Then there’s this…we must keep our leaders in prayer for protection … the enemy is on the prowl
NEW: NYPD detective on sick leave allegedly snuck into the Ryder Cup with a gun in full tactical gear, claiming he was Trump’s security, according to the New York Post. Detective Melvin Eng successfully made it into the tournament by claiming he was Trump’s security. Eng also claimed he was working for the feds. “What if he was looking to hurt someone? He got in there with his gun, past the Secret Service, past the state police,” a police source told the NYP. Eng was discovered and kicked out after he dropped a magazine on the ground. The detective is now facing administrative charges for theft of services. Yet another security failure. Trump is not safe.
Another occasion of heard it on social and wonder if it is true. Did Minnesota just pass a law that it is okay for women to go topless in the state because it would be discriminatory if they can’t?
~ “Worldwide today you see the shift to authoritarianism and totalitarianism, to the so-called Eurasian landmass. We just saw Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un getting together—you can see there’s an anti-Western alliance. But the same crisis is in the West itself.
On the left or on the right? The obvious part of it is the left, where you have power in the state and cultural Marxism. But Christians need to be aware of the examples on the right in America too. Take, say, the present administration saying, “We want to make America great again.” They never say what made it great in the first place. Again and again, they’re trying to reassert American strength through power. That’s dangerous. We’re in a generation with a love for the strongman and therefore, eventually, for the strong state.
How instead should we reassert American strength? We need to go back, as followers of Jesus, to the Biblical, Jewish-Christian understanding. The Bible has a different view of power. The supreme example is the cross. What the Romans saw as a symbol of shame, utter degradation—the punishment reserved for criminals and rebels—Christians turned that inside out, upside down, made it a matter of glory. Why? Because God’s way of dealing with the world is not from a position of power. We need to understand the deep Biblical theology of power so that we are faithful to our Lord and not captured by the spirit of the age.
You say we are in a “cut-flower civilization”—we’re cut from our roots. When that happens, the flower eventually shrivels and dies. Unless there’s renewal. Take the American experiment. Go back to John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and many of the Founders. There’s a tie among faith, virtue, and freedom. I call it the Golden Triangle of Freedom: freedom requires virtue, virtue requires faith, and faith requires freedom. Today, the Framers’ republic is on its last legs. The challenge is to restore it, but no one’s talking about that. “Make America Great Again” is always a matter of economy or the military. But America didn’t become great through economics or the military.
Where are evangelicals today not having the influence they ought to? I think evangelicals are in a sad crisis today. There’s a huge part of evangelicalism that’s been politicized. The maxim is true: The first thing to say about politics is that politics is not the first thing. It’s Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the left that tried to make everything political. Evangelicals have now become toxic in the public eye because we’re seen as purely political. But we are the people of the good news—the best news ever. We’ve got to go back to exploring the greatness of that good news, and not tie it down just to politics. Politics is important, but we mustn’t make it more than it should be. That’s the way of being acculturated into oblivion.” ~
We’ve tried your way for 50 years. All it got us is demoted to second class citizens who get crapped on by all, shoved from the public discussion by most, including govt.
“CNN is not a NEWS organization. They cut off the Republican press conference to CENSOR the truth from the American people and LIE about indisputable FACTS:
On page 57 of the Democrat’s OWN bill – they insist we restore $200 BILLION in health care subsidies for illegal aliens.
“Please provide the chapter and verse in the New Testament that fundamentally rules out the death penalty, and then please explain how nobody in the Church for about 2,000 years noticed that verse until Pope Francis came along and declared, in contradiction to two millennia of Church teaching, that actually the death penalty is “inadmissible” in all cases”
“I know that Protestants are supposed to be sheepish in the face of Catholic social teaching (“deep in history,” layers of tradition, antiquity, etc), but when the “Vicar” of Christ and the successor of Peter morally equates abortion, deportations, and the death penalty for heinous crimes, and then proceeds to bless a block of ice in order to save the planet from climate change, I admit to being decidedly unimpressed with the “seamless garment.”
But Suzanne, a low church evangelical from First Baptist Church Goodlettsville, knows that it’s evil to kill babies, righteous to kill murderers, lawful to deport illegals, and that ice belongs in sweet tea. Bless his heart.”
I warned you this was coming. I told you how Biden and Harris stole billions from Medicare to bribe insurance companies to hold off the pain of Obamacare until after the election.
Now the bill is due, and Dems who forced Obamacare on America, but exempted themselves, are blaming Trump, of course.
They never say what made it great in the first place.
Apparently, Mr. Guinness isn’t listening very well. Administration officials regularly talk about positive examples from the past, as well as the need for ensuring that God and Christian values are brought back into government and every sphere of society. And there has never been a more pro-Christian administration in US history.
Evangelicals have now become toxic in the public eye because we’re seen as purely political.
Anyone who ‘sees’ like this is looking through a blind eye. How can one think that all of the good that Evangelicals are doing in society is “purely political.” Also, I would suggest that Mr. Guinness listen carefully to the speeches that even politicians gave at the recent Charlie Kirk memorial.
What we do need to guard against is fighting various cultural skirmishes without knowing what the war itself is all about. The culture war isn’t just about abortion, homosexual rights, the decline of public education, illegal immigration or violence in our streets. Those are only the skirmishes. The real war is a struggle between worldviews – between the Christian worldview and the various secular and spiritual worldviews that go against it. We have to understand this in order to be effective in our evangelism and discipleship efforts so that society can be truly transformed for God’s glory.
Where in the Bible does it say that we should expect to be anything more than second class citizens? (Not that we can’t be more, but that that is not something to attain to.) We are told to expect pushback and trial as believers. It is how we deal with that that shows the world who we are, who we belong to.
This is the portion of scripture that comes to mind:
~ “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” ~ (I Corinthians 1:26-31, NKJV)
Tychicus – Unfortunately, it is many unbelievers – the ones we need to reach – who see evangelicals as mostly a political group these days. I have read the same lament from other believers reacting to what they see and hear from those around them.
Kizzie – Mr. Guinness said that Evangelicals have become toxic “in the public eye,” not just among non-Christians. And non-Christians also see the good deeds that Evangelicals perform (which is why Jesus wants us to let our light shine before them – Mt 5:16).
I don’t know Evangelicals who tie the Good News only to politics (as Os asserts) – do you?
This is how you have conversations in the public square (but note the heavy security). Of special interest to me was Crowder’s conversation with Andrew, when Andrew brings up the issue of Christian persecution in the midst of political violence (58:50). Andrew even prayed for Stephen (after 1:12:00).
Tychicus – It is possible, and maybe even fairly common, to see a group of people in a negative light, but give a pass to some that are known in person. We’ve seen that in the past (and maybe not so far in the past, sadly) when a person might be bigoted against black people, but see the ones he knew personally as “different.”
An unbeliever I once knew online was convinced that I was different from most Christians because I was kind and friendly to him. I tried to let him know that there are plenty of kind, compassionate Christians out there, many of whom I knew personally, but he had a hard time believing that. He thought I was an exception.
What I am trying to say is that the reputation for “evangelicals” has taken a hit, with many Christians now wanting to back away from using the word for themselves, while individual Christians doing good works are seen for themselves, not necessarily under the umbrella of the name of “evangelical.”
As far as tying the Good News only to politics, I’m not sure how exactly it was meant, but what I have seen is enough Christians posting online about politics way more than they post about the Good News, and often in a way that would repel unbelievers who may disagree with their political stance. There are Christians who insist that one cannot be liberal and be an actual Christian, at least not a good one, and some believers on the left who believe the same about Christians on the right. A disturbing situation.
Wandering Views 
I am posting this here for Tychicus thinking it may be helpful.
https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/first-person-preaching-hard-verses/
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Thank you, Janice – that was very good.
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Government shutdown and all the D can talk about is the sombrero and mustache !!! How offended are they! Get over it… they are guilty of much worse
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Then there’s this…we must keep our leaders in prayer for protection … the enemy is on the prowl
NEW: NYPD detective on sick leave allegedly snuck into the Ryder Cup with a gun in full tactical gear, claiming he was Trump’s security, according to the New York Post. Detective Melvin Eng successfully made it into the tournament by claiming he was Trump’s security. Eng also claimed he was working for the feds. “What if he was looking to hurt someone? He got in there with his gun, past the Secret Service, past the state police,” a police source told the NYP. Eng was discovered and kicked out after he dropped a magazine on the ground. The detective is now facing administrative charges for theft of services. Yet another security failure. Trump is not safe.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Another occasion of heard it on social and wonder if it is true. Did Minnesota just pass a law that it is okay for women to go topless in the state because it would be discriminatory if they can’t?
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Only God can protect our leaders from harm. There are so many unknown factors. Only He sees it all.
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~ “Worldwide today you see the shift to authoritarianism and totalitarianism, to the so-called Eurasian landmass. We just saw Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Kim Jong Un getting together—you can see there’s an anti-Western alliance. But the same crisis is in the West itself.
On the left or on the right? The obvious part of it is the left, where you have power in the state and cultural Marxism. But Christians need to be aware of the examples on the right in America too. Take, say, the present administration saying, “We want to make America great again.” They never say what made it great in the first place. Again and again, they’re trying to reassert American strength through power. That’s dangerous. We’re in a generation with a love for the strongman and therefore, eventually, for the strong state.
How instead should we reassert American strength? We need to go back, as followers of Jesus, to the Biblical, Jewish-Christian understanding. The Bible has a different view of power. The supreme example is the cross. What the Romans saw as a symbol of shame, utter degradation—the punishment reserved for criminals and rebels—Christians turned that inside out, upside down, made it a matter of glory. Why? Because God’s way of dealing with the world is not from a position of power. We need to understand the deep Biblical theology of power so that we are faithful to our Lord and not captured by the spirit of the age.
You say we are in a “cut-flower civilization”—we’re cut from our roots. When that happens, the flower eventually shrivels and dies. Unless there’s renewal. Take the American experiment. Go back to John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and many of the Founders. There’s a tie among faith, virtue, and freedom. I call it the Golden Triangle of Freedom: freedom requires virtue, virtue requires faith, and faith requires freedom. Today, the Framers’ republic is on its last legs. The challenge is to restore it, but no one’s talking about that. “Make America Great Again” is always a matter of economy or the military. But America didn’t become great through economics or the military.
Where are evangelicals today not having the influence they ought to? I think evangelicals are in a sad crisis today. There’s a huge part of evangelicalism that’s been politicized. The maxim is true: The first thing to say about politics is that politics is not the first thing. It’s Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the left that tried to make everything political. Evangelicals have now become toxic in the public eye because we’re seen as purely political. But we are the people of the good news—the best news ever. We’ve got to go back to exploring the greatness of that good news, and not tie it down just to politics. Politics is important, but we mustn’t make it more than it should be. That’s the way of being acculturated into oblivion.” ~
https://wng.org/articles/call-to-renewal-1757558754
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Sure Cal, a kinder, gentler surrender…. 🙄
We’ve tried your way for 50 years. All it got us is demoted to second class citizens who get crapped on by all, shoved from the public discussion by most, including govt.
Time to stand up for yourselves.
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Nice to see him coming around. Now yank their broadcast license or quit whining.
https://x.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1973773263504339113?t=VqH2-aA8qBT6jfmr6S483g&s=19
“CNN is not a NEWS organization. They cut off the Republican press conference to CENSOR the truth from the American people and LIE about indisputable FACTS:
On page 57 of the Democrat’s OWN bill – they insist we restore $200 BILLION in health care subsidies for illegal aliens.
CNN must correct this.”
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“CNN’s Kaitlan Collins can’t believe the Trump admin is doubling down with memes and mariachi music in the WH briefing room:
“They simply don’t care about the criticism.”
Correct — and that’s exactly what’s driving the propaganda press insane. They’re powerless.”
https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/1973547503942508844?t=nYA3K8vj3Co5hzXKvoKoXg&s=19
😁
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These popes continue to show themselves as dyed in the wool leftists out of touch with the Bible and church teachings.
Catholics should be embarrassed.
https://x.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1973362596251144293?t=C3qLOcMEr3e_0c27Wmrnew&s=19
“Please provide the chapter and verse in the New Testament that fundamentally rules out the death penalty, and then please explain how nobody in the Church for about 2,000 years noticed that verse until Pope Francis came along and declared, in contradiction to two millennia of Church teaching, that actually the death penalty is “inadmissible” in all cases”
—-
https://x.com/joe_rigney/status/1973470023332274617?t=n6633oVHb5dJjNXvmaolvg&s=19
“I know that Protestants are supposed to be sheepish in the face of Catholic social teaching (“deep in history,” layers of tradition, antiquity, etc), but when the “Vicar” of Christ and the successor of Peter morally equates abortion, deportations, and the death penalty for heinous crimes, and then proceeds to bless a block of ice in order to save the planet from climate change, I admit to being decidedly unimpressed with the “seamless garment.”
But Suzanne, a low church evangelical from First Baptist Church Goodlettsville, knows that it’s evil to kill babies, righteous to kill murderers, lawful to deport illegals, and that ice belongs in sweet tea. Bless his heart.”
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I warned you this was coming. I told you how Biden and Harris stole billions from Medicare to bribe insurance companies to hold off the pain of Obamacare until after the election.
Now the bill is due, and Dems who forced Obamacare on America, but exempted themselves, are blaming Trump, of course.
https://x.com/SenatorWarnock/status/1973456148037558754?t=wwk069AKa9rTmxscFaC5gQ&s=19
“I was sent this by a Georgian this morning. 2025 premiums vs 2026 premiums for someone making $65k a year.
Republicans in Washington did this.
This is what I’m fighting to stop. This is what’s at stake in this shutdown fight.”
—-
“Actually, Obamacare did this, Senator. That’s the system we’re under, and premiums have been skyrocketing ever since it passed.”
https://x.com/WallStreetMav/status/1973500936426565788?t=HxrfyobdI0ATI3mARA6CzQ&s=19
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A reminder…
This was the bribe…..
So when the mainstream propagandists tell you Republicans are to blame, you’ll know they’re lying to you. Again
https://x.com/ispyradio/status/1853483637859353070?t=bQaAdk18b3qhnw2i_JDY_A&s=19
“Biden’s inflation reduction act will cause Medicare premiums for seniors to skyrocket by WHOPPING 179%
BUT Kamala used slush funds to hide increase until AFTER the election, into 2025. If Kamala gets elected, seniors will get screwed
This ought to be the biggest story on X!”
—-
https://x.com/mattdizwhitlock/status/1839838017793524043?t=HS_1LM8tK7Tz1tkRFECwKw&s=19
“The Biden/Harris admin took $230B from Medicare to fund EV tax credits
When seniors’ premiums started spiking, Biden/Harris took MORE money to pay off insurers to delay price hikes until *after the election*
Now Republicans are calling for an investigation”
—
No word yet on where the #USELESSGOP’s investigation stands.
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Like I said, embarrassed.
https://x.com/chrisjollyhale/status/1973487859203186741?t=MxLMeza2Z9phc2XQki5Agw&s=19
“In the past 24 hours, Pope Leo has said:
— being pro-life means more than just opposing abortion
— Donald Trump’s treatment of migrants is inhumane
— Pete Hegseth sounds like a reckless warmonger
— climate change is the defining moral issue of our time
He also blessed ice.”
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They never say what made it great in the first place.
Apparently, Mr. Guinness isn’t listening very well. Administration officials regularly talk about positive examples from the past, as well as the need for ensuring that God and Christian values are brought back into government and every sphere of society. And there has never been a more pro-Christian administration in US history.
Evangelicals have now become toxic in the public eye because we’re seen as purely political.
Anyone who ‘sees’ like this is looking through a blind eye. How can one think that all of the good that Evangelicals are doing in society is “purely political.” Also, I would suggest that Mr. Guinness listen carefully to the speeches that even politicians gave at the recent Charlie Kirk memorial.
What we do need to guard against is fighting various cultural skirmishes without knowing what the war itself is all about. The culture war isn’t just about abortion, homosexual rights, the decline of public education, illegal immigration or violence in our streets. Those are only the skirmishes. The real war is a struggle between worldviews – between the Christian worldview and the various secular and spiritual worldviews that go against it. We have to understand this in order to be effective in our evangelism and discipleship efforts so that society can be truly transformed for God’s glory.
LikeLike
Re: 3:00 – That interview was with Os Guinness.
Where in the Bible does it say that we should expect to be anything more than second class citizens? (Not that we can’t be more, but that that is not something to attain to.) We are told to expect pushback and trial as believers. It is how we deal with that that shows the world who we are, who we belong to.
This is the portion of scripture that comes to mind:
~ “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” ~ (I Corinthians 1:26-31, NKJV)
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Tychicus – Unfortunately, it is many unbelievers – the ones we need to reach – who see evangelicals as mostly a political group these days. I have read the same lament from other believers reacting to what they see and hear from those around them.
LikeLike
Kizzie – Mr. Guinness said that Evangelicals have become toxic “in the public eye,” not just among non-Christians. And non-Christians also see the good deeds that Evangelicals perform (which is why Jesus wants us to let our light shine before them – Mt 5:16).
I don’t know Evangelicals who tie the Good News only to politics (as Os asserts) – do you?
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is how you have conversations in the public square (but note the heavy security). Of special interest to me was Crowder’s conversation with Andrew, when Andrew brings up the issue of Christian persecution in the midst of political violence (58:50). Andrew even prayed for Stephen (after 1:12:00).
https://rumble.com/v6zpt9u-the-left-is-violent-change-my-mind.html?e9s=src_v1_leaderboard
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tychicus – It is possible, and maybe even fairly common, to see a group of people in a negative light, but give a pass to some that are known in person. We’ve seen that in the past (and maybe not so far in the past, sadly) when a person might be bigoted against black people, but see the ones he knew personally as “different.”
An unbeliever I once knew online was convinced that I was different from most Christians because I was kind and friendly to him. I tried to let him know that there are plenty of kind, compassionate Christians out there, many of whom I knew personally, but he had a hard time believing that. He thought I was an exception.
What I am trying to say is that the reputation for “evangelicals” has taken a hit, with many Christians now wanting to back away from using the word for themselves, while individual Christians doing good works are seen for themselves, not necessarily under the umbrella of the name of “evangelical.”
As far as tying the Good News only to politics, I’m not sure how exactly it was meant, but what I have seen is enough Christians posting online about politics way more than they post about the Good News, and often in a way that would repel unbelievers who may disagree with their political stance. There are Christians who insist that one cannot be liberal and be an actual Christian, at least not a good one, and some believers on the left who believe the same about Christians on the right. A disturbing situation.
LikeLiked by 1 person