More Words

The words we speak have great potential, and I believe that the Bible teaches us to speak carefully chosen words, informed and instructed by God's Word. Proverbs 10 says:
16 The labor of the righteous leads to life, The wages of the wicked to sin.
17 He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray.
18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.
19 In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.

These verses provide a nice contrast between the way that leads to life, the path that pleases God, and the way that leads to destruction.  We can be challenged to be mindful of the instruction of the Lord, following His words and keeping His principles in our hearts.  In the economy of words, according to verse 19, we are called to show restraint.  I think that entails thinking before we speak and recognizing the capability for our words to build up or tear down, to glorify God or to be detrimental to Him and to ourselves.

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In Matthew 12, Jesus challenges us to make good use of the words we speak.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

There are several types of social media that I utilize in association with The Meeting House radio show - there are 2 blogs that I write; one is The Front Room, which features devotional thoughts and commentary from the program. The other is The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community.  I also have a Facebook page and a Twitter feed.   Each of these forms of media have their own unique advantages.

With Twitter, you can send a simple and effective message, and the 140-character limit forces you to be very directed in what you say.  Through the use of hashtags and links, you are able to join a stream of information and hopefully have that information shared.

Well, there was a piece on the Bloomberg site that appeared a couple of weeks ago that was intriguing. The article announced that Twitter users would be gaining "more freedom to compose longer messages." It said that Twitter would soon "stop counting photos and links as part of its 140-character limit for messages, according to a person familiar with the matter. The change could happen in the next two weeks, said the person who asked not to be named because the decision isn’t yet public. Links currently take up 23 characters, even after Twitter automatically shortens them. The company declined to comment."

That announcement was confirmed about a week later by Twitter Senior Project Manager Todd Sherman on Twitter's blog site.  He wrote:

In the coming months we’ll make changes to simplify Tweets including what counts toward your 140 characters, so for instance, @names in replies and media attachments (like photos, GIFs, videos, and polls) will no longer “use up” valuable characters.

He also stated: "We’re exploring ways to make existing uses easier and enable new ones, all without compromising the unique brevity and speed that make Twitter the best place for live commentary, connections, and conversations."

So, soon, we Twitter users can write more - if you are putting a list of handles in a Tweet calling attention to certain others, that can use up valuable space, and those links and attachments also cut down on your verbage.  So, we get more characters to work with - but, the question is, do we really need them?  How will people use those extra words we may get?

Twitter teaches us to keep things short and simple - you really have to think about how you say something lest you violate the 140-character limit.  But, in Twitter, as in life, are too many words necessarily a good thing?

And, that's a character lesson for us today.  Jesus taught us about the power of words - we can be justified or condemned by them.  James gave stern warning about the power of the tongue. Proverbs teaches us about the relationship of the abundance of words to sin.  A good "word" for us today is that we can place limitations on our usage of words, keeping in minds that it is possible to say too much.

Reliance on the Holy Spirit can enable us to control what we say.  He can help to shape what we say and how we say it.  Words can be powerful in expressing ourselves, encouraging a person, and in providing insight and instruction.  But, words can also contain a power to express ourselves in a way we did not intend, or to tear down someone else, or to communicate incorrectly.  We have to make sure that we are good stewards of our words, in line with God's Word.

"Too Christian" TV

It just seems like there are elements in our culture who just don't want to see Christian messages in our various forms of entertainment.  And, that is symptomatic of a society that is rushing headlong away from the teachings of the Scripture.  But, we can hold to the powerful truth that we can communicate through our words and the way we live our lives.  In 1st John 3, we can read:
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

There are people who think they do not want to hear or heed the teachings of Christ, but the demonstration of the Word in power can be very compelling.   We possess the love of the Lord in our hearts, and it is our responsibility to allow His life and His love to flow through us.  As we submit to the control of the Holy Spirit, we send a powerful message about the One who died for us so that men and women might experience His love and freedom.

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God has made us capable to live out the truth of the gospel, demonstrating the power of the Word and the presence of Christ. 2nd Corinthians 3 says:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

There were church leaders in England that saw it coming once Aaqil Ahmed joined the BBC to be in charge of religious programming back in 2009.  The Telegraph reported on this move.  In his previous position at Channel Four, he had upset Roman Catholic priests by commissioning documentaries that appeared to contain a pro-Islam bias.

Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, met with Mark Thompson, the BBC's director-general a few weeks before the move to challenge him over the corporation's religious broadcasting. Senior bishops had also written to Thompson to question its commitment to Britain's Christian audience.  The Telegraph report at the time said:

Leading church figures suspect that the BBC is giving preferential treatment to minority faiths, with a Muslim now in charge of its programming on television and a Sikh producing Songs of Praise, its flagship Christian show.

Fast forward now to a recent series of events reported on by The Telegraph.  Ahmed, the BBC’s head of religion and ethics, has suggested Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths should get more airtime.  One Muslim leader has even suggested that the review could lead to Friday prayers from a mosque being broadcast in the same way that Christian church services are currently featured in the BBC’s schedules.

Ahmed told a Commons meeting on religious literacy he had written a report for Lord Hall, the director general, that would answer criticisms from non-Christian faiths that they were under-served. Ahmed said in a statement: “Christianity remains the cornerstone of our output and there are more hours dedicated to it than there are to other faiths."  He continued, "Our output in this area is not static, though."

The BBC's religious output on television includes Songs of Praise and Sunday Morning Live.  In 2009, there was concern expressed at that time that a Sikh was producing Songs of Praise.  Radio also features a wide range of religious content including Thought for the Day on Radio Four’s Today programme.

Not a surprising development here - and even though you have those in the news and entertainment industry who either don't understand religion or religious practice or don't think it should be included in the public flow of information, we recognize that faith is a strong element of so many people's lives.  And, we can be convinced that our message absolutely brings hope for a culture that needs it so much.  There is rampant discouragement and cynicism today, and the gospel brings hope to counter that - not some empty hope that can make someone feel better temporarily, but a real hope in a God who loved humanity so much that He sent His Son to die - a hope that is deeply attractive and capable of bringing true life change.

We are communicators of hope - we cannot depend on the media at large, including the Internet, to communicate accurately the Christian message.  Fortunately there is Christian media that is effective in relating the truth of Jesus.  And, with the presence of the Holy Spirit, He has made us capable of being effective communicators of that truth in the way we speak and live. 

Going to Church: Good For Your Health?

The life that reflects the character of Christ results from our pursuit of His ways, the path to spiritual growth in the Lord. Proverbs 4 says:
20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Verse 20 encourages to pay attention to God's Word - we do that by studying and meditating on Scripture; keeping His Word before our eyes, which will enable His words to penetrate our hearts. Verse 22 describes God's words as "life" and "health."  From our hearts flow the "issues of life," in other words, if our hearts are sensitive to and activated by God's Word, then we experience the full life that He has in store for us.  But, it doesn't happen by chance  - we have to be deliberate in our pursuit of the things of God.

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In Psalm 91, we see the importance of devotion to the Lord.  God honors our faithfulness, and one of the verses even suggest that could pay dividends in the form of a longer life:
14 "Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."

Yesterday, I offered some comments about longevity of life.  And, I believe there are certain steps that we can take that can serve to lengthen our lives.  There are also choices that we make that can serve to diminish our time on earth and the quality thereof.    Adherence to the Scriptures is an important component.

There is new research that has been released that indicates a relationship between spiritual activity and better health, pertaining to women.  FoxNews.com reports on the survey, which suggests that women who attend religious services frequently may live longer than women who don't, new research suggests.

Over a 16-year period, Dr. Tyler J. VanderWeele of Harvard and his colleagues analyzed data collected every four years between 1996 and 2012 from nearly 75,000 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study. Most were Catholic or Protestant.

As reported in the Internal Medicine section of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) website, about 14,000 of the women attended religious services more than once a week, about 30,400 attended once a week, about 12,000 less than once a week, and nearly 18,000 never attended.

Women who attended religious services regularly were 33 percent less likely to die during the study period, compared with women who never attended services. Once-a-week attendees were 26 percent less likely to die, and those attending less than once a week were 23 percent less likely to die.

Overall, according to the story, frequent religious attendance was associated with a 27 percent lower likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease and a 21 percent lower risk of death from cancer. Frequent attendance was also associated with significantly less risk of breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

Dr. Dan German Blazer II from Duke, who wrote an editorial accompanying the study, said, according to Health.com, that “despite the findings, we cannot for certain say that religious belief/practice per se is the actual cause [of longevity].” While stressing the need for more research, he did describe the investigation as “a major contribution” that “provides significantly more reason to believe that there is something about religious belief [and] practice among these women which contributes to protection against dying.”

Every now and then on my radio show, I talk about the relationship between the spiritual and the physical.  I believe that the Bible teaches us that we are spirit, we have our souls - our mind, will, and emotions - and we live in the body.   Those are not three separate parts, no, they are integrated together.   So, if we are growing in our spirits, there is the capacity to affect other areas of our lives. That doesn't guarantee a perfect body or perfect health, but there is Scripture that can support that spiritual growth can affect other areas of our lives.

So, even though the researchers say there is not a certain relationship between church attendance or religious practice and good health, I think that if you factor in the teachings of the Bible, you can make the case that there is a relationship.  If we sow to the spirit, the Bible says, we will reap accordingly; conversely, if we are feeding the flesh and engaging in practices that are not good for us, then there will be a detrimental effect.  An example: I believe if we are caught up in worry, anxiety, or stress, there is the potential for harmful by-products to manifest themselves physically - and spiritually.   God has ordained for us through Christ a way that leads to life, real, abundant life.

Aging With Grace

God is concerned with not only the quantity of our lives - the number of days that He has placed us here on this earth - but also about the quality of life that He intends.  We have been given the wonderful gift of life, and He desires for us to take what He has given and maximize it.  1st Peter 3
says:
10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

The Bible is so practical - if we want to live the life that brings our Lord honor, then we are called to follow His instructions.   Following His principles leads to a fulfilling life; disregarding what He has to say brings unnecessary difficulty to us.  Sin brings negative consequences, but the Spirit brings freedom.  We have the power to choose, to choose life, and if we make the correct choices, then we activate the life that Christ came to give us.

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The Bible offers us reliable instruction for living a fulfilling life, a life that brings honor to the name of Jesus. Deuteronomy 5 offers this perspective:
32 Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.
33 You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.

In 1899 in Lowndes County, Alabama, Susannah Mushatt Jones was born.  Just a few days ago, she passed away.  CNN.com reported that she was the last American born in the 1800s, according to Robert Young of Guinness World Records. She died in New York at the age of 116.

Jones attributed her length of life to "sleep, clean living and positive energy."  She had been ill and in and out of the hospital for 10 days, according to her niece.   She had been recognized last year by Guinness as the oldest living person on the planet.

She attended the Calhoun Colored School in Calhoun, Alabama, where Booker T. Washington was on the board of trustees.  She moved to New York in 1923.

In 2005, she had told the New York City Housing Authority, "I surround myself with love and positive energy," adding, "That's the key to long life and happiness."

And, she loved her bacon.  USA Today reported last year that she kept a steady diet of bacon, eggs and grits for breakfast. There was a sign in her kitchen which read: “Bacon makes everything better.”

Buddy Hamilton of Richmond, Virginia, has some ideas about living a long life.  He is 100 years old, and the Christian Examiner quotes him as saying, "Pay attention," and, "Listen to what God knows to be best."  Hamilton celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this month.  He volunteers every week in the homeless ministry of First Baptist Church, Richmond, where he has been a member 82 years. He drives himself and two friends who also volunteer in the ministry: Al Astle, who will be 100 in August, and Jack Mitchell, who is 90.

Hamilton recounts, "For most of my life, I put a lot of effort into my business," adding, "I had one foot in the secular world and one foot in the spiritual world."  But, when he was around 55 years old, he attended a law renewal weekend at his church.  That weekend, he heard the testimony of a man "who had chosen intentionally to focus on the things of God."   Buddy relates that he decided at that time that he would do the same thing.  He says, "It seems like a small step, but it was life-changing for me."

He explains, "The real sin of the world is inordinate self-interest...Every sin can be traced to selfishness that starts at birth. I think this selfishness is wired into us from birth to allow us to survive."   He goes on: "To overcome this innate selfishness I must be willing to give my thoughts and words to the Lord before they become audible and trigger action."

Senior pastor Jim Somerville says that, "Buddy offers the perspective of years of experience, but he is remarkably open-minded," adding, "When Buddy speaks, heads swivel to hear what he has to say. People trust him. There is universal recognition that he helped make us who we are."  He even has a Sunday School class named after him!

What a healthy attitude, and a great example for all of us.  A few concepts can come through mind as the result of encountering this story.  First of all, we do well to honor the wisdom of those who have great life experience.  Here is a man who possesses great wisdom and is an inspiring person.   These are the type of people who can inspire and challenge - we are never too old to stop the learning process.  Both of these examples show us that there is a value to living in a manner consistent with God's principles and being involved in loving relationships.

Also, I'm reminded that having wise and experienced people who have lived long life in a church body can be a strong example to our young people.  The next generation, or generations, need examples such as Buddy Hamilton, and ministry that is truly intergenerational has great potential to shape the lives of those coming behind.

Finally, Buddy Hamilton has a great point: to take our eyes off ourselves.  We can become so self-consumed these days.  But, God wants us to be sensitive to the needs around us.  And, he doesn't want us to stop, I believe, as we grow older.  Living in the love of God might not guarantee we'll live to be 100, but if we are consumed with selfishness, that can be detrimental to a fulfilling life.

The Call to Courage

Hebrews 10 speaks to being emboldened by the presence of God's Holy Spirit:
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him."

We are called to advance in our walk with the Lord, not held captive by fear, but emboldened by faith.  God calls us to be people of courage, who reflect His strength and approach life's challenges with a sense of confidence, not in our own human resources, but appropriating what God has made available to us.  In placing our trust in Him, we can know that He is with us and that He is working in our lives for His glory.

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In Psalm 27, we read about the importance of standing strong in the face of opposition, and walking in courage produced by the presence of the indwelling Lord:
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Remember Joe Kennedy?  He is the assistant high school football coach from Bremerton, Washington, who was just recently honored by the Family Policy Institute of Washington state for his courage.  He had made a practice out of walking to the 50-yard-line following games to pray.  The simple act inspired students, some of whom decided to join him.  And, that was the rub with the school district.

According to WND.com, Kennedy was suspended from his coaching job at Bremerton High School last October and banned from the football field the last game of the season.

Then the school refused to renew Kennedy’s contract because of his personal prayers, prompting an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigation. First Liberty Institute is defending the coach and awaiting a determination letter from the EEOC before it can take the next legal step.   He was also placed on administrative leave last December.  So, the coach has lost his right to pray and his right to work at the school.

Well, the coach's courage was recognized - the Family Policy Institute gave him the Rosa Parks Courage Award. Mike Berry, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute, said it’s “so appropriate that the namesake for this award is Rosa Parks, somebody who exhibited tremendous courage in the face of opposition." He continued, "Like Rosa Parks, Kennedy has shown great courage and determination despite fierce government opposition. He has continued to stand strong for his faith and constitutional freedom."

The recent story relates that another attorney with First Liberty, Jeremy Dys, had told WND that the underlying precedent that the school is trying to impose is that government is a god and nothing is higher.

He said that by the district’s standard, if a coach were praying in a private room and he were approached by a student, he would have to “run away screaming, ‘Get away! Get away!’

“That’s not freedom of religion.”

Further, he said, that standard would forbid other symbols of faith.

Today, some thoughts on the topic of courage.  Courage can be regarded as standing strong in the face of adversity or fear.  It can also imply taking a bold step that you wouldn't take ordinarily.  I think of courage as moving forward even when there is opposition.  Dictionary.com defines it as "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

For the Christian, our courage can be associated with bravery, but not with brashness. On my radio show yesterday, Michael Anthony spoke of the concept of "kind courage" - courage tempered by humility.   As we stand, we do so with a dependence upon God, intent on radiating the character of Christ, for we recognize that it's Him Whom we serve.

Finally, these are times that call for courage.  We are not called to back down from the principles of our faith.  Rather, we can be challenged to allow our faith to sustain us - that becomes our natural stance, and then we act in accordance with that determination that has been built in our hearts.   God has given us power, love, and a sound mind to counteract the spirit of fear; He has given us powerful tools to walk in triumph over the enemy.

Laughing in the Parking Lot

The level of joy that we experience can be enhanced, I believe, by the amount of time that we
spend in communication with God and thinking about the things of God. Psalm 16 says:
7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

There is the concept here of setting the Lord before us - what does that mean?  Well, I believe that we can make it our goal to spend quality time in Him, to make following His precepts a central focus of our lives, and to recognize that He is with us and He is available to us.  Having that sense of His abiding presence can result in our being joyful, even in the midst of trials that we might face. Because the joy of the Lord is not dependent on our outward circumstances, but on our inward relationship with Almighty God.

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There is some good news for us today - we can have a relationship with the Savior of the world, and
He has an incredible life in store for us.  In John 10, Jesus says:
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.

There has been some notable news from the social media platform Facebook recently.  There was a meeting of leading conservatives with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who mostly came away convinced that "the giant social network wants to repair its relationship with the right after damaging allegations it steers people away from conservative viewpoints," according to a piece on the USA Today website.

The article cites a poll by polling firm Morning Consult, which indicated more than half of registered voters — 55% — get their news from social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat. Nearly half, 47%, also said they're "comfortable" with social media companies determining what news they see on their sites vs. 34% who said they were not comfortable.

Social media has become yet another frontier in the work of Faith Radio, as our ministry has a Facebook page, and my show, as well as Morning Praise, have Facebook pages through which we communicate with our listeners.   And, in an unexpected development, I followed the suggestion of Joe Savage and connected with him in Moldova using the new Facebook calling feature.

Facebook has also been in the news recently for a new record holder for its new Facebook Live streaming feature.  You may have seen it, and if you saw it, the sound of it may still be echoing in your mind...

I just checked this morning, and to say this video has gone viral, well, that's an understatement.  Over 135 million views!   The video was shot in a lady's car following her purchase of a Star Wars Chewbacca mask that features a mouth that moves and a Chewy sound that emanates from somewhere within it.

Her name is Candace Payne.  She has been a worship leader since age 14 - she sings, plays the guitar and writes music, according to the Christian Examiner.  She also has done stand-up comedy.  She and her husband of 15 years met in church, found their "love story" there, and they have volunteered in student ministry together since then. They worship with their two children at a church southwest of Dallas.

And, she shared some insight about joy - the joy that she has in the Lord. She said, "As far as the joy aspect, it is much deeper than the Chewbacca mask," adding, "It was fun watching it go viral and fun watching people get some joy out of it, too," but at the core of real joy is faith.

She says people have reached out to her that have struggled with depression and anxiety and been uplifted by the video. She said that one person said, "I haven't laughed in the two months since my dad died." Another said: "I haven't had a gut wrenching laugh in two years."

Candace adds, "If I am going to say anything ... our world that we live in has a dark cloud over us that keeps us feeling like we can't ever experience deep joy daily...It really is about thanking God for every single thing we have. When you have a heart that is grateful, we laugh more." She says, "Joy will radiate that faith," just like when inside the mask, she was radiating faith "from Jesus who promises me I will have a fuller life."

And, what a potential opportunity she has to connect with people; perhaps through discovering her back story, people will come to experience the joy of the Lord for themselves.  That's one of the takeaways here - perhaps there are activities in which we participate or actions that we take that can provide a platform through which God uses us to share His truth and His character.

What an incredible surprise that a simple video with a Chewbacca mask would have generated so much attention, and as the article points out, she starts the video with the line, "It's the simple joys in life..."  We can evaluate ourselves and think if maybe we are truly appreciating those "simple joys."  Or, are we trapped in a routine or overwhelmed by our circumstances that we don't appreciate what perhaps God has given us to enjoy?   We can be challenged to take time and take pleasure in what God has provided for us.

I do think we can remember that joy is a fruit of the Spirit.  As Candace says in the article, people often confuse joy with laughter, but joy doesn't mean that. Indeed, she relates, "you will cry more; feel and hunger for thing [sic] passionately (when you have faith in Christ); you will experience joy at a fuller level you will ever think possible."  Joy is not dependent on circumstances, but it is a product of deep abiding faith in the Lord and expressed as we abide in Him.

Giving and Believing

We have been created for the pleasure of our Creator, and recreated through our acceptance of Christ in order that we might have a relationship with God. And, through that relationship, we can see God
work through us.  Ephesians 2 says:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Even though we didn't deserve it, God chose to bring us salvation by sending His Son into the world, to live a perfect life and become a perfect sacrifice for our sins.  We could not save ourselves, but Jesus died in our place.  By accepting Him, we invite the presence of the Holy Spirit into our hearts, and He will energize and direct us to glorify our Heavenly Father in obedience to His will.  He wants to use us to demonstrate to the world the love of Christ, Who has done a transforming work in our hearts.

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We can trust the Lord to provide opportunities, open doors, through which He manifests His love and presence.  1st Corinthians 4 says:
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

Dr. Ester Kwok is a California physician who learned that the son of one of her longtime patients was in need of a kidney transplant.  The receipt of this news began a faith journey for the doctor, who had been opposed to kidney donation for religious and cultural reasons.  In a Gospel Herald story, Dr. Kwok is quoted as saying, "I am a Christian, and I believe that God puts us in situations where he wants us to be his instruments."

She also said, "As Christians, we shouldn't just talk about helping others, but we also need to act," she said. "By acting, I'm actually internalizing and expressing what my mother taught me. What bigger way to honor what she is than act up on what she taught me?"  The story relates that prompted by Hebrews 10:38, which says, "The just shall live by faith," and backed by her husband and four children, Dr. Kwok decided to join the National Kidney Registry.

Turns out she wasn't a match for her patient's son, whose name is Jonathan Chan. But, three years later, she was alerted that through a live donor match and a 12-person donation chain, she would be able to help Chan get a new kidney. He tried to back out, telling Dr. Kwok he was concerned for her health. But the doctor persevered.

She is quoted as saying, "I told him that mine was a free gift and he needed only accept just as eternal life was a free gift that I accepted, and since I was given eternal life, then how could I not give a small part of me when asked." Dr. Kwok continued: "My motivation was this: Jesus died for me on the cross while I was yet a sinner, while I was yet a stranger..." She added, "He gave me eternal life, and how can I not then reach out to somebody to give one organ to give them more time to believe in Christ, to give them time to find grace? I've been given so much -- why not give a little back? I gave under anesthesia, but Jesus gave without anesthesia for all men. If he did this, how can I not do what God asked of me?"

Later, the doctor found out that Jonathan was on the verge of rejecting the donated kidney. Dr. Kwok recalls that she said, "Lord, I went through all of this - I never pondered that rejection might be something that would happen. Did I go through all of this for nothing?" She believed that God spoke to her, reminding her that He allowed this to happen and that she must have faith. One year later, she saw Chan again - healthy and whole.

Dr. Kwok said, "Faith is believing everything is going to be okay," adding, "I couldn't see [Mr. Chan] was going to be okay, but I felt in my heart he was going to be okay, and learning to trust in God in spite of not being able to see ahead is what faith is. I don't know God has in store for me in the future, but I know that whatever it is, I just have to walk and trust him."

This is an incredible story of faith and generosity.  And, the doctor discovered what it was like to come out of her comfort zone.  That may be one of the greatest lessons for us as believers - we can become rather static in our walk, and there may be an incident or series of circumstances that God brings our way that can challenge us to step out.  When those "stretching" opportunities come, we can be responsive to the Lord and trust Him to show us what to do next.

And, that opportunity may involve the element of helping someone else.  We can be confident that God is working in and through our lives, and He will work through willing vessels to perform His plan.  God's people working in tandem with His Spirit can accomplish tremendous things for Him.

Dr. Kwok can also help us develop a fresh perspective on giving.  One of our primary motivations for being charitable is that we possess the love of God, and by His love, our Savior gave His life for us.  So if we say we love God, then the test of that is how we respond to other people in their time of need - when we were in need of a Savior, at the right time, as the Bible says, Christ died for us.  So there's that element of sacrifice that can be a product of our faith.

It's the Truth

We are instructed in Scripture to allow certain attributes to become preeminent in our behavior.
Colossians 3 outlines some of these:
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

And, in verse 16, we discover a key to seeing these attributes manifested in our lives:
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

The Word of God, the teachings of the Scriptures, contributes to the life of Christ being released through our lives.  Through our study of the Bible, we can see who we have the capability to be and the characteristics that a believer in Christ is to possess.  Now, we cannot perfect these components through our own human strength, but through careful application of the Word, we can experience the life change that God wants to bring about in our lives.

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Our interaction with the Word of God, and our degree of it, can release the life of Christ into our hearts and minds.  Jesus said in John 6:
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
64 But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.
65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."

Recently, I featured a conversation with Andrew Hood of the American Bible Society, which just celebrated its 200th anniversary - what an incredible milestone!  In order to commemorate that occasion, the Society, in partnership with the Barna Group, released a six-year research study called, The Bible in America.

Some positive findings from this study include:

• An average of 62 percent of Americans have expressed a desire to read the Bible more. 
• A two-thirds majority of adults believe the Bible contains everything a person needs to know in order to live a meaningful life.
• Two-thirds of adults hold an orthodox view of the Bible, believing it is the actual or inspired Word of God.
• Forty-four percent of Americans read the Bible at least once a month.
• On average, eight out of 10 Americans consider the Bible to be sacred literature or a holy book.
• Most Americans, 64 percent, believe the Bible has more influence on humanity than any other text.

Even with these positive findings, there are some areas of concern. For instance, the the number of Bible skeptics has increased to 22 percent in 2016, surpassing the number of Bible engaged people, which is now at 17 percent.

A statistic of concern is that those who say the Bible is sufficient as a guide for meaningful living has declined from 77 percent in 2011 to 67 percent in 2016.

One surprising stat is that Christian Millennials share similar beliefs and engage the Bible much the same as older generations. For instance, 69 percent of that group believe the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life. 63 percent would describe the Bible as "fact."

The percentage of American adults as a whole who are considered Bible friendly has declined from 45 percent in 2011 to 37 percent in 2016.

In response to these and other findings, Roy Peterson, president and CEO of American Bible Society, said, "Looking at modern-day America, we see a country moving away—for decades now—from the foundational, biblical values so cherished by those who came before us," adding, "As we work together to address the skepticism of our day, now is our time to renew hope in the promises of God's Word, to open the healing words of Scripture as people are battling extreme violence, poverty and oppression."

The ministry has developed some strategies to do that, including leveraging technology to reach Americans wherever they are by using social media to deliver Scripture. It is also lending support to the development of a Bible-based online game for teens and administering the top-level domain .Bible.  Director of Communications Andrew Hood says that, "American Bible Society has a 10-year goal of seeing 100 million people in the U.S. regularly engaging with Scripture..."

We can certainly have renewed hope in the power of God's Word.  The departure from our spiritual moorings is directionally proportional, I believe, to the opinion of and practice of God's Word.   If people do not recognize that God's truth offers a roadmap for a fulfilling life, then they reject those principles to their peril, as well as the peril of society at large.

No, things have not always been this way - the turning aside from an adherence to the Scriptures has seemingly become more intense over the past few years.  But, it's not time to give up.   But, the Bible has to be regarded as more than mere optional guidelines for life, but a vital component of a life that pleases God.  Fortunately, there are many tools that can assist in Bible engagement - technology presents great potential, but no matter how we digest it, we have to study, memorize, and meditate on the Scriptures so that God's principles become a part of us.

Prayer - a Powerful Weapon

2nd Corinthians 10 can help shape our attitude toward the spiritual resources that God has given us in order to walk in victory in Christ:
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

Like it or not, we are called into the practice of spiritual warfare.  There is no exemption for the believer in Christ, and to try to withdraw or sit on the sideline results in defeat.  So, we cannot be passive, but we are called to recognize we have an enemy, he is engaging us, and we have powerful resources through which we can respond to him and resist him - our weapons are mightier, in Christ, and our power is superior, through the Holy Spirit.

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In Ephesians 6, we can read this exhortation:
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Kenneth Bae is a missionary who was born in South Korea, but had located in Washington.  He had run a tourist company taking trips to North Korea - many of which were Christian-based, according to a piece on the ChristianNews.net website.  Until November 2012, over a dozen of those trips had been made without an issue.  But, at that time during a tour, Bae was taken into custody and was accused of attempting to overthrow the government.  He was arrested not far from the city of Yanji, where some Christian groups provide aid to North Korean refugees.

The story relates that Bae was sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor in North Korea, and served in a labor camp for two years before ultimately being freed.  He is now speaking out about his experience and how his missionary work was deemed a “threat” to the atheist government.

The story says that recently he told CBS News, "They (the prosecutors) said, ‘You attempted to overthrow the government through prayer and worship’ and they really took prayer as a weapon against them."

Bae said that what had caused him to get in trouble was a computer hard drive in his possession that contained prayers to God, as well as photographs of impoverished North Korean children.  He was accused by officials of being a spy and he was placed on trial.

The missionary is quoted as saying, "One of the prosecutors told me that I was the worst, most dangerous American criminal they had ever apprehended since the Korean War,." He continued, “I said, ‘Why?’ and they said, ‘Because not only [did you come] to do mission work on your own, you asked others to join.’”

Bae spent 735 days in prison before being pardoned by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.  The ChristianNews.net story states:

But Bae took his difficulties in stride and told CNN on Monday that he spent his days “depending on God and pretty much living day to day—just one day at a time.” He trusted that God would be his rescuer, and held onto the promises of Scripture.

“I [would look] in the mirror in the bathroom every day, and say, ‘Remember, you are a missionary. This is what you are here for,'” Bae also told CBS, referring to his mission to share Christ with the lost. “I took it more as a blessing, rather than a curse or suffering.”

What an amazing story, and a testimony to the perseverance of this one man, who did not become discouraged during captivity, but saw his time in prison as an opportunity for God to use him to share Christ.  One takeaway of this story deals with that attitude that Bae displayed, as he looked in the mirror and saw his mission.  Each day, we can consider that God has a purpose for us that day, to use us for His glory.

We recognize that God has given us tools to fulfill His will - He has given us the Holy Spirit to give us power and direction.  He has also given us prayer.  Remember what Kenneth Bae said - the North Korea government regarded prayer as a weapon; they accused Bae of using prayer and worship to overthrow their government.  Think about that for a moment.  These officials were threatened by Kenneth's faith and they possessed an attitude about prayer that might even be helpful for us to consider.  They acknowledged the power of prayer and worship.  They saw prayer as a weapon. Remember that Scripture says that our weapons are not carnal, or of the flesh or human strength, but they are mighty to pull down strongholds.  We have access to the armor of God and the resources of heaven.   We can engage in spiritual warfare through the power of prayer, in the name of Jesus.

Disability and His Ability

We have tremendous spiritual resources that are available to us through Christ.  Colossians 1 reminds us that:
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

His power, His strength, will work through the life of a believer.  While we are weak in human frailty, we are strong in God's ability.  But, in order to experience the fullness of His strength, we have to be willing to surrender our own human capacity and allow His life to flow through us.  When we encounter the challenges of life, we can rely on a source of power greater than ourselves, coming from the God who gives us the strength to endure.

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In Romans 8, we read about the power to overcome, the means to conquer, that we have through our relationship with Jesus Christ:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

In this age of computer technology, I believe it's still important for children to write well, to work on their penmanship.  There is even a competition that attracts some 300,000 young people between kindergarten and 8th grade.

One of the winners recently was a 7-year-old girl from Virginia.  Her name is Anaya Ellick and what's so remarkable is that she won a division - with no hands, according to a CBNNews.com story.

The story quotes principal Tracy Cox of Greenbrier Christian Academy in Chesapeake, who told ABC News, "There is truly very little that this girl cannot do."

Anaya was born without hands and she uses her forearms to write.  She has decided to not have prostheses.

Cox said, "She is a hard worker. She is determined. She is independent. She is a vivacious and a no-excuses type of young lady."

Anaya's penmanship was submitted in the category that encourages the participation of students with cognitive delays, or intellectual, physical or developmental disabilities. The judges were occupational therapists. The story says that competition director, Kathleen Wright, told ABC News, "Her writing sample was comparable to someone who had hands."

Her mother, Bianca Middleton, is quoted as saying, "It may be different, it may be hard, the road might be long, but she will persevere."

This is truly an amazing story about a girl, only 7 years of age, who has dedicated herself to overcoming obstacles.  People who are dealing with physical challenges can be so inspirational, and when you blend determination with faith in Christ, we can all take some lessons away.

One of the great lessons of which we can be reminded is that we are all designed by God.  So, even though the world might look at Anaya as being defective somehow because of her lack of hands, just think about the platform she has been given as the result of her ability to transcend her disability.

We can also think about the challenges each of us face.  We are all human beings, and we are limited by the frailties that come with that distinction.  But, when our humanity is infused with God's divinity, there are enormous things that can occur - when we are weak, He is strong!

Finally, we're reminded that many have physical disabilities - some of them are from birth, other have transpired throughout the course of life.  And, each of us has inherited a spiritual disability...it's called sin, and we can conquer it through the power of Jesus Christ.  We have been called to be overcomers in Him.  The power of indwelling sin and the consequences of past mistakes can represent challenges that can be dealt with effectively through the resources that God has given to us.

Washed

In 1st Corinthians 6, we see a listing of types of sinful behavior, but we also see the promise of
redemption and what God will do in our hearts as we surrender to Christ:
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites,
10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

We recognize that humanity has a sin problem, and in this passage, the apostle Paul outlines some of those sins.  But, the really, really good news is that Christ came to save sinners - He offered Himself on a cross, so that as we render ourselves dead to sin, accept the Lord's sacrifice and be baptized into death, we are raised to new life!  There is an antidote to the power of indwelling sin and it's a relationship with a living God through Jesus Christ, with Whom we have been raised!

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Romans 6 expresses what takes place in the human heart when that person gives his or her life to Christ:
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection...

Liam Leslie is an 11-year-old student at Calvary Baptist School in New Orleans.  A few months ago, he made a decision to commit his life to Christ.  A Baptist Press story relates what happened to him and the moving event following his surrender to the Lord:  Liam's commitment to Christ had come after Laekan Carter, the school's children's coordinator and a chapel teacher, had shared during a school chapel program what it meant "to have a relationship with Christ." When the children were invited to approach her with questions, Liam wrote out a note asking Carter what the phrase "relationship with Christ" meant.   Carter said, "What resonated with Liam was that he was created for a purpose and that God's Son would die for him...The magnitude of Jesus' sacrifice made an impression on him."

As Carter met with Liam and answered his questions, she realized he was being moved by Jesus' love for him.  They then tried to set up a time for Liam to be baptized. Carter related, "We couldn't seem to find a perfect fit for a Sunday baptism date with the family," adding, "Liam asked me weekly, for months, when he could be baptized."  Finally, they decided to have him baptized in front of the entire K-8th Grade student body.

Liam's parents were invited, and baptism in a pool baptistery was something they had never seen before.  Liam's mother, Alexis Leslie, said, "I was a nervous wreck," adding, "I put myself in his position as to how nervous I would be [to be baptized] in front of all my classmates. I asked Liam if he was nervous. He said, 'A little bit.'"

The baptism was performed by pastor and school headmaster Michael Carney, aided by Carter. Alexis Leslie described it as "beautiful." She said the family has not been active in church, she was glad her son wanted "Christ in his life." Leslie said, "When they told me, I didn't realize it was that big of a deal. Since then I've come to find out that it is a big deal..."  She added that when her son asked to be baptized, she "immediately" said yes.

The article says that the day of the baptism, Carney explained to the students its meaning and purpose. In addition, an accompanying video provided an explanation geared toward children.

Jennie Gartman, a second-grade teacher, is quoted as saying, "My students were so excited to watch the baptism...Afterwards, there were lots of questions about why he was baptized."

Baptism is an outward expression of the inward work of Christ in our lives.  I think about the story I heard about how God worked recently through the S.O.S. ministry at Talladega.   According to its Facebook page,  32 people received Christ in ministry to racing fans, and 2 people were baptized, right there on the spot.  Two pools had been donated to the ministry.  By the way, one of the national founders of S.O.S., Tom Curtis, went home to be with the Lord this past weekend.  Because of his commitment to Christ, he, like so many others who have received Jesus as Lord, has the assurance of eternity with God in heaven.

The story of Liam Leslie can reinforce the importance of ministry to children and sharing the gospel with them.  And, the expression of baptism helped to communicate what God had done in this young man's life to his parents and his classmates.  What a wonderful way to express what God has done in a person's life!

The Bible teaches that there is an inward baptism that occurs in our hearts when we give ourselves to the Lord.  Romans teaches that we are "buried with Him" through baptism.   The expression of going under the water signifies that we have died with Christ, and when we are raised up, that shows that we have been raised to newness of life.   We have passed through - from death to life, into new life with Christ. 

Water baptism illustrates the story that we have been cleansed - our sins are washed away, and we have been granted a new start in life, as a new creation in Christ Jesus.   Old things have passed away, the Bible says, and new things have come.  We can be challenged to examine our own lives and ascertain whether or not we have experienced the new birth in Christ.

Up to the Challenge

God is calling us to recognize the gifts and abilities that he has given to us, and to use them faithfully, as He leads. 1st Peter 4 says this:
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Our lives have meaning because we have the presence of God upon us, and He has created us to be unique - no one else is like you, no one else has the same DNA, the same skill set, or the same personality.  You are who God created you to be, and He wants to use you for His glory to bring about His purposes.  If we abide in Christ, we can discover more about God's call for our lives.  We recognize His hand and His heart as we surrender to Him, allowing Him to work according to His plan by His power.

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We have been entrusted with purpose and abilities to be used for God's glory. Luke chapter 12
highlights that responsibility to use them:
42 And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44 Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

Later, Jesus said this:
47 And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.

Last night, a major league pitcher recorded his second consecutive complete-game shutout at home, allowing 3 hits and striking out 13. His record is now 5-1 for the season with a 1.74 ERA. He leads the major leagues with 77 strikeouts. After 250 career starts, the nine-year veteran has a 2.40 ERA over 1,673 innings.

Those stats, as reported by ESPN.com, belong to Clayton Kershaw, whose Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the reigning National League champion New York Mets, 5-0.

And, while Kershaw has been a force to be reckoned with in Major League Baseball, he recognizes that baseball is a platform through which God can use him.  He is founder of a ministry called Kershaw's Challenge, described on its website as "...a Christ-centered, others-focused organization. We exist to encourage people to use whatever God-given passion or talent they have to make a difference and give back to people in need. We want to empower people to use their spheres of influence to positively impact communities and to expand God’s Kingdom. We believe that God can transform at-risk children and neighborhoods through the benevolence and impact of others."

This year, the site says that the organization is partnering with four other organizations to improve the quality of life for people, working with CURE International in the Dominican Republic, Arise Africa in Lusaka, Zambia, the Dream Center in Los Angeles, and Behind Every Door in his hometown of Dallas.  According to the website, "Kershaw’s Challenge is about so much more than baseball. It’s about transforming lives. It’s about making a difference exactly where YOU are. For Clayton, it comes back to the game of baseball. It is about using that platform to accomplish something bigger than himself. To remind him of his responsibility to care for others, Clayton makes a donation for every strikeout he makes." 

The FCA's Sharing the Victory magazine website relates that Kershaw attended church as a child, and in high school, his general spiritual knowledge matured into a saving faith in Christ. He said, "In high school, everybody called themselves Christians, but FCA brought it to the forefront," adding, “It really helped me grow and showed me that it’s a lifestyle. Jesus is your Savior, and you live for Him. Everything you do is for Him, and athletics are a part of that.”  

The article summarizes Kershaw's attitude toward the game with these words from the star pitcher: "It’s for His glory—to make people aware that it’s not something where I was just lucky to be able to throw a baseball." He also said, “He doesn’t want us to hide our talents. He wants us to put them in the spotlight and glorify Him. That’s a pretty cool thing.”

On the Kershaw's Challenge website, Clayton is quoted as saying, "We know that baseball is going to end one of these days, hopefully a long time from now. And hopefully we have some things that continue on long, long after we’re gone."

Plenty to think about from the life of this young pitcher, who is apparently at the top of his game these days.  One thought that came to mind involves the pursuit of excellence: are you at the top of your game?   Are you doing all that you do to the glory of God, as He gives you strength?  He wants us to be at our best, using the talents with which He has gifted us, to bring honor to Him.

There's also an element of approaching life with a view of something bigger.  Sure, Clayton is good at baseball, but he realizes that baseball - his craft, his occupation - is not all there is. He is involved in ministry work because he realizes that it's important to care for others, and he does it in a big way.  

Someone may be successful in a job and maybe other areas, but we have to make sure that we are maximizing all God has called us to do, and be.

Color-blindness & Blindness to Issues of Color

In the book of James, the author warns against showing partiality and encourages believers to walk in love and fulfill the commandment of God. In chapter 2, we read:
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;
9 but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

In other words, we are not to think ourselves, or our group of people, as superior to others.  We are called not to be exclusive, but to go into the world and be - well, inclusive, which is a word that has a far different meaning for people of faith than what the world would teach.  We are not to be prideful or puffed up, but to be humble, understanding, firm in our convictions but driven by compassion. We can enthusiastically embrace the concept that Christ died for all, and wants to bring all into a relationship with Himself.

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Jesus came to die for all, despite a person's ethnic or cultural background, and it's important that we
recognize others in the Spirit. Galatians 3 says:
28 There 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.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The pulse of race relations in America is a complex and important subject, and the Barna Group has recently released some data on race in our nation that can give some insight into the church's response to race-related issues.

First of all, the survey establishes that yes, there is still a problem. According to the survey summary, the vast majority of adults - 84% - agree there is a lot of anger and hostility between ethnic and racial groups in America. No matter the age group, region, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or faith segment, the vast majority among each group believe there is tension among racial and ethnic groups in this country. And, by an 87 to 82 percent margin, more whites believe that than blacks.

The survey questions also zeroed in on the concept of "racism," described as, "...prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.” Regarding a question about whether racism is a "problem of the past, not the present," evangelicals were almost twice as likely than the general population to agree strongly with that description (13% compared to all adults at 7%). Conservatives were three times more likely to strongly agree with that statement (at 12% vs. 4% for those identifying as liberals).

There was also a question about the "Black Lives Matter" movement.  27% of all adults said they support the message of that movement, with Millennials most likely to support the message, at 45%, and that support decreases with age. Evangelicals and Republicans are significantly less likely than the general population to support the movement (13% of evangelicals and 7% of Republicans compared to 27% of all adults; with 43% of Democrats saying they support the message).

So, can the church play a part in dealing with race-related issues?  73% of Americans agree with the statement, “Christian churches play an important role in racial reconciliation” The summary indicates that the older are person is, the more hopeful he or she is about the Christian church’s role in reconciliation. Not surprisingly, evangelicals are the most hopeful group with a staggering 94 percent who believe Christian churches play an important role in racial reconciliation.

Brooke Hempell, vice president of research at Barna Group, in explaining what the research means, says, “If you’re a white, evangelical, Republican, you are less likely to think race is a problem, but more likely to think you are a victim of reverse racism. You are also less convinced that people of color are socially disadvantaged. Yet these same groups believe the church plays an important role in reconciliation. This dilemma demonstrates that those supposedly most equipped for reconciliation do not see the need for it."

Hempell says, "History—and Jesus’ example—has shown that reconciliation comes from stepping out of our place of comfort and actively pursuing healing for those in need. We must do the same, if we really believe all lives matter.”

These are definitely some eye-opening statistics, and can be challenging for the church today.  On The Meeting House program, I have examined some issues relative to race relations, and I wanted to explore some thoughts relative to this Barna research.

First of all, the Bible is not silent regarding how we are to treat one another.  Jesus said that the Great Commandment was to love God wholeheartedly and the love our neighbor as ourselves.   If we are in love with Jesus, as we claim to be, His love will shape the way we view people who are different than we are.   We talk about color-blindness, and that's critical, but we cannot be blind to the struggle that others have experienced or who are experiencing.

But, that has to go beyond an outward demonstration of unity to an inward declaration of a willingness to walk with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and that will involve embracing the pain and discomfort that they have experienced.  We talk about unity because the Bible talks about it, but we can seek the Lord to find ways where we can gain a greater understanding of one another, to confront our fears and prejudices, and seek to build true harmony in the Spirit.

I am grateful for the way that, as local leaders pointed out in a recent interview, the Montgomery church community was involved in helping to ease tension in light of an incident in the capital city. That can be an indicator that while there are spiritual forces that can lead to division, there are greater forces, consistent with the Spirit of God, that can bring healing and understanding.  By admitting and addressing the barriers, we can work toward Godly unity.

Playing God?

Jesus has defeated the power of death and enables the believer in Him to live forever.  Hebrews 2 reminds us:
14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

There is hope on the other side, when we leave this world.  Anxieties about the afterlife have been alleviated, and we can view our leaving of this world as an entry into our eternal life with God - Paul writes to be absent with the body is to be present with the Lord.  The promise of eternal life can shape our perspective and remind us that this world is not all there is.  Man's effort and scientific research may try to manufacture immortality, but Christ can grant it through a relationship with Him.

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God is the One who determines the length of our days, and He is the One who grants us the capability to live forever - in Christ. Acts 17 says:
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

A biotech company based in Philadelphia asks the question on its website, “What if your body came with a restart button?," according to a story on the World Net Daily website, that reports that the company, Bioquark, Inc., plans to inject a cocktail of stem cells and peptides into the brains of 20 brain-dead patients over a six-week period to see if their central nervous systems can be regenerated – literally raising them from the dead.

The publication reported on the growing promise of anti-aging or “gene therapy” science, a technology known as CRISPR/Cas9, which seeks to deliver immortality to human beings. Some of the world’s richest men are investing billions in this research including Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, Ray Kurzwell of Google, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, venture capitalist Paul Glenn and Russian multi-millionaire Omitry Itskov.

And, the WND story says that Assistant Secretary of Defense Stephen Welby testified before the Senate recently saying the U.S. “is at a pivotal moment in history” with regard to military research, and the DoD’s DARPA unit now has 39,000 scientists and engineers working in military labs across 22 states trying to harness the latest technological advances for military application.

The Jasons, described by the New York Times as one of the most elite boards of scientists in the world that offers advisory services to the Pentagon, has named “super soldier” technology as the next big arms race.

“The truth is, the defense departments of all countries would love to have the best soldier on the planet,” says Sharon Gilbert, the science adviser for SkyWatch TV. “And if rumors start going around that, hey, China’s got an artificial intelligence that they’re blending with humans and they’re starting to put chips in their soldiers and they’re giving them wolf DNA or Hawk DNA so they can run really fast and see really well and be really vicious and never have to sleep – well, we better do that, too.” Gilbert says that it's the same for the CRISPR technology.

Christian author and filmmaker Tom Horn is quoted as saying, "...in the Bible only mankind is described as having God’s breath breathed into them at the moment of their creation,” adding, “For conservative Christians, this should be a major point of debate regarding the ‘ethics’ of bringing people back from the dead.” The WND article poses the question, "Could a person be returned alive, yet without that God-part that makes them in the 'image' of their creator?" Horn asks, "What would they then be?” Or, “Are they a living construct no longer suitable as a fit-extension of the Holy Spirit? Or would they be fine and the miraculous science that brought them back to life celebrated by all believers? These were the type difficult questions we sought to answer in the documentary ‘Inhuman.'”

Pastor Carl Gallups is also quoted in the article: “What entity or governmental power will make the decisions concerning who gets their death ‘reversed’ and who must die?,” Gallups asks.  

The article points out that the scientists and journalists reporting on this emerging technology are giddy with the possibilities.

Gallups notes that they not only speak of “living forever,” but also of “erasing history,” “reversing death” and “restarting life."

But the pastor notes that, “The entire Gospel is founded on the understanding that Jesus Himself ‘reversed death’ and ‘arose from the grave.'" He says that, “We are told in Revelation 21:5 and in Isaiah 65:17 that the mind of the child of God will eventually be made entirely ‘new’ and that the ‘old things will not come to mind anymore." He said that most of the scientists and technology gurus aren’t interested in an eternity spent in heaven.

Horn is quoted from a television interview as saying, regarding gene-editing technology, “There is a danger in playing God because you’re not God and you don’t know.”

Scientific research is chasing immortality, but no matter how advanced man's developments might seem, those efforts pale in comparison to true immortality - life after death.   The Christian dies physically, but is ushered into an afterlife in which he or she will never die spiritually.  A non-believer will die not only physically, but spiritually as well, spending eternity in a state of separation from God.

Jesus is capable of reviving the soul of every person who does not know Him, of every man and woman, boy and girl, who were born into spiritual death.  And, as we die to self and live to God, we can experience true regeneration in the Spirit and become new creations in Christ Jesus.

Finally, we recognize that the Lord Himself is Master over death.  Even those who have tasted on physical death and have been "sent back," if you will, do so under the authority of the One who holds our lives in His hands, Who determines the length of our days.  He alone has the power over death, and He alone can offer us immortality.

Life in Art

God has given us eyes to see Him and ears to behold His truth - He wants to give us perspective that transcends what we can comprehend with our human understanding, and will train us to view life and the world through a Biblical lens. Luke 11 says:
34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness.
35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.
36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

We can be challenged to open our eyes and let God's light in.  There is a huge difference between human understanding and spiritual sensitivity - by His Holy Spirit, He will enable us to see and know His love, to view others with compassion, and to understand and discern His hand and His handiwork.  He wants us to truly see, and that is determined by our willingness to go beyond our human capacity and to encounter His capability.

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God wants to shape our perspective and enable to see our world and our place in it with a fresh set of eyes. 2nd Corinthians 4 says:
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

A religious leader in England has described him as the "finest evangelist in the U.K. at the moment." He is perhaps better known as a "world-class artist," who has sold art to Whoopi Goldberg and Sting.

CBN News introduced viewers and readers to Charlie Mackesy.  He was asked about when he discovered he had artistic ability. He said, "I think I probably knew that I could draw at school," adding, "But I think you need a reason to draw."

25 years ago, in a London park he found that reason. He was an atheist at the time, and related that he had a feeling "that there must be more to this than meets the eye." He said, "Jesus quietly introduced me to a journey into finding people really beautiful, which is how my art really began," adding, "Because I felt inside me he was going, 'Look. How beautiful is that guy sitting on that bench?' And I would have never noticed him before."

A story that he has told involves hearing the gospel song, "Oh, Happy Day," for the first time, at a music festival, inside a filthy portable toilet.  He said the song pierced through his atheism, moving him to tears.  He said, "In the loo. Bawling...Atheist, atheist, bawling."

According to the CBN News report, some of Mackesy's most notable art includes a bronze sculpture, called "The Return of the Prodigal Son," wherein Mackesy captures the raw emotion of the familiar parable. It's located at Holy Trinity Brompton, one of the most influential churches in the Church of England.

There's also "Prodigal Daughter," made for a friend who struggled with bipolar disorder. Mackesy said, "You know, if you tried to explain in words like, 'Oh, God loves you,' or, 'You're loved,' they don't really carry any meaning at all." He continued, "And I think for me I was just trying to show her through imagery where, you know, to be held is something she always wanted. So I said, 'This is what God is like.'"

There's also, "Known," inspired by his crossing a bridge in London on a bike. He remembered in those brief moments, "...it was this kind of...'You're known, you're loved, this is, God exists and He loves you, He knows you, you're known, you're fully known, you're fully known.'"

Vicar Nicky Gumbel, who had described Mackesy as perhaps the finest evangelist in the U.K. is quoted as saying, "You know, when you have the sort of picture of 'the evangelist,' you don't picture Charlie Mackesy, and I think that's what's so wonderful about him."  He says people outside the church respond to Charlie because he's not what they expect.

Charlie Mackesy sees the world through a different light, with a different eye.  He has experienced the love of God and attempts to communicate it in a unique way.  But, you know, as believers in the Lord, we can also see life in a different way - seeing through spiritual eyes, learning to be sensitive to those around us, being inspired  through the lens of love.

And, there might be a bit of Charlie in all of us - God has provided artistic opportunities that exist around us.  You may not be prone to create art, but we can certainly appreciate certain elements of creation artistically, which can cause us to draw near to God and to praise Him.

Also, with regard to how - and where - God touched Charlie, we're reminded that even in the most objectionable circumstances, God can get through to us.  And, perhaps even in our most uncomfortable times, He will meet us to shape our perspective and to transform us in a meaningful way.

Life and Light

In Genesis chapter 1, we read about the wonder of creation, the incredible product of the God who
spoke it all into being. Starting in verse 3, we read:
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

Those three words appear repeatedly: "Then God said!"  He is our Creator, and if we believe that, we can be convinced that our lives are formed by God, full of value and vitality, with potential to walk in God's ways through a knowledge of Christ and to fulfill His purpose.  Christians should possess a high view of life and treat others from that perspective of valuing life, as God created it.  Each of us has the brand of the divine on our hearts, created in His image, and intended for a life full of meaning meaning.

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There is a direct relationship between Jesus, our life-giver and our light-giver, the One who is the light of the world, about Whom John says in chapter 1 that, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."  And, in John 8:12, we can read:

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

The article at The Telegraph website leads off in this manner: "Human life begins in bright flash of light as a sperm meets an egg, scientists have shown for the first time, after capturing the astonishing ‘fireworks’ on film."  At this moment when life begins, as the article puts it: "An explosion of tiny sparks erupts from the egg at the exact moment of conception."

This came from research at Northwestern University in Chicago.  One of the senior authors of the study and an expert in ovarian biology at the school, Professor Teresa Woodruff, said, "It was remarkable." She added, "We discovered the zinc spark just five years ago in the mouse, and to see the zinc radiate out in a burst from each human egg was breathtaking."

But the comments took a more ominous turn, when the professor said, according to the Telegraph, "This means if you can look at the zinc spark at the time of fertilization, you will know immediately which eggs are the good ones to transfer in in vitro fertilization." So this celebration of light at conception turned into a "way of sorting egg quality in a way we’ve never been able to assess before.

John Stonestreet related in a recent Breakpoint commentary...

As Simcha Fisher wrote at Aleteia, when she saw the headline, her response was, “It’s almost . . . as if something amazing is going on! Something that shouldn’t be messed with!”

Unfortunately, that’s not how the people behind this discovery responded. After seeing nature’s “fireworks” their minds turned to how they could use what they saw to control and manipulate nature.

Stonestreet went on:

I remember John Piper once saying that no one looks out over the Grand Canyon and thinks, “I am awesome.” Apparently, however, there are those who – in the words of Fisher – “behold the brilliant spark of life itself” and say “Think of the commercial possibilities.”

The wonder of this discovery is highlighted by former ABC News Science Editor Michael Guillen, writing at FoxNews.com:

The researchers used special chemicals to mimic the moments of conception – the law forbidding them to use actual sperm. In each case, they discovered, the decisive moment was accompanied by a small burst of zinc atoms. The eruptions appeared as flashes of light because of fluorescing agents used by the scientists.

According to science – at precisely a moment of conception known as recombination & decoupling – an incomprehensible outburst of light accompanied the creation of hydrogen and helium, the first atoms of the embryonic cosmos. To this day, the dim afterglow of that seminal light – the so-called cosmic microwave background – is visible to certain kinds of powerful telescopes.

Wow!  Light at creation, light at conception...Guillen went further, saying:

I find it notable that the Bible agrees with science that the universe was conceived in a paroxysm of illumination – I imagine, unlike anything we’ve ever seen. According to Genesis 1:3, that event happened at exactly the moment God uttered the immortal words, “Let there be light.”

The Bible’s explanation of things goes even further, by actually assigning a sacred status to light. In 1 John 1:5, light is identified with the Creator himself: “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

And, ponder this statement from Professor Woodruff in the Telegraph story and its implications: "All of biology starts at the time of fertilization, yet we know next to nothing about the events that occur in the human."

Our takeaways for today...first of all, this is a story that can underscore for us the value of life.  Life begins at conception, and this scientific report can help reinforce the wonder of the creative "spark," if you will.  As Dr. Guillen relates, there is a parallel between God speaking the worlds into existence, saying, "Let there be light," and His speaking into a human life, which is brought forth with a spark of light.  Psalm 139 reminds us of the creator God who is our Maker.

We can also be inspired about the vitality of life.  Every human being, from that moment of conception, has a call upon his or her life, and God our designer, intends for us to live that life to fullest.  What an utter disservice we do when we, as mere humans, try to select what embryos live or die.  There is a purpose for each life that God wants to fulfill.

Sing a New Song

God's Word provides the truth and the direction that we need in order to live a meaningful life that brings glory to our Heavenly Father. Psalm 25 says:
4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.
6 Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old.

We have to be honest before God, and His Spirit will show us the truth about ourselves and our spiritual condition.  As we partner with Him in a consistent spiritual inventory, we can depend on Him to show us where we are falling short and affirm where we are walking in obedience to Him.  He will also teach us about who we are in Christ, because the more we know and accept who He has made us to be, the more likely we are to walk in that manner.

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In Psalm 62, we see a very honest portion of Scripture that can challenge us to appropriate what God has provided for us:
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.

Say what you want about the frontman of the legendary supergroup U2, a man simply known as Bono, but his indelible impact on music has been remarkable.   He has professed to know Christ, and although I have found myself disagreeing with him at times, there is a spiritual component to U2's music that is undeniable.

Bono sat down to record a video recently with the man responsible for The Message version of the Bible, Eugene Peterson, recently.  According to a Christianity Today piece, the documentary, called, The Psalms, was produced by the Fuller Studio Initiative of Fuller Theological Seminary. The article says that the two men's friendship began with Bono’s admiration for The Message, which the singer read to his dying father and quoted before the song “Where the Streets Have No Name” during U2’s 2001 Elevation tour.

Fuller professor David Taylor asked the two men this question: “What is your earliest memory of the Psalms?”

Peterson said, "I was totally confused, because I grew up in a culture where every word of the Bible was the word of God literally. Don’t mess around with it. That’s the way it is,” adding, “And I was starting to read that he keeps my tears in this bottle, shields, javelins, rock. ‘God is our rock.’ Come on.”

Bono related that he remembers the Psalms through hymns at his childhood Church of Ireland congregation. He said, "I remember thinking, ‘Great words. Shame about the tunes,’” adding, “Except for ‘The Lord is My Shepherd,’ which is a great tune.”

You may be familiar with U2 songs that reference the Psalms, that were pointed out in the Christianity Today story: “Gloria,” “With a Shout,” “Magnificent,” and, most famously, “40,” which refers to Psalm 40.

Bono did take aim at Christian music, saying that, "The psalmist is brutally honest about the explosive joy that he’s feeling, and the deep sorrow or confusion, and it’s that that sets the Psalms apart for me.” He said that he asked often, "...why isn’t church music more like that?"  He expressed a desire for the conversation to inspire people "who are writing these beautiful gospel songs" to write a song about a bad marriage or perhaps how they're not pleased with the government.  He said, "...Because that’s what God wants from you—that truth,” Bono said. “That truthfulness … will blow things apart. Why I’m suspicious about Christians is because of this lack of realism, and I’d love to see more of that in art, and in life, and in music.”

Peterson said on the video: "The psalms … showed me that imagination was a way to get inside the truth."

The article pointed out the popularity of the Psalms themselves, saying that according to Bible Gateway, 22 of the 100 most popular Bible verses searched for in 2015 came from the Psalms.  The content manager for that website told CT that Psalms was its most popular book of the Bible.  The top verse from the book: Psalm 23:4, which was #5 overall.  The Message version of that verse says: “Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.”

Psalm 56:3 (“When I get really afraid I come to you in trust”), made the top 10 Bible verses shared on Twitter in 2015.

Set aside Bono's generalizations about Christian music - I don't know how much of that genre he's really been exposed to or that his criticisms are really that valid.  Sure, there is shallow music that is Christian and there is certainly plenty of shallow, meaningless music across the various types of popular music.   But, I do resonate with His point - the truth, when we grasp the truth, will change our perspective.  And, if we are honest before God and allow His truth to penetrate our souls, then we can find ourselves lining up more with the life He has in store for us.  

A good word for us today is honesty, which is really a component of the Psalms.  We have to be honest when we approach God and His Word, and allow Him to show us really where we are spiritually, to make an accurate inventory of our spiritual condition, so that we can take necessary steps to change.  We can also take God at His Word and recognize that a description of our true, honest identity is found in the pages of the Scriptures.  He shows us who we really are so that we can then become more of who He wants us to be.