Why a Man Bought 100 Generators: The Urgency of True Community

A man walked into a Costco store in Florida and bought one hundred generators. They cost him $450 each. Why would one person need one hundred generators? He wouldn’t, but people in the Bahamas would.

He sent them all there by boat, but that’s where the story ends. He doesn’t want to be named, asking that people focus on helping those affected by Hurricane Dorian.

Meanwhile, a six-year-old boy in South Carolina was saving up for a trip to Disney World when Hurricane Dorian struck the US. He decided to use the money to feed evacuees instead.

While the storm is expected to finally dissipate tomorrow, its effects will be felt for years. As will the goodwill of those who chose to serve those in need.

When we extend our community to hurting people, we change their world and ours.

WHY WE PLAY TENNIS BUT WATCH FOOTBALL
The National Football League kicked off its first Sunday games yesterday. The college football season continued the previous day. NFL games are watched by nearly sixteen million viewers; college football is watched by more than fifteen million fans as well.

The US Open tennis finals were played over the weekend as well, with Serena Williams losing to Bianca Andreescu in an upset on Saturday and Rafael Nadal edging Daniil Medvedev to win his nineteenth Grand Slam title on Sunday. Last year’s women’s final drew three million viewers; the men were watched by two million.

Nearly eighteen million Americans play tennis, while there are just over one million football players of all ages in the US. And yet, football dwarfs tennis as a spectator sport.

I think I know one reason why.

We in Dallas like to say of the Cowboys when they are victorious that “we” won. We find enormous solidarity and community with our favorite team. If the Cowboys lose, however, I’ve noticed that many of us say “they” lost.

In an existentialist culture that focuses on the individual above all else, football is the optimal community experience. We can claim ownership of the team we choose when we choose. We can even engage in fantasy football and video football leagues.

But, if our team loses, we can disown them with the change of a pronoun.

THE PERIL OF COMMUNIFORMITY
So-called “deaths of despair” from drugs, alcohol, and suicide have reached a record high. Loneliness and social isolation are epidemics and can be as damaging to our health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.

The great need of our day is for the kind of genuine community only Christianity offers.

Note that the word is spelled community, not communiformity. Uniformity is often forced and enforced. Unity happens when we find common cause in a common foundation, purpose, and future.

Consider an example.

FOUR DEFINITE ARTICLES CHANGED THE WORLD
The earliest description of the earliest Christian community was simple: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). “Devoted themselves” translates a Greek term that means to be “focused exclusively and passionately upon.” These four commitments were their highest priorities.

Note the definite articles: “the apostles’ teaching,” “the fellowship,” “the breaking of bread,” and “the prayers.” Each is present in the Greek original. They show us that the Christians’ unity was not found in individualistic experiences but in collective spirituality.

“The apostles’ teaching” was the public exposition of the first Christian leaders.
“The fellowship” refers to the larger, public community of faith.
“The breaking of bread” refers to a public communal meal; in the context of teaching and fellowship, it points to the Lord’s Supper and worship.
“The prayers” refers to public times of confession, thanksgiving, and intercession.
These four commitments, made in public community, empowered the first Christians to change history.

“ALL TRIBES AND PEOPLES AND LANGUAGES”
Such unity reflects the nature of our God and of the humans he created. Our Lord experiences eternal internal community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:14). And so he said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Not “men” but “man,” referring to humanity as one.

Such unity in community was at the heart of Jesus’ ministry as he called Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, lepers, prostitutes, Pharisees, priests, and men and women into his movement. It was at the heart of the church’s expanding ministry as it included Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female (Galatians 3:28).

It will be at the heart of our eternal worship in heaven, where we will gather with a “great multitude” from “every nation” and “all tribes and peoples and languages” (Revelation 7:9).

A COAL MUST TOUCH OTHER COALS
It is therefore urgent that Christians resist the consumeristic, individualistic Christianity that reflects our consumeristic, individualistic culture. There are no solos in the book of Revelation. Jesus promised: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20). Such community empowers our witness, our service, and our souls.

With whom are you sharing unity in community? With whom are you studying Scripture in an accountable fellowship of worship and intercession?

If you take a coal from the fire, it goes out. If it touches other coals, it stays lit.

How aflame is your soul today?

NOTE: North Texas Giving Day is next week, on Thursday, Sept. 19. However, you can choose to schedule your gift today (and anyone in the world can give). You’ll hear more from us in the coming days about the importance of North Texas Giving Day to the vision of Denison Forum, but if you already know you’d like to give, please consider giving today.

In Other Christian News:

Bible Scholars Shocked by “Exodus Error”

If you’ve read your Bible, then you know that in Biblical Times…

Folks lived much longer, didn’t suffer from modern diseases…

And were healthy, vibrant, and pain free until the day they died.

Which was often well beyond 100 years of age.

But why did it all change?

Well a controversial Pastor out of Colorado…

Believes he’s stumbled upon the very cause…

A 2,300 year old “error in the book of Exodus” he says.

“Not only did this error change what it meant for me to be a Christian…

But it also saved my wife’s life from arthritis and chronic pain,” said the pastor.

When I looked at pastor Andrew’s video… I was skeptical…

But the undeniable Biblical evidence…

And scientific proof he provides…

Made me realize he’s onto something BIG…

Because this “Exodus Error” ironically could lead to the reversal of diabetes, painful arthritis…

And could even fight deadly cancer cells.

Which is why Big Pharma is trying to censor Pastor Andrew’s message from the general public…

And why you should watch his controversial video right now while you still can.

Click here to discover the Exodus Error that could wipe away your pain and suffering.

SIGN OFF

P.S. Because the nature of this message is based on the Word of God…

The secular media and FAKE News Pundits want to censor it…

Which is why you must watch this video right now, before it gets taken down forever.

Click here to watch this video before it’s banned forever!

Jesus Global Youth Day Sparks Passion for the Gospel in Millions Worldwide

Some 50,000 young people and church leaders gathered together at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, the Philippines last week for the first-ever Jesus Global Youth Day (JGYD).

According to a press release from the organization, nearly 50,000 people from more than 30 countries came together for a three-day event filled with praise, worship and the Good News.

Among those speaking at the event was boxing champion and current Philippines senator, Manny Pacquiao, actor Stephen Baldwin, and inspirational speaker Nick Vujicic, Fox News reports. Among the groups performing praise and worship music was worship ban Bethel Music, Planetshakers and Joe Praize among others.

The aim of the event, Harvest Ministry Bishop Oriel Ballano said, is to “Teach your young people to follow [Christ], teach your young people to become a disciple. Teach your young people to be leaders and be an agent of change.” He added, “Together we will change the world.”

According to the press release, the event was broadcasted in several countries with around 83,000 churches worldwide participating. In Uganda, an estimated 50,000 youth tuned into the broadcast. The estimated overall reach of the event is believed to be around 8 million young people.

Co-Chairman and Director of JGYD Ron Luce pushed back against the belief that today’s youth are absorbed in their phones by recalling the engagement he witnessed last week. He said, “The audience here in Manila was attentive with each engaging speaker – even during worship from many different cultures.”

COO of JGYD Mike Guzzardo also noted the group’s engagement saying, “I loved seeing how these young people responded to international worship bands.”

He recalled, “Joe Praize from Africa and Meil San Marcos from Latin America both had the crowd passionately energized through worship, even though many had not known the songs beforehand…I heard conversations where young people and their leaders expressed how JGYD sparked a change in their hearts as they recommitted their lives to God and His plan for them.”

As for the future of JGYD, Luce shared that the organization wants to host “more Jesus Global Youth Day’s in other nations, along with the launch of a new global alliance consisting of 1 million churches focusing on passing the baton to the next generation, emphasizing discipleship and mentoring.”

Vice-Chairman of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches Bishop Ellie Mercado highlighted that the group’s prayer is to “become world changers.”

Source: christianheadlines.com

“Unplanned” the movie Takes No. 1 Spot on Amazon’s Overall Best Sellers for DVDs List

Pro-life movie Unplanned has nabbed the top spot on Amazon’s Overall Best-Selling DVDs.

The controversial movie tells the story of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood clinic director, who left the organization after watching an abortion live. She later became a pro-life advocate and started a nonprofit called And Then There Were None, which supports women who wish to leave the abortion industry. To date, the nonprofit has helped nearly 500 workers exit the industry.

As Christian Headlines previously reported, the movie created waves amongst the abortion industry with nearly 100 workers choosing to leave after watching Johnson’s story.

But the R-rated film has faced serious challenges on its rise to the top. Director Chuck Konzelman accused Google and Twitter of censoring the movie’s ads and even suspending their Twitter feed on the movie’s launch date.

Advertisements for the movie were also banned from major networks such as Lifetime, Hallmark, HGTV, and others, the Hollywood Reporter wrote.

The PureFlix film also faced persecution north of the border, where pro-life advocates fought for distribution in Canada, Worthy News reports.

As Christian Headlines previously wrote, the pro-life film was initially blocked by major film distributors from being played in movie theaters across Canada. Eventually, independent film distributor Cinedicom picked up the 110-minute movie for showings in select theaters throughout the country. Despite owners of movie theaters where the film was shown reportedly receiving death threats from abortion advocates, the film was a box office success. In its opening weekend, Unplanned grossed $353,510 in Canada.

‘Unplanned’ shocked Hollywood, too, with its earnings, pulling in a domestic total gross of over $18 million, according to the Christian Post. The total was over two times its production cost of $6 million.

Amazon’s Best Sellers are updated hourly and the movie pushed ahead of DC’s “Shazam”, “Pokemon Detective Pikachu”, and “Avengers: Endgame.”

Source:
https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/mikaela-matthews/unplanned-takes-no-1-spot-on-amazon-s-overall-best-sellers-for-dvds.html

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg No Longer an Atheist

Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg has announced he is no longer an atheist, but in fact sees religion as “very important”.

Over the weekend, Zuckerberg posted a “Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah” message from his family to his followers on Facebook, and in the comments sections, answered a question about his personal beliefs.

After he posted the comment, a user asked, “But aren’t you atheist?” In response, the 32-year-old billionaire replied, “No. I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important.” When another user asked, “But why Facebook doesn’t notify that is Jesus birthday today???” Zuckerberg joked, “You’re not friends with Jesus on Facebook?” adding a smiling emoji with a halo.

As of Thursday, Zuckerberg’s response to the comment has garnered over 4,496 likes.

According to The Atlantic, Zuckerberg was raised in a Jewish home but previously identified himself as an atheist on his Facebook page. In the past, he has also expressed interest in Buddhism.

Earlier this year, Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, met with Pope Francis to discuss ways that technology could help the poor. Following the visit, Zuckerberg took to social media to shared their admiration for the pontiff’s ability to connect with people of different faiths while remaining true to his own.

“Priscilla and I had the honor of meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican. We told him how much we admire his message of mercy and tenderness, and how he’s found new ways to communicate with people of every faith around the world,” Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook message.

“We also discussed the importance of connecting people, especially in parts of the world without internet access. We gave him a model of Aquila, our solar-powered aircraft that will beam internet connectivity to places that don’t have it. And we shared our work with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to help people around the world,” he added.

“It was a meeting we’ll never forget. You can feel his warmth and kindness, and how deeply he cares about helping people.”

Despite their different religious views, Zuckerberg has praised Francis on previous occasions as well.

“No matter what faith you practice, we can all be inspired by Pope Francis’ humility and compassion. I’m looking forward to following the pope – and watching him continue sharing his message of mercy, equality and justice with the world,” Zuckerberg wrote back in March.

Source:
https://www.gospelherald.com

Teen Who Drowned, Came Back to Life After Mother Prayed Reveals His Hope for ‘Breakthrough’ Film

It was a bitterly cold day in January 2015 when 14-year-old John Smith fell through the frozen surface of a lake in St. Charles, Mo., and remained submerged for 15 minutes. He had no pulse when emergency workers pulled him from the freezing water, or for nearly 45 minutes after. His body was a mere 88 degrees.

But his story wasn’t over.

After audible prayers by his mother, Joyce, John’s heart finally started up again, astounding the nurses and doctors around him. Over the next several days, John’s community rallied around him, lifting the young man up in prayer. Less than three weeks after the accident, John made a full, seemingly impossible recovery – and walked out of the hospital.

John’s story is the subject of a new faith-based film, “Breakthrough,” from “Miracles from Heaven” producer DeVon Franklin. Starring Chrissy Metz, Topher Grace, and Marcel Ruiz, the film highlights the power of prayer and proves that miracles still exist today.

During a sit-down interview in Dallas, TX, John, now 18, told The Gospel Herald that his story has changed lives in ways he never could’ve imagined.

“I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘My dad was an atheist for 20 years, but your story sparked curiosity in him again,” he shared. “People have told me, ‘my family was falling apart, but what happened to you changed our family and brought them back to God.'”

Hitting theaters just in time for Easter, “Breakthrough” is based on Joyce’s 2017 book “The Impossible.” In it, she recounts the desperate moment she prayed, “Holy Spirit, please come and give me back my son!”

John told GH it was “surreal” seeing that real-life event play out on the big screen.

“It was interesting; the first time I saw myself fall through the ice, it wasn’t about me,” he shared. “I was more intrigued by my mom and my pastor because I never actually saw them – I only heard about what happened. Seeing their reactions hit me harder than what actually happened to me.”

“Seeing my mom and how she interacted with me, it brings people closer to God than they ever were before,” he added.

“Breakthrough” is a testament to God’s sovereignty and power – but acknowledges the reality that suffering is real and life doesn’t always make sense. After returning to school, John wrestles with the fact that he was spared from death while many others aren’t.

“Life is hard,” John admitted, “and there’s no sugarcoating it. Life is very hard. I think my generation is so easy to look at the wrong thing; they’re very into the supernatural, but not the right supernatural. But they’re hungry for answers. Let’s feed them with the Holy Spirit instead of these horror films. If we feed them the right thing, we’re going to change the world.”

A Guatemala-born teenager adopted by white evangelicals in the suburbs of St. Louis, John also struggles with his identity in the film. He told GH that he’s come to embrace his identity in Christ – and prays his peers will do the same in a social media-saturated age.

“Let’s put down our cell phones, let’s put down Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and instead, let’s serve the Lord because He’s the one that loves us more than anyone,” he exhorted his peers. “We’re not defined by the likes of many. We are defined by the likes of One, and that’s what I really believe.”

Four years after his accident, John says he has one mission: To bring more souls to Jesus Christ. God, he said, kept him here on earth for a reason.

“I really want to be the spark of this generation, I want to help lead it, I want to bring this generation back to God because it is the farthest thing from God right now,” he told GH. “That’s my main goal. As my Pastor Jason Noble says, ‘I only have a short time on this earth, but I want to see how many I can take to Heaven with me.'”

“Breakthrough” is rated PG and is directed by Roxann Dawson. The film also stars Josh Lucas, Dennis Haysbert, Sam Trammell, Rebecca Staab, Mike Colter, Ali Skovbye, Victor Zinck Jr., and Lisa Disrupt.

Source:
https://www.gospelherald.com/articles/71953/20190416/teen-who-drowned-came-back-life-mother-prayed-reveals-hope.htm

Man Donates Liver to Fellow Church Member He Barely Knew

An Ohio woman has a new lease on life thanks to a priceless gift from a fellow church member she barely knew. When Jason Stechschulte sat down and started reading the bulletin before the Sunday service at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Van Wert, Ohio, he read something that arrested his attention and felt God-calling him to make a life-altering decision, CBN News reports.

Stechschulte read that Carole Motycka, a 44-year-old mother with four sons, had stage 4 colorectal cancer and needed a liver transplant to survive. He said, “I just had this feeling come over me that this is going to be me, that I need to do this. I was called to do it. Answering the call was not easy for Stechschulte, who has two pre-teen children of his own. The 41-year-old would have an eight-hour surgery to remove the left lobe of his liver, which comprises about 40 percent of the organ. Another team of Cleveland Clinic surgeons skillfully transplanted the liver into Motycka during a 12-hour procedure that was necessary to save her life.

Motycka did not know she was suffering from cancer until she struggled to complete a 17-mile hike with her family. She dealt with severe pain in her back and shoulder during and after the hike, so she went to the hospital the next day. There Motycka learned the shocking news… she had stage 4 colorectal cancer and it had spread to her liver.

Motycka underwent chemotherapy and it seemed to stop the spread of the cancer. Then, a doctor with the Cleveland Clinic performed an operation in which she removed the colon and liver cancers. However, her liver was severely damaged due to a genetic disorder and her health continued to decline.

Doctors told Motycka that she had one hope to prolong her life, a liver transplant. Not wanting to be one of the 3,000 people a year who die while waiting on a liver transplant, she sought a living donor who would be willing to help her. When Motycka, the church’s youth director, placed a notice in the bulletin, Stechschulte did not hesitate to help.

He said that he remained composed throughout the time leading up to the lengthy surgery. He said, “I was really calm throughout. I wasn’t worried or nervous. Everybody was really professional, really helpful.” He views the surgery in a positive light, noting that his family and the Motyckas have become close through the process. “I gave her a liver, and I received a relationship with Carole and her family in return. That was a pretty good trade off.”

Motycka’s health continues to improve and she has lived to see one of her sons graduate college, two begin college, and another graduate high school.

She remains grateful to Stechschulte and is thankful for his sacrifice. She said, “I can’t ever do or say, or give enough to thank him for what he gave to me: My new life.”

Source:
https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/scott-slayton/man-donates-liver-to-fellow-church-member-he-barely-knew.html

Chick-fil-A Worker Prays over Customer in Viral Pic – the ‘Spirit Led Him’

The list of ways Chick-fil-A workers go the extra mile for customers now includes prayer.

Brittany Calden was eating at a Chick-fil-A at Madison, Ala., earlier this month when she saw long-time employee Stephen Spray talking to another customer. Soon, Spray put his hand on the customer and began praying for her, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

Calden, a professional photographer with Brittany Calden Photography, snapped a photo of the interaction. It has gone viral.

“As a photographer, it was instinctual for me to document this moment,” Calden told Fox 5. “I find myself always searching for things that move me, and this was one of those instances.”

The moment caused Calden to tear up.

“He’s a hard worker and was wiping tables minutes before approaching the lady,” Calden said.

“Mr. Steve” as he’s known, has worked at the restaurant for nine years.

“Mr. Steve never fails to walk up to your table and ask how your day is going and always tried to make your day better than it was before you saw him,” Calden said.

Spray told Calden the “Spirit led him to pray for her.”

“I work at a place where if I’m led to pray for someone, I’m able to do that and I’ll do it right on the spot,” Spray told her. “People need prayer, encouragement, and love. That’s what we try to do here.”

Chick-fil-A was No. 1 in the 2019 American Customer Satisfaction Index, which surveys customers on their opinions about restaurants.

It’s not the first time Calden has seen Chick-fil-A workers assist employees in unique ways.

“As soon as we enter we are greeted by our names, it’s seriously unreal,” she told Fox 5. “They hold my baby when my hands are full and go out of their way to make us feel good. The other day we were leaving and an employee ran for the door to hug my daughter before she could leave. They don’t do what they do for recognition. These employees have hearts that are led by Jesus and its evident every time we enter their restaurant.”

Chick-fil-A became the third-largest fast-food restaurant this year. Its corporate purpose is “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come into contact with Chick-fil-A.”

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Source:
https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/chick-fil-a-worker-prays-over-customer-in-viral-pic-the-spirit-led-him.html

Are ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ a ‘Cruel Joke’?

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Dana Milbank is a columnist for the Washington Post and a bestselling author. He has also been characterized as “extravagantly contrarian” and “one of the most extreme ideologues in the business.”

Consider, for example, the title of his column following last weekend’s shootings: “Republicans’ thoughts and prayers have become a cruel joke.” Milbank cites dozens of such statements responding to the tragedies. He notes that “thoughts and prayers are always welcome,” but then claims that this “reflexive response to the endless massacres has become a cruel joke, as effective as a Hallmark sympathy card.”

Milbank believes that offering prayer is “what people say when they plan to do nothing.” To those who criticize his criticism, he responds: “We criticize prayer in lieu of action.”

I agree with Milbank that if we promise to pray but do nothing else, we have not done enough. As James notes, “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17).

However, like so many in our secular culture, Milbank seems to think that we must choose between “prayer” and “action,” that if we pray for victims, we are not acting on their behalf. And he believes that until Republicans act as he thinks they should, “We don’t have a prayer.”

“OUR COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER THROUGH PRAYER”
Last Sunday morning, as the horrific news was still breaking from El Paso and Dayton, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott was on CBS’s Face the Nation. He was asked about the massacre four years ago when a white racist murdered nine African Americans at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston.

Sen. Scott began his response to the weekend shootings: “What a challenging time. Our prayers and thoughts are certainly with both communities.” After describing the tragedy that happened in his state, he then declared: “The good news for our community was that our community came together through prayer.”

Here’s why I’m quoting from his interview today: the senator continued, “A lot of folks say that prayers don’t matter. Well I will disagree with them vehemently. Because of prayer, the . . . nine family members forgave the shooter and brought unity into our state in a way that we have not seen in the history of the state, frankly.

“The Civil War started in Charleston and to have a white racist walk into the door of a black church to start, according to his objective, ‘a race riot,’ [and] to have the actual opposite occur because of the power of faith in that church and in our community was fantastic and phenomenal.”

TWO POWERFUL RESULTS OF PRAYER
Our secular culture and its journalists might be surprised by the senator’s testimony, but Christians are not. We know that when we pray, two things happen: We ask God to do what he can do, and he empowers us to do what we can do.

When Elijah asked God to bring a dead child back to life, “the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived” (1 Kings 17:22).

After Jonah warned Nineveh of God’s coming judgment, their king commanded his people to “call out mightily to God” (Jonah 3:8). Then “God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them” (10).

When King Herod imprisoned Peter, “earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church” (Acts 12:5). God responded by sending his angel to liberate the apostle and save his life.

However, as James noted, we must both pray and act (James 2:14–26). In fact, when we pray for people, we connect personally with God in a way that often empowers us to answer our prayers.

For instance, Jesus instructed his disciples to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38). Here’s what came next: “He called to him his twelve disciples” and sent them out in his name (Matthew 10:1).

A SHOCKING NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
How should we pray and then act on our prayers?

First, we should intercede specifically and directly for shooting victims and their families.

Taylor Schumann, who was shot when a gunman opened fire at New River Community College in Virginia six years ago, wrote a remarkable article for Christianity Today listing eleven specific ways we can pray for people like her. I have begun praying as she suggests and encourage you to join me.

Second, we should look for ways to serve those near us.

This Washington Post article shocked me: “Mass shooting incidents probably happened closer to you than you think.” The article locates all the mass killings in America since 2014, then allows us to enter our zip code so we can see how many such tragedies occurred near where we live.

When I entered my zip code, I was told that over the last five years there have been three mass shootings in my county, two mass shootings within ten miles of my home, and thirty mass shootings within one hundred miles of my home.

If you’ll ask God to direct you to a shooting survivor or someone else in need of your compassion, he will answer your prayer. That’s because his word teaches us to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

“If God’s people won’t share the light, we are just increasing the darkness.”

Janet Denison
Paul Shane Spear observed: “As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.” In her latest blog, my wife responds to the need for Christians to make a proactive difference in our broken culture with this observation: “If God’s people won’t share the light, we are just increasing the darkness.”

With whom will you share the light today?

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Source:
https://www.christianheadlines.com/columnists/denison-forum/are-thoughts-and-prayers-a-cruel-joke.html

Millennials and the Bible: ‘Not What You Think’

There’s so much talk these days about so-called “Millennials.” Millennials are the generation born between 1980 and 2000. They are “digital natives,” and the defining events of their lives include the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, the War on Terror, Harry Potter, the Great Recession, and the birth of social media. Oh, and by the way, they love avocado toast.

They are also the “biggest” generation: Some 78 million strong. In the next five or six years, they will comprise 75 percent of the American workforce.

On the whole, Millennials tend to be skeptical of absolutes, and anyone or anything claiming to be the authority on life and the world. Thus, they tend to be skeptical about the Bible. Only 9 percent of Millennials claim to read the Bible on a daily basis, and only 30 percent believe that the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God.

All of this leads to an acute challenge for many in older generations: How to pass on the faith to their children and grandchildren. I’m happy to tell you there’s a new book that can really help.

Two Millennial Christian thought leaders, Michael and Lauren Green McAfee, seeking to overcome the skepticism of their peers about the Bible, have written a new and engaging book, “Not What You Think: Why the Bible Might Be Nothing We Expected but Everything We Need.”

Michael is director of community initiatives at the Museum of the Bible. His wife Lauren, who now works at the Hobby Lobby corporate offices, helped get the museum up and running. So they both have a deep, sincere passion to share their love for the Bible.

The first part of “Not What You Think” is devoted to explaining exactly who Millennials are: their demographics, aspirations, preferences, etc. One of the key characteristics we must understand is that Millennials came of age at a time when the very notion of truth was, well, fuzzy at best.

“Our era is one in which truth has moved from objective reality to personal response,” they write. “Our generation generally hesitates to accept truth outside of personal experience and opinion.”

This is the first huge obstacle for approaching Millennials with traditional Christian apologetics, which depends on the absolute and objective Truth claims revealed in the Bible. And yet, this is where these millennial authors succeed as they invite their fellow Millennials to engage Scripture. While being upfront and honest about the truth claims of the Bible, they make the case that the Old and New Testaments, unlike other religious holy books and texts, are not primarily a set of rules. Instead, they present a grand Story woven together by God through various authors over a millennium and a half. It’s a story that God invites us all to join.

Throughout their book, the McAfees argue convincingly—and in detail—that both Testaments, from Genesis through Revelation, point to the God-Man, Jesus. Thus, the Bible not only invites us into God’s cosmic drama, it invites us into a relationship with the Creator of the universe.

“What if,” they write, “truth is not just a point of view . . . not just a list of rules—yours, ours, or anyone else’s? What if truth is not the ever-changing consensus of the crowd but instead is a person whom you get to know and who knows you. This person’s story is told in the Bible. His name is Jesus.”

This is exactly the kind of book that will not only help you communicate the importance of Scripture to younger generations, it’s a book you can actually give to younger generations. And, it’s a great resource for Sunday School classes and small groups to learn more about the “biggest” generation, while also learning about how to better reach them.

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School Punishes 6th Grader for Using Wrong Pronoun for Transgender Student

An Ohio public school punished a sixth-grader after he used the wrong pronoun for a transgender student and told friends that the student “is a boy, not a girl,” according to the Christian legal group Liberty Counsel.

The school has since agreed to stop punishing students in similar circumstances, Liberty Counsel says.

At issue is a biological boy who identifies as a girl, according to a letter Liberty Counsel wrote to the school district. Names were redacted.

The incident occurred in art class on May 13, when a group of girls who had “enthusiastically” affirmed the transgender student’s identity began discussing the issue.

“The girls began talking about” the transgender student “taking girl hormones” and “eventually having his ‘male private parts removed,’ and that this would ‘make him a girl,’” according to the letter.

That’s when the sixth-grade student (“John Doe”) who was punished spoke up, saying, “No, he is a boy, and not a girl.” Another male student (Boy B) agreed, saying, “Yes, you are what you’re born with.”

John was not mocking the transgender student but was stating “what he truly believes” after “being subjected to the conversations of the girls all semester,” the letter said.

The art teacher overheard a portion of the conversation and reported the boys to the assistant principal, who allegedly told John, “you can have your own beliefs” but the transgender student “wants to be called a girl.” John was pulled out of PE class on May 14 and forced to sit in the principal’s office.

“[He] felt shame and embarrassment at being pulled out of gym class in front of his friends,” the letter said. “Based on his conversation with [the assistant principal, he] understands that he must refer to” the transgender student “as a girl and with female pronouns, going forward, or that he will be punished.”

The other boys received worse punishments, apparently because the assistant principal believed they were bullying and not being sincere.

Liberty Counsel said John has the right to state his beliefs.

“The First Amendment protects a student’s right to hold his own views,” the letter said, “and to respectfully share them, where the issues of transgenderism, cross-sex hormones, and ‘having male private parts removed’ are raised by others in conversation during school time where students may talk, and are otherwise permissible subjects of discussion. This is especially true where the student shares his views in response to conversations to which he is repeatedly subjected by others against his will.

“Moreover, the government may not take one side in a cultural or scientific debate, and turn classrooms into enclaves of totalitarianism,” the letter said. “… Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate.”

The school district responded to Liberty Counsel, saying John did not receive “formal disciplinary action” and that the “Board of Education does not discipline students for expressing respectful disagreement on any topic.” The school further said the “Board of Education does not discipline students for using certain pronouns in referring to students or coerce any student to use a particular pronoun” and that “no student would be required to use” false pronouns.

The parents were pleased with the outcome, Liberty Counsel said.

“Students may respectfully share their views without being punished,” Liberty Counsel founder and chairman Mat Staver said. “School administrators were wrong to punish students for expressing their views on something patently obvious. Schools cannot force students to lie about objective reality.”

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Source:
https://www.christianheadlines.com/contributors/michael-foust/school-punishes-6th-grader-for-using-wrong-pronoun-for-transgender-student.html