I saw Black Panther yesterday, which makes me anything but unusual. The movie took in an estimated $192 million over the weekend domestically, making it the highest February film debut in history. It has already grossed $169 million overseas as well.

It is the highest rated superhero movie of all time. After viewing the film, I can see why.

Ryan Coogler, already famous for Creed, directed an astounding cast in one of the most gripping films I’ve seen in years. Part of the movie’s appeal is clearly its amazing action sequences and outstanding performances. But its deeper message is one I believe to be especially significant for Christians in America.

Why superhero movies are so popular

Black Panther is the eighteenth movie connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with Iron Man in 2008. DC Comics has made dozens of movies over the years as well.

Superhero movies are extremely popular these days, in part because the news reminds us daily how much we need protection.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why “Black Panther” is such a popular and profound film →

“The kids in this community loved him. They adored him. He was one of the most phenomenal people I knew. He was a phenomenal man.” That’s how Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel described Aaron Feis, an assistant football coach and security guard who was fatally shot trying to protect students during Wednesday’s mass shooting.

The school issued its own statement, noting that Feis “died a hero and he will forever be in our hearts and memories.” Coach Feis leaves behind his wife and a daughter.

In addition, geography teacher Scott Beigel reportedly shielded his students and paid with his life. Another victim, athletic director Chris Hixon, was also killed while protecting students.

As a father and grandfather, I cannot begin to imagine the gratitude I would feel for someone who died defending my family. But their sacrifice leads me to ask what you and I can do to protect our children and their schools.

Let’s assess the challenge before us, then consider a way every Christian in America can respond today.

How can we protect 140,000 schools? Continue reading Denison Forum – Football coach “died a hero” protecting students at Florida shooting →

The image is one I’ll never forget: a woman with an Ash Wednesday cross on her forehead holding another woman as they grieve together. The picture was taken on one of the holiest days of the year for many Christians. It shows that, no matter how sincere our faith, none of us is immune from tragedy in this broken world.

Here’s what we know this morning: a shooter opened fire yesterday afternoon at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, fifty miles north of Miami. At least seventeen people have died; fourteen others were wounded, five of whom suffered life-threatening injuries.

The suspected gunman, nineteen-year-old Nikolas Cruz, began shooting outside the school, then barged inside. According to Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, he “set off the fire alarm so the kids would come pouring out of the classrooms into the hall. And there the carnage began.”

Cruz was taken into custody nearly two hours after the shooting was reported. He is a former student who had been expelled from the school for disciplinary reasons.

Continue reading Denison Forum – School shooting in Florida: “It’s supposed to be a safe place” →

For $3,000, you can order a hamburger that comes with an engagement ring on the side.

Pauli’s, in Boston’s North End, will sell you a Big Boy burger with a 7/8 carat Neil Lane ring nestled in the bun. The ring is framed with round diamonds and a fourteen-carat gold band.

You’ve missed Valentine’s Day, however-the restaurant requires forty-eight hours’ notice.

Today’s holiday didn’t start with St. Valentine. Many historians think the tradition began more than two thousand years ago with an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia. This holiday in turn inherited some of its traditions from an earlier festival called Februa, from which we get the name of “February.”

Lupercalia began each year when a pagan priest sacrificed goats and dogs to the goddess Juno. The hides of the animals were cut into strips by the priests. Women were then struck by these hides as they ran counterclockwise around Palatine Hill in Rome. This was supposed to make them more likely to have children.

Continue reading Denison Forum – You can order a hamburger with an engagement ring →

“Thankful that Vanessa & my children are safe and unharmed after the incredibly scary situation that occurred this morning. Truly disgusting that certain individuals choose to express their opposing views with such disturbing behavior.” This is how Donald Trump Jr. responded after his wife opened an envelope addressed to him that contained white powder, sending her to a Manhattan hospital yesterday.

In happier news, the most popular class at Yale University may surprise you. The course is titled “Psychology and the Good Life.” About 1,200 students, one-fourth of Yale undergraduates, enrolled in the course.

Their interest is understandable: a 2013 report by the Yale College Council found that more than half of undergraduates sought mental health care from the university during their time on campus. A freshman agreed: “In reality, a lot of us are anxious, stressed, unhappy, numb.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Suspicious letter sent Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law to the hospital →

A Colorado couple sold everything they owned to buy a twenty-eight-foot sailboat. They spent a year refurbishing it, then set out to sea. On their second day, their craft struck something underwater. Water flooded the cabin. The couple grabbed Social Security cards, cash, IDs, and their dog as they fled the boat.

The woman told a reporter, “Everything I’ve worked for, everything I’ve owned since I was a child, I brought with me. It’s just floating away and there’s nothing I can do.” However, she was undeterred: “The boat sank, but our dreams didn’t sink with the boat.”

Other accidents in today’s news were far more traumatic.

Lionel Douglass was attending a wedding at the Grand Canyon when he saw a sightseeing helicopter crash and explode. He told ABS News, “I had taken my phone and I was zooming in to see if I could see anybody and a lady walked out of the flames and I just lost it.” Three people died; four survivors were taken to a local hospital and remained in critical condition as of last night.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Couple sells everything for sailboat, which sinks on day two →

Congress voted early this morning to reopen the federal government by passing a $400 billion budget deal. Meanwhile, the Winter Olympics opening ceremony began in South Korea just a few minutes ago.

These events are leading the news, but I want to focus on a completely different story.

Lucas Warren is eighteen months old and lives in Dalton, Georgia. He was chosen this week to be Gerber’s new “Spokesbaby of the year.” Lucas was selected from more than 140,000 entries in the company’s photo search contest.

He is the first child with Down syndrome to be chosen.

As Nick Pitts notes, Lucas would probably have been aborted if his parents lived in the Netherlands. Their termination rate for babies with Downs is between 74 percent and 94 percent.

In Denmark, the abortion rate for Down syndrome babies is 98 percent. As much as 80 percent of the Danish population is irreligious. Here’s my question: Should not such a secular culture be especially committed to the value of this life since they don’t believe in the life to come?

My son Ryan and I were discussing this subject and he asked the converse question, “Why would we mourn death if we don’t value life?” If life has no intrinsic meaning, why would death matter?

Ryan noted that Christians don’t fear death because we value the life to come. We know that death is not the end of life but the beginning of its next stage. That’s why Scripture teaches, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15).

“Make me know my end” Continue reading Denison Forum – Down syndrome child is Gerber’s “Spokesbaby of the year” →

Kenneth and Gloria Copeland are two of the most visible televangelists in the world. They served on Donald Trump’s campaign advisory board; according to their website, they have offices in the US, Canada, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Ukraine, and Latin America.

They are back in the news today because of a video Gloria posted to Facebook last week. After praying for people with the flu, she said:

“Jesus himself gave us the flu shot. He redeemed us from the curse of flu. And we receive it and we take it and we are healed by his stripes. Amen? You know the Bible says he himself bore our sicknesses and carried our diseases and by his stripes we were healed. When we were healed we are healed. So get on the word, stay on the word, and if you say, ‘Well, I don’t have any symptoms of the flu,’ well great, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Just keep saying that: ‘I’ll never have the flu. I’ll never have the flu.’ Put words. Inoculate yourself with the word of God.”

ABC News headlined, “Trump adviser says ignore flu shots and ‘inoculate yourself with the word of God.'” Newsweek characterized her statement: “Trump’s evangelical adviser says Jesus invented the flu shot and will stop you from getting sick.”

To be fair, Gloria Copeland never stated specifically in the video that we should ignore flu shots. And she certainly didn’t claim that Jesus “invented the flu shot” in a medical sense. But she did encourage viewers to “keep saying that I’ll never have the flu,” claiming that “by [Jesus’] stripes we were healed.”

What the Bible means by what it says

Continue reading Denison Forum – Gloria Copeland: Jesus “redeemed us from the curse of the flu” →

North Korea is making headlines this morning with the announcement that Kim Jong-un’s sister will attend the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics on Friday night. She will be the first immediate Kim family member to cross the border.

In other news, organizers are providing 110,000 condoms to athletes, a record number for a Winter Olympics.

Many articles have appeared in recent years chronicling the extreme sexual promiscuity of athletes during the Olympics. Every writer I’ve seen on the subject has found a way to make light of such sin or even to celebrate it.

Immorality and athletics do not have to go together, as several Philadelphia Eagles players proved Sunday evening when they used their Super Bowl victory to glorify God. It is tragic when Olympic athletes fail to use their platform for moral good. It is even more tragic that our culture doesn’t expect them to.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Winter Olympics set record for promiscuity →

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1,175 points yesterday, its worst single-day points drop in history. Coming on the heels of Friday’s 666-point loss, the Dow’s gains for the year have now been erased.

Markets are lower in Europe and Asia this morning, indicating that the US stock market could be in for another tough day today. This may be a short-term correction, or it may be a sign of more declines to come. But the recent plunge may already be affecting our health as well as our wealth.

During the Great Recession, online searches for stomach ulcer symptoms and headaches increased by 228 percent and 193 percent. A second study reported that sharp stock market declines are highly correlated to immediate spikes in hospital admissions.

A third study found the stock market crash of 2008 to be associated with an increase in the rate of heart attacks. And data indicates that while suicide rates increased slowly between 1999 and 2007, the rate of increase more than quadrupled during the Great Recession.

Three biblical principles can help us manage our health and wealth in these days of financial volatility.

Trust God with your financial health Continue reading Denison Forum – Stock market plummets 1,175 points: 3 biblical responses →

Super Bowl LII set all kinds of records. The Eagles and Patriots combined for the most yards ever in an NFL playoff game. Nick Foles was the first quarterback ever to catch a touchdown in a Super Bowl. It was the first Super Bowl title for Philadelphia, a team which was the underdog in all three of its playoff games.

Nick Foles has to be the most famous backup quarterback in the world today. Forced into action when franchise quarterback Carson Wentz went down earlier in the season with a knee injury, he led his team to the world title and was named Super Bowl MVP. His coach, Doug Pederson, was coaching in high school nine years ago and led his team to the world title in only his second season in Philadelphia.

But for me, the most significant part of the game came during the awards ceremony. Coach Pederson said, “I can only give the praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity.” Tight end Zach Ertz, who made the game-winning catch, then told the audience, “Glory to God first and foremost.” Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles followed Ertz to the microphone and said the same.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Eagles win the Super Bowl, then exhibit true success →

Yesterday I discovered one of the most extraordinary stories I’ve ever encountered. Before I share it with you, I need to set the context.

The Polish Senate passed a bill Thursday making it illegal to claim Poland was complicit in Nazi atrocities committed on Polish soil during World War II. Violations would be punishable by up to three years in prison. The bill awaits a presidential signature to become law; Polish President Andrzej Duda has indicated that he intends to sign it.

There is no question that the Holocaust camps in Poland were operated by the Nazis, not the Poles. It is also true that the Polish people were horrifically victimized by Nazi Germany: at least 1.5 million were deported to Germany for forced labor; hundreds of thousands were imprisoned in concentration camps; at least 1.9 million were killed during the war.

But the new bill criminalizes any claim that the Polish people were in any way complicit in crimes against the Jewish people. What is the verdict of history? How is the question related to the astounding story I’ll tell shortly?

Poland, the Allies, and the Holocaust

Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to Holocaust victims, recognizes thousands of Polish people as “Righteous Among the Nations,” non-Jews who “took great risks to save Jews during the Holocaust.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – An astonishing Holocaust story I just discovered →

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has forced a New Mexico college to remove crosses displayed on its campus. They were less successful, however, when they tried to force an Indiana school district to cancel a program led by two pastors.

The FFRF sponsors an annual “Nothing Fails Like Prayer” award, to be given to the best secular invocation. Due to the efforts of atheist groups like theirs, it’s not surprising that the number of Americans who think Christians are facing growing intolerance has drastically increased in recent years.

How should we respond to those who malign Christians and Christianity? Jesus’ answer to that question might surprise you.

“Grieved at their hardness of heart”

Jesus was in a synagogue with a man with a withered hand. His enemies “watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him” (Mark 3:2). He asked them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” (v. 4a). “But they were silent” (v. 4b), refusing to consider his question.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Atheists force college to remove public crosses →

President Trump delivered his first State of the Union address last night. The president described this time in our history as a “new American moment” and added, “There has never been a better time to start living the American dream.”

The purpose of my article today is to offer not political analysis but a biblical response. The president stated, “We know that faith and family, not government and bureaucracy, are the center of the American life. Our motto is ‘in God we trust.'”

How can we make our motto our daily reality?

If I could offer a Spiritual State of the Union to our country, I would point to Psalm 30 and three principles that teach us how to maximize this moment in our history.

Live in the present for the eternal.

Continue reading Denison Forum – President Trump’s “new American moment”: 3 biblical responses →

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities).

The stock market has added $6.9 trillion to US wealth since the 2016 election. According to the New York Times, “Every major economy on earth is expanding at once, a synchronous wave of growth that is creating jobs, lifting fortunes and tempering fears of popular discontent.”

But while the economy is booming and prosperity is rising, another expansion is changing lives as well.

“The Gay Rights Movement Is Undoing Its Best Work”

Joseph Roman, age thirty-eight, has been charged with predatory criminal sexual assault. Prosecutors say he repeatedly attacked three girls who were six to eight years old at the time. During a hearing last week, prosecutors said Roman admitted to some of the attacks and told Chicago police “he is a 9-year-old trapped in an adult’s body.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Man accused of assault claims to be a boy trapped in an adult’s body →

Sexual misconduct continues to make headlines today.

Many of the celebrities at last night’s Grammy Awards wore white roses to show their support for the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Earlier in the day, we learned that Sen. Marco Rubio fired his chief of staff over “allegations of improper conduct.”

Meanwhile, CNN is reporting that “the fallout from Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse is just beginning.” Rachel Denhollander was the first victim to speak out. At Nassar’s hearing last week, she made this remarkable statement to her abuser:

“Should you ever reach the point of truly facing what you have done, the guilt will be crushing. And that is what makes the Gospel of Christ so sweet. Because it extends grace and hope and mercy where none should be found and it will be there for you.”

She added: “I pray you experience the soul crushing weight of guilt so that you may someday experience true repentance and true forgiveness from God which you need far more than forgiveness from me, though I extend that to you as well.”

How could she make such a courageous and Christ-centered statement to her abuser and the world?

Making God “my light”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Gymnastics victim shares Christ with abuser in court →

Quentin Esme Brown is a well-known socialite, formerly from New York City but now living in Los Angeles. Peter Cary Peterson was once featured in a show about wealthy teenagers living in Manhattan. The two have been close friends since they were kids.

Last weekend, they were married in Las Vegas. The event made national headlines because Tiffany Trump was a flower girl. Is this a case of two friends who fell in love and got married out of romantic passion? Not at all.

Yahoo reported: “Tiffany Trump’s friends just entered a sexless marriage, which isn’t a terrible idea.” Esme called her marriage “unconventional” and explained: “Peter and I are not romantically involved—in fact we are still dating others and will continue to seek love in all its forms—we are just each other’s hearts and wish to begin our journey towards evolution, because the more we face reality, the more we can see that there is no right or wrong.”

A licensed therapist affirmed their decision: “We don’t need to get married for any of the reasons we used to. Once you’ve got everything else in place, it is like the cherry on top.” Another psychologist explained: “A lot of these sorts of marriages are in response to society getting increasingly isolated, and people want to create a kinship model.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Tiffany Trump’s friends enter an “unconventional” marriage →

Bob Dole received Congress’s highest civilian honor yesterday. The World War II veteran, longtime senator, and former presidential candidate was given the Congressional Gold Medal in a ceremony that included Republican and Democrat leaders, President Trump, and Vice President Pence.

Dole, who is ninety-four years old, can no longer walk. He sat in his wheelchair for the majority of the ceremony. However, when the color guard entered with the American flag and the flags of the Armed Forces, he gestured to an aide. A young man rushed to his side and helped pull him to his feet so he could stand to honor the American flag.

For many years, Sen. Dole has met visitors and fellow veterans at the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. In his remarks yesterday, President Trump noted that future generations who come to the Memorial “will hear the story of a great man who rose up from a small town in the heart of America to become a soldier, and a congressman, and leader admired by all. They will hear the story of Bob Dole. And in hearing that story, they will truly learn what it means to be a great American.”

In 1960, President John F. Kennedy quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What we are speaks louder than what we say.”

You may not be able to quote a speech Bob Dole made or describe a law he helped pass, but you will always remember what he did for our country. His sacrifice as a soldier cost the use of his right arm and nearly cost his life. He served in the US Senate with transparency and integrity. He shows us “what it means to be a great American.”

What we do truly speaks louder than what we say.

Seeing Christ in Christians

I became a Christian because I saw Christ in Christians.

As a teenager, after I started visiting a local church, I began to see a joy and peace in the lives of other teenagers in our Sunday school class. One Sunday morning, I asked our teacher how I could have what they had. She led me to faith in Jesus.

Tragically, not every person has the same positive story to tell.

Mahatma Gandhi was a British-educated lawyer before he became a pioneer for independence in his native India. His philosophy of nonviolence and peaceful resistance influenced many in the American civil rights movement, most famously Martin Luther King, Jr.

Gandhi was a man of great personal asceticism, making his own clothes and living on a simple vegetarian diet. His personal integrity and spirituality were crucial factors in his work to help India gain her independence. He has been designated “Father of the Nation”; his birthday is celebrated nationally each October 2.

Gandhi’s relationship with Christianity has been much discussed. He read from the New Testament every day and often quoted from God’s word. As one version goes, Gandhi was once asked by a reporter why he had not become a Christian. Although he had spent years in dialogue with Christian leaders around the world, he replied, “If I had ever met one, I would have become one.”

Another version goes back to a time when Gandhi was exiled in Africa before leading the revolution in India. He was seeking the Lord and reading the New Testament. He became convinced that Christianity was the true religion and that Jesus was the Christ.

He chose to attend a church for the purpose of confessing the Christian faith. But because of his skin color, church members wouldn’t let him in. He then led 750 million people into Hinduism and said, “I would have been a Christian if I hadn’t met one.”

“They recognized that they had been with Jesus”

One of my favorite verses of Scripture comes after Peter made one of the boldest declarations in history. His statement was as controversial and countercultural in his day as in ours: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

How would the authorities respond?

“When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus” (v. 13).

Let’s spend time with Jesus today and then live in such a way that others know we did. The next Gandhi we meet will be grateful.

Denison Forum

CVS will end airbrushing in advertisements for its store-brand beauty products by 2020. Why? “The connection between the propagation of unrealistic body images and negative health effects, especially in girls and young women, has been established,” explained the company’s president.

What should our culture learn from this step toward transparent truthfulness?

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat describes “the most American approach to matters of faith: a religious individualism that blurs the line between the God out there and the God Within, a gnostic spirituality that constantly promises access to a secret and personalized wisdom, a gospel of health and wealth that insists that the true spiritual adept will find both happiness and money.”

As a result, according to the Colson Center’s John Stonestreet, “America’s greatest affliction is a poverty of meaning, of purpose, of something to fill that great spiritual emptiness we feel at the heart of our nation.”

We can confuse “your truth” with “the truth,” pretending that we are more and better than we are and projecting to the world an idealized self that we know is false. But there’s a better way.

“I have no good apart from you”

Consider a simple prayer I encountered this week. In Psalm 16, David said to God, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you” (v. 2).

This is one of the most profound statements of self-awareness in all of literature.

“Good” translates the Hebrew tobah, meaning “practical benefit, desirability, morality.” In the eyes of the world, David had great “good” apart from God. In practical terms, he had wonderful gifts in leadership, athletic ability, and music. In terms of desirability, he was extremely handsome (1 Samuel 16:12). In moral terms, he was described by God as “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22 NIV; 1 Samuel 13:14).

And yet he said to God, “I have no good apart from you.” David was clearly aware of the reason for his attributes and gifts. Echoing such self-awareness, my high school youth minister once gave me one of the most profound words of advice I have ever received: “Always remember the source of your personal worth.”

Our great value in life lies not in who we are but in Whose we are.

In The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis noted that we are creatures before our Creator. We derive all that is good in life from the One who made our lives. With this result: “To be God—to be like God and to share His goodness in creaturely response—to be miserable—these are the only three alternatives. If we will not learn to eat the only food that the universe grows—the only food that any possible universe ever can grow—then we must starve eternally.”

“I will help thee, saith the Lord”

When we learn to say to God, “I have no good apart from you,” two results follow.

One: We stay connected to the Source of our strength.

Because he knew himself to be a creature in need of his Creator, David vowed, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8). He chose to live consciously and intentionally in the presence of his Maker.

Jesus warned us of “the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6). We cannot mix ungodliness with godliness, lies with truth.

As Oswald Chambers notes, God’s call expresses his nature, and “we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us.” We must be on his “frequency” to hear his voice. Is God “always before” you?

Two: We live and serve with supreme confidence.

Because he lived in submission to his Maker, David could attest, “My heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices” (Psalm 16:9). And he could testify, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (v. 11).

We are loved unconditionally by the Lord of the universe. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by him (Psalm 139:14). When we fulfill his purpose for our lives, we are “doing a great work” in his world (Nehemiah 6:3).

Charles Spurgeon, reflecting on our Father’s promise, “I will help thee, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 41:14 KJV), spoke in God’s voice: “If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency.”

Then he turned to himself: “O my soul, is this not enough? Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither thine empty pitcher! Surely this will well fill it.”

“I have no good apart from you.” Is this the prayer and posture of your heart today?

Denison Forum

You never know when Jesus will show up.

Case Keenum‘s professional journey has been challenging. Despite a record-setting career in college, he went undrafted by the NFL. He was eventually signed by Houston, where he went 0–8 as their starting quarterback in 2013. He then played for St. Louis, went back to Houston, and then back to St. Louis.

After stints as their starter, he was benched and then signed a one-year contract to serve as Minnesota’s backup quarterback for 2017. When the starter was injured, he took over in the second week of the season. He led his team to a 13–3 record.

After Sunday’s last-second play that is already being called the Minnesota Miracle, he’s now one game from the Super Bowl. When the game ended, with pandemonium all around, he told a national audience that the miraculous win “probably will go down as the third-best moment of my life.”

What tops this stunning victory? “Giving my life to Jesus Christ and marrying my wife,” Keenum said as the ecstatic crowd roared all around him. One reporter called it an “incredible postgame Jesus moment.”

Four months ago, Case Keenum had no idea he would make national headlines today. But he was ready when his time came.

Is this 1776 or 1789?

The Colson Center’s “BreakPoint” recently asked several Christian leaders to define “challenges facing the church in 2018.” Os Guinness, one of this generation’s most insightful evangelical theologians, offered a response that was so compelling I will reproduce it today in full:

“If we fight the battle at any point except where the battle is really being fought, we might as well not fight. Luther’s famous maxim is urgent for Christians today. The U.S. is experiencing its gravest crisis since the Civil War, but there is no agreement as to what the crux of the battle is. The division in this country is not just between Progressives and Conservatives, ‘coastals’ and ‘heart-landers,’ and ‘globalists’ and ‘nationalists.’ It is between ‘1776,’ and the heirs and allies of the American revolution, where faith and freedom went hand in hand; and ‘1789,’ and the heirs and allies of the thinking of the French revolution, where faith and freedom were mortal enemies.

“The current crisis is a tale of these two revolutions. Both cry ‘freedom,’ but their views of freedom are diametrically opposed. They have different roots (the Bible versus the Enlightenment), different views of human nature (realism versus utopianism), different views of change (incremental versus radical), different views of freedom (the power to do what you ought versus the permission to what you like), different views of government (protective versus Progressive), different views of accountability (‘under God’ versus without God), and different views of righting wrongs (repentance and reconciliation versus reparation and revenge).

“If this is correct, the challenges are plain. The question before America: Is the ‘constitutional Republic’ to be restored or replaced? The question before us as Christians: How do we live and speak so faithfully that we honor our Lord and his ways in response to one of the greatest apologetic challenges and one of the greatest cultural challenges in all history? Now is a time for what Rabbi Heschel called ‘moral grandeur and spiritual audacity.’ All who are Evangelical and unashamed can be confident that the good news is more than sufficient for the gravity of the hour.”

When Jesus is on trial

I am convinced that Guinness is right: there is a massive cultural divide today between Americans who see Christianity as foundational to our past and essential for our future, and Americans who see Christianity as irrelevant, if not dangerous.

You and I are alive “for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14). It is by divine providence that you were not living in 1818 and that you will not be on this planet in 2218 (if the Lord tarries).

Your Father intended you to follow and serve Jesus in this cultural moment. You have all you need to be faithful to his call. As the saying goes, God equips the called and anoints all he appoints.

One vital aspect of successful witnessing today is doing what Case Keenum did: be ready when your moment comes.

Jesus warned his disciples that they would face persecuting authorities. However, this was to be their posture: “Do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:19–20).

When we have an opportunity to make public our faith in Jesus, we can feel as though we are a defendant on trial, with the other person as the prosecutor looking for ways to defeat our testimony.

In fact, Jesus is on trial. The Holy Spirit is the defense attorney, while Satan is the prosecutor. The person with whom you are speaking is the jury.

Your job is to go to the stand when the defense attorney calls you and tell what you know as he leads you. You may be the first witness called to the stand, so that you never hear how the jury decides. You may be the last, and thus present when the jury renders a verdict, hopefully for the Defendant. You will probably be somewhere in the middle.

The point: your job is to be ready. Tell what you know when given the opportunity and trust the results to God.

However, our witness is effective only if it is credible. Case Keenum’s priorities are clear: faith, family, football. Are they yours?

Denison Forum