The Remnant: Monday, July 10th

July 10, 2023

Quote of the day:

"Temptations, when we meet them at first, are as the lion that roared upon Samson; but if we overcome them, the next time we see them, we shall find a nest of honey within them."

- John Bunyan

July 10th, 2023

Weekend Headlines

Meta Rolls Out Threads, Twitter Fires Back

On July 5, 2023, Mark Zuckerberg and the team at Meta launched a new social media platform called Threads. Marketed as an app specifically designed for sharing text updates and participating in public conversations, it quickly resonated in the online world, attracting over 30 million users within 24 hours.

"We hope to take what Instagram does best and create a new experience around text, ideas, and discussing what's on your mind," stated Zuckerberg in a Threads post following the launch.

On the same day as the Threads launch, Twitter's attorney, Alex Spiro, sent Zuckerberg a cease-and-desist letter. Furthermore, Twitter is prepared to file a lawsuit against Meta, alleging "systematic, willful, and unlawful misappropriation" of Twitter's trade secrets, intellectual property, and unauthorized data scraping.

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The Remnant’s Response:

Social media, like most things in our life, is in and of itself amoral. How we use it, or possibly we should say, how we discipline ourselves to make sure it doesn't use or consume us is what determines its utility. Too much attention to anything other than faithful intake and application of the Word of God in our lives makes us like the seed in Jesus' parable that fell among the thorns (Matt 13:22). A good principle to live by is “Bible first, Bible most.” If you are already violating that wisdom practice in your life, consider not signing up for participation in yet another social media platform. John Piper famously said, "One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time," which is a great illustration of how a well-placed quote on social media can be used for good.

Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7), don't burden yourself to see how many likes or follows you received on social media - live to see more people follow Jesus because of your investment in others' lives (2 Corinthians 5:21).

We should commit to more thoughtfulness of how to leverage threads and other social media well if we elect to participate. Remember anytime you are interacting with others online that God's Word calls us to a high standard whether we are posting or speaking. If we aren't building others up (Ephesians 4:29), we are wasting our time. Before jumping on Threads or any other platform just because others are, consider the truths above and use your freedom to love and serve others in everything you do (Psalm 37:1-3).

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Uncertainty in the Netherlands

Over the weekend, Mark Rutte, the Dutch Prime Minister, resigned. The four-party coalition government collapsed after 18 months in power due to disagreements over migration policies. The Prime Minister's party wanted stricter measures, while two other parties opposed them.

Proposals included creating two classes of asylum and reducing family reunification. The increase in asylum applications and ideological differences led to the government's downfall. Opposition parties called for a general election, focusing on immigration and other issues like climate change and housing shortages.

The current government (including Rutte) will continue as a caretaker administration until a new coalition is formed. They have said they will not make any major laws or changes until a general election can be held.

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The Remnant’s Response:

The job of a government is to punish those who do wrong and praise those who do good (1 Peter 2:14). In complex situations like these, we need to remind ourselves that there is much at play and pray for all involved. For a really good response on immigration, we recommend listening to this sermon.

  • Pray for the Dutch. Anytime a government is in disarray, the people suffer. (Proverbs 29:2)

  • Pray for the asylum-seekers. There is real fear and need when facing uncertainty and danger. (Mark 12:31)

  • Pray for the countries that the refugees are fleeing from. National strife like persecution and corruption are things that God hates and we should seek restoration, reformation, and redemption. (Micah 6:8)

  • Pray for the Gospel to be furthered in the midst of chaos. (John 3:16)

Other news you should know:

Angel Studios’ newest movie ‘Sound of Freedom’ has been a box office hit grossing $40M in the first week. Make sure to catch it in theaters this week.

The Texas Rangers are the first team in 47 years to have 5 position players start in the major league all star game.

A California startup got publicity for the first-of-its-kind flying car. With every passing day, The Jetsons are becoming less of a 1960’s show about a far-off future.

The gunman who killed 23 people in 2019 at an El Paso Walmart has been sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences. The shooter still has a state trial to undergo, which could result in further sentencing, including the death penalty.