I'll Pray For You

The Lord invites us to come to Him and present our requests before Him - for ourselves, and for other people.  1st John 5 underscores the confidence we can have as we approach Him:

14Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.15And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.
Confidence - in prayer!   We can see God do great and mighty things in our midst as we seek His face, as we cry or call out to Him, and as we trust Him as we pray.   Our God has made Himself available to us - because He loves us.  So that He can display His glory through us in response to our petitions.  We can be confident that as we approach His throne, described in Hebrews 4 as the "throne of grace," He takes our prayers seriously.   And, I hope that each of us takes Him at His Word, and with a sense of devotion and awe, brings requests to Him - not just for ourselves, but for others, including those who have personally asked us to pray for them.

James 5 contains a very encouraging directive which illustrates for us how we as believers can be involved in interacting with one another:
16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Four simple words.  Powerful.  A promise.

A piece in Converge magazine (see page 8) starts out by saying:

"I'll pray for you."

Four powerful, simple words, yet each time you speak them, you know that there's a good chance you won't put them into action.

The indictment continues:

...We use journals, spending hours writing and rewriting prayers.  We use Post-it notes until our desks are covered.  We create prayer lists, prayer chains, and still, there's a 99 percent chance we'll forget to actually pray.   

The piece introduces the Echo prayer app.  Its website, EchoPrayer.com, gives some history.   In 2006, Ben Rugg began to develop a prayer reminder service online to help him and him and his small group keep track of their prayer requests and remind them to pray for each other throughout the week. After working solely on this web-based service for three months, he launched Echo Prayer, which has grown to nearly 20,000 users around the world.

Rugg and Jim Elliston then co-founded Clover, which makes websites and provides donation tools for ministries and non-profit organizations, and intended to develop a more modern solution for 8 years.

Now, the Echo phone app is available.   Its website says:

Echo's number one goal is to help people pray.

Whether it be to simply keep track of prayer requests, give space to engage with God, or simply help remind people to pray... Echo is a tool to help Christ-followers engage with God.

I think there are some important takeaways for us here...first of all, people ask us to pray for them all the time, and we have to ask ourselves, do we actually pray when asked to?   And, do we even take that one step further and promise to pray, but don't keep the promise?    Quite frankly, that is an integrity issue that I have had to deal with personally.   We have to make sure we are engaged with prayer for one another, and to seek to be incredibly faithful when people share their needs with us.   The Echo app is a possible tool to us, but there are other ways we can be prompted to pray, as well.

Perhaps we can pray for someone at that moment, maybe even to pray for them on the spot.  If it's a personal conversation, taking a pause to petition Almighty God can be effective, and will activate the power of agreement.

I think it's also helpful to us to evaluate how seriously we believe in the power of prayer.  Seriously.  If we serve the God of the universe, and we do, and believe that He has infinite power, and desires to respond to our requests, then we can be confident when we go to Him.  We have to train ourselves to make prayer our first and preeminent option, rather than just one of many options or an afterthought - a last resort, if you will.   He invites us to earnestly come before His throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in time of need.

Hypocrisy Revealed

In 1st Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul discusses the importance of a strong foundation, and making sure that we are building in the right way:
10According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.11For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.12Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,13each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.

We can claim the name of Christ, but if His presence, His principles, and our relationship with Him are not central in our lives, then I think it's important that we do the proper evaluation and take corrective action. As, it's been said, we can recognize that only what is done for the Lord will last.  A good foundation is predicated on a right heart relationship - we have to make sure that our actions are flowing from a heart that is devoted to Him and that we are dedicated to following Him as He leads.  If we attempt to do righteous works, but our hearts are not right, then we are engaging in hypocrisy.  And, if we claim to be Christians and we are not participating in His work, then we have to take a second look and ask the Lord to cleanse us and set us on course.

I think it is safe to say that Jesus reserved His harshest criticism for those who claimed to be religious, and indeed outwardly looked pious, but whose hearts were not right with God.  In Matthew 23, for instance, He outlined seven "woes," directed at the hypocrites.  Here are some examples:

25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.26Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness

I have to admit, I have not listened to the music of a Christian so-called, "metal," band called As I Lay Dying. I can't say that I had even heard of them until the lead singer, Tim Lambesis started making the news.  He is now serving time in prison for attempting to have his estranged wife killed by a hitman.

Lambesis, the musician now says that he is actually an atheist, according to a report on the ChristianHeadlines.com website.  He says that As I Lay Dying originated as a Christian group, but members lost their faith over time. Though the band felt that they were lying by portraying themselves as Christian, the group wanted to keep record sales up with the Christian audience.  He said that, "We talked about whether to keep taking money from the ‘Christian market...We had this bizarrely ‘noble’ thing, like, ‘Well, we’re not passing along any bad ideas. We’re just singing about real life stuff. Those kids need to hear about real life, because they live in a bubble.”

Lambesis now feels that “when you change your views, you kind of owe it to the fans to be honest.”

According to the singer, As I Lay Dying is not the only band putting up false pretences. "We toured with more 'Christian bands' who actually aren't Christians than bands that are. In 12 years of touring with As I Lay Dying, I would say maybe one in 10 Christian bands we toured with were actually Christian bands," he said.

The Christian Post reports that remaining band members have formed a new group called, Wovenwar.  All members of As I Lay Dying, it seems, are being described as ex-Christians, which is a term that I would have to question.  And, this series of events could lead to a discussion of eternal security.   But, I do want to point us in the direction of identifying hypocrisy in our own lives, and asking the Lord to eliminate it.  As I mentioned earlier, Jesus reserved His harshest criticism for those who claimed to be religious, and indeed outwardly looked pious, but whose hearts were not right with God. 

So the question that we can ask ourselves is, "what's in our heart"?    We have to make sure that we don't claim to be a Christian and even attempt to do righteous works and look holy on the outside, when all we're doing is going through the motions.  These band guys said that they were putting on false airs, along with most Christian bands, which I highly doubt, but God is the judge.  I'm not sure that Mr. Lambesis carries a whole lot of credibility these days.   But, they did claim the name of Christ, and their actions now have undermined that.  

I think that this can motivate us to check the condition of our hearts and to ask the Lord to cleanse us of all that is not pleasing to Him.   We know that God calls us to live in a manner consistent with the condition of our hearts - if our hearts are right before Him, then we will produce lasting and legitimate fruit for His glory.

Redeeming Magog

In Luke 10, we see that the Lord sent out teams of two to do His work and to spread His love:
1After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.2Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

And, you know, each of us has been sent, as well - we have a mission, as His ambassadors, given the ministry of reconciliation, to present the good news that God has sent His Son to reconcile fallen humanity to Himself.  It's the best news of all - that Jesus can change a life and set a person free.  So, we can take our calling seriously and seek the Spirit's direction regarding where and to whom we will go.  And, we walk daily with a sensitivity to speak and to do the will of God.

The love of Christ shared with other people or even injected into a group or a city can have a profound effect, and we are called to share His love wherever we go.  2nd Corinthians 5 says:
14For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;15and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.16Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.18Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation...

In Genesis 10, we read that Magog is one of the grandsons of Noah, a son of Japheth.  In Ezekiel 38, that name is used again in association with an alignment of nations who will come against Israel in the last days.

There's also a city in Canada about an hour east of Montreal with the same name, and up until now, has not been particularly known for its spirituality.  Baptist Press has a profile about a minister, a church planter named Dominic Chaussé, who came to the city to start a church called Axe21, sent by a church also named Axe21 in the neighboring town of Sherbrooke.

Magog is actually a Canadian resort, with 53,000 people in most months and an additional 20,000 vacationing there in the summer. It is described as Quebec's premiere destination for the province's vacationers. Magog's name is First Nations in origin, an abbreviation for nearby Lake Memphremagog meaning "lake of low water" or "lake between two mountains."

Chaussé says that even though the city has "a huge lake that goes all the way to Vermont, four ski hills less than an hour away, miles of cycling paths, lots of outdoor sports -- fishing [and] hunting -- and so many restaurants, it has only one evangelical church."

Many of the younger adults in Magog, as with most Quebecois, have parents who parted from the Catholic Church, leaving their children disinterested and without any knowledge of Jesus.

He says, "We have one of the highest rates of suicide and divorce, and it's because people are so directionless and lack meaning or contentment in their lives."  But he's observing a movement of the Spirit, adding, "People are praying for the lost...and we're seeing those same lost people come to Christ."  And, he says that living for Christ has already had a great impact on residents of the area.

Axe21 plans to launch later this year in a Magog theater that once had been the city's most notorious bar. Chaussé sees it as an opportunity to redeem a dark part of the city -- but a city that is surprisingly receptive. He said, "I thought it was going to be super hard to start because the faith was so not present...They're not opposed -- just unaware. What's going to happen when you die? Many couldn't care less. They don't really believe there's something after death. Talk to them about hell and they laugh and say 'that's something for kids.' If you talk to them about going to church, they just think it's something weird."

He adds, "But they're excited to speak about Jesus."

Axe21's core group spent 400 hours last summer serving on The Green Brigade, which meant picking up trash after the city's many festivals.

"The city was actually excited about us launching," Chaussé said.

There are some wonderful and practical principles that we can take away from the story of Magog. First of all, no person or group of people is beyond the redemptive hand of God.  The power of Christ can change people, and when we do ministry, I think we can confidently expect the Holy Spirit to have His way. God calls us to be faithful and leave the results to Him.

Dominic Chaussé realizes that living the life makes for a compelling testimony.  People living as Christians and serving their community can make a powerful statement for the glory of God, becoming a visible manifestation of the presence of the Lord.

And, people in Magog are praying for the lost.  It is important that we coat people to whom we minister with prayer.  Prayer provides the fuel and foundation for the work of God to go forward.   We can pray for hearts to be sensitized, as as Jesus taught, for laborers to go into the harvest to minister God's love - and each of us can fulfill that role.   You may even be someone who has been prayed for as a laborer to share God's truth.  So, proceed with hope!

Cultural Implosion on the Horizon: Where is the Church?

Even though we see around us a culture that is seemingly in decline, and there is statistical evidence of it, we are still not without hope - Jesus is alive, His truth is powerful, and He will bring a knowledge of His ways through His people, who are devoted to Him.  Here is what Ephesians 2 says:
12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God - we all miss the mark; we depart from God's ways and refuse to believe what He has set out in His Word for living a fruitful and satisfying life.  He doesn't give us His principles to stifle us or place us in bondage; no, He has given us His ways and wisdom in order to teach us to live abundantly.   Following what pleases Him leads to life and freedom!   And, if we're living that way, perhaps we can bring others along.

=======

When a majority or even a plurality of people in a society call right or morally acceptable what God has called wrong, I believe you are on the verge of a cultural implosion. The signs are everywhere, and a new Gallup survey on the moral acceptability of certain behaviors provides yet more evidence of this cultural decline.

Let's go to the 4th chapter of the book of 1st Thessalonians, as the apostle Paul lays out behavior that pleases God:

3It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;4that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,5not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;6and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.7For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.
According to its report on the poll, Gallup says that, "The American public has become more tolerant on a number of moral issues, including premarital sex, embryonic stem cell research, and euthanasia. On a list of 19 major moral issues of the day, Americans express levels of moral acceptance that are as high or higher than in the past on 12 of them..."

The 19 issues fall into five groups, ranging from highly acceptable to highly unacceptable. Overall, 11 of the 19 are considered morally acceptable by more than half of Americans.  There's only one of the 19 in the "highly acceptable" category, which is birth control.

Nine of the other 10 issues with majority acceptance can be put into a "largely acceptable" category, as they have smaller majorities considering them morally acceptable and sizable minorities that consider them morally wrong.  I want to zero in on just some of these issues, many of which have as high as almost 7-in-10 Americans who accept them:

Divorce: accepted by 69% of respondents

Sex between and unmarried man and a woman: 67% - 2 out of 3!

Embryonic stem-cell research: 65%

Gambling: 62%

Having a baby outside of marriage: 58%

Gay or lesbian relations: 58% percent consider that practice morally acceptable.

So here is a group of behaviors, that I believe the Bible speaks clearly on, that are considered to be morally acceptable by a majority of the population.  Scripture teaches that God hates divorce - that's the word used in Malachi.  And, there are scores of divorcees that have been through that painful process that can testify to its damaging effects.  Yet, in our culture, almost 7-in-10 deem it to be morally acceptable.  

Pre-marital sex - 2/3 of respondents accept the violation of God's plan for sexual relations. Interestingly enough, only 7% consider adultery to be acceptable.  And only 30% believe teens should be engaging in sex.  But, almost 6-in-10 believe its OK to have a baby outside of marriage, which is not the model set forth in Scripture.

And, almost 6-in-10 accept homosexuality, a practice that is considered sinful.  Based on some commentary I have read, I pose this question - for those who believe that it's OK Scripturally, can you find an example where that behavior is spoken of in a positive sense?

Embryonic stem-cell research, which involves the taking of a human life for a research that is clearly unproven, also has high acceptance levels.

Gambling, which is a matter that has been addressed on this program, is an outgrowth of greed, and involves temporary financial benefit at the expense of other people.  For you to win, others have to lose!  It's an unbiblical shifting of resources that preys on the poor.    

Now, abortion receives neither majority support nor majority disapproval, making it the most contentious issue of the 19 tested. The current split is similar to what Gallup measured last year, but is a more even division than the four prior years when at least half said it was morally wrong. 

Well, it's very tempting to wring our hands, say that our country is in a state of cultural decline, and resign ourselves to the fact that it is happening.  I don't believe that's God's call to each of us individually and certainly not to the church collectively.   In a culture that is attracted to darkness, we have the responsibility to shine the light of Christ.   Not in a condescending way that can be perceived as judgmental, but in a compassionate way that draws people to the love and light of our Savior.

But, we are also called to speak and live the truth in love.   We have to first and foremost make sure we are living in a way that lines up with the Scriptures, demonstrating that the way of truth is the way to life, abundant life in Jesus.  We have to be convinced in our own hearts that His way is best.

The church can be discouraged by the degradation around us, or we can be encouraged by the opportunity to speak powerfully to people who have departed from the way to life.   Even though things seem hopeless, we know that God provides hope through His Son.  We can bring a sense of His hope to a world that is hurtling toward hopelessness.

The Goal Keeper

We have a unique calling on each of our lives, to be vessels to be used of God for His glory.  The reminder is found in 2nd Corinthians 4:
7But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.8We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--10always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
When we recognize that in our own humanity, we are frail and incapable of pleasing God, we also see that in Him, we have great power and potential to live our lives for Christ.   Even though we may face the pain or pressure of adversity, even though we encounter weakness and failure, through our dependence on God, we can encounter a strength beyond ourselves, so that our lives will reflect a Savior who gives us His very life. Through His power, we can be transformed, so that His work might be seen in us.
In Philippians 3, we find a passage of Scripture that addresses spiritual growth and the pursuit of a spiritual goal:12Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Americans are celebrating a World Cup soccer victory today - the USA team beat Ghana 2-1, defeating the team that had knocked them out of the competition during the previous 2 tournaments.   The New York Times credited, among others, the work of goalie Tim Howard, saying that he was "shining as the stabilizing force for a defense that had been thought of as the team’s weak link." Howard was described as"staying so positive and faithful."

The article continues:

After Clint Dempsey scored less than one minute into the game, Howard was in charge of keeping the fleet-footed Ghanaians at bay from his spot in what could very well be the loneliest place in all of sports — the one between two white goal posts. As Ghana shot the ball toward him again and again, he did his best to create an impenetrable force field. He leapt high and wide. He rolled low and fast. He scrambled out of the box to meet oncoming shots with so much power and speed that he seemed like a freight train gone off its rails.

A 2006 article found on the Cru website called USA World Cup goalie Tim Howard, "The Goal Keeper."   He is an American, and has played in Great Britain, including a stint for the Manchester United team.  Earlier in his career, as he tasted success on the field, he realized he had two choices: strive to be a sports idol, or give God the glory. Tim vowed to give credit to the Creator.

Tim became involved with Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of Cru. Through AIA, he forged friendships with many of his teammates and also the team chaplain, Rob Skead. He has been featured in several Christian publications, and also stars in an Athletes in Action DVD, The Tim Howard Story, which includes his Christian testimony and has been seen in a number of different countries. Tim also appeared in an AIA DVD about the World Cup.

Tim is quoted as saying, "The most important thing in my life...is Christ. He's more important to me than winning or losing or whether I'm playing or not. Everything else is just a bonus."

The website, WorldSoccerJourneys.com, published a piece a few years ago on Howard.  He said, “I’m certainly just a vehicle for Christ...and He moves me and the Spirit moves me in miraculous ways – that’s from dealing with Tourette’s syndrome to the pressures playing on a level like this and in England in the Premiere League. I just try to rely on faith."

He continued: “I’m not perfect...I’m far from it and that is the reason I do need Jesus. I try to live it. … I stumble, as many people do, but always in the belief that I’m loved and that I’m meaningful.”

For the first ten years of his life, Howard suffered with an undiagnosed case of Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by physical and verbal tics.

“I did not experience peace,” he said in a testimony published by Athletes in Action. “But even though my life often seemed chaotic, I knew I could always count on at least one person to provide calm and stability: my grandmother.”

Howard said his grandmother’s sense of peace was so powerful because it came from her faith in the Lord. “Through her, God revealed His love for me as well,” he said. “It wasn’t long before I was following in her footsteps. I wanted the same kind of faith and peace she had, and that is exactly what God gave me.”

Howard said living with Tourette’s is not easy. “But God has blessed me with the gift of athleticism as well,” he shared. “He has done some powerful things in my life through the combination of these two gifts. … He also has shown me ways to use my position as a professional athlete to encourage others with Tourette’s syndrome.”

What an amazing testimony from someone who is now firmly on an enormous world stage!   And, while Howard tends to the goal during the soccer matches, he is also someone who is driven to pursue the goal of glorifying Christ.  He obviously recognizes the platform that he has been given, and demonstrates a dependence of God that can be a powerful example to all of us.  As he said, he is a vehicle for Christ.

And, while Howard may seem to have lived somewhat of a charmed life on the surface, you also realize that he has had to deal with physical challenges.  His faith has been a central component as he has dealt with Tourette's, but he has experienced God's peace to sustain him.  And, he recognizes that through his adversity, he can help encourage others who are suffering with the same condition.   Tim Howard can inspire us to develop a greater dependence on the Lord, who can give our lives purpose and peace.

By the way, RBC Ministries, who brings you Sports Spectrum, has developed some resources to coincide with the World Cup.  Learn more at www.theperfectgameplan.org.

Cosby on Fathers

Yesterday was Father's Day, and it gives us a chance to appreciate the dads who are in our lives, to affirm that God-given role and to reflect on the vital importance of fathers in our culture today.   Dads do not need to be marginalized or discouraged - there is a strong role to play.  And, we have the best example of all to follow.  Here are some wise words from Psalm 103:
13As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;14for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.15As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;16the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.17But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children--

God our Heavenly Father is full of love for each of us - He is longsuffering and does not cease to love us when we do not follow in His ways.  As 2 Timothy says, even when we are faithless, He remains faithful.  He has given us access to His wisdom, and as we continue to rely on Him, He will direct us in the challenging work of parenting.

In Ephesians 6, we see a verse that can provide a strong watchword for those of us who are fathers:
4And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

A poll caught my eye in yesterday's Montgomery Advertiser.  The poll had asked USA Today readers to share who their favorite TV dad was.   No surprise, and not even close - yes, you know the answer - Cliff Huxtable, played by Bill Cosby on The Cosby Show, with 42% of the vote.  Al Bundy of Married With Children was a distant second.  Word has it, by the way, that Cosby, the venerable actor, who is now in his mid-70's will be returning to television comedy.

Perhaps he has a desire to redeem the genre.  The BrainyQuote website quotes Cosby as saying, "I think the part of media that romanticizes criminal behavior, things that a person will say against women, profanity, being gangster, having multiple children with multiple men and women and not wanting to is prevalent. When you look at the majority of shows on television they placate that kind of behavior."

He's right, you know, and from what I can tell, Cosby loved parenting.  The same website quotes him as saying that, "Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children."

About the American father: "If the new American father feels bewildered and even defeated, let him take comfort from the fact that whatever he does in any fathering situation has a fifty percent chance of being right."

"No matter how calmly you try to referee, parenting will eventually produce bizarre behavior, and I'm not talking about the kids. Their behavior is always normal."

And, finally, "Even though your kids will consistently do the exact opposite of what you're telling them to do, you have to keep loving them just as much."

Cosby can be deadly serious about some of the issues confronting our society today, but by mixing in his inimitable humor, perhaps it makes truth easier to swallow.  And, perhaps sometimes we take ourselves too seriously.  I do regard some of his "truth" to be consistent with Biblical truth - especially his outspokenness on moral behavior and personal responsibility.   

All in all, Cosby has been very effective in helping people reflect on the importance of fathers.   On The Cosby Show, he portrayed a strong and wise dad, albeit fallible.   And, that's who we are as dads - we don't have all the answers, but we have access to answers, through the principles we find in God's Word.  

And, we recognize that God our Heavenly Father is the perfect example to us - He doesn't give up on us when we do the "exact opposite" of what He tells us to do.   He continues to love us unconditionally, and that serves us well as fathers - we have His capacity to love unconditionally.

Dads, realize who God has called you to be, how He has placed you in a very significant role and has equipped you to honor Him by the way you raise and relate to your children.  And, each of us, where applicable, can make sure that we encourage and appreciate the dads in and around our lives.

The Work of Our Hands

God has placed a calling upon each of our lives, to use the talents and resources He has given to us to bring honor to His name.   1st Thessalonians 4 reminds us to act in love:
9But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;10and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;11that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,12that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing...

We have gifts, unique capabilities, and God is calling us to be faithful in the use of what He has entrusted to us.  And, I believe that He is pleased with our diligence.   We use our minds and hearts to connect with Him, and with our hands, we reach out to actually represent our Savior.   With our feet, we go where He sends us.   With our mouths, we are called to speak the truth of God.   He has uniquely equipped us to spread His glory and to reflect the love of Christ, and it's good to evaluate how we are using those unique talents that He has given to us.

In Ecclesiastes 9, we see a powerful verse about the attitude that we can possess as believers who desire to do all things for the glory of God:

10Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

Earlier this week, some 600 Woman's Missionary Union members toured five Baltimore sites related to WMU legend Annie Armstrong during the June 8 session of the WMU Annual Meeting and Missions Celebration.  Armstrong was a native of Baltimore who served as WMU's first corresponding secretary, which is akin to today's position of executive director.  She is the namesake for an annual offering for North American Missions, collected at Easter, in association with North American Missions with the North American Mission Board.

According to a piece on the Baptist Press website, year after year, Armstrong came up with new ways to stir up missions efforts, to get missions information out to the churches and to raise prayer support and money for missions.   The tour included where she first lived, her dad's shop, her home church, and her gravesite.  The group also visited the first WMU headquarters - the Maryland Baptist Mission Rooms, which served as a missionary library and reading room. Later it served as the location of the Southern Baptist Convention's missionary literature department until the work was placed with the Sunday School Board (now LifeWay Christian Resources) in the early 1900s.  By the way, trivia question for you - where is the WMU of the Southern Baptist Convention currently headquartered?

The website, AnnieArmstrong.com, states:

Annie believed in Christ with all her heart, but it was her hands that expressed that belief in tangible ways. She spent a great amount of time typing and handwriting letters in support of missions. Many of these letters were quite lengthy and all were filled with conviction that more could and should be done in our mission efforts. In 1893 alone, she wrote almost 18,000 letters! Annie also never hesitated to use her hands to reach out to hug a child or distribute food and clothing and the Word of God to those in need. Her hands held her own Bible as she studied to know how best to share Gods love with others. And, most important, Annie was a woman of prayer, folding her hands in prayer to intercede for the missionaries and for those they were helping discover Christ.

You can really pay attention when someone has something named after them - especially something as critical as the work of missions.  

Annie Armstrong illustrates for us first of all, a willingness to be used of the Lord.  And, we can search our own hearts to see if we have that desire to be obedient to Christ in whatever He has called us.

She was also a woman of prayer.  The work of missions is fueled by the prayers of God's people.  We do well to realize the importance of faithful and fervent intercession for God's work through our churches, in our communities, our nation, and around the world.  

Not only was Annie Armstrong willing, but she was known to follow through.   Her life models the concept of diligence.  She didn't just think about doing God's work and sharing God's Word, she did it.  She didn't just regard writing letters to support missions, she actually wrote them - by the thousands!   We may have wonderful ideas about what we can do for the Kingdom, but we have to get them from our minds and spirits into tangible expressions for His glory.

Now, on to that trivia question - where is the headquarters for the Women's Missionary Union of the Southern Baptist Convention?   In Birmingham, Alabama - Highway 280.   WMU is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year.

Keep Your Eyes Open

Do you believe that the apostle Paul crafted and wrote prayers according to the will of God?   Even the will of God - for you?   I believe it, so when he writes this in Ephesians 1, I believe that it applies to what the Lord would want for me:
17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,18the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,19and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power...

God wants us to open up our eyes - to be people of discernment, who do not walk through life blinded to what the Lord would show us or the needs of people around us.   He desires to give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation, consistent with His truth.  As we know Him better, he will enlighten our understanding, and we will grow in Him.   God want to instill a sense of spiritual sensitivity in our hearts and minds.

If we train ourselves in the Scriptures, we can be more sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit and to what God would show us each day.  Proverbs 2 talks about this important spiritual training:
1My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,2So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;3Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,4If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;5Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

The head groundskeeper of a golf course in Ashland, Ohio made an alert discovery the other day.  Jim Willis was picking up trash on the course and said that he "noticed something," according to a report on Fox8 Cleveland.

It was - of all things - a wallet.  And, not nearly a new one.   There were a driver’s license and college ID, dated from 1990.   The assistant manager of the pro shop at Brookside Golf Course, Jim Howell, said:

“I said this is so cool that we found this. I think I’m going to put a note on my Facebook page, and that we found it and that it is about 20 years old. A friend of mine on Facebook came back and said ‘I think I know the guy you are talking about.’”

The wallet's owner, Kevin Gibson, said that, “A friend that I had went to school with saw the post, reached me through Facebook and told me that they had found a wallet with my name on some of the stuff inside of it."

It was 1994 when then-24-year-old Kevin Gibson of Ashland, who was fresh out of the military and was enrolled at Ashland University, lost his wallet.  He said, “I remember riding in a golf cart through the golf course. After that, it was when I realized that I didn’t have my wallet anymore. I remember thinking ‘oh no, not again.’ It was like the second or third time in my life that I had lost my wallet.” 

Kevin Gibson was found 6 hours after the original Facebook post.  The story does not say how much cash may or may not have been in it.

I think this discovery of something that had been hidden for some 20 years can provide some spiritual encouragement for us.   For one thing, it illustrates the importance of keeping your eyes open.  Oddly enough, scores of golfers had walked in the vicinity of that spot for two decades.   But, on that day recently, the groundskeeper noticed something, and it turned out to be a rather sentimental find.  Spiritually speaking, we can acknowledge that God may have something to show you today, but we may miss it if we're not in tune with him.

I thought about a book title from Andy Andrews, The Noticer.   His website contains this quote, "Many people ignore ‘small stuff,’ claiming to have an eye on the bigger picture, never understanding that the bigger picture is composed entirely of small stuff."   I think that we can train ourselves to slow down and sensitively look around us, carefully - to become more of a noticer.  We can have our eyes completely on ourselves or on our daily agendas or activities and lose our perspective - a good dose of spiritual sensitivity can be beneficial to us.

 

Not only can our eyes be open and perhaps trained to be more cognizant of the world around us, but I do believe that God is calling us to be diligent searchers for His truth.  The Bible speaks of seeking His Word like silver - carefully mining the Scriptures to find what He has to teach us.   By making a devoted effort to learn what God has to teach us in His Word, we can grow and continue to train ourselves to be more connected to His Spirit.

 

Crossing Over Into Life

There's a passage of Scripture that lays out the importance of our being obedient to share our faith and give people the opportunity to receive Jesus as Lord.  It begins in 2nd Corinthians 5 and crosses over into chapter 6:
20Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
1We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.2For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Now is the day - today could be the day that someone whom you engage in conversation or for whom you prayed, enters into eternal life with Jesus Christ through salvation.   You have been called; you have been sent - to share the message, to radiate His love, to be a shining and compelling example of what God can do, because He has done it in your life.  Sin has brought about brokenness, a departure from God's design, but through accepting the gospel and believing on Jesus, a person can change the course of his or her life and begin to recover and pursue God's design.  (That's based on a new guide and app called, the "3 Circles: Life Conversation Guide.")

In Romans 10, we see the prescription for salvation, the method by which a person can enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ:
9...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.11For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.13For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Today, the Southern Baptist Convention kicks off in Baltimore.  Traditionally, a pastors' conference precedes the opening of the convention, and the weekend prior to the start, a "Crossover" event is held, joining together churches from the host city, along with volunteers from numerous churches across the nation.

This year's Crossover event featured some 36 Baltimore-area Baptist churches that joined arms with nearly 2,000 volunteers from 18 states and Canada to serve the Baltimore community and share Christ with its residents, according to a report on the Baptist Press website.

One event was a block party hosted by Northeast Baptist Church, encompassing volunteers from churches from Mississippi and Virginia, as well as Baltimore.  That event included a presentation by a group of professional Christian athletes called the Strength Team and drew residents from the surrounding row houses.

Crossover Baltimore mobilization and logistics director Cindy Irizarry witnessed a mother and son give their lives to Jesus through the Strength Team's witness. She described the effect on the volunteers: "It was glorious to see so many of our church members and pastors so enthusiastic...You could see the hope and the excitement in their faces. To see volunteers, both local and from everywhere, come to serve -- it was exciting."

Captivate Christian Church, a Southern Baptist church plant, hosted Community Day in Patterson Park drawing about 8,000 neighbors and netting 1,700 new perspective families for the church.

One of the venues where seminary students served was the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware's Collegiate Ministry beach volleyball tournament held at Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Bob Mackey, Embrace Baltimore executive director, said, "It was a marvelous day on so many fronts...One of my favorite highlights this week is having over 200 students from six seminaries volunteering the equivalent man hours of one person working 5.4 years full-time in Baltimore and sharing Christ with compassion, grace and determination."

At many of the Crossover Baltimore sites seminary students were putting into practice what they had received training for earlier in the week -- the "3 Circles: Life Conversation Guide." The guide is a new resource from the North American Mission Board. An app version can be found at sendnetwork.com or namb.net/3circles. 

Recognize that if we are doing the work of Christ and following His Great Commission, we can experience incredible excitement as the result of seeing people come to know the Lord.  As one of the Crossover leaders said, volunteers were joyful at their participation in spreading the gospel.   And, God has given us a variety of tools that can help us as we can share our faith.  One is the "3 Circles" guide I mentioned earlier.   There is a printed guide and a phone app that can help lead someone into a conversation about spiritual things.   It begins with God's Design, the first circle. Through sin we depart from God's design and experience Brokenness, which is represented by the second circle.  But the good news is that we can escape brokenness by repenting of sin and believing in - the Gospel, through which we can recover and pursue God's Design.  

Perhaps you have recognized that you are not walking in God's design for your life.  Your life is represented by brokenness because of sin.  You want to be free.  You can follow His path to salvation - confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God has raised Him from the dead.  You pray a simple prayer and ask Jesus to become the Lord of your life.

Two Congregations, One Church

The apostle Paul addresses our unity as believers in Christ in Ephesians chapter 4, challenging us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  He writes:
4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;6one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

He is above, through, and in us - what a great perspective as we realize what the Lord has done inside each of us, and as new creations in Christ, those who have called upon His name are internally the same - it's just the externals that can give us a problem.  I believe God directs each of us to have a mindset that acknowledges that while we may have physical, cultural, racial, or denominational differences, we all belong to Him and we can seek ways to forge a greater understanding with one another.

Galatians 3 gives us a picture of how we are called to be one body in Christ Jesus, to put aside those things which could divide us and concentrate on our identity in Him, which can unite us:
26For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

In Rock Hill, South Carolina, Bethel Baptist Church discovered that their sanctuary had been deemed to be unsafe to meet in any longer.  According to a report on the Breaking Christian News website, one of the deacons approached the pastor of another church in town, Second Baptist, about sharing spece.   After a unanimous vote, the two churches now meet at different times in the same building, sometimes even sharing worship experiences.

What is really cool, and instructive, about this set of circumstances is that Second Baptist is predominately white, and Bethel is predominately black.

Second's pastor at the time, Bob Porterfield, said, "It was unanimous to bring Bethel here...All were for it. And it has turned out to be an experience that has enriched us all."

Rev. Robert Crawford of Bethel agreed, noting that color has never been a barrier since the merge. He said, "Our experience here [at Second Baptist] has been amazing and wonderful."

The report notes that the two churches "have continued to operate distinctly, with separate service times, and Bethel continues to make plans to raise money to have its own sanctuary again in the coming years. But they often share worship experiences and there is crossover between the congregations. There is no 'us and them'—only 'we.'"

When the day comes to move into their new house of worship, Rev. Crawford believes their spirit of unity with one another will remain.

"The relationships we have created here will last forever," he said.

The BCN story was linked to a piece on The Gadsden Times website from the Herald of Rock Hill which drew national attention.  The piece says that when Porterfield, at age 81, stepped back from so much responsibility last year at Second Baptist, the church interviewed the Rev. Mark Bradley about taking over as senior pastor. Bradley was asked by church members whether he had any concerns with keeping the arrangement with Bethel.

Bradley is quoted as saying, “I was proud to come to a church that shows that Jesus Christ is the savior of us all...Jesus looks at the heart of a man, not at his color. This church shows that to be the only way.”

I think this story can speak to all of us about the way we regard people different than we are.   It reinforces for us that we are all part of the body of Christ - even though we may have different worship styles or approaches to ministry, if we are Christians, we all serve the same Lord.   These churches have maintained their own identities, but there is a unity between them that has been forged.

Generally, I think we can be motivated to pursue a path of unity with those who name the name of Christ.  The enemy would want to keep us separated, in our own little Christian enclave, without an appreciation of the greater formation of the body of Christ.  But, God has a better way for us, a way in which artificial divisions are obliterated and the reality of the risen Christ drives our fellowship.

The Importance of a Good Forecast

How we need the wisdom of God to navigate the challenges of our lives!  He will teach us the importance of relying on Him and inform us regarding our decisions.  We cannot predict the future, but through His wisdom and our experience, we can anticipate possible outcomes resulting from our actions.   So, we heed Isaiah 55:
6Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.7Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.8"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.9"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

We have access to a wisdom that is not our own and in fact, is far superior to earthly, or human, wisdom. Rather than act impulsively or make decisions on a whim or without careful forethought, God is inviting us to consult with Him, to seek His face, and to get a sense of His very thoughts. He has made powerful resources available to us, and calls us to walk in His ways.  A good forecast can be highly instructive for us, and knowing God's direction can enable us to avoid the negative consequences of uniformed actions.

In Proverbs 16, there are several sentences that can serve to remind us of the sovereignty of God and the importance of surrendering our decisions to him.  Let's start with verses 1-3:
1The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.2All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the spirits.3Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.And, a companion verse is found in verse 9:9A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

This is the 70th Anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, marking a turning point in World War II.   But, did you know that the invasion was originally scheduled for June 5th?   But, weather conditions were uncertain, and General Eisenhower's staff meteorologist gave a very wise piece of advice, even though other forecasters disagreed.

USA Today had the story earlier this week.  Group Capt. James Martin Stagg, defied his colleagues, he advised Eisenhower to postpone the invasion by one day.  A new book by author John Ross — "The Forecast for D-Day" — sees that forecast as a pivotal moment in world history.

Ross writes, "A bad forecast would jeopardize the entire operation...If he gave the word to 'go,' and the weather turned sour, the lives of thousands of men and massive amounts of equipment would be lost.  He notes, "If he did not go and the weather was good, Germans might have spied the massive build-up in southern England and the elements of the invasion fleet headed for Normandy. The odds that the Allies' plans would have been discovered would increase exponentially."

Stagg and his fellow British and American meteorologists were operating without any of the technology and equipment that today's forecasters take for granted, such as satellites, weather radar, computer modeling and instant communications.

Ross projects that had the invasion remained June 5, heavy seas, high winds and thick cloud cover from a potent storm centered north of Scotland would likely have caused the invasion to fail and set world history on a different course.

While far from perfect, the weather on the morning of June 6 was good enough for the invasion to proceed successfully.

Had the mission not gone on June 6, the next window would have been a full two weeks later, when tides and moonlight were right. On that day two weeks later, a completely un-forecast gale would have caused the invasion to fail.

Ross said that had the invasion failed, the secrecy about when and where the Allies would land would be lost, victory in Europe would have been delayed for a year, and the Soviet Union might have taken control of the continent.

It's all about processing the facts and making a good forecast.

Predicting the weather can be an imperfect science.  Just witness what meteorologists experienced earlier this year when the snow and ice that had been forecast to miss Birmingham and Atlanta actually barreled into those cities.    

Predicting how things will turn out for us in our lives is next to impossible.  But, it can be instructive for us in our decision-making processes to attempt to project the consequences of our actions.   

For one thing, we know that the outcome of sin is never beneficial.  The Bible mentions the pleasures of sin for a season - because we know that at the end of the season, we will reap what we have sown.  Our sins have consequences, and even though we may not know exactly what may transpire if we participate in ungodly behavior, we can know that there are numerous possible outcomes that could be destructive to our lives.  And, a person can be absolutely convinced that to reject Christ and choose a sinful lifestyle will result in eternal punishment - the wages of sin is death.

We also recognize that careful planning and sound tactics can bring satisfactory outcomes.  The old adage says that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  And, that's so true - I don't believe that God calls us to meander haphazardly through life; rather, He desires for us to seek His wisdom, to prayerfully consider options, and to recognize the consequences of our actions.   God will illumine our minds as we intentionally allow Him to set the course for our lives.   And, our experience and the wisdom of the Word can help us make a reasonable forecast of what could happen if we take certain actions.

And, finally, our timing is fallible, but God's timing is perfect.  It's been said that timing is everything.  And, the time to act may not be according to the schedule that we have set.  On D-Day, Eisenhower delayed the invasion by a day because of the weather conditions - he had a good forecast available to him.   If we are impulsive or rush into an activity exclusive of the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we can face the possibility of encountering a negative outcome.   We can train ourselves to wait upon God.

The Word of God and the Spirit of God can help us anticipate what could occur if we make certain decisions - a good forecast can be a wonderful thing!

The Search for Awakening

The Bible speaks frequently about our dependence on God's strength when we encounter adversity.  An example is found in 1st Peter 4:
12Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.14If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

This is a great passage that shows us the attitude that we can possess when we are facing trials in our lives. The challenges will come, but we can know that God is desiring to do a greater work - to develop His nature in us and to produce glory for Himself.   Even though things might be tough, He gives us the capacity to rejoice.  We can be confident that as we walk with Him in His Spirit, we can know that He is actively producing fruit in our lives.

The apostle Paul was transformed internally by the presence of Jesus, but externally he went from being the persecutor to being the persecuted.  But he loved Jesus so much and he kept his focus on Him. We read in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4:
8We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed--10always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

This week, the commemoration of seminal event in world history is taking place, in addition to the the anniversary of D-Day, which is coming up tomorrow.   It was 25 years ago when quite a contrasting event occurred in Beijing, China, when a large group of student protestors gathered in Tiananmen Square and were confronted with violence.

This significant date causes me to think about the spiritual journey of Bob Fu, the Founder and President of China Aid and the author of a gripping book called, God's Double Agent.  Fu is involved in helping to provide assistance and even rescue for Chinese people who have found themselves at odds with the oppressive government there.  He is perhaps best known for orchestrating the rescue of blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng a few years ago.

Melanie Kirkpatrick, who was on The Meeting House recently, reviewed the book for Christianity Today last year, and wrote this:

China is not the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian, but, as God's Double Agent chillingly describes, Chinese Christians must live out their faith in a hostile environment. Beijing does not ban Christianity outright. Instead, it seeks to control it. It does so by various means, including channeling worshippers into official, government-sponsored churches; banning the printing of Bibles; limiting church-based social services; and monitoring the activities of religious leaders. Christians go to jail for distributing religious materials, founding unlicensed house churches, opposing abortion, criticizing the government, and other perceived transgressions.

Count Bob Fu guilty of all such "crimes." As Mr. Fu recounts in God's Double Agent, he and his wife Heidi fled China for the U.S. in 1997 after being tipped off that the police were planning to arrest them. They had already spent time in prison for their illegal religious activities and were not eager to repeat the experience.

She writes that...

Mr. Fu became a Christian shortly after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, when government tanks rolled over student protestors. He was a college student at the time and had taken part in the pro-democracy rallies in Beijing. "Those tanks didn't force China's brightest and most culturally engaged students back into conformity," he writes. "The tanks set them on a course to find truth." A friend gave him a biography of a Chinese intellectual, Xi Shengmo, who converted to Christianity and performed good works.

Mr. Fu quickly learned the necessity of being discreet about his new faith.

In the review, Melanie Kirkpatrick relates the event that Bob Fu calls his "spiritual Tiananmen":

In Beijing, he and Heidi attended a government-approved church until the authorities removed the popular pastor, who had been successful in growing the congregation. The Fus showed up at church one Sunday and found that the religious affairs bureau had installed a new pastor in the pulpit and undercover police agents in the pews. The new pastor "didn't even mention Jesus," he recalls.

He concluded that, "the 'ultimate lord' of the government-run church is communism" and "God had no place in it."

I was drawn to the statement by Bob Fu that the government's response to Tiananmen actually did not set student on a course of silence - he said, "The tanks set them on a course to find truth."

In America, even though we are seeing what I believe to be increasing instances of restrictions on religious freedom, we are not - yet - finding ourselves staring into the end of a rifle or a tank.  But, in light of the promise of Scripture that those who desire to live godly will encounter persecution, we have to ask ourselves if we are prepared for it.   Does or would resistance drive us to silence or does it motivate us to speak out with a greater devotion to Christ?   I think it's important to examine our lives and see if we would really be ready to stand in the face of opposition with a bold witness for Christ.

In the midst of our trials, I hope we would be motivated to search more deeply for truth.  We cannot allow our trials to defeat us and force us into despondency - we must allow the Holy Spirit to do His perfect work in our lives.  God has an intended work through adversity, and even though we may not understand it, that should not keep us from willingly submitting to whatever He wants to do in us to bring forth Godly character.    There may be hard times, but we can know there is One who walks with us.