Peace And Safety?

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you. 1 Peter 4:12 (RV).

I have pondered much upon this verse in recent days, in view of all that is going on around us. Not that too many of us have physically endured a "fiery trial", nevertheless, we do feel the effects of such a "trial". "A strange thing" is happening among us all; we are all told to maintain a "social distance" from all comers, that we cannot hug anyone (out of our household), or even shake hands with a stranger! Who, a few short months ago would have thought we would be living in such a strange environment as we now find ourselves in today? when back then, we were all basking in relative normality!

As believers we ought not think of the "trial" that is "among you" to be any "strange thing", for we have it plainly stated in God's written word that "in the last days perilous times shall come." 1 Timothy 3:1. Reading the context we know that "men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers..." So, none of these things can come upon the world without their rotten fruits producing a stench in the air that we breathe. No doubt, as bad as things are right now, they will only get progressively worse, until we embrace the "new normal" that is coming upon us all. In this "new normal" all our previous liberties will become a distant memory, we might say of such "the good old days!" fondly remembered, but ever aware they will never return.

From my understanding of Bible prophecy, I earnestly believe that there will be a period of prolonged worldly prosperity imminently coming upon us, else how could the earth dwellers be proclaiming "peace and safety" 1 Thess 5:3? (how long, I cannot say, but perhaps some 15-25 years or more before the Lord's return?). This 'prosperity' however, will be based entirely upon the new normal, that is the social reengineering project we see taking place all around us in society will be the accepted norm upon which the earth dwellers will proclaim this "peace and safety"!

Edward Colston, and Others....

I am still somewhat dazed by events of late, I hardly need to adumbrate them; you know what they are, or no?
Take the lawless pulling down of Edward Colston's statue in Bristol for just one example, Colston was a prominent Bristolian who bequeathed much of his wealth to that city, yet see the thanks he receives for it today?

What does this wicked crusade under the banner of "black lives matter" do for the good of us all? Absolutely nothing! Is it not said that God "made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth"? Acts 17:26 (My emphasis). In other words, I am no racist, believers, whatever their colour, and from whence they sprang, in Christ they are all my brothers and sisters "in the Lord" Galatians 3:28, Ephesians 1:10, Philippians 1:27 etc. Granted, men and women since the fall of Adam have always been abused, whatever their colour, but are we not anymore to learn from history ever again (His story) ?

This lawless movement we are a witnessing in these evil days seems to be taking on a life of its own; one minutes silence in parliament for the so-called 'martyr' George Floyd, and the ever increasing desire for the eradication of history? True history!

How are we ever to learn anything if the true reportage and testimony of history (by way of statues, statutes, books, and such) are erased? There are many an unpleasant thing contained within God's written word, let us not lose sight of this; yet were not all these things "written for our admonition , upon whom the ends of the world are come" 1 Corinthians 10:11?
Now, to any that regularly read my posts, you will know that I am absolutely no fan of anything opposed to Christian doctrine in any of its true forms; yet, would I sanction the pulling down of the statue of the wicked Marxist socialist Aneurin Bevan (the creator of the National Health Service) in central Cardiff? (or elsewhere!) Absolutely not! Now, Bevan was a  wicked man, yet God allowed his project to 'succeed'. How can we learn if we erase history? Think on these things?

What next? The antichristian world eradicating the "everlasting gospel"? They would if they could!

Mark my words, Antichrist is coming, and I can almost hear his footsteps...deafening are they to the spiritual mind...

Can The Holy Spirit Be Resisted?

Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them, by thy spirit through thy prophets: yet they would not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. Nehemiah 9:30 (RV).

Mark, THEY WOULD NOT GIVE EAR. Why would they not listen? God's Holy Spirit was in His prophets, yet they would not hearken to them. We read in verse 27 that in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their adversaries. (RV). Verse 28 goes on to say after they had rest, they did evil again before thee. Again, the Israelites cried unto thee and thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies. Verse 29 informs us that when the Israelites had rest from their adversaries that they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments (which if a man do, he shall live in them) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear. Mark again, they WOULD NOT HEAR! They would not listen! (is it any different today?).
As has always been the case since the days of Old Testament Israel right down to our modern Christian age, even unbelievers will pray (for they have all heard that there might be a God in heaven, Romans 1:20), yea, when things go awry, in their distress they will cry out to heaven! They will not seek Him when everything is going just fine, no; ever unthankful are they! People, in periods of prosperity are wont to go the way of ancient Israel (and remember these things are written for our admonition, 1 Corinthians 10:11), just as Israel of old waxed fat, and kicked,.. he forsook God which made him, And lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. Deuteronomy 32:15.

There are many a Christian in our day who believe that man can resist God's Holy Spirit, they believe that he has free-will to choose to do so. One popular verse they will cite to confirm this is Acts7:51;

Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.

What they fail to realise (willfully or ignorantly) is that they successfully resisted (as indeed they do today) the outward call of the Holy Spirit, not the Holy Spirit's inward work of grace, for no man, woman, or child can do that! When a person hears, or reads God's Word proclaimed, they are hearing or reading the Spirit's external work, even as they heard Noah when he was a building the ark, and if (at God's appointed time) such an one is one of God's elect, they will repent and believe as per the Scriptures, for My sheep hear my voice, John 10:27. The Spirit breatheth where it listeth..so is everyone that is born of the Spirit. John 3:8.
The antediluvians heard Noah preaching the Truth, yet only eight were saved! Could God have saved more than eight if He had wanted to? I think you know the answer to that question! Yet, it pleased Him to do as He did, and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? Daniel 4:35.

It was well said by Andrew Fuller (1754-1815):

"There are two kinds of influences by which God works on the minds of men. First, that which is common, and which is effected by the ordinary use of motives presented to the mind for consideration: Secondly, that which is special and supernatural. The one contains nothing mysterious, any more than the influence of our words and actions on each other; the other is such a mystery that we know nothing of it. The former ought to be effectual; the latter is so."

Arthur Pink (1886-1952) writes on this:
"The work of the Holy Spirit upon or towards men is always "resisted" by them; His work within us is always successful. What says the Scriptures? This: He which has begun a good work in you will perform it" Philippians 1:6."

William Secker (16th century puritan):
"Repentance, though it be the act of man, is but the gift of God."

God commands the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be preached to every creature, yea, He commandeth all men every where to repent. Acts 17:30. Yet the same eternal God in Christ (Hebrews 13:8, John 8:58) it was who said to the prophet; Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee. Jeremiah 7:27. Likewise, the house of Israel will not hearken unto you; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted. Ezekiel 3:7. It would appear a thankless task to be a true prophet of God! sent on an errand they know will not bear fruit! In Matthew 13:38-40, the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the evil one. I don't know about you, but I find it a constant and thankless task keeping the weeds at bay in my vegetable plot (plus the slugs, and everything else!) and left to themselves, the weeds (tares) will choke and starve the vegetables (good seed), and so this will continue in the world today, wickedness ever increasing by the hour until God in Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven...

Was it for nothing the Lord Jesus said Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8.

So, to answer my question at the head of this posting; the answer in the affirmative is a resounding NO!!!

Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8.

In this new "socially distanced" world, I wonder?

If we choose to put our faith in the world governments and their false science, then true faith will indeed be rare, very, very, rare. The oft repeated mantra of our UK government is "we will follow the science!" Yeah, and into the pit with it!
Just imagine if the "social distancing" nonsense was implemented by Herod back in the New Testament era?

My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. Mark 5:23.

Surely Jairus! as a "ruler of the synagogue" knowing of the strict social distancing measures being currently enforced, you should know better than to make such a request!

Four verses on, what of the woman "who touched His garment"? and of the unruly and disobedient "crowd" who thronged Him, which prompted His disciples to say "Thou seest the multitudes thronging thee, and sayest thou, "Who touched me?"

They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. Mark 16:18.

But! this cannot be done! we are not allowed to approach a healthy person within 2 metres, let alone a sick one!!! (a confirmation, if we needed one, that diseases, viruses etc cannot be transmitted).
It was well said by Dr Gill that if one feared something, the event invariably came to pass (self fulfilling prophecy) for "fear hath torment" 1 John 4:18.

Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14.

Sorry James! haven't you heard of the social distancing guidelines? We must remain 2 metres apart from everyone, unless they live in one's own house, also church assemblies are now illegal. So please don't encourage lawlessness!

And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. Acts 28:8.

Needless to say, the apostle broke all known social distancing criteria to heal this man!

Peter saith unto Him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, if I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. John 13:8.

Does this not show what the Lord thinks of 'social distancing'?

Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. John 13:23.

Social distancing has now eradicated all public shewing of friendly contact!

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matthew 28:19ff

What of the great commission-how does one baptize from 2 metres away? Are not the Lord's words eternal? or are we scared of catching a mythical virus?

What of when Mary took "a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair." John 12:3?

Examples like these can no doubt be multiplied many times over!

We are told that Christ's Gospel is an everlasting gospel. Revelation 14:6. That Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, yea and forever. Hebrews 13:8. So how can 'viruses' (so-called) travel by contact-through touch, the air, or spittle? The Gospel message is predicated upon close social human interaction, intimacy, touch, etc! Once upon a time, when greeting a person I would always shake his or her hand, hug or whatever..... O how Satan must be enjoying all of this!

With all this satanically inspired 'social distancing' going on around us, it wasn't for nothing that the eternal Word said For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20 (my emphasis) WAS IT? Mega churches-bah!

Did Paul Believe The Earth To Be A Globe? Obviously Not!

For all the Athenians  and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.  Acts 17:21. (emphasis mine).

In my interlinear Bible, on this verse, the margin reads; or, had leisure for nothing else.

The Greeks brought Paul "unto the Areopagus" to hear "this new doctrine", certainly they had "itching ears" for they would listen to anything, for they "spent their time in nothing else"! These men of leisure would philosophise and theorise about anything and everything "under the sun", and we have them to thank for the theory of the solar system. Eratosthenes (276-194 BC) was a Greek scientist/astronomer who is universally credited as being the first man to calculate the so-called circumference of the ball-shaped Earth.

Though the Earth was still widely believed to be flat, or at least  not a spinning ball, right up until the time of Copernicus (1473-1543), when he expanded upon Eratosthenes theory and through the Roman Catholic Church via the Hegelian dialect (thesis, antithesis, synthesis) after Galileo (1564-1642) championed the heliocentric theory, to Rome's apparent chagrin. To cut a long story short, the heliocentric solar system theory became the accepted truth. Out went the biblical geocentric Earth and in came the king of the solar system, the sun! Instead of our 'humble' little sun that would illuminate the world on its daily circuit, at a stroke it became some 110 times larger than our Earth and 93,000,000 miles away from us! Consequently, the non-twinkling wandering stars became planets, for they are reckoned to be closer to us, and the twinkling stars became gas giant 'suns' at the centres of their own respective solar systems (billions of miles/light years apart), and our own sun became a star.

Needless to say, none of this wild theorising based on ancient Greek 'wisdom' is taught in Holy Writ! Only that God made "two great lights" on day four (Genesis 1:16), that is four days after He "created the heaven and the earth" Genesis 1:1. Aptly, the time of Copernicus was known as the "dark ages" when the masses were still entrenched in deep superstition and pagan Romish idolatry, and the popes were busy burning Bibles, keeping them back from the people. Praise God for raising up Martin Luther, when the mighty Reformation began in earnest! Luther opposed Copernicus's "novel theory" nevertheless, the solar system was here to stay, and all false science that would come after was built upon it (gravity, evolution, meteorology/weather cycles, atomic theory etc, etc). If the Roman Church was Christ's Church, and they had faithful men teaching the people truth from God's Book, the heliocentric theory could never have been, but it was not to be, for as a believer in absolute predestination, God would use the old Roman Empire's sun worship (Sol Invictus) system to bring about "His strange work; and bring to pass His act, His strange act." Isaiah 28:21.

The modern world's superstructure would be built upon a lie! how could it be otherwise? "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." 1 Corinthians 1:19. "Whosoever therefore would be a friend of the world maketh himself an enemy of God." James 4:4 (RV). The first Roman Empire was at its zenith in the apostolic age, having succeeded the Grecian Empire; it absorbed the learning which came from that source. So it is plainly obvious how the Romans became worshippers of the "unconquered sun" (Sol Invictus) an image that the pagan Roman Catholic Church venerates to this day (adding to the many others that God expressly said not to do, making void the Second Commandment of the Decalogue!)

The Scripture is silent on it, but I believe Paul would have been very familiar with Eratosthenes's theory, which would explain why he went on to write of "science falsely so called." 1 Timothy 6:20. He would have heard those proud "Epicurean and Stoic philosophers" Acts 17:18(RV) thunder out their 'wisdom' from the court of the Areopagus on Mars hill. But this 'wisdom' was not according to knowledge, it was of their own making.

The great wonder in our day is why so many otherwise sound Christians hold tenaciously to the nonsense that we live on a planet!

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15.

The next verse speaks of "vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness." So true! Truly, "there is no new thing under the sun" for our own government (as is true of all nations) constantly blare out on the mythical Covid 19; "WE WILL FOLLOW THE SCIENCE!" and so they will!

Was The Lord Jesus Crucified On Good Friday? A little Study.

There are professing believers who take the Lord's words in Matthew 12:40 to mean that He must truly and literally have been a full 72 hours "in the heart of the earth." Such teaching can only serve to wreak havoc on one's faith in the inspired written word, that is the God given received text. Granted, there are what we may call "renderings" and "punctuations" in certain places that us moderns may think should have been better translated, but ever remember the Authorized Version was published over 400 years ago when English was an altogether different language! The KJV 1611 is only a translation. The Scriptures are only inspired in the original Hebrew and Greek tongues, and they came without "chapter and verse" and 'English' punctuation, nevertheless, it is the content in the manuscripts employed by the translators of the KJV 1611 that are inspired. A full defence is beyond the scope of this small article.

It is agreed by all teachers of God's written word that it is not wise to base any doctrine on one verse alone without scriptural support. So, if the Lord was truly and literally "in the heart of the earth" for a full "three days and three nights", that is 72 hours, then the Friday crucifixion could not have happened, this much is obvious.

In Matthew 12:40, on "the three days and three nights" the Lord is quoting Jonah 1:17 verbatim; "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." It is an established fact in Mosaic Judaism (biblical Judaism!) that the Jews reckoned the night with the day*. Therefore if Jonah wasn't in the "belly of the fish" for the timescale of what us moderns understand as a full 72 hours, then the same would be true of the Lord in Matthew 12:40.
So it must have been that Jonah was "swallowed up" and inside the "great fish" late on a Friday, all through the Saturday Sabbath, and "vomited out" (Jonah 2:10) early on a Sunday morning. He 'rose' on a Sunday morning to go to Nineveh. This "great city" being a microcosm for the whole Gentile world to whom the Lord would give the "great commission" (Matthew 28:18-20).  Again, let me remind the reader that the Lord was quoting verbatim from the Jewish Scriptures, and that He is a Jew! When He "created the heavens and the earth" the "morning" was always spoken with the "evening", see Genesis 1:5-1:31. The Lord quoted extensively from the book of Genesis throughout the Gospels, and everyone knows, believer and unbeliever alike that every day includes an evening and a morning.

Let us look for evidence that the Lord was indeed resurrected on Sunday morning.
"And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread" Acts 20:7. Why would Jewish believers come together on a Sunday to "break bread" in the name of the Lord if they didn't believe He was resurrected on the first day of the week, also known as "the Lord's day"? Similarly, the disciples were ordered on "the first day of the week" to "lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.." (1 Corinthians 16:1-2); again, why on "the first day of the week"? what be the significance? John "was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" Revelation 1:10, again, what be the significance of this, if He hadn't risen on that Easter Sunday morning? Likewise, in John 20:19, "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week". This buttresses perfectly with Mark 16:9 where we read that the Lord "was risen early on the first day of the week." (Emphasis's mine). Abraham, the father of faith, "of all them that believe" (see Romans 4:11) was given the covenant of circumcision which pointed to the eighth day, a new day, the resurrection day of our Lord which was the first day of the week. This new day came to be known as the Christian Sabbath, the Lord's day. The unbelieving Jewish sabbath remains the same, the Christian believer is under the new covenant, the Lord Jesus is truly "Lord even of the sabbath day." Matthew 12:8.

Let us not lose sight of the fact that the Jewish Scriptures are none other than our Old Testament; the unbelieving Jews are blinded to the truth of the New Testament. I believe that those who believe and teach a literal 72 hour stay in "the heart of the earth" are deceived and are doing a very great disservice  to the Gospel Truth of Christ. "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89. But not according to those who would shipwreck the faith of some, who would otherwise trust the plenary inspiration of holy writ.

The Lord "rose the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Corinthians 15:4.



*On the 'difficulty' of accepting that the Lord was not a full 72 hours "in the heart of the earth".
Dr John Gill writes (and to this all, the other great reformed expositors agree, Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, Jamieson, Fausett & Brown, and countless others) .

"To solve this difficulty, and set the matter in a clear light, let it be observed, that the three days and three nights mean three natural days, consisting of day and night, or twenty four hours, and are what the Greeks call "night days"; but the Jews have no other way of expressing them, but as here; and with them it is a well known rule, and used on all occasions, as in the computation of their feasts and times of mourning, in the observance of the Passover, circumcision, and diverse purification's, that "a part of a day is as the whole" and so, whatever was done before sun setting, or after, if but an hour, or ever so small a time before or after it, it was reckoned as the whole preceding, or following day; and whether this was in the night part, or day part of the night day, or natural day, it mattered not, it was accounted as the whole night day: by this rule, the case here is easily adjusted; Christ was laid in the grave towards the close of the sixth day, a little before sun setting, and this being part of the night day preceding, is reckoned as the whole; He continued there the whole night day following, being the seventh day; and rose again early on the first day, which being after sun setting, though it might be even before sun rising, yet being a part of the night day following, is to be esteemed as the whole; and thus the Son of man was to be, and was three days and three nights in the grave; and which was very easy to be understood by the Jews; and it is a question whether Jonas was longer in the belly of the fish."

The Ungodly NHS! State Genocide?

Further to my last couple of posts; in an unbelieving world it is nigh on impossible to communicate the Truth as it is in Christ.

Of late, HM Government have conferred on the devilish NHS an almost godlike status! The clarion daily call is "Protect the NHS"  and "Save lives", these are the current buzz words that emanate daily from 10 Downing Street.
I say the NHS (National Hit Service) is doing the diametric opposite, it is killing people! Yet the population are so dumbed down they can't see the wood for the trees! "Trust me, I'm a doctor!"
Don't trust any of them, they really don't know what is in any drug or vaccination they daily dish out to those poor souls in hospital wards and nursing homes up and down the length and breadth of our nation, do they? (or any other nation upon God's earth). Who is behind this? The pharmaceutical behemoths! The very people we have to rely upon to produce a vaccination that will 'save' us! God help us all! Initially, when the vaccination is rolled out, it will be optional; in time mandatory. Different strains of the vaccination will be administered to varying age-groups, the health 'professionals' will 'know', for every vaccination will be by postal appointment! so beware-you have been warned! The NHS is as all would agree, a massive government organisation with some 1.5 million employees in England alone! They all have many and varied interconnected roles, surgeons, doctors, nurses, managers, purchasers, health workers and the rest, yet hardly any of them, if any, can see the big picture going on. Yet some in the corridors of power must do, a select small group, they do know the truth.

One would have to be a total ignoramus not to know of the powerful ongoing and militant "global warming", "carbon footprint", "save the planet", and "over population" green agenda that is underpinning all HM Government's 'plans' along with the WHO and the Gates Foundation in these evil days. They "follow the science!" Yes "science falsely so called" 1 Timothy 6:20. We are in times of great deception that the Lord said would come upon us; "Take heed that no man deceive you" Matthew 24:4 (my emphasis).
Relatives and friends have been ordered to "STAY SAFE" & "STAY AT HOME" in this satanic situation unfolding before our very eyes; the so-called "useless-eaters" in hospitals and 'care' homes are being mowed down like flies! How do they know (or care, even?) if their elderly parents are being murdered (I say wittingly) by the so-called 'health professionals'? Ignorance/deception will "cut no ice" with God. We have been told for many a year that the NHS is at "breaking point", and that the current situation with the exponentially increasing "baby boomers" coming into retirement age that the welfare state/NHS will collapse under its own weight, have we not? Well, are we not currently witnessing the Government's 'solution' to all of this, unfolding before us? Coronavirus, so-called is a tool of the devil to bring about the "new normal" or rather the New World Order, and he is currently "going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." (Job 1:7) creating confusion in every seat of power throughout God's earth!

The National Health Service was born in 1948, the same year of the rebirth of Israel! A coincidence? no-God doesn't play dice! The United Kingdom was instrumental in bringing about the modern nation of Israel via the Balfour Declaration, and the God fearing men behind this major prophetical event knew that Israel had to be established back in its own land (in unbelief) before Christ would return to destroy the Antichrist. Israel is "the apple of His eye" Deuteronomy 32:10, what of the NHS? from what source did this wicked organisation flow from? The NHS was the brainchild of the Marxist Socialist Aneurin  Bevan of Cardiff, an atheist and therefore a very ungodly man! I ask, can anything good come from a poisoned source? If you want to know the biblical answer to this, please read James 3:11-12. As events are currently unfolding, we are seeing the rotten fruit of the NHS, the 'service' that negates any personal responsibility toward ourselves and our neighbour as the Scriptures would have us do.  We have, over this last seventy years been brainwashed to accept that the NHS is beneficial for our well being, a "force for good" and that will "look after all from the cradle to the grave", such is the devilish deception! Who, bar the Creator God in Christ has such an ultimate mandate?
To any with just a little biblical discernment, it is not too difficult to answer this, is it not?
When the Lord comes back and sets His millennial government up from the new Jerusalem, there will be no NHS, nor any such ungodly organisation-praise His holy name!

The Gospel of Christ offers true freedom, the world under its present god (Satan) offers oppression and despotism! The National Health Service is destroying people, not saving them! All the 'science' and 'progress' so-called: where are we today? Truly, "there is no new thing under the sun"! The NHS is witchcraft and sorcery dressed in a modern garb! Ever remember, the Greek word for sorcery is pharmakiea from whence we get pharmacy, pharmaceutical, pharmacologist; the truth is 'hidden' in plain sight!