The New Printing Press.

 Paul Young (the author of The Shack  mentioned in a video interview, that the best way to explain how there is such a rapid increase in the number of people going through what they call Deconstruction is that: "The Internet is the new printing press". By comparison: "It’s estimated there were about 30,000 books in all of Europe before Gutenberg’s press. Less than fifty years later there were as many as twelve million books, and the book that was printed was often the Bible. As people became more interested in studying the Bible, Bibles were printed not only in Latin, but in German, French, and even ancient Greek. Many believe that without the Gutenberg press, the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century might not have been possible. His invention of metal movable type in 1450 has accurately been called “an invention that changed the world.”

The exponential increase in knowledge around the world that took place after the invention of the printing press can be compared to the exponential increase in knowledge around the world because of the Internet!! "January 1, 1983 is considered the official birthday of the Internet. Prior to this, the various computer networks did not have a standard way to communicate with each other. A new communications protocol was established called Transfer Control Protocol/Internetwork Protocol (TCP/IP). the World Wide Web announced that it was for everybody. On April 30, 1993, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) put the web into the public domain a decision that has fundamentally altered the past quarter-century."

I have wondered for several years if God was about to "do a new thing, that has never been done before"? Almost like we are on the cusp of a world changing event, and yet with that understanding of the impact of the Internet, then perhaps we are right in the middle of it!!

When the printing press was discovered, it took a few years to really "get off the ground" so that it was a common thing. And of course the writings and the books that became available after that was astounding and life changing for the multitudes! People that used to have to spend large amounts of money to get something hand written to read, if they could read at all, now becomes mass produced at a fraction of the cost! It was impossible to keep the bible out of the hands of the common people written in the common language. It also make it possible to pave the way for Martin Luther and the Reformation that got started by reprinting his 95 Thesis on the church door. 

Not much different with the Internet. I remember getting my first computer with Windows 3.1 operating system. Some sort of word processor so that I could write essays for a correspondence course without having to retype from scratch any changes I needed to make. And there were a few simple games like solitaire and mine??? Oh, and a dot matrix printer.

 It wasn't long after that when my brother convinced me of the possibilities of a connection to an unlimited source of mostly free information all over the world. Which also eventually made this blog possible for anyone in the world to read and gain knowledge from what I write. 

The vast wealth of information that can be accessed through the use of the internet even in countries that have laws forbidding such access, cannot be contained by laws! At one time bibles had to be sneaked across the border of such restricted countries. (read the book called: God's Smuggler by  Brother Andrew for exciting stories about that.) Now, those same countries are able to have greater access through this miracle of the information highway. 

The miracle of the Internet has provided the life changing multi season series based on the life of Jesus called  The Chosen to reach a Billion lives around the world with the Gospel message! It has also allowed virtually unrestricted access to virtual books written by the Patristics of the faith; the church fathers. It has provided access to check up the answers provided on any question anyone might have about any subject, especially faith and beliefs and doctrine and truths and even false teachings. 

As I write this post, there is real time videos of what is being called the  Asbury Revival, taking place at a bible school in Asbury KY as just one example. And while I strongly disagree with any teaching of some sort of Rapture theology, and a literal place of eternal torment called hell, nor that this or any other event being a sign of that teaching being Biblical; the Internet also provides a place to discover other teachings and interpretations that are more aliened with Truth. The Internet provides information to show you that you don't have to believe the one teaching that has been put forth to you as the only truth. There are different points of interpretation.  

This and a never ending supply of Spiritual revolutionary thoughts and ideas are available which is also discovered and verified by a simple access to the Internet search, so there is no excuse. Of course just as the printing press has been used for evil purposes, so also the internet, so it is important to protect the free access to information rather than censor what some are allowed to know by those in control, through a sort of cyber "book burning" which is a word of caution  to this generation's version of  The New Printing Press.