Trump and the Apostolic Chiefs

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As I watched the Super Bowl this year, I felt I was watching an unfolding of our times. Bob Jones had prophesied that in the year the chiefs won the Super Bowl revival would be near, so I was watching the game intently. As I watched it seemed to me that there were many parallels to recent history. The 49ers represented the Leftist movement being championed by San Francisco. When the score was 20-10 the 49ers seemed to have all the momentum. They were gloating in the end zone and it looked like the chiefs had only a slim chance (The 49ers win probability at this point was 95%). Similarly, in 2010, the Left had all the momentum and seemed unbeatable in America. The next team to score, however, was the Chiefs, making it 20-16, and at that point the momentum of the whole game shifted. From there on it was all chiefs. Similarly, 2016 seemed like a breakthrough in America. The election of Trump (a <5% probability according to the NYTimes) shifted everything. All of a sudden we had a fighter in the bully pulpit who started firing up the whole nation. The Left has begun to collapse in rage and panic and the Right has been emboldened in the fight.

The game occurred on 02/02/2020 and it was winning coach Andy Reid’s 222nd win. Isaiah 22:22 reads “I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” Bob Jones‘ word was that God was raising up his apostolic chiefs.

  1. America and the Church are struggling to accept apostolic leadership.

    Trump is a type of apostolic figure. He’s fitting to represent the times because he is both flawed and effective in obvious ways. CNN cannot make up their minds about whether he is an evil genius or a bumbling buffoon. They hate him, but they show their fear of him by the way they attack him. The Right had a very difficult time accepting his leadership, and understandably so. Personally, he was my least favorite candidate in the Republican primary, and it took me a while to see his strengths clearly through all the glaring weaknesses. Similarly, many parts of the political Right did not trust him to lead. But those who let themselves become offended at him on the Right—the “never trumpers”—have been increasingly marginalized in the party.

    Trump represents the rising apostolic leadership in the Body. Right now the church is struggling to accept their leadership. They don’t trust these so-called apostles, and are used to being led by pastors and teachers. But in the same way that Trump has exposed the weaknesses of the “mainstream” republican leadership that came before him, rising apostolic leaders are exposing the weaknesses of those who have led the church in the previous generations. Trump’s consolidation of power has been incredibly galling to leaders like Romney, McCain and Bush, but the truth is that the weakness of their leadership—their authority built on compromise and pragmatism—allowed the Leftist narrative to proliferate through the country without serious challenge.
  1. Current leaders must humble themselves to serve a larger purpose

    Romney, McCain, and Bush are tremendous leaders, but they should not be at the top in this time. Similarly, the pastors and teachers that lead most of the Church today are tremendous leaders, but without apostolic oversight they cannot bring the power or unity that the Body requires in these times. Instead God is raising up apostolic leaders to put the Body in right order. This will be a test for all. I have great respect for Senator Cruz, who had a real shot at winning the nomination, and suffered deep personal insult from Trump. Rather than harbor that grudge, though, he forgave and humbled himself to serve the larger cause. Even though Trump is more suited for the office, Senator Cruz has demonstrated greater servanthood and I would not be surprised if he was more handsomely rewarded at the Judgment.

    Similarly, there are leaders in the church that will need to humble themselves and admit that they are more suited to a 2nd or 3rd tier of authority. This must happen! There is no reason why the Body of Christ should show the same narcissism and personal ambition that dominates the world, such that every leader chases after seniority and resents having lesser authority. There is no good reason why we should have thousands of small churches that have little unity or submission to others. In fact, many of those who humble themselves in this way will have greater authority in the Age to Come than those they submit to. Titles in this life are nothing, but obedience in this life is eternally rewarded. Mike Pence is the model here. It seems to me that it is Pence’s character that has enabled the nation to enjoy Trump’s strengths. I would guess that Mike Pence understands the President’s weaknesses better than almost anyone. He has had to endure them and continue to forgive and support and give honor, often with little in return I imagine.
  2. Apostles need the support and opposition of the Church to mature

    The rising apostles need the support of the Body. Without some of the great leaders around him, Trump would have destroyed himself a while ago. Some of these leaders have opposed Trump and been fired for it. For some of them, that courage and sacrifice was necessary, and they will be rewarded later. Similarly, we must not idolize human leaders in the church. Apostles must be tested and opposed at times. They must be grown into maturity, and others will suffer for their learning. Some have been abused by apostolic leaders, and they must forgive and rely on God to provide and lead them. Being wronged and misunderstood by others in the Church is a universal struggle we all must endure. When it is those with authority in the church the consequences are painful, but there is a principle here: anything that is powerful is also dangerous. A gun can be used for great good and great harm. We don’t throw them out because of their danger—their usefulness is too great. Similarly, apostolic leaders are dangerous, but we must face and overcome the danger to get the good that they can provide the Body.

    In this season God is giving us new criteria to judge the quality of leaders. Courage is at a premium in this season! Wartime leaders are often ill-suited for peace time, and vice versa. The peace-time leaders of the church must be replaced with fighters who will send the troops into battle. They will not coddle them or give in to their tantrums, but will effectively disciple and send them. We’re preparing now for a great sending movement, so let’s consecrate ourselves and call the Body into the prayer rooms!

Socialism is (still) the enemy of the Gospel!

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(The following was originally published as a series of Facebook posts)

Pt. 1

Socialism is the greatest enemy of the Gospel in America. It almost destroyed the world in the 20th century, but in only 1 generation America is now being seduced by this most dangerous of ideologies.

Socialism is a religion of envy. Its seduction is that it convinces young people to believe that the rich and powerful are in fact oppressors and exploiters. In this way it provides a false sense of calling for the young and naive to rise up and fight for “justice” and “equality.”

A hundred years ago Socialism was primarily aimed at the rich. Hundreds of millions were deceived and Socialist governments brought unprecedented misery upon the world.

In our time it has been re-formulated primarily around race…

Pt. 2

The New Socialism has reformulated the classic ideology primarily around race. Using the historic injustice of the African slave trade, neo-Socialists argue that White exploitation of Blacks is responsible for the lion’s share of the ills facing the Black community today. The power of “White privilege” and “systemic racism” continue to allow Whites in America to exploit blacks.

This formula has been expanded in the last couple of decades to other minority groups. Now females, Muslims, LGBT members, etc. are all victims of the same system of exploitation. The message is still classic socialism, just with a new skin: the powerful (white, male, conservative) are oppressing the poor (minority) and must be defeated.

This neo-Socialist gospel is being preached primarily on university campuses, and is extremely influential with Millennials. “Systemic racism” is often taken as gospel truth by anyone with a recent bachelors degree, despite the fact that most cannot cite specific examples of such institutional prejudice…

Pt. 3

The New Socialism has also made serious inroads into the Church, causing confusion among Christians about the role of the Church.

The traditional gospel message is that sin and death are the true enemy of humanity, and that Jesus is the one who saves people from them (forgiveness from sin and eternal life). Liberation (socialist) theology has reformulated the gospel message to say that, rather than sin and death, the true enemy of humanity is the rich oppressor (sound familiar?). Therefore, the real job of the church is caring for the poor, which includes fighting against oppressors (social justice). This is why much of the Church has become divided, with large segments far more passionate about far-left politics than traditional Christian activity; the Social Gospel has replaced the biblical one.

Anyone who will read Scripture honestly and submit to it will quickly recognize that Socialism and its 21st century version are thoroughly unbiblical.

Like any good heresy, Liberation (socialist) theology starts with a good doctrine and shifts its priority to drown out competing texts.

True: God is near to the broken-hearted, the Gospel is good news to the poor, and believers are commanded to care for the poor.

Also true (but contradicting socialism): Wealth follows righteousness (and sin leads to poverty), God will right all wrongs at the final judgment, blessing comes primarily from God.

Let’s take each of these important truths in turn…

Pt. 4

1. Wealth follows Righteousness (and sin leads to poverty)

This simple biblical truth undermines the very foundation of Socialism, which is persuasive only insofar as it convinces people that other people’s sins are the reason for your poverty/suffering. This is why this truth is especially offensive to neo-Socialists.

Prov. 10:4 A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich.
Prov. 13:22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.
Prov. 10:2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit, but righteousness delivers from death.

This is a principle, so there are always exceptions, but it is a general truth that righteous behavior leads to lasting wealth, whereas sinful behavior leads to poverty and ruin. The Scripture also warns the rich against treating the poor unjustly, because ill-gotten gain will not last in the hands of the wicked. This flies right in the face of Socialism, which argues that the rich are only rich because they exploited others.

Job, David, Solomon, Abraham, Jacob, and many others were rich men who were blessed because of their righteousness.”

Pt. 5

2. God will right all wrongs at the final judgment

Even though wealth does follow righteousness, the Bible warns us against over-valuing material wealth, because worldly riches are no use in the Age to Come. Peter encourages slaves to bear unjust treatment from their masters because God will reward them at the final judgment. James warns rich people that oppress the poor that they will be judged by God eventually. Jesus warns that worldly wealth is deceptive and keeps us from bearing good fruit, that we should store up eternal treasures rather than worldly ones. He also tells us to rejoice when we are persecuted for righteousness, for we will have great reward at the final judgment.

In fact, the whole priority of the Bible is final judgment. We should gladly bear unjust treatment now, knowing that worldly wealth matters very little compared to eternal riches.

The whole focus of Socialism, though, is on righting worldly injustices now. It stokes rage and jealousy and says we must fix things now! It appeals to our carnal nature, that we can fix the problems in the world completely and immediately, when the entire biblical priority is that God alone can save humanity.

Jesus himself was a member of an oppressed people group, but he never advocated rebellion or anger against Israel’s Roman oppressors. Rather, he said to love and serve your enemies, and that the real enemy from which we needed salvation was sin.”

Pt. 6

3. Blessing comes primarily from God

Socialism is humanistic in that sees blessing as being primarily from people. People cannot be happy unless the oppressors are stopped. Gay people can never be happy unless Christians embrace their lifestyle. Blacks can never be happy unless Whites stop putting them in jail. Undocumented immigrants can never be happy unless they have citizenship, etc. The battle is always for other people to repent so that the oppressed can be free, and the destiny of the oppressed in always in the hands of the oppressors.

But this message completely contradicts the Bible. Jesus said that whom the Son sets free is free indeed. Paul said he found the secret of contentment in any situation, whether in jail or in poverty. The biblical truth is that abundant life happens on the inside, and that any slave who believes in Jesus is now His free-man, though he still be a slave in this life.

Pt. 7

Now let’s tackle “systemic” or “structural” racism.

Racism is a universal struggle for all people groups. It is something all of us should be concerned with, so I appreciate the heart of many believers who want to be quick to repent for any unintended racism in our national institutions. While that heart is wonderful, I think those who unquestioningly accept the concept of “systemic racism” are falling into a trap.

The question is this: is racism/oppression the primary ‘cause of poverty in America today or is sin?

In the university, it has become intolerable to even suggest that sin issues are part of the equation. Higher black incarceration rates are held up as clear evidence of systemic racism, but to point out higher black criminality is considered “victim blaming” and part of the racist system. The point: the biblical idea that sin leads to ruin has been completely ejected from academia in favor of an oppressor vs oppressed narrative.

Let me be clear: to the degree that real racism exists in the institutions of America, we should be concerned with eradicating it. The problem is that when Christians come into agreement with a primarily-Socialist narrative that oppression is the primary ‘cause of poverty, we abdicate our God-given calling to point out sin and call the nation to repentance.

Where are the prominent Christian voices condemning the sin that had caused such devastation in the black community? They are too busy being marginalized as racists to be taken seriously by the larger Christian community, let alone by the nation. But the truth is that there is far more evidence for sin being the root of poverty than institutional racism. 70% of black pregnancies are to unmarried women, which is triple the rate that it was in 1960. Blacks make up 13% of the population but commit 50% of the violent crime, largely because so many black children are growing up without fathers.

The narrative that has been propagated to explain these figures is that these are the lasting effects of slavery/Jim Crow—that the black community was deeply damaged by slavery and has never recovered. This explanation, however, distorts the facts. In truth, black America was well on its way to recovery from slavery until the 1960s.

James Riley writes in the Wall Street Journal, “Between 1890 and 1940, for example, black marriage rates in the U.S. were higher than white marriage rates. In the 1940s and ’50s, black labor-participation rates exceeded those of whites; black incomes grew much faster than white incomes; and the black poverty rate fell by 40 percentage points. Between 1940 and 1970—that is, during Jim Crow and prior to the era of affirmative action—the number of blacks in middle-class professions quadrupled. In other words, racial gaps were narrowing. Steady progress was being made. Blacks today hear plenty about what they can’t achieve due to the legacy of slavery and not enough about what they did in fact achieve notwithstanding hundreds of years in bondage followed by decades of legal segregation.

In the post-’60s era, these positive trends would slow, stall, or in some cases even reverse course. The homicide rate for black men fell by 18% in the 1940s and by another 22% in the 1950s. But in the 1960s all of those gains would vanish as the homicide rate for black males rose by nearly 90%. Are today’s black violent-crime rates a legacy of slavery and Jim Crow or of something else?”

It is not slavery and Jim Crow that are the causes of poverty and crime in the black community today. It is cultural values which were radically altered in the 1960s—many of which weaken the institution of marriage—that has reversed the trend of healing. Go to the Black Lives Matter website today and you will see that one of their goals is to “disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure.” I am not saying that BLM speaks for all, but it shows that there are large segments of the black community that demean traditional marriage/family.

This attack against family values in the 1960s didn’t affect just the black community. Divorce rates and unwed pregnancies rose across all ethnic groups dramatically in the 1960s and 70s, but the combination of anti-family cultural values, a Black Power movement calling for unforgiveness and vengeance, and a new welfare system that enabled fathers to abandon their families hit the black community especially hard.

Martin Luther King Jr. led a Civil Rights movement that was built on forgiveness and confidence in a righteous God who would give justice. This movement bore great lasting fruit. After his assassination, large parts of the movement were usurped by a Black Power movement that preached bitterness and vengeance. This divide still exists, and there is desperate need for leaders to arise in the Black community to take the baton and finish the work of racial healing in the nation.

Pt. 8

This is going to be my final 2 posts on the subject, but I will post this whole series on my blog (buff.ly/2JY0sLh).

My last post focused on exposing the lie of “systemic racism.” I’ve become convinced that this lie is at the center of the whole neo-socialist system, which is why there is so much defensiveness and offense whenever someone dares challenge it. This is the cornerstone that supports the entire narrative of oppressed vs oppressor in America today.

The truth is that “white” America has largely repented of the racism that manifested in slavery and Jim Crow, which is a remarkable achievement. Where else has an ethnic minority been elected to the highest position in the nation? It is extremely rare. In fact, America may be the least racist nation on earth, because racism is in every culture on the planet. But you cannot appreciate that accomplishment if you only look at all the examples of racism in America.

This is precisely what happens when a person becomes personally offended with another person. Unhealed hurt mutates into unrighteous judgement. A hurtful action becomes evidence of a hurtful person. One person’s racist comment becomes proof of a racist nation. In truth, however, all people sin and need grace. Moreover, a bitter heart cannot receive correction, because it takes all rebukes as signs that you are siding with the one who hurt you. It cannot “see” past the hurt.

I am not “against” black people. I have a deep love for the black community and real hope that there will be complete healing in America. But there must be forgiveness. Forgiveness is what brings freedom. A heart that forgives can be free to love his enemy, to see all the good in him even while his enemy is slinging insults at him.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a remarkable leader precisely because of his unoffended heart. He preached forgiveness and confidence that love would win the day.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
“Never succumb to the temptation of bitterness.”

This is still the path to healing for the nation. There must be forgiveness, and it’s the job of the Church to preach that message. But what and who to forgive?”

The Growing Danger of White Supremacy, pt. 1

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The events in Charlottesville this past week have brought the topic of white supremacy to the forefront, and for good reason. Many are under the impression that white supremacy is an old danger and no longer poses a threat to the future, but events like the one in Charlottesville are waking people up to the reality that this form of racism is still alive and well. It is a major long-term danger.

I speak out a lot about “reverse racism” in our culture today, and some immediately interpret that as being motivated by my own White privilege/prejudice against minorities. But that could not be further from the truth. In fact, it is a strong sign of how their own mind has been warped by the racism that has become popular in our culture today.

Rather, my continual point is that racism, on both sides, springs from the same root. One kind impassions and emboldens the other. Satan cannot cast out Satan, and fighting against White racism by appealing to victimization only exacerbates the overall problem. In fact, the “reverse racism” that has become entrenched in progressive politics today is just as dangerous for stirring up racial strife. Moreover, it is tearing down societal safeguards (such as free speech) that I believe will pave the way for white supremacy in the coming decades if not stopped.

But how can I be so sure that my view of racism is the correct one? I challenge all Christians to submit to the authority of Scripture and seriously consider what it has to say on this issue.

Firstly, Scripture does warn about the dangers of the rich oppressing the poor. This is a real danger that the progressive wing of our nation rightly recognizes. There’s little disagreement here, so I won’t go in depth on this topic.

The controversial issue is that the Scriptures also tell wives to submit to husbands, slaves to submit to masters, and oppressed people to “turn the other cheek” when they are wronged. This is not fair, and the Bible never claims that it is… until the Day of Judgment. The reason that we are to bear unjust treatment in this life is because (1) God promises he will compensate all injustices and right all wrongs on Judgment Day, (2) God forgives us a much greater debt in Christ, and (3) Jesus set the example for us to follow. The biblical teachings on forgiveness and ultimate judgment must be the foundation upon which all prescriptions to the problems of oppression flow. Why do we honor and submit to unjust rulers? Because God promises that He will judge, and in the meantime we show trust in Him when we forgive. The biblical gospel is that we can be free *now* through faith in Christ and forgiveness. We don’t need to stay in inner bondage until our oppressors repent. If we bear unjust treatment we are taught not to rage but to rejoice, for we are promised eternal reward if we bear it rightly. This is most clear in passages like 1 Pet. 2:

18 You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

Those with little faith will complain that obeying these instructions enables and empowers oppression. That would be true, if freedom was primarily an outward thing. But from the biblical perspective, freedom is something we have on the inside. Jesus said that if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed. He said this as a member of a conquered and oppressed people group. He never preached a vision of freedom that was about being free of foreign oppressors–he preached about freedom from the effects and consequences of sin, of having abundant life on the inside in the midst of outward persecution and suffering. Karl Marx preached a freedom that came from forcefully taking it from oppressors, but this is not the way of the Kingdom. We forgive, are freed inside, and trust God to right all wrongs at the Judgment.

Misunderstanding this biblical priority makes us vulnerable to unrighteous judgment. In Mat. 7 Jesus warns that we cannot remove the speck from another’s eye unless we first remove the planks in our own eyes. This speaks of offense that clouds our understanding and perspective of others. The nature of holding on to offense is that it becomes unrighteous judgment within us. When we are hurt by the words of another, and it is never dealt with through forgiveness, it will turn into a judgment about how that person is mean/bigoted/stupid/etc. and eventually can morph into “those kinds of people are… mean/bigoted/stupid/etc.” Most Christians I know severely underestimate the importance of forgiveness in their own lives. Think about it! Jesus taught that if someone refused to forgive others then their own sins would be held against them (Mat. 6:14-15). This is an incredible warning. Even a relatively small amount of unforgiveness can warp our perspective of others in a major way. It is a gaping, open door to demonic influence. We must be relentless to remove all offense from our hearts, to be ruthless in forgiveness. Only then can we see clearly and help others see clearly as well.

Any solution to racism in America starts with the preeminence of forgiveness and God’s judgment. There is a God in heaven who will right all wrongs. He will remember the deeds (and misdeeds) of all people, and reward those who obey His commands to forgive and love those who oppress them. In fact, Scripture says that we should rejoice if we undergo undeserved persecution, because if we bear it rightly we receive great eternal reward. Why do we get great reward for this? Because it is both the most difficult response and the most effective in destroying embedded hatred. The great temptation for Christians is to think like the World, to believe that we must have justice now, to nurture offense, and to lose sight of our calling to disciple the nations and teach them to obey Jesus’ commands.

Police Racism in America?

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With every new shooting of a Black American comes a deluge of Facebook posts calling for an end to racism in policing. In the latest shooting, a white, female police officer fatally shot Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man, in what appears to be a bad shooting. I’ve seen the videos and it does appear that there was little cause for lethal force, although I do think it is important to refrain from judgment until an investigation can be done.

If this was a bad shooting, which seems likely at this point, it is indeed a tragedy. I mourn, as I think we all should, the death of a man who probably did not deserve it. The officer, if guilty, should be prosecuted under the law. That being said, I think it is a mistake to lump this shooting in with the raft of other white-on-black police shootings that further cement a narrative of police racism. Here’s why:

  1. Many of these shootings have been woefully misrepresented. The Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson is probably the prime example. Personally, I went from deep sadness to near rage when I actually took the time to investigate the facts of the case. The media portrayed a narrative where Michael the gentle giant was shot with his hands up by a clearly racist officer. That story basically created months of rioting in Ferguson. In fact, Brown was a criminal who had charged Officer Wilson and was rightfully gunned down. This is a major problem. The mainstream media has become so entrenched in a liberal bias at this point that it seems to be intentionally crafting a bird’s-eye-view narrative of this issue that is false. And this is demonstrated in the data.
  2. The statistical fact is that cops shoot almost twice as many whites as blacks (50% vs 26% of police shootings). Though some will argue that blacks are only 13% of the population, this is misleading because they commit the majority of violent crimes. Heather MacDonald writes that “the black violent crime rate would actually predict that more than 26 percent of police victims would be black.” Furthermore, a 2015 DoJ report shows that Hispanic and Black officers are more likely than white officers to shoot blacks. The greater point here is that white on white or black on black police shootings don’t make good TV, but white on black ones are trumpeted on every news network and re-shared ad nuaseum via social media, hence the number of comments on my Facebook wall saying, “how does this keep happening?”
  3. Our media and university system have embraced a deeply flawed concept of racism. I do not refute the fact that racism exists in our police and court system, because racism exists everywhere. On the other hand, I absolutely reject the notion that the only racism that matters is the systemic racism of oppressive groups. It is racist when someone assumes that an officer acted out of racist intent, without actual evidence. It is bigoted when Colin Kaepernick likens cops to pigs. The fact that these racist attitudes are not held by white people does not make them less racist or bigoted.

And this is where the gospel comes in. We live in a flawed world, but God, the great judge of all, promises to judge each person according to his/her deeds and situations. This is a glorious truth. He will make all things right and reward those who bore unfair treatment in faith. He never promises that this world, in this age, will be totally fair or right, but he promises he’ll take all these things into consideration when he judges.

This is important to know, because this truth gives us grace to repent for our own wrongs, and forgive those who wrong us. In forgiving, we free ourselves from offense that locks us in pain and causes us to judge others falsely. My call, especially to my Christian brethren, is to let go of offense in this area so that we can see clearly. Offense and anger cannot cast out wickedness, it only makes it worse.

From that perspective, let’s evaluate each of these shootings in turn. Let’s refrain from condemning all police or making accusations of racism without evidence. Let’s fight for the guilty to be punished, the innocent to be saved, for police reform where needed, and for justice for each person.

The Dark Underbelly of Calvinism: Double Predestination

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Standard disclaimer: Calvinism/Arminianism is minor doctrine and should not result in disunity in its discussion. Many of the greatest Christians I know differ with my position on this matter, and yet it is important to discuss these differences openly, disagreeing with but not  dishonoring any brother/sister in the Lord.

Calvinist teachers often proclaim how glorious it is that Christians have been personally chosen by God before the foundation of the world, not because of anything they have done, but because God chose to love and save them, and how this truth should make Christians stand in awe of God’s great generosity and compassion.

What rarely gets preached is the flip-side of this coin: how “glorious” it is that unbelievers are predestined to eternal torment, though they are no more or less deserving than those being saved, so that God may be glorified.

Here I should mention that there is a debate within Calvinist circles. Some argue that double predestination (the notion that God predestines some to hell) is the only logical conclusion, and some say that it is best to leave it a mystery, so as not to give the appearance that God is the author of sin (though they offer no real logical alternative – hence the “mystery”).

The fact that there is such a debate should demonstrate how terrible this point of doctrine is. How exactly does the eternal torture of billions glorify God? Why couldn’t God predestine all to be with Him in heaven? There’s no good answer. No less a Calvinist authority than John MacArthur posts on his website:

Question:
[A very young Child]: I listened to your sermon last Sunday, and I was wondering, why didn’t God choose everybody to be saved?

John MacArthur:
Kids always ask those questions. Adults don’t ask them because they’ve learned there’s no answer.

“Why didn’t God choose everyone to be saved? You know something, honey? I don’t know. I don’t know. But, I’ll give you a basic answer, Ok? And the basic answer–and I hope you can understand this–the basic answer is: because He got more glory for his own name by doing it the way He did it. God does what He does for His glory. And somehow, in some way, God is glorified in what He did, and that’s why He did it.”

(http://www.gty.org/resources/questions/QA182/why-didnt-god-choose-everyone-to-be-saved)

This is the answer of someone forced to say something he doesn’t want to, because the “truth” doesn’t seem good at all, to him, or to anybody.

I contend that telling Christians that they should praise God because he has predestined them for salvation is like telling 18th century white slave owners that America is great because of slavery. When the natural rebuttal is presented–but it doesn’t seem so great for the damned/slaves–the answer is usually something like, “don’t look at them, look at yourself! See how merciful God is to you and how great you have it, and be thankful. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth son.” The poor neophyte Calvinist is herded away from such “childish” questions (as MacArthur would seem to think) and back to the mysteriously “great” sovereignty of God.

Now let me say that I understand why many Calvinists say what they do–because they are trying to be faithful to what they understand Paul to be saying in passages like Romans 9. When Paul says that God predestines some to hell in order “to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy” (Rom 9:23 – Calvinist reading), it’s understandable why devout Christians would feel obligated to celebrate something that doesn’t seem all that great. It’s like God is some crazy football coach who forces his family to cheer for his team whether they want to or not.

Or… we can consider that maybe we’ve misunderstood passages like Romans 9, and perhaps for very understandable reasons. In fact, the Bible itself foretells the very reason why this happens. In Romans 11, Paul warns Gentile believers that if they become arrogant towards the Jewish people on account of their rejection of Christ, that God will cut them off.  (v13-24) And this is exactly what happened. The early Church started to stray from honoring Israel, eventually began to persecute Jews, and were in many ways “cut off” from grace during the Dark Ages. Some of the Church’s deepest misunderstandings of New Testament passages are a result of arrogance towards Israel, thinking that we can rightly interpret Jewish writings without understanding the culture from which they came. Election is a prime example. Most Calvinist interpretation of passages like Romans 9, Ephesians 1, and John 6/10 flows from a misunderstanding of Jewish concepts of election.

In truth, God does actually desire that all people be saved. There’s no “secret” will; he commands all men to repent and believe in Jesus whom he sent to die for the sins of the world. He created the world without sin, and man, through his own free choice, chose to sin even though he was warned that if he did so death would be the result. Despite this well-deserved condemnation, God still desired reconciliation with man and sent his own Son to die for the sins of humanity.

Understand how different this picture is from Calvinism’s. In Calvinism, the overarching picture is one where God condemns many people (and saves a few) to glorify himself. He–essentially–uses people for his glory. In “Arminianism,” God condemns himself–he uses himself–to glorify people. He humbles himself to exalt us. It’s very easy to see how God is glorified in the latter. He shows himself the great loving King, worthy of praise and emulation.

Calvinism’s portrayal of the gospel only works if we emphasize the beneficial side of the coin. Aren’t we so lucky (at their expense)? Isn’t God so good (to us)? But a God who is only “good” to some is not truly good. Would it make sense to your unbelieving friend that God very well could have predestined him to hell so that you would be more thankful? Such a notion seems ridiculous when stated so baldly. Could it be that such a concept of election is not at all what the biblical authors intended to communicate?

In fact, there are very good Arminian explanations for all Calvinist “proof texts,” and I shall be going over some of the major ones as I did with Romans 9 earlier. It seems that in the vast majority of cases when I do explain Arminian counter-arguments to Calvinist talking points, that it is the first time that many have even heard the argument. It is indeed a sad state of affairs that Calvinists today have so dominated the conversation (at least in my circles) that most have not even heard the other side of the argument. These rebuttals should ideally stand, in the hearers mind, next to the great preponderance of biblical texts that assume that readers actually do have free choice, and that one’s decisions do truly matter.

The Most Misunderstood Chapter in Scripture: Romans 9

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I’m listening today to Wayne Grudem’s systematic theology podcast, which is pretty good for a summary of biblical theology. I appreciate Grudem’s even-keeled temperament and clear exposition. I also like that he marries serious intellectualism with charismatic practice, which is a wonderful trend to see in the Church.

I just listened to his section on election though, and it’s so frustrating to hear this brilliant man run right into the plain-as-day logical incompatibility of Calvinism, over and over again, like a gif of the titanic hitting an iceberg on endless repeat. God pre-ordains man to sin; God punishes man for sinning. God saves some for no meritorious reason so he gets all the credit; this, of course, is not a random selection. Our evangelism or prayer cannot actually affect the identity or number of anyone being saved; we are still told its vitally important for us to do them. and so on and so on. Of course, Romans 9 is the cornerstone for Grudem’s (and every other major Calvinist’s) argument for why, even though it seems criminally unfair, we must bow before the “clear teaching of Scripture” that God is both just and loving to predetermine men’s sinfulness and then condemn them to eternal torture for their sin. God is the potter, and who are we mere men to question his choice to make vessels for destruction? What other explanation could there be?

How about one that actually makes sense in the context of the passage! In fact, the Calvinistic interpretation of Romans 9 makes almost no sense if you actually understand the sweep of Paul’s argument in that chapter.

Look at the chapter’s bookends! Paul introduces the topic in verses 1-5, “I have great sorrow… for the sake of my people…Israel.” Then, at the end, he summarizes his thoughts in vs. 30-31, “What shall we say then? (What does all this mean?) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.” The chapter is not about individual people; it’s about Israel!

Let me give an overview of Romans 9.

v1-5. Paul is sad about Israel’s rejection of Jesus, and will now explain why it is happening even though God promised them a glorious future as his chosen people.

v6-13. He starts off by explaining that Israel was chosen by grace, not by its own merit. Jacob’s descendents (Israel) were chosen over Esau’s, as the prophecy Paul references was “Two nations are in your womb…and the older will serve the younger.”

“Is that unjust?” Paul asks (v14). No! Because He “will have mercy on whom [he] has mercy.” Why does Paul bring this up? Because this is what the Lord tells Moses right after the golden calf incident, when he chooses to have mercy on Israel because of Moses’ intercession and not wipe out the nation. God’s purposes, therefore, do not depend of human effort, but on God’s mercy. Israel failed its holy calling about 5 minutes after it was commissioned at Sinai, and yet the Lord gave mercy for the sake of his purposes.

Then Paul brings up Pharoah, whom God hardened as a judgment for his decision to refuse to obey God’s commands. Why? Because God used Pharoah’s disobedience to glorify himself through a miraculous exodus. God used a sinful man to accomplish his good plans to bless Israel, whom He had chosen.

The flow of his argument here is really important to understand. You see, God has mercy on who he will, but also hardens whom he wants to harden. Why is this relevant? Because now, in Paul’s time, God is hardening Israel in exactly the same way he hardened Pharaoh, to accomplish his purposes for those whom he has chosen among the Gentiles.

v19-21. Then why does God still blame us (Jews)?” This is where Paul brings up the Potter, which is directly from Jeremiah 18. There, God tells Jeremiah that Israel is like a lump of clay that resists the will of the potter, so the potter has the right to refashion the lump for an appropriate use in his plans. He also says, though, that if that nation repents he will relent from his planned disaster. (Let me be clear here: God’s sovereign choice is in hardening Israel! The lump of clay that is used for “common use” is Israel!)

v22-25. The objects of his wrath, born with great patience, are Jews, who are judged harshly by the Lord in AD 70 and scattered among the nations, but preserved for a great purpose in the future, as Paul will explain in Romans 11. Gods scattering of Israel fulfilled God’s purposes as a righteous judgment against Israel and a blessing to the nations as the believing Jews brought with them the gospel of their messiah Jesus.

Paul finishes the chapter by referencing numerous OT prophecies about the Gentiles coming to faith and summarizes by saying: “What shall we say then? (What does all this mean?) That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal.” This conclusion makes perfect sense if the topic of the chapter is the election of Israel. 

This overview of Romans 9 makes perfect sense in the flow of Paul’s argument until chapter 11, and I lovingly challenge any Calvinist to seriously consider this interpretation. I understand that rethinking a Calvinist interpretation of Romans 9 is not easy at all for those who have long held to such a view, but I contend that Calvinism seriously distorts Paul’s intended message here, and forces the adherent to adopt a picture of God’s sovereignty that is both logically incompatible and deeply unloving according to the testimony of the rest of Scripture. It makes a mockery of Christ’s true offer of salvation for all and his deep longing that all men be saved.

My favorite podcasts

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I listen to a lot of podcasts. In fact, since I’ve turned 30, the only time I listen to music these days is if I’m studying or praying. Most of the time in the car, or when I’m doing semi-mindless tasks, it’s either an audiobook or podcast that I’m listening to, and I go through a good deal of them. I’ve subscribed and unsubscribed to many over the years, and here are the ones that remain. So I’ll give my take on each, and if you think you know of any I really should be listening to, let me know!

  1. Line of Fire Radio. (Theology + Politics) This is Michael Brown’s podcast, and there really isn’t a theologian in the world that I align more closely with than him. I think Brown is one of the most credible, balanced, knowledgable, and passionate Christian thinkers out there. He has an incredible handle on Scripture and how it applies to both Christian life and politics, and I’ve learned a lot from his books and youtube debates as well. His podcast format, though, sucks. It’s basically a recording of his national radio show, and the constant commercial interruptions make it a chore to listen to. His formatting and music also seem like they’re stuck in 1980. So, A+ content in a C- format. I’ll go with B. Time to hire a modern producer please!
  2. Equip the Saints. (Church Ministry) This is one I just started listening to. It’s hosted by Chris Cruz, who’s the Young Adult Pastor at Bethel, and basically seems like conversations about a host of ministry topics. It’s too early to give a real opinion on this, but so far it’s been pretty awesome. N/A
  3. Bethel Church Sermon of the Week. (Weekly Sermons) To be honest, I’ve been listening to this one less and less over the years. I still greatly love and appreciate Bill Johnson and Kris Valloton, but I think my preference in listening has changed. In the past couple years of my life I prefer more hard teaching/theology to weekly inspirational sermons. They have great insights on a lot of topics, I just want more hard facts than catchy revelations lately. For most people, I think this is a pretty great podcast to listen to regularly. B+
  4. The Ben Shapiro Show. (Politics) If you care about politics at all, I highly recommend this one. Shapiro is a fount of knowledge; he has like a conservative encyclopedia in his head, and there’s just no one that I’ve found that marries incredible eloquence with fact-backed logic like he does. Just check out some of his youtube videos if you’ve never heard of him. He does tend to stray a bit too much to mockery for my comfort, but unfortunately so do most political commentators. A.
  5. Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History. (History) This is an amazing history podcast. It’s well researched and entertaining, which is pretty important when trying to learn history. He does a good job trying to be historically objective, and just really has a knack for creating a narrative out of the historical data. The only real objective I have is that he’s really slow at adding more episodes. A-
  6. Freakonomics Radio. (Pop economics/culture/politics). What we’re seeing everywhere right now is the infusion of statistical analysis into all walks of life, which is a good thing. I love how data-driven analysis is combatting conventional wisdom in sports, politics, and, who knows, maybe even religion (one day). Freakonomics is probably the poster-child of this movement, and they occasionally find great insights, like how no one can taste the price of wine, or how abortion is primarily responsible for the drop in crime rates in the 90s (though this one has been academically challenged). It’s insightful; it’s fun; it’s well produced; it just has a lot of topics I don’t care about often. B
  7. The Tim Ferriss Show. (Leadership). Ok, I have to confess, I’ve been subscribed to this one for several months and have yet to listen to an episode. His guest line-up is just amazing, and the topics look fascinating; I just haven’t really taken the plunge to really test it out. Blame it on the thousands of other great things I could be listening to. I read 4 Hour Workweek several years ago and loved it, so I do plan to eventually listen to this. N/A
  8. The Lowe Post. (NBA). This is the best basketball podcast out there IMO, as I think Zach Lowe gives the best consistent basketball analysis. He knows his stuff, articulates it well, and has on knowledgable guests. I like that he appreciates and incorporates saber-metrics, but isn’t overly reliant on them, and isn’t afraid to challenge his guests when he disagrees. I miss his interaction with Bill Simmons, as Simmons has the best narrative eye (he creates compelling stories out of what he sees) and then Lowe would anchor the discussion back in reality. A-
  9. The Grey Nato. (Horology). I’m a closet watch nerd, like, those things that people used to wear on their wrists that tick. James Stacey, who does some of the best reviews for Watch Report and a Blog to Watch, talks about watches and I nerdily listen along. Most people would not enjoy this one at all, but if you know the difference between a Speedmaster Pro and Reduced, check it out. A-

That’s it! I keep hoping that Mike Bickle would put out a decent podcast (come on Mike!) as his online teaching library is just clunky to use on a phone, or that Rick Joyner would do one (though I’d have to use the 2x speed feature for him). Let me know if you know of any great ones!

In the Wake of Orlando

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America has just suffered its worst terrorist attack since 9/11 and, like everyone else, I’ve been digesting the event and the various responses for the past couple days. Many things about this attack are notable, including the fact that the target was a gay club, that the shooter was American and ISIS-inspired, that the weapons were obtained legally, and that the responses of American leaders differ significantly. Events like these often serve as catalysts for societal change and both political sides have attempted to use the event to fuel their message, which is understandable. So here’s how I see it:

  1. Christians must be vocally compassionate in this hour. I’ve been encouraged by the outpouring of Christian sympathy, prayers, and support for the gay community. Events like these have the potential to fuel fires of antagonism and misunderstanding, which is why Christians should be the first to offer support, and do so vocally. Though many Christians leaders have done this, I’m especially encouraged by Chick-fil-A, whose support is being picked up by major news publications across the country. It’s notable that the reason they have such a powerful voice now is because they held fast to biblical values before and came under heavy criticism. Because of their former courage, they are now uniquely positioned to demonstrate how Christians are to be both truthful and compassionate. In this hour, it is vital that Christians refuse to give in to the temptation to compromise biblical morality or biblical compassion. We must speak the truth in love. Right now we do that by mourning with those who mourn, and refusing to delight in evil.
  2. Shame on those who promote extremist views as though they speak for the majority. I’ve seen a couple articles that have published tweets from the Westboro Baptist ilk as though they represent Christian sentiment. I’ve even seen some Christians do this as a means of shaming those who oppose gay marriage, as though their “hate” is responsible for this attack. This is despicable and divisive. All groups have their extremists, and we all must refuse to judge one another by each groups most radical elements. Likewise, it is necessary to reaffirm the truth that the vast majority of Muslims are not radicals. The left’s concern on this point is valid, though I also think it’s also important to appreciate that despite these latest terrorist attacks, there have been almost no hate crimes against Muslims reported.
  3. Gun control is not the answer. The Democrats have begun another strong push for gun reform, and it is understandable why. From their perspective, the abundance of guns in America is to blame for gun violence, and many are genuinely heartbroken and pushing for what they see as the most likely solution to the problem. I sympathize with them, but I want to strongly warn against jumping to gun control as the answer, especially when most advocates that I know don’t really understand the conservative argument for gun rights. There are hundreds of articles detailing the pros and cons of gun rights, so I’ll just link this one that describes some of the reasons why more gun control would probably not help decrease the murder rate. I’ll also say that we can look at the UK, where guns were made illegal in 1997 (even most police there have tasers now) and the murder rate actually rose. But my real argument is not even about traditional murder. Gun control might actually save some lives in the short term (though I’m fairly skeptical that it would), but it will absolutely expose us to the two greatest dangers in the world today: terrorism and government tyranny.
  4. This is just the start of the global terrorism threat. There are no current signs that radical Islamic ideology is decreasing, but in fact just the opposite. ISIS is extremely important, not because of its size, but because of what it represents in the evolution of the Middle East.  The current borders of Middle Eastern nations were largely created by the British and French after WWI when they controlled the region, and were designed to keep the region internally divided. Iraq, for example, was drawn to include large populations of Shiites and Kurds to check the Sunni population. Moreover, secular leadership assumed power and have mostly remained in power until the present time. Iran was the first of the Middle Eastern nations to have an Islamic Revolution that overthrew the Western-supported secular dictator in favor of a religious government. The U.S. did everything it could to stop this, but the mitigating factor is that Iran is dominated by Shiite Muslims, which make up only 10% of all Muslims internationally.

    The truly great threat is the consolidation of Sunni Muslims (which make up the other 90%) under a radical theocracy. This is the dream that is ISIS, a new Islamic Caliphate that will unite all Muslims under a theocratic regime to launch global jihad. The reason why Republican leaders fought so hard to keep troops in Iraq was to prevent this at all costs. Without a strong local dictator, they knew that the radical Islamic leaders would likely fill the power vacuum and begin to consolidate their power. The point: ISIS was not unforeseen. The big problem is that this version of the Caliphate-dream has some truly smart leadership that is exploiting social media and modern communications technology to try to radicalize Westerners via the internet. And it’s working. San Bernadino and Orlando are significant because they are among the first successful terrorist attacks by home-grown Americans on U.S. soil in response to ISIS propaganda efforts. Again, the terrorist threat is not diminishing; it is increasing. To now suggest that the answer is for law-abiding Americans to voluntarily surrender their arms is madness at this point. We’ve had only a handful of terrorist attacks here in the U.S., but globally there have been almost 30,000 of such attacks since 9/11.

  5. The greatest reason for the 2nd Amendment is because of the threat of oppressive governments. America was founded on a dream that a free people could rule themselves. It was such a crazy dream at the time that it was called the “American experiment” because the prevailing sentiment in Europe was that common people needed nobility to rule them or they would destroy themselves. The American experiment proved a great success, however, and has essentially been copied throughout the world with varying degrees of success. This is why American culture is obsessed with liberty and freedom. This is our contribution to the world and at the center of our way of life. But freedom has a key. At the center of what made American freedom possible was Christian morality. Alexis de Tocqueville famously said that American is great because America is good. A strong moral culture has always been the key to American greatness because it is what enables American freedom.

    So what does this have to do with gun control? The right to bear arms is, in many ways, the guarantor of every other right, because it protects all the others. Without firepower Americans are one bad government away from losing all their rights because they would have no way to defend them against a government that decided they didn’t need them any more. What if Trump was actually the kind of mini-Hitler that some fear he is? His chance of winning the White House is not insignificant. Or what if increasing terrorism unleashes a political candidate that makes Trump look like a teddy bear? The fact is that no one can tell the future with any certainty, but this constitutional right in particular was designed to protect American liberty against all these threats. Should we surrender it so willingly when the benefits are dubious at best? Of course not.

Blog Reboot

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Now that I’m (mostly) out of school, I find I have enough to time to write again, so I’m rebooting my blog. This time around my heart is a bit different, as I want to write about various things I’m interested in, and not just theology and politics (though those two topics will no doubt be oft-visited). I enjoy lots of different subjects, from books I’m reading to various hobbies, and even some family life. In short, I’m planning for this page to be a bit more personal.

I took this picture outside of Creamistry in Cerritos. Eden, my daughter, apparently realized that there were hundreds of twinkling stars in the sky that night, and took some three or four minutes to admire and contemplate them. The moment seemed quite deep for a two year old. As I look back on the picture, I find myself appreciating this entire season of my life. My family is not wealthy or famous or special in any momentous way, but we’re happy, and I can’t help but think that it is some kind of unheralded special-ness to be genuinely thankful in life for whatever blessings one has, though they may not seem like much to anyone else. So Father, thank you for your faithful love and guidance!

Sociosqu ad litora torquent

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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Integer nec odio. Praesent libero. Sed cursus ante dapibus diam. Sed nisi. Nulla quis sem at nibh elementum imperdiet. Duis sagittis ipsum. Praesent mauris. Fusce nec tellus sed augue semper porta. Mauris massa. Vestibulum lacinia arcu eget nulla. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos.

Curabitur sodales ligula in libero. Sed dignissim lacinia nunc. Curabitur tortor. Pellentesque nibh. Aenean quam. In scelerisque sem at dolor. Maecenas mattis. Sed convallis tristique sem. Proin ut ligula vel nunc egestas porttitor. Morbi lectus risus, iaculis vel, suscipit quis, luctus non, massa. Fusce ac turpis quis ligula lacinia aliquet. Mauris ipsum. Nulla metus metus, ullamcorper vel, tincidunt sed, euismod in, nibh.

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Vestibulum lacinia arcu

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