I received a group text from someone which simply read "Stop". Upon doing further research, I found that the person making that text message was simply trying to stop further texts from someone claiming to be a lottery. I called the person, and it turns out she is an "Episcopal deacon". This led me to look into the Episcopal Church again, also seeing as one of their own, a "bishop" named Mariann Budde, asked President Trump to "have mercy" on illegal immigrants and the LGBT.
Here are the main reasons why the Episcopal Church is a false church whose leaders and adherents (John 10:5, 2 John 1:9-11) are going to Hell ("swift destruction" says 2 Peter 2:1):
1. They ordain women into the ministry. On their website, if you search for "ordination of women", you find a few articles such as "40th Anniversary of the Ordination of Women Priests" and "Women Ordination Vote Passed In the Church of the Province of Central Africa". Not to mention the popularity of female bishop Mariann Budde. It is obvious that they approve of this, which is in violation of I Timothy 2:12:
"But I suffer not a woman to each, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence."
2. They promote the abomination of homosexuality, the LGB portion (Leviticus 20:13), and the wickedness of effeminacy, the T portion concerning males to "females" (I Corinthians 6:9) in promoting the LGBT. If you search for "lgbt" on their website, a May 16, 2024 article shows up with the title "Episcopal Church unveils new Pride shield in celebration of LGBTQ+ inclusion". They tolerate this!
3. Not only that, they allow such homosexuals to be in the clergy! In their section titled "What We Believe", they say:
"...people of all genders and sexual orientations serve as bishops, priests, and deacons in our church..."
I Timothy 3:2 begins this way concerning bishops:
"A bishop must be blameless..."
How can you be blameless when you're living in gross sin!
So, this is a simple exposure (Ephesians 5:11). There's likely more damnable heresies to be found within this church, but these three points are starters in making it plain.
“And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD
heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt
among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the
camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the
LORD, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place
Taberah: because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. And the mixt
multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel
also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember
the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the
melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul
is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our
eyes. And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the
colour of bdellium. And the people went about, and gathered it, and
ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and
made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. And
when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in
the door of his tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly;
Moses also was displeased. And Moses said unto the LORD, Wherefore hast
thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy
sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me? Have I
conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say
unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the
sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?
Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep
unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat. I am not able to bear
all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me. And if thou deal
thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour
in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness. And the LORD said unto
Moses, Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou
knowest to be the elders of the people, and officers over them; and
bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand
there with thee. And I will come down and talk with thee there: and I
will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them;
and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear
it not thyself alone. And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves
against to morrow, and ye shall eat flesh: for ye have wept in the ears
of the LORD, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well
with us in Egypt: therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall
eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten
days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it come out at your
nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you: because that ye have despised
the LORD which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came
we forth out of Egypt? And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are
six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them
flesh, that they may eat a whole month. Shall the flocks and the herds
be slain for them, to suffice them? or shall all the fish of the sea be
gathered together for them, to suffice them? And the LORD said unto
Moses, Is the LORD'S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my
word shall come to pass unto thee or not. And Moses went out, and told
the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the
elders of the people, and set them round about the tabernacle. And the
LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit
that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to
pass, that, when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did
not cease. But there remained two of the men in the camp, the name of
the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad: and the spirit
rested upon them; and they were of them that were written, but went not
out unto the tabernacle: and they prophesied in the camp. And there ran a
young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the
camp. And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young
men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them. And Moses said unto
him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD'S people
were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them! And
Moses gat him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel. And there went
forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let
them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as
it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as
it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood
up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they
gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and
they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And
while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the
wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the
people with a very great plague. And he called the name of that place
Kibrothhattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted. And
the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth; and abode at
Hazeroth.” (Numbers 11:1-35, KJV)
I decided to make a gangsta rap version of Numbers 11 to add to my work playlist, to remind myself not to complain about the dullness of life. In this example, it was the dullness of the food, but it reminds me about how life can be dull, and that we shouldn't complain about it, otherwise God could teach us a lesson by giving us exactly what we want, perhaps LOTS of it (I tried online dating again, just for a day, is Numbers 11 a relevant example for me? Who knows? I know that sexual matters have been an issue for me for decades. Just a thought. Maybe this experience will become a "radish cure").
Anyway, here's the video of the gangsta rap, hope you enjoy it!
Lyrics:
(Verse 1) Word on the street, the crew was whinin', straight dissin' the Lord, Complainin' 'bout the grub, swearin' they was bored. Yahweh heard the chatter, anger flared up quick,
Fire rainin' down, burnin' the whole click.
Camp sizzlin', folks screamin', "Yo, Moses, what's the deal?"
Moses prayed it down, made the fire chill.
Named the spot Taberah, where the flames did rise, But the hunger pangs hit, disguised as cries.
(Chorus)
They lustin' for the flesh, rememberin' Egypt's feast,
Fish, melons, onions, man, a culinary beast.
"Manna's all we got," they whined, "this ain't no treat,"
Like coriander seed, somethin' plain to eat.
Grindin' it in mills, bakin' it in pans,
Tasted like fresh oil, nah, it wasn't the plans.
Dew fell, manna dropped, same old daily grind,
Moses heard the cries, losin' his damn mind.
(Verse 2)
"Why you layin' this weight on me?" Moses yelled to the sky,
"Ain't my kids, ain't my burden, tell me why, oh why?"
"Where's the beef? They want meat, they ain't playin' games,"
"This whole crew's too heavy, man, this ain't no fame."
"Just kill me now," he prayed, "if I ain't found grace,"
"Don't wanna see this struggle, this wretched place."
Yahweh said, "Gather elders, seventy strong and true,
Share the spirit, let 'em help, they'll pull you through."
(Chorus)
They lustin' for the flesh, rememberin' Egypt's feast,
Fish, melons, onions, man, a culinary beast.
"Manna's all we got," they whined, "this ain't no treat,"
Like coriander seed, somethin' plain to eat.
Grindin' it in mills, bakin' it in pans,
Tasted like fresh oil, nah, it wasn't the plans.
Dew fell, manna dropped, same old daily grind,
Moses heard the cries, losin' his damn mind.
(Verse 3)
"Sanctify yourselves," Moses preached, "tomorrow you'll eat,
Yahweh heard your cries, you’ll get your fill of meat."
"Not just a day or two, a whole month's supply,"
"Till it's comin' outta ya nostrils, tellin' you a lie."
"You disrespected Yahweh, questioned his design,"
"So prepare for the feast, a punishment divine."
Moses questioned, "Six hundred thou, you think they'll get fed?"
"Flocks and herds, sea creatures, fillin' every head?"
Yahweh replied, "My hand ain't short, you'll see the truth,"
"My word is law, from my youth."
(Verse 4)
Elders gather 'round, spirit hits 'em hard,
Prophesyin' in the camp, playin' Yahweh's card.
Eldad and Medad, prophesyin' in the tents,
Joshua tried to stop 'em, makin' no sense.
Moses said, "Nah, let 'em flow, let the spirit spread,"
"Wish the whole crew was blessed, instead."
Quails flew in, a meaty, feathered storm,
Two cubits high, breakin' every norm.
They gathered 'round the clock, a greedy, hungry mob,
But before the flesh was chewed, Yahweh's wrath did rob.
Plague hit hard, buryin' the lustful crew,
Kibrothhattaavah, that's what they went through.
Then they moved on, to Hazeroth they went,
Another chapter closed, another message sent.
“Radish Cure.” TV Tropes, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RadishCure. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
Here is a recent exposure for you all. I found him on Facebook. His ministry mainly focuses on manhood, and how perpetutating the concept of adolescence is ungodly (which it is, see I Corinthians 13:11). Yet, he is a false teacher for the following reasons:
1. Peddling The Word of God For Profit
"For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ." --2 Corinthians 2:17, ESV
"like so many", Mr. Silverii's church, Five Stones Church in Midlothian, Texas, solicits donations for his ministry, which is against the Word of God. Not that true pastors are undeserving of compensation (I Corinthians 9:1-14), but that the Word of God must NOT be used as something for "sale". Anyone who solicits donations for a church or a similar ministry is doing just that. It is wickedness.
2. Anti Corporal Punishment
Proverbs 23:13-14 (KJV) says:
"Withhold not correction from the
child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou
shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell."
In this picture, Mr. Silverii compares a weak father to a strong
father. A "strong father" to him is one who "doesn't spank", wheras a
"weak father" "punishes".
Corporal punishment is MANDATORY to raise a righteous child and keep the child from going to Hell. To say otherwise is violate Deuteronony 12:32 (KJV):
"What thing sowever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereo, nor diminish from it."
3. The Lie of "Taxation Is Theft"
Romans 13:6-7 (ESV) says:
"For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes is owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed."
Check out this other Facebook post from Mr. Silverii:
Look at the last panel. It is suggesting that you should teach your children that "taxation is theft". THE BIBLE SAYS NO SUCH THING!!! (Proverbs 30:6) Now, is it possible for the government to misuse taxpayer money? Of course. However, it still doesn't change the fact that taxation is a Biblical concept, and not theft.
Jer 22:13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;
This very Scripture has fundamentally changed the way I see the Internet, and all its content. Please read on.
How It Started
I have made it a habit to read a chapter of Scripture a day, preferably in the morning. I was on Jeremiah 22, when I came across the above verse. I thought something: What free online services do I use that I could be paying for, either through purchasing a subscription, making a donation, or watching an ad?
I have a confession to make (Proverbs 28:13): I was a thief. I pirated music via Napster, I downloaded video game ROMs, etc. This was back when I wasn't a Christian. I have since paid for a good number of the albums I once stole from, the rest I streamed on streaming services, there may be a few songs that have slipped my mind. As for the video games, I have paid for a good number of them too, thanks to Nintendo's eShop. It is likely impossible for me to make full restitution for the thefts (soft language calls it piracy) of software and media. Still, I wanted to make an effort (see Exodus 22:12). To any former thief who is now in Christ, heed the following:
Eph 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
One of the biggest software thefts (of which I was also guilty until I paid for it), and the subject of many jokes, is the file compression software WinRAR. Officially, you get 40 days to try it out for free, and then you are commanded to either pay for it, or uninstall the software. Many people, including myself, have kept using the software without paying. In 2021, after using other file compression tools, I finally paid for it. (I may have paid for it twice, there was also a registration key in 2023, oh well, perhaps it's for the best)
This YouTube video has more information on the WinRAR situation:
I just want to make it clear to everyone: If you are still using WinRAR after the 40-day trial without paying for it, YOU ARE A THIEF, and thieves are among those who do not enter the Kingdom of God:
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
(1Co 6:9-10)
Back to those online services I've been using for free (of which the providers of the services allow at limited use). I've been blessed in my job that I more often than not have extra money on my hands, and I've been able to compensate several software authors (individual or group) through a premium subscription, a donation (which I call a purchase, keep reading for more info), or watching ads. Plus, on a mental level, I feel less restricted in using the software or online service when I have actual skin in the game.
2Th 3:8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:
(I'm not perfect in this, but I am making an effort to do this time and time again.)
As for this blog, it is powered by Google, which is compensated mainly through ads through other services I use, so it's not as if I'm taking advantage of this blog for nothing. It may be "free", but it doesn't come without a cost. (I may have to consider returning to paid web hosting and get a WordPress blog set up, mainly for the sake of independence) Now, of course, for the sake of 2 Corinthians 2:17, I refuse to connect my AdSense account to this blog (or solicit donations, I have plenty, also see Hebrews 13:5), so I'll have to figure out other ways to compensate Google while being light on its use. (I recently asked Gemini, Google's AI, for an answer. Using Google's other services, paying for content on their platform, is essentially the answer. So we're cool.)
As for the "donation" I mentioned, I donated $50 to Linux Mint in order to justify using that operating system in my PC building project. In my heart, IT'S NOT A DONATION, IT'S A PURCHASE. I figured $50 was a decent enough price for an operating system. It was cheaper than buying a fresh copy of Windows 11. Some of you may be saying, "You have sinned, because you publicly acknowledged your donation in violation of Matthew 6:14!" For reference, here is the Scripture:
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
(Mat 6:1-4)
My answer to such an accusation is this: THIS IS NOT ALMS. It's naming my own price, in the guise of a "donation".
OK, one more thing: What about those who can't afford to compensate for online services? Are such people sinning? Of course not! If the provider of such services offers them for free, to use it for free is not theft. In fact, we ourselves are to do things for the poor for free anyway:
Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
(Luk 14:12-14)
How I See The Internet Now
Remember back before the Internet was a big thing, where if you wanted to consume ANY content, you either had to buy it, if it was music, books, etc., or watch ads if it was television? Now, because of the Internet, there's a BOATLOAD of free stuff to consume, yes, many of which distribute it in the name of sharing. Still, Jeremiah 22:13, whether I interpret it correctly or not, got me to thinking, "Am I too attached to this stuff?" (loving the world leads to Hell says I John 2:15) So, naturally, my Internet use has fundamentally changed; I am using it less.
What Now?
So yeah, there's a little bit of withdrawal from reducing my viewing of content. Still, it's good to reduce it, in order to also follow this Scripture:
"Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." --Proverbs 4:23
Hopefully, I will find other things to do with my life. It may take some time, but maybe, just maybe, I can improve my interactions with others, that is, to seek them out more, something that Christians need to do anyway in order to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19).
