Let it Flow

The Spirit has equipped us and enabled us to do the work of God, an outward manifestation of the inward presence of Christ in us.  We are called to be givers of hope and provided powerful tools to accomplish that purpose. 1st Corinthians 12 says:
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

Our God is orchestrating His work to be done in the earth, and He uses human beings as conduits, or vessels of the Holy Spirit, whom He will work through for His glory.  We can consider how we can use the talents and the desires that He gives us to serve in order that we might make an impact for the gospel.  God's strategy in the world is transformation, as people might hear about and see the love of Christ, so that people will allow Him to fill their lives.

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Christians can be carriers of hope in the places to where God has called them.  Through our charitable work, we reflect the love of Christ. Romans 15 says:
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

The need for fresh water for drinking and other purposes is huge in many parts of the world.  Recently, I featured a conversation with Orlando Buck, who has pastored in the Faith Radio broadcast area and serves with Filter of Hope, which has as its intent to provide clean water and Biblical truth to people in multiple nations.  The organization, which has a unique water filtration system, was also featured in a recent edition of River Region's Journey magazine.

And, through the provision of clean drinking water and the interaction of those who work with the ministry, people can discover the living water about which Jesus spoke, the water that can cleanse the soul.

The need for clean water is also present in an area of the United States that has received national attention: Flint, Michigan.  According to a Christian Post article:

Over the past few years, residents of Flint reported increasingly contaminated water, with residents reporting issues as early as 2014. By early 2016, then President Barack Obama declared an emergency for the area and ordered federal aid.

A church in that area has decided to get involved, and has partnered with a celebrity, who brings resources, influence, and a passion for the project.  That is Jaden Smith, an actor who is the son of Will Smith.  The story continues:

501CThree, a philanthropic group Smith is part of, joined First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church of Flint to announce a partnership to help residents gain access to cleaner water.

Catrina Tillman, wife of the lead pastor at First Trinity who's been spearheading the project, told The Christian Post that they had “heard about the work we were already doing in the city.”

The church has been helping to provide clean water for three years now in the community, with the help of donations from all across the country, including churches and other people, even companies.  The article continues:

Tillman said the partnership will specifically focus on distributing a device known as the Water Box, which is a portable system designed to filter out several types of bacteria, heavy metals, and sediments.

“The plan is to, hopefully, one day have water boxes all across the city of Flint and in other cities as well,” continued Tillman. “Flint has been on the front lines of lead issues, but there are other cities as well that could utilize this filtration system.”

The church, on its Facebook page, according to the article, stated, “Serving is the greatest gift we can give to each other to express Gods love for one another. For the past three years First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church has done just that...”

Now, I can't say that I would endorse the overall philosophy of Jaden Smith's organization or its overall work; but I do think that this model has some benefits.  The first thing that we can see here is that the Church is being the Church in Flint.  Many are aware of the water problems that city has encountered for the past few years; and this local church has decided to get involved; to follow Christ in the midst of a crisis, if you will.

Provision can come through promotion.  Let that sink in.  If people don't know your need, they will not take steps to address it.  So, a high-profile carrier of information can be helpful in building awareness so that people can become involved.

Here, the church has taken advantage of its strategic placement.  Wherever we are, we can consider how God would use us to take His light into our communities.  We can work to identify areas of need in our communities and see how spiritual strategies can be implemented.  Perhaps you can identify areas in which the Church or individual Christians have become involved as a force for God, to the glory of God.  This is how we carry on the work of Christ in our culture.

Faithful Churches

We can be reminded about the glory of the Church, through which the love and truth of God can be expressed, knit together by His Spirit, and functioning in His unity. Acts 20 says:
28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

The Church is a glorious entity, established and maintained by God - and Jesus declared the gates of Hell itself would not prevail against it.  But, there are pressures on the Church, internal and external.  From within, there will be attempts to divide, which accomplishes Satan's purpose: he wants to keep us separated and at odds with one another. And from without, there would be those who have an agenda to minimize, marginalize, and even destroy the witness of the Church; we have to be careful to cling to the Head, to the Lord Jesus Christ.

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God has incredible purposes He wishes to accomplish through the Church, His body, of which Christ
is the head. He wants to bring us together and operate as one body. Hebrews 10 states:
23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

One of the things I like to do is track how God is moving in His Church.  And, I want to play off a new survey that has been released; according to Christianity Today:

A new study from Exponential by LifeWay Research found 6 in 10 Protestant churches are plateaued or declining in attendance and more than half saw fewer than 10 people become new Christians in the past 12 months.

Even amidst that, as I mentioned in a previous commentary, there is quite a bit of optimism about the future of churches.  But, the trends are certainly concerning, but not life-threatening.  Because I believe that God will always have His people, those who are faithful to Him.

Breaking down that "6 in 10" statistic:

Twenty-eight percent of Protestant pastors say their church has seen worship service attendance shrink by 6 percent or more compared to three years ago.

Another 33 percent say their church has remained within 5 percent, while 39 percent say their congregation has grown by at least 6 percent since the first quarter of 2016.

So, put another way, you could say that over 7 out of 10 churches have plateaued or grown in worship attendance during that time period.

Churches come in all shapes and sizes, and appeal to various age, ethnic, and theological groups.  Thankfully, local churches are not one-size-fits-all.  Sadly, though there are churches that have departed from Biblical standards.  One thing that really stuck in my mind is related to this statistic: Among Protestant churches, "Most have fewer than 100 people attending services each Sunday (57%), including 21 percent who average fewer than 50. Around 1 in 10 churches (11%) average 250 or more for their worship services."

But there are risks for smaller churches, according to outgoing head of LifeWay Christian Resources Thom Rainer.  Writing for The Christian Post, he says:

• Smaller churches are at severe risk. Among those churches with an average worship attendance under 50, only 20% are growing. That is the lowest of any of the categories of churches and is an indicator that these churches are at the greatest risk of dying.
• Larger churches have a much lower risk of dying. Among the churches with an average worship attendance of 250 and more, 42% are growing. That is, by far, the largest number of growing churches in any category.

But, as CT points out, about half of pastors said their giving stayed about the same in 2018 vs. 2017.  The number of staff members has either stayed the same or declined for 90% of churches studied.

As the survey indicates, "Evangelical churches are more likely to be growing (42 percent) than their mainline counterparts (34 percent)."

And, there is a crisis of conversions.  The survey summary in Christianity Today says:

When evaluating churches based on the number of conversions per 100 attendees, 67 percent had fewer than 10 per 100 people attending their church. Around a third (35%) had fewer than five new commitments for every 100 people attending their worship services.

This survey contains helpful information about the state of the Church today and specifically the local church.  I think it indicates the types of pressure that congregations and their shepherds are encountering.   But, we can admire the scores of churches all across our land who are demonstrating faithfulness.  Faithfulness to the Word of God, faithfulness to serving the people of God, and carrying out the mission of God.  While large churches sometimes get the bulk of attention, there are incredible churches in communities all across our Faith Radio coverage area who are demonstrating Christ to the people around them.

We can be mindful that there is so much strength among the congregations that are smaller; that may have 50 or less members, and maybe face more risk than others, according to Rainer's analysis.  But, there are churches that have members under 100, under 250, under 500 - some may be declining, but the measure of a church, ultimately is obedience.  I think concern over conversions is warranted, because a key to a healthy church has to do with the injection of new blood, new disciples, who can be transformed into mighty men and women of God.  So, the Church can be challenged to pray for souls and to pray for and develop a greater degree of passion to see people come to know Him.

The Church is under pressure, no doubt.  There are simply other things to do on a Sunday for many people; church attendance, once the lifeblood of a community, especially smaller cities, might not be as large of a priority.  But, churches can be challenged to develop new, Spirit-inspired strategies to reach their communities for Christ.  And, we can communicate the message to those around us that God's love is strong and His way is best.

Stand Strong

In 2nd Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul is commending the work of Titus, as well as another brother
who had been proven to be trustworthy. He writes:
18 And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches,
19 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind,
20 avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us--
21 providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

We can be challenged by Scripture to seek to be trustworthy.  These gentlemen were entrusted, apparently, a significant gift and needed to transport and present it in an appropriate manner.  They had an established reputation for being honorable.  Because we name the name of Christ and are His representatives, we can be careful to display Godly character; our witness is reinforced as we are dedicated to walking in His principles and sharing His love.

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Today, I will share how a particular Scripture passage was one of many that encouraged a former business leader in Kansas City when he encountered opposition for his faith.  From that passage, in
1st Peter 3, here are two verses:
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.

A short time ago on The Meeting House, I featured a conversation with three-time Super Bowl champion Chad Hennings, who used to play with the Dallas Cowboys.  He attended his first Promise Keepers event in Texas Stadium, where the Cowboys once played.  He has now been named to the board of the organization, which, after years of flying under the radar, is re-launching its once-dynamic conference ministry and providing other resources for men.

I would dare say there are thousands of stories out there of men whose lives in Christ were re-energized by the PK movement, and in this age in which masculinity has not been represented well and integrity has been trampled on, I think many would agree that it is time that Christian men embrace whom God calls them to be.

I came across an inspiring story on the Baptist Press website which was penned by G. Richard Hastings, who is the retired President & CEO of the Saint Luke's Health System, which serves western Missouri and eastern Kansas.  Hastings wrote of his involvement with Promise Keepers and two letters he received along that "journey," as he puts it.

One was "from a group of individuals who called on my board of directors to fire me because they opposed my involvement in Promise Keepers as well as the Promise Keepers movement itself." Hastings had been "widely quoted" in an article about PK that appeared in a local newspaper.  Hastings went to God's Word and began to read in 1st Peter chapter 3.  The article states:

It started: "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good?" Further: "But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you will be blessed." My first question was how could that be since I was already being harmed, and I questioned how this attack could be a blessing. But in the days to come, verses 13-19 were prayed over and over.

He spoke with his wife and his accountability group.  He concluded that it was necessary to meet with those who were his accusers.  He wrote:

So I contacted those who had demanded my job and asked to meet with them. All but one decided not to meet with me but a few of them later became good friends and I never asked why they took their action. I did talk with one physician, a psychiatrist, who seemed to focus on the incorrect opinion of the Rev. Susan Helm-Davis of Hillside Christian Church who said the Promise Keepers view that women were to be submissive to their husbands is "more like an employer-employee or slave master." I explained my view of Ephesians 5:25 and then asked the psychiatrist how that could be problematic. He listened but gave no response and later left the medical staff. While my visceral reaction was to fight, God's message was to share the love of Jesus.

And, Hastings' board continued to support him.

Then, he got another letter...

He writes that, "It was signed by a host of community leaders thanking me for adhering to my faith and standing firm in my Christian beliefs no matter the opposition."  He was elevated to being a go-to person for praying at major events and even was asked to comment for a theological article in the local paper.  Hastings said:

As for the experience, I praise God, for it taught me to go to His Word in prayer and to seek advice from my wife and my accountability group when challenged for trying to live and practice my faith at work. 1 Peter 4:14 became a favorite verse (I have hundreds): "If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because of the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

Richard Hastings has provided some sound principles about standing firm and standing the right way. Instead of backing off his involvement with Promise Keepers, as he had been advised by some, he stuck by his convictions.  And, his first step, as it should be for each of us, was to go to the Lord in prayer.  I think there may be a tendency to come up with a solution for a dilemma we face, and then perhaps ask the Lord to bless that.  His Word can direct us as we develop a strategy to deal with our challenges.

He took a step that was a bit unusual, especially in these days when there is a tendency to hunker down and fight back: he invited his accusers to meet with him.  Motivated by the admonition in Romans 12 to "live peaceably with all," he firmly but humbly explained his position.  But, he never backed down, because he was apparently convinced that He was doing the will of God.

Finally, we can think about how people are looking for men and women of conviction.  He had the support of his board of directors in the face of opposition; they knew, as Hastings wrote that he "was trying to live my faith in my CEO role as well as in my life."   We have the opportunity to demonstrate Godly character; to be people of integrity, who live what we believe and to show that we walk with God.

By Design 3/26

We can be careful not to reject the will of God for our lives nor attempt to redefine His truth.  We have to recognize our position as the created ones, with our lives ordained by our mighty Creator.
Isaiah 29 states:
15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the Lord, And their works are in the dark; They say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"
16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"?

With a sense of reverence and awe before God, we can accept who He has made for us to be and to surrender to His intent for us.  He desires for us to submit to His principles and yield to His Spirit.  He is sovereign, He is in control, and when we allow Him to have His way, we can know that our lives will be pleasing to Him.  We can experience His satisfaction.  He is the One who has made us and we can trust that He certainly knows what is best for us.

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Some will claim that Jesus did not teach about sexuality and marriage, but there is a passage in Matthew 19 that is very plain to me:
4 And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,'
5 and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?
6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

One of the truly remarkable and disturbing trends in culture today has to do with gender confusion, including the twisting of traditional gender roles.  Instead of embracing God's design of male and female, people make the decision that they are not really the gender that their biology would determine them to be.  They think they can choose their gender based on how they feel, and will take steps to "correct" the error of nature.

And, recently, there have been reports, which have been refuted, of high-profile mothers who have indicated that they would take a gender-neutral approach to parenting. That would be Meghan Markle, wife of Prince Harry, as well as actress Kate Hudson.  Nevertheless, it has become a discussion topic in the wider culture.

Now, you have the instance of Wyley Simpson.  In an article at The Stream, Michael Brown writes:

Wyley Simpson is a biological female who is attracted to men. And Wyley just had a baby.

So far, so good?

Not quite. Wyley identifies as a male, which makes him a gay transgender male – a woman who identifies as a man but is attracted to men.

So, Wyley met a gay man named Stephan Gaeth. Wyley, as a biological female, "still had her reproductive organs intact," according to Brown, who writes, "Because Wyley 'had been on testosterone treatments and sports a beard, deeper voice,' she didn’t think she could have a child." But, it happened.  And, it has happened before; Brown states:

In August, 2017, CNN reported that, “Trystan Reese, a transgender man living in Portland, Oregon, has given birth to a boy with his partner of seven years, Biff Chaplow. Their son, Leo Murray Chaplow, was born July 14.”

So, once again, a biological female who is attracted to men and who identifies as a male has given birth to a son, who will doubtless call her “Dad” rather than “Mom.”

And, Rowan, the son of Wyley and Stephan, will be raised "with two 'fathers,' one of whom is actually his mother," as Brown puts it.

Michael Brown wrote a book in 2011 called, A Queer Thing Happened to America.  In it, he wrote about a flight that went off course and was shot down by the Soviet military in 1983; he quoted a piece in The Stream article. He relates the analogy to today's culture:

A small error multiplied becomes a large, consequential error. A slight deviation from the path becomes enormous and even deadly over the course of time. Any marksman will tell you that the tiniest miscalculation in aim will result in a badly missed target. It’s all about the trajectory: If followed to its natural and logical conclusion, where will the current direction take us?”

Brown writes, "Only a gospel-based moral and cultural revolution can stem the flood."

Walt Heyer believed the lie.  In a WORLD Magazine article about opposition to Christian counseling, we can read:

The movement against therapists who hold Biblical views of sexuality and gender also ignores a growing population of Americans who openly regret engaging in transgenderism.

Former transgender activist Walt Heyer, 78, had sex change surgery in 1983 and lived as a woman for eight years before he became a Christian and accepted his biological sex. He released Trans Life Survivors in October, a book of stories from dozens of individuals who regret their decision to undergo sex change surgery. The book only tells 30 stories, but Heyer said hundreds contacted him and said they wished they hadn’t identified as transgender.

The article goes on to say:

Heyer argues that a childhood event—sexual abuse or being cross-dressed by an adult—often precedes gender dysphoria, which sometimes co-exists with other mental conditions. He contends doctors should slow down and first search for the underlying issues before recommending hormone therapy and surgical procedures. When patients realize a transgender life does not bring the hoped-for relief, the same system of doctors “abandons them to their pain,” Heyer said.

Yet, the transgender philosophy continues to permeate society, as people who are not satisfied with God's design try to decide for themselves who they should be and how they should behave.  The warped thinking that leads to the embracing of dozens of different genders, the implementation of gender pronouns, the myth of gender fluidity, and laws that accommodate errant thinking.  Yet, the truth remains: God has a plan; He created us male and female, calling us into male-female marriages, one of the benefits of which is procreation, producing children and populating the earth.  Homosexuality does not bring about the biological, organic population of our species; you need a male and a female - it's God's design!

Now, we have to recognize that God has overarching principles regarding gender and sexuality.  Culture has begun to adopt different principles that attempt to alter His design.  We can also consider how we, in our own lives, in other areas, attempt to alter the will of God.  It comes down to a choice to follow His will for us and to apply His principles, or make our own decisions based on what we think is smart.  Are we really smarter than God?   Human "wisdom" fails magnanimously in the face of the deep, timeless wisdom of God Himself.

In the Storm 3/25

Jesus was teaching His disciples that difficulty was to come: He was about to be crucified and He was sharing His last words with Him.  And, He gave them some principles to which we can hold on.  John 16:33 says:
33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Jesus had shared a parable in the book of Matthew about two men; their stories were similar, their houses had been beset by winds, storms, and floods.  One man's house stood, the other's did not.  The difference in their stories: the foundation upon which their houses were built.  We can know that adversity is a part of life; it's our foundation that makes the difference.  How we respond in trials is determined by our knowledge of God and trust in His faithfulness.  And, we can know He is at work, even when we don't understand what is occurring.

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Jesus is our source of peace and assurance in the midst of the storms we face in our lives.  In Matthew 14, we read the story of Jesus coming to His disciples, who were at sea in a storm.  He came to them, walking on the water. We read:

27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." 

28 And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

29 So He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 

30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!" 

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

We are continuing to be mindful and prayerful regarding those who have lost lives and property in recent tornadoes around the Faith Radio broadcast area.  After the dreadful events of March 3, it wasn't too many days later that other parts of Central Alabama suffered damage in the wake of nighttime storms that came through.

There is the expectation that extreme weather events will wreak havoc in this fallen world, but even in the midst of adversity, we commonly hear stories of God's faithfulness.  And, that can be our story, too - there may be loss, there may be devastation, or disappointment, yet we can be strengthened in the Lord.

CBN ran a story on its website recently that included residents of Lee County, Alabama.  It included several quotes:

"I was sitting there praying, asking the Lord to protect everybody around us," Lee County, AL resident Sharon Poole said.

"The devastation is incredible," Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said.

Scott Fillmer, also from Lee County, described the horrifying scene. "I looked out the window and it was nothing but black, but you could hear that freight train noise," he said.

Others had these words:

"It went from dark to daylight; I just watched it just suck the clouds in and everything," Smith's Station, AL resident Donald Estes said.

"I'm still thanking God I'm among the living," said John Jones, who has lived in Beauregard, AL for most of his life.

A story from television station WRBL in Columbus also spotlight a man who expressed faith in God:

Jeffery Rowles says all he can remember is running to rescue his nephew from his sister's trailer in the storm.

"I couldn't remember anything but something big and white went across the back of me and that was my mom's top. And then my nephew, the only thing I could remember about him was that he was in the house and he was soaking wet. It was a blessing from God that he got out before it started flipping," Rowles says.

And about five minutes later, it hit.

The article said, "So Jeffery, like other Lee County residents will rummage through the debris and pick up the pieces." Jeffrey shared, "I have to thank God and keep my head up. Thank God and take it one day at a time. God just blessed us."

And, in Paducah, Kentucky, a preschool director, Michelle Rushing, had the responsibility for 40 preschool children in a church that had its roof torn off.  Baptist Press reports:

As a tornado was sweeping through a five-mile stretch in west Kentucky around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday (March 14), Rushing guided the children into the innermost room, following the church's storm plan, she told WPSD in Paducah. Then she said they sang songs like "Jesus Loves Me" and "He's Got the Whole World in his Hands."

Despite considerable damage to the church building, everyone inside was unharmed, the station reported.

The article also quoted from a local sheriff, who had worked to extract a man who was travelling in the area who had been trapped in his vehicle.  The article featured a quote from the West Kentucky Star by Sheriff Matt Carter: "The almighty hand of God has provided safety to our community," adding, "The destruction path is approximately five miles long. There are approximately three homes that are devastated but no injuries, and also there is approximately a half-dozen other homes that have sustained minor to moderate damage. This could have been an extremely high fatality rate, and we're very fortunate and blessed to only report that one minor injury."

We can be careful to remember certain principles.  For one thing, we are not exempt from pain and suffering in this life.  It is part of living in a fallen world.  But, when we have seen our lives protected and when we have come through a storm in this life, we can be careful to give God the glory He is due.

At one time or the other, we will encounter storms in this life.  But, we can know that He is our rock and refuge in difficult times.  Sometimes lives will be taken, but even then, we know there are opportunities for the Church to minister God's comfort.

So, consider that storms are certain, but God's love and faithfulness are certain, as well.  Remember how Peter was called by Jesus to walk toward Him - on the water.  As it's been taught, as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he made progress; but when he considered the turbulence around him, he fell.  We can continue to trust in the Lord, even when we encounter trial.

Higher Ed and a Higher Call

There has been quite a bit of news recently about parents who have been so compromised in the area of personal integrity that they have been willing to bend the rules, to cheat, in order that their children may get into a better college. God calls us to a high standard of integrity, as we read in Psalm 26:
9 Do not gather my soul with sinners, Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 My foot stands in an even place; In the congregations I will bless the Lord.

The Psalmist is asking to be insulated from people who will tempt him in matters of personal character.  And, he declares that amidst those temptations, he will continue to walk in integrity: possessing a sense of truthfulness in one's dealings, and not saying one thing and doing the other.  People of integrity are trustworthy and have made it their goal to not be compromised by evil.  God's people should exemplify a sense of doing things the right way, knowing that honors Him.

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The book of Proverbs deals with such concepts as the processing of information, the application of understanding to that information, and the infusion of Biblical wisdom, relying on the Spirit of God and Word of God to help it all make sense in the context of God's principles. Proverbs 4 states:
5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom.

Well, what is the price of higher education?  For a number of unscrupulous parents, it is quite a bit more than the sticker price.  According to a recent Breakpoint commentary by John Stonestreet, "Parents paid up to $75,000 for someone to take the ACT or SAT for their kids, or in some cases, to bribe test administrators to correct answers after tests were taken."

The commentary continued:

And what if, in the hyper-competitive world of elite college admissions, acing standardized tests wasn’t enough? Well, colleges often hold spots open for athletes in certain sports, and for the right price, that very same Edge College & Career Network offered a different service of “bribing college coaches and administrators into designating (your) children as recruited athletes,” even if they never played the sport.

Writing for The Stream, Alex Chadiak states:

Highly respected and accomplished coaches were bribed. Folks whose jobs it is to ensure the integrity of the SAT were rigging the system to line their pockets. At least one senior athletic department administrator has been fired (USC). Where does it end? And why is anyone willing to pay $1.2 million dollars to say their kid is a star soccer recruit at Yale?

I guess my biggest question is...why?  Chadiak writes:

There’s the allure of prestige. Of excellence by association. On the part of students and parents in general — across the board, not just among the elite — there’s a greater desire for a credential than for the education the credential is intended to signify. If it’s about the diploma rather than the learning, why not get the supposedly best diploma money can buy?

Chadiak refers to "a study by economists Alan Krueger and Stacy Dale," in which, "They found that students who achieved test scores and grades high enough to get into an elite university, but who choose a lesser ranked school, did just as well as their peers who attended the elite university."

So, he surmises:

It’s the students — not the schools — that makes the difference. Sure, if Yale is full of talented, ambitious students, we’d expect them to do well in life. But their outcomes would have been equally positive had they done their undergraduates elsewhere.

Stonestreet takes on the premise or purpose of higher education.  He writes:

Today, “getting on” is the only reason many universities exist. We tell students to go to college so they can get a job, so they can make money, so they can buy stuff, so they can retire, so they can die. There’s no ultimate “why” involved.

He contends, "it’s been a long time since many of the courses or degrees that students pay so much for can deliver on the investment, especially given the university’s captivity to progressive ideals and a dismissal of any real debate. Often, students graduate today un-hire-able." He also mentions...

...what’s missing is a bigger vision of why we learn, why we stretch our minds, why we explore the unknown, and why we sharpen our skills. That’s what happens when the goal is to get a credential, not become a better person.

Stonestreet touts the opportunity that Christian higher education has to "offer a meaningful alternative," grounded in a Biblical worldview perspective; he writes: "Christianity’s robust vision of what it means to be human, grounded in the idea of our being made in the image of God, has been the most powerful force in history driving the educational impulse and educational innovation."

So, I would say a principal point to consider would be that we have to recognize the value of education; there should be a means to the end.  Ultimately, we should develop character and life skills consistent with the idea of being a lifelong learner.  From a Biblical perspective, we should seek to take information, infuse it with Biblical truth, and grow in our life's calling.

But, apparently there have become so many other factors involved surrounding education, and it's driven people to sacrifice their integrity.  As Chadiak writes, "Cheaters often get caught. Let’s hope this proves to be a deterrent."  The Bible teaches us to be people of integrity, who center their lives on honesty and character development.   We have to be grounded in the truth that nothing is so important for parents or their children that is worth sacrificing their integrity for.  

Chadiak also hammers the character point: "Where you go to college is not nearly as important as what you do when you’re there, and thereafter. If the best thing you can say about yourself is that you got into Yale, you have a sad life."

He concludes by saying, "So work hard, play by the rules, and trust God. Stanford or Samford, it’ll work out just fine."   And, we can be reminded of Stonestreet's phrase: the "ultimate 'why.'"

Death Sentence

Our faith can be strengthened as we rely on the promises of God and know that His presence is a
constant for the believer in Christ. Psalm 34 states:
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

When we face trouble, disappointment, or fear, we can recognize the love of God and His proximity to His people.  When our hearts are broken, we can bring our trouble to Him and allow Him to heal us.  In our multiple afflictions, we can turn to the deliverer; our deliverance may not come in the way we think it should, and it may be internal rather than external, but we can know His inner peace and experience His comfort.

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The sufferings we encounter provide opportunity to know the comfort of the Spirit and to perhaps
release the power of the Spirit to combat the work that could be destructive. 2nd Corinthians 1 states:
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.
6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.

I talk often on The Meeting House about being willing to share what God has done in our lives.  And, there is a story I came across at The Stream recently about a woman who took a severe tragedy - the loss of a child, and allowed it to propel her to walk with other families through their pain.

Sheryl Crosier had three boys, and had lost six other children in miscarriages.  Her young son, Simon, when he was three days old, according to the article...

...was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, or Edward’s Syndrome. Simon went into the NICU, the neonatal intensive care unit. In general, complications associated with the syndrome are fatal, but some patients live years after their diagnosis. It’s not as if his mom didn’t have a reason to worry. “[The doctor] would say weird things like ‘Maybe it’s time for Simon to go to heaven.'”

As the days progressed, more weirdness ensued.  Simon didn't seem to get the same amount of attention that the other babies in the NICU received.  Sheryl said, “We were not given any resources. All we were told was ‘He’s going to die. He’s going to die.'”  After 88-and-a-half days, he did.

Sheryl Crosier related: "It’s painful to see your three-month-old baby … looking at you so absolutely helpless. Here we are looking at these so-called experts that we paid for to be there and nobody’s doing a thing to help our child. So, nothing was done. There were no monitors beeping, they shut all that down. And then, it just got to the point where we’re just like, ‘What just happened here?'”  Then, she obtained Simon's medical records: she discovered that there was a "Do Not Resuscitate" order in effect; he was only scheduled for "comfort feeds," insufficient for nourishment.  She is quoted by The Stream, "We know that our parental rights were pretty much stripped away. Someone else decided that his life was disposable.”

But even though she went through what was referred to as "deep, dark grief," Sheryl discovered a new purpose in her life.  She found a support group and began to help other families affected by the disease. She wrote a book called, I Am Not a Syndrome: My Name is Simon. She has spoken on behalf of Simon's Law, described as "a bill that requires hospitals to obtain parental consent before putting a DNR order in a child’s medical chart." The article says, "Some states have passed it and others are working to do so. She also speaks at Right to Life events."

But, in the midst of it all, Sheryl knew God was with her. The article quotes her as saying, “Life becomes — it can become very dark. And we know this life is difficult but you just hang on, you know? ‘I’m holding onto your coattails, Jesus! Okay, you’re going to get me through this. We’re going to keep on going.’” But, she says that she "can see the beauty" in what she's experienced. She relates, "I can’t bring my Simon back, but if we can save another life it’s all worth it.”

This is certainly a heartbreaking story, but Sheryl Crosier didn't allow herself to become permanently paralyzed, and that could indeed help other parents and their children in the future.  I would dare say that there is a time for comfort, and there may be a time for combat - to change unjust policies or laws and make them better, as God directs.  Certainly, she grieved the loss of her precious Simon, but Simon's short life has energize her life.

We can be motivated to discover purpose out of turbulence; we can develop a sense of determination to grow from lessons that we have learned, and perhaps to even share those principles with others.

As Sheryl suggested, we can learn to "see the beauty" in the suffering we experience.  God will be near to us in our times of trouble and He will do His intended work as we allow Him to be glorified in our difficulties.  We can grow stronger in our walk with Christ as we acknowledge that He is with us and in us and actively accomplishing His purposes.

Idol Moments

We live in a world that seems to be growing darker all the time; encased in fear, expressing its fallen nature in heightened degrees.  But, we can be careful to allow Christ's light to shine through us.  In
Matthew 5, Jesus says:
14 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

There will be opportunities for us to share what God has done in our lives.  He is present within us, and He desires to express His love and light through His people.  When there is a dire or challenging situation, we can bring the presence of the Lord into it.  We can walk through life with an openness to allow God to do what He desires to do and to be confident that His love and truth can flow through us as we possess a willing heart.

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We are called to walk in the light of Christ, and to allow His light in us to illuminate our hearts and to proceed from our lives. 2nd Corinthians 4 says:
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Did you know that American Idol is back on prime-time television?  The singing reality show is now in its second season on ABC, and while it is certainly not the juggernaut that it used to be, last Wednesday's installment still made the #8 position in total viewers, according to TV By the Numbers, and this past Sunday's show at #12.  It won the night Wednesday and finished second on Sunday, but won adults 18-49 for Sunday night.   But, Idol's ratings have been eclipsed by The Voice in recent years.

So, people are continuing to watch American Idol, it seems.  And, viewers have been treated to some faith-related moments in the reality show.  Take, for instance, a moment involving a young lady from South Carolina, Kalifa Wilson, whose story was documented on the ChristianHeadlines.com website.   The article relates:

According to CBN News, Wilson – who goes by “Kai the Singer” – walked into the audition room and sang covers of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” and The Temptations’ “My Girl” before quickly bringing pop singer Katy Perry to tears with her story.

Wilson shared that all of her life she and her family had been living in homeless shelters. The South Carolina native even noted that at one point her whole family was living in a car.

Judge Luke Bryan was touched by Wilson's story and commented that he didn't know how she got the money to make it for an audition.  This exchange ensued and included the other two judges, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie:

Wilson responded saying, “My church.”

Perry, whose eyes were filled with water, quickly asked, “Your church sent you here?"

Wilson answered saying, “Yeah, just right there after church.”

As tears streamed down Perry’s face, she told Wilson that her story reminded her of her own.

“I didn't grow up with any money. Money was always a problem. It was the cause of everything not great in my life," Perry told the teen. "We had food stamps and were at the food bank, all that stuff because my parents were traveling ministers."

Perry added, "And so, when I was 13, the church bought me a guitar.”

Wilson interjected saying "That's where I got that one from," as she pointed to the guitar she played while covering “Thinking Out Loud.”

Richie is quoted as saying, "God can only do for you what He can do through you.”

There was also the recent instance involving Drake McCain; The Christian Post stated:

...McCain chose to use his performance to worship God by singing the popular gospel hymn "His Eye is on the Sparrow," taken from the Bible verse Matthew 6:26.

McCain was joined by Katy Perry, and the two "harmonized" on the song.  Luke Bryan requested another gospel song, O Happy Day. About Perry, the story says, "The chart-topping singer got so inspired that she stood up to clap and dance to the song."

You're probably familiar with Katy Perry's story; she was raised in a ministry family, but as the Post points out, "...she no longer identifies as a Christian, but some speculate that her social media posts and comments during the singing competition might indicate that things are changing."

There seems to have been fairly regular faith stories that have made their way on to American Idol throughout the years.  And, there have been notable Christian singers and worship leaders who have fared well in the competition.  In Christian music, some of the biggest names among finalists include Danny Gokey, Mandisa, and Jasmine Murray.  This is a great reminder to each of us to allow the Lord to express Himself through you.  Got a talent (and we all are gifted in some way)?  Let God use it...

...and where there is an opportunity, tell your story.  Jesus challenged His people to let their light shine before others.  We have His presence in our lives, and we can allow that presence to flow through us to touch other people with His love.  And, letting people know what God has done in our lives may make an impact on their hearts.

And, we can rejoice in faith moments seen by millions.  We can be careful to thank the Lord for open doors and be sensitive to identify where God is calling us to walk - it may not be in front of millions, but it can produce God's intended outcome.

Finally, pray for the seeds sown in Katy Perry's life during her childhood and teen years; her faith story may indeed not be over.  And, you can pray for others who have strayed or outright rejected their childhood faith, that they might be reminded of the presence of the Lord and return to Him.

Spiritually Vibrant

In Proverbs 24, we find some components of a strong home, built on Godly principles:
3 Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established;
4 By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.

If we possess God's wisdom, it can be expressed to those who are closest to us - like our families. Those who live with us every day can see the level of our devotion to God, and there is a challenge to make sure that our private lives line up with our public testimony.  God's Word and the presence of His Spirit can work through us and direct us as we relate to those in our homes.  We have a tremendous responsibility to demonstrate the love and truth of Christ and to be a model of His principles.

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In Psalm 78, we find a passage that can be inspiring and challenging as we seek to share our faith in
our families:
5 For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children;
6 That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children,
7 That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;
8 And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.

The Barna Group has "come home," in a sense, with a new survey that measures the degree to which spirituality is injected and practiced in families.  The research firm has what is called a "custom metric" by which it measures households, which has three components, according to the survey summary:

• Spiritual practices—defined here as praying every day or two and reading the Bible weekly all together
• Spiritual conversations—defined here as talking about God and faith at least weekly all together
• Hospitality—defined here as welcoming non-family guests regularly, or at least several times a month

If a household participates in all of these practices with those frequencies, it is considered to be"spiritually vibrant."  25% of those surveyed fit into this category.  The other categories and the percentages are: 

Devotional, which "only participate in spiritual practices and spiritual conversations," 33% of those surveyed are in this category. 

The Hospitable families, which "only practice hospitality," comprise 14% of the families in the survey. 

And, the Dormant, who take part "in none of the above," are at 28%.

So, what are some characteristics of Spiritually Vibrant Homes?  The research offers these principles:

Vibrant households stand out in that they have meaningful, fun, quality time with both their housemates and extended household members. These are practicing Christians who know the meaning of play—and indeed, half call their home life “playful.”

Examples include playing games, sharing meals, and even sharing feelings on a daily basis.

The summary also states, "Given that welcoming others is part of the definition for this group, it’s not surprising that friendships play a great role in Vibrant households, with close friends...as well as neighbors...coming over several times a month." 56% report close friends visiting, and 28% indicate neighbors come over.

The research also indicates:

Spiritual coaches are remarkably consistent in Vibrant homes. Among this group’s distinguishing traits is the presence of someone who shares about God’s forgiveness (76%), the Bible (73%) or traditions (69%). More than seven in 10 have a household member who sets a spiritual example (73%) or encourages church attendance (71%). And though somewhat defined by their spiritual behaviors as a household, respondents in Vibrant homes are also highly involved in other personal spiritual practices, like reading the Bible on one’s own (76%) or attending small groups (51%) each week.

The summary states:

Good things happen when those who share a home also share everyday liturgies with one another. Good things happen when those who share a home habitually share their lives with others. And all of these good things—a support system, shared regimens, recreational and creative time, spiritual discipline—are amplified when both Christian devotion and hospitality become part of the ethos of a household.

There are plenty of principles to consider here, and we can think about how our own homes measure up to that "Spiritually Vibrant" standard.  But, we also recognize that this is not the norm for many homes and families today - there is strife and brokenness, you find fractured families, and the challenge is to live the Christian life in front of our families, regardless of conditions.

As 1st Peter chapter 3 suggests, this could be a silent witness as a spouse tries to win the other to the Lord.  The faith of the parents may be questioned by the children.  But, even though circumstances may be challenging, the presence of the indwelling Christ can make a huge impact as we live out the Christian life in our homes.

But, we can seek to find ways to treasure our families, to provide conditions that are conducive to spiritual growth and to conversation centered on Christ.  And, as it's been said, the home really can be an incubator for the presence of God - how we behave at home may just be a good indicator of what is really going on in our hearts.

What's in Your Bible?

In the pages of the Scriptures, we can discover more about God, the life He offers to us, and an
incredible story in which each of us is actually a character. Psalm 19 states:
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

We can appropriate God's Word and recognize that our minds can be purified and we can gain wisdom through what He has to say to us.  Our hearts can rejoice and our eyes can be open to His truth.  We can develop a healthy fear and reverence for our God as we spend time in the pages of the Bible, allowing Him to speak to us and to govern our lives.  The Bible provides a wonderful narrative and we can personalize what it has to say and recognize this is what God has done in redemption and what He wants to do in sanctification.

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There has been some reporting about Bibles in the news today, against the backdrop of a tragedy in
East Alabama. And, in the pages of that Word lie the words of comfort and hope that people need. 2nd Timothy 3 states:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We are continuing to stand with the families of the 23 people who perished in the deadly tornadoes in Lee County less than two weeks ago; there is much physical repair that is needed, as well as spiritual comfort and restoration.  The road back will be long and difficult, but God is faithful.  There is a strong faith community there, and God has been at work in powerful ways.

Late last week, the President of the United States made a trip to Lee County.  He mourned with the victims and brought hope and comfort, letting the people there know that the highest office in the land stood with them.  But, the media took this overall charitable gesture and twisted it around.  The big story from the Presidential visit (and this is sad)?  The President signed people's Bibles.

Why was this even news?  I think it has to do with a media that is documented to give overwhelmingly negative coverage to the President and that believes that, for some reason, he should have nothing to do with people of faith, and vice versa.  I believe the treatment was a huge distraction from the purpose of the visit and from the people of Lee County.

And, the idea of a President signing a Bible doesn't seem to be that far-fetched.  A Baptist Press article on the visit quoted Bill Leonard, described as "a Baptist historian and founding dean at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity." The article says he "told the Associated Press Bible signing is a Southern tradition. He elaborated on the importance of that tradition to BP:"

"I was kind of grateful" when AP called about Trump, Leonard said, "because I thought probably this generation of Baptists and others didn't know about the tradition of people having others sign their Bibles. That was a kind of historical qualification ... I thought would be worth talking about."

The Blaze ran a story with some responses, including comments from Leonard. It also quoted Kevin Cassiday-Maloney, a pastor from Fargo, North Dakota, who had, according to the article, told the AP that Trump's signature does not belong anywhere near a Bible — let alone on the front cover. He said,
"It just felt like hubris," adding, "It almost felt like a desecration of the holy book to put his signature on the front writ large, literally."

The pastor of the church where the Bible-signing occurred, Rusty Sowell of Beauregard's Providence Baptist Church is quoted in the Baptist Press article; it states:

In the South, signatures in a person's Bible "bring back great memories of relationships and friendships and moments in our life," said Rusty Sowell, pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Opelika, Ala., where Trump signed tornado victims' Bibles March 8.

The article goes on to say:

Sowell said he "didn't think anything about it" when Trump began signing Bibles. The pastor noted signatures in his own Bible of friends and other significant people dating back to the mid-1970s.

Baptist Press also stated: "Among presidents to sign Bibles in the past were Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, according to media reports."

Former Arkansas Governor and ordained minister Mike Huckabee tweeted out:

Most of the ppl outraged about @realDonaldTrump "SIGNING A BIBLE!" don't read one or believe in it so why do they care other than it's @POTUS who did it. I've been asked to sign thousands of Bibles over the yrs-because person asked. I never claimed to be the author! Get a grip!

A few minutes later, Huckabee tweeted:

As Governor, I walked through tornado sites w/ Pres Bill Clinton and he graciously posed for photos, signed Bibles and other things as ppl asked him to. No FAKE NEWS stories about it. @realDonaldTrump does it and media freaks out. Get a life, media-and a real job just reporting.

A story from the Inquisitr web site highlights more aspects of the Bible-signing frenzy.  It quotes a Wheaton College professor who thought it was "blasphemous," but another person cited thought it was nothing unusual.  The article says:

Peter Manseau, the Smithsonian’s curator of religion, tells The Washington Post that other presidents have signed Bibles, too. Specifically, says Manseau, Barack Obama signed one or more Bibles during his time in office, as did George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. Manseau did not, however, say when or where those Bible signings took place.

The article goes on to say:

Also known to have signed a Bible in his career is Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.

And though at least one evangelical was appalled by the signing of Bibles, it seems that others in the evangelical community are less put off by signing Bibles. Tim Tebow has been known to sign them, for example, and late evangelist Billy Graham signed a Bible in 2005 for a very special friend of his: that friend was Donald Trump.

I don't know what may be written on the cover or inside cover of your Bible.  It may be clear of any signatures or notes or may contain words that document valued memories.  And, let's go a little further - do you take notes that are written in the margins of your Bible?  Or perhaps you have allowed God's Word to inspire you to be a bit artistic and actually create pictures or doodles.  We can ask, "What's in your Bible?"  That tradition of keeping valuable information in the Bible does appear to be a longstanding tradition, especially in the South.  And, these memories that we keep can certainly inspire us and, as we revisit them, can help us to appreciate the life that God has given to us and the people with whom we have interacted.

But, inside the pages of our Bible may be not only our own writings or the documentation of others, consistent with our own personal story.  But, we know that the Bible itself tells a story that we are all part of: a story of a God who loves us, the maker of heaven and earth, who created a man and woman in a garden, of people who rejected Him, but whom He continued to love.  It's a story of redemption, of a Savior who came to earth and died for us and rose again so that we might come to know Him - that story is our story, and it's written in the pages of our Bible, bringing life as we read and study what God has to say to us.

Standing with Israel

Psalm 48 describes Jerusalem as a place of rejoicing; testifying to the greatness of our God.  We can
see these verses:
(1b) Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.
3 God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge.

The Bible shows us a wonderful narrative of God's love for and faithfulness to His people.  His dealings with Israel are well-documented and tell us the story of a God who continues to reach out His hand to the nation He established through a covenant with Abraham.  We see a God who is intent on keeping His promises; and that is informative and inspiring to us today as we exercise dependency on our loving, highly reliable God.

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In Psalm 122, we see a passage that indicates support and love for the city of Jerusalem.  We can
read:
3 Jerusalem is built As a city that is compact together,
4 Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.

During the course of a week, the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives was able to essentially flip the script, from considering a resolution to rebuke anti-Semitism to turning it around into a resolution denouncing so-called "hate" of a variety of groups, including Muslims, the group to which one particular representative at the center of the controversy belongs.  It was truly breathtaking.  No mention, as I understand it, of not showing this "hate" toward Christians, who become easy targets in some political circles.

This all began in response to comments by a new Representative from Minnesota, Ilhan Omar.  Author Joel Rosenberg states on his blog:

A Muslim born in war-torn Somalia, she and her family immigrated to the United States when she was a child. She became a naturalized citizen, grew up in the Midwest, and now serves in the most powerful legislative body on the planet. It’s a beautiful personal story, yet she has chosen to leverage it against Jewish Americans.

Comments Rep. Omar made resulted in bi-partisan criticism. Rosenberg points out examples:

• “Israel has hypnotized the world — may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.”
• “It’s all about the Benjamins, baby,” she recently Tweeted, referring to the image of Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill and accusing American lawmakers who support Israel as only doing so because they’re being paid.

Another example:

• “I want to talk about the political influence in this country that says it is OK for people to push for allegiance to a foreign country,” Rep. Omar then said in a town hall forum, accusing Jewish Americans who love and support Israel as having a “dual loyalty” — having an allegiance to Israel and not to America — and thus duplicitous and illegitimate.

Rosenberg related that he had said to Fox News: “I mean, she has a great story, a great personal story, and yet she has unleashed of remarks. And let me just quote from the Democratic leadership — ‘vile, hateful, hurtful, classically anti-Semitic’ — I could go on. And that’s just from Speaker Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Eliot Engel, and I agree with them. And she has apologized, except that she keeps doing it. There needs to be a penalty for this. They need to take her Foreign Affairs Committee seat to make it clear this is not business as usual. This is really ugly behavior, and you don’t want it permeating the Democratic Party.”

Omar's supporters certainly fought back, resulting ultimately in a watered-down resolution.  The Family Research Council website stated that Rep. Rashida Tlaib felt that she and Omar were being targeted because “we are Muslim.” FRC says that was "a charge so ridiculous that even the Washington Post cried foul."  It pointed out that Senators Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren stood in solidarity with Omar. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts said, “We need to have an equity in our outrage.”

FRC stated:

So what did Democrats do? In typical fashion, they turned the party’s denouncement of bigotry into a protest of Islamophobia. “What we’re against is hate,” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) tried to explain. But what he means is that they’re against hate from everyone else. Most liberals have no trouble maligning Christians or their beliefs. In fact, religious intolerance is the price of admission these days, as Joe Biden illustrated so clearly last week. Now, apparently, bashing Jews is “considered acceptable in the Democratic Party -- as long as it gets subsequently laundered as mere criticism of Israel,” Philip Klein fumes. Even more amazing, liberals seem to be suggesting that not only will anti-Semitism “be tolerated within their party, but the more unapologetic somebody is about their anti-Semitism, the more likely they are to be defended.”

By the way, Biden came under fire because he made complimentary comments about Vice-President Mike Pence, which he felt he had to backtrack from.

Greg Laurie was on Fox and Friends this past weekend discussing Israel and anti-Semitism.

He had written on Facebook a few years ago:

...all the world has been blessed because of the Jewish people. God delivered His Word through Hebrew prophets to the Jewish people. The Jewish people have the Ten Commandments that are the basis of morality. And God gave us our Lord, the Messiah Jesus, who was a Jewish man. Our Christian faith came through a chosen people – the Jews. The gospel is a Jewish message about a Jewish Messiah given to Jewish disciples.

We Gentiles are “grafted in” to the promises God made to His people.

He also discussed the roots of anti-Semitism:

This is why Satan hates the Jews and is the author of anti-Semitism – because Satan hates what God loves. The anti-Semitism that has been directed toward Jews historically by “Christians” is sinful and wrong. It wasn’t the Jews who put Jesus on the cross; it was our sin.

We see this anti-Semitism going back thousands of years. It goes back to Exodus, with Pharaoh killing Jewish baby boys. Then in Esther, we see the plot to destroy Jews by ancient Iran. Fast-forward to the Holocaust, where 6 million Jewish people died. Those who have “cursed Israel” and the Jewish people have paid a price.

He notes, "The United States has been an example of how God can bless a nation that stands by Israel."  And, Laurie highlighted the significance of modern-day Jerusalem:

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; with many Arab leaders worldwide insisting that Jerusalem and the entire West Bank are rightfully Palestinian territory and must ultimately be given back as a condition of peace. But we must understand that God gave this land to the Jewish people. They have returned, against all odds, to this land and have shed a lot of Israeli blood. They will not give up Jerusalem. Nor should they.

There are numerous, Biblical reasons for showing support for Israel, the people called by God.  Now, it can be contended that spiritual Israel is different than political Israel, and political leaders in that nation will not always make Biblical decisions.  But, the concept of "praying for the peace of Jerusalem" is consistent with the concept of a land being set aside for God's chosen people; expressed in a covenant relationship with Abraham.  But, as Laurie points out, others have been allowed to share in God's promises

Three things come to mind.  First of all, we serve a faithful, covenant-keeping God.  Throughout the Old Testament, we see the story of a God who was passionately reaching out to His people, many of whom had strayed from Him.  He loved them so much that He was willing to point out their sin but who shared the invitation to repent. 

We also recognize the lovingkindness of our Lord.  For even though His people deserved justice and punishment, He extended mercy.  And, He promised a Messiah who would come to be their, and our Savior and deliverer.

Finally, we know that Jerusalem is at the center of the fulfillment of God's plan on the earth.  Bible prophecy is centered on nations' relationship with the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.  We can see Jerusalem as a barometer on the prophetic timetable on which our faithful, loving God operates and know that there is an urgency as we see events unfold.

Plowing Through

We have been called and chosen by God, brought into a relationship with Jesus Christ and made
citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven; we can develop that mindset that we belong to Him and are not of this world. Philippians 3 states:
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Our actions and attitudes are to be shaped by the heavenly citizenship.  We are not called to think as the world does, but to adhere to higher standards, motivated by compassion and possessing an attitude of expectancy of what God will do through us.  We are called to abide in Christ and to allow His Spirit to produce fruit through our lives.  We submit to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and develop a desire to see Him exalted.

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We have been called to be citizens of a heavenly Kingdom; Jesus said to seek first the Kingdom of
God, which is a principle that a young man we'll talk about embraced. Romans 14 says:
(17) the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Recently, Seattle was hit by a snowstorm - with reportedly as much as 10 inches falling on an area that is not accustomed to snow.  We know how crippling it can be down South when just a few inches hit the ground; well, you can imagine what the Pacific Northwest was experiencing.

A teenager from Idaho was visiting his mother in Seattle at the time of the storm, so he decided to undertake a little business venture, according to a story on the ChristianHeadlines.com website.  The article cites a CBN News story, which said that David Holston, who is 18 years old, put an ad on Craig's List saying that he was available to plow snow.  Christian Headlines states:

The 18-year-old Idaho native told CBN that he would start his day at 2 a.m. and work 12 to 15 hours plowing driveways, parking lots and streets each day. By the end of the week, Holston had made $35,000 and he knew exactly how he wanted to spend it.

In an interview with Fox News, Holston shared that he wanted to tithe 20 percent of his earnings to his church, buy lawn mowing equipment for a potential new business venture and save the rest for buying his first house.

Holston was able to charge a much higher rate, due to the demand for his services - over $500 per hour!! The article goes on to say that Holston also told Fox that "it was only through Christ that he could have been so successful in his endeavor, noting that Luke 12:31 inspires his work ethic. Holston said, 'I credit all of my success to my savior Jesus Christ who died on a cross to forgive my sins and three days later rose from the dead.'"

The CBN article quotes that verse: “But seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you.”  It relates that Holston had told CNN: “The Lord blessed me with the money for the sole purpose of advancing his kingdom,” adding, “All of the glory goes to God!”

So, let's consider a few things today.  First of all, we can always be on the outlook for creative opportunities to serve God.  But, sometimes the best opportunities we have to serve can come in our everyday routines - we don't necessarily have to attempt great and mighty exploits, just look to be more compassionate and God-aware in the everyday.

We can also remember that when God does bless us, we can be careful to give God the glory. There may be financial blessings, or blessings upon our families or relationships; whatever the case, we can take time to recognize those blessings and thank the Lord.

I am also reminded of my recent conversation with Janeese Spencer of Venture Life Coaching, who is teaching those parenting sessions this week.  She encouraged the audience to not underestimate our young people; we can propel them to develop and use their gifts and skills.

All in all, we are to be about the business of advancing the Kingdom.  That's what David Holston wanted to do; his desire was to give 20 percent of his earnings of this snow plowing endeavor to the church; he recognized that God's blessings were for the purposes of advancing the Kingdom.  We can develop that Kingdom mindset and realize we're all called to do God's work.

Wrestling and Reigning

We have been granted victory over the power of the enemy; Jesus has triumphed over Satan through His death and resurrection - He has given us tools that can be used to live out that victory.  2nd
Corinthians 10 states:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The Bible says to walk in the Spirit and we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh; we can combat evil desires by filling our minds with the Word and depending on the power of God's Spirit.  But, if we are viewing our struggles with human understanding, we can miss out on what God wants to do in our lives.  We can walk in triumph over sin as we appropriate His power and view our battles as spiritual ones.

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We can view the struggles we face through spiritual eyes, through the lens of Scripture, and recognize that it just may be spiritual warfare in which we're engaged. A pastor whom I'll reference a bit later used Ephesians 6:12 in a sermon. It, and the following verse, say:
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.

I can't say that I am a fan of professional wrestling.  It is a popular form of entertainment, and there are certainly those that will argue whether or not it is a true sport.  Nevertheless, there are some names in wrestling who have also developed a faith commitment - I think of my conversation a few years back with the great Lux Luger, whose life experienced a turnaround through the Lord after He was overpowered by lewd living.  And, there is Steve Borden, also known as "Sting."

A Dallas-area pastor last fall actually did a sermon series on wrestling.  The Christian Post reports:

The senior pastor of Fellowship Church, a multisite congregation based in Grapevine, Texas, recently announced that the four-week series will begin on Sunday, Sept. 9.

Regarding pastor Ed Young, the article says, "In a Thursday interview with The Christian Post, Young explained that he had considered centering a sermon series on wrestling for years given how often it appears in the Bible."  The article went on to say:

"One of the most used metaphors in scripture regarding the Christian life is that of a wrestler," said Young, citing as examples Ephesians 6:12 and Jacob wrestling with an angel, as described in Genesis 32:22-32.

As part of the series, the pastor interviewed The Undertaker, Ric Flair, Sting, and "The Million Dollar Man" Ted Dibiase. Now, I do not know that all of these are believers, but I do know that Sting's faith walk is well-documented, and that Dibiase was the subject of a documentary about his life and faith back in 2017.

There is a recent wrestling-faith connection that has emerged. According to Faithwire, "WWE star Roman Reigns shocked wrestling fans across the globe after announcing his immediate withdrawal from the sport due to the return of a serious blood cancer condition that had dogged him on and off for the best part of a decade."

At the time that he stepped aside, Reigns had said he would “take any prayer you can send my way."

Recently, Reigns returned to the ring.  The article states:

However, in a stunning return to the WWE stage Monday night, Reigns said he had “hit a home run” in his cancer treatment, crediting the power of prayer for helping him overcome the disease.

Reigns admitted that before announcing his grave condition, he was “terrified,” and “insecure.”

He cited the "utterly overwhelming" prayer support he had received. Reigns said, "I am telling you that so many people prayed for me that God’s voicemail was full … to the max..."  He is quoted as saying:

“I truly believe [God] was in His head thinking, ‘Man, what is going on down there? All for this one guy? All these people?'” Reigns laughed. “That was the magnitude. That was how strong it was to be surrounded by y’all’s love and y’all’s grace. To be able to feel that, the strength that you gave me. I can do anything with that type of strength and love.”

Faithwire also reports:

In an interview with Good Morning America, Reigns added that the unwavering prayer and support made him feel like he was “surrounded by guardian angels.”

Here you have yet another professional wrestler making faith statements.  And, we can consider the circumstances and content here: he is certainly grateful for prayers, and he is back in the ring.  You don't get a feel about his own personal beliefs, but you can certainly be reminded about the power of prayer.  And, perhaps just letting someone know you are praying for him or her can lead to conversation about more deeply spiritual things, like a relationship with Christ.  Much can be accomplished for the Kingdom when we unify our hearts in prayer.

Playing off Pastor Young's sermon series, we can consider with what we are wrestling.  He referred to Ephesians 6:12, which reminds us that we are engaged in a spiritual war against unseen forces of darkness.  2nd Corinthians 10 tells us that we have mighty spiritual weapons, not carnal ones, as we do battle against the strongholds of the enemy.  If we are struggling today, we can take care to identify the struggle, identify its source, and use spiritual resources, including the Word and the power of the Spirit, to begin to experience victory.   We know that we are wrestling with something bigger than human opponents.

The Church and the Future

Paul wrote to Timothy in 1st Timothy 3 about the glory and authority of the Church.  We can read
this:
14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly;
15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

We are, in essence, the custodians of God's truth.  The Church is built on the firm foundation of the principles and promises of God's Word.  And, He is faithful to His people.  So, we can possess a degree of optimism about the future of the Church, because we know that He is with us and His Spirit goes before us.  Even though there are attempts to divide from within and persecute from without, we know that God is strong and will empower us to bring Him glory.

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The Church has incredible potential as we remain faithful to Christ and walk in who we are, who He has made us. Ephesians 2 states:
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord...

I think we can be confident in the Lord that even though the Church has its struggles, and there are attempts to marginalize Christianity by those outside it and even to redefine it by some inside it, the future is bright, primarily because God is on the throne and because Jesus is risen, His Church is alive - I would submit the Church is His primary vehicle for demonstrating His love and truth on this earth.  Yes, He will work supernaturally to bring people to Himself, but He uses His people as His representatives.

And, there are pastors surveyed recently by LifeWay Research who share an optimistic view of the Church's future.  And, of their own local church's future.  For instance, according to the survey summary...

...79 percent of pastors say weekly worship attendance at their church will increase in the next five years. But looking at the last five years, only 36 percent of pastors say worship attendance growth increased, while two-thirds say attendance stayed the same or declined (27 percent decreased, 37 percent stayed the same).

72 percent of those surveyed believe that attendance among young adults, ages 18-29, will increase during the next five years.  In the past five years, only 32 percent said that young adult attendance had increased.  Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research said: “Similar to overall worship attendance, we see more than twice as many pastors thinking they are going to increase worship attendance of young adults than have actually seen that in the last five years,” adding, “Again, there is a huge amount of optimism there. And yet, you have to ask what needs to change to actually see that increase happen?”

So why the optimism?   Almost two-thirds of pastors surveyed said they saw an increase in community involvement over the past five years and 85% expect it to increase in the next 5.  So, perhaps that is an encouraging factor.  The survey also indicated that a number of pastors related an increase in ethnic diversity, with a third saying that it was up the last five years, with almost double thinking it will increase in the next five.  There was also a reported increase in the role of women in leadership, with about half reporting an increase over the last half-decade; and a slightly smaller percentage expect that to increase.

But, it is inconclusive from the survey what could be the contributing factors to growth in the future.
Optimism is good and anticipation in the Lord can have tremendous effects.  But, two factors: the Spirit and strategy are key in seeing greater numbers in the Church.  We can first and foremost trust the Spirit to work in the hearts of His people to give direction and power so that more people can come into the Kingdom; and if any organization wants to grow, a Spirit-infused strategy is important.

But, a concentration on numbers can be a distraction.  An emphasis on faithfulness should be a key focus.   We should want to see more people come to Christ and engage with the Church; more growing Christians means a stronger body of Christ.  And, we have to make sure we see people as people and not numbers.  Statistics are great, I enjoy statistics; but if our thirst for souls is superseded by our thirst for stats, then we become out of balance.

But, we can be convinced that God will continue to place His hand upon His Church - Jesus said the very gates of Hell would not prevail against the Church.  2nd Timothy 3 talks about a moral and spiritual decline in the last days, but we can also know that Jesus is the head of the body and He will continue to empower us to live Godly lives even in the midst of departure from the ways of God.