ADVENT DAY 8 (I Have the Holy Spirit Living in Me): Tactical Errors

Because Jesus has come into our lives, because we have been born again, we have been given a helper, as Jesus describes Him - the Holy Spirit provides guidance and strength so that we might live according to God's intent. Proverbs chapter 4 relates:
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

Perhaps you've heard the phrase in verse 23 translated as "guard your heart."  We face choices every day and Paul expertly illustrates in his writings the difference between walking according to the flesh and walking in the Spirit.  We have to be attentive to the direction of the Holy Spirit so that we are not ineffective or unproductive in our lives. Through the Spirit, we can experience life-giving power, we can make correct choices and reject destructive ideas and impulses that can negatively impact our walk with God.

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On this 8th day of December, Day 8 of our 25-day Faith Radio Advent Guide, entitled, "Because of Jesus...," we recognize that Jesus promised to send us the Holy Spirit to live inside of us, to provide us with power and guidance for our lives. Jesus said in John 14:
25 "These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

This year, there has been a season of reckoning for companies that have made decisions that have offended customers by embracing ideas that are not palatable to the general public and are offensive to Christians.  You can certainly name the culprits: Bud Light, Target, and of course, Disney, who has been persistent in pushing a worldview that is inconsistent with the historic ideals of the company.

And, Disney has admitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission that its intransigence has affected it financially.  The Christian Post reported:

Walt Disney Company suggested during a recent Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) report that its controversial stances on social issues could endanger its bottom line by causing "risks relating to misalignment with public and consumer tastes."

"Generally, our revenues and profitability are adversely impacted when our entertainment offerings and products, as well as our methods to make our offerings and products available to consumers, do not achieve sufficient consumer acceptance," the company wrote in the 10-K filing, which offers financial disclosures and potential risks to shareholders.

The company also admitted: "...consumers’ perceptions of our position on matters of public interest, including our efforts to achieve certain of our environmental and social goals, often differ widely and present risks to our reputation and brands."  

The article cites a Deadline story that reported that revenues were up 7%, the company had backed off on what the Post described as "film and TV content and staff."

But, Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, still insists on trying to, as columnist Jerry Bowyer writes for WORLD Magazine, "spin the underperformance of the company stock as being due to factors other than using shareholder resources to push social causes." Bowyer writes:

“Too many Marvel sequels,” said Bob Iger, speaking to the media. Except it’s not the Marvel sequels that have been the big losers. Consider that it was Lightyear, the Toy Story prequel, gave us Disney’s first same-sex kiss. Toy Story is a nostalgia franchise. If a same-sex kiss belongs anywhere in Disney, it isn’t there. It flopped. So did Elemental, which they’d hoped would become a franchise. Its “breakthrough” was that it was Disney’s first nonbinary character, complete with grammatically incorrect pronouns. Unfortunately, they/them lost his/her shareholders a lot of money.

The Marvels’ only superpower is the cast’s ability to take on the appearance of the DEI page of the corporate website. Unlike Captain Marvel herself, the movie didn’t fly. It’s not that diversity doesn’t work. The new animated Spiderman franchise has a multiethnic cast and has done quite well. The story is good. Identity quotas aren’t the drivers.

But, Iger has shown signs that he is not tone-deaf to the moral implications of Disney's content. Kennedy Unthank of Plugged In from Focus on the Family stated:

...Iger told investors during a Sept. 19 presentation that he wanted to “quiet the noise” it was making in “the culture war.” While Disney’s reputation has been on the downturn since 2017 (according to an Axios Harris poll), its engagement in said culture war has helped to earn it the rank of fifth most polarizing brand in 2023’s Axios Harris Poll 100.

It’s not the first time Iger has expressed a desire to move past the culture wars. At Disney’s 2023 Shareholder Meeting in April, he said, “Our primary mission needs to be to entertain. And then through our entertainment to continue to have a positive impact on the world. I’m very serious about that. It should not be agenda driven. It should be entertainment driven. That should be the goal in all of our stories.”

Well, I think that Disney is still in the "buyer beware" category.  Iger's comments may sound reassuring, but I think that Christian families are looking for some proof. And, who will define what he calls the "positive impact on the world?"  The final paragraph of the Plugged In piece notes:

Still, we can’t end without noting an encouraging fact underlying Iger’s statements: Enough families want family-friendly, agenda-free content to cause the CEO to reconsider the company’s strategy. And those families can still impact a corporate culture drifting away from its original family-focused vision. In a postmodern era that increasingly embraces the subjective truth of the world over the objective truth of God, that’s a fact that is nice to see. 

We recognize that what goes into our minds can impact our hearts - for good and bad.  That's why the absorption of God's Word is so very important.  And, we have to, as Proverbs 4 tells us, "guard our hearts."  The plethora of ideas bombarding our consciousness can make it challenging to listen to the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, and Psalm 46 encourages us to "be still" and know that He is God. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, and He will direct us away from thoughts and ideas that do not line up with Scripture - we have to develop a sense of discernment in order to effectively navigate the world in which we live, in which God has placed us.  

We also recognize that if God is calling us to take action in a particular area of our life, the Holy Spirit provides us with supernatural power.  We can withstand the onslaught of unbiblical ideas - we can fight off the wiles of the enemy, who would attempt to sideline us from doing the will of God.  Our call is to live holy lives before the Lord and reflect His presence within us - only as we rely on that presence do we experience the ability to overcome.

ADVENT DAY 7 (I Have Been Given the Word of God): Living By the Word

There's a passage in the first chapter of the book of John that can remind us of the power and authority of God's Word, and how Jesus Himself was and is the Word who became flesh. We can find these words:
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the living Word, and because He lives, the Scriptures can come alive to us. When we dedicate ourselves to learning, knowing, and growing in the Word, our lives reflect the presence of Jesus, the Word who became flesh.  A critical component of knowing and following Jesus is to absorb His Word into our consciousness.  We can commit ourselves to more than just reading the Word or even conducting Bible study or a Bible reading plan - we have to consider how to apply what we have learned and allow the Holy Spirit to give us specific action steps, so that we may be obedient.

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It's Day 7 of our 25-day spiritual "Advent-ure" on Faith Radio, and we examining what Jesus has done for us - we have been forgiven, and we have access to a variety of spiritual blessings. We grow in the Lord as we spend time with Him in prayer, fellowship, and reading, studying, and meditating on the Word of God - the more we know, the more capable we can become in applying His truth. So, our Day 7 theme is, "I have been given the Word of God." Our theme Scripture is Hebrews 4:12, which states:
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Later in the chapter, we can find these words:
15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We know that one area of the world in which the Word of God is producing fruit is the nation of China. We hear and see reports about how, even in the midst of persecution, Christian believers are growing strong.  

The Christian Post recently published a story about a new Pew Research study that seems to indicate that the Church's growth in China is waning.  But, someone who should know has openly questioned the findings.  The article quotes from David Curry, President and CEO of Global Christian Relief, who wrote in a recent op-ed on FoxNews.com: "A recent Pew Research Report measuring religion in China suggests that Christianity in the country has stagnated and is perhaps even in decline...," adding, "But to borrow from Mark Twain, such suggestions seem greatly exaggerated. In fact, many of us who are advocating for persecuted Christians globally believe the Christian community in China might even be growing..."

According to the article:

The Pew study cited a survey by the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), which claimed about 23.2 million adults in China self-identified as Christian in 2010, whereas 19.9 million identified as Christians in the 2018. Both Curry and Pew Research noted such figures might be unreliable, however.

Curry suggests that "according to the analysts within Global Christian Relief, and our many contacts on the ground in China, only about one in five people are self-reporting."  Based on his comments, a "reluctance" to "identify as Christian" could certainly skew the data. He commented to The Christian Post about President Xi's impact on the Church:

"Part of that scenario is to try to minimize faith in general, but Christianity specifically, in large part because there are so many Christians, and this is why the number of Christians is significant," Curry explained. He speculated that the number of Christians in China is somewhere between 100 million to 120 million people, which is more than the approximately 98 million members of the CCP.

Curry concludes his Fox piece by saying, "It’s easy to believe the latest bleak reports, which make for great headline fodder. But the truth is, those of us who want to see a growing, thriving Christian presence in China do not have compelling reasons to despair and perhaps even have reasons to rejoice."

In the fires of persecution, the Church is growing in China and other nations of the world. Their devotion to Christ and reliance on His Word are certainly contributing factors.  The presence of the seed of God's Word, as Jesus teaches us, can produce enormous fruit, as long as our hearts are committed to Him and not distracted or disillusioned.  Because, as Jesus teaches in Mark 4, if pressures of this life are allowed to weaken the seed, then we will not bear the fruit that God desires.  So, we have to keep our hearts focused on Him and make sure we are open to the work of the Word inside of us. 

Anxiety and discouragement are powerful forces that threaten the production of fruit. Complacency is another enemy of a productive, vibrant Christian life.  Paul speaks about "pressing on" in the book of Philippians, and we have to maintain our sense of devotion to the Lord daily.  But, we can be certain that if we make the Word of God a priority, that living Word can produce living fruit and make us more alive to and through the Lord who lives in our hearts. 

ADVENT DAY 6 (I Have Abundant Life): Abundance in Adversity

When we talk about Jesus, we recognize His outrageous love for each of us and His desire to fill us with His Spirit and enable us to live the abundant life. The book of 3rd John describes what you could call "prosperity of soul." It says:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.
4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

It's important to have a prosperous soul, and the basis for that is found in the perceding verses. We are called to walk in truth.  The degree to which we experience the abundant life is directly related to how we abide in Christ - the branches drawing strength from the vine.  We grow in Him by making His Word a priority and walking in obedience.  We are to seek Him first in all things, so that His glory may be seen expressed through our lives. 

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We are now on Day 6 of our 25-day spiritual Advent-ure, in the Faith Radio Advent Guide, which communicates to us about what Jesus has done for us, by His love bringing us forgiveness, new life, and so much more. So, we can rejoice in His blessings! Our theme Scripture for today is found in John chapter 10, which says:
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

So, today, we can declare, "I have abundant life!"  That is our theme.

And, the abundant life is not determined by what we have in our bank account or the degree to which we live in desirable circumstances.

That is certainly illustrated by an educator from Virginia, about whom Ryan Bomberger of The Radiance Foundation wrote in a recent column for The Christian Post.  The subject of the article is a young PE teacher in Loudoun County named Tanner Cross - perhaps you're familiar with his story.  Faced with the school board's radical policy, as Bomberger write, Cross "chose to serve God, not a woke and morally broke school board." The column goes on to say:

“I love all my students, but I cannot call a boy a girl and a girl a boy.” Tanner’s words, spoken courageously and graciously, resulted not only in his being suspended but being banned from all school property and events. LCPS demanded that he lie to his students. He refused. So, they tried to make an example of him.

But, the courts restored Cross to his position.  That's not the end of the story, though.

Ryan Bomberger discovered that Tanner and Andrea Cross had been on a decade-long journey to have children. They had entered into the adoption process from foster care, but state officials apparently frowned on having a white family adopt children of a different ethnicity. Ryan calls it like he sees it: "racism." He says, "I’m from a family of 15, where we’re white, black, mixed, Native American, Vietnamese, able and disabled. No child should ever be denied a home because the parents don’t somehow 'match' the child."  He and 9 of his siblings were adopted - he was the first.

Ryan and Bethany Bomberger had created a fund to help adoptive families at the time when God brought the Crosses into their lives.  He writes:

My wife Bethany and I had just created the Henry & Andrea Bomberger Adopted and Loved Fund, to honor the incredible legacy of faith and love of my late father and mother (who is still alive and unleashing purpose in others). They adopted 10 of their 13 kids; I was the first one. Bethany and I are adoptive parents too. It’s why our heart has been to help others experience the transformative power of such an act of compassion, sacrifice, and justice. As I watched Tanner’s news interviews and read more from the couple’s social media posts, I knew they had to be the first recipients of our organization’s adoption fund for Christian families.

The Crosses have a new addition to their family, a baby boy named Josiah; Bomberger writes, "His birthparents selflessly chose the Crosses to be the parents God meant for Tanner and Angela to be. We captured their story-beyond-the-headlines."

Ryan, who has been a guest on The Meeting House, stated this regarding how God works:

I’m thankful for a God who always hears our cries. An adoptee who was once rescued from the violence of abortion was able to play a small role in the miracle God had been orchestrating for their lives.

And it all started with courage. Had Tanner chosen not to speak from his heart, had he chosen not to stand up for his students and for the truth, I never would have heard of him. How many times do we miss out on a miracle because we shy away from doing the hard things?

Jesus has provided us with abundant life.  This is a story that has so many elements and illustrates how He works in our lives and can remind us that He is still at work, even though we may not see it. That can give us great joy.  That can bring fullness to our hearts - that can produce the abundant life; again, it's not always measured through the amount of our resources or the degree to which things always go the way we think they should.  But, even through adversity, the Crosses have experienced abundance.  Ryan Bomberger has experienced the abundant life - even though things could have gone another way, God had his hand on this man's life.  

Our desire should always be to grow in our walk with the Lord, to experience His love and companionship, and to be characterized by devoted obedience.  The Bible relates to us about sowing to the Spirit - if we do so, I believe that we will have an abundance of His fruit, and abundance of His presence, and, yes, we may even see physical, tangible blessings.  But, it starts with our humility before God, to desire to live the life that Jesus has made possible.   

ADVENT DAY 5 (I Have Eternal Life): Woman Finds 300+ Year-Old Bible

The reliability and permanence of the Word of God communicate to us that we can trust God with our very lives. 1st Peter 1 relates:
22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
24 because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the Lord endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

We can be confident about where we will spend eternity because of the promises God has made to us in His Word.  The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  If we hear the Word and believe in what it says about salvation, we can recognize that have passed from death to life, and have been rescued from the power of sin, which carries with it an eternal death sentence.  But Jesus has come and freed us from that sentence, paid our penalty, and freed us from its bondage.

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It is helpful to see our lives in the light of Christ's finished, eternal work. And, in today's Advent Scripture from the 2023 Faith Radio Advent Guide, we concentrate on this truth emanating from our relationship with Christ: I have eternal life. It's Day 5 of the 25-Day spiritual "advent-ure," and the theme Scripture verse is found in this passage from the 6th chapter of Romans:

(19b) For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

Now, the featured verse, verse 23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Because we have believed upon God's Word and prayed to receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can know that we have salvation through Him.  The Word, who became flesh, existed from the beginning and we are told that it "endures forever."

It's hard to grasp the concept of eternity.  But, the good news is that we will be with the Lord forever in heaven - our eternal home. 

There is a recent occurrence in Des Moines, Iowa that can help us recall the enduring nature of God's Word.  It centers around the owner of Pageturners Bookstore, Kathy Macgruder, who, according to the Faithwire website, had visited a local senior living home and made an amazing discovery - a Bible, estimated to be 318 years old! The article says that, "She had gone to the home to look for unique texts and the Bible eventually stood out."  Faithwire goes on to say:

First and foremost, it was printed in 1705 in Selkirkshire, Scotland, and was potentially done so illegally without the monarchy’s permission; such an infraction could lead to a death sentence at the time, KCCI-TV reported.

Magruder was also able to track down who initially owned the Bible, as there was reportedly a family history scribbled in the middle of the book.

“I knew exactly where this book was at a particular time and a particular place, and I knew who owned it, which was pretty exciting,” she said. “You don’t find that very often.”

The article notes:

Nursing home officials don’t know how the Bible arrived at the location, and Magruder hasn’t yet been able to locate relatives of the original owners.

The big question, of course, is how it made its way over the pond and into the U.S.

Magruder’s quest to dig up additional information continues. She eventually plans to sell the Bible...

Certainly, this Bible has had a lengthy life - and the information that is contained in its pages not only tells God's story, but the stories of those who have come in contact with it. This can really cause us to think about how our interaction with God's Word can change our lives - its story completely alters our story, and tells us about our future history - because we have eternal life!

When you accepted Christ, your life was placed on a new timeline.  You became part of a new, fresh, and exciting story.  God's plan for the redemption of humanity was applied to your life.  Now, you have a promise of life beyond the grave - true, eternal life, that is in your heart this very moment.  Because your eternity with Jesus began when you were born again. So, we can embrace the story and walk in the tried and true, timeless principles of the Word of God.

ADVENT DAY 4 (I Am United With Christ): Animation Initiative Reaches Missions

As He concluded His Great Commission to the Church, Jesus said that He would be with us always. The Bible tells us that our Lord will never leave nor forsake us. And, as He prepared to leave this earth and ascend into heaven, Acts 1 tells us:
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7 And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Jesus is our Immanuel - God with us.  We are united with Him.  Jesus lives in our hearts and we have access to the Holy Spirit's power.  So, we now have to consider what we are going to do with what He has provided for us.  We can walk through life trying to live according to our own strength, or live on a level that is less than what God has in store. Or, we can allow the Spirit to take us to places that we cannot even imagine.  Because we are united with Christ. 

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Welcome into Day 4 of our 25-day Faith Radio Advent Guide, entitled, "Because of Jesus."  We stand on the cornerstone of the cross where Jesus died and the empty tomb from which Jesus was raised.  And, because of His life, we have new life in Him, which has enormous implications.

Today, we emphasize the theme, "I Am United With Christ." The accompanying Scripture is found in Matthew 1:23, which is found in this passage, which includes the words of the angel who appeared to Joseph, saying...
(20b) "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
23 "Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."

God is with us - Immanuel.  The living Lord lives in our hearts.

And, that is a message that is being spread far and wide through something started by two friends from college, according to CBN.com, which reports:

During their college days, long-time friends Tim Mackie and Jon Collins would kick around ideas on how to get more people to read the Bible and understand it better.

The result was a Bible animation experiment called BibleProject, and it was only two videos, posted online in 2014 for their friends.

The article says:

After attending Bible college together, Jon served as a pastor before beginning a career making explainer videos for large companies. Tim got his PhD in Hebrew Bible and Jewish studies, becoming a pastor and seminary professor. Then they decided to combine Tim's Bible knowledge and Jon's creative abilities, and BibleProject was born.

How does it work?  Here's a little insight, according to CBN:

BibleProject seeks to help those who only see the Bible as a collection of inspirational quotes. It takes on those difficult passages in the Bible that many Christians tend to avoid because they seem to be confusing or disturbing.

Michael McDonald of BibleProject is quoted as saying: "It's pretty neat to see kids from like the age of ten who are even writing in saying just how engaged they are in the Scriptures. And then we've got like 85-year-old folks that are writing and saying, 'I thought this one was for my grandkids. At 85, I never thought I would go back and read the Bible with new eyes.'"

According to the article, in fewer than 10 years, "BibleProject has created over 180 videos and 350 podcast episodes over the internet, with over 620 million views in over 200 countries, and over five million subscribers worldwide, even offering seminary-level classes."

The content is available in 56 languages, and is reportedly having an impact on the Muslim world. 

Collins relates, "One thing we think God is doing is that He's helping people see the Bible as a really important part of their life. And what we think our contribution to that is, is helping people see the Bible through this paradigm of Biblical theology, where you appreciate the Bible and its literary design and you understand the Bible as a story and you see how the story leads to Jesus."

The message is unchanging, but the methodology can change because of obedience, creativity, and technology.  And, there is fruit - the Word is going forth, and as Isaiah tells us, the Word does not return void. 

Our theme today is that "I Am United With Christ." Matthew 1 emphasizes that He would be called, "Immanuel," which means "God with Us."  The world today needs to grasp that.  We can consider what our contribution will be - day by day, in partnership with the Savior who lives within us. 

Because of our knowledge that He is with us and we are united with Him, we can reflect our dependence on Christ, testifying that our Savior is alive in us!

ADVENT DAY 1 (I Am Forgiven): Losing the Blame Game

It is the first day of 25 as we walk through the Faith Radio Advent Guide, and we have chosen to feature the topic of forgiveness. We have been made right with God through what Jesus did - coming to earth, dying on the cross, rising from the dead. 1st John 1 provides this insight:
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In the Christian faith, we make much about the cross - rightfully so!  At Faith Radio, we annual make available 7-foot wooden crosses to be displayed during the Christmas season, as a reminder of why Jesus came to earth: a loving God sent His only Son into a fallen world that had been separated from Him, to be our substitute, to pay the penalty for our sins.  He died on that cross so that in Him we might have forgiveness and the ability to come to Him and confess our sins so that we may experience a consistent state of forgiveness.

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Welcome in to Day 1 of our 25-Day Faith Radio Advent Guide, with this year's theme, Because of Jesus.  The Guide can be found in the center of latest Faith Radio Ministry Magazine, and if you do not have it at your home by virtue of being a subscriber, you can find it online at the Ministry Magazine page at FaithRadio.org - there's a link from the home page. 

The cover of the Ministry Magazine emphasizes the word, "Forgiven," and features a rendition of Isaiah 9:6, which says, "For unto us a child is born, Unto us a Son is given."  Combine the first and last words, and you have the word, "Forgiven."  

Certainly, Jesus came to earth so that we might receive salvation, that we might be redeemed, that we would receive forgiveness for our sins. Being forgiven means we are free to live the Christian life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our Scripture reading for Day 1 is found in Colossians chapter 1; it says:
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Franklin Graham, who leads the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the relief organization Samaritans Purse, tweeted out recently about a soccer star's misfortune; he stated:

Soccer player Megan Rapinoe was in the news for saying that the injury in her final game was “proof” there is no God. She couldn’t be more wrong! Life is full of disappointments, but there is a God. He created us, and He loves and cares for us; but the problem we have is sin. Sin separates us from God. The only way we can have a personal relationship with Him is by repenting of our sin and putting our faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

After the embarrassing early exit by the U.S. Women's National Team last year at the Women's World Cup, I shared a quote from The Stream, written by Joseph D'Hippolito, who had said:

Megan Rapinoe will be remembered for turning the national women’s soccer team into a personal political plaything, for contaminating team morale and for alienating large segments of the team’s fan base — in many cases, permanently.

The Christian Post included a quote from the soccer "star," that was tweeted by Outkick; she said in a press conference after the game: "I’m not a religious person or anything and if there was a God, like, this is proof that there isn’t," adding, after two short sentences, each including a profane word, "Six minutes in and I eat my Achilles."

So, let me get this straight - this soccer player, who represents the United States on a world stage yet protests the National Anthem, is blaming a God she doesn't believe in for something bad happening to her.  Her personal injury is proof that there is no God?  As if He owed her some sort of blessing to keep her from getting hurt?  But, wait, she doesn't believe in Him?  I'm sooooo confused.

It does seem rather convenient that atheists will go around and blame God for all the bad in the world. But, if we're assigning blame, we need to go back to the Garden, when two people, created by God to live in a state of perpetual fellowship and communion with Him, disobeyed Him, resulting in the fall of humanity and producing a curse on this world.

I am reminded of a conversation in the movie, God's Not Dead, in which professing atheist professor Radisson, played by Kevin Sorbo, is challenged by his student, Josh Wheaton, played by Shane Harper.  I found the transcript at the IMDB website:

Josh Wheaton : Do you hate God, professor?
Professor Radisson : That's not even a question.
Josh Wheaton : Okay, why, do you hate God?
Professor Radisson : This is ridiculous.
Josh Wheaton : Why do you hate God? You've seen the evidence and the science, it supports His existence, you know the truth! So why do you hate God, professor? Why do you hate Him? It's a very simple question, professor, why do you hate God?
Professor Radisson : BECAUSE HE TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME! YES, I HATE GOD! ALL I HAVE FOR HIM IS HATE!
Josh Wheaton : How could you hate someone, who doesn't even exist?

I think this illustrates the fallacy and deception of atheism.  We must recognize that out of this fallen world came a Savior, who came to this world as a human so that He might redeem us. Rather than blame God for everything bad, we can rejoice in the Lord for all the good things He has done - including bringing us forgiveness for our sins, and enabling us to restore fellowship with Him when we do sin. 1st John 1:9 tells us that, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Bad things that happen do not prove there is no God - rather, they can point us to a God who walks with us when the unfortunate occurs.  In the disappointment, pain, and suffering, we can run to the Savior, who died for us, who will walk through us in our desperation.  God's Son was given so that we might be for-given.

Changing Churches

The local church is part of a worldwide body of Christ - established by Jesus on the truth of Jesus, on the Word who became flesh, and is called to be devoted to teaching and living out the Word. In Matthew 16, we can find these words:
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"

16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

So, we have a firm foundation upon which the Church is built: Jesus told Peter that His Father had revealed that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God.  So, the living God living through His people produces a Church that is vibrant, committed to the growth of its people internally and the growth of the Church externally. We can walk day by day with the realization that we are part of an incredible global force for the glory of God.

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We belong to the body of Christ, the Church of the Living God, and this passage in 1st Timothy chapter 3 provides a reminder:
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

Jesus said in Matthew 16 that His Church would be built on the rock of recognition that He is the "Christ, the Son of the living God."  So, the Church, the body of Christ, of which He is the head, should reflect Him.  Local churches are vital parts of His Church, where we can connect with and worship Jesus in a special way, where we can be taught the truth, and where we can fellowship with like-minded believers.

A new Lifeway Research study examines the multiple reasons for which people change their church affiliation. The survey summary says that the organization "studied 1,001 U.S. adults who identify as Protestant or non-denominational, attend church worship services at least twice a month and have attended more than one church as an adult." It relates, "53% of U.S. regular churchgoers say they have attended more than one church as an adult. Among those who have switched congregations, 63% say they’ve regularly attended only two to three churches as an adult, while another 22% have attended four to five congregations."

Not surprisingly, the number one reason why people change churches is a change of location. The summary states: "Three in 5 church switchers (60%) say a residential move impacted their decision to leave their previous church and begin attending a new one."

There were several factors which all placed in the 25-30 percent range: "some things changed about the church they did not like," "the church was not fulfilling their needs or reasons for attending church," "they became disenchanted in some ways with the pastor," or "they became disenchanted with the church."

Lifeway Research Executive Director Scott McConnell is quoted as saying, “Almost half of church switchers are motivated by the need to get out of a church they are displeased with. But that doesn’t mean the change won’t impact them for the better,” adding, “While the biggest improvements reported by church switchers are things they receive, large numbers also report that personal spiritual growth, deeper relationships, increased involvement and service resulted from their church move.”

I would contend that there are positive and negative reasons for seeking out a new church home.  Obviously, location will be a big factor in that church decision, and the move to a new area can provide the opportunity and perhaps the challenge to be involved in a local body.

But, among other reasons, there is the element of the church itself changing.  That would apparently, based on the survey summary, mean that a pastoral change would perhaps be a catalyst for people seeking out new church homes.  

We just have to make sure that our reasons are Biblical and led by the Spirit.  If we find that we have become chronic complainers or do not feel at home in a particular church situation, the problem may lie more with the individual than with the church body.  We have to make sure that we don't allow a critical spirit to govern our church involvement.

We can also recognize that because the local church is comprised of human beings, there will be human elements, there may be conflict, or hurt - that may result in a perceived need for a fresh start.  

And, a church change may take place because of spiritual drift on the part of a pastor or congregation.  Has the commitment to truth waned; has spiritual atrophy set in?  If we are not careful, we can find that a natural decline will occur - each of us individually, as well as in our churches and ministries, must guard against this decline and make sure that we are committed to growing in Christ.  If complacency is there, it opens the door for the enemy to diminish the witness of a congregation.  

I think a helpful attitude can be to find the place where God wants to use us and to serve with all our might.  Rather than possess a "consumer mentality" that is centered solely on what the church can do for us, we can think about how God would use us.  But, that should ideally be balanced with a recognition of serving in a congregation in which we can grow spiritually, that is consistent with our own beliefs, that are consistent with Scripture.