The cost of eradicating Malaria = $100 billion
The cost of a Golden Dome = $200 billion to $800 billion
Jesus or Caesar?
Tag: Jesus
Suffering!?
God doesn’t cause it, want it, or will it. God doesn’t need it, and it is not God’s will to allow it. Suffering is the result of evil and free will. Disease and natural disasters are part of the complexity of this world, affected by evil and our human decision to mistrust God. That is my personal belief after much study and prayer. I am still learning about this and am certainly open to other views.
God wants his creation to flourish and to live abundantly. God wants evil gone. All of this is demonstrated by Jesus, who healed, drove out demons, loved, forgave, and died to defeat the enemy, Satan.
Look what God did on the cross. God took responsibility for all evil. God in Christ voluntarily suffered the full force of evil in order to free creation from evil (see Greg Boyd, ‘Is God to Blame?’ page 118).
God’s purpose is to heal and reconcile all creation to himself. That’s what God desires and that’s why Jesus came and died for us. In the book of Revelation, it says that there will be a healing for all the nations (Revelation 22).
But here’s the thing: God can and will work through all the suffering that goes on in the world. God will work with the church to bring the best out of the worst in order to give life to this creation. And by church, I do not mean a building, but rather the body, the fellowship of believers.
God’s power is love. It’s love that will last forever. It’s love by which we know God will never give up on his creation. Remember, before we existed, there was love among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that love has been given to us who are willing to trust God and who do not follow the temptations of authority, power, greed, and such evil. God has enlisted the body of believers.
“10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3, NIV)
God’s purpose has always been to bring creation back into relationship with himself as it was in the beginning:
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:19-20 NIV
So now, amid the suffering we face in this world, we know that God’s love will prevail to strengthen us, mature us, and deepen our love for God and one another. God is pleased when this occurs. And finally, God is sending us the body of Christ to bring healing into this world. Many agents and agencies are called in this ‘fight’ against evil and suffering. May each one of us be one of those, to the glory of God.
TIME FOR OUR NIKES
These are dark days for our nation and world. I’m sure there have been darker times but I live in this one. Jesus alludes to such days when he says that in the world we will have tribulation (John 16), that leaders will do terrible things, thinking they are doing good for the world.
Federal workers are being fired haphazardly. Compassion for marginalized people is sorely lacking in a nation known for caring for those here and overseas who are in need, and who lack food, water, and proper medical care. People are being sent back to hotbeds of violence and murder. I have a close friend in one of those countries who is afraid for her life each day, now with no hope of leaving her country. Authoritarian world leaders (including our own) believe themselves to be the Caesars of a new world order.
Jesus knew this would happen. In John 16:33 he tells his disciples that they will experience stress, affliction, and persecution. But he goes on to say that he is now in the process of claiming God’s victory over the world. He goes so far as to tell us that it’s already been accomplished on the cross. It’s the D-Day scenario in the spiritual world.
The Greek word for victory in this passage is NIKE. Nike was the god of speed, strength, and victory in ancient mythology.
Remember that Jesus says we WILL have tribulation; we are going through it, not around it. We are pushing ahead on behalf of those who cannot push for themselves, and we are speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves. We strive against whatever evil raises its ugly head,d remembering that there are spiritual forces behind the flesh and blood leaders. And we must pray against hatred, war, greed, hurt, and divisiveness. Those are the schemes of Satan.
Even as I write this people are putting on their NIKES to defend the vulnerable in our world. I have worked with those organizations, like Church World Service, and I know the good they do; how at each turn they are helping people in the world who so want to do for themselves and need help, not denigration and unkindness. At the same time, the leaders of our nation are calling good things, like helping the poor and hungry), evil. The prophet Isaiah spoke about this: ‘Woe to those who call good evil and evil good’ (Isaiah 5:20). No, this will not stand in the judgment of our God.
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The Apostle Paul made it clear that there is only ONE LORD over this creation and his name is Jesus the Christ and he calls us to be servants, not tyrants. The natural inclination of some leaders, backed by the principalities of darkness, is earthly greed for power. We fail if we are silent. The Christian church and people like you and me need to be a witnesses against evil, pressing on to the higher way of helping those in need when the nation fails at that task.
Now, Jesus and Paul didn’t expect the Caesars of the world or the Roman government to help the people. We the people are asked to do this in Jesus’ name. “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute” Proverbs 31:8-9. “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Be just and compassionate to each other. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not harbor evil in your hearts against your neighbor’” Zechariah 7:8-10.
We are called to a life of faith, hope, and service with Jesus in the here and now. He said when we do something good for the most needful in the world, we are doing that very thing for him. All people are made in God’s image. They should not be ignored, thrown away, treated unjustly or disparaged.
I AM AN AGNOSTIC CHRISTIAN
The above statement is true because there is so much about which I am uncertain. I am a devoted follower of Jesus. But, since Jesus’ time and teaching, so much dogma, interpretation and differences in thinking have made my head spin. I want to know God more deeply. I am curious about so much. I know that curiosity killed the cat, which is sad news for cat lovers, but that curiosity only leads me deeper into the love of God.
Some people outside Christianity may be curious, skeptical, or cynical. It doesn’t help when Christians say’ It’s a mystery, just believe, or all God’s will. No, not for me. I’ve seen and heard too much in this world NOT to ask questions. I believe that asking leads to receiving and seeking leads to finding and finding the depths of God’s will and life are on my bucket list.
Here’s a large sampling of my questions:
*Why is there such a violent image of God in the Old Testament compared to the loving Jesus in the New Testament?
*Why is there such suffering in our world when we clearly see Jesus heal suffering, and diseases and cast out the demonic? Is it God’s will that we suffer?
*What about heaven and hell?
*Are our lives predetermined by God?
*Are the other religions wrong? Why do we think that a stated belief in Jesus is the only way to salvation?
*Is the Bible without error? Where did that doctrine even come from? Or is there a difference between inerrant (without error) and ‘inspired’?
*Is there a possibility of purgatory after death? (purification)
*Does God ever stop trying to bring people into a relationship with himself, even after death?
*Are there things God cannot do unilaterally?
*What about people who could not come to faith in this life? Will there be an opportunity after death?
*What about the devil? Was he defeated? Why is he still roaming around?
*What about the violence done in Jesus’ name? Was it ever morally right?
*Is our life a blueprint or a work in progress?
*Can gay marriage be within God’s plan at this point in time?
*The judgment. What is it really and how does judgment square with the love of God that keeps no record of wrongs and forgives the worst offenders like those who killed Jesus?
*Is there such a thing as luck, bad luck, or chance?
*Won’t God reconcile this whole creation back to himself at the end?
There is much more but my last question is this: Will I be judged for writing all this?
Yes, I am an agnostic follower of Jesus desiring to discover the God who loves me and, I believe, all creation.
But as the old monk, Anselm, wrote – “faith seeks understanding” and to understand is my goal.
Don’t be afraid to be curious or even skeptical. God loves that about us. That’s how relationships work.
THE CRUX OF THE MATTER
Our God is not a God of forceful power but a Lord of Love, influencing, not coercing. There is no greater power than that of love as proven by Christ on the Cross (‘crux’ in Latin). The world’s power is oppressive, violent, and threatening. It is manipulative.
Not so with the Christ of the Cross. It is through love, and even weakness and humiliation that Christ defeats evil.
Consider the temptation of Christ by Satan in the wilderness (Luke 4). All the world’s kingdoms would belong to Christ if only he would submit his loyalty to Satan.
Such temptations and subsequent loyalties still go on today. Countries are at war with words and weapons to gain kingdoms, territories, and islands. Rulers of nations want self-aggrandizing power, recognition, and the financial gain that goes with it.
People are willing to sell their souls to the devil for the power they desire, a power over others. Not so with Jesus. (Read Stephen King’s ‘Needful Things’ to see the power of evil.)
Those loyal to the God of love will receive a kingdom – the Kingdom of God, where love and sacrifice are the power that can effect change.
I share with you the Evangelical Confession of 2024. You can look it up in its entirety. It speaks to our time and faith.
Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction
In this moment of social conflict and political division, we confess the following Christian convictions:
ONE: We give our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone.
We affirm that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the only head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). No political ideology or earthly authority can claim the authority that belongs to Christ (Philippians 2:9-11). We reaffirm our dedication to his Gospel which stands apart from any partisan agenda. God is clear that he will not share his glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8). Our worship belongs to him alone (Exodus 20:3-4), because our true hope is not in any party, leader, movement, or nation, but in the promise of Christ’s return when he will renew the world and reign over all things (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
As Lent approaches let’s look at the Christ of the Cross and discover again the beauty of God’s love in the most ugly of deaths. Oh, how He loves you and me, as the song goes.
THE PRESSURE’S OFF
Early on in my faith life, I was pretty intense about getting people ‘saved’ so they would go to heaven when they died. When I would meet people my first thought was, ‘I wonder if he or she is a Christian?’ Were they ‘saved’? Had they accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior?
That’s a lot of responsibility and pressure. I had heard along my journey that I was to make people believers, as Jesus instructed in the great commission in Matthew 28. Actually, Jesus said ‘make disciples’ – a big difference. Jesus wants us to discover those who have responded to the love of God and help them to hear and do what Jesus instructed, as he states in Matthew 7.
So now I am learning to love people and find ways to let them know God loves them. At times I say ‘I will pray for you’. That’s good news for many people. And when I feel a bit bolder I will pray on the spot for them.
I am reading the parable of the sower and the seeds, which is found in Matthew 13. The sower could be either Jesus or God, but notice how the sower goes about his work. He scatters seed (God’s word) all over the place. Willy nilly, you might say. What’s with that? Why not put the seed only in good soil? Any wise farmer would do that. This farmer is sowing with abandon.
While writing this I am also reading a book about parables by Dallas Willard. Willard always has wisdom regarding life in Jesus. He reminded me that the Good News is about living right here and now with God, not getting into heaven. The good news is about God’s love, sin forgiveness, and character transformation.
So I am learning not to exert my views on others but rather to love them, to scatter the seed with abandon. God’s word WILL grow. That word of love has power within it like the seed.
So let’s find all kinds of places to sow God’s love. Lay it and leave it. Let God do what God does best, grow God’s word into life.
The pressure’s off. And besides, it’s not a pressure God placed on us. As we receive God’s love we naturally share it with others. But that’s another parable.
Our Confession of Conviction | Evangelical Confession 2024
https://www.evangelicalconfession2024.com/
No matter how you voted or will vote I invite you to read, digest, and implement the following confession of faith drawn up by many evangelical leaders to guide our way through this election and into the future. I included the website where you can find helpful resources and the signers of this confession…so far.
Skye Jethani is the original author, along with twenty other evangelicals. It’s been signed by hundreds of pastors and church leaders, including yours truly. Here are the actual words to the confession.
Our Confession of Evangelical Conviction
In this moment of social conflict and political division, we confess the following Christian convictions:
ONE: We give our allegiance to Jesus Christ alone.
We affirm that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and the only head of the Church (Colossians 1:18). No political ideology or earthly authority can claim the authority that belongs to Christ (Philippians 2:9-11). We reaffirm our dedication to his Gospel which stands apart from any partisan agenda. God is clear that he will not share his glory with any other (Isaiah 42:8). Our worship belongs to him alone (Exodus 20:3-4), because our true hope is not in any party, leader, movement, or nation, but in the promise of Christ’s return when he will renew the world and reign over all things (1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
We reject the false teaching that anyone other than Jesus Christ has been anointed by God as our Savior, or that a Christian’s loyalty should belong to any political party. We reject any message that promotes devotion to a human leader or that wraps divine worship around partisanship.
TWO: We will lead with love not fear.
We affirm that God’s saving power revealed in Jesus is motived by his love for the world and not anger (John 3:16). Because God has lavished his love upon us, we can love others (1 John 4:19). We acknowledge that this world is full of injustice and pain, but we are not afraid because Jesus Christ has promised to never abandon us (John 16:33). Unlike the false security promised by political idolatry and its messengers, the perfect love of God drives away all fear (1 John 4:18). Therefore, we do not employ fear, anger, or terror as we engage in our mission, but instead we follow the more excellent way of Jesus which is love (1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13).
We reject the stoking of fears and the use of threats as an illegitimate form of godly motivation, and we repudiate the use of violence to achieve political goals as incongruent with the way of Christ.
THREE: We submit to the truth of Scripture.
We affirm that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, authoritative for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We commit to interpreting and applying Scripture faithfully, guided by the Holy Spirit, for the building up of Christ’s people and the blessing of his world (John 16:13). We believe any true word of prophecy must align with the teachings of Scripture and the character of Jesus (1 John 4:1-3). Likewise, to lie about others, including political opponents, is a sin (Exodus 20:16). Therefore, we commit to speaking the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), knowing deception dishonors God and harms the reputation of his Church.
We reject the misuse of holy Scripture to sanction a single political agenda, provoke hatred, or sow social divisions, and we believe that using God’s name to promote misinformation or lies for personal or political gain is bearing his name in vain (Exodus 20:7).
FOUR: We believe the Gospel heals every worldly division.
We affirm the unity of all believers in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:28), and that through his sacrificial death on the cross, he has removed the barriers that divide us (Ephesians 2:14-18), making people from every nation, tribe, people, and language into one new family (Revelation 7:9). We are called to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and the counter-cultural unity of the Church is to be a sign to the world of God’s love and power (John 13:35; 17:20-21).
We reject any attempt to divide the Church, which is the Body of Christ, along partisan, ethnic, or national boundaries, and any message that says it is God’s desire for the human family to be perpetually segregated by race, culture, or ethnicity is a rejection of the Gospel.
FIVE: We are committed to the prophetic mission of the Church.
We affirm that Christ’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), therefore the Church necessarily stands apart from earthly political powers so that it may speak prophetically to all people, the society, and governing authorities. The Church has been given a divine mission of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). First, we call everyone to be reconciled to God through the proclamation of the Gospel as we teach people everywhere to copy the way of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). Second, we seek to reconcile people to one another by addressing issues of justice, righteousness, and peace (Amos 5:24). We accomplish this by loving our neighbors (Mark 12:31), and by engaging our public life with humility, integrity, and a commitment to the common good as defined by our faith in Christ (Romans 12:18).
We reject both the call for the Church to withdraw from societal issues out of fear of political contamination, as well as any attempt to distort the Church into a mere vehicle of political or social power.
SIX: We value every person as created in God’s image.
We affirm that all people bear God’s image and possess inherent and infinite worth (Genesis 1:27). Jesus bestowed dignity upon those his culture devalued, and he taught us that our love, like God’s, must extend even to our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). Our faith in Christ, therefore, compels us to act with love and mercy toward all from the very beginning of life to the very end, and honor everyone as an image-bearer of God regardless of age, ability, identity, political beliefs, or affiliations (John 13:34-35). We commit ourselves to advocate for the value of everyone our society harms or ignores.
We reject any messages that employ dehumanizing rhetoric, that attempt to restrict who is worthy of God’s love, or that impose limitations on the command to “love your neighbor” that Christ himself removed.
SEVEN: We recognize godly leaders by their character.
We affirm that the character of both our political and spiritual leaders matter. Within the Church, we seek to follow spiritual leaders those who display evidence of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus warned us to be on guard against false teachers who come as wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). These voices will tempt us with flattery, bad doctrine, and messages we want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). They serve the false idols of power, wealth, and strength rather than the true God. Outside the Church, we will evaluate leaders based on their actions and the fruit of their character and not merely their promises or political success (Matthew 7:15-20). When any leader claims to have God’s approval, whether in the Church or in politics, we will not confuse effectiveness for faithfulness, but carefully discern who is truly from God (1 John 4:1).
We reject the lie that a leader’s power, popularity, or political effectiveness is confirmation of God’s favor, or that Christians are permitted to ignore the teachings of Christ to protect themselves with worldly power.
Conclusion
We stand united in our confession of faith in Jesus Christ, resolved to uphold the truth of the Gospel in the face of political pressure and cultural shifts. We commit to being a light in the world (Matthew 5:14-16), and faithful witnesses to the transforming power of Christ’s love. We pray that God’s Spirit will revive our Church and strengthen Christ’s people to be agents of his presence and blessing in this turbulent age.
To him who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 1:24-25)
grace and peace,
george
GOD HAS FEELINGS TOO.
The old dead theologians like Calvin said God was impassible, meaning God does not have emotions. ‘Impassibility is the notion that God does not suffer and cannot be acted upon or moved by any other source. This is because, as the Westminster Confession puts it, God is “a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions.”’- from Ligonier Ministries
But many many people disagree; even people in the Reformed Tradition disagree.
We know that the essence of God, which is love, never changes. God’s love lasts forever.
When we look at Jesus we see the fulness of God. “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ..” Colossians 1:19
Jesus shows us the Father. Jesus had feelings of sorrow, joy, and compassion. Jesus cried…at the tomb of Lazarus; over the city of Jerusalem. In Isaiah 53 it says that Jesus would take on our pain and that he was a man of sorrows.
And what Jesus experiences is experienced by the whole Trinity. We can’t separate them. The Bible even tells us that we can make the Holy Spirit sad. ‘And do not make the Holy Spirit sad. The Spirit is God’s proof that you belong to him. God gave you the Spirit to show that God will make you free when the final day comes’.-Ephesians 4:30
Listen, we are children of God. Don’t parents have feelings for their children? Of course, they do. I can remember when my children were hurt in some kind of accident or were ill. I could feel the pain within me. I remember sending one of our sons to his room as a punishment saying, ‘This hurts me more than it hurts you.’ We are created in the image of God and if we can feel, we know that our God can feel. God even feels the pain of our sins.
In the Prodigal Son parable, we see the joyous father hugging his son after the son returns from a wayward life. That’s God hugging us. No scolding, no judgment. Just love. In that same chapter, Jesus tells of the JOY in heaven when a soul is reconciled with God.
There is no sorrow that is not known to our loving heavenly father. God lives in us and with us and feels everything. While God is not overwhelmed by our hurt, nevertheless God experiences it.
As we get closer to Lent let us remember these words: “he (Jesus) began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.’” Mark 14:33-34
Whatever you may be going through God is going through it with you. And remember the joyful times. God is sharing those with you too. Blessings.
COVID AND ME
Finally, I got the bug, the disease, the germ. It was a couple of days ago and it wasn’t pretty. But I’m better, thankfully.
I don’t think God had anything to do with my getting Covid. It’s about a lot of complicated stuff in the world contributing to the original outbreak, and subsequent deaths, but none of that is God’s doing. God wants what’s best for us, not suffering or evil. God doesn’t do Covid or Cancer. Look at Jesus. Jesus did what the Father was doing… loving, forgiving, and giving health and wholeness.
God does everything God can do through his influence, love, wisdom, and grace to effect change and bring about goodness. Last Sunday I was preaching about Romans 8:28 where Paul writes that God is working all things to the good with those who are called according to his purpose. That means that God is partnering with his creation to bring healing.
Good doctors, good medicines, loving people, and wise scientists all are helping in this endeavor and in every situation of ill health, evil, and sufferings too numerous to name. There might be blame for Covid but none of it rests with God.
Here’s what helped me on my path toward better health. First, my wife. I came home from an errand during which I had masked because I thought I had the flu and wanted to be kind and not infect others. But when I walked in the door of my house that day I started to cry. I felt so poorly. I sat down with Gigi and she prayed for me. She asked God to help me leave my burdens with God so as not to be weighed down and feel so down. She prayed for healing. And I felt the love. God’s love in her was now connecting with my soul and my spirit was lifted. And then I started hearing from my children and even one of my grandchildren called me to wish me well.
Then she went and got me Paxlovid from my good pharmacist. She forbade me to do any chores, and I heartily agreed. And then people from my church wrote saying they hurt with me and were praying for me. That’s love, the greatest power on earth. And it comes from God. And even if I didn’t feel better I am more than grateful for the love and partnering with God, church folks, my wife, and family. And I am thankful for advances in medicines and vaccines influenced by God’s grace in this world.
One more thing. I have learned that when I hurt, God hurts with me. God is in me as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To them belongs the glory. Amen
FORGIVENESS: HOW GOD’S KINGDOM COMES
The Bible certainly contains scriptures that speak about repenting and confessing before we are forgiven. 1 John 1: “8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
But there is also a sense, a reading of scripture, that God forgives humanity before we ask. Take Isaiah 44:22: “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me for I have redeemed you.” (NIV); in Jeremiah 31:34 God announces the New Covenant saying he will remember sins no more.
One of the clearest passages is in Colossians 2 in which Paul writes to the Gentile church, “13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (ESV)
In Colossians 1: 20 we read that God made peace with his creation through the blood of Christ shed on the cross. Paul also writes that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them (2Cor. 5:19). I don’t think God could approach us without first making peace with humanity
This all has implications for why we forgive others their transgressions against us even if they have not asked for forgiveness. This is the miracle of God’s grace and love at work in the cosmos. We are acting as children of our heavenly Father. In Matthew 5 Jesus tells his disciples to love even their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. (Matthew 5:44)
When we forgive another we die to ourselves, our egos, and trust any judgment to God. That’s how the Kingdom works. We are not told to forgive others for psychological or even emotional reasons. (Though it wouldn’t hurt in that regard.) We are invited to enlarge our own hearts for more of God’s grace to take up residence within us. That is life in the Kingdom.
Recall how Jesus unconditionally forgave others from the cross. He forgave Peter even before their meeting on the beach. That’s how love works. That’s how our lives best work even though it goes against the grain of our own defense mechanisms.
Christmas might be an appropriate time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action. It’s a good time to say, ‘yes’ to God who in Christ loves us so much that his Son was willing to die for us. It’s a good time for us to ‘be like our heavenly Father’ and let go of the sins of others. There may be consequences for their sin but those are not ours to choose. Our choice is to love as God has loved us.
A Blessed Christmas to all.
Grace Matters 