Filter

In Matthew 13, we can find Jesus relating the parable of the sower, as He shared a story about the types of ground and how His followers should seek to plant His Word in their hearts, making sure their hearts were right.  He declared at the conclusion, in verse 9:

9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Jesus went on to say:
10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"
11 He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.'

I believe Jesus is saying to us: "Stay sharp!"  We can make sure that our hearts are open to His truth and that our minds are trained to accept ideas that line up with Scripture and reject those who do not. We can choose to have ears to hear and eyes to see. We can understand the ways of God and decide to follow in His principles.  We can put filters in place, inspired by His truth, that can help us to stay in a place of consistency with His Word.

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Tuesday of Holy Week is the day we commonly think of as when Jesus went into the Temple and confronted those who were trying to profit off the things of God. It can also be cautionary tale to each of us that we don't allow what is destructive to enter in to the Temple of the Holy Spirit, which is what Scripture uses to define us. In Philippians 4, we can read about the importance of thinking in accordance with Scriptural teaching:
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Through the Internet and other information sources, we can come face-to-face with material that can defile us, that can corrupt our minds and our emotions and even result in physical harm.  Take, for instance, the case of a 12-year-old who responded to a so-called "challenge" on TikTok.

His name is Nick Howell, and CBN.com reported:

According to People Magazine, 12-year-old Nick Howell is warning people about the risks involved with social media challenges.

"You shouldn't try everything you see on social media," he told People. "It won't go well. I want to tell people not to be a follower, but to be a leader."

The CBN article stated:

In Oct. 2020, Nick was sitting outside of his grandmother's house in Miami with his siblings and cousins. The kids were talking about the fire challenge which involves pouring an accelerant on oneself and then lighting the fire.

"I poured a little bit of rubbing alcohol on the (concrete) floor, lit it and put it out," Nick recalled. "But I guess the bottle had caught on fire, and it exploded. I started burning."

His family members hosed him down, but not after he suffered burns on 35% of his body and had to have 50 surgeries.  

CBN related:

Tiktok updated its Community Guidelines in February, stating, "We do not permit users to share content depicting, promoting, normalizing or glorifying dangerous acts that may lead to serious injury or death.

In December, CBN News reported on a viral TikTok trend known as the "devious licks" challenge.

Middle school, high school, and college students are encouraged to act inappropriately or damage school property between September and July, then post the incident on the app.

And, a recent story highlighted a TikTok preacher who has been offering spiritually destructive messages on the platform. Jeffrey Walton writes on the Juicy Ecumenism website about Brandon Robertson, saying:

Robertson’s tutelage as a self-styled “public theologian” seems light years from evangelical Christianity: Jesus isn’t the only way to salvation. Hell doesn’t exist. He doesn’t know “what happened after the crucifixion”. Robertson offers a reductionist message effectively whittled down to the golden rule: Christ’s command to “Love your neighbor as yourself” supersedes God’s call to personal holiness and Jesus’ repeated warnings about the reality of hell and the devil.

“I don’t believe in hell, yet I choose to follow Jesus because I know it blesses my life and the world around me,” Robertson shared March 15 in a TikTok video.

This "feel good" brand that bears little resemblance to Biblical Christianity has resonated, though; Walton relates:

Aided by animated head movement and a fast-paced tone captured by webcam, Robertson’s concise video messages clock in at under a minute. More than 187,000 accounts follow him on the TikTok platform; his individual videos total more than 4.4 million likes. Last June he was featured in Rolling Stone’s annual Hot List for his LGBT advocacy.

Walton is in leadership with the Institute on Religion and Democracy, and noted:

My IRD colleague Chelsen Vicari followed Robertson’s evolution beginning in 2014. In 2015, she watched Robertson tout the “Evangelical” title as he advocated for same-sex marriage. Later, he defined himself as “Christianish,” and by 2018 was calling himself a gay “Renegade Reverend” rethinking sin “as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Today Robertson claims the title “Christian agnostic,” and publicly affirms practices that significantly deviate from what the church has historically understood to be appropriate.

Unfiltered - that seems to be an apt description of at least some of the content on TikTok, as well as other social media platforms.  And, while we continue to express concern over censorship on some platforms, we also have to recognize that with freer speech can come a freer exchange of ideas, including ideas that do not reflect a Christian worldview.  In an unfiltered age, we have to depend on the filter of God's Word and the Holy Spirit to show us what to believe and what to reject.  

Throughout the Word of God, we can find filters that we can apply to our physical senses of sight and hearing.  We can rely on the Lord to give us eyes to see and ears to hear. Remember, our Savior addressed having ears to hear and chiding those who would "listen" but not "hear."  That speaks to the need for discernment. We can't always control what we will be exposed to, but we can decide what we allow to accept.  Our responses to the messages with which we interact can be determined by our devotion to Christ and knowledge of His Word. 

Philippians 4:8 is an example of how we can filter the influences that come our way. We can govern our thoughts by submitting them to Scripture. 2nd Corinthians 10 talks about taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and Romans 12 instructs us to be transformed by renewing our minds, so that we might be discerning. If we would take that extra moment to think - having allowed Scripture to govern our minds - before we speak or act, we can make decisions that are keeping with God's holiness.

Not Losing Hope

Gratitude is a powerful force in this world, and can motivate us to honor God with our service. in Colossians 3, we find these words:
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
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.

If we have seen the Lord work in our lives, we certainly want to call our attention to that and respond with thanksgiving. And, if we are grateful to Him, out of a heart of love for our Savior, then we can love those around us.  As Jesus taught, we love God wholeheartedly, and we also love our neighbor. If we are walking in a love relationship with Almighty God, then we can walk as He directs, showing His love to those in need and reflecting His presence within us.

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Generosity produces thanksgiving, and I would also contend that thanksgiving can produce generosity. If we are thankful for God's faithfulness and have experienced the love of His people, we can develop a heart that overflows with charity. 2nd Corinthians 9 says:
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God,

In December of last year, a massive wildfire occurred in Boulder County, Colorado. Over a thousand homes were destroyed, and a lady named Lindsey McMorran was considering how God would have her respond.  She wrote at The Christian Heart website:

We had previously lived in an area where friends had lost their homes, so we knew how devastating this was for a family. I prayed right then, asking God how I could help, how to make a real impact in this disaster.

And I got a clear message from the Lord almost immediately. I was instructed to help kids affected by this tragedy by refurbishing their bedrooms at no cost to the family; to give them their dream space to feel comfortable and safe, to give them hope and some degree of happiness.

She described her husband as "stunned" by how massive this undertaking would be. She kept praying, and the first door opened - one door.  She writes:

It started with one family that I’d met through the Marshall Fire Community Facebook Group. I posted their needs to my personal Facebook page and almost immediately had the funds and then some to build two kids’ bedrooms. Before I officially “launched” my idea, I reached out to about 20 of my closest friends, three of which were born and raised in the neighborhoods that the Marshall Fire destroyed. When everyone said to go for it and they’d help, we decided to go all in.

She posted an application through another Facebook group she had started, and there were 29 families who responded. The organization is called Hope Lives Here Colorado, and Lindsey writes:

Our goal is to help the children affected by this tragedy feel safe in their new dream bedrooms by providing beds, bedding, decorations and some of their favorite things. To give them a taste of “normal”. These kids lost all of their Christmas gifts, all their favorite toys to snuggle with, all the things that were important to them.

  As of this publication of this article last week:

So far, our team has refurbished 52 dream bedrooms for children. But the needs are overwhelming. We have another 123 children on the list. And there are countless families that have asked if we can do this once they get their burned house in a position to have us furnish their child’s bedroom.

Denver television station Denver7 made a $50,000 donation, and was on hand for two reveals.

McMorran writes at The Christian Heart:

I have been overwhelmed with the feeling that I have His support. God asked me to do this and I feel I’m walking with Him at each step along the way.

Lindsey certainly has a desire to reach out to people in need; after all, in 2014, she and her husband had their own crisis.  The newspaper, The Morning Call, stated:

In September 2014, Lindsey and Brandon McMorran's then 14-month-old daughter Peyton was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The Ramona community rallied around the hometown couple, establishing a Go Fund Me page and the first Putting for Peyton golf tournament at San Vicente Golf Resort.

The McMorrans graduated from high school in Ramona, California, according to the article. She is quoted as saying that "...just by the grace of God, she is our little survivor." She told her husband, "It's there for a reason. And it's for us to help other people and open our eyes to another world." In the aftermath, she co-founded a charity to reach out to families with children with medical issues called the Here with Hope Foundation.

This family has not only been on the receiving end of charity, and certainly Lindsey McMorran, out of her love for God, is devoted to helping those who are struggling.  She said that her daughter's illness opened their "eyes to another world."  We may not have experienced what others are going through, but we can identify with others in their suffering and allow God to show us how we can help.  It's a matter of opening our eyes and our hearts.

Lindsey shared that she had a major task, obviously overwhelming, in order to provide these refurbished bedrooms for the children whose houses had suffered fire damage. But, we have to be deliberate in depending on God one step at a time.  No shortcuts in the Kingdom - we can rely on the Lord for every step. If we try to rush, it could short-circuit what God wants to do.

Finally, do we appreciate what God has done in bringing salvation to us?  If so, we can give honor to Him by giving to others.  And, if we have been ministered to, we can follow Christ's direction to find ways to spread His love.

Departure?

The witness of the Church has tremendous potential to display the light of Christ, and we have been empowered to minister on His behalf, by the power that flows through us. Paul wrote in 1st Timothy chapter 3:
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

The truth has been entrusted to us, the Church, the body of Christ, according to verse 15 in 1st Timothy 3. If our lives are built on that foundation, we will find the strength we need in order to live a victorious Christian life, a life that shows that we know Him and are allowing Him to work through us. Even though the pandemic has been a hindrance to the work of the Lord, we know, coming out of this time of trial, that we have the potential to emerge stronger, as we take hold of the call of God.

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Jesus is the head of the Church, and He invites us to participate with Him in fellowship with Himself and with one another in the body of Christ. Colossians 1 tells us:
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

I am continuing to follow church attendance trends in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Of course, during 2020, in the time of lockdowns, you had a surge in virtual worship and online resources were being used of the Lord to bring people hope and to lead them to Christ.

In the summer of 2020 and beyond, a vast number of churches began to open their doors again, and people began to return.  So, where are we now?  Pew Research has released a poll that might provide a benchmark to answer that question.

The summary of the survey opens this way:

As COVID-19 cases continue to decline and pandemic restrictions are eased across the United States, churches and other houses of worship increasingly are holding services the way they did before the outbreak began, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. But there has not been a corresponding rise over the past six months in the share of Americans who are attending in-person services.

43% of adults who attend services say that, in Pew's words, "their house of worship is currently open and holding services the same way it did before the COVID-19 outbreak – up 14 percentage points in the last six months and 31 points since last March." But Pew goes on to say, " 47% say their congregation is open but with modifications still in place due to the pandemic, such as mask requirements or social distancing."

But in-person worship attendance seems to have "plateaued," according to the poll - here's the progression:

In July 2020, roughly four months after COVID-19 upended life in America, 13% of U.S. adults reported having attended religious services in person during the previous month. That figure rose to 17% in March 2021 and then to 26% in September 2021, and now stands at 27%.

That's as of March of this year.  The summary also notes: "Over the same period, the share of Americans who say they have streamed religious services online or watched them on TV in the past month declined from 36% in July 2020 to 28% in September 2021 and is now 30%."

Among professing Christians who generally attend worship services at least once monthly, 68% said in March that they have attended within the past month, up from 64% in September.  Among evangelicals, there is a jump from 72 to 75%.

One further note:

The survey’s questions about in-person and virtual attendance can be combined to provide a sense of how many people are watching services online instead of attending in person, and how many are watching online in addition to attending in person. The Center’s survey finds that among all adults who say they typically attend services at least monthly, 36% have both attended in person and watched services digitally in the last month, while three-in-ten (31%) say they have only attended in person but not watched online or on TV in the last month.

Bottom line: In-person worship is important.  While virtual has been an effective substitute during the pandemic and there are reports of how people have come to know Christ and been strengthened in their walk, it is certainly not the long-term primary alternative to being with other believers.

But, electronic media, such as Faith Radio, are a vital way to stay spiritually connected and to build up the local church. The access to God's Word is incredible and we can certainly benefit from our exposure to teaching, music, and information that is offered. Even though God has made this content available, we still need that personal study of God's Word and fellowship with other believers.

This data does show that the progression of people returning to church has plateaued and that is an area of concern.  It is important that believers and their churches maintain their connection with one another, so that we might be the vibrant body of Christ He intends.

Christian Higher Ed Goes Lower

Jesus encountered people who claimed to possess faith, but who rejected Him. He said to them, according to John chapter 8:
(42)... "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

We have to evaluate whether or not we individually as believers in Christ or corporately as the Church as "listening" to God's Word. That implies that we are not just making stuff up about spiritual concepts and then trying to attach snippets of Scripture or twist the Word in order to conform to our ideas. True discipleship means that we start with the Word first, and then allow that living Word to penetrate our thinking and reform our hearts, so that we might truly know the principles of God.

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In 2nd Timothy chapter 3, Paul offers a list of behaviors that are indicative of an unhealthy spiritual state, saying that those who practice them possess "a form of godliness" but they are "denying its power." He describes them in verse 7 as "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."  He continues:

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;
9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance...

We have to be cautious to remember that just because an institution wears the label, "Christian," there may be areas of danger.  Or, it may not reflect a Christian worldview perspective at all.

A situation involving what is described by ReligionNews.com as an "evangelical school" in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Calvin University, which is sponsored by the Christian Reformed Church, is illustrative of the inroads that the progressive agenda has made. 

The article notes that:

The school sponsors a support group for gay students, gave an alumni award to an LGBTQ graduate and last year saw a gay undergrad elected as student body president.

But after a Calvin professor officiated a wedding last fall for an LGBTQ staffer at a campus-based research center, putting both employees in violation of school policy, school leaders tried to resolve the matter quietly. The Center for Social Research, part of the school since the 1970s, was allowed to spin off and the staffer was able to stay.

But the staffer at the center who led to CSR's move has now left. The report says that...

Chimes, the Calvin student newspaper, broke news about the reason for the split. Chimes later interviewed Nicole Sweda, the Calvin staffer whose marriage led the CRS to leave Calvin.

“I’m not going to be ashamed for being queer,” Sweda, who ultimately quit her job in order to speak openly about her wedding, said in the Chimes interview. “I’m not going to be ashamed for being married to Annica.”

The professor, Joseph Kuilema, who is an assistant professor of sociology and social work at the school, is also in danger of losing his contract.

The article notes that:

Provost Noah Toly did confirm that all faculty and staff, including those at the center, are required to follow the school’s employment policies, which bar sex outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. He also said that hiring managers and supervisors are required to enforce the policy.

Also, according to Religion News, in the Christian Reformed Church, "A report approved in 2016 bans pastors and church leaders from officiating weddings of same-sex couples. That report allows church members to take part in such weddings as long as they realize that such weddings are sinful."

Toly notes, "Joining a community or institution almost always means inheriting positions and submitting to rules made by others, even if we don’t agree with all the rules, wouldn’t make those rules ourselves, or want to change the rule,” adding, “This need to live within a doctrinal framework and set of rules we don’t make is heightened in a confessional institution. Colleges and universities aren’t the only places where this happens, but they’re great places for students to grapple with this reality.”

So, what was described as an "accommodation" for one of the same-sex marriage "partners" has apparently backfired - she just had to go public, proud and loud, with her sinful union.  She has left, and the professor will likely follow her out the door.  You now have a research center that has separated from the sponsoring institution for no apparent reason.  The consequences of departing from God's law.

But, nevertheless, Christian colleges are being duped into trying to accommodate LGBTQ students. 

Meanwhile, Calvin has drawn attention because of the actions of another of its professors - her name is Kristen Kobes Du Mez, the author of the provocative book called, Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation. Tom Gilson, writing at The Stream, in response to the book, accurately declares:

We do have problems, and we have since Paul wrote about it in his first letter to the Corinthians — not to mention a whole lot preceding it in the Old Testament. It’s called sin, and it happens in the Church. Through all my reading of church history, I’ve concluded there has to be a God, or we’d have blown ourselves to pieces by now. Still God works through us anyway, and the world is very definitely better off for His Church (though that’s a discussion for another day).

He continues:

So Du Mez could have taken an accurate view on evangelical issues, and written something worth reading. Maybe the sin explanation isn’t sexy enough for her. Or not sexist enough. Or not simplistic enough. Instead she wrote 300 pages of material perfect for anyone who’s already convinced and wants to say, “See! I told you so!” — people who already “knew” it, in other words.

He cites the author as saying that the Church has "replaced the Jesus of the Gospels with a vengeful warrior Christ."  According to Gilson, she is bothered by the phrase "servant leadership."  As an example, according to Gilson, Du Mez claims that...

...Promise Keepers’ teachings of servant leadership “helped salvage a patriarchal order,” she says. “By promising intimacy in exchange for power, servant leadership passed off authority as humility, ensuring that patriarchal authority would endure. … As far as critics were concerned, this was more insidious than a straightforward power grab.”

Her beef, plain and simple, seems to be with male leadership in the Church.  According to Anne Kennedy, writing at the website of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood:

Wending her way past Elisabeth Elliot, Phyllis Schlafly, Ollie North and into the bygone notoriety of the Moral Majority’s Jerry Falwell Sr., James Dobson, and the LaHayes, all the way through into the excitement and controversy of the Young Restless and Reformed, to Doug Wilson and this journal’s founding body, Du Mez tries to fit everybody in.

According to Kennedy: 

John Eldredge’s Jesus, she insists “more closely resembled William Wallace than either Mother Teresa or Mister Rogers” (174). And in one of the most underwhelming “gotchas” in the history of Christianity, Du Mez reports that Elisabeth Elliot believed that “God created male and female as complementary opposites” (65).

Du Mez even takes aim at Billy Graham; Kennedy quotes Du Mez as claiming that "Graham believed that God had cursed women to be under man’s rule," and for that reason, he believed that wives must submit to husbands’ authority." Du Mez continues:

Graham acknowledges that this would come as a shock to certain ‘dictatorial wives,’ and he didn’t hesitate to offer Christian housewives helpful tips: When a husband comes home from work, run out and kiss him. ‘Give him love at any cost. Cultivate modesty and the delicacy of youth. Be attractive.’ Keep a clean house and don’t ‘nag and complain all the time.’ He had advice for men, too. A man was ‘God’s representative’ — the spiritual head of the household, ‘the protector’ and ‘provider of the home.’

But, as Kennedy points out:

God did not “curse women to be under man’s rule.” He placed them there as a gracious gift as part of the created order. Adam — before the Fall — was to have dominion over the animals and steward the earth. Eve was given to him as help, cut out of his very side so that he was not able to accomplish his task without her. The two together, and the order in which they were created, reflect the image of God in the world. In other words, the patriarchalism of Adam was baked into the cake itself. The curse of the Fall was not the biblical articulation of headship, but the corruption wrought by Adam’s sin. His “headship” devolved into tyranny and her “help” into a grasping coup for power. The result was pain, toil, and the unhappiness that goes along with the work of both men and women as they kick against the goads. Paul recaptures the beauty of the original order in Ephesians 5:21–33, a text fewer and fewer Americans are aware even exists.

We now have a lexicon of terms to negatively describe the Biblical role of men, including "patriarchy," which is apparently a huge problem, "toxic masculinity," and more.  Rather than seeing the complementary nature of the relationship between male and female, she seems to reinforce the concept of male oppression.  Seems to me, it is a redefinition of gender roles as laid out in the Bible, and a threat to the concept of gender itself, which we are seeing throughout our culture.

Which gets us back to the progressive views that are causing problems at the school where Du Mez teaches, Calvin University - skewed gender philosophy, a perversion of God's established order, a redefinition of marriage that runs counter to that beautiful passage in Ephesians 5 about marriage as a representation between Christ and His bride.

Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis wrote about the school about a year and a half ago, after the student body president "came out" as a homosexual. Ken stated that "Calvin University has compromised God’s Word for years," and wrote:

What we see happening at this compromising, liberal-leaning college is a consequence of departing from the authority of the Word of God from the very first verse. We are seeing this phenomenon happening at many so-called Christian institutions, and it will sadly only continue as these colleges as well as seminaries refuse to take a stand on the authority of the Word of God in all areas—beginning in Genesis. Unless they repent and return to the foundation of God’s Word, Calvin University and others like it will become the Yales, Princetons, and Harvards of tomorrow—schools that once taught God’s Word and were founded by Christians, but are now thoroughly pagan and secular.

This is graduation season, and many high school seniors are preparing for their next step. Some will discover that the "Christian" college they will be attending have allowed secular ideas to rule the day. We can remember that generally, just because a college or organization has the "Christian" stamp on it or the word "Christian" in its name does not mean it is committed to following Christ's teachings. 

We are seeing a tremendous blurring of the lines on gender and sexuality today.  What was once viewed as impermissible seems to be more commonplace. And, while there are those that claim to be "enlightened," like the Gnostics of old that Robin Schumacher was calling out on yesterday's Meeting House, views are being expressed that do not line up with Scripture, and the deeper meaning is just another excuse for immoral behavior.

And, you have the self-appointed critics of the Church and Christianity that are continuing to hammer their tired phrases and philosophies, claiming to be "enlightened" on matters of race and gender, but buying in to the enemy's ploy to divide the Church and to ultimate render Christianity ineffective. Because the teachings of Scripture are the real enemy to them. We have to be discerning like never before so that we are not deceived by philosophical schemes.

A Holy Week Truce?

In times of turbulence, we can turn to the One who promises, according to Philippians 4, the peace that passes understanding. When we encounter inner turmoil, we can look to our Savior, who will produce peace in our hearts. Isaiah chapter 9 contains this passage:
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The Spirit of God will work in our hearts to bring us a sense of God's wonder, to counsel us, to give us strength, and to remind us that we have a Father who will love us forever.  Jesus is our Prince of Peace, and He wants us to experience peace with Him through entering into a relationship with Him through salvation, and to walk in that peace when we encounter tribulation.  He enables us to make things right with other people, as His love flows through us.

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Our Prince of Peace desires to bring a sense of His presence to the human conflict we experience. In Romans 12, we can read these words:
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

I related to you last week that Franklin Graham, who leads the ministry of Samaritan's Purse that is working in Ukraine in light of the Russian invasion of that country, had written a letter to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asking for a two-week cease fire during the time period including the Christian commemoration of Holy Week.  A story published on the Ministry Watch website from Religion News Service quotes Franklin Graham:

“If they can stop fighting for a week or 10 days, maybe they can stop fighting for two weeks,” said Graham, speaking by phone from his home in North Carolina. “If they stop for two weeks maybe they can stop for a month. If they stop for a month, maybe they can stop for good. You’ve got to start somewhere.”

The piece relates that Graham recently spent two days in Ukraine and it says that Graham, "...said he was not confident he’d get a response from Putin but said he viewed the message as necessary." Franklin Graham plans to visit Ukraine again during Holy Week.

The article points out that: "Holy Week, which begins with Palm Sunday and concludes with Easter Sunday, begins April 10 on the Gregorian calendar observed among Western churches. Eastern Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar and celebrate Holy Week beginning on April 17. The vast majority of Russians and Ukrainians are Orthodox Christians."

Meanwhile, the work of ministry continues through Samaritan's Purse.  The article says that:

Earlier this month, Samaritan’s Purse set up an emergency field hospital in an underground parking garage in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. It has since expanded its work to include three medical clinics—two in Lviv, one at the train station and the other at a bus station, and a third in Chernivtsi in southwest Ukraine.

Another field hospital is in the process of getting up and running.  Religion News reports:

About 160 Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers are in Ukraine now, according to Graham. He said the organization has also distributed some 90 tons of food. Samaritan’s Purse has not partnered with any other relief organization, though it is aware of an Israeli field hospital, also in Lviv.

This request reminded me of an occurrence during World War I, when soldiers observed a truce for Christmas.  The History Channel website reports that in 1914, along the Western Front:

Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops fighting in World War I sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.

At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. Some Germans lit Christmas trees around their trenches, and there was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer.

This moment in history was commemorated in a feature film called Joyeux Noel, in a TV movie called, The Christmas Truce, and in a play entitled, All is Calm.  

We should always be aware of and dependent on the ability of the Prince of Peace to unite. We can pray for peace, pray for our enemies, and pray for God to be exalted.  His ultimate desire is for hostilities to cease and for us to live with understanding, even with those with whom we disagree.

Before the invasion, Franklin Graham tweeted out: "Pray for President Putin today. This may sound like a strange request, but we need to pray that God would work in his heart so that war could be avoided at all cost. May God give wisdom to the leaders involved in these talks & negotiations, as well as those advising them."  He drew criticism for that, but Nathan Skates, writing at the website of the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University pointed out that:

For those unfamiliar with the idea of praying for your enemies, it is a clear command in Scripture. Jesus said in Matthew 5:44-45, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (NASB1995).

Furthermore, Graham wasn’t praying for Putin to have a great day (though that would also be biblical) and he certainly wasn’t asking for prayers that Putin would win on the global stage. He was calling for prayers that Putin wouldn’t take action that would lead to war and the subsequent loss of life.

The Bible is clear not only on the value of life but the need to be slow to go to war. Both Proverbs 20:18 and 24:6 advise that kings seek guidance before choosing to go to war. Jesus alludes to the truth that a king weighs his ability to win before going to war in Luke 14:31-32. The Bible also instructs us to avoid a conflict whenever possible, such as in Romans 12:18 where Christians are instructed to be at peace with all men.

We can also remember that in the crisis, God is working. This human conflict and adversity can have a God-honoring result.  We can certainly pray for needs to be met and for an end to the conflict. When we have conflict in our own lives, we can work toward a solution based on good communication and the expression of the love of Christ. 

Where's Your Church?

There was an unfortunate incident about which we can read in Acts 14 - the apostle Paul had been stoned and left for dead at the city of Lystra by those opposed to his preaching. But, we can see according to verse 20 and following verses:
20 However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Paul did not allow this attack to hold him back from preaching the gospel - he did not cower in fear, but advance in faith. He and the disciples of Jesus went from city to city, including Lystra, sharing the message of Christ - and people were saved.  They left behind local churches, as we see in verse 23. We recognize that the local church has enormous power available and great opportunity to testify to the work of the risen Lord - and is a vehicle God uses to testify to His presence.

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God calls His people together, to fellowship and encourage one another, and to do ministry as representatives of our Savior. Hebrews 10 states:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

New Braunfels, Texas is currently the site of the largest Buc-ee's convenience store in the world, a record that will fall next year when the record will be surpassed by the chain's superstore in Sevierville, Tennessee, according to News 4 San Antonio.  But, the Texas city is the home to a church that is committed to “transforming everyday places into sacred spaces," according to a Baptist Press article.

The church is called Epic Life, and one of those "everyday places" is a batting cage, where, according to the story, "One way church members do that literally is by showing up on Saturday nights to convert a local batting cage into a worship location for Sunday mornings, and about 400 people have been attending each week. Since the church’s launch in 2019, more than 160 people have been baptized."  The Lead Pastor is Brent Isbill.

The article relates that:

As Epic Life looks for opportunities to expand God’s kingdom, Isbill urges members to have an EPIC mindset, an acrostic for: Expectant faith, People matter, Irresistible community and Creating margin.

“Whether you’re a little kid or a senior adult, every day we want you to wake up with an expectancy in your soul that the God of the universe wants to meet with you,” Isbill said, adding that the expectancy includes knowing God has a plan for each day.

Pastor Isbill is quoted as saying, "We’ve seen so many stories of God doing a work that only He can do,” adding, “We’ve seen people step out of addiction. We’ve seen marriages restored. We’ve seen dads become spiritual leaders in their homes.”

The church had 56 attendees its first Sunday, and in 2021, it baptized 59 people.  Over the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, the church went from 200 to 400 people.  And, Pastor Isbill desires to see the church grow - it is planning to plant another congregation in New Braunfels, and is already supporting church plants.

We are called to multiply the Kingdom, and that may take some unique forms.  I found an article from 2020 on the Religion Unplugged website that featured an assortment of spaces in which churches are meeting.  The article relates:

Since the early New Testament church met in homes, many startup churches and church plants have met in eccentric, odd and unusual locations. A church plant in Berlin, Germany, called Berlin Projekt, draws many members from the young creative class in Berlin and has long met in a historic movie theater called Babylon. A church called yChurch in the Indianapolis suburb of Fishers, Ind., meets in a YMCA. Steel City Church in Pittsburgh now meets in homes and online while it looks for a permanent location. It used to meet in a night club called Altar Bar in the city’s Strip District, which was previously a Slovak Catholic church, and was turned back into a church in 2016.

The website for Steel City Church says that now, "We are grateful to be able to gather inside Squirrel Hill Christian Church. Home to a 100+-year-old congregation that generously allows us to share their space!"

And, then there's this story out of Utah:

Dr. Travis Kerns, Associate Professor of Apologetics and World Religion at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, planted a church in Salt Lake City that met in a horse barn. Kerns said he and his wife, along with two other couples, planted the church to reach a certain demographic.

“We reached people that wouldn’t have gone to a big, county seat First Baptist church because they were used to wearing t-shirts and Wranglers and dirty boots all the time. They were always farming, ranching, working with horses,” Kerns said.

While the location was part of what attracted these people, Kerns credited the authenticity of the people at the church for creating an environment that felt normal and genuine. 

The early church met in people's houses.  Church and ministry meetings are found in prisons, in sports locker rooms, and wherever two or three are gathered.  The fact is, the Church consists of the people, and the setting is not the most important element. 

But, that's not to minimize the importance of the setting. To have a consistent place where people can gather certainly leads to a sense of security, and gives congregants and potential visitors a place to go.  

But, we can also recognize that the Church can be mobile - after all, Jesus calls us to go. We can consider where we are taking the life-giving presence of our Savior, as the Church goes into the world for which Jesus died.

Slapped

If there's one thing we can think about on April Fools Day, it's that we can't believe everything we see - in fact, I saw a social media post to that effect earlier, essentially saying that the person was looking for an April Fool's joke, but couldn't quite tell the difference between fact and fiction. For believers, discernment is a precious commodity and God offers instruction. 1st John 4 states:
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.

Regarding those "spirits," the author says later in the chapter:
5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

We have to be so careful not to believe everything we hear or see.  And, information that we consume may be true, but could certainly be unbiblical. The father of lies wants to bait Christians to believe his lies - and his lies can be so harmful to us: remember, in the Garden, the serpent posed the question that began, "Did God really say...?"  While we should question the stream of information that flows around us in this world, we know that we have a strong foundation in the truth of God's Word. 

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The Bible teaches us to reject the ways of the world, and that includes the ideologies it feeds us - the reinforcement of self-sufficiency and the rebellion of self-indulgence. 1st John chapter 2 contains these words:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Oh, my, it was another awards show on broadcast television - an phenomenon that has produced its share of cringe-worthy moments throughout the years.  This year's Oscars provided such moments, including, as Pat Reeder described it on Mike Huckabee's website, the three hosts - Regina Bell, Wanda Sykes, and Amy Schumer...

...taunting viewers in Florida and chanting, “Gay, gay, gay,” proving that they not only didn’t understand what the NOT-“Don’t Say Gay” bill is, they also didn’t care if one of our most populous states immediately tuned out.

And, the lead actress in a film called, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Jessica Chastain, in her acceptance speech struck a similar tone, stating, according to Entertainment Weekly:

We're faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation sweeping our country with the only goal of further dividing us. There is violence and hate crimes being perpetuated on innocent civilians all over the world. In times like this, I think of Tammy, and I'm inspired by her radical acts of love. I'm inspired by her compassion and I see it as a guiding principle that leads us forward, and it connects us all in the desire that we want to be accepted for who we are, for who we love, and to live a life without the fear or violence or terror.

Of course, Tammy Faye's image shifted over the years from much-maligned televangelist's wife and television personality to some sort of beloved figure in the LGBTQ community, as it's been reported.

By the way, can you name the winner of the Oscar for Best Picture?  It was a movie that has done just over a million dollars at the box office worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.  It's called, CODA, which stands for Child of Deaf Adults.

So, it went - until the seminal moment when comedian Chris Rock gave a shoutout from stage to the wife of nominee Will Smith, telling Jada Pinkett Smith that he was looking forward to seeing her in a sequel to the movie G.I. Jane, in which the lead character had very little hair - Smith has a medical condition that has caused hair loss.  Will initially smiled at the joke, then stormed the stage and slapped Rock in the face.

After that moment, he returned to his seat and shouted obscenities.  Later in the program, Will Smith won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the father of Venus and Serena Williams in the movie, King Richard.

The Christian Post stated that his acceptance speech...

...wasn't as celebratory as he might have envisioned because he spent much of his time explaining why he slapped Rock.

Midway through his speech, Smith revealed that Denzel Washington, himself an Academy Award-winning actor, warned him about the devil's attacks. “Denzel said to me a few minutes ago, at your highest moment, be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you,” Smith recalled.

During an intermission that followed the slap, Tyler Perry and Washington were seen comforting and giving advice to Smith.

Although he didn't apologize to Rock during his speech, Smith apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees.

Smith said that "Love makes you do crazy things," and shared: "Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family. In this time in my life, in this moment, I am overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world..."

On Monday, according to The Blaze, Smith issued an apology to Rock in an Instagram post.

The point has been made that Will Smith isn't a person committed to defending his family - it is well-known that he and Jada are in what is termed an "open marriage," meaning that they endorse the hideous notion that they permit one another to commit adultery.  Jason Whitlock, writing at The Blaze, had these words:

You can’t defend your family and excel in modern Hollywood. You can’t embrace biblical values and excel in Hollywood. Will Smith is learning this publicly and painfully. In Hollywood, your family is nothing more than fodder for the content machine. That’s why Jada Pinkett Smith talked openly about her sexual infidelity on her "Red Table Talk" podcast. That’s why Will Smith has publicly admitted that his wife talked him into an open marriage. Smith foolishly believes his biblical worldview can withstand the requirements of Hollywood. It can’t.

There is discussion about whether or not the whole incident was staged. I do think it can become increasingly difficult, with the way that we are conditioned by media, to really believe what we see or hear.  You may have encountered a case of a politician making a speech and then deny that what was clearly said was actually said.  Perhaps you have people who try to change the meaning of their statements and deploy the power of nuance. You have an actor who was found to have made up a complete incident of an attack, only to not have the facts on his side.  We have to watch and listen carefully.  Was the Will Smith/Chris Rock incident staged, perhaps for higher Oscar ratings?  Greater publicity - after all, it's been said that any kind of publicity is good publicity.  All I can say is "buyer beware."

Will Smith claims to be a defender of his wife.  And, yes, husbands should be strong in reinforcing the honor of their wives. And vice versa. Neither husbands nor wives should not be going out and denigrating their spouses to other people - if there's a problem at home, then that tension should be resolved between the two of them or perhaps a trusted counselor, and certainly our Wonderful Counselor.  But, to claim someone honors his or her spouse when they have made the decision to allow adultery into their marriage is not consistent. 

Will Smith says that he is "overwhelmed by what God is calling on me to do and be in this world..."  I don't know what that means to him, nor can anyone know what is going on in his heart of hearts. But, what God is calling him to do is to repent.  His sin has been on display, and while he has apologized publicly and profusely, his actions have become an indicator of what's in his heart.  Just as our actions indicate what's inside - Jesus is calling us to a deeper walk with Him, and that involves repenting and repairing the old ways and walking in His new life. 

Finally, remember what Denzel Washington allegedly said to Will Smith - essentially that pride comes before a fall. I believe that we are certainlly vulnerable when we are trapped in self-sufficiency.  Recognition can produce all sorts of exaltation of self.  We have to continue to remain humble, even when we receive affirmation or credit.  The believer in Christ should always be mindful to rely on our Savior - He is the all-sufficient One.