ADVENT 13 (Bread of Life): Doing the Work

We are on the 13th day of the 25-day Christmas Advent-ure at Faith Radio, exploring 25 symbols that are associated with the life and ministry of our Savior. I want to refer to the sufficiency of Christ, which comes to mind as we think together about His reference to Himself as the Bread of Life, according to John 6:35, which says, "’I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’”

Jesus comes to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our souls - He said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. He has saved, is sanctifying, and is satisfying the deep longing of our souls, and appointed us to help people find that sense of satisfaction in Him.

Earlier this week, I lamented what seems to be a coordinated crusade against the Christian faith principles of a fellow believer who aspires to serve his country in the new President's Cabinet.  This flies in the face of the Constitution, which says that a "religious test" should not be used.  And, Christians have a great opportunity to shine the light of Christ when they participate as a civil authority. 

I was delighted to come across an article recently the story of an associate pastor at a very large church in Dallas.  His name is Scott Turner.  The Christian Post relates that, "In a statement...Trump announced his selection of Scott Turner, who is listed as an associate pastor at the multi-campus Prestonwood Baptist Church based in Plano, to serve as HUD secretary."

The article goes on to say:

Trump credited Turner, who served in the first Trump administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, with "helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country's most distressed communities."

It states that Turner played in the NFL and served in the Texas House of Representatives. Also, as the article notes, "Turner also serves on the board of the American Cornerstone Institute, an organization established by Carson after the first Trump administration to advance the principles of faith, liberty, community and life."

Two men for whom I have a great deal of respect lauded the choice; The Christian Post said:

Prestonwood Senior Pastor Jack Graham praised Turner as a "glorious choice" and a "great man" in a statement posted to X Friday.

Graham expressed confidence Turner "will do a tremendous job in this important responsibility."

Carson called Scott a "natural born leader, a man of God, and a truly brilliant individual," calling his selection "phenomenal."

After he left the White House after Trump's first term, Turner was active in developing programs to help communities by implementing Christ-centered principles.  The Christian Post article related:

The Community Engagement & Opportunity Council, which Turner founded in 2021, operates Learning Labs, which are as "Christ-centered reading enhancement programs for Kindergarten through 5th grade students" that encourage the children to "have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" and teaches them Bible verses as they work to help the children gain the reading comprehension skills needed to read at grade level.

The CEOC's First Down Mentorship Program provides student-athletes with interactive sessions about professional etiquette, the difference between role and identity, financial literacy, social media presence, safety and resume building. The program concludes with a summer internship at one of the CEOC's partner organizations.

There's a quote that has made the rounds concerning the nature of evangelism, defining it as one sinner telling another one where to find bread.  Jesus, the Bread of Life, is highly accessible, and through Him, expressed by His followers, people can discover the soul satisfaction that they are looking for.

Here you have a minister, someone who has been involved in public service, who is taking another bite of that civic apple, if you will.  And, since He worked in the halls of government, he has been implementing principles so that people might discover hope, through Biblically-based programs that can help improve a person's well-being.  

And, when it comes right down to it, as Christ-followers, we are hope-bringers; not the source of hope - that's Jesus - but those who carry His light, who are empowered by Him, and who reflect His glory to a world that needs to see that God's Word is true, that Jesus is reliable, and that He loves people.   Scott Turner has served on a church staff, but He has also been used of God to deliver creative ministry that helps people - that is the kind of civil servant we need, and generally, we should be devoted to being servants who depend on God to inspire and empower us to do His will.