Carriers of Truth

There is a place in the Christian life for music - the Bible speaks about entering into God's presence,
and music can help us remember who God is and elements of His truth. Psalm 95 says:
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods.

When you think about it, while the spoken word is certainly meaningful and effective, the sung word has the potential to penetrate the human spirit.  And, that is by design, I believe, from the Creator of music.  We should be discerning in our musical choices and make sure that we are avoiding music that would be detrimental to our spirit and that contains messages that run contrary to God's ways. But, music is a powerful gift that can be used to enhance our awareness of God.

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Daily, a Christian can be challenged to walk closely with Christ, to draw near to Him, and to grow in our spiritual life.  Music is a component that can be used to remind us of God's truth and His presence with us. Colossians 3 states:
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Along the journey of my Christian walk, I discovered contemporary Christian music.  One summer, after my freshman year, through the recommendation of someone in my youth group, I discovered the local Christian radio station.  The next year, I met a friend who was from Nashville, who had quite the Christian music knowledge; he was quite familiar with what God was doing there through the ministry of Belmont Church and the Koinonia Coffeehouse.

The Tennessean newspaper, in a column, provided this description of the event:

...the Nashville Historical Commission, in partnership with the Metro Council and the Gospel Music Association, unveiled a marker on Music Row, which recognizes the musical legacy of Koinonia Coffeehouse, Belmont Church and the contemporary Christian music industry, or CCM.

Koinonia Coffeehouse proved to be the gathering place of some of the CCM’s most seminal artists and Christian label execs. In that space, many prayed, sang and created with such significance that an entirely new musical genre was born. Can you grasp the significance of that? There’s jazz, rock ‘n roll, country, but before then, nothing recognizable as what we call “Christian music” today.

Certainly this historical marker was well-deserved, and the ceremony had a nice turnout.  And, that is something to celebrate.  But, the column had an agenda, and following these glowing words at the beginning, it took what I would regard as a more sinister tone.  The authors, Jennifer Knapp and Nancy VanReese, are both involved with an LGBT advocacy organization called Inside Out Faith; VanReese, who is on the Nashville City Council, reportedly was behind the effort to establish the marker.  They wrote:

But more profoundly, their path is one which has impacted, if not helped create, our current American evangelical Christian culture. A culture that is beginning to acknowledge its ugly heritage of religious harm in the form of racism, homophobia, colonization, patriarchy and more, yet still struggles to break the yoke.

Uh-oh.  The organization's website states:

In the 40 plus years of growing LGBTQ awareness, the pain caused by religious prejudice has only served to remind us of how deeply powerful, personal and spiritually nourishing accepting one’s own sexual orientation and gender identity can be. Inside Out Faith Foundation strives to highlight positive voices coming from within spiritual communities seeking to support LGBTQ dignity.

The Tennessean article reflects on the counter-cultural nature of the contemporary Christian music movement, and in the closing paragraphs of the article, there is this chilling declaration:

Right now, there are plenty faith rebels “out there” shaping the future of religious culture. Some are queer, cuss, drink and have sex. No different really from the generations before, just less apologetic about ruffling feathers. Some of them know the Bible and Christian history better than their pastors, if they even have one.

They are fiercely “woke,” and deadly serious about social justice as seen through the lens of Jesus. And we’re pretty sure they’ll sing you a song. The question is, when will you hand them a mic?

They're welcome to take a mic, but they misrepresent the "lens of Jesus" if they are using His gifts to promote sin, to seek to gain approval for ways that run counter to the ways of God.  Jennifer Knapp, you may remember, came out as gay a number of years ago and has essentially disappeared from Christian radio.  Same with Ray Boltz.

The early CCM musicians were fiercely in love with Jesus and devoted to Godly obedience - it was reflected in their song lyrics and their lifestyles.  Now, of course, you have flawed individuals and some rather high-profile stumbles along the way.  But, the impact on culture has been profound.  It continues to this day, but we also have to be aware of where some would like for Christian music to head, and it's reflected in this newspaper article.

We have to be discerning of music that is devoid of doctrine and sloppy in its application of Scripture.  And, Christian musicians have a tremendous responsibility to uphold the truth and resist the trends and ideas of the world.  A cautionary tale would be the major faux pas by a hugely popular Christian musician, who stated on a radio talk show she did not know whether or not homosexuality is a sin.

John Stonestreet commented on that incident in a Breakpoint commentary, saying:

There’s a real cost that comes with taking a stand for the Christian view of sex and marriage. Deciding to pay that price in a split second with a microphone shoved in your face is something better-trained theologians and pastors have failed to do.

But this whole story reveals something else—the deep crisis of authority plaguing evangelicalism right now. First, we should be past the point of answering this question, because the Christian view of sex and marriage should be so clear and our commitment to it should be so well-known by now that there should be no longer any point in asking the question!

His second "angle:" "When theological training is de-prioritized and even avoided, then our celebrities become our experts." He adds, "we should know better than to hold celebrities up as theological authorities."

Related to this situation involving Lauren Daigle, Stonestreet questions how we will respond, stating: "What will you say [emphasis mine] when someone with the power to seriously damage your career asks you what you think about a culturally popular sin? For that matter, what will you say at Christmas dinner when that one relative—maybe a relative who identifies as gay—asks you the same question?"

That's the first takeaway.  We, including a person called to full-time Christian ministry or a layperson, must represent Christ well and be grounded in His Word.

And, we can ask if our Christian musicians who write incredible worship songs and perform brilliantly, are informed by the Scriptures for their lyrics - and their lives. We acknowledge that worship leaders and musical artists are ministers of the gospel, and they set an example for all of us.

We can also consider if we are discerning about the compatibility with God's Word regarding the Christian music to which we listen.  Music is a carrier of messages, and a song can influence someone's life in four minutes in perhaps more profound ways than forty minutes of a sermon. Those messages can be positive, even worshipful, and consistent with Scripture; or they can be relatively neutral; or the music we expose ourselves to can be contrary to the teachings of God's Word and even weigh down our spirits.  There is power in music.

Faith Radio places a priority of music, and it is our desire that the music we play each day helps to create an atmosphere of worship that can build you up, inspire you, and help you draw closer to God. We air over 15 hours per day of music, and we trust that you are encouraged by what you hear. 

Goodbye? Or Hello?

There is a familiar verse in Scripture in Romans 12 that challenges us to be involved in renewing our minds so that we might know God's will, and the following verse encourages us to approach that
process with humility. Consider this:
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

We have to continue to stay humble, otherwise our pride makes us vulnerable.  We can begin to think of ourselves as invincible and perhaps even adopt our own ideas or the principles of the world, rather than the truth of God.  We can seek to think Biblically, to adhere to the Word and to allow it to be our standard by which we evaluate our lives.  Where we miss it - and we will - in humility we come before the Lord, confess our sins, and appropriate the power of the Spirit to change.

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There is a passage in 2nd Corinthians 13 that includes some words that encourage us to take stock of
where we are with the Lord. We can read:
4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.
5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.
6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

The timeline is sad and stunning - in 1997, he wrote a book that provided, in his eyes, a framework for dating and marriage.  Over twenty years later, he expressed regret for writing the book, produced a video of critics, then, just recently announced a separation from his wife of 21 years.

But, that's not all...according to author and blogger Julie Roys:

In a stunning Instagram post today, Joshua Harris, the author who became famous for his 1997 book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, announced that he is no longer a Christian. “I have undergone a massive shift in regard to my faith in Jesus,” Harris wrote. “The popular phrase for this is ‘deconstruction,’ the biblical phrase is ‘falling away.’ By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian.” Harris added that he is open to “a different way to practice faith,” but is “not there now.”

Roys reports that "Harris also apologized in his post for 'self-righteousness, my fear-based approach to life, the teaching of my books, my views of women in the Church, and my approach to parenting.'" These he has apologized for before, but today, he announced he had another regret."

And, he added the LGBTQ+ community, saying:

"...I regret standing against marriage equality, for not affirming you and your place in the church, and for any ways that my writing and speaking contributed to a culture of exclusion and bigotry.”

He had also shared on Instagram just a few days before that his separation from his wife - in his latest post, as Roys points out, he said he was getting a divorce.

Certainly, Harris didn't wake up one morning and say that Christianity was not working for him - it was a process, and we have to recognize that while spiritual growth is most certainly a process, walking away or falling away is also a process.

Michael Farris, who for years led the Home School Legal Defense Association and is now head of Alliance Defending Freedom, wrote an "open letter" to Harris that was published at The Christian Post website - for a number of years, Farris knew Harris well, regarding him like a brother and says he still does.

He wrote:

I still believe that purity of mind and body before marriage is the right ideal. But it is not a formula for a happy marriage. It is simply a guiding principle that has to be applied with wisdom, grace, and often forgiveness. 

I would never reach this conclusion about you on my own but what you have said yourself can be fairly summarized as this: you thought your faith and your marriage were based on formulas. They never went deeper than that.

Jesus says about people like you that in the last judgment, He will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

You know that this means you never actually knew Him. 

As immersed as you were in Christian culture and a career as a pastor, you never actually knew Jesus. 

That's important to note.  But, it is also important to recognize the restorative nature of God for Joshua Harris and all of those who may have claimed to know Him but are no longer sure or who have declared they have walked away.  Farris writes:

You haven’t walked away from a relationship with Jesus. You have walked away from the culture you were raised in.

Jesus still loves you at this moment. And so do I and countless others. And I will love you no matter what in the days ahead. But my love is tinged in deep sadness.

Josh, you and your story are not the measure of the validity of Christianity.

Jesus is real. He doesn’t want you to return to your prior formulas. He wants you to come to Him for the first time and learn to love.

The premise of Harris' book was described by Premier Christianity:

First released in 1997, the book warned that dating could cause irreparable emotional damage. The solution was to embrace courtship – where couples pursue friendship before romance, and parents are given permission to offer advice and help guide the relationship. Harris also advocated for strict boundaries within this: no kissing, no holding hands and no being alone together before you tie the knot. Perhaps most famously, he recommended only beginning a relationship with someone if you could picture yourself marrying them in the near future.

According to the article, which included an interview with Josh, he began to hear the critics, and ultimately, after meeting a filmmaker who felt she was doing all the right things, but was still single, collaborated with her to make a documentary called, I Survived I Kissed Dating Goodbye, which featured the voices of critics.  Harris has discontinued the publication of the book and two others, and basically renounced its content.

So, where do you begin?  I'll give Harris credit - he's certainly on an honesty streak: expressing regret for a book that essentially made him famous, announcing his separation or divorce from his wife, and now walking away from His Christianity into...well, something new.  Honesty and humility can be good, and we should evaluate the status of our walk with God and even be willing to admit where we have missed it.

And, certainly there were flaws in the Josh Harris theology framework, and I think Farris may have nailed it:  Josh just may have been so immersed in Christian culture that he never knew Jesus; he was applying the formulas, but he never knew the Savior.  We have to make sure that we are seeking to know the true Jesus: not just going to church, expressing the right ideas, saying the right things, working the right formulas.  He wants to give us life; His life.

One more thing: so-called "purity culture" has taken a bad rap lately.  Harris' book was considered to be part of that culture, but he took some principles to extremes, and it resulted in people misapplying Scripture, it seems.  What started as a noble pursuit - to redeem the practice of dating and restore an emphasis on courtship - became a tool that ended up hurting people.  But, the practice of purity outside of marriage still stands and represents God's best, and one should not denigrate it just because a book may have missed the mark or the principles seem to not be working.

Finally, we can embrace the Biblical teaching of what it really means to be a Christian.  Harris knows what it takes, and you can pray that He will discover the reality of following Christ.  Right now, he's confused and has decided to go his own way.  That may not last; perhaps God can use this set of circumstances to draw him to Himself.  There is hope for all!

The Right Atmosphere

In the third and fourth chapters of the book of Acts, we find that Peter and John had been used of the Lord to heal a lame man, which gave them the opportunity to point the observers of this act to the
Lord Jesus. In Acts 4, we can read:
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

We can consider whether or not we are demonstrating that we have been with Jesus.  That, of course, is predicated on if we have truly spent time with Him - if we know Him, if we are fellowshipping with Him regularly, and if we are devoted to a life of surrender and obedience to Him.  Our degree of devotion to the Lord will overflow into our actions, and people hopefully will see the presence of the indwelling Christ through us.

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The presence of God can change our countenance, and people can recognize that we know Him.
Proverbs 15 states:
13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.
15 All the days of the afflicted are evil, But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

If you're travelling from Central and South Alabama to Huntsville, most likely, you'll take a right on 565 and head into the city, right past the new ballpark that is being constructed in Madison that will be the home of the former Mobile Bay Bears of the Southern League, to be renamed the Rocket City Trash Pandas.  By the way, a "trash panda" is another name for a raccoon.

On the other side of Madison, if you were passing through on Highway 72, you would pass by a Chick-fil-A restaurant that has been in the news recently - because of a picture.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words - I don't know how many words have been posted about the picture, but it's certainly made an impact, including on the photographer, Brittany Calden.  According to Atlanta's Fox 5, on a July day, she was...

...sitting in the play area with her daughter, when she spotted long-time employee Stephen Spray talking to a customer.

Calden noticed the two because “Mr. Steve” put his hand on the woman and prayed over her. That's when she snapped a quick picture, which she later shared on Facebook.

The story relates that: "Calden said she was driven to tears as she watched Mr. Steve praying over the woman;" she said, "He's a hard worker and was wiping tables minutes before approaching the lady."

Spray has been there for nine years, and Calden says, "Mr. Steve never fails to walk up to your table and ask how your day is going and always tried to make your day better than it was before you saw him..." Regarding the instance that inspired the picture:

The kindhearted employee told Calden he didn’t know the woman, but the “Spirit led him to pray for her,” calling it a blessing.

“That’s not unusual,” Spray told her. “I work at a place where if I’m led to pray for someone, I’m able to do that and I’ll do it right on the spot. People need prayer, encouragement, and love. That’s what we try to do here.”

Brittany Calden says that there is "something special" about the Madison Chick-fil-A, and that Stephen does what he does, "because of who he represents, Christ."

This story has been reposted all over the country.  And the Faithwire website covered the story, as well.  Writer Will Maule went a step further; several steps, in fact.  He said:

Openly led in line with a strong Christian ethos, Chick-fil-A has gained a reputation for retaining some pretty wonderful staff who consistently go above and beyond to serve the public well. Last month, a drive-thru employee jumped out of the window to help save the life of a choking child.

He went on: "There are many, many more examples of situations where the restaurant’s staff have excelled themselves." Those examples, about which he links to stories, include these headlines:

Incredible: Compassionate Chick-Fil-A Staff Checked on Elderly Regulars After They Went Missing

Watch a Chick-Fil-A Employee Brave Traffic to Chase Down Customer Who Forgot Their Food

And, still others:

“Are You Serious, Man?”: Chick-Fil-A Employee Holds Onto Customer’s Forgotten Change for Weeks Until He Returns

Chick-fil-A Goes Above and Beyond to Return This Mother’s Lost Purse

Plus:

American Soldiers in Iraq CRAVED Some Chick-fil-A, Two Weeks Later They Get Quite the Special Delivery

There are a number of considerations here for us.  First of all, remember to allow the Spirit to direct you to people to whom you can minister.  And, there may be willing parties awaiting.

Recently, I commented on a story out of Great Britain, in which a nurse was fired because she was sharing her faith on the job. A Christianity Today story had reported on the instance, and I shared some survey data; I stated:

The article reports that 87% of nurses, 69% of physicians, and 75% of medical students related that they "always or frequently" accept patient requests to pray with them."

I also shared from the story:

Not only are medical professionals willing and able to pray with patients, but “the majority of patients believe that spiritual care by physicians is important,” according to a recent study in the AMA Journal of Ethics. Approximately half say that want their doctors to pray with them.

And, in a survey discussed recently with the head of the organization, Christian Educators Association International released a poll of members of the organization, which showed that, "...97% pray for their students, while 78% admit to doing so frequently. Additionally, 63% are involved in students’ lives beyond the classroom and outside of regular school hours by serving through club, church, or community activities."

In addition to allowing the Spirit to direct you to people to whom you can minister, you can, in your workplace or any other space in which you have influence, seek to create an atmosphere in which God can work.  I believe there are frequent instances of "God-sightings" at Chick-fil-A because of the company's founding principles, consistent with Scripture, and the desire to serve all people.  The Spirit can move through us as we create the atmosphere of God's presence with us.

Finally, underlying those other two points, we can possess the attitude to be ready for Him to move through you.  We can be open to how God directs - our willingness to follow Him results in His doing great things through us.

Power to Forgive

Jesus emphasized how we should be willing to forgive others, using powerful imagery in Matthew
18. We can read:
21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

Peter was looking for a chance to extend limited grace, more of a legalistic way to make him feel better about accommodating his unforgiveness, perhaps - yep, 7 times will do it, right!?!  Jesus wanted him to expand his capacity to love, basically saying that you keep doing it, not trying to keeping score, essentially, but loving people unconditionally, no matter what they may do to you. We are not called to hold grudges or walk around in bitterness, weighed down by anger - God wants to set us free, receiving His forgiveness and granting it to others.

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There is a particular attitude that we can possess and radiate as children of God, even when people do horrible things that affect us.  We can stand in the love of Christ and be willing to overcome hatred
and bitterness with forgiveness. Colossians 3 says:
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Cherry Pie Picache is an actress from the Philippines, who has illustrated for television viewers the power of forgiveness.  Not only are we forgiven through Christ, but He gives us the ability to forgive others - without limitations!

That has been the challenge for Picache - her mother was brutally murdered when she was 75 years old.  According to Faithwire:

Michael Flores confessed to the killing of 75-year-old Zenaida Sison at her home back in 2014. High on methamphetamines, Flores broke into the house early one morning and stabbed Sison to death.

The story says that Picache went on ABS-CBN, described as "the Philippines largest news network" recently. There, she "opened up about how her Christian faith has enabled her to offer forgiveness to the killer."  She related how she began to think about forgiving her mother's murderer:

“I was asking for forgiveness, I still sin everyday!” she told the network.

“I’ve realized, how can I possibly ask for forgiveness when I cannot forgive.. if there is so much hatred and pain in my heart. So that’s the thing that led me to think about forgiving,”

She was told by "spiritual mentors" that forgiveness was a "process:"

“It was a pathway to forgiveness,” Picache explained. “It was in my heart and my mind that I wanted to forgive. I was asking people to pray for me.. that I might eventually forgive him.”

The actress also noted that she asked to pray for the killer during court proceedings, but still held bad feelings towards him.

Slowly, God began to soften her heart. “I prayed, I fasted,” the actress said, determined to forgive the man who took her mother’s life. “You must have needed the Holy Spirit,” the anchor replied.

Then came the dramatic and emotional meeting in prison, when Picache decided to take off the shackles of unforgiveness, once and for good.

She told him, “I am now forgiving you; you can now also forgive yourself. You should have confidence that God has also forgiven you..."

We recognize that forgiveness is a powerful force.  Through the forgiveness that we can receive through knowing Christ, we can experience the freedom and assurance that comes from knowing Him.  That the God of the Universe would actually forgive us of our sins is a wonderful gift.  And, it has implications for our horizontal relationships.

Know that there is no sin too great that God cannot forgive, and He gives us the capacity to forgive.  As this Filipino actress did - my goodness, her mother had been brutally murdered by this man, yet she chose to extend Christ's love and forgiveness to him.  But, she took it a step forward and told him how he could experience God's forgiveness and how he could forgive himself.

Picache, or Cherry Pie, decided to let God "soften her heart," as the article says.  Anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, these are all powerful forces, as well, and can serve to keep us from experiencing God's love, from allowing His love to flow through us.  It is God who can give us a new heart, a tender heart, a heart full of sensitivity to the needs of others, even when we believe they have wronged us.

Read

We can see God's Word work powerfully in and through us, but we have to make it our aim to cease struggling against the Lord and allow Him to have His way. Hebrews 4 states:
9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

We approach the Lord; we come before His throne of grace, which is referred to later in this chapter, from a state of humility and surrender.  When we do that, we can experience a power that is not of ourselves.  But, if we do not rest in Him and struggle to try to live in our own strength, then we miss out on what the Lord has in store for us.  Living by the Word means more than merely reading Bible verses; no, it means to allow Christ, the living Word, to live through us.

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As Joshua took the mantle of leadership over Israel from his predecessor, Moses, he received these
instructions from God in Joshua chapter 1:
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

God is calling us to grow in Him, and to pursue spiritual maturity, so that our lives might reflect His presence.  Scott McConnell, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, commenting on a recent study, stated, according to Baptist Press: "This research asked churchgoers about many biblical characteristics to see which actions, beliefs and desires are present in the lives of followers of Christ," adding, "Among them, Bible reading was one of the most predictive of spiritual maturity."

The study revealed that only about a third of regular Protestant church attenders - 32 percent - stated that they read the Bible every day. 27 percent say that they read it a few times per week.  12 percent say they read the Bible once a week. 12 percent of those who attend Protestant churches seldom or never read God's Word.

The article also referred to a 2016 LifeWay study that "found 1 in 5 Americans said they had read all of the Bible at least once. However, more than half said they have read little or none of it. "

And, according to the article:

LifeWay Research asked churchgoers if they think about biblical truths throughout the day and if they miss time with God if they go several days without reading the Bible. Responses to those questions are closely tied to how regularly churchgoers read the Bible.

When asked if they find themselves thinking about biblical truths throughout the day, 32 percent of Protestant churchgoers strongly agree. In total, nearly 7 in 10 at least somewhat agree (69 percent).

Now, just over half of those daily Bible readers say they think about the material during the day.

McConnell says: "This is a case in which the action of reading the Bible influences one's thoughts," adding, "This mindfulness on God's truths has additional benefits of influencing other actions and speech."

It's not surprising that, according to the Baptist Press article, "The more regular the Bible reading habit, the more likely churchgoers are to say they miss that time with God." The article states:

Among Protestant churchgoers who read the Bible every day, 65 percent strongly agree. That number is cut in half among those who read Scripture a few times a week (32 percent).

So, some things to consider today.  First of all, God's Word is a lifeline.  We need the counsel and power of the Word of God for our lives, and as God told Joshua in chapter 1, it's important that we think about what we read - it's a key element to practical Christian experience, meditating on God's truth and allowing it to renew our minds and refresh our spirits.

We know from the Scriptures, according to Hebrews chapter 4, that His Word is living.  More than merely words on a page, God's Word has the incredible ability to change our hearts and to connect us with the Almighty.  We can draw strength from absorbing His Word.

Finally, His Word should be a lifestyle.  The survey dealt with two areas of practical experience: think about His truth throughout the day, and how we respond to missing our time with God.  It's not a matter of "finding time for God."  It is vital that our very schedule is centered around our time for Him - truly, the most important time of our waking hours is dedicated time spent with our Creator and our Counselor.

Together

The Bible can help us to consider what it really means to imitate God - that sounds like a tall order, but it is what we are called to do. In Ephesians 5, we can read:
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints...

When we really stop and think about the implications of our actions, and prayerfully ponder the decisions we make, we can experience the satisfaction of obedience.  And, obedience leads to victory. We are in a struggle against the desires of the flesh, and we need to put the resources of the Spirit into action - to resist temptation, to repent of sin, and to remember God's instructions to us - He has given us His power, and call us to develop His perspective.

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The Bible is clear in communicating the heart of God, in relating His standards to us.  We read in 1st
Corinthians 6:
17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Last week, Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family talked with me about issues surrounding the television show, The Bachelorette, including matters of purity.  In our conversation, he talked about cohabitation - couples living together outside of marriage; he has written extensively on the subject, including the harmful effects.

There is a church in Dallas that has an aim to transition cohabiting couples into marriage.  The Get Religion website ran a piece centered on a New York Times story about the church's program.  The article is quoted here:

Fortunately, the couple had a support network through the Concord Church, a nondenominational Christian church, in Dallas. Alongside five other cohabiting couples, they signed up for a “step into marriage” challenge and worked out their issues. On Aug. 27, 2016, all six couples, plus 19 other couples who also took the challenge, married in a mass ceremony. Mr. and Ms. Evans now have a daughter, Ava Naomi, who was born this past March, and Mr. Evans couldn’t be happier. “If I was doing any better,” he said, “it would probably be illegal.”

This is not an isolated instance, as the story relates:

Every three years since 2010, Pastor Bryan Carter has issued a call to arms to his 8,500 parishioners at Concord, in South Dallas: Disavow living together and commit to marriage. To sweeten the deal, he throws in a free wedding, complete with white gown, tuxedo, wedding bands, bouquets and a post-wedding reception. Mr. Carter officiates for the couples who make it through the 11 weeks of premarital counseling, which is part of the challenge. The handful that bow out of marriage can receive one month’s rent (up to $750) toward a new place to live, so long as it doesn’t include a cohabiting partner.

The website critiqued the Times article, wondering about why the Scriptural perspective was not included, why the Times questioned if the money for weddings could be better spent on the poor, and if the church believed in same-sex marriages.  The Christian Post seems to offer a more Biblically-informed viewpoint; the pastor is quoted as saying: “We continue to see the issue of cohabitation in our church and in our community and we wanted to use God’s Word to give us a pathway..."

The article goes on to state, referring to a recent event: "On Sunday, Carter preached on cohabitation and presented each cohabiting couple with three biblically-based suggestions: to start the process of getting married, to move to separate spaces but continue to date, or to break up." He said, "After I preached on Sunday, nearly 30 couples came up to me and said they wanted to start the process of walking down the aisle,” adding, “I reinforced the idea that following God isn’t just on Sunday; it’s also demonstrated in how we do marriage and family.”

The Post article also said:

Carter cited statistics revealing that nearly 70 percent of married couples live together prior to getting married. However, only about half of cohabiting couples end up marrying.

“Cohabiting is a rising approach to how to do to marriage and family,” he said. “But statistics indicate it’s not serving us that well, as it creates a whole set of dynamics that can make it challenging for marriages and families long-term.”

But it's not just a matter of moving out, according to Pastor Carter; he says, “believe people are trying to figure out how to do marriage and so we’re trying all kinds of options, and they genuinely believe these reasons are good,” adding, “Casual sex is becoming so popular and available that living together now seems normal. But God says sex is reserved for a marriage relationship.”

These stories can remind us that emotions should never supersede the word of God.  Our culture today accepts all sorts of unbiblical ideas on sexuality, and those can be fueled, in a detrimental way, by the intensity of emotion or feeling.  We have to make sure that truth is the guide, holding fast to the realization that God has given us certain principles for a reason, and we act upon them for our best and His glory.

We can also be reminded here of how the Church can help enable people to walk in God's principles - it's not just a matter of declaration, but a matter of dedication.  This church is helping couples to be faithful to Christ and to build their marriages on a strong foundation.  It's a combination of faith and works, which is a way of life prescribed for us: we can declare that we love the Lord, but we show that through our obedience to Him.

Moon Shots

There has been a heightened emphasis on space recently, with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing being celebrated.  And, the thoughts of space can remind us of the incredible expanse
of God's handiwork and of the greatness of the Lord Himself. Jeremiah 23 says:
23 "Am I a God near at hand," says the Lord, "And not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the Lord; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the Lord.

He fills heaven and earth because He created heaven and earth.  The universe belongs to Him and all is running meticulously according to His design.  Even the positioning of the earth in this solar system, enabling life to survive, is a testimony to His hand - certainly not random, but a product of His divine order.  We can know that He brings order to us as we seek His face and trust His Word - in the randomness of human frailty, we can know the security of a powerful God.

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We serve a great and mighty God; He is the Creator of the universe, and He has made you and me.
And, there is nowhere we can go where He is not there. Psalm 139 says:
7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

There has been quite the amount of coverage surrounding the 50th anniversary of the first landing of astronauts on the moon on July 20, 1969.  And, it gives us a chance to do our own exploration of possible faith connections to the moon and those who landed on its surface.

We are aware of Neil Armstrong's first steps on the lunar surface, and the "one small step for man" and "one giant leap for mankind."  But, what occurred some 25 years later in his life bears some incredible significance.  A Townhall.com column by Jonathan Feldstein reports:

When Armstrong visited Israel in 1994 he was brought to a place in the Old City of Jerusalem and asked Meir Ben-Dov, his host and noted archeologist, if Jesus himself actually would have walked there.

“I told him, ‘Look, Jesus was a Jew,'” recalled Ben-Dov. “These are the steps that lead to the Temple, so he must have walked here many times.”

He asked Ben-Dov if those were the original steps, which he answered in the affirmative.  Armstrong stated, "I have to tell you...I am more excited stepping on these stones than I was stepping on the moon.”

That certainly puts things in perspective, doesn't it?   A man who had traveled thousands of miles in space, who will be known forever as the first man to step on the moon, recognized the weight of walking in the footsteps of Jesus.

Armstrong's colleague, Buzz Aldrin, had a holy moment on the surface of the moon itself, celebrating Holy Communion and reading Scripture.  He is quoted as saying, according to FoxNews.com:

"I wondered if it might be possible to take communion on the moon," Aldrin recalled a year after the mission, "symbolizing the thought that God was revealing Himself there, too, as man reached out into the universe. For there are many of us in the NASA program who do trust that what we are doing is part of God’s eternal plan for man."

This was taken from a 1970 piece in Guideposts magazine.  Aldrin recalled: "In the radio blackout I opened the little plastic packages which contained bread and wine," adding, "I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup. It was interesting to think that the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the first food eaten there, were communion elements."

Aldrin also silently read from John 15:5, "As Jesus said: I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, and I in Him, will bear much fruit; for you can do nothing without me.”

The Communion practice was done during a radio blackout, due to a lawsuit that noted atheist Madilyn Murray O'Hair had filed against NASA after the Apollo 8 astronauts read the first 10 chapters of Genesis from space.

Oh, and about that lawsuit - when it was filed, a group called the Apollo Prayer League swung into action to defend the astronauts.  ReligionNews.com reports that: 

The League eventually accrued more than 8 million signatures and letters championing the religious freedom of astronauts, according to Wired.

The group was formed years earlier by NASA’s then-chaplain, a scientist and Presbyterian minister named John Maxwell Stout, and his wife, Helen, in the wake of the Apollo 1 fire that killed three astronauts. The final wishes of one of the felled astronauts, Ed White II, included putting a Bible on the moon, a mission Stout took up in his honor.

White's wish did eventually come true, thanks to the Prayer League, which made microfilm versions of the Bible. Religion News reports that it took several attempts to get them to the moon: the singular microfilm Bible ended up on the wrong module in Apollo 12 and Apollo 13's microfilm Bible, said to have been presented by then-Representative George H.W. Bush, never made it due to the mission's malfunction.

So, as the story goes: "Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, however, managed to lug 100 microfilm Bibles to the surface of the moon with him during the Apollo 14 mission and returned them to Earth."  Those Bibles have become quite valuable and have been the source of dispute.  For instance, a Tulsa, OK woman named Carol Mersch ended up with 10 of them after a bidding war with the state of Texas, according to the Tulsa World.  Mersch donated one to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, where it is on display.

And, we recognize that the moon gives testimony to God our Creator.  Danny Faulkner of Answers in Genesis writes:

Since each day of Creation Week was a normal day, the moon could not have formed through some gradual process, but rather was made very rapidly. In light of special creation, it isn’t surprising that lunar characteristics defy any gradual, evolutionary explanations.

In fact, we might expect the moon to have unique characteristics unlike any other object in the solar system. For instance, most moons orbit their planet’s equator, but not the Earth’s moon. Our moon is the only one that orbits close to the ecliptic—the plane of the planet’s orbit around the sun. This orbit, along with the moon’s uniquely high mass relative to the earth, stabilizes the Earth’s rotation axis at 23.5 degrees. Without this stabilizing influence, the Earth would wobble erratically, wreaking havoc on our seasons. Instead, we have regular seasons by God’s wise design.

Some considerations for us today:

Space travel is a testimony to mankind's knowledge, which in and of itself is a gift from God.  Space itself is a testimony to God's greatness.  The Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God, and the moon is actually a significant part of creation, made by God on the fourth day of creation.  And, as Jay Schabacker shared on the show last week, scientific discoveries are consistent with the story of creation and its Creator.

The Bible warns against our being "puffed up" by knowledge.  In their own ways, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin recognized that there were more important things than just travelling through space. They can remind us of the priorities of our own lives - we can be challenged to put God first and to allow His knowledge to guide and influence our own human understanding.  We all have gifts and abilities, and it's so important that we recognize that these are tools given to us through which we glorify God.   I can spin the controls, sort of speak, or speak into a microphone, in a radio studio, but I also recognize that He intends this ability to be used to bring glory to Him.

Love Over Fear

In the 27th Psalm, we can find comfort as we read about God's abiding presence. It says:
(1) The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise against me, In this I will be confident.
4 One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple.

We can choose to allow fear to paralyze us or depend on the Spirit of God to empower us.  We can be confident in His love and His abiding presence and realize that He is there, He lives in our hearts, and He gives strength to overcome the power of the enemy.  When we are tempted with fear, we can respond in faith - believing His Word as we study and meditate on it, calling out to Him in our times of fear, and allow Him to gives us boldness, courage, and love.

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This character study I will share can help us to think on this passage of Scripture - it's about a doctor
motivated by the compassion of Christ.   1st John chapter 4 says:
16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

It was five years ago today, and a doctor woke up not feeling well.  Three days later, it was confirmed that he had contracted a deadly virus.  Less than a week later, he ended up at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta for treatment. Three weeks after that, he was exiting the hospital proclaiming, “Today is a miraculous day,” adding, “I’m thrilled to be alive, to be well and to be reunited with my family. … God saved my life, a direct answer to thousands and thousands of prayers.”

That's according to the Christian Chronicle.  Bobby Ross, Jr. of that website has a story that was published at ReligionNews.com about that doctor.  His name is Kent Brantly.  He became ill while attempting to minister to those afflicted by the Ebola virus in West Africa. The article says that "From 2014 to 2016, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa claimed 11,325 lives, according to the World Health Organization."

Brantly became quite well-known and used the platform to call attention to the plight of the suffering.

Now, five years later, he is headed back to Africa for a new mission. According to the article, recently, "Brantly got a call from Dr. Lance Plyler, director of World Medical Mission, the medical arm of the evangelical humanitarian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse." He was "calling to see if Brantly and his cousin Dr. Stephen Snell — who had talked and dreamed for years about their families serving as medical missionaries together — might move to Zambia."

The article says:

Plyler cited a need for doctors at Mukinge Mission Hospital, a 200-bed facility in a rural area about 100 miles from the nearest supermarket. It’s about three hours from Zambia’s border with Congo.

The Brantlys and Snells will be serving with Christian Health Service Corps.

As Ross puts it, Brantly is "...grateful to God for saving his life. That gratitude inspires him to 'live a life that is faithful to the calling he’s given me.'"  The story continues:

“Right now, I think that means moving my family to Zambia to serve at a Christian mission hospital — to serve the poor and have compassion for the people in need and to participate in God’s work of making all things new and fixing the broken things in this world,” he said, not stopping to take a breath as he listed more and more reasons.

A follow-up article at the Christian Chronicle addresses a new outbreak of Ebola - in Congo, which shares a border with Zambia.  Brantly says:

There’s no Ebola in Zambia right now. There is the second-worst outbreak in history, ongoing, in the northeastern part of Congo that was first identified last August. It’s been going on for 10 months. There have been over 1,500 deaths and over 2000 cases, and it’s spread across the border into Uganda, and there were some cases in Uganda.

He summarizes his attitude: "It’s not a matter of not fearing. It’s a matter of choosing to have compassion despite fear."  He says, "...it’s not a fear in the front of my mind as we head to Zambia. But would I have fear if I found myself in the midst of another Ebola outbreak? You betcha. Yeah. Yeah, I would."  Brantly adds:

Would I choose to stay and help and take care of patients again? I hope so. Would I try to be wise about how my family navigates that situation and prevent my wife and children from unnecessary risks? Yeah, I hope so.

Brantly's story was told in a movie called, Facing Darkness, released by Samaritan's Purse back in 2017.  The organization's website states:

“I think the message of this movie is really important because it is so much bigger than Ebola,” said Dr. Brantly in a recent interview at Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone, North Carolina. “It’s a message that our country and the church needs to hear right now: to act out of love instead of reacting out of fear. It doesn’t mean you don’t feel afraid but you choose to act out of love anyway.”

Fear is a force that we all face - it may come in a variety of forms, but our choice as believers in Christ is what to do with it.  We can allow fear to consume us, or we can use the spiritual resources that we have in Christ to enable us to overcome it.  And, the Bible tells us that "perfect love casts out fear."  As Dr. Brantly puts it, "It’s a matter of choosing to have compassion despite fear."

You can see life as a story, with a series of chapters.  And, we can allow God to open new chapters of our lives - doing new things may bring a sense of apprehension, but overall, we can possess an attitude of anticipation regarding what He will do.  We can look to Him to put us in the right place where He can use us and express His power through us.

Cancel

We are called to exhibit Christ's character, and harboring a critical spirit in our hearts and minds can impede what God wants to do in us. Ephesians 4 says:
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

A critical spirit can drive what has been termed "cancel culture," hastily jumping to conclusions and thinking the worst of people, rather than seeing others through the eyes of God's grace.  We have been granted His mercy, and we are called to be merciful, as God is merciful.  It can be easy to think of ourselves as better than others; but all of us have our struggles, and our issues, and none of us have arrived spiritually - that's helpful to remember, and can free our spirits from the weight of bitterness.

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Scripture encourages us to be responsible as we consider the influences that we encounter.  James 1
teaches us:
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

I am glad Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are now married.  I did not approve that they had moved in together prior to their nuptials, but I do believe that they are earnestly seeking to follow Christ, despite imperfections and lapses in judgment.

That could actually be said for a lot of us Christ-followers, by the way.  We all have our imperfections; and I am thankful for the grace of God, which has been extended to me and that I continue to enjoy, even when I mess up.

Pratt has recently become a victim of what Faithwire's Tre Goins-Phillips calls, "cancel culture."  You see, according to CBN.com, Chris and Katherine were walking out on the streets of L.A., and Chris was wearing a t-shirt with an emblem - you've probably seen it. It had, according to the story, the "Gadsden symbol of a rattlesnake over a US flag with the words 'Don't Tread On Me' at the bottom."

The CBN story says:

Several social media users criticized Pratt for wearing the symbol. But they only found this out after Yahoo UK took a giant leap, calling Pratt's choice of wardrobe a "white supremacist" shirt in their story.

The article gives a little history lesson, stating:

The flag of a coiled rattlesnake with thirteen rattles on a yellow background was designed by Christopher Gadsden, a Charleston-born brigadier general in the Continental Army. It's first recorded use was in October of 1775.

The symbol has experienced widespread use:

The rattlesnake symbol was also adopted by the Continental Congress in 1778 for the official Seal of the War Office (now the US Department of Defense). The rattlesnake symbol has been used by the US Army for more than 236 years.

The article notes that, "It has also been used as the symbol of the Libertarian Party and then later, the Tea Party and other conservative causes." Also:

In 2016, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said the flag doesn't have racist origins but is "sometimes interpreted to convey racially-tinged messages in some contexts."

The article questions whether or not a symbol that has been adopted by a small group for racist purposes, does that make a person who uses it a racist?  The conclusion: Of course not.  As CBN reports:

Even TMZ.com, a website known for "gotcha journalism" simply called Pratt conservative writing:

"Our take ... Chris wearing the shirt doesn't mean he supports white supremacy or anything else hateful or extreme, for that matter. He is, however, known as a conservative guy, and that's all there is to it."

Pratt became, at least temporarily, a victim of "cancel culture," to which Goins-Phillips referred.  He contends that so did Betsy Ross recently, according to the article, which says:

It was the same kind of senseless indignation that led former NFL player Colin Kaepernick to complain to Nike about a commemorative shoe including the Betsy Ross American flag on its heel. Because Kaepernick is a spokesman for Nike, the apparel company decided to pull the sneaker from production.

Both of these incidents perfectly illustrate our cultural willingness to dismiss the value of those with whom we disagree, regardless of how respectable or ridiculous our differences may be.

Nike pulled its Betsy Ross shoe because, according to Kaepernick, the flag featuring 13 white stars in a circle, designed during the American Revolution, was “offensive.” And a small handful of people criticized Pratt for wearing a shirt with the Gadsden flag on it, calling the symbol a sign of “white supremacists.”

Ross, by the way, was "a Quaker, a religious order made up of some of the first white people to actively denounce slavery in Europe and in the American colonies and to join the abolitionist movement. Ross also served as a beacon for women, rising to prominence at a time in Western culture when women were largely dismissed."

Goins-Phillips states:

...when we “cancel” a person because of a moment of error or after a decision with which we disagree, for any number of reasons, we forget that truth, we turn our backs on our shared value as human beings.

Kirk Franklin experienced this "cancel culture" in the aftermath of his performance at the recent BET awards.  A Christian Post article says that the gospel legend was "publicly rebuked by a street preacher for allegedly failing to present the message of the Gospel during a 3.5-minute performance at the recent BET Awards show."  The article states:

Franklin shared an approximately 4-minute long clip of the rebuke on Instagram late Monday where the unidentified preacher in Jacksonville, Florida, told him, “You’ve got a lot of blood on your hands, sir!” for using his performance time to sing what he called lullabies to the world instead of pointing them to repentance.

In the encounter, Franklin asked the preacher, "You didn’t believe that I said Jesus is Lord at the BET awards?” and in the conversation invited him to "break bread" with him. Franklin said, "Let’s open up the word of God together. And let’s break the Word, like iron sharpens iron. Let’s open up the text...," an invitation to which the preacher reluctantly agreed to.

And, Franklin has had a number of high-profile people come to his defense, according to the article.

So, regarding this "cancel culture," one of the things that come to mind for me is how we should avoid jumping to conclusions or responding too quickly.  There can be a tendency to "write people off" who are our brothers and sisters in the Lord, ignoring the fact that the same Holy Spirit who is working on us is working on them.  We can attribute improper motives to other people and by so doing we pass judgment that may or may not be deserved.

But, there are some forms of cancellation that can be good.  For instance, in the process of renewing our minds, we cancel thoughts that are not pleasing to God.  There are influences on our society that are blatantly unbiblical and not beneficial.  Take, for instance, the recent Netflix cancellation of a portion of its teen suicide drama, 13 Reasons Why.  Parents Television Council has been a chief critic of the program, and provided this announcement on its website:

For more than two years, the Parents Television Council has relentlessly pushed-back on Netflix for graphically depicting suicide on its popular, teen-targeted original series 13 Reasons Why.

Late last night, news broke that Netflix was removing that scene from the first season of 13 Reasons. There is no doubt that this decision – made just a day and a half before Netflix’s quarterly earnings report, is a direct result of the PTC’s unrelenting pressure — in the form of letters, petitions from PTC members and supporters, statements and press releases, and earned media — on Netflix, its CEO and Board of Directors.

The article also said that at the company's annual shareholder meeting last month:

We asked CEO Reed Hastings what the board of directors and management of Netflix were prepared to do about 13 Reasons in light of new National Institutes for Health research that linked 13 Reasons Why to a 30% increase in suicides among children ages 10-17.

And, the Wall Street Journal reports:

For the first time in nearly a decade, the number of people subscribing to Netflix Inc. in the U.S. declined, an underwhelming performance for the streaming giant that comes as a slew of rivals are about to enter the field.

The Los Gatos, Calif.-based company said it had 130,000 fewer domestic subscribers at the end of the second quarter compared with the end of the first, sending Netflix shares sliding more than 11% in after-hours trading Wednesday. The stock is still up by double digits this year.

So, perhaps this is a good cancellation trend, sending a message that paying more for a selection that includes objectionable content is not a good business plan.

Remember, while we can resist the temptation to pass judgment or quickly criticize people, including fellow believers, we can also cancel, or reject, influences that are not grounded in Scripture.  We can guard against embracing a message that is not in line with the principles we find in God's Word.

Comparisons and Compassion

There is quite the concentration on words that are spoken or that are written these days.  And, words certainly have meaning.  We should, however, be devoted to speaking words that line up with God's
Word and...doing works that call attention to Him. James 2 says:
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

We show that we love Jesus by how we allow Jesus to live through us.  Posturing with words, as this passage suggests, doesn't minister to the needs of people; being one with Christ and living out of that position can drive us to be involved in serving other people.  We have to be careful that we are not prideful in our devotion to Christ and think that we are more holy than someone else; we should show mercy to all, and that includes making sure we are humble before the Lord.

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We have to guard against trying to demonstrate who is more spiritual, more enlightened, or more
compassionate. It's a subtle form of favoritism, driven by pride. We read in Luke 18, where Jesus is
teaching:
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

It's really become journalistic sport - columnists who, in the name of religion, try to paint evangelicals as being ignorant, bigoted, outside of the mainstream, and (gasp!) not following the ways of Jesus.

This has especially been ramped up regarding the immigration issue, about which you have people who will, rather than present solutions, take the opportunity to virtue signal.  Take, for instance, one writer who keeps getting virtual ink in mainstream outlets, who tweeted recently:

This data is an indictment of white evangelicals. Only a *quarter* believe the U.S. has a responsibility to accept refugees. We can debate how many refugees America should accept, but how does that general attitude align with the ethic of Jesus? See Matthew 25:40-45 for more.

Another writer, who I actually like and have quoted from time to time talked about how "terrible" this is, saying: "We can certainly argue about how many refugees our nation should accept, but to say that we have no responsibility at all? Awful." Now - wait for it - "I wonder how much of this is interpreted by white Evangelicals as Trump-related, and they circle around his perceived view."

The reference is to a Pew poll, which has made the rounds in some religious media outlets - a poll from last year!!  May of last year.  The question was this:

Do you think the U.S. has a responsibility to accept refugees into the country, or do you think the U.S. does NOT have a responsibility to do this?

The summary says:

Roughly half of Americans (51%) say the U.S. has a responsibility to accept refugees into the country, while 43% say it does not, the national survey found. That is changed only slightly from February of last year.

 And, here's the evidence these commentators are referencing:

By more than two-to-one (68% to 25%), white evangelical Protestants say the U.S. does not have a responsibility to accept refugees. Other religious groups are more likely to say the U.S. does have this responsibility. And opinions among religiously unaffiliated adults are nearly the reverse of those of white evangelical Protestants: 65% say the U.S. has a responsibility to accept refugees into the country, while just 31% say it does not.

I have two areas of questions: one is - what is the "U.S."?  Is it the government, i.e, should there be a refugee resettlement program, with taxpayer dollars going to fund the acceptance of people from other countries who qualify as refugees?  Or is it the individuals of the U.S., some of whom may feel a calling to accept people fleeing religious persecution into this country?  I think there may be an element of the size and scope of government here, rather than a lack of compassion.

And, is it a "responsibility" or a "role" or "option?"  We have to be careful that we don't impugn the motives of others when we don't have a complete understanding of what those motives are.

This poll came on the heels of a furious debate about the acceptance of refugees, especially from those nations that have ties of terrorism or that may be breeding grounds for terror.  A CBN article from early 2017 stated:

Evangelist Franklin Graham says he supports President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily barring refugees from seven countries, saying it is the responsibility of the church, not the government to come to the aid of refugees.

He is quoted as saying: "The president's job is not the same as the job of the church. As Christians we are clearly taught in the Bible to care for the poor and oppressed," adding, "As Christians we are commanded to help all, regardless of religious background or ethnicity, like the Good Samaritan Jesus shared about in the Bible. Our job is to show God's love and compassion."

So, it's important that we understand, in the midst of the quoting of Matthew 25, that was an admonition given to the Church, not the government.  To denigrate an entire group of people, many of which wholeheartedly want to follow Jesus, based on survey data, is irresponsible at best and bigoted at its worst.  It's a subtle form of favoritism, as if to say, "look at me, I'm more like Jesus than you."  And, it feeds this shadow-boxing of a straw man named white nationalism that some Christian leaders want to accuse other Christians of just because they love our country or support our President, even when he has errors in judgment.  It has been a source of division for two and a half years now, and it needs to stop.  Of course, that isn't to say there are not those who claim the name of Christ who have erroneous views on racial issues and should repent.

I want to pivot just a bit - instead of taking potshots at hard-working government officials who are doing yeoman's work at the border trying to enforce immigration law, perhaps the Church can take up at least part of the mantle of assimilating people from outside our country.

And, there is evidence that they are:

A recent Religion News story, that, interestingly enough, refers to the Pew survey and is written with a bit of agenda, does highlight the work that Southern Baptists are doing to minister at the border.  It says that Scottie Stice, director of disaster relief for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, has had "an increase in numbers" at the border, a region where the convention has been doing ministry for years.  The article states:

Waves of Baptist volunteers from across the Mid- and Southwest have flooded his state in recent weeks to offer aid to the influx of largely Central American migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

An example:

Stice said many Baptists and other evangelicals volunteer at so-called “release shelters” — facilities that offer short-term housing and food for immigrants after they are released from Border Patrol facilities but before they travel to a permanent location to await a court date.

One such facility is in Brownsville; another is in Del Rio, where, according to the article, "Texas Baptists and the Salvation Army are preparing for an influx of support from Samaritan’s Purse, an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization run by the Rev. Franklin Graham."

So, rather than chide evangelicals for lack of compassion, we can seek to better understand some of the dynamics of a complex situation.  Fact is, we are hard-wired in Christ for reaching out to those less fortunate; also, we can understand the role of government, which has two functions, according to the Bible: to preserve order and punish evil - that means security for our people.

And, that doesn't mean government cannot be involved in compassionate work - because that contributes to common order and common good.  Secretary of State Mike Pompeo understands the force for good that America can be, and, regarding members of Congress who embrace a different set of values and are critical of our country, he said to CBN:

"When a handful of members of Congress say things, that are in the tone of the fact that they blame America for so much of the trouble in the world, that's deeply troubling."

"We are a force for good in the world, not a force for evil. We are not the cause of these conflicts and I hear these member of Congress talk about this as if America had generated this trouble, and to blame America first for these things is deeply inconsistent with not only our founding and our tradition, but with the facts on the ground," he said.

The article also states, quoting the Secretary:

"We're still the most generous, welcoming nation anywhere in the world," Pompeo tells CBN News. "Our objective has been to try and do what those people really want in those cases which is to stay in their own country. So our approach for Christians in the Middle East and for other people who are being religiously persecuted around the world, our mission set is to try and create the conditions inside their own countries so that they can have that religious freedom, there'll be no need to leave their country, their friends, their people, their church, their synagogue, their mosque."

Several observations here: first of all, a united Church can be a powerful force to bring healing and relief.  Yet, comparisons over who is more compassionate or who is more like Jesus are counterproductive.  We should be encouraging one another to be involved in Christian service, rather than tearing them down.

Posturing on social media or even in everyday conversation are not forms of compassion, rather a form of pride.  As James said, we demonstrate our faith by our works, not our platitudes.  Our willingness to be involved in the lives of others can speak volumes to a world that needs to see the Church living out the words and ways of Jesus.  

Expanding

We are called not to indulge the flesh but to walk in the Spirit - we can be active participants in abhorrent behavior or we can accept or tolerate the lustful behavior of other, which is to endorse sin. 1st Peter 2 says:
11 Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

The Bible contains specifics about what "honorable" behavior actually is, and we see a distinct lack of it throughout our culture today.  The door has been opened wide and all sorts of immorality is being demonstrated in relationships, from the acceptance of adultery and sex outside of marriage, to the furtherance of LGBTQ behavior and other types of relationships that stand opposite the Biblical prescription for marriage - one man, one woman, one flesh, surrendered to one God, for life.

+++++

One of the marks of this society is that people and organizations attempt to normalize what the Bible
calls abnormal - or sinful. Romans 1 lays it out very well:
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

The decision to take a relationship forbidden by Scripture and call it "marriage" has certainly had its far-reaching implications.  And, as a PJMedia.com piece by Tyler O'Neil points out, even in 2015, when the Obergefell decision was handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court, a particular law professor was asking, "what's next?"

That would be Robert George of Princeton, co-author, with Timothy George of Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham and the late Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship, of the Manhattan Declaration, devoted to upholding life, marriage, and religious freedom.  As O'Neil points out, Brandon Showalter of The Christian Post, in a recent article, had referenced Dr. George, who had written an essay in 2015, called, Is Polyamory Next?, in response to Obergefell.  The article continues:

He noted that a "throttle" in Massachusetts was already pressing for the normalization of polyamory.

"If gender doesn’t matter for marriage, they ask, why should number matter? 'If love makes a family,' as the slogan went when the cause being advanced was gay marriage, then why should their family be treated as second class? Why should their marriage be denied legal recognition and the dignity and social standing that come with it?" George asked.

O'Neil opens his story by saying:

For over a year, the American Psychological Association (APA) has overseen a "Consensual Non-monogamy Task Force," which advocates for relationships like polyamory, open relationships, swinging, and more. This task force claims that people in such relationships are marginalized and need their practices to be normalized. Social conservatives have long warned that the legalization of gay "marriage" and the normalization of homosexual activity would follow a slippery slope, leading to the normalization of other aberrant behaviors like polygamy.

He continues:

"The APA Division 44 Consensual Non-monogamy Task Force promotes awareness and inclusivity about consensual non-monogamy and diverse expressions of intimate relationships," the task force website explains. "These include but are not limited to: people who practice polyamory, open relationships, swinging, relationship anarchy and other types of ethical non-monogamous relationships."

O'Neil credits Showalter for first calling attention to this Task Force; in the story, we can read:

Andre Van Mol, a board-certified family physician in Redding, California who co-chairs the committee on adolescent sexuality for the American College of Pediatricians, told Showalter this task force represents the victory of Sexual Revolution ideology over science.

"This is the entirely expected and predicted consequence of what happens when ideology replaces science. The APA is yet again showing us that they are a professional guild and not a scientific organization," Van Mol told the Christian Post.

Can you say "slippery slope?"  O'Neil relates:

Indeed, Christians have been asked to embrace polyamory, with one particularly daft pastor praising the Holy Trinity as a "polyamorous relationship." Three Canadian adults in a polyamorous relationship have been declared legal parents of one child.

Conservatives have long warned of the slippery slope of redefining marriage, and it appears the APA is working to confirm their fears. Indeed, why restrict marriage to humans? One crazy lady in England has declared herself "engaged" to her chandelier.

Yes, and it is that APA: "The APA has decisively shifted left, declaring war against 'traditional masculinity' earlier this year. It seems the rush of institutions against the traditional family continues apace."

We're seeing it, and it can be discouraging: an all-out redefinition of traditional norms in culture.  This can cause Christians to continue to uphold the principles of Scripture, to not be duped by the so-called "progressive" voices and to embrace the time-honored, time-tested tenets of the faith.

But, we are also seeing evidence of that redefinition in the church. Chelsen Vicari of Juicy Ecumenism wrote a piece about a "minister" named Brendan Robertson, who had stated in a video that had been removed:

“For those who are in an open or polyamorous relationship here this morning who might be squirming, because this is an uncomfortable question to hear in church sometimes. I want you to hear me loud and clear as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Your relationships are holy. They are beautiful and they are welcomed and celebrated in this space.”

She described the then-26-year-old as "one of the Religious Left’s quickest rising stars."  Vicari writes:

Robertson believes that he is an innovator, presenting novel ideas on sexuality and sin that few have thought before. It is a reoccurring trend that we see among younger progressive Christians who grew up in evangelicalism. Their ideas on inclusion and tolerance have already been implemented by liberal mainline Protestant denominations, and their embrace of sin hasn’t fared well.

What we are seeing is the rejection of God's standards in relationships.  In the pursuit of new and fresh ideas, there are certain individuals and groups who have ended up redefining God and Christian teaching.  We have to resist the cultural urges and hold fast to the Scriptures.