FAKE NEWS, MR. ROGERS, AND ITCHING EARS

My hubs and I don’t have cable, nor do we subscribe to a newspaper.  We get our news from a limited regular-tv supply, not to mention the invaluable social media daily tsunami.  Most of this is ignored, and rightly so, because we’ve become aware recently of something hilariously labeled as “fake news.”  Apparently, somebody out there achieves great self-glory by spreading false information in such a way that people actually believe it to be true.  The icky fake people must be in a constant state of helpless giggling as they consider the potential gullibility of total strangers, passing on this creative “journalism” as truth, thereby causing their victims to not care about actual true truth at all.  Therefore, I took it upon myself to discover that one “ground-zero” person who is at the bottom of all this.  And now, after months of excrutiatingly thorough work, there will be a one-hour t.v. spectacular where I’ll share with you who’s responsible.  But you don’t want to wait that long, so here ya go --

It’s Mr. Rogers!  You thought he was deceased, didn’t you?  Nooooo, he’s still alive, skulking in back-room tobacco shops, wearing camouflage overalls, scribbling incendiary fake political commentaries, endorsed by the Russians who pay him in chocolate cigarettes and vodka, and …

Wow, this is really fun, I see why people do it.  I sit here grinning to myself that gullible people will be reading this on social media, commenting with shock-face emojis, and sharing it with all their friends.  What a power surge!

Ok, enough of that.  Because right now, I’m thinking of the whole fake news issue from a different angle, and it’s giving me wheezes.

Just as there are sneaky people with questionable motives spreading false information to the undiscerning public, there are also people passing themselves off as biblically literate preachers and teachers, taking advantage of many gullible itching-ear people who actually prefer this fake news instead of the Good News, the true gospel.  And why would these fake teachers want to do this?  Because of the one self-glorifying individual behind it all, and it’s not Mr. Rogers.  It is the ground-zero “father of lies” (John 8:44).  He’s the one who, from the beginning, purred, “Indeed, has God said …?” (Genesis 3:1).

Fake news/gospel says:  “God is love (and nothing else depressing), and He loves everybody because you’re all so sweet and adorable.  You’re definitely going to heaven, whatever that is, because you’re so good.  And the more money you give and the more niceness you show to others, the more you’ve earned your place in heaven.  Jesus is one road, AND so are Buddha, Mary, and reincarnation!  It all works out in the end, so don’t worry, be happy!”

Good news/gospel says:  “God is love (and holiness and everything else awe-inspiring).  And He says that no one is good, no not one.  We are all disgustingly dead in our sins.  The one true God arranged for our salvation by faith alone, through His grace alone, NOT our own good works.  The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Way and the only Truth, and only He accomplished our salvation on the Cross, reconciling us to God.  And only by genuine on-our-knees repentance before God, do we receive forgiveness for our sins, and freedom from our sins.  It’s a narrow road.  Only those who come to Christ, and know Him personally, will see Him as He is, to live with Him eternally.  We’re justified, sanctified, and glorified.  Buddha, Mary, and reincarnation are hopelessly inept and incapable.  If you depend on them, you have much to worry about.”

My God and my Savior, how I thank You for Your true words in Scripture, and through the Holy Spirit, giving me discernment, and the desire to exercise that discernment, keeping me from being a woman of itching ears.  I don’t want to believe things that only make me feel good about myself and ignorant of eternity.  I want to treasure in my heart Your words that convict, encourage, comfort, and keep me hand-in-hand with You through eternity.  I praise You according to Your excellent greatness (Psalm 150:2).

TO ETCH OR NOT TO ETCH

 I’m not a huge fan of tattooing myself, because I know it would become grotesque with rapidly encroaching older age and already-sagging skin, thereby scaring young children. I prefer to make my statements via etchings on jewelry rather than crepe-like skin. If you’re a younger reader, I’m sure you’ll forgive me for not being wildly adventuresome.

Recently, I discovered a bracelet that was advertised as engravable, with anything you wanted to say, showing your philosophy and personality to the world. My first thought was to have the word CHOCOLATE engraved a coupla dozen times, since that’s of major importance in everyone’s life, and if it isn’t, well then, I guess you and I wouldn’t have much to talk about [Insert goofy smiley-face emoji here]. Another obvious possibility for a woman my age could be doo-wop lyrics from the 50’s, like “shoobie-doo-wop-doo-wow” and “ramma-lamma-ding-dong.” But then, I’d always have to wear poodle-skirts, and I’m not sure any of my friends could tolerate that.

So, after galloping through cerebral silliness, I reverted to adult thought processes. I wanted something that I wouldn’t eventually find boring, thus landing it in a garage sale a couple of years later. I wanted something I would gladly wear the rest of my life. And then it hit me -- why not show who I am -- in Christ?

And here it is -- the 12 most important words that describe me, not for my glory, but for His. Because of God’s plan before the world began (Ephesians 1:4), I am ... PREDESTINED, CALLED, JUSTIFIED, GLORIFIED (Romans 8:30), ADOPTED (Ephesians 1:5), SAVED (Romans 10:9,10), REDEEMED (Galatians 3:13), SANCTIFIED (1 Corinthians 1:2), RECONCILED (Romans 5:10), UNCONDEMNED (Romans 8:1), FORGIVEN (1 John 2:12), and BELOVED (Colossians 3:12).

I’ve heard that it’s a good idea for every Christian to rehearse the gospel to themselves each day, since we're prone to forgetfulness. It’s also good for me to remind myself of these God-breathed words, to reinforce what Christ has done for me, to keep my perspective, not just on an earthly level, but on “things above” (Colossians 3:1-2). This shiny bracelet is also an excellent witness tool, since it is very obvious to those I meet every day, and it keeps me ready “to give an account for the hope” I have (1 Peter 3:15).

My Father, I am beyond thankful that, even before I was born, You applied all those words, and more, to me, a wretched sinner, and now a beloved child. When I meet with other believers, I know the same applies to them, and I am able to encourage them in the same way You encourage me with Your words. You have made me a fellow citizen with the saints, and a member of Your household (Ephesians 2:19). I praise You for Your mercy and grace.