culture2truth

Author Archives: jwswift22

• Political correctness, in it’s,”Decadent stage “

  Posted at 12:30 am by jwswift22, on April 22, 2018

  

   

  Steven  Pinker is a Canadian-American cognitive psychologist as well as a  linguist, and popular science author.  He is Johnstone Family Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University.

  He is also a Humanist—- which I am not—however,  Pinker is an interesting study because when it comes to the subject of   “political correctness”,   he is very much on the mark with most of my Evangelical brothers and sisters and he feels free to speak on such  subjects because he is also a defender of ,  “free speech”.

  That means that he is willing to debate.  If anything needs to happen among the  educated and  those in educating circles it is debate. It used to be the norm in higher education but misguided agendas seek to strip it all away.

  He so rightly acknowledges,

  “Political correctness started out with good aims and achieved much good in the early stages of the movement in its attempt at eliminating demeaning remarks and  unacceptable discriminatory policies.”

  And I agree with Pinker.  I was very glad as young student in school in the 70’s and 80’s  to see students of all races and then special needs and handicapped students  recognized as  the valuable human beings that they are in society.   “Do not use  labels and do not ostracize” was the idea.

  But then, and I saw it happen, over time, the political correct ideology began to get weird. We all  did didn’t we?

  But Pinker sees it too and  goes on  in his talk to expose the current over reaching agenda of “Political Correctness”, stating …

  “Often movements reach their decadent phase, where having achieved the majority of their goals they don’t go out of business but they need to find increasingly obscure grievances and causes to maintain their moral franchise and I suspect that’s what happened to what we now call political correctness, many aspects of which which in their original and moderate form were completely reasonable. “

  This is where we find ourselves now. Where the “Politically Correct movement needs to find ” increasingly obscure grievances and causes to maintain their moral franchise”.

  Where ever increasing obscure and “micro” aspects of thought, conversation and values are “politically incorrect” and  are” labeled” causing harm.

  Has  “Political Correctness” itself become a bully?   I think so.

  There are so many areas where I and many of  you, my Christian brothers and sisters would disagree with Pinker…. but to His credit and to those like Him, I do pray that voices like his continue to press back against the tide of ridiculous and unintelligent unfounded movements that seek to treat the free marketplace of ideas in such a “Politically in-correct way”.

  Remember the Apostle Paul in the Agora (marketplace) of Corinth?

  Men of that day in that place were allowed to speak and think in openness and frankness.

  May that continue.

  Blessings.

   

   

  Posted in culture, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged bullying, culture, decadent, free speech, Harvard, humanism, media, politically correct, psychology, steven pinker

• You had one job

  Posted at 9:49 pm by jwswift22, on April 18, 2018

  

  This is a great article on preaching written by Andrew Roycroft which appeared on his website https://thinkingpastorally.com/
  Check out his site.

  thinkingpastorally

  Of all the societal and psychological changes brought on by the dominance of social media, one of its most interesting effects is on our language. Headlines have been replaced by hashtags as a means of capturing the essence of a story, and terms can be coined, duplicated and globally disseminated in a matter of minutes. Many of these are meaningless memes, but some carry an important message. Humour accounts now regularly use the words ‘You had one job’ to describe the abject folly of an individual or organisation who fails at a single, simple job assigned to them, and the phrase serves as a valuable means of showing just how readily we miss the mark as human beings.

  When it comes to preaching, ‘You had one job’ can be a helpful motto, and a measure of how the minister understands their message, their manner and their function within the body…

  View original post 540 more words

  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• Unleavened bread, a picture of authenticity.

  Posted at 12:43 am by jwswift22, on April 14, 2018

  

  When we think of a relationship with God we intuitively know that we must always be real with him.

  After all, God knows the heart. ‘Nothing is hidden from His sight”.  A person in true prayer before God comes quickly to recognize that there is no choice but to  be open and sincere, to be “unleavened”

  We also have a wonderful promise of assurance that as we do come to Him, even to confess our many faults,—as David well knew ,— God will not reject us.

  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;   A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. Psalm 51:17

  This of course is a principle of an Eternal Kingdom, where God ,…

  “…who was and is and is to come”,      reigns now both in heaven and the hearts of His own children.

  Yet, how difficult it is to be real in “This present  earthly world or kingdom”!!!

  It is not a part of the value system of this” present earthly  kingdom” where God is ignored, denied, and where men  hide from, and even  hate God.

  As a principle, “authenticity” may be given lip service and may even be applauded to a certain degree in this world. ( Of course all within respectable bounds). Never to acknowledge ones full spiritual poverty.  “Lets Just all agree that were OK and just need to “self improve”.

  Personal reputation or the keeping up of false appearances will be the undoing of us if we try to hold on to it.  Holding on to this just shows that the “fear of man” (what people think of us) is more important than “The fear of God”.

  Being completely unleavened is a work that only the Holy Spirit can perform in the heart.

  As John the Baptist stood crying out on the shores of the Jordan, “Repent and be baptized” , it was those who knew themselves to be “Poor in spirit” and who desired above all else to be right with God who were drawn toward God ,  it was those ones who could  …step out from the crowd …and  identify themselves before their peers as needing God more than a reputation before man.  There stepping out  was not out of an abundance of personal virtue but out of a lack of it.   They chose to identify with God even though they would forever be self identified sinners in need of rescue.
  

  And the really amazing thing is, that Jesus himself  at the very beginning of His ministry, stepped into the waters of the Jordan to be baptized by John!!

  Why?!!!        I mean even John Knew that Jesus had no need to repent of sin. John almost refused to do it,  stating  to Jesus. “It is I who NEED be baptized by you and yet you come to me?”

  Jesus stepped into those waters because He came to identify with “Sinners”.

  Why?        Because Jesus would take upon Himself the very sins of those whom He came to save.

  This is basic Christianity; Basic Gospel.  Lose this and there is no Gospel to tell.

  Jesus is “The bread of Life”. The true and perfect unleavened —“bread of Life ,“who came down from heaven.

  The way to God is through the “unleavened way”.  Coming as sinner to God through Christ, who identifies with sinners who are willing to let their knowledge of spiritual poverty drive them to Him.

  The Law of God against sinners stands.  Yet as the Apostle Paul proclaims, “Christ is the end of the law for all who believe”, because Christ fulfills the law for us.

  In the end, when this present  life is slipping away— and it will— our reputation before men will be a hollow comfort, even a torture to us, if we have not allowed the ultimate reality of the kingdom of God to supersede this temporary reality so that we act according to “Ultimate Reality” .

  We see this if we follow the logic of Jesus, speaking of the “leavened” pharisees who stood upon their own righteousness and reputation before men, ” I tell you the truth they have already have their reward in full”.  Jesus said such are excluded from the Kingdom of God because they refuse to enter into it.

  But to have God Himself, and the knowledge of His forgiveness and Love , because we have settled the issue through relationship to Christ while we could, will be more than a comfort at death.

  It will be the entrance of eternal Joy, to a degree that as we slip away into Gods eternal presence, we will know the full, undiluted, unleavened joy of perfect fellowship through the eternal ages!!!   It is those who are”in Christ” that will enter.

  That day will  most certainly come to all and the eternal realities will roll back every covering anyway so why not come and stand in the light of Christ as a trophy of God’s grace while we live?  Now is the time to be unleavened the cost will seem like nothing compared to what we gain in Christ!!

  As John Newton , the author of Amazing Grace so famously said ,

  “Although my memory’s fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.”

  Oh Lord, forgive, love, cleanse, guide and transform us as we look to you in unleavened honesty may we have no less than all you offer in Christ. Amen.

  Posted in culture, Grow in Grace | 0 Comments | Tagged bible, Christianity, church, confession, culture, faith, God, grace, humility, jesus christ, Joy, love, reality, salvation, spirituality, truth, union

• Taking God seriously

  Posted at 12:40 am by jwswift22, on April 11, 2018

  via J.I Packer and his challenge to the church

  Posted in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

• J.I Packer and his challenge to the church

  Posted at 12:34 am by jwswift22, on April 11, 2018

    J.I Packer: A Christian worth listening to…

  J.I packer, is a British-born Canadian Christian theologian in the  Low- Church- Anglican and Calvinist  traditions. He currently serves as the Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at  Regent College in Vancouver British Columbia. He is considered one of the most influential Evangelicals in North America.

  He has been the theologian emeritus of the Anglican Church in North America since its inception in 2009.    (courtesy of Wiki)

  J.I Packer has written many  good theological books and articles including one of his best know entitled , “Knowing God”.

  Make him a part of your theological library, ( I can count 5 of His books on my shelf currently)

  What a privileged we have to speak to one another– and to listen– across denominational lines concerning struggles and the realities of our faith. we may even issue challenges to one another in the spirit of love as J.I Packer does in this short video

  J.I Packer is a very wise elder brother in Christ and my prayer is  “Lord gives us more men like this!!”

   

  Posted in culture, Theologically sound | 1 Comment | Tagged bible, Christianity, church, culture, faith, J.I Packer, mercy, theology, truth

• Oh the Value of a bible in your hand!!!

  Posted at 6:11 pm by jwswift22, on April 4, 2018

  

   

  Technology is moving at the speed of light.  The common thumb-drive that fits in your pocket can potentially hold more information than the original NASA computers that were involved in the moon landing. Yes a thumb-drive!!

  Your cell phone is way, way beyond that!!!

  Technology is a great tool, it can be used in so many ways and the applications are virtually endless. Technology is very useful.

  But I am going to raise an issue here that will sound very “Old School” and in fact it is, “Old School”.

  The issue stems from a strong conviction that was ingrained into me during my Theological Schooling and in particular my Preaching (elocution) classes.

  It was taught to us, that when  you are going to preach, you must enter the pulpit “Carrying your Bible”  and then you are to place that bible deliberately on the pulpit in an attitude and gesture of reverence.  Then you were to pray over it then read from its pages.

  To that picture, let me add the words of a Pastor whose ministry I sat under for some time.  This pastor told me, “When you preach, STAND BEHIND THE WORD”.

  “When you read the passage …”, I was told, “ …pick it up off the pulpit, hold it in your hands and show where it comes from”    ( Thus teaching them how to read it)

  In other words, this is not about you, it is about God, His word and what He has to say to “US” today.

  So what does this have to do with tech?

  When that Bible is placed on the pulpit everyone knows its function, its power, its purpose and if we are “standing behind it” as a teacher or preacher we will know its application too and will be able to convey it.

  If I carry my laptop, tablet or whatever into the pulpit, it is a common thing in my hand, often used for common purposes.  It just cannot convey the same singularity of focus and expectation required for a very uncommon and eternal message.

  Oh sure you can preach a fine sermon, a very biblical sermon in fact from a tech screen.

  But…

  The value of a bible in your hand is beyond measure, not only for preaching but for your personal time with the Lord.

  The only “call” that you will receive or “text” you will be presented with will come from God Himself, with a Bible in your hand.

  Don’t get me wrong I have a bible app on my phone and top notch Bible study software on my lap-top.     But oh… there is nothing like a bible in your hand!!!

  Oh, the feel of it when opening it up; the deliberate turning off of distractions to focus on it. The turning of the pages , back and forth. It catches your tears when they fall on the page, the pages crease when you grip it in frustration over passages you struggle over or in times of coming to grips with conviction.

  There is nothing like the value of a Bible in your hand.

   

  Posted in culture, Theologically sound | 0 Comments | Tagged bible, church, culture, faith, media, preach, spirituality, technology, truth

• Porn, the wretched review

  Posted at 1:25 pm by jwswift22, on March 29, 2018

    “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy”  Proverbs 27:6
  

  There is nothing like a good, firm and sometimes even downright sarcastic correction to help put things in perspective and this is what we have from one of my favorite “corrective” Christian ministries. Wretched radio and T.V.

  In the video, Todd Friel from “wretched” underscores points made by Canadian reformed blogger Tim Challies.

  I am putting up a video that will give that ” faithful wound” to the heart that needs to deal with the sin of porn.  It’s not for cry babies or the willfully blind.

  Ive been there done that ….no thanks.

  If we call ourselves by the title of  “Christian” then we had better be running from the lust of the flesh and today more than ever Porn is invading the Church.

  I have had my own struggle with it and other Christian men  have met do to.

  Only in Christ will we find the strength and power to Obey by Grace.

  It doesn’t matter whether you are a young man, husband, father or older,  as men we  have become the target of a devastating threat to all things that Christ calls us to.  It goes by the name Pornography and it is targeting a younger audience of viewers all the time.

  Watch the video and listen.   This is a call to be united to Christ and separated from evil.

  In all humility, follow Christ. Be wounded and be healed.

  Posted in free from porn, Uncategorized | 0 Comments | Tagged addiction, Christ, God, grace, Jesus, men, Porn, suicide, tim challies, union, wretched

• Sin is never general but specific.

  Posted at 10:47 pm by jwswift22, on March 14, 2015

  I often wonder what it would have been like to be one of Jesus first disciples. I mean what was it like to have no place to stay, to be simply following Jesus along the dusty roads. To see a person who “did not sin”,To hear the sound of his voice, to see people physically healed, delivered from demonic oppression and see marginalized people treated with genuine Godly love and concern.
  But of all the things that I wonder about, I wonder most of all what it would have been like after the crowds left, and Jesus and his disciples sat huddled around a fire sharing food and just talking together.
  More specifically these men were in the presence of a person who knew them better than they knew themselves.
  They had often witnessed Jesus “knowing what people thought” He often confronted people at the level of what they thought not what they said. the disciples would surely have been aware that he could read their thoughts too.
  We all have very specific struggles with sin, envy, lust, pride, gossip unbelief etc.
  I wonder what it would be like to open up in one of those conversations around the firelight with Jesus about those struggles. You could never do it without being specific. He knows everything and it would be pretty useless to hold back.

  But it would be pretty difficult at the same time. Jesus himself was without sin. He could however be trusted to deal with the heart of sinners.
  When I think of this I remember that I actually can open up to Him. I can do it anytime because He yet lives and I do.
  Whether it is the sin of Lust (like Pornography which I have had to deal with and still watch out for in my own life) or it is gossip, (which may be your treasured sin). If you are a Christian Jesus will confront, challenge and forgive you as long as you keep close and learn to trust Him as the savior that He is.

  I am a sinner and I know it. He died for sinners to take away our guilt and rose again to restore us continually to God. Get real….we all need to get real.

  Posted in culture, free from porn | 0 Comments | Tagged confession, Jesus, jesus christ, Joy, love, pornography, reality, salvation, suicide, truth

• The warriors cry and the victory of Christ.

  Posted at 3:29 am by jwswift22, on January 12, 2015

  The Christian life is clearly described in the bible as a life of ongoing battle, as a spiritual warfare, a wrestling between the Spirit and the flesh as clash between light and darkness.

  If you are a Christian you know it well. If you aren’t I could never convince you of intensity of that battle or of the joy of victories in that life of faith and the sorrow of defeats or of the time and energy spent in regrouping to fight those battles again, [hopefully] having learned from the past. Christians are engaged in battle often against their own inner desires and temptations.

  If you are not a Christian then you will not know any of this reality. Never the less you may find what follows interesting and perhaps have your eyes opened too.

  Today I will add my voice to a battle cry not as a spectator but a warrior. (One actively engaged in battle) My victories and strength come from the Lord alone. My failures are mine alone.

  Perhaps what follows has been your battle too.

  There is no way to ease in to speaking about the topic of Pornography so let’s get direct.

  These are some statistics gathered and published by the “Safe Eyes” accountability software website.

  About 64-68% of young adult men and about 18% of women use porn at least once every week.

  Another 17% of men and another 30% of women use porn 1-2 times per month.

  But what about us Christians?

  Timothy .C Morgan of the Publication “Christianity today” states,
  “Don’t assume that porn isn’t a problem in the church. One evangelical leader was skeptical of survey findings that said 50 percent of Christian men have looked at porn recently. So he surveyed his own congregation. He found that 60 percent had done so within the past year, and 25 percent within the past 30 days. Other surveys reveal that one in three visitors to adult websites are women.”

  It has also been noted that 51% of Pastors said that pornography was a possible temptation. (To themselves)

  “Pornography is prevalent everywhere today. In fact, one in eight online searches is for pornography. Because Porn use thrives in secrecy, many Church members are trapped in a cycle of sin and shame, thinking that they’re the only ones facing this temptation.” (safe eyes)

  Those are the realities. The light destroys darkness and before I move on as a Christian and as a warrior I must acknowledge that this has been battle ground for me.

  My close Christian friends know this and as I have made disclosure and sought accountability I have found that many have sheepishly acknowledged that this is an area of battle for them too.
  You are not alone. Don’t ever believe that.

  Stay tuned this is only the beginning and because of Christ I have no fear in allowing light to overtake my darkness. For “He alone is my rock and shield”

  Posted in culture, free from porn | 0 Comments | Tagged Jesus, men, Porn, pornography, salvation, suicide, truth, victory, warrior

• Is Jesus a friend of yours?

  Posted at 9:39 pm by jwswift22, on September 4, 2014

  Jesus Christ, in the Gospels is shown to be a divine/ human person that unsettled others.

  On the one hand He himself was a person who could never be accused of sin. By sin I am referring to a breach of any of God’s laws either in action, motive or thought. He was not like other men, ( not like us). Yet He purposely disassociated with the religious elite, the upper crust of Judaism the honoured, the self righteous. Those who looked good.

       On the other hand Jesus spent His time, energy and compassion on those who were obviously sinners; people whose sins were easily seen. People who in all actuality are like you and I. He was continually with drunks, prostitutes, swindlers, the dishonoured, the unrighteous. He befriended them and even ate in their homes eating what they prepared for Him.

    All mankind are sinners to be sure but it is the sinner who knows himself to be a sinner that is closest to the heart of God. It is he who is able to enter through the narrow gate and find the embrace of Christ.

     A dynamic that I have come across in my Christian experience is that often in the church (Which belongs to Christ) or just among other Christians we acknowledge sin as a general reality and that Christ forgives us our sins, and there it is, a sort of confession without actually confessing to anything in particular.

    But let us ask ourselves the question, “Was our last sinful action, whether a breach of Gods law in action, motive or thought some kind of hazy general thing or a specific thing?” Of course it was a specific breach a nameable offence an actual sin. Lying, coveting, lust etc. are not general but specific.

     So I pray, “ Lord help us to be real, to be honest to be broken but to have you as our Lord, savior and friend, save us Oh Lord from ourselves help us to love and uphold each other as redeemed sinners”

  So what happens if a person opens the door to his or her offence?

  What should happen?

  There religious elite of Jesus day had within them a steadfast refusal to actually be broken. It was undignified, it was beneath the status that they loved so much. Are we like them?

  Think about it….. are we like them?

     Are we so afraid if being real, of being broken? We must be ware that we don’t become like them because we will not prosper in our relationship with God if we do. We will become isolated, we will become critical and hardened.

     It was the unbroken Pharisee who would accuse Jesus of being a “ friend of sinners”. A title that fits Him perfectly!!!!

    He is my friend I hope and pray He is yours too. I am on a quest in my Christian life to seek out those like me, “actual sinners who need actual salvation” and to be open with them. He has of late been answering that prayer.

  Posted in culture | 2 Comments | Tagged Christ, church, confession, forgiveness, friends, Jesus, narrow gate, openess, salvation, sin, sinner

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