Stirring

The power of hope through Jesus Christ is able to break through even the hardest heart, and we can be inspired that perhaps those who have been hostile toward Christianity will experience a breakthrough in the Holy Spirit. 1st Peter 3 states:
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
17 For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

It's quite stunning to see that even those who don't claim to know God, such as Richard Dawkins, and those who are seeking, like Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson, are acknowledging the power and influence of the Bible and Christianity.  Greg Laurie, according to a Movieguide article quoting from one of his videos posted on X, said:

“When someone says they’re a cultural Christian, especially an avowed atheist like Dawkins, or a man of such great influence and innovation and creativity as Elon Musk, I think it’s a step in the right direction, and I would encourage both of them — and anybody else who identifies himself as a cultural Christian — to come into a relationship with Christ himself. That’s what Christianity is.”

The article continued:

“Being a real Christian, which means having Christ in your life, that’s the ultimate answer,” Laurie concluded, asking viewers to pray for Musk, Dawkins and “anybody else that is truly searching for truth…that they will find that relationship with God.”

I found another article - granted, these are people with whom I have not been familiar - it was on The Guardian website, written by a man named John Harris, not to be confused with Christian podcast host, Jon Harris, of Conversations That Matter.  This Harris is a self-proclaimed agnostic, but wrote about a spiritual awakening apparently being experienced by a British singer-songwriter Nick Cave. He stated:

In 2015, he suffered the loss of his 15-year-old son Arthur; seven years later, another son, Jethro, died. And in the midst of an unimaginable level of grief, Cave has not only poured his thoughts and feelings into his art, but repeatedly spoken about the profound personal changes caused by outwardly senseless bereavement, as well as reflecting deeply on other people’s experiences. As a result, his audience has ballooned: as he turns 67, he is probably at the all-time pinnacle of his success.

Harris mentions Cave's Red Hand Files website where, "Most of what he posts combines his curious, questioning instincts with a deep humanity: recent editions have covered loneliness, parenthood and suicide. When he plays live, all of this is in the air: it seems to give everything even more meaning."

The writer also mentions Faith, Hope and Carnage, a bestselling book released in 2022 and "made up of dialogues with the Observer writer Sean O’Hagan. It looks ahead to Cave’s tentative return to the Anglicanism he was brought up with, and – among many other subjects – is full of insights about what happens when life fills up with grief and hurt. One of his key beliefs is that when we experience loss, we become more human: these things are universal, and therein lies the key to surviving them." Cave says, “This will happen to everybody at some point – a deconstruction of the known self...It may not necessarily be a death, but there will be some kind of devastation.”

Harris notes, "I don’t think I have ever read anything like it, which is a tribute to Cave and O’Hagan’s achievement – but also an illustration of what is missing from most of our culture."  Then, this agnostic write makes this remarkable statement:

It is telling that the militant atheism that peaked 20 years ago with the publication of such books as Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens’s God Is Not Great now seems passé.

Harris also relates, "The historian Tom Holland – who, like Cave, has returned to the Christianity he was brought up with – says that in the way millions of us interpret world events there is something unspoken: the fact that 'at the heart of western culture is the image of someone being tortured to death by the greatest empire on the face of the Earth.'"
 

So this agnostic seems to be searching for something deeper, even more real or authentic, stating, "I am a devout agnostic. But as I get older, there are experiences and aspects of living that often open the way to a sense of the ineffable and mystical, and the need for something that may help me make sense of an increasingly chaotic world, and life’s ruptures and crises that seem to arrive with alarming regularity."

The writer relates about talking a walk with his children and stopping into a church on a Sunday afternoon, thinking about a response that Nick Cave gave to someone on his blog who was bewildered by his embracing of Christianity.  The article concludes:

“To my considerable surprise, I have found some of my truths in that wholly fallible, often disappointing, deeply weird and thoroughly human institution of the Church,” he wrote. “At times, this is as bewildering to me as it may be to you.” Here, I think, lies the faint outline of a journey that more people may sooner or later take, and something I can just about imagine: slowly increasing numbers of people being pulled away from their screens, towards something much more human and nourishing. Those pews, in other words, may not stay vacant for ever.

I believe God is up to something.  Think about Russell Brand, the comedian and commentator who has been public in his profession of faith in Christ and baptism.  A CBN.com article states that:

British-born actor Russell Brand has come a ways since his baptism by reality TV star Bear Grylls.

Just an aside: there was some doubt regarding who had baptized Brand in the Thames - Faithwire offered that story about Grylls.  CBN reported that...

The 49-year-old comedian turned cultural commentator joined Tucker Carlson for a live event in Phoenix, Arizona, last week, where the former Fox News host, who was raised Episcopalian, asked Brand to close the session in prayer.

The CBN story quoted from Brand's prayer:

“I call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, our heavenly Savior,” Brand began his prayer. “Lord, I humbly [ask], in this great congregation in Phoenix, Arizona, with my host, Tucker Carlson, in deference to him, but in ultimate deference to You, our Lord and Savior, to whom we are all Your younger siblings and Your children.”

He continued, “I pray in Your name that the forthcoming election be an opportunity for unity, for America and for Americans, for forgiveness and for grace; that the dark and demonic forces that appear to operate at the level of the state — the deep state and the corporate and global world — experience Your light, Lord.”

The actor petitioned God to “guide all of our tongues and all of our words and all of our hearts, that we feel Your forgiveness and that we feel Your grace.”

“Thank you, Lord, for the many gifts that you have bestowed upon us,” Brand added. “Thank You for the glory of consciousness itself, in which we can experience You and live You. Thank You for the beauty of nature, in which we see Your wisdom and Your creativity and Your infinite glory.” 

He concluded by saying, “For surely, all of us are fallen. But, in Your holy name, we are forgiven by Your act of redemption, by Your sacrifice. In Your name we pray, amen.”

Something is happening - can you feel it?  God is calling people to Himself, and while I believe He is doing incredible things in and through His Church, He is also using people outside the Church realm in order to proclaim His truth. The disillusionment and despair that is seemingly all around us is causing people to ask, "is there something more?"  And, this search for meaning can lead people right into the arms of our Savior. 

So, as we embark on the Christmas season, we can make sure we are ready to play our role in the harvest.  I contend that the celebration of the birth of Christ is a time of enhanced spiritual sensitivity, and we can seek to grow deeper in Him and be prepared to be used of God to share and live the gospel and lead others into a saving knowledge of Jesus.  

I believe that people are seeing that the ways of this world do not offer hope and are totally ineffective in providing the peace and hope that they are seeking.  We can be diligent to walk in and radiate the hope of knowing Jesus.

Spirit of Adventure

Life can sometimes seem like a series of adventures, and we sometimes cannot know the outcome, but we can be confident that God does and He is working everything for our good and His glory. Psalm 37 contains these words:
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

Later in the chapter, we can read:
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

This is Columbus Day, 2024, a day that has been aside to celebrate the journey and the achievements of a man who desired to be obedient to God and share the gospel of Christ.  So, he set out on an adventure and discovered a land far away from his home country.  

David Jones is an adventurer, too - he just didn't know the type of adventure he would be experiencing at the time he set up to drive from Boiling Springs, South Carolina to Johnson City, Tennessee - generally about a 2-hour drive. 

His mission: to attend his daughter's wedding. USA Today quotes Jones as saying, "I think every dad would do everything they could to get to their daughter's wedding," adding, "Like the scripture says, 'With God, anything is possible.' I think this was a prime example of that."

The day was Friday, September 27.  He knew the weather was bad, as a result of Helene, so he fired up the generator in Boiling Springs, where he and his wife and mother had just moved, and set out for Johnson City - without phone service. 

As he began to exit South Carolina, the two-hour drive became a three-hour drive - to travel only 10 miles in that time span.  The roads were clear at that time in Western North Carolina, but once he got into Tennessee, he was told that a bridge was out.  By now it was 2 a.m. the Saturday morning of his daughter's wedding.  But, David was not to be deterred.  USA Today notes:

The only other way into Johnson City was a bridge in Erwin, Tennessee, which troopers were not letting anyone cross because they were not certain of its stability, Jones said.

Jones decided to get as close to Johnson City as he could so if worst came to worst then he could be FaceTimed into the wedding and walk his daughter down the aisle virtually. To do this, he left behind his Ford Explorer at the exit on Interstate 26 and began traveling on foot toward the bridge that troopers said was washed out.

He had walked about three or four miles when he encountered "washed-out roads" and "debris" - lots of it, apparently.  Yes, he did find out personally that afrore-mentioned bridge was indeed washed out, so he went to Erwin, where the bridge there was, at the time, unmanned by troopers.  Once over the bridge, he did encounter a trooper, who gave him a ride into Erwin, then it was back on foot for eight more miles, then a former co-worker gave him a lift into Johnson City.  After leaving his vehicle, he traveled almost 27 miles.

Before the wedding, David didn't tell his daughter about his adventures, but, as the article relates:

It was not until Jones' reception speech, in which he brought out the red reflector he grabbed during his journey, that his daughter truly understood what he did to make it that day.

"I presented (the reflector) to them and said, 'I want this to be a remembrance for you, and whenever you see it, to remember that you need to protect each other in life, especially in your darkest moments as this reflector did for me. That's when you need it the most,'" Jones recalled.

The USA Today article concluded by saying:

Jones recalled his daughter telling him, "If my father could love me this much, imagine how much our Father in Heaven loves us."

Television station WJHL also reported on David's adventure, and included his comments about encountering a muddy field:

“It just… it’s awful,” Jones explained. “And I can tell you a lot about the mud and the debris fields where I have to climb six, seven-foot-tall piles of debris of old fences and huge trees and it was just a tangled mess and dead-end roads and all kinds of things.”

Although indeed precarious, the trek nearly became deadly at one point when he encountered crews clearing the road with a backhoe. Admittedly, Jones wasn’t expected to be there, so the operator didn’t see him, and he was nearly hit. He became entrapped in the mud.

“I was up to my knees in mud and couldn’t move,” Jones recalls. “And he doesn’t see me. Of course, his cab is facing the other way. Most of the time, he’s swinging this thing around, and I’m ducking. Really, I’m thinking this could be it. There was a lot of prayer at that point.”

Miraculously, Jones says he was able to free himself in time, albeit without one shoe that he had to retrieve afterward, and he continued on his way.

That reflective stake because quite an image of the journey of David Jones; the TV station's website says:

“I brought the reflector to the reception, and I presented it to Elizabeth, my daughter, and Daniel just for them to remember, to be a protector and a good reflection of each other and a reflection of God,” said an emotional Jones.

Jones said he’s no hero, “it’s what any dad would do,” he said.

Elizabeth disagrees and says she’s “just so thankful he made it.”

She added, "I woke up at 4:30 a.m. this morning just wide awake, just spent that whole morning praising God that my dad made it and that my dad’s alive..."

It was impossible for David Jones to know what he would face when he left South Carolina that morning - but there are indications that he is a man of faith, and I believe that God knew and went before him.  As WJHL reported, David has participated in marathons; perhaps that training came in handy in his adventure.  

We make our plans, but we can always keep in mind that He has a bigger one, and we can depend on Him to go before us and guide our steps by His Holy Spirit.  We have to be dependent on the strength of the Lord in order to navigate what we might face, and we can surrender each day to Him, that we might do His will, that we might walk in love, be submissive to the Holy Spirit, pray, and trust God. 

Some days can be, well, more adventurous than others, and that's OK, because we have the ultimate guide who goes with us, who sustains us through our challenges, and as we grow in the Lord, we can experience the preparation that He brings into our lives so that we might honor Him.

Truth in Unexpected Places

In the book of 2nd Timothy chapter 3, we find the apostle Paul calling out two individuals, stating that. they had...
(18) ...strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

We can ascertain the degree to which our lives are built on that "solid foundation," and sometimes the truth of God's Word can be proclaimed in unlikely places.  Such as the stage of a rock concert - not a Christian music concert, mind you, but a less-sanitized venue.

But, that's what happened recently when the lead singer of Creed, Scott Stapp, who has actually experienced a spiritual awakening, or re-awakening in his own life over the last several years, made a bold proclamation in the midst of the music.

The Christian Post reported: 

Creed lead singer Scott Stapp reminded audiences that the U.S. is a Christian nation “built upon the Bible and the Word of God” and urged Americans to unite in a rousing speech at a recent concert.

In a viral clip from his band’s reunion tour posted on X, Stapp paused between songs to declare the country is “a constitutional republic based upon the Bible and the Word of God.”

The article went on to say:

“Divided is exactly the way they want us to be,” he said, adding that “the powers that be” want Americans to be divided and compartmentalized “to keep us distracted from holding them accountable.”

But, what was remarkable is how Stapp related some principles upon which Americans can unite:

“The only way to make change is to wake up and come together as one. Focus on what we have in common, which is life, freedom, love, happiness,” he said. “We find our common ground and we build from there. And as we’re building that common ground, we start keeping the powers that be accountable. We start reminding them of what our Constitution says. We start reminding them of what our Bill of Rights says. We start reminding them that we are a constitutional republic based upon the Bible and the Word of God, not a democracy. Go study. Go do your homework.”

In late 2022, CBN.com explored some aspects of Stapp's spiritual journey. The band was hugely successful out of the gate, but, according to Stapp, quoted in the article on the website: “I was a Christian who was in rebellion and running from the brand of Christianity that I was raised on..."

He was initially raised to know God as a God of love, but his stepfather presented a more angry attitude. Scott had enough of it. After a divorce, he continued to spiral downward and ended up in the hospital after a life-threatening fall.  In the midst of his despair, he met a woman named Jaclyn who was a Christian.  The CBN article said:

“I opened my eyes,” said Scott. “And they were blurry and I see two angels. And I’m kinda doing this and its Jaclyn and her mother and they’re washing my feet. They’re washing the dirt and blood and every thing off my feet, crying, sobbing and praying. And in that moment, and I get goose bumps talking about it, if there was any doubt who these women were and what they meant in my life, and I will go to my grave feeling this, that they were angels in my life, sent for me, there was no doubt after that moment.”

Finally Scott realized it was time to change. Wit the help of Jaclyn, her mother, and God, Scott got off drugs and healed emotionally. He and Jaclyn married, and now have a beautiful blended family. Scott has since released a solo album and a book about his journey...

Scott and Jaclyn did get married, but earlier this year, it was announced by People magazine that they would be divorcing.  That article featured these words:

Earlier this year, Scott opened up to PEOPLE about his new album Higher Power, which chronicled his highs and lows.

“I’ve gone through a pretty difficult period in life over the last four years,” he said. “I’m hanging in there — just one hour at a time, one thing at a time. Taking little bites of the elephant and then just waking up again and doing it all over the next day. A lot going on, but all good stuff.”

A New York Post Page Six article related that the couple had tried to make it work.  It stated:

In 2015, Stapp was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after abusing prescription drugs, alcohol and marijuana.

“I had a psychotic break,” Stapp told People. “I had delusions. I thought an angel was sitting on the hood of my car. I grew a beard to look like Jesus. I made threats that had the Secret Service coming to my door. My behavior became dangerous.”

Jaclyn recognized her husband’s need for help. “I was watching him die a slow, painful, public death,” she said. “And I was terrified.”

A quote from a rep for Jaclyn is quoted in the article, saying that she "faced a long battle in her relationship with Scott and, despite never envisioning divorcing him one day, she’s decided to move on..."

Certainly, there are some enormous complexities in the life of this rock n'roll singer - from childhood trauma, to substance abuse, to mental illness.  He has attempted to live the truth, but there are indications that he has come up short over much of his life.  Recent spiritual development has apparently been hard for him.

What can we learn?  Well, for one thing, we can develop a sense of empathy for those who struggle with mental illness.  All of us can have the assurance that the Scriptures speak powerfully to the arena of our minds, and we are told that we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds, according to Romans 12.  But, we have to be faithful to meditate on the Bible and allow its work to transpire in our consciousness.  That is a message we can share with others, as well as to implement ourselves. 

And, we have to realize that through our struggles, we don't have to travel that road alone.  Another People article said:

As Stapp continues on his recovery journey, he’s no longer afraid to reach out for help, but concedes it’s still something he needs to learn to do more. “It’s definitely something that I would encourage anybody out there who’s going through anything… You don’t have to do it alone,” he says.

We can also reflect on the power of truth.  Apparently, Scott Stapp has discovered some truth that he has desired to share. This can be an inspiration to us to seek and hold on to truth. And, sometimes it can come from unexpected places.

Showing Up

We can never underestimate the power and influence that the Church can potentially have. Unfortunately, we are not leveraging these things, speaking and living the truth. But, Jesus told another story in Matthew 5:
13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

One of the topics that has been discussed throughout the years during Pastor and Staff Appreciation Month in October is the issue of pressures on pastors.  Most pastors are "on call" 24/7, and face not only the issues of maintaining a spiritual walk with God while living in a fishbowl, being the husband and father their families need them to be, and addressing the needs of the congregation.

A new Faithwire article addresses another area: election pressures.  The article notes:

This issue of election silence is much more pronounced among preachers in 2024, it seems, with 23% of pastors refusing to answer for whom they’ll cast a ballot, according to Lifeway Research.

For context, just 4% expressed the same reluctance in 2020, and just 3% fell into that bucket during the 2016 cycle. The shift in willingness to openly discuss these matters is notable.

The article goes on to say that among those who are planning to cast a ballot and did name a candidate, 50% of those said they will vote for former President Donald Trump, with 24% expressing intent to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.  23% are undecided.

The survey data also shows, "Among evangelical pastors, 61% plan to vote for Trump, with 50% of mainline Protestant pastors planning to pull the lever for Harris."

The Faithwire piece quotes Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, saying that he declared that "the reticence 'shows how sensitive or divisive politics has become in some churches.'”

The Christian Post highlighted more Lifeway Research data in a recent article:

Voters who hold Evangelical Christian beliefs are nearly twice as likely to support Republican Donald Trump as Democrat Kamala Harris, according to a newly released poll by Lifeway Research.

The study found that 61% of likely Evangelical voters plan to vote for Trump, while 31% intend to support Harris. The remaining 8% either plan to vote for a third-party candidate or are undecided.

In contrast, among respondents who did not identify as Evangelical, 47% expressed support for Harris, compared to 38% for Trump.

This is from a survey of Americans in general, not just Christians. 

And, there's new research from George Barna at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.  A summary states:

Barna’s latest research shows that only 51% of all faith voters are likely to vote in November. That means a full 104 million faith voters are unlikely to vote this election—including 41 million born-again Christians (defined by their beliefs regarding sin and salvation, not self-identification), 32 million regular Christian church attenders, and 14 million who attend an evangelical church.

Barna describes this as a "gamechanger." The summary goes on to quote from ACU President Len Munsil, who says: “I see two huge take-aways from this blockbuster report...First, that Christians could be the deciding factor in a bunch of federal and state races—and are choosing not to be. And second, that they are longing for their local church to instruct them on how to think biblically about policy and politics. They don’t want to be told how to vote, but they do want to know why they should vote, and how to view political issues from a biblical framework."

Why are so many Christians planning to stay home?  The survey offers these reasons:

• 57% dislike all major candidates
• 55% feel none of the candidates reflect their most important views
• 52% believe their vote will not make a difference
• 48% think the election results will be manipulated...

There are plenty of reasons to disengage in the 2024 election.  But, there are too many issues at stake not to participate.  And, you will hear pastors and Bible teachers across the board who address this issue Biblically.

I would submit that God has placed the Church here at this time, in this hour, to be a voice for Biblical truth.  And, the choices we have in every election consist of flawed candidates.  That doesn't exempt us from being in prayer about how we should vote and then to take the step to show up. Just show up - allow God to use you.

You will hear from various Bible teachers, including some you hear on Faith Radio, that you should evaluate the candidates' positions on various issues and vote for the candidate who best represents your Christian perspective.  Chances are, they won't line up perfectly.  But, you should be able to glean enough to make a quality, informed decision. 

Yes, it's true, politics can be divisive.  I would submit that is by nature, to a certain extent.  But, it doesn't have to be that way.  And, you can recognize the political process as a means through which we select leaders who can represent the views of their constituencies and get things done. If we're not sending people to Washington, to Montgomery, to City Hall, or the local county commission or school board who are in line with our Biblically-informed perspective, then, someone who represents another agenda could get in.  Do we really want that?  Or are we willing to pray, vet the candidates, and show up?

Firm

The Bible instructs us in 1st John 4 "test the spirits." We have to make sure we are growing in discernment, because deception is so common. 1st Thessalonians 5 states:
21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

Recently, I shared the story of a French teacher out of Virginia because he declined to refer to a student by pronouns that didn't correspond to her biological sex.  He lost his job, but the state Supreme Court told school officials they were wrong and awarded a handsome sum of over $500,000 for attorney's fees and costs. 

It hasn't turned out in a positive way for an Irish teacher named Enoch Burke though.  A CBNNews.com article stated:

Enoch Burke, a history and German teacher, was suspended from Wilson’s Hospital School in August 2022, when he refused, as CBN News previously reported, to call a student who was transitioning from male to identifying as female by “they” rather than “he” pronouns.

The article goes on to say:

In 2022, he told Irish High Court Judge Michael Quinn, who presided over his case, “Transgenderism is against my Christian belief. It is contrary to the Scriptures, contrary to the ethos of the Church of Ireland, and of my school.”

In the days after he was placed on paid administrative leave, Burke reportedly returned to the school grounds in Westmeath, from which he had been prohibited. As a result, he was arrested and placed behind bars at Mountjoy Prison, a men’s jail in Dublin.

That was only the first time that Enoch Burke was imprisoned.  The article states:

Burke was released from his first stint in jail in December 2022. He was then formally fired from Wilson’s Hospital School in January 2023 and jailed once again in September of that year for breaching a court order keeping him from the school’s campus, according to a timeline published by Newsweek.

And, in September, in a return visit to the school, he was arrested for a third time. The CBN story relates:

He told Sky News at the time, “I teach everyone who’s in front of me. I teach every single student. But when I am commanded, when I’m told that I can’t have my religious belief anymore, when I’m told I have to confess belief in transgenderism, instead of my simple belief, which is male and female, that’s just a breach simply of my rights.”

The embattled educator posted footage of his arrest to his X account, which is currently being maintained by his brother, Josiah.

“I’m not going to turn my back on my students,” Burke is heard saying in the video. “I have a right to my job. I have a right to work here. I have a right to be here and not to tell students they need to take puberty blockers.”

The case is scheduled to be reviewed again this Friday. 

Meanwhile, in another case out of the U.K., according to the Daily Mail website:

A Christian teacher who was banned from the classroom over 'misgendering' a pupil has lost a High Court appeal against the decision.

Lawyers for Joshua Sutcliffe argued it was 'perverse' to expect him to use the child's preferred pronouns, which had no basis in law.

In a hearing in May, they also said it was an 'unjustified interference' with his right to freedom of speech and religion.

The article says that:

After the ruling, Mr Sutcliffe, who is being supported by Christian Concern, said: 'I still stand by my Christian convictions that it is harmful and detrimental to affirm gender confused children.

'This is the belief I am fighting for which is shared by not only Christians but many who do not believe in harmful transgender ideology.

'I have been a marked man ever since I dared to express my Christian beliefs in a school.'

These actions in the U.K. come on the heels of the outcome of a case involving a California teacher.  The Sacramento Bee reported several months ago:

A California school district has settled a lawsuit with a teacher who says she was fired over her religious beliefs after she refused to use students’ preferred pronouns, attorneys say. 

The Jurupa Unified School District in Riverside County agreed to pay $360,000 to Jessica Tapia, her attorneys at Advocates for Faith & Freedom said in a May 14 news release.

The article stated that, "The alleged violations in part stemmed from her refusal to call students by their preferred pronouns, along with her concern about not revealing students’ gender identities to parents, the lawsuit says."

Decision Magazine reported recently that:

Tapia, along with Advocates for Faith and Freedom, started Teachers Don’t Lie, an organization designed to give teachers a place to learn their constitutional rights and obtain legal help if they find themselves in a situation similar to Tapia’s.

“I just can’t encourage people enough to do what I did and put their faith into action and boldly stand in the truth,” Tapia said. “We don’t have to see what’s coming next, because He already sees it, and He’s not asking for us to have that part figured out.

“You literally cannot fathom the gain on the other side of living out your faith."

That article shared elements of Tapia's story, including the ultimatums that were given to her in order to keep her job.  It related:

If she wanted to keep her job, she would call students by their preferred names and pronouns; she would not tell parents about their students’ gender transitions; and she would refrain from talking to students about God and the Bible.

“The Lord made it pretty clear to me: ‘You’re entering spiritual warfare. Stand firm,’” she said. “I was either going to crumble at their feet and do whatever and become whoever they wanted me to be to keep my job, or realize I have a huge decision on the line.”

These teachers were essentially being forced to lie.  All three were being told they must call a student presenting with a gender other than his or her biological sex by the pronouns corresponding to their so-called gender identity rather than their biology.  This is a lie.

Furthermore, Jessica Tapia was being forced to be silent about information that parents need to know regarding their child's sexuality.  Enoch Burke was so compelled to tell his former students that they should refuse puberty blockers that he was willing to go to jail for it. Their faith was the root of their passion, with Joshua Sutcliffe saying he was a "marked man" because he was a Christian.

Children are confused about their sexuality, and now they are being enabled to act out their desires by requesting they be referred to by certain pronouns, by school officials concealing information from parents, and by treatments and procedures being made available that are falsely sold as changing a person's "gender."  

In the midst of confusion, we need clarity.  And, clarity comes from the Word of God. Pursuing that clarity means being willing to stand strong with the truth in the midst of lies. There is great misinformation that is being circulated dealing with people's identities, their sexual preferences, and their willingness to give in to desires that contradict God's best.  We must make our decisions consistent with the teachings of Scripture, not the delusions of the world.

One School

The book of Acts contains the narratives of the original apostles, who were sent to spread the gospel and establish the early church. They were seized and put in prison, but miraculously released by an angel, and stood before the authorities, according to Acts 5, which states:
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,
28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!"
29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men.

One school in one of our smaller states is making a big impact on women's sports.  

We're talking about Mid Vermont Christian School, which, as The Daily Signal reports:

Last year, Mid Vermont Christian School accused the Vermont Principals’ Association, the “governing body for high school sports and activities for the state’s 300 public and private secondary schools,” and Vermont state officials of religious discrimination for kicking it out of the state sports league after refusing to compete against a biological male in girls’ basketball.

A lawsuit was filed and the judge who was assigned the case refused to grant the school a temporary injunction to continue to participate in state athletics as the case moved forward.  So, the school went to a federal appeals court.  The story notes that just over a month ago...

...The Washington Times reported the school has once again pressed the issue by asking “the appeals court in the [Aug. 30] filing for a preliminary injunction reinstating its membership in the association pending the outcome of litigation.”

The school has been reinstated to five non-athletic activities, but no sports, apparently. 

Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker said, “The [Vermont Principals’ Association’s] blatant act of discrimination and hostility toward Mid Vermont’s beliefs violates the First Amendment.” adding, “We are urging the court to uphold constitutional protections by guaranteeing the school can fully participate while still adhering to its religious beliefs.”

The Daily Signal notes:

...the principals’ association seems to be holding to its belief that Mid Vermont violated its “Policy [on] Gender Identity” and “Commitment to Racial, Gender-Fair, and Disability Awareness” and issued an “immediate determination of ineligibility.”

But, the state's disregard for freedom of religion doesn't end there. Alliance Defending Freedom, on its website, noted this spring that:

Last year, Vermont’s Agency of Education refused to designate Mid Vermont Christian as an approved independent school because of those beliefs, which meant the school could not participate in the state’s Town Tuitioning Program. That program pays for students residing in school districts that do not operate public high schools to attend an approved private school of the students’ choice. The State tried to walk back its denial from last year, but it still has not granted the school fully approved independent status and the school and its families do not know whether they will be able to participate moving forward.

So, the school is in court to right these wrongs against it: the denial of participation in the tuition program and its dismissal from participating in athletics because it refused to play in a game against a team with a male player. 

The outcome of this litigation could have an impact on not only MVCS, but on the face of education, where boys are being allowed to take part in girls' sports. Already, there have been appeals courts that have clamped down on the re-write of Title IX that would have allowed males to participate in female sports, but there have also been court decisions recently that have upheld this practice. 

This series of events reminds us that while there is a cost to do the right thing, according to the Scriptures, it can have a positive effect.  We have to make sure that we are upholding truth, then trust the Lord with the results.

We can also see that one person, one entity, one church, one organization, can make a statement and maybe even change the course of history.  That's what these court challenges that we see are all about.  When you consider the case of Coach Kennedy, or of Mid Vermont Christian Schools, we see examples of people who are devoted to upholding Christian principles, which can provide inspiration for each of us to be obedient to the Lord, serving and pleasing Him, even when human authorities fall short. 

Pray For Peace

When we consider the significance of this day, the first anniversary of a day in Israel's history where there was great terror, fear, and death, we can be reminded of our Biblical admonition to pray for Jerusalem. Psalm 122 contains these words:
4 Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces."

The first Sunday of October is commemorated as the Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, which was established by Robert Stearns, founder of the ministry of Eagles' Wings, as well as Jack Hayford, according to a recent press release.

This occurred on the day prior to the first anniversary of the brutal, deadly attacks on Israel from the terror group, Hamas, and Eagles' Wings has continued to invite people to sign what has been named, the Bonhoeffer Declaration, according to another press release from the organization, which states:

The Declaration calls for courage and for solidarity with the Jewish people in the spirit of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who courageously stood against the Nazis and who was murdered on Hitler's direct order.

Stearns, who serves as President of the ministry, stated: "Antisemitism is once again on the rise again in the world and we are in danger of history repeating itself on our watch...," adding, "Bonhoeffer saw the spread of antisemitism, as he watched the rise of Nazi Germany and famously said, 'The responsibility of the church is not just to bandage the victims under the wheel, but to stop the wheel itself.' His call was ignored by the vast majority of faith leaders in Germany, who stood mute while Jews were slaughtered. We must not allow our churches to follow the same path."  The ministry says: "The Bonhoeffer Declaration is a unified, seven-pronged commitment by the Church on behalf of Jewish people to take action by...

• Standing against evil
• Speaking out against antisemitism
• Educating their communities
• Advocating for Israel

The ministry reports that "3,600 faith leaders and everyday Christians" have signed on to the declaration, that can be found at bonhoeffer.org. 

A Watchman on the Wall Solidarity Tour was planned to depart for Israel last week. According to the ministry, this was scheduled to be one of the highlights: "As an act of solidarity, the tour will include a visit to Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, where ongoing rallies and vigils take place for those still held captive by Hamas."

So, this day observes the first anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel and a catalytic event of a turbulent year which saw Israel fighting against threats to its sovereignty as a nation against people who desire to destroy it.  From Hamas to the south to Hezbollah to the north, with the Iranian threat manifested through a missile attack last week to inconsistent actions by U.S. officials regarding Israel, this nation has certainly had its share of opposition, bloodshed, and death. 

But Israel continues to stand because, well, God wants it to stand.  Dating back to the time of Abraham, when God made a covenant and chose the people of Israel, He has been faithful, even when they were unfaithful to Him. Christians have been grafted into the family of God out of His mercy by a Jewish man who came to fulfill the Law and make it possible for all to be saved.   As the body of Christ, we can continue to stand with the people whom God has chosen as His very own, who share a common spiritual heritage with us.  And, there will be a huge effort in the last days, according to Revelation, to draw Jewish people to the Messiah, through whom Israeli people can be saved.