Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

Does Integrity Matter?

Paul v.s. Felix

Paul visits the beloved Ephesian elders in Mielitus. He tells them it is the last time he will see them and they weep. He reminds them of his impeccable integrity in fulfilling the mission the Lord had given them.

I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Acts 20:21
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 

Acts 20:26-27

Paul appears to be referencing his obedience to Ezekiel 3.

If I say to the wicked, โ€˜You shall surely die,'and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. 

Ezekiel 3:18-19

Paul then warns them of wolves and twisted teachers that would arise from among them.

In Acts 22 Paul establishes his integrity before his accusers first by declaring his credentials and his obedience to the law up to and including the persecution of Christians. He declares and owns this error that was confronted and corrected by Jesus. He does not back down when faced with the same persecution he had previously perpetrated on others.ย  Paul’s persecution continues in Acts 23.

And looking intently at the council, Paul said, โ€œBrothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.โ€ 

Acts 23:1

The high priest responds by ordering those close by to punch Paul in the face. Paul responds by calling a spade a spade, referring to the high priest as a “whitewashed wall.” His assessment was correct. Yet Paul’s eyesight was poor and he immediately repented the moment he learned he had unwittingly addressed the high priest.

“Why would he repent?”

Paul didn’t change his opinion about the high priest. Paul repented because of his own integrity. He repented because, “it is written โ€˜You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'” Paul’s respect was not directed toward the high priest. His repentance was in obedience to the Lord who was sending him on to Rome.

In Acts 24 Paul is brought before Felix the Roman governor. The Jews remained relentless in wanting him dead. Paul simply defends his integrity and begins the conclusion of his testimony with,

"So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man."

Acts 24:16
โ€˜It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.โ€™โ€ 

Acts 24:21

Felix and his licentious wife Drucilla protect Paul and give him a haven in a modified prison with privileges. It occurs to me that Paul had the most peace and security during the two years he spent there. Still, Felix was corrupt and had no integrity. He just wanted Paul to bribe him and would eventually face what amounted to corruption charges in Rome.

Integrity
Integrity the quality of being honest, having strong moral principles, and maintaining consistency in character, often described as doing the right thing even when no one is watching. It also refers to a state of being whole, undivided, or complete. Synonyms include honesty, honor, probity, rectitude, and wholeness.

-AI synopsis from six dictionaries-

Mental Fragmentation is the opposite of integrity.ย  Oxford Academic describes Fragmentation as,

A concept where the overall belief system is split into multiple, sometimes contradictory, sub-states rather than one unified whole.

James describes fragmentation as a double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways.

In any case, integrity seems pretty important to God. That brings me to today.

Just this past week I had two Zoom calls scheduled with people I do not know. I completely rearranged my day around them. I set alarms so as to make absolutely certain that I would remain true to my word. One person ghosted me. The other was kind enough to message me one minute before the call was scheduled,

“Sorry. Something came up.”

For some reason this week several friends have shared their frustration with the absence of integrity of believers. People who were supposed to be at such and such a place and such and such a time and weren’t and won’t even acknowledge this is problematic. People who borrowed things and returned them broken. Others did not return what they borrowed at all. Granted, emergencies happen. But that does not apply in any of these situations.ย 

A lack of integrity does.

At work, people often don’t show up or show up late without even making a call to say they are going to be late. So what if the overnight person wants to go home? So what if it disrupts the lives of at least twelve other people. 

The sheer volume and frequency of these kinds of events lead me to wonder if integrity was never taught or if people simply don’t care. In all these cases the message is clear.

My time is valuable. Your time is not.

At first, I was tempted to become angry. “They’re just self-centered undisciplined spoiled brats!” That quickly transformed to, “We’ll, Jesus didn’t trust people.” John 2:24-25 Then finally, 

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I decided to not be convinced that these people are in any way malicious or intentionally inconsiderate. What I see is fragmentation. After all, what is so complicated or hard about

saying what you mean and doing what you say?

While my primary experience is with those in the church, fragmentation seems to every where and growing. Could this be why so many are consumed understanding their own identities?

Paul never wavered or faltered after he encountered Jesus. He knew what he saw and was told. He remained unmoved by flattery or flagellation. He knew God’s word, obeyed it and fulfilled his God-ordained mission. Why are contemporary believers so fragmented?

I did some digging.

Multiple online sources cite the cause of extensive psychological fragmentation within our society as the combined pressures of digital overstimulation, chronic trauma/stress, and a fast-paced, “fad-oriented” modern lifestyle that prevents deep integration of experiences.

  • The average person engages with constant stimuli (96+ smartphone checks daily), creating a fractured, perpetually divided attention span that is often engineered for engagement rather than focus.
  • Modernity causes people to adopt multiple, often contradictory identities (e.g., work, social media, family) rather than maintaining a unified, stable sense of self.
  • When emotional pain is too high to process, people may utilize “splitting” or dissociation as a survival tool, breaking their psyches into fragments that hold pain or fear.
  • Economic, political, and rapid technological innovations prevent the formation of a cohesive, stable, or unified life experience.
  • The decline of traditional social structures, such as religion and stable communities, leaves a void that increases feelings of disorientation.

This fragmentation leads to feelings of disassociation, confusion, and disconnection from the self.

People aren’t just disconnected from others. They are disconnected from themselves. In that context, failing to keep an online appointment carries the same emotional charge as choosing not to pick up one’s phone.ย 

What’s the beg deal?!

COVID 19

Given that the perceived lack of integrity seems more prevalent among younger people, I wondered about the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns and if there were any contributing factors. Once again I drilled down into multiple online sources. As it turns out,

COVID-19 lockdowns caused widespread psychological fragmentation, characterized by a loss of familiar routines, social isolation, and heightened anxiety. This “uncanny” disruption fractured the sense of time and self, resulting in elevated rates of depression, stress, and unprocessed trauma. Key factors included the loss of social connection, economic uncertainty, and a persistent fear of infection.

  • Temporal Distortion: The blurring of daily routines caused individuals to lose the ability to differentiate between days, disrupting personal memory and perceived time.
  • Loss of Familiarity: The disappearance of daily rituals and familiar social interaction created a “sense of the uncanny” and a fragmentation of the known world.
  • Social and Emotional Detachment: Extensive loneliness and social isolation, particularly among youth and older adults, drove a spike in anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms.

Still, there is a part of me that wonders if I am simply making excuses for sin. Am I making excuses for people because excuses like trauma and COVID lockdowns are so much more palatable than calling out the fact that people do not fear God. The pursuit of holiness has become ancillary. The word sin if it is mentioned at all is usually a hasty generalization. Meanwhile decades of sexual sin and abuse are being exposed. Why would I hope for, let alone expect integrity in a culture that protects predators and persecutes their victims?

Am I wrong?

“Help me Lord to see the best, hope and believe the best!”

Almost invariably He shows me yet another worldly abomination masquerading as truth faith. Buckle up. The government has allegedly been briefing certain pastors regarding a pending Alien contact disclosure.

Jesus made a whip.

It occurs to me and concerns me that the world as we know it has not returned to normal, whatever that was, since the end of 2021. On one hand, I believe I have an idea of where we are on the biblical timeline, that we have stepped into a period of Matthew 24:4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:11 planรกล which is deception and delusion. On the other hand, the increase in deception and delusion should apparent regardless of whether or not you believe in Bible prophecy.

The complete absence of integrity among our current elected officials who have done none of what they promised to do but have exposed themselves as part of what is being called the “Epstein Class” is just the start. Apparently pedophilia and cannibalism are the new normal. Meanwhile, they have started a war that could result in two to four billion people starving to death over the next decade. While Africa and the rest of the world face the greatest risk, Keir Starmer just announced the possible need for food rationing in the UK. Just as some posulated that COVID lockdowns were by design as evidenced in part by the increased economic and political power gained by the so-called Epstein Elite, many suspect that the war with Iran is a similar ploy to cull the world’s population through starvation and war. The discussion is not new and has been ongoing since Thomas Galton invented Eugenics in 1883, followed by a slew of Racial Hygienists, like Margaret Sanger whose founding of Planned Parenthood, at the turn of the last century inspired Adolf Hitler. Paul R. Ehrlich’s 1968 book, The Population Bomb, inspired people like Bill Gates and other technological elites such as Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, and Pavel Durov, to name a few who believe that only their own bloodlines are worthy of propagation. I could go on. Suffice it to say, that while we should, “Occupy (do business) till He comes.“, Luke 19:13, we should also 

Be sober, watchful for our enemy prowls around like a lion seeking whom he might devour. 

1 Peter 5:8

In my view, we should be prepared for the coming crisis including situations not unlike those that were faced by Jesus, Paul, and all the other disciples. After all the Bible promises persecution, not prosperity. Preparation begins with character not bunkers, supply hoarding, and guns.

Integrity is non-negotiable in a crisis. If I can’t count on you to show up for a phone call, let alone conform your thoughts and behavior to the word of God, amid relative prosperity and comfort, how will I or anyone else for that matter, count on you when the going gets tough? In the words of Jeremiah, 

โ€œIf you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,
    how will you compete with horses?
And if in a safe land you are so trusting,
    what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? 

Jeremiah 12:5

The simple answer is we won’t. I for one am actively distancing myself from anyone I can’t trust or count on. I donโ€™t care how loud you sing, or how much you weep in worship if your word is garbage.

How will you be faithful to God if you lie to man?

Does that sound harsh? Maybe. Yet it occurs to me that Paul never minced words or pulled punches. His uncompromising pursuit of truth above all things underpinned his integrity. Paul knew that love and truth cannot be divorced. Of course it also caused people, especially people of faith to want him dead. He could have walked away at any time after his arrest in Rome. Instead he maintained his integrity and was ultimately beheaded for it. Given that this is a Bible study, it may be worthy to point out that the Bible doesn’t specifically say that Paul was beheaded. Rather,

“Early church historians and fathers, including Eusebius and Tertullian, state that Paul was executed (beheaded) by the Roman emperor Nero around A.D. 64โ€“67.”

-Sean  MacDowell-

Let’s ask ourselves these questions. Do I say what I mean and do what I say? Why or why not? Do I repent when I fail? Am I obedient to the word of God or just the parts that I like and give me a dopamine rush? Is God’s truth the standard for my life or is people pleasing and politicking in Jesus’s name my way? What does integrity or the lack thereof look like in my life?

Does integrity even matter?

Chew on that…

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Red Pill Diaries

Always Faithful

We finished Romans 4 this week. Anyone who reads the first four chapters of Romans should have a clear understanding of Justification by faith and that faith is demonstrated by works.  As we learned Pรญstis โ€“ faith, is a noun. Pisteรบล โ€“ belief is a verb.

Belief is faith in action!

Now we move on to Romans 5 where Paul gets into the meat of what faith looks like in practice.

Therefore,ย having been justified by faith,ย we haveย peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,ย through whom also we have access by faith into this graceย in which we stand, andย rejoice in hope of the glory of God.ย And not onlyย that,ย butย we also glory in tribulations,ย knowing that tribulation producesย perseverance;ย and perseverance,ย character; and character, hope.ย Now hope does not disappoint,ย because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Rom 5:1-8 NKJV

Peace is eirแธ—nฤ“ the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is.

Glory is kauchรกomai to rejoice.

Tribulation is thlรฎpsis anguish, burdened, persecution, trouble, pressing together, pressure.

Do you have faith? What about peace? If so, in what do you place your faith? One thing is certain, what we elevate, we serve. Are you consumed by world events and the cares of this life such that you are prone to forgetting God? Or are you so terrified that you refuse to even look at the world? Being consumed can take the form of obsession with circumstances or the fear that drives one’s head into the sand.

The Bible tells us that people perish for two reasons; lack of knowledge and lack of vision. The correct approach is to view the signs of the times while remaining unmoved by circumstances. Mat 16:1-3  True faith is to stare reality dead in the face and remain at peace knowing that God’s purpose and plan will be fulfilled. Faith is partly produced by our history with God. Hope elpรญs is faith projected into the future. True hope says “I know God will complete what He started because I’ve seen Him complete it thus far.” False hope succumbs to absurd pipe dreams concocted by a misinformed, human imagination.

I wrote Truth or Trump in 2019 discussing how public opinion and markets are manipulated by media via our confirmation biases. I stood amazed as I watched otherwise sane friends and family or what I call the “lobotomized left” defer to a long-standing Marxist agenda whereby Jesus was reframed as a refugee oppressed by the white male patriarchy that he came to overthrow. Meanwhile, the wackified right proclaimed Donald Trump a Biblical Cyrus sent by God to Make America Great Again. Cyrus sent Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem after Israel repented in captivity. I was mocked and blocked on social media when I disputed the absurd exegesis and typology.  For the record, God is not a man and can not be oppressed. The moral state of the USA has far more in common with Mystery Babylon than a repentant Israel emerging from captivity.

That said, today the wackified right and lobotomized left seem like muzzled dogs waiting for a coming fight.

Given the current global geopolitical environment and the level of insane online chatter regarding the potential for another civil war on American soil, it might be wise to have some extra beans and rice on hand.

For the record, Cathy and I are political atheists. We pick politicians like plumbers. We want the best job done for the least amount of money. At this point, we view all politics as leaven. Mark 8:15, Mat 16:1-12 The leaven of Herod is the world with its pride and lusts. The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees represents a religious spirit / political spirit.

There is no political solution to a spiritual problem.

Enter the Russians

Philosopher and Geopolitical analyst Alexander Dugin, a.k.a. “Putin’s Brain” is a former geopolitical advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin. I wrote more about him in Did You Say Prepping? As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, Dugin sees the ongoing conflict between Russia and NATO as the parable of the sheep and goats being played out in real time. Mat 25:31-46  While admittedly unwinnable for either side, Dugin, says a war between Russia and NATO remains inevitable. He says it will be a sovereign act of God and a final separation between the sheep and goats in which case,

Russians will go to heaven as martyrs.  NATO members will go to hell.

At the time of this writing, Dimitri Medvedev has made concrete threats regarding nuclear war. The Biden administration has authorized the use of US weapons by Ukraine inside Russia. Putin has responded by positioning Russian Naval ships 70 miles off the coast of Florida. As many as eleven Russian Submarines are positioned along the East Coast of the US. He also signed a mutual defense agreement with North Korea. North Korean troops are expected to be fighting alongside Russians in Ukraine within a month. Biden just made selective service registration automatic for men between the ages of 18 and 26. While it hasn’t been implemented, the mechanism to do the same for women is being created. If all that wasn’t crazy enough, a terrorist attack using US-made, internationally banned cluster munitions just took place on a beach in Crimea. Russian news sources (see below) are claiming that the targeting could not have been completed without US intelligence support.

โ€œOn June 23, during the great Orthodox holiday of the Holy Trinity, the US-backed Kiev regime carried out a horrific attack on civilians in the Russian city of Sevastopol in Crimea. 151 people were injured, including 27 children. 4 people died, including 2 children. All those responsible for this latest terrorist attack will be brought to justice. There is no doubt that the United States is directly involved in this crime…”

“…The US and its satellites, committed yet another heinous terrorist crime against civilians in Russia by firing missiles at Sevastopol. For their terrorist attack, they specially chose a day โ€“ Holy Trinity Sunday โ€“ one of the most important holidays celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church. Four people were killed, including a two-year-old boy, who was playing on the municipal beach, and a nine-year-old girl. 151 people applied for medical assistance; 82 โ€“ 55 adults and 27 children โ€“ were hospitalised, many of them in a grave condition. All patients are receiving skilled medical aid. – According to the Defence Ministry of Russia, the attackers used US ATACMS operational missiles with cluster warheads for greater kill ability. All flight data was entered by US military crews based on US reconnaissance satellite inputs.  A Global Hawk US reconnaissance drone was on duty off Crimea.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has promptly started an investigation into this crime. All those implicated in this and other terrorist attacks in the territory of the Russian Federation will incur inevitable punishment.”

– Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Nebenzya, and Russian Foreign Ministry statement on the terrorist attack at Sevastopol –

The Russians do not make idol threats.

The sheer insanity of repeatedly poking the Russian bear in the eye and daring her to respond is beyond my comprehension and probably yours. Hence your confirmation biases might be telling you to dismiss all of this and return to Sports, Netflix, and video games. Do not be deceived.

The Russians are saying they are ready to fight WWIII.

Click Here to Listen

Enter Donald Trump

Donald Trump looked like a perfectly composed genius compared to Biden in the recent debate. While I view Trump as gasoline on a match rather than a savior, his final statement guaranteeing WWIII, if Biden is reelected resonates with what Russia has promised. Just this past week Alexander Dugin wrote the following regarding the upcoming election.

Most likely, the globalists behind the weak Biden will try to remove the strong Trump from the election and prevent him from becoming president at any cost. Any methods may be employed here: assassination, imprisonment, organizing riots and protests, up to and including a coup or civil war. Or by the end of his term, Biden may start a third world war. This is also quite likely.

-Alexander Dugin-

To be clear, the Russian goal is a decentralized multipolar world where individual nations respectfully compete with one another to find the best solutions for all. In their minds, the primary obstacle is the current unipolar world controlled by the hegemonic USA and its European globalist partners.

First and foremost, a second term for a US president with such an ideology will show that the first term was not an accident (for the globalists), but a regular occurrence. A unipolar world and the globalist project will be rejected not only by supporters of a multipolar world โ€” Russia, China, and Islamic countries โ€” but by Americans themselves. This will deal a powerful blow to the entire network of the liberal-globalist elite. And most likely, they will not recover from such a blow.

-Alexander Dugin-

In the above podcast, Dugin says that the Russians believe they can negotiate with Trump, but not those backing Biden.

The US elections in November 2024 will answer the question of whether humanity has a chance or not. No more, no less.

-Alexander Dugin-

Meanwhile, Israel is prepping for war with Hezbollah as it continues to fight Hamas in Gaza. Iran says it will intervene directly if that happens. If the US and NATO intervene, Iran says it will attack NATO. Biden says he will pull all support if Israel attacks Iran. That might be because Russia says it will attack anyone who attacks Iran. The common denominator in all of this is gradual, continued escalation toward Ezekiel 38-39. That’s another conversation. Now let me ask you a question.

What is your reaction to the above?

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Mat 24:6

Can you look soberly and realistically at the threats we currently face and remain at peace?

There are just a few reactions anytime I discuss these things with or around Christian brothers and sisters. The most common is dismissal. “God loves us. These things have always been,” 2 Pet 3:3-7 they say. “Social media just makes everything seem worse.” Others see a clear and present danger but react in the flesh. Some place their hope in Trump. Others are stocking up on guns and ammunition as if righteousness will be gained by shooting. Others remain willfully oblivious. “I don’t know what’s going on,” they say. “I don’t want to know. I canโ€™t handle it.” Finally, there are a few who view the signs of the times and the emerging threats with 1 Peter 5:8 sobriety.

Calm, Dispassionate, and Circumspect

As Cathy and I preach, counsel, and teach it has become clear that people, including those in the body of Christ, are splitting into two groups. Those who are losing their minds or will lose their minds as their hearts fail for fear of what is coming.  Luke 21:26 And those soberly preparing their hearts and minds to bring the gospel of peace into the chaos. One thing is certain. The world is not becoming saner, more moral, or stable. Could revival come? Certainly! Still, anyone who has studied the history of revival knows revivals are preceded by crisis and a renewed fear of God that compels people to repent.

The root of the matter for believers is in the question: In what is your faith? What does it look like in practice?

Semper Fi

Semper Fi short for Semper Fidelis is Latin for Always Faithful. It is the Marine Corps Motto. Given that I was a Marine itโ€™s got me thinking about belief (faithfulness) and what it means for us in the context of the Christian walk.

The practice of Semper Fidelis is reflected in the Marine Corps Code of Conduct. HONOR, COURAGE, and COMMITMENT. The expression of Semper Fidelis in the life of an individual Marine is rooted in personal character. Every Marine understands that character is produced under pressure. It is defined by oneโ€™s actions under pressure. Marines hope for the best by preparing for the worst.

 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  Rom 5:3-8  

Honor, courage, and commitment in the life of a Christian do not mean we charge off to kill the people we are called to disciple. In fact, Semper Fi for believers today might mean resisting the pressure to kill those we are called to evangelize. The faithfulness of an individual Christian is produced in the transformation of one’s character. Christian character is defined by faithfulness under pressure. So often people are in search of a specific outcome that produces or extends comfort instead of endurance 2 Tim 2:3 and the ability to stand. Eph 6:10-14

If you are young you may be inclined to validate faith and belief according to the intensity of the histrionics displayed. The greater the passion, the greater the faith. Mat 7:15-20 In my experience faith in action is correlated with sobriety, not theatrics. I find that the most histrionic people are often the first to fall when the pressure comes.

I promise you, that a deeper, more sober faith will be required in the coming days. Sobriety produces a calm, dispassionate, wise, and circumspect approach to circumstances. Sober faith understands that God causes or allows circumstances for the refinement of our character. Hence, Jason Upton quotes theologian Walter Brueggemann in his song In the Silence,

โ€œSometimes praise can be a manifestation of our doubt. God wants to silence us to get to the root of whatโ€™s really going on.โ€

Am I saying the worst-case scenario is guaranteed? Absolutely not. I am a watchman, not a prophet. I am saying that Biblically we are on a trajectory that includes enduring tribulation at some point. We are called to peace, rejoicing, and hope in the midst of it. The purpose of this post and others like it is to pose the question,

Are you spiritually prepared?

Will Romans 5 peace with God be enough if we are called into a time of crushing and breaking? Will we lose our minds and fall away 2 Thess 2:1-3 if our expectations never come to pass? Or will we embrace the transformation of our character and the hope that it brings knowing that in the pressing (tribulation) that we endure for a season, God is making new wine? We may not be faithful, but God is

Semper Fi.

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

Character Reloaded

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:1-2

We were locked down in Honduras when I wrote the original version of this blog. COVID cases had begun to double daily. The borders and airports were closed. No one could leave the country.  There was a 6-month to 2-year jail sentence awaiting anyone who violated the lockdown. Ironically it had been just two months since I’d presented a teaching based on the book The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy-What the Cycles of History Tell Us About Americaโ€™s Next Rendezvous with Destiny. By William Straus and Neil Howe. I had no idea at the time how prophetic it was. My audience was comprised of Millennials and Gen Z-ers who were learning how to be missionaries.  My message was not well received. You can read the book or better yet, its sequel The Fourth Turning is Here,. You can also view my original post for a quick synopsis. Suffice it to say that we are in what Straus and Howe called The Fourth Turning otherwise known as

“The Crisis”

Today we find the globe moving deeper into the Fourth Turning that is scheduled to peak sometime between 2025 and 2030. If the cycle simply repeats it will usher in another First Turn “High”. Just to give you some context, the previous High was 1945 -1965 and gave birth to “The Boomer Generation” and the proverbial “American  Dream”. That the cycles of history repeat is as unavoidable as it is undeniable. The key to surviving and thriving is rooted in recognizing the season and responding correctly. One of the most common errors people make during Fourth Turns is to mistake them for a First.

For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time when it suddenly falls upon them.
Ecc 9:12

The Root of Crisis

Judge and judgment are among the most contentious words these days. This is especially true in the context of Christianity where “judgment” has become a pejorative. The WOKE especially like to cite Jesus in Mat 7:1-3 โ€œjudge not lest ye be judgedโ€ usually in response to any mention of sin. Today love is increasingly defined as tolerance of sin. Conviction is hate. The Greek word for judge in Mat 7 is krรญnล, meaning to โ€œcondemn or pronounce sentence uponโ€. The absurdity of one person judging another for judging them aside, we agree that no man should krรญnล another.

There is more than one word for judgment in the Bible.

โ€œThe natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.โ€ 1 Cor 2:14-15 โ€œjudgeโ€ is Anakrรญnล – to discern.

I Anakrรญnล right from wrong – truth from lies etc. In practice Anakrรญnล looks like intuition or “gut instinct”. Yet it is a knowing in one’s spirit that can be later verified with God’s word.

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment… Philippians 1:9

Judgment here is Aรญsthฤ“sis – perception by the intellect as well as the senses, discernment, Cognition, moral discernment in ethical matters.

Among other things, Aรญsthฤ“sis is the bedrock of a 1 Peter 3:15 Apologia, a defense for the hope that is in us.

Still, there is one other word for judgement.

That word is Krรญsis, the word from which the English word โ€œcrisisโ€ is derived.

Krรญsis is God’s judgment.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17

Discussions of God’s judgment may trigger charismatic believers. We may encounter a similar emotional response is when discussing spiritual gifts with reformed cessationists. Theological paradigms get rattled and arguments are formed as we debate whether or not God really is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yet almost no one would dispute that God can not be mocked. We reap what we sow. There is a point on the path of sin where God turns his head and gives those who remain in it over to do that which ought not to be done. Rom 1:18-32 This turning over is for the destruction of their flesh in the hope that their soul might be saved. At the end of the day, the wages of sin is death. God does not cause us to sin. He allows us to sin. It is not God’s desire that crisis falls upon us. He desires that we wake up and rise from the dead. Yet all are without excuse. Rom 1: 18-32. Therefore God does not change the consequences of our chosen rebellion. Does the devil play a role? Certainly! In fact he thinks he is winning. Little does he know that he is God’s stool pigeon. The pressure (Thlipsis- tribulation) that Satan is allowed to impose on us is used by God to conform us to the image of His son Rom 8:29 and remove the spots and wrinkles from His bride. Eph 5:27 Imagine what might happen if we took responsibility for our collective sin and resulting Krรญsis like Daniel did in Dan 9 instead of assigning power to the devil and deferring blame upon Him.

Consider how that might shape our prayers.

While the scandal at IHOP at least partially inspires this post, the allegations against Mike remain as yet unconfirmed. Please don’t get lost in speculation regarding his innocence or guilt. Rather I hope that you will consider the Krรญsis that has been brought to light within the body of Christ.

Having attended Ravi Zacharias’ School of Apologetics, I was devastated when his lifelong sexual sin was exposed immediately following his death in 2021. No man has impacted my theology and faith more than he. If I have ever placed a man on a pedestal Ravi was it. I cried when his ministry, life’s work, and legacy collapsed. Yet Ravi’s sin was not the root cause of his ministry’s implosion. It was the leadership team who knew about Ravi’s sin and covered it up to protect the ministry that detonated its demise. Despite the title, the video below is not about Mike Bickle per se. It is Lew Engle’s public confession of his porn addiction at a One Thing Conference in 2018. I think we were in Ecuador on the Amazon at the time and had no idea this had happened. The current scandal at IHOP is the only reason I – and maybe you – have become aware of it now.

Clearly, there is a crisis in the body of Christ.

How did we get here? As Ray Comfort says, โ€œGod comes to us with a subpoena in one hand and a pardon in the other.โ€  Today we love to tell people about the loving pardon. The subpoena…not so much. We emphasize grace and joy and downplay God’s justice. We thank Him for His goodness and redact His severity and Holiness. In a word, there is no fear of God. Instead, we fear man and man’s rejection. We redact the truth in the hope that we will be accepted.

All who live Godly will be persecuted.

Praise God for Lew’s courage and transparency even if it took him fifty years to get there. I’m not being snarky. It’s just a fact. He has ministered to at least two generations of new believers all the while being double-minded and therefore unstable in all his ways. Sexual sin’s portal is a man’s eyes. It is the number one sin that threatens to beset all men. No man is immune. If you think you are then take heed lest you fall. One reason I don’t have a porn problem today is because I know that I could. The other reason is that I understand how real the battle is and how it is fought.

Lew mentioned years of futile prayer and fasting against his compulsion. That makes perfect sense. The Bible tells us to flee youthful lusts. Prayer and fasting is for unbelief. Those who fail to heed the warning to flee soon find themselves caught in the snare of addiction. Now they must expose it Eph 5:11 before they can hope to flee it. Exposure is what many people fear most because the required vulnerability produces suffering. This suffering may be the result of shame, the loss of the esteem of men, position, and or material consequences like the loss of a career or even one’s freedom. Fear of exposure keeps us stuck in our sin. As the 12 Step adage goes,

“We are as sick as our secrets.”

But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. 

What I found most perplexing about the video is that Mike Bickle seemed embarrassed by Lew’s transparency. The words he chose were anything but supportive of accountability. Mike seemed quite familiar with Lew’s struggle as he attempted to minimize and rationalize the sin. Thankfully Lew Engle wasn’t having any of it. The fear of God was on him and he quaked in his boots as he publicly repented.

But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 1 Cor 11:31

The reason for God’s judgment on the house of God and global society is that we have avoided addressing the subject of sin for so long that today we increasingly call good evil and evil good.

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. 1 Pet 4:1-6

Arm yourself with the same way of thinking… is similar to gird up the loins of your mind and having done all to stand, stand therefore… Could any true believer engage in a besetting sin if they were present at Jesus’ crucifixion? Peter is calling us to Jesus’ battle. It is a call to be ready to suffer like Jesus amid a reprobate society. It is the act of resolving to lose one’s life to save it, …to overcome by the blood of the lamb, the word of our testimony and to NOT love our lives onto death. Mind you it is not a call to pursue suffering or martyrdom but a willingness to embrace it if necessary. Still, the question remains;

Suffer for what?

Paul calls it persevering. Once again, tribulation is Thlipsis (pressure) and specifically refers to a form of Roman execution where a large bolder was placed on the victim’s chest and slowly crushed the life out of him. In this context, pressure could be iniquity which includes the pressure to sin. We refer to this pressure as temptation. Yet iniquity left unaddressed becomes generational. The longer we remain isolated in secret sin the greater the iniquity and the more fragmented we become. Fragmentation is the opposite of integrity. Both fragmentation and integrity are opposing expressions of character. Our character is what God seeks to transform and conform to the image of His son. Persevering under pressure is God’s formula for transformation that produces hope.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Rom 5:3-5

One thing seems certain Krรญsis reveals character. While it is often misconstrued as wrath to which believers are not appointed, it is in fact, the discipline of a loving Father and a catalyst for transformation. The pressure increases according to our resistance until we surrender and repent or ends in death. The choice is ours. The final outcome is determined by our response. How silly we must look to the principalities to whom we are called to make the manifest wisdom of God known any time we pray against God’s Krรญsis in Jesus’ name. This is one way many have and will be caught in the aforementioned snare. Everything will be shaken. Only what can’t be shaken will remain…our God is a consuming fire.ย  Who we are and what we do “will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each personโ€™s work.”ย  Only that which is of God will survive. Therefore arm yourself with the mind and character of Jesus. If we suffer with Him we will be glorified with Him.

One thing seems certain. Hard times and big challenges lie ahead. More and more we will see true character exposed both in and out of the church. I understand the importance of the honor that so characterizes my own faith stream. It’s true context applies to missions and becoming all things to all men in order to save a few. We honored Muslims in Africa to earn credibility and the right to be heard by them. Honor was never intended to be a perversion of do not touch God’s anointed – a proverbial bunker in which leaders avoid accountability. God is not having it. My prayer is for wisdom and courage for all of us to judge ourselves and that we allow the transformation of our character wherever needed so that we can faithfully fulfill what God has called us to in these last days.

Every outcome will ultimately be determined by our character.

Maranatha