Humility and Thankfulness

A powerful reminder regarding the attitude and practice of thanksgiving is found in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5:
16Rejoice always,17pray without ceasing,18in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Having a thankful heart can produce some incredible fruit for the glory of God - the Bible directs us to bring praise to Him.  He promises to inhabit the praises of His people - so if we want to experience the presence of God and grow in our awareness of Him, our praise can cause that to happen.  And, our attitude is shaped by the thankfulness we display...if we give honor to the One who is the maker and sustainer of all things, the One who controls our lives, and if we are careful to acknowledge Him for all the benefits that He brings into our lives, we can find that we are living in a state of constant humility or dependence on Him.

We think together on this day before Thanksgiving on the goodness of God, who has brought us into a relationship with Himself.  In Psalm 140, we read:
6I said to the Lord: "You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.7O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.
And, later in the chapter, we are reminded that:12I know that the Lord will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor.13Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

I was reading Jerry Newcombe's excellent piece at WorldNetDaily earlier today as he shared about early Thanksgiving celebrations - we of course think about the 1621 Thanksgiving celebration at Plymouth, but he points out that two years earlier, in Jamestown, Virginia, Capt. John Woodlief declared on Dec. 4, 1619: “We ordain that the day of our ship’s arrival at the place assigned for plantation in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God.”

Newcombe points out that even though a number of its residents had died, eventually, providentially, Jamestown survived, and because of its permanency, the Pilgrims, a small group of Christian separatists, decided to settle in what they called “the northern parts of Virginia.” Hence, the voyage of the Mayflower in 1620, which they said was “for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith”.

Providentially, they were blown off course and were hindered from going south of Cape Cod.

The circumstances leading up to that Compact were rather dubious - there apparently was great unrest on the ship as it had encountered difficulty during its journey from England, and as Mark Ammerman points out at Christianity.com:

Shortly after these mutinous murmurings, a strategic meeting of the voyage's leaders took place in the captain's quarters. After prayer and much lively talk, Elder William Brewster dipped a quill in ink and began to write. The words he penned are now famous; at the time, they were simply the best reasoned efforts of a small group of English Separatists to stave off a mutiny while ensuring the common good...

Elder Brewster wrote: In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, having undertaken--for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith--a voyage to plant the first colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do solemnly and mutually in the presence of God, and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.

The entire ship's company was called together to hear it read aloud. Every man who signed the compact promised to obey the laws that would soon be made for their life together.

This Compact became the foundation for a system of government that has stood the test of time. Ammerman points out that "Once landed, the Pilgrims would need a sure form of government or there could be rebellion. If everyone didn't pull together for the common good, they might all starve in the wilderness. And so they came together in the captain's cabin, where (in the words of Winston Churchill) they 'drew up a solemn compact that is one of the most remarkable documents in history.'...

Forged in the fire of necessity, the Mayflower Compact was more a declaration of solidarity among the Pilgrims than it was a document of democracy. But in this brief charter, we have America's first written covenant for a society ruled by common assent and laws of its own making.  

So, on this Thanksgiving Day, we can remember to Whom we show appreciation.   We aren't paying homage to human effort and not celebrating how the Pilgrims thanked the Indians.  In our study of history, we see people who were dedicated to God, who followed a cause greater than themselves, pursuing a course of religious freedom - we celebrate values that are uniquely grounded in the Scriptures.   They had a vision for a system of laws that were centered on the Lord's principles and developed with sense of humility to Him and to one another.  Affirming God's sovereignty and human dignity, these early Pilgrims recognized that submission to Him and to each other was a powerful basis for living together effectively.

As you go into this Thanksgiving celebration, I would encourage you to think about a few things based on this visit to a powerful historical time:

First of all, take a few moments to thank the One who has made you, sustained you, and blessed you.  We would do well to do that individually, and maybe even collectively, as you reflect upon how God has shown up and shown Himself faithful in your life.   Indeed, God desires for us to come before Him with grateful hearts.

And, realize that humility is a powerful force, and we could all stand to be a little more humble.  As the Pilgrims approached land, disunity was setting in - they had been blown off course, and there were some that thought that the law of Virginia, where they were originally heading, did not apply to them any more.   There had to be a solution to bind the hearts of the people together - they recalibrated and humbled themselves before God and each other.  Perhaps, even in your Thanksgiving gatherings, where there might be some potential for tension, a surrendering to God and the demonstration of a gracious spirit may work to bring harmony.

Finally, we recognize that thanksgiving is way more than a once-a-year holiday or the occasional pronouncement of a blessing or two - it is a Biblical attitude of the heart, as we are called to be people of praise and worship to God.   If we exhibit appreciation to Him, it will greatly affect our spiritual growth, our outlook on life, and the way we relate to other people.   May we be challenged to be people of thankfulness.

The Bible: Real to You?

We find some challenging teaching by Jesus in Matthew chapter 10, where we see essentially his charge to those whom He was sending out.  Beginning in verse 32, we read:
32"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.33But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
Now, let's jump down to verse 38 - he says:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.39He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

I think it is very telling that He uses the word, "cross", here, because He is teaching these disciples to deny themselves, to die to self, and follow Him.  He would later die a brutal, physical death, which sends a powerful message to us about the surrendered life which we should be willing to live, rendering ourselves as dead to sin and alive to Christ, crucified with Him, so we could experience new life.  We are called to live in the reality of the resurrection.  This takes more than just mental assent or mere verbal agreement that we are a Christian - He calls us to walk by faith, so that His life is expressed through us.

In Acts 17, we see a brief account of the Christians at Berea, who are marvelous examples to us of people who embraced and emulated the reality of Christ:
10Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.11These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.12Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.

Calinfornia Pastor Caleb Kaltenbach made an alarming discovery recently when he noticed a Simi Valley Costco had labeled all its Bibles as “fiction”. A Religion Today piece stated that after several unsuccessful attempts to report the matter with store employees, the pastor snapped a photo of the Bible display and sent it to his congregation.

The story quotes Kaltenbach as saying to Fox News that, “People are pretty shocked and upset...We are supposed to be living in an era of tolerance, but what Costco did doesn’t seem too tolerant.”

Costco headquarters initially attributed the event to human error at the warehouse, but declined to comment further.  Reaction to the incident has been varied. Some Christians have responded with outrage, while others have asked that this not become a major incident. Other viewers have used the incident as a springboard to express their disbelief in religion, while still more have stepped forward to defend their faith.

When interviewed by Christian News, Costco had this statement:  “’Costco’s distributor mislabeled a small percentage of the Bibles; however, we take responsibility and should have caught the mistake. We are correcting this with them for future distribution,’ the company stated. ‘We greatly apologize for the error.’”

As for Kaltenbach, the pastor told CBN News that he believes the error was an honest mistake, though a very telling one.

"’I totally believe them," he said. "I believe it was a mistake. I don't believe there's some kind of evil genius behind the scenes, but I do believe it is telling where our nation is spiritually.’"

I agree - this is not an incident that should contribute to the narrative of our religious rights being disregarded. Some would say that it shows a lack of respect for Christianity, but I tend to think it was a matter of mislabeling.  However, I'd like to know if all the Bibles have been relabeled or removed from the shelves.

Well, we know there are some in our society today that believe the Bible is fiction - simply not true.  And, as we have opportunity, perhaps we can relate the truth about God and His Word to them.   The Bible tells us to be prepared to share the reason for the hope that we have, and as we trust in the Lord and as we have experienced His work in our lives - through the new birth and through ways that He is evident to us on a consistent basis - we can share our own personal story with those who do not know Him, who think the Word of God is fiction.  And, on an intellectual level, we can also have defenses for our faith in hand and mind in order to engage in discussion about the evidence for God.

Then you have others that say they believe the Bible, but act as if they do not.   And, that's a dangerous place for anyone.   I want to challenge each of us today to examine our lives - our behavior, as well as the thoughts and intents of our hearts - by the way that we act, do we confirm or deny that we believe the Bible is true?   Could you say that the Bible is actually fiction - for you?  If we adhere to the truth contained within the Scriptures and if God is alive in our hearts, then our lives will reflect the evidence of His presence. If our actions contradict the faith we say we have, then we have to make the choice to bring those two realms of faith and action into a place of consistency with one another.  Because God is real, then the reality of the risen Lord will be expressed through us - we can release the power of the Holy Spirit to transform every area of us - the regeneration of our spirits, the renewal of our minds, and the realization of the spiritual in the physical realm, in our bodies.

We Are One in the Spirit

1st Peter 3 gives us the admonition to strive for unity with one another - we can impact the culture for Christ better together than separately:
8Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;9not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

We have to be careful that we do not specialize in staying separated from each other as believers in Christ, because if we abide in division, then we short-circuit the power of God to impact our communities.   If we concentrate on what divides us, then we cannot show the light of Christ like He would intend.   But, if we focus on our love for Jesus and look for ways in which we can join hearts and hands together for the benefit of all, then we activate the Holy Spirit in our midst, and people will be drawn to the love and fellowship we express for one another.

In Ephesians 4, we see a passage that can help reinforce for us the concept that we are one with one another in the body of Christ:
4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Got to tell you - I had one of those "moments" on Saturday night - you know when the Holy Spirit just shows you something about our God or points something out to you about the nature of Christ.   I was exiting the Montgomery Performing Arts Center after a very special evening of worship with CeCe Winans. 
As I came out of the door to the auditorium and looked out at the hundreds who were leaving the concert, I saw people of different races who had been gathered in one place, worshipping one Lord, and enjoying a time with Him, sharing a common experience.  It just becomes so clear to me that it pleases the heart of the Father when His people come together.  And, for this real-life picture to be painted before me in Montgomery, in Alabama, which has had a rather infamous history of racial division, it just really touched me.
This was a rather fitting beginning, if you will, to the Christmas season in Central Alabama.   Because not only did we have an opportunity to sit and worship together, but during the holidays, there are those opportunities when we can serve together.  
This Thursday, there will be community outreaches by the scores across our area and throughout the nation, where people from a variety of cultural backgrounds can join hearts and hands to serve people less fortunate.   And, throughout the holidays, we become more sensitized to the needs of others, and as we focus on God and the gift of His Son and through Him, look for opportunities to serve, it brings people of faith together for a common purpose.   
If we're willing to put aside our differences and look to Jesus, what an amazing impact that we can have, and people who do not know the Savior will see the nature of true, sacrificial love.   We can choose to allow our differences to divide us and keep us apart, or we can learn to look beyond the externals - the color of our skin, the cost of our clothing, or the culture in which we grew up.  We then see that a heart full of Jesus is a heart that is connected to us.   Jesus said that if He is lifted up, He'll draw all men unto Himself.   We lift Him up as our hearts are open to His Spirit and as we bond with one another - the enemy would want to keep us divided and render us ineffective, but the Lord is calling us to accomplish great things for His kingdom - together!

Defining Moments and the Nature of Adversity

God is our ever-present help in time of trouble, and when we face adversity, even catastrophe in our lives, we can trust in Him not necessarily to bring us out, but to give strength to sustain us and even a greater sense of His presence.   Here is what James 1 says:
2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

I think we can all think back on times in our lives that became "defining moments" for us.   Some of those bring great joy - our day of salvation, our wedding day, the birth of a child or children, maybe a new job, moving into a new house - there are numerous ones like that.  And, I think it's helpful to rejoice in those times.

But, there are also those times that change the course of our lives that seem at the time to be catastrophic for us - the loss of a family member or close friend, the cessation of a relationship, the termination of a job.  But God is with us in all of it, and when we encounter those trials, we can press in closer to Christ and experience His joy - we can even have a thankful heart, not necessarily for trouble, but for what God will do in the midst of it.   As He develops patience in us, we can see His perfect work taking place, as He develops character in the refining fire of affliction.

Psalm 32 begins with a passage that can provide comfort and hope when we encounter tragedy and suffering:
(1) I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, And have not let my foes rejoice over me.2O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me.3O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.4Sing praise to the Lord, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.5For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

I can't say exactly what I was doing when the news came in 1963 - 50 years ago today - that President Kennedy had lost his life at the hands of an assassin in Dallas, Texas.   I was really too young to understand a whole lot - just a young lad of 4.  I do remember the wall-to-wall coverage and I think I felt it was an imposition on my regular TV-watching schedule.   But, in the years to follow, I've learned a bit more about the Kennedy assassination and its significance in our history.

There is definitely a "before" and "after" story here - while history has characterized the death of Kennedy as being the end of Camelot, truth is, the short Presidency of John F. Kennedy was anything but smooth.   The nervousness of the Cuban missile crisis, the botched invasion, the seeds of Vietnam, the shifting tides of civil rights - it was a challenging era. And, there were some political challenges that Kennedy faced - he wasn't particularly well-liked in Texas, and his political strategists thought that trip there would be helpful to his pending re-election campaign.

But, all in all, to me it seems that Kennedy was a larger-than-life character, or so history has defined him, and through his rhetorical skills and ability to connect with people, there was a sense of hope that seemed to circulate around him.

So, on November 22, 1963 - for some, hope died.  Things did change in America after the death of Kennedy - and not for the better, in some cases.   Vietnam was a big part of that, but the next few years brought a new morality, more of an "anything goes" mentality, and while we may not be talking about cause-and-effect necessarily, there was a marked shift that proceeded after that day.  But, I believe there was another mitigating factor in a decline of American morality in the 60's and since - I would contend that what took place on June 17 of that same year - the Supreme Court's decision that prevented school officials from conducting prayer and Bible reading in public schools.   That was a huge defining moment, as well.

I've been an observer of my share of those tragic and traumatic events throughout the years - we all have.   I was on the air when President Reagan was shot in Washington, attempting to bring information and clarity into a frightening situation.   And, I vividly remember the morning when I was informed in the Faith Radio studio that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center.   It was just a matter of minutes until I had to communicate to our listeners in light of the tragic events of that day.   I remember watching a huge tornado ravage Tuscaloosa and Birmingham just a few short years ago.

We have been observers of some of catastrophic events in our times.   And, while some would question God's hand in these unfortunate occurrences, we recognize that we live in a fallen world and tragedy will come.   We place our trust in a sovereign God who, even when we may not see His hand or understand, is present with us in times of trouble, and we can take comfort in that.  

And, we have times of adversity that will take place in our own lives, sometimes even catastrophic.   I believe that God's nature is to bring hope and restoration in the midst of tragic circumstances, and He will work in and through His people in the aftermath.   When we face those defining events in our lives, we can trust in the power and love of Almighty God, who will sustain us and remind us that He is there with us.  As we trust in His redemptive capabilities, we can experience God in a more powerful way.

Finally, we recognize that even though we may have encountered hardship in our lives, that we can learn from our trials, and as James promises, the trying of our faith will produce patience.  Through it all, God will strengthen us and develop character in us as we reflect on what He would have us to learn in trials.  James goes as far as to say, "count it all joy" - really?   When the burdens of loss, brokenness, and oppression come into our lives, Jesus wants to meet us there - not necessarily to remove the negative circumstances, but to walk with us and bring us through.   That's through, but He may not bring us out.   But, we can know that  He is there with us in the storms of life, and He has promised to provide peace.   When we suffer, we can run to God and experience His faithfulness as we trust in what He can do.

A New York State of Mind

In 1st Thessalonians 1, the apostle Paul is complimenting the church at Thessalonica, who were walking in the truth and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit:
5For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.6And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,7so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.

There are two words I wanted to key in on: word and power.   God's Word gives us direction in our lives - as we study the Bible and make it our aim to apply His principles in the way we live, then we will see His character expressed.  There's also the dynamic of the Spirit - He is our Teacher and our Helper - He brings the Word to life and helps us to make those applications.  If we are to truly experience spiritual growth and awakening in our lives, we need to study God's Word and to connect with His Spirit through prayer and obedience.

Paul ministered in the cosmopolitan city of Athens, where there was no small number of people who denied God.   Here's the account in Acts 17:
22Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;23for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
He goes on to teach the people that God has made Himself known...27so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;28for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

I've never been to New York City - been to Boston, Philadelphia, and D.C., but never the Big Apple.   Perhaps that will change one day.   But, this week, as the musical philosopher Billy Joel said, The Meeting House has been in a "New York State of Mind" - let me explain.

On Monday, Carol Cymbala, Director of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, was my guest - her husband, Jim, began the church back in the early 1970's.   Yesterday, Rick Hagans, who has preached at that church and has been involved with Times Square Church, founded by David Wilkerson, was on the program - Rick was a leader in the effort to help victims of Superstorm Sandy last year, coordinating the efforts of area churches. And, yesterday, Dr. Joe Savage of the University of Mobile discussed the 1857 revival that took place in the city, resulting in thousands coming to know the Lord.

And, this week, Joy Allmond, writing for Crosswalk.com traces the dynamic growth in evangelical Christianity in the city.   She says that over the recent decades—particularly this last one—New York has seen a surge in evangelicalism. Some cultural experts believe the Big Apple to be on the brink of another ‘Great Awakening.’

Gregory Thornbury, president of The King’s College—the only free-standing Christian institution of higher learning in New York City—compares this rise in Christianity to the the great Wall Street revival of 1857.

Allmond traces some of the growth that has taken place over the past few decades. For example, there's New York Fellowship, founded in the 1980's, which grew beyond the meeting of businessmen and extended its reach into the city. Chaplaincy to New York City’s professional sports teams began, along with ministry to the homeless and inner city youth.

New York also had other evangelical pioneers like the late David Wilkerson, whose heart was pierced for the gang members and drug addicts of New York. He moved there in the 60’s and began Teen Challenge, a ministry that is still considered successful today.

These ministries, and others, gained momentum and flourished over the next two decades.

As the 80’s came to a close, a man considered by many to be one of the most influential pastors of our time answered a call to New York City to start a church: Tim Keller planted Redeemer Presbyterian, hailed as one of the most vital congregations in New York City.

By that time, the abortion rate in New York City had skyrocketed. Through the planting of Redeemer, a need for a crisis pregnancy center was identified. Subsequently, Midtown Pregnancy Support Center was founded. Other Redeemer members saw the need for a classical Christian school in New York City. So, the Geneva School was formed. That brought families into the city that wanted their children to attend that school.

As the year 2000 neared, New Yorkers saw more than the turn of a new century; they found ways to intellectually examine faith.

The King’s College opened its doors in 1999, initially in the Empire State Building, placing the next generation of Christian thinkers in the hub of New York—and American—culture. This brought hundreds of young people to area churches.   In 2000, Eric Metaxas started Socrates In the City, a monthly forum that facilitates discussion around “the bigger questions in life.”

Then, you have 9/11, which Metaxas said, "...focused hearts on New York City...This caused a lot of people to move to the city and start churches and other ministries.”

Although a 2011 Barna survey has yielded mixed results about the impact of 9/11, you can't deny the growth spurt since then.   According to a report on the data on the ChurchLeaders.com website, worship attendance in New York City grew from 31 percent to 46 percent since the turn of the century, and Bible reading has increased from 29 to 35 percent. Even the number of unchurched—those who haven't attended a worship service in the past six months—has decreased eight points to 34 percent since 2000. Now, three out of every five poll respondents said their religious faith is very important in their lives. The nation's overall church attendance has decreased in the same time period, and only slightly more U.S. adults say their faith is very important to them.

NYCReligion.info reports on a a Values Research Institute study that says that forty percent of the evangelical Protestant churches in Manhattan were born after 2000, an increase of about 80.  During one two-month stretch in 2009, at least one Manhattan church was planted every Sunday.

The impact has been big on one scale and tiny on another. According to the institute's research, the percentage of New Yorkers in center-city Manhattan who identify themselves as evangelical Protestants has, since 1990, risen from less than 1 percent to 3 percent. In other words, the evangelical population has tripled.

This relatively small slice means that -- from an evangelical-Protestant viewpoint -- missionaries still consider the city's population an "unreached people group" when compared with other regions. Thus, in 2003 the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention pinned its "Strategic Focus City" label on New York, initiating a four-year project offering additional funds, volunteers and church-planting professionals.

It's impossible to tell this story without discussing the impact of 9/11, noted journalist Tony Carnes, who leads the Values Research Institute team. Rescue workers poured into New York City from across the nation, including volunteers from heartland churches not known for their affection for New York City.

"For the first time, to a large degree, important evangelical leaders realized that New York City was not what they thought it was," said Carnes. "They learned that you didn't need to walk down the street at night looking over your shoulder, worried that you were going to get shot. ...

Carnes also says that, "They also learned that there were already many evangelical churches here and that they were not weak, struggling and embattled. Many were strong, vital and growing."

Allmond relates that a post-September 11 New York City would see the emergence of many new churches, such as Journey in 2002, Trinity Grace in 2006, and Hillsong NYC in 2011—representing a wide variety of theological and worship styles. More parachurch organizations, like Q, have popped up. Founded by Gabe Lyons in 2007, Q exists to help church and cultural leaders engage the Gospel in public life.

We can be encouraged by what God is doing in New York City.   Churches are being planted by groups such as Redeemer Presbyterian, which has established congregations throughout the city.   And, churches from outside the Big Apple are going in to do ministry and start churches.   And, there are a few takeaways for us as we observe the activity.

First, don't be discouraged by the numbers.   When Jim and Carol Cymbala began to minister at the Brooklyn Tabernacle, they were in a dilapidated building and had less than 20 people attending.   The great revival of 1857 began with just a handful of people, and grew to 20 the second week, then 40, and the growth exploded.   Even with the growth in New York City, there is still plenty of room to grow - only 3% of the population of Manhattan identify as Protestant evangelicals.  

And, keep in mind that Jesus said that where two or three or gathered, he would be with them.   In an age when large churches and ministries so often get the spotlight, that doesn't mean that smaller works are insignificant.   A Hartford Institute for Religion Research study in 2010 showed that 59% of churches have less than 100 in weekly attendance.   There are great effectiveness in "small" - and even in larger churches, much of the vitality is in small groups.   Sometimes God will bring dynamic growth to certain ministries, according to His plan, but He is calling each of us to be faithful.

And, remember, God desires to work in the hearts of His people.   He is calling us to come into a saving knowledge of Christ and to grow in His grace and knowledge.  Each day, we can evaluate whether we are moving forward in our spiritual journey or standing still - of course, there's really no such thing as being static in the Christian life.  If we are complacent, that means we are in real danger of being swept away by the cultural tides.   New York's spiritual renaissance should be a great indicator to us that where His people are seeking His face, He will show up in their midst.    C.S. Lewis, writing about the Messianic figure in The Chronicles of Narnia, said "Aslan is on the move".   We acknowledge that our God is on the move - question is, are we moving with Him?

Under God: Our Position

In 2nd Peter 3, the writer encourages us to continue in our steadfastness and devotion to Christ.  Verse 14 says:
14Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless...
Then, in the final 2 verses of the book, Peter gives this admonition:17You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. 
Jesus teaches us to abide in Him, and Psalm 91 underscores a concept of "abiding under..." the shadow of the Almighty.   The Bible says in Romans that if we confess with our mouths that "Jesus is Lord" and believe that God raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.   So, our salvation is tied to our submission to the hand of Almighty God - making sure that our lives are "under God"!   If we are in our rightful place, and Jesus is in His place as Lord of our lives, we can experience His grace and the joy of knowing Him.  He calls us to grow, and that growth will only come as our lives are in proper alignment with the Almighty.

In Psalm 91, we see the notion of abiding "under" God's hand of protection and providence.  We can get a sense of submitting our lives under His mighty hand:
1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."

The phrase, "under God", has become somewhat controversial in American society today - of course, you have those who claim no knowledge of God who are trying to have it removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, and now there is a bit of a controversy over the inclusion of the phrase in the Gettysburg Address, the 150th anniversary of which was celebrated yesterday.

According to an analysis on TheBlaze website, there were actually 9 published versions of the address. As it points out, no one knows for sure exactly what Lincoln said on Nov. 19, 1863. After all, there were no audio or video recorders then, so all we can rely on are media reports from the time.

Last year, the National Constitution Center’s Scott Bomboy provided a transcription that the Associated Press prepared at the time. Published 150 years ago, it included a reference to God. Here’s the relevant section:

It is rather for us here to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here gave the last full measure of devotion. That we here highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain. [Applause] That the nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom, and that the Government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Bomboy has noted that Lincoln's first two written versions did not mention God and that there are nine total versions of the speech floating around (not all are written in Lincoln's handwriting).

"The inclusion of God in the speech is perhaps the most significant difference among the versions," Bomboy wrote. "The fifth version of the speech, which was signed and dated by Lincoln, was considered the 'final' version and included 'under God' in its last sentence.

While Bomboy said it's impossible to say with certainty whether God really was included in the proclamation, numerous media outlets -- the Associated Press, the Chicago Tribune and the Philadelphia Inquirer -- reported on the Gettysburg Address at the time and indicated that "under God" was a part of the speech.

The Boston Advertiser reportedly also noted at the time that the line was used as the address concluded.

There's also a side issue here that involves the current resident of the Oval Office who, along with a variety of celebrities, was asked by filmmaker Ken Burns to read the Address.   Portions were used in a composite and complete videos were posted on Burns' website.  Apparently, Mr. Obama did not use the words, "under God".   Now, Burns' website reportedly includes the disclaimer that the President was asked to read the initial version of the speech.   Some analysts have used this omission to highlight some of the policies of the current Administration that have been offensive to people of faith.

But, I want to deal for a moment with the significance of the phrase in the life of Lincoln.   Author Stephen Mansfield traces the faith journey of Abraham Lincoln in a book he discussed on this program called, "Lincoln's Battle With God".  It's a fascinating read about Lincoln's transition from being rather secular in his early life to his embracing of Christian principles and how those factored into his life and his decisions.  By the end of his life, the evidence points to someone who was dedicated, it seems, to living his life under the hand of the Almighty - perhaps you could say that Lincoln was living out the words, "under God" in his own life.

In a blog post, Mansfield writes that:

The bookends of his First and Second Inaugural Addresses define the transition to yet another stage of faith during his presidential years. Though in his First Inaugural on March 4, 1861, he referred to a God who has “never yet forsaken this favored land,” he perceived the war as under human control. “In your hands,” he told the departing Confederate states, “is the momentous issue of civil war.”

By his Second Inaugural four years later, he had seen too much suffering, had witnessed too many inexplicable Union defeats. He concluded that God had visited the war upon the nation as punishment for the sin of slavery. In this Second Inaugural, he spoke as prophet of an offended God, calling the nation to acknowledge divine purposes and “bind up the nation’s wounds.”

Clearly, he had begun to believe in a God who ruled men and nations, but had he yet become a Christian? We cannot know with certainty, though Mary Lincoln’s account of her husband’s final words raises intriguing possibilities. Confiding to a Baptist minister a decade after her husband’s death, Mary recalled that during a carriage ride on April 14, 1865, and later that evening at Ford’s Theater, the president assured her that following the war, “We will go abroad among strangers where I can rest. We will visit the Holy Land and see those places hallowed by the footsteps of the Savior.”

I think that reflection on the phrase, "under God", can cause us to think upon several relevant principles for Christians today.   Number 1, we underscore the significance of well-chosen words.   And, the Gettysburg Address was full of powerful phrases that are still considered meaningful today.   As a CNN piece on the two-minute address points out:

His words are some of the most memorable in American history, forever stamping our collective minds with "four score and seven years ago," and "all men are created equal," and of course a "government of the people, by the people, for the people." 

Lincoln made an indelible mark on our nation with a 2-minute speech full of weighty phrases.   Another speaker that day, Edward Everett, rambled on about the war in 2 hours - do we even remember anything he said?    Well-chosen words can be impactful, idle words can have the opposite effect - so we can be challenged to think before we speak.

I think another significant takeaway is the meaning of that phrase, "under God."   To me, there is no doubt that our nation was founded on Christian principles.    And, I believe that the hope for our nation is for His people to pray and seek Him diligently, so that we can truly experience His hand upon us.   But, we can also think about that phrase relative to our own lives.   Are we living "under the shadow of the Almighty"?   We can examine ourselves to see if our thoughts and actions in submission to the will of God.   You can say the words, and people do like to place what I call a "God-stamp" in their public proclamations, and there are people with whom we interact who will use religious language, but their hearts are not attuned toward God.   So, we have to make sure that our declaration of God matches up with our inward and outward dedication to God.   We can be challenged to examine not just what is said, but what is done.   May our hearts reflect the weight of the words, "under God".

Guarding Your Treasure

In 2nd Corinthians 4, we are told that we have a treasure that is stored within our hearts:
6For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

What is the treasure?   I believe that in the context of this passage, it is the knowledge of God and His presence, His light in our lives.  And, that has enormous implications in the way we live our lives.   Because Christ lives in us, I believe that we are not to take that treasure for granted.   We are directed to grow in His knowledge and apply His wisdom, we are called to use what He has given to bring glory to His name and to demonstrate the power of the Spirit as He moves through us.   We have been given great spiritual blessings, and now as His stewards, out of His riches and infinite resources, we live the life that He intends.

Ephesians 1 reminds us of the marvelous spiritual treasures that we have been given in Christ:

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love...
A rabbi in New Haven, Connecticut, Noah Muroff bought a desk recently that he found listed on Craigslist. According to a Yahoo! News story, when he brought the furniture home, he found that the desk didn’t fit into his office by fraction of an inch.  After attemtping to take the hinges off his office door, which didn’t help, they decided to unscrew the desktop.  Muroff told WTNH News, "Behind the drawers there is this plastic bag, like a shopping, I’m talking about. And in that bag, I could already see through the bag, there’s it looks like a hundred dollar bill.” He continued, "We open it up and it's full of cash. We count it up and there's $98,000 cash sitting in the bag…Right away my wife and I sort of you know looked at each other and said, ‘We can't keep this money.’"

Rabbi Noah called the original owner and explained his find.  She barely had words to speak. Vosizneias.com reported that the owner, only known as "Patty" knew she stored the money she inherited, in the desk, but she was unable to find it when it fell behind the desk’s filing drawer. She assumed that the money was somewhere else in her home when she couldn’t locate it and sold the desk never thinking it still contained her nest egg.

Rabbi Noah, a father of four young children and also a ninth grade Rabbi at the Yeshiva of New Haven, brought his entire family along when he returned the money, believing it was an opportunity to teach his kids a lesson about honesty and truth. When they arrived, Patty refunded the $150 purchase price of the desk and also insisted that the rabbi accept reward money. She was overwhelmed with the family’s good deed and wrote a note saying, “I cannot thank you enough for your honesty and integrity. I do not think there are too many people in this world that would have done what you did by calling me,” ending the note, “I will be forever grateful.”

In his "Signs and Wonders" column yesterday, Warren Cole Smith of WORLD, highlighted this story and another one, where a homeless man in Boston found $42,000 in cash and travelers checks and returned the money to its rightful owner. Warren writes, "Both events became national news stories. Given the sinful nature of humanity, I guess I should celebrate any time someone actually does the right thing. But I also can’t help but ask: Since when did returning to its rightful owner something that doesn’t belong to you become an act of heroism? I also wonder if we’re not seeing a new genre of news story—a genre that celebrates people for behavior that used to be considered ordinary."   A great point, and a reminder to us that we should always look for opportunities to be countercultural.   Obedience to Christ has become even more countercultural, it seems - and while we celebrate the acts of the Rabbi and his family, we recognize that instances of honesty and integrity are virtues that now make the news, perhaps because they are not as commonplace as they used to be.   We have to make sure that our choices reflect a Biblical point of view.

I think on a more symbolic level, we remember that there may be hidden treasures that are right at our fingertips - and these treasures are not necessarily monetary in nature.  God's Word offers us treasures of wisdom and knowledge, but we are told in Scripture to dig deeply for them.   There may be blessings that await us, lessons to be learned and shared, to which we should be sensitive.   In this case, the treasure for the rabbi and his family was to be able to teach his children the value of honesty, to enjoy the satisfaction of doing the right thing, and to help a lady find or rediscover that which she treasured.

And, Patty's attitude toward her treasure reminds me of a teaching by Jesus about treasure.   She hid it away in a desk, and, she didn't even realize that she had essentially misplaced it.   I have to think about the parable of the talents - those who received 5 and 2 talents, respectively, put their resources to work and doubled their money.   The one who had 1 talent hid it away and it did not yield any return.    We have been given enormous treasures in Christ - spiritual riches, as I mentioned, specific talents to be used for His glory, and even financial resources of which he wants us to be good stewards.   We have to make sure we don't hide away what God has given, but that we relish in his gifts and guard the treasures that He has placed in our hearts, so that the enemy will not steal them away and render us unproductive or less productive in our spiritual life.

Hero for a Day

In Mark chapter 9, we see an incident where Jesus healed a boy who could not hear or speak, and who was apparently having violent seizures.  He addressed the boy's father:
23Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."24Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"25When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"

All things are possible to the person who believes.   God specializes in doing the impossible, the unexplainable, by human standards.   In His realm, the supernatural realm, He is capable of doing things that are essentially beyond belief, in our own human understanding.  But, God wants to manifest Himself and demonstrate His love and power to us.  In the midst of hopeless situations, He comes to bring hope into our lives.  We can trust Him to do so much more than we can comprehend, and He responds to us as we come before Him in faith.   And, He will empower us to minister to people in need around us.

We serve a God who specializes in the extraordinary, and we can trust Him to meet us at the point of our need.  Jeremiah 32 says this:
17'Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.18You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them--the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts.19You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.

Miles Scott thought that he was going to the big city to get a Batman costume - and while that is true, it was just the beginning of an extraordinary story, according to a report on the KGO-TV website.   You see, Miles is 5 years old, and when he was just 18 months old, he was diagnosed with leukemia.   Enter the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which helps to fulfill the dreams of children who have life-threatening diseases.   Fortunately, Miles is in remission.

Batman is Miles' favorite superhero, so for a day, San Francisco was transformed, with the help of local officials and volunteers.  In total, an estimated 13,000 people, including scores of spectators, helped turn the city into a mock Gotham City.   Many devoted time as actors, videographers, and other roles.

Throughout his day, Miles, a.k.a. "Batkid"  rescued a damsel in distress who was tied up and placed on cable car tracks, rode in a "Batmobile", which was actually a donated Lamborghini, foiled a bank robbery by the Riddler, and rescued San Francisco Giants mascot Lou Seal from imprisonment at the hands of the Penguin.  Mayor Lee gave him the key to the city.

What an incredible day that this young man will remember forever.

I think there are some definite takeaways for us as we think about this incredible story, which attracted national attention.   First of all, we recognize that thousands were drawn to Miles and the overall event.   A good question for us is:  are we sensitive to people around us that may have life-threatening conditions, to whom we can minister?   You may know someone in your church or at your workplace or community organization that is suffering, or perhaps has a family member who has received that terminal diagnosis or has a significant medical need - there may be an opportunity for you to be the hands, feet, or heart of Jesus.

We can also think about the way that we are drawn to superheroes.   Miles liked Batman, millions are drawn to superhero movies, such as the Avengers, and other forms of entertainment centered around superheroes. As a culture, we gravitate to these heroes.   I thought about the nature of the heroic...we can ask ourselves if we might have a desire to be a hero to someone, to make a statement into somebody else's life. We may not dress up in a unusual suit or fly around the city, but we can impact someone just be demonstrating the love of Christ.   We have the capability to be strong examples to the people around us.

Miles has a life-threatening disease, and even though he is in remission, I am sure that there has been concern about his days on earth being numbered.   There could have been a greater sense of urgency to set up this magnificent drama throughout the streets of San Francisco.   But, we can each be reminded that we have a limited number of days, and if we have a call from God to do something, then we can approach it with a sense of urgency.   To delay God's dream could result in asking "what if?" if He allows us to live so long - we have the potential to have no regrets.

Batman is a superhero, but he doesn't have superpowers - he doesn't have innate qualities like Spiderman or Superman that make him special - he's just a guy who has some cool toys.    And, such is the case with each of us as Christians - we may be ordinary human beings, but in Christ, we have the capability to release the supernatural as we yield to the Spirit of God.   God specializes in doing the supernatural, even the miraculous, and He will use His people in order to perform His will.   Sometimes that may reach a level of being beyond belief, but what we might think impossible, we can know that with Him, all things are possible.

The Church of the Living God

In 2nd Corinthians 5, we are identified in this manner:
20Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Because we have a relationship with Christ and His presence is in our lives, we become to the people we come in contact with the visible, tangible manifestation of the living God.   That's a huge responsibility, but God assures us that we are up to the task - actually, better said, Christ in us, the hope of glory, is more than sufficient.   Because if Christ is our life - and He is, because we have made Him our Lord and Savior - then we can express that life and His character as we yield to Him working through us.    Individually, as believers, and collectively, as the church, we are called to reflect His glory.

In 1st Timothy 3, Paul is addressing the church, its leadership, and its function.   He says:
14These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;15but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

This past week, as I shared about the artifacts from closed churches stored away in a giant warehouse.   I commented on how God can bring dead things to life - if our walk with God is in decline, He is the One who can reinvigorate us.

While on the subject of churches that have closed, which is truly a sad occasion, I came across some blog posts from LifeWay President Thom Rainer regarding churches in decline.   In the post, "Very Sick Churches", he says here are some of the indicators of a church in decline:

• Significant numerical decline over the past ten to twenty years. Most of the time we measure worship attendance for this metric.
• Prolonged times of apathy. Occasional times of intense conflict. The church seems more apathetic than anything else, but conflict can arise with surprising intensity.
• The church is not known in the community. Ask a clerk at a store in the community. You may be surprised how few even know the church exists.
• New members are rare. The exodus clearly exceeds the inflow.
• Revolving door of pastors. Frustration and conflict limit the years of pastoral tenure.
• The “good old days” are typically twenty or more years in the past. There has been a long season since anyone felt really good about the church.

He estimates that 40% of churches in America, or around 150,000, are in the state of being "very sick".

Rainer is writing a book called, Autopsy of a Deceased Church.    In wanting to leave readers with some hope, he posted again on the subject later this week. He wanted to leave some practical hope for reversal, which he says is "...possible, but God usually waits for a willing leader who will find willing people. Indeed, some of the readers in the last post shared such great stories of hope and leadership

He goes on to pose four broad categories for church leaders and members if their church is very sick:

1. The church must admit and confess its dire need. Most churches move toward death because they refuse to acknowledge their condition. Sometimes a single leader will be used of God to move the church in this positive direction.
2. The church must pray for wisdom and strength to do whatever is necessary. The change will not be easy. Many will resist it.
3. The church must be willing to change radically. Frankly, this point is usually the point of greatest resistance. The church has to change decades of cumulative problem behaviors in a very short time.
4. That change must lead to action and an outward focus. When a church begins to act positively with this radical change, it has essentially become a new church. It is not the church of old that refused to change and move forward.

Last week, you heard from the "Church Hoppers", who go in to try to address issues that are holding churches back, in order to hopefully reinvigorate the pastor and the congregation.   They offer some small suggestions in a graphic called, "7 Ways to Invigorate Your Church".   Those 7 ways are:

1 - Think curb appeal.
2 - Cleanliness is next to godliness.
3 - Look to the cross.   In other words, make the cross the centerpiece of your service consistent with the church's identity
4 - Roll tape!  Some music or video content prior to a service can bring energy.
5 - "And everybody said..."  We're reminded that church is not a spectator sport.    The pastor is encouraged to get those in attendance involved.
6 - And a little child shall lead them.  Find ways to get children involved in the services, too.
7 - Be a spiritual Starbucks.  The premise is that you can spend more on coffee and leave a good taste in everybody's mouth, they say.

I think they're saying that little things do matter in the worship experience, and sometimes we have to appeal to the physical to get to the spiritual.  

Three short takeaways:
1 - There may be individual churches that are dying, but the church of the living God is very much alive because the power of God is evident in and among those who truly bow the knee to Christ.
2 - God wants to bring dead - or dying - things to life.  He will reinvigorate our spiritual life and can reverse the course of our churches who may have lost their way.
3 - A church and each person need to identify our God-given roles for accurately representing Jesus and communicating His truth.   We are His representatives in the world today, so we can ask how best we can reflect Jesus to our culture.

Atheist "Mega-Churches", Really?

If you were to travel back in time to the days of the early church, what would you observe?   The book of Acts gives us plenty of information about the nature of the worship and community, and we see a number of components of the church in Acts 2:

42And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.43Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.44Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,45and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.46So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,47praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

The word of God was taught to the early believers, and we're told that they continued steadfastly in it.   They were in one accord, and I believe that resulted from an adherence to the teaching of the Scriptures.   So a careful and consistent study of God's word is important in a growing Christian's life and in the making of a strong church.   And, there was a sense of community - they were willing to engage in fellowship with one another and to share with one another.   And, in their generosity, they became a witness to those around them, and people were coming to Christ.   It works - love the Lord, love others - and as we lift Jesus up in this way, people will be drawn to Him.

In Hebrews chapter 10, we see a snapshot of the church at work, in its purest form, exalting Christ and encouraging one another:
23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

The word is spreading - there are atheist "mega-churches" that have begun to spring up in major cities across America and around the world.   In Los Angeles recently, there was a high-profile meeting of what is called the "Sunday Assembly" founded by 2 British comedians.   Did it draw what was called the minimum standard for attendance for a Christian mega-church?   No - nowhere close.   As Bobby Ross, Jr. points out on the Patheos.com website, the Religion Newswriters Association Stylebook defines a megachurch as having 2000 or more in attendance weekly.   The L.A. gathering - about 400.

So what was the content of the so-called "service" or "meeting" or "gathering" of this (not) mega-church?   CBN.com reports that, "The so-called churches look like typical Sunday morning worship services, complete with music, hand clapping, and inspiration."

As it points out, the missing element is God.

Phil Zuckerman, with Pitzer College points out that, "When we think about religion in America, we talk about, oh, belief in God, belief in Jesus. But for a lot of people, it's the community. It's the sunday school, it's the seeing people afterwards in the foyer or in the courtyard, it's the having coffee."   He says that those who do not profess to believe in God "...want that kind of moral community that is about connecting with others and is about celebrating life, celebrating morals, and ethics in a non-supernatural context."

So, what do you make of all this?   I dare say that there's nothing "mega" about Sunday Assembly, but one day, I suppose there could be.   After all, when you see the polling data about the so-called, "nones", who are shunning organized religion, you have to think there are a lot of people out there that are wanting something more in their lives, some sort of community, something to believe in, or to not believe in.  I think there are many great takeaways for us as Christians, if we take them to heart.

For one thing, with this 1-in-5 of people who do not embrace organized religion, I would say there is not necessarily an impending sweeping wave of atheism or agnosticism.   As I wrote in River Region's Journey:

...out of some 46 million people that are unaffiliated, more than 13 million, or 6% of the American public, are self-described atheists and agnostics. There are nearly 33 million people, or 14%, who say they have no particular religious affiliation.

Out of the unaffiliated, one-third of them say religion is at least somewhat important in their lives. Two-thirds believe in God, though less than half say they are absolutely certain of God’s existence.

Even though there is attention being focused on these comparatively small atheist or humanist "congregations", you still have to wonder about the appeal of people gathering together to acknowledge or celebrate what they don't believe in.   It sounds like a rather flimsy foundation to me.   And, I question what "morals" are being celebrated here.   Whose set of morals reign?   You cannot have a truly moral culture without an absolute source of that morality - and we believe that God is that absolute source. Otherwise, we get into dueling truth and comparative perception, which lacks any sort of anchor or foundation.   And, even among atheists, it seems, there is some sort of moral code, which oddly enough, is rooted in Biblical morality - for instance, if an atheist is truly godless, then why does their demographic not have an epidemic of criminal behavior.   What's the restraint?   I believe, like Larry Taunton of the Fixed Point Foundation, that where there is a common grace that is based on Biblical principles, that life is better for the culture at large.   Even though this "Grace Effect" is stronger in some cultures than other, yet the influence of Christianity and Biblical principles extends to those who do not embrace Christ.

Finally, I want to address this issue of community, because it is important for all of us regarding the way we relate to others.   People do have a sense of wanting to belong.   And, Christ has come for all - He is no respecter of persons, and no matter how sinful one's life might be, no one is beyond redeeming.    So, our churches, our communities, are made up of people who are faulty and in need of a Savior.   If we take a Christ-centered view of other people, then we will extend a welcoming attitude to them and attempt to incorporate them into our communities.   Our problem is that we adopt an "us four and no more"-type of perspective that repels, rather than showing love and compassion, with the hope that they will experience the life-saving, life-giving presence of Jesus and find true joy and belonging.   We don't tolerate sinful behavior, but we also must be aware that one's faults do not disqualify them from being candidates for the kingdom.