Just Mulling Things Over

We live in odd times. In our current world a girl can be a guy but a white person cannot be a black person. In our "norm" a man can marry a woman or a man can marry a man, but he cannot marry two women. In our world, many identify by the gender they want to have sex with. (Odd, isn't it?) There is an entire identity group that falls in what is becoming the LGBTxxx alphabet soup. Which in itself is odd. For instance, "L" stands for "lesbian" which is a homosexual woman -- a woman attracted to the same sex. "G" is for "gay" and refers (in this context) to a homosexual male. "B" is for "bisexual," someone who is attracted to two ("bi") sexes. But of gender is a social construct, what does that say about these three identities? It only gets stranger from there. "T" refers to "transgender" which is premised on the notion that gender is not binary. And suddenly it all goes out the window. Can a lesbian be attracted to a trans woman or does the fact that this trans woman is a biological male make it heterosexual? If a woman is attracted to men, but wants to be identified as a gay man, she can have a sex change operation to become a gay man, right? What is the category for a bisexual (attracted to males and females, remember?) who is attracted to a "gender fluid"? And why in the world would we want to identify by the sex of the person to whom we are attracted? Seems quite trivial for an identity.

That was all one topic. Only one. We live in a world that demands "believe the science" but ignores the science when it doesn't agree. They will point to science for their argument, but when science, for instance, points out problems with the COVID vaccine or the measures we used to fight COVID or such things, science itself becomes "misinformation." When science says, "The fetus in the womb is a human being," it suddenly becomes part of a right-wing, religious, male conspiracy. We live in a world where "racism" is defined as "whites only" and black people can be deemed white supremacists. We live in a world where almost no one seems to recognize that "news" is news because it is unusual, not usual. So we define our lives by school shootings (extremely rare) and kidnapped children (extremely rare) and other horrible things in life that are extremely rare because we saw it on the news.

We live in a world where we all think we're doing okay and we rarely recognize our own convoluted and unreasonable line of thinking. May I suggest an alternative?

Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (Php 4:6-8)

Borrowed

I was musing about the principles in Monday's post. Basically, as Creator of everything (John 1:1-3), God claims that everything is His (Deut 10:14; Psa 24:1; Psa 50:12; Job 41:11; Col 1:16; etc.). If everything belongs to God, then anything we possess is ... borrowed.

Think about that. We use the phrase "living on borrowed time" in a figurative sense, but it is actually true. All of it. All of us are living on time that is not our own. We have incomes that are borrowed. We have talents, skills, and gifts that God owns and loans to us. Rush Limbaugh used to say he had "talent on loan from God." He was more right than he realized. We have family and friends that don't belong to us; they're just borrowed. We have jobs and churches and homes and everyday necessities all on loan from God. If you're feeling a bit tired, you can use some of your borrowed time to lay down on a borrowed bed to take a borrowed nap. Because everything is His. He's just generous enough to loan it out to us.

Paul warned the Philippians to "work out your salvation" (Php 2:12), and he explained how that was even possible. "It is God who is at work in you to will and to do His good pleasure" (Php 2:13). Even the work we do is accomplished by God giving us the will and the ability to carry it out. We have borrowed will and ability. If you were to evaluate your life in terms of a stewardship of what God has put you in charge of and examine how well you're taking care of what He has given you (everything), how well would you say you're doing? How well are you using your borrowed time and talent and resources for His good purposes? It's a sobering thought.

God's Will for My Life

I memorized this one when I was young.

Trust in the LORD 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. (Prov 3:5-6)

Funny how it never really sank in.

Look at the components of this passage. Trust and don't lean. Acknowledge and He will. Simple, right? But there is so much more in there. For instance, the trust we are urged to place in YHWH is "all your heart." That is not trivial. It is absolute. Do you? For instance, do we even consider "do not lean on your own understanding"? No, of course not. We're pretty confident in our own understanding. For instance, acknowledge Him to what extent? "In all your ways." Without exception. Can you claim that you do that? (None of us can.) Is it your aim? Do you even acknowledge the concept? For instance, "He will make your paths straight." What does that even mean? The older translations say He will direct your paths, but the language is "straight." It doesn't appear to be as much "direct" as in "command" but "straight" as "clear indication." So if we acknowledge Him in everything, our direction is clear. How clear is yours?

The passage is full of promise. God will tell us which way to go. That's good ... very good. The God of the universe wishes to point out the right way for us. All we have to do is trust Him absolutely, not our own faulty understanding, and acknowledge Him in everything. It is quite a promise. "What does God want for me? What does God want from me? What is God's will for my life?" He'll tell you. Trust Him fully and not yourself and acknowledge Him in everything and He will make His will known. We, of course, aren't very good at our end of that promise.

Already/Not Yet

Jesus's last words on the cross were, "It is finished." He said it and died (John 19:30). Finished? In what sense?

Obviously He meant His work here was done. He had done what His Father had instructed, said what His Father had told Him to say. He had accomplished the work He was sent to accomplish. It was ... finished. The author of Hebrews makes a curious statement on that. Contrasting earthly priests and their sacrifices, Hebrews says of Christ,

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until His enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified" (Heb 10:12-14)

Interesting verb tenses there. Christ made "a single sacrifice for sins" that "has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." It's hard to wrap your mind around those words. On one hand His sacrifice has already accomplished perfection in the saved, the elect, those whose names were written in the Book of Life from before the foundation of the world. On the other hand, they are in process. Some translations have altered those verb tenses to make it more comfortable, but those are the actual tenses. Scripture embraces both "has perfected for all time" and "are being sanctified."

It is true, then, that the work of being perfected is already complete for everyone who has been and will be saved. Their sins are cleansed. They are perfectly righteous with the righteousness of Christ. Already. A done deal. We, however, are on this side of realization. The outcome is certain because it was determined at the cross, but we won't see it until we end this process of being sanctified. Because we don't see it ("perfected") doesn't make it less true. It does not depend on us. We are already perfected in God's eyes (Heb 10:15-18). So what we are seeing is the "already/not yet." What we are given is the certainty despite our circumstances, the assurance that He will complete what He set out to do in you, that He "is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy" (Jude 1:24) because, you see, on His end it is finished.

Gifted

Paul warned in Romans, "I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think" (Pom 12:3). It is interesting that he did not offer the reverse advice -- "or too lowly." I suspect it's because "more highly" is our default. I suspect we all tend to that error.

For instance, I'm pretty sure we all tend to think we come to the table with something to offer. Maybe it is skills or talents. Maybe it is ways of thinking or ways of doing. Maybe it is information or resources. Maybe it's just faith or even good works. We are contributors and we know it. And the truth is we do bring what we have to the table. We do participate in God's work. But we need to be careful. In his first epistle to the church at Corinth Paul asks, "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" (1 Cor 4:7). We understand this is a rhetorical question; the answer is assumed. Let's put it in a statement format rather than a question. "You have been given everything you have. You have nothing to boast about."

Do you see the implications? You have talents, skills, resources. You have faith. You have ideas. You have a lot or a little to offer, but you have something. This text says what you have to offer was a gift. We even reference that in the world. We refer to people with special ability as "gifted." It is true, but it doesn't go far enough. Each of us is gifted by God everything we have to offer. Thus, offering it is an act of stewardship, a grateful response to the God who gave it. This thinking kind of undercuts our sense of importance and replaces it with gratitude, doesn't it?

The Wrong Dictionary

I heard a great quote the other day. "They speak with God's vocabulary, but not with God's dictionary." The "they" referenced here may be Satan and his minions or the people who knowingly or unknowingly follow him. And it is so true. A while back I read about a writer who wrote a book about how our relationship with God is largely sexual. When some took her to task, she replied, "What? Even Jonathan Edwards wrote about intercourse with God!" Different dictionary. Recently I heard about someone who argued that Jesus was in favor of gays because He told Lazarus to "Come out!" Different dictionary.

Paul warned about those who have "the appearance of godliness," but deny its power (2 Tim 3:5). He warned about those who teach a different doctrine and do not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim 6:3). He said they produce "constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth" (1 Tim 6:5). These have the sound of God's words, but they use a different dictionary. What you are hearing may sound like it's from God, but when you dig into it, you find it means something different. Like the "Jesus" of the Mormons or the "Jehovah" of the Jehovah's Witnesses or those who substitute a social gospel for the biblical one. Don't be deceived. Know God's Word.

News Weakly - 10/29/22

Crazy in California
Spent a few days in California this last week for a wedding. "Crazy" was an apt description. The billboard urged them to vote for Prop 1 to "eliminate unnecessary late-term abortions." Prop 1 is the proposition to make abortion the law of the land in California. It will eliminate "unnecessary late-term abortions" by doing them earlier. Another wants voters to "end homelessness" by voting in higher taxes because everyone knows that the homeless problem is simply one of finances. And that was just a sample.

An Example of a Classic
Kari Lake is the Republican candidate for governor in Arizona. The left doesn't like her. So outlets like Mother Jones are working to show that Lake is wrong -- evil? -- because, well, someone in one of her ads doesn't fit their version of "good." Mother Jones took a deep dive into the "everyman" in one of Lake's ads to find out what they didn't like about him and then told us not to trust Lake. Was it because what he said was wrong? No, they didn't approach that. They offered one of the standard ad hominem arguments -- attack the speaker so they can ignore the arguments. Classic. (Note that, in one report on this story, the Arizona Republic believes that anyone who concurs with Eph. 5:22-24 is a misogynist.)

Troubling News
The headline reads, "Sports World Reacts To Troubling World Series News." Oh, my! What news? "No U.S.-born Black players are projected to suit up for the 2022 World Series." Seriously? That's "troubling"? It could only be because of hate, because of racism, because baseball hates black people. We all know the purpose of the MLB is racial equality. (It certainly wasn't the purpose of the BLM folks.) They need to be more like the NFL where 70% are black. And why is no one complaining that 50% of the nation is female, but there are no females in the MLB?

Just What Do You Mean By That?
The story says that domestic terrorism investigations by the FBI doubled between 2020 and 2021. Do you suppose that's because domestic terrorism increased or because the definition of "domestic terrorism" changed? (Or both?) With the redefinition of things like "hate speech" to include "speech that hurts feelings," I suspect we have a broader version of "domestic terrorism" these days (like "election deniers"?) ... which, for reasons that elude me, does not include the media or government.

Just a Thought
Not a story; just a thought. If gender is a social construct and whatever you think it might be, why do we have "LGBT"? The L, G, and B all require binary gender to make sense but the T requires non-binary gender. How can they maintain that logic?

News from the Bee
(Note: Each of these stories has two links associated. One is the Bee reference and the other is the actual news item.)

The CDC has come out with additional list of symptoms of COVID inclcuding declining math and English scores among school-age children. (As a side observation, here, why do they think these lowered scores are due to COVID rather than, say, the spreading focus on "gender" and "race" over math and reading? Just wondering.) The president made history last week when a man pretending to be a woman visited with a man pretending to be president. And after the Oz-Fetterman debate debacle, Pennsylvania has voted to have no representation in the Senate.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Reading the Bible for All It's Worth

My earliest memory was when I was 3 years old. I woke up in a crib, which was strange because I normally slept in a bed, and found my wrists bound and my leg elevated. A giant (to a 3-year-old's eyes) bottle of liquid hung suspended above my foot with a tube running to a needle in my ankle. A nurse saw I was awake and smiled and told me to let her know when the bottle ran out. As she walked away I called, "It's out!" She came back and smiled again. "No, it's not, honey. I'll come back in a little bit to check on you." No, it wasn't a dream. At 3 I had contracted spinal meningitis and lapsed into a coma. I woke up tied to a crib because they were giving me fluids to keep me alive. The event was real. I say all that because we humans have "interesting" brains. We can conjure up false memories. We can "steal" memories when someone else who was there tells us about it and we make that our own recollection. We can do all sorts of odd things to come to perceptions that are not true, but we believe that they are.

This is one of the things I consider when I read my Bible. Most people who read the Bible will not exactly read it for all it's worth. Most people will read it to confirm their bias, their comfort zone. But if the Bible is actually what it claims -- "God-breathed" (2 Tim 3:16), written by men moved by the Spirit speaking from God (2 Peter 1:21) -- then it is unavoidable that at some point(s) the Bible will make claims that go against our comfort zones ... or even our own logic. And it does ... almost routinely. It says things like "take up your cross" and "rejoice in suffering." 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). Seriously? Joseph told the brothers that sought to kill him and then sold him into slavery, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Gen 50:20). Really? We are asked to believe, in this fallen and sad world, that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom 8:28). These kinds of things are not rare or hard to find in the pages of the Bible. Nor are they "human" in the sense that they would be the kinds of things we would normally come up with. Today some of this stuff is so outlandish that Christians are rejecting it, things like "Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord" (Eph 5:22) or "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience" (Eph 2:1-2). "Dead? Really?? Be serious." But if the Bible is God's Word and God is holy -- "other" -- and not like us, it only stands to reason that Scripture will contain things that violate our sense of "reasonable" or even "right."

Our memories are helpful, but not infallible. A lot of of what we remember is true and some is not. One way we can verify some of our memories is to see that no one made it up, no one told you, no one fed you this, like that memory of mine when I was 3. It couldn't have been manufactured because 1) it fit the facts of the time, but 2) no one I know was there to tell me about it later, so I can be pretty sure it is an actual memory. One of the ways we can verify that Scripture is God's Word is finding these things in its pages that are just not ... human. They're not things we would come up with. They are, like God, "other." And it takes faith to conclude, "Well, that's what it says, so that's what I'll go with." But not blind faith. Faith in the God who breathed it, in the Spirit who moved men to write it. These kinds of things are fingerprints of the divine. And if all you encounter in your Bible are the things you are comfortable with, perhaps you're not reading it for all it is worth.

Not God

Rejecting God's self-revelation in favor of our own ideas about what he would or wouldn’t do is the height of self-righteous pride. —Albert Mohler

The Bible is God's Word, God's "breath" (2 Tim 3:16). It was written by "men moved by the Holy Spirit" who "spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:21). It is, indeed, God's self-revelation. And genuine Christians concur for the most part.

For the most part. Some reject some. Others reject less. But one point that seems to be a real sticking spot for a lot of Christians is this concept of God's self-revelation. What we know about God comes from God. Still, we like to think we know better. The clearest place we see this is in the "bad things." We are pretty sure God does not do "bad things." Now, "bad things" is nebulous. There are bad things that are unpleasant, uncomfortable, painful ... that sort of thing, and there are bad things that are morally evil. We know that "No one is tempted (to sin) by God" (James 1:13). "God Himself does not tempt anyone." We got that. But what about the unpleasant? What about disasters and illnesses? Oh, here's a big one. What about wrath? Is it possible that God has wrath toward sin, so much so that He needs to be appeased? No, no, we know better than that. God doesn't do any of that.

Except that His self-revelation says He does. Paul explains that the gospel is predicated first on the wrath of God (Rom 1:18) and that God wills to show His power and wrath for sin (Rom 9:22). Isaiah warned Judah that God was punishing Israel by sending Assyria to invade (Isa 5:25-26). Not merely allowing, but sending. Scripture says that God predestined the murder of His Son (Acts 2:23; Acts 4:27-28). God Himself 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). He has no problem claiming that. Why do we disallow it?

We are believers. Do we believe? When God says, "I cause calamity," do we believe? When Scripture says that God's wrath is manifested against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, do we believe? When God says that He creates some for honor and others for dishonor, do we believe? Or are we so arrogant as to correct Him on that? If we do, the correction we offer is not God.

Follow Me

In Matthew, Jesus walked up to Simon and Andrew with the cryptic "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt 4:19). Cryptic because it was so plain and yet so complex. Amazing because they did. Jesus called the fishing brothers and the tax collector (Mark 2:14) with the same call -- "Follow Me." He said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matt 16:24). He told the rich young ruler that the way to inherit eternal life was to to surrender what he owned and "come and follow Me" (Mark 10:21). The young man didn't. Jesus called some to follow Him and they gave Him "but." "Permit me to first go bury my father" (Luke 9:59). "First let me say good-bye to those at home" (Luke 9:61). But Jesus accepted nothing less than immediate submission. In fact, "Christian" simply means a follower of Christ. But have we given that any thought?

The Greek means basically to be united with the road. Where He walked, then, we are to walk. Where did He walk? He emptied Himself, humbled Himself, and was obedient ... all the way to death (Php 2:5-8). He preached the gospel (Mark 1:15). He obeyed the Father (John 12:49). His sole concern was His Father's concerns (John 17:4). He laid down His life (John 15:13).

"Followers of Christ." That's what we're supposed to be. I'm not sure how often we consider what that means. You do that by seeing where He goes and going there. It is, at the outset, a "less of me and more of Him." It is a lifelong walk of sacrificing self and glorifying God. And, as He rose again to glory, so shall we (Rom 8:30). God's purpose to which we are called (Rom 8:28) is to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). That's ultimately accomplished by following Him -- becoming one with the road He walked for us. It is accomplished first by responding to the call and dropping what we have. Good start.

Standing on Bedrock

David prayed, "You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears" (2 Sam 7:22). One of the ways He is like no other comes from Paul. He told Timothy that God is the "only Sovereign" (1 Tim 6:15). There is no other. Now, for reasons that aren't entirely clear to me, lots of genuine, well-meaning, biblical Christians don't like that one. They deny it. Scripture says He is the "only Sovereign" and they nod and then explain that He is Sovereign by giving up some of His sovereignty to us, His people. The logic, then, is that He is the "only Sovereign" by giving up some of His "sovereign" and making us sovereign so that He is no longer the "only Sovereign." The idea is that God relies on us to do what He wants and if we don't do it, it doesn't get done. They go so far as to tell me that some people end up in hell because we failed to give them the gospel. The effect of this, of course, is to exonerate God of any evil. If bad things happen, it's because bad people did it, not God. If God's will doesn't happen, it's because people failed, not God. I routinely hear Christians say that "this clearly was not God's will" when horrible things occur, and this let's God off the hook ... but it negates the biblical statement that He is the "only Sovereign."

Scripture says things differently. Scripture says that God "does as He pleases" (Psa 115:3; Psa 135:6). No one can stay His hand (Dan 4:35). He works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph 1:11). He even holds the heart of the king in His hand (Prov 21:1). He predestined the worst evil ever perpetrated -- the murder of His Son (Acts 2:23; Acts 4:27-28). Whatever He intends will happen just as He plans it to (Isa 14:24). We see "chance" and He determines the outcome (Prov 16:33). We make our plans and He establishes what happens (Prov 16:9; Prov 19:21). There are no exceptions, no variations, no mistakes. That is the biblical version. From Him, through Him, and to Him are all things (Rom 11:36).

Far from being a problem, this biblical reality is an incredible solution. It is the certainty that 1) God is good and 2) God is the only Sovereign that allows a man to experience actual evil -- attempted murder, imprisonment, sold into slavery, further degradation -- and conclude, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good" (Gen 50:20). It safely holds evil responsible for evil while giving the confidence that God always accomplishes good, even when it doesn't fall in the lines that we think it might. It gives a solid reason for hope in difficult times. It gives reason for confidence even in the face of evil. It is the bedrock on which we can stand and say, "God always wins!" and be glad of it. As for me, I can't stand anywhere else.

Arrogance

Humans are a remarkably arrogant group of people. At least, in one certain area. We believe that God owes us. If He is to be considered "good," He will need to conform to our version of "good." Typically, that includes "physical comfort" and "no pain" and maybe, if we're generous, comfort for our loved ones and even our fellow countrymen. It does not include sickness, disease, loss, shortfall, financial woes, setbacks, pain and suffering. It certainly does not include evil. Well, "their" evil, at least. Evil done to us or the ones we love. Because if God is going to be considered "good," He must stop their evil while, at the same time, overlooking ours. Judgment is certainly off our list of acceptable actions toward us.

While all this is almost universally accepted as true among humans (and, if it's not true, it's the reason that so many reject God's very existence), it is certainly not biblical. The God of the Bible has no inherent obligation to be kind to His creation. He has no obligation to be merciful to sinners. Biblically, His creation is in rebellion (Rom 8:7) -- enemies of God (Rom 5:10). The psalmist wrote, "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" (Psa 130:3). Answer? No one. On our own, we have no defense. If all God showed was justice, every one of us would experience suffering now and suffering eternally. The fact that this is largely news to us is simply key evidence that we are arrogant.

Of course, we know that God is gracious -- showing favor that is not merited -- and merciful -- withholding justice -- and we're happy about that. Well, we're happy if it's toward us, but some are mad if it's not toward everyone because ... oh, yeah ... we're arrogant. "If God doesn't show grace and mercy to everyone, it's not "gospel" -- not "good news." What audacity! If we grasp that God is so far beyond us that we have no standing and then realize that He deigns to offer mercy and grace to all and gives it to some, we couldn't see that as "unfair." We would see it as astoundingly good news. That God would save even one of the rebels intent on overthrowing Him is a kindness beyond comprehension. But don't worry. Most of us will retain that arrogance that subjugates God to our personal standards and we'll miss it entirely.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! (Psa 8:3-5)

The Biblical Fool

We all know what a fool is. It's a person who acts unwisely. We got it. The Bible, however, has a slightly different spin on it.

While a term like "ignorant" isn't about immorality -- it is not immoral to not have information -- the fool has a definite moral component. Biblical fools do foolish things (e.g., Isa 32:6). Biblical fools like their condition (Prov 1:22) and actually oppose understanding (Prov 18:2). Biblical fools tend to be angry (Prov 12:16; Prov 29:11). They tend to disregard the words of others when they contradict them (Prov 12:15). Most importantly, the biblical fool is someone who disregards God's Word (Prov 1:7).

Being foolish is the mark of natural man. That is, all of us, at some point or another, are foolish. Any one of us can exhibit the characteristics of a biblical fool. It's not limited to unbelievers and it's not a matter of intelligence. The key component of a biblical fool is that they will say, in one way or another, "There is no God." And all of us do that at some point; some more than others. Some say it as a way of life and others are more like practical atheists, agreeing that there is a God and then living as if there isn't. Fortunately, there is a corrective for any of us who fall into that trap. It's a right relationship with God where we are submitting to His Son and His Word. Because, if you do the investigation, I think you'll find the Bible looks dimly on being foolish. And as we all know, while "Fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov 1:7), "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Prov 9:10). That would be the preferable direction.

News Weakly - 10/22/22

Taking a Tough Stand
Australia, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to switch sides on Israel. They no longer recognize West Jerusalem as Israel's capital ... in opposition to God (Gen 12:2; Psa 122:6; Joel 2:18; etc.). Hmm, standing against God. What could go wrong?

Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should
Those thoughtful folks over at Boston University have developed (key word) a COVID-19 strain that has an 80% kill rate. Why? Why would they do that? Why would they admit it? Why should we believe that all the evidence that the original was developed and not accidental is false in light of this new story? Why would we expect that it won't be released? Again, what could go wrong?

Can't Be Bothered with Facts
No less than CNBC is reporting that this is the worst year for stock and bond investors since 1969. How's that for "Build Back Better"?

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
Dr. Charles J. Southall, III pleaded guilty to money laundering and admitted to fraudulently obtaining nearly $900,000 from church-owned real estate assets, donations, and congregational giving. A living example of a biblical false teacher (2 Peter 2:1-3), one of Jesus's "ravenous wolves" in the flock (Matt 7:15). One of those "out from us, but not of us" (1 John 2:19).

Unclear on the Concept
According to Statista the U.S. consumed 18.6 million barrels of oil a day in 2021. President Biden is hoping to lower gas prices by releasing ... less than a day's worth of oil (15 million barrels). Then he urges oil companies to abandon profits and investors and eliminate profits to ramp up production. It would appear that the president doesn't understand economics.

Believe the Science
Here's a government you can trust. The Social Security Administration will now allow you to choose your own gender ... including "x". Because that makes perfect sense ... as opposed to, say, science.

Just for Laughs
I'm not a big Genesius Times fan, but I did get a kick out of this headline: "Biden eases fears of nuclear war by posting 'Nuke Free Zone' signs around the country." Nice. And how can you not snicker (or, maybe, cringe?) at the story about how interest in drag queen story hours at libraries has waned since they renamed them for accuracy: "Man-wearing-lingerie-wants-to-spend-time-with-your-kids hour." Finally, lacking a "Crazy California" entry this week, I'll include this one from Texas. Seems they voted to airlift Austin and relocate it in California. Makes sense.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

Dead Seeds

At the end of His life, Jesus told His disciples,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." (John 12:24)

He was, of course, not talking gardening rules. He was talking about Himself. He was on the verge of the cross and knew that His death was necessary for an immensely greater "fruit."

Nonetheless, there is more here than meets the eye, so to speak. Jesus was definitely speaking of His own death, but there is truth there for all of us. Think about that "seed" process. Does the seed die? Well, no, maybe not in a literal sense ... because the seed wasn't alive. But think about the process. It falls to the ground and gets covered. The outer coating has to fall away and the center (they actually call it the embryo) is left. There it rends itself apart, sprouting parts like roots and stems and leaves. When done, the seed itself isn't visible anymore. It is something else. That may not be literal death, but it certainly looks like it.

Paul said, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom 6:3-4). He said, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me" (Gal 2:20). He talked about "in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ" (Col 2:11) and went on to say, "having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead" (Col 2:12). Perhaps you can see a theme here.

Jesus came to give us an abundant life (John 10:10), but not the same kind of life as we now see. His was from death. His involved denying self and taking up a cross (Matt 16:24). Like those seeds, we need to shed the outer shell -- the flesh -- accomplished by Christ. We need to die to self and manifest something new (2 Cor 5:17). Jesus said, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matt 16:25). It doesn't happen by clinging to this life; it happens ... by dying to it.

The Problem of Faith

We're all good Christians, right? (Okay, not all.) We all know that Christianity is different because we are saved by faith, not by works where, in all other religions, it's the works that get you there. So far, so good. Most of us also know that once Christ saves you, you're saved. You know ... "I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand" (John 10:28). Okay? So we see the logic. Once saved, you remain in that condition, and you arrive in that condition by faith. Clear enough. So we could state it "If faith, then eternally saved." Or ... can we?

Jesus gave His disciples the parable of the sower (Matt 13:3-9). In this story there was someone throwing seeds on various types of ground. The first seed was picked up by birds. The second "sprang up" but died in the sun. The third fell among thorns and got choked out. The fourth produced a crop. Jesus explained (Matt 13:18-23) that the seed was "the word of the kingdom." Evil snatched the first. The second "immediately receives it with joy" but lost it to "affliction or persecution" because it had "no root." The third heard it but it was choked out by the worries of the world and "becomes unfruitful." The fourth, obviously, was received, understood, and produced fruit. You see, therefore, that there is one soil that doesn't receive it and two soils that do, but don't keep it. "Don't keep it?" you might well ask. "Didn't we establish that faith equal eternally saved?" And now you see the problem.

James says, "Faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself" (James 2:17). That's "dead faith." It's the faith of demons (James 2:19). It is faith, but not effective faith. It is dead faith. This is the kind of faith that appears in multiple warnings in Scripture. John warned that false teachers would come out of the church. "They went out from us," he says, "but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us" (1 John 2:19). And there you see the concept. It is possible to have a kind of faith -- dead faith -- that has some appearance of faith but is not real, functional, living. This is the faith of the shipwrecked (1 Tim 1:19). This is the faith of the "many" who say, "Lord, Lord, look what we've done for you" and haven't (Matt 7:21-23). According to Jesus, the primary difference is that the effective faith includes understanding (Matt 13:23), but Paul warns that "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised" (1 Cor 2:14).

So, it seems, there is a faith that is dead. It holds to a form of godliness but denies its power (2 Tim 3:5). Peter warned "If, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first" (2 Peter 2:20). This dead faith looks okay, but it's actually built on self. Genuine faith is a gift (1 Tim 1:14; Rom 12:3; 1 Cor 4:7; Php 1:29; etc.) that gets exercised and is effective only when it is accompanied by regeneration that produces works. It is entirely, biblically possible to have faith that is dead. What is needed is the functional faith of His sheep (John 10:26). Is that yours?

Onward, Christian Soldiers

In 2 Timothy Paul is preparing Timothy for tough times ahead. Paul would know; he was in prison. Nero was on the rampage. Worse, so was Satan. False teachers in the church and anti-Christians outside. So, he says, "You, therefore, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 2:1). Step 1: "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also" (2 Tim 2:2). It's an echo of the Great Commission: make disciples and teach them all (Matt 28:19-20). Step 2: "Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 2:3). It's not exactly heartwarming, is it? It's "Here's the plan, Timothy; this is gonna hurt."

Paul's simile here is not trivial. "Suffer hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." He goes on to explain his thinking here. "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier" (2 Tim 2:4). Having served in the military, I get it. Active duty personnel work to secure freedoms that they themselves may not enjoy. They're told what to wear, what to eat, how to cut their hair. They are required to bend their wills to those in authority over them in order to accomplish an important task. If the authorities tell them, "You're going overseas for a year," they're going overseas ... without their spouse. An active duty (that's the term Paul uses) soldier cannot afford to be entangled in "the affairs of everyday life." Instead, he must work to please his or her superior officers.

There is no question what Paul is saying here. Tough times are coming. Make sure you've passed on what you've been given and then expect to suffer hardship. Do it for Christ. Don't get entangled in the affairs of everyday life. Do it for Christ. Sacrifice entanglement in everyday affairs in order to please your Lord. Well, of course, we'll have none of that. Someone is wrong in the Internet. Someone is raising the prices on us. Someone is taking away our constitutional rights. It's not vague. Be a good soldier; suffer hardship ... for Christ.

That Tickles

In Paul's second letter to Timothy -- the last one from all we know -- Paul gave the young pastor a solemn charge (2 Tim 4:1): "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction" (2 Tim 4:2). That probably sits wrong with some. It's too tough, too argumentative, too judgmental. "Reprove, rebuke, exhort." "Them's fightin' words." And they are, but Paul had a reason. He was anticipating hard times.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (2 Tim 4:3-4)

It strikes me that this is a pretty good measure. We have two concepts contrasted: "preach the Word" and "ears tickled."

It doesn't take a super genius to see this in our day. Many of the popular preachers these days are the ones "tickling ears." They are saying things people want to hear. "There is no hell; love wins." "If you believe, Jesus will make you rich." "God wants you to be happy." Oh, I'm sure you can think of who might say things like that and even supply more of the same examples. You see, the Word does not tickle ears. The Word doesn't give us in accordance with our own desires. The Word doesn't make us comfortable. Certainly not, at least, at first.

Paul goes on to warn Timothy, "But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Tim 4:5). Knuckle down, Timothy. Be sober-minded. Don't expect ear-tickling; endure hardship. Do the work; fulfill your ministry. That would include reproving, rebuking, and exhorting ... in and out of season -- when it's accepted and when it's not.

What about you? Are you more interested in accumulating teachers in accordance with your own desires or are you ready to hear the Word and act on it? Do you find that you typically find warm and fuzzy things in Scripture or jarring claims? Will you fight the good fight, finish the course, keep the faith (2 Tim 4:7)? Or is "comfortable" and "agrees with me" your aim?

More Sure

We know; we know. All Scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim 3:16-17). Yeah, yeah. And some of us are also clear on the fact that "inspired" isn't the best way to express what that text says. The ESV says "breathed out by God," pointing to the source rather than the receiver. That is, it isn't simply that these writers were inspired; it's that they were targeted by God's breath. It might be instructive to look at this from Peter's perspective.

In his second epistle, Peter explains to his readers, "For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Peter 1:16). Peter was referencing the Transfiguration, an event that, of all of the human race, only three people witnessed -- Peter, James, and John. His point is that it wasn't "made up." It wasn't "cleverly devised myths." He was relating an eye-witnessed event. He was there when God the Father in "Majestic Glory" spoke: "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (2 Peter 1:17). It doesn't get any more sure than that, does it? Well, apparently, to Peter it does. He goes on to say, "We have the prophetic word more sure ..." (2 Peter 1:19). "More sure"? More sure than experience, than being there, than being an eyewitness? Yes! We have the written Word from God. Peter makes that clear. It wasn't decided by human writers, "but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:21). It wasn't human will (2 Peter 1:21) or human interpretation (2 Peter 1:20). It was the Holy Spirit speaking from God. In fact, that "moved" term there is interesting. It was a nautical term. It primarily referred to sailing vessels being moved by wind. They were along for the ride, so to speak. That is what it means to be "inspired," to be "breathed out by God."

Peter said, "You do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19). Not merely pay attention to the Word; pay attention "as to a lamp shinking in a dark place." The psalmist wrote, "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path" (Psa 119:105). We're in the dark here; we need to watch where we're going. We don't need to be looking around; we need to watch where we're going. God's Word does that. In fact, Jesus said, "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17). God's Word is truth, and it is the means by which we are sanctified. We're not looking for evidence or ammunition; we're looking for direction, for light. His Word does that. If we pay close attention, it will keep us from stumbling. We do well to pay attention to God's Word as a lamp shining in a dark place. It is more sure than personal experience or preference. It is God's Word.

Something for Everyone

Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to deal with problems there with false teachers primarily as well as a few other things. His first and second epistles to Timothy were instructions on this topic. At one point Paul tells Timothy, "Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels" (2 Tim 2:23). "See?" some will say, "we're not supposed to argue with people over differences of opinion." The only way you could hold that position is if you stopped reading at that verse, because the next two verses say,

The Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness (2 Tim 2:24-25).

"See," the other side now responds, "we are supposed to correct opponents." And, indeed, that's what Paul says ... but it's not all he says, is it?

The instructions aren't vague. Avoid foolish, ignorant controversies. What are these? These would be controversies unrelated to the reason why we're here. It would be about why gas prices are high or how bad or good the government is or whether or not she looked good in that outfit. We're here as representatives of Christ for the gospel -- here to do God's work. With that agenda, it is clear to see that much of what we argue about is peripheral despite how vital it may feel. We are told to not be quarrelsome -- not being marked as being at war with others. We are to be marked as being kind and patient. "So, we're not supposed to correct others?" No, indeed! We are supposed to respond to those who oppose the truth with the truth, but we're supposed to do it "with gentleness." You know, "A gentle answer turns away wrath" (Prov 15:1). Yes, answer, but gently. Remember the aim is not to win, but to correct. Their response is in view, not your "rightness."

"The goal of our instruction," Paul said, "is love ..." (1 Tim 1:5). That is still true. In Paul's instructions to the young pastor Timothy, he includes instructions for us. Yes, we are to avoid foolish controversies. We are not to engage in every debate. It is not our place to search the Internet because someone someplace is wrong. On the other hand, it is our duty to correct those who oppose the truth, but gently. Something for all of us, whether we like to contend with others or not.

News Weakly - 10/15/22

The Other Shoe
At the beginning of October an Arizona judge removed the block on Arizona's pro-life law. I applauded, but warned, "We will, of course, wait for the other shoe to drop, because we, as a nation, will not long stand for human life over sexual freedom." I'm not saying I'm a prophet or anything, but ... the other shoe dropped. For now.

"We Demand"
There was a "Women's March" in D.C. over the weekend (although women who weren't interested in fighting for the right to kill babies need not attend). The aim was to let the court and the nation know they intended to fight. Ignoring the "abortion = murder" signs of the counter protesters, they warned they would "Stand up, fight back" with simultaneous (illegal) protests at 6 Supreme Court Justice's homes. It's interesting to me that the California court that forced the state to issue marriage licenses against the state laws voted in by the state voters was "justice" but SCOTUS's removal of constitutional protection for killing babies was "partisan" and "narrow-minded." As usual, nobody is nearly as interested in "justice" as much as "what do we want?"

Lower Learning
As some of us are starting to wonder about the quality of education in America in general (and California in particular), UC Berkeley is offering a course on Nicki Minaj to teach about her impact on hip-hop music. (And it's not just Berkeley.) I sure miss the much more useful Underwater Basketweaving option.

Accolades
All praise to our glorious president whose people and policies have brought us from the horrible economic prosperity of the Trump era to ... the highest prices ever and the lowest NASDAQ in over 2 years. I, for one, welcome our deranged overlords.

Evil Chick-Fil-A
A startling TikTok video has outraged consumers by revealing that Chick-Fil-A makes its lemonade from "lemon juice with pulp" (specifically not concentrate) and water. Those dastardly enterpreneurs. Now, I know -- that is the standard recipe for lemonade. Apparently people are just angry because some kid isn't in the back hand-squeezing lemons all day. I don't understand people. Apparently, like Trump, Chick-Fil-A is just a company that people love to hate.

California ... Again
Seriously, this seems to be a weekly installment these days. So late last month Governor Newsom signed a new bill into law that makes California a "refuge" for those seeking "gender-affirming care" (by which they obviously mean "encouraging you away from the gender science says you are"). It legalizes removing children from their parents, bars compliance with subpoenas out of state, and protects those who violate the laws of other states in this regard. Parental rights are banned. Federal and state laws are banned. California will do what California deems right regardless of the harm it does children.

Inequity
In July, Colorado (as an example) dropped their vaccine mandate for health care workers. Last month President Biden declared that the COVID pandemic was over. This week the Biden administration extended the COVID public health emergency declaration while Biden urges Congress to provide billions to pay for vaccines and testing. When President Bush declared victory in Iraq even though there was still fighting there, the media ridiculed him. The media does not appear to be ridiculing Biden. Is it just me, or is this "unequal treatment"?

Bee Happy
There is an upside to our econoomic woes. Christians are finding it easier to stop storing up treasure on earth. After the European Parliament disclosed that Pfizer didn't do proper testing on its COVID vaccine, Pfizer has insisted that it did test it ... on over 5 billion people. And President Biden is admitting that we may have a "very slight" nuclear war with Russia.

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

In the Last Days

In the third chapter of Paul's second letter to Timothy, Paul warns "that in the last days difficult times will come" (2 Tim 3:1). He goes on to describe what people will be like the closer we get to the end. Number One on the list is "lovers of self" -- selfish people (2 Tim 3:2). It seems as if the rest of the list -- and it is long (2 Tim 3:2-5) -- is simply the logical outcome of that first one. If you are selfish, you will love money. If you are selfish, you will be boastful -- self-aggrandizing to others -- and arrogant -- believing you are better than others. You will be ungrateful, irreconcilable, loving pleasure, and so on. Makes sense. And it makes sense that the closer we get to the end, the more these things will manifest themselves.

One of the descriptive terms offered in that list is a little oblique in its English translation. Paul says they will be "unloving." Okay, yes, fairly accurate, but it misses the nuances. In Greek, there are multiple words for "love" that express different versions of love. There is agape which essentially expresses an unconditional type of love -- something we choose rather than just feel. There is philos which is a "friendly" kind of love. You know, "You make me feel good." There is eros which doesn't appear in Scripture that, obviously, refers primarily to sexual love. Another that doesn't appear in the pages of the Bible is storge which talks about natural familial affection. You know, that natural-bond-that-family-has kind of love. I say that this term doesn't appear in the Bible, but what does appear there is astorge, where "a" is the "not" function for storge. That's the word Paul uses in 2 Timothy 3:3. He says in the last days people will be "unloving" -- without natural affection.

Let's look at that yardstick for a moment. Is it not true that our society, certainly more so than in the last century, has been losing their natural family affection? Look at the number of mothers who have harmed, abused, tortured, or even killed their children in the past 10 years, for instance. The number of wives who divorce their husbands and then leave the children with them -- a notion that screams against the norm of moms loving their children -- has risen in the 21st century. Well, look, between 1973 and 2020 65 million babies were killed by their mothers so their mothers would have a "better life." And they're fighting tooth and nail to retain that option. It seems irrefutable that modern society is surging toward Paul's "unloving" -- "without natural family affection" -- in ways that we've not seen before.

The list from 2 Timothy 3 reads like a description of modern folk. I've seen much of it in casual complaints about "millenials" and the current "me generation." It's not getting better. Paul doesn't offer the warning about "last days" to create fear. He offers it to inform Timothy -- and us -- that it is coming, will only get worse, and has a suitable response.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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 3:14-17)

God's prescription for believers (us) in the last days -- Scripture.

Not Missing

Sorry. I've missed today's entry. I've been caught up in some family emergencies and tied up for a couple of days. I'll get back to you all forthwith.

Sacred Writings

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, Paul references "the sacred writings." He was telling Timothy that the last days would be filled with false teachers characterized by self-love and the host of evil that self-love spawns (2 Tim 3:1-9). "But don't worry," he seems to say, "there is an answer. You have closely followed the example you've seen in me" (2 Tim 3:10-11). "Things will get worse," he goes on to warn, "but you continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them" (2 Tim 3:14). We're in the last days, we're told, and the solution is to avoid the wrong crowd (2 Tim 3:5) and follow the right one. How did Timothy know who the right ones were? "From childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 3:15).

What a glorious heritage! Timothy had a believing grandmother and mother (2 Tim 1:5) who immersed Timothy when he was young in "the sacred writings." These are effective. They defend against the wrong ideas and ways. They give wisdom, a wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ. These are solid. "Trust them, Timothy," Paul is saying. Why? Why trust them? Because "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). There are a lot of "sacred writings" for a lot of religions, but only one "Scripture" -- only one "God-breathed" version. Only one that is as profitable as the one we have. It will make the man of God complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. It is sufficient and authoritative. It is trustworthy when so many other things and people are not.

We are in the last days (1 John 2:18). We know that because of all the false teachers tumbling out of our churches. Every day is one day closer to the end, to Christ's return. The promise is that things will get worse, not better. Especially in the church, the primary source of false teachers more in love with self that God. But there is help. God has breathed out His Word. It is reliable, effective, authoritative, and sufficient. That, of course, will make it one of Satan's first targets, and he has done so from the beginning. Which also happens to be a good way to tell if you're hearing a follower of Christ or a false teacher. Do they agree with the Word or deny it, twist it, edit it, alter it? Our Bible is "sacred writing," but not in itself. It is God's words to us, and He has made it such. So who are you going to believe?

Count the Cost

Jesus said He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). There is a sense among most American Christians that that means we're supposed to have an easier life. Discomfort is not on our approved list. A difficult time, a death in the family, a lost job, an illness, most difficulties at all are not allowed and if they come we will complain. That includes collisions with God's Word. "Well, yes, it looks like it says that, but I don't like it, so it's out."

What a contrast with Jesus's own instructions.

If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. (Luke 9:23)

"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 carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? (Luke 14:26-28)

Now there's a harsh collision between Scripture and American Christianity. Paul promised, "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim 3:12). And we're thinking, "Better not be." James wrote, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4). We'd rather be imperfect, thank you very much. Peter wrote, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation" (1 Peter 4:12-13). We'd prefer to pass.

Jesus warned about counting the cost before we commit to something (Luke 14:28). The cost to follow Christ is death to self. It will include suffering. Oh, the benefits are many and far exceed the cost. But we need to know that it's not an easy thing and we need to accept that ... as good from the hand of God.

Daniel and You

We live in ... interesting times. Okay, less and less comfortable times. For Christians, I mean. Oh, nothing like the early Christians faced or anything, but, let's face it, Christianity in America is falling into more and more disfavor. They're forcing some Christians to violate their principles or face consequences. They're telling us all that if we take a biblical view on marriage, transgenderism, and homosexuality, we're "haters." It may not be lions and burnings yet, but it is what Jesus called "persecution" (Matt 5:10-11). And then there is all the discomfort of home -- inflation, foolish government, plummeting morals with its associated moral insanity, and so on. Things look a bit gloomy.

You remember the story of Daniel in the lions' den, right? Darius was king and liked Daniel, but the mucky-mucks didn't. They tricked the king into passing a law that would certainly entrap Daniel. And when it did, they sprung the trap. So Darius was forced to throw Daniel to the lions. When he did it, he told Daniel, "Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself deliver you" (Dan 6:16). Imagine that! The king got it! So they carried out the sentence and the next morning he went back and found Daniel safe, just like he thought. Well, the mucky-mucks were the next meal for the lions and the king made a decree to the people.

I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. (Dan 6:26-27)

Now think about that. Daniel was in trouble not for doing bad things, but for praying and giving thanks to God. Hey, that's interesting! We're commanded to do the exact same thing (1 Thess 5:17-18)! So here's my suggestion in troubling times. Let's try that out and see if the God that we constantly serve will save us. Darius believed God "delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth." Do you?

Am I One of the Elect?

Marshal Art asked how one can know if they are among the elect. Good question. There is a biblical answer.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-11)

In this text Peter offers a string of qualities to be added to faith. They are given in succession. Then he says, "If these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Notice he adds "are increasing." So we're looking at a continuous spiral ascending, so to speak. You add virtue to faith, knowledge to virtue, self-control to knowledge, steadfastness to self-control, and godliness to steadfastness. And then you do it again -- increasing. That is, he says, if you know Jesus, your life changes. The knowledge is "fruitful." And it is that ongoing life change that signals clearly that you are called, you are elect. It is how we confirm our own calling and election.

Notice that it begins with "For this very reason." What reason?

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

How is this stuff accomplished? His divine power and the knowledge of Him. We have "precious and very great promises." He provides escape from the corruption in the world.

If you look at the list of qualities, it can seem daunting. But Peter doesn't say, "If you possess these in full" but, rather, you possess them and increase them. Beyond that, it is accomplished by God's power and by knowing Him. It is a command to "confirm your calling and election," so we must, but we shouldn't have to worry about it. If we belong to Him, He will be at work in us (Php 2:13).

News Weakly - 10/8/22

Crazy California
In what appears to be a weekly feature here, California is at it again. (I don't mean to imply all Californians as crazy, but quite a few keep voting this guy in.) This time Governor Newsom announced that oil refineries can sell "more polluting winter-blend gasoline" ahead of schedule to try to ease soaring fuel prices. (Interesting to note. For anyone who has lived in California, we always understood that gas prices would jump when they changed fuel mixes, so Newsom is hoping to bring this jump on early to "ease soring fuel prices"?) This while they plan to terminate all fossil fuel cars and prevent natural gas appliances "for the environment" ... apparently as long as environmentalism doesn't get too expensive. He's not bothered by the hobgoblin of consistency.

Then Governor Newsom signed a bill that made jaywalking legal in California. Billed as the "Freedom to Walk Act," it allows Californians to finally cross in previously illegal-because-it-was-unsafe ways in the name of racial equity. Nice. Now pedestrians can risk being run down equally in California.

Finally, Governor Newsom has launched a billboard campaign in seven of the most abortion-restrictive states calling on women to come to California to kill their babies. One includes a biblical quote -- Mark 12:31. "Love your neighbor as yourself." John MacArthur has responded with an open letter to the governor urging his repentance. Note to the governor: killing babies cannot be classified as "love your neighbor." (I loved this Babylon Bee piece on Newsom calling for John MacArthur the baptist's head on a platter.)

Once More Into the Breach
Colorado baker Jack Phillips is on the hot seat again. A transgender lawyer asked for a cake to celebrate his (he says "her") gender transition and Phillips refused. It violated his religious beliefs. The lawyer admitted the purpose of the request was to "challenge the veracity" of Phillips. It's not about cakes or LGBT; it's about whether or not someone is allowed to hold an opinion opposed to LGBT. It is indeed about religious convictions for Christians in America.

Too Much Bad News
The headline reads, "World Of Irish Dancing Jolted By Competition Fixing Scandal." Jolted. Really. Dancing competition fixed. Really. First world problems.

Media Bias?
Two stories, unconnected, but notice the tone. In one, "A disgraced FBI special agent was found guilty on Tuesday for accepting cash ..." Notice the distance given. "Disgraced FBI special agent." They're saying, "He's not one of our boys." In the other story, "A south Alabama pastor has been indicted on rape and sex abuse charges." Not "disgraced pastor" or "failed pastor" or "false teacher" as we might have done. No. Save the face of the FBI, but sully the name of Christ's followers by pointing to one who claims to be but is not.

Weapons Out of Control
Mass knifings took place in London and Las Vegas this week. Three people were stabbed in London and in Vegas 2 were killed and 6 hurt. For reasons unclear to me, there is no call for "knife control."

Nosey
"Republican" Liz Cheney of Wyoming is urging Arizona voters to avoid voting Republican. She said if she was in Arizona, she would vote Democrat. She's not. Arizona Republican voters are urging Liz Cheney to keep her nose out of Arizona politics.

Not Genius; Genesius
Brought to you this week by the Genesius Times. The story is out. The FBI has opened an investigation into Kanye West after his "White Lives Matter" t-shirt stunt. He is suspected of being a black white supremacist. Joe Biden is promising to help those hit by Hurrican Ian by giving $13 billion more to Ukraine. What a guy!

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.

A Book to Read

One of the books that really changed my life (after, of course, the Bible) was written by R.C. Sproul. It didn't change my life because of who wrote it, but because of what it contained. I first heard it preached and then read the book and the impact continues to this day. The book is The Holiness of God. (You can see it preached here or read it.) The holiness of God (the reality as explained by the book) changed my life.

The Bible, God's revelation of His actions and attributes, includes quite a few attributes. We know about love and grace and mercy. We agree on omniscience and omnipotence and omnipresence. He claims Sovereignty (the only) and Providence. We get all that and it's very good. The only one, however, that is repeated ... twice ... is "holy." In Isaiah 6:3 and in Revelation 4:8 God is called not just "holy" or even "holy, holy," but "holy, holy, holy." The technique is a hebraism. In the previous sentence here I italicized a word to give it emphasis, and I bolded and underlined the next one for more emphasis. Repetition is how the Hebrews did the same thing in speech. So when God is described as "holy, holy, holy," it's like italics, bold print, and underline all in one. It is "holy" with exclamation marks (plural). There are other things in Scripture that are described as "holy" but God alone is described with the thrice "holy."

Now, we really aren't clear on the meaning of the term. Generally, we think of it as "separate from sin," and that is somewhat true. But it is more literally "set apart," so that would be "set apart from sin" and then some. The Hebrew word there is most literally "other" and God is truly "other." So God is righteous like no other. God is eternal like no other. God is Sovereign like no other. And while we are image bearers of the divine, He is not like us; He is other.

If we can grasp this, it changes things dramatically. God is ultra-"other." He is not like us. He is above and beyond us. He alone is this kind of "other." He is "other" in His other attributes like love and grace and mercy. We have a sense of them, but He is so "other" that we cannot completely grasp it. This kind of holiness brought God's prophet -- His mouthpiece -- to his knees crying, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts" (Isa 6:5). Grabbing a piece of this kind of holiness changes everything. God does what God will do and it's alright with you because He is holy and you are not. It becomes impossible to stand in His presence with arrogance because He is holy and you are not. It changes thinking, direction, choices, perspectives, understanding ... every facet of your being. God is not merely holy. He is holy, holy, holy, and it will take an eternity to grasp that about Him.

Objections Answered

I was reading in 2 Timothy where Paul tells Timothy to warn his people "not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers" (2 Tim 2:14). Twisting words provides no benefit and ruins hearers. He goes on to say that this only leads to further ungodliness and spreads like gangrene (2 Tim 2:16-17). He says that talk like this will "upset the faith of some" (2 Tim 2:18). He goes on to tell Timothy that God's servant "must not be quarrelsome" but does correct "with gentleness" (2 Tim 2:24-25). The day after I read it, I received a comment from "Anonymous" on Election.

But, it's not Grace at all if you're one of the majority your god chose not to choose and, instead, created for destruction. THAT God is a whimsical monster to most people, right? I mean, just objectively speaking, if you're one of the destined to be damned and tortured for an eternity for the "crime" of being imperfect, you WILL recognize that God as a graceless monster, won't you?

I don't know who Anonymous is. (Not all "anonymouses" are Dan.) I don't know the person's intent. I don't know if it's a Christian willing to toss aside God's Word¹ or a skeptic using this as a pry bar to harm the faith. So I won't be responding to Anonymous here. But, based on Paul's words to Timothy, I will respond to the dangerous ideas. There are several components to address here. There is the notion that it would be wrong of God to make people who will be damned. There is the idea of the "whimsical monster." And there is the question of "Is that grace?"

So, the first. I don't make up the answer; I read it in Scripture. "You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?" (Rom 9:19-21). There is the perception in our sinful hearts (Jer 17:9) that says "God owes us." It says, "He has to be gracious to us," which, of course, denies grace at its core, since grace is unmerited favor. Sinful man is an enemy of God (Rom 8:7) largely because we consider ourselves at least equal to Him. So He cannot do this. But Scripture says He does. Scriptures says that the potter has the right over the clay. Jude says that people are "marked out for condemnation" before time began (Jude 4). This objection says that God "created [some people] for destruction." And that is unacceptable. Except that, whether or not election is true, God knows who will be saved and still made some people, knowing they wouldn't. So, yes, God makes people and He knows that some ("many") were made ultimately for destruction. (In fact, Paul answers why that might be so just after the above passage (Rom 9:9:22). He intends to show His power and wrath.) No, the Potter doesn't owe the pottery any favors. Grace is unmerited favor, and He can do with His creation whatever He wills.

Then there's that question of "whimsical." God chooses us not because of us, but because of Him. That does not require "whimsy" or "capriciousness" or "random." Because you can't lay your finger on the reason why God chose this person and not that one does not mean that there is no reason. What we do know is that it is for a reason and it is always His reason for His glory. Not "whimsy."

I have, I think, already answered "Is that grace?" If grace is not earned, not merited, not owed, but given as favor free of obligation, then the fact that God doesn't give everyone this favor is not a surprise. The fact that He gives anyone this favor is the big surprise (Psa 8:4). Why would He? We have all demonstrated our hostility. We have all earned death. If God were to act with pure justice, none of us would stand and no one could complain about it. So, yes, indeed, that God favors anyone with being chosen for salvation is a huge act of grace and those who don't see it are missing that very important fact. Will those who aren't chosen see it as grace? Well, of course not. They've been blinded (2 Cor 4:4) and cannot grasp the things of God (1 Cor 2:14). Their blindness doesn't change the fact that it is grace that anyone would be saved.

Scripture warns that there are those outside and inside our churches who would wish to turn us from the faith. Scripture warns that our first inclination is to be wicked and deceived (Jer 17:9). Scripture warns that Satan is the god of this world who blinds people (2 Cor 4:4). So don't be surprised, but, also, don't be fooled. Election is not a fiction built by some fringe folks. It's Scripture. Dr. Al Mohler said, "Rejecting God's self-revelation in favor of our own ideas about what He would or wouldn't do is the height of self-righteous pride." It's true. Either you can believe some emotional response predicated on an exaggerated view of self over God who made the claim, or you can submit to the God who made the claim and believe that He is faithful, righteous, and good. You do not have to be fooled by objections like this.
________

¹ Apart from the whole of the Old Testament premised on Israel, God's chosen people, here is a partial list of texts from the New Testament. You can also do your own word search and find out how many times "elect" or "chosen" is used in this sense. It isn't "Calvin" or "the Reformation" or some guy's idea; it's Scripture. John 15:16; Eph 1:4-5; Rom 8:28-30; Acts 13:48; 2 Thess 2:13; Rev 13:8; Mark 13:20; Rom 9:11; Titus 1:1; Rom 8:33; John 17:9; Mark 13:27; 2 Peter 1:10; Eph 1:5; Luke 18:7; Col 3:12; 1 Thess 1:4; 1 Peter 2:9; Matt 24:31; Rom 9:15; 2 Tim 2:10.

Soldiers on the Battlefront

In Paul's 2nd letter to Timothy Paul is urging the young pastor to "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 2:1). Now, telling someone to do something good is fine, but telling them how is even better, and Paul does so. He gives Timothy several strategies for remaining strong (2 Tim 2:2-7). One of them caught my eye.

Paul told Timothy to teach, to be a soldier, to be an athlete, to be a farmer. The one that stood out to me this time was that soldier analogy. He told Timothy to "suffer hardship" and then explained,

No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. (2 Tim 2:4)

There are a few components there worth examining. Notice the term, "active service." We believers are, as it turns out, all on "active duty." We are all on the "front lines." It's not a fight with just anyone. It is "against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph 6:12). And there is no place in that conflict that is not "front lines." We can't leave the front and go for a leave. It is full time active duty.

He says that active duty personnel aim to please the one who enlisted them. Now, in this analogy, who enlisted us? That would be God, of course. We are the called, the "elect." We have been enlisted in this war and, if we are to be good soldiers, our aim must be to please Him. Not ourselves. Which, of course, goes against human nature that automatically attempts to please self.

How, then, are we to seek to please Him and not ourselves? We are not to entangle ourselves in the affairs of everyday life. That's what Paul said. It's interesting that he didn't differentiate between good and bad affairs. Everyday life includes both. And we get that we're not to entangle ourselves with sin or even temptation, but what about the good stuff? What about family and church and loving our neighbor and all? What about eating and sleeping and that stuff? Note that he doesn't say not to do it; he says not to be entangled in it. It sounds similar to what Jesus said when He told His disciples,

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. (Matt 10:37-39)

Jesus didn't say not to love father or mother; He said to prioritize who you love. He said that He needs to be first. In this way we are not entangled even though we are in it.

The demands of Christ on His followers are often counterintuitive. Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10) ... and expects us to "suffer hardship" as good soldiers. We do need to be part of "everyday life" and, yet, we're not to be entangled by it. We are called to be strong, and part of that is done by suffering for Him and being in this world while not being of it. If we aren't aware of these things, we might miss them, and if we missed them, we would be failing to please the One who enlisted us. Which would keep us from some of that abundant life. So, onward, Christian soldiers.

Election, the "Bad" Doctrine

There is no small number of Christians who have heard of the doctrine of "election" ... and don't like it. God chooses us? Seems wrong. So they abuse the doctrine until they're blue in the face. "What makes you better than the rest who aren't chosen?" "If God chooses, then we don't have to do anything at all, do we?" "God doesn't choose us; we choose Him." Oh, and the ever popular "He chooses us after we choose Him." And on it goes. This all goes fine ... until you run into Scripture.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. (Eph 1:3-4)

There are lots of uses of "elect," "chosen," and the like, especially in the New Testament. In the Old, of course, Israel was God's "chosen people," and He was very specific about that. "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt" (Deut 7:7-8). It wasn't because they were the best; it was based solely on God's choice. In the New Testament, then, the idea simply carries beyond the Jews. But in that text from Ephesians it says that He "chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." Before the world began, those who were going to be chosen were already chosen. If you are a member of the elect, you were a member before you were born. And it wasn't because of your foreseen choices. "So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy" (Rom 9:16). Not your will; not your efforts. God alone.

The concept is biblical. It may seem to elevate some, but that's a mistaken impression. God has chosen for His own purposes and not because of who we are. Oh, we still have to act. We still have to come in faith, still must be born again. But it is first and foremost an act of God's will that gets you saved, and that was fixed before the foundation of the world. If you think about it, that should give you some measure of assurance. If He started it and brought it about and chose you, there is nothing you can do to end it or lose it. That's a relief.

Sound Words

Paul sure had a way with words, didn't he?

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing ... (1 Tim 6:3-4)

This, of course, flies in the face of modern thinking. Not the content as much as the concept. We're not supposed to point this stuff out. You know, agree to disagree. Don't be judgmental. All that stuff. You don't tell people they are conceited and understand nothing. That's just not nice, Paul. And, yet, there it is.

It is something like Jesus in the Temple. He is known biblically as a "lamb," meek and mild, but when moneychangers turned a profit in the Lord's Temple, He got ... miffed. He turned over tables and used a whip to clear the place out. There are indeed times to be gentle and there are times to "answer a fool according to his folly" (Prov 26:5) as it were.

It sounds contradictory, but it's not, actually. That's because there is an overriding aim here. "The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Tim 1:5). If the aim is love, the approach is determined by the best way to love another person. How do you obtain what is best for them? More often than not, it is with "honey" -- gentle and respectful. But sometimes ... just sometimes ... there needs to be some kick to it. Paul did it. Jesus did it. Love demands it.

Going back, then, to the original text, it would appear that those who do not agree with sound words -- especially those of Christ (that's not just a reference to the red letters in the Bible; Jesus is the Word) -- or with doctrines that conform to godliness (as opposed to those who advocate conforming doctrine to their version of godliness) are in need of a jolt if they are to be loved properly. It sounds as if opposing biblical words and doctrines is a real problem.

Worship is "Worth-ship"

We know that there won't be any dogs in heaven (Rev 22:15), but there will be cats. How else will they make harp strings? No, that was a joke. We do know that harps are mentioned in Revelation (although nothing about fat cherubs sitting on clouds playing them), but are you aware that there will be singing there, too?

One big one is found in Revelation 5. In this scene the Lion who is the Lamb has taken the book with seven seals and heaven -- "many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands" (Rev 5:11) -- breaks into singing.

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." (Rev 5:12-13)

(Huh. How about that? Not singing; saying. Well, okay.)

The point is not the singing or saying. The point is not harps. The point is the Lamb. He is identifed as the One that was slain. He is worthy to receive it all. And they -- "every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them" -- offer it all to Him "forever and ever."

It's Sunday. It's the Lord's Day. Surely we can participate in that once a week. More would be better. Daily would be grand. Because He is worthy.

News Weakly - 10/1/22

Those Crazy Californians
California has become the first state to ban gas heaters and furnaces ... a state that is also experiencing electricity shortages and requiring more and more electrical devices. What could go wrong?

At the same time, we have Gov. Newsom on a junket using his campaign funds in hopes of transforming GOP states into the California scheme. Governor Abbott thinks it might help his campaign.

And then, at the end of the week, California passed a law that prohibits law enforcement or corporations from cooperating with out-of-state entities regarding warrants for investigation into or enforcement of laws restricting abortion. Yes, they are legal warrants. No, California will not comply. Apparently a new Sovereign Nation.

Arizona Chooses Life
Back in 1901 before the sixties' "Sexual Revolution" that called for sex on demand at all costs, Arizona banned abortion except in the case of saving the mother's life. You know, a pro-life position. That, of course, has been on hold for 50 years even after the SCOTUS ruling earlier this year because it was held up in court, but a Superior Court judge has released the block. Arizona now holds that all life deserves protecting. In the seventies the nation bought the notion that when women referred to "my body," they included the human being inside, and they could do whatever they wanted with that human being -- keep it or dismantle it. This law reverses that form of human ownership. We will, of course, wait for the other shoe to drop, because we, as a nation, will not long stand for human life over sexual freedom.

Inflation Revival Act
In light of the apparently slowing inflation, California Governor Newsom signed legislation to extend union options to farm workers. Mind you, farm workers are not part of the official labor force in this country but, setting that aside, we can be sure that farm workers will unite and drastically drive up the cost of farm products so they can have a better life.

Don't Bee Surprised
Not to be outdone by rightwing conspiracy theorists, Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams claimed "there is no such thing as a heartbeat at six weeks. It is a manufactured sound designed to convince people that men have the right to take control of a woman's body." (No, that was not the Bee; that was real.) So the Bee offered other ways women might be tricked into thinking babies are alive like those devious "ultrasound videos," crazy "genetic testing", and "feeling the 'baby' move." Oh, no, we won't be suckered into those lies. In other news (an oldy but goody), apparently Joel Osteen has tested negative for Christianity after he came in contact with a Bible. In other religious news, the FBI stormed a convent to arrest a group of dangerous pro-life extremist nuns. Nice!

Must be true; I read it on the Internet.