Resources to Respond

Luke chapter 6 traces the progression from good motives in the heart to good deeds done for others:
36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
37 "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."

Mercy is an expression of what Christ has done in our hearts - because we have been shown mercy by God, we can in turn show His love toward other people.  The mercy of the Lord can help us to be more sensitive to people's needs, regardless of their socio-economic background, the sin by which they're ensnared, or the bad choices they have made.  The transformative power of God is released as we develop a giving spirit.

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From 2nd Corinthians 9, we can gain insight into the operation of God:
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

Sabrina Drude is a 7th grade teacher at Scobee Middle School in the San Antonio area.  She, like so many other teachers this time of year, was out buying school supplies at a local Walmart recently when something unusual happened...a man behind her in line stepped forward and took care of the bill, which came to $97.

Apparently, this man, referred to as a "good Samaritan" by a local television station, was satisfied with being anonymous in his generosity, and that's OK - sometimes we can do things for which we receive no credit.  But, according to that station, KENS5 television, social media helped to find him.

He's Lester Brown, a father of five, a re-entry specialist for the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, and a pastor.  He was not reticent to share about his motivation for doing what he did.

He said, “It was the right thing to do. It’s what God said to do and it’s that simple." He continued the story: “I paid it and then she started to cry,” adding, “And then she was going to make me cry, so I looked away.” Brown related, “I remember I had this hundred-dollar bill with the intention of responding to something in need, and God said to respond."

Drude said, "He inspired me and so many others to be kinder and do whatever you can for your fellow human."

Brown has some wise counsel that can help our society as a whole: "You want people to live better, love thy neighbor. Love thy neighbor means do your part."  He challenges people to do what they can afford to do, perhaps to volunteer at a school or help a family.

I don't know how many people get to hear Lester Brown preach on your average Sunday, but this pastor's act of generosity has resulted in the message of God's love being shared in a viral way.

This story hits home for me, of course.  My wife is a 2nd-grade teacher and is still in the first month of the school year.  There is much involved in getting the school year started.  And, teachers make so many sacrifices for the sake of the children in our communities.  It's an incredible expression of love for so many of them, including Beth, who loves her job and loves her students. For the Christian teacher, that profession becomes an incredible mission field.  So, if you have kids in school, make sure that you hold up their teachers in prayer and look for ways to be involved. Before she went back into teaching, Beth was active with PTA, and this year, for the first time in 7 years, I am not serving with a school parent group, since we now have two kids in college.

I think it's interesting that Sabrina Drude's school supply bill came to $97...Pastor Brown had a $100 bill, and he says that God directed him to respond.  This really calls to mind that God will give us the resources in order to respond to His direction.  In 2nd Corinthians, we're told that He gives seed to the sower.  Brown possessed the resources and the willingness; he needed God to give him the direction, and God received the glory!

I also want to say a word about this man's comments about how loving our neighbors can help people live better.  I don't know if he was referring to physical well-being, or maybe spiritual and emotional health - no matter what, we can admit that the love of God is transformative.  I believe that recipients of the love of Christ can actually be changed as the result of a believer doing good works for them.  We can look for ways to be conduits and communicators of this powerful love.

(Not) Born This Way

The truth of Christ, as it penetrates our hearts and takes root in our souls, can produce freedom for
our lives, manifested in victory over sin. Ephesians 4 says this:
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But you have not so learned Christ...

What an incredible opportunity every person has - to experience the life of God!  And, what a lonely and desolate place, to be alienated from the life of God.  The enemy uses so many tools in order to keep us operating at a level far beneath what God has intended; for example, telling us that we have to be satisfied with the sin with which we struggle.  Or, that our commitment to sin will produce happiness.  No, we have to recognize God's ways for us and seek to walk in the victory that Jesus died and rose again to provide.

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Our lives have been created by the hand of a wise and omnipotent God, and our biological design, including our identity as male and female, are ordained by Him, according to Genesis 1:
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

A new study that has been released by two professors at Johns Hopkins University calls into question some of the narratives regarding human sexuality, especially homosexuality, and provides scientific evidence that is consistent with what the Bible teaches on God's design for sexuality.

The findings were published on The New Atlantis website, and a summary found on the National Organization for Marriage website notes that the study has four essential findings, according to the editor of The New Atlantis, Adam Keiper:

• The belief that sexual orientation is an innate, biologically fixed human property—that people are ‘born that way'—is not supported by scientific evidence. 
• Likewise, the belief that gender identity is an innate, fixed human property independent of biological sex—so that a person might be a ‘man trapped in a woman's body' or ‘a woman trapped in a man's body'—is not supported by scientific evidence. 
• Only a minority of children who express gender-atypical thoughts or behavior will continue to do so into adolescence or adulthood. There is no evidence that all such children should be encouraged to become transgender, much less subjected to hormone treatments or surgery. 
• Non-heterosexual and transgender people have higher rates of mental health problems (anxiety, depression, suicide), as well as behavioral and social problems (substance abuse, intimate partner violence), than the general population. Discrimination alone does not account for the entire disparity. 

Ryan Anderson of the Heritage Foundation, writing for The Daily Signal, identifies the authors of the study:  Dr. Lawrence Meyer, a scholar-in-residence in the Department of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and a professor of statistics and biostatistics at Arizona State University, and Dr. Paul McHugh, whom the editor of The New Atlantis describes as “arguably the most important American psychiatrist of the last half-century,” is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Anderson addresses the policy implications.  He writes:

One of the consistent themes of the report is that science does not support the claim that “gender identity” is a fixed property independent of biological sex, but rather that a combination of biological, environmental, and experiential factors likely shape how individuals experience and express themselves when it comes to sex and gender.

He notes that:

This provides more reason for concern over the Obama administration’s recent transgender school policies. Beyond the privacy and safety concerns, there is thus also the potential that such policies will result in prolonged identification as transgender for students who otherwise would have naturally grown out of it.

Anderson also takes aim at the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on so-called "same sex marriage," writing:

These findings—that scientific research does not support the claim that sexual orientation is innate and immutable—directly contradict claims made by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in last year’s Obergefell ruling. Kennedy wrote, “their immutable nature dictates that same-sex marriage is their only real path to this profound commitment” and “in more recent years have psychiatrists and others recognized that sexual orientation is both a normal expression of human sexuality and immutable.”

But the science does not show this.

A CBN News report summarizes some of the mental factors that LGBT individuals experience:

The report concedes there are some minor differences between homosexuals and heterosexuals in the brain structures and brain activity. However, it is unclear whether those differences are innate or the result of a person's environment or psychological factors.

It also states that homosexuals are two to three times as likely to have been victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Regarding mental health, the report says non-heterosexuals experience more anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicide than heterosexuals.

Alarmingly, suicide attempts by transgender individuals are estimated at 41 percent compared to less than 5 percent in the overall population.

The report cites a limited amount of evidence that discrimination could contribute to the higher incidence of mental health problems.

Anderson points out that, based on the authors' comments:

...It appears that social stigma and stress alone cannot account for the poor physical and mental health outcomes that LGBT-identified people face.

As a result, they conclude that “More research is needed to uncover the causes of the increased rates of mental health problems in the LGBT subpopulations.” And they call on all of us work to “alleviate suffering and promote human health and flourishing.”

The long and short of this study is that we recognize that while there is more research to be done, no matter what factors might contribute to sexual orientation or gender identity issues, God's Word and the power of His Spirit offer the antidote.   Because Jesus died for all sin.  No matter what area of struggle or addiction that might occur, His truth provides the answer.  It's a matter of strategically appropriating what He has provided in releasing the overcoming power of the Spirit in all areas of sin.

Also, this research can provide a challenge for the Church to look for ways to minister to people who struggle with gender identity and/or sexual orientation issues.  The study seems to indicate that a number of people who may have tendencies toward transgenderism as youth grow out of those patterns - that can provide hope for people; they can be pointed to the way out.  And, for those who have same-sex attraction issues, the power of Christ provides hope for the inner struggles they may be facing.  Our God is a God of victory, and He desires for our identity to line up with what is prescribed in His Word.

Kickoff

God is intensely serious about making sure that our hearts are devoted to Him, and He desires for us
to make Him first in our lives. Exodus 20 says this:
3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
5a you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

We can examine our own hearts and determine what or who it is that we worship.  If our spiritual activity is merely an "add-on" to our lives, then our priorities need to be adjusted.  God is interested in our whole heart, and He knows that He can fully express Himself through us as we are committed to Him.  But, if our hearts are being pulled in directions other than His, and if we spend more mental, emotional, or physical energy on pursuits that are detrimental to our walk with the Lord, then we have set up other "gods" before Him.  He is the One True God, and we are to regard Him as such.

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God wants us to know Him and to regard Him in the position of being Lord over our lives. 1st John 5 offers these words of exhortation:
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

It's just about here - the annual rite known as the start of college football season.  The gridirons across our land will come alive with the sounds of signals being called and pads clashing; the crowds will cheer and jeer, and the adrenaline rush like no other will be in full force.

It's been said that especially across the South that football is a religion.  Interestingly enough, it you were to attend Presbyterian College in South Carolina, you could take a one-credit course called "Religion of SEC Football," according to a story on the CBSSports.com website.

The founders of the class, Dr. Michael Nelson and Dr. Terry Barr, are professors at the school, which is located in South Carolina - I had to look it up; it's between Greenville and Columbia.  Nelson is an Arkansas fan, Barr goes for the Crimson Tide

Nelson is quoted as saying, "Very quickly it became clear to us the parallels with religion were abundant," adding, "Even Nick Saban at a press conference is akin to a pulpit."

Close to the beginning of the class, students are asked to write a confessional explaining the roots of their college football faith. The professors used to require college football "atheists" to find someone to write about, but they now let students reflect on another topic if they're not a rabid football fan. Many students write about their parents' die-hard football habits.

Barr related about the responses: "Quite often the students reflect on why do I understand the rituals of football and don't even understand the rituals of the church service? Why don't I spend more time thinking about Jesus instead of whether (Clemson quarterback) Deshaun Watson will win the Heisman Trophy?"

The inspiration for the course: the book Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer, by Warren St. John, which depicts, according to the article, "the roving community of Alabama fans who follow the team from game to game in RVs. One passage from the book that students have dissected is why a set of Alabama fans missed their daughter's wedding and went to the reception after the game ended."

Nelson said that the students "are all in agreement across the board that these people have their priorities totally messed up, and clearly there are things more important than football."

There are several books about SEC Football that are used in the class.  Readings from them help to generate some questions for students to consider, according to the article: "Can a person be devoutly religious and still be a college football fanatic? At what point does devotion to one team become zealotry? And is it OK to be more devoted to football than religion?"

According to Nelson, "I think for a lot of people in our society this really has become a civic religion," adding, "It's the idols we worship. What would compel me on a Thursday to pack up my two boys and drive to Fayetteville, Arkansas 15 hours away? It's a pilgrimage. The stadiums are meccas."

Barr related several stories about growing up in a household with a father who was a devout Alabama fan. Barr's first Tide game was the tie with Tennessee when he was 9 - his did told Barr he was a jinx.  He also recalled one man not attending church the day after Alabama lost to Auburn simply because he didn't want to be ridiculed.  He witnessed his dad respond angrily to a friend riding in their car who was ridiculing Alabama after a loss to Vanderbilt.  Barr said,  "It's a strange circumstance that, in your church, you can be made to feel so horrible over a game you have no control over."

Don't be that person, right?!  So, what's your attitude toward college football?  I literally cannot wait - and I get a jump on the Tiger and Tide fans...my beloved Tennessee Volunteers open up a Neyland Stadium this Thursday night against Appalachian State, a team that played its last game at Cramton Bowl!  By the way, the Blue Hose of Presbyterian College open up against Central Michigan this Thursday.

I like my college football, but don't we really all have to make sure we keep it in check?  The Bible speaks of idolatry.  Professor Nelson spoke of the "idols we worship" and how football has become a "civic religion."  God delights in our enjoyment, but when our activities become a replacement of our enjoyment of Him, then it may be time to examine our priorities.

It could be football that we worship, or any number of things.  We do well to identify what our priorities are, and make sure that our devotion to the Lord is at the top of our priority list. When He is in first place, then our other activities flow from that.

Generous

One of the qualities of the growing Christian life involves a sense of generosity.   As we love God with all that we are, we develop a love for others and our hearts are expanded to be more
compassionate. 1st Timothy 6 says:
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.
18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,
19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

It seems to me that we are to possess a readiness to share whatever resources God gives to us.  All we own, as it's been said, belongs to Him, and He will choose to allow us to keep some of those possessions, or direct us to use them to bless others.   If we don't cling too tightly to what we think we have, then we develop a generous heart, a heart that is ready to do good with what the Lord has provided for us.  In so doing, as Jesus taught, we lay up "treasures in heaven."

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In Matthew 6, Jesus spoke on the topic of generosity, a quality that flows from our relationship with Him:

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 "The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

The Barna Group has spotlighted the practices of various cities in America. It has ranked the most and least churched cities, the most Bible-minded cities, and the most post-Christian cities in America. It has now released a ranking of the 50 most generous cities in America. This has been measured by, as its website says, "the percentage of those who donated any money to charities and nonprofit organizations, including churches and religious organizations."

Your top 5 are:

1. El Paso, TX / Las Cruces, NM, with 92% indicating that they gave to charities or nonprofits
2. Lexington, KY: 91%
3. Memphis, TN: 90%
4. Charleston-Huntington, WV: 90%
5. Milwaukee, WI: 89%

Something very interesting about the numbers here: Barna looked closer at the socio-economic status of the city. For the El Paso, TX / Las Cruces, NM area, only 7 percent were considered “upscale,” which is defined as adults who have an annual household income of $75,000 or more and hold a college degree, compared to 13 percent “downscale,” which consists of adults with an annual household income of $20,000 or less and no college degree. Conclusion, according to the summary of the survey: "This goes to show that the most generous cities aren’t necessarily the most wealthy." In fact, all but one of the top five cities had larger downscale populations than upscale - Milwaukee, with a 12%-10% ratio.

And, in the top 5, the majority of the dollars given go to churches.

While the survey summary does not discuss motivation for giving, I thought it would be interesting to compare the top 10 most generous cities and the top 10 Bible-minded cities.  Now, keep in mind, these surveys are based on the size of the media market.  For instance, in Alabama, Montgomery and Dothan are not in the top 100, but Birmingham/Anniston/Tuscaloosa is considered a media market or Designated Market Area (DMA).   That market is #2 in the Bible-minded city survey, 43rd in the generosity survey.  Uh-oh...

Chattanooga, the top Bible-minded city, is not listed in Barna's top 50 generous cities list.

El Paso/Las Cruces, the top city regarding generosity - #50 among Bible-minded cities.

The only city in the top 10 of both surveys:  Lexington, KY - #2 in generosity, 10th in Bible-mindedness.   Also, there's Greenville/Spartanburg/Anderson, just outside the top 10, at #11 in generosity and #9 in Bible-mindedness.   Oh, and in Alabama, Huntsville/Decatur/Florence placed 14th in generosity and 12th in Bible-mindedness.

Just a little fun, non-scientific comparison, but you can be challenged to think - does our knowledge of the Bible translate into our giving?   And, in a broader sense, is our Bible knowledge manifested through our actions.  

James examined that dichotomy in the 2nd chapter of his book - He said that faith without works is dead, and that we are to demonstrate our faith through our actions.

The Bible will inform our actions, and through our study of the Word of God and our devotion to application, we can discover the power to see His truth expressed through our lives.  And, the Bible speaks plainly to the use of our financial resources.    As the Barna Group survey indicates, the activity of giving is not determined by what we possess.  I would say that we all have the same capacity to give - the amount may differ based on income, but no matter how much a person makes or doesn't make, everyone can participate in being generous.

And, remember, giving of what God has entrusted to us constitutes an act of worship that brings pleasure to our Heavenly Father.

Why Not?

We know that only God is truly good, full of goodness and mercy, consistent, steadfast in all of His ways.  So, when we talk about doing good, we recognize that as humans, that is an impossibility in and of ourselves. True goodness is manifested as we align our lives with Almighty God.  Micah 6:8
says:
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

The only way to conform to that Scripture verse is to rely totally on the power of the Holy Spirit within us.  God has shown us His principles, but His Word is more than mere regulation, it is living and active and through the Word, we can experience the power to live that life that is described. Through Christ, we have the capacity for good, we can be merciful, we can life a Spirit-filled, guilt-free, no-excuses life.

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In Psalm 37, we can read some admonitions regarding the way we live, seeking to walk in a manner
consistent with who we say we are in the Lord:
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.

There's a particular NFL quarterback who has embraced the platform that he has in order to make an impact on the world.  He has started a foundation called the Why Not You Foundation, and in a recent interview with Maria Shriver on her website, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson said:

“It’s a lack of love, there’s so much hate in the world, there’s so much back and forth. … For me, it always comes back to the Biblical aspect: Corinthians 1:13 [sic] talks about, faith, hope and love. And the greatest of all is love. If we don’t have love, we have nothing. God put us on this earth to serve, give back and to love one another. If we could just focus on that aspect and just, how can I love you better? How can I treat you better? How can I be more polite? How can I be there for you in your time of need? And stop focusing on ourselves so much...” 

The article says that Wilson admits that "it’s advice he takes for himself too to make sure he doesn’t get too focused on himself, revealing he lives by a mantra: Surrender and surround."

He is also quoted as saying, “So many times we think about the big picture, but we miss the one individual. If we can change one kid at a time, one heart at a time, one soul, one adult at a time, as a result of that, it ends up being a snowball effect.”

Say what you will about Russell Wilson, and I have to admit that I have not necessarily been a fan of some of his choices, but the phrase, "why not you?" is rather captivating and challenging for believers in Christ.

The Foundation website says this:

As a child, Russell’s father challenged him to approach life with a “why not you” attitude. Through the Why Not You Foundation, Russell intends to share that attitude by encouraging and challenging today’s youth to embrace opportunities, overcome obstacles and make a positive impact throughout their lives.

In addition to financially supporting organizations aligned with the foundation’s mission, Russell works to extend the foundation’s impact by making visits to Seattle Children’s, advocating for pediatric cancer through Strong against Cancer, working with the National Domestic Violence Hotline to Pass the Peace, as well as many others.

The quarterback is also an entrepreneur, launching the Good Man Brand, which partners with the foundation. The Huffington Post reports that the brand "is promising that $3 from every purchase will go to charity — and he’s committing now to assisting inner-city education, a cause personally selected by Wilson and his team for the tangible, immediate impact it can have on inner-city children all over the nation."

I want to bring one principle over to each of us as believers in Christ, and what caught my attention about this story - the words, Why. Not. You.

Why not you?  There may be a legitimate call of God upon us to do something, to make an attempt to impact the world for Christ.  And, in our humanity, we could come up with excuses and actually rationalize why we can't do it.  But, perhaps our Maker is saying that we CAN.

Why. Not. You.  There are needs all around us, people who need to experience the presence of a Savior, and if we have become sensitized to what is going on around us, then perhaps the Holy Spirit is showing us that we are the person to do something about it.  We don't necessarily have to look to the church or an organized ministry when the Lord has equipped us and is directing us to act. Definitely, you can assemble teammates to share your vision and do ministry, but perhaps you are being the designated spark to kindle the flame.

Yesterday, I talked with Rhonda Stoppe, who has committed herself to being known as a No Regrets Woman.  Think about those words, "No Regrets."  If we truly live life with a perspective of responding to our challenges and having no excuses, we will be able to look back on our lives without regret.   Obedience produces satisfaction and yields fruit for the Kingdom of God.

'Til Death

In Revelation 21, we get a glimpse of heaven, our eternal home, the place that Jesus said He would prepare for us.
4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."
6 And He said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.

It's helpful, from time to time, to recalibrate our thinking, to contemplate that while we are here on earth, we are citizens of another realm, and we are actually, according to the Bible, aliens and strangers here.  I've heard it said that heaven is a much more real place than what we inhabit now - it is our eternal home, and we can recognize that what we have here pales in comparison with what God has in store for us.   We can have the assurance and anticipation of heaven, living life with that earnest expectation of being there with Him.

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The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1 about Christ being "magnified in my body, whether by life or
by death." That's from verse 20. Reading on, we can see:
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
23 For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
24 Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

Here's the story of a couple who glorified God in life - and death!  They had been married for 63 years and they actually died on the same day, but not in an accident!

GetReligion.org lauds South Dakota television station KSFY for highlighting the role that religious faith played in the couple's lives...and their death.  (updated link)

In the opening words, according to the Get Religion site, you can read:

It's one of those stories that rarely comes around once in a lifetime. A story of an elderly man and woman with incredible faith and 63 years of marriage.

As their health got worse, their faith and love for God, their family and each other grew stronger until the very end.

Get Religion continued to quote from the TV station's continuation of developing the story of Henry and Jeanette De Lange, including the faith overtones:

On that Sunday, two of their five children were with them as well knowing there wasn't much time.

"[The doctor] said your dad's pulse is worse. I wonder if he'll go first," Lee said. "About five minutes later, the aid said I think your mom will go very soon. It was 5:05 p.m. at that point."

Not long after, at 5:10 p.m., she did.

"We read Psalm 103. We didn't quite get done. She passed away very, very peacefully. Incredibly peacefully."

"My brother Keith said to my dad, said 'mom's gone to heaven. You don't have to fight anymore, you can go too if you want'. He was laying in bed. He, for the first time, opened his eyes, looked intently over where mom was. Closed his eyes back down. Laid back down, died about 5 or 10 minutes after that," Lee said.

The clock on the wall said 5:30 p.m. when Henry went to heaven, twenty minutes after his beloved wife.

"We're calling it a beautiful act of God's providential love and mercy. You don't pray for it because it seems mean but you couldn't ask for anything more beautiful."

The story says that Jeanette had Alzheimer's and Henry was suffering with prostate cancer.

And, there's one more thing.  The battery-operated clock on the wall stopped - yes, it stopped at 5:30, the exact time of Henry's death.

The story says, quoting from Lee:

"Amazing. A sign from God that was the right time."

 It goes on to say:

Even the aid [sic] came in and said he's never seen anything like that in his 27-year career. It's what leaves the De Lange family at peace after losing Henry and Jeanette at about the same time.

Lee related: "Mom and dad were Christians. They loved Christ. They wanted so badly to show their love for Christ that they loved one another. It's natural what they do. For them to be able to be a witness in life, also in death... That's cool. Really cool."

There are a couple of things to be said about the promise of permanence.  For one thing, the De Langes were certainly committed to the premise of "'til death do us part."  They were married for 63 years, and they left this earth within minutes of each other.  This is a story that bridges two worlds - the temporal in which we live and the eternal where we will all live, if we know Christ.

You can also think about the promise of perseverance.  Even in their health concerns, it was said that their faith grew.  The prospect of the aging process is something we all have to look forward to, and even though we may face challenges in the spiritual and other realms, we can continue to trust in God's faithfulness to sustain us.

There is also a promise of pedigree.  We don't know what we will leave behind for our future generations, but something Henry and Jeanette left behind was a sense of faith in God and a sense of family.  We will all leave behind something for our children - hopefully, in addition to physical possessions, we can look back and say we have modeled and taught the character of Christ and the principles of Scripture, rooted in the love of God and love for our families.

The Pencil

God wants to produce fruit through our lives, for His glory, to manifest His intentions for us.  2nd Corinthians chapter 9 talks about the importance of using what God has given us in order to bear fruit for Him:
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

There is a Biblical principle of sowing and reaping, which operates in so many areas of our lives, and that includes the application of our giftedness.  God has wired us in a certain way, and He wants to express His will through us - abundantly, as we are willing to be used by Him.  He wants us to cheerfully appropriate what He has provided for us to do - good works.  We don't work in order to come into the Kingdom of God; that's a free gift of salvation, but we do good works because we are in the Kingdom, in order to show our love for God and others, so that we might perform His will.

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God has wired each of us with certain abilities, intended to be used to carry out His plan.  Romans 12 says:
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Well, if you are the parent of a student or multiple students, this season does represent a shift for you - the promise of a new school year, new challenges, and tremendous opportunities.

In our family, well, this has been a most extraordinary time period.  For the second time in our lives, my wife and I have loaded up the van and sent a child to college.  The next nine months will undoubtedly be like no other, because we will have two children enrolled in college at the same time; the only year like it.

So, I bring you greetings from Nashville, where Beth and I spent the weekend sending off our son, Eric to Belmont University, which provided a variety of activities for parents before they diplomatically suggested to the parents that they leave campus and head home.  We also discovered that the road from Nashville to Montgomery may include a stop in Rome - Georgia, that is, where our daughter, AnnaBeth, is back in school at Berry College, after spending a summer doing an internship in Connecticut.  We'll be up there this weekend and will drive the vehicle required for the summer back to Georgia.   Think we might work in some time in the Big Apple?  Oh, absolutely!

Beth and I have continued to canvass an alternative term to the phrase, "empty nest," so if you have any ideas, please let me know.

Well, at Belmont the other night, we heard a speech given by Dr. Jeffrey Burgin, the dean of students at the university, who is an outstanding speaker.  He referred to a story, really, a parable, of an Italian pencil maker which I think can be applicable to those of us who have just placed students back in school or may do that someday.  I decided to look the story up online.

I found a version of the parable on the Gospel Faith Messenger website out of New Zealand - it goes like this:

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside just before putting him into the box. “There are five things you need to know,” he told the pencil, “before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.
ONE: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.
TWO: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.
THREE: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.
FOUR: The most important part of you will always be what's inside.
AND FIVE: On every surface you are used on, you must leave your mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.”

I want to share my own thoughts about this story, because the lessons are profound, especially when it's related to a student who is attempting to find his or her way in the world.  Obviously, the pencil can't work properly unless it's held.   God does not create us just to be laid on a table, sort of speak - He desires to pick us up, to hold us, to use us.  We have been made with great potential - to write a story that He intends.  He is the writer, we are the vessel through which He writes; He is the potter, we are the clay.

And, yes, because our Creator, our Pencil Maker, loves us, we will be sharpened - count on it - but a dull pencil writes less plainly and ultimately will not write at all.  We need the loving care of our Maker, our Sharpener, in order to make us more useful.

I want to call attention to the fourth thing, as well - the most important part is what's on the inside. A pencil without lead is, well, a stick of wood.  The lead is what does the actual writing.  So, it is with us - God has made us with various physical qualities, but there is inner potential with which He has gifted us; unique abilities that are yours and yours alone.  Those can be brought forth through a relationship with Christ, by allowing His Spirit to produce an incredible story.

Helped Up

God has saved us by the blood of Jesus and given us His Spirit to live within us, to guide us and to
empower us to walk in His ways. 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.

We have not only been saved, but we have been set apart to allow the Lord to use us and to display His nature through us.  We can make our plans and attempt to live our lives, but ultimately, God wants to have total control of our lives, and the outcomes He has in store for us may be vastly different than what we could imagine or intend.   Through our acts and attitudes of surrender, we can see God work in our lives in magnificent ways.

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I want to share two verses from Proverbs 16 about God's sovereign leadership of our lives:
3 Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.
and
9 A man's heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

The Olympic Games in Rio are now in the history books, full of memorable moments and tremendous triumphs.  Perhaps one of the most memorable came in a 5,000 meter qualifying event in track and field.  American runner Abbey D'Agostino and New Zealander Nikki Hamblin tripped over one another on the track and both fell to the ground.

D'Agostino, in a statement quoted on the Christian Today website, said:

"There was about 2k to go, I was still feeling controlled, and was mentally preparing to focus and maintain contact with the lead group for the final grind..."

What happened next set off a truly inspirational series of events.  She continued:

"Then in a split second, there was a woman on the ground in front of me, I tripped on her, someone behind me tripped on me, and I was on the ground. Although my actions were instinctual at that moment, the only way I can and have rationalized it is that God prepared my heart to respond that way. This whole time here he's made clear to me that my experience in Rio was going to be about more than my race performance – and as soon as Nikki got up I knew that was it."

Abbey got back on her feet almost immediately, but rather than continuing the race, she stopped to help Hamblin up. They began to run, but then D'Agostino fell again, apparently in severe pain. Hamblin stopped to help.  Abbey finished 29th and Nikki was 30th, but they were both allowed to pass through to the final, although D'Agostino's injuries prevented her from competing.

Sports Illustrated reported that both runners were awarded special Olympic medals for their display of sportsmanship.

D'Agostino also commented on the community present within the Games: "Since the night of the opening ceremonies, I have been so touched by this -- people from all corners of globe, embracing their unique cultures, yet all uniting under one celebration of the human body, mind, and spirit. I just keep thinking about how that spirit of unity and peace is stronger than all the global strife we're bombarded with and saddened by on a daily basis."

The Cru website says that D'Agostino is involved in Athletes in Action, and about a week before the race, said: "God has taken me on an unparalleled journey,” adding, “I feel like I have learned so much through this spring … there have been a lot of ups and downs. But I would not have been able to learn any of the lessons and I would never have reached such a familiarity and understanding of Christ without the way that it's happened. It has been a season of waiting and uncertainty as I recover from injuries. That has really exposed to my heart my relationship with running."

So, not only did Abbey perform a selfless act on the track, but she was bold to discuss her motivation and call attention to the work of God in her life.

There are several takeaways from this Olympic moment:

I think, for one thing, we have to admit that we may have set desired outcomes for our lives, but God has the ultimate control.  Sure, Abbey would have liked to have run victoriously in her event, but there was a greater purpose, and her story has been transformed from being perhaps one of multiple Olympic medalists to being one of the subjects in an amazing Olympic storyline, which includes the element of her faith.  God has the capacity to transform our story so that He might receive greater glory.

And, of course, the components of service and humility are certainly key here.  Rather than continue to motor down the track, injured as she was, Abbey D'Agostino stopped to serve - she humbled herself before her fellow runner, who, in turn, helped her down the track.  We might be so intent on living our lives, going through our daily routines, that we miss opportunities to serve - it's important that we are attentive to the needs around us.  And, it could be that as our acts of selflessness are seen (not that we serve in order to be seen), but as we act in accordance with God's direction, we may have an open door to testify about the presence of Christ in us.

25

We serve a loving Heavenly Father, who desires to show us His goodness, so that we might take
delight in Him and experience His joy. James 1 says:
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

We serve a God who loves us and wants to manifest His good gifts in our lives.  We can be challenged to be a place to receive that goodness.  He provides gifts to show His love toward us, and so that we might use them to show others that He loves them, as well.  We can delight in the goodness of God and give Him honor and praise because He has chosen us to follow Christ and called us into relationship with His Son.  Praise His name!

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God is at work all around us, and He desires to work through us and even for us. God is pleased as we delight in Him.  Philippians 2 says:
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world...

A young lady from Atlanta, about to turn 25 years of age, went to a concert recently in Los Angeles to hear a popular singer who had released an album called, 25.  Jamie, her sister Morgan, and a small group came along, and they approached Adele.  Jamie told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

“She’s squatting down so people can take selfies and she’s talking the whole time and then she got to us and I look at her and said, ‘Do you want to sing with me?’” 

She continued:

...Adele said, ‘Well then, come up here.’ It was the quickest exchange. Her security guard came up and got me. My sister and I had done a You Tube cover of (Adele’s) ‘Remedy,’ so I started singing it. I’m kinda glad I forgot the lyrics because I got to hear Adele sing that close. She said, ‘You don’t have to sing one of mine,’ so then I did ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love,’ which is my parents’ song. It was really special because my parents weren’t there and that moment is such a big part of my life now.”

Adele had no idea, apparently, that she had invited a Grammy-nominated Christian artist to sing on stage with her.  Because Jamie was Jamie Grace, who related that:

“My birthday is in November and I’ll be 25 – which is big year for me – on Nov. 25. Adele’s new album is called ‘25’ and I’m shooting a documentary called ‘Waiting for 25,’ so I’m very emotional about the number 25 right now. With that, I wanted to buy tickets to see her for my 25th birthday and this was the only show I could get tickets for and I spent three hours online trying to get them. So I said, let’s celebrate my birthday three months early.”

Go to Jamie's website, and you'll find out why she's is waiting for 25 - she will be old enough in the state of Georgia to become a foster parent! The documentary will include stories of people who are adoptive parents or who have been adopted. The site states, "The primary viewers of this documentary will be families who are considering adoption and want to know more about the process and life during and after an adoption. We want to talk about the challenges but also want to highlight some of the joys. The main goal is to give families a realistic outlook on what it's like. The interviewer - Jamie Grace - just happens to be very passionate about adoption and wants to gain as much knowledge as she can as well."

Jamie Grace has certainly made a mark on Christian music during her relatively short time in recording Christian albums.  Toby Mac has been someone who has helped to guide her music ministry.  On the website, ImAFighter.org, she writes:

I’m Jamie Grace.

I have Tourette Syndrome.

I’m A Fighter.

As an early teen I started an organization called teensWts (Teens with Tourette Syndrome) to raise awareness and share support for teens with Tourette Syndrome – like me. I was learning how to be confident in “being different” and wanting to encourage my peers and also meet kids and teens that I had something in common with. It started with on Youtube video answering the question, “What is Tourette Syndrome?” followed by a video for kids and teens who were newly diagnosed.

The website has a picture of her accepting the 2012 GMA New Artist of the Year Dove Award.  That was in her hometown, at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.

What a marvelous moment in Los Angeles with Adele!  And it certainly has attracted some attention for her - the video has over two million views.  I think this speaks to the power of a moment.  God gives us wonderful opportunities to experience His grace.  And, sometimes it's not exactly super-spiritual, just an expression of His love for His children.  God is like that - He wants to bless us just because...just because of His great love.   If we look, perhaps there are moments He will use in our lives.  And, that moment for her was her approaching 25th birthday, which leads to another point...

I also think about the concept of passion about ministry.  Jamie has a passion for foster care and adoption, and is doing something about it - making herself available to be a foster parent, once she reaches the age at which that is allowed in her home state, and promoting adoption and foster care through a video.  She is using the talent that God has placed in her to broaden His reach through her.

We can be challenged to look for those marvelous moments where we have seen God show up in our lives in a profound way - and make ourselves available to see His presence manifested through us. And, thank Him for the way He has made Himself known.

Issues and Proclamation

Elements of God's call upon believers in Christ can be found in Matthew 5, as Jesus delivered 

the Sermon on the Mount. We pick up in verse 13:
13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

So we are called to be salt and light...I've heard it said that salt was used as a preservative in that day, as well as something that produces thirst.  Salt is also is a seasoning.  I guess you could say that Jesus taught on salt, recognizing that the truth of God to a culture was contained within the people of God, and we are called to proclaim that truth, for the betterment and preservation of society.  We are also to be transmitting a thirst for the knowledge of God.  And, of course, we are called to shine the light of Christ brightly and boldly to call attention to the works of God and the truth of the Lord.

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In Acts chapter 20, we find the apostle Paul talking with the elders of the church at Ephesus. He stated:
(18) ..."You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,
19 serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews;
20 how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,
21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is a great template for the normal Christian life, a life marked by humility and character, boldly proclaiming the truth of God, keeping back nothing that was, as he put it, "helpful."

I would consider that the application of God's Word in the public policy arena is certainly helpful, and we must allow His truth to shape our understanding in the decisions we make regarding the selection of leaders and our views on issues.

Noted researcher George Barna now heads the American Culture and Faith Institute, and a recent article on the organization's website says this:

One of the complaints heard from Christian conservatives during the 2014 mid-term election cycle was that their church was providing little guidance for their thinking about the issues. Surveys have borne out their disenchantment: relatively few pastors preached about the issues of the day during that election cycle.

In that election cycle, almost two-thirds of theologically conservative pastors - 63% - preached on religious freedom.  There were nine other issues that were asked about, and none of those nine had even half of the pastors preaching on them.

A 2016 survey indicates that, according to the website, "The most likely issue to be discussed in church services by theologically conservative pastors is again religious freedom, but the proportion who have spoken or plan to speak about religious freedom has plummeted from 63% in 2014 to just 36% this year.

The article says:

Abortion, which was the second most frequently preached about current issue in the 2014 cycle (addressed by 48% of theologically conservative pastors) again ranks second. However, the number of theologically conservative preachers who have or plan to preach about that subject is barely half (26%) of what it was in 2014.

But why?  Barna offers some insight: “The corollary information in our studies indicates that theologically conservative pastors are refusing to teach biblical principles related to current issues because they are concerned about being seen as political, not wanting to risk the loss of numbers of people or donations, and concern about the status of the church’s non-profit designation.” But the congregations want to learn, according to Barna..."A large majority of Christian conservatives are actually eager to learn and to be challenged how to think biblically about today’s issues."

A new Pew poll can raise similar concerns.  In an analysis by Michael New of Ave Maria University, writing for First Things, he states:

This poll indicates that strong majorities of both Evangelical Christians and Roman Catholics do not often hear about morality policy issues from clergy. If clergy are reluctant to provide bold leadership and instruction on these difficult issues, it is easy to see why conservative Christians are reluctant either to act politically or to engage their fellow citizens.

In his opening paragraph, New, who, by the way, used to teach at the University of Alabama, writes:

64 percent of respondents reported that they had heard clergy speak about at least one of the six issues included in the survey. However, the survey indicates that when it comes to polarizing morality policy issues, majorities of churchgoers hear nothing. Only 40 percent of respondents stated that clergy had spoken about religious liberty. Similarly, 39 percent stated that clergy had spoken about homosexuality. Finally, only 29 percent of respondents recalled hearing about abortion.

I am by no means in a position to criticize pastors.  I appreciate the mantle that God has given to our leaders who serve in spiritual authority over us, and I trust the Holy Spirit to speak to them and for them to be obedient to what they have to say.

I do think there is an element of proclamation of truth that we all can examine for ourselves; because, in essence, we are all placed in a position to lead someone, to lead someone perhaps to a greater, more fulfilling knowledge of God.   But, proclamation should translate to application - and in the area of issues engagement, we have to look at current issues through the viewpoint of Scripture.  Our interpretation of various matters of life should be shaped and sifted by the direction of God's Spirit.

We can be discerning about our sources of information, too.   Whether or not you're hearing about these issues affecting our society in church, you can do some inspired research so that you are informed.  Just make sure that the agenda that is shaping the information is in line with your Christian worldview perspective.  It is a challenge for me as a radio host to make sure that what I relate lines up with the principles of the Bible, and it can be a challenge to each of us to determine that how we view matters of policy are consistent with those teachings.

Pray for Peace

In Numbers 6, we see the instruction of God to Moses, who was told:
23 "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24 "The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace." '
27 "So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

The presence of the Lord brings peace.  I would even say that if we want to see peace in our society, an application of God's principles with regard to human relations are in order.  From our right relationship with God, we can reflect that peace to others, who will hopefully be attracted to it. Adopting God's view of others and seeking to put aside our own ambitions or agendas can lead to greater understanding and the release of spiritual wisdom in order to solve the issues that we face as a culture.

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As he closed out the book of 2nd Thessalonians, the apostle Paul wrote in chapter 3:
13 But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.
14 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.
15 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.

Recently, if you happened to be visiting Mobile, you may have seen a lady standing at the corner of Airport Boulevard and Hillcrest Road.  She has been holding a sign that says "Pray for Peace" and encouraging drivers to honk if they agree with that message.

Her name is Maureen Maclay.  She told WKRG Television, “With all of the violence in the world, I just turned the tv off and thought there might be one thing I could do," adding, “I thought there was a real need for expression of how much people in this country are desiring to have peace.”

This unique form of communication attracted others to come. The story says that Maureen "was joined by a few other concerned community members that wanted to help." Valerie Flout-Bridges said, “We felt compelled to come and meet her.”

According to Yellowhammer News, "The prayer warriors have also gotten attention from Mobile’s mayor, Sandy Stimpson. 'Thank you Maureen. I pray for peace everyday' he wrote on his Facebook page.

The WKRG story said that:

According to Maclay and Flout-Bridges, their best ambassador is a young girl who loves to hold the signs and scream at cars to honk. If you drive through the intersection, you will probably hear Simone Flout yelling, “Honk ’em everybody!”

The signs are hand-made, the group is small, but the message is simple and powerful.  Those three words, "Pray for Peace," can remind us of several things:

First of all, prayer needs to be a top priority for people of God who desire to see change in our culture.  I often speak of surveys that show Americans feel our country is heading in the wrong direction.  And, while we want to lay the blame at the feet of politicians, I think that the political decisions are an outgrowth of a huge spiritual need.  We need to release the power of God in order to correct our culture.  It's a matter of the Holy Spirit being unleashed to change human hearts.

So, prayer for peace involves a change of direction.  We have to recognize that we are engaged in spiritual warfare, and while Jesus wants to bring people into a relationship with Him, our spiritual enemy, the devil, is determined to thwart that relationship and keep people apart from God.   The peace that many are desperately seeking flows from having a peace with the Lord.

We have to ask ourselves what peace looks like.  I think it starts through our own hearts being right with Him, but the principle of peace flows as people adopt a view of other humans that is consistent with God's love for people.  In an age in which people have a diminished view of the value of life, we fail to put the needs of other people before our own.  These are conditions of the heart, but we can rely on the power of Almighty God, Who, when He is brought into a situation, can cause people to change attitudes toward one another and work in tandem to craft solutions that are consistent with His truth.

Pray for peace - people want it, they realize we need it, but are we willing to do what it takes to see it come to pass?

Comfort in the Flood

Psalm 119 is a psalm that is devoted to the authority and power of God's Word, and beginning in verse 47, we can read:
47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments, Which I love.
48 My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments, Which I love, And I will meditate on Your statutes.
49 Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.
50 This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.

When affliction comes - and it will - we can rest in the hope that comes from our relationship with Christ.  It's a hope that Hebrews 6 describes as an anchor for our souls.  And, when others are in crisis, we have the opportunity to be hope-givers - to pray, to listen, to speak truth, and to be used of the Lord.  God is calling us to be so established in the Word so that when trouble comes - to us or to someone we encounter - we can minister His truth.

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In 2nd Corinthians 1, we can see a passage that reminds us of the comfort that the Holy Spirit desires
to bring in times of trouble:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

More than 20,000 rescues - that is the number reported by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in the week of devastating flooding that has occurred in the state of Louisiana.

And, the Association has sent in crisis-trained chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team to work with the relief ministry of Samaritan's Purse to, as the website article says, "help meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those who are suffering, as the chaplains focus on offering prayer and a listening ear to anyone who wants to talk."

A CBN.com story, integrating information from The Weather Channel, stated that more than 11,000 people have been forced into shelters. The death toll is reported to be at least seven people, with thousands of homes affected.   The story said that tens of thousands of people had to evacuate.

The CBN story reported one dramatic moment that was caught on camera showing rescuers as they tried frantically to pull a woman from her submerged car:

"I'm drowning!" the trapped female motorist exclaimed.

"I'm coming," her rescuer replied. "Watch out! We are going to break this window."

Seconds later, she emerged safely from under the water.

Emergency crews continued to do battle with the massive flooding, which was reported to be strong enough to knock even tractor trailers off the highway.

A local television station, WBRZ, was attempting to link displaced residents with missing family members.

A ministry called Mercy Chefs, based in Virginia, is on the scene in Louisiana and has begun to serve 7,500 restaurant-quality meals per day for victims, first responders and volunteers, according to the Gospel Herald.  Founder Gary LeBlanc said the Baton Rouge area really is a mess, telling the website, "People's stories are reminding me of conversations I had with folks following Hurricane Katrina. Many residents escaped their homes in vehicles only to become stranded on overpasses and roadways."

It is a dire situation, certainly, for residents of Louisiana, many of whom are displaced, whose homes and businesses are covered in water, and who will certainly return to find a massive cleanup in the aftermath of destruction.   But, as we know, God is present in the times of crisis.  And, often the way He shows up is through the efforts of His people.  We can be sensitive to how and where God dispatches us, so that we can bring hope.

The call is going out today for us to be hope-givers - whether it be participating in bringing relief to flood victims, or attempting to bring peace to our cities, as our hearts are stirred once again by the unrest in Milwaukee.  There may be a family that has lost a loved one, where hope and comfort are needed...certainly the children who lost parents in that plane crash in Tuscaloosa will be needing incredible support.  Every believer can't do it all, and is not expected to, but I believe the Lord desires for us to be ready and expectant for Him to dispatch us into moments of crisis.  And, when crisis hits close to home, we can trust in Jesus to be our source of hope and strength.

Uncovery

In Colossians 1, Paul writes that he had become a minister...
(25) ...according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
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.

Paul refers to a "mystery" that had been "hidden."  He summarizes it in verse 27: "Christ in you, the hope of glory."  Throughout the ages prior to the coming of Christ, God was dealing with His people through outward manifestations: external laws, displays of God's presence, such as the cloud and fire, the audible voice of God on some occasions.  But, the Bible prophesied that God would put a "new heart" in His people, and now He wants us to explore the riches of His glory and come to know Him out of the treasures of a regenerated spirit.  He wants to show us wondrous things, if only we would dig deeply to discover them.

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Proverbs 2 can challenge us to dig deeper and seek to discover more about God and His wisdom:
4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly...

Well, tomorrow marks 40 days and 40 nights since the opening of the massive, life-sized replica of Noah's Ark situated in Central Kentucky, the conclusion of extended hours for the Ark Encounter, coinciding with the length of time the Bible said that it rained upon the earth.

Ark Encounter, which is a project of the ministry Answers in Genesis, has generated quite a bit of conversation, including those who don't believe the ark story who want to poke holes in the Biblical narrative.

Another expression of the story of Noah's Ark has been found in a Jewish synagogue.  A Religion News Service story reports that:

Exquisite mosaics depicting biblical scenes — one of Noah’s Ark, the other the parting of the Red Sea — were uncovered this summer by archaeologists excavating a fifth-century synagogue at Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village near the Sea of Galilee.

A consortium of universities, led by Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, uncovered the mosaics during its fifth annual excavation in June.

Magness said the mosaics, like others discovered at the synagogue since 2012, are of “extremely high artistic quality,” based on their artistry and the high number of stone mosaic cubes used in the designs.

Magness said that excavation experts dug down to a level of soil where, based on findings elsewhere at the site, they hoped mosaics might be found. The Noah's Ark mosaic contains pairs of bears, donkeys, leopards, camels, lions, ostriches and snakes, consistent with the account in Genesis. The archaeologist said: “Of course the story of Noah’s Ark and the parting of the Red Sea were known to Jews, as well as Christians, at the time because they read the Hebrew Bible,” adding, “We have other ancient synagogues where these scenes are depicted, though they are not common in synagogue art.”

What can we take away from this discovery?   First of all, we can relate the story of Noah's Ark and its significance.  That story shows us that humanity was under judgment, but God chose a man and his family to save.  Jesus has come to save us, to rescue us, to be our Ark of safety, if you will, even though we deserve punishment and eternal separation from God.

Well, for one thing, there were people who were dedicated to telling the stories of Scripture. Those who crafted the mosaics were devoted to a high-quality mode of making the display and used a high number of cubes.   We can examine how dedicated we are to understanding and relating the stories of the Bible.  There are people who are Christians who are called to artistic expression that can be inspired to tell God's story in a unique way.  I think we can examine ourselves to make sure we are communicating God's story with people with whom we come in contact.

The process of archaeology involves extensive excavation, i.e., dedicated digging, and digging, perhaps moving a large amount of earth.  The Bible in Proverbs addresses searching the Scriptures. For instance, in Proverbs 2, the text addresses looking for truth like mining for silver, but the concept of digging to discover can present a challenge for each of us.  God wants us to be in His Word, meditating on His truths, allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us and to show us new and exciting aspects of our God and His principles.  There are truths about the Word that God wants to show us, and we learn about them as we apply ourselves to digging deeper.

Meet-and-Greet

The high standard is set for those who are in authority, set forth in Romans 13:
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.
4 For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.
5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.

So, the Biblical role of government is to reinforce good and to punish evil.  Unfortunately, in this topsy-turvy world there are those who would call good evil and evil good.  So, it becomes more challenging to live as a Christian believers when our faith positions are not supported.  No matter what, though, we are called to live in a manner that pleases God at all times - even when we face what could be termed persecution for or opposition to our faith, we can be courageous to honor God and to pray for and respect our leaders.

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1st Peter chapter 2 gives some guidance on responding to our authorities:
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

I came across an article on the Religion News Service website about a Presbyterian pastor from Cincinnati who entered a contest - and won, out of 230,000 entries.  The prize - to be Hillary Clinton's special guest at the Democratic National Convention.

Pastor Rich Jones and his wife Debbie were flown to Philadelphia and spent a few moments at a meet-and-greet with Mrs. Clinton and the Vice-Presidential nominee, Tim Kaine.  Jones recounted the meeting to writer Jana Riess:

“They are really warm and personable,” Rich told me on Saturday after returning home. “I talked to Tim Kaine for a moment [on Friday] and I told him that if we had more time, I would love to hear about his Honduras Mission experience. And then they were asking what Debbie and I did. When I said I was a Presbyterian pastor, Hillary asked us to pray for a friend of hers, who is a South Sudanese Presbyterian pastor.”

The friend in question is Elias Taban, a child-soldier-turned-pastor who has taken a stand for freedom in South Sudan and been in prison.

Clinton mentioned her pastor friend after the Joneses mentioned they were praying for her and for her work. “I really appreciate the prayers,” she told them. “And we do experience that sense of people praying for us. But let me tell you a story of someone that needs our prayers as well.”

Pastor Jones did leave Hillary Clinton with a gift: a friend had sent along a copy of Søren Kierkegaard’s Works of Love.  Rich said that, "Apparently there’s some connection with her family, where she likes the writings of Kierkegaard."  That book was chosen because, as the pastor relates, “I think that’s his personal summation of his trajectory of God’s work around us, in us, through us, filling every nook and cranny.”   He told the writer that is an important message during this election season: “You want to love and respect all folks. As a pastor, I try not to get into too many discussions and dialogues about politics, but you also have to figure out how to move the needle forward and not backwards.”  And, yes, Rich does plan to vote for Hillary in November.

Now, one thing I did in response to this story was find out what Kierkegaard taught.  Gregory Thornbury, President of The King's College in New York City, writing for Christianity Today, reviewed the book by Mark Tietjen, called, Kierkegaard: A Christian Missionary to Christians.  While, as he says, "evangelicals have often viewed Kierkegaard with suspicion," he admits that, "Many Christian scholars have lauded Kierkegaard as an orthodox ally."  He says that Tietjen, chaplain at the Stony Brook School in New York, shows how Kierkegaard’s body of work bears witness to the fact that nominal Christianity is no Christianity at all."

OK, there's actually quite a bit here I want to explore.   First of all, there's the notion of candidates as caricatures.  Politicians are actually real people - and sometimes we view them as two-dimensional characters on a screen or people we may view at a rally.  But, they are people who have human emotion, interaction, even struggles and challenges.  The pressure is immense.

They are put in a position of high responsibility, and they need our prayers.  I thought it was interesting that Clinton acknowledged a sense of people praying for her.  This is highly important in the upcoming election.  Pray for leaders - and those who aspire to be leaders - that God would have His way with them.  In addition, pray for our state leaders in the Legislature who are coming to Montgomery next week to determine whether or not there will be a statewide vote on expanding gambling in the state in the form of a lottery - and maybe even more.  Pray that legislators would be bold to reject attempts to even allow a vote on such a proposal that encourages action that violates Scripture and that is not a sound economic model.

You can also think about how politicians can be influenced.  Often, we brand a politician in a certain way and maybe think they are entrenched.   Well, think about this - Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, for that matter, at one point did not support so-called same-sex "marriage."  My, how that has changed.  Donald Trump was once known to be pro-choice - and now states that he is pro-life.     With the amount of spiritual awareness that is apparently present in the lives of the major party candidates, we can call upon the Holy Spirit to work in their hearts.

Finally, this Cincinnati pastor had a unique opportunity - to meet and have a conversation with a Presidential candidate.  I would imagine some in my audience have had that experience, but I wonder: if you had 5 minutes or less, a limited amount of time, what would you ask either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump?  Would it be about their personal faith story, or how their faith might inform their decisions?   Perhaps you'd like to find out how they really think about religious freedom - how do they regard business people who decide not participate in a gay wedding ceremony due to their deeply held beliefs?  Or should health professionals have the right to opt-out of performing abortions?  Also...if you could leave that candidate a book, what would it be?

Joe Savage talked about making the most of every opportunity, based on Ephesians 5 - if such an "opportunity," came your way, how would you maximize it?  And, in a broader sense, how can we maximize those "fixed windows of time," to which he referred the other day?

Restricted

In Psalm 139, we can see a passage of Scripture that affirms that God is the giver of life.  And, I believe that because He has created us, our lives have value:
13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

Every person is someone who has received life from God, and has the potential to come into a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.  That is why taking the life of an unborn child is so hideous, because a human being has made the determination whether or not a child lives or dies.  Even if you don't believe that life begins at conception, you have to be intellectually honest and say that fetus or fertilized cell has the potential to be a human being.  But, I believe life does begin at conception, and who are we to decide who lives or dies - God is the creator of life, and all life, born or unborn, has value.  And, we treat all people with that perspective; no one is insignificant and he or she deserves compassion and certainly God's mercy.

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God is the One who gives life - He is our Creator, and we are made in His image, fearfully and
wonderfully made, as the Scriptures say. We can choose to think and act in accordance with that view of life. Deuteronomy 30 says:
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;
20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."

While the narrative for many politicians is that a woman's right to choose abortion is paramount and that there should be unfettered access to this gruesome act, the views of Americans certainly do not line up with that perspective.

A recent Knights of Columbus-Marist poll finds that almost 8 out of 10 Americans favor some sort of restrictions on abortion.  8 out of 10!  Barbara Carvalho, director of the Marist Poll, is quoted in a press release: "The majority of Americans in favor of abortion restrictions has been consistently around 8 in 10 for the better part of a decade," adding, "Though self-identification as pro-life or pro-choice can vary substantially from year to year, the support for restrictions is quite stable."

Even though the U.S. Supreme Court a few weeks ago struck down a Texas law that mandated that doctors have admitting privileges at a local hospital and that abortion clinics be held to the same standards as other outpatient surgery centers, those surveyed held to a different view.   Get this:

Nearly 8 in 10 Americans (78 percent) want abortion clinics to be held to the same standards as other outpatient surgery centers. This includes 77 percent of African Americans and 82 percent of Latinos, as well as 77 percent of women, and 84 percent of millennials. About three quarters of those who identify as pro-choice (74 percent) agree, as do strong majorities regardless of party affiliation.

Regarding the other component of the now-defunct Texas law:

70 percent of Americans want doctors who perform abortions to be required to have hospital admitting privileges. This includes 71 percent of women, 77 percent of millennials, and 78 percent of Latinos, Pro-life and pro-choice adherents are also equally likely to support such a requirement at a rate of 7 in 10 for each group (71 percent).

Taxpayer funding for abortion is opposed by 62 percent of survey participants.  Broken down by political party, that represents 84 percent of Republicans, 61 percent of Independents and 44 percent of Democrats.

So, even though 51 percent of Americans claim to be pro-choice, according to this Knights of Columbus-Marist poll, 8 in 10 - 78% - of Americans surveyed favor some restriction on abortion and...would limit it to the first three months of pregnancy. That includes 62 percent of those who identify as pro-choice, as well as 85 percent of African Americans and 84 percent of Latinos.

When politicians identify themselves a supporting a so-called "woman's right to choose," keep in mind that many Americans do not voice unrestricted support for taking the life of an unborn child, even though they may identify as "pro-choice." Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson says, "The Americans [sic] people have spoken clearly on their desire for abortion restrictions, less taxpayer funding of it, and common sense regulations on this industry to protect women's health," adding," Our courts, politicians, candidates and parties should heed this consensus."  But, so often when the idea is floated of restricting abortion, even though it has widespread public support, pro-abortion politicians scream that pro-lifers are anti-choice and anti-women.  This should not be, and those of us who are pro-life can recognize that there is a significant number of Americans that would be closer to our point of view.  (Of course, I would advocate that abortion be completely eradicated in our time.)

These opinions are not what you might expect, especially when you listen to pro-abortion politicians who receive money from Planned Parenthood, who takes in millions from the pockets of taxpayers. We recognize that this issue, as so many are, is a matter of the heart.  And, we can be encouraged that it seems there is pliability among those who claim to be "pro-choice"...in fact, this survey doesn't reveal a whole lot of hard-core abortion supporters.

And, there can be optimism.  Kirk Walden, author of The Wall, who spoke at the Sav-a-Life of Montgomery banquet several years ago, wrote in a blog post recently at the Pregnancy Help News website:

Consider this: When people realize Washington cannot solve a problem (for example, the issue of life), they look for other solutions. If there was ever an election when we cannot look to a candidate and say, “This one is pro-life and will bring new, life-affirming leadership to Washington,” this is that election.

During and after this election, pro-life Americans will be looking like never before for alternative solutions. We, the Pregnancy Help Community, are the solution to ending abortion. After all, if we become the first choice for those facing unplanned pregnancies, the abortion industry withers and dies.

He also says in the post: "God is big. God uses ordinary people like us to change the world. Let’s not complain or pout in fear over what may happen; let’s be God’s agents to create change for the better."

I believe we have a strong message, a message rooted in the Scriptures, a message to affirm life as it is ordained by God.  As we align with Him and work in partnership with the Holy Spirit to change hearts, we will see movement toward a pro-life perspective.

Solid

We can seek to develop a sense of steadfastness in our lives, secure in the Lord and walk in His
stability. 1st Corinthians 15 says:
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

His love is steadfast, unwavering, and unlimited - as we grasp that, we can develop a greater sense of reliance on Him.  Because He is steadfast in His ways, we can develop those characteristics that enable us to be steadfast, leading to a sense of stability through the highs and lows of our lives.  We can totally trust Him with our lives and recognize that in Christ, we have resources available to us to experience the life He desires for us.

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If we belong to Christ, we have the glorious opportunity to see our lives built on His foundation. 2nd Timothy 2 says:
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity."
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

On Twitter, she has posted Ephesians 2:8-9 under her handle.  Her last post before the Olympic Games in Rio was Romans 8:28.  The Gospel Herald website posted a quote from her Facebook page:

"It’s about God being known and not in a way that forces it upon other people but in a way that lets people know how He’s transformed my life and how He’s given me purpose and meaning and love and satisfaction. That’s the message of Jesus. It’s not a platform to impose on people. It’s a platform to love people. Our God’s going to be victorious. He’s the Creator of the universe. I’m just a vessel trying to do my part with what I’ve been given."

Team USA women's soccer player Tobin Heath wrote those words.  According to a Religion News Service piece, she often punctuates her Twitter updates with praying hands and soccer ball emojis and her Instagram account quotes Christian praise music and sometimes features pictures of her kneeling in prayer.

That article relates that Tobin is a two-time gold medalist, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. But, as it says, " she tasted punishing defeat when the U.S. lost to Japan in a penalty shootout at the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in 2011." It goes on to say that "Heath, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, has been a Christian since childhood. Her faith has helped her manage the lows and keep the highs in perspective."

Heath had told Beliefnet:

I can’t even imagine going through life without my relationship with Jesus. So much of it is me relying on Him and me needing Him, not just in those crazy circumstances but in the day-to-day activities. During that time at the World Cup, it was a rollercoaster ride, but it was neat to just see His hand on that. It’s more than just winning or losing. There are so many relationships that go deeper than that. He has a plan in it all. You have to trust that. Even though it’s not the ideal outcome—I mean, everybody wants to be winners—you have to trust that God has a greater plan for this even when you can’t see it.

Last year, according to Christian Today:

Right after Tobin Heath helped the US soccer team win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, beating Japan 5-2 in Vancouver, Canada, on Sunday, she inspired fellow Christians from around the world by thanking God for the victory and expressing pride for her faith.

Heath scored the seventh and final goal in that match, which set a new record as the highest scoring Final in FIFA Women's World Cup history.

Heath is a 27-year-old athlete who has won two Olympic gold medals. Right before the Women's World Cup final this year, she thanked God several times on her Twitter account, and even posted a photo of herself with her head bowed down in prayer on her Instagram account, and captioned it with the Bible verse from Philippians 4:6-7.

I want to share three words with you today that I believe are closely related:  One is security.  We can be secure in the love of God for us, the One Who sent His Son so that we might have a relationship with Him.  We can trust Him with our lives, our decisions, our plans.

And, as we rest in the steadfast love of the Lord, we can develop steadfastness for our own lives. We can be challenged to walk in obedience to God's Word and make God's Word a priority for us.  Rather than make plans and maybe ask God to bless them, we can allow Him to order our steps, to reveal and establish His plans for us.  We can know that His ways provide a strong foundation for us.

Finally, as we are secure in the love of God and steadfast in walking with Him, we can exhibit stability.  Tobin Heath referenced how the 2011 World Cup was a rollercoaster ride.  Life can feel like that, can't it?  But, through the instability of circumstances, we can know that God is our anchor. Our faith in Him can help us, as the RNS article said regarding Tobin, "manage the lows and keep the highs in perspective."