The internet is amazing resource. A simple search engine search can provide a wealth of up-to-date information on an unimaginable number of subjects. In my fields of interest, internet access allows me to quickly verify statistics, track down sources, quotations, and other truth claims—but of course, as many people also knows the internet is a cracked open door to the most objectionable and vile material.
There are two ways objectionable and vile material are accessed. The most common way is a user(s) in the household is purposefully seeking it out. I have heard a number of stories of teenagers or a spouse being caught watching pornography—for many, the ease at which the internet makes succumbing to temptation is too great to overcome. The other way objectionable material may find an audience from your household is through a malicious link on a (hacked) website. Years ago, I remember reading an about section on a parachurch ministry website and I noticed a dozen random hyperlinks through a paragraph—I am not sure where they went as when I clicked one of the links my DNS provider blocked the website. I notified the ministry and they were alarmed and embarrassed by the links.
Access to family friendly internet ought to be the standard for all Christian families, churches, and organizations. The easiest way to secure family friendly internet access is by utilizing a family friendly DNS server on your internet service provider modem. Let me quickly define a couple items here.
ISP (Internet Service Provider) Modem
Your ISP is your internet provider—you’re either using satellite, cable, or DSL—and when your internet was installed they gave you a modem which connects to the wall via a cable or phone line. These days many modems also double as your wifi router. This device is the common point all of your internet connected devices run through—as such, this is the best place to block objectionable and vile material—and running a family friendly DNS server will help keep internet content fast and family friendly.
DNS (Doman Name System) Server
A DNS is like a roadmap of the internet. When you type in a website domain name (richardiddings.com) that name corresponds to a server (IP) address—well, it’s the DNS that translates the name to the server that delivers you to the website content. Each time you click a link or type in a website address it is FIRST routed through a DNS. Since the DNS functions like a roadmap of the internet it becomes easier to understand why DNS is so important for fast and reliable internet—and an effective control point for maintaining family friendly internet.
The Solution
My recommended solution—the solution I use at home, in our church, and anytime anyone gives me access to their modem (or router) is to change the ISP provided DNS to a faster family friendly DNS. Access your modem (or router), the IP Address is usually on the device along with the username and password. You will be changing the Domain Name Server (DNS) Address from Get Automatically from ISP to Use These DNS Servers. You will be adding a PRIMARY and a SECONDARY.
The Family Friendly DNS providers I am sharing are free as of this writing—you may want to experiment with different providers to see which one will work best for your situation. You should evaluate your DNS experience by internet responsiveness and browsing experience.
I personally use OpenDNS Family Shield: Primary (208.67.222.123) and Secondary (208.67.220.123). I have found OpenDNS Family Shield fast and effective. More Information:https://www.opendns.com/setupguide/#familyshield
I also used CloudFlare for Families. I cannot remember why I switched to OpenDNS. To utilize their DNS which will block Malware and Adult Content: Primary DNS: 1.1.1.3, Secondary DNS: 1.0.0.3 More Information:https://blog.cloudflare.com/introducing-1-1-1-1-for-families/
I am a pastor, father, and resident of our beautiful city—and I am writing to encourage the Cascade school board to repeal policy #3281. It is troublesome that such an aberrant and neo-cultural policy has paralyzed the school board and administration. The formation of a committee to poll the public response demonstrates either a lack of morale fortitude or simple bewilderment on what is right and wrong. The reasons to rescind this policy are voluminous. However, I am concerned that the evaluation process situates logic, science, morality, love, and truth on equal footing with whimsical pop-culture, progressive political agendas, and a general acceptance regarding social experimentation on our children—I pray that I am in error on this understanding. I hope that logic, science, morality, love, and truth will prevail.
I want to begin by acknowledging that I am protesting a policy—not a people. I recognize that all people have tremendous inherent value and worth. All of us, created by God, have amazing special significance, not based on arbitrary cultural, religious, or behavioral metrics but instead, our incalculable value has been expressed in history by God in the giving of His Son to redeem us. This is an incomprehensible love and without rival. I do not pretend that I stand above or beyond anyone—Christ died for me, a sinner, apart from Christ, I have no righteousness and I am certainly superior to no one. It is because I know the love of Christ that I publicly declare a love for all the children in our community—normative and non-conforming. My objection regarding this policy is not an objection against people; rather, my objections to this policy flow from a loving heart for people.
Here is a brief list of justifications for repealing policy #3281:
Inconsistent Application. The school district does not affirm any other psychological condition the way this policy requires faculty and students to accommodate for gender dysphoria. For example, if some is depressed, you do not have a policy to affirm their depression. If someone has an eating disorder, you do not have a policy which affirms their unhealthy self-perception. If someone has low self-esteem, you do not have a policy to affirm their low self-worth. Not only do you not have policies to affirm any other psychological condition, at this moment, you probably acknowledge that you would not create such a policy to affirm these other conditions. Application of policy 3281 is designed to affirm gender dysphoria while keeping it a secret from parents and requires faculty, coaches, and students to affirm the dysphoria—this is inconsistent.
Depression and Self-Harm. The prevalence of self-harm and suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24; LGBTQ youth are at least four times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers.[i] This tragedy transcends policy or behavioral affirmation, consider San Francisco LGBTQ youth have higher rates of depression and self-harm than the national average while boasting the most progressive policies and aggressive affirmation conditions in the nation.[ii]
Safety. Public policies such policy #3281 are retracting faster than they were implemented due to realized safety issues. For example, transwomen (biological men) committing acts of sexual misconduct while incarcerated, high school trans-girl (biological boy) raping classmates in the bathroom—and inversely, statistics show that nearly half of trans-identified individuals have been sexually assaulted. There is a significant safety concern which policy #3281 does not address. It simply broadens the safety concern—not lessening it.
Title IX Consideration / Discrimination. It is important for us to recognize that this policy does not provide any additional protections for lesbian, gay, or bi-sexual individuals. They are still protected by federal Title IX guidelines and repealing this policy will not impact that protection. This policy does makes transgender individuals into a protected class—something neither state or federal law has accomplished—meaning this policy is more progressive than current law. The Department of Education did attempt to include transgender under Title IX, resulting in a federal lawsuit and a Federal court order “enjoined and restrained from implementing” such a policy.[iii]
Parental Rights. There are serious ethical concerns within this policy under the title, “Confidentiality.” This policy prohibits school employees from disclosing transgender status or sexual orientation from the student’s parents/guardians—this presupposes responsibilities and consequences the school is unable to provide like a parent. This also appears to conflict with Idaho Statutes 32-1010, 32-1011.
Health/Wellbeing of the Student. Prematurely affirming the student in their gender dysphoria or transgender transition causes irrevocable harm. The school’s culpability will be through a blind and indifferent policy which affirms a child to decide an irrevocable lifetime decision. Despite the propaganda, a biological male will never be a woman; a biological woman will never be a man. The process of hormone blockers and replacements will never end for a transitioner; their bodies will continually fight any medical alterations to their body. The scars on outside of their body will represent the harm experienced within their heart and mind. This policy does great harm.
Please categorically reject this policy.
[i] Johns, M. M., Lowry, R., Andrzejewski, J., Barrios, L. C., Zewditu, D., McManus, T., et al. (2019). Transgender identity and experiences of violence victimization, substance use, suicide risk, and sexual risk behaviors among high school student–19 states and large urban school districts, 2017. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 68(3), 65-71.
Johns, M. M., Lowry, R., Haderxhanaj, L. T., et al. (2020). Trends in violence victimization and suicide risk by sexual identity among high school students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2015–2019. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69,(Suppl-1):19–27.
[ii] City and County of San Francisco, Department of Pubic Health. Maternal, Child, & Adolescent Health Report, December 1, 2021. Mental Health of MCAH Populations in San Francsico, Page 2
[iii] Tenn., et al. v. U.S. Dep’t of Educ., No. 3:21-cv-308 (E.D. Tenn.) (July 15, 2022)
Someone Asked: I have fear, but I wanna have faith. Yet, I’m afraid that when I’m afraid, I’m sinning because I’m not having faith, because anything that’s not of faith is sin, which makes me even more afraid. I’m trapped… HELP!
My Answer:
I have never quite understood the popular dichotomy of fear and faith. It seems that biblically, fear and faith are connected in some way, not necessarily directly opposed. For example, Proverbs 1:7, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” Proverbs 14:27, “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.”
So, I cannot accept that fear in itself is the opposite of faith nor can fear on its own be a sin—but rather, fear (in the context of a forgiven believer in Christ), whether expressed in reverence or trembling, leads us to the love found only in Christ. In the context of a believer, fear may be part of our sanctification. Paul expressed fear throughout his ministry (See 1Cor 2:1-5, 2 Cor 7:2-15), he instructs us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil 2:12, please note, NOT works in terms of justification, but rather, not taking our salvation for granted, also see Rom 11:20), and Paul expressed, fear that God would humble him (2 Cor 12:20-21)…
If your fear is due to being disciplined (or chastised) for unrepentant sin—turn away from sin and seek strength and forgiveness in Christ… As John writes, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
If by fear, you mean anxious, then remember Philippians 4:3-7.
The bible does not set fear and faith as a dichotomy, but it does set fear and love in opposition. See 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” And so, contemplate this passage (not just the verse) in 1 John 4. This is such a beautiful passage on God’s love, the love between The Father, Son, and Spirit, and as part of this relationship, we see the gift of this amazing love shared with us. Are you in Christ? Then you are forgiven in Christ. And if forgiven, then remember, “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” And then Paul continues, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus…”
Bill Johnson:“I believe it is the provision of the Lord in his suffering on our behalf; Jesus bore stripes in his body through brutal beating as an atoning work to deal with the power of sickness and disease…”
Jesus did not need to go to the cross to heal your cancer. Throughout the earthly ministry of Jesus, he healed people. During his earthly ministry, Jesus appointed 72 people to go out and heal people and share the gospel. Physical healing, while miraculous, wonderful, and beautiful, was not the purpose of Jesus’ ministry—preaching the gospel (Mark 1:36–38), the good news of forgiveness of sin was the primary purpose of Jesus’ ministry. I promise you, a leper that was healed of their leprosy, but in turn rejected the gospel, received no lasting good from their physical healing.
We know why Jesus went to the cross. The apostle Peter writes, “He (Jesus) himself bore our sins in his body on the tree (cross), so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)
The phrase, “by his wounds you have been healed,” also translated as, “by his stripes” in 17th century King James English is first introduced to us by the prophet Isaiah about 700 years before Jesus’ earthly ministry. In describing the purpose and events surrounding the suffering servant (Jesus) in Isaiah 53. Isaiah records, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isa 53:5) The wounds Jesus voluntarily bore upon himself describe a healing from sin (for believers in Christ), as summed up at the end of the passage, “yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors.” The same point the apostle Peter makes in 1 Peter 2:24.
While Bill Johnson’s sermon message is consistent with his legacy of an anthropocentric health, wealth, and power centered “gospel” message which appeals to the goals of every sinful human—it absolutely pales in comparison to the true gospel of Jesus. Where Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection was not to provide you with the things that will pass away (health and wealth), but rather, to provide you with true grace, mercy, holiness only available through the Christ Jesus leading to eternal life that is full of goodness, joy, love, kindness, peace…because it gives us fellowship with God Himself back in the Edenic state.
The theology of Bethel Church in Redding is carefully nuanced—where we find scriptural axioms mixed between tragic errors and old heresies—the result of a faulty biblical theology, bad hermeneutics, and frequent eisegesis. Over the next few days, I am going to catalogue and write on a number of significant (i.e. Bible, Jesus, gospel) errors and heresies openly taught/advocated by Bethel Church in Redding. I am not talking about minor differences that make one a Southern Baptist versus a Presbyterian, but rather, the difference between those saved in Christ versus those outside of Christ. The difference between those who have received and teach the gospel of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins versus those who have embraced and teach a different gospel centered around health, wealth, and power.
I recently heard someone substantiate a theological claim with the reasoning, “you cannot put God in a box.”
If he had intended this as a literal claim there would be little dispute—but this is an expression meant as an illustrative claim. The phrase is used to disarm any number of theological viewpoints that appear to limit the power of God. I have been on the receiving end of this claim in witnessing encounters. It is a common response when someone disagrees with a truth about God or the statement by Jesus when he said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)” The person disagreeing will frequently respond with a diatribe on the perceived lack of fairness regarding a single savior (as if anyone deserves salvation) and then close their claim with, “you cannot put God in a box.” All they did was create a different box—the box of arbitrary fairness and gently set their god in the new box. The issue is not the limitations presented by the box; the issue is the contents of the box—The God verses a god.
I acknowledge that we cannot place God entirely in a box, to do so, would require an exhaustive knowledge of God which is impossible for us. Yet, this dispute is not regarding what is known about God, the dispute is being raised as a question mark, as if, what God has shared with us is insufficient to make any conclusions. Pair this premise with the high level of discomfort among many Christians to limit God in anyway and quickly you find yourself standing before a tattered box unable to hold any discernible quantity of truth. What God has shared about himself is absolutely sufficient for us to know him and we ought to find comfort, not anxiety, in the things God cannot do—God cannot lie, do evil, or do anything inconsistent with his nature. Let’s take a look at this box.
God has revealed himself, both in general revelation and special revelation. In general revelation, everything about existence, both tangible (the universe, earth, diversity of life, diversity of elements, etc.) and intangible (love, logic, morality, etc.) point to God. As David writes in Psalm 19, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” We ought to also recognize that we are not held to a standard of exhaustive knowledge of God when the Apostle Paul writes, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Yet, God did not stop revealing himself with general revelation.
God desires that we know him—To know him like a sheep knows his shepherd, a child knows their father, a wife their husband, how good friends know each other. God has revealed himself directly to individuals and groups throughout the ages, he has used special messengers, and the writer of Hebrews records that, “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” Throughout this time of special revelation we learn much about God: His holiness, wisdom, patience, truthfulness, immutability, transcendence, faithfulness, kindness, justice, mercy, and love. I think it is our nature to focus on the attributes about God we find most beneficial while doing our best to ignore or justify the attributes that scare us, like his holiness and justice. However, we ought to acknowledge that with each trait of God that is revealed to us by God, we cannot then logically apply the opposite. If God claims to be light it would be false for us to then claim God is darkness, if God claims to be love it would be a false contradiction to say he represents indifference, if God claims to have a plan we cannot then say he is capricious and arbitrary—do you see a box forming?
Again, like God’s characteristics, we only dislike the box metaphor when we feel as if it is working against us. For example, we dislike gravity when we are falling, we do not dislike gravity when it keeps our cars planted on the road while traveling 70mph. We dislike the rigidity of God’s truthfulness when he warns us against sinful behaviors, we rejoice in His truthfulness when we think of His love and mercy. As Christians, we should not confuse piety as meaning we must have a lack of confidence in God’s character and word anymore than we would fault a physicist for having confidence in gravity.
God has clearly revealed himself to us by sharing his characteristics and often doing so with anthropomorphic language to help us better understand. We should recognize that the box God is placed in, is a box of his own construction, and God stepped into the box. This point is most evidently seen when God the Son put on human flesh in the person we know as Jesus. We can have confidence in knowing Jesus is who he said he is because as Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” We should have absolute confidence in Jesus because God has proven to be faithful, truthful, and powerful. As the Apostle Peter writes, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” We do not need to feign ignorance or worry that we are limiting God in some way by resting confidently in the description of God has used of Himself, preserved in his word. We ought to look at God’s revealed immutable character with either tremendous fear or a confident hope. Tremendous fear knowing all that God has promised will come to pass for those outside of Christ; confident hope knowing all that God has promised will come to pass for those in Christ.
God built the box so that we could know truth. God did not place himself in a box because it was necessary for him—he did it, because it was necessary for us.
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