Warmth for the Holidays

Healing from trauma, pain, and rejection becomes possible, related to a person's willingness to reach out to others - to look beyond their own troubles and seek to meet the needs of others. Philippians 2 says this:
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

The names of the film companies communicate the mission: Hard Faith and A Channel for Peace.  The filmmakers are Spencer Folmar and Daniel Roebuck, respectively, who co-directed and co-wrote the movie. You may remember Daniel for any number of roles, including a gig in the original TV series, Matlock, with Andy Griffith. He was on The Meeting House in 2018 to discuss a film he directed, in which he also acted, called, Getting Grace. 

Daniel is from Bethlehem - Pennsylvania, that is.  And, he loves his hometown.  He was recently involved in the making of a film called, St. Nick of Bethlehem. The website for the Brown and White reported:

The movie’s plot is based on the true story of Allen Smith, a Bethlehem resident who began portraying Santa Claus throughout the city as a way to cope with the loss of his son. In the film, his life is transformed as he learns the power of kindness, rekindles an old flame and becomes a beacon of hope for his community.

At its core, Saint Nick of Bethlehem is a film about the spirit of the city of Bethlehem.

After Hallmark’s recent movie Miracle in Bethlehem, PA was filmed in Winnipeg, Canada, it would have been a familiar disappointment to local audiences if this movie had been filmed anywhere but Bethlehem.

Instead, it was shot and sourced almost entirely in the city, filled with references only a local production team could craft and only local audiences could fully grasp.

The article notes:

In 2020, Roebuck founded A Channel of Peace, a Bethlehem-based nonprofit dedicated to producing and supporting films and multimedia projects that celebrate faith in God and advance the values of family, love and service to others, according to its website.

Folmar told the Bold Journey website:

My resilience as a filmmaker is deeply rooted in my faith and my unwavering belief that every challenge presents an opportunity for growth. The film industry is not for the faint of heart—it’s a relentless, often unforgiving field where setbacks and rejections are the norms. But for me, resilience isn’t just about enduring; it’s about thriving in the face of adversity. It’s about finding strength in my faith, which serves as both a foundation and a guide, reminding me that the work I do has a purpose beyond just entertainment.

The movie premiered in December in the little town, and the website relates:

After the film, as the audience gave a standing ovation, Roebuck took the stage to acknowledge Smith and his wife Gina Raymond, the real-life inspirations for the movie.

Roebuck said it was God’s will that the premiere coincided with both of their birthdays, and he invited the audience to sing for them.

Roebuck shared with the audience that the first call he made while making the film was to Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds. Reynolds then took the stage and presented Roebuck with a certificate.

“You have taken that Bethlehem spirit to Hollywood and throughout the world,” Reynolds said to him. “Whereas you have been such an honored part of our community, I proclaim November 17, 2024, as Saint Nick Day of Bethlehem.”

Well, as we think about this film and its connection to Pennsylvania's Bethlehem, that we recognize the hope that a man born in Bethlehem, in Judea, has brought to the world.  He is the One who is more than capable to heal our broken lives, to bring restoration and hope, and to touch lives by His Holy Spirit. 

God ordained for Jesus to be born in a certain place, filled with His majestic purpose; Micah 5:2 states: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." Jesus fulfilled that and hundreds more prophecies written about Him, and that can give us great confidence in the authenticity and reliability of His Word, which is filled with, as 2nd Peter 1 says, "exceedingly great and precious promises."  So, we can trust in His promises and know that God loves us and desires to bring us into a closer relationship with Himself, so that we might grow in our faith and be grounded in hope.

Pure Truth

We need clear direction for our lives, and the appropriation of God's Word into our minds and our practice is so critical throughout the challenges of life. The Word is our source of wisdom and strength, and it should be a consistent priority for the Christian life. Hebrews 4 tells us:
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.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

There was a phenomenon that occurred in the publishing industry last year, and it's summarized in an article at the CBN website, which says:

...Bible sales are up 22% this year through the end of October when compared to last year’s sales during the same time period, making for “a golden age of Bible publishing,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

By contrast, the article notes: "U.S. book sales were up less than 1% during that same period, meaning the Bible’s growth in sales far outpaced what was happening more generally in the print literary space."

Jeff Crosby, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, is quoted by the Journal, stating: “People are experiencing anxiety themselves, or they’re worried for their children and grandchildren,” adding  “It’s related to artificial intelligence, election cycles…and all of that feeds a desire for assurance that we’re going to be OK."

And, there's more encouraging data that has been emerging; the CBN article relates:

As CBN News reported in 2023, research backs the idea young people have a growing curiosity about faith. The “State of the Bible 2023” report released at the time did reveal a steady decline among young people engaging with Scripture. Yet, 44% of Gen Z adults between the ages of 18-26 were either very or extremely curious about Jesus and/or the Bible.

In 2024, the American Bible Society, which publishes the "State of the Bible" reports, found that 21% of young adults in Gen Z have "...actually increased their use of the Bible within the last year,” according to John Plake, Chief Program Officer at the Society, who related that to CBN News. Plake noted: “They’re leaning into the Bible,” adding: “They’re really trying to engage in their faith and they are kind of a bright hope for us as a young generation of American adults.”  Around half of Gen Z reported the Bible had changed them. 

Decision Magazine, in its story on this rise in Bible sales, which were reported by Circana Bookscan, stated:

According to the American Psychological Association, 77% of responders to the 2024 Stress in America Poll stated that the U.S.’s future was a source of significant stress in their lives. The second most common stress was the economy (73%), followed by the 2024 U.S. presidential election (69%).

Observing that first-time Bible purchasers are contributing to the increase, Bethany Martin, the manager of the Faith & Life Bookstore in Newton, Kansas, believes people are searching for hope.

“They’re looking for hope with the world the way it is,” Martin said, “and the Bible is what they’re reaching for.”

Writing for Answers in Genesis, Ken Ham states:

This upward trend in Bible purchasing is being attributed to the proliferation of new Bible designs (such as note-taking Bibles, chronological Bibles, various study Bibles, etc.) and to the anxiety and hopelessness so many people are feeling in today’s world. According to one publisher, there’s two groups buying Bibles: “the spiritually curious, who are perhaps picking up their first Bible, and those seeking a deeper sense of spirituality and expanding existing Bible collections.”

Praise the Lord! It’s wonderful to hear that so many people are purchasing—and hopefully that also means reading—God’s Word.

There's the key - a Bible on a shelf or a coffee table doesn't produce spiritual fruit.  We have to not only read God's Word, which we know will not return void, but study it, think about it, meditate on it, and DO IT!  A Bible-believing Christian is someone who actually acts according to what he or she finds in the pages of Scripture.  The book of James encourages us to be doers of the word and not just hearers. 

Our devotion to the Word will produce incredible insight into the ways of God and provide strength for us as we face the challenges of life.  This rise in the sales of Bibles, hopefully, indicates that there is a thirst for knowledge, an admittance that people need help - and hope.  Jesus is our hope-giver, and He speaks to us through His Word; after all, the Bible tells us that He is the Word who became flesh.  As you face the New Year, I encourage you to make Bible reading and Bible application a priority.  Faith Radio can help - we have a Bible available through our app, as well as an audio Bible and Bible reading plan.  Plus, we have a stellar lineup of sound Bible teachers who can assist you in your spiritual growth.

An Unhealthy Arrangement

The Bible speaks of calling good evil and evil good, and we see that manifested through the moral relativism that is all around us, where there is a striking lack of moral clarity and decisions are made not on basic, Biblical truth, but on manufactured philosophies that don't contribute to stable lives or a stable society. In Judges 17, we read about a man who decided to violate God's law, build a shrine, make his son his priest, and then recruit yet another priest. Micah ultimately discovered his self-styled religion wouldn't save him. That chapter says:
5 The man Micah had a shrine, and made an ephod and household idols; and he consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.
6 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

This is a story that shows an example of doing what is right in one's own eyes and violating the principles of Scripture.  The embrace of the LGBT agenda, to the extent that gay people can now enter into something falsely called, "marriage," and even adopt children or, through a surrogacy process, produce a child that they disingenuously call their own, has resulted in a minefield of moral decadence.

ChristianNews.net reports this story out of Georgia:

A homosexual “married” couple from Walton County will spend the rest of their lives in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of sexually abusing their two adopted children. The children were adopted from the now-defunct adoption agency All God’s Children, Inc., which was run by Emily Bailey, according to government filings for the charity.

The article says: "William and Zachary Zulock were found guilty on multiple charges related to the abuse, according to the Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, which covers Walton and Newton counties."  It goes on to report:

A search of the Zulocks’ home revealed disturbing evidence. The couple had adopted two young boys, and during interviews, both men confessed to sexually abusing the children. Investigators also reviewed two weeks’ worth of footage from the home’s interior surveillance cameras, which showed multiple instances of abuse. Additionally, the defendants’ cell phones contained graphic material and conversations related to the abuse.

Zachary Zulock’s phone also contained messages exchanged with Luis Vizcarro-Sanchez, who was later arrested for pandering a person under 18. Vizcarro-Sanchez pleaded guilty to the charge and to stealing computers from his employer, a Kroger in Loganville. He was sentenced to 16 years, with 15 years to be served in prison.

The total sentence for the Zulocks: 100 years, according to the article's headline.

And, keep in mind, this adoption arrangement was facilitated by the now-defunct adoption agency.  Failure to place the necessary guardrails on what type of couple could adopt resulted in devastation for the children.  Just a few years ago, a large Christian adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services, announced it would begin to place children in homes led by gay couples.  But, Alan Schlemon of Stand to Reason cautioned against such an arrangement over a decade ago, writing:

The real question is whether a child who needs to be adopted is best served by a heterosexual couple or a homosexual couple – all things being equal. The question focuses on the needs of the child, not the wants of homosexuals who are politically motivated to normalize same-sex marriage and parenting.

He stated: "The answer is straightforward: decades of published research in psychology, social science, and medicine demonstrate that children do best when raised by a mother and father (especially the biological parents) in a long-term marriage..."  He goes on to say: "That’s because a mother and a father each provide a unique and important contribution to their role as parents. Children who are raised – for example – in fatherless families suffer, on average, in every measure of well-being. They have higher levels of physical and mental illness, educational difficulties, poverty, substance abuse, criminal behavior, loneliness, and physical and sexual abuse..."

At Randy Alcorn's Eternal Perspective Ministries website, Julia Mayo wrote:

There are certainly loving and caring and non-abusive same-sex couples. As is true of all heterosexuals also, being wrong in one way doesn’t necessitate being wrong in every way. Still, we need to acknowledge the inherently negative consequences for the child growing up with two married mothers or fathers. The lesser of two evils is still an evil.

Consequences she notes include:

• Distorted view of marriage
• Disregard for the word of God
• Gender confusion
• The pain when recognition of sin comes.

She goes on to relate:

No childhood is perfect, but as the body of Christ on earth, it’s our responsibility to work to give as many children as possible gospel-oriented childhoods where they will be supported and loved where they can experience the strong hope of Jesus. If we’re not willing to do this personally, it feels awfully hypocritical to prevent or discourage others from stepping up and providing a stable household to children in need. But when that happens we cannot overlook the consequences, for both parent and child, that come from a family who does not fear God, but rather does what’s right in their own eyes.

Now, my including this report about the homosexual couple in Georgia being imprisoned doesn't mean to imply that all LGBT individuals abuse children. After all, those who are heterosexual do that, as well.  But, I believe that Biblically and biologically speaking, those are involved in homosexuality are involved in sexual deviancy; as Romans 1 teaches us, they are taking part in behavior that is abhorrent to God.  So, whether or not they are physically abusing children, homosexuals are exposing vulnerable children to behavior that could warp their worldview.  And, by the way, I believe that couples who cohabit should not adopt children, either. 

Fact is, our culture is strengthened when children are raised in a healthy environment.  And, let me interject that single parents face a challenging task in raising kids, and the Church can be sensitized to help them in that pursuit.  And, there are more Christian homes that are needed to adopt and/or provide foster care for children.  If Christians who are pro-life are encouraging women to choose to give life to their babies and perhaps make them available for adoption, it seems to make sense to me that the Church should be facilitating an adoption-friendly environment.  When you depart from God's standards, it opens the door to all sorts of chaos and moral relevancy; we justify what does not comport with His teachings.

Spur of the Moment

We are placed on this earth in order to bring glory to God - we do that by entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and in so doing, we pledge to follow Him, to obey His principles. We are called to love the things of God, including His justice. I want to go back to Proverbs 24, which lays out for us a clear illustration of Biblical justice:
11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?
13 My son, eat honey because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off.

Two incidents in which a man's life was taken have been in the news recently.  One involved a U.S. military veteran who saw lives endangered in a New York City subway and took steps to neutralize the threat - unfortunately, his vigilance resulted in the death of the man he apprehended.  In the other, a man walked up to the executive of a large health care corporation and shot him point blank in front of a New York City hotel.  There are some who actually applaud the man who killed a man in cold blood rather than the one who made a heroic gesture. 

In mid-December, a piece ran at Crosswalk Headlines.  Milton Quintanilla wrote: 

Two high-profile cases have been part of the national conversation lately and have sparked discussions concerning matters of justice, morality, and the sanctity of life. First, you have Daniel Penny, the 26-year-old marine veteran, who was previously accused of killing Jordan Peely, a 30-year-old homeless man, when he placed him in a chokehold as part of Penny's attempt to protect subway passengers from Peely, who had been acting erratically and threatening them.

Earlier this week, Penny was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the subway chokehold case, just days after he was dismissed from a second-degree manslaughter charge after the jury deadlocked. While some have praised Penny for being a good samaritan for his actions, others have denounced him as a racist since he is white and Peely is black.

Regarding the other case, Quintanilla said:

Then you have Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old Ivy League graduate who is charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson. Mangione had fatally shot Thompson in New York City last week as Thompson was heading towards an insurance conference, where he was scheduled to speak. In Mangione's case, he railed against the healthcare industry and believed that his actions were just, even if it was the murder of a businessman, husband, and father. He also received support online, to even be deemed a hero, as they too are frustrated with the healthcare industry.

The difference is clear, and the writer points that out, stating: "Although Penny was commended for his actions, others still see him as a murderer. In contrast, Mangione has received praise as a hero, even if he committed murder. This goes to show how far we have fallen as a society, which has called "evil good, and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20)." 

He went on to say, "Christians are reminded that ultimately, 'vengeance belongs to the Lord' when it comes to seeking retaliation or revenge for ourselves. At the same time, however, we are to practice righteousness and help those in need or who are in danger. Let us remember that each of us 'will give an account of ourselves to God" (Romans 14:12), so how we live in the now matters.'"

But, Nashville businessman Peter Demos calls for the teachings of Scripture to be applied as we wrestle with these difficult issues.  He outlines views progressives who say Penny's actions violate Scriptural admonition against murder and some Christians who believe that Penny acted as a "Good Samaritan."  He notes, in a piece at CBN.com:

The key to avoiding the misuse of Scripture is obedience to God's Word, not manipulation of it to fit our desires. Both progressive and conservative responses to the Daniel Penny case should be measured against the full counsel of Scripture, not "cherry-picked" verses that support predetermined positions. True obedience to God's Word involves interpreting Scripture in its proper context, seeking to understand what God is truly saying, and applying it in ways that align with His character.

In situations of self-defense, for example, the Bible upholds the sanctity of life and the right to defend oneself and others from harm. At the same time, it calls for wisdom, discernment, and mercy. Christians must be careful to ensure that their actions reflect the balance of justice and mercy that God calls for, recognizing that justice involves protecting the vulnerable, but mercy requires that we act with compassion and avoid excessive harm.

In Penny's situation, you could say that he acted in a merciful way in a moment in which lives were placed in danger.  But, this doesn't give Scriptural justification for taking the life of another in every dangerous or potentially dangerous situation.  In Mangione's situation, he took a life with premeditation - he committed an act of wanton murder, and should be punished for it. 

The situations are, in fact, quite different.  But, there are guiding principles that we as Christians should always rely on.  We are to always seek to act with a view of the sanctity of life. We should not store violence and anger in our hearts. But, we should always recognize that in this fallen world, we may be placed in situations which call for spur-of-the-moment decisions.  That is why we should always be in that position of abiding in Christ, full of His Word and in fellowship with His Spirit, so that we can make the tough decisions when we don't necessarily have the time for careful thought and planning.  

Reversed

God is so good - He is the One who gives us what are called "second chances" in life, but the truth is that He gives us the possibility of fresh starts on a constant basis. Because we're human, because we are flawed - we need a Savior, but we make decisions that show that we need to improve our trust level. The Bible speaks to the opportunities we have to change course. Proverbs 24 states:
13 My son, eat honey because it is good, And the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste;
14 So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul; If you have found it, there is a prospect, And your hope will not be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not plunder his resting place;
16 For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.

Mackenna was pregnant, and made the decision to terminate her pregnancy, according to Faithwire, which relates that in a video she made for Alliance Defending Freeedom, she said:  “My story — our story — actually starts in late December 2023, when I had found out that I was pregnant...And I just remember being flooded with an array of emotions, none of which, I’ll be honest, were happy, or joyful, or excited.” The article states:

After finding out she was pregnant, she ordered an abortion pill regimen online and had it shipped to her home. Despite internal hesitation, she took the first pill.

“Immediately, upon taking it, and in the days leading up, I knew that that was not the right decision for me,” Mackenna said. “I continued to convince myself that it was, that it was the right decision for me, my family.”

But she quickly realized taking the pill “was a major mistake.” She immediately did research and then reached out to the Abortion Pill Rescue Network for help getting access to abortion pill reversal and was provided with what she called “life-saving care.”

She recorded the video while holding her baby daughter, who would not have been born had it not been for the process of abortion pill reversal.  Here's how it works, according to ADF:

“Mifepristone is taken first and is meant to kill the unborn child by blocking progesterone, a naturally occurring hormone needed to sustain pregnancy,” ADF writes. “Many women experience the same regret Mackenna experienced after taking mifepristone. There is a window of time between the first and second abortion drugs during which the effects of mifepristone may be reversed and the baby may be saved. APR is the process of trying to save these unborn children.”

Women like Mackenna who regret taking the first pill are then prescribed progesterone to try and offset the impact of mifepristone. ADF claims there’s research showing 64-68% of the time these pregnancies can be saved if medicines are administered at the right time.

But, there is a state official in New York who doesn't believe that APR works. The Attorney General of New York, Letitia James, is one of them.  In fact, as Faithwire notes:

James sued crisis pregnancy centers earlier this year for advertising abortion pill reversal, citing “false and misleading claims.” Heartbeat International, one of James’ targets, hit back with its own lawsuit and scored a preliminary injunction and protection to keep sharing information on abortion pill reversal.

Colorado is the first state to have passed a ban on APR, according to ADF.  And, nurse practitioner Chelsea Mynyk, who helped Mackenna, has filed a lawsuit against the law; she had been investigated after a complaint had been filed.  The Christian Post reports: 

Mynyk argues that she feels "religiously compelled" to provide abortion pill reversal.

In her legal fight, Mynyk asserts that the Colorado law violates her First Amendment rights by restricting free speech and her Fourteenth Amendment rights by impeding due process and unlawfully limiting her ability to provide complete information and services to their patients.

Answers in Genesis provided a response to this set of circumstances, noting that the Colorado law had been challenged in court, and that plaintiff had received a temporary injunction preventing the law from being applied to that plaintiff, but not Chelsea, which is why she took court action. AiG states:

It seems hard to imagine that a state will allow for (really push for) abortion medicines but will not allow nurses and doctors to prescribe medicines that can undo the damage caused by them. Remember, we are talking about the life of a child made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27). But last year, Colorado passed a law explicitly banning the procedure of providing progesterone to patients who wanted to counteract RU-486.

What a wicked culture that desires the death of the innocent (Psalm 94:21). They are really mandating child sacrifice. But fortunately, God has raised up teams like ADF and individuals like Chelsea Mynyk to stand firm on their (and our) religious freedoms and convictions.

AiG also relates, "God commands us to stand for and care for the weak, the fatherless, and the widow."  So we should always be about valuing and protecting life.  As we enter January, which is celebrated as Sanctity of Human Life Month, we can consider how our Creator God can instill a desire to preserve life and perhaps direct us to a place where we can serve.

Chemical abortion, or mail-order abortion is a popular way to terminate the lives of unborn babies.  And, thanks to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it is a highly unregulated practice. The availability and use of these pills has increased, to the extent that it has been estimated that over half of abortion now are performed in a home without a medical professional.  This puts women at risk, in addition, of course, to the life of the unborn baby. 

We serve a powerful Creator, who communicates the truth about life. Yet, you have an enemy, who is bent on destruction, who keeps orchestrating ways to kill unborn children. He is the one who inspires a devaluation of life, the one who turns human beings against one another seemingly without a second thought.  We must pray and stand against this hideous mindset.  And, we can thank the God who has given us life to view that life as a gift, to turn our lives over to Christ, and walk in His grace. 

NOW

Wherever you work, you have an opportunity to glorify God not only in your overall work product, but in your attitude toward it and your reliance on Him. Colossians 3 reminds us:
14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

For quite some time, Denzel Washington has been known not only as an excellent actor, but someone who has been outspoken about his faith in God.  Franklin Graham recently posted on Facebook:

I want to congratulate Denzel Washington on taking the step of baptism this past weekend. I appreciate his not being afraid to take a public stand for his faith.

He linked to a piece at The Guardian that related:

Denzel Washington has become a minister after being baptised shortly before his 70th birthday, in a ceremony at a church in New York.

He was baptized at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in Harlem in New York City. The article goes on to say: 

The service was livestreamed on Facebook, showing Washington, wearing a white robe, being immersed in the church’s ritual pool and being presented with a certificate of baptism.

Mentioning he was about to turn 70 on 28 December, Washington told the congregation: “It took a while, but I’m here.” He also spoke about an incident when he was 20 in which he encountered a woman called Ruth Green in his mother’s beauty parlour, who told him: “Boy, you are going to travel the world and preach to millions of people.”

The article referenced an article in Esquire magazine, in which Washington is quoted as saying, regarding talking about his faith:

“You can’t talk like that and win Oscars. You can’t talk like that and party. You can’t say that in this town … It’s not talked about in this town. It’s not talked about … It’s not fashionable. It’s not sexy. But that doesn’t mean people in Hollywood don’t believe.”

The article goes on to say that "Later in the ceremony, Washington was given a minister’s licence by the church, which would enable Washington to officiate at minor religious services, such as weddings, and allow him to be ordained in the future."

Denzel Washington has been devoted to his faith, and has been known for speaking out on the subject.  He told Reader's Digest: "I read the Bible every day. I’m in my second pass-through now, in the Book of John. My pastor told me to start with the New Testament, so I did, maybe two years ago. Worked my way through it, then through the Old Testament. Now I’m back in the New Testament. It’s better the second time around."

A CBN.com article about the baptism related: 

As CBN News has reported, Washington has become outspoken about his Christian faith over the last several years.

He previously shared that he gave his life to God several times early in life. He even had a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit, but it took a while before he understood the weight of his decision.

So, what's next for Denzel?  There is evidence that the 70-year old actor has become more reflective on spiritual matters, so he took this step.  Why now, you might ask?  I would say, why not now?

And that's a good question for us in 2025, as we enter the new year, as we take an opportunity to reset. Scripture teaches us to put off the old and put on the new, but we should not put off decisions that we need to make, actions we should implement that God is calling us to.  The Bible says that NOW is the day of salvation.  So, what can we do now in order to be obedient to God?  

So, kudos to Denzel Washington for this bold step; we can be reminded that, ministry license or not, we are all called to do the work of the ministry; we are all ministers of reconciliation. As believers in the Lord, we have a calling to fulfill, and God gives us the strength to do it.

Intangibles

Because God gave His only Son to die so that we might live a new life in Him, the presence of the indwelling Christ can stir within us a heart full of generosity - and because we have been given so much, we are called to share the riches of His Kingdom. 1st Timothy 6 examines our heart toward earthly riches:
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

In early November, the Gallup organization conducted a survey in which shoppers were asked how much they planned to spend at Christmas this year. Gallup's website notes:

• Americans’ latest estimate of the total amount they will spend on Christmas and other holiday gifts is slightly higher than what they estimated at this time a year ago. The latest $1,012, from a Nov. 6-20 survey, is up from $975 last November.
• The new poll also finds Americans less conservative than usual in how they characterize their spending, with almost as many saying they will spend more on gifts (19%) as saying they will spend less (23%).

The article goes on to say: "Gallup analysis of the historical relationship between Americans’ holiday spending intentions each November and actual holiday retail sales suggests that this year’s holiday sales will likely rise by a better-than-average amount, near 5%."

And, here's a tidbit for you: "Christians generally anticipate spending about $300 more on holiday gifts than do all non-Christians (which includes adults with no religious identity)."

So, did shoppers follow through?  To what extent were the projections accurate?

Well, initial indications were that this was a banner year for holiday shopping.  A USA Today article reports:

U.S. retail sales rose 3.8% between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24, as intense promotion to drum up sales in what was expected to be a highly competitive holiday season for retailers prompted last-minute shopping among consumers.

The sales jump was well above a 3.1% increase last year, handily beating Mastercard's forecast in September of a 3.2% rise, with the last five days of the season accounting for 10% of all holiday spending.

These are numbers from Mastercard SpendingPulse, which "measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment."

These numbers come from a holiday season that was "shorter-than-usual," according to the article. Michelle Meyer, chief economist at Mastercard Economics Institute, is quoted as saying:

"The holiday shopping season revealed a consumer who is willing and able to spend but driven by a search for value as can be seen by concentrated e-commerce spending during the biggest promotional periods..."

And, online shopping showed growth, with the article reporting, "Online sales rose at a faster pace of 6.7%, compared with a 6.3% rise last year, with the apparel segment seeing strong demand."

While retail sales have apparently been brisk this Christmas, we can be motivated to examine the intangibles, I think. Because if our attitudes have been hijacked by the tangibles - what we can acquire, or the gifts we might put on our Christmas list, or finding just the "right gift" for others at Christmas - none of which are inherently bad, by the way - we might miss the focus on the birth of our Savior and those intangibles that He wants to develop in us, that He wants to make visible. 

Christmas gives us an opportunity to show generosity - for the right reasons, not out of a sense of being caught up in a sense of expectation in the giving and receiving of gifts.  We should always give out of the right motivation, and by so doing, we can reflect Christ's love flowing through us. This brings peace into our lives and joy into our demeanor.  We should ultimately keep the focus not on the visible we have received, but on the invisible that Jesus desires to express through us because we have received His free gift of salvation.