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Peace is often obtained, not in the pleasant pursuit of agreeableness, but in the active contentions of the individual, whether inside themselves, or out in the existing culture. And this is a physical representation of the mythological hero; be the hero.
-Michael Thacker
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Wonderfully expressed, reprehensible words from Preston D. Mitchum: “I won’t empathize with, support, forgive, understand, make amends for, reconcile with Trump supporters. Not a single one,” tweeted Preston Mitchum, a liberal community organizer in Washington, D.C. “He was a proud white nationalist who proudly raised up many white supremacists. That’s who supported him. And I make no apologies for saying this.”
First, this man desires to play group identity politics by categorizing all Trump supporters as racists, and it wasn’t because we voted for pro life and against the tyrannical reign of the radical left and the ideology that possesses them, among other things.
This same group identity politics can be used against Mr. Mitchum by stating that all Biden supporters are baby killers and Marxists. And yet, anyone with any common sense and that is not possessed by corrupted ideology, can properly conclude that this statement is inaccurate, as so is the statement that all Trump supporters are racists.
Second, when stating that you will never forgive nor reconcile with a Trump supporter due to their views is not only hate speech in and of itself, but is also racist, as the comment is specifically addressed to white supporters. From a so called believer in inclusiveness, this man is so far from his “belief” that I am not sure he knows what he actually believes in. My advice for him and everyone alike-be precise in your speech.
-Michael Thacker
The American presidential election is less than two months away with tensions between the radically polarized parties rising to ever greater heights. This election may just be the most profound election in American history with freedom set at the center stage; one party representing a nationalistic approach that centers its underlying philosophy on that of smaller government, and the other party representing a globalized approach that centers its underlying philosophy on that of a large governmental role in the lives of individuals.
From a Christian perspective, it may seem difficult as to which group one must identify with as both parties have positioned themselves on the razor edge of radicalism. We have come to a point in our country’s social climate where people, both from the secular and religious sectors, glorify the party leaders as holy prophets and priests that will lead our society to ever greater heights. It seems now that Christians have become so entangled with the affairs of this life that they too have become victims of radical political ideologies, rather than the Spirit and Word of God.
“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
2 Timothy 2:4 nkjv
In the Christian community, we have become devote followers of mere men rather than that of Christ. We herald the proclamations and promises of governmental leaders rather than that of the words and promises of God. We have become possessed by the idea of identifying ourselves with political parties and our country rather than that of God and His Kingdom. We have come to idolize those in governmental positions rather than worshipping and glorifying God. We have become more offended by those that offend our reverend political leaders rather than those that offend Christ. What has went wrong in the Christian community? Have we truly missed the mark? What can we do to fix this issue?
In second Timothy chapter two verse four, Paul explicitly exhorts us, as faithful soldiers of Christ, to not entangle ourselves in the affairs of this life. The word entangle being used in the verse is the Greek word “empleko,” which means to inweave, to be involved with, to entangle ourselves. The word affairs in Greek is “pragmateia,” which means affairs, business, occupation, and pursuits that pertain to civil life.
A concise examination of this text, one can derive the notion that we are to abstain from involving ourselves with the affairs, or rather the secular patterns and systems. Does this mean we should not vote? No, it means we should partake in that which is necessary to maintain a properly functioning society, and yet doing so without becoming possessed by political ideologies and their concoctors.
The next key word found in the previous verse is that of warfare, which in the Greek is the word “strateuo,” meaning to make a military expedition, to be a soldier, be on active service. This idea of being soldiers of Christ can be found in the prior to this verse in verse three:
“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
2 Timothy 2:3 nkjv
As Christians, we are called to fight the good fight as soldiers of Christ. We should therefore mimic somewhat of the life of a soldier by not becoming distracted by the affairs of this life, but rather centralizing our focus on Christ and His mission He has bestowed upon our lives. Does this mean that we should not pay attention to, or voice our concern for current matters embedded within society and culture? Absolutely not, as we are still called to be watchful and sober to the things occurring around us and their correlation with the end times and that of the return of Christ. A fine balance between that of paying attention to issues, and that of becoming possessed by them.
Lets look at the concept of warfare again as it is vitally important in understanding the implications of Paul’s admonition here. What warfare could he be referencing towards, precisely? Paul goes on to explain this warfare representation in his epistle to the Ephesians:
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Ephesians 6:10-13 nkjv
Here we see Paul expressing the warfare that we are engaged as residing in and manifesting from the dark places nested within the higher dimensional realm. We are essentially engaged in a spiritual warfare that is only won in and through the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives of which can only be accomplished by putting our trust in Christ, and not another. The only way in which we can win this daily battle is through prayer, and by standing firm in faith and proclaiming Christ to the lost, dark world around us, and again, not another.
By pay attention while not becoming distracted, and putting on the whole armor of God and centralizing our attention on the mission that Christ has bestowed upon us, we can become overcomers in a world of chaos. But, as soon as we become distracted by all the noise of secular culture and we begin to put our trust in politicians, we will easily be overtaken by the opposition. No matter how prominent or intelligent a person may seem, they’re ways are futile and weak when it comes to the evil, chaotic power that works within the world. Peter touch on this same idea of paying attention and centralizing our focus on the mission in his epistle:
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
1 Peter 5:8-10 nkjv
The word be sober used here is the Greek word “nepho,” which means to be calm and collected in spirit, to be watchful. And the word vigilant is of the same importance, and is the Greek word “gregoreo,” which means to watch, give strict attention to, to be awake. Both words essentially mean the same thing with the focus being that of paying attention to what is going on, and yet remaining calm and collective, which essentially means to not be entangled in that which you are paying attention too.
This can be better understood by examining the primary word in the following verse, resist. This word is the Greek word “anthistemi,” which means to oppose, resist, to stand against. The only way in which we can resist the opposition properly is by paying attention to their tactics while remaining collective and standing firm on the solid foundation in which we stand-that is Christ Himself. And as I stated before, our weapons of warfare are that of spiritual means-prayer, fasting, proclamation of Christ and His Word to the world.
Now that I have broke down how Christians should act in accordance to political influence and agendas, there is still one more thing I would like to touch on, and that is the notion of patriotism. Not only have we come to idolize political leaders and become possessed by politically driven ideologies, but we have also come to identify ourselves more as American rather than Christians. Am I stating that it is bad to be happy to live in such a great country as we do? Absolutely not. And yet the problem is not that we are happy to live in this wonderful country and call ourselves Americans, it is that we are more attached to the idea of being American than that of being apart of God’s kingdom.
“But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
hebrews 11:16 nkjv
“For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.”
Hebrews 13:14 nkjv
As stated in the previous two verses, just as with the patriarchs of old, we too have no permanent home here on earth as we look forward to our true home with God for eternity. This idea is echoed even more so with Paul as he goes on to state that there are no Jews, Greeks, male or female, and so on. Paul went further with this notion as he briefly bragged about his Jewish background, and yet at the end of the day none of it mattered in comparison to his faith in Christ and his heavenly citizenship.
The radical infatuation with being American is rooted within secular culture, and not Christianity. Now, I am not stated that we should not be happy to be placed in such a wonderful country, or that we should not respect all those that fought for our freedom that we have today. But, I am stating that this is not our true home, and that we should be more excited and devoted to the notion that we are children of God and citizens of the heavenly realm. Thank God for America and freedom, and yet my primary focus and desire is to proclaim Christ to others while praising God for His mercy towards me in having me be a citizen of the eternal realm.
I believe, according to scriptural interpretation and theological examination, that we should thank God for all He has blessed us with, and yet do not lift them up as idols. We should thank all those that have died for our country and for the freedom that has been bestowed upon us, and yet remain humbled in due process. We should applaud politicians that are striving for the good in our country, and yet we should never idolize them. We should be active in society through means such as voting, and yet remember that only through the power of Christ working in and through us can we truly make a difference. Pray, praise, and proclaim Christ, and therein make a difference in the world.
-Michael Thacker
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A radically new theory of evolution that has been conjured up over the past decade or so by Lynne Isbell, suggests that snakes were the root component that enabled us to increase our vision and enlarge our brains over the course of the past 100 million years. Snakes were a constant threat to the survival of our primate ancestors on the jungle floors, and this constant threat steadily heightened our level of awareness which essentially went on to produce radical transformations within the structure of these prehistoric tree dwellers.
One fascinating fact is that much of the ancient mythology stories spread throughout the world involve snakes or dragons, which are often symbolic representations of that of the unknown, or chaos. In the ancient myths of Sumeria and Egypt, both Marduk and Horus descended into chaos in order to retrieve something of immense value, and essentially re-emerge transformed.
We see this same typology found within the stories of the Bible, including that of Abraham, Moses, and Christ Himself, all of which departed from the familiar territory of home to go into the wilderness where they encountered the divine presence of God as well as various trials, only to re-emerge transformed.
In psychology there are various studies to indicate the truth embedded within these stories, how when people encounter unfamiliar territory, whether it be the death of a loved one, a failed marriage, venturing from home, surprised illnesses, etc., we begin to use most of our brain which activate dormant regions within it. Overtime we begin to develop a new perception of reality that replaces the old, transforming our very being into something new. It is primarily do to this encounter with the unknown that we discover something of value, either within the world or within ourselves, and re-emerge with a new perception that helps us be a better contender with reality, someone of greater value to the world than before.
This process works even more proficiently when we take it upon ourselves to encounter the unknown voluntarily rather than involuntarily. When we move into the unknown (a new job, moving from home, going for the degree, starting your own business, etc.) voluntarily and forthrightly, and then overcome the fear of the unknown (that is the serpents), we will then obtain more value from our journey as our eyes become adapted to the potential that lies within the unknown territory. What is the unknown territory of your life, and are you willing and ready to embark on the journey?
-Michael Thacker
For approximately 150 years now, since the time that John Nelson Derby promoted the pre-tribulation rapture theory, most of the church has misunderstood the correlation in occurrence of that of the rapture and second coming. Much of the church today maintains the belief that the rapture will occur prior to the tribulation era, while Christ’s second coming, or Parousia in Greek, will transpire sometime following the conclusion of the three and half year period. But what evidence is there to support such a notion? Let us look at the argument that is proposed, and then proceed to breakdown the argument and see where the evidence leads.
“Now brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 nkjv
Proponents of the differentiation of the gathering of God’s people and the Parousia put most of their weight on these few verses and the ones that follow, of which we will examine here shortly. Somehow, for at least what I have seen so far, the devote followers of the separation point to the first verse as an indication, or proof rather, that the gathering and the Parousia are indeed separate events, and that the gathering precedes the Parousia in the last days timeline. How, precisely? Not sure as no articles I have personally read shred any light on that conclusion. If indeed the first verse is “proof” (of which you would need much more evidence to make the case stand), and it reveals a timeline of occurrences, then the Parousia would precede the rapture as indicated by the sequence found within the text-“the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (primary) and our gathering together to Him (secondary).”
In Matthew 24, Jesus Himself explains how the chronological events will unfold:
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the earth to the other.”
matthew 24:29-31 NKJV
As would could easily conclude from the text, Christ’s coming occurs immediately after the tribulation era and precedes the rapture, henceforth making the events both separate and one and the same. Christ comes back to judge the world and gather His elect at the same time. Parousia first followed by the gathering.
In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 we see Paul explaining the coming of Christ and the rapture occurring simultaneously:
” For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.”
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NKJV
Again the evidence points towards the Parounia occurring first which then is followed by the resurrection of the dead in Christ and the gathering together of those that are “alive and remain”-hinting at that of the believers who survived the tribulation era. The sound of the trumpet is in correlation to the last trumpet found in the book of Revelations, of which Paul touches on again in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 15. The last trumpet takes place after the tribulation era is complete and the wrath of God is set to be poured out on the earth.
This passage is echoed and expressed in detail in Revelations chapter 19 and 20, revealing the Parounia, resurrection and rapture in vivid detail:
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.”
Revelations 19:11,13-14 nkjv
“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
Revelations 20:4-5 nkjv
Here we see the Parounia taking place and the resurrection of which takes place during the Parounia and judgment of the world and beast. As Paul stated in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 that the alive and remaining in Christ will by no means be taken up until the dead are resurrected first, so is this scenario layout for us in Revelations 19 and 20 where we see Christ coming followed by the resurrection of the dead which includes those that died during the tribulation era, meaning that the second coming, rapture and resurrection all occur simultaneously and following the tribulation era.
Now, as with any argument, there are the counter arguments, of which the proponents of separation recede to their one of their last arguments, and that is the saints coming with Christ. How could saints descend with Christ during His second coming if the church has not been raptured? The dead in Christ have not been resurrected either, so how could He return with His saints? A plausible explanation can be found by examining what is meant by the term “saints” being used, and then correlating it with other pieces of scripture.
“So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”
1 thessalonians 3:13 nkjv
“Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.’”
Jude 1:14-15 NKjv
It seems to put a hamper on much of what I have proposed thus far, and yet just a little research will help shed some light on this impeding issue. The Greek word being used for both verses is “hagios,” which can be translated as saints or holy. This word is often translated holy and used for the first word for Holy Spirit. But the word is also used in several places for holy angels. Two verses in particular that correlate with the scene laid out for us by both Paul and Jude are found in both the book of Matthew and Mark, and the words are stated by Christ directly.
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.”
Matthew 25:31 nkjv
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 8:38 nkjv
As you can see, the evidence points towards a better understanding of the scripture as referencing that of angels rather than Christian saints. Christ will descend with His angels at the sound of the last trumpet, and the dead will be resurrected followed by the rapture of those that are still alive, all of which occur after the tribulation era. Therefore, we can conclude that the evidence directs us to both a separate and single occurrence that unfolds after the three and half year period known as the tribulation, of which Christ’s return precedes the resurrection and rapture.
-Michael Thacker
Want to know more about the post-tribulation rapture theory? Check out my book on Amazon:
The first lesson of a series of lessons focused on Christian apologetics and philosophy. During this first lesson, I go on to explain how important our beliefs are and how those beliefs go on to affect our entire mode of being. It is essential to understand what it is that you believe as an individual in the world, and whether or not those beliefs correlate with reality and scripture. I also go on to express the dire necessity in veering from ideological possession through the practice of critical thinking and logic. Check it out here:
-Michael Thacker
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Let us never forget how susceptible people are to become possessed by radical ideologies that produce mass destruction. We should always remember the devastation left behind, and continue to analyze our ideas as well as others that seek to pervade our minds. If the evidence contradicts your belief system, then do not attempt to construe the evidence to fit the belief, but rather critique the belief to fit the evidence. Thoughts, love and prayers sent to all those that were affected by this tragic event 19 years ago. God bless America.
-Michael Thacker
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When an individual questions the ideas nested within their contemporary culture, ideas that are held near and dear among the devote followers of that culture, the individual is then committing a type of sacrilege. And it seems to be the case that in order for an individual, as well as the existing culture, to awaken to greater heights of awareness and understanding, this type of cultural sacrilege must occur, especially if the evidence is against the contemporary cultural ideas which then ultimately pressures them into extinction.
Transformation is caused by pressure within and outside an individual, I would say first from an outside idea that contradicts the individual’s own idea of reality. And then within the individual as the new improved idea strikes their consciousness, and therefore elevates their consciousness to a new level of awareness and understanding of being itself.
This same pattern of transformation can also occur within a culture, whether it be secular or religious. Typically it begins through a perceived idea that is foreign to an existing cultural idea originating within an individual that then goes out and contends with the old idea that ultimately sends shockwaves throughout the existing culture. Of course, committing such sacrilege brings with it great temporal and enduring suffering, as the first is produced at the origination and proclamation of the new idea, and with it all the opposition that comes against it. And the latter from the newfound heightened state of consciousness that brings about a heightened sense of pain and suffering that are intrinsically embedded within nature, and with it a new heightened sense of responsibility.
A prime example of such individualistic and cultural transformations can be found within the story of Adam and Eve, as well as the lives and works of the fathers of the reformation. First, the story of Adam and Eve reveals to us how an elevated consciousness transforms the individual into a creature that is more aware as well as more aware of their vulnerability to the suffering intrinsic to nature. And this transformation did not only occur within the individual, but the culture, or world as it would be, too.
Second, the fathers of the reformation challenged the old ideas embedded within the Catholic Church with their new, profoundly innovative ideas that were first ridiculed by the existing culture until that were proven verifiable by the evidence embedded within scripture and throughout nature. And with this verifiability of the new ideas, the old ideas were made extinct. This extinction of the old ideas not only transformed the individuals within the existing culture, but the culture itself as well. And with this new heightened sense of awareness came the inexplicable heightened sense of suffrage, and that of responsibility.
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Each one of us possesses tremendous amounts of potential that lies dormant until activated, a type of frozen asset. The way in which we activate the dormant potential is by aiming at the highest aim, and then striving towards that aim while making manageable changes that ahere themselves to the aim in mind. Over the course of time, you will begin to activate the dormant potential within and transform into the ideal self that is set within the aim itself. Aim, strive, and transform into who you were called to be.
-Michael Thacker
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Several times throughout scripture we are called to be watchful, to be sober and vigilant because the devil roams about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Apart from the spiritual nature of the context in which these words ring true, this can also be interpreted in a more natural form in which we are called to pay attention to ourselves and our surrounding culture and society as corruption and chaos are constantly seeking to devour all. With the current trend of chaotic riots erupting throughout America and the world as a whole, it is safe to say that now, as Christians, we must pay attention, not only to the actions of the groups and the individuals that make up the groups, but the underlying ideology that possesses them.
People become possessed by ideologues when their critical thought process is impeded, which is typically due to the lack of accrued knowledge and reflective thought. People of this sort tend to go along with whatever trending idea that confronts them, and with little to no research into where the set of ideas originated or what evidence may support them, they simply follow along with the masses into the commitment and engagement of corrupted acts that manifest themselves from these sets of ideas.
How can we protect ourselves from such an ideological possession? Study and meditation seem to be the antidote in avoiding such a catastrophe. In the book of Proverbs for example, the exhortation to engage in the act of accumulating knowledge and wisdom is echoed throughout multiples times, and this accumulation of knowledge is one of the factors that help shield us from corrupted ideas.
“Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity and every good course. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things; from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness.”
Proverbs 2:9-13 NASB
Meditation, or rather that of critical thought and reflection is of equal importance as you need critical thinking skills in order to properly analysis and assess information you receive from studying. Critical thought not only helps us examine the ideas of others, but also helps us examine our own ideas. When we critically examine our own ideas about the essence and nature of being itself, we can properly form strong ideas that can ultimately stand against other ideas, especially those of a more radical nature. By examining and challenging our own thoughts and ideas, we can properly form conclusions that not only stand against others ideas, but also correlate with scripture and reality itself. In order to know what is good, we must study and then examine in correlation with scripture and reality.
“But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.”
1 Thessalonians 5:21 NASB
Thankfully, as Christians, we have a solid foundation in which to work from unlike our secular counterparts. The solidarity of scripture and the idealistic character of Christ gives us a point of reference in which to build all other ideas. Once an idea is formulated, we can then test our idea against that of scripture, and then that of reality. If our idea correlates with the whole of scripture as well as the evidence found embedded within the fabric of reality, then our idea is at least in part correct. And what do we do when we have an idea that stands against this test? We utilize it properly by revealing the evidence that leads to this conclusive idea, and yet never allow it to be the final word in our life.
Ideas come and go, and some of them are outstanding while others are of devastating proportions, such as the ideas that fueled Stalin’s Soviet Union and Mao’s China-the same ideas of which are fueling the radical groups that riot in our streets today. But at the end of the day, we should always find ourselves possessed by Christ Himself, always submitting to Him in all things. We may formulate powerfully good ideas, and yet Christ is what should possess our being.
“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB
-Michael Thacker
Michael Thacker 