Nothing Woke Under the Sun

Ryan Cox • April 20, 2022

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9

Woke: “aware of and actively attentive” – Merriam-Webster.com

Woke: “having or marked by an active awareness” – Dictionary.com

Many in the culture feel that they’ve been awakened (i.e., “woke”) to an awareness of new truths that will change the world. Unfortunately for their feelings of great revelation, nothing of their newfound insights is anything new under the sun.

For instance, the term “woke” is nothing new. It can be traced back to a 1938 song by folk singer Huddie Ledbetter. It was then somewhat popularized by a 1962 New York Times Magazine article “If You’re Woke You Dig It” by novelist William Kelley. Around the turn of the century, the term applied to being aware of potential infidelity, and now exists in the vernacular with its current connotations.

The current push of woke culture in identity politics and social justice is also nothing new. When the ten northern tribes separated themselves from Judah and Benjamin, their first king, Jeroboam, quickly realized they needed a new identity or else the people would return to follow the house of David (I Kings 12:26-27). His brilliant idea was to make “two golden calves; and he said to the people, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt’” (I Kings 12:28). Even this was nothing new as it was exactly what their ancestors did in their rebellion at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 32)!

Another example of woke culture can be found during the French Revolution. Construction of Notre-Dame cathedral began in 1163 and was completed in 1345. The cathedral stood as a prominent symbol of the Catholic faith for over 400 years until the revolution. In the late 1700s, revolutionaries had spread violence throughout the land, leading to a breakdown of law and order with attacks on aristocratic properties. As a new National Assembly, King Louis XVI, and Marquis de Lafayette worked on a new constitution, the economy worsened with food shortages and more violence. The government finally approved an end to feudalism, extended voting rights, and imposed state control of the Catholic churches. 24% of the clergy pledged their allegiance to the government; the rest stood in opposition to the government takeover.

In Nov. 1791, the Assembly gave the remaining clergy 8 days to comply or face conspiracy charges. King Louis vetoed the decree. In April 1792 as French armies were attacking Austrian and Prussian forces, the Assembly again threatened the clergy to swear an oath or be deported. King Louis again vetoed their decree. In August, the Assembly voted to “temporarily relieve the king”. The French First Republic replaced the monarchy in September, and King Louis was placed on trial. On Jan. 17, 1793, the Assembly condemned Louis to death for “conspiracy against public liberty and general safety”, and executed him on Jan. 21. The Committee of Public Safety became the reigning power, which led to the “Reign of Terror”, seeking the elimination of counterrevolutionaries, resulting in over 16,600 executions by July 1794. Again, all of this was done for “public safety”.

In the midst of this, Notre-Dame was seized and rededicated to the Cult of Reason in 1793, France’s first state-sponsored religion of atheism. They beheaded 28 statues of Biblical kings in the cathedral, tore down all the other statues, and the Goddess of Liberty was erected and enshrined. Eventually, a compromise was attempted with a new state religion of deism called the Cult of the Supreme Being.

When Napoleon Bonaparte seized power, he banned both cults and restored Notre-Dame to the Catholic Church in 1801-2, though the building itself remained and still is property of the state. The cathedral was in such great disrepair after the Napoleonic Wars that Victor Hugo wrote and published The Hunchback of Notre-Dame in 1831, generating great support for its restoration, which was so ordered by King Louis Philippe in 1844.

Fast-forward to today, and there’s nothing new under the sun. After the tearing down of statues and in the midst of ever-increasing violence, food prices, shortages, etc., a Nov. 26, 2021 article in London’s The Telegraph entitled “Notre-Dame interior faces woke ‘Disney’ revamp” claimed the addition of several “woke” and “politically correct Disneyland”-type displays in the current renovations and restorations from the 2019 fire.¹ The question today will be how many of the clergy this time will stand up against the forces seeking to eliminate the vestiges of Christianity.

While CTF does not condone Catholic church polity nor hold to several of Catholicism’s tenets (especially its acceptance of evolution),² we do want to sound the alarm for Christians throughout the world, including America. Cultures, governments, etc. can quickly turn on us. For a frightening example, consider the treatment of minister Artur Pawlowski in Canada.³

Therefore, have you resolved in your heart, in your family, in your church to “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6)?

1. Henry Samuel, “Exclusive: Notre-Dame interior faces woke ‘Disney’ revamp”, The Telegraph, 26 November 2021, <https://www.telegraph.co.u/worldnews/2021/11/26/notre-dame-

risks-becoming-woke-disneyland-controversial-renovation/>, accessed 14 April 2022.

2. Consult: <https://www.catholicbridge.com/catholic/catholic-creationism.php> or <https://catholicexchange.com/brief-exploration-catholic-position-evolution/>

3. DailyMail.com, “Pastor jailed for speaking to Canadian Freedom Convoy says he was kept in cage, made to sleep on a concrete floor, deprived of his Bible and repeatedly strip-

searched”, 10 April 2022, <https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10704959/Pastor-jailed-speaking-Canadian-Freedom- Convoy-says-sleep-concrete-floor.html>.

DailyWire.com, “Canadian Pastor Who Faces 4-Year Jail Sentence For ‘Inciting’ Church Warns Americans: ‘The Enemy Is Not Hiding Anymore’”, 23 August 2021,

<https://www.dailywire.com/news/canadian-pastor-who-faces-4-year-jail-sentence-for-inciting-church-warns-americans-the-enemy-is-not-hiding-anymore>, accessed 14 April

2022.

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April 2026 Printed Newsletter

April 19, 2026

Father Abraham

By Matt Miles • April 19, 2026

In Genesis 12 the Lord calls Abraham (Abram) to be the father of a great nation. This all happened to Abraham at 75 years old. Some might say that is too late in life to start something new, especially a calling of that magnitude. Yet that was not the overwhelming part to me; that would come in verse 7 when the Lord said the land would be his offspring’s. Wait, what?! The Lord had a plan and His Providence would guide Abraham, even when Abraham did not have offspring and did not wait on the Lord. I have to wonder how I would have reacted to such a call and covenant. As we know from Psalms, the Lord guides and sustains all by His Providence for His name sake, which we are focusing on this year. But does Providence act on our timing? When God called Abraham, he had no children. Yet the promise given was that his offspring would be a great nation in a land saved for them. What we know now is that Abraham wouldn’t have his son Isaac until he was 100 years old, a full 25 years after the covenant was made. Most of the time we expect the Lord’s hand working in our life to be immediate, but that is not always the case. In some cases it might take years to experience the Providence coming to fruition. Remember Genesis 21:2 states Isaac’s birth was at the “appointed time.” This understanding should give us peace as we rely on Providence and, at times, are called to patience. Providence was again on display for us to understand that even in obedient sacrifice He will be glorified, as Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, who was inherently tied to the covenant of the Lord. Abraham was faithful in all aspects, even when most of us might say “no way” to that sacrifice to the Lord. Yet at the right time, through faithfulness in Abraham’s obedience, there was Providence providing behind him in the ram. Our faithful obedience sometimes feels like a tough ask from the Lord, but rest assured He is there, ready to lift up His name through us. Providence continued through time, 100 years later, after Isaac had his sons, Jacob and Esau. Then Jacob was blessed by the Lord with 12 sons, one of which was Joseph, who was sold to Egypt by his brothers. You probably recall all the ups and downs of Joseph’s life, yet he was faithful to the Lord throughout them all. Remember, there was a covenant at stake. The Lord, through His Providence, made sure he had Joseph where He needed him to save the great nation of Israel from famine. This Providence secured the covenant line to continue to Christ. Many times throughout history Providence has guided and protected His covenant, and now you and I can be blessed with inclusion in His great nation through Christ. If it had not been so, then we literally have no assurance of our salvation. Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ that His Providence is faithful for all eternity, so we may know peace and have confidence in the promised destiny. Our ministry here at CTF has always emphasized the importance of Genesis 12, Abraham’s covenant. We share there is no difference in importance of Genesis 1-11 over chapter 12 and through the entirety of the Bible. The whole Bible is inspired to be trustworthy and to show His Providence throughout history for His name’s sake and also for our salvation. Blessings.

Fort Necessity, also known as the Battle of the Great Meadows

A Miraculous Shield part 1

By Ryan Cox • April 19, 2026

Fort Necessity, also known as the Battle of the Great Meadows