Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

• John 8:42-47

“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman?
    Or an image that teaches lies?
For the one who makes it trusts in his own creation;
    he makes idols that cannot speak.
Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’
    Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’
Can it give guidance?
    It is covered with gold and silver;
    there is no breath in it.”
The Lord is in his holy temple;
    let all the earth be silent before him.

• Habakkuk 2:18-20

“Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy’s will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys.”

• C. S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters

The quote from C. S. Lewis is from The Screwtape Letters.  When Screwtape mentions the “Enemy”, Screwtape’s enemy is God.  Satan is the father of lies. Thus, with a lot of Screwtape’s statements that are often quoted, you have to apply the opposite.  In this case, you do not.  Satan’s work is never more in doubt when we get a feeling of discontent, but we still hold true to our faith that “God really has this.”

God does have this.  Don’t forget that.

And when Satan calls you a failure, you are not a failure in God’s eyes, if you have God in your heart.  I could go on.  I told my next to last boss that my motivation my entire life was to hear my mother say, or a boss say, “Job well done.”  My boss said, “Good luck ever hearing that from me.”  But he had asked me what motivated me, knowing that times were tough that year and I would not be getting a pay increase.  And he was wondering why I was working so hard and taking unpaid work home with me.  Saying those three words cost him nothing, but he refused.  I never heard those words from my mother, but I pray that God will say those words when I get to Heaven.  Could I have done better?  Yes, we all could, but my desire is to please God.

And Satan’s desire is for us to disappoint God.  He is the father of lies.

What brings this up?

Willie Nelson’s latest hit song is a Screwtape Letter, of sorts.

The sun is filled with ice and gives no warmth at all
And the sky was never blue
The stars are raindrops searching for a place to fall
And I never cared for you

I know you won’t believe these things I tell you
I know you won’t believe
Your heart has been forewarned all men will lie to you
And your mind cannot conceive
Now all depends on what I say to you
And on your doubting me
So I’ve prepared these statements far from true
Pay heed and disbelieve

• Wilie Nelson, I Never Cared for You

In this world of everything being upside down, he is telling the listener that the sun is warm, the sky is blue, and I have always loved you.

But he lies.  He says the opposite and then ends the verse with “Heed and disbelieve.”

Do like you have to often do in reading Screwtape.  What is good for Screwtape and his nephew with whom he is writing the letters… What is good for them is bad for us.  We have to “heed and apply the opposite.”

It is dangerous ground.  Writing in double-negatives confuses people.  But in a way, Willie Nelson is showing the people in power today that others know they are lying.  They heed and they disbelieve.  But when we are teaching love, we need to make the words clear.

But Willie Nelson is saying that the one listening is so predisposed, they cannot hear the message clearly.  They cannot understand the truth.  Thus, they must “heed and disbelieve.”

The ninety-year-old Willie Nelson can still play the guitar.  The lyrics do not start until 2:30 into the recording.

The song is both haunting and beautiful.

Please, heed God’s call and believe, before you no longer can understand the truth.

God loves you, and He always has loved you.

And regarding the title, apply Willie Nelson’s “heed and disbelieve” for I love you, too.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.