The Importance of a Biblical Worldview

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Intelligent design. Same-sex marriage. Universal healthcare. Jihad. Pro-life. The spiritual gift of tongues. Teachers’ unions. Capitalism. Feminism. Expositional preaching.

All of these terms are controversial in different spheres in our world today. When reading a given term, your mind might have immediately responded favorably or unfavorably toward it: that initial reaction you had is a reflection of your worldview.

According to Norman Geisler and William Watkins, your worldview is “a way of viewing or interpreting all of reality. It is an interpretive framework through which or by which one makes sense of the data of life and the world.”

Everyone has a worldview, but most people would have trouble describing or defining their worldview, and fewer people still would be able to pinpoint where their worldview originated. Christian apologist David Noebel astutely notes that most people develop the beliefs of their worldview the same way they would catch a cold—by simply being around other people.

Our worldview reflects how we think about the most important things in our world, and in many ways is so ingrained into how we think and process information that it flows from us automatically the same way walking flows from our muscle memory. As Christians, this means it is essential that we have a worldview that is consistent with biblical doctrine.

As Paul begins the “practical” section of his letter to the Romans, his first request to the believers regards their minds. In Romans 12:2, Paul tells the Christians of Rome (as well as believers 2,000 years later in the United States) not to be conformed to the world. The Greek word “conformed” means “to conform one’s mind and character to another’s pattern.” Imagine pouring Jell-O into a decorative mold before putting it in the refrigerator: the Jell-O would take on the form of the decorative mold, becoming “conformed” to its image. Using this terminology, Paul warns Christians against allowing the world to mold our way of thinking according to its anti-Scriptural patterns.

Instead of having our worldviews molded according to the secular patterns of the world, Christians are to be “transformed by the renewal of [their] minds.” The word “transformed” in Greek is where we get our English word “metamorphosis,” and means “to change into another form.” This phrase reminds us that our way of thinking before we were saved was worldly and incorrect in many ways. It is necessary that our thinking—our worldview—be changed after our salvation to become consistent with the truths of the Bible.

Many Christians in the western world picture salvation too narrowly. Jesus is not just identified in Scripture as a Savior; He is also identified as Lord. Salvation is not simply a trip to Heaven when we die, it is new life as a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Though being a new creation certainly includes the resurrected bodies we will receive in Eternity, it also includes being renewed within, which begins the moment we are saved. As a new creation, we now have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), and it is our responsibility as believers—under the power of the Holy Spirit—to renew our minds and transform our way of thinking.

Many Christians in our culture may lack a biblical worldview, but that should not keep us from striving to conform our thoughts to think like Christ. It is crucial as Christians that our worldview be formed by the God that formed this world. We must prioritize spending time in the Bible–not just reading, but making an actual effort to study the Bible, and being humble enough to let the Bible transform our way of thinking and living. We must prioritize public worship on Sundays. If church attendance is not a priority in our lives, then it’s likely we do not yet have a biblical worldview. If it is common for us to be absent from public worship, then church attendance is probably not yet the priority in our lives that Scripture calls us to make it.

A truly biblical worldview will have a direct impact on how we daily live our lives. As I allow my thinking to be transformed by the teachings of Scripture, I will become a better husband, a better father, a better employee, a better neighbor, a better brother, and a better friend. I am better equipped to live out the “one another’s” of Scripture as the principles and doctrines of Scripture become the guiding force behind my thoughts and actions.

My challenge to every child of God reading this post is to be committed to the pursuit of a biblical worldview this year. Whether you are a new believer or you were saved many decades ago, I encourage you to give great effort to letting God speak to you through His Word this year, striving to let His Word direct the way you think, the way you speak, and the way you act.

By David Gamble Jr 

Pastor at Helix Bible Church

From Deterioration to Restoral: The Means of Repairing a Broken Marriage

The Eleven Guiding Principles of Marriage Recovery

Marriage is a fundamental institution of God that was established prior to the fall man into sin. After the fall, the institution of marriage was under assault by the sinful desires of the marital partners. This erosion of the marriage institution is the major cause of conflict within the marriage relationship and in some cases the eventual dissolution of the marriage. The purpose of this discourse is to address the difficult work of restoring a marriage that is in a state deterioration. It is a guidebook to couples committed to improving the condition of their marital relationship.

The most important thing to remember is that in each of these principles of marriage recovery the goal is progress, not perfection. If each spouse is committed to ongoing and steady progress toward the restoral of the marital relationship, the marriage can be restored and the joy and blessings of a God centered marriage can be realized. The source materials for this section are the work of the late Gordon R. Bear, a licensed Christian marriage counselor and my own study and research. For many years, my wife Marie and I were privileged to be recipients of Gordon Bear’s guidance and wisdom.

Principle One: Promote truth and oppose denial

A healthy person is in tune with the reality of life. Living in denial distorts reality and hides truth. We must acknowledge the true reality of our own faults before we can be truthful with others and God. Denial is rooted in ourdesire to hide from reality. The breaking of denial is the act of facing reality. One of the most difficult challenges in life is the act of facing reality concerning our own issues, faults and failures. Just as the first step to obtaining justification from God and redemption from out sins is the act of acknowledging and confessing our sins, the first step in restoring a broken marriage is the individual act of acknowledging and confessing our issues, faults and failures in the marital relationship. Facing truth is a very difficult and challenging task, but it is also a major first step toward marital reconciliation. When facing the mirror it is vital that we are honest with ourselves concerning our shortcomings. Anything short of complete honesty is an act of self-deception and that incompleteness is a great hindrance to marital reconciliation.

Principle Two: Avoid the temptation to control others and gain relationship liberty

Our attempts at excessively controlling others and controlling our circumstances for the purpose of creating a false image of success indicates a selfish desire to avoid uncomfortable feelings of loss of control. Insecurity and being vulnerable to victimization are root causes of the need to control others. Domination is a hammer used to avoid vulnerability and provide a sense of self-direction. The act of controlling others and ourselves gives us a false confidence of self-control. In reality, true self-control is capable of facing our own demons, circumstances beyond our control and the actions and reactions of others. A supreme confidence in the sovereignty and providence of God results in true confidence and self-control. This level of self-control remains calm in the midst of the storm of difficult circumstances and human conflicts.

The ability to live in reality and truth provides freedom from a distorted perception of life and marriage. When we relinquish control over others and over futile attempts to control difficult circumstances we nurture marital unity. There are times when God puts us in difficult circumstances that are beyond our control to teach us patience and humility. When we face our own frailty and inability to exercise full control over others and all of life’s circumstances, we break denial and enter a state of vulnerability that teaches us to depend upon and trust the providence and sovereignty of God. The freedom to be genuine in thought and personality allows for the diversity and expression of various perceptions within the marriage, without sacrificing the unity of oneness that provides a defense against difficult circumstances and marital conflict.

Principle Three: Take risks to embrace trust

Becoming vulnerable is risky; however, trust is the mechanism that carries us across the valley of risk. We risk being marginalized in society to follow Christ. The same is true in marriage. We risk being misunderstood, hurt, mistreated or even abused when we become open, honest and vulnerable in marriage. The path of marital growth is cut through the forest of risk. As trust is earned through acts of trustworthiness, the forest of risk becomes the abode of faith and intimacy. The trust of a marital partner must never be violated. However, if a violation occurs, the holy attributes of grace, mercy, and forgiveness become the healing balm of the soul.

Trust must be earned. Offenses must be acknowledged. Confession brings forgiveness if the marital partner is capable of facing reality and granting forgiveness.

Time is needed for the violated partner to heal from the wounds of the violation. The deep wounds never go away, but the act of forgiveness inoculates the pain of the wound and redirects the memory of the wound toward the healing balm of grace.

It is very difficult for a victim to heal without intentionality and effort. When vulnerability results in hurt or victimization, the ability to address the issue without falling into a state of defensiveness or retaliation is vital. Indifference is not always the result of rejection and lack of support is not always a sign of betrayal. There are many factors effecting indifference and rejection. Intentionality actively seeks to understand truth and works a plan to overcome hindrances to marital intimacy which isindifference and rejection.

Not all victims are in reality victims. Sometimes a victim’sself-identity is the result of real abuse and actual trauma; sometimes it is a self-imposed victim identity resulting from denial or unjustified self-pity. This manifestation of self-pity can be used as a method of self-protection, manipulation or an escape from the fears of vulnerability.

Placing restrictions on toxic or harmful attitudes or behaviors serves to protect the marriage from harm. Restrictions often called boundaries are protective devices preserving our safety and security from emotionally and mentally toxic environments and abuse. Protection against the vulnerability of victimization is achieved through the setting of boundaries, self-nurturing and assertive coping. However, this should not be used as an excuse to justify selfishness resulting in the setting of overbearing and unreasonable boundaries. Boundaries should not be methods of disregarding the biblical principle of death to self (Luke 9:23-25). Self-denial is an act of warring against sinful and dysfunctional fleshly desires. Self-nurturing andassertive coping should not become avenues toward self-worship. They should be the act of viewing ourselves through the lens of being bearers of the image of God, adopted children of God and the Bride of Christ. Our worth is not determined by the autonomous self, but by our position from creation as image bearers of God and the grace of God lifting us up out of the miry clay of sin and exalting us into the family of God.

God wired men and women to be complex image bearers of God, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  There is no secret formula to human behavior. The individual is the product of many factors, including gender, environmental influences, family lineage, life circumstances, spiritual condition and the type and level of education.  Therefore, using a cheat sheet of human behavior as a one-size fits all approach to your spouse is insufficient knowledge to come to any conclusion concerning behavior patterns. Your spouse is a unique individual creation of God and although some general principles apply to human behavior the real devil is in the details, those things unique to your spouse. 

Principle Four: Strive toward interdependency not codependency

In marriage two souls are enmeshed into one unity of intimacy. They leave father and mother to become one flesh (Genesis 2:24; Ephesians 5:31). The woman completes the man and the man loves and nurtures the woman (Genesis 2:23; Ephesians 5:21-25). This creative design if misunderstood can result in the loss of individual identities within the marital bond. Marital unity produces a healthy and balanced dependence on each other in mutual nurturing and service within a shared identity. In the same manner that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct and individual persons of the one true God, husband and wife are two distinct persons of the oneness in marriage.

When a distorted view of marriage results in dysfunctional enmeshment the result is the loss of personal identity and the marital partners become an extension of each other. God the Son is not an extension of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit is not an extension of God the Son. They are distinct persons within the trinity of God and yet are not three different Gods but are one God. The unity of husband and wife is not a blending of two individual souls into one unidentifiable mush. It is the individual completeness that enhances the oneness in marriage.

When one of the marriage partners suffers the loss of self-identity it results in a concept called Codependency. The dysfunctional spouse adopts the identity of the other spouse. This results in the inability to function as a healthy individual that recognizes the distinctness of personality, mind, talents, abilities, interest and desires. These are all attributes that define our uniqueness as a fellow human being. In the same manner that the members of the trinity honor the unique role and purpose of the other members of the trinity, we should honor the uniqueness of our spouse. God the Son does not attempt to take on the role of God the Father and vice versa. Each member of the Trinity stays within the boundaries of their unique functions and roles. The some should be true within the unity of a marriage.

Another dysfunction of Codependency is the inability to distinguish healthy service to the other spouse from enabling behavior. The Codependent spouse lacks the determination to refuse support for bad habits, toxic behaviors, addictions and idolatrous affections from the other spouse. A spouse that has a right view of their individual role and responsibilities within the marriage and has a worth rooted in their image bearing of God will confront the other spouse who engages in sinful or destructive behavior.

Perfect fellowship among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit within the Trinity of God is rooted in adherence of each member to the attributes of God and the function of their unique role without the dysfunction of coursing the boundaries of roles and a lack of moral character. Blessed fellowship within the marital relationship is rooted in the individual pursuit of holiness and the adherence to the unique role of each spouse. This is the concept of interdependency in marriage. Interdependency consists of accountability and responsibility. Each spouse depends upon the other spouse to point out a lack of accountability and each spouse exercises unique role responsibility. Each spouse is responsible of their own actions and behaviors, not for the actions and behaviors of the other spouse. This results in a healthy marital bond that functions as a catalyst for the goals, dreams and mutual support of each marital partner.

Principle Five: Embrace intimacy and reject isolation

When we abandon isolation in favor of connectedness we discover the intimacy of togetherness through means of empathy and mutual regard. When a married couple maintains self-centeredness, stubborn distrust and a mindset of fearful victimhood the marriage becomes a limiting factor in the relationship. When two become one, individuality is not martyred, it is enhanced within the secured partnership of marriage. Your spouse or you should not blend in a fashion that loses individual identity. To the contrary, the unity of two individuals in marriage completes the fullness of individual identity. Neither should individual identity destroy marital unity.

An overemphasis of individuality promotes independence rather than unity and invites destructive outside influences into the marriage. Your relationship with friends and extended family should never become more important to you than the relationship you have with your spouse. Isolation from the marriage that shifts toward intimacy with another individual outside of the marriage, rather it be emotional attachment or physical attachment, is an adulterous act, regardless if it is with the opposite gender or the same gender.

Too often a marital partner finds safety from the inconvenience and discomfort of risk taking within the marriage by means of isolation. A fragile and/or weak spouse often builds relationship walls of protection that damage the marriage. Past abuse, both emotional and physical, as baggage that is brought into the marriage is often the reason for the activation of the wall building construction crews who construct the isolation protection zone. Within the walls of the isolation zone the insecure spouse seeks safety from marital conflict. The successful marital couple forbid walls of isolation and embraces the risk of marital conflict complete with initial discomfort and the eventual reward of joy.

Principle Six: Overcome past paralysis with current growth

Our past and family origin is our heritage and legacy and the same is true of our spouse. Two heritages blend together to become one heritage for us and for our children. However, getting stuck in the past stifles the forward progress of the marriage legacy. Disagreements concerning the nature of the newly formed marriage legacy are inevitable, therefore patience, grace and some compromise with your spouse is vital. A lack of comfort with ourselves, the uncertainty of change, a loss of the comfort of past familiarity, our need for self-protection based upon past wounds, a lack of emotional growth and a lack of maturity are some sources of past paralysis.

The wiliness to take risk in the marriage helps us to overcome being stuck in the past. Personal habits can be a source of past paralyses. The resistance to change and resistance to adjust to our life partner becomes the glue that mires our marriage in past mud preventing marital growth. Personal growth is the oil that greases the machinery of marriage and removes the friction of past issues and conflict. The declaration that “my family has always done it this way” promotes resistance to change in the marriage.

Personal growth helps us to become responsible partners within the marital relationship. We also learn to be problem solvers with our spouse enabling us to move beyond past failures and benefit from past lessons rather they be positive or negative experiences.

Principle Seven: Avoid manipulation motivation in interpersonal relationships

It is important to remember that the goal is progress, not perfection. The desire to “fix” your spouse is a strong temptation that must be avoided. The use of manipulation to fix your spouse can severely damage your relationship. Various methods of manipulation are often used in a dysfunctional marriage including intimidation by anger, inducing false guilt and playing the victim for the purpose of gaining an emotional advantage. These are attempts to dominate our spouse. It is a power play within the marriage.

When this behavior is passive aggressive it is often hard to detect. When we communicate mixed messages it causes confusion and the truth is muffled. More subtle methods of manipulation include, the use of shame, mind reading, presuming your spouse’s thoughts or motives, and making appeals to immature needs by means of excessively dependent behavior. These manipulative methods are designed to control your spouse’s behavior. Our need to control others is born out of our fears that we will lose control over people and things that effect our lives.

A healthy marriage is focused on interpersonal motivation for each other. Encouragement is positive motivation. It is important to encourage each other as each spouse makes progress. Demands of perfection are poison to the relationship. It stifles growth because it discourages your partner from continuing on the positive path of improvement. Positive elements of encouragement and drive toward a healthy marriage include assertive behavior, timely confrontation, inspirational challenge and recognizing and encouraging our spouse’s potential. Clarity in our communication to our spouse helps to prevent conflict that comes from misunderstanding that which our spouse intends to communicate. Progress is made when the marital partners avoid hidden agendas through deceptive communication.

Principle Eight: Be kind not nice

Being nice to your spouse does not benefit the marriage. Niceness is often confused with kindness. Niceness is an act of pleasing the other person regardless of behavior or attitude. Niceness placates behavior to avoid conflict and have a sense of peace in the marriage. Being nice to the other spouse involves an excessive concern with beingpolite, having proper manners, constructing etiquette and avoiding conflict at any price. Niceness is maintained by the appearance of agreement and by servitude submission.

Kindness in contrast to niceness is genuine. It is the act of genuinely caring for the other person with sincere regard by service rooted in love and truth. Kindness never compromises truth and never avoids conflict for convenience. Kindness shows mercy not pity. When we act in kindness we practice tolerance and forbearance without compromising truth. Kindness recognizes and faces conflict, whereas, niceness produces a façade of acceptance and harmony while avoiding conflict. Kindness embraces unconditional love regardless of conflict.

Unconditional love is not blind acceptance of faults. It is tough love when issues of conflict and character flaws must be confronted. Tough love is not rejection. It is the gentle confronting of an offense with truth, acceptance and forgiveness. Therefore, kindness recognizes conflict and expresses gentleness, forgiveness and grace. Niceness is rooted in mentally toxic activity that produces dysfunctional living. Kindness is founded in the fruits of the spirit resulting in true resolution of conflict and Christ-like living.

Principle Nine: Be a caregiver not a caretaker

The means we use to care for our spouse can be either beneficial or it can be toxic to the relationship. The concept of caretaking is toxic. The concept of caregiving is beneficial.

Caretaking is a means of enabling destructive thoughts and behaviors in your spouse. It denies your spouse the opportunity to grow and be a responsible partner in the marriage relationship. The caretaker assumes their spouse’s responsibilities and provides protection for the spouse’s vulnerabilities. The caretaker tries to run their spouses’ life by means of spousal problem solving, enabling denial and rescuing the spouse from the consequences of their actions. This is an adult-child relationship. The spouse being rescued is being treated like a child who escapes consequences.

Caregiving is the act of adult-to-adult nurturing and protection in the marriage. The caregiver is kind and expresses concern and gives comfort to the needy spouse. Caregiving does not abandon personal needs or care to serve the spouse. An unhealthy spouse cannot help an unhealthy spouse. Two dysfunctional spouses are not able to strengthen the marriage. They must first address their own issues and set healthy boundaries to guard against triggers that lead to dysfunction.

God sets boundaries in his relationship with us through means of the law of God. The law of God emanates from the core being of God and holiness of God. The law of God governs our relationship with God. When the law is violated God shows grace and mercy to his Bride, the church, by providing forgiveness through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Yet, God does not remove temporal consequences for our actions. God does not enable our behavior. God is a caregiver, not a caretaker.

Boundary setting is healthy for a marriage. When we cross God’s boundaries we are guilty of sin. If God compromised his law and failed to judge law breaking, God would relinquish his holiness and righteousness. That is the reason the Father poured out his wrath against sin onto the cross of Christ. Christ bore the burden of our sins upon himself. Christ sacrificed himself for his bride. The sacrifice of Christ satisfied the holiness of God and the wrath of God against the redeemed in Christ. Therefore, God’s boundaries ensure that his attributes, in this case holiness, are never compromised. Setting healthy boundaries enables a spouse to protect their own integrity and become a caregiver to their spouse.

It is important to be wary of excessive and unhealthy boundaries that are not used to help your spouse, but are used to manipulate your spouse into relinquishing opposition to your personal selfish desires. The purpose of boundaries is not to fix your spouse. Their purpose is to guard against toxic and abusive behavior from another person or your spouse. The biblical principle of death to self is not an invitation for becoming the punching bag of an abusive spouse. It is the principle of dying to our own self-worship, sins of the flesh, pride of life, lust of the eyes and lack of love toward God and others. The setting of healthy boundaries is an act of love because it denies enabling behavior and embraces self-sacrifice for the benefit of others. Enabling behavior does not benefit others; rather it is an act of selfishness on the part of the enabler. For example, God’s commandment to “come out from among them and be separate” is the establishment of a healthy boundary governing the relationship between God and the redeemed believer in Christ. (II Corinthians 6:17-18) Clearly, God sets boundaries.

The commandment of God in Luke 9:21-23 to die to self is a boundary we set for ourselves in our effort to follow Christ. We die to self and live unto Christ. In a marriage, we die self and live unto Christ for the sake of our spouse. Extending forgiveness, grace and mercy to our spouse is an act of dying to self. We die to self to serve our spouse in a functional and nontoxic manner. When we love our spouse, we are willing to enact sacrificial tough love and set boundaries against sinful and toxic behaviors. This is not an excuse to go into isolation and hibernate in our selfishness. It is an act of exposing the sin or toxic behavior that damages the marriage and then refusing to participate in it. It is not an attempt to fix your spouse. Once the behavior is exposed, it is the responsibility of the spouse of whom the behavior is acted upon, through means of self-examination and confession, to humbly acknowledge the sin or toxic attitude. Denial is the poison that destroys the relationship and a defensive response to a revelation of wrongdoing is a form of denial.

A boundary is not meant to split the unity of the marriage. Biblically, two become one in unity in the same manner that the Holy Trinity is one in unity as one God and three persons of the one God. A marriage is one union of two individuals or persons who are one in commitment to God and marital unity. A marital relationship is comparable to the honor and respect among the individual members of the Trinity of God. They are one in their identity as God, one in attributes, one in purpose and one in unity. Therefore, the persons of the one true God are our ensample concerning caregiving in marriage. The Son honors the Father through the act of yielding to the Father’s will and the Father honored the Son by acknowledging the perfect obedience and exalted role of the Son. Yet, they are both equal as God. In marriage we are to honor one another and recognize the vital importance and exalted worth of our respective roles.

Principle Ten: Express emotions in a nondestructive manner and avoid emotion repression

God is not a stoic entity. God feels and expresses emotions on a much deeper level than the capacity of people. Even in his wrath, God demonstrates to us a level of self-control, grace and mercy. When in wrath God destroyed the earth with a great deluge, he showed compassionate grace and mercy to Noah and his family. Therefore, God’s wrath was not out of control. It was measured and within the parameters of his attributes. In the same manner, we have emotions that emanate from deep inside our soul. Emotions are one of he attributes of humans that separate us from super computer, robots or even androids. We are not biological computers. We are created beings made in the image of God that poses a soul. Therefore, our expression of emotion should be honest, unhindered and measured.

Out of control anger results in physical, mental and /or emotional abuse. Whereas, out of control feelings of personal insult or offense can lead to isolation, bitterness and manipulative behavior, our emotions are connected to our physical well being and out of control emotions can lead to physical ailments such as ulcers, migraine headaches, colitis, muscle tension, back aches, skin rashes, body tics, constipation, diarrhea, hypertension, impotency, frigidity and insomnia.

When a couple enters the marriage relationship they bring with them the luggage of past offenses, abuses, trauma and emotional triggers that become sources of conflict within the marriage. Working through this emotional baggage requires patience and grace from each marital partner. Therefore, it is appropriate at times to sacrificially restrain the full impact of emotional baggage to protect the other spouse from taking the full impact of years of pernicious built up frustrations, anger and bitterness. Learning how to express emotion in a measured and healthy manner so as to be productive in its healing impact is vital to maintaining a healthy emotional relationship within the marriage.

The suppression of emotion is another negative impact that damages the marital relationship. Extreme negative impacts upon the individual results from long term suppressed emotion that includes depression, physical ailments, isolation, social repression and even suicide. Emotions must be expressed through a measured and calm acknowledgement of the core source or cause of the emotion and an intentional desire to heal from the toxic source of the deep emotional hurt or agony of the offense.

The first step to healing is to break denial and then to face the source of the offense. Once denial is broken, a healthy acknowledgement of the offense and expression of the deep emotion produced by it, without spewing its toxic negativity upon another person, is a major step toward healing. Expressing your agony, anger or other emotion to God in prayer, in the same manner that David did in the Psalms, is a healthy means of confronting the source of emotional expression. Journaling, prayer and godly confrontation are healthy means of healing from the emotional impact of an offense, trauma, abuse and other negative sources of emotion.

Another source of emotional expression is the disappointment of being confronted with our sins, selfish desires and idolatrous attachments. The proper response to these sinful desires is acknowledgment, confession and repentance. A healthy emotional relationship is the glue that binds the unity of the marital relationship.

Principle Eleven: Overcome shame through a God centered view of self

Shame is an emotional response to our recognition and acknowledgment or our failures and sins. Shame can bring us to repentance, but it can also hold us captive and damage our self-view while distorting our perception of forgiveness and our position as image bearers of God. As redeemed children of God we are creators of great value and worth. Shame binds us and restricts our full expression and function as valuable children of God. Theologically, the redeemed believer is spiritually perfect and greatly loved and accepted by God, yet often times we punish ourselves through the means of shame for our failures and shortcomings. We must recognize our worth in Christ and function within that declaration of great value.

Sometimes shame results not from our own failures, but from the victimization of acts of evil committed against us including sexual, physical, mental and emotional abuse. This kind of shame is not easily overcome without help and assistance of a good biblical counselor. We cannot heal from this kind of difficulty through isolation and our own efforts to heal ourselves. Seeking help is good for us individually, our life partner and the marriage relationship. Life is complex and our experiences in life are complex, therefore while negotiating the emotional minefield of life, an expert with a mine detector is vital for our personal and relational health.

Final Thoughts

The final thing to remember is that the key to all of these principles and the road to healing personal issues and the marital relationship is the principle of progress not perfection. If we demand perfection from our spouse we build a wall that is impossible to breach. This leads to discouragement and finally to defeat. Our spouse will give up on the effort to make forward progress, because regardless of the progress achieved it is never good enough for our expectations. The goal is not to change your life partner, but to change yourself and commit your spouse to God. Encouragement in progress is better than the demand of perfection.

By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic

In Everything Give Thanks!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing,in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

God placed this verse on my mind recently as I spent time thinking of all the reasons in my life to be thankful. I have the most amazing wife in the world, three fantastic kids, and a living situation that is perfect for this stage of our lives. I’m tremendously blessed by my extended family, my church family, my karate family and my friends that might as well be family. There are lots of things in my life right now for which it is easy to be thankful.

But there have also been events in my life recently when it was not as easy to be thankful.  It was hard to be thankful when we lost a baby to miscarriage a few years ago.  It was hard to be thankful when selfish wolves brought division into our church and made the church of the living God look petty and worldly.  It was hard to be thankful when I lost my dream job.  It was hard to be thankful seeing friends I love move away, knowing how much that would change our relationship.  It is hard to be thankful when I think of how many people I love that are still actively rejecting the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

The verse says, “in everything give thanks”–not “in most things,” not “in favorable things,” not “in things you agree with politically”–but “in everything.”  Intellectually, I understand that I am supposed to give thanks in everything, but if I’m being honest, thankfulness is not my first inclination in some situations.  Sometimes I feel the pull of the flesh and would rather be bitter, angry or frustrated.  Sometimes I find myself questioning God and asking, “How am I supposed to be thankful for this?”

The apostle Paul—the human author of 1 Thessalonians—was uniquely aware of how challenging life on earth could be.  A quick glance at the book of Acts or 2 Corinthians will attest to how difficult and heartbreaking life was for Paul after his conversion.  Paul knew life was not always easy or favorable, but he also knew that for the believer, life is always worthy of thanksgiving.  After telling believers to give thanks in everything, he then goes on to explain how this is possible.

In the above text, believers are first told to give thanks in everything because it is “the will of God.”  There is not a single event that happens in your life that is outside of the sovereign providence of God (which we recently studied during our Sunday school hour).  The all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, gracious, patient, loving God that created the world in six days, sustains every molecule in the universe, and worked out His plan of redemption to save His people, is in control of your life right now and is working things out according to His will.  Both the things in your life that make it easy to be thankful, and the things in your life for which you are currently struggling to be thankful, are all a part of God’s sovereign will.

Secondly, we can give thanks in everything because it is the “will of God in Christ Jesus.”  The events in our lives for which we give thanks are not primarily about us but are rooted and grounded in the Lord Jesus Christ.  In evaluating my own struggles with thankfulness, I find that it is typically selfishness that keeps me from being thankful. For example, I selfishly struggle to be thankful when a friend moves away because of how I think the distance is going to affect me.  If I evaluate all the events of my life through the selfish lens of how they affect me, then I will never be able to give thanks in everything, because undoubtedly events will come into my life that do not appear to benefit me.  If I can remember that the events of this life—the events of my life—are not primarily about me, but are about the glory of my Lord and Savior, this mindset will help me to be more thankful about even the most challenging events of my life.

The last two words of the verse provide the third reason that the believer can give thanks in everything, and they are staggering in their implications.  We are to give thanks in everything because it is the “will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  Even though our lives are primarily about our Lord, and even though the events of this life are primarily about Him receiving the glory He deserves, we are told in this passage that the will of God is working things out in this life for you.  That means for every individual who is reading this, and for the many more who are not reading this.  Try wrapping your mind around how God can take every event of life and transform that event into a beneficial circumstance that will ultimately work itself out for every child of God affected.  The wisdom and sovereign will of God is truly amazing!

If you are a child of God redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, you can give thanks in everything because everythingthat happens is according to the perfect will of God, for the glory of our great Lord and Savior, and is also transpiring with you in mind.  It is important to note that the call to “pray without ceasing” comes immediately before the call to give thanks in everything.  If we are a praying people, then we are a people actively seeking the will of God, and our minds and hearts are better prepared to give thanks in everything.

The people of God should be a thankful people, understanding that our loving God is in control of all the events of this life, and is working out those events for the glory of God and the good of His children. May we be a people that are thankful in all circumstances, trusting our sovereign Lord to work out all things for our good according to His purposes (see Romans 8:28).

By David Gamble Jr

Pastor at Helix Bible Church

Living In The Twilight Zone

Prophetic were the words of Rod Sterling, the creator, and narrator of the popular television series called the twilight zone. The three versions of the introduction to the program describe the reality of our world since the introduction of the most effective and prolific psychology warfare ever implemented against humanity. We call it the pandemic. In reality, it is the twilight zone, wonderland, and the matrix, all rolled up into one scene of perceived reality traveling on the expressway to George Orwell’s 1984:

“You’re traveling through another dimension — a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the Twilight Zone!”

“You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into… the Twilight Zone.”

“There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call ‘The Twilight Zone’.”

Episodes of the pandemic introduce us to two worlds, one of reality and one of fantasy. What seems to be real is imaginary and that which seems to be imaginary is real. We are living on planet psychosis. The creators of this pandemic are masters of the art of Mass Formation Psychosis. It is the product of mass psychological warfare against an unsuspecting populace. The reality of this nightmare we call the pandemic existed before its implementation revealed to the public by its progenitors through movies, books, sitcoms, U.N. declarations, and news articles. No one was listening. None perceived the message.

The weapons of this psychological warfare are simple: Create a crisis, isolate the public, remove items of social interaction and simple pleasure from their daily lives, gaslight the populace through the mainstream media as a means of mental programming, produce mass fear and irrational hysteria, declare an emergency and set mandates (masks, shutdowns, and vaccinations). These are the tools of Klaus Swabs’ great reset. These are the pathways to the New World Order.

In the first year of this operation, the vast majority of the world population bought into the deception. In the second year, psychological programming produced a world none of us could have imagined would ever exist. Now, at the beginning of the third year, an amazing phenomenon has entered the matrix. Rather than a great reset and a new world order, we find ourselves in the middle of a great awakening. Many have awoken to the reality that the pandemic was manufactured by the National Institute of Health through the medical research facilities in the North Carolina University at Chapel Hill and is connected to the Wuhan laboratories in China via gain of function research. The great healer, Dr. Anthony Fauci, is now the great deceiver. Yet, this bioweapon was largely ineffective. The COVID-19 infected had a 99.97% survival rate. Nonetheless, Mass Formation Psychosis through the gas-lighting mass corporate media had its effect and millions lined up to receive the second bioweapon, the mRNA vaccines. That bioweapon is much more effective. The world watched as athletes in their prime dropped in pain and agony as thousands watched the team competition. Tik Tok lit up with videos of the victims of the second bioweapon as they decried its ill effects. The world began to awaken from its slumber in the same manner that Rip Van Winkle awoke from his long nap.

The entire perceived reality of the pandemic was in truth a trip through the twilight zone. We now suffer the effects of the solution to the problem. The so-called mRNA vaccines are having their negative effect on our families, our friends, and our neighbors, through a mass number of adverse effects and deaths.

The promoters of the great reset are attempting to create a cast system. The vaccinated are the upper class and the unvaccinated or the deplorable class. This reality that we cannot deny is the catalyst of the great awakening. We now find ourselves amid a great war against a satanic and deceptive enemy that is clothed in the vestures of angels of light. As the great awakening advances, the wolf’s snout underneath the sheep’s clothing becomes more visible. A mass tidal wave of humanity is unplugging from the matrix and identifying the wolf. We now understand that the debt-enslaved world of the past was not normal. It is economic enslavement. The globalists were our slave masters and the restless workers on the plantation have begun to rebel.

God is the ultimate warrior against the plans of the world dominators. The “Q” movement that was banished to the prison of conspiracy theory alley often declared the mantra “God Wins”. God wins indeed. We find hope in the words of Isaiah the prophet as he declares the almighty nature of God. ” Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold he takes up the isles as a very little thing…All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity.” Isaiah further comforts God’s people with these words: “Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed: for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.” God is the solution to Mass Formation Psychosis. God is the source of a clear mind and true reality. May God guide our path and enlighten our minds by the renewal of his Word.

By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic

High and Lifted Up

If any vice could crumble the allegorical walls of a nation, like the walls of Jericho under the assault of God by means of the marching and shouting of Joshua and the army of Israel, it is the sin of Pride.  The phrase “high and lifted up” is never appropriate in reference to the character of fallen humanity.  It is by virtue of its collective definitive meaning given to the exaltation of Almighty God.  This praise of God is manifest through the most profound act of humility ever conceived and performed by any living being to have ever existed in all of eternity, the sacrifice of The Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.  God is high and lifted up not only as Almighty God, but also as the humble servant, savior, and redeemer of mankind. 

We often revel in the concept so aptly expressed in the United States Constitution that “all men are created equal”.  However, it is our lack of understanding of the origin of that phrase that has infected our society with the cancer of human pride.  The concept of equality of humanity has been traced to the thoughts of John Knox.  Knox was addressing the depravity of man in the use of that phrase.  The concept he expressed was that all men are created in the womb equally depraved being infected with the sin nature of their father Adam.  “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.  Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.  But not as the offence, so also is the free gift.  For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many.” – Romans 5:12-15.  “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” – I Corinthians 15:21-22.  The term “men” was used as a generic reference to both male and female.  Our equality is not found in our equal intelligence, physical stature or our talents.  Equality of mankind is realized within bounds of our inherited depravity.  We are all equally depraved. 

Pride is a natural byproduct of human depravity.  Humility is unnatural to the natural man.  Whereas the Spirit of God infuses humility into the soul of man, pride is the natural state of man at birth.  Therefore, humility is not natural to the nature of man. “But the natural man receives not the things of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” – I Corinthians 2:14-15. 

Our generation is saturated with pride.  Consider the common ideological musings of our time: “I am proud to be an American”, “Pride month”, “Pride parade”, “Gay Pride”, “Straight Pride”, and pride in our accomplishments.  The 17th Century author of Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe described pride in the following manner, “Pride, the first peer and president of hell”. The 19th Century theologian and preacher Edwin Hubbell Chapin did not mix his words with man pleasing rhetoric when addressing the sin of pride with these words, “Pride is the master sin of the Devil”.  Indeed, pride is the sin of self-exaltation to a state of existence contrary to the appointed position determined by our creator.  The pride of the creature in opposition to the creator is the ultimate act of treason against God.  It is the pinnacle of arrogance.

In contrast to pride, humility is a right assessment of the appointed position of the creature as determined by the Creator.  God by nature is Holy and Righteous.  From birth, man by inheritance of Adam is a fallen creature.  Therefore, it is vital to the survival and spiritual health of our generation to correctly assess the default position of pride that resides within us from birth and to recognize that God being Holy and Righteous cannot condone our arrogance.  Righteous judgment must reign upon human arrogance for God to remain true to his attributes.  Therefore, in Adam all died.  In this we are all equal.  In this we must be humbled before God.  In this we humbly bow before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic

The Star Ship and the Wizard

Data was the name of a fascinating character on the popular audio-visual series Star Trek, The Next Generation.  Data was not human.  He was an Android, a robot which had the ability to think and reason and learn things beyond his basic programming.  With Data it was not programming or data in, data out.  It was data in, process and reason.  Data could not feel emotions and often wondered how it would feel to be human.  Data was a coveted member of the star ship crew because among other reasons Data could not be influenced by mind manipulation or false propaganda.  Unfortunately, that is not true of humans.  

One of the first movies to psychologically affect us through the means of audio-visual effects was The Wizard of Oz.  The movie begins with farm scenes in Kansas and those scenes are all in black and white.  A tornado hits the Kansas Farm and the main character, Dorothy, lay unconscious on her bed as her humble farmhouse is hurled through the air.   It lands in a place called Oz and immediately the scenes turn full Technicolor.  The reds and blues and other colors sparkled in our brains as the Land of Oz came into full focus.  The effects upon the movie patrons were profound.  Kansas was black and white, mundane and dreary in comparison to the bright and exciting Land of Oz.   Dorothy was not inside a humble black and white farmhouse.  She was now skipping down the yellow brick road, a metaphor for gold, on an exciting journey to see the Wizard of Oz.  It was all very real and mystical.  Kansas was plain, simple and less real than the mystical fantasy of Oz. The change from black and white to color made the fantasy land (Oz) reality and the real land (Kansas) fantasy. 

This effect on the human mind was not lost on two very influential members of society, marketers and the CIA.  Marketers took full advantage of the power of audio-visual effects upon the human brain and used their knowledge to build billion dollar industries.  Marketers and bankers, for the purpose in making it easier for consumers to buy products and enrich businesses, invented the entire modern credit system.  The opposite result also occurred, billions of dollars of societal consumer debt. Consumers were affectively manipulated by brilliant advertisements created from hours of research into the human psyche.   The CIA, not to be outdone by the marketers, also entered the mind manipulation game by performing various experiments involving a combination of audio-visual theater, music, and drugs.  Recently declassified documents highlight the CIA experiments.  The data from the experiments was used for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of CIA propaganda and interrogation techniques. 

The use of mind manipulation has not escaped the omnipotence of God.  The use of propaganda for mental programming was exposed two thousand years ago in the Bible.  “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them. (II Corinthians 4:3-4)   It is the mind that Satan “blinded”.  By what means did Satan blind their minds?  It was mainly by the use of deception.  However, consider the contrast to Satan’s mind manipulation attacks against the human mind.  “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (II Corinthians 4:6).  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans12:1-2). 

Approximately two years ago my wife and I disconnected the satellite dish and turned off the television.  The result has been a blessed season of mental renewal and increase of the knowledge of the light of God.  It has become one of the greatest blessings of our lives.  We have been free of the audio-visual mental manipulation of the audio-visual movies, sitcoms and news agencies that are so prominent on the mainstream media.  In addition, I walked away from Twitter and Facebook and severely limited my time on YouTube.  The result has been the renewal of my mind.  My ability to discern good and evil has been enhanced.  I also increased my ability to discern deception and mental manipulation.  In essence, I mentally detoxed from mental programming through advertisements and agenda driven programming.

Given this knowledge, what will you do with it? Will you continue to be subject to the mental manipulations of the Devil? or will you be subject to the liberating light of God in Christ?  Perhaps it is time to choose. 

By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic

Warriors and Caskets

Few people hate war more than an old warrior.  It is a very small percentage of the military that experiences battle and an even smaller percentage of society.  Those who experience it rarely talk about it.  I served in the military, but I am not a combat veteran, therefore I cannot relate to the pain and the horror of battle. However as a retired law enforcement officer, I find that it is impossible to explain experiences that are deeply imprinted upon my memory to people who have never worked as a patrol officer.  They simply cannot relate to my world and I cannot relate to the world of a combat veteran.

As we celebrate Memorial Day, it is important to remember that the world of a combat veteran is far removed from the normalcy of society.  Their experiences are not normal.  Their sacrifices are above and beyond societal norms.  More than anyone else, they understand the price of freedom and the cost of corrupt government.  They have experienced the battles fought for the cause of freedom and liberty.  They have also experienced loss as endless wars are built upon political disputes, greed and misguided causes.  Every casket carried off a C-130 to be placed in its final resting place reminds us of the heavy cost of war. 

If we must send our best and brightest to the battlefields of the world, it is vital that we carefully weigh the cost of war with the moral test of waging war.  Is the war a just war?  Is it being waged for a just cause?  Can we trust our government officials to be truthful to us and wise in their management of the crises?  In my estimation, war should be rare.  War should only be fought as a legitimate use of force to dismantle the structure of evil in a society.  That evil must be so significant that it requires the use of force to preserve life and the pursuit of liberty.  

Warriors live by a code of honor.  It is a travesty when dishonorable government officials send honorable men and women into battle.  Dishonorable people should never be elected to office.  As we navigate this time of political detoxification we should endeavor to guard against any future acts of dishonorable declarations of war.  We should endeavor to always remember the sacrifices made by honorable combat veterans.  They performed their duties without wavering and with great courage. 

God never sent Israel into battle unless the cause was a righteous cause.  When God did send them into battle, God provided then with mental preparation and the means to victory.  The battle between good and evil is real and sometimes that battle is manifested into a physical altercation.  Therefore, God gave these encouraging words to Joshua before sending him into battle.  “Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their fathers to give them.  Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you: Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper where ever you go.”  God assigned Joshua to go into battle against societies that were involved in sorts of evil including child sacrifice, pedophilia, sodomy, murder, theft, sexual perversion, unjust slavery and even an early form of human trafficking.   This was a just cause and God sent warriors to enact God’s judgment against wickedness.

We instinctively know when justice is not prevailing in a society.  We know when evil rules over a nation and we are repulsed by it.  We demand justice and go to battle to defeat evil.  When the authorities fail to engage against evil we suffer the pains of injustice.  This is the reason some wars must be fought and some warriors give the ultimate sacrifice.  They fight so others might live and enjoy the serenity of peace, liberty and justice.  This Memorial Daylet us honor their memory.  

By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic

Triumph of the Holy One

John F. Kennedy was President on the day I was born.   He was in his seventh month serving as President of the United States when I entered this world.  In my lifetime Twelve men have served this nation as President of the United States: Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr., Obama, Trump, and Biden.  Of course, the legitimacy of the last election has come into question shedding the light of cynicism on every election since my birth.  The continuing conflict surrounding the Trump versus Biden election has poisoned society with the toxic information war that fuels the fire of political battle.  The result is a society that is conflicted.  We are a society suffering turmoil by means of a pandemic, masking requirements, experimental injections, media bias, mainstream propaganda, and political deception.  The political cynicism against the government and our political processes is not delusional.  It is well-founded.  

Governments are great institutions of God making them vitally important in the everyday function of societies. Yet, there is a problem with the governments of this world.  Humans run them.  Humans are imperfect creatures and are by nature corrupt beings.  It has been said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  This sentiment is true concerning humans, but it is extremely distant from God.  

Humans are the creatures and God is the creator. Humans are corrupt and God is incorruptible. The holiness of God is well established in the divine revelation of God. ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come”, proclaimed the heavenly host in Revelation 4:8. Holy indeed is our God. Our God is Holy and righteous, and evil does not prevail against him. Lies, deception, mind manipulation, and psychological warfare do not affect Him. He is God, the creator, and the redeemer. “Thus says the Lord, thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that makes all things; that stretches forth the heavens alone; that spreads abroad the earth by myself; That frustrates the tokens of the liars, and make diviners mad; that turn wise men backward, and make their knowledge foolish; That confirms the word of his servant, and performs the counsel of his messengers…” – Isaiah 44: 24-26.

This is the God we serve. This is the God that rules over the United Nations, all the nations of this world, the bankers, the politicians, the health departments, and the local school boards. This is the God that will make all of us accountable for our actions and redeem those of us who repent of our sins and trust in the one true redeemer, Jesus Christ.

When we focus on the circumstances of our lives and the ills of society, we become anxious and irritable. We gain a sense of urgency to rebuke our enemies and correct the deceivers. We fight battles on social media as if the entire structure of society depended upon us. We verbally slay our enemies with insults and the sharpened edge of facts and then proclaim our victory over them and lament their lack of understanding and even their sinister evil intents. We view ourselves as the heroic saviors of our culture and our society. All of this strife and conflict only serves to increase our stress and anxiety. We accomplish nothing.

Evil is present in our world.  Lies and deception are tools of the ungodly.  They should never be tools of followers of Christ.  Our faith is in God.  Our faith is not in ourselves.  Therefore, our focus should not be battling the fleshly weapon of unrighteousness with the fleshly weapon of self-righteousness.  Rather than battling evil in our strength, we must stand with Moses who stretched out his hand over the sea and God parted the waters.  We heed the words spoken by God through the Psalmist, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.  The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” – Psalm 46:10-11.  

God gave us the ability to fight our enemies by prayer and the bold proclamation of the Word of God. We cannot prevail through our own words. We can only prevail by the proclamation of God’s Word; “For the Word of God is quick (alive) and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12.

We must always remember that we also were once enemies of God, but now through the grace and mercy of God, we are counted among God’s elect.  Our current enemies may one day be our future brethren.  Therefore, it is our purpose and our duty to go forth as instructed in the Great Commission and teach all nations the truth of God, the gospel of Christ and the true doctrines of the faith. 

By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic

What Is Man?

What is man that thou art mindful of him? Indeed these words of David recorded in Psalm chapter eight chimes the sound of great wonder within my soul. How could God be mindful of me? I am nothing more than a created being bound by physical, mental, and spiritual limitations. How can I, in comparison to God, view my insignificant existence?

In his Psalm, David spoke of the excellence in God’s name. The name of God references the nature, power, and authority of God. It is the very attributes or nature of God that produced and sustains all creation, both physical and non-physical. We ponder the beauty of the night sky and serenity of the morning choir as they chirp the praises of God. They are small and fragile creatures that grace the sky with flights of glory, yet insignificant compared to man, who is the image-bearer of God.

How could the author and creator of the universe be mindful of such insignificant creatures? How could God elect to redeem such heinous sinners? The depth of God’s grace and attention to rebellious creatures is awe-inspiring in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Shame, guilt, and regret infiltrate the years of our life. Yet, the grace and mercy of God inoculate the pain of rebellion and the smugness of self-righteousness. Pride predates a great fall. A great fall humbles us before a great God.

We are born in Adam and if God sheds his grace upon us we are reborn in the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have no claim to fame, but that God lifts us up in accordance to His will, and brings us down like Job of ancient times, who suffered for the sake of the glory of God.

Who is man that God would be mindful of him? He is the image-bearer of God and unique among the creatures of God. He is the recipient of God’s mercy and grace, either common among men for temporary benefit and blessing or specific for eternal redemption. Man is nobody and yet somebody, sinner and image-bearer, rebel and saint. Man is a complex paradox that brings glory to God through grace, mercy, and obedience. Man is the focus of creation and the center of corruption that morphs into sainthood by means of God’s grace and mercy. The holiness of God condemns man, and the grace and mercy of God redeem man. To this, we groan from the very depths of our soul the words, “To God be the glory”.

By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic

Gray Is Complicated

Perhaps the most mundane color in the light prism is the color gray. It pales to the inspiration of more dynamic colors like bright red and deep blue. Yet, in reality life is mostly gray. In other words, life can be very complicated.

Simplicity is beautiful. As a species we love the simple rather the difficult. We desire life to be more black and white. We desire ethics to be more simplified and yet sometimes morality can involve great dilemma and sacrifice. Wisdom must be utilized to determine the right course in life.

COVID-19 mandates often invoke a black and white response, however simplicity is not always in order here. The one thing that has been consistent during this government response to COVID-19 and the reaction of the people to the declared pandemic is a black and white simplicity. The government takes a top down one-size fits all disease prevention approach to the pandemic or what I call the scamdemic. Spell check does not like that word and neither does the globalist deep state!

On the other hand, the people tend to divide along pandemic mandate lines. Those who wear masks, even if they don’t agree with mask wearing, are declared to be compromisers and hypocrites. Those who don’t wear masks causing disruptions at work and the grocery store are called murders because they are killing grandma. Once again we are divided along ideological lines, but is life really that simple?

In Southern California, where I currently live, health department mandates are absolute. Employers and retail outlets enforce them religiously to prevent the health department from shutting them down. Some people, who hate masks and see them as unnecessary and harmful, grudgingly wear them at work because others are depending upon them. They must provide for the family and there are no other options other than to be homeless and dependent on a government unemployment check (although some are actually doing better on unemployment rather than working, but you get my point). To stand their ground is to lose their job and put others who are depending upon them in a bad situation. Thus, we enter the gray area. To wear the mask is to compromise convictions and to not wear it is to not provide for your family and as scripture says become worse than an infidel. The moral dilemma requires the Wisdom of Solomon.

One solution is for government to end the mandates, but we all know that
government historically has been the abode of fools more than the wise. The top down one-size fits all approach disregards individual medical restrictions and medical needs in favor of the so-called common good of society. It is the black and white approach to conform or else. This is in contrast to the wise approach of case-by-case medical needs and restrictions. Some people are simply harmed by mask as the result of a preexisting medical condition, but this is ignored by the black and white approach of bureaucratic health department mandates. Individuality is sacrificed in favor of group conformity. Group conformity is a tool used for mental conditioning. It teaches the individual to conform to the bureaucratic authority without question and without logical sound reasoning. This is a tool used for mind manipulation to exercise power and control over others.

I am convinced that the key to surviving this situation is simple rather than
complicated. It is simply to love your neighbor as an individual regardless if they wear a mask or don’t wear a mask. The command Jesus Christ gave us to love our neighbor possesses a power that cannot be overcome by the globalist deep state agenda. They want to divide and conquer us. If we resist that effort by those who want to rule over us and enslave us, we can by the means of biblical love win this war.

By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic