Transcription
Don't throw stones in glass houses. To love thy neighbor. Who shall I send? And I can't find it in the Bible, but I use it, I quote it all the time, and I keep reading and reading the Bible. I know it's there someplace. It's supposed to be in Isaiah. Are we reading the same book? Listen. Or, to be more biblical, hearken. Do you hear that sound in the distance? That would be your Bible screaming as it's tortured by politicians.
As a rule, we don't talk politics here at Wretched, but when politicians talk about the Bible, well, we're all in. First up, Senator Nancy Pelosi. But I heard Bishop say, um, to minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us. It's there somewhere in some words or another. Point of fact, it's not. Even AI couldn't find that quote. It is totally fabricated. Nevertheless, let's engage with her made-up Bible verse.
Well, I'm not sure that I would actually use the word worship. I actually don't take much issue with her claim, at least on the face of it. If Nancy had said, "Hey, here's a quote that I believe harmonizes the Bible's teaching on creation care," I probably wouldn't quibble with her on this. We are to steward this planet as a gift and honor and responsibility from God. And to abuse that gift wouldn't just dishonor the Lord. It would be to actually sin. Christians should be wiser and better stewards than, get ready for this, the environmentalists. Don't panic. I didn't say we have to have the same policies, but I did say Christians should care about the planet even more than the Greenies do.
Um, let's let's break it down. James Brown, there are two major beliefs that distinguish us from those who mourn when trees get cut down. I want to mourn the loss of all the old growth trees I've seen. Difference number one, we don't worship mother earth. We worship Father Creator. The earth is not an object of worship. It is a gift from the one we worship. The planet does not supersede God or, for that matter, humans. And that leads us to distinction number two. Knowing that we live on this side of the fall and knowing that the planet is meant for us. The planet exists to serve image-bearers. People aren't meant to serve and worship the planet. We know the planet is going to take some hits as we utilize it as good stewards for human flourishing.
So if I were Nancy Pelosi, hold on. I just--Oh, Paul, if I were Nancy Pelosi, I would put it like this: Christians love the creator, and we are grateful that he made the planet for our dominion and flourishing. Because this planet doesn't belong to us, we steward that trust with great respect and endeavor to tend to the planet lovingly while recognizing the planet is meant to serve us and it may get bruised along the way.
So now let me just try to take that maxim and apply it to the subject of gas-operated transportation without you ultimately concluding I don't want to drill, baby, drill. Currently, the most efficient way to provide mass transportation for individuals is via gas-operated vehicles. Therefore, we fill up our tanks without feeling like we are sinning against the mother. The planet is here to serve us. Now, should we discover there is a legitimate alternative, a legitimate alternative that is indeed better for the environment, then we Christians can and should embrace that technology so we can be the best stewards possible. That doesn't make us greenies. It makes us good stewards. So, until that day, however, I say drill, baby, drill.
Oh, sorry for interrupting that guy. He's amazing, isn't he? Would like to offer you the opportunity to share the gospel. We have a new campus campaign. It's free. Would you like to learn more about how you can share the gospel, particularly with young men, well, pretty much anywhere but on university campuses? Then visit forisinstitute.org/playtheman. Now, back to that amazing YouTube guy.
Let's move on to this. This hurts a little bit because I'm in Atlanta. Here is Georgia's Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock. Where did he get his diploma? But if I'm honest, there are days when I have to ask people of my faith tradition, as a Christian, are we reading the same book? Ooh. To that I say, game on, sir. The book I know says, "I was hungry and you fed me. I was sick. I was in prison," and and you visited me. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. In as much as you've done it to the least of these, you've done it also unto me.
Hold the phone, Reverend. You left out two important words. Did you catch it? Did you catch what he just conveniently snipped out of his Bible reading? Here's the entire passage which he was quoting on the Senate floor. Where's the ACLU now? Matthew 25:40. And the king will answer and say to them, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these, here it comes, my brothers." NASB says, "These brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me." That is a huge difference. There's a qualifier to Jesus' words when he says, "My brothers and sisters." In other words, the context is clear. Christians are supposed to care for Christians. That is not a command to inflate government programs for the taking care of the masses. That is a verse that is a sign of genuine conversion. That we do kind things for other believers. There is nothing in that verse that has anything to do with welfare or government assistance programs. Nothing. To use this verse to guilt Christians into thinking the government should redistribute wealth is, well, sorry, unbiblical.
Now, does this mean Christians don't care about the poor and needy? Of course not. But you're going to have to find biblical support elsewhere because this text quoted by the Reverend Senator does not endorse compelled giving, aka taxation, in order to support those in need. Christian charity is just that, individual kindness to our brothers and sisters first, our immediate neighbors second, and the greater community third. In other words, there is an ordo amoris. You you take care of your Christian family, then you can take care of those that live near you and even expand that further if you can. But that Bible verse, it has absolutely nothing to do with government programs. When the government takes from Peter to pay Paul, that's not an act of charity. It's closer to an act of thievery. That isn't charity. What the Bible encourages for each of us is, because we have been given so much, if we have extra, we give it to others. That, dear Reverend Senator, is charity.
Honestly, for this senator, Reverend, to shame us by using our holy book, to guilt us into supporting bloated, inefficient government programs that are as efficient as--go ahead. You you come up with a simile that would be greater than as a bloated government program. We just know these things are inefficient. The federal government is the high watermark of inefficiency and corruption. And by the way, I need to ask again. Hello, paging the ACLU. Where are you protesting Raphael Warnock for quoting the Bible on the Senate floor? Crickets.
Next up, three-term President Barack Obama. Good book says, uh, you know, don't uh don't throw stones in glass houses. Actually, it doesn't. First of all, needless to say, there weren't any glass houses in the Bible. Second, at best, this is a paraphrase, a contemporary Western sort of colloquialism based on Jesus' words to the self-righteous accusers of the adulterous woman in John 8:7. But that has nothing to do with judging, per se. It has everything to do with being a hypocrite. That's what that verse is about.
Next up, the Democratic nominee for 2028, at least I hope, Kamala Harris. Getting vaccinated, the act of administering the vaccinations. Well, these acts are the very essence of what the Bible and so many faiths tell us about the importance of our role and our power when we say, "Love thy neighbor." This one's a little trickier. Is there any truth in that statement? If I know that I'm contagious, I would not be loving if I sneezed into your face. But there's more to the story when it comes to untested vaccinations. First, Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8, they provide for, if you will, conscientious objectors to say, "Sorry, it would be a sin for me to take the jab." A second ground for not getting poked would be 1 Corinthians 6. Our body is a temple made in the image of God. And there are those who would conclude, I don't want to do anything that I believe would harm that temple. Therefore, if I feel that the jab could make my temple sick, I shouldn't take it. Third, there was the issue of the ethics regarding the production of these vaccines indicating they were produced from fetal stem cells. Whoa. Finally, the science was less than certain. So, when it became clear that those with the jab could still transmit the virus, then the moral argument that receiving the jab is an act of loving one's neighbor totally falls apart. Do I want to do everything that I can to love my neighbor? But with all due respect to the former vice president, it's kind of nice to say the former vice president. There's more to the story than just having the government tell us to love our neighbor. And by the way, what what's she doing again? Quoting the Bible to impose her values on us.
Finally, no video about politicians twisting scripture would be complete without a mangry quote from former President Biden. You say, "What mangry? What's what what's mangry?" It's a combination of mangled and angry. Those who have served through the ages have drawn inspiration from the book of Isaiah. When the Lord says, "Whom shall I send? Who shall go for us?" American military's been answering for a long time, "Here I am, Lord. Send me." Told you, angry. What's she--you so mad about? Once again, the context of this misquoted scripture reveals the former president, um, is abusing the Bible. He's referencing Isaiah 6. The prophet is given a glimpse of heaven. In verse four, he woes himself because he realizes what a sinner he is when he's in the presence of a holy God. Then we get to verse 8. Quote, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send and who will go for us?' Then I said, 'Here am I. Send me.'" First of all, this is God asking who will go, not the American government. Second, the next verse reveals the mission. Hint, it has nothing to do with the military or going to war. Verse 9, God said, "Go and tell this people," what people? The children of Israel, not potential recruits, keep on listening, but do not understand. Keep on looking, but do not gain knowledge. Make the hearts of the people insensitive, their ears dull and their eyes blind, so that they will not see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and return and be healed. Isaiah said he was willing to go to the nations of Israel to call those people to repentance for being blind and foolish. The original audience would have never thought this applied to the military. And if they didn't, we shouldn't either.
So, what do we do with all of this? First, a reminder, we've got to be a Berean. Second, we need to call out scripture twisters. Seriously, mangling the Bible is a greater crime than any of the legislation that any person puts forward. The the the worst legislation you can imagine, not as bad as mangling God's word. Third, don't think mangling the Bible is reserved for Democratic politicians. It is done by Republicans, too. And worst of all, scripture twisting is done by purported Evangelical preachers, but I am not going to name names. Won't do it. The Christian faith does not rise and fall based on the accuracy or the inherency of 66 ancient documents that we call books of the Bible. Paul elected to unhitch the Christian faith. We must--Jesus never played the God card. He never said, "Okay, by the way, I'm God." When God said "I am" to Moses, you know, my name is I am. He was trying to get him to see you are as I am. I'm not in covenant with a person. I'm not in covenant with a political party. I'm in covenant with God Almighty. I am God Almighty. Galatians chapter 3. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to his promise, and his promise was great wealth.
As horrible as it is that politicians brutalize the Bible, it is infinitely more egregious that those who claim to represent the Lord misrepresent his word. It is not being mean. It is certainly not sinful to call out those who twist scripture, especially those who claim to be representatives of God. Discuss. Hey there, my name is Easy ZW, and I serve as the president of Living Waters. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that Todd Friel is celebrating his 25th. He wishes it was his birthday, but more important than that, it's his 25th year in ministry. And what a blessing that God, through him, has brought for us and all the ministries it provides. Get behind them. Support them for the glory of God.