Hiding in the Dark

We have the capability to combat the lies of the enemy with the truth of Scripture. But, we have to be discerning and sensitive to the false narratives that are all around us. Then, we counter those with the truth that we find in God's Word, in partnership with the Holy Spirit. Jesus taught in John 16:
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

This is the spiritual battle being faced by a Florida family.  Recently, January Littlejohn, who has been a guest on The Meeting House on Faith Radio, was recognized by the President at his address to Congress. A CBN.com article states:

“This started for my family at the height of COVID in 2020,” January Littlejohn told CBN News. “Our daughter fell prey to the lies of gender identity ideology and that she was born in the wrong body in May of 2020. And so this was shortly after three of her friends at our local middle school had also started suddenly identifying as some form of transgender.”

She said: "Like so many parents, I trusted the school,” adding, “I had no reason at that time not to, and, in fact, I was volunteer of the year at the school. I was a huge proponent for public schools and teachers. I dedicated hundreds of hours to volunteering in the classroom.”

The article goes on to say:

Littlejohn said she reached out to her daughter’s teacher and disclosed what was happening with her daughter. She told the educator she was “not affirming any kind of false sexual identity” and that she was engaging a counselor to assist.

“We did know that our child was struggling and we were very concerned as her parents, because nobody loves and knows their child more than a parent does,” she said. “So we were handling this as a family.”

Littlejohn has been embroiled in a legal challenge rooted in what she claims happened after her initial email to the teacher. She said her daughter met with the school without her knowledge and was asked questions about restrooms, among other issues.

CBN notes: "Littlejohn said a transgender transition plan was essentially created 'behind closed doors' with a social worker, school counselor, and assistant principal — and that she had no idea."  And, she cites this action by the school:

“They asked her which restroom and locker room she preferred to use, which sex she preferred to room with on overnight field trips,” she said. “And they put the burden of whether or not the parent will be notified or even aware that these type of secret social transitions occur because they ask the child, ‘How should we refer to you when speaking to your parent? Should we use your birth name and pronouns or your preferred name and pronouns?'”

Littlejohn said these types of plans are being crafted all over the country, and argued the school district in question took her ability away to keep her daughter safe.

As far as the status of that court challenge, last month, a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Littlejohns in their lawsuit against the school district. The New York Times reported:

...two of the three judges who heard the case for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit rejected the argument made by Ms. Littlejohn and her husband, and upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss the case.

“Even if the Littlejohns felt that defendants’ efforts to help their child were misguided or wrong, the mere fact that the school officials acted contrary to the Littlejohns’ wishes does not mean that their conduct ‘shocks the conscience’ in a constitutional sense,” Judge Robin S. Rosenbaum wrote in the majority opinion.

A lawyer for the couple did not say whether the Littlejohns would appeal, but said “we cannot allow this assault on parental rights to remain unchallenged.”

Even one of the judges that voted to rule against the Littlejohns was troubled by the school district's actions.  The Times said:

In his concurring opinion, Judge Kevin C. Newsom said he considered the actions taken by the school district officials “shameful.” But the question at hand, he wrote, was “whether it was unconstitutional.”

“If I were a legislator, I’d vote to change the policy that enabled the defendants’ efforts to keep the Littlejohns in the dark,” he wrote. “But — and it’s a big but — judges aren’t just politicians in robes, and they don’t (or certainly shouldn’t) just vote their personal preferences.”

Senior Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat, who dissented, warned that the decision “ignores bedrock separation of powers principles, waters down fundamental rights and flies in the face of our prior panel precedent rule.”

This case shows the extent to which people in power who embraced this harmful gender agenda will go - while some would say that the teenager was not forced to make a decision, the secret nature of the conversations with school officials clearly suggests coercion - plus, keeping the parents in the dark is a bold rejection of parents rights and responsibility before God to raise their children. 

As we live out the Christian life, we have to make sure that we are devoted to shining the light of truth into our situations.  We mustn't allow the enemy to gain a foothold, and we counter his lies by knowing and standing on truth.  

One further note: we have to make sure that we are not attempting to hide from our Heavenly Father, as Adam and Eve tried to do in the Garden - it's an exercise in futility.  He knows all, and by His Spirit, He is revealing ways in which we do not conform with His principles, exposing those hidden places that we may not even see or consciously recognize.  We must take seriously the admonition to walk in His light. 

Pressurized Cabin

Life can become a pressure cooker sometimes, and it's important that when things are on the verge of spiraling out of control, that we appropriate the peace of God. And, we don't take out our troubles on the people with whom we interact! Ephesians 4 contains these reminders:
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Bible teacher and apologist Alex McFarland, a guest on The Meeting House on Faith Radio recently, in a conversation from the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Dallas, wrote a piece at The Christian Post a few weeks ago.  He tells the story of being on a packed flight from Salt Lake City to Chicago, which he describes as "full — of passengers and stress."

Alex had been "bumped" to First Class, describing it as a "rare joy."  But, there was not much joy being experienced by the man next to him.  He writes:

Besides the delays, my neighbor was angry about the meal offered in First Class. “You call this food?” he asked. Then he loudly announced, “I wouldn’t feed this to a dog!”

His increasing anger — and vitriol leveled at the cabin’s two servers — made everyone uncomfortable. One of the attendants, patiently offering the man every conceivable food or drink option, was rebuffed numerous times. “I paid for First Class,” he barked. “Get some decent food on the plane, for God’s sake!”

McFarland continues:

Everyone else in the cabin (me included) tried to compensate by smiling and profusely thanking the attendants. But it seemed the harder they tried, the more abusive the man became. I spent the majority of the flight praying — praying for the angry businessman and for the beleaguered attendants.

We've probably all been there in some form or the other - we just have to make sure we are not like the fellow traveler.   Perhaps we should emulate either the innocent bystander or one of the flight attendants with whom Alex interacted when the plane was on the ground.  He recounts:

Arriving at O’Hare airport in Chicago, I noticed that “grumpy businessman” didn’t de-plane as the rest of us passengers hurried to exit. For whatever reason, he sat while everyone else left, and I remember thinking I’d pray for him one last time: “Lord, please bring some joy to this man’s heart, and help him with whatever he’s dealing with ...”

A while later, rushing through the airport, I saw the flight attendant who had been the primary recipient of the businessman’s vitriol. “Excuse me,” I began. “You handled that guy so graciously. I’m sorry for the way he acted.”

He added, “I think several of us were praying for you...And for him.” He said the flight attendant "...explained that the man called the two attendants to himself and ... profusely apologized. 'We were kind of speechless,' she said. 'Everyone was off, and the man just begged our forgiveness.'"

McFarland says that...

...She explained that the man confided he was under much stress about some issues, and that he was sorry for his treatment of the flight attendants. “I have no excuse,” he told them. “But please forgive me.”

The piece begins to wrap up as Alex states:

I believe that God’s Holy Spirit and those prayers prompted his amends.

It did not surprise me that the flight attendant — who had graciously endured his treatment during the flight — was quick to accept his apology afterward. A small cross emblem was pinned to her uniform, so I assumed she was a believer. But her actions were the most vivid Christian witness of all.

Proverbs 19:11 tells us that, “It is a glory to forgive an offense.” Just as God forgives us, we should be quick to forgive others. Better yet (and I am preaching at myself, here), we should live so that no offense is displayed in the first place.

His last sentence, "Dear Lord, help us all to be kind to one another!"

Notice the response within three individuals: the angry traveler, the flight attendant, and the innocent bystander.  The businessman brought stress with him and the increased pressure of a packed and delayed flight caused what was on the inside to flow out - and affect others.  The flight attendant continued to show grace and mercy and did not respond in kind to his verbal assault.  And, the bystanders, the other travelers - well at least the Bible teacher on board and perhaps others were praying.  

We may find ourselves in one of those three positions throughout our lives.  And, ideally, as believers in Christ, we should allow the Holy Spirit to keep our emotions in check and not let stress, anxiety, and anger, flow out of us to harm others.  It's not a good witness, and doesn't honor God. But, he did salvage at least something by issuing what seems to be a heartfelt apology - and that's a helpful principle, too: we should admit when our actions do not reflect the presence of Christ and apologize.  And, if we're on the receiving end - we can be firm, but we can strive to be kind, even though that may be a difficult ask.  We can also recognize that, when we observe a situation where there is conflict and we're not directly involved, we can go to the Lord in prayer.  There is much that can be accomplished in the way that a believer responds in a tense situation.

Embracing the Challenge

The Holy Spirit resides in the heart of every believer, and we have been dispatched by God and empowered by the Spirit to do the work of bringing healing and restoration through Jesus. Following 40 days in the wilderness, Jesus endured temptation and returned to Galilee, specifically to Nazareth, "in the power of the Spirit," the Bible says in Luke 4. The chapter also contains these words:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

A home in Brooklyn, in New York City, was designed in 1919, according to The Christian Post, for a Clara Van Vleck - it was described as a "stately" home.  

In was sold in 1960 to a man who had sensed a call of God to move to New York City. The article says that man, David Wilkerson, "said he felt called by God to come to New York City to minister to gangs after seeing a photograph of seven teenage gang members in Life magazine. The teenagers were being prosecuted for the murder of a crippled boy named Michael Farmer. All but one of the teenagers were convicted."  Wilkerson, who was a preacher, asked to speak with the teens - the judge sent him away. 

Wilkerson departed the city, but returned to launch a ministry called Teen Challenge. The house became the headquarters of that ministry.  Wilkerson went on to write a famous book that was made into a movie called, The Cross and the Switchblade.

The Christian Post article notes:

Nearly 70 years later, there are now 1,400 Teen Challenge centers around the world with more than 35,000 beds for individuals seeking “freedom from addiction and other life controlling issues” through the power of faith in Jesus Christ.

And inside the building where the first one was started, Wilkerson’s vision to save addicts with the Gospel is still thriving as the Brooklyn Adult & Teen Challenge with a graduate of the ministry at its helm.

The building was recently renovated, and the Teen Challenge center just moved back in a few months ago.  The executive director of that ministry in Brooklyn is Paul Burke.  The article states:

As a 2009 graduate of the program who struggled with 18 years of addiction before getting his life together, Burke is a poster child for the program’s success, but he embraces it with grace and temperance. He is also extremely grateful for the life God has given him. He is a married father whose wife is also a graduate of Teen Challenge.

“I always tell people that I'm still in the program,” he said when asked how he managed to stay grounded as a former addict inside his office that used to be Wilkerson’s apartment.

The attitude of dependence the Burke displays can be instructive for all of us - he says, "I struggled for 18 years on and off. Now, I'm at 17 years of sobriety. So, 35 years around addiction, I know how deadly it is. I'm not fearful of addiction, but I respect that if I don't stay committed to my devotional life with the Lord, if I don't stay committed to growing and learning and still being teachable, there's nobody that is beyond falling or failure again..."

The Christian Post says that Burke...

...explained that the home, which has 58 beds, dedicates more than half of them to men who commit to the one-year addiction recovery program free of charge. It's a regimented deal in which participants learn how to do life better with regular prayer, Bible study, and church attendance. Some 60% of participants fail to complete the program but those who do, said Burke, usually find success in overcoming their addiction.

Even though David Wilkerson may have suffered a setback early in his ministry, he did not allow that to permanently deter him - as the article pointed out, Wilkerson believed that freedom from drug addiction was possible through Christ.  He pursued his calling with vigor.  He also pastored Times Square Church in New York City.  His story can remind us of the faithfulness of God to guide our steps as we respond to His direction.  If we desire to walk in obedience, He gives us the power to fulfill His call.

We can also recognize that the ways of the Word are superior to the ways of the world.  Biblically-based substance abuse programs offer the recipient the power to change - through the inner change of the born-again experience and the presence of the Spirit, enabling former addicts to walk in triumph over the addictions.  

Whether its substance abuse or any number of types of sinful behavior - manifestations of the flesh - God is present in the hearts of the believer, and adherence to His Word and yieldedness to the Spirit can produce fruit to God's glory.  We can overcome the sins in our lives because Jesus has overcome sin's power.  We can try to change in our own strength, but we need the superior power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to see true transformation occur.

Kingdom Mentality

In our growth in Christ, we should all strive to be more disciplined, possessing a focus on the Lord and honoring Him in all things, as He gives us the power. In 1st Corinthians chapter 9, the apostle Paul uses two sporting analogies to underscore the importance of spiritual discipline; he writes:
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.
25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Antonio Vargas is a professional athlete - he is also a Christian, and strives to be disciplined in both areas.  A Movieguide article relates:

Pro boxer Antonio Vargas worships from the ring, but he told Sports Spectrum’s Matt Forte that he makes honoring God in all areas his lifestyle.

“God delivered me about 23, 24, and that’s why, every time you see me in the ring, I come out to Christian music,” Vargas said while on the podcast. “I worship. That’s not something I just do just to fight. It’s a lifestyle. In private, I don’t listen to worldly music. I watch what I hear. I watch what I see. I’m always guarding things, always reading scripture.”

He provides a Biblical perspective on his work, saying:

“My job as a fighter is to shine the light of Christ and to lead people to Christ because you see a lot of hypocrisy in the church and stuff like that, and I’m like, ‘Lord, I want to practice what I preach. I want to walk the walk,'” he declared.

The article noted how Vargas shares his faith on social media:

In a post he shared on Instagram, Vargas included Psalm 128:1-2: “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.”

“This is going to be a good year for me🙏🏼 All glory to my God, Jesus,” Vargas added in the caption.

Vargas put his faith into action in a recent fight; the Movieguide piece says:

In Vargas’ last fight, he was knocked to the ground in the second round.

“I’ve never been hurt like that in my life. I was hurt bad,” he told Sports Spectrum, adding, “But when I fell on the ground, I remember I said the name of Jesus. I’m like, ‘Jesus, help me.'”

Vargas got up, experiencing double vision and “wobbly” legs.

“This fear hit me,” he recalled. But then he prayed, “Lord, I know if I’ll make it out of this round.”

He went on to win the fight in the 10th round via a TKO - a technical knockout. 

Vargas possesses a Kingdom mindset (he uses the word on Instagram), a mindset that we should all strive to possess - he recognizes that his profession, his sport, is not something separate from his Christian walk, but that his faith in Christ should be integrated in all that he does. The Bible tells us that in whatever we do, we are to do it for the glory of God.

There is certainly a spiritual parallel here - Paul noted it in 1st Corinthians 9: we are all called to be fighters; Vargas actually is a physical fighter, but we have spiritual battles that we fight.  Fortunately, when the devil knocks us down and we may be tempted to give up or give in, we can rely on the depths of the resources that God makes available to us.  When the lies of fear and discouragement beset us, we can dig deeper into the well of living water that the Lord promises to us. 

What's Not to Like?

The day known as Easter, or as some call it, Resurrection Sunday, is clear - while it's been repackaged to culture at large as a celebration for children, complete with bunnies and eggs, the true meaning of the observance is at the core of our faith - the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, so that we might have new life. Romans chapter 6 says:
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Lifeway Research website relates the findings of a recent YouGov poll - it states:

According to YouGov, 95% of U.S. adults say they’ve heard about Easter, the same percentage who recognize Father’s Day or Independence Day, ranking it just outside the top 10 most well-known holidays in the U.S.

Around 2 in 3 Americans (66%) say they like Easter, while 8% dislike it and 21% are neutral toward the holiday, according to YouGov. The favorability score of Easter places it 12th among holidays.

It also reports that:

In another YouGov study, 13% of Americans say Easter is their favorite day of the year and 34% say they enjoy the day more than an average day. More than a third (38%) say they enjoy Easter about as much as an average day.

And, then, there's this statistic:

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), around 4 in 5 Americans celebrate Easter each year, including 79% who say they plan to in 2025.

The NRF noted that Americans planned to spend just under $190 per person on Easter, for a total of just over 23-1/2 billion dollars in 2025.

And, there's an impact on church attendance; the Lifeway Research story said that "Half of U.S. Protestant pastors (52%) say their churches typically have the highest attendance for their worship services on Easter, 30% say Easter ranks second, and 8% say it’s third, according to a Lifeway Research study."

But what does the celebration of Easter really mean?  What are we celebrating?  The article notes:

...the most recent State of Theology study found 2 in 3 Americans believe Easter celebrates a historical event. Two-thirds of U.S. adults (66%) say the biblical accounts of the physical resurrection of Jesus are completely accurate.

And, how about this nugget of data: "Nine in 10 Americans who attend a religious service at least monthly (90%) say they believe the biblical accounts of Jesus’s resurrection."

For the Christian, when you really consider the meaning of this holiday, what's not to like?  It's the celebration of a cornerstone principle of our faith - we were spiritually dead in our sins, but Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead so that we could have new life in Him.  That is a clarion call to all Christian believers to celebrate what Jesus has done for us.  Without His crucifixion and His subsequent resurrection, we have no salvation and no hope - it's a total package.  He had to die to pay the penalty that each of us incurred, but had to live so that we could be raised up with Him and to possess salvation - the resurrection represented the defeat of sin and death. 

So, again, when you get right down to it - what's not to like?  It's a great time for churches, families, and individual believers to celebrate what our Savior has done.  And, we can be reminded to live out the power of the resurrection, allowing Jesus to live through us. 

Rooting Out Bias

We can continue to pray for open doors to share the gospel and open hearts to receive. We have been through the Lenten season, and the celebration of Easter has been all around us and present within the culture. We have the chance to really make it count, to demonstrate the presence of the risen Lord. In Colossians 4, Paul writes:
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Throughout the past few years, I have related instances to you where governmental entities have shown hostility toward people of faith.  But, a recent Politico article indicates a different sort of story, opening up with these words:

The Trump administration has ordered State Department employees to report on any instances of coworkers displaying “anti-Christian bias” as part of its effort to implement a sweeping new executive order on supporting employees of Christian faith working in the federal government.

The department, according to a copy of an internal cable obtained by POLITICO, will work with an administration-wide task force to collect information “involving anti-religious bias during the last presidential administration” and will collect examples of anti-Christian bias through anonymous employee report forms.

This document bore the name of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a task force was scheduled to meet yesterday. Michael Farris, General Counsel for National Religious Broadcasters, was present and testified at the meeting - he offers his comments in this Facebook post.  Attorney General Bondi, on her website, gave a summary of the meeting. The Politico article goes on to state:

The department instructions say that examples of anti-Christian bias will be collected to meet the requirements of the executive order but that the department also will collect examples of anti-religious bias of all forms for its internal purposes.

“Although the E.O. focuses on anti-Christian bias, targeting anyone for their religious beliefs is discriminatory and is contrary to the Constitution” and various federal laws, the notice states.

Politico states:

The executive order Trump issued in February tasks all federal agencies to root out “anti-Christian bias” from the government.

In an age in which there have been attempts to curtail freedom of religious expression, this comes as a welcome development.  CBS News included this content from the cable that was sent out: 

"The task force is soliciting examples of anti-religious bias, particularly from the past four years, where the Department targeted anyone for their religion, including discrimination, harassment, exclusion, disciplinary action, adverse security clearance determinations, or any other adverse action, or in retaliation for exercising their religious rights," the cable said. "This includes anti-religious bias committed by department employees in their official duties against members of the public."

Examples of potential violations include formal or informal actions taken against a person because they requested religious accommodation "from taking mandatory vaccines or observing religious holidays" and "mistreatment for refusing to participate in events and activities that promoted themes inconsistent with or hostile to one's religious beliefs, including policies or practices related to preferred personal pronouns," according to the cable.

Again, this content is a reminder of the unjust punishment that Christians have been subjected to and the attempt by the government to restore a more Constitutional viewpoint.  It shows why we, according to 1st Timothy 2, should pray for our leaders, that we should be left alone to practice our faith.  While we recognize that those who live a life of godliness should expect persecution, it is not right for government agencies and authorities to be the ones doing the persecuting - they have been established by God in order to carry out His mission, to reward good and punish evil.

But, ultimately, God is our protector - He will vindicate us, even when man's authority might not. But, we are living in an age where there is a great opportunity for Christians to practice our faith openly - from the removal of the years-long Lemon test in a course that furthered hostility to religion to a signs such as this one in which government officials have welcomed religious expression.  Now, we can consider how we can leverage this opportunity to see people come to Christ. 

Wolf-ish?

I have contended that science, when it comes right down to it, is a study of the creation of God, including the laws of the universe that He has set in motion. Science is not a license to "play God" or an excuse to reject Him. Be encouraged by the words of Psalm 8:
(1) O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens!
2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

The Baptist Paper related recently that "Colossal Biosciences announced...the birth of three wolves that have been genetically engineered to resemble the extinct dire wolf. The wolves – Romulus, Remus and Khaleesi — mark what TIME Magazine calls the 'de-extinction' of a species unseen for reportedly '10,000 years.' The company used preserved DNA, genetic engineering and surrogate dog mothers to produce the wolves. While many scientists seem excited about the latest news, critics — one in particular Christian leader — noted this news should raise red flags."

That leader to which that paragraph referred is Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, who "addressed the news on his podcast 'The Briefing.'" The article said:

He specifically questioned the scientific validity of the wolves but also addressed the ethical and theological implications. “You’re not restoring creation,” Mohler said. “You’re engineering something artificial and calling it nature.”

Mohler also noted, “You have an engineered animal you call dire wolf, but even some other scientists are saying that’s not really a dire wolf. It’s dire wolf-ish.”

The Baptist Paper article also notes:

Among Christian concerns are tampering with God’s design, the unpredictability of reintroducing engineered animals into ecosystems, and a worldview that views humans as intruders rather than caretakers of creation. “This is not science fiction,” Mohler said. “This is human arrogance clothed in lab coats.”

Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis provided more details on the procedure at the ministry's website. He then noted:

Researchers claim the birth of these pups means they are “effectively for the first time de-extincting a line of beasts whose live gene pool long ago vanished.” In the evolutionary worldview, this extinction took place some 10,000 years ago at the end of the supposed last ice age.

Now, in a biblical worldview, dire wolves didn’t live that long ago. They likely went extinct sometime after the post-flood ice age less than 4,000 years ago. Many creatures—including the woolly mammoth that Colossal is working to bring back (apparently they’ve edited 25 of the 85 genes necessary and are “on track” to implant embryos in elephant wombs by late 2026)—went extinct after climate conditions wildly changed after the ice age ended and the glaciers retreated to their current location.

Ham also noted: "And gray wolves and dire wolves belong to the same kind, the dog kind. They’re both varieties that descended from the two representatives of their kind that went aboard the ark." He relates:

Now are dire wolves really back? No, not really. These aren’t dire wolves, they’re what we could call “GMO gray wolves.” They’ve been tweaked to have some of the features scientists think the iconic ice age predator had, but they aren’t true dire wolves as many, many more differences would genetically separate the two species. The story is definitely overhyped!

He also shared:

As humans, we’ve been given dominion over creation and we’re to care for it, wisely stewarding creation for God’s glory. That includes careful research into the delicate balance of ecosystems before releasing—or sort of rereleasing—new species (there are currently no plans to release the “dire wolves” into the wild). It will be interesting to see how this technology is used—we hope it will be used with wisdom and care for God’s creation.

But, a Washington Times article details where this could be heading, and regarding Ham's word of caution, it seems to do nothing of the sort.  It states:

In Austin, Texas, the Los Angeles Project is preparing to debut fluorescent pet bunnies. These bunnies are genetically engineered using a jellyfish gene that causes them to glow under ultraviolet light.

The company, co-founded by biohacker Josie Zayner and biotechnology entrepreneur Cathy Tie, uses CRISPR, a gene-editing tool that acts like molecular scissors, to insert the jellyfish’s bioluminescence gene.

The article goes on to say:

Glow-in-the-dark rabbits are only the beginning. The bioengineering firm plans to produce cats that don’t trigger allergies, jackalopes, dragons and unicorns.

“As a human species, it’s kind of our moral prerogative to level up animals,” Ms. Zayner told Wired magazine.

Colossal also used CRISPR to re-create the dire wolves, The Hollywood Reporter said. Scientists extracted endothelial progenitor cells, which line blood vessels, from living gray wolves and edited 14 genes in the cells’ nuclei to match ancient dire wolf DNA, Time reports.

The Times stated: 

“There’s a risk of side effects that are severe,” Columbia University bioethicist Robert Klitzman said of the dire wolf project in a Time interview. He said gene edits can have unintended effects and cloning is rife with complications.

Albert Mohler and Ken Ham both refer to our role as humans and our relationship with the rest of creation.  Mohler said that we are "caretakers," Ham said we are given "stewardship" over creation for God's glory.  When we begin to talk about designer animals and manipulating DNA, that doesn't sound like good stewardship to me.  We don't have a "moral prerogative to "level up" animals, as this so-called "biohacker" said.

And, the hype is just that - as Ken Ham notes, there is not a new species being created here - Mohler calls these animals "wolf-ish."  But, it is dangerous when you begin to think about where this manipulation could be leading and how some so-called "scientists," backed by big-money grants, are "playing God." 

We have to consider our own responsibility over creation - and over all that God has entrusted to us. We can think more deeply about what it truly means to be a steward.  We should always be seeking out the Biblical path, in order to do the will of God and bring glory to Him. When we think we know better than He, we will certainly face the consequences of our fallacies.

What are You Building?

The apostle Paul was careful to give the proper credit for the furtherance of the ministry that God had given to him - He recognized that what the Lord had built was the Lord's work, not his, and there would be partners who would build on the foundation God had laid. He brings this out in 1st Corinthians 3:
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.
10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

If you build it, they will come. That's a rather familiar movie line from the Kevin Costner baseball film, Field of Dreams. The main character in the film heard a voice reciting that line, and he built a baseball field on a cornfield in Iowa where legends of the game found a home. 

A well-known Christian musical artist heard a similar message from an authoritative source some 30 years ago.  CBN.com reported on an inner-city ministry in downtown Nashville recently:

Teens who are into skateboarding, video games, need a hot meal, or just a place to do homework can find it all here at Rocketown, an outreach with a mission to help young people experience the love of God. The mind behind Rocketown, now in its 30th year, is Christian music artist Michael W. Smith.

He tells CBN that, back in 1991, he literally heard God say, "Build it and they'll come. And I kept thinking, no, that's the baseball movie, that's Kevin Costner. And I just kept hearing it, 'build it and they'll come, build it and they'll come.'"

It started in Franklin and moved to downtown Nashville - Kenny Alonzo is the CEO and says:

"If it's going to excite a kid and get 'em in the building, we're going to do it. And so, once they're here, we get to love them and care for them and provide for them. And we try to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I know that's said a lot, but honestly, that's what we do..."

He relates, "We've had everything from couch surfers who have a home, but they don't want to stay there, to kids who live in storage units with mom because they don't have anywhere to go. And then some kids from the street, and they just come in here because they can get warm when it's cold..."

Rocketown offers an after-school program, a skate park, and even a recording studio.  Thursday nights are the time for a "family dinner."  The night CBN visited for its story, a former regular at Rocketown received a minivan that was arranged by the ministry.

As one visitor said, this unique place offers "community."

Smith notes:

"Just some of the background stories you hear like a girl, her dad is in prison and her mom's a prostitute. What do you do with this kid? You just love on 'em. And for many years a lot of people didn't understand our philosophy. They were upset with us because we weren't more direct about the gospel. And sometimes, especially when you have a very troubled teen who has a lot of damage, they don't trust anybody. And so, you have to earn their trust. And that's our methodology of just we're going to love kids into the kingdom, but we're going to love 'em first..."

The song takes its name from a song that Smitty recorded about a man who came into a sinful city, a man whose "heartlight" was "always glowing."   A man who prayed for a broken city.  And, no doubt here is a ministry that is reaching out and offering hope to broken lives. 

Michael W. Smith had a directive from the Lord to build something - to launch a ministry. We can consider what we are building - or what we are allowing the Lord to do through us. We may not be a successful singer or are even called to launch a ministry.  What God is calling us to is obedience - to listen for His instruction and respond.   As we spend time in His Word, we can do so with expectation that the Holy Spirit will show us what we are to "build."

And, we may not be called to do it alone - as Paul recounted, there may be those who will build on a foundation that God has laid and we have been used of Him to facilitate. But, once God shows us what He desires for us to do, we can rely on Him to complete the work that He has raised up.  

In the course of our lives, I believe that we are called to build something.  Perhaps many things.  In our families.  In our churches.  Our reputation.  A demonstration of our faithfulness.  Through our devotion to Christ, He is able to work powerfully for His glory.

Christ Our King

On this day on which we commemorate the death of our Savior on Calvary - a day called "Good Friday," even though things didn't look so good.  Jesus suffered brutal humiliation, enormous pain, and ultimately, He surrendered to death.

But, death could not hold Him - He rose from the dead on that Resurrection Sunday, and He is seated at the right hand of God the Father.  He is the King, the Messiah who was promised.

In Acts 13, in a passage in which he recounts the history of Israel and stresses the significance of Jesus, the apostle Paul declared, beginning in verse 20:

20 After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

21 And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
22 And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'
23 From this man's seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior--Jesus--

He spoke about the death and resurrection of Jesus and stated:
32 And we declare to you glad tidings--that promise which was made to the fathers.
33 God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.'
34 And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'

There is a certain connection between David and Jesus - and there's a new series that recently completed its first season on Amazon Prime.  It's called, House of David, and co-executive producer, and co-director of the series, Jon Erwin was a recent guest on The Meeting House on Faith Radio.

A Christian Post article recently quoted from Greg Laurie, Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California and speaker on A New Beginning weekdays at 2:00 p.m. on Faith Radio.  He said: “I think this is one of the greatest evangelistic opportunities in recent history...No movie will ever take the place of the Gospel or the Bible, nor should it. But if it inspires people who've never read the Bible before or have no relationship with God to want to know more, then this is something we should be celebrating, not critiquing.”

The article goes on to say that Greg Laurie...

...served as a consultant on the series, helmed by “Jesus Revolution” filmmakers Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn, and produced a newly released documentary titled “Beyond the House of David,” which debuted the same day as the show’s premiere. He also authored a 30-day devotional to accompany the series, aiming to help viewers deepen their understanding of David’s life and legacy.

About that devotional, Laurie states:

“For me, it was like … David effectively kept a diary,” Laurie said. “He put many of his thoughts down on paper. Probably, many were originally songs. But it’s called the book of Psalms — David’s diary. He’s very honest. When he’s down, he talks about being down. But then he’ll say, ‘Hope in God, for I will yet trust Him.’ He laments, then corrects his own thinking.”

Laurie stressed that this raw emotional and spiritual honesty is why David is called “a man after God’s own heart.” “He didn’t put on pretenses. He was flawed. He knew it. But he had this heart for the Lord.”

The article also notes:

David’s story, of course, is not without profound failure, the pastor said, adding: “People remember David and Goliath, his greatest victory. And David and Bathsheba, his worst defeat. But we must not forget that God forgave David. His life was redeemed. He made it into the Messianic line.”

That redemptive thread, Laurie stressed, is critical for modern believers facing temptation, regret and spiritual distance. “There’s nothing new under the sun,” Laurie said, quoting David’s son, Solomon. “The same God that sustained David on a literal battlefield will certainly sustain the believer today.”

And, according to CBN.com, the lead actor, who plays the role of David, has been impacted by playing the title character.  Michael Iskander says: “I think David is one of the most interesting people because … there’s so much duality in him,” adding, “He’s the epitome of what it means to be human, to make mistakes, but to truly have a heart for God — and a heart that seeks after God’s own heart.”

The article continues by saying:

Iskander, who said he feels “blessed” to be able to tell this story, explained how his experience portraying David transformed how he sees Scripture and the people presented within it.

“Now, I view it from a point of view as just human beings,” he said. “And so I put the context of that time and of these people into the story … it just puts a whole different perspective on the Bible, and I think it makes it that much more interesting to read and to discover.”

Iskander said it’s exciting to be able to have such a fascinating lens into Scripture. He spoke about the importance of trusting God and allowing the Lord to guide His path, citing Proverbs 3:5-6. In the end, he knows “House of David” is entertainment for many, but believes the project is really all about the Lord.

So, on this Good Friday, we honor the Suffering Servant, the Man of Sorrows, according to Isaiah 53, who is our Savior, our Redeemer, and our King. The fifth verse of that chapter says, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed."

The Bible is full of flawed characters, like David, who experienced the forgiveness and redemption of God.  We are all in need of a Savior, and Jesus, who defeated the power of sin and death and sits at the right hand of the throne of God, desires to sit on the throne of our lives - in Him, we find hope, redemption, true love, and true peace.  We can perhaps identify with David in some of his struggles, as we read about in the Psalms, but we can also see if we identify with Jesus, who paid the penalty for sin, we can also identify with Him in His righteousness and holiness.  We are cursed in our flesh, yet made alive in the Spirit. 

Jesus came to us as a man, and the Bible reminds us that we can follow in His footsteps.  He was an example for us, and He paid the ultimate price by dying for our sins, so that we can consider ourselves dead to sin in Jesus and allow His Spirit to take control of us.  We can worship and serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Christ Our Bread of Life

As He shared that last meal with His disciples, Jesus shared the bread and the cup - the bread communicating that His body would be broken and the cup representing that His blood would be shed as the perfect sacrificial Lamb, given for our sins.  Jesus taught us in Scripture that He was the bread of life, the all-sufficient One, who desires for us to find our identity in Him through salvation.  He taught in John 6:
48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."

Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should recognize that His principles should be integrated into every sphere of life. His Word is sufficient to give wisdom, and we should bring our Christian perspective to the decisions we make and the actions we take.

We've heard a lot about so-called "Christian nationalism" these days - it has been used to denigrate Christian believers who bring their faith into the arena of government, believing that God's laws and principles should not be separated or relegated to their own separate place in our public life.

Now, an organization that seems to think it is doing some sort of public service by rooting out this "Christian nationalism" has now attempted to define it. It's the Public Religion Research Institute, or PRRI, and a couple of months back, it released its second American Values Atlas. And, it's targeted as Christian nationalism. But, in reading the statistics in the survey summary, I was struggling to find a definition - it had four categories it identified - Adherents, Sympathizers, Skeptics, Rejecters - but it seemed to be light on what they were responding to.

So, I went back to last year's summary, and lo and behold, here it was - so here we go:

Respondents in our American Values Atlas were asked whether they completely agree, mostly agree, mostly disagree, or completely disagree with each of the following statements:

• The U.S. government should declare America a Christian nation.
• U.S. laws should be based on Christian values.
• If the U.S. moves away from our Christian foundations, we will not have a country anymore.
• Being Christian is an important part of being truly American.
• God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society.

Then we have the four categories:

Christian Nationalism Adherents (Score 0.75–1): These Americans overwhelmingly either agree or completely agree with all five statements in the scale. This group includes 10% of Americans.

Christian Nationalism Sympathizers (Score 0.5–0.74): These Americans agree with most statements in the scale, but they are less likely than Adherents to completely agree. This group includes 20% of Americans.

Christian Nationalism Skeptics (Score 0.01-0.49): These Americans disagree with most statements in the scale, but they are less likely than Rejecters to completely disagree. This group includes 37% of Americans.

Christian Nationalism Rejecters (Score 0): These Americans completely disagree with all five statements in the scale. This group includes 30% of Americans.

This year's survey is pretty much the same: "In 2024, three in ten Americans qualified as Christian nationalism Adherents (10%) or Sympathizers (20%), compared with two-thirds who qualified as Skeptics (37%) or Rejecters (29%)."

So, the survey divides Americans into groups based on their views on how influential Christianity should be in the nation. Then, it begins to poll certain attitudes, of course, attempting to paint a distorted picture of these dangerous Christian nationalists - those in the Adherent and Sympathizer groups as anti-immigrant, supportive of traditional gender roles, and possessing a propensity for political violence and even the murky QAnon philosophy. 

The fact is, Christians who love our country and are concerned about its direction should not be vilified.  In a nation where there is freedom of religion, our views possess validity, and because they are rooted in Scripture, they possess certain authority - absolute authority.  Now, we recognize there are people who do not share our faith perspective - and there is a place for them as citizens of our nation - and we should share the love of Jesus with them, firm in our convictions but rooted in compassion.

Fact is, part of the American fabric is the belief in the Bible - the Bible is foundational to our nation's laws. When faith or no faith becomes detrimental to that fabric, then it should be called out - but not in a harmful manner, and certainly not with violence.  Christians who are truly Christ-followers, unlike some groups, do not believe in doing harm to other people and attempting to silence and shut down those with whom they disagree. We've certainly been on the receiving end, though. 

Jesus gave His body and blood so that we could become redeemed people.  He gave His life for that.  And, in the Spirit of Jesus, the One who is risen from the dead and lives and loves through His people, we can seize the opportunities God gives us to reflect His presence, especially in a season in which His death and resurrection - and the new life that is made possible through those acts - are being commemorated.  Our beliefs have a place in this country, as we believe that it truly will take spiritual awakening in order to turn things around, for so many have rejected God.  We can rejoice in our all-sufficient One, the Bread of Life who truly satisfies. 

Christ Our Truth-Giver

We are called and empowered to raise a standard of truth - Jesus demonstrated that during His earthly ministry, and even during the final hours prior to His death, He was engaging with the religious leaders of His day. Throughout several chapters of the book of Matthew, it is recorded how Jesus engaged with those religious leaders, pronouncing "woes" upon them, calling them out for the hypocrisy. So, we come to Matthew 26:
1 Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples,
2 "You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."
3 Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
4 and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him.
5 But they said, "Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people."

Later in the chapter, though, Judas came to the chief priests and offered to betray our Savior. 

There will likely be consequences for standing on the truth of God, yet we are placed by Him to do just that.  

As I have reported to you this week, lawmakers in Colorado have begun to consider legislation that stands contrary to Biblical standards - when we see this, Christians should rise up in opposition.  The Center for Baptist Leadership, whose founder, William Wolfe, was on The Meeting House yesterday, reported that members of the Legislature "are advancing a slate of bills that would, among other things, provide taxpayer funding for abortions, empower the state to persecute Christians who refuse to bend the knee to radical gender ideology and compelled speech codes, and go so far as to steal children from parents who won’t affirm the “transgender” delusions of their kids."  A bill to do that latter item has already passed the House of Representatives in that state.

The CBL article went on to say:

Southern Baptist pastor Chase Davis worked to sound the alarm on the “transgender protections” bill at the Center for Baptist Leadership last week, warning that:

“If enacted, this bill would criminalize ‘deadnaming’ and ‘misgendering’ for any business. It would criminalize dress codes conforming to gender standards for schools. It threatens to strip parents of their parental rights who do not go along with the delusion that boys can become girls. It also broadly criminalizes any “coercion” by parents who, whether from their religious beliefs or just common sense, refuse to allow their confused children to “transition.” It would also empower the state to take children away from parents who refer to their kids by their given name and biological sex.”

And, a group of pastors has sent a letter to pastors of larger churches, encouraging them to speak out.  The article goes on to report: "...a group of pastors sent a letter to many of the larger churches in Colorado, hoping to rally the pastors of bigger churches to use their platform, reach, and resources to protect parental rights, freedom of speech, and the well-being of children in their state."

Chris Goble, the Lead Pastor of Ridgeline Community Church in Castle Rock, CO, explains that they “wrote and then sent this letter to the Pastors and Elders of the largest churches and faith organizations in Colorado, calling them to action and bring their sizable resources and platforms to bear for the sake of God’s Truth and His people.”

The Center also relates that it detailed this aggressive and dangerous agenda and implored pastors to "1) Post, 2) Preach, 3) Petition, and 4) Push others to do the same."

The letter lays out the legislative agenda that Christians are being asked to fight against - you can see it at the website, Fight1312.com:

For years, our state has been steadily undermined by liberal ideologies that erode our freedoms, threaten our families’ livelihoods, and reject the truth of God’s Word. As Psalm 11:3 warns, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” We recognize that faithful people may differ on these issues, and many of you have chosen silence or neutrality to preserve unity. That time is over.

A barrage of legislation—House Bill 25-1312, Senate Bill 183, House Bill 1309, and Senate Bill 129—marks a brazen assault on our God-given rights and biblical values. HB 25-1312 redefines misgendering as child abuse and discrimination, stripping parents of their authority (Ephesians 6:4) and exposing businesses, schools, and even churches to legal peril. SB 183 forces taxpayers to fund abortions, defying the sanctity of life knit together in the womb (Psalm 139:13). HB 1309 mandates “gender-affirming care” in all health plans, and SB 129 expands access to out-of-state telehealth abortion pills. These bills are a direct attack on the created order—“male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27)—and the sanctity of life.

You can find more information, including rolling updates on the fight against the legislation by going to the website. Also, on X, the CBL has announced that tomorrow, there will be a prayer walk in Denver at the State Capitol, followed by a pastors' press conference.

What you have here is a masterclass of how the body of Christ should operate when there are threats to the moral fiber of the areas where we live, over which I believe we have been given responsibility by God.  I witnessed last year how Christian and like-minded organizations stood together in unity against yet another threat to the state of Alabama by the expansion of gambling.  We are seeing citizens of Colorado mobilize and motivate others because they believe in the authority of God's Word and take their responsibility seriously.  And, this has begun to attract national attention. 

Before He died, Jesus taught, in what you might call firm and even provocative ways about the departure from truth that the religious leaders of the day had undertaken.  And, even now, there are churches in Colorado - and around the nation - who do not wish to take up the fight against attempts to impose an anti-Christian agenda on our citizens.  We must be bold to stand on truth and allow God to speak though us for the advancement of the Kingdom of God rather than the principles of darkness.

And, one further thing - in Alabama in the gambling fight and in Colorado in this particular battle, we find ourselves playing defense all too often.  But, we can also seek ways to go on offense.  That involves electing leaders who respect the Word of God and are willing to sponsor good legislation that is consistent with Biblical truth and benefits our citizens.  I spotlighted bills in the Alabama Legislature that have been introduced, but sadly, in looking over ALCAP's latest update, there are several bills that would provide for greater religious expression in our state that are labeled "No Movement."  We need to pray for our leaders - and pray for leaders who will boldly fight for truth.

Christ Our Clarity

It seems that there are so many who are confused these days - because they do not have the certainty of Christ in their lives and do not believe or adhere to His principles, they are easily swayed to believe the lies of the enemy. In John 8, Jesus says:
(42) ..."If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

Some lies that seem to be common these days include, "I was born in the wrong body," or "the wrong gender was assigned to me at birth."  While it is true, people are struggling in that area, but that mindset is being exacerbated by various influences that speak what is not true.

A piece at the Daily Citizen website of Focus on the Family announced recently that those who wish to participate in women's track and field in the Olympics "will now be required to confirm their gender via a cheek swab or dry blood DNA test."  The article notes:

Sebastian Coe, who heads up World Athletics, the governing body of track, was clear-headed and resolute in announcing the new policy.

“We’re not just talking about the integrity of female women’s sport, but actually guaranteeing it,” Coe said. “And this, we feel, is a really important way of providing confidence and maintaining that absolute focus on the integrity of competition.”

Paul Batura, who wrote the article, went on to say:

Inexplicably, the International Olympic Committee has elected to leave this issue up to each sport’s international federation.

It’s this leadership vacuum that not only threatens the integrity of individual sports but also jeopardizes the health and safety of the athletes themselves.

He brought back memories of an Algerian boxer who had been disqualified by the International Boxing Association a few years before the previous Summer Olympic games because of an XY chromosome. Batura writes: "The International Olympic Committee (IOC) went along with Khelif’s charade and allowed the boxer to punch away on female athletes." He also noted, "Track and Field has been navigating this gender controversy since 2009 when Caster Semenya, a South African athlete with naturally high testosterone levels, first won a gold medal in 800 meters at the World Championships."

In this and so many other areas, we need the clarity of Christ. The Daily Citizen piece says:

Be aware that you’ll be reading in the coming days and weeks that World Athletics is banning “transwomen athletes” – but such a claim isn’t true. That’s because there’s no such thing as a “transwoman” – there are just two genders, male and female. Just because a man is pretending to be a woman doesn’t make it so.

The article goes on to state:

Trust but verify.

It’s been 125 years since women first appeared in the 1900 Olympics in Paris. There were just 22 of them out of a total of 997 athletes. These commonsense policies being implemented in Track and Field will ensure that the distinctiveness of female competition will be maintained and protected in the upcoming Summer Olympic games in Los Angeles in 2028.

The gender issue is just one out of many in which the world's ideas are being allowed to supersede and reject God's truth.  Batura wrote, "Just because a man is pretending to be a woman doesn’t make it so." There are many counterfeits in this world - Satan is the father of lies, the great deceiver, who even comes as an "angel of light," the Bible says.  But, just because something appears to be a certain way doesn't make it factual.   

I think it's helpful and instructive to examine our own set of beliefs and allow the Holy Spirit to shine His penetrating light into our hearts.  The standard is God's Word and the Holy Spirit will bring conviction and correction based on the enduring truth of God's truth.  The gender issue is foundational, because there are challenges to the authenticity and authority of God as creator, as stated in the book of Genesis.  During Holy Week, Jesus drove corruption out the Temple - we can drive wrong ideas out of our consciousness by rejecting lies and embracing truth.

Christ Our Refuge

Where there is despair and hopelessness, the presence of Christ brings hope. The Bible tells us that He is our refuge; He is the One who is near when trouble abounds. As we enter into this Holy Week, we can focus on the hope that He brings, the fulfillment of God's promises. The oppressed people of Jerusalem on that day of Palm Sunday shouted, "Hosanna!" which is commonly equated with salvation, or God's ability to save. Psalm 46 reminds us:
(1) God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling...

There's a ministry in the nation of Colombia that is translated "City of Refuge."  A CBN.com article related:

Colombia remains the number one destination for Venezuelan migrants, with over three million already in the country—a number that could triple by the end of the year. Thousands arrive daily, seeking food, water, shelter, and stability. Many end up homeless, exploited, and trapped in a cycle of addiction and poverty.

The article quotes missionary Douglas Calvano of that ministry, who says: "Not only the homeless, the migrants—the displaced people… I don't know if you heard, we have people coming from Cucuta… into Medellin. Displaced because of the guerrillas—it's becoming a bigger crisis than in the '90s..."  Then there's what you might term "home-grown" homelessness; CBN says: "Close to seven million Colombians are homeless in their own country, and on the streets, the worlds of addiction, poverty, and displacement collide."

I have observed first-hand some of the impoverished neighborhoods on the outskirts of the capital city of Bogota as part of a media team that traveled to the nation with Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child.  I sensed the deep love for Jesus in the midst of the pastors and the children who were being ministered to.  I saw that in the midst of economic deficiency, Jesus was sufficient for their souls. And, the kids - wow, what joy they displayed as they heard the gospel message and received their shoeboxes.

This ministry in which Douglas Calvano is involved has been serving the Medellin area for some 30 years, including an area "where open-air drug markets and rampant addiction paint a stark picture of the crisis."  CBN notes, "For many here, the future is uncertain—some may face arrest, while others might not survive the night. It's a stark reminder of the desperation and danger that define life on these streets."

Harry Dietrich, who leads the operations side of the ministry states, "If you wind up in 'The Bronx,' it's because you're at the end of your rope. You're at the worst of the worst in your life."  And, downtown, the ministry has a homeless shelter and offers a program where people can reform their lives through the power of Jesus. Dietrich relates: "Many of the homeless are just looking for a roof, looking for a bed, looking for a meal," adding, "But if they have any type of a heart for the Lord or restoration fully, we'll take them in and get them going in the program as soon as possible."

One visitor, a 26-year-old woman named Camila, whose addiction resulted in the loss of custody of her child, got into the program and not only found food and housing, but a job, as well.  No longer an addict, she has been "reunited with her daughter."  She is quoted as saying: "For me, it has been something supernatural...It is very beautiful to see how God is transforming our minds and our hearts every day, first of all. Because He is touching, He is touching the deepest part of our hearts. It has been the deepest thing in our hearts, and it makes us understand that the only thing that can save us is Him."

The ministry also has a church, and Calvano says: "I think the Church is awakening to the fact that—the Gospel is not just what we preach—the gospel is much more than that," adding, "We need to do things for people. People are tired of the right message, sermon—they want to see the gospel on the streets and see the church moving… that is happening in Colombia, thank God."

As we consider the final week of the life of Jesus, we can conclude that He represents for us so many things - He is our Savior.  He is our refuge.  He is our substitute who died in our place so that we might come into a relationship with Him.  And, in His death and resurrection, He brings hope to us. 

His death on the cross reminds us that He was the perfect sacrifice for our sins, removing the barrier that stood between humanity and God and making it possible for people - in any place, in any culture, any economic conditions, to experience a true heart change.  For the addict looking for the "fix" for his or her soul, He brings restoration.  He can fill the void that resides in the heart of everyone who does not know Him. 

So, this week, I encourage you to draw near to God - allow Him to heal the broken places, open your heart to more of His love and grace.  Allow the Spirit of God to awaken within you a greater appreciation of the cross, which represents hope in the midst of brokenness.

Near-Miss?

The Bible is clear: there is one way to God - through Jesus, who said that He is the way, truth, and life. And, there is one way to heaven. But, these days, there is a tendency out there to blur the lines - it's a product of seeing God as more tolerant of sin, redefined with a false sense of benevolence, even to the extent of admitting people to heaven that do not meet the Biblical conditions. Jesus taught in John 14:
1 "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
2 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
4 And where I go you know, and the way you know."

The way you know, Jesus said - but Thomas probed further:
5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

In a Biblical view of the afterlife, close does not count.  In order to live with God forever in heaven, we must embrace Jesus. But, Blake Shelton offers a different view in a new song called, Let Him in Anyway.

Plugged In describes it this way:

For Christians, it’s an agonizing thing when a close friend or relative dies before coming to know Jesus. And that’s precisely what country icon Blake Shelton is singing about in his tear-jerking new ballad “Let Him in Anyway.”

The review of this song states that the singer "...gets more specific about, it seems, his attempts to evangelize a friend that fell on a deaf ears and a resistant heart: 'I tried and I tried, he was startin’ to listen/I brought him to church, he was feeling conviction/But you took him away ‘fore I could convince him.'”  Plugged In goes on to say:

Shelton strongly implies that he believes salvation isn’t universal, as so many other voices in our culture suggest. Instead, he fears getting to heaven himself and finding that his friend isn’t there: “So I’m here on my knees, sayin’/Hey God/I know you know what I’m ’bout to pray, God/I just had to suck it up and say goodbye to my best friend/And I don’t ever wanna never see him again.”

A grain of Biblical truth is hijacked as Shelton sings, "And I know the only way to get in is through you/And he wasn’t quite the Christian he was supposed to be/And Lord, it ain’t my place/But could you let him in anyway?”  So, was this friend a Christian or not?  The review notes:

None of us are the Christians we should be, no matter how “good” we think we’re doing in our faith. That’s why Jesus gave His life on our behalf, because even our tears of repentance must be washed in His blood. Shelton hints that salvation is about God, not about our spiritual performance, but the waters get slightly muddier here when talking about whether someone was a “good enough” Christian to make it in.

Clearly, as the article points out, Blake Shelton suffers some guilt for not getting his friend into heaven.  And, while we should all be faithful to share with others about Jesus, it is ultimately up to the person who is being witnessed to to make the decision for Christ.  As Adam Holz, writing for Plugged In, states:

It’s not our job to convince someone that Jesus is who He says He is, “the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Rather, my job and yours—if you’re a follower of Jesus—is to faithfully bear witness to who He is and to pray for our friends while they’re still with us. The rest is up to the Holy Spirit.

It seems like Blake Shelton did that in this case. I love that he’s singing about his passion for people to come to know Jesus, and that he understands the consequences of that not happening. But whether Blake’s friend is in heaven or not, in the end, is not because he ran out of time to coax him into the kingdom. And it’s important to keep that in mind, too, even if you’re reaching for the tissues to dab your eyes after listening to this beautiful song.

Well, certainly you should not expect accurate Christian doctrine in a forum - in this case, country music - that is not devoted to it.  That doesn't mean that God will not use various musical styles and genres to communicate His message.  But, we have to be careful these days.

Bottom line: there is no such thing as a "near miss" with regard to where you will spend eternity - Jesus is very clear.  The Bible says that "now" is the day of salvation, so here and now, we should all examine our lives and determine whether or not we believe in Jesus and have been saved. It's not a matter of how kind you are to people, even though true kindness is a fruit of the Spirit.  Nor, is it related to church attendance, although we are called to not forsake the assembly of believers together. Salvation comes through confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead.  That results in true life change.  

Embracing faith-adjacent concepts that are not Biblical can lead people astray and create a misunderstanding of what it means to be saved, what it means to be a Christian.  It's not done in our own strength, in the power of our own good works, but in the strength of the Lord as we allow Christ to live His life through us.  A 2021 article at The Christian Post said that, "Nearly 70% of born-again Christians disagree with the biblical position that Jesus is the only way to God, according to a new survey from Probe Ministries, a nonprofit that seeks to help the Church in renewing the minds of believers with a Christian worldview."  We must search and study the Scriptures to make sure that our beliefs line up with what the Bible teaches.

Parents + Church = Positive Growth

While parents are given the primary responsibility to raise their children and to teach them the ways of the Lord, the partnership with the local church can be vibrant and effective. Parents can rely on the Lord to strengthen their families and to mold a right relationship with their children. Deuteronomy 6 has this exhortation:
6 "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

The Lifeway Research website published a summary of a new study exploring the relationship between parents and student ministry. It announces:

A study from Lifeway Students and Lifeway Research explores the perspective of churchgoing parents of teenagers and those who lead student ministries in local churches. Both emphasize the spiritual health of their students and say they want to work together to see the next generation become disciples of Christ.

The indicators are good; for instance, the survey found: "Around 9 in 10 parents (89%) feel they have a great relationship with the leader of their church’s student ministry. For their part, only 16% of student ministry leaders say they feel tension with parents, while 79% disagree."

Lifeway surveyed just over a thousand parents with at least one student in grades 6-12. The report notes that "When asked their biggest priority for their student’s future, 2 in 5 (41%) say their main goal is spiritual well-being."

Around 7 out of 10 parents described as "churchgoing" report that they are "actively" promoting their children to practice the Christian faith, with a similar percentage reporting that effort has been successful.  But, high numbers of parents report concern over their students not pursuing that faith due to worldly influences.  

And, there's a significant percentage of parents who don't reflect confidence in their ability to perform the task of helping with their students' spiritual development. The summary states: "Most parents (62%) say they’re equipped to help their student develop spiritually, while 36% feel the opposite. Yet, 94% agree they want to become more equipped for this, and just 5% disagree." 72% say they are willing to partner with student ministry leaders.

Those ministry leaders are also desirous of partnering with parents; the Lifeway Research summary article says: "Around 7 in 10 say they’d want to increase their equipping of parents with tools to disciple their students (70%) and training of parents to disciple their students (67%)."

Over 7 out of 10 student ministry leaders say they see parents "concerned" about the spiritual growth of their students and involved in the process. But..."Despite all the desire to partner with parents and do more training, most student ministry leaders (57%) say they don’t have a clearly defined strategy for ministering to parents."

But, these church leaders report some difficulty in helping parents to teach their kids at home.  The summary notes:

Around 3 in 4 (73%) say they have sought to partner with parents to encourage spiritual activities at home, but some have been disappointed with the results.

More than 2 in 5 leaders who have tried to partner (43%) say parents don’t even try to engage at home in the spiritual activities they suggest, while 40% of leaders say the parents at least try it. Three in 10 (30%) say the parents like it, but half as many (15%) say the students enjoy it.

In the article, Chad Higgins, coauthor of a book called Define the Relationship: Growing a Parent Ministry that Brings Families and Churches Together, which correlates with this data, is quoted as saying, “For believing parents, a key goal is that their teenagers develop a genuine faith in Christ—a desire shared by student ministry leaders,” adding, “Both want students to grow spiritually healthy and mature in their walk with Christ. To align on this, we need to move beyond tracking church attendance as the sole measure of faithfulness and help parents understand and discuss terms like ‘spiritually healthy’ or ‘growing in Christ’ in meaningful ways.”

It does seem as if priorities is a big component here - if parents prioritize their children's relationship with Christ and student ministry leaders are doing the same thing, then the common goals could drive a productive relationship.  But, Christian parents should make sure that they realize that the primary responsibility is theirs to teach Biblical truth and to generate an atmosphere for growth in and through their homes. The Church is a great source of truth and direction and can be a valuable resource as it supports the work of the parents and is devoted to providing an excellent spiritual foundations for families. 

This research shows that there is a "want to" on the part of parents and student ministries, but the numbers could definitely be better. But, we can recognize that these two amazing institutions - the family and the Church - ordained by God - when working together, can produce incredible spiritual growth and impact the next generation in its knowledge of God and practice of Christian faith.

In the Beginning

Science - true science - deals with what can be tested and proven. And, there are those that would characterize religion as perhaps a theory or even superstition. But, at its core, I would submit that science is the study of God's creation. And, what has been tested and proven by scientists throughout the years points to the hand of Almighty God. Consider this passage from Isaiah 45:
18 For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek Me in vain'; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
20 "Assemble yourselves and come; Draw near together, You who have escaped from the nations. They have no knowledge, Who carry the wood of their carved image, And pray to a god that cannot save.
21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me.

I came across a thought-provoking piece about science and faith recently at The Blaze.  It was written by Diane Schrader, who originally posted it on her Substack blog called, She Speaks Truth. 

Let's begin at the end of this piece, in which she makes this incredible declaration:

We should not acquiesce to a theory that has never and can never be proven; a theory that tells us we are random cogs in a wheel with no greater meaning; a theory that is presented as “the science” without the evidence to back it up.

I’m confident stating this: Christianity is a complete, evidence-based worldview that stands on its own — and the whole Bible, including the opening chapters, supports that big picture.

At the beginning of the article, she decries what erroneously passes for "true" science these days:

What we call "science" in Western culture has been weaponized for many decades to legitimize whatever narrative the powerful want to push.

This should be self-evident after the COVID-19 debacle, where nearly everything that was labeled a "conspiracy theory" turned out to be true, and nearly everything the powerful told us turned out to be false. Remember President Biden threatening us with a “winter of death” or promising that the shot would prevent contracting COVID?

Schrader goes on to say:

Now, in the "I didn't see that coming" department, there was a recently published peer-reviewed medical journal article that criticizes corrupt medical journals and their corrupt peer-reviewed studies. Um, what?

Since virtually all the "science" that gets reported in the media — the "science" on which public policy is made and the "science" that subsequently affects our everyday lives in countless ways — tends to stem from peer-reviewed research in medical journals, this is a significant admission.

She notes that "...for many decades now, the most unquestionable, absolutely carved-in-solid-rock 'truth' from 'science' is this: Everything evolved from something else, and we are all a product of nothing but random chance."  

The article states: 

The reality is that until the Fall, described in Genesis 3, there was no death in the world God had created.

This is where the theory of evolution crumbles, according to scripture.

The theory of evolution requires death — and a lot of it — before humans even come on the scene. But if death had been part of God's original creation, He would not have described it as "good." The Bible, therefore, easily discredits the "science" of secularism's evolutionary golden calf.

And, Schrader issues this reminder:

It bears repeating: God made humans in His image. Animals are not equivalent to humans. Nature is not equivalent to humans. Each and every human being is a precious creature made in the image of God. This is why believers must be pro-life and opposed to any philosophy that places any other creature or creation above human life.

She adds: "...the scriptural worldview — that God created the world and He specially designed humans — is just one of the preliminary arguments that explain why believers must not try to fit the 'evolution square peg' in the 'creation round hole.'"

The consideration of a Creator, who not only established the heavens and earth - "the world and everything in it," as Paul declared in Acts - can help to lead someone to Jesus.  If you think deeply about the topic of origins, you have to believe that all we see around us started somewhere.  But where?  The Bible offers an explanation in Genesis, as it's been noted, "In the beginning, God..."

Colossians 1 reminds us that Jesus existed at the beginning:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

So, when people say "follow the science," what they really seem to mean is to follow a progressive  agenda that has been labeled and mischaracterized as science.  At its core, I contend that science is the study of the handiwork of God.  Scientists throughout the ages have exercised belief in a Creator and set to study His ways.  The earth and the universe are part of a cosmic order that has been ordered by God Himself.  When we consider that the heavens and earth are created by God, and that each of us are divinely crafted by Him, we can gain a greater appreciation for the One who can order our lives according to His plan.