spiphywarfare

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  • Public what? “Servant!”

    A short post born of frustration.

    My life has been dedicated to public service. It is so irritating when I see people who are public servants who have forgotten the servant part. It matters not if it’s Joe the President yelling, “I don’t work for you!” at a steel worker or some clerk doing menial filing work in some small, local government office.

    We work for the people. We work for the hardworking, taxpayers people of this country, our state, or community. If your salary is funded by tax dollars, dollars forcibly taken from money someone else earned, you better make it worth it.

  • 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.

  • Seems Familiar (short post)

    An image of Peter and John preaching in the temple.

    Studying the book of Acts currently. As I read chapter four today, I couldn’t help but notice that the acceptable religious leaders of the day wanted to stop Peter and John from preaching. They had left behind any pretense or concern with whether or not it was truth that was being spread. Their sole reason for their actions was to keep the matter from spreading amongst the people (Acts 4:17).

    You see that a lot today with traditional “BigEva” types online, as well as with evangelical influencers that have a decent sized account. When a truth comes out that threatens their position or status, they avoid the substance and work to discourage a truth from spreading.

  • 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.

  • This is why I go camping

    The dappled light of the sun danced across my face and the surrounding ground I laid on. The wind from the surrounding plains rustled through the tops of the trees in the little valley. It hardly seems right to call it a valley. It was really just a low spot with a babbling creek and a multitude of trees providing much needed shade.

    Staring up through closed eyes, I could see the movement of the leaves. My ears heard the distant calls of various birds, and they sang, “All is well in the world.”

  • 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.

  • First Time Brewing Beer

    I’ve made a couple of ciders, some ginger beer, and a wine or two. They’ve been fun to make, and relatively easy.

    I have stayed away from beers because, quite frankly, I found it a bit intimidating.However, I am giving it a try today. The first thing I can say about it is that when my kits instructions included “brew day” steps, they weren’t kidding.

    The second thing I will say is that when I pulled the grains out of the water after they had steeped for 20 minutes, it was a very pleasant smelling liquid (wort) they left behind. It was slightly nutty with a hint of a corn smell. The grains were carapils and caramel. As I write this, I am waiting for the wort to begin boiling so I can move to the next step. More later.

    As I wait, watching the pot for it to boil, I begin to think it never will. My mind is going over the next phase. After all the warnings about letting the LME (liquid malt extract) carmelize on the bottom of the pan, I find myself wondering if maybe I should have stayed away from beer after all. It seems this must be a fairly regular occurrence.

    I am fairly certain that I prevented any of the first batch of LME from carmelizing. However, I learned tongs are useful when making beer if you drop your spoon into the wort while trying to lay it across the pan.

    At this point, I’ve added the first LME and noticed that the wort basically smelled neutral afterward. Just a slight hint of the smells I noted earlier were left. I’ve also added the Willamette hop pellets. Gave them a sniff before adding them into the wort and immediately recognized how beer gets its flavor from hops. Funnily enough, adding them to the wort made it smell like I was boiling hay.

    The first 45-minute boil is over. I just finished adding the second bit of LME and the spices. The spice packet had a very nice citrusy smell. I will be very pleased if I end up with a clean, crisp beer. It needs another 15 minutes of boiling, a cold bath, and then into the fermenter for a while. A few minutes into this last phase, and the wort smells grand.

    Done. Well, sort of.  I’m done for a few days anyway. I got the wort cooled down and transferred most of it to the fermentation container.

    I use “most” for two reasons. One, pouring out of a giant pot into a 5″ opening is hard, and it didn’t all make it. Two, some of the wort came out with the trub, left-over solids. But, I got it in there and got everything sealed up. Now, the first wait.

  • We Need to Stop S. 3589 

    We Need to Stop S. 3589 

    An interesting bill has been filed in the Senate, S. 3589, also known as the “Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act of 2024” aims to prohibit unauthorized private paramilitary activity in the United States. Sounds good right? We don’t necessarily want or need Wagner Group-style armies running around in the U.S. Or do we? 🤔 That’s another discussion for another time. What caught my eye while reading this was that Section 9 of this legislation includes an interesting definition, it incorporates a “security services unit” within the broader category of a “private paramilitary organization” (PMO). 

    The bill provides the following as the definition of a PMO: 

    This term encompasses any group of three or more persons who associate under a command structure. Their purpose is to function publicly or train to function publicly as a combat, combat support, law enforcement, or security services unit. 

    link to section

    Why That Matters 

    As a retired peace officer, I remember at times seeing how broadly written laws can be broadly and selectively enforced. That, combined with the need for churches, or any other organization for that matter, to be able to protect themselves in this society where violence is on the rise, caused me some concern. 

    Is Your Church Security Team a PMO? 

    Do you know if your church has a security team that trains to protect the congregation during services? Does it have a team lead or person considered “in charge” of it? Under the bill’s definition, this security team could be classified as a “private paramilitary organization” due to their structure and focus on security services. 

    Effects 

    Now, what could be the impact of this bill if this team acts during a service to neutralize a potential threat (such as an armed intruder)? If the bill becomes law, their actions might be considered “unauthorized private paramilitary activity” unless their activity has been sanctioned by federal or state authorities. 

    Despite their good intentions, and rightly honorable actions, the security team could face legal consequences. As written, this bill leaves open the possibility that they could be held liable for engaging in paramilitary activity without “proper authorization.” 

    Their training and commitment to protecting the congregation could lead to imprisonment if the law is strictly enforced as written now. A violation of the law that results in death carries this penalty, “the person shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for any term of years or for life.” Imagine the hero in the opening photo being sent to prison for his actions.

    Now, under exceptions we find the law does not apply to the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard, state militias, military re-enactment organizations, veterans in a parade, and:

    “members of an organization that is authorized under Federal or State law to provide paramilitary, law enforcement, or security services training or to engage in paramilitary activity, law enforcement, or security services when performing the functions authorized by law and, in the case of paramilitary activity and law enforcement functions, when under the direction and control of a governmental authority [emphasis added].”

    I included this section because there has to be a specific reason for that emphasized language to be in there. Why would it specify that law enforcement members can only do that when under the “direction and control” of a governmental authority? Would the feds consider an off-duty officer providing security for a church, movie theater, a Quinceañera, etc. as being under the direction and control of a governmental authority? I “know” that they are, but this language making it explicit makes me wonder.

    The only halfway good thing about this bill is that it recognizes it’s limited by the Commerce Clause so if one can manage to outfit their team with all in-state equipment, including ammunition, it is of no effect at all. But I would urge people to contact the people in D.C. that are supposed to represent them and ask them to oppose this bill.

  • Hmmmm… Homeschool Socialization

    So, my wonderful wife and I had the occasion to be around a large group of kids a few years ago. The energy level among the young people was exceptionally high. One of the things we noticed while there was lots of disruption, a slight bit of disrespect, and just general noise going on was that two kids in particular were doing exactly as they should do and we’re not being disruptive, disrespectful, or loud. After my wife pointed out the two kids, I couldn’t help but notice that they were the two home-schooled children in the class.