Four reasons to trust Jesus at all costs

A man clad in a tactical vest and carrying an AR-15-style rifle and a semiautomatic handgun opened fire on a Michigan church last Sunday. CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, about twenty-five miles west of Detroit, was filled with children attending Vacation Bible School at the time.

The gunman exited his vehicle, began shouting, and started firing at the church building. A parishioner then struck him with a pickup truck as the gunman fired repeatedly at it. Two church employees then opened fire on the man, killing him.

The chief of police said, “We are grateful for the heroic actions of the church’s staff members, who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting.” According to police, the shooter’s mother is a member of the church; he had attended church services two or three times in the last year.

Why our church hired security

For the first fifteen years I served as a pastor, worship centers were thought to be “sanctuaries.” Then came the 1999 shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, when a gunman entered the church during a concert and killed seven people, wounding seven others before committing suicide.

Most of the victims were teenagers. If they had lived, presumably, they would be parents today. As it is, their parents have grieved their loss every day from that day to today.

One result of the shooting for many of us was an immediate pivot to heighten security on our campuses. The church I pastored engaged off-duty police officers to stand at the entrances to our sanctuary and patrol our campus during events. Their presence, while offering a significant measure of comfort and security, also reminded us that no place in this fallen world is truly safe.

The shooting in Wayne brings all of that back for me today. And it causes me to wonder if I sat beside someone in church last Sunday who could endanger us all next Sunday. The question is as relevant to you as it is to me.

The most persecuted religion in the world

On one level, we can understand why church gatherings would be targets for terrorism. A group of people in a building with multiple entrances will obviously be vulnerable.

On another level, however, we might presume that no place should be safer than a church where people gather to worship and serve the living Lord of the universe. We are clearly in his will in doing so (cf. Hebrews 10:25). And, as pastors often say, “The safest place in all the world to be is the will of God.”

But the Bible nowhere makes this promise, at least in the way it is often understood.

Of Jesus’ twelve apostles, only John avoided martyrdom, and he was exiled on the prison island of Patmos. Christianity remains the most persecuted religion in the world.

This makes tragic but logical sense: if our enemy is a “murderer from the beginning” (John 8:44), why would we not expect him to attack those who follow our Lord most closely? The deeper our commitment to Christ, the more of a threat to Satan we become.

This is why Jesus told us, “In the world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). The reason is simple: “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).

Four reasons to trust Jesus at all costs

Why, then, should we trust Jesus with our lives and our future, especially knowing that such faith could come at such a cost?

One: Faith in Christ positions us to experience his best for us. Jesus promised, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11). Our faith does not earn God’s blessing—it enables us to receive his grace.

Two: When people misuse their freedom by attacking us, our Lord sometimes intervenes to protect us (cf. Acts 12:6-11; Isaiah 54:17). The more we rely on him, the more we enable his Spirit to act in our lives (cf. Ephesians 5:18).

Three: When God does not intervene, he redeems our suffering and even our death for his glory and our ultimate good (cf. Romans 8:18). Paul testified, “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).

Four: When we place our lives in God’s hands, our circumstances cannot steal his peace. The prophet testified, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). He therefore encouraged us, “Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock” (v. 4).

An electric chair atop a steeple

We can choose not to follow Jesus out of fear of opposition and persecution, or we can choose to follow our Savior and trust the consequences to him. What we cannot choose is a world without suffering and eventual death. That option is not available to us.

As St. Augustine noted, “God had one Son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering.”

It is worth noting that while other religions are represented by symbols such as a star, a crescent, and a wheel, ours is represented by an actual instrument used to execute its victims. Imagine erecting an electric chair atop a steeple or wearing as jewelry a needle used for lethal injections.

But I would rather suffer for an eternal purpose than serve a transitory purpose without suffering.

Wouldn’t you?

 

Denison Forum

 

Today’s news shows the difference a day can make.

Yesterday, Iran launched fourteen missiles at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, America’s largest military installation in the Middle East. Iran stated that this was equal to the number of bombs the US used in its strike on Saturday. Qatari air defenses intercepted all but one missile, which caused no casualties. President Trump then thanked Iran for giving “early notice” on the retaliatory attack.

Then last night, President Trump announced on Truth Social “a Complete and total CEASEFIRE” between Israel and Iran. According to the president, the ceasefire would be phased in during the next twenty-four hours. Then, “upon the 24th Hour, an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World.”

Qatar reportedly helped broker the ceasefire by mediating talks with Iran. Israel agreed to the ceasefire on the condition that Iran stop attacking their country; Iran agreed to these terms.

This morning, the story changed yet again: Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said he had ordered the military to strike Tehran in response to what he said were missiles fired by Iran in violation of the ceasefire. According to the Israeli military, Iran fired at least three waves of missiles at Israel, killing at least four people. However, Iran denied violating the ceasefire, stating that there had not been any launch of missiles towards Israel in recent hours.

The difference two weeks can make

At this writing, it is obviously too soon to know how events of the last day will play out. The conflict could erupt again today. Hardliners in Iran could seize power and escalate aggression against Israel and the US. And Iran could be engaging in deceit as it has so often in the past.

Nonetheless, it is worth noting the impact of the last two weeks on world history.

Before Israel launched its surprise attacks on June 13, targeting key Iranian military and nuclear facilities, many doubted that the Jewish state would attempt such an audacious strategy. Analysts then warned that they did not have the capacity to destroy Iran’s hardened nuclear site at Fordow and questioned whether the US would use its Massive Ordnance Penetrators to do so.

Both Israel and the US risked massive repercussions: Iran could have closed the Strait of Hormuz, launched missiles and asymmetric attacks, activated sleeper cells across the West, and engaged in cyberattacks. They still could do all these things. As it is, the US was able to decimate Iran’s nuclear sites without the loss of a single American life. And while Iranian strikes have killed dozens of people in Israel, this is far fewer than the four thousand Israeli fatalities that had been feared when the conflict began.

The difference two years can make

Now let’s step back not two weeks but two years.

In the run-up to October 7, 2023, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar predicted the destruction of Israel at the hands of his organization. He was certain that this would fulfill the Quranic prediction that Israel’s enemies would “utterly destroy whatever would fall into their hands” (Qur’an 17:7).

In his article yesterday for the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg quoted Hassan Nasrallah, then the leader of Hezbollah, who made a similar statement in 2000: “This Israel, with its nuclear weapons and most advanced warplanes in the region, I swear by Allah, is actually weaker than a spider’s web . . . Israel may appear strong from the outside, but it’s easily destroyed and defeated.”

Instead, as Goldberg wrote:

The October 7 massacre Sinwar ordered did not cause the destruction of Israel but instead led to the dismantling of its enemies. Hamas is largely destroyed, and most of its leaders, including Sinwar, are dead, assassinated by Israel. Hezbollah, in Lebanon, is comprehensively weakened. Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, Iran’s main Arab ally, is in exile in Moscow, his country now led by Sunni Muslims hostile to Iran’s leaders. Iran’s skies are under the control of the Israeli Air Force, and its $500 billion nuclear program appears to be, at least partially, rubble and dust.

And Nasrallah was assassinated by Israel nine months ago.

The difference our intercession can make

Of all that could be said about these historic events, my calling as a philosopher leads me to ask “why.” Why were Sinwar and Nasrallah so convinced they would destroy Israel? And why was Iran so determined to use these proxies to this end?

As I have reported, Hamas and Hezbollah are adamant that “Palestine” is intended by Allah for the Palestinians and that Israel is a colonizing usurper that must be driven off the land. Iran’s leaders are similarly convinced that they are hastening the return of the Mahdi, their messiah, by attacking Israel and its supporters, and that Allah will help them advance their version of Islam.

The good news is that, as the last two years have shown, their ideology has failed them. The bad news is that, as welcome as recent events could be, events cannot defeat ideology.

This is where you and I come in.

Because Israel’s enemies are ultimately motivated by religious beliefs, this is ultimately a spiritual war. And when fighting a spiritual war against “the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12), we are to “stand firm” (v. 13) while “praying at all times in the Spirit” (v. 18). The pastor and cultural anthropologist Dr. Michael A. Youssef is right:

In these uncertain days, Christians around the world must unite in prayer. We easily forget that there are many Christian believers in Iran right now, suffering intense persecution. The war has also caused many Muslims in Iran and many Jews in Israel to become receptive to the Christian gospel. Pray that, in this time of war, God will open many hearts to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

To be specific, let’s unite today to pray for:

• A true, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East (Psalm 122:6–7).
• Believers in Iran “boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19).
• The conversion of Ali Khamenei and other Iranian leaders (cf. Acts 9:3–5).
• Spiritual awakening to advance across the Middle East and in the homeland of our Savior (cf. 2 Chronicles 7:13–14).
• Americans to place our hope ultimately in the “God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:6).

The pastor and author Jim Cymbala noted:

“The work of God can only be carried on by the power of God. The church is a spiritual organism fighting spiritual battles; only spiritual power can make it perform as God ordained.”

Will you “perform as God ordained” today?

Quote for the day:

“Intercession is the truly universal work for the Christian. No place is closed to intercessory prayer: no continent, no nation, no city, no organization, no office. No power on earth can keep intercession out.” —Richard Halverson

Our latest website resources:

• An update from Israel: Let my people sleep
• Israel vs. Iran, MAGA’s divide, AI warnings & the Pentagon Pizza Index
• Feud between NEEDTOBREATHE co-founders escalates: Praying for reconciliation between Bo and Bear Rinehart
• Five questions pastors should be asking
• What does the Bible say about transgenderism?

 

Denison Forum

 

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on the use of hormone therapy and puberty blockers for the treatment of transgender children. The case—United States v. Skrmetti—was brought before the court on the argument that the law was unconstitutional because it violated the rights of transgender youth to equal protection.

As Adam B. Kushner described in the New York Times, “the case was a legal and political gamble” that “was rooted in uncertain science and contested ideas about sex and gender.” Yet, despite the risks, the groups advocating for the continued medical treatment of transgender kids believed support from the government (the case was originally contested under the Biden administration), public opinion, and recent rulings was enough to buoy their case.

They were wrong, and the potential implications could stretch well beyond the state of Tennessee.

Still, with a ruling this controversial, it’s important to distinguish between what’s been reported in the headlines—which largely described the decision as some form of a major setback for transgender rights—and what the Court actually said. To that end, let’s take a closer look at their decision:

• While the final 6–3 decision fell along ideological lines, the court did not take the matter lightly. As Chief Justice John Roberts noted, “This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field.”
• Roberts later added, “Our role is not ‘to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic’ of the law before us, but only to ensure that it does not violate the equal protection guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment. Having concluded that it does not, we leave questions regarding its policy to the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process.”
• By contrast, the three dissenting judges stated that the ruling “abandons transgender children and their families to political whims.” Justice Sonia Sotomayor went on to write that the decision “authorizes, without second thought, untold harm to transgender children and the parents and families who love them.”
• Despite such claims, it’s important to note that the court was fairly narrow in its ruling. States that decide children should be allowed to use puberty blockers and hormone therapies are still free to do so. It is only in states that have banned the practice that they are now confirmed to be illegal.

So, where does this fight go from here? And, as Christians, how should we respond?

“An area of remarkably weak evidence”

While there is some thought that the Court’s ruling will be used as grounds to push for greater restrictions on transgender adults who want to receive these treatments as well, that seems unlikely. Most Americans tend to be far more willing to let adults live how they want while drawing a much tighter line when it comes to kids. And that is especially true when the science behind that push is far more suspect than trans advocates would like you to believe.

In Nicholas Confessore’s article on the case and his extensive research into how the trans movement has shifted over the years, he makes the point that most of the reports used to support the benefits of transition treatments on kids were deeply flawed and fall well short of the standards used in most other fields of study.

Countries like the Netherlands, Britain, and others that were on the front lines of that push a decade ago have since denounced the treatments as “an area of remarkably weak evidence.” And the lawyers who argued for the continuation of care before the Court were forced to admit as much during the trial.

To make matters worse, many of those who continue to support hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and even surgery for minors know all of that and have worked hard to hide the evidence.

A 2020 report commissioned by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and completed by Karen Robinson—an epidemiologist and evidence-based medicine expert at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine—was kept out of scientific journals by the very organization that paid for it. Robinson’s team found “little to no evidence” that children and adolescents were helped by the treatments but stated that WPATH tried “to restrict our ability to publish” the reports.

Moreover, Rachel Levine—the Assistant Secretary for Health at the time—pressured WPATH to adjust the report’s recommendations on the age at which children should receive treatment, arguing that placing limitations would “result in devastating legislation for trans care.” Many in the Biden White House were reportedly “blindsided” by the request, but continued to support treatment as a viable option.

Unfortunately, that inability to let go of what they wanted to be true in order to accept what actually is true is hardly limited to the previous administration or the issue of transgenderism.

Finding your blind spots

Winston Churchill once quipped about a political opponent that “Occasionally he stumbled over the truth but hastily picked himself up and hurried on as if nothing had happened.” The same could be said of many in our culture today, Christians included.

And that shouldn’t really come as a surprise. After all, people have been struggling with the temptation to prioritize preferred beliefs over the truth since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).

It would be little more than hubris to think we have somehow outgrown or matured beyond that sin. If anything, the wealth of information at our disposal just makes it that much easier to find evidence to support any argument, regardless of how accurate that evidence is. However, recognizing that tendency in us is crucial if we want to follow Jesus well.

In the Gospels, for example, many of the religious leaders with whom Christ often quarreled seem to have been genuinely convinced that standing against Jesus was the best way to serve the Lord. They denounced his teachings because what he said went against how they had come to understand Scripture. That the one interpreting and applying God’s word for them was the actual Word made flesh was simply outside the boundaries of what they were willing to consider (John 1:1–3).

But while their mistake is plain for us to see, it’s often far more difficult to spot the lies we’ve chosen to believe in our own lives.

On the issue of transgenderism, the Bible is clear that we should show compassion for those struggling with gender dysphoria but never compromise on the truth that God created two sexes and intends for us to live in accordance with that reality. As such, many of the treatments that attempt to use a physical solution to fix a largely mental problem are not only wrong but often ignore the deeper issues. We can stand with confidence on that assertion because we are standing on the truth of Scripture as our foundation.

Although Scripture is not always so clear on many of the subjects debated within our culture today, starting with the Bible and prayerfully seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance will always be the best place to start and the only sure foundation we can find. God will often use common sense, experience, and a host of other factors to help us understand what’s true, but they should always be measured against what we find in his word.

So, where are your blind spots today? Do you know in which subjects or arguments you are most prone to favoring what you wish were true over what actually is true? Conversely, are there any topics about which you are more certain than Scripture gives you reason to be?

Take some time to ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern the real answers to those questions. Then commit to relying on God’s guidance to navigate those areas with the kind of confident humility that can only come from the Lord.

Let’s start today.

Quote of the day:

“It is easier to find a score of men wise enough to discover the truth than to find one intrepid enough, in the face of opposition, to stand up for it.” —A. A. Hodge

Our latest website resources:

• What does the Bible say about transgenderism?
• Feud between NEEDTOBREATHE co-founders escalates
• Five questions pastors should be asking
• Israel vs Iran, MAGA’s divide, AI warnings & the Pentagon Pizza Index | CB Ep. 24
• An update from Israel: Let my people sleep

 

Denison Forum

 

Praying for reconciliation between Bo and Bear Rinehart

Late last week, NEEDTOBREATHE’s co-founder and former guitarist Bo Rinehart accused his older brother Bear, the band’s lead singer, of “physical, emotional, and sexual abuse” in an Instagram post. Bo also alleged sexual abuse by a counselor at his father’s church camp, and admitted to struggles with alcoholism.

Bear responded Saturday, calling the accusation “deeply painful” and “wildly misleading,” and revealing that both he and Bo were sexually abused by a teenage counselor at their father’s church camp when they were eight and six years old. Bear had previously remained private about the abuse, but spoke up “to protect my family from claims that misrepresent the truth.”

Coming not long after former Newsboys frontman Michael Tait admitted to sexually assaulting several young men, these allegations are the latest scandal in the Christian music world and mark another heartbreaking chapter in the sexual abuse scandals that have shaken the American church in recent years. They also highlight the tragic role social media plays in disputes, and our desperate need for reconciliation with one another.

A tale of two brothers

Bo and Bear Rinehart were raised by a missionary family at a church camp in Possum Kingdom, South Carolina. In a 2017 Forbes interview, Bo recalled “competing at everything” with his older brother, with whom he shared a deep love for music.

The Rinehart brothers formed NEEDTOBREATHE in 1998 while attending Furman University in South Carolina. For many years, their rivalry was the driving force behind the band’s creative endeavors, with each brother trying to outdo the other.

However, by the time NEEDTOBREATHE was recording their fifth album, 2015’s Rivers in the Wasteland, the rivalry had become toxic, even leading to blows. The brothers considered dissolving the band, but ultimately reconciled, writing the song “Brother,” which would become one of NEEDTOBREATHE’s biggest hits. Bo remained with the band for five more years before departing in 2020.

After his departure, Bo began working through substance abuse issues, as well as trauma from childhood sexual abuse. In 2023, he told People Magazine that this abuse occurred between the ages of six and sixteen at the hands of three different people.

Prior to his statement Saturday, Bear had not shared publicly about the abuse he experienced, choosing to remain private about it in order to protect his three young sons.

Five years ago, Bear and Bo participated in an intensive counseling session related to the abuse and left “with an understanding that we were two young boys trying to cope with the unimaginable.” Last week’s controversy thrust both brothers’ history of sexual abuse into the spotlight, subjecting it to intense online speculation.

Trial by social media

One of the most tragic aspects of this controversy is that two men’s childhood trauma became fodder for an online gossip mill. Shortly after the initial post, many social media users took sides, targeting both men with hateful remarks before Bear ultimately disabled comments on his Instagram account.

It’s impossible for us to know what truly happened between the brothers, but when discussing other people’s struggles, Scripture warns us against “foolish talk” (Ephesians 5:4) and urges us only to speak that “which is good for building others up” (Ephesians 4:29). Gossip harms those we are supposed to love. In this case, it added to the pain of the Rinehart brothers’ estrangement, making the restoration of their relationship more challenging than ever.

In an age of trial by social media, where private disputes can easily become public feuds, Jesus encourages us to seek reconciliation privately if we can, both with those who have wronged us and those we have wronged. “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,” Jesus told his disciples, “leave your gift before the altar” and “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:23-24).

When people wrong us, Jesus commands us to seek restoration, first one-on-one, then with other church members, with public escalation within the church as a last resort (Matthew 18:15-17). Just as God sent Jesus to reconcile us to himself (2 Corinthians 5:18), so we too ought to seek peace with one another rather than repaying “evil for evil” (Romans 12:17).

Of course, healing may not always be possible on this side of heaven. We live in a broken world, and we are all broken people. Nevertheless, it is something we are always commanded to seek.

“If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all,” Paul wrote in Romans 12:18. As Christians, we must always hold our hands out to those we are estranged from, even if they do not share our desire to be reconciled.

“A reconciliation only God can provide”

Bear concluded his statement by saying, “Even after all of this, I am still hopeful for a reconciliation someday with my brother that I know only God can provide.”

We serve a God who is “able to do abundantly more than all we could ask or imagine,” including restoring the most broken relationships (Ephesians 3:20). Reconciliation is a powerful image of God’s transforming grace, and we should never stop hoping or praying for it.

Today, pray for the Rinehart brothers and for those in your life in need of reconciliation.

Ask God to show you whom he wants you to be reconciled to, and ask him to guide you as you seek “to live at peace with all.” And when you have done everything in your power to pursue healing, trust God to bring the redemption that only he can.

 

 

Denison Forum

 

President Trump privately told senior aides late yesterday that he has approved attack plans against Iran but is holding off in the hope that threatening to join Israel’s strikes will lead Tehran to abandon its nuclear program. At issue is the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb (MOP) needed to blow up the Fordow nuclear facility, Iran’s fabled “nuclear mountain” buried half a mile deep. Fordow is believed to have some three thousand sophisticated centrifuges spinning constantly to produce the weapons-grade uranium needed to manufacture an atomic bomb. Israel does not possess weapons capable of penetrating the facility and destroying it.

But the US does.

Israel could disable Fordow by striking access points, ventilation shafts, and power supplies that would heavily impact the use of the facility. However, these could be repaired more quickly than direct damage to the facility. Israel could insert troops to invade Fordow and destroy it from within, but this would bring significant risks.

Or the US could join the conflict by using MOPs to destroy the facility. In response, however, Iran could attack our bases and Arab oil fields in the region, strangle oil shipping by closing the Strait of Hormuz, launch cyber attacks, and employ the Houthis to attack Red Sea shipping.

We are already sharing intelligence and helping intercept Iranian missiles and drones. However, there is something else we also need to share with Israel, a factor vital to our flourishing and future as a people.

They are the land, and the land is them

In his latest New York Times column, Thomas Friedman writes that Iran was delusional in thinking it could drive Israelis out of their biblical homeland. Deceived by the Marxist ideology that framed Israel as the “oppressors” and Iranians and Palestinians as the “oppressed,” they “kept referring to the Jewish state as a foreign colonial enterprise with no indigenous connection to the land.”

As a result, Iran’s leaders apparently believed the Jews would not risk war that could lead to significant loss of Israeli lives. If continually menaced by local proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas, they could eventually be forced off the land, removing the chief obstacle to Iran’s dominance of the Middle East.

On one level, I understand this reasoning. Across my many trips to the Holy Land, every Israeli I met spoke English, and many spoke several other languages as well. All could easily thrive elsewhere. This was part of Hamas’s October 7 strategy: to make life so intolerable in Israel that the people would abandon the nation. The issue was less that Israel’s enemies could defeat them in battle than that they could cause millions of Israelis to move away for the sake of their families and their futures.

Such a “war of attrition” was the only way Iran and its proxies could defeat a nuclear power with the military might of the Jewish state. But, as Friedman notes, they completely misunderstood Israel’s commitment to its biblical land.

I can attest to the depth and passion of this commitment even among Israel’s secular Jewish citizens. They care for the land in ways that surprise many Americans upon arrival. I have never seen a piece of trash on the ground in a Jewish neighborhood there. Every parcel of land that can be cultivated is cultivated. There is a pride of place that goes to their missional identity.

In many ways, they are the land, and the land is them.

“The insoluble problem of our national makeup”

In his First Things article, “Is America a Creedal Nation?”, author and strategist David P. Goldman compares Israel’s self-identity with the “national spirit” that led to America’s founding: “The vision of a new City on a Hill and a new Mission in the Wilderness, a manifestation of religious faith, inspired the personal sacrifice of the Founders. No other group of property-owners, free to publish their thoughts and practice their religion, ever took up arms in this way.”

In so doing, the Pilgrims and pioneers who first came to our shores appropriated biblical Israel’s self-identity as God’s chosen people on pilgrimage to their Promised Land. Like the Jews who first settled the Holy Land and those who recreated the modern State of Israel, theirs was a spiritual mission to forge a nation in which they would be free to worship God as they wished.

The 1734 First Great Awakening was essential to that founding, forging a national identity that was united in God’s providential purpose for their lives and future. After America won her independence, the 1792 Second Great Awakening helped preserve and advance this ethos.

That was then, this is now.

By imbibing and embracing the secularism of our day, our culture has abandoned the biblical orientation that empowered and impassioned our nation at its founding. As a result, Goldman says of our national culture: “It is obsessed with the individual’s journey to redemption, but that is a journey that can never be completed.”

He explains why:

No path leads to the Heavenly City from our present circumstances, and in our impatience and petulance, we confuse the mechanics of civil society with the plan of the Heavenly City. That is our chronic weakness and susceptibility, the insoluble problem of our national makeup.

If a wheel loses its hub

Despite deep political and cultural divisions, Israelis are united in confronting Iran’s existential threat to their land and future. By contrast, because secular Americans have largely abandoned any unifying commitment to a providential purpose for our nation, we have no transcendent mission. We are therefore fragmenting on every level, from abortion and sexual morality to partisan politics to healthcare to immigration.

If a bicycle wheel loses its hub, the longer it spins, the more its spokes will fragment and disintegrate.

Here we find another reason the gospel is so vital to our society. Early Christians came from fifteen different cultural groups (Acts 2:9–11), but they soon discovered that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).

Christianity was once the most unifying movement in human history. It can be again: the more we are “in Christ Jesus,” the more we are “one.”

If you put a chair in the center of a room, the closer everyone draws to the chair, the closer they draw to each other.

Now make that chair a throne. Who is on yours today?

Quote for the day:

“The correct perspective is to see following Christ not only as the necessity it is, but as the fulfillment of the highest human possibilities and as life on the highest plane.” —Dallas Willard

Our latest website resources:

• An update from Israel: Let my people sleep
• Israel vs. Iran, MAGA’s divide, AI warnings & the Pentagon Pizza Index
• “Our country’s second independence day”: Three steps toward racial justice and “enormous joy”
• What does the Bible say about transgenderism?
• What does science tell us about God?

 

Denison Forum

 

Six ways Iran threatens Americans today

President Donald Trump called yesterday for Iran’s unconditional surrender, though the end of its war with Israel does not appear to be in sight. If you’re wondering about Israel’s state of mind as the conflict enters a sixth day, consider this story: After an Israeli emerged from a shelter to find that an Iranian missile had destroyed his apartment, he urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv to keep up the attacks on Iran.

“It’s totally worth it,” he said. “This is for the sake of our children and grandchildren.” Other Israelis whose homes have been destroyed by Iranian missiles agreed. One said, “If we have a nuclear Iran, Israel can’t exist.”

Mr. Netanyahu told ABC News that what his country is doing is also in America’s interest:

Today, it’s Tel Aviv. Tomorrow, it’s New York. Look, I understand “America First.” I don’t understand “America Dead.” That’s what these people want. They chant “Death to America.” So we’re doing something that is in the service of mankind, of humanity, and it’s a battle of good against evil.

However, this “battle” doesn’t start with Israel. For multitudes of Iranians, it begins much closer to home.

 “I might not be alive to write these words”

Masih Alinejad is an Iranian-American journalist, author, and women’s rights activist. Time named her among its 2023 honorees for Women of the Year.

Her recent article for the Free Press begins:

I’ve spent four years of my life being hunted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. They sent agents to kidnap me from my home in New York. They hired assassins to kill me on American soil. They even followed me to Davos, Switzerland, where I had to be helicoptered out of my hotel.

If not for the FBI’s protection—and the more than twenty-one safe houses I have shuttled between over the past few years—I might not be alive to write these words.

She says of Iranian leaders killed so far, “For me and for the people of Iran, they are monsters who have impoverished and tyrannized our families. They are the ones who have made millions of people’s lives miserable, not just in Iran, but across the entire Middle East.”

In response to nationwide protests against the regime in 2022, the New York Times reported that more than three hundred Iranians were killed and thousands were injured. Hundreds suffered severe eye injuries inflicted by Iranian security forces. Two teenage girls were killed—one girl’s skull was smashed, the other’s head cracked by baton blows. They were given back to their families bruised and disfigured. They were both sixteen years old.

According to Alinejad, “The Islamic Republic built its empire of tyranny on blood: of protesters, dissidents, women, children. That empire is now cracking. The people of Iran are watching to see what will come next and hoping that the world is watching, too.”

“Tehran’s most dangerous option”

The way Iran’s dictators treat their own people and others in the region is indicative of the way they would treat Americans if given the opportunity. We are mistaken if we think this conflict cannot involve us directly. Consider six scenarios, in escalating order of geopolitical impact.

One: Iran could disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost a third of the world’s seaborne oil passes, or target energy facilities in neighboring Gulf states.

Two: They could retaliate against US support for Israel by targeting the forty thousand American troops stationed across the Middle East. In addition, some 280,000 Americans live in Israel and could become victims of Iranian aggression. Iran has already reportedly prepared missiles for strikes on American bases if the US joins Israel’s war.

Three: Iran already possesses large stockpiles of highly enriched uranium that could be dispersed in “dirty bombs” to cause widespread contamination. Such bombs could be used against Israel and Americans in the region.

Four: They could attack us at home. Andrew Roberts is the author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny (one of my favorite biographies of Mr. Churchill) and a Conservative member of the British House of Lords. In the Free Press, he warns:

Iranian terrorist sleeper cells will probably be activated in the West, such as the one plotting kidnappings and assassinations recently uncovered in London. The mullahs’ penchant for attacking soft civilian targets such as synagogues and cultural centers is well known, and indicative of their frustration and rage at their failure to devastate Israel due to the technical genius of her Iron Dome defenses.

Five: In what Foreign Affairs calls “Tehran’s most dangerous option,” the regime could try to make a “run to nuclear breakout,” using what resources it has left to create nuclear weapons. Since many of Iran’s nuclear facilities cannot be destroyed except by America’s Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), which requires our B2 stealth bomber, the US would then have to decide whether to intervene, a step the Trump administration is reportedly considering.

Six: Nuclear powers Russia, China, and North Korea are already aligned with Iran in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and have been supporting each other with military resources; China has also provided Iran with rocket fuel and aerospace components. If they join this growing conflict on Iran’s side, a regional battle could quickly escalate into a world war the US is in a precarious position to fight.

“God shows no partiality”

It is therefore vital that America’s Christians intercede as though this conflict directly involves us, because it soon could. Because “God shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34), he grieves every life lost in this conflict and all that preceded it. So should we.

Consequently, let’s pray urgently for:

• Iran’s leaders to repent of their murderous ideology and seek true peace for their people and the world (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
• Leaders in Israel and the West to respond in ways that do not exacerbate the conflict but bring lasting resolution (James 1:5).
• Protection for noncombatants on both sides (2 Samuel 22:2–4).
• God to redeem this crisis by using it to turn millions to the true Messiah in a spiritual awakening that would transform the Middle East (Ezekiel 36:26–28).

Francis of Assisi famously prayed,

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.”

Let’s join him on our knees today, to the glory of God.

Quote for the day:

“Christ alone can bring lasting peace—peace with God, peace among men and nations, and peace within our hearts.” —Billy Graham

Our latest website resources:

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• What does science tell us about God?
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• Newsboys frontman Michael Tait steps down: Sin, consequences, and repentance
• A single survivor of the Air India plane crash found: Choosing faith when faith is hard to choose

 

Denison Forum

 

Explaining the current conflict and praying for true peace

I remember being in a Tel Aviv hotel with a tour group when hostilities with Hamas in Gaza suddenly broke out. Our guides had to show us the location of the bomb shelters built into the foundation of the hotel (most Israeli hotels and public buildings have them). They explained how we were to access them and described the warning sirens that would alert us to do so. Fortunately, the night passed without incident, and the event became only a memory.

What was a possibility for us is now a reality for millions of Israelis today.

As you know, Israel has launched preemptive strikes on Iran for the purpose of deterring the Iranians from obtaining nuclear weapons that could be used against the Jewish state. Dr. Ryan Denison’s Daily Article explained well Israel’s motives in doing so: to keep Iran from continuing to develop such weapons under the guise of negotiations. They asserted that Iran had enough material to build fifteen nuclear bombs “within days,” prompting Israel’s intervention.

So, Israel’s purpose behind preventing Iranian nuclear missiles is clear. But why would Iran want such weapons? Why are they so opposed to Israel and the West?

And how can the answers inform our understanding of this burgeoning conflict and our intercession?

What is the history of the conflict?

Looking at a map, it would seem nonsensical that Iran, a country nearly four times larger than California, would want conflict with Israel, a country the size of New Jersey. The two do not share a border and do not compete for natural resources.

And while their religious differences explain much, conflict between a Muslim country and Israel is not inevitable. Israel has maintained a stable peace with Egypt since 1979 and Jordan since 1994. The recent Abraham Accords extended such relations to Sudan, Morocco, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.

What makes Iran different?

Israel and Iran were close allies from the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948 until the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Iran was the second Muslim-majority country to recognize Israel (after Turkey). However, this was under the dictatorship of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who ruled Iran as the Shah.

The CIA and the UK supported the 1953 coup that installed him in power; from that time, he relied heavily on the US to maintain his rule. The 1979 Iranian Revolution deposed him, and he was given refuge by the US for medical treatment, prompting the Iranian hostage crisis. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini immediately cut off all official relations with Israel, declaring it an “enemy of Islam” and the “Little Satan” (the US was designated the “Great Satan”).

Why does Iran hate Israel?

Iran’s aggression against Israel centers on three factors.

One: Iran’s Islamists consider Israel an illegitimate state that drove the Palestinians from their homeland. Since Islam views all Muslims as part of the “ummah” (the global Muslim community), this is seen as an attack on Islam requiring a defense of their faith and people (Qur’an 2:190).

Two: Iran views Israel as a proxy of Western colonialism. A Western-educated intellectual named Ali Shariati, inspired by Marxist ideology, divided the world into the oppressed (including Iran) and the oppressors (primarily the West). He then framed a revolutionary ideology to oust Iran’s pro-Western monarchy and “liberate” Iranians.

Shariati died before the 1979 revolution, but Khomeini capitalized on the popularity of his ideas. His ideology continues to drive Iran’s leaders in their aggression against Israel and the West in response to the West’s (perceived) aggression against them.

Three: Iran’s leaders believe that the Mahdi, their version of the Messiah, will appear to dominate the world for Islam only after the Muslim world destroys Israel. To the secular West, such a theological motive seems far-fetched and irrelevant, but for the Islamists ruling Iran, it is central to their identity and perceived future.

Why would Iran want nuclear weapons?

So, we can understand why Iran would sponsor aggression against Israel, particularly through its proxies in the Middle East. But why would it want to take the massive step of seeking nuclear weapons?

One: To deter aggression from Israel and the West. Iran’s leaders likely believe that possessing such weapons would prevent Israel from staging just the kind of attacks they launched last night.

Two: To protect and advance their proxies in the region. Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and other militant groups would be far more emboldened if they were protected by Iran’s nuclear shield and threat.

Three: To attack the Jewish state and hasten the return of the Mahdi. We would see such an attack as madness since it would undoubtedly prompt a response that would annihilate Iran. But if you believe that the Messiah would appear after such an attack to protect you from retribution, “mutually-assured destruction” is far less of a deterrent.

Why did Israel attack now?

These factors have been in play for many years. Why did Israel stage its attack on Iran’s nuclear capacities now?

One factor is the military. After Israel’s missile attack last October, Iran’s air defenses are significantly degraded, making the current attacks more effective. Hezbollah and Hamas do not currently pose a threat to Israel. If a military attempt to remove Iran’s nuclear threat is to be staged, now is a good time.

In addition, the International Atomic Energy Agency recently warned that Iran is not complying with nuclear nonproliferation obligations and has enriched uranium up to 60 percent purity, close to the 90 percent level needed to build a nuclear weapon.

A second factor is political. President Donald Trump had given Iran a sixty-day ultimatum on a nuclear deal, which expired Thursday. Iran’s recent alliance with Russia, China, and North Korea was likely to have only strengthened over the coming months.

A third factor is ideological. Sharia law permits lying to non-Muslims in war to advance Islam; the doctrine of taqiyya also allows Muslims to lie under threat of injury or death. Israel is familiar with these customs and knows not to trust Iran’s leaders and their claims to want only “peaceful” nuclear power. If negotiations were to begin again, as Ryan noted in his Daily Article, Israel’s leaders likely felt they would provide cover for Iran’s clandestine nuclear arms program.

What is the path forward?

It is obviously too soon to predict how this conflict will end, but we can identify some possible outcomes. Let’s chart them on a rising scale of geopolitical impact.

One: Iran’s military and nuclear programs are so decimated that the nation’s threat against Israel and others is significantly degraded for years to come. This was the result of Israel’s recent attacks on Hezbollah’s leaders and military capacities. Perhaps we will see the same with Iran.

Two: Iran is able to launch significant counterattacks against Israel, turning this conflict into a sustained war with the Jewish state.

Three: Iran also attacks US troops and installations in the region (we currently have about forty thousand service members stationed in the Middle East), drawing us into this conflict.

Four: North Korea, Russia, and China join the conflict on Iran’s side, turning it into a world war.

But there’s a fifth outcome we can envision as well, one for which I am praying fervently. In this scenario, Iran’s population revolts against the radical leaders whose aggression prompted this war and replaces them with leaders more representative of the nation and committed to peaceful relations with other countries.

“Then our world will know the blessings of peace”

In addition, I am praying that this conflict causes many in Iran and Israel to turn from military solutions to spiritual hope. The spiritual awakening already occurring in both countries would escalate as millions turn to Jesus as the true Messiah. And God would use this war, as he has other conflicts in Israel’s past, to advance his kingdom (cf. 2 Kings 19).

True peace is found only with the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:7). When we submit our lives to the Holy Spirit, he produces peace as his “fruit” in our lives (Galatians 5:22) and we are empowered to “let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15). Then we can “strive for peace with everyone” (Hebrews 12:14) as “a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:18).

Former British Prime Minister William Gladstone said,

“We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then our world will know the blessings of peace.”

Let’s pray for that time today, to the glory of God.

 

Denison Forum

 

Three boys were bragging about their fathers. The first said, “My dad writes some words on paper and calls it a lawsuit, and they pay him for it.” The second said, “Yeah, well, my dad writes some words on paper and calls it a prescription, and they pay him for it.” The third said, “Well, my dad writes some words on a paper and calls it a sermon. And it takes eight guys to collect all the money!”

Dads need respect, regardless of their occupation.

Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, knew it was so. Listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, she thought of her father, who had raised her and her five siblings after their mother died. So, she spoke to area ministers and YMCA members, and they began to plan a day honoring fathers the next year.

They selected roses as the flower of the day: red if the father was living, white if he was deceased. Interest grew until President Calvin Coolidge made Father’s Day a national holiday in 1924.

I’m glad there’s a Father’s Day, selfishly and spiritually.

We need to remember what God wants us to give our fathers, on this day and each day. More than $22 billion, much of it going to the roughly 100 million ties that will mark the occasion.

But while an extra tie is often appreciated, what else do fathers need?

More than gifts, a good meal, or time for an afternoon nap, what fathers need most is to remember why we were blessed by God with this privilege, and how to fulfill it well.

Graduate from Fatherhood 101

Unfortunately, children do not come with owner’s manuals, Chilton’s car repair books, or operating instructions. But their Creator has told us what we need to know to do this job well. As church leaders, it’s our privilege to help our people understand how to do just that.

So let’s review Fatherhood 101 in the word of God.

A father’s first responsibility is to lead their family spiritually.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church” (Ephesians 5:25). How did Jesus love us? Unconditionally, selflessly, sacrificially. Love her the same way.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21). Serve each other, meet each other’s needs.

Live so that your wife can more easily fulfill her spiritual responsibility as well: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). Be the spiritual leader, example, and model in your family and home. Live and lead so that they follow Christ because of you.

A survey conducted by the National Study of Youth and Religion has concluded that adolescents raised in religious households are far more likely to admire their parents and live in healthy families than those who are not. And more recent studies show that reality has not changed. So, lead your family spiritually.

Next, provide for your family financially.

Fathers are to meet their family’s physical and spiritual needs: “…Children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children” (2 Corinthians 12:14).

Freud said, “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.” Provide financial and physical security and stability for your home.

Third, teach your children biblically.

Describing the principles of Scripture, fathers are commanded to “Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

We are further instructed, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).

Do you have a time in your home for Bible study and prayer? A time to teach your children what you know of God’s word? Parents are their first pastors, their spiritual guides. The church has your kids one percent of their time, the schools 16 percent; parents have them 83 percent of their time. So teach them biblically.

Fourth, be what you want your children to become.

A godly father “must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect” (1 Timothy 3:4).

It’s been observed that “Till a boy is fifteen, he does what his father says; after that, he does what his father does.” So teach your people to be mindful of their actions, and make sure your actions support that truth as well.

Ultimately, Fatherhood 101 comes down to this: lead your family spiritually, provide for them physically, teach them biblically, and be what you want them to become. Now, let’s focus on the last principle. How can we be the people we want our children to become? What does it take to be godly fathers?

You’re familiar with New Year’s resolutions. Today, I want to offer some Father’s Day resolutions from the list of blessings that begin Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. Eight, in fact. Eight gifts to give to our children, and to our souls as well.

Adopt these Father’s Day resolutions from the Beatitudes

Jesus’ familiar beatitudes begin: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

To be “poor in spirit” means to know our need of God, that we cannot live and succeed without his help. It means to admit that he is the I Am and I am the I Am Not.

Our culture stands on self-sufficiency. We can meet our needs if we just put in enough hours, take enough classes, and consult enough experts.

God knows better. He knows that our children are eternal souls entrusted to our care. So here’s the first Father’s Day resolution: “I will seek the help of God daily.” Will you make this commitment now?

The second beatitude states, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).

The “mourning” to which Jesus refers is primarily spiritual. Mourning for sin, failures, shortcomings before God. It means to admit that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), myself among them.

Our culture stands on self-assurance. We’re good fathers if we provide financially for our families. Pete Rose heard that his daughter had told a reporter he was a terrible father. He responded, “That’s not true. I’m a great father. Why, just the other day I bought her a new Mercedes.”

As we discussed before, our children are more likely to follow our actions than our words as they get older. So we must spend time every day confessing our sins, staying right with God. And that includes confessing to them when we’ve made mistakes in our parenting.

So here’s the second Father’s Day resolution: “I will confess my sins daily.” Will you start today?

Jesus continues: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

The Greek word translated “meek” meant strength under submission. Biblically, it means to be under the control of the Holy Spirit, to obey the command to be “filled [or controlled] by the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

Our culture is self-reliant. As long as our finances are healthy, our jobs productive, and our health is good, our future is secure.

God knows that we do not possess the wisdom, patience, or strength we need; that we must have the Spirit’s power. So here’s our third Father’s Day resolution: “I will submit daily to the control of the Holy Spirit.” Will you make this surrender right now?

The fourth beatitude: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

“Righteousness” in Scripture deals with our actions, but also with our motives and our thoughts. God’s word teaches that as we think in our hearts, so we are (Proverbs 23:7, KJV). Moody said your character is what you do when no one is looking.

Our culture judges only our actions. So long as we are righteous in the eyes of our peers, we’re doing all we must.

But God sees our hearts. He knows that our children so often do what we do. So here’s our fourth Father’s Day resolution: “I will think and act by the word of God.” Does anything need to change in your life this morning as a result?

The fifth beatitude: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

Grace gives what we don’t deserve; mercy does not give what we do deserve.

Our culture knows little of mercy. We are driven by performance, possessions, and perfection. So we drive our children to succeed as we have. Recent periodicals have documented the problem of sports stress, for instance, as parents live vicariously through their children and push them to succeed at all costs.

But God knows that we fail more than we succeed, and that our children need our forgiveness, unconditional love, and mercy. So here’s our fifth Father’s Day resolution: “I will forgive my children when they fail.” As your Father forgives you.

The sixth beatitude promises, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

To be “pure in heart” means to live by God’s single purpose for your life. What is that purpose? To “love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love others as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39).

Our culture defines success by how much we own, while God defines it by how much we give. Our culture measures us by how many people love us, while God measures us by how many people we love.

So here’s our sixth Father’s Day resolution: “I will love my Father, my family, and others unconditionally.”

The seventh beatitude states, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).

A “peacemaker” is one who seeks righteous resolution to conflict, not just the absence of conflict but the presence of justice.

Our culture thrives on competition, victory, and success. God wants our families to live in harmony and peace with each other in an atmosphere of mutual respect and love.

So here’s our seventh Father’s Day resolution: “I will teach my children to respect and love each other.”

The last beatitude concludes: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

Living by these principles will cost us. Humility, confession of sin, submission to God, biblical thinking, forgiveness, unconditional love, and mutual respect are not popular values in our culture.

So here’s our last Father’s Day resolution: “I will pay any price to be a man of God.” Our God— and our families—are worth our sacrifice.

We can give our children no greater gift than to be such men of God.

A Father’s Day parable

Chuck Swindoll said it well: “Dad is not perfect; he would be the first to admit it. Nor is he infallible, much to his own disappointment. Nor altogether fair, nor always right. But there’s one thing he is always—he is your dad, the only one you’ll ever have. Take it from me, there’s only one thing he needs on Father’s Day. Plain and simple, he needs to hear you say, ‘Dad, I love you.’”

If your earthly father is still with you today, will you give him this gift? If God has brought other men into your life who have filled that role and been a father to you in some way, will you tell them as well?

And if you’re a father, will you give your children these resolutions from the word of God?

Each is necessary, which is why Jesus included all of them in his Sermon. But, at the same time, most of us are better at some than others. With which do you need to start today?

A group of botanists hiking in the Alps found a very rare flower. It was growing on a ledge of rock which could be reached only at great peril and with a lifeline. None were experienced climbers, so they found a local shepherd boy and offered him several gold coins to climb down the rope and retrieve the flower.

The boy wanted the money but feared that the job was too dangerous. He would have to trust strangers to hold his lifeline. Suddenly, he had an idea. He left the group and returned a moment later holding the hand of a much older man.

He ran with excitement to the edge of the cliff and said to the botanists, “You can tie the rope under my arms now. I’ll go into the canyon, as long as you let my father hold the rope.”

Whose rope is in your hand today?

 

Denison Forum

 

An Air India plane with more than two hundred people on board has crashed near the airport in India’s western city of Ahmedabad, officials said this morning. The flight was scheduled to depart at 3:40 a.m. ET. The plane was taking off and was headed to London’s Gatwick airport when it crashed in a densely populated civilian area, causing a massive fire with billowing black smoke.

At the time of writing, officials have not yet confirmed whether there are fatalities. However, the company that owns Air India has activated an emergency center, stating, “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families and loved ones of all those affected by this devastating event.”

When we hear or see news like this, we are immediately shocked by the tragedy and grieve for all those affected. And we are forced to admit the reality of our mortality. Humans are brilliant enough to create machines that can fly at incredible speeds and heights, but not brilliant enough to ensure our safety when we travel on them. It is the same with every other dimension of our lives—our cars can crash, our homes can collapse in a storm. Medical science is more advanced than ever, but our bodies still grow sick and die.

None of this is what you wanted to read this morning, or what I wanted to write when I woke up and started to work. But the Christian faith offers a hope in the face of mortality found nowhere else, a way of seeing death and life that redeems the former and embraces the latter.

This hope was expressed long ago in a surprising way that is still powerfully relevant today.

“I shall have become a human being”

St. Ignatius of Antioch was, according to early tradition, a disciple of the Apostle John. In the year 107, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Trajan, he was arrested and ordered to renounce his faith. He refused, so he was bound in chains and sent to Rome for execution, where he was fed to the lions in the Circus Maximus.

On his journey to Rome, he wrote seven letters to various Christian congregations. The last was to the church in Rome, asking them not to try to stop his martyrdom. In it, he wrote:

The pains of birth are upon me. Be understanding, my brethren: do not hinder me from coming to life, do not wish me to die. I desire to belong to God: do not give me to the world, do not try to deceive me with material things. Allow me to receive the pure light: when I have reached it, I shall become a man.

In this sense, he continued, “Allow me to follow the example of the Passion of my God.” He added that when he died, he would “succeed in reaching God” and in that moment “shall have received true mercy, and I shall have become a human being.”

His letter frames physical death in a way I find enormously encouraging.

“This mortal body must put on immortality”

God created us for eternity, not for this finite time and fallen world. This earthly life is therefore our “gestation period,” that time during which we are being formed for the life to come. Then, when we “die,” we are “born” into the life for which we were always intended.

However, those who are still in the “womb” of this world cannot see those in heaven any more than a baby still in its mother’s womb could see a sibling who left her body to be born. Like a baby in its mother’s womb, this world is all they know. When we were in the womb, if we had been given the choice to remain where it seemed safe and familiar rather than being expelled through a painful physical process into a world we had no proof even existed, we might well have sought to stay where we were and feared what came next.

But imagine that someone who had been born into the world outside the womb could somehow reduce themselves down to become a fetus again and speak to us in ways we could understand. Their “resurrection” from what we would call death would be proof that the same could happen one day for us (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:20).

In this case, what we knew as death would be the essential precursor to life that far transcends the life we had known. This is what Paul meant when he wrote, “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable” (v. 50). To the contrary, “this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality (v. 53, my emphasis).

“The ringing testimony of the Christian faith”

Knowing that death is but the gateway to true life can change the way Christians approach every moment of every day until that time.

First, we are emboldened to serve Jesus at all personal costs, knowing that the worst that can happen to us in this world leads to the best that can happen to us. We already “have eternal life” (John 3:16), so we can face persecution with joy and adversity with hope. Singing hymns at midnight can be our witness to our fellow “prisoners” until the prison doors are opened and we are set free (Acts 16:25–26).

Second, we are encouraged to use this world for the world to come, knowing that all we see is fleeting but that present faithfulness echoes in eternity. Br. Lucas Hall of the Society of St. John the Evangelist in Boston is right: “Our daily tasks, even very good and important ones, are not themselves eternal, and so derive their worth from how much they facilitate [our] encounter with Jesus, the eternal living God.” Living for the next world turned this world “upside down” (Acts 17:6) and will do so again.

Please take a moment to pray for all those affected by the Air India crash. Then take another moment to reflect on the fact of your mortality. If Jesus is your Lord, embrace his promise that “everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:26). And ask the Spirit who empowered the first Christians at Pentecost to empower your faith and witness today.

When early believers faced growing opposition and persecution, they prayed for the Lord to “grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:29). As a result, “the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (v. 31).

Now it’s our turn.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr believed,

“The God whom we worship is not a weak and incompetent God. He is able to beat back gigantic waves of opposition and to bring low prodigious mountains of evil. The ringing testimony of the Christian faith is that God is able.”

Do you agree?

Quote for the day:

“Death is the chariot our heavenly Father sends to bring us to himself.” —Erwin Lutzer

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Denison Forum

 

Cross-dressing is a growing phenomenon today. Often called “drag queens” or “female impersonators,” men who dress as women are becoming more normalized than ever in our sexually broken culture. Some who do so are gay, but people of other genders and sexual identities sometimes also perform as drag queens.

Some “drag queens” have social media audiences exceeding two million. “Drag Queen Story Hours” are events hosted by drag queens who read children’s books in public libraries and otherwise engage with children aged three to eleven.

RuPaul Andre Charles is the best-known drag queen in American culture; he has appeared in numerous movies and documentaries, won several Emmy Awards for his show, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and became the first drag queen to become a spokesman for a major cosmetics company.

What should Christians think about this phenomenon? How should we respond biblically and redemptively?

Is cross-dressing a sin? What does the Bible say about cross-dressing?

The Bible forbids men and women from dressing as the opposite gender: “A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lᴏʀᴅ your God” (Deuteronomy 22:5).

This text does not forbid women from wearing slacks or men from wearing something a woman might also wear (such as sunglasses or a jacket). Rather, the context points to the intent to deceive, to present oneself as something he or she is not.

In other words, men are not to change their clothing and appearance to attempt to look like women; women are not to do the same to appear to look like men. Anything else is a rebellion against God’s created order of men and women, both made in his image and likeness but bearing appearances and traits unique to their genders (Genesis 1:27).

A New Testament parallel is the biblical call for men and women to wear their hair at a length appropriate for their gender (1 Corinthians 11:14–15).

Further, we are taught in Scripture that our bodies must be used for God’s glory: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).

We are not to dress in ways that draw undue attention to ourselves (cf. 1 Timothy 2:9–10; James 2:1–4). Instead, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Why do some people cross-dress?

I am not a professional counselor, but in my online research I have discovered the following:

According to psychologists, cross-dressing often involves “recurrent, intense sexual arousal.” It is a form of “fetishism,” with the clothing as the fetish, and is also considered a type of paraphilia (“atypical sexual behavior”).

Cross-dressing can also constitute a defense mechanism to suppress one’s feelings against loss. It can be done to subvert gender norms, as an act of sexual liberation, or to explore one’s gender identity.

By contrast, God’s intention for our sexual lives is clear. We are created as male and female and intended to live in alignment with our gender (Genesis 1:27; 2:18–24). Sex is therefore intended only within the monogamous, covenant marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:3, 39).

Any activity that violates this intended order, such as cross-dressing, adultery, prostitution, or pornography, is sinful and harms those who engage in it.

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How should Christians respond to cross-dressing?

If you know someone engaged in cross-dressing (or whose spouse is doing so), how should you respond redemptively to them?

1. Pray for the Spirit to bring this person to repentance and restoration to God’s design for their lives.
2. Be willing to share biblical truth with them as you have opportunity under the Spirit’s guidance, doing so “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).
3. Seek to live with personal biblical morality. We are all broken, fallen people (Romans 3:23). You may not be engaged in cross-dressing, but there may be other areas of your life where Christ is not Lord. Submit your life fully to the Spirit each day (Ephesians 5:18), presenting your “body” as a “living sacrifice” to your Lord (Romans 12:1).

Charles Spurgeon testified, “I would sooner be holy than happy if the two things could be divorced. Were it possible for a man always to sorrow and yet to be pure, I would choose the sorrow if I might win the purity, for to be free from the power of sin, to be made to love holiness, is true happiness.”

Will you experience “true happiness” today?

Related articles

• What does the Bible say about transgenderism?
• What does the Bible say about pornography? Can you break free from sexual temptation?
• What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

If you want to know more about God’s design for sexuality, check out our book, Sacred Sexuality: Reclaiming God’s Design. The book arms believers with the knowledge and wisdom needed to confront the challenges of a post-Christian culture with the unchanging truth of the Bible.

 

Denison Forum

 

Israel has confirmed that a body extracted by their forces in a southern Gaza tunnel is that of Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar. The brother of Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar, he was killed in a May 13 airstrike as he hid under the European Hospital in Khan Younis.

“We found a military base under a hospital,” said the company commander who discovered the body. His statement forms a descriptive metaphor for my article this morning.

According to a new report profiled by journalist Simone Rodan-Benzaquen in the Free Press, the Muslim Brotherhood is building an extensive infrastructure in Europe. This radical movement seeks to impose Islamic law through schools, charities, and religious networks, creating “ideological bases under hospitals,” as it were. It claims to reject violence, but it has extremist offshoots such as Hamas and often blurs the line between nonviolence and radicalization.

Founded in 1928, the Brotherhood views Islam as a total system. And, as Rodan-Benzaquen warns, “It is coming for all of the West.”

 “Reaching far beyond the mosque”

Rodan-Benzaquen’s article tells us how:

The Brotherhood has methodically expanded its presence across [Europe]—embedding itself in local communities through a network of mosques, charities, educational institutions, and civic associations, all designed to promote its vision of political Islam under the cover of religious outreach.

In France alone, the Brotherhood’s network comprises 280 mosques. Every Friday, some ninety-one thousand people worship in these spaces. The movement also controls or influences twenty-one private schools and 815 Quranic schools. According to Rodan-Benzaquen, over sixty-six thousand minors in these schools are “taught to see themselves as part of a global Muslim community in moral and cultural opposition to Western secularism.”

For example, they have distributed texts that praise Sharia law as superior to man-made law (such as democracy), denounce interfaith marriage, and vilify Jews. The Brotherhood has also established stores, youth centers, job training programs, matchmaking services, Islamic microfinance initiatives, and charities that collectively form parallel structures of authority for Muslims to utilize. Their larger purpose is to elevate religious law over that of the country and impose social pressure on Muslims to comply.

Their new frontier is digital, with waves of online influencers trained in Brotherhood institutions and fluent in grievance politics who are focusing on younger audiences. Rodan-Benzaquen warns that they are “reaching far beyond the mosque, preaching on screens in palms and in sitting rooms all across the globe.”

Qatar and Turkey have been funding and supporting the movement and its affiliated networks. Its larger purpose is global cultural and political domination for Islam.

Fertile soil for immorality

One reason the Brotherhood’s ideological strategy is so effective is that it encounters so little cultural resistance. Not only has public discourse been accommodating under the banner of multiculturalism, but the West has long abandoned any cohesive worldview to oppose it.

When secularized society has no way to separate truth from falsehood, labeling both as subjective fictions, how are we to counter the truth claims of the Muslim Brotherhood or any other worldview? Our ideological “soil” is fertile ground for any agenda organized and incentivized enough to take advantage of the opportunity.

The “sexual revolution” that has normalized pornography and premarital and extramarital sex while redefining and trivializing marriage has been possible only in a world where biblical morality was first marginalized. Continued public support for abortion and the growing embrace of euthanasia across the country are possible only because the sanctity of all life is ignored or rejected.

In each case, what seems attractive at first to a post-Christian culture is destructive to our souls and our collective future. “Military bases under hospitals” is an apt metaphor for our day.

Imparting “the very life of God”

The good news is that we’ve been here before. The first-century Roman Empire was at least as hedonistic as American society today. Unwanted children were abandoned; unwanted elderly people were euthanized; every kind of sexual immorality was normalized and practiced. Like the Muslim Brotherhood infiltrating Europe and the West, foreign powers and movements threatened the Empire from within.

Then came Pentecost, and the God who created the universe began living inside humans by his indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).

He not only forgave fallen people for their sins, he set them “free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2) and made them his “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). They became a new and different kind of people (1 Peter 2:5), demonstrating a character so different from the fallen culture (Galatians 5:22–23) that others could tell “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). And over time they built the mightiest spiritual movement in history and transformed the Western world.

Billy Graham wrote:

When we give our lives to Jesus and trust him as our Savior and Lord, the Spirit renews our souls and brings the life of God into us. We have joy and peace, and we have a new direction to our lives because the Spirit of God has imparted to us the very life of God (my emphasis).

When “we have all that is needed”

Now it falls to us, as with our first-century sisters and brothers, to live out “the very life of God” in every way we can. First, by submitting every day to the Spirit and giving our lives to his leading and purpose (Ephesians 5:18). Second, by leading everyone we influence to join us in the abundant life found only in Christ (John 10:10). And third, by declaring and defending biblical truth and morality in a culture desperate for light in its darkness (1 Peter 3:15–16).

I remember touring Carlsbad Caverns years ago. After our group descended into the heart of the cave system, our guide had us sit on a rock ledge and then extinguish our flashlights. The darkness was so absolute as to be tangible. I could not see the hand in front of my face. Then he turned on his flashlight, and my eyes were drawn instinctively to its light.

So it is with the light of the Spirit—the darker the room, the more powerful, tangible, and attractive he becomes. A. W. Tozer reminded us:

“When we have the Holy Spirit, we have all that is needed to be all that God desires us to be.”

If Jesus is your Savior, you have all of the Spirit.

Does he have all of you?

Quote for the day:

“The Holy Spirit transforms and renews us, creates harmony and unity, and gives us courage and joy for mission.” —Pope Francis

Our latest website resources:

• California cracks down on child sex buyers
• What is Pentecost and how can we experience it today? A guide to experiencing God’s power for God’s purpose
• Preparing for Sunday with resilient faith
• What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
• Is cross-dressing a sin?

 

Denison Forum

 

How God is at work in surprising places and ways

Nearly thirty million more US adults are following Jesus today than was the case just four years ago, according to Barna. Their CEO, David Kinnaman, called this “the clearest trend we’ve seen in more than a decade pointing to spiritual renewal.” He notes that this movement is being led especially by “younger generations.”

God is moving in other parts of the world as well, places where the death of the church has long been predicted. In France, for example, 10,384 adults were baptized on Easter Sunday, a jump of 46 percent from last year and nearly double the number in 2023. The number of teenagers baptized was ten times higher than in 2019. One priest said, “We are overwhelmed by what is taking place.”

God is moving dramatically in the UK as well:

• Bible sales in the country increased by 87 percent between 2019 and 2024.
• Twice as many people are making first-time commitments to follow Jesus compared to 2021.
• Last year, more than two million people tried the Alpha course, a ministry designed to answer seekers’ questions and lead them to faith in Christ. This is the highest figure ever recorded.
• A woman showed up at one church seeking help because Jesus spoke to her in a dream, telling her she needed to be baptized.
• A young woman came on an online Alpha course with a painful case of shingles. The Alpha leader prayed with her, and the shingles vanished.
• One church saw 120 people respond to the gospel on Easter Sunday.
• A PhD researcher in Wales collected more than six hundred stories in just a couple of months of people being healed.
• A youth ministry called Spring Harvest saw 630 professions of faith last year.
• Last Christmas, more than one hundred thousand believers took the gospel to the streets of London, singing carols and sharing the gospel. There were numerous reports of salvations, healings, and revivals in churches.

If you’re like me, your first question is: How can we join this movement? What will it take for a true spiritual awakening to transform our nation?

The answer may surprise you.

The true purpose of the universe

All of God there is, is in this moment. Jesus promised us, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). But for what purpose? What is the living Lord Jesus trying to do in our lives today?

1. S. Lewis wrote:

The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose. It is even doubtful, you know, whether the whole universe was created for any other purpose.

Our Father seeks for us to be “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29) and sent his Spirit to indwell us (1 Corinthians 3:16) so that Christ can be “formed” in us (Galatians 4:19). The “fruit” he manifests is the character of Christ operating in and through our lives (Galatians 5:22–23).

If God will settle for nothing less than Christlikeness in our lives, we should join him. Oswald Chambers warned, “The great enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but the good which is not good enough.”

Jesus wants to be as real in our bodies as he was in his, seeking to incarnate himself in Christians to continue his earthly ministry through us. In this way, he becomes “the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29). As a result, accepting anything less than Christlikeness is settling for less than the abundant, victorious, overcoming lives we are supposed to be living today.

Here’s my point: The more we become like Jesus, the more this miraculous transformation in our lives catalyzes us to lead others to him.

And the more we advance the spiritual awakening we need so desperately.

Four biblical steps

So, here’s the practical question: How can you and I partner with Christ to become more like him?

First, seek spiritual renewal for yourself and your nation. Our Lord promises, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). Philip Yancey is right: “God goes where he’s wanted.”

Second, stay close to Jesus to become like Jesus. Paul wrote that when we are “beholding the glory of the Lord,” we are “being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is why consistent prayer, Bible study, and worship are vital “channels of grace.” It is also why the enemy tempts us to separate Sunday from Monday and religion from the “real world.” The more we practice the presence of Jesus, the more we become the presence of Jesus to others (cf. Luke 6:40).

Third, ask in every setting the familiar question, “What would Jesus do?” Then ask the Spirit to empower you to be the change you wish to see (Ephesians 5:18).

Fourth, spend your life and influence leading others to do the same. We become like Christ as we help others become like Christ. Only then do we align our lives with the purpose of the one who came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). This is God’s design for humanity in which we are linked to one another in his tapestry of grace.

“The only thing in the world worth caring for”

The theologian Sinclair Ferguson noted:

God’s ultimate purpose is to make us like Christ. His goal is the complete restoration of the image of God in his child! So great a work demands all the resources which God finds throughout the universe, and he ransacks the possibilities of joys and sorrows in order to reproduce in us the character of Jesus.

The Scottish evangelist and biologist Henry Drummond added:

“To become like Christ is the only thing in the world worth caring for, the thing before which every ambition of man is folly and all lower achievement vain.”

Do you agree?

Quote for the day:

“God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of his children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor an ill-intending person to afflict us unless he uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of his Son.” —Jerry Bridges

Our latest website resources:

• Pride Month, Ukraine drone attack, Elon Musk tensions & “Would You Rather” game
• How can we eradicate poverty through missions?
• Nigeria is becoming a “mass grave” for Christians: Why American believers cannot be silent
• Is Dr. Jordan Peterson a Christian? New video of him debating atheists goes viral
• Is Joe Rogan going to church? An update on Wesley Huff, Joe Rogan, and how God is at work

 

Denison Forum

 

“This is exactly what wars of the future will look like”

The story reads like a Tom Clancy novel: Ukrainian intelligence agents launched 117 attack drones last Sunday from trucks covertly placed near Russian air bases. Their so-called “Spider’s Web” operation struck 34 percent of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers, destroying what Ukraine claimed to be $7 billion worth of Russian equipment.

According to reports, the drones were smuggled deep inside Russia and hidden inside trucks in mobile log cabins. The cabins’ roofs were opened remotely, allowing the drones to launch their attacks on Russian military bombers.

“It’s also good news to the United States”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country’s agents managed to work for months inside Russia under the nose of the Russian FSB domestic security service. One of their offices was located next to FSB headquarters in one region, for example. The agents who set up the attacks were withdrawn before the operation and are safe.

A Ukrainian official said the planes that were attacked were used by the Russian military for air strikes on Ukrainian cities. One attack deep inside Russia was staged more than 2,670 miles from Ukraine. The operation was carried out exactly twenty-nine years to the day after Ukraine delivered dozens of the same strategic bombers to Russia, along with up to two thousand strategic nuclear warheads and 176 ICBMs, in exchange for a promise not to be attacked.

John Herbst, former US ambassador to Ukraine, said that “Russia’s ability to strike into Ukraine will be severely limited” because of the attack, adding, “It’s also good news to the United States, because those long-range bombers are nuclear weapons-capable.”

However, the attacks could be bad news for the US if our enemies utilize a similar strategy against us. The Defense Department warns, for example, that China could be developing a launcher that can fit inside a shipping container and be used against our vessels. With as many as seventy-two million shipping containers around the world, it would be impossible to identify and neutralize all such threats.

Chinese interests have been buying large amounts of farmland next to important US military bases; they could be staging grounds for drone swarms that would make the Ukrainian attacks pale by comparison. According to one defense expert, it’s “only a matter of time” before Ukraine’s tactic is taken up by Russia and other hostile state actors.

Ukraine claims that the operation was personally overseen by President Zelensky and Vasyl Maliuk, head of the SBU domestic intelligence agency. A top official in Zelensky’s government stated, “This is exactly what wars of the future will look like.”

Beware the “unwarranted extrapolation” fallacy

According to President Zelensky, the “Spider’s Web” attack took “one year, six months, and nine days from the start of planning to effective execution.” Last Saturday, no one in Russia knew what would happen to their military the next day.

This fact illustrates the “unwarranted extrapolation” fallacy that assumes the future will be like the present. The reality is that unseen factors are always at work today that will change the world tomorrow. This can be a negative or a positive reality, sometimes at the same time.

For example, I could have pancreatic cancer right now and not know it. If this is the case and I die from this disease at some point in the near future, this would presumably be considered a negative outcome. For me, however, it would be the door from this fallen world into God’s perfect paradise.

In the same way, Ukraine’s surprise operation last Sunday is either a “brilliant” success (from the Ukrainian point of view) or a “terrorist attack” (from the Russian side). However it is seen, it reminds us that tomorrow is largely dependent on factors we can neither know nor control today.

This is why Scripture warns, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Proverbs 27:1).

Your prayers today can change the world tomorrow

The only way to prepare ourselves for such an unpredictable future is to align our present lives with the will and purpose of God. Here’s why.

The God who created time and transcends it can see tomorrow better than we can see today (Psalm 90:2; Exodus 3:14). In his “perfect” will for us (Romans 12:2), he incorporates factors unseen to us and prepares us for the day they affect us. He redeems the bad for good (Romans 8:28) and uses all things to advance his kingdom in the world (cf. Daniel 2:44).

When we are aligned with his will today, we position ourselves to participate in his providential and sovereign rule of the universe. As Jesus warned us, this does not mean that bad things will not happen to us in this broken world (John 16:33). But it does mean that even the bad that comes to us is used by our omniscient and omnipotent Father for his glory and our good.

Our problem is that we want to be our own kings ruling our own kingdoms. Our “will to power” is at the heart of our fallen human nature (Genesis 3:5). We deceive ourselves—and we are deceived by Satan—to believe that we have agency and control over our lives that we do not.

But when we dethrone ourselves and enthrone Christ as our king (Matthew 6:33) by submitting our lives to his Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), he uses our present faithfulness, though perhaps unseen by others, to change eternity.

For example, because God is not bound by time, he knows tomorrow the prayers you are praying today and is responding to them in ways you will not see until Thursday. He even knew yesterday what you would pray and do today and responded on Tuesday to your obedience (or lack thereof) today.

“There is no failure in God’s will”

Corrie ten Boom encouraged us, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” When she was trusting and serving Jesus faithfully while imprisoned in her Nazi concentration camp, she could not know that her obedience would lead one day to a global ministry that has influenced millions.

But God did.

The famed pastor George W. Truett observed,

“There is no failure in God’s will, and no success outside of God’s will.”

Will your life be a “success” today?

Quote for the day:

“God doesn’t work on our timetable. He has a plan that he will execute perfectly for the highest, greatest good of all, and for his ultimate glory.” —Charles R. Swindoll

Our latest website resources:

• Nigeria is becoming a “mass grave” for Christians: Why American believers cannot be silent
• Is Dr. Jordan Peterson a Christian? New video of him debating atheists goes viral
• Is Joe Rogan going to church? An update on Wesley Huff, Joe Rogan, and how God is at work
• Ask us anything: The pope, Christian nationalism & sharia law unpacked
• Pornography isn’t just a personal problem: What the Swedish “OnlyFans” ban and the US “Take it Down Act” reveal about the problem of pornography

 

 

Denison Forum

 

There are days when I like my work more than others. Today is not one of those.

Pride Month comes around every June. Accordingly, Sesame Street is once again seeking to influence children with LGBTQ ideology. This year, their characters form a rainbow as they clasp each other’s hands beside the post, “On our street, everyone is welcome. Together let’s build a world where every person and family feels loved and respected for who they are. Happy #PrideMonth!”

As usual, their message is worded so as to make objections feel irrational or even hateful. And LGBTQ advocates are quick to disparage anyone who disagrees with it. There will be parades and rainbow flags across the month; corporate and sports logos will display rainbows as well.

We must breathe out to breathe in

We can try to ignore all of this. Those of us who believe in biblical sexual morality can shrug our shoulders and wait for the month to be over. I would certainly rather do that than respond to this subject again today. I have gay and lesbian friends and do not wish them harm. I believe heterosexual sexual immorality is just as sinful as homosexual sexual immorality.

But not to speak biblical truth to such a pervasive cultural issue feels wrong as well. All people, whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserve to know what God says about the issues we face. We need to counter the secularizing influence of the broken culture with our children and grandchildren as well.

The more people reject God’s word, the more they need God’s word.

If we keep our salt in the saltshaker and our light under a basket, those who need biblical truth won’t hear it. Those who need the compassion of Christ will not feel it.

But there’s more to the story: You and I experience the abundant life of Jesus to the degree that we share that life with others (John 10:10). We must breathe out to breathe in. We cannot love our Father without loving our neighbor.

The reason is simple: In Christ, God was “manifested in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). Now he manifests himself through us, the “body of Christ” for whom Jesus is the “head” (1 Corinthians 12:27; Colossians 1:18). As St. Augustine noted, “The body as a unity cannot be separated from the head.”

Just as Jesus met the needs of his day, so he meets the needs of our day through us (cf. Hebrews 1:2). If we will not share his love with our world, we will not fully experience his love.

As I noted yesterday, partial obedience is Satan’s way of keeping us from experiencing the victorious life available only to those who belong fully to Jesus. Loving and serving others as holistically as he loves and serves us is vital to biblical Christianity.

This fact was reinforced for me recently through a painful conversation I am still reflecting upon today.

“And where were you?”

I met an older man last Sunday morning as we walked into the church sanctuary together. I noticed that he was wearing a jacket with a US Army insignia. Pointing to it, I thanked him for his service and added that my father had fought in the Army in World War II and his father in World War I.

He nodded and asked, “And where were you?”

I was immediately taken back. I said something about the answer being complicated and that I have often wished I had served in our military. But his question stung and provoked emotions in me that I later sought to understand.

My first realization was that by pointing to the military service of my father and grandfather, I was subliminally trying to claim their service as my own and thus a status of equality with this veteran. He was right to respond as he did. No one forced me to bring up his service as we walked into the sanctuary, but once I did, I had no right to suggest any personal equivalence to the years he gave up and the sacrifices he made for our nation.

In his essay “Why I’m Not a Pacifist,” C. S. Lewis describes the consequences of choosing not to serve in the military: “A continuance of the life you know and love, among the people and in the surroundings you know and love. It offers you time to lay the foundations of a career; for whether you will or no, you can hardly help getting the jobs for which the discharged soldiers will one day look in vain.”

I have no idea where this man served or what his service cost him, but no matter the answer, he paid a price for his nation that I have not. To suggest vicarious equivalence on my part demeans his sacrifice.

A war we cannot evade

My second thought turned immediately from military warfare to spiritual warfare. This is a conflict in which every person is engaged, whether we know it or not: “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

There is no evading this “draft” or refusing this service. We are all part of this spiritual war, either on the side of the Lord or the side of the enemy.

If I am to wage this war on the right side, I need to remember that every lost person I know deserves to hear the gospel. The hurting people I meet deserve to experience the compassion of Christ in mine. If Christians are the only salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13–16), its preservation from decay and darkness is my responsibility.

There is no vicarious equivalence here. It isn’t good enough to say that my wife teaches Bible studies or that my sons have served the Lord or that my church sends missionaries around the world. One day, I will be held to account by my Lord: “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Said differently, my Lord will ask me, “And where were you?”

I want to have a better answer for him than I had for my fellow worshiper last Sunday.

How will you answer your Father’s question one day?

Quote for the day:

“Sympathy is no substitute for action.” —David Livingstone

Our latest website resources:

• Nigeria is becoming a “mass grave” for Christians: Why American believers cannot be silent
• Is Dr. Jordan Peterson a Christian? New video of him debating atheists goes viral
• Is Joe Rogan going to church? An update on Wesley Huff, Joe Rogan, and how God is at work
• Ask us anything: The pope, Christian nationalism & sharia law unpacked
• Pornography isn’t just a personal problem: What the Swedish “OnlyFans” ban and the US “Take it Down Act” reveal about the problem of pornography

 

 

Denison Forum

 

A man yelled “Free Palestine” and hurled an incendiary device into a group at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, yesterday. Demonstrators for an organization called Run for Their Lives had gathered to raise visibility for the hostages remaining in Gaza. Eight people were hospitalized with burns in what FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino called an “act of terror.” One victim was in critical condition, according to police.

According to Leo Terrell, head of the antisemitism task force at the Justice Department, “This antisemitic terrorist attack is part of a horrific and escalating wave of violence targeting Jews and their supporters simply for being Jewish or standing up for Jewish lives.”

If such violence is intended to deter the Jewish community, I predict it will have the opposite effect. After leading more than thirty study tours to Israel over many years, I can testify that the Jewish people I know, both in the US and in Israel, are deeply resolute, courageous, and determined. They know the power of fighting for a cause greater than themselves.

Therein lies my point today.

 “It brings into focus what’s important to you”

Climbing season at Mount Everest ended Saturday. Every year, between seven hundred and one thousand people attempt the climb; between 60 and 70 percent succeed. It takes about two months to make the climb; the experience costs between $35,000 and $100,000. Most mountaineers train specifically for Everest for at least a year. More than 340 climbers have died attempting to reach or return from the summit.

What draws people to sacrifice so much to do something that offers so little by way of practical return?

It’s not the height itself. If you’ve flown on a passenger jet, which typically cruises at 35,000 feet, you’ve likely exceeded the height of Mt. Everest. It’s not seeing the view; you can do the same by watching this video or others like it.

Alan Arnette, who summited Mt. Everest in 2011, explains its appeal: “It brings into focus what’s important to you. There are a thousand reasons to turn around and only one to keep going. You really have to focus on the one reason that’s most important and unique to you.”

Knowing and doing are not the same thing

Whether we’re planning to summit Mt. Everest or not, in a very real sense you and I are climbing mountains of our own. We are on a path to a destination, a goal, a reason for living. Unlike those who reject faith in a Creator who has a purpose for our lives, we believe that our Father loves us and has a design for us.

Fulfilling this purpose should be “the one reason” for living “that’s most important and unique to you.” We should each seek and follow God’s will for our lives, beginning each day by submitting to his Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and measuring success by our obedience to his purpose. People who read (and write) articles like this one know this already.

But if you’re like me, knowing that we should obey God’s will and actually doing so are not always the same thing. People who climb Mt. Everest are obviously convinced that this is a triumph worthy of all it costs. Some of us are less sure that the same is always true with regard to the will of God.

Even though we wouldn’t admit it to others, we sometimes harbor unstated questions as to whether complete obedience to his word is worth it. We know of missionaries martyred for their faith. We’re aware of the cultural animosity waiting for anyone who declares and defends biblical truth on sexual morality and other sensitive subjects.

And, quite frankly, we have goals and aspirations for our lives that we’re not sure God fully shares. If we choose to obey his word and will in every dimension of our lives, we’re not convinced that we would be as happy and successful as we want to be.

We’re content to trust in Christ as our Savior, so we’ll go to heaven when we die, and then obey him in all the ways that are obviously beneficial to us. We want him to bless us, so we read his word, pray, worship, and serve (at least to a degree). We’re grateful for his sacrificial love for us, so we seek to love him and others in return.

But if we have to stop doing something we really want to do, or start doing something we really don’t want to do, we discover whether we truly trust that his will is better for us than our own.

“God’s ultimate purpose” for your life

Optional obedience is one of Satan’s subtle strategies for people like you and me. He did not successfully persuade us to reject the gospel. The time you have given to reading this article shows that you want to think biblically and live redemptively in our culture. So he entices us to moderate our commitment to Christ, to “put it in its proper place,” to serve Jesus while serving ourselves.

This is because he knows what we need to remember: a victory far more glorious than climbing Earth’s tallest mountain awaits those who follow Jesus unconditionally today.

When we remember that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), how could it be otherwise? How could his will for us be anything but what is best for us?

His desire for us is that we become like Jesus (Romans 8:29). As Oswald Chambers noted, “God’s ultimate purpose is that his Son might be manifested in my mortal flesh.” How could any purpose be more perfect than becoming like the only perfect person who ever lived? Think of the impact of Jesus’ life on history and ask yourself: If even a few Christians truly manifested Christ in our world, how could our world remain the same?

If it’s still hard to make Christlikeness our highest purpose, we can ask the Spirit to help us. We can pray for the desire to desire this. We can ask for the strength to choose our Father’s will over our own. And we can take our next step into the character and joy of Jesus.

Timothy Keller observed,

“If God is not at the center of your life, something else is.”

Who or what is at the center of yours today?

Quote for the day:

“I was not born to be free—I was born to adore and obey.” —C. S. Lewis

Our latest website resources:

• Is Dr. Jordan Peterson a Christian? New video of him debating atheists goes viral
• Is Joe Rogan going to church? An update on Wesley Huff, Joe Rogan, and how God is at work
• Ask us anything: The pope, Christian nationalism & sharia law unpacked
• Pornography isn’t just a personal problem: What the Swedish “OnlyFans” ban and the US “Take it Down Act” reveal about the problem of pornography
• How can a Christian deal with anxiety?

 

Denison Forum

 

In recent days, President Trump has seemed to grow increasingly incensed with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump called Putin “crazy” and warned that he was “playing with fire” before Trump claimed that he was essentially the only person standing between Russia and a host of “really bad things.”

In response, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev—who stood in as surrogate for Putin during the four years the latter was technically unable to be president—responded by posting on X: “I only know of one REALLY BAD thing—WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!”

To this point, Trump has primarily attempted to coax Putin to the negotiating table and end his invasion of Ukraine by offering a series of rewards—a place back with the G8, resource deals, and lifting sanctions, to name a few. As Conner and Micah discussed on this week’s Culture Brief, it hasn’t worked.

The truth is that Putin currently has little reason to pursue peace. He is winning the war, cares relatively little about the loss of life, and stands to gain by continuing to drag the conflict out. And there is little Ukraine can do, even with additional armaments, to change that reality.

If Putin is going to seriously entertain peace, then additional pressure will have to come from Europe and the United States.

Europe took a step in that direction with additional sanctions last week, though few think they will be sufficient to force Russia to the table. For that to happen, most agree that President Trump will need to apply pressure of his own as well. Congress appears ready to pass a bill that could help him do just that.

Will Trump sign off on sanctions?

A bipartisan bill in the Senate with more than 80 cosponsors would impose new sanctions on Russia by targeting its ability to sell energy to other nations. While such sanctions are hardly a novel concept, the difference with the proposed legislation is that America would also impose a 500 percent tariff on any country that buys Russian energy.

As Marc A. Thiessen describes, the bill would “create incentive for China, India, and other countries that would be subject to secondary tariffs to press Putin to agree to peace.” Given the way Russia has resisted threats and pressure from the West, pressure from its allies could be what tips the scales.

However, Trump has appeared hesitant to take that step thus far, despite declaring in March that he would support sanctions and even additional military aid for Ukraine if it became clear that Putin was responsible for the war’s continuation.

Most of the world agrees that we reached that point a long time ago. But even if Trump is not willing to impose the sanctions at the moment, Congress could still pass the bill and hold it until he is. Doing so would allow the President to apply additional pressure on Russia without actually having to cut off trade with its allies.

The delay of those additional tariffs could weigh more heavily in the President’s thinking than you might expect given the degree to which tariffs have become a staple of his foreign policy.

Why reality is often more complex than it appears

While China and India are among the most prominent purchasers of Russian energy, they are hardly alone. In fact, as many as twelve countries in the European Union—including prominent members like France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands—would be subject to the 500 percent tariffs should the law go into effect. In total, the EU spent an estimated €23 billion on Russian fossil fuels last year, which is more than it spent on military support for Ukraine.

Moreover, five additional countries rely on Russian-made nuclear reactors, which require Russian-made fuels to operate. While the EU is attempting to phase out Russian energy by the end of 2027, those efforts still have a long way to go. As such, many in Europe find themselves in a bit of a quandary: excited by the prospect of renewed American support but fearful of what the tariffs would do to their economies.

Add in the President’s ongoing efforts to negotiate a trade deal with the EU—one that comes with a July 9 deadline—and the situation grows even more complicated. Trump would have the ability to potentially pause the 500 percent tariffs for “national security interests,” but only for 180 days, and the EU will need far longer than that to wean itself from Russian energy.

So while the proposed bill would seem like a fairly straightforward path to increasing pressure on Russia, the reality is more complex. And therein lies an important reminder for each of us today.

Our way or God’s way?

One of the most tragic characters in Scripture is King Saul. For most of his reign, or at least up to the point when he was driven to insanity by a dark spirit (1 Samuel 16:14), Saul legitimately tried his best to do what was right for his people and to follow God’s will. However, the difference between him and David (at least most of the time) was that you never really see Saul ask God how to do that.

Whether it was burning an offering to keep his soldiers from fleeing (1 Samuel 13), vowing that none of his men would eat until the Philistines were destroyed (1 Samuel 14), or a host of other examples, Saul epitomized Solomon’s warning that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Israel’s first king stands as a reminder to us all that even when we have the best intentions and make decisions that seem right to us, they can still go wrong when we rely on our wisdom alone.

The reason is that it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to fully discern every consequence of our choices. We can and should try to see each angle and make the most informed decision possible, but in the end, we will never have more than partial information when relying on ourselves.

When I first read about the potential sanctions on Russia, it seemed like a prudent path forward. It wasn’t until I was reminded of the degree to which our allies in that fight would be harmed as well that the potential problems became clear. And the truth is that there are countless other ways the sanctions could help or hurt efforts to bring an end to the war. In the end, we just can’t know.

Fortunately, we serve a God who does. His “understanding is beyond measure” (Psalm 147:5), and he sees “everything under the heavens” (Job 28:24). There is no limit to his knowledge, and his omniscient Spirit dwells within every Christian.

So while we should not trust the way that seems right to us, God stands ready to help us understand the way that seems right to him. The only question is if we will take the time to humbly seek his understanding rather than rely on our own.

Both Scripture and experience point to the problems inherent to the latter approach, and that is just as true for presidents as it is for each of us.

Whose way will you trust today?

Quote of the day:

“Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.” —John Stott

Our latest website resources:

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• Pornography isn’t just a personal problem
• How can a Christian deal with anxiety?

 

Denison Forum

 

Phil Robertson is known to millions for his role in the hit A&E reality series Duck Dynasty. But he was also known for his devout Christian faith and evangelistic passion. Just before his death on May 25 at age seventy-nine, he told his granddaughter, “Full strength ahead!”

Like Phil Robertson, you and I are facing a future we cannot control. Consider some AI-related stories in the news as examples: from autonomous weapons to the threat of a fake bioterrorist attack to proliferating scam emails, we are entering a technological world most of us do not understand and have no agency to affect.

You and I can do nothing about many of the threats we face, but we can choose courage over fear.

How do we do so?

The answer could not be more countercultural.

“I wanted to find my own God”

A recent New York Times article caught my eye: “I Searched the World’s Holiest Places for a God.” The author explained: “I wanted to find my own god,” so “I went seeking places that exuded certain energies of the spirit.” She visited “holy” sites around the world, finding them to be “places where spirits dwell,” but decided that faith is “a step into the darkness” with “the hope of a safe landing, of salvation.”

We ought not be surprised that a consumer-based culture seeks to find our “own god” as a means to our end. Thirty percent of Americans consult astrology, tarot cards, or fortune tellers in a quest to help their careers or gain greater control over their lives. Americans also collectively spend more than $2 billion a year on psychic services.

The self-reliance that beats at the heart of the American psyche is happy to seek spirituality as a transaction with God or the gods for our personal advancement. However, there is a nefarious and even deadly strategy at work here.

The pastor Tone Benedict is right: “Satan’s goal is not to get you to believe in him. It’s to get you to believe in you.”

The “Tomb of the Royal Steward”

In Isaiah 22, the prophet warned the people that the Lord “has taken away the covering of Judah” (v. 8). When he “called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth” for their many sins (v. 12), they responded with “joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine” (v. 13a) and said flippantly, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (v. 13b).

The Lord focused his judgment especially on a man named Shebna who was “over the household” (v. 15). The title is equivalent to a president’s chief of staff today; he likely had power second only to the king himself.

Accordingly, Shebna had “cut out here a tomb for yourself . . . on the height and carved a dwelling for yourself in the rock” (v. 16). However, “the Lᴏʀᴅ will hurl you away violently, O you strong man” (v. 17) and “thrust you from your office” (v. 19). In his place, God would elevate “my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah” (v. 20) and “he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house” (v. 23). This Eliakim would then serve faithfully in the king’s cabinet (cf. Isaiah 36:3, 22, 37:2).

An elaborate tomb discovered in the village of Silwan outside Jerusalem is probably the very tomb of Shebna to which the text refers. Called the “Tomb of the Royal Steward,” it was discovered in 1874, along with inscriptions in ancient Hebrew that are in the British Museum today.

Here we find further evidence for the historical reliability of God’s word, but also for the disastrous consequences of self-reliant presumption. As wise King Solomon noted, “Unless the Lᴏʀᴅ builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Are you building tombs or mansions?

There is something in us that wants to leave a legacy, to live a life of significance, to make a mark that will last when we are gone. We inscribe the names of our deceased loved ones on their headstones, less for practical purposes (we know where they are buried) than to tell the world that they lived and that they mattered.

This quest for significance is a signal of transcendence, a sign pointing from the temporal to the eternal. However, it is best fulfilled not by carving elaborate tombs for ourselves in this life but by using this world for the world to come.

God’s word states: “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14; cf. Psalm 39:12; Hebrews 11:13). Accordingly, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), where “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV).

When we use the temporal for the eternal, repenting of self-reliant presumption and submitting each day to the power and leading of God’s Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), he uses us not to build tombs in this world but mansions in the world to come (cf. John 14:2 NKJV).

Which is more worthwhile?

When life isn’t fair

The story is told of a missionary couple returning to America after twenty-five years of service in Africa. They left with broken health and no pension and felt discouraged and afraid. As it turned out, President Theodore Roosevelt was returning on the same ship from a hunting expedition. Everyone on board tried to catch a glimpse of the famous man; no one noticed the elderly couple.

When their ship docked, a brass band played to welcome the president, but no one was there to greet the missionaries. The husband was discouraged and angry, telling his wife, “It isn’t fair. We have given our lives in service to God, and now we’re home, but no one seems to care.” He was so frustrated that his wife encouraged him to get alone with God to deal with his anger.

He did, and came back a different person. He was smiling and radiated the joy of the Lord. His wife asked him what happened. He explained: “I told God, ‘We served you all these years, and now we’re home, and there is no one to greet us. We’re home, and no one even knows us. It’s not fair.’”

Then the Lord touched my heart and said, “Son, you are not home yet.”

Nor are you.

Why is this reminder relevant for you today?

Quote for the day: 

“Time is short. Eternity is long. It is only reasonable that this short life be lived in the light of eternity.” —Charles Spurgeon

Our latest website resources:

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• How can a Christian deal with anxiety?
• What to do when depression and ministry overlap
• Biden’s battles, the Diddy trial & summer box office predictions

 

 

 

 

Denison Forum

 

Second Lt. Thomas Kelly was buried on Memorial Day in Livermore, California. Here’s why his sacrifice and that of his fellow fallen heroes eighty years ago are still so poignant today. The World War II bomber Heaven Can Wait was hit by enemy fire off the Pacific island of New Guinea on March 11, 1944. The co-pilot gave a final salute to flyers in an adjacent plane before crashing into the water. All eleven men on board were killed. Their remains, deep below the sea, were designated as non-recoverable. Among them:

Staff Sgt. Eugene Darrigan was married and had been able to attend his son’s baptism while on leave. Second Lt. Donald Sheppick and 1st Lt. Herbert Tennyson left behind pregnant wives who would sometimes write them two or three letters a day. Tennyson’s wife, Jean, lived until age ninety-six and never remarried. “She never stopped believing that he was going to come home,” said her grandson.

Twelve years ago, one of Kelly’s relatives began searching for the location of their plane. Last year, the remains of Kelly, Darrigan, Sheppick, and Tennyson were recovered. With seven other men on the plane still unaccounted for, a future mission to the site is possible.

More than two hundred people honored Darrigan as he was buried last Saturday. Tennyson will be interred beside his wife on June 27; Sheppick will be buried in the months ahead.

 “They gave up two lives”

In his 1985 Veteran’s Day speech, President Ronald Reagan noted:

It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars far away. The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our minds as old and wise. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray-haired.

But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives—the one they were living and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything for our country, for us. And all we can do is remember.

President Reagan’s observation was made even more poignant to me by reading what is known to history as the “Sullivan Ballou Letter, a July 14, 1861, letter from a Civil War soldier to his wife.

Sullivan Ballou was an attorney who served as speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives. He married Sarah Hart Shumway in 1855; their sons Edgar and William were born in 1856 and 1859. When war broke out in 1861, Ballou immediately entered military service and became a judge advocate of the Rhode Island militia.

His letter to his beloved wife is one of the most moving I have ever read. I urge you to read it in its entirety, but today I’ll quote this section to illustrate his willingness to sacrifice his future for his nation:

The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them for so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and seen our sons grown up to honorable manhood, around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me—perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar, that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

Sullivan Ballou was killed a week later at the First Battle of Bull Run. His wife was twenty-four when he was killed and never remarried. She died at age eighty in 1917. Sullivan and Sarah Ballou are buried beside each other at Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, Rhode Island.

A million Sullivan Ballous to thank

For the 1.1 million men and women who’ve died that our nation might live, who gave up their futures for ours, we are now that future. We have the burden and privilege of living the lives they could not. We are responsible for remembering them by redeeming their sacrifice.

Over the years, I have on occasion heard stories of soldiers who jumped on a grenade or in front of a bullet and died for a fellow soldier. In each case, the man saved by such sacrifice said that he had dedicated his life to telling the story and trying to redeem his friend’s death by the way he lived his life.

Their stories are our story. Each American is someone for whom another American died. Each one of us has a million Sullivan Ballous to thank, a million “fellow soldiers” whose stories deserve remembering and telling, a million deaths to be redeemed by our lives.

And each Christian owes such a debt of gratitude not only to those who died that we might live but to the One who died that we might live eternally.

“A commission by a Heavenly King”

Humans are typically motivated to good deeds by the fear of punishment and the quest for reward. But our most holistic and empowering motive is that of gratitude for grace. When we recognize how much our Father loves us, how much his Son suffered for us, how fully we are forgiven and how greatly we are blessed, we are moved to serve our Lord and our neighbor with passion and joy.

It is such altruistic, joyful service that sets Christians apart from our transactional culture. When we love those who hate us, serve those who cannot serve us, pardon those who harm us and sacrifice for those who do not know us, our lives are least like our fallen culture and most like our living Lord.

And when we fulfill our Great Commission to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19), we pay forward a debt we can never pay back as we lead those we serve to love our Lord.

David Livingstone, the famed missionary to Africa, asked:

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?”

How will you fulfill your King’s commission today?

Quote for the day:

“The first work of the whole church is to give the gospel to the whole world.” —Oswald J. Smith

Our latest website resources:

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Denison Forum

 

A reflection on sacrifice, heroism, and purpose

My wife and I saw the latest film in the Mission: Impossible franchise over the weekend. Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning is filled with incredible (even terrifying) stunts and astounding cinematography. Tom Cruise succeeds once again in his iconic role. As a “summer blockbuster,” the movie deserves its accolades.

However, I am thinking today about a scene near the end of the film that captures the essence of the franchise’s message. I won’t give away the plot by quoting these lines:

Like it or not, we are masters of our fate. Nothing is written. And our cause, however righteous, pales in comparison to the impact of our effect. Any hope for a better future comes from willing that future into being. A future reflecting the measure of good within ourselves.

And all that is good inside us is measured by the good we do for others. We all share the same fate—the same future. The sum of our infinite choices. One such future is built on kindness, trust, and mutual understanding, should we choose to accept it. Driving without question towards a light we cannot see. Not just for those we hold close but for those we’ll never meet.

Here we find the essence of America’s highest ethos: character is measured by service to others. This ethos is worthy of reflection on this solemn day.

On Memorial Day, our nation rightly remembers and honors the more than 1.1 million Americans who have died in military service to our nation. Each gave what Abraham Lincoln called “the last full measure of devotion” to our country.

If you know someone who died in war or their grieving family and friends, this day is deeply personal for you. If you do not, it is about our fallen heroes across our history and the cause for which they sacrificed their lives.

What is that cause?

Why “the true soldier fights”

The British writer G. K. Chesterton noted: “The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” I can testify that this was the case for my father, who fought the Japanese in World War II, and his father, who fought the Germans in World War I.

To my knowledge, neither knew any Japanese or German soldiers personally. While Pearl Harbor had grieved my father, the deaths of 2,400 Americans he did not know on an island he had never visited were not personal for him. Germany’s submarine warfare, which led America into World War I, had no effect on my grandfather as he worked his family’s farm in Kansas.

Both chose to risk their lives in service to their country, not because they hated the enemy, but because they loved America. They fought for freedom for their loved ones and for the democracy that ensured their freedom.

However, Chesterton’s statement applies not just to the cause “behind” our military heroes but to the heroes at their sides as well. Through bonds forged in the fires of conflict, many become what Stephen Ambrose called a “band of brothers.”

And so, more than a million Americans died for the cause of freedom—in the words of the movie script, “not just for those we hold close but for those we’ll never meet.”

Are we “masters of our fate”?

How can you and I serve this cause in practical ways today?

The psalmist declared, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Psalm 33:12). Then he explained:

The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lᴏʀᴅ is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death (vv. 16–19).

Here we find the biblical counter to the Mission Impossible declaration that “we are masters of our fate” and its claim that “any hope for a better future comes from willing that future into being.”

Consider America’s founding declaration that “all men are created equal.” We have enshrined this principle in our laws and defended it with our blood, but for all our efforts, we fall short of its ideals in practice. This is because humans are fallen creatures who cannot change their future simply by “willing that future into being.”

Rather, we need the “steadfast love” of a God who alone can deliver our “soul from death” and remake us into our best selves (2 Corinthians 5:17). We need the forgiveness for sin he alone can give (1 John 2:12), the character his Spirit alone can impart (Galatians 5:22–23), the selfless love for others his love for us inspires and empowers (John 13:34–35).

How to share the highest freedom

Let us renew our commitment today to the cause for which our military heroes died—the cause of freedom for those we “hold close” and “those we’ll never meet.” To do this, let us pay any price to share the highest freedom—the spiritual freedom found in the liberating grace of Christ (Romans 6:6–18)—through our words, witness, and service.

And let us measure success by the degree to which we extend the eternal “light we cannot see” to those we can.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously noted, “If a man hasn’t found something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”

Will you be “fit to live” today?

Quote for the day:

“They who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier’s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.” —Joseph Rodman Drake

Our latest website resources:

• Pornography isn’t just a personal problem: What the Swedish “OnlyFans” ban and the US “Take it Down Act” reveal about the problem of pornography
• How can a Christian deal with anxiety?
• What to do when depression and ministry overlap
• Biden’s battles, the Diddy trial & summer box office predictions
• A birthday reflection on the providential grace of God

 

Denison Forum

 

Are white farmers facing genocide in South Africa?

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s meeting with President Trump yesterday began well enough. Ramaphosa brought two South African golfers, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, to help break the ice before the conversation moved to a bit of foreign policy. However, things took a turn when a reporter asked what it would take for Trump to recognize that there was no “white genocide” in South Africa.

Ramaphosa answered for the president and said, “It will take President Trump listening to the voices of South Africans.”

Trump then responded by playing a five-minute video compilation of South African leaders calling for violence against the Boer, which means farmer in Dutch and Afrikaans, including a clip of white crosses lining a road that he claimed were part of a mass burial site for murdered white farmers.

After the video ended, Ramaphosa acknowledged that crime is a problem in his country—South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world—but pushed back on the idea that it was worse for white people than black. The degree to which that is true depends, at least to some extent, on the kind of violence in focus, and we’ll take a closer look at the reality of the situation in a moment. However, it’s important to note that the video was not as representative of that reality as Trump claimed.

The white crosses, for example, were part of a protest staged by activists to draw attention to the farm murders of which the president spoke, rather than the actual graves of those farmers. Moreover, much of the inflammatory and racist rhetoric in the video dated back nearly a decade or more and came from groups that the South African government has since denounced.

That said, the video’s errors and misrepresentations do not mean that white South Africans have nothing to worry about. The violence is real, and many have good reason to be afraid. But if we’re to understand what is really going on in that region, then it’s important to get the details correct, and the video shown by the White House was, at the very least, misleading.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the situation in South Africa, as well as how it got to the place where the leader of the free world is tossing around accusations of genocide.

Why is there so much violence in South Africa?

In South Africa, white citizens comprise just over 7 percent of the population but own more than half of the land. That imbalance is largely the result of two laws—one in 1913 and a second in 1950—that gave vast amounts of the nation’s farmland to the white, mostly Afrikaner population. These were the settlers of Dutch descent who arrived in South Africa during the seventeenth century.

To acquire the land, the government removed as many as 3.5 million of its native people from their ancestral homes. And while the post-apartheid government has made steps to bridge much of the inequality that was rampant during the days of segregation, the land disparity remains a stark reminder of how things used to be.

In response, President Ramaphosa signed a law earlier this year granting the government the ability to take private property without paying compensation. While it’s still unclear if the law will hold up under judicial review and it has yet to be used to take land from anyone, regardless of their race, it has understandably worsened an already tense situation among the Afrikaner population.

Couple the precarious legal situation with the fact that 50 to 60 farmers—most of whom are Afrikaners—are killed in an often gruesome manner every year, and it’s easy to see why many are growing concerned.

The government has claimed that much of that violence has less to do with race than with the fact that the Afrikaners are often far wealthier—and thus more attractive targets for thieves—than their black neighbors. And there’s good reason to believe that wealth explains at least as much of the violence as race.

Still, as Anthony Kaziboni, a senior researcher at the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Social Development in Africa, noted, “This does not diminish the severity of the violence or the need for enhanced rural safety.” Rather, as he goes on to add, “it highlights the importance of responding with evidence, nuance, and context.”

The sobering truth is that the Afrikaners at the center of this controversy are increasingly targeted by both rhetorical and physical violence. But to call that violence genocide, as President Trump has done on several occasions, is simply wrong. And, it’s emblematic of a much larger problem in our culture today.

When words lose their power

Words lose their power when applied without thought or consistent standards, and we can’t pick and choose when the abuse of provocative language is a problem. There are many examples of people from across the political spectrum abusing labels for their own ends—racist, communist, Nazi, etc.—but genocide is a particularly important term to use accurately.

After all, if we’re going to rightly denounce calling Israel’s actions in the war against Hamas genocide—though it’s worth noting that the South African government leveled that accusation against Israel at the International Court of Justice—then we cannot use the term to talk about what’s going on in South Africa either.

Moreover, part of the reason we shouldn’t rush to use inflammatory and inaccurate words, even if they seem to enhance our argument in the moment, is that they often aren’t necessary in the end.

What’s going on in South Africa, for example, is bad and appears to be getting worse. But labeling it a genocide when it’s not gives people license to pay more attention to the overreaction than to the very real problems that exist there. Ultimately, it’s counterproductive and, as Christians, we need to be particularly careful to avoid that mistake.

You see, God has given us the privilege of sharing the most wonderful story that’s ever been told. But if those around us feel as though they have to take what we say with a grain of salt—that our yes isn’t always a straightforward yes (Matthew 5:37)—then it shouldn’t come as a surprise if they treat the gospel we share in the same fashion.

Paul warns that unbelievers are already going to be inclined to see the notion that God would die for our sins as “folly” (1 Corinthians 1:18). As such, we need to do everything we can to avoid giving them reason to believe that first impression.

So, whether we’re talking about the violence in South Africa or the significance of something much closer to home, stick with the truth and trust that it will be sufficient. That is the best way to show a watching world that you are worthy of their trust when it matters most.

Will you prove worthy today?

Quote of the day:

“Many issues are misconstrued, not because they are too complex for most people to understand, but because a mundane explanation is far less emotionally satisfying than an explanation which produces villains to hate and heroes to exalt.” —Thomas Sowell

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