Celebrate!

Jesus continued to teach in the days leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection.  In Matthew 22,
He is teaching about the significance of the resurrection - to people that did not believe in the concept:
31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,
32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
33 And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

We also know that Jesus described Himself as the "resurrection and the life."  Shortly before His body was bruised and His blood was spilled, He illustrated what was to come through the Lord's Supper, through communion.  We reflect on the cruelty and the sufficiency of His death - sufficient to be a satisfactory sacrifice for our sins.  And, not only did He pay the price, but He rose from the dead, making it possible for us not only to be forgiven, but to become new creatures in Christ.  The events of Holy Week have personal significance for each of us, and we have the opportunity to consider more fully what He has done.

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In 1st Corinthians 15, Paul expresses the glorious hope of the resurrection of Christ. We can read:
13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.
14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.
15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up--if in fact the dead do not rise.
16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.
17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

Easter is such an important holiday - without the resurrection, then we simply have a Good Friday funeral.  Without the resurrection, Christmas loses its impact.

This coming Sunday, Christians across America and around the world will celebrate our risen Lord on Easter Sunday.  And, that celebration, according to a new study by WalletHub, will be drawing people to church.

The survey says that 81% of Americans plan to celebrate Easter and 50.5% say they plan to attend church this Sunday.  Easter is rated as the most popular church day, ahead of Christmas and Mother's Day.

The survey also notes that 71% of those surveyed identified as Christians.

Easter is a holiday that yields quite a bit of spending, as well, with 18.2 billion dollars expected to be spent this year.  5.7 billion will be spent on food, 2.9 billion on gifts, and 2.6 billion on candy.

Easter is certainly a time of families and friends getting together, perhaps to share a meal.  Just over 6-in-10 plan to visit family and friends on Easter.  Just under 6-in-10 plan to cook an Easter meal.

The WalletHub summary states:

Easter also is a big donation day for U.S. churches, thanks to the year’s highest attendance rates. It’s a significant revenue-driver for companies in the candy business. And it’s a source of divisiveness for those who feel strongly about the best way to eat a chocolate bunny or the best filling for a chocolate egg.

This is certainly a big day for the Church, because it gives us the opportunity to consider what Jesus has done for us and to communicate His hope to the world.  And, in this special season, even amidst the secular celebration, it might appear that the world just may be paying attention.  The resurrection of Christ represents to people the hope of new life, the invitation into an exciting relationship with a risen Savior.  While Good Friday commemorates His death, which is very important, we can experience life transformation because Jesus defeated death - He is risen and alive this very moment. And, He lives in the hearts of His people.

For individual Christians, this is a time not only for consideration and communication, but also cooperation.  The death and resurrection of Christ are central truths that unite us.  We can boldly demonstrate to the world that He is Lord and that He expresses Himself through His people, His body - the visible manifestation of our Savior to a world that needs to see His light.

Rules and Woes

In the Word of God, we find reliable and powerful principles in order to live a life that pleases God and is productive for His Kingdom, based on our love relationship with Jesus.  In Psalm 119, we can
read:
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!
12 Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes!
13 With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.

God desires for us to adhere to His principles and recognize that His Word contains powerful resources - Hebrews reminds us that His Word is living and active, and we can receive incredible power as we study and meditate on the Scriptures.  His Word provides instruction by which we live and information by which we grow.  If we want to be strong in the Lord, we can know that God's Word can contribute to that strength within.

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In Matthew 23, in this Holy Week snapshot, we find Jesus teaching and taking aim at the corrupt
religious practice that had permeated the Jewish faith. We read:
10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

It wasn't too long ago that a Canadian professor received attention for his opposition to a Canadian bill called C-16, which, according to the BBC, "prohibits discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act on the basis of gender identity and expression."  That bill actually passed the following summer. 

The professor, Jordan Peterson of the University of Toronto was...

...especially frustrated with being asked to use alternative pronouns as requested by trans students or staff, like the singular 'they' or 'ze' and 'zir', used by some as alternatives to 'she' or 'he'.

In his opposition, he set off a political and cultural firestorm that shows no signs of abating.

He is quoted as saying, "I've studied authoritarianism for a very long time - for 40 years - and they're started by people's attempts to control the ideological and linguistic territory," adding, "There's no way I'm going to use words made up by people who are doing that - not a chance."

Peterson's latest claim to fame is a book called, 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, as well as a lecture series.  Peterson, in some circles, has become an intellectual phenomenon.  A quick-start guide to the "rules" for you now, from The Guardian website:

Rule 1 Stand up straight with your shoulders back
Rule 2 Treat yourself like you would someone you are responsible for helping
Rule 3 Make friends with people who want the best for you
Rule 4 Compare yourself with who you were yesterday, not with who someone else is today
Rule 5 Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them
Rule 6 Set your house in perfect order before you criticise the world
Rule 7 Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient)
Rule 8 Tell the truth – or, at least, don’t lie
Rule 9 Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t
Rule 10 Be precise in your speech
Rule 11 Do not bother children when they are skate-boarding
Rule 12 Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street

And, there you have it - and perhaps one day, I'll compare each individual rule with the teachings of Scripture.  It is rather intriguing to see articles being written about how closely - or not - that Peterson tracks with Christianity.  There is some overlap, but I have not seen anywhere any writing that makes the case that he is a Bible-believing Christian.

Rules are important.  Now, Peterson's rules might better be described as guidelines or guardrails.  Maybe simply principles.  Petting a cat doesn't constitute a rule, but it may propel us to appreciate the simple things of life.  Rule 6, about setting your own house in order before criticizing the world, is certainly a wise saying and would greatly benefit our perspective and practice.

The Bible contains a thorough set of principles by which we can live - and a study of God's Word and absorption into our hearts and minds can enable us to release God's power to follow His Word.

During Holy Week, Jesus did quite a bit of teaching - and in Matthew 23, we see a set of principles - you might describe them as "Christ's 8 Woes for Learning."  Here's the summary:
#1 - Don't try to keep people from entering the Kingdom of Heaven (v.13)
#2 - Don't pray pretentious prayers (and take special care of the widows) (v. 14)
#3 - Don't corrupt those whom you win to the faith by your bad behavior (v. 15)
#4 - Don't exalt the gold of the Temple over the Temple itself; or, don't exalt the gift over the giver (v.16)
#5 - Don't give of worldly possessions without possessing heavenly character, including justice, mercy, and faith (v. 23)
#6 - Don't clean up the outside without dealing with a corrupt heart on the inside (v. 25)
#7 - Don't try to project a righteous appearance for unrighteous motives (v. 27)
#8 - Don't pridefully say that you would not repeat the mistakes of your predecessors (v.29)

The religious leaders of Jesus' day had created a system that really contradicted the heart of God, and Jesus was calling them out for it.  This leads to our first takeaway when we consider lists of rules or guidelines - whatever "system" of principles we follow should first and foremost line up with Scripture.

Jesus was calling the "scribes and Pharisees" to examine their hearts - and during this Holy Week, we can carefully look into our own hearts, making sure that we are intent on loving Jesus and appropriating what He has done for us in the cross into our own lives.  We have to move beyond showy religion into a sincere encounter with the living God.

Finally, we should have principles that we follow.  And, we should also have discernment - because not all seemingly "good advice" is Godly counsel.   From Biblically-based principles, we develop convictions that serve us well in our walk with Him.

Q&A

Jesus engaged with those to whom He ministered on earth, and He wants to engage with us.  Isaiah 1
says:
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.

God is calling us to come before Him and to bring the questions, the concerns, the desires of our hearts before Him - He wants us to communicate with Him, and He teaches us how to engage with other people.  He does desire to walk with us through the difficult times we face and the challenging issues that we grapple with.  But, He is patient and kind toward us, full of compassion, and willing to share His wisdom so that we might apply it and share it with others.

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Jesus was attending the Feast of the Passover just days before He, our Passover Lamb, would be sacrificed for our sins.  He made good use of that time there - in the latter chapters of the gospels, you read about His teaching.  And, He engaged the religious leaders in the temple.  Luke 20 states:
1 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him
2 and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?"
3 But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:
4 The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"
5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
6 But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."
7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

8 And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Jesus was not only about doing wondrous works - healing the sick and demonstrating His power over the work of the enemy - He taught the principles of the Kingdom.  And, as we see here, He had the boldness to engage with people with whom He disagreed.  

The ministry of Focus on the Family, whose radio program airs at 8:30 on weekday mornings on Faith Radio, decided to invite someone who had disagreed with them to be part of a special event recently.  HBO, you see, has a program called, Last Week Tonight, hosted by John Oliver.  He picked a fight with the daughter of Vice President Pence.  Her name is Charlotte, and she wrote and her mom illustrated a book called, Marlon Bundo's Day in the Life of the Vice President.  The main character is actually based on a real-life pet rabbit.

ChristianHeadlines.com reported that Oliver wrote a parody of Charlotte's book:

Although the book is not political in nature, Oliver used it to mock the Vice President’s views on abortion and gay marriage.

Oliver changed the book’s title and created a scenario in which Pence, portrayed as a stink bug, tries to stop two gay rabbits from getting married.

Townhall.com said:

HBO's John Oliver likes the rabbit (how can you not?) but he was so offended by one stop on Marlon's book tour that he dedicated a whole segment to it on his program Sunday night. Using the pet to make a point about Vice President Mike Pence's anti-LGBT agenda, Oliver informed his audience that the tour is stopping at a conservative organization called Focus on the Family. Cue a rant about how the group is anti-LGBT and how Pence has long praised their efforts. So, Oliver offered his own bunny book, one that features a gay protagonist. He urged his audience to buy one of his books instead, because it would benefit LGBT organizations.

Focus responded swiftly and strongly, but went one step further.  This, from Focus President Jim Daly on the ministry's website:

Over the years, late-night television has devolved into a breeding ground for cynical, skeptical, bitter and so-called “humor” that cuts people, attempting to both marginalize and tear down individuals and institutions with whom both hosts and often guests disagree.

This past Sunday night, John Oliver was incensed over Focus on the Family’s 40 year history of supporting a traditional and biblical sexual ethic. In particular, the host took issue with our belief that those with unwanted same-sex attraction should be free to pursue counseling, if that is their desire. Of course, millions of Christians and even non-Christians hold to this standard, but Mr. Oliver disagrees and his seething reaction to our ministry’s position was palpable.

I’m disappointed, though not completely shocked by the animus projected by John Oliver, a man whom I have never met.

Focus on the Family is proud to host Mrs. Pence and Charlotte for a book signing next Monday, March 26th. Though lampooned and shamed for selecting our location for one of their events, the Pences will be warmly welcomed guests to our campus in Colorado Springs.

John Oliver is welcome to join us.

That is key! Daly staked out his ground, but made an overture to find common ground.

For her part, Charlotte Pence made an attempt to diffuse the situation, according to Townhall:

She bought the HBO host's book, she said, because she is all about contributing to good causes.

“He’s giving proceeds of the book to charity, and we’re also giving proceeds of our book to charity, so I really think that we can all get behind it,” Pence explained Wednesday.

The Hill reports that portions of the proceeds for Charlotte's book will go to Tracy’s Kids, which "provides young cancer patients with art therapy," and A21, "an anti-human trafficking nonprofit."

It reports, "Oliver has said proceeds from his book will go to AIDS United and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization for LGBT youth."

That may not have been the response I would have chosen, but her desire to diffuse a situation is admirable, according to the DailyWire website: "Rather than respond to Oliver's mean-spiritedness with more mean-spiritedness, she has decided to do the classy thing and buy one of John Oliver's books so that the proceeds can go to charity."

We can think about several principles here, and here is the first one: we don't have to respond to "mean-spiritedness with more mean-spiritedness."  It is easy to respond angrily to anger - in fact, people, I think, tend to respond in kind; that's why the Proverbs speaks of a gentle answer turning away wrath.  Charlotte Pence is being commended for her class; which was even reinforced by going before the ladies of The View last week; yes, the same panel that had members who had ridiculed her father's faith.  Talk about courage and class.

We can also be challenged to reach out to those who have offended us.  Even though John Oliver said some negative things about Focus on the Family, Jim Daly extended an invitation to join them for the Pences' book signing at Focus yesterday.   Jesus had dialogue with the religious leaders of His day - He did not run away from their questions; He tactfully engaged with them.

And, we can be reminded that God's wisdom is available to inject into our confrontations.  In of ourselves, we may fell inadequate, but the Lord wants us to depend on Him to speak through us as He opens up the opportunities.

Consideration and Confrontation

We are called to walk with renewed minds before our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus - we can
give careful consideration to the way we are to walk before Him. Deuteronomy 32 states:
6 Do you thus deal with the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?
7 "Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you...

We can sometimes be so intent on being right or to respond quickly that we end up reacting too swiftly, without having relevant facts in place.  James encourages us to be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to become angry.  We have to temper our responses with the nature of God, rather than lose our temper according to the nature of the flesh.  Before confrontation should come consideration - it's important that we do not give in to those tendencies to respond instantly.

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In Mark chapter 11, we see that Jesus rode into Jerusalem, which was a fulfillment of prophecy, as we find in Zechariah 9:
9 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Jesus' triumphal entry was a bold declaration and an alignment with Biblical prophecy.  Jesus was saying to the crowd, "I am He," the Messiah, but they made Him out to be a different sort of Savior, a political leader who would deliver them from Roman oppression.  There was something that took place at the end of the journey that was pointed out in a sermon I heard yesterday:
11 And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

To me, this speaks to the spiritual dynamic of His mission and it can also instruct us about the importance of careful evaluation.  We skip down to verse 15 and find Jesus back in the temple:

15 So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.
16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.
17 Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' "

On Sunday night, it was a time for consideration, on Monday, it was certainly the time for confrontation.   The two went hand-in-hand.

This past Saturday, in city after city across America, groups of well-organized young people participated in the March for Our Lives.  It was interesting that there was even a #March4Life hashtag that was going out there to describe these gatherings.  John Stonestreet of the Colson Center tweeted out: "March on DC today to protect innocent children from being slaughtered. That sounds similar to that March each year in January..."

It was also pointed out that the March for Life in DC generally receives little coverage from the mainstream media, in contrast to the March for Our Lives on Saturday, which had wall-to-wall coverage in some outlets.

The whole issue of gun violence is one in which spirited, reasoned debate can take place.  And, the classmates of those who lost their lives in Parkland, Florida, are grieving and wounded by what transpired that day.  But, the gun issue is a multi-faceted one, and should include the redemption of a human heart; for the taking of life illustrates a disregard for the lives of others, a rejection of God's truth and a corrupted mind that can contribute to a person taking a gun, as we saw in Parkland, Sutherland Springs, Sandy Hook, and others, or a series of bombs, which we encountered with the Austin serial bomber, or a constructed weapon, as we saw in Oklahoma City.

Gun violence is real, but to take to the streets, holding signs that contain angry messages, without clear consideration, doesn't offer a comprehensive solution.  Contrast the responses of Parkland student David Hogg, who seems to have trouble controlling his mouth, to another student who has a different idea of confrontation.

According to National Review, in a video, he described 2nd Amendment advocates using a vulgar term, saying, they, "...that want to keep killing our children, they could have blood from children splattered all over their faces and they wouldn’t take action because they all still see those dollar signs...”

He went on: 

“At this point its like when your old-a** parent is like, ‘I don’t know how to send an iMessage’ and you’re like, ‘Ok give me the f***ing phone’ and you take it and you get it done in one second. Sadly, that’s what we have to do with our government because our parents don’t know how to use a f***ing democracy so we have to do it.”

Hogg, who has become the defacto spokesman for the youth gun-control movement, regularly appears on cable news and is featured on the cover of the next issue of Time magazine along with four other Parkland students, all of whom are vocal proponents of increased gun control.

Contrast this response to that of another Parkland student, who was in DC Saturday, but not invited to speak at the March for Our Lives.  Kyle Kashuv did challenge David Hogg to a debate, which did not materialize, and he was on Face the Nation on CBS.  The network's website stated:

"I talked to senators and I looked at all the facts and they all point in the same direction the a ban on assault weapons will not solve this issue," Kashuv told CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

Unlike many of his classmates from the Parkland, Florida, high school, Kashuv doesn't support more restrictive gun laws, like those embraced by protesters at Saturday's March for Our Lives rallies across the country. He has been meeting with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., to discuss solutions to gun violence that don't restrict Second Amendment rights.

Kashuv, according to The Hill, defended Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was denigrated at the Saturday march. He said, "Every single senator that I’ve spoken with does not want to see this happen," adding, "I spoke with Sen. Marco Rubio. He cares so much about this, and it pains me to see how he’s being represented in the media."

According to the Time Magazine website, Kashuv supports the STOP School Violence Act, which
allocates $50 million to:

• Create and operate an”anonymous reporting systems for threats of school violence, including mobile telephone applications, hotlines, and internet websites”
• Implement improvements to school security infrastructure.
• Develop student, teacher and law enforcement training to prevent violence.

The U.S. House passed it overwhelmingly, 407-10, and Senators Rubio and Hatch are championing it in the Senate.

So, the U.S. Congress, much maligned in the marches on Saturday, along with those who use the phrase, "thoughts and prayers," in the aftermath of tragedies, has actually begun to take action.

It's a serious issue, and one that deserves well-thought-out discussion.  And, gun laws are only a part of the overall debate - consider security of public places, such as schools and churches.  Mental illness is a huge contributing factor - how can the Church be active in identifying those who are struggling?  And, we recognize that the hope for a heart of a person who would take the life of another comes through the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

We don't discount, "thoughts and prayers!!"  Consideration is important when dealing with serious issues in our culture.  There could be a time for confrontation, as Jesus demonstrated the day after Palm Sunday, but we know that He was in line with the will of His Father, and He may have just given us an example to follow when He visited the temple the preceding night.

When we are considering our responses, it's important that we are knowledgeable about what the Bible has to say.  The Scriptures give us clear instruction on so much that we deal with, and His Spirit will enable us to communicate God's wisdom in a way that pleases Him.

Superstar?

The Bible presents to us the true picture of who Jesus is.  And, we are to avoid distortions and seek to worship Him in spirit and truth, according to John 4. 1st John 5 states:
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. Amen.

Jesus is so much more than just a good teacher, a good moral example, or even, as the Broadway musical suggests - a "superstar."  He did not seek to be the best man He could be; as the Son of God, He sought to live His life in a pleasing manner to the Father, so that He could become the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  Through His death and resurrection, He has made a way for human beings to have a relationship with our heavenly Father; in submitting to death, He defeated death so that we, by submitting to Him, can experience eternal and abundant life.

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I think that the Easter season gives people an opportunity to consider and experience the real Jesus, not one who is stylized or redefined, but who is portrayed for us in the Scriptures.  In Matthew 16, we can read:
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"
14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

This is one of those times of the year in which I believe that people's sensitivity is enhanced - it is indeed a special season, a season of great significance to Christians as (hopefully) we pause and reflect on our Savior's death and resurrection.

The entertainment industry weighs in during this time of year, and this year especially, with a powerful triumvirate of faith-related films poised to make an impact.  I Can Only Imagine, after rising to 2nd in the box office sweepstakes on Wednesday, adds hundreds more theaters.  Paul, Apostle of Christ opens today, featuring James Faulkner in the title role and Jim Caviezel, who was a guest on The Meeting House yesterday, playing the role of Luke.  Next weekend, the third film in the God's Not Dead series goes into theaters - stay tuned, David A.R. White, a filmmaker himself, who has played a pastor in the previous two movies and reprises that role in this one, will be on the radio program.

Television will get in the act, as well.  ABC will have its traditional broadcast of The Ten Commandments on Saturday night.  I saw UP TV's lineup for the season, and it includes the cable television premieres of two films that I am quite fond of: Risen, looking at post-resurrection events through the eyes of a Roman centurion, on Palm Sunday at 6pm, and on Easter night, the Erwin Brothers' second film, Moms' Night Out, also at 6.  Other season offerings include: The Passion of the Christ, Heaven is for Real, Son of God, the original God's Not Dead, two Sherwood films, and a movie called, Judas; IMDB gives some plot insight:

A cynical city boy, Judas makes fun of the country bumpkin disciples who follow Jesus but eventually decides to join the band, as well. He and Jesus become good friends, even though they often see things very differently. Ultimately, Judas is convinced that Jesus needs to use his popularity and wonder-working powers to free the Jews from the Romans, and Jesus sees a larger, spritual [sic] perspective.

By the way, next week, you'll hear from Chicago-area pastor Colin Smith, who has written a book about Judas, exploring themes of betrayal, as well as repentance and forgiveness...Smith draws the distinction between regret, which led Judas to take his life, and repentance, which he failed to experience.

One of the more unusual Easter offerings comes from noted Broadway producers and writers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice - a live presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar, Easter night on NBC.  It actually adds the words, "Live in Concert," implying that dramatic elements may be kept to a minimum.

Now, Fox tried a live Easter presentation with Tyler Perry's The Passion a few years back, which turned out to be a mishmash of the Bible narrative, the integration of pop songs, and a public walk through the city of New Orleans centered around a lighted cross.  Relevant magazine wrote this about the latest offering:

The original 1970 musical—which is based on a very loose interpretation of the Gospel story and the crucifixion of Christ—was extremely controversial, and was even banned in South Africa after its release. The story is told from the perspective of Judas. As with many entertainment industry takes on Bible stories, it was criticized by some for being blasphemous.

John Legend plays Jesus, Sara Bareilles plays Mary Magadalene, and in the role of King Herod: rock superstar Alice Cooper.  Before you sigh here, this superstar has met Jesus Christ - the Savior, not the superstar.  That's right; according to the God Reports website:

Dark-themed rocker Alice Cooper — whose onstage theatrics included handling boa constrictors and staging mock suicides with guillotines — has returned to the God of his childhood after dumping alcoholism and feeling dissatisfied with riches.

“When you get out there and realize you’ve had every car, every house, and all that, you realize that that’s not the answer,” Cooper told CNSnews. “There’s a big nothing out there at the end of that. So, materialism doesn’t mean anything. A lot of people say that there’s a big God-sized hole in your heart. And when that’s filled, you’re really satisfied, and that’s where I am right now.”

Cooper had done missionary work with Native Americans with his dad; his grandfather was a pastor - the story says that Cooper, born Vincent Damien Furnier, "stretched the outer limits of what it means to be a prodigal." He states:

“God has a plan for everybody. I look at my life and I think, ‘How is it possible that I didn’t die?’” he said. “God’s chipping away at your life all the time to try to make you more like Him. That’s what a Christian is, a person that’s being molded and shaped all their life. I think the Lord expects you to do your best in His name. I had to struggle a long time about rock and roll. I realized it’s not really the music. It’s what’s being said with the music. So I think you have to be careful of what you’re writing, what you’re representing.”

He also is quoted is saying, "I think my job is to warn against Satan."

Say what you will, but this is someone who has professed Christ and is apparently seeking to live for Him.  It will be interesting to see how he performs on Easter night in that live presentation.

But, keep in mind, while the real Jesus has invaded Alice Cooper's life, the Andrew Lloyd Webber version seems to certainly be more of a fantasy.  It's a strange juxtaposition, indeed - so while many may be fixated on the Broadway rendering of Jesus and the theological trappings, we have another opportunity to present the truth about Jesus, someone whom at least one of the singers has experienced.

It is interesting, though, to consider that, as we celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, there were those in Jerusalem who did regard Jesus as a "superstar:" He would be the one to come and free the Jews from the evil Roman oppression.  But, we know the truth that He would free people from their sin. He would teach about, minister, and bring about true freedom through a knowledge of Him.

He is certainly not a "superstar," but a Savior.  He came not to call attention to Himself, but to be a servant; ultimately a servant to death on the cross.

But, in rising from the dead, Jesus has transcended the life of a human - He lived a perfect life in human flesh, but death could not hold Him because He could not be held by it; He was a perfect substitute for us, who could not save ourselves.  He is the greatest human who ever lived, but...He did not seek to become famous, but He wanted to be faithful to His Father.  He is known today because some say He was a great teacher, but we have to acknowledge that He is more than that - He is God, who came in the flesh, so that we might come to know Him.  During this season, it would be my hope that people would discover the real Jesus, not the Hollywood, Broadway, or Washington version of Him.

I Look at All the Lonely People

The concept of family is powerful, and God desires for each of us to find our place in a family - in a
biological one, and/or in the family of God. Psalm 68 says:
4 Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Extol Him who rides on the clouds, By His name Yah, And rejoice before Him.
5 A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy habitation.
6 God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

God desires to provide for the lonely - when a person is solitary, he or she is vulnerable to feelings of loneliness that can have devastating effects on that person's emotional and even physical well-being, according to a study.   So, God has placed us into families; but that can change, there can be relational issues or a family may be separated by distance or even by death.  But, God wants to be near to the lonely, and provides the opportunity for community through His Church.

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The Bible provides the prescription for how we are to live - in fellowship with God and with our
fellow humans. Hebrews 10 says:
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.

God has wired us to be together with other people - He has given us a capacity for community.  And, the state of being lonely is actually a public health concern.

The ministry organization, CV Outreach, has conducted a study that, according to the website, Facts and Trends, "analyzed Google searches for more than 100 terms related to loneliness and ranked U.S. cities by lonely searches per capita."  The website linked to the CV Outreach report, which states:

We chose to research the topic of loneliness for three reasons. Loneliness has far-reaching impact on our culture, it’s a rare opportunity for the church to directly impact a public health crisis, and it’s a call to go back to the basics of what living out our faith looks like.

The report goes on to say:

It’s effecting up to 40% of the country.

The adverse health effects of this epidemic are on par with smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

It’s more damaging to your body than obesity.

It’s associated with a shorter lifespan, cardiovascular disease, dementia, anxiety and depression.

So, what is this health epidemic?

It’s loneliness.

Six out of the top 10 cities in the survey are from the Western United States.  Facts and Trends lists the top 10:

1. Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Denver, Colorado
4. Baltimore, Maryland
5. Seattle, Washington
6. Tucson, Arizona
7. Portland, Oregon
8. Boston, Massachusetts
9. Albuquerque, New Mexico
10. Detroit, Michigan

Nashville, at #12, is the largest Southern city.  Dallas is the most populous to make the top 25, at #24.

Stunningly, "The rates of loneliness in Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., and Denver are three times the national average, and all of the top 19 cities have at least double the average rate of loneliness."

Wyoming is the loneliest state, according to the survey report.  Georgia placed 12th, Florida 39th, and Alabama at 42.

Baptist Press ran a story on the survey. It quoted Vance Pitman, pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas - he said: "Over 90 percent of Las Vegans do not have a relationship with Jesus, and this leaves them with a spiritual emptiness which often leads to real loneliness." And, Pitman added, "The rhythm of Las Vegas life makes building meaningful relationships challenging, and it really only happens with real intentionality..."

Dave Howeth, a North American Mission Board Send City missionary in Denver, stated: "We are a place of escape and adventure with all of the skiing, hiking, biking, mountains, etc.," adding, "Our No. 1 idol is the outdoors. … People move here to get away from family to live the life, but they find it costs more than they ever imagined and so they work more than planned and they are lonely because they don't have family or relationships."

The story also quotes Garrett Kell, pastor of Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, who
"told BP one factor in D.C.'s ranking on the list is that people who work in the city drive from suburbs all around and are stuck in some of the nation's worst traffic for hours each day. Also, they're working high stress jobs, and when they finally get home at night they just want to relax, he said."

The CV Outreach report says:

The fact that loneliness is now thought of as a transient human state reinforces Biblical Truths around the idea that God has called us into healthy relationships, ultimately into a relationship with Himself. It is the way we were created. As communities of believers, as the family of God, with commandments to love our neighbor, and care for the vulnerable, the impetus is clear; a growing population of people suffering from loneliness is a direct affront to the efficacy of the Church.

The report encourages individuals to "Remember that many people who are lonely, may take the first step towards connection in an online environment." And, individuals can "Strategically prioritize knowing your neighbors."   Churches can speak publicly on the issue and connect with people online, which is a specialty area for that ministry.

The takeaways from this survey and related stories would be:

#1, loneliness attacks not only the emotions, but also the physical health of an individual.  There are tangible effects of people being alone.  According to the survey report, a former surgeon general said that loneliness is more than a feeling, but a physiological health epidemic.

Secondly, we recognize that the Bible teaches or points to antidotes for loneliness.  As Vance Pitman says, "Through the Gospel, we are reconciled to God but also to each other in authentic, transparent community," adding, "Real Gospel transformation leads to life-changing community and doing life with others."

We have the capability to walk with God, who is always there with us - and to encounter the type of community and fellowship that He intends.

And, Bryan Barley is pastor of Summit Church in Denver.  The BP article said:

"You long for community because you were created in the image of a communal God," Barley tells people, adding that it's not a problem they should dismiss or distract from with social media or fun experiences.

Often when people want community, they're looking for what they can take, but at the heart of community is a posture of commitment and sacrifice, Barley said.

So, that brings us to a third takeaway - loneliness can be averted by reaching out in a selfless way; not expecting what others can give, but looking at what we can give.  Jesus gave Himself for us and showed us the way of a servant, enabling us to break free from loneliness and to pursue the joy of meaningful relationships.

Just Living Our Lives

In Romans 12, we see that Paul is essentially painting a picture of what the Church should look like
in and to the world:
10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Out of the love of Christ, we can minister to one another and touch the world, and I believe we should be passionately defending the unity of the body.  We are bound together by His love, and we can, as verse 12 points out, "rejoice in hope."  We are the people of hope, called to shine the light of Christ into a world of darkness.  As we are mindful of the needs of people around us, we can demonstrate the nature of Jesus flowing through us.

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Paul issues this challenge in Ephesians chapter 4:
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Well, at last, the 2016 election is over!!  Until tomorrow, or the next day, when there will perhaps appear another article - an op-ed piece - criticizing evangelicals for their support of Donald Trump for President.  And, of course, their continued support of the President, even amidst personal behavior in the past and personal indiscretion in the future.

There are those that believe that criticizing fellow Christians in secular publications or on social media over political matters is somehow a worthy call.  I would submit that Christians in general just want to live our lives, serving and loving Christ, and to keep political matters in balance.  Of course, Scripture encourages us to pray for our leaders.  We also have the incredible opportunity to vote.  And, we apply a Biblical worldview to current matters in the culture.

But, to write off evangelical Christianity just because of one election or because Christians like and support the policies of the current President and his Administration is short-sighted and does not reflect the robust dynamic of the Church - described in that Bill Gaither song, The Church Triumphant as "alive and well."

I think Jim Garlow and Tony Perkins have presented balanced approaches to how we regard the President in the last few days.  I believe, as it's been said on The Meeting House that we can appreciate the policies without necessarily embracing everything about his personality and behavior. And, no Christian leader that I am aware of, excuses the President's alleged or proven sinful behavior - to contend otherwise is blatant distortion.

The latest high-profile evangelical hit piece came from a former George W. Bush speechwriter who, to my knowledge, is an evangelical himself.   In a Family Research Council commentary, you can read:

Groundhog Day was over in February -- for everyone, apparently, but evangelicals. Every day, we wake up to the same headlines from people like Michael Gerson, whose incredulity over Christians' support of the president is new every morning. With biting predictability, Gerson and company spill an inordinate amount of ink recycling the same shock that people with social values would stand by a man whose policies protect them

Even David French of National Review, a "never Trumper" to the core, takes issue with elements of Gerson's piece, which was published on The Atlantic website.  He describes the piece as one that "attempts to explain":

...how Evangelicals “became an anxious religious minority seeking political protection from the least traditionally religious president in living memory.” Gerson is Evangelical, he has deep knowledge of Evangelical history, and his essay is compelling on a number of fronts. It suffers, however, from a rather curious omission — especially for an essay that’s explaining Evangelicals to a largely secular and progressive audience.

French is a noted champion of religious liberty, and takes Gerson to task for not explaining why Christians feel like said "anxious religious minority:"

He communicates the reality that Evangelicals feel embattled without providing sufficient explanation for that belief, belittling their concerns as hysterical and self-pitying. The effect is to make Evangelicals appear irrational when, in fact, Evangelicals made their political choice in response to actual, ominous cultural and legal developments that jeopardized their religious liberty and threatened some of their most precious religious and cultural institutions.

But, I take issue with French, who aligns himself with Gerson in criticizing some sort of fawning over Donald Trump.  He writes:

It’s one thing to face a tough choice between voting for a morally corrupt man and staying at home. It’s another thing to join the morally corrupt man’s tribe. It’s another thing entirely to excuse in him behavior that you’ve long condemned in anyone — everyone — else. We’re treated to the utterly appalling, continuing spectacle of watching Christian leaders excuse Trump’s worst characteristics and rationalize away his most obvious sins. Some of the worst even turn Trump’s vices into virtues and revel in his combative, vicious rhetoric.

 Perkins actually addressed that point in his response to the Gerson article:

No one is rationalizing or excusing his failings. But Americans -- evangelicals included -- elected Donald Trump with almost full knowledge of Trump's past. As I've explained numerous times, it came down to him or Hillary Clinton, so Americans gave him a chance despite his past. Now that he's earned their support with his actions as president, it's our job to hold Donald Trump accountable for what he does in office.

The Church is the earthly embodiment of the presence of Christ - it is alive and well, but nothing can bring it down like division.  And, I believe that the pitter-patter of social media and flowery rhetoric in blog posts and op-eds mischaracterizing the viewpoint of Christians about the President certainly threatens our effectiveness.

Last week, I published a blog post about the state of evangelicalism, and the stats were actually quite strong.  Trevin Wax, at The Gospel Coalition site reinforces information about the state of the Church today:

• Numerically, there are more evangelicals in America today than at any time in our history.
• As a percentage of the population, evangelicals shrunk 0.9 percent between 2007 and 2014, which means that the numerical increase wasn’t enough to keep pace with population growth. But that’s hardly a collapse.
• It’s true that the “nones” are on the rise among white people in the West, but globally, Pew Research Forum predicts that “secular” people in 2060 will make up a strikingly smaller percentage of the world’s population than they do today. Eric Kaufmann’s book Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth? does not portray the future as belonging to the secular elites, but rather the religious grassroots that adhere to some of the strongest forms of religious faith.

He contends that the predictions of the decline of Christianity "lead secular people to false optimism and Christians to false pessimism."  And, Wax continues:

As Christians, we’re not called to be optimists or pessimists. We’re called to be a people of hope. It’s hope, not fear, that should motivate a Christian’s action in the world.

Here’s how I put it in Eschatological Discipleship:

Christian hope has a distinctive shape. Society often reduces hope to a wish, a human longing for a future that may or may not be certain. The Christian sees hope as rooted in God and his promises. When cultural shifts take us by surprise and the obstacle of Enlightenment eschatology seems insurmountable, we may be tempted to replace hope with something else, either fear of the future or nostalgia for the past. Instead, the Christian must ask, “What time is it?”—firmly rejecting the Enlightenment’s false eschatology on the one hand while holding fast to biblical eschatology on the other.

 He writes:

Instead of reacting to negative reports as if we were Chicken Little, we need to look up to the sky, consider this moment in which we are called to be faithful, and ask the piercing question that missionary Lesslie Newbigin put before us:

What is God doing in these tremendous events of our time?

We recognize that our hope is in the Lord, not in politics - again, we participate in matters of policy so that we can be free to live our lives for the glory of God.  But, the focus is always to be to spread the love of Christ. 

When we see the government operating outside the parameters of the Scriptures, we have every right, covered in prayer, to speak out.  Jesus, in His earthly teachings, did not avoid political matters, but we can also see that His prime focus was on the state of the human heart - that should be our focus, and that brings us together in unity.

The Bible calls us to pursue unity with one another - not an homogenization of opinion, but a concentration on those principles that bring us together.  Before you post, before you tweet, before you lash out at fellow believers in a public setting, one must consider the effect on the body of Christ, the church - triumphant - alive and well and poised to make a strong statement to this world that Jesus is risen from the dead!!

Secure

Throughout the Psalms, there is the theme of God being our refuge.  King David was threatened by
his son, Absalom, and wrote these words in Psalm 3:
(1) Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.
2 Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah
3 But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.

When we are facing fear in our lives, we can be encouraged to look to God who is our source of strength and protection; He is indeed with us and will grant us His peace that passes all understanding. Even though there are dangers in this world, we can look to Him for our security.  We can build our lives on His foundation and be anchored in His truth.  As we call upon Him, even in our fear, we can rely on the Holy Spirit for clear direction on responding to the dangers we encounter.

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I believe the Lord wants us to develop a sense of confidence in Him; the Bible says that He is our refuge and strength, He is with us in trouble - and He will teach us how to respond in matters of
security. James 1 states:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

It seems like on a regular basis that we are reminded of the dangerous world in which we live.   One by one, the lives of people are taken by those that possess a blatant disregard for life.

It has been over a month since the Parkland, Florida school shooting that claimed 17 lives.  And, currently, residents of Austin, Texas are on edge in the wake of four separate bombings - the first two, which were package bombs, killed two African-American men who were members of the same church, according to an NBC News story, quoting from a local NAACP representative.  A tripwire bomb on Sunday injured two bicyclists.

And, early this morning, a package exploded at a Texas FedEx facility. News4 in San Antonio reported:

As for the package, sources said it contained shrapnel consisting of nails and pieces of metal. The FBI said the explosion is likely connected to several incidents in the Austin area. The package was reportedly addressed to an Austin location, according to law enforcement sources.

We also remember that it has only been 4-1/2 months since a gunman walked into the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs and claimed 26 lives.  There was a tweet that went out recently pointing to a November story on the ReligionNews.com website. The article focused on a session in a Michigan church in which Barry Young of Strategos International, described as "a Christian company that teaches people at schools, churches and other institutions how to deal with a violent, armed intruder," had said, “What happened in Texas isn’t new. It’s just larger than normal...”

The article says:

Young advocated for three layers of church security: a parking lot team, greeters and ushers, and a security team. He shared three foundations of church security — “look out,” “get out” and “take out.” He walked attendees through a lockdown, confronting somebody coming down the aisle at a church, and using a tactical pen — a writing instrument and weapon in one — for self-defense.

The host church's head of security Richard Wise, in his opening prayer, stated: “It’s about being prepared for every possible thing that we can think of, Lord. It’s just protecting the flock — it’s protecting what you have blessed us with in the ministry.”  The article stated:

Young shared a number of statistics taken from the statistics on deadly force collected by church security consultant Carl Chinn: Since 1999, there have been more than 1,500 violent church attacks in America, and church violence has gone up 2,380 percent, Young said.

It was pointed out that some of those statistics include suicides on church property.  Nevertheless, there is reason to be concerned - and prayerful and prepared.

LifeWay Christian Resources is offering free security training through May 1, according to the Baptist Press website, which states:

LifeWay's free training first became available on Feb. 16 -- two days after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead and 14 injured. Since then, more than 2,000 people have registered for the security training.

Dale Brooks, who is highlighted in the training material, said: "Church security has some of the most difficult challenges compared to the security operations of businesses, schools and government campuses," adding, "The goal is to have an open campus to share the Gospel of Jesus while ensuring the campus is safe and secure."

There are three words that come to mind when we consider staying safe at church.  I think that ultimately we look to God as our refuge, so prayerfulness is key.  We can be challenged to pray for safety, for God's angelic protection, and for wisdom in how to keep attendees safe.

That leads to another word: prudence.  We can seek to make well-reasoned plans that will contribute to the safety of church-goers.  We can be diligent to be aware of our surroundings, as well.  Perhaps God will point out areas that need to be strengthened.

And, finally, we can take the necessary steps for preparation.  Being prepared does not indicate a lack of faith, it demonstrates the presence of wisdom.  It is a dangerous world, and we certainly acknowledge God as our refuge, who will grant us the direction, by His Holy Spirit to be involved in, as the pastor in Michigan prayed, "protecting the flock."

These three words can also be helpful to consider for our own lives and the lives of our families as we regard God as our refuge.  We pray, we exercise prudence, and we carry out the preparation God directs.

Imagine

God calls us to proclaim His truth in the words we speak and in the way we live our lives.  We can
also come before the Lord in worship and declare what He has done. Psalm 89 states:
(1) I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens."

The words of our mouth reflect not only what is in our heart, as Jesus said, but can express the greatness of God in our lives - by redeeming us, He has done an incredible, humanly impossible work: to move us from darkness into light, delivering us from sin's power.  That in and of itself is praiseworthy.  But, by virtue of our acceptance into the Kingdom of God, He works through our lives, bringing honor to His name and giving us a testimony of His faithfulness.

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Jesus had a very unique way of driving home spiritual truth - He used parables, stories, to illustrate
His principles. Matthew 13 says:
13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.
14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.'

On Friday's edition of the program, I spotlighted one of the teams in the NCAA tournament and the coaching philosophy of its head coach.  Little did I know or could have projected that within a matter of hours, that team, the Virginia Cavaliers, coached by Tony Bennett, would go down to defeat, making history in a dubious way - the first #1 seed to be defeated by the #16 seed.

Maybe, you too had to look up what UMBC stood for.  And are there any other teams named the Retrievers?  Or the Ramblers?  As I recall, the Rambler used to be a car in the 60's, but these Ramblers, of Loyola-Chicago have traveled into sweet territory, defeating Miami and Tennessee on last-second shots.  And, maybe you now know of one Sister Jean, a 98-year-old nun who serves as the chaplain of the team?

Coach Porter Moser stated, according to CBSSports.com: "Sister Jean is our team chaplain, she's our team comfort blanket, she's our team scout. She's just a blessing," adding, "The way she prays for us, the way she smiles. When you walk in a room and you see Sister there, you just feel good."

You'll see another double-digit seed in the Sweet Sixteen in addition to #11 Loyola.  There's Syracuse out of the ACC, a conference from Virginia and North Carolina did not advance past the second round, but there are 3 other teams: Duke, Clemson, and Florida State, which became the second team to take down a top seed by defeating Xavier last night.

March Madness is about incredible competition, the hope of a team that shouldn't win actually accomplishing victory, and heartwarming storylines.

And, speaking of great stories, how about the "upset" at the movie box office this weekend?  

No surprise at the top, according to the Hollywood Reporter:

In a surprise upset, the faith-based 'I Can Only Imagine' — about the best-selling Christian song of all time — beats 'A Wrinkle in Time' and 'Love, Simon.'

Black Panther remained atop the box office, with Tomb Raider at #2.  But, coming in third, was I Can Only Imagine, which, according to estimates on the site, debuted to $17.1 million from 1,628 cinemas to defeat A Wrinkle in Time and Love, Simon — the first film from a major Hollywood studio featuring a gay teen protagonist — in a surprise upset.

Roadside Attractions marketed the film. Co-president Howard Cohen stated, "It definitely shows that if you build a good movie, this audience will come out," adding, "This is a branded property, and Dennis Quaid did a ton of publicity."

Box Office Mojo reported initially that the film had an impressive "$10,476 per theater average. This is the seventh largest opening for a faith-based feature of all-time (fourth if you don't count the Narnia films) and the best opening since 2014's Heaven is for Real, which opened with $22.4 million while playing in nearly 800 more theaters. The film received an 'A+' CinemaScore from opening day audience, of which 67% were female and 80% were over the age of 35."

Meanwhile, A Wrinkle in Time, the adaptation of the children's book by Madeleine L’Engle, according to ChristianHeadlines.com, has not received a very favorable rating from critics or audiences, which could have resulted from a decision by the filmmaker.  The story states, "The book contains many Christian themes and also includes several Bible verses and references to Jesus, but the film’s screenwriter decided to leave all of that out."  The article says:

According to The Christian Post, Jennifer Lee (who was also the screenwriter for Frozen) said she left out Christian themes because she wanted the film to be more “inclusive.”

"What I looked at, one of the reasons Madeleine L'Engle's [book] ... had that strong Christian element to it wasn't just because she was Christian, but because she was frustrated with things that needed to be said to her in the world and she wasn't finding a way to say it and she wanted to stay true to her faith," Lee explained.

And I respect that and I understand those feelings of things you want to say in the world that need to be said that are out there. In a good way, I think there are a lot of elements of what she wrote that we have progressed as a society and we can move onto the other elements,” she continued.

 Keep your eyes on this director. Newsweek reports that:

Jennifer Lee, the director of Disney's Frozen, said there were "tons of conversations" about a lesbian story arc for Queen Elsa in the film's upcoming sequel, Frozen 2.

The director, according to the website, said she "wouldn't be opposed" to see the queen in a lesbian relationship in the sequel.

Talk about tone deaf.  This is the director who extracted Christian themes from her latest movie.  And, another movie released this weekend features a teenage gay relationship.

We are influenced by stories - and the stories that are portrayed in the theatre can inspire and reinforce our values or they can present a corrupting influence.  I am thankful that an excellent, real-life, and God-inspired story has presented a strong contrast to what passes for entertainment fare in the local cineplex.  The power of story is also something that makes March Madness so compelling.

Kudos to Jon and Andy Erwin and the I Can Only Imagine team for presenting an engaging and redemptive story, not covering up or watering down the faith elements, but allowing the story of Bart Millard and his father to breathe and to touch the heart.

As I have highlighted on my radio show, Jesus demonstrated an incredible use of story.  The parables that He shared contained a profound ability to illustrate spiritual truth. And, His story - of God sending His only son to redeem fallen humanity by giving of His life out of His great love - has brought hope for the world and healing for hearts and lives.

We can also be inspired to tell our stories:  what has God done for you?  If you are a Christian, He has certainly saved you, and that is a wonderful story in and of itself.  Where have you seen the Lord work in your life?  How has He shown up?  Our willingness to tell and to illustrate what He has done can connect with the people with whom you are called to interact.  Don't water it down, don't try to make it "culturally relevant" or "politically correct" - you can give Him the glory and see how He will use that testimony.

A Cavalier Attitude

We have been called into the body of Christ, and we are His servants - we not only serve the Lord
God, but we serve one another in humility. 1st Peter 4 states:
9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
10 As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.

Humility is a key to living a life pleasing to God - we humble ourselves before Him and we also possess that attitude of humility toward others, placing their needs above our own.  We use His gifts for His glory.  Because we live for Christ and are called into the service for our King, it changes our perspective and we see ourselves as part of something greater, for His cause, unified with our brothers and sisters in Christ for Kingdom purposes.

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Jesus, in a sense, had a team - He had 12 disciples whom He walked with, whom He set the example for, and whom He directed in order to carry out His mission.  And, that team made an impact.  A key
to that teamwork was humility. Jesus taught in Mark 10:
42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Well, March Madness, a.k.a. the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is well underway - the field will have been sliced from 68 to 64 to 32 to 16 by the end of the weekend.

It is likely that the Virginia Cavaliers will be there in the Sweet Sixteen - after all, they are the overall #1 seed for the tournament and for the South Region. They begin play tonight in first round action.

Their success is attributed to not only the quality players, but also a man named Tony Bennett - the coach of the Cavaliers, not the singer.  According to CBNNews.com:

In 2015, a few seasons after he came to the school in Charlotesville, Va., he told the Daily Press that his Christian faith is the bedrock of his coaching style and career.

"My faith—that defines me. That's what gives me my meaning and purpose and how I try to treat people with my life," he said. "I make so many mistakes. The fact that I know I'm forgiven is probably the greatest joy that I have, but that is significant. That is the bedrock of my life and therefore the foundation of why I coach and how I coach, how I try to treat people and my perspective on this whole thing."

Bennett teaches his players five pillars, which are "biblically-based," according to the article: humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness.

He says, "They are life lessons and they are very specific to basketball in ways you wouldn't think..."

The article quotes Roger Cheeks, the athletic director of Regent University, which is located in Virginia Beach:

"You have to have the mental and emotional capacity to deal with loss," Cheeks said. "As Paul told us 'forgetting those things behind'...you have to look forward to your next meet and match in a positive way. If you hold onto the way you have been defeated it will affect your future."

Cheeks also provides this analysis:

"It is interesting being a Christian and understanding the body of Christ. Everybody on the team may not have the same level of experience, but when you put them together something happens," he said. "No matter what the sport is, the mindset will be to honor the weakest player, more than the strongest player."

It is obvious that Tony Bennett wants to prepare his players for not only athletic victories but for life.  And, those five pillars - humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness, while they have broad applications on and off the court, are certainly key components for a Christian who is seeking to live a life that honors God.

We do have to make sure that we are humbling ourselves before God.  And, we also have to make sure that we are not proud or boastful in the way that we behave.  Just as team spirit and cohesion are built through humility, the proper function of the body of Christ also involves that vertical and horizontal humility.

We can also think about having a passion for what we are doing.  I don't think God wants us to live life half-heartedly, with a spirit of complacency or complaining.  He wants us to have joy in all circumstances.

God is the glue - He enables us to walk in unity.  And, that is built as we serve one another.  Jesus taught that He did not come to be served, but to serve - He gave His life as our perfect sacrifice and as our example, demonstrating His great love.

And, He also desires for us to be thankful in everything.  We can be grateful to God for His love, our relationship with Him, and the blessings that He shares with us. Our servant's heart grows as we gain the proper perspective of the life that God wants us to live.

Graham's Gravity

We are continuing to remember the incredible work of evangelist Billy Graham - a man who was
faithful to God's call and faithful to the cross. 1st Corinthians 1 states:
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

I don't believe that Paul was minimizing the importance of baptism here; rather, he was just reinforcing the work that God had called him to do.  He was devoted to preaching the Word in power - the power of God, not His own.  He was true to that message of salvation and had a desire to see people come into a saving knowledge of Christ.  We can pursue God's call on our lives and recognize that we are His representatives, charged with living out the gospel.

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Even though his earthly body was laid to rest in North Carolina almost two weeks ago, the legacy of Billy Graham and the impact of his ministry continue to produce fresh insight.  Not only can we each be inspired to "be like Billy" in our personal obedience, but we can also seek to identify and follow God's call for us and to be bold in sharing our faith.  The gospel, as presented by Billy Graham, contained within the Scriptures, is powerful for us today - the Bible says in Romans 1:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Billy Graham undoubtedly believed this; do we?

Mr. Graham was a figure who transcended culture.  The Barna Group, in a retrospective look at data collected throughout the years on Graham, published these statistics:

In 2007, Barna asked American adults about their opinion of Billy Graham:

• 36 percent of American adults said they have a “very favorable” view of Billy Graham.

The survey also included public figures like George Clooney (30% very favorable), Bono (18%), Pat Robertson (6%), Chuck Colson (4%) and Donald Trump (8%).

In 2011, Barna asked American adults who they consider to be the single most influential Christian leader in the U.S. today:

• 19 percent of American adults chose Billy Graham.

This is particularly striking considering only 9 percent chose the Pope. The survey also included figures such as Barack Obama (8%) and Joel Osteen (5%).

In 2014, Barna asked American adults how familiar they are with Billy Graham:

• 34 percent of American adults said they were “very familiar” with Billy Graham.

Other religious leaders in the survey included Pope Francis (28% very familiar), the Dalai Lama (21%) and Andy Stanley (4%).

The concluding sentence of Barna's summary stated: "His death will be felt not only among the Christian community but the broader public who recognized his leadership and courage and admired his humility and love."

And on the day of the funeral, the website for Christianity Today, the magazine which was founded by Mr. Graham, published this headline: "Congrats, Billy: Stats Show Your Evangelical Movement Is Still Going Strong."

Despite the pundits who are fond of proclaiming the death of evangelicalism as we know it, there is strong evidence that the movement and practice are still impactful.  CT cited the General Social Survey (GSS), which it states, "has tracked religious affiliation biannually, beginning in 1972. It provides an unmatched summation of a generation of religious movement."

The story says:

Since the early 1980s, the Jewish share dropped by about a single point; black Protestants stayed relatively stable; and those with “other faith” remained about 6 percent of the US population.

Similarly, evangelicals and Catholics have almost the same proportions of the population as they had back in 1972. While evangelicals saw a surge in the early 1990s, that number has essentially stabilized to where it is today (23.6% in 2016). The Catholic share, which was reliably 23 percent to 25 percent in the 1990s, has dipped recently to 22.6 percent. That’s about a 2 percent drop in total share, which is largely in line with the findings from the Pew Research Center’s massive Religious Landscape Survey (RLS) from 2007 to 2014.

The article then makes a bold statement: "The nones are rising quickly. And a lot of that gain is coming from moderate Protestants."  The Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES), which was done between 2010 and 2014, backs this up:

The total share of the US population that indicated they were born again did not change: 26 percent in 2010, compared to 26.1 percent in 2014. Of those who said they were born again in 2010, 94.6 percent were still Protestants in 2014 while just 3.3 percent became a none.

On the other hand, of Protestants who said they were not born again in 2010, 15.6 percent had left Protestantism by 2014. Of that group, nearly two-thirds had become nones by 2014.

And the article says that according to CCES, "Of Americans who moved from born again in 2010 to not born again in 2014, 26 percent became a none. This indicates a significant number of individuals who renounced a born-again status did not take a small step away (i.e., becoming mainline Protestant); instead, they moved toward no religion at all."  Now, this is not an examination of the doctrine of eternal security; rather a statement of self-identification of people who were surveyed.

So, even though Billy Graham may be dead, in the earthly sense, the movement with which he was closely identified, evangelical Christianity, is very much alive.  And, those of us who wear that label can seek to be challenged to testify to the gospel so that people will come to know Christ.

We can remember that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.  Billy Graham preached the word of God in power, in a compelling way, but it was about more than delivery or presentation - the words he spoke were the words of life, the uncompromising gospel, not shaped by society but instrumental in shaping society.

Finally, we recognize that Christianity is not about a man or woman, other than the man, Jesus Christ.  While we pay tribute to Billy Graham, we can deeply appreciate the way God used him and how he allowed himself to be used of God.  We can be careful to submit to the teaching and example of those whom God has called to proclaim His truth, but we should never idolize them and always make sure that we - ourselves - are in the Scriptures consistently, allowing the Holy Spirit to direct us in our walk with Him.

Faith and Voting

Is God interested in the political leaders we select?  I would say so, definitely!  And, ultimately, He is in sovereign control of the process. He invites us to participate with Him. Daniel 2 states:
20 Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.

So, God is concerned with the way that Christians vote.  And, I believe that is one of our responsibilities as citizens in this nation.  I've said that voting is an act of worship.  God wants to use His people to speak His truth in the shaping of public policy.  With another mid-term election coming up and primaries just 3 months away, we can become engaged in learning about the candidates, getting registered to vote - and being in prayer.

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A number of years ago, the late Bill Bright wrote a booklet on Christian citizenship and participation
in the political process. He referred to a verse in Hosea 8 - here is a passage from that chapter:
3 Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.
4 "They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves-- That they might be cut off.

The election results from a special election in Pennsylvania indicate a victory for a Democrat candidate who positioned himself as a moderate - his name is Conor Lamb, and by less than a thousand votes, he seems to have defeated Republican Rick Saccone, pending a recount.  This is in a district that Donald Trump carried by some 20 points in 2016.

Now, keep in mind, this election would not have been necessary, save for moral missteps of the Republican Congressman who had held the seat since 2003 - according to Fox News, "Murphy was forced to resign in October amid revelations of an extramarital affair in which he urged his lover to get an abortion when they thought she was pregnant."

Even though he received significant support from the Democrat party apparatus, Lamb did not necessarily tow the party line.  NBC News reports:

Drawing on his background as a Marine and former federal prosecutor, Lamb disowned Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and staked out positions on abortion, guns and fracking that hewed closer to the GOP.

But Lamb also embraced the classics of the Democratic playbook, hammering Saccone for allegedly wanting to cut Social Security and Medicare, and uniting Pittsburgh's powerful unions behind him in a way no Democrat had before in that district.

And, the Washington Times reports that Lamb did not take aim at the President in his campaigning the day after Trump had visited the state on behalf of Saccone.

In other election news, Tennessee Republican Shane Reeves overwhelmingly defeated Gayle Jordan in a special election for the state Senate.  Fox News reports that:

Jordan is executive director of Recovering from Religion, a group that supports people who wish to leave their faith behind. She is a former Southern Baptist who left the denomination 10 years ago “when her then-teenagers began asking questions she could not answer.”

Reeves, a Murfreesboro-based businessman, made Jordan’s open atheism an issue in the election, telling the Tennessean that her “views are radical” and “out of touch with the district."

And, just up the road, in Nashville, Mayor Megan Barry resigned recently in the aftermath of the revelations that she had an affair with her bodyguard.

What do we conclude from all this political news?

There is certainly a threshold for personal behavior for our leaders - political and spiritual.  Barry and Murphy are people whose moral choices while in office put them in a position where they had lost the public trust.  And, an outright rejection of God, which can definitely inform personal behavior and shape policy, was a non-starter for the people of middle Tennessee.   One should always weigh the moral perspective and the worldview of the candidates from whom we are selecting.

I think that the Pennsylvania election also teaches us that every vote counts.  The My Faith Votes website offers a free download of Bill Bright's booklet, Your 5 Duties as a Christian Citizen.  He wrote:

It is commonly believed that decisions in America are made by a majority of the people. This is not so. Decisions are made by a majority of those who vote. As few as 16 percent of all eligible voters in a district can elect a member of Congress. Even presidents have been elected by an average of one-half the votes per precinct nationwide. 

By one vote, Texas was admitted to the Union; Hitler won leadership of the German Nazi Party; and the U.S. House of Representatives elected Thomas Jefferson as President. Your one vote does make a difference! 

We can also think about the potential impact of Christians going to the polls and voting.  Bright writes:

Only when you cast your vote do you fulfill your Christian responsibility in government. Exercise the influence that God has given you through our unique system of self-government. If you fail to vote conscientiously for godly rule, evil will increase in our nation. “When rulers are wicked, their people are too” (Proverbs 29:16). Our nation will then bear the consequences of our choices. “You will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day” (1 Samuel 8:18, NIV).

The My Faith Votes site also states:

The policies and laws our leaders enact will affect America for decades to come.

As Christians, we want to see good public policies created that reflect biblical values. However, in order to see these kinds of policies enacted, we have to elect principled leaders. And in order to see principled leaders elected, we as Christians must make our voice heard by voting.

The organization, as highlighted in a recent interview, encourages Christians to think, pray, and vote.

Bright wrote:

In making your decisions, let the Word of God be your guide. “Godliness exalts a nation” (Proverbs 14:34)., so it is important to prayerfully seek God’s will in all political decisions. Israel invited God’s anger by selecting leaders without consulting Him: “They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval” (Hosea 8:4, NIV). 

If there is no qualified candidate who is spiritually mature, vote for the one whose personal principles and platform most nearly agree with your own Christian position based on the Bible.

At the NRB Convention recently, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council encouraged Christians to vote in the upcoming mid-term elections.  He said, according to NRB's website:

“We have to act upon the opportunity that we have to fortify our freedoms, and to ensure government does not again try to quarantine our Christian faith within the walls of our churches. A lot has been done, but there is still plenty to do.

“The Johnson Amendment has to be totally eliminated. The forced partnership between taxpayers and Planned Parenthood must be ended. Patient-centered healthcare must be restored and God must be welcomed back into our public life,” Perkins concluded.