Not The Privileged Few

In Ephesians 2, we read about the unity that Jesus has brought about - erasing the dividing line between Jews and Gentiles, and challenging us to live in harmony with our brothers and sisters in
Christ.
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
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...

We have to take steps, led by the Spirit, to be in unity with one another.  Fortunately, we have access to the greatest unifier of all, the Spirit of God, and He has called us "fellow citizens" with one another.  Believers in unity can be a powerful force in this world, but Christians in disarray can be a weak witness.  So, we have to guard against the words and actions that will divide us and seek to build a sense of commonality - in purpose and practice.  When we come together, great things can happen!

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Christian believers are called to pursue a path of unity, recognizing that the same God lives in us.
Galatians 3 paints a picture of that type of agreement:
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

A new poster campaign at the University of San Francisco encourages Christian students to acknowledge that they are privileged, according to a piece on the ChristianHeadlines.com, based on a Breitbart story.

That campaign is receiving criticism from other universities. The posters, which is pictured on the Breitbart site, say “if you can expect time off from work to celebrate your religious holidays, you have Christian privilege.” The posters identify categories of so-called "privilege," which include being a Christian, as well as being "cisgender" (which the posters explain means "a person whose gender identity, gender expression and biological sex all align").

A student at Virginia Tech commented that, "Virginia Tech deciding who does and does not have privilege is not okay. Going up to a sign and reading that you should ‘check your privilege’ just because of the situations you were born into, and paths you have chosen for your life, is categorizing and dividing people further.” 

Another student and U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Southern Oregon University said the posters “are segregating and dividing the population by targeting certain groups.”

The Breitbart story refers to "evidence to suggest that university faculty are often hostile to Christian students and their perspectives." It says that, "The 2014 film, God’s Not Dead, resonated with Christians with its story of a philosophy professor who coerced his students into concluding that 'God is dead.'"

The article goes on to say:

Not only have faculty been accused of treating Christians unfairly, but university administrators have allegedly engaged in discriminatory practices as well. In 2015, National Review columnist David French detailed his experience with the university practice of “ideological cleansing,” which he claimed almost cost a Christian applicant a spot on the faculty at Cornell Law School: “the committee almost rejected an extraordinarily qualified applicant because of his obvious Christian faith (he’d attended a Christian college, a conservative seminary, and worked for religious conservative causes). In writing, committee members questioned whether they wanted his “Bible-thumping” or “God-squadding” on campus.”

French has been outspoken in identifying areas in which Christians have encountered opposition on college campuses and has been a proponent of campus free speech, in an age where certain opinions are not tolerated in that setting.

So, this is the landscape in which we find ourselves.  People tend to gravitate toward division, and radical intolerance is masked as "tolerance."   We are in the age of extreme labeling, and labels can lead to wedges, leading to deep division and hostile speech and actions.  It's certainly not good for our culture.   And, God's Word provides a better way.

But, we do have to check ourselves, but in a different way than the posters at this University of San Francisco suggest.  In the body of Christ, the enemy would want us to gravitate to our labels - those we paste upon ourselves, as well as those we place on others.  God wants us to put aside the labels that divide and move toward love that unites.   Are subsets of Christianity necessarily bad - absolutely not, unless they are used to generate an "us vs. them" mentality.

Surely, there will be disagreements between believers, but rather than hide behind our labels our allow our speech to degenerate into name-calling and judgmentalism, we can see those areas of difference as opportunities - for dialogue, for understanding, for pursuit of common solutions that will glorify God.

And, as this poster I referred to points out, Christians are going to be labelled, we are going to be stereotyped and even ridiculed - that's part of the territory.  We just have to make sure that we are not giving those who have such a viewpoint more ammunition to criticize us - that's why our lives should be marked by Christian conviction that is infused with Biblical compassion.  The Holy Spirit can help us to build bridges and pursue God-honoring relationships.

Opinion Police?

God desires for us to pursue a path of peace, and in Psalm 34, we can read:
12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

We can pursue peace in our minds - the Bible instructs us not to harbor a root of bitterness.  If we meditate on negative thoughts toward other people, that can shape the way we behave toward them, resulting in broken relationships.  We are also cautioned to pursue peace in the way we speak - we are to speak the truth...in love.  If we disagree with another, we can seek to hold a different opinion in an agreeable manner, coated with the love of Christ.

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1st Timothy 2 gives clear direction on dealing Biblically with matters of public policy and public officials:
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Law enforcement officials have announced recently that they are going after companies who do not tell the truth.  Now, on the surface, that statement sounds good - after all, we believe that the Bible teaches that lying is not a good thing.   But, this recent announcement specifies that these entities should be punished for lying - about climate change!

The Daily Signal reports that at a press conference on March 29, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said, “The bottom line is simple: Climate change is real.” He went on to say that if companies are committing fraud by “lying” about the dangers of climate change, they will “pursue them to the fullest extent of the law.”   The website goes on to say that there is a "coalition of 17 inquisitors" who are calling themselves “AGs United for Clean Power.”  The coalition consists of 15 state attorneys general, as well as the attorneys general of the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Sixteen of the seventeen members are Democrats, while the attorney general for the Virgin Islands, Claude Walker, is an independent.

The report says, "The inquisitors are threatening legal action and huge fines against anyone who declines to believe in an unproven scientific theory."

It goes on to say:

When pressed on the effect such investigations and prosecutions will have on free speech, General Schneiderman claimed that climate change dissenters are committing “fraud” and are not protected by the First Amendment.

This comes on top of U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch admitting that the Justice Department is discussing the possibility of pursing civil actions against climate change deniers, and that she has already “referred it to the FBI to consider whether or not it meets the criteria for which” federal law enforcement could take action.

As we have said before, “[l]evel-headed, objective prosecutors should not be interested in investigating or prosecuting anyone over a scientific theory that is the subject of great debate.” And yet that is exactly what the AGs United for “Political” Power are going to do.

Now, Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt and Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said they would not be joining this coalition.   In a joint statement, they stated:

Reasonable minds can disagree about the science behind global warming, and disagree they do. This scientific and political debate is healthy and should be encouraged. It should not be silenced with threats of criminal prosecution by those who believe that their position is the only correct one and that all dissenting voices must therefore be intimidated and coerced into silence.

I do have concern about officials who want to punish citizens because of the beliefs that they hold.  I think this is a symptom of what seems to be a growing intolerance of people who hold a different opinion than we do.  And, there's a lesson to be learned about how to deal individually with people with whom we disagree.  We have to be firm on our convictions, compassionate in our approach, and clear in our delivery.   And, with every person, we can attempt to state our case with the love of Christ...

...and that includes electronic and social media.  Unfortunately, we find that there is way too much opinion that is shared and conflict that is generated because people, instead of engaging in reasoned conversation, are firing shots on social media.  From a Christian point of view, we should always be pursuing a path of peace, grounded in Matthew 18, and be careful that we do not resort to name-calling or accusations in a public forum.

Finally, with regard to the public policy arena, we do need to be involved in praying for our public officials, so that...as 1st Timothy 2 says, we can live in peace, as Dr. Tony Evans had pointed out in our recent NRB conversation.  Even though this action by the AG's is directed at companies, we already see organizations who are dedicated to attempting to punish people who hold opinions that differ from theirs - that scenario is unfolding in state after state, as we see lawmakers taking steps to defend Christians from facing repressive action because of their faith.

Better Politics?

In Psalm 84, the writer is expressing his desire to be in the presence of the Lord, and that is a state for which believers in Christ can yearn and pursue:
10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
12 O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

The life that God has in store for each of us is a life in which we can know His presence, a life where we experience His love and see His principles work as we apply them into our everyday decisions. The Christian life is not a matter of trying in our own strength to keep a set of rules, but allowing His strength to flow through us so that His nature is produced through our hearts.  We can have peace because we know the Prince of Peace; we can know true joy because we have a right relationship with the One who made us.

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I believe Jesus calls us into an integrated life, in which His principles are applied and His presence is apparent. He speaks of abiding in Him in John 15:
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Well, the Barna Group has released some findings of a survey that shows that there is an activity that could lead to better politics - and that is reading the Bible!   According to American Bible Society’s annual “State of the Bible” survey powered by Barna, half of American adults, or 51%, say politics would be more civil if politicians engaged in regular Bible reading.  Similarly, 53% say that American politicians would be more effective if they read the Bible on a regular basis.  And, nearly half of all adults, or 46%, say they wish the Bible had greater influence on American society.

Barna contends that, "These views are likely influenced by most people’s belief that the Bible is sacred literature (80%) and that it contains everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life (66% strongly or somewhat agree)."

And, even though a majority of Americans have a positive opinion of the Bible and its teachings, there is a marked difference between age groups regarding opinions of the Book.  As the Barna Group points out:

Generally, American adults under 50 tend to be more skeptical, or at least more ambivalent, about the Bible than older adults, and this is especially true of Millennials aged 18 to 31. For example, fewer young adults consider the Bible sacred literature (71% of Millennials and 75% of Gen-Xers, compared to 88% of Boomers, and 91% of Elders), and Millennials (22%) are three times more likely than Elders (7%) to say that none of the books considered sacred literature by many religions—including the Torah, the Koran, the Book of Mormon and “other”—are holy books.

Elders are defined as over 70, Boomers are 51 to 69 years of age, Gen-Xers are 32-50, and Millennials are 18-31.

With respect to the relationship of Bible reading to politics, only about one-third of Millennials say that politics would be more civil with more Bible reading and a slightly greater percentage believe that politicians would be more effective with increased Bible reading. About half of Gen-Xers feel that way for those questions.  Two-thirds of Boomers and over 70% of Elders believe that more civility and more effective politics would result from more Bible reading.

Roxanne Stone, editor in chief of Barna Group, is quoted as saying, "From the ten commandments to the golden rule, the Bible certainly contains principles for political discourse—even for the non-Christian," adding, “And for Americans, who are steeped in both a historical and present Christian cultural influence, the Bible remains an important moral document, not just a religious one. It’s no wonder that, when two-thirds of the population sees a book as having everything a person needs to know to live a meaningful life, that they would also see that book as a valuable rubric for public civility. And who among us wouldn’t mind seeing a candidate turn the other cheek once in a while?"

Our takeaways from this survey data for today include:

For one thing, a politician putting a "God-stamp" on his or her words or ramping up church attendance during a campaign season are not necessarily indicators of personal spiritual growth.  A candidate may talk a good game with respect to religion or even appear to be pious, but you have to be conscious that may not be a person's natural state - and we still have to look at the record.  The big question is how a person's faith is informing the decisions he or she makes.

And, that's a challenge for our own lives, too.  We have to guard against a disconnect between the sacred - our practice of faith - and the other areas of our lives.  We should not compartmentalize our lives - i.e., having a "faith" box here, and a "work" box, a "family" box, etc.  Our relationship with Christ should be integrated into every area of life, as we recognize that abiding in Christ means to apply His principles consistently.

I still believe, and you'll hear me say it on my radio show - God's way is best.  He has provided a roadmap, or an instruction manual for effective and satisfying living.  If we are in alignment with God, depending on Him to direct our paths, then we can experience that abundant life that Jesus has in store.

Brothers

We are recipients of the love of Christ, and our recognition of the new life that we can experience by responding in faith and accepting Jesus as our Lord can produce in us a sense of our new identity in Him. Romans 8 says:
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Our hearts cry out to know God better - that Spirit of adoption operates in our hearts.  But, if we are caught up in pleasing ourselves, we can suppress or even ignore that yearning in our soul to know our Father, the prompting of the Holy Spirit that tells us we belong to God.  So, we can make it our aim to discover and grow in the relationship that He has provided for us, knowing that we are His child, releasing His power to live that out.

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We look at our God as a healer and restorer, who looked upon us, under bondage to sin, and took the necessary steps, in love, to bring us out.  In Galatians 4, we read:
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"

It was certainly a shot for the ages - a resounding three-pointer to give the Villanova Wildcats the NCAA men's basketball tournament victory over the North Carolina Tar Heels Monday night.  There are some who are saying that the game may have been one of the greatest of all time!

Kris Jenkins is the young man who hit the shot at the end, just a few seconds after the Tar Heels had tied the game with a three-pointer of their own.  And, on the other side, it was a bittersweet occasion for Carolina's Nate Britt, who said, according to USA Today: "You could see it happening,” adding, “When I saw him trailing, I knew he was getting the ball and would probably knock it down.”

He should know. After all, the story says that the two of them were AAU teammates, high school teammates - and...brothers since Britt’s parents took Jenkins under their roof and became his legal guardians.

Britt is quoted as saying that after the game, "I just told him congratulations,” adding, “He hit a big-time shot. He said he loved me and we’ll be back next season. Obviously right now it hurts more than anything. Both of us wanted to win this game and he came out on top. I am happy for him and happy he hit the shot to win the game, but this hurts more than anything.”

A story on the SBNation website says that:

The story begins when Jenkins was a youngster. His mother, Felicia, was a college basketball player and later a coach, and taught her son the game from a young age. The Jenkins met the Britts through basketball, as Nate's father coached an AAU team called DC Assault.

Felicia and Jenkins' father separated and she took Kris to Baltimore, and Kris played for the Britts' AAU team. While there, Kris' baby sister, Kori, got sick. While Felicia was in the hospital with Kori, Jenkins essentially lived with the Britts. Kori died at 11 months. Felicia took a job as head coach of Division II Benedict College in South Carolina, but wanted to let Kris continue playing AAU ball in Maryland, often staying for extended periods of time with the Britts.

For a variety of reasons — the moving, the turmoil, and a sudden dip in Kris' grades and off-court behavior — Felicia became worried for her son. As a former military police officer, she liked the way Nate's dad, an ex-cop, brought discipline to Kris' life and game. So she asked the Britts to take Kris full-time.

A quote from Kris from the News and Observer website was included:

"It was tough at first, but the Britts, they accepted me," said Jenkins, who still keeps in touch with Kelvin and Felicia, who is now an assistant . "The whole family just made me feel so welcome, and they accepted me for who I was and elevated me as a person and made me better. It's something that I'm always thankful for. I thank God for it every day."

In the concluding paragraph of the SBNation story, you can read:

Everybody in this scenario behaved in a way that required generosity, love, openness, and extraordinary care for the welfare of other humans, even at one's own expense. It's touching to see it pay off so satisfactorily.

A great story - two adoptive brothers on opposite sides of the biggest game of the year.  And, it opens up some concepts for us to discuss today.

Even though you may not be totally comfortable with the idea of a parent actually transferring that responsibility to someone else, you have to recognize that there will be times in all of our lives when we need some help.  Felicia Jenkins had experienced the loss of a marriage, the loss of a child, and saw a loss of character in her son - so, she reached out to the Britts.  From a Biblical standpoint, humility is a characteristic that is consistent with Scripture, and we have to be willing to humble ourselves - before the Lord and before people who can lend a helping hand.   Pride can short-circuit the operation of God in our lives.

And, of course, we think about the Britts and their willingness to become the legal guardians of Kris. They saw a child in need and they essentially adopted Him.  We were all children in need, and our Heavenly Father has adopted us, and the recognition of that sacrificial love can produce in us thankfulness for what God has done and a challenge to look for ways in which we can reflect the love of our Father.

Christianity v. Corporations: Dawn of Character

We should want to be known for our character, which is demonstrated in how we reflect Christ. Paul writes about Timothy in Philippians chapter 2:
19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.
20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.
21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
22 But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.

Proven character - it is proven by our devotion to Christ, no matter what amount of adversity we may encounter.  It is developed as we read, study, and absorb God's Word and how we seek to live it out each day, utilizing the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Bible gives us the prescription for being a person of character, and while we never arrive, we can express the love of Christ through our actions and attitudes as we exhibit a sense of dependence on Him.

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In Romans 5, we are encouraged to allow character to develop in our lives, and that comes as we stand with God, even in times of difficulty:
(3b) we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

One of the principal issues of the day, it seems, is religious freedom and the ability to withstand the assault on our culture by those who embrace an intolerance cloaked in the language of tolerance.  It all came to a boiling point in Georgia recently when lawmakers, who have been working on strengthening the state's religious liberty protections for a number of years now, came up with what has been described as a watered-down version of a bill that would protect people of faith from being punished for standing on their deeply held beliefs.

The NFL threatened to keep Atlanta from receiving a Super Bowl in its new stadium; the owner of Atlanta's team was opposed to the bill, and members of the film industry, which holds considerable sway in the state, erupted in threats to leave a state where they have invested quite a bit of infrastructure - all because they perceived a bill that would simply reinforce religious rights was somehow discriminatory.  Well, the veto of that bill is discriminatory - toward Christians who disagree with having to be forced by the state to act in a manner that contradicts their deeply-held beliefs.

The same mentality is now at play in North Carolina, where the state took decisive action to strike down an extreme ordinance out of Charlotte giving special rights to so-called "transgender" people, including using whatever restroom facility they wished, regardless of biological gender.  This, no doubt, would open the door to others who would seize this new "freedom" to enter the bathroom of an opposite gender and be involved in despicable behavior.  But, you have corporate and governmental interests who are now taking aim at this public safety law that overwhelmingly passed the Legislature and was signed by the governor.  And, now it's Mississippi's turn, with Governor Bryant under pressure to either stand strong like Governor McCrory in North Carolina, or to wilt like Governors Pence in Indiana or Deal in Georgia.

I think it's interesting that the faith community and the business community are seemingly at odds these days - why, you'd think that the characteristics that would make someone a good Christian would make someone a good employee; well, oh, except for that intolerance that we are charged with.  Has it come to a point in the workplace where a believer is not allowed to hold certain convictions without facing the endangerment of being fired?  Are we heading for a litmus test here? I certainly hope not, but think about the plight of former Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran, who lost his job because he wrote a book about God's views on sexuality, in which a brief passage referred to a Biblical view of homosexuality.   Chief Cochran, by the way, was standing with African-American leaders in Atlanta recently to decry the veto of the Georgia religious freedom bill.

But, does godly character still count in the workplace any more?  You know, a person that has an exemplary work ethic, who desires to do his or her best on the job, who treats customers how he or she would wish to be treated.  But, if that person believes in the Biblical definition of marriage, are we approaching a point where that person is targeted for being discriminatory?  Or is that person really the victim of discrimination?

But, would you believe that corporate interests, who nowadays seem to walk lockstep with an agenda that runs counter to our Christian faith, were partners in some of the civic expressions of religion today.  I ran across a piece on the Politico website by Kevin Kruse, a Princeton professor who wrote a book called, One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America.  No, I haven't read the book, but in reading the article, it was rather clear that an alliance, which some criticized, between business interests and people of faith, had been formed for the political purpose of reversing the effects of Roosevelt's New Deal.  The corporate community was looking for an image boost after the Great Depression, and these interests were encouraged to embrace faith.

In a review of the book by John Turner on the Christianity Today website, he says that:

Kruse explains how many things Americans take for granted came to be: the presence of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, the adoption of “In God We Trust” as a national motto, the annual “presidential” prayer breakfast, and the presidential practice of ending speeches with “may God bless America.” Although “In God We Trust” has a longer history, many elements of American civil religion have their roots not in the American founding but in the more recent past.

So, isn't it interesting that corporate leaders in that day, including Walt Disney, were intent on using religion as a means of currying favor with the American people.  I mention Disney because the company he founded is a leading nemesis to the Georgia religious freedom bill?  So, it was not always an adversarial relationship between the faith community and corporate interests.  And, I don't want to generalize that it's that way today - but we just have to recognize that many corporations have been duped by the gay agenda to redefine tolerance in a manner that discriminates against people of faith.

But, for each of us individually, we recognize that the principles of Christianity are powerful when integrated into the culture of business.  Again, what makes a person an effective Christian can contribute to a person being a good employee.  I contend that Christian should be the absolute best that we can be in the workplace, exhibiting responsible capability in performance, a conviction to be excellent, and compassion in service.  Our faith and our practice of it should qualify, not disqualify us for employment.   If an employer is searching for a person of character - and it should - then a Christian should be the best to fit the bill.

We also have to recognize that people and organizations will use religion when they feel it benefits them.  That has the potential to be advantageous to us in the spread of the gospel, but we have to be careful that we don't attribute spiritual motives to those who are just trying to build up the bottom line. And, that standard is fickle, anyway - witness what we're experiencing now, when there is a more dominant agenda that corporate culture is buying.

But, for us the measure of revival is the same - it's how much we as Christians are allowing God to work in our lives, not in how the "Christian community" is being targeted, positively or negatively, or how much we seem to be liked or disliked, but by how the Lord is moving in the hearts of His people.  Don't get too excited when a company decides to say "Merry Christmas," or when entertainment professionals relate a proper faith-based message; these are not determinants of spiritual revival - it's when the Lord is allowed to have His way that's important.

Baal Worship and God's Holiness

In Galatians 5, we find a good watchword for our lives as Christians that can encourage us in our
struggle against sin:
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

The Bible tells us in 2nd Corinthians that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  Jesus said in the book of John that we will know the truth and the truth will make us free.  God wants us to be free - but from what?  Well, we have been set from from the power of sin.  We have a transformed nature, and have been given the tools we need to overcome sin's power daily.   When we do sin, we have an advocate, the Lord Jesus, to whom we can confess our sins and receive forgiveness.

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In Romans chapter 6, we read about the power of sin, but also of a greater power that enables us to overcome sin:
11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

There is a rather odd and disturbing icon that is headed for Times Square in New York City and Trafalgar Square in London later in the spring.  CBN News reports that a reproduction of the entrance Temple of Baal will be coming to those locations as a tribute to the original structure, which was 2,000 years old and destroyed by ISIS last year in Palmyra, Syria.  The story says that the reproductions will be made using a 3-D printer, producing a life-size model of the temple's entrance.

Roger Michel, executive director for the Institute for Digital Archaeology, says that "We hope it is viewed as a constructive response to what has happened there." The Institute hopes to build around 1,000 versions of the arch around the world.

The article points out that Christian sites were among those destroyed by Islamic State.

The CBN story quotes a WND piece by Matt Barber, who gave a graphic description of Baal worship.
It said:

"Ritualistic Baal worship, in sum, looked a little like this: Adults would gather around the altar of Baal. Infants would then be burned alive as a sacrificial offering to the deity. Amid horrific screams and the stench of charred human flesh, congregants – men and women alike – would engage in bisexual orgies," Barber wrote.

He continued: "The ritual of convenience was intended to produce economic prosperity by prompting Baal to bring rain for the fertility of 'mother earth.'" Bringing it into a modern context, he points out that, "...the worship of 'fertility' has been replaced with worship of 'reproductive freedom' or 'choice.' Child sacrifice via burnt offering has been updated, ever so slightly, to become child sacrifice by way of abortion."

We recognize throughout the Scriptures that in the days of the Old Testament, worship to Baal was taking place, at times even led by the kings.  When you read summaries of the reigns of so many of these kings, you find that the definition of their reign was determined by whether or not they worshiped the one true God or not.  You find kings who were generally regarded as good and even godly, but their tenures were stained by their neglect to remove the so-called "high places," where people were invited to worship these false gods.

In a piece for Decision Magazine a few years back, Scott Morton of The Navigators writes:

In your Old Testament reading, have you come across the term high places? Mentioned 117 times, high places were centers for Canaanite idol worship that the Jews were commanded to tear down. But instead, these places became idols that subtly seduced God’s people year after year—they couldn’t stay away!

What about today? Are followers of Christ still tempted by high places? Let’s ask it a different way: Do believers sometimes succumb to today’s “ism-idols”—rampant materialism, impure sexism or me-ism?

Morton points out that Baal was one of 26 major Canaanite gods.  He writes, "Today we don’t construct idolatrous clay figurines of Baal or attend worship services for Asherah, but our temptations are just as seductive and perhaps even more subtle."

The thought of a life-sized replica - 50 feet tall - of the entrance to the Temple of Baal is quite concerning, and it's an indicator of either ignorance of what this structure represented, a refusal to stigmatize what it represented, or even a celebration of a so-called "deity" who was raised up, invented as a selfish alternative to the one true God.

But, just as Ecclesiastes tells us there is nothing new under the sun, we recognize that humanity has been looking for alternatives to serving God since, well, the beginning.   Think about the Garden, when Satan tempted Adam and Eve to disobey God.  How about the Tower of Babel?  The Bible Hub website, quoting from the ATS Bible Dictionary, says: "The worship of Baal was established in Babylon in the famous tower of Babel, the uppermost room of which served at the same time as an observatory, and as the repository of a collection of astronomical observations."

There has been a search for answers outside of the realm of God's truth for centuries, really, since the creation of humanity.  So, a re-awareness of the Temple of Baal is not so far-fetched, and it can remind us to take into account a few elements of our own spiritual lives.

For one thing, sin is a powerful force that is not to be accommodated, but eradicated.  Romans tells us that sin "shall not have dominion over you."  That is a very high standard, but I believe that embracing this high standard can help us live a more victorious Christian life.   Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and out of the grave, we can identify with what He did and experience a greater degree of triumph over sin.

How do we walk in a manner of experiencing freedom from sin?  Well, we have to first of all agree with God that we are no longer under the curse of sin.  We can change our mindset from being sinners who are trying to become saints to being saints who sin.   The Bible teaches us to embrace holiness and we can only become holy as we release of nature of God in our hearts and release His power by learning and applying His principles.   Saved saints will struggle with sin, but our salvation insures that we can be overcomers, more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.

And, as we live a Christian life effectively, displaying the presence of Jesus, then that can send a message to those who would rather "worship Baal," or love the world, that God loves them and that only He provides a way to experience true abundant and eternal life.

Not According To the Flesh

In Mark 9, we read about a man who was seriously afflicted, who was displaying some odd and violent behavior. Jesus had a conversation with his father, and then took spiritual action:
23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!"
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!"

Here, Jesus exercised a spiritual solution.  He was discerning about the type of spirit that He was dealing with, and He used the resources of heaven to proclaim victory over it.  Later, when His disciples asked Him why they could not cast the demonic spirit out, He said that, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."  He demonstrated His power, and He challenged His disciples to do what it takes to walk in victory.  Today on The Meeting House, I will share, based on some words from a pastor in the Panhandle, dealing with spiritual discernment and intervention.  We have to be willing to do what it takes in order for us and others to be set free.

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There's a passage in 2nd Corinthians 10 that sets up the spiritual battle in which all of us are engaged:
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

The scene has become a familiar one on Good Friday at abortion clinics across the nation:  the Pro-Life Action League holds an event called the “Way of the Cross for Victims of Abortion.” The official announcement from the organization reads, “On a bleak Friday afternoon nearly 2,000 years ago, our savior Jesus Christ was crucified at Golgotha, ‘the place of the skull, adding, “Today, we have our own Golgotha: the abortion clinic, where His image is violently destroyed, again and again, by abortion.”

That is from an article on the Daily Beast website, which reported on a rather unusual counter-event that happened at a Michigan Planned Parenthood clinic last Friday. Jex Blackmore, who made headlines last December for blogging about her experience with medical abortion and members of the Satanic Temple showed up at the clinic in Ann Arbor. In images from the protest, Blackmore can be seen wearing a crown of thorns and a faux pregnancy belly while carrying a cross meant to symbolize “the burden of oppressive mandates endured by women,” as the Satanic Temple noted in a press release.

The contrast was stark: the Pro-Life Action League participants kneeled with a sign that said, "We Are Praying for You and Your Baby," as they moved through the Stations of the Cross in a prayer vigil. The Satanic Temple members walked behind Blackmore, who was carrying a cross, wearing suits bearing the names of the Michigan legislators who sponsored recent bills dealing with abortion - one would require abortion providers to be licensed as surgical outpatient facilities, another would cut funding to health-care providers that offer abortion.  Behind the protesters, an activist wore a leather jacket emblazoned with a middle finger and held up a grayscale American flag.   Blackmore is quoted as saying "In the current abortion debate...it’s not the fetus, nor the church that suffers—but women who bear the greatest burden.”

WND.com offered an article about the events of Ann Arbor and the messages that were sent through the encounter. Cheryl Sullinger, vice-president of Operation Rescue, is quoted as saying, “The satanic demonstration in support of Planned Parenthood reveals the truth that abortion is all about evil-doing and rebellion to God, in whose image each of us is made,” adding, “Taking innocent life is the ultimate expression of hatred toward God. There is nothing virtuous about abortion, and the satanists’ support for it is evidence that proves the point.”

Florida pastor Carl Gallups, of Hickory Hammock Baptist Church in Milton, who has been a guest on The Meeting House, offered some strong perspective.  He said, “In 1973, Roe v. Wade opened the Pandora’s Box of America’s new Culture of Death,” adding, “Paradoxically, in that very same year, the Federal Endangered Species Act was passed – giving federal protection to turtle eggs and eagles’ nests, under penalty of heavy fines and/or imprisonment. In 1973, we determined that it was perfectly acceptable to kill humans in their ‘nests,’ but not eagles or turtles. If one cannot see the demonic impetus behind this depraved manner of thinking, then their spiritual discernment is non-existent.”

Gallups also noted, “It is a fact that 36 percent of all abortions in America are performed upon African Americans...Yet, the black population makes up less than 13 percent of America’s total population. Knowing that Planned Parenthood was founded by eugenicist Margaret Sanger, and in light of the recent undercover video revelations of Planned Parenthood’s selling of baby body parts and their willingness to take donations designated to help in aborting ‘certain populations,’ a discerning person would have to see the evil associated with the foundation principles, and current practices, of Planned Parenthood. Accordingly, I am not surprised that a satanist group would be actively involved in trying to thwart the spiritual intervention attempts of Christian organizations made outside of certain abortion clinics."

I want to call attention to two terms that Pastor Gallups used: spiritual discernment and spiritual intervention.  Pure and simple, the act of abortion is the taking of a human life.  And, there have been numerous actions that have been taken by officials in states across America to restrict this heinous act.  And, while legislative means can be and have been effective in reducing the number of pre-born children who have lost their lives, spiritual means are potentially even more effective.  Pro-life people stand on the side of life, the side of compassion for unborn children, as well as their mothers and families.  We have to be discerning and recognize that while people are aligned with this culture of death, our ultimate war is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities and powers - spiritual entities - who promote these ideas.

So, we can approach policy matters with a sense of spiritual clarity.  We can be prayerful and wise about what is driving the actions of people - not that they are not culpable for those actions, but there are forces at work that can only be dealt with in prayer.  So, we recognize that: discernment.  And, we utilize the spiritual resources that we have available to us: intervention.  What can one person do, you might ask?  Plenty.  Prayer - and action.  And, when we have a lot of "ones" who are operating in unity, then we can unleash powerful forces in our nation that can overcome the schemes and delusion of our spiritual enemy.