Conspiracy theories and the path to transforming truth

Conspiracy theories abound in the news today. For example, why has President Joe Biden not spoken publicly since it was announced last Wednesday that he had contracted COVID-19?

• Did he have a stroke?
• Is he now in hospice care?
• Will the Oval Office address his plans for tonight prove such suspicions wrong?
• Or will skeptics see a brief address given from a teleprompter (if this is what he delivers) as a further cover-up of his alleged infirmities?

And what of Mr. Biden’s health across recent weeks, months, and even years? Numerous pundits are faulting Vice President Kamala Harris for participating in an “epic miscalculation” or even an elaborate cover-up of his purported failings.

Others have alleged conspiracies behind the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump:

• Some claimed that President Biden “sent the orders,” while others called the attempt a “failed coup.”
• Still others “reported” that the Secret Service was ordered not to take out the gunman until after he fired on Mr. Trump.
• Elon Musk blamed the shooting on “extreme incompetence” or “deliberate” action by the Secret Service.
• Still others claimed the shooting was staged to benefit Mr. Trump politically.

Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle resigned yesterday after a contentious hearing with Congress on Monday. Will this lead to greater accountability, or is it part of the alleged cover-up?

“If words can mean anything”

Sociologist James Davison Hunter observes:

When the shared meaning of words is undermined, when we no longer trust that words signify what we thought, any meaning can be imputed to words. If words can mean anything, they have no intimate meaning or possibility of a common meaning.

This is the cultural crisis behind the political crises of our day. When all truth is personal and subjective, as postmodernists have claimed for decades, we are left with a “post-truth” society in which “your truth” is as valid as “my truth.” Now that social media has given everyone a platform to broadcast “their truth,” we should not be surprised by the confusion and chaos that surround nearly every consequential event of our day. The fake news circulating yesterday that former President Jimmy Carter had died is just one example.

However, there is good news in the bad news.

Scripture describes followers of Jesus as “the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15, my emphasis). We can exercise this role because we serve the One who is “the truth” (John 14:6). By his power, we can know the truth (John 8:31–32) and proclaim the truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

But there’s a catch:

To experience fully the truth of Christ, we must experience fully the Christ who is truth.

Oswald Chambers noted:

The one marvelous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is “Christ in you.” It is his wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification. . . .

Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in him, and he manifests it in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation (his emphasis).

Think of it: the living Lord Jesus is literally living in you by his resident Spirit (Colossians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 3:16). As St. Ignatius of Antioch said, “You have Jesus Christ in yourselves.”

“The fragrance of the knowledge of him”

Jesus can guide us into the truth (John 16:13) and speak the truth through us (Luke 12:12). But first we must be “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20), surrendering our life to him as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1) and submitting to the “filling” and control of his Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).

Jesus promised his first followers, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). And so they were:

• When the early Christians were “filled” by the Spirit, they began to share the gospel miraculously (Acts 2:4).
• When Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit,” he preached the gospel boldly to the religious authorities who arranged Jesus’ execution and could have done the same to him (Acts 4:8–12).
• When the early church prayed for courage in the face of persecution (Acts 4:29), “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (v. 31).
• After Paul was “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17), “immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues” (v. 20).
• When Barnabas, “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” arrived in Antioch, “a great many people were added to the Lord” (Acts 11:24).

The pattern is clear. If we want to know “the truth,” we must know the One who is the truth by being submitted to his Spirit. If we do, we will make him known. Then we will glorify and serve the One who “through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

So, here’s the question: Have you submitted your life and witness to the Spirit of God yet today?

If not, why not?

A culture desperate for truth awaits your answer.

Wednesday news to know:

• Everything to know about the Olympics opening ceremony—as Jill Biden plans to lead American delegation
• Historians say Biden’s withdrawal shows American democracy is working
• Biden expected to meet Netanyahu on Thursday at White House, US official says
• Pilot only survivor of Nepal plane crash
• On this day in 1911: American archaeologist encounters Machu Picchu ruins

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“Where I found truth, there found I my God, who is the truth itself.” —St. Augustine

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President Joe Biden announced yesterday that he is withdrawing from the 2024 presidential race. In a subsequent post, he stated: “I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala [Harris] to be the nominee of our party this year.”

Mr. Biden’s monumental decisions were made closer to November than any previous incumbent who sought reelection and then left the race. What do they say about the health and future of our democracy and our nation?

“If angels were to govern men”

On one hand, we could see these announcements as a subversion of democracy.

Mr. Biden earned his party’s nomination through their electoral process. Those who pressured him to step down had no formal or legal power to remove him from the ticket. We could view their actions as unfair to him, to the delegates elected to nominate him, and to the larger process.

On the other hand, we could see this as democracy at work.

Leaders and donors in the Democratic Party continued to make their voices and concerns heard after the primaries were over. Mr. Biden then came to his decision in the belief that it was “in the best interest of my party and the country.”

Our Founders built our nation on the declaration that “all men are created equal,” including presidents and political leaders. This does not mean that humans are worthy of power but that none can be trusted with unaccountable authority. James Madison observed in Federalist No. 51:

If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.

Costco is selling “the apocalypse bucket”

As Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan notes, we are living in “big history.”

Reflect for a moment on the crises we have faced in recent years: the worst pandemic in a century, mass riots in our streets, the most acrimonious presidential election in memory, the largest European conflict since World War II, the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust, and an attempted assassination of a former (and perhaps future) president.

Here’s a sign of the times: Costco is now selling an emergency dinner kit dubbed “the apocalypse bucket,” with ingredients that last twenty-five years.

But the darker the room, the more powerful the light. The chaos of our day is God’s invitation to trust and experience his providence so fully that we become catalysts for the moral and spiritual renewal our culture needs so desperately.

How can we do this most effectively?

One of my favorite places in the world

Over the weekend, I spent some time sitting on a bench beside a picturesque lake in our neighborhood. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. However, roofers were nailing shingles on a nearby house; the sounds of lawn crews and passing cars invaded the quiet; people walked or jogged on the path behind me.

To experience the serenity I sought, I had to block out everything else.

The key to experiencing the abundant life of Christ in a chaotic world is focusing on its Source. When John met the risen Christ on Patmos, he “fell at his feet as though dead” (Revelation 1:17) and later wrote the Revelation. When Peter saw his omnipotence on display, he “fell down at Jesus’ knees” (Luke 5:8) and later preached the Pentecost sermon that birthed the Christian era.

When last were you awed by God?

When we genuinely experience Jesus, we can count on four results:

1. We become an example of his transforming grace. Oswald Chambers noted: “The redemption means that Jesus Christ can put into any man the disposition that ruled his own life.” The closer we are to Jesus, the more we become like him (cf. Romans 8:29).
2. We are used by God’s Spirit to draw others to our Lord. Our bodies are the temple of the Spirit as he continues the ministry of Jesus in the world today (1 Corinthians 3:16).
3. We are emboldened to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Paul’s mandate to Titus becomes ours: “Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority” (Titus 2:15).
4. We are led into our greatest kingdom impact. The same Spirit who called Paul to Macedonia calls us to the people and places where he can use us most fully (cf. Acts 16:9–10).

“Our church is not a building”

The historic sanctuary of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, was ravaged by fire Friday night, leaving what the Dallas Morning News called a “charred shell.” Standing in front of the revered structure, executive pastor Ben Lovvorn told reporters, “Our church is not a building.”

He was right.

St. Ignatius of Antioch, known to early tradition as a disciple of John the Apostle, wrote a letter on the way to his martyrdom in Rome in which he stated: “We should really live as Christians and not merely have the name.” Then he explained:

“Unbelievers bear the image of this world, and those who have faith with love bear the image of God the Father through Jesus Christ.”

Which “image” will you show the world today?

Monday news to know:

• World leaders react to Biden’s exit from the 2024 US presidential race
• Salt Lake City wildfire prompts mandatory evacuations. Over 100 firefighters fight blaze
• Israel strikes Yemen in response to Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv
• Bus destroyed and police car flipped in Leeds disorder
• On this day in 1862: Lincoln tells his cabinet about Emancipation Proclamation

*Denison Forum does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these stories.

Quote for the day:

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” —St. Francis of Assisi

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Former president Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican nomination last night to cap off a four-day convention in Milwaukee. The speech lasted for more than an hour and a half—a new record for convention speeches—and touched on a number of issues. Given the attempted assassination last Saturday, however, many were more interested in seeing how he would address his near-death experience than in the policies and promises he outlined thereafter.

As he told the Washington Examiner the day after the shooting, “The speech I was going to give on Thursday was going to be a humdinger. Had this not happened, this would’ve been one of the most incredible speeches. Honestly, it’s going to be a whole different speech now.”

While several parts of last night’s address were still considered vintage Trump, it did seem that the event last Saturday had made an impact.

An appeal to America

The former president started his speech by stating, “I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope.” He then continued by calling the nation to healing and unity, promising, “I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America.”

To that end, one of the primary themes throughout much of his address was a critique of the current administration that focused primarily on them rather than the broader categories—woke, leftists, etc.—that made regular appearances in the speeches of others throughout the convention. He left little doubt as to where he stands in relation to the agenda put forth by President Biden’s office and the Democratic party but did so without many of the more pointed criticisms and personal attacks that have frequently defined his addresses in the past.

To be sure, some were still there—particularly when he went off script—but they were not the element that defined the speech nor the part that left the most lasting impression.

That designation fell to the way in which he recounted last Saturday’s shooting.

“I’m not supposed to be here tonight”

Toward the beginning of his address, Trump recounted the shooting in greater detail than many expected. He started by stating, “I will tell you exactly what happened, and you’ll never hear it from me a second time because it’s actually too painful to tell.” From there, he described the events leading up to being shot—with a vivid if exaggerated depiction of “blood pouring everywhere”—before concluding with the statement that “I’m not supposed to be here tonight …. and I’ll tell you, I stand before you in this arena only by the grace of Almighty God.”

Throughout the rest of his address, he would periodically speak of his gratitude to the Lord and of the nation’s need for God’s help. While only God and the former president can truly know where he stands in his relationship with Christ, at the very least, the Lord’s name was proclaimed, and there is value in that.

Granted, last night’s speech was hardly the first time that he has courted the religious vote with calls to faith and mentions of God, but this time it felt different. It will be worth watching over the coming months and years to see if the change sticks.

The fleeting nature of change

It is not an indictment of Donald Trump to question whether his new approach to speaking so openly and personally about the Lord is evidence of a truly changed heart or the short-lived effects of a near-death experience. Rather, it’s an indictment on human nature.

You see, a brush with death—particularly when it’s your own—often changes a person’s perspective on life. The further you move away from that moment, however, the easier it gets to slip back into the person you used to be.

Scripture is filled with examples of people who, in a moment of desperation, gratitude, or some other heightened emotion, turned to God only to fall further away from him as the years progressed. That’s why we need the Holy Spirit and a daily commitment to walking with the Lord to keep our relationship with God on solid footing.

Two of Israel’s kings—David and Manasseh—demonstrate this truth well.

Early in David’s life, he walked closely with the Lord and was at peace with the knowledge of his complete and utter reliance on God. As his youth faded, however, his life was characterized by an inconsistent relationship with the Lord that divided his family and laid the seeds for Israel’s undoing.

By contrast, Manasseh began his reign as one of Judah’s worst kings, leading the people to worship idols and false gods in some of the most abominable ways imaginable. Yet, after a brief exile to Assyria, he was humbled and went on to honor the Lord, restore the altar in the temple, and command Judah to serve God (2 Chronicles 33).

Chances are good that we can all find elements of ourselves in both men’s stories. The question then becomes which will define us going forward.

Only two options

Regardless of how you plan to vote this fall, the apparent shift in Donald Trump’s approach should inspire all of us to pray that his outlook on life and—more importantly—his relationship with God really has changed for the better as a result of Saturday’s shooting. And we should do the same for President Biden and all of our nation’s leaders.

Moreover, this story should also inspire us to pray that the Lord will use that event to help each of us evaluate our own relationship with Christ and see if there are any areas where we have slipped back into an acceptance of sin rather than a reliance on him.

This side of heaven, it will never be too late to fall away from the Lord and live as though our salvation had no present impact on our way of life. Fortunately, it will also never be too late to turn back to God and seek a closer walk with him.

Where do you fall on that spectrum today? Are you walking toward God or drifting away from him? Ultimately, those are the only two options.

Which is true for you today?

Quote of the Day:

“If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road, and in that case, the man who turns back the soonest is the most progressive man . . . going back is the quickest way on.” — C.S. Lewis

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