Questions are the hazard of an apologists life. Apologetics comes from the greek word "Apologea" which is the same word Apostle peter used in the sermon at pentecost when the people were so confused; He said , let me "Explain" to you what what jist happened, let me give you an Apologea. Then in 1Pet 3:15-16, He says, always be prepared to give an Apologetic, for the hope that is within you, and to do it , with Gentleness and respect. Apologetics has a broad sweep of two central concepts :- 1. Giving an answer and 2. Giving an Explanation. Apologetics clarifies truths claims, ( it doesnt muddy the waters) and it does this clarification by by coming to the level of the questioner; because more than answering a question; you are always answering a questioner. Somebody is behind that question and if you answer the questions, but not the questioner, you may come through as being very erudite, knowledgeable; but you are not being persuasive to the person looking for an answer

In the book of Habakkuk chapter 1:2-4; we have a series of questions. And the issues raised here, are hot topics in our time - Violence, Injustice, Evil. How can God allow all this go on unrecompenced? This was the cry of the prophet and it is resoundingly poignant today. Many of us feel as such, when we watch all the bombings, innocent lives suddenly pulverized. Then the legal experts come-in and we watch the same mental gymnastics going on once more. The questions remain; "Violence, Injustice, Evil". The answers are not as easy. But when you come at the same question from different answers , you're invariably coming from different assumptions. What the Christian worldview does, almost everytime, is that, its explanatory power over reality is much more in keeping with life's inescapable questions, the power to explain not just a peculiar Issue,but within the context of a broader spectrum of issues. More oft than not you'll find its explanatory power, far more real, relevant, than yhe Naturalistic or materialistic worldviewcan ever giveto you, especially in times like this. To the sheer Naturalist/Materialist, we are nothing more than mere product of the random colocation of atoms; a bleep on the radar screen of time, almost as the existentialist Jean P. Satre would have said " An empty bubble, floating on the sea of nothingness ( Ironically, Satre, in his veteran years, as he near's his death says he finds it difficult to cling to his ahiestic existential beliefs and position anymore because it has no explanatory power (it could provide some pragmatic help for certain situations in life, but in the broad picture its not there). In 1980, the best known athiest, was Anthony flu, but few years ago, he said he could no longer hold to his athiesm, because the explanatory power is not just there, For some of the Inescapable questions that life brings to you. Thus, Answers can be meaningful, without being comprehensive. God gives us three questions through the mouth of Habakkuk. The first is

VIOLENCE: Take a look at our statistics today in our world; in Europe, for instance, in the 17th century, 3.3 million were killed in warfare, in the 18th cent. 5.2Million, in the 19th century, 5.5 Million, in the 20th Cent. (The bloodiest century) 28 Million in warfare alone, were killed. This excludes the over 60Million killed in China, Scores of millions in Russia, 3Million in Cambodia, and The Millions slaughtered in our own Country Nigeria; and who knows about all the slaughter that goes on behind the scenes which never makes statistical study. At the top end of the 19th century (1900), the German philosopher, Fredrick Nietzche, (Initially he said "God is dead", i.e the existence of God is no longer philosophically defensible), made the comment that because God had Philosophically died, The 20th century will become the bloodiest century in history and a unoversal madness will break out. (He took the first step, and spent the last 13 years of his life insane); Ironically, his father and Grandfather, were Pastors. Our modern day vocivarous athiest can talk a lot about anti-thiesm, but they are no where as honest as Nietszche or even Darwin who said that If his physics and Biology was right, the metaphysics of it all, was going to breed untold violence because nature, was red, in tooth and claw. Worse is the fact that people have become cold and desensitized, almost unconcerned with the rate of mass murder, violence happening in our world today. Eichmann once said " One death is a tragedy, a million death is a statistic" thats how it has become. But we think violence is just restricted to warfare, but who knows all yhe violence going on behind the scenes everyday; This was Habakkuk's cry to God, "HOW LONG WILL VIOLENCE CONTINUE; AND YOU KEEP WATCHING "?? (continued)

COME O SAVIOUR , COME.