No Lesser Gospel

We're coming up on Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection. The time serves as a reminder of ... the fundamental gospel.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. (1 Cor 15:1-5)

Basic to the gospel ("of first importance") is the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. It is the core of what we call "the Atonement." My favorite text on this is in Romans 3.

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Rom 3:19-26)

(Sorry about the length. You need the full thought.) Since works don't justify, we need an alternative. The alternative God came up with was "through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe." How? We are "being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith." Through faith, Jesus's blood bought us back from sin ("redemption"). Through faith, Christ's blood serves to propitiate -- to appease an angry God -- for our justification. In that, we have peace with God (Rom 5:1) -- Atonement. In this magnificent act of grace and mercy, God became "just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." In Christ's death on our behalf, God achieved both justice and justification.

"Is that all you got? Does that prove that Christ died on our behalf to save us?" Well, to those of us who believe Scripture as it is presented, yes, but ... it's not the only proof. Take, for instance, the entire Old Testament sacrificial system. You know, the one to which Christ is compared (e.g., John 1:29)? Hebrews assures us "without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb 9:22), as the entire bloody sacrificial system of the Old Testament testifies. Isaiah famously prophesies of the Christ that He bore our griefs and was pierced through for our transgressions (Isa 53:4-6). Jesus Himself said, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matt 26:28). Paul, of course, is the biggest biblical proponent of this concept of Atonement (see above as well as many others), but it doesn't depend on Paul. It doesn't depend on Anselm. It doesn't depend on conservative Christian denominations. It's a fully biblical concept.

Lots of people like to argue the point. It is, however, in Scripture from Adam and Eve to the final judgment, from Genesis to Revelation. The problem is huge (Rom 3:23). The curse is real (Gal 3:10). And it is God's amazing grace of supplying a satisfaction of justice in His Son (Heb 2:17; 1 John 4:10) that saves. It's not a new idea. It's not a manufactured notion. It's the biblical position. Jesus Himself said so. And the magnitude of the biblical version of the Atonement is breathtaking when embraced at face value. As we saw yesterday, Paul argues for it and pronounces anathema on any lesser gospel.

(For a well-written examination on the subject, you might try this.)

Another Gospel

Yesterday we saw that Paul introduced himself to the Galatians as an emissary ... from God. That would be extremely arrogant if it wasn't true. But ... it was absolutely true. This emissary -- this Apostle with a capital "A" -- told them of the gospel -- that Jesus gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from evil, and that this reality was for God's glory (Gal 1:1-5).

What was God's emissary most concerned about? Why is he even writing this letter? There were Galatian believers ... who were deserting Christ (Gal 1:6). How? They were going with "a different gospel" (Gal 1:6). He explains, in fact that it "is really not another." So this "different gospel" was not a gospel at all. It was only masquerading as one. It was a distortion (Gal 1:7). It sounded "gospely" but it wasn't an actual gospel. They were buying something other than the good news that Christ gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil world. Paul said that if any one, including himself or an angel from heaven, offered a different gospel, they were to be "accursed" (Gal 1:8-9). Excommunicated, banned, kicked out, anathema.

Of course, distortions of the gospel still abound. The pharisaical early church taught a "saved by Jewish law" version ... not another gospel. Going with the whole "angel from heaven thing," Joseph Smith distorted the gospel of saved by grace through faith and made it a works-based falsehood ... not another gospel. We have those who say Jesus didn't die for our sin and those who say that we didn't even need saving ... not another gospel. We have the social gospel that says we're saved to a better earthly existence ... not another gospel. "We're good enough" or "We're not that bad" or "You just have to work hard enough" or "No one has to do anything at all" are popular versions of "another gospel" which are not other gospels at all. "Other gospels" abound, and Scripture demands that they be excised, removed, eliminated. Check your "other gospel" at the door and don't pick it up when you leave.

The Galatian Intro

Paul's epistle to the churches of Galatia has an interesting beginning.

Paul, an apostle -- not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead ... (Gal 1:1)

Paul makes a big point with a simple statement. He's writing ... with authority. He's not some guy, some casual teacher, even some rabbi. He's an apostle -- a delegate, an official ambassador, if you will. Not only is he an apostle, but he's an apostle commissioned "through Jesus Christ and God the Father." He specifies "not from men nor through man." He doesn't carry with him the authority of his own or a church or a group or any human source. Paul's authority was God Himself¹.

So what does a delegate sent by God have to say? Christ "gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father" (Gal 1:4). First and foremost, Paul wants them to know ... the gospel. It's important. It's vital. It is, in fact, his mission. What gospel? Christ gave Himself for our sins to rescue us. He rescued us from "this present evil age." And He did it "according to the will of our God and Father." The gospel.

The gospel isn't very popular to a large group of people. The notion that we need rescue is an offense to some. The fact that Christ had to give Himself to do it is an offense to some. The simple fact that Paul speaks as a designated representative from God is really upsetting to many ... even though Paul claims that this gospel, this sacrifice, this rescue is to the glory of God forevermore (Gal 1:5). But don't kid yourselves. Paul is right. The gospel is amazing. We desperately need rescue, and Christ died to do it. Without that fact, we're lost.
________

¹ There are those who would challenge this claim. "Paul said it. Doesn't make it so." This, of course, would serve to nullify Paul's claim here in Galatians ... as well as 3/4 of the New Testament and, ultimately Scripture itself. (For instance, 2 Tim 3:16-17 is the primary claim that Scripture is God-breathed and Peter confirms that Paul was writing Scripture, so, if Paul lied, God Himself is at risk here because Scripture is not God-breathed and Peter was just plain wrong.) However, we do have Peter's word on that and Jesus's. Jesus told Ananias, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:15-16). If there is a quibble here, Scripture and Christianity itself are done.

Search me, O God

When I was young, I had a problem with ... self-image. Not self-esteem. Self-esteem is how one values oneself. We all value ourselves higher than we ought (despite our society's concern that we don't). Self-image is how one sees oneself. If it's accurate, it's good (whether or not it's favorable or unfavorable). If it's inaccurate, it's a problem. So, my parents offered their best approach to solve it. They ... made me memorize Scripture. The text they gave me to memorize was ... Psalm 139.

The psalm is a reflection on God's Omniscience and His Omnipresence. It points to the fact that each of us is uniquely and intimately created by God. It ends with the almost mandatory response:

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Psa 139:23-24)

It's difficult to read through the psalm without coming away ... overwhelmed. He knows me (Psa 139:1). Doesn't everyone want to be known? He knows me. He's with me (Psa 139:2-12). I'm never, never, never alone. He hears me (Psa 139:4) ... before I speak! He protects me (Psa 139:5). He ... made ... me (Psa 139:13-16). Not like a factory part. He "knitted me together in my mother's womb" (Psa 139:13). He saw my unformed substance (Psa 139:16) (one of the most powerful proofs that a fetus is a human). He wrote out my every day before there was one (Psa 139:16). He thinks of me (Psa 139:17). Imagine that! The God of the universe thinks of me! He doesn't need to. He doesn't have to. But ... He does!

Most of us suffer at times from a feeling of inadequacy, of being ... less than perfect. Psalm 139 says "I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well" (Psa 139:14). When we question our design, our build, our looks, our abilities, we question God's character. And that's a bad thing. Perhaps we need this reminder that we aren't junk, we aren't useless, we aren't an accident. We are known, accompanied by, made, seen, designed, and thought of by God. I hope that's enough for you. When it's not, we need to ask God to search us and correct our hearts (Psa 139:23-24).

News Weakly - 4/5/2025

The Double Standard is Strong With This One
A Cornell student who engaged in "creating a hostile environment for Jewish students" and "disruptive protests" -- urging the annihilation of Israel -- is afraid of "being abducted" in the streets (by, apparently, law enforcement), so he's leaving the U.S. by choice. Well, his visa was revoked and all, so that's a factor, but he's going. Because he's dedicated to an unsafe world for the Jews in Israel just as much as he is to his own safety.

Matters of State
Finally!! Trump has really made a big impact on our national well-being. He signed an executive order targeting scalpers who resell concert tickets at a huge profit. Man! It's about time. Expect your own pocketbook to bulge with this critical issue resolved. We've all been itching to have this nightmare addressed. (Was that too much sarcasm for one entry?)

When Does It Stop?
Tariffs have their purpose, and they're not all bad, but at some point ... Trump has unveiled "global reciprocal tariffs." Never mind that the Executive Branch doesn't have the job of assigning tariffs. Never mind that the idea of putting tariffs on countries we are helping to subsidize to stay afloat is counterproductive. Never mind that we will all pay the price. (Especially since you know there will be retaliation.) It just seems ... petty at some point. He says, "We are finally putting America first." Maybe, but not the America I would hope it could be. Not the America that cares globally. It is the self-centered "American Way" today, I suppose. (Oh, and "trade war" is certainly the correct term at this point.)

Your Best Source for Fake News
From the Bee, the funniest one this week was the simple headline, "BREAKING: Economy." "The headline says it all." Other ramifications are showing up as the Dodgers declare bankruptcy after Trump places a 25% tariff on Japanese players. And, just for fun, heaven has unveiled a special VIP lounge for people who went to Wednesday night prayer meetings. (I know. Most of you will have to look that one up.)

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy

When I was young our youth group leaders liked to lead us in singing. They particularly liked rounds. You know, polyphonic method of singing where two or more voices sing the same phrase at different times to create harmonic layers. Or ... in English ... two or more voices singing the same melody in a way that overlaps and creates harmony. One of the popular ones was Rejoice in the Lord Always. You know, the ever-popular, complicated lyrics,

Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice
Rejoice, rejoice, again I say rejoice.
Rejoice, rejoice, again I say rejoice.
Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice.

Yeah, quite the complicated song. (To be fair, it's straight from Scripture (Php 4:4), so I'm not complaining.) The interesting thing about rounds is that they're ... endless. I mean, there's no obvious end point. You just keep singing until someone says, "That's enough." So, in theory, this song could just ... go ... on ... forever.

And ... in this one instance, I'm not sure that's not a good thing. I mean, the command is to "Rejoice in the Lord always" (Php 3:1). Paul repeated the command ... three times. It appears to bear repetition, with it's "always" aspect. Biblically, repetition can be significant. The angels cry "Holy, holy, holy" over God ... twice (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8). Jesus said "Truly, truly" on multiple occasions. Repetition is often emphasis in Scripture. So it seems as if the command to "Rejoice in the Lord always" is significant simply because it says "always," but additionally because it's repeated (Psa 35:9; Isa 41:16; Zec 10:7; Php 3:1; Php 4:4). If the joy of the Lord is my strength (Neh 8:10) and we're to "Count it all joy when we encounter various trials" (James 1:2), are we ... rejoicing always? Or ... do we have a ways to go to become the joyful people we are commanded to be?

How's Your Day?

The psalmist wrote, "Give thanks to YHWH, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting" (Psa 118:1). So true. He went on to write, "This is the day which YHWH has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psa 118:24). To be fair, we've happily snatched that verse out of its context and thrown it up as a happy little song. "The day" he was writing about wasn't just any day. In the prior verses, he writes,

I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is YHWH's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." (Psa 118:21-23)

Thus, "the day" to which he refers is specifically when Christ came, died, rose again, and conquered all. That's the day YHWH made. That's the day we rejoice and be glad for. But ... that's now. He reigns now. So this is that "day" in an ongoing sense, and we can and should rejoice and be glad in the stone that became the chief corner stone.

The truth is, today is the day the Lord has made. How is yours? I mean, are you satisfied with it -- are you rejoicing in it -- or do you have some suggestions for improvement? The truth is, we are living in the era spoken of when Christ became the corner stone. Are you glad? Are you rejoicing in it? We should really give thanks, because He is good, and His lovingkindness is everlasting. Perhaps that can make your day better.

Where to Stand

In 1868, Elizabeth Clephane wrote the hymn, Beneath the Cross of Jesus. It was published three years after her death. Clephane was born in Scotland. She was considered a frail girl, but was known for her philanthropic causes. Her parents died when she was young and her brother died in a fall from a horse. She died at 38, a weak, frail, short-lived life ... full of good works. What was her secret?

Elizabeth was known as "one of those cheerful people who brighten every corner." Her friends called her "Sunbeam." Because Clephane lived "beneath the cross of Jesus." In what sense? Elizabeth wrote,

Beneath the cross of Jesus
I fain would take my stand,
The shadow of a mighty Rock
Within a weary land;
A home within the wilderness,
A rest upon the way,
From the burning of the noontide heat,
And the burden of the day.

It's a bold statement. Bold because Scripture says "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor 1:18). She boldly declares to those who consider it "foolishness," "This is where I gladly reside." And bold because the cross is a place of suffering. You actually want to stand there?

In subsequent verses, Clephane calls the cross a "safe and happy shelter," a "trysting place where heaven's love and heaven’s justice meet." I love that phrase. She confesses that she can see Him on that cross at times. "And from my smitten heart, with tears, two wonders I confess -- the wonders of His glorious love, and my own worthlessness." That's where she longed to stand.

The last verse says,

I take, O cross, thy shadow
For my abiding place;
I ask no other sunshine than
The sunshine of His face;
Content to let the world go by,
To know no gain nor loss,
My sinful self my only shame,
My glory all the cross.

In that verse we find her secret to happiness in an existence that we would consider painful, even unbearable. Beneath His cross, she was looking to Jesus. Nowhere else. Like Paul with his thorn in the flesh, "Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me" (2 Cor 12:9). At the cross we can find contentment beyond the world's understanding. I would gladly ("fain") take my stand there.

No April Fool

We laugh about April Fool's Day, but Scripture talks about foolishness quite a bit. Biblical foolishness resides in the arena of sin. It's not merely ignorance or even a lack of understanding. It begins with the suppression of truth (Rom 1:18) which produces the exchange of God for alternatives (Rom 1:22-23). Paul wrote, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen" (Rom 1:25). The phrase, "a lie," is most correctly translated "the lie." What lie is that? Worshiping and serving the creature rather than the Creator. And that is foolishness. David wrote, "The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good" (Psa 14:1). And you see the correlation between "no God" and the judgment of good and bad -- "There is no one who does good."

Proverbs has a lot on foolishness. Some of my favorites are "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel" (Pro 12:15), "A wise man is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless" (Pro 14:16), and "A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own mind" (Pro 18:2). A fool has a temper (Pro 14:17), perverse speech (Pro 19:1), and produces sin (Pro 24:9). And on ... and on.

Wisdom, the counter to foolishness, begins with the fear of the Lord (Pro 9:10). It would bring about a proper grasp of God as opposed to a suppression of the truth about Him. It would produce a right understanding of our sin nature and the need for a Savior. It would lead to repentance and faith, and the grace and mercy that accompany repentance and faith. Our "April Fool" is a joke day, and that's fine, but let's be year-round wise, pursuing God and His truth, rather than daily fools.

Como Se Dice

In Spanish they say, "¿Como se dice ...?" to ask "How do you say ...?" I find myself asking that ... a lot. Oh, in English, of course. You see, words are not "things" so much as symbols. They aren't realities, but a method of transmitting ideas, etc. from one person to another. Now, the trick of it is, we have to use the same symbols. Like that upside down question mark. What does that mean? Nothing to an English speaker. A meaningless symbol. But to a Spanish speaker, it's the prelude to a question. So we have things called "words" that are symbols for transmitting data and we need to understand what those symbols mean if we're to do it effectively. And ... we're not. That's because we take agreed-upon symbols and change them, but keep using them as if we're all in agreement. Here's an example. In the Ten Commandments, God demanded, "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain" (Exo 20:7). And we're all clear. But ... not. You see, He didn't command anything about "the name of the LORD." That capitalized "LORD" is a symbol for a specific Hebrew term -- YHWH. So we shift YHWH to "LORD" and then we lose the concept of "LORD" and end up ... confused. We think He doesn't want us using the word "G-O-D" in vain. But the word itself is only a symbol. And "the name" is a symbol. Because "the name" refers to "Who I am." And in that light "the name" becomes sacred because it is Who He is. And here we are, mucking about in concerns about the proper use of the letters, "G-O-D." What He wants is for us not to use His character in vain. Jesus didn't institute the proper end of every prayer to be, "In Jesus name, Amen" when He said, "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it" (Joh 14:14) like some magic incantation. He was telling us to ask with His character in mind (1 John 5:14). Words have meaning, and if we don't grasp their intent, we won't understand what is communicated.

Language is a fluid concept. Starting with the Tower of Babel, languages have been confounded. Since then they're morphed, merged, vanished, thrived. I'm told that if you take two groups of people who speak the same language and separate them geographically, in a hundred years neither group will understand the other, the language will have changed so much. Language is fluid. Ask any teenager. Oh, wait ... you probably won't understand. Because language is constantly changing. And I understand that. But I'm more concerned about the data being transmitted. Take one of Scripture's key concepts: love. Most languages have multiple terms for "love" because love itself has multiple meanings. "I love pizza" is not the same as "I love my dog" or "I love my mom" or "I love my wife." At least, it better not be. So we use a common term, "love," to express a plethora of ideas and expect to be understood. In the King James Bible, the word agape is translated in the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians as "charity." Why? Because the translators understood that "love" as it's commonly used is not what is expressed in 1 Corinthians 13. That "love" is an entirely self-sacrificing, giving version. Charity -- back then -- expressed the notion of giving without getting, of benevolence and compassion. Not the "warm affection" we understand "love" to be today.

Here's the thing. Words change. I get it. But ideas, concepts, truth ... these don't. So if you're going to steal words, I'll need new ones to express their original intent. I'll need something new for "marriage" to express "a man and a woman united in body and soul for life" instead of the modern version ... "people who ... sort of commit ... at least for a while ... you know ... a step up from friendship." I need a word for "love" that expresses a self-sacrificing, heartfelt concern for the welfare of the loved one. I don't know ... I think I'm going to need new words for "male" and "female" and ... so many other words the world is changing to cover our eyes to the actual concepts and realities. ¿Como se dice "Christian"? Not like "someone who calls themself a Christian without regard to anything ... you know ... Christ-related," but "an actual follower of Christ who has a genuine relationship with Him." I'm going to need so many new words.

Bless You

In Ephesians Paul writes, "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). From there he spends 12 verses listing some of those blessings. But ... isn't it interesting? He says God "has blessed us." Not "will bless us." Already accomplished. With what? "every spiritual blessing." Wait ... really? I'm not sure I'm experiencing every spiritual blessing.

How do we make sense of this? It isn't obscure. He has done it. He's not going to. And it's every blessing, not just some. So how is that true? Well, we do know that He sent His Son (John 3:16). Jesus said, "He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (Mat 5:45). Paul said, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Eph 1:4). Lots of blessings, and already present.

Ultimately, He has blessed us -- past tense -- with every spiritual blessing ... in Christ. Christ is that blessing that encompasses them all. He is in us (Col 1:27). He is the fulfillment of all God's promises (2 Cor 1:20). And we understand, "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). Thus, the "every spiritual blessing" is, ultimately, "in Christ" and already a done thing. Meditate on that a while.

News Weakly - 3/29/2025

Following the Crowd
Erykah Badu is an American singer who vandalised her own Tesla to "stay on trend," almost literally cutting off her own nose to spite her face. Of course, Musk still has the money she paid and "Tesla" is in the news again, but, hey, she's pretty sure she's right in following the crowd ... like a good sheep.

Testing the Impossible
World Athletics, an international governing body for sports, is planning to test female track and field athletes with a swab "to determine female gender." Of course, they can't. Gender is sex expression. A biological male, for instance, can wear a dress and express himself as a female -- appear feminine. Sex is biological, and can be tested by a DNA swab. But that's automatically denied, too, since we've decided we're whatever sex we feel like ... in this insane world. Proving Jeremiah 17:9.

Protect What You Love
Three teen girls in Texas tried to kill their mom for turning off the Wi-Fi. Got it ... priorities noted. A new "human right" is added -- Wi-Fi access. And Paul's promise that in the last days people will be without familial love is proven true.

Justice, No Peace
In the interest of justice and fairness, an appeals court has blocked an attempt to deport murderous gang members ... again. So our justice system is intent on keeping killers in our midst because Trump wanted them gone. Makes sense ... to someone.

Your Priorities are Showing
Top U.S. officials accidently leaked a group text to Jeffrey Goldberg, Atlantic Editor-in-Chief, about a strike in Yemen. In an admirable display of patriotism, Atlantic ... published the information. Because "news" is much more important than any national interests. Don't ever be confused. The media is not on your side; they just want their stories at any cost ... to you. They just want their agenda.

Improper Ideology
Trump signed an executive order targeting Smithsonian funding for programs with "improper ideology." The "improper ideology" he targeted was the recent explosion of rewriting American history to cast the U.S. in a negative light. I have a hard time with it, just in principle, but ... it's not like it's new. The government has come down hard over and over on "improper ideology" like binary gender, marriage as the union of a man and a woman, or biblical values in school (to name a few). Trump's only the latest one.

Counting the Cost
A Colorado lawmaker argued, "A birth is more expensive than an abortion" in her argument for state-funded abortion. "Ultimately, we do achieve a cost savings because of the averted births that will not take place." Follow that to its logical conclusion. These people have lost their collective mind.

Fake News You Can Trust
After being stopped repeatedly by judges, Trump is planning to leave the presidency to become a truly powerful District Court judge. Elsewhere, a video of Elmo keying a Cybertruck has been leaked, bringing into question PBS's political neutrality. And from the world of Star Wars, the story is out that Darth Vader accidentally added Admiral Ackbar to a holochat when planning the raid on Alderaan. (Yeah, yeah, a Star Wars nerd story, but you get the joke.)

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Little is Much

We all suffer, to some degree or another, from the sense of ... not enough. I mean, "Am I contributing enough? Am I doing enough? Am I meeting my potential?" We especially wonder if we're making a difference for God. Did we speak up when we should? Are we doing what we should? We all suffer this kind of thing. And, of course, the answer isn't positive since we all fall short.

The problem here, of course, is that we're looking in the wrong direction. We're looking at the wrong things for the wrong reasons. You see, Jesus didn't save us to be perfect. He didn't choose us because He had such high expectations. Instead, Jesus said, "If you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you" (Mat 17:20). A mustard seed of faith. Not much. Now, let's ask ourselves, what does that tiny bit of faith do? Nothing. Our proverbial mountain is not moved by faith; it's moved by God. In fact, Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Which is not a little something. Paul wrote, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth" (1 Cor 3:6). So, yes, we participate with Him in His work, but ... it's His work.

There is a hymn from the 1920's titled, "Little is Much When God is in It." The truth is all that we produce is produced by Him and His power. He's not baffled, trapped, stumped, working hard to get done what He hoped we'd do. No. Never. He gets done what He wants done, and any of our "Oh, my, I didn't do enough" is arrogance, thinking God is depending on us and we're slowing Him down. We aren't adequate for the task. We are useful. And only when He makes us so. Don't get trapped into thinking more of yourself than you ought. We bring what we bring and He gives the growth.

When It Hurts

We all suffer at times. Some suffer a lot. Believers have the Lord to lean on, but, face it, we all still suffer. So, what do we do when it hurts? What help is there when we're in pain? We want to trust. We want to be strong. How can we navigate this "trust God" and "Wow! It really hurts" situation? There are those who would urge you to bear up and just take it. There are those who would tell you to knuckle under and fully experience the pain. Does God's Word offer any insights?

Let's look at three examples. First ... Job. Job faced some tough times (Job 1-2). First, he lost everything he had -- his possessions and his children. Job said, "Meh! No big deal." No. Job wallowed in his pain. No. Job "tore his robe and shaved his head" ... and then "fell to the ground and worshiped" (Job 1:20). Interesting. When the second round hit, Job lost his health. "This is too much!" Nope. "Forget the pain; God is good." Nope. He sat in ashes and scraped his boils (Job 2:8) ... and then told his wife, "Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" (Job 2:10). Interesting. Both/and. He faced his pain, and he counted on God. Or take Jeremiah. His entire nation was wiped out. Did he sing God's praises or did he weep? Yes ... yes he did. Both. His first response was not to exonerate God, but to (rightly) blame Him (Lam 3:1-19). It's a long list. And it's all ascribed ... to God. He ends, "So I say, 'My strength has perished, and so has my hope from YHWH" (Lam 3:18). No hope. Then ... "This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope" (Lam 3:21). What? What was the thing he remembered that countered his hopelessness ... from God? "The steadfast love of YHWH never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness" (Lam 3:22-23). In the end, Jeremiah remembered both that God is Sovereign (even in the pain) and He loves us. Trust Him. The best example, though, is Jesus. He lived a perfect life ... did everything His Father told Him to do. For His troubles, He was physically shattered (crucifixion), emotionally abused (deserted by His friends), and spiritually forsaken. On that cross He cried out, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Mat 27:46). No mitigation. No, "It's okay." No, "Well, God would never do this." But, He ended with, "Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!" (Luk 23:46).

It is foolish to deny pain. We all suffer. It's part of the curse. It's part of human existence. Denying it is not sane. But, it's also not the last word. In all these cases and more, they embraced the pain ... and counted on God. They endured the pain and looked to the Father. It's what Scripture says. Jesus endured the cross "for the joy that was set before Him" because He knew the final outcome was found in God's faithful love. (Heb 12:1-2). A pattern we all might benefit from.

Your Wife by Covenant

Scripture isn't vague about divorce. Jesus said don't (Matt 19:3-6). God said, "I hate divorce" (Mal 2:16). Clearly, God's opinion is "Don't!" In the Matthew passage Jesus said it was, at best, the product of a hard heart (Matt 19:8) and causes adultery (Mark 10:11-12). Don't!!

And then ... I came across this. In that Malachi reference God is telling His people "you cover the altar of YHWH with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand" (Mal 2:13). This is a catastrophic condition, a spiritual meltdown. God no longer cares about your sacrifices or your tears. What is the cause of this condition?

"Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because YHWH has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. (Mal 2:14)

He's talking there about divorce. He says it in verse 16, but He also says it here when He refers to "your wife by covenant." It's not hard to see. As a matter of routine, we promise

To have and to hold from this day forward.
For better, for worse.
For richer, for poorer.
In sickness and in health.
Forsaking all others.
To love and to cherish.
Until death do us part.

That is not simply a contract; it's a covenant. There are no conditions of "to love and to cherish" except "until death do us part" (Rom 7:1-2). If we choose to divorce, we're breaking a covenant, an unconditional vow. We are dealing treacherously. And God told His people it was spiritual suicide. It cut them off from communication with God.

Christians still debate the topic. "Under what conditions can we divorce?" The Bible lists ... none. If you experience a divorce (as opposed to initiating it), remarriage is possible in the cases of "sexual immorality" (Matt 19:9) or if an unbelieving spouse abandons a believing spouse (1 Cor 7:12-16), but the Bible lists no valid reasons for initiating divorce. And, isn't it interesting? Peter says that husbands are to "live with your wives in an understanding way ... so that your prayers will not be hindered" (1 Peter 3:7). That sounds a lot like the Malachi passage. Maybe our marriages are much more important to God than we think.

Feeling of Love

I've repeatedly said that love is not merely an emotion. Scripture commands love, and emotions can't be commanded. Emotions are a response. So love is primarily a choice ... a choice to be invested in someone or something else. So ... love is not an emotion? No ... but ... yes. And I think I can show it from Scripture.

On the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt 6:21). Notice which comes first -- treasure. And what is that? Well, it's the things you value. In fact, it's the things you value most highly. Then, there's the heart. Clearly we're not talking about that organ that pumps blood. What is it? David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22). Jeremiah says the human heart is deceitful (Jer 17:9). God knows our heart (Psa 44:21). In Genesis it says about Man "that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen 6:5). Jesus warned that "out of the heart come evil thoughts ..." God's Word can "judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Heb 4:12). So "heart" includes thoughts and intentions. Solomon wrote "it is the wellspring of life" (Prov 4:23). So the heart is our central being, our core -- our feelings and thoughts and intentions.

Putting it together, then, where that which is most valued is, there your feelings, thoughts, intentions -- your whole person -- will be also. Or, if you value something highly, you will feel it. It will affect your core being -- your mind, your will, your emotions. The point, then, is to have the right ... values. Love (1 Cor 13:4-8) is something we do, where we value the loved one more than we value ourselves. It will certainly result in feelings. Scripture says so. But the feelings aren't the definition. They're the byproduct.

The 23rd Channel

A reader shared this with me and I thought I'd pass it on because, well, I liked it.
________

The Twenty-Third Channel

The TV is my shepherd, I shall not want.
It makes me to lie down on the sofa.
It leads me away from the Scriptures.
It destroys my soul.
It leads me in the paths of sex and violence for the sponsor’s sake.

Yea, though I walk in the shadow of my Christian responsibilities,
There will be no interruption, for the TV is with me.
Its cable and its remote control, they comfort me.

It prepares a commercial before me
In the presence of my worldliness.
It anoints my head with humanism.
My coveting runneth over.

Surely laziness and ignorance shall follow me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house watching TV forever.

--Author unknown

Omniscient

We know that only one being in the universe is Omniscient. That's God. How Omniscient? He fully knows Himself, all that is, all that was, and all that will be ... or even could be. We see, for instance, that Jesus knew the future (John 2:24-25; John 14:29; John 16:30; John 18:4). He even knew contingencies (Matt 11:21-24). Open Theists have a problem with God's Omniscience. They say it eliminates free will. That's not because Scripture doesn't support Omniscience, but because they're dedicated to a particular definition of free will.

We know, for instance, that God knows all things (1 Sam 23:11-12; 2 Tim 3:1-5; Acts 2:23; Eph 1:11). God's Omniscience regarding future things is proof that He is the true God (Isa 41:21-23; Isa 43:9-12; Isa 44:6-8; Isa 46:9-11; Deut 18:20). We fear (1 Chron 28:9) and trust (Psa 139:1-3,14-16; Isa 48:17-19) God because He knows all things. His knowledge is not limited by time or space (Psa 139:7-12; Psa 90:4).

The fact is Scripture repeatedly declares that God and God alone knows all things for all time without error. It's truth. It proves His character. It is incentive both to fear, and to worship and trust. His Omniscience humbles us who tend to think we know so much better than He does. Let God be God.

News Weakly - 3/22/2025

Forgetting Why
Because of Trump's "trade war" with Canada, Canada's Defense Minister says they're reviewing the purchase of F-35 jets. Not because they're not needed. Not because they're not good jets. Because they want to give Lockheed-Martin the middle finger ... because of Trump. Hey, it's not just Canada. It's everywhere. Why do we punish the children for the sins of the fathers ... so to speak? "Stick it to the Americans because we don't like their president!"

Oh, No! Not Again!
Another customer forgot that "hot tea" was ... hot, and sued Starbucks after he spilled his ... hot tea ... in his lap. He suffered "permanent and life-changing disfigurement" and won $50 million. Like that landmark suit from a McDonald's drive-through because the hot coffee was hot. Expect tepid tea and lukewarm coffee at double the price, I suppose.

Indian Giver
A French politician has called for the return of the Statue of Liberty because "the United States no longer represents the values embodied by the monument." Of course, the U.S. admits more openly and generously than France, and France segregates immigrants while the U.S. does not, the real problem is that politicians are blowing out of proportion everything that Trump says or does. Let it go. He's no saint. He's only here for 4 years. Drop it. And ... no ... you're not getting that statue back.

We Don't Need No Education
Pink Floyd sang, "We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control." Trump ordered the dismantling of the Department of Education. With Harvard offering a remedial algebra class for their students and American kids reportedly falling behind, perhaps the Department of Education hasn't been doing its job. We need education (as "We don't need no education" proves -- very bad grammar), but we seem to have lost our recipe for educating kids. (Of course, I'm pretty sure the courts won't allow this to actually occur, so ...)

Oh, the Humanity!
A woman in Florida was trying to board a plane, but was refused boarding because she had a dog. So ... she drowned it in the airport bathroom. A felony, a fine, lots of outrage; we will not tolerate killing dogs. Unborn humans, on the other hand ...

Your Best Source for Fake News
It takes the Bee to point out that unelected officials continue to thwart the elected, as judges keep striking down Trump's agenda. In Chicago, a leftist smashed a Tesla after seeing the image of a fascist in the window. In Las Vegas, Teslas were shot and set on fire (actual story). Democrats blame climate change.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Preload

It's interesting to me. Both Genesis and the Gospel of John begin with the same phrase: "In the beginning ..." Genesis speaks of God creating ... everything. John begins with the existence of "the Word" -- the expression of God -- who was God, who created everything (John 1:3), who was Jesus (John 1:8-14).

It has been said that the most offensive verse in the Bible is, exactly, Genesis 1:1. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Fairly innocuous, but ... as it turns out, humans are naturally hostile to God (Rom 8:7), so the claim that all that is was made by God and, therefore is owned by God, is an offense. God is offensive, one way or another, to many. But so is "the beginning." Jesus at the beginning. God at the beginning. In Ephesians, Paul tells us, "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, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him" (Eph 1:3-4). That's offensive ... to many Christians. "He chose us in Him 'before the foundation of the world'? Oh, no. We chose Him." In The Revelation we read about "those ... whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world" (Rev 17:8). "Wait ... you're saying those who would be saved were written before any of them existed?" No, not me. The Word. He knew from the outset who would and who would not be saved.

We used to sing, "He's got the whole world in His hands." He does. But He always did. David wrote, "In Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them" (Psa 139:16). Everything. Paul wrote, "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things" (Rom 11:36). From, through, and to Him. It's true. We ought to recognize it. It ought to provide comfort to those who love God.