Gender Confused

This passage from Psalm 33 can help us to reflect on our Creator God, and the absolute wisdom and power expressed in His creation.
4 For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth.
5 He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

In Acts, Paul declares that God made the world and everything in it.  His creation reflects His nature; the Bible says the heavens declare the glory of God.  God has set creation into motion, with a variety of natural, scientific laws that reflect His devotion to order.  And, if He is capable of ordering creation, we can certainly know that He can order our lives.  He expects us to live by His principles, by which we bring Him glory.

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Genesis 2 is very clear with respect to God's creation, His undeniable design, and the absolute nature of gender:
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said: "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."

The Rio Olympics begin in early August, and the International Olympic Committee has succombed to political correctness in the area of allowing transgender athletes to compete.  A recent USA Today story identifies that there are two such athletes that may be taking part in the games.

A little backstory here: In November, the IOC had a meeting, which led to new guidelines that were announced in January. The story says that, "Under the new guidelines, those who transition from female to male are eligible to compete without restriction and those who transition from male to female are eligible to compete without gender reassignment surgery and with one year of hormone therapy. The old guidelines, from 2004, required surgery and two years of hormone therapy."

The USA Today story also revealed that in May at yet another meeting, members of an international sports federation said that two closeted transgender athletes who competed in their sport were considering coming out publicly before the Games this summer, according to two people who attended the meeting and spoke to the publication.

Will it be Chris Mosier, a transgender male athlete who is quoted in the story?  He competed this summer in the World Duathlon Championships.  Mosier had challenged the IOC’s rules for transgender athletes, which were the same as the International Triathlon Union rules under which Mosier competes.  Or perhaps it would be swimmer G Ryan, who identifies as "genderqueer," and not as a man or a woman. Ryan competed in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials as a female, and prefers “they/them/theirs” as pronouns to be described as a person.

While the USA Today story did not offer in opinion in opposition to the IOC guidelines, over at The Federalist, I found some common sense from Brandon Morse, who wrote:

Women’s and men’s sports are categorically different for a reason. The male and female forms are different in many ways, and both have advantages and disadvantages compared to the other.

In some sports, mixing male and female may not affect the outcome, such as tennis, equestrian sports, or curling, but in many others this is not the case. Men typically outpace women when running, lifting, throwing, jumping, etc. If men can claim to be women and invade a sport that only women are allowed to compete in, then it’s a safe bet men will win. All the accolades, rewards, and recognition will be taken from the women who rightfully deserve them and given to a man who essentially cheated by putting on makeup, injecting himself with hormones, and saying he’s a woman.

And, this concept of changing gender or identifying with the gender other than one's biological one has become more accepted.   LifeWay Research asked 1,000 Americans whether they agree or disagree that changing one’s gender or identifying with a different gender is morally wrong. Respondents also had the option to select “it’s not a moral issue.”

35 percent of Americans say it’s wrong for people to identify with a gender different from their birth sex, while 45 percent disagree. 42 percent say it’s morally wrong to change gender and 43 percent disagree.

14 percent of Americans say identifying with a different gender isn’t a matter of morality, and almost as many (11 percent) say it isn’t a moral issue to alter one’s gender through hormones or surgery.

Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research states: “This reflects a changing worldview,” adding, “A growing percentage of Americans don’t believe in right and wrong. They don’t believe there’s absolute truth—and if there’s no absolute truth, then they’re reluctant to talk about morality.”

54 percent of those identifying as having evangelical beliefs say it’s wrong to identify with a different gender.  Yes, that's it - just over half, meaning that up to 46% - almost half - of evangelicals say it's OK to identify with a different gender or may be undecided on the subject.  61 percent say using surgery or hormones to change gender is morally wrong.

McConnell is quoted as saying: “A majority of Americans reject the view of a creator giving them a gender that shouldn’t be changed,” adding, “We freely change many things about ourselves—we have cosmetic surgery, we use teeth whitener, we dye our hair, we get tattoos. Many Americans view gender as one more thing on that list.”

So, it appears, even in the Church, that the cultural waves have influence our thoughts and opinion about gender, and I believe, subsequently, the beauty of God's design.   When we ignore God's settled truths, then we leave ourselves wide open to developing ideas that run contrary to His principles, which can result in a chaotic society.

Our God is a God of order, and creation reflects that. He has set up certain natural laws that are verifiable through science, that ensure that order.  When humanity attempts to change His absolute order, then we open ourselves up to confusion.   We have to be convinced that His way is best, that He has given us established principles by which we can live our lives, and seek to follow in His wisdom.

Beyond This Realm

The Bible teaches that we have a incredible promise of life with the Lord in eternity.  2nd Corinthians 5 says:
1 For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.
4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

This passage, and others in the Scriptures, can remind us that this world - thank the Lord! - is not all there is.  We have the promise of spending eternity with our Lord in heaven.  We can know where we will go when we die and leave this earth - for the Christian, we can have the assurance that we will be with Jesus.  For the unbeliever, for the one who dies without Christ, that person will be in a place of eternal punishment - without God, forever.  Thankfully, God has given us the choice...accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we have eternal life with Him - and abundant life here on this earth!

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In 1st Thessalonians 5, we can see a passage that addresses the sanctification process and delineates, I believe, three distinct parts of our being:
23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

There is a story out of Kentucky that has certainly raised some eyebrows because of a photo that has been circulating.

A motorcycle crash took place last Tuesday afternoon near Stanton, according to LEX18 Television, which reported that the only person involved was the motorcycle rider, who was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Saul Vazquez took a photo at the scene.  The photo is said to show the image or outline of a man above the man's body.  Vazquez posted the photo on Facebook from the cab of his truck, and it was shared over 16,000 times in just 10 hours.

The television station reports that lots of people are drawing their own conclusions about the photo, but "either way it's causing a huge conversation on social media."  Vazquez says the photo has not been altered.  As CNN reported, "many commenters" said the photo shows the dead man's spirit leaving his body.

Who knows?  And, I am not in a position to comment on the legitimacy of the photo.  But, it does give us an opportunity to pause and process the occasion Biblically.

I think the phrasing of the CNN statement is interesting - that the picture shows the man's "spirit" leaving his "body."  I have long subscribed to the view that we are a three-part being - we have a spirit; that is our real self, who we really are, the part of us that is attuned to the Holy Spirit, through Whom we walk in the Spirit, as Galatians 5 instructs us.

We also have a soul, which is thought to contain the mind, will and emotions - through our soulish realm, we make choices whether or not to follow the direction of the spirit.  We choose, we experience, we process information, we think - all in the world of the human soul.  And, our spirits and souls have a container - our body, which we have here on earth, but which the Bible teaches is temporary; for we will gain a new body, a glorified body, when we are united with Christ in heaven.

So, whether or not the picture is legit or is interpreted by human imagination, the thought of a spirit departing a body is certainly a Scriptural concept.  2nd Corinthians teaches that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.  So what happens after we die?  Our spirit is no longer resident in this world, we are transferred to another one, into heaven to be with our Lord.

We can be challenged to think about a supernatural realm that is beyond, and in actuality, as it's been said, more real than the world in which we live.  We have to be convinced that: life on earth is not all there is, and that there is an eternal destination that we all have.  And, we have the opportunity to choose where we will spend eternity and with Whom.

Finally, I think we can realize that the supernatural is very real.  We can know that the Holy Spirit is with us, and We can identify the operation of the Spirit of God as He works all around us. There are angels, ministering spirits, who go with us.  There is also a devil and his associates who attempt to thwart the work of God, who will tempt us and attack us.  We fight them using spiritual weapons, energized by the power of God, as we are clothed in the armor of God.  This is very real, and we can seek supernatural explanations to natural occurrences.

Listen

The Bible provides solid instruction on preserving or achieving peace and harmony. We can model what it looks like to be in healthy human relationships. 1st Peter 3 says:
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

We are called to pursue single-mindedness - that doesn't mean uniformity; because people are not going to all act or behave the same way.  Even in the Church, we will encounter disagreements - God did not make us all the same.  But the way we resolve conflict and pursue peace can be a testimony to the world how we all can live in harmony.  Not in a window-dressing manner, but pursuing real understanding - sharing from our hearts and listening to the stories of others as they relate their experiences.

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Paul addresses the church at Ephesus about keeping the peace in Ephesians 4:
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Our hearts are certainly heavy in the aftermath of the fatal shooting in Baton Rouge this past Sunday morning, when an African-American man was responsible for taking the lives of three police officers, one black and two white.   High-profile incidents with a racial component have become all too common over the past few weeks, and while the debate can divide, the dialogue, if it's meaningful dialogue, can unite.  And, as I've said, the Church can lead the way in showing people what it's like to live harmoniously.

Tim Scott is a man of faith.  He's also a Senator from the state of South Carolina, one of only two African-Americans in the U.S. Senate.  Last week, he delivered a series of messages on the Senate floor.

WORLD Magazine reported on the content.  The article states:

On Monday, Scott spoke on the importance of supporting police officers during this time. And on Wednesday night, Scott shared his own encounters with police in a deeply personal account of how he’s been profiled because of the color of his skin, even as a U.S. senator.

He shared that he had been pulled over seven times during one year as an elected member of Congress. He said: “Was I speeding sometimes? Sure. But the vast majority of the time, I was pulled over for nothing more than driving a new car in the wrong neighborhood or some other reason just as trivial.”   And, he said that  he does not know many African-Americans who do not have a similar story, regardless of income or profession.

On Thursday, according to the story:

In his final address, Scott said while the government can do more, ultimately it cannot force Americans to resolve their differences. He said ending racial strife in America has no simple solution, but listening to one another is a good start.

He said: “I’ll continue to reach out to all my colleagues and my friends who may not look like me, who may have a different philosophy than I do, so that I can understand their hopes, their dreams, and their frustrations,” adding, “Because listening is important and as we look around at our nation, it appears to me that we haven’t done nearly enough listening to each other.”

Scott and Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma are issuing a new challenge they call “Sunday Solutions,” asking families of different races to share a meal together and hear each other’s stories.

And, Lankford recommends that the location should be a home, not a restaurant.

Another WORLD story quoted Scott: “I simply ask you this: recognize that just because you do not feel the pain, the anguish, of another does not mean it does not exist." John Stonestreet, appearing on the WORLD podcast, The World and Everything in It, stated: “What gave me pause years ago was realizing that I also saw this differently than someone who agreed with me theologically on nearly everything."  He was referring to Carl Ellis, an African-American theologian and seminary professor. Stonestreet added: “Just because I don’t have that experience doesn’t mean that experience doesn’t exist. Just because one situation can be explained away, that doesn’t mean that there are no situations in which there is injustice. There’s just a lot of assuming and not a lot of listening right now.”

Again, as believers in Christ, we can model His compassion when dealing with people who have a different racial and cultural background.  And, I think that one of Scott's significant points is that we need to listen.  Listen.  Through the relating of stories, the sharing about experiences, and the emotions produced by them, we can reach a greater level of understanding.  But, if we don't listen, then we don't learn.   And, the knowledge we acquire, combined with the illumination of the Holy Spirit, can lead to a sense of definitive action.  As Ephesians 4 reminds us, we can seek to preserve the unity of the Spirit of God, which results in true and lasting peace. 

Mingling with the World

In the challenges we face, it is important that we possess Biblical convictions, so that we can be prepared to respond in the way that God would intend, even in those times when we are tempted to compromise.  1st Corinthians 2 says:
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

As Christians, we have been given the mission to live for Christ, to love like Christ, and to make His name known to all people.  The temptation to compromise our deeply-held values, rooted in Scripture, can be strong, and the moral lines can become blurred.  That is why we need discernment, to know how God would want us to act - we find out by spending time in His Word and relying on His wisdom, that we can discover as we are sensitive to listen.

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In John 3, Jesus spoke words that have enormous implications for our world today:
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

I have talked quite frequently with guests on the radio show about the actions of those who want to force Christians to accept and even endorse the homosexual lifestyle and so-called same-sex marriages.  The Obergefell ruling opened up another chapter in the furtherance of that agenda, and fears were expressed that organizations, including Christian business owners and even ministries, would be forced to change policy and even violate their deeply-held beliefs in order to not merely accommodate but to march lock-step along this agenda.

One of the latest examples involves a Christian dating site called ChristianMingle.   According to a story on the Baptist Press website, in 2013, two gay men filed a lawsuit against site because, at that time, users could only search for potential partners of the opposite sex. The men said that ChristianMingle violated California's anti-discrimination laws by making it impossible for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to use the company's services.

The law, known as the Unruh Civil Rights Act, states: "All persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their … sexual orientation are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind."

The lawsuit was settled and now ChristianMingle only asks if users are male and female, instead of asking whether someone is a "woman seeking a man" or a "man seeking a woman." The parent company, Spark Networks, offers other faith-based matchmaking websites, which would also be affected.

Spark CEO Michael Egan is quoted as saying, "Like all other companies, we must abide by the laws that govern our state and nation," adding, "There is no greater agenda at hand here at ChristianMingle than uniting Christian men and women for the sake of finding happy and healthy lifelong relationships."

This overall situation is indicative of the cultural landscape in which we as business people, ministry leaders, and individual Christians find ourselves.  Carrie Gordon Earll, vice president of public policy at Focus on the Family, says, "Early on in their quest to legalize homosexual marriage, advocates assured us that it would not infringe on the rights of others, especially people of faith," adding, "From dating sites and adoption agencies to small businesses, it's clear today that people of faith are being forced to compromise or risk financial ruin."

David Smalley, a gay blogger at the ecumenical website Patheos.com, had a very interesting point of view: "Every atheist, every liberal, and every business owner needs to fight for ChristianMingle's rights to offer the products or services they choose, even if we disagree with their practices or philosophy behind it all." He also said, "There are plenty of gay dating websites. … So guess what … I don't go there. I'm not taking a gay dating website to court, forcing them to allow a straight option. But this ruling sets that precedent."

I think this situation already highlights the need to determine what your standards are and how you will respond when your business, ministry, or church is forced to embrace a lifestyle that is contrary to Scripture.   The list continues to grow - Aaron and Melissa Klein or Jack Phillips, who would not bake a cake for a gay marriage ceremony, Baronnelle Stutzman, who would not provide flowers for a similar ceremony, and others.  They stood on principle, and faced negative ramifications for it.  If you were in their shoes, would you do the same?  ChristianMingle did not allow the lawsuit to go into court, but rather settled...what would you do?

We need to be ready for the opposition and determine how we will respond.  We also need to find compassionate ways to relate the truth of the gospel to those who have rejected God's view of sexuality.  We must be firm in our convictions, but seek ways to minister the love of Christ by building bridges, without compromising the gospel.    

Encounters

We can be compelled by Christ's love, reflecting on how much He loves us, striving to love Him with all our heart, and take steps to walk in love toward the people with whom we interact.  2nd
Corinthians 5 says:
14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

The love of Christ is a powerful force, and it is contained within the heart of every believer who has called upon His name.  If we are walking in love, flowing from our love for our Heavenly Father, then we become sensitized to the neighbors and needs around us.  It's more than a gushy feeling; rather, it is a desire to please God and to radiate His character, to look at another person through His eyes and to treat them as He would.  Our challenge is to become one with the Father and with Jesus through the Holy Spirit so that we can experience and spread that love.

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We are called to be conduits of the love of Christ, and as we walk in that love, perhaps through our testimony and the way we conduct ourselves, people will be won to Him. Romans 5 says:
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

As Faith Radio gets ready for another Family Faith Night, I wanted to shine the spotlight on someone in baseball who is shining his light for Christ.  In the past, I've talked about former Rays star and 2016 All-Star Ben Zobrist and his strong faith.  Ditto on All-Stars Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers and Daniel Murphy, who is now with the Washington Nationals.

Sports Spectrum has a piece on the Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt.  This All-Star comes from what is termed an "unusual religious background": his father was Jewish and the grandson of parents who left Germany in the late 1930’s to escape the Holocaust.  His mother was a Catholic, who raised Paul in the church, but he admits it was never a priority or something meaningful in his life.

Team chaplain Brian Hommel describes Goldschmidt as “a good humanitarian” but one who initially approached Christianity with negative perceptions. “He didn’t understand the point of following a belief system when he, himself, was a moralistically good person.”

Goldschmidt explains: “Without ever getting into the Bible and reading, I was making judgments...Just one example: I’m thinking so-and-so is a Christian and I’m looking at the mistakes they’re making. But when you read the Bible, every single person you know on this planet that’s ever walked has made a mistake, and every single person that God used in the Bible was a sinner.”

The story goes on:

Encounters with “sinners saved by grace,” specifically other Diamondbacks’ teammates and their wives in an off-season couples Bible study, led to his relationship with Jesus Christ. The people he encountered and “the way they treated people and the love they showed everyone and their openness,” according to Goldschmidt, was what touched his heart. “It was a slow process, but I wanted to know more about these people; why were they so full of grace and everything that Jesus showed in His life?”

Hommel says: “We just loved on him, and it wasn’t because he was Paul Goldschmidt, the baseball player. That still speaks to him today,” adding, “The idea with the study is just being open and honest." Referring to former Arizona teammate Ian Kennedy, now with Kansas City, the chaplain says, "Whether it’s me or Ian or any of the other couples, we just openly share about our struggles in life, our journey with God, and our relationship to our spouses.”

The chaplain says that Paul is speaking up more about his Christianity in chapel, and Goldschmidt was a star student in an season-long Romans study. As of this June story, Goldschmidt was reading the Bible straight through.  The story says that Paul and his wife, Amy, visit the Phoenix Children’s Hospital so often they have visitors’ credentials to come and go whenever they like. He also speaks in churches and events like “Tales from the Dugout,” a baseball counterpart to a hugely successful Tales from the [PGA golf] Tour, an outreach ministry in Phoenix that has hosted as many as 4,000 attendees.

Paul Goldschmidt is an example of someone who was loved into the Kingdom.  He relates about a meeting on a road trip with members of the home team:

“We were talking about, what is your story? How did you come to know Christ? When that question got asked, I’m thinking someone’s going to say this pastor spoke this verse to me or this guy brought me a Bible and I started reading it. With every single person that was in the room, it was somebody else in their life that had, essentially, loved them.”

I've heard the phrase, "won by love."  Isn't that what we are talking about here?  An encounter with the love of Christ, expressed by a believer who bears His name, can have a dramatic effect. There are three important words here:  encounter - that can refer to a ministry opportunity, an interaction with someone who is used by the Lord to share Christ, a divine appointment or moment. We can seek to be part of those moments.

Another word: express - we can be ready to share the love of Christ at any given moment, allowing His life and love to flow through us.  Because He is in us, we can be effective in expressing the love of Christ.  And effect - the results are left up to God, but in those divine moments, there is the potential for a life-changing experience.  And, the seed you plant, as it is watered and grows, can bear fruit for the glory of God in building His Kingdom.

New Norm, But Not God's Best

The institution of marriage was established by God when Adam and Eve were dwelling in the garden - the relationship was defined as one man and one women, and the Bible teaches that the two would become one flesh.  Ecclesiastes 9 says:
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which He has given you under the sun, all your days of vanity; for that is your portion in life, and in the labor which you perform under the sun.

Our marriages have the potential to be sources of great joy for us.   But, unfortunately, there are too many cultural trends that can interrupt and apprehend that joy.   That applies to marriage and so many other areas of our lives.  We simply must guard against our joy in the Lord being taken away.   Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and the life God intends for us is a life of joy, despite circumstances, despite the internal struggles.  We can hold on to that sustaining joy that He offers.

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In Ephesians 5, Paul outlines the dynamics of the marriage relationship, likening it to the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church:
30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
31 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

The summary of a new Barna Group survey begins with these startling words: "Cohabitation is the new norm."  Some statistics to support that:

The majority of American adults believe cohabitation is generally a good idea. Two thirds of adults (65%) either strongly or somewhat agree that it’s a good idea to live with one’s significant other before getting married, compared to one-third (35%) who either strongly or somewhat disagree.

The summary points out that:

Most Christian teaching on pre-marital relationships encourages abstinence and other boundaries that tend to exclude cohabitation, and the data reflects these beliefs. Practicing Christians (41%) are highly unlikely to believe cohabitation is a good idea, and the stark contrast with those who identify as having no faith (88%) further demonstrates the acute impact of religious belief on views regarding cohabitation.

Millennials, at 72%, are twice as likely as Elders to believe cohabitation is a good idea.

Unfortunately, almost 6-in-10 of those surveyed say they either currently live together or have lived with a girlfriend or boyfriend.

Now, when parents were polled about whether or not they would want their children to cohabit, 44% of adults would be OK with it, but 40 percent would not. On the strongest ends of the spectrum, respondents were more likely to say “no, definitely not,” at 24%, than “yes, absolutely,” at 16%.

Roxanne Stone, editor in chief at Barna Group, states: “America is well beyond the tipping point when it comes to cohabitation,” adding, “Living together before marriage is no longer an exception, but instead has become an accepted and expected milestone of adulthood."

Stone says that, "Religious leaders will need to promote the countercultural trend by celebrating the reasons to wait."  She says some questions that could be posed are: "What are the spiritual reasons for waiting? How does waiting promote better discipleship? Better marriages? A better family life? These are the questions that young people, in particular, will need answered in order to resist the cultural tide toward cohabitation."

Dr. Juli Slattery, writing for the Today's Christian Woman website in a piece from June 2014, said:

In spite of those who say cohabitation is a wise test drive, the research indicates that living together before marriage may actually increase your risk for divorce in the future. Many experts believe that t.he "squishy" approach toward commitment represented by cohabitation sets a couple up for bailing on marriage when things get difficult. Holding sexual fidelity and the marriage covenant as sacred before God impacts your willingness to work through the challenges of life together.

Research also indicates that couples living together are more likely to experience sexual unfaithfulness, domestic violence, and higher levels of relational unhappiness. If you are living with your boyfriend with the hope to avoid heartbreak, you are likely setting yourself up for failure.

In the piece, she links to a 2008 piece on the Focus on the Family website from Glenn Stanton.

There are multiple concepts that one can draw from these surveys.  Number 1 is marriage is still God's best way, His designed way for one man and one woman to relate in a one-flesh relationship.  The Bible teaches abstinence before marriage and fidelity in marriage.  Despite the cultural winds that would attempt to redefine the principles of sexuality and marriage, His prescribed way remains consistent.

But, as the Barna Group survey indicates, we know what the Church is up against in attempting to uphold Biblical principles.  And, as the summary can remind us, it can be beneficial to talk about and teach the Biblical reasons to wait.  Marriage is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the church, according to Ephesians 5, and we do best in walking in that by following wholeheartedly His principles.  The culture will glamorize premarital sex and cohabitation, but in the Christian worldview, we do well to celebrate and promote the elements that make marriage great!

Where Are You Going?

God desires for us to be an example of His love and character, and through the power of the
indwelling Spirit, He gives us the ability to live in that way. Colossians 4 says:
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.

A challenge for us each day is to recognize that we are to live as ambassadors of the Most High King. It's a heavy responsibility, but I believe that through Christ, we are up to the task.  People and opportunities will come our way, and we can be sensitive to the Spirit to see and know that God is working and that He has something specifically for us to say or do in a particular moment.  He is active in our lives, and equips us to do His work.

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Paul presents some wise words to Timothy about following the Lord and walking in his call.  In 2nd Timothy 2, we read these verses:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

Later in the chapter, we can read:
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

These principles - being ready to share and being watchful, actually come into play in today's Front Room.

It was just released last week, but a new augmented reality app is making a dramatic impact - it has resulted in some rather odd behavior as people use their smartphones to go in search of...Pokemon monsters!

USA Today describes the phenomenon:

Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game in which users can hunt and catch Pokémon in real time and in the real world. The game provides a map that is linked to your phone's GPS and camera -- meaning you could find a Charmander in your backyard. It notifies you if there's a Pokémon on your map, allowing you to travel to it and try to catch it by swiping a Pokéball on your phone screen.

The story says that, "The app also indicates where the nearest 'PokéStops,' areas where you can pick up items such as Pokéballs, and gyms, where you can do battle with other Go users."

A Religion News Service story points out that the app causes these virtual monsters to appear on your phone screen.  It states:

The app has become a viral sensation among teens and young adults, overtaking Tinder on Android and on course to beat Twitter in daily users. Millennials are walking around with their phones, finding “PokeStops” and “Gyms” at local places of interest: libraries, parks, art galleries, subway stations, zoos and more.

And, as the article points out, some of the Pokemon are showing up at churches.  And, it goes on to say:

If your church is designated as a PokeStop or Gym, The Wardrobe Door blog now has an eight-step guide to ride the wave.

Unfortunately for churches trying to draw in youth, it doesn’t look like there’s a way to register a location as a PokeStop or Gym yet. But turning your church into a “charging station” for players, like Maine’s Columbia Street Baptist Church did, might do the trick.

The Wardrobe Door article references pastor Chris Martin of the Millennial Evangelical website, who noted how he saw several young guys sitting on the steps of a downtown church because it was a Pokemon Gym.   Martin writes:

...Walking aimlessly around your town square, your city parks, or other places will give you and/or your congregation opportunities to talk to people you don’t normally see.

Pastors, you have plenty of very important matters with which to be concerned, so many of you may not have time to try to catch them all. But, you should care about Pokémon Go, because it may very well bring the unreached to your church’s doorstep.

 But, there are unintended consequences, too, and the app may take participants to places they really don't want to go.  Again, from RNS:

Some players have warned about racism and suspicion people of color may face while exploring their neighborhoods for Pokemon, while others have found the game to help with weight loss. There are reports of armed robbers using the game to lure victims, and a 19-year-old Wyoming resident said she found a dead body while looking for Pokemon.

The Daily Caller reports that, "Frustrated users of the app have now reported Pokemon locations in the center of the Pentagon and the White House, which of course they cannot get to, reports WJLA."

The Daily Caller article states:

Authorities are asking people playing the game to remember it is not an excuse to break trespassing laws, whether at a government building or on private property. Police have noted an increase in emergency calls reporting, “trespassing and suspicious activity events recently due to the new Pokemon Go app.”

So far, I don't know if Faith Radio's studios are a PokeStop or a Gym, and I haven't noticed people wandering aimlessly around our parking lot.  But, this is a phenomenon, and it raises some questions for us as believers.

For one, I appreciate what is being written about the evangelistic possibilities here.  The app is actually bringing people into church parking lots and churches.  And, as The Wardrobe Door encourages, you can be welcoming.   That blog states:

Pokemon Go is providing churches with an opportunity to meet new, unchurched people from their neighborhood. You can form relationships with non-Christians just by walking outside your church.

Don’t miss out on this because it’s not something you are interested in. Paul said he became all things to all people so that some might come to Christ.

Pastors and church leaders can make fun of Pokemon Go and the players walking right outside their doors. Or they can take Paul’s advice and become a gamer to reach the gamers for the sake of the gospel.

An augmented reality app is bringing people to church.  And, apparently these PokeStops and Gyms are based on user submissions, according to RNS.

The app is resulting in some unintended consequences, and I think there is a spiritual issue here about direction.  We have to be so careful what or whom we are following.  What we allow to lead us may actually be leading us where we do not wish to go.  Fortunately, we have God's Word and the Holy Spirit to lead us - to show us God's will for our lives, to guide us with reliable criteria for our decisions, and to equip us with discernment so that we make wise choices.   Real life is not a game, and we have to always make sure that we are being guided by spiritual reality, consistent with God's truth.