A new Harvard study investigated the health and mental health of children and teenagers who were raised with religious or spiritual practices. What they found was fascinating.

Those who attended religious services at least once a week as children or teens were about 18 percent more likely to report being happier in their twenties than those who never attended services. They were almost 30 percent more likely to do volunteer work and 33 percent less likely to use drugs in their twenties.

In addition, people who prayed and meditated individually on a daily basis had more life satisfaction, were better able to process emotions, and were more forgiving. They were less likely to have sex at an earlier age and to have a sexually transmitted disease.

The Forbes article reporting on the study concludes: “Some of the fundamental habits that humans have been doing for eons (praying, meditating) might actually have a lot more value than we tend to think.”

By God’s design, a divine-human partnership is essential to human flourishing. Consider an example.

“A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”

The future of Israel was in jeopardy. A massive Midianite army numbering 135,000 troops (Judges 8:10) was ready to annihilate the Jewish forces. Gideon mustered 32,000 soldiers, but the Lord led him to dismiss all but three hundred (Judges 7:2-8). God’s purpose was to show the Israelites that their deliverance came from the Lord and not from their hand.

Armies in the ancient world conveyed signals through “trumpets” (usually rams’ horns). They often marched at night to the light of torches. Gideon’s original army had three hundred such trumpets and torches. The torches were carried inside clay jars so as not to alert the enemy, then the jars were broken when the assault was to begin. The trumpets were used to convey orders to the troops.

Continue reading Denison Forum – What Harvard study says about kids raised in church →

America has been focused on the aftermath of Hurricane Florence and Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations against Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Meanwhile, you may have missed this in the news: Chelsea Clinton claims it would be “unchristian” to end abortion in America.

During a radio interview, the former first daughter said it would be “unconscionable” for the US to return to the “pre-Roe” era when abortion was illegal: “When I think about all of the statistics that are painful of what women are confronting today in our country, and what even more women confronted pre-Roe and how many women died and how many more women were maimed because of unsafe abortion practices, we just can’t go back to that.”

She added, “Like that’s unconscionable to me. And also, I’m sure this will unleash another wave of hate in my direction, but as a deeply religious person, it’s also unchristian to me.”

Clinton also claimed that the legalization of abortion was a boon to the US economy: “American women entering the labor force from 1970 to 2009 added three and a half trillion dollars to our economy, right? The net, new entrance of women–that is not disconnected from the fact that Roe became the law of the land in January of 1973.”

“Bad philosophy needs to be answered”

Let’s learn from Chelsea Clinton’s defense of a ruling that has cost more than sixty million unborn children their lives. We can respond to unbiblical claims in two ways: we can ignore them, or we can engage them.

Ignoring falsehoods may seem to be a short-term solution. We’re all busy people with multiple demands on our time. When we encounter statements we know to be false, it’s easier to dismiss them and move on.

However, if we will not counter falsehoods by speaking biblical truth to our culture, those who need God’s word will not hear it. “How are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14).

Continue reading Denison Forum – Chelsea Clinton: Ending abortion would be “unchristian” →

The Riverside branch of the New York Public Library has more than books to loan. You can also check out a necktie, bow tie, handbag, or briefcase. They are intended for people with limited resources who are heading for job interviews, auditions, school performances, proms, or other events for which they need to dress up.

In other news, a Chicago schoolteacher on a plane talked about her low-income students. Passengers overheard her and gave her more than $500 in cash to help.

Here’s a similar story: an Alabama man had to walk nearly twenty miles to his new job. When his CEO found out, he gave the man his personal car.

When you read these stories, how did they make you feel?

A surprising survey

There’s something in us that is attracted to that which is selfless, gracious, and joyful. The darker the room, the more we are drawn to the light.

However, it’s a sign of the times that so many of the shows that received Emmys on Monday are so dark and ominous. As I noted yesterday, the world is more unhappy than it has been in a decade. Gallup’s Negative Experience Index found that markers for worry, stress, sadness, and physical pain are all at record highs.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why is this library loaning neckties? →

The Emmy Awards began last night with a monologue from co-hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che. The Saturday Night Live cast members recited a typical litany of political jabs and sarcastic digs.

Then Che told the audience that his mother would not be watching the show. The reason: “She says she doesn’t like watching white award shows because you guys don’t thank Jesus enough.”

Che continued: “That’s true. The only white people that thank Jesus are Republicans and ex-crackheads.”

It’s hard to imagine such a joke aimed at Muslims, Jews, or Buddhists. But ridiculing Christians is fair game in Hollywood these days.

The latest on Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination

As you know, college professor Christine Blasey Ford is alleging that Judge Brett Kavanaugh assaulted her at a party when they were high school students. Judge Kavanaugh calls her accusation “completely false.”

Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh both stated yesterday that they are willing to testify before Congress about this issue. The Senate Judiciary Committee has now scheduled a hearing for next Monday to hear from both.

Republicans are severely criticizing Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, for the timing of the allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. Last July, Dr. Ford sent a letter alleging sexual abuse against Judge Kavanaugh to her local congresswoman, Rep. Anna Eshoo, requesting confidentiality.

She forwarded the information to Sen. Feinstein on July 30, who provided the letter to the FBI only last week. The senator states that she wanted to protect Dr. Ford’s identity and forwarded the letter only after a news report surfaced about it. She said nothing about the letter during the weeks-long process of interviews with the judge and the Senate’s confirmation process.

What could happen next

If Dr. Ford’s allegation prevents Judge Kavanaugh from being confirmed to the Supreme Court, it will be difficult for the Senate to confirm another candidate before the midterm elections. If Democrats then win the Senate, they could block President Trump from naming a conservative to the Court.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Emmy Awards ridicule Christians →

“Arthur was a very happy young man. He loved life, he was an active member of a Christian church, devoting his life to the Lord. . . . He was happily engaged to a smart, kind-hearted medical student with a bright future.” This is how the family and friends of Arthur Medici described the twenty-six-year-old after he was attacked by a shark on Saturday off the Cape Cod beach and later died at a hospital.

In other news, Typhoon Mangkhut, described as “the world’s strongest storm this year,” reached mainland China yesterday after pummeling Hong Kong and killing at least fifty-four people in the Philippines. More than 2.5 million people have been evacuated in southern China.

Meanwhile, Tropical Depression Florence has “slowly ravaged the South with rain and wind.” As of this morning, seventeen deaths have been confirmed as a result of the storm. Officials warn that flooding “is only going to get worse.”

Even after the storm is over, lingering floodwaters will be extremely dangerous. Chemical and biological contamination are a continuing threat, including bacteria that can pollute drinking water and cause life-threatening infections.

Eighteen quintillion grains of rice

One fact these stories have in common is that humans do not control nature. We face threats as frightening as sharks, as massive as typhoons and hurricanes, and as microscopic as bacteria.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Man dies after shark attack at Cape Cod →

Brendan McLean and Allison Miller were supposed to exchange wedding vows today in Charleston, South Carolina, where they became engaged last November. However, the city is now under a mandatory evacuation order.

So, Brendan and Allison will get married today at home in the Dallas area. The wedding will take place in the backyard of Allison’s parents’ home. The table, dishes, and flowers have been donated. The couple says Mavericks owner Mark Cuban even covered the catering after a friend of the bride sent an email asking him for help.

Ten trillion gallons of rain

More than five million people are under hurricane warnings or watches this morning as Hurricane Florence nears land. But you don’t have to live in the path of the storm to be affected by its devastation.

The eye of the hurricane is expected to make landfall this afternoon. The storm surge and flooding it is already generating are equivalent to a Category 4 storm. North Carolina may get ten trillion gallons of rain over the next week.

While we may not be facing such an unthinkable disaster, we’re all facing storms of some kind.

When tragedy strikes, skeptics question the relevance of faith in the God who did not prevent the storm. But suffering is caused by a variety of sources, from misused free will to the consequences of living on a fallen planet (Romans 8:22).

To reject God’s help when we need him most is like rejecting medical science because we’re sick. I understand that God is omnipotent in a way doctors are not, but the practical fact is that we should not let our questions keep us from our Father’s grace.

If you’re not dealing with suffering today, you may be tomorrow. How is faith in God relevant to those facing the hurricanes of life? Consider three principles.

Remember what God has done in the past

The Bible assures us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Because God by nature is the “highest good,” he can never act in a way that is inconsistent with his character. He cannot be less powerful or loving or gracious in the present than he was in the past. What he did yesterday, he can do today.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Mark Cuban helps wedding changed by Florence →

Normally, Apple’s fall launch of a new iPhone and other products would be leading the news. The feature that helps users limit their iPhone use is getting special attention along with some ridicule.

However, today is not a normal day.

A National Weather Service meteorologist calls Hurricane Florence the “storm of a lifetime” for portions of the Carolina coast. He is warning of “the potential for unbelievable damage from wind, storm surge, and inland flooding with this storm.” More than ten million people are under storm watches and warnings this morning.

Yesterday we discussed the theological implications of natural disasters like Florence. Today, let’s turn to practical biblical principles. The storm calls on us to respond in two significant ways.

God’s call to solidarity

As I was watching the news coverage of Florence yesterday, the thought occurred to me: I’m not monitoring this crisis as though someone I love is experiencing it. If members of my family lived on the Carolina coast, I would be much more emotionally engaged in this unfolding tragedy.

Most of us are the same way. We’re concerned for those who experience a disaster, then we go about our day, subconsciously grateful that this isn’t happening to us. In the case of Florence, we might even congratulate ourselves for not living in an area susceptible to hurricanes (though inland regions deal with tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides, and other natural disasters).

Continue reading Denison Forum – “Storm of a lifetime” threatens 10 million people →

This storm is a monster. It’s big and it’s vicious.” This is how North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper described Hurricane Florence, the most devastating storm to threaten the Carolinas in decades.

The National Weather Service states, “This will likely be the storm of a lifetime for portions of the Carolina coast.” CNN is warning this morning, “Even for a major hurricane, Florence is a beast like no other.”

It’s not too late for God to intervene. If Jesus could heal the sick, raise the dead, and calm a storm, he could turn Florence back to sea or otherwise prevent this disaster.

We should be praying fervently for him to do so, remembering that “you do not have, because you do not ask” (James 4:2 NRSV). As Gabriel told Mary, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

But what if God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want him to?

The worst thing we can do

If you had a child with cancer and your oncologist could cure her but chose not to, your outrage would obviously be justified. If God does not stop this hurricane from devastating cities along the Carolina coast, many will wonder why.

We could blame the Fall since our sin led to a broken world with hurricanes and other disasters (Romans 8:22). But God parted the Red Sea, stopped the flooded Jordan river, and calmed the stormy Sea of Galilee–all miracles that occurred in our fallen world.

We could blame the victims, remembering that God used natural disasters to judge the sins of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. But he sent Moses to warn them before the plagues began; I know of no prophetic warnings issued to those in North and South Carolina. Nor am I aware of any unique sinfulness that would make them a special target for divine judgment.

Continue reading Denison Forum – “A beast like no other” →

The “Tower of Voices” is a Shanksville, Pennsylvania, monument housing forty wind chimes. According to the US National Park Service, the “intent is to create a set of 40 tones that can signify through consonance the serenity and nobility of the site while also through dissonance recalling the event that consecrated the site.”

“The event that consecrated the site” was the crash of United Flight 93 seventeen years ago. The monument is ninety-three feet tall to commemorate the flight number. The forty wind chimes give voice to the forty passengers and crew who died heroically that day.

Park Superintendent Stephen Clark: “Together their voices will ring out into perpetuity.”

“Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst”

I did an internet search for “9/11” and 269 million results appeared this morning. Seventeen years later, it is still difficult to find words appropriate to the horror of that day.

Many years ago, I stood beneath the Twin Towers and marveled at their magnificent height. It never occurred to me that they could be destroyed. In some ways, it still seems surreal–the jets crashing into the Towers and the Pentagon, the flames, the mass destruction. The heroes of Flight 93 who caused the plane to crash before it could attack the terrorists’ target, presumably the White House or Congress.

Continue reading Denison Forum – “Tower of Voices” offers stirring 9/11 tribute →

Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger was charged last night with manslaughter in a tragedy that has gripped our city. Botham Jean, a twenty-six-year-old Dallas resident, was killed when Guyger entered his apartment, apparently by mistake, and shot him.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said that Jean’s death meant the loss of “a potential leader for this city for years to come.” Jean worked with PricewaterhouseCoopers in downtown Dallas and led worship in his church.

In other news, five people were wounded in a Tennessee nightclub shooting early this morning. Seven people were injured in a knife attack in Paris last night. An Australian man has been charged with murdering his three young daughters, their mother, and their grandmother.

And the National Hurricane Center announced this morning that Hurricane Florence poses “an increasing risk of life-threatening impacts” to the East Coast. South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia have already declared a state of emergency.

Are you “almost anxious”?

For those of us who follow the news, it’s not surprising that more Americans than ever before are stressed, depressed, and anxiety-ridden. Nearly forty million Americans experience an anxiety disorder in any given year. Anxiety disorders are the most common and pervasive mental disorders in the US.

Some people struggle with anxiety on a level that becomes a barrier to their enjoyment of life, a condition known as being “almost anxious.” Others struggle with more serious issues that develop into debilitating anxiety disorders. Such people need to seek the help of medical and counseling professionals.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Dallas police officer charged with manslaughter →

I’ve never seen this much furor caused by an op-ed, much less one whose author we don’t know. But that’s partly the point.

The New York Times chose on Wednesday to publish an op-ed from what it called a “senior official” in the White House who makes extremely disparaging claims against President Trump. Speculation regarding the identity of the writer has escalated in the days since.

Some think Vice President Mike Pence is the writer. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had to deny authorship. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called on the “coward” who wrote the piece to “do the right thing and resign.”

Many are focusing on the truth or falsity of the writer’s defamatory descriptions of the Trump White House. Others are working to identify the author. Here’s a question I’ve not seen debated: Why did the Times choose to publish the op-ed in the first place?

The Times editor who made the decision has said, “We felt it was a very strong piece written by someone who had something important to say and who’s speaking from a place of their own sense of personal ethics and conscience. That was our main focus.”

But it’s worth asking whether the liberal New York Times would have made the same decision if the op-ed had been written about Barack Obama when he was in the Oval Office. Or whether Fox News would have published last Wednesday’s op-ed, given the opportunity.

The danger of confirmation bias

According to one psychologist, “confirmation bias” occurs when we have formed a view and then “embrace information that confirms that view while ignoring, or rejecting, information that casts doubt on it.” Such bias is obvious every day in the media. We should not be surprised that liberal and conservative commentators are reacting according to their previous opinions of the president.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why did The New York Times run an anonymous op-ed? →

Only five players in the NFL are more popular than Peyton Manning. This despite the fact that Manning has not played in the NFL since 2016.

According to sports columnist Dan Wetzel, the league’s TV ratings have dropped in part because no current players can match Manning’s cultural presence. In addition to a career destined for the Hall of Fame and two Super Bowl victories, Manning hosted Saturday Night Live and appeared on The Simpsons, American Idol, The Tonight Show, Live! with Kelly, and Fox News Sunday, among others.

Wetzel notes: “Just consider the breadth of those audiences.”

Manning is in the news again today for supporting a lung transplant patient and delivering new equipment to a middle school football team. His popularity continues unabated, in large part due to his generosity.

Likeability may be the most critical factor in success today. The research on this subject is compelling.

A Columbia University study discovered that popularity is the most important key to workplace advancement. Doctors have been found to give more time to patients they like than those they don’t. One study showed that children with likable parents received better health care.

“Great crowds followed him”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why the NFL misses Peyton Manning →

“I’ve covered five other Supreme Court confirmation hearings. None of them included anything like the chaos in the opening minutes of the Kavanaugh hearings this morning.”

This was New York Times legal reporter Adam Liptak’s response to the beginning of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s hearings yesterday. Today’s Washington Post reports that dozens of protesters were arrested; one senator complained of “mob rule” as the hearings began.

In other controversial news, Nike announced that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be featured in its new advertising campaign. The company’s stock fell more than 3 percent on the news and some burned their Nike apparel in protest. Others applauded the company for its decision; some are calling Kaepernick “the face of the new civil rights movement.”

“You have wrapped yourself in a cloud”

As our society becomes more divided and divisive, Christians are tempted to withdraw from the acrimonious “culture wars.” The more secular our culture becomes, the more absent God seems.

But this is a self-fulfilling prophecy, like a horoscope that predicts the bad day its reader then expects and thus experiences. The less we look for God, the less we see him. And the less we see him, the less we look for him.

This cycle extends to our prayers as well.

The book of Lamentations describes its author’s grief over the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple in 586 BC. By chapter 3, the author’s mourning for his nation has affected his intercession.

Continue reading Denison Forum – “Mob rule” as Kavanaugh hearings begin →

Labor Day is filled with paradoxes.

Begin with the name. We honor America’s 160 million laborers by giving them a day free from labor, then we call their holiday “Labor Day.”

However, the name is unfortunately appropriate for our largest labor group: retail employees. They will have one of their longest workdays today as Americans flood into stores for Labor Day sales.

Labor Day could have led to a four-day weekend, but Congress intervened. The first Labor Day was on a Tuesday in 1882. In 1894, Congress moved the holiday to the first Monday in September. When you go back to work tomorrow, blame them.

God “will neither slumber nor sleep”

The good news is that the Lord doesn’t need a Labor Day. Scripture consistently proclaims the omnipotence of the One who “will neither slumber nor sleep” (Psalm 121:4).

We can respond to God’s work in the world in three ways.

We can ignore him. We can separate Sunday from Monday, the “spiritual” from “secular,” religion from the “real world.” This is what millions of people who attended church services yesterday will do tomorrow. They see no overlap between their worship and their work. Of course, they forfeit the guidance and empowering of our omniscient, omnipotent Lord.

We can oppose him. We can actively reject his word and will, choosing to be our own God (Genesis 3:5) and working against his kingdom on earth. Of course, no one, from the devil (Revelation 12:7-9) to the most depraved human (Matthew 8:28-32), can defeat the only King of the universe.

We can work as he works. We can join him as he extends his kingdom on earth, using our influence and resources as his Spirit leads and empowers us. This is the only way to redeem our work for eternity and leave a legacy that matters.

How do we join God at work?

“Something greater than ourselves” Continue reading Denison Forum – Why Labor Day isn’t a four-day weekend →

America will bid one of its great heroes farewell this weekend.

John McCain’s body lies in state inside the US Capitol Rotunda today, where his Senate colleagues and staff will conduct a memorial service at 11 a.m. The public can then pay their respects from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tomorrow, a televised funeral service in the Washington National Cathedral will begin at 10 a.m. On Sunday, his body will be laid to rest in a private ceremony at the US Naval Academy.

Much will be said about McCain’s heroism as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, his lifelong commitment to serving the nation he loved, and his passionate devotion to his family and friends. Longtime colleagues in Washington will tell personal stories and pay tribute to his life and legacy.

One dimension of John McCain’s life that has not received as much media attention is his personal faith in Jesus.

“It means I’m saved and forgiven”

McCain attended an Episcopal high school in Virginia, where he participated in chapel each morning and on Sunday evenings. There he began reading Scripture and learned to quote from God’s word at great length.

However, his faith became personal when his plane was shot down over Hanoi and he spent the next five and a half years as a prisoner of war, two of them in solitary confinement. He has written that during that time he prayed “more often and more fervently than I ever had as a free man.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – The transforming faith of John McCain →

Andrew Stoecklein was married to Kayla and father of their three small boys. He was also pastor of a thriving megachurch in California.

Last Saturday, he took his own life.

His wife has now posted a remarkable tribute to her husband. I hope you’ll read it in its entirety. She closes: “Until we meet again I will cling to my Father in heaven. He will carry me through every second, every minute, every hour of every day.” She continues to say of God, “He has got this.”

Why do you need to trust your Father’s sovereignty today?

A message from a 120-year-old chapel

I was walking in our neighborhood recently and passed a wooden chapel built in the 1890s. A nearby cemetery houses the remains of Civil War veterans. Over the chapel stood the moon, estimated by scientists to be 4.53 billion years old. In front of me was the morning sunrise.

This thought occurred to me: God is sovereign over all of this.

He was sovereign when this chapel was constructed 120 years ago. It witnessed World War I, in which my grandfather fought and during which his family despaired of his life. It witnessed World War II, in which my father fought and during which his family despaired of his life.

It witnessed the Cold War, during which I participated as a child in bomb drills in case we were attacked. It witnessed the Vietnam War, during which I had friends whose brothers fought in the jungles of Southeast Asia.

It witnessed 9/11, the most horrific terror attack in American history. It witnessed the Great Depression and the Great Recession. During each period of great calamity, Christians came to worship in that wooden chapel in the belief that their God was sovereign. And they were right.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Wife of pastor who committed suicide posts message to him →

Today is John Sidney McCain III’s birthday. The war hero, longtime senator, and presidential candidate would have been eighty-two years old.

His body is lying in state in the Arizona state capitol today. A private service will be held at 10 a.m., then the public can pay their respects beginning at 2 p.m. local time.

Tomorrow, a memorial service will be held at North Phoenix Baptist Church, his home congregation. The event will be livestreamed on McCain’s website.

Friday, McCain’s body will lie in state inside the US Capitol Rotunda. Only thirty other people in US history have been so honored. His Senate colleagues and staff will honor him in an 11:00 a.m. ceremony, then members of the public will pay their respects from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

On Saturday, a televised funeral service will begin at 10 a.m. in the Washington National Cathedral. At McCain’s request, former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama will deliver eulogies. On Sunday, McCain’s family will hold a private service at the US Naval Academy before laying his body to rest at the academy’s cemetery.

What explains John McCain’s abiding popularity across our land?

One: He put principles before politics

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called McCain “a great American patriot, a statesman who put his country first and enriched this institution through many years of service.” Such praise from a leader of his own political party is unsurprising.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Three facts explain John McCain’s popularity →

1. J. Watt has been named NFL Player of the Year and voted numerous times to the Pro Bowl. He is one of the most dominant defensive players in professional football.

But what he’s done off the field in response to the devastation of Hurricane Harvey has made the greatest impact. It all started with an Instagram video he posted on August 27, 2017:

“I want to start a fundraiser. Because I know that these recovery efforts are going to be massive. I know that there’s going to be a whole bunch of people that we need to help get back on their feet. Whatever you can donate, please donate to help these people out.”

Watt set up a page on YouCaring.com with a $200,000 goal, then donated $100,000 to start the effort. To this point, $41.6 million has been given, making it the largest crowd-sourced fundraiser in history.

On the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, the funds raised by J. J. Watt are continuing to rebuild the city and help the people he loves.

Good news in the news

President Trump announced yesterday that a bilateral trade deal has been reached with Mexico. The Dow Jones gained 259 points and the Nasdaq closed above 8,000. And NASA determined that an asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza will miss our planet by three million miles.

That’s the good news in the news.

Meanwhile, the Jacksonville shooting victims have been identified as a father and an ex-high school football player. The Los Angeles Coroner’s Office announced yesterday that actor Jackson Odell, who passed away two months ago at the age of twenty, died of an accidental drug overdose. And the pope continues to face questions about the ongoing clergy abuse scandal.

The persistence of bad news calls for persistence from those who would make good news. As J. J. Watt reminds us, the need goes on long after the headlines stop.

There are three life principles here for followers of Jesus.

One: If God has called you to do something, do it until it is done.

Watt provided an update yesterday on his relief efforts in Houston. More than six hundred homes and 420 childhood centers have been rebuilt. More than twenty-six million meals have been distributed to families affected by the tragedy, and more than ten thousand patients have received medication.

Watt stated: “While a great deal has been accomplished in the past 12 months, there is still much work to be done. Moving forward, there will be more of the same, as we continue to work with our incredible nonprofit partners to provide as much help and support as we possibly can for those affected by Harvey.”

God’s word instructs us: “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). In my pastoral experience, those who need help the most are often suspicious of those who offer to provide it, assuming they will fail to follow through on their promises.

It’s the second month which proves that commitments made in the first month were sincere. And it’s the ongoing commitment to service that often leads people to trust the Lord we serve.

Where is God calling you to persevere in serving others today?

Two: To maximize your impact, maximize your influence.

1. J. Watt’s salary for 2018 is $11 million. Obviously, he could donate a significant amount to hurricane recovery efforts. But by maximizing his cultural influence as an NFL star, he was able to raise much more money and mobilize much more engagement.

The Lord chose Paul, who grew up in a Gentile city, to be his apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). He chose Peter, Jesus’ lead disciple, to lead the church to admit Gentiles (Acts 11:1–18).

God has entrusted you with a platform of influence as well. What are your spiritual gifts? What education, experience, and other resources do you bring to your Kingdom assignment?
How can you maximize your relationships and influence for Jesus?

Three: Seek the Spirit’s direction, then follow his lead.

Your Father wants you to be with him in heaven so much that he sent his Son to die for your sins (Romans 5:8). And yet, he has left you on this broken, fallen planet for at least another morning. The reason is simple: he has more for you to do.

His word is clear: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another” (1 Peter 4:10). There are people you can influence uniquely. Every sunrise is God’s invitation to a life of significance through service.

In his statement on the anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, J. J. Watt noted: “The memories of destruction and devastation remain, but they are accompanied by memories of hope, selflessness and the beauty of the human spirit.”

What memories will you make for someone in need today?

Denison Forum

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Oregon yesterday.

The earthquake followed an intense week of seismic activity in which the “Ring of Fire” was rocked by sixty-nine quakes in just forty-eight hours. (The “Ring of Fire” stretches 25,000 miles clockwise around the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand to the southern part of South America.)

Whenever such seismic activity occurs in the region, journalists speculate that the “Big One” may be coming. This is a reference to an earthquake of 8-magnitude or higher that is expected to occur along the San Andreas Fault. Such a quake could strike San Francisco, Los Angeles, or other populated areas on the West Coast.

Seismologists say we’re overdue for such a disaster. One states, “There is a 99.9% chance that there will be a damaging quake (magnitude greater than or equal to 6.7) somewhere in California in the next 30 years.”

“The whole world lies in the power of the evil one”

If you don’t live along the California coast and think such warnings are irrelevant to you, consider these facts:

• Storms such as the Category 4 hurricane that threatens Hawaii today kill an estimated ten thousand people each year.
• Every state in America is at risk from tornadoes.
• Wildfires have burned more than 5.6 million acres so far this year.
• Floods cause $6 billion in damage annually in our country.

I live in Dallas, Texas, where we are at risk from everything on the list. Are you exempt from natural disasters where you live?

When such tragedies strike, people always want to know why the God who made our planet allows such calamities to afflict his creation. We can respond with the fact that our world is broken as a result of sin (Romans 8:22), remembering that there were no natural disasters in the Garden of Eden. We can also point out that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19), an enemy who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10).

But the skeptic is likely to counter: Why didn’t the God who calmed the stormy Sea of Galilee prevent the disaster that affected me? If he’s more powerful than Satan, why does he let Satan harm us? If “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8), why does he allow tragedies that his omnipotence could prevent?

The bottom line is that God’s ways are higher than my ways, and his thoughts are higher than my thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). If my mind could understand the Lord’s mind, either I would be God or he would not be.

But I do know one way he redeems natural disasters. It’s a life principle we can begin using today, whether the “Big One” is coming tomorrow or not.

“O God, you are my God”

Psalm 63 finds David “in the wilderness of Judah,” according to its inscription. We know of two times he was in this barren area: when he was hiding from King Saul and when he was fleeing from his son Absalom. The fact that David refers to himself as “the king” in verse 11 makes the latter calamity the more likely setting.

Imagine that you are an elderly man, running for your life from your own son. You’re in the desert with no circumstantial reason to believe you will ever return to your throne or even survive the night.

How do you respond to the God who allowed this calamity?

David prays: “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (v. 1). He can seek God in the present because he has experienced his omnipotence in the past: “So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory” (v. 2).

His past experiences with God’s greatness empower him to trust the Lord with his future fears: “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands” (vv. 3-4).

Note the pattern: Seek God in the present by remembering his goodness in the past and trusting him for the future. When we make disaster an invitation to faith and worship, others see our trust in our Father and are drawn to him. Such confidence may be our most powerful witness to a skeptical culture.

Consider an example.

#StandWithTheBible

Evangelist Greg Laurie recently concluded the twenty-ninth annual Southern California Harvest Crusade. This year’s event became controversial when a real estate company removed the campaign’s billboards from two malls, claiming that it received complaints and a “serious threat” about the billboards’ depiction of Laurie holding a Bible.

In response, Laurie staged the #StandWithTheBible campaign, encouraging Christians to take photos or videos of themselves holding a Bible and post them on social media. He also urged attendees to bring Bibles and hold them up each night.

The weekend crusade saw 100,000 people in attendance, 74,300 webcast views, and 267,800 Facebook Live views. More than nine thousand people made professions of faith in Christ.

What the enemy means for evil, God uses for good (Genesis 50:20). This fact doesn’t explain disasters, but it redeems them in ways that far outlive the temporal calamities of this broken planet.

I don’t know if the “Big One” will hit tomorrow or ten generations from tomorrow. But I do know that we have only this day to be ready. And I know that the best way to be ready is to say with David, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you.”

Are you “earnestly” seeking God today?

NOTE:  In a world growing more openly hostile toward Christian values and beliefs, we must know how to “make a defense to anyone who asks.”

My prayer is that the new and just released volume 2 of Biblical Insight to Tough Questions can help with that. I’d like to send it to you to thank you for your gift and to help you “speak the truth in love” to tough questions.

I hope volume 2 will help you grow your faith and encourage you to engage culture with truth. To receive your copy, please click here.

Denison Forum

A plane landed without front wheels after gear failure. Flames ignited on contact. However, the pilot was able to bring the plane safely to a stop. All fifty-nine passengers and five crew members were unharmed.

This incident last Sunday in Peru underscores the intrinsic value of human beings. If the plane had been a test drone, its emergency landing would have generated little interest. But when a passenger plane nearly kills scores of humans, other humans instinctively take notice.

Meanwhile, the body of twenty-year-old missing Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts was discovered yesterday. An illegal immigrant has confessed to killing her. We grieve viscerally the tragic death of one so young.

In other news, Paul Manafort was found guilty yesterday on eight counts in his fraud trial. Whatever we think of the verdict, we should note that a system of jury trial by our peers reflects an intrinsic belief in the value of our peers.

“America’s birth certificate”

Each summer, my wife and I try to visit an area with a unique history. This year, we chose Philadelphia.

We visited the Liberty Bell and noted its iconic message from Leviticus 25:10, “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof.” We stood inside Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were ratified.

We visited the home of Betsy Ross and museums dedicated to aspects of colonial history. We stood at the grave of Benjamin Franklin, one of the most brilliant of a generation of truly brilliant men and women.

But the most moving experience for me personally was one few tourists shared with us.

We made our way to Declaration House, where we climbed the stairs to the second floor. There we stood outside the parlor that Thomas Jefferson rented in 1776. It was here that he wrote the Declaration of Independence.

This iconic document has been called “America’s birth certificate.”

“The only nation founded on a creed”

Jefferson declared: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” As a result, he added, governments “are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

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