Banning Prayer?

In James 1 we are instructed to be slow to speak, but I believe that we are empowered to speak God's truth to and in our culture. 1st Peter chapter 3 contains these words:
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it...

We are responsible for the words we speak - so therefore, ideally, we should speak under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  We should also weigh our words, and perhaps take a few extra seconds to get it right, or perhaps refrain from speaking.  We can also make sure that we are adding to our credibility by presenting accurate information - we should always strive to be a truth-teller.  The good news societally is that we live under the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and free speech is a cornerstone of our nation. But freedom should never open the door to rancor and destruction.

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Fortunately, as Americans, we have the right to speak freely, but we have the responsibility to speak truthfully and in the right way. Proverbs chapter 12 states:
17 He who speaks truth declares righteousness, But a false witness, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

In my recent conversation with Lathan Watts of Alliance Defending Freedom at the 2023 National Religious Broadcasters Convention, we talked a bit about the efforts of some in power to limit certain types of expression to what are called "speech zones."  He reminded us that there is a free speech zone in the U.S. - it's called "the United States of America."

Yet, there are people who want to control the speech of others.  And, as we have seen in this country, the United Kingdom is attempting to quash free speech in the vicinity of those temples to the modern-day sacrament of abortion.  

A CBN.com article relates:

Andrea Williams, chief executive officer of Christian Concern, a group that works to encourage Christians throughout the U.K., said it’s hard for many in the West to imagine such restrictions on free speech.

“Those that are watching this will think, ‘Really, has Great Britain created a space where you are unable to speak quietly, unable even to pray, unable even to walk alongside a woman to explain another way when she’s in and around an abortion clinic?'” Williams said. “Well, that’s come to pass in the United Kingdom.”

About these new laws, Williams states: “This is something that has slipped in,” adding, “It slipped in under another major act, the Public Order Act, of this year, and it’s slipped in by way of an amendment.” She also said, “It’s actually one of the things that … tears up one of our fundamental constitutional principles around freedom to speak, freedom to protest, freedom to assemble.”  The article notes:

According to the nationalized abortion buffer zone rules, no one is allowed to protest for 150 meters (over 490 feet) “from any direction” of the clinic. Williams believes efforts to curb the presence of pro-life campaigners are rooted in an attempt by the abortion lobby to simply snuff out their presence.

She also noted: 

“One of the things that’s been extraordinary in and around the clinics is … the abortion lobby has created this idea that peaceful campaigners, peaceful Christians, peaceful lovers of life are somehow a threat and intimidatory to the women that might enter these clinics,” Williams said. “If there had been intimidation and harassment, then our criminal rules are already there to ensure that that wouldn’t happen.”

A director of March for Life U.K. Isabel Vaughn-Spruce was arrested twice for engaging in silent prayer at an abortion clinic - that's right, not even speaking. FoxNews.com reported on a positive development last month, but her legal future remains in doubt.  The article states:

Pro-life activist Isabel Vaughn-Spruce will no longer be prevented by the West Midlands Police from silently standing near abortion clinics, though she continues to face potential charges, according to a statement from the U.K. chapter of Alliance Defending Freedom.

The prohibition against standing within the vicinity of an abortion clinic was part of Vaughn-Spruce's bail conditions in the wake of her arrest earlier this year.

"While I am grateful my bail conditions have been lifted, and the police have acknowledged that peaceful presence is not in and of itself a crime, I am concerned that the police were able to restrict my right to peacefully and silently pray for three months and so soon after I was acquitted for the same conduct," Vaughan-Spruce said in a statement.

Speak freely - enjoy your free speech.  But, remember that just because you have free speech as an American; as a Christian, you are not entitled to unrestrained free speech - you have to be responsible.  To God and to those with whom you communicate.

We must demonstrate restraint and responsibility for what we say and do.  Without the tempering of correct information, we run the risk of having a credibility problem.  That hurts our witness and damages our trust.   We should be well-grounded in the Scriptures and well-informed in how we interact.  We should rightly speak out for the unborn and speak truth on a variety of issues that the Scriptures address.  But, we should always do so recognizing that we are to be good stewards of the information we share. 

It's Hot!

In the book of Nehemiah, at the conclusion of the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem, we find that Israel gathered to declare praises to God. We can find these words in chapter 9:
(5) "Stand up and bless the Lord your God Forever and ever! "Blessed be Your glorious name, Which is exalted above all blessing and praise!
6 You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You.

This is a vibrant expression of God our Creator.  Psalm 19 tell us that the heavens declare His glory. He has created a place for us to dwell, a planet that provides us with incredible natural resources and a climate that is suitable to sustain life.  The Bible tells us that the planet will be destroyed in the end times, but not at the hands of man, but according to the hand of God.  In the meantime, we are called to occupy and steward the earth, but we are not to be fearful by those who would want to scare us into thinking that somehow humanity is so powerful that it can destroy this resilient planet.

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On the sixth day of creation, as we find in Genesis 1, God made the crowing glory of that creation and gave human being certain responsibilities. We can read in that chapter:
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

While Americans celebrated the Fourth of July last week, those who sound the alarm about climate change had plenty to talk about it seems.  An ABC News story related:

For four days in a row, the planet reached its hottest day ever recorded as regions all over the world endure dangerous heat.

Earth warmed to the highest temperature ever recorded by human-made instruments when the average global temperature reached 17.18 degrees Celsius, or 62.92 degrees Fahrenheit, on Tuesday, as millions of Americans celebrated the Fourth of July, data from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Prediction shows.

The article went on to say that the first day in that 4-day stretch of climate records was on Monday, which was exceeded Tuesday, tied on Wednesday, then average temperatures went still higher Thursday, when "global temperatures climbed to 17.23 degrees Celsius, or 63.01 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the NCEP."  The ABC article said, "The heat blanketing much of Earth has been driven by El Niño in combination with the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming, researchers say."

On Monday of last week, Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis posted a response to a new survey, in which he says: "...the climate alarmism screamed every day through the media to terrify people into drastic action certainly has consequences. For example, a recent survey of 5,000 parents from Mexico, India, Singapore, the UK, and the US highlights just one of these consequences—fewer children are being born."  That survey showed that 53% of the parents surveyed "shared that their apprehensions about the future of earth’s climate 'ha[ve] impacted their perspective on having more children.'”  Ham said, "Yes, people are choosing not to have children because they are concerned about the physical climate of the world their children will grow up in."

As Ken noted in the blog post, that survey was covered in that day's edition of the television program, Answers Live, which is aired from the Creation Museum near Cincinnati and available through Facebook Live and YouTube.  Well, on that hot July day in northern Kentucky, my wife, Beth, and I were in the studio audience for that edition of the program. One of the three hosts, Jessica Jaworski, offered comments in response to this survey, reminding the audience that God is "both author and sustainer of His creation" that "He will care for His creation," and that, "We see that laid out in Genesis."

Jaworski referred to "real-world" satellite data that has been in use since 1979, which shows that the earth is not warming to the extent that people need to be fearful.  Of course, we recognize that the Bible teaches us that we are not to fear. 

Ken Ham wrote a piece in response to a book by environmental activist Greta Thunberg a few months ago.  He stated the she...

... has built her worldview from the foundation that man determines truth, and that view impacts how she interprets the world. As a result, she’s interpreting the world very wrongly!

Now, as Christians, we must reject her starting point and instead start with God’s Word. Scripture should be our foundation and the lens (worldview) through which we interpret everything, including claims about climate change and environmental activism.

He goes on to say:

...there’s no biblical or scientific reason for the cacophony of panic Greta and others like her create when it comes to climate change. Now, this doesn’t mean there aren’t environmental issues we should be concerned about. Of course there are! And we should care about them because God has placed us here to have dominion over his creation (Genesis 1:26), wisely tending and keeping it for his glory and our good. But as we care (or “steward”), we must have the proper perspective that (1) humans are image-bearers of God and therefore not animals, like Greta believes we are; (2) God is sovereign and earth is carefully designed by him; (3) we are to have dominion over creation; creation does not have dominion over us; and (4) we live in a fallen creation, suffering the effects of sin and the curse (Genesis 3).

Steve Milloy, who studies and critiques claims of so-called "climate change," debunked some of the information given in a Washington Post article, tweeting out the following:

June was not the warmest June on record. 

June 1998, for example, was warmer, per NASA satellite data... despite a 66% increase in industrial era atmospheric CO2...

He adds:

Sorry, but there has been no global warming in 8 years and 10 months despite 500 billion tons of emissions.

Emissions-driven warming is a hoax...

Needless to say, Milloy questions the Post's claim that July 3 and 4 were the hottest days on earth in "125,000 years"!  

We should always make sure that we develop our conclusions based on facts.  There are sources of information that are shouting loudly that we should be so fearful of the catastrophe that is coming on the earth that we should cede our freedoms and place our trust in unelected bureaucrats, who, unfortunately, are being supported by elected leaders.   But, erroneous information has its consequences, as the survey about people not having children due to the fear of "climate change."

The fact is, God has created a beautiful universe and placed us on a planet that contains the right conditions for humanity to live and flourish.  It is an earth marred by sin, no doubt, but it is also an earth that God has given humanity stewardship over.  So, we can take practical steps to take care of God's creation, exercising our stewardship role.  But, we can also recognize that, despite the industrialization that has occurred, the earth is surviving just fine.  And, it will until God Himself destroys the current earth and creates a new heaven and a new earth, just as He promises in His Word.

Living By Dying

In order to experience the fullness of the life Jesus died to give us, we have to regard ourselves as dead to sin and alive to Him. Romans 6 states:
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.
7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him...

When we embrace the newness of life, the eternal and abundant life that Christ makes possible, we recognize that we no longer belong to this world.  When we face opposition, we can know that He is with us - when the danger comes, He is our place of refuge.  Our experience of peace and satisfaction comes when we hide ourselves in Him and accept what He has done for us in the cross and the empty tomb, so that we experience the resurrected life. 

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In 2nd Corinthians chapter 6, Paul wrote about the real spiritual danger he faced as a minister of the gospel. He writes:
4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,
5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;
6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love,
7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;
9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed;
10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Over three dozen students at a school in Uganda experienced a brutal mass murder last month, and the Faithwire website reported that those responsible were "burning and hacking victims with machetes." It reported:

The mostly-Christian student body at the Mpondwe Lhubiriha Secondary School was reportedly singing Gospel songs before the deadly attack at the hands of suspected Islamic State militants with The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the BBC.

The article included a survivor story reported by Morning Star News about Edgard Mumbere, who...

...described how one of the boys in the dorm saw the militants were armed and informed his peers, who remained silent and started to hide.

“This prompted us to hide under the beds, and shortly we heard gunshots followed by fire on dormitories,” Mumbere said. “They threw a bomb on our dormitory, and the whole room was full of smoke, and we couldn’t breathe. Some of us managed to get out of the dormitory but were shot and managed to survive bad injuries.”

The horror didn’t end there, as Mumbere explained how he personally survived the unfathomable ordeal.

“I tried to smear blood on my face and whole body, and I pretended to be dead,” he told Morning Star News. “One came and checked and saw nothing, and that is how I survived.”

Faithwire reported that, "A militant reportedly said, 'This school is propagating Christianity in Uganda 
and getting support from Christians in the West – Islam should be the dominant religion in Uganda.'" The story relates that "local Christians have expressed fear over what unfolded, with victims’ families asking for prayer and financial support."

Edgard Mumbere is a survivor, and the key to his surviving this brutal attack on the Uganda school was to pretend to be dead. It reminds us that in order to survive the attack of sin on us, we have to accept the death to self, a crucifixion with Christ.  The enemy, as Jesus taught, wants to destroy us; but the Bible illustrates for us that through our death to sin, we can enter into true, abundant life. 

This is a reminder that in many parts of the world, there are great dangers - Christians find themselves the target of terrorists.  Yet, through their bravery, they continue to stand in the strength of the Lord. They have the target on their backs because of the presence of Christ in their hearts. Recognizing the spiritual warfare that is present throughout the earth, we can be reminded of the powerful resources that God has given us when we face evil.

Communication and Coffee

The book of Proverbs offers us sound principles for personal conduct, and we can be confident that the Lord will express Himself through those who are dedicated to doing His work. Consider this passage from Proverbs 13:
3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.
5 A righteous man hates lying, But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame.
6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, But wickedness overthrows the sinner.
7 There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.

So, there you have it - we are called to pursue the riches of the Kingdom of God.  In our pursuit of God's ways, in doing our work as unto Him, we will experience His provision, but we should always be dedicated to honoring God in the work we do.  We are called to diligence, not laziness; we should speak the truth and not lies - we are called and empowered to reflect the presence of Christ in us.  And, the decisions we make each day should be made according to His direction.

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Spiritually speaking, what's on the inside will flow from our hearts into our outward actions. The apostle Paul was emphatic about making sure we are glorifying the Lord through our lives, including our work. He states this in Colossians 3:
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.
Later in the chapter, he writes:
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

When an unborn baby is seven weeks old, he or she is the size of a coffee bean. So says Anton Krecic, the founder and CEO of Seven Weeks Coffee. He is quoted in a CBN.com article: "At seven weeks, a baby is the size of a coffee bean and it's the same time a mother has their first ultrasound. This is why we donate 10% of every sale to pregnancy care centers to support their ultrasound services!"

The article notes that the relatively new company "has donated over $100,000 to pro-life pregnancy care centers since Roe v. Wade's reversal, and over $125,000 since the company's establishment in late 2021." Krecic who has volunteered a pregnancy resource centers, relates: "Pregnancy care centers are the hands and feet of the pro-life movement. They are at the frontlines – helping women in need and defending life. It takes practical resources to meet families at their point of need, and we are privileged to help in a tangible way..."

Seven Weeks Coffee has had over 25,000 customers and has over 13,000 followers at its Instagram page.

Meanwhile, a new coffee shop in Denver has received some unwanted publicity around the time of its opening. According to the television station, Denver 7's website:

Jamie Sanchez, owner of The Drip Café, said he opened the coffee shop in the Santa Fe Arts District for a purpose.

"Our parent company, Recycled God's Love, has been helping the homeless since 2012," said Sanchez, who formed the company with his late wife and his sister. "[The café] is part of our project to provide jobs and funding for the homeless community coming out of homelessness."

The article says that:

Inside the cafe, Ephesians 4:32 is painted on the wall. "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

"Our whole point is to love everybody," said Sanchez.

Unfortunately, there were those in the LGBTQ community who protested the coffee shop's opening, saying that shop actually hated those in that community. Sanchez adjusted the company's website to make sure that it was communicated well that the ministry did not approve of homosexuality, but that gay people were welcomed at the shop. Sanchez noted, "In all reality, we do just want to stand firmly on the scriptures of the Bible," adding, "We do disagree with the lifestyle, but we don't hate you."

Meanwhile, a well-known coffee chain has faced some tension over how it embraces the LGBTQ agenda.  The Hill reported last week that "Starbucks is planning to roll out 'clearer' guidelines for stores on its decoration policies amid a clash with the company’s union over Pride-themed displays this month."

The article, published on Tuesday, June 27, says that:

Sara Trilling, the executive vice president and president of Starbucks North America, emphasized in a memo to all U.S. partners on Monday that it has not made any changes to its policies on “our inclusive store environments, our company culture, and the benefits we offer our partners.”

Some 3,500 employees of 150 stores had planned to go on strike in late June to protest how the company treats gay pride and other issues.

While the coffee a person drinks may not necessarily illustrate his or her ideology, the products that we certainly can reflect our deeply-held values.  Ideally, all the decisions we make should reflect our faith in and dependence on Christ.  And, yes, the ideology of companies has become a rather big deal these days.

I submit that Christian businesses, or other entities, for that matter, should reflect a sense of Christian values. That is expressed through the atmosphere of the company and the way it treats its customers. There may not be a Scripture verse on the wall, but if the Word of God is written on the hearts of those in charge, that can certainly be seen.  The way products are marketed and companies are promoted all go into a package that glorifies Christ.  And, I think that we should reward companies that are run according to those principles.  If we are doing our work according to the Lord, there will be a tangible effect. 

Stable

God provides the wisdom and power through which we can construct our lives, and shows us how we can trust in Him to be our strong foundation. We can read in Psalm 46:
(1b) God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling...

When we feel shaky and fragile, we can look to Jesus to be our source of strength. He provides the materials through which we can experience the life He desires for us to have. His principles can provide wisdom for us, and the Word of God, as we're told in Hebrews 4, is living and active.  The Lord wants to grow large within us, so that we can reflect the security that we have in Him.  He provides stability in the midst of turbulence.

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When we are reliant on the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we can find keys to living in Christ's victory. When the enemy would want to get us off track, we have access to the wisdom of God to keep us focused and stable. The Bible warns us in James chapter 1:

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Her name is Page Turner, which would be a great name for an author, wouldn't it?  However, while she is a home construction expert and host of a television program, God is certainly writing a story through her. 

Movieguide published a feature on Turner, who is host of Fix My Flip, on HGTV. And, according to the article, she "calls her show a 'ministry.'”  It includes a quote from a Faithwire article, in which she said that the show, in which she helps those who have started to flip homes, but did not finish: “It speaks to where we can find our lives sometimes...I’ve been in a stuck place before. … I just needed a helping hand, just somebody to show me the way, just a bridge to get across. I’d dug holes for myself, and I just need[ed] help. That’s what surrender is.”

She related an example of a lady named Alison who was frustrated by her and her father's inability to finish their renovation, whom she took aside and questioned:

“She broke down and cried,” Turner said. “And we prayed right there on the sidewalk, in front of all the people that have their own beliefs. We prayed right there and, after we prayed, I said, ‘Now, get it together so you don’t look crazy on national TV anymore, and let’s go back in.’”

She explained, “Because of prayer and because she was willing to yield to trust the Holy Spirit was in me.”

You could say that Page Turner brings stability in the midst of frustration. Turner came to Christ when she was a teenager after growing up in a home where she had, as Faithwire relates, "an agnostic mother who embraced the New Age thinking of the 1960s," and says that her faith "is what's kept me grounded." She notes, “People know that I’m a warrior for Christ. And sometimes, I’m just tired, like, ‘Lord, this war is hard to fight. Can I get a break? I just wanna go on vacation from the fight,’” Turner shared of her experiences. “But my faith doesn’t get challenged; my response to the attacks is what is challenging — and me having to throw my faith back on top of it, like being able to recognize the spirit behind the man or woman that is, sometimes, full-out assaulting me spirit-wise … in this very secular world.”

Page Turner is described by Faithwire as "a real estate broker and professional home renovator," but the article, appropriately enough, lists her as a "Christian" first.  Because we know that if we name the name of Christ, He will use us in whatever field of endeavor to which He calls us.  She obviously sees what she does as ministry, and that can be encouragement to each of us.

We have been called to do ministry - and not necessarily in what you term, "vocational ministry," either.  Because we belong to Him, as the Bible teaches us, everything we do should be to His glory and honor.  And, we can exhibit a dependence on the Holy Spirit that shows that we love God and that we desire to reflect His presence.  So, day by day, we can ask God to manifest Himself through us - to live through us, to love through us, to work His work through us, so that in all things He is glorified, that He, as it's said, can be made famous.

Dividing Line

In the American experience, we can find evidence of deep belief in God throughout our history, exhibited by its residents throughout the years. While there is a tendency among some to mischaracterize Christians as being the problem, the Bible shows that God and His Word provide wisdom in order to be the solution to ills around us. In Proverbs 8, we can read:
1 Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?

Later in that chapter, we can find these words:
4 "To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men.
5 O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
6 Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things;
7 For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

So, how is trusting in human ingenuity or secular solutions working for us?  The ideas that come from hearts that are not turned toward God, that are not geared to Biblical truth, can lead us down a path to destruction. Those who see the pursuit of evil as the answer and reject the principles of Scripture set themselves up for failure.  We have to see current issues from a Christian worldview and recognize that there is a difference between good and evil, that there are clear lines drawn, and that we should shun compromise and pursue the clarity that comes from knowing Jesus.

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News flash, Christianity is not the problem.  The mindset of so many today, especially among the intellectual elites and the dominant culture, seems to claim or believe that Christians are the problem. In an age that pretends to be enlightened, we can conclude that people are walking in darkness, apart from Biblical truth. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 contains these words:
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

John Fuller, not the co-host of Focus on the Family, mind you, is a state senator from Kalispell, Montana.  He writes a column for the Flathead Beacon.   A recent column of his took one of his fellow lawmakers in the Treasure State to task. He wrote about Zooey Zephyr, who is a man who claims to be a woman; he was censured by the Montana House because of inflammatory comments he made during a debate on a measure to protect children from harmful surgeries and treatments that falsely claim to help a person change his or her gender.  The Montana Freedom Caucus tweeted out:

Our Caucus is calling for the immediate censure of transgender Rep. Zooey Zephyr after his threatening and deeply concerning comments on the House floor earlier today.

Notice that these lawmakers used the correct biological pronoun. An attached letter quoted Zephyr as saying this in response to those who would vote "yes" for the legislation: "I hope the next time there's an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands." 

For this, John Fuller describes Zephyr as the "newest darling of the media."  He goes on to write:

Of all the major religions of the world and throughout history, only the Judeo-Christian religion has given the United States and by extension Montana, the ingredients necessary to create the kind of government that is the product of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.

Fuller adds: 

Only Judeo-Christian theology teaches the three principles necessary for the Republic known as America to exist. They are (1) Life; (2) Liberty; and (3) Equality under the Law. Only Christianity teaches that mankind was given Life as an unalienable right so that God could have a relationship with someone He created. He also gave His creation Free Will (the ability to choose to worship Him or not) which was His gift of Liberty. And He promised that we would all be judged equally under His law, which is the foundation of our Republic’s belief in equality under the law. Consequently, America was founded upon Christian principles, and no amount of progressive ideology or denial will change that.

Fuller writes that, "failing to understand what the 'cultural war' is all about and failing to stand firm in defending the Christian values that made possible the creation of the United States and eventually Montana, we will end up allowing by default the destruction of the greatest nation ever in the history of civilization." He echoes what has emerged as a common theme that there are certain issues upon which there is no chance for compromise, writing, "There just isn’t a way to reconcile a vision of the common good espoused by the transgender and abortion-upon-demand movement, on the one hand, and orthodox Christians on the other."

In another column, Fuller writes about Christianity as a force for good in our country:

Hatred of Christianity is one of the mainstays of the current anti-American ideology that permeates our society today. Mockery of Christians is also one of the core tenets of progressive culture. Far from being agents of oppression and anti-intellectualism, Christians have been the bedrock of social activism advancing liberty and equality, as well as promoting education reform, increasing literacy and publishing what is now called print media throughout modern history. It is patently false to claim that liberty and equality have only been advanced when America’s leaders embrace the progressive secular interpretation of American history and its rejection of the role of Christianity. The reality is that Christianity has been the heart of true social progress and major advancements in human liberty, equality, and democratic government.

Bottom line: we can love God and love our country.  In that order. We should be involved in the selection of our leaders and speak out on issues relative to our Christian worldview perspective.  As always, the Bible should be the foundation for the way we are involved as citizens.  We should pray for our country, where God has placed us, pray for our leaders, and speak truth. 

If we don't speak out, we know those who espouse other viewpoints, that are not Biblical are working overtime to establish their position.  So, to do nothing or next to nothing, means that an anti-Biblical worldview will prevail  We have to recognize that there are a variety of voices, and we can be motivated to speak firmly, with conviction and compassion, making sure the voice of God's Word is amplified in our culture.

Whose Values?

Politicians of various stripes use the word "values" or "American values" to describe what they think should be common practice in America. And, progressive values, many of which are unbiblical, seem to have taken hold in our nation. But, Biblical principles have served our nation well; values such as those found in Luke chapter 6:
27 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
29 To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
30 Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
31 And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

These are some bedrock principles of loving even those who oppose you, being generous, and treating people the way you wish to be treated. These values come straight from the mouth of Jesus - if we are holding to these principles, it serves a citizenry well.  But, when selfishness creeps in and becomes a driving force, then people become more calloused, less generous, and less respectful of one another. Christians should ideally be setting the example of how to live a humble, kind, and encouraging life. 

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When we consider the values that are important in our nation, we can recognize that a country can be strong when it is devoted to God and when people are humbled before one another in service to each other and to a cause greater than themselves. The Bible teaches in Philippians 2:
3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...

That mind involves Jesus humbling Himself, laying down His life so that people may have a right relationship with Him.

We are experiencing a shift in values across our nation, as more progressive views of life and sexuality, a redefining of what's important and a questioning of foundational principles have become trademarks of younger generations.

The Christian Post recently ran an article about a Rasmussen Reports survey which reflected on how well Americans thought schools are doing regarding our time-tested values in Western civilization. The article notes:

According to the results, 78% of respondents say it's at least "somewhat important" for schools to teach "traditional values of Western civilization." Fifty-seven percent of all respondents believe it's "very important," an increase of about 15 percentage points from a similar survey conducted in May 2022.

OK, so three-fourths of Americans regard these values as important, over half think they're "very important."  But are these values being taught well?  Back to the article:

36% said that public schools do a "good job" — up from 25% in May 2022 — while 42% don't think schools do an adequate job teaching this topic. Twenty-two percent of participants said that they weren't sure how schools are doing in teaching traditional Western values.

And, the degree to which people think these values are being taught well varies by generation. The article says: "...only 22% of adults 65 and older and 26% of those ages 40 to 64 think that schools do a good job teaching the subject. Among participants aged 40 and under, 53% said that public schools do a good job teaching traditional Western values."

I went to the Rasmussen website to see if there was a definition of these values.  There was not.  So, you could say that values are in the eye of the beholder.  There are those that would say so-called "reproductive choice," i.e. the right to terminate the life of an unborn baby, or permissive sexuality or gender identity are American values - but, those certainly aren't the values or principles that this nation has practiced.  I think that the vernacular of "traditional American values" is still related to our founding principles; not the product of some enlightenment but out of respect for what has made us great as a nation: values or beliefs that are compatible with Scripture. 

The threat of progressivism is actually a regressive trend that would lead us away from those "values" that have served us well.  For Christians, our lives should be reflective of the values that are consistent with the teachings of the Bible.  Shared values shun personal selfishness and contribute to the common good, a concept that the Scriptures embrace, that even Jesus taught, when He told us that we should love our neighbor as ourselves.  

We are directed to place the needs of others above our own.  The Christian ethic is to build one another up; the Marxist viewpoint is devoted to tearing others down.  We are called to walk in the love of Christ, not to compete with one another and to embrace the Darwinian concept of "survival of the fittest."  The values that have reinforced our country lead to a common sense of belonging to each other as citizens, but you have so many that don't appreciate our country and are seemingly dedicated to its destruction.  Ideally, we should seek to return to a love for God and a love for our fellow citizens.