 Excellence in Engineering Even secular architects and engineers have to admit that the greatest examples of excellence in architecture are the cathedrals. Extraordinary Sacrifice and Dedication When you consider the limited technological resources available to architects, builders and craftsmen, who built the medieval cathedrals - with wooden scaffolding, hand tools and boats that transported the stones from quarries to the building sites, each of these cathedrals represent staggering sacrifices and amazing achievements. Awesome Architecture Many of the great cathedrals of Britain were built a thousand years ago! These cathedrals are far more than monuments to a vibrant and living Faith. They have been meeting places for generations of Christian communities, the focal point of Christian work and witness throughout the Middle Ages to the present day.  Wondrous Attractions To many people today, cathedrals are seen as tourist attractions, resting places for many of the most prominent personalities over many centuries, and as venues for royal weddings, state funerals and inspiring Christmas choirs and Easter presentations. The cathedrals of Britain are precious treasure houses reflecting over a thousand years of extraordinary artistry, excellent craftsmanship and dynamic faith. Canterbury Canterbury Cathedral is the seat of the country's senior archbishop, as it began with St. Augustine's mission to Anglo Saxon England in the 6th century. Canterbury Cathedral is also the resting place of the most famous of all archbishops of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, who was martyred in the cathedral, 1170. St. Paul's The original St. Paul's was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren oversaw the baroque masterpiece which is the current St. Paul's Cathedral. It took 35 years to build, starting, in white Portland stone, in 1675. The dome is 365 feet high and, until 1962, was the tallest building in London. For well over 1,400 years, St. Paul's has been a place of Christian worship. It is the seat of the bishop of London and the mother church of the diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the city of London. The original church on the site was built in AD 604. St. Paul's is the second largest church in Britain. Its dome has been proclaimed the finest in the world. St. Paul's is a busy church with at least three services every day. This was the site of the famous wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981 and of the funeral of Baroness Margaret Thatcher in 2013. Salisbury Cathedral Salisbury Cathedral, which began to be built in 1220, has the tallest church spire in the United Kingdom (404 feet). The cathedral also has the largest cloister and the largest cathedral close (80 acres) in Britain. The cathedral also contains the world's oldest working clock, (dating from 1386) and has the best surviving, of the four original copies, of Magna Carta (the great charter of 1215).  Exeter Cathedral Exeter Cathedral was completed by 1400 and has the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England. The Exeter Cathedral astronomical clock is one of the most famous and oldest astronomical clocks in the world, dating from 1484. The silver ball and inner dials show both the phase of the moon and the position of the sun in the sky on a 24 hour analogue dial. The door below the clock has a round hole near its base to allow the church cats to deter rats that are attracted to the fat used to lubricate the clock mechanism. Lincoln Cathedral Building on Lincoln Cathedral commenced in 1088 and, for 238 years, was the tallest building in the world. For hundreds of years the cathedral held one of the four copies of the original Magna Carta, which now is displayed in Lincoln Castle. Lincoln Cathedral is one of the few English cathedrals built from the rock it is standing on. The cathedral stonemasons can use up to 100 tonnes of stone per year from their own quarry for maintenance and repairs. Gloucester Cathedral Originally built from AD 678, the Cathedral of St. Peter and the Holy Trinity contains Saxon, Norman and Gothic architecture. Winchester Cathedral Winchester Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe with the longest nave and the greatest overall length of any Gothic cathedral in Europe. The cathedral was founded in AD 642 and greatly expanded in the 11th century. Richard the Lionheart was crowned King of England in this cathedral in 1194. As a bishop of Winchester had condemned Joan of Arc to death in 1431, a statue of Joan of Arc was erected in Winchester Cathedral in 1923, when she was recognised as a martyr and a saint.  York Minster The Cathedral of St. Peter in York is one of the largest in Northern Europe. The large stained glass windows are the largest medieval stained glass in the world. The West window was constructed in 1339 and the great East window in 1408. Ely Cathedral Ely Cathedral was originally an Abby built in AD 672. The present magnificent cathedral dates back to 1083. The central octagonal tower is a unique landmark. The cathedral is a major tourist attraction receiving 250,000 visitors a year, yet maintains a pattern of morning and evening services every day.  Durham Cathedral The Cathedral Church of Christ of Durham dates back to AD 995. It is one of the finest examples of Norman architecture. County Durham is known as the Land of the Prince Bishops because of the enormous military and political power which the Bishop of Durham traditionally maintained for centuries. The tombs of St. Cuthbert of Lindesfarne and the Venerable Bede (the Historian of Saxon England), are located within Durham Cathedral. Wells Cathedral Construction of Wells Cathedral began in AD 1170. Wells has been described as the most poetic of English cathedrals. The church is surrounded with sculptures and magnificent stained glass windows. A Challenge and Rebuke The cathedrals are a challenge and a rebuke to an age of prefabs and rentals. The generations who sacrificed and laboured to build these magnificent houses of worship to the glory of God built for future generations. It frequently took three generations to complete a cathedral. The generations who had laid the foundations were not normally alive to see the completion of the spires. Multiple generations have been blessed by their diligence and vision. Consecrated Work Requires Consecrated Workers When Sir Christopher Wren began to re-build St. Paul's Cathedral, he had signs erected on the construction site, declaring that, as this is to be a House of Worship, all those involved in the construction were required to maintain daily devotions, attend worship services and anyone found taking the Lord's Name in vain would be immediately dismissed.  Inspiration
Many of those building these cathedrals found inspiration from the prophet Haggai who challenged the people of his time. "'Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your panelled houses, and this Temple to lie in ruins?' Now therefore, thus says the Lord of Hosts: 'Consider your ways! You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes.' Thus says the Lord of Hosts: 'Consider your ways!'" Haggai 1:2-7 To the Glory of God The attention to detail, even on the rooftops, which could not be seen before the age of flight, is incredible. Many of the craftsmen determined to do their very best, even on those parts which would not be seen by any but God and the Angels, because whatever you do, do it with all your heart as working for the Lord and not for men. "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Colossians 3:17 Dr. Peter Hammond Reformation Society P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Email: mission@frontline.org.za www.ReformationSA.org www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Fire To see the PDF JOY! magazine version of this article, click here.
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 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways.” Romans 3:15-16 Waves of Fires in the Western Cape More than 120 people died in fires and 762 arson attacks were recorded in the Western Cape during 2018. Forensic investigator, David Klatzow, observed that simultaneous fires, starting at the same time, “raises a big red flag” and suggests “deliberate agency”. Knysna Forest Fires Times Live reported, 8 June 2017, “Are Knysna Fires the Result of Arson?” Firefighters in the Knysna area were battling 26 separate fires which destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of hectares of forest. Malicious Tokai Arsonists Sought IOL and the Cape Times reported in January 2017 that rewards were offered for information on the people responsible for the eleven Tokai forest fires which were believed to have been started maliciously.  Suspicious Spate of Fires in Cape Town On 18 January 2017, City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security member, J.P. Smith, stated: “The spate of fires is truly suspicious and we have an investigations team that is looking into it.” The Cape Times front page banner headline – “Firestorm – Arson suspected as scores of fires threaten lives and property in Cape.” Persistent Pattern 28 January 2019, Robbie Erasmus from Enviro Wildlife reported on 9 fires ravaging different areas across the Western Cape in one week. Hundreds of firefighters were kept busy battling fires in Cape Town, Cederberg, Overberg and Overstrand. Mr Erasmus concluded, that while some causes may be natural, there was evidence of others having been started deliberately. Firefighters reported that fires were “never this bad”, this “persistent” and this “long-lasting” before. Wildfires ravaging mountains and forestry reserves is now becoming a pattern.  Arsonists in Action
29 October 2018, seven people, including a baby and a pregnant woman were killed in a Western Cape forest fire near Knysna. Helicopter pilots in the Knysna area reported seeing children starting forest fires while firefighters were battling 40 separate fires in the Knysna area simultaneously. The devastating fire on Signal Hill, January 2019, was proven to be arson. Racist Incitement to Burn White Farmers Lindsay Maasdorp of Black First Land First, posted on social media: “If it is a white-owned farm it must burn!” Thousands of hectares of forestry reserve in the Western Cape have been devastated by wildfires. Across the country, buildings such as the historic Bloemfontein City Hall, have been destroyed by deliberate arson. Many communities feel under siege by Marxist inspired land invaders and unprecedented arson attacks. Apple farmers in Elgin experienced malicious fires, burning thousands of crates just before harvest season. Destruction of farm equipment, barns, sheds, equipment, vineyards, orchards, crops and forests are evidently part of a Revolutionary Agenda. “The way of peace they have not known and there is no justice in their ways; they have made themselves crooked paths; whoever takes that way shall not know peace.” Isaiah 59:8 Dr. Peter Hammond Dr. Peter Hammond Africa Christian Action PO Box 23632 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689 4480 E-mail: info@christianaction.org.za Web: www.christianaction.org.za www.frontlinemissionsa.org www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Buses, Trains and Police Stations Burn Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? Farms and Freedoms Under Fire In South Africa The National Suicide of the Xhosa Fraud Failure and Farce - Land Expropriation Hearings Racism, Rhetoric and Reality God's Law or Chaos  “Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.” 1 Chronicles 16:24 South Africa Mission We praise God for His blessing and protection over Tobie, Alieske, Daniela, Erik and myself, who have returned from a packed and productive Mission around South Africa. We drove over 4,300 km, conducted over 60 meetings, delivered about 2 tonnes of Bibles, books, Gospel booklets and AudioVisual materials to 24 locations across the Orange Free State, KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape, to 5 schools, 6 churches, 2 colleges, 2 Mission stations, 2 conferences and 2 seminars. School Ministries Throughout this South Africa Mission, our team members, Alieske, Daniela, Tobie and Erik, conducted numerous school assemblies at 5 different schools, including in Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg, East London and Alexandria. We also delivered Bibles, books and audiovisual materials to other schools. Presentations included: Animals in the Bible, Creation and Stewardship, Fight the New Drug, Recognising and Resisting Human Trafficking, Applying the Ten Commandments to our Lives, Evangelism Explosion and Missionary Reports and challenges.  Ministry to Children During the Back to the Bible Conference, the rest of the Frontline Mission team were conducting ministry amongst local Zulu children in the area. They also conducted services at an Evangelical Bible Church in Pinetown each Sunday evening. They distributed many evangelistic tracts and Fight the New Drug leaflets, Animals in the Bible leaflets and much more. School Assemblies At the different schools that we conducted assemblies at, the children enthusiastically participated in The Marching Song, reciting the Ten Commandments poem, learning memory tools to apply God's Top Ten, singing great hymns of the Faith, learning the Evangelism Explosion Gospel Presentation and exploring the wonders of God's Creation and our duty to care for His creatures and protect the earth from poaching and pollution. Bureaucratic Battles Over Education From each school, we learned of the extraordinary burdens and expenses forced upon private and independent Christian community schools by government bodies such as Umalusi. Teaching is hard enough in the best of times. However, despite no funding, or subsidies, from the government, or even tax relief, to these independent schools, they force unwarranted and unnecessary expenses and time-consuming restrictions. For one matric student at an Eastern Cape Christian school to be recognised, Umalusi demands R10,000 just to look at their email and R50,000 for the students’ matric results to be recognised! They seem unconcerned that this is a Mission school struggling to carry out its ministry in a very depressed economic environment, with students from disadvantaged backgrounds.  Extortion in the Name of Education The fact that these independent Christian schools are taking a tremendous burden off a government that is not even coping with its own schools, you would have thought that the least they could do was give them some tax relief. But, No! Umalusi declares that they do not care how many students are in the matric class, even if it is just one. R10,000 to register and R50,000 to be recognised is their required rate! How are missionary schools meant to survive under such outrageous extortions from a government which is meant to be civil servants? A Country in Crisis We experienced power failures and suspension of plumbing, even at busy petrol stations on the N2, without any water. We drove over massive amounts of potholes and witnessed widespread damage to roads, evidence of rioting and destruction of property. We drove past thousands of hectares of burned out forests, due to arson, spoke to farmers who had lost loved ones, relatives and neighbours to brutal farm murders. These attacks seem to be incited and encouraged by racist ANC, EFF and BLF politicians, who seem to be able to demonise whites and espouse race hatred and genocide without the criminal justice system even pretending to deal with such incitements to murder and torture. Some of the most beautiful communities in the country are now litter-strewn, pollution-ridden, vandalised wrecks encased in razor wire, high walls, electric fencing, burglar bars and security gates. The devastation caused by a criminal element who have seized political power is evident throughout the country. Malice and Murder For an economy to run well, one needs tens-of-thousands of things to be done right. For so much malice, propaganda, disinformation, riots, destruction of property, arson and murder, to not only be tolerated, but effectively encouraged by the cANCer government, is catastrophic for any country. There is much evidence that we are entering into the second phase of the communist revolution. Christians need to be alert, understand the times and be vigorous in exposing the fruitless deeds of darkness. “Who will rise up for Me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for Me against the workers of iniquity?” Psalm 94:16  Appreciation for Resources Throughout the country, we found much gratitude for the Christian Action magazines in which we have dealt with Farms and Freedoms Under Fire in South Africa; Fraud, Failure and Farce – Land Expropriation Hearings; Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? And our various AudioVisual resources on this. We met with individuals and congregations who reported that they frequently screen our Reformation Society video presentations to their congregation after the Sunday morning service as part of Adult Sunday school. There was much gratitude for the newly printed New Testament Survey books. It was most encouraging to hear back from our literature distribution contacts who are ensuring that Bibles, New Testaments, Gospels, World Missionary Press Gospel booklets and Frontline tracts are being widely distributed in schools, hospitals, police stations and prisons. Responses Across the Country Some of the written responses which we received from people on this Mission included: “I have been uplifted!”; “May God bless this ministry!”; “Awesome!”; “Excellent!”; “Excellent truth revelation!”; “marvellous!”; “We need more of this teaching.”; “Your bold and prophetic voice is much needed.”; “A very big Thank You for your example.”; “Press on!”; “Very encouraging, uplifting and inspiring.”; “This is a Divine appointment!”; “Please also come to my country, Tanzania.”; “Great mind renewing material.”; “We need to know this truth.”; “I want to know more of this wonderful work!”; “May God continue to bless your wonderful work!”; “Absolutely relevant.”; “Very challenging and uplifting. Excellent”’ “Very profound.”; “Never give up, keep pressing on. Keep up the great work!”  Showers of Blessing Coming from Cape Town, which has such severe water restrictions, it was a delight to drive across very green countrysides. Even the Karoo and the Orange Free State was green. In KwaZulu Natal, we experienced terrific thundershowers with spectacular lightning illuminating the sky. We walked and drove in some torrential downpours. The blessings of rain are symbolic of the spiritual blessings which are so graciously poured out by Almighty God on His people during times of Revival. We desperately need a fresh outpouring of God's grace and mercy upon our troubled times and in all too many cases, luke-warm churches. Learning from Steadfast Servants of the Lord It is always inspiring and informative to travel around the country, stay in different homes, visit different farms, mission stations, colleges and schools. There are so many bold and brave Christian witnesses working in difficult and dangerous situations in South Africa, shining the light of Christ, evangelising in their communities, making a positive difference. It gives one great hope for the future when we see how many faithful servants God has established throughout this land. An Urgent Call to Prayer and Action The difficulties and dangers they face on a daily basis could not be exaggerated. May we all be more faithful in uplifting them in prayer and standing against the evil intentions of the ANC, EFF and BLF Marxist Revolutionaries who are threatening to turn this country into a second Zimbabwe, ripping up constitutional safeguards for life and property, eroding religious freedoms and undermining Freedom of Speech. “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” Prayer is an essential foundation for bold, Biblical action. Prayer is not meant to be an excuse for disobedience and heartless inactivity. Those people who say, “All we can do is pray” are unbiblical. We can and must do far more than pray. “Get Up! There is Sin in the Camp!” In Judges 7, after the defeat of the children of Israel at Ai, Joshua was lying face down praying in the Tabernacle before the altar of the Lord. God said to Joshua: “What are you doing lying down there on your face? Get up! There is sin in the camp!” There is so much that needs to be done to bring ourselves, our families, our congregations, our ministries and our communities back to the Bible, applying the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life. We cannot do everything, but we can all do something. What we can do, we must do!  Fight the Good Fight of Faith
In this election year, it is absolutely vital that Christians are informed and informing, educated and enlisted, motivated and mobilised to action. We need to be informed: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” We need to be interceding: “Praying always with thanksgiving.” We need to be involved, we need to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We need to be making disciples of all nations, teaching obedience to all things that the Lord has commanded. Could you not do something more for God? Could you start a Bible Study and Prayer group in your school, home, workplace or community? “…what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 We need to reclaim surrendered ground, expose the fruitless deeds of darkness. Submit to God. Resist the devil. Fight the good fight of Faith. Stand up for Jesus. Step out in Faith. Speak out boldly and Biblically. Upcoming Events Please also pray for our upcoming Missions to Mpumalanga, lecturing at Back to the Bible Mission. We have Biblical Preaching Workshops and Creation Seminars planned. Do be sure to listen to our regular From the Frontline podcasts, uploaded onto our www.FrontlineMissionSA.org. If you have not yet seen the latest Frontline News, it can be downloaded and read online, click here. Thank You Thank you for all your prayers, encouragement and support. We have important Missions being planned, including to Islamic Sudan. There are beleaguered and besieged communities of Christians in a sea of Islam who need our prayers, encouragement and practical support. We are planning on sending another Mission team into this war-devastated area to deliver and distribute tens-of-thousands of Bibles and Christian schoolbooks to over 100 remote schools in need. There are expenses that need to be met to make this mission possible. Please pray that the Lord will provide what is needed for our teams to serve the persecuted and work to fulfil the Great Commission within the 10-40 window in the Muslim Middle East. May the Lord continue to be your joy and strength. Yours for the fulfillment of the Great Commission Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 mission@frontline.org.za www.FrontlineMissionSA.org www.ReformationSA.org www.livingstonefellowship.co.za www.christianaction.org.za www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org See also: Schools and Colleges Harassed by Government Resist Attempts to Hijack Home Education Education or Indoctrination  "I know there is a God, because in Rwanda I shook hands with the devil. I have seen him, I have smelt him and I have touched him. I know the devil exists and therefore I know there is a God!" Shake Hands with the Devil These are the words of Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, the Commander of the United Nations Mission to Rwanda (UNIMIR). His book, Shake Hands With the Devil (which has also been made into a dramatic film), documents the unfolding catastrophe, and as he puts it in the subtitle of his book: "The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. 25 Years Ago As the people of Rwanda soberly reflect on the holocaust which was unleased upon them 25 years ago, April 1994, there are still compelling questions which demand answers. How could such dreadful mass murder take place within sight and sound of United Nations peacekeepers without the international community doing anything to stop it? Could the holocaust in Rwanda have been prevented? What steps must we take to ensure that such atrocities do not occur again?  Enabling the Genocide General Dallaire reports that the United Nations leadership knew of the stockpiling of weapons. Indeed UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, in his role as Egyptian Foreign Minister, had facilitated a large sale of arms from Egypt to the MRND dictatorship of Rwanda prior to the genocide. The Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) expanded rapidly, trebling in size while receiving much training and weapons from the French government. Preparation for Genocide From March 1993 the Hutu MRND government began compiling lists of "traitors" who they planned to kill, meticulously marking their addresses. Radio Television Libre Des Mille Collines (RTLM) broadcast a mixture of tribal propaganda, music and obscene jokes against the Tutsi, continually inciting the Hutu majority to hate, despise and massacre the Tutsi minority. Hundreds-of-thousands of machetes were imported from Red China. The Interahamwe party thugs of the MRND were armed with AK-47s and massive quantities of machetes distributed throughout the country in preparation for the genocide. Forewarned General Dallaire informed the Secretary General of the UN of these ominous developments. However, when he planned to seize the illegal weapon stockpiles, Dallaire was stunned to be ordered to stand down! The general was directly forbidden to intervene! Genocide Unleashed The assassination of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, by a French heat-seeking missile, fired by his own Presidential Guard, on 6 April 1994, was the pretext to launch the well-prepared genocide of the mostly Protestant Tutsis. Government forces set up a dense network of roadblocks and mobilised Interhambwe mobs to systematically go house-to-house massacring Tutsis. At roadblocks those identified as Tutsi were pulled out and hacked to death on the spot.  A Harvest of Death Out of a total population of 7.3 million, 84% of who were Hutu, 15% Tutsi and 1% Twa. African Rights calculated 750,000 murdered. The United Nations estimated the toll as above 800,000. The present government of Rwanda and the Holocaust Museum in Kigali, states that 1,171,000 were killed, 90% of which were Tutsi. The Genocide Museum in Kigali calculates that during the 100 days of the genocide, an average of 10,000 were murdered every day, 400 every hour, and 7 every minute. They estimate that over 400,000 were orphaned as a result of the genocide. Shooting Dogs The 2005 film, Shooting Dogs, which was released in the United States as Beyond the Gates, focused on the United Nations abandoning of the Ecole Technique Officielle (ETO) in Kigali, in 1994. Based on the experiences of BBC News producer, David Belton, who worked in Rwanda during the genocide, Belton was the film's co-writer and one of its producers. Unlike Hotel Rwanda, which was filmed in South Africa, using American and South African actors, this film, Beyond the Gates, was shot at the original locations of the scenes it portrays in Rwanda. Most of the actors in the film were Rwandese survivors of the massacre. The film's title, Shooting Dogs, refers to the actions of UN soldiers in shooting the stray dogs that scavenged the bodies of the dead. Since the UN forces were not allowed to shoot at the Hutu mass murderers who were causing the deaths in the first place, the shooting of the dogs was symbolic of the madness of the situation and the insanity of the United Nations rules of engagement Prior Warnings Ignored General Dallaire, had sent a fax to United Nations headquarters in January 1994, detailing the planned anti-Tutsi Genocide. He identified the locations of illegal arms cachets, the order to register all Tutsi in Kigali, and the Interhambwe plan to use these lists to exterminate them all. A high level informant provided exact details of the Interhambwe plans including the fact that they calculated that they could kill 1,000 every 20 minutes. Abandoned When the UN abandoned the Don Bosco Technical School, filled with 2,000 Tutsi refugees, the Hutu Interhambwe slaughtered them all.  Undermined The Administrative Head of UNIMIR, former Cameroonian Foreign Minister, Jacques-Roger Booh-Booh, maintained close ties to the militant Hutu elite and on every side undermined and frustrated General Dallaire's efforts to prevent the genocide and save lives: The United States president Bill Clinton's administration policy also undermined every effort by General Dallaire to save lives in Rwanda. American Interference The Clinton administration policy was summarised as: "Let's withdraw altogether. Let's get out of Rwanda. Leave it to its fate." The United States Ambassador to the UN at that time, Madelaine Albright, consistently lobbied for a withdrawal of UNIMIR Forces, from the earliest in April 1994. This effectively abandoned all refugees who had sought sanctuary with the UN to their fate at the hand of the Interhambwe. US Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, consistently argued against using the term "genocide" until 21 May, and even then US officials waited another three weeks before using that term in public. The US government also refused to jam the extremist RTLM radio broadcasts, which were co-ordinating the genocide, citing the costs and concern with international law! Betrayed General Dallaire reveals that president Clinton and his cabinet were made aware of the Final Solution to exterminate all Tutsis before the massacres even began. Every request from General Dallaire was frustrated and his peacekeepers did not receive the food, fuel, weapons, equipment, ammunition, or even the armoured personnel carriers, ordered. UN procrastination led to intense suffering, unnecessary deaths and starvation in the UN bases - which were meant to be sanctuaries for refugees fleeing the killing. The French Connection The disgraceful role of France in the Rwandan genocide defies belief. The French government provided vast quantities of weapons and numerous military advisors and technical assistance to the Rwandan Armed Forces before and during the genocide. On 22 June, as the Tutsi-led Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) turned the tide and began to liberate the country, sending the Hutu FAR and Interhambwe fleeing, France launched Operation Turquoise, creating a safe zone into which the Hutu FAR and Interhambwe could flee and receive protection behind a French military screen. The French Operation Turquoise effectively enabled the genocidaries to escape from the RPF and flee into neighbouring Zaire (Congo), where they received generous quantities of foreign aid and caused more massacres leading to the Great Lakes War of 1996 to 1997, in which 12 African nation's armed forces became embroiled and millions died.  Accessories to Genocide General Dallaire reported that France was supplying weapons and ammunition to the MRND Hutu dictatorship and their FAR, even during the height of the genocide. The findings of the Rwandese Justice Commission were released on 5 August 2008. It accused 32 senior French military and political officials of involvement in the genocide, including: then President Francois Mitterrand, his General Secretary, Hubert Verdrine, the then Prime Minister, Edouard Balladur, the then Foreign Minister, Alain Juppe and his Chief Aid, Dominique de Villepin. Reaction Against French Complicity As a result of the Rwandese Justice Ministry Commission on the involvement of France in the genocide, the Rwandese government shut down all French institutions in and around Kigali, including schools and cultural organisations. The language of instruction in Rwandese schools was switched from French to English. Rwanda became one of only two members of the British led Commonwealth that had not formerly been British colonies.  In the Valley of Death I can never forget the overwhelming stench of death as I walked knee deep, and sometimes waist high, amidst corpses in churches in Rwanda. The plague of rats, feasting off the bodies, the millions of flying and crawling insects and suffocating odour of death is not something that one can ever really recover from. I delivered Bibles in Kini-Rwanda, and French to pastors and to prisoners around Rwanda and undertook painful interviews with survivors to document what had happened, and why. Exposing the Forces Behind the Genocide We have produced two editions of Holocaust in Rwanda – The Roles of Gun Control, Media Manipulation, Liberal Church Leaders and the United Nations in English, and another edition in French. It needs to be emphasized that Rwanda was a gun-free zone. The mass murderers successfully manipulated and abused the media to vilify the targeted Tutsis and to mobilise masses of Hutus to kill their neighbours. The scandalous role of the French government in providing assistance, training and weapons to the mass murderers and providing sanctuary for architects of the genocide, is also revealed in this book. Christian Traitors In addition, Holocaust in Rwanda looks at the challenge the systematic mass murders presents to the Christian church. The killers did not merely kill people in churches, they killed church workers, pastors, ministers, priests and nuns. However, the most shocking aspect of the anti-Christian mass-murder was how many people responsible for the slaughter were trusted members of congregations! On many occasions, priests, nuns, and ministers were directly involved in the genocide. Several heads of denominations co-operated with the Interhambwe, betraying their Tutsi members and co-workers into the hands of ruthless mass-murderers. Tribalism seemed more important to most. Judas's in the Church The role of these traitors, blood-stained bishops and murderous ministers are an indictment upon the theological seminaries and church councils they belonged to. Those who do not wholeheartedly love the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word are not qualified to be spiritual leaders. Moral Cowardice Helped Cause the Catastrophe The Rwandan holocaust exposes the emptiness of the superficial and self-centred easy-believism which all too often masquerades as the Gospel. Compromise and moral cowardice helped cause the catastrophe. "…Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord? Therefore the wrath of the Lord is upon you." 2 Chronicles 19:2 David Defeats Goliath The genocide ultimately failed, in that the victims became the victors and the Tutsi minority surprised everyone by fighting back and gaining control over the whole country. Today Rwanda is one of the best run and most open to free enterprise countries in Africa. "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain." Psalm 127:1  Firm Foundations for Freedom
Most important, Holocaust in Rwanda looks at some of the lessons which need to be learned in order to ensure that such atrocities do not occur again. We need to lay solid foundations for the future that will prevent such oppression from ever occurring again. These are Biblical principles which are not only important for Rwanda, but for every society that values life and liberty. Holocaust in Rwanda concludes with the Biblical Principles, which had they been adhered to, there would have been no holocaust in Rwanda. Learning from Rwanda There is much for us to learn from the tragic events of 1994 that are most relevant in the light of those talking about a second phase of the revolution in South Africa and threatening to exterminate the white minority. "Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle. My lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge…" Psalm 144:1-2 Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Email: mission@frontline.org.za Website: www.frontlinemissionsa.org.za Holocaust in Rwanda is also available as an E-Book. See also: The Holocaust in Rwanda – 25 Years Later Hotel Rwanda – Genocide in a Gun Free Land  Holocaust in Rwanda is now Available as an E-Book Twenty five years ago, 6 April 1994, one of the most dreadful campaigns of mass murder was unleashed upon the Tutsi people of Rwanda. In just 100 days, more people had been slaughtered with machetes and clubs than have died from atomic weapons in all of history. Convenient Timing At the time, world media attention was focused on South Africa's first "One Man, One Vote" elections. When the genocide was launched on 6 April 1994, most African correspondents were in South Africa covering the elections. The MRND government in Rwanda meticulously organised the genocide. The French trained Presidential Guard, the army, the gendarmes and civil administrators were mobilised to slaughter the Tutsi minority.  Sowing Confusion Central to the MRND strategy was to sow confusion so that no one would know what was happening. They isolated their victims by imposing a news blackout, cutting telephone links, establishing a dense network of roadblocks and imposing a nationwide curfew. These measures kept people in their homes and prevented most people from fleeing. By cutting communications and restricting travel, they isolated their victims and sought to stifle the flow of news. State Sponsored Genocide Following the assassination of the president, by surface to air missile, the MRND government (Mouvement Revolutionnaire National pour le Development) launched a campaign of disinformation. It portrayed the killings as a spontaneous outbreak of tribal violence. It sought to confuse the mass killing of defenceless people with "the war", and it played the humanitarian card by pleading for emergency aid. All this was a smoke screen to conceal the state sponsored genocide. Amidst this calculated confusion, many foreign aid workers assisted in the disinformation campaign by contributing ill-informed comments such as: "Everyone is killing everyone!"; "It's uncontrollable violence"; "The Hutus and Tutsis are killing one another again!"  Spread of Disinformation Having killed opposition politicians, Rwandese journalists, human rights activists and others who might present an accurate report on the cold-blooded campaign of mass murder, the MRND campaign continued their strategy of disinformation by portraying the violence as spontaneous rage in response to the assassination of the president. Evacuation of Foreigners Initially, international attention generally focused on the plight of foreigners. Camera crews were, understandably, only prepared to travel with international troops - whose mission was to evacuate foreigners. This naturally led to a slanted and incomplete picture being portrayed to the world. The murder of ten Belgian soldiers on 7 April only heightened this pre-occupation with the evacuation of foreigners. It is very probable that the killers were instructed to murder the Belgians precisely in order to make the evacuation of foreigners the international priority. It also further encouraged the withdraw of UMAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission to Rwanda).  Massacres Exposed This strategy of disinformation and terror was spectacularly successful. To this day, most people worldwide do not understand what happened in Rwanda, or why it happened. That is why after my mission to Rwanda I was compelled to produce a compact book that would not only expose what had happened in the horrific massacres in homes, hospitals, churches and on the streets, but the reasons why this systematic slaughter was unleashed. Holocaust in Rwanda reveals the events leading up to the intense and widespread violence, and more importantly the lessons we need to learn from the genocide in Rwanda. International Community Condemned President Paul Kagame at the formal ten years commemoration of the Rwandan genocide condemned "the international community's failure… a convenient failure to take responsibility." President Kagame led conference participants on a tour of massacre sites including the churches in Nyamata and Ntarama where 15,000 people were slaughtered in the sanctuaries where they had sought refuge. Remembered Victims The cemetery at Nynaza was another place visited. The cemetery contains the graves of 3,500 people who were massacred after being abandoned in a schoolyard by UN peacekeepers. Liberal Church Participation The Holocaust In Rwanda book is unique in that it examines the disgraceful involvement of liberal church leaders, gun control and media manipulation. Rwanda was a gun free zone. The mass murderers successfully manipulated and abused the media to vilify the targeted Tutsis, and to mobilise masses of Hutus to kill their neighbours. The scandalous role of the French government in providing assistance, training and weapons to the mass murderers, and even the French military expedition to create a safe zone for the fleeing Hutu mass murderers, providing sanctuary even for many of the architects of the genocide, is also revealed in this book.  Challenge to the Christian Church
In addition Holocaust In Rwanda looks at the challenge the Rwandan holocaust presents to the Christian church. The killers did not merely kill people in churches, they killed church workers - pastors, ministers, priests and nuns. However, the most shocking aspect of the anti-Christian mass murders was how many people responsible for the slaughter were trusted members of the congregations. On many occasions even priests, nuns and ministers were directly involved in the genocide! Several heads of denominations co-operated with the Interahamwe, by betraying their Tutsi congregations and co-workers into the hands of mass murderers. Compromise and Cowardice The role of these Christian traitors, blood-stained bishops and murderous ministers of Rwanda are an indictment upon our theological seminaries and church councils. Those who do not wholeheartedly love the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word are not qualified to be spiritual leaders. The Rwandan Holocaust exposes the emptiness of the superficial and self-centred easy believism, which all too often masquerades as the Gospel. Compromise and cowardice helped cause the catastrophe. Most importantly, Holocaust In Rwanda looks at some of the lessons, which need to be learned in order to ensure that such atrocities do not reoccur. Far more important than the concerns for retribution is the urge and need to lay foundations for the future that will prevent such nationwide oppression from ever occurring again. These are Biblical principles which are not only important for Rwanda but for every society which values life and liberty. Holocaust In Rwanda concludes with the Biblical principles which had they been adhered to, there would have been no holocaust in Rwanda. Holocaust In Rwanda is available in both English and French (70 pages with 20 photographs, maps, or charts) from: Christian Liberty Books, P O Box 358 Howard Place 7450 Cape Town South Africa, Tel:021-689-7478, Fax: 086-551-7490 E-Mail: admin@christianlibertybooks.co.za Website: www.christianlibertybooks.co.za. See also: Lessons From the Rwandan Holocaust Hotel Rwanda – Genocide in a Gun Free Land  KwaSizabantu Ministers Conference Over 2,500 participants took part in the Ministers Conference at KwaSizabantu Mission 4-6 March. Delegates came from as far afield as Angola, Armenia, Belgium, Benin, Botswana, the Congo, France, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Romania, Russia, from throughout South Africa, Swaziland, Switzerland, the United States of America, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Theme of the conference was: Revival – God at Work.  Hunger for Revival Rev. Erlo Stegen, the Founder and Director of KwaSizabantu Mission, expounded Isaiah 64: “Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down!...” An outpouring of God's Holy Spirit comes at a price. We need to count the cost, weeping in repentance, grieving over our sins, hungering for Revival and doing Restitution. Revival is a sovereign move of Almighty God. Revival is not churches filled with people, but people filled with God. Pentecost, Book of Acts Christianity. “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit” says the Lord. If God moves, then we must expect opposition from the devil. “God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” Sin is the greatest threat to Revival (Isaiah 59:2). Carnal Christians oppose Revival. “Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.” Neglect of prayer and failure to confess sin is destructive. Digital Cocaine Brad Huddelson, author of Digital Cocaine, gave a disturbing and enlightening presentation on technology and its effect on our intimacy with God. His studies on the negative effects of cell phones and TV and the positive effects of reading books are absolutely essential for every parent and teacher to study and apply.  “Hate Speech” Bill Threat to Free Speech The subject I had been given to deal with at the Ministers Conference was: The Threats posed to Missions and Ministries by the so-called “Hate Speech” Bill. You can read my notes on the www.christianaction.org.za website, or click here. You can also listen to the presentation as delivered in English and translated into Zulu at the Ministers Conference, here. For an English only audio version of my presentation “Hate Speech” Bill Threat to Free Speech, click here. The video of the presentation as given at KwaSizabantu Mission, with Zulu translation, is available on our Vimeo Gallery, here. The Screen Capture is available on our Vimeo Gallery in an English only version, here. “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 Warnings from Europe and Zimbabwe We also had an important presentation from Professor Andre van Beckevoort on “A Holy People Acting Upon the Good, Acceptable and Perfect Will of God.” And Mr Rejoice Ngwenya from Zimbabwe, who reported on the devastating consequences of Zimbabwe’s so-called Land Reform/Farm Confiscations. All of these will be uploaded in time onto the www.ksb.org.za website.  Strategic Literature Distribution
Ministers Conferences such as these, with so many ministers, missionaries, Evangelists and teachers from throughout Africa, are strategic literature distribution opportunities. We delivered and distributed close to a tonne of Bibles, books and audiovisual resources to the Mission and to the conference participants. Back to the Bible for Reformation and Revival At the Sunday morning worship service at KwaSizabantu Mission, I was given an opportunity to challenge the congregation with the Coalition on Revival Reformation 500 vision, calling all Christians back to reading through and studying every Book of the Bible and working to apply the Lordship of Christ to all areas of life, in response to the challenges confronting us. We distributed over 500 Coalition on Revival Reformation 500 FIRE Manuals to participants of the Ministers Conference. I was also given the opportunity to present the Thursday evening message at the Mission. I preached on: Judas – The Apostle Who Became an Apostate. May the Lord continue to be your joy and strength. Yours for the fulfillment of the Great Commission Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 mission@frontline.org.za www.FrontlineMissionSA.org www.ReformationSA.org www.reform500.org www.reformation.net www.churchcouncil.org www.gospeldefenceleague.org www.christianaction.org.za www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."
Proverbs 14:1 
Economic Suicide
The “cattle killing” national suicide of the Xhosa in 1856 in Transkei, now the Eastern Cape of South Africa, was one of history's strangest socio-economic disasters. Within twelve months the population of Xhosaland plummeted by 80%, mostly through starvation. This bizarre episode was initiated by the niece of a witchdoctor. Through mass hysteria the Xhosa convinced themselves of the need to kill all their cattle, destroy all their food and sow no crops for the future. It was economic suicide and it led to mass starvation. Evil Spirits In April 1856, two young Xhosa girls, 15 year-old Nongqawuse and 10 year-old Nombanda, were sent to chase birds from cornfields near the River Gxara. The elder girl, Nongqawuse, reported that while they were drinking at the water's edge two mysterious figures materialised alongside them. They told the girls to take a message back to their kraal that a great event was about to take place. All the people should kill all their cattle as these would no longer be needed. Once the great day came there would be no shortages of any kind, so they must tell their people that there must be no sowing or cultivation of crops and all stored grain must be thrown away. Once this had been carried out, the strangers told the girls that no further work must be done. When all the cattle had been killed the Russians would come, sweeping all the whites into the sea. (It was known that the British were fighting the Russians in the Crimean War “up North”, so it was generally assumed that the Russianswere black people).
Witchdoctor Confirms the Prophecy The girls duly carried the message back to their kraal. At first everyone simply laughed, ridiculing them for their naivety. But, the girls went back to the river the next day and received the same message. Nongqawuse was supported by her uncle Mhalakaza, who was a witchdoctor. Four days later when Mhalakaza went to the river with his niece, he could not see the figures the girl assured him were there and could hear their words only when Nongqawuse translated them for him. Nongqawuse claimed they said: "We are the people who have come to order you to kill your cattle, to consume your corn and not to cultivate anymore." Mhalakaza was instructed to take this message to the paramount chief of the Xhosa, Sarili and to all the other chiefs. 
Cattle Killing
Mhalakaza adopted the vision and message of the “New People” as his life-calling and he advanced it fervently. Mhalakaza began by killing his own cattle. Soon, his neighbours followed suit. There was general excitement at the thought of the new herds of cattle that the strange spirits had promised would appear on the great day. Over 400,000 cattle were slaughtered in Transkei. “Clothes Contaminate – Nakedness is Pure” Paramount chief Sarili listened to Mhalakaza's words and was prepared to believe that Nongqawuse had really seen the strangers. He was encouraged in this by his own hopes of seeing the British driven away from the borders of his lands; and of seeing the influence of the white men removed from Xhosa life and society. Sarili particularly objected to European clothes, saying that his naked people, coated in red clay, were “clean” compared to the whites, who wore clothes.
“The Russians are Coming!”
During 1855, before Nongqawuse's vision, news had reached the Xhosa of the Crimean War. The Xhosa hoped that the British would be beaten and that the “Russians” would come and force the whites to leave their farms so that they could be looted and their herds of cattle expropriated. The idea soon took root that Nongqawuse's strange spirits had been “Russian” black men. The Xhosa believed that the Russians were actually the ghosts of Xhosa warriors who had died and therefore they must be black. The Xhosa expected the Russians to come to liberate them. But, they were assured that none of this could happen until all their cattle had been slaughtered and their grain stores destroyed.
Missionary Warnings Ignored
By the summer of 1856 the sayings of Mhalakaza were heard throughout the land and thousands of cattle were dying at the hands of their owners. British officials were aghast at the developments, but felt helpless to stop them. Missionary Charles Brownlee, brought up among the Xhosa and fluent in their language, was prominent in visiting the Xhosa kraals to try to counteract Mhalakaza's influence, but most would not listen to his warnings. With Sarili supporting Mhalakaza's message, the Xhosa people became divided between 'believers' and 'unbelievers', with the large majority believing the vision and following the paramount chief.
The Word of God vs. Witchcraft “Thus says the Lord of Hosts: ‘Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. They continually say to those who despise Me’, the Lord has said, ‘You shall have peace’; and to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, ‘No evil shall come upon you.’ For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord and has perceived and heard His Word? Who has marked His Word and heard it?” Jeremiah 23:16-18 A Possible Plot to Provoke War The British representative at Port Elizabeth, John Maclean, failed to fully comprehend the dreadful significance of what the Xhosa were doing, but sensed a plot to provoke war against British authority in South Africa. The British High Commissioner, Sir George Grey, was alerted about the disastrous development. 
Destruction is to Precede Liberation
To prove to the unbelievers that Mhalakaza was telling the truth, Sarili now went with the prophet to the Gxara riverbank where the strangers had first appeared to Nongqawuse. There he was apparently shown one of his sons who had recently died and a long-dead favourite horse, as well as acorn and beer that miraculously appeared as presents from the “New People.” Sarili was impressed. When Mhalakaza told him that all his cattle and goats must immediately die, Sarili readily agreed. Mhalakaza warned everyone present that the Russianswould not come nor would any of the other predictions come to pass until all the Xhosa cattle had been killed and all their grain destroyed. He then named places within Transkei where Russians would appear and where the dead would return to life. Sarili returned to his kraal to begin to kill his cattle. As did all the other "believers". Soon Xhosa from throughout Transkei were hurrying towards the River Gxara in the hope of witnessing a miracle. Self-Imposed Starvation With the mass-hysteria mounting and the frenzied cattle killing escalating, Mhalakaza announced a date for the fulfilment of everyone's eager expectations. At the end of 1856 Mhalakaza declared that the resurrection would occur at the time of the next full moon. Excitement reached fever pitch as the day of the full moon approached. But, in spite of the fact that hundreds of thousands of Xhosa people were earnestly anticipating it, nothing out the ordinary occurred. No Russians appeared. Nor did any cattle rise from the ground. Doubts Arise Chief Sarili began to have doubts. Already the young children were going short of food and soon the famine would be affecting everyone. He decided that Mhalakaza had better produce some of his “New People” in order to convince the Xhosa that their spectacular sacrifice was justified. Mhalakaza now was afraid and fled from his own kraal, fearing that Sarili might have him killed. 
Deceptions Increase
He sent a message to the chief saying that the “New People” had moved to "a stronghold" to wait the day. The “Russians” were not impressed with the amount of cattle killed. All cattle in Transkei must die if the “Russians” were to come. Mhalakaza made a fresh prediction: The“Russians” and the new moon would appear, 16 August. Visitors to the riverbank found that the now frequent appearance of “New People” was stage-managed by Mhalakaza and his team of Marshalls. Nobody was allowed to get close enough to speak to the distant shapes, or hear what they said. They seemed to speak only to Mhalakaza, or through him. Sometimes the prophet pointed out to sea and told the pilgrims that there were the heads of Russians "bobbing about in the water". At other times ghostly lowing was heard from unseen cattle, or bleating from invisible goats.
Cruel Hope Frenzied hysteria now prevailed in Transkei. One day at the beginning of August, an afternoon mist was seized upon, as the beginning of the Day of Deliverance. Everyone fled to their homes anticipating their deliverance. The day passed and night fell and nothing happened. Desperate Delusions Every sound was interpreted as having a bearing on the coming of “the New People”. On the great day, Mhalakaza said, two suns would rise in the heavens and collide, whereupon all the whites would be swept into the sea, which would divide revealing a road down which they would march to the place of creation, known as Uhlanga. There satan would take his revenge on all whites and on those Xhosa who had disobeyed the call to kill their cattle. Then the world would be plunged into darkness until a new sun would rise and herald the new world. This apocalyptic vision drove the Xhosa into an orgy of even more cattle killing. 
Dangerous Deceptions
The resurrection of the Xhosa dead would take place, Mhalakaza told the Xhosa. There would be a thundering of every ox-hide shield ever beaten. This would signify the approach of many herds of fine, new cattle that had been promised. New corn would cover the land and every human ill would be put right. The lame would walk, the blind would see, the old would become young, the young become younger. Nobody would have to work. Everything would always be new. Absent on the day, would be those who had died by snakebite or had drowned in river or sea. The homes, herds and farms of the whites across the river would be theirs for the taking. False Prophecy and Folly Brings Disaster “For the land is full of adulterers; for because of a curse the land mourns. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. Their course of life is evil and their might is not right. ‘For both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in My house I have found their wickedness,’ says the Lord. ‘Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery ways; in the darkness they shall be driven on and fall in them; for I will bring disaster on them, the year of their punishment,’ says the Lord. ‘And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied by Baal and caused My people Israel to err. Also I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: They commit adultery and walk in lies; they also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to Me and her inhabitants like Gomorrah.” Jeremiah 23:10-14 More Deception and Delays When 16 August passed without anything happening, Mhalakaza pressed for a postponement of the Great Day. The “New People” would not appear, unless those cunning Xhosa who had sold their cattle to avoid killing them carried out the decree completely. At one stage, a rumour was spread that armies of well-armed strangers had emerged from the sea and were lining the shores, but they could only be seen by the righteous. Apparently there were not many of those around at the time. 
Doubts and Devious Deceptions
Mhalakaza next ordered everyone to thatch their huts securely as there would be a great storm and tempest on the Day of Judgment. Sarili was becoming suspicious. He was under intense pressure from his councillors, who were aghast at this willingness to continue slaughtering the nation's cattle. So once more he visited Mhalakaza at the riverbank, in order to speak to the strangers. He was told by Mhalakaza to look at the ground and, under no circumstances, to look up. He would then see the shadows of the “New People” passing across the ground in front of him. Sarili accepted all this deception and was duly convinced when the shadows passed by him. But, reports of this meeting were so embroidered as they spread, that eventually it was claimed Sarili had seen boatloads of “New People” arrive at the mouth of the river, informing him they had come to establish the freedom of the black people. Catastrophic Consequences Meanwhile, frustrated at his inability to understand the self-destructiveness of the Xhosa, Sir George Grey threatened Sarili with dire consequences, if he encouraged his people to kill any more cattle. Grey could see that starvation in the land of the Xhosa would have catastrophic consequences. Sir Grey could not understand why the Xhosa were blind to their own danger. Suicidal Stupidity As 1856 drew to a close the skies over Transkei were filled with vultures, circling and diving at the bovine and human carcasses lying in almost equal numbers in the uncultivated fields. Already upwards of 400,000 cattle had been slaughtered and in the subsequent famine, at least 100 000 Xhosa died of starvation between the Fish and Kei Rivers. Sarili, meanwhile, still showed a blind faith in the word of Mhalakaza. Each time Sarili met him, Mhalakaza had a new excuse to explain why nothing had happened at successive new moons. Sarili was so upset that he had tried to kill himself after one failure and his servants were forced to remove all knives and sharp objects from near him. Self-Deception Mhalakaza, reaching the end of everyone's patience, now spread the word that the “New People” had abandoned the Xhosa "in disgust" because they had not killed all their cattle! But, so desperate were the Xhosa by this stage that more bizarre visions were seen. Xhosa claimed to have seen Russian armies marching on the surface of the sea and people sailing in umbrellas and to have heard thousands of cattle beneath their feet. 
Demonic Deception
On 31 January 1857, a great assembly of more than 5,000 Xhosa met near the town of Butterworth. 'Believers' from all across the land attended and Sarili himself was present. There they received another message from Mhalakaza that they must all go home and kill the milk cows that had been spared so far to provide milk for the babies and young children. The cows were then to be skinned and the hides used to protect the doors from the furious lightning that would precede the arrival of the “new cattle”. This time Mhalakaza added a few new touches. Once the new sun had risen in the sky, the sea would dry up and the sky would descend to just above head height. Disillusionment On 18 February 1857, the revised and delayed day was deemed to have finally arrived. An English settler, Robert Mullins, was with a group of Xhosa when the great moment came. The sun rose and the sunset, as usual, nothing happened. Mullins recorded the day's events in his diary with clinical accuracy. In between, “Nothing much happened, except a lot of waiting and desperate hoping on the part of the Xhosa”. Mrs Brownlee, a more sensitive witness, noted, "One of the saddest sights was that of an old woman wizened with age and doubly wrinkled by starvation, decked out with brass rings jingling on her withered arms and legs. They had kept on their ornaments, hoping against hope, till too weak to remove them. As the sun set there was a silence across the land, as of death. No children laughed and played, no cattle lowed, no sheep bleated and no happy herdsmen laughed and joked with his friends at the end of a day's work." 
The Nongqawuse Syndrome
As if seeing the light for the first time, Sarili pointed at Nongqawuse and said “The reason we are broken today is on account of this girl!” But, she was not the only one to blame. Sarili, himself, had succumbed to the fantasies of the charlatan Mhalakaza, the dreamer and schemer, who had wanted to be the “Messenger.” Was Mhalakaza a madman, demon possessed, or just an inadequate human being, unable to cope with life and reality? Perhaps he even believed his own stories. The tragedy was that so too did the vast majority of the Xhosa who had destroyed their nation. “‘The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My Word, let him speak My Word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?’ says the Lord. ‘Is not My Word like a fire?’ says the Lord ‘and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’” Jeremiah 23:28-29 Prophets of Deceit Invite Disaster “Behold, a whirlwind of the Lord has gone forth in fury - a violent whirlwind! It will fall violently on the head of the wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. ‘I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But, if they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My Words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.’ ‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘And not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?’ says the Lord; ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the Lord. ‘I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My Name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart.” Jeremiah 23:19-16 Disaster and Death British officials who toured Transkei trying to distribute food, found heart-breaking sights. In some places the people had climbed into their grain pits to see if they had been miraculously filled in their absence. But, too weak to climb out again, they had died there. Emaciated women with children clinging to their flattened breasts raked the hard ground for roots. Starvation drove others to boil and eat their ox-hide shields or their leather skirts. Those who reached the soup kitchens provided by the British were no more than walking skeletons and many died of exhaustion a short distance from safety. A missionary wrote, “Famine has effaced all human likeness. Young men of twenty lost their voices and chirruped like birds. Children were wrinkled and withered and grey. Men and women presented the appearance of baboons and like baboons searched under stones for insects to devour.” As the vultures and wild dogs devoured the dead and half-dead Xhosa, the survivors turned to cannibalism in their last desperate urge to live, killing and eating their own children. Mhalakaza himself died of starvation along with his niece Nongqawuse. “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!” Proverbs 28:19 Dr. Peter Hammond Gospel Defence League P.O. Box 36129 Glosderry 7702 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Fax: 086-494-8070 Email: mission@frontline.org.za www.gospeldefenceleague.org www.frontlinemissionsa.org www.ReformationSA.org See also: Farms and Freedom Under Fire in South Africa Is South Africa Entering the Second Phase of the Revolution? How Marxists Subvert Churches and Society “When I look at a child, I see a living, breathing person, made in God's image, for whom God has a plan. As parent educators, we need to embrace a new notion of learning...we need to engage the heart in order to effectively educate the child. Our vision of a well-educated child is a child who has a heart for learning, a child who has the tools he needs to continue to learn for a lifetime and a child who has the love to want to do it.” - Elizabeth Foss  Fleeting Youth 15 000 hours, 900 000 minutes, 54 000 000 seconds. What could we do with this time? Fly around the world 333 times, read more than a 1000 books, hike to the summit of Mount Everest 10 times… or go to school once. This is the average amount of time, a child will spend in school. Who are we giving this time to? Who are we allowing to shape the minds of our children? And whose interests do they have at heart? The Bible clearly states that a child’s education is the responsibility of the parents. Why are we giving this responsibility away? Because the state can do a better job? Because we feel we aren’t competent? Because the responsibility is too much pressure? Because we’re too lazy? Because it’s the status quo? None of these are good enough reasons to let someone else influence the development of your child’s precious mind. Proverbs 22:6 clearly states that how a child’s mind is shaped in his youth, determines his behavior and ideologies in his future: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6  Education vs Indoctrination Let us start by looking at the difference between education and indoctrination: Education is the process of equipping students with the necessary skills, values and beliefs in order to acquire knowledge; whereas indoctrination, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is “teaching a person or group of people to accept a set of beliefs uncritically.” African American writer, Dick Gregory, puts it quite simply, “Education means to bring out wisdom, indoctrination means to push in knowledge.” This is distinctly accurate, as teaching students how to learn, so that as they get older they can critically analyse every bit of information given to them, whether from a teacher, a parent, a politician, or a priest, a child will have had a thorough and valuable education and will be able to continue to learn and grow for the remainder of his/her life. Whereas, in contrast, teaching them what to think limits the learning and therefore confines and restricts the child – the exact opposite of the intended growth, blooming and flourishing of true learning. The problem with modern “education”, and I use the term loosely, is that it is creating people intelligent enough to repeat what they’re told and to follow orders, dumb enough to think this makes them intelligent, and blind enough not to question it.  Shaping the Minds of Future Thinkers BBC News reported that children aged 5 to 16 spend an average of 6 hours a day in front of electronic screens – either TV, gaming, cell phones, tablets or computers. All these hours of screen time, being influenced by Hollywood and unachievable worldly ideals, coupled with all the hours of school and being inveigled by a pawn in a government sponsored system, how much time do you as a parent have to actually raise your child with morals and values that are in line with what you believe to be right? As clear-minded, responsible parents who love their children, we need to be very cautious and think very carefully before we give this essential responsibility and privilege to people who not only don’t truly know and care for your child and their future, like you do as the parent, but also simply are using a child as a means for socially engineering their personal progress and benefits, regardless of the detrimental effects it may have on the child and even society as a whole? Jesus clearly states that the Greatest Commandment is to love the Lord with our whole heart, and soul and mind. We often try to protect the hearts and souls of our children, yet too often, we so swiftly and willingly throw their minds, and our own for that matter, to the world to have and do with as it pleases. This is so dangerous as at the end of the day, it is in our mind that our thoughts and feelings originate, which influences our actions and the way we will then later protect our own hearts and souls. So once the world has control of our minds, we are impressionable and therefore more useful to them than if we were strong, independent individuals rooted in the truths of the Bible - that are clearly the antithesis of what the world teaches. This is why Marxist leaders throughout time have targeted the youth. We need to be informed, we need to know the truth. Unfortunately, ignorance isn’t bliss, it’s just ignorant. It is time we start taking a stand for our children, time we start protecting our youth, and time we resist the agenda of these Marxist-Communists.  Origin of State “Education” Karl Marx said in the Communist Manifesto, “The education of all children from the moment that they can get along without a mother’s care, shall be in state institutions at state expense.” Did he say this out of the goodness of his heart because he wanted every child to receive a good education and he was willing to ensure this, even at the expense of the state or himself? NO! Three of Marx’s own children died of starvation, two committed suicide, and another child conceived with his maid was sent away and never supported financially! Children’s wellbeing was definitely not his priority! It was his own selfish gain and communist agendas that needed children to be brainwashed in order for anyone to actually believe that communism could work. Communism is called a dream of a communal utopia, because you have to be asleep to believe it. John D. Rockefeller said, “I don’t want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers.” Therefore they needed to hijack the system and institutions where children are taught to think, and then limit that process. They don’t want people who could think for themselves and then possibly disagree with them, they simply want puppets and pawns to do their bidding. John Dewey, the father of “progressive education” and drafter of the Humanist Manifesto and signer of the Communist Manifesto, said that “you can’t make socialists out of individualists. Children who know how to think for themselves spoil the harmony of the collective society which is coming, where everyone is interdependent.” Dewey wanted to stop children from being independent and being able to think critically. So what do you think his education system would be teaching them? Definitely not how to read and write and succeed in life. Instead they will be taught to rely on the state and comply with everything it says. This would make it easier for the masses to be controlled and not resist their agenda. Lew Rockwell put it clearly when he said, “It isn’t a coincidence that governments everywhere want to educate children. Government education in turn, is supposed to be evidence of the state’s concern for our well-being. The real explanation is less flattering. If the government’s propaganda can take root as children grow up, those children will be no threat to the state apparatus. They’ll fasten the chains to their own ankles.” And thus the original Christian model of education, raising children with morals, values, manners, independence, critical thinking and ingenuity, was done away with. And so now the aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all, but rather simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same level, to breed a standard citizenry, to put down dissent and originality, just as cultural journalist Henry L. Mencken voiced decades ago. The sad truth is that these Communist leaders exploited parents’ desires to do what’s best for their children’s future, and packaged it just right, and now they’ve sold it, and unfortunately too many are buying their lies.  State “Education” Not the Only Way If children started school at six months old and their teachers gave them walking lessons, within a single generation people would come to believe that humans couldn’t learn to walk without going to school. What the state wants you to believe is that state education is the only way to get educated, that’s just so that you can be easily controlled and manipulated. Not only is it not the only way, but it is the worst way, and state schools shouldn’t be an option. I am a high school teacher, I have seen what is taught in the government-mandated curriculums, even in private schools, even in many so-called Christian schools, and it is atrocious. I will write a follow-up article focused on the nonsense filling our children’s textbooks and infiltrating their minds. And not only is the content appalling, but the manner in which it is done is not conducive to a child’s learning abilities. John Holt points out that at modern day schools we ask children to do everyday, for most of the day, what few adults are able to do even for an hour. How many of us, attending, say a lecture that doesn’t interest us, can keep our minds from wandering? Hardly any! Then some would like to argue that it is socially important for children to go to school, in order to learn how to interact in society, but once again as John Holt also so accurately points out, that the socializing aspects of school are actually unnatural and actually more likely to be harmful than helpful. In actual fact, the Biblical virtues of kindness, patience, generosity and so forth are learned by children in intimate groups of two or three. Human beings tend to behave worse in large groups, like you find in school. There they learn something quite different. They learn popularity, conformity, bullying, teasing and things like that. Children can make friends after school hours, during holidays, community sports, church, the park. Is it really so radical to suggest that the current model of education is not the only way, let alone the only one that is inherently good for all children, as is often implied? Schools are not teaching children to become compassionate and independent human beings but rather, in most cases, just drugged-up obedient slaves. And in the end, we have been brainwashed by school, indoctrinated by propaganda and mesmerised by the mass media into believing that compliance is not only safe, but right and necessary. It is mandatory that we take the responsibility of our children’s education into our own hands – homeschool them, send them to small private Christian schools (not just private secular schools that attach a prayer to the beginning of the day) and most importantly, be aware of what is being taught in their curriculums. We need to be more involved and au fait with our children’s education. Sadly school is no longer a playground, it’s a battleground for the minds of our youth.  The Ugly Truth We send our children to school to receive an education. Albert Einstein said that “education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think,” but this, unfortunately, is not the case in schools and universities today. What you say is monitored, even though we supposedly have freedom of speech. Anything that is contrary to what is being force-fed at these state institutions is considered hate speech. It’s so enforced that one can even commit a thought crime by thinking the wrong thing. So much for freedom. We send our children to school to learn to read, write, do maths, learn social skills, but in actual fact all we are doing is allowing the state to conform and indoctrinate our children to their lies. It’s by no mistake that education is going down hill, there are leaders in charge puppeteering the process, lowering the university standards so that under-qualified teachers are educating our youth, most of what they are actually teaching from the state mandated text books is complete disinformation, the standard to pass is dropping lower and lower, and then the university entrance credentials have to in-turn be lowered, and so we reach full circle on this detrimental downward spiral. They are purposely dumbing us down to protect their own interests. As we said earlier, critical thinking and independent individuals get in the way of their agenda. The government believes that good citizens don’t think, because thinking leads to reasoning, reasoning leads to right and wrong, being able to perceive wrong then leads to reflection, resistance and reformation. This gets in the way of their agenda, which is obviously not what they want. Therefore children are taught with rote learning, parrot fashioned memorisation style, where they are conditioned to regurgitate the propagated disinformation drilled into them. Because if something is true and correct, it must be hammered into the minds of defenseless little children, with no questions allowed, right? So in the end what they are actually learning at school is that truth comes from authority or from a show of hands; intelligence is the ability to remember and repeat; memorization and repetition are rewarded; non-compliance is punished; and ultimately taught to conform intellectually and socially. Instead, originally, education would teach that truth is truth even if no one believes it, a lie is a lie even if everyone believes it. You cannot determine truth by seeing what the majority think. Intelligence is the ability to critically analyze information (all of it, not only what is “safe” for you to know) and then come to an accurate conclusion, and to stand for what you believe in. They were then able to learn about other cultures, other religions, all parts of history and come to a conclusion. Truth doesn’t fear investigation. If something is true, it doesn’t mind if you ask questions, if you analyse everything and do your research, because it would be confident that you would always come back to the same conclusion. You would always come back to the Truth. When something is not allowed to be questioned and is instead drummed into your head and forced to be memorized, you should probably be cautious! That’s the wise thing to do, but that’s not what is taught, and that is not what is rewarded. Even the version of history that is taught in school, is heavily revised to favour our government’s agenda while hiding its crimes, and in doing so fosters an unrealistic sense of false patriotism used to manufacture our allegiance to a corporate entity masquerading as our government. Blade Nzimande, secretary of the South African Communist party, was also our Minister of Higher education for 8 years, up until last year. Why are politicians involved in educating our youth? The media and state education have successfully lobotomized society - all the better to manipulate them through fear, confusion and sensation. This isn’t a radical right wing conservative viewpoint, they have admitted it themselves. Vladimir Lenin said, “give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.” Benjamin Kidd, Darwinian author who wrote in his book The Science of Power, “the chief end of education…[is] to impose on the young the ideal of subordination to the common aims of organized humanity …give us the young and we will create a new mind and a new earth in a single generation.” Max Horkheimer was one of the leading Jewish Marxists of the Frankfurt school, which pioneered Cultural Marxism, and he said, “The Revolution won’t happen with guns, rather it will happen incrementally, year by year, generation by generation. We will gradually infiltrate their educational institutions and their political offices, transforming them slowly into Marxist entities as we move towards universal egalitarianism.” This is black and white, it doesn’t get any clearer as to what their aim is. And as writer G. Nascimento said, “If a man is born ignorant, to parents who are ignorant, in a society that is ignorant, lives a life of ignorance, and eventually dies ignorant, then ignorance is the norm. And thus indoctrination can be called education, hypnotism can be called entertainment, criminals can be called leaders, and lies can be called Truth, because his mind was never truly his own.” Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness.  True Education John Holt so accurately points out that “a person’s freedom of learning is part of his freedom of thought, even more basic than his freedom of speech. If we take from someone his right to decide what he will be curious about we destroy his freedom of thought. We say, in effect, you must not think about what interests and concerns you, but about what interests and concerns us.” This dismal truth echoes throughout our school corridors. And furthermore, state education destroys the love of learning in children which is so strong when they are small, by “encouraging and compelling them to work for petty and contemptible rewards, gold stars, or papers marked with a 100 and tacked to the wall, or A’s on a report card, or honour rolls, or dean’s lists, or Omega Beta Kappa keys. In short, for the ignoble satisfaction of feeling that they are better than someone else.” And this is what gets rewarded, by educators, by society, by organizations, and by parents. What I’d rather hear, is a parent who says, “I am the proud parent of a child who has resisted his teachers’ attempts to break his spirit and bend him to the will of his masters.” Children are born curious, they are always exploring. From the time a child is young, we lovingly teach them how to walk, how to talk, and once they have learned this, society tells them to sit down and shut up. “Sadly, children’s passion for learning often ends when they encounter a world that seeks to educate them for conformity and obedience only”, says educator Robert John Meehan. Education is more than just learning facts, it’s about instilling values and morals, it’s the ability and skills required to think critically and continually furthering the learning process as they engage with new information. This will help them to foster a love for solving problems and adapting to new details and circumstances in real life. Sandra Dodd points out that “kids who are in school just visit life sometimes, and then they have to stop to do homework or to go to sleep early or to get to class on time. They’re constantly reminded that they are preparing for ‘real life’, while being isolated from it.” John Holt, writer, educator and pioneer in youth rights theory, surmised that “any child who can spend an hour or two a day, with adults that he likes, who are interested in the world and like to talk about it, will on most days learn far more from their talk than he would learn in a week of school.” Don’t misunderstand me, this doesn’t replace learning literacy and numeracy. As an educator, I know the need for children to gain these skills, but they can very sufficiently be taught at home, or by a trustworthy friend of the parents’, without having all the propaganda and Marxist disinformation underlying every subject and lesson. Trade up with another mother, “you teach our children Bio, and I’ll teach them math”, or whatever it may be. This way of learning will be surpassingly greater for them spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. The greatest gift we can give our children is our time, because when we give our time, we are giving a finite portion of our life that we can never have back. Thus every moment shared with our children must therefore be both presented and perceived as being highly valued and irreplaceable. A child will feel this and therefore also value it more. Great classrooms, whether in a field, in a library, in the kitchen, in a museum, or in a rock pool, are characterized by positive, open relationships, mutual respect, and a shared responsibility for the learning process. Instead of trying to fill children with facts and knowledge that we think will be most important and needed in the future, we don’t know what field they will go into or how society will develop, for example, so rather we should try to shape children into people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned. Fostering this culture of intrinsic motivation for continuous learning, coupled with beliefs and virtues instilled through the affectionate and good example of a loving parent or guardian - that is a true education. That will lead to a family, a community, a nation, that will thrive on unity and mutual respect. A nation that will excel with surpassing understanding. This is true education - the education God intended for us and is described in the Hand Book of Life.
By Emma Vaughan-Jones Henry Morton Stanley School of Christian Journalism Researcher Please feel free to contact me for, or with, any information, examples or comments. Cell: 079 6130399 Email: emma@frontline.org.za hmsscj@frontline.org.za www.hmsschoolofchristianjournalism.org Related Articles: Visit the Christian Action Website for more articles on this topic such as, The Roots of Education, Education Crisis, The Value of a Christian Education, Teach Your Children How to Live, Responsible Education. Visit Christian Liberty Books for home educating resources.  9 November, marks the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. A speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, 5 March 1946, declared that “An Iron Curtain has descended across the continent”. From Stettin in the North to Trieste in the South barbed wire and barricades, walls and machine gun towers were going up, sealing off the captive nations occupied by the Soviet Union from their neighbours in the West. The Iron Curtain divided a continent and trapped hundreds of millions of people under communism. The Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, declared that the Second World War was not a disaster but “a great opportunity” to extend communism into the very heart of Europe.  Poland Betrayed Even Poland, for whose freedom Great Britain had ostensibly entered the war, was now little more than a satellite of the Soviet Empire ruled by men chosen by Moscow. Its population was now imprisoned behind a line of barbed wire, watchtowers and minefields - a physical iron curtain.  Secret Police To spy on its captive populations the Soviet empire set up secret police. In the Soviet Union it was the KGB, in Bulgaria it was the DS, in Czechoslovakia the StB, in Hungary the AVB, in Poland the SB, in Romania the Securitatae, and in East Germany it was the STASI (the Ministry of State Security). The STASI maintained a huge network of 90,000 secret police and 175,000 paid informants. They kept files on 4,000,000 East Germans - a quarter of the population.  Berlin Blockade The Berlin Wall was manned by 15,000 guards - the so-called Volkspolizei (VOPOS). When Joseph Stalin attempted to starve West Berlin into submission by cutting off all electricity and supplies on 23 June 1948 the Western powers responded with the Berlin Airlift. The Berlin blockade was the first serious global crisis of the Cold War. West Berlin was kept alive by an airlift of over 150 aircraft supplying an average of 5,000 tons per day. By the time the Soviets ended the blockade on 12 May 1949 over 2.5 million tons had been delivered at the cost of 60 aircrew who had died in aircraft crashes.  Korean War There were numerous hot fronts in the Cold War. The Cold War included a full-scale military war in Korea where 2 million died in the three-year conflict. Evidence has since surfaced that Stalin was planning to follow up the Korean attack with a military offensive in Europe. He was deterred by the quick international response in Korea. Protests in Berlin After the death of Joseph Stalin (5/3/53), over 100,000 East Berlin workers protested against the Soviet occupation. Two Soviet armoured divisions were sent into East Berlin to crush the protest in June 1953. Over 100 civilians were killed and 25,000 protesters arrested.  Uprising in Hungary In July 1956 a full scale uprising in Hungary shook the Soviet Empire. Mass demonstrations demanded the withdrawal of Soviet troops, and in Budapest a massive statue of Stalin was toppled. Soviet troops poured into Hungary and over 20,000 Hungarians were killed in the repression. Tens-of-thousands more were arrested and imprisoned. 250,000 Hungarians fled to the West.  The Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall was concrete proof of the failure of “scientific socialism”. To prevent Germans in the Soviet zone from fleeing to the Western zone in Berlin, a 165 km wall was constructed to seal off West Berlin's island of freedom from Soviet occupied communist East Germany. The Berlin Wall included 289 concrete observation posts/machine gun towers and 123 km of electric fencing.  Death Strip A further death strip stretching 1,393 km along the border between communist East Germany and free West Germany was constructed with: 724 observation posts/machine gun towers, 1,161 km of electric fencing, 54, 000 self-firing devices, and 190 km of mine fields.  Kill Zone Just between 13 August 1961 to 30 July 1983, 73 people were killed by the communists while attempting to escape over the Berlin Wall, 182 more people were killed attempting to escape from East Germany across the border into West Germany, 60,000 people were imprisoned for “preparation, assistance or complicity”, in attempting to escape from East to West Germany (with sentences ranging from 16 months to life imprisonment). Yet from the founding of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in 1949, more than 4,500,000 (over one quarter of the population) voted with their feet by fleeing to West Germany. 38,515 escaped from East to West Berlin by tunnels, by improvised air machines or hot air balloons, hidden inside vehicles travelling from East to West Berlin. 2,768 East German soldiers and officers on duty (including a Colonel) escaped to the West. Cuban Missile Crisis The Cold War almost went nuclear during the Cuban missile crisis, October 1962. The vicious conflicts in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia (1963 - 1975) were hot parts of the Cold War.  Invasion of Czechoslovakia Anyone who believed that communism could be reformed from within was shaken by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Czech communist party chief, Alexander Dubcek, attempted to create “socialism with a human face.” As a result of economic reforms in Czechoslovakia, the other East European satellite states complained that their positions were being undermined by the reforms in Czechoslovakia. The response was that Leonid Brezhnev ordered a full-scale Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia to restore orthodox communism. The Prague Spring ended in August 1968 as half-a-million Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia and overwhelmed the courageous resistance of Czech patriots. Détente Deception The Soviet Empire reached its peak during the period of Détente, as they sponsored, trained and armed revolutionaries to seize power in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam in 1975, Ethiopia in 1974, Guinea Bissau, Angola and Mozambique in 1975, Grenada and Nicaragua in 1979 and Rhodesia/Zimbabwe in 1980. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 was a major wake up call to those in the West who still believed in Détente.  Freedom on the Offensive As a result of this unprecedented Soviet advance there was a backlash throughout the West, epitomised by staunch anti-communist US President, Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, West German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl and South Africa’s P.W. Botha. The West went on the offensive, directly supporting the anti-communist Solidarity trade union movement in Poland, which soon organised nationwide strikes and protests against the Soviet occupation. The USA began to arm and support anti-communist resistance movements as far afield as in Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Angola. Bankrupting the Soviets Ronald Reagan's policies forced the Soviets back onto the defensive and strategically undermined their economy. Spectacular re-armament programmes and the space based Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI) quickly left the Soviets far behind in the arms race and totally bankrupted the Soviet Union in their futile attempt to keep up with America.  The Iron Lady British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher's determination to fight to reclaim the Falkland Islands, after the Argentinean invasion, helped convince the Soviets that the West was not nearly so decadent and weak as they had imagined. Thatcher's success in reviving the British economy also helped demonstrate that capitalism had a future even while communism was bankrupting the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe. The Iron Lady had this to say about the Berlin Wall: “The Berlin Wall stands as concrete proof that when people have a choice, they choose to be free Freedom has its problems but we've never needed to build walls to keep our people in.”  Defeating the Communists Brave anti-communist resistance fighters in Mozambique, Angola, Nicaragua and Afghanistan severely bled the Soviet forces, inflicting serious defeats upon them. The Rhodesian resistance throughout the 60s and 70s had set back the advance of communism in Southern Africa and the destruction of entire Cuban mechanised divisions in Angola by South African conventional forces in the battles on the Lomba River in 1987 and 1988 convinced the Soviet Union that they would not even be able to win a conventional war against the West. Recognising Reality Russian soldiers began to refer to Afghanistan as their 'Vietnam'. As Russian casualties mounted in that conflict, the ongoing political crisis in Poland, and widespread resistance to communism throughout the Soviet empire helped convince the Soviet leaders that their bankrupt system was doomed.  The Glasnost Gulag Even under Gorbachev's much-acclaimed Glasnost, the Soviet Gulag imprisoned millions. When US President, Ronald Reagan, stood at the Berlin Wall and challenged: “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” the Soviet Union operated 1,976 concentration camps, 273 prisons, 85 psychiatric prisons and 41 death camps. In this Soviet Gulag were incarcerated over 5,000,000 political and religious prisoners. Alexander Solzhenitsyn, author of The Gulag Archipelago, documented that between 1918 and 1953 (under Lenin and Stalin's rule) over 50,000,000 Russians served long sentences in the Soviet concentration camps - with millions perishing.  The Hypocrisy of Communism It was pointed out that while the communists claimed to have liberated Russia from the oppression of the Czars, there were 50 times more official executions under communist rule in Russia as occurred under Czarist rule in the same time period. By comparison with Russia under Czarist rule where the highest figure of political prisoners was 183,949, the communists imprisoned seventy times as many people at any one time.  Callous Disregard for Life Vladimir Lenin famously declared that it did not matter if three quarters of the population of Russia perished, as long as the remaining quarter were communist. Joseph Stalin observed: “The death of one person is a tragedy; whereas the death of a million is just a statistic!” Prayer and Protests As candlelit prayer vigils and protests spread from Leipzig, through Dresden, to all of East Germany, the East German government was bankrupt and tottering. Gorbachev's Soviet Union was also bankrupt and could no longer bail them out. So, Erich Honecker, the dictator of East Germany, turned to the West Germans (who in the past had always been willing to provide enough to keep East Germany going). This time, however, the West German Federal Government, was not willing to bail them out. They demanded reforms.  The Fall of the Wall While governments negotiated, the people in both East and West Berlin rose up to breach the wall and began to dismantle it physically. The leaders were overwhelmed by events. Days after the Berlin Wall collapsed, mass demonstrations broke out in Czechoslovakia. Vaclav Havel, long-time leader of the Resistance movement and prisoner of the communists, rose to power and dismantled communism in Czechoslovakia.  The Christmas Revolution Street fighting erupted in Romania to overthrow the brutal communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Soon resistance spread to Bulgaria where the communists were overthrown in December 1989. In Hungary the communist government was overthrown in October 1990. In Albania the first free elections were held in March 1991. Yugoslavia split into different republics as each broke away from the communist control in Belgrade. Soon the Baltic Republics - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - were demanding and achieving their independence from the Soviet Union.  The End of the Soviet Union In August 1991 a coup in the Soviet Union was frustrated in its attempt to return the country to hard line communism. Boldly waving the white, blue and red Russian flag, Boris Yeltsin abolished the Soviet Union and pulled down the Soviet Flag. The Cold War had formally ended. Terrorist Threat from the Middle East But, even as the Cold War with Soviet Union communism ended, a new war was starting with radical Islamic terrorists declaring war on the West.  Victory Over Communism “There is nothing they despise more than weakness. There is nothing they respect more than strength.” The Cold War was won by a combination of Christian courage by persecuted Christians who endured decades of brutality, steadfast resistance by brave anti-communist soldiers who fought the Soviets to a standstill, persistent prayer and pressure from Christians in the West and the bold strategy of Ronald Reagan, which dismantled the Evil Empire. “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption…” 2 Peter 2:19
Dr. Peter Hammond Frontline Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 Fax: 086-494-8070 Email: mission@frontline.org.za Website: www.FrontlineMissionSA.org See also: The Greatest Killer The Heart and Soul of Karl Marx Freedom Betrayed The Failure of Atheism and the Triumph of Faith in the Soviet Union The Fall of the Berlin Wall  Remembrance Day Throughout the English speaking world, the 11th November is observed as a Remembrance Day to solemnly recall the end of hostilities of World War One at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. In time, it has come to be observed as a Memorial Day for all who died in both World Wars and in other subsequent conflicts.  Remember the Fallen The two minute silence to remember all who paid the supreme sacrifice began in Cape Town, South Africa. When the first casualty list recording the horrific loss of life in the Battle of Delville Wood, 1916, was announced in Cape Town, Mr J.A. Eagar, a Cape Town business man, suggested that his congregation observe a special time of silence to remember those in the South African Infantry casualty list. Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, the famous South African author of Jock of the Bushveld, was also a member of that congregation.  A Time of Intercession In May 1918, Mr R.R. Brydon, a city councillor, suggested to the Mayor of Cape Town, Sir Harry Hands, that a period of silence to remember those engaged in the Battlefields of Europe on the Western Front be initiated formerly at the firing of the noon day gun from Signal Hill. In May 1918, Sir Harry Hands, as Mayor, announced that 14 May 1918 at the sound of the noon day gun there would be a three minute pause. At the corner of Adderley and Darling streets, a trumpeter would sound the Last Post to reverberate throughout the city during which time all were to stop what they were doing, stand still and bow their heads in silent prayer, praying for those engaged in the conflict, remembering those who had died and thanking God for those who had survived.  Personal Losses Mr Brydon's son, Major Walter Brydon had been wounded three times and gassed once. He was killed in action on the Western Front, 12 April 1918. A few days later, Captain Richard Hands, the son of the Mayor of Cape Town, Sir Harry Hands, a member of Brydon's battery, was mortally wounded in the same battle in which Major Brydon had been killed. The daily midday prayer time initiated by the noon day gun was last observed on 17 January 1919.  An Empire Wide Time of Prayer and Remembrance Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, Member of Parliament, wrote to King George V, to propose a two minute silence throughout the Empire on 11 November 1919, to mark the first anniversary of the Armistice which ended The Great War. On 7 November 1919, King George V proclaimed: "That at the hour when the Armistice came into force, the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, there may be, for the brief space of two minutes, a complete suspension of all our normal activities… so that in perfect stillness the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverend remembrance of the glorious dead." The king instructed his secretary to communicate to Sir Percy Fitzpatrick: "The King, who learns that you are shortly to return to South Africa, desires me to assure you that he ever gratefully remembers the idea of the two minute pause on Armistice Day was due to your initiation, a suggestion readily adopted and carried out with heartfelt sympathy throughout the Empire."  The Noon Day Gun – a Call to Prayer The noonday gun has been an historic time signal in Cape Town since 1806. The guns were originally used to announce the arrival of a ship. The original guns - 18 pounder smooth ball muzzle loaders - are still in use today. These are the oldest guns still in daily use in the world. The guns are maintained by the South African Navy. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
11 November is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted. Visit www.idop-africa.org for resources to mobilise prayer and action on behalf of those suffering for Christ. Dr. Peter Hammond Livingstone Fellowship P.O. Box 74 Newlands 7725 Cape Town South Africa Tel: 021-689-4480 mission@frontline.org.za www.livingstonefellowship.co.za www.frontline.org.za www.ReformationSA.org.za Invitation to Join the Largest Prayer Movement for the Persecuted Praying for Justice |
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