It's Your Faith

In Luke 18, Jesus relays a parable about an unjust judge, who had a widow coming to him for justice, 
and she was determined and persistent. Jesus taught:
4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' "
6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said.
7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long 
with them?
8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

I think of Jesus teaching that evil people know how to give good gifts to their children, but how much more will our Heavenly Father give to us?  There is a distinct difference between human strength and understanding and the strength to which we have access in Christ.  He wants us to bring our needs, our decisions, and our struggles to Him.  He is faithful, and calls us to be faithful to Him, throughout our lives, until the time when He comes to take us home to be with Him.

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James 5 contains a powerful passage about the potential of prayer, and reminds us that we are invited to partner with the Lord in prayer. We can read:
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

The Atlanta Braves are back in the postseason, but arguably the team leader, back in July, was in a position in which it was unclear whether or not he would be playing at all in the shortened season that had just been announced.

You see, according to Sports Spectrum, that leader, Freddie Freeman, had contracted the coronavirus. The story relates that in a video conference call, Freeman shared that his temperature one night spiked at 104.5 degrees; it says he also experienced "...body aches, chills, headaches and a temporary loss of smell and taste."

The article states:

It was prayer that gave Freeman comfort when doubt crept in about whether he would survive the ordeal.

“I said a little prayer that night,” Freeman said on the conference call. “I’ve never been that hot before. My body was really, really hot so I said, ‘Please don’t take me.’ I wasn’t ready.”

The 30-year-old said his fever broke after a couple of days and that Saturday was his ninth consecutive day without symptoms. The day before, he had received his second negative coronavirus test, which gave him clearance to play.

The story points to Freddie's trust in the COVID situation and compared it to the loss of his mother when he was 10, stating:

During a time in his life when he seemingly had nothing but questions, as Freeman recounted to Priority Magazine, God granted him a realization about the loss of his mother.

“My mom was in pain, and He took her to a nice place, and she’s not in pain anymore,” he said. “I finally truly believed that a couple of years later. Then I was just like, ‘I have to do this for Him because He did what’s best for my mom.’ Faith plays into it a lot.”

That Priority Magazine story offers this glimpse into Freeman's personal faith:

'I was born into The Salvation Army,' Freddie says. 'My whole family is in The Salvation Army.'

Freddie and his family were at the corps several days a week when he was growing up.

'When I was kid, that was all I knew was the Lord,' he says. 'My parents instilled in me that this is what you need to believe.'

But Freddie's belief is not 'grandfathered.'

'I truly do believe the Lord died for us and was on that Cross,' he says. "I will always believe that.'

The story reports that "Freddie's roots in The Salvation Army go back six generations."

I think one of the obvious concepts in this story is how we should respond to fearful situations, including health scares - we need to be in prayer; certainly, we should take the necessary steps of prevention and treatment, but our prayers and the prayers of others for us can be incredibly powerful. 

There is an interesting element of what Freddie Freeman prayed at the peak of his coronavirus experience...he asked God not to take him, that he was not ready.  Now, we can be confident that if have prayed the prayer to receive Jesus into our hearts that He will take us into heaven.  And, if you are not sure, you can call out to God this very moment and restore your confidence; if necessary, you can make things right.  But, there may be another meaning - that we have not fulfilled the entirety of our purpose on earth; perhaps we feel we have more to do here. We can live our lives in such a way that we are being faithful when the time comes to be taken out of this world.  We don't know when it will be, but we can live with a sense that it could be any day. 

We can be confident in our faith because it is a personal commitment we have made to follow Christ. Freeman is part of six generations in the Salvation Army, but what determines his relationship to Christ is what he himself has done - it's not about growing up in church, or our parents' or grandparents' faith - it's between you and God.

Free

Anger is not attractive, and the desire to win in our rhetoric can often be counterproductive in winning
someone's heart. Paul gives instruction in Colossians 4:
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

We could use some more respect in our culture - we can be steadfast in the truth of Scripture and determined to live it out, but we can reflect the character of Christ in our relationships with others. Instead of trying to shut another person down, we should have the attitude of opening their heart to the truth that we desire to share.  And, when we feel ostracized for our Christianity, we can continue to live with a desire to glorify the Lord in all we do and say.

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We are called to be characterized, as servants of Christ, as people of grace when it comes to our human 
interaction. Ephesians 4 states:
29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
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.

Students across our land are back in school, to some degree, with some schools offering in-person instructions, other going virtual due to the COVID-19 concerns, and others offering a combination. And, while colleges and universities are trying to effectively deal with the spread of COVID, a new survey shows that there are concerns of a different nature regarding the spread of free speech, or lack thereof.

The Epoch Times reports on a new survey by the organization, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, in partnership with RealClearEducation. The article describes the study as the "largest ever survey focusing on freedom of speech on U.S. college campuses," and students expressed concerns over their ability to express their opinion, especially if it could be considered the minority one.

For instance, "Sixty percent of students can recall at least one time during their college experience when they did not share their perspective because they feared how their peers, professors, or school officials would respond..."  Conservatives, by a 72-55 margin over liberals, were more likely to censor themselves. And, "More than 42 percent of the students believe their college would punish a student who expresses his or her controversial or 'offensive' ideas instead of defending the speaker’s freedom of speech."

The topic on college campuses that is the most “difficult to have an open and honest conversation about?" Abortion - with 45 percent saying it is the most difficult. That is followed by race, at 43%, gun control at 41%, and transgender issues at 40.

Around 20,000 students at 55 schools were surveyed, and the schools were ranked according to how much freedom of speech students felt they had.  The University of Chicago ranked best in the area of free speech and DePauw University (with a "W" on the end), a school in Indiana, ranked last.  Chicago administrators were praised by conservative students for making sure their opinions were not marginalized, but as the article points out, "most of the UChicago students’ responses published in the survey expressed fear of being bullied by other students because of their unpopular opinions."

RealClearEducation editor Nathan Harden is quoted in the article; he said: “A university should be a lively marketplace of ideas—a place where different beliefs and opinions can be discussed, analyzed, and challenged with widest possible freedom,” adding, “If students don’t feel free to speak their minds, or if they aren’t exposed to diverse points of view, it greatly diminishes the value of their education.”

Got a question, as a believer, do you create a safe environment around you?  Do people feel the ability to speak freely around you?  We can certainly be firm in our convictions, but forthright in our compassion, as well.  We can speak the truth, but we can listen authentically when people express their views.  It's about respect as fellow human beings.

We should be so strong in our Biblical values that we are not intimidated by the views of others. Ultimately, all of us will more than likely disagree about something, and we can disagree without resorting to excluding others from discussion.

We are living in challenging times that call for boldness for the body of Christ - we can strive to be bold to speak about God's perspective & His work in our lives.

So Help Me God

We can be careful to submit to sound teaching of the Word of God, so that Christ may be exalted in us. Isaiah 30 says:
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you. 
20 And though the Lord gives you The bread of adversity and the water of affliction, Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, But your eyes shall see your teachers. 
21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.

Life presents its obstacles and we face challenges and decisions on a daily basis, but we have someone who walks with us, who directs us, and shows us how to walk in His ways.  We can rely on God's guidance in the choices that we make, and He will provide wisdom as we seek Him. He provides answers in which we can be confident, and empowers us to fulfill His purpose.  We have to be willing to listen and to make ourselves available to strong teaching, by His Spirit and by pastors and teachers who are called to proclaim His truth. 

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The Holy Spirit goes with us and enables us to make wise choices. Through the knowledge of God's 
Word, activated by the Spirit, our lives can reflect God's heart. Psalm 32 states:
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 
9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you. 
10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; But he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.

Election Day is coming up on Tuesday, November 3, and in order to cast a ballot, you have to be registered to vote. You can check with state or county officials to find out when the deadline is.  Also, the website, MyFaithVotes.com, has important state-specific information.  You can find out about casting an absentee ballot and early voting at your Secretary of State's website.  This year, in Alabama, any qualified voter can cast an absentee ballot.

There is also a Presidential Voter Guide and a party platform comparison when you go to that website.

Faith Radio has an Election Prayer Guide available through our website.  Just go to FaithRadio.org, visit the "About Us" section and click on the prayer guide link.  It is very important that we are gathering accurate information about the candidates' views so that we can see which candidate lines up best with a Biblical worldview perspective.  And, we can be intent on seeking God's direction through prayer. 

The Freedom from Religion Foundation is seeking to prevent Alabama voters from declaring, "so help me God," when someone registers to vote.  According to a story at ReligionNews.com, the lawsuit against Secretary of State John Merrill says: “The Alabama secretary of state excludes Alabama citizens from being able to vote if they are unable to swear a religious oath,” adding, “The secretary of state’s official policy is to hinder the registration of voters who are unable to swear ‘so help me God.’ This policy violates the rights of the plaintiffs and others under the First and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution.”

Apparently, Alabama is the only state in the union with such a declaration on its voter registration form. 

FFRF has produced what it says are three plaintiffs, and while its general M.O. is to say that it has complainants, but fails to identify them, there is an actual, living human being who is named in this story - one of the alleged three!  The article says:

Among the plaintiffs in the case is Randal Cragun, a visiting assistant professor of economics at Birmingham-Southern College, an Alabama resident and an atheist. According to the suit, he attempted to register to vote in November 2019 but noticed that the form he downloaded from the Secretary of State’s website begins with “I solemnly swear or affirm” and ends with “so help me God.”

He says that he contacted the Secretary of State's office, asking if he could strike through the words on the document, and was told that doing so would void his registration. One of the attorneys, using customary hyperbolic language, stated: "The secretary of state has willfully excluded non-theist citizens from registering to vote and is coercing a statement of belief in a monotheistic god by requiring non-theists to swear a religious oath..."

As the Disrn.com website points out in its report on this story:

A French-born woman in Massachusetts earlier this year lost her appeal to remove the phrase "so help me God" from the United States naturalization oath. The First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the phrase is not unconstitutional.

Religion News said that the Secretary of State's office had no comment because it had not received a copy of the lawsuit.

Well, we certainly need God's help, and this phrase is a reflection, somewhat in the category of "In God We Trust," of the principles consistent with Scripture upon which this nation was founded.

And, one of the biggest headlines impacting the Christian community is a concerted effort, if not a coordinated effort, to switch at least a portion the overwhelming number of white evangelicals who voted for Trump in 2016 to vote for Biden this year.  There is even an "Evangelicals for Biden" group that has been formed.  In order to take Christian votes away from Trump, some have resorted to trying to re-define pro-life to mean something other than the intentional murder of unborn children.  

Recently, The Christian Post ran an op-ed by Ronald J. Sider, who is president emeritus of Evangelicals for Social Action, which just removed the word "Evangelicals" from its title, and Richard Mouw, the president emeritus of Fuller Seminary, who was one of the so-called "evangelical" leaders who met at Wheaton College in a controversial meeting to try to change what they viewed as the trajectory of evangelicalism, politically speaking, that is.  They cited a document that defined other issues beside abortion as pro-life issues.  The Post piece says:

Their statement acknowledges that “as pro-life evangelicals, we disagree with Vice President Biden and the Democratic platform on the issue of abortion.” “But we believe,” the statement continues, “that a biblically shaped commitment to the sanctity of human life compels us to a consistent ethic of life that affirms the sanctity of human life from beginning to end. “

The statement points out that many problems that better politics could correct violate the sanctity of human life. Poverty, lack of health care, racism and climate change all kill persons created in the image of God. They are all pro-life issues.

So, the question is: does Biden offer a better plan on this new set of "pro-life" issues? Dan Celia of Financial Issues, in a piece at Townhall.com, offers this viewpoint: "This election is not about Biden versus Trump." He says it is about a "...Party, whose one mission it is to fundamentally change America and lie about that change, compared to a party that has brought America back through its record of keeping Americans and the American worker and American family safe and strong. The other party is about killing babies and re-defining God’s words to justify their actions, instead of a place where children will live free under the safety of law and order."

Now, two left-leaning groups, World Relief, an immigration advocacy group which raises money by being paid by the Federal government for each refugee that it resettles, and the National Association of Evangelicals, has re-issued a statement called, For the Health of the Nation.  While it admirably calls Christians to love our neighbor and pursue justice, as well as to be sensitive in the area of race relations, it falls into the trap of redefining certain issues as pro-life, failing to differentiate between the intentional taking of human life through abortion, euthanasia, and other forms of taking life, contrasted with matters that would be considered to be more related to the quality of life.  Witness these lines from the document:

Uphold a comprehensive pro-life ethic that protects both the unborn and the vulnerable of all ages, enriching life through equal opportunity and justice so that all women and men may flourish;

Resist being co-opted by a political agenda and instead pursue the breadth of commitments that Jesus displayed and Scriptures teach...

Check out the signatories while you're at it - it tells you a whole lot about the drift that we are seeing in American evangelicalism. Some of the signatories are allied with the "Fairness for All" movement, in which some Christian leaders and others are willing to grant special rights to homosexuals in exchange for a vague, even mythical, idea of religious freedom.  Make no mistake - you have believers that are willing to surrender on the key issues of life and marriage; don't be that person! 

Be aware - there is deception all about.  We have to see this election in Biblical terms and stick to the issues. I would caution you to let God's Word win your heart, not a politician or an advocacy group.  Too often evangelicals criticize other believers for being "beholden" to a particular candidate or party.  I submit that party platforms do tell a whole lot about where candidates will collectively take our country. We always have to make sure our choices line up with God Word.  You may disagree with some or all of the points that I have submitted, but make sure that you agree with the principles of Scripture. 

Building

Jesus used agricultural imagery to demonstrate truths about the Kingdom of God. For instance, in Matthew 13, He uses this analogy:
31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,
32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."
33 Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

In another instance, referred to by a government official the other day, Jesus talked about possessing a small amount of faith, yet being able, through God's power, to move mountains.  He also shared the parable of the sower, in which He describes different types of ground and the effect that ground can have on the growth of God's Word.  And, in Galatians, Paul writes about sowing and reaping.  We can grow in our faith as we plant the seed of God's Word in a heart willing to learn and obey. 

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Recently, a U.S. Cabinet member used Scripture to highlight how we can meet and exceed what he calls "mountainous challenges" that we face in our nation. We find Jesus teaching in Matthew 17:
18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"
20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

I am grateful for those, who, during the COVID-19 pandemic, have noted and stood for the essential role of the Church.  When people have needed hope during this time, when there have been needs for food and other supplies, across our nation, we have seen churches stand up and make assistance available.

But, this is not a phenomenon that has occurred just during the pandemic - historically, the Church has been a source, tied to the Source, of help and wholeness.  And, even the Federal government has recently rightly recognized the essential role of the Church in the area of helping to provide homes for people.

Liberty Counsel has called this out on its website, saying:

“The Mustard Seed Series” are virtual events that feature churches that have successfully created affordable housing, reduced homelessness, or used innovative housing models to serve individuals in need. The meetings will serve as a forum for other faith organizations to learn about the experiences of these communities and to replicate the successes they have experienced. The goal with the series is to pair congregations interested in launching a housing outreach program with those already serving vulnerable communities through innovative models across the country.

The website highlighted Grove Community Church in Riverside, California, which, according to Liberty Counsel, "built four single-family homes on its property. As a result of a collaboration between the city and Grove Community Church, four previously homeless families now live in the on-site homes in The Grove Village. Members of the congregation provide supportive services to these families to help get them to a point of self-sufficiency. One day they will move to their own homes and then other families can be served by the church."

This series is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and shows how churches can partner with government to bring positive change.  HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson said, “In Matthew 17, faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain, and we have some mountainous problems in our country, like homelessness and affordable housing that affects millions of Americans. These are the kinds of problems that used to be handled by the faith-based community. And along came the government and decided that it would be the one to handle these problems and the problems have just mushroomed. One of the reasons that the faith-based community is so effective is because they develop personal relationships. And it’s those personal relationships that are likely to change a person."

What an excellent illustration of the Church as a partner - and every community should recognize how local churches and ministries are involved in helping people.  Government should be a resource, not a hindrance or even competitor to the work of God's people. 

The Christian Post, reporting that Grove Community Church was the first church to be spotlighted in the Mustard Seed Series, related a quote:

“Our goal here is we want to bring people on this property who want to be employed,” explained Grove Community Pastor Tom Lance to ABC News at the time.

“We want them to know what it means to be a believer in Christ. We aren't going to force religion down their throat, but the reason this is happening is our people love Riverside.”

Even Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey was impressed, stating, “This joint effort created new housing for our neighbors without homes while respecting and protecting the integrity of the surrounding neighborhood," adding, "We are excited to share with the nation what can be accomplished when a local government and a faith-based community work together on an issue of vital concern to both.”

The Post article also pointed to other churches across the country which had been involved in providing housing in their communities.  And, of course, there's the incredible work of Habitat for Humanity, which is involved in placing homeowners in affordable housing - they have the buy-in through contributing some of their own funds and also providing "sweat equity" in working to build the home, along with volunteers from the community.

Several takeaways here.  First, the obvious comparison as we go to the teaching of Jesus concerning the mustard seed.  He is certainly not encouraging us to stay in a state of faith suspension, merely possessing a minimum amount of faith; He does want us to grow our faith. But, He reminds us of His power when He illustrates that just a little bit can do incredible wonders.  So, do you have a big "project?"  A seemingly impossible challenge?  Remember, the promises of God and the power of our Savior.

I agree with Dr. Carson, we have some momentous problems in our nation, and rather than find partners and allies to confront the challenges, we look for allies to denigrate our potential partners.  The government is not the enemy of the Church, and I am grateful for those who work in our government to provide so many beneficial services, such as first responders and law enforcement, but too often, you have political leaders who think they are scoring points by restricting the Church.  And, financial resources sometimes come with strings that conflict with a local ministry's mission, which can limit that ministry's effectiveness.  We have to recognize our roles and use our resources responsibly. 

There are opportunities all around us; so we can ask: What can I do?  Where do I start?

When COVID Comes

We can recognize the Lord as our source of help; when we are beset by difficulties, we can know that 
He is with us - and that He is for us. Psalm 94 states:
17 Unless the Lord had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence.
18 If I say, "My foot slips," Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.
19 In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.

Fear can cripple, yet God's power comes to set us free.  He calls us to turn to hope, release His power, and begin to recognize that He is with us in the difficult times we face. In verse 17 of this passage, the Psalmist reflects on his "soul" that would have "settled in silence." This tells me that we can continue to look to Him, think upon His promises, and worship our God, because He is good and He is faithful. We know that He loves us and by His Spirit, will provide us with comfort.

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In Psalm 56, we find the Psalmist reflecting on his enemies and realizing that he was accompanied by 
God in the midst of his travail. We can read:
3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.
4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

The announcement that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the coronavirus certainly has a chilling effect.  We are reminded that this is a disease from which no one is exempt.  Certainly, we can take precautions, but the virus is so dangerous and so pervasive.  I would encourage you to pray for your President and his wife.  We know that this is a disease from which thousands have died, a disruptive menace that has forced essentially all of us to dramatically adjust their lives.

I do want to provide some stories that you might call "survival" stories today.  Many do not experience serious symptoms of COVID-19; on the other end of the spectrum, many have lost their lives directly because of COVID or when COVID was present.  

Noted New York City pastor A.R. Bernard of the Christian Cultural Center is a church leader who had a very difficult time with the disease.  The Christian Post reports that:

With a preexisting condition of asthma, the respected minister said he was placed on oxygen while he literally watched life flash before his eyes.

"I prayed and said, 'Lord this is all in your hands.’ And I began to reflect on life and ministry, etc.,” he recalled. “By the end of the day, they took me to the room, and I began to experience isolation and the feelings of isolation.”

After that his health declined, his breathing became "labored" and he "lost his sense of taste and smell."  Then weird dreams - nightmares - and what the article said he described as "out-of-body experiences" began. He shared about this instance: “I began to shake, my body began to tremor uncontrollably, and things began to get dark,” adding, “I was sleeping. But every time I closed my eyes to go to sleep, I felt like I was floating in the dark. It became increasingly intense.”

His treatment, leading to recovery, included hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.

The Post article included comments from naturopathic doctor Mark Sherwood, who commented on the spiritual elements of the disease; He said, “There is a spiritual battle here going on because I think the Bible says clearly that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. So let's talk about what God did not give us and that's that spirit of fear..."

Christian musical artist Charles Billingsley, who also battled COVID, experienced that fear and told The Christian Post, "So you have this psychological side of this whole thing. Then the emotional side because it just lasts forever and it wears on you. And because of that, from the spiritual perspective of things, I was doing my best just to stay in the Word and keep my mind stayed on the Lord and praying and asking the Lord to heal me.”  As the article says, consistent with what he related to me in our interview on The Meeting House, worship played a key role in his ability to combat and cope with the virus.  The article also says that meditation on Scripture was important.

Let's run through some sound principles that we can remember when we face difficulties in the health realm - or any other area where trials come.

First we can reject fear.  Fear can be decapitating to us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We need strong minds and surrendered emotions in order to face challenges - our thoughts and emotions surrendered to Christ.

And, as the two ministers I spotlighted teach us, we can also recognize the spiritual elements.  We know that we have an enemy, and his purpose is described by Jesus in John chapter 10; he wants to steal, kill, and destroy.  Satan wants to rob us of our hope, our joy, and cloud our reason for living. He desires to infect our minds in the midst of our adversity.  We realize that God's Word is the antidote for his poison.

Always, we can rely on the presence of God.  We may feel helpless or hopeless, but when we realize that God is with us and when we call out to Him and know He is walking with us through our trial, we can draw great strength from that.  

Finally, we can remember to rejoice in His faithfulness.  Let's get our definition right, though.  God is faithful and responsible for the results when we call out to Him.  We may not have experienced His healing or deliverance from a trying situation.  But, we can continue to worship, because we know that He is with us, working mightily in order that His perfect work, as James reminds us, can be accomplished.

Doubt

We can be confident that God will enlighten us as we earnestly come before Him and want to know more about Him. 2nd Corinthians 4 states:
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.

Is is so critical that we allow God to enlighten us regarding His Word and His ways. When we experience doubts, when we have questions, we know that we can come to Him and allow Him to direct us, to give us wisdom, as James chapter 1 suggests. We should not run away from the Lord when we have those questions or doubts, but we should press in to know Him better.  He has revealed Himself through His Word, and He wants us to open our hearts to Him.

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In a recent article, the subject of today's commentary quoted a Scripture verse about being inquistive 
regarding the Scriptures. Matthew chapter 7 says:
7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Charlotte is 27 years old, recently married, a student at Harvard Divinity School and the host of a new podcast.  She was raised in a Christian home, but when in college, she began to drift from the faith. According to a Christian Post article, she said she went to Christian meetings on campus, but, "I really was kind of living a little bit of a double life. I was trying to get away with hanging out with people I shouldn’t have been hanging out with, doing things I shouldn’t have been doing and thinking that ‘I can still believe this but I just don’t have to follow these rules.’” The article notes that, "At the time, she said she felt as if the Bible was 'kind of antiquated' because it was 'written a long time ago.'"

During her junior year of college, she studied abroad in England and began to more take steps away from the Christianity of her childhood. She relates, "I started reading atheists’ writings and literature. I was close with professors who were agnostic or atheist. I just started kind of trying it out,” adding, “I didn’t fully turn away from my faith but I wanted to see if I really needed it. Looking back on that year, I looked back over this journal I kept and I noticed in the journal all of the times that things of significance happened and I felt the need to write them down.” But, during that period, she recognized that she was "running away from God very actively...;" however, as she says, "He was running after me.”

On her plane trip back to the States, she had an encounter with the God from whom she was running; she relates, “I felt that God was accepting me back. It was almost this literal feeling of falling into somebody’s arms that has forgiven you, saying: ‘I still want you. I still want you back even though you ran away from me. I still want you.’ That was really when I completely gave my life to Christ.”

During that time in England, she realized that she had been “given the liberty and the freedom and the space to have doubts, to have questions, to wonder … if this is something that I believe and to what extent. The biggest realization I had was that Christianity was real and I couldn’t be halfway in. I couldn’t have one foot out the door all the time.”

The Post article says that in her podcast, called, appropriately enough, Doubting It, she "encouraged listeners that having spiritual doubts and questions is acceptable and something the Bible speaks on in the New Testament." She relates that, “It can be common … to have these questions, especially if you are raised in a religious household, in a household where everybody around you might be very devoutly religious." After all, Charlotte was raised in the home of one of the most high-profile Christians in America and perhaps the world: Vice-President Mike Pence. But, Charlotte Pence Bond says, "Trusting God doesn’t mean that we never have doubts...But we have to be honest about our doubts.”  She believes that this can be especially instructive for Millennials, saying, "...what I have noticed, at least a little bit of my theory about why millennials tend to be ‘less religious’ than other generations, I think is maybe partially to do with this doubt idea. We aren’t talking about the questions that we have.”

Charlotte has truly made her faith her own, and was willing to speak about how her Christian faith informs her pro-life views at a March for Life event earlier this year in Washington, DC.  Another Christian Post article states:

Charlotte Pence Bond said she isn’t pro-life simply because she is the daughter of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence or because she was raised in a Christian household.

Speaking at the March for Life youth rally on Thursday in Washington, D.C., Bond, who married Henry Bond in December, said her reasons for her position also include science, statistics and the harm it causes women and communities.

“My reasons are founded in my faith, they’re grounded in the fact that I was taught the value of human life. But they’re also backed up by other things. They’re backed up by science. … Science continues to prove that life begins earlier and earlier than previously thought,” the 26-year-old said.

I think we have to resist the tendency to make up our minds about a matter and somehow find Scripture to back up our position.  We have to approach God and Scripture with an open mind.  When we doubt, that can be an opportunity to learn more about the Lord. 

I also think we can learn from Charlotte that we are to own your own faith - our upbringing can be a strong influence, and the practice of church involvement is certainly impactful, but the fact is, we are not Christians because we attend church; we are part of the body of Christ because He lives in us.  We should not be deceived to think that just because we do religious things, that makes us a Christian.  It is not a matter of religious practice or religious heritage, our status as a Christian is solely because we have been saved and have a personal relationship with Christ.

Deficient Worldview

Each generation is building a testimony, and the people of God should strive to be faithful to leave a legacy of faith for those to come. Psalm 145 says:
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.

There's a new study that has come out that pinpoints the level of Biblical worldview thinking, or lack thereof, that is present within young adults today. Unfortunately, those called "Millennials" are aging and presumably becoming more influential.  It's important that everyone continues to seek God and learn more of His Word, so that we can effectively communicate that worldview is rooted in Scripture. Faithfulness to the Lord is a key element in seeing a significant expression of His truth.

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God wants to teach us through His Word and by His Spirit, so that we can be devoted to following Him. 2nd Timothy 2 states:
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort,
18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.
19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands...

Quite often on The Meeting House program, I emphasize the importance of adopting and developing a Christian worldview.  It is vital to our spiritual life that our thoughts are informed by and consistent with the teachings of Scripture.  Our worldview determines how we see the world and how we respond to it.

George Barna, in his relatively new home at Arizona Christian University, has been consistently, throughout the years, releasing data about how prevalent the Christian worldview perspective is in our culture.  And, The Christian Post reports on a new study regarding the young adult generation - an article on the study leads off like this:

Although 61% of American millennials consider themselves to be Christian, just 2% of them were found to hold a biblical worldview, according to a recent study released by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University.

The article goes on to say that, "The American Worldview Inventory 2020 study found that while 6% of American adults in general hold a biblical worldview, millennials (18- to 36-year-olds) were the least likely among all adults to hold a biblical worldview."

So, what constitutes a Biblical worldview?  The Post article provided some helpful insight, actually referencing information from the group that George Barna founded, that was published in 2003, prior to his sale of the organization in 2009.  The article says:

A biblical worldview, as previously defined by Barna, includes believing that absolute moral truths exist, and that such truth is defined by the Bible, as well as firm belief in six specific religious views. Those views are that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life; God is the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe and He stills rules it today; salvation is a gift from God and cannot be earned; Satan is real; a Christian has a responsibility to share their faith in Christ with other people; and the Bible is accurate in all of its teachings.

George Barna is quoted as saying, "The significantly divergent worldview perspectives and applications of the four generations," a reference to Elders, Boomers, Millennials and Generation X," noting the way that Millennials are "different...from all of their predecessors," "suggests a nation that is at war with itself to adopt new values, lifestyles, and a new identity. In other words, there is a war for worldview dominance. But, as the Scriptures remind us, a nation at war with itself cannot persist..."

Barna also decries what he sees as a loss of "spiritual unity," according to the article, stating that, "Even a rudimentary understanding of the foundations of the American republic reminds us that unless the United States maintains spiritual unity under the hand of God, we will not be able to sustain the freedoms that have made this nation unique and desirable." 

So, the question becomes, how do we unite, especially across a variety of generations and backgrounds?  I believe that keeping the important things in our sights is critical.  There is an excitement, I think, about the Lord and His work that is impacting the younger generations - the Millennials and the Gen X'ers.  It is my hope that this movement is grounded in truth, rather than emotion or belonging. But, God has raised up younger leaders, and we can pray for Him to raise up more, who are devoted to making sure that truth is front and center.  And, we can be united through our prayer and through our worship together as the Church.  Satan will take every opportunity to divide; whether it be age, race, denomination, or politics.  We have to continue to keep focused on what's important.

We can be challenged to recognize the different viewpoints that are at play.  The availability and access to new and different ideas, driven by the Internet, is stunning and dangerous.  We have to seek the Scripture to build unity.