Letters From Out There, Where You Are

Thank you for your ministry.
First off, I’m one who made the Rap Battle video with you and Keith Foskey. I hope you enjoyed it. :-)
But that’s not why I’m writing. I’m a fellow Idahoan, and as our state legislative sessions starts today, I’d like to ask for your public support of Brandon Shippy’s Idaho Prenatal Equal Protection Act.
The only incrementalism left in Idaho is full on abolition. Would you consider writing an Open Letter to Idahoans asking them to implore their state senators to co-sign, support and vote for this legislation.
The Republican establishment will do everything it can to stop it, and we need every Biblically minded Christian to get involved and put pressure on them.
Thank you for reading, and God bless.

Ben

You suggested that Venezuela had to do with the deep state. I just read this . . .

Craig

Being in the “rich guy in a small church” position, I’ve had to learn a thing or two myself on the parishioner side of the equation. Lest the church or ministry become overly dependent or overly influenced, my wife and I have divided up our tithing and offerings. We give a 5% “tithe portion” biweekly to the church, using the other 5% to support other ministries, charities, hospitality, and missionaries. In full transparency, for the sake of other financially blessed, inquiring brothers, we set aside a total of between 15 and 20% total income yearly for the above purposes.
Regarding the other ministries, we use a 10-20 rule, where we don’t take on a ministry for less than 10% of their total monthly budget, but no more than 20%. We’d like to see more support like this in broader Christendom, as it would avoid furlough being a time for visiting 200 churches for $10/month, but also avoids fall out if something happens to me or my income.
One final note: my local pastor has yet to learn that we high-capacity, high income guys need to be pointed in a direction. God made us to run, and we will run somewhere, even if the local church hasn’t figured out where to send us.

That Guy

I hope you’re doing well. In the context of people on social media talking about the “Postwar Consensus,” I’ve found myself researching because something was bothering me about the entire scheme.
No, not that kind of research.
For context, I attended Grace Agenda in 2023. During that time, I had graduated as a history major, and had my credential in teaching social studies to junior high and high schoolers. However, I was not pursuing teaching due to all of the nasty things I saw during my time just as a substitute teacher in the public school system. I also grew up in a home where at least one person in my family farther back had escaped a socialist nation to come to the United States. I had a firm grasp on what was and was not Marxist, and a healthy view of America’s Christian founding.
Hearing David Goodwin talk about the Progressives during the era post the American Civil War, especially during the Reconstruction Era, struck a nerve. I’d always disliked the Progressive Movement; to me, its platform manipulated people’s common decency and ignorance of the Bible to concede power to the government. What better way, as both David Goodwin and Pete Hegseth say in “The Battle for the American Mind,” for that to occur than through the manipulation which is rampant in the government educational system?
This, plus my time traveling extensively in the East Coast, has made me conclude that perhaps we have been living in a different kind of consensus. The way that we view, for example, women and race really does stem from the horrid, but inevitable, applications of 19th-century post-Enlightenment movements such as Feminism, Darwinism and Marxism. Not only that, but the United States itself seemed to be a completely different kind of truly, palpably Christian Nation pre the American Civil War, minus the abuses within the chattel slavery system (which, as I understand it, the Founders desired to find a way to end the system). Those all coalesced into a rather nasty brew during the Progressive Era. I think these Marxist ideas have really gained power post-World War II, especially after our nation had been in governmental schools for nearly a century by that time.
All of this blither blather to say, I’m curious as to your thoughts regarding perhaps a post-Civil War consensus being the actual issue we’re dealing with, as opposed to simply a post-WWII consensus?

ON

Sad to see the Disarming Leviathan series come to an end. Seems these liberal types are often a bit rusty on their logic skills.

Graeme

I am a new father. I am reading Keep Your Kids at the moment (currently enjoying chapter 3 after a convicting chapter 2).
I can see the bundle of sin. My wife and I have talked about it and we listened to your interview on Culture Apothecary.
We have a 5-month “bundle of sin” that (from what I can tell) rages at times, especially with sleep or envious of when we are eating. I guess my question is “when did you start disciplining?” At 5 months, sometimes I can’t tell what is a tantrum and what is just crying for something. I don’t know how much I should start flicking at tantrums (which we have just recently tried). Some seem too hard, some seem too soft. I don’t know how to explain discipline, pain, forgiveness, and fellowship to a crying 5-month.
I have enjoyed your book and Jankovic Loving the Little Years which I got to encourage my wife. Thanks for your fervor and example in keeping God centered in all things in the house!

John

We’re new to town and have been blessed by many aspects of moving to Moscow. Somewhere along the way I found your good advice about waiting a while before questioning or making suggestions about a thing that is working pretty well. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to ask about leaning so heavily on the KJV translation? This week’s Notes seem to highlight my curiosity. The KJV seems increasingly inaccessible to a modern reader. Perhaps some of this is the dumbing down of English literacy, which is worth fighting, but some parts of clinging to the KJV seem pretentious for the sake of being pretentious. The fact that Christians often need a translation for this translation seems to be a strong argument for my point. As you attempt to assimilate more of us newcomers, we greatly benefit from explanations of Christ Church culture—being a Psalm-dominated worship culture for example. This translation topic might be worth a blog post, etc. Hoping that we can bring more joy rather than grief (KJV) / groaning (ESV) as we are assimilated.

Reagan

As you have been there for many who are with for their loved ones near death and making medical/end of life decisions, what is your counsel in regards to the use of morphine?
Peace,

Charles

I write you this question because you are one of the most qualified to answer with your reading background. What would be the best book to read to better understand the book of Job? I see many quotes from the book, including the statements of his friends, whom God later instructed him to pray for because they had “not spoken of God what was right.” These quotes could easily be mistaken as the Word of God out of context to those of us who are still developing the ability to discern between good and evil. What say you?

Steven

Reading or listening to your blogs is a guilty indulgence of mine. I say that because I can’t help being entertained even as I am edified. In your recent post regarding the posture of the US administration with respect to its invasion of Venezuela, your Christian duty to remind us to eschew hubris and unseemly boasting was certainly in order and needs to be shouted louder. To that end, I came across this hymn penned by Rudyard Kipling and sung to the tune MELITA which I thought I would share with you.

God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine:
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart;
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart:
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!

Far called our navies melt away.
On dune and headland sinks the fire;
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the law:
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard;
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard:
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy mercy on Thy people, Lord!

Gordon

So . . . I’m new to this “controversy” of Utah vs Moscow, ID. Forgive my typing from my phone. I just bought 2 books from New Christendom Press, White Knights and Reviling Wives and the Boniface Option. I do my best to stay out of controversy and stick to the actual content. Am I getting into something bad with this purchase?

Alex

Regarding the previously featured Talmud as “exegetical gold”:
I do recognize your logic argument of “Some good and some bad = good”. I can point out that it can also be valid in the reverse “Some good and some bad = bad”. Your argument is thus technically valid, but weak in comparison to an “All” argument. I am an alumnus of one of your ACCS schools, but it has been over 20 years since 8th grade logic class, so show mercy. My argument is as follows . . .
Why would I need a book that is some good and some exceedingly horrendous blasphemy of my Lord and Savior when I have Scripture, which is always (all) good, infinitely insightful, and loudly proclaims the Good Work and praises of our Lord and Savior, that is Jesus, the Christ. Give me an “All good” over “some good, some blasphemy” any day. Sola Scriptura! Sufficiens Scriptura!
I hope it warms your heart that a student of one of your schools is now challenging your claims and calling for you to draw near to Christ. I like to think Gary Waddell is smiling down from heaven, proud.
Return to Logos. Return to Christ.

Hunter

At your short panel with Steve Deace at AmFest, in response to the last audience question, you said that Eastern Europeans in the late Middle Ages “covenanted with the God of Abraham” and thus became Jews. If they truly covenanted with the God of Abraham, wouldn’t they have the faith of Abraham? Wouldn’t they be Christians, the true children of Abraham, the true heirs of the promise (Galatians 3:29), the true circumcision (Philippians 3:3)—and not unbelieving Jews who disbelieve Christ and hold on to the shadows of the law and the elementary principles of the world? How could they covenant with the God of Abraham without believing Him?
Help me make sense of this. This sounds like something a committed dispensationalist would say, not someone who believes and teaches covenant theology. You don’t actually believe what you said, did you? Or else, what do you actually mean?
Thank you,

Chris

Wanted to follow up, and thank you for your advice to a query I had last week.
In short I was asking for advice on how to handle a situation where my wife was challenging my choice of where to worship. Thankfully, since that time my wife has apologized to me in front of the kids, and to the kids, and made it clear to them that she needs to follow me (the husband)where I am leading. She is a good wife and has never been this way before, and I think she was just having a weak season of doubt.
Anyway, now that things are restored and she is following my leading, she still is making it clear to me that she does not like the church. She will follow me, but does not like the church. Her reasons for not liking the church though are not substantial nor biblical, and more or less phobias.
That being said , I thought it might be a good idea to sit and talk through these issues a little more. Without getting into details my wife grew up as a pastor’s daughter and was badly abused, as well as witnessed a lot of abuse in the church. Although I was aware of all this, as we talked I became aware that the church we are now attending was in some odd way resurfacing all of these scars. Not because there is abuse in this church; it’s a most excellent body, full of the Spirit. But because it is a more liturgical service, or as some might say more traditional. Even the building itself is very old in style, and so was the church she was raised in. So, It seems that this is bringing up in here some deep anxieties and hurts from the past. I can’t be certain but I think my analysis is correct.
Anyway, would you have any suggestions as to where to go from here. I want to worship together with my wife in joy, not in fear and displeasure. Well, sorry for the mouthful. Any thoughts will help. Thanks Doug!!

BR

Would Martin Luther’s commentary on Galatians with his ideas of “Law and Gospel” and “Do and Done” be a good commentary for an evangelical pastor to base his Galatians sermons on?

Anonymous Smith

Is it ok to ask my husband to lose weight? We’re closing in on our 25th anniversary, and both middle aged pretty average parents of teens. I’m under no illusions about perpetual youthfulness or either of us having washboard abs or whatever. He tells me he wants me to find him attractive but he doesn’t take care of his appearance and I find his weight gain to be a turn-off. But I vowed “for better or for worse” and all those traditional vows, which I intend to continue upholding. I asked a trusted woman in our church and she said no, I shouldn’t ask him to try to lose weight, I should just be content and find him attractive for other reasons than physical ones, and it would hurt his feelings too much and make him discouraged and not be a respectful request. Our frequency of intimacy is good (meaning he’s happy with it) but for me it’s often a struggle to get that fire burning. Everyone knows men are very physical and wired for sight and women are encouraged to look nice for their husbands, but does that road not go both ways, at least to some extent? Is it a disrespectful request? I feel stuck. Is it a me problem? Thanks for your counsel.

EK