Spread

God uses individual Christians and the Church as a whole to present a powerful witness to the world about His love, grace, and faithfulness. And, through the obedience of each and every Christian, the work of God is carried out throughout the earth. We can read this in 2nd Corinthians chapter 2:
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.
16 To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

Keith Getty, in an article published several years ago at Baptist Press, discussed the album that he and wife, Kristyn, had recorded called, Confessio, the title of which, as the article notes, "is a reference to a written work by Ireland’s Saint Patrick."  During the COVID pandemic, the Getty family spent an extended period of time in Northern Ireland, which is where Keith and Kristyn are from.  The article states:

Keith said the album was heavily influenced by his family’s time in the Ireland, where the couple had the opportunity to travel around teaching their children about their family heritage, as well as the way Christianity has been spread around the world from the country.

“I was honestly overwhelmed with going back to Ireland and realizing that in 17 centuries of Christianity since Saint Patrick came, just how Christianity has gone around the world from that country,” Getty said. “There is also a very emotional desire that my own children will know something of the heritage of their faith, and the great hymns of our faith.”

Certainly, the legacy of St. Patrick has not been forgotten, in that there is a day that has been named in his honor. While some St. Patrick's Day revelry does not strike a Christian or even reverent tone, we, as believers, can reflect on this man's contribution to the spread of the gospel.

Paul Batura wrote a piece a while back at The Daily Citizen from Focus on the Family.  He related some lessons that can be learned from the life and ministry of Patrick.  One is that "Good things come from tragedy."  Batura writes:

When he was just sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and sold into slavery. He worked for six years herding sheep in horrible conditions. He was often cold, isolated and alone.

How did he handle his fate? Accord to Patrick himself, he prayed up to one hundred times during the day and another hundred times at night. He reported that an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him, “You have fasted well. Very soon you will return to your native country.”

Nobody likes to be in exile. Perhaps you’re struggling during this season of your life and you’re somewhere you don’t want to be. Just remember how Patrick’s prayer life exploded during his captivity and how yours might also as you plead with the Lord to help you.

Another is "It’s never too late to pursue your calling."  The writer notes that Patrick walked over 200 miles back home to Britain after he was in slavery. He spent an astounding 15 years in seminary and went into the ministry at the tender age of - 46.  Then he returned to Ireland to preach the gospel.

Patrick also spoke truth to power, and Batura notes that another lesson from Patrick's life is that "Righteous anger is healthy and consistent with the Christian faith."  Batura writes:

Long settled in Ireland, Patrick wrote a scathing letter to a British tyrant named Coroticus and lambasted him and others for murdering and kidnapping Christian converts. Along with his autobiography, it’s one of just two remaining pieces of literature from Patrick.

Patrick called Coroticus to repentance. 

That autobiography is called, Confessio, to which I referred earlier, which the Gettys named that album inspired by their Irish retreat during the pandemic. You can actually find it at the website, Confessio.ie.  He starts by saying, "My name is Patrick. I am a sinner, a simple country person, and the least of all believers. I am looked down upon by many." He wrote that he totally surrendered to God while in Ireland in captivity.  He wrote, "He guarded me before I knew him, and before I came to wisdom and could distinguish between good and evil. He protected me and consoled me as a father does for his son." He adds, "That is why I cannot be silent."

St. Patrick, whose life we observe on this day, is someone who can serve as an example. He faced trials, yet He came to know the God who showed Himself to be great in the midst of those troubles. He pursued God and devoted himself to evangelism as a middle-aged man.  And, he spoke out against injustice against fellow Christians, even calling a fierce leader to repentance.  

We can always learn something by observing people who know Christ and have allowed Him to live through them.  We can also consider what God has done in our lives - St. Patrick wrote his Confessio.  If you were to write such a document, what would it say?  What story has the Lord produced through your life?  None of us are called into a life of insignificance - God has placed a tremendous call on each of our lives. 

The Right Way

We have been empowered to live life the right way - in a way that pleases God. That does not exempt us from hardship, but it does provides for us a sense of peace and satisfaction as we glorify Him and bear fruit. And, that includes how we operate in the context of human relationships. Hebrews 13 states:
4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
6 So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
7 Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.

As SEC fans gather in Nashville this week for the men's basketball tournament, I want to go back to one of the most unusual questions perhaps ever asked by a journalist at the SEC Media Days event, which is held prior to the start of football season. The question: "Are you saving yourself for marriage?"

That question was jarring, perhaps out of context - didn't have to do with the regular stuff.  And, turns out, the journalist, who was working for America Online at the time, had a method to his madness.

From the website for Outkick, the company founded by that questioner, Clay Travis, we can read this:

Clay fired up his computer the next day to explain to the AOL FanHouse community why he asked the question.

“I asked because I believe it’s newsworthy and because, believe it or not, I thought Tim Tebow would answer the question by saying: “Yes, I am.” Which is exactly what he did," Clay told his audience.

“Why did I believe this? Because Tebow lives his faith. And I believe that living his faith is not artificial, he’s not pretending to be something he’s not. Further, I don’t believe that saving yourself for marriage is something to hide from. Not in the evangelical Christian faith that Tim Tebow practices in a Southern church and not in the evangelistic Southern church where I was raised.”

Travis has gone on to be not only one of the preeminent voices in sports media, as well as talk radio. Tebow, already a Heisman Trophy winner at the time, has played professional football and baseball, is also a leading personality in sports media, and a leading proclaimer of the gospel of Christ. 

Tim Tebow has done things the right way.  He has been blessed with wife Demi-Leigh, and now, they have been blessed with a child.  That same website, Outkick, devoted coverage to an event in the Tebows' lives recently. The article said that Tim "tied on a blindfold, grabbed a paint brush alongside his wife and started slapping paint on a canvas...," adding, "Then, the blindfolds were removed, and we had ourselves a Tebow baby gender reveal."

The Instagram post, including a video of the event, was embedded in the article.  Demi-Leigh wrote:

Our greatest blessing. We’ve been praying for her long before we knew her, and we’re beyond grateful that God chose us to be her parents. We can’t wait to meet you, baby girl! 

To create a meaningful piece of art for the nursery, we decided to find out the gender through painting! We chose two Bible verses—one for a boy and one for a girl—to add to the canvas once it was complete. The verse we want to speak over our baby girl is Psalm 25:4-5:
“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
We pray that she always finds her identity in Christ and places her hope in His love and truth.

The writer of the Outkick piece, Joe Kinsey, said: "The Tebows get to keep that canvas as a keepsake." He adds: 

Let's face it, the Tebows will be incredible parents. They seem like the nicest people. They have cool dogs. They don't do much these days to be celebrities, which is refreshing. Tim still doesn't curse. He is still holier than thou. The guy is just pleasant.

And then there's Demi-Leigh. She comes over from South Africa, becomes a Great American citizen and does things like write children books and supports kids with disabilities alongside her husband.

So, here you have two sports journalists who are impressed by the witness of the Tebows.  And, even an unlikely source such as Clay Travis, recognized the importance of doing family the right way.  I think of my conversation with Delano Squires of The Blaze at NRB recently - we were talking about the way that relationships have developed these days, with men and women having sex and living together, perhaps even having a child or children before they even get married.  That's not God's plan.

He has given us a path to follow and an instruction book that provides the principles for living a life of obedience to Him.  Tim Tebow has done things the right way - and things have not always gone the way it seems that should.  He was not the greatest pro football player; I'm sure minor league baseball was hard. And, I'm sure he learned through what he endured.  But, there are more important things in life - and that is living for Jesus and enjoying the satisfaction that comes from knowing and following Him. 

Spreading the Word

Do we want our thoughts to conform with God's thoughts? It's possible - 1st Corinthians tells us we have the mind of Christ. Romans 12 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The Scriptures produce that type of mindset as we study and meditate on Scripture. Isaiah 55 states:
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

I reported to you not that long ago about an increase in Bible sales during 2024.  I believe there is a thirst for knowledge in our world today - there is confusion and we need to figure things out.  So, why not go to the authoritative, reliable source of truth, the very words spoken to humanity by its Creator?

Digital Scripture has also been on the rise.  A Christian Post article related:

The YouVersion Bible App saw 798,000 installations on Jan. 5, the largest single day of installs for the phone app in its history.

Bobby Gruenewald, founder of YouVersion and a pastor at Life.Church, told The Christian Post on Thursday that the app “saw 18.2 million people engage in the Bible and more than 798,000 installs” on Sunday.

This broke the record previously set on the first Sunday of last year, while New Year’s Day was the third-highest single-day number of installs in the history of YouVersion, Gruenewald added.

He noted, “We tend to see a seasonal uptick in Bible engagement at the beginning of the year as people start new habits and are interested in reading the Bible for the first time,” and added, “What’s interesting to us is that this year’s increase is even higher than this same time last year, and it’s a trend we’re seeing globally.”

How's this for "globally?" The article noted these snapshots from other parts of the world: "...a 198% increase in activity in Ethiopia, a 94% increase in Egypt, a 74% increase in Turkey, a 65% increase in Ghana, and a 48% increase in Pakistan. Overall, Northern Africa saw a 297% increase in activity, while the Middle East saw a 166% increase."  Some of these are nations that are not traditionally associated with Christianity and the Bible, another encouraging sign that God is moving in the Muslim world.

The Christian Post article concluded by saying: "At the end of last year, YouVersion reported that the app had, on average, 11.2 million new device installs each month in 2024 and approximately 14 million people engaging in the Bible each day."

That can't help but have an impact - and we can be confident that these seeds being planted have the potential for dynamic growth, producing fruit for God's glory.  The Word certainly will not return void. 

But, it has to be acted upon. James 1 talks about being not only hearers of the Word, but doers as well - what we read, we are instructed to obey.  Otherwise, as that passage states, we don't experience the true life change that God desires.  So, praise God for the way that people are exposing themselves to the Word of God; now we can pray that it will bear fruit as they read and apply it - day by day, moment by moment.

We need to keep the Scriptures foremost on our hearts, so that we can experience the power and presence of God.  There does seem to be an unprecedented thirst for the Word of God, that can bring nourishment to the souls of people.  We can turn to the riches of God's wisdom by turning the pages - literally or digitally - via the word on the page or the word on the air - so that we can grow in the knowledge of God.  Faith Radio is here to encourage you in walking according to the principles of Scripture through solid, high-quality Bible teachers and to inspire you through uplifting music.  

ID'ing the Drift

The Bible teaches us that because we belong to Christ, we are not of this world and are citizens of heaven. That does not preclude us from being good and active citizens here on earth, bringing our Christian principles into the discourse in which we participate, remembering these words of Philippians 3:
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.

It is common for institutions of higher learning to recognize the achievements of their alumni.  But, to one once proud Christian school, the recognition of one of its own has brought dishonor to the college in its walking that recognition back.

I touched on it several weeks ago: a graduate of Wheaton College, Russell Vought, someone whose Christian faith had been ridiculed and challenged in a Congressional hearing when he was up for the position of Deputy Director of Management and Budget a few years ago and who ultimately served as OMB Director, was named and confirmed to that position again.

The Western Journal reported that the school had congratulated Vought on that high honor, noting:

Vought is a conservative evangelical Christian and is hardly known for attracting controversy. Wheaton’s post was apolitical in nature and simply offered him prayers and support.

The article went on to say:

But Wheaton, apparently pressured by a small subset of progressive alumni, shortly thereafter deleted the post and apologized.

That incident was a wake-up call to thousands of alumni, students, and parents, who signed a letter addressed to the members of the Wheaton College Board of Trustees and President Philip Ryken voicing concern about the woke direction of the institution.

Excerpts from the letter were included in the Western Journal article, including these statements:

“As alumni and parents, we have sensed Wheaton’s drift for some time,” the letter said.

“We’ve exchanged anecdotes with each other from our time on campus and from our children currently enrolled,” the document added. “Many of us have brought our concerns privately to President Ryken and to you, the trustees, hoping to have our concerns resolved privately.”

The letter stated a belief that they had not been heard in their calls Biblical fidelity and said: 

“As such, we are now compelled to publicly air these concerns and take additional steps in the hope of seeing necessary change,” the letter continued. “We are not doing this out of anger, frustration, or spite, but out of deep love for Wheaton College and the profound good it has done in countless lives, and can still do.”

Among the suggestions is to make sure that all faculty and staff adhere to a Biblical statement of faith. 

Former alumnus Eric Teetsel of the Center for Renewing America was involved in drafting that letter. According to a Christian Post article, reporting on a conversation that Teetsel and fellow alum Daniel Davis had with William Wolfe of the Center for Baptist Leadership, Teetsel said:

"The problem is people who intentionally undermine orthodox Christian teachings as affirmed in Wheaton College's Statement of Faith, which every faculty member, staff member and student is required to sign," he said.

"Those are guerrilla warriors for a progressive agenda. They are knowingly and intentionally and willfully undermining the Statement of Faith in their classrooms, and they tend to close the door just before they do it, because they know they're doing it."

Their subversive attitude seeps into their views and teaching on sexuality, gender identity, race and even the nature of God Himself, Teetsel said.

Davis "told Wolfe he believes the school's handling of the Vought incident 'really encapsulated, I think, the rot in the leadership at Wheaton that I have seen since my time on campus 10 to 15 years ago, which has only born more and more bad fruit in recent years.'"

And, there is a competing letter that has been signed by former students, who said, according to The Wheaton Record: "We publically [sic] distance ourselves from Russell Vought’s work and reaffirm our commitment to the Gospel’s radical call to justice, mercy and humility...Silence in the face of such an anti-Christian vision is complicity.”

One student thought that the statement by the college was political in nature. She said: “I beg to differ. If, for example, a Wheaton alum became executive director of Planned Parenthood, would they have posted a congratulations then? I sincerely doubt it.”

OK, so now you have a student who drawing some sort of moral equivalency between the work of a Christian leader who has been placed in a high and influential position in government to a person who takes human life through his or her work with Planned Parenthood?  Enough, already. 

Ryken is quoted in the article, as well, admitting that the statement, which he believed was tied to praying for leaders was misinterpreted and that because of the pushback, it became a "distraction."

Again, what did Russell Vought do that was so hideous, so offensive?  Have we really gotten to the point that a person who desires to display a Christian faith perspective in a position in government is ostracized by a Christian institution or the students thereof?  Well, I'm afraid so, and these alumni and parents who have signed on to the letter calling out the school for its "drift" are rightfully making their voices heard.

We have to be cognizant of areas of drift throughout the Church and in culture.  And, it starts with us - in our own quiet time, our time of prayer and Bible study.  We have to allow the Holy Spirit to point out what's in our own heart and allow the cleansing work of the Spirit to take place, confessing our sins, receiving forgiveness, and receiving more of the Word in our hearts to do its work. We also have that responsibility to hold others accountable, and to be discerning about what may be happening in our own churches and governing structures, as well as ministries that we are involved with. We should make sure that we are upholding Biblical standards individually and collectively and guarding against drift that can be so subtle, yet destructive.

What's in a Name?

The Bible tells us that each human being is made in the image of God - and He knows everyone, even those who have not given their hearts to Him. But, if we belong to Jesus, we have a new name, a new identity, a new meaning for our lives, and new power to live each day. In Isaiah 43, the Lord is speaking to the redeemed, stating:
1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior...

What's in a name? Well, if you have received the computer-generated name "Unakite Thirteen Hotel," there has to be something more, well, personal that can be done.  Unakite, by the way, according to Geology.com is...

...a pink and green metamorphic rock composed of pink orthoclase, green epidote, and colorless to milky quartz. These colors have helped Unakite become a popular lapidary material.

Definitely not on the list of leading baby names, right?  Well, Not the Bee, the website that is a companion to The Babylon Bee, that features stories that are not parody or satire, but could be, reported on the naming of this child from Nebraska, quoting from NBCNews.com:

A Nebraska man is fighting to get a Social Security number and valid birth certificate for his toddler, Caroline — whose name is incorrectly listed in state records as "Unakite Thirteen Hotel."

Jason Kilburn, who lives outside of Omaha, has been desperately trying to obtain a Social Security card and a useable birth certificate for Caroline. Without these documents, he said, he has been unable to get any services for her, from health insurance to child care, because they all require a Social Security number to verify her identity.

Not the Bee relates this:

To be sure, the young lady's early life has been a bit chaotic. She was born to a mother in Iowa who immediately gave her up to foster parents; she was ultimately placed with Kilburn, the father. He and the mother "had dated on and off for several years but were not together when she gave birth."

Evidently, in the time leading up to her placement with foster parents, "instead of a birth certificate, the girl had received only a certificate of live birth," with the bizarre name on it. Kilburn's lawyer said the process is "a circuitous, bureaucratic loop."

The story says that in order to get the little girl a corrected birth certificate with a real name, "the bureaucracy said it needed to use the girl's fake name to get her a real name."  According to the story, "The government did indeed issue the birth certificate with the bogus name, but..."the agency never followed through with getting her a Social Security number." A court subsequently denied Kilburn's request to reopen the matter."

So, what do you make of this?  It's one of those snafus that has proven to be frustrating, but Jason Kilburn knows what his daughter's given name actually is.  

Talk about "assignments" at birth - parents are given that responsibility, yet in this case, a computer-generated one was given.  And, just to be clear, a "gender" is not "assigned" at birth - the only assigning comes from God through biology, not through some doctor's random decision.  But, I digress.

What occurred to me here is that not only do we have a given name, but we serve a God who knows each of us and desires for every single person to experience a relationship with Himself.  As believers in Christ, we have been given a new name, a new identity in Him.  That can determine our attitude and our expectations.  

We can walk with confidence in our Savior because we know that Jesus lives in our hearts.  We can depend on Him to give us meaning and purpose - to know who we really are and who God has intended us to be.  When we recognize that we are loved by our Heavenly Father and have been saved, redeemed, and empowered, we can learn to live our lives as a born-again child of God.

Leisure Time?

We are called to be good stewards of our resources - and our time. I believe that each of us can consider how God might be calling us to make a choice to do something meaningful for His Kingdom; something that may even be counterintuitive - such as traveling on a missions trip rather than a vacation. The Bible tells us in 2nd Corinthians 9:
8 ... 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.
9 As it is written: "He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever."
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.

Sysouk Vongphasouk was born in Laos, but came to America as a child. He and his wife Nancy are quite well-off, you might say. A God Reports article says: "He designs layouts for medical equipment in hospitals. She’s an architect. They make enough money to afford a high-end vacation."

But, instead, as the article notes, they have spent vacation time building playgrounds for children in Thailand, some of whom have been trafficked. He says: “The reaction of the kids is priceless. It’s hard to describe the feeling you get when you see these kids who don’t have a home, don’t have a family, and they’re trying to find some love in the world, when they are able to see a playground that’s big for them brings them great joy..." He adds, "You get a little tired from building, but seeing the kids so excited gives you back 10 times. When they finally get to play on it, they have just pure joy.”

Sysouk works for a company that not only allows its employees to take time off to go on missions trips, but actually sponsors its employees to do so. 

The CEO, Suzanne Kowarsch, "went on a life-changing short-term mission trip to Rwanda in 2008, shortly after the tribal genocide." Suzanne had become a Christian through an invitation by a friend to come to church, and the article relates: "the Rwanda trip gave her a focus beyond the materialistic side of the American dream." She notes: “It rocked my world,” adding, “I felt a complete and deep sense of love and belonged to this church (in Rwanda). I couldn’t explain why except that it was implanted in me.”

Suzanne adds: “As the sole shareholder of the company it’s easy for me to not answer to anybody but the Big Man upstairs,” adding, “I choose lower profits and to spread the money around.”  She was part of a team, along with the Vongphasouks, to build playgrounds in Thailand for trafficking victims.  The article notes:

Suzanne says the trip to Thailand to build a playground for formerly trafficked girls cut her heart.

“All of us on the team were deeply hurt by the knowledge” of how sex trafficking works, she says. “You can’t unlearn it.”

The article relates: 

Shockingly, Sysouk says, most of the sex trafficked were sold by their own family members. They were not kidnapped. One case was a pair of daughters whose parents died; their uncle was heartless and sold them.

Our Heavenly Father, as James 1 tells us, is the giver of all good gifts. We can think about the spiritual blessings that God has bestowed on us.  We can also recognize that He gives financial resources to be used for His glory.  And...He has given us the gift of time.  Suzanne Kowarsch gives her employees time and material resources in order to help others - it's informed by her Christian faith.  We can reflect on time that God has given to us in order that we might bring Him glory.  We can make sure that we are stewarding that time in an honorable way.

Now, there's nothing wrong or even selfish with a vacation, even a "high-end vacation," that the article I cited refers to. But, there may be instances where God is directing us to take what could be used as "leisure time" in order to take part in a missions project.  Perhaps making a choice to engage in Kingdom work locally or even internationally.  Our actions, what we choose to participate in, should reflect our desire to glorify God.

A Safe Environment

Families that are built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ have the potential to create an atmosphere that nurtures the children and helps them grow spiritually, physically, and emotionally, and provides a tremendous blessing for parents. And, that can apply to areas of adoption and foster care. Psalm 127 offers this insight:
(1) Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
It goes on to say:
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.

Other translations say that children are a "gift" from the Lord.

Actress Jen Lilley and her husband certainly believe that, and realizing their home is built on Christ, they can provide a loving environment even for children whom they choose to foster.  That's based on a CBN article, which relates that her exposure to foster care started when she was young - the article quotes her as saying:

“My parents were kind of what I call unofficial foster parents. My dad was a judge and my mom was a director of a women and children’s charity.”

Because of these roles, the family couldn’t legally foster children, but that preclusion didn’t “stop them from having compassion,” she said.

“Our home was kind of a rotating door at times for people that maybe just needed help transitioning and bridging in their life,” she said. “So, the idea of a child living in my home who wasn’t in my immediate family was not scary to me.”

She and her husband Jason embarked on the fostering journey by taking a little girl into their home; CBN reports:

The actress said her Christian faith motivated her to foster and adopt.

“When love is your motive, you have to look at these kids,” Lilley said. “You can’t look away.”

She is especially troubled, though, that the state of Vermont has shut the door on Christian parents adopting.  The article states:

Lilley also spoke out against Vermont reportedly blocking Christian families from adopting over their biblical beliefs — a story that made headlines last year after two families filed a lawsuit.

At the time, the actress warned the decision by Vermont’s Department for Children and Family Services to ax two families’ licenses was a constitutional violation.

“This action not only violates our constitutional rights but also jeopardizes the well-being of children in dire need of safe, loving homes,” she said. “The government is deciding that it’s safer for a child to remain in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation than to live in a home with Christian beliefs? Make it make sense.”

A statement from the Department for Children and Families expressed concern that Christian parents would not affirm a foster child's sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  The CBN article adds that Lilley has a strong message for the Church:

Lilley doesn’t know where the issue will go or what will unfold but added that the church needs to think deeper about the next steps, especially if Christians are de-licensed.

“Maybe that looks like the church stepping in before the government, opening up their homes as safe homes — that’s a thing,” Lilley said. “And how beautiful would that be if single moms, single dads, families that are going through crisis say, ‘I don’t have the ability to safely provide for my child,’ and the church steps up and says, ‘We have five homes within our church, how can we wrap around you? How can we serve you? How about we take care of your children and actually provide them love, stability, and safety?'”

There are two issues here - one is the bias against Christians in Vermont who have desired to foster, yet they have been prevented from adopting, reportedly due to their Christian faith.  That is another situation of calling good, evil, and prevents qualified, loving parents who are called by God from living out their faith and providing a safe, nurturing environment for a child.   

We can also recognize that there are children who are needing that loving environment, either through adoption and/or foster care.  Sometimes, foster care will lead to adoption.  Christian parents can be selected, trained, and equipped in order to provide a loving, Christ-centered home and become part, at least for a limited period of time, of that family.  We can also choose to walk in love and consider how God might use us to share His love.