OK, another day, another milestone. For what it is worth, this is the 4000th article to appear on this site. As I have often said, if you want someone to fix your car, I am not your man. If you want someone to tend your garden, look elsewhere. But if you want a thousand word article in under a half hour (normally), I am at your service!
Writing articles (and books) is of course not all that I do with my CultureWatch ministry, but it is a large part of it. That is one of the gifts I have been blessed with, so I will use it for God’s glory. It is hoped that the content can be used for Christ and the Kingdom.
For those who like numbers, here are a few: I started CultureWatch eleven years ago. So with 4000 articles, that works out to around 365 articles a year, or – as is not too hard to determine – around one a day. I am guessing that the average article length is around 1400 words. That means I have 5.6 million words on CultureWatch thus far.
If nothing else, all this has kept me off the streets for over a decade. As far as I know, no one has read all 4000 articles except for two people: me, and a wonderful proof reader in Perth who has graciously looked at all of them. If anyone else has laboured through all 4000, let me know – you deserve a medal!
As is always the case with these milestones, I usually seek to give a bit of a rationale for what I do. So here it is. It is obviously about sharing truth in the public arena, since so much of our mainstream media is so very selective in what it shares.
And because I make no apologies for being a Christ follower, I have many pieces which are simply spiritual or theological in nature. Many are just pieces of commentary without any religious language or references being employed. But the biblical worldview informs all that I do here.
So we have all sorts of articles found here. Whether Scripture is expressly presented and/or quoted from, or whether I simply offer analysis of current events without biblical terminology, all my pieces reflect a basic Christian and conservative point of view.
Of course we all have presuppositions or worldviews that we operate from. I happen to be up front about mine, while others may not be so open. So not everyone will like where I am coming from. That’s OK, I don’t expect everyone to. But as long as I have the freedom to write and share, I will do so.
Not only does not everyone like what I do, but I receive almost daily reminders of this fact. Receiving nasty hate mail is a regular part of this ministry alas. As usual, those who carry on the most about tolerance and acceptance seem to be the least tolerant and accepting, and they make this perfectly clear in their foul, ghoulish and hate-filled remarks they constantly bombard me with.
So why keep on doing all this? Despite all the hate and abuse, some people are benefitting from this ministry. They have told me so. I have been told that people have become Christians as a result of what I do. Many have said they are being taught, discipled, encouraged and being edified by this site and the other things I do.
For those reasons alone it is worth continuing. If one soul ends up being plucked from the flames of hell then it has all been worth it. And I suspect that one day when this life is over, I may find many more folks who have been positively impacted by the work I am called to do.
I may not hear so many of these stories now, but I believe there will be many more stories to come. So that is why I keep on keeping on, despite all the resistance, opposition and horrific abuse that gets thrown my way. Let me mention just two such encouraging stories.
The first concerns a recent piece I did on the meaning of Christmas. It seems an atheist has been helped by it, as he wrote on his own site:
This year, I started to explore various meanings of Christmas. I should say: By this time in life, I’m a lapsed atheist. I still discount the truth of religious doctrine, but I don’t discount the value of faith. My exploration was helped when I read this piece by Bill Muehlenburg, who seems to take his Bible straight up. He says Christmas is about incarnation and redemption. Now here are ideas I can wrestle with. I mean, Christmas is also about finding light in the darkest hours, and it is about fully experiencing joy, and while it is not a given to achieve either of those things, I don’t question their value, or the value of trying. But incarnation? The existence of God in human form, who walks (or walked) among us, like an ordinary man? I need to think harder about that….
Please pray that this fellow, Dan, does indeed come to find the real meaning of Christmas thanks. My second story involves a piece I did some time ago on “The normal Christian life: A growing awareness of sin”. I received this comment from a fellow who had read it:
Hello – great article! I have recently been coming back to the Lord after battling with drug and alcohol problems – I’m not entirely clean but progressing nonetheless – which is how I discovered article (I was researching articles on progressive sanctification). Anyway, your last few lines really made me think – typically when I sin (use drugs), I feel guilt and shame and disgust over consequences – so upon reading this, I realized that I need to know why I feel that way – for me or for God? Thankfully it is ultimately for God, and my inability to serve him fully if I am constantly sinning.
God bless your ministry!
This in part is why I do what I do – to see non-believers come to Christ and Christians strengthened in their faith. Probably only when I get to heaven will I find out just how much good I may have achieved by God’s grace in this regard. But it is my Christian calling, and with God’s help I will fulfil it the best I can.
So as always, I need to thank all of you for all that you do to make CultureWatch possible. I must thank you all for your many years of support. Many of you have contributed financially so that this faith ministry can keep going. Many of you have passed on my stuff, shared my stuff, reprinted my stuff, and helped to get the word out even further.
And many of you have prayed for me and this ministry. That means more to me than you can ever imagine. And that is my main request here: that prayer, intercession and spiritual warfare on my behalf continue. Without your spiritual firepower there is no way I could do what I do.
So, many thanks for all your support, especially your prayer support. Please keep it coming. It is my lifeline. God bless you all.
And I guess I will see you all again when I get to 5000!
Well done! Congratulations on your milestone!! Maybe you will compile some more books or have you done any more essay writing since your student days? We could use some of the knowledge you have accumulated to build up the body of Christ. Did you say you have learned about anthropology? Anyhow it’s great that you step out in faith this way to bring us back to all that’s important, giving God the glory due him, I pray you continue to shine the light of the Lord in this dark world this way reminding us of his presence. May God bless you and your work for his Kingdom richly with blessings and love from Sandra ?
Congratulations Bill on number 4000. When you were a lecturer at Richmond Temple (now Bridge Church) all those years ago, you challenged me as a student. I still consider myself as one of your students as you continue to challenge me & encourage me to stand up for The Lord Jesus Christ. May The Holy Spirit continue to lead and inspire you as your journey continues onto article 5000. Kind regards, Kel.
“And I guess I will see you all again when I get to 5000”
I think you’ll see most of us here when you get to 4001 Bill 🙂
Sending you lots of christian love and appreciation. I would be a very ill-informed christian if I did not receive your postings. Thank you Bill M.
Dawn McGregor
We love what you do bill.
BIG TIME!!!!
We share your remarkably well delivered insights often as we can.
You are clearly inspired by the Holy Spirit to think all these issues through and seem to validate and articulate what we are often already thinking.
You are a refreshing light in an ever darkening culture and we speak your praises highly to all our Christian friends.
Thank God for your courageous insight and your tenacity under fire.
How ridiculous pc society has become.
That all said, here’s something you don’t know.
This side of heaven you won’t ever be sure of how many people are hearing your words and just how effective your ministry is.
Trust me, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
Keep callin’ it buddy,
We’re listening.
Andy James Court
Keep up the good work Bill, we need people like yourself who are blessed with talent to keep speaking against the tide of iniquity that is pouring out against the truth and righteousness of God’s Word and our faith in and through Jesus Christ.
I visit your site daily, to get your well thought out, insightful articles on what is going on in this world. It is one of the bright lights in this darkening world.
As Proverbs 3:13 (Amplified Bible) tells us
“Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God’s Word and life’s experiences]”
Thank you Bill. All glory to our Heavenly Father and His Son.
Pastor Muehenberg, may God continue to bless you, your ministry and your family.
Yours in Christ,
Dale Summitt, Trailblazing America
I particularly enjoy your book reviews and the fact that you infuse your world view/sociology with Christ-centred theology. Thanks, Bill.
I love your articles and have them stored for a rainy day when I can read them all. Thanks for the time and effort you put into them – I find them to be (mostly) ‘on the same page’ as my own views, and you helped to clarufy the abortion issue for me.
Bill, how that phrase of your 2nd young man, {who had read your piece on ‘The Normal Christian Life – A growing awareness of sin’} resonates with me personally & obviously correlates with the vitriolic attacks you receive on a daily basis because of your blessed Ministry. (BTW – Many Happy Returns to 5000).
The young man says,
“Anyway, your last few lines really made me think – typically when I sin (use drugs), I feel guilt and shame and disgust over consequences – so upon reading this, I realized that I need to know why I feel that way – for me or for God?”
The unjust, animal-like, irrational anger YOU & other Christians receive from rampant homosexuals & their evil cohorts – the Activists, is really just their OWN absolute innate shame, disgust & guilt at their OWN particular revolting behavior.
How it ALL makes sense now – Christians have generally been loving, kind & tolerant BUT now the gloves must come off!
God is RIGHTEOUSLY Angry & we must aggressively promote God’s beautiful Truth with Holy Spirit Power!
I really appreciate your articles and cannot believe that you put them together in around half an hour! Congratulations on your milestone, thank you and God bless.
Great effort Bill, glad you are also a numbers man, and bring these figures to your readers attention. It’s also one of your talents that your are not shy to lay claim to fame. Nothing wrong with that, you have to pat your self on the back from time to time. We all have to to stay firm and positive in our quest for right thing to be done or heard. I have to admit to not having read all 4000 of your pieces, but I have read a lot, and as other say here, they are most valuable and much more worthy of reading then the rubbish served up by the MSM.
Bill Heggers.
Well done on another major kilometre-stone. I haven’t read every article but by far the majority. Many of them give me useful ideas for interacting with others on current issues. Never give up!
Congratulations Bill on reaching 4000 articles.
Your God given talent is being put to good use and the way our society is travelling you will not be short of work, so 5000 is not all that far away.
Thank God we have a courageous Christian in you defending our biblical worldview.
Graeme Wishart
Many thanks for your articles Bill. I now find I cannot trust the mainstream media to give me the truth and/or the complete story, so I wait for your take on the incident or story. I have found your articles to be well researched and I can rely on what you have written.
It seems to me that you have become a hub of contemporary Christian thought and provide a well needed service in these times of social rejection of the God of the Bible. May God bless you as you have been such a blessing to so many people.
Being steadfast and true to the Lord is our aim. Confronting our culture comes at a cost but that is our responsibility. You help us enormously, Bill, by bringing events to our attention that we might not otherwise hear or read about. That, in our technological age, may seem like letting the devil have a field day but it is soo worth it when we see the truth shine through. It lifts the spirit and makes us more determined than ever to keep on going on as partners in the gospel. Thank you for using your gift so abundantly. May God bless you and keep you safe.
Keep up the great work, Bill. I for one really appreciate your articles, particularly when it is hard to find the truth about current day issues from other sources. Here’s to another 4000 articles!
It is quite moving to read the 19 responses. I’m a late comer to your ministry by comparison of some or many. A few years ago I thought you were a bit of an “intellectual” talking above my simple mind. But since I started searching on the subject of SSM etc. I have been very much helped by you, not least by your “cut-through” language which is contemporary, straight and without any bitterness. It is a pity that more believers could not put aside their seeming need to be “nice” and get to grips with the ruthlessness of man against God and His creation and the people He has planned. You have supplied a great lack in the church. I have been trying to locate your 4 articles on how you became a believer in Christ Bill, can you give me the links please?
Hi Bill, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that you get nasty mail, considering what a fantastic witness you are for the gospel of Jesus. However, I was surprised.
I enjoy your articles very much and share them with others regularly. You articulate what I try to explain to friends so much better than I can. And I’m sorry: I have tended to take you for granted, because you write so confidently and passionately. (I read direct from my email account, generally).
Thank you.
Congrats on a tremendous effort & thank you for your continued faithful ministry.
4,000 excellent articles behind you Bill means your old body is not as young as it used to be but at least you are closer to your resurrected body and a ‘well done’ thou good and faithful servant! (Yes they all speak KJ in the heavenly kingdom)
Hi Bill,
Well done! Congratulations on your milestone!! Maybe you will compile some more books or have you done any more essay writing since your student days? We could use some of the knowledge you have accumulated to build up the body of Christ. Did you say you have learned about anthropology? Anyhow it’s great that you step out in faith this way to bring us back to all that’s important, giving God the glory due him, I pray you continue to shine the light of the Lord in this dark world this way reminding us of his presence. May God bless you and your work for his Kingdom richly with blessings and love from Sandra ?
Congratulations Bill on number 4000. When you were a lecturer at Richmond Temple (now Bridge Church) all those years ago, you challenged me as a student. I still consider myself as one of your students as you continue to challenge me & encourage me to stand up for The Lord Jesus Christ. May The Holy Spirit continue to lead and inspire you as your journey continues onto article 5000. Kind regards, Kel.
“And I guess I will see you all again when I get to 5000”
I think you’ll see most of us here when you get to 4001 Bill 🙂
Sending you lots of christian love and appreciation. I would be a very ill-informed christian if I did not receive your postings. Thank you Bill M.
Dawn McGregor
We love what you do bill.
BIG TIME!!!!
We share your remarkably well delivered insights often as we can.
You are clearly inspired by the Holy Spirit to think all these issues through and seem to validate and articulate what we are often already thinking.
You are a refreshing light in an ever darkening culture and we speak your praises highly to all our Christian friends.
Thank God for your courageous insight and your tenacity under fire.
How ridiculous pc society has become.
That all said, here’s something you don’t know.
This side of heaven you won’t ever be sure of how many people are hearing your words and just how effective your ministry is.
Trust me, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
Keep callin’ it buddy,
We’re listening.
Andy James Court
Keep up the good work Bill, we need people like yourself who are blessed with talent to keep speaking against the tide of iniquity that is pouring out against the truth and righteousness of God’s Word and our faith in and through Jesus Christ.
I visit your site daily, to get your well thought out, insightful articles on what is going on in this world. It is one of the bright lights in this darkening world.
As Proverbs 3:13 (Amplified Bible) tells us
“Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God’s Word and life’s experiences]”
Thank you Bill. All glory to our Heavenly Father and His Son.
Pastor Muehenberg, may God continue to bless you, your ministry and your family.
Yours in Christ,
Dale Summitt, Trailblazing America
I particularly enjoy your book reviews and the fact that you infuse your world view/sociology with Christ-centred theology. Thanks, Bill.
I love your articles and have them stored for a rainy day when I can read them all. Thanks for the time and effort you put into them – I find them to be (mostly) ‘on the same page’ as my own views, and you helped to clarufy the abortion issue for me.
Bill, how that phrase of your 2nd young man, {who had read your piece on ‘The Normal Christian Life – A growing awareness of sin’} resonates with me personally & obviously correlates with the vitriolic attacks you receive on a daily basis because of your blessed Ministry. (BTW – Many Happy Returns to 5000).
The young man says,
“Anyway, your last few lines really made me think – typically when I sin (use drugs), I feel guilt and shame and disgust over consequences – so upon reading this, I realized that I need to know why I feel that way – for me or for God?”
The unjust, animal-like, irrational anger YOU & other Christians receive from rampant homosexuals & their evil cohorts – the Activists, is really just their OWN absolute innate shame, disgust & guilt at their OWN particular revolting behavior.
How it ALL makes sense now – Christians have generally been loving, kind & tolerant BUT now the gloves must come off!
God is RIGHTEOUSLY Angry & we must aggressively promote God’s beautiful Truth with Holy Spirit Power!
I really appreciate your articles and cannot believe that you put them together in around half an hour! Congratulations on your milestone, thank you and God bless.
Great effort Bill, glad you are also a numbers man, and bring these figures to your readers attention. It’s also one of your talents that your are not shy to lay claim to fame. Nothing wrong with that, you have to pat your self on the back from time to time. We all have to to stay firm and positive in our quest for right thing to be done or heard. I have to admit to not having read all 4000 of your pieces, but I have read a lot, and as other say here, they are most valuable and much more worthy of reading then the rubbish served up by the MSM.
Bill Heggers.
Well done on another major kilometre-stone. I haven’t read every article but by far the majority. Many of them give me useful ideas for interacting with others on current issues. Never give up!
Sorry for being off-topic but please help vote no in this euthanasia poll:
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/bid-for-voluntary-euthanasia-in-wa/news-story/135bf31fc63cb14c0eb7d507814fdaee
Congratulations Bill on reaching 4000 articles.
Your God given talent is being put to good use and the way our society is travelling you will not be short of work, so 5000 is not all that far away.
Thank God we have a courageous Christian in you defending our biblical worldview.
Graeme Wishart
Many thanks for your articles Bill. I now find I cannot trust the mainstream media to give me the truth and/or the complete story, so I wait for your take on the incident or story. I have found your articles to be well researched and I can rely on what you have written.
It seems to me that you have become a hub of contemporary Christian thought and provide a well needed service in these times of social rejection of the God of the Bible. May God bless you as you have been such a blessing to so many people.
Being steadfast and true to the Lord is our aim. Confronting our culture comes at a cost but that is our responsibility. You help us enormously, Bill, by bringing events to our attention that we might not otherwise hear or read about. That, in our technological age, may seem like letting the devil have a field day but it is soo worth it when we see the truth shine through. It lifts the spirit and makes us more determined than ever to keep on going on as partners in the gospel. Thank you for using your gift so abundantly. May God bless you and keep you safe.
Keep up the great work, Bill. I for one really appreciate your articles, particularly when it is hard to find the truth about current day issues from other sources. Here’s to another 4000 articles!
It is quite moving to read the 19 responses. I’m a late comer to your ministry by comparison of some or many. A few years ago I thought you were a bit of an “intellectual” talking above my simple mind. But since I started searching on the subject of SSM etc. I have been very much helped by you, not least by your “cut-through” language which is contemporary, straight and without any bitterness. It is a pity that more believers could not put aside their seeming need to be “nice” and get to grips with the ruthlessness of man against God and His creation and the people He has planned. You have supplied a great lack in the church. I have been trying to locate your 4 articles on how you became a believer in Christ Bill, can you give me the links please?
Hi Bill, perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised that you get nasty mail, considering what a fantastic witness you are for the gospel of Jesus. However, I was surprised.
I enjoy your articles very much and share them with others regularly. You articulate what I try to explain to friends so much better than I can. And I’m sorry: I have tended to take you for granted, because you write so confidently and passionately. (I read direct from my email account, generally).
Thank you.
Congrats on a tremendous effort & thank you for your continued faithful ministry.
4,000 excellent articles behind you Bill means your old body is not as young as it used to be but at least you are closer to your resurrected body and a ‘well done’ thou good and faithful servant! (Yes they all speak KJ in the heavenly kingdom)