What Do You Care?

A mother is on her knees by her daughter's hospital bed. She is praying, desperately. She's begging God to save her, spiritually and physically. She's praying that He watches over her. She prays for her very best. Why? Why is she praying? Well, obviously, because she cares. What do our prayers say about us?

The truth is we pray about what we care about. We don't pray about what we don't care about. Seems obvious. And ... biblical.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Yeah, yeah, that's the King James. And King James is probably the only one that translates it that way. All the others all say "casting all your anxieties on Him." Anxieties, not cares. But, what are anxieties? The Greek word means the parts, the distractions, the things that take our attention. So the King James translates it "cares." Maybe "anxieties" is better, but you get the idea. It's the red flags in life. The things that we care about. The same basic word Paul uses in his letter to Philippi.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Php 4:6-7)

So, we are to pray about what we are anxious about ... what we care about. It's a command, but it's also what we do. And here's my question. What do your prayers say about what you care about? Some of us don't pray much. That suggests we don't care much, doesn't it? James warns, "You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (James 4:2-3). Too many don't pray enough. Too many of us pray about selfish things. What do you pray about? What does it tell you about your highest concerns? Hmmm ... maybe that's something to pray about?

Dress Code

Do Christians have a dress code? Well, no! Of course not. Except ... well ... yes, we do.

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. (Col 3:12-14)

You see it there, right? Because we are chosen of God, holy, and beloved, "put on ...", and it lists the "clothing" we are to wear.

It's a pretty extensive list. It begins with "compassion" and ends with "love." And that "love" is the full-on, agape type. Unconditional, selfless, giving ... that love. It's listed as "beyond all." There's a lengthy section about "forgiving each other" because we're required to forgive. Jesus said if we don't, we won't be forgiven (Matt 6:14-15). (Which, by the way, suggests that true believers will forgive because it is part of their new nature to do so.) One that I've recently found interesting is that "kindness" one. Paul wrote for us to be kind to one another. What did he really say? The word is chrēstos. It means, interestingly enough, "useful." That is, the biblical idea of "kindness" is being useful to others. According to Paul, it's a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). How are we -- you and I -- doing at being "useful" to others? (You can see how "kindness" is an outward-looking trait, as opposed to so many things we treasure that look inward.)

Christians are supposed to be known for their love for one another (John 13:35). We're supposed to be "kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph 4:32). These things are not a "to-do list." They're our dress code. We're supposed to wear them, put them on, have them with us at all times. They are both Spirit-provided and our choice. Put them on. You (and I) ... put them on. I hope you're going out dressed appropriately.

Self-Righteous Hypocrites

If I refer to "self-righteous hypocrites," what comes to mind? Well, for many, it's "Those darn Pharisees!", and it's not inaccurate. But ... I think more will think, "Christians." And, let's be fair. There are more than a few self-righteous hypocrites in churches ... and out. But the suggestion is that all Christians -- at least, church people -- are self-righteous hypocrites ... and that just ain't so.

Consider, first, the term, "hypocrite." Let's be clear. A hypocrite is not someone who does the same thing they're decrying. That's not a hypocrite. "Hypocrite," at least originally, was defined as those who pretend to be more virtuous than they are. The term actually comes from the Greek stage where actors wore masks to play various characters. Hypocrisy is a mask people wear to come across as someone they're not. But to be a Christian requires that we confess our sins (1 John 1:8-10). The first act of any believer is to admit their sin condition -- a tacit "I'm a sinner." That's an admission of guilt, not a dismissal. It's a claim of "unrighteous" rather than "self-righteous." For this person to agree that "X" is bad and admit they've done "X" is ... honesty, not hypocrisy. We (humans in general or Christians in particular) are only hypocrites when we say "X" is bad, do it ourselves, and deny it. The other term -- self-righteous -- is a sheer fabrication in the Christian faith. The astounding claim of Scripture is, "[God] made [Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21). By definition our only righteousness is applied righteousness, not self-righteousness. Now, sometimes we may lose sight of it, but the truth is none of us have righteousness of our own.

Christians are accused of things they are sometimes guilty of. "Your religion is a crutch." You'd better believe it. Without Christ we are without hope. "You're all hypocrites." Well, probably too many do sometimes claim to be better than they are, but "all" isn't valid. "Christians are so self-righteous." If they are, they're violating their own beliefs, and if they're violating their beliefs, you can't assign that to Christianity. That's a sinner at work ... which, of course, is the thing we're trying to stop being.

The Scriptures

We talk of "God's Word" when we refer to our Bibles. Jesus referred to "God's Word" in John 17:17 when He said, "Your word is truth." And we connect the two -- "God's Word" and "our Bibles." But is that accurate? They tell me, "You know, Jesus didn't know about the New Testament. He was referring to The Old Testament. And when Paul referred to 'All Scripture is God breathed,' he was referring to the Old Testament because that's all he knew." And most of us will nod and admit that's true. But ... is it?

John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John here claims that "God's Word" was a being, not a writing. The text claims that Jesus was God's self-expression. So when Jesus claimed, "I am the truth" (John 14:6), He was agreeing with John's claim in the first chapter. Jesus was and is the expression of God -- God's Word. If that's true, then Jesus, as God the Son, knew of the Old Testament and the New Testament, even before that was written. That is, the "word" that Jesus said was truth in John 17:17 was Him and all that was transmitted in our Scriptures, before and after. So, it's not true that Jesus didn't know, and it's not true that the New Testament is not as much true as the Old.

It doesn't stop there. The argument is that the Bible wasn't made canon until the 4th century. True. But ... that doesn't mean it wasn't Scripture. Peter called Paul's writings Scripture (2 Peter 3:15-16). And Paul refers to Luke's Gospel as Scripture (1 Tim 5:18). (Note: In this text Paul quotes Deut. 25:4 and Luke 10:7, both listed as "Scripture.") So the claim that the only Scripture the New Testament writers knew was the Old Testament is false, and the claim that the only "Word of God" Jesus knew was the Old Testament. Unfortunately, that won't deter the skeptics ... but no truth will.

Celebration of Life

When someone dies, we will typically have a funeral. Or a memorial service. Or a celebration of life. They're all basically the same, but you can see, by their terms, the differences. A funeral is "goodbye." A memorial is "remember." And a celebration is "yippee!" Except ... we don't often actually celebrate the death of a loved one, do we? We just attended a Celebration of Life service for a man who passed away. I've checked with his wife for a few weeks: "How are you doing?" She has always answered, "As good as I can." Which is not "good," but "just trying." Because even in a Celebration of Life we're mourning. Why? Well, obviously, for unbelievers, they "have no hope" (1 Thess 4:13). Sadness is appropriate. But what about believers?

Believers still mourn the loss of a loved one. Why? Sometimes because the loved one wasn't saved. Very sad. But what if they were saved? Well, we're still sad because, well, it's our loss. We'll acknowledge that they're "in a better place," but ... we're not. They're not with us. Okay, I get that. But ... isn't that simple ... selfishness? Look, Scripture says love "does not seek its own" (1 Cor 13:5). Or, to put it another way, love is not selfish. Love isn't primarily concerned with "me." It's about "you." If I love someone biblically, it only seems like I'd want to rejoice in their joy, not wallow in my losses.

Well, of course, we're all imperfect and we're all concerned about "self" to some degree, so we'll all suffer sadness at the loss of a loved one. I'm not complaining about that. But if it is a long-term, life-altering sadness, I suspect it's not love we're talking about; it's selfishness. When Paul wrote that husbands were to love their wives, he described it "as Christ loved the church" and gave self up (Eph 5:25). Genuine love is fundamentally not about me. And if a believer loses a loved one who was a believer, it seems to me, after the initial shock, the feeling would be joy. Celebration. There's a poem that says,

If tears could build a stairway
And memories a lane,
I'd walk right up to Heaven
And bring you home again.

Let me just say that if I die and go to Heaven, please ... please ... don't do that. Don't drag me back to this temporary home away from my forever home with Jesus. Because, remember, Jesus said, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26). We (rightly) understand that doesn't mean to actually "hate," but to "love less", and every genuine believer will absolutely love less his or her own family in comparison to Christ. Can't we celebrate their home-going for them without complaining about our temporary losses? At least, I would hope that when my beloved wife dies, I will rejoice in her great, permanent blessing and minimize my minor, temporary loss.

News Weakly - 2/15/2025

Extortion
At the highest level of governance, Senator Andy Kim is willing to shut down our government in order to stop Trump from doing what he's doing. His plan is to stop the government from being able to function ... to give us better government. Wait ... he might have something there. At this point, anarchy is sounding better and better. Ok, no, but ... a government officer who advocates stopping government if the government doesn't do what he wants sounds a lot like extortion ... without regard to the consequences for the governed.

Anti-Science
Kansas's governor vetoed a ban on gender-affirming care for "transgender minors." Much of Europe and more than 26 states have such bans in place because ... science. Male is male and female is female and permanently changing the body of a child in opposition to science isn't fair or kind. They claim that it decreases suicidal tendencies, but, again, science doesn't know. But, hey, the Dems know what's best for those kids, so we should just submit to our kind and benevolent masters who are willing to mutilate children on a whim.

It Figures
CNN, that powerhouse for unbiased news, has hired ex-Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, to be a political commentator. You remember him. He's the one that told Chick-fil-a, "You can't come to Chicago because we're inclusive here." That guy who apparently defines "inclusive" as "excluding those we don't like." He's the political commentator I know I want to hear.

The Real American
The headline reads "Americans' credit card debt reaches new record high." The story is that American credit card debt is up in the $1.2 trillion range. That's because they're using the government's method of paying ... credit. That's because Americans are not so keen on delayed gratification and wise economics. Actually, it's because Americans, as a group, believe they should have whatever they want whenever they want it and no one should suggest otherwise. Not like those stupid boomers who tried to pay their own way.

The Vote Is In
Did they really confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services? I mean, everyone knows he's a crackpot ... specifically in the area of health. Well ... apparently not everyone. Your government disagrees.

Your Best Source for Fake News
Filed under "Is the pope Catholic?", the Bee has the story of Pope Francis declaring, "God agrees with whatever it is Democrats want to do right now." Makes sense. (And as for the question, it's really up in the air right now.) In other news, as states sue over Elon Musk and DOGE (actual story), Congress announces a new oversight committee to oversee government oversight committees. Underlying it all, Democrats are furious that Republicans are trying to control the government just because they won the election. The nerve!

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

A Glass Darkly

Paul wrote,

When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:11-13)

We get the difference between childish thinking and mature. And many of us can quote the "see in a mirror dimly" text. But do we think about it?

Paul is writing about love ... biblical love (as opposed to today's version). This is a rare and powerful love, and it is a chosen love rather than merely felt. And it is ... the best (1 Cor 12:31). We currently live with the imperfect (1 Cor 13:9-10), but the perfect will come. We "see in a mirror dimly." It's true. We don't really understand a lot of things. We don't know why God does what He does. We don't understand our universe or ourselves. We see in a mirror dimly. So why should we expect more?

It's okay to ask. It's okay to wonder. We will never know everything, and that's okay. But perhaps we should pay attention to more important things. "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Cor 13:13). Focus there.

What Is Truth?

Pilate famously spoke that question when he had the Son of God on trial. You know, the One who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). That is, Pilate asked, "What is truth?" of the One who claimed to be truth. The question, though, has always been at issue. It was Satan's first attack: "Did God say ...?" (Gen 3:2). It is at the heart of God's wrath toward sinful Man (Rom 1:18). And, frankly, it is the fundamental question in everything we do. What is truth? The question has been on our minds since the beginning of time. Unfortunately, in the Fall, Adam "arranged" to have us blinded (2 Cor 4:4) and left us with deceptive hearts (Jer 17:9). Sin rots the brain (Rom 1:21-23), and we're in real trouble ... on this fundamental question. So we muddle about trying to figure things out. But ... as it turns out, it's not as hard as it seems.

Consider. We're Christians. And our Lord and Savior said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). It's an interesting claim, because Jesus doesn't say, "I'm truthful." He doesn't claim to have the truth. He claims to be the truth. And, as "the truth," He prays to the Father, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17). "Sanctify them in the truth." We are set apart by God by the truth. "Your word is truth." What does that mean? Well, every word that comes from the mouth of God is truth. No question. No falsehood. No error. Truth. Now, the Bible claims that "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Tim 3:16-17). So when Jesus referred to "Your word," it would mean every word He spoke (including Jesus (John 1:1)) as well as every word He "breathed out." So, we actually have a supernaturally conferred document that is God's word and is, therefore, truth.

Truth can be elusive. Lots of truth claims are contradictory and we have to muddle about finding out which is false and ... which corresponds to that which is real -- truth. But our job isn't as hard as it sounds at first. We have the Holy Spirit who leads us into all truth (John 16:13). We have Jesus, the embodiment of truth. We have God's word, superintended and guarded by God for our enlightenment. If we can just pay attention to these sources of certain truth, I think we can go a long way to answering Pilates sarcastic but significant question, "What is truth?"

The Big News

The Gospel, as we all know, is that Christ died for our sins and rose again so we can be saved. Woohoo! Except ... that's not all. That's barely scratching the surface. The Gospel is far bigger than most of us realize

Given our sin condition, our hostility to God, our blindness, our spiritually dead condition, the simple fact that faith in Christ saves us is truly, astoundingly good news. But it's only a part. We have forgiveness. We have justification. We have righteousness not our own (2 Cor 5:21). We have eternal life. And that's just the beginning. We have the Holy Spirit, Christ's life in us. We have the promise of being supplied all that we need (Php 4:19). We know that if God didn't keep His Son from us, He won't keep anything from us (Rom 8:32). We know that we are more than conquerors. We know we have peace with God (Rom 5:1). We are adopted into the family of God (Eph 1:5). We have the truth (John 16:13). We have supernatural peace (Php 4:7) and strength (Php 4:13). In trial and trouble we are more than conquerors (Rom 8:35-37). And more.

The Gospel is good news. Sometimes it's helpful to remember that it's more than the amazing news of becoming right with God. It is so much bigger. And when we see how very big it is, perhaps we'll be more willing to share it with others.

Bad Breaks

Our Bibles are made up of books and chapters and verses. The books are inspired but the chapters and verses aren't. I recently read Acts 21 which ends with "And when there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, saying:" (Acts 21:40) Talk about a cliffhanger. "Saying? Saying what??" Bad break. A particularly bad break is in Ephesians where Paul writes that we are to be "submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ" (Eph 5:21). Paul goes on to give examples of "submitting to one another." Wives, to their husbands; husbands to their wives (Eph 5:22-33). It's easy to miss that he continues the subject of mutual submission in the next chapter (Eph 6:1-9) ... because it's a bad break.

One of those bad breaks is in Romans. In chapter 1, Paul lays out the problem: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth" (Rom 1:18). From there it gets worse. God continues to "give them up" to increasing sin. (Interesting, isn't it? Apparently, God is the one keeping our sin in check.) Finally it culminates in "a debased mind" (Rom 1:28) which results in a whole 3 verses of evil Mankind commits, ending with, "Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them" (Rom 1:32). End of the chapter. And we all nod and say, "Yep, that's how it works. Those sure are a lot of sinners." We only get away with that because ... of a bad chapter break. Because chapter 2 begins,

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? (Rom 2:1-3)

You see, that chapter break gave us a break; Paul didn't. If you can see the evil that chapter one talks about, chapter 2 warns that you practice them and you are condemned because you can see it's sin. "Oops! That didn't come out like I planned it."

Our sin problem is worse than we realize. The Bible isn't unclear on that. And the solution is Christ alone. The Bible isn't unclear on that. But we need to be careful. It's too easy to miss the important truths by failing to take into account the whole counsel of God. It's too easy to yank a verse out of context and run with it. Don't let bad chapter breaks or favorite ideas or laziness stop you from reading it all, applying it all. God's Word is sufficient (2 Tim 3:16-17), but we need it all.

Contingent

A contingency is a possible outcome. It depends. For something to be contingent, it would have to depend on what other things will happen. So, if God is omniscient, He knows all contingencies. But if He is sovereign, He knows nothing contingently. He knows all the "what ifs" and He knows what will actually happen.

It's interesting to see this played out in Acts. Paul is being ferried to Rome. They run into bad weather. Really bad weather. So bad the crew fears for their lives. Paul, however, assures them there would be no loss of life. God had assured him (Acts 27:22-26). Woohoo! The outcome was already known. It's strange, then, that later, when the sailors tried to sneak off the ship, Paul warned, "Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved" (Acts 27:31). Well, now, hang on. How is that possible? Didn't God promise Paul that no one would die? How can he say they might all die "if"? That is a contingency. The story highlights the concept of the contingent without any contingencies. The outcome was known. If a certain option was exercised, that outcome would not occur. What then? That option would not be exercised, and God knew it. In fact, the warning of the contingency prevented it from happening.

This is the same thing we see in the question of losing one's salvation. Lots of Scriptures suggest that if we do certain things, we can lose our salvation. On the other hand, Scripture is abundantly clear that God always wins, that God always saves His own, that not one will be lost. That would seem to say that the warnings we see serve to prevent us from following the wrong paths, just like those sailors trying to escape the ship. "If" you fail to persevere, you could lose it. But ... God will see to it that you don't fail. He knows all contingencies, but He knows nothing contingently.

Trusty

(Yes, "trusty" is a word. It means "having served for a long time and regarded as reliable or faithful:")

Solomon wrote the famous, "Trust in YHWH with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths" (Pro 3:5-6). I bet some of you could quote it. And we like it. I mean "Trust in God" is a great message. But ... are we listening to it?

In Ephesians Paul told husbands to "love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her..." (Eph 5:25) and we husbands hear "love your wives" without looking at the explanations. "Wait? What does he mean, 'gave Himself up'?" (let alone the texts I left out) (Eph 5:25-27). In this text, we get "Trust God" and forget the entire rest of the text. Like ... "with all your heart." All? Wait ... that is extreme. Isn't "mostly" okay? "Do not lean on your own understanding." That is, in the process of trusting, don't require you understand it. Just trust. "How can a loving God create calamity? " (Isa 45:7) Don't wait to understand it. Believe it. "My God shall supply all your need" (Php 4:19). Don't wait to figure it out before you believe it. "In all your ways acknowledge Him." Do we even come close? Do we acknowledge Him when we dress in the morning? When we address friends, family, coworkers? Really, how much of our ways do we actually acknowledge Him, because I know if I think about it it's painfully small. And, really, are we really expecting Him to make our paths straight? "Don't worry, God. I got this."

We have a really big God. He is completely Sovereign and completely trustworthy. And we question Him. We give Him grief over His actions. We question His claims. Trust Him. Trust Him with all your heart. Trust Him without requiring you grasp it. Instead, trust Him by acknowledging Him at all times in all things. Let Him take care of things. Can you do that? We are a people of faith, but sometimes it seems more of the "little faith" variety.

News Weakly - 2/8/2025

When Sports Rule the World
DiJonai Carrington is a guard for the Connecticut Sun, a WNBA team. She is expecting the WNBA to take a "clear and serious stance" against the new (democratically elected) president. What specifically she's expecting isn't clear, but it's not a pat on the back for Trump. Always classy, DiJonai.

Extortion Note Writ Large
In a brilliant attempt to make their message known, a large crowd shut down the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles for hours, protesting the deportation of illegal immigrants. There's nothing like an "in your face" "We don't care how much trouble we cause! We're going to make you knuckle under" protest (read "extortion") to win the hearts and minds of the people. Well, okay, you're right. Let's discard the rule of law and the universal notion of national borders and just open 'em up. We'll see how that works for you. Just stop destroying our Sundays.

Obstructionist
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz said he would block Senate votes on Trump's nominees in protest over closing the USAID ... because everyone knows that diplomats don't deserve to be considered if you don't like the guy nominating them. It's not on merits; it's on political disagreement. It's stupid. It's obstructionist.

Hate Speeches
Angry protesters descended on Washington D.C. to demonstrate against Elon Musk. They're battle cry: "Nobody elected Elon." The truth is no one elected a single member of Trump's cabinet. No one ever has elected any cabinet member for any president. But it's only Elon they're irate about. Because "We hate billionaires!" Cabinet members have been doing what cabinet members have always done and no one has argued "We have to stop the destruction of our democracy!" Until now. Please ... stop ... you're embarrassing yourselves. You have to know that American democracy is not predicated on giving foreign aid, right?

Trump Derangement Syndrome
Democrats have filed for impeachment of Trump because they didn't like what he said about Gaza. I can't even ...

A Breaking Story
Here's a breaking story. On the cutting edge of research, scientists have found the recipe for boiling eggs. While we're in an egg crisis. Because no one has ever figured out how to boil eggs before. Your research dollars at work. Sigh. (And, no, that's not a story from the Bee.)

In Other Fake News ...
The WHO is warning that Trump's funding cuts may delay the release of the newest pandemic. Elsewhere, liberals are outraged that Trump won't let men punch women in the face for sport. And then there's the sad news that with USAID shut down, Ecuadorian children may never discover their true gender.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Glory Be

The other day I referenced 2 Corinthians 4:4. "in whose case 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." We got the "blinded" and we got the source -- "the god of this world." Did we get the target? Satan blinds people for a specific reason: "so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ." Now, maybe, like me, you might tend to focus on a shorter version -- Satan blinds them to the gospel. True enough. But not complete enough.

We know the gospel. "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 15:3-5).The gospel: Christ died that we might live. The gospel: saved by faith apart from works. All true. All ... part. In that 2 Corinthians text, Paul adds a specific component of the gospel that we often miss. The gospel specifically is about "the glory of Christ." Satan doesn't want you to see that.

Moses asked to see God's glory, and God had to shield him from it. God said, "I am YHWH, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images" (Isa 42:8) In Romans sin is defined as falling short of God's glory (Rom 3:23). God's glory, it seems, is very important to God ... so it makes sense that God's opponents would seek to obscure His glory. Keep that in mind when you encounter people opposed to God ... even if it's you. The point is to hide His glory. That's not small or insignificant. And when we sin, we do just that.

Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth. (Psa 57:5)

Not Enough Faith

I've heard it said, "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist." What's that about? Well, Scripture says, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (Rom 1:20). That is, if you take the time to look around, you can't miss it. Everywhere you look, God's character is on display. And I can't ignore it.

I see a flower, its delicate beauty coupled to its functional nature. It keeps the plants going, propagating. Isn't that amazing? A complex, interconnected system that adds to itself. Take cellular regeneration. Living organisms are constructed of cells. Cells live and die. But the organism doesn't die when the cells do. The cells duplicate themselves. They continue for a long time. We can make machines -- even very complex machines -- but they can't regenerate. They can't reproduce. Or consider the bird. Birds have so many unique aspects. Hollow bones for flight. Feathers for flight surfaces. Interlaced feathers for smooth surfaces. Some birds wear goggles, nictating membranes that cover their eyes but don't block their vision. Engineers copied the cones in a falcon's nostrils to solve the problem of airflow in jet planes. Who made the originals? How about the systems in the human body? The circulatory system alone boggles the mind. I read that there are some 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body. These vessels transport life-giving blood to all the parts. The heart pumps blood through the lungs to collect oxygen to distribute to the body parts then back through to the lungs. Remove one part, and you have no system ... no life. And we've barely scratched the surface.

There is, in fact, so much we don't know. How does the body work? How does the brain work? How does nature work? Why are there so interconnected systems in the world? How did we end up in such a fine-tuned existence? Scripture says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen 1:1). Scripture says, "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being" (John 1:3). Scripture says, "He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together" (Col 1:17). That seems reasonable. Skeptics would like you to believe it "just happened." Chance. Random. They can keep their explanation. I just don't have enough faith to believe something so outrageous, so irrational.

A Grand Opening

When Jesus called Saul on the road to Damascus, He gave him a commission.

"Get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me." (Acts 26:16-18)

Quite a commission. He would be a "witness." Like the disciples would in Acts 1:8. Paul, like all of us, was called to "witness" ... to tell what he knew. Not a Campus Crusade program. Not Evangelism Explosion. Just what he knew. Like when John starts his epistle with, "What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). A witness.

The thing about his commission that caught my eye was that call "to open their eyes." Now, that's odd, isn't it? I mean, there weren't a lot of blind people listed in Paul's dealings, so it wasn't physical blindness. So what opening of eyes was required? Paul tells us in his second letter to the Corinthians of "those who are perishing, in whose case 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 4:3-4). According to Scripture, humans as a race are blinded by Satan to the light of the gospel. That explains a lot. Why don't people believe the gospel? They're blinded. Why don't the Jews read their own prophecies and believe in their Messiah? They're blinded. Why is there such opposition to God's truth? They're blinded. And Paul was called to open their eyes. But ... was he? I mean, did he even have the capacity? No, of course not. So Paul writes, "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ" (2 Cor 4:6). Paul's job, then, was to be the tool God would use to shine the light and open their eyes. So, as in the case of Lydia, "the Lord opened her heart to respond" (Acts 16:14).

Paul's job ... our job ... is to "open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me." We do it by being available, by being obedient, by telling the truth and not evading the gospel. Every time a person comes to Christ, it is a miracle. Like the man born blind, they can say, "One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). How? Why? We only know that God did it. And we can be a part of that if we're willing. If we're obedient.

Like Me

Acts has the stories of the adventures of Paul, as it were. Acts 21 and following contains the events that got him arrested in Jerusalem and sent to Rome. He had multiple trials and difficulties, but one of my favorite parts was Paul before Festus and Herod Agrippa. Festus was the Roman GIC -- guy in charge -- and Herod Agrippa was Rome's token Jewish leader. In this part of the story, Festus is new on the scene and trying to figure Paul out. He knows Paul isn't guilty of violating any Roman laws, but he's not familiar enough with Jewish stuff to get the problem. He wants help figuring out what to charge Paul with when he sends him to Caesar (Acts 25:25-27). So in chapter 26, Paul stands before Festus and Agrippa and makes his defense.

This text is Paul's fifth of six such defenses in Acts. They're all very similar because they're all ... Paul's testimony. Paul started as a Pharisee -- pretty zealous and high up -- and was met by Jesus. Jesus called him and commanded him and he answered. This defense is interesting because Paul is specifically talking to Agrippa, so he tells him first that he's simply following the Scriptures. "I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews" (Acts 26:6-7). In his testimony, after he tells of Christ's call on his life, he tells Agrippa, "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision" (Acts 26:19). So, Paul, in obedience to the Scriptures and in obedience to the Son of God, "did not prove disobedient." At this point, Festus gets agitated. "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad" (Acts 26:24). (Interesting that Festus acknowledged Paul's learning.) Paul appeals to Agrippa. "King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do" (Acts 26:27). Agrippa says something like "In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian" (Acts 26:28), and Paul answers, "I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains." (Acts 26:29)

What do you suppose Paul meant? Clearly, he wasn't saying, "Become a prisoner." He said, "except for these chains." What, then? I think he made it clear. Paul was saying, "I would wish to God you would honor the Scriptures like me." He was saying, "I would wish to God you would receive the gospel like me." He gave the gospel clearly in his explanation of Christ's commission on his life (Acts 26:16-18), including being sanctified by faith in Christ. He was saying, "I would wish to God you would obey Christ and come to Him like me." And, note, he "wished to God" ... because it is God alone that can make that happen. And isn't that what we all would wish? That "all who hear" would be just like that? Paul was called as Christ's witness (Acts 26:16). So are we (Acts 1:8). Paul was called to repent and do works appropriate to repentance. So are we (Acts 26:20). Are we being the example that people should follow. Do you want unbelievers to become like you as you become like Christ? Or are you more of a "Do what I say, not what I do" type?

Impossible Love

In his epistle to the Ephesian church, Paul makes a prayer for them. In Ephesians 3:14-21, he begins, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father ..." He prays for their strengthening. Why? So Christ may dwell in their hearts ... that they would have the strength to do something very, very difficult. What is it? "To know the love of Christ" (Eph 3:19).

"Um ... Paul ... what's so hard about that?" We know love. I mean, we can quote John 3:16. We know He sent His Son. We know His blessings. What's so hard about that? Apparently we don't really know His love, because Paul says the love of Christ "surpasses knowledge." Oh, hang on. So ... Paul is saying that we can "comprehend" (Eph 3:18) and "know" (Eph 3:19) the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge? Now that will be a trick. But Paul says that in understanding and knowing the love of Christ, we "may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph 3:19), and that's certainly something we believers want. So ... how will this work?

Paul tells us that God "is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us." That "far more abundantly" is an interesting phrase. It's a two-word phrase packed full. The first is huperekperissou, a Greek construct of 3 words that add up to "superabundantly." You see how that's packed, right? Not merely sufficiently; abundantly. Not merely abundantly; superabundantly. Big. Then he adds huper, which means "beyond," so it's magnified again. It's not just superabundantly; it's beyond superabundantly. Huge. And where does this come from? "the power that works within us." So? Get on with it. Taste and see. Bathe in His love. Swim in it. You won't stop, but it will be a grand journey.

A Thorny Issue

In his second epistle to the church at Corinth, Paul tells the story of the thorn in the flesh. He says he was given satanic torment "to keep me from exalting myself" (2 Cor 12:7). Isn't that interesting? He said it was "a messenger of Satan," but it was a godly purpose. He implored the Lord three times without relief (2 Cor 12:8). Ultimately, there is no indication that he ever received relief from the thorn. Instead, God's answer to him was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9).

Paul's response is truly remarkable. "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor 12:9-10). Paul really was a loon, wasn't he? He boasted ... in weakness. He was content ... with insults and hardships. He actually believed that his weakness was his strength ... because of the power of Christ on Him.

We all have thorns. We all have issues. Some are short-lived -- illness, injury, and such. Some are permanent. Paul's thorn may have been permanent. What do we do with them? Do we allow our weaknesses and difficulties to embitter us, or do we "boast all the more gladly"? Are we miffed, or are we "content"? Bottom line, is God's grace sufficient ... or do you and I need more?

News Weakly - 2/1/2025

NIMBY
What a bizarre story! So, Trump starts deporting illegal immigrants back to their home countries ("repatriation"). You know, "NIMBY" -- Not In My Back Yard. Columbia refuses to accept them. So Trump retaliates with a 25% tariff increase on Columbian goods. And Columbia says, "Oh, wait, we have a failure to communicate. We thought NIMBY meant 'Now In My Back Yard.' By all means, bring them. In fact, we'll fly them ourselves." Or ... something like that.

A Different Authority
Quakers are suing the government because the latest ICE policy won't let them shelter illegal aliens in their churches. Now, I find this odd, given Rom 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13-14. But, I suppose, these Quakers may not care what God says on the matter. Maybe they are their own authority. "Bible? We don't need no stinkin' Bible."

It Figures
After the catastrophic fire losses in southern California, they're considering letting people sue the oil and gas companies for damages. It was, after all, climate change that caused it ... right? Climate change is only caused by oil and gas companies ... right? And, of course, California's bad management had nothing to do with it ... right? California has always been a trendsetter ... especially in our burgeoning national insanity.

You Keep Using That Word
In the infinite wisdom of the nation of New Zealand, they have granted personhood ... to a mountain. So, a human being in the womb is not a person, but a piece of rock is. "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Your Best Source for Fake News
I really enjoy the picture of Adam in the Garden of Eden wearing a t-shirt that says, "There is only one gender." That one went quite well with the report that the number of genders has hit a 10 year low. I'm afraid the Bee is too close to accurate when it tells of the preliminary report that the latest airline crash was the fault of the political party you don't like.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

God's Political Favorite

We are, first, Christians. Some would have us believe we are, first, Americans or Republicans or something else. There are those who place their emphasis on politics. I would suggest that it's not biblical to do so. Politics are just fine, but not the end of the story.

Does that mean that Christians should avoid politics? Not at all. Okay, does that mean that the Bible has nothing to say about politics? Again, certainly not. I suspect, however, that very few even pay attention to the biblical perspective, so I'll give it to you here for your enlightenment.

A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left (Eccl 10:2).

There you have it, straight from the mouth of the wisest man who ever lived. You know where you need to go, now, so ...

Woe to Him Who Strives

Isaiah quoted God when he wrote,

"Woe to him who strives with Him who formed him, a pot among earthen pots! Does the clay say to him who forms it, 'What are you making?' or 'Your work has no handles'? Woe to him who says to a father, 'What are you begetting?' or to a woman, 'With what are you in labor?'" Thus says YHWH, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: "Ask Me of things to come; will you command Me concerning My children and the work of My hands? (Isa 45:9-11)

To which we routinely answer, "Yes ... yes we will command You on what You do." Oh, maybe not in words, but that's what's in our heads. God must meet our expectations ... or else.

God is baffled by that idea. We live it all the time. We complain when He doesn't answer prayers the way we want. We are upset when He allows tragedies we would not have disallowed. We're miffed He doesn't give us more. When Mary was told she would be with child, she asked, "How"? When Zechariah was told his wife would be pregnant, he questioned the veracity. Mary was blessed and Zechariah lost his ability to speak. Because Mary expressed questions, but not doubt. Not "What are you making?" but "I don't understand."

It astounds me -- and if I'm pointing fingers, they're at me as well -- how many times we tell God how badly He messed up. I've literally asked, "Why have You made me this way?" (with suggestions about how He could have done better). Self-identified Christians tell me, "If that's what God is like, I want nothing to do with Him" when it's exactly what God says. Romans says natural man "exchanged the truth about God for the lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen" (Rom 1:25) It says, "they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Rom 1:21). Let's not be worshiping the creature rather than the Creator. Let's not be futile and foolish. We're His creations. We really should learn our place. It's at His feet, not on His back.

Bless the Lord

King David wrote Psalm 103. It is probably best titled, "Bless the Lord, O My Soul." (More accurately, "Bless YHWH, O My Soul.") The text is a litany of the greatness of God. So David begins,

Bless YHWH, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless YHWH, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. (Psa 103:1-2)

"Forget not all His benefits." There's the key phrase. There's the aim. There's the goal. David fills the psalm with things that God has done.

It's a good practice ... reminding ourselves of God's blessings. But, for a moment, I am looking at the first part. "All that is within me, bless His holy name!" That's a rather comprehensive calling, isn't it? "All that is within me." Not just my feet or hands. Not merely my mouth. Not simply my mind. All. It's reminiscent, in fact, of the "Great Commandment." "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Matt 22:37). All that is within you. And we need to be reminded. Lots of Christians, for instance, tend to neglect the mind. We think that an emotional, "spiritual" love for God is the best. Jesus included "your mind" in it. Think in your love for Him. "Be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom 12:2). We seem to have a tendency to "surrender all" ... with parts in reserve. "Everything, Jesus ... except this ... right ... here." Our time or our money. Our way of relating to our spouse or our private obsession. David leaves room for none of it. "All that is within me bless His holy name!

It's really self-defeating when we refuse the "all." Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10) and we opt for "life" with limited abundance. God offers us blessings untold and we prefer some of our own sour fruits instead. If we nurtured this "all" concept, what a difference it would make. If we made a practice of blessing the Lord with all that is within us, what a change we would see in everyday existence. What are you holding back? And, why?

Supply Chain

Fairly early in our marriage my wife was encountering unusual stresses from a variety of sources, so she went to our pastor and asked for counseling. The pastor listened, then said it was over his head. He recommended a Christian counselor, so my wife went there. After a few sessions, the counselor asked her to bring her husband, so I sat through a session. Then she asked my wife to leave and she talked to just me. In the course of the conversation, I explained to her my approach to being my wife's husband. "Most people think of marriage as a 50-50 proposition. I don't. My aim is to give my wife 100%. I don't want to hold back. I don't want to wait for her to meet me halfway. I give her all I have all the time. Now, if she was to do the same, we'd have a 200% marriage, but the least we'll have is a 100% marriage. I can do this because I'm not relying on my wife as my source of love or satisfaction or other basic needs. I'm looking to my Savior. He supplies, perhaps using her or others or however He chooses. So I can give without requiring a return." The counselor looked at me, eyes wide. "Wow!" she said. That's ... crazy!" We didn't go back.

Was that crazy? I don't think so. Remember the story of Jesus and the woman at the well? He told her all about her 5 husbands and she ran off to tell the village. His disciples returned and were confused. They marveled that He was talking to a Samaritan woman (John 4:27), so they suggested He eat (John 4:31). He answered, "I have food to eat that you do not know about" (John 4:32). They still didn't get it, so He told them plainly, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work" (John 4:34). "My nutrition, the supply that fuels my existence, is doing His will." To which the disciples likely answered, "Wow! That's crazy." It's not. Paul said, "My God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Php 4:19). Not according to your resources; according to His. David wrote, "YHWH is my shepherd; I shall not want" (Psa 23:1). Jesus said, "Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" (Matt 6:25-26). And on and on.

A somewhat archaic but still recognized term for God is "Providence." It references divine guidance or care. Capitalized, it is God's power for sustaining and guiding. "Provide-ence." You see it, right? So, yes, by human standards, relying wholly on God to provide every little thing you need, freeing you to give everything He asks, is stupid -- crazy. but we're not talking about human standards. Jesus, in essence, asked, "Who are you going to believe? Your stomachs, or God?" Paul wrote, "He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?" (Rom 8:32). You're not going to say, "You're crazy," are you? What an opportunity to live a fulfilled life of giving without demanding a return!

Too Comfortable

We are humans. We are designed to seek happiness. We don't always know where to find it, but it is built into our system. We like comfort. We enjoy "pleasant." We want things to be okay. So if God doesn't make things okay, we're miffed ... or worse. And the very existence of the uncomfortable, the painful, the unpleasant gives skeptics a reason to doubt the existence of God. I'm not sure that's wise. I'm not sure that even makes sense. Think about it. We all know "No pain, no gain." We know that broken bones heal stronger. We know that tough times make tough people. We know, whether it's actually true or not, "There are no atheists in foxholes." Face it. We love comfort, but it seems as if we need discomfort.

I think comfort can be a problem, especially for believers. We're looking for a condition in which there is only peace, prosperity, easy living. What does that do for us? Well ... it makes us complacent. We tend to become lethargic. We might, in essence, tell God, "Don't worry; I got this." We are beings built for a different existence. We are sojourners and exiles (1 Peter 2:11), strangers on earth (Heb 11:13). Peter says because this world is not our home, we must "abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul" (1 Peter 2:11). Because getting comfortable in this world places us in jeopardy. We actually fare better under fire (James 1:2-4; Rom 5:3-5). In the midst of "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword," we are "more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Rom 8:35-37).

This world really is not our home. But ... if it's comfortable, well, we can wait. We're fine right here, thanks. It's not necessarily wrong to want pleasant circumstances. It's essential, though, that we are grateful for them, that we glorify God in them, and that we don't demand them. We are actually better off in trials because there we are forced to rely on God ... which is our best place to be. Comfort makes us happy where we are. The unpleasant makes us look toward heaven. Sometimes "comfortable" isn't a good thing. We need to be careful not to make it a demand, a god.