Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

Like a Roaring Lion

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 

1 Pet 5:8-9

The Christian walk is not our best life now. While material blessings, health, wealth, and happiness with family and friends, etc. do happen, they are incidental to the ultimate purpose and plan of Jesus. Peter’s final exhortation is a reminder that we are engaged in a war. We fix our eyes on the Blessed Hope and continue in spite of circumstances not because of them.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 2:11-14

Peter exhorts us to be sober – to keep watch, calmly, dispassionately, and circumspectly. Because the Devil prowls LIKE a roaring lion. Jesus is the Lion of Judah. The devil tries to usurp our belief in Jesus through deception. Peter tells us to resist him, firm in our faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. The question to which every believer must have an answer is,

How do we resist the devil?

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

The first order of business in any war is to know the Captain of your salvation. Then know your enemy and his plans.

 …He (Devil) was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

John 8:44

Submitting to God means coming into agreement with truth. The devil’s first line of attack is to convince us to believe a lie. Every action is based on what we believe. In Mathew 4 Satan tempted Jesus to doubt His identity as the Son of God. He twisted scripture in an attempt to confuse Jesus’s understanding of God’s will and plan. He appealed to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, 1 John 2:16 and tempted Jesus to usurp the authority of His Father. Jesus rebuked the devil with truth. The only way to defend oneself against lies is to know, believe, and walk in God’s word.

And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

Rev 12:10 

The next line of attack is accusation the purpose of which is guilt shame and condemnation. While Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. John 16:8 No one who truly knows and is sure of who they are in Christ can successfully be accused. The enemy comes and is just quickly repelled by truth. Accuser is katēgoréō the word from which we get category. Just think of all the myriad ways that society categorizes people and then seeks ways to divide and pit one against the other. In the words of Howard Pitman, “The devil can’t kill us. He can only convince us to kill ourselves.”

People have killed each other over categories of ethnicity, nationality, politics, socioeconomic status, gender, and even church denominations for millennia. Today we manufacture categories at warp speed. God is the author of truth. Satan authors confusion. God has two categories believers and unbelievers. One aligns with truth, the other with lies. Everything else falls in line with one or the other. The error that results in sin and death, begins when people consent to call good evil and evil good. Isaiah 5:20

If satan can’t trick us into blatant sin he will make us obsessed with trying not to sin on our own. It’s a futile battle. Only God gives the power to cease from sin. Rom 6:14-23  The goal of the accuser in the lives of those committed to obeying God’s commandments is to get us so consumed with guilt, shame, and condemnation that we take our eyes off the one who makes us righteous. We step back into the flesh where it is impossible to please God. Before we know it we are back into blatant sin. Rom 8:1-8, Gal 3:1-3 It is a devious albeit absolutely brilliant satanic trap into which so many believers fall. When all is said and done, walking in the flesh can be reduced to the sin of unbelief. That’s all satan needs or desires.

And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

2 Cor 11:14-15

So many are so consumed with watching out for some proverbial cloven hoof, saber-toothed goat-man that they miss the beautiful, kind, sweet-sounding angel of light dancing right under their noses. Perhaps the greatest threat posed to us comes from satan’s ministers who transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. They muster crowds of loyal unwitting idolaters that resemble groupies more than disciples only to have their fraudulence exposed decades later. Too often the fruit of this is deconstruction among their followers or what some are currently calling The Great Dechurching reminiscent of 2 Thess 2:3. Hence the greatest threat the devil poses to sincere Christians today is skewed doctrine that looks wonderful and “sweet”, but ultimately leads to another gospel and becoming accursed. Gal 1:8-9 Accursed means going to hell.

The Chosen

Recently some friends asked us what we thought about the television series The Chosen. We’d heard a lot about it. But we don’t own a TV and have never watched a single episode. Several of our friends love it. A few said it inspired them to dig deeper into their Bibles and read the subject matter covered in a given episode. While my preference would be that everyone takes a sledgehammer to what my dad called “the idiot box”, I figured there are worse things on TV than The Chosen. Even so, being that I aim to be a Noble Berean, I did some research. The following bullet points were compiled by Jon Root on Twitter and taken from this video.

“Here are some quotes in The Chosen that I believe contradict the Bible:

– Chosen’s Jesus says “I am the Law of Moses” which preaches a different gospel & seemingly aligns with 2 Nephi (Book of Mormon) and not The Bible

– Chosen’s Jesus refuses to be worshipped (example of more Mormon theology) & tells a religious leader to follow his heart…

– The Chosen’s Jesus supposedly quotes Luke 5:32, but omits the word repentance and simply says he is “calling sinners”

– Chosen’s Jesus asks Matthew for help with his sermon as if God in the flesh would need any help whatsoever with preaching the Word.

– The Chosen uses modern-day progressive language “Love is Love”

– The show insinuates that Jesus transgressed aka sinned.

The Chosen preaches a different gospel & portrays a different Jesus so it definitely doesn’t “honor the authentic Jesus”. It’s watered down like the He Gets Us campaigns littering our televisions and billboards… Also, “in a behind-the-scenes interview, the show is described as a “multi-lane highway for relationships with Jesus” (for this reason, the show is inclusive of homosexuals, atheists, Catholics, and mystics for their writers, actors, and crew.) The Bible says that narrow is the way leads to life, and broad is the way to destruction.  There is no multi-lane highway to Christ.”

– Virtually every actor portraying a disciple & even Jonathan Roumie (Jesus) is LGBTQ-affirming.

– Multiple actors portraying disciples tell faithful Christians who stand by marriage between one man and one woman & against the Pride flag on display, to leave & not watch The Chosen.

– Jonathan Roumie (Jesus) has platformed & promoted progressive, pro-LGBTQ priests.

– Dallas Jenkins & the show’s official social media account defended a symbol (Pride flag) which is in diabolical opposition to the “authentic Jesus” and His Word

Here are some quotes from Dallas Jenkins.

– “…the people who only want to read the Bible won’t be watching [The Chosen].”

– “Mormons and Christians believe in the same Jesus”

– “Our intentions are different from the Bible’s intentions”

– When speaking to the Pride flag controversy, justifying its display and promotion, “… it’s just a 3-inch pride flag”

– Dallas controls the direction of the show & has allowed LGBTQ to be promoted and is responsible for the different Jesus & gospel presented.

– Dallas Jenkins also said that I, and other Christians who have expressed concern are “what’s wrong with Christianity today.”

Jon Root on Twitter

Of course, no video depiction can be one hundred percent accurate. This is due to the form of media, not the message. All video is shot through the eyes of a person(s), edited by another, and interpreted through the eyes of yet another. In essence, video makes the viewer a co-creator. As a former video producer for ministries, I can say that even the most painstakingly honest videos are deceptive. Still, at the end of the day, the question each of us must answer for ourselves is, how many blatant distortions of truth are acceptable?

I commonly confront children and recovering adults actively engaged in criminal thinking errors e.g. justifying, rationalizing, minimizing, and generalizing their bad decisions. One of my favorite methods is to ask if they know how to bake a cake. Then I ask for a list of ingredients, flour, eggs, sugar, etc. When the group agrees that the list is complete I tell them I have one more special ingredient to add. One teaspoon of a cat crap. “Is that ok?” I ask. Barring the question being posed to a group of thirteen-year-old boys the universal response is always a resounding “NO!”. “Ok, how about a half teaspoon?” “NO!” “A quarter…?” “NO!”. “Ok, then how much cat crap can I put in a cake for you to eat it?”

“NONE!” says everyone.

Herein lies the problem. People’s understanding of spiritual war is on a continuum from “I don’t believe in a devil.” to “Satan is under every rock and around every corner.” Some people think the devil is powerless. Others are so concerned about satan that they miss God entirely. Depending on the situation, the reality is usually somewhere near the middle. Hence genuine spiritual warfare always begins with being a Noble Berean. We “truth check” everything and test everything according to scripture. For those who label this practice as religious, legalistic, or overly intellectual, all I can say is take heed lest you be deceived. Mat 24:4 Quite often what people call “walking in the spirit” is just complacency or even deception in disguise. Mat 16:23 Complacency and deception are the primary cause of death in war.

These are the considerations of one who is sober; watchful, calm, dispassionate, and circumspect – aware of the wiles of the devil. These are the considerations of a Noble Berean.

MARANATHA

Brian and Cathy Gray Red Pill Diaries

Those Dern Zionists

Do you have friends and family who are confused about Israel and the events that have taken place since October 7, 2023? Are you confused yourself? Do you feel torn and conflicted at times and battle the temptation to take sides in the war? Do arguments that favor Palestine seem increasingly viable? Are you tempted to curse Israel or praise their success in the war? Does the spirit of vengeance rise up in you when you see and hear testimonies of the horrors that took place on October 7th? Or maybe you understand the truth in your spirit but struggle with answering those who parrot social media narratives. One thing is certain. There is a growing move by the enemy to justify the rejection of God and His people. In the words of Hamas. “We begin with the Saturday people, then the Sunday people.” Here are some 1 Peter 3:15-16 apologetic

Points to Ponder

As the war between Israel and Hamas continues, the vain babblings of the masses are getting louder. There are conspiratorial rumblings that the barbaric attack by Hamas on October 7 was a false flag. The assumption is that there is no way that the IDF could not have known about the attack beforehand. Hence they must have intentionally provoked it and or stood down while at least 1400 innocent people were killed in cold blood. It is all too easy to forget the human tendency toward complacency rooted in normalcy bias and pride. The very real possibility of a cyber attack that overrode motion sensors, alarms, and security cameras is lost in the imaginations of people programmed by YouTube and Netflix. That young millennial and Gen Z soldiers raised on social media might have been sleeping or perhaps more concened with selfies than security never enters the minds of armchair intelligence analysts.

Anyone who has served in a combat arms role knows the temptations that accompany the mind-numbing boredom of guard duty. Mindlessly staring at nothing in the desert distance for eight to twelve hours at a time plays all sorts of tricks on the mind. The potential for sheer boredom to produce hallucinations is usually dismissed until it happens to you. Complacency and normalcy bias are multiplied every time a hallucination is proven to be just another “nothing burger”. Not only that but it is common for enemy scouts and reconnaissance patrols to probe enemy positions by throwing things like pebbles in the dark. They taunt guards to shoot at nothing and expose their weakness. The result if no one ever attacks is further desensitization and complacency. Complacency may be amplified by heckling and laughter from fellow soldiers. Do I know for certain that this is what led to the Oct 7 attack? Certainly not. But I’d wager it’s a more viable argument than Jews killing Jews so they can kill Palestinians.

Turkish guard caught sleeping on duty. This happens with all armies all the time. Quite often, people die as a result.

I have repeatedly heard the claim that “Zionists” created and funded Hamas to one day justify Israel’s taking of all the Palestinian territories. Some supersessionists on the right surmise that Benjamin Netanyahu allowed the attack because it ultimately targeted leftist Jews who were sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and opposed his conservative government. In their minds, it explains why they moved the venue of the music festival. Once again, the supporting presupposition is that the IDF is so professionally infallible that the only explanation for bad decisions and failure is that they wanted fourteen hundred of their own people to be brutally tortured, raped, and murdered and hundreds more to be taken hostage.

Yeah…maybe not.

Many are attempting to reframe Zionism and differentiate Zionists from the rest of the Jews by claiming Zionism is exclusively secular. Reframing language is a textbook strategy employed by neo-Marxist Critical Theorists and post-modern deconstructionists. If that is confusing then consider the current reframed definitions of a man, woman, marriage, and the rainbow in America. Incidentally, many Critical Theorists were and are of Jewish descent. Reframing the definition of “Jew” is the current Neo-Marxist agenda. Every day we see a professing Christian minority misrepresented as the majority by the media in support of perversions like abortion, transgendersism, and gay marriage. The same strategy is being employed using anti-Zionist Jews represented as the only true Jews. Still, many contemporary Zionists are secular and therefore politically motivated. Yet as I will show, this is not the point. Especially for Christians. Other conspiracies claim that the alleged persecution of Palestinians by Israel is the handiwork of the Kazarian Mafia. Some Christians equate this with the synagogue of Satan mentioned in Revelation 2:9. Yet discerning Jews who are not Jews does not require us to unravel a Kazarian conspiracy. There are multitudes of professing secular Jews who reject the Torah and the God of Abraham while maintaining their Jewish ethnicity.

That being said, there were a group of Turks known as Khazars that converted to Judaism in the 8th or 9th Century B.C. Were some of them scammers and criminals? Of course. In fact they were some of the first identity thieves. But then, what people group was ever devoid of miscreants?

“According to one conspiracy theory, the so-called Khazar Jews practice the Talmudic “Babylonian” law and were able to penetrate European and American societies and assume almost ultimate power through the banking system, the media, academia, and the entertainment business. Another leitmotif of these theories is that Ashkenazi Jews are not authentic Jews and that only Sephardim are of “real Jewish stock.” –The Jerusalem Post–

There are secular Jews some of whom are proven criminals. Yet the correlation between Jewish ancestry and criminality is a false dichotomy and decidedly racist. The same faulty reasoning is employed in Arabic countries regarding Christians. America is a Christian nation represented by a clearly Satanic media and Holywood. Therefore Christians worship Satan.

What I find most terrifying is the fact that conspiracies like this were the basis for the book The Protocols of the Elders of Zion published in 1903 by “Author Unknown”. In addition to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf, it became the philosophical underpinning of, and justification for the Jewish Holocaust, 1933-45.

Christians understand that everyone is a criminal apart from Christ Jesus.  Eph 2:1-10 Unfortunately the arguments that resulted in Christian collaboration with Nazis in the first Jewish Holocaust threaten to be repeated today.

The Origins of Palestine

The name Palestine is derived from Roman Emperor Hadrian changing the name of Judea to Syria-Palestinia following the 132-135 AD Bar Kokhba revolt. Simon Barcoba was a Jewish Zealot, a leader in a political movement that attempted to overthrow the Roman rule over Israel. Hadrian wanted to eliminate any trace of a Jewish presence in Judah. The geographical area known as Gaza Palestine today is the original home of the Philistines. The first mention of the Philistines is found in Genesis 20 in 1897 BC. Abimelech was king of Gerar in the plain of Philistia.

The first battle between the nation of Israel and the Philistines is mentioned in Judges 3:31 sometime between 1400 and 1000 BC. Joshua conquered Jerricho Judges 6 in 1405 BC and began taking the land that became the nation of Israel. The nation of Israel continued until 70 AD when the Roman Emperor Titus sacked Jerusalem. The Jewish people were dispersed around the globe until the nation of Israel was reborn in 1948 AD. In 457 BC God via a decree by Artaxerxes sent Nehemiah to restore Israel for the first time following the Babylonian Captivity. 1948 was the second time Israel was restored to the land as prophesied by Isaiah.

In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. Isaiah 11:1-12

The current geographical boundaries that included Israeli control of Jerusalem were established during the Six-Day War, June 5-10, 1967.

If you are Jewish or Christian then there is no disputing that the land of Israel belongs to the God’s chosen people the Jews into whom we Christians are grafted. Of course orthodox Jews and many Christians do not realize this…yet.

But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Romans 11:17-18

As for Hamas and the rest of the Palestinian Authority, they have never validated the existence of Israel and in their own words, they never will.

All Christians should carefully read and understand Romans chapter 11 regarding God’s plan for Israel and Israel’s relationship to the church. As I will show, it includes a dire warning concerning God’s judgment at the end of the age.

Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. Romans 11:22-23

The assertion made by neo-Marxists in the West and Arab Nazis is that Zionism has nothing to do with Judaism. Recently more than a few have gone so far as to correlate Zionism with Nazism. I recently heard one woman on social media assert that Hitler’s Jewish Holocaust was facilitated by Zionists to generate support for the re-establishment of the nation of Israel. Her argument almost sounded reasonable had I been more ignorant of history. The people who call themselves Palestinians today are Nazis and are supported by those who have sought the eradication of the Jewish people since Hamon in the book of Esther Chapter 3.

We must destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God 2 Cor 10:5-6 We must take captive any thought that would dare turn anything in God’s word into a pejorative. Zion has everything to do with both Judaism and Christianity. Zion was first mentioned when David captured Mount Zion 2 Samuel 5:7 in the 10th century BC. Zion is the City of David from which Jews know their Messiah will rule. Christians already know that the Messiah is Jesus. Mount Zion is Mount Moriah where Abraham brought Issac. It is the site of the 1st-century Jewish Temple. It is the site of the Alasque mosque known as the Dome of the Rock today. It is the most contentious piece of real estate in the world over which and upon which the most significant end times events will play out.

Dome of the Rock 2018

Psalm 2 is a prophecy of Christ’s kingdom written in 1044 BC. If Zionists are those who rejoice that Jesus will eventually rule from Zion, then call me a Zionist.

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree… Psalm 2:1-7

Even so, as Christians, we do not rejoice in the suffering and death of anyone. That means Jews and Palestinians and all Arabic people in the region.

As the saying goes, “No Jews – No news.”

Pro-Palestinian protesters have been wreaking havoc on college campuses since I first published this post. Sides are being chosen in yet another Hegelian dialectical ruse. The Hegelian dialectic was a formative precursor to Marxist conflict theory. You can get the basic gist of it in Expose What.

That said, those recoiling over the alleged genocide of Palestinians have ignored the true genocide of Arabic people by other Arabic people for milliena. Their media-generated offense and argument against is Israel is a disingenuous strawman at best. But then strawman arguments are another hallmark of emotion-driven, cognitively deficient “useful idiot” reprobates.

All anti-Semitic propaganda aside, we pray that Jesus visits Hamas and the myriad arms of Islamic Jihad at least as much as we desire to provoke the Jews to jealousy. Rom 11:14 A lot of Christians struggle with the idea that all of this conflict is part of God’s ultimate plan to redeem Israel. Yet apart from a complete reversal on the battlefield, it looks like what Zephaniah prophesied in 620 BC is taking place in Gaza now.

For Gaza shall be deserted, and Ashkelon shall become a desolation; Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon, and Ekron shall be uprooted. Woe to you inhabitants of the seacoast, you nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines; and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left. Zeph 2:4-5

If that is the case then God-haters, neo-Marxists, and confused supersessionists can rejoice. Israel and other nations (people groups) who continue to reject Jesus as savior are not off the hook. If my interpretation of scripture is correct, God’s judgment falls on them next in Zephaniah 3:1-8.

Or should I say, “falls on you”?

“Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord,
 “for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.
For my decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them my indignation, all my burning anger;
for in the fire of my jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed.” Zeph 3:8

But don’t stop there. The true purpose of God’s plan to reconcile all the children of Abraham is spelled out in Zephania 3:9-20 and Isaiah 19:16-24. Does it make sense in the context of our limited human cognition? Probably not. Hence Isaiah 55:8-9. His thoughts and ways are higher than ours.

But don’t take my word for it. Be a Berean and search the scripture yourself to see if what I am saying is true. Please tell me if I am wrong.

As I said previously, Paul’s warning regarding the broken branches which is the Jewish people, is connected to a more dire warning concerning God’s judgment at the end of the age. As you may know, Mathew 24-25 also known as the Olivet Discourse contains an outline regarding events leading up to the end of the age and Jesus’ return. Verses 3-31 tell us in near bullet point form what we will see taking place and what may happen to us if we are alive. Verses 32-52 are allegorical descriptions of what those days will be like. Mathew 25 contains instructions on how believers should respond. Mat 25:31-46 is the final judgment marked by the all-familiar parable of the sheep and the goats. Verse 40 is the most oft-quoted verse.

And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

While Jesus loves the poor and downtrodden the least of His brothers is not the starving child in a third-world dump. In fact, He said these are the greatest. Mat 18:1-5. Consider that Jesus was a Jewish Messiah who came first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. The least of Jesus’ brethren when He spoke were the Jews who rejected Him and were about to have him tortured and crucified. Given the legal right and opportunity, many of their descendants would persecute and kill His followers today. I expect that day will come. Hence Paul wrote,

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
 Rom 11:28-29

Be careful. Arrogance toward the broken branches, a.k.a. the “Zionists” could result in hearing,

‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. May 25:41

Always remember, that good arguments can always be made for bad presuppositions. Hence the validity of an argument is determined by the validity of its underlying presupposition. The Christian presupposition is that Jesus is the only way. God’s word, the Bible is inerrant and infallible. There’s really no point in arguing with committed neo-Marxists and other God-denying reprobates because you are arguing from opposing world views. Believers must not be drawn into secular media narratives that twist God’s truth and demonize His chosen people on the global stage. Are atrocities taking place in Gaza? Most assuredly. Only the naive would ever believe that organized mass murder otherwise known as warfare has ever been or ever will be humane. Innocent civilians always make for the bulk of casualties in every war. That’s not a justification for razing Gaza or supporting Israel because they are good people. They are not. The truth is that apart from denying self, picking up our cross, and following Jesus, no one is righteous, not one. Romans 3:9-18 Now more than ever we must maintain an eschatological and prophetic perspective of events on earth and an eternal perspective of God’s ultimate purpose for the followers of Jesus. We support and bless Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem out of obedience to God alone, Num 24:9, Gen 49:9, Gen 12:3 not a natural preference for people.

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. Acts 10:34-35

Righteousness will only be found in Jesus. A righteous government will not exist until He returns to rule from Mount Zion.

Don’t be poisoned by hype. Mat 24:4

Be sure you are viewing the world through a biblical lens.

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Devotional

A Brief Convictional

Perhaps I would be more confused if I didn’t understand the deconstructive nature of the world view in which we are immersed. I do. I nearly succumbed to its current form when personal responsibility and resilience seemed beyond my grasp and I yearned for a scapegoat. 

This world view goes by many aliases and has its own contemporary vocabulary yet it is anything but new. Its author is offense.  Rebellions are its children.

Individuality is diluted via the assignment of a group designation. These designations usually end in “ist”,” ism”, “i” “an” um”, and “phobic”. “Er,” and “al” while less malignant are common too. Disagreement on any grounds always results in objectification and categorization for the purpose of immediate or future cancellation. Those who disagree are viewed as assailants with whom every discussion is a fight. Conformity to the consensus regarding justice is love. Those deemed unloving are identified and vilified. These are the haters who must be nullified and destroyed.  Pseudo intellectual mockery is the first line of attack then ad hominem assassination and censorship. Truth is subjective and the end always justifies the means. “Crybullying” and “lawfare” are the last resort before mob violence and murder.

This worldview has and does reshape culture such that identity becomes rooted in the fear of man and validation from peers instead of God and honoring the Imago Dei. Individual core beliefs, actions, accomplishments, and contributions to society are irrelevant especially if one’s ancestors ever thought or behaved in a way that opposes the current consensus. Truth requires they be erased from the annals of history.  Loving people never oppose truth. 

Personal validation is synonymous with social capital. Social capital is required to become an influencer.  Influencers have power. Power is established by the number of “intersectional” victim groups to which one can claim membership and or one’s demonstrated participation in the oppression of oppressors.  “Oppressor” is anyone who questions the group consensus. The consensus is established by those with power. 

Allies a.ka. “good people”  are those who demonstrate their conformity through repeated virtue signaling to peers and to those with power. This is the deepest expression of the aforementioned love.  Moral, mental, and emotional atrophy is its fruit.  Cultural decay and collapse soon follows. Historically speaking there have always been stronger, more resilient, and often a more violent cultures that seize the opportunity to rape, pillage, and plunder the remaining moral rot and weakness. Every ethnos, ideology, and culture has eventually succumbed to it.

Hence Isaiah wrote and Paul quoted, 

“None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

While I am certain that many will identify a particular person or group to which the above applies, every last one of us is complicit in our own demise. Therefore don’t look at your neighbor or the one whom you so despise. 

Look in the mirror and take the plank out of your eye. 

Maybe bear this in mind as the coming days and years unfold and any sense of personal autonomy and power erodes. The grace of God is available to all. Yet it is based on His conditions, not ours.  And while many will cry “no fair!” and “foul!”,  God judges nations. Not to punish or condemn the individuals within.  That day will come soon enough. It will be the day of the Lord. God judges nations to bring nations to their knees. He lets them remain until a collective cry is heard.

“Oh, what a wretched people we are! Who will save us from this body of death?”

People only eat when they are hungry.

Maranatha!