Makresh

I understand why my thesis that secularism is the last stand of Christendom is difficult to swallow. For many conservative Protestants secularism has been the Antichrist. But it isn’t. Here’s why: Secularism assumes the dignity and worth of individuals. There’s no reason to do that without a vague set of Christian assumptions supporting those notions. Progress is also assumed, both technical and moral progress. Anyone with a modicum of historical awareness knows this is the exception and not the rule in human societies. And the only place it is assumed is in Christian societies. Universal human responsibility and rights, once again are assumed, but only because of Christian beliefs working tacitly. The term “nature” is used to obfuscate. What is really being referred to is Christian insights into creation. Finally, there is a peculiar understanding that separates eternal things from temporal while retaining the value of the temporal, giving the “secular” a sense of significance not seen elsewhere. All this is passing away. We can’t play the game of pretending our way of life isn’t based on Christianity. We can thank the heresy of Leftism in its most extreme form for that. Secularism was a gambit to avoid conflict. Well, that’s over.

This post won't earn me many friends in the Jewish community. Today we commemorate Tisha B'Av, the day both Temples were destroyed by enemy armies. The rabbis, reflecting on the destruction of the Second Temple, concluded that its downfall was caused by "sinat chinam", "baseless hatred." Unlike the First Temple, which fell because of rampant idolatry, the Second Temple period was marked by a people who had lost love for one another. That conclusion is valid and is consistent with Yeshua's own words. Immediately before prophesying the Temple's destruction, He pronounced a series of woes upon the Pharisees and Torah teachers: 👉 Shutting people out of the Kingdom of Heaven 👉 Making converts into "sons of hell" 👉 Neglecting justice, mercy, and faithfulness 👉 Living in hypocrisy These are all manifestations of the very kind of corruption the rabbis later described as "baseless hatred". But I believe there was something even deeper at the root. The destruction of the Temple, followed by the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of the Jewish people, was unparalleled divine judgment. Such a judgment points not merely to broken relationships between people, but to the unresolved problem of sin before God. Yeshua came to provide the atonement that the sacrificial system did not fully accomplish. Yet the leadership of first-century Judaism largely rejected Him and the atonement He offered. Just before declaring the Temple desolate, Yeshua lamented: "How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. Behold, your house is being left to you desolate." (Matthew 23:37–38) Notice the connection. The desolation is directly tied to their unwillingness to come to Him. Jewish people have had it up to here with this sentiment. For centuries, Jews have endured persecution at the hands of those claiming to be Christians, often under the false and hateful accusation of being "Christ-killers." As a result, any suggestion that Israel's suffering is connected to the rejection of Yeshua evokes deep resentment. But it is difficult to escape the plain meaning of Yeshua's words. He Himself connected the coming desolation of the Temple with the nation's rejection of Him. Yes, "sinat chinam" was real. It characterized the spiritual condition of the generation. But the ultimate issue was that the Messiah whom God sent, and the atonement He provided, was rejected. My prayer on this Tisha B'Av is that Israel will receive her Messiah, embrace His atoning work, and experience the spiritual restoration promised by the prophets. May the final ingathering take place in our day. May Israel look upon the One whom they pierced, mourn in repentance, and may Messiah come quickly.

The IRS is threatening to seize a Tennessee man's farm after charging him interest on a $20,000 refund it accidentally sent him, which he immediately tried to return. Wilson Perry Kirby, 76, says he was accidentally sent $20,000 by the IRS in 2022. Kirby immediately tried returning the money and even hired an accountant to fix the issue. Instead, the IRS is now charging him interest on the money he tried returning and is withholding his 2025 tax refund. "I've tried the president, governor, mayor. They don't mind asking you to vote for them, but when you need help you can't get ahold of nobody," Kirby said. Despite trying to fix the problem, the IRS is still sending letters, demanding he pay interest on the money they accidentally sent him that he tried to return. He never spent it. The IRS is now threatening to seize his farm if he doesn't pay the up to $4300 (and growing) interest. Infuriating. Source: News Channel 5 Nashville / Hannah McDonald

@not_our_guy This is very reasonable

Posted 1 hour ago by Rick Appleton on Facebook: "Here is my February 27 explanation to Pittsburgh Presbytery."

Tennessee: didn’t beat a single team that finished with a winning record, lost bowl to B1G team. Missouri: didn’t beat a single team that finished with a winning record, lost bowl to ACC team. LSU: literally 7-6, got embarrassed in their own stadium by Texas A&M, lost bowl to Big 12 team. Alabama: Lost by 14 to 5-7 FSU, squeaked past 4-8 South Carolina, squeaked past 5-7 Auburn, lost by 21 and put up -3 rushing yards in the SECCG, lost CFP game by 35. Unbearably brutal grind.

President Trump denies hundreds of pardon requests, but not Adamiak’s The Office of the Pardon Attorney, part of the U.S. Department of Justice, announced Tuesday that President Donald Trump had denied hundreds of pardon requests this week. Patrick “Tate” Adamiak was not among the denials. His father, Dave Adamiak, was at first extremely worried until he found that his son was not listed among those whose pardon requests had been rejected by President Trump. “We still have hope,” Dave Adamiak said. “There’s still a chance that Tate may come home.” In addition to the 301 pardon denials, the Pardon Attorney announced that 5,908 clemency applications had been rejected. All of the denials are listed on the Pardon Attorney’s website. The White House has been inundated with requests to pardon Adamiak, who has always maintained his innocence. We have published more than 50 stories that show how Adamiak was mistreated by Joe Biden’s ATF. Lawmakers, too, have heard about the mistreatment. Some have taken action. Congresswoman Jen Kiggans along with Congressmen Eli Crane, Eric Burlison, Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S., Rob Bresnahan, Jr., and Daniel Webster recently sent a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Pardon Attorney Edward J. Martin Jr., asking that Adamiak be freed from his 20-year prison sentence. The letter was the idea of Rep. Eli Crane, who recently questioned ATF Director Robert Cekada during a live congressional hearing about Adamiak’s incarceration. The six U.S. Representatives were very clear as to their intent: “We, the undersigned Members of Congress, respectfully request that you work with President Donald Trump to give fair consideration to a commutation request for Patrick ‘Tate’ Adamiak. We believe that certain inconsistencies in the regulatory framework applied in his case as well as the broader enforcement environment at the time warrant careful review and consideration for executive clemency,” the lawmakers wrote. Adamiak has said he would prefer a pardon over a commutation because he is completely innocent. Adamiak, who was an active-duty Navy E-6, was arrested more than four years ago. More than 40 law enforcement officers led by ATF agents kicked down his doors and ripped his home apart. They found nothing illegal yet he’s serving a 20-year federal prison sentence. If Biden’s ATF had left him alone, Adamiak would likely be leading a SEAL platoon. He’d already been accepted to attend BUD/S. “Tate did nothing wrong,” Dave Adamiak said. “He’s been in custody for four years, missed his mother’s funeral, missed his friends and family. He has been through enough.” The fact that his son was not listed among those whose pardon requests were rejected gave Dave Adamiak some hope. “He broke no laws. He committed no crime. He needs to come home,” his father said. The Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project wouldn’t be possible without you. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support pro-gun stories like this. @2AFDN

@BBCNWT Days before a huge election. What a coincidence.

@DemarsSean @DemarsSean, honest question? Can children be members of your church? If so, how young? And do they vote?

@KennedyNation Yikes, hag like response

Bless your heart, Megan. While you’re at it, go replace the batteries in your vibrator.

Response from a Fox News personality to a woman who has spent the last two years fighting cancer because she wants a baby girl to have a mother.

Firstly, I am offended that after all of my hard work, and the many deeply painful insults that I have endured, I was not included on the roster of Team Good™. That really cuts. I’m going to go cry for a few minutes. Secondly, pay very close attention to who is on these lists. James “the snake” Talarico is slipped in to imply that he is on the same team as a bunch of men who would unequivocally condemn him as a false Christian. Meanwhile, Team Christendom™ sneaks in Corey “make the enemies of God suffer” Mahler, but far from this being an attempt to slander, it is an attempt to normalize Corey as one of the good guys. Furthermore, they keep people like Wes Huff off of Team Good™, even though he is running around defending the term “Judeo-Christian;” could that be because he is a gigachad, and they only want to put people on the list that fit the narrative? This sort of stuff is not only tiresome and dumb. It’s effeminate and dishonest. And it is proof positive that these are not the good guys. These are not associations that “discernment ministries” are drawing. These are associations that *NXR people* are drawing, and their leaders will not say a thing about it. At some point, silence equates to endorsement. At some point, if someone keeps driving the same direction after the GPS has said “recalculating” about 30 times, you have to conclude that that is the direction that they really want to go. I say this as someone who regularly disagrees with people on “The Good” team. Who rebukes gluttony and dispensationalism. Who is not a fan of Ben Shapiro, particularly of how he blends Christianity and Judaism. And yet, you know what? None of them have blocked me for it. None of them have told me that I only think the way that I do because of my face. We have disagreed and argued and talked like adults. By their fruits, you shall know them.

@jp_burgh @ptomer I hope to always do so.

@LifeFireWords @ptomer Thank you for interacting like a Christian

Rev. Appleton is a godly and faithful man whom the Lord will reward. If you cannot preach Titus 2 without women (and the Elders) in the church getting angry, then it is the women and weak Elders who need to be disciplined and not faithful ministers. And frankly Rev. Appleton is pretty mild-mannered on top of it all.

@jp_burgh @ptomer I look forward to reading it. Thanks for responding

@LifeFireWords @ptomer I can’t say much more. But our Presbytery will release a full decision that expresses not only the chronology, facts, verdict and censure, but also provides the reasoning of Presbytery.

@martianwyrdlord I’m down

@jp_burgh @ptomer Sir. I just saw some of the other charges added. Thus far does not seem to be a clear and concise understanding of creation ordinances, scriptural context, or a generally reformed understanding of the roles and duties of the different sexes. This is most unfortunate.

@LifeFireWords @ptomer Not yet, but rest assured it was waaaay more than one sermon

These are just some of the “indictments” against Rick Appleton. This presbytery would have defrocked John Knox or John Calvin. The PCA is cooked

@Joseph_Spurgeon This seems to be atrocious cherry picking of the word of God. I hope that he appeals and that the general assembly rebukes the presbytery

@jp_burgh @ptomer Well Thats why I was asking. The sermon seemed as though it was quite biblical if offensive to our culture. Will look forward to see what the evidence is Prov. 18:17

@jp_burgh @ptomer Is there somewhere that we can access the direct charges and evidence? It just seems like action was taken after his most recent sermon on Titus

@ptomer Our entire Presbytery found him guilty. Please repent of your slander.