The Afterlife

Could knowledge about what happens after we die be common knowledge?

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; there is no longer any reward for them, because all memory of them is lost. Ecclesiastes 9:5 CJB

For as far back as we can find, people have had ceremonies for burying the dad and some kind of belief in a hereafter. Every culture seems to understand that there has to be more to our existence than what we experience here on Earth. Why do you think that is? I think it's common knowledge; life has meaning and is merely a chapter in our ultimate destination!

Beliefs

Here are a few different views of the afterlife, from around the world and throughout time

• Egyptians mumified bodies and buried people with their possessions/treasures in belief that it would serve them in the afterlife.
• Nirvana - Buddhism and Hinduism
• Valhalla - Norse Mythology
• Sheol - Judaism / Christianity
• Heaven/Hell - Christianity
• Purgatory - Catholicism
• Hades - Greek Mythology

References

1. "Afterlife Religion". Encyclopedia Britannica; visited August 2021
2. "How the Major Religions View the Afterlife". Encyclopedia; visited August 2021
3. "Death and Afterlife in Ancient Egypt". Museum of Art and Archaeology; visited August 2021

A Message for my Grandpa

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Gita Krishnamurti

A stranger asked if I was related to you,
They saw the resemblence
Even when I can't remember your face.
We have the same favorite food
And I talk a mile a minute, like you...
They say we're just alike
Even when I never learned your ways
We probably would have been close
But time was too short.

If you're starting to notice a theme with these poems, you're not crazy! I found a challenge for the month of October where you're supposed to write a letter each day and it tells you "who" the letter is for. I decided to do said letters as poems and incorporate them into the 365 day poetry challenge, so the ones that aren't too personal are being posted as my poem of the day.

The Middle Passage

Approximately 12.5 million people were stolen from Africa during the transatlantic slave trade, and just under 2 million of them died during the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage is the the name given to the journey from the coast of Africa to the Americas. During this time slaves were shackled together and kept in the hull of the ship, often left to lie in their own feces and vomit. When slaves died, they were carelessly thrown overboard into the ocean, which changed the routes of sharks.

References

1. Michel Marriott. "Remembrance of Slave Ancestors Lost to the Sea". New York Times. June 19, 1994
2. Brendan Wolfe. "Slave Ships and the Middle Passage". Encyclopedia Virginia; visited February 2020

Roe v. Wade VS the Church

The questions isn't should a woman be able to abort her child, the question is why she would want to. Before we get to the end result, we have work through all the paths that led us there in the first place. Rape, lack of access to medical care, toxic environments... Let's talk about what we should be doing better.

Season 1 Episode 22

I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life so that you and your descendants may liveDeuteronomy 30:19 CSB

Introduction (00:01:23)

Hey guys. Welcome back to the PSALMS to God podcast. So, if you couldn't tell by the title of the episode, this is going to be a loaded podcast. So pray for me because I've tried to record this episode many times and eventually I realized that the reason I was having trouble articulating my points in a clear and concise manner for the podcast is that I was approaching it from the wrong angles. I was having trouble verbalizing why I was actually angry.

And to backtrack—let's backtrack a little bit. So if you go all the way back to the 70s, to 1973 in particular, there was a case held by the Supreme Court: Roe v. Wade. It’s a very, very popular case; I'm sure you learned about it in school. You may have forgotten about it, but essentially the outcome of this legal case was that the Supreme Court upheld that the “unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional.”[1][2] What that means is that there are cases where the United States recognizes abortion as a legal right. Laws are always worded in a tongue-twisting kind of manner. Basically Roe v. Wade upholds the legality of abortion in certain cases.

This past week, something to the tune of eight states made changes to their laws that restrict abortion further,[3] and it has caused people to begin talking about whether or not another case will go before The Supreme Court, and if the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade.[4] The state that made the most waves this past week was Alabama, because Alabama passed basically a total ban on abortion—it doesn't matter if the person was raped.[5] All of those things have been thrown out the window, and it will be completely illegal for the woman to seek abortion.

As you can imagine, opinions have ensued. Social media is full of people expressing their informed and uninformed opinions about this legal matter and about the state of the United States. Like how? Like where we going? And what's about to happen? And of course you have people who think we are one step closer to The Handmaid's Tale[6][7] and people were furious that Alabama has made this law. There are people, who of course are pro-choice, that think that the abortion should be an option for these women. And then you have people who are cheering in celebration that are pro-life, that think that, you know, all states should adopt this this law.

As I was seeing people argue back and forth on social media and people talking about it, and I was starting to feel a way and to get angry, I realized that what was making me angry actually had nothing to do with abortion. That's that sounds crazy. I already told you: the episode is about Roe v. Wade versus the Church; it’s about abortion. What do you mean you're not angry about abortion?

Why I'm Angry (00:05:23)

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Peter Oslanec

Well this is just it. As I was reading conversations... I understand both points of view. I understand the stance of people who are pro-life, and I understand the stance of people who are pro-choice. I understand. And from a Biblical point of view, I completely understand and agree that the Bible is pro-life. That when you start talking about “Where does life begin?”, you know, Jeremiah tells us that God knew us before he put us in the womb,[8] which means that even before conception, you were a thought in God's mind and that you were a person. So, and of course in Christianity the notion is that my life is not mine; it doesn't belong to me. I didn't create my life, God did. My life belongs to God, not me, which is why suicide is wrong, as well. It's also considered murder, so even though it's my body,[9] I don't have the right to kill myself. And so I understand all of the arguments for pro-life from a religious standpoint.

I also understand all of the complications that exist in our world due to the fact that we live in a fallen world, and I understand the concerns about, for instance, people seeking out abortions in places where they're illegal. Because let's be real, OK. Let's be honest. Laws are there for a reason and to keep order, but laws are really for law-abiding citizens, all right. How many of y'all have sped? How many people had a drink of alcohol before you turned 21? How many of y'all done smoked weed in a state where weed is illegal? OK, there is a high number of people who have committed crimes because they don't actually agree that it's a crime so they do it anyway. And then of course, like murder: people kill people all the time even though it's against the law; it's just that there is a punishment for it. And you know if abortion is illegal, like I said, people will still seek them out. And then you will have cases of like backwater abortion cases that could go horribly wrong, that are not regulated, that are being done on the black market. The cost and things will not be regulated—it’s a whole lot of problems that come with that as well.

As I was thinking about these things, it made me realize what it was that I was actually mad at. Because I was reading the people arguing, it wasn't so much that I was disagreeing with the points that were being made. What made me mad is that the whole world right now is talking about abortion and they're talking about what—when in the process of, you know, when does a fetus become a life? When does it have rights? When, you know all of these things. But these things are irrelevant. What made me mad is because we're talking about the wrong thing, OK.

The Actual Issue At Hand (00:08:49)

If you have a dog, and your dog pees on your carpet, you can clean the carpet, OK. He pees and pees and pees. Your carpet is completely screwed up, so you have to replace the carpet in the house. Are you going to keep replacing the carpet? Or are you going to train the dog to go outside to go to the bathroom? The problem is not the pee from the dog, the problem is the training of the dog. You can't just replace the carpet every single time. It's the same thing with abortion. There's a reason that women are seeking abortions. There's a problem, and we can't eliminate the symptoms without fixing the problems. And no one is talking about the problems!

What made me mad is that countless men—yeah, I'm going there, and women have been talking about it too but what I've seen is countless men on my Facebook timeline, on my Instagram timeline, on social media in general, walking around in life... There are so many men who are ready to put their two cents in about what a woman can and cannot do to her body, but they are not out here rallying for all of the causes that make women want abortions. They're not out here trying to fix rape! They're not out here trying to fix the foster care system! They're not out here trying to get universal healthcare for everyone! They're not out here addressing the issues that are plaguing the female community and the reason why you have women showing up at a clinic asking for an abortion in the first place, and that's what I want to talk about on this podcast today, because the church is not exempt. I'm coming for everybody today, because I want to talk about the reason we're in this state, and the reason why people are willing to abort their child, whether they consider it a life or not.

Christian Responsibility (00:10:55)

So before we get into these issues, I want to read two verses from the Bible to you. The first is from Deuteronomy 10:18:

He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the resident alien, giving him food and clothing. Deuteronomy 10:18 CSB

This means that God is here for the orphans—that is who is claimed as the fatherless. He is giving them food and clothing. We, as the children of God... We, as believers, have a responsibility to take care of any child that comes into this world without a parent or without a family structure.

The second verse that I want to read is James 1:27.

Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained from the world. James 1:27 CSB

So we have a responsibility to children everywhere.

Rape (00:12:00)

I want to start with rape. Let's talk about the stats of rape, because I've seen so many people ready to give their opinion about whether someone who is a survivor of rape should have to keep their child or not keep their child. That's not the point. The point is that they should have never been raped in the first place. So let's talk about that, OK?

Every 92 seconds someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. 15% of those people are between the ages of 12 and 17, and 54% are between 18 and 34. One out of six women in the United States has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their life.[10] I want you to think about. Think about your mothers, your sisters, your aunts, your grandmothers, your daughters, your cousin... One out of every six women in the United States has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. I don't know how many in-depth conversations you've been having with your female friends, but I can tell you, just among my friends, I believe the statistic, because I know some people and I know what they've been through, and I know what's happened to them.

College women who are between the ages of 18 and 24 are three times more likely to experience rape, and women of the same age that are not enrolled in college are four times more likely to experience rape than the general population. And the number of children conceived from rape each year in the United States could range anywhere from 7,750 to 12,500.[10] Think about that. That's a lot of children coming from the fact that a man chose to invade a woman's body without her consent.

But you know what it doesn't stop there. That's not the only problem, because 94% of women who are raped experience PTSD in the two weeks following their rape. 30% still have PTSD symptoms 9 months after the rape. 33% of those survivors contemplate suicide, and 13% of them actually attempt suicide. 70% of survivors of sexual assault or rape have severe or moderate distress after the event, and it's a larger percentage of any other violent crime.[10] So basically, rape has an adverse— a more adverse—effect on people than just regular violence: just somebody jumped out and tried to beat you up, somebody tried to rob you at gunpoint. Rape is a violation of your personal space. It is a violation of your trust. It is a violation of you as a human being, of your rights, of your autonomy, and it affects people mentally, physically, emotionally—it is a trauma of its own.

It's a problem and the fact that no one wants to talk about that problem, but they’re more concerned about the child that comes from the problem. Let's get to the issues, OK?

People who are survivors of rape and sexual assault are 3.4 times more likely to use weed, 6 times more likely to use cocaine, and 10 times more likely to use other major drugs. [10]

When I was in graduate school, I think this was probably around 2011, my sorority hosted an HIV awareness luncheon. And during that luncheon we had two people who are HIV+ come and share their stories about what they've been through, and how they had gotten where they are, and how they were living life, excetera excetera.... What they wanted us to know. And one was a man and one was a woman. The woman shared the story of how she contracted HIV, and how she downwardly spiraled into substance abuse after she contracted it. And you know how she contracted HIV? Because she was raped. I think she said it was two men, might have been more, I'm not sure. You guys gotta bear with me, because like I said this was like 2011 when she told me this story. But essentially she was walking home, minding her own business, when some men pulled her into a van, raped her continuously, left her to die, someone found her and took her to the hospital, and then she found out that she was HIV+. And in the midst of that, she experienced all the things I talked about before: depression, PTSD, desire to commit suicide, and then she ended up using, I think, cocaine for a long time, and could not get herself clean. She already had a child—I believe. I don't think the child was a product of the rape—but she was unable to care for her child, because she was spiraling out of control.

Like I said, the problem is the rape, because the after effects that a woman experiences after going through a rape no one can... Unless you've been there you don't understand what it's like. I can't tell you what it's like because I haven't been there. But I know people who have been there. I've seen them go through the emotional traumas and turmoils. I've heard the stories. I've seen the statistics.

84% of the women who are assaulted by an intimate partner—I want to remind you right here that most rapes and sexual assault occur from someone that the woman knows. It's not... Generally it's not strangers violating these women; it is the people that you know and thought you could trust. And 84% of the women who are assaulted by an intimate partner experience professional or emotional issues after the rape. So this is within their job, within school, within their family, whatever. They experience issues with trust and functioning in our world. 79% of the people who are assaulted by their family or a close friend experience the same troubles, and 67% who are assaulted by a stranger experience those problems.

Punishment for Rape? (00:18:43)

And now that we’ve talked about these statistics, that should shake you and should make you think about the problem, I want to talk about what happens to those who are raping people, those were just out here violating the rights of women. Most people who are accused of rape are never found guilty. The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) estimates that 97 out of 100 rapists avoid punishment altogether.[11][12] And it doesn't surprise me, because if you remember, there was a college student by the name of Brock Turner who was convicted of rape—we have witnesses! People saw him assaulting and raping this young woman, but despite that and despite the fact that the law allowed for a maximum prison sentence of 14 years, the judge only sentenced him to 6 months.[11] 6 months! Y’all, the time period it takes for a woman to carry a child to term is nine months! He was not even sentenced to prison for the duration that his victim would have had to carry a child if she had become pregnant from his actions. How is that fair? How is that not what the conversation is about? And of those six months that he was sentenced to, he only served three. Three months! The woman would have still been dealing with morning sickness, and he's out, free to go, all willy-nilly, do whatever he wants to. That is a problem. OK? Until you fix that, don't talk to me about what the woman decides to do in the aftermath of the situation.

I can agree. We can agree about what's right and wrong. We can disagree about what's right and wrong, but that's not the problem. The problem is not what the woman is doing with her body, the problem is that she was raped in the first place. And it makes me angry that you don't want to start the conversation back there.

Statutory Rape and Child Brides (00:20:53)

But let's keep talking about rape, because there's another side of right that's called statutory rape. That is the rape of a minor. And what that means is whether the person consents or not is irrelevant because they're too young to consent.[13][14] The reason I want to talk about statutory rape is because I want to talk about child marriages. Seems like something that happened in third world countries, other countries; that's not a problem in the United States. Well between 2000 and 2015, 200,000 minors were married in the United States.[15] Um hmm, you heard me. Between 2000 and 2015, 200,000 minors were married in the United States. And the United States is not actively against child marriages, because the US supports the practice by approving immigration petition of couples where one spouse is a minor. Approximately 8,500 cases were approved between 2007 and 2017 in which one person in the relationship was an adult and one person with a minor. 95% of the time, the child was a female and they could have been as young as 13 years old.[16]

In Missouri, one of the states that just passed the law about abortion, there is no minimum age requirement to get married. All you needed the consent of a judge. In fact, in the United States there are 25 states that have no minimum age requirement for marriage.[15] So, what's wrong with child marriage? Why are we talking about this? Well, 50% of children who are married, before 18 are more likely to dropout of school. So 50% are more likely to dropout of school. It doubles their likelihood of poverty. It triples the likelihood of spousal abuse. Girls who have children between the ages of 15 and 19 are twice as likely to die in childbirth, and their children are at a higher risk of dying, as well, and having health problems. The reason behind that could vary. It could be because their body is not fully developed and ready to carry the baby to term. Or it could be because, like I said, they're more likely to be in poverty, so they're less likely to get adequate medical care for the baby.

Medical Care (00:23:22)

Speaking of medical care, that is another problem. That's another thing that people don't want to talk about. People are all ready talked about the abortion issue, but they don't want to talk about the health care issue. Not everyone has access to healthcare. Not every woman has access to maternity leave.

Once again when I was in grad school around 2011/2012-ish, I had a friend who was working in the same town as me, and she was on the up-and-up in her career. She was making moves; she was making plans, and she had just informed us that she quit her job and she was taking a better position in another state. A few days after she quit her job and accepted this new position, she found out that she was pregnant. Because she had not been working at her new job for the appropriate amount of time, she was not eligible for maternity leave. It's not guaranteed that “Oh, I start today and now I'm pregnant, so I should get maternity leave.” No, you have to work for that particular company, which was a state-supported institution—I want to point that out, all right. Back on the government, state-supported institution. She was not eligible for maternity leave. The only reason she was able to take time off, is because her co-workers sympathized and donated their time to help her get time off.

That's a problem. How are you supposed to ensure that you have proper care for your body? How are you supposed to ensure that the baby is at optimal health? If you can't take the time off to go to your medical appointment? If you can't be on bed rest when the doctor tells you that you need to be on bed rest? If you can't take care of the baby after the baby has been born? Let's talk about why the United States does not have a policy that every woman should be entitled to maternity leave, OK?[17]

Now, like I said, medical care. There is a cost associated with that. Do you know how much it costs to have a baby? So you have to have prenatal care. If you don't have insurance the estimated average cost of prenatal care is about $2,000.[18] Then you actually have to have the birth. Unless you are an expert and you know what you're doing to have the baby at home, you're most likely going to go to the hospital to have the baby. And of course, even having the baby at home, you need to guarantee that it's a smooth process,that there are no complications, that there are no issues. So an uncomplicated vaginal birth at the hospital is about $9,600.[18] I don't got $9,600, do you? The charge for an uncomplicated C-section is about $15,800[18] I have don’t have that money either.

If you don't have insurance, who is paying these costs? Why are we not talking about that? Because OK, yeah sure the baby is valuable. The baby should have the chance to live. OK, well that means the baby should be cared for during prenatal care, and the baby should be able to be born. Hello? That's the issue. Not everybody has money. That is why abortion is more heavily impacted upon lower-income families than on rich families, because you don't have money.

And once we get post-birth—post prenatal care, post natural birth or C-section or whatever—then you have all of the other things that come with raising a child. Children are not cheap. They are expensive. Like ignoring the cost of diapers, cribs, car seats, pacifiers, baby food, whatever, like all of these things that you have to have, you know, the doctor's appointment for the baby. Of course there's all of those things, but not every baby comes out one hundred percent healthy. I wish they did. In a perfect world they would, but they don't. Some children come into the world with mental disabilities. Some come into the world with physical disabilities. And of course some of that could be exacerbated by the fact that the mother didn't have adequate prenatal care because they couldn't afford it, or because their job wouldn't let them take off and they put too much stress on their body. You see where I'm going with this? That is a problem.

And then when these children are born and they have the disabilities that they have, society—I read those verses in the beginning for a reason. We as Christians have a responsibility to care for our fellow man, and our fellow children, and our fellow believers. And so when these children come into the world, we have a responsibility to take care of them. Who is working on the reforms of taking care of children with disabilities? Who is making sure that they're not just pushed into the corner, pushed aside and forgotten about? Who is making plans for who is going to take care of the children who will never be self-sufficient?

There are people who are... Who have severe cognitive or mental disabilities that cannot function on their own. They are basically children for their entire lives. Who is going to take care of them when their parents die? Why are we not talking about systems and, you know, methods of making sure that they get good care? Because I want to preface this. I'm pointing out these things because they're broken, not because there's absolutely no system in place or that, you know, nobody has thought about this. I'm talking about the fact that I don't want to see these people abused. I don't want to see them neglected. That's where the conversation needs to be. What are we doing for the children that are born disabled? What are we doing for the children that are born with medical ailments that cost thousands, and hundreds of thousands, millions of dollars? How are we supporting those families? How are we making sure that those kids have a fighting chance, too?

Those are the conversations that I want to hear people talking about instead of worrying about what the mother's doing with her body. Because I want to fix the root causes of the issue.

Opinions on Sex in Society and the Church (00:29:55)

So all right there's rape, there's health issues but it doesn't end there, because not everybody wants a child. Before I start talking about adoption and the foster care system, which is obviously the alternative to aborting your child, I want to talk about sex in our culture. And this is where I really, really want to talk about the church. We all know that from a Biblical standpoint, we are all supposed to be abstinent until we get married—and not that there are no problems in having children as a married couple. Married couples have children that may not be the healthiest, and you may have varying emotions between couples about wanting the children. There could still be abusive families, where the you know the wife is being abused, the husband is being abused, the child is being... There is abuse, OK. Just because you have two parents, doesn't mean that everything is all hunky-dory and everything is beautiful. But there's a higher probability. There is more stress and strain on single parent homes, whether it's the stress and strain of the cost, or whether it's the fact that it wasn't a planned situation and the mother is left alone to deal with the pregnancy.

And the reason I bring this up is I looked up the statistics about people having premarital sex—and these statistics are from 2002. I'm sorry I couldn't find more recent statistics, but in 2002 they found that by the age of 20, 77% of the people they had surveyed had had sex, and of that 75% of the people responded that it was premarital sex, 12% of the people were married when they had sex. (And I don't know what happened to the other 3% of the people; they probably just didn't fully answer the question.) By the age of 44, 95% of the respondents had had premarital sex, and of this 95%, a higher percentage of men had had premarital sex than women. Yeah that's not surprising, either. So they also looked at women who turned 15 between the ages—between the years of 1964 and 1993. So we're spanning multiple generations. And of these women, at least 91% had had premarital sex by the age of 30.[19]

And the reason I want to point this out is because as a Christian who is waiting until marriage to have sex, I can tell you that when you date—or when you try to date—even when you're talking to Christian men there is extreme pressure to have sex before marriage. Our society is all about sex, and the idea of waiting until marriage is an extremely taboo and unheard-of concept in our society. I don't know how many guys have looked at me like I was absolutely crazy when they found out that this wasn't a “OK, after two dates or three dates, I can have sex with you.” It’s like “No, no, no. That's not how this works.” And so yeah, people will be like “No, I can't date you because I believe we should have sex before we get married.” That is a pressure that is put on women by men.

And I can tell you from the time that I was in high school all the way up into present-day, those of us who are choosing to wait until we get married have absolutely been pressured by men to have sex, and we have been rejected by men because we refuse to have sex with them, when we're not ready, when we're not married, when we're not in situations where if we should accidentally get pregnant we would be okay and sufficient to take care of these children. And those are pressures that men put on women. And I'm not going to say there are no women out here pressure in men. I'm sure there are, all right. But my point is that the same men who are on social media arguing back and forth, are the same men who aren't going to date a woman who won't have sex with him until he marries her. “She a prude.” “She ain't no fun.” They're not trying to date her. These are the same men who endorse locker-room talk, and are okay with objectifying women's bodies, and are okay with sex being everywhere in our culture, and like I said this includes Christian men.

The reason I say that this is an issue that comes into the church, is because the church is guilty of this, as well. You see, women have more at stake when they decide to have sex with someone. Not only is it easier for women to contract STDs and STIs because of the nature of how sex works,[20] you're also at risk of getting pregnant. A man can have sex and never think about it again. If it's a one night stand, he may never even see this woman again. He may never ever talk to his woman again. He doesn't have to think about it, but she could get pregnant. And she's the one who's going to have to carry that baby for nine months. And she's the one who is going to have to raise that baby, and she's going to have to teach that baby. And that baby is with her at least until 18, but let's be real we're Millennials, a lot of Millennials still living at home with their Mama at 30. That is a lifetime commitment, and it is the woman who is generally strapped with that commitment, because in most cases single parent homes are a mother and her kids. Occasionally a father and his kids, but mostly a mother and her kids.[21]

At church, a single parent gave her testimony, and I think it was perfect timing because it feeds into all of the things that have been making me angry over this past week. This is woman became pregnant when she was in high school, and of course the church shunned her. Nevermind who the father is, or where the father was, I don't even know if he went to the same church. I don't know who the father was, but that's irrelevant. What is relevant is that she said that the pastor of the church,[22] who never came to see her—ever— while she was pregnant, before she was pregnant; the pastor never spoke to her. But after she had this baby, the pastor came to her house, asked to speak to her, and then told her that she had been disfellowshipped from the church.

First of all from a Biblical standpoint, if you want to believe in the concept of disfellowshipping someone, then you should also go through the proper protocol. I'll link the verses for this protocol in the show notes in a transcript, because I don't remember them off the top of my head[23] but I do remember the protocol. And the protocol is that if someone does something wrong. Then the person who knows that they've done wrong is supposed to confront them one-on-one, and if they refuse to see right, then that person is supposed to get one or two others to go with them to have the conversation. And then if that fails, the church is supposed to bring it to that person's attention, and as a church you're supposed to intervene. And then, only then, if the person does not agree, are you supposed to boot them or reduce them to the status of a non member of your church. So for the pastor to have only spoken to her at that one time, he did not follow the proper protocol.

But we see this in churches across the nation. When a woman shows up pregnant, we know what you did. We know how you got pregnant; there's no denying it. The evidence is there, and then they're ready to stone the woman. There is no chance for her to say, “I realize that this is wrong.” It doesn't matter if 10 minutes after she had sex she realized that she shouldn’t have been having premarital sex, or if she repented during the second trimester, during the third trimester. It doesn't matter because as soon as the church finds out that this woman had premarital sex, they're ready to stone her. Never mind the fact that the same pastor that told her that she was disfellowshipped might had premarital sex his own self. We don't know, and we never will know, because it's hard to prove or deny that for a man. They definitely don't get a nice round belly as evidence when that happens.

And so that just it tells you where the church is, because in this case you have evidence and the church is abandoning you. In your time of need, the time that you need somebody the most, the church is abandoning you. And the church has a responsibility to the child, because the child was fatherless, and I already read the verses that say it’s the church's responsibility to take care of the fatherless!

But it doesn't stop there because the pastor at my own church, also shared the story of how she became pregnant with her first child, also out of wedlock. And she was also disfellowshipped from the church. And she talked about how she even contemplated abortion, because she wanted to save face in the church, and she didn't want to be stoned (metaphorically) by the congregation. How can we as a church hold people to such standards where we're teaching people that life is sacred and that abortion is wrong, but the easiest way to navigate through your life in the church and to feel safe and to feel accepted is to think about aborting your child because then there's no evidence? Because no one will know what happened, and what you did.

That is a systemic problem. That is a fundamental problem within the church. That's something we need to be talking about. We need to be talking about how we talk about sex in society, but specifically in the church. How do we address that? These are the things that we need to be talking about as a church before we even worry about the end result of the baby.

That brings me to a question, because like I said women are often stoned when it's found out that they're pregnant out of wedlock. They’re looked at as being fast and all of these other things. You know, a woman has sex once, and they're calling her a whore, all the names in the book. I remember being a high school. You find out a girl is not a virgin, all of a sudden they calling her every name in the book. So what I want to ask you, is say you have a 12 year old who was raped and ends up pregnant, and they still have to go to school. Let's ignore the trauma of being raped. Let's ignore all of the emotional and physical changes that her body is going through to carry this baby to term. What you think a day would look like at school for her? Do you think she would be bullied? Do you think people would believe that she was raped? Do you think they would assume that or do you think she would have to relive that experience and tell people that she was raped? Do you think they would even believe her? Or do you think they would call her a liar? Do you think they would treat her differently? That they would pick at her? That they would refuse to choose her for their team or for their group? That they would distance themselves from her? Do you think other girls—’cause women are the main perpetrators of this, as well&mdasu;do you think women would shy away from her? That girls would not let her into their little cliques? That they would talk about her behind her back and whisper about her and laugh at her? What do you think her life would look like in those nine months—’cause it's illegal to not go to school, too! And that's a whole nother podcast right there.

Adoption and the Foster Care System (00:41:47)

But we don't have time for that, because this podcast is already way, way longer than I wanted it to be, and we haven't even talked about adoption and the foster-care system. But we're going to talk about it. So the adoption and foster-care system is a system I would never want my child in. I don't want any of my cousins in it. I don't want my friends children in it. I don't want nobody in it. I mean adoption can be a beautiful thing, don't get me wrong. And foster care can also be a beautiful thing, but there is a lot of problems, a lot of problems.

Right now more than 23,000 children will age out of the US foster care system every year, and what that means is you are now too old to be in foster care. You're basically considered like adults or something, so you don't live here anymore. We're putting you out because we can't afford to keep you here, and nobody has claimed you. Nobody has adopted you. So you're basically on your own—pushed out the door. 23,000 children.[24]

Photocredit: ShutterStock.com/Blend Images

After reaching the age of 18, 20% of the children who were in foster care become instantly homeless[24]; because unlike those of us who were fortunate enough to have parents—when you have parents, your relationship is not severed by the fact that you became an adult. I talk to my parents every day. If something happens, I call my parents. When I was in grad school and I had financial troubles, I called my parents. When I was sick in college, I called my parents. They’re my first line of defense, and people who go through foster care don't have that. And so, if you age out of the system, if you don't have... If no one ever adopts you, then once you become 18, there's nobody for you to call. There is nobody that is going to help you out when you're $20 short for rent, when you’re $100 short, when you don't have anywhere to stay and you're between jobs, and you're trying to figure out what to do. You don't have anybody to run to.

Only one out of every two foster kids who age out of the system end up having gainful employment by the age of 24. There is less than a 3% chance for children who have aged out of foster care to earn a college degree at any point in their life.[24] That's a problem because there is no difference between those children and the children that are not in foster care. Those kids are not dumb. It's not that they're dumb; it's not that they don't have the will; it’s not that they don't have the drive; it’s not they don't want to do it. It’s that they don't have the resources or the support systems to do it.

Seven out of ten girls who age out of the foster care system will become pregnant before the age of 21.[24] Now let's recap this OK: one out of two of them don't have a gainful employment opportunity or job by the time they're 24, 20% of them are homeless, only 3% of them are able to go to college, but 7 out of 10 of them will be pregnant and be having babies by the age of 21. Again these are the problems. This is what we should be talking about.

25% of the children who age out of foster care end up with PTSD. 8% of the total child population is abused by their parents and tens of thousands of children are placed into foster care because of this abuse. 60% of the young men who age out of the foster care system are convicted of a crime.[24]

Those kids are not worse than the other kids. Again, it's something that's happening in the system. The system is broken, that's what we need to be fixing. That's what we need to be concentrating on. What are we going to do with the kids who their parents are unable to care for them, or who refuse to care for them? That is our job as a Church. That is our job as responsible human beings, to figure out how we're going to care for people.

One out of every two kids who age out of the system develop a substance abuse. And one out of four of them don't graduate from high school or pass their GED. The states are spending only 1.2 to 1.3% of their available federal funds to try to recruit parents or train parents for the children in foster care, even though 22% of the children that they bring in to foster care, the goal is to adopt them.[24] So we want to talk about money, we want to talk about what's going on. Why are we not spending more money to fix the root problems? That's what I'm angry about.

33% of the children that go through foster care change elementary schools five or more times which,[24] is partially why they fall behind academically, why they have trouble making friends, and that leads to the other problems that we talked about them not being able to graduate from high school or get their GED or go to college, because there's a systemic problem.

But it's even worse for people who look like me, because in the foster care system it is harder to get adopted, the darker you are... So dark skinned children, particularly black children, are least likely to be adopted. Black and Latino children are least likely to be adopted, and if you read the reports they're also cheaper to adopt.[25] The value placed on our lives is less than the value placed on the lives of white children. So even into the adoption and foster care system, we see the prevalence of white supremacy, and that is a problem, as well. Because who is caring for those children? That means that black and Latino children are more likely to get stuck in the foster care, they're more likely to age out of the foster care, and all of the points that just made are more likely to apply to them. That's the problem.

Conclusions (00:47:23)

Those are problems that I want you guys to talk about. Those are problems I want you ripping people to shreds about on social media. If you want to be a social justice warrior, if you want to have an opinion on whether a woman should or should not get an abortion, I want you to discuss all of the things that I've been talkin about in this episode. I want you to stop worrying about the end result and the problem—the symptom. I want you to worry about the problem: why is it that women, countless women, are approaching clinics wanting to abort their babies? There are a lot of socio-economic factors, there a lot of societal problems and there are a lot of non-options that are in effect and in play in these cases. For people to come up out of the woodworks and spend all of their energy talking about what they think a woman should or should not do when they have never walked a single second in the shoes of a woman is absolutely ludicrous. I want you to address the real issue. I want you to have that same passion complaining about the fact that your fellow brethren are out here raping people. I want you to have that same passion in addressing your male friends, your male co-workers, your male family, relatives, whomever, about how they talk about women and how they treat women. I want you to talk to them about the fact that they need to be stepping up as fathers that there should not be so many single-parent homes. I want you to talk about them being there for the mother during all of the prenatal care, during the birth, during the child-rearing process, about providing monetary support, emotional support. I want you to talk about the fact that it takes two to make a baby. I want you to talk about the fact that Health Care in the United States is not provided for everyone, that all women don't have access to the correct resources they need to take the proper care of themselves and their babies during this process. I want you to get fired up and mad about the things that matter. I want you to worry about the things that lead us to the dead in road where women are forced to make the decision to get an abortion or to not get an abortion, because end game result should not be whether we are mandating what they can or cannot do but that people don't have to decide—that everyone is getting the proper care in the proper support, that they're not even thinking about an abortion. That's what I want you to talk about.

I'm sorry that this podcast episode is so long. I'm not going to because I don't think it makes any sense to break it up, and I was on a rant—look it’s just going to be what it is. So, I hope you made it this far. If you made it this far, thank you for staying with me. I'm sorry if I was yelling at you and you know, I just had to get all this off my chest. So for those who have been in these situations, I am sorry and I hope that you are doing well. For those who, again like I said are in the situation or who have been in the situation, feel free to weigh in in the comments because like I said I have never been pregnant I've never been in this situation, but my heart goes out to the people who are, because I understand that it's not black and white and there's a lot of things that are going on in our society that make this such a hot issue. So thank you guys for tuning in. Think about the things that I've said, and let's let's do better. See you next time.

EDIT: From future me, I realized that in this rant I didn't even touch on life threatening pregancies... That's a thing too. There are cases, like ectopic pregancies, where the life of both the mother and the baby are at stake. These cases are not so much a woman deciding to abort her baby but a medical emergency that requires it.

Footnotes and References

1. ”Roe v. Wade”. Encycolpædia Britannica. December 7, 2018
2. ”Roe v. Wade Fast Facts”. CNN. May 6, 2019
3. K. K. Rebecca Lai. ”Abortion Bans: 8 States Have Passed Bills to Limit the Procedure This Year ”. NY Times. May 17, 2019
4. Marcia Coyle. ”4 Supreme Court abortion cases that could erode Roe v. Wade ”. PBS. May 17, 2019
5. Katie Smith. “ Abortion is still legal in Alabama and Georgia, despite new abortion bans”. CBS. May 17, 2019
6. Margaret Atwood. The Handmaid’s Tale. 1985
7. ”The Handmaid’s Tale”. HULU. 2017
8. Jeremiah 1:5
9. It’s habit to say my, but like I stated, it’s God’s.
10. ”Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics”. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network; visited May 2019
11. Danielle Paquette. “What makes the Stanford sex offender’s six month jail sentence so unusual”. The Washington Post. June 6, 2016
12. ”The Criminal Justice System: Statistics”. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network; visited May 2019
13. If I hadn’t been so mad, I probably would have inserted an R. Kelly joke here.
14. ”Statutory Rape”. Cornell Law School; visited May 2019
15. Sarah Ferguson. ”What You Need To Know About Child Marriage In The U.S.” Forbes. October 29, 2018
16. Rachel Vogelstein and Alexandra Bro. ”It's Time to Close the Loopholes on Child Marriage in the U.S.”. Fortune. February 20, 2019
17. Jane Waldfogel. ”The Family Gap for Young Women in the United States and Britain: Can Maternity Leave Make a Difference?”. Journal of Labor Economics. July 1998
18. Heather Hatfield and Michael W. Smith, MD. ”What It Costs to Have a Baby”. WebMD. March 4, 2013
19. Lawrence B. Finer, PhD. “Trends in Premarital Sex in the United States, 1954–2003”. Public Health Reports. January 1, 2007
20. ”10 Ways STDs Impact Women Differently from Men”. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. April 2011
21. Jennifer Porter. ”The Majority of Children Live With Two Parents, Census Bureau Reports”. United States Census Bureau. November 17, 2016
22. Not the church we attend now, but whatever church she went to back then.
23. Matthew 18:15-17
24. ”51 Useful Aging Out of Foster Care Statistics | Social Race Media”. National Foster Youth Institute. May 26, 2017
25. "Six Words: Black Babies Cost Less to Adopt". NPR. June 27, 2013
26. April Dinwoodie. "Adoption In America: The Good, The Bad, And A Path To Reform". Huffington Post. December 7, 2017

Isaiah 34-39: A Judgement and A Future

Introduction

Isaiah 34-39 details a coming judgement and the tension between Judah and Assyria. Much of it parallels the narrative given in 2 Kings about King Hezekiah's encounter with Sennacherib. reads as a proclamation of the coming judgement. Although much of this section details a specific conflict that has already occurred, there's a lot to be learned from the events in these chapters. There are also small tie ins to future prophecy that indicate it has relevance for us today as well.

Setting the Time

In Isaiah 34, Isaiah describes an event in which the heavens are destroyed. This parallels verses near the end of Isaiah (Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22), as well as verses from the New Testament (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1; Matthew 24:35; 5:18). Each of these verses is about the end times.

Edom/Idumea

If you're reading a more modern translation, the judgement is pronounced upon Edom, but if you're reading the KJV, it says Idumea. Idumea is another name for Edom.[1]

TL;DR

At the conclusion of Isaiah 34, he directs us to a the Word of God so that we might remember and reestablish certain things. Scholars believe Isaiah was specifically referencing the books of Moses,[2] but I think the underlying message is that we should be familiar with the Word of God. We live in the generation of tl;dr (too long; didn't read), but the tl;dr of this chapter is read the Word of YHWH. The only way to know truth from fiction today is know Whom you serve, and to know that, you have to be an avid studier of His Word.

Fear Not

Say to them that are of a fearful heart,
Be strong, fear not:
behold, your God will come with vengeance,
even God with a recompence;
he will come and save you.Isaiah 35:4 KJV

Many times we fear change, we fear doing God's work, and we fear not being worthy of the task appointed to us (re: Moses). However, we should take comfort in Isaiah 35:4, God always provides the strength, as well as a way for His people.

Seeing and Hearing for the First Time

In the end, those who previously couldn't see or hear the truth, will finally understand. The concept of being spiritually blind or deaf can seem odd, but I as you grow in Christ you see how passages begin to unravel themselves. The same passage you read 5 years ago, suddenly means so much more. This is the process of having your eyes and ears opened.

Fighting False Doctrine

Isaiah 36 parallels 2 Kings 18. It takes us to the 14th year of Hezekiah's reign when Sennacherib attacks. Sennacherib reigned over Assyria between 704 and 681bc.[4] This story means alot to me because I see how it applies to today.

Sennacherib isn't a follower of God; he doesn't have a relationship with God and doesn't know God's Word. Instead, he relies on his knowledge of false gods to dictate how he thinks the Israelites should worship God. In this, he confuses the banning of worshiping God at unauthorized altars as abandoning God. This is a lot like the people who talk about "the war on Christmas," which isn't actually about Christ (there are posts on the blog that go into more detail on this). Of corse the people don't know any better because they've been following whatever the leaders tell them too. If your faith is unstable, false doctrine sounds like real doctrine and in an instant you're doubting God. That's how Satan operates.

One thing I have to point out is that Sennacherib's messenger sounds a lot like the devil when he came to tempt Jesus. The messenger is offering them what they think is the world, just as the devil offered Jesus the world.

Hezekiah's Death Bed

Hezekiah is grieved to hear the news and immediately sends for Isaiah. Through Isaiah, God sends the message to Hezekiah not fear (the same message is given to us). God repays the general's blasphemy by causing him to about face and die in his own land.

In God's message to Hezekiah about the fate of the land and of the Assyrian army, he mentions a remnant bearing fruit. Later in the Bible we learn about the Fruit of the Spirit, and see many connections from fruit to actions. For the remnant of Israel to bear fruit, it means they behave in a Godly manner. It means they have taken on traits of God and are manifesting these traits in their daily lives. This is what all followers of Christ should be striving for

As God promised, the Assyrian army is defeated without any confrontation. Imagine if you have taunted the one true God and wake to find your army dead. Sennacherib fled to Ninevah, but did not escape death. Just as God foretold, now that he was back in his homeland, it was time for him to suffer his fate. He was not only killed, but killed by his own sons.

Not Ready to Die

In Isaiah 38, we find Hezekiah on his deathbed, but he is not ready to die—really though, who is? Hezekiah prays for more time and is granted 15 years. The first couple reads through this, I never understood why God let Hezekiah live. From what we're told, it seems like Hezekiah was in God's favor; that if he'd died right then, he'd be all set in the after life. However, as soon as he is granted life, he does things that upset God. I would much rather die young and righteous than live to see myself turn against God.

As I was thinking that, I realized that the reason Hezekiah begged for more time is because he had fallen in love with this world. This world is flawed; it's broken and full of pain. God's eternal kingdom will be so much better, but many of us aren't willing to leave this world behind to get there. In the end, it doesn't really matter how long we live. We're here to fulfill a purpose. That purpose may take us 90 years, or it may take 20 years. However, if we're truly walking with the Lord, when the time is up, we won't be afraid to go.

I don't know if God allowing Hezekiah more time on Earth was to teach him not to be afraid of death, for Israel's sake, or something else entirely. What I do know is that God knew what He was doing when He granted Hezekiah's wish.

Changing Time?

In Isaiah 38:8, God tells Hezekiah that he's going turn the shadow back on a sun dial as a sign. Apparently, I'm not the only person who read this and was confused.[3] I don't know if God actually set time back, or if the shadow only moved for Hezekiah. The overall point, however is that God was able to provide a miracle as proof of His promise to extend Hezekiah's life. I think it's fitting that it the promise is "sealed" for Hezekiah by turning back time. Imagine if we could do a do-over for the Garden of Eden! We could stop sickness from ever happening. There's only two ways to end death: go back in time and stop the fall, or rush forward in time when Jesus had returned, which Hezekiah was refusing to do.

Showing Off

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Randy Tarampi

In Isaiah 39 we see Hezekiah seeking approval of the world. In Isaiah 38, we saw that he wasn't ready to leave this world, so it makes sense that his weakness is fitting in. Hezekiah, despite just witnessing a miracle from God, is quick to try to impress the king of Babylon. Babylon was a potential ally against Assyria, which could be part of Hezekiah's motivation. Of course, with God as your ally, you don't need these other nations. The fact that Hezekiah is so willing to "prove" himself to the Babylonian King, shows an insecurity.

My parents used to warn me about telling all of my business. In Hezekiah's case, there's the obvious desire for acceptance or recognition, but there's also the danger that my parents were warning me about. Sometimes, in our insecurity and/or ignorance, we don't realize that what we're showing off can cause someone else to get jealous. By showing the favor that God has bestowed upon him, Hezekiah is setting himself up for scrutiny. The King of Babylon is less likely to say "this nation is more important than I thought" and more likely to think "I have to crush them before they become more powerful than me." We should be mindful of this when talking about our material wealth. Evaluating why we want to share something with someone is probably the best idea.

References

1. "Edom". Encyclopædia Britannica; visited May 2019
2. John Gills. "Isaiah 34:16 Commentary". Bible Study Tools; visited May 2019
3. "Isaiah 38:8 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited May 2019
4. "Sennacherib". Encyclopædia Britannica; visited May 2019

Why Is There So Much Senseless Violence?

One would be right in challenging the title of this post on the basis that all violence is senseless—whether violence is an act of defense from someone else's senselessness or the violence itself is senseless, something senseless has to occur for violence to be involved. Last week, when I saw that yet another mass shooting had occurred, I didn't have any words. I haven't said anything because I don't know what words to use. While people have been praising New Zealand's response to the crime, I can't get past the fact that someone entered a mosque and just started shooting. 50 people are dead. Why?

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Kyle Johnson

Some mass shootings and terror attacks seem to have no rationale, except that the person felt like killing people. Yet others can be characterized as hate crimes:

• The mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand (March 15, 2019)
• Pulse Night Club in Orlando, FL (June 12, 2016)
• Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC (June 17, 2015)
• 16th St. Church Bombing in Birmingham, AL (September 15, 1963)

But, no matter how it's explained, I can't get passed this question: How can you hate someone you don't know?

My dad once told me that when crazy stuff starts making sense, it means you're crazy too, so I'm quite content not being able to understand how you can pick one thing about some—something that probably doesn't even tell you a lot about them—and suddenly hate them. What I'm not content with, is seeing this play out over and over. I don't care what you believe, you should know that we were not created for this.

People were claiming we live in a post racial society, that racism was over because we elected a black president, and now, here we are. White supremacy is on the rise and endorsing the President of the United States. This senselessness is spreading from our borders. We don't need a wall to keep people from getting in, we need a wall to imprison the hatred that is seeping out.

It breaks my heart to know that people operate in such a manner, to know that level of hatred can exist. The people who died last week didn't do anything to this murderer. There was absolutely no reason to kill them. Yet here we are, watching people bury their loved ones.

The debate for gun control can be had. You can argue yourselves blue in the face about it. But what I want to get to is a world where given then chance, no one would even think of doing something like this. I want to live in a world where just the thought of killing people because they're different from you, just the thought of killing people because you're angry and don't know who to take your frustrations out on, just the thought of this kind of terror is unfathomable.

References

1. Ben Westcott, Jenni Marsh, Helen Regan, Meg Wagner, Brian Ries, Veronica Rocha, Aimee Lewis, Rob Picheta, and Harmeet Kaur. "Dozens killed in Christchurch mosque attack". CNN. March 16, 2019
2. CNN Library. "1963 Birmingham Church Bombing Fast Facts". CNN. September 7, 2018
3. Ralph Ellis, Ashley Fantz, Faith Karimi and Eliott C. McLaughlin. "Orlando shooting: 49 killed, shooter pledged ISIS allegiance". CNN. June 13, 2016
4. Jason Horowitz, Nick Corasaniti, and Ashley Southall. "Nine Killed in Shooting at Black Church in Charleston". New York Times. June 17, 2015

Isaiah 28: Don't Drink and Preach

In Isaiah 28, God describes the dangers of trying to teach when you're drunk or hungover. It sounds pretty obvious, but you know what, I think this is more of a spiritual message than a literal message—especially since He goes on to reveal the promise of salvation through the Cornerstone (aka Jesus the Messiah). Let's dig into it.

Introduction

Isaiah 28 gives us a reminder not to be drunk, that God is the ultimate authority, and by His ultimate authority, He has given us a way to redeem us from death. One of the most beautiful things about the Bible is that even when God is telling us about our sin and wickedness, He gives us hope.

Drunkenness

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Thom Masat

I don't think anyone will argue about the Bible condemning drunkenness—how we carry that into our daily lives might be another topic. The first part of Isaiah 28 is evidence of God's stance against drunkenness. In His judgements against the drunkards of Ephraim, God points out their inability to do what is needed because of their drunken stupor. The reason it is illegal to drink and drive is because alcohol impairs our reaction time as well as our decision making. Have you ever seen videos of people after getting their wisdom teeth removed or other surgeries? The drugs used to put them to sleep leave them in a confused but often heightened stupor. Some are extremely emotional,[1] some are rambunctious,[2], and some are forgetful.[3]

Now imagine your pastor standing in the pulpit trying to explain the word of God in that condition. His words would be slurred, his interpretation probably wouldn't make sense. He would struggle to hold his composure and likely have random outbursts that you wouldn't be able to follow. His body would be fighting an internal war trying to process the alcohol, meanwhile his brain would be trying to recall the word of God. That's not an easy task.

Literal Interpretation

God describes this disaster in literal form. Isaiah 28:7-8 is exactly the image I had in my mind, complete with the after effects of a hangover. A person in this condition is in no shape to teach someone—to do anything, really.

Spiritual Interpretation

We know the literal effects of drugs and alcohol, but if we step back for a minute and realize that God is always talking to us about our salvation, we would see that there is spiritual meaning here as well. In Revelation 17:2, we see the "kings of the world" become "drunk" from sin. The specific sin mentioned is sexual immorality, but in context, we can infer that this references all sin. Why? Because, throughout the Bible God always refers to the Israelites' breach of the covenant as adultery or fornication with pagan gods. In Revelation, the woman is the false church, so the passage is referring to being a part of this false church and following her instruction instead of God's—which could be any and all types of sin.

In that light, if we are drunk with sin, we distance ourself from God. Our ability to understand His message or the visions He gives us becomes impaired. Similarly, it is hard for us to bring others into the Body of Christ or teach the gospel when we are so embroiled in our own problems.

Precept Upon Precept

Have you heard the phrase "precept upon precept, line upon line?" I've heard it a plenty. Usually it's given to mean that the interpretation gathered from a particular verse must match the rest of the Bible. It is basically a warning not to take things out of context. The actual verse is found in Isaiah 28:10 and Isaiah 28:13. Isaiah 28:10 seems to fit the use that I've heard it all my life, but Isaiah 28:13 confused me. The fact that the Word of God was given to them in this manner causes them to fall implies that this isn't a good method.

I read a few commentaries trying to figure out what was being said. Some agree with usual interpretation, concluding that in this passage, people were mocking the way Isaiah taught and wouldn't listen. The response in verse 13 is therefore God repeating their mockery to remind them why they are being punished.

Others had a slightly different take on it. They believe this is a reference to how children are taught, in simplistic terms with repetition. Reading the commentaries, I had a flash back to elementary school when we had math drills. We learned multiplication through memorization, which used repetition. 7 year old me probably couldn't tell you why 7 x 8 = 56 or 6 x 9 = 72, but I could have spat out the times table with ease. Sometimes, this is how we teach the Word of God. It's simply drilled into us with out tapping into the fact that the Word is living. It is meant to help us form a relationship with God, not robotically obey.

Regardless of which interpretation you agree with, I think there is truth in both. To understand the Word you do need to go line by line and each piece of the puzzle has to fit. It also beneficial to teach the Word through living examples as opposed to simple beating it into memory. Just as I could rapidly recite the times table as a child, but had no connection to what I was saying, the same can happen to believers who only memorize their beliefs. When we simply memorize the Word of God, it hasn't necessarily touched out hearts yet so it has no effect on us.

A Deal with Death

Isaiah 28:15 talks about mankind's covenant with death. Because we have sinned, we have chosen death over life. By sinning, we do Death's bidding and thus are marked as his instead of God's.

Cornerstone

The great news is that God has found a way to get us out of this contract with death. If you remember a few years ago, the LA Clippers owner was caught saying racist things. The players, though likely offended by his comments, could not just up and quit their jobs because they signed legally binding contracts that committed them to that team. This is what we have done with death. Luckily, God is a phenomenal lawyer, judge, and jury. He has agreed to both represent us and judge our case, ensuring that we can break that contract. All we need is to accept His cornerstone

The cornerstone discussed here is none other than God's Son, the Messiah. Other passages that speak of this cornerstone are Psalm 118:22, Zechariah 10:4, Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, and 1 Peter 2:6-7. From these verses, it is evident that here God is explaining the plan of salvation, redemption, and freedom from our covenant with death.

God's Approach to Justice

The last few verses in the chapter discuss the differences that happen on a farm, since that is was that is what the people would know best. He reminds us that there are several different tasks needed to grow crops (plowing, planting, etc.), and each crop needs different things. For instance, a cactus needs very little water to grow, but some plants actually grow submerged in water. This same principle carries over to the treatment of people. God judges us on a case by case scenario, determining what is needed for our specific situation.

References

1. Jayci Underwood. " Girl Desperate to be Nicki Minaj After Wisdom Teeth Removal". Youtube. October 21, 2014
2. Dolan Twins. "Ethan Gets His Wisdom Teeth Removed !!". Youtube. Dec 13, 2016
3. CNN. "Man after surgery: 'You're my wife?'". YouTube. September 10, 2013
4. "Isaiah 28:10 Commentary". Bible Hub; visited February 2019

Isaiah 25 - 27: Songs

In Isaiah 25-27, Isaiah takes a break from issuing judgments on individual nations and gives us 3 songs. There are some beautiful gems in each song—I wish I knew the melody.

Introduction

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Mike Giles

Isaiah 25-27 consists of three songs. This is a different feel to the previous chapters which meted out coming judgments for nations around Israel.

Song #1

The first song praises God for being Israel's strength, particularly when it comes to battles. The passage reminds us that God has raised up a nation out of nothing and made the week strong. Once again it is called to our attention that He is a champion for the poor and downtrodden.

Defeating Death

In Isaiah 25:8 we learn the God is planning to defeat death. Sound familiar? It should, this is exactly what Jesus accomplished at the cross. We can see the explicit fulfillment of this prophecy in 2 Timothy 1:10 and Revelation 1:18. It is also quoted by John in Revelation 21:4 in confirmation that it has been fulfilled.

The Final Day

"In that day" clearly refers to a future time from Isaiah's perspective. Given the context of the passage, it seems to be referring to the final battle. This battle comes after death is defeated and involves all the earth. When the time comes, God's people will be firmly on God's side and will recognize His coming to save them.

Song #2

Isaiah 26 gives us another song. This song is one he says will be sung in "that day." That day refers to the time previously discussed in Isaiah 25, which I believe to be the end time based on the context of passage.

Coming Home

An interesting observation in the first bit of the chapter is that it is requested to open the gates of city to let in the righteous nation. We know that the Israelites were scattered and this is one of the verses foretelling that they would be brought back together. Many think this was completely fulfilled in the 60's with the creation of the modern nation of Israel, but I have a feeling it's not done yet. For starters, the song is sung in Judah, so there are people there to welcome the nation back. The people welcoming the nation back are clearly not the Palestinians who are currently fighting for rights in Israel. They did not welcome the loss of control of their home when the UN formed Israel. In fact, a war quickly erupted, giving us the volatile situation we have today.

Between giving all the tribes the 144,000 will come from in Revelation, the curse laid on Israel in Deuteronomy 28, and the inclusion of Gentiles into the nation by faith (notice Isaiah refers to those entering in as those who "keepeth the truth"), I think a second revival of the nation will occur. Near the end, God will call His people out the cities into "the wilderness" just as He did with Israel (calling them out of Egypt). At this time, I think the true believers and the rest of Israel will return. Note this return could be during the very end, when God establishes His kingdom on Earth; I don't really know.

Bring Them Low

We all know that in the end, the first will be last and the last will be first, but sometimes it's hard to focus on that. We see people doing all manner of ungodly things and they seem to have all the things we want. Usually, however, those things are tied to worldly desires, or they are not what they seem to be (re: everything on social media). In this song of praise to God, Isaiah reminds us how quickly God can flip the tables for us. The rich and powerful can quickly become low and unimportant.

In the very end, God will open the eyes of those who refused to do right and they will finally be ashamed of their actions, but it will be too late. It is after eliminating those who refused to do right that we will have peace.

Seeking God Early

Isaiah 26:9 is a beautiful verse—memory verse level. There's so much meaning hidden in this simple verse. We often cry out to God when trouble (or darkness) falls upon us. It is then that we realize how much we need Him. However, we should be seeking God much earlier than that. We should seek God out early, not just when it becomes convenient to us or after we've tried everything else.

False Gods

Isaiah admits that Israel has given themselves to false gods. As they point out the faults of the false gods, we see the truth about the true God. Our God is the Living God, He has power over life and death.

State of the Dead

Another issue addressed in Isaiah 26 is the state of the dead. I found this verse interesting because of the contradicting philosophies concerning the dead. In Judaism, the state of the dead is controversial, however there is a prevailing thought that there is not life after death. In Christianity, many think the dead go straight to heaven or hell, even though there are several texts in the Bible that prove otherwise. In Isaiah 26:19, Isaiah confirms that the dead will live again.

Song #3

Isaiah 27 is likely a new song, though it may be a continuation of the previous song. It continues the theme of praising God in His victory.

Leviathan

Most people have heard of Leviathan—the might creature whom God slew in defense of His people. Leviathan is mentioned at least 4 times in the Bible: Job 41, Psalm 74:14, Psalm 104:26, and Isaiah 27. The creature is described as some sort of monstrous sea serpent. In Isaiah 27:1, it is quiet obvious that Leviathan is Satan. "That day" that Isaiah refers to is the final victory, when God triumphs over Satan. What better way to kick off a song, than to boast of God's victory over His enemies?

The Vineyard

In the first stanze (Isaiah 27:2-6), God's people are referred to as a vineyard. God watches over this vineyard at all times for two reasons: 1) to ensure no one disturbs it and 2) to care for it. Similarly, God is here to protect us from Satan and sin; in doing so, He provides us with life and sustenance. God explains that His people will take root and fill the world with fruit. This prophecy covers two major thing.

First, the people of God must take root. This past December, my dad and I rooted a plant for a friend of mine. For those unfamiliar with the process, we broke off a piece of the original plant, stuck it in water until it developed it's own roots, and then planted it in soil. The second step is crucial because if the plant doesn't develop roots, it can't feed itself nutrients to survive when we plant it. Similarly, God's people were cut off from Him by sin. We have to be watered (by Jesus, through Baptism, and studying the Word) to develop the strength to stand for God outside of our protected environment. Once we are rooted in the Earth, we are free to grow and produce fruit—the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

A Desolate Land

When we choose not to listen to God or we come against God's people, we put ourselves on the path of what happens in Isaiah 27:7-11. God will purge sin from His people and cause desolation upon those who do not surrender to His Will.

The Trumpet

Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Chris Bair

The last two verses of Isaiah 27 redirect my attention to the end of time. Deuteronomy 28:68 tells us that part of Israel was scatterd into Egypt, and 2 Kings 17 tells us that the Northern tribes were "lost" to Assyria. Here, they return to Jerusalem—new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2)?—after the sound of the trumpet—the final trumpet (Revelation 11:15)?—and worship God. I don't know if this is the meaning that is supposed to be taken from these verses (hence the question marks), but as I read the scripture that is where I felt the Spirit leading my thoughts.

The Year of Change

This has been a year to remember. There have been really high highs, and really low lows... I think it's time we talk about it.

Today in church, I cried. The praise team was singing for KING & COUNTRY's "Shoulders" and I think everything from this year finally hit me.

This year has been a year of change, for better or for worse.

In January, I started cutting down on soda. I had a bit of a struggle with it in mid-April, so I committed to fasting completely from it for the whole summer. Shortly after that, I ended up with a lymph node swollen so big, I could actually see it protruding from my neck. When I went to the doctor, I found out I had lost weight inexplicably, which is not a good thing, and I was extremely iron deficient. I closed on my first house the same day. A maternal uncle died around the same time. About 2 weeks later, a paternal uncle died. A couple days passed and my great-aunt died. I became the sole developer on a major subproject at my job and have been very successful coming up to speed and developing the feature. I turned 30 in June. Then in July, conditions worsened for a friend I've known so long I can't remember where or how I met her. By mid August, doctors had given her a few weeks to live. I was blessed to be able to visit her on a trip home. She died Monday.

As I said, it's been an eventful year...

I feel like God has allowed such high peaks and low valleys back to back that I haven't really been processing anything. I've just been moving from one event to another with my mood shifting very little. As such, I've been neglecting the blog a little and I've been neglecting the testimony section a lot. When I woke up this morning, I had every intention of finishing a blog post I started on forgiveness, but in that moment, I realized I needed to shout the praises and glory of God. So let's take a walk through this year of change.

Fasting from Soda

I've talked about journey cutting out soda from my diet on the blog. I shared the beginning of this journey in "The Water Challenge," where I talked about how I wanted to increase my water intake. I followed up touching on the psychological difficulties in "The Tragedy of Addiction." What I haven't talked about is why on the blog called PSALMS to God, there's a whole (heavily neglected) section on food and health.

The first time I made a major shift in my diet was in 2010, when I stopped eating pork. I was in the midst of studying the Old Testament for a class and realized I couldn't articulate why we ignore the laws on clean and unclean foods in Leviticus. So, I began fasting from pork (all unclean foods, really, but pork is the only one I ate on a regular basis) and searching for the why. To be honest, my first year in grad school totally derailed my goal to study this topic. However, after I got used to putting veggies on my pizza instead of pepperoni or sausage,—a plain cheese pizza just isn't my thing—this fast was a cake walk. By the time I started studying, I didn't actually have any desire for these unclean foods. Perhaps that helped me be unbiased in the study. When I couldn't find a single verse that validated eating unclean meat, I made the change permanent. (References to and explanations of the verses people usually cite on this topic are discussed in "The Christian Diet.")

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4 KJV

That first change, drastically changed my relationship with God. The combination of heavily studying the Word and denying yourself foods you usually wouldn't, is a life changing experience. I learned so much during that time. I would argue that this is when I went from being a baby Christian to whatever the next phase in spiritual growth is.

If you've been following my blog from the beginning, you might notice that the first major change in the blog coincides with the second major health choice I made in life: going vegetarian. The year I created In God I Trust, and separated it from my poetry blog (both of which were merged/revamped into this blog), is the same year I became vegetarian.

Disclaimer: I don't think there's anything wrong with eating clean meat in general.

The major shift in my diet caused me to research nutrition and healthy eating habits. Eating healthy changed everything. While I may struggle with iron deficiency, I haven't had as much trouble with my skin (I used to have extremely sensitive skin, anything would irritate it and cause rashes), my menstrual woes are less frequent, and my body just feels better. With all that extra energy I was able to focus better, which not only helped me graduate, it helped me study the Word.

The Bible tells us that our bodies are temples; the Holy Spirit dwells within us (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). If you read the verses on the Temple in the books of Moses, you will see how big of a deal that is. God wants to make us clean, not just spiritually but physically as well. These two things are connected. The healthier I am physically, the better I am at nurturing my spiritual life, and the more I nurture my spiritual relationship with God, the more I realize how He wants me to take care of myself, which nurtures my physical health.

Giving up soda completely has been the hardest of these challenges. I'm not sure if it's the timing (with this year being so eventful), or the iron deficiency, or the lack of caffeine, but I haven't felt any boosts in energy or real benefits from drinking water instead. My fast ended on September 1, but I still haven't gone back to soda.

Last week, the new associate pastor at my church was telling her story about how she went through so much to be where she is now, only to have her husband almost die right before she graduated from seminary. She brought up the question that she asked herself at the time: "if God were to take [her] husband, would she still worship and serve God?" It resonated with this situation for me: will I stop doing something I know is bad for me (re: drinking soda) even if God doesn't reward me?

Home Sweet Home

Most little girls plan their wedding; I planned my house instead. I've wanted to buy a house and decorate it since I was a tiny thing following my dad in Lowe's. By the time I graduated, I was resigned to the fact that I needed to move buying a house off my 30 before 30 list.

Unfortunately, the apartment complex I moved into just after my 29th birthday was a hot mess. The maintenance staff was horrible, the management was rude, and my neighbor smoked all the time, so I couldn't use the outdoor space (he was also very creepy).

My parents are actually the ones who encouraged me to start looking to buy. I started looking in November, and by March, I was convinced it wasn't going to happen. I got a notice that I had to renew my lease to get the best rate by a particular date in March, and I knew it wasn't going to happen. I had two weeks to find a place.

On a Monday I prayed and surrendered the situation to God. Tuesday I found a potential listing. Wednesday I found 3 more. My parents drove down to go with me and that Sunday I viewed the place I would eventually call home. After months of only seeing things I couldn't afford, there was a place in my budget that had every single thing I wanted. My offer was accepted almost immediately, the inspection went without a hitch, and the negotiation process got me the home for significantly less than the asking price. Nobody but God could pull off such a miracle.

Not only did God make my dream come true, He gave me a safe place to stay. The more I live, the more I see homeless people, the more I realize how much I take for granted. I was so annoyed in my old apartment, but I had a roof over my head and food in the fridge. There are people sleeping on side walks every night, huddling under bridges under the rain, and depending on the kindness of total strangers for food. God has blessed me above and beyond what I deserve. When I surrendered the question of where I would live after my lease expired to Him, I did so because I realized that even if I never was able to buy my own place, the fact that He kept any roof over my head was a reason to praise Him and be happy.

Deaths in the Family

I've always read posts of people complaining about posting death notices on Facebook before the family has been notified, and I could imagine how that would feel, but I found out first hand in May. The Tuesday before I closed on my house I logged onto Facebook and was greeted by a post from my maternal aunt grieving the loss of her twin brother (re: my uncle). I had just hung up the phone with my mom who hadn't mentioned a thing. I called her to see if anyone had called her and luckily my grandfather had just told her (she never hung up the phone switching calls between him and me).

I didn't know this uncle well because he wasn't around much when I was kid, but I felt immensely for his daughter and the rest of my aunts/uncles. I also realized that even though his death wasn't because of age, that generation in my family is getting up there in age. This was the first time I really processed the fact that a day will come when many of my other aunts and uncles won't be here any more.

About 2 weeks later, an uncle by marriage on my dad's side of the family was rushed to the hospital. He also died. This uncle lived across the street from me. He used to help my dad out around the farm. I remember him sitting under the shade of a tree in his yard reading the paper—that seemed to be his favorite spot. I remember him and the other men in my family watching football at thanksgiving dinner. And then I remember my dad, who just turned 68, is the baby in his family.

Four days later, I got a call from my mom telling me that my great aunt (maternal) had also passed away. My mom was extremely close to her, so I grew up hearing stories about her when I was a child. However, since she lived in Maryland, I had never met her. When I was 20, I did an internship in Maryland and decided I wanted to meet her. I called her up and she invited me to her home. She invited her kids, their kids, and any family in the area she could get a hold of. She cooked—some delicious food at that!—and basically put on an impromptu family reunion. I kept in touch with her through letters and on Facebook (yep, she was tech savvy). I have never felt so loved by someone I'd only met once.

I was blessed with a big family even though I was raised as an only child (my sister is significantly older than me). God allowed me to grow up surrounded by my family and I have been blessed to have this love and support my whole life. This of course means that days like this will continue to come. The price for having a large, loving family, is that there is a long list of people to miss when they're gone. It's a price God knew I was willing to pay, so I thank Him for giving me this blessing.

Turning 30

Not where I was, but beautiful nonetheless
Photocredit: Unsplash.com/Simon Migaj

I celebrated my 30th birthday this year, which is supposed to be a milestone, I guess. It's really only as eventful as you make it. I was confused for a high schooler a few days after, so I don't think it's fully hit me yet. What I can say is that when I was growing up, I thought the characters in Living Single were in their 30's and that's what I thought life would look like. As I settled into my mid twenties and realized all my college friends were quite a distance away, I started to realize what "adulting" really looked like: having to plan a month in advance just to grab lunch with friends you've known your whole life. God did bring me a great group of friends locally, though. The young adult group at my church has been a blessing and many of them were there to help me celebrate my 30th. God gave me the best birthday present ever: a clear night sky and a beautiful place where I could actually see the stars. (Yes, I'm obsessed with looking at the stars.)

Professional Success

It's only been a year since I graduated with my PhD and the imposter syndrome has been strong. There have been days where I felt like I didn't know what I was doing at all. There's this feeling that everyone is in the break room laughing at how incompetent you are, when really, they're just as confused as you are. God has blessed me with a great work environment. The people I've been working with are extremely supportive and helpful. Earlier this year, after I asked to work on a project closer to the hardware, my manager obliged by placing me on the feature of the project I'm working on that ties everything together. If this feature doesn't work, none of the other features will work either. The senior developer on the project ended up leaving the company and I became the primary developer for the feature almost as soon as we started implementing it. No pressure...

I've implemented 90% of the feature and it's been amazing. Due to the nature of the project, I get to work with many different teams, so I've been able to meet more people than usual. There have been one or two hiccups, but the feature is completely functional and I've gotten the privilege of demoing it's progress at monthly meetings. This week, the functionality of the feature was challenged by someone outside of the development team and I was able to successfully (and calmly) defend it.

Apparently management approves of my progress at work because last Friday I was assigned to mentor the latest addition to our team!

The Death of a Friend

A friend I've known since probably elementary school has been living in spite of cancer for 5 years. During this time she kept friends updated through Facebook posts. Every single one of those posts was positive and full of faith. Her faith was so inspirational. Her health took a turn for the worse in July and in August the doctors said she had only a few weeks left to live. I was already thinking about going home the last week in August, and decided I would go to see her.

I was terrified. I had no idea what to say.

She was the same cheerful, easy going, and funny person she had been in high school. Talking to her that last time was just like I remembered our senior year in high school. She was brave. She was strong. I'm so glad I got to witness her faith and had the chance to be friends with her. I've never seen my graduating class so united in thought as when people shared the news of her passing. There's no doubt that she claimed victory in spreading God's light.

Her best friend promised to honor her memory by encouraging donations to sarcoma research: you can donate here.

³I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,
⁴Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
⁵For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;Philippians 1:3-5 KJV

Today

So that brings us to today... I may have shed a few more tears writing all of this (sorry for the length), but I thought you should know: God is good and I trust Him with the rest of this year.


*I know I was listening to "Shoulders" when I decided to share all this,
but I want to leave you with "Broken Praise" for some reason

References

1. for KING & COUNTRY. "Shoulders". YouTube. March 20, 2015
2. Ree Hughes. "The Water Challenge". PSALMS to God. February 28, 2018
3. Ree Hughes. "The Tragedy of Addiction". PSALMS to God. August 4, 2018
4. "Victor Gaines". Gaston Gazette. May 2018
5. "Raymond Colbert". Myrtle Beach Online. May 2018
6. Jacqueline Y. 'Jacci' Keyes". Herald-Mail Media. June 2018
7. Local woman stresses importance of faith, humor in cancer fight". My Horry News. August 28, 2018
8. "Sarcoma Foundation of America"