Cashing In on God's Riches

Throughout the writings of the apostle Paul, we see a man who was a determined sinner who opposed the Christian faith for a season, yet became a defender of that faith. But, he was honest about his struggles with the power of indwelling sin. Ephesians chapter 4 states:
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

There is a gargantuan struggle that every believer faces - it is the conflict of old vs. new, spirit vs. flesh. We have the choice to walk in the newness of life, and the person who is born again has been given the capability to conform to God's standards. But, we have to be aware of the operation of temptation and the power of sin, that has been defeated by Jesus through His death and resurrection.  The flesh is present, the old ways are pervasive, but Christ offers us a better way.

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We have been forgiven through the blood of Jesus and redeemed through His resurrection. We have new life, but we still struggle in the flesh with the vulnerabilities of the old. Hebrews 12 offers this encouragement:
1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

One of the truly enigmatic figures in the history of popular music is the man known as the Man in Black, Johnny Cash.  And, if one were to base his or her impression of the great country singer by his depiction on the screen, the story is not complete.  As a 2005 review at Crosswalk.com states:

But the story of Johnny Cash’s Christian rebirth is not the story told in “Walk the Line.” The filmmakers don’t shy away from the cultural trappings of gospel music, and of Cash’s upbringing under a godly mother, but they stop short of showing Cash’s own deep religious conversion. Carter’s role in that gospel transformation is hinted at but not made entirely clear.

This decision – to cut Cash’s story off at the point at which it likely would be most interesting to religious viewers – has serious implications for the film itself. Rather than watching a story of the power of redemption, we mostly see a film about the destructiveness of sin, and of marital unfaithfulness. In that, we learn little that we haven’t seen in numerous other films about troubled souls who find solace and peace in each other’s arms.

Pastor Greg Laurie shed some light into more of the complete story; he wrote at FoxNews.com back in 2019:

His legacy as country music’s most iconic star remains firm, but I believe Johnny Cash would want others to also focus on something else other than his entertainment achievements: his firm belief in Jesus Christ.

In my new book, “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon,” I explore this complex superstar’s journey to faith.

He writes:

Cash’s faith was tested many times in his lifetime, and it only grew stronger, not weaker. Near the end of his life, Cash was speaking openly about his “unshakeable faith.” What caused him to turn from his conflicting passions to embrace a life in Christ?

He goes on to say, "The truth of the whole man is compelling, and the story of Johnny Cash is a roadmap for every conflicted soul for whom redemption too often seems a destination far off the beaten path."

The Faithwire website reports:

His son, John Carter Cash, is keeping the flame of his dad’s faith alive by compiling a new book titled “Walking the Line: 90 Devotions of Truth and Hope Based on the Faith of Johnny Cash.”

The text is a compilation of Johnny Cash’s past spiritual quotes and never-before-seen proclamations, with his son explaining how important God and the Bible were to his dad.

“My father’s faith was defining of who he was,” Cash told CBN’s Faithwire. “My dad fell short in many ways through his life, but he always went back to that faith. He always carried that with him no matter what, wherever he went. Everything that he did in his life, that was a foundation.”

The article goes on to say:

In the end, Cash — who had a well-known friendship with the great evangelist Billy Graham — valued the things in life that truly matter.

“The things that he stood for are … essential aspects of love and respect for family and forgiveness,” Cash said, adding that he tries in his own life to live by his dad’s examples.

The loving son shared that his father faced struggles and hardships, particularly health problems, near the end of his life. Despite those battles, Cash always honored God.

The BillyGraham.org website notes this:

“Johnny Cash was not only a legend but was a close personal friend,” Billy Graham once said. “Johnny was a good man who also struggled with many challenges in his life. Johnny was a deeply religious man. He and June came to a number of our Crusades over a period of many years.

“Ruth and I took a number of personal vacations with them at their home in Jamaica and in other places. They both were like a brother and sister to Ruth and me. We loved them. … I look forward to seeing Johnny and June in heaven one day.”

The article relates that:

Cash once addressed his worldly struggles from the stage at a 1989 Crusade in his home state of Arkansas: “My personal life—my personal problems—has been widely publicized. There have been things said about me that made people ask, ‘Is Johnny Cash really a Christian?’ I take great comfort in the words of the Apostle Paul, who said: ‘What I will to do I do not practice, but what I hate I do. It is no longer I that do it, but the sin that dwells within me. But who will deliver me from this body of death? It is Jesus Christ, our Lord.’”

These words have come to mind: The story's not over.  There is plenty of forgiveness - an unlimited supply - for the person who comes humbly before Jesus and asks for it.  Johnny Cash is an example of someone who, despite his flaws and shortcomings, was a genuine follower of Christ.  No one is beyond the redemption that comes through Him.

Our story isn't over, either.  As long as we have breath, we can serve the Lord wholeheartedly, recognizing that the One who began that good work in us will see it through until its completion. Fortunately, our sin does not disqualify us from enjoying a relationship with our Savior.  But, it's important to make sure that we operate in a state of forgiveness by confessing our sins and receiving it.

We recognize that we are all tempted, and we can be inspired to wrestle well with the inward temptations.  We have powerful resources in Christ in order to walk in a state of victory and reject the inclinations that we have to sin.  Through the Word and consistent prayer, we can stand strong in the Lord, clothed in His armor.

Common Sense

There will always be those who may think they are or act as if they are smarter than you. But, you don't have to be the "smartest in the room," but you can be confident that you know the One who is, the source of all wisdom. And, that gives us a sense of peace. Romans 12 instructs us:
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.

There is a huge difference between trying to persuade people with anger, which is counterproductive, and to impact people with confidence and reason in the Lord. In the face of people that pursue their agenda with misplaced passion, we can recognize that God calls us to base our responses in His Word and depend on His Spirit. As it's been pointed out, our ambition ideally should be to win the heart, not necessarily the argument. 

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We live in a day of unprecedented anger, it seems, and distinct polarization, which results in conflict. This actually gives us an opportunity to demonstrate how a calm, peaceful, demeanor can influence people for Christ. James 1 states:
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
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.

Here's a question for you - if abortion is such a great thing, that should be made more widely available in the eyes of some, why does survey after survey show that Americans favor limits to it?  I contended recently that there is something in the conscience of many Americans that informs them that there is something wrong, and I stand by that.

Consider the latest survey by the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, described in a LifeNews.com story from two weeks ago, originally published at The Daily Signal, as "an almost 50-year-old association with at least 7,000 members."

The article summarized the three main findings of the survey; number one is this:

Seventy-nine percent of participants agreed data collection is important for women to understand the risks of abortion. Seven out of 10 pro-abortion voters agreed for women to understand the risks of abortion, accurate statistics of post-abortion complications are necessary. According to the Guttmacher Institute, only 28 states are required to report on post-abortion complications.

A board member of the OB/GYN association, Dr. Christina Francis, said: “We know in the U.S. our data collection is really appalling. Not even every state has to report their abortions, much less their complications,” adding, “Yet, patients are being told these are safe procedures, that medication abortions are safe and effective...They’re being told abortion is safer than childbirth, but this is all based on really inadequate data.”

The second major finding of this survey is that “Seventy-three percent of respondents agree that ‘commonsense provisions are needed’ when patients seek abortions—examples given included in-person consultations and parental consent for minors..."  Francis refers to the need for information for what she calls "fetal development milestones." The article at LifeNews.com goes on to say:

Fetal development milestones include unique DNA blueprint at moment of conception, a fetal heartbeat at six weeks, and eye movement, fingernails, and sucking their thumb at 12 weeks. In-person consultations and screenings would allow for the physician to check for ectopic pregnancy and provide education on post-abortion risks.

Just a note: remember the lawmakers who want to "codify Roe" who have passed a bill in the House to that end that cannot make it through the Senate?  Informed consent or parental consent, which have been allowed to go into effect under Roe v. Wade would not be allowed under the Women's Health Protection Act.  

The third finding?  Over 80% of respondents indicated that abortion clinics should meet the same standards as other medical facilities. According to Life News: "These standards would include requirements such as routine clinic inspections, hospital admitting privileges for patients, informed consent, and ultrasounds."

It seems to me that you have people on the pro-abortion side who are willing, in the name of a so-called woman's right to choose or reproductive rights, to depart from logic and reason in order to parrot their talking points.  These are commonsense measures that survey respondents embrace.  It seems to me that people need to calm down and think.  I think that is a good action step for Christian believers, in general - we can be so caught up in impulse that we make irrational decisions.  Rather than think - and pray - through our decisions, we act in a less-than-informed manner. 

But, abortion proponents don't want women to be informed before they take the life of their child. There are those that want to block commonsense measures in order to make unfettered abortion the law and practice of the country.  But, the citizens of the country are not on board with that, and according to Students For Life:

Contrary to the pro-abortion mainstream media, the SBA polling reported at Axios found that the majority of American voters (by double-digit margins) actually support “a heartbeat limit, a pain-capable limit, or a similarly protective gestational limit” when considering abortion policy. 

The article also says, "In contrast, the poll also found that only 10% of voters actually favored the current agenda...which supports abortion at any time and for any reason."

So, when you cut through the heated rhetoric, I believe Americans know better. And, when they see the contrast of pro-life people, especially Christians, exhibiting the character of Christ and showing compassion for those in need, we have the chance to impact people for Him.  We don't need to be combative, but confident that His Word gives us answers for the dilemmas that people face. 

Where It Starts

There has been a lot of talk about abortion these days, and it can be contended that the passion to promote the availability of abortion is a result, by and large, of people wanting to find a way to escape responsibility for sinful behavior. Ephesians chapter 5 challenges us, stating:
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;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

The word, "fornication," is found in verse 3.  You could describe it as sensual behavior that is outside of God's plan for sexuality, a key component of which involves fidelity in marriage.  For example, Jesus warned against a man lusting after a woman with the intent to commit adultery.  With the reduction of a high view of marriage, which is the reflection of Christ and the Church, and the proliferation of an "anything goes" mentality, we have seen the unfortunate consequences of the so-called "sexual revolution," which includes the mindset of making sure that the unacceptable option of abortion is available.

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God has a plan for human relationships. He has created a gift that is to be used for His glory in the bonds of marriage - yet people are determined to veer outside His plan at their spiritual peril. 1st Corinthians 6 states:
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.

It's a twisted viewpoint of a principle that is taught clearly in Scripture.  The New York Post had a story about some women's responses to the Dobbs decision.  The subject was abstinence, but not in the way you might think. The story, published on June 25, the day after the ruling, related:

Calls for a nationwide sex strike were also gathering momentum on social media and, at one point, “abstinence” was trending on Twitter with more than 26,900 tweets as of Saturday afternoon.

“Women of America: Take the pledge. Because SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade, we cannot take the risk of an unintended pregnancy, therefore, we will not have sex with any man — including our husbands — unless we are trying to become pregnant,” one Twitter user wrote.

“I live in New York and I am DOUBLE FURIOUS with the Supreme Court. I want to find people who are coordinating a mass sex strike. That is our power,” one woman raged. “Women have the power here. No more sex until abortion rights are federal law.”

This is so wrong - but there is a grain of truth contained within, as is the case with most deception.  It's been said that abortion is an outgrowth of the sexual revolution.  God set up a system and established the gift of sex within the bonds of marriage.  The perversion of that is, well, sex outside of marriage - whether it be fornication between two unmarried people or adultery involving at least one married spouse.  The violation of God's principles has resulted in untold heartbreak and unintended pregnancy. 

So, practicing abstinence outside of marriage is a good thing; using it as a political sledgehammer is not.  

And, as it's been pointed out by Dave Kubal of Intercessors for America on The Meeting House, we need to be talking about that straight line between sex and pregnancy.  James Dobson, heard on Family Talk Saturday mornings on Faith Radio, wrote this last fall related to the Dobbs case:

Pro-abortion activists claim that a woman's "right to choose" is at stake and that abortion is necessary to protect women. A recent op-ed rejects this lie and points out the truth: "The right to kill children in the womb is necessary for sexual liberation."

Writing for LifeSiteNews, Jonathon Van Maren explains:

"[T]he masks are coming off and abortion activists are beginning to admit what we always knew: The right to kill children in the womb is necessary for sexual liberation.

"Sure, most activists and media figures will use the tiny number of cases where sexual assault has occurred or other heartbreaking circumstances in order to pretend that "pro-choice" is about compassion rather than convenience. But that has never been true, and that is becoming increasingly obvious."

Dobson goes on to state:

Van Maren goes on to tackle the lie that abortion is "necessary" to prevent "unplanned pregnancy," pointing to an amicus ("friend of the court") brief filed at the U.S. Supreme Court by Jonathan Mitchell, a former Texas solicitor general. Mitchell explains, accurately, that "[w] omen can 'control their reproductive lives' without access to abortion; they can do so by refraining from sexual intercourse."

He also notes: "Van Maren is right. The sexual revolution was a devolution, turning sex into nothing more than a physical act and turning children into commodities, sometimes wanted and sometimes unwanted."

John Stonestreet stated, as you can see at Breakpoint.org:

The first lie of the sexual revolution (and I owe my friend Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse for the wording here) is that sex, marriage, and babies are separable. That these created realities were part of a biological, social and religious package deal, went unquestioned until quite recently. Technological innovations, such as the pill, IVF, and surrogacy, legal innovations such as no-fault divorce, and cultural innovations such as ubiquitous pornography and “hook-up” apps, have all made it increasingly easy to imagine that sex is not inherently connected to childbearing, and that childbearing is not necessarily best placed in the context of marriage.

He goes on to say:

The results of the sexual revolution are in: Children are the victims of our bad ideas. In response, Christians are called to be agents of restoration in whatever time and place they find themselves. For us, now, that means advocating for children’s rights.

He quotes Katy Faust, author of a book called, Them Before Us: "Our culture and our laws must incentivize and encourage adults to conform their behavior to the needs of their children if we are to have any hope of a healthy and thriving society.”

Stonestreet also commented recently on the sales of the so-called "morning after pill," also known as Plan B.  He said:

In a recent commercial for a new show, a woman hands a friend a bag with the morning-after pill, so the friend can sleep with a guy spontaneously. In other words, the phrase “emergency contraceptive” is most often a misnomer. Most of the talk of reproductive justice is really about sex without restraint.

So, we talk about "unintended" pregnancies or "crisis" pregnancies.  What should ideally be part of the discussion is that, except in those unfortunate situations where a person does not consent to sex, the "unintended" pregnancy is the biological result of an intentional act.  And, people are looking for ways to circumvent the principles of God and nature in order to enjoy temporary pleasure that Scripture prohibits outside of the context of marriage.  Right act, wrong context - a perversion of God's best, the deception of the enemy.  A grain of truth with the wrong shell.  

Abstinence is no longer cool, well, it seems, except when progressive activists are trying to make a political statement.  And, in the Church, the "purity culture" has been panned by some because young people didn't necessarily see the purpose behind the purity.  That's not to say it's not the right concept: but some perhaps couldn't see the gift of sex in marriage, because they felt like they were being deprived of something they "ought" to have experienced.  Perhaps that's on us as the adults in the room - but sexual purity is God's idea and is a reflection of God's best.  

Unfortunately, we have gotten things backwards these days: it used to be boy meets girl, boy and girl get married, and they have a family. Now, there is no norm, but so often - and the concept is reinforced in entertainment culture - it's boy meets girl, boy and girl sleep together, may produce a child or even abort a child, and may or may not get married.  Again, speaking the truth about relational responsibility is a key component in the overall discussion of abortion.  Certainly, the Church and pro-life ministries can be there to offer assistance to women and men who have erred.  And, we also celebrate the life of every unborn child. But, we can also talk about God's order and how He intends for us to behave. 

Dominoes

We are called to be people who walk with consistency, reliant on the Spirit and determined to do His will. We have to guard ourselves against drifting away from God's truth, but grounded in the Word of God. Proverbs 4 reminds us:
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

If we claim to follow Christ, we have to evaluate our lives and make sure that we are lining up with how He has called us to walk.  We can easily get off track if we have our focus in the wrong place - gratifying self rather than exalting God.  He enables us to be people of integrity, who tell the truth and can be trusted.  Who are not one way in public and another in private.  People who abide by the instruction of Scripture rather than attempt to tell people how to behave without behaving that way themselves.  We should be shining examples to the world around us of the presence of Christ.

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We are not called to be duplicitous - saying one thing and doing the other; claiming to follow Christ but denying Him by our actions. We are called to be singly-minded and consistent. Proverbs 10 says:
8 The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall.
9 He who walks with integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will become known.
10 He who winks with the eye causes trouble, But a prating fool will fall.

The British government is in a state of upheaval these days as members of the majority party in the U.K. are voting on a replacement for Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.  Currently, there are two final candidates, from a field whittled down over the past few days, and they met in the first of a series of 12 debates last night.  Former finance minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss are the two candidates.

What led to the resignation of Boris Johnson?  Well, there is evidence that it proceeded from...a prayer meeting!

According to the website for The Bible Society:

...it was the sermon given by Revd Les Isaac at the National Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast (NPPB) that triggered Sajid Javid's resignation as Health Secretary. His decision to quit set the dominoes falling: a wave of departures led to the Prime Minister's exit.

In his devastating personal statement to the Commons he had referenced the sermon, with its call to ‘serve the interests of others above your own and to seek the common good of your party, your community and above all your country’. On Sunday morning, however, he told the BBC's Sophie Raworth: ‘I was listening to him talking about the importance of integrity in public life and, just focusing on that, I made up my mind.

‘I went straight back to my office and drafted the resignation letter and went to see the Prime Minister later in the day.’

At the breakfast, according to the site, "... biblical truth was spoken in a way that cut through Westminster's high-volume moral muddles and triggered real change."

According to Premier Christian News, the speaker at the event, Les Isaac, "is the founder and CEO of Ascension Trust and also a pioneer of Street Pastors. His sermon referenced Psalm 23 :4 'Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod a nd your staff, they comfort me.'"

The article goes on to say:

He also spoke of Jesus expecting us to serve in humility quoting Philippians 2:8 : "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross!"

Singer-songwriter Andy Flannagan was leading worship at the event which heralded the start of the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief. He told Premier the presence of the Holy Spirit was palpable :

"It's quite remarkable. It felt really significant. There were what you might describe as holy moments where God's presence was just irresistible. It was profound and powerful.

Sunak also resigned his position the same day, representing two high-profile leaders who had stepped aside, weakening Johnson's position and apparently ultimately triggered Johnson's resignation.  

Flannagan wrote at Christian Today:

It would be so easy just to focus on the failings of one person but the events of this week reflect the collapse of integrity in leadership more widely. Covid season especially has awakened us to the importance of integrity and how important it is to have a track record in telling the truth. The importance of integrity in leadership is something that Christians in Politics has been talking about for many years now, but we're seeing the collapse of this on both sides of the Atlantic.

In some ways, this has made my job easier because people now really appreciate the importance of who leads us. It's not that the Church has a monopoly on ethics in leadership - we've had a pretty bad track record at times. But with humility, we aspire to good leadership and the ethics that are a part of that. We have to challenge the violation of ethics that we have seen in the political leadership of this land - and also those who went along with it for many years.

It would be easy to make Boris Johnson the pantomime villain but the sad fact is that we're talking about a culture. At a time when we are desperate to see more ethics in our leadership, sadly it's a whole culture that has let us down as opposed to just one person.

Flannagan is the Executive Director of Christians in Politics, which states on its website that, "Our vision...is to see Christians respond to God's call to positive, relational political engagement."

So, the race for Prime Minister of Great Britain is underway. I must admit, my hands are full with American politicians, so I haven't studied the two candidates a whole lot.  But, we can remember that the stage for this contest was set by a sermon, a proclamation of truth.  I think it can be a reminder of the power of God's Word.  We say that the Word will not return void, so that should inspire us to continue to trust in it and model our lives by it.

We also can be challenged to live lives of integrity.  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is leaving the office in part because of backlash over not abiding by COVID restrictions that his government imposed upon the people.  That's not an isolated case: we've seen American politicians do the same thing, putting restrictions on people to curb COVID, but then the discovery is made that they are not abiding by the same rules.  Jesus took the religious leaders of His day to task, speaking about them in Matthew chapter 23: 

(2) "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers
5 But all their works they do to be seen by men...

So where are the statesmen?  The stateswomen?  In a time in which solid leadership is needed in our country and the Church, who will step up and lead on principle?  We can each be challenged to be the person who demonstrates the demeanor of Christ and relies on His wisdom. 

A Brave Front

The words of Joshua chapter 1 as he assumed leadership over Israel can echo in our own minds and help to give us confidence. We can read these words:
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.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

We need the Word of God - we need to hold on tightly to His principles that we find in Scripture. His wisdom can help us to navigate the challenges that we encounter and will give us clear-headedness when we are discouraged.  As God's Word is activated within us, we can grow in faith and reject fear.  When we have God's direction through the clarity of Scripture, we can experience what He wants us to do and develop a greater reliance on Him.

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If we are convinced that God is with us, we know that He will give us the capacity to stand strong in the midst of challenging circumstances. Psalm 56 states:
3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?
5 All day they twist my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather together, They hide, they mark my steps, When they lie in wait for my life.

Later in the Psalm, we see these words:
9 When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me.
10 In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word),
11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

We continue to be mindful that war has come to Ukraine, and that Russia is still pursuing its aim of subverting this neighboring nation, which was once part of the former Soviet Union.  

And, in the midst of destruction and discouragement, there is rejoicing and resolve, according to a Faithwire story that highlighted Bucha, a suburb of the capital city of Kyiv. The story quotes a man named Oleksandr, who was quoted by CBN News: “The Russians should take these tanks and parade them in Moscow,” adding, “The fact that we forced them out of Bucha is God’s miracle! This is God’s miracle and nothing else.”

The Russian troops actually abandoned its assault on Bucha on March 31; however, there is the ongoing discovery of bodies of those who lost their lives.  

The article mentions several Ukrainian pastors, and states:

Oleg Bondarenko knows how fortunate he is to be alive.

A few days after the war started, Russian soldiers captured this pastor along with several other civilians and tortured them behind this gate for days.

“I was so nervous that they would find something compromising about me,” Bondarenko, a Ukrainian pastor in Bucha, recounted to CBN News. “The Russian battalion commander did not like me; he was always angry with me.”

He was questioned about "Ukrainian military positions," according to the story. Fortunately, in which is called a "counter-offensive," the pastor was rescued by Ukrainian soldiers. 

Not far from there, 168 Ukrainian Christians hid in the basement of a Bucha church. Pastor Sergey Anohin told CBN News there were 15 soldiers total, 4 of them entered the basement. He said, "When they entered the church, they kicked open the church door, and cursed at us.”  The story states:

Remaining at the church for several days, the soldiers constantly intimidated those hiding in the basement.

Video and photographs obtained by CBN News show church members praying, singing, and reading scriptures day and night.

Pastor Anohin said, "We now know that during this time, while we sought refuge in the basement, people around us, many of them were being killed by the Russians, many of them were being tortured...” But, he contends, “It was very clear to us that God was watching over us, everything was in His hands. Like the story of how Daniel was in the lion’s den, we were under God’s protection.”

The pastor lost his home on day 2 of the war and encourages people to pray for his city, stating, "I would like for people to pray for our city that God would give peace in people’s hearts,” adding, "There’s a lot of anger and hatred for what the Russians did to us but I’m praying God will touch us and give us peace.” He says, "I would like our city to be remembered for those who were loyal, those who protected the city, and were faithful to God.”

It's always helpful to consider what we will be remembered for.  Ultimately, our goal should be to impact others for Christ, walking faithfully in His love - if we are faithful to Him, we can be confident that we will bear fruit for Him.

Because we know Christ and have Him living on the inside of us, we have the capacity to exhibit bravery in the Lord - we can stand strong against fear.  And, when fear is overcome, we can boldly speak and act according to God's purposes.

We might face opposition and intimidation, but we can possess resolve to call on God and to trust Him.  We can stare back at persecution or hostility, standing strong in the presence of Jesus, the One, who is, according to Psalm 73, which I read on Friday, our "portion."

Looking Beyond

Jesus invites us to abide in Him - He wants us to come into a relationship with Him and to seek Him day by day. The Psalms provide some snapshots of someone who is expressing his desire for the Lord, and in the 84th Psalm, we can read these words:
2 My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young-- Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts, My King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You...

And, later in the Psalm, in verse 10, we find this;
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

That is a picture of someone who desires the presence of the Lord above all else - and you know, we have been granted access to come before the Lord: to worship Him, to communicate with Him (not merely to Him), and to enjoy sweet fellowship with our Savior.  When we regard Christ as the Lord of our lives, we can experience ordered lives and possess the satisfaction that comes because we are at peace with ourselves and with God.

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We can be focused in on loving our Savior and serving Him with our whole heart. When we desire Him in that way, we can find that our priorities are centered around pleasing Him. Psalm 73 states:
25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

On yesterday's Meeting House, Bob Hasson, who has a long track record in the corporate world, discussed where we can find our passion and our view of work.  I contend we should ultimately be satisfied in Christ, and we should view our work as an opportunity to glorify the Lord.  

But, we can discover our passion and God's purpose for us in other ways.  That is demonstrated by a couple who are both actors, but who find their ultimate satisfaction in their life in God and with one another.

Alexa Vega, of Spy Kids fame, and Carlos Pena of Big Time Rush are married and became Carlos and Alexa PenaVega.  I met them several years ago when I interviewed them about their streaming series, The Power Couple.  A recent Movieguide article spotlighted the couple's move from Hollywood to Hawaii and how there was a definite move away from the entertainment industry in 2017.

Alexa, in a Fox News interview, said: “It started right after we got married...We were just so excited about marriage and the idea of possibly sharing our testimony with others. It felt like everything out in the media depicted marriage as lame. It took the holiness out of marriage. We felt like marriage was this dying thing, and we wanted to reignite it for people and get them excited about it again."

She described the spiritual state of their marriage in those early years:

“We were both trying to figure out what faith meant to each of us individually in the season that we met,” she said. “I was ready to dive in with God. I grew up Christian, but I didn’t quite understand what that meant. I didn’t know what it truly meant to walk with God and represent him here on Earth.”

“At the same time, Carlos was discovering who Jesus was in his life,” she said. “So we both met each other at this foundation-building point in our lives where we were both really hungry to grow in our faith. And that’s how our relationship started. And it was amazing because our entire relationship was based on bible studies, church and our faith.”

The Movieguide article stated, "...the couple found that they struggled to reconcile their faith with their surroundings while working in Hollywood."  And Alexa admits once she embraced Christianity, she wanted more - she related: “I’d never really decided to dive in truly until I was older. I realized there was so much more to Christianity and I craved more for it. But I didn’t have anybody in my life at the time who could guide me… As far as the industry goes, you could see the types of projects I took before, in comparison to the projects I take now."

Carlos and Alexa have written a book called, What if Love is the Point? Living for Jesus in a Self-Consumed World.  Alexa notes: “Part of the reason we wrote this book is that we wanted to focus on our relationship – not just marriage, but our relationship with God. That doesn’t mean the road is going to be easy. But the road will be peaceful. Love is a healer in all things."

They sat down with UInterview.com, and Carlos talked about the importance of determination in the Christian life:

“It takes work,” Carlos agreed. “Most people are like, ‘Oh, I’m a Christian now! Life’s going to be easy.’ No, life’s harder. One word that we talk about in the book is consistency. I really feel that people, especially people who are believers, they really struggle with consistency. I could talk to you right now and say all this, but then I’m gonna go on social media and then in two days you’re gonna see something else and be like, ‘That doesn’t make sense! Is that the guy I just talked to? No way!’ You see so much of that and I feel like Lex and I try really hard to be consistent. What you see is what you get. I’m gonna talk to you the same way I’m gonna talk to they guy down the street who I just met. It does take work. It takes work to keep our family together...

So, what can we consider from the inspiration of the Penavegas?  Well, first of all, we can be motivated to set the right priorities.  And, our list of priorities should be headed by devotion to Christ.  That would be followed by a love and loyalty to our spouses and family, when applicable.  We can be devoted to the Scriptures that encourage us to put others first.  That's not to say we don't take time for ourselves, because we need to be growing in the Lord.

We can also make sure that we are gravitating toward what glorifies God. The world is full of offers and temptations, and there are things that we may encounter that may seem right to us.  We have to make sure that our focus is on pleasing our Lord. 

Certainly we are living in the present.  God has given us this day as a wonderful gift, full of opportunities to honor Him.  But, we can also live for the future.  Our ultimate fulfillment comes not not in this world, but in the world to come.  And, we are called to live, as it's been said, in light of eternity.  One thing we cannot do is live in the past - it won't change.  But, we can change how we view our past by not being held in bondage by it.

Literal

The Word of God is more than just words on a page - it is alive, reflecting the life of the One who has inspired it, who has written it through human scribes. Hebrews 4 says:
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.
13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

How can the Word come alive in us?  First of all, we have to open it up.  The Bible does us no good if we keep it closed.  We also have to open our hearts to receive what the Holy Spirit wants to show us in His Word.  We can be diligent to dig deeply into the Scripture, approaching it with determination, to learn and to grow.  And, we can also meditate on Scripture, thinking about how we can apply what we read into our lives.  

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God's Word is the authority for the life of the Christian, and we can surrender to its principles and live accordingly. We read this in 2nd Timothy chapter 3:
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.

Traditionally, devoted Christians have held to the Bible as being infallible and inerrant. Without error. The Word of the living God.  But is it to be taken "literally?"  A new Gallup poll asks that question, and in the survey summary on the polling organization's website, we find this:

A record-low 20% of Americans now say the Bible is the literal word of God, down from 24% the last time the question was asked in 2017, and half of what it was at its high points in 1980 and 1984. Meanwhile, a new high of 29% say the Bible is a collection of "fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man." This marks the first time significantly more Americans have viewed the Bible as not divinely inspired than as the literal word of God. The largest percentage, 49%, choose the middle alternative, roughly in line with where it has been in previous years.

The phrasing of the so-called "middle alternative," is this: "Inspired by God, not all to be taken literally."

Among those identified as "evangelical or born-again," 40% are in the "literal word of God" category and 51% say it is "inspired by God."

The Christian Post provided some clarification:

Biblical literalism holds that “except in places where the text is obviously allegorical, poetic or figurative, it should be taken literally” as God’s Word, according to Got Questions Ministries, which holds this view of the Bible.

The danger comes when one begins to pick and choose what passages should be taken literally. And, when someone does not believe that certain passages of Scripture do not apply to them or choose to discount principles taught in the Bible, then we run into a danger zone.

As Bruce Hausknecht writes at The Daily Citizen from Focus on the Family:

Asking the right questions, however, can prove to be difficult, and as the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.” And a question that may have sounded correct to people’s ears in the 1970s can cause a different reaction in the 2020s.

I’m no theologian, but when Gallup asks, “Which of the following statements comes closest to describing your views about the Bible?” and then offers me only three choices, none of which any Christian ought to choose, how am I to respond?

He directs readers to the Focus website, which says:

Only the parts that are meant to be taken literally. Of the many kinds of writing in the Bible, some are literal, while others are metaphorical. But isn’t that true of most writing? When the poet William Blake wrote “Tyger, Tyger, burning bright,” he didn’t expect anyone to picture a flaming tiger sprinting through the jungle and smelling of burnt fur, did he? He didn’t mean it literally. And in the Bible, when Jesus said, “I am the door,” He didn’t mean He was made of wood or that He swung on hinges. When He told parables, He was using metaphors.

That is contrasted to "accounts of historical events."  Hausknecht continues: 

And wouldn’t Gallup’s second choice be equally confusing to many Christians today: “inspired by God, not to be taken literally.” God’s word is, of course, “inspired” or God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and when intended to be – see above – should be taken literally. But the way Gallup phrases it, it seems to exclude the possibility of Scripture being both “inspired” and literally true.

The Christian Post article also points out:

The data from the Gallup poll comes less than a year after, a study from Arizona Christian University found that of an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, just 6% or 15 million of them actually hold a biblical worldview.

That would the be the study conducted by George Barna, lead researcher at ACU; the Post noted:

The study found, in general, that while a majority of America’s self-identified Christians, including many who identify as Evangelical, believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is the Creator of the universe, more than half reject a number of biblical teachings and principles, including the existence of the Holy Spirit.

The Love Worth Finding website notes:

Adrian Rogers says, “The God of truth cannot inspire error.” God’s Word is the product of the Spirit of God, therefore it is totally infallible because God is infallible.

We must not only respect its inerrancy, but we must also respect its authority and vitality. There is living power in the Word of God that changes lives and lasts for eternity.

Dr. Rogers also stated: "Perhaps the greatest enemy of the Word of God is found in churches and places of worship where there are those who say that they believe the Bible, but they only give lip service to the fact that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible and authentic Word of God."

Bruce Hausknecht of Focus on the Family offers these thoughts:

Should Gallup be asking something like, “Do you believe the Bible is completely true?”

Would you, as a Christian, have an easier time answering that question?

Or, another possibility: Do you believe the Bible is inerrant – without error – in its original manuscripts?”

So how would you respond to those questions?  I have to say, that if we don't believe in the inerrancy, infallibility, and authenticity of the Word of God, then we become the decider of what is true and what is not.  God's Word is beyond human understanding, and we should not try to reduce His magnanimous wisdom into our fallible human ideas.  If you're going to pick and choose, then what do you keep and what do you throw out?   Well, I guess it's about human convenience, then.  But, God is not about our convenience; His desire is for us to know Him, walk in His love, and reflect His glory.

You know, there are those that say that Jesus is a great teacher, which He is, and they are willing to concentrate on certain things He said and dismiss other parts of God's Word.  C.S. Lewis talked about that concept of Jesus as a "great moral teacher" in his book, Mere Christianity.  He wrote, as we find on the YouVersion website:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. ... Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend: and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God.

And, we have accept God's Word as inspired, inerrant, infallible, and completely authoritative.  To do anything else means that we have subverted God's Word to human reasoning.  It is also important that we recognize that the Jesus as described in Scripture is totally consistent with the rest of the Bible - there are those that would want to separate his earthly ministry from other writers, but we recognize that He inspired it all!!  We cannot build our theology around what we think, but around the "whole counsel of God" - what He thinks!

A Lemon of a Test

We have a unique call and responsibility to display the presence of Christ and to be a witness to a world that needs to know our Savior's love. In Romans 1, Paul writes:
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

From there, Paul writes about expressions and actions that do not line up with the gospel - what can be termed "unrighteousness."  But, there has been a tendency, even within the Church, to mix the truth of Scripture with the toleration of unrighteous acts, ideas, and behavior.  We have to be careful to hold on to the pure teachings of the Word of God, to base our lives on its principles, and to live holy lives, as the Most Holy One has called us to do.

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We can be thankful that we live in a country where religious freedom is a cornerstone principle, a concept that has been upheld recently in multiple Supreme Court decisions. 1st Peter 2 states:
15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men--
16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

In sports such as hockey or soccer, if a team or individual scores three goals, it has performed what is called a "hat trick."  In the most recent term of the U.S. Supreme Court, there was a "hat trick" that occurred in the arena of religious freedom.

In one case, Shurtleff v. Boston, the right of a Christian group to have a Christian flag flown in a special celebration at City Hall in Boston was upheld.  Numerous other requests had been granted, but the Christian request was not. A key element of the case was that apparently, the flag request was denied simply because the group wishing to fly it had stated it would be a Christian flag. 

Another case, Carson v. Makin, restored the rights of parents to send their children to religious schools in a special program in the state of Maine allowing parents to choose other high schools in rural areas where it was impractical to place a high school.  Religious schools were omitted by the state because, well, they were religious.  Another foul.

Then, there was the case of Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, in which the Court ruled that a football coach who had walked to midfield to pray following games and had been terminated was within his Constitutional rights to participate in that free exercise of religion.

Three cases, three examples of threats to religious freedom averted.  In the Kennedy case, an old standard that had been used to decide religious liberty cases was finally put to rest.  A Real Clear Religion article noted two important aspects of the ruling; stating:

First, the Court ruled that Coach Kennedy had a constitutional right to publicly recite a quiet prayer, and in doing so, protected that right for all religious public school employees. Second, in a decision likely to have even broader impact, the Court took the important step of clearly overturning Lemon v. Kurtzman, a 1971 case that has served as a continuing source of harm for religious Americans.

The article went on to note:

The Supreme Court found that the school violated the coach's right to freely exercise his religion. The Court explained that "respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse Republic—whether those expressions take place in a sanctuary or on a field, and whether they manifest through the spoken word or a bowed head." The school's attempt to "punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance" was unconstitutional.

And, the afore-mentioned Lemon test has turned out to be quite the Lemon, indeed.  The Real Clear Religion article notes:

In Lemon v. Kurtzman, the Supreme Court created a highly subjective test that "called for an examination of a law's purposes, effects, and potential for entanglement with religion" in order to determine whether it created an unconstitutional "establishment" of religion. If you find that difficult to understand, you are not alone. No one has ever been able to figure out what the Court actually meant.

The author contended that the Lemon test had been harmful in those three decisions on religious liberty this term, and wrote: 

The Court adopted a new test "in place of Lemon" whereby "the Establishment Clause must be interpreted by reference to historical practices and understandings." While applying this test will require historical research and intellectual rigor, it is far less malleable than the Lemon test. It is safe to say that some of the most anti-religious understandings of Lemon are no longer tenable.

This example is given: "a public school does not violate the Establishment Clause by merely failing to censor private religious speech. The Court went further and explained that under this test, it is clear that that the Establishment Clause does not 'compel the government to purge from the public sphere anything an objective observer could reasonably infer endorses religion.'"

And, the implications?  According to The Washington Stand, this latest ruling...

...could allow for religious displays in front of public buildings, a common occurrence until liberal justices stated that a courthouse in Pittsburgh could no longer erect a Nativity scene and Chanukah menorah during the holiday season in 1989. The liberal justices’ opinion in County of Allegheney v. ACLU cited the now-abandoned Lemon test in its first sentence.

Attorney Ken Klukowski said, "If you could have a nativity display in a courthouse in 1791, then you can have a nativity display..." in the present time. The article goes on to note:

The same logic applies to posting the Ten Commandments in schools or other public places, as well. “It was in Stone v. Graham in 1980 that the Supreme Court struck down Ten Commandments displays in schoolhouses under the Lemon test,” Klukowski continued. Justices said it violated the first prong, that “there’s not a secular purpose to have the Ten Commandments” in the classroom. “Here again, that litmus test is now gone.”

And, here's a stunning tidbit: "Lemon v. Kurtzman has been cited by 2,283 court decisions at all levels of the judiciary, according to a count from CaseText.com."  Real Clear Religion says:

Before Lemon, the Supreme Court had never once found that a person's public display of religion violated the constitution. As Justice Gorsuch noted, "after Lemon, cases challenging public displays under the Establishment Clause came fast and furious."

So, perhaps we are entering a brave new world regarding religious expression without government interference.  But, keep in mind, our right to participate in religious activity is not extended to us by government, but by God.  So, you could contend that it is not a right that can be removed by the heavy hand of government.  

Writing at the New York Post, a writer named Sophia Nelson shared about her experience as a Christian who is a woman of color.  She stated:

When I was the scholar-in-residence at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va., I proudly and openly identified as a Christian woman of color. In October 2021, I criticized DC Comics for making Superman’s son bisexual, saying in a tweet, “I don’t get why this is necessary. I don’t! What if Christian parents of children reading comic books don’t want their kids exposed to bi-sexual characters? This is being pushed on kids.”

You can probably guess what happened next...she writes, "Straight away, my private tweet was brought into my public university workplace, and my Christian faith was attacked as a 'cover for my homophobic views.'" She said she was "sidelined" for the rest of her tenure because of her Christian views.

She goes on to state:

The thing that bothers me most about how people of faith, like Kennedy and myself, are treated is that we are just cut off. Thrown out. Removed. As if we are these hateful, bigoted religious cultists who just want to push our faith on others. That is simply not true. We have a viewpoint. We have a faith that informs how we live and think. A lens through which we process, just as I also have a specific perspective as a black female in America. I do not want to tell others how they should live and think. I simply want to be heard as every American should be.

And, as Nelson contends, in the Kennedy decision, the Supreme Court "seems to agree..." What is notable here is that, in examining one of her social media feeds, the writer could be characterized as being more progressive, yet she felt the heat when she took a stand against the grooming of children through comic books.

Unfortunately, the label "Christian nationalist" has been slapped on Christian believers who want to see a robust expression of their Christian faith in the life of our country, which was founded on those principles.  A recent New York Times piece attempted to draw a straight line between candidates who are stalwart in promoting Christian ideals and this mistaken notion of "Christian nationalism," which has come to be a pejorative term.  Here are some components, in the eyes of the writer, Elizabeth Dias:

The most significant is the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to an abortion — on top of its recent series of decisions allowing for a larger role of religion in public life, such as school prayer and funding for religious education. States have also been taking action; many have instituted abortion bans. A Florida law prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in early elementary school, and Texas has issued an order to investigate parents with transgender children for possible child abuse.

Attention, please!  We are living in times in which Christians who desire to see a strong influence of Biblical principles in our country run the risk of being labeled - homophobe is a common one, "pro-birth" seems to be a subtle swipe at Christians who think the lives of unborn babies should be protected.  "Christian nationalism" is yet another that implies that those of us who love God and love our country are somehow extremists.  That's the tactic - label a person of faith as being extreme and then marginalize him or her.  

Our desire should be to reflect Christ, to live according to His ways, and allow the Scriptures to direct our actions. In every area. Unfortunately, there is this trend that accuses people who embrace these principles and vote accordingly are engaging in "partisan politics," which has come to be a bad thing for people of faith. Honestly, I wish to be known not according to a party label, but based on my worldview.  The label I wear, or at least should wear, is that of Christ.  I should be clothed in Him and known for my devotion to my Lord - so should all of us.  The world can label us all it wants, but we can be totally faithful to Christ. 

And, thankfully, we live in a country where freedom of religion is hard-wired into our founding documents - we can rejoice in that, and take advantage of it to share our Christian beliefs.

Good for Business

We are called to be distinct as believers in the Lord - in fact, 1st Peter 2 describes us as a "peculiar" people. The way we conduct ourselves should be a reflection of Christ within us. 2nd Corinthians 4 says:
2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.

There is the distinction - we are to be people who live and tell the truth.  We should be the most trustworthy people in the room, and what we say should be reliable.  Because we know Christ, we will not give in to worldly influences and stay away from ideologies that are inconsistent with Scripture. Our faithfulness certainly can help to determine the degree to which those who are blinded to the light of Jesus will have the veil covering their minds lifted.  

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The Bible teaches us that every area of our lives should be in submission to Christ and that His principles should govern our actions. That includes insulating ourselves from harmful influences that are counterproductive to the work, the occupation, to which God has called us. Colossians 2 states:
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

The role of corporations in promoting controversial topics has certainly been a matter of debate, especially in light of the Dobbs decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. The news website of Family Research Council, The Washington Stand, highlighted 60 companies who, as of last Monday, had decided to weigh in on their support for abortion - the article said: "60 CEOs raced to announce updated “health care” policies that include thousands of dollars in abortion stipends and travel reimbursement..." The article said:

The New York Times was just one of the outlets scratching its head over Big Business’s “muted response” to Dobbs. “Companies are more vocal than ever on social issues,” reporters Emma Goldberg and Lora Kelley insisted. But “not on abortion.” To the Times, the measured reactions were even more noticeable in June, when the pride deluge is so corporately all-consuming.

And, one of those 60 companies that offered to help fund women's abortions is now facing some legal hot water.  LifeNews.com related, regarding Dick's Sporting Goods, that:

National Review reports America First Legal filed a civil rights complaint against the company Thursday with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, urging an investigation into its new abortion “benefit.”

Dick’s is one of dozens of major companies that recently promised to give their employees money to abort their unborn babies in response to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. The new “benefit” from the sporting goods company provides up to $4,000 for travel expenses for an employee, their spouse or dependents to have an abortion.

“Although Title VII prohibits discrimination based on childbirth, DICK’S does not offer an equivalent paid benefit to a mother who has her baby,” America First Legal said in a statement this week.

The LifeNews.com article pointed out:

Most companies couched their pro-abortion stance in terms of “health care,” claiming women need abortions to be healthy and free. But these companies are encouraging the elective, unnecessary killing of unborn babies in abortions through these new benefits.

What women and their babies need is real support, and pro-life advocates are striving to provide it. Along with passing the heartbeat law last year, Texas state lawmakers also increased support for pregnant and parenting mothers and babies, ensuring that they have resources to choose life for their babies. Other pro-life advocates across the U.S. also are working to expand support services for families in need, through pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and even pregnant and parenting mothers in prison.

The Washington Stand, in another article, highlighted one company that decided to go in a different direction than those who promoted abortion to their employees.  The company is Buffer Insurance, based in Texas; the article states:

On June 27, the company announced on Facebook and Instagram that it will “pay the medical costs for our employees who birth babies” as well as “provide paid time off … to have maternity & paternity leave” and “pay for the medical costs associated with adopting a baby.”

The insurance company went on to announce that other companies are welcome to contact them to learn more about how they can offer similar benefits to their employees. “We have ready-to-use policies you can add to your employee handbooks,” Buffer stated in a Facebook post.

A recent Meeting House guest, Mary Szoch, FRC's Director of the Center for Human Dignity, stated: “Buffer Insurance’s announcement that they will cover medical expenses for birthing, maternity and paternity leave, and adoption for all of their employees reveals that the company values women in their entirety — including their capacity to be mothers,” adding, “Buffer Insurance clearly recognizes that women bring something unique to the table — that because of their innate ability to collaborate with the Creator in bringing life into the world, the contributions of women are distinct from those of men.”

And, CBN reports that...

In response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Orlando-based Christ for All Nations (CfaN) announced that it will reimburse employees for adoption expenses up to $5,000.

CfaN says that includes reimbursement adoption application fees, relevant home studies, agency and placement fees, legal fees and court costs, immigration, immunization, and translation fees, transportation, meals, and lodging, as well as parent, child, and family adoption counseling.

There is much to say about corporate responsibility - rather than participate in divisive stands that are unbiblical, there are those who wish to affirm motherhood and even adoption, which are non-controversial and consistent with Scripture. It's a matter of affirming what is or could be right in our society, rather than break it down and decrease its numbers through abortion.  

The pro-life movement has been and continues to do that every single day. 

We can consider how can we use our companies to exalt Christ - operate by Christian principles in how it treats its customers and its employees.  Compassion should not be a controversial issue and should be good for business.  But, being "good for business" is not the primary aim to exhibit compassion - for the Christian in the business world, it should be a guiding principle that honors God. And, we can know that God blesses those who align themselves with His ways.

But, all in all, we should strive to be people of conviction in our dealings with others. And, if we are putting Christ first, then we will, as Scripture teaches, put people first.  If we are putting Him first, we will be people who can be trusted. And, we will not present an image that is tarnished by a willingness to embrace worldly ideologies.

House of Refuge

Christians are called to seek out the deep things of God and to develop a relationship with Him that is marked by a reliance on His Spirit to give us wisdom and understanding, which can apply to difficult situations. 1st Corinthians 2 states:
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.
16 For "who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

The mind of Christ - we can have glorious fellowship with our Savior and know that He walks with us. He will activate our minds as we read and study the Word and as we keep the lines of communication open in prayer.  The wisdom of God is available to us, but we have to make sure that we are renewing our minds, as Romans 12, says, so that we can know Him better and walk in His ways. He gives us discernment so that we can reject the negative influences of this world.

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Proverbs 2 highlights for us the ability to discern and walk in wisdom that is given to us by the presence of the Holy Spirit; we can read these words:
10 When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness...

She had a "bad feeling" about what she saw.  She followed the adage, "when you see something, say something."  The scenario - a Florida woman, according to a Faithwire story, saw two children on bicycles, with an older man behind them, but it didn't look right.  The article referenced a story that ran on WTVT Television - that story said: "She told FOX 13 she was outside a nearby church when she realized something was wrong."  

Apparently, the suspect had connected with the children outside a local restaurant and said he would help them get home.

The story went on to say that law enforcement officers related that the suspect "had already hit one of the elementary school age kids in the head multiple times and had one of them in a headlock."  The woman said, "One of the little girls was mouthing to me, ‘Please help me, this is not my dad...'"

The suspect is a 37-year-old man named David Daniels.  The Faithwire article went on to say:

Rather than panic, the woman reportedly had a conversation with Daniels — who at one point allegedly hit one of the girls in the head several times — and she welcomed the girls inside the house of worship.

“I engaged in conversation with him,” she told WTVT-TV.

The article relates:

The woman called 911 and saved the children, who allegedly believed they were being kidnapped. Now, she’s getting a lot of attention for her kind actions — but doesn’t want recognition.

“I don’t want any recognition for this. I don’t want to be a hero,” she said. “I just did what I hope anybody would do for my own kids.”

Daniels faces "two counts of false imprisonment of a child and child abuse," according to the television station, which quoted the woman as saying: "There are moms out there who are like me. They are going to recognize the signs, and they are going to know what to do," adding, "In that moment, I didn't know if I was going to have the right answer. But they are fine, and they are home today."

The WFLA website shared some insight into the reaction of church members; stating:

Derek Zitco got a frantic call from a woman at his church.

“She calls and I can barely understand what she’s saying, ‘can you get down here quickly, there’s a guy,'” Zitco said.

He rushed a few blocks to his church and found several adults who had barricaded two young girls inside of the building to keep them away from a man on the outside.

“What I was told by the adults that were still there is that this guy had his hands kind of on their necks and was kind of controlling them, saying he was their father and they were obviously shaking their heads saying no,” said Zitco.

They managed to keep the man away from the girls and called 9-1-1.

Zitco said, "The police had actually told us that day that he had skipped bail from Alabama from doing the exact same thing just weeks before..."  The television station reported:

Police in Foley, Alabama had arrested Daniels earlier in June when he claimed there were injured girls in a shed.

Police found no evidence of injured girls and arrested Daniels for criminal trespassing and public intoxication.

Daniels was later released on bond in Alabama, but then traveled out of state to Florida to stay at a relatives house. His troubles in Hillsborough County began after his arrest in Alabama.

A Florida state representative, according to the article, has attempted to get Daniels' bond revoked, State Representative Mike Beltran stated: “He’s obviously a danger to the community. He’s created now a pattern of doing this and the circumstances of the crime show that he doesn’t realize that he did something wrong and that he needs to stop doing this..."

A similar story was circulating more recently about a lady at Stone Mountain Park who encountered a lost child - a woman attempted to claim the child, but the woman didn't feel quite right about it. She contacted a park ranger, and soon thereafter, the real mother showed up. Kelly Pittman said, according to WSB Television:

“I look back and think, ‘What if I had given him to that woman?’ And it just makes me sick,” Pittman said. “I think God was with me, and He was giving me the right instincts in the moment.”

There's plenty to discuss with respect to these stories.  One thing that came to mind about the Florida incident was that people in the church were sensitized to danger.  It's reminiscent of the church shootings in Southern California and Vestavia Hills over the past few months, in which brave church members acted selfishly to save lives.  I would think the woman who led the girls to safety in the church building undoubtedly saw the church as a safe place, and it turns out that is exactly what occurred.

And, there is a glorious idea - the church as a place of refuge.  People should feel safe to bring their burdens and cares to the church, without condemnation or judgment, and receive Christlike love and life-changing truth so that they can be healed.  The house of the Lord is a sanctuary for sinners - which includes all of us - but it is a place where sin can be confessed and forgiven and that healing can take place.

Also, consider the intuition that was exhibited by the heroines in both these stories - they acknowledged that something wasn't right.  I do believe in mother's intuition.  And, I believe in the intuitive nature that Christian believers have through the Holy Spirit.  We can know that, if we belong to Christ, God goes with us and He will lead us by His Spirit and activate our spirits to know how to respond in situations we encounter.  We have to be attuned to how He is directing us.

Shout It

God is calling us to walk in a steadfast manner, with our lives firmly built on His strong foundation, and living according to the principles we find in the Word of God. Colossians chapter 2 relates:
5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

The culture around us is unstable: there is moral decay and economic peril all around us. But, in the midst of it, we find that we can exhibit a resolve that comes from our knowledge of Jesus Christ. We can have peace in crisis and rejoice in God's faithfulness to His people.  Where there is anxiety, we can have the assurance that God is with us. We can be bold to speak in accordance with what God's Word teaches, even though culture at large is trending the other way.

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In a series of admonitions in the final chapter of the book of 1st Corinthians, Paul encourages us to stand strong in the Lord. We find these words in 1st Corinthians 16:
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done with love.

In the news and entertainment media, you might get the sense that the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has the potential to save thousands and ultimately millions of unborn lives, is the most unfair decision that has ever been made.  The fever pitch with which some people express their misguided opinions has become seemingly more and more intense.

There is certainly a deficiency of people in the entertainment sector that would dare to support such a heinous decision, as it's been erroneously described. Faithwire spotlighted a pro-life voice in Hollywood who is lauding the Court's decision. 

Her name is Kimberly Elise, and she posted on Instagram: “Millions of babies will be saved from death by abortion due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” adding, “Hallelujah! #allglorybetoGod.” The story notes:

She included a video along with her message that featured the image of a baby, the song “Jesus Loves Me,” and text from Psalm 139:13-14, Scriptures that are overwhelmingly pro-life.

These verses read (NIV), “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

But, she did receive her share of "blowback," as the article notes.  

Elise re-dedicated her life to Christ back in 2019, and Faithwire states, "the actress has been very vocal about her Christian faith."  It relates:

In fact, she celebrated her 54th birthday last year by getting re-baptized. She said in an Instagram post she was first baptized at age 16 but fell into the world. Still, Elise said God never left her.

“The Holy Spirit never left me. Though I didn’t always make the best choices over all these years, the Holy Spirit kept a hedge of protection around me to keep me from falling too, too far astray,” she wrote. “And God continuously blessed me greatly in spite of my errors.”

In a quote from a PureFlix.com article, she says, "If you don’t know Jesus, seek Him before it’s too late, and there are no more chances, believe, repent and surrender to Him...If you knew Him once but lost your way, repent, call out to Him — He wants you to come home too.”

We should be diligent to proclaim our faith. In word and action.  And, our trust in Christ and knowledge of the Word informs our views on the sanctity of life and the dignity of every person, including the unborn.  In an age in which celebrities are saying, "Shout your abortion!," we can be determined to proclaim and live out our faith.

Our deeply held beliefs affect our views - while some would denigrate our taking a Biblical stand on issues as inappropriate "political" involvement that Christians should not be involved in, we can be steadfast in allowing the Word of God to inform how we approach life and how we engage on critical issues.