Andrew Friend

If regeneration precedes faith, Paul’s instruction to the Philippian Jailer is nonsense

Why bother posting this on social media then?

The literal grammatical historical (Plain) hermeneutic is absolutely essential to accurate Bible study but we also use it in every other aspect of life. Turns out, it’s just as essential to understanding constitutional rights! @FranklinArmory youtu.be/jjvEZksJKKc?si=sWsO… #hermeneutics #2A #NFA #dispensationalism

The murder of Charlie Kirk has been met with a massive response. This is being called a watershed moment and a turning point for American culture. I think that a lot is happening within culture that is converging and fueling the tremendous impact we are witnessing. There has been a lot of talk about individual response to this event: "How should we respond?" is a question that has been addressed in the last few days. However, I think it's also essential to evaluate what is happening on a large scale within society and think about what this will mean for our society as a whole, as well as the opportunity I think the church will have to minister to a very large demographic who are searching for answers. Here are a few observations I have: Political Polarization I believe that America is more divided than at any other point in our history as a nation. In the last decade, Americans have been inundated with political polarization: "the right and the left", "conservatives and liberals." This division is deep, and the diametrically opposed worldviews are totally incompatible with one another. After 9/11, America was united, or at least gave the impression of unity, in response to that great tragedy. However, that is not what we see with the tragic murder of a young father on the national stage. Instead, we see rampant division. Large swaths of our population are celebrating a murder because of an opposing worldview. This murder underscores the hatred of conservative values. At the same time, we are seeing conservatives push back en masse. There has been massive retribution in social media spaces. Conservatives are "hunting down" liberals who choose to celebrate or criticize Charlie Kirk and what he stood for, and are pushing a certain "cancel culture" on those liberals. This polarization is not going to go away soon. As I said, the worldviews are totally opposed and are incompatible. This presents a massive barrier for any form of unity. Generational Shift At the same time as there is a political divide, there is a clear generational divide. There is a "butting of heads" going on between the Millennial/ Gen Z population and the Baby Boomers. As the youngest Baby Boomers approach 65, an economic and political shift is taking place as these younger generations step into the voids being left behind. There are frustrations associated with these shifts. These generations do not share the same values. Furthermore, there are economic pressures and societal frustrations that are pushing younger generations toward change. This intergenerational tension is not new, as many have pointed out; there is always a "butting of heads" between generations as these shifts occur. The difference, in my view, is that what we are witnessing is more intense than what anyone alive today has seen. Social Media as the "Town Square" Elon Musk purchased Twitter and transformed it to "X" with the stated goal of making it the "Town Square." In reality, social media really is the town square. Charlie Kirk's murder was broadcast to the entire world with a delay of less than five minutes. This rapid transmission of information is something totally new to the world within the last 25 years. These social media outlets fuel the coverage of news. Traditional media outlets have to keep up with social media trends. It is no wonder that this tragedy gained immediate significance because a fire was lit in these social media spaces. The comparison of Kirk's murder with the tragedy of 9/11 is primarily marked by the response to the breaking news. Social media is not going away; this is the space that a large portion of the populace interacts with one another and the world. Christian Nationalism Christian Nationalism has made headlines within the last few years. There have been different "variants" of Christian Nationalism. There has been a political aspect, which loosely pairs conservatives with "Christian" values, and a "doctrinal" aspect aiming to build a nation on "biblical" values, with a particular theological view driving what that "Christian Nation" should look like. While Charlie Kirk did not shy away from talking about his faith, the movement he was a part of did not have the goal of theological clarity. A wide range of Christian values were accepted under the umbrella of Christianity, which has widened the already open door to a lack of clarity regarding the Bible, the Church, and Christianity. In either case, whether this is a "Political/Non-Doctrinal Christian Nationalism" or a "Doctrinal Christian Nationalism," the driving force behind the movement is a push for social reform that conforms to certain presuppositions and values. The focus is on "fixing" things here and now – a goal that is not entirely wrong, but can quickly become misplaced. Transgender Ideology Transgender ideology is at the forefront of this developing story. Kirk's murderer was involved in the transgender movement. This movement, to my mind, is undergirded by a massive identity crisis, and it is directly tied to a worldview that is totally opposed to conservative Christian values. This is a movement that is relatively new within our society and has already produced immeasurable damage. Because Kirk held to conservative values, he was one of the most recognized voices pushing back against this ideology in the public space, and this was probably the most significant contributing factor to his murder. I predict that the fallout from this movement in the next 15-20 years (and beyond) will be monumental. The suicidal and homicidal rates among transgender demographics are incredibly high. This is also a movement that is incredibly dangerous to young people, who are particularly susceptible to its influence. There will continue to be horrible cases of suicidal and homicidal behavior from this movement because, at their core, these individuals are going through an identity crisis. Opportunity The Murder of Charlie Kirk was evil. It is unacceptable to murder another human, a father, a husband, because of an opposing worldview. And yet, it did happen. This marks a turning point in American history, as there is an apparent openness to Christianity and its values. There has been an emboldened conservative response pushing back and defending those values. I believe that this presents a clear opportunity and a need for believers to effectively bring biblical clarity to those who are searching for answers. While this event is mainly political, it's rooted in Christian values, and there is an openness to the gospel. I believe that striving for social reform alone is misguided. Scripture does not teach believers to build Christ's Kingdom; it teaches that Christ will build His Kingdom, in His time, and in His way. Our responsibility as believers is to share the good news that God has provided a means of Salvation to all the world and to make disciples who will faithfully do the same. The Murder of Charlie Kirk was an evil act executed in a tumultuous time in a divided nation, and yet, through this evil act, the gospel has been proclaimed, and I believe that a door for effective ministry has been opened. The question is, how will we respond?

There are only two reasons to deny the historicity of the holocaust: 1. Evil. 2. Insanity.

What is a Christian?

Hey @grok, how do you even know/track who visited my account?

You can lose your salvation (eternal life) to the same extent that God can lose His Holy Spirit