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Turning from Idle Conspiracy Theories to Acting on the Truth

Dan Sullivan · May 19, 2020 ·

This was a Facebook comment from a thread that linked to the quote below. I wanted to keep it here because I think it’s a helpful way to address conspiracy theory hobbyists.

“Do you see how peddling a conspiracy theory is a lot like evangelism? It’s a tragic substitute. A deflection and distraction to what’s really important and what can actually change a person’s life – both Christian lives and non-Christians lives: The gospel of the kingdom.” –Frank Viola

Frank Viola – https://frankviola.org/2020/05/14/shamdemic

He does come on pretty strong selling the books. I think the point is that our attention and contemplation be on Jesus and God’s glory instead of all of the wicked things we theorize that people are doing. The only action I can take on a theory is to spread the theory. That is why it is a counterfeit to evangelism. If I convince you Fauci and the Chinese created this virus to wreck the economy and make millions, what have I gained? If I used that same zeal to convince you of Jesus’ amazing grace and care for you, I have accomplished so much more! Conspiracy theories are puffed up and last a few weeks! The word of the Lord endures forever. Let’s focus on that!

Maybe some of this has to do with disposition too. When I watch the news, I get frustrated because people know more about Fauci or the news celebrity of the week than they do their next door neighbors. “Wuhan invented the virus” doesn’t give me a single action step. I don’t care if I ‘wake up’ to the reality around me, that doesn’t change my actions at all. I live in Indiana. I currently have no dealings with scientists in Wuhan.

I’d say these passions and theories start out harmless enough as an intellectual hobby, but then they turn into a divisive, accusing, slandering lifestyle that does not bless Christ.

American news exists to keep everyone excited and paying attention and often helps craft the stories that we all try to fit these facts into. With some anxiety and rebellion and time on our hands, we can put all kinds of puzzle pieces together and feel like we’ve really accomplished something. I think all we get out of it though is just like the AHA! you get when you realize who the real bad guy is in a movie.

Now what do I do with it? How does the conspiracy of the week guide and change my life? How am I going to exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit in light of the new findings that Bill Gates did this or that? If I spend all of my intellectual and emotional energy on that, do I have any left for the couple that is arguing with each other in the park across from house? What if I saved some of this emotional power and reasoning for them?

I’d say these passions and theories start out harmless enough as an intellectual hobby, but then they turn into a divisive, accusing, slandering lifestyle that does not bless Christ.

1Tim. 1:3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,
1Tim. 1:4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
1Tim. 1:5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

Paul is urging love, not speculations. Truth, and not suspicions. If I waste all of my time and skill trying to prove something of little consequence that may or may not be true, what validity will I have proving the love of Christ, which is of GREAT CONSEQUENCE and our lives depend on it being true?

Titus 3:8 The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.
Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless.

Paul’s language to Titus only gets stronger after this quote. I know that everything people post on Facebook isn’t something they believe in with great passion, but sometimes it is, and it’s hard to tell the difference in print. We can only go off of the caricatures that we are constantly forming about one another (which are probably wrong, right guys? We would talk about much more fun things in person.)

And this last one, I hope we are on the right side of this. Note it doesn’t say to be quiet and let people believe falsehood, but note what it does say to do:

2Tim. 2:22 ¶ So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
2Tim. 2:23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.
2Tim. 2:24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,
2Tim. 2:25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

Bible Study apologetics, logic, truth

Don't talk bad about the building or the customs!

Dan Sullivan · May 6, 2013 ·

There is a section in Acts 6 that shows how sometimes the things people argue about aren’t really the things they are thinking about.

Acts 6:11

Then they secretly instigated men who said,“We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”

Acts 6:13-14

and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

I can count three times these guys change their story. As you pick apart their words, it gets a little more revealing every time.

  1. Their story is that Stephen is against Moses and God. The Law is a big deal and it came from God to Moses, so those two are the sore spots in Judaism. You can talk ideas all day long, but don’t talk against them specifically
  2. Their story is that Stephen is against the holy place and the law. Ok, now we are getting more specific, and seeing that it isn’t really God or Moses that Stephen is talking about, but the holy place and the law. The building is a building. It represented a lot to the Jewish people, but at the same time the building they were in was far beyond God’s design and had a ton of improvements from an evil Gentile ruler. Kind of like hanging a “Brought to you by Jack Daniels and Victoria Secret” backlit electric sign on your church. Sure, it was intended to be a holy place, but it was funded and built up by evil.
  3. (This one is really the best.) Their story is that Jesus of Nazareth (whom they killed and claimed His body was stolen) is going to destroy the temple and change the customs of Moses. If their story that Jesus’ body was not really back from the dead but rather was stolen, then how is this possible? And have you seen the temple?! A man can’t tear that thing down anyway! I think it is so interesting that they bring that as an accusation because it’s either preposterous to think something is possible or there is some genuine fear.

All in all, the truth comes out that God isn’t really the point of this at all, but their building and their customs.

Bible Study Acts, apologetics, Bible Study, church, church split, culture, God

Knowledge and Love

Dan Sullivan · November 9, 2012 ·

Doesn’t it seem weird that we approach our relationship with God so differently than our approach to our relationship with our girlfriend, bros, or any inanimate object?

What I mean specifically: in regards to inanimate objects – my sons bought some AstroJax.

They are super cool and amazing things. When they brought them home, we didn’t look into books and books of the history of juggling, string, plastic, spheres, and toys. We watched a single video of people using them, and then we went for it. We went for it for hours.

They carried them in their pockets every time we went out of the house.

They wore the stings down.

They dropped them.

They tangled them.

They used them like crazy.

When this cute girl that I know became my girlfriend, I didn’t research the history of the Scandinavian and Danish people. I didn’t learn all about Ivy Tech (where she went to school) and North High School and map out the neighborhoods where she grew up and the fashion design industry that she was interested in.

I hung out with her.

I spent every moment I could with her.

If she was working, I would sit at the bookstore where she worked and I would read.

If she was on her dinner break in the evening I’d bring her Arby’s.

If she had a Saturday off we would walk around Audobon park and kick gumballs.

How much more so should we look at Christianity like this! Some would say it is shallow and emotional. That faith like that relies too much on feelings and not on knowledge.

It is not because of knowing about my girlfriend that I made a life-long covenant to be with her! We have now been married for 13 years and have 5 children!

If we compare the local church to a person, she may have made herself rather fat as far as attendance (though overall church attendance is dropping nationwide) but she’s not typically birthing out more churches.

I’m curious as to what would happen if we treated our faith more as a love affair than an intellectual pursuit.

1 Corinthians 8:1

All of us possess knowledge. This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.

What would happen if we went after the immeasurable and risky love of God that is beyond all knowledge? I think it would be awesome.

Bible Study apologetics, apostasy, knowledge, love

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