Currently Reading... Street Spirited Christian Samizdat...
from Jesus Christians a Christian community.
I have read to my surprise a Christian booklet whereby an individual stated that their reason for not reading Bible passages was simply because they always work with their hands. Whoever said this in my opinion simplified the anxiety it takes to sometimes focus on words and reflect or meditate on them, in short to read them. When we have so many magazines and communicative devices such as personal telephones, mini-disc players, hand-held games and other gizmos why focus ones mental powers to books? Or confine them should I say? These responses to literature are probably the sort of responses writers and drawers in groups such as the Jesus Christians receive when distributing their material out on the streets.
So far from the material I have seen and read from this group I notice that they usually also use plain comic-strip in place of three-page newsletters or mini-booklets to sometimes promote their message. Using images instead of words to highlight the message. This is their sort of Christian Samizdat or self-published material. Not that I would hand out my material in the same style but I feel that comic strip or illustrative form of their Gospel message is keeping by the golden rule of any design that says to keep it simple, stupid or KISS. And simple is what messengers of Jesus Christians like to present themselves and their ways, and that is why they like to send their material to the people who will read them in person.
When I first came in contact with Armageddon for Beginners a book by the Jesus Christians I was actually looking information on another book named "The Trumpet Has Sounded"... by John Masters, a Christian author and speaker. However John Master's material was nowhere to be found. Instead I later came upon another street-passing book named "Survivors" also by the Jesus Christians.
In both Survivors and Armageddon, there are messages about Two Witnesses from God, and the actual belief in what was being said in there surprised me in way that made me think about what I have not yet considered but felt before concerning the END TIMES which can be read in the book of the final days named the Revelation of John. In fact if the many people who got this book would read into what is being said there, then they really should be prepared to be shocked as the Author of it says.
I hadn't heard these kinds of messages about the End-Times at Church before or at that time. Especially the message stating that there will be tribulation the world over for believers who resist the coming One World Order. The initial response to most of this was; "that the world needs to hear this." But then I also considered what the stand was of Church going Christians of where I came.
About this time the impact from reports of Christian persecution by other religions and political institutions made me reflect on the freedoms and toleration I have here where is seemingly safe. I thought to follow the advice from the reporting charities to print and deliver material about the crisis. There are way too many reasons for why Christian persecution takes place but I tried to simplify the reports by simply using bold imagery about the persecution crisis. After all we live in a visual culture.
So I came to think about the reasons behind this persecution, and what the Church who are suppose to be the persecuted are doing about it. I found that other than special Services held for some Priest in a far off land, and old reflections of the gospel there wasn't really any help from the traditional Church pursuing and making aware this issue. This didn't mean the situation could remain a silent one, and that there mustn't be some Christian perspective at least to the actual events that were taking place. It was really about where to look for an explanation of what was happening. And a relative explanation of what is taking place and what it may mean in relation to the faith is what I found in the books Armageddon for beginners and Survivors both a part of Jesus Christians message. At least Armageddon is an attempt that is why it is called for Beginners.
I found these books relative to the global attitude toward Christianity and what Christianity stands for contrary to popular belief. Questions there were about what a Christian is, how we may know a believer by their lives, and more to the point how are Christians reacting to the turning world which is spitting on their beliefs? But in some nations throwing them out, and forcing them to abandon their faith. And because what is behind these books should be familiar to most city-folk who are already use to the messages which the Jesus Christians speak about all the more reason why Armageddon for Beginners and Survivors should not be found as too much of an exercise to read, because the message is in real and living people.
At first glance its like no one who knows a thing about Christ revelation would ever believe what they would call "all this paranoid end time stuff." But the writers, and messengers are ready for this and that is why they themselves can be seen on busy streets world-wide day after day to humanize the concepts written about, and explain their cause plainly if people are ready to listen and understand. Of course the first thing passing people with an upheld right eyebrow would ask is; "is this a religious book?" There is where the high barriers are found, and are to be overcome by both writer and reader, the talker and the talked at.
Any self-publisher I believe hopes for more common knowledge or as city-folk love to say word of mouth and not a mental strain about their material from their readers. Jesus Christians say that their goal through these books is to plant seeds first. They pass them on day after day until it becomes almost a public discussion like what's around the corner or the latest film. Except this isn't a film, though "Survivors" discusses a popular book "Left Behind" which may soon become one, but these books are about the hidden works of the world and where it is going afterwards if we remain ignorant to it. These books are still in print and the more they are discussed the more their cause will effect into the Samizdat spirit of truth. Amen, is the saying of faithful and true.
Currently Reading... Street Spirited Christian Samizdat, by the Jesus Christian Community.
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