R.C. Sproul: The Biblical Basis for Missions

March 11, 2022

What is mission, and what is the principal foundation for the mission of the church? The word mission itself comes from the Latin verb missio, which means “to send.” So, literally, missions has to do with sending. In the Scriptures, we see the verb to send being used over and over, in a multitude of ways. But there’s a sense in which the whole life of the church and the whole experience of the Christian are rooted ultimately in some kind of sending that is founded in the authority and the action of God Himself.

It is God who institutes, sanctifies, and mandates the mission of the church. One of the most famous passages in the Bible speaks to this mission: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Many people know this verse, but how many know the next verse? “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (v. 17). The motive behind the divine action of redemption crystallized in John 3:16 lies in the action of God in sending His Son into the world. The purpose was not negative but positive; God didn’t send the Son for the purpose of judgment, but rather for the purpose of redemption. Verse 34 reveals more about that mission: “For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.” Who is the one whom God had sent? It’s Jesus Christ, and He was sent speaking the words of God and giving the Holy Spirit without measure.

Jesus speaks also in His High Priestly Prayer of speaking the words of God and of having been sent by the Father: “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me” (John 17:8). As He continues to pray for the disciples, He says, “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (v. 18). Here we see the basis for the mission of the church. God sent Christ; Christ sent the church. The biblical basis for missions is the Word of God spoken in divine authority; it is the mandate of Christ.

We live in a time wherein the secular culture and many ecclesiastical authorities dismiss the whole concept of world missions. Some claim that the time of world missionary activity is over. One argument offered for this is that missions are not only unnecessary but are a destructive force unleashed upon the world. The charge is that world missions have been nothing more than a platform for imperialism and for the exploitation of the underdeveloped nations by the industrialized nations in the world. There is also the sociological consideration that civilization is a corrupting influence upon innocent natives who would have greater well-being and peace without the problems of the Western world that are inevitably carried in the carpetbags of the missionary.

This is pure nonsense, of course, and not supported by evidence. Modern missions provide valuable medical, educational, and agricultural resources, in addition to the important work of preaching the gospel. Unfortunately, the number of missionaries in the field continues to decline, because a significant portion of the church no longer believes that it’s necessary to fulfill the mandate from Christ to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth.

But the mission of God has always been a sending program. God spoke to Abram in the land of the Chaldeans and sent him to a new land where he would be the father of a great nation. He came to Moses in the midst of the Midianite wilderness and sent Moses to Pharaoh with the message, “Let my people go.” God sent His children out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. When they were disobedient to the covenant that God had made with them, He sent the prophets to warn them. When that didn’t bring them around, He sent His Son.

The word apostle means “one who is sent.” In the time of the New Testament, an apostle was one who would carry the authority to speak in the name of the one who had sent him. In the New Testament, the first Apostle is Christ Himself, the one sent by the Father. Then, the Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit. Then, the Spirit was poured out on the church, and the church was sent to complete the ministry of Christ in all the world—to every tongue, to every nation, to every tribe.

Discover “Jehovah Shalom:” The Lord is My Peace

Russell Henderson

March 11, 2022

How strange it is to discover “the Lord is my peace” in an Old Testament book like Judges. The period of the judges in the Old Testament was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride. When God would raise up a new judge. (For example, read Judges 6) Israel would follow Him, but when that judge would die they would fall back into their old ways of serving foreign Gods. As a matter of fact this sin—salvation—sin cycle happens seven times throughout the book of Judges. The story of Gideon is just one remarkable story out of seven, but it is in this narrative that we are given a new characteristic and promise of God.

Judges chapter 5 tells us that Israel lived in rest for forty years under the leadership of Deborah, but once again they fell into sin after her death. In this instance God allowed the Midianites to come and raid the land of Israel. The Midianites would destroy all of their crops, livestock, and everything else that would contribute to their livelihood. It was during this time that the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and told him that he would single-handedly defeat the Midianites.

Gideon was so frightened at the sight of the Angel of the Lord that he knew he was as good as dead, but the Angel said, “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.” With that comfort Gideon built an altar and called the place Jehovah Shalom: The Lord is my Peace.

The Lord is My Peace

If I could sum up Gideon in two words it would be frightened and wimpy. After all when the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon he was threshing wheat in his father’s winepress so the Midianites would not find it. Even after the revelation of Jehovah Shalom, Gideon was instructed to tear down his father’s Baal idol, but Gideon waited until dark so no one would see him do it. This guy lived in fear every day. How ironic that the Lord chose Gideon to reveal Himself has the God of Peace.

This tells me that God will always meet you where you are, but it also tells me that God’s ways are not our ways. 1 Corinthians 1:27 tells us that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;…that no flesh should glory in His presence. I don’t know why God chose Gideon. It doesn’t make sense to my human logic. I don’t know why God would choose a scrawny, smelly kid like David to be a King. I don’t know why God would send His only Son to be the sacrifice for my sin. All I know is that His ways are far higher than mine.

God wants to give you peace in your situation. You may feel more turmoil in your life right now than ever before, but God wants to reveal Himself to you as Jehovah Shalom. You may be frightened and worried about the state of the economy. You live from day to day wondering if you or your spouse is going to get laid off from your job. But God wants to give you His peace.

This peace can only truly come to those who are willing to look upon the face of God. Gideon did not receive the peace of the Lord until He saw God face to face. The same concept applies to us, and the only way that we can come face to face with God is in worship.

The apostle Paul gives us a wonderful context for having peace.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9

In this passage Paul gives us four points of instruction that deal directly with prayer and worship:Rejoice in the Lord, pray, give thanks, and meditate. He goes on to say that if you do these things then you will position yourself to be surrounded by the peace of God.

The Old Testament defines the word peace as being a state of safety, health, prosperity, and favor. The New Testament defines it as being whole, or complete, secure, and prosperous.

It is definitely the Lord’s desire for you to live in peace. I find it interesting the Hebrew word for “hello” and “goodbye” is Shalom. If you have ever attended a Catholic mass, you will never leave without the priest declaring “Peace be to You”. The peace of God is a very powerful state of being because it is literally bringing Heaven to earth.

Paul also said in Philippians 4 that the peace of God is something that goes beyond our understanding. It is just like God to take something that goes against our logic and use if for good. Peace only comes from God. It does not come from the world. The world is full of hurt, confusion, and uncertainty. Peace does not come from man because man is full of sin, doubt, and faithlessness. But when God brings His peace it provides a protection from the things of the world and the things of man.

In the armor of God (Ephesians 6) peace is not worn over the heart nor over the head, but it is worn on the feet. That means that we have to take the peace of God with us everywhere we go. It is only discovering that “the Lord is my peace” that we can stand against doubt, confusion, and anxiety.

Today, no matter what state you find yourself in you can discover “the Lord is my peace” and let the peace of God rule in your hearts. (Colossians 3:15) Seek His face in worship because it is in the countenance of God that we find perfect peace.

Hillsong UNITED’s Taya Smith Testimony: Worship Is Being Honest Before God

Megan Briggs

March 11, 2022

If you have attended a church in the past 10 years that uses contemporary worship music, chances are pretty high you’ve sung along to a Hillsong UNITED song. Additionally, if you keep up with contemporary Christian music even remotely, you will likely recognize the voice of Taya Smith, a member of Hillsong UNITED. In this Taya Smith testimony about she speaks candidly about worship and being vulnerable before God. In her view, it’s the only way to worship.

Taya Smith Testimony

“Worship is a weapon,” Taya Smith said recently in a video where she shared her thoughts on the subject.

The musician, whose voice is featured on the incredibly successful “Oceans” song, shares there have been times where she experienced going through “heavy” things and worship was used to cut off “things I don’t need to be thinking about or feelings that are quite heavy and would hold me back from what I’m actually meant to be.”

Taya Smith gets emotional and candidly opens up about a leadership struggle as she recalls times when she’s questioned “the very thing that you’re singing over people.” Despite the doubt she’s struggled with, Taya Smith attributes the kindness of God to help her realize that worship is about being honest before God.

“We worship in spirit and truth…sometimes it’s embarrassing because you bring all of yourself before God and there’s like ugly parts.” To be completely honest before God requires bringing all of yourself in his presence as you worship, and this means we have to bring the “ugly parts” like our doubts and our evil thoughts and feelings.

“I’ve experienced the kindness of God in those moments when it would have been so easy to pull away and go ‘I actually can’t do this and it’s not for me right now.’” Instead of discouraging Taya Smith from leading worship, she says those moments caused her to “press in and go after the things of God and put the words in my mouth when I needed to believe it.”

Watch the full Taya Smith testimony above.

‘Every Moment Is a Gift’—How the Church in Poland Is Helping One Ukrainian Woman and Her Family

Jessica Lea

March 10, 2022

Operation Mobilization (OM), a group that works to spread the gospel to unreached people, recently shared the moving story of a Ukrainian woman who has taken refuge in Poland. Despite her loss and heartache, believers there are doing what they can to ease her suffering.

“I would like to say thank you for people who have big hearts,” said Viktoria, a refugee who left Ukraine with her mother and her two children, one of whom is a newborn. Her husband, Roman, is still there.

Ukrainian Woman: We Often Say, ‘I Love You’

Viktoria described being on a bus with other children and their mothers, who also had to leave their husbands behind. She said that her daughter, hearing stories of Ukrainians who had died, asked why that was happening. “It’s a war,” Viktoria told her, recounting the conversation with emotion, “but you can pray for [your] dad and for [your] grandma and for your uncle, Radim. And maybe one day we will see them.”

Viktoria said that OM has helped her and her family by providing “very simple, but very useful things,” such as food, shelter and other necessities. “We often say, ‘I love you,’” said Viktoria through tears, “because we understand that every moment is a gift.”

OM said that they, their “church partners, and volunteers will continue to welcome and serve those who come seeking refuge.”

“Pictures of thousands fleeing Ukraine & horrific headlines can make us numb to individual stories of precious lives,” said Rev. Dr. Glenn Packiam, associate senior pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. He tweeted the video of Viktoria’s story, saying, “This was sent by a congregant who works for OM. It’s a glimpse into how the church in Poland is welcoming refugees. May it provoke prayer.”

Watch Viktoria’s story below:

Finding Refuge – A Ukrainian Mother’s Story from OM on Vimeo.

‘We Should Manifest the Fruit of the Spirit’: Willy Rice Responds to Criticism of Voddie Baucham

Dale Chamberlain

March 10, 2022

Willy Rice Voddie Baucham — Pictured: Willy Rice speaking at 2021 annual meeting of the SBC (image courtesy of Baptist Press)

Willy Rice, who is the pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Fla., and will accept a nomination for the SBC presidency at the 2022 annual meeting of the Convention, has released a statement regarding another potential contender for SBC president, Voddie Baucham.

After Ed Litton announced that he would not seek a second term for the role of SBC president last week, the field opened up with speculation about who would take his place. One day after Litton’s announcement, it was reported that Rice would accept a nomination, and some evangelical leaders began expressing their desire to see Baucham accept a one as well.

While Baucham confirmed that he had been asked to accept a nomination, he expressed uncertainty regarding his eligibility. While he planted and pastored an SBC church in Spring, Texas, and is in leadership for more than one SBC-affiliated entity, he is serving as Dean of Theology at African Christian University in Lusaka, Zambia, and is thus not weekly attending an SBC church.

Since a requirement for holding an SBC office is that a candidate must be a member of a church in friendly cooperation with the SBC, Baucham’s eligibility hinges on how his home church in Texas defines membership and whether they still consider him a member in good standing as he serves in Zambia as a missionary.

Whether Baucham ends up accepting a nomination or not, the mere possibility has sparked both avid support and staunch denunciation among prominent voices within the SBC. Baucham, who has sounded alarm bells about what he believes to be the dangers of social justice and critical race theory, has become a polarizing figure.

Recent Criticism of Baucham

Shortly after speculation about a possible Baucham nomination began circulating on social media, Baptist New Global (BNG) published an opinion piece authored by Rick Pidcock, which bore the title “Plagiarism is the least thing to worry about with Voddie Baucham, who is a threat to children, women and daughters.”

Baucham has been the subject of accusations that his 2021 book, “Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe,” plagiarized the works of other authors and misquoted the authors whom the book critiques. The book’s publisher has denied these claims, arguing that any misunderstanding on the part of the reader is a result of poor formatting, not plagiarism or intentional misrepresentation.

In his opinion piece, however, Pidcock argues that these accusations should be the least of the SBC’s worries, going on to argue that Baucham’s views on marriage and parenting represent a very real danger to women and children. Baucham adheres to a conservative understanding of complementarian theology and has been vocal in his support of parents disciplining their children with corporal punishment.

Based on what Baucham has said in the past about having an “orderly household,” Pidcock accused Baucham of being “ignorant” and said that Baucham advocates for solving discipline problems “through physical violence with the threat of eternal violence.”

“Baucham reveals himself to be one of the most extreme voices of complementarianism,” Pidcock also wrote, quoting a sermon Baucham gave in 2009, in which Baucham said, “There’s a person who’s in an abusive marriage. That is not biblical grounds for divorce and remarriage.”

A separate BNG news article also pointed out that Stephen Bratton, the man who succeeded Baucham as pastor at Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, TX after Baucham moved to Zambia, is currently serving a 17-year prison sentence for multiple counts of sexual assault on a minor. The victim was one of Bratton’s own family members.

Franklin Graham Thanks Mike and Karen Pence for Visiting Samaritan’s Purse Relief Team in Ukraine

Stephanie Martin

March 10, 2022

Relief efforts continue in and around Ukraine, with numerous faith-based groups delivering food and medical supplies to refugees and injured civilians. This morning, Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham tweeted his thanks to former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, “for coming to Ukraine to visit our @SamaritansPurse team there and meet many refugees crossing the border into Poland.”

Mike and Karen Pence met with the organization’s Disaster Assistance Response Team set up in Poland before crossing into Ukraine to meet with some soon-to-be refugees.

Mike Pence tweeted that “2.4 million refugees have already fled Ukraine and nearly 400,000 have already come through the Korczowa border crossing.” He added, “The impact of the Russian invasion on these families is heartbreaking and the need for support is great. We encourage everyone to pray and contribute to @SamaritansPurse and other relief organizations today. Let’s stand together as one with the people of Ukraine.”

Samaritan’s Purse Deploys Field Hospital, Medical Personnel

Graham, who shared photos of Mike and Karen Pence interacting with Ukrainians, tweeted, “One Ukrainian told Vice President @Mike_Pence what an encouragement their visit was and the former Vice President responded, ‘No, you are the ones who inspire and encourage us.’ He assured them of our continued prayers and support.”

Edward Graham, operations VP for Samaritan’s Purse and Franklin’s son, also expressed gratitude for the visit. “We’re very grateful that Vice President and Mrs. Pence care so much about the Ukrainian people,” he says. “They were a great encouragement to our team today. This situation is heartbreaking, and we are here to do all we can to help relieve suffering.”

Samaritan’s Purse is setting up an emergency field hospital near Lviv, Ukraine. The facility will have almost 60 beds, including four ICU beds, plus two operating rooms and an ER with a 100-person daily capacity. Medical personnel also will provide maternity care and deliveries.

In addition, Samaritan’s Purse set up a Medical Stabilization Point at the Lviv train station to assess the health needs of refugees as they pass through. The organization has already sent numerous airlifts of relief materials to the area, including Poland and Moldova.

“Ukrainian families are hurting and in desperate need of physical aid and prayer during this difficult time,” says Franklin Graham. “We are deploying life-saving medical care to aid people who are suffering. We want to meet the needs of these families in their darkest moments while pointing them to the light and hope of Jesus Christ.”

Other Christian Relief Groups Are Busy Too

As ChurchLeaders has reported, other humanitarian groups with religious ties are working to meet needs during the crisis. Send Relief, a collaboration between the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board and North American Mission Board, is working with local churches in Ukraine and Poland to provide assistance.

Missouri House OKs Guns on Buses, in Churches

Associated Press

March 10, 2022

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s GOP-led House on Wednesday passed a bill that would allow guns in churches and on public transportation.

The House voted 101-40 in favor of the measure, which now goes before the Republican-led Senate for approval.

Currently, people need permission from religious leaders to bring firearms into churches, synagogues, mosques and other places of religious worship in Missouri.

The pending bill would allow people with concealed carry permits to bring guns into worship sites without permission.

The measure also would allow people with concealed carry permits to bring firearms on buses and other public transportation. Guns would still be banned on Amtrak trains.

Yet another part of the bill would allow 18-year-olds to get concealed carry permits, which currently are only available to people at least 19 years old or 18-year-olds in the military.

The bill also would make it a misdemeanor crime to fire a gun in city limits, with a number of exceptions.

This article originally appeared here.

Vatican Replaces Puerto Rico Bishop Who Alleges Persecution

Dánica Coto

March 10, 2022

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The bishop of the Arecibo diocese in Puerto Rico said Wednesday that the Vatican dismissed him against his wishes, a rare move for the Holy See.

The announcement comes nearly a year after Monsignor Daniel Fernández declined to sign a decree issued by the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference declaring that unvaccinated parishioners would be separated from vaccinated ones during activities including the presentation of bread and wine at the altar.

The Episcopal Conference also suggested that unvaccinated parishioners avoid other in-person church activities until further notice.

“We’re taking this measure for your own safety, and for that of priests, religious people and also relatives and parishioners,” the Aug. 24, 2021, decree stated.

Days before the decree was signed, Fernández issued a statement noting, among other things, that “it is legitimate for a faithful Catholic to have doubts about the safety and efficacy of a vaccine.”

Pope Francis has been a vigorous champion of vaccines, describing them as a way to protect others as well as oneself against COVID-19.

Fernández did not specify the reason for his substitution in a lengthy statement but said that he felt “blessed to suffer persecution and slander,” adding that “God is my judge.”

He said he was never formally accused of anything nor faced any kind of process.

Fernández added that he was informed that he had not committed any crime but that he allegedly “had not been obedient to the Pope nor had he had sufficient communion with my brother bishops of Puerto Rico.”

A spokesman for the Vatican did not respond to a request for comment, while a spokeswoman for the Arecibo Diocese declined comment. The office of Puerto Rico’s archbishop issued a statement calling the dismissal “painful news” and urged people to pray, while the Puerto Rican Episcopal Conference said in a statement that it was “such a painful moment” for the Arecibo diocese.

“Out of deference and respect for the internal canonical processes of the Church, these will be the only official expressions that will be made,” it said.

Bruxy Cavey’s Former Megachurch Debates Allegations: Sex Abuse or an Affair?

Yonat Shimron

March 10, 2022

Bruxy Cavey in a 2021 video. Video screen grab

(RNS) — Days after the pastor of one of Canada’s largest churches resigned after being accused of sexual misconduct, the church held a special online meeting Tuesday (March 8) to announce that an independent, third-party investigation found that Bruxy Cavey, the folksy, long-haired leader of The Meeting House in Toronto, had a yearslong sexual relationship with a member of his church who sought counseling.

But the fallout from the investigation also led to a debate at the church over the nature of the relationship, and on Wednesday Danielle Strickland, a former part-time pastor at the church, went on Instagram to explain in an hourlong video that she did not feel that the church adequately advocated for the victim, who called the relationship “clergy sex abuse.”

Cavey also went on social media on Wednesday, confessing in a blog post, “Some years ago, I had an extramarital affair.”

He continued, “This adulterous relationship is my greatest failure, my darkest sin, and I take full responsibility for my actions.”

Danielle Strickland speaks during an Instagram Live session, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Video screen grab

But Strickland, who took the victim’s story to the church’s board after the victim came to Strickland with her story last year, said that calling the relationship an affair, or even sexual harassment, as the church has done, is not accurate.

“The whole truth needs to be told,” Strickland said. “To not name what it is is not to care for and help the victim. It is to re-victimize people because you refuse to name it.”

Strickland said the victim, who was half Cavey’s age (she was 23 and he was 46) when the sexual relationship allegedly began, asked the board to define what happened as “clergy sexual abuse.” The victim wrote a statement to that effect, which she asked the board chair to read aloud. The board declined to do so.

Maggie John, who chairs the Meeting House board, said at Tuesday night’s meeting that Cavey’s actions were not an affair, since they took place in the context of clergy counseling.

But she said the board wanted to stick to the language used by the investigator who found that Cavey had committed “sexual harassment” and “abuse of power.”

“It was important for us to maintain the integrity of the independent third-party nature of the investigation by sticking with the findings of the investigator,” John told the church during Tuesday’s meeting, which was broadcast on YouTube.

She also said that Be In Christ, an Anabaptist denomination to which the church belongs, has stripped Cavey of his ministerial credentials. Charles Mashinter, executive director of the denomination, confirmed that Cavey’s pastoral credentials were removed, which means he cannot serve another Be In Christ church.

New York Governor, Clergy and Ambassadors Join Orthodox Leaders to Pray for Ukraine

Jack Jenkins

March 10, 2022

Orthodox leaders — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, bottom right, speaks during the “Intercessory Prayer Service for Ukraine" at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, March 9, 2022. Video screen grab

(RNS) — Ambassadors, elected officials and a group of interfaith clergy joined with Orthodox Christian leaders in New York on Wednesday (March 9) to express solidarity with Ukrainians as they resist the ongoing invasion of their country — and to decry the Russian leaders at the helm of the conflict.

The slate of dignitaries gathered at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr in Manhattan’s Upper West Side neighborhood for what was described as an “Intercessory Prayer Service for Ukraine.” Attendees and speakers represented an array of faiths, ranging from Ukrainian and Greek Orthodox prelates to Catholic cardinals to Jewish rabbis.

Metropolitan Antony of Hierapolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA opened up the speaking section of the service by outlining a history of what he said were wrongs inflicted on the Ukrainian people by Russia.

“After 30 years of independence, recognized by the world over — did we ever think that we would be going back to this that we see today?” he said.

He celebrated the outpouring of international support for Ukraine during the invasion, and thanked all of those who have done more than simply say “You’re in our thoughts and prayers.”

“This has been a movement that has swollen beyond all imagination in terms of the the desire for people to help, to do something and to fall on their knees and pray,” he said. “I can tell you the people of Ukraine tell us that they feel the power of those prayers.”

Metropolitan Antony of Hierapolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA addresses the “Intercessory Prayer Service for Ukraine" at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr in Manhattan, Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Video screen grab

Metropolitan Antony of Hierapolis of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA addresses the “Intercessory Prayer Service for Ukraine” at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr in Manhattan, March 9, 2022. Video screen grab

He was followed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who noted that the cathedral, just a few blocks west of Central Park, was once a synagogue.

“When I look out of this room, yes, I hear the words of prayer on your lips — and those are powerful words, heartfelt words — and I see tremendous pain in your eyes,” she said.

“But as I hear the prayers and I see the pain and sense the weeping in your hearts for the people left behind, I also sense defiance in your souls.”

Hochul said the state of New York will reject business “with Russian interests or the Russian state” as part of “a global effort to bring that nation to its knees and regret the day they ever attempted to subjugate the great country of Ukraine.”

Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, recalled the horrors of the Holocaust during World War II. He noted Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish, lost family during the Holocaust and had a grandfather who fought the Nazis with the Soviet Union’s Red Army. Between 1.2 million and 1.6 million Jews were killed in Ukraine during the Holocaust.

“When we said never again after the war, we didn’t put a question mark after it — we put an exclamation mark,” Potasnik said.

“We can discuss and debate a no fly zone, but there is one thing we can’t debate, and that is this should be a no-cry zone. … We should never, ever see innocent people mercilessly murdered.”

Potasnik referenced the approaching Jewish holiday of Purim, which commemorates the triumph of the Jewish people over Haman.

“Haman wanted the Jewish people to submit to his rule, and they did something he didn’t expect: They fought back,” Potasnik said. “Ultimately, Haman was relegated to the dustbin of history, and the people were victorious. I hope the president of Russia reads the story, that maybe this year will be called ‘Putin’s Purim’ because we have learned that history often repeats itself.”

The rabbi rejected Putin’s attempts to justify the invasion as an effort to “denazify” Ukraine, saying, “On the contrary, what you are doing in assaulting Ukraine is Nazification.”

Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who oversees the Archdiocese of New York, called the invasion “raw evil” and “irrational” in his remarks. He recounted a recent conversation with a journalist who worked in the country who described faith as uniting the Ukrainian people.

“God save Ukraine,” Dolan said.

Communicating With Confidence When People Distrust Pastors

Ed Stetzer

March 10, 2022

This article is the fifth of six in a series on preaching in light of cultural shifts and biblical illiteracy. Read Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4 here.

Jared Wilson of Midwestern Seminary tweeted about the common perception of pastors in America. It says,

“You’re the preacher?”

“Yes.”

“So, you’re the guy with all the answers?”

“No, I’m the guy who points to that guy.”

A Decline in View Toward Pastors

Unfortunately, perceptions about pastors are not always good. According to a Gallup Poll, only 37% of adults consider “the honest and ethical standards” of clergy as “very high.” In contrast, nurses rate much higher at 84%. When we consider what people usually hear about pastors in the news, their distrust makes a little bit more sense.

We frequently hear stories of pastors who are removed because of financial issues, sexual immorality, or abusive leadership styles. The Catholic church has a sexual abuse scandal. The Houston Chronicle had a series on Southern Baptists, as did Fort Worth Star-Telegram, on scandals among the Independent Baptist churches. In Chicagoland where I live, the pastors of the two largest churches were fired or resigned in recent years. Others leave on their own, though some of the stats are exaggerated. Pastors are not leaving in droves, but they certainly are leaving. From the outside, this does not look good. It’s easy to see why people may be suspicious of pastors if these are the stories they hear: scandal, abuse, burnout.

How do we overcome that reputation? Part of the problem is that most of us probably aren’t speaking too much of Jesus. Remember, he is the point of the message and the hero of the story—we are not. We don’t hear many pastors mention the time that they spent away in prayer, or in Sabbath and resting, but they might talk about their latest book, or their sermon, or the size of their church. This lends to the distrust, especially when paired with the scandals in the news. We need to preach Christ crucified, not our greatest accomplishments.

Building Trust

So, how do we preach to an audience whose default is not to trust us? First, realize that our position no longer carries the respect it once did. When a nurse walks into the room, there’s an automatic trust, but not so much for pastors. People will not automatically believe anything we tell them about the Bible, gospel, or reality. Proclaiming the Word itself does not guarantee listeners can or should trust the messenger. One thing we can do is add Scriptural, statistical, or scientific support to the assertions or arguments we make in our sermons. Someone may not automatically trust us, but they may be more accepting of a well-supported and logical statement.

Second, analyze how we as preachers build trust, not just inside our sermons, but also outside our sermons. Do we give people who are listening permission to wrestle through the message or ask questions themselves? Do we find ways to build a rapport inside and outside of the sermon? Our integrity outside of the church building matters just as much as our integrity inside it. Our congregation may not remember all of our sermon but they will remember how we treat the people around us.

Third, preach to ourselves first. Remember that we are sharing the transformational gospel, not reading from a phone book. We want our congregations to know that the text we preach has pierced our soul. Sometimes it may be hard to demonstrate this in a sermon, so Craig Groeschel offers a series of questions to ask ourselves as we prepare:

How has the text affected you?
How have you failed in the area the Scripture addresses?
What about the text makes you uncomfortable?
What do you feel about what Scripture is saying?
How are you becoming different because of your study of God’s Word?

How We Lost the Conversation on Human Sexuality

Mike Leake

March 10, 2022

“Father, why’d you get so upset at that man who helped the lady?”

Everyone else seemed to be celebrating at synagogue when the visiting teacher had helped Miss Ruth. But not his dad. His father, a religious leader, was indignant at the traveling teacher. Rather than celebrating he rebuked the congregation, and not so subtly the teacher. It sure put a damper on Miss Ruth’s great day.

It wouldn’t have added to the conversation to admit that he’d also been part of the group who had been teasing the strange lady who seemed to always be staring at the floor. Joshua remained silent on this point, but he was abundantly curious about his father’s rebuke of what seemed like a work of God.

“I was upset, Joshua, because the Law matters, the temple matters and holiness matters. It is very clear in our Law that we are not supposed to do work on Sabbath. This woman had been disabled for 18 years. If this teacher was authentic he would have waited until sundown to do his healing. It could have waited.”

This answer didn’t make much sense to Joshua. Had he been a little younger his father would have been dealt a barrage of ad infinitum “why” questions. But he was older and had to be more cautious in his approach.

“Why is it okay to help somebody on one day but not another?”

Joshua’s father tried to explain.

“You see, Joshua, there was a time when our temple was destroyed, our homeland was razed, and we were carried off into a foreign land. All of this was because HaShem (the Name) was displeased because we did not honor him. We were guilty of things like profaning the Sabbath. When we returned to the land our fathers wanted to make certain we did not break the Law anymore.”

“You mean like making sure people didn’t get healed on the wrong day,” Joshua interjected perhaps a bit too forcibly.

“No! We do this because we want to honor the Sabbath.”

Josh interjects a bit more forcefully this time, “But how does that honor the Sabbath!”

Josh is beginning to get a bit more heated as the cognitive dissonance ratchets up. He starts thinking about all the rules his family has lived by, rules about tying knots, picking up sticks, writing letters, number of steps taken. It is all starting to collapse for him.

His father tries a bit harder to bring Josh back to the family way. “It honors the Sabbath because that’s what we are called by God to do! It is clear from the Law that this should have waited for tomorrow!!!!”

“I just don’t understand, father, where do you read this? Where in the Law does it say this?”

Josh’s father grabs out a scroll and points to Leviticus 23 and then another from Exodus. “Here, Josh! It’s clear. Read it, son. Do not disgrace your father.” They read the scroll:

For six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.

“See, son. The Law is clear. That is why I was so angry with that woman and the teacher. They profaned the Sabbath. To not confront this could have made all of us guilty.”

Josh walks away, rolling his eyes, and wondering why his dad just doesn’t get it.

When You Forget the Why

One of the most valuable lessons I learned in seminary came from Dr. Donald Whitney in a class on spiritual disciplines. On the class schedule there were two days marked “fasting.” We were required to fast.

I’ll be honest, I bristled at this being on the calendar. It felt really stupid and legalistic. Fasting didn’t seem like the type of thing you should do for a grade in a class. We were supposed to do the fast and write our experience in a journal.

The day came for the first fast. We hadn’t been taught a single thing about the practice, just that we had to do it. I did it, but rather begrudgingly. I tried praying some. Tried muscling through it and making at least some spiritually profound lesson out of it. In truth, it was terrible and it was a mostly empty experience.

When we came to class I was kind of surprised to hear Dr. Whitney say something like, “That was pretty bad wasn’t it?” And that’s when he taught us the lesson:

Discipline without direction is drudgery.

We didn’t know why we were fasting. We didn’t have any purpose to it. We didn’t know a theology of fasting. It was just a discipline without any direction. Much like “Honor the Sabbath.”

Small Churches Are Not a Problem, a Virtue or an Excuse

Karl Vaters

March 10, 2022

Small churches are great. But I refuse to idealize them.

There’s not an ounce of nostalgia in me for some long-lost, non-existent, good-old-days when everyone attended a little white chapel and all was right with the world.

I also refuse to blame small churches for what’s wrong with the state of Christianity today. I will no longer sit idly by while church leaders cite statistics about how many small churches there are, as though it’s all the proof we need that Christianity is in trouble.

But I won’t let these churches off the hook, either. Just because we’re small doesn’t give us an excuse to do ministry with anything less than Christ-honoring, people-serving, world-transforming passion.

In short, small churches are not a problem to be fixed, a virtue to be praised or an excuse to do shoddy work.

But we are normal.

Small churches are still the way most people choose to worship, learn and minister.

In fact, even with the recent advent of the megachurch (an advent I’m grateful for, by the way) small churches are still the way most people choose to worship, learn and minister.

But, since these misconceptions about small churches keep persisting, let’s take a look at them, one at a time:

1. Small Churches Are Not a Problem

Just because a church is small does not mean that it is broken, lazy, visionless, ingrown, poorly led or theologically faulty.

Are there some small churches like that? Of course. Some big churches, too.

But despite what you may have heard or believed, more Christians choose to attend, serve and worship in small churches than in all other sizes of churches combined. And not just in rural regions where all the churches are small. Even in heavily populated areas, where megachurches dot the landscape, more people choose to worship in churches under 200 than in churches of any other size.

They’re not wrong to do so.

In fact, where Christians are growing as a percentage of the population, it’s almost always due to the multiplication of small congregations, not the growing of larger ones.

Certainly there are broken small churches. But being small is not, on its own, an indication that there’s a problem.

2. Small Churches Are Not a Virtue

Big churches aren’t better than small churches. But small churches aren’t better than big churches, either.

Small churches are not the best way to do church – we’re just best for some people
We are not closer to the New Testament ideal than big churches
We are not the righteous remnant
Smallness is never because ‘we’re the only ones teaching the Bible’
There’s nothing holy about being small

While I believe that small churches will play a more visible role in the future growth of the church, I don’t believe we will replace big- or megachurches. Nor should we.

It’s not about big or small. It’s about big and small.

The entire church is better with all of us than without any of us.

3. Small Churches Are Not an Excuse

Being small is not an excuse to do church poorly.

While many small churches may not be able to afford a lot of things we’d love to have, like the latest technology, a permanent building or even a salary for the pastor, we will not allow any of that to stop us from being everything Jesus is calling us to be.

Here are some excuses we must no longer accept:

Just because we don’t have a kickin’ worship band does not mean we’ll settle for passionless worship
Lack of sermon prep time will not mean bad theology or boring preaching
Minimal finances will not stop us from being generous
Not having professionally-made graphics, flyers and banners won’t stop us from inviting our friends to church
We will not wait until we get bigger to do what Jesus is calling us to do right here, right now

A local church doesn’t need to be big to do the Jesus stuff well.

And the Jesus stuff is the only stuff that matters.

This article originally appeared here.

On Fearing the Future

Scott Sauls

March 10, 2022

As I write this, the world is overcome by uncertainty and fearing the future. Some fear for their financial future; others, for their health. Some fear for their loved ones; others, for themselves. It’s quite remarkable, isn’t it, what the spread of a microscopic virus can do to alter the landscape?

Whatever our situation at this time, and whether or not COVID-19 wreaks havoc on our lives or not, one thing is certain: we all will die. In fact, we are all — each and every one of us — DESTINED to die, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

And yet, whatever our situation, the people of Jesus possess in them a hope that transcends the awful, ubiquitous reality of a mortality ratio of 1:1. At our church, this hope is echoed loudly in the lyric of a hymn we cherish. Regarding the New Heaven and New Earth that is ahead of us, we sing:

“No chilling words nor poisonous breath
can reach that healthful shore, (where)
sickness, sorrow, pain, and death
are felt and feared no more.”

“Felt no more” sounds wonderful when we’re talking about sickness, sorrow, pain, and death, does it not? This, of course, is an impossibility in the world in which we now live. However, based on the great and precious promise of God, there is even now — this very moment — the possibility of “fear(ing) no more” when it comes to sickness, sorrow, pain, and death.

We are told that at the end of days, when King Jesus returns for a second and final time, he will make all things new. Our future, from that point forward, will represent an utter, complete, everlasting reversal of sickness, sorrow, pain, and death. As John, the beloved disciple, has written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “There will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away, and everything made new” (see Revelation 21:1-5 for the full accounting of what awaits us).

As the pastor of a marvelous church that is filled with people — including many elderly, “Greatest Generation” people who make up about 15% of our fellowship — as well as other, younger saints who somewhere along the way received news of a terminal diagnosis, who have accessed these promises of God that cast out fearing the future.

What follows is a brief telling of how those afflicted saints, young and old, are made to FEEL some of the worst of what a fallen world throws at people, but without FEARING the future because of the perfect love that holds them. I hope that their stories and perspectives offer you similar hope as they do to me.

10 Youth Bible Study Topics to Explore With Teenagers

Stephanie Martin

March 9, 2022

When it comes to planning youth Bible study topics, pastors and leaders might feel limited by group members’ age and life stage. But if you’re teaching preteens or teenagers, there’s no need to stick only to subjects such as peer pressure and dating.

Sure, those are important lessons that interest most teens. But kids are also eager and willing to grow their faith in many other areas. And they’re hungry for the nourishment provided in God’s Word and for Jesus, the bread of life.

Almost all subjects that lead to great adult Bible studies work well as youth Bible study topics too. Just be sure to make the teaching time age-appropriate. Also consider including themed activities and games to reinforce the lessons.

10 Youth Bible Study Topics

1. Miracles

No matter their age, people remain fascinated by the miracles of healing, provision and restoration that Jesus performed on earth. Introduce a lesson or series about Jesus’ miracles by playing a fun guessing game such as Emoji Bible Stories. In that game, kids try to guess each miracle based only on emoji clues.

2. Parables

Jesus was a master storyteller, and his wide variety of parables are filled with insight and instructions for Christian living. You can spend a whole summer or semester studying the New Testament parables with teenagers. Begin or end each lesson with a fun game, such as this Lost Sheep Puzzle.

3. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

In his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5-7), Jesus covers loads of topics of interest and relevance to young people. These include obedience, witnessing, relationships, enemies, giving, prayer, wealth, worrying, judging and salvation. Jesus’ sermon opens with the Beatitudes, which make great youth Bible study topics on their own!

4. Obedience

Character studies of people in the Bible who obey (and disobey) God’s Word also work especially well for youth Bible study topics. Choose people from both the Old and New Testaments, including some whom teens may not have heard about previously. These studies are bound to lead to lively discussions about the challenges and blessings of following Jesus.

5. Evangelism

You don’t need to be an adult or a longtime Christian to share your faith in Jesus with others. In fact, teenagers tend to be some of the boldest witnesses around. Plus, they usually have wide-reaching networks of friends and acquaintances. During a youth Bible study on evangelism, address any fears or hesitations that kids have about sharing their beliefs with others.

Steven Furtick Criticized for Promoting 16-Year-Old Son’s Rap Album About Violence, Sex, and Money

Jesse T. Jackson

March 9, 2022

Elevation Church’s senior pastor Steven Furtick heard from critics after praising his son Elijah’s rap album, which references guns, shooting, oral sex, and bragging about excessive amounts of money.

The 16-year-old Elijah, who goes by his stage name dothedash!, released a ten song album titled “TEEN MACHINE” on the first week of March. To his credit, with everything else he references, he doesn’t swear on the record.

During one video, Steven’s wife, Holly (Elijah’s mother), let people know that Elijah works at Elevation church.

During the intro track “All Cap!,” Elijah says that “all of the emotions and aspirations depicted in this audio recording are a genuine reflection of some dimension of the author’s experience or personality.”

“However,” the young rapper stated, “a majority of the events, achievements, and acquisitions conveyed in the lyrical body are in fact fictitious, exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek, or otherwise widely inaccurate—in other words the feeling is real, the rest is all cap.” “All cap” is a slang phrase referring to lying.

After dothedash! explained how to decipher his songs, he wasted no time spitting controversial lyrics in the song “NO HOOK!” that caught the attention of San Diego based Christian rapper and one-third member of “Dream Junkies,” Ruslan.

In addition to making music, Ruslan has a YouTube channel that has racked up over 16 million views. Ruslan created his YouTube channel “to help people contextualize their faith and live God’s Dream for their life,” he said.

Ruslan created a video breaking down everything he heard in the Elijah’s song, a video that has been viewed over 221,000 times so far and explained that the video is not intended to blast the Furticks. Rather, Ruslan expressed that he’s genuinely concerned about what he heard.

At first, “No Hook” might seem like an innocent party song to most people, but if you listen closely to all the slang terms, dothedash! uses, you might think differently based on “Urban Dictionary’s” definitions.

Slowing the track down so he could unmistakably hear everything Elijah was saying, Ruslan pointed out that dothedash! let everyone know he was sixteen and told them that his “bro keeps a blicky.” A “blicky” is slang for pistol and is frequently used in secular rap songs.

Later in the song, Elijah makes gun-like gestures while rapping, “We lighting your block up like a cigarette.” Ruslan was confused how a white suburban kid who grew up in a 16,000 square foot gated estate in Waxhaw, North Carolina decided to rap about shooting up his block.

Lifeway Research: Young Adults, Including Christians, Have Complicated Relationship With Money

Marissa Postell Sullivan

March 9, 2022

young-adult-christians-money — Photo by Alexander Mils (via Unsplash)

When it comes to making financial decisions, although some Christian young adults are influenced by their faith, many don’t manage their money in distinctly Christian ways.

An AdelFi study conducted by Lifeway Research found that having a Christian worldview impacts the way young adults (ages 25-40) manage their money, which is most evident in that Christians give nearly three times as much money as non-Christians. Furthermore, Christians are more than twice as likely as non-Christians to say faith influences their financial decisions. In particular, most Christians say they recognize the responsibility of good financial stewardship.

“AdelFi was interested in understanding what differences exist in how younger Christians handle their money compared to non-Christians,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Christians are much more active in donating their finances and no less active in trying to do good with their spending.”

The average young adult does business with 2.4 financial institutions (loan accounts, checking accounts, savings accounts, etc.) and has 1.9 credit cards. But 23% don’t have an active credit card. Young adults also have varying mentalities toward spending money. Overall, 45% of young adults say they track what they’ve spent money on, and 45% say they save for what they want to buy. Another 41% say they set a budget they follow. Fewer say they often buy things impulsively (28%) or get a loan or finance purchases when needed (16%).

Young adults are most likely to say their parents influence their financial decisions (47%). But they are also frequently influenced by their friends (30%), financial publications or websites (25%) and financial advisors (20%). While most young adults make financial decisions based on what they want today (76%), even more say they consider where they want to be in several years (83%) when making financial decisions.

Just over one-third of young adults (36%) agree their religious faith influences their financial decisions. Christians (44%) are more than twice as likely as non-Christians (20%) to agree that their faith influences their financial decisions. But exactly how one’s faith impacts the way they manage money varies.

Difference in Giving and Spending

The typical Christian young adult donates more than three times as much as non-Christians over the course of a year ($1,820 v. $556). This is aided by the fact that more Christians give to a local church (37%) and religious organizations (28%) than non-Christians do (8% and 11% respectively). Although most Christian young adults don’t give to a local church (63%), many still say tithing, giving at least 10%, to their local church is a biblical commandment for today (56%).

“One would expect Christians to give more than non-Christians to churches and religious organizations, but they are also more likely to donate to 3 out of 4 other types of recipients,” McConnell said. “While overall the financial generosity of Christian young adults is very noticeable, there remains a large group who don’t practice their belief in the need to give to a local church.”

Tithing alone doesn’t account for the difference in giving between Christian and non-Christian young adults as Christians are also more likely to give to other groups as well. In fact, Christian young adults gave twice as much as non-Christians to individuals or families in need in the past year ($603 v. $261). Christians are also more likely than non-Christians to give something to a GoFundMe crowdfunding effort (27% v. 20%) and non-religious charities or education organizations (29% v. 20%). There is not a meaningful difference in giving to social causes.

The Christian’s generosity goes beyond financial giving. Christian young adults (74%) are also more likely than non-Christians (68%) to agree it’s important to regularly give their time to volunteer to help good causes or individuals in need.

Overall, young adults in America don’t appear to be particularly generous. Even though Christians are more likely to have donated in the past year (70%) than non-Christians (55%), 83% of young adults gave a total of $1,000 or less in the past year. Although most survey participants (56%) were employed full-time, 36% of young adults didn’t give donations to any group or individual in need in the past year.

67% of Parents of Preteens Say They Have a Biblical Worldview, but Only 2% Do, Study Says

Jessica Lea

March 9, 2022

Only two percent of Americans who are parents of preteens actually have a biblical worldview, according to new data from Dr. George Barna and the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University. This number, which Barna says puts children at a “spiritual disadvantage,” is particularly shocking given that 67 percent of parents of preteens self-identify as Christians.

“Every parent teaches what they know and models what they believe,” says Dr. George Barna, Director of Research at the CRC. “They can only give what they have, and what they have to give reflects their driving beliefs about life and spirituality. Parents are not the only agents of influence on their children’s worldview, but they remain both a primary influence and a gatekeeper to other influences.”

Biblical Worldview—Or Any Worldview at All?

The new report is part of the American Worldview Inventory 2022, an ongoing project evaluating the worldview of American pastors and parents. The study states that most of the current parents in the U.S. are Millennials. In addition to the sobering news that so few Millennial parents have a biblical worldview, there is another surprising finding: less than one percent of parents of preteens have a coherent worldview of any kind. “None of the six alternative worldviews tested is embraced by even one percent of parents,” says the report, which goes on to say:

These alternative worldviews include: Secular Humanism, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, Nihilism, Marxism/Critical Theory, Postmodernism, and Eastern Mysticism/New Age. That leaves more than 9 out of 10 parents of preteens—a full 94 percent—having a worldview known as Syncretism, a blending of multiple worldviews in which no single life philosophy is dominant, producing a worldview that is diverse and often self-contradictory.

The researchers noted that within this conglomeration of beliefs, parents of pre-teens tend to emphasize three worldviews more than the others: “Eastern Mysticism/New Age thinking, Moralistic Therapeutic Deism, and Biblical Theism (i.e., the biblical worldview).”

Among several reasons why so many parents of preteens lack a Christian worldview is they tend not to trust the Bible as authoritative or spend much time in it. The report also found a connection between worldview and income. Middle-income parents were the most likely to have a biblical worldview, while less than one-half of one percent of parents in households where the income exceeds $100,000 have a biblical worldview.

Notably, the study found a tie between church denominations and the likelihood of a Christian worldview:

There are only three groups of churches boasting an above-average proportion of preteen parents who possess a biblical worldview: non-denomination or independent Protestant churches, Pentecostal or charismatic churches, and evangelical churches. Parents associated with congregations that are non-denominational or independent Protestant were about eight times more likely than the national norm to have a biblical worldview, while those aligned with either evangelical or charismatic Protestant churches were about three times more likely. However, fewer than one out of every five parents of children under 13 (19 percent) attend those types of churches.

Andy Stanley Sharply Criticized for Tweet About the Accuracy of the Bible

Dale Chamberlain

March 9, 2022

Pastor and author Andy Stanley came under fire on social media this week for a now deleted tweet, which argued that the Christian faith rises and falls on the person of Jesus rather than the accuracy of the Bible.

“The Christian faith does not rise and fall on the accuracy of 66 ancient documents,” the tweet said. “It rises and falls on the identity of a single individual: Jesus of Nazareth.”

The tweet was a quote taken from a message that Stanley delivered at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, GA, where he serves as senior pastor. Stanley linked to a video of the full message in the tweet thread.

“Here is what might be an uncomfortable question for some of us, and an interesting and maybe even helpful and surprisingly honest question for others of us,” Stanley can be seen saying at the beginning of the recorded message. “When it comes to knowing if there is a God, and if there is a God, what God is like, and when it comes to trying to figure out who God likes, does it really come down to, ‘The Bible tells us so’? Or any other religious literature ‘tells us so’?”

Taking on the perspective of a skeptic, Stanley then expressed all the doubts that people have about the reliability of the Bible, saying that he understands why so many are deconstructing or thinking about leaving the faith.

“If the Christian faith balances precariously on the edge of ancient declarations of superstitious men, well, then why not,” Stanley said.

“The truth is, Christians are not expected to believe what we believe based on a collection of ancient manuscripts written by men, who never met each other, over the course of hundreds of years, in a time when everybody was superstitious and everybody believed in the gods and there was no modern science,” Stanley said. “The foundation of our faith is far more substantial than that. It’s far more sustainable than that.”

“[The Christian faith] rises and falls on the identity of a single individual: Jesus of Nazareth,” Stanley said, going on to argue that those seeking or questioning faith often wrestle with the wrong questions. “The question to wrestle with is not ‘Is there a God?’ or ‘Is the Bible true?’ In fact…those are generally off ramps to faith, not on ramps to faith.”

“This is the issue; this is the question when it comes to Christianity: is Matthew—the gospel of Matthew—Mark, Luke, or John—any one of the four—a reliable account of actual events? Because if any one of these four is a reliable account of actual events, then what they say about Jesus is true,” Stanley went on to argue. “And if what they say about Jesus of Nazareth is true, game on; faith on. You should press on. You should lean in.”

“The story of Jesus is not a Bible story,” Stanley said. “The story of Jesus, or the narrative, or the life of Jesus, is why there is a Bible. Jesus is the reason for the Bible.”

Todd Miles: Why Marijuana Use Is an Issue Church Leaders Must Not Ignore

Jessica Lea

March 9, 2022

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Todd Miles: Why Marijuana Use Is an Issue Church Leaders Must Not Ignore

Todd Miles is a Professor of Theology at Western Seminary in Portland, Ore., where he teaches theology, church history, hermeneutics, and ethics. Prior to becoming a seminary professor, he was a nuclear engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Todd’s latest book is “Cannabis and the Christian: What the Bible Says about Marijuana.”

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Todd Miles

► Listen on Apple
► Listen on Spotify
► Listen on Stitcher
► Listen on YouTube

Key Questions for Todd Miles

-Why did you write a book about what the Bible says about marijuana—particularly when the Bible doesn’t actually mention marijuana?

-Can we determine what to think about marijuana by looking at what the Bible says about alcohol?

-Do you see any problem with people taking marijuana as a way to deal with their anxiety?

-How can pastors and church leaders help their congregations walk through the challenges surrounding marijuana use?

Key Quotes From Todd Miles

“We have all the divine words that we need in order to live faithfully before God, to mine them for any wisdom that would pertain to this.”

“It probably will not work just to substitute the word “marijuana” every time we see the word “wine” [in the Bible] for a couple of reasons. One, wine is celebrated in the Scriptures and is part of the ritual worship of God throughout the Old Testament and in the New Testament.”

“If we’re going to apply biblical prohibitions on, say, drunkenness, which is where the concern would lie with alcohol, then we need to know how marijuana actually works before we can just kind of blindly start substituting biblical prohibitions on it.”

“The Scriptures are full, not just of prohibitions on drunkenness, but of explanations as to why it’s unwise and sinful to get intoxicated.”

“I’m pretty comfortable saying Biblical prohibitions on alcohol intoxication would also apply to intoxication by recreational marijuana.”

“A lot of people think, ‘Well, there’s medical marijuana, and then there’s another substance entirely called recreational marijuana.’ That’s not the case.”

The Lord is My Peace

Taya Smith Testimony

Ukrainian Woman: We Often Say, ‘I Love You’

Recent Criticism of Baucham

Samaritan’s Purse Deploys Field Hospital, Medical Personnel

Other Christian Relief Groups Are Busy Too

A Decline in View Toward Pastors

Building Trust

When You Forget the Why

1. Small Churches Are Not a Problem

2. Small Churches Are Not a Virtue

3. Small Churches Are Not an Excuse

10 Youth Bible Study Topics

1. Miracles

2. Parables

3. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount

4. Obedience

5. Evangelism

Difference in Giving and Spending

Biblical Worldview—Or Any Worldview at All?

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Todd Miles

Key Questions for Todd Miles

Key Quotes From Todd Miles

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