Dear Reader,
Thanks for being a subscriber to THE THREE TAVERNS. This newsletter is named after one of the towns where the messenger Paul passed through on his way to Rome to stand before Caesar and say, “There is another King who is King over all kings and Lord over all lords.” (Acts 28:15). Other believers came from Rome and encouraged him there.
When we stand up in a culture adrift from the UNLIMITED, we all need encouragement along the way. That’s the purpose of this newsletter. Read on…
GOD'S RULE, NOT MOB'S RULE
Most people do not listen to God.
They listen to fear.
They listen to pundits.
They listen to charismatic preachers.
They listen to their peers.
They listen to their doctors.
They listen to THE SCIENCE.
They listen to the "news."
They do not listen to God.
Paris Reidhead once said, "Most Christians do not have fellowship with God; they have fellowship with each other ABOUT God."
If the last few years have taught us anything it is that people are gullible. And we are herd animals, looking for a strong leader to tell us what to do. People form mobs and then punish those who dare to say something different than the media or Hollywood or religious or medical mobs have to say.
This trait is the road to disaster.
In 1951 a dockworker wrote a book called THE TRUE BELIEVER. It is about mass movements and how they start, grow and metastasize. Read what he wrote in 1951 and see how closely it describes our "cancel culture" of today....
"In a mass movement, the air is heavy-laden with suspicion. There is prying and spying, tense watching, and a tense awareness of being watched. The surprising thing is that this pathological mistrust within the ranks leads not to dissension but to strict conformity. Knowing themselves continually watched, the faithful strive to escape suspicion by adhering zealously to prescribed behavior and opinion. Strict orthodoxy is as much the result of mutual suspicion as of ardent faith."
For example, look at how the jab mob began.
1) "It's the cure!"
In the words of former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky: "Vaccinated people do not carry the virus and don't get sick." This was amplified over and over by media, politicians and THE SCIENCE.
They knew this as a lie from BEFORE the vaccine was ever launched. I talked about this lie on Facebook before the vaccine ever went public and man, was I lambasted! But through spiritual discernment I knew it was not true and data has now proved it out.
2) "It's not the cure but it prevents you from getting it and spreading it to others!"
When #1 failed to materialize the message changed subtly.
In the words of The Science himself, Anthony Fauci, the "vaccine prevents Covid-19 from mutating". Hooray science! Our hero!
Except it was a lie. It was never true and they knew it.
But the mob kept forming around it.
3) "It doesn't prevent you from CATCHING it but it prevents you from getting sick."
Okay, so in the UPDATED words of The Science himself, “the situation is so clear, the data affirm, if you get the vaccine you are protected … we know that as a fact.”
The “breakthrough infections” message commences as vaccinated loudmouths who kept preaching the false gospel of the jab began getting sick anyway…including Fauci, Biden and others.
4) "It doesn't prevent you from getting sick but it prevents you from getting REALLY sick."
Ok ok, so it might not work all the time but it’s rare anyway!
5) "It doesn't prevent you from getting REALLY sick but it prevents you from dying...."
Continuous shifting sands...
6) "Hey, stop doing your own research and Trust the SCIENCE!"
If you, dear reader, did not conform to this message, the loudmouths were literally saying on mass media and in public forums that you should be banned from society. You should lose your job. You should lose your ability to even buy groceries. Some were advocating for jail time. Or concentration camps.
The Biden administration PROVABLY with DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE pressured social media to shut off the voices of credentialed dissenters like world-renowned scientists and even public figures like RFK, Jr.
So we who believe need to learn the valuable lessons from this experience.
Folks, it is time to make a change and start listening to the UNLIMITED!
God rules, not the mob.
The place to start is having the Word of God in your heart. To not read the word of God out of laziness or neglect or indifference is worse than not being able to read at all.
"But I don't like to read, the Bible is a big book, and it intimidates me." Then ask God for help (that should be where we start with ANY challenge), look for helpful tools like The Bible Project or The Bible Recap (my wife loves this one) and get started. Meet with other people and read together. Just ask a few, don't wait for someone else to do it!
Then know that if you belong to God that the Spirit of God lives within you! "But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)" (Romans 8:9, NLT)
Go to Him at all times when you are tempted to listen to foolish rhetoric that your logical grown-up brain (not your childish fear brain) tells you CAN'T be true. You don't have to have the data to prove it, you just know it doesn't seem right, and take time to listen to the UNLIMITED. Have a conversation with Him running all the time.
God rules, not mob rules.
BELIEF = "BY-LIFE"
My good friend Shawn Ryan interviewed Jordan Peterson recently. A few weeks ago Peterson flew into town to sit down with him and this is a part of the interview where Shawn pointedly asks him about his faith in God.
Peterson says something about his faith that I have never heard after watching hundreds of hours of his interviews and lectures: that he believes Christ is the only way to the Father!
After you watch this you might recall that in my Substack newsletter "The Three Taverns" I wrote that belief equals "by life."
It is not merely an intellectual exercise to believe a creed or set of doctrines. It is a commitment "by life" of all you are, all you have, your entire being, to Christ. This echoes what Peterson says in this clip that Shawn pulled out of him during this interview.
My Substack article is here... https://thethreetaverns.substack.com/p/covenant
Excellent 13 minutes clipped out of the full interview! Watch it here...
Well done Shawn!
“TAVERN TALKS” TOMORROW MORNING
"Tavern Talks" is going strong each week at 7am on Tuesday mornings at The Mission Cigar & Social
Each week I hear from guys about the impact it is having in their lives. Honest, open, real, un-edited, God-directed conversation, stories and prayer always changes us.
Last week Jon Sparks told his story and the impact of his honesty was palpable.
This week we will discuss some of what Jesus means when He says, "I will build my assembly." Emphasis on "I." (Matt. 16:18)
The word "build" can mean "construct, embolden, edify, assemble, establish." This verse could legitimately read, "I will assemble my body." This will be a doozy!
As always we will hear from each other as well.
Bring your bible, coffee, you can purchase a cigar if you want (not required), and if you are going somewhere afterward bring your Febreze!
Much thanks to The Mission Cigar & Social and Mark, Monte and Willie for hosting this gathering.
Looking Up (Luke 21:28),
Tod Bell
Chief Tavern Host
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