This Old House

I live a good life with my wife. She's really remarkable. I was just looking around our home the other day. The place is in our name, but, really, it's hers. I mean ... she's selected the color schemes and decorations, the furnishings and the arrangements. Oh, I look like I'm participating. She says, "That should go there" and I do it. She says, "Those should be arranged that way" and I arrange it. But ... it's all her. And I'm not complaining. No ... quite the opposite. In the immortal words of Clint Eastwood, "A man's got to know his limitations." No, I don't mind at all; I enjoy it. She really does know colors and style and furniture and all that far better than I do. She's made our house ... a home. And at holidays? Wow! She decorates ... wonderfully. It's a real pleasure. She's a real pleasure.

I hope you know this isn't about my house or my wife. Oh, all of that was true, but I'm thinking a different direction. Paul wrote,

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. (Gal 2:20)

Like my house, I appear to own myself ... but I don't. I look like I'm in charge, but I don't even want to be. I want my life "decorated" like He wants it and my utility the way that He wants it. I'm happy to cooperate. "You want this where?" But, in truth, it should be more response than initiative. I want my life to be like my house ... controlled by one who knows better than me. No one ever walks into my house, all decorated for Christmas or whatever, and says, "Wow! Stan ... you've done a great job!" They do recognize my wife's handiwork. I want people to see me and recognize Christ's handiwork -- the touch of the Master's hand. I haven't arrived, but I'm working on it.

Worship Service

I recently saw a video where the speaker explained the problem of "a worship service." "It's not in there," he essentially said. We refer to what we do on Sundays as "a worship service," but there is nowhere in Scripture that you'll find this kind of a description. There are descriptions of teaching and preaching. We read of "love feasts" and sharing meals, even. But ... nowhere do we find a description of a church gathering where they sang some songs and heard a sermon. Interestingly, there are two references to "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16) and neither are in the context of a church service. Strange, isn't it? I mean, we all have "worship services" and even "worship teams," but Scripture doesn't seem to talk about it.

"What are you saying, Stan? We shouldn't sing in church?" No, of course not. At the Last Supper, we read, "After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" (Matt 26:30). Jesus did that. The Old Testament is full of music. The first reference to music is in Genesis. Jubal was "the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe." Most of the prophets prophesied in musical form. All of the psalms are music. There were singers in the Temple. Most of the prophets prophesied in music. In Revelation, they "sang a new song" (Rev 5:9). So singing isn't our idea. It was God's.

But ... worship. Is "worship" defined as "singing"? I know a lot of people think so. It's not. Worship is the assigning of worth to something. It is the assigning of ultimate worth. So "worship" is assigning ultimate worth to God. Because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. We do that on our knees. We do that with hands lifted. The biblical version is proskuneō, which originally meant "to kiss toward" (like a dog licking a master's hand). The image is to prostrate oneself. So ... we prostrate ourselves, maybe not physically, but certainly in every other way. Paul wrote, "Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service" (Rom 12:1) (where "service" is literally "service of worship"). Present your bodies. That's your sacrifice. And it's your ... oh ... "worship service." There it is.

Altar Calls

I wrote this back in 2015 and I've been running into stuff like this lately, so I thought I'd float it again.
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Who does not know what an altar call is? An altar call is where the pastor or preacher or leader calls on the congregation or audience or crowd at hand to come forward and give their lives to Christ. That may be for a specific purpose--"Give up porn" or "Promise to be a better husband" or something like that--but most often it is for salvation. "Come forward and come to Christ." I grew up in a Baptist church, so it was the norm for me. I went to Billy Graham crusades, so it was the norm for me. I figured everyone did it. It was generally the same. "With your heads bowed and your eyes closed, if anyone wants to come to Christ, get out of your seat and come up here and one of our pastors/elders/deacons/whatever will lead you in the prayer of salvation." That sort of thing. I remember in a Calvary Chapel once where the pastor boldly proclaimed, "No! This time I will not tell you to bow your heads and close your eyes. If you want to meet Christ, come down here in front of everyone and give your life to Him." Oh, and they came by the dozens. It's just what we do. Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered the origin of the altar call. You see, it's not biblical. You won't find it in the pages of Scripture. It's not from the early church fathers. It's not part of the Nicene Creed or the Synod of Dort or any such thing. This phenomenon didn't actually see the light of day until the 1800's. What? How is that possible?

This staple of many churches today started in the Second Great Awakening. In the first (1730's and 1740's), no one knew how many were saved. George Whitefield was satisfied with, "I have determined to suspend my judgment 'til I know the tree by its fruits." But the second one wanted quantification. Now, many churches already had an altar at the front where people were invited to come if they needed prayer or encouragement, so this seemed like an easy option. This new concept of coming to the altar for salvation found its real power source in Charles Finney. Finney did not believe that humans were sinful by nature, so he sought to change their wills. Human depravity was "a voluntary attitude of the mind." He wrote, "A revival is not a miracle. It is a purely philosophical result of the right use of the constituted means." So one of the means he constituted was the "anxious bench" to urge people to act--a matter of the will--in order to be converted. It was a "new measure." Finney believed it "was necessary to bring [sinners] out from among the mass of the ungodly to a public renunciation of their sinful ways." And, by counting the numbers of people who came forward, revival was quantified. Of course, Finney's "new measure" has become so mainstream now that few of us even realize that it's the product of faulty theology ("The sin nature is just a voluntary attitude of the mind."). But, along with the prevalence of the procedure, I'm pretty sure that most of us know those who have "gone forward" and "given my life to Christ" only to end up abandoning the faith. Indeed, I think this reality itself is as prevalent as the procedure. Isn't that an indication of a problem? Don't get me wrong. The Bible contains calls to "Come." Jesus promised, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28). We are told to do things for salvation, like believe and repent and "Be reconciled to God!" (2 Cor 5:20). Indeed, belief is a command (Mark 1:15), not a suggestion. And Scripture further endorses public confession of faith (Matt 10:32-33). Salvation requires confession with the mouth (Rom 10:9). But none of this has anything to say about the altar call.

The question is the value of the altar call. I think the fundamental question there is the question of salvation. Are we saved by making a decision, by responding to an altar call, by "coming forward"? Some worry, "What about the guy who leaves without making a decision?" Is God limited by the geography? Or are we saved by Christ? Note that in all of the "Come" commands the requirement is to "Come to Me" It is to Christ we must come to be saved. Not to the front of the church or the tent or the stadium. Nor are we saved by an emotional response evidenced by a rush to the front of the church. We are saved by a divine work that changes the heart, wrought from faith and repentance, not the Sinner's Prayer. Nor are we saved by the preacher giving the invitation. Do sinners need mediation? Sure. "How shall they hear without a preacher?" (Rom 10:14). Words are necessary. Declaring the truth in love is necessary. Expressing the Gospel is necessary. But in the end, no one is saved by the preacher or his fine altar call. The message of the cross is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18). And, as has been pointed out by others, it is not a profession of faith, but the possession of it that saves. I'm concerned about the altar call. I think it is predicated on a false theology that encourages a change of will that produces a change of heart rather than the reverse. I think it encourages the belief that we are saved by what we do. I think it engenders the notion that God is limited by our actions--whether it be the preacher or the sinner--to bring about salvation. I fear that it gives people the false confidence that "I went forward; I must be saved." And I am concerned that the newness of what we think of as a "given" points to a potentially serious problem. Yes, we need to preach the Gospel (Mark 16:15). More importantly, we need to make disciples (Matt 28:19) "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matt 28:20). I think that altar calls encourage "hit and run" conversions that are actually not conversions at all. Because I have heard far too often, "I tried that and it didn't work." And, frankly, such a thing is not possible.

News Weakly - 8/16/2025

Boggled
Police in California recovered $30,000 worth of stolen Labubus. Oh ... Labubus ... I had to look it up. That's a collectible plush toy for purses and bags. Yeah. I just don't ... wow. Is it the ridiculous value or the massive police effort for a toy that boggles my mind?

Boggled Again
The story is that the governor of New Mexico has declared a state of emergency ... because a particular county has high crime. I guess loosing law enforcement isn't sufficient. Apparently more money will fix it. Well, she declared the same thing in Albuquerque in April for the same reason and I'm sure the declaration has fixed that city's crime problem, so ... go with what works ... or doesn't.

Pot, Meet Kettle
Biden's son, Hunter, is in the news again after Melania Trump threatened to sue. Hunter claimed she was introduced to her husband by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Hunter ... that paragon of virtue concerned only with truth and justice and the American way. Okay, the "American way" that includes "Get all you want for yourself any way you can."

Capital Punishment
In January a 21-year-old woman armed and wearing tactical gear was stopped by federal officers. She exited the car and killed one of the officers. The Department of Justice is seeking the death penalty. The story says she is linked to the Zizians, a radical cult focused on veganism, gender identity, and AI. Another prime example of "the futility of their mind" (Eph 4:17-19).

Your Best Source for Fake News
A DOJ employee threw a Subway sandwich at a federal officer (actual story). He was fired and could face charges. Meanwhile, people are lining up to be federal officers in the hopes of having a sandwich thrown at them. In Washington D.C., Trump is urging a federal takeover of D.C. police (actual story). In response, the D.C. police chief is asking about those black and white cars that go "wee-oo, wee-oo." And in a story that is not true but some wish was, Trump negotiated a ceasefire with Russia ... by giving them ... California.

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

The Proper Equipping

According to Paul, the primary function of the church is "to equip the saints for the work of ministry" (Eph 4:12). Now, that's not what most people think of when they think of church. They think of worship or, quite often, evangelism. Lots of churches include a gospel message and an "altar call." "Invite your neighbors." That kind of thing. And these things are good. But this text says it's about equipping saints. That's a bit different than your normal church.

It's interesting, because Paul lists "the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers" (Eph 4:11) as gifts God gave to the Church. Clearly "evangelist" does say that evangelism is part of the church. But some churches leave off the rest. And the equipping in view is "for building up the body of Christ." The primary idea is building up the body. That would require new converts, so evangelism is a factor, but it also involves teaching and shepherding and ... the rest. The target is the unity of the faith and "mature manhood" to the standard of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13). This is an ongoing and essential job. And so many prefer "church lite" with little Bible and more warm feelings.

What's the issue? Why are we doing this? "So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Eph 4:14). If that doesn't describe the church today, I don't know what does. The problem is "human cunning." We have winds of doctrine and "craftiness in deceitful schemes." And it doesn't take long to find them. "Name it and claim it" is still popular in some crowds. The universality of sin is questioned. The inspiration of Scripture is commonly disregarded. Human cunning and the craftiness of deceitful schemes. None of this would be a problem if the church was equipping saints toward maturity. I would hope more churches would examine this and repent.

Hear Him

I was looking at this the other day and came across an interesting anomaly.

But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus (Eph 4:20-21 KJV)

But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus (Eph 4:20-21 NAS)

But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you heard Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus. (Eph 4:20-21 LITV)

But that is not the way you learned Christ! — assuming that you have heard about Him and were taught in Him, as the truth is in Jesus. (Eph 4:20-21)

Did you catch it? The majority of translations talk about hearing Christ. A very few talk about hearing about Christ. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary specifically mentions, "The 'Him' is emphatic: 'heard Himself,' not merely heard about Him." Now, frankly, the text doesn't seem to make sense if it is "about Him." It specifies "and were taught in Him." How is that significant? "The truth is in Jesus." Jesus said that, too (John 14:6). Jesus also said, "If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32).

Paul is calling on believers to hear Christ. To learn from Christ.To learn the truth. Christ speaks today ... from His Word, from the Spirit. We ought to be listening. Do you hear Him? Paul says, "if indeed you heard Him." If you're not hearing Him in His Word, perhaps there's a more serious problem.

When It's Right to Kill

The King James Bible famously says, "Thou shalt not kill" (Exo 20:13). It causes some ripples. What about ... capital punishment? That's biblically ordered (Gen 9:6). God commanded His people at times to go kill people (like the Saul and the Amalekites (1 Sam 15:1-3)). Isn't this a contradiction? And ... "kill" ... that's vague. What about killing animals? Of course, this is simply a misunderstanding, not a contradiction. The word in the Hebrew isn't a general "kill" as in "anything at all." All modern translations make it clear it's not "kill" in a general sense, but "murder." In English, "homicide" refers to the killing of a human. But we have "justifiable homicide" because we understand that not all homicides are created equal, so to speak. The difference is intent and legality. Murder includes malice and the violation of law. Not all killing does.

There is one form of killing that is commanded in Scripture. We are commanded to "put off your old self" (Eph 4:22; Col 3:9), which sounds relatively peaceful (but, I'm sure, if you think about it, cannot be peaceful). Romans says that "our old self was crucified with Him" (Rom 6:6). We are commanded to "Put to death what is earthly in you" (Col 3:5). "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24). "You must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 6:11). Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it" (Luk 9:23-24). None of this is "peaceful." It is an execution ... a killing of the old self.

We often take this too lightly. We're commanded to "put on the new self" (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10), but how can we do that with the old self hanging around? We're commanded to walk entirely different than the world, but how can we do that when we cling so tightly to the world? The Christian life doesn't "play well" with the ways of the world (1 John 2:15-17). The new self is radically different than the old. And this commanded killing of the old self isn't a "one and done" thing. Putting on the new self isn't a singular accomplishment. Both are commanded. Both take time. Both are ultimately accomplished by the Spirit working in us. Let's be diligent to kill ... the old self.

Greed is Good?

Paul told the Ephesians not to walk as the Gentiles walk (Eph 4:17). He explains that it's the product of their darkened understanding (Eph 4:18), and it makes them give themselves "to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness" (Eph 4:19). Now, we get the whole "futility of mind" thing (Eph 4:17). I mean, look around. It takes a truly futile mind to think you get to choose your gender, for instance. "Darkened in understanding" is apropos. So they think sensuality is a good (think "if it feels good, do it"). They think impurity is a minor issue. And they worship greed.

"Really, Stan? Worship it?" Actually, biblically, yes. According to Scripture, greed amounts to idolatry (Col 3:5). Greed, you see, is the desire for more. Like the famous Rockefeller quote about how much is enough ... "A little bit more." It doesn't require the desire for vast amounts. It just believes ... "I don't have enough." But ... Scripture says, "My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Php 4:19). Scripture says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (Eph 1:3). Scripture says, "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). If that's not enough ... who failed? Not God. And when we say, "I want ... I need a little bit more," that is our claim. God has failed. So we worship greed.

Gordon Gekko (Wall Street) famously claimed, "Greed is good!" We have a love-hate relationship with greed in America. We "hate the rich" even though "rich" is loosely defined, since the poorest Americans make more than most of the rest of the world. (One statistic I read said that the lowest 5% of Americans make more than 70% of the rest of the world.) And we "hate the rich" who are defined as "those with more than me" but don't think we should have to give up anything for those who are poorer than us. We ... worship greed. We live on "not enough." And it's the product of a darkened understanding and a hard heart. We shouldn't be satisfied with that.

The Importance of Words

Paul told the Ephesians that the walk that is worthy of their calling is, bottom line, the unity of the Spirit (Eph 4:1-3). He goes on to give specific examples of how that looks. At the end of the chapter he has a series of "Don't do that, do this" kinds of things (Eph 4:28-32). One of those is

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. (Eph 4:29)

"Unwholesome word." What's that? The King James says, "corrupt communication." The ESV calls it "corrupting talk." I think you can see a difference. One is corrupt, and the other causes corruption. The LITV says "filthy word." The common perception is that it's referring to swearing and the like, but ... that's not quite right. The easiest way to see what it means is to look at its "do this" parallel: "only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear." So, "unwholesome" would mean communication that does not edify, that doesn't give grace. So it's not so much "bad words" as words that tear down or are ungracious.

Part of walking in Christ is giving grace, edifying each other. We are often not good at that. We like to dig playfully at each other (often risking real hurt). We don't compliment as much as we should or show care or concern. We aren't grateful enough. We aren't really good at this. James warns about the tongue. "If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well" (Jas 3:2). We would do well to aim for unity by speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15) with an aim to build up and give grace. It is the command, after all.

We Don't Mind

In Paul's exhortation to the Ephesians to walk in a manner worthy of the calling, he explains. "You must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds" (Eph 4:17). That's interesting, isn't it? "Futility of the mind." What does he mean? He explains that "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart" (Eph 4:18). That's apparently the idea. But is there more? Can we gather more on this?

The concept of "futility" here is "inutility." It's "not working". So ... in what way are their minds not working? Their understanding it darkened. They're ignorant. They're blind. A lot like "the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor 4:4). And "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" (Rom 1:21). Sin, you see, rots the brain (Rom 1:22, 28). And the inutility here is especially in relation to the things of God (1 Cor 2:14).

In Ephesians 2, Paul wrote, "Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest" (Eph 2:3). Thus, this "futility of the mind" is the "indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind." Because "the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so" (Rom 8:7). And we believe the lies that lust is good (Eph 4:22). The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9) and we're pretty sure we're just fine. We need a renewed mind (Rom 12:2).

News Weakly - 8/9/2025

Juxtaposition
It's probably more the juxtaposition of stories than the stories themselves that caught my eye. First story: a 20 foot whale collided with a boat and died. Second story: a guy driving a truck collided with a moose near Denali National Park. The man died. On my news feed, the stories were next to each other. Interesting, because a 20 foot whale to a motor boat is massive, while a pickup truck to a moose is massive. They had the opposite effects. Jesus claimed, "I have the keys of Death and Hades" (Rev 1:18). He wasn't kidding.

Mixed Feelings
I've been repeating this mantra ... "the system is working." So now, federal judges have sided with Trump on removing union protections for federal workers. Personally, I'm ... mixed. I don't like unions ... one bit. And I understand that certain categories ... police, fire, and such ... need to be working regardless of their "benefits" concerns. I suppose federal workers might fall in that category, but ... I don't know. It seems like an attempt not against unions, but against workers, and that bothers me.

Another Peaceful Protest?
A synagogue in Rutherford, N.J. burned to the ground. The cause is not yet known, but the same synagogue was firebombed in 2012. It wouldn't surprise me if this was a case of pro-Palestinian response to Netanyahu's plan to take control of Gaza City. Because pro-Palestinian responses are generally peaceful ... or ... not.

Makes Census
Trump is calling for a new census that would exclude undocumented immigrants. Now ... is that reasonable?? Well ... actually ... yes.

Your Best Source for Fake News
Democrats are warning that Trump's new census could negate all the illegal alien votes that Biden received. Unfair!! The Bee has a helpful tip for dealing with depression. Go for a run. Because the misery of running will distract from the depression. Makes sense.

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

When Will They Know?

When I was younger, I used to wonder about why people weren't coming to Christ. I mean, what's the problem? The promise is for wonderful stuff like "love, joy, peace" (Gal 5:22), being right with God (Rom 5:1), eternal life (John 3:16), every need met (Php 4:19) ... you get the idea. Who would not want all this ... and more? It's not like the gospel is difficult to understand. "Believe and be saved." The Christian group, Petra, sang, "When will the world see that we need Jesus?" That was my question.

I've actually heard quite a few on this and similar topics. What do we have to do to get everyone to Christ? They offer lots of ideas, but they, essentially, boil down to "Be perfect." No, none of them say it, but clearly to achieve perfection in evangelism we have to be perfect. Or ... do we? Scripture disagrees. When will the world see that we need Jesus? Well, according to Scripture, "The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor 4:4). According to God's Word, humans are "dead in the trespasses and sins," "following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:1-2). According to the Bible, "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Cor 2:14). According to Jesus, "No one can come to Me unless it is granted him by the Father" (John 6:65). Apparently ... the problem is not our lifestyles or delivery.

We should have a passion to share the gospel (Mark 16:15), to make disciples (Matt 28:18-28), to be witnesses "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). No doubt. We should be living examples of Christ, especially in the area of loving one another. We should be better at sharing and living the gospel. But... we aren't the last word. When will the world know that we need Jesus? When their minds are renewed, when they are made alive together with Him, when they are in Christ, when the Father grants it. In other words, God has the last word. We just carry the message in word and deed. He gets the results. Because the point at which the entire world will see that they need Jesus will be on that final judgment day. Until then, it's entirely up the God.

Disunity

Yesterday, it was Ephesians 4 and "Unity." Paul goes on to talk more about unity in chapter 4. He steps from "One Spirit ... one Lord ... one God (Eph 4:4-6) into "But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift" (Eph 4:7). That's an interesting transition. He's talking unity and goes to gifts. Paul writes about spiritual gifts in the context of ... unity. How does that work?

Paul talks about the "gifts" of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers (Eph 4:11). These are gifts He gave the Church. What for? "To equip the saints" (Eph 4:12). To equip us for ... what? Paul writes this long, run-on explanation about building the Body of Christ to "attain to the unity of the faith" (Eph 4:13) to achieve maturity and "the fullness of Christ" so we can avoid being "children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes" (Eph 4:14). Unity, Paul is saying, is achieved by the proper operation of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers so that we're built into maturity. That, in fact, is the primary purpose of the Church ... building believers.

In 1889, an American journalists named Edgar Nye introduced the phrase "a mile wide and an inch deep." He was talking about the Platte River. I think it applies quite well to much of today's churches. We aren't really interested in "the unity of faith" or "the building up of the body." We're pretty comfortable being tossed by waves and "every wind of doctrine." It's no wonder we don't see much unity in the church or even know what it is. We just find some church we're "comfortable" with -- you know, singing we like, not too much preaching, some friends -- and don't bother with maturity. Human cunning and craftiness seem to be virtues to some these days.

Unity

Paul wrote to the Ephesians that they should "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called" (Eph 4:1). That calling is spread all over the first three chapters, and is focused on "for His glory" and "in Christ." We were called to be holy and blameless (Eph 1:4), to be sons (Eph 1:5), for redemption (Eph 1:6) and to know the the mystery of Christ (Eph 1:9). We have an inheritance (Eph 1:11) and are sealed by the Spirit (Eph 1:13-14). We are to know "the hope of His calling (Eph 1:18) and "the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us" (Eph 1:19) by which He raised Christ from the dead (Eph 1:20-23) and made us alive when we were dead (Eph 2:1-7). We were saved "for good works" (Eph 2:10), are one in Christ (Eph 2:11-22), and have God's power at work in us to know His love (Eph 3:14-21). That calling.

What does that look like? Well, Paul lists a lot, but the underlying theme is ... unity (Eph 4:3). We have one God and one faith and one baptism and we are called to "one." Ultimately, the way we "walk in a manner worthy of the calling" is unity. Biblical unity is not uniformity. It's not one way of thinking or doing. Scripture is clear, for instance, that we all have our own gifts and we all have our own roles (1 Cor 12:1-27). We have our own functions. Biblical unity is the harmonious operation of each "body part" for the same Master and the same purpose. We build up the Body together. We bear one another's burdens together. We love together. We hold each other as more important than ourselves (Php 2:3-4) together.

We have a high calling. The highest. Adopted, heirs with Christ, raised in His likeness for good works, for His glory. We have the highest calling. Our lives ought to reflect that. Our lives ought to glorify God. Together. As one. Daily. Our unity is in Christ. Our purpose is His glory. We have our ... marching orders ... how we should walk.

UnAmerican

We know America, right? Land of the free. We value our freedom above just about anything else. The Bill of Rights was largely put in place to insure ... our freedoms. Patrick Henry famously said, "Give me liberty, or give me death." July 4th is our "Independence" day. We love our freedom. Which is how I know Paul wasn't an American.

Silly, I know, but you understand I'm talking about the principle, not the country. Paul introduced himself in more than one epistle as "Paul, a bondservant of Christ ..." (Rom 1:1; Php 1:1; Titus 1:1). In Philemon he was "Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus" (Phm 1:1). And he spoke all the time about being a servant, serving at the will of God. Because freedom wasn't Paul's highest desire ... serving God was. The concept actually jarred the disciples. Jesus said He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mat 20:28). In John 13, He actually took the role of the lowest servant and washed His disciples' feet ... with protests from Peter (John 13:3-17). "Me? Serve?? No!" But Jesus did. Peter urged servant leadership for shepherds among the Church (1 Peter 5:1-4). Not "lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3).

Good Americans resist this kind of thing. I remember teaching an adult class on Philippians and one of the older members took offense at Paul's declaration of being a "bondservant of Christ." "I'm no one's slave," he said. I think most of us echo that sentiment ... to our own shame. Freedom from human oppression is a good thing, but we are made for good works ... made to serve. Christ did it (Php 2:5-8). The Apostles did it. Perhaps our "worship" of freedom is a rebellion we shouldn't abide in ourselves if it means we refuse to serve ... our Lord. (Ask yourself ... do the terms "Lord" and "King" disturb you?) We will serve. The question is ... whom?

The Wrong Question

We've discussed in the recent past what the proper dress for church is. We didn't agree. Should we dress "appropriately" with a sense of "the holy" and the presence of God, or does God not care and we can do what we want? It is abundantly clear that God did not prescribe the proper clothing for church. Doesn't that mean it falls under the "Christian Liberty" concept where, if it's not in God's Word, we're under our own consciences? Or not? I'm not rehashing that debate. But I'm looking at the principle.

Romans 14 is the "go to" for the doctrine of Christian Liberty. There are other places, but there it's neatly packaged and pretty well rounded. Paul talks about food as an example (like me and my "church clothes" example). He writes, "Who are you to judge the servant of another?" (Rom 14:4). Christian Liberty ... but ... that was only part of Paul's concern. Here's the crux of it. "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this — not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way" (Rom 14:13). That is, "Yes, we if it's not in the Word, we don't get to judge one another ... so don't trip up your brothers." We never discussed that on the church clothes dialog. We rarely discuss that in the whole discussion about what is or isn't allowed. Paul says we're asking the wrong questions. It's not "What is or isn't allowed?" but "Am I causing my brother to stumble?" In a similar passage, Paul writes, "So, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble" (1 Cor 8:12-13). That's ... extreme ... which makes the point.

We've gotten used to thinking about us ... ourselves. "Is it okay for me to ... or not?" "What's best for me?" It's human nature. Scripture asks us to "present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship" (Rom 12:2). We are to have the mind of Christ who didn't regard being "self" as God as something to be grabbed onto (Php 2:5-8). We are to be "crucified with Christ" so that "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal 2:20). Maybe, the question of clothes and church is asked in the wrong direction. Does it cause my brother to stumble? For obvious reasons, it's not the normal question ... but it should be.

Friend of Sinners

Jesus ... the "friend of sinners." Ever hear that? It's not uncommon. It's just ... not quite clear. The phrase comes from Scripture. Jesus was talking to the crowds about John the Baptist. John, He said, was Elijah (Matt 11:14). The problem, though, was that the people rejected John ... and Jesus. He says, essentially, "We were playing our tunes and you weren't listening" (Matt 11:16-17). John didn't eat or drink and they said he had a demon (Matt 11:18). Jesus ate and drank and they called Him a glutton and a drunkard, "a friend of tax colletors and sinners!" (Matt 11:19). So ... Jesus was ... "a friend of sinners" ... right? Actually, no. The text is clear. Jesus was accused of being a friend of sinners (and a glutton and a drunkard). Jesus was saying it wasn't any more true than their claim John had a demon.

That being said, was Jesus a friend of sinners? Well, that all depends on how you define it, doesn't it? The most common understanding of the concept is that Jesus didn't condemn anyone. He just ... accepted everyone. You know ... tolerant, inclusive, nonjudgmental. Like ... the woman caught in adultery. "Did no one condemn you?" He asked. "No one, Lord." Jesus famously said, "I do not condemn you, either" (John 8:10-11) but He didn't stop there. He said, "Go. From now on sin no more" (John 8:11). In other words, "You've been sinning; stop." If, by "friend of sinners," we understand it to mean "nonjudgmental and inclusive," Scripture denies it. He seriously took the Pharisees to task in Matthew 23 with wonderful affirmations like "whitewashed tombs" and "serpents, brood of vipers." Not nonjudgmental nor inclusive. He definitely upset the apple cart in the Temple when He threw tables and brought a whip (John 2:13-18; Matt 21:12-16). Not nonjudgmental nor inclusive. Jesus was not that kind of friend.

Jesus did eat with sinners. He did associate with tax collectors. He did heal sinful people and preach the gospel to all who would hear. Jesus did not wink at sin or keep silent on the subject. But, think about it. If sin is harmful to humans, wouldn't a friend want to encourage people to stop? An enabler is bad for a person doing bad things. Jesus was not an enabler. So when encouragement and comfort were needed, Jesus gave it. Because a friend gives encouragement and comfort. And when discipline was required, Jesus gave it, ranging from harsh words to whips. Because a friend does that. So Jesus was a friend of sinners in the best possible sense. He sought their best, either through comfort and encouragement or discipline. May God grant us the wisdom to do the same, not berating sinners when they need encouragement and not encouraging sinners when they need discipline ... and the wisdom to know the difference.

News Weakly - 8/2/2025

Promoting Religion?
Trump is planning to allow federal employees to talk about religion in the workplace. There will be those who will complain or even sue. Understand that the 1st Amendment prohibits limiting the freedom of religion, not exercising it.

An Inconvenient Truth
Apparently, the U.S. economy rebounded in the 2nd quarter from Trump's "trade wars." Now, that's gotta hurt all the Trump-haters out there. U.S. payrolls increased in July. That's not right; Trump is destroying our economy. I don't know ... I think the media might be confused. Okay, no ... I know the anti-Trump media is confused.

No Can Do
Kamala Harris has decided not to run for governor of California next year. The reason, ostensibly, is so she'll have a better shot at president in 2028. I guess being roundly defeated by the "existential threat to democracy" wasn't clear enough.

Pay the Piper
India has a tariff on American goods. The last I checked it's 17%. Trump decided to boost the 3.3% tariff to 25%. India is now trying to figure out how to placate Trump ... because that's how these things are going.

Your Best Source for Fake News
Democrats have unveiled their campaign slogan for 2028. "We Hate Capitalism, Hot Chicks, and the Jews." A clear value statement for the party. We saw how Harris is not planning to run for governor in California. The Bee has a different take. They say she's stepping away from politics to spend more time with vodka. Now, now. And one that just amused me. The story is about a man who suffered from a pathological urge to eat wicker baskets. Luckily he settled for Triscuit instead. I've eaten them. It's not too far off.

Must be true; I read it on the internet.

What About "One Another"? (All in one place)

"Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." (Mar 9:50)

"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. (Joh 13:14)

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (Joh 13:34)

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (Joh 13:35)

"This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. (Joh 15:12)

"This I command you, that you love one another. (Joh 15:17)

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor. (Rom 12:10)

Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. (Rom 12:16)

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. (Rom 13:8)

Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this -- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way. (Rom 14:13)

So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. (Rom 14:19)

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus. (Rom 15:5)

Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. (Rom 15:7)

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. (Rom 15:14)

Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (1Co 7:5)

God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. (1Co 12:24-25)

For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. (Gal 5:13)

Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another. (Gal 5:26)

Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. (Gal 6:2)

I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Eph 4:1-3)

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another. (Eph 4:25)

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Eph 4:32)

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord (Eph 5:19)

and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Eph 5:21)

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; (Php 2:3)

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, (Col 3:9)

bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. (Col 3:13)

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Col 3:16)

and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; (1Th 3:12)

Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; (1Th 4:9)

Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1Th 4:18)

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. (1Th 5:11)

and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. (1Th 5:13)

See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people. (1Th 5:15)

We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; (2Th 1:3)

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. (Tit 3:3)

But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called "Today," so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb 3:13)

and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. (Heb 10:24-25)

Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. (Jas 4:11)

Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. (Jas 5:9)

Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (Jas 5:16)

Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, (1Pe 1:22)

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. (1Pe 4:8)

Be hospitable to one another without complaint. (1Pe 4:9)

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1Pe 4:10)

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE. (1Pe 5:5)

but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1Jn 1:7)

For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; (1Jn 3:11)

This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. (1Jn 3:23)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. (1Jn 4:7)

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1Jn 4:11)

Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. (2Jn 1:5)

Walk This Way

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called. (Eph 4:1)

Paul urges the Ephesian Christians to "walk this way." (No reference to Aerosmith.) Why? Paul premises this command on what he said before. In chapter 3, Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians (Eph 3:14-19). He asked that they would be rooted and grounded in love. He prayed that they could comprehend the vastness of the love of Christ "that surpasses knowledge" so that they would be filled with the fullness of God. In his grand sort of "amen" (Eph 3:20-21), he ends with how God "is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." He follows that with, "I, therefore, urge you to walk ..." That's why. Now ... how?

"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling." Simple. Wait ... what? Well, in the first chapter, Paul prayed that they would have "the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might" (Eph 1:18-19). Paul is saying, "Walk that way." In chapter 2 Paul tells of how the Gentiles were once separated from God (Eph 2:11-12), but are now "brought near by the blood of Christ" (Eph 2:13) "that He might create in Himself one new man in place of the two" (Eph 2:15). Paul is saying, "Walk that way." Paul is saying, "You have been invited ..." ("called") "... to a grand feast, as it were, built on God's hope, His glorious inheritance, and His immeasurable power. You've been called to be one new man. So ... walk like it."

He tells them what that looks like. It's a walk "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph 4:2-3). That makes perfect sense once you figure out the calling. It is "worthy" -- deserving, comparable, appropriate -- of the calling. So ... is your walk marked by those characteristics? Or do you need to be reminded to "walk this way"?

Rubber, Meet Road

We are really good at discussing possibilities. What about realities? We can discuss "Should a wife submit to her husband?" and see the Scriptures that say, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Eph 5:22; 1 Peter 3:1), and it's not ambiguous. The question is not "possibilities," but "What will you do?" We read, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her", and it's not ambiguous. The question isn't "Should husbands love their wives sacrificially?" The question is "Will you do it?"

I was reminded of a Christian woman who married a Christian man. She divorced him for unknown reasons, but the suggestion was that he wanted to be a pastor and she didn't want to be a pastor's wife. Now ... the possibilities aren't ambiguous. When asked if there was any reason for divorce, Jesus replied, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate" (Matt 19:4-6). Or, in plain English, NO!! God says, "I hate divorce" (Mal 2:16). "Okay ... we got it!" Except ... we don't. We find excuses. We find exceptions. We find reasons why God doesn't hate it and Jesus wasn't exactly clear. We divorce. We fail to love. We fail to submit. For starters.

So we'll debate eternal security and election and whether or not Trump is a Christian. We'll discuss Creation vs Evolution. We'll try to figure out if Noah's flood was real or imagined. But ... will we ... obey? Will we do what is clear? Or will we figure out why we should be allowed ... to defy the Creator?

All We Need ... the Sequel

We already looked at the concept of love in its importance. There is another, essential aspect that we should examine. In Ephesians, Paul prays for the Christians there "to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (Eph 3:16). What, exactly, was Paul concerned about? That they would have the strength to ... know the love of Christ (Eph 3:17-19). And we go ... "Um ... okay, Paul ... that's pretty simple." And I don't think it's as simple as we think it is.

Paul wants us to be "rooted and grounded in love" (Eph 3:17). Since Christ said, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Joh 13:35), we can see that being rooted and grounded in love is important. But what love? Certainly not the world's version. Paul is talking about the "love of Christ" but he says that this love "surpasses knowledge" (Eph 3:19). That is, it's much bigger than we realize. He indicates this when he says we need to comprehend "what is the breadth and length and height and depth" of this love (Eph 1:18). That word, "comprehend," is interesting. It means "to grasp," "to take to oneself." Paul wants us to get it and make it our own ... and we won't. We'll need supernatural strength for it. In fact, he says he wants us "to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" (Eph 3:18). "Um ... Paul ... isn't that contradictory?" That's why we need supernatural power to get this.

I don't think we grasp the love of Christ. Imagine a guy in a rowboat on Lake Superior. In the middle, he can't see any shore. It's just ... vast. So he takes a cup and he dips it in the water and he tastes. He now knows more about Lake Superior than he did before. He has experienced it. But ... he doesn't know Lake Superior. We need to grasp the magnitude of Christ's love ... love beyond comprehension. It is laid hold of by means of the Spirit's work. It is accomplished "according to the power at work within us" (Eph 3:20). What power is that? It is the power of God "who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." Good thing ... we can ask or think a lot. He can do more. And it is at work in us. To enable us to grasp the love. Because ... we don't. And we need to.

Glory Be

Ephesians is full of "the glory of God." We have an inheritance "so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:12). We were sealed in Him "to the praise of His glory" (Eph 1:13-14). Paul prays "that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being" (Eph 3:16). And, of course, throughout Scripture God's glory is critical. God says, "I am YHWH; that is My name; My glory I give to no other, nor My praise to carved idols" (Isa 42:8). Paul wrote, "All have sinned" and then further explained the problem ... "and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). Paul told the Corinthians, "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31). But ... what is this thing called "glory"?

In Scripture the glory of God refers to the manifestation of God's character and attributes that displays His ultimate magnificence and worth. Thus, God's glory is ... all that God is, pointing to His ultimate value. If that's true, perhaps you can see how important it is. It is God on display, God being praised for Himself. And, if you understand that, then you can also see that to "fall short of His glory" is catastrophic. The highest praiseworthy Being is not receiving His just due. We have failed to recognize and value God for what He truly is. That's not minor.

David wrote, "The heavens declare the glory of God" (Psa 19:1). And we miss it. We shortchange it. We minimize it. We conform it to our image and bend it to our will. And we think we're doing a good thing. Isaiah accuses us of declaring, "I will make myself like the Most High" (Isa 14:14). By minimizing God's glory, we attempt to bring Him down to our level. It's no wonder God is concerned about His glory. It's Him. He made all that is to display His glory and we try to cover it and call our efforts good. These things ought not be.

Every Good Gift

James wrote,

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. (James 1:16-18)

Why do you suppose he began with "Do not be deceived"? Could it be that ... we are often easily deceived? Perhaps. I do know that we are often deceived about where good things come from.

We are proud Americans. Okay, proud humans. We work hard, we earn our way, we get what we want. Good. We cherish the word, "deserve," because we think we do ... deserve all kinds of good things. We've got it coming. So when James says, "Do not be deceived," I think he's seeing it right. I think we think we earn and obtain good stuff all on our own. James says ... no. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." "Every" is pretty all-inclusive. Your skills and talents, your friends and family, your job, your home, your spouse ... well, this will be a long list ... every good thing is from above. Without exception. Including the bad things. Because, after all, "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).

At this point, then, we might begin to see that we have, in fact, been deceived. Good things often come from our own hard work ... except Scripture disagrees. And bad things are from the devil ... except Scripture disagrees. And maybe ... just maybe ... we might realize we've been a tad ungrateful. Something to consider on this day that the Lord has made ... as a good gift.

News Weakly - 7/26/2025

The Other Constitution
A Mississippi judge has blocked a state ban on DEI programs for schools and universities. Apparently it's a matter of "constitutional rights." Because I've seen it, right there ... Article 8. "All teachers have the right to judge on the basis of race and sex and disability." Come on, Mississippi. Try to keep up!

Separate but Equal
I was surprised by this story. Apparently Minnesota Senator Nicole Mitchell is resigning. No, that's not the surprising story. The fact that she can resign is surprising, after her conviction of first-degree burglary. Shouldn't she have already been expelled? "Oh, no ... a senator that steals is 'business as usual' here in Minnesota." Sure, a conviction isn't common, but she's still an equal senator, right?

The Right to Piracy ... I mean, Privacy
A "KissCam" at a Coldplay concert caught a CEO and his "chief people officer" (I've never even heard of the term.) together. The public images forced the CEO to resign. Of course, it highlights the stupidity of moderns. "We demand privacy!!!" and then we surrender it right and left until there's almost nothing left. "Hey! Where's our privacy?" You mean, the stuff you surrendered to social media and the Internet?

Famous Last Words
Black Sabbath front man, Ozzy Osbourne, died. No one actually understood his last words. (Too soon?) Somehow, his passing doesn't evoke the same response as when John MacArthur died. I wonder why?

Like Father, Like Son?
Hunter Biden is blaming George Clooney (you read that right) for his father's failed reelection bid in 2024. Not the public. Not his father's record. Not his father's poor condition. Certainly not his own illegal activities. Clooney. "Why would anyone listen to an actor?" he complained. I don't know ... why would anyone listen to Hunter?

A Slow Fix
Mathematically, in order for the human race to continue, humans need to have a fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman. (That's 2 because two people produce a child and 0.1 because sometimes children die unexpectedly.) We've been complaining for decades now about saving the planet when the only actual way to "save the planet" is to eliminate humans, and now we have our solution. The U.S. fertility rate dropped to 1.6 in 2024 ... an all-time low. Why? They say it's because marriage is in disfavor and childbearing is in disfavor. Or, as some like to suggest ... sin. But, we're on our way, folks. We can eliminate the race and save the planet! Go, team!!

Your Best Source for Fake News
Under the category of "funny but inappropriate," the Bee has a headline about Uber offering riders their choice of a woman driver or a good driver. Come on, guys. You can do better. They're canceling Stephen Colbert, so he's been seen holding a cardboard sign that says, "Will Yell About Trump 4 Cash" on street corners. And one story is about Ozzy Osborne explaining to St. Peter that the whole "Satanism thing" was only a joke. Sad ... not funny. Finally, there's a story that Obama is arguing that he can't be charged with treason since he wasn't born in America. We knew it!

Must be true; I read it on the internet.