Rejecting Selfishness to Serve

In our times of trial, we have to reject the tendency to focus on our own troubles and lose sight of God's purposes and the needs of others. 2 Corinthians 9 teaches us how through service, we can discover Christ's sufficiency:
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

In parts of South Georgia and the Carolinas, the effects of Tropical Storm Debby are still being felt, with the powerful storm dumping enormous amounts of rain over a relatively short period of time.  As late as last week, there were still areas that were experiencing flooding. 

Even as far inland as Statesboro, GA, home of Georgia Southern University, a city perhaps an hour and a half from the coast, rainfall totals exceeded 12 inches and a local pastor experienced flood damage to his home, according to a Baptist Press article published on The Christian Index website.  It stated:

As rainfall totals passed 12 inches, saturated ground led to fallen trees, dams giving way and more than 100 damaged roads in Bulloch County, Georgia, from Tropical Storm Debby.

Pastor Todd Wiggins of Southbridge Community Church was among those affected, as floodwaters crept into his home. The flooring in the master bedroom and closet will have to be replaced. The roof and exterior walls received damage as well. But he knows it could have been worse.

“We were blessed, because there were people who lost their whole home,” he said. “Others had damage up to 4 feet high, so in the grand scope, it’s not too bad.”

The article notes that, "Wiggins has heard stories from other parts of the county of rainfall as high as 18 inches in 48 hours."

But, Wiggins and his church were mobilized to help the community.  Already, plans were in place to minister to students moving into Georgia Southern, and Southbridge served as the base of operations for the Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief.

The article states:

At least one church member had significant home damage.

“It was right next to Mill Creek and when it overflowed, he said it got maybe four feet high,” said Wiggins. “We had a dump trailer dropped off at his house today and have a team there ripping out today and tomorrow to help him get recovered.”

Southbridge is a church that was planted by First Baptist of Statesboro 12 years ago, according to the article, and was originally pastored by its student minister. Wiggins took the reins around the start of the COVID pandemic.  The article reports:

Just prior to his arrival, the aging congregation of Gracewood Baptist Church had voted to give its facilities to Southbridge.

“They saw the church was reaching the community, the elders were leading and teaching and what God was doing at Southbridge. They were excited our church was reaching college students and the Georgia Southern campus,” said Wiggins. “It was selfless and sacrificial for them to do what they did.”

Selfless is certainly a word to describe the acts of Todd Wiggins in the aftermath of Debby.  And, to those who serve in disaster situations, laying down their lives and livelihoods to go to areas where they are needed.  The pastor's home was damaged, but that did not deter him from helping.  It's a reminder that even though we may experience difficulty in our lives, that should not preclude us from selflessly reaching out to others.  In fact, it's been said that serving others is a great way to get our eyes off ourselves and our own trials.  

We should not allow pity to set in to the extent that we become isolated and self-centered. It's not unnatural to become discouraged in our lives, but we may even experience a lift, a touch of encouragement, by seeing God use us to reach out in difficult situations.  Despair can make us feel like the walls are closing in on us, but we can counter those emotions by looking beyond those walls and seeing where the Lord might be directing us to serve.  

Not Forgotten

Our Savior has purchased our lives by His own blood, and we belong to Him. We can possess a sense of affirmation through our knowledge of Christ's love for us. 1st Corinthians 6 states:
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Perhaps during your childhood, you had the experience of not being "picked."  Waiting for your name to be called when teams were being selected on the ballfield.  Auditioning for a play and not making the callback. Interviewing for a job and being rejected.

Certainly that is not necessarily everybody's experience, but I do think that we desire to be included, to be part of the team, to succeed, to belong. 

Bridget went to an audition one time - out of the four siblings, she seemed to enjoy performing the most.  She didn't make the cut...but two of her siblings did.  A Movieguide article quotes her:

She said, “I had a lot of work with my braces, and so my mom was a little confused and didn’t understand why I wasn’t chosen that day, and Iris [the talent manager] just said, ‘She’s going to need some work, but bring her back,’ and so for a mom to have to tell one of the kids, the child who really wanted it, ‘It’s just not your time right now, but we’re going to come back’…”

The article quotes from The Washington Stand, which reports that Bridget asked the Lord this question:  “Did you forget about me?” She said that God spoke to her through Jeremiah 29:11 and stated, “God was telling me something,” adding, “I heard Him say: ‘Bridget, all of those years you’ve thought that I’ve forgotten you, you’ve thought that I’ve overlooked you, and I’ve never put you in those opportunities that you wanted. But I have bigger plans for you, and I just saved you and your family from a major, major car accident. I have plans for you, Bridget. But you’ve got to trust me that it’s in my timing that I will show you where I need you and what I want you to be doing.’”

Her brother and sister went on to become successful actors, but God had a plan for Bridget. She related in a video that their parents, who have been married 55 years now, separated: “They talked of divorce, but a lot of people think that...we all grew up in a Christian home and we did not. We did not know the Lord, but God had such a plan and a purpose and His hand over our family that He knew how He was going to be using us, you know in for Him, for His glory down the road, and so He kept our family together.”

Things began to change as Bridget's brother, Kirk, became a Christian and began to share Christ with his family.  You know her brother as Kirk Cameron; the other successful sibling is Candace Cameron Bure.  Bridget Cameron Ridenour is the author of a book called, Overlooked.  The Washington Stand article related:

No matter who you are, or what you go through, “Each one of us has a beautiful, beautiful story that’s so different from anybody else’s. And God writes a better story than any of us ever could. We just need to give Him the pen and let him write.” But as Ridenour emphasized, we easily allow ourselves to think we can write a better story. We often think that God doesn’t care about us when He doesn’t answer us right away. But when we focus on what God doesn’t do, we forget what He does do.

The article added:

Today, Ridenour is traveling and sharing her testimony and the truth of God’s goodness with the world. “God has a plan and a purpose for everybody,” she concluded. “And we just have to trust and have faith that God will show those plans to us if it’s His will.” But His plans are certainly “bigger than we could ever imagine.” As author Vaneetha Rendall Risner once wrote, “This is the most precious answer God can give us: wait. It makes us cling to him rather than to an outcome. God knows what I need; I do not. He sees the future; I cannot. His perspective is eternal; mine is not. He will give me what is best for me when it is best for me.”

The good news for us as believers is that, yes, we have been picked!!  God has chosen each us of to be saved, and Jesus died for your sins and mine.  And, oh, yes, He has plans for us.  The Bible tells us that we belong to Him, we are a child of God, made in the image of God, and that we have been adopted into His family. 

So, when we struggle with self-doubt or rejection, we can turn to the One whose Word tells us that we have been "accepted in the Beloved,"  according to Ephesians 1. We can rely on the strength and direction of the Lord, so that we might fulfill the call He has placed in our lives.  He will complete that good work that He has started. 

We have not been forgotten - even though we may be tempted to forget Him. And, that's the story of God's grace; His Word shows us His great unconditional, unfailing love to a people who rejected Him, who sinned against God.  If we have sinned, we know that He is faithful and just to forgive us - He wants us to run to Him, not away, when we feel forgotten, so that we might be forgiven.

Standing With Israel

There is a spiritual connection that Christians enjoy with the Jewish people - now, all must come to God through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, but God's dealing with His chosen people, for whom His love and favor have not ceased, demonstrates to us His faithfulness. Romans 4 states:
16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
17 (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations") in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;
18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be."

These are challenging times for the nation of Israel - still fighting in Gaza in response to the brutal October 7 attacks, watching to see what Iran does in possible retaliation for Israel's taking out two terrorist leaders who are proxies for Iran, and the possibility that support for the Jewish state is in decline.  

That would include even among people of faith.  Frank Newport of the Gallup organization wrote recently:

Gallup’s 24-year history of asking each February about Middle East sympathies has consistently shown a much higher level of sympathy for the Israelis than for the Palestinians.

But as my colleague Jeff Jones summarized in his analysis of recent data, “While Americans have always sympathized more with the Israelis, the gap has narrowed in recent years,” reflecting a drop in the percentage of Americans saying they are sympathetic to the Israelis and an increase in sympathy for the Palestinians. Specifically, the attitudinal gap between sympathies for the Israelis and sympathies for the Palestinians has dropped from 42 percentage points in aggregated surveys conducted between 2001-2019 to 30 points over the past five years.

Newport states, "A number of complex factors are behind these changes in sympathies. One of the most interesting relates to shifts in Americans’ religious identities and overall religiosity." He zeroes in on a variety of faith groups, including Protestants, who "are among the most sympathetic to Israel." He notes: "Protestants have generally been a bulwark of support for Israel in the U.S. -- a relationship built on the historical centrality of Israel in the Judeo-Christian religious tradition from which Protestantism derives."

Newport goes on to say: "...although Protestants have retained their high level of sympathy for Israel, the number of Protestants in the U.S. has been shrinking. This trend lessens the impact of one of Israel’s core bases of support in the U.S."  He goes on to say...

...not only has the percentage of the U.S. population with no religious identity been increasing (popularized by some researchers as “the rise of the nones”), but nones have become increasingly likely to say their sympathies lie with the Palestinians rather than with the Israelis. In the past five years, in fact, “nones” have tipped to the point where they evince higher sympathy for the former than the latter -- the only major religious group with plurality sympathy for the Palestinians.

About two-thirds of American Protestants over the past five years indicate they are more sympathetic to Israel over the Palestinians.  That compares to 56% of Americans overall. 

The data shows a correlation between church attendance and support for Israel.  Gallup shows that among those who attend church once a week, 67% are more sympathetic to Israel. 

Christians support Israel for a number of reasons.  The Christian Post reported that just after the Hamas attack on Israel, David Jeremiah, heard on Turning Point weekday mornings at 6:00 on Faith Radio, released a prayer for Israel; the article stated:

“Israel is God's chosen people, and her borders are the boundaries of the Promised Land,” he said. “The loss of life, the bloodshed, and the destruction of property are heartbreaking.”

The pastor and author said that amid the chaos and terrorism, he is reminded of God's words to Abraham when He chose him to be the father of “this great nation”: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you," (Genesis 12:3).

“As Christians, we recognize God's purpose for Israel, and we must stand with her,” he wrote, asking Christians to join him in “petitioning the Lord on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Israel.”

“The psalmist tells us to ‘pray for the peace of Jerusalem,’” reads Jeremiah’s prayer. “So I pray for peace for Your chosen people, Israel, and their beloved city today. You have planned for Israel, provided for Israel, and protected Israel for thousands of years.

As Israel braces for the possibility of more conflict, facing threats from Hezbollah to the north, Hamas to the south, and the pervasive shadow of Iran, the nation needs the prayers of the body of Christ.  God's faithfulness to Israel throughout the ages can also demonstrate God's love for us. He has not ceased to love the people He has chosen, and we, because of Jesus, the Messiah, have been given the tremendous gift of salvation. God continues to hold out His hand toward the Jewish people, as we see throughout the Scriptures, and He has extended His salvation to the whole world.

Crackdown

All that we see and hear is not necessarily true, and we have to be discerning about what we take in to our consciousness. Proverbs 4 states:
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.

Right now, the United Kingdom is in a state of upheaval - and authorities are trying to stem the flow of information by threatening not only to arrest its own citizens, but citizens of the U.S., as well.  The New York Post stated:

Riots have broken out across the United Kingdom in recent days over false rumors spread online that an asylum seeker was responsible for a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event that left three girls dead and others wounded.

The murders, allegedly committed by a now 18-year-old British citizen born to Rwandan parents, sparked a series of violent protests that tapped into broader concerns about the scale of immigration in the U.K.

The London Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley is quoted by Sky News: “We will throw the full force of the law at people. And whether you’re in this country committing crimes on the streets or committing crimes from further afield online, we will come after you..."

The article reports:

Footage of the violent clashes involving anti-immigration protesters and the groups of counter-protesters, some of whom have been seen waving Palestinian flags, has gone viral on social media, and the government is warning that sharing such content may have serious consequences.

One key aspect that makes this apparent crackdown on social media particularly shocking to critics is that the British government is threatening to extradite American citizens from the U.S. to be jailed in the U.K. for violating their rules about political speech online.

A Fox News article stated that Prime Minister Keir Starmer "blamed the violence on misinformation spread on social media."  Gary Bauer, at his American Values website, described Starmer as "a Marxist who is accelerating the crackdown on free speech and arresting people who post online criticism of mass migration. This, from the nation that gave the world the Magna Carta. Police in England are now being called by average citizens, 'Starmer Troopers.'"

A recent National Review piece quoted from The Daily Telegraph, which said:

Tech companies will be forced to ban fake news from their platforms under plans being considered by the Government in the wake of the riots.

Sir Keir Starmer suggested on Friday that the Government would review social media laws as part of efforts to prevent further disorder.

And, as so often the case of laws such as these, a lot would hang on how “fake” is to be defined and determined.

The article goes on to say:

The Daily Telegraph also reported that Starmer might be considering another change to the policing of online content:

The Telegraph understands that ministers are looking at introducing a duty on social media companies to restrict “legal but harmful” content.

Certainly it is troubling that social media is apparently being used to fan the flames of tension between groups in the U.K. or anywhere.  But, in the interest of gaining control, it seems as if officials are attempting to silence information - information that could reflect poorly on certain groups of people. 

It's a reminder that immigration is a hot-button issue, and as David Brody of CBN analyzed in a conversation at this year's National Religious Broadcasters Convention, there is a tension between the rule of law and compassion for people.  

Each of us should regulate our intake and output as far as social media is concerned. We should not be engaged in online behavior that stirs up dissension.  But, when authorities attempt to censor content that is not intended to inflame, but to inform, then you have a sticky issue which could lead to an intrusion upon freedom of speech.  

We have seen excessive social media governance end up silencing Christians, who are falsely accused of spreading what some would consider "misinformation."  As a court case revealed, there was evidence that government actors were collaborating with social media companies to perpetrate certain policitized narratives, but the U.S. Supreme Court did not find that the behavior was unconstitutional. 

Social media, and the Internet in general, has become a potential minefield; and with the spread of artificial intelligence, we are reminded that we can't believe everything we see.  There will be manipulation of images that leads to manipulation of minds, of public opinion.  We have to keep the conclusions we draw evidence-based and not be blown back and forth by the winds of the day.

Cultural Christianity: Form of Godliness

In Mark chapter 7, Jesus took on the religious people of the day, who had various traditions, but did not adhere to the Word of God.  He said:

6 ..."Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

Later in the chapter, we can read this:
8 "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."
9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

He speaks of...
13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."

We have heard some high-profile people use the phrase, "cultural Christian," to describe themselves as of late.  Even though Christians should be engaged in changing the culture, to use the word, "cultural," as an adjective to define the word, "Christian," is a bit of a stretch. We should not allow the culture to define us, but should always be seeking to impact the culture with the love and presence of Christ. 

Take, for instance, one of the most popular men on the planet these days, Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, and now the owner of what was formerly known as Twitter, now called, X. The Christian Post ran an article on recent statements by the entrepreneur, reporting:

"While I'm not a particularly religious person, I do believe that the teachings of Jesus are good and wise, and that there's tremendous wisdom in turning the other cheek," Musk told Jordan Peterson during an interview for The Daily Wire.

The article goes on to say:

"I'm actually a big believer in the principles of Christianity," Musk went on. "I think they're very good."

After Musk hesitated when Peterson pressed him to explain in what sense he was not religious, Peterson noted how atheist Richard Dawkins recently labeled himself a "cultural Christian" despite not believing in the supernatural tenets of Christianity.

"I would say I'm probably a cultural Christian," said Musk, who noted he has had many conversations with Dawkins. "I was brought up as an Anglican, and I was baptized."

The interview also included Musk's disdain regarding his son's "transition" into becoming a female. The Post article related:

Musk also recounted during the interview with Peterson how his 20-year-old son Xavier, who now identifies as a female named Vivian Jenna Wilson, is effectively "dead" after he was "tricked" into authorizing his chemical transition.

"It happened to one of my older boys, where I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys, Xavier. This is before I had any understanding of what was going on," said Musk, who has 12 children.

Musk added, "I agree with you that people that have been promoting this should go to prison...I was tricked into doing this. It wasn't explained to me that puberty blockers are actually just sterilization drugs." He also said, "And so I lost my son, essentially," adding, "So, you know, they call it 'deadnaming' for a reason, alright? So the reason it's called 'deadnaming' is because your son is dead. So my son, Xavier, is dead, killed by the woke mind virus."  He said that following this series of events, he "vowed to destroy the woke mind virus..."

Richard Dawkins, who is a noted atheist, according to the Washington Examiner...

...admitted he is concerned about the decline of Christianity in the Western world and even described himself as a “cultural Christian.”

“I do think that we are culturally a Christian country,” Dawkins told Leading Britain’s Conversation, a British talk-radio station. “I call myself a cultural Christian. I’m not a believer. … And so you know, I love hymns and Christmas carols, and I sort of feel at home in the Christian ethos. … If we substituted [Christianity] with any alternative religion, that would be truly dreadful.”

The writer, Kaylee McGhee White, states this:

What Dawkins has realized, perhaps too late, is that the “Christian ethos,” as he described it, is the very foundation of the laws and institutions upon which Western society depends. Equal justice under the law, the importance of the family unit, the need for community, and the importance of self-control and personal responsibility in a self-governing society all find their basis in biblical teachings. The very concept of human rights is rooted in the belief that all human beings have divine value that no person can take from them.

Strip society of these values by encouraging people to reject their source, and it turns out that what we’re left with is a soulless, depressed, and increasingly unjust culture. Get rid of God, and everyone starts to think of themselves as their own gods.

Dawkins apparently recognizes the problem with this, which is why he now argues that Christianity in particular is necessary, if only to regulate the public’s behavior — while, of course, continuing to argue that religion itself is bad. One has to wonder whether such an inconsistency requires greater mental gymnastics than simply believing in God.

And, even Jordan Peterson, who conducted the interview with Elon Musk, is unclear about his own Christian faith.  Jeff Gardner, writing for The Stream, says:

Does it matter if Peterson is Christian? To quote Peterson, “Well, that depends” on what direction he ultimately takes his work on Judeo-Christian “stories” and what he says we should draw from them. If, like Joseph Campbell, who built a career on telling us what Christian stories did and did not mean but then quipped that the Judeo-Christian belief in bodily resurrection was “a clown act, really,” Peterson someday asserts that Jesus was nothing more than a historical figure upon whom we collectively placed our need to believe in a hero, then, well, that’s a problem. If, however, Peterson comes to a place where, like C.S. Lewis, he finds that “I have just passed on from believing in God to definitely believing in Christ,” that would signal a very different chapter in Peterson’s public story.

Peterson, in the lecture Gardner attended, referred to "the good," and "the bad." Gardner writes: 

This distinction between how we judge “the good” and “the bad” has its roots in great Christian thinkers like St. Augustine of Hippo and is at the heart of the Christian enjoinment to “hate the sin but love the sinner.” The sinner wants fulfillment of a natural desire, but in his actions, he is in the most literal sense, doing it wrong and disorganizing himself and others in the process. How to organize ourselves and the world towards “the good,” Peterson pointed out, is at the heart of Judeo-Christian values and something that we should all deeply internalize.

The goodness of Christianity vs. the evil of this world. These men seem to be dealing in concepts that they do not possess the Biblical knowledge to really define.  With Elon Musk's and Richard Dawkins' endorsement of a "cultural Christianity" that resembles Biblical truth but doesn't embrace it fully, they are at a place they share with others who profess Christ, who possess, as the Bible calls it in 2nd Timothy 3, a "form of godliness," but without power.  One should not judge a person's salvation, or what is in his or her heart, certainly.  But, one can hear a person's own confession, which can indicate that he or she has been transformed through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  Peterson may have a "Christianity-adjacent" set of beliefs, but one cannot be quite sure if he is one of us, even though he philosophizes about topics that are related to faith. 

A "cultural Christian," I would contend, is not a Christian at all, because that person's allegiance may be to some of the teachings of Jesus that they have hand-picked, but lacks the fruit of turning aside from the things of the world and following Jesus wholeheartedly, accepting Him as their Savior.  Christians have to guard against having the culture dictate or influence their deeply-held beliefs and convictions.  But, conversely, we can make sure that we are having a redemptive impact on the culture, taking every opportunity to show the world who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

Strengthening Those Who Serve

In the closing sections of the book of 2nd Timothy chapter 4, Paul shares an admonition with Timothy to be faithful to follow the call of God in his life. We can find these words:
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Last week, in communities across our land, people participated in the National Night Out, which is described on its website as "an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live."

A recent article at The Baptist Paper highlighted the concept of a ministry to those who serve our communities in law enforcement. It was written by Christi Hall and stated:

In today’s tumultuous times, the divide between law enforcement and the communities they serve seems wider than ever. The role of the church in bridging this gap cannot be overstated. As ministry leaders, it’s essential to recognize that the church holds a unique position to support and uplift those who put their lives on the line for our safety every day.

In the article, originally published by the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio, Hall writes:

Understanding the culture and needs of law enforcement is paramount. Instead of expecting officers to come to us, we must go to them. This involves learning about their unique challenges, developing a plan tailored to their needs, and ultimately establishing a rapport built on trust and respect.

She continues:

The statistics paint a sobering picture of the challenges law enforcement officers face — from cumulative stress to higher rates of PTSD and depression. In addition to providing prayer support, there are countless ways churches can come alongside these brave men and women. Whether it’s through practical support like providing meals to an officer’s family after an illness or death, card-writing programs, or equipping crisis-trained chaplains, the goal remains the same — to offer hope and healing through the power of Jesus Christ.

This is a key avenue that the Church can leverage in order to provide encouragement and a source of strength to those who serve in this unique way. Hall states: "A law enforcement ministry provides an avenue for members of the law enforcement community to access spiritually-minded resources that can help mitigate stress and provide comfort during difficult times. Pastoral counseling, mentorship programs, and prayer ministry all serve to strengthen the spiritual resilience of officers and their families." At the conclusion of the article, she directed readers to the website, ChaplainsandHeroes.com.

John Revell is someone who injects his faith in Jesus Christ into the work he does through a ministry called Life Line Chaplaincy.  And, he has recently come on board as chaplain for the Newtown Police Department in Connecticut, according to a piece on The Newtown Bee website.  He had served in Stamford, but was very involved in Newtown in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook tragedy. The article says:

“Obviously it hit everybody here, locally, but it also hit the surrounding communities hard as well,” he said. “Our guys, the Stamford cops, they were devastated by it.

“I came with them the following week to do escorts for the funerals,” he added. “The motorcycle officers had me come along with them.”

Standing in funeral homes and churches wearing his chaplain badge, Revell found himself being approached by members of the community, first responders, and families, “just pouring their hearts out.”

That, he said, was his first introduction to trauma, “not just for police officers but also for first responders. It opened my eyes to the reality of not just the kind of trauma that can happen to the general public but the kind of trauma our first responders face on an all-too-often basis.”

Revell has continued to help first responders deal with various crises, including mass casualty events, life-threatening job-related injuries, traumatic criminal investigations, and horrific accident scenes. 

According to the article, he launched Life Line Chaplaincy in 2015, described as "a not-for-profit organization devoted to 'pushing back on first responder suicides' which are, he said, 'at a rate most of the general population has no clue about. It’s very high.'”

He said, “I have devoted the rest of my life to do anything and everything I can to keep first responders out of the morgue from self-inflicted wounds..." The article notes:

Life Line Chaplaincy is devoted to providing resources to push back against those suicides. The organization, according to its website, does this through pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, not-for-profit management, financial management, and business.

This information can be relevant to remind us in the Church to continue to build relationships with the public servants around us.  And, that includes those who serve in law enforcement, who are putting their lives on the line in order to keep residents safe.  Crime is a topic that is fresh on our minds these days, and these public servants see the fruit of sin on an up-close basis, regularly.  We can pray for the them - and pray for our communities in general, engaging in spiritual warfare prayers, recognizing the brokenness we see is the product of our spiritual enemy's destructive activity.

Churches, ministries, and even individual Christians can open their eyes with spiritual sensitivity to the ministry needs around them.  Where a ministry does not exist, that may be a sign that God is calling a person or organization to start one.  Our gifting and equipping can be used of the Lord in order to bring His presence into the lives of people who are in need of encouragement.

Open To God

These are certainly anxious times, and there is plenty about which we can be anxious. We are especially vulnerable to worry and fear. But, we can be confident that Jesus offers us His peace - an inner peace that affects our response to troubling circumstances. Philippians 4 states:
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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.

A high-profile music and acting star experienced a dramatic change in his life about a year and a half ago; he talked about it in an interview, saying: “Some people think I lost my mind. Some people think I was brainwashed. People think a lot of different things, and I get that because, you know, when it comes to Jesus, I was so against that, and I thought everyone who followed Him was crazy and wrong,” adding, “And then I had like literal personal encounters with Jesus, like, insane, life-changing stuff.”

That is a quote from an interview with Bru on the Radio, as quoted in a Movieguide article about Joshua Bassett. That article said:

The music star publicly shared his faith in January 2023 after he had two undeniable encounters with Christ in a short period of time. Less than a month later, he committed himself to the Lord and was baptized.

Since then, Bassett has been open about his faith and the radical change in his life he has experienced since becoming a follower of Christ. His commitment to the Lord has been especially impressive, as he has faced intense backlash from his fanbase who have criticized his conversion.

Bassett said in that aforementioned interview: “The peace that I was looking for, I was reading all these books and trying to find, like, that answer to life and why we are we here and looking for that love, and every single time I felt like I was getting progress, but I was actually reaching a dead end. And I was even more and more depressed and more and more addicted, and I fell into these holes, and I wasn’t feeling that peace until I literally had the most insane encounter with Jesus..."  

He added: “And then I finally felt the peace that I was always looking for...And so, it wasn’t like somebody told me, you know, about God and I just fell into the belief because I was convinced. I had to know for myself, and God showed himself to me, and I literally experienced His peace, and so that has just radically changed everything.”

That most recent Movieguide report referenced a previous article, which stated:

Pop icon and Disney Channel star Joshua Bassett recently got baptized, sharing a snippet of his testimony on Instagram.

“No other teacher gave me anywhere near the peace that Jesus Christ did,” Bassett said. “I’m here to publicly declare him as my Lord and Savior.”

“I grew up Christian,” he shared. “And I ran the other way as far as I could go, in pursuit of ‘truth,’ and that only ended in addiction, depression, suicidal ideation, eating disorder, etc.”

“The gospel is GOOD NEWS for all willing to love and obey Him who keeps your heart beating,” he added on Twitter.

Joshua wanted to know the real Jesus, and he has experienced the reality of salvation and the peace that comes from knowing Him.  He was searching, and God met him along that path.  We can consider whether or not we are seeking to know Jesus in all His fulness and experience His abundant love. 

This young singer and actor talks about the peace of God.  Philippians 4 describes it as a peace that "surpasses all understanding."  Jesus offers us that peace, and we can think about the degree to which we have received it.  The enemy will try to steal that peace, and circumstances will weigh heavy against it - our ability to seize and appropriate that peace is dependent on the submission of our hearts and minds to the presence of God.