Moms Matter II: The Real MVP

Jesus taught and demonstrated what it looked like to truly serve.  His love can not only inspire us, but flow through us, because we have become partakers of His nature, as 2nd Peter chapter 1 says.   In Philippians 2, we read:

5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.8And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

That's a seemingly tall order - to possess the same mind as that of the Lord Himself.  But, do recognize that we have a capacity to love as He loved, because of the presence of the indwelling Spirit.   So, as we develop a heart of a servant, willing to lay down our lives for the betterment of other people, through the power of Jesus, we can actually demonstrate the love of Christ.   So, our attitude can be - how can I serve God today?  And, who can I serve today?   We have the assurance that Christ is in us and with us as we love Him and love others.

Quick, what NBA player revealed his desire to be known as "The Servant"?  The answer, coming up.

Jesus taught in the 10th chapter of Mark about the topic of servanthood, and expressed that He had come to be a servant to other people.  He said:
43 ...whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.44And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many...

When someone receives an award or some sort of recognition, it's heartening for a person to deflect those accolades toward the people that helped him or her.  And, for the Christian, it's inspiring to see someone truly thank the Lord for the ability to accomplish.

Such is the case from last week's speech by Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder as he accepted the award for Most Valuable Player of the NBA.  Durant is known as an outspoken Christian who devoted much of his speech to the woman whom he called "the real MVP":  his mother.

According to ChristianToday.com, in his 26-minute acceptance speech, the Oklahoma City Thunder small forward expressed love for the people most important to him.

"First of all, I would like to thank God for changing my life," Durant began.

"He let me really realize what life is all about. Basketball is just a platform in order for me to inspire people, and I realize that."

Kevin has been rather forthright about his Christian faith.  For example, there's the ESPN interview from earlier this season where reporter Doris Burke asked him about 12th straight game in which he had scored 30 points or more, a victory over the Miami Heat.  TIME.com quoted the exchange:

“Thank God, that’s all I can say. Jesus Christ,” Durant said.

Burke laughed. “You didn’t have nothing to do with it?”

“No. It’s all Him,” Durant said.

Interestingly enough, the article dealt with some of the criticism that Burke received for laughing when the NBA superstar shared his faith statement.

And, the Christian Post reported on an interview with Bill Simmons of ESPN:

Last weekend, Kevin Durant talked with ESPN analyst Bill Simmons and revealed a new nickname he chose for himself. In contrast to "The King," the honorific favored by his rival Lebron James, the OKC superstar chose a name that seems much more fitting of his quiet resolve, and of the Bible he so depends on. He wants to be called "The Servant" because he just likes to "serve everybody," including teammates, ushers and the fans.

In his MVP speech, Kevin described a servant who greatly impacted his life.  He described his childhood in a small county outside of Washington D.C., where his mother raised him and an older brother by herself.

"Single parent with two boys by the time you were 21 years old," he said, crying.

"Everybody told us we weren't supposed to be here. We moved from apartment to apartment by ourselves. One of the best memories I had was when we moved into our first apartment. No bed, no furniture, and we just all sat in a room and just hugged each other. We thought we'd made it."

He went on to say, "You made us believe...Kept us off the street. Put clothes on our backs, food on the table. When you didn't eat, you made sure we ate. You went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us. You're the real MVP."

As the NBC TODAY Show website points out, before Kevin Durant was the NBA's MVP, he was a frustrated freshman in high school who lived in a rough neighborhood and wanted to quit basketball.

His mother, Wanda Pratt, would not let him quit. She leaned on him to stick with the sport and follow his dreams, which helped propel him into eventually becoming a star with the Oklahoma City Thunder.  She told TODAY, "My advice is to never give up, to always put your children first, to always commit yourself to their dreams, their aspirations and their goals even when it gets hard...When you have those lonely nights when you're crying to yourself, just remember that it's for them, and they will get that, they will receive that. I've realized that's what children really want. They want to know that their parents are 100 percent behind them, and they'll give you everything that you expect." 

Servanthood.  It's something that Kevin and his mother, Wanda, desire to and have practiced in their lives. And, the thought of what it takes to be a servant can propel us - we can ask ourselves, "who can I serve today?" 

Jesus demonstrated for us an attitude of servant-leadership.   Even though He was the very Son of God, He laid down His life to minister to the needs of other people, and ultimately submitted to a cruel death on a cross so that we might come to know Him, that we might be saved from the penalty of sin.  What love!  As we recognize that He laid down His life for us and we possess His nature in our hearts, then we have the capacity to humble ourselves before Him and before others, demonstrating His love and placing our needs beneath those of the people we're called to serve.

Moms Matter

Proverbs 31 provides a wonderful picture of the roles that God has ordained for women, and on this Mother's Day weekend, can help us to appreciate the incredible contributions that mothers make.  Here's a passage from that book of Proverbs:
26She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.27She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.28Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:29"Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all."30Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.31Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Moms matter - that's a phrase that we can take with us into this Mother's Day weekend.  Because, I think in so many cases, we can think of ways where our mothers have spoken into our lives, when they have shown us wisdom, and when they have just been there for us.  The calling and the work of a mom cannot be understated, and we can take time to affirm their incredible contributions to our lives, our families, and to the culture.

I appreciate the work of Tim Challies, a noted author, pastor, and blogger, who now has a monthly column in River Region's Journey magazine - he adds to the excellent company I keep as part of the writing team for that publication, including Kim Hendrix, who hosts Shine Saturday and Sunday afternoons on Faith Radio, Dave Ramsey, and Mike and Lisa Conn.   He mines the 'net for interesting and sometimes provocative stories, and today, he offers a link to a heartwarming list of "Secrets Mothers Know," from the blog, Your Mom Has a Blog. 

So here goes - the words of wisdom are short, so I can move through them all:   (I have emphasized some of the most meaningful for me.)

1. No child ever cried himself to death.

2. “Because I said so” is a wise and complete reason.

3. When Daylight Savings Time ends, we can put the kids to bed way earlier.

4. Bribery is a necessary and legitimate part of child-rearing

5. A period of mourning is appropriate when our favorite Nick Jr. show is cancelled.

6. Fruit snacks are more important than cash money.

7. Tools needed for potty training: cool underwear, a TV set, M&Ms.

8. We sometimes go an entire day without looking in the mirror.

9. Sleep is a non-essential

10. Magic Erasers changed everything.

11. Sometimes we say “no” just because we can.

12. Christmas is more fun as a mother than it was as a kid.

13. Time speeds up when a child is born.

14. Our kids are the brightest, coolest, most beautiful, and most talented.

15. Baby wipes. In the car, in the house, in our purses. They are our friend.

16. We hope the tooth falls out on its own.

17. A wildflower presented in a chubby little hand really does make us happy.

18. Loud is a subjective term.

19. “I would never…” is no longer part of our vocabulary.

20. The final answer to the question “Why?” is “Because that’s the way it is.”

I've been talking about this film, "Moms' Night Out," for over a year now, since I had the distinct pleasure of visiting a site where the movie was being filmed in Birmingham.   The female lead is played by Sarah Drew, who is one of the cast members of "Grey's Anatomy," the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, who has actually been a guest on The Meeting House.    She and I sat down on the set of the movie, at an indoor playground - in fact, the scene where Sean Astin is wheeled out on a stretcher was being filmed as Sarah and I chatted...needless to say, we had a lot of starting and stopping - here's the finished product:

Sarah definitely wants to send the message through this film that "moms matter"!

Here is an excerpt from a piece at the BostonHerald.com website:

“I think stay-at-home moms are the greatest unsung heroes in our culture today. They have the most incredible leadership jobs, and we don’t celebrate them. So this is an opportunity to hold them up and tell the world how unbelievably important their job is,” said Drew, whose son Micah is 2 and visits her at work only occasionally these days.

“The greatest surprise becoming a mother for me was I had a lot of fear that my life would change and I’d have to give up so much,” she said.

“Yes, I’ve changed, but it’s a change I have loved. The greatest surprise is recognizing I’m capable of doing so much more than I thought I was.”

Sarah was on The View this week with Patricia Heaton, and they discussed the film, as well as the role of motherhood.  Bottom line: moms matter, and this weekend, I encourage you to take the time to affirm and encourage a mother!

Private Practice. Public Faith.

We are called to pursue spiritual maturity in Christ, and our engagement with God's Word is a critical component.  In Psalm 1, we read:
1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;2But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

In order to grow spiritual and experience the abundant life that Jesus has made available for us, it's vital that we are spending time in God's Word.  And, the promise of the Scriptures is that the Word is living and active, and our growth in Christ is directly proportional to the degree of our immersion in the Scriptures.  Our aim is not to get enough of God to get by, but to allow God to have all of us - that involves surrendering our will to His and allowing His Word to shape our thinking and to prompt our actions.  Our public demonstration of faith in Christ is an outgrowth of our private time with Christ.

This week, we've talked a little about the importance of practicing our faith publicly.  And, the expression of our walk with Jesus is an outgrowth of our private time with Him.   He taught in Mark chapter 4 about that relationship of His Word and spiritual growth, using the illustration of seed  - the seed of God's Word planted in the human heart, intended to grow and produce Godly character in our lives:
14The sower sows the word.15And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.16These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;17and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.18Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,19and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.20But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

It is very interesting - I came across the findings of a LifeWay Research survey from the fall of 2012 which indicates we as believers could do better on our personal, private encounters with Christ as we engage His Word.

The survey found 90 percent of churchgoers agree "I desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do," and 59 percent agree with the statement: "Throughout the day I find myself thinking about biblical truths." While the majority agree with both statements, there is a significant difference in the strength of agreement. Nearly two-thirds of churchgoers (64 percent) strongly agree with the first statement, but only 20 percent strongly agree with the second.

However, when asked how often they personally (not as part of a church worship service) read the Bible, a similar number respond "Every Day" (19 percent) as respond "Rarely/Never" (18 percent). A quarter indicate they read the Bible a few times a week. Fourteen percent say they read the Bible "Once a Week" and another 22 percent say "Once a Month" or "A Few Times a Month."

LifeWay Research President Ed Stetzer is quoted as saying that, "Bible engagement has an impact in just about every area of spiritual growth...You can follow Christ and see Christianity as your source of truth, but if that truth does not permeate your thoughts, aspirations and actions, you are not fully engaging the truth."

He offers this powerful reminder: "God's Word is truth, so it should come as no surprise that reading and studying the Bible are still the activities that have the most impact on growth in this attribute of spiritual maturity...As basic as that is, there are still numerous churchgoers who are not reading the Bible regularly. You simply won't grow if you don't know God and spend time in God's Word."

The survey also reveals six actions that positively impact the Bible engagement scores of individuals.

1. Confessing wrongdoings to God and asking forgiveness.
2. Believing in Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven and the number of years one has believed this.
3. Making a decision to obey or follow God with an awareness that choosing to do so might be costly. Sixty-three percent of churchgoers say they have at least once in the last six months.
4. Praying for the spiritual status of people they know are not professing Christians.
5. Reading a book about increasing their spiritual growth. Sixty-one percent of churchgoers say they have in the last year.
6. Having been discipled or mentored one-on-one by a more spiritually mature Christian. Nearly half of churchgoers (47 percent) say they have been discipled or mentored.

Stetzer says: "Bible engagement points people toward maturity and maturing Christians have practices that correspond to Bible reading. Almost all churchgoers want to honor God, but more than a third indicate obedience is not something they have done when it is costly to them."

A little aside here: a 2009 Barna survey conducted in partnership with Living on the Edge found that a large number of churchgoers could not define spiritual maturity.  An open-ended survey question asked churchgoers to describe how their church defined a “healthy, spiritually mature follower of Jesus.” Half of churchgoers simply said they were not sure, unable to venture a guess regarding the church’s definition. 

Even among born again Christians – that is, a smaller subset of believers who have made a profession of faith in Christ and confessed their sinful nature – two out of five were not able to identify how their church defines spiritual maturity. Among those who gave a substantive response, the most common responses were having a relationship with Jesus (16%), practicing spiritual disciplines like prayer and Bible study (9%), living according to the Bible (8%), being obedient (8%), being involved in church (7%), and having concern for others (6%).

I hope this data is challenging for us.  So, the takeaways, as I see it:

First, we have to recognize the direct relationship between engaging in God's Word and spiritual maturity.  We simply cannot become the Christians God desires for us to be without intentional reading of and study of God's Word.  He intends for us to not only read the Bible, but to not put its teachings "on the shelf," sort of speak, when we leave our private places of study or our homes.   When you consider that only 20 percent of those surveyed by LifeWay even think about the truths of the Scriptures throughout the day, we recognize there is significant work to do.

Also, a working definition of spiritual maturity is very helpful.  In the Barna research, only 8% o born-again Christians said that living according to the Bible was a standard by which their church defines spiriual maturity.  Half of churchgoers couldn't even say what spiritual maturity looked like.   If we can't define it, how do we know that we have achieved some measure of it?   We do need spiritual benchmarks.   And, it's important that we identify areas in our lives that need to change and take Biblically-inspired steps to change our course.   

Realize that our areas of struggle can become areas of challenge, leading to the opportunity to achieve some measure of spiritual growth.  And, God's Word will help us identity areas of growth opportunity and provide the instruction - and the capability - in order to see His nature revealed in us.

Twisted Thinking and Treacherous Tolerance

The Word of God can produce in our lives a sense of clarity - of right and wrong, of what pleases the Lord and what does not.  In an age of twisted thinking and treacherous tolerance, we need to think more clearly based on God's principles.   2nd Timothy 3 offers this clear description of the purpose of God's Word:
16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

How we need the clear teaching of the Word of God - to sharpen our senses, to help us to discern the ways of God, to strengthen us in living a distinctive Christian life, in an "anything goes" society - well, "anything goes," except for the practice of the Christian faith, which has encountered its share of opposition.   So, in an age where there is temptation to compromise, we can still be encouraged that God's way is best and emboldened to reject the twisted ideas that we find in the culture.

We live in a culture that has become so tolerant and so accepting of points of view that are contrary to Scripture.   Truth is regarded as a lie, and erroneous statements and beliefs are too readily accepted as truth.

Isaiah 5 warns about allowing twisted logic to rule the day:

20Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

There are just times when you scratch your head and wonder about people's motivation for entering the public eye.  From the viral video of the teenager who allegedly died from getting hit in the head by a shovel, which has admittedly been a hoax, to the medical student who is auctioning off her virginity on eBay to the highest bidder, there are all sorts of public expressions that should really be kept quiet and out of our media consciousness.  I'm not particularly interested in hearing Monica Lewinsky's side of the seedy story about her affair with a President, either, but apparently Vanity Fair thinks there are people that do want to relive the unfortunate saga of 18 years ago.

Then there's Emily Letts, an abortion clinic worker, who made news when she entered the Abortion Care Network’s video contest to de-stigmatize abortion—by filming her own abortion experience.  The Live Action website has a story on this tragic story.  Her video won the contest and garnered much publicity. She has authored an essay for Cosmopolitan magazine on why she filmed her abortion. The former professional actress, says she stole the abortion limelight to show another side. And it’s a side she says she "loves". Except there's one small problem, according to Lila Rose of Live Action, she didn't really film her abortion.   In a statement issued yesterday, Lila says that, "Letts’s campaign to normalize the execution of a child lies to all of us. She claims to film an abortion, but that is the one thing we don’t see." She goes on to describe briefly the brutal procedure.  Her statement also says that, 

“Letts’s triumphant smile after her child has been torn apart by a suction tube is a grotesque testament to a society that has come to embrace the slaughter of a child as “empowerment.” Let’s rededicate ourselves to fight for a nation that would have protected Letts’s child, even when she won’t. In honor of Letts’ child – whose own smile our world will tragically never know – let us redouble our efforts to make this nation safe for every child.”

Dave Andrusko on the National Right to Life website, writes, "The temptation to ridicule what Emily Letts writes is almost overpowering until you realize she either believes what she writes (at some level), is morally tone-deaf, and/or is incapable of grasping how sick is the message that she is sending."

We live in a culture where we are bombarded with messages that challenge our sensibilities, and we have to be so careful to evaluate truth from deception.   Emily Letts has attempted to put a positive spin on the taking of human life, activity that cannot be justified.   And, we need to have our senses sharpened by the Word of God, which will give us discernment and enable us to reject messages that contradict God's heart.  No matter how you dress it up, God warns against calling evil good, and in an effort to somehow justify their behavior, people will resort to twisted logic.

But, the power of rationalization can be so strong.  When we sin and then we become persistent in a sin area or areas, our thinking can become clouded.  When we choose to walk in disobedience, we have opened ourselves up to errant thought patterns which lead to more destructive behavior.  We cannot justify unbiblical behavior by reliance on human understanding.

The good news is that the Spirit of God will bring conviction and the Word of God will help to provide correction.  But, we have to accept these works of God.  If we do not take the necessary steps to build up our lives so that we resist temptation and we tolerate the power of indwelling sin without providing Scriptural resistance, then our lives fall short of the standards that God has set for us.   The Bible promises that we will reap the fruit of the sinful seed we tolerate and act upon.  

Not Relegated to the Shadows

The second chapter of Philippians discusses the preeminence of the name of Jesus and the behavior of those who wear that name.   Here is a piece from that chapter, beginning in verse 13:
13for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.14Do all things without complaining and disputing,15that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Our motivation for all that we think, say, and do is to glorify Christ, to represent His name well.   We recognize the work of God in our lives, as He gives us the power of His Spirit in order to live an effective Christian life.  He also calls us to display action that is consistent with what we say we believe.   We can shine in this world and make a strong statement for the presence of Jesus by allowing His work to progress in our hearts and lives.

Jesus never intended for the practice of our faith to be solely a private matter.  Sure, He wants us to spend quality time with Him one-on-one, but He also calls us to act according to what He shows us in our private time.  Here's a great passage from the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:
13"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.14You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.15Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.16Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that the policy of the town of Greece, New York, allowing for prayers at the beginning of public meetings, was constitutional.  The justices unanimously voiced support for the existing precedent, set in Marsh v. Chambers 31 years ago, when the high court upheld legislative prayers.  According to an editorial in USA Today by attorney Evan Young, who defended the New York town's prayer practices, in the Marsh case, a Presbyterian minister was the longtime and state-paid chaplain of Nebraska's legislature. Young points out those prayers, unsurprisingly, were often identifiably Christian. In Marsh, the court found that this practice was entirely constitutional.  As Young states, in the same week that Congress approved the First Amendment, it also provided for paid congressional chaplains.

But the high court yesterday still had to determine if the case at hand was constitutional, presumably under the Marsh standards.   That resulted in a 5-4 decision.   Attorney Young goes on to say:

If anything, the town is more inclusive than the Constitution requires. The town could have simply appointed a local minister. Unlike the paid, permanent, Presbyterian chaplain in Marsh, the town has unpaid, rotating, volunteer chaplains. They can be clergy or lay, of any faith or none. The town's pursuit of diversity is praiseworthy.

True, some prayers will inevitably contain theological references with which some listeners disagree. And cities certainly are not required to have invocations at all. But if they do, the Constitution does not demand that prayers address God only as a vague, generic concept, as those who sued the town demanded. Government tinkering with prayer contents would be an intolerable, unconstitutional intrusion into religious freedom.

But while courts may not regulate individual prayers, the Supreme Court reaffirmed Monday that no government may exploit its overall prayer practice by aiming "to proselytize or advance any one, or to disparage any other, faith or belief."

The Alliance Defending Freedom website lists some of the quotes from the decision:

• “The tradition reflected in Marsh...permits chaplains to ask their own God for blessings of peace, justice, and freedom that find appreciation among people of all faiths. That a prayer is given in the name of Jesus, Allah, or Jehovah, or that it makes passing references to religious doctrines, does not remove it from that tradition.”

• Plaintiffs are asking that federal courts “act as supervisors and censor of religious speech, a rule that would involve government in religious matters to a far greater degree than is the case under the town’s current practice….”

• “Marsh nowhere suggested that the constitutionality of legislative prayer turns on the neutrality of its content.”

And the one I like the best:

• “Our tradition assumes that adult citizens, firm in their own beliefs, can tolerate and perhaps appreciate a ceremonial prayer delivered by a person of a different faith.”

It's been rightly pointed out that just because a person disagrees with the speech of another, including prayer, that doesn't make it unconstitutional.   Even is someone is offended or claims to be offended by religious speech, that doesn't mean the purveyor of such speech should be shut down.   Expressions of religious faith should not be lumped together with types of speech that are truly offensive and detrimental to community standards   There are legitimate instances where such standards and even laws will limit truly offensive content, such as sexually provocative material, pornography, or racially-charged speech, that have no place in a civil society.

Be encouraged, the practice of our faith, rooted in the Scriptures and reflecting the character of Christ, has the opportunity to make a distinct difference in the fabric of our communities.  Certainly, I hope we have not reached the point where the mention of the name of Jesus should have some sort of "trigger warning" attached, like we have begun to see on college campuses with respect to curriculum.  By the way, there's a piece on the WORLD News Group website dealing with the subject of such warnings.  But, there are some that act as if the Christian faith is SOOOO offensive that we should be relegated to the privacy of our church buildings, not daring to come out and actually do what Jesus says.

We cannot allow ourselves to be intimidated!  While Jesus taught against saying prayers in public for show, He also taught us to let our light shine, so they would - what - see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven.   The Court said that public prayers, even in the name above all names, is OK.  The challenge for us is to pray privately or corporately in our houses of worship, and then go forward in His name to touch the world for Him!

Peril in the Pews

In 1st Peter 5, we are told that our strength to resist the schemes of the enemy comes from our connectedness to Christ - we can resist him in His power:
8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.9Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.10But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

An encounter with Christ can bring the release of spiritual power, and we can perhaps know and appropriate the protective hand of God.   Perhaps over the weekend, you had the opportunity to feast on God's Word and enjoy a time of worship in your local church.  Maybe already today, through the strong Bible teaching and the songs of worship on Faith Radio, you have received spiritual nourishment, equipping you for the challenges of the week ahead.   As we encounter Christ through His Word and worship, we can then appropriate the resources He has made available so that our lives reflect the triumph He provides.

God's divine presence can yield divine protection, and we can trust in the Lord as our refuge and strength, our shield when we are threatened and tempted.   Here is a passage from Psalm 28:
6Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!7The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.8The Lord is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.

On Easter Sunday in Fort Myers, Florida, an Easter concert was being held at the Second Haitian Baptist Church when something went terribly wrong.   According to a report on the Christian Today website, police say that a 2006 Lexus crashed into the church.  The 31-year-old driver said she was pulling into the church parking lot when the brakes on her car failed.  A 6-year-old in the car, escaped uninjured.

However, most of the church's sanctuary was demolished by the impact.  Many worshippers were trapped under pews and under the Lexus after the crash. Uninjured members ran to their cars to get jacks and worked together to lift the car off other church members. About 200 people were inside the sanctuary at the time of the accident.  18 were taken to the hospital, and most of them were treated and released.  Six people remained in the hospital for a lengthier period of time.

37-year-old Moise Gourdet told the local newspaper, "If not for the pews, I'd be dead...God or Jesus Christ made that happen."

A church member, Jean Lima, stated that God's hand was over the accident: "If God wasn't there, too many people die...He was watching over us."

Pastor Desamour Leontes echoed that sentiment, and acknowledged that the accident could have been far worse.  He said, "Glory to God that nobody died." 

Peril in the pews on Easter Sunday night.  When danger came, the hand of God was seen.  

This is a story about physical protection that came to the congregation.  One man said that he would have been dead without the presence of the pews.   I thought about how what takes place in the pews of our local churches can have protective implications for us.  

Yesterday, so many of us had an encounter in the pews, or the chairs, in our local house of worship.   Hopefully, you went into a service with an attitude of connecting with God.   So, what did you observe? What did you experience?   And, can it be relevant to you today?

Absolutely!  The Word of God will not return void - if you heard the Word in church, or perhaps as you encounter the Word through the ministry of Faith Radio, there is an opportunity for you to absorb and perhaps even act on what you discovered.   There is spiritual power that we can appropriate as we make that connection with God's truth.

And, the experience is enriched as the study of or preaching of the Word of God is mixed with worship - becoming more aware of the presence of God as we sing and speak praises to Him.

As we connect with Christ, not only can we encounter spiritual power, but we can receive spiritual protection, in order to face the spiritual dangers of this world.  Members of the Haitian church in Florida were in the pews when peril came, resulting in mass injury, but thankfully no death.  The presence of the pews perhaps saved lives - and what we gain in the pews can provide a hedge of protection for us, a shield against the influences of this world and the schemes of the devil, who comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

We can be challenged to use the spiritual resources we receive through the Word and worship.

The Fine Art of Invisibility

The Bible speaks of allowing the presence and the character of Christ to be displayed through our lives - if we put off the qualities of the old person and put on the manifestation of the new creation, then we ourselves will essentially become "invisible" as Christ becomes more visible through us.   That's the concept of this passage from Colossians 3:
8But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.9Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,10and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him...
We have been redeemed and called new creations in Christ Jesus.  As followers of Him, we are called to be salt and light and demonstrate to the world the radiance of His brightness, as it is shone through us.  As His nature becomes more visible in the way we behave, we become more invisible because we have been overwhelmed by His light.   And, our old lives, the way we used to be, are hidden behind the cross, through which we experience redemption.

John the Baptist recognized that, with all the giftedness and the dynamic ministry that he had, it was the gift of God.  And, He also acknowledged the supremacy of Jesus.   Here's what he's quoted as saying in John 3:
27John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.30He must increase, but I must decrease.

Researchers at the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering have developed the first 3-D acoustic cloaking device, which can make itself and an object underneath it undetectable when “pinged” with sound waves, according to a recent news release.

The WORLD News Group website reports that the device is the first to work multi-directionally, according to Bogdan Popa, a research scientist in electrical and computer engineering who helped design the model. It doesn’t matter where the sound comes from or where the observer is located, the object is undetectable by sonar waves. Not only does the technology work in all directions but it also works for a broad range of frequencies, from 0 to approximately 3,000 hertz.

The researchers employed concepts from the developing field of metamaterials, which uses synthetic composites that have properties not usually demonstrated in natural materials. In this case, they used plastic plates punctured with a repeating pattern of holes, stacked in pyramid. When sound waves hit the device, the material’s design interacts with the acoustics to give the illusion that the sound waves are reflecting off an empty surface.

The technology could be used in a number of ways, including to concentrate sound in a more directive beam. For example, audio communication between submarines and ships goes out in all directions, meaning it’s more likely to be picked up by others. But using the cloaking technology, the sound waves could be concentrated in one direction, requiring less power and making communication more secure.
It could also be useful for commercial applications like controlling sound waves in auditoriums and concert halls.

The acoustic cloaking model does not work with the electromagnetic waves of radar. Some researchers are working on a similar design for electromagnetic cloaking but they have not yet found a way to hide an object in a broad range of frequencies.

Other researchers are working on designing a model for optical cloaking but that is still a long way in the future.  The WORLD piece says that it is conceivable that some day acoustic and optical cloaking could be combined to prevent detection in both modes.

Poking holes in plastic = acoustic invisibility.  Simple, but useful.

The article on the website carried the title, "Duke University's plastic plates of invisibility."  And, I began to think about spiritual implications of being "invisible."   That's kind of what John the Baptist was talking about in John 3, and it is really the posture that all of us should strive for - to be so "cloaked" in Christ that when people see us, they see Jesus.   No wonder in Romans 13, the apostle Paul said to "put on" the Lord Jesus Christ.  He wrote about the "full armor of God" in Ephesians 6.   If we're covered in Christ, we experience great power and, we radiate to the world His character.

Last night, I saw over 50 young people who are in various stages of invisibility.  The young people recognized at the Jimmy Hitchcock awards ceremony are not only achieving on the athletic field and in the classroom, but they are allowing Christ's light to shine through them.  I would dare say that in most cases, through their service and their dedication to God, these young people are deflecting the credit from themselves and place it squarely where it should go - the presence of Christ through them.  What an inspiration to see these young people so involved in Christian service - it does bring hope for the next generation.

And, we have to be so careful where the credit goes for our achievement.  Whatever we undertake in this life should be submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, and what we accomplish in this life should be credited to Him.  We are challenged in Scripture to be sure that what we do is done for the glory of God.  So with an attitude of servanthood to the Lord, we surrender to Him, so that His presence is on display through our lives.  We can truly strive to be "invisible" if we allow Christ to direct our thoughts and actions.