking them to change comfortable lifestyles, religions, professions, practices they have been comfortably entrenched in.  And with many satanically-inspired doomsday date-setters periodically springing forth, it is easy for men and women to brush aside sound clear Biblical warnings with a wave of  “we’ve heard all that before”. 

    But then how can anyone, like Prof Sieh, possibly see the unmistaken signs of a great tsunami approaching – unprecedented rot and immorality, including sexuality education taking deep roots in society, increasing turning against God as people pay lip service to righteousness and embrace various cults directly or indirectly, systematic and clear efforts to zombifie the entire populace via many simultaneous efforts including microchip implantation, using basic obvious baits, etc – how can one see all these, understand the clear implications, and not warn the unwary to depart from doomsland, no matter the cost?  Afterall what does it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his life? (Mark 8: 36?)  Even when one knows a priori that most will either outrightly scoff, or politely ignore, can one but keep on shouting?  The Lord has given the Word, who can keep quiet!  This is the watchman’s burden – such as is borne by ministries like Church Arise!  Mat 25:41 makes it clear that although many will end up in hell fire, none is actually required to!  The Word of God is clear.  Disaster is coming upon the world that will make the recent tsunamis look like a picnic.(see Rev. 16:1ff).  Genuine faith in Jesus is the ONLY way out (1 Jhn 5:4-5).  NOW, is the time to escape for your life (Gen. 19:17). Come out of all ungodly relationships and associations today! (2 Cor. 6:17, Rev. 18:4).  Remember Lot’s wife!

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