covid-19 – Muscular Christianity

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COVID-19 Pop Quiz

Consider some of what we’ve been told over the last several months:

Shut down your business
Stop going to church
Don’t trust your doctor
Stay out of the classroom
Do as you’re told
Do not ask any questions

It’s not a difficult pill to swallow when you’re not able to access any perspectives save those that are being thrust upon you as the bottom lines coming from the, “experts.”

But then new voices begin to emerge. Medical Professionals who aren’t just drafting reports, they’re treating patients and risking their reputations and livelihoods to speak out against the narrative and share the success they’ve had with inexpensive medications – treatments that are being demonized by the Press.

How can that be if lives are being saved in the midst of a pandemic? Why would those success stories be dismissed as inconsequential if people’s lives are hanging in the balance?

These same frontline physicians are also championing a perspective that says COVID-19 doesn’t merit the panic or the shut downs that are being forced upon the nation. So, it’s not just patients being healed, it’s the overall approach to the virus that they’re saying needs to be re-evaluated.

At some point, their platform needs to be considered. The collateral damage being done by the restrictions and mitigations that have proven largely ineffective, have incurred a substantial amount of harm to our economy, our education and even to our overall health.

Here’s a short, multiple choice quiz that’s designed to uncover the “missing information” that’s being deleted from the public consciousness in order to promote an agenda that has very little to do with responsible medicine.

You ready?

Here we go…

1) The Infection Fatality Rate of COVID-19 is:

a. 1 in 20

b. 1 in 100

c. 1 in 107

2) Masks are effective. True or False

3) Vaccinated people tend to be more healthy than those who are unvaccinated. True or False.

4) A recent Pfizer study showed that that of 45,000 patients over the course of six months, there were 15 deaths in the vaccinated group and ___ in the unvaccinated group.

a) 52

b) 14

c) 168

5) The Clinical Trials for Pfizer are scheduled to conclude when…

a) They were concluded last month

b) TBA

c) They are scheduled to be completed in May of 2023

6) Ivermectin has proven to be ineffective treatments for COVID-19. True or False

7) Illegal immigrants are allowed to come into the country despite having COVID-19, while members of the Armed Forces are being _________ if they refuse to get the vaccine.

a) discharged

b) promoted

c) counseled

8) In May of 2021, the Indian Bar Association (IBA) sued WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, accusing her in a 71-point brief of causing the deaths of Indian citizens by misleading them about Ivermectin. True or False?

9) When California Governor Gavin Newsom was asked if the COVID-19 pandemic was something that could be used as an excuse to usher in Progressive policies in his state and elsewhere throughout the country, he said…?

a) absolutely

b) not at all

c) I refuse to comment

10) Why would any data pertaining to recovery rates and effective treatments where COVID-19 is concerned be presented as “misinformation?”

a) Because in some cases, the information is incomplete and therefore harmful if not processed as flawed data

b) Much of the information categorized as “misinformation” is coming from sources that do not qualify as subject matter experts.

c) COVID-19 represents a plausible sounding excuse to implement policies that would otherwise be recognized as a corrupt attempt to extend the control of government beyond its Constitutional boundaries.

Answers

1. (c) 1.4%

98.6% of those who are infected with COVID-19 recover. But of the 2% that pass away, 94% of those deaths involved, on the average, 3 potentially life threatening conditions, most of which were related to heart failure.

So, if you’re healthy, the chances of dying from COVID-19 are minimal. To put it in perspective, if the fatality rate of COVID-19 is 1 in 104, and the chances of you dying in a car crash is 1 in 107 , Given the factors that statistically need to be in place in order for COVID to be a serious problem, you have a better chance of dying in a car crash than you do from COVID.

2. False

Masks don’t work.

This is from https://corona-ausschuss.de/en/faq/, although similar information is widely available…

(a) the SARS-CoV-2 viruses are smaller than the pores of “everyday masks” and are not retained;
(b) rebreathing CO2 (hypercapnia) causes poor performance and headaches;
(c) the humidity during prolonged wearing is a breeding ground for bacteria, viruses and fungi.
(d) the frequent donning, doffing and disposal of masks leads to the spread of viruses.
(e) the psychological, social, and economic consequences are significant.

No significant reduction in infection rates among mask wearers has been found in large field trials (Denmark).

Masks are useful as occupational protection for medical personnel in infection control units (click here to see the steps a medical professional has to take in order for a mask to have any real effect). However, they are less helpful against the transmission of pathogens than the usual behavioral rules (e.g., washing hands, coughing or sneezing into the crook of the elbow). Many studies to the contrary were published after January 2020 and are suspected of being interest-driven.

3. False

Unvaccinated people are statistically more healthy than vaccinated people (click on pdf displayed to the right).

More deaths are occurring in vaccinated areas than those that are unvaccinated.

Recent studies in Israel are showing that most of those who are being hospitalized have been vaccinated. It’s to the point where some health experts are saying that it’s the vaccinated that need to be quarantined and not the other way around.

4. (b) 14

A recent Pfizer study showed that that of 45,000 patients over the course of six months, there were 15 deaths in the vaccinated group and 14 in the unvaccinated group.

This despite the fact that the CDC director recently said that, “…our vaccines are working exceptionally well.”

In the same article, she also said that the vaccine doesn’t prevent you from transmitting the virus to someone else.

So, if the vaccine doesn’t prevent the transmission of the virus and the vaccine isn’t preventing a person from contracting it, then you’ve got a mitigation that’s not doing any real good, especially given the way in which it’s causing collateral damage to the health of those who are taking it. Click here to see the number of those who’ve died as a result of complications from the vaccine.

5. (c) They are scheduled to be completed in May of 2023.

Click here to see the government website that documents the details of the Clinical Trials – specifically when they are to be concluded. I’ve attached a screenshot of the section that references the date in which the trials were to be completed.

Click here to see a Press Release from a group of doctors that have reviewed the FDA approval and discovered several instances of negligence and irresponsible vetting – not the least of which is the fact that the Clinical Trials were not supposed to be done for another two years.

6. (True)

From the Desert Review:

Studies Reveal Ivermectin Greatly Reduces COVID Mortality

A new study shows Ivermectin can reduce the chance of COVID death by 92 percent. The large prospective observational study of 88,012 people in a strictly controlled city-wide program in Southern Brazil, shows that regular use of Ivermectin as prophylaxis for COVID-19 led up to 92 percent reduction in COVID-19 mortality rate. In fact, there were 0 COVID hospitalizations in the group of regular Ivermectin users compared to 10 in the irregular user group. (July 25, 2022)

Now compare that to this article from verwellhealth

Largest Study of Ivermectin Shows No Protection Against COVID-19 Hospitalizations

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that treating COVID-19 patients with ivermectin early in the course of their infection does not reduce their risk of hospitalization. This is the largest study yet to show there is no benefit to using the drug, which is normally used to treat parasitic infections in humans and animals, as a COVID-19 treatment. (April 3, 2022)

The same article says this:

Ivermectin has been touted as a treatment or prevention method for COVID-19 since early in the pandemic, but clinical trials have never backed this claim.

Somebody is lying. Either that, or someone is being irresponsible in saying things that can easily be called into question if not completely refuted by conferring with other sources.

I recovered from COVID by taking Ivermectin. I can testify that it is an effective medication. It’s not “misinformation” at all. In many ways, it’s the “missing information” that some don’t want circulated and, in some parts of the world, that has proven to be a criminal offense.

7. (a) In September of 2021, Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed that the government wasn’t requiring COVID-19 vaccines for people who illegally cross the US-Mexico border — despite President Biden’s new vaccine mandates for about two-thirds of US workers (Biden Orders Most US Workers get Vaxxed — But Not Illegal Border Crossers). This coincides with what the Biden Administration did as of May of 2022 when it ended Title 42 which required illegals who had COVID to be immediately turned back. It was during this time that members of the military were being discharged if they refused to take the vaccine.

8. (True) On May 25, 2021, WHO Chief Scientist, Dr. Swaminathan, was called out for her malfeasance in discrediting Ivermectin to preserve the EUA for the vaccine and pharmaceutical industry. Point 52 reads, “It seems you have deliberately opted for deaths of people to achieve your ulterior goals, and this is sufficient grounds for criminal prosecution against you.” Click here to read more.

9. (a) Governor Newsom responded to that question in a virtual interview by saying, “Absolutely, we see this as an opportunity reshape the way we do business and how we govern.” Click here to read more.

10. (c) While one can find numerous examples of “misinformation” related to COVID that, in some instances, do qualify as outrageous claims that do nothing but make a bad situation even worse, there are aspects of the pandemic that have been demonized and mocked under the heading of “misinformation” that have proven to be absolutely correct.

Ivermectin, for example, has been condemned as “horse paste” and absolutely ineffective in treating COVID-19. According to the FDA, “The FDA has not authorized or approved ivermectin for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 in people or animals. Ivermectin has not been shown to be safe or effective for these indications.” They go on to say, “There’s a lot of misinformation around, and you may have heard that it’s okay to take large doses of ivermectin. It is not okay.”

Other sources say there is no scientific backing, but, in fact, there is.

As was referenced in question #6, there have been studies to show that Ivermectin does work. According to the same article, there have been more than 45 studies that have shown Ivermectin to be an effective medication in the treatment of COVID.

And then there’s the issue of the vaccine. Despite the fact that there are instances where there have been serious side effects, other sources insist that there’s no data to substantiate the claim that the vaccine can be problematic and even lethal.

In a Newsweek article entitled, “Fact Check: Have 966 People Died After Receiving the COVID vaccine?” it references the “Epoch Times” as a far right news outlet that had reported that, as of March 6, 966 people had died from the vaccine. Yet, the article concludes by saying that the claim is “mostly true.”

They add the caveat that the VAERS database doesn’t always specify how a person died as much as they simply say that a person died not long after they got the vaccine.

Then PolitiFact has an article entitled, “There’s no basis to claim thousands have died from COVID-19 vaccines.” Yet, the final paragraph says, “Right now, the CDC reports that 200.4 million people have been fully vaccinated within the United States. The agency also reports that between Dec. 14, 2020, and Nov. 29, 2021, VAERS received 10,128 reports of deaths among people who were vaccinated — that figure would represent 0.0022% of vaccinated people.”

So, are people dying from the vaccine? Newsweek says that is “mostly true,” Politifact says there’s no basis for such a claim.

Meanwhile, people continue to contract the virus despite the vaccine and multiple boosters…

So if the vaccine is ineffective and Ivermectin works, why do those resources that say as much get marginalized as “misinformation?”

Because COVID provides a platform for those who are looking to conceal their true agenda by framing it as a necessary response to a crisis.

Expanded government control is the effect being realized all around the world and not just the US. When you step back and realize how the threat of COVID was used to justify the economic shutdown of the nation, the usage of absentee ballots and hypocritical attacks against President Trump, it becomes evident that however COVID does register as a legitimate and serious sickness, its the way it can be used to promote a bogus political agenda that explains why any perspective that differs from a doomsday narrative is characterized as “misinformation.”

I Got COVID. Here’s What I Learned…

Physicians as Subordinates

It started with an innocent cough. I didn’t think anything of it, but it wore me out to the point where I was looking for a chance to take a nap anytime the opportunity presented itself.

Then I lost my sense of smell.

Ivermectin was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2015 for the way it was refactored in a way that helped human beings battle parasitic diseases. You can click here to see the studies that reveal Ivermectin to be an effective preventative measure as well as a effective medication when it comes to COVID-19.

India went against the instructions of the WHO and mandated the prophylactic usage of Ivermectin. They have almost completely eradicated COVID-19. The Indian Bar Association of Mumbai has brought criminal charges against WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan for recommending against the use of Ivermectin.

At that point, I reached out to a Doctor I had corresponded with in the past. By this point, both my bride and I had COVID so we were looking to get some medication in us and get past this ASAP. Dr. Denise Sibley prescribed some Ivermectin for both of us and it wasn’t lost on us that not every medical facility in the country would even consider that route, and for that we were very grateful to have access to her.

She asked me to make a call to local pharmacy because not every pharmacy would fill a script for Ivermectin. I knew this from various headlines I’ve read, but this was different in that I’m the one now needing the medication and I’m the one having to foot the bill.

It was over $400.00.

There was what appeared to be a far more affordable option at Walgreen’s. I called to see if they would fill the prescription and while the person on the other end seemed hesitant, they reluctantly said they would do it.

When my Doctor called it in, they refused her and treated her like a subordinate.

What Pharmacist tells a Physician how to treat their patient? And why am I having to pay 400% more for a prescription that works?

I was able to get my meds, and after five days my situation improved dramatically.

Now, if you’re convinced that Ivermectin is, “horse paste,” you need to back up and take an inventory of what it is you’re allowing yourself to listen to.

First of all, you don’t help yourself to any kind of therapeutic without a prescription. That’s just ridiculous. And then to turn around and fault the medication because you gave yourself an unhealthy dosage…? What kind of nonsensical dirtbag uses that kind of rationale to evaluate the efficacy of a particular medicine?

And then, what kind of journalistic community gives credence to that rationale by publishing it as something representative of the drug as a whole?

It doesn’t stop there, either.

It’s Not a Respiratory Disease

COVID-19 is not a respiratory disease, it’s a circulatory disease. The pneumonia that it triggers is secondary to the assault the virus launches on the lining of blood vessels – specifically the pulmonary alveolar (al-VEE-lir) capillaries. For the layman, what this means is this:

The Alveoli – the tiny sacks located at the end of your bronchial tubes throughout your lungs – have tiny sacs called Alveoli. Within the walls of the Alveoli, you have capillaries that facilitate the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen. It’s here where COVID-19 becomes a problem in that it attacks the lining of those blood cells and compromises the ability of the body to breathe. It’s also why those who have comorbidities such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes are more susceptible to COVID-19 because of their respiratory system already being compromised and therefore more vulnerable to infection.

When your Alveolar Capillaries are under attack, among the ways in which your body reacts include Sepsis (a renegade chain reaction when chemicals released in the bloodstream to fight an infection trigger inflammation throughout the body), Hypoxia (high-POX-ee-ah [insufficient amounts of oxygen at the cell level]), Coagulopathy (co-ag-u-LUHP-ah-thy [the body’s inability to form healthy blood clots]) and ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome – where the body allows fluid to leak into the lungs).

In instances of severe Hypoxia, you run into a problem in the ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate – the chemical that fuels contraction in muscles and cells) is broken down into Hypoxanthine (HIGH-poh-ZAHN-thene). Hypoxanthine is naturally occurring, but…

…when you throw a bunch of oxygen into the mix (i.e. a respirator), you trigger the creation of Xanthine Oxidase which, in turn, produce tons of highly damaging radicals that attack tissue.

This is why a lot of people who go on Respirators die.

Myocarditis

Myocarditis (my-oh-car-DIE-tihs) is an inflammation of the heart muscle. My father was a victim of this that lead to a full year in the hospital before passing away as a result of a virus that wouldn’t even spike a temperature in a normal human being.

I have this in my genes. I’m controlling my blood pressure through lifestyle and diet under the supervision of a Cardiologist.

The vaccine is being reported as causing Myocarditis in males between 16 and 29 years old.

Still, experts insist that you’re better off getting vaccinated.

Why?

Leaky Vaccines and Bogus Logic

The vaccine doesn’t prevent contraction or transmission and you’re actually a more effective carrier of the virus as someone who’s been vaccinated than someone who hasn’t…

The vaccines for COVID-19 are not sterilizing and do not prevent infection or transmission. They are “leaky” vaccines. This means they remove the evolutionary pressure on the virus to become less lethal. It also means that the vaccinated are perfect carriers. In other words, those who are vaccinated are a threat to the unvaccinated, not the other way around. (America’s Frontline Doctors)

Because of COVID-19, we’re being told:

Today, President Biden launched his mandate that all companies of 100 employees or more require their staff to be vaccinated or prove that they’re not infected by being tested weekly. Several weeks ago, youtube announced that it will ban all information pertaining to the ineffectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.

Studies have shown that natural immunity is far more effective than any vaccine. India has all but eradicated COVID-19 using Ivermectin. As of September 10, 2021, 33 districts in Uttar Pradesh are now COVID free and this is because of Ivermectin…

…and yet, you’ve got sites like this who insist that there’s no data to suggest a link between the meds that are being used and the progress that’s being made.

Having had COVID and had to spend an exorbitant amount of money on an effective medication in the context of a pharmacy that refused to fulfill the prescription and treated my doctor as a subordinate, I’m now more confident than ever that this virus is not a “killer,” it’s an excuse to make it look worse than it is in order to implement programs and campaigns designed to destroy Western Civilization.

Truly Evil

Medical Professionals who are risking their reputations, their livelihoods and, in some cases, even their lives are coming out and reinforcing the obvious: It was engineered, it’s treatable and anyone who hides behind its manufactured fear factor is truly evil.

Here are the questions that you need to start asking:

If I’m struggling with COVID-19, am I being treated using medications that work or treatments that often make a bad situation worse?
If COVID-19 truly is a killer virus, why are recoveries and effective therapeutics ignored and even demonized?
Do I consider the perspective of medical professionals who risk their lives and reputations to proclaim a different perspective on COVID-19, or have I allowed myself to be conditioned by a media that insists there is no response save the one they’re willing to endorse?

For further reading:

COVID-Vaccine-Causes-Myocarditis

COVID-19-The-Spartacus-Letter-V2-2020-09-28 – “Damn You to Hell, You Will Not Destroy America”

The Progressive Pentagon

There are five tactics you can be listening for when you’re being told by someone that they have a point, when in fact they’ve got something to hide.

I call it the “Perspective Pentagon” because, taken together, they serve as the way in which the Left both defends it’s stance and attacks it’s opponents.

It’s bogus, but it’s brilliant.

1) They spend more time attacking their opponent’s character than they do discussing their opponent’s content .

By making your opponent look immoral, their platform is interpreted as being immoral as well, regardless of how sound it may be (Matt 11:19; 2 Cor 10:10).

When you hear this tactic being used, chances are the person who’s speaking has something to hide.

2) They spend more time pretending to be hurt than they do proving that they’re right.

You can’t criticize someone who’s in pain let alone the person who’s trying to help without immediately being categorized as cruel and insensitive.

Because of the way this tactic has the ability to shut down any transparent dialogue, chances are the person who uses this technique can’t afford to be cornered by a direct question and they have something to hide (Prov 22:13)

3) They spend more time trying to appear honest than they do telling the truth.

You can be ethical without telling the whole truth. When you’re hearing this tactic being used, it’s then that credible evidence is usually being dismissed for no good reason because of the way it threatens to expose the truth.

Again, this person has something to hide (Matt 4:1-11).

4) They spend more time talking about labels, mobs and crowds than they do a name, a person and a choice.

You can conceal a person’s lack of judgment by ignoring their individuality and seeing them instead as part of a supposedly virtuous group. You can do the same thing, only in reverse, by refusing to see a person’s virtue and instead see them as part of a sinister collective.

Both approaches are part of a heinous tactic that seeks to assign whole demographics a specific morality, regardless of the individuals who do or do not qualify…

…and it’s often used by that person who has something to hide (2 Thess 3:10).

5) They spend more time defending bad decisions and demonizing personal responsibility than they do applauding wise choices and holding people accountable for their actions.

Of all the tactics represented by the “Progressive Pentagon,” this is the most obvious in that the person speaking is calling “good” bad and vice versa.

It’s accomplished by insisting that, as part of a flawed system, there are no “bad decisions” because of the way your environment obligates you to fail. Hence, you are not responsible for your actions and it’s not you that has to change, rather, it’s the ideals that the current system is based on that need to be altered if not destroyed.

It’s as nonsensical as it is sinister, yet it is a hallmark of those who have something to hide (Is 5:20).

You can remember those five tactics by using this mnemonic:

Mobs of Characters Hurt Honest Decisions

Anytime you hear any of these tactics being deployed, you’re listening to someone who has something to hide. And generally, what they’re trying to conceal is either;

the fact that their argument can’t bear up under the weight of a direct question, or…
there’s a darker purpose being accomplished that has nothing to do with the subject matter but is nevertheless advanced by the topic being discussed

You defeat the “Pentagon” by first being aware of it, then you you remind your audience that it’s not about the way they, “feel,” rather, it’s about what’s true. You insist on an evaluation of all the facts and as opposed to a manipulation of just some of the facts and you demand specific examples as opposed to a manufactured majority.

Finally, you demonstrate how what’s being debated is a natural compliment to the sinister agenda that’s hoping to go unnoticed. You avoid anything that can be potentially dismissed as an outrageous conspiracy, but you don’t allow the obvious to be dismissed as a meaningless coincidence.

In short…

You stand.

You speak.

…and you silence the evil disguised as compassion and the lie that poses as the truth.

Kick the Tires

The following is a sermon I preached on September 29, 2020 at Faith Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. You can download the outline as well as the Listening Sheet by clicking here. The underlined words are the blanks you’ll see on the Listening Sheet.

I) Intro There are three sides to the topics we’re dealing with in our society today. There’s what’s wrong … …there’s what’s accurate and then there’s what’s True “Facts” are like pieces of a puzzle. However important and credible they may be, there are nevertheless fragments of a greater whole. The Truth is the fully assembled puzzle with all of the “facts” correctly configured. It’s the Truth that you need in order ensure that your convictions are fully vetted and informed. Otherwise, you’re basing your perspective on a solitary instrument as opposed to a full orchestra and you’ll never be able to hear or appreciate the music as it was intended to be heard. It’s for that reason you can’t afford to be merely smart, you have to be wise. You can’t allow yourself to be satisfied with your intellect alone, you have to make use of the Perspective God offers by “testing” what it is that lies before you.

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 Jn 4:1)

You have to “kick the tires.”

II) What Does it Mean to be Wise? To be wise is to evaluate a situation correctly. In order to do that, you need as your starting point a Perfect Resource which is God Himself:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov 9:10)

By framing your thoughts according to what’s specified in God’s Word along with the Guidance that He promises (Ps 143:12), you’re now on track to do the right thing at the right time in the right way for all the right reasons (Matt 5:48). It’s not an especially mystical transaction. You pray for instruction and then you let God reveal His Preferences in the context of your circumstance and however else He might shape your mindset (Rom 8:6). There’s one thing, however, that you can do from a purely practical standpoint that Christ Himself demonstrated in the way He responded to some of His detractors… You have to ask the right questions.

III) Ask the Right Questions

A) When Contending with the Enemy

Throughout the gospels you see the Pharisees asking Him questions that would’ve revealed Him as a fraud had He not been everything He claimed to be. But rather than “answering a fool according to his folly (Prov 26:4),” He responded with the “right” question that compelled His opponents to acknowledge both their sinister intentions as well as the flawed logic that were attempting to assert as a philosophical given. Here’s an example:

²⁷They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. ²⁸“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

²⁹Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

³¹They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³²But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

³³So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” (Mk 11:27-33)

Jesus had no formal training nor academic credentials. While that might be a legitimate cause for concern, John the Baptist didn’t have any formal training either. The fact that were willing to validate John as a prophet despite his non-existent resume (Jn 1:19) but not Jesus demonstrates that weren’t looking to validate Him as much as they were trying to discredit Him. But do you see how Christ countered their question with another question? Rather than allowing the flow of the dialogue to be dictated by a hidden agenda, Jesus responds with the “right” question in that it addressed the way the Pharisees were posing as concerned authorities when in fact they were hypocritical assailants. Ravi Zacharias once said, “When you question someone’s question, you compel them to open up about their own assumptions. Our assumptions must be examined.”¹ It’s the philosophical scaffolding that supports the question that qualifies it as something that is either looking to justify itself or transform itself into something that better accommodates the Truth. C.S. Lewis reinforces this by saying that “The most dangerous ideas in a society are not the ones being argued, but the ones that are assumed.”² Consider the following:

Does the Bible endorse slavery?	What was the punishment in the Old Testament for kidnapping?
Does the Bible endorse slavery?	How could Abolitionists base their argument against the slave trade on the Bible if Scripture supported it?
Was every one of our Founding Fathers a born-again Christian?	Who did our Founders identify as the Source of our Freedom?
Don’t homosexuals have the right to be happy?	Do homosexuals have the right to redefine Moral Absolutes?
Shouldn’t we trust the news?	Shouldn’t we want the truth?
Aren’t all Christians hypocrites?	Are all church members genuine Christians?
Don’t I have the right to choose?	Does your baby have the right to live?
Is the Bible reliable?	Is the integrity of the Bible dependent on the accuracy of man or the Ability of God?
Why does God allow suffering?	Why did Jesus have to die?

You have to ask the right questions. And while the example of Christ and the above responses demonstrate the utility of the right questions being asked in the context of refuting a flawed premise, it’s also a dynamite way to ensure the quality of your own assumptions.

B) When Contending with Yourself

The movie, “Moneyball” is based on the book by the same title authored by Michael Lewis. It stars Brad Pitt and it tells the story of the manager of the Oakland A’s who, at one point, deployed a strategy when it came to recruiting new employers that represented a dramatic departure from convention. Instead of going after big ticket all-stars, they focused instead on players that could consistently get on base. Not home run hitters, just solid and consistent ball players that could get on first every time they got up to bat. The result was amazingly successful. That year the A’s turned in a winning season and were able to do it at a fraction of the cost that comparable teams were paying for a roster that was supposedly more talented. Satan is described in Scripture as both a snake and a lion. Put those two illustrations together and you have something that is as vicious as it is subtle. He’s not posing as a home run hitter. Rather, he’s just trying to get on first. And what happens over time is he keeps advancing runners and before you know it, he’s putting points on the board and you’re up to your neck in the kind of sin you never thought possible. Again, it comes back to asking the right questions and laboring to be truly wise as opposed to being merely smart.

1) Politics, Race and COVID-19

Volatile issues are sometimes labeled as “divisive” and therefore something to be avoided altogether in order to better foster a Christian sense of unity, peace and compassion (2 Tim 4:3). That’s one extreme. In the middle of the spectrum you have Scripture being applied in ways that resonate as “accurate,” but because the application consists of the Bible being deployed in a manner that is incomplete, the result falls short of true obedience (2 Tim 2:15). And then there’s the Truth where topics are being processed according to the whole of God’s Word and the resulting approach is profoundly positive (Rom 12:1-2). Think about it… In the absence of wisdom…

Unity becomes Corruption
Love becomes Neglect
Peace becomes Indifference
…and however you want to be perceived as compassionate, in the absence of wisdom you become an accomplice

So, how do you “stay in the zone?” How do you ensure that you’re being wise? Ask the right questions. Test the spirits. Kick the tires.

i) Politics

We’re commanded in Scripture to pray for our leaders that we may, “…live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Tim 2:1-3). That’s the goal. In order to pray intelligently, you need to be engaged just like the men of Issachar (1 Chron 12:32). And when it comes to supporting a particular candidate, you base your decision on the platform and not their personality. Should you find yourself distracted by what appears to a godlessness on the part of the one you may favor, remember King Cyrus . King Cyrus was the Persian King who God used to enact legislation that would give the Hebrews the opportunity to rebuild the Temple and the Wall. But look at what is said of Cyrus is the book of Isaiah:

who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, “Let it be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Let its foundations be laid.”’ (Is 44:28)

God calls King Cyrus, “my shepherd.” But in the very next chapter…

For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. ⁵I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me…(Is 45:5)

Would you have voted for King Cyrus?

King Cyrus didn’t know or acknowledge God. For an orthodox Jew, that must’ve been a hard pill to swallow given the fact that Cyrus was not only a Gentile, but he was an idolater. Yet, God referred to him as “my shepherd” and it was through Cyrus’ administration that the Hebrews were able to rebuild their capital city. The example of Cyrus demonstrates that a leader can be a heathen and still be worthy of your support because of the way their platform promotes and protects the work of God. So the question isn’t, “How can I support someone who doesn’t acknowledge God?” The question is, “Whose platform is most aligned with that which promotes and protects our nation’s spiritual wellbeing?” Or, another question which better accommodates the whole of Scripture as opposed to those passages that restrict God’s usage of individuals to those that honor would be, “Would you have voted for King Cyrus?”

P.S. To write in another name on the ballot or to abstain from the voting process entirely is to withdraw your support of “King Cyrus” and insist that unless God provides the kind of leader that’s consistent with your expectations than God’s Activity goes unnoticed and both the wall and the Temple remain in ruins.

ii) Black Lives Matter

God evaluates individuals according to their character and not their uniform or their ethnicity (Dt 24:16; Ez 18:20; 1 Cor 3:13). To project the character flaws of a select few on to an entire institution or people group is the very definition of Racism, yet this is the approach represented whenever you hear the term, “Police Brutality” or “White Supremacy.” From that standpoint, those who use those terms are the very thing they claim to despise and theirs is an agenda of Destruction and Deception rather than Direction. You can see this illustrated in the way the Israelites were commanded to treat the “foreigner” in the Old Testament. These “foreigners” were inevitably a part of people group that were among Israel’s enemies. It would’ve been both logical and perhaps even appropriate to assume that these people according to the vile gods they worshipped and the murderous acts they committed against the Israelites. But commanded the Hebrews to love the foreigner who had agreed to live among the Jews peacefully rather than raise their hand against both Israel and her God. (Ex 22:21; Dt 20:10-15). And what’s significant about this is that some of these foreigners would go on to occupy prominent positions in Israel’s army, leadership and even a part of Christ’s lineage (Uriah [2 Sam 11], Caleb [Num 32:12 {Gen 15:19}], Ruth [Ruth 4:13-22; Matt 1:5]). This demonstrates conclusively that individuals are gauged according to their merits and not the flaws of their lineage or whatever label society would fix upon them. Whatever injustices have been committed, they need to be evaluated first in terms of the individuals involved and their personal history before evaluating a system either according to the way it’s abused or as a veil to conceal the moral failings of the individual being considered. So, the question isn’t “Do black lives matter?” The question is, “Do you evaluate a person according to their skin or their character?”

iii) COVID-19

The Corona Virus is a very real sickness that can be lethal. Statistically, however, the chances of a person dying from Covid-19 are comparable to dying in an automobile accident. Proverbs 21:16 says,

Whoever strays from the path of prudence comes to rest in the company of the dead. (Prov 21:16)

To throw caution to the wind is not responsible, but anything taken to the extreme is never wise (Ecc 7:16-18). So the question isn’t, “Do we trade the economy for the elderly?” as much as it’s, “At what point does ‘caution’ become destructive?”

IV) Conclusion

Let’s review some of the verses that we looked at today: We just concluded that anything take to the extreme is never wise:

Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise—why destroy yourself? ¹⁷Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool—why die before your time? ¹⁸It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. Whoever fears God will avoid all extremes. (Ecc 7:16-18)

In other words, you want to be prudent. In Proverbs 8:12, it says:

I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion. (Prov 8:12)

Prudence is a companion of wisdom and wisdom is…

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov 9:10)

Whether you’re talking about being prudent or avoiding extremes, it all comes down to being wise. And true wisdom is based first and foremost on the Perspective that comes from God. However obvious a particular issue may be, it’s always good to “kick the tires” and test those things that would appear to be givens by asking the right questions. It’s in the context of those questions that you’re able to discover the assumptions that may be lurking behind those dispositions and it’s there where you can ensure that you’re not being merely smart… …but you’re being truly wise.

Test the spirits.

Ask the right questions.

Kick the tires.

It’s Not Just the Mask…

It’s not just the mask…

Of the fatalities that have been reported by the CDC that have been categorized as COVID-19 deaths, only 6% are exclusively due to ARDS. Every other fatality had, on average, two other diseases the deceased was contending with at the time of their death. You don’t hear those dynamics communicated in the “dealth tolls.” All you hear is a message that implies you are either at risk or you’re a liability – and unless you hide your face and shut it down, you may get sick and die.

The WHO recently conceded that 80% of COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic.

You have a better chance of dying in a car wreck than you do from COVID-19 and don’t forget that as of April, it was estimated that 50% of Americans had already contracted COVID-19 and had recovered from it.

That doesn’t mean you dismiss any death or any sickness as inconsequential. Nor does it mean that you don’t wear a mask, although the kind of mask you wear makes a big difference.

What it does mean is that you don’t dismiss concerns about the economy as inconsequential or the fact that lives are being disrupted and, in some cases, ruined.

And just as a quick aside, the “economy” is often referenced as some kind of dark and selfish institution that cannot compare to the loss of life. But that’s not the real economy. The real economy is people being able to pay their mortgage and put food on the table. The real economy is bankruptcy and failing businesses and unemployment. Without the real economy, there is no healthcare, there is no research and there is no resolution. If you’ve not lost your job and haven’t had to default to credit cards in order to pay your mortgage, be glad. But at the same time be sensitive to those who are on the brink of not being able to pay for groceries. If this crisis is going to be resolved, the remedy will have to apply to every area where damage has been done and that includes more than just respirators.

Some have accused those who would see life return to normal as being guilty of a disposition that would, “…trade the elderly for the economy.” If that logic were sound and we would limit any activity that poses a comparable amount of risk, then we could just as easily say that anytime we’re getting into a car with our family we are sacrificing the lives or our children for a quick mode of transportation.

I’m not minimizing the reality of COVID-19 any more than I would sneer at an automobile accident. And I’m not discouraging masks anymore than I would balk at wearing a seat belt.

But here’s the thing…

We don’t treat other sicknesses or comparable risk laden activities with the same kind of restrictions.

Why?

This isn’t just about wellness or being responsible. There are other agendas baked into this crisis that are emphasizing masks and social distancing for reasons that have nothing to do with medical science. Couple that with the obvious way in which things are being communicated and the way in which treatments which have proven effective are not just dismissed, but demonized…

It’s not just the mask…

You Are What You Eat

You are what you eat.

If you’re trying to trim down and build a leaner and more muscular physique, you have to be mindful of what you’re putting into your body.

Imagine you’re at a fast food restaurant and you’re getting ready to order what you believe to be a more healthy alternative to the “gut-bomb” that you would’ve otherwise gravitated to. But before you place your order, you do a quick inspection of the calories represented by the “healthier” option you’re getting ready to eat by looking it up online. To your surprise and dismay, you find out that a “small” order of fries is 320 calories all by itself. In other words, with this one meal you’re getting ready to purchase, you’re downing almost half of the calories you’ve allotted for yourself that day.

“Validation” requires more than just a quality “presentation.” You have to pop the hood on what you’re getting ready to consume, especially if it could lead to a bad habit that you’re not even aware of.

The same thing applies to the way you process yourself and the world around you.

Paul says, in 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22:

Test everything. Hold on to what is good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thess 5:21-22)

Convictions can be easily influenced with bad personal experiences and incomplete information. Just like holding that small order of fries up to the light of a reputable calorie counter, you want to hold up whatever it is that you’re considering to the Light of Truth and and remember that the bottom line is not defined by the way in which some of the facts are being manipulated, rather it’s how ALL the facts are being evaluated.

Test everything because…

…”you are what you eat.”

Everything You Know…

Everything you know about the world is based on what you’ve been told.

Interviews, video clips, testimonies, photos, statistics, polls – the information is as accessible as it is abundant, but…

Your boots have never touched the ground, you weren’t in the squad car nor were you on the scene. I don’t know the players personally, you’re not a doctor nor a biologist, we’re not collecting the data…

We’re simply consumers assuming that the information we’re getting is both credible and comprehensive.

The problem is that the information we’re processing isn’t always packaged in a way that is complete. And in that way, it’s not honest and can lead to convictions that, however passionately they may be held, they are nevertheless flawed (Prov 19:2).

But it’s not the responsibility of the media to ensure an accurate perspective on the world.

It’s ours.

I’ve decided there are three things you have to do in order to guarantee an accurate assessment of the world:

Pop the Hood
Keep Your Balance
Kick the Tires

Pop the Hood (1 Jn 4:1)- if a physician tells you that you have a terminal disease, among the first things you’re going to do is get a second opinion. If you’re “hearing a noise” in your engine, you pop the hood and you investigate things for yourself. You become your own reporter so that your outlook is based on more than a knee jerk reaction to a headline that is designed to both inform and to sell advertising space. Remember: Every news outlet is biased at least to the extent that they’re determining what it is that constitutes a headline. “If it bleeds, it leads.”

Keep Your Balance – rarely are you going to encounter a media segment that is a complete falsehood. There’s an element of truth to most of what you hear pertaining to the current events that are being reported. But you have to listen to more than just your preferred source of information so you’re hearing both sides of the story (Ecc 7:16-18). Apart from a “balanced” intake of information, you become biased according to the implied philosophies being communicated by the journalistic pool that you unwittingly default to every time you want to know what’s going on.

Kick the Tires – Christ said that you’ll know a tree by its fruit (Lk 6:44). In other words, if something is true, it’s going to reveal itself as such at some point. Trust is something that has to be earned and if you find yourself constantly disappointed by a resource that proves to be consistently flawed in the way it reports the news, then you want to keep that in mind when they present themselves yet again as a noble commentator on a particular topic.

So, what does all this mean? How does it translate to some action items that improve the overall situation both for yourself and your neighbor?

Be able to explain what you believe and why (1 Pet 3:15).

Be able to explain why you think the way that you do. Your feelings are important but they have to be companions to your logic and not replacements. Take the time to investigate the nuts and bolts of your reasoning so you don’t sound like you’re just regurgitating a random sound byte. Whether it’s Black Lives Matter, COVID-19 or the administration of the President…

Look, don’t just watch
Study, don’t just read
Think – don’t just feel

And don’t neglect one of the most productive disciplines you can ever engage and that’s the practice of laying your world at the feet of Christ Himself. There’s a difference between being smart and being wise and it all stems from the extent to which you’re either looking at things from the ground or in the air. However stark things may appear, there’s another Perspective that is far more capable and is seeing things from a viewpoint that encompasses literally everything both now and in the future. It’s one of the advantages of being both Sovereign and Omnipotent. Hitch your mental wagon to everything He offers and not only will you be able to confidently cast off those things that are bogus, but your sense of calm and confidence will be dramatically improved as well.

Everything you know about the world is based on what you’ve been told. It can be a toxic lullaby in the way it dulls your senses and cheats your mind.

But you have options. Use them. Be informed and not just opinionated and vet your convictions through the Filter that is 100% correct, 100% of the time. In that moment, what you know goes beyond what you’ve been told…

…it’s now based on what you know to be true.

Do The Math

Given the way in which the number of new cases and the ever increasing death toll of the Coronavirus are being constantly promoted, it becomes very easy to believe that the only way in which we’ll ever completely beat this thing is to hide our faces and close our doors.

The problem, however, is that there’s other credible authorities weighing in on this approach with a completely different perspective – and they’ve got both the credentials the studies to prove their point.

First and foremost, we are the only country in the West who are not opening up their schools in the Fall. Dr Scott Atlas is the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University and a Member of Hoover Institution’s Working Group on Health Care Policy. He had this to say…

“You either believe in the science or you say you believe in the science and act contrary to science. The science says — and this is data from Iceland, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, the U.K., Australia, Canada, Ireland, everywhere in the world, Germany, everywhere in the western world has shown that children do not transmit significantly to adults, even their own parents, and that teachers are not at higher risk of getting a disease like this disease from children. You either believe the science or not. You can’t insist you believe in the science and then act contrary to science. And, by the way, like I said, we are the only country not opening schools. This is absurd” (to read more about this, click here)

As far as the numbers of new cases, this all stems from the surge in tests that are being done. While that may sound like a logical reason to be concerned, bear in mind that in Florida the number of testing errors ranges from countless testing sites dubiously reporting 100% positive cases as well as scenarios where what was originally reported as a 98% was actually 9.4%. If that sounds suspicious, it should.

Finally, however you want to “lean,” in terms of caution as opposed to fear, the one thing that you should keep in mind is that you have a greater chance of dying in a car wreck than you do from COVID-19. This is based on a recent report that had the fatality between .5 and 1%. The chances of your dying in a car crash is .97%.

Pause for a moment.

Some have accused those who would see life return to normal as being guilty of a disposition that would, “...trade the elderly for the economy.” If that logic were sound and we would limit any activity that poses a comparable amount of risk, then we could just as easily say that anytime we’re getting into a car with our family we are sacrificing the lives or our children for a quick mode of transportation.

There is a nonsensical approach being deployed when it comes to COVID-19 and several examples of corruption in the way statistics are being calculated.

Do the math…

Being Wise and Not Just Aware

Here’s my problem…

It’s a common tactic for a guilty party to assault the character of a person who’s asking some direct questions they don’t want to answer. The idea is to distract people from what’s inside the box by getting them to focus on the packaging. (Mk 9:38-39).

At this point, I’m not interested in “facts”- the packaging – as much as I’m interested in “truth.”

What’s inside the box?

And it all boils down to some basic questions – questions that are often buried beneath a new round of statistics that seem to be designed to intimidate rather than inform.

Here’s what I’m thinking:

#1) Where did the virus come from?

Was it a natural phenomenon that originated in the wet markets of China or was it manufactured in a lab? If it was manufactured, why?

#2) Who benefits from this virus?

Is there money to be made from vaccines? Can it be politicized in way that benefits a particular political party? Is there room for corruption and has that impacted the way this virus has been presented to the public?

#3) How many COVID-19 deaths are fatalities that were actually caused by Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome?

In order to die because of the virus, you have to choke on your own fluids (ARDS). Many fatalities are being documented as Coronavirus fatalities when the cause of death was pre-existing health conditions. Why? Every day we hear about the “death toll.” How can that number be ethically published if it’s not a true reflection of what the virus is doing?

#4) Is your immune system being strengthened or weakened by withdrawing from society?

Is remaining in your home or wearing a mask every time you go out in public helping you or hurting you in the long run?

#5) The medical advice we’re being given is justified only if you’re focused on a handful of heavily populated areas in the US. Why?

Over half of the counties in America have not had a single COVID-19 death, yet we’re all being advised according to the some of most unhealthy and crowded areas in our country. Why?

Regardless of how we move forward, these are some of the basic questions that need to be answered. The fact that those answers are not being volunteered let alone published is bothersome, especially when the only news you ever hear is what justifies yet another wave of panic and more justification for greater government intervention.

Dr Fauci and whoever else with comparable credentials, you have the floor…