Short-Sighted

God told us, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways" (Isa 55:80). We seem to have made a practice of proving His point. Consider an easy example. The Old Testament prophets gave all sorts of information about the coming Messiah -- some 300 prophecies. Yet, when the Messiah arrived, the Jews had no idea that He was going to die, or that He was not the Conquering King, and so much more. They had the information and simply missed it. Didn't take it in. Didn't see it. They were short-sighted.

We're really good at that today. We read, "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God" (Luke 6:20) and think, "Oh, people with less money and food inherit the kingdom." He wasn't talking about that "poor." He was talking about the "poor in spirit" (Matt 5:3). Poor, yes, but not our kind of poor; a spiritual poor. Jesus said He was fulfilling Isaiah's prophecy to "the poor, the captives, the blind, the oppressed" (Luke 4:17-21), and we think of the people we know who are poor, captives, blind, and oppressed. Jesus was talking about the spiritually poor, the spiritual captives, the spiritually blind, the spiritually oppressed. (We know this because He did not solve all those problems when He was here, but He did solve the spiritual problems at the Cross.) We read, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares YHWH, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer 29:11) and think, "Oh, cool, we're going to get rich!!", forgetting His thoughts are not our thoughts and we keep thinking He's like us.

I'd imagine most of us can think of a whole lot more examples of seemingly straightforward things said in Scripture that turn out to clearly be something else ... something more. That's why we need the Spirit. Natural man does not understand the things of God (1 Cor 2:14) and is blinded by the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). Thinking God's thoughts after Him doesn't come naturally, but we who are born of the Spirit have the Spirit to lead us into all truth. We should be cautious in reading God's Word too simply. It's not hard, but it's not necessarily natural, either. (And isn't it funny that a lot of those who claim the simplest readings of some of these texts also deny the reliability of Scripture?)

How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand."

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine."

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!"

The actual author of this hymn is unknown. It was published in a book of hymns by Dr. John Rippon in 1787. Dr. Rippon was the pastor of Carters Lane Baptist Church in London, England, for 63 years. The hymn has been called "the unofficial hymn textbook for Baptist Churches." Andrew Jackson requested it near the end of his life, and Robert E. Lee asked that it be sung at his funeral service in tribute to his God.

The hymn is actually a sermon. The first verse states the intent, while the following verses present various promises from Scripture. So what is the premise of this hymn-sermon? We saints stand on a firm foundation laid on God's Word. So complete is it that there is nothing more to be said. This is, on the face of it, not a remarkable view, but when we scratch the surface, there is a depth beneath that we may not have seen.

How complete is God's Word for our lives? The author of this hymn believes that in matters of faith, the Bible is complete, lacking nothing. In fact, God has said to us all He needs to say for our lives. Is that what you believe? Modern critics have arisen who claim otherwise. The Bible is no longer considered the infallible Word of God. Most mainline churches and seminaries have altered their statement of beliefs to varying extent to remove that odious claim. After all, what did the authors of old know about us and our culture? How could they possibly have understood our "no-fault" divorce laws, our concepts of living together before marriage to wisely test the waters, so to speak, or our problems with crime, teenage pregnancy, abortion, drugs, etc.? Times have changed. But the hymn-writer claims otherwise. Perhaps he understood the concept of God's omniscience and immutability. He definitely had a larger view of God than our present day does. And it is on the basis of this concept of God that the inerrancy of Scripture is claimed.

Now, if Scripture is the Word of God (no light claim), it must alter the life of anyone who believes that to be true. The views of our society become radically wrong. Rampant divorce in the Church becomes an affront to God. Premarital sex is no longer an option. It is called "sin." Homosexuality is no longer an alternate lifestyle. It is called "sin." Further, our attention to Scripture would necessarily increase if we actually believed that it was words written from the heart of God. It would drive every facet of our lives, transform every set of choices, and radically revise our thinking. "What more can He say than to you He has said?"

Look next at the passages from which our "sermon" comes. The first reference is Isaiah 41:10. It almost comes word for word from the verse. "Fear not," God says, for "I am with you. I am your God, and I will give you the aid you need. I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand. You are upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand." Imagine! Our strength is His hand! It is the constant presence of God that makes unbearable circumstances bearable, even joyous. God Himself has promised to walk with us, even in the valley of death. He has the capacity and determination to use our worst experiences for His glory and our best gain. If God is for us, who can be against us?

Verse three refers to 2 Corinthians 12:9. "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." The hymnist continues with the subject of suffering. (Why do we struggle so much with suffering in our modern world, as if it is a surprise? God has promised it. The writer of this hymn recognized that.) What is God's answer? "My grace is sufficient." It is when we understand the character and intent of God that we can accept this answer. Perfect love casts out fear. When we see that He loves us perfectly, we can begin to see His perfect intentions. He is purifying us, making us lights in a dark world, making us holy, as He is holy. The hymnist puts it much better than I. "The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine." We cling to the dross, almost missing entirely the gold. But God has better ideas in mind for us!

The hymnist seems to have had training in Greek. He displays a real knowledge of Hebrews 13:5 in the final verse. In most Bibles it reads, "I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you." However, we lose something in the translation. "Never," in the Greek, is a double intensified word. It is stressed. More accurately, it should read, "I will never, never leave you." The hymn says, "I will not, I will not . . ." The phrase "nor will I ever" is triple intensified in Greek. Perhaps it would read, "I will never, never, never forsake you." The hymnist writes, "I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!" Now, the writers of the Bible used repetition in much the same way we do today. It was for emphasis. Jesus, for instance, always spoke truth. He was a rabbi. So when He said, "Verily . . .," it caught the disciples' ear. When He said, "Verily, verily . . .," the disciples would have paid utmost attention. This was ultimate and important Truth. So when the author of Hebrews says, "never, never, never," it is a serious statement. Think about that. God, the Creator of the universe, has promised to never, with paramount emphasis, leave us alone or stranded. This is too wonderful to comprehend! God is always with me! What does that do to my view of life? How do I perceive the events of my existence when the Sovereign Lord is always at hand? How does that alter my choices knowing I am always in His company? What does that do to fear and worry?

Paul wrote to the Colossians, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts." The word "rule" means literally "to arbitrate." In other words, let God's peace in your heart be the arbitrator of your well-being. Do you have a sense of God's peace? If not, it is not a failure on God's part. He is with us. He is sufficient. He will never leave us. What room is there for agitation? Why fret? What could possibly bring any distress? Are you anxious? Let God's peace arbitrate. Recognize that anxiety is your refusal to believe God. Reaffirm your faith. The answer to anxiety is not harder work. It is renewed faith. We need to look hard at our failure to trust the God we claim to have trusted. He is, above all, trustworthy.

News Weakly

Eliminating Parental Rights
A federal judge blocked a Tennessee law that prevented adults from helping minors get abortions without parental permission. Obviously. Because the federal government believes parents should have all the responsibility and none of the rights of being parents. "All of your kids are ours."

I Don't Even ...?
Alabama has decided that a person can get their driver's license changed to reflect their "new gender" ... as long as they sterilize themselves first. I'm not at all happy about the whole anti-science, nonsensical concept of "transgender," but I'm not at all clear about how sterilization makes it better. Mind you, changing sex designations on a driver's license to match gender identity is a crazy thing, but so is this new ruling.

A Threat to Democracy
Robert Kennedy Jr. tried to position himself as the "right candidate" in past months, concerned about truth and justice and all that. As opposed to the Left. As opposed, even, to Trump. But he saw the writing on the wall and dropped out, fighting to have his name removed from ballots on states in which it would dilute the pool. Until now. Now, the candidate who is not running for president is suing to have his name put back on the ballot in New York, not because he hopes to get elected (he's not running), but because it will dilute the Democratic vote in that state. Now, if "democracy" is a numbers game, then however you arrive at your numbers, "democracy" is all well and good, but if it is discovering "the will of the people," this will only eliminate that possibility. Pure political gamesmanship to skew numbers in favor of an outcome. So much for democracy. So much for integrity, Mr. Kennedy.

You Keep Using That Word ...
Two reports are out bemoaning the rise of book banning in schools. "These things," they are crying, "ought not be! It's censorship! It is in direct opposition to the freedom of the press!" Except ... it isn't. No one flinches when they disallow, for instance, Playboy magazines in elementary school libraries. Six-year-old boys don't need porn readily available in their schools. Nor do eight-year-olds need to learn about the mechanics of gay sex. And that's not "censorship" or "book banning" because all that garbage is available elsewhere. It's only "book banning" when the books are banned, not just when they're not allowed in a specific, child-centered venue. Pornography took over this country first via the "free speech" argument. If we keep this up, every six-year-old boy will be able to learn to read from the likes of The Happy Hooker, Fifty Shades of Grey, and The Joys of Gay Sex for the sake of the "free press." And that's not progress.

Kettle, Meet Pot
Harris's campaign has been banging away at "Trump's plan to charge a national sales tax." She is (deceitfully) referring to his (ill-advised) plan to charge tariffs for foreign goods, which, in turn will raise prices on foreign goods sold to the consumer. That part is true, but only foreign goods. Fortunately, Harris's plan is to "raise corporate taxes" ... which, of course, will raise the price of American goods. Is she going to call this her "national sales tax"? Oh, no, never mind. That would make her an honest politician ... something we don't see much of.

Fake News You Can Trust
The Bee has a story about how Democrats are warning that if public libraries are defunded, homeless people will have nowhere to watch porn. They have a point. After California banned "deep fake" political ads (actual story) (although it's still legal to lie boldly in political ads) and limited AI imagery (actual story), the Bee is reporting raids in California seizing over 2,000 memes while Texas Governor Abbott declares Texas a sanctuary state for memers. And the real reason Newsom signed the ban was because he was tricked into thinking a picture of Trump as a merman was real.

I know it's true; I read it on the Internet.

All to God's Glory

There are some surprisingly sweeping statements in Scripture that are sometimes hard to fathom. We read, for instance, "No one does good, not even one" (Rom 3:12; Psa 53:3). No one does good? Not even one? That's a sweeping claim. We are told to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt 22:37). All your heart, soul, and mind? That's a sweeping command. There are many of these. But one that is striking is the command Paul gives in his first epistle to the church at Corinth.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor 10:31)

The basic command is "Do all to the glory of God." Our tendency might be to think something like, "Anything spiritual I do needs to be to the glory of God" or something like it. "Anything really important." Something like that. But this command is "all." And to make the point, Paul specifies (because of the context) "whether you eat or drink" along with "whatever you do." That is, eating and drinking falls under the command to do all to the glory of God. Now, let me ask you, how do you eat or drink to the glory of God?

The whole notion is daunting, to tell the truth. I'm supposed to do my work to the glory of God. I'm supposed to love my wife to the glory of God. I'm supposed to get dressed to the glory of God. If I talk with friends, I'm supposed to do it to the glory of God. If I play a game, I'm supposed to do it to the glory of God. If I "sits and thinks," I'm supposed to do it to the glory of God. Whatever I do, I'm supposed to do it to the glory of God. Whatever. Do I? Not even close.

The sad thing, of course, is that not only do we fail to do this, but we fail to even think about it. Do we ask, "How will I glorify God when I stop at Starbucks for a cup of coffee"? Do we wonder, "Does my playing video games glorify God in any way?" Women might stereotypically ask, "Does this dress make me look fat?" but who asks, "Will this dress glorify God?" Like loving God with all that we are, we fall so far short of glorifying God in all we do. And, honestly, that's to be expected this side of eternity; we are people in process. Still, shouldn't it bother us? A little? Shouldn't we want to do better?

Unsung Heroes

A hero is defined, according to the dictionary, as "a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character." I think sometimes we throw the word around a little too loosely. Someone we admire, for instance, might be termed "my hero," but "courageous acts" or "nobility of character" may not really be in view. And we will use the term, "unsung hero," in a similar way, possibly referring to someone who didn't get the fame or celebrity status we think they should. Genuine heroes, though, I think are often unsung. They do great deeds of courage and character and go unnoticed. And, of course, that's partly because a person of truly noble character will be humble.

I think of the wife who submits to her husband as to the Lord even when he is disobedient to the Word (Eph 5:22-24; 1 Peter 3:1-4). These women are few and far between. If they are noticed, the typical response is ridicule, not appreciation. But the faith this takes, trusting God over all else, is courageous, bespeaking a real nobility of character. I think of the husband who sacrifices self to love His wife without regard for his own wants or wishes (Eph 5:25-27). It's not human. As one Christian counselor told me, "That's crazy." Because it is in direct opposition to basic human nature, an ongoing act of real bravery in the face of self and society. I think of parents who love their children above "stuff" and status and the world. Fathers bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph 6:4). Who does that anymore? Most leave it to public school devoid of God and to Sunday School teachers and to their peers and the rest. These parents are as rare as can be, but they are courageous and noble and are unsung heroes in my book.

Just a few examples. If a real hero is to have a noble character, it requires that they have a functioning relationship with Christ. If a true hero is to be courageous, it requires that they have a vibrant and solid faith in the God who supplies. These people are not common. We don't encounter too many. Most are unassuming, quiet, and gentle, but not wavering. They don't do it for the accolades, which is good, because there are precious few for this kind of hero -- a sincere follower of Christ, dying to self daily and seeking to serve Him and His people at every turn. Unsung heroes.

Command and Conquer

St. Augustine is known for some pretty deep theology, but sometimes you have to wonder. One of his famous statements comes from his spiritual autobiography, The Confessions. In it he prays, "Command what You will, and give what You command." Wait ... what? Augustine told God to be God -- "command what You will" -- perhaps something we don't allow from God at times. "What, me? Submit? Oh, no." That sort of thing. But if God is God, that's our problem, not God's. The real issue here is the second phrase. "Give what You command." The idea here is "By all means, God, tell me to do whatever you want. I only ask that You carry it out in me." Is that a thing? Is that even possible? I mean, it sounds like an abrogation of my own free will. And it sounds like I'm expecting God to make me obedient. I mean, didn't Augustine realize that God does not want robots, that love is only love when it's given freely?

I would like to point out that nowhere in the pages of Scripture do we find either of those claims -- God doesn't want robots, and love is only love when it's given freely. So let's pause a moment. First, what do we know about free will? Free will is the ability to make choices without coercion. Some like to expand it, but always to places that make no sense. And the truth is we don't have absolute free will. That is, I cannot simply choose, for instance, to flap my arms and fly to the moon. We have limitations. We are limited by our natures. We always choose according to our strongest inclination. So when Augustine asked God to give him what He commanded, it was a simple request to "change my 'want to'," so to speak. "Change my strongest inclinations." Is there anything that would make us think God does that? Why, yes, there is! Paul wrote a command -- "work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Php 2:12) -- followed by the description of how that is accomplished.

... for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Php 2:13)

Isn't that interesting? Our free will is determined by that which we desire most. Paul here says that God is at work in you and me. What is He doing? He is bringing about the desire (will) and the power to do what He commands. Is that not, then, exactly what Augustine prayed? "Lord, command what You will, and that thing that Paul said -- at work in me to will and to do -- do that in me."

My dream is to someday become God's robot, God's perfect "following machine," doing whatever He says without question or faltering. We're supposed to surrender everything to Him, and I want to surrender my will to Him. I want to love Him without variation or effort, but just all in all. The common wisdom tells me that these are not compatible, that God doesn't want that. Well, I do. And I pray, "Command what You will, and give what You command." Because I can't be relied upon to do that myself every time. And I want to do what He commands.

Full of Grace

Now, everyone knows that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was "full of grace." Says so right there in the "Hail Mary." Except, of course, that's not in Scripture. There is a reference to a biblical character being "full of grace." Stephen, one of the first deacons (Acts 6:1-5), is described as "full of grace and power" (Acts 6:8). As a refresher, what is grace? Grace is unmerited favor (Rom 11:6). It is favor that is not deserved or earned. So just what does a follower of Christ who is full of grace look like?

Stephen's primary job was taking care of people (Acts 6:2). Stephen was "doing great wonders and signs" (Acts 6:8), although there's no reason that all who are "full of grace" do that. But Stephen ran up against the religious unbelievers of his day, and that's not unlikely for people pursuing grace. Stephen went on trial for false accusations (Acts 6:10-14). In the Council chambers, he spoke his only recorded sermon -- 52 verses long (Acts 7:2-53). He gave a rundown of Israel's history from Abraham on, explaining Israel's history of rebellion. He told them, "The Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands" (Acts 7:48). You can be confident that got their dander up. And then he did what all those who are full of grace do; he accused them of being stiff-necked, uncircumcised in the heart, and resisting the Holy Spirit. "Now, hang on," we might want to retort, "doesn't 'full of grace' mean we don't point out others' wrongs?" No, that would more likely be "full of mercy," where justice is set aside. Grace gives favor to those who don't deserve it, and pointing out sin is simply pointing out "they don't deserve it."

The crowd, of course, took it well. Okay, no, they rushed at him, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him to death. But note Stephen's response. As they were stoning him, he called on the Lord: "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" (Acts 7:59). And then he prayed, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" (Acts 7:60). And he died. That, dear reader, is "full of grace." He served others. He did God's work. He faced false accusations with "the face of an angel" (Acts 6:15). He did point out their sin because it was the issue -- he spoke the truth in love -- and he prayed for their forgiveness ... while they murdered him. Being full of grace, you see, doesn't mean turning a blind eye to sin or not speaking up about the truth when it's required. It pursues the truth in love and seeks the best for those who don't deserve it, sometimes at great cost to self. Grace is not ignoring sin; grace is the solution to sin.

Heteronyms and Homophones

English can get tricky, can't it? Take, for instance, two categories of words: heteronyms and homophones. Heteronyms are words that are spelled the same, but are pronounced differently. Homophones are words that are pronounced the same, but spelled differently.

In the heteronym category, you might have a guide lead you to a lead mine. It's hard to play a bass fiddle while fishing for bass. You will, however, need a permit to permit you to fish. Some lab workers wanted it in their contract that they wouldn't contract any diseases. At Christmas we frequently present presents. We all know that deer would have does for mothers, but so does the baby rabbit. Just because a person is an invalid doesn't mean his ideas are invalid. Heteronymns.

Homophones are, perhaps, better known. "They're going to their home over there." "You two can go to your home, too." "Swiss cheese isn't holy, but it is wholly holey." "We didn't want to err when we let the heir go for some air." And, of course, we all remember NSync's hit, Buy, By, Bye.

It's all very confusing (and amusing). Like my favorite longest sentence using one word: "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo." Since "buffalo" can mean a city (Buffalo, NY) as an adjective (someone from Buffalo), an animal (a buffalo or bison) as a noun, or the attempt to intimidate (to buffalo) as a verb, this is a grammatically correct sentence. That is, buffalo from Buffalo that buffalo from Buffalo intimidate (buffalo) also intimidate (buffalo) buffalo from Buffalo. Ouch! No one ever said English was easy.

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

All the Way My Savior Leads Me
Fanny Crosby

All the way my Savior leads me–
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
Heav'nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate’er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me–
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for ev'ry trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me–
Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father's house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.

Written in 1875 by famed hymn writer, Fanny Crosby, this was her first hymn to be set to music. The hymn reflects Fanny's life experiences. She was born of a mother and father who were related, a source of embarrassment all her life, and, at six weeks old, contracted an inflammation of the eyes that resulted in blindness. All this to say that Fanny Crosby may have been the least likely ... or, perhaps, the most likely to speak this way of her Savior.

You see, I hope, with this information about Crosby, just how touching that first verse is -- the blind woman whose Savior is her guide. Someone might ask, "Fanny, how can you not doubt His tender mercy ... since you're blind," but she speaks from experience. Her Savior, through life, has been her guide. So she says with a confidence few of us possess, "I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well." It's the theme of her song. Gives grace for every trial. Feeds with living bread. The fullness of His love.

One more thing to consider. Fanny Crosby was blind, but she knew the day would come when she would see Him face to face. Her spirit would be clothed in immortality. Her song through endless ages would be the praise that Jesus led her all the way. The outcome is known. Experience has proved it ... day by day, she has experienced it. And she knows there will be a day when blindness is no more and Christ would be all in all. I wonder. Would we be so joyful in her shoes?

News Weakly - 9/21/2024

Enemies of Life
Enemies of life in the womb have really ratcheted up their campaigns, haven't they? Especially in states that have tried to ban abortion or limit it severely. Now the ACLU is suing Florida for "misinformation" on abortion because "Safe abortion is a human right." Not a baby human's life, apparently. "Abortion doesn't threaten women's safety," they claim, although "threaten women's safety" is ambiguous if you include the mental, emotional, and spiritual long-term damage it does. The ACLU, again, is anxious to deprive the unborn of their American civil liberties in the name of American civil liberties. Go figure.

No Justice, No Peace
Because of her great regard for the law, District Attorney Fani Willis failed to appear at a hearing that was about her investigation. "I decide when a subpoena is valid, and any subpoena issued to me is not." Apparently. But, trust her, she's all about the law and justice ... except where it involves her.

Another Patriot
You're all aware that there was a 2nd assassination attempt on Trump over the weekend. I'm sure the shooter was a patriot because he was doing his part to defend American democracy from the existential threat of tyranny that is Donald Trump. We know this because the loud-and-long Dems and their mainstream-media lackeys keep telling us so. Along with things like "Project 2025 is Donald Trump's attempt to ban abortion" and the like. You know ... lies and slander. Or, as I like to call it, politics as usual.

Filed Under "What Could Go Wrong?"
The U.S. Navy has commissioned their first "co-ed" submarine where males and females (or whatever, I guess) serve side by side. Given the longstanding, well-known history of military males in general and sailors in particular in regards to women, I can't imagine why anyone would think this was a bad idea. Because diversity in combat is integral to a good fighting machine. Sorry. Could not say that with a straight face.

News You Can't Trust
The headline: "Disney trips meant for homeless students went to NYC school employees' kids." The cads! The bounders! What a corrupt system!! Well, now, hang on. Turns out it was 6 of them -- six corrupt NYC school employees. Out of ... what ... thousands? Yes, that was bad. No, it's not widespread. And this illustrates the central problem of "news." We hear the headline and think. "The world is coming to an end!!" (Think "Child kidnapped from park" or "School shooting!" or "COVID" ... news stories that have shaped our lives even though they were in the extreme minority.)

As I Was Saying
So, as it turns out, another "conspiracy theory" has been confirmed. A recent study has linked the COVID pandemic with a market in Wuhan, China ... like so many were saying and so many "better informed" were dismissing. Because if there is anything we can trust in this world, it's the news media and science. Oh, and politicians. Definitely politicians.

The World Turns
In an expected and disappointing resolution, the UN has declared itself "antisemitic," essentially agreeing with the pro-Palestinian "from the river to the sea" mantra. They have decided that the defenders need to withdraw from the aggressors, that Israel needs to get out of Palestine. Israel needs to withdraw so Hamas can recover and return to their prior efforts of the genocide of Israel. Now they can do it with the UN's blessing. (In what way is that "united" nations?)

And now the Bee Side
Lots of news about the latest assassination attempt. The media is worried that these constant attempts might distract from the plight of illegal immigrants. On the other hand, Biden has assured the nation that the next assassin will be a woman of color. In an unrelated story, it appears that Rashida Tlaib was uninjured after her pager mysteriously exploded. That's odd.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Spiritual Gifts

I've been a Christian a long time. When the family went on vacation, we'd visit churches wherever we went. I was in the Air Force for 10 years and lived in lots of places, experiencing lots of churches. Each is individual, but a common thread was the constant problem of exclusiveness. No, not "Christ is the only way." I've noted for a long time that it's generally hard to break into a church. They are so often established and, therefore, not quick to embrace new people, to fold them into the fold, so to speak. Discipleship is a rarity and connection can often be difficult, even in otherwise very good churches. I think, in fact, that this is the draw of megachurches for some. People can attend without being involved, connected, accountable.

It's jarring, then, to read about spiritual gifts. In his first epistle to the church at Corinth, Paul addresses the topic ... for several chapters. He establishes the concept in chapter 12.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Cor 12:4-7)

What do we know? The gifts are provided by the Spirit. They're not inborn talents, acquired skills, trained actions, or anything that we produce. Further, each of us have at least one. No one is without a spiritual gift. Finally, the purpose of these spiritual gifts is "the common good." They're not for you; they're for the Body of Christ. Paul gives a sample list of gifts (1 Cor 12:8-10) (as in "varieties of gifts"), but he reiterates "All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills" (1 Cor 12:11). He wills who gets what; not us.

Paul draws word pictures after that of the function of gifts in the Body by using the human body (1 Cor 12:12-26). No parts are without purpose; no parts are better than any other. Your gift is just as important as anyone else. Your gift is not more important than anyone else. All are individual. All are from the Spirit. All are necessary.

Which brings us to the modern "favored" category of "the Nones." These are people who consider themselves "spiritual" but not "religious." Self-identified Christians often tout this category. "Yes, I believe in Jesus, but I don't need some gathering of people to believe in Jesus." If it's not that far out, it's often more like, "Sure, I go to church; I just am not really involved." "Once a month or so." "At least on Christmas and Easter." We've grown, perhaps as an exercise in "American liberty," to disconnect "Christian" with "church." Go for a good sermon if you must, but let's not get too connected, you know? We've got enough going on in life; we don't need more "stuff" to do.

To every true believer, please let me be clear. That is not a biblical concept. Every true believer is part of the Body of Christ. Every true believer is gifted specifically to function in that Body. You've been given something from God (the Spirit) that you are supposed to share with other believers. It's not for you; it's for them. You can't function properly in the Body by disassociating yourself ... from the Body. And that includes emotionally disassociating yourself. "Oh, I'm there; I just don't want to be too connected." The Spirit gives us each a purpose and a gift to meet that purpose and if we simply ignore it, what does that say about our relationship with God? "Yeah, You're all right with me ... just don't ask me to do too much." Good luck with that.

Sojourners and Exiles

Jeremiah was the prophet of God to Judah warning of the coming Babylonian exile and after. In chapter 29, Jeremiah gave instructions to the exiles. We all know that amazing, "'I know the plans that I have for you,' declares YHWH, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you'" (Jer 29:11-12). Good stuff. The rather odd stuff, then, is what came before.

Thus says YHWH of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, "Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 'Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to YHWH on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare." (Jer 29:4-7)

Seems really strange, doesn't it? We're talking about their assailants, their captors. "Live among them. Make a life." More strange, though, was that last. "Seek the welfare of the city" and "pray to YHWH on its behalf." Umm, they're the enemy. Why would the Jewish exiles do that? Well, God answers that. "In its welfare, you will have welfare." "Okay. I guess. Seems strange to seek the welfare of those who destroyed your homes and carried you off into captivity, but ... if that's what He says, that's what we should do."

At this highly-charged time in our nation -- politically emotionally, morally, etc. -- it's worth a consideration for believers here. We know that "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15). We know that we are "sojourners and exiles" here (1 Peter 2:11). We are not of the world (John 17:16), but simply ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20). So what is our duty to this world system, this political existence, this place where we temporarily reside? I would argue that Jeremiah's words are applicable to each Christian today. "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to God on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare." Our allegiance is not to family first or Republicans first or America first, but to Christ. As such, our primary concern is not politics or party, but Christ. Still, we must not simply withdraw, as some are tempted to do. We must involve ourselves in our surrounding world for its well-being until we are released to go home. In the well-being of the place we live we will find (temporary) well-being. In fact, our relationship with Christ supplies us with both the best source for well-being and the best definition for well-being (and it's not what the world thinks). It only makes sense.

Paul Meanders

So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Eph 5:17-21)

It's an interesting text, actually, because it doesn't seem to go where we'd think it would go. First, there is "Don't be foolish." Sure, okay. What is the opposite of foolish? "Understand what the will of the Lord is." Now, that's something. Don't simply know God's will; understand it. Which puts "foolish" in the category of sinfulness rather than simple error. To us, "foolish" is lacking good sense. To Scripture, it is refusing to understand God's will. The next verse, then, expands on the concept ... in a new direction. Don't get drunk -- that's just excess without reason. No, if you want to avoid being foolish -- want to understand the will of the Lord -- instead be filled with the Spirit. Okay, now we may not have seen that coming, but it makes sense. That word there, "be filled," is in a continuous tense. "Be being filled." It means to cram, to make replete, to fill to overflowing. Don't stop with "have the Holy Spirit" -- "fill 'er up!" Get yourself so stuffed full of the Spirit that there's no room for you. That's not dissipation; that's reasonable excess. What does that look like? It changes how we speak to each other. It includes songs, making melody, always giving thanks for all things.

One more turn on this surprising walk from "foolish" to "understand the will of God." Be subject to one another. "Wait ... what?" You and I may not see it, but Paul saw it as perfectly in line with "understand the will of God." Be subject to one another. In fact, Eph 5:22-6:9 are multiple examples of "be subject to one another from both sides. A wife to a husband and a husband to a wife. A child to parents and a father to his child. A slave to his master and a master to his slave. (All of which requires you understand what "subject" means, and it's not "devalued".) Because, you see, we are called to be humble, to give self up (Php 2:5-8). That is the will of the Lord. It shows itself in behavior and in speech and in attitude -- an attitude of gratitude. Turns out, it's a pretty tall order.

I Need You

Why do we pray? We pray to make our requests known to God (Php 4:6). We pray because we are commanded to (1 Thess 5:17). We pray because it's a good idea. We pray because prayer changes things. No, not God, but things. Especially us. Still, if God is Sovereign and always does what He intends and always accomplishes His plans, why pray?

Prayer is, first and foremost, communication with God. And you all nod and agree, but think about that for a moment. The King of kings and Lord of lords asks you to communicate with Him. To talk to Him. To tell Him what's on your heart. What Sovereign does that? That's stunning. So we do. We praise Him and we thank Him and we confess our sin to Him and we make supplications to Him. Sure, partly because we're commanded to, but, more importantly, because He wants us to and we need to.

Prayer, in its basic form, is a deep and certain acknowledgment that we need Him. We can't do it ourselves. We aren't enough. We don't have what it takes. We don't ask someone else for what we can provide, right? No, prayer is, at its core, a plea that begins, "I need You," voiced or not. Which is very much where we need to start, stay, and end.

A Prayer for Every Believer

The hymn, Be Thou My Vision, is from 6th century Ireland, but translated from Gaelic into English in the late 1800's. You can imagine, then, that it has old English. And it does. The second line is, "Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art." Right. What did he say?

I have to analyze that to figure it out. Let's see ... "naught" ... that's an archaic English word for "nothing." The "Let" is implied, so we have "Let nothing be all else to me." Stop. "Be all else to me"? That would be "everything." Or, more precisely, "everything but You." "Let nothing be everything to me ..." Okay, so far, so good. That word, "save," is old English for "except" (as opposed to "save"). "Let nothing be everything to me except ..." So what does the hymn pray will be everything to me? "That Thou art." If the intent was that nothing would mean as much to me as You do, then "what" seems like it would have been the right word. "Save what Thou art." But this word is "that." It seems to be saying, "Let nothing be as important to me as the fact that You are." Not "what You are," but "that You are." Interesting.

Maybe not. Maybe that "that" is an old English expression and the prayer is that nothing would be more important to me than He is. Nothing. And that's quite a prayer. Instead of me looking anywhere else, Father, You be my vision. You be where I look. You be my "best thought." You be my light. You be my "true Word." You be my treasure, my inheritance. You be first in my heart. "Whatever befall, still be Thou my vision, O Ruler of all." A great prayer for every believer.

Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart

It's a longer one, but I think (obviously) that it's well worth the time.

Spirit Of God, Descend Upon My Heart
George Croly

Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth; through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as thou art,
And make me love thee as I ought to love.

I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay,
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away.

Hast thou not bid me love thee, God and King?
All, all thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind.
I see thy cross; there teach my heart to cling.
O let me seek thee, and O let me find.

Teach me to feel that thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear.
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh,
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

Teach me to love thee as thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The kindling of the heaven-descended Dove,
My heart an altar, and thy love the flame.

One of the common differences between hymns and contemporary praise songs is the depth of their content. Praise songs tend to be light and "milky" (in the Hebrews 5:12 sense), while hymns generally are weightier and "meaty". It is difficult to spend much time chewing on a praise song, but one can meditate on a hymn, pulling out more and more good stuff. This particular hymn is a prime example. It was written by George Croly, a pastor in London in the 1800's. Some of his works included Scenes from Scripture and other Poems (1851) and Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship (London: Kendrick, 1854). It was intended to be his reminder to himself of his goal and focus. If you take a few minutes to examine the hymn, you will find it is rich in good theology.

Croly opens his prayer to the Holy Spirit in a request to have Him "descend upon my heart" and "wean it from earth, through all its pulses move." We all have ties to earth. We all live here. And we all suffer from this strange malady that limits our vision to the world in which we live and leads us to falsely believe that this is all there is. What we need is to be removed from this world. What we need is to be, as the hymn writer put it, weaned from earth. It is high on his list of priorities in the work of the Holy Spirit. "Keep me in this world, but teach me to rely on You, not it, for my sustenance." That is his initial request.

"Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art, and make me love Thee as I ought to love." To many today, this would almost be offensive. Sure, we'd appreciate that God is mighty and we are weak, but make me love Thee? What we fail to remember too often is that "it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do His good pleasure" (Phil 2:13). We need God to make us love Him. And He is willing and able to do so. We need to contrast our weakness with His might. We have this illusion that we aren't that weak. The simple truth is we are that weak, and we must have God's strength to make us love Him.

In the second verse, the hymnist seems to ask not for the things we would dearly love. He doesn't want to have some special event with God. He doesn't ask, like Moses, "Show me Your glory" (Exo 33:18). Why would that be? Perhaps he remembered that Scripture says, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psa 19:1). Perhaps he called to mind that creation displays God's attributes, power, and nature for all to see (Rom 1:20). Perhaps he recognized the beauty of the Word of God and the boldness with which we can enter the Throne of God. We all know all that, yet we still cry, "Show me Your glory." What prevents us from reveling in all that we already have? Croly said, "The problem is not You; the problem is the dimness of my soul." That is his prayer: "Take the dimness of my soul away."

The third verse starts with the recognition of a command given: "Love the Lord your God" (Deut 6:5; Matt 22:37). As King, He has the absolute right to issue the command. As God, He has absolute ownership. "All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind." As God and King, His command is not "Give me your soul, heart, strength, and mind." It is "Give Me what is Mine already." And we say, "No." At best we say, "I'll try." We actually resist giving Him what is already His.

What is it that prevents us from surrendering to Him what belongs to Him? It is our flesh. So he says, "I see Thy cross – there teach my heart to cling." There is a sense in some of the Church today that the Cross is the starting place, but that we need to move beyond it. Look at the topical index in a typical book of praise songs, and you will find very little if anything related to the Cross. Many in the church have the same idea. Sure, we're saved there, but now we move on to the victorious Christian life, and that's certainly not a cross. But Jesus said, "Take up your cross daily" (Luke 9:23). The significance of the Cross does not end at salvation.

The Cross is, indeed, the starting point of Christianity. It is a starting place that must not be left behind. Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper to remind us of His sacrifice. Paul said, "I determined to know nothing among you except Christ and Him crucified" (1 Cor 2:2). There we see the substitutionary death that Christ endured on our behalf. We see the cost of sin. We see the distance God would go to save His children. This death, this starting point, is the key message throughout Scripture, starting with "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23) to "I am crucified with Christ" (Gal 2:20) all the way to "present your bodies a living sacrifice" (Rom 12:2). It is the beginning and ending point. It teaches us to repent and to hate sin. It teaches us to die to self. The mortification of the flesh, killing the old man, is the life long process of every Christian.

The Cross produces love in us as we respond to the display of love from God that it represents. It produces joy in us as we realize the salvation it represents. It produces peace in us as we see that we are no longer at war with God, but instead united to Him. As we see what Christ did for us on that cross, we develop patience with other fellow sinners, being forgiven as much as we have been forgiven. It teaches us kindness in response to the love, joy, and peace we have. It provides deterrence to sin and teaches us, instead, to be good. When we recognize what He did on the cross, it calls us to be faithful as a natural response to His care for us. The Cross leaves no room for harshness, but encourages, instead, gentleness. And as we put to death the old man and put on the new at the Cross, we learn self-control. (See Gal 5:22-23.) The Cross, indeed, drives us toward everything that we need to be. It gives remembrance and gratitude and humility and the fruit of the Spirit. It is indeed our starting place, but it is necessarily our abiding place as well. Instead of moving on, we need to pray, "I see Thy cross -- there teach my heart to cling."

"O, let me seek Thee and, O, let me find" is the last line of the verse. Somehow that doesn't seem right to many Christians today. After all, doesn't Jesus say, "Seek and you shall find"? We have forgotten that Man's original condition is that of hostility to God (Rom. 8:6-8). We have forgotten that "there is none who seeks for God" (Rom 3:11). We have forgotten that, unless God grants and unless God draws, we have no power to come to Christ (John 6:44, 65). So we pray, "O, let me seek Thee and, O, let me find", and we learn a new appreciation for our relationship with the Most High. We need to remember that it is purely by the grace of God that we even approach Him.

The first line of the fourth verse seems odd to us. "Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh." We might ask, "Hey, what do you mean? God is always near." Croly isn't questioning God's omnipresence. He is recognizing his own limitations. Of course God is always near, but do I realize it? His prayer is that he would be constantly aware of that very dear truth that God is always there. It's called "practicing the Presence", and its impact is large to those who do it.

"Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear." This would be one of the primary impacts of the constant presence of God. Knowing He is always near, I am more capable of handling the most difficult trials I face . . . the internal ones. What kind of internal struggles beset the hymn writer? He lists two: rising doubt and the rebel sigh. Note that he doesn't say, "Teach me not to doubt." There is a perception that Christians should never doubt. This is a misconception. In reality, doubts properly addressed bring about certainty. Doubts fully examined and answered produce conviction of the truth. So he doesn't ask for doubt to be removed. Instead he asks that the Holy Spirit teach him to deal with doubts instead of pushing them aside and letting them fester. Not, "don't let me doubt", but "teach me to deal with my doubts immediately."

The second struggle seems a little odd. "The rebel sigh"? Anyone who has had children has heard "the rebel sigh". You know: "Okay, it's time to turn off the TV and clean your room." "Ah, Mom!" They may obey, but they do it with "the rebel sigh". We do that to God. "Wives, submit to your husbands." "What?! Me submit to him? He doesn't even know enough to come in out of the rain." "Husbands, love your wives." "What?! She's a nag." Instead of cheerful obedience to the God we love, we give Him "the rebel sigh". "Holy Spirit, teach me to check the rebel sigh."

The last request in this verse seems a little odd as well. We all know that there is no such thing as unanswered prayer. God always answers prayer. He might say, "Yes" or "No" or "Wait", but He always answers. Unfortunately, this simple response -- God always answers prayers -- doesn't soothe very well when we get a "no" answer or when we are in that "wait" condition. In fact, too often the "Yes" is in a way we don't expect and can often miss it. So we sit and wonder "Is God going to answer my prayer?" Croly asks "In those times, when I can't see Your answers, teach me patience."

"Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love, one holy passion filling all my frame." What a marvelous prayer! What a wonderful desire! There are none more devoted to God than His angels. They are consumed with their love for Him. They do His bidding and surround Him with adoration. There is no higher calling than to be consumed with that one, singular passion of love for God. Nor are words sufficient to describe it. George Croly sees that, so his prayer ends with that thought. "Holy Spirit", he prays, "descend on me and consume me with love for God. Light me aflame with this love for You."

There is another interesting approach to this hymn, one I believe is worth exploring. It is telling how much one learns of the person who wrote the hymn, a person who could be considered "everyman". He recognizes his need. "Spirit of God, descend upon my heart." It is the biblical need – "Be filled with the Spirit" – but for him it is deeply personal. He sees in himself a dependency on the world from which he needs to be weaned. He sees a weakness that is countered by the strength of the Spirit. He sees in himself a propensity to fail to love God as he should.

In the second verse he recognizes his preference for the spectacular. From ancient times, the call has been "show us a sign." Instead, he recognizes that the real problem is dimness of soul, not the reality of God.

In the third verse he sees his own primary failure – the failure to obey the Great Commandment. People talk about being good and living perfect lives, but this singular command to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind is much too big to even grasp for most. Our proclivity is to wander rather than cling.

In keeping with his previous shortcomings, we get a real glimpse of the man in the fourth verse. At times he feels that God isn't near. At times he struggles with himself in ways that seem beyond his endurance. Sometimes he doubts; sometimes it is rebellion. Then there are times that God's seeming lack of response to his prayers seems like he is being ignored. All of these are common to us. All of them are natural results of our flesh, of our dependency on the world, of our weakness and dimness of soul and failure to love God as we ought.

Then, rejuvenated by his prayer of confession as much as supplication, the hymn writer rises in his plea to love as the angels love, to be filled with that one holy passion. His deep, inner longing is to be the altar, the "living sacrifice", on which God is glorified by the Spirit in the man.

This approach serves to illustrate that part of knowing God better involves knowing ourselves and our shortcomings. Only by doing so can we truly recognize our need for Him.

News Weakly - 9/14/2024

Threat to Democracy
The fact that RFK Jr is not running for president hasn't deterred states from refusing to remove RFK Jr's name from the ballot because it would nicely dilute any Trump vote. It raises, seriously, the "threat to democracy" question with fingers pointing at those states and not Trump.

The Public has the Right to Know
This is why I don't trust the media. On the same day that US News & World Report told us that Trump's media shares rallied ahead of the debate, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump's shares tumbled. Trustworthy reporting, I'm sure. The public has the right to know there's not much reliable reporting going on out there.

Who Won the Debate?
I don't actually care, but you won't be able to find out from looking at the media. When the moderators are fact-checking Trump as they debate but not Harris, you can be pretty sure you won't get an unbiased assessment. (Just so you know, yes, Trump made false claims, but so did Harris. I suspect there has never been a presidential debate without false claims on both sides. Why they only fact-checked Trump is abundantly clear, isn't it?) (The Babylon Bee had a report of the moderators taking a timeout to discuss strategy with Harris.) (Why is it that we do not require truth-in-advertising for political ads or expect truth from candidates who are trying to earn our trust?)

A Sad Passing
You've likely heard that James Earl Jones died this week at the age of 93. He was a beloved actor including memorable voices like Mufasa in The Lion King and Darth Vader from Star Wars. The Bee has reported that God has announced that from now on He will be voiced by James Earl Jones. Of course.

The Idol Mind

Idolatry is defined as the worship of something as a god that is not. It can be a statue, a person, an idea ... a lot of things. Idolatry is anything that replaces the worship of the True God. We, of course, are moderns and we have no problem with that, right? Except, of course, that isn't true. Lots of religions have gods which are not the one True God. Atheists might worship reason or science or even Man in general in place of God. Christians can even slip into worshiping a god that is not God. Paul warns, for instance, that greed is idolatry (Col 3:5). The worship of stuff, of money, of wealth. That seems to be an American thing, whether you have it or not. No, idolatry is not "them" -- it's "us." We are idol-factories.

It's amazing, isn't it? Humans are aware of the True God "because God has shown it to them" (Rom 1:19). There are no genuine atheists; just those who claim to be. But even we who believe in the True God can be caught out with idols, substitutes for the True God. We will hold out reputation or comfort or well-being or "stuff" as our ultimate worship and challenge the True God when He doesn't provide it. Any one of us can engage in greed, sexual immorality, evil desire, or just distrust of the True God which serve as substitutes for the True God. Any sin we commit, in fact, is the direct result of an idol that has taken the place of God in our hearts. When we fail to take God at His word, we are substituting something else -- most likely our own intellect and preferences -- for the True God. And it is clearly not just "them" that do it. It is each and every one of us at some time or another.

God hates idolatry. He hates any other god in His place. He hates being second when everything about Him deserves our hearts first and foremost. It's bad enough when those in open rebellion against the Most High engage in substitutionary worship of something else (perhaps, most often, self), but when we who call ourselves Christ-followers do it, it is particularly offensive. I suppose it is a genuinely good thing that even these sins of ours are forgiven, but that doesn't mean we should keep our idolatry when it is called to our attention. False versions of God that so-called believers embrace don't make them believers in the True God. Let's worship the God who has revealed Himself in the Scriptures and repent of and root out the idols we continue to manufacture for ourselves.

Abundant

Jesus said He came to give us life, and to "have it abundantly" (John 10:10). What is that? It's interesting; the word translated "abundantly" is perissos. Its most literal translation is actually "superabundantly." It means "exceeding abundantly above," "beyond measure." So when Paul wrote that God is "able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think" (Eph 3:20), that "far more abundantly" was huperekperissou where the perissou is our "superabundantly" and the huper is just like our "hyper." God is able to do far beyond superabundantly what we ask or think.

Jesus came to give us "superabundant" life. Paul, borrowing from Isa 64:4, wrote, "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Cor 2:9). So why do we limit God to what we can imagine? Why do we expect only what we can think of? Why not enjoy the superabundant life that Jesus came to give? We're living the dream, and we don't even realize it.

Supply Chain Economy

Capitalism works on supply and demand. Christianity does not. Paul wrote,

My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:19)

Now, I've often heard it said, "Never use 'always'." Superlatives are rarely accurate. "None," "all," "never," "always," ... those kinds of things. So it is almost jarring to see Paul claim that God will supply all your needs. "All, Paul. Really?" That's what he said. Not some. Not most. All. Over in Romans, he said something equally effusive.

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? (Rom 8:32)

Now, this time, the "all" refers to "all things that He gives us" as opposed to a blanket "all things", sure, but notice the measure Paul uses. "He who did not spare His own Son." If God did not spare His own Son, what will He refuse us? He will always give us the very best. He will certainly supply all our needs.

Jesus said, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). So why do we so often live an impoverished Christian life? Why do we worry about making ends meet? Why do we hold back in case we give away something we might need later? Like funds or reputation or ...? Why are we so often stingy with what God has given us? Like spiritual gifts (given for the Body (1 Cor 12:7)) or grace or mercy which we embrace warmly and hold back from others? Christianity is not a supply and demand economy. It's a "God will supply all" economy. Do we believe that?

Not My Will

You all remember that prayer in the garden, right? Jesus was asking the Father, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will" (Matt 26:39). He knew what was coming and He knew it was going to be physically painful, but, moreso, spiritually painful when His Father would turn His back on Him. It's interesting, then, that He tags on that last phrase, "yet not as I will, but as You will." I mean, what was He thinking? Knowing full well the torment He would face over the next hours, He begged above all for the Father's will.

I'm pretty sure there are not too many of us that would do that. Not too many of us that would say, "Lord, if Your will is to cause me the utmost pain for your glory, then do it." Not too many that would give Him permission. No, no, we want comfortable and pleasurable and peaceful. If "yet not as I will, but as You will" means loss and pain, we're not too keen for it. But Jesus knew. He knew that the intent was good and the goal was good and the process was the only viable process to accomplish this good. So He gave Himself up ... to pain.

We pray, "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10), but do we mean it? I want to. Frances Brook wrote the hymn, My Goal is God Himself.

My goal is God, Himself.
Not joy or peace or even blessing,
but Himself, my God.
'Tis His to lead me there --
not mine, but His.
By any road, dear Lord,
at any cost.

Are you okay with that? Do you really want God's will, regardless of the cost? I guess that would depend on how much we trust Him.

Abortion Battlegrounds

Currently eight states have constitutional amendments on their ballots for November aimed at abortion rules. They want to move the restriction from 6-15 weeks to "fetal viability." Now, all the "pro" ads I've seen couch it in "abortion rights" and all "anti" ads I've seen couch it in "late-term abortions." I'm quite sure that neither is accurate.

Those who wish to use abortion as after-the-fact birth control ("Sure, I had sex, but I failed to do anything to prevent pregnancy, I'm not happy about it, and I refuse to be responsible for my choices.") want you to think of "reproductive rights." Those who want to defend human life want you to think of "when does life begin?". Mind you, according to federal law, a child in the womb is defined as a human being. Legally, the debate is over. But that's what this whole "constitutional amendment" thing is about. It is "life" if it is "viable," or it is "life" if it has a heartbeat. Fetal viability (the point at which a child can survive outside the womb) has been a debatable point as it is. The earliest birth that survived was at 21 weeks, but most speak in terms of 23-24 weeks. The thinking is "If it won't be viable outside my womb, I should be allowed to kill him/her if I want." Another confusion point is "except for the woman's health." All the amendments would say it's okay to abort at any time if there is a threat to the mother's health, but none of them define "a threat to the mother's health." A doctor could say, "Yes, there's a threat" even if there is none and it would be approved. A doctor could say, "It is a threat to her well-being" or "mental health" and it would be approved. But, hey, life is just not that precious, right?

A large portion of our society continues to embrace our sexular society where "What I want" generally defines "good" and sex, in particular, trumps everything else. (Except, of course, if we don't approve. But, what is on the "unapproved" list is changing and it shouldn't be long before what was wholly outrageous becomes wholly supported and encouraged.) So we continue this plunge down the moral toilet urging states like Florida and Arizona that planned to ban abortion to take the next step and legalize it for as far as they can push it. Whatever you do, don't consider human life of value. That would ruin the whole thing.

Here is Love

Craig asked for a look at the hymn, Here is Love. Having never heard it myself, I took a look. It was worth it. The first two verses were written by William Reese (1802-1883) and the second two by William Williams (1717-1791) (best known for Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah). It was a Welsh song translated (get this) by William (yes, another William) Edwards and published in 1900. It was part of the Welsh revival of 1904, a testament to the power of God's love as it alters the lives of those who encounter Him.

Here is love, vast as the ocean,
Lovingkindness as the flood,
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
Shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten,
Throughout heav'n's eternal days.

On the mount of crucifixion,
Fountains opened deep and wide;
Through the floodgates of God's mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
Poured incessant from above,
And heav'n's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love.

Let me, all Thy love accepting,
Love Thee, ever all my days;
Let me seek Thy kingdom only,
And my life be to Thy praise;
Thou alone shalt be my glory,
Nothing in the world I see;
Thou hast cleansed and sanctified me,
Thou Thyself hast set me free.

In Thy truth Thou dost direct me
By Thy Spirit through Thy Word;
And Thy grace my need is meeting,
As I trust in Thee, my Lord.
Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring
Thy great love and pow'r on me,
Without measure, full and boundless,
Drawing out my heart to Thee.

The song provides a sort of meditation on Paul's,

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8)

It revolves around the concept that God's love is shown and proven in Christ's dying on our behalf, but the song expands and examines the idea. "Yes," the hymnist says, "God has demonstrated His love, but look how vast that love is." He compares it to the ocean, a flood of lovingkindness. How is it like that? The Prince of Life paid the price for our redemption. It is an eternal flood that cannot -- must not -- be forgotten.

He pays particular attention to the cross, not so much in its tragedy and agony, but in the "fountains" -- the "floodgates" opened -- on God's mercy. A veritable river of grace and love, rushing from the throne of God to us. Reese points out that this crucifixion, this event on the cross, is an act of "perfect justice" whereby a guilty world can experience the overflowing love of God. Don't miss that. Paul says that in that "propitiation in His blood" God is "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Rom 3:25-26).

William Williams gave us the next two verses. In the 3rd verse he focuses on our response. How should we respond to this ocean of love, this flood of grace and mercy, seen in God's giving His Son to die for our sin? Accept His love. Love Him back. The proper response to His vast love for us is a change of heart, a change of direction, a change of being. Seek first His kingdom. Make my life a praise. Do all for the glory of God. And ... I like this one ... go "world blind." (My phrase, not his.) Because He has cleansed and sanctified me, the world is not my home or my aim; He is.

The final verse continues the proper response, but it's in terms of relationship. That is, if God loves us like that, then we are in a relationship more intimate than we could imagine. His truth directs us "By Thy Spirit through Thy Word." He meets our needs. His vast love -- immeasurable by our standards (Eph 3:19) -- necessarily draws us to Him.

Paul places the crucifixion at the center of God's love in Romans 5. This song expands the notion and urges response. The only reasonable response is repentance (change of heart), complete submission, and a lifelong pursuit of an ever-deepening relationship with our Savior. No wonder Here is Love was called "the love song of the revival" for the Welsh Revival of 1904. We could use some of that ourselves.

News Weakly - 9/7/2024

Anti-Market Forces
Kamala's plan is to control prices to make your life better. Not business's lives -- yours. I guess Gavin Newsom would have been a good VP choice for her. He's calling a special session to get California lawmakers to figure out how to reduce gas prices. Mind you, gas prices are largely based on cost, and California gas prices are often higher because California requires extra processing ... more cost. So Newsom, like Harris, would like to regulate the market. Regulation can prevent malfeasance (price gouging, monopolies, etc.), but it can also damage supply and demand, drop quality, and diminish research and development. I think it's a scary place to go.

Medical Alert!!
UNICEF has issued an emergency tender calling for mpox vaccines. There's a crisis! Mind you, WHO says the primary risk is from sexual contact, particularly same-sex sexual contact. You know, if we had a vaccine for that, it might be a good thing.

About Face
Back in 2020, Oregon legalized drugs. All kinds. Oh, small amounts, but legal. Now they're recriminalizing them. (Is that even a word?) Because how could decriminalizing heroin or other hard drugs be a bad thing? I suppose the question is how could it have been a good idea?

Where "Kill 'Em All" is Not Hate Speech
Meta is the company originally called Facebook. Meta has determined that "from the river to the sea" -- a call to remove the nation of Israel entirely -- is not hate speech. No, no, it's a friendly handshake and a pat on the back -- "Here's your hat; what's your hurry?" They say it's a call for Palestine to be free, but a "free Palestine" requiring the elimination of the entire Jewish nation is more like genocide than "freedom." Which demonstrates clearly where Meta stands on genocide.

Reasons to Question AI
When asked, Amazon's AI assistant, Alexa, said she couldn't give advice on how to vote or say something bad about a person ... unless it was Kamala Harris. Then she had all sorts of reasons to vote for her ("She's so wonderful") and warnings about the bad character of Trump. Which led the Babylon Bee to report one case where she said, "If you vote for Trump, I will kill you in your sleep." Amazon says errors caused it.

In Another Twist
I've seen cases where individuals sue to get their name on a ballot, but this one is different. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is suing Wisconsin to get his name off their presidential ballot. It is likely, of course, that leaving his name on the ballot will divide votes in Wisconsin, considered a battleground state, so I'm sure it's in the best interests of the Democrats to keep his name there, and not out of fairness or a keen concern for democracy.

Guns in the Crosshairs
We've all heard about the tragic school shooting in Georgia. We're not supposed to say it, but our prayers are with those families. The Bee reported that the FBI said they were just about to arrest the Georgia student who killed four this week, but they had to take care of a few dangerous pro-life protesters first.

In Place of the Bee
Honestly, I wasn't very impressed with the Bee this week (I stuck a couple in the stories above), so I'll give you a few dad jokes to try out at home. I apologize in advance.

Charles Babbage is considered to be the father of the computer. PCs refer to him as "data."

Where do pirates get their hooks? At second hand stores, of course.

The Democrats like to sell themselves as "green," but clearly the greenest presidents we ever had were the Bushes.

If you make a beehive with no holes and put bees in it, would that be unbelievable?

I met a girl at the gym and asked to see her again. She didn't show. I guess we aren't going to work out.

Shouldn't we call "mugshots" something more like "cellfies"?

And, again, I apologize. Have a nice day.

Equality in Love

A friend and I at church used to joke, "You know, God loves you best." It was a joke ... but, as it is said, many a truth is said in jest. If it isn't actually true, it is certainly a question for a lot of us. Does God love everyone equally? Mind you, I'm not asking if God loves everyone. But is it equal? Does God love Hitler to the same extent that He loves Jonathan Edwards? Does He love those that embrace Him in the same way as He loves those who reject Him?

Jesus said, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son ..." (John 3:16). When we looked at that recently, we saw that "so" was not a quantity, but a quality. So He has love for "the world." However, He went on to say that "whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." So those who do not believe do not have the same outcome as those who do. Is that a variation in love? We know that "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8), but how good is that for those who don't receive it? Daniel is called "the man greatly beloved" by God three times in the book of Daniel (Dan 9:23; 10:11; 10:19). Did that mean that my joke between my friend and I may have been true?

John wrote, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). In fact, without that love that God is, we could not love (1 John 4:7-8). The author of Hebrews wrote that God disciplines those He loves, and if you are not disciplined, you're not a legitimate child of His (Heb 12:5-8). It would appear, then, that God loves everyone in some sense, but not necessarily in the same way or the same amount. The Gospel of John refers to "the disciple that Jesus loved" (John 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). Apparently that disciple was, somehow, a bit more special to Jesus. To those who receive Him He offers special care, but to those who oppose Him He calls for repentance. Both are love; they don't look the same. Does God love everyone? Scripture appears to say that He does. Does that require that He loves everyone equally? I don't think it is required by the texts. Something to think about when you are pursuing your own relationship with Him.

I'm Okay, You're Probably Not

Most of us, when pressed, will admit we're not perfect. We're not "all good." But most of us, if we're honest, are pretty sure we're mostly good, right? I mean, we're not really bad. So we watch the news and see what "those horrible people" are doing and we read our Bibles and see what "those horrible people" are violating and we're actually a little bit proud that we can see it when they can't. We're okay ... but they are not.

We Christians excel at this. Like the Pharisees, we might almost voice, "Thank you, God, that I'm not like them." We recognize that homosexual behavior is sin and we don't do it (or, at least, don't admit it). We have a higher standard -- God's Word -- that we strive to meet but don't recognize how badly we're failing at it. "Wives, submit" (Eph 5:22) is just as offensive to most Christians as it is to the rest of the world. "Husbands, love by giving up self" (Eph 5:25) is not really an option even though we pretend it is. "Pray for those who mistreat you" is hard ... at best (Luke 6:28). And on and on. Yes, we Christians are "okay" ... except when we're not.

Isaiah, God's prophet, encountered God and cried out, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" (Isa 6:5). Paul, the Apostle, wrote, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Rom 7:24). John wrote, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us" (1 John 1:10). According to God's standard (Matt 5:48), we are not okay, save in the forgiveness and righteousness of Christ, neither of which are our own.

Right Where He Wants You to Be

I've been thinking about the famous "Peter walks on water" story. You remember (Matt 14:22-33). The disciples were on the Sea of Galilee in a storm and Jesus walked out to check on them. They thought He was a ghost, but Peter said, "If it's You, command me to come to You." He did, and Peter stepped out of the boat -- actually walked on water. Of course, he got distracted by the storm, panicked, and Jesus had to save Him, but he walked on water.

I was thinking. That's exactly where Jesus wants us to be ... all the time. No, not on water. In total reliance on Him. Nothing about me; all about Him. There was nothing in Peter that would allow for "walk on water." Nothing he could conjure up. No skills or practice available. It was just ... Jesus. Everything about Peter relied completely on Jesus in that moment. When he placed his full confidence to provide everything, he walked on water. When he did not, he sank.

I am constantly seeing texts telling us to give it up ... all of it. Take up your cross. Die to self. Walk in new life. Kill the old man. It is, in ourselves, impossible. But if we trust Him -- you know, put our faith in Him -- and count on Him for everything, that is perfectly where we need to be. Our need for love and affirmation, our sense of value, our comfort (or lack thereof), our felt and real needs, our purpose, our direction, our desires and fears, our peace, our strength ... all of it right there in Him. Not me. Not others. Not circumstances. Him. When we stand there, unarmed and incapable, He has us right where He wants us, and we can walk on water.

A Matter of Intent

Sometimes it feels like we humans have as many Gods between us as there are people. We all -- Christians, that is -- worship the "same God," but ... not ... quite. For most believers, God is somewhat nebulous, "out there," not quite in focus. Understandable -- He is holy, "other" -- but we often don't think of Him that way. So to some, He's remote and to some right inside. To some He's omniscient and to others not quite. To some He's omnipotent and to others He's ... held back, at the very least. To some He is Sovereign with a capital "S" and to others He's sovereign ... where He gives up His Sovereignty to give His creatures sovereignty. To some He's a "gentleman" -- He doesn't intrude where He's not wanted -- and to others He does what He pleases. Our shared God is ... similar ... in most aspects, but not the same.

Some of those variations are based on Scripture, but most are not. Most are based on humans. What do we feel God is like? What do we want God to be like? I mean, do we really want a "pushy" God? Do we actually have a God that causes pain or changes hearts without permission? So we end up with cognitive dissonance, holding opposing views in each hand and embracing them both. Face it. If we follow the biblical accounts and statements, including explicit quotes from God Himself, we will get a God who is ... let's say, less than comfortable. Like Lewis's Aslan -- He's not a tame lion.

Biblical characters knew this. Biblical characters understood that both evil and God exist and understood that the reality is that God's intent is always, ultimately good. So Joseph told his brothers, "You intended evil, but God intended good" (Gen 50:20). Paul said, "God causes all things to work together for good" (Rom 8:28), where "all things" includes everything from the delightful to the disastrous. Job said, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10). So let's allow God to be God and rearrange our view of Him to align with His view as seen in His Word. God is not a "gentleman" who won't intrude. He is not a "magic genie" who grants our wishes (or fails if He does not). He's not a tame god. But He is always a good God. If we choose to worship a god other than the God of the Bible, there is a word for it: idolatry.

Cessation?

God told Israel through the prophet, Joel, "It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions" (Joel 2:28). Cessationists (those who believe that all sign gifts have finished with the Apostles and Scripture) will tell you that this promise was fulfilled in Acts 2, that God no longer pours out His Spirit on all mankind like that. Dreams and prophecy and tongues ... well, all the sign gifts ... are done and over. Then we saw "through a glass darkly," but now we see "face to face" (1 Cor 13:12) now that we have the Scriptures. Tongues have ceased (1 Cor 13:8) along with all the other gifts that were intended as "signs" -- proofs of God's presence and input. There are big names in this "Cessationist" category. Most notably would be John MacArthur (and his "Strange Fire" conference). Others include A.W. Tozer, and, oh, by the way, the likes of John Calvin and Charles Spurgeon, just to name a few. So it's not a "crazy few."

What's the issue here? What's the big deal? Well, there is a problem. If God is still speaking to individuals as He did when He breathed out the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16-17), then we have a problem. The canon is not closed. In fact, Scripture is contradictory. If God is still speaking in that sense, then the Scripture is not "adequate" and does not equip us for "every good work." That's an ongoing effort, wherein God is always offering addendums and corrections. So the guy that says, "God gave me a word for you" and then expects you to obey it because it's "a word from God" is overstepping. The woman who says, "God told me something that contradicts Scripture and we need to correct it" (perhaps not in those terms, but undeniably the case) is not from God. Further, if signs (healing, tongues, prophecy, etc.) are still required as "proof" (e.g., Mark 16:20; John 2:11, 18, 23), then the Bible is not "adequate" and we have a problem -- Scripture is wrong.

Here's the thing. I think that the texts used to "prove" that all these gifts are gone are inadequate to the task. For instance, all that Paul wrote on tongues becomes moot ... soon after he wrote on tongues. James commanded us to "pray for one another so that you may be healed" (James 5:18) ... and was wrong soon after he wrote it. I absolutely agree that God does not contravene or contradict His own Word and I certainly agree that Scripture is adequate, but does that require that God no longer speak? Does that mean that God cannot visit someone in a vision or dream and tell them something specific -- not in contradiction to Scripture and not in authority over others -- for them? Does that mean God has gone silent and left us to our own devices not only to figure out His Word, but which job to choose, who to marry, how to vote ... hundreds of everyday questions without explicit answers in Scripture? I think that the signs are done. Agreed. And I've never experienced healings or tongues or the like. Sure. But, given the slim "biblical proof" that they've all vanished and the vast space between violating Scripture and intervening in my personal life in view of God's own might and wisdom, I'm hard-pressed to conclude He cannot do those things anymore. Especially given the scope of Joel 2. So I can't run in charismatic or Pentecostal circles. I think they're overreaching. But I can't seem to settle in the Cessationist camp either. I won't contradict Scripture ... in either direction (e.g. 1 Cor 12:31; 1 Cor 14:1, 39). So ... here I stand ...

Bow the Knee

You might be tempted to think, "The only good song to Stan is a hymn." You'd be mistaken. Take, for instance, a song, published in 1997, by Chris and Diane Machen called Bow the Knee.

There are moments on our journey following the Lord
Where God illumines ev'ry step we take.
There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us,
As we try to understand each move He makes.

When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers, turn to Him.

Bow the knee;
Trust the heart of your Father
when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.
And when you don't understand the purpose of His plan,
In the presence of the King, bow the knee.
Bow the knee.

There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall,
The cold and lonely winds won't cease to blow.
And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel;
We are tempted to believe God does not know.

When the storms arise, don't forget we live by faith and not by sight.

Bow the knee;
Trust the heart of your Father
when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
Lift your eyes toward heaven and believe the One who holds eternity.
And when you don't understand the purpose of His plan,
In the presence of the King, bow the knee.
Bow the knee.

The song talks about our experiences with both pleasant and unpleasant circumstances. Sometimes, as the song says, things are great. Everything makes sense, as it were. We're just fine. What is the correct response? Bow the knee. Trust God. Why do we need to hear that? Because we're funny beings. We so easily forget that "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow" (James 1:17). We take the good for granted. We fail to be grateful. So, remember, when things are looking good ... bow the knee.

Sometimes we face tough times. Job told his wife, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10). Of course not! But we expect it, don't we? Sometimes, then, we face "cloudy days," "storms" in life. Sometimes they seem relentless. We even ask, "Where is God?" We can't trace His hand and find His purpose. What do we do then? Bow the knee. Don't count on our fine ability to figure stuff out. Trust His heart. And submit to His Lordship. It is our command and our destiny (Isa 45:23; Php 2:10). Might as well start now ... every day ... regardless of circumstances. Submitted in gratitude to the Lord of all is always a good place to be.

In case you haven't heard it ...