spiphywarfare

Category: Faith

  • You Need to Unplug

    You need to unplug sometimes. Unplug from the internet once in a while to do yourself some good. Negativity reigns there and constant soaking in the negativity of protests, political idiocy and humans offing each other in various wars will taint your views and your health.

    Unplug from Russia v Ukraine. Unplug from Israel v Iran. Unplug from “No Kings.” Unplug from calls about the end of Western Civilization. While you’re consuming “fear porn,” the birds are singing, rabbits are nibbling on someone’s vegetable garden, and the earth continues as it always has.

    I appreciated a thing that seems to have gone away. I used to see “timeline cleanse” posts occasionally that featured someone’s pet or kid doing something cute or funny. You don’t see them so much anymore. But those things still happen. And if you don’t unplug, you may find yourself being manipulated by algorithms seeking to keep you stressed and tensed. Not a good constant state to be in.

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

    Phillipians 4:6-7
  • It’s so Tiresome

    It’s so Tiresome

    Digital Wasteland

    It seems, to me, that most social media is becoming a wasteland where you have to filter through trash ads, political takes disconnected from reality, and the delusions of the continuously online. To be honest, I probably spend more time than I should online, but I work to ground myself by doing simple things. Standing quietly and looking at a tree for a bit reminds me of what reality is. People watching works for me too.

    Disunity in Faith

    Lately, it’s gotten worse though. Most, not all, of my social media interaction is based either on family, friends, and my faith. The faith-based interactions have taken a troubling turn over the past year or so. There’s a conflict raging between two loose groups. Group one defines itself by labelling the other side Christian Nationalist, woke right, or other names. The other side defines itself by laughing at group one and then going about their business. It’s much deeper and far more complex than that but my intention isn’t to delve into the complexities that led to this point.

    No, my goal here is to express my disappointment in the first group. Largely, I would identify with much of what they hold to be true. Hitler was bad. It’s okay to be an ally with Israel. An inter-racial marriage isn’t sinful. So, it’s not their values that disappoint, I don’t think. Maybe as time goes on it will turn out to be that their values are in conflict with mine. It’s their apparent lack of ability to think rightly and see the world correctly. Something skews their perception and for the life of me, I don’t get it.

    A group of younger men are gaining influence simply by stating their positions unapologetically, and PhD holding men with long-time ministries spend their time crying and calling those young men childish, neo-Nazis, racist, etc. Somehow, these older men, who should know better, think their name calling is okay. They don’t get how foolish it makes them look. Their non-stop caterwauling is every bit as annoying as the cat that shows up every night at midnight to yeowl all night long outside your window. Enough already.

    Suggestion

    Maybe, rather than crying and whinging on about it, sit back and try to understand what is happening. Maybe take your supposed belief that God is sovereign over everything and contemplate that He is allowing or even causing this. Then maybe ponder Gamaliel’s warning to the Sanhedrin. I mean, that’s in the Bible. Is there any other stuff in God’s Word that might help?

    If only God had given us guidance here. Can Christians be different and have different roles? Can they be one while still being like, I don’t know, a human body? Maybe some are like the eyes and provide information to help navigate the body while others are like the feet and stomp through the mud and dust of culture. Something, like that would have been helpful.

    I write this knowing they’ll probably never see it and if they do, they’ll dismiss it as only so much grumbling from the rabble that don’t have their theological degrees or the proper high-mindedness to be taken seriously. That’s the part that’s most disappointing, they’re old enough (and should be wise enough), to know better. Scolding them isn’t working and in case you haven’t figured it out yet, it won’t work.

    These older Christian men should be able to rise above the noise and find unity in our shared values and service to our Master.

  • Knowing God’s Word is Essential for Christians

    Knowing God’s Word is Essential for Christians

    In this “Christian” nation, far too many who claim to be believers never take the time to read scripture. I know because that was me for many, many years. It is easy to neglect. However, I’d suggest that knowing God’s Word is the most important aspect of being a believer. Prayer and fellowship with other believers are right behind.

    Chapter 22 of the book of 2 Kings opens with a young king who obviously seeks to honor the Lord by having the temple repaired. I can’t imagine putting effort into this if his goal was something else. Surely, he thought he was doing right in the sight of God. While this work was going on, this happened:

    Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” Shaphan read it out loud before the king. When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes.
    2 Kings 22:10-11

    Josiah’s humility and repentance saved his nation. He was only able to do this by hearing the actual Word of God. It was obvious to him, when he heard the Word himself, that they were getting it all wrong. They had priests, they had a temple, they had it wrong.

    When I finally started reading God’s Word faithfully, I started noticing things that had crept into the church. I started noticing modern church music often contained a phrase or two that was slightly off of what scripture said. I started catching single sentences in books that were otherwise fine that twisted a passage’s meaning ever so slightly.

    It’s important to sit under the teaching of knowledgeable teachers. It’s okay to watch people online whether they be pastors, podcasters, or apologetic masters. Reading books related to our faith is fine. But all of it must be done with God’s Word as the foundation. Like us, these men are all fallible.

    How often are you opening God’s Word yourself and not just letting others tell you what it says? Do you ever read it?

    My suggestion if you want to start reading it yourself is to do that. Pick it up and read a chapter a day, or more if you feel like it. Just pick a book and determine to read it every day until you finish that book. Then, read the next book. You may just find yourself surprised.

    Stay safe and keep the faith.

  • Thankful

    This world has a lot of hate, darkness, and death in it. Looking at Israel and that region, so many groups over there just hate each other. Sad.

    Looking at the moral decay in the West and the embracing of so much perversion and licentiousness, it is everywhere, and people want to spread it to our children. Who would have thought, even 20 years ago, that elementary school teachers would be arguing to talk about their sexual preferences with primary school children?

    Looking at Russia v Ukraine and Israel v Iran & friends, it is pitiful that so many lives have been lost. Looking at the U.S. and the completely bizarre obsession of some women with killing their babies in their own wombs just blows my mind. Totally selfish degenerates.

    Why is this post titled “Thankful” when all this garbage is going on?

    Because there is much to be thankful for, and we shouldn’t let the world weigh us down. Consider Psalm 95:2, which states:

    Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

    We can and should give thanks to our God for His grace, His provision, His Word, His Son, and so much more. He’s blessed me, a nobody, with a good wife, wonderful children, and a grandson. All of whom have made me laugh, made me smile, and made my heart well with pride at times. I look back on parents that loved me, siblings that did the same, and extended family that had great get togethers.

    I had a great career in law enforcement, and my job now pays the bills and offers the satisfaction of seeing things improve. I work with people striving to make others lives better. I guess I always have, come to think about it.

    I have my health, a good church, and a handful of people I consider lifetime friends. We have a house that protects us from the elements and food to eat.

    Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.

    Today, I’ll choose Phillipians 4:8. I choose to dwell on what is good and pray for those suffering. I suggest you do the same.

  • The SBC’s Dilemma

    A little over two years ago I gave my opinion on the Guidepost Solutions, LLC report the SBC paid over $2 million for, despite the fact that Guidepost supports values at odds with the SBC. It wasn’t flattering. I remember at the time thinking that the use of “credibly accused” as a standard was incredibly vague. The SBC continues to host a horribly

    Now the SBC and Guidepost are going through a lawsuit. They’re being sued by Johnny Hunt, former Senior VP of ministry for the North American Mission Board (NAMB). Hunt resigned after the report named him as being credibly accused of sexual abuse. Now, I do think Mr. Hunt did something wrong and sinful, though he prefers “improper conduct.” That’s not the point of this short post though.

    The point is that in his amended filing for damages, Hunt discloses that his position with NAMB paid him a salary of $610,000 per year.

    That is one single solitary position at the national level for the SBC. How much money that solid, pew-sitting Christians are giving to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ is going to pay wayward, disqualified, philandering men outrageous sums? Full disclosure, I stopped tithing years ago for this reason. We opted to use that money to directly impact people.

  • A Christian Nation?

    Browsing through certain social media sites, in particular, the  𝕏  site, one does not have to look far for discussions of Christian Nationlism, often abbreviated as CN. I’d like to address just one aspect of the many different concepts that are debated. One that strangely, in defiance of reality, finds many “leading” Christians on that site agreeing with pagans. That’s the idea that the U.S. of A. was never, and is not now, a Christian Nation.

    Commonwealth of Massachusetts

    One can currently find that Massachusetts, one of the founding states and always a member state, has law right now on the books that prohibits blasphemy. They are found in the General Laws > Part IV > Title I > Chapter 272 states:

    Section 36. Whoever wilfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the world, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.

    https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIV/TitleI/Chapter272/Section36

    They backed down from it being a capital offense as they originally passed it while a colony. See Section 3, Chapter 19 of their Province Laws.

    The SCOTUS famously found in Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, 143 U.S.457 (1892), and folks don’t like to be reminded of it, that the United States “is a Christian Nation.”

    So, regardless of one’s views on CN, it’s just dishonest to deny that this nation was founded by a Christian people on Christian principles and values.

  • Different Time, Same Tactics

    I’ve been slow-reading through Acts. I consider slow-reading somewhere between reading through and in-depth study. I’ve been in chapters 11-13 for a couple of days, and some things stuck out to me today.

    But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they began to contradict what Paul was saying by reviling him. (Acts 13:45)

    I read that and thought, “Man, isn’t that the same thing religious leaders do today?” When someone saying something they don’t like starts gaining listeners, they become jealous. I’m thinking along the lines of Doug Wilson here.  I’ve seen this passage before and thought it was similar to today, but this time, it stuck out to me how they conradicted him. They didn’t challenge him through reason, they did it through reviling him. They did it through verbal abuse.

    That’s not the only similarity. In Acts 13:50, we see this:

    But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their region.

    Seem familiar? The leaders stirred up women (of high social standing), and then the men began a persecution against Paul and Barnabas. I wouldn’t call myself “highly online,” but I would say I am more engaged in social media than many of my peers. There’s a phenomenon that occurs wherein a woman will come out and say something about a man, again, thinking Doug makes a good example, and the moment she is called out for an error she is surrounded by a flock of men, clucking at the objector and shaming them. It really is pathetic when you witness it.

    The words of Ecc 1:9 are true, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” They are true in our personal lives as well as the society around us. I plead with you, if you consider yourself a Christian, please, get into the Word of God that he has provided. Deception is strong at this point in human history.

    I do not know if this is the end or if we are still in the early church age, but The Father knows. I do know He is faithful. I do know we shouldn’t be fearful. I know that we should be wise as serpents. I pray we are.

    Stay safe. Stay healthy.

  • Navigating Division: Thoughts on New Saint Andrews Ad

    Anybody on 𝕏, well, “Christian” 𝕏 anyway, is probably aware of the brouhaha going on due to the New Saint Andrews ad featuring Johnny Cash’s tertiary digit (see below). I generally stay out of the turmoil there because I rarely see any edifying or encouraging words offered to differing views. I’ll try to offer something worthwhile now, though. Why? Because I’ve never been more disappointed by so many people, across the entire gamut, who are generally edifying and uplifting.

    The Ad

    New Saint Andrews Ad

    It seems to be directed towards attracting young men looking to make a stand against the massive cultural rot in society. The uproar comes from the fact that these men must be, among other things, “willing to hoist the Jolly Roger and Johnny Cash’s favorite finger whenever faced with idolatry.”

    I’ll offer my own thoughts on the ad before continuing. That ad would never have seen the light of day if I were someone whose approval was needed before going live with it. That is not how we should present as Christians.

    The Audience

    Now, 𝕏 has all sorts of people claiming the name of Christ. There are blaspheming women who claim to be pastors preaching that Jesus was transgender and KJV only folks who deride any make-up/jewelry, women wearing pants, or using any other translation. There are racist anonymous (and non-anons) accounts constantly using racial slurs against minorities and racist black preachers who can’t answer when asked if white people can get to heaven.

    I’m not writing about any of them here. I’m writing here about brothers and sisters that I see who usually have good insights.

    The Issue

    I think 𝕏 is designed to be divisive, and when we are immersed in it too long, being divisive may become our goal without us being aware of it. I think we tend to want all the people we agree with to know that we agree with them, and not those “other” people.

    I think we may not count the cost of that. The cost is division. If, and it may be a big if, if in prayer they believed it to be within God’s will for them to do that ad, and they were correct, where does that leave you and your condemnation of them?

    Some of the poorest takes that I’ve seen on this controversy have been to a man who literally asked for guidance on how to be a strong, Christian man with a backbone. He’s been ridiculed for being whiny and LARPing about being a man while “real” men are at work and not on 𝕏. This, from his alleged sisters. Is that really how you want to respond to someone asking for guidance?

    The other disappointing thing was that of people assuming motives. They’re doing this so they can feel good. They just want to (insert motivr here). That’s assuming an attribute specifically relegated to God in scripture. You don’t know anyone else’s heart to speak it factually. Just append, “I think” or “it seems” to the front of those statements, unless you really can see their heart. Otherwise, stop pronouncing judgment. Yes, we’re not to speak harshly, but the exceptions to that prove it is not a hard, fast rule. David ate show bread. Jesus told his brothers he wasn’t going to the feast and went. Things we see as violative may not be. Who are you to judge another man’s slave.

    Do you really believe there is a time to kill (Ecc3:3)? If you don’t, your opinion is probably as valuable as Andy Stanley’s. If you do think God actually meant that there are times when intentionally ending a life is appropriate, then I don’t see it as a stretch that there may be a time to “give the bird to idols.” At the same time, I understand Ecclesiastes doesn’t say there is a time for obscene gestures. Just a time for everything.

    None of that changes the fact that a good name is better than a good ointment or that a good reputation is better than great wealth. Saying that it could be appropriate doesn’t require throwing out being humble in spirit, placing ourselves last, or loving our neighbor. Saying it is never appropriate is putting yourself as the judge of your brother.

    A response

    It really wouldn’t be hard to make a post that says, “I don’t think that’s appropriate” and move down the road. Or would it? It doesn’t seem to me that it should be.

  • God + Country: Big Eva’s Collaboration with Those who Hate God

    I came across this draft I had started in late January 2024. I started it because names I’ve heard for years, including Russell Moore and David French, were in on it. Those guys have been names that people at my completely normal church have trusted. I would have listened to them, oh, five years ago. Sadly, many honest believers are still as in the dark today as I was in 2019. Anyway, on to Ye Olde Draft…

    If you’re a Christian and haven’t heard about Rob Riener’s film, God + Country, and the sinnanigans surrounding it, you aren’t paying attention. The film, to release soon, purports to be a documentary on the dangers of Christian Nationalism (CN).

    If you don’t know, Reiner’s an avowed atheist. An enemy of God. Why would supposed Christians team up with an enemy to attack other Christians? That’s not just rhetorical, I would challenge you to answer that, out loud, to yourself.

    I noted in 2020 that the growing chorus against CN seemed to be a term that would be used to attack people that hold normal CHristian values and I remain more convinced of that today. A couple of other thoughts from folks are below.

    My advice is that you not watch this movie, or that you watch it with discernment, because it will offer a look at what is coming for uncompromising Christians.

    EDIT: I’m glad to say that this movie was a complete failure and I pray to God that he emboldens his people and confounds the efforts of his enemies.

  • Merry Christmas 2023

    It’s Christmas morning. The sun is still down. Our kids are young adults for all intents and purposes. There is a slight chill in the air. I sit alone in the living room, in the soft light of the Christmas tree and the glow of the screen I am writing this on, and wonder.

    I wonder if we have given our civilization away. On this day that millions of people in the west, and around the world, celebrate the incarnation of God himself, we see stories of another religion, being allowed to disrupt our celebrations. People disrupting Christmas carolers with, “No celebration, ’til liberation,” as if they get to decide when we celebrate our Lord. People telling us, “No Christmas as usual,” unless we bow to their demands. There were plenty of others.

    For the record, I’m not real keen on bowing to the demands of any other human. It’s never been one of my strengths. I am, however, keen on acknowledging the Lordship of that child born in a lowly setting two thousand years ago. I am keen on my children and grandchildren having smiles on their faces, joy in their hearts, and their eternity sealed. As our faith in the Lord goes, so goes our civilization. Western society is unravelling to the joy of our enemies. We mostly sit by a watch it happen, and console ourselves with word, “Oh, what a pity.”

    I do however take solace in the fact that our Creator isn’t limited by our abilities to remain faithful individually or as a nation. Regardless of the status of our nation, or the West, in the future, Christ is King. Even so, I cannot and will not willingly give in to the destruction of my children’s future.