News Weakly - 5/18/24

The Myth of Higher Learning
Jerry Seinfeld received an honorary degree from Duke University and gave a speech ... which caused a walkout because he believed Israel had the right to defend herself. The news item called it "the latest manifestation of protests that have roiled U.S. campuses" because, although it's called "higher learning," these students appear to no longer be able to think clearly or even discuss rationally, justifying the genocide of a nation (Israel) with false accusations of ... genocide of Gaza. (False accusations as illustrated by the Bee story about Israel warning civilians to leave Rafah "in the most incompetent gencide ever.") Don't call it "higher learning." It is brain washing, not higher learning.

The Headline Says It All
The AP headline read, "Small, well-built Chinese EV called the Seagull poses a big threat to the US auto industry." Get it? The U.S. auto industry is threatened by a small, well-built, reasonably-priced electric car ... because we do not make such a product. Well, maybe we can make "small," but not so much the rest. I think that's very telling. Maybe the threat isn't the existence of such a car, but the failure/refusal/inability of the U.S. industry to do so.

What Could Go Wrong?
Two years ago California passed a law under pressure from the White House that helps farmworkers unionize, and at least one agricultural company is suing the state over it. I mean, unionizing farmworkers ... which always increases pay ... which always increases prices ... what could go wrong, right? A 2024 study on living wage says that for a single adult to live comfortably in Massachusetts (the highest state) they would have to make $116,000 a year and in West Virginia (the lowest listed) it would be about $79,000. (Funny thing ... I'm not making that much.) At some point, the imaginary "living wage" will be a moving target moving so fast that it will be out of reach for most Americans, it seems.

Surrendering Rights
It was confirmed last year that the Chinese company that owns TikTok uses it to gather user data on a broad scale for political purposes. So, reasonably, the government would like to stop that leak. They passed a law that would either turn off TikTok for the safety of all or have it sold off. Of course, TikTok users are suing the government because they say it takes away their free speech. Does it threaten the security of users? Yes. Does it threaten the security of the U.S.? Yes. But they don't care; they just want to be heard. And TikTok is "the only way." (Which, of course, is not true.) It's just another example of "I want what I want and I will not make any sacrifices for anyone but myself."

Wait ... What??
Apparently the UN has cut the estimates from Hamas's Ministry of Health of the deaths of women and children in Gaza in half. Wait ... are you suggesting that Hamas has been less than honest? You mean they lied?? Are you suggesting those who have stated their intent to eliminate Israel might have exaggerated for propaganda purposes ... and the loudest voices around the world were gullible enough to believe them? No, that can't be!

Tolerance and Inclusion It's Not
A Kansas City Chiefs kicker, Roman Catholic by religion, gave a commencement speech at a Roman Catholic college from the perspective of Roman Catholic values (LGBT as sin, traditional family values, etc.), but because it didn't align with anti-Roman-Catholic values , a change.org petition has been filed calling for him to be fired from the Chiefs. That's only because America believes in free speech and robust discussion everywhere, but especially on college campuses. Or not. "If you aren't going to knuckle under to our values and perspectives, you should not be employed or have any means to survive." Nice.

Child Unsafety Mandate
As Maryland competes with California for having the most advanced liberal policies, they've now cut parents out of the loop in their education. Parents cannot opt their children out of LGBTQ-inclusive material. Your kids must be told that this stuff is good stuff and you will not be allowed your religious freedoms in preventing it. Why more Christians aren't opting for homeschooling for the sake of their children is beyond me. Public schools these days are not safe spaces anymore.

Internet Funnies
Not the Bee, but I saw a political cartoon the other day that showed a (fictitious) newspaper headline that read, "Iran to halt arms supply to Hamas; Cites humanitarian concerns." The caption was, "A headline you will never see." Too true, too true. Again, not the Bee, but the Genesius Times story was about pro-Hamas college feminists excited to become second class citizens under Sharia law. Seriously, I've never understood the pro-palestine support from folks like LGBT or feminists who wouldn't be tolerated in Palestine. And then, the unfortunate one from the Bee is the story about how the latest polls suggest Biden will need twice as many fake ballots to win the election this year. I mean, I get it, but we all know all that election fraud is fake news ... right? I mean, the media and the government told us so, right?

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

No Man Can

There are a lot of fun stories in the book of Daniel. You know, stuff like the classic Daniel in the lion's den, or the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego who went into the fire for God even if God wasn't going to stand for them. (He did.) Some really remarkable prophetic portions and some really remarkable stories.

One of the memorable ones takes place at the beginning of the book. Nebuchadnezzar has some of the young Jewish prisoners around to train them to be good Babylonians -- part of his advisor corps. One night he had a dream that made him crazy, so he called in his top advisors and asked them to tell him the meaning of the dream. "Sure thing," they told him, "as soon as you tell us the dream." "Oh, no," the king responded, "you will tell me both the dream and its meaning." "No one has ever asked for that," they responded, "because no one can do it." So, in all fairness, Nebuchadnezzar commanded that all his advisors and all their families be killed. Well, the four young Jews -- Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego -- didn't panic; they prayed. And God told Daniel the dream and its interpretation. So Daniel went in to tell the king. "Oh, king," Daniel said, "I can tell you the interpretation, but no one can tell you the dream." He went on to say, "However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed ..." (Dan 2:28). The dream was the famous statue with golden head, silver chest, bronze midsection, iron legs, and and feet of clay. And Daniel laid it all out -- dream and interpretation -- for the king.

It's a fun story -- Daniel getting both interpretation and dream -- but the most amazing part of that story to me is Daniel's response to the king who asked, "Can you make known to me the dream ...?" "Don't be silly," he essentially replied. "No man can do that. God did." Jesus said, "Apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Some take that to mean, "Without Me you can't produce fruit," but I think it's much broader than that. We are, for instance, commanded to "work out your salvation" because "it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do His good pleasure" (Php 2:12-13). So, we work, but only because God is at work. We get up in the morning only because He enables it. We feed and dress and house ourselves only because He is empowering us to do so. Brushing your teeth is an act of God's kindness to you. Scripture says, "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things" (Rom 11:36). All things. Daniel understood that he couldn't do what the king asked, but God did it, and God got the credit (Dan 2:47; cp Matt 5:16) while Daniel got rewarded (Dan 2:46, 48). That's a pretty good model for our lives as well. God should always get the credit. God always gives generously.

Prayer Impediments

More than a few have compained that prayer is difficult. Oh, not simply doing it, so much as accomplishing it. I mean, too often it feels like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, so to speak. It feels like we don't get a lot of answered prayers. Now, there are likely more than a few answers to that dilemma, but, according to Peter, if a husband refuses to live with his wife in an understanding way or honor her as a fellow heir of the grace of life, it will hinder his prayers (1 Peter 3:7). If something we do can hinder our prayers, wouldn't be a good idea to at least eliminate that problem?

So we have that situation with husbands and their wives. What else is there? Well, one obvious one is faith. James wrote that we could ask God for wisdom, but we need to ask in faith (James 1:5-6). If we don't, he says, "That man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:7). Asking God for things you don't believe He'll give is crazy -- James calls it "double-minded" (James 1:8). What else? The psalmist wrote, "If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear" (Psa 66:18). How are you doing with that? Now couple that with, "Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions" (Mark 11:25-26). In this case, you are praying while refusing to forgive, which, apparently, is in the category of regarding wickedness in your heart. I don't suppose we should expect a good outcome in that case, either. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering" (Matt 5:23-24). This isn't the same as failing to forgive. This is when you know someone else has something against you. Make it right ... posthaste.

We do tend to wrestle with what appears to be unanswered prayers sometimes, but I have to wonder how many times the lack of hoped-for answers is in our own hands. Fellow believers, do you believe God can and will supply what you ask? Check your faith. Husbands, are you rightly relating to your wives? That's on you. Sin is a violation of relationships, either with God or with our fellow human beings. Are you correcting that? Are you forgiving those who have wronged you while making amends with those you have wronged? These things are yours to manage, not shortcomings with God. Odd, isn't it, how much we simply ignore these kinds of things and complain about God's lack of answers.

The Secret of Happiness

Let's face it. Something all humans have in common is just to be happy. All of us. Now, mind you, exactly what makes an individual happy may vary widely, but happiness is a universal drive. And it's not like happiness is wrong. It's not. But the drive for happiness can be abused. And it can be elusive. And why is that? It's because happiness is the feeling of well-being and contentment. Lacking one or both of those disrupts happiness. And then there's joy. Now, in English the two are synonymous, but biblically there is a difference. Happiness is an emotional response to circumstances, but joy, biblically, is a command (Php 3:1; Php 4:4; 1 Thess 5:16; 1 Peter 4:13). Now, we know that you cannot command emotional responses, so there is something about joy that can be a choice rather than an emotional response. In English terms, joy is objective -- based on facts -- while happiness is subjective -- based on personal feelings. Objective is based on thinking and subjective is based on feeling. We are never commanded to feel happy, but we are commanded to have joy.

So what's the secret? Is there a way to enjoy the emotion we call "happiness" more in our lives? Or are we doomed to wander through life hoping for more pleasant circumstances that cause us to respond with more pleasant feelings? I think there is hope for happiness. Consider. If happiness is an emotional response to the perception of positive circumstances -- if we were to perceive that we were content and in pleasant conditions -- we would respond emotionally with ... happiness, wouldn't we? So how can that happen? If there is a way to convince ourselves that life's turns and trials are positive, wouldn't that result in joy? And if we had that belief that circumstances were good, wouldn't we respond emotionally with happiness?

It's easy, actually, and not ... at all. The answer is simple; the doing is not. Here's the idea. If joy is the belief that my circumstances are good, I can always be joyful because "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28). Note, first, the source: God. Completely reliable; never fails. Second, the scope: all things. Not some. Not maybe. All things. If we know that God causes all things to work together for good, then we know that all circumstances are for our best. If we know that we are more than conquerors in every circumstance (Rom 8:31-39), we can be joyful in every circumstance. And if we are viewing our circumstances as good because God is good, then our emotional response should be happiness. Or, let's try this another way. If we believe that God exists and that "He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb 11:6), then we can rejoice in all circumstances and, having joy in all circumstances, we can experience happiness. Easy, right? No, of course not. But the difficulty is only a matter of faith ... of what you really believe.

Sexual Immorality

It seems a little odd that one particular sin is listed in almost every list of sins in the Bible. Just about anywhere you find a variety of sins laid out in a text, sexual immorality is there and, usually, near the top of the list. Why is that? Why is that specific sin so commonly listed ... so prevalent? Let us consider. First, an explanation. The term "sexual immorality" (sometimes translated simply as "immorality") includes all sexual sin. Scripture delineates a few kinds of such sin. There is "fornication" which is sex outside of marriage and there is "adultery" which is sex inside of marriage but not with your spouse. The Bible lists specifics like homosexual sin (e.g., 1 Cor 6:9) and incest (e.g., Lev 18:6-18) and prostitution (e.g., 1 Cor 6:15-16), and all of these fall nicely under the umbrella of "sexual immorality."

I think there are two fundamental reasons sexual immmorality is so often warned against in the pages of Scripture. First, the origin of sexual sin is explained in the first chapter of Romans. After explaining that God's wrath is against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of those who suppress the truth (Rom 1:18), Paul explains that the truth that is suppressed is the truth of who God is (Rom 1:19), a truth that God made clear (Rom 1:20). Paul goes on to say,

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. (Rom 1:21-24)

We see here the origin of sexual sin. It isn't lust; it is the suppression of the truth about who God is that is displayed in failing to honor and thank God. The first result of this lie that humans tell themselves is "foolishness" in which God "gave them over" to ... lust. That is, the origin of sexual immorality is our refusal to recognize or appreciate God. Other sins ensue (Rom 1:25-32), but sexual sin is listed first. So the first reason sexual sin is so prevalent in Scripture is that it is fundamentally a basic rejection of God; it is an exchange of the truth of God for a lie (Rom 1:25). That's much larger than a minor infraction. The second reason is the effect. Paul gives a generalization of the effect in the text above ("so that their bodies would be dishonored"), but a clearer explanation occurs over in 1 Corinthians.

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, "The two will become one flesh." But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (1 Cor 6:15-17).

We live in a "mechanical" worldview where people are just meat and everything is just physical, but Scripture is clear that there is more to this world than the merely physical. From the beginning God designed human sexual relations to produce a fusion -- "The two will become one flesh." In fact, Paul explains that this "two become one" fusion is part of God's design to demonstrate the relationship of Christ to the Church (Eph 5:31-32). In the 1 Corinthians 6 text, Paul explains that we are supposed to be fused with Christ, so if we violate that design by sexual sin, we are disrupting everything that God had in mind for His people. Not a minor issue.

Our society has put the pedal to the metal on this particular sin. They changed a common moral code -- sex only in marriage -- to "whenever with whomever you want." Our entertainment and media took the "free love" movement out of its time location and fed it back into historical events to convince us all that it has always been this way. (It hasn't.) We complain that they've been normalizing homosexual behavior, but they've been normalizing sexual immorality in all its forms for decades. They've done their job so well that Christians who can read Scripture just fine don't even notice that they are involved in sexual sin. But Scripture is clear. Don't resist it; flee (1 Cor 6:18; 2 Tim 2:22)! It is the equivalent of idolatry. "What You have given me, Lord, is inadequate and I will satisfy my desires my own way." And the consequences are much bigger than God's disapproval. Sexual sin joins us to "not God," something that should be abhorrent to every follower of Christ. Sexual sin takes the "temple" of God and joins it to a person not approved by God. "You are not your own," Paul says, "for you were bought with a price, so glorify God in your body" (1 Cor 6:18-19).

Truth Decay

According to multiple scientific studies, a variety of "xenobiotics" -- chemical substances found in an organism that are not natural to the organism -- likely cause or, at least, affect autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Seventy-four percent of these studies concluded that mercury in particular was a risk factor for ASD. Mercury (specifically ethylmercury) is used in a variety of vaccines. Of course, Big Pharma has studied this and found them to be perfectly safe. Mind you, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 puts pharmaceutical companies outside the reach of the law even if their drugs are found to have serious, even fatal side effects. So that ought to make you trust our Big Pharma Big Brother. Truth is their only concern (wink, wink).

I am pro-life -- I favor saving human life over terminating it at any stage -- but in the public parlance that makes me "anti-abortion." That's simply not true, but no one cares about the accuracy of such a term. I think that homosexual behavior is a sin and that people who believe they are the opposite sex they were born into are mentally troubled, so that makes me a "hater," "anti-gay," "anti-trans," "homophobic," "transphobic" ... let's see ... have I missed any of the dismissive and false epithets? None of those terms are true, but it doesn't matter because no one cares about the accuracy of such terms. Robert Kennedy Jr. is making the news running for president because he waged a campaign to get mercury out of vaccines (which science says can be a real problem) and has been labeled "anti-vax" and "a conspiracy theorist." The labels (and associated libel) will stick because no one cares about the accuracy of such terms.

We've decided that it is not possible to discuss ideas that are different than our own without becoming hostile, pejorative, and insulting. We've decided that the news media (whose job was once to inform but has switched to influencing) tells the truth if we hear it often enough and (much worse) social media is never wrong. Oh, and the squishy god of Science ... let's not forget them. Having actually worked in the field and seen the willingness to falsify data and reporting, I have to qualify that god as a puny god. We're not headed in the right direction. Which is why I am so grateful to have a book of truth (John 17:17) breathed out by God (2 Tim 3:16) on which to stand. Don't expect a world, hostile to God (Rom 8:7), to agree with you about that truth. Fortunately their agreement is not required to make it true.

Mother's Day, 2024

A few weeks ago at church, someone asked a group of us, "Who would you say was the biggest influence on your life?" Different people told different stories, but the first person, after Jesus Christ, that came to my mind was my mother. I don't think that's any sort of exaggeration.

Starting from the beginning -- and I mean the actual beginning -- my mother made me what I am. She birthed me. She trained me. She educated me. She exhorted and encouraged me. She guided me. Sure, there were a lot of people who did much of that, but none so intensely nor so consistently as she did. Our culture dislikes the "stay-at-home-mom" concept, but she liked it and did it well. She was there when we left for school and there when we came home. My parents made sure we were in church every Sunday (even if we were on vacation) ... and a good church at that. When the one we were in seemed to no longer meet the needs of us kids, they changed to one that did. Even moved to another city to be closer to it. My mother never said, "Wait 'til your father gets home." She was my primary discipline. And she did it on biblical principles to bring us up with biblical perspectives. She encouraged me to talk to her and I did ... about all sorts of things. I never felt like I wasn't allowed. And she counseled me in small and large issues. She still does. She taught us the importance of family, to do our work, to keep our space clean, to obey authority, to read the Bible ... a list of everything we would need to be responsible, adult followers of Christ.

Mom never came across as perfect. She spent a year becoming a more grateful person because she understood we were to give thanks in everything and she was not. So she set aside daily prayer time for giving thanks and communicated to people all around her things for which she was grateful. To this day, if you ask her, "How are you?" she'll answer, "Grateful" and mean it. She taught me godliness and humility, faith and courage, perseverance and repentance, and always ... always a deep and abiding love for God and His Word. So I say, "Thanks, Mom. Thanks for the work you've done. Thanks for being a useful tool in the hands of a loving Savior. Thanks for the example you've laid and the love you've given." Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

News Weakly - 5/11/24

Inclusion That Excludes
In the interest of inclusion, the Boy Scouts will no longer be boy scouts. Next year they will be "Scouting America." Which only makes sense in this crazy mixed up world that cannot define "boy" or "girl" and will certainly be offended if you try ... especially with science. Sarcasm aside, it's sad when there can no longer be special gatherings for males apart from females and females apart from males. Oh, wait ... I guess there is still "Girl Scouts," so it's only males who can't have male gatherings. (I liked the Bee's version of the story, where the Boy Scouts, in the name of inclusivity, eliminated every word in their name except "of".)

The American Injustice System
One of Trump's current court trials is over the accusation not that he had a sexual encounter with Stormy Daniels nor that he paid her to keep quiet -- neither of which are criminal acts -- but that he falsified business records to cover up the payment. So why is Stormy Daniels giving lurid details of the encounter in his trial? Trump's lawyers suggest it's because they're trying to "inflame" the jury and called for a mistrial (which the "unbiased" judge denied). No one, apparently, is concerned with Daniel's breach of contract by sharing the account for money and no one, it seems, is concerned about the actual charges -- cooking the books -- since Daniel's testimony had no bearing on those charges. I'm no Trump fan, but it looks to me like a marvelous injustice system at work. What's next? "And he looks orange!! You have to find him guilty!!"

Playing the "Innocent Card"
District Attorney Fani Willis refused to testify before a Georgia state Senate panel investigating her. Her reasoning? "I don't think they have the authority, and I didn't do anything illegal." Marvelous! I think everyone should try that. "I didn't do anything illegal. I won't answer any questions." Should work fine. (I didn't think the person being investigated had the right to determine their own guilt or innocence for the authorities.)

Who Are You Going to Believe?
Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal ... and then attacked Israel ... again. The Bee's story says, "Hamas celebrates proposed ceasefire with rocket barrage."

Better Laws Make Better People
Pennsylvania made the news this week for passing a law that prohibits drivers from using cell phones while driving. Of course, I'm in favor of such a ban, but currently something like 25 states already do that, so I'm not sure how newsworthy it is. And, as a person who lives in such a state and sees how many accidents occur from cell phone use despite the ban, I'm not sure how effective it will be. You know, like gun restrictions where people willing to violate the law against murder are expected to follow the law against gun possession. Good laws don't make better people.

Truth Genocide
According to UNICEF, 14,000 children have been killed in the Israel/Hamas conflict since October. I am not quite clear on where that number comes from. The Hamas-run Ministry of Health (MOH) is providing the numbers, but there is no reason to think those numbers can be trusted. The stories are already out of how unreliable MOH and the media can be, since neither are in the business of informing, but in manipulating public opinion. And Hamas is already using the "women and children as shields" strategy, so who is actually causing these deaths? I wrote this entry after seeing a billboard in my area that claimed, "Your tax dollars have killed 18,000 children in Gaza." Well, there you have it ... a truth claim without any substantiation, so you'd better act and act now. Because Americans are not so much concerned with truth anymore, are they?

One From Side Bee
And finally, just for fun, the Bee put up a story about the moment that Joseph and Mary figured out Jesus was actually divine. It was when He completed a carpentry project without going back to Home Depot one single time. I get it.

Love and Fear

The bumper sticker said, "I love my country, but I fear my government." It has been around for a long time, I hear. One person said they saw it in the Clinton era. But, apparently, time is not healing that wound. I can't speak for liberals, but conservatives have seemed to share that sentiment for a long time. Of course, nowadays "I love my country" is on the decline, as shown when a gathering of American citizens shout, "Death to America." Revisionists want to alter history as if belittling the country will make it better. The common talk is not about how good it is to be an American, but how bad America is ... and always has been ... while they enjoy the good things we have in this country.

I don't think the idea is silly. I think there are lots of things to fear from our government. Excessive taxation, excessive spending, excessive laws, excessive money given to unreliable politicians ... on and on it goes. Common sense is no more. Boys will be girls and girls will be boys and too many nod and say, "That's right." A scant minority make majority demands and get them -- the tail wagging the dog -- not because they're reasonable, but because we can't think straight anymore. Take, for instance, gun control. We have a problem with people using guns to commit murder. So they want to make more laws to regulate them ... because the existing laws like "It's illegal to shoot someone" are so effective, right? I mean, if they're breaking existing laws, why are additional laws more effective? Just one example. Californians are fleeing California because they don't like the liberal bastion it has become ... and they're taking their voting that made it that way with them to their new homes. Another example. Government power, government oversight, government intrusion, government incompetence ... there is a list of things to worry about from our government, and it doesn't seem to matter if it's Democrat or Republican. Worse, it seems to reflect the people, since we voted in the government.

But I don't want you to think I'm without hope. I don't actually concur with the sentiment. I don't love my country so much that it is over all other considerations, and I don't fear my government so much that it alters my life. Why is that? I know the One who is actually in control. I know that no one can stop God from accomplishing what He intends (Psa 115:3; Dan 4:35) and always for good (Rom 8:28). Ultimately, if God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31) As for the rest -- conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, straight and queer, cisgender and non-binary ... whatever group you want to include -- I fear for them since all they have is what's here and that's a scary proposition.

Mutual Submission

In what appears to be one of the most offensive things Paul ever wrote, he calls on wives to "be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord ... in everything" (Eph 5:22-24). A real sticking point. Many -- even believing women -- have a real problem with that. What is often missed, of course, is the previous verse that starts the whole ball rolling: "Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ" (Eph 5:21). Clearly Paul is not only saying, "Wives submit to your husbands," but obviously that husbands need to submit to their wives -- "be subject to one another." So in what way are husbands supposed to submit to their wives?

This topic -- "be subject to one another" -- actually goes from Eph 5:21-6:9 in which Paul gives examples of how husbands and wives, fathers and children, and slaves and masters all need to submit to one another. It is a sweeping concept. So in what way are husbands supposed to submit to their wives? The text spreads itself out for us to follow. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Eph 5:25). Husbands are supposed to submit themselves to their wives by loving them. Okay, we get it. That's not bad. We are not supposed to love ourselves over our wives. But that's not what it says. That's how it begins. "Love your wives as Christ loved the church." Okay, now, that's a bit more. How did Christ love the church? He died for her. He gave up His life for her. See? That's a bit more. Not merely to prefer her, but to be willing to die for her. And, note, that isn't always easy. Sure, to lay down your life for a loving wife might be one thing, but, even as Paul points out (Rom 5:6), how many are willing to do so for an antagonistic wife? That is a step beyond simply loving her. But wait! There's more. And it's not opinion; it's explicit. "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her." Okay, now, in what way did Jesus "give Himself up" for her? Paul outlines that in his letter to the church at Philippi. He told them, "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Php 2:3-4). That's "You're not #1 anymore. Regard others as more important than yourself." He goes on to say, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (Php 2:5-8) where he details just how far Christ went to "empty Himself" (Php 2:7) to die for the church. "Gave Himself up for her" is not merely "giving your life." It is "giving self up."

In the end, the "be subject to one another" command is massive. Wives, submit as to the Lord." Husbands, give self up." It runs counter to human nature every time. And it is the clear and unequivocal command for spouses, for children and fathers, for servants and masters, for all believers. Surrender. You are not the issue. You are not the priority. Surrender ... self. Which seems impossible on the surface and is only remotely reasonable when you factor in the promises that Christ will never leave us (Heb 13:5), that God works all things together for good (Rom 8:28-29), that God supplies our needs (Php 4:19), that, because of Christ, we are more than conquerors in every circumstance (Rom 8:31-39). The commands seem overbearing at first look, but simplistic when we consider the vast promises we have for God's constant care for us. Imagine, then, life and relationships predicated on mutual submission where our primary concern in each situation is for their best interest and not our own because God is taking care of our own best interest. That has to be a little taste of heaven.

As Sure As The Sun Rises

Job is famous for, after receiving news that he lost his children and his wealth, declaring, "YHWH gave and YWHW has taken away. Blessed be the name of YHWH" (Job 1:21). That is, Job assigned the losses to God and was okay with it. We are told to "Count it all joy when we encounter various trials" (James 1:2) because they are for our best. We are promised that God will supply all our needs (Php 4:19) and that, even in the worst of all circumstances, we "overwhelmingly conquer" (Rom 8:32-37). And we are told that God's promises are certain because God's purpose never changes and it is impossible for God to lie (Heb 6:17-18). So, given all this, why is it that you and I worry so much?

We have a saying -- "As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow." That's a certainty. That cannot change. We may be fairly sure of a whole lot of things, but the sun is coming up tomorrow, and that serves as a standard by which we can know some things. Yet, too often, we're not as sure of God's promises as we are of the sun rising. And that's odd ... very odd. It's odd because the certainty that the sun will rise tomorrow is totally dependent on God. Did you know that? We know that "in Him all things hold together" (Col 1:17). That is, if He didn't hold it together, it would not be. We know that "from Him and through Him and to Him are all things" (Rom 11:36), which includes ... sunrise. The reliability of the sun rising tomorrow is predicated on the faithfulness of God since all existence is predicated on the faithfulness of God. Our failure to remember that fact is just our latent deism, the notion that God just spun everything up and it runs on its own now. It doesn't. We sing, "He's got the whole world in His hands," but fairly often we just don't believe it.

If you are confident that the sun will rise tomorrow, you should be equally confident that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28). If you are not afraid that the stars will fall from the sky, you should be equally sure that we can "exult in tribulation" (Rom 5:3). If it is true that the sun rises, we can have peace in trial and hope in hardship because sunrise is just another evidence that God is in control ... and always for the best.

Healing Faith

We are all quite clear that we are healed by faith. I'm not primarily talking about physical healing here; I'm talking about spiritual healing. We are saved by faith. Without faith, we cannot be saved. Oh, yes, faith is also essential in other kinds of healing as well. When the man came to Jesus asking Him to rid his son of a demon, Jesus said, "All things are possible to him who believes," to which the father responded desperately, "I do believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24). And it was enough. For all kinds of healing, faith is required. So, where do we get it?

There's a famous story in Acts 3 when Peter and John were going to the Temple. They encountered a man born lame asking for money. I'm sure you remember Peter's famous words: "Silver and gold have I none, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene — walk!" (Acts 3:6). And he did. Now, we know that faith is required for such events, so where did it come from? In the sermon that followed, Peter made it clear. "On the basis of faith in [Jesus's] name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all" (Acts 3:16). Peter was telling the crowd, "We didn't do it; Jesus did." But beyond that, Peter ascribes the origin of the required faith ... to Christ. The man was healed by "the faith which comes through Him." Indeed, it's not a one-off, a singular idea for this text. Paul wrote, "God has allotted to each a measure of faith" (Rom 12:3). (That "each" is written to believers in Rome, so the "each" to which God has allotted a measure of faith would be anyone who does believe, as opposed to all humans.) Paul told the Philippians, "To you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" (Php 1:29). "Granted for Christ's sake ... to believe in Him." On multiple occasions Scripture makes it clear that faith is a gift given to those who then exercise that faith for healing -- salvation and otherwise.

We like to think that our faith is our contribution to the mix, our part in our salvation. Some have said, "God does 99.9% and we supply the rest in our faith." Not really. Even that faith is a gift. We are required to trust Christ for salvation, and then supplied with the saving trust required. We exercise that trust and are given grace that saves. It's a marvelous arrangement given to sinners hostile to God. We owe Him everything.

Cheap Glory

Scripture is abundantly clear that a key issue, a fundamental concern of God, is His glory. Moses longed to see it (Exo 33:18). God said, "I am YHWH, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images" (Isa 42:8). We are commanded, "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). God's glory is serious, essential, the primary thing. But ... what is God's glory?

The glory of God is all God's attributes combined. It is God on display. It is seen in Creation (Psa 19:1) The word from Hebrew translated "glory" refers to His weightiness -- His immense importance -- and the respect that commands. In the Old Testament God's presence was referred to as "the glory of YHWH" (Exo 40:34). Scripture refers to it as His radiance (Luke 2:9; Heb 1:3). The glory of God is massive, critical, huge. So when Paul says that sin is falling short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), it makes perfect sense that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). Death for an infraction? No, death for violating the immense glory of God. Death for besmirching the name of the Only God. To the "civilized" mind, "without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb 9:22) might seem barbaric, but if God's glory is truly His magnificence and sin violates God's glory, it is not merely reasonable; it is perfectly just.

It is, then, a thing of horror when we humans choose to minimize sin. "It's not that bad." "God can just forgive ... don't worry about it." We minimize God's magnificence by minimizing His glory by sin and then minimizing its significance. "He's a big God. He won't bear a grudge." Justice, on the other hand, demands a response, and the seriousness of the violation demands a large penalty. That's why Jesus came to ransom sinners (Mark 10:45). That's why we required redemption (Rom 3:24; Gal 3:13). That's why Jesus is our propitiation -- the One who appeases God's righteous wrath (Rom 3:25-26; Heb 2:17). And the question is very relevant: "How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" (Heb 2:3). That's why Jesus shed His blood (Matt 26:28). God's glory is not cheap, and violating His glory is not trivial. The clearer that becomes to us, the more we will embrace His salvation.

Shema

"Hear, O Israel! YHWH is our God, YHWH is one! You shall love YHWH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deut 6:4-9)

From the book of Deuteronomy, that is the beginning of the Jewish Shema (or Sh'ma, depending on who you ask). Now, we note right away that it's Old Testament and we see immediately that it is a command to ... Israel. Our tendency, then, is to dismiss it, to relegate it to the "Old Testament" pile and "not for us today." And maybe, as a flat commandment, it is not. I know of no non-Jewish Christians, for instance, that will "write them on the doorposts" or "bind them as a sign on your hand" or what have you. So maybe it's not a command for today. But surely you can see how it would be a very good idea for today.

The Middle East back then and even today was a more oral society, whereas we are a more written society. Parents taught children verbally and frequently and they got pretty good at doing word-for-word stuff, unlike our modern "telephone game" where we can't repeat what was said in a few minutes around a small circle. So imagine if we "civilized folks" took up this practice of teaching our children diligently that the primary command for life is to love God. Imagine if it was a repeated topic "when you sit in your house" and "when you walk by the way." Imagine if, every night and every morning, we were reminded -- children and adults -- that our job was to love God with all we are. Imagine if we put up reminders for ourselves all around so that all day long this fundamental truth -- what Jesus called "the great and foremost commandment" (Matt 22:37-38) -- would be on our minds. What would it be like if we were reminded of this one, simple command more often than anything else you can think of. What would it be like?

Well, fortunately we're not going to find out. Who needs that kind of extremism? That kind of repetition? That kind of "every day, over and over, in casual conversation with friends and family, everywhere you go" kind of reminder? We do, that's who. Often. Repeatedly. Without end. To our own embarrassment. Because anyone with any awareness would have to honestly admit that we don't even begin to love God that way. And we should.

News Weakly - 5/4/24

Failure to Educate
Students at Brown University have decided they want to be antisemitic as a matter of policy, so the university is voting on divesting from Israel as their student masters have demanded. I don't know ... there is just something wrong here. I can't ... quite ... put my finger on it. Oh, I know ...

Filed Under "What Could Go Wrong?"
Eight U.S. newspapers are suing Microsoft and their ChatGPT OpenAI for copyright infringement. It appears as if neither the developers of OpenAI nor OpenAI itself have any real sort of ethics. I can't imagine what could go wrong with an AI overlord without any moral code ...

(Note: that "moral code" crack was a play on the software term, "coding," referring to the programming of anything. Just in case you missed it.)

Clarification
After the violence at UCLA between antisemitic and pro-Israel forces, the Bee reports on their replacement of student IDs with new identifying armbands ... inspired by Hitler. Tell me it doesn't make sense in today's increasingly , radically anti-Israel world.

Not the Best Response
Actor and comedian Russell Brand says he had an "incredible and profound experience" after being recently baptized after he "surrendered in Christ." Now, I know a lot of us are skeptical about folks like Brand who claim to turn their lives over to Christ only to see the process end ... like the soil in Jesus's parable of the sower, but I would recommend a different response. Let's try praying for the man. Like it says in Hebrews (Heb 10:23-25). No joke.

Not Like It's a Surprise
Less than a month after making the news that Arizona was really close to being an actual pro-life state, the Arizona Senate repealed the protection for the most vulnerable. Whew! Dodged that bullet. Nope, Arizona will happily kill them in the womb like the rest. Not really a surprise in this current society of ours.

More on That
In Texas a school superintendent resigned after a transgender student was removed from a school production of Oklahoma that caused a "nationwide outcry." I think we are sadly lacking in clear instructions. Everyone knows that actors play parts that are not real, not "them." Still, if we get a heterosexual to play a homosexual's role, that's not okay. If we get a white person to play the role of a ... not-white person, that's not okay. The world is upset if an actor doesn't match the role they are playing ... except, of course, if they are in the protected groups (race, orientation, etc.) ... even though actors generally are not the people they are playing. It's all very unclear, and removing a "transgender" because they don't match the role they're playing seems reasonable ... until it's not. Makes no sense at all.

Bee Minor
Just a couple of items from the Bee for amusement. One story has missionaries traveling from Africa to the U.S. to bring the gospel to the United Methodist Church. Ouch! Another story suggests that King Solomon died of old age while waiting for his 700 wives to decide on a restaurant. Sad.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Joy

Craig commented recently that joy should be a factor in our obedience and in our lives. Scripture says that Jesus was able to endure the cross because of joy (Heb 12:2). The Bible says that joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Jesus said He said the things He said "so that they may have My joy made full in themselves" (John 17:13). And, of course, Paul commanded us to "rejoice always" (1 Thess 5:16). I'm sensing a common thread here.

How is that working ... for you? How is your "joy level"? Jesus came to give us the abundant life (John 10:10). Did you receive yours? Sometimes I think that we Christians aren't the best examples of joyful people. Sometimes I think we are, in fact, pretty poor specimens of joyful Christians. Why is that? Do we conclude that Jesus failed? No, of course not. Do we assume it's not for us? That would be ridiculous. So, what? What's the hold up here? I would guess that you know already. It's us.

The Beatitudes (Matt 5:2-12) are a series of blessings for people in hard circumstances. "Rejoice and be glad," Jesus said, "for your reward in heaven is great" (Matt 5:12). I suspect that's our problem. We're not in favor of delayed gratification. We're not looking to "a better possession and a lasting one" (Heb 10:34). We don't desire "a better country, that is, a heavenly one" (Heb 11:16). In short, we don't, in purely practical terms, believe that God is the rewarder of those who seek Him (Heb 11:6). To our shame. We have been supplied with all we need with a promise of even more. Let's not be a Peter looking at the storms around us rather than looking at the joy set before us. It's not a good look.

How Did Jesus Do It?

We know that Christ arrived on this planet with the explicit aim of ransoming sinners (Mark 10:45). We know that on the night before He was crucified, it scared Him so much He asked the Father that if there was any way possible this cup would pass (Matt 26:39). Ultimately, we know that Jesus went to the cross willingly. How? How did He do that?

Hebrews 12 has a little insight that might just surprise us. Jesus, it says, endured the cross and counted the shame as of no loss by doing one thing -- He looked at the joy set before Him (Heb 12:2). Wait ... what?? That's what it says. Looking at the joy set before Him, He endured the cross and despised the shame. Jesus willingly went to the cross because of joy. Okay, now, just what joy is that? Because of the cross, He "has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb 12:2). For the honor of being eternally with the Father He endured the cross, and He did it with joy.

So what? The author of Hebrews urges us to do the same. The author urges us to fix our eyes on Jesus as we run the race set before us (Heb 12:1-2). He goes on to say, "For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Heb 12:3). We all, Scripture promises, will endure hardship of all sorts. Jesus's example on the cross is our best method of not growing weary and losing heart. That is? Look at the joy set before us. Look at the promises of an eternity with Him. Look at the certainty of our victory. Understand that all we endure here is for our best and count it all joy. Imagine that -- a strategy to endure hardships by indulging in joy! It worked for Jesus; how about us?

The Obedient Christian

All believers know that we are supposed to obey Christ. I mean, isn't that simply part of being a Christ-follower -- a Christ-ian? So we seek to avoid sin and seek to do good and all that stuff. Paul told the Philippians to "work out your salvation" (Php 2:12), and we aim to do that. In theological terms, our aim is sanctification -- becoming holy as He is holy -- and that's where we are heading. And that's good.

Often, though, I think we miss a very important facet of this obedience. In Hebrews we read, "Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it" (Heb 4:1). Notice the juxtaposition of terms there -- "let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed ..." There is a "we" sense here. After urging us to bear up under God's discipline (Heb 12:5-11), the commands are "lift drooping hands" and "strive for peace with everyone" and "see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God" (Heb 12:12-17). Again, a "we" factor.

Very clearly in Scripture, we're not in this alone. We're not followers of Christ simply on our own. We're not to merely be obedient for ourselves; we're also to look out for each other. We're to "consider how to stir up one another to love and good works ... encouraging one another" (Heb 10:24-25). We're not alone in this. We have Christ (Heb 13:5) and we have God at work in us (Php 2:13). But we're also part of a vast "one another" with the calling to exhort and comfort and love and serve and ... lots of "one anothers." The obedient Christian will indeed pursue perfection (Php 3:8-12), but we also need to be diligently ministering to those around us, especially those in the family of God. It's a primary calling from Christ (John 13:35).

God's Gifts

We know the term, "a gift from God." Parents might use the term while cuddling their newborn. Believers use it when counting their blessings. Nice things -- "God things" -- that come from God. God is a giving God. So in Daniel we aren't surprised when we read how Daniel decided not to defile himself with the king's food, so he asked for an exception, and the text says, "And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs" (Dan 1:9). Favor and compassion from his masters -- a gift from God. And we smile and nod because our God gives good gifts.

It might be jarring, then, if we back up a few verses where we read the background of the story.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. (Dan 1:1-2)

Did you see it? Jehoiakim was a king of Judah ... you know, part of God's chosen people. A pagan king besieged Jerusalem and you might have expected something like, "The Lord gave them victory over the Babylonians," but it's not there. What did the Lord give? He gave the king over to Nebuchaddnezzar and He gave some of the vessels of the house of God, too. Gifts ... from God ... to a pagan king ... over against God's people.

The book of Daniel gives no hint that these gifts from God -- in the "right" direction or the "wrong" direction in our estimation -- were anything less than God's doing or anything less than good. The book of Daniel includes amazing stories like the three young men thrown in the fire without being burned or Daniel in the lion's den. Gifts from God. Over and over Scripture refers to the pleasant and the unpleasant as God's doing. Since we know God is Sovereign and we know God is good, we can only conclude that all those things are both from the hand of God and good. So, how about you? When is the last time you regarded an ache, a pain, a loss, a frustration, a difficulty as "a gift from God"? They are. Every last one of them.

The Halls of Faith Revival Meeting (Reprise)

(Sorry for the delay. Computer problems.)

I wrote this years ago, but given the recent post on Hebrews 11, I thought it might be a good time to share it again.
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From Hebrews 11, “the Halls of Faith”, this special Revival Meeting is held in an imaginary tent meeting to hear the testimonials and praise the Lord ...

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“Welcome tonight to your Hall of Faith Revival Meeting,” the preacher says. “Tonight we have something special for you. I won’t be preaching tonight. Instead, we’ve invited people throughout time to testify of God’s faithful care for them.”

The congregation offers a polite applause, with a few “Praise Jesus!” calls barely audible mixed in.

“To start us off, we have Abel, the brother of Cain. Abel?”

Abel stands up. “I was a shepherd, and I offered a sacrifice in faith. God called me righteous!”

The congregation applauds, with a “Hallelujah!” and more calls of “Praise Jesus”.

“Over here we have Enoch,” the preacher says. “Enoch, can I get a testimony?”

Enoch stands up. “I put my faith in God, and he prevented me from dying.”

“From dying?”

“Yes, preacher ... from ever dying. One day He just took me into His presence.”

“Praise God! He is so good! Thank you, Enoch. Now we have Noah. Noah, tell us what God has done for you.”

“I trusted God, and He saved my family and I from a flood that killed the entire world.”

“Hallelujah! Praise God! He is marvelous! Thank you, Noah. Over here we have two people you will remember – Abraham and Sarah. Don’t they make a cute couple? Tell us what God has done for you.”

Abraham stands with his wife. “God told me to leave my home and go to a place he would show me. I did, and He took me to the Promised Land. Then, my wife was barren for nearly 100 years, but God promised us a son, and He delivered!”

The congregation applauds. Several people stand with hands raised. Some shout “Hallelujah!” and “Praise Jesus” and “Praise the Lord!”

Abraham gestures for quiet. “There’s more. When that son was older, God told me to go sacrifice him – to kill him.”

A gasp and sudden hush falls on the congregation.

“I did what He said because I believed God could raise him from the dead. But when I put him on the altar and prepared to kill him, God stopped me and provided a ram to sacrifice in his place.”

The congregation applauds. People leap to their feet and shout “Praise God!” Some are waving their hands. More shout “Praise Jesus” and “Praise the Lord!” The preacher waits for the noise to abate, then speaks again.

“Let’s skip on over to Moses, now. How about it, Moses? Tell us what God did for you.”

A man who looks nothing at all like Charlton Heston stands and speaks. “I grew up in the palace of the Pharaoh, but I knew that I couldn’t place my confidence in man. I trusted God and left the riches of the palace. Although I went to the desert, I knew God had something better for me than the wealth of Egypt.”

The congregation listens with rapt attention. Their faces betray a mixture of puzzlement and anticipation.

Moses continues. “But God used me to free His people. I celebrated that first Passover with the people and we headed out of slavery! And when we got to the Red Sea, and ol’ Pharaoh was bearing down on us, God Himself opened up that water and we walked through on dry land!”

The congregation goes wild. People are standing, shouting, stomping their feet, applauding. They are glorifying God for His greatness and faithfulness. Again, the preacher waits for the noise to subside, then speaks again.

“Now, some of you may not be as familiar with this next guest, and may I say, shame on you.” His smile diminishes the sting. “She was a prostitute in Jericho when God found her. Her name is Rahab.”

“Yes, God found me when I was deep in sin. I lived in Jericho when the people of God sent spies. I recognized them as God’s people and protected them from the people of my city. Because of my faith in God, when the walls fell and Jericho was destroyed, God saved me.”

And as the congregation begins to respond, the preacher adds, “Some of you don’t know this, but God so thoroughly saved this woman that she is in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

The congregation applauds. People leap to their feet and shout “Praise the Lord!” Some are waving their hands. More shout “Praise Jesus” and “Praise God!”.

A few other quick testimonies are given.

“Hi! I’m Joshua, and God used me to capture the entire Promised Land for Israel.”

“My name is Daniel, and I sat in a lion’s den all night, but God shut their mouths and I was saved.”

“We are Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, but you probably remember us as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. We trusted God, and he delivered us from the fire.”

A lone woman stands up. “You don’t know me, but my baby died suddenly. We prayed, and God raised my baby back to life!”

The congregation goes wild again. Almost everyone is on their feet shouting and applauding. They are praising God at the top of their lungs.

Another lone woman stands up. “You don’t know me, either, but I was arrested for being a Christian. They offered to release me if I rejected Christ ...”

An anticipatory hush falls on the crowd.

“... but I refused, and they left me in prison for the rest of my life.”

The congregation is quiet, stunned.

Someone else stands up. “Yes! I was arrested and beaten and chained.”

Another chimes in. “Me, too! But when they were done, they stoned me to death!”

With a rising fervor completely unmatched by the deathly silent congregation, more stand and shout their praises to God.

“I was fed to the lions for the sake of Christ!”

“I was cut in half with a saw!”

“I was stabbed to death with a sword!”

“We had nothing to eat, no decent clothing, and nowhere to live but caves in the desert!”

“I lived in a hole in the ground until I died!”

“I never received what was promised!”

Despite the jubilant-sounding tone of these last testimonies, the congregations sits soundless, bewildered.

* * * * * * *

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their release, in order that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect. (Heb. 11:32-40)

Is it sufficient that God has provided something better, or do we require that God do “nice things” for us, that God bless us according to our narrow definition? What would it take for us to consider it worthwhile to not receive what we ask for or expect or even see as promised?

Looking Beyond

The 11th chapter of Hebrews is a great chapter. All about faith. We get to see the greats of the Old Testament as people of faith. But ... what faith? Hebrews says the faith is in the existence of God and the confidence that He rewards those who seek Him (Heb 11:6). So the author meanders through Abel and Enoch, Noah, Abraham, on and on, giving us examples of people who had faith. Faith in what? This is critical.

The people of Hebrews 11 were looking in a particular direction. They were looking to God, of course. That's the important faith of Christianity. But it was more than that. All of them did things whose outcome wasn't seen -- faith. They knew the character of God and they knew He rewarded those who seek Him, so they acted on that faith. Abel sacrificed not knowing exactly how that worked. Enoch walked with God not knowing the outcome. Noah built an ark not knowing he was condemning the world. Abraham left home and went somewhere he didn't even know because he trusted God. Why? "He was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Heb 11:10). They were living in tents looking for foundations, a place of God's building. They were "seeking a country of their own" (Heb 11:14). A heavenly one (Heb 11:16). They were sojourners ... just passing through. Abraham could offer up Isaac because he knew God kept His promises and could give back Isaac (Heb 11:17-19). Moses could leave the "passing pleasures of sin" in Egypt because he considered "the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt" (Heb 11:26). And on and on.

Always, in every case, these people of faith looked beyond the here and now. They looked beyond the immediate blessings or trials and looked ahead. They looked ahead to the promise, "because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect" (Heb 11:40). The reward. We need to be people looking beyond. Beyond the here and now. Beyond the pleasures and pains of this life. We need to have our eyes set on Christ and the promise of eternity with Him, because the here and now is not the point; He is.

News Weakly - 4/27/24

Pursuing Matters of Importance
Biden made a trip to Florida to chastize the state for trying to protect the most defenseless humans down to 6 weeks old. "We should be allowed to kill them much older than that," is the basic message. Apparently killing babies is a fundamental plank of the Democratic platform. How they determine at what age they must stop killing them isn't clear yet, given the pushes in multiple states for post-partum abortion.

In Florida, Biden said, "For 50 years the Supreme Court held that we have a constitutional right to privacy. That right was taken away. There was one person who was responsible for this nightmare, and he's acknowledged it and he brags about it — Donald Trump." According to Britannica, the Supreme Court in 1973 ruled that criminalizing abortion violated the constitutional right to privacy. (They note that it's not actually in the Constitution, but is implicit.) Thus, as long as the murder of the unborn is conducted in private, it cannot be a criminal act. I'm trying to figure this out. Does it not follow, then, that if I kill another person in private, it cannot be a criminal act? (Note: I didn't change a thing in that question except, perhaps, the age of the person killed.) What other crimes, committed in private, become non-crimes? How is it not true that all crimes committed in private cannot be classified as crimes? And I have to ask, did Donald Trump remove our "right to privacy"? That would be an absolute lie. Does privacy give us the right to commit crimes in private? That would be absolute nonsense. And "this nightmare" (Biden's phrase) is not Trump's responsibility. In 2021 the rate of legal abortions per live births in the U.S. was 20.4 per 100 live births — 1 out of 5. Since 1973 more than 60 million pre-born children have been murdered under the protection of law. And it is the liberals, especially the Democrats, who have been responsible for "this nightmare." Let's keep our facts straight, Mr. President.

What Could Go Wrong?
Apparently AI does have its uses. Like creating child pornography for sick perverts. Open-source generative AI can produce millions of images of the sexual abuse of children and has no capacity for moral decision-making. What could go wrong? I'm pretty sure AI is not our coming savior.

Matters of Importance
The Supreme Court seems ready to reject Trump's claim of immunity on charges of trying to subvert the 2020 elections. They don't believe the immunity of the office extends beyond the office. But don't expect a trial soon. We'll have to wait ... you know, until it becomes critically significant. Maybe Trump voters should keep a close eye on who he will select for VP ...

Bee Lines
The Bee has been at it again. Like the headline about the protests from college students: "‘Israel Must End Its Illegal Occupation!’ Cry People Staging Illegal Occupation." Like the one how Columbia University has switched to online classes so Jewish students can participate from the attics where they are hiding. Like the story on the false electors in Arizona ... Trump allies who are being questioned for questioning election results while being Republican. You know, stuff like that.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.
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P.S. I shortened this week's entry because of that rather long piece on Biden's visit to Florida. You're welcome.

How Much Is Enough?

We believers know that an absolutely essential component of Christianity is faith. We are saved by faith apart from works. Without faith, we are not saved. Hebrews 11 says without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). So we need faith to be saved and to live the Christian life and, without it, we're finished. But, how much faith is required? Do you ever wonder if you have enough?

Hebrews 11 is sometimes referred to as "the faith chapter" or "the halls of faith." It includes a description of faith (Heb 11:1) and then expands that brief description by giving loads of examples. Here's what we know. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). Now, if you're like me, at first blush that looks like "the sound of one hand clapping" kind of stuff. So just what is that? Well, hope is kind of nebulous; things yet unrealized. This text says that hope exists on the basis of faith. Faith gives hope substance. That's the actual word from Greek translated above as "assurance." "Substance." It gives it reality. And we are required, as believers, to believe things we can't see. Lots of things we can't see. Faith is the "conviction," the text above says, of things unseen. A better translation would be "proof" or "evidence." Faith makes things that don't have ready proof real and proven. So, how much is required? The text goes on to give a lot of examples. There is Abel and Enoch, Noah and Abraham and Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, Moses, Rahab, and more. These people are listed as people who had the kind of faith the author of Hebrews is highlighting. First, faith for what? They all believed that God has provided something better for us (Heb 11:40). They all believed the promises of God even though most of them never saw them. They believed that God existed and that God rewarded those who seek Him (Heb 11:6).

How much? How much faith is required to be a "person of faith"? In so many cases in this chapter we see people of tiny faith. Abraham was afraid God wouldn't come through and lied about Sarah being his wife ... twice. Sarah laughed when God made His promise of her bearing children. Moses didn't want to be God's mouthpiece -- too afraid to speak. But, remember what Jesus's word was? The "faith of a mustard seed" (Matt 17:20). What do we know about a mustard seed? It's very small ... but it grows. And that was the characterstic of the faith of those people in the "Hall of Faith." Yes, they exhibited small faith, but it grew. Abraham was terrified God couldn't come through, so he lied to save his life, but in the end he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his promised son, because he believed God could raise him from the dead (Heb 11:19). Sarah was so dubious of God's promise that she gave her handmaid to Abraham to "help God out" as it were, but she bore Isaac just the same. Over and over, people of little faith came to great faith. Like the father who brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus and cried, "I do believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:23-24), we all suffer from "not enough faith" which can be remedied by Christ. We just bring what we have and He makes it enough. We just go through trials and He improves our faith (James 1:3). How much faith is enough? If you believe at all, what you have been given is enough. He'll always provide what you need.

By Faith

I'm currently in Hebrews and I came across this text (that I've seen so many times before):

By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. (Heb 11:3)

"Yeah, sure, I get it." But ... do we? The author of Hebrews explained in the previous chapter that faith is absolutely essential. We are to "draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith" (Heb 10:22). What faith is that? That our hearts are "sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water" (Heb 10:22). He warns, "Do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward" (Heb 10:35) because "My righteous one shall live by faith" (Heb 10:38; Hab 2:3-4). To "shrink back" is "destruction," but faith preserves the soul (Heb 10:39) Faith is essential. So the author asks and answers, "What is faith?" We have the famous, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). That is, faith is not a whim, a mere belief. It is "assurance" -- literally, the substance -- of hope and the "conviction" -- literally, the proof or evidence -- of things not seen. Like ... Creation (Heb 11:3).

The text tells us that the belief that the worlds were prepared by the word of God and not "made out of things which are visible" is a matter of faith. It is one of those "things not seen." We might question it. "I mean, how can you suggest it was not made out of things that are visible if science says otherwise?" By faith. By believing God's Word. That's what we read at the beginning of our bibles, so that's what we believe. That's faith.

So why am I telling you this? I mean, isn't that obvious? Yes, it is faith. We didn't see it happen. We have arguments from the world that it did not happen that way. But we choose, based on what the Bible tells us, to believe it ... by faith. "So, Stan, what's your point?" Well, just 3 verses later we read, "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him" (Heb 11:6). Well, now, hang on a minute! Did the author of Hebrews just link "by faith we believe in Creation" to "if you don't believe that, you can't please God"? I'm not going that far ... out loud. I just think that it is pretty brave to say, "I have faith" and "I can please God" while openly denying that God made all that is seen from that which is not seen -- a fundamental matter of faith. I would not be comfortable standing there when the two -- Hebrews 11:3 and Hebrews 11:6 -- are so close together. I would personally be cautious about affirming the latter while denying the former. But that's just me.

All Who Call ... Are Called

In Acts 2 we read Peter's very first public sermon after Christ's Ascension. The Peter that, merely 50 days or so before, had denied even knowing Christ is the Peter that gave this amazing call to fellow Jews to trust Christ with things like the assertion that Christ was "delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23) and a previously unrealized connection to the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32. What changed? What changed Peter in such a short time? Well, obviously, Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13). Clearly, the coming of the promised Holy Spirit on the disciples of Christ made a radical difference.

That Joel reference causes problems for some. In it God declares, "I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (Joel 2:28; Acts 2:17). "Hang on a minute," some say, "that says 'all'. Is that not universalism? Should we not expect all to be filled with the Spirit and prophesy and all that?" Seems like a reasonable question. Without trying to reinterpret the text to fit a presupposition, what can we find in the text to help? (Because that's how Scripture is best interpreted -- by Scripture.) First, in the quote itself, We read, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21). There's that "everyone" concept, but notice that it does not mean "all people" because it defines that "everyone" -- "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord." So that text limits "will be saved" to those who call on Christ for salvation. But look a little farther down the line. At the end of the sermon it says the people were "pierced to the heart" and asked "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). Peter said the famous, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Classic: repent. Peter goes on to give them the breadth of the statement. "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself" (Acts 2:39). "It's for you, and it's for you offspring, and it's for those who are far away." Who, then, is under this promise? "As many as the Lord our God will call to Himself."

We know, biblically, that universalism is false. Scripture is absolutely clear that "few" find the gate and "many" do not. We know, even from the lips of Christ, that there will be many who end up in eternal torment. So that "all" in Joel cannot mean "all people that have or do or will exist." God's Word defines that "all" from Joel's text -- "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord" -- and by the phrase, "as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." If you were thinking, "Hey, good news! This is a promise for salvation for everyone!", you were mistaken. If you see that it is an absolute certainty that everyone whom the Lord calls -- that all who, then, call on the name of the Lord to be saved -- will be saved, then you got it right and it is a glorious promise, a great place to rest if you have called on the name of the Lord to be saved. And that call that is necessarily accompanied by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit will radically change you, as well.

Just a Closer Walk with Thee

I believe that all humans (with the sole exception of Jesus Christ) have sinned (Rom 3:23). Beyond that, I believe that those same humans continue to sin. John wrote, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8). In fact, one reason John wrote that first epistle was "so that you may not sin," but he immediately followed that with "But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (1 John 2:1-2). Yes, even forgiven believers sin. Still, too many of us seem to come across as morally superior. We present ourselves -- to each other and to the world -- as having arrived. We do no wrong. No genuine believer actually believes that, but it's just the way we seem to come across. We are forgiven -- cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) -- but we aren't perfect. Not even close.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret. On this blog I write what comes to me. I write what I see in Scripture and what I see around me. If you follow this for very long, you'll see I tend to write about some things more often than others. Some might think it's because I've "arrived" on these points and wish you to get there, too. I have not. Do you remember Jimmy Swaggart? Swaggart had a variety of issues, but one was quite notable. He preached often about sexual immorality ... and was caught with prostitute and defrocked by the Assemblies of God, followed by a second such incident. What's my point? My point is that I tend to repeat some things not because I've got it all down, but because I don't. So I hammer home that husbands are commanded to love their wives by giving self up for her not because I'm that husband, but because I need to remember that and work on it. I keep pointing out that God is Sovereign not because I always see Him as Sovereign, but because I need my everyday thoughts to see Him that way when I don't every day. I continue to urge you to rejoice in tribulation because I need to be reminded often that I need to rejoice in tribulation. Much of what I write is a rejoinder to me, and I think, "Well, if I have a problem remembering this stuff, maybe some of my fellow believers do, too."

In Hebrews we are commanded to "consider how to stir up one another to love and good works" (Heb 10:24). We might do that by example. We might do that by encouraging one another. We might do that by teaching one another. We might do that by exhorting -- walking alongside -- one another. Because our task of serving and enjoying God is a group task, a community effort. We have been gifted by the Holy Spirit to this end (1 Cor 12:7). We are a family, a temple, adopted children of God, and we should be working with each other toward glorifying Him in everything. Because we don't and we should. So don't think, "Stan thinks he has arrived." I haven't. I only hope to encourage you to walk closer to Him as I try to encourage myself to do the same.

Divorce-Proof Marriage

According to Forbes Advisor, divorce rates in America have decreased from 4 per 1,000 people in 2000 to 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2021. Now, marriage rates have decreased in the same period from 8.2 per 1,000 to 6 per 1,000 in 2021, so it would appear reasonable that divorce rates would also drop, but you should see that 4 divorces out of 8.2 marriages is roughly 48% while 2 divorces out of 6 marriages is roughly 33%, so divorce rates are down. There was a time that the anti-Christian mainstream world was reporting that divorce rates among Christians were just as high as non-Christians, but, in fact, that wasn't quite accurate. Turns out that people who live what they believe had a significantly lower divorce rate than the rest of the world. Still ... is there such a thing as a "divorce-proof marriage"? In practical terms, I don't know, but in biblical terms it is a certainty.

What makes a divorce-proof marriage? Practicing what Scripture commands. Jesus said, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt 19:6). Done. But there's more. Peter said, "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct" (1 Peter 3:1-6). Paul wrote, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Eph 5:22). Now, if a wife follows those instructions, how is divorce possible? How can a person in submission to another as to the Lord leave? It is a contradiction. Peter said, "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered" (1 Peter 3:7). How could a husband whose mission is to understand and honor his wife exit the relationship? Why would a wife whose husband is intent on understanding and honoring her leave? Beyond that, Paul said, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Eph 5:25-30) A husband who gives himself up for his wife as Christ gave Himself up for the church cannot even consider walking away. Cannot happen. Believers who are willing to follow these very simple instructions are fundamentally incapable of divorce. It's not even an option.

Paul summed it up this way. "However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband" (Eph 5:33). Simple. Mutual submission. This marriage doesn't stand on the faithfulness of each partner, but on the faithfulness of God. She is submitting as to the Lord because the Lord is faithful. He is loving his wife to the emptying of self because Christ is faithful. Marriage includes mutual submission "out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21). So it's true. Those believers who actually practice what God's Word requires would necessarily have the lowest divorce rates in the world. The question, then, isn't "divorce-proof marriage," but are we believers going to obey God? That really should not be a question, should it?

Counting My Blessings

A singer I'm not too familiar with named Seph Schlueter has a song called, "Counting My Blessings" on his album titled, "I, II, III, Infinity." The song (obviously) is about counting blessings, but at one point he sings, "I will keep counting my blessings knowing I can't count that high" and "One, two, three, up to infinity." Now, if you're just going along with the emotion, you'll be warmed, but if you're rational, you might ask, "Really? Infinity?"

All believers should make a practice of "counting my blessings," of being aware and grateful for all that God does for us. And we should be aware that it's a lot. But we have this one, particular shortfall. We classify "blessings" those things that are pleasant -- things we consider gain -- as opposed to the rest of our experiences of loss or the unpleasant. So we count that new job as a blessing and the loss of a job as not. We feel blessed that God kept a child safe from a trauma and not blessed if the child went through that trauma. We see positives as blessings and negatives as bad. Dare I say, "curses"? Well, no, probably not, although "curses" are the opposite of "blessings." So, if we're counting our blessings, we'd have to say they are definitely not infinite even if we might hold that there are a lot.

All this, of course, doesn't work out biblically, does it? Scripture says that all the "negatives" of life are "positives" to the believer. We don't guess ... we know that God works all things together for good to those who love God (Rom 8:28). We read that we should "Count it all joy when you encounter various trials" (James 1:2-4) specifically because they are perfecting us -- a blessing. Because trials improve us, we can "rejoice in our sufferings" (Rom 5:3-5), not merely endure them. Malachi speaks of God as "a refiner's fire" (Mal 3:2-3) whereby God burns off the dross and purifies the gold and silver. I would think that if gold or silver were sentient, they might appreciate the fire that makes them pure. When Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego went into the fire for their faith, all that burned was the ropes that bound them (Dan 3:1-30). We, too, should be counting as blessings the unpleasant, the "losses," the pains and trials that we have been given -- gifted -- and thanking God for His refining work in bringing us to a better reflection of His Son. If we did, we'd have to list a lot more blessings to count, wouldn't we?
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Postscript: I know it may have looked like I was correcting the songwriter for his words. I was not. Perhaps "infinity" is hyperbole or maybe there is a sense in which our blessings are infinite (although, being finite ourselves, I'm not sure how), but I was not arguing that Seph was wrong. I really like that "I will keep counting my blessings knowing I can't count that high" line. I really like his urging us to count our blessings and recognize them more. I wasn't suggesting he was wrong. I was suggesting that we often get shortsighted about what blessings we do have, and that I am absolutely certain that we are not counting all the blessings we really do have. I'm pretty sure we can't count all our blessings because of our finite understanding and finite knowledge, but I hope we give it our best effort because there are far more than we realize at first look.

News Weakly - 4/20/24

The Religion of Peace
Iran launched an attack against Israel over the weekend using missiles and drones -- the largest drone attack in history. (Yes, even bigger than the one launched by Egypt against Megiddo in 1457 B.C.) It was for an attack Israel denies they were responsible for and it severely injured a 7-year-old girl and caused 31 other minor injuries or panic attacks. The world waits for another shoe to drop. The Bee reports that Biden has retaliated against Iran for the attack by attaching a note on the pallet of cash we're sending to Iran saying, "Please do not use terrorism."

Banning the Constitution
In an oddly outlandish way, Colorado is working to ban guns. Most states already ban automatic weapons, but they're trying to ban semi-automatic weapons, too. However, the Supreme Court left Illinois's semi-automatic ban in place, so maybe we don't really need that pesky ol' 2nd Amendment anymore. Or the 1st. I bet there's a lot of our Constitution we can eliminate at this rate.

The State of Honesty
The state of California is suing the city of Huntington Beach (yes, California) because voters there want to require voters to identify themselves and California absolutely denies the need to have people identify as valid voters. Wait ... what? The state says it is "blatantly and flatly illegal" to require people to have ID. I mean, what could go wrong if you just ask people to tell you their name and address at a polling place? Californians are all invariably honest, right?

Fingers Pointing Back
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Jackson (You remember her ... she couldn't define "woman") is warning that her conservative colleagues failed to show "reason and restraint" when they allowed Idaho's ban on youth transgender care to be enforced. Mind you, most of Europe has stepped back from encouraging such "care" and the most recent studies find little scientific support for it ("reason"), so I would consider Jackson's position as unreasonable and unrestrained.

Shooting the Messenger
Senior NPR editor Uri Berliner resigned after he released an essay to The Free Press about how NPR has aligned with liberal bias exclusively and lost the public's trust. NPR responded, "No we haven't." The Bee went on to say they assured us that they always strive for a range of opinions from the slightly communist to the very communist. Without satire or sarcasm, it all seems sad to me. Uri said he wanted NPR to do better, and NPR would have none of it.

Gun Control
The report is out that the military has tested an automated aircraft in combat with a human-flown opponent. The test, they said, was successful and offered the "potential for autonomous air-to-air combat." Now, I don't know about you, but to me giving weapons to AI and expecting them to follow orders and to exercise moral judgment is just an impossible notion, knowing that the programmers cannot be expected to do either themselves. AI can be beneficial in certain applications, but arming them is not a good idea.

America's Great Universities
You may have seen that the president of Columbia University answered questions from Congress about antisemitism on the campus (amid 100's of arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University). What you may not have read was reported by the Bee when the president accidentally gave the Nazi salute while being sworn in for her testimony.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.