Steven Lawson Exposed

September 25, 2024 ~ Jules LaPierre

Phil Johnson provided more details about the scandalous Steven Lawson affair.

It Was Coming Out Anyway

September 22, 2024September 24, 2024 ~ Jules LaPierre

On 21 September, 2024, Pastor Jon Benzinger of Redeemer Bible Church in Mesa, AZ tweeted the following. It was subsequently removed, but the following transcript is of his original thread.

I wrote this to our staff at @rbcgilbert.

Maybe it’ll help you as you process the @DrStevenJLawson debacle.

A 🧵

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Hey Everyone,

As many of you probably know, it came out yesterday that a very famous preacher and author within the circles our church is most aligned with fell morally. Dr. Steven Lawson had an affair with a woman around a third his age after being married to his wife, Anne, for over four decades. He has devastated her, his kids, his grandkids (pray for them all!), and tens of thousands that looked up to him. He has disqualified himself for ministry and brought shame on the pastorate and on the Name of Christ. In Satan’s prowling, he devoured another one who chose sin instead of Christ.

That being said, I still love Dr. Lawson, truly. Under Christ, he was a hero to many of us. We admired him for his clarity and his boldness. For some, he was one of, if not the most influential preacher in our lives.

His fall has shocked us, depressed us, enraged us, and sobered us. We feel betrayed. We feel duped. We feel fury. I’ve needed time to think, and after doing so, I want you to allow two texts to shape your thinking on this horrific turn of events.

The first is, 1 Timothy 5:20, “As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”

You may have seen people rebuking Steve online, and you may see more of it as the days go by, and I say, rightly so. What he did was egregious. It was reprehensible. It was inexcusable. It was satanic. In July of ‘18, I listened intently as he lectured on 28 Tragic Consequences of Sexual Sin in the Ministry after another prominent pastor committed adultery. He knew better and he did it anyway. He didn’t fall into sin. This wasn’t a hiccup. He persisted in it and for a while. We’ve even been told he only confessed because it was coming out anyway. If that’s true (and I hope it’s not!), public rebuke is right and it is good, not just for him, but for us that we may all fear God and fear sin’s consequences.

However, a second text should also shape how we think about Dr. Lawson, Galatians 6:1-3, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

If he is repentant (and from what I’ve heard that might be a big if), Dr. Lawson should never be restored to ministry, but he must be restored to fellowship in the Body of Christ. The circle our church is most aligned with is known for the Doctrines of Grace, but not for being gracious. We don’t shun the repentant, even if their sin has deeply disappointed us. Why? Ultimately, because of what God has done for all of us in Christ. He didn’t shun us when we confessed our sin to Him. He forgave us, welcomed us, and adopted us into His family. Let’s never think of ourselves more highly than we ought. Not one of us is immune to temptation. We are nothing. Christ is everything. Let’s rest secure in Him and let’s fight our sin ruthlessly, lest the sins of Steve Lawson (and sadly, many others!) repeat themselves in our lives.

Now, most of the Christians we interact with on this, whether in person or online, will either be 1 Timothy 5 Christians or Galatians 6 Christians. Instead, let’s try to be both. Rebuke the sin and be gracious, remembering the grace we’ve all been shown.

Knowing that much more could be said, I’ll end with this, when I graduated from the TMS DMin program in May of 2021, Steve Lawson looked me in my eyes and said, “Jon, God has given you an incredible ministry. Stay faithful.” I have thought of those words often the past 3 years. They were one of the highlights of that whole night for me. From now on, I will think of those words with great sadness.

God gave Steve Lawson an incredible ministry. I wish he wanted to stay faithful as much as we all hoped he would.

Low-Fat

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022 ~ Jules LaPierre

“Because we didn’t have a lot of money when we were first married, and Tom was always on a low-fat diet. And, so we were restricted to eating low fat. I couldn’t, I didn’t have the freedom to go out and just buy what I wanted or what I felt would sustain me and so I lost a lot of weight. I’m sure part of stress, but part of the fact that we just didn’t have the food sources that I needed and, so, I, that is in the rough draft.” – Jennifer Buck, 3:10 mark.

Tom lacks self-control regarding food, something the Scriptures call gluttony, and his wife’s health suffered because of it. The level of control exerted to convince a person that they cannot purchase the food they need is a classic sign of narcissistic abuse.

Image Repair

August 16, 2022August 16, 2022 ~ Jules LaPierre

Tom Buck has turned image repair into a full time job, accusing multiple people, in an apparently insatiable hunger for his pound of flesh.

Zac Evans has taken on the unenviable task of breaking down the Bucks copious video content. What follows is my examination of some of Jennifer Buck’s language. You’ll find the full, unedited video discussion here.

Jennifer: “I have the confidence that he’s not going to let me say the wrong thing in public.” 34:18 mark.

Jennifer Buck is a 56 year-old woman who is being treated like a child.

“…he’s not going to let me say the wrong thing…”

Jennifer: “And, he doesn’t, um (pause) yell at me if I get upset,” 34:36 mark.

Note that Jennifer qualifies each correction from Tom to ensure that we know that he is not harsh. This is not a marriage relationship. It’s a Dominant/Submissive relationship.

Jennifer: “He corrects my mindset…We have to be careful in how we think about these things.” 34:36 mark.

He corrects her mindset. She’s a 56 year-old woman. This is not normal. This is not how a healthy marriage relationship works. This is Dominant/Submissive mind and behavior control.

Jennifer: “I appreciate that protection that he’s given me as we walk through this.” 34:41 mark.

In researching the topic, I’ve learned that in Dom/Sub relationships the Dominant fills the role of leader, enforcer, protector daddy, while the submissive is the pleaser, little girl, servant.

This is an unhealthy, unbiblical relationship model which is rooted in the Patriarchy movement. It is not the relationship design taught in Scripture.

It appeals to narcissistic males and is itself a form of abuse.

I Don’t Want An Apology

August 14, 2022August 16, 2022 ~ Jules LaPierre

I want a tribunal.

I want every government official involved to be tried and sentenced.

I want physicians who refused to treat patients to lose their license to practice medicine.

I want pharmacists who refused to fill prescriptions for FDA approved medications to be stripped of their license.

I want all of our military personnel restored to active duty, with all backwages paid and promotions given.

I want jobs restored with backwages paid in full, including any damages and compensation for uncovered medical expenses.

I want universities to be fined and students given free tuition for the semesters which this crime against humanity has cost them.

I want the billions of dollars made by the pharmaceutical companies to be distributed to each American tax payer.

And, I want Anthony Fauci in an orange jumpsuit.

Demonize

November 30, 2021 ~ Jules LaPierre

During the years of the Nazi regime, German doctors frequently argued that Jews spread disease. Reflecting common themes in Nazi propaganda, these medical professionals repeatedly pushed the false claim that Jews were especially responsible for outbreaks of typhus—a deadly contagious disease spread by lice

The Nazi propaganda poster pictured was created in 1941 for public display in German-occupied Poland. The Polish-language words translate roughly to “Jews are lice; they cause typhus.” Designed to link Jews and typhus closely together in the minds of non-Jewish Poles, the poster shows one of the feared typhus-ridden lice drawn on top of the face of a Jewish man that has been made to look like a skull.

We must remember that the Holocaust did not begin with the gas chambers. It began with bureaucrats creating division among the people by sowing intolerance, envy, hatred and fear.

When your neighbors are dehumanized, it becomes much easier to rationalize

Jules’ Quick-n-Dirty Birria Tacos

April 6, 2021August 16, 2022 ~ Jules LaPierre

This is slow-roasted beef in a rich mole-like gravy which is shredded and served on corn tortillas. It’s traditionally made by rehydrating dried guajillo peppers which are then blended into a sauce. I couldn’t get my hands on dried guajillos so I substituted with a can of red chile enchilada sauce.

Ingredients:

4 lb beef chuck roast

1 large yellow onion

Sazonador Total seasoning

Kosher salt

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Gravy:

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

10 oz can red chile enchilada sauce

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

3 garlic cloves, minced

Red pepper flakes to taste

Assembly:

Corn tortillas

Fresh limes

Fresh cilantro

Queso fresco, crumbled or shredded jack cheese

Fresh Pico de Gallo:

Roma tomatoes

White onion

Cilantro

Jalapeno

Lime juice

• Cut the chuck roast into large pieces and season well with Sazonador Total and kosher salt. Don’t trim too much fat. It’s needed for the gravy.

• Heat heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and sear roast pieces, about 4 minutes per side. Place seared roast into slow-cooker.

• Coarsely chop the yellow onion. Add another dab of oil to the skillet and sauté until golden brown. Add the apple cider vinegar and deglaze the pan. Pour the onions and liquid into the slow-cooker.

• Add crushed tomatoes, red chile enchilada sauce, cumin, dried oregano, dried basil, chili powder, paprika, garlic and red pepper flakes to a blender. Blend until smooth and taste. Adjust to your liking, add more heat or salt, etc.

• Pour the sauce over the beef and onions in the slow-cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

• When beef is super tender, shred with two forks. Turn slow-cooker off and let simmer for 20-30 more minutes.

• Preheat a large, wide skillet over medium heat. Add a tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Dip a corn tortilla into the gravy to lightly coat both sides. Place the coated tortilla into the skillet and let it “fry” for 30-40 seconds. Using a wide spatula, flip the tortilla over. Fill one half of the tortilla with a few spoons of the shredded beef, a bit of cheese and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Using the spatula, fold the tortilla in half and gently press down. The edges of the tortilla will be slightly crispy.

• Remove from the skillet and serve with fresh pico de gallo and a lime wedge.

Differing Weights & Measures

February 13, 2021 ~ Jules LaPierre

Are we prideful if we think this could never be me? Sadly, yes. That is the personification of pride. In so doing, we become like the Pharisee who prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” – Luke 18:11 NASB

Any good thing we do, or any wickedness from which we abstain, is purely a measure of God’s unmerited grace toward us. We are fallen and He is mindful of our fragility. There, but for the grace of God, go I is universal.

In this instance, Dr. Strachan has demonstrated callous disregard by selectively applying this truth. In all candor, he’s not alone. It is the practice of many involved in “Online Victim Advocacy” to engage in selective application. To hear them tell it, men are unequivocally guilty and women are eternally innocent victims. Indeed, we all want to portray ourselves as better than we truly are. We’re experts in self-righteousness. Too often we have a right and just cause, but a sinful, self-righteous method.

Proverbs 20:10 NASB tells us that, “Differing weights and differing measures, both of them are abominable to the LORD.” This speaks to unrighteous, unbalanced, unfair judgment. When we’re quick to condemn, or quick to absolve, we engage in differing weights and measures.

Is it prideful to say, that would never happen to me? There, but for the grace of God, go I.