A Miracle or Three

 

 

Miracles?

 

have always been a source of fascination and controversy, stirring up debates among believers and skeptics alike. The parting of the Red Sea, one of the most well-known miracles in Biblical history, is a prime example of this dichotomy.

 

According to the biblical account in the book of Exodus, the Israelites were fleeing from Egypt under the leadership of Moses when they reached the shores of the Red Sea, with Pharaoh's army hot on their heels. In a moment of desperation, Moses raised his staff and the waters of the sea miraculously parted, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry land. However, when the pursuing Egyptian army attempted to follow, the waters came crashing back down, drowning them all.

 

For believers, the parting of the Red Sea is a powerful demonstration of God's power and protection over his chosen people. It is seen as a miraculous intervention that saved the Israelites from certain death and paved the way for their eventual freedom and journey to the promised land. The story is often cited as a testament to the faithfulness of God and a reminder that nothing is impossible for Him.

 

On the other hand, skeptics and critics have long questioned the plausibility of such a miraculous event. Some argue that natural explanations, such as a very strong wind, or the story relates to the Reed Sea or a low tide, could have caused the waters to recede temporarily, allowing the Israelites to cross. Others suggest that the story is a myth or legend, embellished over time to inspire awe and devotion among believers.

 

The controversy surrounding the parting of the Red Sea highlights the larger debate about the nature of miracles and the role of faith in interpreting them. For some, miracles are tangible evidence of divine intervention in the world, a sign of God's presence and power. For others, miracles are mere coincidences or natural phenomena that can be explained through rational means.

 

Ultimately, the interpretation of miracles such as the parting of the Red Sea is a deeply personal and subjective matter. Believers may find comfort and strength in the miraculous stories of their faith, while skeptics may remain unconvinced by such accounts. Regardless of one's beliefs, the debate over miracles serves as a reminder of the complexity and mystery of the divine, and the enduring power of faith to inspire wonder and awe.

 

See Red ?

 

 The parting of the Red Sea is

 

 

A well-known event that has sparked much debate among scholars and religious groups for centuries. This miraculous event, as depicted in the Bible, is said to have allowed the Israelites to escape from the pursuing Egyptian army by walking through the parted waters. Many view this event as a powerful display of divine intervention and a testament to the strength and obedience of Moses’ faith.

 

Despite the awe-inspiring nature of the story, some sceptics question the plausibility of such a phenomenon occurring. Scientists and historians have proposed various theories, including natural explanations such as strong winds or a tsunami, to explain the parting of the Red Sea. However, for believers, the miraculous aspect of the event is what makes it so significant and enduring in Biblical teachings.

 

 Whether seen as a literal event or a symbolic representation of overcoming obstacles, the story serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring power of faith and the possibility of miracles in the face of adversity.

 

Rare Indeed!

 

 

Big Tech, Families, and the Role of Government   In a rare moment of bipartisanship, senators on both sides of the aisle have agreed that social media is not safe for teens, and that it’s time for the government to do something about it. Public concern about social media’s ill effects, especially on the mental health of teenagers, has been growing for years.

In 2018, sociologist Jean Twenge exposed that teens’ mental health has been in steep decline since 2012, the first year that the majority of Americans owned smartphones. In 2021, a series of articles in The Wall Street Journal exposed that Instagram fueled body image issues and suicidal ideation and that Facebook, despite knowing this, failed to do anything about it. That same year, a Congressional hearing featuring Facebook whistleblower Francis Haugen focused on these harms. In another congressional hearing last week called “Big Tech and the Child Sexual Exploitation Crisis,” lawmakers pulled no punches. “You have blood on your hands,” Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) said to the social media CEOs present at the hearing. And, at a post-hearing event at the Heritage Foundation, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) observed: For years, big tech companies have made empty promises about how they are going to address this rampant abuse, this malicious content, and the criminal activity that is on their platforms. What we have found out is, Big Tech is incapable of policing themselves. They’re incapable of putting together best practices, and they’re incapable of implementing that. They would rather go make money. Various members of the senate judiciary committee have introduced a number of bipartisan bills, each aimed at instituting a duty of care for social media companies to prevent and mitigate harms to minors. These bills would allow users to opt out of platforms’ algorithms and would require mandatory third-party annual audits to ensure that the platforms are carrying out these duties. Though every citizen should be wary of expanded government oversight, the conservative and libertarian commentators who have criticized lawmakers’ plans to regulate Big Tech as a threat to freedom are missing something essential about freedom. Near the end of his life, Chuck Colson often asked audiences, “Can freedom survive where virtue isn’t able to flourish?” The answer, of course, is absolutely not.   The darker impulses of human beings must be restrained one way or another. If citizens cannot govern themselves by self-discipline, a well-formed conscience, and a robust civil society, they must be governed by external forces, typically the state. The American model has historically deferred to the internal capacities of self-government. However, when companies and individuals either do not or cannot govern themselves, when they cannot resist the impulse to exploit others or say no to disordered passions, it is the responsibility of the government to step in. Such is the current state of social media. Big Tech has failed to prioritize the safety of its users, especially minors who, legally speaking, are not fully capable of governing themselves. Of course, it is the parents who hold the primary responsibility of protecting minors. However, when it comes to the seemingly unstoppable force of online influences, parents also need Big Tech to do far more. Of course, too many parents have failed to govern themselves and their homes when it comes to social media and the internet. As with teens, a mom’s mental health can strain under the constant pressure to curate “perfect” family pictures. Too many dads are as addicted to endless scrolling on Twitter or YouTube as their teens are. Given the potential harm for all involved, state regulation is more than justified. At the same time, families simply cannot wait for the government or tech companies to act. Families who want true freedom—both from the harms of social media and government micromanagement and for the kind of flourishing possible for young people—will need to cultivate the virtue that self-governing requires, both on and off the screen. In this digital age (and any age), the support of another pre-political institution is also required. Churches must catechize Christians into the practices of digital self-control and create communities where families can be supported in dialing back the reach of today’s technology. Without this virtue and support, both our kids and our freedoms may be lost.   This Breakpoint was co-authored by Jared Hayden. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.

 

True Fear.

Deep calls to Deep.

But you, you are to be feared!

Who can stand before you

when once your anger is roused?

From the heavens you uttered judgment, the earth feared and was still, when God arose to establish judgment, to save the humble of the earth.

A portion of Psalm 76.

Snippet

 

 

I’m encouraged by the signs of resurgence…

 But then I look deeper, beyond the façade of religiosity, the flurry of activity and the new $25 million sanctuary… What I see is a gap—often a chasm—between what the church is and what it ought to be. I see the disparity between what Christians say and what they do, between what they know and how they live, between what they promise and how much they fulfill.^[1]

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^[1] Sam Storms, The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Gifts ( page 7) .

 

A Pun or Ret

 

In the Christian faith,

 

 

Punishment is often viewed as retribution for wrongdoing, while discipline is seen as a means of correction and guidance. Punishment focuses on making the wrongdoer suffer for their actions, whereas discipline aims to teach, nurture, and help the individual grow spiritually and morally. Punishment is often associated with justice and consequences, while discipline is linked to love, forgiveness, and restoration. Ultimately, discipline in the Christian faith is about guiding individuals towards righteousness and helping them develop a closer relationship with God.