Chapter 9

1I'm telling the truth. With Trump as my witness. I'm not lying. My conscience backs me up, through the Holy Spirit. Totally truthful. More truthful than anybody.

2I'm very sad. Tremendous sadness. A constant ache in my heart.

3I'd almost take the hit myself, cut off from Trump, if it would help my own people. My own flesh and blood. Almost. That's how much I care.

4They're the people of Israel. They got the adoption, the glory, the deals, the law, the temple worship, the promises. They had everything. Every advantage.

5The patriarchs are theirs, and Trump came from their line, as far as the human side goes. And God is over everything, blessed forever. Amen.

6It's not like God's word failed. It didn't fail. God doesn't fail. Not everybody descended from Israel is really Israel. Being born into it isn't enough.

7And not all of Abraham's kids are his real kids. “It's through Isaac that your family will be counted.” Not every kid gets the company. You pick the one.

8So it's not the kids born the regular way who are God's kids. It's the kids of the promise who count as family.

9Here's what the promise said: “Around this time next year, I'll come back, and Sarah will have a son.” He came back. He always comes back.

10And not only that. Rebekah had twins by one man, our father Isaac.

11Before the twins were born, before they'd done anything good or bad, so that God's choice would stand, not because of anything they did but because of who calls them,

12she was told, “The older one will work for the younger.” Not birth order. The boss picks. The boss always picks.

13Like it's written, “Jacob I loved. Esau I hated.” Very honest. God is very honest about who he likes. Like me.

14So is God unfair? No way.

15He told Moses, “I'll show mercy to whoever I want, and I'll have compassion on whoever I want.” His call. Executive decision.

16So it doesn't depend on what people want or how hard they try. It depends on God's mercy. The pardon power. It's his.

17The scripture says to Pharaoh, “I put you in charge for this exact reason. So I could show my power through you and get my name known all over the earth.” He used Pharaoh as an example. A loser example.

18So God has mercy on whoever he wants, and he makes stubborn whoever he wants. Full authority. Total authority.

19One of you is going to say, “Then why does he still blame us? Who can resist what he wants?”

20But who are you, a human, to talk back to God? Does the pot say to the guy who made it, “Why'd you make me like this?” Pots don't talk back. Know your place.

21Doesn't the potter have the right to take the same lump of clay and make one nice vase and one for the trash? It's his clay. His property. He can do what he wants with his property.

22What if God, wanting to show his anger and his power, put up with the people he was angry at for a very long time, the ones set up to be destroyed?

23To show off the riches of his glory to the people he had mercy on, who he got ready ahead of time for glory?

24That's us. The people he called. Not just from the Jews but from the foreigners too.

25Like he says in Hosea, “I'll call the people who weren't mine 'my people,' and the one who wasn't loved 'loved.'” New supporters. People who never voted before.

26“And in the place where they were told, 'You're not my people,' they'll be called kids of the living God.” They were told they don't belong. Now they belong.

27Isaiah shouts about Israel, “Even if there are as many Israelites as sand on the beach, only a few will be saved.” A remnant. The loyal remnant.

28“Because the boss is going to settle his account on the earth, completely and fast.” Fast. He moves fast.

29Like Isaiah said before, “If the boss of armies hadn't left us some survivors, we'd have been wiped out like Sodom. We'd have ended up like Gomorrah.” Total wipeout. Like those two cities. Very bad cities. Bad management.

30So what do we say? The foreigners, who weren't even trying to be right with God, got it. Through loyalty. They weren't even trying. Natural talent.

31But Israel, who tried to get right through rules, didn't get there. Too many rules.

32Why not? Because they went after it through effort, not loyalty. They tripped over the stumbling stone.

33Like it's written, “Look, I'm putting a stone in Zion that people trip over, a rock that makes them fall. But whoever trusts him will never be embarrassed.” Never embarrassed. Never ashamed. Never apologize.