Friend

Jesus was surrounded by His allies - his original 12 disciples, certainly, to whom He referred as "friends."  But, there were others who were committed to the work of spreading the gospel message -
in Luke 10, we can read about a commissioning:
1 After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.

Jesus had those whom He called, in order to spread His love and message; and He has scores of people today, who are His followers who have a personal relationship with Him and are called to be His representatives, His ambassadors.  All creation testifies to the presence of God, and each of us, as part of that creation, can be effective communicators of His message.  He has included us in His glorious work, and we can be found faithful in doing what He has called.

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We recognize the work and writings of the apostle Paul, but also see that His ministry was part of a powerful team - he had those who traveled with him, such as Silas, Barnabas, and Timothy. And, a host of others mentioned throughout his writings.  In Philippians 4, he mentioned a church who partnered with his work; it says:
15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.
16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.
17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account.
18 Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Jesse and Christian Perkins are twin brothers and live in the Philippines. According to the Movieguide website, they had toured schools across the country presenting programs that utilized their musical talent.  Their father, Tarny, states, “We’ve been to over 1500 schools...And in those schools Jesse and Christian sing a couple songs, and in between the songs they advocate, no drinking, no drugs, no smoking, no bullying, and a love of Jesus.”

Out of that endeavor grew the inspiration to make a movie, so the brothers, along with their father, Tarny, began to work on what eventually became the movie, KAIBIGAN.  Tarny says, “The vision for the movie came about after one of the school tours. That was in 2017,” adding, “We immediately started working on the story line and began work on the script. This was done when the tours were ongoing, so it took some time. We contacted Stephen Baldwin in 2017, who by the way is a truly amazing brother, and moved quickly because we had a date for Stephen to shoot in Manila.”

The Movieguide article says that, "KAIBIGAN follows two high school students, Jake and David, who learn to navigate friendship, family and the Christian faith," and adds that, "Jesse and Christian, who are the Youth Ambassadors for the Department of Education in the Philippines, want to preach the Gospel message to students through KAIBIGAN."  Jesse and Christian play the students in the film.

The article quotes Tarny as saying, “We talked to the administrators, we talked to the teachers, we talked to the principal, we talked to the kids, because we spent time with them and we know what the issues are...And nobody’s addressing these problems in a way that’s effective for the kids… So, what we were finding was that two things were really lacking in the schools, hope and love.”

The movie debuted in December and now is available for streaming.

The Manila Times reports that Tarny Perkins said at a press conference: 

...We called up Stephen Baldwin, who we know, and we said, ‘Would you come out and help us with this movie? We’ll do a Skype call, we’ll get you on video — we can’t afford you — we’ll give you just a little airtime.’ Then he called us back three days later and said, ‘The Lord has called me to come out for two weeks to do this film for almost nothing.’

“It was kind of a mixed blessing because I thought, ‘This is really cool, but oh no what do we do?’ So, we went from indie film to Hollywood film,” Tarny chuckled.

The Times article added:

Meanwhile, Filipino actor, producer, director, TV host and musician Alvin Anson said that while he had met Baldwin in the US many times already, he was still in awe when he witnessed his acting on set.

“I met him before because he’s good friends with Senator Manny Pacquiao. He’d come to Las Vegas and to Manny’s room and pray because he’s really got a strong Christian faith,” Anson said.

“Working with him for the first time, he’s definitely very professional. And to have a professional actor from Hollywood with 30 years of experience under his belt, it kind of puts everyone into that professional mode as well.

The article notes that KAIBIGAN, which means "friend," marks the first time an American actor has been "officially" part of a Filipino movie.

Well the Perkins certainly found a powerful ally, didn't they?  Stephen Baldwin came in and apparently took things to a new level.  In life's endeavors, it can make a difference to adopt the mindset of not going it alone.  In Scripture, we are encouraged to seek out those allies who will stand with us, and we see it demonstrated throughout the pages.  In our ministry at Faith Radio, we are thankful for our allies - those who pray for us, who financially support us, who volunteer, and stand with the work of this ministry.

Jesse and Christian Perkins, as well as their father, Tarny, have developed a sense of boldness to share their faith.  They have taken the message from school to school - they are even Youth Ambassadors for the Department of Education in the Philippines.  We have been declared ambassadors, too - ambassadors who are entrusted with a life-saving message and empowered to deliver it in whatever settings to which God calls us.

The Perkins have been blessed by the Lord in their faithfulness, and they have experienced His provision - we can live with a sense of anticipation of what He will do in and through us, as well. He calls us to a walk of discipleship and obedience, and when we get in the right relationship, the right position, we can be prepared to see the fruit of His presence expressed through us.

Opening Up

God has placed each of us in the wonderful organism known as the body of Christ, and He has gifted each of us to function in His Church. 1st Corinthians 12 says:
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all...

The body functions best when all are participating, exercising his or her spiritual gifts to build up the body and to be part of the glorious work of the Church.  Even in times when we are physically separated, we can be mindful that we are one with other members in the body. Now that statistics show we are beginning to come back together in physical worship, we can seek the Lord on how to reclaim the sense of one purpose that He has given to us.

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The cohesiveness of the Church is preserved as we commit ourselves to staying together, even when
circumstances may dictate otherwise. Hebrews 10 states:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Because of a number of larger, high-profile churches that have not opened their doors to in-person worship, you may get the impression that most church buildings are not available on Sundays for worship services.

But a new LifeWay Research study, reported on by The Christian Post, tells a surprising story.  According to the article...

...more than 70% of Protestant churches have cautiously resumed in-person services following the required safety measures, according to a new LifeWay Research survey.

About three months ago, in April, less than 10% of Protestant churches held in-person services, but the number climbed to more than 55% by the first weekend in June, and in July, more than 70% met physically, according to the LifeWay survey.

But, according to the current survey, less than a third are holding Bible studies in person.

Scott McConnell, LifeWay Research Executive Director, states: “While more and more churches have resumed in-person worship services, it has not always been a straight path back,” adding, “Some have had difficulty resuming or had to stop meeting again as things got worse in their area.”  He also highlighted the different feel of in-person worship these days:

“Resuming in-person worship services has not been reverting to worship as usual,” McConnell commented. “Churches are making efforts to make the environment safe, but these efforts are often second-guessed by those who either want more precautions or less restrictions.”

And, by and large, there are safety precautions in place, according to the survey. The Post says that, "...94% of pastors said they provided hand sanitizer, masks or gloves to those needing it, 86% conducted additional cleaning of surfaces, and 76% closed seats to increase the distance between people."

Regarding masks, almost 6-in-10 churches meeting in person have "recommended" them, with just over a third making masks a requirement.  And, over 20% of churches have added additional services in order to accomplish social distancing. Just under 2-in-10 have operated "viewing rooms."

And, churches certainly have ministry opportunities to families who have experienced financial hardship resulting from COVID-19: about three-quarters of pastors said they had congregation members who had a reduction of hours at work, and almost half have lost their jobs.

So, churches across America are working, in their own methodology and timing, to return to some sort of normalcy, whatever that looks like.  The desire for worship is being balanced by concern for public health.  And, churches are all across the spectrum on this issue.  But, every church has a responsibility to minister to its community, no matter what form it takes.

We have to remember not to become sidelined - the online worship service one Sunday can easily be replaced by other pursuits the next.  While it's convenient to be at home, it can be a temptation for some to reduce their participation.  And, the world needs the Church in these troubling times.  So, we can remember to stay connected and motivated to do the work of the Lord and follow the Word of the Lord.

Rewriting

Knowing where the Church has come from can give us insight into where we are going. Jesus has a
profound purpose for the Church, as a conduit for His love, to bring Him glory. Psalm 78 speaks to the concept of learning from history:
5 For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children;
6 That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7 That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments...

God's truth continues to echo through the ages - the story of His faithfulness has been seen throughout all generations.  What is amazing to me is how much God loved the people He created, even though they rejected Him.  He has worked in His Church, His glorious Church, and He is still moving mightily today.  We can reflect and rejoice on our faithful God, who, even though there are those that would deny and even try to erase the evidence of His presence, continues to show Himself faithful.

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In Deuteronomy 32, we find that Moses is urging the people of Israel to remember their history and reject the claims of those who reject God:
6 Do you thus deal with the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?
7 "Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you...

It seems as if attempting to erase history is in vogue these days.  Not only in the U.S., where anarchists are continuing to declare war on icons of ages past and symbols of authority, such as Federal courthouses, but in Turkey, where the opportunistic Tayyip Erdogan has declared that a church building that has been thought of as traditional symbol of Christianity will now be converted to a mosque.

John Stonestreet, in a Breakpoint commentary, related:

In truth, the original identity of the Hagia Sophia was as the Christian cathedral of Constantinople.

Now why should a building halfway around the world matter to us today? Well, that’s because, unfortunately, the Turkish government has a long track record of revising history. For example, between 1915 and 1923, in what’s known as the Armenian Genocide, an estimated 1.5 million Armenian Christians were killed and expelled from the Ottoman Empire, what is now Turkey.

And, as he points out, "Turkey and its ethnically related neighbor, Azerbaijan, are the only nations in the world that deny that the Armenian Genocide happened. What’s more, Turkey has prosecuted scholars and journalists who say otherwise, accusing them of 'insulting Turkishness.'"

The International Christian Concern website notes:

The ancient cathedral, the heart of Eastern Christianity, was pierced by the sword during the Ottoman era conquest. She was converted into a mosque, and Christians pondered their future.

Centuries later, the Ottoman Empire transformed into modern Turkey. Hagia Sophia was changed into a museum as a violent genocide targeting Christians swept across the country.

Today, Christians are forced to ponder an uncertain future. Christianity mourns as Hagia Sophia is once again converted into a mosque.

As Stonestreet shares, "Denying history, or simply re-writing it, seems to be a major goal of Turkey’s Islamist regime. Otherwise, they’d be forced to acknowledge that centuries before the coming of Islam, and a millennium before the arrival of the Ottomans, Armenians embraced Christianity and lived in what is now Turkey."

The ICC site relates the words of a Turkish Christian, saying that Hagia Sophia: "...became a symbol of conquest...I wonder what will come after the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. I can’t make sense of the cry of victory for some of the Islamic side. [They say] ‘we took your temple to the Christian world from you. We have triumphed against Ataturk.’”

From Christian cathedral, to mosque, to museum, back to a mosque.  This is the path of Hagia Sophia, which is a powerful symbol of the nation's Christian past, but now is a symbol of a future dedicated to Islam.

Paul's travels took him to what is now modern-day Turkey. There was a strong Christian presence in that country; and that area was also the site of strong Christian persecution. As Stonestreet points out, even politicians in the U.S. for many years refused to officially acknowledge that the Armenian Genocide occurred. He says, "In fact, it was only after Turkish-American relations had deteriorated because of other issues that the U.S. Congress recognized the genocide as genocide."  We can be inspired when we think of the dedication of Paul to preach the gospel in a broad geographical area.

In this world, there is conflict, there is hostility toward Christianity. There are attempts to erase our rich Christian history, even in our country today. Christians are on the receiving end of persecution throughout the world.  But, the Church can be emboldened by the Spirit of God to continue to be faithful to Christ.

We can also recognize the tension between Islam and Christianity.  And, we can recognize two things, very simply. We can't nuance the discussion of the question about whether or not Muslims worship the same God we do - Allah, as defined by Islam, is not the same as the God of the Bible. And, Islam is not just another path through which people come to God.  Jesus said that He is the way, truth, and life; as it's been said, who are we to argue with Him?  This reminds us that while we should be respectful of people from different religious backgrounds, we should also recognize they need to come to know our Savior - we can respond by being loving and faithful to share our faith. 

Not Going to Bow

We are called to be different from the world, and in our devotion to Christ, that may place us at odds with people around us.  We can exhibit Godly courage as we seek to exalt Him. 1st Peter 2 reminds
us:
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

We have been shown mercy by God - He sent His Son so that we might be forgiven for our sins and have eternal life. So, we should always be merciful toward others.  Our love for God will lead us to a different viewpoint from the world, so we are faced with courageously standing for His truth, which may not be the popular path.  Nevertheless, in pleasing our Lord and having His peace, we can be devoted to distinctiveness.

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The power-hungry King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, even after having his dreams interpreted by the winsome Hebrew young man named Daniel, and having admitted it was through God that Daniel was able to bring the interpretation, defaulted back to His ways of self-centeredness.  In Daniel chapter 3, he built an idol, a statue, and demanded that the people worship it.

Three Hebrews refused to bow, and we pick up in that chapter with the king's words:
15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.
18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

We know that they survived the fiery furnace, and Nebuchadnezzar made another declaration in support of the one true God.

O'Neal Saddler refused to bow.  The FaithIt.com website reports that at a protest march in Hartwell, Georgia, this African-American state trooper, when asked to bow with protesters, responded in this way, as the article states:

In response to a crowd harassing him for not kneeling like the rest, the officer, O’Neal Saddler, made it clear that while he means no disrespect, he only kneels for one person: God.

“If I didn’t have any respect, I was supposed to be out of town this weekend with my wife,” O’Neal explained in a brief video clip that has since gone viral on Twitter. “I took off today, this weekend, but I’m out here to make sure y’all are safe. So don’t go there with respect. I have much respect, but I only kneel for one person: God, God, God.”

Sam Coonrod refused to bow.  He was in a similar situation to that of Trooper Saddler.  He plays for the San Francisco Giants.  Major League Baseball opened its season, and the Giants and their opponents, the Dodgers, were asked to bow in protest before the National Anthem and to hold a large ribbon that the players held as they lined their respective baselines. Coonrod held the ribbon, but thought that to take a knee was a bridge too far.  He stated, according to the San Francisco Chronicle:

“I meant no ill will by it,” Coonrod said. “I don’t think I’m better than anybody. I’m just a Christian. I believe I can’t kneel before anything but God, Jesus Christ. I chose not to kneel. I feel if I did kneel I’d be a hypocrite. I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”

John MacArthur refused to bow.  Faced with restrictions in his state on indoor worship, MacArthur and the leadership of his church made the difficult decision to meet in person this past Sunday. Yesterday, I quoted from an article at the Capstone Report, which shared some comments made by Dr. MacArthur at the packed service on Sunday.  The venerable pastor stated:

“They kept the abortion clinics open…along with the liquor stores,” MacArthur said noting how the State of California and local officials prioritized their own interests over the spiritual interests of the church.

In another part of the message, MacArthur made a specific point of highlighting how the secular world does not understand the church.

“We understand that the world does not understand the importance of the church,” MacArthur said. “The world does not understand that it is not only essential, but it is the only hope for eternal life for doomed sinners.”

MacArthur pointed out that the places providing spiritual needs were shut down while other needs were places for physical needs were kept open.

The decision not to "bow down" will perhaps come with a price - for instance, it is unclear what action that the state of California may take against Grace Church.  Sam Coonrod has to deal with his teammates - even though he likely shared their sentiments, his chosen form of expression differed from theirs. And, O'Neal Saddler faced the harassment of the crowd.

So, first of all, we have to make sure that our convictions are rooted in Scripture.  We shouldn't want to be different just for the sake of being different, or to make some sort of show.  We have to make sure that we are not calling attention to ourselves, but to the Lord who calls us a peculiar people.

And, we have to be ready to face the consequences.  There may be a cost for expressing ourselves. But, instead of violating our conscience, we can have peace and stability in our hearts.  And, the power of the Holy Spirit can give us the direction in how to express the reasons why we took the actions we did.

Finally, the Church needs to be bold.  Yes, we should be forthright in expressing our love for other individuals and be devoted to speaking into a variety of issues. And, we should do it in the right way - God's way, not the way of the world.

Into the Battle Zone

The light of Christ resides in each of us, and together, we can follow Christ's instruction that we are the light of the world - because we are in Him and He is in us.  Romans 13 charges us to spread the
light:
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

We can gravitate to the light that radiates from our Savior, having become part of His Kingdom of light and charged to live in it.  We can rely on Him to illuminate our ways, so that we might know how and where we are to walk.  We can put on God's armor and use His resources in order to fulfill His will for our lives.  We can be strong in the Lord because of the presence of Christ in us, who fills us with His wisdom and power.

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Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6 that we are engaged in spiritual warfare, and encourages us to be clothed with the full armor of God - he outlines the pieces of the armor and then begins to give
marching orders, as we can read here:
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Over the weekend, there were reports of violence throughout cities across America.  People being allowed to walk through city streets in support of a cause that seems to be less clearly defined, but certainly communicates a sense of dissatisfaction with the way things are in our country, or even in the concept of our nation itself.

And, in the wave of dissatisfaction, you are seeing a rise in crime in major cities throughout the land.  Chicago is a case in point.  And, one Chicagoland pastor has taken simple, yet potentially powerful, steps - literally, to combat the violence that he has seen.

His name is Edgar Rodriguez, about whom FoxNews.com stated:

Several weeks ago, in response to the violence that has seen children, including a 1-year-old, being gunned down, Pastor Edgar Rodriguez of New City Fellowship started organizing evening prayer walks around affected neighborhoods in Chicago.

The article goes on to say:

"The church has to rise up," Rodriguez told the Baptist Press. "This is the church's moment to stand up and lay down all other languages of networks and denominations and, as brothers and sisters adopted by the Father because of the good news we believe in, we have to come together and stand together."

On Facebook Live, Rodriguez said, "We just really want God to invade certain parts of the city," adding, "We have to be proactive. We can't just be reactive. We're not going to wait until someone else dies, then say, 'we'll go out there.'"

The response?  FoxNews.com reported on the pastor's recent appearance on Fox and Friends Weekend, where he said, "But just this idea of owning my community, owning my block, praying, getting to know the people, asking individuals if they need prayer ... especially those who may be involved in gang activity and other activity that is unlawful," adding, "And so we engage it. We pray for them. And, in my part of the community by God’s grace, we have seen results. We’ve seen individuals change. We’ve seen violence go down..."

In the Baptist Press article, Rodriguez is quoted as saying, "The atmosphere, not just in my community but in Chicago, because death is so prevalent and, in your face, now, people are just still kinda shook by it," and the article stated that:

Rodriguez said his goal is to capitalize on that collective sober attitude to point to Christ, and the hope of the Gospel. Sharing Christ has to be done with urgency, and with unity from the church, he said. Calling and reaching out to multiple congregations in the area, Rodriguez said he believes now is the time the church has to step together into these difficult moments.

Certainly, this Chicago pastor has chosen to recognize and enter the battle zone.  But, he is doing it in a Biblical way - with prayer.  We don't dare go into spiritual warfare without our armor or our spiritual weapons. And, we can ask for the Lord for direction in how we can effectively minister in our communities.  Prayer is a key element for seeing the places where we are called to live change. I am reminded of Steve Camp's song, Run to the Battle, in which he adapts the quote from C.T. Studd, who said: "Some wish to live within the sound of church and chapel bell. I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."

We can ask the Lord to give us a heart for the people around us.  People are struggling; there is a sense of anxiety and dissatisfaction that has set in - and, wherever we are, we know that we are on mission for Christ: to live out His truth.

God is looking for participants.  Our faith is an active faith, not a passive one.  Certainly, we need to spend time alone with Him in prayer and Bible study.  Then, we can take what we've learned and practically and powerfully allow Him to show us how to use those principles for His work, so that His Kingdom is displayed, as Jesus prayed, "on earth as it is in heaven."

Darkness Day and Night

We are directed to walk in the light of Christ.  In Hebrews 12, the Bible refers to sin that "easily entangles us."  Recognizing the power of sin, we can turn to the superior power of God.  Ephesians 5
encourages us:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

The Holy Spirit is present with us, and when we come before God in prayer, we can allow the Spirit to illuminate the areas that are not pleasing to God, convicting us of where we have missed the mark, and confessing our sins before God, so that we can walk in the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus. We have great power to resist temptation, and 1st Corinthians 10 reminds us that God has provided a "way of escape" in order that we might walk free from it - but we have to take that exit ramp so that we do not succomb to those desires.

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The Bible is clear - we are called and empowered to stand strong against sinful behavior, and that includes in the area of sensuality. 1st Corinthians 6 states:
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

America's Got Talent continues to be a prime-time showcase of various forms of talent, including the recent performance of the band from Jeff Davis High School in Montgomery, which netted positive comments from the judges and a trip to the next round.

The host of the program is actor and former NFL player Terry Crews, who has certainly had an elevated status these days. He, of course, remains the host of America's Got Talent, and has been outspoken with his views on racial issues, some of which are not what are commonly heard from the Hollywood elites and mainstream media, such as CNN, where Crews appeared and sparred with anchor Don Lemon.  He also recently criticized supporters of former AGT host Nick Cannon, who had made remarks described as "racist" and "anti-Semitic."

Crews, a professing Christian, not only is calling for racial harmony as he did on the Fourth of July weekend, when he tweeted out, according to CBN.com, that, "he has chosen to 'unite with good people, no matter the race, creed or ideology.'" He is also taking aim at a practice and a product that almost destroyed his life: pornography. Last week, according to The Christian Post:

In a short message posted to his Twitter account on Tuesday, Crews stated his opposition to the widely visited porn website, parodying the radical call to “defund the police.”

“DEFUND PORNHUB,” tweeted Crews, getting as of Thursday morning over 68,000 likes and more than 14,000 retweets and comments.

Crews also tagged the group Fight the New Drug in his tweet. The organization describes itself as a “Non-religious, non-legislative, research-based nonprofit raising awareness on the harmful effects of porn & exploitation.”

Dawn Hawkins of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation responded to Crews joining the movement to shut down Pornhub, saying, “It takes courage to publicly state that there are major problems with the largest pornography website’s existence, and we commend Terry Crews for using his influence to call on Pornhub to be defunded...," adding, "Pornhub — which requires no legitimate forms of age-verification from users who are uploading content — ultimately is fueling demand for sexual abuse material and putting lives at great risk. It is past time to shut down Pornhub.”

The Post article reported that in a 2016 video, Crews said: "It changes the way you think about people. People become objects...It affected everything. I didn't tell my wife ... didn't tell my friends. Nobody knew, but the internet allowed that little secret to just stay and grow. It was something that my wife was literally like, 'I don't know you anymore. I'm out of here.'”

In a 2016 article at Crosswalk.com, which quoted from a piece at the Relevant Magazine website, Victoria Neffinger wrote:

Eventually, Crews shared, he reached a low point and realized that he had a serious addiction. He then took the steps necessary to begin recovering. He nearly lost his marriage over his addiction, but his wife chose to stay with him, he says, because he was taking steps to get help and was truly repenting.

But how big a deal is pornography, really? As Christians, we may be more inclined to recognize its harmfulness as Crews does, but many others seem inclined to minimize its power or effect.

Relevant cites a number of studies that showcase porn’s very real and dangerous effects, and also that many seem to be turning a blind eye to them.

One study by the Institute for the Study of Labor in Germany found that porn addiction actually correlates to the decline in the percentage of young men who are getting married. Another study, by Psychology Today, found that nearly 90 percent of men believed watching porn was not wrong, while over 50 percent of women believed the same.

The article also relates:

“If day turns into night and you’re still watching, you probably got a problem,” stated Crews, who is known as a “devout Christian” and has described himself as a “servant to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” And, he adds, “That was me.”

In my estimation, Terry Crews is someone who definitely wants to use the platform that God has given to him to shine light - to dispel the scourge of pornography, a godless practice that corrupts souls and destroys marriages.  He allowed the light in, taking steps to healing, and ended up saving his marriage as the result of his dedication.

Porn has a corrosive effect, but in order to eradicate it, it has to be identified as the sinful menace that it is.  That can occur on an individual level and a societal level.  Alabama lawmakers, in the shortened 2020 regular session, passed a resolution declaring pornography to be a "public health crisis."

It is critical that sinful desires and actions are called out, that we respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, confess our sins, repent, and take the necessary steps to freedom, including reliance on the principles of God's Word, including meditation on Scripture, as well as prayer for the power of God to enable us to overcome the grip of sins that we have tolerated.  Sin, in general, is a daily struggle, but we have God's resources to help us live a life that is consistent with the new identity He has given us - created in righteousness and holiness.

Staying Connected

We have been called as believers in the Lord to be part of the body of Christ.  1st Corinthians 12
reminds us of the potential of that entity:
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.

Paul writes later in the chapter:
18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.

We belong!  We belong to Christ, and we are part of one another.  God has called us to be included in this glorious entity called the Church.  We need the Church, and the Church needs each of us to fulfill our calling and to participate in its mission.  Those who don't know Christ can see us loving one another and functioning together, lifting up Jesus so that people will be moved toward His love. The world needs to know Him, and He makes the way possible for those who would believe to come into a relationship with Himself and His Church.

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God has sent out the invitation for all to come to Him through Jesus Christ, and the Church is
certainly open for business, no matter how it looks in the age of COVID. 1st Timothy 3 describes the Church:
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

The way that church attendance looks has certainly shifted during the COVID-19 crisis, and even churches that have begun in-person worship have introduced concepts such as social distancing, wearing masks in services, and a reduction in small group ministry, including children and students.

And, after almost a third of a year of the virus threat, how are church members engaging?  The Barna research organization set out to identify what the Church is looking like these days in terms of attendance.  It related that:

Recent data show that, among practicing Christians—those who identify as Christian, agree strongly that faith is very important in their lives and attend church at least monthly (prior to COVID-19)—over half (53%) say they have streamed their regular church online within the past four weeks. Another 34 percent admits to streaming a different church service online other than their own, essentially “church hopping” digitally.

So far, so good, it seems - but keep in mind, this is data from late April and early May, so, according to Barna, there may have been a shift.  But, as the survey summary states: "the responses shown here—reflecting engagement during the height of the U.S. social distancing measures this spring—can be instructive for church leaders moving forward, particularly following recent spikes in COVID-19 cases."

One area of concern has to do with practicing Christians who are not either worshipping online with their home church or another one.  The Barna website relates that 32% of practicing Christians have done neither, stating, "Though some of these churchgoers may be part of the minority of congregations that were still gathering for physical worship during these weeks, we can, for the most part, confidently interpret this group as those who have dropped out of church for the time being."

And, only another third, or 35% of practicing Christians are continuing to "attend" their "pre-COVID church" exclusively.

So, you have essentially three different segments of practicing Christians: 1) those who are still attending the church to which they went prior to the coronavirus, 2) those who are no longer attending church in any form, and 3) the rest: either those who have made a church switch or view multiple churches; those two categories basically evenly split that other third.

And, this departure from being connected physically to the local church has had its emotional and spiritual consequences, with the Barna website saying, "Respondents who have stopped attending church during COVID-19 are less likely than their peers who are still attending the same church during the pandemic to agree with the statement “I am not anxious about my life, as I have an inner peace from God” (76% vs. 87%). Practicing Christians who have stopped attending church in recent weeks are more likely than all other practicing Christians to say they feel bored “all of the time” (17% vs. 6%) or that they have felt “insecure” for at least some of each day (11% vs. 7%)."

But, based on the data, the summary says, "What we do know is that churchgoers, even those who have stopped regularly attending worship services during the pandemic, want support from a church community."

There are several brief concepts that come to mind here.  One is that believers need the Church.  When we accepted Christ as our Savior, He inducted us into a body of believers, an entity built on His truth, a rock that sustains us and undergirds us.  And, no matter what the circumstances, believers are called to function as part of that body.

And, whether they know it or not, unbelievers need the Church, too.  Of course, the entire world needs to come to know Jesus Christ, and He died for everyone. The local church can be a powerful witness as we build relationships and minister hope to those who do not know Him.

Plus, the world needs the Church.  Just look around - there is a tremendous amount of need in our world today. And, there is an abundant amount of grace and wisdom that God gives to us.  We need solutions, we need power and direction.  The body of Christ has been entrusted with Christ's light, in order to lift His name up and draw attention to a Savior who loved the world and gave His life.

World on Fire

We know that God is faithful to walk with us through the trials and challenges we face.  He has made available to us the full armor of God so that we might be equipped to counteract the strategies that
Satan would deploy against us. Ephesians 6 says:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Are we living in the "evil day" to which Paul refers here?  I would certainly think so - actually, because we live in a fallen world, every day has its share of evil that we encounter.  We face temptation from within, we commit sin against Almighty God, and we come face-to-face with the weakness of humanity - our own and that of others.  We need God's strength to sustain us; otherwise we can feel helpless and overwhelmed.

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The Church is the physical representation on earth of our King Who sits on the throne in the heavenlies.  And, we have been granted power and authority in Him to counter spiritual forces that
are aligned to destroy God's work. 2nd Corinthians 10 reminds us:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...

We are witnessing unprecedented violence in the streets of America, and a trend has been emerging over the past few weeks that should be disturbing to people of faith - the destruction, or attempted destruction, of houses of worship.  The anarchists tipped their hand in Washington, DC in the beginning stages of the protests - setting fire to the historic St. John's Church across from the White House.  That act of vandalism prompted the President to walk to the front of the church and hold up a Bible.  Religious leaders saw that as a symbolic gesture to defend the foundations of our faith; admittedly, some saw it as merely a "photo op."

In response to a fire at a church in France recently, Tony Perkins of Family Research Council stated:

One of the last times people saw flames in France's Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul church was during the Allied bombing in 1944. What's happening now isn't World War III, but it certainly feels like it, as things get increasingly violent on every continent. While believers around the world pray for an end to the chaos, arsonists, knife-wielders, and vandalizers are taking the battle to them.

On Monday, July 13, Gary Bauer of American Values related:

Fires ravaged churches in three states over the weekend.

• In Saint Gabriel, California, a fire gutted the interior of the historic 249 year-old Saint Gabriel Mission Church.

• In Ocala, Florida, a man crashed a minivan through the front door of a conservative Catholic church, then lit the interior ablaze while parishioners prepared for morning Mass.

• And a Pentecostal church outside Huntsville, Alabama, caught fire Friday evening, destroying the sanctuary, bathrooms, and the fellowship hall.

He went on to say:

There's a phenomenon in the news industry called spiking. It's when a newsworthy story is withheld and not reported, often for political reasons. And predictably, these church fires were barely mentioned by the national media.

Bauer said: "Investigative reporters should be asking whether the church fires have anything to do with recent protests against Christian monuments in recent weeks. The Saint Gabriel Mission that burned in California was founded by Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest whose statue was recently torn down by radical activists who claim he was a colonialist."

Perkins also noted:

In New Haven, Connecticut, parishioners of St. Joseph's Church woke up to satanic symbols sprayed across the doors. "It was certainly shocking and disturbing," Rev. John Paul Walker told reporters.

But even that was minor compared to what happened at Virginia's Grace Covenant Church right outside of Washington, D.C., where a man walked into a Bible study Saturday and viciously stabbed the pastor leading it. Miraculously, local police chief Ed Roessler was in the class, and together with another churchgoer, subdued the man -- but not before being injured themselves. "We are grateful for the courage exhibited that prevented worse from happening," Pastor Brett Fuller said in a statement.

In a conversation with FRC's Sarah Perry, author, commentator, and media host Eric Metaxas, according to the piece, "...ticked off examples throughout history of rebels wanting to overthrow authority and then turned their attention to the church -- people in France, Russia, China. They all 'found themselves swept up in a rage that had no bounds and that could never be satisfied.'" He said that activities that we are seeing currently are "a rage against God and all authority. They want to burn down Western civilization."  Eric called for prayer in the face of these acts of rage across our nation.

Is there a connection between violent protests and the destruction of churches?  After all, among the targets of these radicals are historical representations. In America, especially, the Church has had a profound impact.  So, it is not a stretch to think that churches and religious symbols could be targets. Especially when you consider that activist Shaun King called for the destruction of statues of Jesus, claiming that His representation as a white European, in King's estimation, is a form of "white supremacy." It's just more divisive language that threatens to unravel the commonality in our communities, and has even infiltrated the Church.

I think that we can certainly recognize the degree of spiritual warfare that is occurring today.  And, while it easy to identify individuals or groups of individuals, you have to recognize that the fight described in Scripture is not "flesh and blood."  The enemy is attempting to divide the Church and create chaos in culture.  We have to make sure that we are praying and speaking boldly the truth of God.

And, the current circumstances can produce fear, certainly.  During the COVID-19 crisis, at Faith Radio, we have continued to emphasize "Faith Over Fear."  That concept applies to what we are seeing occur around us; it can be scary when we are seeing unrest, tension, and violence explode around us, and perhaps even toward us, when churches become targets.  But, the fact is that we can be bold and courageous, not cowering in fear sitting on the sidelines in our COVID-induced isolation, but recognizing that we have a responsibility to stand strong in Christ.

Fragile?

The Scriptures offer us keys to understanding one another, and that involves seeing people who are from different backgrounds as individuals, not merely members of certain people-groups.  Colossians 3 tells us that we...
(10) ...have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,
11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering...

Our status as new creations in Christ means we can have a new worldview and a new view of other people.  Because we love God, we can see others from His perspective and love them accordingly, as fellow human beings, members of the human race, for whom Jesus died.  We can bear with one another and learn from one another, seeking to understanding the perspective of someone else.  For the believer, we find that reliance on the world's ways can be insufficient to bring healing of relationships.

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God's intention for this world is for all to come to know Christ, which is the basis for eternal unity,
that is displayed in Revelation 7:
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

All are invited, and as the Scripture teaches in James 2, God is not partial.

In the grand scheme of things, I believe that we can continue to laud progress that has been made in the area of race relations in America.  There has been much that has been said over the last few days about the contributions of noted civil rights leader John Lewis, who passed away Friday night.

And, positive developments in the area of civil rights can be attributed to Lewis and his contemporaries.

However, there are dangerous trends in our culture that threaten to unravel some of the work that has been done regarding how Americans of different racial backgrounds can live together in our country.  And, while the aftermath of the death of George Floyd has perhaps opened up dialogue into how we can take racial harmony to a new level, there is content that has risen to the forefront that poses a threat to how we regard each other.  And, this is especially important to the Church, which, I believe, can have a leadership role in the area of race relations.

Recently, the The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture posted a graphic that outlined certain characteristics of what it calls "whiteness." The Washington Times reports that the museum...

...has removed a “whiteness” graphic that ascribed traits such as “hard work,” “self-reliance,” “delayed gratification,” being on time, and politeness to “white culture.”

The graphic also contains a equating of so-called "whiteness" to Christianity, which is an insult to scores of devoted African-American believers.

The article continued by saying:

Project21’s Horace Cooper accused the museum of trying “to offer advice to cripple Black America.”

“To call those [skills] somehow a racial category would make David Duke proud,” said Mr. Cooper on Fox News Channel’s “The Ingraham Angle.” “This is really, really sad.”

The criticism wasn’t only on the right. The liberal magazine Newsweek took issue with the chart in a story headlined, “In Smithsonian Race Guidelines, Rational Thinking and Hard Work are White Values.”

Commentator Ben Shapiro stated, "The problem ain’t the chart,”adding,“The problem is the entire propagandistic critical race theory effort.”

The article related that the Smithsonian museum, in a statement, said: "Since yesterday, certain content in the ‘Talking About Race’ portal has been the subject of questions that we have taken seriously,” adding, “We have listened to public sentiment and have removed a chart that does not contribute to the productive discussion we had intended.” The apology referred to the museum's "ascribing a multitude of positive traits to 'whiteness.'"

But, the museum's website, while removing the controversial graphic, retained its "Whiteness" section which includes a video from a lady named Robin DiAngelo, author of a book called, White Fragility.  The ideas of DiAngelo are getting increased scrutiny these days.  Recently, The Epoch Times reported:

The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) passed on a recommendation to read “White Fragility,” whose author argues that any gains the United States has made since its founding have come “through identity politics.”

Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley Jr., the DIA director, mentioned in a recent townhall and in his weekly email to employees that a DIA officer recommended reading “White Fragility,” a spokesman for the agency told The Epoch Times in an email.

Christian writer and commentator Samuel Sey of the Slow to Write blog, who has been a harsh critic of Critical Race Theory and a signatory to the excellent Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel, stated about White Fragility:  

But the most disturbing thing about White Fragility isn’t what it says about white people or black people. The most disturbing thing about White Fragility is what it says about sin and repentance, human nature and God’s character.

Naturally, White Fragility doesn’t mention God. However, the gods of anti-racism are mentioned throughout the book. In anti-racism, black people and white anti-racists like Robin DiAngelo are precious deities whom we must devote ourselves to, if we don’t want to be racists—or in my case, if I don’t want to internalize racism.

Sey goes on:

In anti-racism, the gospel is irrelevant and racist. Essentially, anything that isn’t in conformity to anti-racism is racist—including the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, anti-racists like Robin DiAngelo aren’t interested in repentance from sinners, they’re only interested in revolutions against systems. Anti-racists believe racism resides in a white person’s skin colour, not in all our hearts. 

This is a great reminder that in order to model proper race relations, the ways of this world are insufficient.

Recently, John McWhorter, a professor at Columbia University who is affiliated with the "1776 Unites" organization led by noted Christian civil rights leader Robert Woodson, stated about DiAngelo's book on The Atlantic website:

She operates from the now-familiar concern with white privilege, aware of the unintentional racism ever lurking inside of her that was inculcated from birth by the white supremacy on which America was founded. To atone for this original sin, she is devoted to endlessly exploring, acknowledging, and seeking to undo whites’ “complicity with and investment in” racism. To DiAngelo, any failure to do this “work,” as adherents of this paradigm often put it, renders one racist.

He says that "White Fragility is the prayer book for what can only be described as a cult."  

Neil Shenvi is a Christian apologetics expert in the study of Critical Race Theory, which he says is "an ideology that divides the world into dominant, oppressor groups and subordinate, oppressed groups. Dominant groups subjugate subordinate groups through the exercise of hegemonic power – the imposition of their values, norms, and expectations on society." Shenvi writes about a premise of DiAngelo's book:

The white person seems to have been placed into an impossible situation: he can either admit that he is racist and fragile. Or he can demonstrate that he is racist and fragile by denying that he is racist and fragile.

He writes:

All people, especially those of us who strongly disagree with DiAngelo’s assessment, should be open to correction, willing to expose their prejudices, and humble enough to admit their ignorance. But my worry is that accusations of “white fragility” -like accusations of “race baiting” or “virtue signaling”- will be used to suppress dissent and shut down dialogue, fueling polarization, resentment, and disengagement. The path to racial healing is found not by unifying subordinate groups against a common enemy, but by seeking common ground on the basis of our shared humanity.

As I stated earlier, we have to recognize that Christians have a better way to right relationships between people of different races than the world has to offer.  We can rely on the love of God, the power of God, and the authority of Scripture in order to be able to see what is termed "racial reconciliation."

But, you have to wonder if people who are promoting so-called "racial reconciliation" really want that.  The Church can lead the way in the area of generating a greater understanding between people of different backgrounds.  But, I fail to see how divisive language and harsh generalizations accomplish that purpose.

Finally, we have to make sure that people of different races and backgrounds do not adopt an "us vs. them" mentality.  I have quoted from San Diego pastor Miles McPherson, who talks about that concept.  It is destructive to say that all whites are the same and all people of color are the same and view entire people groups as our enemy.  We have to recognize that we can united around what we have in common - in the present, so that we can walk together and craft a future based on mutual understanding and trust. 

Where To Worship

We are one with Christ and we are all part of His body - united in Christ.  We can be united with the Lord as we come into His presence in worship, and united with one another as we come before Him
in corporate worship. Psalm 96 instructs and inspires us:
2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.
3 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.
4 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.

God has called us to be one in Him and He wants to express Himself in and through the hearts of His people.  We can be aware that He lives in our hearts and wants to walk with us daily - He invites us to acknowledge Him and worship Him on a regular basis, so that His presence and His ways are known to us.  And, as we exalt Christ, we can also know that we will be encouraged from within and can experience more of His strength and love.

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Worship is not contingent on a place, although God has graciously provided venues for corporate worship in our church worship centers.  But, we can also worship in the ebb and flow of life.  And,
there may be occasions when the Church gathers to honor God outside the walls of the church building. But, the nature of worship is consistent, as Jesus taught in John 4:
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

We know that God has a purpose for worship - as we worship Him, we are drawn into a greater sense of His presence, and we are told that He inhabits the praises of His people.  And, I have been following reports of instances where the presence of God has been injected into desperate situations.

The Los Angeles Times opened a recent article with these words:

There’s a revival taking place on the sand at Huntington Beach.

On Friday, at least 200 evangelical Christian faithful gathered near lifeguard tower 20 to hear the word and be motivated to spread it. They sang and raised their hands skyward in praise. Several walked into the cool waves of the Pacific to be baptized at sunset.

No, that is not a story from the early 70's along the coast - it's a story from just over a week ago, which said, "With the continuing coronavirus pandemic, traditional indoor church services have been interrupted or reimagined, either voluntarily or by government decree. On the beach, there were no pews or steeple. Gulls and paragliders soared overhead instead." The story said:

The seaside outreach movement is called Saturate OC and co-organizer Jessi Green calls it a “ripple-effect” revival, not one led by a single preacher.

The believers will gather each Friday during the remainder of July - hoping to draw 2,000 people total to spread out and reach 50,000 for Christ.

Further up the coast, there was a worship gathering "...at San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge to protest Gov. Gavin Newsom's coronavirus ban on singing in churches, " according to a FoxNews.com report. The article noted, "Between 300 and 400 people gathered for two hours last week, joining together in the middle of the iconic bridge and worshipping in defiance of the Democrat governor's new order, according to organizers."  Worship leader Sean Feucht of Hold the Line, which sponsored the event, said, "Nobody was angry...We were just like, 'We want to worship. We want to declare a blessing over the state of California.' When they persecute and discriminate, we bless. We want to release hope and we want to unify the sound of the church."

And, just this past weekend, Feucht's organization brought a worship service into the heart of Manhattan at Washington Square Park - outdoor, jubilant worship. Feucht tweeted out, "The joy that filled the city tonight was UNDENIABLE. Even the NYPD officers told us “Something feels so different now!'"

I reported to you earlier about the singing of Amazing Grace that united musicians in Nashville even in the midst of unrest in the city.  Worship services have been held at the place where George Floyd lost his life, as CBN.com reported, Joshua Lindquist of Awaken the Dawn shared in a video, "Things are stirring. Last night, people got saved, baptized, and were touched by God...This was full of hopelessness. The spiritual climate has completely shifted."

Phil Johnson of the ministry of John MacArthur, Grace to You and the church he pastors, Grace Community Church in Southern California, which is under that state's indoor worship ban, tweeted out: "Grace Church WILL meet Sunday. Morning and evening services in the tent."

There are believers in Christ who are chomping at the bit to worship together - not via online worship services, which God has used and certainly have served their purpose, but to gather corporately.  Some churches are staging outdoor worship services in order to gather together even with masks and social distancing.  Others are taking to the streets in a proclamation stance to make Jesus known, recognizing that worship is able to adjust the atmosphere.

When we need a shift in our own lives; perhaps having been beset by discouragement or fear - when we begin to worship, we activate a sense of God's presence with us. When we express our adoration for God and think and speak Godly words, it can envelope our entire being.  The reality of Christ's presence can be enhanced when we come before Him in praise.

Finally, we are not called to be sinfully angry, but we are called to be supernaturally joyful.  Even with the challenges we are experiencing as a nation, we can come before the Lord and allow Him to direct our attitude - and our actions.  Each of us, led by the Spirit, can make an imprint for Christ where we are and where He calls us to go.

Ye for Pres

Even though many may not have a high view of our governing authorities, these days, that is certainly not the teaching of Scripture - human government has two components: the human part, which means that they are imperfect, and the government part, which is established by God's hand.
Romans 13 states:
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.

So, lawlessness contradicts the law of God.  And, to allow lawlessness, as we are seeing in major American cities, is a dereliction of duty, a spiritual duty.  We are called by Scripture to be good citizens - citizens of the heavenly Kingdom, certainly, but also reflecting the character of Christ and not contributing to disorder.  Our governmental authorities are placed there by the Lord, and we are called to pray for them; certainly, we can appeal when there is injustice, but we should also be devoted as the Church to work with them as they carry out their mission.

+++++

It's easy to get discouraged with political leaders these days, but we can also recognize that they have
been placed in their positions by God Himself, to be used for His purposes, according to Daniel 2:
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.
22 He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

The reports of the demise of Kanye West's Presidential campaign earlier this week may have been premature, with Billboard relaying a report yesterday from the Associated Press that the music superstar would be appearing on the ballot in Oklahoma.  The Billboard  article said:

The West campaign filed a “Statement of Organization” on Wednesday with the Federal Election Commission, stating that his team would serve as principal campaign committee for a West candidacy, TMZ reports.

Of course, Kanye has missed the deadline to get on the ballot already in a number of states, after tweeting out the announcement on July 4: "We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States! #2020VISION..."  As Billboard points out:

Despite Kanye’s optimism, his political dream didn’t appear to have much foundation. On July 14, NYMag's Intelligencer reported that his campaign had wound down after he tried, and failed, to get on Florida's ballot.

But, no matter what you think about the legitimacy of a Kanye candidacy, he did raise some important, and Biblical, issues.

Religion News relates:

Asked about his presidential run, West told Forbes that “God just gave me the clarity and said it’s time.”

Such a claim is not unusual among presidential candidates. In 2012, Republican presidential hopefuls Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain and Rick Perry all reportedly suggested God called on them to seek the highest office in the land.

The article says that Kanye believes that God "appoints" the President, and told Forbes: “Let’s see if the appointing is at 2020 or if it’s 2024 — because God appoints the president,” adding, “If I win in 2020 then it was God’s appointment. If I win in 2024 then that was God’s appointment.”

But, isn't Kanye a Trump supporter?  The Religion News article adds:

West has been a public supporter of Trump but told Forbes he no longer backs the president, saying, “It looks like one big mess to me.” West also called on both Trump and his Democratic rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, to “bow out,” saying, “It’s God’s country, we are doing everything in service to God, nobody but God no more. I am in service of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, and I put everything I get on the line to serve God.”

However, West did praise Trump’s faith affiliations when explaining why he supported the president in the first place: “Trump is the closest president we’ve had in years to allowing God to still be part of the conversation.”

West also reflected a view regarding prayer in schools that is popular among conservative Christians, insisting God be brought back into classrooms.

He is anti-vaccine, anti-death penalty, and staunchly pro-life.  In fact, he had strong words for Planned Parenthood:..a Fox News story said, regarding the Forbes interview:

West seemed to hold nothing back in the interview and, at one point, singled out Planned Parenthood, which he said has "been placed inside cities by White supremacists to do the Devil’s work.” The comment was a clear reference to Planned Parenthood's founder Margaret Sanger, whose support for eugenics and racially charged statements in a 1939 letter remain a source of pain for many in the Black community.

The story points out that in a "1939 letter, Sanger outlined her plan to encourage Black religious leaders to help her counter suspicions as she expanded her clinics into the South.," writing, "We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population, and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members..." She was in favor of getting Black preachers to promote her clinics and hiring Black doctors to work there.

So, Kanye is certainly, as he has been doing for the last several years, calling attention to a variety of issues and his documented faith in Christ is apparently a prime motivator.  He is eccentric and unpredictable and cannot be considered a serious candidate for the highest office in the land.

But, he does make some points that we can dwell on a bit longer.  For one thing, he does make the point that God is the one who ultimately determines our leaders.  The book of Daniel establishes that - that premise was part of an interesting discussion recently with former White House aide, journalist, and pastor Wallace Henley.  So, we have to acknowledge God's role in the appointment of leaders.

And, we can also consider whether or not the Lord may be calling someone to seek public office.  We need more truth-speakers in office; in a time when we might struggle to find politicians we can trust, perhaps we just need some everyday people who have Godly wisdom in order to be used of Him to help solve the enormous dilemmas our communities face.  I'd say it's too late for 2020, but what about your next local election?  Or start now to get involved in community issues.  I am reminded of that charge and challenge given by Franklin Graham at the Montgomery Decision America rally in 2016.

Finally, keep in mind Kanye is a relatively new born-again Christian.  He is an unusual personality, yet, he seems to want to do the right thing.  And, I appreciate his willingness to call out the nation's largest abortion provider and put its activity in spiritual terms. Abortion is murder, which violates the teachings of Scripture, and it is clear that minority communities are being targeted.  We have to make sure that we understand the dynamics of the right to life and the fight for life and not try to gloss it over or minimize it by including abortion with a host of other issues and slapping a "life" label on them all. Be discerning - that rationalization is being used by certain organizations, including Christian ones, for political purposes.  Abortion is a scourge on our land, and we should be devoted to praying and acting as God leads.

Church and Corona

The Church has been challenged over the past few months - to love and serve the communities to which we are called, to reach out to our congregations who are isolated and keep them connected to
the body, and to be mindful of guidelines that are intended to keep us from spreading the Coronavirus to one another. Romans 12 says:
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

I think its remarkable the degree to which the Church has made responsible decisions to preserve public health, living out the directive of Scripture to love one another. And, where appropriate, churches have challenged orders that have been given by public officials that are contradictory to constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.  The vibrancy of the Church has been tested, yet we can rely on the Lord and recognize that He will bring us through.

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In our current health crisis, the Church has the opportunity to show that it cares for one another, as
well as for the suffering world around us. Philippians 2 states:
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Three or four months ago, perhaps many were thinking that the Coronavirus would be winding down by now.  Now, that so many summer activities have been cancelled and there is trepidation about the reopening of schools, there is uncertainty where this virus is heading.  But there is plenty of analysis of about how we got here.  And, I would say that one of the reasons we are seeing the number of cases that we are is that testing has increased; but, the percentage of positive tests has been concerning in some areas.  Overall, though, nationally the death rate does seem to be declining.  All in all, we need to continue to pray, to be strong in the Lord, and to take necessary precautions to protect ourselves and others from the virus.

But, there is plenty of theorizing to go around.  The New York Times has one - it's the church's fault.  Yes, it was a few months ago when the paper blamed the "Hostility to Science" exhibited by people of faith for the rise and spread of the Coronavirus.

Now, the Times has decided that it's the Church's fault that we are seeing cases rise. In a piece at The Federalist, writer Holly Scheer states:

As you’d expect from the not-so-subtle title, the NYT blames rising numbers on churches, ministers, sermons, and religious youth camps, specifically noting, “It has struck churches that reopened cautiously with face masks and social distancing in the pews, as well as some that defied lockdowns and refused to heed new limits on numbers of worshipers.”

Overt shaming like this might make you wonder how many of these millions of cases trace back to the faithful cautiously gathering for comfort and consolation during this pandemic. Surely the caseload must be astronomical to warrant targeting in this matter.

Except the article paints a different picture in the actual numbers: “More than 650 coronavirus cases have been linked to nearly 40 churches and religious events across the United States since the beginning of the pandemic.” I’m no epidemiologist, but I don’t need to be, because simple math shows that 650 out of 3,000,000 cases across our nation means 0.0216 percent of them trace back to churches. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent should not — and cannot — be called a major source of this infection.

Scheer declares, "It’s disingenuous to pin the caseloads of these states on churches, ignoring that contact tracing connects dozens of cases in Texas to churches, for example, out of their 230,000 and counting total cases. It is divisive. It’s fake news. A tiny fraction of a percent can’t responsibly or seriously be described as a 'major source' of transmission. And it’s a total distraction from what drives the predominance of coronavirus infections."  She also noted the difference, the double standard, in which churches are treated in contrast to the protests that have been held throughout the country.

Yes, there have been churches where an increase in the number of cases have resulted in pulling back on in-person worship. Once such instance last month was at Clays Mill Baptist Church in Kentucky. Pastor Jeff Fugate has been at odds with the governor and his restrictions, and made the decision to close temporarily after a number of cases were reported in the congregation.  But, the Louisville Courier-Journal quoted the pastor's social media post:

"There is no evidence that anyone contracted the virus at our church. That was only an 'insinuation' by the media," Fugate wrote. "They may have got the virus at a grocery store or another place of business that they had visited. ... Your bias and misinformation against 'church' is too obvious."

"Our church was not closed down by anyone, it was me personally who decided to close the church for a couple of weeks," Fugate added. "The media took that to mean that there was an outbreak at our church and you believed it and repeated it. Not true. But it was another opportunity for you to show your bias once again."

Tim Challies points out:

The article, which also made its way to the front page of the Drudge Report and various other aggregator sites, employs a lot of evocative language: Outbreaks are surging; the virus has infiltrated; cases have erupted; and so on. While it affirms that many churches and ministries have created and followed strict guidelines related to masking, social distancing, and other practices, it focuses primarily on churches that “have remained defiant in the face of rising infections.”

But, he believes the Times is missing a key element of the story of churches and the virus:

The true story of churches and coronavirus is their willingness to shutter their services for a time; to move online; to create and implement health and safety guidelines; to open with caution; to reduce seating capacity; to modify elements of their services; even to adhere to guidelines that are stricter for churches than for other sectors or industries. Kristen K. Waggoner of the Alliance Defending Freedom says rightly that “a vast majority of churches meet or exceed federal health guidelines for reopening.” The true story of churches and coronavirus is the willingness of Christians to go above and beyond. Across America and across the world, Christians are doing their utmost to express love to God by worshipping him while also expressing love to their fellow man by taking every reasonable precaution. In that way churches are deserving of commendation, not rebuke.

But the virus has taken its toll on church attendance.  Many churches across our nation are not meeting in-person, which I believe especially affects smaller congregations who may not have the resources to stream their services.

The comfort level, though, of Americans in re-connecting with church in-person, is not particularly high. A study conducted by the American Enterprise Institute, reported on by Religion News, found that...

...64% of Americans said they were “somewhat uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable” attending in-person worship.

Even among those who reported their congregations offered in-person worship in the past week, 56% of respondents said they chose not to go.

61% of the category the survey terms "white evangelicals" "said they were 'very comfortable' (34%) or 'somewhat comfortable' (27%) with in-person worship services at their church. (Among them, men were far more comfortable than women — with 71% of white evangelical men saying they would be at least somewhat comfortable attending in-person worship services compared with 51% of white evangelical women.)"  The article also says, "By comparison, 36% of white mainline Protestants, 32% of Black Protestants and 39% of white Catholics said the same. (Among major non-Christian religions, 26% said they would be comfortable returning to in-person worship services.)

So, the reality is that the comfort level is not there, even among some evangelicals.  But, it is disingenuous to say that a church that is taking precautions to preserve the health of its parishoners is contributing to the spread of the virus.  Each church has to make the decision for itself and what is in the best interest of its congregation members, and a church with fewer members may be better equipped to return than a large body. 

We each, in this time of Coronavirus, have to make sure that we are taking responsibility for ourselves and others, following the directive to love our neighbor.  And, churches can extend grace toward their members and other churches in navigating these difficult decisions.

Chasing Treasure

The Lord calls us to walk according to the wisdom of His Word, not of this world, and to be intent on
building up His Kingdom. Jesus taught in Matthew 6:
19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

We are not to selfishly pursue worldly wealth, but to recognize what we have in this life is the gift of God, and that He expects us to be good stewards over what He has provided.  The Bible teaches us to be charitable, and to continue to set our minds on heavenly ambition.  The things of this world will pass away, and He desires for us to keep our eye on what is eternal and to continue to lay down our lives so that we might reflect the presence of Christ.

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Though His Word, God is offering us wisdom and understanding, as He directs us by His Spirit and
illuminates His truth to us. Proverbs 2 says:
4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.

Forrest Fenn has a strange way of leaving a legacy.  10 years ago, following a bout with cancer about two decades before that, he announced that he had hidden a "treasure" worth over a million dollars.  Fox News reports:

Fenn originally designed the treasure hunt as a means of leaving behind a legacy: in 1989, he was diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer, but he managed to recover. He claimed that he hoped to tempt people to venture into the wild and give them an old-fashioned adventure for riches.

He listed the contents on the website, claiming that the chest contained pre-Columbian animal figures, gold nuggets and coins, Chinese jade faces, emerald rings and other exotic items.

He hid the treasure in 2010 and shared clues to treasure’s whereabouts on his website and in a poem he published in his autobiography, “The Thrill of the Chase.”

Fox reports that some 350,000 people have been involved in the search for the treasure, according to an article in the Santa Fe New Mexican publication.  Some people actually quit their jobs to find it and some even lost their lives.

Fenn, who is now 89 years old, made the announcement recently that indeed the treasure has been found.  He is quoted as saying on his website: “It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago,” adding, “I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot.”

He left this word of wisdom for the successful treasure hunter: “Whatever you choose - keep the thrill of the chase alive and continue the legend.”

This is an intriguing story - a man with earthly resources leveraging it to get people involved in a 10-year treasure hunt that actually resulted in people losing jobs and lives.  Just for material wealth - the promise of a hidden treasure.  It does say something about what people will sacrifice for something that will pass away.

But, God does call us to give our lives for treasure that will not pass away.  In the book of Proverbs, we read about the importance of seeking wisdom, going after it as for precious riches. We have to regard the resources of the Kingdom of Heaven and precious, enduring treasures.  We can, of course, treasure God's Word and incorporate more of it in our lives. We can also be sure, as Scripture suggests, that we are devoted to building the Kingdom and laying up treasure in heaven, by being unselfish with our resources here on earth. There are also innumerable treasures that God has in store as we lay down our lives, take up our cross daily, and follow Christ.  We can embark on a Kingdom treasure hunt, a life of discovery, if we are willing to look for what God has in store for us.

So, a good question for each of us is: What are we chasing?  Are we trying to follow the clues which lead to temporal, earthly treasures - financial riches, power, and prestige? Or are we chasing the eternal, being careful each day to set our minds on Christ and recognizing that He has eternal treasure that is promised to the Christian, including our majestic heavenly home that Jesus said He is preparing for us?