Planting

Barry Meguiar, who is heard on the Ignite America feature on Faith Radio talks about helping to move a person who doesn't know God one step further to Jesus Christ.  Conversion experiences are different - while you might have some that come seemingly out of nowhere, others make a step-by-step journey to that moment of accepting Christ.  I think of King Agrippa, who was on the receiving end of Paul's testimony, as we find in Acts 26, where Paul had shared the details of his own conversion experience and its meaning; the text states:
25 But he said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason.
26 For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe."
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian."
29 And Paul said, "I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains."

Paul's persistent witness and the work of the Holy Spirit on the heart of this official, Agrippa, prompted his declaration. This can remind us that we may not see a person actually accept Christ, but we can be involved in planting or watering seeds, because we don't know how God might be working on a person's heart - He just calls us to be faithful.

Matt Rife is described by Faithwire as an "oft-raunchy" comedian.  But as a story on the website relates, his grandfather's death seems to have prompted a spiritual search.  It states:

After admitting he has “never been a super religious person” and finds church “excruciatingly boring,” the 29-year-old celebrity told “History Hyenas” podcast hosts Yannis Papas and Chris Distefano he “want[s] to believe in God.”

Serious about exploring religion, the Netflix jokester said he was baptized “in a dude’s pool” in August. While Rife did not grow up in a Christian home, he said he decided to take the plunge after occasionally attending church services with friends.

The impetus of his exploration, Rife said, was his grandfather’s death two years ago.

“I’ve never been a super religious person, but, when my grandpa passed away, something hit me that I was like, ‘I’ll never see this person again,'” he reflected. “So something has to exist. I skew Christian, so I started going to church a little bit more.”

In a moment of candor, Rife also noted, "I hate church; I find it excruciatingly boring. But I want to believe in God, and it’s obviously a huge part of the process.”  Well, hopefully, that will change. And, Rife will go "all-in" for the Kingdom, because it sounds as if he may be exploring the edges.

Distefano recommended, as he had done with talk-show host Bill Maher, that he read the book, The Case for Christ, which details the journey of journalist and attorney Lee Strobel from atheism to Christianity; Distefano had told Maher that it served to, according to the article, "deepen his own relationship with Jesus."

God Reports noted:

When his grandfather died, it hit home. Grandpa was his first and biggest fan. His best friends helped him overcome the grief by joking around with him, which was somewhat healing.

Going to church was also healing. Rife wise-cracks about pastors getting new material from him for Sunday services.

While he seems to make fun of everything, behind the humor, there’s a human being who longs for eternity. He wants to see his grandfather again.

So Rife took a step of faith and got baptized, and he’s not ashamed of it.

The big question is "what comes next?"  While he says, "I skew Christian," and that he has been baptized, one cannot truly know what is in his heart.  But, what we can know is that a raunchy comedian, or anyone else who is truly seeking God, is not beyond His grace.   And, even though life may be like a joke to Rife sometimes, he does seem to be dead serious about pursuing a relationship with God through Jesus.

There's also the element of the influence of believers on those who are not. Paul talked about the stages of the pre-salvation work in a person's heart, and that some Christians will plant seeds, in the form of sharing God's Word and work, and others will water, reinforcing God's truth in a person's hearts and helping those seeds to grow.  For instance, on that podcast, as Faithwire notes, the co-hosts were part of a faith conversation.  I saw that the other day, watching a segment of the Joe Rogan podcast, in which another podcaster actually talk to him about his walk with Christ.  Canadian apologist Wesley Huff has received kudos for sharing his faith with Rogan, who is admittedly not a Christian.  But, isn't it interesting that the subject keeps getting addressed?

So, I believe God is at work in comedian Matt Rife's life - and he used a moment of crisis to begin to open his eyes and his heart.  When things in life don't go the way we think they should, that can provide a moment in which someone can pivot and consider the source of true hope.  We can be dedicated to being those hope-bringers to those who are seeking to fill the void in their hearts. 

Life and Death

We recognize that death is inevitable, but the Bible cautions us against hastening death - the 10 Commandments are clear; "thou shalt not kill." God alone is the one who is the Creator of life, and human beings should not put themselves in a position of taking the life of another. In Deuteronomy 30, we can read the words of Moses:
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

So, what was the leading cause of death in 2024?  Was it cancer?  Heart attack?   Or, something more sinister, perhaps murder by gun violence?

Well, it's certainly a very sinister action that led the causes of death last year. A LifeSiteNews article stated recently:

...as Breitbart reported yesterday, abortion was the leading cause of death globally in 2024, “with a record 45 million unborn babies killed in the womb, according to data provided by Worldometer.” The numbers are excruciating and impossible to fathom: As of 12 p.m. on December 31, 2024, an estimated 45.1 million abortions were perpetrated throughout the year. For context, Canada’s entire population is 40.1 million.

The abortion death rate – or, more accurately, kill count – dwarfs every other number, including 8.2 million dying from cancer, 5 million from smoking, 1.7 million from HIV/AIDS, 1.46 million from traffic accidents, and 1.1 million from suicide. As Breitbart pointed out, the total of all non-abortion deaths is 62.5 million, “meaning that abortions accounted for just over 42 percent of all human deaths in 2024.”

As the LifeSite article points out, this has had an impact on how well the human race can replicate itself. It relates:

Throughout 2024, the mainstream press woke up to a brutal reality: Despite decades of sinister fearmongering about “overpopulation,” the world is experiencing a critical shortage of babies that will threaten our way of life in every way imaginable.

From The Guardian: “Birthrates are plummeting worldwide. Can governments turn the tide?” From the Globe and Mail: “Fewer babies are being born around the world, and not only in the places you’d expect.” From Euronews: “Greece confronts disastrously low birthrates in Aegean Islands.” From Politico: “The political shockwaves of America’s falling birthrates.”

Here is a sobering thought: "Based on an overview of the world’s 196 countries, the average population of a country is 40.96 million. This means that every year the equivalent of an entire country is killed by abortion."  And, LifeSite pointed out that a news outlet in France was just fined for actually reporting this truth. 

One particular news outlet chose to report on declining birth rates, but chose to look at immigration as the hope for stabilization, with nary a mention of the abortion crisis. Politico reported:

For the population to stay at steady state or growing levels, the fertility rate typically has to be at least 2.1 children per woman. But after peaking in the 1960s, for decades in the U.S. and many other countries the fertility rate has been falling.

In the United States, the number of births decreased 3 percent from 2022, according to the most recent data collected by the Centers for Disease Control, bringing the rate down to 1.6 births per woman over the course of a lifetime. That’s far below the rate needed to keep the US population at replacement levels.

The agenda here was to target plans to reduce illegal immigration.  But, with the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute reporting over 1 million "clinician-provided" abortions in 2023, presumably not including the rise in chemical, or mail-order abortions, this makes a significant impact on our population. 

But, let's not talk about that, the legacy media seems to say - after all, women have the so-called "right to choose."  But, that "right" has consequences on the population generally. And, I believe there are spiritual implications - concern has been expressed over how God could bless a nation that exterminates millions of its unborn children.  We must reject a "culture of death" that hides the true nature of abortion and promote the importance of life and protecting the unborn. 

So, in all this talk of reproductive rights, our nation should have a hard conversation about the number of deaths that are being taken by abortion. How our potential population has been reduced - this goes beyond the moral and spiritual, although those implications are important.  There are economic and sociological consequences of the termination of unborn life.  Because, when sin is tolerated, when we sow to ungodly actions, then we reap the effects.

Pushback

Creation reflects the hand of God; the Bible says that the heavens declare His glory. And, what He has done in creating man and woman, bringing them together in holy matrimony and ordaining and equipping them to have children and raise families, is a tremendous testimony to God's involvement in the human affairs. Jesus taught on this "created order" in Mark 10:
6 But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.'
7 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,
8 and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.
9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

The death knell of this misguided attempt to conflate gender identity with biological sex in the Title IX decision by a federal judge is symptomatic of what has been occurring throughout society.  The separation of sex from gender, moving from biology to feelings, has belied the way that God intended for humanity to operate. 

And, according to Jason Mattera, in an article at the website for the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University, there are numerous instances of the collapse of the seemingly invincible transgender agenda which was marching forward through our culture just a few short years ago.  He writes:

When it comes to the staying power of evil, it would be naïve to declare the grotesque push to mutilate and sterilize America’s youth under the guise of “gender-affirming care” completely dead. Evil doesn’t take coffee breaks. But if, five or ten years from now, we’re identifying the moment when the trans movement hit a brick wall, the year 2024 will be the clear frontrunner.

And, there were legacy media outlets that sounded the call.  Mattera states:

Let’s start with the progressive bible itself, the New York Times, which had long accepted and even pushed the “science” underlying transgenderism.

Cue Dr. Hilary Cass, a highly respected pediatrician in England and former president of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health. In 2020, the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) tasked Dr. Cass with conducting a review of its “youth gender treatments and international guidelines of care.” The catalyst for this intervention was mounting allegations that the country’s “youth gender clinic” was recklessly prescribing puberty blockers to children and only conducting “superficial” evaluations with patients.

He goes on to say, regarding the Times:

Here’s how they put it in May:

“Her final report, published last month, concluded that the evidence supporting the use of puberty-blocking drugs and other hormonal medications in adolescents was ‘remarkably weak.’ On her recommendation, the N.H.S. will no longer prescribe puberty blockers outside of clinical trials. Dr. Cass also recommended that testosterone and estrogen, which allow young people to develop the physical characteristics of the opposite sex, be prescribed with ‘extreme caution.’”

And, Cass was the subject of an interview.  Mattera writes:

They gave her a platform to shred America’s trans-industrial complex. During the one-on-one interview, Dr. Cass rebuked the American Academy of Pediatrics for “misleading the public” and said that their position was animated by politics rather than science.

Over at The Washington Post, he states that its "editorial board recently addressed the U.S. Supreme Court’s consideration of a Tennessee law that bars gender transitions for minors."  As he notes...

...the Post outlined how the initial Dutch studies that sparked the craze to medically “transition” young people were hopelessly flawed:

“Early studies from a Dutch clinic seemed to show promising results, but the research started with only 70 patients (dropping to 55 in a follow-up study) and no control group. Treatment results that look impressive in small groups often vanish when larger groups are studied. That’s why the Food and Drug Administration generally requires large, randomized controlled trials of drugs: to ensure that encouraging initial results aren’t mere statistical noise.”

The blows kept coming. They also slammed the lack of transparency among the trans activist researchers. They pointed to U.S. physician Johanna Olson-Kennedy, who, despite receiving taxpayer funding to study the effects of puberty blockers on minors, refused to release her findings, arguing she feared the data would be “weaponized.”

Mattera shares: 

In short, the Post conceded that “in the absence of clear data — and with the possibility of significant publication bias or researchers massaging their results — parents might not have adequate information” to make sound decisions for their kids.

While he believes that "progressives overplayed their hand." He contends that, "the moment the 'gender unicorn' started popping up in schools, with educators conspiring to trans kids behind their parents’ backs and doctors fast-tracking irreversible procedures onto confused children, the public’s tolerance evaporated.

And, just yesterday - and maybe you heard it on Breakpoint with John Stonestreet on Faith Radio - he shared a commentary about some positive trends out of Disney, saying:

A couple of weeks ago, Hollywood Reporter revealed that the animation giant Pixar’s new original streaming series Win or Lose “will no longer include” a planned transgender storyline. 

The commentary, written by Stonestreet and Shane Morris, went on to say:

According to Hollywood Reporter, Pixar decided to remove the trans subplot in Win or Lose about the same time as major layoffs in that studio and in its parent company. Those cuts followed a steady lineup of box office flops involving LGBTQ themes. In fact, Disney has been bleeding out financially for a while, with one news site describing how “high-budget movie failures, combined with challenges in their streaming and theme park operations” left the Mouse House in a “rocky” spot by the second half of 2024.

They also noted:

Perhaps the most important lesson to take from Disney’s and Pixar’s about-face is to soundly reject the “inevitability narrative.” Cultural degradation is not certain, and Christians do not have to perpetually retreat. Sometimes, pushing back makes a difference, especially for companies forced to feel the bottom line and for politicians forced to feel it at the ballot box. If enough people are willing to stand up and challenge powerful interests promoting perversion, history can appear to switch sides … or at least slow its march in the wrong direction.

Those of us who hold to a Christian perspective should not relax and savor our victories.  We are engaged in a spiritual battle, and the enemy has schemes to distort God's principles and deceive believers. As Jason Mattera at the Standing for Freedom Center notes, "Evil, particularly when it targets children, will always regroup and find new avenues. It does show us, however, that smart mobilization can yield results. The nation’s mood has shifted..."

But, the enemy has taken a shot at fundamental Biblical teachings - God's view of sexuality and the sanctity of marriage. Beneath the ideological cosplay lies empty promises that the world gives that someone can live a better life simply by changing his or her biology.  It's deception that produces despair.  The Church should become more well-positioned to counter the lies of the enemy and to teach people, especially young people, that your gender was not "assigned" at birth and that you were not born in the wrong body.  The fallacy of gender ideology has been exposed; now we can seek to fill the void with the truth of Scripture. 

Responding with the Light

In a world where there is evil that is prevalent, followers of Jesus can offer a sharp contrast and shine His. light. Ephesians chapter 5 states:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

For years, in the United Kingdom, there has been talk of sexual abuse by groups of Pakistani Muslims, a subject that has recently been elevated to more public concern by Elon Musk.  The Daily Signal reported about a week and a half ago:

The United Kingdom’s Labour Party blocked an inquiry into Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s conduct as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service, which was charged with investigating a massive child-sex grooming operation in Oldham more than a decade ago.

That’s according to The Telegraph of London and other news outlets.

The story has been in the news as of late in large part because of Elon Musk, who has been posting about the numerous child-sex grooming operations conducted by Pakistani immigrants to the U.K. In many cases, British authorities ignored or refused to investigate the gangs for fear of being labeled “racist.”

In Parliament just last week, according to the BBC: 

An attempt by the Conservatives to have the government set up a national inquiry into grooming gangs has been voted down by 364 votes to 111 votes, a margin of 253.

The amendment was attached to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which would have been killed had the vote passed.

Earlier in the day, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch argued the government risks fuelling accusations of "a cover up" by refusing an inquiry.

But Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer argued that several inquiries had already been held into abuse carried out by gangs of men and a new probe would only delay the action the victims wanted.

Another Daily Signal story noted: 

Starmer has been reduced to the laziest, played-out message; namely, that asking questions about the widespread pedophile rape gangs that operated for years as authorities looked the other way makes you a part of the scary “far right.”

Both Daily Signal stories were written by Jarrett Stepman, who said: "What Musk has done is essentially force an American-style political debate onto the U.K. and even more profoundly, onto a European continent that not only doesn’t have a long-standing free speech culture, but has actively tried to do more to censor their own citizens in recent years."

And, CBN News had this to insert: "CBN News was among the first news organizations in America to expose Britain's Grooming Gang scandal eight years ago."  It reprinted a 2016 article, which said, in part:

Some scandals are so massive that they're simply hard to believe. As many as one million white English children may have been the victims of Muslim rape gangs, better known as grooming gangs, in towns up and down Great Britain.

The 2016 article reprint stated: 

Former Home Secretary and Parliament member Jack Straw once said, "There's a particular problem involving Pakistani heritage men who target young, vulnerable, white English girls..."

At the time, CBN reported...

...calculations based on convictions show that a British Muslim male is 170 times more likely to be a part of a sex grooming gang than a non-Muslim. And there are no recorded instances of non-Muslims doing this to Muslim girls as part of a criminal enterprise. In one local jurisdiction, it was estimated that 6 out of 7 Muslim males either knew about or were part of a grooming gang.

Returning to current content, writer Dale Hurd noted:

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Starmer claims that when he led the Crown Prosecution Service it had the highest number of child sex abuse prosecutions on record.

And while there were indeed prosecutions, the grooming gangs were never effectively stopped, and the abuse continues to this day.

While Prime Minister Starmer and his supporters say, "there's nothing to see here," there are those that claim that the egregious behavior has never stopped and are shining the light of truth on a story involving events over a decade ago. 

We live in a broken world, and we see so many manifestations of evil - including sexual deviancy expressed in different forms, such as the "grooming" of young girls that is being alleged in the U.K., to rampant human trafficking, which is enslaving millions of children worldwide and threatening local communities, to other forms of sexual sin. 

It is so easy to become discouraged, but believers should never give up hope - we should be about the business of exposing evil, as Ephesians 5 exhorts us.  In our workplaces, schools, and even our churches, we should be aware of events that are taking place and have our eyes open to inappropriate behavior.  And, we should also be intent on confronting evil with the light of Christ - that means living out and sharing the gospel at every opportunity.  We may never comprehend how our witness will touch people for the Lord.

Christmas Break

We can possess the attitude that wherever God sends us, we will go. That mindset was reflected by the apostle Paul in Romans 15:
20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation,
21 but as it is written: "To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand."
22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you.
23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you,
24 whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.

A college student could spend his or her Christmas break in any number of ways - maybe to head home and spend time with friends and family, perhaps a time to decompress, or work a short-term holiday job.  

An article published at The Baptist Paper reports that a group of students from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College traveled to Spain in December. The article relates:

The 12 students traveled to Madrid, Spain, on Dec. 6 for a week of evangelism activities. The trip was a sort of homecoming for team leader Amanda Williams, a master of arts in biblical counseling student who was born and grew up in Spain as the child of International Mission Board missionaries. The team worked with her parents, Dwight and Mara Williams, and other missionaries during the trip. Williams also is the staff photographer at Southwestern Seminary and was able to document the trip in photos.

The story, which is published in full at the seminary's website, quotes Amanda: 

“In a place like Spain, I have seen my parents measure success differently,” she explained. “If we adopted the same measurements other workers use around the world, ministry here could be considered a failure. That sounds intense, but that is what also makes the work here so beautiful.”

“Although God is able,” she added, “we cannot walk in expecting salvations left and right, but really have to ask ourselves, ‘Am I in it for the long run? Am I able to offer friendship for years, sometimes decades, before somebody becomes spiritually interested and, Lord willing, receives Christ?’”

Nelly Juarez, who is originally from Costa Rica, shared how she saw God move, even though the team encountered a lack of receptiveness to the gospel: “I was able to see God’s faithfulness in the way the church perseveres despite people’s hardness toward the Gospel,” she said. “Although sometimes the fruit is slow to reap, believers keep sowing and trusting God to bring His Kingdom to Spain. I also learned the importance of building long-lasting relationships in order to reach Spanish people and gained a deeper understanding of God’s love for the lost.”

According to the article, "The students conducted evangelism activities in area parks and assisted in events for the local church including a Christmas party for students who were learning English. They also helped with the women’s ministry Christmas party."

Alyssa Espinoza and fiance Toby Dingler went to Spain as part of the missions effort.  The article noted that they plan to serve the Lord together once they are married - they had a unique encounter in Madrid one night in a store.

“Toby and I were speaking in English, so the cashier heard us and took it as an opportunity to practice his English,” she said. As the two men began talking, Dingler shared his faith and they exchanged numbers to hopefully meet up later in the week, she added.

“Toby met with him for coffee a few days later, then the day before we left, I was able to join Toby and the cashier and the cashier’s wife as we had intentional time with them,” Espinoza said. “Toby was able to share the Gospel and challenge the cashier’s beliefs and they developed a sweet friendship in such a short time!”

Toby noticed something about the culture there; he said: “I was blown away by how much the people of Spain valued being with others,” adding, “Everywhere I went I saw people together, talking and having a good time. I couldn’t help but see this piece of Spanish culture as a way for God to reach Spain with His good news.”

The article described the nature of some of the encounters that team members had with local people. Amanda shared: "...time and time again, He brought people that seemed to need a friend right at that very moment. The team was able to form connections and friendships that I’m not sure would have happened otherwise. I know I speak for my parents in saying that we are incredibly grateful for the team, the joy they brought and the encouragement they left to long-term workers [in Spain].”

This story really drives home the point that we should always be willing to go where God sends us at the time He ordains.  We have to guard against allowing excuses to prevent us from doing His will: such as the wrong circumstances, the wrong time, or a deficient amount of finances.  Where God calls, He provides. 

These students utilized a break in the schedule near Christmas to share the gospel - they went to a nation where they were expecting some resistance, based on the experiences of Amanda's parents.  But, they were faithful, and encountered open doors, divine appointments in order to share the gospel. They didn't allow preconceived notions to hold them back from being faithful. 

We can make sure that we recognize that yes, we are sent.  People with a mission who have been commissioned to go into the world.  We are placed here for a purpose, and we can make sure our hearts are open for whatever God desires for us to do.

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.