Addressing two recent culture wars that the church continues to line up on the side of the NAR with...

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Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. - Matthew 10:16 (ESV)

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As the key verse reminds us, we are in the midst of wolves beloved and must therefore be as wise as serpents. As Barnes Notes on the Bible teaches us, Christ is probably instructing His followers to imitate that serpent's ability to avoid danger. Barnes says correctly that we need caution and wisdom in the midst of a world that will seek our lives. Harmless as doves indicates that we ourselves should behave innocently, not provoking any danger. Some of the most voracious wolves are found in the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and their dominionism that is spreading like a cancer throughout the church today. I do not believe it to be hyperbolic to say that millions of people will be standing before Christ saying "Lord Lord" who thought hating people in His name was a Christian cause. Not all heresy is created equal beloved. It is easy to spot dominionist lunatics like Mario Murillo, Jack Hibbs, or Eddie Hyatt, the author of the above linked article. When you teach that everyone who votes differently than you, or chooses not to vote at all, are evil and hell bound, you make yourself low hanging fruit for discernment. At least you should be. It is the more subtle teachings however that cause the real damage. There is an old quip that says discernment is not merely knowing the difference between right and wrong but rather right from almost right. A little leaven spreads through the entire batch. When we start to allow smaller heresies into our theology, they pave the way for larger ones. We do not just wake up one day in a cult - we slowly immerse ourselves until we cannot tell the difference anymore. Today, I want to discuss two recent examples that embody this concern perfectly. The second one we will deal with is related to censorship and free speech, in light of the recent development with Facebook. The first however deals with the above linked article from Eddie Hyatt, where he weighs in on another hot topic these days, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Let us reason once more beloved, through this article.

"In listening to news reports of the horrific fires that have ravaged Southern California, I kept hearing "DEI," or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, mentioned as a factor in the disaster. One example cited again and again was the Los Angeles Fire Department, which hired its first LGBTQ chief who is committed to DEI. She began hiring and promoting people based on the group with which they identified rather than their qualifications as a firefighter." - Eddie Hyatt

Let me start by saying up front, this is a devotional about God and what we should be doing as Christians. So, if you found yourself reacting viscerally to the mere notion of discussing DEI, perhaps you need to check your carnal viewpoints at the door. I know it is hard, but we are not called to pick a side in every cultural battle. THAT is the definition of NAR dominionism. THAT is what the Seven Mountains heresy is entirely based upon. Consider that Philippians 2:3 reminds us to do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, which is all political/cultural opinion is, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. I know that is radical to consider but God does not waste His word. That means even the people you think are politically wrong or culturally deranged - count them as more significant than yourself! The church today has become so enamored with this world and reviving what was never alive to begin with that we are constantly focused only on ourselves. That is what grievance is. Christian love however is focused on others and not ourselves. To consider their position and plight.

So, now let us address Mr. Hyatt's obviously carnal position. The right wing in this country has waged war on the entire concept of DEI and in doing so, grossly misrepresents what it is and creates false narratives for their base to spread disinformation on. So, when Eddie says that he kept hearing "DEI" when it came to the raging fires in Los Angeles, that is because his folks kept bringing it up. Right wing provocateurs such as Charlie Kirk or Ben Shapiro float the false notion that if only straight white men were in charge, then the fires would all be magically out by now. Mind you, they do not do this because they have any genuine concern for the people dying and suffering. They are doing this because the government of California is Democratic, and they must oppose everything Democratic. We know this because when horrific events happen in Republican states, they all praise whatever goes on there, or they pivot to blame the federal government if the president is Democratic. The stench of hypocrisy is obvious. So, the narrative starts with provocateurs and then spreads to more traditional fake media like Fox. From there it goes local by being made into memes for people to spread throughout social media. Then people like Eddie come along and go, "oh I kept hearing DEI as a factor in the disaster." Yeah, because you keep pretending it is a thing.

While I expect such garbage from the likes of Shapiro and Kirk, who could care less about the cause of Jesus Christ, it becomes far more problematic when pseudo-Christians like Eddie Hyatt and Charisma News regurgitate the disinformation talking points. While DEI can be abused, the mere fact of its existence does not reflexively mean that unqualified people were tapped for key roles. Eddie wants to smear the fire chiefs of LA because they are lesbian. As if that is the reason they were hired and there were more qualified straight people. Take Kristin Crowley, the Fire Chief in charge, who had some criticism of the Democratic Mayor I might add. In 1998 she finished in the top 50 on the Firefighter's Exam, out of 16,000. During her 25 years in the LAFD, she has held the role of firefighter, paramedic, engineer, fire inspector, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, fire marshal, and deputy chief. Is Eddie Hyatt smearing her for politics? Absolutely. The notion that DEI has contributed to this horrific tragedy is beyond unseemly. He makes the same disgusting charge that the likes of Kirk and Shapiro would level - that people were hired not based on qualifications. A charge he knows nothing about and certainly cannot prove.

"DEI embraces the Marxist ideal of social justice and is group oriented. It functions on the theory that although different people have different and unequal starting points in life, everyone should be guaranteed an equal outcome. Anyone perceived as having had a disadvantaged starting point, such as minorities, the poor, LGBTQ, immigrants and so on, should be given priority in hiring and promotion so there is an equal outcome. The noted philosopher and historian Dr. Thomas Sowell, who happens to be Black, says DEI is "essentially a fancy word for group quotas." He points out that the term is often used to admit students to colleges and to place people in positions of authority based on their group identity rather than their individual abilities and qualifications. He goes on to ask, What is the end they are trying to achieve? If I am having brain surgery and a world-renowned brain surgeon is scheduled to do the surgery and I find out he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, am I to reject him and insist on a surgeon from a poor family who struggled to become a brain surgeon even though he does not have the experience or reputation of the original surgeon?" - Eddie Hyatt

Skipping over the Marxist boogeyman, if you feel the need to point out that your source espousing racist ideas happens to be black, it is obvious you think this cleans up your racism. It does not. It is the equivalent of saying, "I am not a racist because I have a black friend." The definition Eddie uses for DEI is also a trope. DEI is NOT providing an equal outcome, just an equal opportunity. Can it be abused? Absolutely. Can people be promoted who did not earn it? Absolutely and I have seen such. People can also be promoted outside of DEI however, for a myriad of false reasons. This does not however mean all DEI somehow results in such corruption. Eddie knows this of course, as does Mr. Sowell. Kristin Crowley has a 25-year career helping and saving people, so maybe the jackasses of the world need to step off and stay in their lane. Either way, how is this a Christian imperative? How is this rubbish being written for a Christian magazine? Why are MAGA pastors like Shane Idleman posting this nonsense ad nauseum? Is Eddie or Mr. Sowell charging that Kristin Crowley does not have the experience or reputation of some unidentified but more qualified white straight male? Sowell's analogy is asinine. This entire argument is racist, sexist, and beneath a Christian discussion. Especially when people are dying. The reason why the NAR and GOP want us talking about DEI, is they do not want us talking about the actual cause of these fires - climate change. So, destroying God's creation? Good thing. Making sure people have equal opportunity? Bad thing. Somehow, this is all being marketed as "Christian."

"I recently spent one week in the Baylor Scott & White Hospital in North Texas, where I was treated by a very diverse staff of Asian, Hispanic, Black and white nurses and doctors. There was no obvious ethnic majority. My primary doctor, I assume, was Muslim since his name was Mohammed. Nonetheless, regardless of who was treating me, I could rest assured that I was getting the best treatment possible because BSW does not practice DEI. The hospital hires its staff based on competency and qualifications, not the group with which they identify. I will avoid a hospital that practices DEI and hires its staff to fulfill group quotas. The same is true when I fly. When I board an airplane and look into the cockpit, I don't care about the race, sex or skin color of the pilot and co-pilot. My only concern is "Do they know how to fly this airplane?" Were they hired to fulfill a quota; or were they hired because they were the most qualified applicants?" - Eddie Hyatt

Let us first look at the utter stupidity of the first scenario. So, because his hospital does not practice DEI, that means Mohammed must have been promoted through the ranks without prejudice or preference? How does he KNOW that? He does not know that of course. Maybe the person responsible for that promotion was themselves Muslim and gave preference. Maybe he had a friend who gave him the promotion. The problem with the NAR narrative on DEI is it ALWAYS assumes that any practice of DEI resulted in someone being promoted who did not deserve it and conversely, any organization that does not practice DEI must be entirely on the up and up. That is infantile in its assumption and analysis. The core feature in both of these silly assumptions is the demonizing of DEI. As for the second silly scenario, it would be really bad if an airline promoted pilots based on anything but qualifications. These are major corporations that have open books on things like that. Pilot certification is overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration. What these false narratives are designed to do is make people reflexively think that someone black, brown, or different than you, must be less qualified. Take for example Fred Mathis, former white male deputy fire chief in Los Angeles. Mr. Mathis was investigated in 2022 for overseeing the agency operation center during the Palisades fire while intoxicated. He retired days before the investigation ended so he could avoid any discipline and received a 1.4-million-dollar payout on top of a $225,000 pension. While these facts are public record, I would not pass judgment because I was not there. It is interesting that the drunk white male deputy fire chief appears to be a non-issue but the woman who has no blemish on her 25-year career is the reason why we have these fires raging in LA, right.

"While we as Christians are to care for the poor and lift those who are disadvantaged, we cannot guarantee their outcome. That is a personal thing on their part and will depend on the choices they make and how they spend their time. The Bible is clear that God holds each of us individually responsible for our choices and actions. Ezekiel 18:20 says, "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." In the Parable of the Talents told by Jesus in Matthew 25:14-30, we see that each person was unique and received "talents" based on their individual ability. Later, each was rewarded or punished according to their own actions or inaction. The Parable of the Talents obviously reflects a meritocracy, and Paul echoes this same principle in 2 Corinthians 5:10 where he says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." In the early days of our life and ministry together, Sue and I heard the Lord say, "Be the best you can be." In other words, don't try to be like someone else or try to outdo someone else. And don't measure your own success by someone else's accomplishment. Be the best you can be, and you will hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:21b). We must stop comparing ourselves with one another. Instead of practicing DEI, we should be encouraging every person to be the best they can be and to develop their individual and unique gifts. God Himself will then promote them as He did Joseph, moving him from slavery and prison to being the ruler of Egypt. If the entire church will take this approach, individual members will find personal fulfillment and also find themselves part of a healthy, functioning body of Christ." - Eddie Hyatt

There are so many racist dog whistles and idiotic statements here. First of all, DEI does not guarantee outcome anymore than any other Human Resources organizational principle. Anything can be corrupted. Look at the vile nature of what Eddie is espousing here. Sure, Christians should care for the poor but make sure you keep them poor! Christians should lift up the disadvantaged but not over white, straight males! The Delta Airline pilot who showed up hammered and carrying a bottle of J??germeister before having to fly from Scotland to NYC was white. That does not mean that all white pilots have a drinking problem any more than it means that because DEI might be abused in one municipality it must be in all of them. This false dichotomy Eddie keeps setting up is so transparent. In his NAR mind, the man that got the five talents must have been white. Two talents must have gone to Mohammed, and the one talent must have clearly gone to a minority, who just was not as talented as the white man who got the five. That is the assumption Eddie keeps selling because to him if the one who gets the five talents is black, it must have been that he didn't deserve it and should have gotten the one talent. Stop comparing ourselves to others? How else do we judge who should be promoted? Who does deserve recognition? You want a healthy, functioning body of Christ? Start with not hating people. Start with avoiding disinformation and propaganda. Start with not assuming things about people you never met and clearly do not understand. Start with the gospel, and finish with the gospel. Get out of the cultural/political business and stay in your lane.

That brings us to the second topic for today, free speech and censorship. Please remember the same framing applies. Political forces on the right have co-opted the NAR, dominionist, apostate church. Whenever you find yourself on the same side as Charisma News for example, maybe you need to reconsider your position. It always astounded me when John MacArthur reopened his church at the height of COVID and started taking very NAR positions. I was stunned that he could be so deceived and then when he sat down with Charisma for an interview, I was blown away. That is how insidious NAR theology can be. Like we saw when it comes to DEI, the position many Christians, some of whom I greatly respect, are taking on the Facebook decision to remove fact checking just blows my mind. It is so obvious in its NAR-ness. Let us start with the 200-billion-dollar man, Mark Zuckerberg and his motivation. God does not ascribe to Machiavellian theology. The ends do not justify the means. Let me break this down. From 2016- 2020 the cultural mood was one of grave concern for all of the disinformation that was infecting our discourse. Facebook was one of the greatest purveyors of bat-poop crazy conspiracy and dangerous disinformation. Zuckerberg implemented fact checking in response to this as a business decision. This has always been represented as "censorship" by the right-wing lunatics in this country, but they were not censored. They were allowed to continue to spread bile. They just had to deal with a fact check being posted with it. In their world of alternate facts, the truth is anathema. What was the reason given by Donald Trump for not participating in debates? He didn't want to be fact checked. Why did he cancel his 60 minutes interview? Because he didn't want to be fact checked.

Fast forward to this year and we see Zuckerberg making another business decision. He had been threatened by the incoming president, including a threat of life in prison. So, Mark went down to Mar-a-Lago, kissed the ring, donated a million dollars to his inauguration, added Trump ally Dana White to his board, and suddenly had an epiphany that maybe fact checking was overrated. How do we know this was a capitulation and not a revelation? Even Trump admitted such by saying Zuckerberg's change of mind was probably because he threatened him. Are these positive developments that should be celebrated by this country or more specifically by the church? Is Jesus, the way the truth and the life, accepting of disinformation? Take for example one of the most egregious lies of the election season. That Haitian immigrants in Ohio were eating pets. Never mind that this nearly destroyed a largely Christian community. People who were already devastated by the earthquake that made them flee their homeland. Never mind that they were asked to come to Ohio to fill the jobs that the locals could not fill. Never mind that they have become responsible and respected members of their community and attended the local churches. One psycho from a white supremacy group started the rumor and it spread to Facebook and Twitter. The real problem is Christians were all too willing to help it spread. Just like there are victims of false teaching, there are victims of disinformation. Why would we as Christians be celebrating the removal of fact checking? Don't hand me the right-wing talking point about how it was slanted. It was only as slanted as the disinformation. If 80% of the lies come from one side, then that side should see 80% of the fact checking.

I have heard brothers I respect make the case for free speech as a Christian value and to a certain extent, I disagree. Can the gospel be more easily spread within a free society? Sure. What comes with that however is an even greater responsibility to not be caught supporting disinformation as it brings disrepute to Christ. Forty million people have left the church in the past 25 years and the number one reason they say is hypocrisy. When the world sees people like Eddie Hyatt lying about DEI or the embracing of falsehood as virtue, it is not lost on them. Why would anyone listen to what you have to say about Jesus if you lie so casually about your own brothers and sisters eating pets? Here is a civic wakeup call - free speech is not absolute. That's right. We cannot shout fire in a crowded theater for example. There are always restrictions on our rights. We do not live in the purge. So, is spreading hate or disinformation free speech? Is curtailing it censorship? That could be a fantastic discussion, especially for Christians. The Intercept recently revealed the new trainings Zuckerberg provided for his staff regarding these changes. They specifically now say they will allow, for example:

"Immigrants are grubby, filthy pieces of sh*t."

"Gays are freaks."

"Look at that tranny (beneath photo of 17-year-old girl)."

Is this what we are now fighting for in the church? The right to say these things? To defend those that do.

Because you know, Jesus. Keep in mind that this is literally in the training. What has happened to people who claim the mantle of Christ today in this country? When it comes to Christians, free speech is not nearly as important as truthful speech. Or compassionate speech. Jesus had harsh words for the religious teachers of His day because they were false. I do not recall him calling them excrement based upon where they came from. The Sons of Thunder wanted to reign fire down on the Samaritans and pretended the cause was righteous instead of hatred for who they were and where they came from. Jesus rebuked them and said they knew not what spirit they were of. Neither does the church today. Zuckerberg also said that he will work with Trump on foreign countries that have disinformation laws, that he characterizes them as censorship. What nonsense. Truth is truth and the church should take a stand for truth. By the way, do not fall for the grift Zuckerberg is employing here. This was a business decision, pure and simple. Four years from now if the next administration goes in the other direction, Zuck will go right along with it. You think his idea to use the same model that Elon Musk is using on Twitter is good? Let me close with a personal anecdote. When Musk took over Twitter most said that it was heavily slanted to the left. I only used it to post when I had a new devotional on my website to a handful of followers. Six months out from the election I started to notice the primary post that always was up when I logged in was Elon Musk's post, which often was unhinged political propaganda in support of electing Trump. Odd since I never followed Elon and I unfollowed him when I realized it. Then the first post popping up when I logged in was Donald Trump himself. I unfollowed immediately also. Then I was bombarded with the most extreme right wing, pro-Trump posts that were out there. It was obvious that Musk had bought the platform for the sole purpose of turning it into a right wing dumpster fire of disinformation in order to help Mr. Trump get elected. So, I wrote a tweet explaining to my followers that I could no longer use the platform in good conscience. Nothing rude - just the facts. I did not close my account however but when I signed in last week, Elon had closed my account. No explanation. No email. I even emailed them asking what happened. No answer. Beloved, THAT is censorship. Closing someone's access because you didn't like something they said is censorship. Not posting a link explaining that Haitians are not actually eating pets if you insist to spread that hatful lie. That is not censorship.

Look, these are not easy subjects, I get it. There are people who had accounts closed on Facebook previously who swear they did nothing wrong. If there truly was no violation of the Terms of Service, that would be wrong. We do not throw out the baby with the bathwater, however. The truth should still matter to us as Christians. The narrative that prior to this Facebook censored people on the right by fact checking them is simply unsupported. The answer cannot be to turn Facebook into X, where it is the wild west of disgusting disinformation. What are we standing for as followers of Jesus Christ? To be clear, before this capitulation, Facebook still allowed most hate and disinformation. Those posts about Haitians eating pets for example, were allowed and I actually do not recall any fact checking attached to them. So, what changed? Well, according to the Meta training, you can now also call the Haitians grubby, pieces of sh*t.

Praise Jesus.

Reverend Anthony Wade - January 13, 2025

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.