Will Mary Never Get a Break?

     After the Maji left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up. Take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 

     Poor Mary. Now what?

     Joseph got up in the night and they left for Egypt. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."  

      Well, you know how it went. Herod slew a number of young Bethlehem children in the hope one of them was the one chosen to replace him. A couple years later the angel gave Joseph the all-clear. 

     They returned to the land of Israel, and settled in Nazareth, in Galilee.

     Mary finally caught a break.

Tomorrow: prophecy fulfilled

     

Can Herod Slay His Rival?

     In Matthew chapter 2, King Herod called together all the chief priests and teachers of the law, asking them where the Christ was to be born. 

     "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel." 

     Herod learned the exact time the star had appeared in Judah. Then he sent the Magi to Bethlehem , telling them to find the child, let him (apparently the couple had returned to the city of birth) know where, and he, Herod, would also go "to worship." 

     The Magi continued following the star, until it stopped over the place - now a house - where the child was. Finding Mary and the child, they bowed down and worshiped. 

     Enter a dream from heaven. The Magi were warned not to visit Herod, but to return to their country by another route. 

Tomorrow: another dream

     

 

 

Fulfilling Prophecy 

     A few more interesting notes concerning the virgin, Mary. It didn't take long for this journey to take an off ramp. 

     On the eighth day, Mary and Joseph took the baby to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, as it was written in the Law of the Lord (Luke 2:23). Every firstborn male was to be consecrated to the Lord. 

     Continuing in Luke 2, there was a man (Simeon) who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. In fact, the Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 

     In the temple courts, Simeon took the child and prayed to the "Sovereign Lord" regarding his promise kept..."for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 

     Joseph and Mary "marveled at what was said about" their child. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too" (Luke 2:34-35). 

     From this we turn to Matthew chapter 2. While Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus were planning to go to Nazareth, "Magi from the East" had followed a star (no interstates then) having heard that "the king of the Jews" had been born. They came with gifts, asking where to find the new king. When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed. 

Tomorrow: Herod wants Mary's child dead

 Oh, the crowd! 

     Jesus was drawing large crowds with his teaching and healing power. One day Mary his mother and his brothers tried to catch up with him. When told they were outside, wanting to see him, Jesus said, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's Word and put it into practice" (Luke chapter 8).

     Wow! Did the family ever see him? What did they want to tell him anyway? Or ask him! 

     John chapter 19: Jesus had brought Lazarus to life after four days in a tomb. Officials, losing their grip on the people, saw this not as amazing, good news, but a final straw that might trigger the Romans to take full control of Judea. (The Romans did just that anyway, a few decades later.)

     They arrested Jesus one night, sent him to Pilate's court, and prodded onlookers to demand his crucifixion. It worked. 

     Suffering on his cross, Jesus saw his mother, Mary, now probably nearing age 50. Her sister was there. And John, the only disciple with the courage to attend this sordid event. 

     Jesus addressed Mary, "Dear woman, here is your son." And to John, "Here is your mother." 

     How did Mary know about this? Was she still living in Nazareth? Did she follow the same 90-mile route to Jerusalem/Bethlehem she had traveled three decades earlier as a virgin with her unborn baby?

Tomorrow: fulfilling prophecy  

  

 TUESDAY NIGHT

Mary, didga know? 

     You may be familiar with this Christmas song about virgin Mary and what she may or may not have known. Assumption is that she was still in her teens when an angel gave her an assignment like no other.

     She learned that her son would be called "Immanuel," God with us (Isaiah 7:14). Jesus at age 12. The family in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, headed home with numerous other travelers. When Jesus was missing, they returned frantically, to find him in discussions with teachers of the law. His reply, "Don't you know I must be about my Father's business." 

     Mary must have wondered about this "good news of great joy" she was raising.

     Jesus was 30 before he went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John, a distant relative. Did he tell his mother where he was going? Did she learn on "the evening news" that the Holy Spirit took him from the Jordan right into the desert for 40 days and nights?

     Jesus and his mother were guests at a wedding reception. She knew he was ready for his mission. When the wine was gone, she told the host that Jesus would take care of it. Jesus said, "Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come." But soon after, the wine barrels were full, and it was the best tasting of all. 

Tomorrow: Separated by the crowd

     

The Day After Christmas  

     While many rush to stores the day after, to exchange gifts that didn't quite give, we look back to... What happened 2,000-plus years ago that we make such a big deal out of it...at the mall? Or, by Amazon Prime? 

     In the book of Luke, an angel named Gabriel appeared to Mary, a virgin, who was engaged to marry Joseph, a descendant of David. He said "you are highly favored," and that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and she will "name the child Jesus...because he will save his people from their sins." 

     Both Matthew and Luke agree unequivocally that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 

     Throughout history, kingship, inheritance and such always included a man as head. This would be different. 

     Jesus would also be called the Son of the Most High and inherit the throne of his father David, and "he will reign over the house of Jacob forever." 

     Mary and Joseph later had sons the normal way. She is greatly respected for her character, and because she was chosen for such an honor. We don't worship her, rather, her child, the newborn king. 

     In the book of Matthew, Jesus was also called Immanuel, which means God with us (Isaiah 7:14), written hundreds of years earlier.

     Mary's son was rejected and crucified.

     God's calling is always both blessing and suffering...joy and sadness...success and disappointment. 

Tomorrow: water into wine

  

        

Silent night, holy night,

All is calm, all is bright.

Round yon virgin mother and Child,

Holy Infant so tender and mild,

Sleep in heavenly peace,

Shepherds quake at the sight. 

Heavenly hosts sing alleluia,

Christ the Savior is born! 

Son of God, loves pure light,

Radiant beams from Thy holy face,

With the dawn of redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth. 

Joseph Mohr (1792-1848) 

Help Arrives One Holy Night 

     God tolerated our tarnished image for centuries. Then came time for repairing the damage to our moral likeness and intelligence. How could this be? 

     He appeared as he had done in the days of Abraham. This time, he arrived as a newborn baby, whose mother was a virgin. The glory of the Lord shown around humble shepherds, who were terrified. After the angels explained, they rushed to Bethlehem, the town of David, saw the baby, and spread the news. 

     Intelligent rulers didn't believe. King Herod believed something! God who creates trillions of sperm cells over the centuries would have no problem supplying one cell to the virgin, if that's what happened. Earlier, the angel Gabriel visited Mary, explaining, the "Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will over-shadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." 

     The baby was given the name Jesus. By age 12 he knew God was his Father. At the Feast of the Passover his worried family found him mixing with teachers at the temple courts. He explained: "Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

     Jesus, the Christ/Messiah, took our sins on himself, his human form crucified, and appeared to his astonished disciples as Lord. He offers eternal life. He calls on those who have received the Holy Spirit to witness for him and his salvation, to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:18-20), and to be the light of the world and salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13-16). 

     Responsibilities never cease. 

     

      

Responsibilities first, then Christmas

...and more responsibilities

     Picking up where we left off, God's image in us was corrupted, but not totally destroyed. 

     He created us in his image and assigned several responsibilities. He wants a personal relationship for all eternity, and for us to glorify him as Lord. So dedicated to this relationship was/is God, that he countered Satan's opposition by promising to send a Savior to redeem us. 

     We don't receive the Savior without personal responsibility. God is Law. He requires that we love him above all and love our neighbors as ourselves. This twofold commandment summaries his entire law (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:37-40).

     He also established marriage. Within marriage, God commanded us to "be fruitful and increase in number." Man and woman were to reproduce godly offspring in a family context...a high priority (Genesis 221-24). 

     God also charged Adam and his descendants to "subdue" the earth and "rule over ... every living creature" (Genesis 1:28).

     When Adam and Eve disobeyed their Creator's order not to eat the forbidden fruit, some of their/our dominion over the world was lost to Satan, "the god of this age." But God expects believers to fulfill his divine purpose by taking good care of his world, managing his creation in a God-glorifying way (Psalm 8:6-8; Hebrews 2:7-8). 

       Tomorrow: We still need Someone to do for us what we cannot.

     

 What's Christmas Really About?

     As we approach Christmas day, let's take a few minutes to reflect on the world we live in, and why we celebrate on December 25, far more than any other day. From our commentary:

      Of all the creatures God made, human beings are by far the highest and most complex. Because of pride, humans often forget - or were never taught - that God is their Creator, and that they are dependent on God. 

Human personhood in the image of God.

     We were created in God's image, by a special decision of God and in his likeness. Adam and Eve were not products of evolution. In his likeness, they were able to have fellowship with God, and reflect his love, glory and holiness. 

     They had at least three aspects of the image of God: a moral likeness, intelligence (spirit, mind, emotions and power of choice), and physical makeup, an image not true of animals. God (incarnate) appeared to Abraham (Genesis 18:1-2) in the image his Son would one day assume (Luke 1:35).  

Sin interrupts fellowship

     When Adam and Eve sinned, the image of God in them was seriously corrupted, but not totally destroyed. They were no longer perfect and holy, but prone to sin, which they passed on to their children. 

      Redeemed believers must be renewed to the original moral likeness of God (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10). Sinful people still have aspects of the likeness to God in intelligence, with a capacity for fellowship and communication with him (Acts 17:27-28). Intelligence was marred when they sinned in the Garden of Eden, but not totally removed.

Tomorrow: Responsibilities of human personhood

 

Did God Use Alexander for Good?

     The prophet Malachi, a devout Jew, concluded his "book" in 420 B.C. This was the last writing to be included in the Old Testament. After A.D. 70, one could say God was silent, or preoccupied, or ruling in another universe, until 1948 when he made a way for Jews to return to Israel.

     Between Malachi's time and Romans scattering the Jews, Alexander "the Great," king of Macedon, went on a rampage throughout the continent. When he was done, many people were speaking Greek, including Greeks living in Israel, of course. 

     Couldn't God have prevented this upheaval? Hadn't he confused the single language of people in Babel so that they would have to disperse? Genesis 11. Now he wanted everyone on the same page?

     Then there was the Roman Empire, making roads all over, intent on ruling the world. 

     Was God asleep? Never. 

     Beyond our understanding, when language was common again, and roads were ready, his likeness (Incarnation) entered humanity by birth. Later, the incarnate Person having completed his mission, disciples and others who witnessed his victory traveled the Roman roads, spreading the "good news."  

     We need to learn how Hebrew-speaking men did missionary work among Greek-speaking gentiles. But now you know why hundreds of years elapsed before the writing of Scripture resumed. The gospels speak of numerous Israelites with serious physical problems. Some cases were permitted for a divine purpose...to display God's mercy, love and power. 

      The epitome of all time is the crucifixion of an annoying "man" who in truth was the Incarnation sent to take the sins of the world upon himself. 

  

   

People Without a Compass 

Excerpts from WORLD magazine 

     They live by bending the laws of the universe. They live in subjectivity (following personal feelings or opinions). 

     A theologian responded to a question about why people cannot make sense of their lives without reference to the God of the Bible. Absent the words of Scripture, "one has to start with man as self-sufficient and self-explanatory."

     That being the case, "He has to identify facts in chaos... to relate these facts by logic which itself sprung from chaos."

     God described the ancient Ninevites as "120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left" Jonah 4:11. This is the Middle East today, where generations are raised to hate, kill and destroy. 

     If anybody can speak wisdom to the Middle Eastern problem, it is those who have the Word of the true God as the foundation. These are they who hold the Moral Compass in the chaos (as a sextant enabled captains to navigate the sea).

     Whether it be teenagers or nations flailing in the darkness of their subjectivity, a true Sextant is their only hope. 

  

Proper Motivation

     Finally, in John 5:44-45, to those accustomed to praising each other: How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? 

     Jesus said he wouldn't accuse them before the Father. 

     Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me." See Genesis 3:15. 

     Jesus also believed Moses wrote the Pentateuch. 

     Our commentary for all of us: "If one doesn't believe in the inspiration and truthfulness of Old Testament writings, he or she will not believe or submit to the authority of Jesus' words and New Testament writings that bear witness to him. 

     Paul in trial before Felix: "I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So, I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man" Acts 24:14-16. 

💗

  Friends, readers, we trust you benefited from this series on the Incarnation.                To print the series for ongoing reminders, the first blog was dated December 13. Footnote: Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, who enabled virgin Mary to give birth to the baby. This must be the only incarnation that ever appeared as a newborn baby...the story of Christmas.  

  

Continued 

Son of Man 

     John chapter 5 continues. Beginning in verse 26 we see that Jesus' own nature as the incarnate One, makes him not only Son of God, but Son of Man.

     The Father granted the Son to have the same life, and authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 

     More astounding words: ...all who are in their graves will hear his voice - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 

     Jesus told the Pharisees, "...men will have to give an account on the day of judgment... For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" Matthew 12:36-37.

     Again, in John 5, Jesus credits the Father entirely. By myself I can do nothing. He inherited his Father's nature. The deal heaven offers is that we have life only as we have fellowship with the risen Christ, him living in us through a faith relationship. 

     "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" Galatians 2:20. 

 Next: Final commentary

     

Commentary: John Chapter 5

     Starting with verse 16, John begins to show that in spite of Jesus' miracles, and even because of them, religious leaders intensely opposed him. 

     We get it. These were astounding claims. 

     God is Jesus' Father in a unique (incarnate)way. 

     The Incarnate one has unity, communion and authority with God. 

     He has power to give eternal life, and to raise the dead. 

     He has the right to judge all people. 

     He has the right to divine honor.

     In verse 24, Jesus told them how someone can cross over from death to life: Hear his word. Believe him (God) who sent ... the Incarnation. 

     Note: Eternal life is conditioned on a present, living faithfulness to God's grace, not a decision made in the past.         

Next:  Son of Man 

The Weightier Testimony

     Jesus teaches the "teachers..."

     For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me (the Incarnation) of the Father). 

     You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the (Incarnation) he sent. 

     You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 

     I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 

     I (the Incarnation) have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you ... make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? 

     If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say. 

Next:  Helpful commentary on John chapter 5

     

See yesterday's forward

He Begins to Teach  

  John chapter 5

     Notice how Jesus deflects all honor to the Father.

     I tell you the truth, the (Incarnation) can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing... The Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the (Incarnation) gives life...

     The Father judges no one but has entrusted all judgment to the (Incarnation) ... that they all may honor the (Incarnation) just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the (Incarnation) does not honor the Father, who sent him.

     I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed from death to life. ...the time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the (Incarnation) and those who hear will live. 

     For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the (Incarnation) to have life in himself.   

     Do not be amazed at this... By myself I (the Incarnation) can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I (the Incarnation) seek not to please myself but him who sent me. 

     If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. John...testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved.

     I have testimony weightier than that of John. 

What is it? Tomorrow

  

Incarnate; Incarnation 

     We define it below. Or, search at your convenience. 

     For the next two weeks or so, leading to Christmas, the celebration of an exceptional birth, we will focus on that "person." No jingle bells: just knowledge we all need.

     In A.D. 80 or later, the disciple John wrote a "gospel" with details of the life, death and resurrection of his teacher and friend. Why did he wait some 50 years after living the events? One guess is that someone was vigorously teaching falsehoods. Maybe John's associates urged him to set the record straight. We don't know. 

     Chapter 5 is not known for familiar verses. We don't memorize it like the 23rd Psalm. But chapter 5 could be a book of its own. We need to comprehend this special Father and Son relationship.   

     John wrote of Jesus giving seven convincing signs, seven profound discourses, and seven claims, "I am." (Not that John counted them.) 

     In chapter 5, Jesus had healed an invalid of 38 years. Jewish religious leaders were upset that the man "picked up his mat" and walked. Carrying your mat on the Sabbath was against the rules. It wasn't that the man deserved healing, for Jesus told him to "stop sinning," or else!  

     This minor encounter became a major moment for all who desire the truth. Jesus informed his doubters he is the Son, who came from the Father, and does only the will of the Father. That was another no-no ... claiming God is your own Father.   

     Incarnation ... a union of divinity with humanity. To be incarnate means the embodiment of a deity or spirit in an earthly form or appearance.   

Tomorrow: The Incarnation begins to explain 

 Long Memories Anyone?

     If a president made a number of statements, formal or otherwise, over the year ... and there were absolutely no recordings or records of same ... would anyone 30 years later be able to quote word for word his remarks. We mean: exactly! 

     We have a hunch Moses wasn't there with a tape recorder when God created the heavens and the earth. Yet, he is believed by Jews to have written all that history, right up to the time God removed him from his faithful service, at age 120. 

     Long after, Jesus confirmed it. Moses authored the first five books in the Old Testament. 

     Is there any doubt that God himself, beyond our understanding, told Moses what to write? With God overlooking, Moses may have added details that he himself experienced.   

     Two millenniums later, with the benefit of parchment, men could write even more. New Testament authors Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote and quoted Jesus precisely ... 30 to 50-some years after he departed. Luke, a gentile who didn't know Jesus personally, and who wrote the key book of Acts, must have had divine help. 

     Is there any doubt that God himself, capable beyond our understanding, oversaw the four "gospels?" John wrote Revelation long after this. He heard from Jesus in glory; he saw the visions, and he wrote. Ordinary men like Peter couldn't have said what they did without divine influence.  

     Please don't doubt the truth of the Bible. Your eternity depends on it.

           Jimmy

     

     

Television, or Reading 

     Which is better for us? TV is easiest, and more entertaining. But, are there benefits in reading that television can't offer? Although yours truly likes to do both, I read the benefits written by someone else. Let me share: 

     There are health benefits. 

     Reading slows cognitive decline. Boy, do I need that.

     Reading improves concentration. It requires undivided attention and focus, which can improve our ability to concentrate whenever concentration is required. 

     Reading improves literacy. It leads us to new vocabulary and information. Smart! 

     Reading is free entertainment. Provided we get books from a library or a friend. 

     Reading leads to higher intelligence...in time. A study of some 1900 identical twins in the United Kingdom found that twins with early reading skills had more results for intelligence later in life. 

     Reading helps us relax. It reduces stress and helps us sleep. Researchers found that reading may reduce stress by as much as 68 percent. Don't know how they measure this. 

     If we prefer to be a couch potato staring at the TV...we are free to live without the above benefits. Advertisers will love us. 

       says Jimmy

     

Those Who Celebrate

     Societies celebrate for various reasons. Whatever it is, celebration results when most people agree on something valuable to them. It can be once and done, or a tradition repeated annually. 

     Israel's enemy is not a country. It is a military that celebrates only death and destruction, if it parties at all. Jewish people are being demonized around the world, including American universities, for trouble started by an offspring of Muslim Brotherhood. Some brotherhood.

     Support for terrorist Hamas is ridiculous. Palestinians, who have shown little ability to form a modern nation, will be worse off if helpful Israel is eliminated. Antisemitic hatred falls on the one Middle Eastern society (and Jews elsewhere) which could and should be an example, not despised. 

     These civilized people don't start wars, but they defend themselves. Some celebrate a holiday on the Jewish religious calendar known as Chanukah. This isn't mandated by the Torah. It is not mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Chanukah was created by rabbis some 1800 years ago. 

     Judaism is one of the world's oldest and most influential religions. Worldwide there may be more than 15 million people (despite Hitler's loony plan to eradicate them). Chanukah this year began at sundown, December 7, and ends the evening of December 15. 

     One tradition is to light a nine-pronged menorah. The practice is to light one candle per night to recall (celebrate) the miracle of the sacred lamp oil that lasted eight days. Chanukah is celebrated mostly at home rather than in a synagogue. Family time includes singing songs, praying and cooking foods. 

     Dishes cooked in oil commemorate the miracle of the oil. They serve potato pancakes, jelly doughnuts and chocolate. Yum.  

     Aren't these people scary? Watch out! Someone might come up behind you with a doughnut. 

         Jimmy

Progressive America

  The family unit     sexuality    education    commerce 

     energy supply     income distribution       immigration 

                 criminal justice        environmental justice    

     animal justice      monogamy        lightbulbs     

         words        white people     math    

              pronouns      an excess of living babies  

           We must outlaw plastic straws, 

                       but subsidize plastic prostheses,  

        to replace women with men and vice versa. 

What Do We Learn...

     from a blind beggar? 

     In Jericho, a blind man was by the roadside, begging...for what? 

     When told that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, he suddenly changed his request. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 

     Those (disciples?) who led the way told him to be quiet. But he shouted all the more: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

     Jesus stopped and ordered them to bring the man to him. 

     "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked, as if he didn't know.

     "Lord, I want to see." 

     Jesus said, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."   

Luke's letter to the Greeks, chapter 18

Commentary: Faith in Jesus Christ is the only condition God requires for salvation. The beggar believed the Son of David could heal him before he was healed. 

Faith means firmly believing and trusting in the crucified and risen Christ.

Faith involves repentance, obedience and gratitude. 

Faith includes heartfelt devotion and attachment to Jesus Christ.

Faith is both the act of a single moment and a continuing attitude that grows and strengthens. 

NOTE: Not every prayer is answered exactly as requested.

 

 

What Do We Learn... 

     From little children?

     People were bringing babies to have Jesus touch them. 

What are many doing with their babies today?

     His disciples, of all people, rebuked the people. 

     Jesus called the children to come around him, saying, Let the little children come to me...for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

     Then he made a most astounding statement: Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. 

On what achievement do you and I expect salvation?

     From the rich ruler?

     He told Jesus he had kept "all these (commandments) since I was a boy." But he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Maybe he was sincere. Maybe he was hoping to trap Jesus as others did.

     Jesus' answer was a shocker. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. 

     Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. He also added, What is impossible with men, is possible with God. 

    This was a period in which some New Testament Jews thought wealth was a sign of God's favor, while poverty was a sign of God's displeasure. 

    The Bible identifies greed and pursuit of, striving after, wealth with idolatry. Jesus regarded riches as an obstacle to salvation and discipleship. Do we find our fulfillment centered in God, or on ourselves and our possessions?

What Do We Learn... 

From the persistent widow? 

As the Lord guided Old Testament prophets, he did likewise with disciples and others such as Paul and Luke, to complete the record we know as the Bible. Luke, the rare Gentile among them, wrote his gospel some 30 years after Jesus ascended. But God. He knew, and still knows, the words his Son spoke on earth. Luke heard, and he wrote:  

     In Luke 18:1-8, a parable, a poor widow persisted in pleading with an unjust judge to give her justice, wearing him down. We learn that God will entertain our requests indefinitely, as we pray for his will to be done (as Jesus the Son persisted in prayer on the Mount of Olives). 

     The more we persist, the more God is pleased with our faith and confidence. We have a big need. We might have to pay for it with persistence. (I can attest.) 

From the Pharisee and the tax collector?

     Another parable, vv. 9-14. A Pharisee and a tax collector went up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee thanked God he isn't like ordinary men and reminds God how much he fasts and gives of his wealth. 

     The tax collector stands off, looking down, beating his breast as he pleads for God to have mercy. The latter, in Jesus' story, goes home justified before God. 

     Self-righteous people rely on their own efforts, unaware of their constant need for God's help, mercy and grace. The tax collector (bad guys at that time) was conscious of his guilt, appealing to God for forgiveness and mercy. He was the true child of God.

To be continued

What's With Our Neighbor? 

     In 2022, 13,241 people ended their lives under Canada's state-sponsored medically assisted suicide program. That would be 31.2 percent more than the previous year. 

     And that would be 4.1 percent of all deaths in Canada, nearly equal to the rate of deaths attributed to COVID in 2021. 

     While the average age was 77, several hundred were "not reasonably foreseeable," said the ministry. Their elected deaths may have been pure choice rather than health related. 

     Marxist(?) Canada's healthcare is not easy to come by, which may explain more people needing serious help and fewer achieving it. 

     So, the government provides a legal, socially acceptable way to check out.       

Just thinking

     

The Painting 

     Thirty-some years ago, not yet remarried, home from work, sick...I took my friend's album cover and painted (copied) the 11x14" picture. No big deal, except that she was fond of the picture - not my artistry of course.  

     Two thousand years ago, chief priests were "delighted," though they didn't know Satan had provided the solution to their problem. 

     The Passover lamb knew. He told his disciples that he "eagerly desired" to break bread with them representing his broken body, and wine representing his blood. 

     He told them greatness is not in ruling, but in serving. "I am among you as one who serves." 

     That night on the Mount of Olives he prayed to the Father, "...yet not my will but yours be done" (Luke 22:42). An angel from heaven came to strengthen him, now "in anguish." "His sweat was like drops of blood." 

     Saturday morning, my friend, now my wife, and I were reading Luke chapter 22. Suddenly, I interrupted to retrieve the painting, which we had rescued from a box in the garage a few weeks ago. 

     Jesus in the darkness, praying "even more earnestly."

     On the back I had written: "...yet not my will, but yours be done. Luke 22:42." 

     He was in anguish over your soul and ours. Do we eagerly desire to follow him? 

 

     

Thank You

     We were happy to provide that series on the CIA...and sad that there are other agencies also watering down their purpose. If you missed it, you could still backtrack to blogs Monday-Friday. 

     With the Justice Dept. and its FBI tag along, and other departments a bit more political than governmental, "Houston, we have a problem." 

     There are some 36 agencies in the Federal Government, all beginning with the letter A. You're welcome to count the rest - on Google. Not that they're all compromised.

     The average income for people in and around Washington, DC is well above every other region in America, despite poverty and crime in Washington's inner city. If the elite don't care about folks who share their space, what makes us think they care about us? 

     We are taught to pray for our political (and dictatorial) leaders, and for our "enemies," whoever they may be. But, if our hope for peace and prosperity depends on them, not on God, we are lost. 

          This week we happened again to come across Psalm 2:1...  

Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain?

CONCLUSION 

Charles Faddis, author of Beyond Repair: The Decline and Fall of the CIA. 

      "The structure of the CIA must be simplified. The organization must be field-centric. It is not the job of those in the field to wait for people in Langley to finish their meetings and reviews. It is the job of people in Langley to keep up." 

     "We know what the problems are. We know how to fix them. What we have lacked until now is the willingness to do what is needed."

     "Somewhere in the world a terrorist group is planning a deadly biological attack on the United States. Afghan and Pakistanis are conspiring to seize Pakistani nuclear weapons."

     "Chinese are putting the finishing touches on a plan to blockade Taiwan and crash the global economy. Venezuelans are discussing with Russians putting hypersonic missiles on their soil that can carry nuclear warheads." 

     "The only organization that has a prayer of providing insight into these and many other threats is the CIA. We needed it in 1947. We need it even more today. We have no time to waste in returning it to fighting form." 

Jimmy's thoughts: The CIA and other protectors failed us on 9/11. The Democrat geniuses, in search of more voters, probably have allowed more enemies to cross our border in all history, in just three years.  

We also think all our agencies can learn something from Mr. Faddis.

         

 SOLUTIONS 

     This former CIA department head told his audience a new director who "knows the terrain is critical to CIA survival."

     "Some of what is needed can be taught. But you can't teach the critical skills required...to connect with people in organizations that exist to murder people like you...and get them to follow your orders. That takes raw physical courage. It takes perceptions. It takes instinct, insight and immense self-confidence."

 Part 4

     "A new director must make it crystal clear there is no more business as usual, that the CIA is returning to its roots, that there will be zero tolerance for any involvement in domestic politics. A significant number of senior officers should be removed immediately. There must be a clear sea change. Everyone must understand that real reform is underway and there will be zero tolerance for foot dragging, slow rolling or internal resistance." 

     "Individuals who made rank by playing it safe and currying favor with superiors should be removed immediately. They should be replaced by individuals with the brains, guts, and audacity to do what is needed."

     "There can be only one measure of success - results. We must be interested solely in intelligence that gives us a decisive advantage over our adversaries." 

     "Recruiting must be completely revamped. Quotas are absurd. Focusing on color, gender and sexual orientation is at best irrelevant. We want the best, and that means those people who possess the unique blend of skills and abilities to do what everyone else considers impossible." 

Conclusion tomorrow

Political Desires First

     Before we leave the Libyan fiasco behind, Mr. Faddis said in his speech, regarding the lie, 'a peaceful event gone bad:' "This was absurd on its face. The Director of Central Intelligence (Mike Morell) injected himself into a domestic political dispute."

     "He did so, presumably, because he believed that Sec. of State Clinton would be the next president and he would be named to a senior post in her administration."

Part 3

     "In the runup to the 2016 election, people within Clinton's campaign concocted the idea of smearing Donald Trump with false accusations. When this failed to prevent Trump's election, they carried on to destabilizing the Trump presidency and perhaps even removing Trump from office."

     "The involvement of the FBI (Crossfire Hurricane) has been documented. The CIA's role: Investigation has shown that American intelligence sought to involve allied intelligence services. To the British it became clear this activity was inappropriate and illegal." 

     "Such interaction doesn't happen without the involvement of the CIA. John Brennan, CIA director, had to know about Crossfire Hurricane and he also had to approve it. When Brennan stepped down, he was replaced by Gina Haspel. She was chief of station in London during Crossfire Hurricane and had to have been part of this plot." 

     "When Hunter Biden's laptop threatened to derail Joe Biden's 2020 campaign, 51 former intelligence officers signed a now infamous letter branding the laptop a product of Russian disinformation. I have seen ...and retain a copy to this day. I can assure you it was real and that ... Joe Biden was compromised by a number of foreign actors - chief among them the Chinese Communist Party." 

     Of the 51, Faddis said, five were former directors or acting directors of the CIA. Mike Morell and John Brennan were among those five.  

Tomorrow, Solutions

 

 Sitting Behind Their Desks 

Layers of Middle Management

     Washington today. They laugh at the boss's jokes. Are loyal to prevailing groupthink. Move paper. Attend meetings. Climb the corporate ladder. 

     "But they have no idea how to run an op or recruit a source," said a former CIA department head in a speech at Hillsdale College. 

Part 2

     "At its core," he said, "the CIA is meant to do what everyone else considers impossible. It's supposed to be run by people who will steal the crown jewels if asked. Not anymore. Now it's run by people who look for ops with no downside, and therefore, no upside either."

     "The CIA has proved unable to put a source inside a Chinese bio lab, within the leadership of the Taliban, or next to Valdimir Putin. Those kinds of operations require the willingness to take risks and manage those risks. We no longer have either."

Politization 

     September 11, 2012. Two American compounds in Benghazi, Libya were attacked by an Islamic militia with a terrorist history. A compound of the Dept. of State was overrun. The American ambassador was killed. 

     A CIA compound was better prepared to resist. Those inside held out long enough for a relief force in Tripoli to arrive and evacuate CIA personnel. No military relief force was sent by the Obama administration.

     Throughout the attacks, a stream of reporting went to Washington. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and others began to peddle the narrative that a peaceful demonstration had simply gotten out of control. No terrorism. 

If we recall correctly, Clinton remained on a ship.

    offshore, surrounded by friendly forces.

To be continued

  

Don't Worry 

     Government agencies are inclusive, and the right politicians have our backs ... no, wait ... they have turned their backs. 

     Charles Faddis, a former department chief at the Central Intelligence Agency, is worried..."We have no time to waste in returning the CIA to fighting form."

     The CIA was created after World War II with one primary mission - to prevent another Pearl Harbor. How's it going? Faddis answered the question in a speech at Hillsdale College, which we summarize for you. 

     He said the CIA is failing for two reasons: bureaucratization and politicization. 

     "Espionage requires innate skills," he said. "Not everyone can do it. Their primary job is spotting, recruiting and developing spies. All this requires gut instincts, decisions on the fly, navigating through a maze and tolerating ambiguity." 

     "People in charge of our government have forgotten this. They have turned the CIA into just another federal agency. Recruiters look for academic degrees, language proficiency, skin color and sexual orientation." 

     "Training has been softened and is formbook in nature. We act as if anyone can be taught espionage."  

To be continued

This is the Day 

     We've had Thanksgiving.

     We've had Black Friday. 

     And every day...

     This is the Day the Lord has made.

            Let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

                              Psalm 118:24 

Thanksgiving, Looking Back

     Andree Peterson unpacks the story of Pilgrims vs. Puritans (as edited).

     "It seems a truth of human nature that no sooner does a group split off from another that the splitting group itself splits. Start of the 1600s, there were four main categories of English Christians: those who stayed with Rome (Catholics); those content with the Church of England; those who were not content but stayed to purify it (Puritans), and those who exited (Separatists - the Pilgrims). 

     "When the dust settled, we had the outlines of today's American Christianity. Like the making of laws and sausage, the process wasn't pretty. Separatists felt compelled to shake off a corrupt national church they likened to Babylon. Puritans thought the national church to be redeemable. 

     "This animosity crossed the pond and washed up. In 1607, while the first three Puritan vessels were unloading at Jamestown, Va., the Pilgrims were making their escape across the North Sea to Holland. Their next port would be Cape Cod in 1620, without charter or warrant from any government. But they felt the necessity of civil government and made their own contract on the Mayflower. 

     "A letter by (Puritan) Gov. John Endicott to (Separatist) Gov. William Bradford concludes this Thanksgiving remembrance. 

     "Right worthy Sir: It is a thing not usual that servants to one Master and of the same household should be strangers. I desire it not; nay, to speak more plainly, I cannot be so to you. God's people are marked with one and the same mark, and sealed with one and the same seal, and have, for the main, one and the same heart, guided by one and the same Spirit of truth. 

     "God willing, I purpose to see your face shortly. In the meantime, I humbly take my leave of you, committing you to the Lord's blessed protection and rest. Your assured loving friend and servant. John Endicott."

We'll discuss the CIA next week. 

 

     

One More Thing 

     Would you like a deluxe electric range for only $99? 

     End note. Blog dated Nov. 20.  

     During a search of my office cabinet, I came across a page 1 photo in the city's newspaper. I was in that overhead photo. Well, me and 2,364 other college graduates in black robes. 

     We were four abreast stretching from the basketball arena, walking toward the football stadium. That may not impress you. But know this: We all stayed in order as they placed us individually for the walk, then in stadium seats. And later when 2,365 grads crossed the stage on that field, a stranger handed me my diploma. How did they do that?

     The speaker that day was Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Glenn T. Seaborg. A football game would have been far more entertaining. 

     Now. The purpose for this end note: 

     I turned over the page, finding ads for kitchen appliances. Along with the electric range was a "Big" 2-door refrigerator, reg. $299, for just $199. And a 21-inch RCA television for $138. And an RCA Whirlpool automatic washer..."absolutely no money down." 

     Of course, I couldn't afford any of that...had I owned a home. But, I ask you, "Is financial life for ordinary citizens any better now than in 1961?"

           Jimmy

Friday: We may start a short series on our compromised CIA.

      

Israel, Past and Present 

Janie B. Cheaney, WORLD magazine, provides thoughts on Israel.

     "Israel has played a parallel soundtrack to Sunday school lessons and daily Bible readings. From King David to David Ben-Gurian, from Philistia to the Gaza Strip, its story is always news." 

     "What hold does this land have on our imagination? Everybody seems to have an opinion, religious or secular, Zionist or anti-Zionist, eschatological or temporal." 

     "When Hamas terrorists boiled over the border to slaughter over 1,000 Israeli civilians in October, they set the world on fire. Such barbaric acts are not unheard of. The blood lust in Rwanda in the 1990s was equally horrific. Warlords in Africa and drug cartels in South and Central America regularly splash their gore across the news. Then we hear no more. 

     "But every time Israel is attacked or when it strikes, the world trains a critical eye for weeks. The IDF hovers on the edge of all-out war while hysterical denunciations rain down on them from all over the world. 

     "The last few weeks have unleashed some jaw-dropping reactions from the campus, the Congress, and the media. 

     "This much is obvious. The Hamas militants didn't suddenly "break out" from under Israeli aggression. When they arrived, they didn't somehow bring about Israelis being "subsequently killed" (notice the passive voice). Hamas militants butchered and raped and pillaged and returned to cheering crowds in Gaza, parading the bodies of their victims, as the Philistines must have paraded and blinded Samson in the same city. 

     "To me, this is much more than a political struggle. It's a spiritual one...with Israel itself: a secular nation built upon divine covenants. A people like no other, with a history as mystifying as their founder's wrestling match with the Lord. Israel wrestles still, with modern-day Philistines. And with the Lord. 

     "This tiny nation remains at the center of the world. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! (Psalm 122:6), and especially pray that they be reconciled with their Messiah before He returns." 

Priority: Thanksgiving or Saturday

     Once still in high school, Dad took me to a college football game at his alma mater. We sat in the upper deck...heaven. Some 80,000 other idol-worshipers shared the same faith.  

     Attending college was not a priority. But when said school accepted my application...I knew where God wanted me! In a meeting for incoming freshmen, someone promised me seats on the 25-yard-line if I participated in a special cheering section. If I would? Did that for two seasons, while other underclassmen cheered from the end zone. 

     That season, after the first game, tuition paid, Dad told someone my game was his most expensive ever. I chose to remain on campus for the last game of the season, Thanksgiving weekend. I wasn't homesick. My religion mattered. 

     In Spring of my freshman year, friends in the Methodist Foundation convinced me to move into their rooming house. God would be pleased.

     Season No. 2. Methodist friends and I attended the final game, away, where our team beat the hated rival. I swiped a flag from their Methodist house. Dad somehow financed my train trip to the Rose Bowl and back. The parade was far better than the game, although we won. That Spring I volunteered to work for the baseball team. Had a locker in the football stadium. But I wasn't scoring in the classroom. 

     Season No. 3 was another shadow of heaven, but my fumbles in business school promised defeat. I quit before they could cancel my $12 season ticket. I returned home - didn't miss any games - and returned in the Spring to enter Journalism school. Now on the right team, my grades improved. Even challenged a professor to change a grade from B to A. Lost that one. 

     My substitute play meant sticking around for a fifth season - I mean fifth year. But wow. For two years, specializing in sports, I interviewed well-known coaches in other sports. One football game, I worked on the field spotting for a photographer. Can my old friends beat that?

     Another game, I sat high up in the press box. And I interviewed a photographer even higher - on the press box roof. Finally, on graduation day, like Dad, I accepted my diploma on the field of worship in the hallowed stadium, with Dad, Mom and my sister approving.  

     I could ask God how he judged my "works." But I think I know.

        Jimmy

      

     

       

God's Covenant with Mankind

     Are you and I in it? 

     The word of the Lord came to Abram, a gentile like everyone, in a vision. (Genesis 15). Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (vs. 6).

     Then the Lord told him what was to come over the next few hundred years.

     On that day, the Lord made a covenant with Abram. (v. 18). 

     When God made his promise to Abraham, he swore by himself, saying, "I will surely bless what was promised. (Hebrews 6:13-15). 

     Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs...he confirmed it with an oath. (v. 17.) 

     We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. (vs. 19-20). 

Sons of God

     You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28-29). 

Question: Are we primarily Catholics, or Protestants (not to mention the endless variations of same)? No and no. We are co-heirs of the promise, if we believe, trust and obey. Our denomination doesn't cut it.   

Thank you teacher