Karen Pence taught art at Immanuel Christian School in Virginia for twelve years while her husband served as a congressman. Her office announced Tuesday that she “missed teaching art” and will be returning to her part-time position.

Here’s the problem: this Christian school teaches and operates by a Christian code of conduct.

Immanuel requires parents to agree that they and their children will not act in opposition to “the biblical lifestyle the school teaches.” Examples include “participating in, supporting, or condoning sexual immorality, homosexual activity or bi-sexual activity.”

The school’s employment application requires employees to affirm “that the term ‘marriage’ has only one meaning; the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive covenant union.” It defines “moral misconduct” that would disqualify employees as “heterosexual activity outside of marriage (e.g., premarital sex, cohabitation, extramarital sex), homosexual or lesbian sexual activity, polygamy, transgender identity, [and] any other violation of the unique roles of male and female.”

According to a CNN opinion writer, “This language is disgusting.” He’s not alone in his outrage, but his argument is so important and so popular that I’d like to explore it with you today.

The problem with acting on your faith

The writer claims that Immanuel’s stance “insults millions of taxpaying American citizens, many who have served their country. That it is acceptable to the wife of the man who is a heartbeat away from the presidency should horrify and alarm all Americans.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – CNN writer calls biblical morality ‘disgusting’ →

Christians in Israel are protesting a sculpture in a museum depicting Ronald McDonald as “McJesus.” The artwork displays the clown crucified on a wooden cross. It is part of an exhibition called “Sacred Goods,” which is intended to highlight ways our faith is dominated by the consumer culture.

Christians have been demonstrating in front of the Haifa Museum of the Arts, demanding that it remove the artwork. In response, the museum posted signs at the exhibit entrance warning that it contains content some might find disturbing.

As usual, relational challenges are dominating the news.

Citing security concerns, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked President Trump to reschedule his State of the Union address or deliver it in writing if the government remains shut down. The spouses of Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez reportedly knew about their affair for months before it was made public. And The Bachelor‘s Colton Underwood has told reporters that gymnast Aly Raisman was his “first love” and “worst heartbreak.”

Are your friends really your friends?

Relational health is more important to our health than we might imagine.

Think of those you consider to be friends. Studies show that only 34 percent to 53 percent feel the same way about you.

This is important for obvious reasons related to honesty and psychological well-being, but also to physical health. Research indicates that those with stronger social relationships are 50 percent more likely to live longer.

A new report further documents the link between relational health and physical health. It shows that international students moving to an unfamiliar socio-cultural context can experience significant anxiety. That’s not news. But this is: such anxiety is correlated to systemic inflammation in their bodies, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and poor overall health.

Why am I afraid to tell you who I am?

Our greatest desire is to be fully known and fully loved. But our culture teaches us that the two are adversaries. The more you know me, the less you will love me. The more you love me, the less you know me.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Ronald McDonald depicted as ‘McJesus’ on a cross →

Thirty years ago, Gillette made famous the tagline, “The Best A Man Can Get.” The company launched the slogan at Super Bowl XXIII in January 1989, kicking off an $80 million campaign in nineteen North American and European nations. The slogan was translated into fourteen languages.

Procter & Gamble acquired Gillette in 2005 and continued to use its iconic tagline. This week, the company released a new ad calling on men to reject bullying and sexism. “The Best a Man Can Be” is the theme.

Reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. The ad currently has more than twice as many dislikes as likes. Critics say it insults men and is filled with stereotypes. And, as Forbes notes, consumers are skeptical of profit-motivated companies telling them how to behave.

Is “traditional masculine ideology” the problem?

The Gillette ad is just the latest skirmish in a growing battle over masculinity in America. The facts are alarming:

• Men commit 90 percent of homicides in the US and represent 77 percent of homicide victims.
• More than 73 percent of those arrested in the US are male. Men outnumber women in prison by more than ten to one.
• They are 3.5 times more likely than women to die by suicide. Male suicides have risen from about 20,000 a year in 1981 to 35,000 in 2016.
• Life expectancy for men is 4.9 years shorter than for women.
• Men are more likely than women to use illicit drugs.

In response, the American Psychological Association recently released “Guidelines for the Psychological Practice with Boys and Men.” The APA’s publication is founded on the postmodern belief that “masculinities are constructed based on social, cultural, and contextual norms.”

According to the APA, “It is critical to acknowledge that gender is a non-binary construct.” In other words, we are not simply men or women–gender is “fluid” and determined by a host of factors, only one of which is a person’s biological sex at birth. As a result, the APA wants to help men “create their own concepts of what it means to be male.”

The APA identifies the problem as “traditional masculinity ideology,” which it characterizes as “anti-femininity, achievement, eschewal of the appearance of weakness, and adventure, risk, and violence.”

The Colson Center’s John Stonestreet responds: “That’s not how I define traditional masculinity. Anti-femininity? Violence? That sounds like being a jerk.”

He’s right.

“It is not good that the man should be alone”

David French notes in National Review that “grown men are the solution, not the problem.” He calls on men to shape their inherent aggression, sense of adventure, and default physical strength for virtuous ends.

In his view, we need more fathers to raise sons with discipline, respect, and encouragement. I encourage you to read his thoughtful analysis in its entirety.

While I agree with French, I’d like to point to a biblical balance vital to the well-being of all people.

On one hand, “the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it” (Genesis 2:15). Work and keep translate Hebrew words meaning to improve and guard. Men were created to produce and protect, to work and provide.

On the other hand, men were not intended to be self-sufficient. Immediately after creating the first man, God created the first woman, explaining: “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (v. 18). To fulfill their life purpose, men need women, other men, and especially their Father.

“One thing a clenched fist cannot do”

Self-reliance is a destructive illusion. “No man is an island” is not just a poem–it’s a fact.

As I have often noted, self-sufficiency is spiritual suicide. It cuts us off from the only true source of abundant life (John 10:10).

Frederick Buechner: “To do for yourself the best that you have it in you to do–to grit your teeth and clench your fists in order to survive the world at its harshest and worst–is, by that very act, to be unable to let something be done for you and in you that is more wonderful still. The trouble with steeling yourself against the harshness of reality is that the same steel that secures your life against being destroyed secures your life also against being opened up and transformed by the holy power that life comes from.”

Buechner adds that “the one thing a clenched fist cannot do is accept, even from [God] himself, a helping hand.”

How to become “the best a man can be”

Jesus Christ was the perfect male.

He was strong enough to drive money changers from the temple (Matthew 21:12) but gentle enough to embrace children (Matthew 19:13-15). He was courageous enough to confront the corrupt leaders of his nation (Matthew 23) but compassionate enough to weep for them (Luke 19:41).

Now he is praying for us (Romans 8:34) as his Spirit works to transform us into his character (v. 29). He is ready to help every man become “the best a man can be.” And every woman to become the best she can be as well.

Nick Foles is proof. The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback is anyone’s definition of a “true man.” He has set NFL passing records, been named Offensive Most Valuable Player in the Pro Bowl, and won last year’s Super Bowl, where he was the game’s Most Valuable Player.

He wore his WWJD bracelet in the championship game. More than 100 million people saw his faith on display. I noticed the bracelet on his wrist again during last Sunday’s playoff game with the Saints. Foles plans to become a student pastor when he retires from football one day.

Let’s ask “What would Jesus do?” all through this day. Then let’s ask him to help us do it. We will be our best and the people we serve will be blessed, to the glory of God.

Denison Forum

Meghan Markle is having twins, or she’s not. Her baby will be named Victoria, or it will be named Diana, or Albert, or Philip. Her sister-in-law is pregnant with her fourth child, or not.

Now we have more “news”: Meghan is due in late April or early May. Or so we’re told.

Expect much fake news about the royal family in the coming months. And about nearly everything else in the news as well.

Unsurprisingly, only 45 percent of Americans say they trust the mass media. Like nearly everything else today, our opinions fall into political categories: 76 percent of Democrats say they trust the media, while only 21 percent of Republicans and 42 percent of Independents agree.

Fake news can be used to inflame or suppress social conflict. It undermines trust in the media and in government. Fake news aimed at senior adults is such a problem that the FBI has created a web page designed to protect seniors against this threat.

In an age that declares all truth to be subjective, we should not be surprised when our “news” is subjective. This is not just a problem for today–it is an issue that affects eternity.

But in the chaos of our times, there’s a path to the unchanging truth we need today.

What ideology caused 100 million deaths in the 20th century?

According to Pew Research Center, 80 percent of Americans believe in God. That’s the good news.

Continue reading Denison Forum – When is the next royal baby due? →

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, has reportedly been dating an actress and helicopter pilot named Lauren Sanchez for four months. The problem is, Bezos has been married to his wife, MacKenzie, for twenty-five years.

Yesterday, the two announced their plans to divorce. Bezos is worth $137 billion. Since the couple has no prenuptial agreement, their divorce settlement may be the largest in history.

In other news, officials have determined that a sinkhole that cost $75 million to fix was caused by human error.

Water was released too quickly into sewage pipes, eventually causing the ground to collapse into a sinkhole that grew to 100 feet wide and 250 feet long. Nearly two dozen homes in a neighborhood north of Detroit were evacuated; a major roadway was closed for almost a year for repairs.

We may not see the consequences of our sins today, but that makes them no less dangerous.

We must not be “outwitted by Satan”

The Lord warned Adam that he must not eat of the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” for “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).

However, Adam did not die on the day he ate from the forbidden fruit. In fact, he lived for a total of 930 years (Genesis 5:5). For many centuries, he might have wondered if God’s warning would come to pass.

A delay in the consequences of sin can tempt us to sin further. Many of our sins are committed in the belief that no one will know, that we will get away with this. The longer we sin without apparent consequences, the more emboldened we become.

This is because we misunderstand the nature of sin and its results.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Jeff Bezos’ affair: The largest divorce settlement in history? →

The New York Daily News responded to President Trump’s Oval Office address on border security with a cover depicting the president as a screaming baby in a temper tantrum. The headline reads: “It’s Wall About Me.” Talk show hosts and Hollywood celebrities also panned the president’s remarks.

Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi came in for ridicule as well. After their response to the president’s speech, one critic likened them to “the creepy twins from The Shining.”

Are you surprised by any of this?

In other news, Rider University in New Jersey recently asked students what fast-food restaurant they would like to see on campus. Once it became clear that Chick-fil-A was their choice, the school’s leaders excluded this option, citing concerns over the company’s alleged attitudes toward the LGBTQ community.

Chick-fil-A’s spokesman responded: “We have no policy of discrimination against any group.”

Clearly, Rider University’s leaders cannot say the same.

“Our iniquities have risen higher than our heads”

We can respond to our divisive, post-Christian culture in one of three ways: we can condemn those who disagree with us, we can condone behavior the Bible forbids, or we can speak the truth with compassion.

Here’s why God’s people should always choose the third option.

Continue reading Denison Forum – University bans Chick-fil-A from campus →

President Trump spoke to the nation last night from the Oval Office, seeking support for building a wall on our border with Mexico. Democratic Party leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer then responded.

From our inception, Denison Forum has been nonpartisan. Our mission is not to endorse political leaders or positions but to apply God’s word to the questions of our day, equipping Christians to change our culture by engaging contemporary issues with biblical truth.

As a result, my purpose today is not to offer my opinion on the border wall. Rather, it is to summarize arguments that have been made for and against the project, then to consider biblical principles relevant to this issue and our larger influence in the culture.

Arguments for the border wall

The southern border shared by the United States and Mexico spans 1,969 miles. Approximately 700 miles of border fencing have been completed as part of the Secure Fence Act of 2006 signed by President George W. Bush. These barriers are mostly near urban areas and international bridges.

The US Customs and Border Patrol uses patrols to guard more remote borderlands. It spends $4 billion a year, utilizing 58,000 personnel, 16,875 vehicles, 269 aircraft, 300 watercraft, 300 camera towers, and aerial drones.

Continue reading Denison Forum – The border wall: Pros and cons and 3 biblical facts →

Do you need a toothbrush that cleans your teeth in ten seconds? Or luggage that follows you, a “smart” trash can, or a car that talks to other cars?

Perhaps you’re in the market for a toilet with a heated seat, flushing, and “dynamic” lighting you can all control by voice. These are just some of the innovations being premiered at the Consumer Electronics Show, which begins tomorrow in Las Vegas.

Humans are capable of astounding achievements, as last week’s flyby of an object four billion miles from Earth demonstrated. Think about the advances we’ve seen in the last century.

Now think about the wars and conflicts we’ve seen since the “war to end all wars” ended in 1918.

Our remarkable capacity for good stems from a single biblical fact. Our horrific capacity for evil stems from ignoring this fact.

Only nine nations have a higher reported abortion rate than the US

“Shout Your Abortion” founder Amelia Bonow recently released a video of her talking with young children about her abortion. She explains to them that doctors “suck the pregnancy out” and compares the procedure to going to the dentist.

Continue reading Denison Forum – A toothbrush can clean your teeth in 10 seconds →

“Poverty around the world is plummeting; half the world is now middle class; and illiteracy, disease and deadly violence are receding.” So reports the Wall Street Journal, probably to the surprise of many.

We might wonder if optimists are reading the same news as the rest of us. The stock market plunged yesterday after Apple warned it would miss its quarterly sales forecast due to weakening growth in China. The standoff over the partial government shutdown continues, with few predicting that today’s talks will make significant progress.

It even turns out that, according to The Smithsonian, the world’s oldest woman might have been her daughter masquerading as her mother.

Was George Washington a failure?

But, as Rick Newman points out in his book, Rebounders, the key to success is not a lack of failure but our response to it. Examples:

• George Washington “lost more battles than he won during the Revolutionary War.”
• Norman Vincent Peale’s wife rescued the manuscript of The Power of Positive Thinking from the trash after it had been rejected repeatedly by New York publishers; it became an all-time bestseller.
• A 1914 fire destroyed Thomas Edison’s manufacturing operations, but the sixty-seven-year-old rebuilt and modernized factories that revolutionized technology.

According to Newman, “A whole body of scientific research has shown that overcoming setbacks can make people stronger, smarter, and more durable.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Was George Washington a failure? →

Conflicting values are generating many of today’s headlines.

For instance, Mitt Romney wrote a Washington Post op-ed advocating decorum in the White House and claiming that President Trump “has not risen to the mantle of the office.” His niece, Ronna Romney McDaniel, chairs the Republican National Committee. She responded in a tweet claiming that her uncle’s editorial “feeds into what the Democrats and media want and is disappointing and unproductive.”

In other political news, President Trump and congressional leaders met yesterday afternoon, but the two sides could not reach an agreement to end the partial government shutdown. The president insists on funding for the border wall; Democratic leaders offered a package of bills without such funds. Talks will resume tomorrow.

Our culture is locked in an ongoing conflict between those who value “civil rights” for LGBTQ persons and those who value religious rights for Americans who affirm biblical morality. Pro-choice advocates value the woman’s right to choose; pro-life advocates value the unborn child’s right to life.

We all view life through the prism of our values. Which leads to the question: What does God value most?

“The seventh day still continues”

Each day of creation ends with the refrain, “And there was evening and there was morning” (cf. Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). However, after God created the seventh day and “rested from all his work that he had done in creation” (Genesis 2:3), we find no such closing refrain. According to the English Standard Version Study Bible, this fact “prompt[s] many to conclude that the seventh day still continues.”

Across Scripture, God kept working within the universe he created so long ago. He judged sin through the Flood, spoke to Moses in a burning bush, liberated his people from Egyptian bondage, and established the Jewish nation in the Promised Land.

Then the One through whom “all things were created” (Colossians 1:16) entered his creation at Christmas. Now the Holy Spirit continues Jesus’ ministry on earth (John 16:7-14) until the day when “a new heaven and a new earth” replace our fallen world (Revelation 21:1).

All that to say, the Creator is just as present in his creation as when he first spoke the universe into being. Whether we see the Artist in his painting is another matter.

“The sky above proclaims his handiwork”

Frederick Buechner: “There is no event so commonplace but that God is present within it, always hiddenly, always leaving you room to recognize him or not to recognize him, but all the more fascinatingly because of that, all the more compellingly and hauntingly.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – What Mitt Romney’s niece thought of his editorial on Trump →

What do NASA scientists and the lead guitarist for the rock band Queen have in common? A bowling pin-shaped rock four billion miles from Earth that is making world headlines today.

Ultima Thule is a billion miles on the other side of Pluto. The space rock is approximately twenty miles long by ten miles wide and seems to spin like a propeller through space. It could also be two objects in orbit around each other.

The object was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope four years ago and named 2014 MU69. A public campaign hosted by NASA renamed it–“Ultima Thule” is a reference to the most distant place beyond the borders of the known world.

Yesterday, the NASA spacecraft New Horizons conducted a successful flyby of this remote space object. Over the next few days, scientists expect to receive more photographs of the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft. Because the probe is so far from Earth, scientists say data on Ultima Thule will continue streaming to us until September 2020.

Brian May, the lead guitarist for Queen and an astrophysicist, is a participating scientist on the New Horizons project. He wrote a song to honor the mission.

Traveling 31,000 miles an hour

We could focus this morning on NASA’s stunning achievement.

New Horizon measures only 7.2 by 6.9 by 8.9 feet. This tiny space probe is blazing through space in excess of 31,000 miles per hour. The scientific ingenuity and sophistication required to engineer and operate such a device are truly remarkable.

Continue reading Denison Forum – The most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft →

Ted Richardson is a ninety-three-year-old veteran. He and Florence met as teens, then he left to serve as a Marine in World War II. But he took her picture with him everywhere he went.

They got married after the war. Ted says Florence always took care of him–for seventy-two years. So, now it’s his turn to take care of her.

Ted visits his wife’s grave six days a week, without fail, taking three buses to get there. He cares for it meticulously, trimming weeds and brushing away leaves. He has already arranged for his church to bring flowers to Florence’s grave after he dies.

He has already visited over 1,300 times. He says it’s worth it to be close to the love of his life.

Adversity is opportunity

As you look back over 2018, what events come to mind?

If you’re like most of us, your challenges and problems loom large. If someone you loved passed away, their death marked your life.

History feels the same way. When we think of David, Goliath is followed immediately by Bathsheba. Our first thought about Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy is usually their assassination.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Veteran visits wife’s grave over 1,300 times →

The Dow soared more than a thousand points yesterday, its biggest one-day point spike in history. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 rose dramatically as well.

The markets were not merely in a holiday mood. Investors responded to the largest holiday sales growth in six years, with total sales exceeding $850 billion. Investors also credit oil’s best rally since 2016, President Trump’s assurance that the Fed chairman’s job is safe, and a report that US officials will travel to Beijing in two weeks to hold trade talks.

One economist summarized: “Stocks just got too cheap relative to earnings, future earnings, any reasonable assessment of earnings.”

Looking back, it all makes sense. But looking forward, what will the markets do today?

I have no idea. Neither does anyone else, it seems.

President Trump visits Iraq

Surveying this morning’s headlines, I’m impressed by the fact that so few could have been predicted. For instance, President Trump made a surprise visit to US troops in Iraq. Two years ago, pollsters were nearly unanimous in predicting that Hillary Clinton would be our president today.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was released from the hospital yesterday after surgery for early-stage lung cancer. When she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer nine years ago, her prospects for another decade of service on the court were unclear at best.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why did the Dow soar more than a thousand points? →

A Dallas man worked with several area foundations to fill an eighteen-wheeler with toys for a thousand needy children.

Gregory Hudson says most of the toys were bought with his own money. His motivation was simple: he struggled as a child and wanted to help those who are where he was. “When you get up, make sure you go back and take care of your people,” he said.

In other news, a mother says her six-year-old met “the real Santa” last week at a sporting goods store in Ft. Worth, Texas.

Matthew Foster is blind and has autism. His mother, Misty Wolf, told reporters that he’s very interested in Santa. So, she brought him to a store early to avoid the crowds and hoped for the best.

Their visit was better than she could have imagined.

When Wolf explained Matthew’s condition, Santa raised his hand and said, “Say no more.” She later told reporters that “he knew exactly what to do.”

He walked over and knelt next to Matthew and invited him to touch his coat, its buttons, and his hat while he explained what Matthew was feeling. He got on the floor so Matthew would be more comfortable, then carried him to a taxidermied animal in the display to touch its antlers. Santa even let Matthew pull on his white beard.

“It was pretty magical,” his mother said.

Christmas through the eyes of a child

We could focus on discouraging news this morning: an eight-year-old boy died in US Border Patrol custody; the Indonesian tsunami death toll has climbed above four hundred; and a police officer was killed by a driver with “multiple prescription drugs” in his system. The officer was conducting a traffic stop at the time.

There’s always bad news in the news. However, I’d rather shift our attention elsewhere today.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Man fills 18-wheeler with toys for Christmas →

On Christmas Eve in 1968, as the astronauts of Apollo 8 circled the moon, they broadcast a message back to Earth. They were told that they would have the largest audience that had ever heard a human voice.

What would they choose to say?

Lunar Module Pilot William Anders began: “For all the people on Earth the crew of Apollo 8 has a message we would like to send you:

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.”

Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell continued:

“And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.”

Commander Frank Borman ended their Christmas Eve broadcast:

“And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
And God called the dry land Earth: and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.”

Borman then added: “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you–all of you on the good Earth.”

The latest on the Indonesian tsunami

The collapse of a volcano triggered a tsunami that struck Indonesia Saturday night. Waves smashed onto beaches without warning, ripping homes and hotels from their foundations and sweeping concertgoers into the ocean.

As of this morning, at least 281 people are known to have died; at least 1,016 people were injured. More than six hundred homes, sixty shops, and 420 vessels were damaged. Video posted to social media showed an Indonesian pop band performing when a massive wave crashed through the stage and into the audience.

How are we to reconcile Genesis 1’s declaration that this is a “good” world with the Indonesian tsunami and all the suffering we experience?

The biblical fact is that this planet does not function as it was intended. As a result of the Fall, “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:22).

There were no disasters and diseases in the Garden of Eden. But ours is now a world in rebellion: “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19).

How Jesus could have entered the world

The incredible news is that God did not give up on us when we gave up on him. Christmas proves that Jesus truly is “Immanuel,” which means “God is with us” (Matthew 1:23).

The sinless Son of God did not have to enter this fallen world. He did not have to experience our pain, feel our hunger, or face our temptations.

He could have left our fallen world to the consequences of our sinful rebellion. Or he could have come the first time as he will the second–as the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16) who will judge the nations and rule the universe (cf. 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:4).

But he chose to step onto our planet as one of us. He chose to be born the same way we are born. He chose peasants for parents and a feed trough for a crib to show that he leads all who will be led and goes wherever he’s invited.

“The will of God for your life”

On this Christmas Eve, let’s choose the God who chooses us.

Paul said of Jesus: “By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth” (Colossians 1:16). The only part of the universe he does not already own is our heart. It is therefore the only gift we can give him.

Renowned Bible teacher Kay Arthur: “The will of God for your life is simply that you submit yourself to Him each day and say, ‘Father, Your will for today is mine. Your pleasure for today is mine. Your work for today is mine. I trust You to be God. You lead me today and I will follow.’”

Will you give the Christ of Christmas what he wants most?

Denison Forum

Welcome to the shortest day and longest night of the year–unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case today is the shortest night and longest day of the year.

However short or long your day may be, it’s the only one you’re promised.

Ask Roxli Doss, an eleven-year-old who lives in the Austin, Texas, area. She may be out riding horses today. And that’s astounding.

Roxli was diagnosed in June with a rare, inoperable brain tumor for which there is no cure. After she underwent weeks of radiation, all her parents could do was to pray for a miracle.

“And we got it,” her mother says.

“Praise God we did,” her father agrees.

Her latest MRI scan shows no sign of the tumor. Doctors from MD Anderson, Johns Hopkins, and other hospitals all agreed on her diagnosis. Now she has gone from no cure to no trace.

Roxli will continue to undergo treatments such as immunotherapy as a precaution.

Drones shut down Gatwick airport

Every day brings new surprises.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Girl with brain tumor: From no cure to no trace →

Jack Phillips made headlines in 2012 when he refused to make a cake celebrating a same-sex wedding. The suit against him went to the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in his favor.

Now Phillips is in court again, this time for refusing to bake a cake celebrating a gender transition. The Colorado Civil Rights Commission claims that he discriminated against Autumn Scardina, who transitioned from male to female and wanted him to make a cake that was blue on the outside and pink on the inside to celebrate.

Phillips’s attorneys call the complaint an “obvious setup.” They say their client “believes as a matter of religious conviction that sex–the status of being male or female–is given by God, is biologically determined, is not determined by perceptions or feelings, and cannot be chosen or changed.”

So do millions of evangelical Christians, including me.

“If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.”

I expect to see more such lawsuits in the coming years as our post-Christian culture collides with Christian morality. When so-called civil rights compete with religious rights, civil rights usually win.

As believers navigate the legal and social implications of our faith in this challenging day, there is an imperative we need to remember: our lives must bear the scrutiny our beliefs are sure to provoke.

Two related facts follow.

One: People deserve to know what we believe and why we believe it.

Peter called his readers to be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15a). God’s word speaks with powerful relevance to every issue we face today. It is vital that we speak his truth to our times.

You’ve probably heard the Francis of Assisi quotation, “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” As researcher Ed Stetzer notes, there are two problems with this quote. First, Francis never said it. Second, it’s incomplete theology.

Stetzer: “Using that statement is a bit like saying, ‘Feed the hungry at all times; if necessary, use food.’” The gospel is good news, and, as Stetzer notes, “good news needs to be told.”

Two: Our lives must mirror our words.

Peter continued: “Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (vv. 15c-16, my emphasis).

We must be prepared to defend our faith, remembering Jesus’ warning: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (John 15:20). But our witness loses its power and credibility unless our lives are worthy of respect.

“Cease to do evil, learn to do good”

Here’s the problem: it’s easy to equate religion with righteousness.

Early Christianity was a movement, not an institution. Congregations could not legally own buildings until Constantine legalized the church in the fourth century. Christians didn’t “go” to church–they were the church. Christianity was all about a personal, intimate relationship with God, not a religion about him.

However, the church over time became identified with its buildings, clergy, and religious activities. Spirituality was measured by time spent in the building where members engaged in various rituals and watched the clergy perform.

Even in our nondenominational era, those who participate in church activities are tempted to feel that they are more moral than those who don’t. There’s an implicit sense that we must be right with God if we are in his “house.”

But our Lord disagrees.

Speaking to his chosen people, God warned: “Your new moons and your appointed [religious] feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. . . . Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause” (Isaiah 1:14-17).

Charles Spurgeon: “Apart from vital godliness all religion is utterly vain; offered without a sincere heart, every form of worship is a solemn sham and an impudent mockery of the majesty of heaven.”

“He will tax the remotest star”

Here’s the irony: Our post-Christian society holds us to a higher standard than we might demand of ourselves. If we commit the same sins we find in popular culture, we are accused of hypocrisy. And rightly so–we claim to follow the sinless Son of God and to be the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16).

So, here’s the bottom line: Our times require courageous Christians who will model the truth we proclaim and love those to whom we proclaim it. In a skeptical culture, personal character is both essential and compelling.

The good news is that the Spirit will empower every believer who seeks his help. If you and I want to serve and reflect Jesus, “he will tax the remotest star and the last grain of sand to assist us” (Oswald Chambers).

Our culture judges Christ by Christians. Let’s make that fact good news today.

Denison Forum

Beth Moore and Max Lucado made headlines at a recent conference in ways you might not expect.

A one-day summit on sexual abuse and harassment was held at Wheaton College. As the organizer explained, the group met “to help amplify a conversation” on this difficult subject.

Beth Moore was the featured speaker. Her story of sexual abuse was shared by others who spoke. Then Max Lucado closed the conference by sharing for the first time his own story of sexual abuse as a child.

They are not alone. According to a recent survey, eight in ten pastors know someone who has experienced domestic or sexual violence. A fifth of the clergy has experienced such violence themselves, including sexual assault, rape, or child sexual abuse.

“We are living in an age of historical reckoning.”

In other news, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary released a report detailing the school’s extensive historical ties to slavery, the Confederacy, and white supremacy.

The study found that all four founders of the school, one of the oldest and most influential seminaries in the US, owned slaves. Other findings: early faculty and trustees defended slavery as “righteous”; the seminary supported the Confederacy during the Civil War; and the school opposed racial equality well into the twentieth century.

Albert Mohler Jr., the seminary’s longtime president, prefaced the report: “We are living in an age of historical reckoning. The moral burden of history requires a far more direct and far more candid acknowledgment of the legacy of this school in the horrifying realities of American slavery, Jim Crow segregation, racism, and even the avowal of white racial supremacy.”

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