Today we are continuing in our series titled ‘World War 3: Will You Stand for Peace?’
As we approach the end of 2024, Freedom Matters Today is approaching the end of the first step in our journey, to explore freedom from a Christian perspective. Ten books have been published over the last two years examining various aspects of the Christian life. Today, a quick overview of the first five.
Freedom from Fascism
Is God on America’s Side?
Is God on America’s Side? : Sutton, Dr. Michael John: Amazon.com.au: Books
Is Russia Our Enemy?
Is Russia Our Enemy? : Sutton, Dr. Michael John: Amazon.com.au: Books
Following Jesus when the church has lost its way
Following Jesus: When the Church has Lost its Way : Sutton, Dr Michael John: Amazon.com.au: Books
What are God’s Pronouns?
One step forward…
The focus of the 2022 series of Freedom Matters Today was living in the light of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the role of America in the world, and the future of organized, versus personal religion.
The focus of the 2023 series of Freedom Matters Today was living in the light of a post-pandemic world and three books were published, one a compilation of texts and posts, another the transcripts of various interviews and the final book, examining the identity of Jesus, and his pronouns.
The focus of the 2024 series of Freedom Matters Today was making sense of war and conflict, and a trilogy of books on war and war in the Middle East.
My hope moving forward is to release a limited series of classic texts of some of the original titles, as well as include 2024 interviews and texts that were not included in previous books.
On a life-long journey…
Freedom Matters Today has only taken one step forward. Many people are content to focus on the pandemic for the foreseeable future, and I wish them well with their ambitions, but the world has already moved on, and new issues, and new controversies have arisen.
Three good principles
I have followed a number of principles which have been important. I list three here.
First, my words are my own. I take plagiarism seriously, even if others do not. I do not copy the words of others, nor do I mimic their ideas, nor do I surf their popularity. Most writing on the pandemic, Ukraine, and current affairs is a problem for authentic composition. I write my own material and always will.
Second, my starting point is the Bible, not what someone else might say about it. I go back to the original texts and the original language and spend a lot of time thinking about what is actually intended in the original text of the Bible. I don’t quote famous Christians, nor do I need to. If you are looking for validation of your sectarian view, find someone else, for I don’t care about such trivial and irrelevant matters. I seek to apply the Bible, apply the text, and apply the meaning in practical ways in order to make sense, order life, and reorder the world through a deeper understanding of the Bible.
Third, aside from criticism of the President of the United States, I have rarely commented on any person specifically but rather speak in terms of general trends and general thought in the world today, such as ‘the West,’ or ‘the church,’ and this is the best way forward. If we need to be personal, then we have lost the argument, and we are quibbling over quotes. Basic ideas can be conveyed without even mentioning the names of the people we have in mind. Once those basic ideas have been put to paper, their significance evaporates.
My words, inspired by the text of the Bible, without finding fault in others is a way forward for me, and I hope for you too, as you seek to make sense of the world in which we live.
Michael J. Sutton
Remember, freedom matters today, because you matter to God.