Advent-ure Day 1: Victory Over the Enemy

Today on this first day of Advent readings in this year's Faith Radio Advent guide, we reflect on "Victory Over the Enemy."  After Adam and Eve sinned, judgment was pronounced, and humanity
was separated from God. But, God wanted to reconcile fallen humanity, so He sent His Son to give His life as a sacrifice so we could be restored to Him. 1st Corinthians 15:
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Jesus came into the earth as a baby, at Christmas, born of a woman, partaking in humanity and living a perfect life as a human being; tempted, yet victorious.  He was sentenced to die, but death could not hold Him because of that perfect life - He was raised from the dead and we can be raised up with Him, raised to new life, dying to self and living to Him.  He came into a broken world so that men and women could experience hope and restoration.

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Welcome to 25, this year's Christmas "Advent-ure."  This has become a yearly ritual here on The Meeting House, and I want you to participate with us...just go to the website, FaithRadio.org or the Faith Radio app, and you can actually download the Advent guide.  Or, check out the Fall edition of the Faith Radio Ministry Magazine.

The theme is "Let's Worship Jesus." And, the Day 1 Scripture is found in Genesis 3:15.  We worship God because of "Victory Over the Enemy," which is today's topic.  After Adam and Eve succumbed to temptation, God pronounced this to the serpent:
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

In other words, Christ, the Seed of a woman would "bruise" the head of Satan, even though he would try to thwart the plan of God, or "bruise His heel."  Satan's schemes could not keep Jesus in the grave, for death could not hold Him, for He was sinless.

In the subsequent verses, we see a curse placed on the woman and the man:
16 To the woman He said: "I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; In pain you shall bring forth children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you."
17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.

Here we see a picture of brokenness...a brokenness that we encounter every single day as residents of this fallen world.  There is the potential for conflict between male and female that is laid out here.

But, through the gospel, through the presence of Christ, we can have hope.  And, He is the One who is able to cause people to live in harmony.  In His order, according to His principles, He shows us how to exist together.  In Christ, there is no battle of the sexes and there is a proper view of mutual respect.

The warped view of sexuality that has become so prevalent in our culture has continued to proliferate. And, it's not surprising that we have seen so many in entertainment culture who have exhibited moral failure.  They are the ones that have been feeding our culture unbiblical and immoral ideas about sexuality for years.  I am just wondering if finally people are saying, "enough."

One of the latest examples of men behaving badly involves the former host of NBC's TODAY Show, Matt Lauer, who was fired earlier this week for inappropriate sexual behavior.  This news rocked the entertainment industry and some of Lauer's own co-workers, including the co-hosts of the fourth hour of the TODAY Show, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford.

We have known Kathie Lee throughout the years to be a person who has spoken about her faith in Christ, and that faith motivated her response on the air on Wednesday.  The story on the FaithIt.com website reports:

Reflecting on a time in her marriage when her late husband Frank had betrayed her, Kathie Lee stresses the importance of fighting against the urge to question your own judgment.

In both circumstances for Kathie Lee, whether it be with Frank, or now learning the faults of her friend Matt Lauer, she says it’s a matter of holding tight to the love you have always had for that person, and recognizing that we will all fall short of the glory of God.

“No person is perfect in this world, nobody is,” she says. “We’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, is what scripture says. And what we need now is forgiveness. And we need mercy for one another. And we don’t need taunts, and we don’t need ugliness, we have enough of that in the world.”

Her comments continued:

“I send out my love right now to the person who came forward, may God heal that person. I send it to Matt, and his children and his wife, may God bless that family and heal…I’m sorry Hoda, but in my long life, the only thing I’ve ever been sure of is that only God can heal it, and there’s no bad time to reach out for His help.”

And, now this statement, which we really need to get: "We are all so broken, and we need somebody to put us back together, and it’s possible.”

We. Are. All. So. Broken.

That's the word for each of us today - God came to heal the brokenhearted; He has come to heal and restore.  Sin came into the world in a garden, and after that evil act, God pronounced judgment on the enemy of our souls.  The power of sin is great; the power of God is greater.

If we want to experience His healing and hope, we have to approach God with humility.  Just as we humbled ourselves when we accepted Christ as our Savior, we have to consistently admit our need for Him and allow His strength to be our strength.  

In our own power, it is difficult or impossible to extend or receive true forgiveness.  But, in Christ, we can experience not only His forgiveness for us when we sin, but the grace to forgive others. 

Today's Advent-ure theme: Victory Over the Enemy.  Satan will warp our view; He will deceive us and try to get us off track in our walk with God.  Even though he has negatively impacted this fallen world, we can have hope in Christ.  He enables us to walk in forgiveness for past sins and to experience victory when we are tempted - we can be successful in overcoming temptation as we rely on the power and presence of God.

Seeking & Speaking Truth

We live in an age of uniqueness and, as Bishop Harry Jackson and I were discussing yesterday, an age of upheaval.  There seem to be areas where God's shaking and His judgment are being expressed. We can pursue God's truth for our own lives and seek to walk in holiness.  We find this series of verses in Proverbs 14:
14 The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied from above.
15 The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps.
16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident.

We are called to be wise and recognize that the Bible is that source of wisdom for us.  I believe that we are to be thoughtful believers, reasoning from the Scriptures, and allowing God's Word and His Spirit to direct us as we deal with difficult decisions and issues that we face individually and as a society.  We are called to prayerfully seek truth and engage in critical thinking so that we can demonstrate the character of Christ.

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We are called as believers in Christ to earnestly seek and speak the truth.  2nd John says:
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.
5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.
6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

I didn't know until late last week that James Dobson, who has probably done more for the Christian family and strong moral values based on the Scriptures than most high-profile Christian leaders, had recorded an ad for former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore in the U.S. Senate race.  In it, he vouches for Moore's character and laments what he and his wife, Kayla, have endured over the past few weeks, in light of the allegations of sexual misconduct, which he continues to deny.  I read it in a Washington Post piece by former Bush 43 speechwriter Michael Gerson, who took Dobson and some supposed evangelical patriarchy to task for daring to support Moore, whom he apparently sees as a man of of questionable character.

Obviously, if allegations were made against me, I would like to have people speaking up on my behalf.  Like someone of the magnitude of Dobson, like my pastor, as Roy Moore's pastor has done; like a number of nationally-known Christian leaders; like co-workers, women who have interacted with the judge.  Alan Keyes, who spoke up for Moore days after the 10 Commandments monument was removed from the Alabama Judicial Building, at a rally that also featured Dr. Dobson, was in Alabama recently to show his support of the judge.

What if it were you?  What if you were facing allegations?  Constitutional law professor Jenna Ellis, who has been a guest on The Meeting House, posed this concept in a piece at The Federalist website:

What all of this noise fails to consider is the actual heart of the issue—the truth. No one is asking, Is it true? If it is true, of course Moore should step down. But what if it’s false? What makes McConnell able to adequately assess the credibility of the allegations? How can anyone assess the credibility of these allegations that quickly?

It seems the trial by media is only concerned with whether we previously liked Moore politically. If we do, we react with immediate defense; if we don’t, we react with immediate damnation. Both forget to ask what is actually true. My question for McConnell, Gardner, and anyone else quick to determine guilt: What if this was you?

She goes on:

But the court of public opinion isn’t concerned about the truth, due process, or any kind of process. Over the past weeks since Hollywood exploded with the Harvey Weinstein stories, it seems everyone who is disliked politically or socially can be an easy target for allegations of sexual misconduct.

There may be truth to some or many of the allegations and if a claim is proven, it should be dealt with accordingly. Fact-finding, evidence gathering, testimony, the ability to cross-examine witnesses, fair and reasonable assessment of credibility are all part and parcel of due process. But a bare claim itself (even multiple claims) should be insufficient to convict a person outright, even in the court of public opinion. There should still be a presumption of innocence and a demand for veracity and proof.

So, this gets back to the prayer request I have been putting before my audience since the Moore allegations broke: pray for truth to prevail.  I also would add that if the allegations are false, if the judge is being falsely accused, that God would be his defender.

Critical thinking is important here...as Quin Hillyer has pointed out on my show, there should be no rush to judgment here.  Marvin Olasky of WORLD also offers a call to thoughtful analysis:

The Roy Moore situation is difficult because, even as the number of accusers mounts, we have no photographic evidence of misconduct as with Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota, or diary evidence as with Bob Packwood—and the Moore incidents happened many years ago. Some of the teenagers he dated or tried to date, while serving as an assistant district attorney, thought he was creepy. The claims of sexual assault are in a different category.

Some WORLD readers may carefully examine all the evidence and conclude that Moore is getting a raw deal. Some may want to vote for Moore and let the Senate Ethics Committee decide what to do with him. Others may believe Moore’s sexual probity in recent years outweighs what he may have done when young—and who among us has nothing to confess and repent of?

The reason our Moore quandary is hard: We do a disservice to God’s holiness when we minimize sin. We do a disservice to God’s mercy when we maximize it. We do a disservice to evangelism when we say or believe winning an election is more important than telling the truth about God’s glory and our sinfulness.

But, it does seem that the allegations have come to a screeching halt.  As you consider the validity of the allegations, one might say that the Washington Post article that broke the story was well-researched and corroborated, but it essentially seems to comes down to separate allegations unconnected to one another, tied together to create a narrative.  The original 14-year-old accuser, and she alone, is really the only source of this information about the incident in which she claims to be involved, that took place 38 years ago.  Even a Reuters story I read the other day said that it was unable to certify the Post's report on its own.  When you have a accuser that is disseminating her story in the media just days before an important election that could shift the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, it does raise some eyebrows.  The timing of an "open letter," sent by one accuser not to Moore but to AL.com, as well as another accuser going on the Megan Kelly Today show, coincide with positive polling data for Moore.

Moore has surged ahead in three polls released this week. According to the FiveThirtyEight website, "...three new polls out this week — from Change Research, Emerson College and JMC Analytics — have Moore leading Democrat Doug Jones by 5 to 6 percentage points."  The factors contributing to Moore's regaining of the lead: time since the release of the allegations and the, as it says, "quasi-endorsement from President Trump."

The Change Research poll has some interesting information. According to Medium.com, the survey shows that more Republicans are planning to turn out on December 12 and vote for Moore.  And, the number of Republicans who believe the allegations is declining.  Among those who voted for Moore in the primary, now only 2% believe the allegations; among those who voted for Strange, it's a 33-to-32% split, slightly in favor of those who believe the allegations.  Other GOP voters: 40% say they do not believe what has been alleged.  Almost all Democratic voters believe the allegations.

Where are we now?

Well, you certainly do not want to minimize the seriousness of the charges or the overall gravity with which we should handle matters of sexual assault.  Hopefully, the voters of Alabama are weighing the evidence and evaluating Moore's reputation against the credibility of the accusers, most of which simply say that Moore, as a local attorney in his 30's, was interested in dating girls in their teens, a concept that many may find troubling or at least unusual.  (But, as it's been pointed out, in 1970's Gadsden, Alabama, that might not have been as unacceptable as some might think today.)

We also have to admit that there is a legitimate problem with sexual harassment, and it's telling that in entertainment culture which has communicated a message of sexual permissiveness, what has been sown is now being reaped in the form of participants in offensive behavior now being accused and revealed.

A Barna Group survey just released has attempted to define what sexual harassment actually is, and there are a wide range of physical and verbal behaviors which were cited. All in all, the survey summary says, "Given the range of behaviors selected by Americans, it’s increasingly clear—to some, for the first time—how insidious the problem of sexual harassment is. In fact, three in 10 American adults (29%) tell Barna they have been sexually harassed. Women in this group report experiencing it almost three times more than men (42% vs 16%)." Younger people tend to report more instances.

Almost a third of victims, though, never come forward because of "fear of not being believed."

Roxanne Stone, editor in chief for the Barna Group states, "As men and women increasingly share spaces and workplaces...we are now beginning to grapple with the intensely sexual ideas that have been allowed to define gender relationships, not to mention the extremely complex power dynamics at play in a society where men still hold the majority of top-level leadership positions."

She continues: “Leaders in every level of society—from entertainment, to the marketplace, to politics, to churches—must honestly wrestle with this challenging issue and what it means for their institutions. Pastors and spiritual leaders, especially, must be ready to talk with their members: to hear the stories of the victims, to offer counseling services, to speak from the pulpit on the respect and humanization that gender equality really requires. Churches, with a message of brotherly and sisterly love, have an opportunity to be leaders in this disorienting conversation.”

So, this is a challenge that the Church can embrace, and area in which it can provide direction.  But, I am cautious when you have people that publicly take the church to task in secular arenas. Is it productive for the Washington Post or New York Times to be places to criticize other Christians?

I don't believe that voting for Roy Moore is an endorsement for sexual immorality.  It should not be construed that way; I would hope that people of faith are examining, prayerfully, the information and then voting as God leads.  When I see a Christian criticizing other believers in the secular press or on social media over this situation, I have to ask, "What happened to "innocent until proven guilty?'"  Why so quick to believe the accusers?  Remember the words of 2nd Corinthians 13: "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established."

It's not helpful to air dirty laundry for the church in secular arenas.  Peter Heck, writing at The Resurgent, points out that the #ChurchToo movement, a variation on the #MeToo hashtag, actually "slanders" the bride of Christ.  Heck writes:

The problem with #ChurchToo is that it doesn’t seem to appropriately target the criminals – it targets the church as though the institution itself is a haven for sexual immorality. This is both ironic, given that the church is often criticized in our culture for condemning sexual immorality, and incorrect.

He adds:

Believers should be leery about participating in any modern hashtag “awareness” movement that brings contempt or distrust upon the truth that is preached in churches. By all means, call out the sin in our midst, pray for it to be exposed and confronted. Specific cases of sexual abuse or misconduct in the pastorate should never be swept under the rug, ignored, or overlooked, nor should the pain and shame felt by victims of such abuse be disregarded. God is obviously not glorified by doing so.

So, we continue to pray, continue to pursue truth, to seek to be a bold witness to our culture. We may come to different conclusions in the issue of Roy Moore, but we are called to extend grace to one another.  And, we can all agree that we should hold to a Biblically-centered perspective about the sinfulness of perverting God's viewpoint on sexuality and pursue a posture of holiness.

Riding the Rails

Paul was committed to serving others and sharing the truth of the Scriptures, desiring to see people come into a saving knowledge of Christ. In 1st Corinthians 9, we read:
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;
20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law;
22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

Paul was committed to sharing Christ in creative and compelling ways.  He did not wait on people to come to him, but he travelled extensively in order to share God's truth.  He also built relationships and attempted to find common ground with people, not in order to compromise that truth but in order to win them to our Savior.  The practice of Christianity is an active faith; and we can be challenged to not be content with relying on people to come to us, but to boldly testify to His grace.

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In Matthew 9, we read about how Jesus was on the move.  The One Who calls us to go was certainly going Himself:
35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.
37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

One of the things I like to do is to highlight creative ways of communicating the gospel message.  I came across a little article at the Religion News Service website that was more than a little intriguing to me.

It basically is a press release that says the National Museum of American Religion is attempting to save a "chapel car," named Good Will.

A chapel car?  Are you familiar with that concept?  The article goes on:

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a number of Christian denominations invested in chapel cars – these were train cars that served as traveling chapels, bringing clergy, sacraments, and religious resources to people living along the railroad lines.

The Good Will is owned by the American Baptist Publication Society.  The first of these chapel cars was built by the Pullman Company in 1890.  The Pullman State Historic Site website says that:

The first of these cars, and the most famous, was built by the Pullman Company in 1890 for the newly appointed Episcopalian bishop of North Dakota, called the Cathedral Car of North Dakota.

The Right Reverend William Walker realized the enormity of his task, creating sustainable dioceses in the sparsely settled Dakota territories. He hit upon the idea of creating a chapel car that could visit around the diocese, conduct services, and generally perform all of the functions of a parish church. In 1889, Walker approached a number of people on the east coast for contributions.

According to Christianity.com:

Whether Walker knew it or not, chapel cars were already in use in England on remote sidings. But he was good at selling his idea. Cornelius Vanderbilt, One of America's richest men, gave the first donation to the new ministry and Walker's first chapel car was delivered in 1890.

That would have been the son of the Commodore who founded Vanderbilt University.  Thomas Edison got in on the act, too, providing these chapels on wheels with his new invention - the phonograph.

The article also says that:

"The Cathedral Car," as it was called, traveled over seventy thousand miles during its ten years of service. Many of the men who visited it came merely out of curiosity, but untold numbers of others accepted the Christian way of life or were strengthened in their Christian walk through it.

According to the Chapel Cars of America website, there were 13 such cars that traversed the tracks of America.  The Pullman site states:

A number of chapel cars operated in the U.S., including 7 operated by the American Baptist Publication Society, which were endowed by Nelson Rockefeller. The golden age of these cars came to end in 1918.

New regulations brought an end to the chapel car.  The Pullman website also says that the original Cathedral Car had a pump organ and a baptismal font.

In a sense, you could say that Christianity was intended to be mobile.  Jesus set an example - He went to the people, He traveled regularly.  Our churches are excellent places for the body to gather for teaching and fellowship, but we also recognize that God has sent us out.  And, the local church is the hub, the ministry center, the home base for ministry throughout the community.

I think this also can encourage us in finding creative means to share truth.  In a society that is truth-starved, we can provide the bread of life and the living water to people who need to hear.  Just as in the late 19th Century, when people did not necessarily have a place to go for truth, we have to be proactive in pointing people to the truth of God, for it is covered up or distorted in the media tidal wave and moral relativism that is so prevalent.

I also think it's thrilling to see God's provision here - these gospel train cars were funded by  Vanderbilt and Rockefeller.  Even Thomas Edison got in on the act.  Funding is a critical and necessary component in doing effective institutional ministry.  And, you know, perhaps God will use an unlikely source to provide in our lives.  We can ask Him, and if there is a cause about which we are passionate, perhaps He will direct you to contact someone unlikely or illogical to help further the work He has called you to do - ultimately, He is our provider.

Released

There are some verses in the 119th Psalm that point to making God's Word a priority in our lives:
164 Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.
165 Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble.
166 Lord, I hope for Your salvation, And I do Your commandments.

The Psalmist states that He praised God seven times a day - because of His "righteous judgments."  In other words, He was so cognizant of the truth of God that He took time to honor the Lord for it. He realizes that a love for God's truth produces peace and right living.  God's Word was a priority for Him.  We can be challenged to take or make opportunities regularly to commune with God around His Word and to reflect on how it can affect our lives.

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I want to revisit some verses from Isaiah 55, where we read this passage that addresses the supremacy of God's ways and the power of His Word:
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

There was an article that ran on the Religion News Service website that provides some details on an opportunity that students have to actually receive Christian education during the school day; that would be the "public" school day.

The article refers to the "more than 3,000 students in Pennsylvania who participate in a 'released time' program run by Joy El Ministries." The article says that:

“Released time” is a legal way for students to voluntarily receive religious education during the school week. It has to happen outside the school building. It’s limited to 36 hours per school year by Pennsylvania law. Students need their parents’ approval. And they need to make up any work they miss.

Aaron Ziebarth, executive director of Joy El, is quoted in the article. He said that Joy El was founded back in 1938, when the Bible was still allowed in school. The story says that Ziebarth...

...sees bad news all around and believes the released time program will point students towards faith: “I just believe that life is hopeless without Jesus.”

Today, over half of the students who attend a Joy El released time program are un-churched, according to Ziebarth. They attend a program with three primary components: Singing, teaching and listening — small group time.

A volunteer, Barry Jennings is quoted in this excerpt:

At a recent Bible study he attended, the group reflected on the state of the world: “We were talking about things, like Charlottesville …. and then the hurricanes and … the borders and everything else. I think the main thing is … God’s trying to show us, we need to come back to him.”

The Released Time Education website says that, "it is estimated that there are over 1,000 Released Time Programs in operation today involving over 250,000 students in kindergarten through high school."

In South Alabama, Camp Victory administers a monthly released time program for students in four different counties.  Regarding the legality of the concept, it states:

In 1952, the United States Supreme Court ruled on Released Time in a case known as "Zorad v. Clauson" (342 U.S. 306). The case stated that Released Time is permissible if: a) It is voluntary; b) Students have parents' permission; c) The classes are held off-campus; d) Transportation is provided by the program sponsor; e) Liability is assumed by the program sponsor.

A recent Facebook post from the camp asked for prayer for the students participating in released time.  One comment stated that 13 students had given their lives to Christ in one event in October.  You can learn more about volunteering to take part in the program by going to the Camp Victory website.

God's Word will certainly not return void, will it?  I think that's the first takeaway.  In an age when the Bible is not taught generally in public education, and if it is, it is generally in a historical context, here is an opportunity for children to hear and discuss the principles of God's Word.

I also think this national piece really exposes another way in which the gospel can be presented in a creative way.  And, we should always be looking for methods through which we can communicate truth effectively.  The Christmas season gives us to the opportunity to share the love of Jesus and to disseminate the truth about why He came.

Finally, we remember that the mind can be trained to think in accordance with the truth of the Scriptures or, by default, it seems, it can be trained by the ways of the world. We all have to make that choice - and exposure to God's Word in each of our lives can provide the direction we all need in order to navigate effectively through life in a manner that glorifies God.

Breaking Free

Through the presence of the indwelling Spirit and the power of God released in our lives, we can be
reminded of the hope we have in the Lord and our ability to live and walk in it. 1st Peter 1 says:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Jesus has come as our Redeemer, and the message that we can share with the world during this Christmas season is that no one is beyond the redemptive hand of the Lord.  We see evidence of brokenness everywhere, and this can produce anger, guilt, and a host of negative emotions; but the story of redemption tells us that God wants to set people free from the past, to repair brokenness, and to recognize that victim or victimizer, in His love, He offers a fresh start, a chance to live in the power of the redeemed life.

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We worship Jesus because He has come to give us new life; the old is gone, the new has come, and we can take the necessary steps to put off the old and appropriate the new. Romans 6 says:
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

We are entering that season of the year that is centered around an amazing story of redemption; a story that involves fallen humanity and its need for a Savior; a story of a Creator God who would not allow His creation to permanently be separated from Himself.

Welcome to Christmas - let's worship Jesus!

Worship Him because He repairs the broken and mends our hearts, who calls us unto Himself and promises that our sins can be forgiven.

With all the brokenness we see, the peril of fallen humanity, we can continue to place our hope in our Redeemer.

There's a story of hope out of ruins that appeared on the Faithwire website.  It involves a lady in Florida who was a teacher, 24 years old, newly married, and who became involved in inappropriate behavior with a 14-year-old student.  Debra Lafave was found guilty of "lewd and lascivious behavior" and sentenced to 3 years of house arrest, 7 years' probation, and will be treated as a sex offender - forever.  It could have been worse, save for the mother's decision to not subject her son to a "highly publicized trial," according to a Tampa Bay Times report quoted in the story.

Joe Zuniga has written a book about Debra, and said to People magazine that she is a "completely different person" now.  The book is called, Debra Lafave: A Crown of Beauty for Ashes. Zuniga states, “She has grown up a lot. She has become a Christian, and she’s a great mom. She recently got married, and she just ignores the media. She knows it will always be there, but she focuses on her life now. It’s very normal.”

Zuniga recounts Lafave's difficult childhood, which included being raped at the age of 13 and struggles with bipolar disorder.  She divorced her husband at the time of her inappropriate behavior with the student, and has been married twice more.  Zuniga also told People: "She makes no excuses for what she did,” adding, "She has always owned up to it. She says, ‘If I could turn back time, I’d never would do that.’ She understands that she didn’t just negatively affect her life, but she hurt many other people, and she is still very sorry for it."

Here is a story of redemption, as told by a friend who self-published a book about her. And, we can be reminded of several things from this redemption story.

For one thing, no one is beyond the reach of God's love.  As vile as sexual sin is, including sexual assault, it can be forgiven and people can be rehabilitated - in an effective and authentic manner through a relationship with Christ.  If a person is truly sorry for his or her sins, then he or she can experience the power of redemption.

This is the message with which the Church has been entrusted - we should be on the forefront of our culture in speaking out against sexual immorality, including assault.  We should offer hope for the victims, absolutely; but also for the victimizers, whose threat to society can be mitigated through the presence of a new heart in the Lord.   Be mindful that you have so many assault victims who live with that nightmare of overwhelming thoughts, a presence, the power of which can be broken through the love of Christ and His overcoming power.

If we have a relationship with Christ, we can worship Him because of the new life that He has promised to us if we humble ourselves before Him and make Jesus our Lord.  We can be freed from our past and face a bright future.  The shadows of the past may linger, yet a person who has been redeemed can appropriate the power of the Lord to not allow that past to completely overpower and defeat us him or her any longer. Plus, people can repent from and learn from past indiscretions and rely on the Spirit to walk in victory in the present.

Kairos

As we enter into this season of Thanksgiving and then the weeks leading up to Christmas, we can recalibrate our level of generosity, reflection on how God gave us His Son, so that we might know Him. Galatians 6 states:
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

God gives us strength - and that includes the strength to serve Him and to serve others.  He empowers us by His Spirit to do the work of the ministry and to respond to the opportunities that He gives, the open doors that He reveals where we might find open hearts to receive Him.  He desires for us to walk in selfless obedience to His ways and to be sensitive to how He might be calling us to be involved in what He is doing.

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In Ephesians 5, we read these challenging words about seizing on God's open doors or opportunities that He brings our way:
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

In the New International Version, verse 16 says: "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

After having been placed under house arrest by the military in the African nation of Zimbabwe, its 93-year-old leader, Robert Mugabe announced his resignation as the nation's president yesterday.  The BBC reported that the action brought "an end to 37 years of rule and sparking jubilant celebrations in the nation's streets."  Ir reported:

A letter from Mr Mugabe read out by the speaker of parliament said the decision was voluntary and he had made it to allow a smooth transfer of power.

The news abruptly halted an impeachment hearing that had begun against him.

He was, at the time, the world's oldest leader.  BBC states: "Robert Mugabe won elections during his 37 years in power, but over the past 15 years these were marred by violence against political opponents," adding, "He presided over a deepening economic crisis in Zimbabwe, where people are on average 15% poorer now than they were in 1980."

After Mugabe was placed under house arrest, a group of eight religious leaders called for prayer, according to Christianity Today, and stated: "“We see the current situation not just as a crisis in which we are helpless,” adding, “We see the current arrangement as an opportunity for the birth of a new nation.”

The story states:

One of those calling for Mugabe to step down has been Evan Mawarire, an evangelical pastor who has been arrested twice for his viral online protest of Mugabe’s corruption.

This week, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe joined other church leaders in releasing a joint statement explaining how the current crisis is actually a kairos (opportunity).

The statement includes these words:

Now we have reached a new chapter in the history of our nation. As we look at this situation as the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD), we are reminded of the warning of Jesus in Luke 19:41-44. Jesus weeps over Jerusalem when he saw the catastrophe of its destruction and the massacre of the people that was imminent, “because they had not recognized their opportunity (KAIROS) when God offered it” (Luke 19:44).

The leaders said: "this situation is not only the doing of the ruling party and government. It is also the result of the connivance of the different arms of the state and complicity of the church and civil society."

The statement included a call to prayer, a call to peace, a call for the respect of human dignity, a call for a transitional government of national unity, and a call for national dialogue. These leaders say:
"God has put the church in the nation so that it can be a conduit for the healing of the nation." That was followed by a quotation of 2nd Chronicles 7:14.

The closing paragraphs are heavy on the theme of reconciliation.  The statement says:

We can either take the current situation as a mere crisis to be resolved by a winner-takes-all mentality or we use this as an opportunity for us to find one another to build something that is permanently healing for our nation. The first option spells disaster for us and future generations. The second option allows us to embrace our situation as a kairos, an opportunity given to us by God to dream together that another Zimbabwe is possible!

It's interesting; you could actually extrapolate many of the words of the church leaders in Zimbabwe into the current situation in America.  The Church, the body of Christ, has been placed in our nation as a conduit to healing and restoration.  We are in a position where we need to pray and to live at peace; Americans are bitterly divided, it seems, in so many areas.  We do not respect human dignity any longer, and we have quite a long way to go to recapture the word, "United."  We may not be unified in ideology or theology, but we can find ways to work together to solve enormous national problems that we are facing.

These leaders in Zimbabwe have described what was a potential transition, which has now been cemented by the resignation of Mugabe, as a "kairos" moment.  Out of chaos and corruption, there is a real opportunity for change.  We can ask ourselves, do we see the opportunities that God has given to us as individuals, families, and the Church?  During the Christmas season, we can be challenged to recapture the love and hope of our Savior, who came to earth to bring transformation - of the heart.  We can be a conduit for change, as the Holy Spirit helps us to identify the kairos moments He is bringing into our lives.

And, during this time of Thanksgiving, we can reflect on what God wants to do in our lives - perhaps there is a family relationship that needs to be repaired in the next few days, maybe there are people with whom you will interact who need to see the love of Christ and experience His compassion, and there is certainly the need for Biblically-informed dialogue into the issues that we face collectively as a nation.  We can be thankful for how God has worked and for the opportunities He has brought and is bringing to us to see Him glorified.

Boom!

In 1st Chronicles 29, there is a passage that expresses the Psalmist's view of the supremacy of God:
11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all.
12 Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all.
13 "Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name.

And, what a great passage to think on during this week leading up to Thanksgiving - because He is great and powerful, because He reigns, because all things belong to Him...we give Him thanks.  Our hearts can be stirred to worship Him.  He operates in our lives for His glory - sometimes that will involve seemingly negative occurrences; other times there are unexpected blessings.  But, we respond to Him in the good and the bad with adoration and worship.

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God operates in a manner that cannot always be understood, and sometimes He will show up in sudden, yet transformational ways. It's all according to His plan. Isaiah 55 says:
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

One week ago today, early in the afternoon, across around 10 counties in North Alabama, residents report that they heard a loud "boom," according to ABC33/40, which states that the mysterious noise came at 1:40 that day.

The report said: "Alabamians flocked to Twitter, with many reporting the event shook their homes."

The National Weather Service "hypothesized the sound originated from an aircraft sonic boom or a meteorite from the Leonid shower."

But, a NASA representative had a different take:

NASA's Bill Cooke says the origin of the mysterious boom still remains unclear but shut down the NWS' theory of a Leonid shower meteroite.

Cooke says the sound could have been produced by a bolide, large supersonic aircraft or a ground explosion.

Maxwell Air Force Base says, "it wasn't us," according to WBRCFox6, with a spokesman saying it was not the result of a training exercise - the story reports: "There is no exercise the facility would conduct to cause a boom that could be heard from Montgomery to Birmingham. No one in the Montgomery [sic] called saying they heard the noise, he said."

The article says:

In the past, these sounds have often been associated with a meteoroid entering the Earth's atmosphere. These objects can be traveling at between 25,000 and 160,000 mph when they first enter the atmosphere. The meteoroids quickly lose speed because of the atmospheric drag, but not before it results in a ground-shaking sonic boom.

Of course, you have to wonder if it were a meteorite, where did it land?  Or did it burn up upon impact with the atmosphere of the earth?

You know, when I saw the story, I thought about those "booms" that come into our lives - the unexpected, sometimes the unexplained, perhaps originated or initiated by God, or certainly allowed by Him, in order to test our faith or to bring us closer to Him.  Those booms may come in the form of an unexpected medical diagnosis, a financial crash, a relationship challenge, or the loss of a friend or loved one.   We can't explain why bad things happen, but we can respond to those circumstances by turning to God and allowing Him to teach us and strengthen us - as the Bible says, the trying of our faith brings patience.

But, sometimes those unexpected things can be viewed as blessings in our lives, and can be regarded as positive - maybe a financial blessing, the news of a new baby coming into the family, the arrangement of events in our lives that illustrate God's hand.  There may be occurrences that cannot explained in any way other than the hand of God - what we can call a "miracle."  

Truth is, God operates in a realm far different than we do, and He invites us to experience Him in a supernatural way, beyond human understanding.  There will be times when we don't understand what He's doing, but we are called to trust Him anyway.  His ways are higher than our own, and in the midst of serving Him, He offers a peace that transcends human understanding.  So, when He intersects with or even interrupts our lives with a "boom" that we don't comprehend, we can still acknowledge His sovereignty and allow Him to shape and grow our faith.