A Safe Environment

Families that are built on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ have the potential to create an atmosphere that nurtures the children and helps them grow spiritually, physically, and emotionally, and provides a tremendous blessing for parents. And, that can apply to areas of adoption and foster care. Psalm 127 offers this insight:
(1) Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.
It goes on to say:
3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.

Other translations say that children are a "gift" from the Lord.

Actress Jen Lilley and her husband certainly believe that, and realizing their home is built on Christ, they can provide a loving environment even for children whom they choose to foster.  That's based on a CBN article, which relates that her exposure to foster care started when she was young - the article quotes her as saying:

“My parents were kind of what I call unofficial foster parents. My dad was a judge and my mom was a director of a women and children’s charity.”

Because of these roles, the family couldn’t legally foster children, but that preclusion didn’t “stop them from having compassion,” she said.

“Our home was kind of a rotating door at times for people that maybe just needed help transitioning and bridging in their life,” she said. “So, the idea of a child living in my home who wasn’t in my immediate family was not scary to me.”

She and her husband Jason embarked on the fostering journey by taking a little girl into their home; CBN reports:

The actress said her Christian faith motivated her to foster and adopt.

“When love is your motive, you have to look at these kids,” Lilley said. “You can’t look away.”

She is especially troubled, though, that the state of Vermont has shut the door on Christian parents adopting.  The article states:

Lilley also spoke out against Vermont reportedly blocking Christian families from adopting over their biblical beliefs — a story that made headlines last year after two families filed a lawsuit.

At the time, the actress warned the decision by Vermont’s Department for Children and Family Services to ax two families’ licenses was a constitutional violation.

“This action not only violates our constitutional rights but also jeopardizes the well-being of children in dire need of safe, loving homes,” she said. “The government is deciding that it’s safer for a child to remain in a dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation than to live in a home with Christian beliefs? Make it make sense.”

A statement from the Department for Children and Families expressed concern that Christian parents would not affirm a foster child's sexual orientation and/or gender identity.  The CBN article adds that Lilley has a strong message for the Church:

Lilley doesn’t know where the issue will go or what will unfold but added that the church needs to think deeper about the next steps, especially if Christians are de-licensed.

“Maybe that looks like the church stepping in before the government, opening up their homes as safe homes — that’s a thing,” Lilley said. “And how beautiful would that be if single moms, single dads, families that are going through crisis say, ‘I don’t have the ability to safely provide for my child,’ and the church steps up and says, ‘We have five homes within our church, how can we wrap around you? How can we serve you? How about we take care of your children and actually provide them love, stability, and safety?'”

There are two issues here - one is the bias against Christians in Vermont who have desired to foster, yet they have been prevented from adopting, reportedly due to their Christian faith.  That is another situation of calling good, evil, and prevents qualified, loving parents who are called by God from living out their faith and providing a safe, nurturing environment for a child.   

We can also recognize that there are children who are needing that loving environment, either through adoption and/or foster care.  Sometimes, foster care will lead to adoption.  Christian parents can be selected, trained, and equipped in order to provide a loving, Christ-centered home and become part, at least for a limited period of time, of that family.  We can also choose to walk in love and consider how God might use us to share His love. 

No Longer in Decline?

Each of us, as believers in Christ, are called to advance the Kingdom of God. We are part of the body of Christ, and we have been empowered and equipped by God to do His will - and there is an expectation that we will grow in the Lord. In Ephesians 6, as Paul concludes a passage relative to the armor of God, he writes:
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

We are entrusted with the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and as we are faithful to be obedient to the Lord, we can be involved with the growth of the Church.

But, Pew Research has shown since a Religious Landscape Study in 2007 that the percentage of the population identified as Christian has been in decline.  The second RLS occurred in 2014, and the most recent, the third, took place over a portion of 2023 and 2024.  The main takeaway?  According to a survey summary at the Pew Research website:

The latest RLS, fielded over seven months in 2023-24, finds that 62% of U.S. adults identify as Christians. That is a decline of 9 percentage points since 2014 and a 16-point drop since 2007.

That certainly is not encouraging news - from 78% in 2007 to 62% in the most recent study. But, there is a nugget inside the survey summary. Pew notes: "But for the last five years, between 2019 and 2024, the Christian share of the adult population has been relatively stable, hovering between 60% and 64%. The 62% figure in the new Religious Landscape Study is smack in the middle of that recent range."

As an example, there has been a downward trend among Protestants, but that has leveled off, according to Pew, which reports:

• Evangelical Protestants now account for 23% of all U.S. adults, down from 26% in 2007.
• Mainline Protestants stand at 11%, down from 18% in 2007.
• Members of historically Black Protestant churches make up 5% of U.S. adults, down slightly from 7% in 2007.

It goes on to say:

Like the overall Christian share of the population, however, the total Protestant share of the population has been quite stable in recent years, hovering between 40% and 42% since 2019.

And, over the last 17 years, what is called "nondenominational Protestantism" has risen from 4.5% of American adults in 2017 to 7.1% now. 

What about those "nones" that have been identified over the years - "religiously unaffiliated adults," defined by Pew as "those who identify as atheists, agnostics or as 'nothing in particular' when asked about their religion?" Well, those are just under 30% of U.S. adults. But, the summary notes, "The size of the religiously unaffiliated population, which we sometimes call religious 'nones,' has plateaued in recent years after a long period of sustained growth."

There is a ton of information in this massive survey, so I'm likely to be returning to it.  I'd like to make a couple of observations.  One is that the Church may have been in decline, but history has taught us that the Church will always survive.  Because God has His hand on His Church, His body, and as Jesus said in Matthew 16: "...on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  So, the staying power, even throughout the rise and fall of the Church, is the victorious power of the Holy Spirit.

And, keep in mind that this is a survey of American religious practices.  But, there are areas of the world where the Church is exploding, even in areas where persecution is high.  In the fires of affliction, God is doing a tremendous work, bringing people to Him and strengthening the body of Christ, even when persecution would threaten to weaken it.  

While an end to decline isn't exactly something you would think we would want to celebrate, perhaps we can see a shift occurring, and these statistics are an indicator.  As Paul relates in Ephesians 6, we can continue to be in prayer for the Church - that we might all grow spiritually and that we might be faithful to share what God has done in our lives and effectively communicate the gospel message. 

Another Chapter in the Sexual Revolution

I speak often about God's divine order - He has a plan and gives us principles by which we can live our lives. If we abide in Him, if we walk in His ways, we can experience what He has in store for us. But, departure from His ways will lead to unbiblical outcomes. Joshua chapter 1 underscores the importance of walking in obedience to the Word of God:
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 has instituted marriage and the family, through which He carries out His purposes. But, the enemy wants to destroy the family - he provides all sorts of alternatives that are inconsistent with the principles of Scripture: when God calls for purity, the enemy integrates impurity.  God's plan for sexuality is being corrupted by the enemy and his ways. 

Consider this news out of the state of Maryland, which illustrates a disregard for the family, and specifically the innocence of children.  Live Action reported last week:

Lawmakers in Maryland have advanced a bill that would allow public schools to add vending machines that contain condoms and other forms of birth control. It passed in the House on Friday 89-41.

House Bill 380, Prohibition on Sale of Contraceptives and Contraceptive Devices by Vending Machine in School – Repeal, would remove criminal penalties, including a $1,000 fine, “related to the sale of certain contraceptives and contraceptive devices by means of a vending machine or other automatic device at certain schools; and generally relating to the sale of contraceptives and contraceptive devices in school.” If signed into law it would take effect on October 1, 2025, and would include “kindergarten, nursery school, or elementary or secondary school.”

Now, notice this contrast: "Supporters of the bill argue that repealing the law will modernize the state’s reproductive health policies and improve teenage access to contraception. Opponents, however, say that birth control vending machines will remove parental oversight and prioritize easy contraception access without education."

One of the representatives, Kathy Szeliga, is quoted as saying: “MD lawmakers have officially lost their minds. Condom vending machines in SCHOOLS—from preschools to high schools? Yes, you read that right,” adding, “Thanks to HB 380, the ‘Condoms for Kiddies’ bill, your child’s school could soon be a one-stop shop for birth control. What’s next, hormone therapy at recess? This is what happens when the people in charge put ideology over common sense."

But, thanks to a committee over in the Maryland Senate, the bill will move no further, with Fox 45 in Baltimore reporting:

A bill that would've allowed condoms and other birth control to be dispensed via vending machines in schools was unanimously rejected in Friday's State Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee meeting.

Szeliga was quoted in that article, as well - she was identified as Vice President of the Maryland Freedom Caucus, and she related in a press release: "This is a huge win for Maryland families...The Maryland Freedom Caucus led the charge in exposing the radical nature ofHB380, and today’s vote proves that even members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee couldn’t defend it. Maryland parents have spoken, and lawmakers were forced to listen.”

Life Site News stated...

...while supporters frame such policies as a simple matter of making “protection” available, critics warn that facilitating easy access to contraceptives gives tacit support to youth sexual promiscuity, exacerbating problems related to morality, teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases rather than curbing them.

And, as the article pointed out, Planned Parenthood "is notorious for promoting ideas about underage so-called 'safe sex' that are anything but." The article went on to say:

Examples include its chatbot app “Roo,” intended for teens as young as 13 that suggested there is no right age to begin sexual activity and encourages birth control while also neglecting to note that no method is 100% effective;

Also, Life Site News mentioned Planned Parenthood's "sex education executive Bill Taverner, who advocates teaching children about pornography; flyers distributed to middle schoolers telling kids they don’t need parents’ permission for abortion or birth control; 'sex is hot' Facebook ads apparently targeted at teen girls; and much, much more.

The society in which we live has embraced a permissiveness that is so intent on promoting an anti-Biblical worldview on sexuality, leading to the destruction of innocence and breakdown of the family.  While culture, and even areas of the Church, have become desensitized on these issues, Christian parents have the duty and obligation to teach their children Biblical principles related to best practices according to Scripture.

That means protecting kids from corrupt ideas being sold to them through pornography and various forms of entertainment. Christians should develop the mindset of upholding the authority of Scripture in light of cultural trends.  Under the guise of liberation of the young, public officials have championed truly destructive policies.  It's all part of the devil's scheme to skew a child's viewpoint of sexuality, and by so doing, to undermine marriage and the family, which are institutions ordained by God for His good purposes.

Stop, Thief!

God has given us His Word so that we might know His heart and have direction for our lives. His Word even empowers us to walk in obedience. Deuteronomy chapter 10 says:
12 "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
13 and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

There's an example out of England involving a violation of one of the 10 Commandments - by stealing Biblical artwork, including a rendering of the 10 Commandments!  As The Christian Post reports:

Thieves have stolen a mural of the Ten Commandments and other Victorian murals from a church in Lincolnshire, England. Having discovered the missing artwork and two other Victorian paintings, representatives of St. Andrew’s Church in Little Steeping wondered if they had read the Eighth Commandment.

All three were displayed in heavy wooden frames and depicted religious themes, including the Lord’s Prayer and Moses delivering the commandments, The Telegraph reported. Police have not confirmed their precise market value, but said they “have sentimental value to the church and its members.”

The Post article went on to include the words of churchwarden Basil Harwood, who said, according to the Independent: "They probably wanted to learn a bit more about the commandment ‘Thou shalt not steal,’...They clearly didn’t read it when they stole it. And if they did, they obviously didn’t understand it."

The Christian Post goes on to say:

Police have circulated descriptions of the stolen artwork to local dealers and haven't linked this theft to other incidents.

Harwood said he's relieved nothing else was damaged.

The congregation hopes the thieves recognize the Ten Commandments text and rethink their act.

Right now, courts and legislatures are attempting to consider the subject of posting the 10 Commandments in schools. This is especially important as courts consider religious liberty cases under new standards established in the Coach Joe Kennedy Case.   

Back in 1980, in the case of Stone v. Graham, involving a Kentucky law requiring the Commandments to be posted in schools, Justice William Brennan on the U.S. Supreme Court, according to Education Week, made these comments regarding young people reading the Ten Commandments

“If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments..."

That's certainly a noble goal - students ideally should read the Commandments and perhaps heed them. However, the justice threw cold water on that premise, stating: "However desirable this might be as a matter of private devotion, it is not a permissible state objective under the Establishment Clause.”

Justice Brennan, the article noted, "said the Kentucky statute did not pass muster under the Supreme Court’s then-prevailing “Lemon” test for evaluating government support for religion. The test, from the 1971 case of Lemon v. Kurtzman, says that a statute must have a secular legislative purpose; its primary effect must neither advance nor inhibit religion, and it must not foster an excessive government entanglement with religion."

Brennan noted, “This is not a case in which the Ten Commandments are integrated into the school curriculum, where the Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like,” adding, “Posting of religious texts on the wall serves no such educational function..."

Of course, we know that God's Word does not return void, and we're talking about more than so-called "private devotion" - we recognize that the 10 Commandments, as Justice Rehnquist said in his dissent to the court's majority decision in Stone, "have had a significant impact on the development of secular legal codes of the Western World.”  That's a quote from the Education Week article, which says that Rehnquist noted that the 10 Commandments are "undeniably a sacred text."

The 10 Commandments, like all of Scripture, are intended not only to be read, but heeded.  So, these thieves in England obviously were not heeding the Commandments when they stole them.  From a church. And, the justices in 1980 on the high court denied school children in Kentucky the opportunity to be exposed to those sacred truths, which could have, as I believe it's been pointed out, changed their behavior. 

We also can see how our inability to keep the 10 Commandments show us the need for a Savior, as Ray Comfort says.  We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, the Bible says, and we need the power of God's Word operating in our lives so that we can come into salvation through Christ and live in a manner that pleases God.  

The enemy, as the parable of the sower shows us in Mark 4, will come to steal the word from our hearts.  He is a thief and we have to contend against im in the power of the Spirit to keep the Word growing in our hearts.  James tells us to be doers of the Word and not just hearers.  So, we can keep our ears - and our hearts - open to allow the message of Christ to energize our hearts and our walk with the Lord.

True Freedom

With the presence of Jesus Christ in our hearts, we can walk in true freedom - He empowers us to resist the power of the enemy of our souls, manifested through sinful desires, so that we might walk in victory in the true identity He has provided. 2nd Corinthians 3 provides this reminder:
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Jesus has triumphed over the power of sin and death, and we can recognize that He has defeated the power of past ways in order to live a life that pleases Him.

But, there are those that do not believe that Jesus can set a homosexual free from desires and a lifestyle that contradicts the teachings of Scripture.  Homosexuality is regarded in some circles as a special condition that is to be accommodated rather than defeated.

Daren Mehl is not numbered among those with that set of beliefs. He is a former Meeting House guest, and serves as President of a ministry called Voice of the Voiceless. He wrote a piece for The Christian Post recently, in which he said:

As a pastor and a Christian who has walked a path from identifying as “gay Christian” to living faithfully as God desires, I’m troubled by the ongoing censorship of Christian ex-LGBT testimonies like mine in the digital public square. My journey is one of transformation and redemption, marked by a deep conviction that homosexual desires and behaviors are sinful, which then led to repentance and eventual marriage to my wife, who was identified as queer when we first married. Our marriage, an act of faith, has endured for 19 years, and we have found strength and guidance in the church that loved us as we sought God's truth.

He went on to say:

As I grew in my knowledge of God, I came to realize the traumas and lies I believed as a child. The truth of God’s Word broke those lies and brought healing to my broken heart — He set me free from the shame of being “less than” other men. At the same time, growing in intimacy with my wife, and in brotherly affection for my male friends, I found romantic and sexual desires for men disappeared.

But, he is concerned that stories like his are not being allowed to be told by the dominant media culture.  One positive development, as Daren related:

Amazon recently announced that they are allowing scholar Ryan Anderson’s book When Harry Became Sally, which is critical of transgender ideology, to be sold on its platform, after censoring it for years.

But, other books, he charges, are still being censored.  And, he provides a stirring reminder that there is still work to do in giving those who have been set free by Jesus in this area a voice in the culture.  Mehl wrote:

...LGBT activists still maintain their grip on the cultural discourse and many platforms. The exclusion of the ex-LGBT community and our testimonies is not just a matter of oversight; it is a direct affront to the principles of diversity and inclusion that these platforms purport to uphold. It was the work of a single homosexual activist on change.org to appeal to Amazon to delete the books of those who left the LGBT identity and life behind, even though he admitted that he never read them. A campaign that I ran in response to this to have our books restored was met with silence, highlighting the hypocrisy of those who preach inclusion but practice exclusion when it comes to voices like ours.

Voice of the Voiceless still does not have a presence on Meta. Neither does Restored Hope Network, which has a similar mission.  And Daren expresses legal and constitutional concerns, stating:

This issue transcends mere censorship; it is a matter of religious liberty and freedom of speech. The ability to share our testimonies and lived experiences with Jesus Christ is integral to our faith and our mission as Christians to evangelize and disciple and is protected by the Civil Rights Act and the First Amendment. By silencing our stories, our books, and our community, these platforms are not only stifling our voices but also undermining our civil rights as well as the fabric of religious freedom in this country.

Seemingly, those that shout the loudest about inclusion seem to also be devoted to silencing or attempting to discredit Christian voices. Daren stated: "True diversity and inclusion mean embracing all voices, even those that challenge popular narratives."

But, we can find that elements of the truth of Scripture are not being allowed to be communicated in the public square.  We can be devoted to making a bold declaration of what Jesus has done in a person's life, compelling stories that need to be heard.  And, no story is so insignificant that God can't use it to transform someone, to lead that person into a relationship with His Son. 

Daren Mehl's story is probably different from your story.  But how you came to Christ - described as your testimony - is significant, as well, and if you're confident in the work of God in your heart and your life, that can produce boldness to share truth.  Just because the world might reject you, your story, and your God, doesn't mean it's not worth sharing.  And, we have to make sure that we are focused on God's overwhelming power to overcome sin that is given to all believers.

The Long Game

God is touching hearts and changing lives in various parts of the world, and we recognize that as His people are obedient to share what He has done and communicate the gospel, the Word will go forth and salvation will flow. Isaiah 57 states:
15 For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend forever, Nor will I always be angry; For the spirit would fail before Me, And the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry and struck him; I hid and was angry, And he went on backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him; I will also lead him, And restore comforts to him And to his mourners.
19 "I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near," Says the Lord, "And I will heal him."

He is the One who saves, the One who heals the broken heart. Jesus brings restoration and redemption and that passage brings insight into who He is. 

In the Amazon rain forest of northwestern Brazil, the Spirit of God is moving.  A CBN.com story relates:

The Amazon River here in the northern part of Brazil is filled with hundreds of these small tributaries that in essence snake through the jungle, and over the many years evangelical Christians have been traversing these waters in an attempt to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Amazonian people.

The rain forest covers 6 million square miles in South America, with a population of some 30 million people.

Josué Bengtson is a local pastor who, according to the article, "has spent decades traversing the river's intricate network, first as a missionary then as a pastor spreading the evangelical message of salvation."
He is quoted as saying: "Back when we started evangelizing in this region, we had just a few workers and, in some municipalities, pastors had to walk 10 to 15 km to open a congregation," adding, "Today, almost all medium-sized churches in the Amazon have a small boat."

Thousands of churches have been established in the area, and the pastor relates that "In the first six months of this year we baptized 14,500 people. Our goal for this year is to baptize over 30,000 people..."

CBN also highlighted the work of Esequiel Santo, who stated, "I was 15 years old when God called me to reach the unreached peoples of the Amazon..." The article says:

Santo spent 32 years as a missionary in the jungle's interior.

"One of the biggest challenges was the isolation and getting used to living among the indigenous or riverside communities," Santo said. "But God was with us in the work, we saw lives being transformed, so many people heard the gospel and now we are seeing the fruits."

The article goes on to say:

José Eustaquio Alves, a leading Brazilian sociologist, says evangelical churches here benefit from long term pastors or missionaries like Santo who foster deep community ties and growth.

He says: "I think that the revival that we have been waiting for here in Brazil is happening in the Amazon..."

CBN concludes the article by saying:

Evangelical Christians often must rely on small canoes or medium-sized boats to hold church services and other ministry activities as they reach remote regions.

Meanwhile, church teams from Brazil's major cities send volunteers here to conduct educational, humanitarian, and medical missions.

This outreach often helps introduce people to the gospel message.

These pastors, missionaries and many others laboring in this vast expanse believe the shift is more than just a change in religious practice – it's a movement that promises to redefine the region's spiritual and social landscape for generations to come.

So, in the midst of the trees, in the forest, God is growing lives devoted to Christ. And, He is reaping His harvest, with thousands coming to the Lord and being baptized, an outward expression of the inner work of the Spirit.  We can be reminded that God is not bound by time, space, or location - He will provide the means for His Word to go forth.

We can also reflect on the importance of planting seeds.  Apparently, this move of God is something that Christians in the Amazon region have been praying and trusting God for.  Now, the seeds have grown into a bountiful harvest.  They didn't give up - those called to share the gospel have continued to be faithful, to wait on God.  That's a great lesson for all of us; we may not see the end result, but we recognize that, as it's been said, the results are up to God - in His time, according to His plan. We are called to be faithful servants who are devoted to doing His will.

Doesn't Have to be Distasteful

Because of the presence of Christ within us, we can walk in a way that is distinct from the world. We are not of this world, but Jesus has placed us within this world in order to shine His light, to be a strong witness for Him. We can read these words of exhortation in 1st John chapter 2:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The Movieguide website has spotlighted comedian Nate Bargatze recently, not only to announce his starring role in a commercial that was shown during the Super Bowl, but also to highlight the influence that another Christian comic had on his life. The article states:

Nate Bargatze is grateful to God for putting a fellow Christian comedian in his life early on in his career.

“God [is] watching me all the time — the fact that He put me with you,” Bargatze said during an episode of Anjelah Johnson-Reyes’s FUNJELAH podcast. “Because, imagine if — I could have went out with so many other comics that do not have God in their life and are just dudes that are going to be dumb and whatever. That could have been — we were together so long, that could have spiraled me into a whole other realm, but He put me with you, someone that was like-minded with me.”

He added, “You’ve openly always talked about your faith, and so that was just nice for me to see.”

The article went on to say:

In a 2019 interview with Relevant Magazine, he said that when he started working as a comedian in Chicago, it was “the first time that I ever met people that either weren’t religious or didn’t believe in God.”

“A lot of people that I was around weren’t Christians and didn’t grow up in the church or anything,” Bargatze continued. “Sometimes guys can go away from that, but it just made me get more into it, because I just thought, ‘Why do you think you’re right?’ I’ve always said I trust my parents more than I trust anybody else I ever met.”

The Movieguide piece also referenced a Fox News interview, in which he said: “It’s how I grew up. I grew up that way. I come from a Christian family and Southern Christian, so I wasn’t allowed to watch anything, which I talk about in the special. And so growing up and only watching clean comedians, it was just how I was going to be. And it would feel forced if I was not.”  That Fox article, from 2023, also related these words:

Nate Bargatze recently celebrated his 20th year as a successful clean Christian comedian.

The 43-year-old comic, who has been dubbed the "nicest man in stand-up" debuted his Amazon Prime Video special "Hello World" last month after rising to fame with two hit Netflix specials, 2019's "The Tennessee Kid" and 2021's Grammy Award-nominated "The Great Average American."

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Bargatze explained that he chose a career in clean comedy — a family-friendly genre that is free of swearing, crude material or sexual references — largely because he felt that he couldn't tell dirty jokes in front of his parents.

"I think I still feel I will get in trouble," the Nashville native admitted.

And, beyond that, of course, the Savior Nate Bargatze serves will be watching. Yet, there are entertainment performers and writers who do not know God or do not respect or reverence Him. For years, the entertainment industry was dominated by films without language or sexual content. Now, it seems par for the course - with gratuitous sexual innuendo, inappropriate humor, and objectionable language that doesn't have to be there.  But, it's a reflection of the world we live in and of hose who are so steeped in the ways of this world that those are the values that they have adopted - unfortunately, families in general and Christian families in particular are finding their entertainment options more limited. 

Just this week, Movieguide released findings of a survey that shows that, as a summary said: "A new annual study of the top movies released in the United States and Canada shows that American moviegoers reject movies with scenes of explicit sex and sexual nudity in them."  The summary says: 

...only two of the Top 25 Movies at the Box Office in the United States and Canada in 2024, or 8%, had any strong, depicted or explicit sexual content, and all of the Top 25 had no depicted or explicit sexual nudity whatsoever!

Similar results were found with the Top 25 Movies at the Overseas Box Office in 2024. Only 12% had any strong, depicted or explicit sexual content, and all of the Top 25 Movies Overseas had no depicted or explicit sexual nudity.

Movies with no sexual content yielded a take of 3.8 billion in the 2024 box office.  That's just under half of the total box office dollars.  But, Hollywood continues to turn out products that are offensive to family viewers, at the expense of profitability.

Because, well, the ways of this world are so ingrained - you might say that's who these people are.  Nate Bargatze has become a popular comedian, even though he's a professing Christian and offers countercultural material.  Entertainment doesn't have to be distasteful.  But, sinners are going to sin, right?!

And, that's what comes down to you and me.  The Bible has declared that we are no longer sinners, but were are saints in the Lord.  So, if we believe what Scripture says about our identity, we should act accordingly.   We must reject worldliness when we are being tempted, when worldly ideas invade our consciousness, and replace the desires of the world with the direction of God's Word.

Caring, Limits, and the Law

We are called to be people of compassion, and we are equipped with the love of Christ and the ability to hear from God in order to do what is right, to accomplish His will. Deuteronomy 10 states:
17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.
19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.

There are three verses there: we see that God is a God of absolute law: not showing partiality and accepting no bribes. But, the Bible tells us to love the "foreigners," reminding His people they were foreigners in Egypt.  Yes, foreigners who were originally invited in by a high-ranking official who was their own offspring, Joseph. 

With recent revelations by the Department of Government Efficiency that Christian ministries were not only accepting donor funds, but also accepting federal funding for the purpose of resettling refugees, it is a reminder that there is legal immigration, with legal channels that people should ideally leverage in order to come to the U.S. from other countries.  Unfortunately, with an open border, illegal immigration has become an increasing problem, with a variety of harmful elements mixed in with the flow of traffic at our border, including human trafficking and those who mean to do America harm.  There is concern, and that is why immigration was a leading issue in the 2024 Presidential election. 

A few years ago, with the influence of left-leaning organizations and the financing of George Soros, who supports open borders - unfettered immigration - a group called the Evangelical Immigration Table was formed, consisting of a variety of "Christian" organizations.  The Table is still set, if you will, to promote this open borders philosophy and just used a Christian research firm to promote its own counterproductive agenda.  Baptist Press states that a recent poll was "The study was sponsored by the Evangelical Immigration Table, World Relief, National Latino Evangelical Coalition, and the National Association of Evangelicals."  In addition to the Table, I am familiar with World Relief, which is one of those organizations taking taxpayer funds for the purpose of refugee resettlement.  The National Association of Evangelicals has become quite the progressive organization.  And, I don't know who the National Latino Evangelical Coalition is - I am more inclined to support the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, led by Samuel Rodriguez.  Clearly, the study sponsors have an agenda to push, and I am sure are more than delighted with the numbers that have emerged.

And, please don't interpret this to mean that I don't support people who are facing oppression in other countries coming into the U.S. The survey tends to agree, saying: "...most evangelicals voice support for refugees. Seven in 10 (70 percent) say the U.S. has a moral responsibility to accept refugees, including 34 percent who strongly agree. Around a quarter (23 percent) disagree. That number is statistically unchanged from a January 2024 Lifeway Research study."

Regarding deportation of immigrants, the survey summary at Baptist Press states that the majority of evangelicals...

...want deportations to focus on individuals who have been convicted of violent crimes (67 percent) or those reasonably suspected of presenting a threat to national security (63 percent). Fewer believe enforcement should prioritize those who are unwilling or unable to pay a monetary fine as restitution for violating the law (30 percent) or those who entered the country in the last five years (25 percent).

The summary also includes these data points:

Thinking about moral responsibilities, about 2 in 3 evangelicals (64 percent) believe Christians have a responsibility to sacrificially care for refugees and other foreigners. Asked specifically about refugees and others who are forcibly displaced in other countries, beyond the United States, 73 percent said Christians have a responsibility to care. Most (55 percent) also say Christians have a responsibility to assist immigrants even if they are here illegally.

But, believers must think of the long-term implications of this issue.  We have been conditioned to virtue-signal by those who claim that, well, Jesus was a refugee.  At the Center for Baptist Leadership website, Alex Kocman writes:

Settings aside the dubious claim that Jesus violated the civil law of his day as a temporary asylum-seeker in Egypt, and refraining from delineating what constitutes a “gospel issue” these days—though it seems that everything from Taylor Swift and plastic straws to Oxford commas all qualifies as of late—what remains is precisely what we have come to anticipate from a particular faction of progressive-adjacent evangelical leaders.

He chides progressive evangelicals for "conflating spiritual ideals with earthly politics, using Scripture’s promises concerning the eternal state of the Kingdom of God to subvert (in a manner that is often counter-biblical) the right exercise of prudence in the civil sphere today."

There was a question on the Lifeway survey about what is known as "family separation."  The Baptist Press article notes:

Evangelicals are more split over reintroducing a “zero tolerance” policy along the U.S.-Mexico border that led to the separation of children from parents. The policy was terminated by the first Trump administration in June 2018. Currently, 45 percent of evangelicals would support reintroducing the policy, while 43 percent oppose such a move and 12 percent are not sure.

The Washington Post, in an article quoting "border czar" Tom Homan, stated:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will look to hold parents with children in “soft-sided” tent structures similar to those used by U.S. border officials to handle immigration surges, Homan said. The government will not hesitate to deport parents who are in the country illegally, even if they have young U.S.-born children, he added, leaving it to those families to decide whether to exit together or be split up.

“Here’s the issue,” Homan said in a wide-ranging interview that included some of his most extensive comments to date on Trump’s plans for mass deportations. “You knew you were in the country illegally and chose to have a child. So you put your family in that position.”

So, a "straw man" argument has been exposed.

We have to make sure that we are people who not only exercise compassion but who have a healthy respect for the laws of our land and the role of government.  I'm not saying that the numbers are skewed, but when you have an agenda-driven consortium sponsoring a survey, they certainly will use those numbers to show how they want the public to think evangelicals stand on the immigration issue. 

Writing for the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University, Virgil Walker says:

It’s clear that while politicians may often use the complexities of immigration policy to position themselves as bearers of solutions, the Christian perspective calls for a biblical approach. It is incumbent upon believers to sift through political rhetoric and align with those genuinely striving for reform that reflects both moral integrity and respect for human dignity. As believers who value justice and mercy, it is our responsibility to recognize that policies have tangible effects on individuals and families, especially those in the United States who bear the heavy burden of mass immigration.

Moreover, as we acknowledge that illegal immigration is a violation of the law, we must not lose sight of the humanity inherent in others. They are individuals — men, women, and children — who possess an intrinsic value and worth bestowed upon them by God. This necessitates a form of response from both the government and its citizens that safeguards the rights of all, upholds the rule of law, and embodies compassion and grace.

Walker notes that at the Tower of Babel, "This divine intervention by God was intended to foster separation among people and establish distinct boundaries for their dwelling places. By delving into these Scriptures, we gain valuable insights into the significance of borders." He also writes: "Alongside boundaries, God instituted governing authorities to safeguard people from wrongdoing and evil. These authorities serve as a protective shield, ensuring the well-being and security of the people."

So, borders are found throughout Scripture, and God's purpose can be found in keeping peoples separate.  Sound immigration policy has to recognize that immigrants in this country illegally are breaking the law, but perhaps should be offered an option that includes restitution and/or the ability to enter the U.S. the right way.  Because it's become so politicized, solutions are not necessarily clear.  It is unfair for illegal immigrants to be supported by services provided by taxpayers or even the Church, although Christian organizations can play a part in showing compassionate care for those who are in the process of making things right. We have to be clear-headed and depend on Godly wisdom.

Room for Christians

It is always beneficial to know what we believe and then to act in accordance with those beliefs. If we say we are Christians, or Christ-followers, then we have a dependable source of truth that we can rely on and that empowers us to walk in God's ways. 2nd Timothy 3 relates:
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.

Earlier this month, The Christian Post reported:

A Virginia school district has reinstated a substitute teacher after initially removing her upon discovering her Christian views on gender ideology.

The teacher, identified by The Daily Signal as Lindsay Rich, was restored this week after an intervention by the Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit Christian legal group.

School officials escorted the teacher from an assignment in September 2024 only two hours after she arrived, and the school board met in a closed session that day to take her off the list, the Liberty Counsel said.

The article went on to say that Rich "...said her religious views informed her belief that God created humans as male and female, and opposed male students being allowed to enter facilities reserved for female students." She also said that she was "...absolutely shocked when the school board violated its own policy by taking action in closed session to strike my name from the personnel list before coming out in open session to vote..."

Liberty Counsel sent a letter that referenced the First Amendment, Title VII, the Virginia Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Virginia Values Act," noting that based on an interpretation by the state's Supreme Court:

… [the teacher] has the right in her capacity as a citizen to freely speak and write regarding her religious views and political views as they are informed by her faith — and neither she nor any other teacher of [the school district] may be penalized for speech expressed in a private capacity — whether that speech takes place pre-employment, or during employment but in a private capacity...

After receiving the letter, the school backed down. 

As the afore-mentioned Daily Signal article noted regarding Lindsey Rich: "Last November, she lost the Montgomery County School Board race to represent District E by a narrow margin. Derek Rountree, her former opponent, now sits on the school board."  The article said that an "official" at Virginia Tech...

...attacked her and a fellow school board candidate for supporting “Model Policies on Ensuring Privacy, Dignity, and Respect for All Students” championed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin...

The article related: 

These policies require parental involvement in any school encouragement of a child’s transgender identity and designate bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams by biological sex rather than claimed gender identity.

It noted that the board "...previously adopted pro-transgender standards developed under Youngkin’s...predecessor, Gov. Ralph Northam."

Rich shared with The Daily Signal: “I won’t be pushed out of my children’s schools; they say there is room for ALL in MCPS, which includes conservative Christians like me.”

This is yet another case of a Christian standing on his or her beliefs that has faced opposition and the attempt to silence that person.  We have seen this trend time and again, and we must continue to stand and say, "enough."  Christians should not be treated as second-class citizens and recipients of a double standard when we attempt to participate in our communities. 

We can be determined not to be intimidated into silence but inspired to stand.  For truth. For righteousness. For the presence of God to be transmitted through us for the good of those around us. Because the Bible has solid answers for the challenges we face; and we are empowered to the mouthpieces of that truth.  We should have a place at the table - now, we can ask ourselves, do we, as the Church, have those numbered among us who are willing to be involved?   

More Babies

We recognize that God has a certain created order, the One who has made, as Paul said, "the world and everything in it." We are the "in it" part and God has put us in a special place to steward His creation, to exemplify His glory, and to, as Genesis 1 says, populate it. We can read these words:
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

In God's grand and glorious design, we have a purpose.  And, for those who marry and produce offspring, that is part of that design - the perpetuation of God's plan.  

But, there is a concerning trend that we are seeing today - quite frankly, the human race is not producing children at a rate that will enable us to replace the current population.  As John Stonestreet and Shane Morris put it in a recent Breakpoint commentary: "According to new numbers from the Centers for Disease Control, America’s total fertility is at an all-time low, despite short-lived hopes of a post-pandemic bounce back. At just 1.62 births on average per woman, this means that more people are now dying each year than are being born."

They write: "Once upon a time, married couples having children was the norm, an expected stage in life most people shared. Now, it is often treated as an exception—an individualistic consumer choice undertaken only by those with independent means and lots of free time."

But, they point out: "Yet one group of Americans has resisted this trend toward sub-replacement fertility and keeps stubbornly having kids. Writing at The Institute for Family Studies, sociologist Lyman Stone explains that total fertility among Americans who attend religious services weekly has never dropped below replacement for long, and actually increased in recent years."  They add:

It turns out that active participation in church or another faith community is strongly correlated with the decision to have more children than secular neighbors have. And when people drift away from weekly worship, they also become less likely to trouble themselves with tots.

At the Regent University website, Lynne Marie Kohm states: "...incentives are altered without the influence of a Christian worldview. Dual-income couples with no kids — or DINKs — are interested in financial stability, flexibility, and building wealth, rather than building a family. Millennials also present a paradox. While they are not in a rush to marry, most unmarried Millennials say they would like to marry. Among unmarried individuals, one child, generally, is the norm for those who choose to parent — again bringing down the TFR."  That stands for Total Fertility Rate.

She poses these questions: "What should the Christian response be to population demise? Christians in the United States have more children on average than religiously unaffiliated people, as research reveals that Christian women have a TFR of 1.9 versus 1.6 for women that do not claim faith in Christ. But what does this really mean for someone with a Christian worldview? Is there still a mandate to Christians to be fruitful and replenish the earth?"

She notes:

So, should a Christian family have more children because the TFR in American is too low? The quick answer is “No.” A Christian family should not have more children simply for the sake of raising America’s TFR or just to have more children. Instead, Christians should have more children if they can do so responsibly to honor God and raise those children to love and serve Him for generations to come.

Kohm adds: "Fertility rates can rise to healthy levels by transferring faith values intentionally to the next generation. A few more Christian families having two children, rather than one — or three children, rather than two — and raising them with a solid Christian worldview, can make a tremendous difference. That difference could happen through adoption, as well — becoming a family for a child who needs one."

We are seeing a trend toward something called "pronatalism."  Even Vice President Vance, at the recent March for Life, said that we need more babies. I would submit that a devotion to what has been called a "culture of life" is a solution, which has its roots in Scripture.  When we are aborting millions of babies around the world, that cannot have a positive impact on our overall population. 

I saw a piece at The Washington Post recently that profiled Malcolm and Simone Collins, who have four kids and want more - many more.  The article said: 

The Collinses have fashioned themselves into enthusiastic — and controversial — avatars for a new pronatalist movement.

Their brand of pronatalism embraces technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and even genetic selection. (They’ve used both for all of their children.) They don’t glorify “traditional” gender roles, nor do they think immigration, pro-family policies or cash will reverse a dwindling population.

Their hypothesis: that encouraging people to have more children will require nothing less than a massive cultural shift. And they are determined to help lead it.

At the time of the article, they had 32 frozen embryos waiting to be implanted.  That leads to another moral question that even our lawmakers in Montgomery should be grasping, in light of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos produced in IVF are living beings: what happens to embryos that are not used?  Destroying these embryos is destroying life - that is a huge problem.  There have been no laws passed in Alabama that determine what happens to discarded embryos.  

And, another question has arisen just within the last few days.  A conservative influencer claims to have borne the now-13th child of Elon Musk.  Ashley St. Clair, who is apparently popular in Christian circles, went public with this announcement after apparent harassment from a reporter who was looking into the situation. Some in the Christian and conservative community cheered her new baby, but others decried the circumstances of the pregnancy.  And, I agree, we should always be pro-life, but we should also exhibit concern about out-of-wedlock births - the fatherless crisis was also rightly a topic of discussion.  Unfortunately, in entertainment culture especially, we see a cavalier attitude toward unmarried couples producing children.  St. Clair has made pronatalist comments in the past; Musk has produced 13 children, most of them outside the bounds of marriage.  Could this have been, as some of the language suggests, some sort of intentional "arrangement?"  God loves life, as we should, but we also need to talk about moral responsibility.  

As Christian and conservative influencer Allie Beth Stuckey noted on X:

For example, I caught a lot of heat when I did not congratulate a conservative gay couple who announced their two babies via surrogacy. I would make the same choice today for the same reasons. Yes, babies are ALWAYS a blessing, no matter what. But I am genuinely heartbroken by the purposeful creation of motherless or fatherless children and it feels weird publicly applauding that. 

And, when I think about the current drama on X, that’s a big part of why the congratulations feel weird, especially in light of the sad tone of her announcement. This was, as far as I understand, the purposeful creation of a fatherless child. I have a lot of compassion for the mom and baby, but I am very saddened for the child in the middle of this conflict. I understand those who say it’s always right to congratulate the birth of a baby, and I don’t doubt their sincerity in that position. It just didn’t feel like the right response to yesterday’s announcement.

But, we recognize that children are gifts from God.  As Lynne Marie Kohm writes:

Christian couples understand that, when their love for each other is manifested in a child, it is a miracle from God. The blessing of children can never be overstated, and yes, it does fulfill the Genesis 1:28 mandate, as God leads for each particular family. This is amazing love. “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17)."

Stonestreet and Morris state: "It also means the faithful themselves are better positioned to inherit that future in many parts of the world. Children must, of course, grow up to retain and own their parents’ faith. They must be 'born again.' But it’s fair to say being born in the first place is an important prerequisite—one that, for the most part, only believers are still achieving."

Free!

I am so thankful that we live in a country that has been established on the principles of freedom of speech and freedom of religion. One survey even said that freedom of speech was a leading issue in the 2024 election. And, because we have been empowered and directed as Christians to speak God's truth, these freedoms we enjoy as Americans pave the way to do that. 2nd Timothy chapter 2 says:
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,
26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

We have seen a trend in America over the past few years in which Christians (and others) are accused of spreading misinformation.  And, when the dominant culture has found fault with what Christians believe and desire to silence them, it can be frustrating and intimidating.  But, we be determined to be bold to keep speaking for the Lord - or allowing the Lord to speak through us. 

Rhoda Jatau is a woman who lives in Nigeria. She was concerned about an act of persecution that she saw and spoke out about it.  The Alabama Baptist stated:

Jatau was arrested in May 2022 and was not granted bail until December 2023. She was accused of sharing a video on WhatsApp that condemned the May 2022 killing of college student Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu. Muslim classmates in Sokoto killed Yakubu for telling people about Jesus Christ. They then burned her body.

Angry Muslims not only said Jatau was responsible for the condemning video being shared, but they also attacked Evangelical Church Winning All in Warji while Jatau was worshipping there, the news outlets state.

Those news outlets are Christian Daily International and Morning Star News.

Just for sharing the video, she faced charges, according to The Alabama Baptist, which "included public disturbance and religious insult."  She could have faced five years in prison.

But, good news came recently: Rhoda has been acquitted!  That's according to Alliance Defending Freedom International.  She had already spent 19 months in jail, but now she is free.  ADF International's website includes a quote from legal counsel Sean Nelson, who said: 

“No person should be punished for peaceful expression, and we are grateful that Rhoda Jatau has been fully acquitted. But Rhoda should never have been arrested in the first place. We will continue to seek justice for Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria who are unjustly imprisoned and plagued by the draconian blasphemy laws.”  

Certainly this story provides a cause for rejoicing - when our fellow believers are unjustly persecuted and they receive justice, we can give glory to God for His faithfulness.   We can also be very glad that God has placed advocates who stand with persecuted Christians - from organizations such as Voice of the Martyrs, Global Christian Relief, Open Doors, and others, to legal groups such as ADF International, there are those who are speaking boldly on behalf of believers.

We can also be reminded to pray for the persecuted Church.  Rhoda Jatau faced opposition individually and her church was attacked.  Nigeria, which as The Alabama Baptist pointed out, is #7 on the World Watch List of leading persecutors of Christians.  There are laws on the books in some countries that are especially hostile toward Christians, accusing them of blasphemy for sharing their faith perspective.  We can stand for justice and for freedom of religion.  And, on this Presidents Day, we can pray for our President, that he will be bold to advocate for the persecuted.  We can also reflect on the contributions of American Presidents throughout the years who have championed the cause of freedom, including the freedom to practice their faith without hindrance.

Above Your Own

Valentine's Day has become a popular holiday where the concept of loving others is actually at the root. And, amidst all the candy and flowers, there is a deep truth - if we are to walk in love, and especially in the love of God, we have to take our eyes off ourselves. John 15 reminds us:
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

There was a piece I came across on the Chattanooga Times-Free Press website from Lauren Hall of the organization based in that area called, First Things First.  In tracing the history of what we now know as Valentine's Day, she wrote:

There were at least two martyred saints named Valentine in the early Christian church, and their stories are a bit murky.

One story claims St. Valentine was a priest who performed secret marriages for young lovers in defiance of an emperor's ban on matrimony for soldiers. The most popular tale claims he was imprisoned for helping Christians escape persecution and fell in love with his jailer's daughter, sending her a note signed, "From your Valentine." While the truth may never be fully untangled, the romantic undertones of these stories cemented Valentine's Day as a celebration of love.

She went on to write:

At its core, Valentine's Day is about pausing to express love and gratitude to those who matter most. Whether it's your spouse, kids or even your closest friends, this day invites us to step away from the busyness of life and focus on our relationships. It's less about the commercialized fanfare and more about the heartfelt connections that make life richer.

A CBN.com article includes quotes from Father Frank O'Gara of the Whitefriars Street Church in Dublin, Ireland.  He offers a take on the Valentine's story that indeed St. Valentine did defy the emperor's ban on marriage, and that he had prayed for the jailer's blind daughter to be healed.  

O'Gara states:

"If Valentine were here today, he would say to married couples that there comes a time where you're going to have to suffer. It's not going to be easy to maintain your commitment and your vows in marriage. Don't be surprised if the 'gushing' love that you have for someone changes to something less "gushing" but maybe much more mature. And the question is, is that young person ready for that?"

"So on the day of the marriage they have to take that into context," Father O'Gara says. "Love—human love and sexuality is wonderful, and blessed by God—but also the shadow of the cross. That's what Valentine means to me."

Being unselfish is a key to walking in love that is consistent with what we find outlined in Scripture - and it starts in the human heart.  The Bible Project website notes, regarding Adam and Eve:

Adam and Eve "complete" one another not by satisfying each other’s personal desires but by becoming unbreakable partners who seek the other's well-being. Today’s popular understanding of romance rarely gets past the "satisfy my desires" sense of love. But the authors of Genesis describe this “unbreakable partners” sense of love as a foundation for human flourishing and tov—the goodness and right-functioning of creation itself.

That article goes on to say:

Maybe love can start with feelings of attraction and desire, and maybe those initial feelings can expand and deepen when we are putting the other person’s well-being above our own while they are simultaneously doing the same for us. Can you imagine someone seeing you, in all of your ordinariness and quirkiness and imperfection, and staying committed to you no matter what? And not just staying but caring, forgiving, blessing, and loving without end, all while you’re doing the same in return?

In all our relationships, romantic and otherwise, may we look to Jesus and his ultimate example of what it means to love another person. What wondrous love is this? “To lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

So, amidst all this talk of love and romance that circulates around Valentine's Day, we can think of those enduring qualities that can contribute to rewarding relationships involving not only couples, but general human interaction.  It's symbolized by the cross itself - the fact that God's only Son laid down His life, as an act of supreme love, so that we might benefit by having our sins wiped away and so that we might be saved.

In the flesh, we can become so self-centered; and the vying for selfish gratification can put us at odds with the people around us. Our call as Christians is to demonstrate the selfless love of Christ so that we can be cognizant of the needs of others and become more sensitive to how we can speak and act toward them in a way that shows them our Savior.  

Satisfied

It's important to take stock of our lives to determine how devoted to God we are in our inner life, in our relationship with Him? If we're not satisfied, then we can look to the Scriptures and draw near to God in order to experience His peace. The Bible says in Psalm 107:
8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5 of the book of Matthew:
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Just five years ago, according to the Gallup organization, almost two-thirds of Americans indicated they were "very satisfied" in their personal lives.  Just a few weeks ago, a survey was released by Gallup that showed the number was down to 44%.  That's a record low after a peak in 2020.

This is from the Mood of the Nation poll, and examines external factors and their effects on internal satisfaction. Historically, it appears that satisfaction, or lack thereof, is tied to economic factors. 

Among those attending religious services weekly, just over half - 55% - say they are "very satisfied" with their personal life - but that is down from three-out-of-four just five years ago.  Granted, above the national average, but still over a 20-point drop from 2020.  Pre-pandemic.  A time of economic optimism, according to Gallup.

The report on the Gallup survey goes on to say:

Although the percentage of Americans who are generally very satisfied with their personal life is at its lowest point, the combined share who are very or somewhat satisfied, 81%, is not the low point. Rather, the record low for the combined measure was 73% in July 1979 during the energy crisis.

In recent years, personal satisfaction levels have varied between 78% and 85%, putting the current measure near the middle but down significantly from the 90% high in January 2020.

But the levels of personal satisfaction in the 2025 contrast with the overall appraisal of how things are going in the nation - 50% of Americans said they were very dissatisfied with the country, with 27% indicating they were somewhat dissatisfied.

So, to do a side-by-side comparison: 81% of Americans are very or somewhat satisfied with their personal lives; only 20% are very or somewhat satisfied with the country as a whole. The big takeaway, according to Gallup:

Personal satisfaction continues to far outpace Americans’ satisfaction with the U.S. This dichotomy -- whereby Americans rate their own situation better than the nation’s -- is commonly seen in polling on a number of subjects, including crime, healthcare, education and the economy/personal finance.

For the believer in Christ, we have to examine what brings satisfaction in our lives.  And, I think this can show us something important about happiness, which has been described as being dependent on external circumstances, and joy, which is independent of externals and flows from our relationship with God.  Because, the fact is, for the Christian, ideally, our level of peace and joy should come from the presence of the Lord, our adherence to His principles, and the fulfillment of His promises.  

While economic conditions can certainly contribute to our satisfaction level, we can be steadfast in the Lord even when there is economic uncertainty.  The numbers in our bank account do not have to be determinants of our level of spiritual satisfaction.  Who is sitting in the White House or in Congress or our state Legislature can contribute to the direction of our government, but our security is ultimately in the One who inhabits the throne in Heaven, to whom political leaders will give an account. 

We can be careful to seek the Lord and experience His satisfaction.  When we are abiding in Christ, we can appreciate His faithfulness and fruitfulness, which results in an abiding joy, and peace in all circumstances.

Ordered

We are called to be people of charity; as Jesus taught, we are to love God with the entirety of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then, we are to love our neighbor. But, does that concept of "neighbor" mean everyone equally? Or is there an order? For instance, 1st Timothy 5 has been used in a current debate; that verse says:
8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Jamie Bambrick, who is a pastor in the U.K. and the Editor-in-Chief of Clear Truth Media, notes that Scripture in his analysis of a concept that has been discussed recently concerning the immigration issue. He also references Galatians chapter 6 in his analysis on X. It says:
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Bambrick is referring to this concept:

It's called the ordo amoris and it's a well-known concept, taught in the Bible, where you are to care for your own family before other families, the household of God before the wider world, and yes, your own nation before others.

Bambrick, by the way, is the man who has produced versions of the controversial and misguided "He Gets Us" commercials to better reflect the teachings of Scripture.  And, probably at a fraction of the cost! 

So, why are we even talking about this concept?  Because it's a concept that the Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance, used in discussing the immigration issues and America's obligation, or lack of it, to those who are in the country illegally.  

James Orr notes at First Things:

The provocation began when JD Vance offered to a Fox News interviewer the seemingly inoffensive observation that charity begins at home. It was, he noted in passing, “an old-school idea” and “a Christian concept.” He was correct on both counts.

He goes on to say:

When explicated in Augustine’s On Christian Teaching or in Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae, the ordo amoris emerges as a concept that is both cogent on its own terms—reciprocal obligations incurred through birth and upbringing are, after all, self-evidently stronger than those we freely undertake through choice or circumstance—and entirely consistent with the moral grammar of the scriptural witness. The idea that we must structure and not dissipate our finite and fragile stock of affections and loyalties does nothing to undermine Christianity’s revolutionary insistence on the inestimable worth of every human being, a claim that rooted human worth not in fallible human affections or human agency but in the perfect love of God for each of his creatures.

Orr references an exchange between a British member of Parliament and Vance on X.  Jack Prosobiec of Human Events had posted a portion of Vance's interview on Fox, quoting the Vice President as saying: "There is a Christian concept that you love your family and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens, and then after that, prioritize the rest of the world," to which Prosobiec added, "A lot of the far left has completely inverted that."

The British MP, Rory Stewart replied by saying: "A bizarre take on John 15:12-13 - less Christian and more pagan tribal. We should start worrying when politicians become theologians, assume to speak for Jesus, and tell us in which order to love…"

Vance replied: 

Just google “ordo amoris.” Aside from that, the idea that there isn’t a hierarchy of obligations violates basic common sense. Does Rory really think his moral duties to his own children are the same as his duties to a stranger who lives thousands of miles away? Does anyone?

Abigail Dodds writes at American Reformer:

To Augustine, virtue was found in rightly ordered loves. And this encapsulates so much of what’s wrong with love in 21st-century America. We live in a time of dis-ordo amoris––many would rather virtue signal on social media, exercise charity by off-loading it to a governmental program delivering who-knows-what to who-knows-where, or love their neighbor with a theoretical love for anyone but their actual next-door neighbor.

This is where PJ O’Rourke’s pithy saying sums up disordered loves so well: “Everybody wants to save the world; nobody wants to help mom do the dishes.”

So, whether or not you agree with J.D. Vance, we are having a discussion about the Bible and a theological concept.  And, we are gaining insight into a culture that would rather virtue-signal publicly than perhaps live a well-grounded private life.  The priority of family cannot be underestimated - it's been pointed out that when the family suffers, when marriage suffers, our entire society is adversely affected.  That's why we have to fight to preserve the family.  So, out of our love and obedience to God, we hold those close to us closely. 

But, what about the stranger?  The Bible speaks of being charitable and embracing the poor - and we should always be looking for opportunities to show the love of Christ.  So, we are to be motivated by compassion.  David Brody of CBN emphasized the balance between showing compassion and upholding the rule of law in our conversation at the NRB Convention last year.  He wrote about it a while back, stating:

...the government has to enforce our immigration laws but that doesn’t mean we have to be bystanders who don’t care about the individual. We need to help in whatever way we can. Help improve their Central American communities by going into those communities with our Bibles and the message of Jesus Christ, support families in need financially, pray for these children, get involved and active in some way to help provide a better life for these children. That’s compassion.

I believe that there is a case to be made for this ordo amoris, or "ordered love," as it's been interpreted. We are called to love, but cannot humanly love all.  If our love for God is right, then He will direct us by His Spirit to demonstrate that love, but we have to remember the importance of our own homes whom God has given us to steward. 

Resistance

We certainly need way more purity displayed in our culture. In a porn-steeped society, Biblical values are the best values, and we can strive in all we do to exemplify Christ. 1st Thessalonians 4 states:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;
6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified.
7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness.

It could have been a serious overture, but it appears to be a total setup by an overzealous content creator for the website, OnlyFans, which is regarded as a pornographic site. But, a restaurant cashier was devoted to glorifying God and, as the cliche says,  "caught on tape" doing that.  Here's the backstory, from The Western Journal:

A viral clip circulating on the internet earlier this month showed what appeared to be a young man resisting an OnlyFans content creator’s advances at work while citing his Christian faith.

The video, shared via X on Jan. 6 by a user claiming to be the young man in the clip, showed a Five Guys employee working the cash register when he is approached by a blond woman.

The article states: 

“I just wondered, I can’t see it on the menu, but where do I get the five guys from?” the OnlyFans pornography creator asked.

The young man was at first confused, yet as the remarks became more assertive and targeted at him specifically, he was flustered but nevertheless started to resist.

“I’m a Christian man, and I’m waiting ‘til marriage,” he replied.

The writer of the article, Ben Zeisloft, stated:

In a world where pornography and sexualization are increasingly ubiquitous, the response from this young fast food employee was not only deeply Christian, but deeply countercultural.

With the advent of smartphones and the breakdown of fatherhood, young men are exposed to online pornography at disturbing levels.

The writer went on to note that, according to a survey conducted by the Survey Center on American Life, around 75% of young men between 18-29 years of age and 88% of men 30 to 49 have viewed pornography at some time in their lives. 44% of those in the younger age group and 57 of the 30-49 group have viewed it just within the last month.

The moral of the story?  Zeisloft notes:

A man who controls his flesh in accordance with his submission to Jesus Christ, therefore, stands out in the best possible way, especially as most in his generation succumb to temptation.

The young man in the video indeed brings to mind the extensive warnings passed down from the author of the fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Proverbs to his son, cautioning him to stay far away from the adulterous woman, the deception she employs, and the spiritual and eternal death she causes by her waywardness.

There were kudos on X from those that approved of the young man's response.  One said: “Handled it really well! Praying that many more young men grow in steadfast faith in Christ! Stay strong and follow Christ!”

For each of us, man or woman, young or not-so-young, we can consider how we are going to handle temptation.  Because it will come.  It came to this young man, and when the pressure came, the Word of God controlled His response.  The analogy has been made that pressure will reveal what's inside - when we're tempted, will we do the right thing?  Being prepared in advance - perhaps not knowing the nature of the temptation, but having the Word of God in our hearts - will increase the likelihood that we will respond in a Christian way.

We also can know that the Holy Spirit is in us to empower what we say and do. We can seek each day to develop a greater reliance on Him.  If our desire is to glorify God, then we will dig deep down in our hearts and experience the power of the Word and the Spirit, enabling us to resist the overtures of the devil to take us down.

What To Pray

There is plenty of direction in Scripture that can serve to remind us about the importance of prayer, as well as what we should pray for. Romans 8 identifies that we will encounter times in which we don't know what to pray, but we can rely on God's faithful provision. It states:
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

And, there's this powerful passage from James 5:
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

We can rely on God's direction in our prayers.  A recent CBN.com article related that the daughter of Anne Graham Lotz, who is heard on Living in the Light, Sunday evenings at 6:30, had a powerful experience with that.  The story relates:

She didn't know all the details, but the Lord led her to pray for an English-speaking man to come up to the Doyle brothers and pull them out of the dangerous area they were in. And God answered her prayer exactly as she had prayed it.

The Doyle brothers are Josh and Tommy Doyle - their parents are Tom and JoAnn Doyle of the ministry, Uncharted, who have been guests on The Meeting House program.  Josh hosts a podcast called, No Longer Nomads.  Rachel Ruth Lotz Wright was a guest recently.  As CBN shares:

...they recalled together a precise answer to one of her prayers and how it literally saved Doyle's life several years ago.

It took place when brothers Josh and Tommy Doyle were serving as missionaries in Turkey and got lost. They suddenly found themselves at great risk of being captured and killed by ISIS.

"As we go deeper into the market, we see more faces popping out that are ISIS fighters," Josh recalled. "At this point, I would say that we were starting to have a panic attack."

"No one spoke English, anywhere we went, asking for help from shopkeepers," he said. "We felt like we were truly in the lion's den."

The story goes on:

The Doyles put out an urgent request for prayer, and halfway around the world Rachel Ruth got the message and prayed specifically that God would send an English-speaking translator immediately to help the Doyle brothers escape to safety.

That's exactly what happened next.

Doyle explained, "All of a sudden, out of a sea of people, some guy comes directly up to us and speaks perfect English. And he goes, 'Are you guys lost?'"

The man then guided them to safety.

Rachel Ruth said: "This is crazy... just to show y'all who are listening how unbelievable the Holy Spirit is," adding, "All those years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom... and I get a text from Josh's mom, and she said 'pray because they're surrounded by ISIS.'"

It occurred to me that we may be called into dangerous places.  Danger may mean to go into or live in a part of the world that is hostile toward Christianity.  And, those who do so don't face these challenges alone - there is the prayer of believers, there are angelic companions, and most of all, there is the presence of the Holy Spirit who goes with believers who desire to follow Christ. 

But, danger might have a different meaning: we may be called to leave our comfort zone, essentially to stare down what we fear.  Because we live in a state of spiritual warfare, with forces aligned with the devil who want to take us out - to follow the enemy's mission to, as Jesus said, steal, kill, and destroy.  That's a real danger: spiritually speaking, and there may even be manifestations in the physical or emotional realms. But, we can be confident in the Lord.

And, we can be confident in Him, to depend on Him to show us how to pray.  While I think it is important to pray specifically, sometimes we may not have the complete knowledge of a situation, but we can rely on the Spirit to take our words and direct them, so that the will of God will be fulfilled.  We don't have to be uninformed or insecure in our prayers - we can rely on God's strength.