SubscribeStar Saturday: God’s Judgment, Timing, and Provision

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Today’s post is a SubscribeStar Saturday exclusive.  To read the full post, subscribe to my SubscribeStar page for $1 a month or more.  For a full rundown of everything your subscription gets, click here.

On Wednesday, 4 March 2026 I led the men’s devotional, Master’s Men, at my church. Master’s Men meets the first Wednesday of each month, and men in the congregation take turns leading.

I wasn’t sure what to discuss, so I turned to a devotional my late paternal grandmother gave me many years ago. I flipped to the verses for 4 March, and it prominently featured James 5:10. The other verses emphasized how Christ Will Bear our burdens. Given that my wife and I are in the midst of moving while she’s finishing her residency and I’m entering the busiest part of the school year, that seemed like the natural direction to take.

However, as I dove deeper into James 5 itself, I realized there was so much more to discuss. I came away with a very different message (although it does, of course, touch upon how Christ Bears our burdens). The result is included below. —TPP

James 5 (NKJV)

Rich Oppressors Will Be Judged

1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you.

Be Patient and Persevering

7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

Meeting Specific Needs

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Bring Back the Erring One

19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

Lesson: God’s Judgment, Timing, and Provision

Let us pray.

The Book of James is, perhaps, one of the most challenging books of the New Testament. James does not pull any punches, but exhorts believers to be doers of the Word, not merely hearers of it in James 1:22—and to take joy in our strife and suffering in James 1:2.

Indeed, each chapter of this short book offers up warnings for the reader. James 2:20 tells us that “faith without works is dead.” James 3:1-8 always convicts me; I have set far too much ablaze with an unruly tongue in my life. James 4 cautions against pride and encourages humility, reminding us that we cannot boast about tomorrow because God Controls and Numbers our days.

I think part of the appeal of James, particularly for men, is that it calls us to action—that our faith, if it is true faith at all, will show itself through our actions. If the faith we claim we have is true, then our deeds will reflect our faith. We are not saved by works, but works are evidence of our faith. As Christ Says in Matthew 7:16a: “You will know them by their fruits.”

So it is that we come to James 5, the final chapter in this useful little book. This chapter strikes me as a culmination of everything before it. So much of James is a reminder of our own limitations as fallen, sinful humans, and how dependent we are upon Christ’s Grace. James 5 demonstrates this dependence upon Christ by emphasizing God’s Judgment, God’s Timing, and God’s Provision.

To read the rest of this post, subscribe to my SubscribeStar page for $1 a month or more.

Bandcamp Friday Returns for 2026 with 90% Off!

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Everything on my Bandcamp page is 90% off with promo code moving.  That means my entire discography is $9.21.

That means an individual album, like the popular Spooky Season IV, is just $1.

That’s thirty (30) releases for about $0.31 each.

Again, use promo code moving to get anything and everything for 90% off.

Today (Friday, 6 March 2026) is Bandcamp Friday, so Bandcamp waives their usual sales commission on any purchases.

Sure, streaming is great.  But we all know that what’s on a streaming platform today could disappear tomorrow.

Short of physical media, the best option is a lossless digital download that you own forever.

Also, most of my releases come packed with bonus material:  videos, original artwork, handwritten scores, finished scores, and more.

Those scores have real value:  a copy of the score for “Eight Chorales: Semicircles of Fourths” sold earlier this week for $4.99.  It’s included free when you purchase Math: And Other Delights (just $0.70 with promo code moving).

If you’re interested in supporting independent musicians and original composers, consider supporting my work with your Bandcamp purchase.

And don’t forget to use promo code moving for 90%!

Happy Bandcamp Friday!

—TPP

TBT^65,536: Nehemiah and National Renewal

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It’s interesting to consider that since I first wrote about Nehemiah in 2019, the concept of an overtly “Christian nationalism” has become more mainstream (or, at least, “mainstream” in the fringe circles of the Internet I inhabit).  What exactly “Christian nationalism” looks like or entails is unclear, but it’s a concept that sounds pretty sensible:  a predominantly Christian people should have a nation governed by broadly Christian principles.

Of course, the thorniness of the concept crops up as one enters the thickets and weeds of the particulars.  But isn’t that the case for any civic arrangement?  “Republicanism” and “democracy” are pretty broad terms that take on various permutations depending on the culture, peoples, and places that adopt them; America’s constitutionally-limited federal republic and Nigeria’s are pretty similar on paper, but vastly different in implementation.  The labels just give us a broad idea of the kind of government and civil society at play, not the detailed particulars.  As such, one could reasonably expect “Christian nationalism” to look quite different in, say, Italy than it would in the United States

Regardless, it certainly seems as though, in most states, tribes, kingdoms, empires, etc., throughout history, religion and government were inextricably intertwined.  If a nation-state is a collection of a particular people within a particular geographic region, it would make sense that their faith would play a major role in their political, cultural, and national decision-making.

It’s an interesting concept to ponder, and brings to mind a religious revival that resulted in a political revival for the ancient Israelites as they rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem under the faithful guidance of Nehemiah, who trust God deeply and fully.

With that, here is 6 March 2025’s “TBT^256: Nehemiah and National Renewal“:

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staten island ferry boat john f kennedy new york city

Guest Post: Sudo Nonym’s “The Man from Historical Accuracy” – Chapter 4

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The English writer Sudo Nonym, a regular over at Free Speech Backlash, sent yours portly a treasure-trove of fiction stories for readers here to enjoy.  Many of these stories have already run at FSB, but Tom, the proprietor over there, is cool about cross-posting and republishing, and I’m never one to say no to intriguing content—especially when someone else has done 90% of the work for me!

Also, he has two eBooks on Amazon (that’s an Amazon Affiliate link; I receive a portion of any purchases made through that link at no additional cost to you—TPP)!

But I digress.  Today’s story is the third chapter of a longer piece, The Man from Historical Accuracy.  The premise is simple:  a bureaucratic agency, Historical Accuracy, tweaks history to keep things trucking along as they should.

If you’ve missed previous chapters, you can find them here:

With that, here is Sudo Nonym with Chapter 3 of The Man from Historical Accuracy:

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Decluttering

The Portly Politico2 Comments

No new music today, readers.  I’m working on a piece for Koi Dance called “Sunrise: Variations on Grieg,” which (so far) combines flute, xylophone, and marimba to explore variations on the famous theme from Edvard Grieg’s “Morning Mood” from the Henrick Ibsen play Peer Gynt.  “Morning Mood” is probably track one, side one of Romantic Music’s Greatest Hits; everyone who has ever seen a Bugs Bunny cartoon has heard the piece:

Unfortunately, yours portly is pretty worn out and, despite my best efforts, I could not sustain composing last night.  Yesterday was a “marathon” of sorts for me.  The way my classes and lessons shook out, I was going nonstop from about 10 AM to around 6 PM without a break.  That’s after working Sunday for an open house at school and spending most of Saturday moving.

That is not to complain, but to explain—posts are going to be a bit sporadic (especially in terms of quality—gulp).  I’ll catch up on content for paid subs as soon as possible.  With the house closing approaching imminently, moving the last of my meager (but, it seems, endless) possessions into our new home is taking top priority.  Indeed, the plan is to take another load of stuff up to the new house after work tonight.

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Memorable Monday Morning Movie Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)

The Portly Politico2 Comments

Dr. Wife and I went to see the smutty literary adaptation of Wuthering Heights (2026) this weekend, not because Dr. Wife is into that kind of thing, but because there’s been so much buzz around the film, she wanted to be part of the cultural moment.  I was going to review that film today, but that’ll have to go on the backburner due to time constraints.

The quick version:  like all modern movies, it’s thirty minutes too long; the script is flabby and ponderous; and the middle act is basically just chick lit p-word smut.  It setup several ideas that never had payoffs.  It did have amazing sets and costumes, and the sense of bleak tragedy from the novel (which, to be clear, I haven’t read) was, according to my wife, there, even if the film took great liberties with the source material.

But I digress.  A piano student of mine brought in a little Mario doll he’s had since he was a baby.  He asked me at the end of his lesson to film a quick movie review of the 2023 hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie; I obliged:

That being the case, I figured I’d reblog this review of the film from 2023.

With that, here 22 May 2023’s “Monday Morning Movie Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)“:

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Lazy Sunday CCCXLXVIII: Imperial Ambition

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While I was focused on moving most of my junk to the new house (and yet, there’s more bric-a-brac left to move), the United States and Israel let loose the dogs of war against Iran.  In light of that, I thought I’d cast back to some posts from earlier this year about nationalism, imperialism, and the like.

Let Loose the Murph of War

This edition of Lazy Sunday is largely a rehash of Lazy Sunday CCCXLXIII: Empire, but I’m tossing in some spicy Mongol content, too:

Happy Sunday!

—TPP

More Moving!

The Portly Politico3 Comments

Moving is the gift that keeps on giving (or the ancient witch’s curse that lingers forever). Dr. Wife and I are back at it again.

The piano mover is loading up the piano and some larger furniture, and I’ve loaded tons of incidental stuff in my tiny 2017 Nissan Versa Note SV:

Loaded like a Baked Potato 🥔

SubscribeStar Saturday content is coming soon!

Happy Trails!

—TPP

Phone it in Friday CXXIV: YouTube Roundup CLXXXIV: Koi

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It’s been awhile since I’ve written an update on the koi pond.  Dr. Wife and I got busy with moving and the like, and the extremely cold weather meant the koi were in hibernation mode until relatively recently.

With warmer weather, the koi are finally starting to come up to feed, and it’s been delightful to see them.  I’m still hoping to get some Japanese Trapdoor Snails and to add some more rosy red minnows to the mix.

That said, I’ll have some more juicy koitent soon!  Indeed, today I’m looking back at some classic koi-related videos:

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TBT: Midweek Mongol Madness

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It’s my second consecutive year teaching World History (I taught it last school year for the first time since the 2011-2012 school year—whoa!), and I’m pleased to see that I’m two weeks ahead of schedule compared to where I was last year.  That’s likely due to having a bunch of my lessons done this year, so I’m not trying to pad out lectures with a bunch of riffing.

So it is that, as of the time of writing, I’ve just covered the Mongols in detail (minus a couple of slides before we talk about medieval Japan).

The Mongols are wildly fascinating, in part because they were wild—nomadic horsemen who would drink the blood of their horses when they were low on supplies; wore silk underwear that served as protection against arrows; and would switch horses mid-ride, spending as much as ten days in their saddles.  Under Genghis Khan, they spilled an immense amount of blood, slaughtering an estimated 40,000,000 (that’s forty million) people, equivalent to low-end estimates of those who perished in the Second World War.  Again, these are estimates—numbers from the thirteenth century aren’t necessarily reliable—but that comes to roughly 13% of the global population at the time.  Indeed, while writing these numbers, they seemed fantastically large; I had to go back and consult my World History textbook (that’s an Amazon Affiliate link; I receive a portion of any purchases made through that link, at no additional cost to you).

Genghis Khan’s conquests, as well as those of his successors, brought an odd peace, the Pax Mongolica (also an Amazon Affiliate link), to Eurasia for about 100 years.  It was the peace of the graveyard, as so many people were killed in the course of these invasions, there was no one troublesome enough left to cause a ruckus.  It also marked one of the few times in human history that a single political unit (sort of) controlled the great Eurasian steppes, allowing for the (alleged) journeys of Marco Polo and doubtlessly thousands of other unsung but intrepid merchants, missionaries, and explorers.

Naturally, the largest land-based empire ever to exist in the world could not long survive.  The Mongol Empire was probably never anything as such—a single, unified political unit—but more of an amalgamation of tribes, peoples, and regions swearing allegiance to the Great Khan.  After Genghis Khan’s death, the empire was divided into four khanates, with an ostensible Great Kahn ruling over the four, but with the regions going their own ways in practice.

Nevertheless, there is something captivating about the sheer scale of these conquests, and the way a nation of clannish, nomadic horsemen swept across the world, spreading their terrible fury and bloodlust as they went (and, it seems likely, the Black Death that would depopulate 25% of Europe).

Will another horde arise from the Eurasian steppes?  If so, let’s pray they fall far short of ambitious conquests of the Mongols.

With that, here is 5 March 2025’s “Midweek Mongol Madness“:

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