Patron Q&A 2

All right time for a little bit of Q &A for the patrons. We've got eight questions today, and so I'll get through these as thoroughly, but as Quickly, excuse me as possible. Wow excuse me about that. I've got my apple cider vinegar drink here mmm Very tasty anyway.

Yeah, but I just wanted to say to all the patrons. Thank you so much for your support actually last month You bought me a number of books Related to the subject of social justice including woke church, which we've been doing sort of a long-form review response thing too.

And so I do plan on doing that. And actually there was one of you who asked about the forward that Ligon Duncan wrote. And so I was thinking I'll probably do a short video about that forward itself at the end of the review.

So I'll tell you what my thoughts are on Ligon Duncan's Endorsement essentially of this book when I'm done reviewing it, so that's my plans for right now. I do have some other plans as far as books to review, but obviously if you guys have any Specific questions or specific books that you'd like me to take a look at us certainly do that.

Tithing, Ceremonial Law, and Supporting Ministers

Anyway, all right so the first question. Now question number one in a recent video you mentioned giving and how it's mandatory for believers. I certainly believe this too. But in your view should we still be giving 10 to the church as that is traditionally considered the tithe one should give.

So the tithe is I think so this is debatable I think even in reformed him to some degree. But the tithe is in my opinion part of the ceremonial law of God the ceremonial law was completely Done by Christ he finished that and so the ceremonial law is is something that you know reform people Understand is no longer in place.

We don't circumcise people. We don't do the feast days. You know things like that, and I would say we don't have this the the tie that Israel had so when the nation of Israel Went away The tithe also went away, but the tithe the tithe itself was a formalized ceremonial thing that Israel did.

But it was also a principle that was already in play before the law of God so if you look at The Old Testament Abraham tithed and things like that and so. The the principle of giving to the church I think is still in play for sure if you look at the New Testament Paul talks about how we have a requirement to Support our ministers.

That's something that we should do and in turn the church should be providing Certain things for the people. I mean whether that's education or Or you know Emergency food if necessary things like that like the church should be doing a lot of these social services that the government does right now and so.

Should you still give 10 Yeah, I think you should. I don't think it's it's not technically the tie that you read about in Israel. But it's still something that I think is there's there's a principle there.

That is still true that was always true even before the law of God and that did not die with Israel. The nation anyway. And so yeah, I think you should still give to the church. It's not technically the the ceremonial tithe that Israel got but it is still a principle that we should do now.

I think that 10 is a is a floor to. I think that if you can give more you you should give more. And I think that there is Potentially some wiggle room that if you're in a situation where you just can't I think that that's probably okay.

Although don't quote me on that. I think that's debatable. I think that we have evidence that in the scripture that poor people can give 10 as well but I think that there would be some return on that for poor people like if you didn't have food like maybe you.

Maybe you still tithe but the church would still provide for some of your needs and things like that. There's a whole bunch of stuff the church should be doing that they aren't doing and one of the ways that we could do that Is if they had more money, you know what I mean?

So that's what I would say about the tithe now. There's another debate here, too. I know you didn't ask this question. But is is the 10 on the gross and the net and if you look online you're gonna see so many competing answers to that question.

I don't really understand why that there's so much confusion there. I think it's clearly the net. So here's what I'll say about the net and the gross so a couple things. So one thing Greg Bonson noticed about the tithe is that God's law he said is never even ridiculous even theoretically.

So God's law is never ridiculous even theoretically. Theoretically a government could take 95 of your income and say hey that's your income tax and Then all of a sudden it's impossible for you to give 10 of the gross because the government just took 95 of your money.

That's actually happened in history. So it's not you know, not like just this Theoretical thing that could happen it actually has happened. So I don't think God's laws is could be made ridiculous by man's law.

So that's one reason but the other thing is the Bible talks about the tithing on the increase and I think that the taxes that we pay and Essentially are taken from us. I Think are part of the cost of doing business part of the cost of living.

And so it's the increase is after that's taken away because the government just takes that from you. It might be illegitimate, but they definitely take that from you. I also think that the tithe Kind of gives us a ceiling for what taxes could ever be if the government is taking more than what the tithe that God would Take is that's a pro.

That's a very big hint that you have an unjust tax system. You have stealing going on. The government shouldn't even take close to the tithe, but they do so that's what I would say. I would say that technically the tithe is no longer a valid or no longer in play for the people of God.

However, the principle of 10 is still a good one. We should still be supporting our ministers. The church should be doing a lots of different things. So there should be stuff that the church gives back through the tithe and It should be on the net as well.

Segregation, Partiality, and Church Discipline

Hope that was helpful. Question number two. I have a friend at RTS who's writing a thesis on segregation and how the church should address it. Any advice for him? Yeah, that's a good one. That's a good one.

Well, you know, I would say you got to be honest, obviously. So whatever your friend believes about how the church should address segregation, that's what he should that's what he should write. I would I would make sure to to tell your friend that you know, you have to understand.

There's a good chance that your teachers are Social justice minded people. There's a very good chance of that not saying that they definitely are but there's a very good chance of that. So just to keep that in mind when he's when he's addressing these things if he decides to sort of go after some of the social justice Strategies for segregation which aren't correct, by the way.

Then just keep in mind that he'll have to defend that he'll have to make sure to represent these people fairly and graciously. I mean this this is this is good advice in general. You should do this, but especially knowing that your teacher very well could be a social justice Advocate but as far as how the church should address segregation.

I think it's it's pretty clear in the Bible that the Christians cannot show partiality in any way. And so if your church is majority white and you happen to live in a multicultural area where there's blacks whites Asians Latinos, whatever.

I think that it's a good idea to consider. Is there is there something we're doing that is showing partiality? And that's why blacks or Latinos and whatever aren't coming. But but but but that just because that there's a there's a there's a disparity doesn't mean that you're doing something wrong.

I think that showing partiality very clearly Paul is is Adamantly against showing partiality the Old Testament is adamantly against showing partiality. But there's nothing wrong to as far as if your church happens to be very mono-ethnic, but it's not doing anything wrong.

There's no partiality. It's just how it is. Maybe it's your style. Maybe it's your music. There's nothing wrong with that. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. And so as far as the church itself practicing just standard church discipline the way you would handle any sin issue if there's partiality in in your in your in your in your Congregation whether it's in the church or externally or whatever you deal with that by the normal means of church discipline you go to them.

You confront them if they don't listen you confront them with more people if you don't listen you bring it to the elders if you Don't listen you're excommunicated. Listen if somebody when I was on the the the conversation with the brothers from native speaks I said, you know, I wouldn't make segregation illegal and they were pretty shocked by that, right?

And I said but at the same time if it was someone in my congregation that was doing it I that would be something that's excommunicatable. You know what? I mean? I could anathematize someone for that and I would if they didn't repent.

For showing partiality in their in their business dealings or whatever. So that's what I would say. I don't know if that quite answers your question, but hopefully it does. Here's question three. It says Can you share about your video creation workflow and tips for making awesome videos in a short time frame?

Video Creation Workflow and Making Fast Videos

Well, thank you for the compliment. I hope that they're getting better. I don't know if they are but but You know, I'm you know, I've got a I've got a normal job. I've got two kids. I've got a third on the way.

So I do this as quickly as I can with at the same time having decent content. I would say that I am constantly making lists about different video ideas. Sometimes they come up in the course of conversation about social justice sometimes they just come to me like right before I go to bed something like that and I'll just write them down real quick and I have a list and I've got like a.

Probably like I don't know probably like 20 30 things on this list and I you know Cross things out as I do them or I take them off because I think they're not a good idea. Also, another good thing about doing lists is that a Lot of times like if you put it on a list and then think about it and then maybe talk to people about it if it's a bad idea or if it's like maybe like a little too aggressive or Maybe like simple in some way you won't do it.

So don't I don't like put things out there immediately. I usually let it marinate for a bit sometimes and sometimes I put it out immediately. But I've had a few more than a few ideas that I've run by people and they're like, yeah, don't do that.

Don't do that and so that's what I do. So I write lists and then if it's complicated, I'll do a little little research first. If it's not if it's very basic and this is the thing about social justice.

A lot of these things are very basic Christianity. So you don't really have to do a lot of research to know that you shouldn't be segregating Christian fellowship, right? Like that that was a that was so preposterous.

You don't have to do a lot of research to know that Hip-hop has not had a better influence on race relations than the 2 ,000 year old Church of Jesus Christ. Like these are very basic things. And so So that's what I'll do.

I'll do a little research and if it's complicated, like I said, I'll make me make an outline or Maybe write key points what I want to do what I'm doing with this woke church thing. This is what I'm doing.

All I'm doing is like if there's something I want to talk about I'll just write it in the margin. So, I mean, this is a very small book. It's a very short book. If there's something I want to talk about I'll write it in the margin and then it'll remind me.

So that's almost like my outline here on this book. But that's what I do. I mean, I think so I spend you know Decent amount of time, you know 20 minutes you're doing the video recording it and then I'll spend probably half an hour editing it.

Maybe less it depends on the situation some some videos need more editing some videos hardly need any editing at all and then what I'll do is I'll We'll do a workout like I'll go on the on the elliptical for half an hour and I'll listen to it and then I'll make Sure that it's actually good or make sure it doesn't need any more editing.

So usually I usually I listen to my own videos before I put them out. That's not always the case, but most of the time I do it. And so that said that so usually the whole process is like an hour maybe Total depending on the on the content depending on the video.

But I do it first thing in the morning. You typically This one I'm doing at night, but yeah, that's pretty much it. I mean, it's just a lot of lists sometimes outline sometimes research and And that kind of thing.

So hope that answers your question. Thank you so much for your patronage. Okay, let me get a sip of my apple cider vinegar drink. I am a little bit of a Vermonter so I drink weird stuff and also drink like a Kale smoothie, that's just kale like all kale a little bit of water a little a little bit of lemon juice.

And that's all it is. It's disgusting. But anyway Here are his question for this is this is this one this one this one makes me sad, but let's just hear it out. The question is my home pastor is on the board of the gospel coalition and is great friends with dr Russell Moore, although I don't think he is a social justice warrior.

My pastor has continuously brushed off the important portions of my emails detailing my concerns about his friends. This month Russell is coming to speak at my church. I feel so conflicted about this that I've decided to leave my church.

Should I just leave quietly or should I send one last email to my pastor to let him know? This this is this is tough, man. This is tough so I've left a church before and I've I've said this before that.

That I regret sorry, I'm checking my kids. I'm watching my kids and I'm on the monitor here. I've left the church before and I regretted it afterwards, even though I think I left for legitimate reasons, you know I think I left for a legitimate reason it was they were dabbling and you know Bethel Church type stuff and very serious situation.

So I left that church and I still think it was good reason, but I kind of regret it. I feel like I should have been longer suffering. So I'm not gonna tell you what to do. Whoever whoever is asking this question, I'm not gonna tell you what to do but I would just say that obviously I I'm assuming you've prayed about this and you've Resolved to be long-suffering, but it's just come to the come to a head, you know, that's what I'm assuming about this question.

I don't think that most Christians just leave churches on a whim, you know but. But if you're gonna leave the church, I wouldn't go out in a blaze of glory. But I would tell your pastor about why you've decided to leave.

I don't think you should just leave quietly. And so when you send this this email to the pastor one last email telling him why you're leaving don't blast him. Don't blast his friends, but be very frank and just say this is why I'm leaving.

And I want you to know why I feel like this is so important. I feel like you know I'm not gonna put words in your mouth. But but why it's dangerous why it's so important and why what the concerns you have for the fellowship are.

That's what I would do man, because or lady. I'm not really sure. But That's what I would do. I would just be very honest with them. I wouldn't leave quietly. I would just like just to just disappear.

I would tell them what's going on, but I wouldn't try to blast him wouldn't try to get any zingers in there. Just be very honest and frank and honestly be be open about how you're feeling and why you think it's unbiblical and all that.

Kind of stuff again after prayer after lots of thinking after trying to be long-suffering. That's what I would do. And so, you know, this is this is something that's. You know, this is happening all across the country right now.

I mean I get emails after emails and messages that sound so similar to this. It's like Even people very close to me that this is happening. And this is what this is the social justice Movement the whole idea a critical theory and and and cultural Marxism.

This is all intentional like I'm not saying that the people in the church are doing this intentionally. I have my suspicions about some Evangelical leaders who are subverting things intentionally. I think that there are some that are doing that.

I'm not gonna say anything about that right now because I don't have any proof and it's just in my opinion. But there are some wolves the Bible tells us there are definitely wolves that are intentionally doing these things because they're evil.

Because they're sons of Satan, you know what I mean? But I think the run-of-the-mill social justice person is not like that. I think that they just think they're doing the right thing they're deceived and they're going along with this and They're they're like your pastor where it's like they don't really see how it's such a big deal.

They're not a social justice worry, but they're they're also not vigilant enough to see you this coming. And so even though they're not intentionally subverting things. They are part of the subversion.

This is all happening and this is happening in churches all across the country and it's intentional and it's just something we need to pray. For man, we need to pray for this because this is such a sad thing churches will be split up denominations will be split up.

I think that there's two denominations in particular that are in their death throes right now. And they will be splitting. There's just these are in irreconcilable worldviews, they just don't go together.

So pray for the church guys. I mean, this is this is this is not just one person who's going through this the person who wrote me this question. You're not the only one going through this man. There are tons of people going through this.

Just like you and it's sad and it's heart-wrenching. But it might come to the fact of just leaving churches. It might come to that I'm not gonna tell you what to do, but it seems like you've already made your decision.

And so I just pray for you pray for your pastor and pray that you find a new church. But anyway, that's what I would say about that. This same person asks, what do you think about Jordan Peterson? This is I'm surprised that I haven't asked this already.

Jordan Peterson, Common Grace, and the Limits of Unbelieving Wisdom

Jordan Peterson is cool, man. I like Jordan Peterson. So I think Jordan Peterson it has a lot to say a lot of good things to say about post-modernism and the problems that the Western civilization faces.

There is a lot of common grace with Jordan Peterson. Now this is you didn't ask about this. And it's funny because Jordan Peterson is kind of almost self-consciously. Knowing that he gets a lot of this stuff from Christianity.

He's not a Christian. Although I've heard him say before that he acts like a Christian. I wouldn't say that I wouldn't go that far. But but a lot of the good things that he teaches. He's borrowing from Christianity.

There's just no question about that. He is self-conscious that a lot of his foundational beliefs are religious beliefs. And so he knows that even though he's not he doesn't believe Jesus Christ is is God incarnate.

So a lot of people would say you did ask this but I thought this is interesting a lot of people would say that it's it's it's. It's imbalanced for People on my side to like Jordan Peterson and maybe quote him.

I've never quoted him. I don't think but Maybe to like cite some of the things he says about post-modernism and social justice warriors and things like that. But it's hypocritical for us to criticize the social justice warriors for quoting James Cone or dr Martin Luther King or some of these heretics.

And unbelievers in social justice, they would say that that's hypocritical and I don't think that's actually true. I think so. So here's the thing like first of all. Like if you're quoting Jordan Peterson on Christianity and moral morality and ethics and things like that.

Yeah, I think you've got a problem because he doesn't have a good enough foundation for morality and ethics now he accidentally. No, no, not accidentally. He does end up in the right place a lot of the time but again, that's because he's borrowing from Christianity, but.

So so so so so we're not talking about morality and ethics. We're talking about his analysis of political situations or Sociological situation so but if you're quoting like James Cone like an actual heretic on Like sin issues and ethics and morality like that's a problem.

That's a big problem. You know what? I mean? That doesn't make sense. If you're quoting Marxists and and you're saying well, it's okay for me to quote Marxists. Because you quote Jordan Peterson. Well, that doesn't make sense because if you're quoting Marxists That are pushing Marx Marxist ideas at the time in the quotes that you're using.

Like I'm never gonna quote Jordan Peterson in a positive light in something that he's saying evil, right? But you're but but yet you're quoting a Marxist promoting evil Marxist doctrines and you're saying it's okay because you're a Christian.

No, no, but the quotes you're using are evil. Like I'm not gonna quote Jordan Peterson saying something about how homosexuality is just fine. But I would quote him about you know, something that is unrelated to that where it's actually true what he's saying.

I find that so weird. It's like why are you calling me a Marxist? I'm like, well, you're quoting Marxist. He's like, well, you know, I'm not really a Marxist. I'm just I just think what they're saying here is right and then I'm like, but what they're saying here is Marxism.

I just don't get that. Now is there some inconsistency in the way some people use Jordan Peterson? I don't know probably. But but yeah, that's what I think about Jordan Peterson. I think he's a lot of common grace there.

But you got to watch out because he's not a believer and so his foundations are all messed up. There's a there's a great quote by Rush Dooney that says look if you don't if you don't acknowledge Christ.

If you don't fear the Lord, then you have no sense of reality you haven't even started with wisdom yet and That's true of unbelievers. They they they accidentally have some knowledge. But they can't really be truly wise because they have missed the most foundational obvious fact in the universe.

That Christ is the King of King and the Lord of Lords. All right. Question six. Why is it in your review in your view? Why is it in your view so hard to get SJW Christians to sit down for a discussion with anyone who disagrees with them?

Why Social Justice Warriors Avoid Debate

Well, I'm just gonna be honest here I think that they know that they will lose that conversation and I mean lose like. Like they will have no defense of what they believe they will have no defense of what they believe.

I think that social justice warriors Emote a lot and they know that emotion when it meets logic doesn't do very well. Emotion can only do very well in a vacuum or with like undisciplined like people on the other side.

If you're if you're like this Emotional sort of making emotional arguments about how can we please think of the children, you know stuff like that. And then the person on the other side is calm and collected like Jordan Peterson.

Like when Jordan Peterson was on that that British. That British talk talk show and the woman's just emoting, you know I mean emotion after emotion all this nonsense and he's just sitting there with his legs crossed, you know.

Calm cool as a cucumber calm like she got decimated in that interview. But if you had a hothead on the other side that was like, you know. Just spouting shooting off at the mouth and things like that.

It might go it might go better. But the thing is like a guy like me a lot of people think I'm a hothead. But I'm really not if you saw the native speaks conversation I don't think that I was angry or on the inside.

There's a few times where I was very frustrated and very angry, but I don't think it came through really and so I think that People on the SJW side don't want to sit with doubt and sit down with a guy like me because there's nothing in it for Them they won't get to a moat all day and get gain any ground because I'm not gonna give it to them.

I'm just gonna sit there, you know very calmly listen to them and then respond to them it with you know facts and logic and reason and Bible verses and then they're Just gonna emote some more and they're gonna look bad.

That's why I think they don't do it. I think that they know there's nothing in it for them that the emotions are all they need. So as long as they can stir up the emotions and things like that, they can get you to go along with them.

But once you get caught into an exegetical debate or a logical debate or a reason debate. You're not gonna do very well. That's why I think they don't sit down. Maybe someone can prove me wrong. Maybe someone will sit down with someone on our side.

I don't know. I don't know but that's my opinion. I think that they know that there's nothing to gain and everything to lose. That's why they don't sit down. That's why Alexandria Ocasio The Puerto Rican socialist in the Bronx.

She won't debate anyone even for charity because she would be embarrassed and there's no question about that. That's my opinion. All right, question seven if you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Invisibility, Jedi Powers, and the Final Q&A

That's a tough question, man. Can I be honest? I I? I Honestly, I think invisibility and there's all kinds of mischief you could get into if you had invisibility, but sometimes you know, I just would I Just would like to turn it on when I just need a little alone time you know, I can be I can be a little bit of.

Not a loner but an introvert at times, you know. But yeah invisibility would be good. You could you could do a lot you could do a lot of invisibility. You could sneak around you could spy although you get although I will say with invisibility you can get into the most trouble as well.

So yeah, I think invisibility would be mine. You know as long as they're talking in hypotheticals or I or if I just be a Jedi, that'd be that'd be awesome. You know, you can change people's minds and move things Telekinesis and you know things like that.

That would be awesome. And plus you get a lightsaber as well. All right. Last question. Do you think all pastors today have a divine calling to do their job? Or is there a lot of them that wish themselves to be.

I think I know what this questions means. I think it's asking if everyone has a divine calling. That's a pastor or if some people are just being pastors and they don't have a divine calling. My opinion on this is that it's kind of like marriage marriage, right?

Like how do you know you're married to the right person? Well, because you may because you're married to them you know, you've heard that before and I think it's kind of similar with with being a pastor.

I mean if if you're a pastor of a church and you know, people have laid hands on you and. And all of that then you are called by God to pastor that church. Like if you want to know if you're called by God to be a pastor, then you're see if you're a pastor.

Did you know what I mean? It doesn't exactly work exactly the same way, but but that's what I would say. So if they're a pastor right now, then they're called by God to pastor that church faithfully. And so are there people that there are pastors right now that probably shouldn't be pastors.

Yeah, definitely, but they're still called by God the way I understand sovereignty. Is that they're still called by God to do the right thing even if they're unqualified and shouldn't be doing it and should resign today.

That's what I would say. I think that there are some pastors out there that are feminine. What I mean by that is that they have feminine qualities to them and a pastor Needs to be a man because it's a it's a job that a man needs to do.

I mean there are things about being a pastor that it would not be appropriate for a woman to do and that's how Complementarianism works. So the path that the role of pastor is a is requires a manly man.

And so if you're a pastor and you're a feminine or you're a pastor and you're you know. A soft man, you shouldn't be a pastor. But you're still called by God to be that pastor and be you know. Not a feminine and be a manly man, you know things like that.

So yeah, all pastors today have a divine calling. But some of them should resign immediately from that divine calling and and essentially be converted, you know. So that that's kind of how I see it. I mean again, it's like the thing with marriage, you know.

How do you know you're married to the right person? You're married to them. That's how you know. So so yeah, that's what I would say. I say that I would also say to that there are a lot of pastors that are like influencers today.

I know you didn't ask this but I'm just gonna answer it. Anyway that are influencers today. That really shouldn't be. They're just not they don't know what they're doing. They don't know what they're talking about a lot of key issues they've compromised on key issues and There are there are a few issues in our in our in our country today that if you don't get those right.

Then you have no business giving anyone any advice ever about anything. And a lot of the key issues are very basic, but for some reason Pastors of big flocks are just failing on them and I just don't get it.

I think it's I think it's judgment from God to be perfectly honest with you. But anyway, those are the questions for this month. So I'm looking forward to Another month with all of you fine patrons. We'll do another Q &A for next month.

And what I want to do is get give someone an opportunity to recommend a article or a book or something let me get my 12 sided die here. Here we go. Here's my 12 sided dice. Let's just give this a shot.

All right number nine, so whoever was the ninth person to be my patron will Get to give me a article to review or a video or something like that. Anyway, guys, thank you so much for your support again.

You bought me some pretty good resources. Let me say this you bought me some good resources for the channel But I don't know man. This is this really a nice gift or is this really a curse? But thank you seriously because I would have bought this anyway and You know the the ability to buy this without having my my family's budget take a ding at least.

You know for the time being is great. So thank you so much I appreciate it so much if there's anything that I could do to change the channel or make it You know more relevant to you or more helpful to you.

Please. Let me know. I'd be glad to consider doing it. Anyway, I hope this was helpful. God bless.