Your Children

. . . your children shall come back . . . 

 - From Jeremiah 31

The proper celebration of Christmas, if done according to the historical template, involves one day of sadness, and even grief. The Fourth Day of Christmas, the 28th, is The Feast of the Innocents. This is a day to remember the slaughter of all boys up to two years of age, in Judea, per the order of King Herod (who was aware of Messianic prophecies and feared his power may have to be surrendered to some kid). 

The 2022 generation is not able to reference, or emotionally access, this. Death is a part of life. Tragedy is all too prevalent in the lives of too many people, including our youngest and most innocent members. But people in 2022 run away from such thoughts, like half the population would scatter at the mere utterance: "covid."

Our generation spouts such platitudes as "you deserve to be happy." And our obsession with "life" and "safety" goes to such an extreme that our quality of life is lost. We become too unhappy and frustrated when things aren't perfect. 

They were far from perfect in 4 A.D. And they are not much improved today, if at all (some may argue we've never been worse off as a species. Our scientific advances simply mean that we know an awful lot. We know, maybe, too much, or more than we can handle).

When faced with inevitable pain or loss, in 2022, children are provided with "expert" counselors that will do whatever they do, but absent an essential awareness of the particular beliefs of the child's family, regarding death and eternal life. Jesus Himself drew children to Him. He did this even though He knew that, not too far hence, He would be seen hanging, horrifically and publicly on a cross. 

My background is this: Death is a part of life and you harm children by shielding them from it. 

Even the joy of Christmas, if observed correctly, has a component of horror and sadness. A remembrance of the terrible crime of Herod is in order. Remember it, for it must not be forgotten. People that crave power, like Herod (and many if not most of today's politicians) will do anything to hold on to their power. I'm sure the fake king of ancient Judea had all kinds of justifications for his wicked deed: To maintain order. To keep the people "safe," maybe from Rome. Or even, to uphold the requirements of the Mosaic Law. Whatever . . . 

In the end, the Jeremiah prophecy brings it full circle to happiness and fulfillment. As bad as things get, as horrific and violent our experience may become . . . our children will come back. 

Every good thing lost will be restored. And it will be held onto, even more desperately, as we have experienced life in the absence of good things. 

It's the hardest thing to do: To stay positive, even cheerful, in the midst of debilitating grief. We can do this because we know the ending. The most precious thing to us: our children . . . may be removed from us, forcefully and violently. They may be forced into (or even gently coerced) becoming something we do not recognize. They may be altered into an unhappy and impulsive creature, acting with the forethought of a beast acting on instincts - - - the direct opposite of an adult that had been raised in a proper and loving home. They may have been converted into something that cannot enter into the eternal kingdom of God. 

But our children . . . the ones that left us . . . the ones removed from us . . . will come back. 

There is hope for all of us. The Christmas message occurs in the context of a lost, broken, violent, and evil world. Out of such, we have the greatest gifts of all: peace, life, happiness, and love. 

Unless I See

Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.

 - From John 20

St Thomas the Apostle, apparently, was a man who followed the science. I have known many people like that. 

In fact, maybe most people I have known follow the science. They need evidence. They need proof. And they need the evidence to be persuasiveness, at least to themselves, if not to anyone else. And when ten of his friends insisted they saw the risen Lord, and that He was alive . . . that was not good enough for him. 

Christ's inner circle - the Twelve Apostles (now reduced to eleven) apparently did not operate a democracy. Ten witnesses were not enough. Thomas wanted proof. He was afraid that that the other eleven were merely spreading disinformation, or maybe misinformation, in reporting the impossibility of Christ being alive. He wanted proof. He wanted evidence. He wanted science. 

The account in John, of the testimony of The Ten versus the Science of Thomas is a compelling mirror to modern times. On the one hand, we believe in "democracy." We hold "democracy" as a sacred thing that is always at risk of being removed. We believe there might just be something to this idea that, if the crowd is doing it, we should want to do it too. 

But then we have the ones that want to be intelligent, practical, logical, but most of all, scientific. 

It all seems rather chaotic and incompatible, when viewed through the faulty lens of human eyes. 

But in God's calculus, it all makes perfect sense. Democracy, in which the strength in numbers lend an air of credibility to an assertion, but that also insists upon the right of a single individual to dissent (which in turn can add depth to the original assertion) . . . coupled with science and rationality, which helps an assertion hold up to inquiry and challenge. You must have both. God's nature is not inconsistent with itself. It all works out. 

Thank God for Thomas - - - for his insistence that a thing be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt; and Thank God for the Ten, for their great bond to one another, and the powerful testimony born of the experience of many!

Obedience of Faith

 . . . we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles . . . .

 - From Romans 1

Why would a "loving God" have a preferred race of followers, that are His alone, simply because of the conditions of their birth?

Exactly. A loving God wouldn't do that, and didn't. And doesn't.

The average guy on the street, that knows even a little bit about cultural norms or basic historical references, will define "Gentiles" as being "not Jewish." While that is correct from a practical sense, it is not accurate in the true sense. 

When Paul talks about bringing the Gospel to "all the Gentiles," he actually means  - - - all of us. Every one of us. The entire world. All people. The total population of the earth, from the beginning of time to now. A loving God would not exclude anybody from the eternal opportunity. 

And He doesn't.

We often confuse "faith" with a lifestyle of doing whatever you want, because we are saved by our "faith." But notice the construction here "the obedience of faith." If we have faith, we will be obedient, because we are confident that our goodness, our righteousness, our charity, our purity, will pay off in the end. Unlike a whole swath of "evangelical" moderates in America, today, if we're obedient, we are going to do things that the rank-and-file of society (the dominant culture) hates. If you're obedient, you will approach purity, more and more over time. And the world hates purity. 

There is a church calling itself "Everybody's Church," because they welcome "everybody." But not the "everybody" that count in eternity, but the "everybody" that counts in faith. This Church indeed is open to "everybody," as defined by the prevailing culture. 

But this particular church would be decidedly hostile to a truly obedient believer, one that aspires to purity. Because, a person seeking purity will always on the outside of any group of people that accepts the defiant practice of impurity. 

Love versus purity. Grace versus works. Acceptance and tolerance versus righteousness. It's all a balance. A difficult balance. It's a balance that the world does not embrace today. 

Obedience goes and in hand with faith. Obedience puts you at odds with most of the world. But faith makes you accepting of all people and their faults. 

The season of Advent invites us all to reflect on these contradicting elements of the Kingdom of God, and by it . . . to draw closer to the One that understands all of it. 

Scattered

 . . . . he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

 - From The Song of Mary

Once again, we have another example of the recurring theme of all of Scripture: The poor have got it made in the Kingdom of God. The rich have quite a bit to worry about, in eternity. 

The birth of Christ is absolutely right in the pocket of every reformer in history. Every revolutionary wanting to throw off the yoke of oppressors; every social justice warrior in the 21st Century; every environmentalist; every health care activist; every agitator insisting that the wealthy "pay their fair share."

The words of Christ are life to the weary; justice to the downtrodden; wealth to the needy. 

And the return of Christ is the culmination of all of it. It will be quite a site. 

Conquerors always try to scatter their conquered. People are shoved off their land and then shipped out to places far, far away. 

But God, when He executes judgment on the world . . . will scatter the rich. The Christian message is one of the fair play of turnabout. 

And yet, the people that have the most to gain by wedding Christ's message, and the hope of Christmas, to their own righteous cause . . . turn away from Him. The one Final Solution to the injustice they see in the world, is Christ's second triumphant Advent. And yet they kick the same old tires, illuminating the same old worldly needs, absent the One Person that can correct all of it. 

The world is topsy turvy. Christ's natural allies try to go it alone. 

Still, the song of Mary rings through all of it. She was but a lowly servant. A peasant. Her faith, and her hope, made her blessed by all generations. She is revered through the ages. 

It's Christmas. And all will be well. 

Defend

He shall defend the needy among the people . . . 

 - From Psalm 72

Apparently, God does not believe that the poor are at fault for being poor. Or if they are somehow responsible for their condition, their ongoing poor treatment on the part of the well-off merits something be done about those wealthy people. 

The Psalmist does not name any conditions that must be in place, first, to justify God defending the needy. He defends them because they are needy. That is all. 

God promises justice as a comfort to the poor. Just the poor. That the poor require justice is evidence that something unjust has been done to them. 

If you dig deeply enough, you may find that almost anybody that has done well in this life, has probably gotten that way due to injustice. The wealthy person has had to look away from wrongdoing, tolerate unethical actions by people in authority, kept silent in the face of the poor treatment of the less fortunate. 

People are human. They love their families and don't want to lose their jobs. 

Scripture says "There are none that doeth good. No, not one."

If you're wondering where you fit into that characterization of humans as bad, look no further than the crimes and injustice with which you are complicit, by virtue of being employed by people, or organizations, that somewhere have committed wrong, in pursuit of profits. 

The needy . . . all needy . . . may rejoice this Advent season, and all year long. One of Christ's objectives as King is to put Himself between the poor and the wealthy, take the shots intended for them . . . but then set a table fit for royalty, and dine with the needy as guests of honor. 

But notice: The Psalm also says that the King's Son comes with righteousness as well as justice. 

Righteousness. That's another matter entirely. And another reason to rejoice!

House

Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house. 

 - From Deuteronomy 26

Thanksgiving Weekend is upon us, here in 2022. It is Wednesday afternoon. I have had a leisurely day, so far, of taking my time on emails and overall relaxing. I will take a jog shortly. The weather is beautiful. 

For the first time in years, I have a holiday that feels like a holiday. I have just completed seven days in a classroom, as an actual, real teacher. Granted, my job is not permanent yet. But my day off today is a real one. It was preceded by a full day of work: eight hours framed  by a one-hour commute, both ways. I leave in the morning, when it's dark. Shortly after I arrive home in the evening, it's dark. This is more like the normal day experienced  by most people. 

Holidays, or "Holy Days" should be consciously realized as a taste of eternity. We should be mindful of this. Your reflections on a holiday should be: God's eternal kingdom is like this. 

But, only the good parts. Those moments that we wish will last forever, will, one day (one eternal day). And if we think that would be boring, after a while, there are still countless other moments in our lives, that we would like to relive over and over and over again; that we would like to last forever. And we will have forever to re-experience as many of them as we want. 

Or perhaps we will want to make some new adventures for ourselves, in Eternal Eden.

There is a lot to unpack in today's verse. I've danced around all of it, with my whimsical ponderings. Suffice to say: Holidays are a big deal, way more than we know. They should be thought of as a taste of eternity. We are supposed to celebrate. We are supposed to have already provide from our blessings, assistance to the truly needy. We should particularly remember those that serve us, while receiving little pay (teachers, pastors, artists, non-profit professionals). We should open our homes to strangers in our midst, including aliens from other lands. And it should occur within the confines of our house (that's another topic, for another day).

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Reconcile

. . . God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things . . . 

 - From Colossians 1

If God can reconcile humanity to Himself, then all things are reconcilable. The word "reconcile" refers to a bringing together of people that had been in dispute. It also has a financial application. We talk about reconciling bank accounts with other records, like journal entries are sales receipts. 

At any rate . . . when something is reconciled it means there is a happy ending to what had not been so happy, before. 

What a great illustration of God's love, and His plan! Things are pretty bad right now, in 2022. They're out of balance. In the world today, two people can be looking at exactly the same thing. One person sees devastation and pain; the other sees a necessary means to a better end, that could not be realized without the pain. (This is how a person can imagine that high inflation, that causes people to draw deep from their savings, is actually not that bad).

The legal justification for a divorce is probably most commonly: irreconcilable differences. I've always felt like this is why Christians should not get divorced. If you believe that God can reconcile anything, even humanity to Himself, then you have to have some faith that your measly little irreconcilable difference is worth resolving. Life is short. Eternity is never-ending. There comes a time when we are living forever, in an eternal moment. We will look back, surely, and conclude "It wasn't that bad. Why didn't we just stay together?"

Look at the world today. All of our troubles, and all of our evils, all boil down to our resistance to reconciliation, with each other, and with God. This is because we are children in adult bodies. 

It will please God when all things are reconciled. 

People that love strife and turmoil are not going to like Eternity. It's a pretty happy place, where there is no such thing as a politician that calls his opponents "Nazis," "racists," "fill-in-the-blank-phobes," and "fascists." 

That is what it means, to reconcile. 

Ring Out

. . . let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord, when he comes to judge the earth. 

 - From Psalm 98

We have to get out of these jitters so many of us have, about Judgment Day. 

Here's the Psalmist, David, I think, writing many lines of text declaring the joy that he feels, just contemplating God taking charge of things, one day; He will make it all right. He will put us on a solid, secure path, for eternity.

He will make sure we're safe.

Except, in this case, the word "safe" is not just a clever tactical maneuver to get people emotionally inclined to vote a certain way. When God makes us "safe," he makes us Safe. And it has nothing to do with some dopey human politician wanting us to feel good. 

He will bring us joy. We will be elated. The good feelings that we will feel, on the day God makes it all right, are not the same as the "shiver down the leg" that should characterize almost all of our good feelings in this age. God's Good Feelings are permanent. They are not emotional. They are logical and totally confident. You're feeling "good," but that's because you have been made Good. 

And in the Psalm, it is all wrapped up with a reference to Judgment Day. More often than not, my image of Judgment Day has veered toward the fearful and frightening aspect of it. When it is preached, it's always done so with dread and fire.

Are you ready?

But, as we look at the world today, on November 9, the day after "the most important election in American history," an election that would bring an apocalyptic tidal wave of change to our society . . . and see that it is all a disappointing dud, perhaps that's a good thing. The newscasts and politicians had been playing up Election Day 2022, as if it were the Second Coming of Christ.

It's not. But as we contemplate God's final judgment upon humanity, let's keep it positive. All the nonsense swirling about; the ridiculous antics by children in adult bodies that we call our "leaders." All the fear-mongering and divisive rhetoric. All the relentless daily developments of a narrative that has nothing to do with God's establishment of peace, safety, security, equity, and justice - but that claims to be all that and more . . . 

It's all tossed in the flaming incinerator of History, never to be heard from again. And that is something to rejoice over. 

Arrogant?

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble.

 - From Malachi 4

Now, I know a lot of arrogant people. I might be a little arrogant, myself. I've probably caught everyone I know in an arrogant moment, or two. And so have you, the reader. 

Maybe we're all arrogant from time to time. But just like telling a lie, once, does not make you a liar (or does it?) we may be able to make the claim stick - you may stumble and say or do something arrogant, once in a while. But that does not make you an arrogant person, especially you people known to be quite humble and gentle!

We get our fill of arrogance after a while. When someone is called "arrogant," it is never meant as a compliment. It's an insult. We don't want to be thought of as "arrogant."

• I tell it like it is.
• I am who I am and I'll never change.
• I don't suffer fools.
• I get what I want.
• I get results.
• I don't care what people think of me.

Famous last words of a fool. 

But Malachi writes, inspired by Holy Spirit, that all the arrogant will be stubble, i.e., burned up.

Does one act of arrogance make you arrogant? Perhaps we should reconsider that. And perhaps we should reflect every now and then, on whether or not we could easily be caught making any of the statements in the bullet list above. 

The arrogant are placed in the same context as evildoers. The notion that we are to become as children, humble, servants, weak in the world (but strong in Christ) merits that we constantly hold ourselves up to God's standard. Perhaps we have not fully arrived yet . . . but we can make progress. 

Equity

In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with equity.

 - From Psalm 98

Long before Early 21st Century mockers started using the word "equity," as the ultimate virtue-signal, God had long ago established its relevance to The Plan for the Ages. 

Equality wasn't enough for the Age of Cynics. They never did like it (acting as children), when people that they love to oppose ended up using their words. For a time, they believed that equality was their word, and no one else could claim it. Their opposition would counter with such phrases as "Free men are not equal. Equal men are not free." And, when logic and honest reflection prevail, such statements are, in fact, true. The Equality crowd has always believed that freedom is the best method to gain the best outcomes for the most people. 

But finally, all people came around to a generalized understanding and agreement of the value and necessity of equality. The Left no longer had sole claim on the equality movement. It meant that we were all on the same page, using the same vocabulary. We were headed toward consensus. The Left had won that battle. In the 1990s, we were poised for rapid forward movement. 

But that was not acceptable to a splinter group on the Left, which later dominated our politics and authored the narrative. In fact, they do not like persuading others to their own side - they seem, actually, to hate agreement. They want so much to be different, and will do anything (it seems) to make of themselves the new Greatest Generation. But that requires they have some epic evil to vanquish. And where Hitlers do not exist, Hitlers must be created. 

They rediscovered the ancient word from the Lord: equity, and ran with it. Equity means that the outcomes are equal. And if outcomes can not be had via organic means, then artificial (fake) means must be created. Where the Right always desired that very thing: Equity in outcomes, they insisted that their methods were the fastest, most legitimate, and most sustainable way to attain it. But for the moment, the Left set themselves as virtue superiors, in their exclusive appropriation of the word equity.

But the problem for them, is . . . when God uses the word "equity," He also uses the word "righteousness." You cannot have one without the other. 

The Generation of Malcontents will always fall short of its goals. For, it will seek equity without righteousness. It will attempt national holiness, via unethical, Machiavellian, cynical means. It will always say one good-sounding thing, while actually doing what gets them noticed, what gets them celebrity . . . what gets them power. 

And that's not equitable at all. 

The Lord Adorns

For the Lord . . . adorns the poor with victory. 

 - From Psalm 149

I don't know why statements like this are not emphasized more, in these times. 

The corrupt political order is putting people at each other's throats, dividing us every which way, most notably, by socio-economic class. Greed (the vice of the rich) and envy (the vice of the poor) are driving our decisions, from where to eat, to how to vote. 

But the Bible is very clear, God has not held back the truth . . . that the poor have got it made. 

Yes, yes I know. Not now. Not in this life. But we know with almost perfect certainty, that the wealthy are as Kris Kristofferson described them: weak. 

And if beggars can't be choosers, til they're weak and wealthy men.

I would have people in a congregation turn and look at each other. Turn and look around. Find someone that has less wealth than you do. God has placed them ahead of you. 

Coarse? Maybe. But isn't that what the Psalmist does over and over again?

We should prepare the poor right now. We should treat them as the royalty that they are. Now.

Come to think of it . . . that practice alone would solve a whole bunch of our most dangerous social problems, instantly!

Abstain

. . . but we should write to them to abstain only from . . .  

 - From Acts 15

The Gospel of Christ was Good News. There is a lot of it that's Good: Happiness now; freedom regardless of our circumstances; healing; wisdom; protection and sustenance; a direct link to the Father; Eternal Life. 

But He even provided something for the worldly-minded. This whole idea of The Law, a set of rules and routines that you must do, with regularity, in order to maintain your right standing with God; these were burdensome, and in the end, impossible to follow faithfully, or enough to merit eternal favor in God's eyes. 

(That's why we had the law. Because it is in human nature to want a "king." To have someone to take care of us; feed us; protect us; create economic opportunities for us; keep us safe. And we have a preference for rules. Just tell me what to do, and I will do it. Give me lots of activities. Keep me busy. Give me rituals. At least that way my mind is temporarily divorced from my horrible anxieties).

But rituals do not save us, not eternally. We want real happiness, real freedom, and real eternal life - - - and life, abundantly. That's the Gospel. 

So the restrictions and the parameters of The Law were cut way back. Some day The Law was completely obliterated so that we would not have to do any of it. All we had to do was trust Christ.

But James, the Lord's brother, reminded us that there were still some practices from which we should abstain. There are certain human acts which are so selfish and carnal in nature, that they do, in fact, get in the way of growth in Christ, and of making pure hearts for ourselves. James quoted the prophets, in listing these things to avoid. 

Now, it's not a ritual that must be practiced. It isn't a regular, weekly fast from something that normally is good for us. James says we should not do these things. Because they are selfish, and are not in line with Christ's purity. 

And the reader is left to dig the list out, at his or her leisure. 

Shame

And my people shall never again be put to shame.

  - From Joel 2

Do you hesitate to share your innermost, precious thoughts, to others? Even when it's your closest and most long-term friends and family members - do you hold back? Does it create nervousness, anxiety, and even sadness, for you not to just share your hopes, fears, frustrations, concerns, and dreams? 

Is the reason that you refrain from expressing your viewpoints because you have been made to feel shame for having them in the first place? Have you become what the Bible calls a wanderer, an alien in your own land and country, and among your own people?

Has the frustration compounded, so that now you are a like a pressure-cooker that needs a valve released, to prevent a dangerous explosion?

This is not the way our culture should be. Nobody advises troubled marriages to bottle up their deepest emotions. No one thinks it's a good idea for corporate teams to divide themselves into warring tribes. No expert actually believes it was a bad idea for the American experiment not to have freedom of conscience and speech as the centerpiece of a historic reform movement. 

The phrase "shut up" is now verboten in our culture. It is considered rude and insulting. But the thing most objectionable about it, and everybody knows it, is the idea that one person can tell another person what to say, and what not to say. "Shut up" is almost as bad as the "f word." We frown upon its use. 

But in practice, we are telling people to "shut up" all the time, in our cancel culture and codified political correctness.

The anti-freedom of speech crowd - the true tyrants themselves - have apparently succeeded in making people feel shame, simply for having thoughts and perspectives that, frankly, they have little control over. As Matt Hook has said: "You can outlaw certain behaviors and call it hate. But you can never make a person not hate another." 

It is all accomplished via the use of shame. 

Hundreds of years before Christ, the prophet told about a time when we will no longer be ashamed. 

You know . . . that future day when you can have your own thoughts. Express your own views. Be yourself, your real self! 

And no one will shame you. They won't guilt you. And they won't even want to. 

Anointed

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 

 - From Luke 4

I marvel at the childish way people screw up the message of the Gospel. And I am not talking about believers. At least they're trying to understand it. They may be willfully stubborn, in maintaining their biases. They're human. But they put themselves in a position to hear the Gospel regularly, and that is good. 

No, rather, I am referring to doubters in our culture, and the ostensible believers that align with them. 

Like the Adversary tempting Christ, or the Serpent in the Garden tempting Eve; doubters try to quote Scripture. They love the references to caring about immigrants, replete throughout the Old Testament. And they're right to remind us of that. But it is the only thing they talk about, because they just want to score debate points. They don't care about becoming better people, themselves. They're just contrary. 

One of my favorites is the classic "why would a loving God . . . ?", especially when regurgitated by everyone from doubters, to scoffers, to agnostics, to atheists (and to their curious allies within the Church). It's not a direct quote of Scripture, per se - - - but it is a direct inference to the Biblical dictum that God is Love. And, if I may, so many of the corps of doubters fall easily within the Left end of the political spectrum. 

Of course, we would first need to run a thirteen week seminar on the true definition of Love, but for now we can just settle on Christ's own words, describing the point of His ministry. Look at his priorities:

• The poor
• Captives
• The blind
• The oppressed

This is right out of the Left's playbook! No, I take that back. It is not out of their playbook. It's out of their talking points. If they really cared about the truly needy, they would find an organization that has been chartered around caring for others (the Church), and work together! They would NOT waste so much time picking at faults and making judgments. 

To people on the Left that love to stick your finger in the eyes of Christians: Leave them alone. They're doing the best they can (just as you are). Focus on their Founder and Leader, Jesus Christ, and follow HIS teachings. He was talking about the things that you claim most concern you, two thousand years before you were born!

Only

Only Luke is with me. 

 - From II Timothy 4

You gotta show up. I have shared this thought before. For most of our lives, this is not based on what we say, or do, or think. Rather, it's whether or not we're there. Or here. Or present. Right now, right now.

When I spent an overnight in a hospital years ago, during a heart scare, I found that I appreciated visitors, but not just to talk to me. I liked it, simply, just for them to be there. In the room. Not even in sight necessarily. It helped for them just to be there. To be present. 

Yesterday in church, Dr. Matt Hook urged us to learn God's will. Not necessarily His will for me. Not His will for the future. Just: His Will. Now. Right here. In this moment. 

And God's will always has to do with others. Taking care of them. Listening to them. And that requires simply that you be there. With them. That's it.

We are sensory beings. We can feel, smell, taste, hear, and see. All of these things bring us the gamut of what it means to be alive. We experience joy, and we experience devastation - all because we have these senses. Our senses are do powerful, that they can easily override our facilities of wisdom and of judgment. It is so easy just to fall back on what feels good. 

It's almost like the war between evil and good is more like a war between feelers and thinkers. The problem is that both sides, in any conflict, claim to be the ones that think, while the those on the other side are the feelers. But therein lies a very important point: Whether we are feelers, or thinkers, humans seem to realize instantly that it is better to be a thinker. 

Paul companions all left him, because something else felt better. They came to miss their warm bed and daily fellowship with friends and family so much, that it was no longer important to them, to stay with Paul, minister to him, and be integral parts of world history and the advancement of God's eternal kingdom. 

But Luke stayed. And Luke is remembered. And Luke will certainly be present in eternity. 

Truth, and eternity, and equity, and justice, and all good things, have nothing to do with democracy and majorities. The closer you get to virtue, the fewer people you will find. 

Only Luke. 

And that is important to remember in these troubled, partisan, bitter times. 

More

I have more understanding than all my teachers, 

 - From Psalm 119

I discovered something transformational in the past couple of weeks. 

In attempting to complete a daily list of tasks, I was always coming up short. Invariably, I would put the really important things, like practicing my music, reading, and most importantly, prayer, to the bottom of the list, so that I can focus on more "urgent" things. 

I got the idea to have a goal of, say, ten minutes per day in focused prayer. But still I wasn't getting to it. 

I broke the ten minutes into one minute sessions, that I would accumulate until reaching ten minutes for the day. But that didn't work either. So I tried something crazy and counter-intuitive . . . 

I broke the one-minute slots into one-second slots. I added a twist: these very short slots would be placed in my task list, every five or six items. And with each successive round, I would add a second, and keep track of the accumulations. 

Okay, by now the reader is thinking this all is just crazy. But here's what I discovered:

A one-second prayer, in which all I do is mouth the words "My Father, God," has way more power than we realize. In three seconds, you can say "My Father, my Creator . . . ". And by the time you get to ten seconds, you are including a short confession, or request for forgiveness. 

The main takeaway is this: Even one, five, ten, or thirty seconds of focused prayer can add great value to your entire day. And admittedly, this already is far more than most people do on any given day. A short break, just to fully focus and say "My Father God" has great power. I recommend it. 

And this gets us on our way to what the Psalmist is talking about in #119. All knowledge, all wisdom, all learning, all excellence . . . begins with a simple acknowledgement of God. 

Humanity 2.0

 I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts . . . 

   - From Jeremiah 31

Why would a loving God just let us continue forever in sin, evil, and death?

Exactly. 

But the people that ask such questions always tend to be the last to welcome this opportunity to rid the earth of evil. (By the way . . . why are they always only concerned about evil in the world, without ever mentioning death at the end of all lives as the true problem?)

They don't want God's law written on their hearts. They don't want to be changed. If they're the cause of evil in the world (even a little bit) they don't want to know it. They don't even consider it. They are incapable of thinking about it. 

Their solution to the world's problems is "Somebody take care of it. Somebody that's not me. Because I am as I am and I will never change."

Right.

God gives us the chance to change, and to be the people that, if we're truly honest and truly caring, we actually want to be. Don't you want to become immortal? Don't you want to have perfect control over your thoughts and words? Why is there resistance to this?

God's solution is something like an upgrade. We are still who we always are, but better. We still laugh and love. Except that we will live forever and we won't go around making others miserable. 

Jeremiah got this. The "crying prophet," whose life was awash in sadness - probably to the point of clinical depression - had to rejoice in thinking about God's plan to upgrade creation. 

And that means, all of us. 

Feet

He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet.

 - From Luke 17

At first the ten lepers kept their distance from everybody, especially Jesus. They didn't have global corporations funding research into contagious and deadly skin diseases, breaking down the viruses and bacteria at the cellular level, artificially mutating them, developing antidotes and vaccines on the side (just in case); maybe accidentally releasing some viral agent into the community - with of course, not even a faint wink or nod in the direction of stock values.

They just knew that they needed to keep their distance, and there was enough regard for authority of any kind that they paid particular attention to staying clear of the Lord. 

But after He healed them, one of them came running back, a Samaritan (or, someone from a religious or social sect considered beneath the Judeans). This Samaritan was no longer concerned about social distancing. He had been healed!

When you've been sick, you take care to recover and not spread your ailment to others. 

But the goal is always to get well. Your objective is to get things back to normal. We are a problem-solving and creative creature. The goal is normalcy, predictability, steadiness, structure, and routine. We need those things in order to do the value-added and life-enriching activities, like hobbies and the arts, that make life worth living. 

We want to be normal. As soon as we are well, we immediately forget that we're sick. We go back to normal behavior where we no longer see others as pariahs, but rather, we embrace closeness to others and even throw ourselves at each other's feet!

We're okay now. We're well. We're healed. We're safe.

We should be running back to the attitude of being okay . . . and even dive at the feet of anything, or anybody, that represents normal.

Wrangle

 . . . and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words.

 - From 2 Timothy 2

I have to admit, I had to go and double-check the definition of the word "wrangle." I always assumed that I knew what it meant. It seems like it had some connection to working on a horse ranch; or shepherding a herd of wild horses. Cowboys are wranglers, because they're outside with lassos and chaps. Wrangler is a popular brand of blue jeans . . . with a really cool "Old West"-looking logo. 

But if I had to provide an accurate and concise definition, without looking it up, I couldn't.

Paul warned us not to wrangle over words. 

Wordnik.com offers this definition: To quarrel noisily or angrily.

Now that I can understand. 

It is in the nature of my own distinct understanding of Scripture. that it draws a lot of wranglers into my vicinity, if all I do is assert an honest tenet of my beliefs. 

Facebook is a haven for digital wranglers. People argue for the sake of arguing, or to make sure other people can see how bright, or articular, or smart, or well-read, or terse, or glib they are. It seems like that's all that happens on Facebook: wrangling. 

Wrangling is arguing that has no point. It is two or more people trying to outwit each other, getting themselves hatefully cross at each other. And "hatefully" is a deliberate and accurate characterization of what's going on. 

We're training ourselves how to hate. 

We will contend with evil. We will use words from Holy Spirit, in defending our faith. We will counter-punch when someone takes a verbal jab at God and His Son. 

But we must resist wrangling with other believers (for this weakens the Body). We must not wrangle with unbelievers either. Pointless, vain disputes that are no less than virtue signaling, and that really are unseemly attempts at drawing attention to oneself. 

That's all it is. Let's not wrangle. 

Study

 Great are the deeds of the Lord! they are studied by all who delight in them.

 - From Psalm 111

This is something that I do not do, enough:

Study

I need to study the music that I am supposed to be preparing for performance, with other people, in ensembles, for audiences. Don't just practice - study.

This requires me to listen to recordings of the music. Maybe read up on the back story. Collaborate with the other artists involve. Have practice sessions with them, that go deeper into the music than a formal rehearsal (you should be well-oiled and well-prepped by the time you get to rehearsal).

I need to study the news. I need to study the problems of my friends and family. Research. Understand. Empathize. 

I need to study the problems that I am going through. Learn their labels. Understand root causes. Talk to others dealing with the same thing. 

Studying is the opposite of ignoring. It gets you beyond simple awareness. You study so that you can know, and know well. You study in order to memorize. Your studying makes important concepts get locked away into your heart and conscience. Study can remake you into a better person. Study is necessary for continual personal improvement. 

Every moment is an opportunity to study something: a problem, a virtue, a milestone; something outside ourselves. Something that connects us to the world around us. Things that are not simply what's going on between our ears. 

Study = presence of mind. It equals perspective. It equals wisdom. It equals perspective. And it equals humility. 

So study. 

Jerusalem

 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget it's skill.

 - From Psalm 137

And once again, today, the Scripture reference brings to mind a favorite song from way back. In 1978, this version of Rivers of Babylon, by Boney M, received some considerable airplay. Detroit's J.P. McCarthy, of WJR AM-760, had it on his regular playlist for much of the year. This is where I first heard it, and loved it instantly. 

The sentiment stuck with me. This longing for a homeland that had been stolen from us. We had been conquered and dispersed: we, who had enjoyed such freedom and wealth for so many years. We, who had been the world's breadbox, the source of unlimited relief for the world's disasters. We, who had led artistic advancements for centuries, enriching the lives of people all over the globe. 

For whatever reason, Babylon hated us, and as soon as it had the capability, swept across the ancient world and dashed us to ruins, took our spoils, scattered us throughout the known world, and almost wiped us from the history pages, for good. 

Babylon, as powerful as it was, could not have done this without help from some of our countrymen. You have to weaken the culture, the families, the institutions - - - all of that which is the foundation of any great society. Every society has greedy and envious people - even the good ones! They had their own form of hate against us: their brothers, sisters, and neighbors. Because of slights or perceived insults from long ago, they were all too willing to participate in bringing us low, destroying our freedoms and quality of life along with our wealth. The impact was also to harm countries throughout the world that relied on us for protection and markets. 

We hear beautiful songs like The Rivers of Babylon, and find in its inspiration, a misplaced desire to have what they had - - - epic and heroic experiences that led to such songs of aspiration and hope. 

But that too is misplaced. 

You should never want the destruction of your own society. You should never want ruin for your own kin, your own neighbors, your own people. 

It's better to live in a free and prosperous land . . . than to have to remember what it was like. 

Redeems

 He redeems your life from the grave . . . 

 - From Psalm 103

This is the great Psalm that inspired Andrae Crouch to write this classic. My memories of it go back to my glorious decade, the 1980s, in which I spent every summer at one or two church camps. I had a crash course in the epic new Christian contemporary music being recorded, with regularity.

In the 1980s, my music genre of choice was Christian Contemporary. For ten years, I didn't really want to listen to anything else. 

Imagine David's musical renderings of his Psalms! We will have front-row seats at a praise concert in eternity, where King David, in his youthful form, sings them for us. Except he maybe joined on stage with the Imperials, Elvis, and Johnny Cash! Or maybe the reader, or I, will be asked to join!

Eternity is alluded to in the Psalm, as it should be. Our lives have been redeemed from the grave. This means that, although we may die and be placed in a grave; we will yet rise again when our sleeping bodies hear the Trumpet, and the voice of our Lord: "ARISE!"

Bless the Lord, indeed!

Land

 . . . the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring . . . . 

 - From Genesis 28

If you want to get close to the Truth of God, a good starting point is always, to find out what agitates God's adversaries. 

Take the high-profile, high-volume scoffers, complainers, skeptics, pleasure-lovers, and overall mockers of the Church (especially the evangelical Church), and find out which concepts, quotations, and memes get them dropping f-bombs in the least amount of time. 

Start there. These people will give you many clues as to where God may be coming from. That is, if you take the opposite view of the scoffers. 

Land policy has become a big deal in our time. Land has been big since the beginning of world history, which basically, is about the acquisition of territory. And if you get at the root of it, it's not so much because people are so bad (which they are). The root is in the reality that people are so insecure. We crave safety (look at how easily the concept of "safe" was invoked, to move the masses around like pawns during 2020-early 2022). 

We want property because we want to feel safe. Give me a large house with sturdy walls. Let there be good locks on the doors, and let me have other means to protect myself and my family. Let my property be large enough that it would take some effort to get from the street to an entry point.

Cul-de-sacs are preferred, because there is only one point of ingress and egress. 

In 2022, the powerful people are insecure and need to feel more safe. They want the masses living in concentrated high-rises, with shared open space, and their basic needs provided. They want there to be a zone between the people-concentrations and the remotely-placed neighborhoods of the rich and powerful. 

They want safety.

Greed has been used to make people envious of property, out of selfish (not good) motives. Historical land policies have been referenced, to marginalize the haves as beneficiaries of evil land-grabs . . . . so that their land may be seized from them, in turn. And so on, and so on . . . . 

On a less cynical note: It has been placed in our hearts to love the land. The spread of Western ideals has always had at its foundation, the desire that as many people as possible may live in freedom, with, yes, land. In the end we know that safety is best attained by expanding plenty, and giving people room to grow, and thrive. We may have concentrations of people in cities. But we want anybody, that wants to, to be able to acquire land. 

This idea, that land possession is a good thing, works when it is possessed by people that love freedom and prosperity (for all). And we need to get away from the notion that land policy through history has been totally and only evil. The benefits of the expansion of love and freedom are enabled via a growing territory of people that love those principles. 

Therefore, land is always offered, in God's plan, as a way to consolidate His family and His Kingdom, and as a way to provide for his children what they want, what we all want: A place to live in peace, safety, and prosperity. 

Why Sinners?

Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?

 - From Matthew 9 

It's bad enough when serious Bible students misquote, or misinterpret, something from Scripture. It seems to happen with rapidly increasing frequency, as History propels itself forward (or backward).

But in our time of shaming, guilting, and canceling, we suddenly have scoffers, doubters, and general adversaries of the Church going around quoting Scripture (where have I read about this before? God's adversary quoting Scripture?)

Especially this one quoted above - a famous incident where Jesus is seen having dinner with "sinners." Modern anti-Christians love to point this one out. 

But they miss the point. Entirely. 

Hard Scriptures, about acceptance and tolerance, or about how to be "nice, "good human beings," or about Real Love, or Godly Love, or how not to be a hypocrite . . . are never intended as fodder so that God's adversaries can make sport of imperfect people trying to follow Christ. They are not meant for professing Christians (especially of the celebrity variety) to virtue-signal by way of attacking other believers so that they may appear politically correct to "cool" and powerful people in society. 

They are not to be used as leverage that will ensure that we are "liked" by all the "right" people (even if that means we sever godly bonds with members of the Body of Christ). 

If a Scriptural passage causes you to look down on other believers, or any other people, while feeling righteous for your own sake . . . you're missing the point. You're reading it wrong. 

It's supposed to make you squirm. Yes you, the reader. 

You get the point by putting in the place of "sinners," people that you would not sup with, because, you know, you're such a good person. 

That means, for most people crowing about why Jesus ate with "sinners," in the year 2022, they have to put "MAGA" people in the place of "sinners." Because, clearly, those are the people that they consider subhuman. 

If you want to understand why some people are racists, start by understanding why there are people you can't stand. Because both are at the root of why we would marginalize anybody.

There was a time when Science actually researched this, and reported it.

Training

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness . . . 

 - From 2 Timothy 3

Through the years, I ebb and flow between extremes of being too laissez-faire about life, to being constantly stressed out, for no apparent reason. I guess most people are like that, maybe all. 

The common thread among the bad extremes, is a lack of Bible Study and prayer. In fact, my entire life clearly has suffered, to some degree, due to my not placing a hard priority upon alone time in the Word, and with the Lord. 

The Bible is the Bread of Life. It just is. When I have been studying it, reflecting upon it, and praying in response to it, I do way better. It is true that I come under attack when I am in the Word (God's adversaries do not want any of us studying His Word). But I can withstand these attacks if I am bolstered in the Word of God. 

Last Spring, I launched and led an online Bible study that may have been more important to my well-being than I realized. Obviously, God wants us doin things like that. But upon its conclusion in mid-July, I shifted gears towards a career path that would make me largely unavailable to lead such an activity, for a very long time. I began to be troubled, anxious, and unsettled. By Labor Day the anxiety was pronounced, to the point that it was feeling more like sadness, or maybe Depression. 

God wants me in His Word, and He wants me ministering to others, through it. 

The Word of God is peace. It's also a hard instrument that rounds us out and hews our talents and skills, for service to God. It is when we let God teach us, reprove us, correct us, and train us, that we can become righteous. And without righteousness, there is no peace of mind. There is only a troubled spirit that cannot lift itself out of its morass. 

Feed on the Word today, and move forward. 

Trumpets

With trumpets and the sound of the horn shout with joy before the King, the Lord.

 - From Psalm 98

I am troubled today, with the problem of: "What now?" 

I allowed myself to take a detour in my career path, which should today be at a point of some ease and comfort. An opportunity was presented last spring, which had some prospect of solving some problems. 

But there are other developments this year, that may solve those bigger problems, but with less trouble. My decision came with great opportunity cost. I have had to give up several projects that I love very much. Projects that were getting close to completion, but must now be put on hold indefinitely.

The path I chose has been wrought with heavy anxiety on my part. My heart is troubled, tossed, and turned. There is no relief to it. I get a few moments of reprieve each night, but as the sun goes down my anxiety at what I must get up (super early) and do all over again, the next day, begins to ruin my evening. 

Other experiences that I had looked forward to, for five years, have also been put on hold, and it is in their nature, that I will never have another chance like this, to enjoy the life-enriching moments. 

Today's post is vague. It does not provide details. 

But the scripture talks about shouting before the Lord with trumpet, horns, harps . . . with clapping, etc. 

I entertain the idea that God wants me keeping music at the forefront. 

Saved

Turn to me and be saved . . . 

 - From Isaiah 45

Saved . . . from what?

A pastor once posited this question to me. We were discussing how to share the gospel with people that see no need?

Over time that has seemed ridiculous to me. At the most basic, we need to be saved from Death. The person that doesn't believe Death is a problem is naïve and a fool. There simply is no logical reason not to want to continue living. The only reason anything in life is hard, is because life will end and we feel our time is limited. 

Every problem we are facing has at the root, the fear of dying; or of dying before we're ready. But when are you really ever ready to die?

My Dad was ready to die. But if he were give one more day, without pain, he would have taken it. The elderly feel the passage of time profoundly. They want to milk what time they have left. 

This is why we should make life as wonderful as possible, for the aged, and not just leave them alone in their memories and grief (so awkward for us to deal with, yet it is our fate too).

The anxiety and sadness that is presently my continual struggle following covid, comes from my own mortality. This morning, I am considering one or two momentous and risky decisions; that will have a permanent impact. Am I seeking an easy way out, or am I finally responding to the Lord, in faith, to what He wants for me?

I approached Scripture today, seeking an answer. 

The answer is this: no matter what it is: God saves us. 

One Sinner

 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.

 - From Luke 15

I've got power that you can't see
God is living inside of me
I can fight any enemy
Cause God and I make a majority

These lyrics, from the first release of the New Gaither Vocal Band, circa 1984, was always one of my favorites. It hit the airwaves while I was a grad student at Texas Christian University. Here it is, right here.

And so it occurred to me, that God is not about democracy. The only reason humans have democracy, is to give us a system of government, hopefully, to keep the most people, at any one time, mostly content with their government. Peace is better than continual rebellion. Therefore, we have democracy. 

But God is not a pro-democracy being. The gospel message is always about The One. Truth, and real love, is ever found within decreasing circles of faithful believers. Christ took only three with him to Transfiguration: Peter, John and James, his inner circle. And so this is another critical element needed within sustainable democracies: 

You must protect the One.

We have gotten away from that. Democracy this, democracy that. Meanwhile, lone whistleblowers are mocked, cast aside, ruined, canceled. Small groups of people asking legitimate questions are treated like dirt. 

This is why the Kingdom of Heaven rejoices at one sinner that repents: 

Because God places the One ahead of the Many. 

Refresh. Please.

Refresh my heart in Christ. . . . 

 - From Philemon

Earlier today, it occurred to me, that I do not like the current fad of "boundaries."

I was first recommended a book called "Boundaries," by Henry Cloud and John Townsend, by a pastor. I noticed, during the next several years, that he would refer to this book frequently. 

The premise is this: We all have boundaries and have a right to expect others to observe them. We do this for our own wellness, and we do not need to feel guilty about it. It gives people permission to say "no" to others that ask them for help or other favors. And in saying "no," you can believe yourself to be a virtuous person that, by taking care of yourself first (like airplane passengers providing emergency air to people around them, after they have taken care of themselves) you're actually able to help more people in the long run. 

But I don't think the concept of boundaries is playing out that way, any more. People seem to be claiming boundaries all the time now, for any reason. More and more, it just seems like they're insisting on boundaries, mostly because they don't feel like being nice right now. 

I cannot square the boundaries concept with servant, or selfless love. With a couple of noteworthy exceptions (exceptions that prove the rule) Jesus didn't go around insisting people observe His boundaries. He was selfless, and had a servant's heart. 

In Paul's letter to Philemon, he comes out and asks Philemon to respond to the letter, to welcome Onesimus into his house, basically, to bless Paul, make good things happen, make Paul feel great about Philemon and his household. 

Do this for me. 

Because, if we want to grow in our strength and effectiveness, we are going to have to have people watching our back, even to a sacrificial level. Paul does this. Take care of me. 

And then later on today, a friend actually called on me to bless her when she was feeling down and needed encouragement. 

Boundaries are okay. They need to be respected. But not to the degree we've taken it, in 2022. We still need each other desperately. 

Rubbish

When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day. 

 - From 1 Corinthians 4

We now understand the source of hate against Christians. Over the past fifty years, the institutionalized Church in the Western world has gone from being the source of bedrock virtues in our communities: Freedom of Speech, respect and dignity for all, the advance of equality, equity, and justice in human history. And it was even understood that you could not have righteousness, justice, freedom and peace, without an equal portion of the practice of moral purity, as a lifestyle of discipline and self-denial. 

If you wanted to live in a free society, you'd better have something good to say about such things as abstinence and sobriety. You can't have justice without purity. 

For two hundred years, we enjoyed the fruits of a very favorable social construct: if the Church advanced, life improved for the greatest, and most diverse mix of the overall population. 

It just did. And we all got it. 

But in a world dominated by constant visual stimulation and instant gratification, materialism and unfiltered language, victimization of The Other and glorification of party spirit and bias, it became harder and harder to just expect people to understand why purity and self-denial are good things. 

Absent any restraining factor, humanity - blessed with so many options and the power to make moral choices - began to choose more and more, whatever feels good, whatever turns on the most feel-good hormones in as little time as possible. It became impossible to distinguish feeling good from Goodness, itself. 

Without an overall sense of the value of a healthy and prominent Church, it is degraded in the eyes of the public, as a powerful institution that only exists to get in the way of our fun, and our feelings. 

Was the first generation Church subjected to unspeakable horrors and tortures? 

In 2022, it's getting easier to understand how easily that can happen, even in "progressive," "advanced" generations. 

From The Deadly

He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence. 

 - From Psalm 91

I am a Friday morning regular at a local downtown coffee shop, and have been going there since almost the day it opened, in 1997. My Dad missed very few mornings, during the 7:00am hour, between 1997 and 2017, the year of his death. The group of regulars, of which Dad was a member, still frequents the place, every morning. Some are snowbirds that disappear between October and April. But a few year-round locals keep the tradition alive.

In the late summer, in 2020, the coffee shop began to open back up after being closed since March, except for pick up orders and people that would sit outside. The world was still in the grip of fear - fear brought on by worries of a great viral outbreak to rival history's worst. 

I refused to discuss the details of my health practices regarding the prevention of illness. I kept my own counsel and sustained the habits that had kept me healthy for decades. I had my own disease prevention regimen that had kept me going, through the good and bad, despite the panics attending every horrible "outbreak" that had been occurring, on almost an annual basis, every year of the new century.

I did some trial and error, and in my own experience, discovered that I caught the flu every year that I received the vaccination, but remained untouched by illness, during winters that I did not receive the flu vaccination. At first I tried it on a lark, by declining a shot one year. I spent half the year in fear that I would develop an extreme case of the flu. I didn't.

And so I made it into a multi-year experiment. And the hypothesis held: On years that I took the shot, I got sick. Medical reports and national news agencies may report one thing, in support of public health. But my own personal experience was telling me something different. Perhaps I was lucky, or not prone to illnesses. Or maybe the regimen discussed in the second paragraph prior to this, actually works. 

But here's the main point: I have noticed that even Christians are afraid to boldly declare that they need no artificial help staying healthy, because God will take care of them. And while it is true that He does, it is also true that many people asserting this faith still get sick, some even to the point of death. God's will for our protection still operates in a very dangerous world where the only sure thing for the believer is that, if they lose a mortal battle in this life, they will win eternally by waking up on the other side, forever. 

Just try to claim God's protection in today's modern woke culture. They can ruin you. 

One of the coffee regulars tried to get me to answer a few questions that are really nobody's business but that were way too common between 2020 and early 2022. I will leave it to the reader's imagination to discern those questions. But my answer was always true, and sincere: "I haven't been sick since before March 13, 2020. Whatever I'm doing, it must be right." One of the regulars heard me say that once, tapped on the wooden bench and said "Knock on wood." It has been two more years and I can still say that. 

Someday I will get sick. I actually kind of hope I do because sickness is a part of life. It's a part of human growth. 

But when the Bible says God will protect you from the deadly pestilence, go ahead and believe it. And let the cynical words of others just roll off your back. 

Cause

 . . . so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

 - From Isaiah 61

Three important words from this excerpt:

• Cause
• Righteousness
• Nations

Cause: Because apparently humanity is unable to do it on its own. Humanity, as a class, may not even want to do it. We don't even know what righteousness is (see below). It is the permanent answer to the question "Why would a loving God allow such evil?"

He won't. Eventually His desire for peace and righteousness will outweigh His desire to let us make our own decisions and set our own courses . . . and He will act. He will cause us to be righteous. 

Righteousness: People think they know what "righteousness" is. They don't. The person that clamors for "justice" is horrible to her own grandmother. The guy that pontificates about racism is skilled in acting in racist ways against people with different political views, or values, or with fewer college degrees. Respected people in the arts, the sciences, academia, and the law, are lifelong bullies, getting away with horrible acts towards others, even winning the praise of the masses, for their "toughness." School-aged kids are encouraged to stand alone, in courage, when the time comes - - - but are treated like dirt by the same people that encouraged them, once they step out for truth. Righteousness isn't even close to any one of us. 

Nations: All peoples, all tribes, all families, all nations. Everybody in the world will finally know righteousness. It will finally be okay. And everybody's going to know it. No person, no nation can escape the eternal reign of righteousness. 

Righeousness is goodness. It is the lack of badness. It is happiness, fairness, and plenty, for all. Everybody gets listened to. Everybody treats others as their betters. Everybody serves everybody else. Nobody fights. We forbear with one another. We build one another up. Everybody. That's righteousness. 

It's not what the world in 2022 calls "good." It's not what the world in 2022 calls "fair." It's not what the world in 2022 calls "love." 

But it is . . . actually . . . GOOD. FAIR. And LOVE. Real Good. Real Fair. And Real Love. Not the kind that's actually, sugar-coated selfishness ("if it feels good"). 

But real, true, eternal, righteousness. 

And it should be clear by now: we're not having it, unless God causes it. 

Treasure

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also . . . 

 - From Luke 12

My life does not have a lot to show for it, in terms of material possessions. 

I remember my days working on my MBA, at Texas Christian University between 1982 and 1985. I took all of those classes, and completed all of the requirements. But almost every day, every step, I would think to myself "You have to be motivated to make a lot of money to do this. That doesn't motivate me."

That's not a good profile for a business major.

My years in the corporate world were predictable. It was always easy for me to get hired. I have an honest, approachable demeanor. I am a highly creative type of person - - - but follow-through was always my Achilles heal, my Big Disappointment. And I never saw anything as urgent. I kept thinking about the eternal view. And there has never been a priority in the for-profit world, that had importance in Eternity. 

I wanted to teach. To make music. To produce educational and entertaining programs. 

With all of these limitations, however, I believe that I did manage to have some stellar highpoints between 1988 and 2002: the years that I was focused on a career in business. But that's a story for my other blog, "The Boulder."

Passages like this, words from the Lord, in Luke, always grounded me and made me thinking I was actually okay. Everything will be alright. My Treasure is NOT on things of this world. It just isn't. Sometimes I feel the Eternal realm within reach of me. It's sights and sounds (sometimes, or so I imagine) are almost totally real to me. I am aware of the higher dimension; and of the place where Christ and glorified people made immortal, reside. 

If you just don't see the urgency, the importance, the pressure, the stress, the hyper-focus on things of this world, then look up! You are in good company!

Shining

You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place . . . 

 - From 2 Peter

When you're in a dark place, a light is like food to the hungry. If you ever wake up in the middle of the night, with a troubled heart, you yearn to put a light on. You might even turn on every light on the house. Maybe put the TV on, get something to eat. You might act as though it's mid-day, to give yourself the sense that things are normal in the world. It takes light to do that. 

This is what makes campfires so mesmerizing. They stand out in the middle of a darkened wooded area. You gather around it with your friends, and it lights up everyone's faces with a yellowy glow. It evokes something like the sense of Moses' shiny face, when he came down the mountain, from talking to God. 

It is easy to be drawn to a light in the dark. It's very clear to our spirits: when darkness is all around you, you're drawn to a light. Your face emits light. Without us even knowing it, this feature of our bodies gives us some help if we get separated from each other, in the dark. Listen, focus, be still - - - and you might find yourself drawn to others, visually, based only on the mostly imperceptible glow from their faces. (Now, if you don't be afraid. If you find cheerfulness, if you can smile . . . it might make the glow even more brilliant, enough so that it does visually help others trying to find you).

Put on a happy face: Let your light shine. Have faith. Smile . . . even when you don't want to. And soon, the smile itself will be sincere and authentic. 

Focus on the words of the Lord. Focus like you do, when you're in a dark place, and someone flicks on a light. Because . . . that's exactly what's going on. 

Called

. . . they called upon the Lord, and he answered them. 

 - From Psalm 99

It is a truism of my life. The closer I am to God, the less troubled I feel. Paradoxically, though, the closer I am to God, the more troubles come my way. But this too is a paradox.

You draw near to the Lord, and you feel more peace. But at the same time, you come under greater attack from the evil one and his minions in the world. 

When I draw away from the Lord, my own spirit troubles me. Over time, it affects me physically. The most common symptom of separation from the Lord, is a sense of deep anxiety. My heart races. I get troubled. I awake in the middle of the night, sometimes fearing a panic attack. I go from one thing to the next. I do busy work. I crank up the music. I jog. I watch TV. I sit and watch the computer screen, too much. I feel troubled and nervous. 

And then I'll realize that I had not been praying. I had not been reading His word. I have not done anything reflective for so long. 

I may go for long periods in doubt about the reality of God and of Christ. I may be questioning my faith. I may even be intellectually satisfying my human impulse to just believe it's all not true and that I may walk away. 

But eventually, the anxiety returns. And I am not well again, until I pray, study His word. 

And stop. Just stop. 

This is what it means to call upon the Lord. And when He answers (and he does), it restores your faith, and begins to fill you with peace and confidence. 

Shiny

Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God . . . 

 - From Exodus 34

I've always wondered if the face of Moses continued to shine, every time he had spoken with God. Did people just get used to Moses' shiny face? Or did he speak to God, face to face, fewer times as he got older, and did his face shine less?

Did other Biblical figures, that had been in God's presence, also have shining faces? Did Adam's face shine? Did Jesus have a shiny face?

I think that Jesus' face probably did not shine. He had to be totally approachable to all people. When you look(ed) upon Jesus, you would see someone that looks a lot like yourself, in your fallen, quite human state. 

But there was something about Jesus, though. There was something about Him, that drew people to him. His face may not have shone, physically, but it always shone inwardly, spiritually. He had a magnetism. His face was beautiful. 

There's a story about Abraham Lincoln, during his Presidency. He would see visitors every day, at an appointed time. People would line up for the chance to shake the hands of the President, and chat with him for a while (this is a practice that never should have been so limited). There was a little girl that waited for her turn. Her parents had prepared her ahead of time: "Now do not be shocked. The President is ugly. Be polite when you see him." But as soon as she greeted him and heard him speak a few words to her, she turned to her parents and said "Oh he's not ugly at all! He's beautiful!"

Jesus affects us something like that. 

I remember a conversation I had with my cousin, Larry Johnson, about forty years ago. We were talking about Christian women. That even those that were not "pretty," as the world defines it, were still quite attractive in this way. I began to explain it to Larry. I said "There's just . . . " and he finished my sentence ". . . something about them." And I replied "Yes!"

And I could go on and on. The glow on Jesus' face was illustrated throughout history, especially in medieval and Renaissance times, by way of the circular arc drawn around His head. But all holy people might also have such, if they were deemed holy enough. There was an aura about Him. 

Moses came down with his face shining, for "he had been with God." He had a twinkle in his eye. A spring in his step. Our faces are the part of our bodies that emit the most light. And Moses simply had more of it. 

I wonder about this recent phenomenon among a certain class of politicians, to do something to their facial skin, that makes it "shine." Except it's the kind of shininess of Moses, or Christ. It's a plastic, waxen look, like the Jim Carrey character in The Mask. It looks fake. And I have wondered why they would do this? I also noted that the waxy-face look came into vogue about the same time politicians were telling everyone to wear masks. And it also seemed like the ones most likely to push the mask mandate, were also the ones most likely to have the wax faces. I've wondered if they were trying to affect the look of Moses . . . but without actually having been in God's presence.

But that's another topic . . . 

Chosen

This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him! 

 - From Luke 9

At the Transfiguration, Jesus is seen speaking with two men, whom the three Apostles recognized as Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets. They may have been discussing the tie-in of Christ to those two Old Testament figures and all that they represent. Perhaps Elijah was whisked away to another time when he was carried away on the chariot. Perhaps Moses, when on the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments and the Law, was translated to that moment with Christ . . . or maybe Moses appeared in connection with the time spoken of in Jude, where Michael and Satan disputed over the body of Moses? He would have had to be resurrected in order to appear with Christ, in real time. 

The Three Apostles were moved, and in their exuberance wanted to erect three tents, or tabernacles, or edifices - one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for Christ. But they are corrected by the voice of God, to focus on Christ only.

And yet, down to the present time, we still build our edifices, named after a human; idols made with hands, glorifying someone other than Christ (St. James Episcopal Church," "St. Paul Lutheran," etc. 

I wonder if our distractions away from Christ, as well intended as they may be, are the root cause of so much discord on earth? The lost and watching world looks to Christ, but sees dispute rather than unity. 

And that's on us. 

Earthly

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly . . . 

 - From Colossians 3

Occasionally, my post will be almost entirely directly lifted from Scripture. And I will ask the reader to just read through it, apply it to today. Let the words have their plainest, truest meaning. Let the words be uncomfortable, or unpopular, or unwoke, or illiberal, or reactionary . . . whatever. But them mean what they mean. And then consider: what is it about these concepts that make them spiritual, holy, desirable?

What is it about them that makes them anti-selfishness? What is it about them that, if followed faithfully and truthfully, would actually yield societies and cultures that are free, prosperous, and where the people generally are happy? 

So here is a simple list from today's reading . . . of traits and behaviors that we should NOT do, as the practice of them is selfish, leads to trouble, creates discord among people, is destructive, and actually leads to death. 

What NOT to do . . . 

• Fornication
• Impurity
• Passion
• Evil desire
• Greed
• Anger
• Wrath
• Malice
• Slander
• Abusive language
• Lying

Stupid

. . . like the dull and stupid they perish . . . 

 - From Psalm 49

I've always marveled at the lure of the crowd. 

I come from a proud tradition of people that willfully, even spitefully, resisted popular movements and people. I learned to disdain Groupthink at a young age. As a boy in my neighborhood, I feared and abhorred the crowd more than the toughest bully. A bully is one person. I have a better chance against him, than against the random, morphing, fleeting, highly emotional mob. 

We kids would "gang up" on anyone absent, for no reason at all. The spell of Groupthink is too overwhelming. 

I have observed it among adults as well. In college. In the workplace. In organizations. In neighborhoods. 

Indeed, the one place where I have felt safe from the threat of gangs, crowds, and the mob, is in the family. You're stuck in your family. You cannot be kicked out. Sure, your parents may disown you . . . but they will always be your mom and dad. DNA doesn't lie. I will always be a full member of dozens of different families (even hundreds) brought into being by my ancestors. 

We follow crowds perhaps, exactly because the bully is their leader. Or maybe because they are numerous enough to pound down bullies. Or maybe they have wealth behind them, and can do cool things. Perhaps they get on TV and in tabloids. They are "popular." They also are very, very cruel.

And so we believe whatever the crowd wants us to believe. 

We have learned, since 2020, that the masses can do whatever we want them to do, with a skilled enough of a campaign, packaging the message just so. There comes a point where no one will stand up to the prevailing narrative. No one. And people will even be convinced that this is how they felt, all along. 

The solution is utter freedom of speech, and of conscience, for all. 

The Psalmist alludes to this. None of us end up better off than any of the others. We all wind up in the grave. We're all going to die. And in the line that I referenced, it says that the wise are no better than the stupid. 

Your cool President in 2014 is no better than your outsider President in 2018. And he's no better than your woke President in 2022. The oaf, the moron, the anointed, the pedo, the buffoon, the dealer, the golden boy . . . none is any better than any of the others . . . in the end. 

So again . . . maybe Freedom of conscience and of speech are the way to go, to be safe, to move forward, to avoid making horrible mistakes. 

And we do want safety, right?