Why I Believe in Conspiracy Theories!

 

Why I Believe in Conspiracy Theories!

By Gary L. Clendenon, February, 2021

Pretty much all my life I have believed in “Conspiracy Theories”. I suppose being raised a Seventh-day Adventist in the 60’s & 70’s—where every negative news story was a “sign” that the “Time of Trouble” and persecution of “The Remnant Saints” were just around the corner—had a fairly strong influence on my initial belief system.

Thankfully, many of us SDA’s are growing out of that fear and adrenaline-fueled perspective to being “in the world, but not of it”. I think of the stories of “Chicken Little” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf”. A moral of both stories is that our minds and bodies can only take so much of that unbalanced approach to life! Sadly, this is, no doubt, the reason some people left the SDA Church, and it could even be argued, justifiably so.

So, after saying all that, you might be surprised I am still here arguing for a belief in conspiracy theories, right? This ought to be interesting! As Christians, we grow—sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, but we are on a Spirit-led journey, and we grow. Ideally, as we grow, we gradually move from a framework of “Fear and Rule-based Living” to—our ultimate goal—a framework of “Love and Relationship-based Living.”

As we grow, naturally our perspective changes and we are challenged with what to do with our old beliefs. It is completely natural to think it wise to just completely chuck out our old beliefs and move on, and many people do just that. As we grow and mature, though, we can find that there is a more healthy approach that is best exemplified by that awesome old German proverb, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

To be clear, the “Baby” in this example is the idea that there are conspiracies in our world, and I am arguing that it would be foolish to throw that idea out. When I’m done, I think you’ll see why.

First let’s talk a look at the meaning of the word “Conspiracy”. A conspiracy is a noun that is the fruit or result of the action verb “Conspire”. To conspire is to “make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act” (emphasis mine). It is the secretive nature of a conspiracy that makes it so challenging to believe in—because there is no real proof, only hints or seemingly wild speculations, that often times seem ludicrous and unbelievable!

After 60 years of life and study, my current perspective on “Conspiracy Theories” is best summed up by the following statement (aka “Gary-ism # 21”).

“A Christian who believes in no conspiracy theories does not understand the Nature nor the Reality of the World.”

Let me explain why I say this. You will notice that the word “Christian” is in my statement. It is there for a reason. My whole belief on “Conspiracy Theories” is based on the fact that I am a Bible-believing Christian. If that doesn’t describe you, then my arguments, though you may see the logic of them, will most likely not apply to you nor your thinking about “Conspiracy Theories”. Maybe, though, my thoughts will, at least, help you understand us “Crazy” Christians a little better.

So, just to clarify, I am saying that I believe in “Conspiracy Theories” because of my belief in the Bible’s story. The Bible is very clear on this topic. We have an Enemy and from the moment of our birth until our last breath on this Earth, our enemy “conspires” to keep us in his collection of “The Damned”. This is a personal conspiracy against us.

Revelation 12:12 says: “How terrible for the earth…! For the Devil has come down to you, and he is filled with rage….” The Devil is no pussycat, as Peter warns: “Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8). Paul—using very war-filled language—advises us to “Put on the armor of God so that you will be able to stand up against the Devil’s evil tricks.” … and “...put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One” (Ephesians 6:11-16). Note that other versions for “evil tricks” use the words “schemes” or “strategies”. These words are synonyms for “conspiracies”.

As you can see from those texts, the Bible takes this war against us very seriously and all the language used to describe it is very serious. Adventist author, Ellen G. White, also took this same attitude on this topic. Here is just one small snippet out of many, many quotes that portrays her seriousness: “Satan takes control of every mind that is not decidedly under the control of the Spirit of God.” (TM, p. 79) As Christians, whether we choose to accept it or not, we are daily participants in this all out war against us, and our decisions can have major consequences!

In case we think “I’m really nobody important. I’m sure the Devil has more important things to do than worry about me.” You are right. He does! But, he’s not alone—and neither are we! Note the following verse also found in Ephesians 6: “For we are not fighting against human beings, but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age” (emphasis mine). In Revelation 12, we are told that one-third of all the angels were Satan’s followers and “thrown down to earth...with him” (verses 3-4 & 7-9). We are “not alone”, and we are not left alone!

C.S. Lewis also agreed with the seriousness of this conflict, writing: “Our leisure, even our play, is a matter of serious concern. There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan.” (Christian Reflections)

For me the most striking visual I have ever seen showing the unending, overwhelming relentlessness of our Enemies is the Sentinels in the Matrix movie. The Sentinels are a huge swarm of super-fast, intelligent machines intent on the destruction of rebel humans. They do not stop for anything until they have achieved the annihilation of their intended targets. (1) This is a stunningly scary picture of how our demonic enemies would thoroughly destroy us in an instant, if they could!

Fortunately for us, there is a flip-side to that scary picture: the other two-thirds of the angels who were faithful to GOD. The Bible reassures us that each one of us who chooses GOD’s Team are protected by these angels, and we are to “Fear not”. (2) Probably the best visual of this protection in the Bible is Psalms 91—a powerful chapter of comfort to the Believer. In regards to specific mention of that angel protection, the strongest are verses 11-12 (emphasis mine):

...because God’s your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can’t get close to you,
harm can’t get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they’ll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.

Could it be that this unseen battle and generous, unseen protection has lulled us to sleep—thinking that since we don’t see it, it must not be there? That Devil kind of stuff only happens in the Mission Fields, not in our intelligent, sophisticated society, right? Wrong!

C.S. Lewis, in his excellent book The Screwtape Letters, writes that the Devil would either have us believe he doesn’t exist at all or that he’s some kind of Halloween-like costume character we should only be afraid of in a fun, flirty way. Either way, he can continue his quiet, efficient, detailed, behind-the-scenes guiding of our steps down the broad road to Hell.

This grand conspiracy extends to every human being in the whole human race. This conspiracy is seen and interwoven into every level of every possible thing we humans can interact with. Anything we can think of—by “anything”, I mean absolutely everything—is tainted by the Enemy’s design to continue to drag us further down into his kingdom.

The Devil doesn’t care what we are distracted with, as long as we remain distracted. Thus, he has infiltrated himself, or at least, his evil intentions, into every possible nook and cranny of every possible scenario we humans could ever encounter. We are set up—from the cradle to the grave—to be blissfully ignorant of the Kingdom of GOD and this great controversy over our minds and hearts. Lewis, speaks of this well-oiled machine of Evil in the following way:

The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid “dens of crime” that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, carried, and minuted) in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voices. Hence, naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like the bureaucracy of a police state or the office of a thoroughly nasty business concern. (3)

This is why I believe in “Conspiracy Theories”. This is why I further believe it is foolish and illogical not to believe in conspiracy theories. Given that “the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers” are always out to do whatever it takes to keep us from a relationship with GOD, and that every human being not choosing GOD’s Team, defaults automatically to Satan’s Team, I don’t understand how anyone, knowing this information not be open to the possibility of Conspiracy Theories!

Is every conspiracy theory true? Of course not, but every conspiracy theory has an element of truth in it because, as I have attempted to show you: that is the nature and reality of the World we live in. Our Enemy would much rather us just always have the attitude: “Move along now. There’s nothing to see here!” But that would be unwise!

Given what I have shared with you, I hope you can see why I think it is foolish and illogical to just quickly dismiss every conspiracy theory that comes along as a “Conspiracy Theory”, which is code for ridiculous, lunatic, nutso, don’t-even-waste-a-second-thinking-about-it! This calling things a “Conspiracy Theory”, I believe, is a tool of our Enemy to just completely dismiss any further examination of what is really going on, and so many people fall for this!

Viewed through the lenses of this perspective I am sharing with you, I hope you can see how Jesus’ advice in Matthew 10:16 when sending out the Disciples to “...be as wise as, as shrewd as, as wary as, as cautious as, as cunning as, as sagacious as, snakes….” ought to be taken seriously by us, His Disciples, as well. Just before saying that, Jesus said, “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.” That paints a strong picture of being hunted, surrounded, outnumbered—absolutely cause to be alert, cautious, and wise! (As I alluded to before with my Matrix example.) (4)

So, is it logical and reasonable to believe that there is a secret cabal planning to unite the world under one government, religion, and monetary system? Given what I’ve shared, absolutely.

Is it logical and reasonable to believe that UFO’s, aliens, ghosts of the dead, and Hell are all demonic attempts to communicate a message to us humans? No doubt!

Is it logical and reasonable to believe that there is a sinister plan to poison us and degrade our bodies through the the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the drugs we use for our “Health”? Wouldn’t you use this approach if you were the Devil?

Is it logical and reasonable to believe that the Devil and his Minions would do everything possible to distract and degrade our minds with disinformation through the News, Movies, TV shows, Books, Music, and other Mediums so that the cacophony of noise almost completely drowns out what is right and true? Of course!

And last, but not least, for those who like Religion, is it not logical and reasonable to believe that the Devil would create counterfeit Religions and Denominations to fool humans into a fake relationship with The One and Only True GOD of the Universe? Hell, ya!

I find all these “Conspiracy Theories” completely logical and reasonable, and that is why I believe in “Conspiracy Theories”. I would even go so far as to say, as a Bible-believing Christian, how could one not believe in them?

I want to close this with a positive thought for perspective:

Regardless of all the conspiracies against us, we need not fear! Our Heavenly Trio has also conspired, and in the end, GOD’s amazingly intricate conspiracies will completely triumph over the Enemy’s.

FOOTNOTES:

1. For a video of the sentinels, go here (Warning: Language): https://youtu.be/u40bLeFnOn4)

2. There have been found 365 different versions of the command to “not fear” in the whole Bible—one for each day of the year! ;)

3. The Screwtape Letters, “Preface” (emphasis mine)

4. I don’t think that Jesus used the simile of “snakes” by accident. I strongly believe it was an allusion to Genesis 3:1: “Now the snake was ‘more crafty’, ‘the shrewdest’, ‘more subtle’, ‘more cunning’, ‘sneakier’, ‘more clever’, than any of the other animals” (various Bible versions). The “snake” represents that moment of seducing and outwitting Adam and Eve in the garden. (This is also confirmed by Revelation 12:9: “The huge dragon was thrown out—that ancient serpent, named the Devil, or Satan, that deceived the whole world” (emphasis mine)).

“Jesus’ Temptation!” (Grace Note #95)

 

“Jesus’ Temptation!”

(Grace Note #95)

By Gary L. Clendenon, January 26-February 2, 2021

In John Howard Yoder’s book “The Politics of Jesus”, I read of a new idea I had never thought of. Yoder argues that at least one part of the temptation that Jesus faced in the Garden of Gethsemane was the temptation to face the situation He was in with strength, might, and force.

After all, He was GOD on Earth. He represented right and good and had come to overcome Evil. He created the Earth and its inhabitants, so He had every right to free them from their slavery.

Yoder argues that Jesus faced this temptation three times that we are told of in the Bible: 1: Just after the “Feeding of the 5,000”. 2: At the “Triumphant Entry” into Jerusalem. 3: In the Garden of Gethsemane.

In John 6:1-14, John says that the people were so impressed by Jesus’ miracle of unlimited bread and fish that they wanted to make Him their King right then and there! In verse 15 John says, “Jesus knew that they were about to come and seize him in order to make him king by force; so he went off again to the hills by himself.” Jesus quietly headed for the hills! He knew that it wasn’t His time, nor, more importantly, it wasn’t His method. Fickle popularity, swept by emotion, force—these were not The Way of GOD.

All four Gospels contain the story of “The Triumphant Entry in Jerusalem”. It was a large, noisy, and exciting time as Jesus rode the Messianic Donkey into Jerusalem, surrounded by thousands of people. There was no doubt in the mind’s of the Disciples, Jesus’ friends and followers, and all the other Jews around: Jesus was declaring Himself Messiah and King of Israel! According to John 12:13, they shouted, “God bless the King of Israel!” Ellen G. White says “hope brightened in their hearts with the joyous thought He was about to enter the capital, proclaim Himself King, and assert His royal power.” (1)

It didn’t happen. Interestingly, the Bible with its four different versions of this story, does not tell us why Jesus was not made King, but it didn’t happen. There are hints in a Jesus that breaks into sobbing at the sight of the Temple—always a damper on a joyous occasion, hints of push-back from the Temple Leaders, who didn’t want Jesus to be their King and no doubt appealed to the Romans to stop Jesus’ un-permitted parade. One version just says “It was late in the day.” Once again, Jesus quietly left the scene. He had done what He had come to do, but His Kingdom was “not of this world”. He had passed the second Temptation to make it so.

When the crowd came to arrest Jesus in the Garden, it could be argued that Judas and Peter had put in motion their Messiah’s insurrection and were ready to rumble—clearly evidenced by Peter pulling out his sword and whacking off a guy’s ear.  But, Jesus quickly put a stop to that—having just overcome that temptation and said to the Disciples: “Put your sword back in its place. All who live by the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you know that I could call on my Father for help, and at once he would send me more than twelve armies of angels? But in that case, how could the Scriptures come true which say that this must happen?” (Matt. 26:52-54)

Jesus had overcome the temptation to use force.  He knew that the only way to victory over Evil was through unconditional, self-sacrificing Love.  Ellen G. White wrote regarding this: “Earthly kingdoms rule by the ascendancy of physical power; but from Christ’s kingdom every carnal weapon, every instrument of coercion, is banished.” (2)  No coercion.  No manipulation.  No force.  These are the weapons of evil.

White states further that there was only one way to overcome the Kingdom of Darkness: “Satan’s deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority.” (3)

As Creator of Heaven and Earth, Jesus had the authority, the power, and every right to defeat Satan by might and force.  It would have been so easy.  But, being from a Kingdom built on Unconditional Love and Free Will, Jesus denied that temptation and choose the most difficult, most horrific, most painful path.

People with weapons of might and force laugh at the seemingly powerless tools of non-violence, pacifism, and unconditional love, but Jesus showed us that in the end, Love Wins! The Truth is that in this universe Love is the factor that is greater than all other powers, and those who practice this seemingly powerless Love will come out on top in the end.  Jesus wasn’t joking when He said, “The last will be first.”

Few have been brave enough to try Jesus’ way, but those who have, have won in notable fashion. Mahatma Gandhi led a nonviolent movement in India that led to the independence of that nation from the British Empire!  Gandhi taught: “Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.”

In our country, we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He also led a nonviolent movement against seemingly insurmountable odds for the installation of civil rights for all Americans, but especially for those in our country who wear a darker skin.  He is famous for his sayings: “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” and “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden too bear.”

Like Jesus, Dr. King was assassinated for his “dangerous” teachings, but also like Jesus, the momentum of King’s teachings could not be stopped.  He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.  The unrighteous practices of segregation and not allowing minorities to vote were all overturned in the 1960’s.  Love won.  President Reagan signed a law in 1983 stating the MLK’s birthday would now be a federal holiday.  Showing the challenge of Dr. King’s teachings, though, it took until the year 2000 for all 50 states to agree to celebrate MLK day.

I am allergic to the evil tools of force, manipulation, control, coercion, violence, and hate.  I am thankful that Jesus overcame evil with good—choosing the uncommon path of Unconditional Love.  I am thankful for all those down through the ages who have chosen the “Road less traveled” and stood as beacons of light and hope during the dark days and nights of hate—men like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. and all those who bravely followed them.

I have written several “Gary-isms”. I will close this writing with the one that most fits with the topic of this Grace Note, Gary-ism #8: 

“Love is the answer.  I triple-dog-dare you to show me any eternal good that hate, arrogance, power, control, force, or domination have brought about.  Without love, there is no good.  Without love, what purpose has life?”

1. The Desire of Ages, p. 570.

2. The Acts of the Apostles, p.12

3. The Desire of Ages, p. 22

"The Inter-Age Rule for Dating" (1-21-2015)

             

I, Gary, found this on a discussion board:

"For any ONE couple, age may or may not make a difference.

But statistically? Yes, it does. I did some research. Here's what I came up with. I read that the age difference which has the lowest divorce rate is where the man is 4-7 years older than the woman. The group with the highest divorce rate? Where the woman is 5 or more years older than the man. But when the gap is 8 or more years between the partners, the divorce rate is about the same for men and women and is higher than groups with a smaller gap."

jerseytorch
found here: Ask Men.com Discussion Board http://boards.askmen.com/showthread.php?113837-What-is-an-ideal-age-difference-for-marriage

“GOD has Plans for You!” (Grace Note #94)

 

“GOD has Plans for You!”

Grace Note #94

By Gary L. Clendenon, January 21, 2021

(All Bible verses quoted from The Message Bible)

In Jeremiah 29:11, we find one of the most beloved and quoted promises of GOD Almighty:

“I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”

This promise is the centerpiece in a table set out for a feast. Here’s what surrounds this centerpiece in verses 10-14:

“...I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I am doing. … When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. … I’ll turn things around for you. … You can count on it.”

These are still some quality promises, but what makes this feast of words even more tasty is knowing and understanding the context of the rest of the chapter these words come from.

Jeremiah chapter 29 is a letter from GOD to the exiled Jews who were taken to Babylon. Jeremiah transcribed this letter from GOD and sent it to the Jews in Babylon. To these people away from their homeland, these words were an much need affirmation that GOD had not forgotten them in that foreign land and that GOD had some very specific plans for them to count on.

In verse 10, GOD says, “As soon as Babylon’s 70 years are up and not a day before … I’ll bring you back home.” This wasn’t a new idea, but a reminder of the plans GOD had stated through Jeremiah before the Jews were conquered by the Babylonians (See Jeremiah 25:11-12). Sure enough, true to GOD’s word, 70 years later Cyrus, the new King of Persia released the Jews to return to Jerusalem (See Ezra 1:1-4).

Whatever you are going through right now, take heart. The “GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies” has got your back. He has a plan—specific plans—for the whole world, for your country, and most exciting of all, for you. You may not see those plans right now, but don’t worry, as we’ve seen, GOD’s timing is always perfect and “He makes all things beautiful in His time.” (1) You can trust GOD. You can trust GOD’s plans for you.

That is the cherry on top of the dessert that is the highlight of the feast of Jeremiah chapter 29.

1. Ecclesiastes 3:11

“Responding to Babylon: Thoughts on Jeremiah 27” (Grace Note #93)

 

“Responding to Babylon: Thoughts on Jeremiah 27”

(Grace Note #93)

By Gary L. Clendenon, January 14, 2021

(Bible verses quoted from The Message Bible, unless noted otherwise)

Normally, the Bible is very Israel-focused and the messages of the prophets are for the leaders of Israel. Not so in Jeremiah 27! GOD comes to Jeremiah and gives him a message for other nations. GOD tells Jeremiah to give the message to the Ambassadors of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon so that they can get the message to their leaders back home. What’s the message?

I am the one who made the earth, man, and woman, and all the animals in the world. … I am giving your land over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. … All nations will be under him, then his son, then his grandson. Then his country’s time will be up and the tables will be turned. ...the nation that accepts the yoke of the king of Babylon and does what he says, I’ll let that nation stay right where it is, minding its own business. (Jeremiah 27: 5-8, 11)

Jeremiah then goes on: “Then I gave the same message to Zedekiah, king of Judah: ‘Harness yourself up to the yoke of the king of Babylon. Serve him and his people. Live a long life’!” (Ibid, v. 12)

Amos 3:7 says “The Sovereign LORD never does anything without revealing his plans to his servants, the prophets.” (GNT) I love this, but what an even more amazing GOD that would also let the “enemies” of Israel—the “heathens”, the “unbelievers”, the “outsiders”—in on His plans! How does that not speak to the Universality of GOD and His care for all human life? He tips his hands—even to his “opponents”—so that they can choose what is best for them in the long run. How inclusive is our GOD? (“...so that whoever believes in Him will not perish…” John 3:16)

We live in “uncertain times” right now. Yet, we have a GOD who sees and knows everything that will happen and, as we’ve seen, has a history of revealing His plans to His people in advance. In these challenging times, we can remember that—in spite of how everything looks around us—that GOD is “for us” not “against us” (Romans 8:31).

Is this a time for us to submit to “Babylon”—knowing that GOD is in control of all outcomes in our country? Or, is it maybe time to, as it says in Revelation “Come out of Babylon”? I can’t answer that for you. You’ll have to trust whatever GOD’s Holy Spirit is telling you, but do know this: Something bigger than political parties or administrations is going on right now in the United States, and we need to be aware of this bigger picture as we pray for wisdom on what we can and cannot do. For, as Paul says in Ephesians 6:12: “...our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organisations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil.”  (Phillips)

What is out of our hands is in GOD’s hands, and that’s the best news of all.

“Elihu Lit into Job Again!” (Grace Note #92)

“Elihu Lit into Job Again!”  (Grace Note #92) 

By Gary L. Clendenon, January 4, 2021

(All Bible verses quoted from The Message Bible)

In the biblical book of Job, chapter 35, after Job’s three friends have all expressed their arguments against Job, a young man named Elihu continues to speaks. He says to Job, “I’m going to show you that you don’t know what you are talking about, neither you nor your friends.” (verse 4). So, this young man has all the answers, he thinks. I was a young man once, and I recognize that “confidence”. LOL.

Elihu says, “If you sin, what difference does that make to God? … If you are good, what would God get out of that? Do you think he’s dependent on your accomplishments?” (verses 6&7)

Is GOD dependent on our behavior? Obviously, He’s not Co-dependent—because that would be unhealthy. But, look at the whole Old Testament: It’s basically GOD grieving all out loud and messy that His people’s behavior is hurtful to Him! So, whether or not He has to be dependent, He has chosen to be effected by our behavior. That’s what happens when you choose to Love and be in relationship with others: their behavior effects you!

Elihu continues, “When times get bad, people cry out for help. … But never give a thought to God when things go well. People are arrogantly indifferent to God—until, of course, they are in trouble, and then God is indifferent to them.” (verses 9-13)

Although I agree wholeheartedly with Elihu’s first thought—after all, it is human nature to take relationships for granted when they are going well, I strongly disagree with his conclusion that “God is indifferent” to us when we call out to Him in trouble. Elihu’s argument is completely debunked by the outsider’s view of the Job story where we get to see the whole picture—the whole story. We know that God is not only NOT indifferent to Job’s life and story, but intimately involved with it and very closely monitoring every act and word of this story!

One might say, “Well, that just Job’s story!” But, I would argue, based on the very intimate and personal promises made to His children and sprinkled throughout the whole Bible, that if these promises are true, and I choose to believe that they are, then GOD is also intimately involved with each of our lives. GOD desires that intimacy and, as much as we let Him, GOD will be that close to us. GOD wants to be, as “The Carpenters” famously sang, “Close to you”!

Once again, Elihu continues in Job chapter 36, verses 3&4, “Trust me, … I know these things inside and out. It’s true that God is all-powerful, but he doesn’t bully innocent people.”

In other words, Elihu is saying, “Job, logically, you have to be wrong. Because, obviously you cannot be ‘innocent’ because these bad things have happened to you. So, you must repent of your sin. This is the reason for your suffering. You are only making things worse by fighting us, your friends, and GOD on this. This is all on you. So, don’t be stupid here!”

Ironically, this is the same argument that Job’s “3 Friends” had already made in so many different ways, and therefore, nothing new.

It is my understanding, as learned from Professor Alden Thompson in his “Old Testament History” class, that the Old Testament view of suffering was that all things—good and bad—came from GOD, and that GOD took credit for everything. (1) That is to say that the Old Testament mind had no knowledge of Satan or demons bringing trouble to us. Obviously, that perspective changed with Jesus enlightening His followers to the works of Satan and demons. Now, because of that and other New Testament writings, we have a more balanced perspective on this topic.

So, it is actually true that Job’s friends’ logic was not that far off—based on their understandings of the Universe they lived in. I like what Eugene Peterson, author “The Message Bible”, says about this in his “Intro” to the book of Job: “Many of the answers that Job’s so-called friends give him are technically true. But it is the ‘technical’ part that ruins them. They are answers without personal relationship, intellect without intimacy. The answers are slapped on Job’s ravaged life like labels on a specimen bottle. Job rages against this secularized wisdom that has lost touch with the living realities of God.”

In the end of Job’s story, when GOD finally does answer Job, we find out that everyone was wrong—Job and all of his friends! But, and this is a very interesting point to ponder, out of all of them, according to GOD, Job was the most right in his words and actions.

Prayer: GOD, your mysterious ways are unfathomable to us mere humans. Help me to maintain a proper perspective of humility in what I think that I know about you—or anything else for that matter. ~ Amen!

(1) For more on this idea, read Alden Thompson’s book, “Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God?”

“Self-Confidence” (Grace Note #61)

“Self-Confidence” (Grace Note #61) 

Written by Gary L. Clendenon, December 6-10, 2018


I recently came across this text—I Corinthians 10:12—in my weekly Bible study from The Message Bible. It inspired the thoughts that follow:

“Forget about self-confidence; ... Cultivate God-confidence.”

Given the current focus on SELF in our society today, this verse is a challenging and thought-provoking text! As a Christian, I am to be led by a different philosophical perspective, as taught by Jesus and the Bible. There is a huge tension in the Bible created by all the texts encouraging us not to be “selfish” which goes against our natural desires as humans to want everything to go our way. Here is an excellent example of many texts that give this message:

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others better than yourselves. Don’t look out for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

So, obviously, it is very clear from the Bible that being selfish is to be avoided at all cost! But, is there a difference between self-confidence and selfishness? Is the Bible teaching us that self-confidence is wrong or bad?

Here’s my take, but first let me remind you of “The Pendulum Effect” (a.k.a. “The Pendulum Law”) discovered in 1602 by Galileo. According to Dictionary.com, “the theory holding that trends in culture, politics, etc., tend to swing back and forth between two opposite extremes.” The “etc.” here, I believe, also holds true for religion and our personal lives.

There was a period of history called “The Dark Ages” (a.k.a. “The Middle Ages”). For our purposes, we will look at the Church and Religion during this time before the Reformation was started by Martin Luther in the 16th century. One of the reasons, this period was called “The Dark Ages” was because this was the time before the Bible was available for all humans to read.

The main Church of this time was the Catholic Church and they held the only Bibles and they were in Latin, so the people were completely dependent on the Priests of the Church for their Biblical understanding. It was during this period of time—and after—that the Church and its Priests and Theologians promulgated the teaching that is now called “Worm Theology”, which was based on several texts in the Bible that state that we are worms in relationship to God.

I am strongly positing that “Worm Theology” is one of the extreme ends of a pendulum swing for religious belief, and that this belief leads us to an erroneous understanding of the “Self”. I am arguing that it is this belief that has kept us from a true and proper understanding of the “Self”. I also believe that it is our society’s backlash against this “Worm Theology” that has led us to our current over-focus on the Self—the other end of this pendulum’s swing!

The teachings of early Christians, and those who perpetuate this teaching today—that we are worms and there is nothing good in us—went too far! Yes, those statements are in the Bible for a good reason—we do tend to fall easily for the temptations of Selfishness and Pride, so we must be kept in check with Humility and Balance as we relate to our Real Worth and Value. In comparison to the unimaginable awesomeness of GOD, there can be no doubt the “worm” is a good metaphor. But wait, there’s more….

Dale Fincher, in an excellent blog post entitled “Unworthy, not Worthless” nails the correct perspective on this topic:

“...we are worms. Is that the story?

Our Christian vocabulary has confused two very important words and made them one.

Unworthy. Worthless.

These do not mean the same thing. But when we attach them to each other, we end up talking and believing that our unworthiness means our worthlessness.” (1)

Yes, we are “Unworthy” but no we are not “Worthless”. As Christians, we have an advantage over those who don’t believe in God. The Bible is very clear that we as individuals matter to the GOD-head! We are told so in numerous verses.

Unlike Atheists, who must completely go it alone, completely relying on themselves and their own wits and wisdom, we Christians have a GOD who says They have a Plan for our lives, a purpose, and that even when bad times come, they will be—eventually—turned into Good! (Romans 8:28) Our All-Powerful GOD has “got our back” through all of life’s troubles and when we follow His Way, His Teachings, His Rules, blessings are poured out on us and our families.

I know this is true in my life. Even though I have been through some very difficult times and situations, GOD has always met my needs, and sometimes, even my wants. ALWAYS!

Everything we are and have is a gift from GOD—even our every breath. Our strengths, our positives, all from GOD. When we start focusing on these qualities and thinking we are “All that”, that is when we cross the line from a healthy self-confidence to arrogance and pride. It really is such a fine line. I think that is why Paul says “God-confidence” is a much better option to go with.

With God-confidence, we keep a truer perspective and balance, as the focus is not as much on ourselves as it is on what GOD has given us and what GOD is doing through us. And, because GOD is All-Powerful and has our best interest in mind, how could that not be a better confidence??

It is this confidence that says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Notice the healthy balance of self in this statement. Notice that the “I” is strong and confident—without timidness or shame, but yet has the awareness of where that strength and confidence is coming from. This is ideal self-confidence—what Paul calls “God-confidence”—because there is the awesome awareness of the proper place of the Self.

When Christ is in us, there IS something good in us! We are a reflection of Him! Yes, often a poor reflection (“Now we see a dim reflection, as if we were looking into a broken mirror” I Cor. 13:12 NCV/NLV); nevertheless, what good is seen in us is a glint, a glimpse, of the wonderfulness that GOD intended when all was good—“very good” (Gen. 1:31).

The mistake of the “Self” movement is that it encourages us to take full credit for these glimpses of GOD working in us. When this happens, our view of self becomes unbalanced. This is the trap that leads the healthy, balanced self down the slippery slope to Pride, then Arrogance. This is self-confidence detached from God-confidence. Detached from the Source of perfect Wisdom and Strength, we will, without fail, get in over our heads and mess things up! The Bible describes this outcome with these familiar words: “Pride goes before a fall.” We have all experienced this “fall” and know the sting of the Truth of these words.

This topic has reminded me of a list of sayings I have created called “Gary-isms” (2). One of them addresses the false idea of “Worm Theology” that says we ought to consider our “selves” worthless. “Gary-ism #9”:

“You will love your neighbor as yourself. For your neighbor's sake, please learn to love yourself well!”

Jesus reiterated exactly the Old Testament command from God Himself: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18) Jesus said it was the 2nd greatest commandment, so that makes it extremely important for us to pay attention to!

In looking at this command, it is quite clear that there is a thing called “Self-love”. Now, whether that is a healthy self-love or not can be debated, but what matters is that whatever form of self-love we have, it must—per GOD’s command—be extended towards our neighbor.

Now, if we have been deceived by “Worm Theology” and loathe and hate our-“selves” as worthless, then in keeping GOD’s 2nd Greatest (to love others as we love ourselves) it follows that we would also loathe and hate our neighbors! If you think about this, you will realize that it is true! Humans treat and value others the same exact way that they treat and value themselves!

That is why in Gary-ism #9, I say, “For your neighbor's sake, please learn to love yourself well!” It is imperative, I believe that we get a proper, healthy view of ourselves through GOD’s Loving eyes. When we fully experience His view of us as His loved Children, we can have God-confidence knowing that because GOD dwells in us, we are not worms, but valuable vessels of GOD’s Love.

When this happens (because “You can’t give what you don’t have”), we will be able to love others if not well, at least better; thus, to our best efforts, fulfilling the 2nd Greatest Command of GOD. This is my current best understanding of why Paul says “God-confidence” ought to be sought over “self-confidence”. What is your perspective on this verse?

(1) https://margmowczko.com/unworthy-but-not-worthless/

(2) https://www.facebook.com/notes/gary-l-clendenon/gary-isms/10155257496041215/

“Jesus and Stories!” (Grace Note #60)

“Jesus and Stories!” (Grace Note #60)
Written by Gary L. Clendenon, November 1, 2018


I recently read the 4th chapter of the Gospel of Mark in my weekly Bible study from The Message Bible and was astonished at what I found. I would like to share that astonishment with you!

First, I will share some of the exact words from the chapter, then I will share my perspective on those words.

Mark 4:2: “He taught by using stories, many stories.”

Mark 4:9: [Jesus says,]“Are you listening to this [story]? Really listening?”

Mark 4:10: [His close followers] “...asked him about the stories.” … “He told them, ‘You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward receptive insight.”

Mark 4:13: [Jesus says,] “Do you see how this story [of the scattered seed] works? All my stories work this way.”

Mark 4:33: “With so many stories like these, he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke. When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots.”

You probably guessed it, but here’s what amazed and astonished me: Jesus, GOD in the Flesh, was the Master Teacher, and according to this chapter in the Bible, Jesus is revealing His “#1 Method of Evangelism” to outsiders—or what the Church calls unbelievers: STORIES!

Jesus’ #1 Method of Evangelism is NOT teaching, or preaching, or Bible studies, or evangelistic meetings, but STORIES!

Jesus says this is the tool He uses to plant seeds in people’s hearts and minds that, when watered, will “nudge them toward receptive insight”—that “Aha” light-bulb above the head moment when they get an insight, and then want more. Then, when they are ready, that is the time for the teaching and preaching and Bible studies and meetings—what the verse calls “sorting out” and “untying”. What we would call in the modern vernacular “unpacking”.

FIRST, the seed is the stories. Oh my goodness! For so many years we the Church have been doing Evangelism wrong—backwards!! Not only that but look how it says Jesus “fit the stories to their experience and maturity.” He was catering His stories to their level of understanding—meeting them “right where they where at”!! This is genius! How have we missed this? Where is the Theological Teaching on this topic? Where are the books on this teaching?

I am stunned to realize this—embarrassed for myself and my Church! Again, how have we missed this? Why isn’t Story-telling the #1 focus of our Evangelism?? I feel angry about this. The Devil has so distracted us with a “cart-before-the-horse” mentality that we have totally missed this important Truth!

Now, let me take this a step further by asking you what the modern equivalent of a story is? The answer that came to my mind is: Storybooks, Songs, Plays, Podcasts, TV Shows, and Movies! Now, if what I discovered is true—that Jesus #1 Method of Evangelism is stories, then it is no wonder that we Christians are not more successful at Evangelism than we are! We are NOT using Jesus’ method!! Storybooks, Songs, Plays, Podcasts, TV Shows, and Movies ought to be the Church’s PRIMARY FOCUS when it comes to sharing the “Good News” with others!

Take a look at what is so popular right now: “Streaming Stories on the Internet!” Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Audible, iTunes, and all the regular TV channels are ALL HUGE right now with streaming. Literally billions of dollars are being invested into these services! Why? Because people LOVE stories and will gladly pay to see them or hear them or read them!

Therefore, given Jesus’ method as shown to us in Mark 4 (and, of course, the rest of the Gospels), it would seem to me that we Christians ought to be the best at this method—the leaders in the field, so to speak! But, sadly, we are not. What can be done about this? Well, as they say in 12-step, awareness is the first step. So, I am sharing this with you to bring awareness. You can share what I wrote with others to bring them awareness. We can all make an intentional effort, given this awareness, to add more STORIES into our lives as we share our lives and faith with others.

What Would Jesus Do? I’m pretty sure He would tell a story.