Shepherds – how is your flock doing?

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The failure of the New Zealand church through the pandemic ought to be clear to all except the most blinded by now. I suspect that when we eventually get back to normal, the church won’t look like it did in 2020. Many individual churches have been weighed and found wanting. The rot that was already in some of the timber but painted over with nice glossy paint so that the average Christian didn’t notice it has been exposed for just about all to see. It turns out paint over dry rot counts for nothing when someone comes along and squeezes that timber hard. So what has happened to the flock?

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Under Shepherds, Represent the Great Shepherd

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Some readers of Sojournal may be disappointed that for months now we have moved away from our typical content and focussed on issues covid, particularly the mandates and the tyranny that is being imposed on a once free people. I make no apology for this. Nor are words like tyranny out of place, contrary to the opinions of well-meaning friends who think I’ve gone off the deep end. I am not a slave, and I will not be dictated to by a deity grasping state about what I will put in my body. To hell with that. And I mean that quite literally – that grasping authoritarianism is reminiscent of the evil one himself and clearly signals its diabolical origins. So covid dominates, because this is the issue of our time. This is where the battle currently is, and to ignore it is a dereliction of duty for those who claim to be followers of the king. Unfortunately in too many churches in New Zealand, covid and the issues arising from it have been studiously ignored and ‘spiritual’ matters focussed on. All hell (literally) seems to be breaking loose in our little country, and many under-shepherds of Christ seem content to lull the sheep into a false sense of security rather than train them up for battle and prepare for persecution. Some have even joined the enemy.

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Westminster Confession of Faith 2.1 – What is God?

In our previous look at the Wesminster Confession of Faith we completed the first chapter “Of the Holy Scriptures” with highlighting how Scripture is to be the supreme judge in matters of religious controversy. This week we commence the second chapter of the confession which is entitled “Of God and of the Holy Trinity”.

I. There is but one only living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute, working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him; and withal most just and terrible in His judgments; hating all sin; and who will by no means clear the guilty.

In this first part of the chapter we are presented with a number of truths. Firstly we are presented with the fact that there is only one true and living God. The framers of the Confession spend no time proving the existence of God. God is, and it is the fool who denies his existence (Psalm 14:1). Besides, His works and Word testify to Him most clearly as the framers of the Confession discussed in chapter 1.

Next, we are presented with the attributes of God. Theologians often draw a distinction between incommunicable and communicable attributes. Those which are incommunicable are attributes of God alone (such as eternity or immutability) and those which are communicable are attributes that his creatures can share to a lesser degree, such as being and wisdom. We won’t explore all of them, but a smattering will suffice for today’s post.

God is described by the framers as infinite in being and perfection. What does this mean? His existence is free from any limitations. Unlike us, He is everywhere present fully. He is a ‘most pure spirit’, which as the catechism puts it means ‘he has not a body like men’. He is invisible, which is why Russian cosmonauts shouldn’t be surprised they don’t find him in space. His being is pure spirit and when described in Scripture as having a strong arm or eyes, we are merely being given metaphors to help us understand Him. So as a spirit, we can say He is invisible and has no body or parts. But what does it mean that He has no passions? Does it mean that God is emotionless? Clearly the Scriptures do not support this picture of God. We see God rightly expressing compassion, love, wrath and forgiveness. A great little discussion on this term is found here. Essentially what is meant is that “God is not passive, not acted upon or overruled by any other power or influence.”

Listed next are some of his attributes. Immutable means God is unchanging. Change would suggest becoming better or worse and clearly, this cannot apply to the God of the Scriptures. In Him “there is no variation or shadow due to change“(James 1:17). Incomprehensible means that God is not like us. We cannot comprehend him apart from his gracious revelation of himself to us, and even in that, He condescends to the level of our finite understanding. Almighty is what we sometimes describe as omnipotent. God is not constrained and can do as He pleases. Most holy reminds me of the throne room scene in Isaiah’s vision where the seraphim are proclaiming God’s holiness over and over. This highlights his infinite purity and utter transcendence.

The phrase ‘working things to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, for His own glory‘ reminds us again that God is almighty. He has a will which is righteous and not tainted by sin, and he works all things (yes that means all, even the bad and even the insignificant) so that his perfect will is done and glory is brought to His name.

Towards the end of this first section, we are reminded of God’s love, grace, mercy, patience (long-suffering) and his willingness to forgive sin and reward those who diligently seek Him, but conversely, his just judgment and hatred of sin. He will by no means clear the guilty, which is precisely why His Son Christ had to bear our guilt. These words ought to be a reminder to all to diligently seek God through His son Christ to find forgiveness and his grace and mercy.

Lessons from the Gulags – Part 3

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Introduction

Just before Solzhenitsyn was exiled to the West, he left his motherland with a world-class essay called “Live Not by Lies”. It was his parting exhortation to his Soviet brethren, imploring them to refrain from cooperating with the lies of their leaders. This bold and confronting piece has some brilliant lessons to teach us today. The lesson I learned from Solzhenitsyn here was that the first and most basic step towards our liberation from tyranny is to refuse to participate with the lies.

What Lies?

Over the past two years, our nation has been bombarded with lies from our government and its media. Back in September of 2020, our Prime Minister said that there would be no forced vaccinations and that those who chose to opt-out would face no penalties. Newshub even said that it was “conspiracy theorists” who were promoting the idea that there would be mandatory vaccines.[1] In August of 2021, Auckland went into a “one-week” lockdown in order to “go hard and go early”, in response to one COVID case in the community.[2] That “one week” was a lie. It actually ended up being more than fourteen weeks before restrictions were lifted. Then in November of 2021, there was the secretive passing of COVID legislation without consultation[3] and the complete curbing of the Bill of Rights.

While all this is happening, throughout the past two years, there has been vicious censoring of any and all dissent. World experts are being banned from Twitter and we are unable to even link to their material,[4] doctors are fired and punished for rejecting the mainstream narrative.[5]

Now, I know enough about human nature to see what is going on here. Every other time I see one side trying to viciously silence opposing views, it is always because the ones doing the silencing have no ability to respond to their objections. This is why the Critical Theory loonies want to label all conservatives as racist, homophobic bigots, and why our government wants to pass its Conversion Practices Bill. This is why the doomsday climate folks want to cancel any scientists who challenge their false prophecies. This is why the elites want a monopoly on the narrative regarding everything from elections down to gender.

People in power always find it easier to silence their opposition through the exercise of force. The last thing they want is for everything to be exposed in the light and for people to make up their own minds. If that isn’t what is going on here, then why are they acting like it is?

The Problem of Cowards

In New Zealand in 2022, human nature is not so different from that of Russia in 1974. People are much the same. Like them, people here have willingly gone along with the foolish mandates and become state actors. Punishing and disciplining the non-compliant. Out of cowardly self-preservation, men have abandoned principle and embraced the lies. They have thrown people to the crocodiles, hoping to be the last ones eaten. Men have capitulated and compromised hoping that they would not have to pay the price. But there is always a price to be paid. The cowards of our day won’t pay the price of straying from the herd, or social exclusion, or losing their job. However, they will pay the price of losing any strength of character that they might have had. They will squander the liberty and freedoms that their ancestors fought and died for. They will pay the price of diminishing their own soul.

“We have so hopelessly ceded our humanity that for the modest handouts of today we are ready to surrender up all principles, our soul, all the labors of our ancestors, all the prospects of our descendants—anything to avoid disrupting our meager existence. We have lost our strength, our pride, our passion… We hope only not to stray from the herd, not to set out on our own, and risk suddenly having to make do without the white bread, the hot water heater, a Moscow residency permit. We have internalized well the lessons drummed into us by the state; we are forever content and comfortable with its premise”

The price one pays by making himself complicit with the sins of the state is not worth it. What does it profit a man to gain the world and forfeit his soul? This is not the time for cowards. Our children are watching us. They are learning from us. Unfortunately, many men are teaching the next generation to have spines of jelly.

No Excuses

“We cannot escape the environment, the social conditions; they shape us, “being determines consciousness.” What have we to do with this? We can do nothing… Some will counter: But really, there is nothing to be done! Our mouths are gagged, no one listens to us, no one asks us. How can we make them listen to us?”

Counterfeit masculinity excels at making excuses whereas true masculinity voluntarily takes on responsibility. In our climate, there is no shortage of excuses. “This shouldn’t be the hill to die on”, “It’s not a gospel issue”, and “It’s the law, we have to obey”. Oh, and let’s not forget the ol’ faithful “but Romans 13”.

Weak people love excuses, and they love pointing to the fact that they have not been given any specific command to address this specific injustice. Many who recognise the wickedness of the vaccine mandates will glibly go along with them, reasoning to themselves that it is not their problem to deal with. Or hoping that it will pass before too much damage is done.

This mindset is the exact opposite of what was modelled to us by our Lord. From his example, we see that men are called to imitate him by willingly giving of their strength for the sake of others. Christian men should voluntarily spend themselves, give of themselves, face harm for the sake of others. Christian leaders should be the first to face retribution for the sake of their people. This is the example given to us by Christ. Yet today, countless churches and Christian institutions have played ball with the state. Countless good people have lost jobs and faced social exclusion while their leaders have folded and bended to meet the ever-changing standards.

If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work? (Proverbs 24:10-12)

By God’s common grace, there are many everyday people who are doing the right thing and refusing to participate in the two-tiered discrimination of our government. Gym owners, café owners, and restaurant owners. In God’s kindness, many non-Christians have seen through the deceit before our church leaders. At this point, there is no excuse for Christian leaders to be participating with the lies.

“And therein we find, neglected by us, the simplest, the most accessible key to our liberation: a personal nonparticipation in lies! Even if all is covered by lies, even if all is under their rule, let us resist in the smallest way: Let their rule hold not through me! And this is the way to break out of the imaginary encirclement of our inertness, the easiest way for us and the most devastating for the lies. For when people renounce lies, lies simply cease to exist. Like parasites, they can only survive when attached to a person.”

Don’t be Cattle

For anyone wishing to live by principle and protect the integrity of their soul, life will be difficult. If you have principles that you have resolved to live by, then severe punishment can always be right around the corner. Those who have such principles will know exactly what I’m talking about when I say this. If you have resolved never to support or promote the LGBT agenda in any way, then your career could implode when HR asks you to wear the rainbow badge for all of June. If you have resolved never to discriminate in your church or Christian institution, you are now stuck facing the wrath of the state. A thousand other examples of potential danger exist for those of us who seek to live by our principles. Compromised men know nothing of this for they will constantly bend and mould their principles to fit their current situation so that they too never “technically” violate them. In reality, they never violate their principles because they have none.

Yes, at first it will not be fair. Someone will have to temporarily lose his job. For the young who seek to live by truth, this will at first severely complicate life, for their tests and quizzes, too, are stuffed with lies, and so choices will have to be made. But there is no loophole left for anyone who seeks to be honest: Not even for a day, not even in the safest technical occupations can he avoid even a single one of the listed choices—to be made in favor of either truth or lies, in favor of spiritual independence or spiritual servility. And as for him who lacks the courage to defend even his own soul: Let him not brag of his progressive views, boast of his status as an academician or a recognized artist, a distinguished citizen or general. Let him say to himself plainly: I am cattle, I am a coward, I seek only warmth and to eat my fill.

In sum, the third vital lesson from the gulags is this; don’t be cattle, don’t be a coward, don’t seek only self-preservation. Live not by lies. Let the rule of lies hold not through you!

[1] https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/09/coronavirus-jacinda-ardern-confident-enough-kiwis-will-get-covid-19-vaccine-for-herd-immunity-without-being-forced-to.html

[2] https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-go-hard-and-early-than-light-and-long-new-zealand-pm-on-snap-lockdown-2512930

[3] https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018822626/rushed-laws-a-constitutional-disgrace-law-prof

[4] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10364679/YouTube-Twitter-delete-Joe-Rogan-interview-scientist-helped-invent-MRNA-vaccines.html

[5] https://nzdsos.com/2021/10/13/irresponsible/

At Least We Aren’t In North Korea

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Introduction

During these crazy times, there is one objection that has been made to me on several occasions. It is an objection that I have been thinking about a lot lately. It normally comes up when I am voicing my objection to the current state of affairs regarding the COVID hysteria or criticising the incompetence and wickedness of the fools running the show. The objection normally goes something like this, “Well, at least we aren’t in North Korea” or “Things aren’t as bad as they were during the time of the early church. If you were complaining like this, you’d be dead”.

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