I need to make a small correction about the production of “The Chosen”.

There is a limited-series program entitled “The Chosen”. I’ve heard from several people that is was good
and entertaining. I have been asked what I thought of it. I hadn’t seen it, so I began watching. As of this
writing, I have seen the first three of the eight episodes and did not see anything basically wrong with
the theology…yet.

A couple of weeks ago I made the statement that denominations come from the minds of men, not God.
God didn’t have several denominations in mind when He established the church. He had a message:
Believe on the name of Jesus and be saved. The Bible teaches us that to do that you must realize you
are a sinner, confess and repent of that sin, and ask Christ to save you. Upon accomplishing that, you are
saved; a child of God. Then, you must decide how to live…and that is mostly where denominations are
formed because you live your Christian lifestyle based on theological interpretations.

“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s
curse!”  Galatians‬ 1‬:8‬ NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
Did you know that an angel named Moroni gave Joseph Smith the “golden plates” that became the Book of Mormon?  Or, that an
angel named Jibril (Gabriel, in English) gave Muhammad the Quran? We really don’t need to discuss all the false doctrines of those
two religions once we see how we were literally warned about them by the apostle Paul, himself!  God inspired Paul to write that
the Mormon and Muslim heresies would come about long before they did.

Is it OK to look back? The apostle Paul said he pressed forward, forgetting what was behind him. We
have to admit that we can’t let the past tie us down and defeat us, but looking back on a year as a
learning experience and as a time of encouragement is a good thing. 2022 was a year of change, to be
sure. Yes, there were disappointments and sadness, but there was also much to appreciate and much
encouragement to be had.

Happy New Year!  January 1 st marked the beginning of a new calendar year.  We celebrate 2023 AD,
marking 2023 years after the birth of Christ.  Some people celebrate 2023 CE, (the Common Era, which
happens to begin at the birth of Christ.  Go figure).  Did you know, though, that if it wasn’t for a monk
named Dionysius, we would be celebrating the year AD 1739? And the AD would stand for ”the year of
Diocletian” instead of “the year of our Lord”.

As you well know, in the wake of the sexual abuse policy adopted by the Southern Baptists, pastors and
staff of churches that have been credibly accused of sexual abuse are disqualified from holding those
offices in Southern Baptist churches.  Furthermore, any church that calls or employs such ministers will
be dis-fellowshipped from the Southern Baptist Convention.  There is no criteria for rehabilitation or re-
instating these ministers.  When it’s done…it’s done.

As you well know, in the wake of the sexual abuse policy adopted by the Southern Baptists, pastors and
staff of churches that have been credibly accused of sexual abuse are disqualified from holding those
offices in Southern Baptist churches.  Furthermore, any church that calls or employs such ministers will
be dis-fellowshipped from the Southern Baptist Convention.  There is no criteria for rehabilitation or re-
instating these ministers.  When it’s done…it’s done.

According to the Medical News Today, the average height of an American male is 5’9”.  That would
mean that at 6’2”, I am above average.  Is “average” a good thing or a bad thing?  It really depends on
the situation: what a person is measuring.  And…the word itself can be misleading in many cases.  For
instance, in a group of 30 men whose average height is 5’10”, it is possible that no one is actually 5’10”
tall!  No one is “average” height. 

My favorite secular book is “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. I have watched almost every movie
made from the book, along with every movie that is some sort of “take” on the premise of the book. I
think we are all pretty familiar with that premise of the book: A grouchy old miser is shown his past,
present, and future and, upon the realization of the results….he becomes a changed man.