The Radiant Mission
The Radiant Mission
111. Embracing Countercultural Faith: Navigating Dark Influences Through Christian Values
Could the very institutions we trust be leading us astray? Join us as we challenge the accepted norms and shine a light on the hidden truths in our society. From the unsettling infiltration of witchcraft into media and children's entertainment to the deep-seated issues within the medical system and the church, this new series is dedicated to exposing the societal darkness that often goes unnoticed. With my sister Rachel temporarily away, I will guide you through these eye-opening discussions and set the stage for future explorations, including the pervasive cultural impact of celebrities like Taylor Swift and the manipulation in music frequencies.
Embracing a Christian viewpoint, we navigate through themes such as modesty and the sanctity of life, all while confronting the sobering realities of the abortion industry. I share my personal journey and insights on living a life anchored in Christian values like forgiveness and servant leadership. With an unwavering focus on faith over materialism, we explore how enduring suffering and facing persecution can fortify our beliefs. As we conclude by reflecting on the teachings of 1 John, I invite you to connect with us beyond the podcast on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and together, let's strive toward living a radiant life rooted in God's truth.
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Hello and welcome to the Radiant Mission Podcast. My name is Rebecca Toomey and we are on a mission to encourage and inspire you as you are navigating through your life and with your relationship with Yahweh. Today, I am very excited to be announcing a brand new series. Over the course of the past I don't know year or two as this podcast has unfolded, it has become clearer and clearer that many of the topics that we have been addressing here are actually considered to be counter-cultural, meaning we are rejecting the world's values and practices in favor of the ways of God or Yahweh favor of the ways of God or Yahweh. So we have been exposing darkness and the ways of the world in many of the episodes. If you're new here, we have had many, many series so far, and we actually have done one on spiritual warfare If you go all the way back to the beginning. But we've really been focused, too, on exposing some of the things happening within the medical system, and this majorly influences those within the church, and that's actually something that has been growing on my heart. I'm becoming feeling more and more passionate about is how deceived those of us in the church are when it comes to our bodies and what we are injected with, what medications we are given, all of the things that are really being done to us, in a sense, out of just us not understanding. But it has been this gradual, gradual, sneaky shift of things that have happened over time and I've been hoping to expose this stuff and I want to continue to expose this stuff. So I feel more now than ever to go even deeper into exposing darkness. Rather than you know, we've skimmed the surface here and there. Let's move on from this and stop being so weird. No, I want to keep going. I want to go even deeper into exposing it anyway. So, in order to have a really thorough conversation about this, I would like to be clear that I will be diving into the Bible as being the authoritative word of God, and that is an important distinction, because and we're going to have a whole episode on just this but the gist of it is, as a Christian or as a believer, as I say here, as a follower of Jesus, yeshua, yeshua I believe that the Bible is the authoritative word of God and it is our ultimate guide for our faith and for our life, and this really contrasts with a society where truth is often based on personal feelings or experience or shifting of cultural standards and things of that nature. I feel this way owns everything. That is the whole. Your truth, my truth, kind of thing. No, the Bible is truth. So in a world that really promotes moral relativism, that what's true for you may not be true for me. As a Christian, I believe in the absolute, unchanging truth as revealed by God in scripture, and this includes God's commandments, his moral laws and the truth of the gospel. So that will be something that we're diving into.
Speaker 1:I am not quite sure the order of all of these episodes that we're diving into. I am not quite sure the order of all of these episodes. If you are a repeat listener, you'll know that my sister, rachel, is my co-host. She is in the process of moving States, so she has got a lot going on. I want her to be a part of these episodes and she wants to be too, but it's a lot of navigation, a lot of things going on right now. So I will be scheduling with her for some of them and trying to figure out the best way to go about these episodes in the order of these episodes.
Speaker 1:That said, you may be wondering what else is there? What else is counter-cultural that you guys are going to dive into. Well, a lot of things I really want to press into divination and witchcraft and how it has completely taken over our society. It always has been, but it feels more blatant now than ever before. It's in music, it's on TV shows, movies, the dolls that are for little girls. So just to give a couple examples from those very few examples, witchcraft is being promoted in songs that children are even listening to.
Speaker 1:When I talk about TV shows, you could basically watch any reality TV show on Discovery Plus or TLC, whatever you want to call it or both, and there is some sort of tarot reading or visit to a medium or astrology conversation. There's always something on those shows, like 90 Day Fiance or even that show Welcome to Plathville, which was a Christian family that grew up with moral values for a long time, and now there are things being exposed on even that show. So it is pervasive. You watch Netflix. I mean there are shows that are literally about Lilith and the devil and demons and all this crazy stuff. I mean, again, go back to Discovery Plus during the month of October and you will know what I'm talking about. Just demons everywhere. It's likely there's always been an aspect to that, but now that we are in such a technological time where they're creating massive amounts of content, it's just stacked on, stacked on, stacked.
Speaker 1:Now, the cool thing is that a lot of the people that have been deceived by divination and witchcraft are now talking about this and they're speaking up and they are sharing their testimonies after being saved by the Lord, by Jesus, and that's an awesome thing, and so I'd love to get some guests on here to talk about that. But, either way, some things that fall in the realm of divination would be tarot reading, astrology, scrying, palmistry, runes, I Ching, numerology and even dream interpretation. So just be aware of some of those things. I also am feeling pretty brave, and I want to address Taylor Swift and other Hollywood stars and their influence on our children, and this also goes into music, which also will kind of I mean, it depends on how we want to have these conversations, but there is an element of discussing frequencies and how frequencies and music are related and how they can be used to manipulate us and be used to lead us in certain directions. So, yeah, that'll be one of our conversations as well.
Speaker 1:What else is there? Well, I think that it's also time to dive into the Bible and scientific facts. We could also say creationism versus evolution. I have alluded to some of this during the homeschooling series, but there is really so much more to be discussed and dissected, like how old is the earth? Are dinosaurs real? And yes, that is a real conversation. In case this is the very first time that you are ever hearing this, and it might be, did you ever ask that question before? Are dinosaurs real or are dinosaurs fake? Have you ever had that thought? And if you haven't, that will be a fun episode for you, and I've actually specifically been asked to do an episode on dinosaurs, so I think we're going to have to do it. What else? What else has the Bible revealed about science? Even before science figured it out, you would be pretty surprised. The Bible's really cool and, of course, a lot of this is going to open up discussions about the supernatural and about the spiritual realm, so be prepared for that. So some other areas that we may or may not talk about get into, depending on how deep we go into some of this.
Speaker 1:But I just kind of want to talk a little bit now about being counter-cultural, because when we believe in Jesus and Jesus Christ and our society is increasingly emphasizing very secular values. It really means that we as believers are holding our views and engaging in practices that are different and differ from mainstream societal norms and the expectations of the world, and this isn't easy. It isn't easy to hold values that are different from a world that's screaming at us to say no, my body, my choice and things of that nature. And that actually is kind of one of the biggest topics that I think we could address, and should and will, is this idea of biblical morality. There are kind of a couple of different strands that we could go down here right. There's sexual purity that marriage is between a man and a woman, one man and one woman, and this contrasts with the world's increasingly permissive attitude towards premarital sex and casual hookups and same-sex relationships and all that kind of stuff. So it's not going to be an easy one to dive into, but I think that it's important and that kind of leads into marriage and the family. You know, christians believe that marriage is a sacred lifelong covenant that reflects Christ's relationship with the church, and the world really doesn't care about that anymore at all.
Speaker 1:Modesty is another thing. That is something that is discussed within Christian communities, and I don't know that many people outside of that even know what that means. They probably have never heard that word before, and so I think that these could be interesting conversations for us to have, and these do also lead to the conversation about the sanctity of life, that life matters, all life matters, not just life that is wanted or fits this right criteria, and this is a very, very hot conversation right now, as we are nearing the election, of course, this has become the biggest conversation of the, I'll just say the democratic platform is all about pro-choice and, honestly, it's very important for us to talk about what is actually happening when a woman is receiving this women's care, that they are told that they're receiving. What is actually happening to the baby that is inside of their womb? That, they are told, is just a clump of cells and that doesn't matter. I think that this is a conversation worthy to be had because, I'll tell you something, my views about abortion have changed as I have gained more knowledge too. While I personally could say that I have always been pro-life, no matter the circumstance, I felt more empathy towards situations where other women might feel that that is a better choice for them, but it has only been after the truth about the abortion industry was revealed to me that I have been able to change my perspective on this, and that is one of the reasons why I think this is important to talk about, because it goes a lot deeper than we think it does, and it's not just about our feelings and the way that we have been manipulated with those feelings. It's about what is really actually factually happening. So I want to talk about that.
Speaker 1:Some other things that are considered countercultural from a Christian perspective. Guess what? Forgiveness and non-retaliation are considered countercultural. The world is all about revenge and holding a grudge, and Christians are called to forgive others and turn the other cheek, and it is not such in the world. We are actually commanded to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. That's from Matthew 5, 44. And this is a principle that really runs against the world's mindset of division and hostility and retribution.
Speaker 1:A couple of other countercultural themes humility and servant leadership. So the world really values self-promotion, competition, climbing the social and corporate ladder, but the Christian faith really teaches us humility and that Jesus modeled servant leadership. He put others' needs above his own and he instructed his followers to do the same. That's also in Matthew, in chapter 20, and also in Philippians, chapter 2. Sacrificial living goes along with this that we are called to take up our cross and follow Jesus, and that means living sacrificially for others, which is very much in contrast to the self-centered and materialistic lifestyle that is promoted in our world.
Speaker 1:Another topic that is considered counter-cultural is the value of the eternal over the temporal. So meaning Christians are called to live with an eternal perspective, a heavenly focus, so to say, focusing on our relationship with God and our ultimate home in heaven. This contrasts with the world's focus on material success and pleasure and temporary achievements, and we are also encouraged, around contentment and simplicity, that the pursuit of wealth, status, material comfort it's idolized in modern culture, but we are encouraged to be content with what we have. I definitely encourage you to check out Philippians 4 for more on this and to store up our treasures in heaven rather than on earth. And if you are a parent, I think that you can probably understand, after having every toy in this universe, that none of that junk matters and you're probably ready to get rid of it all, like I am.
Speaker 1:Something else interesting that's considered countercultural today is faith over self-sufficiency, meaning depending on God, the world. Often it's glorifying self-reliance and independence, but the Bible tells us that trusting God's providence and direction for our lives is the most important that reliance on God for everything that we need, be it revision, guidance, strength. It's counter to this world's you are in control mentality. So it's really about the surrender of control and truly surrendering our lives and decisions to God's will, which really runs against the world and their emphasis on personal autonomy and self-determination. What else is countercultural?
Speaker 1:Well, evangelism and exclusive claims of Christ Jesus as the only way. We are taught that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. And in a pluralistic world that promotes religious tolerance and this idea that all paths lead to God, this exclusive claim is seen as countercultural and even offensive to many people Sharing the gospel. We are called to evangelize and share our faith, which is what I hope to do here on this podcast, and it does come at a cost. It comes at the cost of being rejected and persecuted and called a weirdo and a freak. And persecuted and called a weirdo and a freak. And in a society that values privacy and considers religious beliefs to be personal or subjective, openly sharing the gospel. It can be seen as confrontational or even inappropriate by a lot of people.
Speaker 1:Something else really interesting that I think is considered countercultural is this idea of embracing suffering. You know the world seeks to avoid suffering at all costs, but we are taught that suffering can be redemptive and it can draw us closer to God. As we are going through these challenges and tough things that happen in our lives, it is an opportunity for us to draw close to God. These trials can actually refine our faith and produce spiritual growth, but the world doesn't want to deal with any of that. We are told that following Christ may lead to persecution and in many parts of the world believers are marginalized and have been ridiculed or faced violence or worse. But they are called to endure these hardships, and with grace and trusting God, and I know we have heard of these things happening historically. They are continuing to happen and it will continue to happen and even my assumption is continue to get worse as it has Now.
Speaker 1:This next one is really a extension of what I mentioned earlier about marriage being between a man and a woman, but the sanctity of gender and sexuality and really that God created order. He created us as male and female and we have distinct, complementary roles, as noted in Genesis 1.27 and 2.24. This view is totally and completely countercultural to the world, where gender identity and sexual orientation are seen now today as fluid and self-determined. But there are biblical gender roles defined in the Bible, and while society is promoting gender equality in a way that dismisses these traditional gender roles, the Bible shares with us that there are roles for men and women, and particularly in marriage in the church, and they emphasize concepts that the world does not like, concepts that the world does not like, like submission and headship and servant leadership. So just another couple of interesting ones here.
Speaker 1:But the very last countercultural topic that I'll mention today is that there is joy in submission to God's will, believe it or not obedience to God. It produces true joy and fulfillment when we are following Yahweh and his ways and his commandments, even when it goes against our personal desires and what we want or what we feel like we want or society's pressure on us. You know the world tells you follow your heart, follow your dreams, do whatever you want to do. This is promoted a lot from Disney and Disney movies. I could think of one ice princess in particular. That's all about that concept of following your heart. But we are told to follow the Lord and he will be our source of joy. So you know, while we're going to find that, as believers that are living on our faith, that we may be at odds with many aspects of modern culture the values of self-sacrifice and humility and purity and dependence on God, they're going to stand in contrast to culture, especially one that prioritizes autonomy and self-expression, expression, and materialism and moral relativism. So, for us, being countercultural is not about rejecting culture for its own sake, but about faithfully following Christ in a world that may not share the same values.
Speaker 1:So if you find any of this interesting or want to hear more, stay tuned to this podcast or these episodes where we will dive into these topics.
Speaker 1:I am just skimming the surface today, but I'm excited to introduce something new that we are going to be discussing. So thank you so much for tuning in and for being on this journey, as always, and if you would like to follow along outside the podcast, you can do so on Instagram, at the radiant mission, on Facebook at the radiant mission podcast, and on YouTube, actually, by searching for my name, rebecca Toomey T W O M E Y, and you can see this in video format. And today I am going to close with 1 John 2, verses 15 through 17. Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him, for all that is in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the father but is from the world. Wishing you a radiant week and I'll see you next time. Bye, everyone.
