There’s a popular meme, usually featuring one of the many paintings created over the centuries illustrating John 2:13-17 (or Matthew 21:12-13, or Mark 11:15-17, or Luke 19:45-46). The meme’s text reads, “If anyone ever asks you, ‘What would Jesus do?,‘ remind them that flipping over tables and chasing people with a whip is within the realm of possibilities.”
I’ve quite reached my limit of tolerating not liberals per se, as I have family and inseparable friends who live on the other side of the aisle. Instead, it is when self-satiated “progressives” relentlessly churn out the most vile, lie-filled bilge imaginable aimed directly against whoever dares to think differently. Or think period.
It is in this spirit of having reached the limits of my patience that I offer the latest episode of my Cephas Hour podcast. Amid songs chosen for both their artistic quality and deep messaging, there is commentary addressing how the God scoffers among us use the tragedy of the 2025 Kerr County, Texas flooding and the cloying self-righteous postering by Christian music industry people who have no hesitation simultaneously condemning former DC Talk and Newsboys singer Michael Tait for his horrific sins while failing to see their wallowing in pride’s mudpuddle as they regularly slander conservatives.
You can listen to the podcast on demand at its website (https://cephashour.com/2025/07/05/cephas-hour-episode-141-release-date-july-5-2025/) or wherever you get your podcasts other than Spotify. I hope you enjoy it, and thank you.
As I record this episode on July 5, 2025, parts of Texas are reeling from the effects of torrential rainstorms, causing flash flooding that has sadly taken the lives of dozens. Most tragic is how the floods devastated a Christian girls’ camp, with many of the campers either dead or presently unaccounted for.
It is impossible to envision a pain more devastating than the loss of a child. This world’s cares and concerns immediately fall into insignificance when compared to such sorrow. At such a time as this, we are all reminded of humanity’s puny nature when nature’s forces rear their often ugly head. We see, or at least ought to see, how the fragile nature of our lives should always drive us into the arms of a loving Savior Whose substitutionary death on the cross and triumphant rise from the dead promises us that which we can never deliver for ourselves. Namely, eternal life and love.
The scoffers will scoff at such moments, snidely asking why the God of love allowed innocent little girls to drown and families to suffer. Christ’s words indirectly, yet forcefully, rebuke such silliness.
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”
As David wrote in Psalms:
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
It also behooves us to remember that even as we tremble and melt in the face of nature, so nature itself trembles and melts in the face of the Almighty God. We fear the wind, rain, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other forms of natural wrath. How much more so ought we fear the One Who created, and will in time dismiss, such forces? Yet He protects and loves us. Not always in the ways and manner we would prefer. But always in His perfect way, looking forward to the life everlasting.
For the past several weeks, the Christian music industry has been rocked for all the wrong reasons by a set of allegations made against former DC Talk and Newboys singer Michael Tait. The charges include alcohol and drug abuse, along with heinous sexual abuse and assault that, if true, should result in the arrest and imprisonment of multiple parties.
Given that even though I walked away from the Christian music industry in 1994 only to return 11 years later as an independent writer and podcaster for the music and artists I love, something detailed in my book, I do know people still in the business and therefore have a perspective regarding the handwringing and tut-tutting presently taking place in the industry. The first is that there are no secrets in the business. Even as we mocked the Hollywood elite who feigned surprise and indignation when the truth about Harvey Weinstein became public, so one should look askance at Christian music industry people who claim they had no idea what was transpiring. Did everyone know? No. I didn’t. However, many did, and for whatever reason, they chose to remain silent.
My second thought is that I am somewhat less than inclined to entertain the wailings and indignation of people in the business ripping on what has been going on when they author statements such as this:
And this friendly reminder on primary day: If you're a Christian voting for Donald Trump, you've either lost your faith or lost your mind.
Thanks, Steve.
Finally, God neither condones sin nor passes out Get Out of Jail Free cards as though life were some form of cosmic Monopoly. There is no such thing as cheap grace, and there is no escaping the consequences of our actions in this world. He does forgive the penitent, and He does work mighty deeds through the most frail and flawed people imaginable. Now is the time to throw away our self-righteous indignation, respect the truth in the truism that there but for the grace of God go I, and remember that when Paul wrote to the Romans that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, all means just that — all.
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