The Bible verses Scott Walker should tweet next

[jv_coach]

The Bible verses Scott Walker should tweet next

A couple Sundays ago, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker enlivened things a bit simply by tweeting the following: “Philippians 4:13.” He didn’t even add the text, just the reference alone. The move infuriated media-hungry atheists. But this only presents an opportunity. I have the perfect remedy for Mr. Walker to march forward.

The text, of course, is the well-known (and usually misapplied) verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” A bit more on the meaning in a moment.

The liveliness began when some leftist tweeted in response, “Separation of Church and State applies to YOU.” But the real fun began when that bunch of ne’er-do-wells known as the “Free From Religion Foundation” (FFRF) decided once again to climb to publicity on the back of a candid Christian public official.

The verse, often understood as a kind of mantra of self-assurance for personal achievement, was twisted even worse by the FFRF. In a clear bout of spite, they condemned the verse as “more like a threat, or the utterance of a theocratic dictator, than of a duly elected civil servant.”

In their own brand of self-righteous indignation, FFRF purported to tell us the true meaning of the law: it is “improper for a state employee, much less for the chief executive officer of the state, to use the machinery of the state of Wisconsin to promote personal religious views.” They demanded Walker delete the Bible tweet.

Walker, however, has responded with a big fat No, citing the fact that his Twitter account partially serves the function of giving the people “a sense of who he is.” His spokesperson said, “The verse was part of a devotional he read that morning, which inspired him, and he chose to share it.”

He should have also reminded the group that the Wisconsin Constitution is as clear as that of the U.S. in regard to free speech: “no laws shall be passed to restrain or abridge the liberty of speech or of the press.” What part of “no laws shall be passed to restrain or abridge” do these meddling atheists not understand?

Outclassed this time, the FFRF backed off, admitting, “we can’t do anything more than complain.” But they refused to go away quietly. Well-known village atheist Dan Barker, the group’s co-president, waved his finger incessantly, self-assured of legal high-ground:

Barker said that the Freedom From Religion Foundation might take definitive action if Walker decided to post Bible messages on a more regular basis, but that in this case they will likely “look the other way.”

“We’re not going to take any legal action on one abuse,” he said. “And it is an abuse — and he should know it’s one.”

I paraphrase: “You better not do it again!”

Whereas Jesus said “turn the other cheek,” the atheist says, “turn the other cheek while making legal threats.”

My suggesting is not only for Walker to stand firm as he has, but to Walk on straight ahead with the sharing of his private devotions. May I suggest he go next to Psalm 14:1?

The fool says in his heart, â€œThere is no God.”

And may I even suggest tweeting the next few verses as well:

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good.

The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.

They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one (Psa. 14:1–3).

And he may even continue his devotion by noting how Paul quotes from these verses in Romans 3:11–12. And he may choose to share what the Apostle concludes from this:

all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:23–24).

The fool has said in his heart there is no God, but he is not content there. He wants to drown out wisdom with his own continuous nonsense. “Every fool will be meddling” (Prov. 20:3), says the Proverb, and, “The mouth of fools pours out foolishness” (Prov. 15:2).

The Preacher tells us that the more he goes on, the fool runs from bad to worse: “the lips of a fool consume him. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his talk is evil madness” (Eccl. 10:12–13).

The Proverbist tells us exactly how to answer this fool:

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself (Prov. 26:4).

That’s right, don’t answer the fool according to his folly. Don’t let his presuppositions of godlessness and human autonomy set the agenda for your response. You don’t want to be like him. Stand firm on the Word of God and His sovereignty in the affairs of men, including their intellectual and legal affairs.

But since we’re not sucked in by their foolishness, neither are we fearful or intimidated. Take the fight to them:

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes (Prov. 26:5).

That’s not a contradiction (sorry, Dan Barker!), but a shift in the sense of meaning. Do answer the fool according to his folly: that is, show him the futility of his assumption of godlessness. Show him that his flood of words is nothing but arbitrary and incoherent foolishness.

Show him how his position as the would-be legislator for society has no foundation on which to stand if there is no ultimate Foundation for law to begin with. If there is no ultimate Lawgiver and Judge, then every man’s interpretation of law is equal to everyone else’s, or no one’s. Law means nothing, oaths mean nothing, courts mean nothing, and Constitutions mean nothing.

Barker can cite “abuse” all he wants, but absent a Sovereign Judge of Cosmic Justice, there is no such thing as “abuse.” Rogue Bible-tweeters take their dirty little “abuses” safely to their graves, along with every secret murderer and child-rapist that never got caught. Thank you, Mr. Atheist.

In this real world of law and accountability, some atheists can find little better in which to meddle than a governor tweeting Bible verses.

I suppose Scott Walker has had tougher battles to endure, but it is worth remembering the true context of the verse he referenced:

I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:11–13).

This has nothing to do with personal achievement, reaching new heights or prosperity, as it is often misapplied. Rather, the context makes clear that Paul is mainly talking about enduring hardship when necessary.

Whether in abundance or hunger, prosperity or persecution, blessing or beating, no matter what may come, I have “learned the secret” through personal experience: I can do all thing through Christ who strengthens me.

That is, it is by Christ that I endure to the end, even through the worst of what trials may come.

In the real world of political warfare and social ill, this means trials far above and beyond the petty foolishness of the atheistic mites of our day.

- See more at: http://americanvision.org/10358/bible-verses-scott-walker-tweet-next/#sthash.wP2xqtAD.uXhhUJZx.dpuf