Praise the Lord...

Shortly before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He said some powerful words, including these words He spoke to the sister of Lazarus, Martha, as we see in John 11:
40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.
42 And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."

That they may believe...Jesus knew what He was about to do; confident that He would raise Lazarus from the dead, because He, as He had declared, is the "resurrection and the life."  We have been raised up to new life in Christ - we were dead in our sins, separated from God, but Jesus suffered death so that through His death and resurrection, we might live.  That is what we celebrate this time of year.  We have been regenerated, and God has called us to spread His glory, to call attention to His work, and to proclaim through word and deed that Jesus is alive - in us!

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We were created as an expression of the glory of God, and we are called to bring Him honor and call
attention to His work in our lives. 1st Corinthians 10 says:
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

This is the weekend of the Final Four - and actually action begins tonight in the women's championship: South Carolina faces Stanford in the early game, followed by UConn and Mississippi State in the finale.  Isn't it great that you have 2 SEC teams in the women's final four?  And, how balanced the league has become since the days when Pat Summitt roamed the sidelines in Knoxville and the Lady Vols dominated women's basketball.  Of course, the new dominant force is the Huskies from Connecticut, who put their 100+-game win streak on the line against the upstart Bulldogs from Starkville tonight.

I watched part of the Baylor-Mississippi State game the other night, which was actually not quite as exciting as the finish of the North Carolina-Kentucky game, but almost - it was an overtime thriller. And, the comment from Mississippi State head coach Vic Schaefer got my attention - I don't remember the whole quote, but he started off saying, "God is good!"  Well, my research on Schaefer yielded this quote from the Hail State Beat website:

“I was brought up in the church,” Schaefer said. “Faith is very important to me and my family. In today’s world, sometimes that can get lost.”

In fact, Vic has coined a phrase that has earned a hashtag, #PTLGD.  Now, I would imagine that there will be those who think this phrase is rather trite or even an uncomfortable mix of faith and sports, and I get that, but the phrase is "Praise the Lord and Go Dawgs."

For Schaefer, that's something that comes from the heart.

The blog post continues:

The two-part sentence pretty perfectly encapsulates who Schaefer is and what’s important to him. Whatever has been said in the full length of any interview or speaking engagement, that line sums it all up in his own way. The second part of the sentence is obvious, showing the dedication and support to his team, but the beginning is something that goes as far as back as his own childhood, long before he ever thought about coaching basketball.

And, that faith is very real to Schaefer, as the article points out:

In Schaefer’s life now, he doesn’t have to look for a reminder of the faith that’s so important to him. He doesn’t need a sanctuary or bible to find a reason to “praise the Lord,” though he certainly makes a habit of attending the former and reading the latter. He just has to talk his son. His son who shouldn’t be here. His son who was nearly killed in an accident that most would have expected to either end or severely cripple his life. Instead, Logan Schaefer is in Dallas this week, too, a healthy and happy college student watching from the stands as his sister plays and his dad coaches in the Final Four.

Oh, yeah, that is another powerful part of the story.  Vic's daughter, Blair, plays for the Bulldogs. There have been pieces on the connection at the Faithwire and Sports Spectrum websites, and the Hail State Beat site says this:

“I feel like God is always the center of everything in our family,” his daughter Blair, a point guard for MSU, said in Dallas, “and He’s the reason we’re here today. I feel like there aren’t a lot of people who get this platform in their life, and when they do, there aren’t many people who give credit to who it belongs to. There’s a reason we’re here, and that’s God. [When he says Praise the Lord] it’s that he wants to say, ‘Thank you for everything you’ve given me.’”

There are T-shirts that include the phrase, and it was pointed out that when the coach did not say it at the end of a post-game press conference, one of his players reminded him of the omission.

So, to the T-shirt-wearing Bulldog fans, some of whom probably don't know what it means to "praise the Lord," it's a show of school spirit.  Apparently, to Vic Schaefer, it's an expression of his own spirit, made alive by the Holy Spirit.

It is apparent that this is Coach Schaefer's way of giving thanks.  It may not resonate with everyone, but it can be a reminder to everyone of the One who deserves the glory in our lives.  I think we can be challenged to find our own way of giving thanks to the One who is good to us, so faithful and loving, the One who has brought us into a relationship with Himself in salvation.  When we say, "Praise the Lord" from the heart, we put the emphasis in the right place.

The Hail State Beat story quotes a player, who said: "It’s all of him in one sentence."  Now, think about that - we were created to worship our Creator, to be in communion and communication with the One Who made us.  Worship to the Christian should be more than a goal or a liturgical expression - it should be a part of who we are.

And, his faith is apparent to his daughter - she recognizes, as she is quoted as saying, "I feel like God is always the center of everything in our family...and He’s the reason we’re here today."  That's a high standard for any parents, and it's great to see that it is recognized and embraced - when faith is at the center of our home, it can make an indelible impact on the children and result in the building of a strong legacy.

Intervention

Jesus shared some very practical teaching in John 14 about the walking in His truth and recognizing the source of truth:

14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Basically, our Lord is reminding us that He is available to us.  He provides answers to our prayers, and He enables us to keep His Word.  The Holy Spirit is involved in teaching us truth, a truth that is not of this world, a truth that is spiritually discerned and applied.  God is there to help us, providing clarity when we are confused and power when we are weak.  We are called to fervently contend for the truth, as the Spirit directs.

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Our talk and our walk should line up, and Paul challenges us in Colossians 2 to not allow the world to determine what we believe:
6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Earlier this week, I featured a conversation from NRB 2017 with noted researcher George Barna, who now heads the American Culture and Faith Institute.  At NRB, he was discussing his latest work, the Worldview Measurement Project, and the Institute has continued to highlight certain sets of data from the project.

For instance, a couple of weeks ago, there was a section devoted to the Millennial generation, which was actually a topic of conversation I had specifically with three guests at NRB: speaker and blogger Cissie Graham Lynch, evangelist Nick Hall, and commentator Nick Pitts.  And, it's an important conversation topic.

Christian Today recently featured the Millennial component of the Worldview Measurement Project. It began by stating:

Increasing numbers of young adults in the United States do not consider themselves to be Christian.

Many do not take a biblical world view on key social and moral issues. And large numbers support developments such as same-sex marriage.

The survey of younger adults in the US for the Worldview Measurement Project and carried out by the American Culture and Faith Institute shows that millennials are by far the generation least likely to possess a 'biblical worldview'.

Over at the Institute's website, CultureFaith.com, Barna is quoted.  He states:

"...The challenge to conservatives is that the current views of Millennials are so far to the left-of-center that even a typical amount of repositioning over time will leave the youngest generation considerably more liberal than desired, and more distant from traditional norms than has been the case during our lifetime.”

Barna also explained: “Remember, a person’s worldview is typically developed between the ages of about 18 months and 13 years,”adding, “There is usually very little movement in a worldview after that point. You could say with confidence that the worldview a person possesses at age 13 is probably the worldview they will die with. Unless pre-existing patterns radically change, we are not likely to ever see the Millennial generation reach even ten percent who have a biblical worldview.”

And, then there are these sobering statements:

“Parents are one of the most important influences on the worldview of their children, and Millennials are entering their prime childbearing years. But because 24 of every 25 Millennials lack a biblical worldview today, the probability of them transmitting such to their children is extremely low. You cannot give what you don’t have. In other words, if today’s children are going to eventually embrace a biblical worldview, people with such a perspective must exert substantial influence on the nation’s children to supply what their parents are unable to give them..."

Just a few stats from the project before we move into today's takeaways:

• Only 59% of Millennials consider themselves to be Christian. That compares to 72% of adults from older generations.
• 28% of Millennials would identify themselves to be in the atheist-agnostic-none faith preference category. 
• Only 20% could be considered a "born again Christian, stating that they will experience eternity in Heaven with God after their death on earth only because they have confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior."
• 65% of people under 30 support same-sex marriage.

You get the picture - and remember that George Barna said 24 out of 25 Millennials lack a biblical worldview.

You could say that it's time for an intervention.  Millennials are now in their child-bearing years - there's a sobering thought.  So, there is a double threat.  You have many in that age group that do not embrace a strong Christian faith, and they're now raising a whole new generation; kids who develop a worldview during the period of time between 18 months and 13 years.  That's why parents are so important in instilling biblical values in their kids. 

Well, Barna states that there could be a shift of Millennials as they grow older.  After all, a Dallas News story attributed this point to Frank Newport of the Gallup organization: "If boomers become like elderly Americans of the past, they will become more religious as they enter their senior years. Of course, boomers being boomers, they may defy that trend. But if they don't, they could become a major source of growth for religion in general and various faiths in particular."  But, as Barna points out, Millennials have swung so far from traditional values that even a shift more traditional or conservative would leave them more liberal than previous generations.

Well, that's encouraging, but there are no guarantees that will be an organic occurrence as my generation becomes the majority of the senior citizen population.  For the church today, we have to realize that there is a massive struggle for the truth - and there are challenges about which we need to be aware and that we need to address.

We also recognize that data - information - can spur us to action.  What that action looks like is determined by the direction of the Holy Spirit in each of our lives.  But, I think we can be challenged to look at our own worldview to determine a) if our beliefs line up with Scripture and b) if those beliefs are manifested through our actions.  Then, we can also determine how we can influence the people whom God has placed our will place around us.

42

In Isaiah 42, we read this passage about the validity of seeking Godly wisdom:
18 "Hear, you deaf; And look, you blind, that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My servant, Or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is perfect, And blind as the Lord's servant?
20 Seeing many things, but you do not observe; Opening the ears, but he does not hear."
21 The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will exalt the law and make it honorable.

We can be challenged to be people who truly "see" and "hear," with spiritual eyes and ears, that is.  God wants us to experience His wisdom and learn more about Him, and in so doing, we learn more about ourselves and the purpose He has given to us.  Through His Word, we can receive wisdom about the complex issues we face, and we do well to present the questions we have to an all-knowing God, who wants to share His wisdom with us.

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Our God can bring us wisdom and understanding - He can provide the answers to the big questions of our lives and can provide our lives with meaning. In Ecclesiastes 12, we read a passage that can challenge us when we try to "figure things out" regarding meaning and purpose in life:
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.
12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all.
14 For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.

Probably next Monday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will approve President Trump's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch.  And, in the midst of last week's hearing, which was filled with discussion of judicial philosophy and the potential justice's appropriate deflection of "gotcha" questions from some senators, there was a rather light moment that I wanted to call attention to.

It came from former Presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz.  The Washington Examiner has the story, which says that Cruz posed the question: "what is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything?" This was apparently a topic "which Cruz said Gorsuch has some familiarity." The answer from the potential justice: "42."

Pop culture reference alert here!  This is a reference to a book and movie called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.  According to the Examiner article, this references a plot point "in which a supercomputer built by aliens spends 7.5 million years contemplating the answer to that question. While the computer, known as Deep Thought, comes up with an answer — 42 — it never learned what the actual question was."

Gorsuch "explained that he would sometimes ask that question to nervous clerks being sworn in to put them at ease."

According to the U.K. website, The Independent, the late author of the book, Douglas Adams, really didn't have any sort of special secret meaning to the number. He is quoted as saying: "The answer to this is very simple," adding, "It was a joke. It had to be a number, an ordinary, smallish number, and I chose that one. Binary representations, base 13, Tibetan monks are all complete nonsense. I sat on my desk, stared in to the garden and thought 42 will do. I typed it out. End of story."

That 2011 article, centered around the release of a book called, 42: Douglas Adams' Amazingly Accurate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything, actually listed 42 things relative to that number.  Several examples:

The world's first book printed with movable type is the Gutenberg Bible which has 42 lines per page.

In east Asia, including parts of China, tall buildings often avoid having a 42nd floor because of tetraphobia – fear of the number four because the words "four" and "death" sound the same (si or sei). Likewise, four 14, 24, etc.

Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear's spaceship is named 42.

In the Book of Revelation, it is prophesied that the beast will hold dominion over the earth for 42 months.

Oh, and I came across a BBC article about what readers thought about 42 and the meaning of life. One response was:

Matthew 1:17: "All the generations, then, from Abraham until David were 14 generations, and from David until the deportation to Babylon 14 generations, and from the deportation to Babylon until the Christ 14 generations." All things lead to the Christ. An obvious answer to life, the universe, and everything.

I think that's pretty insightful.  Because it is a relationship with Him that gives our lives meaning.  He is the answer, and through His wisdom we can find answers to the big questions of our lives.  For example, why am I here?  Well, the Westminster Shorter Catechism addresses that - the "chief end of man" is to "glorify God and to enjoy him forever."  When we lack wisdom, the Bible instructs us to seek God.

True, the ultimate question of life is never defined in the Hitchhiker's Guide.  And, the big-time computer came up with a nonsensical answer, without knowing the question.  I think in our humanity, people are seeking answers to questions that they do not define.  That could lead to chaos and confusion, and a general lack of clarity.  Because there is a void, there is a longing - for love, for purpose, for peace.  That's what the gospel offers - an answer, an assurance that no matter what the questions one might have, even if he or she doesn't arrive at all the answers, we can develop hope and understanding in God.

The so-called "ultimate question" pertains to life and the universe.  If we recognize that God is the creator of the universe, that matter did not arise randomly from non-matter, but that it is the product of a designer, that can tell us that we serve a great and mighty God, and it can remind us that if the universe is His handiwork and is held in His hands, then He can hold our lives and direct us in the way that He would intend, a way that is best, a way in which we can experience answers to the questions that penetrate our minds.

Fake News and Resistance

In 1st Thessalonians 5, Paul discusses the topic of "testing," and being able to separate what is good - what is of God - from what is not:

21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, how do you know the difference between good and evil?  We have the Bible, God's Word, as a plumb line, according to the book of Amos - if we are knowledgeable about His truth, then we have the capability to know what is in line with His principles and His heart.   We can separate good from evil, light from darkness, godly from ungodly, and even fact from fiction, in some cases.  And, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit, Who walks in us and through us, who will direct us as we pursue truth.

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In 1st John 4, there is a wonderful passage that can challenge us to be people of discernment.  John Stonestreet referred to the writing of John in a recent Breakpoint commentary:
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

It's no secret, there are news organizations and movements that have the ambition of telling you what to think.  And, as we know, there are those who would want to ignore or distort the truth in order to do that.  It has a name - "fake news."

Now, there's nothing wrong with wanting to shape opinion.  Consider that Faith Radio airs speakers throughout the day that would encourage you to develop a Christian worldview perspective.  But, in the marketplace of ideas, it's up to individual believers to determine what is true and what lines up with Biblical truth.

When you have a reputable Christian organization such as the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, which brings you Breakpoint and The Point, labeled as "fake news," then you are actually seeing a transparent attempt to discredit a reliable source for Christ-centered information.  Recently, as a recent commentary by John Stonestreet points out, Harvard University Library linked to a list of sources developed by a professor at another university as guide to “Fake News, Misinformation, and Propaganda.”

He states:

While many of the sites she identifies as “conspiracy,” “biased,” “fake,” “clickbait,” or “unreliable” certainly deserve those titles, there is a vastly greater number of conservative and right-leaning sites listed than liberal and left-leaning sites.

For example, all pro-life websites are listed as “biased,” but pro-abortion sites aren’t listed at all. Also missing are sites like Vox, Slate, and BuzzFeed – though the list flags similar sites on the other end of the political spectrum such as Drudge and National Review.

And BreakPoint.org, our website, made the list as “unreliable.”

John then commented on the basis for what the Center and its commentaries do.  He says, "...our primary allegiance is to the One who is the Truth– Jesus Christ. So we strive to tell stories truthfully without changing, embellishing, or conveniently omitting facts that matter. "  He also says that the Center takes the world and other worldviews seriously and seeks to be "wise as serpents," not dominated by outrage or despair. And, the Center affirms the dignity of each person. He encourages listeners and readers, as the Biblical writer John does, to "test everything" - in order to do that, you have to be grounded in truth.

This is a model for a source of information that provides clarity in its purpose and its message. Contrast that, if you will, to a group of disrupters operating under the banner of the Indivisible Guide - they are part of what they self-describe as the "resistance."  It's chilling to think that you have a group of revolutionaries that are devoted to stirring things up - in many cases, I think, just for the sake of creating civil unrest.

The Stream did a feature on this group, and there was a recent story on the LA Times website.  The Stream says:

They call their group Indivisible Guide, a name that came from an actual guide posted online telling activists how to pressure members of Congress. Among topics: what to say when going to town halls and calling or visiting a member’s office.

Leaders of the organization have loose ties to George Soros, the billionaire hedge fund manager who bankrolls liberal causes, according to the Capital Research Center, a conservative think tank that investigates nonprofits.

The story also states:

The website of Indivisible Guide, also known simply as Indivisible, provides scripts for what activists should say when calling the office of their House or Senate members on various issues — among them opposing senior Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s role in the White House, Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, his refugee policy, and most other policy positions.

According to the Indivisible website:

More than 4,500 local groups have signed up to resist the Trump agenda in nearly every congressional district in the country. What’s more, you all are putting the guide into action — showing up en masse to congressional district offices and events, and flooding the congressional phone lines. You’re resisting — and it’s working. … we want to demystify the heck out of Congress and build a vibrant community of angelic troublemakers.

The Stream also reports that the groups "MoveOn, the Working Families Party and the American Civil Liberties Union have joined Indivisible Guide’s effort."  Politico reported that those organizations organized a teleconference two days after the inauguration that attracted 60,000 listeners.

What we have here is a group that is willing to be the opposition for opposition's sake - sure there are the ideologues driving the movement, but you have a number of people, I would imagine, that are just captivated by the idea of something bigger than themselves, a "resistance," to make sure that President Trump doesn't succeed.  As it has been seen in other protests, there are those who receive a paycheck for their participation.

This goes back to that pivotal conversation on The Meeting House with Stuart Shepard, as he pointed out to us that we need to be people of discernment and we have to be careful to realize that a narrative is being created.   I would even say these Indivisible people are following a guide to create news events, maybe even manufacturing "fake news."  As Stonestreet says, "Some worldviews better reflect reality than others, and no matter our worldview, we do live in the same world of facts."

I would encourage Christians to not necessarily march in lockstep with everything President Trump says or does.  His healthcare proposal, for instance, yielded a variety of opinions, even among the Christian, pro-family policy community.  But, he has nominated a Supreme Court justice who appears to have a judicial philosophy that squares with what Christians would want on the high court. So, even though Trump has promoted positions that have resonated with many evangelical Christians, we have to continue to be watchful about the Administration and to speak up in a clear, informed, and diplomatic manner.  Unfortunately, groups that are ideological aligned with worldviews that are not compatible with Christianity are uniting to resist Trump - they are, as this one group's name suggests, "indivisible" in their opposition, and they are dedicated to promoting policies that would cause concern.

So, all in all, we can seek to believe the truth that is in the Word and not believe everything we see and hear.  We have to be able, as John Stonestreet suggests from the book of 1st John, "test everything."  In an age where there is a noted lack of clarity, we can speak and live with conviction.

Another Bracket

We are called and empowered to live out the character of Christ; or to allow His character to be displayed through us.  In Titus 2 , we can read about what Paul prescribed for the young men to be
taught:
6 Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded,
7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,
8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

Biblically speaking, you could say that really is a great model for all believers.  The Bible teaches us to be sober in mind - not reactionary or fearful, but thinking and speaking with clarity.  We are called to do good works as the Spirit empowers us, living a life that is beyond reproach.  Verse 8 references an "opponent" - yes, there will be those who oppose us, with whom we disagree, who can even make life rough for a believer, but we can continue to demonstrate our reliance on God and rest in His security.

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In John 15, Jesus teaches His disciples how they would be regarded by the world.  Although some embraced Jesus, He was also rejected by many - here is some of His insight:
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.
20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

Well, perhaps you indulged on some basketball over the weekend - the men's Final Four is set and the women's Final Four will be after tonight.   Lots of questions: will North Carolina rise to the top of the college basketball hierarchy again?  Who would have thought South Carolina would represent the SEC?  On the women's side, will UConn win another one and extend its streak?  Or could SEC powers South Carolina or Mississippi State thwart the Huskies title run?

Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel and Director of the Center for Academic Freedom Casey Mattox took the men's bracket and predicted victories based on the free speech records of each of the teams in the tournament. He reminds readers that "The ADF Center for Academic Freedom has secured nearly 400 victories for student free speech rights." So, in the bracket, the schools with the weakest records on free speech advance.

In the East region, Casey had Wisconsin facing South Carolina, with Wisconsin emerging.  About USC, he wrote:

I sued South Carolina several years ago when it prohibited religious student groups from receiving student activity fees a decade after the Supreme Court held this was unconstitutional (USC changed the policy in response). And it still maintains a “solicitation” policy forbidding unrecognized student groups from soliciting members necessary to become a recognized student group (see the problem?). USC advances.

He also wrote, about the East Regional participants:

UNC Wilmington had an unfortunate draw. In any other bracket, its multi-year effort to retaliate against ADF client Professor Mike Adams for his conservative views, would make UNCW an easy pick for the Final 4. But it has the misfortune of meeting a University of Wisconsin that (including its system campuses) ADF has had to sue at least six times for violations of the First Amendment rights of its students, including unconstitutional student activity funding policies and discrimination against religious students and student groups.

So, it's Wisconsin in the East and Vanderbilt out of the West.  About the school, he writes:

Vandy has effectively banned orthodox Christian student groups from its campus, requiring them to agree to allow atheists to be Bible study leaders if they want to be recognized. Vandy also violated federal law by trying to require nursing school students to submit to abortion training in violation of their conscience until it backed down in the face of an ADF complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Vanderbilt defeats Florida State, which possesses what Mattox calls "unconstitutional speech codes."

So far we have Wisconsin facing Vanderbilt in one-half of the Final Four.  On the other side, out of the Midwest, it's Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State.  About Iowa State, Casey writes:

Last fall I sued Iowa State because of the school’s stunningly broad speech codes forbidding speech that “annoys” another, and informing students that even “First Amendment protected speech activities” may constitute harassment “depending on the circumstances,” including whether other students believe the speech is not “legitimate,” not “necessary,” or lacks a “constructive purpose.” Few schools can compete with these speech codes.

Iowa State faces off against Oklahoma State, about which Casey writes:

In 2014 we represented Cowboys for Life, a prolife group at Oklahoma State forced to move its displays to other areas of the campus because some might be “offended,” and to place signs warning other students of the potential “offense.”

 And, Iowa State is joined in the Final Four by South regional champion UCLA.  Mattox says:

UCLA is currently caught in a controversy where it appears to be discouraging students from taking a course taught by a conservative professor on … free speech. While the school dropped a speech code in response to an ADF letter in 2012, it has other broad speech restrictions, including a UC systemwide campaign combatting “microaggressions” that earned the University of California system a Jefferson Muzzle award. UCLA advances.

So, there you have it - the Bracket of Shame, the "Final Four" of free speech codes, with the "winners" having the less friendly speech policies:  And, in the championship "game," it's Wisconsin defeating UCLA.  About the school, he concludes:

Year after year a UW system school finds itself on the other side of an ADF lawsuit. Perhaps it should be no surprise then that after their university has repeatedly imparted the message that some viewpoints are more valued than others, these UW students struggle to understand that both people who think like them and those who do not should both be entitled to their beliefs and to live them out.

He concludes by saying: "Teaching this civic understanding to the next generation should be a fundamental purpose of higher education. That many universities are failing to do so is a shame for all of us."

Note: Everybody does not think like you.  If you and I have a discussion, ultimately we will find areas over which we disagree - that goes for Christians; and especially for the relationship of Christians to non-Christians.  But, as Mattox says, people are "entitled to their beliefs and to live them out."  Now, that does not justify unlawful behavior, but it teaches us a truth - we each have been created with a free will and we can make choices and develop our philosophy and even our "personal theology."  The problem comes in society when we allow differences to become divisive and stifle dialogue.

And, unfortunately, we see that Christians on a number of campuses across America have become demonized and their speech has been demoted in status - why?  Some would say it is hostility toward faith or religion, or a misunderstanding of the constitutional practice of religion.  You could even attribute it to the perception of Christians as we have been mischaracterized as intolerant and lacking reason.

While we should work to level the playing field for the protection of free speech rights and freedom of religious expression, we also recognize that the Bible teaches that those who would want to exhibit the character of Christ will encounter opposition.  This opposition should not lead to a victim's mentality; rather, it should propel us to recognize what God wants to do in our lives through adversity.  What can't be shut down is the ability of a Christian to radiate the light of the Lord, Who is the light of the world.

Cancer-Free

The adversity we encounter can be used of the Lord to strengthen us spiritually, to teach us, and ultimately bring glory to Himself.  In our suffering, we can find encouragement in Christ, as 2nd
Corinthians 4 teaches:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Our spirits have been regenerated by the power of Christ, yet we are housed in bodies that are of this earth - we look forward to our glorified bodies we will receive after we pass from this life, but now, we reside in earthly bodies, "earthsuits" as Bible teacher Bill Gillham used to say.  But, when these earthly bodies face affliction and even break down, we can be strong in spirit, trusting in the Lord and recognizing that His power is available; perhaps to heal our bodies, but definitely to shape our attitude toward Him - when we are weak, He is strong.

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In our illnesses and our adversity, turning to God and trusting Him should be our first response.  He is the God of restoration.  James 5 says this:
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.

Every weekday, when the Faith Radio staff gathers for prayer, we have a number of people for whom we pray who have been afflicted by cancer.  Cancer not only takes its toll on a person's body, but it affects a person's mental and emotional well-being, can provide a challenge for someone spiritually, and places a weight on the family.  It is an all-inclusive, all-consuming illness - but there is hope available through the power of Jesus Christ.  And, when we are afflicted by any disease, we can be drawn to pray.

Today's Famous Friday spotlights a singer and his wife who asked for prayer for their son, who was diagnosed with cancer late last year.  A piece on the Breaking Christian News website, citing an article from the Gospel Herald site says that:

The sister of Michael Bublé shared an encouraging Bible verse on social media shortly after the Grammy Award-winning singer asked for prayers for his three-year-old son, Noah, who was recently diagnosed with cancer...

Noah's aunt Brandee Bublé, who is Bublé's sister, took to Instagram to offer some encouragement to her family: "And now these three remain: faith, hope, & love. But the greatest of these is love," reads the chalkboard writing on the photo—a Biblical quote from 1 Corinthians 13:13.

Well, according to a story on the Christian Headlines website, Noah, who was diagnosed with liver cancer in November, is now cancer-free!  The story, referencing a piece on the Christian Today site, relates that the boy's uncle, Dario Lapilato, said that: "For me, it's very difficult to talk about. But I believe in God and sought comfort in Jesus Christ and a miracle from God came, from the way it was discovered, after the operation, everything." The report said that, "He added that the miraculous healing proved to him that 'God exists.'

Michael himself posted on Facebook: "We are so grateful to report that our son Noah has been progressing well during his treatment and the doctors are very optimistic about the future for our little boy," adding, "He has been brave throughout and we continue to be inspired by his courage. We thank God for the strength he has given all of us. Our gratitude to his doctors and caretakers cannot be put into words."

Michael and his wife, Luisana Lopilato, have two sons, Noah and Elias.

And, in the process of putting together this post, I also came upon the news that legendary Christian music singer, Carman, has also been declared cancer-free.  He posted on Facebook, "With Gods grace, coupled with your prayers and support I won my war and today I'm 100 % cancer free." He also gives a "Prayer Bear" to those in cancer treatment who attend his concerts - each bear's shirt includes the phrase, "Somebody's praying for me."

There are quite a few takeaways from these stories on this Famous Friday edition of the Front Room commentary, isolating "God-moments" in popular culture.

First of all, as I would think mostly anyone who has experienced it would agree: Cancer is devastating.  That is a diagnosis that can set off a wide range of emotions, and marks the beginning of a difficult journey in most cases.  But, in the midst of that and other illnesses, you can still maintain your hope in God; and perhaps ratchet it up a few notches!  Hope can shape the attitude and enable you to trust God for His healing power to be released.

I also think about the Buble family - a 3-year-old child suffering from such a devastating disease. Parents can feel helpless when their children are going through an illness.  Generally, there is a feeling of helplessness when another person suffers.  But there are things you can do:  show concern, attempt to help; if you're a caregiver, rely on God's strength to stand by and encourage your family member or friend.  And, as the Buble relatives demonstrate: pray!

We can also be careful to give credit to God.  On a couple of fronts: one is to trust Him, thank Him, and glorify Him in the midst of the struggle.  Suffering comes to ultimately bring glory to God - so we can be encouraged: God has not left us alone in our despair.  He walks with us, so we can acknowledge that.  When we or someone we know is healed, we can be careful to thank God and give Him the glory in the healing!  In all things, we seek to glorify the Lord.

Finally, as we see from Michael Buble's brother-in-law, suffering and how we respond can be a tool to communicate the love of God to others.  He said that the healing of his nephew proves that "God exists."  Contemplate that for a moment - he trusted the Lord through the trial, and on the other side, believed that the process communicated the message of the reality of the living God.   He walks with us in our suffering, and has a purpose for us, even in the adversity we experience.

Entertained

The Bible instructs us in Proverbs 4 to maintain a diet of influences into our minds and spirits that will build up and not operate to our detriment:
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

This is critical as we seek to live out the life to which God has called us.  The impulses and images that we allow to take root in our hearts can ultimately govern the course of our lives.  The Bible speaks of using spiritual tools in order to pull down strongholds.  If we have become captivated to harmful ways of thinking, that do not line up with Scripture, then our decision-making can and will be impaired.  We have to make sure that God's Word provides the standards for our choices and that we are encouraged in our faith, not weighed down,.

+++++

We see a "Philippians philter," if you will, in the fourth chapter of Paul's letter to the church at
Philippi. He wrote:
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

The world of pop culture, including various forms of entertainment, is a powerful force - I would say that we all like to be entertained, to be inspired, to perhaps be touched emotionally.  And, a new Barna Group survey highlights the role of film in our individual lives.

The survey indicates that 67% of adults in America "saw at least one movie at the theater during the past year." Only about 1-in-7, or 16%, saw between 3 and 5 movies.  33%, many among them in the Boomer generation, didn't see a film at all in a theater.

31% of participants indicated they saw 21 movies or more within the past year on DVD, Blu-ray, or streaming.  22% of those surveyed said they had 20 or more movies on television - either cable, broadcast, or via satellite.  By contrast, only 7 percent said they saw only 1-2 movies on DVD, Blu-ray, or streaming; 12 percent via television platforms.

The most popular films in 2016, according to this survey: Deadpool, with 37%, Captain America: Civil War, at 35%, and a tie between  Batman v. Superman and Finding Dory, with 31% indicating they had seen them.

Among evangelicals, the list of top films is somewhat different, with Zootopia in the top slot with 32%, Finding Dory at 30% and Civil War at 28%.  Whereas Miracles from Heaven only attracted 9% of the general audience, 21% of evangelicals said they had seen it.

And, perception of Hollywood's portrayals of faith were part of this survey...the summary says:

American adults are split when it comes to Hollywood’s portrayal of Christianity, believing it is either generally negative (11%) or generally positive (13%). Similar amounts believe the portrayal is neutral (15%). The largest contingent (28%) believe the portrayal of Christianity by Hollywood is mixed: It’s sometimes negative, and sometimes positive.

Evangelicals are more likely to believe that Christianity is negatively portrayed, with 40% voicing that opinion.  The summary states: "...16 percent of Americans were made to think more seriously about religion, spirituality or their religious faith after seeing certain movies."

And, Ted Baehr of Movieguide is continuing to try to send a message to Hollywood that family-friendly films do better at the box office.  A report on the Movieguide website states:

The 2017 Annual Report to the Entertainment Industry by the pro-family advocacy group Movieguide® shows that the most family-friendly movies averaged more than $78.77 million per movie in 2016 in America and Canada, but the least family-friendly movies with the most offensive, obscene, or anti-family, immoral content averaged only about $22.58 million.

R-rated movies fared almost as poorly, averaging only $18.45 million per movie.

Taking a look at this data, you can readily that the movie industry is quite pervasive, and you can conclude that what we expose ourselves to through entertainment can be influential and even compelling...Christians are especially prone to view films that line up with their values, and the portrayal of faith can make an impact on people.  It's not coincidental - that's why our entertainment choices matter.

And, this discussion does include what Disney has done recently.  In a recent commentary on The Point, John Stonestreet said that, "It doesn't have to be loud to be important."  Citing Beauty and the Beast's $170 million box-office take this past weekend and the coverage of the so-called "gay moment" in the film, he writes:

You see, the power of cultural moments is not in how loud they are, but in how normal they seem. So whether you choose to see the film or not, do not let moments like this pass with your kids without pointing out the subtle messages of the moments, and how these messages are communicated to us. This exercise will cultivate discernment, something that all of us need more and more of as Christians in this culture every single day.

Today, we take away that media is quite influential in our culture today, and there is more of it that ever!  For the culture at large, we have to be concerned about the messages that are being sent, including about matters of faith.  Even though Hollywood doesn't seem to "get it" that more family-friendly fare fares better at the ticket window, there is a statement being made by audiences about what they'd like to consume.

For our own individual lives, we can apply the Philippians 4:8 test to the content that we allow into our consciousness.  If we consistently allow messages that are contrary to Scripture to penetrate our minds, we run the risk of being desensitized to the things of the Spirit.  We must guard our hearts and protect ourselves against the images and words that can weigh us down.

Polarized

Believers in Christ, should continue to persevere in prayer, coming before the Lord consistently and
with great conviction.  We are also called to act, to behave, in a manner that pleases Him. Colossians 4 tells us:
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

We are called to be people of conviction - we can allow the Lord to stir a passion in our hearts that His will may be done in and through us and in our culture, at large, as well.  Verse 5 speaks of walking in wisdom - that is developed through our careful study of God's Word, learning to and becoming more skilled in seeing conditions from the perspective of Christ in us, as He directs by His Spirit.  We are also called to deliver our message with compassion - trusting Him to move through us.

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In 1st Peter 4, we find some inspiration to be strong in the Lord in a contentious society:
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Well, no doubt we are seeing an increased level of polarization in our public discourse about, well, it seems just about everything, especially on matters of policy.  And, an article by Peter Beinart for The Atlantic, which will sometimes get it right regarding faith topics, traces it to the growth of secularism, according to an excellent analysis from former Meeting House guest Liberty McArtor of The Stream.

She quotes Beinart: "The culture war over religious morality has faded; in its place is something much worse...” McArtor says that "the piece argues that while the secularism some scholars have long hoped for in America has arrived, political discourse is worse off for it."

McArtor provides this analysis:

As more and more people rejected organized religion, “Some observers predicted that this new secularism would ease cultural conflict, as the country settled into a near-consensus on issues such as gay marriage,” Beinart writes.

But the opposite happened. Beinart suggests that lack of religion has contributed to greater hostility between the Right and the Left, driving the growing amount of religious “nones” on each side to more divisive extremes.

For instance, Beinart attributes the rise of the alt-right, which prefers nationalism (sometimes of the racist variety) over compassion and is generally “suspicious of Christianity” to a decrease of religious faith on the political Right. He attributes the contentious nature of Black Lives Matter, which has taken a much less conciliatory approach to racial justice than the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s to a decrease of faith among black Americans.

The topic of Millennials and faith has been explored quite copiously, it seems, over the past few years. McArtor quotes from a piece by University of Central Florida student Payton Ramey in the student-led publication Study Breaks.

Ramey, self-identifying as a "none” who “never really had a place in the church,” writes:

It’s undeniable that today’s generation is more accepting and open-minded than the previous generations. As such, it’s hard for millennials to accept all aspects of a religious identity when certain beliefs contradict with previously held ideals.

But, Liberty McArtor points out, Ramey "claims spirituality jibes better with millennials than traditional religion because 'it’s dynamic and is expressed in a multitude of ways and, much like self-expression, changes throughout the course of one’s life.'"

McArtor offers two takeaways for the church:

One is that "this trend toward secularism and its effects on society is something of which the Church must be aware..." She also states that "the Church should recognize this trend as a crucial opportunity to shine the light of Christ among a grappling society. As widening ideological divides exacerbate political wounds, the Church can point to a better way: Jesus."

She writes:

It’s true that authentic Christianity will be met with hatred and critics until the end of time. But those who follow Christ can still set an attractive example to the world with sacrificial love for our neighbors — something every Christian and church body sometimes (or often) fails to do.

Further, sincere faith in Jesus informed by God’s Word is the only answer to the spiritual void that so many people, particularly millennials, experience.

She calls Christians to "rise above the din."

I want to offer three words for you today...

One is conviction.  In a age of polarization, which can cause us to sour on matters of policy, we have to make sure that we maintain our convictions, our deeply-held beliefs rooted in the Scriptures. There are those like Beinart that believe that the "culture war has faded."  I don't believe it has - the label may have become less acceptable, but the tenets remain.  We have been thrust into a war - of ideas and actions - and we have to make sure we hold on to our positions.

One way is through our content.  We can do that by being, to borrow the title of Jim Garlow's book, Well-Versed.  We have to make sure that Scripture is informing and influencing what we think and what we speak.  In an age when Millennials are "spiritual" to the extent of making up their own personal religious practice and when there is increasing secularization, representing a departure from the Scriptures, we have to make sure that we are continuing to regard God's Word as the basis for what we say, think, and do.

The third word for today is compassion.  Delivering convicted content is important and vital in a strong Church.  But, the delivery should be done with the right tone.  We have to make sure that we reflect the compassion of Christ.  That doesn't mean that we are to reflect weakness or compromise. Rather, we stand strong in our faith and allow the love of Christ to motivate us when we engage. We should strive to win the heart, rather than try to win and argument, taking no prisoners.  Ultimately, it's true the war is cultural and the battle is spiritual, so we can strive to rely on the Lord through prayer and inspired, informed action.

Reversal?

We can experience great security and stability in our lives when we realize who God has made us to be - we have been created by Him, God has formed us in a certain way...and He does not err.  Psalm
139 says:
13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

The Psalmist writes: "Marvelous are Your works."  I would dare say that you and I are included in that.  You are an amazing creation of the Almighty God; there is no one else like you...your physical attributes, your soul, emotions, personality, your very DNA - all are ordained by a God Who calls us to celebrate our uniqueness.  And, when you allow the Lord Jesus to infuse every aspect of your life, then He uses all those aspects for His glory.  We were created in order to have fellowship with Him, and our spirits can be sensitized to the Holy Spirit, enabling us to walk with the Lord daily.

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In the first few chapters of the book of Genesis, we can read about the astounding work of our Creator God, who has made us in His image - He has formed us the way we are, and we are each a testimony to His greatness. In Genesis 1, we can read:
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

This is certainly not something to be celebrated, but there has been quite a bit of media attention on this quirky story involving a young boy who decided that he would rather be female and began treatments to supposedly move in that direction.

ABC News has the story of 15-year-old Corey Maison, who had started hormone treatment to become female; then his mother, Erica, now going by the name of Eric, went in the other direction, attempting to become male, including surgery.

The mother is quoted as saying: "Corey's bravery definitely inspired me to come out as transgender," adding, "To see how courageous she is, despite all of the cruelty the world shows her at times, makes me so proud. I thought, 'If she can do this, so can I.'"

So Corey is now, well, Corey and Erica is now Eric.  Eric(a) has given birth to five children, but really didn't enjoy it, she says.  

And, the ABC story reinforces a particular mistaken narrative using these statements:

"Corey, then 14, was born with the same name but was assigned male sex at birth."

"Eric Maison was assigned female sex at birth."

The story says that Eric said "that he always knew in his heart that he was male. Like his daughter, Maison learned 'what it meant to be transgender' after watching ABC's 2012 '20/20' special on Jennings..." This refers to Jazz Jennings, who is transgender and has a television show.

Meanwhile, the New York Post reported on Thursday, March 9 that:

A total of 731 New York City residents have changed their gender identity on their birth certificates after a new rule made it easier for transgender people to mark the sex of their choosing, the Health Department reported Thursday.

The department and the City Council in 2014 eased requirements to make gender identity changes on birth certificates.

That is described as a "dramatic increase" over the 20 per year in prior years.

Three words for you today:

Normalization.  That's where we are certainly heading.  And, you think media doesn't play a part? This mother and son were influenced negatively by a television show that stars a transgender person. This demonstrates the power of ideas - even incorrect ones - and how people can make those decisions based on those ideas.  And, generally, each of us needs to be careful to filter the ideas to which we expose ourselves.

Narrative.  There is a distinct narrative that is being presented here.  Remember, last week, Stuart Shepard and I talked about the recognition of a narrative.  Consider the story from which I quoted: the idea is that Erica and Corey were "assigned" a gender - well, that's true, but the assignment was given by our Creator, not by a doctor or medical professional.  They were, to borrow the LGBT phrase, "born that way."  And, isn't it interesting that gay people loudly and proudly proclaim they were "born gay," but their soulmates in the LGBT tapestry reject they way they were born.  You can be born with sexual orientation, but you apparently are not born with the correct gender identity - you can't have it both ways!

Unfortunately, even those children who are confused about their gender usually outgrow it. The American College of Pediatricians relates that according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association, "as many as 98% of gender confused boys and 88% of gender confused girls eventually accept their biological sex after naturally passing through puberty."

Nullification.  Finally, we are seeing an attempt to nullify the standards and principles that are prescribed in God's Word.  In culture at large and in our own individual lives, if we reject God's principles and do not subscribe to His Lordship, then there are negative consequences that will result. Because seeds of confusion have been sown, it has led to widespread chaos on matters of sexuality, including the controversies we see on a matter as simple as the use of restroom facilities.  This demonstrates what can happen when God's Law is not held in high esteem.

Out of the Kingdom of Darkness

In 1st John 1, we can read a passage that emphasizes walking in the light of the Lord:
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

If you are a believer in Christ, you have made a life-altering choice...you have surrendered your life to Him, and the challenge we face each day is to make choices that are consistent with our faith in Christ.  The enemy would want to lure us to walk in darkness, but we have renounced his darkness and pledged ourselves to pursue the light of Christ.  So, we make our choices according to the Word of God, striving to walk in His light.

+++++

God calls us to walk in His light, to pursue His truth.  We recognize that He has the capacity to bring
us out of darkness into that light, according to Colossians 1:
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Back in 2015, at Halloween, the Greater Church of Lucifer opened its doors in Spring, Texas, which is in the Houston area.  The founder, Jacob, told CBN News that "the Luciferians promise to offer people a different kind of 'church experience.'"  He said, "As individuals, we seek to express our insight towards attaining apotheosis, Lords of our spiritual and carnal world. As a foundation, GCOL seeks to inspire the few in the masses towards self-excellence and change," adding, "We just want to coexist."

Its website stated: "The Greater Church of Lucifer is only a 'church' as a play on words. We are a gathering of like souls who seek to understand and live within the framework of Luciferianism as we understand it."  The story said that "the Christian Examiner observes that the church's symbolism is heavy on Satanism, with horned creatures, fallen angels, winged animals with hooves and a long-horned goat's head."

There was some protesting by Christians about the "church"'s opening, but not by Pastor Robert Hogan of Spring First Church, according to another CBN News story.  He told his parishoners: "I'm not going to be down there picketing," adding, "And could I tell you something: would you not go down there picketing? If you want to picket it, picket it on your knees..." 

In August of 2016, Jacob McKelvy, the founder of the Greater Church, paid pastor Hogan a visit. Jacob relates: "I had this burning sensation to go in that church, so I did. Robert wasn't there that day but he called me back. We talked on the phone two hours and then we set an interview for August 11th and we talked for 4 hours that day and I ended up giving my life over to Christ."

In a February service, Jacob and his wife were baptized at First Church. He declared: "We were mired in the shadows of the adversarial influence and knew no love outside of each other. Today I rebuke, denounce and break the satanic covenant by the blood of Jesus."

He was drawn to satanism after his sister died of a snakebite.  He told CBN News: "...There was a lot of hopelessness and feeling of powerlessness that drew me to this. When Luciferianism says that you are your own God, that's pretty powerful." Now he says, having given his life to Christ, "The power and peace and wholeness I feel today is far greater than anything that I've ever felt before." McKelvy says about pastor Hogan, "I created a church to destroy dogmatic religion and he still loved me. So if he could still love me for me to be here today talking to you than [sic] there are no excuses anymore."

Amazing story, isn't it!  And, as I have suggested before, no one is too far away from the love of God. Even though Jacob had temporarily hardened his heart, the truth, spoken with the love of Jesus, caused his heart to melt and to be sensitive to a relationship with the Lord.  

We also recognize that Pastor Robert Hogan was ready to speak when God brought Jacob to him. We can be challenged to think about what we might say we encounter non-believers.  We can be confident that God will give us the words, but I think we can make sure that the Word is rooted in our hearts.

Also, recognize the pastor's response to the new so-called "church" in his city - a church that is now...closed.  Instead of "protesting," which seems to be common response to so much these days; the pastor encouraged his church to pray.  I think there is a direct correlation between that response and Jacob's response to the gospel.   It is important that we are praying for those who don't know Christ to come into a saving knowledge of Him.

Transform

If we have encountered the one true God, and surrendered our lives to Him, then we recognize that we have a new nature and, as we allow Him, He can change our hearts, our motives, and our thoughts, and motivate us to participate in unselfish actions. 2nd Peter 1 says:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

We have been invited to share in the very nature of the risen Lord!  That is exciting news and has distinct implications for our lives every day - and He doesn't just call us into some cold and lifeless religious practice; no, He places the fire of His Spirit in our hearts and we share in His life.  When we are surrendered, we can encounter the divine and recognize that inner change will lead to outward impact - our external actions are transformed and we can be people who truly communicate the message of Christ to a culture that desperately needs to hear it.

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There's a passage in 2nd Corinthians 4 which offers a look at the surrendered life. We can read:
6 For 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.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

When award-winning musicians speak of God and take part in action that is inspiring and perhaps inspired by Him, I like to take notice.  And, on this edition of Famous Friday, offering instances where faith apparently motivates celebrities, I want to call attention to 2 award-winning artists.

Not long ago, after the Grammys, I called attention to Chance the Rapper, who won multiple awards and performed on stage in a medley that included Chris Tomlin's How Great is Our God.  At that time, I mentioned Chance's affinity for his hometown of Chicago.  Well, he is now spending his money on his community.  ChristianHeadlines.com reports about his donation of $1 million to Chicago Public Schools, according to Pitchfork.com.  The article says that, "Chance said his goal is to be an advocate for the kids and not to make any political statement."

He is quoted as saying, "Our kids should not be held hostage because of political positions."

And, students took notice.  In an open letter published at Billboard.com, three students wrote this:

All of the things that you do for our city never go unnoticed. All of the free concerts you host and all the time you spend here in the city really show you care. We notice it. We look up to you because the fame usually takes humility away from artists, but it hasn’t changed you.

There are many big celebrities from Chicago, but you are one of the few that really give back. It is evident that you sincerely care for the youth here. This is why you are an inspiration to us. We appreciate you for not only representing us through your music, but also through your actions.

In Chicago, a person is shot every 2 hours and 48 minutes. A person is murdered every 14 hours and 27 minutes, and you helped stop gun violence in Chicago for 42 hours with the help of your Twitter account and various Chicago radio stations. Even though this was three years ago, the fact you had such a tremendous impact on Chicago shows how much the people of this city look up to you.

Here is someone who has been blessed with dollars and wants to play some part in transforming his community.  To me, it is a reminder of the role of the Church in bringing about positive change, inspired by the Spirit of God.

Latin Grammy winner Alex Campos has experienced that inward transformation. When he was a child, his father left their family and later, Alex was a victim of sexual abuse, according to a piece on the BillyGraham.org website.  He was featured in an online article prior to a recent Franklin Graham Festival of Hope in Puerto Rico.  The story states:

“One day, our grandparents told us, ‘You need to come to church with us,’” he said. A couple of years later, he surrendered his heart and life to Jesus Christ.

“At the age of 12, I remember I had a very powerful encounter with the Lord during a time of praise and worship. I wondered why people sing, why people raise their hands and why they express themselves like that. And in the midst of asking myself and God all of these questions, God came into my heart in a very special, very powerful way. He filled the void created by my father’s abandonment so many years before.”

Campos wrote about his healing process from sexual abuse in a book called, Del Llanto a la Sonrisa (From Tears to Joy), and he told BGEA that healing occurred, "as I relinquished my own plans … when I laid my [metaphorical] weapons aside, when I stopped complaining and murmuring, when I put a stop to all that and recognized … that God is the only one who could help me, the one who can deliver me from the valley of the shadow of death. And when did I recognize it? When I began to focus and praise God..."

The main takeaway, I think, in linking these two stories, is that we can be reminded that God is all about transformation - He brings about real and lasting change in our lives.  And, we can connect the dots between inward transformation and community involvement.  He does not save us in order for us to keep it to ourselves.  If our hearts are regenerated by Christ, then we can develop a recognition of His love not only for us, but for the people with whom we interact.  Because of His inward change, He can use us to bring about cultural change.

So, we can think about those concepts of influence, of recognizing the mission to which God has called us, and the strategic placement that we can utilize.  Perhaps God is orchestrating circumstances to get you into the perfect position to make an impact on a person or group of people - could be small, could be dramatic.  It's all in His hands, and it's all about His purpose.  And, that's a great message on this St. Patrick's Day, as we observe an evangelist who was dedicated to see things change spiritually in the country of Ireland.  For him, inward change became outward responsibility.

Perception

We are called to develop devotion to Christ, which provides for us the capacity to live the life He has intended for us.  But, it also may result in our being rejected by some in the world who are not open
to the things of God. 1st Peter 2 says:
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The truth is that no one is acceptable to God, but that He has loved humanity anyway and provided a Savior, His only Son, who calls us into a relationship with Himself.  He taught the truth about God, and many followed Him and still others rejected Him.  So it is today - we are called to share the love and truth of Jesus; that may put us at odds with some in our culture, but we can continue to be faithful to live for Him and to allow the Spirit to move through us to touch others.

+++++

Jesus taught that we have been called and chosen by Him, and we have been sent into the world to testify of His greatness and love.  But, not all will accept - and there will be rejection.  John 16
highlights these concepts:
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.
18 "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.
19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

There's a relatively new Pew Research survey that attempts to measure the perception of various religious groups on a 100-point thermometer - a "feeling thermometer," as the survey's summary describes it.  The summary states: "a new Pew Research Center survey finds that when it comes to religion, Americans generally express more positive feelings toward various religious groups today than they did just a few years ago."  The last such survey was taken in 2014.

One storyline that has attracted some attention is that evangelical Christians "are the only group for which the mean rating did not change since the question was last asked in 2014."  But, that's a good news/bad news scenario - evangelicals have an overall rating of 61, same as three years ago.  Topping the list were: Jews - up 4 points to 67%, Catholics - also up 4 to land at 66%, and Mainline Protestants, which were not measured in 2014, but who appeared at 65%.

These so-called "feelings" toward Buddhists, Hindus, Mormons, atheists, and Muslims all rose, even though atheists and Muslims trailed the pack at 50 and 48 percent, respectively.

A Christianity Today story on the survey stated this:

Overall, 44 percent of Americans feel positively about evangelicals, while 38 percent feel neutral and 18 percent feel negatively. The ratings fall when responses from fellow evangelicals, who made up more than 1 in 4 of respondents, are removed: Just under a third of non-evangelicals (32%) have warm feelings towards the group.

Part of the reason for evangelicals’ middling ratings is lack of exposure. The proportion of Americans who say they know an evangelical dropped by 9 percentage points from 2014 to 2017, down to 61 percent today.

To me, this is somewhat of a mixed bag - it is not as dire as some might characterize it - after all, 6-in-10 have these so-called "warm" feelings.  And, there are the expected swings based on age or political bent.  So, it's not necessarily an indictment.  There is also ample evidence to suggest that evangelicals often receive negative portrayals in media.

The CT story also said:

Previous ratings have prompted a range of responses; some may look at the same report and champion evangelicals’ popularity while others lament society’s negative views, as sociologist Brad Wright wrote for CT in 2011. His conclusion:

Ultimately, evangelical Christians might do well not to spend too much time worrying about what others think of us. Christians in general, and evangelical Christians in particular (depending on how you ask the question), are well-regarded in this country. If nothing else, there's little we can do to change other people's opinions anyway. Telling ourselves over and over that others don't like us is not only inaccurate, it also potentially hinders the very faith that we seek to advance.

I think we can consider a couple of concepts here - there is perception vs. reality, plus there is acceptance vs. rejection.  I agree generally with Brad that we should not spend a lot of time concerned about how we are perceived.  That perception may or may not reflect the reality of evangelical people or practice.  But, we have to be concerned that people are not seeing the attractiveness of Christ through us.  If our actions belie our Savior and people are repelled by Him because of us, then that is a problem.  And, as the CT article points out, fewer people know an evangelical personally - it is hard to understand and relate to what or whom you do not know.

I would caution that in our desire to be liked, we have to be careful not to compromise the message of the gospel.  We cannot sacrifice sharing truth with acceptance by the masses.  But, Jesus called us and sent us to "all the world."  To do what - to "preach the gospel."  So, we have been dispatched to communicate the love of a Savior.  He taught us that there would be those who reject us, and certainly many rejected Him.  All in all, we can make it our aim to reflect Him accurately and passionately and not be a stumbling block for others.  Through the way we live and speak, we can testify to His great love, His mercy, and His desire for all to know Him.

List

Jesus sent seventy men out to do His will, and in Luke 10, we read what how they responded to
seeing God at work:
17 Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."
18 And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Jesus highlighted His superiority over the power of the enemy here, and, to Jesus, victory in spiritual warfare is really a given here.  His disciples enjoyed their newfound authority, and we can recognize that we have it and that we are called to use it.  But, Jesus also helped them recognize a powerful truth about their identity - the reason they were walking in this power is that their relationship with Him was right: their names were written in heaven!  Because we belong to Christ, we commune with Him and can appropriate His resources.

+++++

In the Bible, we find lists of types of behavior that are acceptable - and not acceptable - to God.  One
is found in Ephesians 4, which states:
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

Well, it looks like Clemson University is in the news again, and again, it has to do with religion. Don't they know they should focus on classes and football and cease with the religious stuff?  Of course not, because in the life of any student who wishes to practice his or her religion, that is part of his or her identity and should be celebrated on a college campus - what a radical concept; a concept understood by head coach Dabo Swinney, who has been a target of the atheist group, the Freedom from Religion Foundation.

Well, here's the story now...there had been some vulgar posters circulating on campus announcing an event to protest the building of a chapel at Clemson.   A Fox Carolina article referenced reports on sites such as The Blaze and HeatStreet, alleging that an event was being planned by a Satanic group, noting that "The acronym formed from the group’s title is a vulgarity."

The article continued:

The flyer reportedly advertised a “live bloodletting and lamb sacrifice” and a Bible burning event on March 11 to commemorate the building of a new campus chapel.

The articles [sic] does reference the new on-campus chapel constructed in the memory of a Clemson student killed in a car crash, however, which is a real location on campus.

John Gouch, Assistant Director of Media Relations said campus police did not receive reports of any such incidents and no Satanists groups are known to be operating at Clemson University.

Well, this apparently was a hoax, but it leads to a heartwarming story about this history of the new Cadden Chapel. The website Campus Reform says that it "is named for Samuel J. Cadden, a Clemson student who tragically passed away in an automobile accident in the Summer of 2015."   The article continues:

According to WIS-TV, Cadden kept a bucket list of life goals in his Bible, one of which was to give back to Clemson through a gift to name a building.

In addition to Cadden’s, the names of over 600 students who passed away before their intended graduation date will be engraved at the chapel as a tribute.

The article also references the recent event called, “Samapalooza” that intended to raise around $20,000 for the chapel building fund.  Campus Reform also states:

Upon completion, the Samuel J. Cadden Chapel will be open to students of all or no religious beliefs for meditation and reflection, and will also function as a wedding or funeral venue on campus, seating up to 150 people. The chapel will cost approximately $6 million to build, while around $3 million has been raised thus far.

Good for them!  Oh, and by the way, Clemson is not a private university; it is a public school and is recognizing freedom of religion in this unique way by allowing this chapel to adorn its campus.

This story highlights two important concepts:

One is that there is a fascination with things Satanic.  In a blog post a few months ago, I quoted Florida pastor Carl Gallups from a story on the WND.com website:

"Gallups says there is a link between the increasing secularism of American culture and the rise of demonic activity." He is quoted as saying, “As the culture of the United States, the largest Christian nation the planet has ever known, becomes increasingly secular, and as much of America’s church slips progressively into apostasy, the intensity of demonic activity will only increase,” adding, “This is not only a biblical prediction, but also a current reality that, with growing frequency, is reported upon practically every week.”

The article mentioned the replica of the arch to the Temple of Baal being erected in New York City and London, as well as the organization, the Satanic Temple, attempting to establish after-school clubs.  Recognize that as the result of curiosity about the supernatural, people will be drawn into practicing and even celebrating activities that glorify the devil.  And, even a parody, as these Clemson students may have perpetrated, is not particularly funny and definitely not spiritually safe.  So, don't open the door; do not, as the Scriptures say, give the devil an opportunity.

But, I want to pivot to the student for whom this chapel is named.  I cannot speculate on why Cadden desired to have a building named after him; although the news reports indicate that he wanted to give back to the school he loved.  But, he carried around a list - a bucket list of 31 goals that he desired to accomplish, according to the university's website.  This can challenge each of us to consider the goals that we have in our own lives - Sam carried them in the Bible, so you can assume there was a spiritual dynamic.  We can also be encouraged to allow the Word of God to inspire our own goals, as we get more in tune with the Spirit and allow Him to determine our steps.

We can also recognize, as I mentioned earlier, that the Bible contains lists of types of behavior that are acceptable to God and that are not.  By the power of the Spirit, we are enabled to exhibit Christian character as we appropriate God's resources to walk with Him.