NOT MINE!

 

Hashtags + snarky comments = how to do life in today’s world.  For some people.

Of course, I myself am not a snarky person.  Well, hardly ever.   And let me also say that I never-ever spout political commentaries.  Until today, because hashtags and politics seem to collide and procreate quite often on social media, and it’s just too hard to resist tiptoeing through the hashtags.

One of the most viral was the #notmypresident cerebral joy fest.  It’s yuge!  Uh-oh, I just snarked, didn’t I?  Well, anyway, no matter who the political contenders are, some of the townspeople are inclined to rise up with pitchforks and torches and if they can’t run him/her outta town, at least they express their dismay with great gusto, and marching.  Why?  Because the townspeople refuse to have someone as their leader with whom they disagree mightily.  Doesn’t matter if the contender is ultimately elected fair-and-square (or unfair-and-unsquared), the people still insist that this person is #notmypresident.

And since nothing is new under the sun, I believe that long before social media and hashtags ever existed, that same thought process was in townspeople’s minds, regardless if the leader was an elected president, a king, or a despicable ruler.  In the people’s minds, they’re muttering, “#notmine!”  But ya know what?  This rebellious attitude of refusing to acknowledge leaders is the same as refusing God’s sovereignty. "The Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and He sets over it whomever He wishes" (Daniel 5:21).

Remember Pharaoh?  What was his attitude toward God?  “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?  I do not know the Lord!” (Exodus 5:2).  Yep, #notmylord. 

Ungodly and unrighteous men “suppress the truth in unrighteousness …; even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks …; they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer” (Romans 1:18, 21, 28).  In other words, I want what I want, and if God doesn’t agree with me, well then, He’s #notmygod.  Frankly, the hashtag attitude is all through Scripture.  Men are wise in their own eyes, and if anyone, especially God, doesn't measure up, gets the hashtag eye roll.

My God, I know that You have forgiven me for my pre-salvation eyerolls at You, and my prideful rejection of You.  I refused to acknowledge Your sovereignty, and I refused to trust You.  I am eternally thankful that You saved me.  Please keep me from being wise in my own eyes, not expecting You to bow to my wishes, and to trust You daily, regardless of my personal and/or worldly circumstances.  I know that this earthly life is but a blip in time.  I want to be continually looking up in anticipation of that day when I’m face to face with my Lord Jesus Who saved me. And every day, I will humbly honor You as #myGod.

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).