Learning to Know Ourselves: 1. Identity

Recently, we watched an episode of “The Magic Prank Show" on Netflix.  This series featured Justin Willman and his crew who "pull elaborate pranks on unsuspecting targets to help real people get payback."  In this particular episode, the aim was to help two brothers by helping one brother give a payback lesson the other brother for prematurely revealing that he was gay. 

Willman and crew set about learning all they could about the “outing brother” by interviewing the “avenging brother.” The interview soon revealed that the outing brother was terrified of robots and AI (artificial intelligence).  Armed with this knowledge, Willman’s crew unleashed the full force of the payback upon the outing brother.  They brought him face-to-face with Justin Hillman who, of all things, played a very convincing “human robot,” making the encounter very terrifying.  Imagine the emotions of the victim when he faced his greatest fear; and on top of that, a robot, who revealed to the outing brother knowledge of his deep, dark secrets.

Imagine how you would feel if you encountered a “being” who knew all about you.  Upon recovering from the initial shock, you might ask yourself,
“Does this someone or something have good or evil intentions?” 
“Can I trust this all-knowing “being” who knows all about my relationships, account numbers, and personal secrets?

Then, suddenly you feel convicted: 
“How well do I know myself?”
“Does this robot know me better than I do?”

Finally, your logic converges on an interesting notion:
1)  “If this robot knows all about me, and
2)  “If this robot is “good,” then
3)  “Why shouldn’t I trust Him to lead me on a path to a more fruitful life; a life more likely to fulfill the purpose for which I was born?  After all, what better counsellor is there than one who knows all about me, has only good intentions for me, and is willing to help me? 

Wouldn’t you agree?   Now, please read on and hold your initial thoughts for later.

What Shapes Our Identity?
When we wonder how well we know ourselves in relation to what others know and think about us, we enter the realm of our personal identity.  Our identity is defined by our family, friends, life history, values, interests, preferences, and traits.  Our identity as individuals is expressed through our behavior, wardrobe, and communication. 

In an earlier blog, entitled “Reflections at Age Seventy-five” (Click HERE), we considered some basic influences and ways our identity is shaped, including our worldview [Click HERE.].  Who we are and are becoming is shaped by both genetic (hereditary) and environmental factors —e.g. cultural influences through the institutions of family, school, church; and influences of the economy, politics, media, the arts, and entertainment.

A more straightforward example of how heredity and environment interact relates to our adult stature and overall health.  As most of us know, our height, weight, and overall health are all influenced by both our heredity and our nutrition (health care and hygiene, especially during early development).  A much more complex example is the matter of how heredity and environment interact to influence how our biological sex and gender are determined.  This blog and Part 2 to follow will address the important topic of gender identity and expression.

Biological Sex and Gender Identity
Our biological sex is generally assigned at birth and is typically identified by three anatomical (physical) distinctions as follows: 
1) gamete type (female = eggs; male = sperm);
2) gonad type (female = ovaries; male = testes;
intersex = part ovary-part testis); and,
3) chromosomal inheritance (female = XX; male = XY; intersex = when the SRY gene (“Sex-determining Region Y” gene) is translocated or deleted; or mutation of the AR (androgen receptor) gene on the X-chromosome which influences sex hormone balance (e.g. estrogen <> progesterone). 

According to gender theory, biological sex which is based on anatomy differs in meaning from gender which is based on one’s attitudes, feelings, and behaviors.  The American Psychological Association (APA) defines gender as the “attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex.”  A person is considered either gender-normative or gender-nonconforming based on whether or not the person’s behavior is viewed as compatible or incompatible, respectively, with the cultural norms for that person’s biological sex.  

Having defined gender, we can understand that gender identity is one’s internal sense of who they are with respect to their concept of male, female, neither or both as defined by cultural norms.   In other words, one’s perceived sex is based on performance (e.g. behavior, clothing, cosmetics) that society expects from those it designates as “man,” “woman,” or “nonbinary.”  A person whose gender identity differs from (or is “across from”) their assigned biological sex at birth is considered transgender (or trans).  Cisgender describes persons whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.  So-called gender dysphoria is the psychological distress a person experiences when they sense a discrepancy between their gender identity and their biological sex assigned at birth.

Those who accept the claims of gender ideology as noted above generally accept that gender (behavioral role, performance) is not always coupled to one’s biological sex (anatomy).  But this claim needs further examination.  To understand why, we need to define another biological term—epigenetics. 

Epigenetics [(epi = “on top of”) + (genetics = “pertaining to genes, genetic variation, heredity”)] is a relatively new field which studies how behavior and environment cause changes that promote or suppress the expression of our genes.  Epigenetic research reveals that two people having the same gene or genes can differ in appearance and/or behavior when the environment of one person triggers difference(s) in gene expression.  In other words, our DNA (genes) inherited from our biological parents only partly influences our physical traits and behaviors.  This is true because environmental factors are constantly operating “on top of our genes” to determine how and when those genes can be expressed to influence our metabolism, hormones, etc.

Can Gender Be Uncoupled from Sex?
Returning to the gender ideology that claims gender is uncoupled from biological sex, we see that epigenetics disagrees.  Research reveals that individuals who respond to social influences leading them to choose to adopt a transgender identity and then express their identity in a trans lifestyle may experience an “epigenetic imprint” on their brains as a result of their transgender behavior.  This imprint in turn, influences the person’s neuro-hormonal physiology which consequently influences the individual’s biological sexual expression.  That is, our thoughts, choices, behaviors, and other factors associated with gender expression can produce real, physical, neurological imprints or changes in our brains; and therefore, how we think about ourselves and behave.  This relationship has major implications which we will expand upon later.  But first, consider a simpler example of epigenetic imprinting.

Epigenetic imprinting has been shown to occur in numerous ways when chemicals from the environment enter the human body.  Related to our discussion of gender identity, research has shown that certain chemical ingredients of cosmetics can exert an epigenetic imprint on the brain.  This imprint can in turn affect one’s sexuality through hormonal and physiological changes.  It is therefore possible that transgender expression in a trans male could combine with the person’s use of cosmetics to further drive trans behavior and identity.

In order to apply the above concepts, consider how growing up in a dysfunctional home can influence the gender identity of a child.  The child is deprived of the loving nurture of a father or a mother, doesn’t receive proper nutrition or health care, and experiences rejection by peers.  These unfortunate stressors are called adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s; Click HERE to read more.).  ACE’s can among other things, increase the likelihood that the child will question their identity, including their gender identity.

If the child chooses to become transgender, the internal patterns of thought associated with the new gender identity may give way to gender expression.  As the child outwardly performs his or her gender role via behavior, clothing, cosmetics, and voice, these behaviors can cause epigenetic imprints upon the child’s brain.  Epigenetic imprints represent changes in thoughts reinforce and reaffirm the child's transgender mindset and behavior.  n turn, the child may seek to undergo hormone therapy or gender confirmation surgery.  We can hope that this child and many like him or her will first be willing to seek and receive wise counsel.  [Note that this scenario is given as an example while hopefully avoiding our being overly simplistic.]

Considerations - Before Gender Affirming Treatment
Two considerations should be entertained by children, adolescents, and adults in regard to gender identity.  First, each candidate for gender affirming treatment should be informed of the risk and potential negative medical, emotional, and social consequences.  For instance, a recent article in Lancet: Child and Adolescent Health (Malone et al (2021) concludes that “There is growing acknowledgment worldwide that the practice of providing gender-affirming care for youth is far from settled science.” Read more, HERE.

Second, as we have noted, personal identity is a complex, multi-faceted component of personhood.  Therefore, gender alteration involves more than reshaping the physical body by the surgeon’s scalpel or by hormone treatments.  Humans are also comprised of soul and spirit which can be positively or negatively affected by these treatments.  More on this subject in Part 2.

Ultimately, we must ask the question, “Who gets to define the social norms for what is “male” and “female?”  And, “Is there an Authority that exists above these human definitions—One who knows more about biology, psychology, and theology, or body, soul, and spirit than any of us know?”  In our judgment, this Authority is the God of the Bible who reveals Himself as our Creator, Helper, and Counsellor.  He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and everywhere-present through His Spirit.

Returning to our analogy of the all-knowing AI-robot featured in our introduction, by faith, we believe that our Almighty God meets the requirements of One who is worthy of our attention and obedience in matters of body, soul, and spirit.  This is because His Word in the Bible affirms the following line of reasoning:
1)  Because God is our Creator and knows all about us, and…
2)  …because God is “good,” then…
3)  …why shouldn’t I trust Him to lead me on a path to make my life more fruitful and more likely to fulfill the purpose for which I was born?

Recap.  And What Comes Next?
Thank you for reading and thinking through these complex issues with us.  So far, we have defined some of the terminology of gender identity.  But we must realize that knowledge of the terminology, while necessary is not the same as understanding and helping those who struggle with their gender identity.  We must understand with humility and compassion the underlying assumptions behind gender identity and transgenderism.  By understanding these concepts and engaging with those struggling with gender identity with compassion we are better prepared to build relationships of understanding.

We are humbled when we recognize the challenge all of us face, beginning from our birth: the challenge of knowing ourselves and discovering our abilities and purpose in the world around us.  The pursuit of personal identity has gotten even more challenging in recent years with the growing cultural pressures particularly on children and adolescents to “discover their identity.”  In Part 2 of “Knowing as We Are Known,” we will attempt to focus the Light of God’s Word upon the issues of our biological sex, gender identity, and gender affirming strategies.
  
May We Ask You?
When you think of your own personal identity and how it has been shaped, and continues to be shaped, what thoughts come to mind?  Maybe you would like to share your response or a question from your reading of this blog via the “Comment” link below.  You may choose to respond privately via our e-mail:  silviusj@gmail.com. 

Personal Meditation:  The Word of God in Scripture affirms God’s loving character and counsel to you and to all of us throughout its pages.  Our favorite passage of Scripture that speaks to His intimate knowledge of each one of us is Psalm 139.  We urge you to read this very personal revelation from God and written by a Hebrew shepherd, musician, poet, warrior, and king whose name was David.

Additional Reading:
A Guide To Gender Identity Terms, Laurel Wamsley, NPR.  June 2, 2021.  Click HERE.

Does Gender Leave an Epigenetic Imprint on the Brain?  L.R. Cortes, et al.  Frontiers in Neuroscience, 26 February 2019.  Click HERE.

What is Epigenetics?  Center for Disease Control.  Click HERE.

Coronavirus Resistance:  Biological and Spiritual.  Oikonomia, March 22, 2020.  Click HERE.

Key Terms and Concepts in Understanding Gender Diversity and Sexual Orientation Among Students. American Psychological Association Divisions 16 and 44.  2015.  Click HERE.

Puberty Blockers for Gender Dysphoria: The Science Is Far From Settled.  Malone, et al.  2021.
Lancet:  Child and Adolescent Health  Click HERE.

Sexuality vs. Gender: What's the Difference?  Cynthia Vinney, Verywellmind.  April 18, 2024
Click HERE.

Worshipful Eclipse Watching: A Guest Blog Post

NOTE:  The following guest blog post was graciously provided by permission of its author, Claire (Grazier) Bolha, of Dayton, Ohio.  Claire is a Biology-Math graduate of Cedarville University (1995).  Her post is adapted from her Facebook reflections on the recent eclipse on April 8, 2024. 
As you read Claire’s reflections, we hope you will join in reverent praise to Christ, our Creator and Savior.

I wanted to capture a few thoughts I had about the eclipse for when these memories come up over the years ahead!

The weather was such an answer to prayer!  The kids and I had been praying for days that God would keep the clouds away so people could see His power.  I’m so thankful for a beautiful day!  In Ohio we don’t take that for granted, lol.

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens…
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?”  - Psalm 8:1, 3

We really were in awe of God’s infinite design in creation when we thought about how perfectly proportioned the moon’s diameter is compared to the sun’s diameter; and how it is the perfect distance away so that total eclipses are possible. Not a coincidence!

Experiencing a total eclipse was a much more impactful experience than I ever expected.  I’ve seen partial eclipses, and I thought they were neat, but I couldn’t imagine traveling for just a scant few minutes of totality.  

 

But WOW!  I see now why people do it!
It was amazing!
People were setting off fireworks and cheering!

We saw a solar flare! This is not my picture, but rather a picture Dawn Bouchard posted in Dayton Weather Spot, but you can see the flare down on the bottom!   And we saw both Jupiter and Venus on either side of the darkened sun!

It was amazing how much light/heat the sun puts out when just a tiny sliver is showing!  It was like a somewhat cloudy day, compared to it being like twilight/dusk in totality.  It was amazing how quickly after totality ended that it looked more or less like a regular day again.

Again, I’m so thankful we could experience this solar eclipse!  It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience!

                                       *      *      *      *      *

Claire and her husband, Bob, are parents of ten lovely children.  Claire teaches biology and chemistry at Providence Extension Program, a homeschool program with campuses in Dayton and Cincinnati.  Bob is  a retired Air Force Lt. Col., and currently works as a contractor at Wright-Patterson AFB. 

Tribute to Our Sister by Marriage: Donna Kohler Moore

Easter morning, or better “Resurrection Sunday,” carries a special significance to all who realize that the Empty Tomb is evidence that there is hope beyond the grave.  Although Christ-followers still grieve when loved ones die in Christ, we do not “grieve as those who have no hope” in life after the grave (1 Thessalonians 4: 13).   Proof of our faith is the wellspring of hope that helps us bear the sting of death of a loved one.

This Easter season, God gave us reason to claim our hope in the Resurrection and the reality of life after death.  On March 21, our dear sister (-in-law), Donna Kohler Moore, said “Good-bye” to her husband, Larry, her daughter, Stacey, her son, Keith, their families, plus six sisters (Alvadell “Abby”, Shirley, Betty, Mary, Audrey, and Verna), and nieces and nephews.  Her life was a shining testimony of the Life of Christ in her.  Donna loved and respected her first husband, Roy.  Following Roy’s death to cancer, she loved and respected her second husband, Larry.  Her impact upon her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and over three decades of students in her elementary school and Sunday School classes will be evident in their lives for years to come.

After battling cancer for over 10 months, a few days ago became Donna’s “graduation day” to Heaven.  Many loving family members gathered around her bed and celebrated her life by singing some of her favorite hymns, including “In the Garden” and “Amazing Grace.”  Even in her largely unresponsive state, Donna’s lips moved as if to sing along.  Minutes later, alone in her bedroom, Donna took the hand of Jesus her Savior who lead her into the glorious presence of God where she joined her loved ones who have gone before.

In a twinkling of an eye, Donna finished her struggle with cancer, took the hand of Jesus her Savior.  Her faith in Christ became sight as she observed the glory of the face of God.   She is gone from us but we will see her again because Jesus gave His life to close an infinite gap of our separation from God by faith in His shed blood on His Cross.  When we simply look in faith to the Cross as Donna did, darkness gives way to the light of the dawn of the Resurrection of the Risen Christ.

Is Light Dimming and Darkness Winning? 3. No! Because of Easter!

Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying,

“ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?” that is,
“MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?”
(Matthew 27: 45-46)

Jesus Christ uttered this mournful cry from His Cross on that first “Good Friday.”  The Apostle John standing with Jesus’s mother Mary a foot of the Cross heard Jesus’s words.  Later, the Apostle Matthew, once a hated tax collector, recorded the words.  Before Jesus gave up His life, John and Mary would hear His final words, “It is finished” (John 19: 30, 33).  Having witnessed the crucifixion, suffering, and death of Christ on a Roman Cross, John later wrote, these words have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20: 31).

At the foot of the Cross, John must have been tempted to agree with Satan and the powers of darkness.  Indeed, darkness seemed to have overtaken the light.  God the Father had forsaken His Holy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Christ’s death was the end, accomplishing nothing.  But this great error in thinking lies in the promise God made thousands of years earlier as recorded in Genesis, the first book of the Bible. 

Genesis 3 reveals the beginning of the story of Easter, the Cross, and the Resurrection of Christ.  The rest of the Bible is the unfolding account of a perfect creation, the fall of man into sin, an infinite separation between holy God and sinful man, and reconciliation by the sacrificial death and resurrection of the Holy Son of God.  This is the account of the Gospel, the “Good News” that Jesus came as fully God and fully human, lived a sinless life, was crucified and rose again to open the way to Eternal Life in Heaven to all who call upon Him by faith in Jesus’s atoning sacrifice for sin.   Far from dimming the light on that first “Good Friday,” Christ’s death opened the Way to Eternal Life and Light.

Below is a series of seven daily readings that reveal elements of the “Good News.”  Our theme is “From Alienation and Separation to Reconciliation.”  We hope you will understand even more clearly the significance of Christ’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection to your life personally.  This is the real reason for celebrating Easter.

Day 1:  God Is Good
Scripture:  Genesis 2: 7-9
Interpretation:  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth for His glory and pleasure.  He created the first man, Adam, from the dust of the ground and placed him in a perfect environment, the Garden of Eden.  Out of His goodness, God saw that it was “not good” for the man to be alone.  So, God created woman from bone taken from Adam’s side so the she could be his helpmate (Genesis 2: 18-25).  When God had finished His creation, He took pleasure in it and saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good (Genesis 1: 31).  God had created numerous kinds of trees bearing fruit for Adam and Eve to enjoy (v. 16).  But He also set a boundary around one of the many trees, saying, from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die (v. 17).  As long as they followed His command, Adam and Eve enjoyed sinless communion with God and walked with Him in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3: 8). 

Application:  We have seen that the goodness of God was obvious in His Creation and its overflowing benefits to Adam and Eve.  Centuries later, God revealed Himself to Moses at Mount Saini with these words, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands… (Exodus 34” 6-7a).  God reveals His goodness both in His Word and in His creation. 
Ask Yourself:  Do you believe God is good?  Was God any less good for commanding man not to eat of one of the trees?

Day 2: God’s Goodness Questioned
Scripture:  Genesis 3: 1-6
Interpretation:  Adam and Eve had enjoyed perfect communion with God and walked with Him in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3: 8).  That is, until Satan came questioning God’s integrity and authority: Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden (Genesis 3: 1)’?  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat (Genesis 3: 6).  Satan had successfully appealed to the “cravings of the flesh, the longing of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2: 16).”  First, he tempted the woman; then the man.  Both succumbed to Satan’s temptations and they chose to eat.
Application:  When God had commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, He warned, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die (Genesis 2: 17).  But in spite of this stern warning intended out of the goodness of God’s nature and for the protection of His human image bearer, Adam took and ate the forbidden fruit.  Satan had convinced Adam that God was not good.   Otherwise, why would God keep Adam from enjoying something so inviting to him?
Ask Yourself:  Can you remember thinking that God is keeping something better from you?  Do you question God’s goodness at times?  To be tempted is not sin.  It’s only when we yield to it that we sin.  What is James’s solution?   See James 4: 6-10.

Day 3:  Religion: The Human Solution

Scripture:  Genesis 3: 6-8
Interpretation:  When Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened.  They became conscious that something had changed.  They had changed!  Their consciences were awakened to realize they had violated a moral standard of God.  They responded by hiding from God among the trees and hiding their bodies from each other by clothing themselves with fig leaves.  Their intimacy with a holy God and with each other were destroyed and replaced by guilt, shame, and alienation.  
Application:  Adam and Eve’s answer to their guilt and shame reveals to us their choice of religion—i.e. their approach to gain right-standing with a holy God.  They chose a “hands on approach,” trying to be presentable to God in their “fig leaf clothes.”  Their approach was the beginning of what we now call “good works salvation.”  Justification by works rather than yielding through faith to receive God’s forgiveness and reconciliation.  Thankfully, God is good, and He has a better plan for our reconciliation.
Ask Yourself:  Can you relate to Adam and Eve’s fear and shame when you recall a time when you rebelled against the authority of a parent, teacher, employer, or government?  Romans 5: 12 describes how we were all born with Adam’s sin nature.  But we have hope in Christ (Romans 5: 1).

Day 4: Relationship: God’s Solution
Scripture:  Genesis 3: 8-24

Interpretation:  Adam and Eve, God’s image-bearers, had rebelled against His moral guidelines—i.e. they had committed sin.  Consequently, their intimate communion with God and between each other was replaced by guilt, shame, and alienation.  What’s more, Adam and Eve were hiding, wanting to be free of God and the consequences of His standards.  Does that sound familiar to you?  Today, many have rejected God, and the increasing lawlessness and chaos in our land shows what happens when God and His standards are not upheld.  Adam and Eve were the first humans to experience the consequences of violating God’s standards, and yet they sinned even more by blaming each other (v. 12-13).  But God’s goodness showed forth again.  He went seeking the sinners!  God called to Adam, “Where are you?”  What a profound, soul-searching question.  God already knew the answer, but Adam and Eve felt guilty and afraid!  

Application:  You may recall times when you have acted badly, perhaps even as a child.  You felt the guilt and separation from your parent or parents. Hopefully, you can also remember the stern but loving discipline you received, sometimes with a spanking; and then, how their correction brought peace to your soul.  But how could God who is Holy, and therefore cannot let sin go unpunished, atone (“make reparation for, cleanse, cover the sin”) for sinful humans without compromising His own integrity?  First, God followed the chain of blame from the husband to his wife who then blamed the Tempter (v. 12-13), and then, He pronounced the curse and consequences of sin upon each party (v. 14-19).  God wanted Adam and Eve to admit their sin.  But in His perfect love, God also wanted to redeem (“buy back”) His broken image-bearers and all of His creation from an infinite separation.  He also wanted to judge Satan.  But how could God do this?  The answer is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
Ask Yourself:   Many believe that if we could eliminate the notion of God and His absolutes of right and wrong, there would be no sin—no consequences of guilt and shame when we think or act badly?  But wouldn’t the result be lawlessness and chaos?   Thankfully, there is a God who loves us.   Each of us must give an account and answer God’s question to Adam, “Where are you?”  Where you are in relation to God?  Without forgiveness of sin, we are infinitely separated from God.

Day 5: Covered by Blood, Not Fig Leaves
Scripture:  Genesis 3: 17-21; Romans 5: 12; John 1: 29
Interpretation:  We left you somewhat hanging yesterday with “holy dilemma.”  How could God who is Holy and cannot let sin go unpunished, atone (“make reparation for, cleanse, cover the sin”) for sinful humans without compromising His own integrity?  After confronting Adam and Eve with their sin, the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife (Genesis 3: 21).  God would offer a far more costly sacrifice than a religious, fig leaf covering.  The Creator of animals had to sacrifice innocent animals—innocent because they were not morally accountable like the humans were!  God’s covering of Adam and Eve’s nakedness required the shedding blood.  This first blood sacrifice, and then all of the animal sacrifices offered by the Jewish temple priests in the nation of Israel were a foreshadowing of the Man who would come as the Perfect Lamb of God and offer Himself to atone for the sin of mankind.
Application:  Adam’s sin had great consequences.  Back on Day 3, we referred to Romans 5: 12 which states that as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for all have sinned…  The stark truth from God is, “ALL have sinned!”  If this is true, could any of Adam’s descendants dare offer himself as a sinless sacrifice?
Psalm 49: 7-8 reveals,  
No man can by any means redeem his brother
    Or give to God a ransom for him—
For the redemption of his soul is costly,
   And he should cease trying forever—

Ask Yourself:  Would you deny your standing before God as a child of Adam who bears the curse of sin worthy of death (Romans 5: 12)?  Or would you dare to offer yourself as a sinless sacrifice to redeem others as Jesus did?  Unless we trust in the redemption of the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God we remain in darkness and in infinite alienation from God.  Do you know Him personally?

Day 6: Our Creator Became the Lamb
Scripture:  John 1: 1-5; 10-14; Luke 4: 1-13 Hebrews 9: 13-14; Genesis 3: 14-15;
Interpretation:  Who is this Man called “the Lamb of God?”  Chapter 1 of the Gospel of John identifies the Lamb as Jesus Christ, “the Word of God” who “was God.”  This “Word became flesh and dwelt among us…full of grace and truth.”  John the Baptist, Jesus’s forerunner who preached repentance of sin, pointed to Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1: 29).”  Jesus Christ was fully God and fully human.  He was born the “seed of the woman,” but not from the seed of His earthly father, Joseph (Genesis 3: 15; Matthew 1: 20).  In 1 Corinthians 15: 47, we read, Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven.  Christ was fully God, the Creator of the first Adam; yet He was fully human, born of Mary, as the “second Adam.”
Application:  Christ, the second Adam, came as a perfect Man, but He constantly battled horrendous temptations from the Tempter, and physical and emotional sufferings, aimed to cause Him to sin and fail like the first Adam.  The Gospel accounts tell of the many ways Jesus was attacked.  But He continually depended on His Father in Heaven and remained the sinless Lamb.  The Jewish priests had offered sacrificial lambs for over 1,500 years, but they were not sufficient to fully cleanse from sin.  In Hebrews 9: 13-14, we read:  For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 
Ask Yourself:   According to the Jewish calendar, they selected a “lamb without blemish” five days before offering it in the sacrifices of their Passover celebration.  In order to fulfill God’s prophetic calendar, Jesus, God’s perfect Lamb, entered Jerusalem riding on a lowly donkey, on “lamb selection day.”  During the Jewish Passover, God’s Lamb was slain for the sins of the world, including for you and for me.  Take time to read beginning in John 12 and respond as appropriate in repentance and in worship of the Lamb who gave His life redeem us from sin and death.

Day 7:  Darkness Breaks into Dawn’s Brightness
Scripture:  John 18-20; Luke 24: 1-35
Interpretation:  John 12-17 gives us an inspiring account of Jesus’s final days.  They were filled with drama, hateful accusations met with His gracious manner, and intimate times alone with His disciples to prepare them for His suffering and death.  Our Scriptures for today tell of Jesus’s arrest, trials, Peter’s denial, and Jesus’s sentence to be crucified (John 18).  Jesus was mocked, brutally beaten, and eventually sentenced to carry His Cross to Golgotha.  There He was crucified according to a method of the Romans designed to cause excruciating suffering on the way to death (John 19).  In Philippians 2: 6-8 we read, Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Jesus who was infinitely Holy experienced humanly the infinite alienation from God that is our condition without God’s redemption.

Application:  Our theme, “Is Light Dimming and Darkness Winning?” may have been the question of Jesus’s followers during the succession of terrible events of “Passion Week.”  The death and burial of Christ appeared to be a victory for Satan and the powers of darkness.  But we read in John 20 that on what we now call Resurrection Sunday, Mary Magdalene found the stone rolled away from Jesus’s tomb and His body was not there.  Matthew 28: 6 reports that an angel had told Mary, He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.  As the good news spread, the darkness of doubt and despair gave way to the bright light of hope.  The Risen Christ showed Himself to His disciples and hundreds of followers.  He also explained at length to two men who were “slow of heart to believe” how His life, death, and resurrection fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures (Luke 24: 25-27). 
Ask Yourself:  Are you a “fool, slow of heart to believe?”  If you have never trusted Christ and developed a personal relationship with Him, we hope this series of devotionals has made the Gospel (“Good News”) clearer to you.  For believers, we hope these readings have been an inspiring part of your commemoration of this Easter season.

Easter:  Celebrating the Resurrection of a Loved One
Easter morning, or better “Resurrection Sunday,” carries a special significance to all who realize that the Empty Tomb is evidence that there is hope beyond the grave.  Although Christ-followers still grieve when loved ones die in Christ, we do not “grieve as those who have no hope” in life after the grave (1 Thessalonians 4: 13).   Proof of our faith is the wellspring of hope that helps us bear the sting of death of a loved one.

This Easter season, God gave us reason to claim our hope in the Resurrection and the reality of life after death.  Yesterday, March 21, our dear sister (-in-law), Donna Kohler Moore, said “Good-bye” to her husband, Larry, her daughter, Stacey, her son, Keith, their families, plus six sisters (Alvadell “Abby”, Shirley, Betty, Mary, Audrey, and Verna), and nieces and nephews.  Her life was a shining testimony of the Life of Christ in her.  Donna loved and respected her first husband, Roy.  Following Roy’s death to cancer, she loved and respected her second husband, Larry.  Her impact upon her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and over three decades of students in her elementary school and Sunday School classes will be evident in their lives for years to come.

After battling cancer for over 10 months, a few days ago became Donna’s “graduation day” to Heaven.  Many loving family members gathered around her bed and celebrated her life by singing some of her favorite hymns, including “In the Garden” and “Amazing Grace.”  Even in her largely unresponsive state, Donna’s lips moved as if to sing along.  Minutes later, alone in her bedroom, Donna took the hand of Jesus her Savior who lead her into the glorious presence of God where she joined her loved ones who have gone before.  

In a twinkling of an eye, Donna was gone from us but we will see her again because Jesus gave His life to close an infinite gap of our separation from God by faith in His shed blood on His Cross.  When we simply look in faith to the Cross as Donna did, darkness gives way to the light of the dawn of the Resurrection of the Risen Christ.

Care to Comment?
If you have questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.  Maybe you would like to share a spiritual insight or recommend a devotional source.  Just post a “Comment” below or e-mail to silviusj@gmail.com 

If you have never encountered the “Good News” or Gospel, let us help.   The “Good News” is summarized in an outline called “Steps to Peace with God” (Click HERE.).  It explains God’s love, our predicament (sin and separation from God), what Jesus has done to address our predicament, and what you can do by faith to receive God’s righteousness (right standing with a Holy God).  Hope you will have the Joy of Easter!

Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan Still Speak for Our Time

As a boy, my favorite months of the year were February, May, and December.  In May, we celebrated my birthday and the beginning of summer vacation from school.  December brought the much-anticipated celebration of Christmas and the advent of snow.  But February was special because my teachers taught us about two great American heroes born in that short month:  George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Interestingly, while I was gaining a boyhood knowledge of Washington and Lincoln, a man who would become the third February president was becoming well known as a movie star and television personality.  Our family first encountered Ronald Reagan while watching General Electric Theater [Click HERE.] and Death Valley Days.  Reagan often starred in the exciting dramatic episodes of both programs.

Little did we know in those years of the 1950’s that Ronald Reagan was also emerging as the leader of what has come to be known as the conservative movement in governing philosophy.  Reagan’s famous speech, “A Time for Choosing” [Click HERE.] in support of Barry Goldwater’s bid for the presidency in 1964, soon launched him into his first political office.  Reagan served two terms as governor of the State of California (1967-1975) and two terms as President of the United States during the tumultuous Vietnam War era and post-war era of American History (1980-1988).  He restored American hope and led the world in bringing an end to the cold war with the communistic Soviet Union.  These and other achievements have earned Ronald Reagan the honor along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to be ranked in the top 10 of our greatest U.S. presidents.

"February Presidents" 
We dedicate this month’s blog to the three “February Presidents” of the United States.  We will do so by emphasizing their faith, beliefs, and values as expressed in their own words.  What follows are expressions from these great leaders, each speaking in their own times; Washington in the 18^th century, Lincoln in the 19^th, and Reagan in the 20^th century; and with words clearly relevant to our time.

To begin, let's assess your knowledge of the three "February presidents."  The following quiz will challenge you to match the description in each item with the correct name of the president, Washington (GW), Lincoln (AL), or Reagan (RR).  [Answers are given at the end of this blog.]

Quiz:
1.   Known as “the great communicator.”
2.   He was the tallest of all U.S. presidents.

3.      The man who humbly “refused to be king.”

4.      Famous for his policy of “Peace through Strength.”

5.      He is in the Wrestling Hall of Fame.

6.      This president survived an assassination attempt.

7.      Over 12 billion $1-bills in circulation bear his image.

8.      “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

9.      He was the only U.S. president to have a patent.

10.   As a young man, served as a surveyor in the Ohio Valley.

11.   Read the Bible every day, but never joined a church.
12.  He had no direct association with the state of Illinois.

Quotes from February Presidents
We have chosen several topics that represent timeless American values.  These were important to each of our three “February presidents.” We hope you will sense how clearly each leader expressed a similar strong and steadfast support for the timeless moral and ethical values of our Founding Fathers.  As Scott S. Powell has written in The Federalist [Click HERE.], "To the extent we can internalize and build character around the virtues that each embodied, we to can regain our voice and courage to fight and reestablish our unalienable rights that define who we are as Americans.  Our success in this may well be the key to preventing our nation's downfall.

Parents and Family
My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother.  I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.   ~ GW

All that I am or hope ever to be, I get from my mother – God bless her.  ~ AL

From my mother I learned the value of prayer, how to have dreams and believe I could make them come true.  … She said all things were part of God's plan, even the most disheartening setbacks, and in the end, everything worked out for the best.  ~ RR

Faith and Morality
Let us with caution indulge the notion that morality can be maintained without religion.   …reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.   ~ GW

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have.  I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.  ~ AL

The struggle now going on for the world will never be decided by bombs or rockets, by armies or military might. The real crisis we face today is a spiritual one; at root, it is a test of moral will and faith.”  ~ RR

War and Peace
To be prepared for war is one of the most effective ways of preserving peace.  ~ GW

Let your military measures be strong enough to repel the invader and keep the peace… ~ AL

“Peace through Strength:”  We know only too well that war comes not when the forces of freedom are strong, but when they are weak.  It is then that tyrants are tempted. ~ RR

Preserving Our Freedom
If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.  …The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshiping Almighty God agreeably to their conscience, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights. ~ GW

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected?  If it ever reaches us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. … As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”  ~ AL 

The constitution was never meant to prevent people from praying; its declared purpose was to protect their freedom to pray.  ~ RR

Meaning and Purpose

Fondly do we hope—fervently do we pray—that this mighty scourge of war might speedily pass away.... Yet if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bond-man’s two hundred years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid with another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago so still it must be said, “the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether.  ~ AL

If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under. ~ RR

Science and the Arts
There is nothing which can better deserve your patronage, than the promotion of science and literature.  Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness. ~ GW

I know of no pursuit in which more real and important services can be rendered to any country than by improving its agriculture, its breed of useful animals, and other branches of a husbandman’s cares.  ~ GW

Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. ~ AL

If America is to offer greater economic opportunity to her citizens, if she’s to defend our freedom, democracy, and keep the peace, then our children will need wisdom, courage, and strength – virtues beyond their reach without education.  In the words of Thomas Jefferson:  If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.”  ~ RR

Salvation by Faith
In 1891, a book of prayers by Washington in his own handwriting was sold at auction.  Whether composed by Washington or copied for personal use, in one prayer, Washington asks God to pardon him of his sins, and remove them from thy presence, as far as the east is from the west, and accept me for the merits of thy son, Jesus Christ, that when I come into thy temple and compass thine altar, my prayers may come before thee as incense. – From: George Washington the Christian, by William Johnson   ~ GW

When I left Springfield, I asked the people to pray for me; I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ. I do love Jesus.” ~ AL

From Ronald Reagan’s letter to his father-in-law, a professing atheist, near his death [Click HERE.]: 
“Loyal, you and Edith have known a great love — more than many have been permitted to know. That love will not end with the end of this life, …all that is required is that you believe and tell God you put yourself in his hands.”  [According to Nancy Reagan, two days before Loyal’s death on Aug. 19, 1982, her father sought out a hospital chaplain, and prayed with him.]
Reagan’s diary [Click HERE.] records his prayer for the soul of his would-be assassin and pledge to serve God with his life now spared from death.  ~ RR

Favorite Scripture Verse
Judge not, that ye be not judged.  – Matthew 7: 1   ~ AL

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  -- John 3:16   ~ RR

Love of Country
I was summoned by my country, whose voice I can never hear but with veneration and love. ~ GW

… we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. ~ AL (From: His “Gettysburg Address”)

“…lesson number one about America:   All great change in America begins at the dinner table.  So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins.  And children, if your parents haven’t been teaching you what it means to be an American, let ’em know and nail ’em on it.  That would be a very American thing to do.”  ~ RR

Limited Government
Government is not reason and it is not eloquence.  It is force!  Like fire it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.  Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action. ~ GW

We who live in free market societies believe that growth prosperity and ultimately human fulfillment, are created from the bottom up, not the government down. Only when the human spirit is allowed to invent and create, only when individuals are given a personal stake in deciding economic policies and benefitting from their success—only then can society remain economically alive, dynamic, progressive, and free. Trust the people.”  ~ RR

Hand of Providence
The Hand of providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations. ~ GW

I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.  ~ AL

Reagan speaking with Pope John Paul II regarding a plan to bring down the Soviet Union:  “I must say, Holiness, that I am not a man who attends church regularly. I don’t even consider myself overtly religious.  But I am spiritual.  I believe in God.  And I draw strength from those deeply held beliefs.”  [Referring to the fact that both had survived assassination attempts, Reagan continued:] “You and I share a common bond.  God saved us both so that we can do what we are about to do. How else can it be explained?”   [Read more, click HERE.]  ~ RR

Compassion toward Suffering
Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distresses of every one, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse; remembering always the estimation of the widow's mite, but, that it is not every one who asketh that deserveth charity; all, however, are worthy of the inquiry, or the deserving may suffer.  ~ GW

Lincoln was deeply familiar with the sting of death, having lost his mother at age 9, and his sister a decade later; and then, the first romantic love of his life, Ann Rutledge, to typhoid fever.  His consoling letter to Fanny McCullough [Click HERE for full detail.], following the death of her father, Lt. Col. William McCullough, in the American Civil War reveals Lincoln’s deep compassion and empathy, born from personal experience:
You cannot now realize that you will ever feel better. Is not this so? And yet it is a mistake. You are sure to be happy again. To know this, which is certainly true, will make you some less miserable now.  I have had experience enough to know what I say; and you need only to believe it, to feel better at once. ~ AL

Address to the Nation after the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger:
They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.  And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s takeoff.   I know it’s hard to understand but sometimes painful things like this happen.   It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted.  It belongs to the brave.  The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.  …[They] honored us for the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth, to touch the face of God.  Thank you.  ~ RR  [Click HERE for video of full message.]

“Military-Industrial Complex”
Over grown military establishments are under any form of government inauspicious to liberty, and are to be regarded as particularly hostile to republican liberty. ~ GW

...corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is destroyed. ~ AL

There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics:  As government expands, liberty contracts.  [as applied to the Pentagon or any branch of government].  ~ RR

Civil Rights and Slavery
I wish from my soul that the legislature of this State could see the policy of a gradual Abolition of Slavery. ~ GW

This is a world of compensations; and he who would be no slave, must consent to have no slave. Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, cannot long retain it. ~ AL

I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all men are created free and equal. ~ AL

Devotion to the Cause
The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the Courage and Conduct of this army—Our cruel and unrelenting Enemy leaves us no choice but a brave resistance, or the most abject submission; this is all we can expect…Our own Country’s Honor, all call upon us for a vigorous and manly exertion, and if we now shamefully fail, we shall become infamous to the whole world —Let us therefore rely upon the goodness of the Cause, and the aid of the Supreme Being, in whose hands Victory is….  – From Founders Online  [Click HERE.]    ~ GW

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations. ~AL

We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something, for liberty and freedom and fairness, and these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to.  ~ RR

Additional Reading:
1)  “The Man Who Would Not Be King”  Click HERE, by Matthew Spalding, Heritage Foundation.
2)  “Lincoln and Christianity” – dissertation by Kermit White.   Click HERE.
3)  Ronald Reagan’s best debate moments:   Click HERE.
4)  “Character Qualities of a Steward-Leader”  Oikonomia, May 31, 2012   Click HERE.

Answers to Quiz:
1.  RR               5.  AL                9.    AL
2.  AL                6.  RR               10. GW
3.  GW              7.  GW              11.  AL
4.   RR              8.  RR               12.  GW

Now It's Your Turn:
We would like to hear from you?  Who is your favorite U.S. president and why?  Just use the "Comment" link below to respond, or write to us at silviusj@gmail.com

Acknowledgement:
Special thanks to Larry and Donna Moore for their hospitality, conversations, encouragement, and access to their WiFi necessary to publish this blog.