Michael Bresciani
John Piper tweets - - no apology necessary
By Michael Bresciani
After Oklahoma was blasted with tornadoes that took lives and left about 12,000 homes leveled evangelical minister John Piper tweeted a message from a passage in Job.
"And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped." (Job 1: 19-20)
When media picked up the tweet that reaches as many as a half million tweeters, some were critical and others went ballistic.
Writer Rachel Evans rebuked Piper by saying, "Christians have to stop the idea of responding to tragedy by suggesting God is inflicting his judgment." She also outlined in no uncertain terms what Piper and perhaps all Christians should have said. She exclaimed that he should have said only "I don't know why this happened, but God is good and God loves us."
If John Piper decided that his tweets were insensitive or poorly timed that would be a matter of his own conscience, but Rachel Evans advice on how to address catastrophes and disasters is in itself – a catastrophe. It is not biblical and if carefully examined will be seen as anti-biblical.
The sugar coated 'God is good and God won't judge,' message is antichrist, non-biblical and a wobbly theology at best. From the over 50 verses of problems and curses God says will follow if we disobey his commandments (De 28: 1f) to the promise of wars and earthquakes promised by Christ prior to his return, (Mt 24: 1f) judgments by any and all means are an ongoing reality and very sound theology.
If the day comes when no one will say what the Bible really says, as did Piper, then everyone will be out of line and none will be standing in the gap.
"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." (Eze 22: 30)
The idea that God would allow or even order these disasters is well within the realm of sound theology, in fact as the last days start to unfold they will fall faster and more seriously in a totally cumulative fashion.
The speed at which they fall is also a reasonable means to determine whether they may actually be judgments.
When a judgment is separated by a lot of time from what is precipitating it, no one learns anything. The reason for this is also clearly spoken of in the scriptures.
"Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." (Ec 8: 11)
It is the close proximity of the wicked Southern Decadence celebration in New Orleans that makes many believe that was the reason for Katrina. The judicial overturning of Prop-8 in California was quickly followed by the worst wildfires in history.
Only one day after Gay Pride week was announced in Oklahoma, came the blast of tornadoes that caused so much devastation.
Are these things incontrovertible proof that judgment has fallen, of course not, but they are substantive reasons to allow for the idea that they could be.
We have plugged the idea of 'your best life now' from the pulpit for a long time now and we have managed to take the bite out of God's willingness to initiate judgments as they are needed to get our attention. We use words like, issue, tragedy and natural disaster to de-fang God's willingness to intervene in our affairs. The one who created the claw, the fang and the might of the lion will not be deterred my modernity's use of PC language and simple minded rhetoric.
These theologies are foolishness and like all sinful defiance they are meant to produce a wishy washy view of God at best and a Sunday school view of him at the least. We need to refer back to those who actually knew the true nature of God and were not afraid to tell it, such would be the apostle Paul who said:
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." (Ro 11: 22)
On this last approach to the days of the antichrist and all the full judgments described in the book of Revelation we will see judgments increase in frequency and severity. It is a forgone.
To the question of whether God would use these calamities to speak to, or judge America there are two powerful and decisive verses that clearly declare that he will!
"But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Lk 12: 48a)
"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." (Jer 18: 7-10)
Human sexuality and marriage is being torn up by the gay agenda. Violence and promiscuity are being standardized by Hollywood and the media. Academia is streamlining Godlessness in the classroom and corrupt politicians are wasting the country with plans and personal agendas that resemble exactly everything that existed only months before the breakout of WWII. Then along comes the modern evangelicals, Christian apostates and antichrists of every description, declaring that God is just a God of love and would never lower the boom on any of us!
This brand of spiritual naiveté is a sign in itself and fairly warned against by the Apostle Paul.
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2Tim 4: 3-4)
John Piper doesn't need to apologize to us; we need to apologize to God.
© Michael Bresciani
June 4, 2013
After Oklahoma was blasted with tornadoes that took lives and left about 12,000 homes leveled evangelical minister John Piper tweeted a message from a passage in Job.
"And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped." (Job 1: 19-20)
When media picked up the tweet that reaches as many as a half million tweeters, some were critical and others went ballistic.
Writer Rachel Evans rebuked Piper by saying, "Christians have to stop the idea of responding to tragedy by suggesting God is inflicting his judgment." She also outlined in no uncertain terms what Piper and perhaps all Christians should have said. She exclaimed that he should have said only "I don't know why this happened, but God is good and God loves us."
If John Piper decided that his tweets were insensitive or poorly timed that would be a matter of his own conscience, but Rachel Evans advice on how to address catastrophes and disasters is in itself – a catastrophe. It is not biblical and if carefully examined will be seen as anti-biblical.
The sugar coated 'God is good and God won't judge,' message is antichrist, non-biblical and a wobbly theology at best. From the over 50 verses of problems and curses God says will follow if we disobey his commandments (De 28: 1f) to the promise of wars and earthquakes promised by Christ prior to his return, (Mt 24: 1f) judgments by any and all means are an ongoing reality and very sound theology.
If the day comes when no one will say what the Bible really says, as did Piper, then everyone will be out of line and none will be standing in the gap.
"And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none." (Eze 22: 30)
The idea that God would allow or even order these disasters is well within the realm of sound theology, in fact as the last days start to unfold they will fall faster and more seriously in a totally cumulative fashion.
The speed at which they fall is also a reasonable means to determine whether they may actually be judgments.
When a judgment is separated by a lot of time from what is precipitating it, no one learns anything. The reason for this is also clearly spoken of in the scriptures.
"Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." (Ec 8: 11)
It is the close proximity of the wicked Southern Decadence celebration in New Orleans that makes many believe that was the reason for Katrina. The judicial overturning of Prop-8 in California was quickly followed by the worst wildfires in history.
Only one day after Gay Pride week was announced in Oklahoma, came the blast of tornadoes that caused so much devastation.
Are these things incontrovertible proof that judgment has fallen, of course not, but they are substantive reasons to allow for the idea that they could be.
We have plugged the idea of 'your best life now' from the pulpit for a long time now and we have managed to take the bite out of God's willingness to initiate judgments as they are needed to get our attention. We use words like, issue, tragedy and natural disaster to de-fang God's willingness to intervene in our affairs. The one who created the claw, the fang and the might of the lion will not be deterred my modernity's use of PC language and simple minded rhetoric.
These theologies are foolishness and like all sinful defiance they are meant to produce a wishy washy view of God at best and a Sunday school view of him at the least. We need to refer back to those who actually knew the true nature of God and were not afraid to tell it, such would be the apostle Paul who said:
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." (Ro 11: 22)
On this last approach to the days of the antichrist and all the full judgments described in the book of Revelation we will see judgments increase in frequency and severity. It is a forgone.
To the question of whether God would use these calamities to speak to, or judge America there are two powerful and decisive verses that clearly declare that he will!
"But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Lk 12: 48a)
"At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them. And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them." (Jer 18: 7-10)
Human sexuality and marriage is being torn up by the gay agenda. Violence and promiscuity are being standardized by Hollywood and the media. Academia is streamlining Godlessness in the classroom and corrupt politicians are wasting the country with plans and personal agendas that resemble exactly everything that existed only months before the breakout of WWII. Then along comes the modern evangelicals, Christian apostates and antichrists of every description, declaring that God is just a God of love and would never lower the boom on any of us!
This brand of spiritual naiveté is a sign in itself and fairly warned against by the Apostle Paul.
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2Tim 4: 3-4)
John Piper doesn't need to apologize to us; we need to apologize to God.
© Michael Bresciani
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