A Christian _____ ...

The image of the vine and the branches, likened to our relationship with Christ, is a wonderful and inspiring picture of the way that He will express Himself through us, if we allow Him to. Jesus taught in John 15:
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

James teaches about the relationship between our faith and our works - if we have that inward relationship with Jesus and have experienced salvation personally, then there will be outward expression in the form of good works.  We don't work to be saved, but we work because we are saved.  Because we love Jesus, we desire for Him to have His way with us and to produce through our lives tangible, observable acts that point to His indwelling presence.

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We are certainly saved by faith, and the outward expression of our inward relationship with Christ is through the works that are produced by the presence of Christ flowing through us.  James chapter 2
addresses the concept:
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

I want to share a quote that was delivered several weeks ago that is quite attention-getting.  This world leader said this about his country:

"Tonight let us be proud that this is a Christian country, where we stand for the freedom to practice your faith, and where we stand up for Christians and all those who are persecuted anywhere in our world, they are family too."

That is a quote from the Christian Today website from a world leader who, just yesterday, led his party to a stunning victory in his nation's election.  Yes, these words were spoken by David Cameron, the newly re-elected Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

He was speaking to an event called the Festival of Life, which attracted some 45,000 people. It was led by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the general overseer of the Nigerian Pentecostal Redeemed Christian Church of God. Giving a keynote speech, Cameron joked that catering the event "must be like feeding the 5,000... you must be relieved that it's just spiritual food on the menu tonight."

Cameron is quoted as saying, "...as God's children we are all one big family..." He told those gathered that while as a young boy he thought churches had to look a certain way, with a slate roof, a large spire, pews and a pulpit. He said, "you've proved that church is people, church is a family, and it doesn't matter what the roof is made of, because with your energy, your devotion, your love of Jesus Christ, you raise that roof every time."

Another quote: "Like Jesus turning water into wine, you turn loneliness into companionship, you turn deprivation into comfort [and] you turn lost lives into lives with purpose."

Colin Bloom, the head of the Conservative Christian Fellowship (CCF), tweeted that it was one of the most "significant days" in his time with the organization.  He told Christian Today, "I was so proud to see the prime minister of the United Kingdom talk so passionately about his faith, and the fact that this is a Christian country, in front of nearly 50,000 Christians."

He also took issue with the suggestion that Cameron was merely trying to court the Christian vote is "complete rubbish." He added, "What he said on Friday is completely consistent with what the prime minister has been saying in every Easter message and every Christmas message... there is nothing new in the prime minster engaging with Christians in a very positive way."

The Telegraph reported that Cameron "...won yesterday's general election with an outright majority after Labour was virtually wiped out in Scotland and the Liberal Democrat vote collapsed." The report says that the Prime Minister, "hailed the 'sweetest victory' as his party secured the 323 seats needed to form a government without needing to go into coalition."  His party is known as the Conservatives, or the Tories.

So, congratulations to Mr. Cameron.   It's been quite a week in Great Britain - last Saturday, the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, wife of Prince William, gave birth to a baby girl, Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, and now the British elections are in the history books.

And, I think it's notable that the Prime Minister doesn't back away from saying that his nation is a Christian nation.  Now, without exploring the dynamics of the relationship between the Church of England and the British government, suffice it to say that our founders did not envision a "state church," but as Jerry Newcombe noted on my program yesterday, Thomas Jefferson, writer of the Declaration of Independence, did not embrace the philosophy of a separation of God and government that we see prevalent today.

So, today, I want to offer three points to ponder:

Number one, do we really as a nation want to eliminate the presence of God from our political leaders?  I think it's interesting that you've heard a number of the announced candidates for president have some sort of faith story; some do not shy away from expressing their faith - it is part of the fabric of who they are, and you would hope that our leaders, if they are Christian, would not separate their faith from the way that they govern.  Yesterday, people across the nation prayed for our leaders on the National Day of Prayer, and that's incredibly important - perhaps the single most important work that each of us as Christians can do if we want to see a reversal of the moral decline in our nation and a change of direction overall is to cry out to God in prayer.

And, as we examine ourselves, we have to think about ways that we might tend to separate God from the government of our lives.  Is He really in control of our decisions?  Do we keep what we might regard as the spiritual component of our lives separated from our work, our homes, and our relationships?  God wants to flow through every area of our lives, and it is our responsibility to allow Him to have His way for His glory.

Finally, as believers in Christ, we can shape what we are known for.  Cameron talked about the charitable activities in which the church is involved.  James wrote about allowing our faith to be demonstrated by our works.  With an attitude of compassion, we can be involved in ministering to the needs of others and allow the character of Christ to be seen in us.

The First Option

God is calling us to come before Him and call out to Him in prayer. A passage from 1st Timothy chapter 2 describes Jesus as our Mediator - through Him we can come before God:
5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
7 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle--I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying--a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

It's the National Day of Prayer, and today, we can think about how Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe, came to earth in human form through His Son, Jesus Christ, to invite men and women to trust in Him and enter into a relationship with Him.  One of the dynamics of that relationship is the ability to communicate with Him.  We can confidently come before Him, lifting up praises, presenting our requests, and listening as He speaks to us and gives wisdom and instruction for our lives.  We access the power of God as we pray.

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It's important that we develop a mindset in which we view prayer as our first option, not just something we try to see what happens, but something that we confidently do, knowing that something will happen. James 5 encourages us in this vibrant prayer walk:
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

It's the National Day of Prayer, and it's also Survey Thursday.   Last year, to correlate with that special day, Pew Research published a piece called, 5 Facts About Prayer.  

One of those facts involved the establishment of the National Day of Prayer. The National Day of Prayer was enacted in 1952 by the Congress and President Harry S. Truman. The piece surmises that, "As with the addition of “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, the move came during the Cold War and was seen as a way of contrasting the more religious United States with the officially atheistic Soviet Union."  I have to say, that is certainly an interesting theory.

And, in an aside here, in 1988, according to the National Day of Prayer Task Force website, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the designation of the first Thursday in May as the annual observance for the National Day of Prayer. Then in 1998, President Clinton signed a bill that stated, "The President shall issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals."

Now, back to the Pew article. Another of those 5 facts about prayer is that:

For many Americans, every day is a day of prayer. More than half (55%) of Americans said they pray every day, according to a 2013 Pew Research survey, while 23% said they pray weekly or monthly and 21% seldom or never. Even among those who are religiously unaffiliated, 21% said they pray daily. 

The article references another survey, from 2012, which found that 76% of Americans agreed with the statement “prayer is an important part of my daily life,” a percentage that has remained relatively stable over the last 25 years.

And, there was a reference to a A 2010 USA Today/Gallup poll that asked Americans specifically about the National Day of Prayer. A majority (57%) said they favored having the day of prayer, while just 5% said they opposed it. A significant share (38%) said it didn’t matter to them either way.

You may have already participated in a prayer-related event today.  There has certainly been no shortage of opportunities.  I want to highlight three words relative to prayer for today:

One of those is access.  Because of Jesus and His sacrifice, we have been granted access to come before the throne of God.  When you think about the Great God of the Universe allowing human beings to call on Him and communicate with Him, we short-change ourselves when we don't take advantage of this incredible opportunity.  

Another word is priority.  We might have the access, but we cannot experience the answers if we don't take the initiative to actually pray - to elevate the practice in our daily routine.   This can take upon itself different forms, but the important thing is to recognize that we can communicate with Him, and that He is communicating with us - we can present our requests and listen for His instruction.  

And, finally, there's fervency.  This can describe our attitude in prayer.  James 5 says that, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."  If we believe that human effort can be effective for the challenges we face individually, or collectively in our communities, we are kidding ourselves.   I believe incredible things can happen as we respond to His call to consistently cry out to Him.

Wheel of Prayer

In John 16, Jesus introduced a new prayer methodology to His disciples, one that involved not using an intermediary to come before the Father, but going directly to our Heavenly Father - in the name of Jesus. We have been given the awesome privilege of a direct line to God because of the restoration of relationship that was brought about by Jesus. He said:
23 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.
24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

We do not have to pray to someone else in order for our prayers to be heard and accepted!  That is good news for us, as we consider His availability to His people - to hear and answer according to His will.  We recognize that God is concerned with every single detail of our lives, every concern of our hearts, and He desires for us to bring those petitions to Him and to communicate with Him on a regular basis.  We pray in Jesus' name, and we can experience the fullness of joy in His presence.

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Before He gave His disciples what has come to be known as the Lord's Prayer in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus talked about the attitude of and position in prayer:
5 "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

It's a diagram that apparently was crafted over 1000 years ago.  It's part of a book that was placed on sale by Manhattan’s Les Enluminures Gallery, a dealer in medieval manuscripts, a book that was written on vellum with a rather unique first page, according to a report on the Religion News Service website, which likens the circular diagram to a game board.

The RNS report surmises that over a hundred years after the book, containing only the gospels, was commissioned by an abbess in Liesborn, Germany, someone opened the Gospels, which would have been used primarily for display and oath-taking, to its blank first page, set a compass needle in the center and began drawing concentric circles.

The report calls this the "Liesborn Prayer Wheel" and describes the content.  The outer circle contains the words, "The Order Of The Diagram Written Here Teaches The Return Home.” The next is labeled “Seven Petitions” and contains seven quotations from the Lord’s Prayer (“Daily Bread,” “Will Be Done,” “Kingdom Come.”) In the third circle, seven “Gifts Of The Holy Spirit” (“Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel … ”) run clockwise in red, interspersed with seven events in Christ’s life (Incarnation, Baptism, Passion Day of Judgment) in black. The fourth segment contains seven groups blessed in Jesus’ Beatitudes (“Meek, Poor in Spirit, Mourn”) and — opposite each — their rewards (“Inherit the Earth,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” “Be Comforted”). Finally, at the center, surrounding the pinhole of the compass, is the word “DEUS,” or God.

Lauren Mancia, a medievalist at Brooklyn College who has examined the Liesborn Wheel, is quoted as saying that schematic prayer guides were more common in later centuries, but said that the diagram suggests that monks and nuns were "using a mnemonic device to remember and internalize, or even to make an inner journey."

The Religion News Service piece asked some pertinent questions, such as: Clearly the nun was supposed to find her way from the Lord’s Prayer to God; but how? Did she read her way around one wheel and move in to the next? Or did she drill downward along each of the wheel’s “spokes,” and then start again on the next spoke? Or were the seven events in Christ’s life the key to the diagram, connecting its prayers to the Gospels that make up the rest of the book?

On this eve of the National Day of Prayer, this diagram, which is part of a book with a reported $6.5 million pricetag, can inspire us to think about the work of prayer, which has inestimable value for us. Here are three takeaways from this story:

This wheel points to a system of prayer and approach to God.  There are all sorts of ways that we can keep focused on our relationship with Christ, and having a disciplined action plan can enhance our experience and fellowship with Him.  It may involve a number of components, such as a specific, intentional time, commonly called a "quiet time," when we in essence meet with God and engage in spiritual activity.  It could involve a prayer journal or a prayer guide to help us keep track of what we are to pray for.  Or, your system could involve some sort of Bible reading guide to lead you on your spiritual quest.  You might even memorize Scripture through a device such as the Topical Memory System.

There is certainly no "one size fits all" for our encounter with God, but we recognize that consistent fellowship with our Savior and engagement with His Word leads to spiritual growth.

The Lord wants to lead us by His Holy Spirit into a more vibrant, rewarding walk with Himself, and provides the tools and direction in order to do that.

Finally, change in our lives is not haphazard - I believe it results from dedication and the developing effective means to connect with God.  If we want to change, if we want to grow closer to Christ and more like Him, it's important that we yield to Him and allow Him to do His work - our time spent with Him can help us in aligning our hearts and our lives with His truth.

A Shift in Thinking

This passage from Romans 12 gives some insight about walking in the love of the Lord and being people of hope:
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

We can examine our own hearts and see if we are walking in these admonitions.  If we are full of the love of Christ, then that will result in a shift in our thinking - from despair to hope, from tension to peace, from needing answers to finding wisdom.  But, in our human condition, we can default to hopelessness and inner turmoil.  We can easily grow pessimistic, when God's Word can fill us with His hope.  He can enable us to shift our thinking to focus on His blessings and His presence.

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We are called to be participants in spreading hope to the people with whom we come in contact. Where there is desperation and disappointment, we can have Christ's hope. Romans 15 says:
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

Even though it will be a long road back, the city of Baltimore and its citizens are attempting to put the violence behind them after a turbulent few days after the death of Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody.  Charges have been filed against 6 people in the case, and the curfew in the city has been lifted.

Smaller protests are continuing downtown, and cleanup efforts have been going on since early last week, when the rioting reached its peak.  A CBS Baltimore report says that one group that was involved in a cleanup effort saw its volunteer list morph from a handful of people to hundreds looking to give back to the city.

One of this past weekend’s street sweeps was at the St. Francis Community Center in Reservoir Hill, just blocks away from one of the most destructive riots. Organizer Torbin Green's volunteer list has included students, Marines and some Baltimore businesses who are planting gardens, picking up trash and removing brush and debris. He turned to social media to get the word out.

So the external cleanup is underway, and apparently so is the internal one - the type of cleanup of human hearts that can result in lasting change in a city.

Religious leaders have been visible in the midst of the crisis, including the scene of clergy marching arm-in-arm through the city.  CBS12.com reported on the $16 million future senior housing complex and community center that were still under construction and went up in flames Monday during the riots, even though authorities had said that it was unclear whether that fire was related to riots across the city.

The TV station website quoted a CNN interview wih Rev. Donte Hickman whose church was building the senior center. He said, "It hurts my heart."  He added that he has faith and that he sees "revival" and "sees an opportunity to rebuild from the ashes."

So, here you have a minister who was seeing through spiritual eyes.  Staring into a blazing fire, he saw revival.  Church leaders who have been intervening in the situation in the city admit there are problems, but they see hope.

Jeff Naber of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team is quoted on the BillyGraham.org website as saying, "A lot of turmoil. A lot of hurting people,” adding, “I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve been around awhile.”

“People want to get ‘it’ out,” Naber said. “And the ‘it’ is the frustration and anger they’ve seen here over and over again.” The report says that as people vent and share their experiences with the chaplains, they’ve “miraculously” seen God work on their hearts. Naber said, “We’ve seen the Holy Spirit penetrate through that hard shell, right to their heart...in a way only God can do.”

A report on the Christian Today website stated:

Religious leaders have been among the first to call for peace amid rising tensions, and churches have been opening their doors to those seeking refuge. "Our role is to be a moral voice at this time," Rev Heber Brown, pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church, told the Huffington Post.

The article reports that another minister, Rev. DeVante Mills, said the church he attended was welcoming those involved in the violence to relax and receive counseling.  He said, "The body of Christ said stand bold in situations like this. I think the pivotal role we have is keeping peace." [sic]

In reading over the various reports, there are several themes that emerge for me, relative to spiritual ideas:

First of all, where there is desperation, there can be hope.   Church leaders are involved in trying to bring hope to people.  Where there are concerns over justice-related issues, where you see people weighed down by some of the concerns of our communities, Jesus can help bring about a shift in thinking - that can bring hope and provide the atmosphere for right thinking to result in corrective action.

Next, where there is tension and conflict, there can be peace.  The tension in Baltimore, in Charleston, in Ferguson, and other cities in the aftermath of conflicts involving citizens and law enforcement officers, is apparently deeply rooted, and these incidents become a flash point to set ablaze the frustration that people are experiencing.  We need the peace of God in our communities, and His people can be effective ambassadors to model that peace.

Finally, when we need answers, there can be wisdom.  There are many dilemmas that are confronting our communities.  But, as we pray and seek God for His wisdom, I believe He will provide Biblically-based solutions.  We have to make ourselves available to be conduits of that wisdom.  We have to be involved - in prayer, in conversation, in strategization perhaps.  We recognize that the greatest source of wisdom and instruction in the universe - the One who created it all - has offered us His insight and His power.

Walk by Trust, Stand in Truth

God is a calling us into a devoted faith walk, in which we trust Him with our very lives, in a state of surrender to His will. He wants us to be so reliant on Him, and not attempt to achieve favor with God through our own futile works. Here is what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:
(1) Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?
2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Our righteousness, our standing before God, is not determined by how many good works we do, how many Scripture verses we memorize, or how often we integrate Scriptures into our conversation. Those are all the products of the central relationship we have through Christ, but we don't work in order to be declared righteous before the Lord - we accept Christ, He declares us to be in right standing, and as a result of that knowledge and the work of the Spirit, we can see fruit produced in the form of good works.  It's important that we understand the nature of the faith walk - it's faith first and by faith alone that we are justified before God.

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We can enjoy the promise of new life as we trust Christ. Romans 5 provides this reminder:
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

They're proclaiming their trust in God in West Shreveport in Louisiana.  In March, a complaint was filed against a local principal, Albert Hardison, at Walnut Hill Middle School in the Caddo Parrish school district, according to a report from local television station, KSLA.  This complaint, by one citizen, alleged the use of prayer in school communications by Mr. Hardison, which prompted the removal of all references to God or religion of any kind from every school and web site related to the Caddo Parish School District.

Seems that another school, Ridgewood Middle School, had the phrase, "In God We Trust," posted in its marquee out in front of the school.  It was taken down in March, which set up a response by students, who held a rally during lunchtime one day, handing out 500 T-shirts with the iconic phrase printed on them.

Meanwhile, school district attorneys were mulling over the legality of the sign displaying the national motto.  As the TV station reported, Superintendent Dr. Lamar Goree authorized the principal to use his own discretion on whether to put the phrase back on the school sign. And, just over a week ago, the phrase returned to the marquee.

Pastor and parent Joey Ketchum had been enlisted for help and support on the marquee issue by 40 or so members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at Ridgewood. He helped out with organizing the T-shirt giveaway at the school.

Another KSLA story reported on the students' initiative to restore the words to the sign, called iStand. Pastor Ketchum is quoted: "That has been a staple in the community and at their school. The students through social media and their cell phones, texting and what not have taken initiative."  The words have been on the sign for 15 years.

This is reminiscent of other instances where students have taken a stand for expressions of faith.  I think of the Texas cheerleaders, who were told they could no longer put Scripture verses on the banners that their football team runs through prior to the start of a game - the courts said that the cheerleaders could, and the district revised its policy, according to a report on the Beaumont Enterprise website.

It's always gratifying to see young people who are attempting to live the Christian life.  Last weekend, the Jimmy Hitchcock Awards, recognizing Christian leadership in athletics, were handed out - over 50 finalists were recognized, with two young ladies and a young man selected to be the award winners.  Here you see young people who have decided that they want their trust in God to be reflected in the way that they integrate their faith into how they live everyday.

And, that's a challenge for all of us.  Three points to ponder today:

For the Christian, "In God We Trust" are words that are more than just a national motto or words we see on our money or on a school marquee.  I do think it's great that those words are displayed wherever there is opportunity. For us, if we take those words to heart, then it will make a difference in the way we think and ultimately in the way we live.

If we say we trust God, then that should mean that we are truly attempting to walk by faith. We are not merely embracing a vague concept of God or giving lipservice to His existence, but submitting our thoughts, words, and deeds to the lordship of Jesus.  Trusting God is more than just embracing a pithy phrase or being identified as a church member - it's the pursuit of a consistent walk that reflects His presence.

Trusting God is more than church attendance or event participation.  These can be important aspects of the committed walk, but the true fruit of trust is what God produces in us as we put to death the desires of self and conform to the desires of Christ.

Scientific Confirmation of Biblical Truth

In 2nd Corinthians, we are reminded to live a consecrated life before God. We pick up in chapter 6 and move into the first verse of chapter 7:
17 Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."
18 "I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty."
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

We have the promise of God's deliverance - Jesus is our rescuer, and we can experience His cleansing power.  He has forgiven us and brought us out of sin's grasp!  We can experience true freedom because we have come to know Almighty God through accepting Jesus as our Savior.  He has called us and calls us to take Him at His Word and experience the pleasure of possessing a clean conscience before Him.

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In 2nd Peter 2, we read about God's deliverance for Noah.  He...
(5) ...did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;
6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;
7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked
8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--
9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment...

In Genesis 7, the Bible tells the story of that massive flood from which Noah and his family were
delivered:
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
12 And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights.

In the book, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Jules Verne wrote about a massive ocean inside the core of the earth, according to a piece on the Answers in Genesis website, which states that Verne wasn't that far off, and new evidence was cited in a study last year.  The AIG website says that:

Analysis of a diamond volcanically coughed up from deep in the earth and recovered in Brazilian river gravel has serendipitously revealed water-containing ringwoodite, a testimony to the presence of both water and the elusive olivine polymorph under the earth.

As the piece points out, "More than just a place of molten rock, earth’s mantle apparently harbors a watery zone able to hold an ocean of water."

The article references a FoxNews.com report quoting lead study author Graham Pearson of the University of Alberta in Canada, who said: "It's actually the confirmation that there is a very, very large amount of water that's trapped in a really distinct layer in the deep Earth," The findings were published in the journal Nature.

As Answers in Genesis relates, this diamond discovery was only 3 millimeters in diameter. With no commercial value, geochemists looking for a way to date diamonds purchased it from miners in Brazil. In the stone lurked a ringwoodite inclusion. Pearson is quoted as saying, “It's so small, this inclusion, it's extremely difficult to find, never mind work on, so it was a bit of a piece of luck, this discovery, as are many scientific discoveries." The AIG article says, "Just finding a natural terrestrial sample of ringwoodite was a landmark event, but even more momentous is the discovery that it contains about 1.5 weight% water."

Here is a quote from geologist Dr. Andrew Snelling of Answers in Genesis:

For a long time it has been known that the upper mantle is made up predominantly of the mineral olivine...but its lattice structure can’t hold much water within it. Experimental work had demonstrated that at pressures deeper in the mantle, between 410 km and 660 km (255–410 miles), as determined by seismic studies, the higher-pressure equivalent (polymorph) of olivine that was named ringwoodite must exist. However, no naturally occurring ringwoodite had been found.

That is until this study. In fact, German geochemist Hans Kepler in a Nature “News and Views” column, wrote, “Most people (including me) never expected to see such a sample."

Dr. Snelling says this:

What is the profound significance of this discovery? It confirms the capacity of the mantle to have housed the water that was released when the fountains of the great deep were broken up to commence the Flood, and the huge volume of water that was released through these fountains for as much as 150 days, providing more than enough water to help submerge the whole globe, just as described in Genesis 7:11–24.

The Answers article reminds us that, "Though we were not there at the time of the global Flood, God in His Word, primarily in Genesis chapters 6–9, has provided us with an eyewitness account of the violent events that remodeled the earth’s surface. The geology we see today has been strongly influenced by the global Flood, and Bible-believing geologists like Dr. Snelling note that what we see is consistent with biblical history."

Some takeaways for us as we think about the discovery and what it could signify:

We can be reminded that the Bible is true.  There is the mistaken notion out there that science and the Bible are competing with one another.  But, the truth is that you would expect science to confirm the account given in the Bible - they are not incompatible.  You are dealing with past history, for sure, but discoveries about the earth and the universe can help to reinforce what the Bible tells us.

We can also think about the significance of the flood.  Certainly, the flood was a cataclysmic event, and as the Answers in Genesis piece states, the surface of the earth was remodeled.  The event illustrates for us the attitude of God toward unrighteousness and the deliverance of those who are faithful to Him.  1st Peter chapter 3 teaches how the flood can be tied in to water baptism, which symbolizes the cleansing work that Jesus can perform in the human hearts.  We recognize that, yes, there is judgment for every individual, and if we choose to live apart from God, we inherit eternal punishment, separated from Him for eternity.  But, if we have chosen Christ, we will live with Him throughout eternity.   The good news, is that Jesus has come to be our rescuer, our deliverer, who sets us free from the power of sin and death.

Beyond Profession and Into Practice

In John 14, Jesus talks about faith and the practice of it. If we profess faith in Jesus, then we can be challenged to practice that faith. Here are His words:
12 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.
15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.

Profession - and practice.  Those are critical elements in our life in Christ.  If we have called out to Him and accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, then we have the certainty that we have been born again.  We have the assurance from Scripture that we have the Holy Spirit within us, empowering us to keep His Word and bring glory to His name.  We can also know that He has made it possible to communicate with Him and to present our requests to Him according to His will.  Christianity is more than a series of religious exercises or rituals - it is a vibrant relationship with the living God.

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We are called to practice our faith in a manner that brings honor to God, and the Bible is our instruction manual, teaching us what pleases Him. James chapter 1 offers some insight into the importance of visibly practicing the faith we profess:
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.
27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

A new study released around Easter this year shows that over 60 percent of those surveyed in the world claimed to be religious.  There is an analysis on the British website The Independent that includes 7 charts about religiosity worldwide.

The piece quotes the WIN-Gallup International poll of more than 63,000 people in 65 countries. It says that in the country-by-country data there are two glaring omissions: Africa and The Middle East. The author surmises that it's safe to assume that, were they polled, the vast majority of those peoples would consider themselves religious — you'd expect something in excess of 90%.  I think that's a fair assumption.

Here are the 7 things that author Zachary Davies Boren points out:

1 - There are twice as many religious people as non-believers.  Based on those Gallup findings, those who are non-religious, including atheists, comprise 33 percent of the world - just over half of their religious equivalents.  And, as the author reminds us, bearing in mind which parts of the world were omitted, this is a very conservative comparison.

2 - China is by far the most atheist country.  Among countries in the survey, the most religious country is Thailand, where 94 per cent belong to a faith and just 1 per cent are atheists.

3 - Religion is dominant on every continent.  Western Europe and Oceania are considerably less religious than the other continents, but in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, religion is well more than double the size of any of the alternatives.

4 - Older people are, surprisingly, less religious.  That's right, and according to the study, people in the 44-54 age bracket are the least likely to be religious, the most likely to be atheist.  And, people in their twenties are most likely to identify with a religion, and so are a high proportion of those under 25.

5 - Housewives are the most often religious, the full-time employed the least.  Housewives (at 76%) are followed by retirees and then students.

6 - Wealthier people are less religious.  The survey shows, according the Independent article, there is a marked drop-off in religiosity between middle income individuals and upper-middle individuals.
In the middle-income bracket, only 8 percent identify as atheist, compared to 25 percent in the 'medium high' range.

7 - And so are people with more education.  Four out of five people without an education identify as religious, and that falls to 3 in 5 of those who attended university.  Also, as with age and income, the last bracket (post graduates) is slightly more religious and less atheistic than the second-to-last.

According to the summary of that survey from the WIN/Gallup International organization, as far as the most religious countries, Thailand is followed by Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Morocco, Fiji, and South Africa - all with over 90% claiming to be religious.  Just 30% of the citizens of the UK however consider themselves as religious and 70% of Russians and 56% of Americans describe themselves in the same way.

In, China 61% of people claim to be convinced atheists, approximately twice as many as any other country and 29% say that they are not religious compared to just 7% who are religious. The number of people claiming to be atheists was next highest in Hong Kong and Japan. The Swedish prove to be the least religious in the Western World with 78% saying they are either not religious or convinced atheists.

In Israel, 65% of those asked said that they are either not religious or convinced atheists compared to just 30% who say that they are religious. Meanwhile in the Palestinian Territories (West Bank and Gaza) the population is considerably more religious with 75% saying that they are religious compared to 18% who say that they are not religious.

There are some considerations we can have as we think about this data:

Of course, we know that many claim to be religious, but the important thing is not the faith we say we practice, but how we practice our faith.  We may identify ourselves as Christians, but we have to make sure that we are passionately following Christ and desiring to bear fruit for His glory.

We identify with the Christian religion, but the true test of that faith is the inward desire to be in relationship with Christ and the outward expression of His presence through our lives.

This survey can also provide some encouragement that there are many around the world who profess to be part of a religion.  And, while this survey doesn't break down which religion is being adhered to, we can be reminded that we have brothers and sisters in the Lord who are following Him. 

In countries where there is plenty of religion, but not religious freedom, we know that Christians are being persecuted because of their adherence to the name of Jesus.  We recognize that we are part of a worldwide body of Christ, sent into the world to testify to His glory and to spread His love and truth.  We are on mission, commissioned by the Lord Most High.