A Helpful Formula

I believe that in these days of turmoil and challenge, that God is calling us to demonstrate the light of Christ. Romans 13 encourages us with these words:
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.

We can evaluate the extent to which we have put on our spiritual armor.  Paul writes in Ephesians 6 about the components of that armor, which is designed to protect us against the power of the enemy, and we have the weapon of the sword of the Spirit - God's Word, which is, as we're told in Hebrews 4, living and active.  We have the capacity to live victorious lives that reflect the power of Christ working in and through us.

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We can prepare our hearts and minds to be people who respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. 1st Peter 1 exhorts us:
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

Another translation (ESV) of verse 13 includes these words: "preparing your minds for action."

Shawn Johnson, now known as Shawn Johnson East, is known for her gymnastic prowess - after all, she has won Olympic gold - she's also a champion from Dancing with the Stars.  She has spoken and written about her faith in Christ, and discussed that faith with me almost a decade ago at a conference in Orlando. 

In response to the shortage of baby formula, Shawn and her husband, Andrew have taken some bold steps in order to help.  According to the NewsNationNow website:

Shawn Johnson, a two-time Olympian, and her husband, a retired NFL player, recently ran out of formula for their baby. They posted about it on Instagram and the post went viral.

“A friend of a friend actually connected me to her friend in Pittsburgh who was able to find and ship it to me. So that got us thinking, is there a way we can connect all of you to other mamas who have formula,” Johnson explained in the video post.

They created the Baby Formula Exchange, a program that matches parents who have formula with parents who still need it.

The Des Moines Register noted:

The program is free and easy to use. Mothers in search of formula can post what type they need. Mothers with extra, unopened formula that hasn’t expired can post what they have and whether they are willing to ship it for free. The two sides can then connect.

Beth Van Duyne is a member of Congress from Texas and a professing Christian. She has launched an effort to help.  Her website says:

The website DFWBabyFormula.com launched this morning and will work to bring the North Texas Community together and crowdsource information, providing local information for stores with formula in stock.

Knowing many people want to help parents currently struggling to find food to feed their babies, at DFWBabyFormula.com individuals can fill out a quick form to add store information with formula in stock so parents in need have a resource for finding the formula they need.

Parents across the nation have felt the effects of constant supply chain disruptions and the recent safety recall by the nations largest formula manufacturer.

These are great examples of individuals who responded to a crisis by doing something.  We can wait for others to act, or we can, as God leads, depend on Him for creative and effective strategies and do what we can with what we have.  If mothers are having a difficult time obtaining vital nutrition, and there is a means to help, then you have to laud these efforts, which are apparently being established in communities all across America.

There are questions here about who we are going to rely on.  In an age when some of the trusted institutions of the past have lost some of their luster, we can place our trust in God and those who want to live out His principles by giving of themselves.  We have to guard against being duped into thinking that governmental institutions are always the answer - there are wonderful government agencies who do incredible charitable work, but you also have leaders who are more devoted to competitive politics than compassionate service.  

Sometimes we can hope and wait for something to happen.  That can be the prudent path.  But, perhaps, through the power of God, He is calling you to partner with Him and make something happen. We may be frustrated with a situation and not know where to turn, but we can seek His face and ask for His direction.  When He gives clear instruction, then we can depend on Him to manifest His will through us. 

Keeping Things in Perspective

Our marriage relationships should reflect the presence of God - marriage has been established and is an incredible opportunity to love and be loved by another person in an mutually beneficial relationship that brings honor to Him. In Colossians 3, we can read:
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

The pressures on marriages are intense, the attempt to redefine marriage is strong; yet, we can trust in God to make our marriages the very best they can be, reliant on His power and resilient from the devaluation of it in the culture. Because we love God and love our mates, we can grow in that love and devotion to Him.  In so doing, it sends a message that this is important; it models the relationship of Christ and His Church and brings honor to Him.

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I think the Bible is clear; despite cultural viewpoints to the contrary - Jesus was a strong supporter of marriage and shared these words that we find in Mark chapter 10:
6 But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'
7 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
8 and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

As we continue to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to issue perhaps the most significant ruling in a generation in the Dobbs abortion case, we can reflect on a decision that, while allowing so-called "same sex marriage" to be legalized throughout the country, it also has opened up a greater tolerance to beliefs about sexuality that do not line up with a Christian worldview perspective.  Ideas such as gender identity, gender fluidity, the proliferation of transgender acceptance, and the attempts to silence those who don't embrace these concepts, all accompanied the Obergefell decision as the justices created yet another "right" they viewed as constitutional.

But, even though same-sex marriage was legalized, it has certainly not become a bedrock institution in our society.  Consider this statement from Namechk.com: 

Currently, same-sex married couples account for about 1% of all married couples in the U.S., according to 2020 Census Bureau data.

Wait!  What? That's it - 1% of couples described as "married" are in same-sex marriages.  And, please keep in mind that same-sex marriage doesn't meet the Biblical standard.  Marriage is only one man and one woman.  Period.

And, consider this: 

Research by demographers at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law shows that there were an estimated 230,000 same-sex married couples in 2013, accounting for 21% of all same-sex couples. By June 2015, when same-sex marriage was legalized across the country, the number of same-sex marriages was 390,000, or 38% of all same-sex couples. Just a few months later, in October 2015, the number of same-sex marriages had increased to 486,000, or 45% of all same-sex couples.

So, in this period from June 2015, when Obergefell was issued, until October that year, the number of gay marriages went up less than 100,000.  The article also relates:

According to the Tax Policy Center, same-sex married couples skew younger, have higher incomes, and are less likely to have dependents. Indeed, Census Data shows that among married couples in their 20s and 30s, same-sex couples account for 1.8% and 1.5% of married couples, respectively. For married couples 60 and older, same-sex marriages account for about half that at 0.8%.

The article ranked the top 15 metropolitan areas based on their percentages of same-sex couples. Only the top 100 metros were used.  The disclaimer, from the article:

To find the metropolitan areas with the most same-sex marriages, researchers at NameChk analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample. The researchers ranked metros according to the percentage of married couple households that are same-sex. In the event of a tie, the metro with the larger number of same-sex married couple households was ranked higher.

The "winner:" Austin-Round Rock, TX.  The stats:

• Percentage of married couples that are same-sex: 2.6%
• Percentage of same-sex couples that are married: 57.8%
• Total same-sex married couples: 11,696
• Total male married couples: 5,582
• Total female married couples: 6,114

The remainder of the "top 10:"

2) Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

3) Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 

4) San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

5) Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

6) New Haven-Milford, CT

7) Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

8) Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

9) Salt Lake City, UT

10) Asheville, NC.

So, that's it?  The metro area with the largest percentage of these faux marriages has a percentage of 2.6?  Really?  Sounds like that before corporate logos begin to change and post rainbow colors next month, we need to really have a reality check.  Remember the YouGov study of perception vs. reality I commented on a few weeks ago - the one in which respondents guessed that 30% of the population was gay or lesbian, 21% transgender?  Yep, the real numbers are 3 and 1 percent, respectively. And, the Census Bureau says only 1% of married couples are in what is termed a "same-sex marriage." 

We really should keep things in perspective - a decided minority is receiving a great deal of attention.  The public has been duped.  We're about to commemorate "Pride Month."  Is this really something to be proud of?  

While same-sex marriage is certainly a social problem that should not be ignored, we should be devoting a great deal of attention strengthening Biblical marriage - one man and one woman. Marriages are facing enormous pressures today, and it is important to make that a priority.  We, of all people, in the body of Christ, should be champions of marriage, the way God intended.  And making sure that our marriages are reflecting the love and the presence of Jesus.

A Focus on the Family article from last year, written by Jeff Johnston, is entitled, 4 Reasons We Care About Marriage.  Those four reasons are as follows:

1. We care about marriage because God does

2. A married mom and dad are best for children

3. Marriage helps both men and women

4. Marriage is good for society.

With these incredible benefits, we should be outspoken advocates for true marriage, based on the Biblical standard.  We can model it by loving and cherishing our mates, being devoted to one another in the Lord.

The Great Reset Summit

It could have been written today - the words of the apostle Paul in 2nd Timothy 4, as he was passing the torch to his associate. He stated:
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Paul tells Timothy to "be watchful," and that is great instruction for us today. We have to continue to place ourselves under the authority of Scripture and make sure the teachers we choose line up with the principles of the Word of God.  Faith Radio carefully chooses Bible teachers who have a proven track record of Biblical faithfulness.  We encourage you to grow in the Lord and be protected from the ideologies of this world that would divert us from faithful devotion to Christ.

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In 1st John chapter 4, we are given the admonition to "test the spirits." While we are told in Scripture about the rise of a worldwide leader, known as the Antichrist, that spirit is already functioning in the world. The Bible says in that chapter:
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

2000 years ago, a man told his followers to go into "all the world" and to share His message - by His power!

Days ago, a man told his followers to change the world by harnessing human power, saying "The future is not just happening. The future is built by us, by a powerful community such as you here in this room...We have the means to improve the state of the world..." That's according to a Tweet referenced in an article at the Daily Caller website, quoting the founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum, meeting this week in Davos.

His name is Klaus Schwab, and his commitment to leading the charge for implementing the global agenda is well-documented, even though he may not be a household name.  The Daily Caller piece goes on to say:

Schwab went on to outline what he viewed as two conditions for such an improvement to occur. The first condition relied on his vision of global leaders as “stakeholders” of the future.

“The first [condition] is that we act all as stakeholders of larger communities,” Schwab said, “That’s what we call ‘stakeholder responsibility.'”

The second condition, Schwab said, was collaboration within the “community” of global leaders.

He references a so-called "global agenda," and the article concludes by saying this week's Annual Summit "will feature discussions among political and business elites on how to, 'tackle global issues and find solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges including the ongoing global pandemic, the war in Ukraine, geo-economic shocks and climate change.'" In other words, these global challenges, or perceived crises, can be met by the implementation of a global agenda - in the past, it's been called a New World Order, but you can regard it as a precursor to the one-world government to which the Bible points, that will be established - which will encompass not only the political, but the economic and the religious.  

The WEF came up with the phrase, The Great Reset. A primary tool in the furtherance of this one-world mentality is fear: fear of what is to come upon the earth. Fear is borne out of a misplaced response to crisis, and as believers in Christ, we recognize that we have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind, according to 2nd Timothy chapter 1.  Fear brings bondage - faith brings freedom.

One of the tools in the Great Reset toolbox, that I wrote about in the latest edition of River Region's Journey magazine and addressed in a recent commentary is what's called ESG, which rates businesses according to their scores on three areas of responsibility: environment, social, and governance.  Recently, as the New York Times reported, Elon Musk decried the concept, but only because his company, Tesla, was removed from an index measuring such scores, while the oil company ExxonMobil stayed on.  The former vice-president, Mike Pence, according to the article, also expressed his concerns about the use of ESG scores to rate companies.

A Fox Business story recently quotes Justin Haskins, director of the Socialism Research Center and editorial director at the Heartland Institute, who said: "The point of it is to transform all of society, not just to transform what happens inside the walls of some big corporation..." The article goes on to say:

Haskins compared ESG scores to a social credit system being developed in China. The Chinese Communist Party announced a moral ranking system in 2014 that monitors individuals, government organizations and companies ranks them based on their social credit, according to the South China Morning Post.

Haskins also related: "If you want to transform society through a social credit scoring system, you can do a lot of that through corporations and banks and financial institutions and Wall Street, but at some point, you probably are going to have to apply that to individuals as well..." The buzzword, or phrase, to listen for, is "stakeholder capitalism."  The Fox Business article stated:

World Economic Forum founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab wrote in 2019 that ESG scores are necessary for stakeholder capitalism.

"‘Stakeholder capitalism,’ a model I first proposed a half-century ago, positions private corporations as trustees of society, and is clearly the best response to today’s social and environmental challenges," he wrote. "We should seize this moment to ensure that stakeholder capitalism remains the new dominant model."

And, there is Schwab - at Davos this week - using that word, "stakeholder."  It doesn't mean what you might think...

A piece on the World Economic Forum website, part of series called, "The Davos Agenda," states:

I believe ESG considerations need to be incorporated into strategy and are closely linked to operational excellence, which is a core part of many private equity value-creation models.

Private equity understands the imperative of operating successfully with consumers and customers, partnering with suppliers, working with regulators and NGOs and building a diverse, healthy, safe and productive employee base and culture.

They understand that following a responsible ESG strategy has the potential to do more than reduce reputational risks, thereby creating the perception of a well-led and managed company with a concomitant premium valuation.

Does that mean a company's reputation is determined by these ESG scores?  That's certainly what it sounds like.

We have seen the implementation of groupthink with regard to corporate culture in so many instances. And, companies are willing to get in line with ideologies that are deemed to be socially acceptable, like the LGBTQ+ agenda.  The most recent example: State Farm Insurance - and please allow me to state that this is on the corporate level.  The Washington Examiner reported:

Insurance company State Farm is discontinuing its support for the controversial GenderCool Project amid backlash following reports that the company was donating books about transgender issues, targeted at 5-year-olds, to schools .

"State Farm's support of a philanthropic program, GenderCool, has been the subject of news and customer inquiries," the company said in a statement to the Washington Examiner late Monday. "This program that included books about gender identity was intended to promote inclusivity. Conversations about gender and identity should happen at home with parents. We don't support required curriculum in schools on this topic. We support organizations providing resources for parents to have these conversations."

A FoxNews.com story quoted from Will Hild of Consumers' Research.  The article stated:

Hild said Consumers’ Research was overwhelmed with feedback from customers and State Farms agents alike on Monday, as many were completely unaware the insurance giant was caught up in liberal politics.

"They were appalled and shocked as everybody else. Customers were livid. They were canceling, calling their agents, canceling their State Farm policies. So, this is obviously something that America's consumers were not happy about," Hild said. "America's parents were not happy, they were appalled."

Jeremy Tedesco of Alliance Defending Freedom was on The Meeting House recently to talk about a sinister development, in which financial institutions are being pressured to restrict the ability of donors to give to certain charities through their donor-advised funds. 

Christians are called to be distinctive, and we need to be informed and determined to take steps to resist being compliant with agendas that do not line up with Scripture.  There are developments that can produce fear in our hearts - from manipulation from corporations to the misinformation of politicians to the misrepresentation of public health instances. For example, news stories are already proliferating about the spread of a virus that currently has relatively few instances worldwide - we have to guard against panic. We can be firm in our convictions and not allow the culture to dictate our viewpoints and violate our conscience. 

Sovereign

Even though we find destructive ideologies around us, we can be steadfast in the Lord, and find peace in Him, despite the temptation to live in fear. Isaiah 54 states:
14 In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.
15 Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.
16 "Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy.
17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the Lord.

Remember, we have to guard against policies that would exploit real or perceived crises in order to promote fear and to try to force believers in the Lord to act in manner that violates Scripture or the promptings of a well-informed, Biblically-centered conscience. Even though Romans 13 teaches that human authorities are placed by God, because those authorities are, in fact, human, means they are vulnerable to misusing that power and become thirsty for unhealthy control. 

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The dramatic account found in Genesis 11 about what is known as the Tower of Babel can give us insight about the selfishness of humanity and the sovereignty of God. We can read these words:

4 And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth."
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
6 And the Lord said, "Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.
7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

In Acts 17, we see the words of the apostle Paul, who said:
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us...

The reason that we find ourselves in nations today is that God ordained it. But, we are told that the nations of the earth will unite in the last days and become part of a one-world government.  That is a precursor to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ - so, in a sense, we can rejoice that we see nations moving in that direction, but we also need to be aware and prepared for it. 

So, when you see the trends of global governance occur, it is important to take note.  Former member of Congress Michele Bachmann, who now serves as a Dean at Regent University, wrote about a development that could come to fruition this week. In a piece published on the Family Research Council's website, she made reference to decrees put into place by federal, state, and municipal leaders during the COVID pandemic and said:

These emergency orders have badly damaged our lives, our businesses, our (American) healthcare delivery system, and our ability to offer up a medical-scientific opinion that differs with or contradicts pronouncements from the World Health Organization (WHO). Presenting opinions that clash with the WHO's render the speaker subject to being called disseminator of "disinformation" by the squads of "fact checkers" that do nothing but work to enforce the prevailing "narrative."

She chided the current Administration for introducing "amendments to the International Health Regulations strengthen the WHO by allowing the director general to unilaterally declare a public health emergency of international, or intermediate, or regional concern without the consent of a U.N. member state."

Bachmann writes: "Clearly, the globalists want the WHO to have even more emergency powers over our healthcare. They want the WHO to make declarations and statements that will be treated as having the effect of law, even if the WHO pronouncements do not enjoy the actual legitimacy of law."

National Religious Broadcasters, to which Faith Radio belongs, published an article, which said, in part:

The proposed changes by the United States to the IHR (2005) Agreement carry serious implications for the sovereignty of nation-states versus the consolidation of power in the hands of a supranational global organization under the leadership of an unelected Director-General.

These amendments would cede greater authority to WHO and enhance the opportunity for future public health crises (or events that the governing body deems as such) to advance the interests of a globally-controlled and funded governing body and undermine the rights of citizens. A threat to national sovereignty is a threat to individual freedom, inevitably giving rise to incursions on the conscience rights and religious freedoms that Americans cherish—and organizations like NRB exist to protect.

As an association dedicated to preserving First Amendment freedoms and religious free speech, NRB continues to monitor these issues for impacts on Christians and their ability to practice their faith and follow the dictates of their conscience.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver made a statement, reported on the organization's website, and said: "The proposed amendments would give the WHO global jurisdiction over the United States to declare health emergencies." He made reference to what he described as a "lawless abuse of power" by U.S. officials during the pandemic, which he points out that "the courts have fortunately blocked."

The confusion over COVID, that was perpetrated by those who are trusted to govern health policy, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may, as it's been pointed out, carry over to the latest emerging "health scare," yes, get ready for monkeypox.  Gary Bauer of American Values writes:

Some press reports say the outbreak may be due in part to two widely attended "raves" (sexually promiscuous festivals) that took place in Europe.

There is already talk of the need for another vaccine. President Biden has already been briefed. It is a big subject at the globalist Davos meeting. Can Dr. Fauci be far behind? No doubt America's socialists and Marxists are already plotting to take advantage of this new "crisis."

My friends, this is not COVID. Monkeypox spreads through very close contact with infected people, animals or contaminated material. Sexual contact is an effective vector. This is not essentially a respiratory virus.

There is no need to panic. There is no need to shut our country down. There is no need to sacrifice any liberties. There is no need for massive new deficit spending. The only crisis we have right now is the aggressive left-wing effort to turn America into a socialist dump.

A CNBC.com story says that:

Dr. John Brooks, a CDC official, emphasized that anyone can contract monkeypox through close personal contact regardless of sexual orientation. However, Brooks said many of the people affected globally so far are men who identify as gay or bisexual. Though some groups have greater chance of exposure to monkeypox right now, the risk isn’t limited only to the gay and bisexual community, he cautioned.

He is quoted as saying: "We want to help people make the best informed decisions to protect their health and the health of their community from monkeypox..." Well-informed decisions come by good, accurate medical information that is not tinged by fear.
 

And, that is why granting sovereignty over public health to a worldwide organization or even a U.S. federal agency places limitations on our freedom to govern health care decisions in tandem with our chosen medical professionals.  We learned from COVID that exploiting a crisis is directly related to the overriding of our individual consciences.  We should never be motivated by fear, because fear leads to bondage and clouds our ability to make well-reasoned decisions.  Christians should be guided in response to the Spirit and not a fear-based reaction to the culture or leaders who wish to pursue an agenda that does not respect our religious freedom rights.

History Confirmed

In Psalm 60, there is a narrative of victory for the people of Israel, and the Psalm closes this way:
11 Give us help from trouble, For the help of man is useless.
12 Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

We face a host of enemies in the world today, and we have to make sure that we are staying spiritually sharp. If we ourselves are allowing walking in unconfessed sin, that can prevent us from experiencing what God has in store for us.  We must rely on the Spirit to convict us and to fortify us, so that we have the strength to stand strong against the forces of evil which would attempt to defeat us. God has provided the invitation and the means for us to stay close to Him.

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In Joshua chapter 8, we read about a victory for the Israelites at a place called Ai, where they had previously been defeated. Once things were made right, they went into battle again, and God directed their victory. We can read these words:
30 Now Joshua built an altar to the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal,
31 as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: "an altar of whole stones over which no man has wielded an iron tool." And they offered on it burnt offerings to the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings.
32 And there, in the presence of the children of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.

Through discoveries in a variety of areas, including physical science and archaeology, we are recognizing the validity of the what we find in the Scriptures.  I often talk about how science and faith are compatible, and we can rejoice that our faith can be reinforced through the study of how the world works.

Recently, a discovery was announced of the oldest Hebrew text that has been found. An archaeologist from Texas is "part of a team that helped to discover and identify a 'curse tablet' that is centuries older than any known Hebrew inscription from ancient Israel."  That's according to the Katy Times website, which reports:

Scott Stripling, Archaeological Studies Institute director at The Bible Seminary in Katy, worked with four scientists from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic to discover the text at Mt. Ebal, which about 100 miles north of Jerusalem.

As the story notes, Mt. Ebal is the place that, according to the book of Joshua, a temple to the Lord was constructed by Joshua, following the battle of Ai, which occurred around 1400 B.C., according to the article, which relates that...

...the archaeologists found the temple site and the altar, and it was there that they found and confirmed the curse tablet.

The translated curse text reads:

Cursed, cursed, cursed – cursed by the God YHW.
You will die cursed.
Cursed you will surely die.
Cursed by YHW – cursed, cursed, cursed.

“YHW” is for “Yahweh,” a form of the Hebrew name for God that is used in the Bible.

You may remember that Ai is where Israel was defeated because of the idolatry of one of the people. When that was purged, according to Joshua chapter 8, the Israelites had a victory, after which Joshua, we're told, built an altar.

The Katy Times article states:

Stripling said the curse, along with the blessing, were parts of covenants made in those days.

“That’s how you made a covenant in the Bronze Age,” Stripling said. (The Bronze Age ran from about 3300-1200 B.C.) “You bind yourself with an oath. If I keep the terms of the covenant, I receive the blessings, and if not, I receive the curses. You cannot have a covenant without blessings and curses.”

It goes on to say: "Stripling said the date of the tablet is consistent with other archaeological findings and synchronizes with biblical dates." It also reports: "Stripling said some scholars have questioned whether there was some sort of alphabet that people could read and understand in those days. The tablet’s existence implies that there were both." He said, “That’s one of the big implications...Jesus said that Moses wrote the Torah.”

The website for the Assemblies of God published a story on Stripling's involvement in these archaeological developments.  It states, concerning the tablet, or amulet:

The amulet also proves that during this time, the Hebrews were literate — at least Moses, Joshua, and the Levites could read and write as they made use of a proto-alphabetic writing. Again, supporting what Scripture says in such verses as Exodus 34:27 (God telling Moses to write), Exodus 38:21 (Moses telling the Levites to write), and Joshua 1:8 (God telling Joshua to read). Significant because some scholars believe the former Hebrew slaves were incapable of writing as they were thought to have no alphabet, thereby questioning the authorship of the early parts of the Old Testament.

Mount Ebal is a significant location in Biblical history, according to the report, which says:

...Stripling points to Moses’ directions to the people in Deuteronomy 27:12,13: “When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin. And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses (emphasis added): Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.”

It goes on to say:

Mount Ebal was to be the place where Moses directed six of the tribes to go to express curses on Israel if the people failed to follow God’s commands — the finding of an amulet expressing curses in that location is no coincidence. Also, there was only one people group in the world at that time who worshipped God YWH (as written in the amulet) — the Israelites.

This is fascinating material, and while we declare that we walk by faith and not by sight, it is always great to have our beliefs reinforced or authenticated.  And, certainly for a watching world, this type of material can be persuasive.  

We can also see how God continued to pass His truth from generation to generation.  He related information to Moses by His Spirit, Moses wrote it down, and it was passed on.  God has continued to preserve His Word, and that Word has power and relevance for us today. 

I also think that the progression of the events surrounding Ai provides instruction for us today. Because of sin among the people, they were defeated there - once the sin was exposed and action was taken, the Israelites went on to victory there.  And, the Bible tells us that Joshua commemorated that victory.  When we allow unconfessed sin to linger in our hearts, it becomes destructive and we do not experience the victory and joy Jesus died to give us. But, when we repent and recommit ourselves to the Lord, we can experience His sweet presence again. 

Shining

Jesus loves His Church - He gave His life so that we might be brought into a relationship with Him through salvation. The Church is referred to in Ephesians 5 as His bride; we can read these verses:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

It is amazing how life works when we submit to God's principles - now, that doesn't mean there won't be challenges or adversity, but when we follow His plan, we can experience His peace and satisfaction; we can face each day with the realization that He goes with us. God has provided principles we can follow on marriage and human relationships - He has shown His love to us and taught us what it means to be humble.  We experience His best when we are dependent on Him.

+++++

The principles are so profound that we find a verse related to marriage in the Old Testament, in Genesis, but also in the New Testament, spoken from the mouth of Jesus. Genesis 2 says:
23 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Verse 24 is repeated in the books of Matthew and Mark, when Jesus spoke those words, affirming the Biblical viewpoint on gender and marriage.  For those who contend that He never taught on homosexuality or same-sex marriage, I submit those verses as evidence that He did - He laid out the genuine article, not a human-made counterfeit.

It was a celebrity wedding that was featured prominently by PEOPLE Magazine - that's not unusual. But, what is a bit unusual is that it featured two professing Christians and presided over by one of our Faith Radio programmers - Jim Garlow!

The groom was Lawson Bates, of the Bates family that had a reality show for a decade and is a budding Christian musical artist. He told the magazine: "I could have never even dreamed of marrying someone so kind, sincere and passionate about life as Tiffany! She has the absolute most beautiful heart, and I'm so blessed that God chose to bring us together."

The "Tiffany" is Tiffany Espensen, who worked for four years with Garlow's ministry, Well Versed. An article at BillyGraham.org in 2020 related that she had appeared in a number of television shows and movies, such as Spider-Man: Homecoming and Avengers: Infinity War.  The article says that Tiffany was born in China and abandoned by her parents because of the nation's one-child policy; but she was adopted by an American family.  She said: “Adoption reflects Christ, because God chooses us as His children,” adding, “I could’ve had a totally different story, and I’m just so thankful that He chose me.”

As her career unfolded, according to the article:

She remembers thinking, “Wow, look at this beautiful life. [God’s] given me these wonderful parents and opportunities. Why me?”

And she sensed God answering: “You can use this as an opportunity to shine a light on Me.”

Lawson was the subject of a Movieguide article, which reported:

“I became a Christian when I was 11. Some people say that’s too young, that’s too old,” Bates said.

“I think that in life you know, we’re all at different places, but each of us, you know, when God’s prompting us, whether it’s you know about our faith, personally, we just need to follow that, that prompting. I became a Christian at 11 and it’s the best thing I ever did,” he explained.

Bates said his parents are always there to answer any questions he or any of his 18 siblings have about faith and to “Steer the way if we’re in something that we don’t understand.”

An Instagram post embedded in that article quoted the reality star: "I hope these verse’s encourage you to never give up, because with Jesus at our side, you and I can face any high or low the world throws at us with the hope, peace, and comfort only He can give..."

Jim Garlow posted on Facebook:

TV Star (Growing Up Bates) and Movie Star Tiffany Espensen. The first wedding I have ever done on a yacht. The first wedding I have done where all guests were not allowed to post a picture until People Magazine released their article. The bride and groom told me, “We don’t care what you say in the wedding, except … just tell everyone how to receive Jesus!” A remarkable couple. Tiffany worked for us for four years, helping us found WELL VERSED. She will be Co-Host of the www.WellVersedWorld.org/futureconference/ & Lawson will be assisting as well - July 20-22 in Washington DC

Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Bates!  I think that coverage of a wedding can always remind us as Christians to recognize God's intent for marriage.  In an age when the absolute truth found in Genesis chapter 2 is under assault, where gender and marriage are being redefined, we can rejoice in God's perfect plan.  Marriage is God's idea - it gives us the experience to express to and receive love from another person in a one-flesh relationship, and it also provides for furthering the human race through procreation.  

Those of us who are married can be resolved to make our marriages the very best that we can!  That means having Jesus involved and it means that we are to humble ourselves before God and one another so that He may be exalted.  We should regularly pray for and with our mates and be very careful to preserve and defend our relationship.

Trending Down?

After his dramatic conversion, the apostle Paul saw His mission as developing and training those who were - and are - part of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 3, he writes this:
8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;
10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord...

We are recipients of the presence of Christ in us, enabling us to know the Scriptures and to connect with God's wisdom - through Christ, the mystery throughout the ages has been revealed and we are called to, as verse 10 suggests, make it known.  We make it known through reliance on God and devotion to allowing His love to flow through us and His Word to guide our thinking and doing.  We are called to partner with the Savior to show the world who He is.

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The Church has been appointed to be the representatives of Jesus on this earth - we are called His body, and we are to function by the power and love of the Head. Ephesians 2 states:
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention is weeks away, and if you are a Southern Baptist or follow trends within the SBC, you know that it has been a rather rocky ride from a national level. But, you also must remember that the Convention is a loose collection of local churches who are, by and large, attempting to serve the Lord, minister to their congregations, and reach their communities for Christ. What may or may not happen in Anaheim could have very little effect on the work of the local church.

But, there is a key issue that is affecting Southern Baptists, as well as other denominations - that is, the issue of drift.  In the SBC, you have primary and powerful voices that believe the denomination is heading in the right direction, that there is no drift; you have others who want to, as the hashtag suggests, #ChangeTheDirection.  I think that, generally speaking, the Church as a whole has to constantly be on guard against drifting from the teachings of Scripture - no one person or entity is immune from the strategy of the enemy to take out the Church and defeat the undefeatable Christ.

Each year, going into the annual convention, the Southern Baptist Convention releases its Annual Church Profile.  And, the results of this year's release, consisting of 2021 statistics and influenced by the COVID pandemic, are, well, mixed.  Around 7 out of 10 Southern Baptist churches report to the ACP.

Grabbing the headlines at Baptist Press were two areas of increase: baptisms and giving.  An article on the website said:

Southern Baptist congregations baptized 154,701 in 2021, a 26 percent increase from 123,160 reported in 2020, according to the Annual Church Profile (ACP) compiled by Lifeway Christian Resources in cooperation with Baptist state conventions. Although baptisms are not back to pre-COVID levels, Southern Baptist leaders rejoice that numbers are moving in the right direction.

But, Religion News noted that the level of baptisms was significantly down from 2019, with over 235,000 baptisms.  

Overall giving increased $304 million. Later in the article, you read this:

Total church receipts, undesignated receipts, total mission expenditures and Great Commission Giving all increased in 2021. Total church receipts reported through the ACP increased 2.6 percent to $11.8 billion. Undesignated church receipts increased 2.6 percent to nearly $9.8 billion.

Congregations reported total mission expenditures of $1.1 billion and Great Commission Giving of $516 million.

One of the discouraging signs that the Baptist Press article reported: Overall membership declined 3% from 2020 to 2021, with the overall membership standing at just under 13.7 million.  In checking last year's ACP, I saw that membership in 2019 stood at 14.5 million. Religion News stated that "membership is continuing its decline of many years."

Also, attendance was down 18.75% and small group attendance, including Sunday School and Bible study, was off 21.15 percent. 

It's certainly been a challenge to rebuild the culture of local churches in light of the COVID pandemic. These statistics certainly are influenced by that reality.  Certainly the denomination has its issues: there are concerns over allegations of denominational leaders mishandling complaints of sexual abuse; you have those who would contend that it is a matter for local churches and law enforcement to deal with - a report by the Sexual Abuse Task Force, appointed by the outgoing SBC President, is due out this weekend.  

There are those who believe that the denomination is accepting progressive ideas - a press release from the Conservative Baptist Network earlier this year stated:

Individuals of the Network’s founding Steering Council noted in 2020 increasing concern among Baptists in the pew with what many have described as a progressive direction of the Southern Baptist Convention, citing more specifically a departure from long-held Baptist distinctives, capitulation to culture, and a functional embrace of worldly ideologies and practices.

So, messengers from thousands of Southern Baptist churches will convene in Anaheim next month, with the intent on electing leadership and setting policies for the years to come. Another contentious election for President of the SBC has already emerged - some might say the position is merely titular, but when you consider the Convention President has the responsibility to appoint leadership roles and committee positions, you see that position is important.

But, all in all, you have to remember the action is at the local church level.  And, each church has to make sure that it is holding to Biblical ideas, promoting the practice of holiness, creating a culture of community, and deploying into the areas it is called to serve.  A denomination can set a course, but the local churches predominantly carry out the mission. We can make sure that we are following Christ's mission and devoted to growing in Him and rejecting drift, which is certainly a human tendency if we are not staying grounded in Scripture.

Winsome

We don't win the world by become like the world - and the lines of demarcation are become more and more clear - there is a difference between the teachings of the Scriptures and the philosophies of this world. In 1st John 2, after he writes that we are not to love this world, the writer says this:
18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

Later, he writes about the spirit of the antichrist that is in the world today - it existed in his time, and has existed since before the Garden. We have to learn to recognize it and make sure that we are rejecting the ideologies of this world that reject God and reject His Word.  We have to consider what it means to have a compelling witness in a world where there is clear hostility - it calls for a dependence on the love of God, certainly, and we can rely on Him to be able to display who Christ is to those who may not really want to see Him.

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Because Jesus lives in us, we are distinct, different from the world, new creatures who represent Christ. Colossians 3 shows us the contrast between the old and the new life:
8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,
10 and 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.

There has been a rhetorical debate recently centered on social media regarding the use of the word, "winsome."  Dictionary.com gives this definition: "sweetly or innocently charming; winning; engaging..." I don't think I made this up, but you could say that if you are "winsome," then, in the Christian sense, you could "win some" to Jesus.

In an article on the First Things website by associate editor James R. Wood, I believe that he says that we should evaluate our approach in a culture that has moved from neutral toward Christianity to negative.  He writes:

Aaron Renn’s account represents well my thinking and the thinking of many: There was a “neutral world” roughly between 1994–2014 in which traditional Christianity was neither broadly supported nor opposed by the surrounding culture, but rather was viewed as an eccentric lifestyle option among many. However, that time is over. Now we live in the “negative world,” in which, according to Renn, Christian morality is expressly repudiated and traditional Christian views are perceived as undermining the social good.

Wood contends: "...the 'negative world' is a different place. Tough choices are increasingly before us, offense is unavoidable, and sides will need to be taken on very important issues."  He goes on to say: 

If we assume that winsomeness will gain a favorable hearing, when Christians consistently receive heated pushback, we will be tempted to think our convictions are the problem. If winsomeness is met with hostility, it is easy to wonder, “Are we in the wrong?” Thus the slide toward secular culture’s reasoning is greased. A “secular-friendly” politics has problems similar to “seeker-friendly” worship. An excessive concern to appeal to the unchurched is plagued by the accommodationist temptation. This is all the more a problem in the “negative world.”

It seems that he is saying that in order to appeal to a hostile world, we have to guard against becoming like that world and compromise our moral, Biblical authority.    

Rod Dreher, writing at The American Conservative, sheds some light on Renn timeline, saying that the author had described the era before 1994 could be described as "positive world."  He writes:

Renn is not claiming — it would be absurd to claim — that there was no hatred of Christianity in Positive World. Nor is he claiming that Christianity is everywhere hated. He’s generalizing about American culture — and he’s absolutely right about Negative World. I have far too many conversations with people who are senior within American institutions, both public and private, who tell me in detail what’s happening in their professional circles. I have described America as a “post-Christian nation,” meaning not that there are no Christians, but that Christianity is no longer the story that most Americans regard as explaining who we are. You might think that’s great, you might think that’s terrible, but it’s simply true.

Dreher and Wood seem to be advocating for a new understanding of the world we live in and a bolder strategy to reach an increasingly hostile world.  Dreher adds:

I stand with James Wood and Aaron Renn here: the moment really has passed. The moment for Christians to love our enemies and pray for them will never pass, this is true. But the idea that they will embrace us, or even tolerate us, if we just be sweet is no longer viable. I don’t advocate at all hating our enemies. Neither did Martin Luther King. But King also recognized that he and the movement he led really did have enemies, and that these enemies were willing to do violence to them. We non-conforming Christians are moving into the same world, very rapidly — except this time, the technological powers that our enemies have to use against us are without parallel in world history.

He adds:

Winsome World Christians are failing to prepare themselves, their families, and (if pastors) their flocks for the world that exists today, and the world that is fast coming into being. Again, I am thinking of the pastor I argued with who believed that he didn’t need to speak about gender ideology to his parish (“I don’t want politics in my congregation”) because, as he explained, if he just keeps winsomely teaching Biblical principles, all will be well. I am certain that man believed he was taking a virtuous stand against fearmongers and alarmists like Dreher. I think it was cowardice.

And, Dreher warns, in bold letters: "American Christians have to learn how to endure persecution without capitulating to apostasy or to hatred."  

Here's a quote from Twitter from recent Meeting House guest Erik Reed of Knowing Jesus Ministries and pastor of The Journey Church near Nashville:

The overly winsome, tip-toe approach some of our evangelical thought leaders take on secular ideologies like abortion, gender, and sexuality forgets the enormous number of Christians facing pressures to conform. Their silence and lack of clarity isn’t helping those people at all.

Reed adds: "With a church of 1500+ ppl, our staff/elders can’t afford to ignore the realities our kids, students, college kids, and adults face each day. Secular progressive ideology is the air they breathe in this culture...They’re not helped if we are silent or ambiguous on these issues."

That is a powerful image and can lead to this question: What air are you breathing?  Are we breathing in the toxic air of the world and the culture that can pollute our souls, or the "fresh air" of the wind of the Holy Spirit?

We can also consider if we are boldly standing on truth or if our lives are reflecting compromise.  There is talk of a "third way" on issues that the Bible speaks clearly to, in order to be more appealing to the world.  While Jesus calls us to reach the world, He doesn't direct us to appeal to it by watering down the gospel.

Scripture speaks to a host of issues - directly through proclamation or indirectly through principle.  We can "agree to disagree" on some to preserve unity, but there are others that call for a bold stand for truth. We have to recognize what is primary and what would be considered secondary and not confuse the two.

In closing, here some words from podcast host Josh Daws, who tweeted out: 

We need to distinguish between winsomeness as a strategy and winsomeness as a demeanor. Winsome strategy seeks to engineer a response from those we're trying to win. Whereas a winsome demeanor is focused on Christ-like interactions rooted in truth regardless of the response.

A Prayerful, Informed Vote

The Church has a purpose in this world - we have been given the Spirit of God, in order that we might do God's will and glorify Him, so that He might be seen in us. 1st Peter 2 gives us our marching orders:
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.
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

Because we have been called and chosen by God, because Jesus lives in our hearts, we have the capability to conduct ourselves honorably, according to verse 12.  We can be people of conviction, yet we can be devoted to being men and women of compassion.  Because of our love for people, expressed by God through us, we can speak and act in a way that shows them the way they should act, that demonstrates the compelling nature of a walk with Almighty God.

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David was on the run - in 1st Chronicles 12, we find that he was camped out at Ziklag, and a large group of warriors came to show their allegiance to him. We read that men from the tribes of Benjamin and Judah came, and we can read beginning in verse 17:
17 And David went out to meet them, and answered and said to them, "If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment."
18 Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said: "We are yours, O David; We are on your side, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, And peace to your helpers! For your God helps you." So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.

Men from a variety of tribes of Israel, including the tribe of Issachar, about which we read in verse 32:
32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command...

We are in a spiritual battle, and God does not call us to sit on the sidelines - we have to, as these brave men did, choose the side aligned with God - they rejected the ways of Saul and gravitated to David. They made the choice, and Issachar was especially notable because they understood the times, they knew "what Israel ought to do."  We need that type of discernment.

Next Tuesday, May 24 - one week from today - is primary Election day in the state of Alabama.  And, as I have encouraged you throughout the years, make sure that you go to the polls and make a prayerful, Biblically-informed choice for the candidates that most resemble your Christian worldview perspective. 

It seems that the issue of Christian involvement in politics has become a divisive issues in churches these days.  I believe that we are called to take our Scriptural principles into every area of life, and political choices are very important, because we have the chance to be used of the Lord to select governmental authorities. Romans 13 shows us that these authorities are ordained by Him.

The Daily Citizen of Focus on the Family recently highlighted two articles that examined Christian involvement in politics; one article profiled a pastor who left his church, ostensibly because the parishoners did not believe he was political enough. In the other, a situation was explored involving two churches in one city with a differing approach to political involvement. The Daily Citizen article opens up this way:

Certainly, the effectual spread of the Gospel is of paramount importance to all Christians. But to read numerous articles in elite publications today, one would think the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ is being dangerously crippled by the nastiness of current partisan politics. Just this week, The New York Times warned in a lengthy article “a ‘Seismic Shift’ Fractures Evangelicals” because of politics and The Atlantic, which seems to run such doomsaying articles about every 6 months, explains “How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church.”

If these folks are to be believed, Christians involved in politics is the Gospel’s greatest hinderance today. But what these journalists fail to understand is their neighborly “the sky is falling” warning to faithful Christians is nothing new at all. Nor is it helpful or particularly insightful. Discerning readers know this to be true. The reasons are many.

The article, compiled by the Daily Citizen staff goes on to enumerate those reasons.  

#1 is this: "First, the elite press has been predictably apoplectic for decades now about any and every movement of biblical Christians’ involvement in politics. Thus, their warnings today ring hollow." The piece notes that, "Yes, we grow tired of the elite media’s faux concern for something it despises: the effectiveness of the Gospel. It also fails to understand basic citizenship."  

My take: isn't it interesting that we have so-called Christian leaders and commentators that run to the New York Times and Washington Post to take potshots at the church, rather than use that platform to share Biblical truth about the issues of the day?  We have to assume that these publications do not want the Church to be a force for good in this world.  And, of course, we know that the enemy has a vested interest in dividing the body of Christ. 

The #2 reason for our political involvement is that...

...all Christians are citizens of the nation in which they were born or legally reside. Being proud of the nation God has placed one in and getting involved in the politics of that nation is not so-called “Christian nationalism.” It is called vibrant citizenship and democracy. Nations are stronger when everyone gets involved and brings their full conviction and participation to the public square. Even religious conviction. This is not the death of democracy, but the exact opposite.

My take: as I've said before, in our approach to politics, we start with the Word of God.  Our devotion to Scripture and its principles should inform our views on matters of policy, not the other way around. If we start with politics and try to fit the Scriptures in, then we have made politics an idol, in a sense. 

And, reason #3 from The Daily Citizen to support Christian involvement in politics is this: "to think Christians have no business getting deep into the politics of their respective nations fails to understand basic Christian history. Let’s start with the Christianity’s first evangelist: John the Baptist. He way mixed politics and Gospel ministry. He did so to the point of death." The article points out that Jesus was "...put to death by the State under enormous political pressure. But He was not concerned about the entanglement, knowing His Gospel was more powerful than the messiness of those politics."  It goes on to say:

The early church fathers were extremely outspoken politically on the issue of abortion. O.M. Bakke, in When Children Became People: The Birth of Childhood in Early Christianity, explains early Christian apologists like Athenagoras and Tertullian “had addressed their texts to Roman governors and emperors” likely influencing the criminalization of abortion there. This saw this, not as a competition to the Gospel, but the very work of the Good News itself. They could walk and chew gum.

Throughout the history of the Church, Christians have unapologetically engaged politics at great cost to themselves, their ministries and reputations. They did so to defend God’s definition of marriage and family, to protect children, to battle slavery, to elevate women, to protect the vulnerable and secure justice for those with different skin colors. This is all a profound part of the history of Christianity.

The Church has enormous potential for good in this world; but the world doesn't necessarily see it that way.  We have to make sure that we are taking our cues from the Lord rather than the world. One avenue God has given us to make an impact is to be involved in the selection of leaders; another is to engage with those leaders in prayer.  And, as God leads, Christians can be bold to speak truth to power regarding legislative proposals.

And, just a note - David Closson, the Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council, who is involved with equipping pastors and churches to deal with issues Biblically, said this on Twitter: "I’ve said this for a while now, but I travel quite a bit and spend time with a lot of pastors and in a lot of churches..."  He expressed that what was being characterized in the Atlantic article as "a large scale problem doesn’t line up at all with what I’m seeing on the ground." Fact is, the Atlantic article was a classic case of taking an isolated incident and extrapolating it to a much larger group and using it to denigrate huge segments of evangelical Christianity.  So was the Times story.

We also have to guard against marginalizing those who apply Scripture to cultural issues by saying that they are bringing politics into the Church.  Again, as the Daily Citizen article brilliantly points out, the realm of the political is a fact of life - Jesus dealt with it, John the Baptist did, too; so did other leaders throughout history.  We always must discern that our positions are supported by Scripture.

Promise

God has empowered us to fulfill what He has called us to do, and that involves an attitude of steadfastness, even when we may not see the answer. 1st Corinthians chapter 3 states:
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.
8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.

Our lives overall are in a lifelong process of spiritual growth.  Our hearts have been transformed by the presence of the Lord, and He has given us the capability to become more like Him. He has a will for our lives, and shows us what He has ordained for us to do, in order that we might bring Him glory and do the work of the Kingdom here on earth.  But, there is a process; we may be planting, watering, or reaping, but we can be confident that God is at work. 

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We can possess a proper Biblical mindset to continue to trust God, even though we might not see the manifestation or the answer to our prayers right away. 1st Corinthians 15 states:
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

The seeds of what we are experiencing now in our spiritual lives perhaps were planted long ago.  We recognize that God's timing is perfect.  And, even a seed planted in our heart now can result in its bearing fruit days, months, or years from now.

Twenty years ago, television host and former Miss America Terry Meeuwsen had no idea that there would be an invasion of the nation of Ukraine by Russian forces, resulting in dire circumstances for Ukranian children.  But, God had placed a seed in the heart of her and her husband.  According to a Faithwire story:

It all began 20 years ago when Meeuwsen and her husband were in their 50s. They had four children at the time — two biological and two adopted — when they heard about three Ukrainian orphans in need.

“[We] heard the story of three sisters in Ukraine who were potentially going to be split up,” she said. “God just began to burden my heart with the fact that they were not to be split up.”

They ended up adopting those three sisters, and Terry believed they were obeying God in "that very specific situation."  

Not so.

She and her friend, Nataliya Khomyak, began to pray about how they could serve other orphans. The article relates:

The two were burdened that “99% of children who are in orphanages worldwide will never have families.” This fact left Meeuwsen and Khomyak prayerfully looking for answers.

“Our hearts were burdened for the 99%,” she said. “We said, ‘What happens to them?'”

So, for two years, Meeuwsen and Khomyak prayed each night and pondered how they could help orphans who age out of the system. Then, the seeds for Orphan’s Promise were set as they started working with kids in Ukraine.

After the initial center opened — an effort to help meet physical and spiritual needs — their work quickly expanded. Today, Orphan’s Promise operates more than 250 projects in over 60 countries.

The ministry has been strategically positioned by God to work in the current situation in Ukraine. Faithwire reports:

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Orphan’s Promise has been able to work through the centers and projects already in place to provide supplies, baby food, clothing, and a safe place for refugees and those impacted.

“God opened the windows of heaven and purposed all of this to happen,” Meeuwsen said.

We can remember that we have been called to faithfulness, even when we don't see the answer right away.  In this story, we see two ladies who were seeking the face of God for orphans - they saw the answer, which still has ramifications today.  We can be diligent to continue to pray and believe the Lord.  

Fact is, so much in life is part of a process, which, for the Christian, includes praying, planting, and watering.  In the midst of that process, we are called to be steadfast, trusting God one step at a time. More often than not, our call is not to launch a large ministry or initiative, even though that may end up being the end result.  We are directed to be obedient one step at a time. 

Wonder

Paul exhorted the church at Thessalonica to walk according to the ways of Christ and to seek to be united with one another - we can read in 1st Thessalonians chapter 3:
11 Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.
12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,
13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

He goes on to say in 1st Thessalonians 4:
1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God...

We have to be so careful to watch the way we walk. In all things, the Word of God should be our guide. If we are dependent on the Word, then we will experience its power - God provides us with the resources of His Holy Spirit so that we might be obedient to the Scriptures.  God's Word becomes the basis of our relationships within the Church and the standard we uphold to the world around us. We can grow in our sensitivity to follow the Lord's direction.

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We are called to model Christ by following His principles and displaying His love. Ephesians chapter 5 instructs us, stating:
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

You could say that the Great Departure is in full swing with regard to family-friendly entertainment.  There has been a lot of focus on Disney and its embrace of the LGBTQ agenda.  And, to a lesser extent, the Hallmark Channel has also been swept up in thinking it has to promote this lifestyle, practiced by a very small percentage of the population.  Its commitment to depicting gay characters will likely have ramifications in the years to come. 

Meanwhile, a former Hallmark executive has repurposed the Great American Country cable channel to create Great American Channels, which consist of GAC Family and GAC Living.  And, GAC Family has already been successful in luring former Hallmark stars over to the new endeavor.  Most recently, outspoken Christian actress Candice Cameron Bure announced her affiliation with GAC Family.  Before that, it was announced that a familiar Hallmark face, former star of the original The Wonder Years, Danica McKeller, had signed a deal with GAC.

McKellar recently posted on Instagram, "I went live today to share the journey I’ve recently embarked on."  But, that announcement was not about a career move, rather, about a life move.  Movieguide reported on the post accompanying a video, in which she wrote:

I can tell you I’m experiencing a relationship with God and Jesus that I’ve never had before, and it feels miraculous. And it all started one evening when I was struggling with the idea of forgiveness and DM’d my good friend @candacecbure about a passage from the Bible she had read on her instastories, and then she sent me a Bible, and invited me to church… I am wishing all of you the love & freedom I feel in my heart on this journey, and a beautiful Sunday!!

In a previous story on the Movieguide website, it was reported that McKellar had received a gift from her friend Candice, a One Step Closer Bible, which was published last year.  At the time, she wrote: “I will tell you, I have not had much of a Bible education in my life, a little bit here and there, but it’s not part of how I was raised,” adding, “I’m looking forward to learning more about it because Candice is a really awesome person and she’s got her own notes and things in here to kind of guide you through. Since I don’t know a lot about it, I’m looking forward to using it in that way. So thank you, Candice.”

A CBN story about McKellar's apparent newfound faith quoted her, from the video: "I have been going to church and finding a lot of amazing love and peace and purpose and it's blowing my mind. I always had this other preconceived notion of what that was when people talked about Jesus and the Lord. I just didn't quite get it..."  She added:

"I feel a lot of joy in my heart and I always like to share that when I can with you guys. If in any way I can help you to embrace things that feel good because I believe we are put on this planet to experience joy and to spread joy. It just takes energy."

The article also related: "While holding up her Bible, McKellar emphasized that scripture is a likely source to find that energy." 

McKellar is 47 and waited so long to consider following Jesus because of misconceptions about Christianity.  As we began the week talking about: don't wait!  And, we can be challenged not to become one of "those" Christians who do not reflect the presence of Jesus in our lives, thereby helping to facilitate people's rejection of the Gospel.

According to the timeline, Danica's friend, Candice, gave her a Bible last year. That act came after Danica had reached out about forgiveness.  She attributes her newfound faith as the result of a process that was begun at that time. In the context of a friendship, God was able to show His love and truth. Candice responded by seizing the opportunity that God had given to her.  But, I would also contend that her friend knew who to go to in order to perhaps find answers.  We can stand ready and available to be used by God in someone's life.

I sense that there is weariness in the Church today - perhaps that's your story: the last two years have weighed on the consciousness of so many.  Maybe you don't feel rested and refreshed.  We need energy, a supernatural infusion of power, the right kind of power.  God invites us to experience the energy of the Holy Spirit.

The Gift of Time

We can recognize that the determination of how we spend our time can be submitted to the One who has made that time available. Psalm 31 states:
14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord; I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in Your hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, And from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face shine upon Your servant; Save me for Your mercies' sake.

Our days here on earth are a gift from God, in order that we may come to know Him and do His will. We also recognize we are temporary residents of this world, and we will be with Jesus in a wonderful world to come, the place He is preparing for us.  So, while we await our time in eternity in heaven, we have a purpose here on this earth, and God has ordained for us to have a finite amount of time in order to experience His goodness and faithfulness and accomplish what He has given us to do here. So, we have to use our time effectively.

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God has given us many wonderful gifts, including the days that we have here on this earth - time to be used for His glory. In Ephesians chapter 5, we read these words:
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Another translation (ESV) uses the phrase in verse 16, "making the best use of the time."

Every day, we have been given a precious gift - 24 hours a day, 1440 minutes - each and every day. As the Broadway song says, there are "Five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes" every year.  The song explores how you measure that.

Well, we can regard the time we have each day as a gift.  Certainly, there are times for rest, relaxation, and recreation.  We can also think about how much time we waste, when God might have other plans. And, we have to make sure we are doing the right things, and not being overcommitted, to the extent that we miss out on God's best.

The arena of time management can present specific challenges, and according to a recent survey, even those who serve in spiritual leadership are having issues with managing their time. The Lifeway Research website states:

In their personal lives, half of U.S. Protestant pastors say they need to focus on time management, and more than half say avoiding over-commitment is a challenge for them, according to the latest release in the Greatest Needs of Pastors study from Lifeway Research.

According to that recent study, "time management" is the #1 aspect of a pastors' personal life that would "need attention," with 51% of respondents mentioning it. That's more than children, at 29%, or marriage, at 26%.  18% indicated they needed to pay attention to "financial stress."  30% of Protestant pastors said time management was the "single greatest need in their personal lives."

Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, said, “Pastors were not being asked if these areas of personal life matter. They were asked to indicate those areas that need additional focus today,” adding, “Nowhere is it more likely than personal life, for a need to emerge for a pastor because they are giving attention elsewhere. There are only so many hours to split between work and home, and finding the right balance is important.”

The most challenging aspect of self-care for pastors who responded to the survey is "consistently exercising." The survey summary states: 

More than half of pastors say they find consistently exercising (59%) and avoiding over-commitment and overwork (55%) to be challenging in their ministry. Slightly less than half say they struggle with eating right (49%), taking time away from their job for hobbies or other interests (47%) and consistently resting (45%)...

McConnell says that pastors are "quick to prioritize ministry needs ahead of their own." He also stated, "Among categories that need attention today, almost two-thirds of pastors put skills, people or ministry difficulties ahead of their own self-care. Constantly working from a physical deficit is not a sustainable formula for pastoral ministry.”

I think this study and the report on it can cause us to remember the intense pressures that our pastors and church leaders are under.  They are certainly pulled in a number of different directions, facing a variety of expectations.  This is a great time to mention the work of Energize Ministries, which emphasizes prayer for pastors, as well as providing time away in a retreat setting for those who are in need of it.  We can empathize with our leaders as they attempt to manage their time.
 

And, I would say that this issue is not specific to pastors and our church and ministry leaders.  We have been given the gift of time, and the Holy Spirit can direct us in being a good steward of this precious gift God has given to us.  We could always stand to evaluate how we are spending our time. 

We have to guard against being so involved in doing the "work" of the Lord that we wear ourselves out, to the extent that we're no longer effective for Him.  Even in our charitable activities, we might be involved so much in helping to meet the needs of others that it comes at the expense of ourselves.  That doesn't mean that we are to become self-centered or self-consumed.  But, we can engage in taking care of ourselves so that it prepares and releases us to be able to minister to others.