Advent-ure Day 12: For the Children

In Colossians chapter 4, the apostle Paul asks for prayer for open doors and boldness of speech.  We
can read:
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

As Christ's representatives, we are called to not only know the truth of the Scriptures, but to walk in that truth and speak it in love.  It is important, in the morass of cultural messages that do not reinforce and even contradict the Bible, that we are speaking clearly in a manner that is consistent with God's Word.  We can make sure that we are firm in our beliefs and reliant on the Holy Spirit to speak through us when we are asked about or discussing various topics.

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We are continuing to work our way through the Faith Radio Advent Guide, entitled, Sing Unto the Lord! It features 25 days and 25 different Christmas songs, with a corresponding Scripture and song lyric.  So, today, on Day 12, we concentrate on He is Born, the Divine Christ Child.

In Matthew 1, we find that an angel has come to Joseph. Beginning in verse 20, we read:
20 ...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

Joseph had a dilemma: he had a wife who was pregnant outside the bounds of marriage.  Until the angel came to him, he was considering sending her away.  This gave him the strength to resist the religious law and cultural norms of the day and follow God's direction.

There will be defining moments in our lives, in which we have the choice to follow God's direction, even when it may not make sense or be the popular decision.  A gentleman named Ryan Bomberger has repeatedly made that choice as he speaks out for children created in the image of God.

He is the founder of the Radiance Foundation, and ran into some trouble recently at, of all places, a Christian college.  That would be Chicago's Wheaton College, the place from which a professor departed because of her teaching that Christians and Muslims worship the same God.  Just before that, there was a member of the Chaplains' Department who held to the so-called "gay Christian" paradigm, and even though she insisted that she was celibate, not practicing her "orientation," she later moved from what is termed "Side B" to "Side A," and entered into a same-sex relationship.  And, Wheaton has just hired a professor who has provided talking points to fuel this gay Christian identity movement.

This is the Wheaton where a semi-secret meeting occurred to discuss the "future of evangelism" earlier this year; only one media person, who doubled as a participant, was allowed.  But, the guest list - those who attended and those who did not, would certainly create some concern.  Some of the most high-profile evangelical leaders were not invited and even dismissed by one of the organizers, who I had previously never heard of, as not being "thought leaders."  Wheaton is the alma mater of Billy Graham, and even has a Billy Graham Center, yet Franklin Graham was not invited to this gathering.

So, enter Ryan Bomberger into the mix.  The Daily Wire reports:

Recently, prominent pro-lifer Ryan Bomberger (a black man conceived in rape) delivered a talk to the Wheaton College Republicans about a topic very close to his heart: abortion and race. Apparently, that was much too racy a topic for certain members of the student body to tolerate.

His talk was entitled, "Black Lives Matter In and Out of the Womb."  In response, the Student Government Association sent out a campus-wide e-mail. The article states:

The email claimed that Bomberger's message about abortion and race "made many students, staff and faculty of color feel unheard, underrepresented and unsafe on our campus," which is bizarre, to say the least, considering that Bomberger is a "person of color." The email did not identify him as such.

Philip Zeisemer, Founder of the College Republicans, said he was "disappointed by the school’s response." He added, "I believe free speech is threatened when someone with a different point of view is accused—in print—of making students feel ‘unsafe’ and ‘underrepresented.’ I wish the school would have responded by encouraging students to think critically, discuss the message from both sides, and challenge themselves on the content presented."

Bomberger, writing on the LifeSiteNews.com website, stated:

Sadly, it was clear that even on an evangelical Christian campus, truth is anathema to those who deify "diversity". In a presentation on what Jesse Jackson once called "black genocide", those who prefer activism over factivism chose to demonize and distort. The talk focused on the hypocrisy of the #BlackLivesMatter movement's leadership and its announced solidarity with the leading killer in the black community – Planned Parenthood – where 247 black lives are killed by the abortion giant every single day. I pointed out several disturbing policy platform positions (see www.M4BL.net) that are, inarguably, hostile to Christianity such as the negation of fathers, the promotion of radical LGBTQ ideology, and lack of any call for racial reconciliation.

I refuse to bow to groupthink. And that never goes over well with those who think "diversity" means ideological conformity.

Franklin Graham, on his Facebook page, has stood in solidarity with Ryan.  As he points out, Wheaton is the alma mater of his mother and father, Billy and Ruth Bell Graham.  He wrote:

As Christians we need to have an influence on culture and not let the culture influence us. I’m afraid these students are being influenced by the culture of the progressive left, which is very unfortunate. They need to hear from godly leadership of the university on important matters of truth like this. This one-time bastion of evangelical conservatism always needs to be on guard against drifting left.

I think that there is a timely message for the Christmas season, as we consider that we should speak up for the Child, the One who grew up to give His life for our sins.  The One who said to let the little children come to Him.  And, we should always speak up for the children.  The taking of human lives prior to birth should not occur in a civilized society.

Ryan Bomberger also reminds us that we should be willing to tell the truth, even if there is a cost.  He has chosen to address a very serious issue in our society in provocative and creative ways.  For that, he has found himself maligned on numerous occasions because he dare disrupt the status quo.

That leads into another takeaway: we should always seek to offer a compelling testimony.  We can be challenged to be grounded in our beliefs, consistent with Scripture, and to communicate well.  With preparation and prudence, we can be good representatives of our Savior.

Advent-ure Day 11: Not Fluid

The words of comfort today: there is hope in the Lord.  We see vestiges where the enemy is at work, deceiving and distracting, but we can look to the God of all comfort to accompany us.  2nd
Corinthians chapter 1 says:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

In the presence of the Lord, there is joy.  The Bible in Proverbs 13 says that the way of the transgressor is hard.  The power of sin can be great, but the power of God is greater.  The enemy's lies are seemingly overpowering but Christ says that I have overcome the world.  So, when we need to experience the "comfort and joy" that the old carols speaks of, we can press in to the truth of the Scriptures and rest in the knowledge of God.

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It is Day 11 of our 25-day "Christmas Advent-ure," entitled, Sing Unto the Lord!   In this year's Advent Guide, there is a corresponding Christmas song to each day, with a Scripture verse and lyric.  Today's song is the carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, which includes the line, "...To save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray."

The song also reminds us of the tidings of "comfort and joy," which are expressions that we can
experience in Christ. Psalm 16 says:
8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

And, our theme Scripture verse for today:
11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Like never before, we need to know the path of life, the correct path, the Biblically accurate path, so that we might experience the "fullness" of God's joy.

Walt Heyer writes for The Federalist website:

Six-year-old James is caught in a gender identity nightmare. Under his mom’s care in Dallas, Texas, James obediently lives as a trans girl named “Luna.” But given the choice when he’s with dad, he’s all boy — his sex at birth.

Heyer also writes:

In their divorce proceedings, the mother has charged the father with child abuse for not affirming James as transgender, has sought restraining orders against him, and is seeking to terminate his parental rights. She is also seeking to require him to pay for the child’s visits to a transgender-affirming therapist and transgender medical alterations, which may include hormonal sterilization starting at age eight.

Walt can identify; he had a grandmother who would cross-dress him, and he was sent to a gender therapist, who started him on the road to "transition" into being a different gender.  As an adult, he was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and went through a complete transition, including surgery.  He writes, "I felt that my gender identity and biological sex were at odds, but what the therapist failed to consider were the other factors driving my desire to change gender, which needed to be addressed first."

Poor James is being sent to a gender therapist who seems very quick to diagnose and send a child on a path of gender transition.  About him, Heyer writes:

When his mother, a pediatrician, took James for counseling, she chose a gender transition therapist who diagnosed him with gender dysphoria, a mental conflict between physical sex and perceived gender. James’ precious young life hinges purely on the diagnosis of gender dysphoria by a therapist who wraps herself in rainbow colors, affirms the diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and dismisses evidence to the contrary.

Imagine the pressure this child is under.  The Federalist story continues:

When James is away from his mother, he consistently rejects the idea that he is “Luna girl” or that he wants to be a girl. Because the court prohibits dad from dressing James as a boy or from teaching him that he is a boy by sharing religious or science-based teachings on sexuality, dad presents James with male and female clothing options and James always chooses, even insists on, his boy clothes.

The story quotes Bill Lovell, the senior pastor of Christ Church Carrollton, who wrote: “Based on the three occasions I’ve spent time with him, I’d say he acts and looks unmistakably like a healthy six-year-old boy. … I am praying for James, an average six-year-old boy, a sweet-natured, intelligent, lovable and at this point particularly vulnerable young man, caught up in a titanic clash of worldviews.”

The article also quotes from Michelle Cretella, executive director of the American College of Pediatricians, who "describes the pediatric community’s encouragement of sex change and hormonal treatments for children as 'institutionalized child abuse.'"  The College's own website states:

It is now alleged that discrimination, violence, psychopathology, and suicide are the direct and inevitable consequences of withholding social affirmation and puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones from a gender dysphoric child. Yet, the fact that 80 percent to 95 percent of gender-dysphoric youth emerge physically and psychologically intact after passing through puberty without social affirmation refutes this claim.

And, this is regarding children who actually experience gender dysphoria, which doesn't seem to be the problem with James, who, when with his father, rejects the pressure to conform to the thoughts and behavior of the female his mother insists that he become.  It's a classic and tragic case, in one family, where the errant theory of gender fluidity conflicts with the biological, Biblical teaching of gender being fixed.

We find a culture today that is fighting with all its might against traditional sexual norms.  It is a deception, and even though those who speak up for traditional Biblical teaching on sexuality find themselves ridiculed and labeled as being bigoted and homophobic, we still have the opportunity and even the responsibility to hold fast to God's truth.

The pastor described James as a boy who is "caught up in a titanic clash of worldviews."  And it's really sad that the perpetration of views of modern sexuality have left so much hurt and confusion in their wake.  We are reminded that we should always be compassionate toward those who are experiencing confusion in this area, but the best thing we can do is tell the truth - not to accommodate errant sexual beliefs, but to share the freedom that comes in Christ.  So often, we find people and even churches who are willing to tolerate LGBT beliefs without sharing the really, really good news that people can change.  

And, Christ promises a change from death to life, not a change from life to death that is being forced upon six-year-old James. The contradiction in the LGBT community is that they advocate gender fluidity, but also fixed sexual orientation, determined biologically.  The Bible teaches something different: one gender, created and determined by God; and the ability to overcome all sinful behavior, including the practice of homosexuality.  Christ came to redeem sinners and to give us power to overcome the sinful practices in which we engage.  Comfort and joy come through believing in the One who came to set us free.

Advent-ure Day 10: Representing the King

During this special season, we do celebrate the child in the manger, but we also celebrate that Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We acknowledge Him and submit to Him as King of our lives. We represent Him and should seek to represent Him well. 2nd Corinthians 5 speaks powerfully to us:
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

He is the King; and we are citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom.  We belong to Christ, and He has infused us with spiritual power so that we might live a devoted life.  We proclaim the greatness of that King and demonstrate what a surrendered life looks like, a life that is marked by a love for the Lord and a freedom from sin.  Certainly, we point out sin where it occurs and realize that there is a answer to overcome that sin through the power of the King.

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We have entered the second full week of 25: our Christmas Advent-ure.  It's our Faith Radio Advent Guide, centered on various Christmas songs, lyrics, and corresponding Scriptures.  Over the
weekend, we had Day 8, concentrating on In the Bleak Midwinter. Isaiah 9:2 says:
2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.

Into the darkness of a world that did not know God, He sent His Son as its Redeemer.  He came to a
young girl named Mary, and we're told in Luke chapter 1, verses 31 and 32:
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.
32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

This passage corresponds to Sunday's Christmas song in the Advent guide, Mary Did You Know?

One of the aspects of the Christmas narrative is the introspection of Mary.  In Luke 1, you read her soliloquy, known as the Magnificat, in which she expresses her appreciation to God, as the result of His choosing her to bear the Christ child.

We also see evidence of her reflection on the magnanimity of these moments in Luke 2:19:
19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Today's Advent guide song is What Child is This?  The operative lyric is, "This, this is Christ the King; Whom shepherds guard and angels sing..."  Jesus came as a child and He is also our King. And, we are representatives of that King.

Certainly, on The Meeting House recently, I have spent time concentrating on the situation at the Southern border of the United States.  And, I think, as an extension of last week's conversation, we can shine a spotlight on how churches are responding appropriately to the immigration crisis.

The much-maligned Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, also known as ICE, you know, a law enforcement organization that some want to abolish.  The agency is tasked with management of those seeking asylum in the U.S., and where there is a need for housing for people when they await a hearing, ICE will turn to...local churches!

A story from Arizona television station, Fox 10, says:

Dozens of asylum seekers, many of them women and children, say they are victims of persecution in the Central American countries of Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. ICE cannot accommodate them all, and works with small evangelical churches, mostly latino ones, to give folks a place to stay for a couple days, before they go on to stay with loved ones around the country, while they await rulings in their asylum cases.

But, as the story points out, there are "so many people and not enough space" to begin with, which is why churches are being contacted. The article says, "...some of those churches are being overwhelmed. Nueva Esperanza, located near Southern and Gilbert in Mesa, is one of those small churches, filled to bursting with busloads of asylum seekers, over and over, since October."

The AZ Central website states that:

Federal immigration authorities have released about 2,500 Central American families at Hispanic churches in the Phoenix area over the past two months, totaling more than 5,000 people, according to one pastor.

The families had recently crossed the border illegally in southwestern Arizona, which has become one of the most popular entry points for a growing wave of migrant families arriving at the southern border seeking refuge in the United States.

So, governmental authorities are looking to churches to step up and be involved in helping those who are coming in to our country, but more are needed - this is a great reminder of the opportunity that churches have to get involved in ministry during a crisis.

A Religion News Service story highlights people of faith doing ministry in Tijuana.  It states that "the city of Tijuana is overwhelmed by more than 6,000 people who have arrived, many hoping to gain political asylum in the United States."  The story continues:

Although accustomed to constant traffic across the border, Tijuana is not fully prepared to accept such a large group for an unknown amount of time. Nonetheless, the Central American migrants have seemingly been welcomed thus far, in part thanks to religious groups that are organizing to help manage the sudden influx.

Nazarenes are working alongside Salesians, who are part of a Catholic order, to provide needed services.  The Salesians are providing meals, and the Nazarenes are treating medical conditions, such as lice, bedbugs, and more.

Just because one may not agree with the premise of the caravan, there are still people in need who need to encounter the love of Christ in action.  That is a proper response.  I believe an appropriate response to the immigration crisis is not for Christians to demand the country take in more refugees and immigrants and set artificial numbers, but for churches to minister personally to people in need.

For instance, there is news from the Phoenix area - we read this from ABC15 Arizona:

Valley churches are seeking donations for hundreds of Central American migrants expected to be dropped off in the Phoenix metro area this week.

Almost 200 were bused in by the Department of Homeland Security on Monday to one of about a dozen churches participating in a humanitarian mission to help the families try and connect with loved ones already in the United States.

The churches are part of a network that spans across the Valley, from Chandler, to Mesa, Phoenix and Glendale.

There is certainly a crisis on the southern border, and there are those who would want to break our nation's laws to gain entry into our country, where they would receive taxpayer-funded services.  There has to be a better way, and Christians can be involved in advocating for reform to the current system.

But, in the meantime, there are real people with real needs - all the members of the migrant caravan are certainly not paid actors, although I feel sorry for so many who have been manipulated and deceived with the promise of a better life.  There may even be a place for churches and individual Christians to sponsor people who want to come to this country as refugees and immigrants, not those attempting to game our system, but who legitimately wish for a better life here in America - that's why so many, including our ancestors, came in the first place.  But, Christians should develop a support system to relieve the burden from taxpayers; not trying to inflate numbers in order that taxpayers may fund the relocation and provide for people once they arrive. 

We can certainly be receptive to people in crisis - they need the hope of Christ.  That's the model of disaster relief: provide for physical needs, certainly, but use that as a springboard to provide hope and comfort, as well as conversation about spiritual matters.  And, just like in disaster relief situations, the government recognizes the unique equipping of people of faith to reach out to those in need.  We just have to make sure that we are ready, properly positioned spiritually and strategically, to act as we are called upon.

Advent-ure Day 7: What is God Saying?

In Romans 8, we can see a passage of Scripture that can remind us of the abiding presence of God
and how His Spirit will lead us. We can read:
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."

The Spirit of adoption.  Brought into the family of God and fellowship with Him.  That is powerful.  God is calling to each of us and desires to bring us into a deeper, closer walk with Himself.  When we identify that God is working in our lives, we can be careful to give Him praise and follow Him as He leads.  He is communicating truth to our spirits, consistent with His Word, and we can put ourselves in a position to hear what He is saying.

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We are walking together through the Faith Radio Advent Guide, 25: A Christmas Advent-ure, and we have arrived on Day 7.  Each day has a corresponding Christmas song, a Scripture verse or passage, and a lyric from the song; you can download it free at FaithRadio.org.  Those guides are available, along with our 7-foot Christmas crosses and Christmas magnets, at our Montgomery studios.

Today, we use Do You Hear What I Hear as a springboard to think about the importance of receiving the message that God is trying to get across to us.  In the song, the Christmas star, a song in the skies, and the presence of the Christ Child are the key elements.  And, each of these remind us of how God is communicating with His people.  The star led the Magi, the Wise Men, to Bethlehem, so that they would find Jesus.  The angels spoke to the shepherds about Christ's birth.  And, the image of Jesus, coming into the world as a baby, as a man, so He could redeem fallen humanity, speaks powerfully of God's love and His plan of salvation.

The theme Scripture is from Matthew chapter 2:
1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
2 saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

These Wise Men had seen a star, a sign in the heavens, and regarded to be some sort of communique - fact is, it was an expression of God's message to them.  We have to be sensitive to how God is moving and speaking to us.

A well-known pop singer seems to have been on the receiving end of God's message and His love.  The singer is Michael Buble.  CBN News reports that Buble's son, Noah...

...was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2016 when he was only 3 years old. At the time of his diagnosis, Bublé and his wife, Luisana Lopilato, asked for prayers, adding, “We will win this battle, God willing.”

Recently, the singer appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden. The article says:

While Bublé tearfully said his son Noah’s story “is too hard to talk about,” the entertainer declared, “We all moved and we lived at [Children’s Hospital Los Angeles] and we just had the best doctors and, God, thank you, Jesus Christ.”

Buble and his wife have endured the ordeal together; he related to Corden: “I’m not OK...My wife and I, when this all started, I became the strength to somehow pull us and lift us and to be positive. And when they got [the cancer] out, and the chemo was done, and they said, ‘We did it, it’s good, he’s OK,’ I fell. I just fell.” He said, "My wife picks me up now..."

Corden's father, Malcolm, a sax player, rode along in a "Carpool Karaoke" segment with his son, James, and Michael Buble. The article relates that Malcolm invited the singer "to participate in a charity event at his church in High Wycombe in England."

Obviously, I don't know where Michael Buble is regarding salvation and Christianity, but I am thankful that he had an opportunity to talk about God on a national platform, and followed through. I think you can say that God has been, and is, attempting to get Buble's attention.  We know that God will use crisis in our lives in order to speak to us and draw us to Himself.

Another takeaway, for each of us, involves the question: When we face tragedy, to whom will we turn?  We can certainly blame God and turn away from Him in the midst of our problems or we can turn to Him and experience His love and comfort - we can know that He is performing a work in our lives through our troubles.

In our time of trial, we can remember that we don't face it alone; God goes with us.  And, there is human support available as well; those who are married can see their spouse as a valid source of that support.  And, we can look to and rely on those in the Church who will walk with us as well.

The Christmas classic says, "Do you hear what I hear?"  Are we hearing what God is saying to us?  I believe He is saying to Michael Buble: "I did this."  In our situations, we can also recognize God's hand and give Him praise.

Advent-ure Day 6: Faith Expressions, Vol. 2

Our deeply held faith perspective shows how we are to engage with our culture.  And, we have the opportunity as Americans to participate in the selection of leaders and giving input into laws and
policies. 1st Peter 2 states:
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.

Government is not our enemy; in fact, so many of our listeners are employed in carrying out this very vital role of governing; I think of those who work for Federal and state agencies, as well as local entities, including those who are sent to protect us in the military and law enforcement communities. These are people who are instruments of God, and we can be challenged to give thanks for and pray for them.  But, the law keeps us in check, but if we disobey the law, we can expect to be at odds with the authorities.  We should be characterized by our devotion to God and our obedience to Him: as it's been said, what makes a person a good Christian will also make him or her a good citizen.

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Welcome to Day 6 of our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure.  This year with the theme, Sing Unto the Lord!, we have assigned a Christmas song to each day through December 25 in our annual Advent Guide.  You can obtain it free of charge through FaithRadio.org.

Today's song is Away in a Manger, which celebrates the humanity of our Savior.  And, while we have a number of Christmas songs that portray the baby Jesus asleep among the animals on a bed of hay, we know that this seemingly helpless baby grew and is now our very active Lord who very much awake and at work.

Our theme Scripture for today is Luke 2:16:
16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

From the time of His birth, we see several snapshots of Jesus during His early years: the visit of the Magi was a couple of years later, and the family of Jesus fled to another country because of Herod's insecurity, to the extent that he wanted to exterminate all young boys under the age of 2.  We see His interaction with Anna and Simeon.  And, we are told later in chapter 2 that Jesus grew: "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

Even at the age of 12, He went to the Temple and had discussion with the religious leaders of the day, who were, according to verse 47, "were astonished at His understanding and answers."

You know, we should all be growing in wisdom and in the knowledge of the Lord.  It would be very easy to discount what we call the Millennial generation, which definitely gets a bad rap. It is very easy to think that this demographic is politically involved because of all the "free stuff" that they want: a free college education, guaranteed health care, and even an income that is provided by taxpayers.  These are people who you see marching and protesting for various causes; with a lot of time on their hands to participate while many Americans are at work.  And, on college campuses, you hear the stories of students who want to shut down the speech of the people with whom they disagree.

But, as I shared last week, Pew has a new study out that shows a different story about Millennials who are identified as evangelical.  The Family Research Council website had a summary, based on a Christian Post article, featuring comments from Alan Cooperman at a recent Faith Angle Forum.  Now, some of the survey results show continued support by evangelicals as a group for the President.  The four myths that were pointed out were:

1. Evangelicals are turning liberal or turning against Trump
2. Younger evangelicals are more liberal and are turning Democratic
3. "Real evangelicals" are not supportive of Trump
4. White evangelicals are abandoning the 'evangelical' label

Let's zero in on number 2.  The Post article quotes Cooperman:

“They are [saying] the youth and young evangelical Protestants are much more liberal than their elders,” he continued. “That is true on some issues. It is especially true for homosexuality and same-sex marriage. [But] it’s not true on abortion, and it is not true in terms of party identification.”

The article continues:

Citing Pew data that breaks down each religious group in the U.S. by generation, Cooperman said that he doesn’t see a “clear line in which the younger generations are more Democratic-leaning than the older generations.”

“It is not true among white evangelicals. … It is not true among white mainline. It’s not true among black Protestants. It’s not true among white Catholics. It’s not especially true among Hispanic Catholics,” he stated.

The one major group in which millennials are clearly more Democratic-leaning than older generations is the religiously unaffiliated – a rapidly growing category.

And, while there are those who would want to sound a death knell for evangelical Christianity as we know it, there is ample evidence that such a decline may be overstated.  More from Cooperman, with regard to myth number 4.

He noted that while it is “absolutely true” that the share of U.S. adults who identify as white evangelicals has been declining, this is because the share of all U.S. adults who are white, as well as the share of whites who are Christian, has been going down.

Among Christians who are white, the percentage who self-identify as evangelical is stable, he said.

“In other words, among white Christians, evangelical identity does not appear to be dwindling,” he explained.

While this material is centered on white evangelicals, there is a strong percentage of people of color in evangelical Christianity.  A story on the Religion and Politics website stated that "According to Pew Research, almost 25 percent of American evangelicals are not white..." It also says that, "Another from PRRI puts the percentages of people of color far higher, saying that 46 percent of U.S. evangelicals are black, Asian, Latino, or otherwise non-white. The poll’s method was to count as evangelical any person who identifies as Protestant and who answers “yes” when asked if they are evangelical or born again."

So, what can we make of this? Surveys and analysis can indicate various trends, but we know that the practice of our politics should never override the practice of our faith.  While our practice may cause us to be classified in a certain way, we are, first and foremost, believers in Christ.

There is compelling data that would show that the Church's numbers and influence may be declining in our current society.  And, evangelicals have certainly endured criticism because of attempts to elevate their voting patterns above their behavior in general.  But, if we are devoted to Scripture and continuing to rely on the firm foundation, our Lord, the Head of the Church, we can be assured that
God will preserve the Church and He has called us to be partners in that preservation.

We also recognize that we are to identify more with Christ than our cultural identity.  If we allow ourselves to become divided based on our racial and cultural background, we cannot be as effective as the body of Christ.  That is why you have church leaders decry the so-called "social justice" movement, not because we shouldn't be speaking out and confronting injustice where we see it, but because the rhetoric is so divisive, placing people in groups and pitting them against each other.

In our current political climate, we can also promote dependence on God rather than government.  The 2018 election revealed that many in America believe that our government should have an enhanced role in peoples' lives.  When you hear people talk about economic redistribution, including universal health care, guaranteed wages, and free college education, you have to wonder how that is going to be paid for - it's a furtherance of an entitlement mentality that has taken root in our nation.  The Bible teaches personal responsibility and a robust work ethic; certainly, there are people in need, but the end of any social programs should be to ultimately restore the ability to earn wages, to develop life skills, and to reinforce the dignity of the individual; thankfully, there are churches and ministries that are devoted to doing that.

Advent-ure Day 5: Faithful Throughout the Ages

The sending of Jesus to earth is a tangible expression of the faithfulness and love of God toward all humanity.  God has been faithful to His people, and He calls us to respond in obedience to Him.
Proverbs 3 says:
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

We are commissioned to walk in His truth, and we can do that as we allow His words to govern our lives; as the Bible verse says, we are to "write" those words on our hearts.  How do we do that?  Through careful study of Scripture and meditating on what He would teach us.  He is equipping a faithful people, who walk as His disciples, allowing Christ to occupy the first place of our lives, walking by faith in the One Who showed His faithfulness by giving His life for us.

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We are now into Day 5 of our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure, entitled, Sing Unto the Lord!  You can obtain the Faith Radio Advent Guide free of charge through FaithRadio.org.  There is a corresponding Christmas song and short Scripture passage for each day through the 25th.

Today's song is O Come All Ye Faithful.  And, today I want to reflect on God's faithfulness to His people and how He calls us into a life of love for and obedience to Him.

In Luke 2:15, we see that after the shepherds had received the message about the birth of Jesus from
the angels, they responded:
15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."

It was one of Jimmy DeYoung's Top 10 Daily News Stories at the website, ProphecyToday.com, on November 21.  His summary said this:

* Straight from the Bible: Tiny First Temple stone weight unearthed in Jerusalem Volunteer at City of David sifting project finds rare 'beka' measure, used by pilgrims paying half-shekel tax before ascending to Temple Mount, in dirt from dig near Western Wall.

The website has a link to The Times of Israel site, which quotes "archaeologist Eli Shukron, who directed the excavations on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority." He says, "This is a word that is used both inside and outside of the Bible. You don’t need to ask too many questions, just open the Bible and see it. It’s very simple. You can see beka written in the Bible and what it was used for, and there you have it..."  And, in a stunning statement, Shukron declares, "The Bible, the artifact found close to Solomon’s Temple, north of the City of David, the Temple foundations – everything is connected..."

Baptist Press had an article about the discovery.  It stated:

Daniel Warner, professor of Old Testament and archaeology at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told BP the beka's discovery helps confirm the existence of Solomon's Temple, which was destroyed more than 2,500 years ago.

"Note clearly the precise location of the find," Warner said in written comments. "It is where one would expect it to be found ... just below the southwest corner of the Temple Mount proper. This would place it before the entrance to the Solomonic Temple," where Jews would have needed to measure out their Temple tax.

The article says, "The only remaining Temple structure in Jerusalem is the Western Wall, which was part of the Second Temple constructed by Jews after they returned from exile in Babylon."  Throughout the years, Jimmy DeYoung has discussed the certainty of a Jewish presence on the Temple Mount, even though there are those that would deny it.  This is another piece of compelling evidence.

Steve Andrews of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, in the Baptist Press article, points out the two instances in which the word "beka" appears; the article says:

It appears once in Genesis 24:22 when "Abraham's servant gives a gold earring or nose ring weighing a half-shekel to Rebekah after she watered his camels." And it appears again in Exodus 38:26 when "a half-shekel weight of silver is required of each Israelite during the construction of the Tabernacle."

There is so much rich Biblical history centered around the Temple Mount, also known as Mount Moriah, which is where Abraham brought His son, Isaac, to be sacrificed.  In fact, during that narrative, we read that Abraham declared that God would provide the sacrificial Lamb, which is a reference to Jesus.  Later, the first Temple, known as Solomon's Temple, was erected on the same mountain.  The second Temple, Herod's Temple, also occupied that area.  And, it has been taught that the third Temple that we read about in Bible prophecy will likewise be built on the Temple Mount.

We recognize that God has been faithful to His covenant people - those who are the Jews, whom He chose and announced to Abraham, as well as those of us who have been brought into God's family through Jesus and the new covenant.  And, the Old Testament is full of verses that illustrate how God is calling His people to a life of faithfulness and obedience to Him.  We can rejoice in our spiritual ancestry and seek to carry on a legacy of devotion to the Lord.

We also remember that God has preserved His people, and He continues to draw us into a relationship with Him.  The Word of God has survived, the people of God - the Church - continues to be the primary unit through which God accomplishes His will on the earth.  We can choose to link up with Him to see His work done, or we can reject Christ and find ourselves outside of His Kingdom plan.

And, it is encouraging that time and again, archaeology confirms the teachings of the Scriptures.  There are hidden treasures that have been discovered, and while our faith should not be based on such discoveries, those discoveries certainly affirm our faith.  In a similar manner, there are numerous scientific discoveries that are also consistent with Biblical teaching.  God is faithful, He continues to be, and He calls us, the faithful to be confident in following Him.

Advent-ure Day 4: Here for a Reason

In Psalm 105, we find a passage of Scripture that underscores the theme of proclaiming what God has
done. We can read:
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

We are called to "talk" of His "wondrous works."  We can testify to what God has done in our lives by sending His only Son to earth so that He might die for our sins.  We can also proclaim that God has placed each of us on this earth so that He might use us to fulfill the purpose He has for us.  We can rejoice in the life He has given us and enjoy the relationship that He has made possible through Christ, our Savior.

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We are now on Day 4 of our 25-day Christmas Advent-ure, entitled, Sing Unto the Lord!  The Faith Radio Advent Guide is available through FaithRadio.org, and features a corresponding Christmas song and short Scripture passage for each day through the 25th.

We are continuing to focus in on the proclamation outside Bethlehem the night Christ was born, as documented in Luke chapter 2, verses 8 through 14, our theme verses for today.   Here are several of
them:
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

Good tidings of great joy - two components here: the message itself, as well as the effect of the message, which can produce joy in the hearts and minds of the hearers, a message that resonates with our culture today.

The familiar Christmas carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, today's theme Christmas song, captures the essence of that message:

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."

Rich Houck is a former respiratory therapist who has a life-affirming message that he has had the opportunity to share in a life-affirming way.  You see, his son, Jacob, is 21 years old, and at age 4, he was diagnosed with an Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid brain tumor, according to the Hello Christian website, which related the story of what Rich did over Thanksgiving weekend to make his son laugh.

Rich went to an assistant manager, Nicole Prodin, at the Buckle store at a New Jersey mall and made an unusual request:

“Hey can I ask a favor?” Houck asked the young woman. “My son has special needs and I wanna make him laugh, I’d like to pose in your window, if possible…”

Prodin was certainly “puzzled” at first, but agreed to Houck’s odd request, not expecting the heartwarming hilarity that would shortly follow.

The story continues:

As Houck climbed into the window display and played around, Jacob was so excited and amused, he had to join in!

Nicole posted her account on her Facebook page.  According to CBS3 television station in Philadelphia, Nicole said: “You guys, my night was made tonight by a man who is such a great father..."  The TV station's account relates that Rich "says he never forgets the call many years ago from his wife, Jen, about Jacob’s health." to tell him about the diagnosis of the "rare brain tumor."  Houck says, "It usually takes life before the age of two."  The story continues:

But Jacob is beating the odds, thriving – and smiling.

“Every day is a new day,” says Houck.

Houck stated, "He’s not supposed to be here. We are enjoying every day we got with him..."

This heartwarming story can actually inspire us in several directions.  For one thing, Jacob Houck has outlived what would have been expected for someone with his condition; so while one would not have expected him to be still alive, he is.  In fact, each day that any of us have on this earth is a cause for rejoicing! 

We also recognize that we are here on this earth because God wants us here - He has a purpose for us, and we can appropriate His resources every single day in order to bring Him glory and thank Him for the opportunity to serve Him.  Jesus was sent to this earth for a purpose, at a predetermined time, in order to fulfill the plan of God to bring salvation to fallen humanity.  "Christ was born in Bethlehem" is more than a geographical statement, it is a testimony to the sovereign plan of God; praise His holy name!

And, we remember those who are parents of special needs children, such as Sandra Peoples, a guest on the Tuesday edition of The Meeting House.  Parents of special needs children have unique challenges, and they can trust the Lord, see His perspective, and experience the joy He has brought to them through their child or children.

Finally, we can seek to walk in the joy of the Lord, which is part of the fruit of the spirit.  God has come to give us new life in Christ, whom He sent to earth, as a man, a man who lived a sinless life and became the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Because of His abundant love and promise of freedom, we can experience His joy!