Non-Retaliation

Jesus demonstrated a counter-cultural, and really counter-intuitive, approach to human relationships. He gives us insight how we are respond when we experience opposition. In Matthew 5, we can read:
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

This calls for the release of spiritual resources, which are available to us in Christ.  God is not calling us to not act on conviction, but I do believe that He is directing us not to be contrary.  In our flesh, we can become angry and consumed by a desire to "get even," to make sure the score is even or settled. But, in the Spirit, He is not keeping score - He wants the Kingdom to be furthered; He desires the glory to go to Him.  We can examine our actions and responses through that mindset; perhaps even asking, "how can God be glorified through me in this situation?"

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It's human nature to retaliate when you are reviled; it's God's nature to turn the other cheek and not respond improperly, in anger. Romans 12 reminds us:
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.

The Montgomery Biscuits opened the second half of the 2017 season by dropping a game to Birmingham 5-2.  This is a significant series for the home team, because it marks the beginning of new ownership for the team.  During this grand re-opening weekend, there are a number of special features, and Family Faith Night is one of them - tomorrow, Calling Glory will present a pre-game concert at 5:00 - come see Faith Radio at the block party outside the stadium at 3:00.  We'll have pre-game coverage on Faith Radio tomorrow afternoon.

Last night, on the tail end of a rainy, stormy day, the Biscuits drew over 4,000 fans to Riverwalk Stadium, and if the weather holds up, it could be a very popular weekend.

The Biscuits play in the Southern League, which is a group of 10 AA franchises that are affiliated with major league clubs.  The Biscuits are affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays.  The New York Mets do not have a team in the League; their AA franchise is the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, which plays in the Eastern League, along with the Richmond Flying Squirrels, which has the same owner as the Biscuits. Why I am telling you all this?

Well, because there is a Mets prospect who is certainly turning heads, and if he were to come into the Southern League, he might be visiting some key cities in SEC Country, where he made a name for himself as the Heisman Trophy winner from the Florida Gators - cities like Birmingham, Knoxville, and his hometown of Jacksonville.  That's right, Tim Tebow might not be setting the woods on fire statistically, but he's apparently making a big difference in attendance in the South Atlantic League, where he plays for the Columbia Fireflies in South Carolina.

The State newspaper in Columbia says this:

Tebow has been a hit at the box office for the Fireflies and the rest of the teams in South Atlantic League.

Tebow’s numbers (. 224 average, 3 HRs, 21 RBI) don’t scream promotion, but given the fact he will turn 30 in August, that might be a big factor in moving him up quicker than normal

Even if Tebow starts the second half in Columbia, it might not be for long. Tebow will eventually need to see how he fares against better pitching in either advanced-A at St. Lucie or with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies.

The article points out that:

Thanks to Tebow’s arrival and a good marketing plan, attendance for Fireflies’ home games is on pace to shatter last season’s mark.

The Fireflies drew 261,134 in their inaugural season.

Through 35 home games, Columbia is second in the South Atlantic League in attendance behind Greensboro by 79 fans per game. The Fireflies drew 182,364 fans, an average of 5,210 per game.

And, Tebow's a hit on the road. Baseball America says this in an article from May:

But to better understand the Tebow effect on attendance, we looked at Columbia’s road games. When Columbia hit the road in the first month of the season, they played in front of an average of 4,607 fans. When those same teams hosted non-Tebow teams, they averaged 2,399 fans.

Based on the April attendance data, the Tebow effect appears to be roughly 2,210 fans per night. Minor league teams estimate that the average fan will spend $20 per person if they come to the ballpark. That counts ticket sales, concessions and souvenirs. So Tebow is worth roughly an additional $44,200 per night.

If Tebow remains in the SAL all season, that would mean an additional $3.1 million in revenue over the course of 70 Columbia road games. That doesn’t even count the revenue he generates for Columbia.

Well, the Charleston RiverDogs didn't exactly welcome Tebow with open arms at a recent home game, which is too bad, because he probably put more people than normal through the turnstiles. You might even say they came off doing a "reverse" faith night.

According to Faithwire:

First, the team’s mascot, Charlie, sported eye black with “John 3:16” scrawled in white. As you might recall, this is something that Tebow himself did as a football player. The mascot also engaged in “Tebowing” — the term coined to describe how Tebow would often bend on one knee and pray on the football field.

But it didn’t end there. The team also played the “Hallelujah Chorus” every time Tebow came up to bat during the game, the Post and Courier reported.

There was also a photo of Tebow crying after the 2009 SEC Championship Game posted when teammates came to bat.

You think there were complaints?  Enough to cause the Charleston GM to issue a tepid apology:

“While we believe that our promotions were poking fun at Mr. Tebow’s celebrity status rather than his religion or baseball career, our intent was not to offend anyone, and for the fact that we did offend, we are sorry,” he said in a statement to the Post and Courier.

Echols continued, “Of the many promotional pieces that we executed, there were a handful on Friday’s game that some construed as in poor taste, and we made it a focus to remove those elements and celebrate Mr. Tebow the remainder of his time in Charleston.”

 A handful?  "Some" construed in poor taste?  I don't think he won a whole lot of friends by that.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson was also not impressed by the opposing team's treatment of their high-profile visitor. He told Newsday that the actions were "all very minor league. He added, "I was a little surprised that halfway through the season that somebody decided to be cute and pursue that,” adding, “But he’s bigger than that.”

And, as Faithwire notes: "As for Tebow, he’s been quiet about the incident thus far."

So, this goes into the "what were they thinking?" category - certainly you can poke fun at a player, but leave his faith out of it.  Unfortunately, this reminds us that there is a cultural element that does not revere a person's personal faith, and will demonstrate disrespect in an openly hostile way, or just by exhibiting this type of insensitivity.  We see it in so many areas that I discuss regularly on the radio show.

I want to concentrate for a moment on Tebow's response, because it gives us some good lessons. Obviously, he's made an impact on the Mets' general manager - this received attention from the top of the Mets' organization.  Alderson said Tebow was "bigger than that."  This can really challenge us to think about our response when we face opposition or ridicule.  We don't have to respond in kind when we find ourselves in that position, or we don't have to get all defensive when we face criticism.
When someone takes the low road in their dealings with us, we can make it our aim to take the high road, appropriating spiritual resources to enable us to do that.

Also, think about the silence that Tebow exhibited.  From what I can see online, he apparently didn't take to the media to blast the fans - he probably didn't let it get under his skin.  I would say that silence can be a better reaction that attempting to mix it up when we become angry or frustrated, or if we find ourselves in a disagreement.  It can be the things we say that can get us into trouble more than what we don't say.  The tongue is hard to control, according to James 3, but we have the Spirit who can give us the power to do that.

And, just an extra note: keep in mind that Tebow is well-regarded because of his character and his countenance - I believe these flow from his relationship with Christ.

The Church's Health

The Bible speaks in Psalm 103 about not forgetting the benefits of the Lord.  I believe He is the One who sustains our lives, and we do well to recognize a connection between spiritual health and
physical well-being. 3 John says this:
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.
4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Now, I don't believe the writer here was trying to relate some sort of formula that can lead to material prosperity.  No matter what his or her economic condition, a person in material poverty can have spiritual prosperity.  There is a principle of having our lives submitted to God, which can have tremendous benefits for us.  We can enjoy the by-products of having that soul at peace, sensing the presence of God and the purpose He has in store for us.  We can be challenged to have our lives built on the foundation of God's truth.

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Proverbs chapter 4 offers these challenging and potentially helpful words:

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.

Yesterday, I talked about the importance of the local church, and today, I want to follow up with some survey data that shows that not only does church attendance help keep the church healthy, but it also can keep the people healthy!

Marino Bruce, a social and behavioral scientist from Vanderbilt University, as well as a Baptist minister, is a primary author of the study along with Keith Norris of UCLA. The study has nine other co-authors, too.  A piece on the USA Today website stated that the study "has found that people who attend religious services live longer and are less stressed." Bruce is quoted as saying, "We found in our study that actually attending church is actually good for your health, particularly for those who are between the ages of 40 and 65..."

This is from the study that was published by the Plos One journal, entitled, "Church Attendance, Allostatic Load and Mortality in Middle Aged Adults."  As USA Today puts it: "Specifically, the study says those middle-aged adults who go to church, synagogues, mosques or other houses of worship reduce their mortality risk by 55%."

Bruce said, "For those who did not attend church at all, they were twice as likely to die prematurely than those who did who attended church at some point over the last year..."  He was also quoted as saying, "I'm ordained clergy so I'm always about what do we mean by our spiritual health. Does spiritual health matter with respect to biological outcomes?"

The USA Today article gave some background into the nuts and bolts of the study:

The researchers used publicly available data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which is collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, for the study. They filtered the data set, finding 5,449 participants of both sexes and all races.

They looked at the participants' survey results, analyzing their worship attendance, mortality and allostatic load, which is a physiological measurement. Higher allostatic loads were interpreted as a person experiencing more stress.

Now, some more scientific words from the Discussion section from the Plos One website:

In conclusion, we found a significant relationship between church attendance and mortality in middle-aged (≥40–65 yrs) adults NHANES III participants with an extended mean follow up time of 14 years. This relationship remained significant even after adjustment for education, poverty status, health insurance status, self-rated health, social support, and AL, suggesting a potential independent effect of religiosity on mortality. Similar findings were also noted in a secondary analysis of NHANES III participants ≥ 40 years old. Our results underscore the potential importance of church attendance as a surrogate for religiosity as a mediator of health and lifespan.

The article also says: "The increased attention to religiosity and other faith-related factors by health professionals and scientists is warranted by these findings and those from similar studies.  (It gave this reference) It added, "Results from this study contribute to the existing body of evidence and support the need for more rigorous prospective studies to explore causal relationships of religiosity and health."

So, there are several relationships to explore here.  Think first of all about, as Dr. Bruce referred to, "spiritual health" and its relationship with biological health.  I believe there is a distinct relationship. The Bible talks about prospering and being in health - as your soul prospers.  That's from 3rd John. Proverbs talks about the issues of life flowing from the heart, or the spirit.  If things are not right spiritually or emotionally, I think you can make the case that there may be physical manifestations. Stress is one factor that is consistently talked about, but there are many.  We can be challenged to maintain a healthy spirit; to make sure that our souls are being taken care of.

There is also that central relationship from this study of church attendance and longer life, especially among so-called "middle age" adults.  I would even submit, in a non-scientific way, that church involvement among senior citizens can help lead to a longer life - we can be encouraged to not become sedentary in those latter years, but to remain active and connected with other believers.

I can definitely see it - as we expose ourselves to God's Word, the words of life, and remain connected, it can feed our spirits and contribute to our overall well-being.  And, as Dr. Bruce said, "While churches are places where people can get social support, we actually found that and began to think about whether compassion is particularly important — feeling that you're doing good or having empathy for others..."

Christ, the Church, and Community

In the book of 1st Timothy, chapter 3, we find that Paul is sending a written message, but his desire
was to actually see his protege face-to-face. He writes:
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

When Jesus asked the disciples who they said that He was, Peter boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the "Christ, the Son of the Living God."  Jesus said that upon that rock He would build His...Church.  The Church is designed to be the reflection of the "living God" to a dying world.  And, the local church, as subsets of the Church He has established, is called and empowered to bring life - to its members and to its communities.  Fortunately, God has given us wonderful tools to strengthen the local church...it is incumbent for each of us to examine our connection to Christ and the Church and allow His life to flow through us.

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The Bible, in Hebrews 10, address the potential effectiveness of the local church and how God
desires for His people to come together:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

You may not agree with the premise, but there's something to be said for the practice, and there's a new trend, a new entity, that can really send a message to the culture.

For some time, you have seen technology fuel the growth of the church.  Some churches will now use technology and various campus locations to simulcast a sermon to multiple venues.  Website and social media will help local churches to transmit their messages, to keep regular congregants informed and even attract new attendees.   Churches stream their churches online to reach people who are either unable to attend or even will not enter into a church building.

In this midst of this technological explosion that God is using to strengthen His church, I believe, there is another entry into the concept of how to do "church."  And, while I am not necessarily endorsing this particular product, I do believe that the premise has some merit.

John Erbele was a pastor at a church in Minnesota when back in 2009 he was arrested in a prostitution ring, according to a story on the Bismarck Tribune website.  The article says that "He pleaded guilty, served a year’s probation and the offense was removed from his record."  It goes on to tell the story:

He eventually moved to Streeter, where his dad lived, divorced, a single dad of three, and in 2015 married Hannah Andrusky, whom he’d known 20 years earlier. She’d written a book “Living the Invisible Disability” about a brain injury she’d suffered, and its aftermath, including suicidal episodes, a DUI charge and weaning herself from anti-depressants.

Streeter is in North Dakota, by the way.  Erbele is quoted as saying, "I was here in Streeter struggling and she was in California struggling, too, and we connected, talking mostly. In essence, this 5 Minute Church came out of struggle, pain and failure. I lost everything,” he said. “It’s a comeback story.”

The article says that:

John and Hannah Erbele are founders of 5MinChurch, a free download app for phones or smart Apple TVs, so young people and others can experience God and the Bible, blogs, sermons and songs on their favorite device.

The content - well, here is a sampling:

The Erbeles continually upload new content, videos of sermons and blogs, recordings of original music and entertainment-based interviews with Bible-believing celebrities under a 5MCE! tab. There’s also a “Get Help” tab where people can put in prayer requests and a “You Share” tab for personal stories, that may eventually, through the app, become a format for interaction. It’s mobile, so uploads can be done from anywhere, including their base in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Now, here's the premise - that the traditional church is in decline. Erbele contends, "Sixty percent of millennials are hostile to church and believe that church is a dangerous institution. Churches are dying, and they can’t afford to keep the lights on. We’re the last generation that’s even giving a little. The baby boomers, people aged 60 and older, still give to churches, but, once we lose the boomers, churches will be closing like you wouldn’t believe."

Hannah says, "Our ultimate goal is to reach millennials," adding, "Why spend all our time and money trying to get people to come to church, when we live with this thing (phone) on the end of our hands. They could be at Starbucks with this and have a little quiet time together.”

The story notes that they, "promote the small church concept, where a few people gather in a home as in earlier Christian times, tune in to the app and have their own faith-based interactions."

What do I like about this concept?  Christian content at your fingertips wherever you are. Now, this does not constitute an endorsement of 5 Minute Church, but it can cause us to think about ways we consume content.  A significant number of people, including listeners to Faith Radio, are engaging with content on mobile devices.  Google Analytics data for the Faith Radio website show that over 4-in-10 users of our website each week use it on a mobile device or tablet.  I believe there is an enormous need for heart-ready content that encourages believers.  

A concern would be the relationship to the local church.  It appears that 5 Minute Church wants to be a church, not to necessarily build up the local church.  Now, there is the promotion of small group interaction through the app, and if that were to occur, that would be a positive step.  But, the Scriptural model, I believe, is that God does His work through the church in communities - in their communities.

Faith Radio, obviously, is using technology to teach and encourage God's Word - through 8 terrestrial facilities, our online stream at FaithRadio.org, audio and video content that can be accessed through that site, as well as blog content, and the ability to hear Faith Radio anywhere through our app.  But, there is one distinctive that we have....we are here to help build up the local church.  We do not wish to be a substitute for the local church.  

Now, I made a pronouncement, really an observation, at one of our staff meetings recently.  We were discussing how there is a group of men who have formed a group to listen to David Jeremiah every morning and text their comments to one another.  What an amazing idea!  A text group or even a prayer conference call are ways through which people can interact using technology.  Now, think about this - what if you gathered a group of friends together at a local establishment or a home on a regular basis and actually had a discussion about one of the programs that you commonly hear on Faith Radio?  Perhaps you can order some curriculum to coincide with the radio series and use it as the basis of a small group study through your local church.

I think you could make the case that the local church is in decline - as a whole.  But, there are churches that are growing, and not just what you may call megachurches.  There is plenty to say about that matter, but the key for the Church today is sensitivity - to the Holy Spirit as He shapes the mission of the Church, to the people the Church is called to serve, and to the tools that are available in order to connect with people in unique ways, and that includes the technology component.

Awaken

Are you awake?  Are your spiritual senses sharp?  We have to recognize that there is a battle occurring between light and darkness, truth and fiction, and God's Word helps us to be sharp in
thinking and speaking Biblically. Romans 13 states:
(11) ...now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

People are not our enemy, but the enemy of our souls brings people's minds under his control.  We have to watch that he doesn't use his influence to deceive us, as well.  There are those who are supposedly "enlightened," who follow the tenets of the one who disguises himself as an "angel of light," according to 2nd Corinthians 11.  We must identify ideas that are contrary to Scripture and speak truth in a compelling and compassionate way, with a firmness in our convictions, on a foundation built on Christ's principles.

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We are in a world that is full of spiritual warfare, and there are ideas that are inspired by God that conflict with those that are contrary to His ways - forces generating and driving the ideas.  And, we
are called to walk in the light. Ephesians 5 says:
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

I talk often about what messages that the media culture is attempting to send to us.  A recent story on The Guardian website mentions of few examples of what might be termed, "socially conscious" advertising.  One example the story uses is an ad for Airbnb that includes the words: “We believe no matter who you are, where you’re from, who you love, or who you worship, we all belong.”

This is just one example of how companies are attempting to reach younger people through their ads, by offering a "progressive" point of view.  The author of the Guardian article, who writes from a liberal perspective, it seems, Alissa Quart, writes:

...advertisers are constantly looking for future markets, and younger Americans are ostensibly more liberal than their parents. Brand loyalty starts in the cradle and ends in the grave, as I wrote in my first book, Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers. The increasingly progressive messages in marketing campaigns are clearly a mercenary attempt to entice millennials: they are trying to be “woke”.

Quart spoke with urbanist Richard L Florida about this, and wrote: "He thinks that these ads are reflecting a bifurcated country, one with different consumer tastes and different amounts to spend on said tastes: the Whole Foods shopper and the plain old grocery shopper, the 'creative class' member who drives the cliche Prius versus the equally cliche rancher driving the pickup truck.

But, Rob Briacco, a creative executive at the BAM Connection thinks that these “issue” ads "may warm the hearts of millennials," but he also says they are highly suspect”. Quart writes:

He highlighted the fakery of their woke-ness: “Companies are avidly and aggressively trying to get involved in a socially responsible space, and they are doing it horribly – they are grabbing at straws.

Briacco adds, “Sometimes...a Pringle is just a Pringle.”

So, it appears that this concept of being "woke," or the state of "wokeness" has something to do with social consciousness, being aware, in an enlightened sense.  A past generation might use the phrase "with it."  Millennials, in their quest to show their socially conscious bent, have coined that word and that concept.  The word is now on the MTV list of top 10 teen slang words.  And, pop star Katy Perry, in her pursuit toward reflecting a socially conscious rebranding, has come to be associated with that word, as in to be more "woke."  

There are actually two threads I wanted to explore:  One is the thought that there is a significant segment of the younger generation that is obsessed with matters of social re-engineering.  What has worked before isn't good enough, and now there is an expressed desire to turn things upside down. And, the more "enlightened" ones of the millennial generation embrace a variety of issues, many of which contradict the teachings of the Scriptures.  And, just a hunch, while people are now condemning and congratulating Katy Perry's quest to be "woke," there just may be a conflict between her Christian upbringing and finding an image that is  - well, not in line with that background.  Call it cognitive dissonance, if you will...that's at least what I'm picking up from the amateur analysts of the Internet.  

But, as these advertisers believe, and I do believe have a point about, there is a yearning among many for something outside of themselves, a greater cause, a reason to exist, a desire to belong; I don't necessarily think that is germaine to the 18-35-year-old demographic. That's the second thread - for the Christian, we don't need to be "woke," in the progressive sense, just awakened.  Because, perhaps we have been asleep to what is going on around us.  

We need to have an awakening of discernment and an awakening of realizing that God's truth provides the answers to the yearning of the heart, an antidote to the emptiness that many are seeking to fill.  The so-called "enlightened" ones turn their back on religious practice, but what has occurred is that they are duped by spiritual forces, influencing them to think that unbiblical social causes will somehow make the world a better place.  What makes the world a better place is not the empty philosophy of humanity, but a relationship with a living God.  Want to change the world?  A change of heart, or better said, a change in the human heart, can help people realize that there is Someone who is greater than themselves. 

Cost

The Lord desires for us to surrender our hearts to Him - to put aside selfish ambition in order to
receive what He wants to release in and through us. In Ephesians 5, Paul wrote:
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

The way is clear - we are called and empowered to reflect the nature of God.  We know the way in which we are to walk because He has given us His Word and His Spirit, activating our conscience to be able to discern what He intends.  He wants us to walk with clarity, demonstrating that we know Him by following His commands.  And, we know there will be a cost - but Jesus gave His life as a sacrifice and calls us to be living sacrifices, for His glory and honor.

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In John 12, Jesus taught about the importance of being willing to surrender all that we are and that we have in order to follow the will of the Father...in His case, it was to be crucified; in ours, to identify
with His crucifixion by living the surrendered life:
25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
27 "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour.
28 Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again."

There's an interesting story that has emerged in the midst of the fallout over the recent British Parliamentary elections, which saw Prime Minister Teresa May's majority decline; definitely not the result she had in mind when she called for those elections long before she could have.

Well, just this week, the leader of the United Kingdom's Liberal Democrat party, Tim Farron, suddenly resigned.  Here's what he said, according to a piece on the Christianity Today website:
“To be a political leader—especially of a progressive, liberal party in 2017—and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible’s teaching, has felt impossible for me..."

The article states that "An evangelical amid Anglicans, he faced accusations of harboring conservative theology within the liberal party, even when he made his liberal views clear."  For instance, the CT story refers to a story on the Guardian website from 2015, which reported on his response to a question related to the sinfulness of homosexuality, which quotes a Labour party deputy leader, Ben Bradshaw.  The story says:

Just one day into his role as leader, Farron on Friday night repeatedly avoided answering whether he regarded gay sex as a sin during a live television interview with Channel 4 News, saying that to “understand Christianity is to understand that we are all sinners”.

“For a Liberal, I thought his position seemed incredibly illiberal,” Bradshaw told Sky News. “Look, I don’t think you should condemn someone or feel they’re not fit for office just because they have religious faith. I’m a practising Anglican. I happen to be a liberal kind of Anglican, rather than a conservative evangelical, which it appears Tim Farron is.”

But, Farron has apparently been clear about his views in support of same-sex marriage, while avoiding comments about the sin issue.  Sounds like a possible internal conflict here...

Nick Spencer, research director with London-based Christian think tank Theos, is quoted as saying: “He could have slipped out the back door quietly, but instead chose to return to the moments of the election that were most uncomfortable for him: the interrogations he faced about his faith and his attitude to issues of human sexuality."  He added, "His conviction that his faith provoked a suspicion and intolerance among so-called ‘liberals’ is both an indictment and warning to our public life in Britain."

In his resignation speech, Farron stated:

To be a political leader—especially of a progressive, liberal party in 2017—and to live as a committed Christian, to hold faithfully to the Bible's teaching, has felt impossible for me. I'm a liberal to my finger tips, and that liberalism means that I am passionate about defending the rights and liberties of people who believe different things to me. There are Christians in politics who take the view that they should impose the tenets of faith on society, but I have not taken that approach because I disagree with it—it’s not liberal and it is counterproductive when it comes to advancing the gospel.

The Christianity Today article also quotes Dave Landrum, director of advocacy for the Evangelical Alliance in the UK, who said, "More than what Tim Farron espoused or how he had voted, he was pursued for what he believes, what he thinks.”

CT writer Kate Shellnutt said:

The pressure Farron felt rings familiar to American evangelicals, who are continually grappling with their place in public life and the future for their convictions. Earlier this month, a Trump administration appointee was challenged during his confirmation hearing over his belief in salvation through Christ alone. 

So, while I find myself at odds with some of the statements of Mr. Farron, his view of liberalism does seem to be different than what it has come to mean in America.  The liberals of today, in so many cases, require people to accept their points of view, while being intolerant of the views of others. Farron's brand of liberalism includes this tenet: "I am passionate about defending the rights and liberties of people who believe different things to me."  Interestingly enough, it seems he ran up against some more American-style liberals who did not allow him to retain or express his personal faith views.

There are certainly some valuable points to consider here.  One has to do with matters of conscience. Ultimately, Farron was torn by the conflict between being a political leader and a Christian example. He just could not find the balance.  And, so rather than live a life of duplicity, he chose to step away. He was lauded by Andrew Wilson, a British pastor and CT columnist, who described Farron’s resignation as “extraordinary, brave, and principled.”  Sometimes, an internal conflict will result in the necessity for action.  The challenge for each of us is to make sure that we are following our conscience, which is activated by the Holy Spirit, so that we act according to our deeply held Biblical beliefs.

There are two other words at play: clarity and cost.  We need to be clear about what we believe, and act according to those convictions, even though it may involve a cost.  Jesus called His disciples to bear the weight of sacrifice; to "take up our cross" and follow Him.  Our attempt to walk that road, following the clear direction of Scripture, may involve laying something down: our position, our power, our resources, sometimes even relationships.  But, obedience carries with it a rich reward and opens us up to greater blessings in the future.

Ready for "Incredible Things?"

Jesus was teaching in Matthew 10 about total humility, being willing to give everything for His glory. We read:
37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

This is the attitude and the positioning that God commands us to take - we are taught in Scripture to humble ourselves, to be willing to lay down everything, to take up His cross, and to be His disciple. We can be challenged to develop that selfless spirit, laying down our desires, our personal goals, our selfish ambition, the preservation of our very lives, in order that God might be glorified.  If we empty ourselves and allow the Spirit to fill us, then we can experience the abundant life that God has in store for us.

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We can be challenged to be willing to give it all, to give our ourselves, for the One Who gave
everything for us. A picture of humility, even through suffering, is found in 1st Peter 4:
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.
12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

It certainly had to be a joyous and anticipatory occasion, a group of young people from Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Huntsville, AL, travelling to the Atlanta airport to board a plane to the nation of Botswana.  Some might call it the trip of a lifetime.

But, the bus on which the youth group was riding overturned, causing dozens of injuries and the death of 17-year-old Sarah Hermening, according to the AJC.com website, which states that the driver, a volunteer bus driver for the church, has been charged with second-degree vehicular homicide.  He was also charged with "failure to maintain lane." He had been attempting to change lanes on Camp Creek Parkway, and collided with another vehicle, then swerved back left, entering the median, then flipping over another vehicle travelling in the other direction.

According to another AJC.com article, in her last journal entry prior to the trip, Sarah had written, "I was just reminded of why I’m here,” adding, “and that God called me here, and he’s done so for a reason. So I know he’s going to do incredible things.” The story said that Sarah's family had said at a news conference that she had been afraid to travel, but her "faith in God restored her confidence in going..."  Sarah's mom had "choked back tears" as she read that journal entry, which was later posted on Facebook.   She referred to 1st Peter 5 and 2nd Peter 1, writing about the devil roaring about and how she felt that would be happening on this trip; but, she also related about being alert and of sound mind, and "how we get to participate in the divine nature!"  The AJC story said that her grandmother told Channel 2 Action News that Sarah had graduated high school two weeks prior to the accident and had received a scholarship to Auburn.

Who knows how many people have been inspired by Sarah's final journal entry.  Even though Sarah is no longer on this earth, her legacy of faith lives on.

I think about someone else, a young person who lost her life during her high school years.  Her story is portrayed in the movie, I'm Not Ashamed.  Her name was Rachel Scott, and she lost her life in the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School.  Her mother, Beth Nimmo, wrote this for FoxNews.com:

Rachel left us a precious gift that was discovered after her death in her journals and writings. It was a journey of a Christian teen that loved the Lord but struggled every day to live out her faith among her peers. She wrote in brutal honesty about her failures, misgivings and insecurities of living in a world that mocked faith. The isolation of thinking that she was alone in her pursuit to be a light in a dark world and changing the world to one of starting a chain reaction of love and compassion.

Her writings were very prophetic to the point of leaving a drawing from that very morning of depicting 13 tears of one teacher and 12 students being killed on that fateful day. One day prior to the exact date of April 20th, in 1998 she wrote: “If I have to sacrifice everything to be with my best friend Jesus, I will -- I will take it.” One year later she kept that vow as she was mocked and challenged for her faith facing her shooters with a gun to her head.

Rachel, in a very real sense, saw her death coming.  Sarah did not, apparently, but was anticipating that God would do "incredible things."  I would dare say that those "incredible things" were redefined from what was expected.  So, God is using Sarah - and Rachel - even though they no longer reside on earth, to share about God's truth and His greatness.

Because God's ways are higher than our own.  That's a hard lesson to learn or grasp in the midst of tragedy, but we know that God will use the testimony of a person is ways we cannot clearly perceive.  God is using these tragedies for His glory

These two young ladies remind us how important it is for each person to be submitted to God's will. Despite the temptation to fear, we are called to be willing to give it all, to lay down our lives, for the glory of the name of Jesus, the One who was willing to lay down His life for us.  We can be inspired by God's Word to humble ourselves and allow Him to do those "incredible things" through us - those may not take the shape we may anticipate, but we recognize that He is in control and wants to use us completely for His honor.

Save Everyone

Salvation - accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord - is not the ending, but the beginning.  Our acceptance of Christ is an entry way into an abundant and, I would dare say, adventurous life.  Colossians 2
states:
6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

We have to regard salvation as a necessary first step into what God has in store for us.  And, He has provided eternal salvation for us, manifested when we arrive in heaven to live with Him for eternity. But, in the "in between" times, we are called to know Him better, to grow in Christ, and to fulfill the purpose that He has ordained for our lives.  We are called to be His disciples, and as we have experienced His love, we are also called to demonstrate that love to a lost world.

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God is working in the hearts of believers in Christ to the degree that we allow Him to have His way
in us. He is also calling believers, as well as non-believers, to experience the fullness of the salvation that Christ died to provide. Philippians 2 says:
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Sometimes you just don't know what God is doing in a person's life, but you can see His fingerprints. A few months ago, I delivered a commentary regarding Jordin Sparks, the former American Idol winner who seemed to have departed from a life of fervent faith.  Well, lo and behold, there she was on stage last Sunday sharing that her life had turned around as the result of attending an Easter service last year - Faithwire shared this relative to the Harvest America event.

“There was a lot of crazy chaos going on in my life and I was out partying and I just was hurting and I was trying to figure out what was going on,” she said. “So, I finally go, I get there … when I tell you Jesus met me there last Easter and he reawakened me.”

Sparks said that God “smacked” her back into gear, as she felt like Jesus was saying, “Get it together, Jordin.”

Caleb Parke is a columnist who has seen Selena Gomez at his home church in New York City.  He relates that she said this on a radio morning show recently:

“I haven’t really been all over the place lately and that’s kind of intentional. I think it’s important to balance out where I am and I’ve been doing this for a really long time and my sanity has meant everything to me, and a lot of that is my faith. I took 90 days off, I went away, I was very vocal about it because to me, where I get my confidence is my vulnerability. I can’t sit there and pretend that everything is good because I’ve done that for years, and it doesn’t really work for me.”

She related, "I have such a heart for people…I wish I could save everyone."

Parke pointed out that Selena had written a worship song, which she sang with Hillsong Young &Free at a concert in Los Angeles.  He quoted from a CBN story, which reported that she said at the 2016 concert: "It’s more than Hillsong. It’s more than me coming on stage and singing a song for you. It’s about a relationship that is greater than anything,” she said.

“I wrote this song about the one thing that holds it all together for me even when I can’t bear to do it myself,” she continued. "The song is called, ‘Nobody.'"

Parke closes out his article by saying:

And before you start criticizing Selena Gomez for not being who you think she should be, why not say a prayer for her? Same goes for criticism of Pastor Carl Lentz and Hillsong Church — I know I’m guilty of it.

Good point, and while there are definitely concerns - her association with 13 Reasons Why and her high-profile, jet-setting romance with pop star, The Weeknd, perhaps you could say that God has her attention - and there does seem to be a response.

Many people these days identify with faith, or even identify as a Christian.  That's the entry point; it's not the end unto itself.  So often, with high-profile people, they talk about the things of the Lord, but you sometimes wonder what the personal walk is like. But, they may not be the model of what the life of a disciple looks like.  Caleb's got a point - it's easy to criticize; and prayer can be an appropriate response.

The takeaway for each of us is to consider what the life of a disciple really looks like.  We can talk about God, we can identify as a Christian, but we have to ask: are we exhibiting the character of a true follower?   We can be challenged to think about whether or not, in our everyday existence, if our life comes across as distinct.  Or, is our life just routine?

It's easy to criticize the celebrity; and we can get caught up in conversation criticizing the church or the messenger of the Lord.  Yes, discernment is good and healthy, but when it devolves into negativity, then we have to stop, take a deep breath, and make sure that we are making a proper and helpful evaluation of our own lives.   None of us have arrived, and we have to make sure we are allowing God to work in our lives and trust He is working in those who are making a move toward growing in faith and knowledge of Him.

No Pride

The Bible, I believe, calls us to be compassionate and civil people, firm in our convictions, which
includes how we approach others, making sure we are reflecting Christ's character. 1st Peter 3 says:
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

It is very easy to be reactionary in our culture today.  Anger that is directed toward Christians has the potential to yield a similar response.  But, that's not the way the Scriptures teach, and we have the power to bless, even when we are not being blessed, or perhaps when we are being "blessed out." When we are in an adversarial situation or find ourselves in a disagreement with the temperatures rising, we can depend on the Lord to provide clarity, compassion, and a cool demeanor.

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It can be rather difficult to navigate this culture, especially when people of faith generally are being mischaracterized as being less than cooperative.  Colossians 3 offers us a great template for living
compassionate, Christ-reflecting lives:
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.

The question of new laws allegedly protecting LGBT individuals was put to survey participants by Gallup recently, and according to this survey, it appears Americans are split on two issues concerning sexual orientation and gender identity: whether or not there should be any laws reducing gay individuals from what is termed "discrimination" and whether or not transgender individuals should use the restroom corresponding to their gender, according to biology, or their supposed "gender identity."

Regarding the question about whether or not new civil rights laws are needed to protect LGBT individuals, the Gallup summary states that: "Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults say such laws are needed, while 46% say they are not."  A CNSNews.com story gives this summary about some of the subgroups:

Although a Gallup poll shows that Americans are split over whether new laws are needed to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, the same survey shows that strong majorities of male adults, weekly church goers, conservatives, and Republicans believe no new laws are needed.

On the flip side, strong majorites of women, young people, Democrats, and liberals believe more laws are needed.

The story points out that "for American adults who attend church weekly, 59% said no new LGBT laws are needed..."  It also states: "Fifty-five percent of adults who 'attend church less often' and 'nearly weekly/monthly' support enacting new laws for LGBT people."

This reminds me of a great quote from current Housing and Urban Development Secretary Dr. Ben Carson.  LifeSiteNews.com, in reporting about Carson's confirmation hearing, states:

“Of course, I would enforce all the laws of the land,” Carson said. “Of course, I think all Americans should be protected by the law.”

He then added, “What I have said before is I don’t think anyone should get ‘extra rights.’”

And, he was specifically referring to those in the LGBT community, who, I believe, have created a narrative of so-called "discrimination" so that they can contend for "special" rights.

Also, the Gallup poll expressed the explosive "transgender bathroom" issue, which did not seem to be a problem, until activists began trying to create a special right based on a flawed narrative. Flashpoints included high profile battles in Houston and Charlotte; in the latter situation, the state of North Carolina passed HB2 to fight back.  And, the previous Administration issued a directive that was interpreted to be threatening federal aid if schools across the U.S. did not provide special accommodations for students to use the bathroom or locker room corresponding to their declared "gender identity."

The Gallup summary says:

Currently, Americans are split on what public restroom access policies should be -- they are about as likely to say transgender individuals should be required to use a bathroom that corresponds to their birth gender (48%) as to say a transgender person should be allowed to use a bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity (45%). Seven percent have no opinion on the issue.

According to CNSNews.com, 63% of weekly church attendees believe that transgender persons should use the restroom corresponding to their "birth gender." 56% of those who "attend church less often" support transgender individuals using the facility corresponding to their gender identity.

June is typically Gay Pride Month, and is marked by marches and parades, including public displays of affection that many would find revolting.  So far, there does not seem to have been a proclamation by the White House of a special LGBT month.  And, while the LGBT activists want to impose their lifestyle and perceived "rights" on the culture, perhaps they need to do some policing of their own culture.

A recent USA Today story actually took a rather ominous direction from the standard contentions of hate and violence toward LGBT individuals.  It quoted a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The story said that:

• 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, compared with 35% of heterosexual women.
• Half of bisexual women will experience sexual violence at some point in their lifetimes.
• 26% of gay men and 37% of bisexual men experience rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner, compared with 29% of heterosexual men.
• Bisexual women are stalked twice as much as straight women.

The story says that according to Beth Hamilton, associate director at the Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence, "statistics likely don't reveal how pervasive sexual violence is in the LGBTQ community." The article points out that "Sexual assault is a notoriously under-reported crime, and advocates suspect the rates of reporting are even lower for LGBTQ survivors."

The gay community should take no pride in these statistics, and I would contend should take no pride in its brazen attempt to force other people, people who hold to the Scriptures, for instance, to accept their lifestyle.  As Carson said, all people should have equal protection under the law; I would contend that's justice.  But, people should not have "extra" rights.  That's activism.

And, beyond the crusade for special rights, these activists want to silence the people of faith who just want to exercise the rights that they have under the Constitution.  We are guaranteed freedom of speech and freedom of religion.  But, our religious faith is being mischaracterized as bigoted or intolerant because it doesn't agree with their own agenda.  I think Christians should be able to think and speak in opposition to homosexual behavior in the same way that LGBT individuals support their own behavior.  And, they should not be subject to rude and abhorrent acts by those who disagree; I think people of faith get that and respect that, despite the attempt to misrepresent people's faith perspectives.

It will continue to be a challenge to navigate.  But, in response to "gay pride," we as Christian believers can practice Christ's compassion for all people and not be intimidated when we sense that we are being wrongfully branded for it.  We can continue to be vessels to be used by God to speak truth and to radiate His nature.

Liberation

In the book of 2nd Peter chapter 1, Peter wrote:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

God's promises are true and absolutely reliable to address the challenges we encounter in our daily lives.  We know more about Him through a careful consumption of the Scriptures and we discover that we truly have powerful resources that can be directly applied to our decisions.  We can develop a willingness to use these principles in order to confront those things which hold us in bondage, that restrict us from living a meaningful, abundant, and triumphant life that He desires for us.

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God's Word contains power and instruction in order to see lives transformed by the presence of
Christ. 2nd Timothy 3 says:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We are hearing reports about what is being termed the "opioid crisis" - it is affecting America, and according to a recent Religion News Service story, it is adversely impacting Canada, as well, and the story highlights a potential solution, and it deals with applying Biblical principles.

The report states that:

In 2016 more than 900 people in British Columbia died of drug overdoses, a record and an 80 percent increase from 2015. The culprit: fentanyl, an opioid painkiller 100 times more powerful than morphine. The smallest error in dosage can be fatal.

Overprescription of opioid painkillers created demand for the powerful drugs. In the early 2000s Canadians were being prescribed opioids such as oxycodone even for chronic pain. Illicit manufacturers soon began producing fentanyl pills using cheap, easily imported chemicals from China. First responders started seeing staggering numbers of overdoses.

In Vancouver, Christian-based recovery ministries are attempting to address the problem.  The story highlighted a man named Freddy, who suffered from addiction and tried out four different rehab programs. He then came to Luke 15 House, described as "a faith-based recovery center." Freddy, who is 33 years old, stated, "I always felt like there was something missing.” He said that "Other programs don’t talk about God or faith." The article relates that he also was able on occasion to "pay off house managers to let him stay out all night or get high.

The RNS piece says that:

While publicly funded agencies focus on harm reduction measures – such as distributing naloxone kits to counteract overdoses – the 19 Christian-run recovery homes and other Christian outreach services in the area seek to address the spiritual emptiness that pastoral workers here believe is one of the key factors in drug addiction.

Jeremy Ruud, a recovering heroin addict who serves as the program director at Luke 15, said, "Having an encounter with Jesus breaks every chain in our lives..."

But, the need is great and the beds available are limited, according to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report from last year.   Other ministries are spotlighted in the RNS article, highlighting the challenges of helping former addicts stay clean and getting plugged in to a healthy lifestyle.

I sense that we may be hearing more about this opioid crisis in America.  It even became an issue in the Presidential race last year, as it became a topic of discussion in the period leading up to the New Hampshire primary.  And, in the area of drug and alcohol addiction, Bible-based recovery programs have a great opportunity to lead the way in addressing the substance issues and providing healing and deliverance for those in bondage.

I found this information relative to a Christian recovery program, Teen Challenge.  This was on the Teen Challenge Wisconsin website:

After Teen Challenge was started the National Institute of Drug Abuse asked Rev. David Wilkerson how successful he thought his program was. Rev. Wilkerson thought that 70% of the Teen Challenge graduates were living drug free lives. Soon after this the federal government funded a one year study on the Teen Challenge program.

Graduates were contacted all over the United States and asked to participate in the study. At that time heroin was the major drug of choice. After completing their work a study was published presenting a 87.5% cure rate for Teen Challenge graduates.

We can rejoice that the Bible does provide the answers to the challenges we face in this life.  The addict, the person who is beset by habits that can totally wreck his or her life, can find hope and power through the Word of God.  We can always be reminded that careful study and application of the Scriptures can produce God's intended result - for His glory.

On a grander scale, our culture needs to experience these reliable principles.  Unfortunately, the delusion of separating faith from public assistance has the potential to leave many in their bondage. The faith community has some workable solutions, and it's always encouraging when that is recognized and integrated.

A recent report on the Yellowhammer News website related that:

Hale and Bibb County District Attorney Michael Jackson is urging local churches to participate in his “adopt a gang member” program, which he hopes will encourage gang members to lean on faith instead of violence.

“We can’t bury our heads in the sand. I want this to be effective,” Jackson told WSFA in an interview last week.

“What we’re trying to do is develop a conscience for some of these young folks. We don’t want them killing people, robbing people and they don’t even blink an eye,” he later added.

Jackson’s initiative suggests that churches seek opportunities to mentor those involved in gangs, or even provide them with accountable leadership positions. He believes it will provide a way out for those caught up in criminal activity.

Jackson met recently in Selma, which is also included in his overall district, with around 50 local pastors to encourage them to be involved.  

Spelling

God desires for us to be diligent students of the Word of God, so that we can experience more of what He has in store for us. Colossians 3 states:
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.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

God wants us to take the reading of and instruction from the Word and develop wisdom - so that we may apply His truth to the decisions we must make on a consistent basis.  I believe we are called to go beyond just knowing Scripture, but really allowing that truth to become part of us.  The Word is alive, and by study, memorization, and meditation, we can discover how it will operate through us, so that we might be conformed to the image and will of the Lord.

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God's words to Joshua as he prepared to lead the children of Israel can be instructive for us.  Let's go
to the first chapter of the book of Joshua:
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

How good of a speller are you?  Well, maybe you could give 12-year-old Ananya Vinay of Fresno, CA a run for her money. She is the most recent Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. According to SBNation.com, she defeated 14-year-old Rohan Rajeev of Edmond, OK in the 20th round of 25 possible championship rounds. The final words she spelled included "gifblaar” and “marocain."

By the way, "marocain" is defined at Dictionary.com as: "a crepe fabric made of silk, wool, or rayon, or a combination of thesefibers, and distinguished by a strong rib effect, used in the manufactureof dresses and women's suits; a heavy Canton crepe."

Recently, there was an article that appeared on the Reader's Digest website, highlighting a Google Trends study about the most searched-for words in each state.  The word was paired with the telling phrase, "how do you spell...?"

The results are rather interesting, and in some cases, humorous.  The story says:

“Pneumonia,” with its silent p, was understandably tricky for residents of Alabama, Maine, and Washington. “Beautiful” stumped Californians and New Yorkers, as well as Kentuckians, Minnesotans, and Ohioans. Even words with less than five letters, like quote, sense, and liar, seemed to baffle Americans from Rhode Island to Oregon.

The real puzzle in this social experiment, however, was Wisconsin. Its residents needed the most help spelling their own state’s name. Really?

At least people living Connecticut and West Virginia can walk away with their heads held high. Both searched how to spell “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” the most often. Now that’s a real tongue twister.

The story included the Google Trends map that was posted on Twitter.  Some other notable spelling searches included: "gray" with an "a" in Georgia, "receipt" from Florida, and a couple of Bible-related words: "hallelujah" in Delaware and Indiana and "angel" in North Carolina.

This is a fun and informative exercise.  Also, I did think it was interesting that the Spelling Bee was broadcast live by sports network ESPN.

And, you may can learn about the meaning of certain unfamiliar words if you were to watch the Bee.

So, are there some takeaways for us as believers here?  Oh, sure...first of all, I think we can always stand to grow in our thirst for knowledge.   God wants us to use our minds, and training our minds and sharpening our skills can always be beneficial.  I think it can always be helpful to expand our vocabulary, especially with regard to words from the Scriptures.

And, as we learn more concepts and principles from the Bible, we recognize that God doesn't merely call us to know a word, spell a word, or know its definition.  Reading and memorizing Scripture can certainly stimulate the brain.  But, I believe that He wants us to take those foundational skills and build upon them.  We can strive for meaning more than mechanics - we can read, but we can also be motivated to study; we can memorize - and that's good - and He would also be pleased as we meditate, allowing the Spirit to show us how to apply His truth in our lives.

We can also be reminded that God's Word is powerful.  Hebrews 4 tells us that it is living and active - Jesus was the Word become flesh.  If we want to know Jesus more deeply, we discover more about Him through the Word.  As we meditate on and apply the Scriptures in areas of our lives, we can connect with the resources we need to live an abundant life.

By the way, a different type of Bee is on Facebook Live tonight at the ChristianCinema.com page - the National Bible Bee finals in the junior division.

Through the Water

Throughout our lives as Christians, we can experience the blessing and freedom of a new heart and a clean conscience. Isaiah 1 says this:
16 "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.
18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the Lord, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool...

Think about that...sins that have been forgiven, washed away by the power of God released in our lives.  That is the story of the born-again Christian, who has experienced putting the old person to death through believing on Jesus, Who died for us, and has been raised up to new life in Him.  Water baptism is an expression of that inward act, communicating powerfully what God has done in the heart of a believer.  We indeed can be made clean and whole through our relationship with Christ.

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We have been born again, transformed by the power of God, and the process is summarized in
Romans chapter 6:
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,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

The Southern Baptist Convention meets this week in Phoenix, and each year, prior to the start of the event, LifeWay releases the Annual Church Profile - it's essentially a check-up in key areas of ministry by the convention and its churches.

The 2016 report contains some good news and some areas of concern, according to an article on the Profile by Baptist Press.  Seemingly the most notable is the number of churches - there were almost 500 more Southern Baptist churches in 2016 than in the previous year.  There are now over 47,000.

And, while these churches represent 15.2 million members, the overall membership and worship attendance were off slightly - membership down just over half a percent, or almost 78 thousand people.  But weekly attendance was off 6.75 percent, to 5.2 million.

With regard to baptisms, there were almost 281 thousand people who were baptized in 2016, which is almost a 5 percent decline from the previous year.

LifeWay President and CEO Thom S. Rainer put it in perspective: "We would be remiss in not giving thanks for every baptism and every new follower of Christ."  He pointed out that there has been a decline in baptisms among Southern Baptists over the past few years, and stated: "It's clear that evangelism and discipleship are waning. I don't believe it is due to the lack of opportunities, though. Instead, there is a lack of engagement."

The story continues:

Rainer said he is thankful for SBC President Steve Gaines' emphasis on prayer for spiritual awakening at this year's annual meeting.

Frank S. Page, SBC Executive Committee president and CEO, noted "virtually everyone who sees these figures will react negatively and lament the poor state of our churches, our lack of evangelistic fervor, and our increasingly irrelevant programs. Indeed, we all should.

"However, the stark reality of these numbers should cause each of us to look inwardly," he said. "Am I sharing the Gospel as I should? Am I developing relationships with family, friends, coworkers and others with whom I can gain an opportunity to share the good news? Am I burdened for the lost and praying for their salvation?"

I believe that baptism is an outward sign or expression of the inward work that Christ has done in our hearts.  It's been characterized as an act of obedience in following the Lord.

A little over a month ago, Baptists were baptizing in Florida in a concerted effort called "Acts 2:41 Sunday."  Baptist Press had an article on the effort.  It stated:

From the sandy white Gulf beaches of Perdido Key in Pensacola to the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean that stretch from Jacksonville to Miami; from the Suwannee River to lakes and state parks in every region, thousands of Florida Baptists and onlookers gathered to celebrate and witness the hundreds of Christians who publicly professed their faith through baptism.

The piece said that 112 churches participated and 1,300 people were baptized in one day.  The story said:

Tommy Green, executive director-treasurer of the Florida Baptist Convention, created Acts 2:41 Sunday and challenged Florida Baptist churches to engage in the effort. "My desire was to celebrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a unified manner across our state," Green said. The idea was sparked after a conversation with David Uth, pastor of First Baptist Church of Orlando, about the church's annual beach baptism celebrations.

One church, Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, performed 82 baptisms. Pastor Willy Rice is quoted as saying that the church "rejoiced over powerful stories of faith," adding, "Specific baptism events like Acts 2:41 help our church focus on intentional evangelism...It makes you focus, ask the question, draw the net, and seek a response. People respond when we directly, lovingly and clearly invite them to respond. Acts 2:41 gave us a great opportunity to call people to respond to the message, and I'm grateful for that."

So, from the numbers, Southern Baptists, and the body of Christ as a whole, can celebrate the hundreds of thousands nationwide who have made a profession of faith in Jesus and followed Him in baptism.  Again, the public nature of the profession of faith of a new believer sends the message to others about what Christ has done in their hearts.  Acts 2:41 did that in a creative way.

We can also remember what baptism communicates.  Romans is very clear that the old person has been crucified with Christ and the new person is raised to new life.  Baptism is a reinforcement of the newness of life which we have in Him.

We can also rejoice that because of what Jesus has done, our sins have been washed away. The Bible says that our sins have been cast from the east to the west.  He has come to forgive us, and we remember that as new creations, our past history has been wiped away - we can start with a clean slate.  His blood has cleansed us, and as the Bible teaches, our sins have now been made white as snow.  It is a blessing and a cause for rejoicing that we have been made clean!

Beware of Blind Spots

In Psalm 119, which is devoted to upholding the authority of the Word of God in the life of a believer, we can read this:
18 Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.
19 I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.
20 My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.

We need to have our spiritual eyes opened, allowing the Spirit of God to illuminate our hearts, so that we can deal with blind spots that we may possess, areas in which the Spirit would want to work to bring us to a fuller understanding of God's truth.  We also need to be sensitive to the ways in which our witness for Christ is discredited by actions that don't line up with the teachings of Scripture.  As we seek to know Him, we can trust Him to lovingly guide us into the ways He has ordained for us.

+++++

We have to be on guard against spiritual blind spots that can deceive our hearts and water down our witness.  In a prayer in Ephesians 1, Paul wrote this:
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power...

It's been quite a week for the Fisher family of Nashville.  Mike Fisher is part of the most popular act in Music City these days - no, he's not known as a singer and a musician; rather, he's playing for the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup.  His team was shut down last night, but the Preds return to home ice Sunday night for a Game 6 that they have to win to stay alive.

His wife wrote this about him on Instagram:

I love this man more than words can express. I am beyond proud of him...he is an amazing man of God. He loves his family, his friends and his job. He deserves nothing but he best in this world, because he gives nothing but his best to it! I am amazed every single day at the kind of human he is! I love you, baby!

Later in the week, Mike's wife was thanking God for their blessings.  Faithwire, in reporting on this week's CMT Awards in Nashville, stated that in accepting the prize for Female Video of the Year, she said: “Thank you God for so many incredible blessings” adding, “Me and my husband… there’s a lot going on in our lives. We are so thankful and so blessed. Go Preds!”

So, in case you didn't know who I am referring to, Mike Fisher of the Nashville Predators is married to country music superstar Carrie Underwood.  Faithwire also spotlighted Carrie's surprise appearance at the Passion conference in Atlanta this year, taking the stage with David Crowder.

Mike Fisher has this Scripture on his Instagram profile: "John 3:30 He must become greater, I must become less."  A CBN profile of the hockey star highlighted how he came to know the Lord and included an excerpt from his book, Defender of the Faith, regarding young people being bold about their faith. The article quotes Fisher:

“I want them to just stand up, be able to, you know, be proud of their faith, not be scared of it.” says Mike. “It’s something to be definitely proud of, and be able to share it. Whatever God’s gifted you with or put the Lord at the center of it. And there’s no way to peace and happiness like the Lord can bring. And it’s exciting because it’s free. You don’t have to go out and earn it. You just got to accept it.”

On Fridays, I take a look at how God shows up in celebrity culture.  And, while hopefully, the Fishers acknowledgement of the Lord can make a statement about him, there is an aspect of the Fishers' lives that is troubling - I don't question their sincerity or devotion, and they, like all of us, are certainly not perfect in their walk.  But, here is something that needs to be addressed:

Mike and Carrie Fisher attend GracePointe Church outside Nashville.  Around the same time Carrie made a statement in 2012 about her support for gay marriage, the church underwent a metamorphosis on its position on sexuality, according to a TIME Magazine article.   Here is that original quote from the UK website, The Independent:

"As a married person myself, I don't know what it's like to be told I can't marry somebody I love, and want to marry," she said. "I can't imagine how that must feel. I definitely think we should all have the right to love, and love publicly, the people that we want to love."

In 2015, according to the TIME article, the church's pastor, Stan Mitchell, issued a welcoming statement affirming LGBT members in the congregation, including these words:

"Full privileges are extended now to you with the same expectations of faithfulness, sobriety, holiness, wholeness, fidelity, godliness, skill, and willingness. That is expected of all. Full membership means being able to serve in leadership and give all of your gifts and to receive all the sacraments; not only communion and baptism, but child dedication and marriage."

A 2015 article on the Nashville Scene website details the acceptance of full LGBT inclusion by worship leader and former Avalon member Melissa Greene.  It also details the effect of the philosophy on the congregation.

"We've lost half our church," Greene says, adding that some who left were major donors. New members who've joined since Jan. 11 — roughly 30 percent of whom identify as LGBT — have offset those losses somewhat, but Mitchell estimates attendance is still down 30 percent from last year. The church has cut staff and expenses to the bone. Mitchell puts the current annual budget for church expenses at $1.3 million; as for revenue, he expects to bring in approximately $900,000 this year. "You can do the math pretty quickly and see that's not going to work long term," he says.

Dan Scott of Christ Church, where Stan Mitchell once preached, wrote an open letter to his congregation.  The Scene article recounts:

In early February, Scott posted an open letter to his congregation at Christ Church explaining the theological basis for his differences with Mitchell.

"I don't believe that a single isolated pastor or believer can diverge on the basics of Christian faith that widely and remain connected to the historic stream of Christianity. I think you cease being an orthodox Christian," he tells the Scene.

But Scott says he respects Mitchell for taking a firm stand and acknowledges the social price he will pay. "Like Stan, I believe it is important—vitally important—to think seriously about issues like the one he has spoken about," he writes in his letter. "It is spiritually irresponsible and cowardly to ignore them."

So, churches are grappling with how to handle the issue Biblically.  While homosexuality is certainly taught as sinful behavior, churches recognize this is a prevalent social issue and have to respond in a compassionate manner, without endorsing the sin itself.  Unfortunately, too many churches, even in so-called "evangelical" circles, in the rush to be seen as accepting, reject clear, traditional, and Biblical teaching on the definition of marriage.

It is a blind spot, certainly.  One that Carrie Underwood and presumably, Mike Fisher, possess.  And, so we come to our first takeaway:  internally, we have to be sensitive to the theologically and behavioral "blind spots" in our lives.  We have to be willing to search the Scriptures and allow the Spirit of God to take us where the Bible leads.  Our perspective can be, Scripture first, then personal application.  Not: personal philosophy and then attempting to make the Bible fit what we already believe.

I do like to call attention to high-profile people who are talking about God.  We certainly need more awareness of Him in our culture today.  And, the Fishers certainly appear to be sincere in their pursuit of faith.  Unfortunately, Carrie's willingness to "go public" with this harmful point of view does not contribute to a reinforcement of the Biblical perspective on marriage.  I believe this damages her credibility as a professing Christian - we have to be on guard about our external proclamations and actions, making sure that we are upholding the teachings of Scripture.

Supporting the LGBT agenda these days might score points in popular culture, but it is certainly not contributing to the positive witness of churches who, like GracePointe, choose to compromise on matters of sexuality.  The decline of mainline denominations due to their departure from the truths of Scripture, including embracing homosexuality, is well-documented.   One of the jurisdictions of the United Methodist Church just allowed its first transgender person to serve in leadership, prompting Thomas Lambrecht of the Good News movement in the UMC to say, according to UMC.org, that most in his group "likely would maintain that people 'ought to live in accord with their biological gender.'"  Lambrecht added, "We would of course wish to welcome transgender people into our churches and offer them the ministry of the church,” adding, “We would probably draw the line at leadership, seeing transgender persons as not qualified for leadership (either clergy or lay).”  He believes the jurisdiction was premature in its move.

These instances should continue to motivate us to contend compassionately for the truth.