Will

As he begins to wrap up his 1st letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul exhorts the people to
walk in God's will, to walk in holiness:
1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;
2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor...

We are called to "abound more and more," i.e., to be involved in spiritual growth.  We are saved by His blood, and He calls us into a walk of obedience, of sanctification, so that we might exhibit the characteristics of our Savior, enjoying victory over sin and a closer walk with Him.  He doesn't intend for us to stand still, but desires for us to move forward in Christ, following His principles and demonstrating that we love Him.

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We are called to carry out the Father's will, to follow Christ in salvation, and to be obedient to His
direction. 2nd Corinthians 4 gives us insight into God's purpose for us:
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

The last will and testament of the late evangelist Billy Graham has been released to the public, and there are some wise words that not only apply to his family members, but can provide a challenge for each of us.

ChristianHeadlines.com has a report, in which it states:

The Christian Post shares some of Graham’s words in the document, the rest of which can be found on WSOCTV.com.

"I ask my children and grandchildren to maintain and defend at all hazards at any cost of personal sacrifice the blessed doctrine of complete Atonement for sin through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ once offered, and through that alone. I urge all of you to walk with the Lord in a life of separation from the world and to keep eternal values in view.”

The article also says: "Graham also encouraged his family to read the Bible daily and to trust in Jesus for salvation." He also thanked his late wife, Ruth, saying, “I want to thank her for her years of devotion, love, faithfulness, and sacrifice. Of all the people I have ever known, she was the greatest Christian.”

With regard to financial resources, he stipulated that 10 percent would go to the work of the Gospel.

Meanwhile, Billy Graham's son, Franklin, has embarked on a multi-city tour in the vein of the Decision America tour from 2016.  This time, he's setting his sights on the state of California.

You might want to catch the New York Times story, in which a reporter, Elizabeth Dias, actually spent a few days reporting on the tour.   It's actually a pretty good assessment of the work of Graham and his desire to see people come to Christ and live according to their convictions.  Definitely not what I would term a "hit piece," which you might expect from that publication.

Family Research Council quoted from the story in a recent Washington Update:

"The church just has to be wakened," the Rev. Franklin Graham told the New York Times shortly after concluding the first of 10 stops in his "Decision America California Tour" -- evangelistic prayer events that are drawing thousands across the Golden state with many making the decision for Christ. "People say, what goes in California is the way the rest of the nation is going to go. So, if we want to see changes, it is going to have to be done here." We heard the same urgency from California pastors attending last week's 15th annual Watchmen on the Wall pastors briefing. Like Franklin, these pastors know that California's hope -- indeed America's hope -- is only found in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Vice President Pence delivered this message in his address to Watchmen pastors on Friday: "Keep preaching the good news," urged Pence. "Keep preaching in season and out of season as the Bible says. Always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have."

 Coverage of Graham's Fresno rally appeared in the Fresno Bee, which related:

The message: Christians need to pray for politicians, vote for candidates who support biblical principles, run for local offices, and find a relationship with God through Jesus Christ so their sins can be forgiven.

"Our country is in trouble," the son of the late Billy Graham said. "Your state's in trouble – you know that. But there are things that we can do. You know God hears prayer."

So, there he is, carry out the stated will of his father, and following the will of his Heavenly Father, preaching the gospel, and connecting the transformation of the gospel with the potential transformation of culture.   Sure, there were political implications, and that is a system that has been established by man through which God can work.

For us today, we can be encouraged to take the Word of God seriously in carrying out our Father's will.  He has a plan for each of us, He has entrusted a message to us, and He desires to see His people faithfully serving and loving Him.  We are His representatives, and that means we represent the principles that we find in His Word.

There is much discussion and debate in the Church today about a variety of issues, and if we're not careful, concentration on what might be termed "non-essential" - but by no means unimportant - issues can distract us from the work of the Gospel that we are called to do.  In our pursuit of the political and relational, the spiritual can get lost - the spiritual, the truth of God's Word, can inform the other realms.  True heart change through the Gospel is at the core of our effective work on earth.

We have to make sure that we are not spending so much time concentrating on the sins and shortcomings of others and not concentrating on our own hearts.  God's Spirit will illuminate the areas in which we need to grow, confess, and repent, but we have to allow His light to shine in our hearts so that He might do His healing and restorative work.

The Well-Dressed Christian

In Ephesians 6, we read about our spiritual armor.  Paul tells us to be strong in the Lord and reminds us that we are doing battle with spiritual forces, who wage war against Almighty God and His
children. We are instructed about the spiritual armor:
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God...

How do we appropriate the spiritual armor?  Well, for one thing we receive it by faith and as Dr. Stanley has taught, we literally, verbally "put it on."  We can thank the Lord for these components, and we can make sure that we are walking in truth - God's Word is an essential element - we must know His truth and know who we are: righteous and holy before God.  We move forward with confidence in Him, our shield of faith is strengthened the Word and our minds are renewed.  The Scriptures are powerful in order to defeat the enemy.

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Regarding walking in the identity of the new creation in Christ that the Bible says we are, Ephesians
4 states:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

I had a link to an almost two-year old article come across my Twitter feed the other day, and it caught my attention, and there are some meaningful ways that we can process the information.  It was from Relevant magazine, and the title was, What Your Pastor's Shirt Says About Their Theology.  Yes, it was a fun article, a bit irreverent, certainly satiricial.  It opens up this way:

If there’s one way to immediately know the theological leanings of a pastor it’s to simply observe what their clothes look like and make a rash, unwavering judgement.

We’ve already put together helpful guides to knowing what your pastor’s jeans and choice in coffee say about their theology, but now, after countless emails from theologically curious churchgoers around the world, we’ve finally turned our attention to shirts.

The article definitely trends to the contemporary expression of worship, including certain t-shirts, the "crazy shirt with like a thousand paisleys all over it," and the "Tommy Bahama" look. And, of course, there was a nod to the "untucked dress shirt with open collar:"

This is the shirt of choice for pastors who like to use memorable acronyms to distill complicated Biblical principles into joke-laden sermons. The look also works for dads going out for a “nice” dinner and tech executives.

And, there's the brown Old Navy polo, described as "Sensible," "Timeless," but "kind of drab."

The concept kind of reminded me of material that Jon Acuff was doing with the book and website, Stuff Christians Like.  I found a guest post from a guy named Curtis, who wrote about the youth minister style:

Fact: eighth graders have the attention span of a goldfish in a bowl of Red Bull (more on that later). In case the Wednesday night message doesn’t keep the students’ rapt with attention, his shirt will. You know the shirts I’m talking about–they contain more calligraphy than the Constitution. I think I saw a youth minister the other day with Hammurabi’s Code embellished onto it. If you give the kids 3D glasses they may even find clues to reclaim a legendary book of Presidential secrets hidden inside Teddy Roosevelt’s nostril at Mount Rushmore.

And, I also found a site called, PastorFashion.com, which was associated with Ed Young of the large Fellowship Church in Texas.  The site states:

PastorFashion.com is designed to have some fun with fashion and put it in its proper perspective – it’s a relevant tool in reaching the world with the hope and love of Jesus. This is a place where pastors (and anyone who shares that perspective) can get some tips on what to wear, how to wear it, and when to wear it. But the ultimate question isn’t “what,” “how” or “when?” It’s “Who?”

It's true - it looks like the site has not been active in about three years, but there was advice for ad-dressing...dress!

Well, the takeaway that occurred to me, and was also explored by Pastor Young, is that how we dress has spiritual implications, and by and large, it has nothing to do with outward appearance.  But, I will say that our approach to worship and being in the Lord's house should be reflected in the clothes and accessories we wear - in other words, I am a proponent that sloppy doesn't cut it in the church. And, we should have an understanding of what is inappropriate to wear in the church setting.  So, having said that, let's think about what the Bible says about how we are to be clothed.

I will refer again to Ed Young.  The site says:

Our fascination with fashion is really just a microcosm of our desire to be clothed in the ultimate designer—Jesus Christ. Until we put on the grace and mercy of Jesus we’re all stitched in sin and cut up with compromise. But In Jesus, God has provided us a seamless garment; a perfect wardrobe so that we can discover what true fashion is really all about.

The Bible refers in Ephesians 4 to putting off the old and putting on the new.  That is something very important - when we encounter old patterns of thought and actions, those should be replaced in a manner consistent with who God says we are.  We have been freed from sin, and we have been given new power in the Spirit to combat and overcome sin.  So, we put on our new identity in Christ.

And, there are elements of spiritual clothing found in Ephesians chapter 6 - the full armor of God.  As it's been pointed out, we have essentially five pieces of defensive clothing - the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, footwear that demonstrates our faithfulness to the gospel, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. Then, there is the offensive item: the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

So, the well-dressed Christian recognizes who we are and what we have in Christ. Surely, we want to honor Him by the way we dress in the church, and that is often determined by worship style and the type of service or event.  But, we, above all, acknowledge that we are clothed in Him.

Bee Bold

We have been called and chosen by God to be part of His family through a relationship with Jesus Christ.  We have been saved so that we can not only abide in that love but to share it, as well.
Ephesians 2 states:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

We have access to the glorious presence of God, and we can know that He is with us at all times. We also have been empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to live the Christian life, to reflect His nature, and to bring Him glory.  We can discern the ways that He is leading us and consider the work that He is doing through us, providing evidence of His hand.  We can rejoice in the presence of a faithful God, who works according to His will, in His time.

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The Christian life is certainly an adventure, and it provides the opportunity to love and to know the Lord who gave Himself for us.  And, He brings us into a growth process, about which we read in
Philippians 2:
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.

It's not satire.

It is really true - the website, The Babylon Bee, has been sold, and the reasons should give everyone who deals in the social media space some pause.

I saw a tweet from Phil Cooke about this development and went to Adam Ford's announcement.

He wants to develop an aggregator, Drudge-style website called Christian Daily Reporter.  It's good - and he won't be using social media, which means I will have to actually follow a link to get there.

Social media has been a blessing and a curse for the Bee. I've actually reported here and in River Region's Journey about the site's activity which resulted in a warning from Facebook.

Ford's unease with social media was a huge contributing factor to the sale of the site.  He writes:

...to become a successful content creator you have to use Facebook, and using Facebook, especially if you’re a Christian and/or a conservative, is sort of like going to a mafia loan shark for $10,000. They’re happy to give it to you, just like Facebook will gladly give you the opportunity for your content to go viral on their massive platform. But then, if it does, they own you. You have to conform to their rules and their worldview, and jump through every hoop they put in front of you, if you want to remain a successful content creator.

CBN News reported on the sale, and stated:

In March, Facebook threatened to reduce The Babylon Bee's audience if it didn't stop posting "false news." Facebook later said the threat was a mistake, but several of The Bee's satirical stories remained flagged with "fact check" warnings.

Ford warns that, "centralization of the internet is one of the greatest threats to the spread of the gospel...maybe the single biggest threat. It is tyranny over information. It's a handful of people who are hostile to the Christian message and the plight of the individual deciding what's good and bad, true and false."

So, according to Ford's personal site, an entrepreneur named Seth Dillon is the new majority owner, Kyle Mann (a recent Meeting House guest) is the editor and publisher, and Adam will participate in a "more limited capacity," and will continue to own a piece of the pie, and retain ownership of the book, How to Be a Perfect Christian.

Also, Adam lamented how big the Bee had become and how much he didn't really want to run a company.  He wrote:

Running the Bee I was hesitant, for various reasons, to do the things necessary for it to continue growing to new levels. I wanted to publish satire; I didn’t want to run a growing company. I didn’t want to hire people. With the new owner comes resources and aspirations that the Bee has never had before.

Well, kudos to Adam Ford, and I plan to be a regular visitor to your new site!  In the meantime, let us consider what he said, especially about the social media space.  NRB and others have called attention to it, and it seems to be a pervasive issue with the Internet sites: for instance, Facebook continuing to try to "tweak" and control its content.  Twitter's practice of "shadowbanning."  The whole utopian beauty of social media for a Christian is that you get to share your content with others and receive content from those you choose...nowadays, if it were only that simple.  Hello, Instagram?  Well, it's owned by Facebook, so that may not be immune from social manipulation. And, as Ford rightly points out, the gatekeepers by and large don't share our Christian worldview.

Also, Adam has applied the important concept of staying in your lane.  There are things we are good at, and things that we are, well, not good at.  We have to discern the gifts and talents that God has given to us.  We can identify the things we like and perhaps prayerfully consider how God would use those for His glory.  Conversely, we can shave from our lives those optional things that consume way too much of our time and may not reflect God's calling upon our lives.  We have to prayerfully seek to be where our Lord wants us to be.

Finally, we can be sensitive to the reality of God's timing.  Adam knew the time had come.  And, so he made the move - he already had a head writer who was willing to step in.  Plus, the Lord provided someone with resources who was willing to make the investment.  We can know what God is directing and seek to follow Him at the right time.

Invaders in the Temple

The Bible teaches us to be sober-minded, and to not allow ourselves to be controlled by something other than the Spirit of God. In Ephesians 5, we can read:
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...

It is helpful to consider what we are allowing to control us - if our lives are not under the control of the Holy Spirit, then we become vulnerable to the schemes of the enemy, who comes to steal our life, to kill our joy, and destroy our witness.  God calls us to live the surrendered life, submitting our decisions to His Lordship and applying His principles to the actions we take.  He wants to free us from a polluted heart, soul, and body so that we might enjoy the glorious liberty that He offers.

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To setup the statistics that I will be sharing on this "Survey Thursday," I wanted to share a passage
from Proverbs 23, which describe potentially harmful effects from alcohol consumption:
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?
30 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine.
31 Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly;
32 At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper.
33 Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things.

Ephesians tells us to not be drunk with wine, but filled with the Spirit.

There is a recent survey that examines the degree to which residents of cities across America consume alcohol.  A ChristianHeadlines.com story examines the findings.

The story says that this "new study by 24/7 Wall Street" "examined the percentage of adults who report binge or heavy drinking within the past 30 days."  Here are the definitions:

Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks on a single occasion for women and five or more for men. Heavy drinking is “eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 or more for men,” according to the study.

There were 381 metro areas that were part of the survey.  The Midwest section of the country had the highest number of "drunkest" cities, and the South had the fewest.  In fact, 4 out of the top 5 "drunkest" cities were in Wisconsin:  Green Bay at #1, where 26.5 of adults drink to excess, followed by Eau Claire, Appleton, and Madison.  The Fargo, ND-MN metro area was fifth.

According to the report, the metro area of Provo-Orem, Utah was first among the "driest" cities, with 8.5 of adults drinking to excess.  That area was followed by St. George, UT, Beckley, WV, Jackson,  TN, and Charleston, WV.  In Alabama, Gadsden placed #12 among the driest and Dothan was at number 20.

The Bible, especially in the Proverbs, addresses harmful effects associated with alcohol.  And, current statistics bear those out.  The article says:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 18 percent of American adults regularly binge drink. According to the CDC, bring drinking is associated with more than average unintentional injuries, car crashes, violence, sexual assault, STDs, chronic diseases, cancer, and memory and learning problems.

This study can cause us to think about certain elements of the Christian life.  The Bible teaches that we are to be controlled by the Spirit of God, and we must be careful to not let something else take control of our faculties.  Ephesians 5 directs us to be filled with the Spirit.

1st Corinthians 6 teaches us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  We can be careful to consider the effects of what we place into our bodies and even our minds.  Again, if we allow something to control us other than God's Spirit, we become vulnerable to impulses and actions that are not consistent with the truth of God.   And, furthermore, our devotion to care of the temple involves a commitment to a healthy diet and God-honoring lifestyle.  We are called to be stewards of what has been entrusted to us.

Finally, as the CDC indicates, the violation of Biblical principles leads to personal and communal degradation.  Those who have suffered loss as the result of alcohol abuse, perhaps at the hands of a drunk driver, or who have seen the deterioration of a marriage or family relationship as the result of alcohol, can testify to the importance of following the principles of the Scriptures regarding this notion of caring for our temples, our "house" that God desires to inhabit and control.

With All Your Mind

In 2nd Timothy 2, we read the exhortation of the apostle Paul about diligent application of the Word
of God:
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

The King James Version uses the word, "study" in verse 15.  I believe that Christians are to develop our minds - filling them with God's truth, thinking about and reasoning about what we find in the Word, and considering how we might apply His truth to our own lives.  Faith and reason are not mutually exclusive - our faith perspective can affect our approach to critical issues; our application of the Word of God can be useful in addressing the challenges we encounter.

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Jesus was having a moment of interaction with one of the religious groups of His day, the Pharisees, who had heard that Christ had, according to Matthew 22, persuasively "silenced" another group, the Saducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.  The chapter states:
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the first and great commandment.
39 And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'

Note the 3 areas Jesus referred to here...heart, soul, and mind.

Do you sometimes feel you want to escape from the erosion of values in our nation and the emotion of troubling circumstances?   Well, there are some college students that are seeking a safe place, but not in the way that you commonly hear about - they're trying to renew their minds with God's Word.

Meet the Center for Christian Study.  According to ReligionNews.com:

The Center for Christian Study at the University of Virginia has been beckoning students since 1976 as a place to cram, but also as a place to explore the relationship between faith and learning.

The WiFi is free. The library has a few desktop computers (not to mention 12,000 books). And, of course, there’s a kitchen.

Christian students come here to socialize, listen to a lecture, participate in a book study or a small group, get mentoring or counseling. Founded to serve students spiritually and intellectually, the center attests to an evangelical willingness to take on science and the liberal arts.

This "Christian study model" has now been established at 24 campuses across America, according to the article, "including the University of California at Berkeley, Cornell, Yale, the University of Wisconsin and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill."

The story goes on to say:

Study centers, however, want to cast off the perception that evangelicals are anti-intellectual or anti-science. Protestants, after all, established most of the universities known today as the Ivy League, and these centers want to restore respect for learning and scholarship.

Drew Trotter, executive director of the Consortium of Christian Study Centers, is quoted as saying, "We love knowledge and are grateful for the ways universities disseminate knowledge and work on integrating knowledge for the betterment of society. We appreciate that..."

A center might be involved in sponsoring a speaker or publishing a journal, and a UVA group from its center has partnered with an atheist and agnostic group to study and discuss various works together.  

The article relates:

At the North Carolina Study Center, a conference last year brought community leaders in business and academia to talk to students about how they might live faithfully after college and contribute to the broader world.

“Universities might do a great job of teaching — here are instruments to use to flourish as an individual — without much discussion of what does that flourishing actually mean or look like,” said Madison Perry, executive director of the North Carolina Study Center. “That’s where I see a space for well-informed, traditioned voices that can say, ‘here’s what we think that means.’”

UNC student Parker Marshall is planning a journal originating at that campus study center. He said about the center, “Broadly, it’s a place I can pursue Christianity in a way that engages my mind..."

Sarah Macris, who attends UVA, "said she too appreciates the spirit of open inquiry mixed with warmth at the center." She stated, “The goal isn’t to shut down discussion by how right you are,” adding, “It’s a conversation in which you love and care about one another in pursuit of truth.”

This study center concept certainly seems like a refreshing and challenging opportunity for students to develop their minds.  And, when we consider that we are called to love God with all our mind, this can set an example for each of us to think Biblically.   

We should look for ways in which we can stimulate and, as Romans 12 suggests, renew our minds, which results in transformation.  This starts at the Word of God - spending time in the Bible, perhaps in a regular reading plan, which can open up the door for further study of and meditation in the Word.  Other resources are apparently available through these centers, too, and we can be motivated to take advantage of what God has provided so that we may know Him better and to think with the mind of Christ.

And, this also sets an example for what reasonable, Christlike discussion might look like.  People can be so combative with one another, and when you participate in interaction that is civil and respectful, there can be an effective sharing of ideas, and it can even present an evangelistic opportunity when you are talking with a non-believer.  

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

The Lord is calling people to follow Him, and we have the opportunity to demonstrate a
compassionate, welcoming point of view. In John 8, we can read:
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."
14 Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.

Jesus is calling us to radiate His light - by the way we exalt Him and treat one another.  We are, in essence, walking billboards who have been entrusted with accurately portraying the message of the gospel.  By the way we interact with fellow believers, as Jesus taught, and in the way we interact one-on-one with people, we testify to His love and greatness.  We need to be sure that we are communicating helpful and clear messages for His sake.

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Jesus has given us His Holy Spirit and desires for us to display His light to the world around us.  In
John 13, He taught:
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

People from throughout the Southeast are converging on Birmingham this week for the SEC Baseball Tournament in Hoover.   And, people approaching from the south will behold the return of a venerable sign by the side of the road.  For many years, until it was destroyed by a thunderstorm in 2016, there was a sign that read, "Go to Church or the Devil Will Get You," which featured a caricature of the evil one.

According to WSFA, the sign, near the Autauga/Chilton county line, has been reconstructed.  The report says:

The sign sits on land owned by the Newell Family, who operates W. S. Newell Construction Company, near a watermill that's just yards from the interstate.

“It was always a conversation starter in the car,” said Hope Dean, granddaughter of the late Billy Newell, who founded the company and originally erected the sign in 1988.

She related that the family thought that would have been what her grandfather wanted.

Now, theologically, one could make the case that it is not church attendance that keeps the devil away, but the Bible does warn us to not forsake gathering together.  We need the local church, and the teaching and fellowship can help strengthen our spiritual walk - and we have to ensure that we know Jesus and are seeking to live in obedience to Him.  All in all, the sign is a helpful reminder of spiritual devotion.

Further up the road, there is a confusing sign.  As you know, there has been road construction at the intersection of I-65, 59, and 20.  And approaching the intersection from the east on 20-59, there is a glorious new sign, according to WVTM.  It offers direction to 20 North, going to Huntsville, and 65 West and 59 South, heading to Tuscaloosa.  As the TV station states on its website: "The sign was supposed to instruct drivers to use the right lane to take I-65 North to Huntsville and use the middle lane to take I-59 South/I-20 West for Tuscaloosa."  No word on a replacement, although it seems that a crowbar and some super glue might enable you to switch the interstate shields to get them to the right place.

But, further into Birmingham, there is an unhelpful sign.  It's at a church on Cotton Avenue, and according to WVTM:

The sign reads on one side, “Black Folks Need to Stay Out of White Churches." The other side of the sign says, “White Folks Refused to Be Our Neighbors.”

The pastor of the church is responding to the announcement that the largest church in Alabama and one of the largest in the nation, Church of the Highlands, is planning to plant a campus in a high crime neighborhood on the west side of Birmingham. 

The article quotes the pastor, Michael Jordan as saying, "You don't want to live next door to us, so why do you want to put a church here if they don't know us? And I am condemning the black African Americans that worship white churches because the culture is so different..." It goes on to say:

The sign has created a firestorm on social media. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin weighed in on Tuesday, tweeting this:

“There is a spirit of racism and division that is over this city. It must be brought down."

According to ChurchLeaders.com, former Auburn and Buffalo Bills player Mayo Sowell, himself with a background of drugs and crime, including a prison sentence, will be the campus pastor.

In the article, Highlands pastor Chris Hodges is quoted as saying, "We’re going to reach the drug dealers and we’ll get the crime to stop,” adding, “Come on everybody, we’re going to be the local church. I can’t wait to report back to the mayor, and he says ‘great job, hey let’s go over here now.’ That’s what the church should do.”

You see, Mayor Woodfin is quite supportive of the effort.  Hodges relates about what the mayor said about four troubling neighborhoods:

“He said, ‘Chris, there are four of them that are keeping me up at night,'” Hodges said.

“‘There are four of them that people should not live the way they are living, and the fear they’re living in, the crime they are living in, the poverty they are living in. We have to do something about these four communities. All of our communities need stuff, but my priority are these four.’ And I said, ‘Mayor, I want to know which ones they are. If there’s anything we can do to help, I’m committing it to you right now.'

There is a sign for you - a sign that a local church is determined to apply Biblical principles to the needs of hearts that are blinded by sin and deceived by the lure of drugs and crime.   What a message - a message of unity, rather than disunity; of healing rather than hurt.

Signs can send messages - sometimes helpful, sometimes unhelpful, sometimes even outright confusing.  And, we can examine the messages we send - including those with 280 characters on Twitter or what we're posting on Facebook.  We should be dealing in helpful messages that will inspire and perhaps even instruct, but always with a tone that is consistent with the character of Christ.

Jesus spoke about the messages we are sending to the world around us.  He said that the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another.  He said if He would be lifted up, He would draw people unto Himself.  We can ask ourselves, "Are we a good advertisement for the gospel - individually & collectively?"  

It seems that the Church has tried to become adept at airing its dirty laundry in front of a dying world that needs to see hope.  Sure, we have problems - our churches are full of flawed people, like you and me - but we can follow Biblical instruction in trying to solve our differences.  And, we can present to the world a picture of Christ's love and unity and extend to the world a healthy dose of His compassion, regardless of where He calls us to share it.

The Feast

Even though there are those who would want to cloud or distort the definition of marriage from a Biblical point of view, there is clear teaching, not only in the book of Genesis, but also in the words
of Jesus, about what marriage actually is. In Matthew 19, He says:
(4) "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,'
5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

The teaching is clear, not only about marriage as one man for one woman, but also the idea of gender identity, or gender fluidity - God made them "male and female."  2 genders, no transitional forms. In an age in which God's ideas are being challenged by the world's inferior ideas, we can be challenged to hold fast to His principles; call it traditional, some may even call it old-fashioned, but it is good to know we serve a God who is unchanging, who does not redefine Himself according to cultural whims.

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In the aftermath of the royal wedding, I thought it would be appropriate to touch on what God has to say about marriage. We find that He instituted it in Genesis 2, and in Ephesians 5, we read, in part:
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Did you watch it?  Yes, it was another royal wedding that dominated cable news and the Internet on Saturday morning, the union of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle. 

There was certainly a historic nature to the event - the union of a member of the British royal family to a mixed-race bride from the U.S.  In a country where at one time a King had abdicated because of his marriage to a divorced American, it shows a shift in attitude in the Church of England over the past century.  And, it's been pointed out by Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family that cohabitation, or living together before marriage, as this couple practiced, increases a couple's chance of divorce.

But, the optics were grand and glorious - it was a celebration of the union of one man and one woman, which symbolizes, according to the Scripture, the relationship of Christ and His Church.  Marriage on display to scores of people around the world - it gives us an opportunity to consider the sanctity of marriage, the way God ordained it.

A piece on the Baptist Press website by Sheri Gaches, she writes about not only the picture of marriage, but the future wedding feast in which believers in Christ will participate:

In a recent statement released by Buckingham Palace, Prince Harry and Ms. Markle formally invited members of the public to join in the wedding festivities.

In the statement, they insisted that they want to celebrate their wedding with "people chosen ... from a broad range of backgrounds and ages." It's unlikely they intended to make this connection, but their desire reflects the apostle John's vision when "a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language," gathers to worship the Lord and be wedded to him (Revelation 7:9; 19:6–8).

Like the royal wedding, the final wedding of the Lamb and His bride will be an international celebration. Generational, racial, cultural and linguistic gaps will close as we all partake in the wedding feast together.

And who will forget the featured sermon of the day, delivered in an impassioned style by Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry. He was appointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury to give the address, and he certainly did not disappoint.  The presence of an African-American orator and the presence of gospel music throughout the occasion were not what one might have expected from a royal wedding. Mark Tooley of the Institute of Religion and Democracy offered a critique of the sermon.  He said:

The wedding sermon from Episcopal Church USA Michael Curry justifiably has earned rave reviews for compelling delivery and a love-soaked message very appropriate for a wedding, royal or otherwise. He was quite soaring in his vision of love’s power:

Think and imagine, well, think and imagine a world where love is the way. Imagine our homes and families when love is the way. Imagine neighborhoods and communities where love is the way. Imagine governments and nations where love is the way. Imagine business and commerce when love is the way. Imagine this tired old world when love is the way, unselfish, sacrificial redemptive. When love is the way, then no child will go to bed hungry in this world ever again. When love is the way, we will let justice roll down like a mighty stream and righteousness like an everflowing brook. When love is the way, poverty will become history. When love is the way, the earth will be a sanctuary. When love is the way, we will lay down our swords and shields down, down by the riverside to study war no more. When love is the way, there’s plenty good room, plenty good room, for all of God’s children. Because when love is the way, we actually treat each other, well, like we are actually family. When love is the way, we know that God is the source of us all and we are brothers and sisters, children of God. My brothers and sisters, that’s a new heaven, a new earth, a new world, a new human family.

But, Tooley cautioned: 

Many have acclaimed Curry’s sermon for offering a positive alternative to more conservative Christianity. But these celebrants may forget that Curry’s denomination is literally dying, as are all liberal Protestant communions that share its theology of amorphous love without judgment.

Tooley quoted from Gavin Ashenden, a former chaplain to the queen, in his article.

Ashenden offers this critique at his website:

The world is rightly talking about Michael Curry’s wedding sermon. It was as tour de force. He is very good at preaching. But it also offers us all an insight into the dramatic difference between the two kind of Christianity that are at odds with each other in the Anglican Communion.

We will call them for the moment, ‘Christianity-max’, and ‘Christianity-lite’.

Credit where it is due. ‘Christianity-lite’ can be very appealing. It reaches out to where people are hurting and it encourages them. It reaches out to where they are longing for good change, and it promises them that change can come.

It speaks continuously of love and hope. Everyone likes to hear of love and hope.

But it has three serious flaws. It doesn’t define love, and it never delivers on the hope. It isn’t what Jesus preached.

And, it's commonly pointed out that Curry affirms same-sex marriage, which is certainly not the picture of traditional marriage that was seemingly on display on Saturday.  Curry is part of group of so-called "progressive" Christians who are part of a movement to "reclaim Jesus," which is the theme of an event in Washington this week.

Tooley wrote:

There may have been aspects of Curry’s sermon that caused carefully listening traditionalists to wince. Yet the Gospel’s power is such that even kernels of it can save and transform. Let’s hope such kernels, sumptuously wrapped, were transmitted globally by the royal wedding.

But, all in all, whenever there is a celebration of marriage, there is the element of what the Bible has to say about it and the foundational nature of the institution in our culture.  We can certainly take the opportunity to celebrate our own marriages and to relish in the Biblical definition of marriage, an institution ordained by God.

We can also use discernment and see how the Biblical picture of marriage - one man and one woman, symbolizing and acting in the love of Christ for His Church - is still relevant for today and indeed beneficial for our culture, if people would embrace it rather than try to redefine it.

Finally, we can't be flippant about the use of the word, love.  But, we can rightfully embrace the Christ-centered nature of sacrificial love, the love that motivated Him to die on a cross.  A love that causes us to put God, and then other persons before ourselves.  A love that does more than tolerate; a love that truly transforms and equips us to be disciples of the Most High.

Change the Song

We recognize that we have been re-created in the image of Christ and are called to walk with Him
daily and to reflect His nature. Colossians 3 states:
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ...

We are called in 1st Peter 2, according the King James Version, a "peculiar" people - we are called to be distinct.  We are not supposed to think according to the world, and we are certainly called to possess a worldview that is different than those who don't know Christ.  Our convictions may drive us to unpopular decisions, but we can possess the satisfaction that we have obeyed Christ.  We are called, above all, to glorify Him.

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In 1st Corinthians 10, the apostle Paul addresses how personal conviction can drive our personal
decisions, all producing fruit for God's glory. Here is a passage from that chapter:
31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
32 Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,
33 just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

For a host of reasons, I do not generally follow Dancing with the Stars that closely.  But, there was a development recently that caught my attention.

It involves a Christian Olympic softball player named Jennie Finch.  A Faithwire story stated: "that the song that was selected for her and her dance partner, “'Make Me Feel,' is sexually suggestive and was deemed to be a 'little too risque' for the athlete."  The article says:

According to the Kansas City Star, Finch was struggling with the song all through rehearsals until she finally made a phone call to producers saying she was not prepared to dance to such a sexually charged track.

“It’s not what I’m about. I need to follow who I am and stand up for what I believe in,” Finch explained on the hit show.

Finch, was actually voted off the show this past Monday.  The story states:

The All-American softball pitcher hopes that this courageous stand for her faith will inspire others, but mostly, her aim is to bring glory and honor to God in heaven. “I want to glorify God out there, and that just wasn’t a great choice for me to do that,” she explained.

After the performance of the substitute song, judge Carrie Ann Inaba said, “I applaud you for choosing what felt right to you, and I think that’s setting a great example..."

Meanwhile, the Olympian who reportedly showed disrespect to the Vice-President prior to the South Korea Olympics, the gay figure skater who wanted to be "America's Sweetheart," before he flopped in the Olympics, winning one solo bronze medal and a team bronze, Adam Rippon, is a favorite to win the competition.  Rippon recently said, according to Fox News, that he would be in favor of a "same-sex" dancing season on the show.  Yet another step in trying to force the gay agenda on America, if that were to occur.

Back to Jennie Finch, who is married to former pro baseball player Casey Daigle and has three children, according to Sports Spectrum.   By the way, she is a teammate of former Jimmy Hitchcock speaker Leah O'Brien-Amico on the 2004 Olympic gold medal softball team.  Her decision on principle actually set off a chain reaction - the Faithwire story notes that she and her partner had to change the choreography, which had been completed, in order to accommodate the change.

This actually communicates the message that sometimes you will have to do what needs to be done, regardless of the consequences or the fallout.  And, we shouldn't be hesitant to change course because it involves some work.  We have to make sure we are determined to do the right thing, even though there is a cost involved.

That's kind of how complacency works.  We become satisfied with a decision or direction, and when we know we need to make a course correction, we don't do it because it involves some work, maybe some inconvenience, perhaps even some misunderstanding on the part of colleagues.  We have to depend on God's strength and a sense of bravery that comes from Him in order to stand for Him.

And, finally, Jennie Finch made a decision based on the objectionable nature of song lyrics.  This can challenge us to make sure that what we are placing in our minds through music and entertainment are not inconsistent with our Christian witness and growth.  The words we listen to or actions we observe can have an impact on our spirit and can be tools of the enemy to diminish the abundant life Christ has come to give us.

Yanny, Laurel, & Daily Choices

The 8th chapter of Proverbs includes a personification of Godly wisdom. Here is one passage from that chapter:
10 Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold;
11 For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, And find out knowledge and discretion.

Where there is confusion or uncertainty, God offers clarity through His Word.  And, His Spirit, who goes with us, will help us to remember the Scriptures and enable us to apply His principles.  But, we have to draw on what we have placed in our hearts.  In order to make decisions that are consistent with Scripture, it is vital that we know the Word - really know it!  And, that comes through not only reading the Bible, but studying it, meditating on it, committing it to memory, and deciding to live by it!

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There is a passage in Psalm 34 that points to the sufficiency of Christ and the resources that He
makes available to His people.  We are even encouraged to "taste" His goodness:
6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.

So, is it Yanny or Laurel?  Huh?

Have you tested out the latest Internet viral phenomenon?  It's an audio clip that includes a pronunciation of a word - depending on the audio settings of the device on which it plays, some are hearing Yanny, others Laurel.  I originally played the clip on two different computers, and heard it a different way on each.

It was thought to be a robot voice, but the CNET website shares a discovery:

We now have the answer, according to Wired (paywall), and it's a pretty astounding one.

It's not a robot.

It's an opera singer.

A member of the original Broadway cast of Cats.

And he allegedly recorded the audio you're hearing -- the word "Laurel" -- for this specific page at Vocabulary.com.

The Wired website quoted from Mark Tinkler, co-founder of Vocabulary.com, who said, "We hired a bunch of opera singers to record 200,000 words, basically," adding, "We set [the singers] up with laptops with really great microphones in a DIY sound booth. They would just sit there and a word would appear on the screen and they would say it. They did this thousands of times..."

The CNET story adds:

But how did this Vocabulary.com audio go viral? Wired traces that back to a Georgia high school freshman, Katie Hetzel, who was looking up the word "Laurel" for her world literature class, and Fernando Castro, a senior at the same school who saw her Instagram story and polled his fellow classmates -- much like you might be doing with your friends and family now.

CBS News had reported that Twitter users gave the nod to Laurel, 53 to 47%, but suffice it to say this clip came up during a search for "Laurel," so one would assume that is what it is.  What is "Yanny" anyway?

There have been parallels drawn to "the dress" Internet controversy, which had to do with the colors of a dress - according to a BBC story, some saw the colors of the dress as black and blue, others saw gold and white.  One plausible explanation has to do with how the brain processes color. One professor attributed it to the lighting.

So, these are quirky little exercises, but can remind us that daily we have choices that we can make.  Sometimes they are binary, other times you have a wide range of options, many occur just naturally in the ebb and flow of life, others we have to think - and perhaps pray - about.

But, a major choice each day, that can be reinforced throughout the day is whether or not to allow God's Word to guide the decisions we make.  And, according to the latest American Bible Society "State of the Bible" survey:

The more engaged someone is with the Bible, the more likely he or she is to recognize their need for it on a daily basis, according to the latest State of the Bible research from American Bible Society.

This is from a Religion News Service story, which states, "Among this group...61 percent said they must have the Bible as part of their daily routines when given a choice between the Bible, coffee, sweets and social media."  The article continues:

The research also gauged opinions of all Americans, regardless of their relationship with the Bible, and among that group 37 percent chose coffee, 28 percent chose something sweet, 19 percent chose social media and 16 percent chose the Bible.

That tells you a lot, doesn't it?  Even 39 percent of the most "Bible-engaged" related the necessity of something else that they "needed" on a daily basis.  And, more than double the percentage of Americans deemed coffee to be a necessity over the Bible.

In the midst of all the choices we make all day, the decision to submit to and apply the principles of Scripture is of paramount importance.  And, we may get off to a good start, but the daily grind might cause us to drift into self-reliance rather than Scripture-reliance.  Perhaps that is why David mentioned praising God seven times a day.

It can be a spiritual goal to continue to stay focused on the availability of God's presence and His principles.  We can regard His book as a source of wisdom and be challenged to remember to apply it to our situations.   We recognize that a regular time of Bible reading can help us to train and renew our minds, and give us clarity when confusion over daily decisions might set in.

Faith Radio can help provide daily spiritual nourishment and guidance.  Throughout the day, we offer quality Bible teaching, as well as music that is designed to remind you of God's abiding presence.  And, there are more ways than ever to listen to Faith Radio and our content: on the air, online, through our app, and through home devices. His Word brings life; His truth brings clarity in the choices we have to make.  More important choices than the pronunciation of a word or the color of a dress - we need His direction, and He has given us access to the riches of His knowledge and instruction.

Permanence

In Colossians 4, we read about the importance of words and speaking in the manner in which we
should:
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

In this passage, Paul talks about several different aspects of our speech.  He encouraged the recipients of this letter to pray that God would open a door to "speak the mystery of Christ."  And, he expressed a desire to speak as he "ought to speak." And, he encouraged believers to speak "with grace, seasoned with salt," so we would know how we "ought to answer."  There is a way to speak in the way we should, or "ought," and that involves dependence on the Spirit and careful thought.  And, fortunately, when we miss it, even though our words are permanent once spoken, we can correct ourselves and perhaps even seek forgiveness when we do not speak in the right way.

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The apostle Paul was someone who had built a reputation of opposition to the Church - but, after leaving a trail of hurtful actions behind, God changed the course of his life.  His past was permanent, but Jesus transformed his present - and future.  He wrote in Philippians 3:
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Note, that in several instances, Paul referenced his past behavior - he didn't justify it, but he didn't deny it; rather, He pointed to the transformative power of Christ.

The permanence of our words and actions has been reinforced by the advent of the Internet.  People who have said certain things while the cameras have rolled or who have written material that has been disseminated throughout cyberspace will sometimes be called to account for their words and deeds.

Case in point:  there's a host on MSNBC named Joy Reid - she, like so many on that network, is what you would consider an "opinion journalist," and approaches news and information from a decidedly slanted position; her point of view is certainly liberal.  But, there have been blog posts from a number of years ago that are attributed to her, but have a, well, different perspective, including making jokes alleging someone is gay and demeaning the person for it.

The website, Variety, reported on the situation - it stated this, beginning with a quote from Reid:

"I genuinely believe I did not write those hateful things because they are completely alien to me. But I can definitely understand based on things I have tweeted and have written in the past why some people don’t believe me,” she said during the opening segment of “A.M. Joy,” her MSNBC program, on Saturday, even as she admitted her team has not been able to find conclusive evidence that her posts had been manipulated. “The reality is, they have not been able to prove it,” she said of consultants working with her. “I cannot take any of that back. I can only say that the person I am now is not the person I was then. I like to think that I’ve gotten better over time, that I’m still growing,” she said during the program.

It's a very odd apology indeed, as the anchor is actually distancing herself from comments attributed to her, that she claims she never made.  But, this goes to illustrate a principle that you can't change words or deeds in the past, but you can change the trajectory of the present.

To return to a story that I reported as one of three stories impacting the Christian community in a blog post, some comments have surfaced that have been attributed to a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and president of one of its seminaries, Paige Patterson.  One set of comments involved views expressed on abuse of women, the other dealt with a sermon illustration based on Genesis 2 dealing with the creation of Eve.  Both sets of comments have made it into the media and have generated quite a bit of reaction.

Baptist Press did a story on an apology issued recently by Patterson.  He said:

"Pastoral ministry that occurred 54 years ago, repeated as an illustration [of domestic violence] in sermons on more than one occasion, as well as another sermon illustration used to try to explain a Hebrew word (Heb. banah 'build or construct,' Gen. 2:22) have obviously been hurtful to women in several possible ways. I wish to apologize to every woman who has been wounded by anything I have said that was inappropriate or that lacked clarity. We live in a world of hurt and sorrow, and the last thing that I need to do is add to anyone's heartache. Please forgive the failure to be as thoughtful and careful in my extemporaneous expression as I should have been."

A number of Southern Baptist entity heads had already issued statements concerning abuse and opposition to it.  According to Baptist Press, Patterson himself has issued a statement against abuse, but his stated resistance to counseling for divorce, even in an abuse situation, has put him at odds with those who believe that it is justified in an abuse situation.

One entity head, Thom Rainer of LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing arm of the Convention, issued a statement, according to Baptist Press, which said:

"The ongoing discussion over recent comments by fellow Southern Baptist Paige Patterson remind me we live in a politically charged environment, both in our nation and in our convention. Any statement is almost immediately construed to be a statement of political posturing. Such is neither my intent nor my desire.

"However, I cannot be silent on the issue of abuse of women. My silence becomes a reverberating echo of indifference at best. There is no level or type of abuse of women that is acceptable. We have been called by God to show honor and respect to all women and girls. They are our mothers, our sisters, our daughters, our granddaughters, and our wives. We thank God for them. And I stand with all who say 'no' to any type of abuse of women at any time and under any circumstance," Rainer said.

It seems as if Patterson's views on abuse are in line with those of other Southern Baptist leaders. The reaction to the Patterson situation has been strong, with his supporters, citing his long and strong record of service, as well as detractors, some of whom have signed an open letter, calling for action to be taken against him.  One letter which seems to have garnered the most response, with thousands of online signatures, according to Baptist Press, "objected that Patterson has been 'allowed to continue in leadership.'"  Some supporters believe that this is an attempt to remove Patterson from his position of leadership and influence. He is set to preach the convention sermon at the upcoming annual convention in Dallas.  Trustees of the seminary will meet next week to discuss the situation, at Patterson's request.

I have been following this situation rather closely, and one of the thoughts I have had, as someone who speaks thousands of words a day, publicly, with more of my words written in blog posts, on social media, with conversations available on audio and video, is: what have I not said in the way that I should have said it? OR, what have I said that I should not have said or communicated in a way I shouldn't have?  I think perhaps we all have had instances where what we have intended to say is not what we have said; and that can result in trouble, in the form of misunderstanding and hurtfulness.

Again, our words have permanence, and we have to be sensitive to examine what we have said, and if we know we have misspoken and offended somebody, to try to make things right.  Sometimes we will be misunderstood and words will be taken out of context.  But, the Bible does say as much as it depends on us, to try to be at peace.  We may have to "eat our words" and apologize, and ask for forgiveness.

When we have trapped ourselves by our careless or ill-spoken words, we have to try to, as the cliche goes, build a better mousetrap.  In other words, we have to make sure that we are building a reputation based on God's work in us.  We can be challenged, in light of past mistakes, to live in the present with a devotion to speaking God's truth in love.  And, that involves "pre-clearing" the words we speak, relying on the Holy Spirit to control our tongues and even give us a sense of how our words might be perceived.  You know, there may be people who are attempting to damage your reputation and twist your words to make you look bad - in any case, we have to try harder, in the strength of the Lord, and make sure that we are not giving people ammunition that can be used to damage your witness and impune your character.  The past is permanent, but the present is pliable - we can be committed to writing and living the story, or narrative, that God would intend.

And, two other principles - it's important that the church is cognizant of instances of abuse and is taking a strong stand against it.  We can also seek to affirm the women in our congregations and treat them with the respect they deserve.

The Man with the Golden Arm

The blood that flows through us is necessary to sustain our lives.  And, the blood of Jesus was
necessary in order that we might have eternal life. 1st John 1 states:
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Humanity was separated from God; Christ's blood was necessary in order to reconcile us to our Heavenly Father.  Jesus became the perfect, unblemished sacrifice so that our sins might be taken away and that His life might be made available toward us.  His blood is a cleansing blood that will cover and erase our sins.  He laid down His life and calls us to lay down our own lives so that we might enjoy the eternal and abundant life that He has promised.

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Jesus poured out His blood in order that our sins might be cleansed and forgiven.  In Hebrews 9, we read about the blood of the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb of God, who laid down His life for the sins of
the world:
12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,
14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

He is called the "Man with the Golden Arm."  His name is James Harrison, he lives in Australia, and according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he "has donated his blood nearly every week for 60 years. He’s made 1,100 donations, saving the lives of more than 2.4 million Australian babies, according to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service."  The story goes on to say:

Known as the “Man With the Golden Arm,” the 81-year-old’s blood is special. It has disease-fighting antibodies that have been used to develop the Anti-D injection, which helps combats rhesus disease.

This "occurs when a pregnant woman’s blood begins attacking her unborn baby’s blood cells, causing brain damage or even death for the little one."

Apparently, Harrison acquired this capability through a blood transfusion when he was 14 years old, which occurred during "major chest surgery." The article says that he "vowed to become a blood donor after he recovered. And once doctors discovered his blood was one-of-a-kind, he began offering blood plasma donations to help even more people."

Now, at age 81, he is being forced by law to cease to donate blood.  But, he still wants to donate DNA samples for research purposes.

Well, there are several concepts I wanted to bring out in light of this amazing story.  One is our participation as Christian believers in the giving and saving of life.  We are intent on doing what we can to speak out for the defenseless unborn children, many of whom are at risk through abortion.  But, there are other ways in which we can be involved in affirming life.  A number of churches and individual members are involved in giving of their blood in order to save others - it is said that just one pint of blood can save up to three lives - there is a tremendous need, especially during the summer months.

I think that Mr. Harrison can also teach us about the importance of being committed to a cause and pursuing it with consistency.  Follow-through can be a critical element, and Harrison demonstrated that he was someone who could be counted upon.  The headline of the story says that he went in weekly to give blood. We gain a reputation for integrity when we commit to something and we are regular and dependable.

Finally, while we think about how physical blood is vital for sustaining life, we also think about the blood of our Savior that was shed for all humanity on a cross at Calvary.  Jesus shed His blood, He gave His life so that we might be forgiven and united with the Father.  The blood of Jesus is key in providing eternal life for us, and His blood cleanses us from sin, as God's grace and forgiveness has been extended toward us. We can thank God for the precious blood that flows toward us today.

No Other Explanation

God spoke through Moses to the people of Israel, saying in Exodus 15:26:
"...If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."

In His earthly ministry, Jesus specialized in doing what human understanding would have deemed to be impossible.  When we are encountering seemingly impossible situations in our lives, we can evaluate to whom we turn.  We can try to reason as best we can or attempt to do it ourselves, or humble ourselves before God, pray first, and look to Him to work according to His will.  He has a great capacity to do beyond what we can even ask or think, the Bible says.  We can look to Him in faith and anticipate that He will be faithful to respond to His people for His glory.

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In James 5, we find the call to fervent prayer - James writes about prayer for physical healing, and then we read this passage:
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

Even the Fox10 television station in Mobile called it a "miracle."  As the story was reported, a 13-year-old boy named Trenton McKinley was...

...playing at a friend’s house two months ago. He was riding in a small utility trailer being pulled by a dune buggy for kids. Trenton says his friend pressed on the brakes suddenly, causing the trailer to flip. He says he quickly threw his friend’s 4-year-old niece off into the grass, but in the process, got caught in the trailer as it flipped.

“I hit the concrete and the trailer landed on top of my head. After that, I don't remember anything," said Trenton.

He was initially taken to the hospital at the University of South Alabama, then to UAB. His mother related, "He was dead a total of 15 minutes,” and she added, “When he came back, they said he would never be normal again. They told me the oxidation {oxygen depravation} problems would be so bad to his brain, that he would be a vegetable if he even made it.”

After Trenton had been on life support for several days, his parents signed off on having his organs donated.  Then, according to the story:

A day before doctors were set to pull the plug, Trenton started showing small signs of cognition. He believes he was in heaven while he was gone.

"I was in an open field walking straight,” said Trenton. "There's no other explanation but God. There's no other way. Even doctors said it."

Trenton is on the slow road back - as of last week, he "deals with nerve pain and seizures daily." He's had three brain surgeries already, and, "Trenton currently only has half of his skull. The missing piece is frozen at the hospital. He will have surgery soon to reconnect it."

A CBN story related that:

Franklin Graham got wind of the story and took to Facebook asking his followers, "Do you believe in miracles? I do."

He went on to say Trenton "nailed it" when he said, "there's no other way to explain it but God." Graham then quoting Jeremiah 32:27 which reads: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

This story can certainly be a faith builder for many people.  God has certainly been good to Trenton, and as he said, the only explanation is God - even the doctors said that.  When we encounter the miraculous, we have to make sure that we don't try to explain things away; rather just accept that God has worked.  And, we can give Him the honor and the glory, with gratitude!   God specializes in the abundant and the inexplicable - in human terms, that is.  He is beyond comprehension, and He certainly does not fit in the box of human understanding.

But, the Bible does teach that He is limited by our own unbelief.  There is a measure of faith involved in seeing Him work; and always, according to His plan.  We have to expand our capacity to believe - remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  When we are struggling and lacking hope, we can come to Him and encounter His mighty hand.

Finally, I'm reminded that we should regard prayer as being our first activity, rather than a last resort. Rather than follow the human tendency to do it ourselves, we can relinquish control to Him, call on His name, and continue to pray fervently; if He is calling on us to do something, then we can walk according to His direction.

Coming Through

In the Bible, we can read the incredible story of humanity being reconciled to a loving Heavenly
Father through His Son, Jesus - and we each have our own personal salvation story, which brings us into a role in God's overall plan. Romans 15 states:
14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,
16 that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.

When we reflect on our lives, we can be motivated to identify how we have seen God work: through our experience of salvation, perhaps His faithfulness in navigating through a difficult time in our lives, seeing His provision, maybe His restoration.  Our lives can become a composite bringing honor and glory to God - and we can be grateful for what we have seen Him do; and...for who He is, our great God and King, who has drawn us to Himself.

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God wants to make known His presence through each of us; we are called to tell His story, and to
relate how His story has been expressed through our lives. Colossians 1 says:
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

This year's Major League Baseball season is shaping up to be a highly competitive one, including the NL East, where the upstart Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies aim to keep pace with the Washington Nationals.  And, over in the American League East, the Yankees and Red Sox promise to keep things interesting throughout the season.

The Houston Astros looked like a team poised to possess some staying power in the AL West, but the team is tied atop the division with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, which has one of the most talented younger players in the game, Mike Trout, as well as the seasoned veteran, Albert Pujols, who just made it into the record books - again - a week ago, by nailing his 3,000th hit.  According to SportsSpectrum.com, Pujols said:

“It was going to happen, it was just a matter of when,” Pujols said to MLB.com. “I just thank the Lord that it happened tonight in front of my family, my friends. Now we just stay focused on the things that I want to do, which is help this ballclub to win. We don’t have to talk too much about 3,000 now.”

Only 32 players have achieved that feat, and Sports Spectrum says, "He’s also hit 620 home runs, becoming only the fourth player to collect 3,000 hits and 600 home runs, joining Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Alex Rodriguez."  In a tweet, Pujols stated about his latest milestone, "All glory be to God."

Last year, the BillyGraham.org website did a feature on Pujols after his 600th home run - it was a grand slam, the first time that had been done!  The story says:

As he stepped on home plate just before being hugged and high-fived by awaiting teammates, Pujols pointed up with both index fingers and looked skyward, his custom after hitting home runs.

“I started doing that after I heard about how we can fall in love with the gift and forget about the Giver,” he said. “Like Psalm (121:2) says, ‘My help comes from the Lord.’ I want to make sure to thank Him, knowing that everything I do, whether it’s on the field or off, comes from Him. It reminds me that it’s not about Albert Pujols. It’s about what Christ did for us on the cross.”

The story also relates that:

Pujols is highly respected by his Angels teammates. He not only helps them with baseball advice, he also has a heart for helping them discover Christ.

“I think God has put me here for something bigger than the game because I care so much about my teammates,” he said. “I really try every day to have conversations. Obviously, it’s not hard to talk with them about baseball. But I also talk with them about the Good News and what God has done in my life.

“As much as I want to come through in a game with a big base hit or a home run, I also want to come through spiritually for my teammates.”

 He also wants to come through for his family.  Pujols says:

“If you put God at the center of your family, your kids, your career and your friends, everything is going to fall into place. But if you take Him out of the center, everything starts to fall out of place.”

He and wife Deidre have 5 children - the article states, "Their oldest child, daughter Isabella, has Down Syndrome. Albert and Deidre established the Pujols Family Foundation to assist children with Down and also the unprivileged in the Dominican Republic. Deidre also founded a non-profit ministry, Open Gate International, to rescue women from human trafficking and other people from at-risk situations and teach them culinary and life skills based on Biblical principles."

And, the Billy Graham website points out that "Pujols said he regularly participates in a morning Bible study with his pastor, usually via FaceTime or Skype."

Reflecting on his life story, Albert Pujols is quoted as saying, "It just gives me chills...I always say if the Lord would have given me 1,000 blank pages and told me to write my journey up until I was 37 years old, I wouldn’t have even come close to what God has done in my life—and not just on the field."

And, who knows, he may even have a chance at exceeding the all-time home run record set by Barry Bonds of 762.  A USA Today article from last year examined the possibilities:

“God willing, I hope I get the opportunity,’’ Pujols recently told USA TODAY Sports. “If I’m close, and I’ve played 20 some years already, why not play one more and try to get it?

“It would be so special. I can’t even imagine.’’ 

Considering that Pujols is the fourth-youngest player to hit 600 home runs and has averaged 29 home runs a season even during five injury-plagued years with the Angels, it’s hardly unimaginable.

And, if the Angels make the playoffs and even go the World Series, Pujols will have a few more extra games in which to add some dingers.  So, far, this season, he has 6 homers in a month-and-a-half.

I wanted to point out several ideas that I had from relating aspects of Albert's story.  And, first of all, it's the concept of God's story in you.  Pujols could not have anticipated what God would do in His life, and thousands upon thousands of pages have been written about him, and his faith is a consistent presence.  We can acknowledge that our Creator is expressing Himself through us, and that we have the capacity to live out what God has intended.

Pujols also demonstrates what it looks like to honor the Giver.  He certainly has a unique gift, but he recognizes that His unique and excellent baseball abilities are to be used for the glory of God - those gifts should be surrendered to the Giver, in his estimation.  So, we can be challenged to surrender the unique abilities God has given to us to Him, and...

...we can be careful to express gratitude.  Pujols makes the point that we are to be thankful in all things, recognizing that it's not about himself, but about God.

And, finally, Albert Pujols demonstrates what it's like to embrace gospel opportunities.  He wants to come through obviously on the field, but he also desires to impact his teammates spiritually.  He says he wants to share the "Good News" and "what God has done" in his life.  We can reflect on what God has done in and for us, and realize that is such a big part of who we are as Christians.

Safe

The Bible has so much to say about human relationships and how we can seek to walk in God's
peace. James 1 states:
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

In Proverbs 19, we read:
11 The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

So, there are two Scriptures that address not being quick to get angry, and you could say that can be interpreted to mean not being easily offended.  That is not the methodology of today's culture - we allow small infractions to become large irritations.  We become polarized just simply because other people, sinful people just like you and me, do not act or speak in the way we think they should.  There is no "safe space" from offense - rather than run and hide, we can rely on the strength of the Lord and the foundation of His Word to direct us in our responses.

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In the 119th Psalm, we can read a passage that addresses love for God's Word and how that can shape our attitudes:
162 I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure.
163 I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.
165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.

That is from the New King James Version - the King James says in verse 165:
165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.

On yesterday's program, I highlighted this "cry closet" that was in place at the University of Utah during final exams.  A Christian family therapist had told CBN News that this as an example of "coddling" today's college students.  In this case, it was an artistic attempt to provide a place to escape stress.

But, we know there has been much discussion of the notion of so-called "safe spaces" on college campuses, where people could go and be free of offense, even to the extent of being shielded from comments with which they disagree.  Last year, The Daily Signal published the findings of several surveys relative to this topic.  Here is some data from one of those:

Sixty-two percent of students did not agree with or felt indifferent to safe spaces, according to a poll of 1,659 current college students taken by LendEDU, a student loan consolidation and refinancing organization. Of those surveyed, 37 percent agreed that safe spaces “are completely out of touch with reality” and 25 percent said they were indifferent. Thirty-six percent said they felt safe spaces are “absolutely necessary.”

The article points out:

The phrase “safe space” has multiple definitions. When used to describe campus life and culture, it usually means protection from emotional discomfort, according to the Harvard Political Review.

That Daily Signal piece also relates:

...72 percent of college students believe colleges should not be allowed to restrict political expression or ideas, according to a 2016 Gallup poll conducted by the Knight Foundation and Newseum Institute, two First Amendment advocacy organizations.

Well, you won't find any "safe spaces" at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.  After receiving pushback from a student who was offended by his speech on 1st Corinthians 13, school president Dr. Everett Piper declared in an op-ed that the college was "not a day care."  That became the title of a book.  He told WORLD Magazine that the concept of safe spaces was:

...ideological fascism rather than academic freedom. Like fascism, the idea goes: If you don’t think like we think or believe what we believe, you’re unwelcome. Ironically, safe spaces exclude people under a banner of inclusion. The entire call for safe spaces is self-refuting at every turn. C.S. Lewis wrote that the great lion Aslan is not safe, but he is good. The great lion of the liberal arts, the great lion of the academic ivory tower, is not supposed to be safe, but he’s supposed to be good.

He also is quoted as saying:

We’re completely missing what our culture is begging for right now: The culture is begging for a solution, which is to confront everybody with the gospel of truth and grace. It’s a gospel that loves people enough to confront them. We the church have the living water of the gospel, but rather than giving the world what it wants, we are just parroting back the postmodern marsh with the message of tolerance, which people intuitively know is a lie.

You can access my conversation with Dr. Piper on The Meeting House at the Faith Radio website.

This is a very complex subject, but you are seeing this trend on a number of secular college campuses where people want to shut down speech just because they disagree with it - rather than allowing students to engage in a free (and civil) exchange of ideas, school administrators attempt to manipulate the conversation. 

School after school has been challenged on its restrictive policies allowing so-called "free speech zones," again attempting to shield students from ideas with which they disagree; and not only that, but claim to be offended by.  It is interesting - those who champion tolerance end up being intolerant of those with whom they disagree, there are those who claim to speak against injustice, it seems, are unjust and uncharitable to those who don't necessarily hold to their point of view.

For the Christian, we have to realize that we have to take the posture of not being easily offended.  People are going to say and do things that we don't like.  We are not going to agree with people all of the time.  Rather than draw lines in the sand and manufacture conflict, perhaps we can engage in discussion, and even create an atmosphere in which we can share truth.  But, this comes through conversation, not public confrontation.

And, the truth is, we live in an age of tolerance and we're simply not going to find a place where we are shielded from thoughts contrary to our own.  So, we respond by being grounded in our own beliefs and making sure that we offer carefully thought-out, Biblical positions of the issues that are being discussed.  Rather than seek to be "safe" and withdrawn, we should seek to be salt and light to a culture that needs to see truth lived out.

That's not to say that we should see how much worldliness we can incorporate into our lives - when Paul said that he adapted the ways of particular groups of people in order to win them, he certainly did not mean that we are to compromise our position.  We have make sure that we are sharing God's truth in the culture, rather than allowing the culture to determine or shape our ideas.  It's not a "safe" world, in many aspects, but we do have the goodness of God and the foundation of His truth on which we can rely.