Reformed Operator: Recent Episodes
Reformed Operator
There's a war for your soul. The Gospel's offensive, and so are we. Bold, Zealous, Christian Men who aren't afraid to act like men. Biblical Husbands and Fathers. Reformed Operators. Lights on- it's time to get salty. Be. Don't Seem. Memento Mori.
The Sluggard and the Ronin will not achieve mastery. Not in any meaningful sense of the word.
Hard work under authority beats talent.
Men are built to pursue mastery and competence. Yet for some reason many hide from responsibility/authority
The Independent Fundamentalist Baptists (IFB)/Home Church/Militia guys all share the same problem. A disdain for outsiders and the magical ability to hate everyone outside of their very narrow tribe.
We open with "If" followed by Eccl 11:4-6 and Matthew Henry's commentary on that text.
We also looked at Col 3:23-24, Deut 8:17, Prov 22:1, Prov 22:13, Prov 22:29
Hard Work beats Talent
"Gifting" as a sluggard's excuse for poor stewardship and performance
Everyone has the gift of time management, discipline, hard work,
SMART Goals
Pitfalls/Excuses for failure.
What is a Ronin and why does it matter?
The Grind is good.
A few pro tips for when things get really hard
Memento Mori
-RO->
Some thoughts on the momentous overturn of Roe V Wade.
Some interaction with AOC's horrible floor speech.
There are next steps, but this is also a time to humbly celebrate.
What happened, what's next, what can you do?
Memento Mori
Anti-Revolution Part II: The Death of the Author
This episode was recorded two months ago. Now, it's here. Another discussion about 4th Generation Warfare: how it's played out in the past and how it's playing out now through information warfare (note that this episode was recorded prior to recent events over the last week).
The Death of the Author is a postmodern critical perspective that removes all authorial intent, and turns books to just strings of words. The author ceases to be meaningful, and meaning becomes your own reality. It's a key root in deconstruction.
The Revolution is breaking your will, penetrating the church, attributing sin to systems, and stealing the culture. What now?
We open with the story of Richard Wurmbrand who founded "the Voice of the Martyrs." You can watch his story in the Torchlighters Cartoon Series with your kids.
Pravda, Worship, and Warfare
-The Author and Authority
-Pravda and Truth
-Worship and Warfare
-And another visit with Uncle Francis Turretin
Share the show, leave a review, and tell your friends.
2 Tim 3:5
Memento Mori,
-R-O->
Anti-Revolution Pt I: Infidel Jacobin Theories, Patriarchy in the WLC, Theological Supremacy Two things under full frontal assault by Jacobin Theories (besides the obvious death, burial, and resurrection of Christ) the Lord’s Day and Marriage
Critical note for critical theory, critical theorists always try to pit terms against one another, as in White Christian or White Evangelicals in order to make it easier to create an emotional response in the listener or reader. This is the Jacobin process known as the dialectic.
Interrogation of the Jacobin theories of feminism, gender, and queer studies
By the light of Scripture shows them to be false.
//Feminist/egalitarian and gender/queer studies critical methods in their own words (00:00- 43:38)
Problems with critical theory:
Attacking certainty and assurance
Attacking the perspicuity of scripture
Attacking the household codes
Attacks Theological assertions
Generates dissension, wrath, envy, discontent and malice
//Moving to practically engaging those who profess to be Reformed Egalitarians (43:39-63:22)
Feminist/Egalitarian/Gender Studies discussions currently in evangelicalism from clips of a panel with Michael Bird, Aimee Byrd, Kristin Du Mez, and Beth Allison Barr
//Colossians 3 has the solution to every Critical Theory (63:23-73:25)
Esther explodes the liberation feminist narrative
//Westminster Larger Catechism 118 (73:26-101:17)
Question 118
Why is the charge of keeping the sabbath more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors?
The charge of keeping the sabbath is more specially directed to governors of families, and other superiors, because they are bound not only to keep it themselves, but to see that it be observed by all those that are under their charge; and because they are prone ofttimes to hinder them by employments of their own. (Exodus 20:10, Josh 24:15, Neh 13:15, 17, Jer 17:20, Exodus 23:12)
What is so offensive about Question 118 and WLC’s exposition of the fourth commandment?
Patriarchy (governors of families are superiors, those governors are clearly husbands and fathers)
Literal 6-day creation (no framework)
The Lord’s Day, aka the Christian Sabbath (first day of the week now WLC 115-121)
Propositional Logic
//Dabney’s “Practical Philosophy”
The Infidel Jacobin Theory
//Camille Paglia and Turretin’s Natural Theology (104:32-END)
The revolution wants to detonate the Nuclear Family. The fallout will be horrendous for decades to come.
The Key Topics we discuss
Family: Detonation of the Family by the revolution
Freemasonry: What is it and should a Christian be one?
Francis Turretin: Introduction to Volume 1 of the Institutes of Elenctic Theology (one of the best theology books you can get that you've never heard of)
We discuss the most important theologian of the 19th century.
The Word of the day is Obfuscation
“To throw into the shadow, darken, to make obscure”
Clip from MSNBC
RL Dabney once said “I am the Cassandra of Yankeedom predestined to prophesy truth and never to be believed.”
A ridiculous, arguably satirical piece, the fruit of the seed of Karl Marx
https://www.yahoo.com/news/column-california-abolish-parenthood-name-181725030.html
Note the commie buzzwords in the article
Equity
Democracy
Link to the Communist manifesto
Black Lives Matter
Also wants to abolish the nuclear family
Marxists believe hierarchy is bad
Check out Sovereign Nations/New Discourses (which ironically just released an episode on the “theology of marxism” shortly after we recorded this episode!
Mao’s “4 olds” that had to die in his “cultural revolution”:
Old Habits, Old Customs, Old Culture, Old ways of thinking
Gramsci’s 5 Pillars of Culture:
Family, Education, Religion, Media, Law
Think about reform, not revolution.
To build a strong family your marriage not only should, but must be centered around the Word of God, and hermetically sealed against the current culture of divorce, adultery, pornography and abortion.
Gad Saad apology for knowing Jordan Peterson
The Books we recommend from this episode:
Institutes of Elenctic Theology by Francis Turretin
Dabney on Fire by R.L. Dabney edited and introduced by Zach Garris
The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
Brainwashing by Edward Hunter
Explaining postmodernism by Stephen R. C. Hicks
Citizenship in a Republic, the greatest speech you've never read. You might be familiar with
"It’s not the critic who counts."
We live in a world of critical theory, sophistry, and vain cynicism. We tend to forget that we have true duties to perform. Duties as citizens of a government on this earth that as Christians we are required to obey.
As long as that government justly upholds and enforces good and destroys and punishes evil. If they don’t we are to obey God rather than men as Peter and the Apostles point out in Acts 5:29
Read Roosevelt's Speech Here
Bishop James Ussher wrote "A Body of Divinity" in 1645, you may remember Ussher as the guy who calculated the approximate day of creation according to some incredible mathematical precision.
Read this material over at The Daily Genevan
Let it be known, PBR had a creaky chair. They don’t make chairs like they used to anymore.
//Jolly Work
00:00-45:00
Stop working for the weekend
Book Recommendations:
The Masculine Mandate Richard D. Phillips
The Works of William Perkins Volume 10
Section on Vocation
//Juking Jabs
45:00-70:00
Can/should I take the jab?
Is it right to require it for work?
What are some arguments against the jab?
Are the mandates wrong?
//Listener Questions
70:00-END
Can a Christian join/stay in the military given current political scene?
Given recent mandated training, what should I do?
Quit killing time. A Narration and commentary of the Essay "Killing Time" with some practical tips. For more check out Reformedoperator.com
A link to the Ghosts, Death, and Dust Essay.
Deconstruction is death. Whatever happened to heroes? Should I have dark humor?
Is it wrong to desire greatness for you?
Why have heroes? Should we have them?
There are many different types of heroes, but how should we live?
Is there a way to view heroes?
Watch The Four Feathers
You can find the full Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn essay here, and we hope you get to know and apply it well. When all seems lost, we can remain committed to live not by lies. We know Jesus Christ, and therefore we know the Truth.
Solzhenitsyn was illegally raised a Christian, became a devout atheist marxist, and joined the Red Army, only to repent of his previous life and turn to Christ in a Gulag. He became a thorn in the side to Soviet Russia, and was exiled to the West. He wrote this essay immediately before his exile.
The first step to freedom is refusing to live by lies. You're free in Christ, live not by lies.
What do you do in light of darkness? When the fear of the world strikes, what will you do?
Friedrich Nietzsche, the delusional nihilist wrote a book called “The Gay Science”
This episode is going to show some of the darkness of our current “situational ethics” driven science.
Relative morality brings cultural decay
When relative morality goes off the rails, we face demoralization.
Discouragement, despair.
Cultural Demoralization Starts HERE
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Mission, The Men, and Me by Pete Blaber (it's available everywhere books are sold)
Sermons from the Great Ejection
God’s Terrible Voice in the City
Memento Mori
The world is always one spark away from a brushfire.
In this episode of Reformed Operator:
John, host of “Fighting Men of Rhodesia” comes on the show to talk brushfire wars, the chaos of Rhodesia and the lessons learned. John's reflections on the influence of communism/socialism/marxism on Rhodesia and South Africa become all the more relevant in light of current events.
Please pray for John and others in South Africa right now.
Check out John’s "Fighting Men of Rhodesia"
IGM. I got mine. You did your work, now it's someone else's problem. The retirement mentality. The Ronin mentality. The Neville Chamberlain mentality of Peace for our time.
What's wrong with the retirement mentality? Check out Don't Waste Your Life
Dave and Kyle briefly discuss Memorial Day with a brief award citation and the manful reminder of why we say memento mori at the end of the episode.
We pray this episode is of great help on this day, while we remember the price of freedom.
What will be said of you when you die?
The bribery of comfort.
Taking a bribe distorts your judgment. Worldly comfort distorts your judgment. Worldly comfort is a bribe to churchmen. Death to Comfort. The left is destroying much of what is good.
Are you afraid of the faces of men? Do you fear man or God?
A slippery serpent sneaks his whispers in. Prowling about like a roaring lion, constantly whispering “did God really say?” Be brilliant at the basics. Learn to resist the things that make you soft.
Our complacency costs. Watch this!
What spills out when things go wrong?
I Samuel 15:22-26
Exodus 32:19-35
Colossians 3
This time we have another guest on the show.
Zach Garris, Author of “Masculine Christianity” and Editor of “Dabney on Fire: A Theology of Parenting, Education, Feminism, and Government” joins us to talk patriarchy, feminism, and the influence intersectionality, feminism, and intersectional feminism has had in the culture from the days of the early "women's movement" of the 1800s. Its creep into the interpretation of text and general softness growing in the broader evangelical church, even into confessionally reformed denominations.
As Dabney so eloquently put it regarding the Bible's clear teaching on men and women. "Let every one make up his mind honestly either to reject the Bible as a fable, and thus preserve his Jacobin (protocommunist/marxist) humanitarianism, or frankly to surrender the latter in order to retain the gospel."
No wonder Aimee keeps giving the Bird to R L Dabney
Confused about complementarianism and egalitarianism?
The intellectuals at Wikipedia state simply:
“Complementarians assign primary headship roles to men and support roles to women based on their interpretation of certain biblical passages. One of the precepts of complementarianism is that while women may assist in the decision-making process, the ultimate authority for the decision is the purview of the man in marriage, courtship, and in the polity of churches subscribing to this view.
The main contrasting viewpoint is egalitarianism, which maintains that positions of authority and responsibility in marriage and religion should be equally available to females as well as males.”
Weak sauce has withered into “nice” and “soft” sauce in many churches. Publishers, Theologians, and Churches are collapsing into affirmation of (or silence on) "thin complementarianism" by Egalitarian critiques hiding with Beth Moore and her acolytes in Presbyterian and Reformed Denominations behind the accusation of abuse.
While abuse is wrong in all circumstances, it does not negate the right use of father rule or male headship. In fact, a good Christian patriarchy would crush this abuse resolutely rather quickly. Speaking of abuse, the irony of the ideology of egalitarianism (and its doting spawn, feminism) is that egalitarianism via socialism/communism/humanist atheism murdered in the neighborhood of 100 million for the sake of “equality.” It was also the ideological source of the guillotine for 14,000 people in France. That's not abuse of an ideology, that's just its standard operating procedure once in full swing. It is always wise to consider the source of ideas like egalitarianism and patriarchy, by using what's referred to as Ad Fontes "to the sources."
The new "thin" or “narrow complementarianism” is the fruit of far too many churchmen being afraid to stand firm for something simple- father rule in the home, and the role of Elder and Deacon limited to men. This used to be called, simply and biblically, Patriarchy. Then emerged complementarianism as the cowed evangelical response to the cultural climate, now currently splitting at the metaphysical seams.
To put it simply.
Christian Patriarchy is good. Feminism and Egalitarianism are... bad.
Let's talk Masculine Christianity
Looking for more from Zach?
Teach Diligently Website
KnowingScripture Website
For more on the Noahic covenant and a critique of the R2K (“the Reformed” Two Kingdom), aka Escondido Theology, see below:
Should We Seek a Christian Government? Part 1
Should We Seek a Christian Government Part 2
Eric Conn of Wilderness Warrior and The Hard Men Podcast Joins us to talk about Hard Men, softness, comfort, and the difficult dance of being a man in an effeminate soft world.
You need to find fellow believers and form a group of solid men you can trust. Sharpen one another. Don't sit around doing tea parties. Yes, cigar and poker nights fall into that category. Go out and do difficult things together. Sweat and bleed together. Preach the gospel together. Stand outside an abortion mill to persuade mothers not to murder their babies.
The narrow path is narrow for a reason. The Gospel is good news, it's also offensive. Finding men that preach the gospel with their words and deeds in all contexts is hard to find.
Be a man among men, go out and forge disciples. Submit to a church and then put to death sin and comfort.
Dave (our host) has special guest Pastor (and fellow Presbyterian) Michael Foster from “It’s Good to Be a Man” on the show to talk about men, gravitas, levity, LARPing Manhood, and whether or not you should make fun of the President.
Are you a clown who always angles for jokes and sees jokes as the "whole enchilada" rather than merely a sauce? Are you a self serious man who is unable to laugh or take a joke? Do you joke about the flesh too much? Do you mock authority? If you answered yes to any of these, you need this episode. Don't float away. Don't crush others as you implode. Learn the dance and save yourself from merely being a joke.
Don't be a fool who returns regularly to his folly. Stop eating that proverbial vomit. Stop being a joke.
A couple recent episodes from “It’s Good to Be a Man” generated some solid thoughts around our studio recently. Namely the Episodes
“Don’t LARP Your Manhood”
“Are You a Serious Man?”
Men have two ditches to fall into in the area of Gravitas and Levity. Gravely Serious or foolishly funny. It’s a dance, and people are complicated. But Michael covers some examples to help avoid the navel-gazing and foolishness that run rampant in a post-feminist Church culture.
-RO->
Dave (our host) bring Pastor Ben, aka PBR back on as a guest for another assault on your comfort.
//RO Book Recommendation:
00:00-27:43
J.C. Ryle’s "Thoughts for Young Men"
Free HERE on Monergism
Men struggle with purpose and Ryle addresses this well. He reminds us tomorrow is the devil’s day.
1 Tim 3
Manhood comes at you fast. You will be woefully humbled. Do you have an aim? What are you doing in the places you occupy?
PBR commends the “Fabric of Faithfulness” as another help.
//RO Main Topic:
Family Worship: Build and Fight by Faith
We dip into a ton of parenting philosophy here, which will be of great help to parents.
27:44-1::19:33
Family worship means private worship (4 times a week bare minimum) with your family (or if you don’t have a family you need to do this, even alone)! It is not an option.
Deut 6:5-9
A FAMILY/PRIVATE WORSHIP SKELETON YOU CAN USE:
1 Pray (give thanksgiving and repent)
2 Read the passage
3 Talk about the passage
4 Sing
5 Pray (for God to help His Word take root in your hear and you to walk by faith in it)
6 Catechism for the kids AVAILABLE HERE
And if you don't have kids, catechize yourself
Joel Beeke’s Family Worship Bible Guide
Matthew Henry's Family Religion
Child’s Story Bible is also a fantastic supplement for bed time
Persistence pays off. Constant drip of instruction.
Family Worship is helpful in teaching attention and respect to your children. Better strategies will come in time, but just start with the skeleton and do it.
The kids have to understand time, that the time is not theirs. Quiet time is not a punishment, part of the process is training your kids in stillness. It’s a difficult task.
Start small and gradually increase.
The more kids the merrier! Eventually the younger children desire to set the culture and fit in with the culture.
You will object that "my family knows me too well. I can’t lead them." Read Matthew 13:57. Sure, familiarity breeds contempt, but so what. Send it. Do it.
Be relentless. Start, and start, and start again.
The dread of the task is often worse than the task itself. Just do it.
Taxonomy: the study of general principles of scientific classification. Classifying items with a system.
You need to understand the taxonomy of the household. Scripture gives us the clear standards for the taxonomy of the household.
You have expectations of your children, and your kids are individuals. We have to be gracious.
Handling discipline with your kids. Don’t discipline your kids when you are angry. Deal discipline dispassionately. You must not discipline in anger, but rather with the aim of restoration.
Discipline your kids short, early, often, and with aim of restoration. Don’t get exasperated with your children or exasperate them. Usually this exasperation comes from letting things build, rather than addressing them IMMEDIATELY. It's uncomfortable to address your kids immediately. But you need to do it. Short. Early. Often. Repentance and restoration.
Calvinistic Experiential Knowledge! Paul tells us to raise our children in the nurture (or fear) and admonition and don’t exasperate them. The reasoning for this will become immediately obvious once you are a father.
Dare to be able to fail. And you will. Die well and die daily.
You are a shepherd in your home. You need to care for those in your household. Selflessly care for them by evangelizing and loving them well.
ASK YOURSELF: WHAT ARE THE THINGS I WISH MY FATHER HAD DONE
You will fail. You need to repent to your wife and kids. Make a habit of repenting early and often when you have done wrong. Our personal pride and comfort enjoys avoiding discipline and repentance.
// RO A QUOTE TO THINK ABOUT
Tactical, Practical, time to get Exactical.
1::19:34-END
Do not be spoiled by length of service.
Comfort and grit.
“I paid my dues” mentality. Now I can take my ease.
Don’t get soft. Don’t let off the gas.
1 Cor 9:24-27
Learn to execute.
Matt 11:8
Long range shooting, specifically FOLLOW THROUGH.
The end execution and stay strong all the way through the finish. This means being persistent. So you missed the follow through, re-engage. Re-engage. Re-engage.
It’s terrible? Awesome. Deal with it. Laugh.
BE A JOLLY WARRIOR.
Laugh about it. Laugh with your wife, laugh with your brothers in Christ. You will see hardship, all the time. But that means you need to have been miserable together in order to grow.
I have the capacity to do this. I can do it.
Stick with it. The J curve is the loss of performance right before a massive spike. Keep going. Don’t stop.
1 Cor 9:25
2 Tim 2
How do you get there? You need to submit to the pain and suffering of the trial. The trials will bring competence. Warriors, Athletes, and Farmers are all used as examples by Paul.
Be Brilliant at the Basics.
Matt 18 is helpful, bring correction early and often. It’s helping your brother out. But the aim is to make your brother better, not to come off as better than your brother. We are in a fight together. We have to help improve one another. It’s healthy to hear correction.
Aim small, miss small. Focused on the target. Know your purpose. To glorify God and enjoy him forever. Read and apply scripture. All of Christ for all of life.
Train and fail, and train and fail, and train and fail. Keep going.
First things first. Read your Bible.
Memento Mori
This is a reading of the essay "Ghosts, Death, Dust, and the New Year." This essay aims at providing an argument for the practice of living properly oriented through past, present, and future in light of Christ and His finished work on the Cross. A reminder of where man came from and the future resurrection.
Dust is everywhere and death is coming no matter what, may matter remind you of what really matters.
You can read the essay on our website.
Note this well. It may seem peculiar that Dave started this episode with prayer. This is not for vainglory, this is not to make a show, we're trying to do all we do with prayer. All we have is a gift from God. We can do nothing without the Triune God of scripture. He is not the politician’s God. We must serve the living and True God! There is no point to starting any of this without first crying out to the mediator Jesus Christ. You cannot do anything here in this world without first going to God. If you came here for Good advice, this will help- but it won’t save you. For that you need the Good news.
That being said...
Here's some advice
Habits are the foundation for what men do. Habits are incredibly effective.
The most important Habit for fathers aiming at the future is family worship.
It goes without saying that the first habit must be reading God’s Word, praying, and making every use of the ordinary means of grace.
//HABITS
Habits will not save you. Obviously, word, sacrament, and prayer take priority. Good habits are a help to a better life along the way.
Pray. If you're married, pray with and talk with your wife. Wash her in the Word.
Stop making excuses
Stop Being lazy with sin.
Do Robert Murray M’Cheynne’s reading plan
(available in the back of the Reformation Heritage Study Bible)
Get a day planner. A physical pen and paper. Write things in it. Aim at something to build.
You're heard it everywhere. Make your bed. Start your day by doing something simple and beneficial. Starting with something orderly is the key to being able to delay the gratification of urges and desires throughout the rest of the day.
//RESOURCES
Joel Beeke’s Family Worship Bible Guide HERE
The Reformation Heritage Study Bible (lowest price option) HERE
The Reformation Study Bible HERE
Matthew Henry’s Commentary HERE
To ring in the New Year we'll be publishing our Westminster Standards monthly Reading Plan daily, starting with Day 1.
For the entirety of this month we'll be publishing the Westminster Reading plan, conveniently read for you. Our gift to you.
The Westminster Standards include The Westminster Confession of the Faith (WCF, finished in 1646), The Westminster Larger Catechism (WLC) and Westminster Shorter Catechism (WSC). We pray that this blesses you abundantly this year!
Today's Reading is
WCF 1-2
WLC 1-7
WSC 1-4
Godspeed and Happy New Year!
This is a reading of the essay "4th Generation Warfare: Commies, Karens, Coward, and Cowboys." This essay aims at providing an argument for how warfare isn't waged the same way anymore. We explore the crossfire, the weapons, and what we should do to respond.
You can read the essay on our website.
Watch out, it gets spicy again! For this Episode, RO Actual, aka Dave hosts Pastor Joel Webbon: founding Pastor of The Response Church, President of Right Response Ministries. He’ll be leading a team to plant Covenant Bible Church in Hutto, Texas early next year. Pastor Joel is also a Reformed Baptist holding to the 1689 Second London Baptist Confession.
SPICY!!!! We hit four Jalapeños again. Pastor Joel lays out much of the state of evangelical preaching. It’s been weighed and often found wanting. Either being woke’s righteousness or neo-antinomian nonsense, aka the particular bane of the young restless, reformed church (A29 especially, looking at you- Matt Chandler). Hipster church has become too concerned with being cool. Jesus wasn't peddling pumpkin spice or Eric Mason in the lobby.
As much as we love logos, we should love The Logos more.
FREE EBOOK: William Perkins' The Art of Prophesying can be downloaded free in Kindle, Apple Books, and PDF HERE.
Joel talks about Milk and Meat. Most pastors now preach a warm glass of milk, maybe a sweet milkshake, or, perhaps milquetoast-ery in lieu of any meat. Joel warns of the dangers of getting cute with Jesus by turning him into Palestinian Mr. Rogers
Preaching gathers the sheep and scatters the wolves and goats.
What odor does your sermon emit? Do goats and wolves feel comfortable? Do sheep get fed? Are we satisfying itching ears or souls?
Dave warns of the bribe of the approval of man, citing Lot as an example.
Preaching is worship, and it should firstly exalt, bless and glorify God. It is the tip of the spear of worship. The pastor is also preaching to the people. Preaching is for the purity and protection of the church.
Joel asserts that the preacher says, "God's word applies to you! Repent! ...We preach to sheep, to people, to nations, and even principalities and powers, we are crying out to see heaven brought to earth."
Joel talks a little on a twofold purpose and a threefold audience.
Who is to preach according to God's Word? Joel proceeds to answer this question with a series of Biblical texts. Only men are called to preach, and "you gotta want it." Joel talks some about internal and external call.
1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-16
We talk a little about the fruit of the spirit. Spoiler alert, they're not hammers, nails, or screwdrivers. They're a package deal.
We also talk about holding the line, and knowing what the standard is and where to find it.
A final trumpet blast to those who are unwilling to bear the standard, draw lines, speak up, or have been lead astray by vain philosophy.
Go be bold and zealous. Remember to be and not merely seem.
Subscribe. Leave us a review in whatever podcasting app you have, share this with people via text, social media, or whatever you use to tell your friends. Help us in our efforts to equip operators for their calling to life in the field.
This is a reading of the Essay "The Cowardice of Hiding From Home or: Dissipative Structures in Space and Time". There's more than one way to be a coward. We live in a fallen world, how do we bring order? In everything we do being done as a slave of Jesus Christ.
You can read the Essay on our website.
Reformed. Jolly. Salty. Spicy. Long. But so worth it.
A long caveat on the Overton Window:
SPICY ALERT: Part of our Goal here at Reformed Operator is to open the Overton window, and by that we mean reforming the window to somewhere reasonable. In a culture dead-set on never being offended, we need to discuss things that are offensive to a culture offended by Christ. The term Patriarchy gets a bad rap because of twisted men abusing it. The way we understand biblical patriarchy is covenantal headship stemming from the difference in nature of men and women. RO does not reject complementarianism, but rather some of the unique sects emerging i.e., “thin comp.” We argue that “thin comp” creates unbiblical intersectional distinctions driven by gross caricatures. Most of the examples given in this episode stem from several episodes of a popular women’s theology podcast. Their understanding is driven by intersectional distinctions that drive at voluntary roles and a bizarre idealism, rather than driven by distinct natures and duties. Feminism has created a straw man of the scriptural understanding of patriarchy and is dangerously close to removing the term completely from the church, effectively making something that is used in scripture into a heinous caricature. Ultimately demeaning scripture by perverting hermeneutics through dialectical idealism and shifting the system of covenantal headship in a “progressive” way. We don’t believe the term patriarchy should be surrendered to abusers and we understand the recoil of some at the mere mention of the word. Thus ends our qualification, now go get a water. It’s about to get spicy.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions email us at ReformedOperator@gmail.com or reach out to us on twitter.
Everyone's favorite passage in scripture! 1 Corinthians 11:1-16. Shots Fired. It's a 4 out of 5 jalapeño on the SPICY!!!!! scale. Dave’s guest this week is Pastor Sean of The Response Church- who came on to discuss a topic hotter than election (or the presidential race).
Yes, we went there! You guessed it! Our episode name is a pun poking fun at two "Thin Complementarian" books and a bonus head coverings reference.
They run the gauntlet, head (re)coverings, authority, submission, servant lordship, and some spicy asides that might stun you.
Sean (and Baptist Dave) holds to the Textus Receptus or "Received Text view."
Check out "The Amazing Dr. Ransom's Bestiary of Adorable Fallacies"
We smash the common complaints against the "Father Rule" laid out in scripture. The flames of the Straw People rise high. Domestic abuse? Weird views on the Lord's Supper?
-Patriarchy as (Presby) Dave and Sean understand it has taken some hard hits. It's sloppy, and often completely misused, abused, and taken to extremes. Their argument? Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
Patriarchy could also be called simply covenantal headship. The man is the head of the home and is the breadwinner.
-Complementarianism (a synthesis, or golden mean, of sorts) is currently splitting into two camps according to the trends:
THICK- Men and Women have distinct natures that give forth roles (or duties)
THIN- Men and Women have distinct but voluntary roles. These roles are voluntary and are categorized as "should" not must.
-Egalitarianism Simply put, this is androgyny. Men and women are the same and can do as they please. There is no distinction in capacity in the church or home.
Sean throws in a Baptist Catechism for use in your household if you feel the inclination.
You can find Dave's recommended Children's Catechism here. Reformed Operator discriminates, but not too hard on our 1689 pals. The missing members from Sean's Baptist Church rolls aren't actually dead people... they're Presbyterians (we stole them)!
We talk status and value in the world's eyes. What is true glory?
We talk Westminster Larger Catechism with selections from between 123-133.
Independent Fundamentalist Baptists (IFB) takes heavies all around.
Dave gives a crash course on Hegel's Dialectical Idealism, Marx's Dialectical Materialism. The postmodern assault on faithful biblical hermeneutics is put on notice.
ESV takes heavies for its μαλακοὶ translation. (See 1 Cor 6:9 where'd effeminate go?)
The baptists go back to Calvin to bring "libidinous" back into the conversation. Ask your doctor about your libidinous.
Dave busts out some parity in the federal (covenantal) government systems, military, common law, and the christian life.
Get after it, men. You need to die daily and lovingly honor your wife while protecting, honoring, cherishing, and serving her.
Dave also started our twitter awhile back and has some clever Dog Whistle commentary.
Don't be better with balls than a bible, football fans. Dave mentions the origins of fan, fanatic, and fanum. You can't call cadence with the church if you aren't in one. Don't be a coward at home. We know it's hard, but we also know you don't take excuses. You just get after it.
You need the finished work of Christ by grace through faith. Pray. Strive. Stand Firm. Get in a church now.
Godspeed.
This is a reading of the Essay: "Everyone's Lost Here, But Everyone's Right." Scripture is the standard, set our conscience and all we do by it. Then...
Say it.
Do it.
Hold them to it.
Read the Essay Here
Yea, you've heard this passage before. But not like this.
Dave (our host) brings Pastor Ben (PBR) into the studio for some practical application and examination of Ephesians 6:10-20.
Men spend too much time exposing weak points unnecessarily. Just begging to be struck down by the schemes of Satan.
Are you better at handling balls than a Bible? That's a real problem. Skip the stats on Sunday and set sermons from scripture as your standard. Check our Twitter for our suggested reading plan, and daily updates. We do McCheynne's reading plan.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: What do you do about the group that wants to hit the Strip Club on a work trip? Especially as a junior man in the military.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION: What do you do when you find yourself in a situation where there's just a woman and you in an office at work?
Our culture has a lot to say about value, but have you actually considered the cost?
Are you just waiting to be wounded in combat? Are you training for war? Your enemy is. What are you doing about it?
Monergism Free Ebook: William Gurnall's "The Christian in Complete Armor"
Get it, and get over to our website for more resources and essays to help in your training. Because it's never over.
PBR closes out the episode with a call to spiritual warfare, not a physical warfare. Our natural worship of God is simple. We're not looking for violence in the streets, rather, we're for men laying waste to satan's camp by simply dying to themselves in battle daily.
The battles are small, simple things (too often neglected with cowardice) like praying, leading your wife, daily setting aside time to study the word of God, repenting, sharing the gospel with neighbors and co-workers. A simple call to action; but it isn't easy.
Get out of your comfort zone and pick up your cross.
Get more at Reformed Operator
MEMENTO MORI
-RO->
This is a reading of our Essay "Who's Poisoning Your Kids?". This essay is intended as a primer for critical thinking on film and television with a christian worldview.
You can read the essay here.
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, or our website.
A reading of our "What is a Reformed Operator?" essay. A brief look into what we aim at here.
The essay can be read here.
This is a reading of the Essay: "White Privilege: A Brief Treatise on Worldly-Minded Conspiracy Theories Devoted to the Exploding of the Church." This essay explores the roots and epistemology of the current all-out assault on the church, hollow and deceptive philosophy disguised as tools.
You can read the Essay here.
This is a reading of the Essay "The Content of Discontent or: How I Learned to Stomp Snakes From the Garden." The essay is a play on words focusing on the media-driven content that drives us to be discontented.
You can find the Essay here.
October 31st is known as Halloween, but it has a better name: Reformation Day. As men in church we're inundated with words filling spaces with more voids, coated with sugar and spice. We don't play those games. We speak plain, biblical Truth. We know we war not against flesh and blood and we have a King. Christ the King. We hearken to the original commandos, the raiders who brought the ark with dry feet. Remember you must die; get to work. It sounds easy, but it's the hardest thing we do. Be. Don't Seem. -RO->