by Thomas Abshier | Mar 14, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts
THE FIRE AT THE CENTER
A Call to Recovered Zeal for the Church in the West
Renaissance Ministries | March 14, 2026
“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
— Revelation 3:15-16
The Diagnosis
The Western church is dying — not from persecution but from indifference.
We have doctrine without devotion. Orthodoxy without fire. Correct beliefs held with no conviction. We are the church of Laodicea: “You say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17).
Meanwhile, Islam spreads. Not because Allah is real, but because Muslim devotion is real. They pray five times daily while we skip morning devotions. They fast Ramadan while we’ve forgotten fasting exists. They raise their children as soldiers of the faith while we outsource formation to an hour of Sunday school. They are willing to die for their god while we are unwilling to be socially uncomfortable for ours.
A passionless Christianity cannot survive contact with a passionate Islam.
And so we face, in our generation, a choice: Recover the fire, or lose everything.
The Indictment
Let us be honest about what we have become:
We have domesticated the Gospel. We have turned the most radical message in human history — that God became man, died for sinners, rose from the dead, and demands total allegiance — into self-help with religious vocabulary. We speak of Jesus as therapist, life coach, helpful friend. We have forgotten that He is Lord, King, Judge.
We have made peace with sin. The sins that once brought trembling — adultery, fornication, greed, idolatry, blasphemy — are now negotiable. We watch entertainment that celebrates what God hates and call it “relaxation.” We tolerate in ourselves what the early church would have excommunicated. We have lost the capacity to blush.
We have replaced devotion with attendance. Church has become an event we attend, not a community we belong to. Faith has become a compartment of life, not the organizing principle of existence. We give God an hour on Sunday and live the rest of the week as functional atheists.
We have substituted niceness for holiness. Our supreme virtue is not offending anyone. We call this “love,” but it is cowardice dressed in religious language. We are so afraid of being thought judgmental that we refuse to warn anyone of judgment. We smile while souls go to hell.
We have forgotten we are at war. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). But we have laid down our weapons. We have made truce with the enemy. We have forgotten that there is an enemy.
This is why we are losing. Not because the enemy is strong, but because we have become weak. Not because their god is real, but because we act as though ours is not.
The Standard
What does biblical Christianity actually demand? Let Scripture answer:
Total Love:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
Not some. Not most. All.
Total Surrender:
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:37-38)
Everything on the altar. No reserves. No plan B.
Expected Persecution:
“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
Not might be. Not could be. Will be. If you are not experiencing opposition, examine whether you are living a godly life.
Unashamed Proclamation:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)
Not apologetic. Not qualified. Not presented as one option among many. Unashamed.
Holiness Without Compromise:
“Be holy, for I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:16)
Not “be nice.” Not “be tolerant.” Not “be relevant.” Be holy.
This is not fanaticism. This is simply Christianity — which looks radical only because we have normalized apostasy.
The Vision
What would it look like if the church recovered this fire?
Personal Holiness as Non-Negotiable
Not optional, not aspirational — required. Sexual purity in an age of pornography. Financial integrity in an age of greed. Speech that honors God in an age of filth. Radical honesty in an age of spin. Rejection of entertainment that celebrates what God hates.
The watching world looks at the church and sees moral chaos baptized with religious language. They are not entirely wrong. Until we are visibly holy, we have no credibility.
Daily Devotion That Matches Our Profession
If we truly believe what we say we believe — that God exists, that He speaks, that eternity hangs in the balance — then devotion to Him should be the organizing principle of our days, not an afterthought.
- Morning and evening prayer — at minimum
- Scripture reading — not as duty but as lifeline
- Fasting — recovered as spiritual discipline
- Memorization — hiding God’s Word in our hearts
- Meditation — not Eastern emptiness but biblical filling
The disciplines are not legalism. They are training for war.
Willingness to Suffer
The early church grew under persecution because Christians expected to suffer and embraced it. They counted it joy to be found worthy of suffering for the Name.
We have inverted this. We expect comfort and complain when inconvenienced. We need men and women who count it joy to suffer for Christ — who would rather die than deny Him, who would rather lose everything than compromise anything.
The age of comfortable Christianity is ending. The question is whether we will have cultivated the fire to stand when the pressure comes.
Bold Proclamation Without Apology
This means:
- Saying that Jesus is the only way to God — not “a way” or “our way for us”
- Saying that Islam is false — not “another valid spiritual path”
- Saying that sin is sin — not “lifestyle choice” or “alternative expression”
- Saying that judgment is coming — not “God accepts everyone as they are”
The world will call this hate. Let them. Warning a man that the bridge is out is not hatred — it is the only kindness that matters.
Community That Functions as a Counter-Society
The early church was a polis within the polis — an alternative society with its own economy, welfare system, courts, and moral code. They were not dependent on the surrounding culture for their identity or survival.
We need this again. Robust Christian community that can:
- Survive economic pressure
- Survive social ostracism
- Survive legal persecution
- Raise the next generation in the faith
- Care for its own without dependence on hostile systems
Not withdrawal from society, but the creation of an alternative within it — a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.
Children Raised as Soldiers of the Kingdom
Not literally (though physical courage should be cultivated), but spiritually:
- Teaching them the faith systematically from earliest years
- Training them to defend the faith intellectually against all comers
- Instilling in them a sense of mission — they are here for a purpose
- Preparing them for opposition, not comfort
- Making discipleship more compelling than the world’s alternatives
Muslim families do this. Homeschooling Christian families increasingly do this. The rest of the church must learn.
The Threat
Let us be clear about what we face:
Islam is not just another religion. It is a complete political, legal, social, and military system with a 1,400-year track record of conquest and subjugation. Wherever it has achieved majority status, the pattern is the same: Christians and Jews become second-class citizens at best, persecuted minorities at worst.
The three-stage model of Islamic expansion is not a conspiracy theory — it is observable history:
Stage 1 (Minority): Peaceful coexistence, appeals to religious liberty, “Islam is peace”
Stage 2 (Significant Minority): Demands for accommodation, charges of “Islamophobia,” parallel legal structures, no-go zones
Stage 3 (Majority or Power): Implementation of Sharia, dhimmi status for non-Muslims, suppression of other religions
Look around the world. See which stage various nations are in. The pattern is consistent.
This does not mean all Muslims are enemies. Many are themselves victims of the system. Many are coming to Christ — often through dreams, visions, and the witness of faithful Christians. We must love them, evangelize them, and welcome those who convert.
But we must not be naive about the system. Compassion for persons does not require blindness to ideologies.
The Response
What must we do?
1. Repent
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
The problem is not primarily Islam. The problem is us. We have become weak, worldly, lukewarm. We must repent — not as a formality but as a genuine turning from sin to God.
2. Pray
Not polite prayers. Desperate prayers. Prayers that storm heaven and will not let go until blessing comes. Prayers of confession, petition, and intercession. Prayers for revival.
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” (James 5:17-18)
God responds to fervent prayer. Do we pray fervently?
3. Recover Holiness
Stop compromising. Stop tolerating sin. Stop making peace with the flesh. Pursue holiness with the same intensity that athletes pursue victory. Train yourself for godliness.
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14)
Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. This is not optional.
4. Speak Boldly
Say what is true, even when it costs. Proclaim the Gospel without apology. Name sin as sin. Warn of judgment. Point to Christ as the only way. Let your speech be seasoned with salt.
“And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14)
Someone must preach. Let it be us.
5. Build a Resilient Community
Strengthen the bonds between believers. Create networks of mutual support. Establish institutions that can survive pressure. Raise children in the fear of the Lord. Prepare for opposition.
6. Engage the Culture
Not withdrawal but engagement. Vote. Advocate. Run for office. Influence education. Shape media. Be salt and light — not hidden salt or light under a bushel.
7. Evangelize Muslims
The ultimate solution to Islam is not political resistance but Gospel proclamation. Muslims are coming to Christ in unprecedented numbers. Many who were our enemies are becoming our brothers and sisters.
Love them. Witness to them. Pray for them. Welcome converts. This is how the spiritual war is won.
The Stakes
If we do not recover the fire:
- We will lose the culture
- We will lose our children
- We will lose our freedom
- We will become what Christians in the Middle East have become: a persecuted remnant
Not because Islam is strong, but because we are weak. Not because their god is real, but because we act as though ours is not.
But if we do recover the fire:
- Nothing can stand against us
- Not Islam
- Not secularism
- Not the gates of hell itself
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is wholly his.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
The question is whether our hearts are wholly His.
If so, He will give strong support.
If not, we will fall — and deserve to.
The Call
This is a call to be what Christians were always meant to be:
- Passionate as the Muslims are passionate — but for the true God
- Devoted as the Muslims are devoted — but to Christ
- Uncompromising as the Muslims are uncompromising — but on the truth
- Willing to die as the Muslims are willing to die — but for the Gospel
The fire that Islam has — misdirected as it is — must be matched and exceeded by the fire of those who know the living God.
This is not a call to hatred. It is a call to love — love so fierce it cannot tolerate the destruction of those we love, love so strong it will speak truth regardless of cost, love so deep it would rather die than see souls go to hell unreached.
This is a call to normalcy — biblical normalcy. What we call radical is simply what Christianity always was before we domesticated it.
This is a call to the church: Wake up. The hour is late. The fire must fall.
A Prayer
Lord God of our fathers, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God who is a consuming fire:
Forgive us for our lukewarmness. Forgive us for loving comfort more than Christ. Forgive us for fearing man more than fearing You. Forgive us for tolerating in ourselves what You died to destroy.
We have sinned against You. We have grown cold. We have made peace with the world when we should have been at war. We have compromised when we should have stood firm. We have been silent when we should have spoken.
Revive us. Restore us. Set us on fire.
Give us zeal that cannot be quenched. Give us love that counts all loss as gain. Give us courage that does not flinch at opposition. Give us passion worthy of the Gospel.
Raise up in this generation men and women who will live for You without reservation and die for You without regret. Raise up prophets who will speak Your word without fear. Raise up warriors who will fight the good fight until the end.
Let the fire fall. Let it burn away everything that is not of You. Let it consume our dross and leave only gold. Let it spread from heart to heart until the whole church is ablaze.
Do it, Lord. Do it now. Do it before it is too late.
For the glory of Your name, for the sake of Your Son, for the salvation of the lost, for the preservation of Your people:
Let the fire fall.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!”
— Jesus Christ (Luke 12:49)
Let it be kindled in us.
Renaissance Ministries
March 2026
by Thomas Abshier | Mar 13, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts
by Thomas Abshier | Mar 13, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts
The Hand Behind the Headlines: Purim, Persia, and Providence
A Fellowship Discussion Essay on Jonathan Cahn’s Iran/Purim Teaching
Renaissance Ministries | March 2026
Jonathan Cahn, author of The Harbinger and The Dragon’s Prophecy, has released a teaching connecting the February 28, 2026 strike on Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the ancient biblical narrative of Purim and the war between God and Amalek. His presentation is characteristically dramatic, connecting dates, names, numbers, and Scripture readings in ways that suggest divine orchestration behind current events.
This essay examines Cahn’s teaching — affirming what resonates with Scripture, questioning what may be overreach, and drawing out implications for how we understand God’s action in history. This is offered for fellowship discussion: not to dismiss Cahn, but to think carefully about prophetic interpretation and providence.
The YouTube video of Cahn’s interpretation of current events based upon the pattern of Biblical events can be viewed here.
Summary of Cahn’s Argument
The Core Claim
Cahn argues that the strike on Ayatollah Khamenei was not merely a military or political event but part of an ancient cosmic war between God and Amalek — a war that began with Moses in the wilderness, continued through King Saul and King Agag, moved to Persia through Haman (a descendant of Agag), and now manifests in modern Iran.
The Convergences He Identifies
1. Timing — Purim Weekend
The strike occurred on Saturday, February 28, 2026 — the Sabbath that ushers in Purim. Purim commemorates the defeat of Haman, an evil Persian leader who sought to annihilate the Jewish people.
2. The Appointed Scripture Reading
On that Sabbath (called Shabbat Zachor — “Sabbath of Remembrance”), the appointed Torah portion commands Israel to “remember what Amalek did” and to “blot out the memory of Amalek.” This reading was being chanted in synagogues around the world at the moment of the strike.
Additionally, the Haftarah reading that day recounts Saul’s failure to execute King Agag — and Samuel’s subsequent execution of him.
3. The Amalek-Agag-Haman-Khamenei Line
Cahn traces a spiritual genealogy:
- Amalek attacks Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 17)
- King Agag (an Amalekite) is spared by Saul, then executed by Samuel (1 Samuel 15)
- Haman, identified as “the Agagite” (descendant of Agag), seeks to destroy the Jews in Persia (Esther 3:1)
- Khamenei, as the evil leader of modern Persia (Iran), continues this spiritual line
4. The Name “Benjamin”
Saul (who failed to execute Agag) was of the tribe of Benjamin. Mordecai (who succeeded in stopping Haman) was also of Benjamin. Benjamin Netanyahu — whose name means “son of my right hand” and contains “Benjamin” — ordered the strike that killed Khamenei.
5. The 70,000 Figure
In Esther, the Jewish people’s defense involves “70,000 people.” On the day of the strike, Israel called up 70,000 reservists.
6. Death in His Own House
Haman was executed in his own house. Satellite images showed the strike destroyed Khamenei’s residential compound — “the House of Leadership.”
7. The Gallows
Haman built gallows to execute Mordecai but was hanged on them himself. Khamenei built nuclear facilities to destroy Israel, but those facilities were the reason he was struck down — his own “gallows.”
8. Celebration in Persia
Purim celebrates the deliverance from Haman. When Khamenei died, Iranians celebrated in the streets — some holding signs saying “Thank you America” and “Thank you Bibi.”
9. Blue and White
Mordecai went out “wearing royal robes of blue and white” (Esther 8:15). The Israeli planes that struck Iran bore blue and white markings.
Cahn’s Conclusion
“What happened to the ‘Supreme Leader’? He was struck down by the hand of God… The Supreme Leader of Iran is not the Supreme Leader. The Supreme Leader is the Holy One of Israel.”
Cahn presents this as evidence that “God is real,” that “Bible times” are now, and that God continues to war against Amalek “from generation to generation” as promised in Exodus 17:16.
What Rings True
1. God Does Act in History
The Christos framework affirms that God is not a distant watchmaker but an active participant in creation. “In him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The idea that God’s hand is behind historical events is thoroughly biblical.
The Exodus narrative, the conquest of Canaan, the exile and return, the preservation of Israel through millennia of persecution — all testify to God’s active involvement in history, particularly concerning His covenant people.
2. Patterns and Types Are Biblical
Scripture itself uses typology — earlier events foreshadowing later ones. Joseph is a type of Christ. The Passover lamb is a type of the Lamb of God. Moses lifting the serpent in the wilderness is a type of the Cross (John 3:14).
The idea that Haman is a type of future enemies of God’s people, or that Purim foreshadows future deliverances, is not inherently problematic. The book of Esther exists in Scripture partly to establish a pattern: God delivers His people from those who would destroy them.
3. The Timing Is Remarkable
Whether one accepts all of Cahn’s interpretive moves, the timing is genuinely striking:
- A strike on Iran’s leader
- On the Sabbath whose Torah portion commands “blot out Amalek”
- On the weekend ushering in the festival that celebrates the defeat of an evil Persian leader
- Ordered by a man named Benjamin
- Targeting a leader who explicitly sought Israel’s annihilation
These convergences are not nothing. They may not prove what Cahn claims, but they warrant attention.
4. Khamenei Was Genuinely Evil
This is not a case of demonizing a complex figure. Khamenei ruled Iran for 37 years. Under his leadership:
- Iran funded Hezbollah, Hamas, and other terrorist organizations
- Iran threatened the total destruction of Israel
- Iran pursued nuclear capabilities for evident military purposes
- Iran executed thousands of its own citizens
- October 7 could not have happened without Iranian support
When Iranians celebrated in the streets at his death, it was genuine relief from tyranny. That the leader of a regime chanting “Death to Israel” was killed on a day commemorating deliverance from a similar threat is, at minimum, poetic.
5. God’s Faithfulness to Israel Is Real
Whatever one thinks of modern Israeli politics, the biblical promise remains: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3). The preservation of the Jewish people through 2,000 years of exile, persecution, and attempted genocide is itself evidence of divine faithfulness.
Cahn’s core message — that God keeps His promises, that He is faithful to Israel, and that He will be faithful to you — is sound.
What Warrants Caution
1. Correlation Is Not Causation
Many events happen every year. Many of them fall on or near Jewish holidays. The human mind is designed to find patterns — sometimes we find them where they don’t exist.
If the strike had happened a week later, would Cahn have found different connections? If it had happened on a different day, would he have connected it to a different Scripture? The danger is that the method can “prove” almost anything after the fact.
Question for discernment: Could this method be used to find equally compelling patterns for events that have nothing to do with God’s purposes? If so, what distinguishes genuine providence from coincidence?
2. The “Descendant of Agag” Claim Is Uncertain
Cahn presents Haman’s identification as “the Agagite” as proof that he was literally descended from King Agag. This is possible, but:
- Agag was killed by Samuel; the text doesn’t mention surviving children
- “Agagite” may be a title or regional identifier rather than a genealogical claim
- Even if Haman was descended from Agag, there is no textual or historical link to Khamenei
The spiritual point (that enemies of God’s people arise in every generation) may be valid without requiring a literal bloodline.
3. Numerical Coincidences Are Easy to Find
The “70,000 reservists” matching “70,000 people” in Esther is striking — but:
- Numbers in ancient texts are often rounded or symbolic
- Military mobilizations produce many numbers; one of them will likely match something
- If it had been 50,000 or 100,000, would Cahn have found a different biblical number to match?
This is not to say God doesn’t use numbers meaningfully — He clearly does in Scripture. But we should be cautious about reading too much into numerical coincidences in current events.
4. The “Benjamin” Connection Is Suggestive, Not Definitive
Netanyahu’s name does contain “Benjamin.” But:
- His first name is actually “Binyamin” — a common Israeli name
- Many Israelis are named Benjamin; if a different prime minister had ordered the strike, would that disprove the pattern?
- The connection works because Netanyahu happens to be prime minister now; it doesn’t prove prophetic fulfillment
5. Prophetic Interpretation Requires Humility
Throughout church history, confident prophetic interpreters have identified their contemporary enemies as the final Antichrist, their contemporary crises as the final tribulation, their contemporary wars as Armageddon. They have always been wrong so far.
This doesn’t mean they will always be wrong. But it should induce humility. Cahn speaks with great confidence about what these events “reveal.” A more humble posture might say: “These patterns are striking; they may indicate God’s hand; we should watch and pray.”
6. The “God Is Real” Argument Cuts Both Ways
Cahn says these convergences prove “God is real.” But:
- What about the times when God’s people were not delivered? The Holocaust killed six million Jews — where was the Purim deliverance then?
- What about believers who pray for healing and die anyway?
- If this strike proves God is real, do tragedies prove He isn’t?
The Christian answer is that God’s faithfulness doesn’t guarantee deliverance from every threat in this age — it guarantees ultimate redemption. Using particular deliverances as “proof” of God can backfire when deliverances don’t come.
The Christos Framework Perspective
God’s Action in History: Immanence and Intervention
The Christos framework distinguishes between:
- Immanence: God is present in all things, sustaining all existence moment by moment
- Intervention: God acts at particular points to shape events toward His purposes
Both are real. God is not absent from history, watching from a distance. But not every event is a direct divine intervention. Sometimes things happen because of human choices, natural processes, or the permitted activity of evil.
The strike on Khamenei could be:
- Direct divine intervention — God orchestrating events supernaturally
- Providential alignment — God working through human decisions that happen to align with biblical patterns
- Meaningful coincidence — Striking convergences that reflect deeper realities without requiring direct manipulation
- Human pattern-finding — Our tendency to see connections that aren’t actually significant
A humble posture holds these possibilities in tension rather than declaring certainty.
The War of Good and Evil Is Real
Whether or not Khamenei was literally a “descendant of Agag,” he was certainly aligned with the spirit that Amalek represents: hatred of God’s people, violence, destruction, opposition to the purposes of God.
The Christos framework affirms that evil is real — not an illusion, not merely ignorance, but genuine opposition to God’s nature. The war between good and evil is cosmic and ongoing. Amalek is a real spiritual force, even if we cannot trace literal bloodlines.
In this sense, Cahn is right: there is an ancient war, and it continues. Whether February 28 was a decisive battle in that war or simply another skirmish, the war itself is real.
Providence Is Not Always Legible
Sometimes God’s hand is visible — the parting of the Red Sea, the fall of Jericho, the resurrection of Christ. Sometimes it is hidden — the long silence between Malachi and Matthew, the centuries of Jewish exile, the martyrdom of the faithful.
We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). This means we cannot always read providence clearly. Cahn reads it with confidence; wisdom suggests holding our readings more loosely.
The Danger of Tribal Theology
One risk in Cahn’s presentation is that it can slide into tribal triumphalism: “Our side won, therefore God is with us.” This is dangerous because:
- Both sides in most conflicts claim God’s favor
- Military victory doesn’t always indicate divine approval (consider the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem — God’s judgment, not Babylon’s righteousness)
- Geopolitical cheerleading can replace genuine spiritual discernment
The question is not merely “Did Israel win?” but “What does God require of us?” — which may include repentance, justice, mercy, and humility even in victory.
Questions for Fellowship Discussion
- On prophetic interpretation: How do we distinguish genuine prophetic insight from creative pattern-matching? What criteria should we use?
- On providence: Do you believe God directly orchestrated the timing of the Iran strike? Or that He works more subtly through human decisions? Does it matter?
- On the Amalek connection: Is there a spiritual “Amalek” that persists through history? If so, how do we identify it without demonizing entire peoples or nations?
- On certainty: Cahn speaks with great confidence about what these events “reveal.” Is this confidence warranted? What would a more humble prophetic posture look like?
- On Israel: How should Christians understand God’s ongoing relationship with Israel? Does defending Israel politically follow from defending Israel theologically?
- On the problem of evil: Cahn presents this deliverance as proof that God is real. How do we hold this alongside the times God’s people were not delivered (the Holocaust, October 7 itself, etc.)?
- On celebration: Is it appropriate to celebrate the death of an evil leader? What does Scripture say? (Consider Proverbs 24:17 — “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls.”)
- On discernment: How do we engage teachers like Jonathan Cahn — appreciating what is valuable while maintaining critical discernment?
A Closing Reflection: What Can We Affirm?
Setting aside questions about specific convergences, what can we affirm from this teaching?
God is faithful. Whatever the mechanics of providence, the preservation of the Jewish people against millennia of opposition testifies to God’s covenant faithfulness.
God sees. The evil of leaders like Khamenei does not escape divine notice. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
God acts. History is not random. Behind the headlines, beneath the politics, beyond the military calculations, there is a God who works all things according to His purposes.
God wins. The war between good and evil is real, and its outcome is certain. Amalek — whether literal or spiritual — will be blotted out. Every enemy of God’s people will ultimately fall.
God keeps His people. “He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4). This is true for Israel corporately and for each believer individually.
These truths stand whether or not every detail of Cahn’s interpretation holds up. They are the bedrock on which we stand.
The Bottom Line
Jonathan Cahn has offered a dramatic reading of the Iran strike through the lens of Purim and the war with Amalek. Some of his connections are genuinely striking; others may be overreach. His confidence exceeds what the evidence warrants, but his core message — that God is real, active, and faithful — is sound.
As we engage prophetic interpretation, we need both openness and discernment:
- Openness to the possibility that God is speaking through events
- Discernment to test interpretations against Scripture, reason, and humility
The Berean standard applies: “They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
Receive the teaching with eagerness. Examine it carefully. Hold your conclusions with appropriate humility. And regardless of what February 28 “proves,” trust the God who is faithful across all generations — including yours.
“The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
— Exodus 17:16
“He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
— Psalm 121:4
Source Material: Jonathan Cahn, video teaching on Iran/Purim (February-March 2026)
Related Christos Content: Christos AI Theological Grammar (providence and divine action); Fellowship Discussion on Iran/Trump Doctrine (March 2026)
by Thomas Abshier | Mar 13, 2026 | Uncategorized
by Thomas Abshier | Mar 13, 2026 | Sermon/Meeting/Discussion Transcripts
The Matrix, the Stoics, and the Missing Center
A Fellowship Discussion Essay Responding to Steven Yates
Renaissance Ministries | March 2026
Steven Yates, a philosopher writing for NewsWithViews, has offered a thoughtful piece on developing a “core philosophy” — a set of values and priorities that centers one’s life amid chaos. His two principles — that truth matters and that freedom comes through self-mastery — are sound as far as they go. But they reveal, perhaps unintentionally, exactly where secular philosophy reaches its limit and where the Christian gospel begins.
This essay is offered as material for fellowship discussion: What does Yates get right? Where does he fall short? And how does the Christos framework address what he’s grasping toward?
What Yates Gets Right
1. The Need for a Core Philosophy
Yates correctly identifies that without a centered worldview, a person becomes “buffeted about by life, all but helpless in the face of events.” He uses the Matrix metaphor aptly: most people are “plugged in” to systems that shape their thinking without their awareness or consent.
This resonates with the biblical concept of being “conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2) versus being “transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Yates is right that we need something to stand on — a foundation that doesn’t shift with cultural tides, marketing trends, or political winds.
2. Truth Matters
His first principle — that truth matters — is unassailable. He grounds it practically: “We are nearly always better off in the long run if we believe what is true instead of falling for falsehoods and lies.”
He correctly notes that truth isn’t always immediately rewarded. Bad policies take time to manifest their consequences. Liars sometimes prosper in the short term. But “reality always gets the last laugh.”
This aligns with the biblical testimony: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). Truth is woven into the fabric of reality because reality is God’s creation, and God is truth.
3. Self-Mastery Over External Control
His second principle — that freedom comes through self-mastery, not mastery over events or others — echoes ancient wisdom. He draws on Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius to distinguish what we can control (our thoughts, responses, choices) from what we cannot (events, others’ opinions, the economy, the weather).
This too resonates biblically. Paul speaks of “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). The fruit of the Spirit includes “self-control” (Galatians 5:23). Proverbs declares that “he who rules his spirit” is mightier than one who captures a city (Proverbs 16:32).
Yates is touching genuine wisdom here — wisdom that predates Stoicism and finds its fullest expression in Scripture.
Where Yates Falls Short
1. The Unresolved Problem of Evil
Yates admits he doesn’t know how to answer the problem of evil:
“I’m not sure I have the best answer to what philosophers call the problem of evil when Christianity’s critics ask, Why has God allowed genocides if He is all-powerful?”
He then sets the problem aside and moves to Stoicism: accept what you cannot control, focus on what you can. This is practical advice, but it doesn’t answer the question — it merely manages one’s emotional response to it.
The Christos framework offers what Stoicism cannot: an actual resolution to the problem of evil, not just a coping strategy.
The Resolution:
- God did not create evil as a positive thing. Evil is the logical complement of good, arising necessarily when good is defined. When God declared His nature as good, everything not aligned with His nature was automatically defined as “not good.”
- God creates archetypes; creatures create instantiations. God defined the category of evil (by defining good); creatures instantiate evil through their choices. God is not the author of specific evil acts — free beings are.
- Freedom is necessary for love. Genuine relationship requires genuine choice. Genuine choice includes the possibility of rejection. The possibility of rejection is the possibility of evil. God valued love enough to create beings who could genuinely choose — and some chose poorly.
- God permits what He does not prefer. The existence of evil does not mean God wills it. He allows it because eliminating it would require eliminating freedom — and thus eliminating love.
- The story isn’t over. Evil exists now but will be finally judged. God entered His own creation (the Incarnation) to redeem it from within. The Cross is the answer to evil — not an explanation that removes it, but an action that defeats it.
Yates is right that “God is in control” is not actionable as a standalone statement. But that’s because it’s incomplete. The full Christian answer includes: God is in control and evil arose from creaturely choice and God is redeeming creation and we are called to participate in that redemption and final victory is assured.
That’s actionable.
2. The Stoic Dead End
Yates draws heavily on Stoicism — Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius. Stoic philosophy offers genuine wisdom about emotional regulation and focusing on what one can control. But Stoicism has fundamental limitations that Yates doesn’t address:
a) Stoicism has no answer for evil beyond acceptance.
The Stoic response to a child dying of cancer is essentially: “This is beyond your control. Accept it. Focus on your own response.” This may help a person cope, but it doesn’t address the meaning of the suffering or the hope beyond it.
Christianity offers more: The child is not annihilated but received by a loving God. The suffering is not meaningless but will be redeemed. The grief is appropriate but not final. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4).
b) Stoicism has no relational center.
Stoic self-mastery is ultimately solitary. The goal is internal tranquility, achieved by the individual through the individual’s own discipline. There is no personal God who loves, no Savior who accompanies, no Spirit who empowers.
Christianity grounds self-mastery differently: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). The fruit of the Spirit — including self-control — is a gift, not merely an achievement. We are not alone in the struggle.
c) Stoicism offers endurance, not transformation.
The Stoic goal is to endure life without being disturbed by it. The Christian goal is to be transformed — “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). We don’t just survive reality; we become new creatures within it.
Yates admits he is “still a work in progress.” Stoicism can only offer more work. Christianity offers grace — power beyond our own effort, redemption beyond our own achievement.
3. The Missing Person
Perhaps most significantly, Yates’ core philosophy is centered on principles rather than a Person.
His two principles — truth matters, freedom through self-mastery — are abstractions. They provide guidance but not relationship. They offer philosophy but not salvation.
The Christian core is not a principle but a Person: Jesus Christ.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'” (John 14:6)
Truth doesn’t just matter; Truth is a Person. Freedom doesn’t just come through self-mastery; freedom comes through Christ: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).
This is not merely a religious gloss on Yates’ philosophy. It is a fundamentally different center. Principles can guide but cannot save. A Person can do both.
The Christos Framework: What Yates Is Reaching Toward
Reading Yates charitably, we can see him reaching toward something his philosophical framework cannot quite deliver:
1. He wants grounding that doesn’t shift.
The Christos answer: God is the ground of all existence. Everything that exists participates in His being. This is not a principle to be defended but a reality to be recognized. “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).
2. He wants truth that matters.
The Christos answer: Truth matters because reality is God’s creation, structured by His nature. To live according to truth is to live according to God’s design. To deny truth is to work against the grain of existence itself — and reality always gets the last laugh because reality is God’s.
3. He wants freedom that isn’t dependent on circumstances.
The Christos answer: Freedom comes not merely through controlling one’s own responses (though that matters) but through alignment with God’s nature. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Corinthians 3:17). This freedom doesn’t require external circumstances to cooperate; it is grounded in relationship with the One who transcends all circumstances.
4. He wants to know how to take the next step.
The Christos answer: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). The next step is revealed to those who walk with God — not all at once, but step by step, as relationship deepens.
Questions for Fellowship Discussion
- On “God is in control”: Yates says this statement is “not actionable.” Do you agree? How would you make it actionable? What’s missing from the statement as commonly used?
- On Stoicism: What is valuable in Stoic philosophy? What are its limits? How does Christianity fulfill what Stoicism grasps toward?
- On the problem of evil: Yates admits he doesn’t have a good answer. Does the Christos framework (archetype vs. instantiation, freedom as necessary for love, God permitting what He doesn’t prefer) provide a satisfying response? What questions remain?
- On principles vs. Person: What’s the difference between centering your life on principles (truth, self-mastery) versus centering it on a Person (Christ)? Does it matter practically?
- On truth-telling: Yates advises that one is “under no moral obligation to tell [the truth] at your own expense.” Is this consistent with Christian ethics? When should a Christian speak truth that costs them? When is silence appropriate?
- On self-mastery: Yates draws on Epictetus’ distinction between what we can and cannot control. How does this relate to Paul’s teaching on the Spirit-led life? Is Christian self-control the same as Stoic self-control?
- On the Matrix metaphor: Yates uses the Matrix as a picture of how most people are “plugged in” to systems that control their thinking. What systems most control thinking today? How does one genuinely “unplug”? Is Scripture the red pill?
- On mortality: Yates ends with Ecclesiastes and the recognition of mortality. How does the Christian hope of resurrection change how we grieve? Does it make grief less appropriate or more meaningful?
A Closing Reflection: Coming Full Circle
Yates begins with Christianity (“God exists. He gave us His Word…”) but then moves away from it toward Stoicism because he finds “God is in control” insufficient. He ends by quoting Ecclesiastes and returning to “Fear God and keep His commandments.”
He has come full circle — but without ever finding the center.
The center is not a principle. The center is Christ.
The problem of evil is not solved by Stoic acceptance but by the Cross — where God Himself entered into suffering to redeem it.
Freedom is not achieved by self-mastery alone but by the Spirit of God working within us — “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
Truth matters not as an abstract value but because Truth is a Person who can be known, loved, and followed.
Yates has offered us valuable reflections on how to live with integrity in a world gone mad. But the deepest answer to his questions is not found in Epictetus or Marcus Aurelius. It is found in the One who said:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
That is the core philosophy that centers everything.
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
— John 8:32
Source Material: Steven Yates, “Core Philosophy” (NewsWithViews, March 12, 2026)
Related Christos Content: Christos Seminar Foundational Perspective 3 (Evil as Derivative Negation); Christos Logos (physics and consciousness); Christos AI Theological Grammar (the problem of evil)
