Spot on, Glen! I recently spoke of Russell Brand’s baptism in a sermon, stating that it should be celebrated, but no more than any other baptism. All these “celebrities” should be supported in their spiritual journey, but not uplifted in a way that takes the focus off Christ. I absolutely agreed with your take in this video! Great work!

@johnwheeler3071

22 күн бұрын

I am not yet baptised but hope to be this spring. I have spent a few years going to Church on and off and wrestling with some ideas, like what hell is for example. However I always believed that the physical resurrection of Jesus is central to Christian belief and I have had no inclination to want to challenge this understanding. I have heard none of these celebrities say that they believe in the physical resurrection. I'm not saying they don't just that I have never heard. They are not a positive impact on my faith for sure. My question to you is this. Is their a danger of a collective of celebrities and their followers watering down what it means to be Christian?

@GullCottageLuciaMuir

21 күн бұрын

@@johnwheeler3071since you’re wondering about hell or the fate of the unrepentant wicked, please consider Conditional Immortality. The Fire That Consumes by Edward Fudge is a great resource. ✝️🙏😇

@paulthiele3102

21 күн бұрын

Yes there is a danger of that. As Glen has said in a previous video, believing in the use for Christianity is not the same thing as believing in Christianity. Fortunately, the Apostle John has already dealt with this for us. In his first epistle (5:9) he says that we accept human testimony, but that God’s testimony is better (defined in verse 8). So we can appreciate whatever positive comments celebrities make about Christ, whilst recognising that they will never define the Faith. Only Christ can do that.

@dennischapman7305

19 күн бұрын

The magisterium in part. Prevents members of the Church from changing its doctrines.

Thank you for pointing to the Road to Emmaus. I've never thought about its application before

@Apriluser

22 күн бұрын

Notice the 4-fold act of the Eucharist: take, bless, break, give. You’ll see that action in the gospels, when Jesus feeds the 5000 and other places.

@Jerome616

15 күн бұрын

@@Apriluser And, He even provided for the people in those stories, despite the unbelief of the Apostles. This indicates that even when the church leaders are going astray or lacking in true faith, God will still provide through them the food his people need!

The road to Emaeus is one of my absolute favorite stories in the scriptures- thanks for giving me a new way to think about it!

On Huberman expressing interest in faith and the exposé on his life, the clip you show is from his appearance on Cam Haynes podcast 5 or 6 months ago where as the supposed exposé was last month i believe. In the Haynes interview he was explaining how he was taking time to just read through the bible and also discussed his views on prayer. As i remember he never made any claims about Christianity, his or anyone's. The opening of the video implies that his seeming interest in faith is some how connected to the article about his personal life which feels like a stretch given the actual time line of these things being publicly available

There were always Christian-curious worldly people and I do not know if it was for the better or not. Ayaan Hirsi Ali talks about how Christianity is needed not because it is an actual truth but because there are worse things rising and we have no tools to fight against them aside from Christianity. This does not sound good.

Jesus tells us that we can know something by its fruit. A fruit tree takes several years to first bear fruit so that tells us that we should be hopeful after a seed is planted and try to nurture/water it in good faith but then have to wait several years to discern its fruits.

@machtnichtsseimann

21 күн бұрын

Great point! Something to keep in mind, although it can also be interpreted as if a fruit-bearing tree is producing under-developed fruit or much fruit at all now. In the present. IMHO, I'll take your point and mine together. Discernment is often much more complex and requiring of wisdom than is assumed.

2014 was an agnostic incel listening to jbp who decided to clean my room 2024 now im a father, expecting another child and attending church

@jimmiferfreddette8583

19 күн бұрын

Awesome, love to hear stories like this

@jimluebke3869

16 күн бұрын

Screen name from 2007, right?

@scorchdnutz

16 күн бұрын

@@jimluebke3869 yes

@Jerome616

15 күн бұрын

This makes me want to cry with happiness.

Hands up, who knows what's going on in any of these people's hearts?

@machtnichtsseimann

21 күн бұрын

Or the content creator's, for that matter. So many Mind Reading videos made by Christians. We'd do better to have long-form conversations, fleshing out our agreements and disagreements, steel-manning each other's points. Not sinning by bearing false witness or being lazy in omitting context.

@carrington2949

18 күн бұрын

I just give them a little clap and then go about my business. Celebrities have a weird need for attention. Do not give them attention for their new found faith and time will tell.

@ebangoosa

16 күн бұрын

🙌🏾

Well put. This list of new celebrity Christians or Christian sympathetic people is all well and good. However, even the newly baptized ones like Mr. Brand are what used to be called catechumens in the first few hundred years of the church. They are not theologically trained nor preachers of the gospel but baby Christians who should not be making detalled prouncements on the faith at this point in their lives. Mr. West made the mistake of leading worship services on his estate weeks after his baptism, a practice condemned in scripture for new converts. These celebrities ought to be taking instruction and apart from professing Christ, should be humble and not assume teaching authority. If men like Rogan and Peterson should decide on joining a Christian Communion they too should not assume they are know-it-alls on Christian truth.

@johnwheeler3071

22 күн бұрын

I agree. I would but would add if the list of celebrities keeps growing and none of them are confessing their belief in the physical resurrection, then there is a danger of them and their followers as a collective of weakening Christianity from within. I think they these celebrities are great for getting people through the doors of the Church but strong leadership from within the Church will be as important as ever, especially as the old timers are dying off.

@jimluebke3869

17 күн бұрын

Tolkien had this criticism of CS Lewis, interestingly enough.

@CornCod1

16 күн бұрын

@@jimluebke3869 Yes. Lewis was a smart guy, but a lot of theologians thought him a bit weak on the Atonement.

@jimluebke3869

16 күн бұрын

@@CornCod1 He still reached a lot of people, though. Didn't revive England, unfortunately.

@CornCod1

16 күн бұрын

@@jimluebke3869 Yeah, he had a lot of valid things to say.

I've had a number of conversations about belief with people over the past few months and not one person has been scornful of religion (although some have disagreed with me about Christianity and the Bible). This certainly wasn't my experience 20 years ago (when there seemed to be a lot more hostility towards Christianity/faith) and even 10 years ago (when there seemed to be a lot more apathy). I've definitely seen the shift

@jimluebke3869

17 күн бұрын

Today's Christians aren't in a position, politically, to be authoritarian. People are discovering Christian teaching on its own terms, and looking at the decline of our own culture and society. They're thinking, "hmmmm, is there a connection? "

Love the phrase, “seduced by popularity.” On another note, didn’t the apostle Paul go dark for a couple of years once he had the Damascus Road experience? That was where he was discipled and brought deeper into the faith. I don’t think the Christians were putting him on a pedestal immediately.

@markwhite116

20 күн бұрын

They were wary

@jimluebke3869

16 күн бұрын

@@markwhite116 Wasn't there a whole Peter vs. Paul debate?

@markwhite116

16 күн бұрын

@@jimluebke3869 what were they debating? I just want to know specifics so that I can address it properly.

@jimluebke3869

16 күн бұрын

@@markwhite116 Can't say, I've never done a deep dive on the milieu of Acts.

@markwhite116

16 күн бұрын

@@jimluebke3869 then why ask? If you want to say they debated, maybe find out what they debated on before saying there's a potential problem. There wasn't any severe split because they debated an issue.

Brilliant thoughts. So glad to have discovered this channel. Underrated.

This is great stuff Glen! Exciting times, we must tread boldly and tenderly, upholding the Gospel.

I love your take on the road to Emaus conversion . . I myself took that conversation as Jesus pointing to the Word of God as greater than any one’s subjective experience. Awesome conversation very enjoyable.

Thanks so much. You (and other Christian KZreadrs and podcasters) are a big part of my 'plausibility structure' because unfortunately my family have little to no interest in any of the 'God stuff'.

@jeanbrown4736

9 күн бұрын

I have discovered so much about Jesus from Speak Life. I love this channel

Is there something about engaging in dialogue that facilitates this awakening? Noticing a lot of these people are podcasters. This is the reason I started my own podcast and I can say, it has helped me mature in my faith.

defs gonna get that app - dope!!

"If you want to believe something, join a community of people who believe it" - Paul VanderKlay "I had sooner play cards against a man who was quite skeptical about ethics, but bred to believe that 'a gentleman does not cheat', than against an irreproachable moral philosopher who had been brought up among sharpers." - CS Lewis

@thomaslacroix6011

21 күн бұрын

Isn't he the same about robber barons being better than moral busybodies? I think these quotes intersect in a surprising way. The gentleman is skeptical about ethics, he doesn't yet know "a" truth, so he will ponder twice before breaking a rule that was given to him. The moral philosopher is implied to be absolutely certain of his own truth, and will discount any objections to his actions as being from a "lower understanding of reality". (I don't know what sharpers are, though, but I'll assume they're not nice). There's a commentary on humility smuggled in this advocacy for communities.

@Jill-jb1jg

20 күн бұрын

@@thomaslacroix6011Sharpers: people who cheat at cards to get money.

@carrington2949

18 күн бұрын

Not cheating means you possess some type of ethics though. Are you saying you will take an ethical person over a religious one?

@jimluebke3869

17 күн бұрын

@@carrington2949 Have you ever heard what passes for "moral philosophy" or "bioethics" these days? Moral philosophers without Christianity are some of the more abhominable thinkers in existence.

@carrington2949

17 күн бұрын

@@jimluebke3869 I am referring to just plain old good old fashioned ethics, sir.

Excellent vid Glen. That Brian Cox comment was like a childish rant. He has not thought about it AT ALL

Great Video Glen! As a minister in Glasgow, I do wonder if there is a divide between England and Scotland? My sense or impression that the English public seem to be more willing and open. In Scotland, there is much more hostility and clearly seen in the reaction to Katie Forbes being deputy FM.

@maddoglover4511

12 күн бұрын

Christianity has been replaced by Scottish nationalism as our religion? Many see independence as our Saviour.

Its Gods plan not ours ❤

With Glen's list I saw a collective of celebrities. Glen also spoke about individuals going into a community and becoming like that community. So on the one hand more people going through the doors of a Church and being influenced by the teachings of the Nicene Creed and beliefs of a devout Christians is definitely a good thing. On the other hand if more people are going through Church doors (that has its numbers of true believers dwindling due to them dying off) with *no intention* of believing in the resurrection, then Church belief will become so wishy washy it will be in danger of destroying itself.

2:55 Your face turns so red! And with good reason! Funny stuff!

We have had Cliff Richard for decades. I have learned not to jump on the band waggon.

@carrington2949

18 күн бұрын

Exactly. I’ll say God bless you but keep my distance. This may be another phase for some of them. However it is not the worst phase.

Excellent Emmaus application by the way

its really uncanny how all these middle aged celebrities are now publicly turning to religion. the approximately homogenous age section of these celebs does raise eyebrows. im thinking middle age is that time that people start to review the choices they (and others they know) made in life, and the redemptive story appeals to their regrets and failings

Perhaps God speaks to all of us individually, as Os Guinness writes in his book "Signals of Transcendence", but its easier not to harden our hearts when the community around us are also responding favourably?

Very good nuanced analysis and discussion. I have a great deal of hesitation when people talk about Christianity in a personal way but seem to reject the metaphysical and epistemological claims of Orthodox biblical Christianity. I'd like to see some metaphysical and knowledge statements made by these public figures. Most of the time it's me centric.

Andrew Huberman only said he believed in God, never mentioned following Christ or accepting Jesus as his savior those are two different things.

@Eaonnn

19 күн бұрын

He said in that same podcast that he’s been reading the Bible both Old and New Testament. Which means eventually he’ll see that it all points to Christ and putting your faith in him, if he hasn’t already done so.

17:54 True. It's the walk of faith. Not instant noodles.

Bro take the win. Let the church do its job.

@Bred-vz2py

20 күн бұрын

The fact that you even consider this a win shows that you are not well versed with scripture. If they end up being grifters they will hurt christianity more. Plus them being christians doesn't justify the faith more.

@isaacorellana1754

19 күн бұрын

​@@Bred-vz2pyEvangelism is part of the scripture and there are already gritter's in the churches. Them promoting Christianity is honestly just free advertisement.

@jimluebke3869

17 күн бұрын

@@isaacorellana1754 Yup. Getting the Word out is all to the good. I don't think that anyone takes Brand quite seriously enough that if he backslid, anyone would hold that against Christ. I could be wrong, though.

Saying that people who are witnessing their own journeys to Christ are "bandwagoning" is disrespectful of them and Christ. I agree with a lot of what you are saying about the importance of community and discipleship. However, nobody comes to Christ purely because of what they do themselves. We come to Christ by the grace of God. To think or say otherwise is Pride. Justifying your faith by attaching it to that of celebrities is Pride. The Holy Spirit moves in mysterious ways. And we each have our own road to travel. God bless. 🙏❤️🙏

*Mad props

I think pushing the Emmaus conversion too far in terms of setting it up as a model conversion in comparison to other conversions is not advisable. If anything, the thief on the cross might be a model conversion in terms of how generous and gracious God is in salvation: believe!

You forgot to add Kanye West in that thumbnail pic! 😅

@m.r.6222

22 күн бұрын

Are you serious, he's apostate, thinking he is God.

@crushtheserpent

22 күн бұрын

Kanye is busy launching his own p07n empire at the moment.

@jimluebke3869

17 күн бұрын

@@crushtheserpent Yup, parable of the sower -- rocky soil. Or perhaps he's on the path, he's got a lot of people from the culture paying attention to him and trying to destroy him.

At least at an undergraduate level at a European university, I still experience the "Brian Cox" attitude towards the Bible to be the mainstream. Perhaps it will take a couple of years to trickle down from the academic elite ...

What then is the issue? Just this: that in every way, whether by false motives or true, Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, - Philippians 1:18

I would challenge Glen about knowing things not changing our living. In all Paul's letters he reminds the believers he writes to of who they are in Christ before he addresses their behaviour. That's what the therefore is there for at the start of Romans 12. The first 11 chapters are indicatives. Or did Paul pick the Holy Spirit up wrong?

I hope and pray Christianity does a resurgence. 🙏🏻✝️

Nice conversation sir. But, I do know this, God often uses many different means to reach people, some of which I heartily disapprove. All I know is that, in the end, He really is the King.. He is the epitome of creative. and so He never does anything the same way twice. There is no valid 100% paradigm. We should never place God in a box.

So good! So the question to the Christian is: are you up for being part of Hid purposes now. Are you read to welcome non-typical christians into your communities of faith.

The parable of the sower comes to mind with all of these people. And as we consider them, we should do so being innocent as doves, but also wise as a serpent.

Plenty of people arrive at conclusions that they wish they hadn't. The people who use cold rationality to arrive at more objective conclusions may be a minority, but they often carry big microphones.

Have you been watching Kitty Flanagan again, Glen?

It's a trend because the powers that be have decided they needed to play and socially engineer getting their goals using the right

From the dawn of religious affiliation it’s been easier to get money out of religious people, if you play along, than it is for any other group outside the vulnerable. Just look at the wealth behind almost every organised religion.

Aayan, Nala Re, Brand, Kat Von D all appear to be true. I praise God for them coming to Jesus. Peterson is still not there. He's so close. Which is potentially more dangerous than being far away. Ye was sincere, however he was surrounded by weeds and choked out.

Think it's great, if jesus is being talked about the better

- the divisions within the churches has become the seat of their scorn and their denominations thereof have become the paths towards their idolatry as to come

I’m waiting for VAR to give the conversion. Can’t celebrate yet.

We definitely need Christianity to spread.

I think that you might have, in a sense, done the same thing as people who use the Damascus road as the paradigm for conversion. Yes, I agree that using the Damascus road as the singular paradigm is problematic. However, by saying the Emmaus road is the correct paradigm, you have restricted the means by which He works. I think it is more helpful to look to the ends rather than the means. Christ is the end for which the means are used. With salvation, He Himself is what is needed, so as Christians we point to Him. So instead of criticizing celebrities for their conversion or their attaction to Christ becauseof the means, we should encourage them (and their fans) towards Christ. That being said, I do agree that isolation is the worse thing for believers, especially "young" believers. Anyway, that's my $0.02.

Gotta disagree about the idea that people aren't argued into world views. For me, a huge thing was always the Moral Argument. I just couldn't accept moral subjectivism and I couldn't and can't wrap my head around the idea of Moral Realism sans God. The materialist world view also just seemed to continually lead to the contradiction of being forced to insert transcendent truths into it to keep it going, i.e., on one hand, we were all just chemicals and atoms, all morality was just a social construct and yet we OUGHT not to oppress each other, etc. Teachers of mine were continually touting a sort of reductionist materialism yet time after time, inserting moral absolutes into that world view with no real support or justification. Reading books like Witness, Augustine's Confessions and C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity had a huge effect on me, as did Aristotle. I think a lot of people come to Christianity through philosophy and reason as a sort of backdoor, realizing the poverty of the materialist world view and eventually turning to Jesus Christ for the answers they were missing. That doesn't mean that intellectual arguments are going to necessarily take you all the way to faith, but wouldn't you at least agree that for some, its those perceived intellectual barriers that are keeping them back, at least in part?

People misunderstand the 'fruits' passage. It's talking about PROPHETS. Not about believers in general. It says 'false prophets in sheeps clothing'. Now what is the clothing in this analogy? It's behaviour, appearance. What's the fruit of a prophet? His WORDS. False prophets are found out not by bad behaviour, but by bad prophecies. If we were to sniff out false converts by their behaviour we would all be found lacking.

Paul Feezy! We miss you 😃

@HearGodsWord

20 күн бұрын

Amen

I'm not sure - what I see on the internet is not what I see IRL, or in the stats about faith. This kind of thing might not show up in stats yet, so maybe park that for now. But IRL... very hard to read I think. What I do know is that when I and my 3 kids walk into church, we have at times tripled the number on congregants - from two (including the organist, not including the priest) to six. So there's that. In most normal life faith is absent or not cared about. Movements of the spirit though... hard to read. Rather boringly I'm just going to wait - time will tell. I do wonder if genuine pluralism has something to do with it. People brought up secular are coming into contact with people of faith (muslims, sikhs, immigrant Christians even) who obviously believe within a cultural and community context, and the general vibe towards that is "yeah cool great for you" non committal, or "great diversity, love the costumes" and neither is negative really. So then maybe some of that translates across. Just a thought. No evidence for it.

The harvest is plentiful...

What about Marilyn Manson? He was supposed to be getting interested as well but it all went quiet.

@paulheinrichdietrich9518

22 күн бұрын

Marilyn Manson? That would be a shocker!

Always thought much the same about ccc’s (celeb christian converts) but you don’t mention JP’s wife?! Full on Catholic!

I feel that people are spiritually starved and they need the nourishment that can be satisfied by the spirit of christ and the Holy ghost. I must admit that I am influenced by Jorden Peterson. He managed to explain the idea of christ in a relatable way. I suppose he talked himself into Christianity too. 😊 I am still trying figure out how to align myself with the will of God but it is a personal journey, no bandwagon, just a deeper understanding of the truth of God

The conversion of an unbeliever to a Believer, is an individual event, ordained and accomplished by Creator God who has now given them believing Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Whether celebrity or commoner, the process is the same for all.

@peggyoban4069

18 күн бұрын

Nope. Yours (Calvin’s and co.) is a deeply impoverishing view of what God has made in making human beings His image-bearers.

Christianity's yet again the new "rebel" class.

Unfortunately Ayaan’s conversion seems to have corresponded with a marked increase of outright bigotry on Twitter. I’m sure it’s just coincidental.

I have no idea why the hell this video was even made

- Chimpanzees figuratively beating their bananas chomping as like thunderbolts coming out of their mouth and screeching as to they don't believe in fairy tales (?)

Tbf Russell brand has been more acknowledging God christian truths long before his scandals.

I suppose it is kinda important. They come from a world of pure consumption, and they found that it was not enough. Deep down, everyone has a God shaped hole.

It’s between them and Christ if they grow in faith or not. Snobs aren’t Christians. Pray for all of them.

these are not the signs of Christian revival, the Word doesn't tell us about revival in the last days, quite the opposite. What we are seeing is Thessalonians unfolding, we are seeing truth being rejected almost wholesale, but with that contrast, we are seeing a smattering (bright and prominent though they may be) of people who have for the longest time claimed and demonstrated their love of the truth, and what they are finding out gradually, is that the truth is a person, The Person of Christ, and all of these people will have to decide, when they count the cost, wether they will stay faithful to the Truth (and by doing, go all the way to the cross) or choose the lie instead, like most have. we watch and pray

The hardest part for any of us is to accept that first instruction from Jesus if we want to follow him: 'Deny your self...' (Matthew 16:24) It is when we surrender that the Spirit can do his work.

- well it's the planet of the v apes

Jordan Peterson is not serious. It's just a stunt for him. To promote himself. I hope Russell Brand is serious. But I'm not sure.

They are all grifters!

Losing my faith in atheist after 23 year believe in nothing, now believe in something is not nonsense or stupid