Thank You, our Father!

        A Christian friend was driving down a US highway, enjoying some gospel radio, when a song came on that thrilled his soul. He tried to join in, but could hardly croak out the notes. In frustration and sadness, he started to weep. Then, somehow, God gave him peace—He said, “Your tears are my praise!” 

        And his story satisfied my heart, because I, too, have wept for this lack. I tell people that my singing range is not one octave but one note—how mono-tonous! But song is not the only form of worship. In recent years my wife and I have joined churches that recite the Lord’s Prayer in unison—as the use of the plural “our Father” shows Jesus intended. We also recite the creeds and some prayers in unison—how refreshing for me to be able, at last, to add my voice to my brothers’ and sisters’. 

        Praise the Lord for some liturgy!

What was that about the moon?

        I remember a poem from my high school days— I disliked it, but the imagery and alliteration were powerful: “The moon was a ghostly galleon, tossed upon cloudy seas.” Remember those fairy stories about “the man in the moon” and “the green cheese”? Well, I want to look at how the moon is viewed in the Bible, not only as a light in the night sky but often as a sign or symbol or personification of something else.

        First of all, we’re told that God put it up there. King David says, “I consider…the moon and the stars, which You have set in place” (Psa.8:3), and Asaph says, “You established the sun and moon “ (Psa.74:16). Then, because of its regularity (cycling 12 times in a year), it was used to regulate human affairs. The very word “moonth” tells us this.

        The natural 29.5-day cycle of the moon as we see it is first a tiny sliver or sickle that grows and grows (“waxes) till it reaches a full circle (the “full” moon). Then it decreases daily (“wanes”) until it is gone for 36-48 hours. It the middle of this period of invisibility, it is renewed, and the cycle repeats. It is interesting that the full moon comes at 15 days into the cycle. The first month of the Hebrew year was Nisan, so Passover comes 14 days into the month or, essentially, at full moon (Lev.23:3, Num.9:3). If it was a clear night, Gethsemane was bathed in moonlight on Maundy Thursday.

        Other Old Testament celebrations were the New Moon feasts (Psa.81:3) established by Moses in Numbers 10:10 as “times of rejoicing”. They involved sacrifices and burnt offerings (Ezra 3:5, Num.28:14), and from the tabernacle and later from the temple, the calls of trumpets and ram’s horns would resound on that day. They served as a sort of calendar for scheduling other events. For instance, in 1 Samuel 20, David and Jonathan worked out a plan and a schedule around the day of the New Moon feast.

        Sometimes the moon was personified, as in Psalm 136:9 where “moon and stars govern the night.” In Joseph’s dream (Gen.37:9), the moon bowed to him, and in Joshua’s day, “the sun stood still and the moon stopped.” (Josh.10:12, 13). When Moses blessed the Israelites just before his death, he said about Joseph, “May the Lord bless his land with…the finest the moon can yield.” (Deut. 33:14). And years later, the Hebrew pilgrims to Jerusalem could trust that “the moon…will not harm you…by night.” (Psa.121:6). The psalmist is also quoted as saying, “Praise him, moon.” (Psa.148:3). But a day was coming when the Lord would punish celestial and terrestrial powers, and “the moon will be dismayed.” (Isa.24:23).

        Sadly, the people went way beyond literary personification and endowed the moon with real personal being—they worshiped it, bowing down and burning incense to it. That was forbidden foolishness (Deut.4:19). God told Isaiah (1:13) that their New Moons had become “worthless assemblies” and that He hated them “with all His being”. (Isa.1:14) In fact, He told Hosea (2:11) “I will stop all her celebrations…her New Moons.”

        Just how did they get so off-track? Moses warned them back in Deuteronomy, “Do not bow down and worship.” (4:19, 17:3) But they did just that in 2 Kings 23:5 where “the idolatrous priests…burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon.”   Job (31:26) talks about “…homage to the moon” and Jeremiah (8:2) tells us they loved and served and worshiped the moon (also confirmed by Stephen in Acts 7:42).

        The moon was central to some real, God-given prophecy too—David was promised that from his lineage, a king would endure as long as the moon exists (Psa.72:5), in fact, forever (Psa.89:37), because Isaiah (60:20) tells us that at some point “the moon will wane no more.” This King is Jesus!

        We recognize that some of the effects spoken of the moon are, instead, effects on the observers: “The moon is not bright in his eyes” refers to God’s own greatness and brilliance—God IS light! (Job 25:5). Habakkuk talks about the days when the Lord’s anger was so intense that “the sun and moon stood still in the heavens.” (Hab.3:11) Even in our own bodies, as we age, and eyesight fails, we experience that “the moon grows dark.” (Eccl.12:2)

        Finally, Joel (2:31, 3:15) and John (Rev.6:12) tell us of a time when the moon will be darkened and will turn to blood. Is this an indication that in the end times, there will be so much destruction and debris in the atmosphere that the moon will show red even when it gets high in the sky? (Like we see even now, when the moon is low on the horizon?)

         So, we’ve looked at most of the Scriptural involvement with the moon. In a sense, it oversees nighttime activity by lighting it, by timing or scheduling it, by backing up and confirming both good and bad prophecies, by encouraging times of rejoicing, by warning us of our own mortality, and ultimately by showing the greatness and beauty of the God Who put it in place.

Pascal’s Wager Revisited: Why Seeking God Is Worth Everything

 You’ve probably heard of Pascal’s Wager—the idea that trusting in God is the safest bet, even if you’re unsure He exists. Critics argue it’s self-serving or intellectually lazy. But let’s take a fresh look, especially in light of Scripture, science, and the eternal stakes.

🧠 What Is Pascal’s Wager?

French philosopher Blaise Pascal suggested that belief in God is the most rational choice in the face of uncertainty:

“If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing.” — Pensées, §233

To break it down:

• If God exists and you believe → eternal joy and peace
• If God exists and you don’t believe → eternal separation
• If God doesn’t exist → belief costs little, while disbelief gains nothing

🚍 Dawkins and the “No God” Ad Campaign

In 2009, Richard Dawkins backed a UK bus ad campaign that read:

“THERE’S PROBABLY NO GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE.”

The word “probably” leaves the door open. Dawkins even preferred “almost certainly no God,” but still acknowledged a sliver of possibility. And that’s where Pascal’s logic becomes powerful.

🎯 Breaking Down the Odds of Belief

Let’s assign probabilities:

Chance God Exists	Chance He Doesn’t	What You Gain by Belief
25%	75%	Moderate risk, infinite gain
10%	90%	More risk but still infinite gain
1%	99%	Infinite gain vs zero loss

Even with minimal odds, the eternal reward for belief vastly outweighs any perceived cost.

📖 What the Bible Says

Pascal’s reasoning echoes Scripture’s call to earnestly seek God:

• “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13
• “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” — Psalm 14:1
• “People are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” — Hebrews 9:27
• “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” — Psalm 34:8

Faith isn’t just logical—it’s relational. Belief is less about hedging bets and more about meeting the One who transforms everything.

🛠 Insights from Christian Apologetics

Apologists like William Lane Craig and Peter Kreeft use Pascal’s Wager as a gateway—not a full defense:

• It appeals to decision theory: weighing outcomes when certainty is impossible
• It challenges the idea that neutrality is safe
• It invites skeptics to explore God without demanding instant faith

Even John Piper acknowledges its limitations—but urges us not to dismiss the spiritual urgency it inspires.
Read more on Desiring God →

🌱 For the Curious Seeker

If you're exploring faith but feeling unsure, check out John Stott's book BASIC Christianity.
You’ll discover:

• Questions and answers that open up the search
• How Christianity engages reason and science
• Steps for beginning a spiritual journey
• Why doubt isn’t the opposite of faith—it’s often the path toward it
• 
  

🙏 Final Thought

Pascal’s Wager isn’t about fear—it’s about urgency and love. If eternity is real, then “just get on with your life” isn't enough. The stakes are infinite. The invitation is eternal.

Don’t walk away from the possibility.
Seek until you know.

The Biblical Story of John, also called Mark

I’ve been reading the New Testament for many, many years and every once in a while, the name of Mark or John Mark or Marcus pops up. He always seems to be in the background—helping, dropping out, sending greetings, being called for, being helpful again, even becoming “a son”. Just who was this man? Here is a review of all the Biblical references to Mark, set as chronologically as possible. It doesn’t seem that he was an evangelist but, in his own way, he became a wonderful Christian testimony.

Thursday, April 2, 33: The dinner in the upper room has just ended and the women and their helpers are clearing up, as one young man, 14 or 15 years old, skips out and follows the twelve as they leave. Downhill they go to the Kidron Creek, across, and up to the garden of Gethsemane. Eight members of the party are dropped off near the entrance, and four more continue deeper in among the olive trees. He continues to hang back for an hour or more, then a crowd with torches—and swords and clubs—appears from the city. It seems he has got too close—they’re arresting one of the twelve—the rest are running! He had better run too! But they’ve got him! No, he sheds his linen robe and runs for it. And he vanishes—naked!                                                       [Mark 14:5]

….. 14 years later (AD 46-48): Mark is at his mom’s, Mary’s house in Jerusalem, where a crowd of believers has gathered to pray for their imprisoned friend and leader, Simon Peter. Suddenly a knock comes on the door and Rhoda answers. She comes back excitedly to say it’s Peter but—silly girl—she forgets to let him in! A few more knocks and in their astonishment, he is finally welcomed in. Peter shushes them all, tells quickly how an angel has brought him out of the prison, then hurries off to another place.          [Acts 12:12]

A little bit later that same year (AD 46-48): Barnabas and Paul were in town (i.e., Jerusalem) to deliver a gift for the famine-stricken brothers and sisters there, from the Christians in Antioch. Mark was Barnabas’ cousin and somehow, he joined up with the two evangelists and they all headed north to Antioch on the Orontes. There were other great prophets and teachers in Antioch and, as “they were worshiping the Lord and fasting”, the Holy Spirit singled out Barnabas and Paul for mission work. With the blessing of the church, they were sent off.          [Acts 12:25]

These two, with John Mark as their helper, “went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues”, and carried on to Paphos. Here, Mark saw what was really an amazing confrontation between the Spirit-filled apostle Paul and a demon-worshipper. Elymas, the sorcerer, tried to turn Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, from the faith, but Paul rebuked him and blinded him for a time. The proconsul believed!

This is where Mark’s story now gets sticky—“Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John (Mark) left them to return to Jerusalem.” Why did he leave? Was he homesick? Did he feel a duty to visit his mother again? After the events in Cyprus, he had no reason to lose faith. But Paul (or is it Luke?) uses the word “deserted”!                                                                       [Acts 13:5-13]

Two or three years later still (AD 49-52): “Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.” There was a sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, so “Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus.” Remember that Barnabas was from Cyprus so he was returning to territory that he already knew.                                                          [Acts 15:37-39]

Ten or eleven years further on (AD 60-62): Sometime in these years Paul has been reconciled to Mark. Mark now visits Paul in Rome and even sends greetings via Paul’s letter, to the Colossian Christians. Paul’s comment even intimates that Mark might be coming to Colossae: “You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.” This was also about the time (~AD 63) when Luke was writing up the Acts, possibly in concert with both Paul and Peter.                                                  [Colossians 4:10]

At the same time of writing, Mark sends his own greetings in Paul’s letter to Philemon.                                                      [Philemon 1:24]

Then five years more (AD 66): In Paul’s very last letter, he tells Timothy, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.” What a change in attitude! From being a “deserter” to being especially “helpful”.                                [2 Timothy 4:11]

And the last we hear of Mark (AD 67-68): Paul has possibly been executed by this time, but Peter welcomes Mark as “my son Mark”, who also sends greetings in Peter’s letter “to God’s elect” scattered throughout Asia Minor.

                                                   [1 Peter 5:13]

— — — — — — — —

A summary of Mark’s record: Now we have come full circle—we started with a young man following the Lord; most scholars believe he was Mark. Fourteen years later he may have met up with Peter at his own mother’s house in Jerusalem. Then we see him helping Paul and Barnabas in evangelism in Cyprus. But he drops out of the work and heads home to Jerusalem. Two or three years later Paul and Barnabas want to retrace their steps to check on their converts—but Paul point blank refuses to have Mark along. The two evangelists split up and Barnabas takes Mark to Cyprus.

Ten or more years pass but now we see reconciliation—Mark is with Paul in Rome (although Paul is a prisoner). And Mark seems to know and be known by the Galatians and by Philemon—people from the very territory that he refused to enter 15 years before.

Five years on, and Paul now wants Mark very specifically to come and help. This is very close to when Paul was beheaded in Rome. Was Mark there in time?

The last we hear of Mark is that he is now with Peter, also in Rome. This is where Mark comes into his own, he shows his great faithfulness. He listens carefully to everything Peter tells him about Jesus. He takes careful note, sorts all Peter’s reminiscences, and produces a Gospel—the Gospel of Mark. What a last-minute tribute to Peter—who within months was crucified! Did Mark witness the martyrdom? Sadly possible!

[Editor’s note: Strictly speaking, we don’t know for sure that the young man at the arrest was Mark. And we don’t know that Mark was at the prayer meeting at his mother’s house, but it could easily have been Mark who told the story to Luke.]

A Letter to Dr. Laura

        An open letter once appeared on the internet, addressed to Dr. Laura Schlessinger, of talk-radio fame. The writer had some facetious (but real) claims against her understanding of the Old Testament, and the Judaic law in general, and wondered how (or if) she could answer him.

        Several examples of his queries were:—

1) Burning a sacrifice

2) Wearing glasses

3) Claiming slaves

4) Eating shellfish

5) Touching an unclean animal

6) Working on the Sabbath.

        As a Jew, she couldn’t answer him because Judaism has never fulfilled or repealed the laws. Ceremonial laws 1) and 2) applied only to the physical temple in Jerusalem. After the temple was destroyed in AD 70, they were no longer able to sacrifice; much of their ceremonial law came to a full stop. However, the moral law continues, as well as much judicial law.

        The Christian, on the other hand, can answer him. Whole strings of New Testament Scriptures throw light on the details. Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”[1] The over-all picture is this— “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness”.[2] All those Old Testament sacrifices, following both ceremonial and moral law, were established to deal with the sin of the offerors.

1) But the mere death of an animal could never erase or in any way equate to a man’s or a woman’s sin. A person’s sin was considered to be covered temporarily by the sacrifice; there was obviously a need for a greater than human sacrifice to wipe it out. Christ fulfilled that need. Hence, the end of all animal sacrifice! Why Christ was qualified is the story of most of the New Testament.

2) What about wearing glasses? This is ceremonial law again; as the radio-listener said, “Leviticus 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight.” A simplistic answer might say that there is no altar today so this is a moot problem. Going a bit deeper, we might point out that the Apostle Paul had bad eyesight (he had to write “big”) and apparently he, as a righteous Jew, still felt free to approach the altar.[3]

3) Look at the third example— claiming slaves and selling humans. This is forbidden by other New Testament scriptures; it is immoral and criminal. For instance, James tells us[4] that showing favoritism by preferring a rich man over a poor man (or a free man over a slave) is as much a sin as adultery or murder, because we are no longer loving our neighbor as ourself. Even the Apostle Paul said if you can get free, do.[5] Freedom is the preferred condition and is most basic to Christianity.[6]

4) & 5) Regarding shellfish and pigs, there are more New Testament quotes— The Christian believes that God spoke directly to the Apostle Peter through a vision of all kinds of “animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air”, and made it very clear that, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”[7] And when the Jerusalem Council sent out instructions about how to treat Gentiles, they included these simple words about food:— “Abstain from…what has been strangled, and from blood.”[8] No other restrictions apply.

6) Working on the Sabbath (Saturday) is the next touchy issue for Jews. This is again a ceremonial concern, not a moral one, and Christians consider the Sabbath fulfilled with the death of Christ. The Apostle Paul basically said that it’s okay to “consider every day alike”.[9] A year or two later, he said, "Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, or a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." [Col.2:16] The best day for a Christian now is Sunday, commemorating His resurrection. He has put no binding legal requirements on that day!

One very relevant comment by the Apostle Paul is Ephesians 2:15—Christ "[set] aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations." Finally, we have Christ’s own comment on all the problems, handicaps, burdens, and sins of life:— “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”[10]

There is no restriction and no longer any reason to stay away.

And now the Temple is Jesus![11]

[Note: The original letter and an attempted Christian response are at Pastor Kevin, or https://www.calvarypo.org/HANDS/1022.pdf?form=MG0AV3

In 2020, James M. Kauffman published a 96-page book entitled, “Cyber Abuse: The Dr. Laura Letter”.]

[1] Matthew 5:17 ESV.

[2] Romans 10:4 ESV.

[3] Acts 21:26.

[4] James 2:8-11 NIV. Love your neighbor as yourself…if you show favoritism, you sin…

[5] 1 Corinthian 7:21 ESV. If you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.

[6] Galatians 5:1 ESV. For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

[7] Acts 11:5-10.

[8] Acts 15:20.

[9] Romans 14:5-6.

[10] Matthew 11:28-30 NIV.

[11] John 2:19-21.

Pascal's Wager— Again!

     You remember that wager— trusting in God and His resulting safety versus believing that there is no God, and not "worrying”. Writers have pointed out that the wager seems quite self-serving, that if belief isn’t there it can’t be manufactured. On the other hand, if there is a God, it’s discourteous at best, not to investigate.

        One brilliant scientist who has commented (obliquely) on this wager is Richard Dawkins, especially when he was involved in a bus advertising campaign in Britain in 2009. The ad his group were touting said, “THERE’S PROBABLY NO GOD. NOW STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE.” The key word here is “probably”. Dawkins wanted to use the wording, "There is almost certainly no God”, but that still leaves a tiny window of possibility.

        Let’s put some probabilities against the two sides of the wager— the ad said “probably” so let’s say 25% “God”: 75% “no god”. Odds of 3:1 are not good!

        Let’s up those odds— let’s say 10% “God”: 90% “no god”. Even 9:1 odds are bad odds. Would we give in to Russian roulette?

       Up with those odds!— 1% “God”: 99% “no god”. Now we’re talking— 99:1 is pretty good, but remember what is a stake: “nothing, nothing” versus “happiness and peace with God forever” or the flip side of “loneliness and pain apart from Him.”

        “Just get on with your life” seems pretty pathetic on that scale. Since the “no god” side of the wager really has no effect on the bettor, it really should be totally ignored. The “God” side has infinite value if it is true. This means that at least 99% of our investigation should be into “God” and everything about Him. No, it should be 100%! We can’t give up until we KNOW!

“RESURGAM”

         A lovely painting hung in the lobby of my apartment building for several years, its contents gratifying me every time I walked past. But I kept quiet and never commented because I didn’t want it taken down. Then the lobby was refurbished and the painting was marked for disposal. My wife laid claim to it for me; in very short order, it took a place of honor over my desk.

What was so beautiful about it? The scene is a huge ancient brick wall with an arched doorway centered in a still larger arch. On both sides grow thick, green-leaved bushes with a touch of red blossoms overhead. Through the doorway is visible a garden of shrubbery, trees, and an upward spurting fountain; two sculpted figures stand in and under the water.

Can this be symbolic? An open doorway in a great wall? A passageway into a garden? A fountain springing and washing over the figures?

It is to me! Between the upper and lower arches of the doorway is a little cross, and below it, in great capital letters, “RESURGAM”— “I SHALL RISE AGAIN”.

Let’s just take a look into the Bible for a minute. There are several gardens mentioned there: - the garden of Eden, the garden of Gethsemane, and an unnamed garden near the cross[1] where an unknown Gardener later spoke to Mary Magdalene.[2] Can this image be that garden near the cross? And on Saturday?

The gate is open, the fountain is flowing for cleansing—nothing is blocking the entrance.

And Sunday is coming!

 

[Editor’s note: The painting is “Floral Doorway” by Cyrus Afsary. The cross and that one word are in fact details from a doorway of San Juan Capistrano Mission in California.]

---

[1] John 19:41.

[2] John 20:15.