Halloween

This is a blast from the past. Ten years ago, actually. Thought it might be a good time to bring it up again.
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Welcome to All Hallows' Eve. Tomorrow, on some church calendars, is All Saints' Day. This is the eve of that event.

Halloween has been a dispute among Christians for some time. "It's harmless fun." "It's Satan's night!" The distances can be great. But where did it come from?

Halloween's origins are in an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced "SAH-win"). It was their time to celebrate the harvest and prepare for winter. They believed that on this particular night there was an overlap of the physical world and the spiritual world. So they would try to perform certain ceremonies and practices to keep the spirit world from interfering with their crops or their health or ... you get the idea. They had bonfires to attract insects to attract bats to eat the insects. They wore masks to deceive evil spirits. They put out lighted pumpkins to ward off evil spirits. In the 8th century, the church picked up on the Celtic festival and decided to "redeem it" (the "it" being the conjunction of the two worlds) with a festival of their own. "Let's use the time of remembering the dead to remember the saints who have gone before us."

So they did things that would make the Samhain ritual more conducive to Christian doctrines. Poor people would dress up in costumes and go door to door offering to pray for those in the home on the morrow (All Saints' Day) if they would give them food tonight. (Legend has it that one cook created a food to remind the beggars of eternity by creating a cake with a hole in it and now we have doughnuts with holes in them.) The Roman Catholic belief was that souls were released from Purgatory on All Saints' Day, so this was preparation for that event. They would perform dramas or pantomimes intended to remind people of mortality and the evils of the grave and the need to seek salvation.

Of course, Roman Catholicism was not the prime religious group in early America. At first such celebrations were limited. Eventually they would celebrate the harvest and share stories of those who had gone before with tales or plays or costumes. With the inrush of immigrants, of course -- especially Irish immigrants -- European traditions seeped in. "Trick or treat" wasn't really present until the mid-19th century. By the late 19th century there was a movement to make the holiday more about community and neighbors. This produced a sharp drop in the superstitious concepts of the event and offered a much more secularized version. Towns had harvest festivals. Families shared with families. While "tricks" were typically outlawed, it was considered neighborly to give out treats to kids in costume. While ancient traditions had jack o'lanterns to ward off spirits, masks to avoid being recognized by demons, and giving out of food to help the needy, the American traditions simply became a community fun time.

Today, the debates continue. "No, it's pointless fun." "No! It's Satanic evil!!" Fine. The truth is that a false religion pegged the day as a spirit transition day (which doesn't actually exist) and the ancient church took the false religion's event as a chance to do something more "Christian" with it ... much like they did with December 25th (the ancient pagan winter solstice festival). It once celebrated demons and witches and now makes fun of them. Today's "trick-or-treating" is, at once, both much safer and much more dangerous. It isn't about begging for food or hiding from demons, so that's safer. Today's society, on the other hand, has much less of a moral basis, so "trick" is a very real possibility and, as we all know, so is poisoning food, so that's not so safe. Decorations of ghosts and zombies are popular, but you do know that these aren't real, right? So I'm not going to take a stand here. Like Paul, I'm going to urge, "Let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath" (Col 2:16). I will remind you that "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Rom 14:23), but I'll let you decide whatever you think on this topic.

Let me just say this. The day belongs to the Lord (Deut 10:14). Whatever your view on enjoying the day or not, remember that. As always, then, "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor 10:31).

It Is A Terrifying Thing

If you're not paying attention, this can be a very startling verse. God speaking says, "Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it?" (Amos 3:6). "Wait ... what? No, no, that's not right. We know that disasters occur, but it's not God who does it ... is it?" Apparently God disagrees with our assessment of Him. In Isaiah God boldly declares, "I am the LORD, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these" (Isa 45:6-7). So while we try to give God a pass -- "It wasn't God; it just happened" -- God takes full credit. Yes, credit, not just responsibility.

In 2 Samuel there is the story of David numbering his people. The text says, "Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah" (2 Sam 24:1). In the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles, the event had a different instigator. "Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel" (1 Chr 21:1). Now, hang on ... who caused this -- God or Satan? The correct answer is "Yes." Notice, for instance, in the story of Job, the original instigator was ... God. "The LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job?'" (Job 1:8; Job 2:3). Satan carried it out, but God brought it up. Or consider the story of Ahab and Jehoshaphat (1 Chr 18:1-22). Ahab wanted to go to war; Jehoshaphat wanted a word from God. Enter Micaiah, who told Ahab there was a counsel in heaven where God asked how He could entice Ahab to go and die in battle. "A spirit" voluntered to entice him by deceiving his prophets. Micaiah concluded, "Now therefore, behold, the LORD has put a deceiving spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, for the LORD has proclaimed disaster against you." (2 Chr 18:22). It seems clear that God determines the course and, especially in the case of judgment, God allows Satan and his forces to carry out disaster, calamity, even death. Paul says, "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires" (Rom 9:18). Which is why Hebrews says, "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb 10:31). Because it is God's will to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known (Rom 9:22) as well as to show mercy upon those whom He chooses (Rom 9:22-23). We like that last one, but not so much the first.

It can be very disturbing. We try to find excuses for God, but God doesn't help. He openly claims that, while He does not cause moral evil (James 1:12), He certainly does bring unpleasant circumstances -- disaster, calamity -- into the lives of people, unbelievers and believers alike. He even uses Satan to do it. So the thing you have to ask yourself is, "Is that okay with me? Or does God have to meet my personal criteria for 'good'?" Note that the latter places you over God, and that can never be a good place to stand.

Looking Up

When I was young (keeping in mind that "young" is relative to someone as old as I am), the "End Times" was all the rage in certain circles. There were traveling preachers who made their living on teaching End Times. There were a couple who amassed followers who were ready to go on "this date." (Never worked out well, of course.) There were solid preachers who told us with certainty that "this" was how things would play out and "we are right there now." Jesus was coming ... soon. Very soon. Well, the '70s ticked off and the '80s timed out and no arrival was forthcoming. I think a lot of believers just got tired of waiting. Mind you, believers have been waiting since Jesus said He would return, but, for us, 20 years was just too long. You can't stay excited like that forever, you know.

The backlash, then, was a lackadaisical view. "Yeah, yeah, Jesus is coming, but I'm not holding my breath." And we consider that wise. It's interesting, then, that when Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica about their very real conversion to faith in Christ, one of the key components that he listed as proof was that they were waiting for Jesus to come (1 Thess 1:10). Apparently, real believers wait intently for Christ to return. Paul called it "the blessed hope" (Titus 2:13). James wrote, "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (James 5:7-8).

What does it look like to live anticipating His return? Paul wrote, "We eagerly wait for the Savior, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory" (Php 3:20-21). Life lived looking for His return is a life focused upward (Col 3:2), being faithful (Rev 2:10), being obedient (2 Peter 3:14). "Diligent" is one description and "eager" is another as we look to the time when we join Him in ultimate union. Shouldn't that shape everything about our lives in this world?

News Weakly - 10/28/23

Who Knew?
In Sydney, Australia, some 15,000 people reportedly joined in a pro-Palestinian march. I wasn't aware that Australians were pro-terrorism and murder and kidnapping. Learn something new every day, I guess. Of course, we knew that about some New Yorkers -- who want to eliminate Israel entirely -- right?

One for the Books
You may have missed this. Health Canada (the government Health Department) has confirmed the presence of DNA contamination from COVID-19 vaccines. This contamination can trigger cancer and alter the human genome. I'm sure you remember they assured us no such thing was possible and it was only conspiracy theories (read "misinformation") that made the claim and were proven false. Which only goes to show that not all conspiracy theories that have been "proven false" are false and not all "safe vaccines" are safe and neither our government nor our news media is willing to tell us the truth when it goes against the accepted narrative.

Not All Crazies Live In California
A former British MP has declared that Israel "has no right to exist" after the media blamed Israel for an explosion at a Gaza hospital. Mind you, the evidence appears to point to Hamas as having blown up that hospital, not Israel. Mind you, This MP believes that the UK has a right to exist despite the centuries of atrocities they committed. Then his real wisdom comes out. "Unless and until Israel is dismantled, we will never achieve peace in the region." Umm ... genocide does produce peace, I guess, if all the combatants of one side are gone, but ...

Rights are Whatever the Government Gives You
The Supreme Court has ruled that the government can limit free speech if it is the expression of disfavored views that the administration wants to supress. "Misinformation" they call it, which, as we all know, keeps turning into documented fact. To the Biden administration, I say, "Shame on you!" To the folks that figured we would have an edge with a more conservative Supreme Court, I say, "Think again." To those who place their trust in the Bill of Rights, you might want to find a better place to stand if the Supreme Court is going to rule the First Amendment unconstitutional.

Fake News of Another Kind
An Oklahoma 16-year-old was sentenced to 50 years in prison for shooting a 5-year-old girl in a drive-by as part of a gang initiation. Somehow the fact that he was "baby-faced" and "4' 9" tall" was significant? His lawyer blamed his parents. That's one news item. On the same day, another was that Kyle Richards (of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) was "really hurt" seeing a guy she liked holding hands with another woman. News?

Beelieve It Or Not
California's Governor Newsom visited China's Xi Jinping in order to get more ideas on how to run California. Or, perhaps, to give Xi Jinping a few. Meanwhile, Biden headed off to the beach for a vacation (actual story), but the White House assured reporters that he will be very concerned about the crisis in Gaza once he finds out about it. And from the Genesius Times, apparently insurrection is back in vogue for the left after Rashida Tlaib appeared to threaten the president if he didn't act on behalf of the Palestinians, remaining "silently complicit" for Israel's "horrific war crimes" (actual story).

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Jesus's Sheep

Jesus is well-known for declaring, "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11, 14). There are popular artistic renderings of a Jesus figure holding a lamb or a shepherd's staff or the like. It's actually a warm and friendly image of a shepherd tending to His flock. He goes on to assure us, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:27-28). That is a really good shepherd offering absolute protection for His flock. And what flock is that? How does one get to be under the care of that tender shepherd? How does one arrive at that safe haven?

The standard answer we might offer would be "By faith," and that makes some sense, but there's a problem with that. Jesus didn't say it. Instead, Jesus told His opponents, "You do not believe because you are not among My sheep" (John 10:26). Now, if "believe" is the criterion to be "My sheep," He would have said, "You are not among My sheep because you do not believe." He didn't. He said precisely the opposite. "Among My sheep" is not the product of "believe." Instead, "believe" is the product of "among My sheep." Paul asks the Corinthian believers, "What do you have that you did not receive?" (1 Cor 4:7). He told the Philippians, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake" (Php 1:29). That is, suffering and believing in Him were grants from God. Peter refers to faith as being "obtained" rather than produced (2 Peter 1:1). The idea, then, is that those who are chosen from before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4) are supplied with the necessary faith -- the necessary "believe" -- that they would exercise and turn to Christ, already chosen for His flock.

This isn't a far-fetched or novel concept in Scripture. Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of God's chosen people. The New Testament is full of references to "the elect" and "the chosen." Jesus told His disciples, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you" (John 15:16). It is this choice that is foundational to the salvation of everyone who is saved by faith, leaving it all, ultimately, as a gift from God -- "saved by grace through faith" (Eph 2:8). I believe being in this "flock of Christ" is a far more marvelous gift than we originally imagined.

Paul in Thessalonica

In his first epistle to the church at Thessalonica, Paul explains his "ministry plan" as it were. I think it was revealing. He said he avoided error, impurity, or any attempt to deceive (1 Thess 2:3). He was not interested in pleasing people (1 Thess 2:4). He didn't serve the gospel up with flattery or greed (1 Thess 2:5). He didn't concern himself with receiving glory from his audience nor exercising power (1 Thess 2:6). Instead, he was gentle (1 Thess 2:7), seeking to please God (1 Thess 2:4). He shared the gospel with them out of genuine affection (1 Thess 2:8), working hard so he wouldn't be a burden to them (1 Thess 2:9). The Thessalonians were witnesses of his holy, righteous, blameless conduct (1 Thess 2:10). Like a father, he says, he exhorted and encouraged and charged them to walk in a manner worthy of God (1 Thess 2:11-12) because of love (1 Thess 2:17-20).

Contrast that with modern leaders. Far too often they will use error or deception to achieve their ends. Greed is too regularly a motivating force. They certainly intend to receive glory from their listeners. For too many it is a power trip. Paul wasn't trying to meet their "felt needs;" he was desperately trying to meet their very real need of salvation. He didn't offer them warm homilies; he taught them the word of God so they would accept it as the word of God (1 Thess 2:13). He wasn't aloof like so many today. They will tell us to go forth and be better, but Paul "exhorted" them -- a word that carries with it the concept of "walk along side" -- and encouraged them because they faced hardships. He taught by his life as well as the Scriptures. He was an up-close-and-personal apostle to the Thessalonians.

It's a vital lesson for anyone in ministry or planning to go into ministry. You can't get your eyes off the gospel and God's glory. You can't get misled by greed or power or fame. It's about bringing people into a saving relationship and a longterm walk with God. Interestingly, then, it's not just a message for ministers. It's the same one Jesus gave His disciples. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matt 28:19-20). That's a much taller order than it seems at first. Far more than making converts.

Help for Failures

I would guess that one or two of you have, at some time or another, felt like a failure. I would guess, further, that I just made a monumental understatement. I would think that such a feeling is nearly universal. For some more than others, I'd guess that the feeling of being a failure has occurred in just about everyone on the planet at some point or another. So, what to do? How do we get past that?

Look at Peter. He was so earnest. He was so intent on doing the right thing. He promised Jesus, "I will lay down my life for You" (John 13:37). Do you remember Jesus's response? "Will you lay down your life for Me? Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times" (John 13:38). What a failure. It's interesting to note, then, that Jesus did not say so about him. Jesus did not urge Peter not to deny Him. In the Luke account, Jesus told him, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31-32). Do you see it? He didn't say, "Don't do it, Peter." He said it would happen, "but I have prayed for you." In fact, Jesus knew that God would use Peter's failure in Peter's life to "strengthen your brothers."

It is often our strategy to try talk people out of their feelings of failure. I suppose it's fine if it works, but the truth is we all fail. It's the nature of being human. So trying to talk someone who actually failed out of feeling like they failed would be pointless; indeed, a lie. Instead, we need to be reminded that God causes all things to work together for good, including our failures which can be very real. Genuine comfort for people who feel like failures isn't likely found in simple positive thinking. It's found in Christ. It is found in hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (See 1 Thess 1:3, where hope in Christ provides steadfastness). It's found in the certainty that, even if we meant it for evil, God meant it for good (Gen 50:20). In short, comfort for failures is found in God, not in trying to make failures feel better. True help for failures is found in pointing away from failures to God who never fails.

Let's Talk about Making Love

"Hang on a minute, Stan, didn't you just do that?" Actually, no, I didn't. Here's why.

My wife likes Oldies, so we were listening to some 60's and 70's music and I heard the old, "Chevy Van." Written by Sammy Johns in 1973, it's about this guy who invites a girl to ride in his Chevy van where, after awhile, she "took me by the hand. We made love my in my Chevy van and that's all right with me." And I thought, "No, you didn't."

The phrase, "make love," first showed up in the 16th century. It meant to pay amorous attention to, to court, to woo. The idea was that people had to build this product we call "love." So you did the things that would get the attention of the one you wanted to connect with. You gave gifts, spent time, said the right things, did the right things. You romanced them. The result, you would hope, was that they would grow to love you and you could make a lifelong connection that was known as "marriage." That was "making love." Of course, as is often the case among humans, at some point it became less about the work of romancing to make a connection and more about the process of consumating the connection -- sex. So the guy and the girl in the Chevy van were not working to make a connection; they were working to complete the transaction and, as in most such cases today, end the connection.

It's unfortunate. By changing "making love" from the work to make a relationship thrive to the act of having sex, we've managed to cheapen both love and sex. Today's media would have us believe that every romance must include sex and love without sex either doesn't exist or isn't of any value. But love, for believers, is a command rather than an emotion. It is, as such, work; something we need to do. It isn't about self-gratification or even warm feelings, but the act of seeking the best for others without regard for self. That love is something we need to make. But it's so foreign that we don't recognize it anymore. To our own disgrace.

I Don't Understand

An old country song you may or may not know is titled, "Farther Along." The gist is that we may not understand what God is doing in our trials and tribulations, but farther along in our lives (or after) we will and it will be okay. "Cheer up, my brother," the chorus says, "Live in the sunshine. We'll understand it all by and by." Maybe. Possibly. I don't object. But there is a concept behind it that bothers me. The idea is that if we don't understand what God is doing, He just might be wrong.

Right? Isn't that what we hear? "What is God doing?! Why is He allowing this??!" Or, "If this is how God does things, I'm not sure I want anything to do with Him." Because I don't understand it. "You tell me He works all things together for good, but I don't see it." That's arrogant, isn't it? "If I don't understand it, it isn't true." Consider, for instance, those three guys in Babylon. When challenged, "What god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?" (Dan 3:15), they answered that God was able, "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (Dan 3:15-18). They didn't care if they understood the details. They didn't care if God would or would not save them. They trusted God and Him alone. Consider Jesus, who prayed in the garden, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me," but concluded, "yet not My will, but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42). Jesus didn't need God to agree with Him. He wanted, above all, His Father's will because His Father was always right.

The truth is, the finite can never fully grasp the infinite. We, limited human beings, will never fully understand the unlimited Divine Being. To expect to do so is foolish. To demand it is dangerous. To refuse to accept it if we don't can be fatal. It just might be that "farther along" we'll understand all ... but it doesn't really matter as long as we understand that God is always right and what He does is always good. That's all we need to know. "I think the God you find in the pages of Scripture is an evil and vindictive god." That sounds dangerously close to what Jesus called "blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" which, we're all aware, is a dangerous place to stand, especially if you just don't understand. Especially if that is exactly the God of the Bible. Subjecting God to your inspection and your standards is the height of arrogance.

No Other

Jesus famously said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). And since we as Christians want to listen to Jesus when He speaks, we should now, right? Well, we do, surely, but I've rarely examined this all the way through and I wonder if we're missing something. Let's look.

Jesus was with the disciples for the Last Supper, giving them His last speech. He told them He was leaving, and told them, "You know the way to where I am going" (John 14:4). Thomas said, "Lord, we do not know where You are going. How can we know the way?" (John 14:5). Jesus did not clarify where He was going, but He did tell them the way. "I am the way ..." "I am," He said, which surely rang in the ears of the Hebrew disciples. It was the same name God used when He gave Moses His name (Exo 3:14). That is, "the way, the truth, and the life" is a person -- Christ. He is the way (Isa 35:8). Christ, as the Son of God, the sacrifice for sin, embodies the way to the Father. There is no other. He is the truth. Truth, then, has a name. In His High Priestly prayer He said, "Your word is truth" (John 17:17), which is convenient because John began his gospel with "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). So Jesus is the word of God; our Bible is only a written version, a portion of it. Christ contains it all. Absolute truth is a person. Nothing about Christ is false. In fact, He opposes all that is false. And, He said, "I am the life." Paul repeatedly reminded us that when we placed our faith in Christ, we died with Him and were made alive with Him (e.g., Rom 6:4-11). He is the life. We are alive by His righteousness attributed to us (2 Cor 5:21). It is the Spirit of Christ that gives us life (Rom 8:9). Because He lives, we live (John 14:19).

Notice, also, the sequence. I don't think it was accidental. He is the way that leads to the truth that provides life. Step by step. He is all of that. So, yes, no one can get to the Father apart from Him. In order to have life, we need to know the Father (John 17:3), and the only way we can know the Father is to see Christ (John 14:7). A complete package. A completed work. Like everything else, "all things have been created through Him and for Him" (Col 1:16). Including your salvation.

News Weakly - 10/21/23

I Don't Think That Word Means What You Think It Means
They're adding new sports to the Olympics. Some I get. Lacrosse and cricket, for instance are real sports. Football I can see, except it's flag football. No "dangerous sports"? Squash is a sport, but I don't think they have a racquetball or handball category, so why squash? Well, they added skateboarding and break dancing for 2024, so I guess "sports" is undergoing a redefinition as well as so many other terms these days.

Crimes Fall Down
While the media pummels us almost daily with reports of shootings and riots and other horrors, the FBI reports that violent crime ticked down in 2022 -- collectively 1.7%. Homicides dropped by 6% and rape decreased by 5%. Which only makes me wonder just how reliable our news media really is, since they appear to leave us in a constant state of terror about violent crimes and all.) Especially since the media opted to emphasize an increase in car thefts instead. (Oh, wait ... what do we call an organization that inflicts terror?

I Wonder What Made Him Say That
A Stanford neurobiologist has determined that humans have no free will at all. So serial killers are not responsible for their actions and there is no value in you trying to be a good (or bad) person. Everything, he argues, is determined by forces outside our control. Oddly, the claim is "Free will is a myth, and the sooner we accept that, the more just our society will be." Just? I suspect that when we adopt this nonsensical view it will save us a lot on law enforcement, prisons, and awards.

Whose Side Are They On?
Biden has promised humanitarian aid to Gaza. It can only be to the residents and not to Hamas. If we keep in mind that not all Palestinians are terrorists, this makes sense. What doesn't make sense is the whole portion of the Middle East for being attacked yelling loudly against Israel's retaliation (partly over that hospital that apparently was not Israel's doing) but not willing to provide any aid at all. If they don't put actions to their words, we know which speaks the loudest.

Not Side A; Side Bee
Dozens of protesters were arrested at the White House who were calling for an end to Israel's response to being attacked (actual story), but Hamas is disappointed that liberals don't believe they massacred Jews after they went to all the trouble of livestreaming it. Besides, Hamas has clarified that they meant to start the kind of war where they could do what they wanted and no one fights back. Israel simply misunderstood. Dylan Mulvaney, in case you don't know, is the guy who identifies as a transexual female. Virgin Atlantic awarded him "Woman of the Year" (actual story). In response, the Babylon Bee awarded him "Man of the Year" for achieving things other men only dream about, like taking down Bud Light or the courage to wear designer gowns at the Met Gala. In other news, the Gospel Coalition released the Taylor Swift Study Bible because, "Who better than singer-songwriter and cultural icon Taylor Swift to provide us with rich, accessible Biblical exegesis?" Right? (And I had to laugh at the one about liberals replacing the Star of David on the COEXIST sticker with a Hamas terrorist in a hang glider. Now that was funny right there.)

Myst be true; I read it on the Internet.

The Other Jesus

We all know Jesus, right? Well, at least we Christians. Right? He's all loving and all gracious and all kind. He told a father asking for healing for a child, "All things are possible to him who believes," and when the father admitted he was a little sparce on faith, Jesus healed the boy anyway (Mark 9:23-26). When they brought a woman caught in adultery to Him, He didn't condemn her (John 8:3-11). A really loving, forgiving, merciful, gracious man. That's one Jesus, but if that's the only Jesus you know or recognize, you're missing out.

There is another quite obvious Jesus presented in the Gospels and so many people choose to ignore this one. In John 2 Jesus went into the Temple around Passover and found them selling animals and exchanging money. He made a whip and drove them out (John 2:13-17). Now that's not a so-nice Jesus, is it? He actually did it again later (Matt 21:12-13)! "You know, Jesus, this doesn't fit too well with our finely-crafted 'loving and gentle Jesus' thing." In Matthew 23 Jesus went on a rampage of "woes." Mind you, in the Hebrew mind, "woe" wasn't, "Oh, poor me." It was the opposite of "blessing," a curse. It is an exclamation of judgment. And Jesus was relentless in His pronouncing judgment on the religious leaders of His day (Matt 23:13-36). Not exactly the "all-loving, all-grace" version we like to think about. He told Chorazin and Capernaum that it will be more bearable on judgment day for the likes of Tyre and Sidon and Sodom, all cities known for their evil ways, than it will be for them (Matt 11:21-24). Not too merciful there, was He? Even in that exchange with the woman caught in adultery, while Jesus did say, "Neither do I condemn you," He immediately followed it with the stark, "Go and sin no more" (John 8:11). Hardly a "Sin all you want; I'm okay with it." Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matt 10:34). Jesus said, "Whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (John 3:18). Not exactly the "grace and mercy" Jesus we like to think about. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me" (Luke 9:23). Doesn't sound so gentle to me. 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. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26-27). That's tough.

We like to think that the Old Testament God was a big meany, full of wrath and all that, but this New Testament version we know as Jesus was all light and life. He wasn't. He spoke more of Hell than Heaven. He promised eternal damnation to those who would not receive Him. He demanded surrender from His followers. Not an a cruel basis. Not as a conqueror. Because, while Jesus was indeed the most gracious, loving, merciful, kind, forgiving representation of both Man and God that we've ever seen, He was still the same God as that "mean" Old Testament version. He still hated sin. He still did the will of His Father. So He made the way -- the only way -- for our sins to be forgiven and to have peace with God (Rom 3:24-26) by dying on the cross in our place and nailing our sins to that cross (Col 2:14). But He still hates sin. And if we're going to be Christ-followers, we will need to take all of Him, not just the parts we find heartwarming.

A Love Story

In Jesus's High Priestly Prayer in John 17, He prays regarding Himself (John 17:1-5), His disciples (John 17:6-19), and for future believers (John 17:20-26). It is really a wonderful and heartwarming prayer, but it is ... odd in places.

He says, for instance, that eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). Really? Doesn't Paul say everyone knows God (Rom 1:19-20). No, this isn't "knowledge of God," but an eternal relationship with God. Jesus says, "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (John 17:5). So much for Christ as a created being. But one is really startling.

"I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours." (John 17:9)

Now, didn't Jesus say, "God so loved the world..."? Yet here Jesus is explicitly excluding the world in His prayer. He was asking for things for His followers but not the rest. That's because, while God surely loves the world in some sense, there is a special love for believers. In Paul's instructions to husbands, he tells them to "love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her" (Eph 5:25). Mind you, Christians are supposed to love everyone, even their enemies, so Christian husbands should love all women. This command to husbands, then, speaks of a special love of husband for wife that is not for all women. And Paul indicates that Christ had the same love for the church. In the same way, God has a special love for believers that is not extended to the world.

There are those who are universalists and would like us to believe that God loves everybody equally. Jesus disagreed. We should be awed by the fact that we, sinners to the core, have been chosen because we are especially loved by God (1 Thess 1:4). It is an amazing reality and we must not take it for granted.

Knowing

Paul wrote two letters (that we know of) to the church at Thessalonica. The church was an amazing church. We know of his mission to Thessalonica from the book of Acts (Acts 17:1-10). He left Philippi and went there and ministered to the Jews first for three Sabbaths. Persecution was immediate, and when the Jews dragged a fellow believer, Jason, before the court, the other believers made Paul and Silas leave for their own safety. So Paul may have been there a month, maybe more, but not long. Yet, hearing of their faith and love (1 Thess 3:6), he wrote to them to encourage them as "the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess 1:1). Paul knew this was a genuine church, a genuine bunch of Christians.

Paul thanked God for their "work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess 1:2-3). Because of these, Paul could claim that he knew that they were loved by God and chosen by God. Isn't that amazing? Maybe even surprising? Sometimes we aren't sure ourselves. Are the people we care about saved? Am I saved? We're not always certain. But Paul was certain of the believers in Thessalonica. How? Their faith was producing work. Their love was producing labor. Their hope was providing steadfastness. These were changed people. He saw that they had become imitators of good leaders and of the Lord Jesus (1 Thess 1:6). He saw that they received the gospel with joy in the midst of tribulation and even became examples to others (1 Thess 1:6-7). He saw that they turned from the gods of their world to serve the living and true God (1 Thess 1:9). He saw that they eagerly waited for the Son to return (1 Thess 1:10). These were really changed people.

The Roman Catholic church says it's wrong to be certain of salvation. Scripture disagrees (e.g., 1 John 5:13). We are not saved by works, but there are things in the lives of genuine believers that demonstrate saving faith. James said faith without works was dead (James 2:17) He said his faith was demonstrated by his works (James 2:18). He said that faith without works was useless (James 2:20). Genuine, saving faith is a gift from God that changes people, producing works of love and hope in hardships. Many tell us today that all you have to do is profess faith and you're saved -- no change required -- but Scripture indicates that faith changes you, that those who are truly saved are altered from within by the Holy Spirit and it can be seen in actions and attitudes. We can know. Do you?

Few There Are

Lots of Christians have this strange idea that "The God of the Old Testament was a God of wrath, but Jesus in the New Testament was a God of love." It's strange because quite clearly the New Testament talks about God's wrath repeatedly. Jesus spoke more about hell than heaven. Paul declared that the gospel reveals God's righteousness first by revealing His wrath (Rom 1:16-20). The author of Hebrews said, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb 10:31). We really like the "He who believes in Him is not judged" line but seem to completely miss the very next phrase -- "he who does not believe has been judged already" (John 3:18).

One of the most difficult things in the Gospels that Jesus spoke about was this notion of "few." "Enter through the narrow gate," Jesus said, "for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matt 7:13-14). Few? Really?? We sit in church (some really big churches in some cases) and we think, "Few? Really??" But that's what Jesus said. And it makes you wonder how to correlate Jesus's words to our experience. I mean, we're in America. Isn't this a Christian nation? What do you mean, "few"??

Jesus told the parable of the good field where enemies sowed tares (Matt 13:24-30). When the disciples asked what it meant, He told them that Jesus was the sower and the good seed was the sons of the kingdom while the tares were the sons of the evil one (Matt 13:36-38). Well, you get the implication, right? In amongst genuine, God-given "sons of the kingdom" there are look-alikes, false believers, sons of Satan who look like believers but aren't. And, yet, here we are, totally caught off guard by the fact that there are many among genuine believers who are not genuine believers. Isn't that our own fault? Jesus told us to expect it. And we're not doing anyone any favors taking them for "one of us" when they aren't and allowing them to be lulled into a false sense of confidence. We must listen to Christ and we must have our eyes open. Everyone needs Jesus.

How Much Is Enough?

The 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke begins, "And He told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). The parable was about a widow that continually brought her demand for justice to an unrighteous judge. Her persistence won the day. Jesus concluded, "And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them?" (Luke 18:7). Paul told the Thessalonians to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess 5:17) and the Colossians, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Col 4:2). I'm sensing a theme here.

Jesus instructed His disciples to pray and even how to pray (and how not to pray). Jesus Himself often went off for extended times of prayer (Matt 14:23; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:28). He commanded prayer, taught prayer, and modeled prayer. I suspect, however, that few of us would claim we were prayer warriors. I suspect, if we were honest, most of us would have to admit we don't pray nearly enough.

Our lives ought to be marked by prayer. It is our lifeline to God, our constant admission that we need Him, our personal connection to Him in the midst of what we like to term "a relationship, not a religion." God, Master of the Universe, asks us to let our requests be made known to Him (Php 4:6-7). I fear our pitiful prayer lives belie a problem in that regard, and not a small one. Perhaps it needs more diligent attention from us. Do you want justice in this crazy world? Pray always and do not lose heart. There is no "too much" when it comes to prayer.

Biblical Christianity

Traditionally, there has been a distinction between "Christianity" and "biblical Christianity." For as long as there has been "Christianity," there has been those who did it according to God's Word and those who "did it my way." Even the New Testament writers would refer back to Scripture to make their points when correcting error in the church. The distinction, then, is whether or not you follow the Christianity of the Bible or your own version.

Of course, it's not always easy to see that distinction. Lots of false teachers teach from the Bible. Lots of "Christians" reference God's Word and even claim to hold to it. So how does that distinction work? For "biblical Christianity" to be biblical doesn't require that it references the Bible. It requires that it takes the Bible as intended. Biblical Christianity has a high view of Scripture. The other kind has a high view of their own interpretation so as to find what they want in the Bible if they want to reference Scripture. This idea cuts two ways. On one hand, if Jesus says, for instance, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matt 7:13-14), a biblical Christian would take that to mean that the way is narrow and those who find it are few. A Christian (not biblically intent) would either ignore the text or explain why it does not mean that. On the other hand, a self-professed Christian might gleefully explain to you that "Trinity" is not in the Bible and you're wrong for holding to it while a biblical Christian would have to admit that the whole doctrine is held throughout Scripture even if the word itself doesn't appear. Biblical Christians, then, shape their doctrines from Scripture even if that rubs them the wrong way and self-professed Christians will ignore or bend Scripture to their own views.

So what? Does it really matter? Jesus prayed regarding His disciples, "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:16-17). Paul declared, "We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's Word" (2 Cor 4:2) and urged us to hold fast "to the word of life" (Php 2:16). Scripture is breathed out by God (2 Tim 3:16) and equips us "for every good work" (2 Tim 3:17). If we don't maintain that high view of Scripture, taking it as sufficient and as it is written rather than twisting it or ignoring it to our own wills, it's hard to imagine that we can be considered "Christians" at all if "Christian" is "a follower of Christ" and Christ declared God's Word "truth."

News Weakly - 10/14/23

Shades of 1984
In the classic novel, 1984, Orwell envisioned a world (patterned after Stalin's Soviet Russia) where, among other things, mind control was of the essence. One method the government employed was eliminating words that they didn't want people to think about. Like the Danish government's campaign of replacing gendered language with gender-neutral language. If you don't have a word for it, you won't think it ... right? They think so. Coming soon to a country near you?

When Harvard Fails to Teach Thinking
Thirty-one Harvard student organizations have blamed Israel for the Hamas attack on Israel. Now, that makes sense, right? Oh, no, not one bit. When Israeli forces have unfortunately killed civilians in their attacks on Hamas strongholds (because terrorists like to hide among civilians), no one in Israel is proud to claim responsibility, but when Hamas invades Israel, killing hundreds and kidnapping more and threatens to kill hostages, you can be clear who the bad guys are in this scenario. It's not the ones saddened by the deaths of civilians; it's the ones proud of causing them. And how upside down is this world when people around the world threaten a "day of rage" in favor of terrorists? Terrorists who intentionally murdered and kidnapped innocent people, beheaded children, and gloated about it? I would think the rage would be against them.

Blame It On COVID
ACT test scores have dropped to their lowest in 30 years "in a pandemic slide," the news tells us. I'm not tracking. "Lowest in 30 years" and "pandemic", which was 3 years ago. I think if they tested for "gender studies" and "inclusivity" and "tolerance" and the like, you'd find much higher scores. Reading, writing, arithmetic, and such are not high priorities in so many schools these days. At least, that's what the testing is telling us.

From Satire to Bizarre in Seconds
Actually, this wasn't so funny. The Bee did a little joke about how grateful Laphonza Butler is for her new job as a California senator since it was a short commute to work from her home in Maryland. Ha, ha! Except the Internet says that Laphonza Butler resides in Maryland. What?? That went from humorous to bizarre. What's up with that, California?

A Living Wage
The winning ticket for a $1.76 billion Powerball jackpot was sold in California. Which only seems fair, since after taxes and all, it should amount to a living wage or so. Hey, maybe they can buy a house now? Or at least afford a down payment.

Let Humor Bee Heard
After losing 3 straight playoff games to the 2nd place Diamondbacks, the Bee is wondering if the Dodgers should have paid more attention to training than honoring drag nuns. Not from the Bee, a photo from 2009 has resurfaced showing an anti-Israel rally including "Queers for Palestine." Now, you'd think that supporting a group (Hamas's Palestine) that would imprison you for showing up wouldn't make sense ... oh, no, it doesn't. And that's one of those "satire or real" moments because it's stupid but actual. One last from the Bee, lest you think it's all bad news for Islam, this week the religion was downgraded to "mostly peaceful" despite all that beheading and mayhem and all.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

When Is It Okay to Divide?

Scripture repeatedly calls for unity among believers (e.g., John 17:20-21; 1 Cor 1:10; 1 Peter 3:8; Eph 4:3; Php 2:2). Now, mind you, this doesn't mean "uniformity" or a simple "everyone thinking alike," but unity is still the call. So when is "disunity," in some form or another, okay? Ever?

As it turns out, biblical unity demands disunity at times (e.g., 2 Cor 6:17). We are told to have nothing to do with believers who are in unrepentant sin (Matt 18:15-17; 1 Cor 5:11-13; 2 John 1:10-11). For the sake of unity we are to beware of false teachers (Matt 7:15) and have nothing to do with a person who stirs up division and won't stop when warned (Titus 3:10). To those who claimed a relationship with Christ that they didn't actually have, Jesus says, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matt 7:23).

Unity is a command. Sometimes unity requires a separation from those who will not be united or, worse, causes disunity. Not only is it wise to separate from those who refuse Christ's commands; it is commanded. That's when it's okay to divide.

Not Holding Fast to the Head

In his letter to the Colossian church, Paul warns them about false teachers. One of the key indicators he gives on how to tell a false teacher is that they are "not holding fast to the Head," to Christ (Col 2:19). They stray, he says, because Christ is the one that nourishes and knits together the body and without Him they will deviate, they will leave the body. These teachers and their falsehoods "have indeed an appearance of wisdom," Paul says, but "they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh" (Col 2:23).

Isn't it the truth? Is that not a primary common denominator among false teachers? Oh, they often claim they're all about Jesus, but when you examine their claims you find they're all about the Jesus they like and not so much about the Jesus they don't. They may be heartily involved in helping the poor and can point out every word Jesus said about helping those in need. He did say it and we ought to heed it. But they will swiftly eject His statements like, "The poor you will always have with you" (Matt 26:11). They embrace the grace of Christ with warm messages of forgiveness for all but reject His warnings (Matt 7:13-14; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 23:13-19, etc.). They assure us all of a pleasant outcome when Jesus warns of a hell "where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:48). They hold tightly to the Jesus they like and loosely (if at all) to the one they don't.

Of course, since Jesus is the Word (John 1:1), the outward presentation of God (Col 2:9), our singular physical representative of the Father to the world. It's not just the Jesus of the gospels they need to hold tightly to. It is the Jesus of all of Scripture. It is Christ, found in every page of the Bible. And that Christ doesn't look quite like that narrow version false teachers like to present. He was from eternity past. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross for us, His blood providing the peace we lacked with God. His death and resurrection are the method and model for our dying and rising to new life (Col 2:13), a life that is changed by the process. And we must examine ourselves to insure that we are not merely clinging to the Jesus we like and ignoring the Jesus that makes us uncomfortable. We must hold fast to that Christ; He alone is our life (Col 3:3).

An Affirming Church

My wife and I drove by a church near us which had a sign out front. "We are an affirming church." Now, that seems like a strange advertisement. Affirming what? Well, it's not hazy. The notion is well-known in the proper circles. An "affirming church" is a church that has rejected biblical commands and descriptions for things like marriage (Gen 2:24; Matt 19:5-6; Eph 5:31-32) or sexual immorality (Lev 18:22; Rom 1:26-27; 1 Cor 6:9-10; 1 Tim 1:10; Jude 1:7) or gender identity (Gen 1:27). These churches have decided that they have new information from the lips of God that He only made clear in the 21st century because every follower of Christ from the days of Jesus until the 20th century understood that Scripture was undeniably clear on marriage and homosexual behavior and gender identity. So, with this new-found clarity, they affirm same-sex marriage and "loving same-sex sexual relationships" and gender fluidity. These churches specifically do not simply encourage all people, LGBT or not, to come because they need Jesus ... like all people. No, they affirm the sexual sin as not sin.

Here's the problem. The way to get to "affirming church" status is to jettison, not embrace, Scripture. And this is a serious problem. Note, for instance, that Jesus referred to marriage as being between a man and a woman (Matt 19:4-6), but these folks are denying it. Can you call it "Christian" if Christ is denied? Can you call it God's church if God's Word is denied? Can believers simply affirm whatever they wish? If they embrace the gospel but reject the source of the gospel and, therefore, the parameters the source places on the gospel, can it be said they embrace the gospel? Look, the "good news" is not simply whatever "good news" you want it to be. It has to be something specific, and "we affirm everyone" is not there. Remember, it was Christ who said, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matt 7:23). Not all that all-inclusive or all-affirming, was He?

Interestingly, affirming churches don't affirm everything. In their haste to be inclusive and diverse, they necessarily exclude those who ... are not inclusive and diverse. If you attend such a church and wish to be biblical in your beliefs and interactions, you will not be welcome. They are affirming for those who are outside of biblical Christianity, but not so much for those who aim for actual biblical Christianity.

The Big Surprise

There is not a small number of people, including Christians, who ask, "Why doesn't God save more?" The Christians are glad, of course, that they are saved, but why not more? And we offer lame excuses like, "God doesn't want robots" or "Love has to be voluntary to be real." Well, okay, maybe ... but I don't find any of that in Scripture. What do we find? When we look at the Bible, it says some rather hard things.

When His disciples asked Him why He spoke in parables, Jesus said, "I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand" (Matt 13:13). He confirmed what Isaiah wrote: "For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them" (Matt 13:15). John confirmed this in his gospel.

Though He had done so many signs before them, they still did not believe in Him, so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: "Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them." Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. (John 12:37-41)

Jesus said and John understood that God had "blinded their eyes and hardened their heart" so that "they could not believe." In Romans, Paul writes the startling claim that God's desire was to "show His wrath and to make known His power" on "vessels of wrath prepared for destruction" (Rom 9:22). In fact, Paul claims that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God (Rom 1:16) first and foremost in His wrath against sin (Rom 1:18). It is right for God to be angry about sin. And that condition is universal (Rom 3:23).

The real question is not "Why doesn't God save more?" The real question is "Why does God save any?" Why even one? We are His enemies (Rom 5:10), hostile to Him (Rom 8:7). Scripture says, "The intention of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen 8:21). We aren't good people (Rom 3:12). Rather than being irritated with God for failing to save enough, we ought to be in awe of His grace and mercy for choosing to save any of us who would, if we could, pull Him down from heaven and trample Him. We shouldn't be surprised that people go to hell. The big surprise is that some don't.

That's Not Love

Our current culture, inside and outside the church, urges us to be inviting, embracing, enfolding. They even call it "tolerant" (although tolerant requires disagreement to be tolerance). And, above all, never, never question someone else's salvation. That's just not done. Well, of course, not as long as you ignore Scripture.

The Bible isn't embarrassed to question your salvation. Paul told the Corinthians, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 6:9-10). He told the Ephesians, "You may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God" (Eph 5:5). That is, unrepentant sinners will not inherit the kingdom. When the people who are quite sure they have done God's work but have not repented come to Jesus, He will tell them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness" (Matt 7:21-23). Jesus told His listeners to watch for false prophets. "You will recognize them by their fruits," He said (Matt 7:16).

It is a myth that anyone can get to heaven. Unrepentant sinners cannot. So when a man who loves to sleep around says, "I'm a Christian; I love Jesus" without intending to change his propensity for sexual immorality, you can be sadly sure that he is not a Christian and doesn't love Jesus. When a same-sex couple considers themselves married and affirms, "We are followers of Christ," you have to ask, "How can they call themselves followers of Christ and ignore what He says?" (Matt 19:4-6). None of this is for condemnation or "righteous indignation." Every sinner (which, oh, by the way, includes you and me) needs Christ, and we are to love them to Jesus as far as we can. But when we nod and encourage them to continue in their unrepentant sin in the name of "tolerance" and "inclusivity," we assault our Lord Jesus and encourage them toward the precipice that no one should encounter. That's not right, and that's not love.

The Secret of Success

Let me set the stage here. You remember Moses. He was told by God to "Set My people free." So he went down to Egypt and, not quite literally, dragged them kicking and screaming to freedom. They arrived fairly quickly at the Promised Land, but of the 10 spies they sent in, only 2 said, "God is with us; let's go for it." So they refused to enter. For that crime, God sent them wandering for 40 years in the desert to kill off that generation of the faithless. Eventually, even Moses messed up his chances of getting in, so at the end of the Deuteronomy, Moses hands the reins to Joshua and dies, and the Book of Joshua begins, "Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua ..." (Josh 1:1). The message is from verse 2 through verse 9 -- fairly short -- but in that text God told Joshua "be strong and courageous" three times (Josh 1:6, 7, 9). And that was important because Joshua was about to lead God's people into a war. So, this "be strong and courageous" message ... what did God say about it? I mean, we might want to have strength and courage ourselves, right?

God told Joshua to "be strong and courageous," first and foremost, because "the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh 1:9). Bottom line. Like Paul's "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31), the logic is unavoidable. God told Joshua, "I will not leave you or forsake you" (Josh 1:5), so it was a done deal. Nothing to fear. Move ahead. But that wasn't all. God warned Joshua to be "careful to do according to all the law that Moses My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go" (Josh 1:7). Now, look at that. If you are careful to cling to God's Word, you can expect "good success wherever you go." This was so critical that God said it again.

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Josh 1:8)

The message is clear. God has jobs for each of us (Eph 2:10). We all have assignments. And they look daunting. Don't worry. Be strong and courageous. God is with you. All you have to do is cling tightly to God's Word and you can count on God providing success. As David put it, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me" (Psa 23:4). Do you have that confidence? Are you ready for the kind of peace that strength and courage in God provide? Do you want that kind of success? It's right there.

News Weakly - 10/7/23

Losing My Diversity
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is concerned. They set goals for diversity among their delegates to include a specific ratio of people of color, LGBT folk, etc. to white people ... and they can't meet their own numbers. It appears that in all minority categories that wish to support their cause are decreasing. They think this might indicate a problem. Do ya think?

How Good Are These Cakes??!!
Jack Phillips is the baker in Denver that keeps refusing to violate his religious beliefs (that scoundrel) and hangs, perhaps foolishly, on the 1st Amendment. So he's now facing his third lawsuit, this time for refusing to bake a cake for a gender transition. Now, if we don't like a particular vendor for some reason, we normally avoid said vendor, but all the L's and G's and T's keep going back. So ... how good are these cakes?? I mean, it can't be because they're specifically and maliciously targeting Jack and his religion, can it? (I wonder what would happen if he just made the thing and did it badly -- a statement about what he thinks of it? Would that be another lawsuit?)

It's all fun and games until ...
Well, the Bee was messing around again with humor, so back on October 2 they put up the story about California Governor Newsom throwing darts at a board covered with black lesbians to select the Feinstein's replacement ... and real news intrudes on October 3 when they swore in a black lesbian to replace Feinstein. Too close to be satire?

Baffled by Rising Prices
Have you been wondering why our gas prices keep rising? Biden's Department of the Interior has published gas lease sales for the next 5 years. They have approved three, the lowest number ever. By carefully eliminating sources ("supply") without adjusting demand, the only possibility is skyrocketing prices. So we thank our Democratic overlords for their benevolence with our pocketbooks.

For The Fun Of It
We just drove through the town of Banning, California, and I thought, "What a great place to open a bookstore! I'd call it 'Banning Books.'" An automatic winner, right?

Congressman Bowman "accidentally" pulled the fire alarm in the Capitol building while lawmakers argued to avert a shutdown. Democrats have proposed a $12 billion study to determine what this strange red handle thing does.

By the way, in response to that Bee story about him throwing darts at a dart board, Governor Newsom, assured us that she was the most qualified of the 0.00001% of the population he chose from. And you thought there was some agenda there. Doubter.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

A Warning from Sodom

As we all know, the famous destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was due to rampant homosexual behavior. Thus, the term, "sodomy." There is no doubt that this is true (Gen 19:1-7; 2 Peter 2:6-10; Jude 1:7). Dance around if you will; it only proves a prior commitment to a position that allows homosexual behavior and not a commitment to God's Word. But I'm not writing here about the obvious. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah over unrepentant sin, and one of the obvious sins was homosexual behavior. That was not the only sin, not even the only remarkable sin.

If "remarkable sin" is defined as one that the Bible talks about, another remarkable sin worthy of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was ... inhospitality. Yes, God judged the cities for their sexual sin, but He also condemned them for excess pride and wealth but not aiding the needy (Ezek 16:49-50). Proverbs says, "Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors Him" (Prov 4:31). The author of Hebrews urges us to "not neglect to show hospitality to strangers" (Heb 13:2). He goes on to say, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God" (Heb 13:6). Peter said to "show hospitality to one another without grumbling" (1 Peter 4:9). Paul urged the Romans to "contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality" (Rom 12:13). Jesus said, "For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his reward" (Mark 9:41). And we're all aware of Jesus's "as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me" statement (Matt 25:40).

If we see repetition as emphasis, surely the repeated commands to show hospitality -- to give to the needy, to share what we have with those who do not -- ought to make us see that we need to be hospitable to others -- fellow believers, strangers, anyone we encounter. Heterosexual Christians aren't too concerned personally about being condemned like Sodom and Gomorrah were for homosexual behavior, but if Sodom and Gomorrah's destruction carries an important message to us today, the warning that inhospitality contributed significantly to their demise should. Maybe we, forgiven Christians, won't burn for our inhospitality, but we will certainly suffer loss and fall short of the glory of God. That should deeply concern us. If showing kindness to people in need brings glory to God -- is pleasing to God -- as Scripture says, why are so many of us reticent to do so?

The Strange Prophet

A prophet is someone assigned by God to deliver His message. Now, we often think of them as foretelling the future, and if that is God's message, they do, but that's not all they do. They also deliver "demands" for repentance and warnings of unavoidable consequences in the absence of repentance, and they declare God Himself to people. Et cetera. There is one prophet in Scripture that was, well, a strange prophet.

You remember Jonah. Called by God directly to go warn Ninevah of their impending doom if they didn't repent, Jonah ... ran. That's right. A guy who was called by God -- knew God -- opted to try to run away from God ... as if that made any sense. Well, you know how that worked out. There was a storm at sea while he was in his "get-away boat," he was tossed overboard, and a giant fish swallowed him, only spitting him out three days later after he repented. The strangeness doesn't end there. Jonah went on to Ninevah, delivered the message he was sent to deliver, and saw overwhelming success as the Ninevites repented in droves. And Jonah ... was mad (Jonah 4:1). The very reason he fled from God's command was he knew God was gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love (Jonah 4:2), and He would withdraw the disaster if they repented. Jonah didn't run because he was scared; he ran because he didn't like God's choices.

How many of us act as Jonahs? How many of us cry out against evil and are disappointed if they repent? How many of us are pleased to see their demise but miffed if they turn and avoid their just rewards? As Christians, sent by God to take the gospel to the world, how many did not rejoice to hear, for instance, that a Jeffrey Daumer repented in prison and likely went to heaven? How many of us would prefer to see God's mighty wrath played out on our enemies than His amazing grace? Jonah was an anomaly in the pages of Scripture regarding prophets, but I suspect there are far more Jonah-type Christians than Jeremiah-types who weep over fallen sinners. To our shame.

Promoting Marriage

Economist Melissa Kearney has written a book titled The Two-Parent Privilege arguing that children raised by two married parents statistically do better than children raised by single parents. "Nay!" say those who oppose the claim, not because they disagree with the facts, but because, they say, knowing that it's true but it's not available doesn't make us any better off. Yes, that's their complaint. So the right is shouting "Hear, hear!" They want the left to own up to the damage to marriage that their policies and philosophies have wrought and get back to promoting marriage. Which shouldn't be an issue since most people want to get married. "Yeah for marriage!"

Here's the problem. Marriage is broke. Marriage in modern America isn't working anymore. It's not because the institution of marriage isn't any good; it's because we no longer understand marriage -- biblical marriage. From the start, the union of a man and a woman was fundamental to the family and the family was fundamental to the society. It was a union, not a joint agreement. Repeatedly Scripture refers to it as "they shall become one flesh" (Gen 2:24; Matt 19:4; Eph 5:28). (Note: Even Jesus agreed.) Now, let's run with that image. A guy and a girl marry and "become one flesh." Then, well, things go sour. He doesn't love her; she doesn't love him. Time to move on. So ... each of them saw off a body part to be happier. How does that make sense? No, the initial and ongoing intent for marriage was "they shall become one flesh" for life. When the Pharisees asked Jesus if there was any cause for which one could divorce his wife, Jesus answered with a resounding, "No!" "What God has joined together let not man separate" (Matt 19:6). Why? Because "they are no longer two, but one flesh."

Well, we've grown way past that in our modern times. Body modification is an art today, both physically and otherwise. Almost literally cutting off one's nose to spite one's face, we routinely slash off spouses in order to be happy. Because "my happiness" is god and I will not allow anything or anyone to get in the way of that minimalist aim. Certainly not some measily real God who commands self-sacrificing love and lifelong devotion. So today's conservatives pound the tables and demand a return to encouraging marriage ... that statistically has a 50% failure rate and a sad reputation for stripping off joy. Not because either of these are representative of genuine marriage, but because we don't even know what marriage is anymore. Good luck with that. I, too, would urge a return to marriage. But I'm thinking of the actual version that God instituted and not some poor excuse for marriage that we've manufactured and called "marriage."

Proof Text

Although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach – if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister. (Col 1:21-23)

Does this passage indicate you can lose your salvation? There is no small number who think so. Look at the text. It starts out in past tense -- "... you were formerly ..." -- and brings us to present tense -- "... He has now ...". In present tense, then, we're looking at reconciled people. And this reconciliation is marvelous ... truly! It is on the basis of His death. It is for the purpose of presenting us holy and blameless and beyond reproach. That is, "reconciliation" = "holy and blameless and beyond reproach" on the basis of what Christ did on the cross for us.

Enter the "if" clause. What is the conditional "if"? "You continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast." That's a serious "if." It requires "firmly established" and "steadfast" and "not moved away." "If" is a conditional statement that, by implication, requires "if not." And we need to know that here. What "if not"? Logically, if you do not remain steadfast, have you lost your salvation, that reconciliation? Well, logically, that makes no sense. If "reconciliation" is a present tense meaning "holy and blameless and beyond reproach," that doesn't change. Or, here, let's look at it from the language. If you do not remain steadfast, what shall we conclude? We don't conclude that you were once reconciled and are no more. That's not reasonable. We would conclude that the "if" refers to "He has now reconciled you." Therefore, if you do not remain in the faith, He never did. You don't lose that reconciliation; you never had it. Instead, you remain alienated, hostile, engaging in evil deeds.

The text here cannot linguistically be tortured to conclude that you can lose your reconciliation. Instead, it is clearly stating that remaining steadfast is the evidence that you have been reconciled to God. And it is abundantly clear from our current culture that there are lots of "believers" who never were, in fact, reconciled to God. They are defecting, which, according to this text, doesn't happen to reconciled people. These are the people to whom Jesus referred who said, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?" (Matt 7:22). To these Jesus doesn't say, "Well, yes, but you lost it." He says, "I never knew you" (Matt 7:23). Because, quite clearly, our God "is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy" (Jude 1:24).

What Are You Talking About?

In Colossians 3 Paul urges the Colossians to "Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth" (Col 3:2). Fine. But ... just what does that look like? I mean, you can't just stop thinking about stuff here. Paul even says elsewhere, "If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever" (1 Tim 5:8). We are still living in this world. So what does it look like?

Paul goes on to explain that we are to live here with a heavenly mind. On one hand, that's putting to death earthly sins (Col 3:5-9) and, on the other hand, putting on "the new self" (Col 3:10-17). There is an interesting phrase in this list of things we're to put away. He says we are to put away "anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth" (Col 3:8). "Obscene talk," eh? Before we get too excited, other translations vary. The KJV says "filthy communication" and the NASB says "abusive speech." It is a single Greek word, αἰσχρολογία -- aischrologia -- made up of two Greek words. One is aischros, meaning shameful or base and the other (obviously) is logos which refers to anything spoken (or thought). So aischrologia is clearly about communication, but what kind of communication. I think aischros clearly covers that which is obscene, filthy, base, even abusive. So, the answer is, "Yes. All of the above."

If we are believers, those who have "died with Christ" (Col 2:20; 3:3), then we must have a new life, a new self. Our new selves must be reflected in our actions and attitudes. The old is dead. Of course, it's a slow death, isn't it? But we need to be putting that stuff to death (Col 3:5), putting it away (Col 3:8). And that would have a necessary impact on our communication with others. Are you verbally abusive? Do you make a practice of talking about the "obscene"? Or is your speech gracious (Col 4:6), filled with kindness, compassion, humility (Col 3:12) and, above all, love (Col 3:14)? Something to think about.

Losing Sight of the Goal

Legalism has been a problem for Christianity since the beginning. (Actually since the very beginning ... with Eve.) We humans are so careful to follow rules -- real or imagined, biblical or cultural, whatever -- that we lose sight of the purpose of rules. We think they are to control the population, to make people nicer, better. So we pass laws to prevent gun violence by people who have already demonstrated that they are perfectly willing to break laws to commit gun violence. Just an obvious example. We think that better laws make better people. Just a hint: they don't.

So why are there laws? Well, let's distinguish, here. Why did God make laws? Perhaps we can find the optimum reason for laws if we ask why the Optimum Being made them. You don't suppose He didn't know what people were like, do you? So why did He do it? We aren't left to guess. "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" (Rom 3:19). That's interesting, isn't it? It doesn't say, "So people will be better." It says, "So that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God." It's kind of like a contract. Put in writing, we now know what is expected of us. Before we guessed, we assumed, we presumed. We operated off of questionable consciences. I'm sorry; I put that in the past tense. We actually still do, don't we? It's not the complexity of the law that is our problem, either. Jesus listed two: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37-40). Just two. And we can't do two. The law was not given to make us right (Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16). It was given to show how evil we are. "Here's the standard," the law says, "and you don't meet it."

That's why Christians who make it their aim to make people submit are wasting their time. The purpose of God's rules were never to make people better. Following them would certainly make them happier. After all, the Creator of all knows how we work, and following the law would surely make our lives better. But the real purpose is to point out our desperate need for a Savior. So when we make "correcting evil" our life's goal, we miss the mark (which, by the way, is the definition of sin). The Bible points to sin -- a violation of God's law -- as a problem for which Christ is the remedy. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15), so keeping the law is a product of a relationship with Christ and the new life that realtionship brings. We ought not use sin as a problem people can solve. When we do, we're just making matters worse.