Faithful Workers For a French Harvest

The verses that open up the 3rd chapter of 2nd Thessalonians can really create a sense of excitement about the spread of the gospel, even in the midst of hostility:
1Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,2and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.3But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.
Picture the word of the Lord running swiftly. Think about that. The Word of God going forth in power, that His name would be glorified and His message of love for humanity spread throughout the world, even when it encounters "unreasonable and wicked men." Sounds a little, actually a lot, like the world today - there are forces that would want to stuff out the flames of the gospel, but we can fan those flames, I believe, through prayer.  We can pray for the protection of those who are sent throughout the world to proclaim the message of Christ, and pray that we would be faithful vessels who can effectively transmit God's truth.

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In Ephesians 6, after Paul describes the "full armor of God," you get a glimpse into how that armor can prepare us for prayer:
18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--19and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,20for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

In the aftermath of the deadly attacks in France last week, it gives an opportunity to examine more closely the spiritual climate in that European nation.

A Baptist Press article released the day after the attack on Charlie Hebdo indicated a concern by workers with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention that the event would not lead to a greater divide between the secular and the religious.

Tara Cheney, who works with IMB and lives in France, is quoted as saying, "The journalists who lost their lives have now become martyrs for the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech.  She added, "We are praying that the outcry against these heinous acts committed by religious extremists will not become outcries against anyone who claims to have any sort of religious belief."

According to Mark Stone, a church planter in Southern France, the polarization of French politics can be traced almost entirely to immigration issues and racial and religious fear.

He said, "There exists today a delicate tension in France that teeters toward breaking.  He said that Wednesday's tragic events "will likely serve to further stir up the tension."

Chaney said, "Right now, we are praying that the people of France will turn toward God and not away from Him." Stone noted, "France needs to mourn. France needs healing. France needs compassion. France needs Christ."

A report on the Baptist Press website released yesterday opens by saying:

Christian workers in Paris expressed surprise that a number of native Parisians are appearing more receptive to the Gospel following last week's terrorist tragedy.

A Christian worker in Paris said that, "We can sense a sort of stirring in the waters," noting more interest in spiritual discussions among French locals.

The article points out that France is known among many Christians for being a secular state that doesn't care much for religion of any kind. Charlie Hebdo is an example of that secularism, using paper and ink to mock, scrutinize and defame anything considered sacred. With French leaders voicing strong support for Charlie Hebdo -- and its latest issue quickly selling out -- many believers in France have been left uncertain of their own footing.

The Christian worker said, "They have felt the rejection of religion by their culture -- this is of course not a new phenomenon, but only strengthened throughout the recent events," adding, "They fear being viewed as an extremist due to their beliefs, which include attending church regularly and speaking openly about their faith."

However, the workers are given hope because the Parisians who stopped to discuss spiritual matters with Christian workers and receive a Bible during an outreach effort this week were young adults.
There are also opportunities to share Jesus with Muslim people in the nation.  You see, mosques have been attacked or vandalized in many areas of France and across Europe in the past week, bringing fear and uncertainty to the Muslim communities.  Local Muslims are contending that the terrorists did not represent true Islam, which they describe as a religion of peace. Workers say this has led to new opportunities to share more about Jesus among their Muslim friends.

Christian workers in Paris ask for prayer as they continue to share Christ. Pray for peace in the city. Pray for open hearts among the French and Muslim communities.

The International Mission Board has a "Pray for France Challenge" on its website, in which people are challenged to spend a week praying for that nation, concentrating on a different part of the country each day.

These circumstances can provide some reminders for us:

For one thing, we are living in a dangerous world, with new threats and challenges to spreading the gospel.  And, as Joel Rosenberg pointed out yesterday as he discussed his new novel, The Third Target, we can be people of prayer, as well as compassionate action, in the light of danger.  When we read disturbing headlines, we can be propelled to be more intent on calling upon God to make Himself known, to be glorified, in the midst of trouble.

And, keep in mind, this satirical publication in France trades, in part, in the mockery of faith,  I would hope that those taking to the streets to decry the taking of life by extremists are not endorsing the denigration of faith perspectives.  I think that as Christians, we have to make sure that our stance is devoted to respecting all people, and not adopting an attitude of mocking those with whom we don't agree.  As Andrew Walker of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention writes:

Christian decency is the option before us. Yes, we should defend the right of free speech as a necessary condition for religious liberty. Let me be very clear: Charlie Hebdo has every right to reprint an image of Muhammed. Democracy, self-rule, and liberty come loaded with risk. And Westerners and Christians should defend that right and embrace such risk. But the liberty to do so doesn’t speak to the wisdom of doing so.

So, we defend free speech while continuing to embrace the freely distributed compassion of Christ toward all, even to or especially to those with whom we disagree.

Sports, Church, and Setting Priorities

Here are 2 verses from 1st Corinthians chapter 8 which can challenge us to examine what's important to us:
5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),6yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

How about that - so-called gods.  Remember that Exodus says that we are to have no other gods before the one true God.  But, what we spend our time pursing or dwelling on, or the material possessions we desire to have, can lure our hearts away from our God and in fact become gods, or idols to us.  It's vital that we pursue the true God and our Lord Jesus Christ - if He is in the first place, or the first priority in our lives, He will direct us by His Spirit in setting priorities that line up with His desires for us.

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In Psalm 37, we see a passage of Scripture that can inspire us in the area of setting priorities, flowing from a delight in God's presence:3Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.4Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.5Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

The results are in - yes, Ohio State is college football's new national champion, and the game delivered both the largest audience and highest rating in cable television history, according to the website, TVByTheNumbers.com, which reports that the first three games of the new College Football Playoff format are now the top 3 most-viewed programs in cable history.

According to the site, the championship game yielded over 33 million viewers and an 18.2 US household rating.  And, in the primary home markets of the two schools, the telecast delivered a 51.2 in Columbus, the No. 1 overall market, and a 37.6 in Portland, fourth overall.  The top 3 markets were in Ohio: Columbus, Dayton, and Cleveland.  Then it was Portland.  Care to guess what the 5th-highest market was? Can you say SEC?  Alabama?  It was Birmingham, with 36.1.  Other top metered markets include Cincinnati, another Ohio market.  Then it was Jacksonville, Knoxville, Greenville, and Atlanta.   Basically SEC or ACC cities.

We no doubt love our football down South.  There are those that would say that college football is a religion for people in this area.   But, how does the priority of sports compare to religious practice? Both LifeWay Research and the Barna Group have released studies dealing with that question.

Well, some good news from LifeWay:  Most American churchgoers would rather attend church than watch their favorite football team. But a few diehard fans are willing to miss out on worship to watch a game.

About 1 in 7 churchgoers (15 percent) say they’d skip church in order to watch their favorite football team, according to a survey of almost a thousand churchgoers. More than 8 in 10 (83 percent) disagree with the statement: “I would skip a weekly worship service in order to watch my favorite football team.”

Scott McConnell, vice-president of LifeWay Research, puts it this way: “Most churchgoers put divine revelation ahead of division rivalries."

The study found faithful football fans in the West (22 percent) are more willing to skip church than those in South (13 percent) or Northeast (13 percent.)

About 1 in 4 church-going men (22 percent) say they’d skip church to watch football. That drops to 1 in 10 for women churchgoers.

The Barna poll from last July of just over 1,150 people, found that more than four in 10 adults (43%) strongly agree that sports are an important part of American culture; when you factor in those who also "somewhat agree"—an additional 46% of adults—it's nearly nine out of ten Americans (89%).   This comes after a 2013 survey that found that Americans believe athletes have a greater influence than any faith leaders.
 

The summary of the survey states:

But do Americans care too much about sports? Has an enjoyable pastime turned into an unhealthy obsession? When the most valuable media company in the world is ESPN; when profits from fantasy football outpace profits from real football; when the highest-paid public employee in most states is a college coach, it's a reasonable question to ask—and nearly two out of three adults (67%) believe, firmly or somewhat, that Americans place too high a priority on sports.

The survey found that 69% of Christians believe that sports occupies too lofty of a place.

By the way, American football is by and large the most popular sport that was watched by respondents - with 53% saying they watched it vs. 33% for basketball and baseball.

Clint Jenkin, a vice president at Barna Group, states, "There's a reason the apostle Paul used sport references in his epistles...Every culture that has progressed beyond subsistence has developed recreational competitions, and become passionate about them. However, American sports are unique in history when it comes to their size, scope and financial resources. The scale of American sports have been made possible by the combination of fans' disposable income and mass media such as radio, TV and now Internet."

So, combine the two surveys and what do you conclude?   I think we can admit that sports is important, maybe too important in our culture, but churchgoers by and large are not willing to miss worship to watch football.   This data can force us to examine our priorities.

So, how important is sports to you?   God desires for us to have an ordered life, and to set our priorities based on His principles.   What you spend your time on reflects what's important to you. If sports is part of your viewing diet, each of us has to determine, in partnership with the Holy Spirit, what proper consumption would be.  If sports is part of the participation diet for your family and becomes disruptive to your home and even your worship schedule, then perhaps that is an area that can be fine-tuned.  

In our consumer-driven society, the pursuit of pleasure through sports can become a weakness for the believer in Christ.   As many can testify, our entertainment dollars can be consumed quite significantly when sporting events are involved.  I certainly watch my share of sports, and I think that's OK.  But, we have to make sure that we are delighting in the Lord and making sure our choices honor Him.  

Christmas Surprises and Creative Generosity

We can be challenged to love as Christ loves, fervently, exhibiting the characteristics that He will produce.  Here are some admonitions from Romans 12:
9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.10Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;11not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;12rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer...
I want to key in on the second part of verse 10 - here we are told to give preference to one another - in honor.  I believe this is tied up in putting the needs of another person about those of our own.  We can be so self-centered at times, and God is calling us to take our eyes off ourselves and how we can get our needs met and our wants supplied, and to focus on Him and how He would use us to minister to others.   I think that the diligence that Paul speaks of in verse 11 can be applied to how devoted we are to Christ and devoted to seeing Him expressed through us.

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A passage from Philippians 2 can encourage us to get our eyes off ourselves and concentrate rather on how we can minister to others:
1Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,2fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.3Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.4Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Suppose a delivery driver showed up at your door with a Christmas gift from your or your daughter's favorite singer - would that create some excitement?

Well, that is the case from the now-well-known exploits of arguably the top pop star in the universe - the inimitable Taylor Swift.  Now, I wouldn't consider myself a fan, but you have to admit, what she did for a few dozen of her fans during the Christmas season was, well, pretty epic.

The Christian Post, along with a host of other media outlets, reported on the story. Maybe you've seen the video - millions have.  It begins with a caption that explains the concept of what is called "Tay-lurking, whereupon every detail of a fan's likes, job, whereabouts was studied intently."  Then a single Santa emoji would appear on their social media.

The pop star documented her wrapping presents and placing them in FedEx boxes.  The video also shows what happened when fans received the boxes.  One fan even got a visit from Swift herself. She gave the woman a mini-motorized car for her little boy.   She apparently penned notes to each recipient.

As the Post points out, Swift has been known to interact with her fans in special ways. Shortly before the release of her recent 1989 album, she invited fans to listening parties in several cities. A group of fans were also featured in one of her videos.

Her 1989 album was ultimately named the best-selling album of the year by Billboard.  She was also named Most Charitable Celebrity by a website called DoSomething.org.  The New York Daily News reported that Swift announced that all proceeds from her single, Welcome to New York, would be given to the public school system during an October appearance on The View.  The singer has also supported Feeding America, UNICEF, and Habitat for Humanity.  She has also donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to help victims of a 2008 flood in Iowa.

Certainly, one could read the stories or watch the video and come away with the impression that this is just an attempt to generate publicity.  A brilliant one.  While this is sure to build the Taylor Swift brand, I think that Taylor's actions in the past, including the exhaustive list of charities that she has supported do indicate a significant measure of generosity.  Check out LookForTheStars.com to see a list of the charitable efforts in which she's been involved. 

So, regardless of what you may think about Taylor's life choices or lyrical content (see Plugged In review of the 1989 album), there is some inspiration we can take away from her Christmas surprises.

For one thing, Taylor studied her fans - of course, she was accessing information that was being freely posted on the Internet.  I think this can challenge each of us - how often to we actually study our family members or our friends to determine how we can effectively share with them?  She made a determination about what her fans would like to receive, rather than what she would want them to have.  Even if you think it was all contrived, I think you can admit that this can illustrate for us the importance of taking the eyes off ourselves and really determining what we can do to show kindness to another person by focusing on they want, rather than what we want.   The Bible teaches us an attitude of unselfishness when we relate to others, including those that are closest to us.

I also think this series of Christmas surprises can challenge our creativity.  We can look for or even create opportunities to express our generosity in meaningful ways - not just merely going through the motions because it's the right thing to do, but showing some thoughtfulness.  That may even involve surprising someone we care about with tangible expressions of kindness.  

An Act of Mercy

We serve a merciful God, who is full of compassion toward us, and wants to bring us into a relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus.   In Ephesians 2, we can read:
4But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),6and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

His love has reached out to each one of us - even though we deserve judgment for our sins and the punishment of spending eternity apart from God, He sent His Son so that we might be spared that judgment and walk in the power of a redeemed life.  And, because we have been shown mercy, He calls us to be people who demonstrate mercy - by exercising compassion toward others and by adopting an attitude of extending forgiveness toward those who may have offended us.   We are called to share what we ourselves have received.

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In James chapter 2, the writer elaborates on what true mercy looks like.
8If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;9but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
Later in the chapter, he writes:12So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.13For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Helen Johnson is a mother and grandmother who lives in a suburb of Birmingham known as Tarrant or Tarrant City.  According to AL.com, Johnson's two daughters, a niece and two grandchildren, ages 1 and 3, live with her in their Tarrant home. The kids' mother gets a welfare check - $120 a month - but late last year, that check had been lost in the mail. Johnson herself gets a disability check, which was set to come the week of an incident that has been communicated around the Internet.

The first Saturday of December, the family had gone two days without food.  Helen went to a Dollar General store with $1.25 and thought that would be enough to buy a carton of eggs. When she realized she was 50 cents plus tax short, she stuffed five eggs in her pocket out of desperation.

A store worker stopped Johnson and asked her if she had taken the eggs. She said she did, and they said they had already called the police.

By the time she got to the door, Tarrant police Officer William Stacy was there, and told her to stay put. The officer said he'd already talked to Dollar General officials and they said they weren't going to press charges.  While she waited, Officer Stacy went inside the store and returned with a carton of eggs.

He is quoted as saying, "I felt like it was the right thing to do. I didn't want to pass judgment on her."

But the story doesn't end there.  After this act of grace, Helen hugged the officer - a scene that was captured on video and placed on Facebook.  

The following Tuesday, Tarrant police came to the Johnson home and took her back to police headquarters where they signed her up for the Tarrant Toy Drive, and also are helping to coordinate the offers of food and clothing also pouring in, said Tarrant police Sgt. Larry Rice.

Officer Stacy is quoted as saying "I'm not a big fan of the spotlight, but I'm happy it's drawing attention to law enforcement officers.'' He added, "I just like to do my job, do the right thing and come home at the end of the day. But I feel like this story is needed instead of everyone being negative about law enforcement."

Another AL.com story covered the commendation that the city gave to Officer Stacy.  It also reported that Stacy and other Tarrant officers took two truckloads of groceries to Johnson, and the police department kept getting donations.  People contacted Tarrant offering to help from across the U.S. and as far away as Australia.  Police Chief Dennis Reno said Stacy has gotten money in the mail, and he's put that straight toward a charity fund the department set up for Johnson's family.

These donations aren't just helping one family in need, though. They're helping many more in need in Tarrant.

Stacy said, "This really opened up a new door for us...We're going to try to give the love and support that the U.S. has given her to the rest of the city."

One act of kindness - grace instead of judgment.  It has generated a whole lot of media attention, and it should.   The spiritual parallels are not hard to find here.   

Helen Johnson was in need - she was hungry and had not eaten for days.  She did not have enough money to buy the food she had selected, so she resorted to stealing 5 eggs.  Instead of being arrested, she was shown mercy, and the compassion multiplied.

Whether we admit it or not, we are all needy people, and we have a craving, a hunger deep inside - for satisfaction, for fulfillment, and I would contend, a relationship with our Maker.  We look for all sorts of ways to fill that void in our lives, and instead of humbling ourselves before Almighty God, we, in a sense, withhold, or steal, from God and seek to get our needs met in other ways.   While God desires our entire lives, we hold back and attempt to go out on our own.   We are willing to settle for the "5 eggs" in life that we attempt to acquire by our own devices, rather than allow God to extend the riches of His kindness to us.

But, the good news, even while we withhold our hearts, our time, our treasures, and more from the Lord, He is still reaching out.  When we sin against Him, He is willing to show mercy toward us.  When we face temptation, He provides a way of escape and when we succomb, He extends forgiveness.   

And, His mercies are multiplied.   As the result of this one police officer's act of grace, many are being blessed - not only Helen Johnson and her family, but families all across her city, because the word has spread.  Why?  Because I believe that people are attracted to acts of kindness - it touches something deep inside.  Our obedience to be used of the Lord to show compassion can make a powerful impact on the people with whom we interact.

Not By Chance

In Ecclesiastes 12, Solomon makes a strong case to remember the God who created each of us.  In verse 1, we read:
1Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, "I have no pleasure in them":2While the sun and the light, The moon and the stars, Are not darkened, And the clouds do not return after the rain;
And, in verse 6 of the same chapter:6Remember your Creator before the silver cord is loosed, Or the golden bowl is broken, Or the pitcher shattered at the fountain, Or the wheel broken at the well.

You know, we're not guaranteed tomorrow.  The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 6 that today is the day of salvation.  We have the evidence of the hand of the Creator all around us, pointing to a designer beyond this earth.  We have the certainty of the Word of God, that outlines for us His love for humanity, expressed in His sending His Son to die for us.  And, Christians, by the way we live our lives and testify to that love, can provide powerful evidence of the change that Almighty God can make in the heart and life of a person.

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In Acts 17, we see that the apostle Paul declared to those gathered in Athens that God was Creator and we live in Him...
24God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.25Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.26And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,27so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;28for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

On Christmas Day, the Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed piece by Eric Metaxas, the author and commentator who is heard on the Breakpoint commentary twice each weekday on Faith Radio - at 11:25am and 7:25pm.

On one of the commentaries from last week, Eric shared some highlights from what he had written and touched on the response.

He said:

I noted that the initial euphoria over the possibility that there were a septillion -- that’s one followed by 24 zeros -- planets capable of supporting life in the universe was followed by the sober fact that such planets, never mind evidence of extraterrestrial life, are exceedingly rare.

That’s because science has learned just how “fine-tuned” the universe has to be in order to support life of any kind, never mind intelligent life.

As I wrote in the Journal, “Today there are more than 200 known parameters necessary for a planet to support life—every single one of which must be perfectly met,” or our existence would be utterly impossible.

Yet, not only do we exist, we're discussing the fact that we exist, which prompted me to ask, “What can account for” all of this? and “Doesn’t assuming that an intelligence created these perfect conditions actually require far less faith than believing that a life-sustaining Earth just happened to beat the inconceivable odds to come into being?”

Well, Eric relates that the piece has garnered more “likes” on Facebook than any article the Wall Street Journal has ever published - as of late last week, over 350,000!

He also highlighted a couple of areas of objections. One centered around the contention that scientists should be allowed to talk about the religious implications of scientific things.  Eric said that objection is not rooted in science but in scientism, which holds that “empirical science constitutes the most authoritative worldview or most valuable part of human learning to the exclusion of other viewpoints.”

He also attracted some objections from religious believers, who took him to task for saying that science can “prove” the existence of God, much less the God of the Bible. But he didn't say that. As he responded,

What I did was point to the sheer improbability of our existence and ask whether it might not be reasonable to infer, like Fred Hoyle, who coined the phrase “Big Bang,” whether the universe might be, as he put it, a “put up job.”

The scientific findings I cited aren’t “proof” that compel belief in God’s existence but “signs” pointing to that possibility and inviting you to follow them to see where they might lead.

Near the conclusion, he said that: "In the end, belief in God, especially the biblical God, is an act of faith. But so too is believing that our existence is simply the result of chance. Like it or not."

On his Facebook page, Metaxas poses the question, "what does this tell us about the appetite for stories about faith?"  I think the popularity of this article could actually points to the curiosity that human beings have about how we came to be.   You could say that Paul seized on this in his Athens speech I referenced earlier - he wanted the people to think about their origins, and he challenged them to think about the existence of God.

You can also surmise that the discussion of our origins can tap into a longing that people have to experience God - a present, involved God - someone with whom they can have a relationship.   You have many people who will intellectually or emotionally create or design a deity who meets their felt needs, but the Bible points to the deity who created them, who designed them in His image and calls them into that relationship with Him.  There are those that don't know how to pursue that relationship, or better put, who don't know how to enter into a relationship with the God who is pursuing them.   Adequate exposure to the truth of the Scriptures can provide the remedy, and perhaps God will use you to communicate His truth.

Giving the Word Away

In the 119th Psalm, we see so many references to the transformative effect of the presence of God's Word in our hearts and minds.  Here is a passage beginning in verse 10:
10With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!11Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!12Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes!13With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.14I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.15I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.

God desires for us to come to Him and devote our lives to Him with our whole heart.  If we hide God's Word in our hearts, i.e., we study and meditate on His truth, considering how we can apply it to our lives, then we can live our lives in greater conformity to His will.  We respond to God's Word not only with rejoicing, but with declaration - God's Word can shape our speech and our action.  We can be challenged to make His truth a priority in our lives.

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According to Ephesians 4, in our path to spiritual growth, as we are equipped to do the work of ministry, we have these admonitions from verses 15 and 16:
15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

This is one of the most significant weekends in the entire NFL seasons - the top 2 seeds in each conference are in action against the survivors of what has now been dubbed "Wild Card Weekend." Actually, only one wild card actually won last weekend, the Baltimore Ravens, but I digress.

During the Christmas season, there were 7 NFL players who participated in an effort to spread God's Word in a very unique way.  It was called the 2014 Holiday Bible Giveaway.

According to an article on the Christian Today website, the initiative of the organization Athletes for Charity, which is now on its third year, gave away 500 premium Tyndale study Bibles to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook followers of the football players.

The article includes a quote by Athletes for Charity president Cathleen Laporte to The Christian Post. She said, "We're using our social media as a platform to share the word of God and to gift the greatest gift, a Bible...We're able to spread the word far more quickly than by just physically speaking."

The participating players were Don Carey and Andre Fluellen of the Detroit Lions, Ryan Lindley of the Arizona Cardinals, Kawann Short of the Carolina Panthers, Kevin Pamphile and Alterraun Verner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Reggie Walker of the San Diego Chargers.

Carey, who heads Don Carey International Ministries with his wife, posed trivia questions to generate interest.  Walker, on the other hand, merely asked his fans to tweet #HolidayBibleGiveaway on his birthday.

Verner, who was one of the first NFL players to take part in the Athletes for Charity project, asked his followers to share their favorite biblical passages before he randomly selected 25 winners.

So, be inspired by these stories of NFL players who are devoted to sharing God's Word.  And, there are others who allow their faith to inform and impact the way that they live.

I think we can be challenged today to think about how we spread God's Word.  These players were intentional about partnering with this organization to connect with people to give away Bibles, and even in the process, followers of these NFL players were exposed to seeds of truth.

So, first of all, we can check our hearts and make sure that we are devoted to God's Word.  Do we regard the truth of Scriptures as merely suggestions for good living, principles that we choose to follow or not?  Or do we view the Word of God as living and active, more than just a playbook, but truth that gives us life, that brings us into conformity with the nature of God and the image of Christ?

It's important that we develop a high view of Scripture and incorporate God's words into our consciousness, integrating it to the extent that it governs the way we live.

We can also think about how we are committed to spreading God's Word.  I don't believe that we are called to keep it to ourselves.  If God's Word is alive in us, I believe it will make a difference in our actions - the very way we approach life will change, and people will be able to see the presence of Christ in us.  We spread truth through the words that we speak and by our actions.  If our speech contains God's truth, it can penetrate the hearts of others and perhaps provide wisdom for them to live their lives Biblically.

Marriage: Retreat? Restore?

The Biblical definition of marriage is found in Genesis chapter 2, and Paul highlights the model for marriage as a representation of Christ and His church in Ephesians 5.  After encouraging members of the church, the body of Christ, to submit to one another in the fear of God, he writes:
22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.23For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.24Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her...
Here we have a Biblical model for the marriage relationship, and if we are committed to executing God's plan with His love and power, then we can find that marriages will work and bring glory to God.  But, the Biblical prescription is centered around submission to Christ.  Men are called to walk with the Lord and be the spiritual leader of the household and to fervently love their wives.  As verse 31 in the same chapter points out, wives are called to show respect to their husbands.  This is how it works - and where we depart from the Biblical model, we open ourselves up to all sorts of confusion and conflict.  We have to make sure that we stay grounded in God's truth and connected to His Spirit as we walk in love toward our spouses.

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When Jesus was asked a question about divorce in Matthew 19, he turned to the Biblical definition of marriage:
4And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,'5and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?6So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

In Florida, as well as across the country, it's being called "marriage," although it doesn't look like the model that is prescribed in the Bible.  This week, marriage licenses for same-sex couples were being issued across Florida, and so-called "wedding" ceremonies were being performed at courthouse throughout the state...with some notable exceptions.

The Tampa Bay Times, as of last Friday, reported that a number of county courthouses would not be performing any marriage ceremonies whatsoever.   Those include: Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Holmes, Washington, Jackson, Calhoun, Liberty, Franklin, Wakulla, Baker, Clay, Duval and Pasco.   Interestingly enough, it was Washington county, whose courthouse is in Chipley, where the case originated in which a Federal judge ruled that Florida's marriage amendment was unconstitutional. Washington County, according to the website, ChipleyPaper.com, has not been performing wedding ceremonies since last summer, due to space constraints.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that several clerks, including Okaloosa County's J.D. Peacock II, have acknowledged that the judge's decision played a major role in their decisions.

Peacock wrote recently in a memo to his staff, "I do not want to have members of our team put in a situation which presents a conflict between their personal religious beliefs and the implementation of a contentious societal philosophy change."

Earlier, I reported to you about the couple in New York state who decided to halt weddings entirely at their facility rather than marry gay couples.  It was reported in the fall that a number of North Carolina magistrates were resigning rather than perform gay weddings.  

Now, there is a move afoot encouraging clergy to stop signing civil marriage certificates. Christianity Today reports that a prominent conservative Christian magazine, First Things, has launched that movement and hundreds of pastors and laypersons have signed a pledge to "no longer serve as agents of the state in marriage."

The pledge argues for a voluntary withdrawal from the civil side of marriage as same-sex marriage increasingly becomes the law of the land. Wycliffe College's Ephraim Radner and Christopher Seitz, who drafted the pledge, write, "To continue with church practices that intertwine government marriage with Christian marriage will implicate the Church in a false definition of marriage."

According to a LifeWay Research poll released last month, 24 percent of American pastors say clergy should no longer be involved in the state's licensing of marriages, and 71 percent saying they should stay involved.

Pastors of small churches with fewer than 50 congregants were most likely to say clergy should no longer be involved, and evangelical pastors were slightly more likely than mainline pastors to say clergy should remain involved (77 percent vs. 69 percent).

Meanwhile, 49% of Americans agree with the statement, "Religious weddings should not be connected to the state's definition and recognition of marriage."

LifeWay's Ed Stetzer is quoted as saying, “In many countries, there’s a split between civil marriage and religious marriage...In the United States, those two aspects have been combined. That’s led to some tension, as American views about marriage change."  The findings of the survey surprised him. He said, “It’s the size of the minority view, among pastors and Americans, that surprises me—a noteworthy number are ready for pastors to stop saying, ‘By the power vested in me by the state…’ during a church wedding...We don’t know if the view is growing, but it certainly is worth noticing.”

R.R. Reno, editor of First Things, is quoted by Christianity Today as saying, "For a long time, Christianity has sewn its teachings into the fabric of Western culture. That was a good thing. But the season of sewing is ending. Now is a time for rending, not for the sake of disengaging from culture or retreating from the public square, but so that our salt does not lose its savor."

But there is disagreement from Christian leaders, including Russell Moore and John Stonestreet.  Eric Teetsel of the Manhattan Declaration is quoted by First Things in a piece from last April soliciting the views of a number of writers: "...the most effective way to rebuild a culture of marriage is not abandonment. The task before the Church is to rebuild a culture of marriage one couple at a time."

Ryan Anderson of the Heritage Foundation is quoted in the same article as saying, "Our efforts must be extended and multiplied. We need dozens of different ways of defending marriage philosophically, legally, and as a policy matter. We need theologians as well as artists, musicians, and other culture makers to engage in the same task."  He adds, "That won’t happen if we let discussions about Church and marriage or state and marriage displace the more basic task of actually discussing what marriage is. The best defense of our interests is a defense of the truth by which we seek to live."

Recent guest on The Meeting House, Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family weighed in to Christianity Today: "We cannot so easily divorce Christian and civil marriage, because everyone has a compelling interest in legal, natural matrimony. It is a common grace. Every important measure of social thriving is driven by the prevalence of natural marriage in a community."

No matter where you may weigh in on this issue, I do agree with Teetsel: we have a task to rebuild a culture of marriage!!   So what can we do?

We can make sure that our marriages reflect our love for and devotion to Christ and to one another.  It is important to take the time to invest in loving our mate and following God's plan for marriage.  That will call periodically for maintenance, and may in some circumstances call for repair, and thankfully there are numerous resources available to help us release the power of God in our marriage relationships.

We can also be ambassadors for the sanctity of marriage and the blessings of marriage.   God has established marriage as a sacred institution, and in a culture where marriage is being redefined and the threats to marriage are multiplied, the Lord can work through devoted married couples to change the narrative and restore a healthy view of marriage consistent with a Biblical worldview.