Jerusalem

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

The president declared today that the United States will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, against almost universal warnings by people who have a burden for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalms 122:6).

With all the Baptist end-times preoccupation I soaked up as a kid, I've long regarded Israel as key in God's end-time plans (sorry, American nationalists); and Jerusalem as the apple as His eye.
 
In 1967 (certain of God's destiny for Jerusalem, though at best a superficial believer) I eagerly wrote the Israeli embassy in Washington, volunteering for the Israeli Army when the Six Day War began.  (The war was over by the time I got a reply.)

When I became a Christian, it was under the ministry of Derek Prince, a man whose "dangerous privilege" (he said) it was to have lived in Jerusalem during the War of Independence, and who maintained a home in Jerusalem all his life.

Brother Derek was the most profoundly scriptural preacher I have ever heard.  All his life he taught that we owe a debt of gratitude to the people whom God chose as His own, through whom He gave us the Torah and Jesus; and that we must recognize Israel's special place in God's affection.

(I'd hasten to add Brother Derek also preached that God repeatedly said His laws in the Torah, and the just society He enjoined on Israel, were for both the Jews and "the alien [alternatively "stranger"] who sojourns among you:" and that "...the aliens who stay in your midst...shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel..." [Ezekiel 47:22].  His love for Israel was entirely based in scripture, and not in nationalism.  His family comprised Jewish, Palestinian, and Kenyan orphans.)

When I went back to college in the mid-70s, U.M.K.C. had a new program in Judaic Studies.  I was a new Christian, and wanted to know as much as I could about everything in the faith: so I took as many of its courses as I could, and graduated with a minor in Judaic Studies.  My wonderful Hebrew teacher, Tzivia Gaba, was the wife of a man who'd helped smuggle arms to Palestine before the War of Independence, whom I was honored to meet one time.

I consider myself a staunch long-time friend and admirer of the Jewish people and nation.

I am nonetheless conflicted by Trump's rash action today.

And I have to say I'm greatly put on guard when a world-leader who's established himself as a "man of lawlessness" (II Thessalonians 2:3) postures, for his own self-glorification, about the status of Jerusalem, the city of the Great King.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

I've been hearing a lot about the Republican tax-cuts.  We all have.  It's doubtful anyone who has listened to a radio or a TV in the past month is unaware of the matter.

In one way, it's not at all a "spiritual issue."  Other than general scriptural admonitions (such as Romans 13:8's "Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another..."), there are probably no specifically "Christian" issues involved; at least, not in the way that the political manipulators make issues "Christian" issues today.

But of course no human thoughts or deeds are ever truly "non-spiritual."

I know very little about financial matters; especially governmental financial matters.  But it looks to me like all the evidence is that the Republicans' "middle-class tax-cut" will primarily benefit the already-wealthy, and corporations.  That's the finding of the non-partisan Congessional Budget Office, whose job it is to tell Congress (and us) how their legislation will play out in financial reality.

The Republicans' plan seems very similar to Republican Governor Sam Brownback's 2012 tax-plan for Kansas, and predicated on the same "conservative" theory.  That theory is that if businesses pay less in taxes (Brownback eliminated corporate taxes altogether), they will use their increased wealth to create more jobs, and we will all benefit from a stronger economy.

That theory hugely failed in Kansas.  It essentially bankrupted our state.  And every citizen of Kansas suffered because of it, in cuts to our state's education-system, roads, and health-care.

They say that true insanity is doing the same thing again, and expecting different results.  By that rule, Republicans are insane.  I'm not.  If the Republicans impose their failed "tax-cut" theory on America ...if it passes the Republican Congress, and is signed into law by the Republican president who's been demanding it...I expect it will do unimaginable damage on our country, the way it did to Kansas.

I could be wrong.  I'm little knowledgeable about financial matters, especially governmental financial matters.  I can only go by the realistic financial analysis of those whose job it is to do realistic financial analysis, and our experience of Kansas' disastrous tax-cut "experiment" (as Sam Brownback called it.

If the Republicans' "tax-cut" becomes law, as it now looks like it will, and proves as disastrous as it seems it will, we'll probably see a great many people turning against Trump and the Republicans.  No doubt that will include many of their "Evangelical base" who have overwhelmingly supported that faction and its candidates for 40 years.

I'd have to understand such economic "repentance" a profoundly spiritual event.

It seems very few of the "Evangelical base" have turned against their political deceivers because they teach evil.  Because of Reagan's doctrine of rebellion ("Government IS the problem"), for example; or the anti-Christ Mormon spirit Mitt Romney worships; or George W. Bush's blasphemy that "the ideal of America" is the light of the world; or their continual lying (who'd Jesus say is "the father of lies" ?), like the current president.

The "Christians" who comprise those politicians' "Evangelical base" have shown no discernment, and no fear of offending God, in their willlful disobedience to Him when His commands contradict their political "principles."  And acting by their political "principles," they have inflicted great harm on our country.

So if the "Evangelical base" finally turns against their political (and their "Christian") (mis-) leaders because of economic collapse, it would be a good thing...though probably too late.

But what does it say about a people who willfully ignore The King's commands, continually offending the God they say they love...if they finally "repent" when their financial well-being suffers ?

My spiritual take-away would be that it shows the god they truly love, and trust in, and serve, and worship in their heart, is Mammon.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Two Choices

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

There seem to be two choices being enacted among American Christians in these dark days.

Probably some actually believe their (or their mis-leaders') justification that Donald Trump is a Christian, and "God's choice man."  Maybe I'm too charitable, but I think very few Christians truly, wholeheartedly, believe that.

My perception is that most Christians actually see what Trump is (it's impossible to miss)...but want to believe they are justified in supporting him.  When we want something, even (especially) if we know better, we all have infinite capacity for self-delusion.

But there seems to be a division in the ranks of Trump's supporters who (thus far) can still see the truth.  After a year of his foolish misrule, they are going one of two spiritual ways.

Some have turned decisively against the lies from Trump and about Trump.  And thus far, God is still merciful to forgive any of us who admit doing wrong, and being wrong.  Thank God, some who were not fully deceived, but persuaded themselves to follow lies anyway, have now turned back to God, and repented.

Others are still in danger.  They see even clearer, as the lies come thicker and faster, that there is no truth in Trump and his way.  But they still want to support him...

The rationales I hear from friends in that situation are, "That's just Trump," or "He doesn't really mean that," or "It's just politics."  All of which are ways of saying "I choose to accept lies."

Their danger is incremental acceptance of evil: the "cooking lobster" effect.  We eventualy become comfortable with every "new normal."  We persuade ourselves that it's O.K. that our country is being led in the spirit of lies. or that mass-shootings can be expected to happen every month or so.  After we cross God's inflexible moral line against evil, we easily adjust and accept it when evil becomes only slightly worse next week, then a bit moreso with the passage of a month, and moreso a year on.

Perhaps some in that dangerous position think they'll be safe because they can still see the evil.  Perhaps they persuade themselves that being able to see, they will be able to spot the moral "point of no return," and will not follow after evil past it.

They delude themselves.  Without the Spirit of God's illumination, no one can discern between good and evil.  There is indeed a "point of no return"...but we do not determine it.  The point beyond which no one can any longer see Truth (Who Jesus said He IS), and can no longer choose to turn back from following evil to its destructive end, is when God chooses to withdraw His Spirit from our lives.

He withdraws His Spirit from those who continue in refusing the Spirit's illumination...those who can see what's evil, but continue to WANT to follow it, making excuses to themselves for following evil.
God's "point of no return" may be very near for some today: much nearer than they delude themselves it is.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Thanksgiving 2017

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

I was thinking yesterday how much we have to thank God for this year.

It's constantly on my mind, and evident in every day's news, that evil increasingly rules our earthly kingdom.  Righteousness and truth are glaringly absent from our current national life.  And it's a frequent topic here that the Christians of our nation have played, and are playing, an instrumental part in making it so.

So I'm especially thankful God has given us this time to re-think our ways, and repent.  Nothing is more certain that God's judgement against those who practice unrighteousness and lies in His name.  The only question is when: and He has been merciful to give us time this year to repent, and turn back to Him.

We who haven't fallen for the enemy's lies must also be thankful for that.  That is God's grace towards us... nothing of our own perceptiveness.  (Trust in their own perceptions is exactly what led so many Christians into the enemy's camp.)

For those of us He's kept from being deceived by the world, it's seemed He has made His light brighter to us, and in us, because the darkness is so much greater than ever before.  For that most of all we should pour out our praises and thanks to God.

We can rightly thank God for keeping us from the national corruption in which we currently live.  Our faith thanks Him too for His swift and sure judgement on the evil-doers who mislead His people.  But our greatest thanks this year must be that God has increasingly separated us to Himself, and is drawing us closer to Himself.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Manson

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Charles Manson died the other day.

If we are honest with ourselves, about ourselves, we know we've done wrong with the life God gives us.  We know we've hurt others, even (especially) those who love us: and we fearfully know we've offended the One who gives, and most wishes, all blessing to us.  C.S. Lewis wrote that " [God] is our only possible ally, and we have made ourselves His enemies."

God alone is so intimately knowledgeable of each of us His enemies that He alone knows with certainty when we truly repent our evil...if we truly do  Only God's judgement of any man's life is just.

But even with our moral-squint that sees only "in a glass darkly," we can see what a man is.  We can see what a man does, and know on God's authority that it shows what is in a man's heart (Proverbs 23:7).  And even we can see if his life subsequently shows fruits of repentance (Matthew 3:8).

So it has to look to most of us like Charles Manson was a very evil man.  And without question, we all know there are very evil human beings.

But that's not my question.

The facts are that Charles Manson murdered no one.  That was not the evil he was convicted of by our human legal system, or sentenced to death for.  His guilt was that he inspired others to murder, and sent them to murder.

So what do we say of his followers, who did the evil he devised ?  We can say they were deceived by an evil man, because they were foolish enough to believe him.  We can say that they themselves chose evil, by choosing to do the will of an evil man.  We can say they joined in his evil, and satan's evil, by their willingness to believe that doing evil is a right and good thing.

What then do we say of those who follow and do the will of the deceiver now our president ? Are they guiltless who believe, against God's word, that unrighteousness and the spirit of violence and lies is good, and will "make America great again" ?

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Humility and Truth

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

People show they operate in reality, show they acknowledge truth, when they admit that human beings are fallible.  That is to admit no human being is God.

But people show they are committed to truth by the humility of admitting they themselves are fallible, and may be wrong.  That is to admit truth is greater than our Self.

Humility has a personal price.  We learn humility by being humiliated.  The greatest humiliation any of us can ever suffer is to admit that we are wrong.

The way of the world's "great ones," more in evidence today than ever before, is to assert that truth proves they are "right."  But truth flatters no man: truth is that all men are fallible.  Those who say truth glorifies themselves are lying, and the truth is not in them. (I John 2:4)


                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Screw Your Theology

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Many...perhaps even most...Christians believe we are acceptable to God on the basis of our theology.

There are several problems with that belief: the biggest being that our theologies are a product of a human consciousness...and certified "acceptable" to us, on the rare occasion we're honest enough to subject them to re-examination...by the same human consciousness that crafted them.

Another problem is that however well-informed, profound, and clever our theology is, it's inevitably wrong in some part.  When we're honest with ourselves, we know that.

And however honestly and hard we strive to make our theology valid and complete, it will never in the least begin to encompass God's Being.  Can a thimble hold an ocean ?  How acceptable is any theology that misses Who God IS ?

And however "good" and complete our theology may be, do we really live up to it ?  Isn't the take-away of any theology we make, what it makes of us ?

If we expect to be acceptable to God on the basis of our theology, none of us will ever possibly be acceptable to God.  We're screwed.

God is The Real "I AM."  He desires to be with who we really are,...even when (as right now) we're totally unacceptable.  Even when our theology is mistaken, mis-shapen, and pitifully insufficient (as it always is, and always will be).  Screw your theology.

Is there any true truth we can ever know of God that's learned someplace else than near Him ?  As Brother Lawrence wrote, we must "...establish ourselves in a sense of GOD’s Presence."  Is there any blessing except His Presence ?  Any heaven except His Presence ?

And God makes it easy for us to be near Him, and acceptable to Him:

"He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?


                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Praying for Brazil

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Yesterday I suddenly, and very strongly, got the feeling that I should pray for Brazil.

It was completely out-of-the-blue.  It had absolutely nothing to do with anything I'd heard, read, or been at all thinking about.

So it seemed it could be an impulse from God, and I went to pray.

I think I'm pretty knowledgeable on a great many things, and on current events.  But I probably know as little about Brazil as about anything.  I have no idea what is happening nationally in Brazil: its societal stresses, natural disasters, or its spiritual or political character, in any but the most general sense.  And how do you pray for an entire nation anyway ?

It was exactly a situation when I was glad God gave us the opportunity to "pray in the Spirit."  I had absolutely no idea God's concern for Brazil....no idea what prayer for Brazil would be according to His will (I John 5:14-15).

I asked the Spirit to guide my prayer, make my requests accord with God's will, and I let my words flow.  I couldn't understand any of the words the Spirit gave me (though I sensed their intent of blessing), any more than I understood God's concerns for Brazil.

It was all of a piece, complete: what scripture means by "perfect."  That God let me pray His will of blessing Brazil, in words the Spirit gave me...according to His will.  "Perfect" that my ignorance...of His will, and of Brazil...could be made His instrument to bless Brazil, as it increased my faith, and my obedience.

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Confederates

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

The perennial debate about honoring Confederate heroes is on again.  And again argued primarily on present-day political sensibilities.

Argued by one "side" from our current certainty that slavery (which the Confederacy identified as central to its "cause") is flat-our wrong: and by the other "side," from the "patriotic" Americanist certainty that rebellion against tyrannical government is a sacred "right" (as is every "free" American individuals' "right" to define "tyranny" according to their personal tastes).

Both arguments are based on historically-recent moral standards.  I find the debate wrong-footed, on both sides.

As a Christian, I'm convinced the moral standards for human beings were set by God long ago (basically what Jews called "the law"), and are immutable.  So I believe the actions of people in previous centuries were subject that moral standard, as we are today.  That's why it only makes sense to operate, and judge, by those time-tested ("traditional") standards...and not by our current personal perception of right and wrong. 

My view is theistic; but those who don't believe in any kind of God-given "law" can also acknowledge a "traditional" moral-standard for human beings.  They are welcomed to believe that mankind worked out a trustworthy standard of values for human behavior, by a few millennia of real-life experience.

(If God deems some actions and mindsets "right" and beneficial, and others harmful, and "bad;" I'm satisfied He built them into operative reality just that way.  And I'm certain He gave human beings the ability to discern what real-life actions "work" to our good, and which don't: whether or not we credit Him for reality's operating as it does...or our ability to perceive it.)

But under neither "traditional" standard should any honest person honor or idolize Confederate individuals, or their "cause."

Some argue that Confederate leaders should be honored because they were honorable men.  That in their personal morality, they were upright and honest..."good" men.  And that even if the argument is about slavery, many Confederate leaders hated slavery.

All of that is true, for some or many Confederate leaders.  But their personal morality is not the basis on which they've been honored these many years.  They've been honored for their actions as public figures, as national civic "heroes" and models.  And those are the exact reasons they should never be honored.

Virtually all high-level Confederate officials and generals took an oath,  as Congressmen or U.S. military officers, to defend the United States, and uphold its Constitution.  The definitive fact of their public careers was that they broke that oath, and waged war on their own nation and people.  And it is specifically on that fact...on their "Confederate" identity and deeds...that they are idolized.

Honoring oath-breakers and traitors is a perversion of any traditional moral code.  Those of our day who do so for self-serving political ends unmistakably show what they most deeply value...and who they most deeply are. 

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Cooking Lobsters

                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                              

Scientists say it's actually a myth that cooking a lobster by placing them in cold water, then very s-l-o-w-l-y increasing the temperature to boiling, kills them without them becoming aware of what is happening to them.

But it works very well for human beings, as to moral temperature.

There was another mass-shooting yesterday.  In our recent history, America has a mass-shooting every few weeks.  So far most Americans still perceive mass-shootings as wrong...though a great many Americans have adapted the political belief that it's a constitutional "right" that virtually everyone can have almost any kind of military firearm they want.

The N.R.A. and its followers go so far as to say everyone should...to protect themselves from mass-shooters.  "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," you know.  Never mind that "good guys" with a gun...and grudges (personal or political), mental problems, anger-issues, or personal problems...are most often the ones who become mass-shooters.

But my point isn't the gun-debate.  The point is that Americans are increasingly coming to accept that a mass-shooting every few weeks is normative.

When Charles Whitman went on a killing-rampage in 1966 (including some military-grade weapons in his arsenal), everyone in America was horrified at the outrage of his murders.   Even when children and teachers at Sandy Hook were massacred (again with military-grade firearms), not quite 5 years ago, most of us could still feel outrage at the evil of their murder.  Today, not really so much: every successive mass-shooting is lamentable...but isn't our attitude that that's just the way it is in our present-day society ?

Nothing better illustrates that political heat increases moral insensibility than the fact that Texas legislators put in place a law making it legal for almost everyone in Texas to own military-assault weapons on August 1st, 2016: the 50th anniversary of Charles Whitman's murderous rampage.  "Conservative" legislators wanted to "strengthen" Texans' "Second Amendment rights."

Under that strong "Second-Amendment rights" law, the most-recent Texas shooter seems to have legally possessed his murder-weapons.

Will the next mass-shooting (and I'm certain there will be one again, soon) shock us as much as the one yesterday ?  Will it be the one after that, or the next, or the one after the next, before it all comes to seem rather boring...or only notable as proof that our constitutional "rights" are secure and strong  ?