A DOCTRINE of GRACE – ILLUSTRATED –

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………. ………. ………. ………. ………. ………. ………. ………. ……….
………. ………. ………. ……….[*] ……. ………. ………. ………. ……….
………. ………. ……….  ………. ………. ……… ………. ………. ……….
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[*] … For our illustration, we will assign 1 person out of 1000 to be the recipient of God’s irresistible grace.

The actual ratio of  the:Elect:to:the:Reprobate  is probably not this conservative, but we’ll go with this for the purpose of visualization.

We start here with counting people, that is, human beings created in the image of God.  They have differences in looks, in size, in color, in personality, in disposition,  and in many other ways …

… BUT they each are a living soul with that spiritual component which they share and which makes them unique to the animal kingdom.  They each have that stamp –- “created in the image of God.”    They are less than angels, but are marked with…  image of God,  because they are, in a generic sense, children of God.

As we count, we will remember that each one is someone’s son or daughter, loved as a baby, for the most part,  an infant who escaped the murder of abortion.

By the same token, each one, according to scripture, is loved by God with an everlasting love, a unique person whose salvation He desires.   But perish?   NO.

Enter Augustine and John Calvin.

Now the “truth” and rules change.  Each one of these is NOT loved by God with an everlasting love.   Except for one, they are now merely reprobate statistics.

With this change in rules, each and every one is called a Reprobate,  and each,  save one,  is decreed in the secret counsel of God before the foundation of the world to spend an eternity in the torments of hell.

Here’s Calvin’s new reality — 999 new residents in hell,  by God’s will and decree.  Each one, whether baby or adult, if not chosen as one of the elect, is branded –- 1 REPROBATE,  2 REPROBATE,  3 REPROBATE,  4 REPROBATE,  5 REPROBATE,  6 REPROBATE,  7 REPROBATE.

Finally, you will come to one, only 1,  who is chosen, not by any merit of his own, but solely by the arbitrary will of God.   That,  of course,  is Grace Irresistible.

The branding iron of “REPROBATE” is laid aside for an instant,  being exchanged for one which reads, “ELECT,” chosen and branded by the great grace of God.

This one is special because God loves him,  and sent His only Son to die for him . . . but ONLY for him.   ONLY for him.   Repeat, the only Son … for him ONLY.

The others God did not love, did not choose, did not atone for, and who did not receive His grace.   Instead, they are objects of His wrath, though they were born as children in His own image, but doomed before they were born.  They were doomed from the womb,  judged before they were even a sperm.

So, start counting, slowly, remembering the pre-determined destiny of each, condemned to damnation,  but not for anything they did because their destiny was sealed before even their parents were born.

One Reprobate,  two Reprobate,  three Reprobate . . .  Out of this 1000 you will find one,  but only one,  whom “God so loved that He gave His only begotten Son for him so that he would not perish…”   but only him, and none other out of this 1000.

Four Reprobate,  five Reprobate,  six Reprobate…   Keep counting, and keep thinking of the horror which each one will face.

And remember: They face this, not because of their sin,  but because their destiny was sealed in eternity-past before birth.   Calvin called this “the horrible decree.”   Credit him for this.

Thus, their decisions had nothing to do with their destiny.  Their actions had nothing to do with the outcome.   Their sin had nothing to do with their doom.

Seven Reprobate,  eight Reprobate,  nine Reprobate…   You’ve not even started, yet your heart is heavy realizing that God can love so few when there are so many.

How do I make sense of this,  you say to yourself.   You don’t, because this is the enigma of Calvinism.   It doesn’t make sense, not even common sense.

Common sense?  Yes.  What parent with several children would say “I love one, but not the others”?   Yet, Calvin’s god has less capacity to love than a human parent.

Ten Reprobate,  eleven Reprobate,  twelve Reprobate…   How can I remain a Calvinist, you think as you stop counting, when I visualize what Calvin’s predestination and reprobation mean?

But who says you have to?   Many have walked away when they awakened to the monster which Calvin’s god represents.

Thirteen Reprobate,  fourteen Reprobate,  fifteen Reprobate,    How does one go on with this madness,  you say.   Yes, it is Monster Madness.

Predestined Reprobate,  predetermined Reprobate.   This forest of reprobates is void of salvation’s joy, except for one sole soul who was chosen for redemption among the masses of miscreants.

But some of these are his family, and some are his friends.   O God,  how can this be?   You save me but damn my family. 

How can he know the joy of the Lord as he walks among the doomed and the damned?   Why him, and not them?   Does he feel like Moses: “Lord, if you’re not going to save my kinsmen, then let me be punished with them.”    Continue counting.

……….   …..[!]….   ……….   ……….   ……….  ……….   ……….
……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ………. ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ……….……….  ……….  ……….  ……….
………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. [*] ………. ……….  ……….  …… ……….  ………. ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ………. ……….  ……….  ……….  ………. !!!

[*] …You finally found the privileged one, the blest one, the favored one, the chosen one, the elect one, the loved one, the graced one among this 1000.   But is this YOU?   Are you the favored one as you eat with your reprobate loved ones?

As you look at this visualization, remember that THIS is your God based upon His desire and will … if you are a Calvinist.   999 hits of hate,  1 object of love;    999 hits of wrath,  1 object of grace;  999 who are doomed,  1 for whom Jesus died.

THIS is Calvin’s God,  and YOUR’S, if you are a Calvinist limiting His love, limiting His grace, and limiting His atonement.   But that’s your Calvinism.

“Amazing Grace” is a favorite hymn of the church.   But if sung by Calvinists,  it should be “Amazing Limited Grace.”   What is so amazing is that God would limit it to so few, when the field is white unto harvest with so many.

Such great grace comes from the hand of God, yet it is selfishly reserved for such a small select band by the distortions of Calvinism.   Limiting grace, by God’s will, IS amazing.

Calvinism claims that theirs is “a doctrine of grace.”   IT IS NOT.   IT IS NOT.   IT IS NOT.   It’s “a doctrine of judgment,”  seasoned with a few grains & flakes of salt-and-pepper grace.

We wish this hijacking of the English language would cease.   But it will not as long as Calvinism hides behind the lies of its hijacking.   Hiding in the shadow of non-scriptural truths  are the distortions of samples like these:

*Atonement which is limited by God’s will is not scriptural  propitiation.

*Love directed at a few while hating the many is not scriptural  agape.

*Grace which cannot be resisted  nor rejected is not scriptural  favor.

*Predestination of specific individuals by name for salvation before the
foundation of the world is not scriptural  foreordination.

*A Reprobate, so designated by anything other than rebellion against the will of  God, is not scriptural  disapproval.

*Sovereignty which does not allow God to limit Himself for specific purposes is not scriptural  governance.

And these are but a few examples of the crime of linguistic hijacking by Calvinism.

A Doctrine of Grace?   You count,  and then,  by the time you reach 1000…

Judgment,   judgment,   judgment,   judgment,   judgment,   judgment,   judgment, judgment,  judgment,   judgment,   judgment,   judgment,   judgment,   judgment,  judgment,  GRACE,   judgment,   judgment …

. . . you be the judge.

Next, we’ll try an exercise using scripture.   One principle of Bible Study should be:
The Word is meant to speak to US,  not US to the Word.

John 3:16 – God so loved the world that He gave His only Son …
….. Context:  This speaks of the world of men  [vv.17-19].
….. Content:   God loved the world of men including your neighbor.

Authorized version:  God so loved the world of men …
Unauthorized version:  God so loved the world of the elect …

1 John 2:2 – Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
….. Context:  The world of men vs. the world of evil principles  [v.15].
….. Content:  Do not love the world of things nor adopt its principles,  but love the world of men for whom Jesus died.

Authorized version:  God offers atonement for the world of men …
Unauthorized version:  God offers atonement only for the world of the elect …

2 Peter 2:9 – The Lord is patient with us, not willing that anyone should perish, but that everyone should come to repentance.
….. Context:  God’s desire for anyone/everyone in the world of men…
….. Content:  God does not “will” the damnation of anyone, but desires all to repent.

Authorized version: God offers salvation for anyone who repents.
Unauthorized version:  God gives repentance only to the elect for salvation.

Matt 7:14 – And narrow is the way which leads to eternal life,   and few there be who … FIND … it.
….. Context:  The Father gives eternal life to those who desire & seek it.
….. Content:  We find because we seek,  we discover because we ask.
We find because we look.  Election  is BEING chosen.  Finding is being DILIGENT.

Authorized version:  Few find  eternal life because they do not seek.
Unauthorized version:  Few receive eternal life because God predestined
eternal death for the many before they were ever born.

These are but four examples among the many available.  The Holy Spirit will lead us into the truth,  but God requires us to seek and to find.

His leadership requires that we follow, and it is in the following and seeking that we find.    His guidance does not negate our responsibility.

He leads us to the field,  hands us a shovel, and says, “Find the jewel of great price.  It’s here.”   He gives us the ship, provides the compass, sets the sails, and says, “Find the treasure on Treasure Island.”   

God leads us to the water, but he doesn’t do the drinking.   He provides the shovel, but He doesn’t do the digging.   He provides the ship, but He doesn’t do the sailing.   He provides the land, the sun, and the rain, but He doesn’t do the farming.   He provides guidance, but we do the following.

TO REVIEW –
(A)     A principle of Bible study  should be:  CONTENT
The Word speaks to US,  not US to it.
….. The Word assures us that the H.S. will lead us so that we will find the truth.
….. But it does not give us permission to be the leader in this discovery.

(B)     A principle of Bible interpretation  should be:  CONTEXT
No verse should be examined in isolation from
(1)  the immediate context,   nor from   …(2) the broader context.
….. This principle avoids the creation of “proof texts.”
….. Texting is one thing.   Proof-texting is quite another.

When these principles are applied to the doctrine of grace, we become painfully aware that what Calvinism calls its core doctrine is a game of smoke and mirrors, misguiding many sincere souls.

The deceptive pretense is that the followers of Calvin pretend to have an edge on understanding the doctrine of grace.  The sad and painful reality is that they misunderstand the very “truth” they pretend to know so well.

The Bible says, “And great grace was upon them all”  [Acts 4:33].   Let our prayer be that as we receive and experience such great grace, we may unselfishly extend that grace to all those whom God loves and for whom Jesus died.   

           “I consider my life worth nothing except as I am able to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the ministry of testifying to the Gospel of God’s grace.”   [Acts 20:24].

                                                                                     ….. Calvin Pitt.s

MAD AT GOD ?

Have you ever been mad at God?    I have.    Peter had.    And maybe you have too, even if you tried to camouflage it as something a bit more righteous and acceptable.     BUT RIGHTEOUS LIPSTICK DOETH NOT REALITY HIDE.

Let’s re-visit the story of Peter where he cuts off the ear of a Roman soldier in an attempt to remove his head.    Jesus has just been insulted and threatened.    “You’ll not threaten my Lord without consequences,”  whereupon . . . SWOOSE !

Peter’s sword does not swing downward in a vertical direction, otherwise it would have cut into the Roman’s shoulder blade.    The horizontal direction of the sword is meant for the neck, but a quick reflex by a trained soldier lowers his head just enough so that only the ear gets caught by Peter’s blade.

Now imagine the courage it takes to attempt killing a Roman in the presence of other soldiers’ ready swords.    One Disciple, one sword, one innocent Man, and a host of armed soldiers, is the scene.     What a death-wish on Peter’s part.

Here is the courage of a warrior on full display.    Peter has a warrior’s heart.    Warriors instinctively defend their friends, because warriors have courage.    They may experience fear, but warriors have courage even in the face of fear.

So what happens next?    Jesus thanks and commends Peter for his magnificent courage?     No, He does not.     Rather, He rebukes the man who just defended Him.

Rebuke is Peter’s amazing reward for his act of courage in the presence of overwhelming odds.    Instead of gratitude, Peter receives the unbelievable gift of attitude -– the attitude of Jesus being perceived as taking sides with the enemy rather than with His defender.     Unthinkable !

The reward for loyalty is betrayal,  it seems.     Jesus betrays a bond of friendship, it appears.    And the human reaction to this is universal.   It makes Peter mad,  as it would any warrior.   We say this reaction is natural, that is, when one does not understand the supernatural where Divine purposes are in play.

But it doesn‟t end here.    A friend betrayed is a friend-be-mad.    And the depth of betrayal defines the intensity of that anger.

The next set of dynamics being played out is:

(1) Jesus now stands up to the enemy with whom Peter perceived He had just taken sides.   Surprise,  but Jesus now challenges the validity of the false charges against Him.   So, on who’s side is the Lord standing anyway?

(2) The Roman enemy who represents the power of the State exhibits his governmental power by slapping the powerless Jew.    “How dare you, a lowly Jew, question my authority, given to me by Rome itself.” . . . SLAP !!

(3) The lowly Jesus, a second-rate Jew with no standing before a royal court, still does not back down.    In fact, He offers up the “other” cheek by issuing yet another challenge to the powerful, deluded Roman –- “By what right do you strike Me?    You may have the temporal power, but you do not have the moral right to abuse Me.    Your injustice is not justified in the court of the Almighty.”

(4) Many years later Peter is able to see this through spiritual eyes, but at the moment his anger blinds him to a greater truth.    He does not yet see the Will of the Father being played out in this temporal scene.

Earlier, Jesus had said, while Peter and the others were asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane –- “Father, not My will, but Your WILL be done.”    At this moment, that is what Peter is missing.    The WILL of the Father is the CROSS,  meaning,   Atonement for sin.

The divine dynamics here, presently unperceived by Peter, are:

• The predestined PURPOSE of God –- the promised Redemption of fallen man.
• The predestined PLAN of God –- the provisional Atonement for sinful man.
• And the predestined PERSON of God –- the provider who fulfills the Will of  Jehovah,  Jesus.

These dynamics are the power behind this story, and can be seen and understood later, especially after Pentecost.

But at the moment, Peter neither sees nor understands the WILL which is unfolding before his very eyes.    Jesus is submitting to the WILL of the Father, and nothing, not even a slap nor an army of powerful Rome will be able to distract nor defeat the fulfillment of that WILL.

The  “Hound of Heaven‟ is at work, but Peter is here with earthly reactions like disappointment and anger and retaliation.   Through eyes of flesh, the fisherman thinks he sees something he does not like –- weakness.

But Peter sees something on the scene which we can easily miss in the reading of this story.    He had witnessed Jesus healing the sick, providing food for  the multitudes, foretelling the future, standing up to the Pharisees, overturning the Temple tables of commercial money-merchants, and even the raising of the dead.

That was heady stuff, and this emotional, natural-born leader had seen it all.   That was a powerful and dynamic Man whom Peter had been following, a Man who had promised to set up a new kingdom.    He had raised the prospects of a new hope for second-class citizens who had been used and abused by third-class Gentiles.

And NOW, when everything is at stake, this Man with raw power in His words and in His hands does nothing but “talk.”    In a major crisis, this behavior has every mark of weakness.    He is allowing Rome to win when Showtime is here.    It doesn‟t make sense.     Has Peter been deceived ?    What is he missing?    Is HE…JESUS a coward?

As we read this story, we see that the false perception of weakness only intensifies Peter‟s unjustified feelings of anger. “Who is this Man who has all the power of heaven and earth at His fingertips, but will not use it in the critical moment of a showdown?   Do I really know this Man to whom I have declared my devotion and loyalty?     I defended Him.   Why is He not loyal in return?”

What we see in the reading of the story, which Peter does not see in the living of it, is the Father’s Will.    Jesus tried to alert them to this at Gethsemane, but apparently, it did not register until after Pentecost.

At the moment, in the middle of the crisis, all that Peter’s angry heart and blinded eyes can see are failure, defeat, disloyalty, betrayal, inaction, and weakness.  Weakness?    Cowardice?   That bugs this man of action and courage.   Is this really the long-awaited King and Messiah to whom he is now listening?   Who is this Jesus, anyway?

Sooo … how do we know these are the divine dynamics being revealed in a very human story about ‘Jewish Peter and the Roman Ear’?

How?    By looking at the broader context of …

• recent Gethsemane,
• earlier OT prophecy,
• later NT revelation, and
• a good dose of sanctified collation of things said and of things not said, of things seen and of things not seen, … PLUS…

• a BOLD statement about the traditional view of a “courageous” disciple turning into a “coward” as a result of 3 simple questions.

The bold statement is this:  Peter is no coward, no way, no how, not then, not now, not ever.   You can call him a commoner,  but not a coward.

If Peter was NOT a coward, or did not act cowardly as the traditional view asserts, then we have a quandary.    What do we make of the “NO’s” he uttered in response to the 3 questions about being identified with Jesus?

• Our first clue is easy to interpret.    You don’t swing a deadly weapon at a soldier in front of armed comrades if you are not angry.   He was not only mad, but very mad.    He intended great harm,  even at his own hurt.
• The second response is less obvious.    Peter listens to Jesus talk rather than act. Peter has already shown that he wanted action.   “Call down heaven’s angels and establish the kingdom you promised.    We’ve been waiting 3 years already.”    Whether or not he is aware of it, Peter is calling Jesus’ hand.    “The time for words is over. ACT.    NOW.    BE OUR KING.” 

The emotion of anger does not appear to be mitigated by Jesus’ wordy response. Rather, we can believe that it is actually intensified.    “These men, Jews & Romans, Pharisees & Politicians, want to kill you.   KILL YOU.   They are serious, and so must we be.   Fight back.    It’s still not too late.”

• The third response is more subtle, and it appears to reflect the softness and weakness of a coward.    But can one honestly say, in view of the context, that this aggressive, boisterous,  outspoken leader and action-warrior has the heart of a coward?     Our answer is bold.

PETER IS NO COWARD.   He simply did not yet understand the purpose of God.

He was very brave in the first  encounter, facing armed soldiers.    He was impatient and disappointed,  if not disgusted,  with what he perceived as weakness in the second encounter.

So, what is the meaning of the three  NO’s  in the third case?    Anger is now mixed with confusion, if not disgusted determination in the case of the 3 challengers.

However, in keeping with the flavor of the context, we must not only SEE the word “No,” but me must FEEL it,  and the emotional cauldron which attends it.

A coward says, “no,” but a warrior says, “NOOO !!,”  an angry NO, not about the Spiritual Warrior he had earlier witnessed taking on the demons of evil, but about the perceived weak waffling that is playing out in the current scene.

So, let’s consider what we believe to be a misguided view of Peter‟s “cowardice.”

• Accusation #1 … “You’re with Him. ” – Angry response #1 … NO!
• Accusation #2 … “You’re one of them.” – Angry response #2 … NO, NO!!
• Accusation #3 … “Your accent says YES.” – Angry response #3 … NO, NO, NO!!!

Peter is mad, mad, mad that his faith is being exposed as untrue. “I can‟t have been deceived.    I know my faith is true, but do I really know this Man whom I said was the Messiah,  the long-awaited King?     This is too much, too heavy.    Why doesn’t HE act?”

With anger bordering on rage, Peter may be thinking … “If You ARE the Messiah, now’s the time to show your hand, display your power, and set up your kingdom.    The time is now. It’s time to act.   SHOWTIME.”

STOP LETTING THEM WIN.
… … … … … … … … … (“Not My will, but Thy Will be done.”)
YOU’RE NOT WEAK. STOP ACTING LIKE IT.
… … … … … … … … … (“Not My will, but Thy Will be done.”)
IT’S SHOWTIME ALREADY. ENOUGH WORDS.
… … … … … … … … … (“Not My will, but Thy Will be done.”)
PULL YOUR ACTIONS OUT OF THE HAT.
… … … … … … … … … (“Not My will, but Thy Will be done.”)
DO SOMETHING,  NOW.
… … … … … … … … … (“Not My will, but Thy Will be done.”)

 Here is the hidden message of the story of Peter & the Ear,  but only hidden to those with merely an earthly understanding.   “Peter,  LOOK.”

“The Father’s WILL,  His purpose,  His plan,  His Person.”

But talking to Peter at this moment is wasted energy.    He’s too angry to hear you.

NO! … NO,NO!! … NO,NO,NO!!! … … … …  …   “COCKLE-DOODLE-DO.”

He doesn‟t hear you, but he does hear.    He hears a rooster.    And why is that?    Because in this case, the rooster brings a word of truth.    This voice is the very voice which Jesus described before-the-fact, a wake-up call which would become a silencer of Peter‟s angry NO’s,  because…

Because of what?    Because it would do what no human voice could do in this very critical moment.    It would silence Peter‟s anger because the One who foresaw and foretold the rooster’s action could be none other than the very God-in-the-flesh with whom Peter had walked and talked for 3 years … Jesus, the very One at whom the disciple was mad just moments earlier.

Jehovah-Jesus lit the fuse hours earlier to the dynamite when He foretold the event involving one of His creatures.    Only God could see and know the timing of such a minor event,  the crowing,   a minor event which had major consequences.

Peter‟s anger is exploded by a rooster,  his myopic vision is revealed,  and his misguided heart is exposed.

What is exposed is not the fake view that Peter turned coward because of a little maiden.    What is exposed is the firm reality that even courageous warriors can get mad at God, and often do, wanting to take things into their own hands.

Peter was a warrior, a courageous one.  He was courageous in the face of Roman power. He was courageous, albeit misguided, before the face of God.    And he was courageous to have an honest human response to his anger.

Yes, his anger was honest-courage-on-display.    Misguided, yes, but honest nonetheless.    Just like Job in the O.T.     It was misguided because he did not see the war-of-wills which were clashing at this very moment.

The War-of-Wills included the Jewish Will to orchestrate Jesus’ death but make the Romans responsible, the Roman Will to execute that death but blame the Jews for it, the Disciple’s Will of misjudging the purpose and providence of God … VS … the Divine Will to fulfill what had been purposed and planned through the Person of Jehovah-Jesus from the beginning.

Cal    … … … (But wait…)

POSTSCRIPT:

The following is a personal event which illustrates the above reality.

It is 1984.   We live in a beautiful home, at 8500′ elevation, in the foothills 17 miles west of Boulder, CO.    Physically and with scenic views worthy of National Geographic, we love exploring the mountains and Jeeping trails.    I could easily live the rest of my life here, but . . .

This “but” includes some never-to-be-forgotten flames.   Our mountain haven caught fire, and left us with lots of ashes.   Well-meaning friends would say, in an attempt to soften our pain, that clothes and furniture could easily be replaced.   “At least you’re still alive.”

Grief would quickly turn to anger.    Physical belongings hardly entered our minds.

But what did linger hour after hour were the empty spaces of memories, memories like the loss of family heirlooms, and an antique piano,
.. old family pictures and framed photos, including antiques,
.. a Martin Luther book published in the early 1600’s,
.. a 3000-book library including many antique old-leather volumes,
.. hundreds of pictures and collectibles from my 1981 ’round the world
commemorative 50th anniversary Wiley Post flight,’
.. irreplaceable interviews of family and friends of Wiley Post,
..  a 2-hour taped interview with Gen. Jimmy Doolittle,
.. Civil War guns and relics from a great-grandfather,
.. priceless letters and tapes, family pets, stamps and melted old coin collections,
.. complete Lionel trains with all the trimmings given to me almost 50 years earlier
… … and, a completed book manuscript on Aviation which took me 10 years to
complete, with no duplicate yet copied before publishing.

This left a big hole in my life, a hole filled with ashes and memories of experiences and adventures now gone sour.

Staying with friends until living arrangements could be made, I tried to sleep at night. But each time I closed my eyes, all I could see were flames leaping out of the windows. To erase the mental pictures, I had to open my eyes, which then obviously made sleep impossible.

The feelings which arose out of the “big hole” were more than grief.   They included moments of intense anger.   “Why, God, didn’t you protect us from a cause which had nothing to do with neglect nor carelessness?”

Then accusations would change to questions. “What have I done to make You hate me so much and so deeply as to allow something this extreme?”    The irrational thoughts would bounce from floor to ceiling … which no longer existed.

Losing so much made reality an enemy which had to be faced.    And then there was the long, agonizing road of locating a contractor, and the facing of the multitude of details while trying to maintain sanity in my work environment, that is, flying, where distractions can be deadly.    It was going to be a long nightmare.

On Sunday, 4 days later, we were driving to church, one of the last places I wanted to be, listening to platitudes about “the will and love of God.”    But habits die hard.    With the radio on, I was listening only to that dreaded inner voice asking again,  “Why do You hate me so much?”

Within seconds of inwardly asking that question, I became aware of the song playing on the car radio.   Without realizing that I was humming the words, it suddenly dawned on me what I was singing . . . “Jesus loves me, this I know…”

I was shaken by the realization that my question was being answered for me … with my own lips.    I kept driving by pure instinct as the remaining words were articulated in my mind … “Jesus loves me, this I know…”     Know what?     Know how?     Not by circumstances.    They were horrible.    Overnight, we were homeless.

If not by circumstances, then HOW?    “Jesus loves me, this I know … FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.”    There was the answer.    God’s love has nothing to do with events or circumstances.    He loves us because He loves us, and we are told that in language which can be understood, even by children in a child’s song.

Through eyes of grief, I was asking the wrong question, and focusing on the wrong thing.    Very human, of course, but still misguided.

Like Peter, I was mad at God, but mad without justification.    The mis-guided anger caused mis-focused attention.    Myopic is hardly the word for it.

But then, the irrational spell was broken, not by a rooster but by a radio.    The smallest but most timely of things hit me while I was not really listening.    And that small thing, rooster or radio, brought me back to reality with the reminder that God does not deserve to be blamed the way we do as imperfect humans.

To Peter, God revealed His answer through an animal, or fowl if you wish.    To me, He revealed His answer through an airwave … through ‘wings of air,’ directing me back to the scriptures which teach us about the love and guidance of a loving Father.

I suspect that it is perfectly OK to get mad at God as long as the anger is honest in its search for spiritual reality.    The Book of Job taught me that.   It was that book in the Bible which I began studying after the fire in my effort to grow from that experience, and to turn tragedy into triumph.

It was Job who helped me understand the anger and courage of Peter.   For Job it was:

…  … IF I HAD UNDERSTOOD YOUR PURPOSES,
… I WOULD NOT HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT YOUR PROVIDENCES.

We have short-changed Peter by calling him a coward.   He was not.   For Peter it was:

…  … WHAT APPEARED TO BE DELAY,  BETRAYAL,  and WEAKNESS,
… … … … … IN GOD’S TIMETABLE … …
… WAS THE PREPARATION FOR THE ANSWER I LONGED FOR.

Peter was simply mad at God, but he got over it.    And we can, too.   Peter was angry because Jesus was too slow,  and made Himself look weak.   But the Master is never too late,  and is never too weak.   He brings the resources of heaven to our rescue … just in time.

IF ONLY I HAD UNDERSTOOD. … … … Now we do.

…………………………………………………………………………………………Calvin Pitt.s

THE THIEF WHO SAVED MY LIFE

It was Friday, the evening of Jan 27, 2017 when I tried to call my wife by cell phone.   She was in Georgetown at our apartment while I was 15 miles away in our home in Sadieville which I was trying to sell.

 

My customary evening call would not go through.   Instead, the screen said, “EMERGENCY calls only.”   After several attempts, I decided to call in the morning to assure her I was OK.   That evening I began to shiver deeply, but compensated with extra covers, followed by 8 trips to the bathroom during the next 9 hours.

 

In the morning, I tried calling again. “EMERGENCY calls only,” the screen still said.   I knew a drive into town was necessary just to quiet my wife‟s fears.   After lunch,  at 2:00 pm, feeling weak, I knew it was time to go to the AT&T office to fix my phone.

The short of the story was that a thief in Maryland had stolen my phone number and charged $3100 worth of i-phones to my account.   More than an hour later the problem was resolved, and I now had a way to communicate by phone.

 

After dinner, I was feeling weaker, so retired to the couch to rest.   Almost immediately, my body began to shake uncontrollably.   After collapsing, there was a rush to the ER, where, after throwing up and being wired for travel into the medical world, it was determined that I had a very serious case of urinary tract infection, coupled with a bacteria in my blood which was later diagnosed as E.COLI.

 

“The good news,” the doctor said, “is that you got here just in time, and that this strain of E.COLI is responding to medication.   There are strains which do not respond, and are lethal.   We’ve got your body stabilized, and you will be OK.   The white blood cell count when you arrived was 75,000, the next day it was 15,000, and today it is 9,000, which tells us that with medication, your body is winning the battle against the infection.  The prognosis is good.”  

I had dodged another bullet,  but HOW?  

A thief in Maryland did not know that when he was doing his dastardly deed, he was actually setting off an alarm which caused AT&T to put an “EMERGENCY” message on my phone, for which I am now grateful.   Without that message, I would have called my wife and gone to bed Friday evening, unaware of the lethal battle going on inside my body.   Shivering, I would have added covers, and in my stubbornness, would have simply tried to ride out the “inconvenient” symptoms.   Collapsing in my home alone, I would have been unable to help myself.   Knowing that I was strong enough to endure what I thought was merely the onset of the flu, I would have refused to call 911 … until it was too late.

“You intended it for evil,  but God meant it for good,”  the Bible says.   The Maryland thief unknowingly set up a series of events which began with “EMERGENCY.”   I thought it was an emergency about my phone, little realizing that it was an emergency message from the hand of heaven.   “EMERGENCY.  Get into town where someone can get you to the hospital”    So, in retrospect, I suppose I should re-title this little missive —

                            “THE LORD USED A THIEF TO SAVE MY LIFE”

And this fits with something I believe scripture teaches –- The Lord uses even the messengers of satan to accomplish His purposes.

 

During the past year, I have been introduced to the medical profession with MRSA and 2 toes being amputated, a knee replacement surgery, a colonoscopy, a pulmonary embolism from a blood clot which temporarily stopped body functions … (“Blood pressure ZERO, Pulse ZERO, and a flatline on the heart monitor”) … a scheduled surgery for another toe amputation, and the latest encounter with E.COLI and urinary tract infection.

For a moment there I wondered –– “Is this how God demonstrates His love?‟  But faith quickly answered that question.  And with it came a lasting appreciation for the knowledge and skill of doctors, for the kind and gentle care of God’s angels, my nurses, and a deep love for the concern and prayers of my friends and my wife and family.

 

In short, these experiences create an intimacy with the O.T. story of Joseph:

“YOU  meant it for evil,  

BUT GOD  intended it for good.”

 

Calvin Pitt.s

SO WHAT? …or… NOW what?

 

“So what if Hillary committed high crimes and misdemeanors against our country at our expense. It’s over now. It’s past. Let the past be the past. Nobody cares anymore. Pardon her, and move on. It’s time to move on dot org says.” Spoken like a giant grasshopper.

There are many who now believe this, especially the Liberal Left who despises those laws which hold one accountable. The substance of their faith is: We believe in a society where one should be able to commit crimes without consequences   … where one should be able to act without accountability   … where one should be able to rule without responsibility.

To the Left’s surprise, here is the real story of what has just happened before our very eyes … and that is, the peons, the working class, the ruled class, the Real class revolted against the Ruling class.   Enough is enough. No more, we said.

Surprised? This happened against the British in 1776, and to the surprise of many, it happened again in 2016, EXACTLY 240 years later. The Ruled revolted against the Rulers, or put in barnyard parlance, The Hens laid eggs on the Roosters.

“OK Philosopher, lighten up, and get back to enjoying the toys you’ve worked so hard to get. Come on now, eat, drink, and be merry before you die. It’s time to celebrate our new freedom. Don’t focus on the past. You’ve got a life ahead to be lived to the fullest.”

These are real words and real beliefs by real friends with whom we live and work. But there are also people who are not willing to walk through life with their eyes closed. When you do this, you stumble and trip over things, and when you drive, you run into things, and when you fly, you crash into things, each of which provide another wake-up call … if you survive.

And that’s the Hillary-lesson from what has just taken place even as we watched, namely, a wake-up call for a nation of playboys and entertainment lovers.

“As long as I am free to enjoy my toys, I don’t care what Hillary did.   As long as I am free to be entertained, I don’t care what Bill did.   As long as I am free to enjoy the gifts of Santa Claus, I don’t care what Obama did.    JUST EAT, DRINK, and BE MERRY, FOR TOMORROW WE DIE.   Don’t you get it?”

And then, one day, in a sober moment between drinks, you begin to think, that rare moment when no one is watching, and a cloud hits you in the head — ‘How was I lucky enough to come by such freedom?  The world is in shambles.  The rest of the world is hurting.  Why me?  Why am I here, free to do as I please, even free to bite the Hand that has freed me?’

And then a quiet, still small voice whispers in your ear —

Your freedom to be a jellyfish was purchased by the blood of MEN.  Your freedom to not care was purchased by men & women who DID care enough to lay down their lives and sacred honor.  Your freedom to be a fool was purchased by wise men & women who were alert enough to stand guard while you slept.  Don’t you think it’s time to make your contribution to the high cost of this freedom?

And then you open your eyes, shake your head, look around to see if anyone is watching, and soberly say to yourself,  ‘Maybe I should spend at least :05 thinking about the serious consequences of what I am avoiding.  And what might that be?’

At that moment, the thoughts begin to wash in upon you like those ocean waves which you so much enjoy.  You feel the sand between your toes.  You pick up a beautiful shell, something which always intrigues you.  You look at the blue and pink horizon and begin to think — “What is my inner voice trying to say?”  And then, for those precious :05 you begin to listen.

….((((((((( Actions have consequences.  In a nation of laws, crimes are tried before a court of law.  When found guilty, those crimes are punished.  But when those crimes and those consequences are ignored, the injustice which this causes begins to fester in the minds of those against whom the injustice was committed.

Moving on, without dealing with the injustice, fails to bring closure.  And this failure festers and festers until the very freedom which allows it is placed in jeopardy.  What, then, are the consequences of this failure?

Armed Revolt. That is what happened in 1776, armed rebellion against the Ruling class.  This justified rebellion gave rise to the Constitutional Convention, and that gathering of wise and sober men gave rise to our Constitution which granted and guaranteed us a nation of laws.

Election Revolt. This is what happened in 2016, exactly 240 years later, a rebellion where people were armed with ballots where they voted the Ruling class out.  Out. Out.  Out, you lying, deceiving, arrogant, self-aggrandizing cowards. Out of office, back to the soil where you can re-learn what you forgot.

‘Well, my :05 are not up yet, but I’ll leave you to your own thoughts.’

???~?~/?????/~?~??   How does this apply to what is not yet resolved ??  The past, under Obama and Bill and Hillary (and throw in Bush because he cooperated rather than corrected it), has given us . . .

a nation of BIG government,

a Santa Claus government of dependent, welfare masses,

a mass-murdering government through arms like Planned Parenthood,

a government which refuses to protect its borders where drug dealers and terrorists can cross without restraint, inflicting terror and mayhem on innocent citizens without consequences,

a government which spends money it doesn’t have, piling debt upon debt upon the backs of hard-working peons who have no voice,

a government which robs its workers of jobs, giving them to foreign nations,

a government which guts it military protection, removing military leaders who disagree with the ruling head,

a government which replaces the right of freedom of religion with the doctrine of freedom of worship, in order to keep religious faith contained within the confines of worship centers rather than letting it live free among free men,

a queer government which actually took the oldest institution in the world — marriage — and officially re-defined it while in the process thumbing an official nose at the Almighty saying …

… “You, the Judeo-Christian God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are no longer relevant to us.  Get out and get lost.  We are no longer ONE NATION UNDER GOD,  our Constitution and our Coins be damned.   We don’t need you.   We, the Supreme Court, can rule this country without a Supreme Being.  Go back and sit on your cloud.  We can rule this Democracy with no help from you.”

THAT, and other ways, are how this applies to what is not yet resolved.  So, just think.

When a cancer is ignored, what happens?
…When a broken bone is ignored, what happens?
……When an empty stomach is ignored, what happens?
………When a train wreck is ignored, what happens?
…………When a plane crash is ignored, what happens?
……………When a partially-born baby is ignored, what happens?
……When men and women who deeply wounded a nation are ignored  …
………………………………WHAT HAPPENS?

“Wrong rules the land, and waiting Justice weeps.” This, from GOD GIVE US MEN.

               God, give us men!
……..GOD, give us men! …Our time demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and willing hands;
Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
………Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
………Men who have honor . . . who will not lie;
………Men who can stand before a demagogue
And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking!
……………Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty, and in private thinking;
………For while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,
………Their large professions and their little deeds,
………Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps,
………Wrong rules the land, and waiting Justice sleeps.
GOD, give us men! ………………………………..Josiah Gilbert Holland  (modified)

Postscript:   Until Team Hillary & Bill, along with Team Obama, are brought to justice, then Justice will continue to sleep as Freedom weeps.

                                   We ignore injustice to our peril.
                We ignore wrong-doing in high places to our destruction.

The real question is:   Are we a nation of men, or of mice?   Are we a nation of principles, or of grasshoppers?   Are we a nation of laws, or of jellyfish?

If we forget, and move on, without confronting the wrong-doings which nearly destroyed us, then we are unworthy of the liberty placed in our keeping.  Young people, non-vets,  didn’t earn this.   It was a heritage from their forefathers.   Will they prove themselves worthy by passing it on to their posterity?  Some have.

But here’s the bottom line, according to the opinion of one impeccable source:  If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face —

STOP.   How do we seek the face of the Designer of our Republic?   That is explained in the next phrase … turn around, turn from wicked ways, repent, change direction … since we are now going in the wrong direction.   This is the view of a massive majority of our citizens who were polled.

So try an analogy.  The ‘long black train’ is headed for a train wreck.  All we did with the election was to change Engineers.   But the train is still on the same track heading the same direction toward a canyon where the bridge is out.

At this point, let’s upgrade that analogy to one more modern, one where many of us spent our careers.   The train is a plane.   The Engineer is the Flight Crew.   The Air Traffic Controllers (ATC), are the people, and they have told us, in no uncertain terms, that we are going in the wrong direction.   Now, if the new Flight Crew does not listen to ATC, changing direction, then we are headed for a massive storm.

Turn around,  Change direction.   And just what is it that must be done to CHANGE direction?

First,  stop the government-sponsored mass murder of children, while giving up the sanitized language of calling it abortion.   Pause a moment.

We complained because neither Obama nor Hillary would call ‘Islamic terrorism’ by its real name.   They would not identify it for what it really is.   The same is true with ending the lives of babies — name it.   Call it what it is.   If we’re afraid to name it, we’re afraid to face it.   Like terrorism, like killing.    Calling it by any other name doesn’t change what it is.

In this case, changing directions means to stop funding Slaughter Factories, thus ending government support of Planned Parenthood & Co.   This brand of National sin can never be papered over by merely improving our economy.   Putting a Band-aid over cancer changes nothing.   That’s reserved for pimples.

Convince any reasonable man that the Creator of life approves the wanton removal of that life for selfish or expedient reasons.

Second,  to change direction, one cannot seek God’s face by mocking His will.   The God-given institution of marriage has always been, Adam & Eve, husband & wife, man & woman — always.   And no contentious court, even by one vote, can change that historic reality.

That official slap in the Almighty’s face was the wrong direction, and until it is officially changed, no amount of jobs or economic growth can remove that cancer.

Third,  what is to be done about the high crimes and misdemeanors of Team Hillary?   To pardon her is to thumb the nation’s nose, officially, at the rule of law.    If she is above the law, so are the rest of us,  because there is then NO law.

THIS is to say to the Real class in this country that the more and the worse you break the law, the more you are entitled to a pardon. Crime, in this case, should never be punished, only pardoned.

How we deal with Hillary and her team of law-breakers will define what we officially think of law and order. It will also determine the limit to which economic recovery will save us.

Ignore this, and we simply repeat the cycle of corruption. To leave unpunished such high crimes is to intentionally refuse to reset the nation’s moral compass. To do this is an absolute guarantee that our new prosperity will be short-lived.

To do this is a guarantee that the following is non-operative . . . then from heaven I will hear your prayers, and will forgive your sins, and will heal your land. Note that the promise of healing is only valid when we follow the instructions of the Great Physician.

In order for our nation to be restored, and to take advantage of this great opportunity offered us, this historic miracle which has played out before our very eyes, we must turn around and change direction.

Change? Yes. Change what? Change direction. If not, then the plane is still headed, only faster, toward the destructive storm which will tear apart everything we cherish for our grandchildren.

The opportunity is awesome.  The responsibility is sobering.  But will our new leaders have the wisdom to see beyond the need for jobs and economic growth?

One word of counsel from an 83-year-old peon (spelled, pilot, airline pilot) who has seen many political landscapes.   R.e.m.e.m.b.e.r  that it was the people who gave you a new official pulpit.  If you forget the Ruled class in favor of the Ruling class, you can lose their loyalty as fast as you won it.   Don’t be disloyal to the people who entrusted you with their sacred trust.

In your quiet moments, recall:   We trusted you with our hearts,  and we put the future of our children in your hands … no one else’s.   And if you ever remember anything, remember the counsel of that one impeccable source . . . .

IF my people will … THEN I will.   But if not, then one day we will hear these sad words: “Oh America, America, how often I WOULD HAVE … but YOU WOULD NOT.    Now your nation is left to you … desolate” (Matt 23:37).

………………………………………………………………………Calvin Pitts

Part I –  The EVIL of THE LESSER EVIL.

Part II –  How Would Jesus Vote ?

Part III –   SO What?  …or…  NOW What? 

 

 

How would Jesus Vote?

 

RESPONSE TO “The EVIL of the LESSER EVIL“

“My biggest fear in voting for Trump is this: I see how Jesus and other NT Leaders were actually very hard on people who were like, “oh yeah I’m a follower of Christ,” but then distorted what Jesus actually said. I mean, Jesus had no place for Pharisees who refused to acknowledge what he was saying to them. I see Trump that way…

[Why omit Hillary in such an observation? Any charge against Trump is magnified a hundredfold in Hillary]

“…as I’ve heard him say that he does not need to ask God for forgiveness, but needs to try harder.”

[After counsel with Evangelical leaders, didn’t he express his desire for Divine assistance? We’re not electing a Billy Graham. We need a hardnose person who is willing to fight back against the very Washington which Hillary represents, and has been a part of for decades.]

“So my major fear is that if Trump is elected, Christianity in America will become more legalistic, more nominalized, and more comfortable, especially as more liberal people see the “Christian” leader as someone who cares more about the safety and comfort of self than about the gospel going forth.

[And what is your unspoken fear if Hillary is elected?   If you’re afraid of Comfortable Christianity, look at what we’ve had since WWII.   Complacent and comfortable has been a struggle ever since the 7 Churches of Revelation.]

“The result, I fear, is that in only a few years America will be (somehow) even more hostile towards anything religious (and honestly, for good reason).

[How can the political establishment be any more hostile toward Christian beliefs?  Who is the stronger supporter of Planned Parenthood, mass murder, and the commercialization of their body parts?  Who supports a Liberal Supreme Court and their defiance of God by officially ruling Him irrelevant to our culture?  Not Trump.]

“Now, if Trump gets solid Christians backing him, maybe it would balance out and maybe people could see the difference between American and biblical Christ follower?

[Personally, I think many solid Christians see how close we already are to the precipice, and will breathe a sigh of thanksgiving if we dodge the “Hillary bullet,” which, if it hits us officially, could be lethal.] 

“I did very much appreciate this article!   I liked the examples of Pharaoh and Rahab.

[Thank you.]

“That is just my major hangup.  I’m afraid the church might be more damaged in the end to have someone promoting a self-righteous and affluent form of Christianity.

[Self-righteous and affluent?   Perhaps the first target of our concern should be Hillary?   She has said that people of faith “are going to have to change some of their beliefs.”   Are you prepared to accept such self-righteous statements by a woman whose affluence has come, not from working, but from stealing taxpayer money and foreign donations?]

“Again, this is not to argue.  I’m kinda purposefully looking for holes in my argument.  I just want the holes to come from Scripture, not a watered down view of Christianity that highlights safety and comfort without disciple-making.”

[The following response, HOW WOULD JESUS VOTE,  ..or..  NO JESUS IN POLITICS ??  is offered as a no-argument invitation to discuss whether or not Jesus was involved in an activity which is unpleasant for most of us.   Also, the following  discussion is meant to express a desire to look at some of the background which gives rise to your concerns.]

—————————————————————–

HOW WOULD JESUS VOTE?

Robert,

In response to my LESSER EVIL article, you indicated that you “would like to hear my opinion on questions you have without starting a debate on Facebook.”

First, I want you to know that I sense a deep and sincere desire on your part to BELIEVE and to DO the right thing.

In a sensitive matter such as the current election and the issues it represents, where the emotions are so polarized, nothing is more important for a Christian than to gain an understanding of scripture, and of Jesus’ life-principles for us.

I respect the desire expressed in your first sentence in not wanting “to start a debate on Facebook.”   What I posted was the result of a deep frustration over something which has troubled me for many years, namely, watching Christian friends embracing the “lesser evil” argument in order to avoid extremely hard moral choices.

At 83, I felt guilt over my reluctance to speak out publically.   Private discussions I love, but public debates are quite unpleasant because of the many hurtful things which are often said.   I started with the desire you expressed, and had to do some serious soul-searching before I went public on WordPress and Facebook.

And unfortunately, the firestorm I feared has already begun, even from close friends.   But I can cope even though I’ve gone public.  Unpleasant, but necessary.

Now to your concerns.  Inwardly, I hurt, because you are where I was a few months ago, and where I was a few years ago when other issues surfaced.  Inwardly, I have gone back and forth between being concerned about the secular evil on the outside, and my spiritual growth on the inside.  Personally, I hate politics, notwithstanding the fact that I have a family member who is deeply involved in it.

But when something like the present set of events is thrust upon you, and you are given two, and only two candidates from which to choose, then you wake up to the reality that the refusal to choose is a choice.   In other words, the refusal to choose one candidate is a choice for the other candidate.

Of course, one can be stupid and vote for a 3rd candidate, but any sense of honesty tells them that they have just voted for the worst of candidates.  Playing word games about the integrity of maintaining their sense of honor by voting for a more “righteous” third-party candidate is moral gobbledygook.   They have thrown their vote away, meaning they have very effectively voted for the most evil of candidates.

Perspective, perspective, perspective.   This is essential for maintaining true integrity.

Because my own brother is a Representative (R-PA), my family background is heavily weighed on one side by pro-politics.  My father was a  ‘holiness’ preacher, but for obvious reasons he was also extremely interested in politics.

However, being enmeshed in a ‘holiness’ environment in my youth, I heard many comments such as: “Jesus was never involved in politics, and showed no interest in political matters.”  As a result, some of them would “check out” and just refuse to vote since they were too ‘holy’ to involve themselves in the things of the world, calling it “worldliness.”

As a young man in a Christian college, and desiring to be spiritual, I bought this righteous talk for a long time.  We would talk persuasively, with a conviction of Holy Club members, proclaiming proudly that “choosing the lesser of 2 evils was still evil.”   And what righteous person wants to intentionally do evil?   CASE CLOSED.

However, some life-experience and a few very hard knocks left some large knots on my spiritual head.  Stubborn, self-righteous people do not accept changes gladly.

Our discussions, sometimes called arguments, could go something like this:  “Jesus did not involve Himself in politics.” .. “Yes He did.”  .. “No He didn’t.” .. “Yes He did.”  ..”No He didn’t.  Just look at scripture for proof.”

And that gave me an idea.  ‘I’ll just prove it from scripture.’   Was I ever in for a surprise.  Eventually, I thought I had this issue settled … until Hillary and Trump came along.   Not voting for Hillary was a no-brainer.   She reeked of corruption … lies … deception … dishonesty … inconsistency … arrogance … mass murder of unborn citizens … just pure evil.

But on the other hand, I disliked Trump for his insulting, crude ways.   How could I possibly vote for him?   I found the old arguments surfacing again, namely, “How can I vote for the lesser evil, since it would  still  be evil?”   CASE CLOSED … again.

But then I remembered the earlier thought of taking recourse to scripture regarding ‘politics,’  something I neglected to do as I lost interest in politics.  ‘OK, I said to myself: SELF, it’s time to settle this inner debate.’   I had boldly stated that I would not vote for Trump so that I would not have that on my conscience.

And then, with confidence, I went to the scriptures, knowing I would find proof- texts to support my decision.  That’s when I found myself in a minefield of unexpected evidence.  Cutting to the chase, The Evil of the Lesser Evil article began to take shape as I forced myself to be as honest as I could with that evidence.

You indicate that you have read that article.  So we’ll let that speak for itself.  But what continued to trouble me was the question from my background that Jesus was so spiritual and holy that He could not have involved Himself with political matters.

Talking to myself, no, arguing with myself on the computer as if addressing GHOSTS from my past, I began to debate with those inner voices from the past, recording the following thoughts as I did so:

Dear Mr. Ghost-of-the-past,

You’re as right as the Bible scholars who faced Jesus, Mr. Self-in-conflict says.   On its face, it appears there is no such evidence in the Bible about Jesus engaging in politics.  But we’ll hold back on that assumption for just a moment.  However, there is evidence that Jesus challenged Caesar for injustices done to him, a political issue for sure.

Oh, wait.  That was the Apostle Paul, wasn’t it, a former Pharisee and one of Jesus’ chosen spokesmen.

Jesus didn’t involve Himself in politics, Ghost says?   Really?, Self replies.   Paul speaks about being “IN Christ,” and was certainly filled with the Holy Spirit, yet he was so involved in certain injustices of his day that they killed him to silence him.

Yes, Christ IN Paul, filled with the Spirit, and holy to the core was caught up several times in political injustice because he was a holy man of principle who refused to allow evil behavior to go unchallenged.   And as a man of holiness, he knew how to push back.

Mr. Ghost,  To your point of “NO Jesus in politics,”  or as you say, “How Would Jesus Vote?”,   take another look at Paul’s ‘IN Christ’ teaching, and at the early church, and at the Reformers, and at the founders of this country.  Christ has worked in and through thousands of His disciples during the course of history pushing back, standing against, and challenging both religious and ‘political’ systems.

To think that Jesus is too holy to get involved in political/moral matters is Pollyannaish immaturity in the extreme.  It is also a childish underestimation of how much God cares about justice and injustice.

When Jesus manifests His will through the instrumentality of one of His followers, He Is Doing It Himself.   Let me repeat that, because it is critical to this debate.   HIDIH, pronounced “HiDee,” It’s time to wake up.

Let that thought germinate and take root.  Whatever Jesus leads us to do, He Himself  is doing it, and wherever Jesus leads us to go, He Himself  is going there.

“No Jesus in politics” is a child’s pipe-dream.  Once you have been thrown into the cesspool of political reality, with all its evil consequences, then the ‘holiness’ doctrines which some propose get deeply challenged … not denied, just challenged.

After 8 decades of reality, Self, who once embraced the “no-lesser-evil-view-for-me” theology, painfully realized that being caught in the quicksand of the political swamp was the precise time when he needed Jesus the most.

Did Jesus get involved in the consequences of politics then?   He most certainly did.  And holiness didn’t keep Him from it.  In fact, His holiness assured the fact that He did care about national sins as well as personal ones, as do many in the holiness movement.

Unfortunately, Mr. Ghost, you missed the bigger picture of Self’s  article, and because of that, you undermine any possibility of a mature discussion.   For that, Self  is sorry, because a myopic view is no view at all.

The question you cited  [correction: The declaration you uttered]  in response to the Lesser-Evil article, namely, “No Jesus in politics,”  was an opener, meant to raise the level of awareness to a more important issue about moral decisions, a greater issue than the one you noticed.

But back to Jesus. It intrigues Self  that you,  Ghost,  can speak with authority about Jesus without recourse to the scriptures which tell us about Him.

Consider:

When Jesus stormed the Temple and angrily overturned their tables, their means of income [Matt 21:12], would those merchants have said that it was “right” to destroy personal property, and interfere with their livelihood?

But He was willing to do “wrong” in their eyes for the purpose of ending a greater wrong, the defiling of God’s House.  He pushed back against the greater evil, showing no interest in what they perceived to be a lesser evil.

When Jesus picked up food on the Sabbath and healed on the Sabbath, ask the Pharisees if Jesus was doing wrong.  They accused Him of being a son of the devil for His “wrong” doings.

But He was willing to accept that accusation in order to challenge the greater wrong which they were doing by deceiving the people, and teaching error for truth.  He pushed back against the greater evil.

And when Jesus challenged the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them bad names like whited sepulchers, liars, hypocrites, men filled with death, false teachers, sons of the devil [Matt 23:27; John 8:44],  was this name-calling nice and gentlemanly?  Is this what ‘holy’ people do?   ‘Crooked Sadducees.  Deceitful Pharisees.’   I notice that this is a hard pill for you to swallow.

The Pharisees were offended because they thought it was ‘crass and wrong.’  But behind this was the greater evil of their misrepresentations of God, whose spokesmen they pretended to be.  He pushed back against their greater evil.

As for principles which relate to “politics,” Jesus was quite involved with challenging the Sadducees who were extremely political.

Herod’s cutting off the head of John the Baptist was quite political, and Jesus took note of it, calling him ‘Herod-the-fox’ [Luke 13:32].  Not nice, but He was not neutral toward Herod.   In fact, He took sides against him, the King/President of the land.   Not politically correct, perhaps, but it was the moral thing to do.  He pushed back against greater evils.

Even Pilate was somewhat political, what with being the Governor and all.  And Jesus had a face-off with him which had some consequences, political as well as spiritual.

“Oh,” you say, “but He was forced into that face-off.  ” EXACTLY !!   And righteous people throughout history have been forced into dealing with the corruption of politics, politics in the State and politics in the Church.  The issue is, do we push back or do we cave in? (There’s a “Turn the Other Cheek” truth here which I have covered in a separate discussion, with a surprising conclusion.)

Think of Joseph.  Think of Moses.  Think of David.  Think of Isaiah.  Think of Jeremiah.  Think of Daniel.  And don’t forget the Apostle Paul who said, “Christ IN YOU, the hope of glory,” and the assurance of victory.

Yes, Jesus is in every holy man or woman who pushes back against evil.  Think Corrie ten Boom, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  And then think of yourself.  Are you doing the right thing, or the Pharisee-thing … misrepresenting Jesus?

Further, Jesus ate and fellowshipped with sinners  (“Why does He eat with sinners?” Mark 2:16).  Righteous men don’t do that.  To the ‘holy’ men, this was wrong, an action to be condemned.

Note that Jesus chose to do what they said was sinful rather than side with them in their hypocrisy and pride, a sin which God greatly hates.  Jesus did things the Pharisees would never think of doing, but He did them to teach us lessons in perspective, priorities, and true piety.

And then there is the classic example of Jesus, and the Pharisees (keepers of the Law), and the woman caught in adultery.  Think about it, He actually took sides with an adulteress  (‘holy’ people don’t do that)  against ‘pious’ men  (‘holy’ people don’t do that),  those ‘righteous’  Torah-Bible scholars and political Sadducees  (‘holy’ people don’t do that).

He forgave her because He considered her’s a lesser evil than the self-righteous condemnation by men who were trafficking in hypocrisy, the twisting of scripture, and the misrepresentation of the Holy One of Israel.

Sorry, but God shows He will have none of that.  And when the misguided spout off, He expects someone who has experienced the bigger picture to push back.

Personally, I have a strong suspicion that the man who “caught” the woman doing evil was standing right there in that crowd of religious teachers AND political leaders.  She may even have threatened to tell that politician’s wife.

Also, one should not forget the men and women throughout history, godly, spirit- filled, whose political and spiritual conflicts resulted in deaths such as being burned at the stake.  Look at the Reformers, who took on the political as well the religious powers of their day.  Jesus in politics?   Yes, Jesus was involved through courageous men and women like them throughout history.

Even our own country is a testimony to that.  Perhaps you haven’t forgotten the history of our own nation.  One would think that it is the better part of wisdom to learn from men and women of the past who faced the same issues.

So Mr. Ghost, please spare your friends the sanctimonious views which seem to have caused you to speak so boldly about things where there is such limited experience.

Sincerely,

Mr. Self

 

P.S. As a long-time follower of Jesus, I have seen these issues up close and personal for many years.  I’ve had to swallow the “lesser evil” argument so many times that I decided it was time to add one more voice to that debate.

Do I think Jesus would vote?   Do I think Jesus would vote for Trump?   Ask Him.  I’m sure that in a matter so critical to the future of your country that you have talked to Him about it.

But this one thing I know, that the Christ-in-you (I presume), and in me (I hope), has given us enough principles and examples that He makes it impossible,  spelled  i.m.p.o.s.s.i.b.l.e,  for us to remain neutral in such serious issues as we face now.

And if one thinks these are merely “political” matters, then they have sadly missed the greater issues, and that is not good for one’s spiritual health and growth.

Zeroing in on Trump while ignoring the greater sins of Hillary is not the stuff of intellectual honesty.

If perchance, you choose to respond, I have more insights on this subject to share if you desire more discussion.   If so, next it would be “Jesus, the Church, Politics, and Disciple-making.”

God bless you. I have spoken candidly because I have been silent for too long. If anything I’ve said offends you, I ask you to forgive me for putting Jesus in places He doesn’t want to be.

But if you listen carefully, you might hear his enemies saying to Him:  ‘You devil, you don’t belong here interfering with religious nor political matters of the Law.  You need to go back to your hole in Nazareth and concern yourself with wood and angels.’

This shouldn’t be too hard for a Jesus-person to see.  Enemies wanted Him neither in their theology nor in their politics.  But fortunately for us, He injected Himself into both.  And that pattern cannot be ignored.

Well, I’m sorry if I’ve been too hard, but there are too many young people embracing a phony “holiness” in matters so serious they can destroy this nation.  And the more this is embraced, the easier it is for evil to win the day.

God will win in the end, of course, but why would we want today to be cluttered with such profound evil which our own children and grandchildren will inherit?

I have already lived most of my useful life, so what should it matter to me?  But it does … because I have grandchildren, and because I am committed to the Christ IN YOU, who was not embarrassed to be “numbered with transgressors” [Isa 53:12] for the glory of God.

Wishing you the best in your struggles for what is right and just.

Mr. Cal

 

P.S. This discussion is a follow-up of the previous posting, The EVIL of the LESSER EVIL.

The EVIL of THE LESSER EVIL

Borrowing from an insight by Franklin Graham:   The past words of Trump spoken 11 years ago were CRUDE.   By contrast, the present actions of Hillary done in recent times are CRIMINAL.

Now is your turn to choose.   Which would you rather have, crude words from the past or criminal deeds in the present?   Your choice.   What?   Neither?   You refuse to choose the lesser of two evils because … it would still be evil?

That’s a reasonable reaction, but is that perspective righteous?  Is it reasonable?  And is it morally honest?

Consider:

Would Jesus or a Jesus-man vote for Donald Trump?  The bigger question, the more important issue is: Would he allow Hillary to become the leader of a great and free nation if His vote was the deciding factor which would make the difference?

Which is worse, a lesser evil, or a greater moral evil?  There are examples in life and in scripture of one being forced to choose between the lesser of two evils.

While evaluating the following … REMEMBER THAT THE REFUSAL TO CHOOSE IS A CHOICE … a choice for the greater evil.

Principle #1 – With the lesser of 2 evils, you cannot choose NOT to choose.

Principle #2 – Consider what others have done when faced with the same choice.

Example (1) – Dietrich Bonhoeffer:  During WWII he was the lead pastor of the underground church in Germany.  He was a pacifist.  He did not believe in killing.  He refused to take sides in the debate about whether or not to fight against Hitler who was known by them as the murderer of great masses of Christians and Jews.

Choice: Hitler was the greater evil.  To fight and kill was a lesser evil, but an evil nonetheless, or so Bonhoeffer reasoned.  Finally, after much debate and agonizing struggle, he chose to take sides with the underground fighters who wanted to assassinate Hitler in order to stop his mass murders.

A great Christian leader chose a lesser evil because he knew it would be a greater Moral Evil to allow Hitler to continue his holocaust.

Principle #3 – It is morally evil not to try to stop the greater evil.

Example (2) – USA & Soviet Union (WW2):  Stopping the Nazis, the greater evil, required joining forces with the godless regime of Stalin’s Russia, the lesser evil, but evil nonetheless.  Did American leaders do the right thing by choosing the lesser of two evils to help win WWII?

Principle #4 – It is morally evil not to take sides in order to join forces in challenging the greater evil.

Principle #5 – Consider the examples which come from the Bible.

Example (3) – Moses and Pharaoh:   God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that he wanted to take the children of Israel into the desert for special worship and sacrifice to their God. For the cruel king, the greater evil, they created a deceptive plan, the lesser evil, in order to escape by getting a 3-day head-start.

You ask: “How can you defend God’s deceiving of Pharaoh?”   My happy answer: I don’t need to defend God for anything He does, and neither should you be so bold and brazen as to criticize Him.

He doesn’t need our defense, but He was illustrating that in the kingdom of the world, a world of sinful men, a moral choice is not always black and white as it is in the kingdom of God. God taught Moses, and us, the next principle:

Principle #6 – It is morally evil to allow the lesser evil to take precedence over moral decisions.

Moses was forced to choose the lesser of 2 evils … because God told him so, a pattern worth following.

Example (4) – Rahab & the Israelite spies:   In Jericho, Rahab the Innkeeper hid two spies from local authorities at the risk of her life.  The authorities wanted to kill the Israelites, the greater evil.  When they came searching, through misrepresentation, the lesser evil, Rahab would not reveal the presence of the spies in order to save their lives.  She was pro-life, allowing her to save two of God’s men.

You reply: “How can you defend being untruthful.”   God led her to do what she did, and again, God’s leadership does not need to be defended.  But it’s OK to explain it, and the explanation is this: God is teaching us that in a cruel, brutal, evil world, it is morally evil to refuse to take sides against the greater evil.   Rahab not only invoked the name of the Lord, but Joshua blessed her for “doing the lesser of 2 evils.”  For this, she was listed in the Hall of Faith (Heb 11:31), and remembered by James.

Examples from the scriptural world are many, and we should make note of them.  But back to the present culture in which we are trapped.  The greatest example of the above truth which can be given is the life and actions of the ten Boom family in the Netherlands during WWII.

The German Nazis were hunting for the Jews in order to ship them off to concen-tration camps for extermination, the greater evil.  A simple family in Haarlem, Holland had a strong love for the Jews during the persecution they were facing.

Corrie ten Boom’s family had a secret room constructed in their Clock Shop, which was also their home on the floors above.  This became “The Hiding Place.”  When Jews were trying to escape from Holland, they needed a temporary place to stay while transportation could be arranged.

Almost daily, the Nazis would search homes throughout the town.  Whenever they came to the ten Boom house, Corrie and her family were confronted with a decision as to whether or not they would give up their Jewish friends to certain death, or would they deceive the Germans, the lesser evil.   Decision time.

One of the most godly families on the face of the earth was confronted with the same quandary Moses and Rahab faced.  They knew that it was hypocritical and self-righteous to refuse to choose the lesser evil.  The excuse, “because it is still evil,” was in itself morally evil and displeasing to God who had already set the example.

Why was Corrie’s decision so difficult?  Because her heart was so soft and tender.  But she and her family knew that saving life was far more moral and righteous than obeying the law of evil forces.  They were pro-life, and saved about 800 lives.

The examples from life are endless.  I have friends in the Philippines who faced the same hard decisions when they were hiding Americans from the Japanese during WWII.  They risked their lives to save life because … they were pro-life.

People today in the middle east are facing the same issue as they hide Christians who are being sought by Muslim terrorists for beheading.  Others are forced to deceive cruel authorities who are looking for Bibles which are hidden.

Others who take hidden scriptures into unfriendly nations face the same decision.  I have heard them criticized by the smug and the self-righteous.  But when that happens, they are not greeted with silence.  They get 2 spoons-full, and those are not teaspoons either.

The lesser-evil decision would be easy if there were no lesser evil.  Obviously.  To remove that second option in our present culture, we would need: (1) A keeper of the Constitution, (2) A leader with law-abiding convictions, (3) A fixer of social chaos, (4) A follower of Judeo-Christian principles, (5) and one who is best for our Country.

Lacking this ideal package, we are handed two options, Hillary or Trump.  When the nation heard Trump say, “I am pro-life,”  which required incredible courage before an international TV audience, along with other promises, that did not sound evil.   But many citizens dislike him, nonetheless, using the lesser-evil argument.

In this debate and decision, it is important to remember that PRINCIPLE is greater than PERSONALITY.   The Message is greater than the Man.

In this case, the national message is in the Constitution given to us by God-fearing men, Christian, Jewish, and Deists, but all God-fearing and God-honoring.  Because of their example, we adopted a national motto, IN GOD WE TRUST.

So, it’s back to Trump and Hillary.  We know the past  crudeness of one, and we know, if we’ve been paying attention, the present criminal acts of the other, over and over again, living “above the law.”

But in this case, “above” is not very high because we have lost the concept of equal-law for the elite and wealthy class at the top in this country.  Our Justice Department is bought and paid for.  Our FBI, at the top, has recently proven it is open for business to the highest bidder.  And then maybe there’s a word for our  Congress of Cowards  who could act, but don’t have the will to jeopardize their own little “fiefdoms.”

Where there is no law for the high and the mighty, then evil prevails, as Hillary has illustrated from the time of Watergate when she was fired for misdeeds in the Nixon investigation, to the present.

Today, four dead Americans from their graves in Benghazi cry out to the complicit former Secretary of State for justice… and will continue crying until justice is done.

H.O.W.E.V.E.R . . . While the legal issues are legitimate, they are ho-hum moments for many people.  And on a moral scale, they are the lesser part of the greater evil, notwithstanding the fact that those “political” and legal matters have resulted in the deaths of many, as with the beheadings of Christians and Jews and non-compliant Muslims in the middle east.

But that is “there.”  What is here in America takes Hillary’s greater evil to a Mt. Everest level.  This analogy has double significance.  When Hillary dishonestly claimed to have been named after the Hillary who first scaled the Everest mountain, little did she realize what that lie would later come to symbolize.

Hillary’s Mt. Everest evil is this:  She has promoted, fought for, championed, and celebrated unlimited abortion, the trademark of the progressive left.

America is guilty of a ‘Mt. Everest’ national crime, the wanton killing of some 60 million unborn citizens within merely one generation, through organizations like Planned Parenthood, to the tune of  “4 billion taxpayer dollars over the last decade.”  But the significance of the financial crime pales in the light of the moral issue.

Like ancient Israel, which allowed its infants to be sacrificed on the altars of Baal & Molech, America passed laws for its babies to be sacrificed on the altar of abortion.

As if this were not enough for blood-thirsty Liberals, they had to make sure that even fully-developed babies who were ready to be born alive would not live to enjoy a mother’s milk.

How?  Because doctors like Kermit Gosnell, in his Nazi-like slaughter clinic, would murder those innocent babies by severing their spinal cords with scissors while that citizen-to-be was halfway out of the womb.  This brutal, barbaric practice of infant murder has been sanitized by calling it, “Partial Birth Abortion.”

But that still was not enough.  Through brain-numbing videos, the American people were able to see with their own eyes how Planned Parenthood took those precious babies — humans, not fetuses — and cut them apart, piece by piece, even “beheading” them for the purpose of commercial sales.

Among the most enthusiastic supporters of America’s Abortion Industry is the voice, the speeches, and the actions of a former lawyer, a former first lady, a former Senator, and now a candidate for the Presidency, HILLARY CLINTON.

Now we know the rest of the story of that greater evil which must be stopped by moral-minded people.

The leader of the gang must not be allowed to become the leader of the people, people who have already been robbed of their hard-earned money in order to support an abhorrent industry which is going to call down upon this nation the wrath of God.

In this election, we have more than one Christian in turmoil over their decision to vote. “How can I vote for the lesser of two evils … when it is still evil?”

How?  By remembering that it is morally evil not to try to stop the greater evil.

So what is the evil of the lesser evil?

Wherever one is guilty,   we could start with hypocrisy … then move on to self-righteousness … then take a look at blindness, which is self-deception.  And then maybe add inconsistency whenever it aids and abets the greater evil.

But more importantly, we might consider DISTRACTION.   The evil of the lesser evil is the distraction from the greater evil.

If the enemy can get us to focus our attention on the ‘pimple,’  then it becomes easier to lose sight of the ‘cancer’ … until it becomes fatal.

“What are you saying?”

If you need help seeing it, then consider this set of facts:   Hillary has seriously jeopardized the security of this nation.  If you’ve been listening, the report is  that an underground nuclear scientist in Iran was keeping the U.S. informed.  Her security breach resulted in his execution.

Further, she has lied repeatedly about many things, not the least of which is about the 4 dead Americans in Benghazi.   How many more have to die due to her misdeeds?

Further, Hillary has “milked” the world for millions of dollars while Secretary of  State,  $1.8 billion of which was just recently sent to  Qatar for safe-keeping.

This tip of a scandalous iceberg,  so corrupt that we’ll probably never get to the bottom of it, is wrong-doing of such magnitude that many have said it is the worst national corruption in our 240-year history.

That’s the CANCER,  and that’s where our national focus should be.

But NO, NO,  the focus of the distracted is on 11-year-old crude words, and on women who make 10, 20, 30-year-old claims of unwanted touching and kissing.   For those people, riding a moral Titanic, they are so focused on a burnt-out lightbulb that they fail to see the iceberg ahead.

A more current analogy is ‘texting while driving.’  Doing that while driving is BAD.  But the head-on collision which results is  not just bad, it’s DEADLY.   Why? you ask.

DISTRACTION.   And that illustrates ‘the evil of the lesser evil.’

If our conscience is so innocent that it is troubled and agonizes over the ‘lesser’ in our current political dilemma, which causes us not to act, then we must prepare ourselves to live with a conscience which has supported the ‘greater,’  the corruption of Hillary’s Crime Family.

Remember, in a case like this, it is morally wrong to do nothing.

Allowing the lesser evil to outweigh the moral evil is the greater evil.

Calvin Pitt.s