The Church is suffering: she is trampled on, and her enemies are within. Let us not abandon her.

 

The mystery of Judas, the mystery of betrayal, is a subtle poison. The devil seeks to make us doubt the Church. He wants us to regard her as a human organization in crisis. However, she is so much more than that: she is the continuation of Christ. The devil drives us to division and schism. He wants us to believe that the Church has betrayed us. But the Church does not betray. The Church, full of sinners, is herself without sin! There will always be enough light in her for those who seek God. Do not be tempted by hatred, division, manipulation. It is not a matter of believing a party, of rising up against each other: “The Master warned us against these dangers to the point of reassuring the people, even with regard to the bad shepherds: one must not abandon the Church, that seat of truth, because of them . . . . Therefore let us not become lost in the evil of division because of those who are wicked”, Saint Augustine (Letter 105).

The Church is suffering: she is trampled on, and her enemies are within. Let us not abandon her. All pastors are sinful men, but they bear within themselves the mystery of Christ.

What is to be done, then? It is not a matter of organizing and implementing strategies. How could anyone think that we could improve things by ourselves? That would be to enter again into the illusion of Judas.

Given the surge of sins in the ranks of the Church, we are tempted to try to take things into our own hands. We are tempted to try to purify the Church by our own strength. That would be a mistake. What should we do? Form a party? A movement? That is the most serious temptation: the showy disguise of division. Under the pretext of doing good, people become divided, they criticize each other, they tear each other apart. And the devil snickers. He has succeeded in tempting good people under the appearance of good. We do not reform the Church by division and hatred. We reform the Church when we start changing ourselves! Let us not hesitate, each one, in his place, to denounce sin, starting with our own.

I tremble at the thought that Christ’s seamless garment is in danger of being torn again. Jesus suffered agony when he saw in advance the divisions of Christians. Let us not crucify him again! His heart begs us: he thirsts for unity! The devil is afraid of being  called by his name. He likes to drape himself in the fog of ambiguity. Let us be clear about one thing: “To call things by the wrong name is to add to the world’s misfortune”,  Albert Camus said.

Robert Cardinal Sarah, The Day is Now Far Spent (pp. 14-5)  

"Neither the church nor ministry, Bible or creed, is perfect."

While holding a high view of Biblical authority, [Augustus] Strong’s starting point was that the truth was not doctrinal or propositional, but rather “the truth is a personal Being, and that Christ himself is the Truth.” Strong attributed the intellectual difficulties in the church to a view of truth that was too abstract and literal. People mistakenly supposed the perfection attributed to the deity could be attributed equally to statements about Christ made by the church, the ministry, the Bible, or a creed. “A large part of the unbelief of the present day,” he said, “has been caused by the unwarranted identification of these symbols and manifestations with Christ himself. Neither the church nor ministry, Bible or creed, is perfect. To discover imperfections in them is to prove that they are not in themselves divine.”

George M. Marsden, Fundamentalism and American Culture (p. 107)           

"And hope to the end; rather, perfectly, with a full, unwavering, constant hope."

“Wherefore having the loins of your mind girt up, being sober, trust perfectly in the grace which is offered you in the revelation of Jesus Christ” ( 1 Peter 1:13, Douay-Rheims).

Propter quod succincti lumbos mentis vestrae, sobrii, perfecte sperate in eam, quae offertur vobis, gratiam, in revelationem Jesu Christi (1 Peter 1:13, Clementine Vulgate).

“Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13, King James).

Διὸ ἀναζωσάμενοι τὰς ὀσφύας τῆς διανοίας ὑμῶν νήφοντες τελείως ἐλπίσατε ἐπὶ τὴν φερομένην ὑμῖν χάριν ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (1 Peter 1:13, Stephanus 1550).

"And hope to the end; rather, perfectly, with a full, unwavering, constant hope. It is better to take the adverb τελείως with the verb 'hope' than with νήφοντες, 'be perfectly sober.' For the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. The Christian's hope must be directed to, set towards (ἐπί with accusative), the continual growth in grace ('He giveth more grace,' James 4:6). That grace is being brought now, being borne in upon the soul in the present revelation of Jesus Christ. 'It pleased God,' says St. Paul (Galatians 1:16), 'to reveal his Son in me.' So now the Lord manifests himself to those who walk in the path of loving obedience. Each gift of grace kindles the hope of a nearer manifestation, a fuller revelation; grace is continually brought, till at length the full unspeakable gift of grace is realized at the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ at his second advent. This seems better than to give the present participle φερομένην a future sense, and to understand the revelation of Jesus Christ only of his final coming in glory (Pulpit Commentary)."

See: Bible Hub: 1 Peter 1:13 - https://biblehub.com/1_peter/1-13.htm

"...for the brief course of this life will soon be ended"

Finally, my beloved child, I intreat you by all that is sacred in heaven and in earth, by your own Baptism, by the breast which Jesus sucked, by the tender Heart with which He loves you, and by the bowels of compassion in which you hope—be stedfast and persevere in this most blessed undertaking to live a devout life. Our days pass away, death is at hand. “The trumpet sounds a recall,” says S. Gregory Nazianzen, “in order that every one may make ready, for Judgment is near.” When S. Symphorian was led to his martyrdom, his mother cried out to him, “My son, my son, remember life eternal, look to Heaven, behold Him Who reigns there; for the brief course of this life will soon be ended.” Even so would I say to you: Look to Heaven, and do not lose it for earth; look at Hell, and do not plunge therein for the sake of this passing life; look at Jesus Christ, and do not deny Him for the world’s sake; even if the devout life sometimes seems hard and dull, join in Saint Francis’ song,

“So vast the joys that I await,
No earthly travail seemeth great.”

Glory be to Jesus, to Whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, now and ever, and to all Eternity. Amen.

St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life (Part 5, Chapter 18)

Presupposing God for the possibility of intelligent predication

Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987)

 

No sinner reacts properly to God’s revelation. Is this too sweeping a statement? It is simply the doctrine of total depravity. All sinners are covenant breakers. They have an axe to grind. They do not want to keep God in remembrance. They keep under the knowledge of God which is within them. That is they try as best they can to keep under this knowledge for fear they should look into the face of their judge. And since God’s face appears in every fact of the universe they oppose God’s revelation everywhere. They do not want to see the facts of nature for what they are; they do not want to see themselves for what they are. Therefore they assume the non-createdness of themselves and of the facts and the laws of nature round about them. Even though they make great protestations of serving God they yet serve and worship the creature more than the Creator. They try to make themselves believe that God and man are aspects of one universe. They interpret all things immanentistically. Shall we in the interest of a point of contact admit that man can interpret anything correctly if he virtually leaves God out of the picture? Shall we who wish to prove that nothing can be explained without God, first admit that some things at least can be explained without him? On the contrary we shall show that all explanations without God are futile. Only when we do this do we appeal to that knowledge of God within men which they seek to suppress. This is what I mean by presupposing God for the possibility of intelligent predication.
 

Cornelius Van Til, A Christian Theory of Knowledge (p. 294)

"While all around is changing, we must seek to remain immoveable..."

THE order of God’s Providence maintains a perpetual vicissitude in the material being of this world; day is continually turning to night, spring to summer, summer to autumn, autumn to winter, winter to spring; no two days are ever exactly alike. Some are foggy, rainy, some dry or windy; and this endless variety greatly enhances the beauty of the universe. And even so precisely is it with man (who, as ancient writers have said, is a miniature of the world), for he is never long in any one condition, and his life on earth flows by like the mighty waters, heaving and tossing with an endless variety of motion; one while raising him on high with hope, another plunging him low in fear; now turning him to the right with rejoicing, then driving him to the left with sorrows; and no single day, no, not even one hour, is entirely the same as any other of his life

All this is a very weighty warning, and teaches us to aim at an abiding and unchangeable evenness of mind amid so great an uncertainty of events; and, while all around is changing, we must seek to remain immoveable, ever looking to, reaching after and desiring our God. Let the ship take what tack you will, let her course be eastward or westward, northern or southern, let any wind whatsoever fill her sails, but meanwhile her compass will never cease to point to its one unchanging lodestar. Let all around us be overthrown, nay more, all within us; I mean let our soul be sad or glad, in bitterness or joy, at peace or troubled, dry and parched, or soft and fruitful, let the sun scorch, or the dew refresh it; but all the while the magnet of our heart and mind, our superior will, which is our moral compass, must continually point to the Love of God our Creator, our Saviour, our only Sovereign Good.

St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life (Part 4, Chapter 13)

Such as stand upright do so solely through God’s grace

St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)

Public, notorious sinners may be spoken of freely, provided always even then that a spirit of charity and compassion prevail, and that you do not speak of them with arrogance or presumption, or as though you took pleasure in the fall of others. To do this is the sure sign of a mean ungenerous mind. And, of course, you must speak freely in condemnation of the professed enemies of God and His Church, heretics and schismatics,—it is true charity to point out the wolf wheresoever he creeps in among the flock. Most people permit themselves absolute latitude in criticizing and censuring rulers, and in calumniating nationalities, according to their own opinions and likings. But you should avoid this fault; it is displeasing to God, and is liable to lead you into disputes and quarrels. When you hear evil of any one, cast any doubt you fairly can upon the accusation; or if that is impossible, make any available excuse for the culprit; and where even that may not be, be yet pitiful and compassionate, and remind those with whom you are speaking that such as stand upright do so solely through God’s Grace. Do your best kindly to check the scandal-bearer, and if you know anything favorable to the person criticized, take pains to mention it.

St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life (Part 3, Chapter 29)

Why are so many people unable to find the truth?

Josef Pieper (1904-1997)

The general public is being reduced to a state where people not only are unable to find out about the truth but also become unable even to search for the truth because they are satisfied with deception and trickery that have determined their convictions, satisfied with a fictitious reality created by design through the abuse of language.

Josef Pieper, Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power (pp. 34-5)

God in his providence has provided for the essentially accurate transmission of the words of the original

Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987)

 

That the Bible is the Word of God pertains only to the original autographs. The versions and translations may fairly be said to be faithful reproductions of the autographs. But they cannot be said to be exact replicas of them . . . The doctrine of Scripture as self-attesting presupposes that whatsoever comes to pass in history materializes by virtue of the plan and counsel of the living God. If everything happens by virtue of the plan of God, then all created reality, every aspect of it, is inherently revelational of God and of his plan . . . Such a view of God and of human history is both presupposed by, and in turn presupposes, the idea of the infallible Bible; and if such a God is presupposed then it is not a matter of great worry if the transmissions are not altogether accurate reproductions of the originals. Then the very idea of “substantial accuracy” or “essential reliability” has its foundation in the complete control of history by God. Then it is proper and meaningful to say that God in his providence has provided for the essentially accurate transmission of the words of the original.

Cornelius Van Til, A Christian Theory of Knowledge (pp. 27-8)

The message of Christianity must ring out clearly in the modern tumult

 

Cornelius Van Til (1895 - 1987)

 

If Christianity is to be heard above the din and noise of modern irrationalism and existentialism, it must think in terms of its own basic categories. If it has to import some of its materials from the enemy, it cannot expect effectively to conquer the enemy. It is the Christian Faith that alone has the truth; this should be its claim. It should be made with all modesty; those who have accepted it once were blind. They have been saved by grace. Little would it behoove them to regard themselves as the source of wisdom. But disclaiming themselves as the source of wisdom, they cannot make apology for God and for Christ the Son of God. If men would be saved, if they would save their culture as well as themselves, they must meet the requirements of God. There is no other way to truth. “Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that the world by its wisdom knew not God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe” ( 1 Cor. 1:20–21)

Cornelius Van Til, A Christian Theory of Knowledge (pp. 23-4)

An Encounter with the Virgin at Lourdes

 

Such surrender could bring sufferers close to death. Before her cure, Blanche Meurat said that her body was shivering and cracking until she met the Virgin:

‘Good Saint Mary, if I am still useful on earth, cure me, since I am your child, and if I am not useful, take me! I am yours.’ Then turning my eyes towards Our Good Mother of Heaven, I saw her smiling and repeating to me, three times, ‘Leave! My child! Do not hesitate, you are indeed cured,’ and, as I still hesitated, an invincible force that I cannot describe pushed me powerfully out of my stretcher from which I stepped.

It is not clear if she was referring to the statue in the Grotto or to a vision, nor does she say how she interpreted the smile—as forgiveness, reassurance, encouragement or a combination of all these qualities. She none the less emphasized the sense of presence, both close and authoritative, which physically moved her off her stretcher, to the astonishment of those looking on.

Meurat’s account of what she saw, heard and felt shows how she tried to give voice to the relationship between her imaginative encounter with the Virgin and the way it was translated into physical action. It provides a perfect example of the way the ‘self’—a totality of imagination, sensation, posture and bodily motion—was reoriented through an existential process that depended entirely on a belief in the presence of the Virgin and the maternal force associated with her. The encounter was so powerful precisely because it contrasted her finite humanity and its bodily limitations with a sense of the infinite and its supernatural possibility. This conception was not Cartesian; it preferred a vision of human wholeness and rejected the restrictions of mentalist preoccupations—cogito ergo sum—that favored mind over body and thought over being, in favour of a unified conception of the self. The process could not be explained by reference to a precise physiological or psychological mechanism; rather the undefined nature of the transformation within the ‘self’ gave it unimagined strength.

Ruth Harris, Lourdes: Body and Spirit in the Secular Age (pp. 310-11)    

How have we gotten here? Mass Formation Psychosis

Bridge over the Washougal River in Washington State (Photo: Leslie Butler)

 

Clark County Today Administrator Heidi Wetzler shares clinical psychology professor Mattias Desmet’s theory about the societal conditions under which a population ends up willingly sacrificing their freedom: 

I received the following comment recently from a reader in Africa, on a column I wrote a while back regarding natural immunity. It captures the essence of my daily inner dialogue. 

“Arguments from privileged countries. We in Africa have little access to vaccines, boosters, etc. The question we should be asking is, how is Africa managing? You people have already caused mayhem over Omicron. Our good doctors from South Africa have told us not to panic, but the rest of the world is in the highest panic mode yet … your countries’ have over 70% vaccinated, boosted etc. You should be at peace … you will die of fear.”

Continue reading: Opinion: How have we gotten here? Mass Formation Psychosis, explained https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/opinion-how-have-we-gotten-here-mass-formation-psychosis-explained/

Watch: WHY DO SO MANY STILL BUY INTO THE NARRATIVE? https://youtu.be/uLDpZ8daIVM
 

 

 

Contingency, modern medicine, and God’s providence

 

There is no apparent limit to medicine’s ambition to control the circumstances of human life and death by bringing them under human control. Billions of dollars are invested each year in research that has as its ultimate aim the elimination of contingency from the biological circumstances of human existence, and few people seem interested in asking whether or to what extent such an aim is appropriate for creatures of a providential God.

Joel Shuman and Brian Volck, M.D., Reclaiming the Body: Christians and the Faithful Use of Modern Medicine (p. 35)  

Once we locate an object of our fear, we feel empowered

 

Just as we long for a diagnosis when we are sick, so we long for a way to name and locate our chaotic fears. Once we have a diagnosis, we know how to respond to our illness. We feel that we can do something. Likewise, once we locate an object of our fear, we feel empowered. We can now take tangible steps to make ourselves more safe. Insecurity is no longer the sad reality of a fallen and vulnerable world; it is the result of “those” people who pose a tangible and definable threat to “us” and our way of life. Indeed, we exist as “us” precisely because we oppose what “they” are and what “they” do. The cozy feeling of community coexists with an anxious pugnacity that arises, in most communities, as an inevitable byproduct of a shared identity.

Scott Bader-Saye, Following Jesus in a Culture of Fear (p. 105)

Atheistic Naturalism: The Root of Scientific Totalitarianism

 

What kind of a case can we make for human rights, if human beings, like other animals, are the accidental products of blind material process? I do not see how a widespread belief in inalienable rights can be long maintained in such a perspective… After all, ancient societies, which had no conception of God-given rights, rewarded the elite and enslaved the rest. The logical thing to do, in an overpopulated world with scarce resources, is to “cull the herd.”

Terence L. Nichols, The Sacred Cosmos: Christian Faith and the Challenge of Naturalism (p. 16)  

What is going on in the world? Fireside chat with Nick Hudson

Join Dan Astin-Gregory on the Pandemic Podcast with his guest Nick Hudson, the founder of Panda, for a fireside discussion about what's going on in the world!

Rodney Dietert on Microbiome-First Medicine

The origin of asthma, autism, Alzheimer’s, allergies, cancer, heart disease, obesity, and even some kinds of depression is now clear. Award-winning researcher on the microbiome, professor Rodney Dietert presents a new paradigm in human biology that has emerged in the midst of the ongoing global epidemic of noncommunicable diseases.

 The Human Superorganism makes a sweeping, paradigm-shifting argument. It demolishes two fundamental beliefs that have blinkered all medical thinking until very recently:

1) Humans are better off as pure organisms free of foreign microbes.

2) the human genome is the key to future medical advances.

The microorganisms that we have sought to eliminate have been there for centuries supporting our ancestors. They comprise as much as 90 percent of the cells in and on our bodies—a staggering percentage! More than a thousand species of them live inside us, on our skin, and on our very eyelashes. Yet we have now significantly reduced their power and in doing so have sparked an epidemic of noncommunicable diseases—which now account for 63 percent of all human deaths. 

Ultimately, this book is not just about microbes; it is about a different way to view humans. The story that Dietert tells of where the new biology comes from, how it works, and the ways in which it affects your life is fascinating, authoritative, and revolutionary. Dietert identifies foods that best serve you, the superorganism; not new fad foods but ancient foods that have made sense for millennia. He explains protective measures against unsafe chemicals and drugs. He offers an empowering self-care guide and the blueprint for a revolution in public health. We are not what we have been taught. Each of us is a superorganism. The best path to a healthy life is through recognizing that profound truth.

Source: The Human Superorganism: How the Microbiome Is Revolutionizing the Pursuit of a Healthy Life https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/531468/the-human-superorganism-by-rodney-dietert-phd/

Audio Interview: Rodney Dietert on Microbiome-First Medicine https://youtu.be/nCshOFnRVZU

"The transhumanist agenda is already visible as the distant destination-point..."

 

"Belgian psychologist Dr. Mattias Desmet may be the most articulate voice on the most clear and present danger facing us: the mob-baiting now being pursued by formerly democratic governments..."

 

Covid Totalitarianism: The Deification of Error https://johnwaters.substack.com/p/covid-totalitarianism-the-deification

 

WHY DO SO MANY STILL BUY INTO THE NARRATIVE? https://youtu.be/uLDpZ8daIVM via @YouTube

2021 Yamaha XT250

 

I got a new phone with a camera. It's still a dumb phone. This is a photo of my bike (a 2021 Yamaha XT250 that I've been riding since April) at the Dark Hollow vista on Stillhouse Hollow Road in Michaux State Forest in Pennsylvania. It was a bit damp and cold today.

America, Build with the Bible!

 

So for us today, in Scripture our Heavenly Father Himself speaks to us directly, personally, infallibly. His Word pulls down all pride and pretense to show that no matter how good you may think you are, how outwardly respectable your life may appear, without Jesus, you are lost in your sin.

In the Scriptures we find the most magnificent love the world will ever witness is that marvel of mercy whereby Jesus became the Savior and Substitute for sinful mankind. There on Calvary, and the cross of curse and shame, He paid the penalty for our sins, suffering punishment for our iniquities. There He shed His blood to cleanse us and then He died to give us life. Three days later He rose again to assure us of our own future resurrection, ascending to the Father to guarantee us the glories of heaven.

In and through the risen Redeemer, God's precious Volume gives you peace for your soul. In God's saving, comforting Word, by the Holy Spirit's power, you can find strength to conquer evil habits, reform your life, and return to your Heavenly Father. Between the covers of Scripture you'll discover God's truth, the divine lamp unto your feet, His guidance for every problem, and the Holy Spirit's regenerating force to make you a new creature in Christ.

May every one of you take time to pause and hear the Savior's special appeal to you: “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” (Matthew 11:28). May the Holy Spirit fill your hearts with the love of Jesus, who first loved you. With your whole being may you revere and lift up God's sacred Word, taking it wholly and wholeheartedly, and receive Christ Jesus as your Lord.

From “America, Build with the Bible!” a sermon excerpt from Rev. Dr. Walter A. Maier, the first Speaker of The Lutheran Hour