Wednesday, March 15, 2017

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.

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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.

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