Part 3

Truth Can Be Difficult 

     Most New Testament writers were Jewish. There was such a wall between Jews and Gentiles that accepting new "truth" was difficult for many. But God's incomparable love is available for anyone who believes and repents...and follows Jesus.  

    Peter for one was hesitant to mix with Gentiles, but he and the other disciples, and men like Matthew, Stephen, Philip and Mark knew what happened that day of resurrection. Type A personality Saul joined the cause a bit later, when Jesus himself spoke to him from heaven, and gave him the name Paul. 

     These men and others, including women like Jesus' mother and Mary (of Magdala), interacted with Jesus during the 40 days he remained physically on Earth. Thier's is a testimony we can believe. 

     Years later, when Jesus hadn't returned as promised, God employed some of the above to write letters eventually collected as the New Testament. There we learn that we who didn't see the crucifixion and the risen Christ for ourselves, and still believe, will be honored a bit above those who did! 

     In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul the prisoner reminds us that we all (including himself) "were dead in our transgressions and sins, when we followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air" (that would be Satan). 

     But! "Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ. It is by grace you have been saved."

     Paul adds, "And God raised (past tense) us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace." 

     What's difficult isn't the resurrection. It is millions of people who will do anything except believe and receive God's love, mercy and grace, begin to grow into his likeness, and look forward to an eternity of incomparable riches. 

Next: Faith required; gift given

Part 2 

God Promised Abraham  

     Some of our friends may be offended to read of Gentile believers in the same sentence with Abraham. 

     Old and New Testaments connect the dots. Our Creator began to draw the wicked world to himself beginning with Abraham's faith (not laws, which did not then exist). 

     Along the way, God spoke through Jewish prophets. Several prophesized about a Messiah yet to appear. Subtle verses in the prophets foretold that God's "solution" to sin was/is Himself, centuries before Bethlehem, virgin birth and all.  

     Two millennium after Abraham, while Israelites were under the Roman thumb, angels surprised Zechariah the priest, Joseph, and Mary, a virgin.

     Saying "nothing is impossible with God," they announced the coming Son of the Most High and what this would mean. Mary and Zechariah each were given a "song" by the Holy Spirit (Luke chapter 1). 

     God didn't make it easy for Joseph and Mary. They had to travel for days to Bethlehem, as Joseph had to register there and pay his taxes. There was no vacancy at the inn, so they camped in an animal stable, where the Son of the Most High was born.

     This wasn't - and still isn't - the way most Jewish faithful expect the Messiah to come. About age 30, Jesus, in his human body, began his ministry...teaching, healing and therefore upsetting the leaders. 

     With regular folks flocking to Jesus, for his miracles perhaps, Israel's leaders had enough (as God purposed). They urged the Roman governor to allow him crucified, just what the late Herod would have wanted.  

     On the cross, Jesus forgave them. His ultimate purpose was to die, suffering what all of us deserve for our iniquities. He was buried. That was Friday. Following the Sabbath, he appeared to his disciples with his eternal body, yet bearing the marks of crucifixion. The ultimate miracle? Only God.

     Decades later, his disciple John wrote: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."   

     The Messiah will come, returning to the mount where Jesus departed after 40 days of counseling his amazed disciples and several hundred others. Another miracle: the mount will split in two.  

Next: Truth can be difficult

Part 1 of 6

Mountain Peaks of Revelation 

     We've been thinking ... of all the 2,000+ pages in the Bible ... wouldn't it be neat to land on a couple chapters that are:

     ...so clear we could almost memorize it ...so fundamental we could say I know that I know that I know ...so important that we want to share it with anyone willing to listen. Or read. 

     The "sermon on the mount," Matthew chapters 5-7 is a must. We read it and let our spirits take it in. And we read it again. The entire book (gospel) of John also is a must read. 

     Another mountain to climb is a letter to believers in one of the great cities of the old world - Ephesus. Paul wrote this from prison in A.D. 62, encouraging people who were not in prison. 

     Simply put, there are two basic themes in the New Testament: How we are redeemed by God, and how we as redeemed must live. Chapter 1:3-14 is said to be one of the most profound passages in the Bible. 

     Paul stresses our redemption by grace through faith, as God reconciles us to himself, and to others, and unites us in Christ in one body. His purpose is "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ." v. 1:10.

     We climb the hills of Galatians 3:28 for further understanding:

     "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female. You are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." 

     The only wedding in heaven is the marriage of all believers (the bride) to Christ (the husband).  

Next: The promise through Abraham

     

No Other Place to Go 

Part 3     

     "American support has continued, with more or less enthusiasm depending on which party is in the White House. Israel promotes itself as a "Startup Nation," citing the high number of new tech companies per capita. 

     "But amid the ongoing conflict over judicial reform, some investors are pulling out. Medzini (the 90-year-old former spokesperson) notes international companies rely on a stable judicial system and the rule of law. 

     "Some argue Israel should be governed by the laws of the Torah, a notion Medzini dismisses as impossible. 'Can you govern a modern, industrial, technological country by the laws of the Torah? Who would protect minority rights? Who will protect the rights of Arabs?' 

     "Both Biden and Netanyahu hail their 40 years of friendship. Still, the tensions between them are real. A March Gallup poll showed 49 percent of U.S. Democrats sympathized with the Palestinians, while only 38 percent sympathized with Israelis. 

     "Uncertainty in Israel continues. Polls showed 60 percent of citizens don't feel represented by their government, and a slight majority are pessimistic about the nation's future.

     "Medzini: 'I can't tell you how it's going to pan out, but we will overcome it. I have no doubt, because we are resilient, we are resourceful. We have no other place to go and no other country. Eventually, we will find the proper solution.'"

Source: WORLD magazine

At a Crossroads? 

Part 2

     Writes the journalist: "The secular Jewish democracy that Zionist founders envisioned has provided the stability required for Israel to flourish economically, technologically and culturally."

     "But now, the nation is at a crossroads. The coalition of conservative and religious parties currently in power is raising societal questions that will determine the course of the next 75 years."

     "Netanyahu's proposed judicial reform would radically change the makeup of the commission that chooses Israel's Supreme Court judges. Another bill gives Israel's parliament, the Knesset, power to override any Supreme Court ruling." 

     "Ultra-Orthodox Jews, Haredi, live in tight-knit communities, rejecting modern secular influences. Seventy-five years ago, Haredi numbered only 35,000, Now they have grown to 1.28 million - 12.9 percent of the population. The military exemption that originally affected 400 men now applies to 68,000."  

     "As that number has grown, the exemption and public funds that support Torah studies have stoked resentment among some. Meanwhile, Jewish nationalist parties, determined to expand Israeli control to all of the Biblical territory, want to keep the court from declaring West Bank settlements illegal." 

Next: "No other place to go."

 

What About Israel? 

     Eleven minutes after Ben-Gurion declared independence, 75 years ago, President Truman, a Baptist, officially recognized Israel, against the advice of Secretary of State George Marshall. 

     National affairs are seldom squeaky clean, and that goes for us and Israel, our lone friend in the Middle East, as well. 

     Views by the Sea offers three blogs based on an interesting WORLD magazine article by Jenny Lind Schmitt. 

Part 1 - Since May 14, 1948, Israel has lived through wars with its neighbors and continued growth, prospering through it all. Meron Medzini, 90, who was government spokesman for three prime ministers, told Schmitt, "Israel is in a major turmoil, the likes of which I have never experienced." 

     He said, "Current turmoil is about judicial reform" and now "the deeper question: What role will religion play in public and private life? We don't have a constitution mainly because we couldn't agree on the role of religion." 

     That and "ongoing tribalism in a country made up largely of immigrants from the global Jewish diaspora are reasons for internal conflict." 

     The majority of Israel's founders came from Eastern Europe. They were often secular and influenced by Europe's socialism. Later immigrants came from Arab countries and tended to be more religious. After the fall of the Soviet Union, about 1 million Russian Jews were airlifted in as refugees. 

     Each of those groups brought their own religious sensitivities and practices with them. Arab Israelis, both Muslim and Christian, make up 20 percent of the population.

Next: The nation at a crossroads

  

     

Adopt Modern Values? 

- Cal Thomas, part 4

     Now that I'm 80, a lot of other writers think I need to adopt their modern values. I think not. Things that worked yesterday and today, and will work tomorrow if tried, usually fall into the category of "wisdom."

     On the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, President Calvin Coolidge said, "Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong." Coolidge was a source in some of my columns to remind people that we can find more wisdom in the past than in the present, if we will only pay attention.

     Human nature and Biblical morality never change. There is a standard by which truth can be measured. 

     Only two things matter: the first is not whether one's name is written in a newspaper column or on a TV screen, but whether our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 

     The other is whether one will hear a verdict on one's life that exceeds whatever honor or award is given in this life. That is the verdict of Jesus: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." 

     That's my goal, to hear those words. 

#

The Disease Spreads

- Cal Thomas, part 3

     Reporters and editors who concoct narratives consistently align with the agenda of the Democratic Party. But the affliction is not confined to Democrats. 

     Fox News prime time hosts delivered reports about the 2020 election results that were the opposite of views they held in private. It was all about ratings. The case was settled out of court with Fox agreeing to pay Dominion more than $700 million. 

     Reporting about Russian "collusion" in the 2016 campaign and related stories were "shoddy journalism," said investigative reporter Jeff Gerth. Today, being wrong and biased requires no apology or admission of error. Reporters just move on to their next stories. Even Bob Woodward of the Washington Post chastised his own newspaper, calling the Steele dossier a "garbage document."

     Into this morass I jumped in 1984 when my column began. Even then, many of our editorial and op-ed pages suffered from a woeful lack of responsible conservative commentary - William F. Buckley Jr. and George F. Will excepted. I argued this fact with Tom Johnson, then publisher of the Los Angeles Times and a Democrat. He agreed and opened the door for me (my column is now distributed by Tribune out of Chicago). 

     Unfortunately, mainstream media is now bifurcated between right and left. When it comes to matters of faith in something other than government, much of the media has remained deliberately blind. 

To be continued

 Ben Franklin's Idea

- Cal Thomas, part 2

     The "free" press may rule tyrannically because it is liberated from considerations of justice or precedent. It can subvert rational habits of mind and reverence for the law. Some 250 years ago, Ben Franklin witnessed the birth of a new class, a press corps. For him, a free press must be checked by a vigilant and jealous public, to energize against "abuses of liberty." 

     (We wonder, how can we "check the press" when we - as a whole - have no other source of truth?) 

      When I became a reporter, the evening news lasted 15 minutes. When it expanded to 30 minutes, some feared there might not be enough news to fill the time. Now that news is 14/7/365...airways are filled with factoids that are mostly to fit a narrative, then recycled endlessly to be opined upon by commentators who, though not necessarily knowledgeable, happen to be comfortable in front of cameras. 

     David Brinkley once said, "We must try to be fair." While journalists cannot empty themselves of certain prejudices, we can set those aside to impartially report all sides. If only that were the goal of modern media.

     Instead, many in media pander to a limited audience and reinforce what they already think. That isn't reporting. In totalitarian societies, it's called propaganda. 

To be continued

Journalists vs. George Washington  

- Cal Thomas

     Our first president and other Founders were targets of journalists in Colonial times, but they believed that a free press was necessary for a strong democracy - or in this case, a constitutional republic. The press is the only profession mentioned in the Constitution. 

     Thomas Jefferson: "No experiment can be more interesting than that  we are trying, and which we trust will end in the fact that man may be governed by reason and truth."

     A 2022 Gallup poll found that just 7 percent of Americans have "a  great deal" of trust and confidence in the media. Well over a third have no confidence at all in newspapers, TV and radio."

     And yet, nothing happens. Journalism is the only profession of which I am aware that seems not to care what the public thinks of it. The media ignore or disparage what people want. They write and broadcast for themselves - money, ratings, fame - and the liberal or conservative demographics to which they cater. 

     The so-called Fourth Estate, once envisioned as a check on government power, now enjoys unchecked power itself. 

     The press has power that does not fall under any constitutional check. Created to attack false knowledge and political corruption, in practice it is neither limited nor moderated by either its own idealism or by any institution. 

To be continued

     

Looking for Truth 

     Cal Thomas and I, Jimmy Donut, began our journalism careers in 1961. That's about all we have in common, other than our faith. I retired unknown, in 1999, while Thomas is still providing national information that is cancelled by other "journalists" today. 

     In some cases, the latter may be non-journalists planted in news media to lead gullible Americans down the path to godless, communistic ruin.

    This coming week we will share some of Cal's reflections on the last 50 years. Here, we share his response to questions by Lynn Vincent in WORLD magazine.

What has America Lost?

     "They have lost Truth, which has been replaced by opinion from a secular progressive perspective. It is why trust in the media is near a record low. Objectivity is impossible since we all have worldviews. Fairness is another matter - it means reporting what one sees without an agenda." 

What are the chances there will be another "you" in mainstream media?

     "As for being a believer and succeeding in this business, I think you have to read everything others read and know what they know. Then it's important to join organizations they belong to and let them see you don't behave like a drooling fanatic. Christian faith has intellectual depth. I tell aspiring journalists to get in the door, have a servant spirit, and let their light shine. A Christan can suggest stories that actually lead to real solutions, rather than the familiar rhetorical combat one sees on TV."

 

 

      

 How Much Time Do We Have?

     Not only are hard leftists raining on our values...earth itself is sinking into the oceans. 

     Subsidence in Houston, New Orleans, Norfolk and San Diego will affect millions. 

     To that, add the coast north of Tampa. That's us - Pasco County. 

     Global seas rise 3mm per year. Subsidence accounts for another 6mm in coastal areas. So, 9mm/year is one inch in three years, and one foot in 36 years. Not to worry.

     Here at Views by the Sea, we are 14 ft above sea level. In 432 years, 2455, we will really have a view by the sea, but impossible living conditions. 

     Sadly, we face the fact that we'll have to move and change our view or retire from blogging altogether at the age of 516. 

         Jimmy

     Confused and disgusted with the way our world is going?

     Here's an idea from God's Word, Romans 12:1-2.

     "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.

     "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and prove what is God's will is...his good, pleasing and perfect will." 

 The Central Event  

     We receive our righteousness by faith, not by works. Anyone who denies Christ's bodily resurrection cannot legitimately claim to be a Christian. 

     His death and resurrection is the central event in salvation. It is the central event in history.

     "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9 

     The earliest confession of the New Testament church was not "Jesus is Savior," but "Jesus is Lord." As Lord, he has power, dominion and authority. As Lord, he is declared equal with God, and worthy of power, worship, trust, obedience and prayer. 

     The Christian believes in the Lord with an inward, sincere attitude of the heart. He is Lord over all of life. - Luke 6:46-49; John 15:14. 

     Jesus is Lord over spiritual matters, at home and in the church, and in intellectual, financial, educational, recreational and vocational spheres ... again, all of life. 

His Heart's Desire 

     Paul, a descendent of Abraham, tribe of Benjamin, turned his life 180 degrees after hearing from heaven ... Jesus himself. From 100 percent dedicated to tradition, to single-minded devotion to Christ. 

     In Romans chapter 10, Paul addresses his hurt: "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge."

     "Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." 

     Thousands of Jews have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, while keeping to their traditions. Despite Israel's general unbelief, God is working his plan. 

     Paul, like all authors dependent on the Holy Spirit, writes of the Jewish "remnant," and God's ultimate plan for full-circle redemption to Israel. 

     When Christ returns to imprison the demons, and to reign on earth for a thousand years, his headquarters will be in Jerusalem. Only then, Jews will be loved by those who survived his wrath.