Identifying as a Christian

There are expectations for the Christian in our overall behavior - what we do, what we say, how we express ourselves, should reflect the presence of the Lord within us. James chapter 1 provides this encouragement:
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

What we do should line up with who we are. If we proclaim ourselves to be Christians, that sets the standard very high - we should be effective representatives of Christ. That means we live and tell the truth. That means we are devoted to living our God's truth.  Because we have received the grace of God, that means that, even though the bar is high, the capacity of Christ operates in and through us, so that God might be glorified through us. 

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We hear way too much these days about people "identifying" as something or someone they are not. I would submit that Christians should identify as who they are in Christ and back it up with their speech and actions. Psalm 37 says:
30 The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide.

The purpose of a school in Kansas City sounds quite honorable and charitable.  An ABC News story says that it provides "a tuition-free, high-quality, Christ-centered education for low-income students."  But, wait, there's more - the article goes on to say:

The school’s mission statement has always stressed inclusivity in general terms, noting that following Jesus "opens up doors and makes room at the table." But last year it added a paragraph to its website, which read in part, "We are an affirming school. We stand with the LGBTQIA+ community and believe in their holiness. We celebrate the diversity of God's creation in all its varied and beautiful forms."

The donors to Urban Christian Academy, which provides this tuition-free education for children in kindergarten through 8th grade, allowed their faith beliefs to influence their giving. The article quotes Kalie Callaway-George, who co-founded the school and serves as Executive Director said this added paragraph "is kind of what started the backlash from our donor base, which we anticipated. It was just that we anticipated a 50% loss in funding and made adjustments for that. We had an 80% loss in funding and that was too much to overcome."

The ABC News article said: "Although the school would not disclose the names of churches or individuals who ended their financial assistance, it shared several of their missives with ABC News." It is interesting here that this mirrors language that is used by legislators who want to see donor lists, especially of those who give to Christian organizations.  The article notes:

A lengthy letter from one church, which characterized the LGBQIA+ community as a "diverse collection of behaviors," explained: "Our greatest concern about the Accepting and Affirming stance is that it denies the Biblical definitions of sin and identity and thereby renders the grace of God meaningless."

On the other hand, one parent said this: "I am LGBTQ-affirming and I identify as Christian..." ABC said, " While sympathetic to what she calls 'a discrepancy in biblical interpretation,' she said 'it's unfortunate that children who have nothing to do with the argument are the ones that are going to suffer because of it.'"

And, therein lies a disconnect - this one parent "identifies" as a Christian, but she also describes herself as "LGBTQ-affirming." And Callaway-George, who has led the school, believes that the so-called "inclusive" language "was the right thing to do and has no regrets."

The ABC article states:

As Rob Philips of the Missouri Baptist Convention, a network of 1,800 churches in the state, explained to ABC News, "to embrace desires and behaviors that are outside of scripture is not ultimately loving and caring." Philips said it is unlikely that any of the convention’s member churches would have supported the school.

If you're going to "identify" as a Christian, it's important that you know what that means. Yes, the article says that this Christian school believes that "following Jesus 'opens up doors and makes room at the table.'"  It absolutely true that Jesus welcomes all to come into the Kingdom of God; but the walk of obedience to which He calls us is a walk in which we are to turn away from sin and embrace His grace and forgiveness.  If we "identify" as a Christian, that means we are no longer to identify with our sin and our sinfulness.  We have a new identity, and failure to understand that can certainly lead to discouragement and despair.  

The definition of what it means to be "inclusive" has become so warped that people are invited not to repent and be changed, but to be accommodated in what they identify with.  A person's identity as a Christian has now become superseded by other characteristics, including their own sinful behavior.  In an attempt to include others, rather than to welcome them to experience the true Jesus and His ability to change lives, segments of the Church end up tolerating sin.  That's why the donors to this Christian school pulled out - they identify as Christians today, and they are acting with their resources.  I would hope that perhaps provision would be made for these children; it sounds like a very effective, loving concept.  But, to feed and/or reinforce confusing notions about sexuality to children brings a distortion to the truth of the gospel.

Death to Life

Because we belong to Christ, we have been brought into eternal life - we have the promise of heaven in the life to come and the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit for this life. 1st Corinthians chapter 2 provides encouragement to walk in that power:
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

There is an afterlife, and the Bible provides us with certain truths that show us what the life to come is like - we will be with Jesus forever, and the Bible tells us to be absent from our earthly bodies is to be present with the Lord. While we are in these bodies, walking through this earth, we can also be assured of the supernatural power of God, enabling us to experience His presence each and every day; we can abide in Him and draw near to Him with expectation of what He will do. 

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The Bible provides us the encouragement we need in order to walk in the supernatural presence of God and the assurance of our eternal home, if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord. 2nd Corinthians 5 deals with these themes in the following passage:
6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
9 Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

We can give God the praise that He is the One who is in control even over life and death.  And, perhaps you have heard stories of people who have had what are termed, "near-death experiences" or even people who have legally died, yet lived again.  Lee Strobel and John Burke are two authors who have explored these types of experiences.  Their findings, and our knowledge of Scripture, can help us to recognize the existence of the afterlife and even the validity of stories of people who have faced death and perhaps even crossed over.  Don Piper is one example of someone who actually died, experienced heaven, and came back to life.

So is Sammy Berko, a young man from Texas.  CBN.com related his story in a recent article, which reported that Sammy went into cardiac arrest in a gym on a rock climbing wall and "was...pronounced dead after a bystander, medical professionals, and doctors worked on him for hours in a desperate attempt to restart his stopped heart...Doctors gave up hope — and then something incredible happened. The 16-year-old came back to life, KRIV-TV reported."

The story goes on to quote Sammy's mother, Jennifer, who said, “I started talking to [Sammy], just telling him how much I love him and sorry that we didn’t know how to save him,” adding, “Suddenly, as I started praying, my husband said, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s moving.'”

CBN stated:

Jennifer and her husband began shouting, and doctors came in and discovered a true miracle had unfolded and Sammy was back, according to KRIV-TV.

The emotional mom, reflecting on all that unfolded, said the medical professionals at the hospital hadn’t seen anything like Sammy’s recovery before.

“Never had they ever pronounced somebody and suddenly they came back five minutes later,” she said. “That feeling of seeing his heartbeat, there are no words for that. There are no words.”

Dr. Stacey Hall, who has been working with Sammy, stated to the television station: "We do see kids all the time here who have had CPR, but with very prolonged CPR, we typically see very severe global anoxic brain injury, so to me, he is a literal miracle..." The story continues:

Her team at TIRR Memorial Hermann is helping Sammy overcome the ischemic spine injury he suffered during cardiac arrest.

"He did have an upper thoracic spinal cord injury, so he is working on strengthening his core, strengthening his legs. He's working on everyday things like transferring, putting clothes on, he is working on walking, and he truly has made remarkable progress," states Dr. Hall.

There's that word again: "miracle."  What a testimony - this story got extensive coverage on KRIV, Fox26 in Houston.  And, it hopefully points people to see that a supernatural event has occurred.

I would also hope that this incident can help people consider where they go when they leave this earth. There is an afterlife, and we all can decide where we want to spend it - Jesus was very plain when He told His disciples He went to prepare a place for us. 

The Bible addresses both the supernatural that is commonly expressed on earth and the eternal that is expressed after we leave this earth.  

Big George

There is a distinct contrast that we are exhibit between a life that reflects a dependence and fondness for this world and a life that belongs to another world; a life to be lived in the Spirit. In Ephesians 4, we can read:
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Here we see the contrast between the old and the new. We are called to reject the desires and tendency of the "old man," the person we used to be before coming to Christ, and we are directed to embrace the "new man," what 2nd Corinthians 5 calls the "new creation." Our ambitions, the daily decisions, the attitudes we possess - all should be governed by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, realizing that our consistent exposure to God's truth will produce fruit that reflects the presence of the Lord in us. 

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In 1st Corinthians 15, Paul describes what the resurrected life looks life - the life we can have in Jesus Christ. He writes:
28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

He goes on to say:
31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Then, we can read later in the passage:
34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

He came out of a rough upbringing, one of seven children.  He dropped out of school in the 10th grade and pursued a life of crime and alcohol abuse.  He was encouraged to respond to his anger by getting into boxing. That's according to The Christian Post, which said that this young man ultimately won an Olympic Gold Medal, then became the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. 

In 1974, though, he lost the title to Muhammed Ali, and not long afterward, George Foreman disappeared from the boxing scene.  Twenty years later after the lost to Ali, Foreman regained the heavyweight championship after returning to boxing due to financial hardship.

But, it was what happened to Foreman in 1977 that changed his life permanently and eternally.  The Christian Post article said:

In 1977, Foreman retired from boxing after a near-death experience brought him to the Lord. He recalled how, in his dressing room in Puerto Rico, he understood the truth of the Gospel for the first time.

“I was dead. There was nothing left of me,” he recalled. “I stared at nothingness, no hope. I was pulled out of this dirty place, and given a second chance to live. That has kept me grounded.”

Determined to spend the rest of his life sharing the Gospel, Foreman became a minister and, in 1980, founded The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A movie based on his life story has been in theaters recently; it's called simply, Big George Foreman.  A review by Michael Foust at Crosswalk.com noted:

The film showcases the power of the gospel but includes other lessons, too. It reminds us to keep our lives "free from the love of money" (Hebrews 13:5). It urges us to place the needs of others before our own. It encourages us to forgive. (Foreman does that several times). It also underscores the importance of a godly family. Foreman may not have walked the narrow path early in life, but he returned to his mom's values later in life.

Foust writes: "Boxing forms the backdrop to the bigger story of faith." The review also says:

"The most important thing I'd like for the people who go to the movie to take out is that there is hope," Foreman told Crosswalk. "And there's a reason for our faith – there's a living God. And I'm proof of it. That's all – forget about the boxing and the winning and the losing and all of that. Faith in God is what that movie is about."

Foreman is now 73 years old, and CBN.com reports that he...

...is a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He's also known as a successful TV pitchman and entrepreneur after he worked with Spectrum Brands who created and marketed the popular George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, also known as the George Foreman Grill. Since it was introduced in 1994, more than 100 million of the portable double-sided electrically heated grills have been sold worldwide.

He's also the author of 17 books including a children's book, his autobiography, as well as books about boxing and grilling.

About that near-death experience, the CBN story relates that: 

He told CBN in an interview several years after the fight, when he returned to his dressing room he sensed he was dying and heard a voice say, "I don't want your money. I want you!"

Foreman's intense spiritual struggle caused raised eyebrows in the dressing room because he started acting out according to the voice he heard.

He finally yelled, "Jesus Christ is coming alive in me!"

He told everyone he loved them and kissed them. They thought he was losing his mind, but when the episode was over, Foreman knew he would never be the same again. After that encounter, he spouted love instead of hate and pursued God instead of a boxing career.

Many of us have had those pivotal moments in our life, when we recognize that our lives in their current state are flatly, not working.  George Foreman, at the top of the boxing world, looked into a hopeless future, and Jesus met him.  We can be so thankful for a God who loves us so much that He will dramatically intervene in our lives and invite us to experience something more.  Now, He doesn't force us, but He certainly will compel us. 

George Foreman, as portrayed in the movie, according to the review I referenced, was set free, including from the pursuit of worldly fame and wealth.  But, interestingly enough, God gave him an enormous platform - he returned to boxing after a hiatus, and became famous for not only his boxing exploits, but for a product that bears his name.  The story of George Foreman shows us how the presence of Christ within us can produce the ability to function in this world in a godly manner - God is not against our having worldly success; we have to learn to manage it for God's glory.  It's true for all the areas of our lives; we have to rely on the Holy Spirit to direct us in the decisions that we make every day; dying to the world and living to the Savior. 

Truly Good?

The Bible, in Isaiah, referred to those who call good evil and evil good; it's an apt description of the world we live in. In the 17th chapter of Acts, we see a description of the early Church and it work - we can see these words:
4 And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.
5 But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.
7 Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king--Jesus."

The opponents of the spread of Christianity resorted to violence to shut down the message of the gospel - does that sound familiar?  The followers of Jesus were said to have "turned the world upside down." We need that today - the Word of God an upend the philosophies of humanity, the ideologies that oppose God. We are called to be His representatives, boldly proclaiming His truth - pointing people to the One who is truly good and who has defeated the enemy and come to redeem those who are trapped by sin in their lives. 

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In a truly telling passage from Mark 10, we find a man who was seeking eternal life, to achieve or experience eternal goodness. We can read these words:
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"
18 So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
19 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not bear false witness,' 'Do not defraud,' 'Honor your father and your mother.' "
20 And he answered and said to Him, "Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth."

21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."

The words "good" and "evil" are absolute terms, derived from an understanding of absolute truth. I would submit, based on the Scriptures, that these terms are defined by God Himself. In a culture that seems to specialize in either "gray" areas or outright calling good evil and evil good, God's Word brings the clarity we need in order to live our lives as followers of Christ. 

But, a new survey indicates that people in 17 countries don't see it that way.  The Christian Post reports that the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Survey, which was conducted last spring, yielded these results:

When asked if it was “necessary or not necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values,” majorities of respondents based in the secular Western European countries of Sweden (90%), France (77%), the United Kingdom (76%), the Netherlands (76%), Spain (74%), Belgium (69%), Italy (68%), Germany (62%) and Greece (60%) said it wasn't necessary.

But that's not all. Even in the U.S., 65% of respondents separated moral "goodness" from belief in God. 85% of Australians and 73% of Canadians held that view. The Christian Post also noted: "Majorities of respondents in the Eastern European nations of Poland (67%) and Hungary (63%), which have governments sympathetic to traditional values and religion, said the same."

In the U.S., according to the survey, "Even among those who described religion as 'important' to them, a narrow majority (51%) suggested that a moral life is possible in the absence of a belief in God."

On a more widespread basis, here's somewhat of a stunner: "A difference in views between the religiously affiliated and the religiously unaffiliated regarding the necessity of a belief in God to living a moral life with good values extended across all the countries surveyed, although in all but one case, majorities belonging to both groups did not think a belief in God was a requirement for achieving such a life."

Therein lies the problem - even though the Bible says there is no one who is truly good, there seems to be the pervasive belief that humanity is basically good.  And, if we believe that we are good, then that makes it harder to understand why a person needs a Savior.  Even those in the U.S. who said that religion was important to them claim one can be good without believing in God.

God is the source of goodness.  Even Jesus would not refer to Himself as good - He acknowledge that goodness comes from God.  We have to recognize that we are not good, cannot be in and of ourselves, and need the presence of Jesus in our lives to experience true goodness and rejection of evil.

Problem is, I think we have a need to feel "good" about ourselves, so we say that we are good based on what we do or who we think we are, not who God says we are.  And, by that measure, we also can begin to understand that people think if their good outweighs their bad, they will have a place in heaven - and survey data even shows self-professing Christians disagreeing with Jesus about who gets in: He said that no one - no one - comes to the Father except through Him. 

We have lost sight of the source of goodness; and that is why people now call things that have been recognized as evil for years and years as good.  The world is turned upside down and we need Jesus to truly, as the book of Acts describes the work of the early Church, to turn the way things are "upside down" and get things right again. 

Good Citizens

We are not of this world; the Bible tells us we are citizens of heaven. But, we live in this world, and we are citizens of a country, a state, a county, and perhaps a city. We have a space in which we are placed, and Philippians 3 gives us direction in how to deal with that:
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Our heavenly citizenship and earthly citizenship fuse together when we recognize that we are to live out the principles of the heavenly Kingdom here on earth. Our nation is not a theocracy, but we can recognize that the Bible shows us the best way to interact with one another; so we should be desirous to bring those principles into the way we are governed.  If the government is to maintain order by upholding good and punishing evil, according to the Bible, then we have to look toward the definition of good and evil - those are concepts that are not subjective, but authoritatively set by Almighty God.

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There is a passage of Scripture in Psalm 33 that reminds us of what lies in store for a nation that devotes itself to God and that God is watching and involved in the way that human government operates:
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.
13 The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men.
14 From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth...

One of the areas about which there seems to be no absence of discussion in the Christian community at large has to do with how we are to relate to our country.  There is a new statement on what has been termed, in a derogatory way, "Christian nationalism," which is an attempt to enter into this debate and perhaps even to sanitize the term.

Fact is, Christians should bring our worldview based on Scripture to every area of life. The great preacher Adrian Rogers, who is heard weeknights at 6:30 on Faith Radio, made this statement: "It's inconceivable that God would ordain human government and then tell his people to stay out of it. If that is true, who does that lead to run it?"  That was published in a recent article on the NotTheBee.com website, which is a division of The Babylon Bee.  

It includes more quotes from Dr. Rogers:

Patriotism is not bad. When our government is good we praise our government. This scripture says "give honor to whom honor is due..."

Patriotism, love of the fatherland, is not wrong. We are to give honor to whom honor is due.

Next, we are to preach to our country... God's people dare not be silent. We will be civil. But we won't be silent... As long as they're killing babies and practicing infanticide, I will not be silent. As long as we have a government that is trying to normalize sexual perversion, I will not be silent. As long as they're handing out condoms to high school and junior high school students in so-called God blessed America, I will not be silent. And as long as a free born American is told he cannot pray out loud anywhere, I will not be silent...

We must say to our government, whatever is morally wrong is not politically right!

The Love Worth Finding website has a transcript and outline of Dr. Rogers' message on "Christian Citizenship." After he declared that we are to "preach to our country," he reminded the audience:

We will be civil, but we won’t be silent. Nathan warned David. Elijah preached to Ahab. Eleazar warned Jehoshaphat. Daniel preached to Nebuchadnezzar. Moses warned Pharaoh. John the Baptist preached to Herod.

Rogers went on to say:

We pay for our government; we pray for our government; we praise our government; we preach to our government; and we participate in our government. Notice again in Romans 13 verse 7. We’re to render all their due, custom to whom custom and so forth. Jesus said, “Give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar.” And Jesus said, “Render to God the things that belong to God.” To God is our highest, greatest allegiance. But we don’t have a Caesar as they did then, so when you read a Scripture, you ask yourself this question; “What did it mean then? How does it apply now? And then how does it apply to me personally? What is our Caesar? What is our government?” 

Our government is, “A government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” And I’m telling you, friend, if you do not participate in your government, you have not rendered to your Caesar the things that belong to your Caesar. If, for example, you do not vote, if you do not inform yourself, in my estimation, you have disobeyed the Lord Jesus Christ. It is inconceivable that God would’ve ordained human government and told His people to stay out of it. If that is true, who does that leave to run it? Use your head. We as Christians are to participate, not on the basis of parties or persons or politics or policies but principles. We are to be informed.

Whether or not a Christian embraces the phrase "Christian nationalism," I would submit that the NotThe Bee.com article offers some perspective on the way we should regard our country and relationship to it; the article notes: "Christians ought to favor a nation that rules in accordance to God's law." It also offers a statement consistent with the Bible: "Punishing good is bad but punishing evil is righteous."

Mark David Hall, professor at George Fox University, was on the program recently to discuss the concept of "Christian nationalism," which is a term that he and I agree that Christians who love their country and could be considered patriotic should not embrace.  He wrote in a piece for the Centennial Institute and Colorado Christian University: "Although some scholars believe nationalism can be healthy, others warn of the danger of an inordinate love of country, perhaps such a disordered love that would lead one to follow one’s country 'right or wrong...' Christians must reject this approach; our ultimate allegiance is to the King of Kings, not a particular nation state. There is nothing wrong with loving one’s country, but it should  be a properly ordered love that does not result in blind obedience. This proper love of country is best referred to as patriotism..."

Hall goes on to say:

There are excellent reasons for Christians to reject both what the critics call Christian nationalism and what its proponents call Christian nationalism. Instead, Christian should be patriotic, and we must bring our faith into the public square to advocate for liberty, justice, and equality for all. We cannot let critics shame us into privatizing our faith and abandoning our responsibility to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city” (Jeremiah 29:7).

You could make the case the Sean Feucht made recently - his quotes are included in a derogatory Newsweek article, in which he is quoted as asking, "You want God to come on over and take over the government?" He answered, "Yes!" The article went on to say:

"We want God to be in control of everything! We want believers to be the ones writing the laws! Yes! Guilty as charged," Feucht said. He added that, "We wouldn't be a disciple of Jesus if we didn't believe that."

Now, granted, this was spoken at what was termed a political rally, at which a group of pastors gathered to support a particular candidate. But the sentiments are worth considering, I believe. There is not a Biblical prohibition on supporting for or even encouraging people to vote for particular candidates - as it's been said, we should make sure that we are supporting the candidate who best lines up with our Christian values.  And, we may not all agree on that.  But, we can discuss it in a civil manner! 

In the piece, the professor offers defense of religious liberty, which is the cornerstone upon which our nation was founded.  So, we can consider some simple principles.  For one thing, God is not against us loving our country.  Paul at Mars Hill, quoted in the book of Acts, pointed out how people have been organized into nations, which was done by God's hand.  But, he also related that we are to possess the attitude, "in Him we live, and move, and have our being."  So, we are to recognize God first, our allegiance is to Him ultimately; but that does not preclude us from loving the country in which He has placed us.  

And, that's where our citizenship in heaven and our earthly citizenship intersect.  We are to work for the benefit of these authoritative units: nation, state, municipality, in order that God might be glorified. So many of our laws reflect the principles of Scripture and laws for the betterment of a society are encased within the Ten Commandments. So, we are to function as good citizens, advocating for freedom of religion and taking advantage of that liberty afforded to us so that we might influence good laws, laws that are inspired by godly wisdom and are not hostile toward people of faith. We can choose and support candidates that best line up with our deeply held Scriptural beliefs.  As Dr. Rogers said, God didn't ordain human government and tell Christians to stay out of it. 

Death Cult

We have the promise of Jesus returning to take His Church to be with Him - Biblical prophecy indicates that this will occur following the fulfillment of certain signs. 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 relates:
15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Experts in Bible prophecy, in observing events on the earth, believe that the signs of this occurrence have been fulfilled; one of the most notable being the regathering of Israel as a nation. It is said that Israel is a barometer to which we can look and see how God is setting up the events to occur during a period of great tribulation before which the Church will be taken by Jesus to meet Him and to be with Him. We can be watchful, full of anticipation for what Jesus will do, according to the Bible.

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Jesus teaches that we are to be faithful and watchful until He comes. We are to "occupy," as the Bible says, which means that we are to continue to live a life of obedience, in anticipation of His coming to take His Church to be with Him. Jesus said in Luke chapter 19:
11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
12 Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'  

Instead of the phrase, "Do business," the King James Bible uses the word, "occupy."

A cult leader in Kenya certainly twisted those concepts, leading followers into a lifestyle predicated on fasting and waiting for the Lord's return - resulting in the deaths of over 100 people. The Christian Post reported last week:

The Kenyan cult preacher, Paul Nthenge Mackenzie of the Good News International Church, appeared in court on Thursday, accused of encouraging followers to starve themselves to death, the BBC reported.

The BBC spoke with Stephen Mwiti, who believes his wife and their six children disappeared into a thick forest which has become the headquarters for this cult group.  The Post article said:

The police raided the Shakahola forest last month after receiving information about “ignorant citizens starving to death under the pretext of meeting Jesus after being brainwashed” by Nthenge. Six of Nthenge’s associates have also been arrested in connection with the case.

The cult established a new Holy Land, partitioning the area into villages named after biblical locations, the BBC said, adding that Mwiti learned from escaped children in police custody that his wife and children had died. While their bodies have yet to be identified, Mwiti is certain they starved to death in the forest.

As of last Friday, there have been 110 confirmed deaths, and authorities believe that it could increase. Apparently, followers were commanded to fast and wait for the return of the Lord. There is evidence that those who wanted to leave the group were beaten.  The article says:

Former church members have claimed they were forced to starve as part of their adherence to its teachings.

BBC quoted Titus Katana, an escapee, as saying that those who tried to leave the cult were branded as traitors and violently attacked. He also suggested there was an order in which people were supposed to die, with children being the first to go.

As for Nthenge, the BBC article states:

Pastor Mackenzie was arrested in March when two children were found dead in Shakahola. He and their parents were accused of starving and suffocating them before burying them in the forest.

However, he was released for lack of evidence.

He is now back in custody but has not commented on the charges of murder, radicalisation and threatening public safety that he faces.

President William Ruto has promised to set up a commission of inquiry into what happened but the authorities themselves face tough questions. Not least about what took them so long to figure out something was going on.

Around the end of April, according to the BBC, "the Kenya Red Cross reported that 410 people, including 227 children, who were thought to have some connection to Pastor Mackenzie's church, were missing." 

The Christian Post also related that, "In a similar incident last July, police in Nigeria rescued at least 77 people, including 23 children, who pastors had ordered to stay in a church basement and wait for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ."

These unfortunate incidents remind us that there are those who, for whatever reason, notably power and control, put others into bondage and force them in the name of spiritual practice to do remarkably unspiritual things.  Jesus took on the Pharisees for adding to the Scriptures by placing excessive restrictions on them.  We can be mindful to make sure that we steer clear of legalism and follow the Word first. 

Nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to find 40 acres somewhere and wait for the coming of the Lord.  Or go up on a mountain to await the rapture.  There is a world that desperately needs to hear the message of salvation, of a Savior who came to earth once, purchased salvation for us, and will come again, meeting His Church in the air, and later coming to judge the earth and create a new heavens and new earth.  A question for each of us is: are we ready?  We can also consider the extent to which we are truly "occupying," being good stewards of the space to which God has called us and shining the light of Christ to people who need to know His love. 

Filled

We can realize, day by day, that God has invited us to come to know Him through Jesus Christ, and do exalt His name through the way we live. 2nd Timothy chapter 2 relates:
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

So, we can make ourselves ready for service to our King.  We recognize that He is calling us to a walk of obedience, and that our faithfulness to God results in fruitfulness through God. So, we allow the Holy Spirit to cleanse us, to make us more like Jesus Christ, and from that place of holiness before God, we can put Him on display through us.  We can set our hearts to pursue what He has in store for us, devoted to bringing Him honor. 

+++++

Fruitfulness for the glory of God proceeds from our faithfulness to God. In John 15, we see the words of Jesus; He says:
14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

While February 8 might not be considered any sort of federal or state holiday, it certainly would be considered a historic day in the spiritual realm.  In Wilmore, Kentucky, it was the day that a chapel service began, but did not end - that day, or the next, or the next.  Prayer, confession, and worship continued for over two weeks at Asbury University, and it reverberated across the nation.

Meanwhile, in Norman, Oklahoma, on February 8, the University of Oklahoma verbally agreed to allow a group to rent Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium for an event called, Fill the Stadium.  That's according to OU Daily.  Now, this website was chiding, it seems, the organizers because 20 or 30 thousand people showed up in an 80,000 seat stadium.  Quite frankly, that's immaterial.  Because our call is to be obedient, and allow God to bring the results. 

The event, according to the website, "featured artists Kari Jobe, Chandler Moore and Chance the Rapper along with evangelist Nick Hall from Pulse ministries. Backed by Pulse, Josh Robinson, an entrepreneurship senior, and Nathan Wong, a marketing senior, founded and acted as co-directors of Fill the Stadium."

The Oklahoman quoted Nathan Wong, who said: "I thought the event was incredibly successful," adding, "We had over 2,000 people respond to the Gospel and while that's exciting, that's just the beginning. We will never actually know all the life change that happened on April 29 but we know that God moved on that night and when God moves, special things happen."

The report stated:

In his message, Hall said Oklahoma had a profound effect on his faith testimony because he had attended a Billy Graham evangelistic mission effort in Oklahoma City as a young man.

He urged the crowd to shine their cell phone flashlights if they had ever suffered from depression, knew someone who committed suicide or contemplated suicide themselves. He said he didn't have all the answers to their challenges nor did anyone else on the program lineup, but God did.

"I want to tell you something about God. God sees you. God loves you," he said. "I think we're in a famine of people being heard. I want to tell you whatever you're going through tonight, he loves you."

It's been said before, but it's highly applicable here: we are called to be faithful; God is responsible for the results.  So often, we can get caught up in what we can see - but, like one of the organizers of the OU event said, "We will never actually know all the life change that happened..." Again, numbers don't tell the whole story - we can certainly rejoice that up to 30,000 people showed up and 2,000 responded to the Lord.  But, that is not all - we can rejoice that God, by His Spirit, touched hearts.

Goals are good, and these organizers had a goal - they wanted to "Fill the Stadium."  They didn't - for any number of reasons.  But, the bigger concern was souls.  When we measure according to human wisdom, we miss the whole scope of what God is doing - and His ways are immeasurable. We can be discouraged when appearances would say we missed the mark.  But, we can be encouraged when we know we have been obedient.   They wanted to "fill" the venue, but what occurred is that the organizers - and attendees - may have been ful-filled because of the presence of God.