Super Faith II

Paul may have been in prison, but his chains would certainly not hold him back.  He wrote in
Colossians 4:
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.

We read here about the importance of prayer, seeking God's face for opportunities to share His truth. Paul was intent on communicating the message of Christ, no matter what the circumstances, even from behind the prison walls.  We can consider how we can, as he suggested regarding God's Word, "make it manifest."  We can look for open doors and be faithful to share His love and truth as God provides the opportunity.

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We have been called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to share God's love. Galatians chapter 6 offers these words:
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.

Super Bowl LIII is in the record books, and while there was much concentration on what took place between the sidelines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, that stadium and the overall event represented, in a sense, a hub for ministry.

We talked about what God has done and is doing in some of the players in the game.  And, each year at the Super Bowl, one NFL player is honored by the Christian organization Athletes in Action.  This year, the winner of the Bart Starr Award was Calais Campbell of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  According to the Jaguars' website:

Campbell runs the CRC Foundation, named after his late father, Charles Richard Campbell, which is committed to enhancing the community through the teaching of critical life skills to young people.

In a Sports Spectrum article from last year, Campbell is quoted as saying:

“It’s simple for me. I know I wouldn’t be where I’m at if Jesus didn’t give me the opportunities, the many blessings that He’s given me,” Campbell said. “I ask myself all the time, ‘why did God choose me to be very successful?’ I know that He has big plans for my life that are much bigger than football, much bigger than money and everything else.”

But, there was much more that was going on in relation to the big game. For instance, around 150 volunteers from First Baptist Church of Atlanta packed 500 gift baskets in partnership with the organization Basket of Hope. The effort is called Super Baskets of Hope, and church volunteers provided gift baskets for children in local children's hospitals and their families.  Baptist Press reports that:

The organization's Super Baskets of Hope project in conjunction with the Super Bowl began in Indianapolis in 2012. The NFL became involved in the organization in 1999 when former St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda delivered baskets to children in St. Louis. Warner introduced the program to former NFL coach Tony Dungy, who has since become the group's national spokesman.

So what's in the baskets?  The article says:

The gift baskets include toys, games, stuffed animals, puzzles, books and other educational items. Super Baskets of Hope also provides tote bags for parents with snacks, a Bible, a journal and a devotional book by Charles Stanley, pastor of Atlanta First Baptist Church.

This year's baskets also included a book by Lynda Young, "Hope for Families of Children in Hospitals," that Young wrote specifically for this year's Super Baskets of Hope project.

 Young is a member of a Southern Baptist church in Snellville, GA.

Baptist Press also reports on an effort to address human trafficking during Super Bowl week.  Heather Havard, a student at Sam Houston State University in Texas, led a team of 10 people to "raise awareness during the Super Bowl about the problem of human trafficking."  Havard is quoted as saying, "The Super Bowl is the number one event every year where human trafficking rates skyrocket." The students planned to walk around the stadium and distribute literature about human trafficking. The story, released last week, says:

They'll also make rounds in parking lots to leave literature on vehicles. Havard said it's important for people to know that as of 2018, there were more than 40 million human trafficking slaves in the world. In the state of Texas alone, 78,000 children and infants are being sexually exploited.

The article also spotlights the work of Kasey McClure, who founded the organization 4Sarah. The story relates:

McClure and volunteers she recruited spent Jan. 25-26 at First Baptist Church in Conyers, Ga., which served as a call center. Volunteers combed through online personal ads of women offering themselves for sexual services and documented the information they gleaned from the various ads. McClure then made phone calls to the women, offering them resources to help them get out of the industry. Women in the sex industry -- and the men who exploit them -- see the Super Bowl as an opportunity to make money, McClure said.

And, as Baptist Press reports:

The church has provided McClure with a house that 4Sarah uses as a safe house for pregnant women and those coming out of the sex industry. Women can stay there up to 60 days and get medical care and counseling.

Also, yesterday, the special Football Sunday event was available, which included video material that could be used to share the gospel during a Super Bowl gathering.

The Super Bowl is now history, and there are some points to consider, the first being that ministry occurs as opportunities are utilized.  Calais Campbell has taken the platform of football and used it for God's glory.  An Atlanta church has taken the occasion of the Super Bowl and used it to reach out to children who are ill, as well as their parents.  And, others have seen the dark side of a major sporting event and seen the chance to shine a light.

We can understand that the world of sports offers ministry opportunities: for players to use their platforms, and others to reach out to the attendees.  This past weekend, Faith Radio team members had the chance to deliver halftime devotionals at Upward Basketball at Frazer Church.  This character-building program offers the participants and attendees the opportunity to hear a gospel-centered message.   Playing off the topic of the blown call at the end of the Saints-Rams NFC Championship game, I shared about how we can respond when life seemingly isn't fair.

Finally, we can be encouraged to seek the Lord regarding how He has gifted each of us to share His love.

Super Faith

When we accept Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our hearts, to empower us to live a life that reflects the inward change that He has brought about in us.  While salvation is instantaneous, that moments begins a process of transformation into the image of Christ that lasts our whole lives.
Colossians 1 states:
27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.

God's presence will work in us mightily as we relinquish our dependence on ourselves and learn to depend on the power of Jesus, who lives within us.  He has placed us in the body of Christ and in this world in order that He may be glorified through our faithfulness.  We can have the expectation each and every day of Christ being shown through us because He is inside of us, expressing Himself as we lay down our own lives and embrace His life.

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In Ephesians 2, we are reminded about the faith through which we are saved, and through which we exemplify the power of the risen Christ:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

This year's Super Bowl features a number of athletes playing at their highest level with an enhanced sense of motivation to take home the championship trophy.  Perhaps there is no player who will be on that field Sunday who will be more motivated than Rams' receiver Brandin Cooks.

Last year, Brandin Cooks was in the big game, playing for the Patriots in their 41-33 loss to Philadelphia.  According to a Sports Spectrum article, Cooks was knocked out of the game with a concussion.  He was traded to Los Angeles during the off-season. The article states, referring to the win over the Saints in the NFC Championship:

After the win Jan. 20, Cooks revealed to FOX 11 Los Angeles reporter Pablo Alsina a prayer he’d been praying since the last Super Bowl.

“I’ve asked God to redeem me since that moment,” Cooks said in the jubilant locker room “A year from now, I’d always pray, from that moment to redeem me in such a way to glorify Him. And I think He’s doing that.”

In that game against New Orleans, he caught 7 passes for 107 yards.  The article says, "Leading up to the big game, Cooks is posting prayers and Bible verses on social media, as usual."  An earlier Sports Spectrum article, from October, said:

In other words, on a team full of superstars, Cooks is as productive and consistent as any of them.

Off the field, the former first-round draft pick has been just as persistent in his declaration of faith. A devout Christian who’s credited God for his gifts and called his relationship with Jesus the most important thing in his life, Cooks has rarely gone a day during the Rams’ hot start without sharing Biblical wisdom.

On the other sideline, Devin McCourty will be roaming the secondary for the Patriots.  He has overcome the loss of a father when he was young.  According to CBN, he had grown up going to church, but drifted during his time in the NFL.  But, that changed when he went to a Bible study led by a team chaplain.  The story states:

“He’s talking about that guilty feeling, there’s nothing we can do to earn the right to be Christians and earn what Christ has done for us. Like you can’t earn that. You know, that’s given to you. You know, that’s His mercy. And it just happened to be the day I walked in there and went. And it was kind of everything I was feeling that I was lacking. And was like it’s right there, you know, said Devin.”

Devin re-dedicated his life to Jesus Christ, giving Him full control. Now with God as a top priority, Devin learned to go to his Heavenly Father for big decisions. Like in 2014, when he became a free agent and was contemplating leaving the team.

He is now a husband and father, his daughter having been born just after Super Bowl LI against the Falcons.  The story relates that he is learning to depend on God the Father to strengthen him to be a good dad.

Movieguide has a story on 5 players who will be in the game this Sunday.

These are men who play at the highest level and have made their faith central to our lives.  God can enable us to excel in our endeavors, giving us strength and wisdom in order to glorify Him.

Sometimes it's the process more than the outcome.  God is working in us in our perceived victories and defeats.  It's our dependence on Him and the growth in our relationship that are the important things.

Our victory is not determined by the scoreboard.  We have victory in Christ, and we can walk victorious as we apply what we've learned and glorify the Lord.  Even if we seem to have "lost" in this life, the clock has not run out and God is continuing to do His work.

Restrictions

There is a passage in the book of Job that underscores the value of life, as created by Almighty God.  Job, in chapter 31, reflects:
13 "If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant When they complained against me,
14 What then shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him?
15 Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb?

This can be helpful as we reflect on our fellow human beings and how we treat them.  And, it is especially poignant in this season in which one state legislature has voted to allow abortion at any time during pregnancy, and perhaps after a baby is born.  Another state legislative committee has tabled a similar bill.  Our consideration of life is a key component of a civilized society, and a country that does not revere the sanctify of life as created by God is collectively in a spiritual danger zone - we need to pray for our nation and its leaders.

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In Proverbs 24, we find a sobering reminder that speaks to our responsibility to speak up for the unborn and of God's judgment about those who take the life of another:
11 Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?

While the outrage continues over the New York law allowing abortion up until the time of birth, another state has considering similar legislation - this time, in Virginia.  The Daily Caller reports that:

Democratic Delegate Kathy Tran introduced HB2491, or the Repeal Act, which seeks to repeal the state’s current restrictions on late-term abortions. If passed, the measure will do away with the state’s requirement that second and third-trimester abortions be performed only to preserve the health or life of the woman. A woman seeking to abort would no longer need to obtain an ultrasound before having an abortion, under the proposed law.

This is not some outlier proposal, either: the article reports that the governor and a number of Democratic lawmakers support the bill.

A tweet from reporter Ryan Saavedra of the DailyWire, included in the article featured this exchange:

Todd Gilbert (R): Where it’s obvious a woman is about to give birth...would that be a point at which she could still request an abortion?

Kathy Tran (D): My bill would allow that, yes

Stunning and very sad.

Fortunately, the subcommittee considering the bill voted 5-3 against advancing it, according to CBS News.  But damage has already been done, and Virginia's governor, Ralph Northam, is facing criticism for comments regarding children born in the third-trimester.  He said:

"And it's done in cases where there amy be severe deformities, there may be a fetus that's non-viable. So in this particular example, if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen. The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that's what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother. So I think this was really blown out of proportion."

The President criticized the comments saying, according to CBS, in an interview with the Daily Caller: "This is going to lift up the whole pro-life movement like maybe it's never been lifted up before."

The article refers to a recent Marist poll on the subject of abortion; it states:

Seventy-five percent of Americans support significant abortion restrictions and say abortion should not be legal after a woman is three months pregnant, according to a Jan. 15 Marist poll. Nearly 60 percent of Americans support banning abortion after 20 weeks except to save the life of the mother, according to the poll.

Contrast that with the Virginia bill, or what New York passed.  The Daily Caller story referred to that New York law "removing abortion from the state’s criminal code and allowing women to have abortions after 24 weeks in cases where 'there is an absence of fetal viability, or at any time when necessary to protect a patient’s life or health,' according to the legislation."

Let's dig into that Marist poll a little deeper.  Live Action News reported:

The poll shocked some, revealing that Americans have similar views on abortion across the political spectrums, even while a majority of those polled — 55 percent — identified as “pro-choice.” The number of those identifying as “pro-life” was the lowest it has been in years, coming in at 38 percent. Despite the labels, an overwhelming majority of Americans want to limit and restrict abortion and enact protection for children.

But, there is at least some sensibility among those self-identifying as "pro-choice."  The story says:

61 percent of those who identified as “pro-choice” stated they wanted abortion allowed only in the first three months of pregnancy — at most. A significant percentage of this group believed abortion should restricted even further, as a plurality of 48 percent agreed that abortion should only be allowed in cases of rape, incest, to save the life of the mother, or not at all.

The Live Action News report also referred to a PR Newswire release stating:

By a double-digit margin, a majority of all Americans oppose any taxpayer funding of abortion (54 percent to 39 percent). …

The survey also found that by more than 20 points, a majority of Americans believe that “scientifically” a fetus is “a unique life” (56 percent), while only about a third (35 percent) believe it is “part of a woman’s body.” A plurality of Americans say that life begins at conception (42 percent), while only about one in 10 say life begins at birth (13 percent).

And, the article refers to a National Review story, in which it states: "For the first time in the history of the poll, Marist asked respondents what they would like to see the Supreme Court do, if and when it reconsiders its decision in Roe v. Wade. Almost two-thirds of respondents said the Court should rule either to allow restrictions as decided by each state (49 percent) or to outlaw abortion entirely (16 percent)."

It also says, "Less than one-third of Americans said they’d like the Court to rule to allow unrestricted abortion. This means that more than 60 percent of Americans disagree with the central holdings of Roe, including nearly half of those who call themselves pro-choice and more than 40 percent of Democrats."

So, in summary, here's a generalization: pro-life people want to see abortion eliminated, and a majority of pro-choice people want to see it restricted.

We also recognize that life begins at conception: that's the Biblical view, and as the Live Action News article points out, it is a "scientifically factually viewpoint."

Taxpayers should not be forced to pay for objectionable activities, such as abortion.  The government is exceeding its God-given authority when it takes such action.

Biblically, we can uphold the sanctity of life; each human being is a unique creation of God.

As Sam Rohrer of the American Pastors Network said in a press release:

The support of life and the opposition to death is a fundamental distinguishing factor in individuals, societies and nations. Nations whose laws are built on the principles of Judeo-Christian thought will protect life and punish those who murder. Nations who are guided by the ideologies of atheism, Islam, globalism and post-Christian ideologies will destroy lives of those with whom they disagree and value lives of those who agree with them. We see the world running full-steam-ahead into the embracing of equating the value of life with agreement with government or usefulness to society, as made popular by Karl Marx and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. So it is important to know why life is important and why we must view life as God views it...

Perhaps those who would want to reduce abortion, the taking of life, to just one of a potpourri of social issues, should reconsider.  John Stonestreet, in a commentary on The Point, said:

Progressive Christians often criticize the pro-life movement for only caring about babies before they’re born, and not enough about “social justice” issues after they’re born. They don’t spend enough time or energy on so-called “whole life” issues like poverty and racism and climate change.

He echoes the words of Scott Klusendorf when he says, "a movement can only do so much." He also states, "So many who are vocal on after-birth issues are silent about nothing less than the taking of innocent, pre-born human lives." Stonestreet quotes blogger Samuel Sey from Twitter: “One of the biggest indictments against the social justice movement within evangelicalism today is that it hasn’t produced a greater passion against the biggest human rights violation of our time—abortion. In fact, it’s producing more apathy and support for abortion.”  

There is also a move in the evangelical community to call into question the concept of the single-issue voter; that single issue being abortion. 

Tomorrow on The Meeting House, Jennifer Hartline of The Stream joins me to discuss developments from New York and Virginia.

Church Meets Here

We are representatives of Christ in this world and we have been brought into fellowship with Him
and one another in the Church. Ephesians 2 states:
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone,
21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

The Church presents a glorious reflection of the presence of God. Because Jesus lives in our hearts, we can experience His cleansing power and we can testify to what He has done in our lives.  His Spirit is with us wherever we go, and we can depend on Him to use us to communicate His truth. While we do attend a gathering of believers at a church building, the Church is living and vibrant and goes into the world through His people.  Where we go, church can happen!

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We are called to be part of the body of Christ, and we recognize that He lives in us, empowering and
directing us to spread His love and truth. 2nd Corinthians 5 says:
18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

A man named Lee sat down to eat at a Waffle House recently.  He asked the waitress what her name was and how he could pray for her.  As he relates in a first-person account on the Baptist Press website, "Our waitress looked at me with a puzzled expression and said, 'Unspoken request.'"

He relates that Misty, the waitress, had previously attended church. He asked her what she thought of Jesus. She said, "The Jesus I learned about in church seemed to love people a lot more than the church people I encountered."  He relates:

I told her I appreciated her being honest and agreed with her that Jesus did love people a lot more than we do. In fact, He loved them to even die for them.

He invited her to church as he gave her the credit card, which, of course, revealed his identity.  Lee, you see, is the evangelism group director for the South Carolina Baptist Convention.  The article relates:

"You're Lee Clamp!" she blurted out. "I just Googled your name. You were my camp pastor at Summersalt youth camp when I was in middle school! That's weird, isn't it? I shouldn't have told you I Googled your name."

So, what's the next chapter for Misty?  Lee Clamp writes:

If Misty is going to be discipled and cross over from death to life, it may need to happen at a Waffle House with a group of ladies who decide to meet her there at a time other than Sunday morning.

We will never saturate every life with the Gospel unless the church goes outside the walls. We also must customize our disciple-making strategies. Our current strategy of Sunday morning Bible study at the church may need to be expanded to church-on-location.

Whose name might you have missed this week? Sometimes it's hard to slow down enough to notice people. Maybe you need to go back and start a conversation. Who knows? They may already know you.

How about that?  Church-on-location.  We realize that while we are members of our local church body, we also belong to The Church, the body of Christ.  So, we carry the Church with us wherever we go.  You could say that "the church meets here," where two or three are gathered in His name.  Remember, the Church is a not a building, it is the people of God.

But we should not minimize our regular fellowship with a body of believers.  But, in order for someone to come into that church setting, there may need to be an invitation, perhaps a prompting, perhaps taking the Church, the life of Jesus, into non-traditional settings.

I am thankful for ways in which God will use people in creative, non-traditional ways, in order that His truth may be spread.  It just may be that in order to know Jesus, people need to see Jesus; and that occurs through the faithful witness and service of His ambassadors.  This is a challenge for us to make sure that Jesus and His Church are showing up through our lives.

1-800-NOT-HOPE

We have been drafted into a spiritual battle because we know the Lord.  Even those who do not know Him are in the battle, as well, only they have been captured and are operating under the enemy's
authority. 1st Peter 5 states:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.

We have been given access to the power of the God of the universe, maker of heaven and earth.  He is full of might and majesty, and we can skillfully use His power when we face spiritual attacks.  We do this by prayer, and we do this by resistance.  We know that the enemy is bent on destruction, and we can cling to the words of life that our Savior brings.  He will fill us with His strength as we call upon His name, the name that is above every name.

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If we want to experience a full and satisfying life on this earth and life with God in eternity, there is one way to do that.  If we want to know lasting hope and confidence in our prayers to be heard and
answered, we can come to God through Jesus Christ. John 6 says:
67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

In Washington state, a man who is apparently an atheist wanted to see what would happen if he set up a prayer line - to Satan.  On The Christian Post website, you find this account:

In an episode of NPR's "This American Life" radio program, host Ira Glass recounted the activity of The Satanic Missionary Society, where, like Christian prayer hotlines, callers can phone in and leave voicemail messages requesting prayer.

The satanic prayer hotline, hosted on a blog, was launched by a man in Olympia, Washington, named Chris Allert, who doesn't believe in God or Satan. Annoyed by Christians who wouldn't stop evangelizing, he began the prayer line out of curiosity to see who would call. He soon found out people were taking prayers to Satan really seriously and wasn't sure what to do with that, Glass explained.

So, according to the story, once the prayer line was established, voicemails began arriving: someone prayed for a club to have a hex placed on it because of loud music; another wanted his first job, still someone else wanted the person who stole from him to be punished.

And, a young lady who was pregnant allegedly was calling on the devil to take the life of her baby.

Some callers viewed the prayer line as a joke; others called in while drunk.

It's certainly a perversion of the real intent of prayer as established by God.  A local prayer ministry leader, Patrick Walton, according to the story, "is not moved by the satanic prayer hotline, and says the best thing to do is to stay tuned into God, not getting bogged down in fighting the devil."

Walton says his ministry is focused on Biblical prayers; he says: "Our simple answer would be, we pray prayers from the Bible, what we call (and many others) apostolic prayers, or prayers that the apostles prayed. We also pray prayers from the Old Testament as well..."  He says, "We try and pray from the Bible, maintain a culture of devotion to Jesus and the whole of the Bible, and we ask, as Jude did, that the Lord would rebuke Satan..."

I think it's important that we do recognize that we are fighting a spiritual battle - there is a real enemy, but we acknowledge that God is greater.  We must be consumed with Christ and not overly focused on fighting the devil, but we do recognize that God has given us to the tools to do so.

We must be careful not to get so caught up in what the enemy is doing that we miss what God is doing or wants to do.  We can keep focused on God's power and preeminence. That is not to minimize the work of the enemy, and we can be diligent to fight him Biblically.

Regarding this joke of a hotline, we acknowledge that people are in need of answers, they want hope, and the enemy cannot give that to them.  The founder of the hotline was not sure what to do with those requests; fortunately, the believer in Christ can be certain of how to respond.  The world cannot provide the proper answers, either - if we're looking to the world for answers, we are searching the wrong place.

If you desire peace with God, you can go to our website at FaithRadio.org and scroll to the bottom of the home page - there is a link through which you can learn about a relationship with Jesus Christ; click on the words, "Find Peace."  You can also call 1-888-NEED-HIM.  And, if you need prayer, you can call us at 1-800-239-8900 and you can share your prayer request, to be prayed for by our ministry staff.  You can also submit a request through our website.

The Veil Removed

Jesus spoke the truth of God, and when God's truth penetrates our hearts, life change occurs.  We read in John 8:
30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Transformation occurred as Jesus taught.  The Bible teaches that the entrance of His words into our hearts and minds can ultimately result in life change.  We can encounter our own spiritual breakthroughs as we allow His Word to do its work, opening up our eyes so that we can see Him more clearly and know Him more deeply.  And, those who don't know Him can experience His presence and recognize that they need to be saved.

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God can remove our spiritual blindness, open up our eyes, and show us the path to freedom in Christ. In 2nd Corinthians 3, Paul is speaking of those who do not accept the Word of Christ. He writes:
16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

One could say that Crystal DiGregorio had it all: she was making almost $400,000 a year, lived in a $10 million home, and owned "a handful of luxury cars."  And, she walked away from it all: she found it hard to find a job and eventually went bankrupt.

What would possess someone to walk such a course?  The desire to please God; to leave a lucrative job in the porn industry, according to ChristianHeadlines.com.

The article says:

...one Easter Sunday at a church service she encountered God and it changed her life. DiGregorio knelt down at the altar before God and asked him to save her from an abusive relationship and asked God into her heart.

She told CBN News, “That Moment was a moment of giving hurt and fear to God. I was bawling my eyes out crying and praying for God to release me from the abusive relationship I was in and all the bad things in my life.” She continued, “It was a full surrender.”

The story also relates: "'God removed the veil from my eyes, I started looking at the world differently,' she told Fox. "'I noticed how much people were being hurt by the porn industry and I never really thought of it before that.'"

CBN also reports:

When she tried to transition out of porn, her reputation preceded her. Several employers fired her when they found out about her past life and her son was bullied for her decisions.

Crystal says giving up stardom was worth it.

"I left the money and limelight of that world and I'm more peaceful now with the Lord because I don't have to be the sex object, I don't worry about money, I just worry about my soul and becoming a better person every day," she told CBN News.

Christian Headlines reports: "eventually she became a Christian counselor. The former porn star uses her testimony to encourage others working in the sex industry to give their lives to Jesus."

CBN quotes Crystal DiGregorio-Bassette, who is a mother of three:

"My story has given people hope that God can forgive and change us, no matter what your past is. I hope people learn more about the Lord and want to get to know him," she said.

The article continues:

When asked how Christians can pray for sex workers, Crystal says: "Pray that the veil from their eyes get removed! That the industry causes pain and that God will reveal it to them."

That is a powerful statement - we know that the enemy will blind us; Jesus wants us to see Him and lead us to a breakthrough.  The Word of God, activated by the Spirit of God, can enlighten the minds of those who do not know Him and can illuminate our minds so that we might know Him better.  And, we can always remember that no person is beyond the grace of God; someone may have looked at Crystal and thought she was too far gone, too embedded within a corrupt industry.  But, we can continue to hold out hope.

It is important that we understand the pervasiveness of pornography. And, there is less of a moral stigma to it - a Gallup poll last year found that, according to the study summary, "Forty-three percent of Americans now believe pornography is 'morally acceptable,' a seven-percentage-point increase from last year and the highest level since Gallup first began measuring moral perceptions of pornography in 2011."

We can always remember to be aggressive toward sin in our lives; porn is not a problem for everyone, but there are certainly so many other areas in which we are tempted and vulnerable to sin - we are all sinners and need the grace and power of God.  We can take the necessary steps to confess our sins, receive forgiveness, repent, and depend on God's power to walk in His freedom.

Living Together

The Bible provides a set of principles which can help us and empower us to live the life that God intends for us.  The enemy is working to tempt and derail Christian believers, but the Bible holds up clear standards. For instance, in 1st Thessalonians 4, we can read:
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,
5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God...

We recognize that God's way is best - in every area of our lives, and we can go to the Word and find timeless principles that can be applied as we seek to please Him.  Not only does He provide the principles, but He supplies the power we need in order to honor Him.  We can resist temptation in the power of God and commit to rejecting the lure of the enemy to distract and deceive us, so that we might be pure in thoughts, words, and action.

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The value of marriage in our society cannot be underestimated; God ordained marriage in the book of Genesis, and marriage, according to Ephesians 5, reflects the relationship of Christ and His Church.
Hebrews 13 offers perspective on marriage, and we can read about God's heart for marriage here:
4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
6 So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

It's not everyday that you read a headline about an upcoming wedding that says it will "focus on God." But, apparently, that's the intent of the upcoming nuptials from someone who has become known in Christian media for talking about God.

That would be Chris Pratt of Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World.  You see, he is newly engaged, and his bride-to-be is the daughter of Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Her name is Katherine Schwarzenegger, and according to FoxNews.com, a so-called "insider" says, "They’re going to want a religious wedding,” adding, “I know that Chris does, and I assume that she does, too. God is going to be a part of this marriage."

The story also says that Chris "loves the fact" that Katherine "doesn’t shy away from discussing her beliefs openly with others." The source has said, “He’s constantly around other people who have no faith or are apologetic about it, but not her,” adding, “She is willing to talk about it to anyone who will listen.”

There are reports that the couple has attended church together, most likely at Hillsong Church in L.A. or Zoe Church.

After she accepted his proposal, according to the article, he posted on Instagram:

“Sweet Katherine, so happy you said yes!” he captioned with a diamond ring emoji. “I’m thrilled to be marrying you. Proud to live boldly in faith with you. Here we go!”

As we know, the engagement is such a critical time in not merely planning for a wedding, but getting prepared for marriage.  And, while there is great celebration and anticipation, there are some danger zones that the couple have in front of them.

One is that Pratt is coming off a high-profile divorce, from a marriage that has produced a son.  That's not a dealbreaker for the many couples who are not in their first marriage, but it is a condition that must be navigated.

And, the most pressing, which is certainly an unforced error, was proclaimed on the OK Magazine website:

Chris Pratt and his fiancé, Katherine Schwarzenegger, took a major step in their relationship — they are living together! On January 15, the couple announced their engagement and received so much support from family, friends, fans, and Chris’ ex-wife Anna Faris.

That is certainly not the Biblical model, which teaches purity before marriage and fidelity in marriage.  A couple who cohabits opens themselves up to a number of harmful effects; it's not merely a harmless "test drive" or "playing house."

Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family writes:

Even when couples are similar in socio-economic indicators, cohabitants — compared with their married peers — tend to have:

• Less healthy, more volatile relationships.
• Breakup rates five times higher.
• Two to five times higher levels of serious physical violence and emotional abuse.
• A decreased sense of ongoing happiness and fairness in their relationships.
• Two to eight times higher levels of sexual infidelity.
• Less equitable sharing of finances.
• Much higher rates of risk-taking behaviors such as dangerous driving and drug and alcohol abuse.

This piece, on the ministry website, also says:

Seldom have social scientists come to a more definitive and consistent conclusion than that cohabitation is intimately linked to greater likelihood of divorce. Those who marry with cohabiting experience in their past can have a 50 to 80 percent higher likelihood of divorcing than married couples who never cohabited.

But, it's becoming more accepted, unfortunately.  Stanton says:

The last two decades have seen explosive growth, with the percentage of cohabiting couples increasing about 50 percent since the mid 1990s and more than doubling in real numbers over these years. Today more than 60 percent of marriages are formed by people who have cohabited with their spouse or someone else at some time in their lives.

It's commendable that the Pratts-to-be want to have a wedding dedicated to the Lord; and the couple does seem to have a commitment to church and speaking out about spiritual things.  But, to have a lasting marriage that honors God, it's important to consider how cohabitation is not God's best and fails to prepare a future husband and wife for a strong marriage.

We can remember in our own lives that in order to bring glory to God in His desired outcome, it's important that we walk in His ways.  In whatever endeavor, take the necessary steps to increase the chance of success by following God's principles.  We may have a goal in mind, perhaps something that God has called us to do - but, we are not fully obeying Him if we are not following His steps.  And, in pursuing God's will, we can lessen the potential effects of the risk factors.

Finally, there is rhetoric out there that is decrying what is termed "purity culture."  But, we recognize that sexual purity is a teaching of Scripture.  The Bible teaches us to pursue a path of purity, in thoughts, words, and action.  The culture offers a weak alternative, and we can be faithful to speak out in accordance with His truth.