Label

If you wear the label, "Christian," you should actually act like you know Jesus and are devoted to following His ways. That description is more than a religious term or a demographic one - when we bear the name of Christ, we are called to act like Him. 1st John chapter 2 states:
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Jesus said that the person who abides in Him will bear "much fruit" - we can examine the degree to which we are abiding in Him by evaluating the harvest of fruit that is there. The production of fruit for the glory of God is directly connected to how connected we are to Him. Everett Piper spoke on The Meeting House yesterday about the determining of the God that a person serves - is it the God of the Bible or the god in the mirror?  He is the One who will enable us to bring honor to the name of Jesus and live up to the name, "Christian."

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In Romans 1, Paul issues a stern word of warning to men and women who engage in behavior that is not appropriate toward those of the same sex. He writes, regarding those who had rejected God:
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

Why a professing Christian would choose to publicly acknowledge same-sex attraction as part of his or her identity is beyond me.  It is a sinful desire that should be devoted to the cross and certainly not regarded as something from which someone cannot be set free. 

The word, "Christian," should not be taken lightly.  People and institutions may be called Christian these days, but that doesn't mean that Christ is first place, that He is governing actions and decisions. We can be challenged to make sure that we know what it means to be "Christian."

This seems to be an issue in higher education these days, as you hear about Christian institutions that have allowed worldly teachings and actions to become acceptable.  If you bear the label, "Christian," to me that means that the policies that are accepted should be consistent with the teachings of Scripture.  And, there is great pressure to compromise on the teachings of Scripture.

One area is on sexuality.  I have two stops to make on our journey today.  First of all, Seattle Pacific University; ChristianHeadlines.com reports that:

The employee handbook says faculty are “expected to refrain from … sexually immoral behavior that is inconsistent with Biblical standards, including cohabitation and extramarital sexual activity,” according to the newspaper. A university “Statement on Human Sexuality” says, “We affirm that sexual experience is intended between a man and a woman.”

Recently, the Board of Trustees affirmed this material, and over two-thirds of the faculty gave the Board a vote of "no confidence."  The Christian Headlines article related in a story last Friday:

The controversy was sparked in January when Jéaux Rinedah, an adjunct nursing professor, alleged in a lawsuit that he was denied a full-time teaching position because he is gay.

The faculty Senate said in a Monday statement, “The Board’s decision to maintain SPU’s discriminatory hiring policy related to human sexuality, as well as its manner of delivering that decision, have regrettably compelled the faculty of SPU to pass a vote of no confidence in the SPU Board of Trustees.”

Board of Trustees chairman Cedric Davis is quoted as saying that the Board is “cognizant of historic orthodoxy and the Wesleyan and evangelical tradition in SPU’s 130-year history and in SPU’s Statement of Faith.”  What happens now?  It is up to the Board, presumably, to uphold the teachings upon which the school is founded.

We now move a bit closer to our area, to College of the Ozarks in Missouri, which has filed a lawsuit against a government policy.  An article on the National Religious Broadcasters website states:

The lawsuit challenges a directive from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that forces schools to open their dormitories (including dorm rooms and shared shower spaces) to members of the opposite sex. By requiring entities covered by the Fair Housing Act to not “discriminate” based on sexual orientation or gender identity, this directive forces religious schools to violate their beliefs.

ADF Senior Counsel Julie Marie Blake stated in response: “Women shouldn’t be forced to share private spaces—including showers and dorm rooms—with males, and religious schools shouldn’t be punished simply because of their beliefs about marriage and biological sex. Government overreach by the Biden administration continues to victimize women, girls, and people of faith by gutting their legal protections, and it must be stopped.”  

School President Jerry C. Davis said: “To threaten religious freedom is to threaten America itself. College of the Ozarks will not allow politicians to erode this essential American right or the ideals that shaped America’s founding.”

There is confusion over matters of sexuality and gender these days, and God's Word can bring us great clarity.  It's not a matter of how we feel about ourselves, but about faith in what God has to say - he has made us male and female and in Romans 1, Paul lays out the sinfulness of men and women possessing improper feelings for one another.  And, the good news is that when God points out sin, He also offers the antidote.

The fact is, in our culture, pressure will come.  And there is great temptation for people and institutions to conform.  Yet, we can continue to hold fast to the teachings of Scripture and honor God by following His Word.  We are not called to follow fads or faux versions of reality; we are called to uphold the time-honored traditions that are spelled out for us in God's Word and know that His blessing comes as we adhere to it.

Going Under

There is a story found in the book of Acts about a sorcerer named Simon, who had apparently wowed the people with his magic acts, to the extent some thought that he was doing God's work. Acts 8 tells us that the authentic power of God was so compelling that even Simon believed on Jesus. We can read:
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.

We can be careful not to believe counterfeits to the presence of God and not be deceived.  We can also not regard an experience with the Lord as some sort of "good luck charm." We can rejoice in the change that takes place inside a person when he or she accepts Christ, and we are placed on a course of obedience to Him: that is communicated through the act of baptism. We can rejoice in the new birth and embrace the spiritual reality of what has occurred in our hearts. 

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The picture is clear: our old self is dead and our sins have been buried with that old self; we have been raised to new life, and we have the power to express that. Romans 6 tells us:
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.

The practice, or sacrament, of water baptism is an outward expression of the inward work of God in a person's life - it can be a powerful tool used in the hand of God to demonstrate what God does when someone is born again. 

On the Sunday before Christmas last year, Long Hollow Baptist Church outside Nashville had scheduled "around a dozen" people to be baptized, according to an article at ChristianHeadlines.com, which reports:

...dozens more – for a total of 99 – followed through with baptism that day, according to Baptist Press, the news service of the Southern Baptist Convention.

In December, Pastor Robby Gallaty called it a “movement of God that I’ve never experienced.”

On the Sunday after Easter, the church passed 1,000 baptisms since that Sunday in December. On Easter Sunday, over 200 were baptized.  Baptisms are taking place throughout the service and following the service. The pastor "estimates that about 70-75 percent of the baptisms are first-time confessions of faith."  

The article relates that:

The revival began after Gallaty became introspective following the deaths of two close friends, Jarrid Wilson and Darren Patrick. Each committed suicide.

“Both of those men preached at Long Hollow within six months of their passing,” Gallaty told Baptist Press. “They both sat at my dining room table. It made me realize that the last person to say he’s burning out or that ministry is tough is usually the one burning out. The Lord allowed me to take an introspective look at my own life. I was tired. Tired of trying to keep people happy. Tired of trying to keep them from leaving. I went to my porch to pray for the Lord to fix the problems in our church and our country. God showed me that the problem … was me.”

The article adds, "Gallaty began praying more and listening to God more."

The pastor stated to Baptist Press: “I really believe that if all of us, as pastors, begin to press in and seek the Lord in prayer, calling out for God to move in our churches, that’s a prayer He’s going to answer,” adding, “The greatest hindrance to a move of the Holy Spirit is formality and structure. If God wanted to break into our services today, we’d have no time for Him. [At Long Hollow] we still have a plan, but we’re OK if God interrupts the service.”

I want to isolate that phrase from the pastor, who said "we're OK if God interrupts the service."  We have to make sure that we don't misinterpret God's interruptions as inconveniences.  We can become so married to our plans that we don't allow the Holy Spirit to have his way in our lives - and that can be true for a worship service or our lifestyle of worship.

God can use baptism in our own lives because it is an act of obedience to Him.  But, it is also a powerful expression of the inward work of the Holy Spirit. Our sins have been cleansed and we have been raised to new life.  In the work of redemption, we identify with His death and appropriate His new life. The act of baptism testifies to the exhilaration of the new birth, a message that we continue to carry throughout our lives. 

Darkness to Light

The devil is real and he is deceptive. He is powerful, too, but we have access to a far greater power - the power of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 6 tells us:
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The pieces of the armor are outlined in the subsequent verses.  We recognize that there is a real enemy and Jesus said that he saw him fall from heaven.  In the wilderness, Jesus did battle with the enemy and won.  After his death, Jesus defeated the power of the enemy and is victorious over sin and death.  But, Satan continues to tempt us and to attempt to wreak havoc in our lives - he will build strongholds in our minds that are counterproductive to the presence of Christ, if we allow him to. But, 2nd Corinthians 10 tells us we can tear those down through the power of God.

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The enemy is at work in our world today, but believers in Christ have been given the tools to walk in the victory that Jesus has won for us. James 4 addresses how we can position ourselves in that victory:
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

It is important that we recognize that there is a spiritual enemy who is active in this world.  Jesus said that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  Peter says that he is roaming about like a roaring lion.  And, Paul said that we are at war with principalities and powers, with spiritual forces of darkness.

We have to recognize that people are not our enemy, but the enemy can certain take hold of people's lives; and he will operate in our life to the extent that we allow him to.  So, we have to resist him.

Simone Peer became involved in occultic practices as a result of her mother's influence.  A CBN.com story relates:

Simone Peer never saw anything wrong with being a white witch. In her mind, it was the 'good side' of the occult.

"I was a 'white witch', and this was 'white witchcraft' that was divine and heavenly," Simone says.

Simone grew up learning about the occult from her mom, who consulted psychics, and spirits. She recalls, "Horoscopes, numerology, the Ouija Board, seeing ghosts, psychic phenomenon, was normal."

Her dalliances with the occult were combined with verbal and physical abuse.  Her life spiraled downward into substance abuse and sexual immorality.  Her desire to make things right in her life led her into more and more of an entanglement with witchcraft, and eventually, according to the article: "She would spend the next 30 years seeking enlightenment and attaining the highest level of 'white witchcraft' – the high priestess. Through Santeria and other forms of spirituality and the occult Simone participated in animal sacrifices."

But, as CBN points out, "Still, no matter how high she climbed or 'enlightened' she became, there was an emptiness she couldn't shake."

Then, several years ago, she came across a video that would change her life - a video of rock musician Alice Cooper, who was talking about his relationship with...Jesus Christ!  The real Savior who had given him a new life and delivered him from alcoholism.

The article says:

Simone shares, "I realized that I was an ambassador for Satan. I didn't even know what it meant to have Jesus. I didn't understand it at all, I just knew that my heart cracked open, I knew that He was there, and I knew I was a 'Yes.' When I went through that salvation prayer and there were points of repentance, what really stood out to me was the thinking that I was God, the thinking that my spells were not manipulations of other people and other things. And I just said it out loud and raised my hand to God and I pleaded and repented and prayed over myself."

Now, after experiencing freedom from strongholds in her life, Simone is a certified life coach and is devoted to pointing people to the Savior. 

I want to walk through some principles that we can extract based on this story.  For one thing, we have to identify the identity of the true enemy.  We are not at war with flesh and blood - there are those who would oppose us whom we regard as our "enemies," but the true enemy is the devil himself, and recognizing this can be very helpful in loving the people whom we are tempted to set ourselves against.

We have to reckon with the idea that there is a real devil. The Bible speaks of him and his operation - and Jesus dealt with him in the wilderness when he came to tempt the Savior.  Jesus said that he comes to steal, kill, and destroy: a contrast with the abundant life which He offers to us.  And, He has ultimately defeated the power of Satan, who is tied to the power of sin and death. 

But we know that Jesus defeated the devil through His work at Calvary and through the power of His resurrection.  And, we are instructed in Scripture to resist him. We can walk in that victory and stand against him when he comes to try to defeat us.

Why Worship?

Timothy, like all of us, had a particular mission that God intended for him to carry out - and the fruit of his life provides a strong example for us. Paul writes to him in 1st Timothy 4 that...
(10) ...we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe.
11 These things command and teach.
12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Timothy was set up in leadership before the church and called to be an example.  And, in these passages we see certain things in which the Church needs guidance: including the teaching of the word and the way we behave toward each other - when we come together, we are taught and equipped for service and we can be strengthened and grow in our walk with the Lord.  We can always be reminded that we are part of one body, called to a mission and purpose in this world.

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The Bible provides instruction on how we can function as a body, the body of Christ, under the leadership of Jesus, the head of the body. Colossians 3 states:
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

When you attend a church service, what are your expectations?  What are God's expectations?  I think those are challenging questions that can move people from just going through the motions or checking a box to truly experiencing the presence of the Lord, which will change us and deepen our relationship.

Our interaction with the things of God should draw us closer to Him and produce fruit for His glory. We can be strengthened and encouraged by our exposure to His Word, through reading, studying, meditating, and even listening and watching.  Our fellowship with the local church can be instrumental in improving our lives and even the lives of those around us.

A new Barna Group survey is out that explores the residual effect of participating in corporate worship.  According to a story on ChristianHeadlines.com:

The survey, released April 14, 2021, found that an overwhelming majority of practicing Christians and two out of three churchgoers felt encouraged most of the time after worshipping. According to the survey, "over four in five practicing Christians (82 percent) and roughly two-thirds of churchgoers (67 percent)—U.S. adults who have been to church in the past six months—say they leave worship services feeling encouraged at least 'most of the time'."

Another finding: 77 percent of practicing Christians, and 65 percent of churchgoers say, according to the article, "they feel forgiven at least 'most of the time' following church attendance," the survey said.

But, there is a downside: sometimes churchgoers and practicing Christians feel guilty or unforgiven after leaving church - the Christian Headlines article says:

"Even though the majority of both practicing Christians (42 percent) and churched adults (34 percent) say they 'almost never' leave church feeling guilty, roughly one-quarter each says this 'sometimes' happens (29 percent practicing Christians, 26 percent churched adults)." The survey also found that after attending a church service, church-going adults are more likely to say they feel guilty "about half the time", with 18 percent of churched adults and 11 percent of practicing Christians saying they felt guilty "about half the time".

And, this, according to the survey summary: "roughly seven in 10 practicing Christians (71 percent) and three in five churchgoers (59 percent) also affirm that, 'most of the time,' they leave worship feeling as if they've learned something new." 

Here we gain some insight into the purpose of corporate worship and/or church attendance, which includes certain expressions from an encounter with God: encouragement, forgiveness, and learning.  A majority of practicing Christians and churchgoers say they have experienced these things. The key is to do more than have a sporadic experience, but to take what we do on Sunday into Monday and the rest of the week.  Our time at church is not an end unto itself, but the continuation of a deployment into the world and a deepening walk with Him.

We can also develop the mentality that rather than consumers, we are participants in corporate worship. It's not simply a matter of what we want God to do for us or even what we can do for God - we do call on the Lord to do His work through us and He calls us to execute His mission, but it is based on a relationship that is a foundation for how we live. This is strengthened as we come into His presence. 

Preservation

Our outward behavior reflects what is on the inside - and we can take the necessary steps to make sure we are growing in the Lord and demonstrating what He is doing. 1st Peter 2 encourages us, that we should be...
12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme,
14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 

We are called to be good citizens - of the kingdom of heaven and here on this earth. The Lord actually gives us the ability to determine laws that are set because we elect leaders, and should elect people who possess and/or sensitive to godly wisdom, so that laws that are consistent with the teachings of Scripture are implemented and those that do not are blocked. And, when we ourselves are placed in a position of influence, we can take advantage of that, in the power of the Spirit, and bring God's presence and principles into a situation.

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We have the capacity to walk in a way that pleases God no matter where we are, and that includes the workplace. Ephesians 5 states:
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Faith in the workplace has long been a source of tension, and employees in a variety of settings have found their rights to live according to their deeply-held religious beliefs curtailed.

Sharon Gustafson had a concern about that, and was in a position to do something about that.  She was named as general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, in 2019 - the first woman to serve in that position, according to a story on the Faithwire website.

The article says that Gustafson formed a workgroup to investigate instances of religious discrimination. She says, “I had never seen any case that was brought to protect somebody who was discriminated against because they had traditional religious beliefs about sexual morality,” adding, “So I started thinking ‘I wonder what other sorts of religious beliefs people may have that they think are not protected so I set up a religious discrimination workgroup.”

Even leadership of the agency was not on board with the premise of her group's work, which, in its final report, showed less emphasis on religious discrimination in light of some other forms. Some participants did not feel that the EEOC was sympathetic toward matters of religious liberty. Gustafson said, “Title 7 doesn’t permit people to require that no one disagrees with them...We all have to sometimes work with people who may not approve of our beliefs. They may not approve of our actions but as Americans, we still have an obligation, a duty to work shoulder to shoulder with each other and to do it in a non-discriminatory, non-harassing way.”

In March, Gustafson was fired by the new Administration after refusing to comply with a request for her to resign.  The workgroup's report had been removed from the EEOC website.  

The article says:

Tony Perkins, president of the Research Family Council, told CBN News “I think what is going to happen is that this will have a chilling effect upon religious expression in the workplace.”

Gustafson says her firing sends a signal to both former colleagues and the public.

“There is a chilling effect to other people at the EEOC and the word gets out, you know, to the public generally that the EEOC is not interested in these types, certain types of religious discrimination claims and that is to everybody’s loss,” she said.

EEOC commissioner Andrea Lucas calls the firing “deeply troubling” and warns that “religious liberty has become a disfavored or second-class right in many areas of our society.”

An FRC website article linked to a tweet thread from Ed Whelan of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.  He said:

"According to Gustafson letter, "no previous [EEOC] General Counsel has been fired for being appointed by the wrong political party."

He added:

Purported termination notice from White House doesn't even refer to any action by President Biden. Deputy Director of Office of Presidential Personnel uses passive voice: "your employment ... is terminated."

 An agency spokesperson told CBN News that religious liberty would continue to be a top priority.

But what will that look like, you might ask?  Because there are indications that religious freedom keeps dropping in priority.  Obviously, the age-old types of discrimination based on race and sex are rightly in place, but religious discrimination should not be subservient to say, so-called discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, even though the Supreme Court's Bostock decision threatens to make that a reality. And, recently new Secretary of State Antony Blinkin has equated so-called "reproductive" rights, i.e. abortion, with other rights, saying in a briefing that removing certain language from a human rights report is...

...one of many steps – along with revoking the Mexico City Policy, withdrawing from the Geneva Consensus Declaration, resuming support for the United Nations Population Fund – that we are taking to promote women’s health and equity at home and abroad. Because women’s rights – including sexual and reproductive rights – are human rights.

He said, "there is no hierarchy that makes some rights more important than others."

So, the right to an abortion is equated with religious freedom?  And, there are those who believe that a gay person's right to certain services, in the arena of professional services, is superior to the conscience rights of a person who declines to provide the service.  

So, in the name of religious freedom, Sharon Gustafson wanted to uphold certain rights of employees to act according to conscience.  Even her superiors did not completely buy-in to what she was trying to do. This can be an example for us to make the right choice even though it may not be the popular choice.  Her workgroup was seeking to preserve people's freedom of expression regarding their faith in the workplace, yet there were those who rejected what she was trying to do.

We can also be mindful to not be intimidated - our call is to live out the mission of Christ wherever He may call us.  And, the expression of our faith is an expression of who we are.  Now, we have to be careful in how we do that - not in a counterproductive or even harassing way, but in a way that is compassionate and honoring to the Lord. We can make sure that we take our role as representatives of God very seriously.

Meeting Needs and Maturing Saints

We serve a relational God - He has made us in order that we might know Him and have fellowship with Him. He specializes in changing hearts and calling people who do not know Him into a relationship with Himself. Psalm 85 states:
4 Restore us, O God of our salvation, And cause Your anger toward us to cease.
5 Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations?
6 Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?
7 Show us Your mercy, Lord, And grant us Your salvation.

We deserved punishment, but we have received mercy.  We can be thankful that we did not get what we deserved and did not experience torment separation from God for eternity because of our sin.  This loving God is calling us to be agents of His love, to experience the touch of His hand and His movement upon our hearts, so that we can be involved in showing others the answers they seek, that come through a relationship with the Savior.

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Because we have experienced salvation through Christ, now He calls and empowers us to be involved in His work of restoration. 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.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

There's a great model that shows how the Church is built as people who have experienced the presence of the Lord seek to walk in what God has done in their lives. Arthur Gonçalves has been in the process of planting a church in the Central Florida city of Sanford.  The key has been to minister to people where they are and then bring them into a church body in order that they may grow and minister to others.

Baptist Press has an article about the ministry. which says that...

The ministry began as he led a group from the Church at Heathrow in Sanford to serve at a downtown homeless center. Soon afterward, the center’s leaders asked him to return and lead Bible study every Monday evening for a year.

Through that experience, God began working on his heart and his wife’s.

Arthur says, “We saw that there was a great need for mercy ministry but also for preaching and Gospel ministry..."  He felt that God was leading him to start a church and began to pray about it.  And, the Lord opened doors:

A local downtown restaurant, The Colonial Room, offered the use of its banquet hall for weekly prayer gatherings which began in January 2020 with six to seven people. In May he joined a local Rotary Club where members began sharing needs of the local police and elderly in the community.

Gonçalves said, “We helped the police department give away gifts to children in need during Christmas. We also help our elderly with groceries and with home and lawn maintenance on some occasions,” adding that the ministry became a “full blown outreach ministry.”  Local restaurants have been providing food and a local church furnished transportation.  Six people have come to Christ, and two have been baptized.

One of those is a man named Adam, who was, according to the story, "pushing a cart" in downtown Sanford when he first came in contact with Arthur.  The article states:

When offered a meal and prayer, he accepted both. And by the end of the night, he also accepted Christ as his personal Savior.

Now 10 months later, Adam is sober, has a job and goes out regularly to evangelize on the streets where he once pushed his cart.

In January of next year, Restoration Church is scheduled to launch, meeting in an elementary school in an "impoverished" area. Gonçalves stated, “There are 633 students at the school, and 92 percent of them receive a free or reduced cost lunch...There are lots of needs to be met at the school itself where the average income for a family of four is $30,000.”

In Sanford, Florida, it starts with reaching out to a person in need, but there is a call to do more - to share the gospel and perhaps even see that person come to Christ.  Then, the walk of discipleship begins, including participation in the local church body.  The Church's role is holistic - from meeting needs to maturing saints.  The Bible has the prescription and we can all be part of the infrastructure to some degree, resulting in truly changed lives. 

We can look to the Holy Spirit to indicate the need and to equip us to reach out in order that needs can be met and lives can be changed.  He is desiring to do amazing work in the lives of people, and is calling us to partner with Him in order to see heart change.  In a world of brokenness, we can allow God to bring healing and restoration in our lives so we can be ministers of reconciliation in His name.

Forgive

In the closing words of the Lord's Prayer, Jesus addressed the issue of forgiveness and highlighted the direct relationship between the forgiveness we extend and the forgiveness we receive. He states:
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

The forgiveness that we are able to experience from the Lord is related to our willingness to forgive. If we are harboring bitterness or anger or other negative emotions, then it inhibits our ability to walk in the forgiveness that God wants to give us. However, if we appropriate the love and power that Christ gives and walk in His ways, letting go of those harmful emotions, we can see Him work in incredible ways in our hearts and human relationships.

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The 4th chapter of the book of Ephesians offers practical and powerful truth for us, including the two closing verses:
31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

Last fall, I featured a conversation on The Meeting House with the author of a book which was made into a feature film called, When We Last Spoke, which had a limited theatrical run. Her name is Marci Henna, and that movie debuted on UPtv on Easter Sunday.

It was nominated for "Best Christian Movie" in the Plugged In Movie Awards from Focus on the Family - the category that was won by I Still Believe in the eyes of the Plugged In Staff and Switched as chosen by the audience.  Interviews on all three of those films can be found in the Media Center at FaithRadio.org.

When We Last Spoke, according to Movieguide...

...follows two sisters named Juliet and Evangeline as children and 29 years later as adults. As adults, it’s been years since the sisters have spoken to one another. As children, Juliet and Evangeline had a lot of adjusting to do when their father goes off to fight in the Vietnam War. Their mother leaves them with her husband’s parents. Apparently, the mother couldn’t handle her adult responsibilities.

Plugged In states that Walt, the grandfather...

...tells his granddaughters to get ready for church on Sunday morning. Walt, Ruby and the girls often pray together and talk about what they’re thankful for. Walt and Ruby also teach Evangeline and Juliette about God and about the importance of forgiveness and kindness.

The review says, "The heart of the film is a sweet one that examines family dynamics, honor and respect as well as the painful difficulties and disappointments we face in life."

Well-known actor Corbin Bernsen plays the role of Walt. Movieguide states that Bernsen...

...said that one of the central themes in the movie is the power of forgiveness.

“One of the themes that is always recurring to me is forgiveness,” Bernsen told Movieguide®. “And certainly forgiveness that leads back to family.”

“I learned forgiveness a little bit later in life,” Bernsen explained. “The power of forgiveness, it is a wonderful tool that God gives us to relieve pain and burden.”

Bernsen went on to talk about the power of forgiveness: “Love conquers all, but forgiveness is just a powerful thing. It’s one [theme] that just rings through all the films that I make.” He calls for people to put aside division, saying, "I long for a day that I knew when I grew up, where we had our differences, but somehow we set them aside and still sat down at Easter Sunday dinner, we still gathered in the community.”

The destructive thoughts and emotions that we carry within can be overcome and removed by the power of the Holy Spirit.  But, we have to respond to His conviction and ask ourselves: Are we consumed by anger or devoted to reconciliation?  Left unchecked or dealt with insufficiently, our sinful desires will take us to a place that can harm us spiritually, emotionally, and even physically.

We need to experience the power of God's forgiveness.  Only through accepting what Christ did for us on the cross and the power of His resurrection can we experience the healing within and with others that God wants to bring about.  Forgiveness is a tremendously healing force, demonstrated by a Savior who gave up everything, even His earthly life, so that our sins can be forgiven.

The comments of actor Corbin Bernsen can propel us to teach and live values consistent with Scripture.  It's quite simple, really, but we struggle with living Biblically because it is counterintuitive to human nature.  We have to allow the Word of God to guide us and penetrate our hearts.