You Become What You Celebrate Lynn Pryor
Culture is Not What You Say, It’s What You Celebrate Jonathan Cutrell
We live in a world that celebrates sin. Do we join in the celebration, or do we sigh and cry because of sin and strive to root it out of our lives? Josh Stevens
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. Luke 18:9-10
No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
James 4:4
Admittedly each Evangelical can come to various divergent landing spots concerning the topic of proper things or people to celebrate, but I still retain confidence there is healthy agreement some things are still beyond the pale.
Personally, I struggle with the proper balance in supporting and expending time, energy, and money towards my favorite sports team. Do I spend too much time devoting myself to the pursuit of running? Sure, I can easily rationalize running permits me to stay in relatively good shape, but the line between what is reasonable and unreasonable will again differ for many God-fearing Evangelicals.
My concern is how I see professing Evangelicals of all persuasions venture into areas that run headlong into direct conflict with the Holy Writ. Here are a few examples that spring to mind:
Barack Obama: Barack Obama, at the time of his presidency, was the most progressive President in U.S. History. To what should be no surprise, his secular progressiveness has been surpassed by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the current Democratic occupant of the Oval Office, Joseph Biden.
Barack Obama was and remains an ardent supporter of abortion; he shamelessly was for same-sex marriage as a state senator in Illinois, was against it while running for President during his first run for office in 2008, and conveniently for it again while running for reelection in 2012.
The Obama administration authored the Dear Colleague Letter, which forced academic institutions receiving tax dollars to allow students to use the restroom of their sexual preference despite their biological identity.
The Obama administration argued before the U.S. Supreme Court as the plaintiff arguing for same-sex marriage in the Obergefell vs. Hodges landmark Supreme Court case. In praise of the decision, President Barack Obama called it “justice that arrives like a thunderbolt.”
Now, I can agree that thunderbolts accompany same-sex marriage's legalization, but it will not materialize in glee but divine woe for the likes of the Obamas and all others who actively rebel against God’s divine institution of holy matrimony and all without the ability to blush (see Jeremiah 6:15).
Inexplicably, President Obama garnered almost unanimous support from African Americans, including those who profess faith in Christ, with 94% support in 2008 and 95% support in 2012. I cannot fathom any other conclusion that most of these voters are either not genuinely regenerated or in serious disfellowship with their Lord and Savior—the former results in eternal damnation and the latter in eternal loss of commendation and reward.
Even after President Obama infamously evolved in his understanding of marriage, his support from Evangelicals of AA descent grew by 1%. Barack Obama openly defied the very God he claimed as his personal Lord & Savior. Evangelicals of AA descent supported him even more after his public evolution of thought. Literally mind-boggling, and I am still waiting on someone from the Evangelical community to present a biblical case for such idolatry.
African Americans in general and Queen Latifah in particular: Recording artist Sam Smith performed a clear and open homage to the Devil during his Grammy performance on CBS on February 5, 2023. I mention CBS because immediately after Smith’s performance with another artist [both identify as non-binary, but that is a story for another day] named Kim Petras, CBS tweeted, “We are ready to worship.”
What was the immediate and visceral response from the Grammy audience? I did not watch the Grammy (I have long since given up watching most awards shows), but after all the public chatter, I watched a clip, and lo and behold, what did I witness? Unadulterated celebration and unrestrained approval. The clip I saw on YouTube shows fellow recording artist and actress Queen Latifah applauding with a smile that would make any chesapeake cat green with envy.
What in the blazing is going on?
Snoop Dogg, a vile person who denigrates females and openly promotes criminality, is a growing spokesman for various products like Corona Beer, Tostitos with Martha Stewart, Soda Stream, Hot Pockets, Dunkin Donuts, and The General Car Insurance.
Keke Palmer promotes promiscuity and openly shares her fondness for girl-on-girl porn. In this article, Palmer stated, “Love is love, life is life.” Palmer’s reward? Hosting the nationally syndicated television program Saturday Night Live.
George Floyd: In the immediate aftermath of attempting to pass counterfeit currency and refusing to comply with lawful police orders while high on fentanyl, African Americans have recklessly venerated George Floyd to hero status. Now, I in no way excuse or condone the atrocious and evil conduct of Derek Chauvin, but two things can be true at the same time. We can accurately regard Derek Chauvin as the most reprehensible of human beings, and we can still rightly regard Floyd for the thug he was who did not deserve to die at the hands of the very person who will empower to keep our streets safe from people precisely like George Floyd.
Thomas Sowell brilliantly writes about how, while African Americans were severely oppressed and marginalized by the culture, they nonetheless still retained their dignity and virtue. He talks fondly of living in the inner city of New York but being able to sleep on his fire escape during the summer months with no fear. He recounts how he fearlessly travels public transportation late in the evening.
What in the blazing is happening with us as African Americans, especially those Evangelicals of African American descent? We lament about police brutality and systemic racism, all the while the overwhelming data reveals that less than twenty-five unarmed African Americans die due to police encounters each year. Yet, we know more than quadruple that amount this weekend will be murdered in just a couple of our major cities.
More and more, I reflect on my ever-fading mortality. I question how much time I should devote to celebrating my sports teams. Again, Evangelicals will come to different landing spots. I believe Evangelicals have and will always struggle as to exactly where the proper balance rests. That is that, but that is not what we are talking about here in this article. At an ever-increasing alarming rate, Evangelicals celebrate the crassest and devote violations of the Holy Writ.
Serve as the Pastor of the venerated Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA, run for the U.S. Senate from the state of Georgia, and openly campaign for the right of females to kill life created in the Imago Dei of God. No problem, the people of Georgia, with the full-throated support of Evangelicals of African American descent, will elect you to a six-year term.
Boast of officiating the first same-sex marriage in the state of California. No problem! Go ahead and run and eventually become elected as the first person of color to the office of Vice-President of the United States with the unabashed support of every African American Greek Organization.
Boast of officiating a same-sex marriage and nominating the first non-binary to a Cabinet-level position, all the while telling the African American voting public that you are not Black if they do not vote for you. No problem! African Americans will seemingly celebrate anything the Democrats throw over the fence.
Dare I mention that President Biden and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are persona non grata in their own Catholic Church in America for their blatant disobedience of clear Roman Catholic teaching. Still, no worries, it does not mean the needle one bit, and everyone knows it and are apparently cool with no. Expect, not me and neither should you if take your professed faith in Jesus Christ seriously.
I close with these somber words as a frank reminder. I do not write from an Ivory Tower. I am reminded of the Latin phrase simul justus et peccator. It means “at once justified and a sinner.” It is associated with Martin Luther, and Protestant thought concerning salvation. I write with sincere fear and trembling of the realization there are areas of my life where I struggle with the tug of sin that is ever present in my walk with Jesus Christ to my constant frustration.
I admit to bouts of doubt of salvation as I constantly fall prey to the same besetting sin time and time again. As someone once said, “If I could lose my salvation, I would.” But thankfully, Salvation is not a case of Evangelicals trusting in their ability to keep the Law of God, even as regenerated Evangelicals. So, while the Adversary constantly reminds me of my repeated shortcomings , I draw resilience and resolve because I understand that Salvation is wholly of the Lord from the very start to my last, drawing breath.
So, while I will struggle with sin to my dying breath and fret with questions of how much is too much when it comes to running and celebrating my Chicago sports team (except the White Sox). I do not struggle, nor should I struggle with matters where God has been explicitly clear.
My query to you, the professing Evangelical, is why are you so silent?
Why do you celebrate Barack Obama yet claim to celebrate Jesus Christ? One is on the broad road, and One is the very road.
Why do you celebrate Raphael Warnock? Because you pledged the same fraternity?
Why do you celebrate Kamala Harris? Because she pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.?
Why do you celebrate entertainers who openly mock God and His Word?
Why do you celebrate George Floyd & Jacob Blake, two thugs who resisted police? Even as the Bible expressly reveals, we are to be afraid if we resist the authorities (see Romans 13). As Dr. Voddie Baucham has famously opined, “I am just the mailman delivering the mail,” so do not get mad at me.
I implore you to be reconciled to Jesus Christ today if you have never done so. He is the only hope in this world and the world beyond. He came as the Second Adam and accomplished all the First Adam failed miserably to perform as humanity’s Federal Head.
I have ceased posting from https://wordpress.com/home/keepingyourhandtotheplow.blog.
My new blog post is https://www.thinkingcriticallyfromanevangelicalworldview.com/blog
As always, let me know what you think. Until then, keep your hands to the plow and seek to serve for an Audience of One.
With fear & trembling
Ricky Kyles DEd.Min