Mark

Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But to him who is joined to all the living there is hope. ECC. 9:3

These past 4 weeks have been quite a roller-coaster ride. It was May 17, 2005 that I went to the doctor under the impression I had a bronchitis. It turns out my aortic valve was failing and I needed immediate open heart surgery. I was 37. I'm forever grateful to the doctors and nurses who put me back together again. It was in their gifts and abilities that I found God's miracle. And I also discovered His amazing grace. Then, just four weeks ago my cardiologist noticed something was not quite right. He told me to leave his office and he would meet me at Baptist East. They discovered a 90 percent blockage in one of my arteries - the widow-maker. There were a few hiccups in the procedure, but God saw fit to bring me through and I'm so grateful. And I'm blessed with a precious family, an incredible medical team and a beautiful church family. I'm determined to make some important changes in health and lifestyle over these coming months. Moderation is a word that I'm learning when it comes to things like smoking a pork butt and chili slaw dogs and pork rinds and banana pudding. This morning at church our pastor asked for folks to stand if there was a need in their life - if they needed prayer. I've never been quite that bold to stand, but a dear friend beside me did. So, I rose to pray for him. Suddenly, I felt people touching my shoulder and my arm and I heard them whispering prayers for me. I was greatly moved by that moment - and honestly overwhelmed with emotion. Humbled. I was reminded in my life once again that many times God makes His presence known to us not necessarily by boisterous proclamations, but rather in the quietness of life - whispered prayers from brothers and sisters - wayfarers on this journey together. If I might be so bold as to recommend on this poignant day for me -- no matter your age - make an appointment to see a cardiologist. Get yourself checked out. You never know - it just might save your life. It'll be a few more weeks until I'm back at full strength, which is a bit frustrating. I'm a person who deeply enjoys work. However, I've gotten to know the folks in the produce section of my local market. And don't tell my cardiologist -- but I'm still drinking Dr Pepper!

Silence on Mize's Patriarchy Article: Presbytery of the Northwest, OPC, Does Not Address Matter at April Meeting This is bad. Very bad. This is Mize's presbytery and there was not even a peep from the Candidates & Credential Committee (who oversees the license of their pastors). Does this mean the majority of the Presbytery is OK with Mize's view? Do they think the matter not serious enough to address in a public way? What is going on in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church?

Mize is also the Pastor that works hand in hand with @elimcgowan -

So, I decided to destroy the “Christless Nationalism” and “Sacralism” canards for good. I’ve brought this objection up in the past, but never as effectively as I’ve done here. Last week, I covered James White’s review of @dalepartridge’s tweet about the five ways to save the country. (I’ll post that video below.) Dale responded with a one sentence refutation: “Organized minorities always overthrow disorganized majorities.” That’s what led to this clip from yesterday, in which James White once again referred to this as sacralism and Christless nationalism. However, I mixed in some short clips of James White and Jeff Durbin lobbying the state on behalf of the unborn (e.g., equal protection laws). They are doing this apart from any sort of revival, and there’s not even really a strong gospel message! So what do we make of this? It’s actually the 𝑡𝑢 𝑞𝑢𝑜𝑞𝑢𝑒 (Latin for “you too”) fallacy, where James’ objection to Dale’s argument could just as easily be leveled against him! Why are James White and Jeff Durbin attempting to change laws apart from changed hearts?! They are guilty of Sacralism. They are pursuing so-called Christless nationalism. In conclusion, we can put this argument to bed forever. “It’s different when we do it” isn’t going to fly. If you read this far, drop a SACRALISM in the chat, and let me know what you think of the end of this clip. I’m always trying to improve my production values, and I created a short end credits scene!

It makes me very happy that the U.S. congressman for places like Vanderbilt, the Gulch, East Nashville, etc., will be a representative selected by the residents of counties like Jackson, Clay, Overton, Fentress, Putnam, White, DeKalb, etc., rather than the other way around.

You are missing the point. This is not just about Alberry. It is about the Revoice-type theology that he was disseminating that was endorsed by his church and by TGC and those in Keller’s orbit that is dangerous to others in the exact same way it was dangerous to Alberry As a friend said to me when she learned the news, our theology cannot save us, but it can condemn us. This is why we fight against the world, flesh, and the devil, and that fight includes exposing evil.

For all intents and purposes, Gavin Ortlund is the next Russell Moore But the differences between them, which are in style and not substance, actually makes Gavin more dangerous Russell Moore was brazen in his liberalism, Gavin will be more subtle.

Today, the Senate voted to legalize human composting. This bill, which has already been passed in numerous far-left states, treats the human body as mere material to be utilized and repurposed, rather than something uniquely created in the image of God. Western civilization is built upon the assumption that human life is sacred. I pray that the Senate will rediscover a profound reverence for the dignity of the human person, even in death.

@MallardReborn @ShawnMathis1972 Trueman has endorsed a number of bad books and authors: “Extravagant Grace” (antinomian), “Beyond Authority and Submission” (feminism), Aimee Bird, and Sam Allberry.

This. I’m sad about the Alberry news and I’m praying for him today, especially that he will have the right counselors and shepherds around him. Because it is abundantly clear that those at a Immanel Nashville are not up to the job. The much bigger discussion we need to have is about the theology surrounding this revelation. Because it is entrenched, and it is embraced by the organizations that Alberry was involved in leading. And that makes it different than the revelation of a pastor caught in an affair with a woman. Because in that case, we would find no one who would say that there was anything excusable about his desire for another woman who was not his wife. But these organizations, Immanuel Nashville and TGC, have helped disseminate Alberry’s teaching that same-sex desire is not sinful. And that is a predictable way to shipwreck the faith of those struggling with same-sex sins.

There have been doctrinal issues with this church and its pastor for some time now, treating the sin of same sex attraction as a special sort of sin, which need only be half crucified. It was not necessarily clear that this was how the bad doctrine would work itself out, but it was going to show bad fruit in some way eventually.

So I debated whether to respond to @PhilNvestigates because my husband often points out, you shouldn't give liars exposure for their lies. But I want to illustrate how this kind of media manipulation works. My debate with Phil began with him denying that the Southern Poverty Law Center, which he has praised as being very important to his own work, has funded top leaders of white supremacist organizations, including one who was a part of organizing the Unite the Right rally and transporting people to the rally. Phil denied, in the face of the plain evidence of the indictment, that the SPLC is even charged with this. Obviously, this is incredibly discrediting for HIM and @NC5. He was extensively corrected and, frankly, laughed at for his fumbling attempts to explain away the SPLC's fraud. No doubt this angered him. So, what he did next was look through my replies, buried deep down in the mentions to find one that was mildly snarky. In response to someone saying he is gay, I replied, "He's not gay, but he has had three wives." Phil then for THREE DAYS used this flippant remark, (which I apologized for repeatedly), to try to distract from his running cover for the SPLC. Phil has made it his career to attack and disparage Tennessee Republicans. So his extensive use of SPLC materials is highly relevant here. But this is what left-wing media do. When they see that they cannot defend their positions, they make themselves out to be not just victims but the CENTER of the story. That is what Phil is doing here. For three days now, he has tried to turn the debate away from the SPLC to a mildly snarky reply that wasn't even made to him. He also during that time implied he is a Christian but would not (after HE made an issue of it) answer whether he believes homosexuality and abortion are compatible with Christianity. Then, when that was not going his way, he blocked me and apparently spent his weekend writing this essay about why he blocked me. He blocked me because he doesn't want to defend his lie that the SPLC did not astroturf white supremacy. That's it. All the rest is "look at meeeeeeee!" smoke and mirrors.

An assassin probably lives here

The SPLC says Focus on the Family is a dangerous hate group but antifa is doing important work that shouldn’t be critiqued. And that is why leftwing media like @PhilNvestigates are desperate to defend them against charges that they paid leaders of the KKK and other white supremacist groups to organize protests and transport ppl to those protests.

Lol, @PhilNvestigates is about to get community noted AGAIN! This time for running interference for the Southern Poverty Law Center 😂 Dude is such an embarrassment to @nc5.

Yes Phil, your beloved SPLC, who you rely on for so much of your own reporting, paid the informant referred to as “F-37” more than $270,000 between 2015 and 2023. This person was a member of the online leadership group that planned the Unite the Right rally and attended the event at the direction of the SPLC. This person also, at the direction of the SPLC, coordinated transportation to the event. Here you go. From NYT, which I assume you respect. Your attempts to run cover for this fraud operation are pathetic.

In the coming months, it will become increasingly clear that @PhilNvestigates is an activist hack and not a journalist. He’s heavily relied on the debunked (and now scandal-ridden) @splcenter.

God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, including the working of the Spirit in our lives, through the infinite merit of Christ.

So true. Which makes one wonder: Why does Neil Shenvi (who goes to JD Greear's church) work with and support SPLC-aligned (and possibly funded) actors like the shady extreme Leftist Phil Williams?

I know that the ankle-biting, woke, leftist liars and accusers of the brethren like Eli McGowan, Neil Shenvi, Blake Callens, Phil Williams, etc. are beneath me and not worth engaging. But when news breaks that proves they all have a direct connection to the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the biggest funders of “White Supremacy” in the United States—after they’ve spent years lying about my beliefs on race, etc., in an effort to hurt my work to get wokeness out of the SBC—you must permit me the small indulgence of enjoying the Schadenfreude. The iron law of woke protection never fails! These men are everything they falsely accuse others of—and more!