Quint Shivers

Huh. I was told that political idolatry is only a problem among Trump-supporting Christians and that we must abandon our political engagement if we are to win people to Christ. Weird!

Dear Diary... If I plead the Fifth, will I still be famous?

Which state has America’s worst license plate?

you cannot read audiobooks

Dr. Fauci is the closest thing to a real-life Bond villain. Manufactured a deadly virus in a secret lab, killed 7 million people, used the crisis to conduct an MRNA experiment, line his pockets, and cover everything up. I can't believe this criminal is still walking free.

Here’s the list of the 12 senators who voted “No” on advancing the Russia sanctions bill: • Rand Paul • Bernie Sanders • Elizabeth Warren • Lisa Blunt Rochester • Maggie Hassan • Mazie Hirono • Andy Kim • Ed Markey • Jon Ossoff • Alex Padilla • Peter Welch • Ron Wyden

Trump takes issue with the Lindsey Graham eulogy he's reading: "Virtually everyone liked Lindsey. Well, not everybody. But it sounds good. I have to be honest. I have to veer from this for a second."

This man is standing alone, surrounded by pro-Israeli🇮🇱 people. He is holding nothing but a flag🇵🇸. Sometimes, courage doesn't need to be loud.

Why are so many churches (PCA and otherwise) struggling to find pastors?

Whatever faithful “retrieval” of the tradition means, it doesn’t mean retrieving the worst of what Christians have done before with their speech or behavior. Sadly, there are plenty of examples in the Church’s past of notable figures who sinned in any number of ways, including their speech, and they aren’t examples for us to follow in this respect. We should no more follow them here than we would their other undeniable sins in teaching or practice. Thankfully, Presbyterians in particular do not subscribe to any man and do not regard any Christian of the past as an unqualified saint, including even the Westminster divines themselves. Instead, we subscribe the teaching of the Standards themselves as confessed by the Church, insofar as they are consistent with the Word of God. Importantly, the measure here is not modern sensibilities regarding acceptable behavior but the Word of God, which relentlessly insists on wholesome and careful speech, especially among those who would be ministers, as many men in the Church’s history have recognized. Here’s just a sampling: "A minister’s tongue should be a treasury of grace, not a fountain of poison. Yet, how often do we see leaders, when they gather, indulge in a witty sort of detraction—using sharp jests and biting words to diminish their brethren. This unwholesome talk is the more dangerous because it is clothed in cleverness, but it leaves a slime upon the conscience of all who partake in it." Thomas Manton, Commentary/Sermons on James “The speech of a pastor should be seasoned with the salt of wisdom, lest by unwholesome talk he corrupt the hearts of his hearers. For often, while leaders desire to appear full of kindness, they lower themselves to foolish and worldly conversation. When the shepherd falls into careless and vain speech, the flock is quickly led astray into open sin." Gregory the Great, The Pastoral Rule "Vain and unwholesome talk is a spiritual consumption that wastes the soul. When shepherds feed themselves on idle stories, carnal jests, and the whispering of rumors against other laborers, they lose that heavenly heat and life that should season their doctrine. Satan knows that if he can corrupt a minister’s mouth in the parlor, he has already weakened him for the pulpit." Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices “For a single word spoken in anger, or a casual laugh, or an unseemly joke, can bring a great stain upon his reputation." Chrysostom, On the Priesthood "It is a palpable sign of hypocrisy when a minister's tongue is holy in the pulpit, but unwholesome, vain, and idle at home or among his peers. Take heed that your speech be always seasoned with grace, so that your daily conversation does not tear down what your public sermons have built up." Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor "Shun all frothy, unwholesome, and unprofitable conversation. Let your speech when you associate with other ministers be such as may leave a savor of heaven upon them, and upon yourself. A minister who is a jester, a chatterer, or a carrier of idle tales, is an object of pity and contempt, and he pulls down the kingdom of God with his tongue while trying to build it with his hands." Cotton Mather, Manuductio ad Ministerium (Directions for a Candidate of the Ministry) The Westminster Divines had to apply such rules to themselves. The Assembly’s debates were often incredibly tense and grueling. To prevent their own discussions from degenerating into the very unwholesome, bitter, sarcastic, or reviling talk that their own Larger Catechism would prohibit (WLC 145), the Divines worked with strict internal rules. These included (1) The Assembly Protestation: Every member had to take a solemn vow upon entering the Jerusalem Chamber (where they met): "I do seriously promise and vow... that I will not maintain any faction, but if I shall find myself to differ in opinion... I will propound it with all fairness and moderation; and (2) times speakers were called to order: The official scribe records multiple instances of "Speakers called to order" when debates became too sharp, sarcastic, or personal. If a Divine’s speech crossed from robust theological debate into unwholesome personal detraction, the Assembly halted the debate to enforce mutual accountability.

“No Christian with half a brain would say, ‘We support religious freedom.’ We support the truth!”

Rowlett installs the first Safe Haven Baby Box in Dallas County