NRB & the Importance of Shining Like Stars

We have been entrusted with the light of Christ, empowered by the Spirit to display His glory and character for all to see. We're reminded in 1st John 1:
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Jesus is the light of the world, and because He lives in us, we can demonstrate His character.  In our conversation, in our actions, in every area of life, we can seek to glorify the Lord, and in so doing, we have the potential to impact hearts for the Savior.  He guides us in His truth, He illuminates our path, and gives us the light that we need in order to know how to navigate through this world.   We can be challenged to gravitate toward the light, and hopefully, people will gravitate toward Him through us.

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In Philippians 2, we read this passage that can bring hope and focus for our lives:
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
The National Religious Broadcasters annual convention has concluded now and most attendees are making their way back to their homes, in some cases through some rather treacherous weather conditions, hopefully full of information that can help to motivate and equip them to be more effective in their communities and their ministries and organizations.

This year's NRB International Christian Media Convention had the theme, "Proclaim," and the sessions dealt with various areas in which Christian communicators can share the message of the gospel.  One day was devoted to film and entertainment, the next informed those attending about the nature of Islam, its threat to our world, and the importance of sharing Christ with Muslims.  Another day focused on using digital media more effectively, and the final day, yesterday, concentrated on areas of public policy.

For years, Faith Radio and The Meeting House have had a booth in the exhibit hall, which provides a great hub through which members of our team can connect with others in ministry.  My primary role at the convention is to conduct interviews with a variety of different, influential people who are attending.  Not only was I able to hear from a number of Faith Radio programmers, but I also talked with some of the convention speakers and ministry representatives.

There were a variety of topics that I covered during these conversations, and you will hearing more coverage here on the program in the days and weeks to come.

In thinking on some of the common threads of the convention, I came up with three areas that can be lessons for all of us.  For one thing, we are not to be isolated.   NRB reminds us that we are co-laboring with so many ministries around the world to share, to "proclaim," as the event title suggests, the message of the gospel.   I spoke with representatives of a variety of ministries, such as the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Luis Palau Association, and CV, which stands for Christian Vision, which has launched the new Internet-based yesHEis campaign.   Wayne Pederson of Reach Beyond, heard here on Faith Radio, shared about how that ministry is combining radio and medical missions to impact communities for the gospel.

I was also reminded that we are not immune to faith challenges.   I had the opportunity to discuss some of these challenges to the expression of our faith, and you will be hearing some content in that arena today.  Thanks to the Family Research Council, I was privileged to speak with Christian bakers, Aaron and Melissa Klein, who face financial penalties because they would not participate in a gay wedding by designing a specialty cake for the event.  There's Craig James from FRC, who lost his job as a sportscaster because of comments he had made endorsing traditional marriage - comments that were not even on the air on the network that had hired him,    And, David and Jason Benham walked me through some of their experiences in losing the opportunity to do a cable network reality show thanks to their faith.  In all of these instances, I believe they have demonstrated a resolve to follow and proclaim Christ and to abide in His peace and presence.

This week at NRB, Family Research Council released the results of a poll showing that the overwhelming majority of Americans surveyed - 81% - agree that government should leave people free to follow their beliefs about marriage as they live their daily lives at work and in the way they run their businesses.  The WPA Opinion Research survey also indicates that 61% of Americans agree that states and citizens should remain free to uphold marriage as the union of a man and a woman and the Supreme Court should not force all 50 states to redefine marriage.  And, 53% percent of Americans agree that marriage should be defined only as a union between one man and one woman.

In the midst of a culture where there are many who refuse to follow the principles of the gospel, we are not to be intimidated.  We are the people of the truth, and God's Word and His Spirit will sustain us, even in difficult times.  I had the chance to chat with Faith Radio programmers Kay Arthur, Tony Evans, Jim Daly, Dennis Rainey, and Joni Eareckson Tada, providing encouragement for us to stand strong in the faith.  Christian apologists William Lane Craig, Richard Land, and Frank Turek talked with me about the importance of being equipped to defend the faith.   Even though we may sense the world is growing increasingly hostile, we can continue to have hope in the Lord.
We can be challenged to shine the light of Christ in the midst of these challenging times.

Every Knee Shall Bow...

In Romans 14, we read these sobering and challenging words:
(10b) For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God."
12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.

I want to think together about living a life of submission to Jesus Christ - He is our Lord and we place ourselves under His authority.  We seek to allow His desires to become our own.  We recognize that His Word provides the blueprint for our lives.  And, we also see that we are called to be accountable to Him for how we appropriate His Word in our lives.  It is so important that we operate in this life in this world with a keen sense of God's Spirit, as He brings direction - and conviction and correction for us...He will teach us and empower us to follow God's ways.

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In Philippians 2, referring to Jesus, the apostle Paul wrote:
9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,
11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There is good and evil in this world, and if you want to see the actions of people motivated by evil, even covered with a religious cloak, look no further than the brutal group of Islamic State.  Franklin Graham has been forthright throughout the years to point out the threat of radical Islam.  Last week, according to a Christian Today article,  Graham posted on Facebook, "The evil of ISIS really shouldn't shock us – it is fully in keeping with their ultimate agenda of hastening a final apocalypse. God's Word tells us that there will be a final battle one day, but it will result in the defeat of Satan and all those allied with him." He added, "One thing is for sure – one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The day before, he had posted:

As we mourn with the families of those 21 martyrs, we'd better take this warning seriously as these acts of terror will only spread throughout Europe and the United States. If this concerns you like it does me, share this. The storm is coming.

Another example of Graham's courage to speak truth came in a Fox News panel discussion that is mentioned in the Christian Today story. He is quoted as saying: "I want to say something to all the Muslims that may be watching this that are confused and are afraid themselves. I want them to know that God loves them and that Jesus Christ died for their sins – and Christ will forgive them and heal their hearts."  He added, "And they don't have to die in a jihad, they don't have to kill somebody else to please God. God loves them and he will accept them through faith and through his son, Jesus Christ."

He had also mentioned that he was perplexed as to why President Obama will not "acknowledge the truth and call Islamic extremism what it is."

USA Today, in reporting on the recent White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, stated that, President Obama said Thursday he doesn't use terms like Islamic extremism because doing so would promote the false idea of a Western war with Islam, which would help extremists recruit more terrorists." The President is quoted as saying, "Of course, the terrorists do not speak for a billion Muslims who reject their ideology," adding, "They no more represent Islam than any madman who kills innocents in the name of God, represents Christianity or Judaism or Buddhism or Hinduism."

That does hearken back to the comments the President made at the National Prayer Breakfast, about which Dr. John Zmirak, a recent guest on The Meeting House, wrote on TheStream.org:

What was disturbing in Obama’s speech was his recycling of the happy-clappy falsehood that religious violence aimed at unbelievers is a “perversion” of Islam, rather than the literal application of the text of the Q’uran, of the relevant hadiths, and of the official interpretation given those sacred texts by the highest religious authorities in every important Islamic institution around the world.

He added,

Happily, many Muslims actually have opted for a more peaceful and tolerant mode of Islam, but it doesn’t follow from this that all Holy Books are equally oriented toward tolerance and peace. Even a cursory reading of the Christian Gospels and the core texts of Islam will demonstrate the unequivocal opposite.

Zmirak referred to the "teachings of the Christian Scriptures about treatment of neighbors and loving one’s enemies."

Franklin Graham said very much the same thing in an interview with Christian Today in December, in which Graham said Islam is "a religion of war".

Extremist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram have not "hijacked" the religion, he added. "This is Islam. It has not been hijacked by radicals. This is the faith, this is the religion. It is what it is. It speaks for itself."

The CNSNews.com website reminds us that following the Prayer Breakfast, Graham remarked that while some Christians did bad things in the name of Jesus Christ, He Himself never killed anyone. He added, "Mohammed, on the contrary, was a warrior and killed many innocent people...True followers of Christ emulate Christ – true followers of Mohammed emulate Mohammed."

The site reports that he posted on Facebook, "Mohammed is dead and buried in Medinah," adding, “Jesus Christ is alive and He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. Who do you want to follow, the dead or the living?"

How, does this apply to us?  Whether it is the barbaric murder carried out in the name of Islam or holding resentment toward a neighbor, or practicing sexual immorality, we are all sinners in need of a Savior.   Yes, it does seem that there is a hierarchy of sin, but Jesus was very clear as He said hate in the heart was the same as murder or that lust was as bad as adultery.  It's all sin, and thank God, He has provided an antidote.

For the professing Muslim, the Orthodox Jew, or the follower of no religion at all, Jesus came to die for everyone.  And, we are the chosen vessels through which He has chosen to communicate His truth.  It's important to recognize that and seek to be equipped to proclaim truth.

If we know Christ and have bowed our knees and our hearts before Him, then we have a responsibility - to present ourselves to Him and allow Him to remake us in His image and transform our lives, and to allow His light to shine through us to a world that needs Him.

Where Do Our Rights Come From?

The Bible speaks of obedience to those who are in governmental authority to us. If we believe that our leaders are instruments of God, appointed by Him, then we can adopt an attitude of respect and be motivated to prayer for those officials.  Romans 13 reminds us of the ultimate authority from whom the laws governing our society have been given:
1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

When you read about the founders of our nation, you see an abundance of references to the authority of God - they understood the proper role of God and the role of government as His instruments.  An orderly, functioning society needs strong principles on which to operate, and there are none stronger than those given to us from the Lord.   We can also depend on the Spirit of God to operate in our lives as we submit ourselves to His authority, recognizing that the cultural whims may change, but He does not.

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Throughout the Scriptures, we see a God who defines for us what is good and evil, right and wrong, bedrock, foundational principles for living a life and operating a culture that is rightly ordered by Him. Think of these words from Amos 5:
14 Seek good and not evil, That you may live; So the Lord God of hosts will be with you, As you have spoken.
15 Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

In verse 24, we read:
24 But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream.

How do we know what is just or righteous - look to the Scriptures, and order our lives accordingly.

I am continuing to shine the spotlight on the issues currently confronting our state regarding the definition of marriage, and the sanctity of marriage as it was, and is, ordained by God.  Certainly, there is Biblical definition of marriage as one man and one woman in a one-flesh relationship that has been a building block of cultures throughout the ages.  

There is certainly the spiritual component in this debate over so-called "same-sex marriage."  But there are also the legal issues involved.  On the Friday edition of The Meeting House, more content from Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore on the legal aspects, as well as the moral and spiritual aspects of marriage.

The Chief Justice has been featured on a number of national news programs, including the New Day program.  The conversation between host Chris Cuomo and Roy Moore has gained quite a bit of attention.  Cal Thomas, in a recent column that is published on WORLDMag.com and other news outlets, takes Cuomo to task for comments that he made.  He writes:

It isn’t often that a member of the media reveals the philosophy behind his political ideology, but last week, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo outed himself. In an exchange with Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore about Moore’s refusal to adhere to a federal appellate judge’s order to ignore the state constitution and begin granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Moore said “… our rights contained in the Bill of Rights do not come from the Constitution, they come from God.”

Cuomo disagreed: “Our laws do not come from God, your honor, and you know that. They come from man.”

Thomas goes on:

Obviously, Cuomo flunked civics. Does he really believe that man is responsible for bestowing rights, and can therefore take those rights away as he sees fit? That a right bestowed today by a governing body of mere mortals can be invalidated by another body, say, following an election? That my rights and yours are as fluid as quicksilver and dependent on who sits in the big chair in Washington?

He contends that this debate is worth renewing, and I agree. Thomas quotes a number of historical sources in this piece, including Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in the Declaration of Independence that our rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are “endowed by our Creator.” He added in the next sentence that the purpose of government is to “secure these rights.”

Thomas refers to English jurist William Blackstone, to whom America's founders referred more than any other English or American authority. The Blackstone Legal Fellowship states, “Blackstone called this concept [of endowed rights] ‘ultra vires,’ which means it is beyond the authority of man to write a law that violates God’s law. Blackstone also said that law is fixed, it is uniform, and it is universal. It does not change based on who the president is, or who holds judicial positions. It is the same law for everyone at all times and in all places.”

The article leads with a quote from President John F. Kennedy, who said in his 1961 Inaugural Address, "… the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God."

He poses this question:

Did civil rights legislation grant rights to African-Americans, or did they already possess those rights and government merely got around to recognizing them? Is not the Authority Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. frequently appealed to higher than any court or Congress?

And, finally, Cal Thomas writes:

Man enacted laws sanctioning same-sex marriage. Judge Roy Moore argues that a Higher law, including for human relationships, should prevail, a Higher law that man cannot impeach. I believe he’s right.

It is obvious to me that our system of laws in America have a foundation in the law of God, expressed through the Bible.  Not only is the Bible a roadmap for a properly functioning society, and was a prescription for the children of Israel, as well as an influence on our own laws.  We also see that the principles of the Bible are necessary for properly governing our lives.  We can choose whether or not to live our lives according to His Word, but we depart at our own peril.  So does our country...

In an age where morality is all too often defined by opinion, and people adopt a "whatever" attitude about their own personal behavior, as well as the practices of others, we can rely on tried-and-true, reliable, and as Blackstone says, "fixed" principles that can govern our morality.   God's heart and the principles of His Word do not change.  He is calling us to, as I like to say, align our lives with what we know from Scripture to be right and acceptable to God.

Keep Praying...and then Keep Praying

God invites us to come into His presence, to present our requests before Him, and to know that Jesus has granted us access to the throne of grace, as we read in Hebrews 4. In 1st John 5, we read:
14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

We pray because it's a critical, I would dare say, essential component of our spiritual walk.  We know more about Jesus and grow in Him as we communicate with Him.  And, it's a two-way street:  we bring our requests before Him and then we listen for His direction.  If we pray using the Scriptures - and we should - He will enlighten His Word to our hearts.   He wants us to confidently approach Him and know that He is at work, even though we may not think He has heard or is answering.  We trust in His love and faithfulness as we pour out our hearts to Him.

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In Luke 18, Jesus shared a parable about the importance of coming to God in prayer, consistently and expectantly.  Luke writes in verse 1:
1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,

Then Jesus told the story:
(2) "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.
3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'
4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' "
6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.
7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them?

Recently, I received a press release from the American Association of Retired Persons.  That is a different form of communication than what I am used to from AARP, who will from time-to-time try to entice me to join their organization.  And, yes, I do qualify!

This AARP comminique was different.  It alerted me to an article in the February/March 2015 edition of their magazine, and the title is: The Paradox of Prayer: A Pilgrimage by one of the editors, Bill Newcott.  And, even though the article did not focus specifically on Christian prayer, there were a number of Christians who were featured, including Christina Levasheff, the winner of  the first season of The American Bible Challenge - her two-year old son died as the result of Krabbe disease. There were also comments from Todd and Sonja Burpo, whose son Colton's experience is a central focus of the book and movie, Heaven is for Real.  Also, Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas, was interviewed about the loss of his father.

Newcott refers to a Pew survey which finds that among people 50 or older who pray, one-quarter report having received a specific answer to prayer in the past week.  He does note that the Pew questioners did not differentiate between positive and negative answers to prayer.  Another 35 percent or so say they received several such answers in the past year. In contrast, about 9 percent say they've never received an answer to prayer, pretty close to the 6 percent who report that they never pray at all.

The writer states:

Those inspiring stories about answered prayer — miraculous or humdrum — constitute the feel-good side of prayer. But every day the faithful must deal with the uncomfortable reality that an awful lot of the time, prayers go unanswered — or, worse, seem to receive a resounding "no."

Christina, after having endured the loss of a child, is quoted as saying: "I still believe in the power of prayer," adding, "I'm conflicted, I'm angry, and I hurt. I tell God, 'I don't know how to reconcile what I'm feeling with who you say you are.' But I still believe that God wants us to meet him where we are."

Sonja says, "Sometimes we tell God we want something and he says, 'Uh-uh. I've got something better.' "

Pastor Graham, who as a young man had to face the death of his father in an accident, says that, "...as a young man, I had to come to grips with this question: Why should I pray? What's the point if God knows what he's going to do anyway? But that's fatalism. We're not fatalists. I do believe prayer changes things. But we trust God to do what is best for his children, even if I don't get what I want."

Bishop Charles Johnson, who leads a church in Maryland, commented on the importance of music and its relationship to prayer: "Prayer is a time to reflect," he said. "Music, like prayer, has a way of building our faith, and those songs have a way of taking us back and causing us to remember what the Lord has done, and what he's going to do, and what he's capable of doing. It's a way of saying thank you."

As Newcott writes, 

America is a praying country, and the older we get, the more we pray: An impressive 48 percent of Americans ages 18 through 29 pray every day, Pew reports, but for the 50-through-59 age group, the number grows to 61 percent — and the 70-plus crowd is downright pious, with 70 percent checking in on a daily basis. Among faith groups, 86 percent of Protestants say they pray every week, followed by 82 percent of Muslims, 79 percent of Catholics and 44 percent of Jews. Of those unaffiliated with any religion, 65 percent pray weekly.

I think, all in all, the author paints a hopeful narrative about continuing to pray, even though we may think our prayers are going without being answered.   One might call it a paradox, but I believe our persistence in prayer is a demonstration of our faith, a critical component of our walk with Christ.  I want to pose 2 questions:

Why do we pray?  There are many and diverse answers to that question.  We pray because our relationship with Christ communicates to us that we serve a God who cares. We pray because we've been invited to come before God's throne.   Prayer keeps our channels with Him open.  And, we continue in prayer perhaps because we have seen God move in response to our prayers in the past.

What do we expect?  And, we come before God in order to present our requests - for ourselves and others.  Because we serve a faithful God, we can know as we come before Him and pray according to His will laid out in His Word, or when we don't even know what to pray, He hears us and will respond in the manner that is best for us.  It may not be what we think is best, but we can continue to rely on His love and power.

Isn't it interesting that older people pray more.  It could be perhaps an indicator of the faith traditions of our country, but it could also be that there has been a bank of answered prayers that we have observed, which can help build our confidence in the Lord.   Perhaps today, we can take some time to reflect on how we have seen God's faithfulness in our lives, and maybe even think on times when it seemed that God was silent or was not answering our prayers, but that we eventually knew that He had heard and answered.   

Transformed!

We have been invited to experience the presence of a loving God, who desires for us to come into His presence, to present ourselves just as we are, in our state of unrighteousness before Him so that we can be called righteous and holy, clothed in the riches of Christ.   In order to experience that right
relationship, we have to appropriate God's antidote for our sin. Romans 2 poses the question:
(4) do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

Our good and faithful God is calling us into relationship with Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ, who loved us so much that He gave His life for us.  He did for us what we could not do for ourselves - and He is calling, inviting us to come before him and experience His incredible kindness, to avail ourselves of His cleansing power, and to experience the transformation that only He can bring.

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God is calling us to come into His presence with a sense of humility, and to allow Him to transform us into conformity with the image of Christ.  Romans 12 says:
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

15-year-old Yasir Moore was making plans.   He was getting ready for his first job interview and went into a local Target store in Raleigh, North Carolina to get a clip-on tie.  He emerged from the store with much more than he had bargained for.

Yasir learned that the store did not have clip-on ties. But, three employees of the store - Dennis Roberts, Cyndi Moore and Cathy Scott - came to his rescue, according to a Good Morning America report on the Yahoo!News website.

Cyndi explained, “When Dennis was tying the tie, we took the time, ‘Look presentable, tie your shoe laces, tuck your shirt in,’ we were giving him pointers...He was just soaking everything in, taking it all in." Yasir also learned how to shake hands and look his interviewer in the eye.

The report says that Moore's mother, Najirah Parrish, told ABC News station WTVD-TV in Durham, North Carolina: "They could have just sold my son a tie...But they took the time, helped him tie the tie and talked to him. They treated my son with dignity, respect."

And now, after two interviews with a Chick-fil-A restaurant at a mall near his home, ABC News learned that Yasir was going to get that first job. The manager, David Langston, told Moore in the food court, "I think we are ready to offer you a job at the mall.”

Out came the cameras and a few special guests from the Target store who were hiding, patiently waiting for him to get the good news.

A Target shopper took a picture of Yasir's initial encounter at Target, which went viral. Audrey Mark told ABC News, "I didn’t expect the kindness of strangers...You don’t expect humanity on aisle 11 of a big-box store."

Yasir Moore learned quite a few principles from the encounter on aisle 11.  He's quoted as saying, "Any advice you can, grab it...These people right here helped me so much. Be respectful to people who are trying to help you out. Soak it all in."

Yasir picked up some pointers about presentation, and he came out of the store not only "dressed for success," sort of speak, but with a new sense of confidence.   And, apparently, he made quite an impression on his future boss at Chick-Fil-A.

On this Ash Wednesday, many will be presenting themselves before the Lord to begin the Lenten season - 40 days, excluding Sundays, leading up to Easter, or Resurrection Sunday.   Today, let's think about how we present ourselves to God.

Well, for one thing, as we approach God, it's not about the outward look.  Now, I do believe that proper dress when we come into God's house is appropriate, but we don't "dress up" in order to impress God - He sees us as we are, on the inside, and as the Bible says, our righteousness, who were are in our human attempts to be good, is as filthy rags before Him.   There is nothing we can do to earn the favor of Almighty God.   We recognize that only through Jesus can we come before the throne.

So, the list of components of a proper presentation before God can include:

Humility.  On Ash Wednesday, we can approach God recognizing that we are nothing in and of ourselves.  We acknowledge that we desire a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, and express a willingness to empty ourselves before a holy God.

Repentance.  Themes of sin, sacrifice, and death are associated with Ash Wednesday.  As we come before God with a contrite heart, we depend on the Holy Spirit to identify those areas that are not pleasing to God, to confess our sins, and to accept His forgiveness.  

Awe.  We present ourselves to Jesus with a sense of who He is - the great and mighty God, maker of heaven and earth, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.  As we get just a glimpse of who He is, we can recognize how unworthy we are of His love, but that He has expressed it toward us anyway. We can gain a sense of how He wants to work in our lives.

Whenever we emerge from one-on-one time with God, as we have presented ourselves before the Lord, we can have confidence in His love and faithfulness, and we can face the challenges of life with a knowledge that He is with us.  Jamir presented himself before the Target store employees and came away with a different look and boosted confidence.  He was more prepared for the next presentation that would yield a job for him.  God is calling us to present ourselves to Him and to allow Him to prepare us for what He has called us to do.

Fallacies in a Fractured Family Structure

I talk quite often about our lives being in alignment with God's ways. If we are walking in His truth, obeying Him in all things, we will see the faithfulness of the Lord expressed in, through, and around our lives. In Psalm 37, we read:
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
There are 3 instructions here:  first of all, we are called to trust God...He desires for us to experience His faithfulness toward us - in light of His Word and the way He has worked in our lives in the past, we can trust Him for the future.  Because we serve a faithful God, we can delight in Him.  And, finally, as we grow in our faith and in our worship of Him, we can develop the state of being totally dependent upon the Lord - we commit our way to Him.   He is calling us into that walk of alignment with - and adoration for Him.

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God has provided a pathway for us in order to please Him, and the following passage in 1st Thessalonians 4 underscores the mindset we can all adopt:
1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor...

One of the implications of attempts to normalize of homosexual behavior and to establish so-called "same-sex marriage" is how the acceptance of these actions affect children.   The Christian Post reports on a new study on gay parenting, touted as the largest so far, that shows that children do best when raised by their mom and dad.

The study was conducted by sociologist Donald Sullins and published in the February issue of the British Journal of Education, Society & Behavioural Science.

Using several different data sets, including some from the U.S. government, Sullins compiled a representative sample of just over 207,000 children, including 512 with same-sex parents.

The article says that:

Eight of 12 psychometric measures used in the study showed that children with same-sex parents experienced more distress than children of opposite-sex parents. The results were "clear, statistically significant," and "of substantial magnitude," after controlling for age, sex, race, education and income. For four of the measures of emotional and behavioral problems, children raised by same-sex parents were at least twice as likely to experience difficulties compared to children raised by opposite-sex parents.

The Post points out that supporters of same-sex parenting might argue that the results are due to discrimination against gays, or that the children of the same-sex parents were likely adopted and were experiencing the same difficulties as all adopted children. But, the data does not support these hypotheses. Sullins found that not only were children of same-sex parents not more likely to get picked on and bullied, but were less likely to be picked on and bullied than the children of opposite-sex parents, though the difference was within the margin of error.

Sullins did find that a biological parent-child connection helped to explain the differences between same-sex and opposite-sex parents. Since two women or two men are incapable of having a child together, at least one parent will not be a biological parent. Opposite-sex households, on the other hand, can have both biological parents, one biological parent or no biological parent.

Sullins is quoted as saying, "The reduced risk of child emotional problems with opposite-sex married parents compared to same-sex parents...is explained almost entirely by the fact that married opposite-sex parents tend to raise their own joint biological offspring, while same-sex parents never do this. The primary benefit of marriage for children, therefore, may not be that it tends to present them with improved parents (more stable, financially affluent, etc., although it does do this), but that it presents them with their own parents."

He also said, "the two family forms will continue to have fundamentally different, even contrasting, effects on the biological component of child well-being, to the relative detriment of children in same-sex families."

So, here we have another cultural clash between God's ideals and the ways of the world.   While the world is rapidly embracing the concept of same-sex couples getting married, which means that some will adopt and raise children, God's prescription remains intact.  Sure, we have varying family structures in our society, and each family needs to rely on the wisdom of God.  But, it is dangerous to the well-being of children to manufacture a family structure that is rooted in the flawed notion that two people who are participating in a lifestyle contrary to God's principles can expect God-honoring outcomes. 

I also want to take issue with those who say that people of faith ignore science, that the two are incompatible.  Sullins seems to place a high value on biology in his study.   I believe that God's ideal - male and female in a sacred union, a one-flesh relationship, is well-crafted for the creation of children.  A same-sex union cannot, and will never, produce offspring of its own.  The science here - the biology - should communicate to us that these attempts to create a family structure in man's image, not God's, are merely work-arounds to His grand design.   In this case, like so many others, the science tracks with our faith.  And, the social science in the Sullins study shows that there are negative emotional and behavioral implications of departing from God's prescription.

Redefining Happiness

As believers, we have a clear, overriding choice for our lives - to seek to obey God in all things, or to somehow think that the pleasures of "sin for a season," to which the Bible refers in the King James Version, will satisfy us. In Proverbs 14, we read:
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
13 Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief.
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.

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In Proverbs 13, we see the contrast between following God's way and following the desires of the world:
14 The law of the wise is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
15 Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard.
16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly.

I hope that Valentine's Day weekend was special for you.  The weekend box office estimates have been posted on Box Office Mojo, and, no surprise, 50 Shades of Grey ruled the numbers, with an almost $94.4 million take, according to those estimates.  And, what about a movie with a different view of love and male-female relationships, Old Fashioned?  Just over $1.1 million for the 4-day weekend.

But, don't let those overall numbers fool you - Old Fashioned actually had a better per-screen average, at over an estimated $5000, than some of the "big" films in multiplexes these days!  So, there was a significant number of votes for this exploration of chivalry, a contrast to the exploitation that is present in 50 Shades.

I found Old Fashioned to be quirky but endearing, a movie that really works through some of the issues of dating and relationships - Clay, the main character, is conflicted...God did a work in his life a few years before he meets Amber, who has moved from town-to-town in search of, well, home. Nothing seems to satisfy her.  But, she's intrigued by Clay's rules about women - such as the fact he'll never allow himself to be one-on-one with a woman in the same room.  And, when they do "go out," they start going through a marital counseling book, presumably so they'll learn some things about each other.   But, Old Fashioned becomes a study of two broken people who are attempting to work out their flaws and foibles in a meaningful, eventually God-honoring way.  These are not plastic people - Clay and Amber are verbalizing some of the thoughts that could just be destructive strongholds if left unspoken.

Rik Swartzwelder, who plays Clay and directed the film, told Beliefnet that he was working on the screenplay of the film even before 50 Shades was published,  He added:

We were just telling a love story but, when we finished the film and we were looking at release windows we saw that opportunity…It’s not to condemn, not to judge but to try and broaden the cultural conversation, to sort of ask “What do we really want in love and romance? What do we believe about love. What do we believe about love being something sacred? What do we long for in our own hearts, not just for ourselves but for our sons and daughters? What kind of legacy do we want to leave to them? (We want) to ask those questions and have those discussions because, make no mistake, the stuff that we lift up culturally is the stuff people will follow.

Contrast the purity of the love story portrayed in Old Fashioned with the perversion that is present in 50 Shades.  A LifeSiteNews.com piece by Jonathon Van Maren quotes researcher Dr. Gail Dines, who relates that when speaking to groups of women who loved the book, they all grow deathly silent when she asks them two simple questions: Would you want your daughter to be in a relationship with Christian Grey? Would you want your son to turn into Christian Grey?

He adds, "If the answer is yes to either of those, someone should call social services."

Another LifeSiteNews.com feature, by John Jalsevac, features this quote:

“...Mass appreciation doesn't always equate to something good. Think of Hitler! But I think, in this case, it must. It simply must. There's got to be merit in it if so many people agree.”

Another quote said, "I don’t want my family to see it, because it’s inappropriate. Or my brother’s friends that I grew up with..."

I think these quotes are instructive, because they are from the two leads in 50 Shades of Gray, Jamie Dornan (from Elle) and Dakota Johnson (from Glamour).  They both related the displeasure they experienced while shooting the film.  But, honestly, this is what they signed up for, and I would contend their eyes were wide open, perhaps clouded with dollar signs, but this will now be part of their screen legacy.

Jalsevac writes:

In other words, Dornan, after spending months immersing himself in the story and the character of Christian Grey, still has absolutely no idea why anybody would ever actually like the books – and kind of, sort of, possibly thinks that maybe the same dynamic could be at work as what made Hitler a thing: or at the very least, has been forced to fall back on sheer blind faith that the fans of the books have actually found something positive in them.

Jalsevac suggests to those considering watching the movie, "...maybe you should think about asking yourselves why the two people who were tasked with playing out your fantasy seem to think that that fantasy is more akin to a nightmare than a daydream.

And then perhaps spend a few minutes pondering what ever went so horribly wrong that millions of us have apparently accepted this kind of lurid, nightmarish fantasy as a desirable, or at least acceptable form of escapism."

What's horribly wrong is that we have redefined happiness.  And, our view of what makes a pleasing relationship has become so skewed away from God's prescription.  Think about the perversion of God's truth that we have encountered just in the past week in our state - people are seeking to get their needs met by engaging in abhorrent sexual activity.  And, no matter what you might call it: homosexuality, bisexuality, adultery, misogyny, abuse, the list goes on - as a culture, we have left the reservation of purity and adopted an "anything goes" mentality.

Clay in Old Fashioned is clumsily trying to restore a sense of purity or chivalry.  Amber doesn't know what she wants, but something apparently deep down is longing for a man who respects her. Respect - that's a foreign concept for Grey in 50 Shades.  And, Anastasia believes that in order to have a fulfilling relationship with the man she thinks she wants, she has to submit herself to all sorts of harmful submissive behaviors.  When we leave the path, we open ourselves up to all sorts of wayward, destructive ideas.

We have to place ourselves in a position of wanting what God wants, no matter what.  The Bible says that the way of the transgressor is hard.  We can choose to walk in His light, to give ourselves to the pursuit of His ways, or depart from His will and open ourselves up to the consequences of unrighteousness.   We are challenged to walk in the Spirit, so that we do not fulfill the sinful desires that can overtake us and make our lives miserable.

Valentine's Day: Indulge

God is calling us to immerse ourselves in His righteousness, recognize who He truly is and what He wants to do in us. Philippians 3 says:
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death...

The Bible tells us to taste and see that the Lord is good - He wants us to press into Him, to recognize that He has made it possible for us to come into a relationship with Him, to actually become the very righteousness of God.  WOW!  He wants us to give ourselves wholeheartedly to Him, so that He might express His life and His love through us.  We count all things as loss so that we might gain Christ, in whom are incredible treasures!

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Galatians chapter 5 presents a vivid contrast between the mindset and lifestyle serving, or indulging,
the flesh and devotion to walking in the Spirit.  Verse 1 says:
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Later in the chapter, we read:
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

Valentine's Day is coming up tomorrow, a great chance to show that person you love, some love in the form of gifts.  Industry research resource IBISWorld anticipates that Valentine's Day spending will increase 3.8% from 2014 figures. That's a projected record of $19.6 billion dollars.  

The average amount consumers will spend this Valentine’s Day is expected to increase from last year’s $134.56 to $139.70.

According to the site, revenue from candy is expected to rise 3.0% in 2015, and will maintain its position as the category with the most consistent growth over the past five years. This segment’s popularity is due to its easy availability and its varied pricing based on the manufacturer and quality of ingredients.  It quotes the National Confectioners Association, which reports that about 75% of Valentine’s Day candy sales are from chocolate.

Last year, consumers spent over $2 billion dollars on candy, as opposed to just under $1.8 billion on flowers.  People are spending less on greeting cards, with sales off over $13 million dollars last year over 2013, although a small rise is projected for this year.

Last year, the aforementioned National Confectioners Association took a survey that showed that Americans overwhelmingly prefer chocolate instead of flowers (69 vs. 31 percent) on Valentine’s Day.  The survey showed that women are a little divided on the matter, however, with 59 percent preferring chocolate compared to 83 percent of men.

Caramel is the most popular flavor in a box of Valentine’s Day chocolates, with 34 percent of the responses. Chocolate-covered nuts also scored high (24 percent), with cream-filled (13 percent) and chocolate-filled (13 percent) rounding out the pack of top choices.

NCA’s survey found purchasing habits have changed slightly compared to five years ago, particularly regarding health-related decisions. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they are buying more healthy options, such as dark chocolate or chocolate with added nuts and fruit.  Roughly 20 percent are buying more portion-sized seasonal chocolate and candy. And, about 74 percent of those surveyed agree eating healthfully can include the enjoyment of seasonal candy.

So there will be plenty of consumption of chocolate products, the giving of flowers and cards, and many local restaurants will be doing booming business tomorrow.  My wife and I have already mapped out our strategy for maximizing our schedule for a movie and dinner tomorrow.  And, yes, we do plan to see "Old Fashioned"!  

It is a fun occasion, and a great opportunity for us to bless and show love to that special person in our lives.  I wanted to think briefly about the word, "indulge."  Temporarily, couples will be indulging tomorrow - in some delicious foodstuffs and sharing presents with one another.   I began to think about what we as believers indulge in.  In the New International Version, Galatians 5:13 reads:

13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. [emphasis mine]

The Bible is very clear that we are not to indulge the flesh - in other words, to tolerate sinful behavior and patterns in our lives.  If what we do is not pleasing to God, if it does not reflect His standards or His nature, then we are called not to participate.   So, in seeking not to indulge the flesh and walk in the Spirit, we must rely on the conviction of the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to identify those areas in our lives where we walk in darkness.

Fortunately, I am glad that when the Spirit points out to us what is not pleasing to our Heavenly Father, He doesn't leave us helpless or powerless.  We can reverse those patterns in our lives by applying the truth of God's Word - we incorporate His principles and His power to address those sinful areas.

And, finally, we remember that we do immerse ourselves in the things of the Spirit - we recognize that we have been set free by the power of God, in order to enjoy a relationship with Him.  We can walk in triumph over the ways of the world that would seek to ensnare us.  We can be delivered from secret sins and abide in the righteousness of God in Christ.

Survey Thursday: Uphold Religious Rights Concerning Marriage

In Proverbs chapter 4, we see a passage of Scripture that encourages us to walk in the way of wisdom.  The writer echoes the words of his father:
4 He also taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.

We have to approach the issues of the day with Godly wisdom.  We can immerse ourselves in God's Word and allow it to direct our lives.  The Word of God can shape our thinking, and the Spirit of God can help us take those thoughts and speak the right words, with the right tone, at the right time, in order to make a solid impact for Christ.  We are truly living in a society that calls evil good and good evil, and it's a challenging atmosphere in which to be a Christian.  But, just like the prophets of old, we have been sent to this place at this time with a specific purpose.  So, we speak and act in accordance with God's ways.

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God has a special place in His heart for the family. In Psalm 68, we read:
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, And rejoice before Him.
5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Even though a recent poll indicates that over 4-in-10 Americans believe that same-sex marriage should be legal in America, there is a majority that believes that business people should have the right to object to being involved in a same-sex ceremony based on their religious faith.

The Daily Signal reported on the Associated Press-GFK poll, in which 44 percent of Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, 39 percent oppose it, and 15 percent neither favor nor oppose same-sex marriage.

But 57 percent of Americans believe that in states where same-sex marriage is legal, business owners—such as florists and bakers—who believe providing wedding services to such a union violates their conscience, should be allowed to refuse service.  Some 39 percent say they shouldn’t be allowed to refuse service, and 4 percent refused to answer.

Ryan Anderson, the William E. Simon Fellow in religion and a free society at The Heritage Foundation, said Americans believe sexual liberty and religious liberty should coexist.

He is quoted as saying, “This poll confirms that ordinary Americans—both those in favor of gay marriage and those who oppose gay marriage—agree the government should not penalize those who hold the historic view of marriage.”

Greg Scott, Vice-President of the Alliance Defending Freedom, released this statement on behalf of ADF, and it is quoted in a piece on the Los Angeles Times website: "Every American, from the founding of our nation, has been guaranteed the freedom to live and work faithfully...The poll demonstrates that most Americans still cherish our fundamental freedoms – free speech and freedom of religion."

He added, "The core issue is whether it is lawful to force Americans to choose between conforming their beliefs, speech and actions at the government’s command and facing harsh punishment for resisting compelled conformity."

There are lawmakers in Washington that are attempting to limit the forceful hand of the federal goverment in setting marriage policy.   As Alabama Republican Party chairman Bill Armistead writes on the party's website:

Thankfully, both Senators Shelby and Sessions have joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) to co-sponsor and reintroduce the State Marriage Defense Act.  If passed, states will be allowed to adopt their own definitions of marriage without worry of intrusion by the federal government.

The piece is excellent, and includes these sobering words:

So, how is it that God’s truth can be turned on its head as the debate now rages in Alabama regarding the meaning of marriage? The answer is that we, as a society, have become our own god. We have made God in our image. But, God will not be mocked. The State of Alabama and the United States of America will reap God’s wrath if we embrace and condone things that are abhorrent to God, such as redefining marriage as anything other than a union between one man and one woman.

Armistead, while serving in the Alabama Senate, sponsored the Alabama Marriage Protection Act, which defined marriage as "a sacred covenant, solemnized between a man and a woman."

He concludes by saying:

God’s word never changes, and neither should our defense of His truths. Though we are being tested, we will stand true to our principles and fight for the rights of the states. I thank those elected officials who are standing with us to defend those truths we hold on high.

The attempt to redefine marriage has been relentless in the media and entertainment industry; so has the attempt to portray men and women who stand on faith principles as somehow being backward or on the wrong side of history. I am weary of the "schoolhouse door" analogies, or references to the actions of former Governor George Wallace in defending segregation, a position he later renounced, a position that really had no basis in Scripture.  Chief Justice Roy Moore is standing in solidarity with the Word of God and thousands of years of civilizations in defending traditional marriage.  He is acting in what he sees as his authoritative role to uphold the Alabama Constitution and to acknowledge God's principles.

We continue face the forced acceptance of gay marriage, and this new poll shows that less than half of Americans support it.   It also shows that a majority does not believe that businesspeople should have to buy in to the agenda based on their religious beliefs.  That does not matter to the enlightened elites, who proclaim a brave, new world of abhorrent sexual ideals.

For us today, remember these principles:

Even when it becomes difficult to stand, or when tolerance of sin becomes a temptation, reinforce your spirit with the truth of God's Word.   We are seeing an assault on an essential institution in our society, and we can continue to pray for God's strength in upholding His principles.

And, today, be thankful for your family and the strength of the family across our nation.  Your family situation may be fractured or frazzled, and there may be any number of relationship challenges, but you can remember that they have been given to you by the Lord, and you can look to Him to repair, restore, and reinforce His intentions for your family.

Forget Not All His Benefits

In Ecclesiastes 9, we find these admonitions:
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.
10 Whatever 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.

We can see that the marriage relationship was ordained by God and intended to be enjoyed.  Sure, there will be difficult times that will enter into a relationship but through the strength of the Lord, we can endure those circumstances that would divide us and experience God's love and unity.  There are so many benefits that come our way as we walk in alignment with His principles, and we can rejoice in the foundations that God has provided for us.

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In Psalm 103, we gain insight into the heart of God, who has an abundant life in store for us:
(1) Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Yesterday, I gave an update on development concerning the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses across the state of Alabama.  In my comments, I shared three principles:

Number 1, God's way is best.  Plain and simple.  He has ordained marriage as one man and one woman, and this is an institution that has been a key building block not only for our society but for societies throughout the ages.  If we get out of alignment with His ways, then we face the consequences.  Gay marriage is a severe misapplication of God's truth.

Number 2, this is not an issue of intolerance, it's an issue of upholding what is right.  Some of the most loving things that we can do for people is to provide correction when they are wrong and to prevent errant behavior.  I would hope that we are driven by love and concern for the individuals or couples involved, and motivated by a concern for our society.

Number 3, we can be motivated to pray for our state and our nation, for our officials, and for the couples who have bought into the homosexual lifestyle and the agenda of so-called "marriage equality." There is much power when God's people come together in one accord - based on God's Word, we can pray for the renewal of the sanctity of marriage across our state and across the country. Pray especially for the U.S. Supreme Court as it considers how to handle this pivotal question.

Recognizing that God's plan is best, I want to move into some of the benefits of marriage, a foundational institution for our society.  I remember talking with Glenn Stanton and Leon Wirth of Focus on the Family a little over 2 months ago at the Fatherhood CoMission Summit at the WinShape Retreat Center, which, by the way, is a place where couples can go and be strengthened in their marriage relationships.  These two gentlemen have developed The Family Project,   Glenn talked about a "theology of the family," which is present throughout Scripture.   Here is a link to that entire conversation.

I referred yesterday to a Focus on the Family online series entitled, Marriage: God's Idea, featuring a number of contributing authors, including Glenn Stanton.  He begins his piece by saying:

Researchers are finding that marriage has a much greater impact in our lives than many have assumed. This is especially true in the area of adult health and well-being. Sociologist Linda Waite and researcher Maggie Gallagher explain, "The evidence from four decades of research is surprisingly clear: a good marriage is both men's and women's best bet for living a long and healthy life."

He quotes leading social scientist James Q. Wilson, who says:

"Married people are happier than unmarried ones of the same age, not only in the United States, but in at least seventeen other countries where similar inquiries have been made. And there seems to be good reasons for that happiness. People who are married not only have higher incomes and enjoy greater emotional support, they tend to be healthier. Married people live longer than unmarried ones, not only in the United States but abroad."

Stanton cites a study published in the Journal of Marriage and the Family that examined the link between personal happiness and marital status in 17 industrialized nations that had "diverse social and institutional frameworks." This study found:

"married persons have a significantly higher level of happiness than persons who are not married. This effect was independent of financial and heath-oriented protections offered by marriage and was also independent of other control variables including ones for sociodemographic conditions and national character."

Increased levels of happiness among the married was found in other studies as well.

These and other benefits were highlighted by Stanton, who also points out that marriage...

• Provides the highest levels of sexual pleasure and fulfillment for men and women
• Protects against feelings of loneliness
• Protects women from domestic and general violence
• Enhances a parent's ability to parent
• Helps create better, more reliable employees
• Increases individual earnings and savings.

This research underscores the validity of marriage and the importance of adhering to the principles of Scripture.  Even if people are not Christians, if they follow the teachings of the Bible, there are still benefits to be derived.  This can help us recognize that laws for society that are rooted in Scripture are a prescription for a moral, stable, functioning society. 

So, some thoughts for us today:  First of all, following God's laws or principles can provide order out of chaos.  We serve a God of order, and He has made available to us His wisdom in order to live our lives as individuals, families, and in the culture at large.

Also, God has given the tools needed to preserve and protect our marriages.  What wonderful opportunities we have as we live in our homes in the manner that He has intended!  He has given us His principles of sacrificial love and provided the power of His Spirit to live out His truth.

Finally, we can choose to experience the benefits of following Christ.  We have come to follow Him because He has extended His love toward us - we love Him and develop a desire to follow in His ways.  If we sow to the Spirit, we can experience the presence of His Spirit in us and walk in His mighty power.

Upholding a Sacred Institution

The apostle Paul, in no uncertain terms, discussed the decision of men and women throughout the ages to depart from the ways of God. In Romans 1, we read:
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
Even though there is a tendency to romanticize behavior that is diametrically opposed to God's plan for men and women, the Bible is very clear: such activity is sinful.  This is true with the homosexual lifestyle - these actions are not about "who to love," but they are an extension of what the apostle Paul calls "vile passions."  We have to be careful that we do not accept the redefinition of unclean things as beautiful.  And, in our lives, we have to make sure that we are not relabeling our own actions and attitudes as being acceptable to God when in fact, we are engaged in sinful behavior.

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Jesus was asked about divorce, and he used the occasion to teach about the sanctity of marriage. This took place in Matthew 19:
4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,'
5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

It's not about winning or losing, it's not about being on the right side of history.  It's about being aligned with a key element of God's plan for the family unit and the essential building block of marriage.   Marriage is the first institution ordained by God in Genesis chapter 2, and we do well to uphold the sanctity of that institution and stand against the corruption of it.

Across Alabama yesterday, while same-sex couples wishing to be married were celebrating, the fact is that only a fraction of probate offices were issuing marriage licenses.   As I reported yesterday, an AL.com map showed that on this "glorious" day of triumph, only 9 counties were issuing marriage licenses across Alabama.  That map has now been updated to include 19 counties.

In Mobile, where the lesbian couple who filed that original lawsuit resulting in a Federal judge striking down Alabama's marriage amendment resides, the probate office there was not issuing such licenses.  Of course, they already were officially "married" in California. AL.com reported that the federal judge who struck down Alabama's ban on same-sex marriage, turned down a request to hold Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis in contempt for failing to open the marriage license section of his office. U.S. District Judge Callie V.S. "Ginny" Grande wrote that Davis is not a defendant in the suit that prompted her order. And the plaintiffs, Kim McKeand and Cari Searcy, were not affected by the closure because they already were married in California.

Of course, at the center of the controversy surrounding gay marriage in Alabama is someone who apparently has the authority to do something about it.  Chief Justice Roy Moore issued his order to probate judges Sunday night to not grant licenses to same-sex couples.  Governor Robert Bentley responded the next morning by saying that he would not take action against any probate judge.   Perhaps this would also include not taking action against a probate judge who refuses to issue a license.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council called attention to the crisis of conscience in Alabama concerning gay marriage.   Yesterday's Washington Update stated:

Minutes after the U.S. Supreme Court gave the green light to issue wedding licenses in Alabama, most probate offices started turning down license requests. From Marshall, Franklin, and Lawrence Counties to Jackson, Tuscaloosa, and Dekalb Counties, dozens of judges sent couples home empty handed. Caught between the state’s courts and a federal judge, most offices are issuing their own stay.

It's important to note that a number of probate judges had already decided what they would do concerning the same-sex marriage issue before the Chief Justice's order Sunday night.

Perkins quoted Elmore County's probate judge, John Enslen, who said, "I will never perform a so-called same-sex marriage... A federal court can put me in jail for life, and I will still never perform a so-called same-sex marriage. As a believer in the Word of God… I cannot in good conscience participate in a purported marriage ceremony which I strongly believe would profane the sacred institution of marriage."  Elmore County has now begun to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Perkins added:

Before people could accuse Elmore of ill-will toward homosexuals, the judge made it clear: “This is not about hating people. Each of us needs to treat every other human being with dignity and respect, regardless of our diametrically opposing viewpoints on this divisive issue. But tolerance is a two-way street. Either there is tolerance for all or there is tolerance for none. I want tolerance for my personal religious viewpoint.”

This is certainly not a matter of allowing people to be with who they love.  This is a direct assault on a fundamental institution that is consistent with God's heart and a building block for an orderly society.   In a Focus on the Family online series on Marriage: God's Idea, David Kyle Foster is quoted:

Beloved, there is a profound and awesome reason for the way God ordered the creation of man—one that is commented on throughout Scripture, and one that we must observe if we are to find the fulfillment of our very being as humans. It is ordered as the union of a man and a woman in marriage—heterosexual and monogamous—an order that Jesus unambiguously reaffirmed in Matthew.

Another article in the series, by Carol Hefferman, quotes Sacred Marriage author Gary Thomas, relating some of the reasons for marriage:

• God created marriage as a loyal partnership between one man and one woman.
• Marriage is the firmest foundation for building a family.
• God designed sexual expression to help married couples build intimacy.
• Marriage mirrors God's covenant relationship with His people.

Thomas is quoted as saying, "God did not create marriage just to give us a pleasant means of repopulating the world and providing a steady societal institution to raise children. He planted marriage among humans as yet another signpost pointing to His own eternal, spiritual existence."

So we continue to stand in God's truth in alignment with His plan for marriage.   Probate judges, bakers, photographers, and others are exercising their guaranteed rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion so that they do not endorse an action that conflicts so directly with God's Word. And, we can stand because we do not want to see the cultural or spiritual consequences of departing from his truth.   Tomorrow, I will return to the Focus series on God's design for marriage and discuss some research that shows the benefits of marriage.

Some thoughts for today:

Number 1, God's way is best.  Plain and simple.  He has ordained marriage as one man and one woman, and this is an institution that has been a key building block not only for our society but for societies throughout the ages.  If we get out of alignment with His ways, then we face the consequences.  Gay marriage is a severe misapplication of God's truth.

Number 2, this is not an issue of intolerance, it's an issue of upholding what is right.  Some of the most loving things that we can do for people is to provide correction when they are wrong and to prevent errant behavior.  I would hope that we are driven by love and concern for the individuals or couples involved, and motivated by a concern for our society.

Number 3, we can be motivated to pray for our state and our nation, for our officials, and for the couples who have bought into the homosexual lifestyle and the agenda of so-called "marriage equality." There is much power when God's people come together in one accord - based on God's Word, we can pray for the renewal of the sanctity of marriage across our state and across the country. Pray especially for the U.S. Supreme Court as it considers how to handle this pivotal question.

Committed to Telling the Truth

God calls us to put off our former self, an identity that is steeped in sin and separated from God and seek to be faithful people who act in accordance with God's Word. Here is what James 1 says:
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Who we really are is wrapped up in our relationship with Jesus Christ.  He has recreated us in His image, and brought us into a relationship with Himself.

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In Ephesians 4, Paul writes about putting off the old and putting on our new identity in Christ, then gives a template for how to act in a manner that is pleasing to God.  He writes...
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,"for we are members of one another.

There has been plenty of speculation swirling around NBC anchor and managing editor Brian Williams, who announced on Saturday that he would be taking a break from anchoring NBC Nightly News for "the next several days," according to the NBCNews.com website.

Williams' statement read this way:

In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions.

As Managing Editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue. Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us.

According to the website, in a piece that aired on NBC Nightly News recently, Williams told the story of how a military helicopter he was passenger in during an assignment in Iraq took on enemy fire. But on Wednesday, Williams told viewers he had made a mistake in recalling the incident. He and his team were actually in an aircraft that was following the helicopter that was hit, he said.

NBC News president Deborah Turness announced Friday there is a internal team dedicated to gathering the facts surrounding what has transpired.

There are generally two schools of thought that I have identified in response to this story:  one narrative paints a picture of a national news anchor who resorted to a half-truth or even an outright lie to embellish a story.  Another narrative tries to make Williams out as someone who was suffering from some sort of misplaced memory factor that causeD him to lose a good appraisal of the facts.  

The Newsbusters.org website, administered by the Media Research Center, reports that:

Among those calling for Brian Williams to resign or be removed from the anchor chair is Media Research Center President Brent Bozell, who said during Thursday’s Hannity on the Fox News Channel (FNC) that Williams should do “the honorable thing” and “resign” for his comments where “he clearly lied.”

On Friday’s Hannity, Bozell observed that Williams has been “lying about everything” following additional questions about more stories Williams has retold about his biography and reporting assignments, including a few from covering Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005.

But, Dr. Fred Vox of Atlanta writes on the CNN.com website to cut Williams a break.  He says that:

While no one can rule out Williams and NBC set out in a craven and intentional attempt to misappropriate valor from a dramatic wartime scenario, or even a well-intentioned white lie (Williams was trying to honor an involved soldier during his most recent retelling), it's also possible he's suffered an all-too-natural memory error.

He added,

We don't call single false memories like this a disease because they're in fact normal, right alongside your occasionally forgotten car keys, your missing wallet or even your misremembered conversation.

Dr. Vox also stated:

Williams has told his story many times before, and each time he tells it, he is retrieving it. Errors happen during memory retrieval all the time, just as errors happen in cell division; biology isn't computer science. Furthermore, he is subtly modifying his memory with his every retelling. Revisions occur as the memory is re-encoded based on what's going on at the time he tells the story.

So, is it one big lie, a series of embellished stories, or a memory error?   More information is sure to come out independent of NBC's internal investigation.   But, for the believer, we can think about certain aspects of how our minds operate and the spiritual issues that we can identify:

Make up our minds to tell the truth.  Integrity should be an issue of paramount importance for the believer in Christ, because a truthful heart keeps us right with God and lends credibility to the message we send.   Sure, because we're human, we will get details incorrect from time-to-time, but I think we have to be careful that our words are accurate and we do not possess an intention of misrepresenting facts in order to make us look or feel better.

If we are caught in a lie or a misstatement, repent quickly and restore relationships.  I do believe that we will be convicted by the Holy Spirit when we make misleading statements.  Some of those can be damaging to relationships and do harm to the cause of Christ.  When we have advanced in position or perception as the result of untruth, we must come before the Lord in contrition and repentance and allow Him - and others - to restore us.

Make every effort to remember God's Word.   The Bible speaks of being doers of the Word and not merely hearers.  James 1 has a wonderful passage that directs us to not merely read God's Word and then go away and forget what we have read or even studied.  He wants us to put what we've learned into practice.  We can be challenged to be faithful doers and not merely forgetful hearers.

People are Watching - Are You Changing?

God is calling us to spiritual growth, and to produce detectable fruit - our outward behavior can reflect the inner change that the Lord has worked in our hearts. In Psalm 24, we read:
3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive blessing from the Lord, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

There is no way we can change ourselves internally in order to line up with God's nature; we might engage in some self-help from time-to-time and make improvements in our outward appearance or behavior, but without a new heart, those will only be temporary adjustments.  God is calling us to accept Jesus into our hearts as our Savior and then to allow Him to transform our hearts through careful application of His Word and yielding to His Holy Spirit.

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We see a beautiful passage of Scripture in Ezekiel 36 about God's redemptive work, reminding us that God's power is available to produce change in our lives:
25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
Oh, boy, it's coming around again - the annual tribute to popular music and pop culture known as the Grammys.  And, there's a penchant for the outrageous that you might expect from the awards show, such as last year's mass wedding of gay and straight couples officiated by Queen Latifah while Macklemore and Lewis belted out the song, "Same Love," an anthem paying tribute to same-sex relationships and denigrating people of faith.  I wrote this last year after the show:

I have read the lyrics to "Same Love", and I'm offended not only by the suggestion that gay love is equated to the love between husband and wife, or generally couples of the opposite sex, the mockery of religion that is contained within it, even including the quotation of "love is patient, love is kind" from 1st Corinthians 13 at the end. Fox News goes on to quote some of the lyrics that were belted out by the group on stage, ""The right-wing conservatives think it's a decision/And you can be cured with some treatment and religion/Man-made rewiring of a predisposition," Macklemore rapped. "Playing God, aw nah here we go/America the brave still fears what we don't know/And God loves all his children, is somehow forgotten/But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five hundred years ago."

Not that you'd see the presentations on the national CBS broadcast, but there are 5 gospel categories, including nominees whose music you will hear on Faith Radio:  Francesca Battistelli, Crowder, For King and Country, MercyMe, William McDowell, Natalie Grant, the Gaither Vocal Band, and the Martins.

One pop artist who has not been nominated for a Grammy, in fact, Wikipedia says he's only been nominated for 2, is Justin Bieber.  According to Business Insider, in 2011. Bieber lost out to Lady Gaga for Best Pop Album (which was expected) but then also lost to lesser known jazz musician Esperanza Spalding for Best New Artist.

It's been a downward spiral for Mr. Bieber for the past few years in his personal life.  According to Christian Today:

Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber has been made quite a name for himself in the past year getting into celebrity scuffles, partying hard and getting in trouble with the law, but the young crooner seems to be sincere in his efforts to turn over a new leaf after he apologised on television for his bad behaviour.

And the efforts continue, with the pop star donating signed shoes for a Christian charity auction.

He went on the Ellen show to make an apology.  He's quoted as saying: "I'm not that kid. I'm a person that genuinely cares. And although what's happened in the past has happened, I just want to make the best impression on people and be kind and loving and gentle and soft."

The Christian Today piece referred to reports throughout last year of Bieber trying to make a spiritual turnaround.  He was reportedly baptized in a bathtub in the middle of 2014 and chose the unusual location after failing to find a church that could baptize him privately.  Since then, he has been spotted attending worship events and concerts.  Last October, he was reportedly seen crying during a Hillsong United concert in Inglewood, California.  The website reports that he is regular attendee at the New York City Hillsong Church.  Seattle pastor Judah Smith has also been reported to be a pastor to Bieber, as well as Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and golfer Bubba Watson.

In a piece on the ChurchLeaders.com website, Smith is quoted as saying:

I just cannot imagine if I was the wealthiest, most famous 18-year-old kid in the world, I cannot imagine what I would do. If I had been given any option to do anything with anyone at any point at any time at 18 years old, needless to say, I would have been in the tabloids more than anyone you could ever imagine. It’s really easy for people to take cheap shots at anybody who’s well-known based on what they’ve read or what they think they know about the person, but anyone who’s had any opportunity to be with someone who is of world-renown realizes that with all the fame comes an enormous amount of expectation and pressure.

I've had Justin's mom, Pattie Mallette on the radio show, and she is not only a Christian and pro-life advocate, but she is a devoted mom, and I really picked up that she believes that Justin is really not like his public persona.  

But, what other people see is perhaps the only impression that they have of you.

Your life may not attract the paparazzi or you may not make headlines, but you are sending a message with the lifestyle you lead and the way you behave.  And, if we say that the way we act isn't who we really are, then that means there is a disconnect there.  I would contend that our outward actions are a reflection of who we are on the inside - yes, we all stumble and fall, we walk in the flesh, I walk in the flesh more than I care to admit, but I am thankful for the grace of God and would hope that my growth in Christ would produce detectable fruit for His glory!

Detectable fruit - God is capable of changing a person from the inside.  And, if we have experienced true heart change through a relationship with Jesus, we can rely on Him to express His nature through us.  We can certainly stop the flow of His life and love through selfishness and sin, but if we are allowing Christ to be our life, we can expect that as grow, people will see the change in us. It can be detectable.   Certainly, this is challenging to each of us, but we serve a God who gives great capacity for change and great power to bring it about.