1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back

God calls us to walk in His light, and we are taught that we are to be careful to regulate what enters
into our hearts and minds. Ephesians 5 states:
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Proverbs 4 addresses guarding our hearts - and that involves choosing to view and think on material that is consistent with our relationship with Christ.  We recognize that cultural influences, including media, are powerful forces to get us off track in our walk with the Lord.  So, we can take practical steps to make sure that we are rejecting the ideas of the world and renewing our minds with the principles of the Word.

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We have a responsibility, I believe, before God to ensure that our homes reflect the presence of God.
In the 101st Psalm, we see these verses:
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.

There have been some recent developments regarding the type of content that is or has been available on your television screen, and while there was a positive step reported recently, there have been a couple of other negative occurrences - 1 step forward, 2 steps back, you might say.

Well, first up, the good news.  According to the Faithwire website, HBO, which was just brought under the AT&T umbrella, has decided to eliminate its late-night, explicit adult content. The article quotes a network spokesperson, who said: "Over the past several years HBO has been winding down its late-night adult fare,” adding, “While we’re greatly ramping up our other original program offerings, there hasn’t been a strong demand for this kind of adult programming, perhaps because it’s easily available elsewhere.”

Jeffrey Jones of the University of Georgia pointed out that the departure of long-time executive Sheila Nevins may have also contributed. He said, “With her gone, I can see that change,” adding, “She very much saw sex as a central part of human beings and therefore documentaries should treat it with respect. She carved out a space for this type of programming.”

Parents Television Council is pleased, but is encouraging AT&T to go further. PTC President Tim Winter, on the organization's blog, is quoted as saying, "AT&T’s HBO made a wise decision to remove pornographic content, even citing that 'there wasn’t strong demand for this kind of adult programming.’ While that is a huge positive step forward, the same logic should also extend to AT&T-owned DirecTV, which still offers hardcore pornographic content to subscribers..."

PTC also called out Viacom in advance of the recent MTV Video Music Awards, saying that the program should be rated TV-MA for mature audiences. Winter stated, "Every year, Viacom markets sexually-charged, pro-illegal drug, and profane content to children, and claims they ‘couldn’t have known’ to expect explicit content from its live broadcast. Viacom needs to take this standard excuse off the table right now, and rate the MTV VMAs for Mature Audiences – assuming from the outset that the content will be similarly graphic to what has routinely aired in recent years..."

And, against the backdrop of the announcement by Netflix that it is planning to introduce more family-oriented programming, the streaming service is being called out on several fronts. CBN indicates that would include faith-based fare, according to statements from Netflix executive Cindy Holland.  CBN reports:

She said the company is "really building out a robust slate" of traditional family-friendly content, according to a report from Fox News.

It represents a significant percentage of the population not only here in the US, but around the world," Holland said adding that she "grew up in a place that was very much steeped in those traditions."

While Holland didn't specify how many new shows and movies, Variety reports that Chief Financial Officer David Well said Netflix wants to add about 700 original shows to its portfolio in 2018.

The announcement comes at a time when the streaming service is under fire for adding five LGBT characters to its adaptation of the 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables.

So, you really have to question what the Netflix definition of "family-friendly" really is.

Plus, PTC President Tim Winter, according to the Parents Television Council blog, sent a letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings about child pornography in the Netflix film, Desire.  He stated that the service had displayed "reckless disregard" for families and went as far as to accuse Netflix as "potentially engaging in criminal activity."  He added, "And at such a momentous time in Hollywood as this, where #MeToo is exposing grotesque behavior and holding those accountable for engaging in it, how can Netflix affirmatively engage in the distribution of such disreputable content?”

It's important for Christians to pay attention to entertainment trends, products, and philosophies. We have a duty, I believe, to control what is allowed into our homes.  So, our first takeaway, based on Psalm 101, is that we seek to pursue purity.  We can build a wall around our minds and our spirits, recognizing that what we expose ourselves to can actually penetrate the human spirit and even affect our worldview and our decision-making.

So, in addition to pursuing purity, we can make it a goal to savor safety.  We have to be sensitive and knowledgeable about threats to our spiritual lives.  We can pre-screen entertainment choices, using tools such as Plugged In from Focus on the Family or the Dove Foundation site.  There are filtering services that are available, as well.  VidAngel bills itself as a service that can help you skip over objectionable series on certain streaming services.

And, we can certainly access alternatives.  There are a number of streaming services that offer a steady diet of family-friendly content, such as PureFlix.com, ChristianCinema.com, and the Dove Channel.  We can make sure that our choices are predicated on Biblical principles and guard our hearts from what can inhibit our spiritual devotion.

Global Faith

Paul wrote to the church at Colosse about the observable spiritual growth that was taking place there,
a growth that we can aspire to display. Colossians 1 states:
3 We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;
5 because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6 which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth...

The faith of the Colossians was certainly tangible - Paul had heard of their faith.  He also commented on the "truth of the gospel," which was "bringing forth fruit."  What an incredible goal for us - our personal faith can be observed by people, and as we incorporate God's Word into our hearts and minds and allow it to change us, people will hopefully see that and perhaps be drawn into a closer walk with God.  The Word is a powerful force through which our perspective and behavior are transformed.

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Because we have been born again, we have been placed on a trajectory on which we can progress to spiritual maturity - always learning, setting ourselves to grow.  And there are certain "best practices"
that can help us to facilitate that growth. 1st Peter 2 says:
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The level of devotion expressed by Christians around the world has been measured by a new Pew Research study, which found that Africa, south of the Sahara Desert and Latin America are two regions where the practice of Christianity is particularly strong.  Of course, count the U.S. in, as well.

The summary of the survey relates:

The study analyzed 84 countries with sizable Christian populations. In 35 of those countries, at least two-thirds of all Christians say religion is very important in their lives. All but three of these 35 countries are in sub-Saharan Africa or Latin America. (The three exceptions are the U.S., Malaysia and the Philippines.)

Remarkably, in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the study summary, "Over 75% in every country surveyed in the region say religion is very important to them." Also in that region, "Christianity is rapidly growing, largely due to high fertility rates." Conversely, "At the other end of the spectrum, levels of religious importance are lowest among Christians in Europe, where deaths outnumber births among Christians."

Also, with regard to Africa and Latin America, we learn this:

Christians in Africa and Latin America also tend to pray and attend church at higher rates than Christians in most of the rest of the world. For instance, at least four out of five Christians in Nigeria, Liberia, Senegal, Cameroon and Chad pray every day. Prayer frequency is just as high in six Latin American countries, including Guatemala, Honduras and Paraguay.

Similarly, in every African country surveyed, more than 60% of Christians say they attend church at least weekly. In Latin America, more than two-thirds of Christians in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador also report weekly attendance.

The United States is hanging in there, though - the summary states, "Nearly seven-in-ten U.S. Christians (68%) say they pray daily, while 47% say they attend church at least weekly."  This puts the U.S. in somewhat of a special class - a few points below the more fervent in parts of Africa and Latin America, but significantly higher than other so-called "rich" democracies, such as those in Europe.  Here are some stats from that continent: "only 12% of Christian adults in Germany and 11% in the United Kingdom say religion is very important in their lives." Also...

Prayer frequency is lowest among Christians in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Malaysia, where fewer than 10% of Christians pray daily. Likewise, fewer than 10% of Christians report attending church weekly in nine European countries, including Denmark, Estonia and Russia.

Keep in mind that the Middle East was largely not included in the project, presumably due to the smaller Christian population.  Israel and Egypt were measured, with 58 and 50 percent respectively saying that religion was important in their lives.

We can consider a few concepts here:

First of all, we can be challenged to measure our own commitment level - and while there may be a number of components in a rubric to evaluate our walk with Christ, using just the criteria in the Pew survey, we can examine how important our Christian faith is in our life, our regularity of prayer, and church attendance.  If Jesus is our Lord, then we recognize that He is to occupy the first place in our hearts and the top priority of our life.

Something else stuck out to me: The relationship of prayer and wealth is interesting, because, as we know, our spiritual condition is not determined by our level of income, although how we use that income can be an indicator of our spiritual condition.  And, you could say there is a tendency, when there are greater resources available, those can impact our dependence on God.  Our Heavenly Father, according to James 1, is the giver of all good gifts, and we can possess the heart attitude of being generous with what He has entrusted to us.

Finally, we acknowledge that God is certainly at work throughout the world, and while there does seems to be great spiritual fervor in parts of Africa and Latin America, which includes Central and South America, we also know that Europe has experienced a lengthy spiritual decline, which, of course, can provide an opportunity for the gospel.  And, even here in the U.S., there are many who do not know Christ.  We can be responsive to the Lord as He provides those meaningful encounters through which we can share His love and truth.

Preserving Life

In a culture in which you have a significant number of people who adverse to Biblical ideas, we can be prompted to suit up and pray up, recognizing we have heavenly resources to put into play as we
engage the culture. Ephesians 6 says:
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

One of the elements of the armor of God is truth - and we have to make sure that our foundation is on the truth of the Scriptures, building our lives on His Word.  We also recognize that people are not our enemy - we may disagree with people over non-essentials, and we may see people depart from the ways of the Lord in various areas; we can be part of productive discussions about these differences, but we also recognize that the Word teaches that when we see the fruit of the enemy, we can address it in prayer.

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Daniel was known as a praying man, and that placed him at odds with some of his fellow leaders in Babylon.  In a breathtaking and instructive prayer of intercession, he called upon the mercies of God
on behalf of his people, the Jews:
17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name."

I have had the opportunity to spotlight the views of a number of pro-life organizations with respect to the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee begin next week.

The President, in fulfilling a campaign promise to nominate pro-life judges, put forth Neil Gorsuch, who has become a reliable conservative voice, and now has submitted Kavanaugh for consideration. So far, it appears that the Republican majority, combined with a handful of Democrats from so-called "red" states should be enough to put Kavanaugh over the top - but in the topsy-turvy world of politics, nothing is certain.

Certainly, after the offensive rulings of Obergefell and Roe vs. Wade, as well as other Federal court rulings from activist judges, the prospect of Supreme Court nominees that reflect a strict constructionist viewpoint was appealing to evangelical Christians, which tilted many in that group to vote for Donald Trump, despite concerning aspects of his personality.  Why, recently, a Federal judge referred to Roe as an "aberration," while still using it as precedent to strike down an Alabama law protecting life.

There has been speculation about the state of Roe if someone like Kavanaugh is placed on the Supreme Court.  If the ruling is reversed, it is likely that state legislatures would deal with the legality of abortion - remember, the high court is not supposed to make law.

A trend has been developing among some in the faith community with respect to the abortion issue, and it bears some further scrutiny.  I have already commented on what I see as a watering down of the definition of "pro-life" by including a number of other issues.  This has been referred to as a "whole life" perspective; but I believe that it confuses the issue and reduces the emphasis on protecting life in the womb.  This philosophy results in accusations that people who oppose abortion are not "pro-life enough" because they do not agree with a philosophy that embraces increased immigration, for instance - I submit that the number of people crossing the border is not a Biblical issue.  What is the Biblical issue is how the Church can care for people in need.

So, when you read a headline like I saw at Religion News Service, it really gets your attention.  It read, "To end abortion, don’t ban it. Support families instead."  In it, the former managing editor of Christianity Today, Katelyn Beaty, says:

In general, the anti-abortion movement should get over its aversion to federal social programs. Family-friendly public policies have a powerful effect on reducing demand for abortion services. It’s a natural extension of caring for prenatal life to create strong social support programs, particularly for economically vulnerable women, so that no one feels she has to abort to stay financially afloat.

So, we continue to accept and authorize the taking of life in the womb while depending on government social programs to provide a safety net for vulnerable women? Give me a break! She also quoted "Catholic ethicist Charles Camosy," who said, “But unfortunately, especially in responding to small-government skeptics, this issue has not really been studied in much detail.” She continues: "In the United States, Camosy said, stronger supports for women and parents from 1992 to today — particularly the Affordable Care Act — almost certainly have contributed to the decline in abortion rates."  This is from the guy who recently had a video removed from a Southern Baptist-related website for attempting to lump animal rights under the pro-life umbrella, even though he was allowed to speak at one of the organization's conferences. What about the non-government programs, sir?  The devoted pregnancy resource centers, churches who are speaking the truth about abortion? The opportunity for women to see their unborn children through ultrasound?   And, of course, this RNS includes the questioning of the Church's proven compassion for women in crisis pregnancies - "Yet amid the push to confirm Kavanaugh, it’s worth asking if the anti-abortion movement would be ready for care for women if Roe were overturned."  And, why use the term, "anti-abortion?"

Meanwhile, there is a group of self-proclaimed evangelicals that are advocating Christians to "Hit Pause in the Culture Wars."  This is a response that was generated by the Kavanaugh nomination. Columnist and talk-show host Erick Erickson wrote:

There has been a conspicuous strategy that has unfolded in recent years on the political left to pretend that there is a groundswell emergence of evangelical Christians aligning themselves with progressive politics. Rather than fighting the authority of Scripture on issues like abortion and sexual immorality, these liberal activists are attempting a, “if you can’t beat ‘em, hijack ‘em” approach.

Under the veil of “justice,” the attempt is to co-opt the name and doctrines of Jesus to advocate for an array of liberal policy objectives: redistributionist economics, abolishment of the death penalty, open borders, bloated welfare, environmentalism, sexual anarchy, gun confiscation, gender neutrality, racial preference and even segregationist intersectionality.

Chelsen Vicari of the Institute on Religion and Democracy quotes from a press release, in which Lisa Sharon Harper of Freedom Road stated:

On the day that Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement,” Harper stated in the release, “I fell to my knees in prayer. Tears fell as I prayed for the unborn…and my nieces and nephews and their children. What kind of world are we making for them?”

Harper claimed that majority conservative rulings have damaged civil rights protections and “harmed the cause of decreasing abortion.” But she fails to tell us precisely how conservative rulings have led to an increase in abortions, which is what she is asserting.

Both Erickson and Vicari pointed out that Rachel Held Evans and Jen Hatmaker were on the list of signatories.  Erickson writes, "Both Rachel Held Evans and Jen Hatmaker make appearances, which is bizarre since this list supposedly touted 'evangelical Christian leaders.' Given their rejection of the Bible’s inerrancy, authority, and exclusivism, neither qualify." 

These instances can cause us to consider a number of items:

Under the guise of pro-life, people are allowing all sorts of social philosophies to flood into the Church, some of which do not have a basis in Scripture.  And, the "whole life" philosophy, I believe, waters down that time-honored, Scripturally-based principle of the sanctity of human life, which is being taken - legally - in the womb. We need clarity and discernment to recognize ideas that negatively impact the Church.

Next, with regard to the so-called "culture wars:" this is not a matter that Christians have necessarily  perpetuated; rather the culture seems to be dictating the terms of the engagement.  And, we do well to recognize that, yes, contrary to what some Christian leaders might state or imply, the culture wars are very much in play and you could even say they are raging. They are not over and certainly Christians have not lost.  It is true that spiritual warfare is a topic the Bible covers very well, and we recognize that there are cultural influences that need to be addressed.  While we must guard against labeling certain groups and individuals as "demonic," if they disagree with us, the distortion of the true meaning of the gospel is certainly a serious matter.

And, one of the tools in the arsenal in effectively engaging in these wars is prayer.  We certainly need to pray for our leaders and for our upcoming election.  Concerned Women for America has even released a prayer guide for our Supreme Court and the upcoming Kavanaugh hearings.  When we are dealing with cultural issues, prayer can certainly shape our attitude and God can direct us in our response.

Not of This World

The Bible outlines the clear contrast between the ideals of this world and the principles of God's
Kingdom, and we can choose to follow the Word or the world. In 1st John 2, we read:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

We have to be extra careful that we are abiding in Christ and abiding by His eternal principles.  He offers us a countercultural view of the world, in which we are not trying to gain acceptance to those in this world, but that we are seeking to please Him.  And, we can model and communicate His truth in a way in which people desire what we have and Who we follow.  We must allow God's Word to shape our viewpoints and inform our understanding, so that we are truly submitted to the Lord.

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We have been called out of this world and declared to be citizens of a heavenly Kingdom - our position is to seek to positively impact this world with the truth of the gospel and not to allow the 

principles of the world to dictate how the Church is to act. Jesus said in John chapter 18:

36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." 

37 Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

There's a new church in Santa Cruz, California, that's been generating some headlines - it's called the Greater Purpose Church, and I guarantee you it has nothing to do with The Purpose-Driven Life, the classic Rick Warren book.

But, it's apparently designed to be out of the box.  According to The Daily Wire:

The pastor of the Greater Purpose Church, Christopher VanHall, said, “What would it look like to be a church that looked like the movement that Jesus started and not like the church that we know in America today? Out of that consistent questioning came this model for a brewery church that generates funds for local charities.”

OK, so the church serves beer during its services - hardly what you would call a sign of the "movement that Jesus started."  What else?

The pastor says:

We are open and affirm LGBTQ. We are feminists and I believe Jesus was, too. We are environmentalists, which I believe that’s the original mandate of the children of God to take care of the planet that we all know and enjoy. We are anti-war, which I believe Jesus was, too. We are all for racial justice, which Jesus was a Palestinian. Jewish rabbi. He was a person of color that was killed by white supremacy so we’re usually making every effort to be on the frontlines for racial justice. So that’s what sets us apart from many American churches.

Yep, you could say that again.  Well how about that charity thing?  Quoting from the pastor:

“We said, ‘Hey, why can’t we do a brewery and then we can use the space on Sunday before it opens to the public as a worship space and then we can use the funds to give to local charities that people of all faiths, all sexual, all racial, and even all racial identities can support?’ So we came up with this model and we found an awesome spot … consequently happened to be right below Planned Parenthood in Santa Cruz, which we adore and support their efforts for giving health care to women.”

The "church" is scheduled to open next year.

Well, if you need a laundry list of liberal social causes, including a number of causes that run contrary to a Biblical worldview perspective, this is the place.  I don't see anything in the pastor's comments about salvation through faith in Christ.  Nor about the sanctity of life; rather, they support Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider.  LGBTQ agenda?  Check...and apparently not welcoming gay people into the church so that they might experience true freedom and life. Jesus killed by white supremacy?  There's a uniting thought (not really) - social justice, under the guise of bringing unity, becomes a tool for division.  We have to make sure the causes we support and the principles we declare are Scripturally based.

The Church is established to impact the world with the gospel; we have to guard against allowing the world to impact the way we do Church and the message that we share and live.  When salvation by faith in Christ alone is superseded or even smothered by the philosophy of embracing good-sounding social concerns, then we have reversed the order that I believe the Bible teaches.  Our desire as Christians should be to see as many people come to Christ as possible, and then to seek to produce fruit that is Biblical as God gives us the ability.  We can either incorrectly make the Church look like the world, or show the world what it means to look like Christ.

Hardhearted

In Jeremiah 17, we can find a passage that addresses the fulfillment that comes through a knowledge
of God, in contrast to the hardness of heart by which we can be consumed:
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.
9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

The enemy will come to steal, kill, and destroy, according to Jesus in John chapter 10. But, God offers a way to life - abundant and eternal.  A life of fulfillment, with our hearts attuned to His, not allowing our hearts to become hard; rather, allowing Him to search our hearts and make them tender toward Him.  The Psalmist wrote, asking God to search His heart, to identify wicked ways, and to lead him in the "way everlasting," His way, the path to fruitfulness in the Lord.

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In Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul addresses the dangers of hardheartedness and offers a strong word of
caution:
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart;
19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Val Kalende is a lady who fled her home country of Uganda several years ago, being granted asylum in Canada.  She was, as described by Faithwire, a "prominent LGBT rights activist," in a country that had passed a new law against homosexuality in 2014.

The story says that Kalende...

...declared in late July that she’s no longer lesbian and will, in fact, soon be married, according to The Christian Post.

In 2012 and 2014, Kalende authored columns for The Huffington Post, arguing against the country’s anti-gay legislation. In one of the columns, she even wrote, “The church in Africa has become a safety net for homophobia mainly because it is safer to bash gays with the Bible than it is to bash gays with politics.”

The article continues:

But now, Kalende says she’s been “saved.”

Kalende explained in an interview with the Daily Monitor that her transition away from homosexuality happened roughly one year ago. She waited to make a public profession because she “wanted to take time to do the important work on myself” before speaking out.

Faithwire refers to a Facebook post, in which she reflected on the rebellion against God that she allowed to enter her heart, despite being raised by Christian parents, who rejected her after she announced she was gay.  The story says:

It wasn’t until Kalende changed her “approach” to God that she began to see her own perspective change. She wrote:

My approach should have been: “Lord, I don’t have answers but I trust and believe your Word. Your intention is not to harm me or prevent me from enjoying life. Your intention is to preserve me; and to give me not the life of my choice but the life I deserve according to your love. Help me to obey your purpose for my life.”

According to the article, Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel told The Christian Post that Kalende is "an incredible example that Jesus Christ can change the heart of even those who have acted adamantly against him," adding, "Ms. Kalende’s testimony...is like Saul’s conversion from persecuting Christians to then giving his heart and life to God and becoming Paul. Despite those who want to deny reality, people can and do change.”

Liberty Counsel has been involved in defending an American pastor who had faced legal action because of his preaching against the sin of homosexuality in Uganda. An organization called SMUG - Sexual Minorities of Uganda - according to CBN News, had sued pastor Scott Lively "in 2012 for sharing his biblical views on homosexuality during three visits to Uganda in 2002 and 2009."  The organization sued in American courts for "international crimes against humanity."

The article says:

In their lawsuit, SMUG could not produce any evidence against the pastor. Instead, the evidence showed that Lively, in a country where homosexuality has been illegal for decades, urged treatment of people identifying as LGBT with respect and dignity, and the liberalization of Uganda's laws against homosexuality, even as he spoke in favor of biblical sexual morality and against the LGBT political agenda.

A judge had dismissed the lawsuit on "jurisdictional grounds," but not before saying that the pastor's actions and words were "odious" and "crackpot bigotry."  Liberty Counsel sought to have the judge's critical statements removed from the record, and a Federal appeals court, while not removing the language, said that the words could not be used in "any future litigation," as SMUG had desired.

Praise God for the transformation that occurred in Val Kalende's life, which confirms the Biblical teaching that Scott Lively had attempted to carry on in Uganda.  It's a reminder to us that people can change - there is no sin so great that the power of God cannot enable someone to overcome. We have to be careful that we do not settle for less that what God intends for us in our lives.

And, we can continue to be bold to declare our faith in God and our belief in His Word, even though we may face opposition.  And, we can speak with compassion and conviction - proclaiming His truth with the love of Christ.

Val Kalende admits that she had hardened her heart - the antidote for hardheartedness, for rebellion against God, is the life-giving truth of the Scriptures, the living and active Word of God.   We can trust the Lord to soften even the most adamant hearts of people who have set themselves against Him.

Dark Knight of the Soul

God wants to strengthen us and encourage us so that we can experience the victory that Christ purchased for us by giving His own life and rising from the dead. Hebrews 12 exhorts us:
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.
4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

The struggle against sin is real and it can be difficult; but thank the Lord, He has enabled us to overcome - hard-wired in the new creation to be able to resist temptation and walk in freedom. Trying to live a good life in our own strength may yield limited success, but we can find ourselves overwhelmed and weary.  We need the power of the Spirit and the promises of the Word to sustain us in our difficulty - it's a winnable war, because Christ has won the victory for us!

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In 2nd Corinthians 2, we read about the concept of victory, of triumph, in the Christian life. We can choose to depend on our own strength and fall short of what God has in store, or we can release His mighty power in our lives and discover what He wants to do. And that triumph is contagious! We can read:
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

In the world of superheroes, it is not uncommon to see the portrayal of supernatural beings or even deities.  But, I don't really stop to consider if these characters have any sort of personal religious faith that actually guides their life.  Sure, you have the conflict between good and evil, and superheroes are driven to do noble things, like...er...save humanity.

But, the personal religious faith of a so-called superhero has garnered some coverage recently, and the storyline has to do whether or not Batman, of the comic books, has come out as an atheist.  Now, I may be treading on some spoiler information here, so please be aware, but here's the deal.

According to the website, Screenrant:

Batman doesn't believe in God... at least not in a traditional sense. The revelation comes at the conclusion of comic writer Tom King's first post-Catwoman/Batman wedding arc in Batman #53. Since Catwoman left him at the altar, Batman has thrown himself into his Bruce Wayne identity by serving jury duty - on a case where Batman might have gone too far.

It's during his efforts to prove that Batman isn't perfect that Bruce Wayne reveals some personal information to his fellow jurors. Bruce Wayne is an atheist, but that's a recent change, since Bruce just gave up the belief of his own personal god - Batman.

Batman's religious confessions begin with Bruce Wayne talking about his own theological background, raised as a Christian by his father Thomas. Though Bruce never quite believed in Christianity as a small child, he accepted it. That's until his parents were murdered and Bruce, understandably, lost faith in everyone and everything.

Writer Tom King has weighed in on the debate, according to another article on the website.  It states:

Tom King has since refuted these claims, in a Tweet which can be viewed below. King claims that it was not necessarily his intention in writing this story to depict Batman is an atheist - but admitted the work is open to interpretation. He then encouraged people to read the comic for themselves and draw their own conclusions.

The website, ComicBook.com, offered this take:

In our own Comicbook.com breakdown of Batman #53, writer Nicole Drum didn't feel as though the scene was, in fact, an expression of aetheism. In her view, the scene was trying to say something completely different:

"It would be very easy to read this part of the issue as a clear declaration that Batman is an atheist. Many fans have interpreted the issue this way, leading to interesting debates... where some have even gone on to question how, exactly, Batman can be an atheist if he regularly works with Wonder Woman.. However, if you read the issue carefully there's another possibility that opens up: Bruce Wayne believes in something, he’s just lost all of his faith in it."

Meanwhile, the most recent actor to play the Caped Crusader, even though he has not starred in a movie of his own, is battling his own real-life challenges. According to Faithwire:

Ben Affleck is heading back to rehab after his estranged wife, Jennifer Garner, asked him to go amid the actor’s ongoing struggle with alcohol addiction.

On Wednesday, Garner appeared at the 46-year-old’s home, accompanied her lawyer, and her Bible. According to the Daily Mail, Affleck did not argue and willingly decided to go to rehab.

Garner drove Affleck to a live-in rehab facility in Malibu called The Canyon Treatment Center, where he checked-in for an extended stay.

The coverage implies that Garner's concern for her ex-husband is influenced in part by her desire to make sure that their kids have the impact of their father.  The couple still has not completed the requisite divorce paperwork.

The question of whether or not Batman believes in God might be a conversation topic among those who follow the comic book stories.  It appears that for years, his faith has been more in himself and the identity and acts of the character, who, of course, does not possess powers of his own.  We can consider this: whose strength do we believe in?  Batman wears a mask and has all sorts of cool tech - he works on behalf of humanity, but strip it away and what do you have? We have to consider whether or not our faith in ourselves is greater than our faith in the One who made us and draws us into a relationship with Himself.

And, that's the same for the real-life Batman - seems like the actor Ben Affleck has been in and out of rehab, but has not been able to experience the victory over addiction that has eluded him.  His wife, who was admittedly highly influenced by the movie, Miracles from Heaven, in which she starred, is attempting to bring hope and even brought a Bible to the latest intervention.  In order to live the productive, fulfilling life God wants us to have, it's important that we bring God's Word and allow it to intervene so that we might live out the triumph that God brought and bought for us through Jesus.  We cannot trust in ourselves to the extent that we pre-empt our trust in the One who has called us to follow Him.

Prayer in Schools

Each day, we can commune with our Lord - we can honor Him in praise and worship and we can
present our requests to Him for ourselves and for others. Isaiah 55 states:
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

As we allow Christ to have His way in our lives, we can discover that He wants us to talk to Him and with Him - and He wants to speak to our hearts!  Through His Spirit and by His Word, we can know His direction and follow His will.  Daily and consistent prayer means that we can bring our burdens, our challenges, our decisions to Him.  We have to admit our deficiencies so that we can experience His sufficiency.  We can trust that God will show Himself faithful as we participate in the two-way communication of prayer.

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In Psalm 105, we see a snapshot of what a life that is infused with worship and prayer looks like:
3 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
4 Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore!
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

There's a new information and advocacy campaign that is intended to let people know about what can and cannot be done in public schools with regard to prayer.  It's called, It Is Legal To Pray In Schools, and it represents a number of Christian, pro-family, and legal organizations.

The contention is very simple.  The website, HelpingPublicSchools.com, also accessible through LegalToPray.com, states:

For more than 50 years, Americans have been confused about the issue of prayer in school and students’ rights to pray in school. Congress never passed any law prohibiting prayer or the free exercise of religion as stated in our U.S. Constitution / First Amendment. ….. “Congress shall make no law establishing a religion or denying the FREE EXERCISE THEREOF”.

The United States Supreme Court rulings and subsequent media reporting in recent years confused school administrators, students and the general public. The Supreme Court makes no laws and has never ruled limiting prayer by students or anyone in school. Some cases have implied and ruled that teachers and administrators may not lead, coerce or force students to pray, however these rulings have nothing to do with a student’s right to free speech and individual and group prayer initiated by students. Students and teachers are free to pray at their desk, with friends, coworkers and classmates, during free time, sports activities and special events, provided it does not interfere with normal class/school activities and lessons.

On the site, Brad Dacus of Pacific Justice Institute is quoted as saying, "in every case defending students’ rights to pray, the students have prevailed, even teachers have the right to pray in school."

Under President Clinton, the Department of Education issued a memo entitled, “Religious Expression in Public Schools,” in 1995, which stated: 

“It appears that some school officials, teachers and parents have assumed that religious expression of any type is either inappropriate, or forbidden altogether, in public schools. As our courts have reaffirmed, however, nothing in the First Amendment converts our public schools into religion-free zones, or requires all religious expression to be left behind at the schoolhouse door. While the government may not use schools to coerce the consciences of our students, or to convey official endorsement of religion, the government’s schools also may not discriminate against private religious expression during the school day. "

And, surveys over the past decade show Americans are generally favorable toward prayer in schools, even school-sponsored prayer.  Here is some information from Pew Research, released in 2013:

A 2012 Pew Research Center poll found that 65% of Americans believe liberals have gone too far trying to keep religion out of schools and government. A smaller, but significant share (48%) think conservative Christians have gone too far to try to impose religious values on the country.

That article also said:

A majority of Americans disapprove of the Supreme Court’s stance on prayer in public schools, according to 2012 data from the General Social Survey, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Asked whether they approve or disapprove of the court’s ruling that no state or local government may require the reading of the Lord’s Prayer or Bible verses in public schools, roughly 39% say they approve and about 57% say they disapprove. Those percentages have stayed relatively steady since the early 1980s.

And, a 2014 Gallup poll found: "Sixty-one percent of Americans support allowing daily prayer to be spoken in the classroom. Though still solidly above the majority level, this is down slightly from 66% in 2001 and 70% in 1999."  Also, in that survey, 75% said they favored allowing prayer at graduation ceremonies and 77% of those surveyed supported schools allowing their facilities to be used for religious groups after hours.

Coming up on September 26, students across America and around the world will be participating in See You at the Pole, with this year's theme, "Broken."  It's part of the Global Week of Student Prayer.  Regarding the legality of these gatherings, the event website stated:

The right of students to gather and pray outside of instructional time—while at school—is clearly a Constitutionally protected form of free speech. This has been affirmed in regard to "Equal Access Clubs" by the 1990 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Westside Community Schools v. Mergens. And in 1995, President Bill Clinton directed then-Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, to prepare guidelines for what the government deemed "appropriate religious expression on school grounds."

So, in consuming and considering this information, I think that we can be convinced that by and large, prayer is seen in a positive light, even in schools.  So, we don't have to be intimidated - court rulings and even public opinion are supportive of our actions.  Prayer is not something to be ashamed of or to back away from, but to embrace.  But, even if it were a practice that was frowned upon by others, that doesn't give us an excuse not to participate in this incredible opportunity to communicate with the God of the Universe.

Prayer is contained and expressed within designated events, but it is also something that can be done throughout the day - in school, in the workplace, and other public places.  Not to call attention to ourselves or be seen by others, as Jesus taught, but to maintain our sense of God's presence, to express our devotion to Him, and to help us to make sure that we are remaining in submission to His will throughout the day.

Finally, God's availability to us means that we can call on Him at any time.  And, we can adopt the  mindset of bringing our requests to Him consistently, rather than cry out to Him when our own attempts fail.  And, this Legal to Pray effort is devoted to reminding students that they can pray anytime throughout the school day - we can be encouraged to seek His face in the midst of our daily activities.

In Christ

It's been said that since we will all be in heaven together, we can get a head start here on earth in loving one another and learning to serve God together as one body.  Revelation 7 describes an
incredible scene:
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,
10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

In the body of Christ, we realize that His blood flows toward and through all of us.  In fact, Acts 17 points to the fact that we have been made "from one blood" by God our Creator.  He has a blessed intent to see His people one, functioning as one entity for His purposes.  Now, we have a variety of differences - physical, cultural, spiritual - there is only one you, and He intends to use your unique gifts, calling and makeup as part of His overall Kingdom plan.

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The perspective of the Scriptures is that we are all created by God, in His image.  We are all related
by one blood, according to Acts 17:
25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

I think it's extremely helpful to focus on how the Church can lead the way in matters related to race.  And, as one of my recent guests, Garland Hunt, has said, quoted in a press release about this Saturday's potentially catalytic event at Stone Mountain, "God’s solution for a divided nation is a united church..."

But, within the Church, the approaches to such matters have become not only diverse, but divisive - it is certainly ironic that in attempts to promote reconciliation, there is a division that has occurred.  The most recent evangelical leader to address issues concerning the area of so-called "social justice" is John MacArthur, who is heard weekdays on Grace to You on Faith Radio.

Dr. MacArthur, after establishing credibility on the issue by documenting his work alongside John Perkins in rural Mississippi in the 1960's.  MacArthur declares:

I deplore racism and all the cruelty and strife it breeds. I am convinced the only long-term solution to every brand of ethnic animus is the gospel of Jesus Christ. In Christ alone are the barriers and dividing walls between people groups broken down, the enmity abolished, and differing cultures and ethnic groups bound together in one new people (Ephesians 2:14–15). The black leaders with whom I ministered during the civil rights movement shared that conviction.

However, MacArthur warns against embracing worldly solutions to what is an admittedly spiritual problem.  He writes:

The evangelicals who are saying the most and talking the loudest these days about what’s referred to as “social justice” seem to have a very different perspective. Their rhetoric certainly points a different direction, demanding repentance and reparations from one ethnic group for the sins of its ancestors against another. It’s the language of law, not gospel—and worse, it mirrors the jargon of worldly politics, not the message of Christ. It is a startling irony that believers from different ethnic groups, now one in Christ, have chosen to divide over ethnicity. They have a true spiritual unity in Christ, which they seem to disdain in favor of fleshly factions.

I would submit that when one group of people attempts to cast blame and interject shame toward another group of people for past sins, dividing people-groups into victims and victimizers, there is a problem, and I agree with MacArthur that this is a threat that he describes as "subtle and dangerous." And, unfortunately, MacArthur is receiving criticism from fellow Christians because of his appraisal. There are some who claim to hold the mantle of racial reconciliation, who seem to be quite skilled at fanning the flames of division.

Unity cannot be brought about through man's ideas - Biblical justice and reconciliation occur when we embrace the fullness of the gospel.  You don't unify groups of people by bringing more division.  Tony Evans, heard on The Alternative on Faith Radio, in a Gospel Herald piece, is quoted as saying, "God has a kingdom. It's made up of citizens. Some black, some white, some red, yellow, Spanish backgrounds. His intention was never that the individual uniqueness would cause them to lose sight of the flag flying over them. The flag of the cross..."

Blogger and podcast host Darrell B. Harrison, who is African-American tweeted this morsel:

I'm amazed that people will call for an "end" to the sin of racism, yet deny its spiritual origins. All sin has a spiritual genesis, so why would racism require any solution other than a spiritual one? Racism must first be addressed from the inside-out, not the other way around.

Billy Graham wrote:

Racism, I’ve found, is almost universal—but that doesn’t make it right. In fact, in God’s eyes racism is a serious sin. The reason is because God created every human being, and God made every one of us in His image. Yes, sin has marred and defaced that image, but no matter what our ethnic or racial or cultural background may be, we are all God’s creatures, and God has implanted within each of us a soul. The Bible says, “From one man he made every nation of men” (Acts 17:26).

The great evangelist emphasized the importance of changed hearts in order to combat racism, which "has its roots in human pride and sin, and these will never be completely erased until Christ comes again."  Bottom line: We have to look inward, to search our own hearts, and become agents of unity, seeking to build relationships, depending on God's principles and not man's social constructs.

Even the Babylon Bee, understanding that satire is a device that can actually be used to challenge and provide a fresh perspective on truth, got it in a recent piece on this concept of social justice. It posed the question, "What’s wrong with plain old biblical justice?" The answer:

Biblical justice doesn’t account for all of the unique oppressions that different groups today face. The God of the universe couldn’t have possibly seen this far ahead. So we’ve got to fill in the gaps. When Paul wrote that Christians are all one in Christ Jesus, he pretty obviously meant that we should be divided along racial lines and work hard at stirring up resentment.

Yes, a bit sarcastic, but brilliant.  Another question, "Is the gospel enough to redeem sinful society?"  The answer:

I mean, the gospel is just alright with us, but is it powerful enough to turn sin on its head and begin reforming society from the inside out as more people see the glory of Christ? Meh. Better institute some coercive social programs to help out, just to be sure.

The gospel is enough.  You can't persuade people to do better by pointing fingers of condemnation. You improve relationships by living truth and practicing love; charity toward one another.  Sure, there is plenty of blame to go around, and yes, admittedly, the Church has been complicit in inhibiting race relations.  But, one can choose to either move forward in Christ and seek ways to build unity or can remain trapped in the divisions of the past and continue to assign blame.

Heart changes come through confession and repentance; then it's time to face the future.  I am thankful that church leaders in Atlanta have united across racial and denominational lines to seek Biblical unity.  In Nashville, Michael W. Smith is bringing people together for an event called, "Surrounded," which is intended to bring God's people together in unity.  In Montgomery, the "Awaken" event was one of those catalytic events that enables the Church to come together.  Events are great, but we also through those occasions can be challenged to build relationships, which result in unity of the body of Christ - and when we are unified, there are no limits to what God can do through His people.

Holy

We have the call of God to walk in holiness and the power of God to actually do that!  We have to be
resolute in our desire to reflect the nature of Christ in our behavior. 1st Peter 1 says:
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;
15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."

We sin because we do not rely on the power of God in our daily behavior.  We allow temptation to get the best of us and the enemy lures us into making an errant choice.  If we don't recognize the potential to live a holy life, we run the risk of falling short of how God wants us to live.  We must develop a "zero tolerance" mentality against sin and recognize the incredible resources we have in order to walk in purity and holiness.  He provides victory and enables us to overcome.

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God is the restorer who brings hope for the broken - and we really need to keep this in mind, especially when the brokenness, the perversion, among those who call upon His name, who abuse power to plunder or to permanently damage innocent lives.  In Hebrews 12, we can see a passage that calls us to pursue holiness:
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;
16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.
17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

We have to keep our eyes on the restorer.  It can be tough sometimes.

As WORLD Magazine reported last week:

Catholics around the world are calling for an independent investigation into sexual abuse by the U.S. Catholic hierarchy after a grand jury report released this week detailed horrific allegations against priests in Pennsylvania. The 18-month investigation revealed more than 300 “predator priests” raped and molested more than 1,000 child victims, all identified from hidden church records. Those numbers are likely understated due to destroyed records and silent victims.

The revelations date back to the 1940's, according to the report.  The story continues:

“Pennsylvanians can finally learn the extent of sexual abuse in these dioceses,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said during a Tuesday news conference. “The abuse scarred every diocese. The cover-up was sophisticated. The church protected the institution at all costs.”

WORLD also reported on the Pope's statement issued yesterday. He wrote, "With shame and repentance, we acknowledge as an ecclesial community that we were not where we should have been, that we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives,” adding, “We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them.”  The article added:

The pope’s critics pointed out that the letter did not list specific ideas for punishing abusers and those known to have protected them. Several cardinals implicated in sex scandals around the world, including in Australia, Chile, and Honduras, still serve on the pope’s Cabinet of close advisers.

In a recent Breakpoint commentary, John Stonestreet of the Colson Center had this response:

Now, I’m not Roman Catholic. Some of my dearest friends and colleagues are. To watch how this abuse and institutional cover-up is tearing them apart is awful. Shepherds trusted by millions have failed them in the worst way possible. Their futures include millstones around necks.

Simply put: The Catholic Church needs to clean house. Clergy at every level must cooperate with independent investigations into all allegations of abuse. No more bishops handling these charges. This needs to stop, now. Our nation’s 70 million Catholics have to demand it.

And all Christians should be praying for the victims—some of whom haven’t had justice for their entire lives.

In fact, across our culture an historic reckoning is afoot. We see it at U.S. Gymnastics, we see it in college football. And lest Protestants be tempted to gloat, evangelical megachurches and entire denominations are being force to confront pastors and leaders who abuse their spiritual authority for sexual gratification.

He called out those who should have spoken up in these cases who did not. He said, "This epidemic of sin has cost more than a thousand victims their innocence and trust in church, and for many – in Christ Himself. It’s a sin that will cost us all—Catholic and evangelical alike—credibility in this culture we can’t afford to lose."

And, church bodies are taking steps to address abuse.  The entire elder board of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, including the two people who were set to serve as co-lead pastors of the church, have resigned in the wake of the sex scandal involving the church's founding pastor. There has been a recent announcement about a Southern Baptist task force that has been assembled to deal with abuse allegations, following a strong resolution about the topic at the recent Convention.

Greg Laurie, speaking to The Christian Post last week, prior to the SoCal Harvest Crusade, shared his views on leaders who fall, as well as the importance of accountability.  He said: "It is a great disappointment to me when a pastor falls...A pastor needs to be a good example. He is a spiritual leader. People expect pastors to live morally and to be honest. That is a realistic expectation. They expect it of Christians, certainly they have that expectation of a Christian leader."

He also commented on the vulnerability of all believers:

"Though we are sad when leaders fall, the Bible says, 'When a brother or a sister is overtaken in a fall, we who are spiritual should seek to restore them. ... ' It goes onto say, 'lest you also be tempted,'" Laurie explained. "So the reality is we all have the same weaknesses and vulnerabilities. So don't be too high-handed to say, 'that could never happen to me.' Because, it could happen to anybody."

He has taken steps to preserve transparency with his wife and has a group of men to whom he is accountable.

There are several words and concepts that come to mind.

First of all, abuse is never right.  Never.  It arises from sinful desires, and in so many of these instances involves a person in power who preys on the vulnerable.  We have to be clear in the Church that this type of behavior, which takes many forms, is unacceptable and certainly not representative of the character of Christ.

And, the atmosphere has to change.  The word, "safety" has been used, and I think that's accurate.  Sin thrives in secret, and sinful acts that are committed are often covered up due to intimidation and shame.  It is important that the light is shone on the deeds of darkness in which people's lives are being destroyed.

Now that so many revelations have occurred, the action necessary to confront this behavior is of a primary concern.  Those who have been found to be acting sinfully must repent and be dealt with Biblically.  We, as the Church, can't afford to have the name of Christ dishonored; we have to send the message that this is unacceptable.

As Greg Laurie states, accountability is important.  Leaders should seek to build a firewall that would prevent them from taking advantage of others, and all believers should have the necessary safeguards built into our lives so that sinful desires are not allowed to grow and fester and ultimately be expressed, to the destruction of multiple lives.

Finally, we can adopt the mindset of an ambassador.  Even though the Church has taken a hit due to indiscretions that have been made public.  Laurie calls for changing the narrative.  He is quoted by the Christian Post as saying, "I am not excusing anybody of their actions," adding, "I am simply saying I wish I could hear the other stories because it can seem sometimes like there are all these scandals but they are not taking into account the thousands and thousands and thousands of faithful pastors and faithful leaders that never had even a hint of scandal in their life of ministry."  That is the standard - a standard of holiness, of Godly character, of showing the world we love Jesus and are demonstrating His light through our obedience.

Make it Right

We are in the midst of a spiritual battle, and in a fallen world, we experience the brokenness of the
human condition. But, God is calling us to depend on Him, who has a heart for repairing the broken and restoring our souls. 1st Peter 5 says:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

The enemy is roaming throughout the world, seeking to, as Jesus taught in John 10, steal, kill, and destroy.  We will encounter suffering in this life, because we live in this world.  But, even in the midst of our suffering and despair, we can know the supernatural touch of Almighty God.  He wants to lead us into a life of restoration, where we are seeing His hand at work, where relationships are repaired and people are able to see the love of Jesus expressed.

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God's heart is for renewal and restoration - through Christ, He makes all things new and promises that we, under His new covenant, can experience newness of life.  He has restored our relationship with Himself and calls us to live out an attitude of restoration, of making things right, all around us.  That
heart of restoration is seen in Hosea 6:
1 Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.
3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.

I have come across some inspiring instances of people who have decided to make things right personally and even culturally.  For instance, take the example of an anonymous waitress who is highlighted at ChristianHeadlines.com.  The story opens by saying:

The owner of a popular Tucson, Ariz., restaurant received a letter last week from a former waitress who was so full of remorse over money stolen 20 years ago that she was paying it back -- with interest added. Included in the envelope was $1,000 in cash.

“It definitely restores your faith in humanity,” wrote Ray Flores, the son of the owner, on Facebook.

She acquired the extra money by "not ringing up drinks." The article says that: "She also said she 'grew up in church' and 'knew better,' but did it anyway."  The article refers to a CBS News story on this restoration effort.

The letter with the money inside arrived the same week that Ray's mother, the owner of the restaurant, had her purse stolen.  He is quoted as saying on Facebook, "Thank you to whomever you are for sending us this letter in a week I really needed to see the good in people.”  He told CBS News that Ray related that his mom "came up to me and said in Spanish, ‘baby Jesus is still around.’"

Meanwhile, a department store employee saw a cultural injustice and took steps to make things right.  A USA Today article reported recently:

Ebony Harris, a cashier at a Walmart store in Burton, Michigan, offered to paint Angela Peters' nails on her break. A nail salon reportedly turned Peters away because her hands sometimes shake, and "she moves too much," bystander Tasia Smith shared on Facebook.

The story says ABC News reported that Harris had helped Peters, who has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair, shop before, as well. USA Today quoted Tara Aston, a Walmart spokesperson:

"Ebony simply wanted to make sure our customer’s day was special, and that’s the kind of person she is — someone with a wonderful attitude who goes the extra mile each day to make those around her feel important," Aston said in a statement on behalf of Walmart. "We’re not surprised at her act of kindness."

For her part, Peters said she forgave the people at the nail salon, which is located inside the department store, but would not be visiting there again.

Peters told ABC: "I forgive the nail people for not doing my nails," adding:

"When people do us wrong we must forgive, if not we harbor bitterness. I don't want anyone fired, I just [want to] educate people that people with different challenges like being in a wheelchair, we can have our own business and get our nails done like anyone else."

These two stories can help us to capture a sense of God's heart toward restoration.  The former waitress was convinced that she should return money that she felt she had stolen from her former employer.  The cashier wanted to make things right by providing for a person who had been rejected, apparently because of her disability.  Now, there's not an especially overt spiritual element here, although the waitress did say she was raised in church.  But, there is certainly a spiritual principle that we can take away - when we believe we have done wrong, or we see someone else who is wronged, there is an opportunity to exercise God's love and forgiveness.

We can be challenged to activate our spiritual sensitivity.  There may have been an instance in our past when we have wronged someone else, and it can provide a Christian witness to ask for forgiveness or even repay what has been taken.  Or, we may observe a situation, like Ebony Harris did, where someone else is being mistreated - perhaps God has placed us in the position to observe it and wants us to respond.

Finally, we can depend on the Lord to fill our hearts with kindness, which is on the list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.  Walking in kindness means we are seeking to exemplify the character and teachings of Christ - we have to be careful to project a stance that is consistent with who Christ says we are.

Bake It?

The Holy Spirit gives us the internal fortitude in order follow Christ, so that we might do His will and bring Him glory. 2nd Corinthians 1 states:
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
23 Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth.
24 Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.

We can know what it means to be established, to possess a firm foundation.  In an age in which there are so many ideas and attitudes that are swirling around our culture, it is so important to be grounded in the knowledge of God. We can abide in Him wholeheartedly so that we display His character and communicate His ideas, His principles.  We can know those principles as we study and meditate on His Word and seek to apply that truth to our lives.

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We can know that we have access to the Spirit of God so that we can stand strong on Biblical
principles. We can read in Philippians chapter 1:
27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

While Christians have a right to be concerned about the negative direction of this world toward the God-ordained institution of marriage, defined as one man for one woman, a new survey shows that there is increased support for those who do not want to use their creativity to show support for the perversion of that institution: same-sex marriage.

A new poll from PRRI, or Public Religion Research Institute, according to Christianity Today...

...found that public support for same-sex marriage has never been higher, with 64% of Americans now approving of its legality. Yet PRRI also found that Americans are increasingly sympathetic to service refusals by bakers, caterers, florists and other small business owners with conservative religious beliefs.

The story goes on to say:

PRRI found that 46 percent of Americans believe owners of wedding-related businesses should be allowed to refuse their services to same-sex couples based on their religious convictions, while 48 percent of Americans believe business owners should be compelled to provide their services to such couples with no conscience exemption from antidiscrimination laws.

This is a 5-point swing from 2017, when 41 percent sided with someone like Jack Phillips, who declined to provide a creative expression through a wedding cake, which he believed would show support for so-called same-sex marriage. Last year, according to the story, "53 percent favored the rights of same-sex couples."

Important statement here: "PRRI found that most demographic groups have moved more in favor of religious liberty protections on this issue."  And, the movement has occurred among people of color:

Americans of color are increasingly sympathetic to wedding vendors like Phillips. Nearly half of black Americans (45%) now support the religious freedom of business owners to refuse service to gay couples—a “significant change” from the 36 percent who expressed support in 2017. Similarly, among Hispanic Americans, 34 percent now favor the business owners, compared to only 26 percent last year.

The views of white Americans remained static on the issue, at 49%.

Well, of course, it is a given that polling data should not shape our adherence to the Scriptures. We recognize that societal trends should not impact the theological principles upon which we base our faith.  Trends in culture can affect our methods, but the message remains the same.  And, that applies to marriage: ordained by God, one man for one woman, a one-flesh relationship, intended to last.  Marriage is not something that should be altered by societal whims nor dishonored because culture has injected a disposability to the concept.

We also recognize that we should stand for conscience rights - to correctly apply our religious faith to refrain from behavior that conflicts with those ideals.  It's interesting; I have seen what seems to be more comments in this area about how religion has been used in the past to further bigotry.  And, treating someone unfairly because of unchangeable human characteristics is certainly unbiblical. But, when we have the chance to stand against a practice or a behavior that is identified by God as sinful, that places it in a different realm.  Refusing to bake a cake because of not wanting to be associated with something that we believe is wrong is far different that using Scripture to justify racial discrimination, and I believe it does a disservice to the civil rights movement to try to lump the LGBT agenda in with the legitimate fight for civil rights.

We can be reminded that we should be bold to stand according to Biblical truth, yet compassionate in our approach in communicating why we take that stand.  And, we can always examine our convictions, the basis for them, and our motivation to act in the manner that we do.

It Depends

Even after we have made the decision to allow Jesus to inhabit the throne of our lives, each day we can make the decision whether or not to live that out - to follow Him or to follow self.  In 1st Corinthians 15, Paul seizes on this theme of dying to self:
31 I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me? If the dead do not rise, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
33 Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits."
34 Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame.

We can choose to live in submission to the Spirit, or in pride, submitting to our human desires. Pride steals our joy, damages our relationships, and separates us from the abundant life God wants us to have.  We have to stay away from believing that our ways are best and acknowledge that we should follow His ways.  It can be a daily struggle, but we can rejoice in the Lord and know that He is with us to give us the resources in order that we might walk in victory!

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The Bible speaks to the importance of a humble walk, exercising and expressing our dependence on God - we recognize that His principles can effectively govern every single area of our lives.  In 1st Peter 5, we read:
(5b) Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

There are famous people who end up relating spiritual truth, and I generally spotlight them on Fridays - we can consider and critique the words that are said and the actions that are taken.  There are a couple of stops on our journey - first, we go to a recent edition of the Jimmy Kimmel talk show, where noted rapper Kanye West appeared.  That already is a prescription for some interesting conversation.  According to Faithwire:

However, Kanye decided to stay out of a party-political debate and instead focused on what can be done to heal the division in our society. He had some particularly interesting thoughts on the whole concept of “pride.”

Pride, he said, was too often acknowledged as being a positive term, when it is, in fact, a seriously damaging thing.

“We’re always pushing out so much hate,” Kanye said after being asked about his support for the current President. “And love can cure so much. Just think ‘am I moving in love? Not out of pride.'”

Kanye added: “Pride is a word that people often say in a positive connotation but it’s actually one of the seven deadly sins. Replace pride with love. ”

He talked about his wife, Kim Kardashian, and her personal appeal to the President to release Alice Johnson from prison, which did occur. The article states, "Kanye noted that only love can 'diffuse this nuclear bomb of hate we are in as a society,' adding that animosity between people can be cured by 'thinking of everyone as our family.'”

Well, there does seem to be a bit of disharmony among Kanye's wife and sisters-in-law, and one of them, the oldest, Kourtney, has seemingly fallen out of favor with her siblings - whether that's reality, reality television, or alternative reality, who knows, but she seems to have been turning to Scripture for inspiration.  

According to Refinery29.com:

The gist of the fight is this: Kim thinks Kourtney doesn't work as hard as her sisters. Kourtney feels this is an unfair assessment. Sunday night's episode focused on Kourtney's new therapist, whom the sister has been quoting at her family and friends as a response to their ongoing feud. And, on Instagram this morning, Kourtney shared a photo of herself meditating alongside a photo of what looks like a book with daily Bible verses.

Oh, can anybody tell me what the Kardashians actually do?  I guess you might say they are perpetuating their media and fashion empire.   But I digress...

The Instagram photo appears to be a page from the same devotional book from which she posted a picture in 2016, that was identified by the same website as Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  The verses in the August 12 devotional were:

"A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice." — Isaiah 42:3
"'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you." — Isaiah 54:10
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express," — Romans 8:26 

The article notes that, "Kourtney is using a time-tested technique for dealing with family: spirituality."

Well, the comments by my chosen celebrities for today are centered around our dependence upon God.  Whether it's Kayne's commentary on pride or Kourtney's consultation with the Scriptures in the midst of what appears to be a family squabble, we can recognize that submission to the principles of God can give solid direction for how we should live.  And, a love for following God's Word can give us an improved outlook.

We have the daily choice to follow our new nature, to put on the new person, according to Ephesians 4, and embrace our new identity in Christ.  Or, we can believe what the world and the enemy of our souls has to say to us.  We can either give in to the old thought patterns and unfruitful ways in pride, thinking that our way is best...or we can proceed with renewing our minds in humility, recognizing that His way is best.  We can either be independent in pride or dependent with a humble spirit.

As that story on Kourtney Kardashian, reminds us, "a time-tested technique for dealing with family" is "spirituality" - for the Christian, we can seek spiritual solutions through the Scriptures, which can direct and empower us in a host of different challenges we face.

Welcome

Matthew 25 contains a passage of Scripture that can remind us of the opportunities that we have to
minister to others, recognizing that we are serving the Lord faithfully in doing so:
34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'
37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'

Our King, the Lord Jesus, who has loved us greatly, encourages us to love others well.  As we love Him wholeheartedly - the great Commandment - then that will ideally affect the way we regard other people.  Out of our devotion to Christ can arise a charitable heart, a heart that desires to show the love of Jesus to those with whom we interact and to seek ways where we can spread His love to a greater degree.

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The Bible admonishes us in Leviticus 19 to view those who are different than we with charity and hospitality:
33 'And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him.
34 The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

I think there are a number of areas about which Christians can agree in the immigration debate.  Border security is certainly a concern, and there are numerous opportunities for churches and ministries to become involved in reaching out to and ministering to those immigrants and refugees who have come to this country.  I think that's tied up in the concept of "welcoming the stranger."

What is of concern, as I've expressed, is how some Christian groups have adopted a view of immigration that puts them in alignment with forces who are advocating for open borders.  And, there are some who, in the name of Christianity or religion, are attempting to place a Biblical stamp on shaping governmental policies that will provide them with financial resources.

Case in point:  The Christian Post reports on the latest high-profile maneuver by a group called the Evangelical Immigration Table.  This, at its inception, seemed to be a fairly large group that was signed on to by a number of Christian leaders.  It now consists of a handful of organizations who have made it their aim to promote more liberalized immigration policies.  It was launched a few years ago by a group called the National Immigration Forum. As Rebecca Hagelin put it succinctly in an op-ed at Townhall.com:

The Soros folks try to discredit anyone who shines the light on their sordid activities. But the money trail is evident for all who care to follow it. Although tracing Soros money is something of a shell game, it isn’t that difficult. Simply Google, download and read the IRS 990 forms of his $20 Billion “Open Society Foundation,” the National Immigration Forum (Soros is the largest donor, followed by Ford and Rockefeller), and the Tides Foundation, for a start.

Now, Table leaders will say that they don't get Soros money.  But, they have not distanced themselves from the National Immigration Forum, either, some even allowing their names to be used in a pro-immigration Fourth of July full-page ad.

So, what's the latest on the Table? The leaders have sent "a letter to three top federal agency officials expressing 'deep concern about the impact on international religious freedom of recent changes in the U.S. refugee resettlement program.'" This letter, sent to "Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback..."

...calls on the administration to set the U.S. refugee resettlement cap for fiscal year 2019 at 75,000 refugees, which would be about 50,000 refugees more than a planned limit reportedly being considered by the president for next year.

The article goes on to say:

"The number of religious minorities who have been offered the opportunity to escape oppression and rebuild their lives in the freedom of the United States is down dramatically as a result," the letter reads. "These declines have been most stark for persecuted Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, many of whom have endured a genocide at the [hands of the] Islamic State."

It also says, "In short, cuts to our refugee admission program affect all persecuted religious minorities, but these cuts significantly impact our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ..."

Whoa, wait a minute.  One of the Table members, less than two years ago, was saying that Christians should not be prioritized.  An article on The Guardian website stated this:

“We oppose any religions test that would place the suffering of one people over another,” said Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief, the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Other Christian leaders also came out strongly against the notion that the US should prioritize Christian refugees, which Trump said in an interview he wanted to do and which the executive order he signed on Friday couched in terms of preferring religious minorities from the seven Muslim-majority countries concerned.

Go back to 2015, and you'll find an article at The Stream by Faith McDonnell, who pointed out that "According to official data from the State Department’s Refugee Processing Center for Fiscal Year 2015, resettled Syrian refugees were 97% Muslim."  She wrote:

On September 30, an article in the Huffington Post exclaimed that even “Christian groups that work with refugees are strongly opposed to a proposal that would in effect put Iraqi and Syrian Christians ahead of Muslims for resettlement in the U.S., even if they are also victims of persecution.” The article does not explain that many of the “Christian groups” mentioned have been recruited by the VOLAGs that profit enormously from resettling refugees in areas they and the Federal government choose.

These organizations, which include Church World Service, Ethiopian Community Development Council, Episcopal Migration Ministries, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, International Rescue Committee, US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and World Relief, acquire an average of some 70% of their revenue from taxpayer-funded federal grants and contracts. In some estimations, they receive more than $4,000 per refugee resettled.

And, now World Relief, a member of the Evangelical Immigration Table, is claiming that increasing the number of refugees coming into the country will help our "persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ..."  That is certainly a shift.  Again, remember that these VOLAG's received 70% of their money from taxpayers and are paid PER REFUGEE.  I certainly don't want to question motives here, but the optics are definitely not good.  That's a 2015 figure - the website, Refugee Resettlement Watch, now says that the evangelical group, World Relief, was 73% funded by taxpayers.

So, when you see Evangelical Immigration Table, you have to remember two things: 1) there is a direct tie to the National Immigration Forum and 2) one of its members, benefits financially from refugee resettlement.

And, now this group is lobbying the Federal government to use taxpayer dollars to bring more refugees into the country.  But, wait, stop, aren't we to welcome the stranger?!!  Absolutely - and it would be great to see these immigration-related organizations step up to fund these efforts, rather than attempt to influence the government to use taxpayer dollars to carry out the agenda.

An organization called Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration, partnering with Catholics for American Renewal in a letter in support of an immigration bill that would strengthen border security and enforcement, a bill defeated in the U.S. House earlier this year, stated:

We are challenging “faith” groups with economic self-interest in porous borders, as some are highly funded to facilitate high levels of migration and refugee resettlement (USASpending.Gov). The enormous funding of the Obama-era “welcome” and refugee industry has broken up many families.

It also said:

Scripture does not teach open borders, but wise welcome. We’re to embrace the "ger,” the one who comes as a convert and blessing, like Ruth and Rahab. We’re to show hospitality to well meaning invited guests. And we’re to exclude and deport people who do not come as a blessing but as a danger. Nehemiah & Ezra helped their nation rebuild its faith, culture and nation. That required walls, and the whole counsel of Scripture. Wisdom.

Signatories included Eric Metaxas, Everett Piper, Sam Rohrer, Carol Swain, John Zmirak, and the aforementioned Rebecca Hagelin.

It is important that we allow the Scriptures to inform our viewpoints on policy issues.  There is a subtle change that is taking place in some evangelical messaging these days.  Such issues as immigration are now becoming "image of God" issues; i.e., we should want to champion a more generous immigration policy because immigrants and refugees are made in the "image of God."  I just came across a new initiative recently that is offering faith advocacy for paid family leave - that's a concept that sounds noble, and there are companies that provide it for families who have just had a child; but if it involves businesses being forced by government to provide guaranteed income, then that is problematic.  A report on the website uses "image of God" in its language.  There is now an attempt to redefine "pro-life" to mean "whole life," a concept decried by prominent pro-life leader Kristan Hawkins of Students for Life:

“Whole life” or “consistent life” proponents will argue that merging abortion with other issues like the death penalty, poverty, or nuclear proliferation in one movement is necessary to convince people that we’re really serious about being pro-life. They then demand ideological purity on a whole range of issues that aren’t necessarily connected, an approach that reduces the potential number of people who will join our movement. It is hard enough to get people who agree that abortion should be illegal, no matter the circumstance. By bringing in other issues, we limit our ability to build a winning coalition. We should want as many people as possible to feel they can be part of our movement. We ought to expand the tribe, not limit it.

She declares: "Diluting the anti-abortion cause with vague terms like 'whole life' threatens our movement’s goal of abolishing abortion."  I agree, and it's concerning to see barbs thrown at pro-lifers, who are accused - falsely - of caring more about the pre-born that those already born.  

So, we have to be discerning about ideas that infiltrate the Church that serve other agendas.  There has been a trend pointed out that a host of social concerns have been labeled as "gospel" issues.  But, we recognize that Romans 1 defines the gospel as the power of God unto salvation for those who believe."  While we are to be involved in speaking out on policy issues Biblically, we can see that the hope for our nation and all humanity lies in changed hearts, the fruit of the message of the gospel.