Quote of the day:

"Every Christian should be both conservative and radical; conservative in preserving the faith and radical in applying it."

- John Stott

August 7, 2023

Today’s Headlines:

Louisiana Passes HB8

Louisiana public schools must display "In God We Trust" inside classrooms, per a new law (HB8) effective August 1. The motto, not officially tied to any specific religion (though it is widely associated with the Christian God), aims to recognize a higher power. Critics fear it blurs church-state separation, while supporters see it as a positive message for students. The previous law required displaying the motto within school buildings.

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The Remnant’s Response:

1) Until Christ returns to rule “separation of church and state” is endorsed by the remnant.

2) The phrase “Separation of church and state” is not found in our constitution. They first appeared in a letter written Jan 1, 1802, from then-President Thomas Jefferson to a group of Baptists who were concerned the Congregationalist majority would require them to practice religion in a way that violated their conscience. In his response, Jefferson reiterated his commitment as President to protect the rights of individuals to freely worship without concern of government oversight.

3) There is wisdom in the “establishment clause” our founders embedded in our constitution. The purpose of the establishment clause was to make it clear that government should stay out of religion, not that religious people or convictions of believers should stay out of our nation's government

4) Both our first and second presidents affirmed that there was never any intention to keep religious people from affecting government.

5) Christians should engage in public discourse and civic engagement if they are going to fulfill God’s intention for them to be a source of goodness and virtue in the land (Matthew 5:13-16).

6) Governments should not inhibit the free exercise of religion, nor mandate beliefs or practices that limit citizens' freedoms. The government is restricted, the people are free.

7) “In God we trust” has been the motto of the United States of America since 1956. Our nation's problem has not been our motto, it has been our manner (Matthew 15:8).

8) The church is the conscience of the state, when the state rejects truth its decline is imminent. It is the job of the remnant to speak truth, challenge injustice, and model morality and goodness.

9) Evangelism/discipleship, not political control, is the mission of the church.

Riots In NYC

A prominent Twitch streamer, Kai Cenat, found himself in police custody after a giveaway event he organized at Manhattan's Union Square turned into pandemonium. The event, which promised free PlayStation consoles, computers, and gift cards, attracted thousands of young people, quickly spiraling out of control even before its scheduled start time. The crowd became unruly, throwing garbage, chairs, and bottles, prompting the NYPD to mobilize nearly one thousand officers to contain the situation. Eventually, Cenat was detained and is facing charges for inciting a riot and unlawful assembly. Several dozen others were also arrested during the incident. The chaos caused disruptions to traffic and public transit, with the police urging people to avoid the area until they could disperse the crowd.

Kai Cenat, a well-known influencer with a massive following, has been making online content since 2018, gaining popularity for his challenges, pranks, and interactions with viewers on Twitch and YouTube. Although the giveaway event wasn't a prank, Cenat has a history of doing prank videos in the past.

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The Remnant’s Response:

The destructive riots in Union Square serve as a sobering reminder that our youth do not trust in God, and previous generations have failed to teach them knowledge as God intended (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Proverbs 22:6).

Although many young people arrived merely seeking entertainment and rewards, they soon found themselves in a sea of chaos their immaturity was unable to control. Tragically, the biblical truth that "the companion of fools will suffer harm" (Proverbs 13:20) was fleshed out before a watching world. In the frenzy of the crowd, morality was abandoned, and many were swept along with the foolishness of the masses (1 Corinthians 15:33). While we can be glad no one was seriously hurt and that this time laws were enforced, and order was reestablished, we should grieve at the consistency with which we see these kinds of displays of foolishness throughout our land.

The remnant knows that outrage is not a strategy, and that it has a responsibility to disciple the youth, steering them away from foolishness and grounding them in godly wisdom (Titus 2:6-8). We must come alongside those who have fallen for a lie with gentle correction lest they find themselves deeply ensnared by the devil and suffering no-so-gentle consequences (2 Timothy 2:24-26). May our lives and lips be vessels of wisdom that reflect the light of Christ, providing a compelling counter-offer for the next generation who are being influenced and inundated with the fruitless philosophies of our age (Colossians 2:8) on social media and in our wayward society. We are not called to go to war with our culture; we are called to be ambassadors to it (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Other news you should know:

⚽️ USWNT loses in round of 16, earliest exit in team history. If Meagan Rapinoe had her way we would undoubtedly be dominating.

🤸🏾‍♀️ Simone Biles is back in action after leaving the summer olympics in 2021.

🥊 Jake Paul takes down Nate Diaz in unanimous decision and it looks like this Musk v Zuck fight is going to happen…

👩🏻‍⚖️ Elon Musk will fund a legal bill for anyone who was fired for something said or liked on Twitter.

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