There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

1 John 4:18

To be perfected in love is to lose the fear that i deserve to be punished, that I am a mistake, that i need unhealthy help.

What do I mean by this?

That you and i need to be rescued by anyone but God.

Of course this is risky and fraught with the potential to misinterpret life and to attempt to go it alone.

For example, someone can read this passage or my words here and decide to go cold-turkey off medications. This is not to say, however, that it would not be best to ween off certain meds, but there may be a wise and a foolish way to do this.

Looking deeper into this one passage we can see that being perfected in love is something done to us, which implies that it involves a particular relationship — one with God.

Within the definition of love there is this idea of the need for relationships. One unhealthy attempt at loving one’s self is to exclude or downplay the importance of others. If nothing else, this is an unloving act.

Therefore, consider this.

Perfect love can only come from a perfect source and you and I are not this source. After all, we are the ones with fears.

And for me to receive this love and apply it to my life requires, not just changing my mind, but allowing my mind to be changed.

And my mind can only correctly and perfectly be changed when I am in fellowship with God.

This means it isn’t a momentary thing — a blinding lights sort of encounter.

Rather it is a daily walk and communion. It is stepping into the still point where other voices in my head can grow quiet in order for me to be changed by Perfect Love.

In time I will be able to learn to hear and trust a voice in my head that is absolutely for me coming from someone who I continue to grow in confidence that He will never leave nor forsake me. It is He who banishes my fears.

The Bottom Line: I got a text telling me that there had been a possible breach and I simply copied the text and asked Grok 3 to analyze it and tell me if it was consistent with the company’s practices. For the details, read on.

My Question to Grok: Does the following information line up with how Apple operates?

Then I pasted the complete text alert I had received:

[Apple ID: Suspicious Login Alert]

We’ve flagged unusual activity linked to your Apple ID (Case ID: 56846442304), including a pending $449.98 charge at “APPLE STORE – Orlando, FL” made via Apple Pay Pre-Authorization. We've also noticed repeated unauthorized sign-in attempts and Apple Pay setup requests from unknown sources. As a safety measure, we’ve temporarily blocked these actions and placed the transaction on hold.

If you made this request, no action is needed and the transaction will be processed within 24 hours. If you did not make this request, please contact Apple Support immediately at (844) 569-2271.

Reach out through the support options below if you need any help.

Apple Support: 1-844-569-2271
Billing Help:

https://getsupport.apple.com/

Prompt action will help prevent further issues.

Sincerely,
Apple Support Team

The following was Grok’s answer:

The information in the provided message does not fully align with how Apple operates, and it exhibits several red flags that suggest it could be a phishing scam rather than a legitimate communication from Apple. Below, I’ll break down the key elements of the message, compare them to Apple’s standard practices, and explain why this raises concerns.

Key Elements of the Message and Analysis

1. Sender and Tone:

   • Message Content: The email claims to be from the “Apple Support Team” and uses a formal tone, warning about “suspicious login activity” and a “pending charge.”

   • Apple’s Practice: Apple does send emails about suspicious activity or account issues, but they typically come from a verifiable email address like no_reply@email.apple.com or appleid@id.apple.com. Legitimate emails are polished, concise, and avoid overly urgent language. This message’s tone feels slightly alarmist (“Prompt action will help prevent further issues”), which is a common tactic in phishing scams to induce panic.

   • Red Flag: Without seeing the sender’s email address or domain, it’s impossible to confirm legitimacy. Apple emails never ask you to call a random phone number or click unverified links for urgent action.

2. Case ID (56846442304):

   • Message Content: Includes a specific “Case ID” to make the message seem official.

   • Apple’s Practice: Apple may include case IDs in support-related communications, especially if you’ve already contacted them. However, unsolicited emails with random case IDs are uncommon unless tied to a specific prior interaction.

   • Red Flag: Scammers often use fake case IDs to add credibility. If you didn’t initiate a support case, this is a major warning sign.

3. Pending Charge ($449.98 at “APPLE STORE – Orlando, FL”):

   • Message Content: Mentions a specific charge via “Apple Pay Pre-Authorization” at a physical Apple Store location.

   • Apple’s Practice: Apple notifies users of unrecognized charges, but these alerts typically appear in the Wallet app, your Apple ID account, or via email with details like the exact date, device, and merchant. Apple Pay transactions require biometric authentication (Face ID/Touch ID), so unauthorized setups are rare unless your device is compromised. Emails about charges usually direct you to apple.com/billing or the Settings app, not a phone number.

   • Red Flag: The specificity of the store location and amount, combined with a lack of verifiable transaction details, is suspicious. Legitimate Apple emails link to your account’s purchase history, not external support sites or phone numbers.

4. Phone Number (844-569-2271):

   • Message Content: Urges you to call a specific toll-free number for support.

   • Apple’s Practice: Apple’s official U.S. support number is 1-800-275-2273 (1-800-APL-CARE). Apple rarely includes phone numbers in unsolicited emails, instead directing users to support.apple.com or the Apple Support app to initiate contact. Regional or specialized numbers exist, but they’re verifiable via Apple’s official website.

   • Red Flag: The provided number (844-569-2271) does not match Apple’s known support numbers. A quick web search (based on my capabilities) shows no association with Apple, and similar numbers have been reported in scam alerts. Scammers use fake numbers to trick users into sharing personal information or payments.

5. Link Provided (

https://getsupport.apple.com/

1. ):

   • Message Content: Includes a link for “Billing Help.”

   • Apple’s Practice: Apple emails often include links, but they point to secure domains like apple.com, support.apple.com, or id.apple.com. Legitimate links are usually for signing into your Apple ID or viewing account details, not generic “support” pages. Apple uses secure, trackable URLs with parameters (e.g.,

https://support.apple.com/?cid=...

1. • ).

   • Red Flag: The link

https://getsupport.apple.com/

1. • is not a standard Apple URL. Apple’s official support site is

https://support.apple.com/

1. • . The domain getsupport.apple.com could be a phishing site designed to mimic Apple’s branding. Without clicking, it’s impossible to verify, but the non-standard domain is highly suspicious.

2. Urgency and Action Instructions:

   • Message Content: Urges “prompt action” and suggests calling immediately if the transaction wasn’t yours.

   • Apple’s Practice: Apple does encourage action for suspicious activity, but instructions are clear: sign into appleid.apple.com to review activity, change passwords, or enable two-factor authentication. Apple avoids pushing users to call unverified numbers or visit external sites for urgent issues.

   • Red Flag: The emphasis on calling a specific number and the vague “prompt action” language are classic phishing tactics to bypass Apple’s secure channels.

3. JavaScript Error Context:

   • Document Content: The provided document shows a “You need to enable JavaScript to run this app” error, which could indicate you accessed a suspicious website or email link.

   • Apple’s Practice: Apple’s official websites and apps are highly optimized and rarely display generic JavaScript errors. If you encountered this error after clicking a link in the email, it suggests a poorly designed phishing site, not an Apple property.

   • Red Flag: Legitimate Apple services don’t rely on generic JavaScript prompts. This error aligns with scam sites that mimic Apple’s login pages to steal credentials.

Why This Doesn’t Align with Apple’s Operations

• Non-Standard Contact Methods: Apple’s primary support channels are support.apple.com, the Apple Support app, or the official number (1-800-275-2273). The provided phone number and link deviate from these.

• Suspicious Domain: The getsupport.apple.com URL is not an official Apple domain, unlike support.apple.com or apple.com.

• Overly Specific Yet Vague Details: The mention of a $449.98 charge at a specific store, without verifiable transaction details (e.g., date, device), is unusual. Apple’s alerts are tied to your account’s purchase history.

• Urgency Tactics: The push to call immediately and the vague “prompt action” phrasing are designed to exploit fear, which Apple avoids in favor of secure, user-controlled actions.

• JavaScript Error: If you saw this error after clicking a link, it strongly suggests a non-Apple site, as Apple’s infrastructure is robust and user-friendly.

How to Verify and Protect Yourself

1. Check Directly with Apple:

   • Sign into appleid.apple.com to review recent activity, devices, or charges.

   • Open the Wallet app or Settings > Payment & Shipping to check Apple Pay activity.

   • Contact Apple Support via 1-800-275-2273 or support.apple.com (not the number in the email).

2. Inspect the Email:

   • Check the sender’s email address. Legitimate Apple emails come from @apple.com or @email.apple.com.

   • Hover over (don’t click) the link to see the actual URL. If it’s not apple.com or support.apple.com, it’s likely a scam.

3. Avoid Sharing Information:

   • Do not call the provided number (844-569-2271) or enter credentials on any linked site.

   • Scammers may ask for Apple ID passwords, payment details, or two-factor authentication codes—Apple never requests these via email or phone.

4. Report the Email:

   • Forward suspicious emails to reportphishing@apple.com.

   • Mark the email as spam in your email client.

5. Secure Your Account:

   • Enable two-factor authentication if not already active.

   • Change your Apple ID password if you suspect compromise.

Conclusion

The message does not align with Apple’s standard practices due to its non-standard phone number, suspicious link, urgent tone, and potential association with a JavaScript error page. It’s highly likely a phishing attempt designed to steal your Apple ID credentials or financial information. To confirm any issues with your Apple ID, use official channels like appleid.apple.com or 1-800-275-2273. If you’ve already interacted with the email (e.g., called the number or clicked the link), immediately secure your account and contact Apple Support.

If you have additional details (e.g., the sender’s email address, screenshots, or specific actions you took), share them, and I can provide more tailored advice. Alternatively, I can pivot back to your questions about AC services or periodontists in San Antonio if needed. Let me know how to proceed!

One of my earliest daily posts (back in February 2021) was titled: Attempting to Understand.

It went like this:

There inevitably comes a moment when you and I hit a wall.

The walls we hit come in various forms and sizes but they have in common a message — one, obviously, no one wants to hear.

No matter how hard you try, you cannot go forward in the same way you have arrived were you presently are.

It doesn’t mean things are hopeless. That’s your ego talking to you. And it doesn’t mean you double down and blow up the wall — otherwise you haven’t hit the wall I’m talking about. That’s still out ahead of you.

It means things must change. And the only change that is truly in my power and yours to change is within ourselves.

And the first available change is attitude — a combination of humility and hope.

That’s because, ultimately, it comes down to a trust-in-God issue.

Nothing else.

No one else.

Anything less is a stubborn cop out.

Sometimes the walls we hit are hard, but at other times they are actually gentle whispers telling us it’s time to get up and move around — time to look at other options and ideas.

Well today I received a small whisper that it is time to change my writing focus.

Up to now I have written with the simple idea of providing something small to help people one day at time.

The thoughts have been intended to be short and sweet fire starters for the hearts and minds of others.

That you, my dear friend, might find a small nugget in my ramblings to help stimulate you to doing something different and brave, or small and important, or big and humble, is of great encouragement to me.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to thank me over the years, and most especially to those who continually whisper prayers on my behalf. I believe good wish is a part of the inspiration process we all need to be creative and brave in any and everything we do.

I continue to believe that the best writing is personal.

It comes from me and it goes out to you alone.

I don’t write to many people and so I don’t have to try and get anyone to like me.

Because I have sent my thoughts out freely and daily for years, I now believe there is enough there for people to find and read as they wish.

As for me, writing is in my blood and brings me joy, so I won’t stop and this still point platform is not close to ending.

What will be changing (I hope) is that I will begin writing in a longer format — which means I will publish less often.

How often?

As often as I believe I have something important enough to be worth your time and attention.

Thanks for reading my stuff and if you want to correspond through this Substack channel to me and one another, please feel free.

Be back soon.

Ben

Because I believe it, I’m happy to repeat it.

True Love comes from God.

It is a part of his nature.

It is built into the fabric of the universe He created and is behind the laws He declared — like the Ten Commandments and every other instruction He has provided us — all of it, although at times it doesn’t feel like it is for our best good.

Many over the centuries have pointed out that True Love pursues the object of its love within certain self-imposed restrictions in order to always permit free choice.

This is the permission of the Beloved (us) to reject God’s love and strike out on her/his own.

We need look no further than Adam and Eve choosing to disobey God’s clear instructions to see that (1) God accepts their decision to disobey, (2) their disobedience sets up a chain of horrific events, and (3) God changes his strategy on how he will be able to pursue people trapped behind enemy lines.

This, by the way, describes quite well where we live.

People when stripped down to their naked selves have nothing God needs.

Fortunately, there is something God wants that is in alignment with his holy nature.

He wants our hearts, aka love, and we can only trust through a decision called “faith” that this is enough to come into his presence.

Everything else we posses is tainted and impure.

I know.

Christmas has more commercial potential and so is the public favorite.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Christmas.

Gift exchanging, especially when children are involved, is a great incentive for businesses to market, it seems now a-days, half a year in advance.

For the secular, Easter is more limited. Pastel colors, eggs and bunnies don’t put much fire in the belly.

And because the underlying theme of conquering death is truly out of this world, and because the day is always and forever will be I’m guessing, on a weekend, the push to call Monday or Friday Federal holidays is not going to happen any time soon.

And yet, for all who wish to understand the magnificent goodness of God in the midst of pain, suffering, and death it is the most important, most life-changing weekend on the calendar.

That’s right. To me it’s more than a day — it’s three days. Without the cross on Friday the point is missed on Sunday morning with an empty tomb.

In fact, if you truly understand the power displayed once long ago when a tomb became unnecessary because its occupant got up and walked out, not because he survived torture, but because he was resurrected back to life never to die again — and more to the personal point, because his action set into motion a salvation accessible to anyone (even you), no matter the mess they had made of life to that point and beyond.

This Sunday in particular is the announcement to all who have eyes to see and ears to hear that they have become the beneficiaries of an inheritance greater than any child of any king or potentate who has ever lived. Your life is that special and amazing because God loved you so much he gave his son to die in your place.

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

Luke 23:35 (ESV)

Familiar words to many.

They come out of the story of Jesus dying on the cross.

The Passion of Christ is the time of Jesus’s greatest suffering.

It begins at the Garden of Gethsemane and ends at his death on the cross. Passion in this instance means Suffering.

The above verse comes right after Jesus and the two thieves are hung naked on crosses.

In at least Jesus’s case, he was flogged to near-death and now all the action stops.

Time stops and people stare.

Those few who knew and loved him are horrified.

Most are entertained and some are gloating.

In this moment, the so-called rulers seem to have the upper hand.

They got exactly what they wanted, what they thought would strengthen their little  bases of power — and so they begin to mock Jesus.

“He saved others” they said.

Did they believe their own words?

Had they not personally witnessed a miracle or two? (Very likely).

Perhaps they were recalling all those lame and blind riff-raff annoyingly healed on the Sabbath, making them look like impotent fools in front of the people.

“Let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

The purpose of a Savior is not to save oneself; it is to save others, and Jesus could only do this, as God’s spotless sacrificial lamb, if he stayed where he was, if he did not come down.

On this Good Friday, when time seems to stop and good appears defeated and neatly put away, when world rulers seem free to do their thing, it is fitting to remember that a glory is coming.

It did back then and there is still more glory still to come.

Because Jesus accepted his suffering and did not come down from the cross alive, it enabled him to, in a few short hours, come out of the tomb in Resurrection Power.

This is the same power you and I are promised when we, like that one thief beside Jesus, who recognized Jesus for who he actually was, asked to be remembered.

The image above is of a Roman soldier’s belt.

In a few recent posts we have considered the need for physical clothing.

Then we moved to consider its spiritual implications.

And by “spiritual” here I include everything not physical.

In other words, I’m stating something that, at least over time, becomes obvious to most of us.

We need covering in the areas of mental, emotional, and spiritual attacks.

Some of these wounds can be self-inflicted, like when we get into the bad habit of calling ourselves degrading names.

But there are also unseen and often unknowable enemies who wish us harm.

That’s really a polite way of saying they want to destroy us. Why this is the case can be a good topic for another time.

Right now, let’s consider Paul’s advice to the people in a church he started in the city of Ephesus.

Recall his initial statement.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Ephesians 6:10-13 (ESV)

He then continues by describing different suit-of-armor items and linking them to critical truths he wants his reader then (timely advice for the people he knows) and also for those who would come after — including us. This makes these principles timeless.

He starts by talking about the belt.

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,

Ephesians 6:14a

Why did he begin with this?

I believe it t is because the belt holds everything together.

It keeps our pants up — important for a warriors in a battle. It also holds weaponry for quick access. It isn’t necessarily flashy.

And like a belt, truth holds things together as well.

Truth is not a weapon to be used. It is a fundamental principle of life.

We don’t invent truth.

Rather, we discover it or are taught it, and then, hopefully we live it and teach it ourselves to others.

As truth binds around us, we must bind ourselves to it. This is called living honestly.

Many today do not either understand this or have been taught to question it — even to go so far as to say there is no such thing as truth.

They constantly say it doesn’t exist. As if this is obvious when in actuality it is only obvious to those who lack common sense.

The truth of the matter is that belts exist. I know it is fashionable to over-analyze and parse meanings, but when we do this, we lose sight of the critical importance of truths to being able to live the best lives possible.

With truth comes meaning. Not necessarily deep meanings, but important even when simple and obvious.

I think most of childhood education should be about teaching truths as real and useful.

Wisdom can then be understood as the correct management and application of what is true.

Truth and love are linked. Both are timeless just like God.

This tells me that God operates in truth and love. You don’t have one without the others.

This does not mean that deception and lies shouldn’t exist. The truth of the matter is they do, but they are anti-God forces that exist because God created a universe where his subjects can make choices, even bad ones, that then have consequences.

This goes back to the reason why Paul tells us to suit up and buckle up.

As we resist evil (those who have chosen to oppose love, truth and God), the special belt we are privileged to wear will enable us to stand firm and resist enemy attacks.

Now a few final practical observations on the subject of truth.

Those who speak truth and live honest lives sleep better a night. They spend less time arguing, worrying, and envying, because, the truth of the matter is, life is short and liars eventually are exposed as frauds.

Finally, those who live as if God is fundamentally truthful are better able to hold on when persecuted.

I believe, in the end, they will be vindicated.

Stand firm.

One of the most profound writers I know is the Apostle John.

His language is simple and so it is easy to think of him as an unlearned laborer.

He doesn’t write in long complicated sentences like Paul does, so I can see how the two styles can be linked to their early training, one to be a scholar and the other a fisherman.

However, the writings of John are no less profound than the writings of Paul.

For this reason, as we would with a poem or a proverb we need to sit with John’s words and not pass through them too quickly.

With this in mind let’s look at a section from a letter to members of churches John personally knew. The letter or epistle is First John or 1 John.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1 John 4:1 (ESV)

First note his affection for those he is writing to. John is an old man by this time and he is writing to younger generations. Obviously, what he has to say applies to you and me, and if he were alive today I have no doubt he would call us his and God’s “Beloved.”

Do not believe every spirit.

John believed, as do I, that we are surrounded by spiritual forces. But even if you do not happen to believe this literally, it is still teaching an important truth.

We take on attitudes.

We display passions.

We can easily be swept up by the spirit of an event whether it be a rock concert, a football game, or even a church service.

John calls us to be wise and seek to discern all spirits with clear minds.

Many paint the Christian life as one of emotion, lacking rationality.

It’s actually the opposite.

Our minds must be engaged before we give over our emotions to any idea or spirit.

But test the spirits to see whether they are from God

Why is this important?

Because the world is full of false prophets.

What do they look like?

They come in all shapes and sizes, and so we cannot determine if they are true or false by appearance.

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

1 John 4:2(ESV)

Boy, that narrows the field. Would you have guessed this would be John’s answer?

He continues.

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.

1 John 4:3a

Now it is not necessary that everything anyone says, contains this admission of belief in Jesus. However, it is important that we come to understand upon what basis someone is giving counsel, advice, or predictions.

For example, many in academia today with all the appropriate credentials are actually false prophets.

What they are saying is wrong or misguided.

Is everything they say wrong and misguided?

Of course not.

But be careful and listen to the Holy Spirit inside you when trying to determine whose advice around you to take. Seems reasonable to me.

The Ephesians were instructed at the end of Paul’s letter to suit up for battle.

They needed to do this back then for the persecution they were facing and that would continue to grow as the gospel spread.

This is because the gospel is good news for some and not for others.

Back then, as it spread awakening mostly the downtrodden to an abundant joyful life within a community of fellow believers, it was undermining Rome’s  control of its subjects. (Timely).

And today?

It often does the same thing.

It unites some while it separates others.

Jesus warned us this would happen.

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

Matthew 10:34-36 (ESV)

For this reason — that believing the gospel comes with a cost in this world — true believers need to suit up today for the same reason they did back then — to protect their hearts.

What most of us miss now in a first-world technology-infused world is seeing and understanding that this is the same battle mankind has always been in — the one waged inside people first where fear and shame reside. From there it inevitably spreads out to infect and harm others.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Ephesians 6:13

Stand firm.

Even when it feels like your heart is melting.

Plant your flag.

Don’t waver or cut and run.

What is it we are to stand and resist?

Evil powers, forces, and influences.

How?

By standing fully covered by a spiritual suit of armor.

What is not mentioned, but implied, is we stand in formation with others.

Imagine how hard it is to put on a real suit of armor. We have to help and encourage one another to suit up and then, together, we face our unseen enemy.

I didn’t grow up with any religious traditions so to me Easter was not as important as Christmas. After all, at Christmas we got some nice stuff.

At Easter it was hollowed out chocolate eggs.

So I understand that most people don’t go out of their way to celebrate Easter too much except, perhaps, to have a meal with family and friends (still, nothing like Thanksgiving and Christmas in the memories of my childhood days).

But it isn’t all bad to come awake to the meaning of Christmas and Easter as they relate to Jesus the Messiah and Son of God because the real story as recounted in Scripture is much deeper, more nuanced, and perpetually practical than I could at first imagine.

In other words, I’m still annually uncovering more to the story.

This time around I am seeing in the statements of the High Priest and other Pharisees something quite remarkable but generally overlooked.

It seems to me that every word they uttered throughout the gospels were fulfillments of prophecy.

They weren’t lying blatantly — which means there are something deeper truths in what they were saying.

As an example of what I’m attempting to point out, let’s look at the plot to kill Jesus as found in the following passage from John’s gospel.

So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all.

Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”

He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.

John 11:47-53 (ESV)

The Pharisees and the High Priest—particularly Caiaphas—justified their plot against Jesus by arguing that his death would prevent greater disaster for Israel.

This statement, is politically quite pragmatic and sadly common to the thinking of many politicians and leaders today. At one level it seems wise and yet it is both the twisting of deeper moral laws mankind has known for millennia.

On the surface, their reasoning seems grounded in the volatile reality of Roman-occupied Judea. Jesus’ growing influence, through his teachings and miracles, risked being seen by the Romans as a revolutionary threat.

Given Rome’s brutal record of quashing dissent—as later seen in the Jewish-Roman War (66–70 CE) and the destruction of Jerusalem—the religious leaders believed that eliminating Jesus would prevent a larger crisis.

Ironically, to come to this conclusion they had to discount everything their eyes had witnessed up to that point. They were not kept in the dark when it came to Jesus’s very public ministry.

But there was more to their words than even they could understand at the time.

God was using them, including their dark hearts, for his own purposes.

As John 11:51–52 explains, Caiaphas unwittingly spoke prophetically: Jesus would die not only for Israel but to gather and redeem all of God’s children.

The religious leaders acted out of fear they would lose their authority, status, and control over the temple system. (Recall how Jesus challenged their practices by cleansing the temple in John 2:13–16 and during the Passover week as described in the other three gospels). Their concern wasn’t justice or truth but self-preservation. They manipulated the law, sought false witnesses (Matthew 26:59–60), and conspired with Roman authorities—all to silence a perceived threat.

Their justification masked deeper motives: envy, fear, and the desire to maintain power. By framing Jesus’ death as a necessary sacrifice for the nation, they cloaked their betrayal in the language of political necessity, distorting justice for personal and institutional gain.

It sounds like I plucked this story right out of today’s headlines doesn’t it?

Thanks for reading my reflections.

Share Dr. Ben Young's The Still Point Project

Where did the meaning of Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey come from?

One clear answer comes from the second to the last book in the Old Testament, the book of Zechariah.

He lived about six hundred years before the quoted verse below was fulfilled.

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!

Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king is coming to you;

righteous and having salvation is he,

humble and mounted on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Zechariah 9:9 (ESV)

When Jesus rode into the city sitting on a little recently born donkey it symbolized that (1) he is a conquering king and (2) he is coming to bring peace.

Another important quote from this prophet is verse 10 in Chapter 12.

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.

Zechariah 12:10 (ESV)

A much different mood will come in less than a week on the day now designated as Good Friday. And as just stated, it will be a mixture of grace and bitter mourning.

Let’s say I know I was right about something I did or said but the other one or many took it completely wrong.

They weren’t thinking clearly and possibly had it in for me and that’s why they did what they did.

And when they did the heartless deed or said those life-killing words, I was left devastated and humiliated.

Years passed and eventually I regained my footing and pressed on to have a pretty good life — of course, no thanks to what happened a long longtime ago.

Well, actually I do give this event a little credit because I did use it as one of the key motivating memories to fuel my quest to find myself and succeed in life.

I overcame a lot I think and this event of long ago has been one of those defining stories I pull out and share, but not so much with others anymore.

This is because I found some who have grown tired of hearing it.

So now I mostly recount it to myself.

I stage it as a play and see the different actors perform their lines.

Of course I’m the star in the show because it’s about me and from my perspective.

Since then something else has also happened to me.

I have found that even though I have much to be grateful for, I don’t always feel it.

Sometimes I look back with some sadness and regret because overtime I have come to realize that I didn’t know the whole story.

I still don’t and likely never will.

This doesn’t change the events that did occur and that I did experience, but it does go to show that time is often the necessary ingredient necessary to come to a healthier perspective on who I am, who they are, who God is, and what the purpose for living is really all about.

Recovery from past emotional trauma takes time, often a lifetime, but this doesn’t mean it will.

Sometimes people who seek to feel and behave better can find it possible to get a long way down the recovery path quickly — although I do not believe in this life the process will ever be over.

I will always have the occasional sad moment or the knee-jerk selfish resentment crop up.

However, I can learn to stop hugging my favorite resentments and stop feeding off the fuel of unrighteous indignation.

One final thought. Sometimes the one we are most angry with is us.

You see, the particular person doesn’t matter in the end.

What does matter is always my response because this is all I have been given to control.

And my best option is to give all resentments over to God, and to continue to do this as often as it takes for me to let it go.

Serenity follows.

Of late, I have been thinking about something Paul wrote the Ephesians and it shows up late in his letter. He starts with the word (at least in my English translation) “finally,” which is a hint he is about to wrap things up. “One last thing,” he might have put in his letter to us.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Ephesians 6:10

Okay Paul. Exactly how were his readers then as well as us today to do this?

How does God’s strength and might get into us?

Let’s keep reading.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

Ephesians 6:11

The last couple of posts have been on this subject — the idea of clothing — the need for it, in fact.

Paul tells us to wear God’s armor.

In other words, we are not to trust in our own strength and might regardless our physical physique, strong or puny.

This isn’t Iron Man’s suit we build and control.

We put on a suit of armor that enables us to get into the battle as witnesses to be able to see God fight on our behalf.

We aren’t passive because he is calling us to suit up for the battle, but we can’t defeat this particular enemy in our own strength ever.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:12

So if today you have a beef with other people and you get into conflicts without putting on God’s armor, you are missing this timeless truth.

They are not yours or my real problem. It goes much deeper than that.

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:11-12 (NLT)

We are instructed to put on armor. Yes. It’s a metaphor. Don’t go shopping for a metal medieval suit.

So what was the Apostle Paul’s point?

We need to be covered.

We need to walk spiritually protected.

As there are weaker parts of the human anatomy, there are places of human spiritual vulnerability as well — and it is a mistake to ever believe that one day we won’t need God’s protection and strength.

Also, note we aren’t told to put on just one thing. We aren’t to pick and choose, thinking we know what exactly we will need in the spiritual conflicts of our lives, both present and future. It isn’t about style and flexibility, as if we can adapt or blend into current societal norms.

Anyone walking around today in a suit of armor will stand out. They cannot hide.  At the same time they, unlike those around them, are uniquely protected — something the world is not capable of really understanding, no matter how smart in general they might be.

Finally, note that we are told who our true enemy is and who he is not.

Human beings are not our enemies in and of themselves.

Human beings captured by evil lose their autonomy.

They are slaves.

The true enemy is further back and hidden in darkness. Back there are “evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world… mighty powers in this dark world, and… evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Bad hombres.

Let’s consider what this last one, about “spirits in heavenly places” is telling us.

It is indicating that evil sometimes comes as if it is God himself or one of his angels of light.

It’s the oldest trick in the book and still amazingly effective because it messes with our most necessary connection for strength, power, and stability as we live in this usually tranquil-appearing world.

It is the false message to trust ourselves and remove our bulky annoying restrictive embarrassing armor. It is the sweet and gentle whisper that we don’t need old religion and stodgy stupid people in places like church. We have what we need to go it alone.

Borrowing from today’s warfare terminology, we might call this scheme one of the devil’s psycho-spiritual operations.

It’s intent is to capture and destroy without revealing that a war is even taking place.

Yes it has something to do with adapting to the climate.

And yes, the skin is sensitive and vulnerable to scrapes, cuts, and other injuries.

Also there is a societal argument that we display our power and authority through clothing selection.

All well and good.

None of these are the primary reason we wear clothes.

We wear clothes to protect our own modesty.

It feels uncomfortable not to.

I think shyness, embarrassment, and modesty are behavior brakes.

They stop us hopefully at least long enough to consider our ways before we make some big mistake.

You might say as well that humility is modesty of the mind.

Humility is the admission of personal weakness and is designed to turn us back toward God, or at least seeking him.

If we do choose humility, we are more inclined to walk with less pride and arrogance.

That’s a good and life-extending thing.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Philippians 2:4-7 (ESV)

I found this interesting quote by the Greek philosopher Plato.

This City is what it is because our citizens are what they are.

Note that he didn’t say politicians.

I think we are finding that a republic, which is the representative form of government we in the USA have, is as good or corrupt, not as its politicians, but as its people are. That would include me.

It is our job to hold the politicians accountable. And we are finding this isn’t easy, especially when we come so late to the games being played.

If my city is doing poorly — which is the part of the society that I physically see and walk in, then there is something wrong in me. That’s a tough pill to swallow, but then I can’t swallow pills for anyone else, at least not safely.

For the most part and for the most people, the sin is one of omission more than commission.

This means my problem has more to do with complacency than complicity.

I am willing to accept a level of mess in myself and justify it by noting that at least I’m not as bad as someone else, not realizing that this is proof that I am as bad as it gets.

It is the willfully blind that are the biggest problem.

Things mostly don’t change because most people don’t really care.

Now we can always say that it is impossible to fix everything and I agree. But it is very doable to struggle internally in order to find a few challenging tasks to take on, like cleaning my room.

According to his website, “Muller completed a degree in Engineering Physics from Queen's University in Canada, and a PhD in physics education research at the University of Sydney. The topic of his thesis was ‘Designing Effective Multimedia for Physics Education.’”

As of the posting of his web information, he has over 8 million subscribers and almost a billion views.

Today I would like Dr. Muller to show you some of the micro-machinery of your body.

For me, I am in awe of God’s creative power.

Dr. Muller has a slightly different perspective.

He is amazed at the scientists who figured all this out. I do agree their work is impressive and important but not nearly as impressive and important as what is going on in your body every second of your life. Oh, and it’s happening in single-celled organisms as well.

You are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made.

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I am still with you.

Psalms 139:13-18 (ESV)

I remember hearing this as a kid.

It’s been around quite a long time.

It has simply to do with the people we meet and the books we read.

That’s it?

What a simple and profound thought.

Now I have read my share of motivational books and listened to my share of motivational speakers, and I really have nothing against them and their desire to help me become a better person.

I think it is nice if you wish this for me and I wish this for you as well.

Where I fear it can go off track is that you and I might think we will improve who we are by what we do only. No need for anyone else.

It’s a subtle point so allow me to be blunt.

You can’t change yourself.

Yes you can try, but even if you succeed it will likely come with some undesirable side effects — like arrogance and pride.

Sure, on the one hand you must decide to read and listen to other people smarter than you, but on the other hand your change will come through what they teach you. Otherwise you stay in your ignorance attempting to change the junk in your head with the junk in your head.

It has to do with how we go about trying to do improve ourselves. If we attempt to do this in our own strength then we will find ourselves losing joy, peace, and love in the end.

But on the other hand, if we submit ourselves to God’s will and allow him to direct our paths we will achieve more than we can hope or imagine while, at the same time, remaining grounded and connected with those we love and who love us.

So let me and another simple and profound truth to the one above.

You were given your life. It’s a gift to you and intended as a blessing to others

Once we true take this to heart, we begin to stop making everything about what we want and what makes us happy. And once we learn to do this we then begin to find the elusive peace and happiness that seemed to be missing completely in all our previous selfish striving.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?

Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

You desire and do not have, so you murder.

You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.

You do not have, because you do not ask.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.

You adulterous people!

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

But he gives more grace.

Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:1-6 (ESV)

Laughter and tears affect hormones and other brain signals in ways we still do not understand.

As Grok puts it,

Both laughter and crying activate the limbic-motor axis, linking emotion to physical expression, and engage the autonomic nervous system (laughter via sympathetic arousal, crying via parasympathetic calming).

They release endorphins, shifting brain signals toward a post-event calm (higher alpha, lower beta). Socially, both leverage mirror neurons, syncing group brain activity in contagious laughter or empathetic crying.

New studies seem to indicate that emotions are even linked to the healing of some allergies. In fact this has lead to a new area of study called Psychoneuroimmunology. I’ll leave it there

Also, we know that hypnosis is able to reduce and even eliminate the brain’s ability to feel pain in subjects with cooperative natures.

These are just a few reasons why we are wise to continually work on our attitudes and stay as optimistic as we can, especially when life gets hard.

Part of relating with others involves humor. We are more likely to laugh to the point of tears around friends and loved ones when we are happy and relaxed. And part of being able to relax involves trust. It’s called “letting our hair down,” which is really funny if you don’t have much or any hair.

One of my favorite activities are board games, card games, dominos, anything that gets people around a table or in a circle for some silly activity that draws out our inner children.

And as already described above, the process recovery from grief needs to involve laughter and tears. Without these we will remain stuck and depression from the fatigue of cyclical poor thinking will take us further down a very dark path

So when you are in a tough place, don’t forget to laugh and cry.

And try not to hide when you do it, because this has been shown to improve brain clarity and calmness.

The same goes for getting enough sleep, down time and taking vacations.

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who, before you began speaking, already knew and understood the whole matter?

And rather than using this information to make you feel small or foolish instead opened up a way for you to obtain whatever it was you needed or longed for?

It could have been some gift you wanted for Christmas as a child, and as it turned out, the thing was already wrapped and under the tree.

The one you were speaking to already knew from observing you and from other sources what it was and moved to make it happen.

In a sense that’s the story of God and Bob Cratchit. (Scrooge was just an intermediary).

At the beginning of the story, poor Bob Cratchit longs for just a little more warmth, the warmth of just one more lump of coal, but he knows if he attempts to take one from Scrooge’s bin he will be fired.

Cratchit needs the job.

He has a family depending on him for their survival and so he warms himself as best he can from the single candle on his desk.

Scrooge knows Cratchit’s situation because he is the one who employs him.

So as Scrooge watches Cratchit’s behavior it and puzzles him how the man can be both destitute and cheerful on this dark and bitter cold night before Christmas.

Fast forward to the end of the story and we see Scrooge moving quickly to make things right with Bob, which results in improving the life and health of his crippled son Tiny Tim.

You might say that old Ebenezer has taken the final verse of Psalm 1 to heart.

for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1:6

God, as represented by the three spirits, came to show Scrooge his own past, present, and possible future through different Christmases he has lived and might live as a wicked man.

In contrast he also sees the life of a righteous man (Bob Cratchit) who may have been poor in material possessions but rich in a much more important way.

I think the story works because it reflects an important truth.

We are completely known.

In fact, we are known better than we know ourselves.

Our lives have been watched all along and even in difficult times, God has never taken his eyes off of us.

But it’s more than just the idea we are being coldly observed. It is that God is bending the universe to work in our favor.

I know it doesn’t seem this way at times but our stories are not finished.

There are more awesome chapters ahead.