Abortion, Not COVID-19, Named Leading Cause of Death in 2020 With Nearly 43 Million Killed Worldwide

January 5, 2021

This just in: More people died in 2020 from abortions than any other cause of death worldwide.

That’s right. Despite the overwhelming number of deaths that 2020 brought us through the coronavirus pandemic, abortion was once again named the leading cause of death last year, killing nearly 24 times more people than the coronavirus.

Data compiled by Worldometers — a highly accredited site that collects official data from governments, scientific journals, and other reputable groups like the World Health Organization — revealed that as of December 31, 2020, an estimated 42.7 MILLION abortions had been performed over the course of the year.

Those staggering statistics, when compared to the number of babies born in 2020, would suggest that nearly a quarter of all pregnancies worldwide (23 percent) ended in abortion. For every 33 live births last year, 10 babies were aborted.

In the U.S. alone, where nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned and 4 in 10 of these are terminated by abortion, there are over 3,000 abortions per day.

Abortion and The Global Death Toll

According to Johns Hopkins University, worldwide deaths from the coronavirus in 2020 totaled 1.8 million.

By comparison, Worldometers revealed that 8.2 million people died from cancer, 5 million from smoking, and 1.7 million of HIV/AIDS.

With deaths from abortion exceeding those from cancer, HIV/Aids, suicide, malaria, and car accidents combined, several pro-life activist groups are calling abortion “the social justice cause of our time.”

In a year when our eyes were opened even more to the racial injustices our country and world faces, we can’t ignore the facts that our unborn black brothers and sisters are at an even higher risk of abortion.

Abortion and The Black Community

According to data published in the Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, black women have been experiencing induced abortions at a rate nearly four times that of White women for at least three decades, and likely much longer.

“The science community has refused to engage on the subject and the popular media has essentially ignored it,” the authors write. “In the current unfolding environment, there may be no better metric for the value of Black lives.”

In a podcast with Nick Cannon earlier this year, Kanye West called abortion “black genocide.”

“Planned Parenthood was set up and placed in minority communities to kill black people,” West said, noting that “over 1,000 black babies are aborted every day.”

Cannon, who is also a vocal pro-life advocate, pointed to the racist beliefs of Margaret Sanger—the founder of Planned Parenthood, and listened intently as West read an excerpt about her from his phone.

“Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, was an avowed racist whose goal was to reduce the black population in America and she succeeded,” West read from his phone. “Eighty percent of abortion clinics in America are in minority neighborhoods.

The organization recently disavowed Sanger over her “harmful connections” to racist movements, like eugenics.

“We are inside genocide as we speak,” West says.

When we count each and every one of these babies — the same way God sees and knows and loves every single one of them — as humans who died, the actual number of deaths worldwide in 2020 was approximately 101 million.

Pro-Life Advocacy

Although pro-life advocates are working tirelessly to put an end to abortion, their efforts continue to be met with social and political reform. And with complications posed by the coronavirus pandemic, it remains an uphill battle.

Although abortion rates in the U.S. are reportedly on the decline, it is still one of the leading causes of death, robbing the lives of an estimated 1 million U.S. babies annually. And a report from the UK Department of Health earlier this year revealed that in 2019 — the most recent year on record for which the Department has revised abortion statistics — the number of abortions in the UK hit an all-time high. Official figures show it was the highest number of abortions in a year since the historic vote in 1967 to legalize abortion in Britain through the Abortion Act.

Later this month, thousands will gather in Washington D.C. for the 48th annual March for Life rally on January 29th. This year’s theme is “Together Strong: Life Unites.”

The annual march commemorates the January 22, 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade, which invalidated 50 state laws and made abortion legal and available on demand throughout the United States.

This article originally appeared on ForEveryMom.com.

Fallout Begins After Report on Ravi Zacharias’ Abuses

Stephanie Martin

January 5, 2021

Now that a preliminary report has confirmed sexual misconduct by the late Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, some organizations and people connected to his ministry are cutting ties and demanding change. Independent investigators recently concluded that “significant, credible evidence” exists of misconduct by Zacharias, including some behavior even “more serious” than what’s been disclosed so far. The backstory involves years of allegations and denials, which ChurchLeaders has covered extensively.

The latest scandal came to light in September, months after Zacharias’ death, when Christianity Today revealed that three massage therapists at spas co-owned by the apologist say he solicited them for sex. Zacharias’ Atlanta-based organization, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), hired a law firm to investigate the charges and shared its interim findings on December 23.

In a statement, the executive committee of the RZIM board of directors calls the findings “deeply troubling” and requests prayers for victims as well as the Zacharias family. The complete report is expected by February, though it’s unclear whether investigators will address a previous scandal. In 2017, Zacharias privately settled with Lori Anne Thompson, who accused him of sexual harassment and “predatory” behavior. RZIM leadership has previously stood by its founder, who denied any impropriety and accused Thompson of extortion.

Broadcasters, Booksellers Cutting Ties with RZIM

Soon after the interim findings were released, radio networks and retailers began distancing themselves from Zacharias. On December 28, Moody Radio replaced RZIM’s weekly program “Let My People Think” and its daily program “Just Thinking” with other Christian content. The broadcasting powerhouse, according to vice president Doug Hastings, “prayerfully considers who we partner with, and as a ministry founded upon the Word of God, we firmly believe that those in positions of leadership and teaching Scripture must be above reproach.”

Several other networks also quickly canceled RZIM broadcasts, including American Family Radio, WIHS Christian Radio in Connecticut, and Bible Broadcasting Network in North Carolina. Zacharias’ “contributor” page has apparently been removed from Focus on the Family’s website, which posted news of the misconduct findings on its “Daily Citizen” page.

The Associated Press reports that some booksellers have pulled Zacharias’ material from their shelves. And in Britain, a student-led mission network has requested that any speakers affiliated with RZIM withdraw from future events. The Zacharias Trust, RZIM’s British affiliate, is urging U.S. leaders to offer a “profound apology” to victims and to “reform radically the governance, leadership, and accountability” of the organization.

Individual Apologists Take RZIM to Task

Demands for change also are coming from some employees of Zacharias’ ministries. On December 9, Max Baker-Hytch, a senior tutor with RZIM’s Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics in Britain, sent a five-page letter to RZIM’s U.S. leaders, including CEO Sarah Davis, Zacharias’ eldest daughter. In it, he takes issue with how leaders handled multiple points of controversy, writing that the board’s “continued secrecy” with employees and the public has “irreparably damaged” its credibility. Restoration, says Baker-Hytch, requires steps such as releasing IRS forms and naming a new global board of directors and CEO—“none of whom are Zacharias family members.”

Carson Weitnauer, an online-outreach specialist for RZIM’s Zacharias Institute, also has been vocal about the board’s “failure to provide accountability to Ravi Zacharias for more than a decade.” In a blog posted after interim findings were released, Weitnauer faulted the board for—among other things—remaining anonymous, not “admitting complicity,” not mentioning Thompson’s case, and using “spiritual language that distracts us from noticing their responsibilities.”

About the news of Zacharias’ wrongdoing, Weitnauer describes feeling “catastrophic betrayal” and “a sickening combination of revulsion and grief.” In response to the preliminary report, he says, “RZIM must change its name, remove Ravi’s material, repent for its many failures, and provide a restorative response to the harm that Ravi’s victims experienced.”

Carson Weitnauer Pens Apology, Seeks Restoration

Weitnauer, an RZIM employee for seven years, also sent an apology letter to Brad and Lori Anne Thompson, later publishing it on his blog with their permission. To the couple whom Zacharias had accused of extortion, Weitnauer admits “my shameful complicity in honoring Ravi, dishonoring you, and protecting myself.” He asks their forgiveness “for my failure to seek the truth, show you proper respect, and advocate for justice.”

7 Predictions for the Church in 2021

Chuck Lawless

January 5, 2021

It’s New Year’s Day, and Pam and I wish you a most happy New Year! With this change in the calendar, here are some of my predictions for the church in this new year:

Simply moving into a new year won’t change the issues we’re facing. Still, COVID protocols are in place. Still, we have members who choose not to attend due to COVID. Still, we have people to evangelize, believers to disciple, and nations to reach—in many cases, with a smaller core of leaders than we had 10+ months ago.
We will need to stop talking about attendance and giving in terms of “pre-COVID” and “post-COVID” days. No longer can we cling to, “This is the way it used to be.” The way it used to be may have been only ten+ months ago, but we must start operating faithfully and hopefully within a new, still-changing landscape.
Some pastors who’ve been waiting out COVID before leaving their church will grow impatient with the wait—and move on. It made sense several months ago for a pastor to say, “I can’t leave now—not in the middle of a pandemic.” At the same time, though, few thought the situation would last as long as it has. No longer do these pastors feel the same responsibility to stay.
Pastors will continue to find their egos challenged by lower attendance and less giving. Many of us can speak of churches who’ve remained faithful through 2020, yet some estimates say that both attendance and giving will be down 20% from pre-pandemic numbers. How we pastors respond to those realities could reveal where our hearts really are.
Churches will have to consider again what “church membership” means. It’s one thing for a “fringe” member to choose not to attend worship services due to COVID; it’s another matter, though, when that member simply stops participating in anything the church does. Determining when to consider restorative church discipline while COVID hangs in the air will not be easy.
Local congregations will be pushed to decide how committed they are to ministering to the poor and disenfranchised. The fallout of COVID has provided opportunities for churches to minister to sick, hurting, lonely, financially challenged folks in our communities. Once COVID is no longer considered a threat, however, we’ll find out whether this kind of ministry is now in the church’s DNA.
Bivocational ministry (and co-vocational ministry, according to Thom Rainer) will be more accepted. In the past, many church leaders viewed bivocational ministry as only the last recourse when the church wasn’t willing to pay their pastor a livable wage; now, as churches must re-envision who they are, more will welcome pastors who feel called to bivocational work even if the church could afford a full-time leader. That’s a good thing, in my opinion.

What would you add to this list?

This article originally appeared here.

Four Goals to Avoid in the New Year

Daniel Henderson

January 5, 2021

‘Tis the season to be planning! A new year is dawning and for many people this is the golden moment for a fresh start, new aspirations, and grand goals for 2021. Many Americans will write out resolutions focused on wealth, comfort, enjoyment, and status.

To those ambitious souls, Jesus offers some riveting and very countercultural words:

But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets (Luke 6:24-26).

This passage is Dr. Luke’s version of the famous Sermon on the Mount. After teaching powerfully on the real truths of a blessed and joyful life (which should actually shape our aspirations – see Luke 6:20-23), Jesus paints a contrasting picture of those who pursue various dead-end roads to real meaning and true fulfillment.

Woe is Me?

Jesus uses the word “woe” four times in rapid succession. While not commonly used today, the word really communicates a warning about serious affliction or misfortune. The phrase is translated, “How terrible for you” (NIV) and “What sorrows await you” (NLT).

This is not a happy scenario and gives a serious warning from the wisest One to ever walk the earth. Jesus is really dealing with motivation – the things that drive us. He is also teaching about the issue of reward – the things that ultimately delight us, both now and in eternity. So, here is a necessary reality check as we set our course for 2021.

#1 Goal to Avoid: A Materialistic Lifestyle

We all need money to live in this world. Money is not wrong. It is the love of money that can poison the soul (1 Timothy 6:10). The obsession with “more” – more investments, more possessions, more luxury items – gradually inverts one’s values and perspective on real meaning in life. We can become like a thirsty man drinking salt water. The more we drink, the more thirsty we become and the more destructive the result.

The obsession with “more” – more investments, more possessions, more luxury items – gradually inverts one’s values and perspective on real meaning in life. We can become like a thirsty man drinking salt water. The more we drink, the more thirsty we become and the more destructive the result.

Jesus’ exact warning on this point is that those driven to be rich have received their “consolation.” In other words, we can become so focused on the temporal reward of the things money can buy that we lose our passion for using money to invest in eternity. It happens slowly, but it happens. Research tells us that most Christians give a smaller percentage of their incomes to kingdom purposes as they make more money. They begin to judge their giving by the “amount” rather than by the level of sacrifice and obedience. Jesus says “woe.” In truth, most truly wealthy believers could live on 10% of their income and give the rest to Christ’s work. What great reward would await them in eternity.

Research tells us that most Christians give a smaller percentage of their incomes to kingdom purposes as they make more money. They begin to judge their giving by the “amount” rather than by the level of sacrifice and obedience. Jesus says “woe.”

#2 Goal to Avoid: A Comfortable Lifestyle

Next, Jesus warns, “Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger.” This is a warning to those who are motivated by comfort in pursuit of an easy, “satisfying” life. The Lord has reminded me many times over the years that “the comfort zone is the danger zone.” Jesus’ warning is that if you go for the comfortable life here on earth, you will come up short in eternity.

A comfortable life is seldom a life of real faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Paul’s singular ambition in life was to please God (2 Corinthians 5:9). With that objective, he always pursued an authentic faith that brought trials, persecution, and many forms of suffering (Read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28). I have observed that Paul always “pursued the pathway of price.” At the end of his life, he wrote of his great and sure reward for an obedient, costly faith that produced fruitful, eternal impact (2 Timothy 4:8). Choose your goals carefully.

Jesus’ warning is that if you go for the comfortable life here on earth, you will come up short in eternity. A comfortable life is seldom a life of real faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

#3 Goal to Avoid: An Entertained Lifestyle

In a society obsessed with entertainment, these are not easy words. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” Ours is the day of a plethora of high-tech video games, on-demand movies, hundreds of television channels, countless smart phone applications, and a growing list of recreational options. Certainly there is a place for rest, leisure, and recreation. Yet, wisdom prevails for the serious Christ-follower: “all things in moderation.”

Certainly there is a place for rest, leisure, and recreation. Yet, wisdom prevails for the serious Christ-follower: “all things in moderation.”

Neil Postman’s landmark book, written in the mid-eighties, spoke with prophetic clarity as he extrapolated on the many ways in which we are “amusing ourselves to death.” Think of the massive amounts of time Christians spend frittering their lives away in meaningless entertainment. Think of how the world might be different if we invested a significant portion of that time in serving others in Jesus’ name. Think of how a “woe” could be turned into a “well done” if we could break free from what Tozer called “the great god of Entertainment.”

Think of the massive amounts of time Christians spend frittering their lives away in meaningless entertainment. Think of how the world might be different if we invested a significant portion of that time in serving others in Jesus’ name.

#4 Goal to Avoid: A Popular Lifestyle

To some degree, everyone wants to be liked by others. The easiest path to this goal is to always speak, act, and live in a way that makes other people feel good about themselves. This usually involves compromise of the truth. Paul warned that these last days would be a time when people with “itching ears” will flock to those who tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear. Knowing this, Jesus warns, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.”

While we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, the necessity of our life and message is not eagerly received by a secular culture. Jesus had just warned that we would be hated, excluded, reviled, and considered as evil because of our commitment to the truth of Christ (v. 22). Paul declared that our commitment to embrace and live the truth of the gospel causes us to “commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2). This can make unbelievers uneasy, even hostile, and can produce antagonism and unpopularity. When we live to please men now, we will ultimately miss God’s pleasure in eternity. When we stand for Christ now, we will bow fully-rewarded in His presence in eternity. Here is clear guidance for a new year’s resolution.

When we live to please men now, we will ultimately miss God’s pleasure in eternity. When we stand for Christ now, we will bow fully-rewarded in His presence in eternity. Here is clear guidance for a new year’s resolution.

A New Resolve

With this transition to a new calendar year, we can seek spiritual empowerment for a renewed commitment to live differently, wisely, and for the only real reward and satisfaction that matters. Certainly we can set goals, but we must seek His glory and our highest and lasting good as we do so. With this in mind, I pray you will have a truly happy and holy new year.

If you want to set biblical goals on the basis of a clear theology, secure identity, and biblical purpose, you need to check out one of the Deeper Life Experiences. Based on the book The Deeper Life, our training options now include a 30-day coaching experience, a women’s book study, and a brand new 21-day mini course. Don’t miss these opportunities to transform the trajectory of your life in 2021.

This article originally appeared here.

Blessed Are the Horoscope Readers

Jeremy Berg

January 5, 2021

Blessed Are the Horoscope Readers

Christians love the notion that, “People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). But I think we should probably shudder a bit at its implications—especially when it comes to religious worship and devotion. In our tribalistic era where we think we’re judged by whether or not we’re on the “right team” or belong to the right religious club, this verse reminds us that true believers will be determined by the condition of their heart and inner motivations hidden from all but God’s eyes.

Our 6th Beatitude of Bethlehem proclaims, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt 5:8). What does it mean to be “pure” in heart? Why do they see God? And who in the Christmas story exemplify this purity of heart that leads their eyes to the King of King?

The word “pure” in this context doesn’t mean morally pure, without sin, etc. Rather, it means unmixed, without alloy. We might say, “Blessed are those with unmixed motives and undivided allegiances.” The upside down Kingdom born in a Bethlehem manger demands people’s single-minded devotion.

Mary’s baby would spend his adult ministry calling for singleminded commitment saying: “No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve God and Money” (Matt 6:24); the narrow way leads to life and the broad way leads to destruction (Matt 7:13); “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21); or “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

Jesus’ brother picked up this message and passed it along in his letter warning:

Be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do (James 1:6-8).

The idea Jesus has in mind is essentially, “Blessed are the undivided in heart or single-minded in devotion, for they will have eyes to see God when he passes by in unexpected places and wearing strange disguises.”

Myron Augsburger warns that, “Perhaps we need to examine our motives in religious exercises more than in any other area…How easy it is to cover selfish ambition with the cloak of religious service” (Communicator’s Commentary, 65). Let’s be honest for a moment and count how many times we’ve dragged ourselves to church and sat through the service while our heart remained in some other faraway place. How easy it is to give charitably and maintain our membership standing in a church, to grit our teeth and force our way through our morning devotional time, etc.—all external actions out of sync with our heart’s true condition and focus.

Again, people focus on outward things such as church attendance, dead rituals and going through the religious motions. Meanwhile, God is gazing into our hearts. Thankfully, he’s not standing with a clipboard or holding a microscope over our moral performance and measuring our sins vs. virtuous actions ratio.

No, he is checking our spiritual pulse to see if our heart beats after God’s own heart. Do we desire God more than earthly things? Are we willing to sell everything in order to purchase the field in which lies the “pearl of great price”—Jesus and the Kingdom (Matt 13:45-56)?

The true scandal is that many whose outward actions and appearances, religious affiliations and lack of devotion, seem to betray a lack of faith or good standing in Christian circles, may actually be some of the purest in heart—those best able to truly see the God revealed in Jesus!

On the other hand, many dutiful churchgoers who logged many hours volunteering at church will hear Jesus say at the Judgment, “I never knew you; depart from me” (Matt 7:23). But the very people we may never find sitting in a church pew on Sunday may be traveling their own long and circuitous route that ultimately leads to pure hearted worship of the Christ.

Let’s take another look at the Magi from the East who had no business being part of this Jewish story, but who nevertheless can teach us something about what it means to be “pure in heart.”

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magifrom the east came to Jerusalemand asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (Matt 2:1-2).

The so-called “Three Wise Men” likely came from Persia and were Astrologers (sometimes translated as “Magi” or “soothsayer”), a practice condemned by God (see e.g., Exod 20:3, 4; Deut 18:10–12; 2 Kings 23:5; Zeph 1:5; Amos 5:25–27; Acts 7:40–43). They could have been of the Persian priestly caste of Zoroastrianism who paid particular attention to the stars.

Outwardly, they were unlikely worshipers: non-Jewish priests of another religion, dabbling in dark and forbidden arts. Yet, inwardly their hearts were drawn to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords even by unorthodox means. Their spiritual openness and sincere seeking led them to the Savior where they saw the face of God in the infant’s eyes.

The magi showed a purity of commitment, or singleness of heart, in their willingness to travel hundreds of miles on a risk-filled journey from the East. They stayed the course until they found the One. They fixed their eyes on the star that would end up fixing their eyes on Christ, the author and perfecter of faith (Heb 12:1-2).

Do you think these these guys would be welcome in our churches if they showed up this Christmas Eve to worship Christ? I suspect these ouija board playing, crystal ball rubbing, tarot card reading visitors would be brushed off and awkwardly avoided if they showed up. They certainly would not be invited to come forward to play a central role in the service. But should we be surprised if the church usher looks at outward appearances, while God sees into their heart? God looks inside the heart of such visitors and often finds a pure devotion and sincere openness—even if their outward affiliations and religious sensibilities may offend and need some tweaking.

Still, the greatest gift the magi bring to the story is not Frankincense, gold and myrrh; but the gift of childlike wonder and spiritually enlightened eyes that can see God and his fingerprints in every thing! God has placed little signposts or signatures of himself all over creation—in nature, in other people, in Scripture, in worship and in the sacraments. G. M. Hopkins said, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God” and that includes the starlit sky over Bethlehem.

Here’s the problem: a divided heart will begin to divide reality into God-space and secular space, sacred days and ordinary days. Suddenly we’ve relegated God to that holy building where we expect to find him one day a week. No wonder we don’t see God Monday-Friday in everyday spaces.

But what if we purify our hearts, and begin to look for God everywhere at all times? We might start seeing God in the sunrise and sunset; in the gently falling snow and the violent thunderstorm; in the smile of a lover and the suffering of a brother; in a loaf of bread and cup of grape juice—even in the stars above! The Psalmist was preparing us for the magi’s appearance when he sang:

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display his craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;

night after night they make him known.

They speak without a sound or word;

their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,

and their words to all the world.

(Psalm 19:1-4)

This Christmas let us all ask God for the gift of undivided hearts and spiritual eyes that search the heavens above and the earth below for the face of God hidden in plain sight. “For Christ plays in ten thousand places” (G. M. Hopkins), but his favorite place to play is the outer chambers of every human heart that is willing—single-mindedly—to prepare him room. And Heaven and nature sing joyously when magi and mall clerks alike come to see God in the most unexpected of places.

Blessed are the Ouija board players whose hands keep moving around the board until they spell ‘Christ.’

Blessed are the horoscope readers who discover their true destiny is written not in the stars, but in the Lamb’s book of life.

Blessed are the crystal ball consulters who realize their future is already secure in Christ — “an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay” (1 Pet 1:4).

Blessed are all pure-hearted pagans who seek God with the tools they’ve been given; blessed not because they’re pagans, but because they are seekers with sincere hearts and a willingness to be found.

Blessed are all the undivided hearts who carry God-binoculars around their necks at all times, for they will see God in even in the deepest thicket and darkest valleys. Yes, Jeremiah was given this 6th Beatitude of Bethlehem 600 years before Christ proclaimed it: “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (Jer 29:13). So, what are we waiting for? What are we looking for? Keep those God-binoculars handy!

Note: Please don’t mistake God’s merciful willingness to meet people through forbidden and foolhardy spiritual practices for an endorsement of them. The occult is real and things such as tarot cards, Ouija boards, mediums, palm readers, etc. provide real portals into the spirit realm. The Scriptures condemn such practices, and instead invite people to go directly to God through prayer. But how fitting that the God who would take on human flesh to win our hearts would not hesitate to go down some of these dark alleys and deceptive dead ends in order to seek and save the lost.

This article originally appeared here.

Why You Can’t Seem to Manage Your Time

Brandon Cox

January 4, 2021

Time management. Of all the people I know who ever focus on this concept, only a small handful are confident that they’re doing it well. Most of us feel out of control. We feel that our specialty is time mis-management. Why is this so? I believe it’s because we fail to see the bigger picture. Time management isn’t enough. It’s one small piece.

Typically, when we think about managing time, we’re visualizing our to-do list, as if everything on it occupies an equal priority in our lives. When we can’t get it all done, we assume we’ve managed our time poorly.

The problem is, not everything we think we should be doing should actually be done. Some things should actually go undone on purpose. But that’s not the primary reason we can’t manage our time well.

The biggest reason we struggle here is that we keep thinking of time in a merely logical way. We see every hour as equal in value to all the rest and there are never enough of them in a week.

There are actually at least four dimensions to managing time well, and we need to understand all four if we’re going to feel any better about how we’re investing the time we have.

Time Management Has a Logical Component

That is to say, managing time is a little bit mathematical. We have 168 hours in a week and 45 to 50 of those should be spent unconscious. With the remaining 115-ish, we have to divide our time among our various priorities such as family, work, friendship, rest and entertainment, etc.

This is the side of time management most of us are familiar with. Doing it well will require a calendar, a to do list and some basic organization. But that’s not all there is to it.

Time Management Has an Emotional Component

We totally underestimate the weight that emotions have in relationship to our time. I can get more work done if I sacrifice family time, but that drains me emotionally, as it probably should. Every new task I take on brings with it a certain amount of pressure from whomever is expecting us to complete the task.

It isn’t just a question of how much can I do or will this fit into my schedule? It’s also a question of how much emotional pressure comes with this opportunity? If you really want to manage your time better, you’re going to have to become more self-aware of your own emotions as you spend your time doing whatever it is you’ve committed to doing.

For a Christian, Time Management Has a Spiritual Component

Another layer we often overlook is the spiritual element of time management. That is, my relationship with God is affected by how I spend my time. In traditional time management, we might spend the first hour of our day knocking out email, but for a Christian, that first hour (or half hour or however much you and God agree on) is crucial for praying, listening and journaling about what God is saying to my heart.

Furthermore, as a Christian I want my time to be invested, not just spent. Anyone can spend time, and everyone does. In fact, we often blow through time like a kid with a wad of cash at a toy store. But I want to invest my time into things that matter for the Kingdom’s sake.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians that they should “redeem the time” (5:16), which literally meant to squeeze every drop of usefulness out of every opportunity, knowing that time is limited and the clock God started, he will eventually stop. That doesn’t mean trying to work at an unsustainable pace. It means knowing what matters the most and the longest and investing our time in those things.

Time Management Has a Relational Component

One of the most profound lessons I remember learning was from Dr. B. Gray Allison, who served as President of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. He was speaking to a group of pastors, of whom I was a part, and said, “Gentlemen, there are only two things on earth that will last forever—the Word of God and the souls of men. Give the rest of your life to these two things.”

To tweak what Dr. Allison was getting across, I would say that the single most important thing I can focus my life, my time and my energy on would be relationships.

My relationship with God requires time spent in reading, praying, studying, writing and listening.

My relationship with my wife requires time talking, holding hands, praying together and enjoying each other.

My relationship with my kids requires time playing, chasing, being caught and sharing deep truth.

My relationship with my church family requires gathering on the weekend and scattering in small groups during the week, pouring into staff members and other leaders, and studying to share life-impacting truth.

My relationship with myself matters too—not from the selfish perspective of “I need to be happy first…” but rather from the perspective of “I need to know and understand myself.” This requires time for introspection and personal growth.

Time isn’t just mathematical. It’s emotional. It’s spiritual. It’s relational. It needs to be invested, not just spent. And at the end of the day, my time is way more valuable than my money or my talent.

This article on time management originally appeared here, and is used by opermission

Dozens of Chinese Authorities Interrupt Bible Study, Detain Pastor, 5 Members

Jessica Lea

January 4, 2021

The pastor of a house church in Taiyuan city in China and five female church members were arrested after authorities raided a Bible study on Dec. 30. While the women were released the next day, Xuncheng Church pastor An Yankui was sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention.

“Please pray for [Pastor An] and his church as they take up their crosses for Christ,” said a post on the Pray for Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) Facebook page. Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC), whose members have faced extensive persecution themselves, planted Xuncheng Church in 2008 in the city of Taiyuan in Shanxi province.

Pastor of Taiyuan Church Arrested a Second Time

According to International Christian Concern (ICC), Pastor An and several Xuncheng Church members were holding a Bible study Wednesday in the pastor’s home when nearly 40 officials interrupted them. In addition to arresting five women and the pastor, authorities seized the church’s choir robes and books. They did not arrest Pastor An’s wife, Yao Conya, so that she could be free to look after her children. Authorities held the women for about a day and released them around midnight on New Year’s Eve. Pastor An, however, will be detained for 15 days.

This is not the first time that officials have targeted Xuncheng Church or Pastor An Yankui. The pastor and his wife were among seven people arrested on Nov. 15 when Chinese authorities raided a Sunday morning service at Xuncheng Church. You can see footage of that raid below.

pic.twitter.com/Ui8xWqJ2NQ

— 土豆妈 (@Tudou522525) November 15, 2020

According to ChinaAid, officials said that they interrupted the worship service because members were not wearing masks. ICC reported that after police stopped the service, Pastor An Yanqui requested that they wait until the service was over and that authorities complied. After worship concluded, officials questioned those present about whether the church was state-approved and whether Pastor An was licensed by the state. Authorities also issued the church a disbandment notice, took people’s personal information, and confiscated choir robes, hymnals, cell phones, and Bibles.

Officials conducted the raid around 9 a.m. After arresting and interrogating the seven church members, they held them until around 9:30 p.m. The believers who had not been arrested stayed at the church, waiting and praying until the detainees were released. Police reportedly did not have the appropriate legal documents, such as an arrest warrant, for their actions.

Xuncheng Church has close ties with ERCC, which is located in Chengdu city in Sichuan province. Pastor An graduated from ERCC’s seminary and was a preacher at the church before becoming the pastor at Xuncheng. Early Rain Covenant Church has faced quite a lot of persecution itself at the hands of the Chinese government, persecution that ramped up in December 2018 when authorities arrested 100 ERCC members, including the church’s pastor, Wang Yi.

Pastor Wang has since been sentenced to nine years in prison, and ERCC elder Qin Derfu has been sentenced to four years in prison. Authorities continue to surveil and harass other church members and leaders. Police threatened two ERCC members on Christmas Eve, and over the past several weeks they have been successfully pressuring church members’ landlords to evict them.

ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, Gina Goh, commented on the November raid on Xuncheng Church, saying,

In this day and age, where any religion in China has to submit itself to the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and President Xi Jinping, it is no longer a surprise that a house church is seen as an enemy of the state and clamped down upon. China’s blindness to its violation of religious freedom needs to be continuously exposed so that Beijing knows it cannot get away with performing these evil acts.

‘Amen’ and ‘Awoman’: Congressman, Ordained Minister Goes Overboard With Inclusive Prayer

Jesse T. Jackson

January 4, 2021

Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), who is an ordained United Methodist pastor, opened the 117 Congress with prayer on Sunday. In closing, Rep. Cleaver turned many heads when he said “Amen and awoman.”

This comes a day after newly re-elected House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced new House rules created to make the Representative body more inclusive, that removes all gender-specific words from certain documents, including “he,” “she,” “mother,” and “son,” and replaces them with words like “Representative,” “parent,” and “child.” Speaking about the new rules package that will be voted on on Monday, Pelosi said, “Democrats have crafted a package of unprecedented, bold reforms, which will make the House more accountable, transparent and effective in our work to meet the needs of the American people.”

Rep. Cleaver ended his prayer in the name of the “monotheistic God,” but also included the four-faced Hindu god Brahma, and “god known by many names by many different faiths,” then the Methodist pastor closed with “Amen” and “awoman”, which likely was an effort to make the prayer more gender inclusive.

However, the word amen is a Hebrew word, used first in the Old Testament, and is not associated with a gender. As pastor and theologian Kevin DeYoung explains, amen means “let it be,” “so be it,” “verily,” or “truly.” DeYoung says, “When you finish your prayer with ‘Amen’ you are saying, ‘Yes Lord, let it be so. According to your will, may it be.’ It’s a final note of confirmation at the end of our prayers.”

Rep. Cleaver’s prayer is included here:

The Opening Prayer for the 117th Congress

Eternal God, noiselessly we bow before your throne of grace as we leave behind the politically and socially clamorous year of 2020. We gather now in this consequential chamber to inaugurate another chapter in our roller coaster representative government. The members of this august body acknowledge your sacred supremacy and therefore confess that without your favor and forbearance we enter this new year relying dangerously on our own fallible nature. God, at a moment when many believe that the bright light of democracy is beginning to dim, empower us with an extra dose of commitment to its principles. May we of the 117th Congress refuel the lamp of liberty so brimful that generations unborn will witness its undying flame. And may we model community healing, control our tribal tendencies, and quicken our spirit that we may feel thy priestly presence even in moments of heightened disagreement. May we so feel your presence that our service here may not be soiled by any utterances or acts unworthy of this high office. Insert in our spirit a light so bright that we can see ourselves and our politics as we really are, soiled by selfishness, perverted by prejudice and inveigled by ideology. And now the God who created the world and everything in it bless us and keep us. May the Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. May the Lord lift up his light of countenance upon us and give us peace; peace in our families, peace across this land, and dare I ask, oh Lord, peace even in this chamber now and evermore. We ask it in the name of the monotheistic God, Brahma, and god known by many names by many different faiths. Amen and awoman.

Others politicians reacted to Rep. Cleaver’s strange prayer, not missing the opportunity to correct him:

The prayer to open the 117th Congress ended with “amen and a-women.”

Amen is Latin for “so be it.”

It’s not a gendered word.

Unfortunately, facts are irrelevant to progressives. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/FvZ0lLMDDr
— Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (@GReschenthaler) January 3, 2021

“Amen” and “Awoman”? Really?

I guess the virtue signaling Democrats didn’t check the Herbrew etymology of the word “Amen” to realize it has NOTHING to do with gender.

But don’t let facts get in the way of a good virtue signal.

Also, didn’t those words just get banned?
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) January 4, 2021

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) used sarcasm to express his distaste for the prayer:

Amen and Awoman?!?!

Don’t they know that gender isn’t binary???

What about the other 42 genders??😡 https://t.co/9jVlKWKWWt
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) January 4, 2021

Before turning to politics, Rep. Cleaver was the pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, Missouri between the years 1972 and 2009. Rep. Cleaver received his D. Min. from St. Paul School of Theology.

Pastor Killed, 2 Hurt in Shooting at Texas Church

AP News

January 4, 2021

WINONA, Texas (AP) — A 21-year-old man who hid from police in an East Texas church was charged with first-degree murder and felony assault in a shooting that left the pastor dead and two other people injured Sunday, a local sheriff said.

Authorities had been using dogs and drones to search for the man late Saturday in woods near Winona following a car chase, and the pastor of the nearby Starrville Methodist Church discovered him hiding in a church bathroom Sunday morning, Smith County Sheriff Larry Smith said at a news conference.

Smith said police were initially pursuing the man because he was suspected of brandishing a shotgun through the sunroof of a Volkswagen Jetta he was driving Saturday. Authorities believe the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Mytrez Deunte Woolen of Marshall, Texas, broke into the church after police had left the area around 2 a.m. Sunday.

Pastor Mark Allen McWilliams, 62, drew a gun and ordered Woolen to stop, Smith said, but Woolen grabbed the weapon and began shooting with it. McWilliams was killed, a second person was injured by gunfire and another was hurt in a fall.

Woolen then stole the pastor’s vehicle and fled east before being arrested by deputies in nearby Harrison County, Smith said. He said Woolen was hospitalized Sunday afternoon with gunshot wounds to his hand, but that it’s unclear when he was shot.

Woolen was charged with felony assault and capital murder. He’s being held at Smith County Jail, and bond is set at $3.5 million.

The shooting was reported around 9:20 a.m., and there were no services going on at that time, said Sgt. Larry Christian, of the sheriff’s office. Smith said the pastor, his wife and two other people were in the church at the time.

Woolen appears to have taken shelter in the church out of convenience and there’s nothing to indicate the shooting was motivated by religious animus, the sheriff said.

“This is not a church-related, religion-related offense,” said Smith.

Gov. Greg Abbott sent his condolences.

“Our hearts are with the victims and the families of those killed or injured in this terrible tragedy,” he said in a statement.

It’s unclear exactly when Woolen entered the church in Starrville, near Winona, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Dallas.

Representatives of Starrville Methodist could not be immediately reached for comment. Starrville Methodist was built in 1853, according to the Texas State Historical Association.

The shooting came a little more than a year after a gunman opened fire at a church near Fort Worth, killing two people before he was fatally shot by a congregant.

Texas officials hailed the congregant’s quick action, saying it prevented further killing and showed the effectiveness of the state’s permissive gun laws, including a 2019 measure that affirmed the right of licensed handgun holders to carry a weapon in places of worship.

That law was passed in response to the 2017 massacre at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, where a man fatally shot more than two dozen people at a Sunday service before taking his own life.

Since then, a cottage industry has sprung up in Texas and other states to train and arm civilians to protect their churches using the techniques and equipment of law enforcement.

This article originally appeared on APNews.com.

Reading Scripture in 2021: Focus on Quality Over Quantity

Nicholas Batzig

January 4, 2021

As we approach the New Year, many believers are considering Bible reading plans. This is good and right, since God calls His people to be men and women, boys and girls of His word. However, many believers feel the failure of their Bible reading over the past year and sometimes mistakenly think they can somehow make up for the deficiencies of the past year through quantitative Bible reading. It is important for us to remember that in studying Scripture, quality is actually more important than quantity. In light of this, it will do us good to shift gears to focus on putting into practice some principles by which we can benefit the most from our Bible reading in the New Year. Here are a few of the more important principles to keep in mind, no matter how much you seek to tackle by way of quantitative Bible reading:

1. Pray before you read the Bible. John Piper gives a good prayer memorization device for you to pray from the Psalms. Here is an amplification of his I. O. U. S. prayer:

Incline my heart to you, not to prideful gain or any false motive. (Psalm 119:36) – Incline my heart to you, not to prideful gain or any false motive. That is, focus my affections and desires upon you, and eradicate everything in me that would oppose such a focus.
Open my eyes to behold wonderful things in your Word. (Psalm 119:18) – Open my eyes to behold won- derful things in your Word. That is, let your light shine and show me what you have willed to communicate through the biblical authors.
Unite my heart to fear your name. (Psalm 86:11) – Unite my heart to fear your name. That is, enthrall me with who you are.
Satisfy me with you steadfast love. (Psalm 90:14). – Satisfy me with your steadfast love. That is, fulfill me with the fact that your covenant love has been poured out on me through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. Commit to a regular Bible reading plan.

This doesn’t have to be a “through the Bible in a year” approach. God doesn’t require you to read through the Bible in a year. You may benefit most by commiting to working through a particular book or books in differing degrees. I usually take one section of one chapter at a time. Sometimes I read three or four chapter in one book in a sitting. You may choose to read through the whole chapter (or more than one chapter in a sitting), but the goal is to get the most out of reading and meditating on each section.

3. Learn genres and covenantal contexts.

Familiarize yourself with the Old as well as the New Testament. Read the Law, the Prophets, The Wisdom Literature (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon), the Historical Books, The Gospels, the Epistles and the Apocalypse. Focus on what covenant administration the particular section of what you are reading falls. For instance, most of the wisdom literature occurs in the context of the Davidic Covenant. This means that we should read wisdom literature in light of God’s promise to give David a seed to sit on the throne and rule forever. This king is Jesus. Therefore, the wisdom literature should be read in light of the promise of the Redeemer. The more working knowledge we have of what is taught in different genres and covenantal contexts of Scripture, the better equipped we will be to glean a maximum amount out of our continual study of Scripture. Two helpful books in this regard are Fee and Stuart’s How to Read the Bible Book by Book and How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth.

4. Remember the most important principles of Biblical Interpretation.

“The Scriptures are their own interpreter.” The Reformers emphasized that the key to understanding the Bible is to let the Scriptures interpret the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit, who inspired the Scriptures, teaches us the right inter- pretation of the Scriptures as we prayerfully depend on Him and compare Scripture with Scripture. This is taught in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16 (see esp. v. 13).
“Clearer passages help us rightly interpret the less clear passages of Scripture.” We want to know the New Testament as carefully as we can, so that we can then go back to the Old Testament and interpret it in the fullest light of God’s revelation in Christ. Augustine once said, “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament in the Old Testament revealed.” Additionally, the more explicit statements in Pauline epistles help us interpret the more difficult statements in his letters.

5. Learn the flow of each book in the Bible.There are so many good helps for this.

Here are a few resources I frequently recommend:

A. The Old and New Testament.

Reformation Study Bible (Introductions to each book)

There is perhaps no more important resource to which I could direct you than Reformation Trust’s (a publishing arm of Ligonier Ministries) Reformation Study Bible. The introductions to each book of the Bible give historical context, major themes, and help the reading know where Christ is taught in the book. It is an invaluable resources for quality study of Scripture.

William Hendriksen’s Survey of the Bible

Hendriksen will give you the best short and long outlines of the books of the Bible, as well as an overview of the main point or theme of the book.

B. The Old Testament Prophets.

O. Palmer Robertson’s The Christ of the Prophets

With Robertson’s book, you will need to learn to use it like a commentary. Find the particular Prophetical book that you are studying in his Table of Contents and then read that chapter before you read one of the Major or Minor Prophets.

C. The New Testament I recommend:

J. Greshem Machen’s New Testament Introduction

As with Robertson’s book, learn to use this as a reference to the different books of the New Testament. You don’t have to read through the whole book. For instance, read the sections pertinent to whatever Gospel or Epistle you are studying.

6. Memorize as much Scripture as possible.

This will help you call to mind pertinent passages when you are reading through a text or a book. Write out verses or index cards and carry them with you through the day. This is one of the best helps to your getting to know the Scriptures well.

7. Study the Scriptures in their context.

As in reality, the key is “Location, Location, Location,” so in biblical interpretation the key is “Context, Context, Context.” For instance, if you were reading Matthew 4 – where Jesus is being tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, you would discover that the Devil prefaced each temptation with the words, “If you are the Son of God…” This is important because just before that event, in Matthew 3, when Jesus is being baptized in the wilderness, His Father spoke to Him from heaven and said, “You are my beloved Son…” When the Devil tempted Jesus, he was doing so trying to get Him to doubt the Father’s acceptance and affirmation of Jesus’ sonship. This principle of looking at what went before and at what comes after is key to everything in Scripture. That being said, there are some books, like the Proverbs, where certain things are not necessarily connected to what went before or with what comes after. This takes a great deal of meditation as you read a text.

8. Consider the grammar in each passage.

Pronouns (i.e. singular and plural ‘you;’ ‘we,’ ‘he,’ ‘she,’ ‘it,’ ‘they,’) are some of the most important words in the Bible. Paying attention to the pronouns will help you learn so much of the meanign of a passage. Recognize, however, that in the Hebrew and Greek texts, the ‘you’ may be singular or plural. For instance, in Luke 22:31, the first you is plural (i.e., “Satan has asked for you all – the disicples), the second is singular (i.e., I have prayed for you – Peter).

Consider the nouns and the verbs in the text. Knowing who is doing something or what is being done is paramount to a right understanding of Scripture.

9. Ask what this passage says about God and Christ; and, then how it applies to you.

The Bible is first and foremost God-centered. We, therefore, want to learn to read it in a God-centered way. We should focus on the revelation of the Triune God, and the work that He does among His people and in the world in the Old and New Testament.

Chief among God’s works is His work of redemption in Christ. In Luke 24 and John 5, Jesus said that all the Scriptures were about Him. 1 Peter 1:10-12 says the same thing as well. The better we learn the truth about Jesus (who He is, what He did at the cross and in His resurrection, and what benefits come to us through His saving work) the better we will be able to discover Him in Scripture. We need to take the work of Jesus and place it as a film over whatever text we are reading.

Finally, we need to seek to know how any given passage is to be applied to our lives. We should ask the following questions: “Does the passage call us to faith and repentance? Does it call us to carry out a specific act of faith in response to the Gospel? Does the passage tell us how we should live in light of the mercy that we have received from Christ?”

10. Work through a Bible reading guide.

One of the best, short Bible reading guides that I know of is the F amily Worship Bible Guide. In just two or three paragraphs for each chapter of the Bible, Joel Beeke and other trustworthy theologians have given us a great help us understand some of the more important points of a passage.

Whatever approach you take to regularly studying God’s word in the New Year, commit to an intentional plan to glean the most out of whatever you study. Quality is more important than quantity. Seek to put into practice some of the basic principles outline above. Make use of the resources that willl help you better understand what you are reading. And may God send His Spirit to grant the blessing of inward spiritual illumination as we commit to reading, marking, learning, meditating on, believing, and putting His word to practice in the New Year.

This article originally appeared here.

Four Key Safeguards to Make Sure Your Church Finances Stand Up Under Scrutiny

Sam Rainer

January 4, 2021

Four Key Safeguards to Make Sure Your Church Finances Stand Up Under Scrutiny

Money is one of the most sensitive subjects in the church. It’s also one of the most visible. Many churches publish two sets of numbers weekly: worship attendance and giving. There it is, front and center—how many attended and the collective amount they gave. Despite the visibility, churches can struggle with the right amount of financial oversight.

There are horror stories, for sure. The unassuming secretary who stole six figures over ten years. The usher who swiped cash every week out of the plate. The lead pastor who abused church credit cards. These situations occur. What’s often missed, however, are the more subtle misuses of church finances.

Major spending outside of the budget. Every year our church approves a budget. The approval is not just for an overall amount but also categories of ministry—children, students, worship, missions, etc. Most churches work this way. When an unbudgeted and major expense arises, there should be an approval process. Abuses occur when there is no process. I know a pastor who once spent $65,000 on a plan to feed every person in the town a thanksgiving meal. The money was not budgeted, and he went ahead with the plan without asking anyone.

Using part of the budget for unintended purposes. You should not use the copier maintenance line item in the budget to fund a shortfall for the student ski trip. Designated accounts are commonly abused as well and can only be used for their intended purpose. These kinds of accounting flaws occur far too often in churches.

Hiding personal expenses. If your church approves an amount for travel to a conference, then it’s unethical to use those funds for an extended vacation with your family. The same applies for a hospitality budget. You should not use church funds to pay for family members at a restaurant.

Financial disasters tend to start small and grow over time. For example, a pastor has a financial crisis and begins to embezzle just enough funds to make ends meet. Two years later, the sin grows into stealing large sums for luxury items. Churches must be proactive to be above reproach with finances. Four key safeguards will help your church stand up under scrutiny.

Consistent process. Weak areas are exploited, and loopholes form when a church does not stick to a financial plan. Counting the weekly offering, inputting data, bookkeeping, preparing financial records—all these areas should have consistency and consequences for those who vary from the process.
Multiple checks by multiple people. At our church, we always require two signatures on checks: One from our financial director (staff) and another from our treasurer (volunteer). Our stewardship committee (overseeing finances and facilities) has full audit permissions over both the financial director and treasurer. We also have a separate team that counts offerings, and they are double-checked by deacons. No process is perfect. But you never want to be in a situation where one person can do something on their own. With money, two people need to work together at every stage of the process, and then someone else needs the ability to double-check their work.
Transparent reporting. If you have nothing to hide, then don’t act like it. Church members become frustrated when they feel like leaders are keeping them in the dark. Frustrated members are not often generous. Be clear with your finances and it will clear the path to generosity.
Leadership accountability. When individual pastors are above reproach, the culture of accountability filters down into the congregation. Conversely, pastors who eschew personal financial accountability will create a loose church culture of oversight. Accountability begins at the top. Pastors are to lead spiritually. This leadership includes being above reproach financially.

Many years ago, I remember reading an article in our local paper about a pastor who was day trading using church finances. The church lost a significant amount of money. At the time I thought how does this happen? Now I understand. Most churches tend to trust pastors. Every week, tithes and offerings are given with the expectation of funding ministry. Establishing a system of accountability is not a detriment to ministry but rather a conduit of generosity. Financial policies and procedures create a pathway towards being above reproach. Financial missteps—or even worse, financial scandals—can set a church back several years. When accountability is in place, more ministry is gained over the long haul and God is glorified.

This article originally appeared here.

7 Things to Do After You Look at Pornography

Paul Maxwell

January 3, 2021

A lot of Christian advice about pornography addicts is not helpful—meaning, it doesn’t contribute to real progress in repentance, healing, restoration and recovery. Most of all, it fails to address the issues that underlie porn use. Often, Christian advice either has its head in the clouds of theology and biblical references, or is a list of superficial how-tos, and gets knocked beneath the sand of real life—of failure, and the struggle to hope. How is the gospel relevant to failing and trying again? And failing and trying again? And failing and trying again?

We too often allow unattainable ideals to dictate what we allow ourselves to say—the issues we allow ourselves to address with the congregation, with the struggler, with the mirror. Are we allowed to talk about what Christ can do (and what we can do) right after pornographic indulgence? Or do we look to the clouds and hope for the best? “Why think about how God meets you in the midst of failure? You shouldn’t even be in an ‘after pornography’ situation.” But often many are and because God can and does act in the moment of regret.

It is often in the moment after the closed door, the darkness, the screen-light, the hidden act—after pornography indulgence—that Satan spins his most eloquent web: menacing patterns of thinking; bargaining with a disapproving and distant God; twisting us in on ourselves in self-hatred. It is in the moment after pornography indulgence that Satan does his finest work. It is in this moment that we need God to do his finest saving. Here are some specific ways to search for grace the moment after the dark act of pornography indulgence:

7 Things to Do After You Look at Pornography

1. Know your Enemy

As soon as you indulge, you either plunge into self-hatred, or into self-avoidance. Satan is satisfied either way. Both paths believe his accusations (Matthew 16:23). Don’t forget: After you indulge, you are still mid-battle with a tenacious, evil person bent on stealing your life, and he has not yet gotten it.

2. Fight self-hatred

There is no question: Pornography is the twisted manipulation of innocence for the raw crave of erotic appetite. To have a grieved conscience is a good thing. But when Judas realized “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood,” it is not surprising that “he departed, and he went and hanged himself” (Matt 27.4–5″>Matthew 27:4–5). It’s a common feeling: to want to punish ourselves for betraying the innocent. In twisting innocence, we twist ourselves. It is not a surprise that suicide rates are high among pornography users. “I’m not as good as Christian preachers and bloggers want me to be.” To warp human dignity, in the end, only warps the user more—psychologically deforming to self-hating; contorting into self-disgust. We abhor, criticize, despise and detest ourselves. Wallowing in self-deprecation and feeling like paying penance to God for sin is a sad and ironclad torture. It is false, and it is a wicked oppression. But grace does have a word on this.

Why We Need to Labor to Keep Christianity Falsifiable

Mike Leake

January 2, 2021

Why We Need to Labor to Keep Christianity Falsifiable

At the time of publication of this article the Jacksonville Jaguars sit with a 1-12 record. Dead last in the AFC South. Absolutely zero chance of making the playoffs.

Do a little thought experiment with me, here. Imagine that you’re a die hard Jags fan. You’ve put time, money, and emotional effort into this thing. You were so confident in the team during the offseason that you made a hefty wager that they’d be Super Bowl champions.

Your wager isn’t looking so good these days. But I have great news for you. I had a dream last night and I visited with the Lord of glory. And He told me that it was written in heaven, it was an absolute certainty, that the Jacksonville Jaguars were going to be the Super Bowl champions.

What do you do with this claim that I’ve made? On first glance it appears that Christianity is made of this stuff. The angel Gabriel telling the old man Zechariah that he was about to be a daddy sounds even more implausible than the Jags winning the Super Bowl this year. Both were mathematically eliminated.

Zechariah was rebuked for not believing the angel. His response is intentionally contrasted with Mary’s response. His was a “show me and I’ll believe”. Her response was “I believe, can you show me?”

So would it be right for your spiritual leaders to rebuke you for not believing this dream? Imagine that I, as a pastor, encouraged my entire congregation (because this was part of my dream) to pool together our money and place a massive bet on Jacksonville to win the Super Bowl. We’ll give all the money to missions, of course. Is it proper for me to rebuke you for asking for some evidence before you donate? Is Christianity the stuff of unverified claims and defaulting to believing those who had dreams and visions of the impossible?

Falsifiable With Consequences

I would argue that even though the Bible is filled with individual (and unfalsifiable) encounters with the Lord, these encounters are accompanied by something which is historically verifiable. Prophecy was grounded in that which could be proven or disproven historically. And there are sharp consequences if what you claimed did not come true. If you do not have both in your context, then you’re more cultish than Christian.

Consider Abraham. He had a private encounter with God. But the promises were historically verifiable. If Abraham doesn’t have a child with his barren wife, Sarah, then his claims are bunk. Just as my dream about the Jaguars winning the Super Bowl. If they don’t win the Super Bowl then even though I might have had a dream it wasn’t something from our always truth-telling Lord.

And there are sharp consequences all throughout the Scriptures for false prophecy. False prophets were put to death. I believe the reason for this is because we ought to default to belief of a prophetic word**. It is to be tested, yes, but the foundation of discernment is hope. But this is impossible if there are no guards upon false prophecy.

If I share that God has told me the Jaguars will win the Super Bowl, and encourage others to take action upon this prophecy, and when some other team (the Browns?) win in 2020, I should never be allowed to pastor again until deep repentance has happened.

The Difference Between Cults and Christ

Christianity remains the most falsifiable religion. And I believe we have evidence in the New Testament that this was an important distinctive of the Christian faith. There is a reason why Paul did not make his trip to heaven a defining point of his gospel message. As I’ve said before:

Christianity is a put-it-under-the-microscope type of faith. Notice what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:6 , “…but I refrain from [boasting about my trip to heaven], so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.” Do you see what Paul is doing? He is saying, “I’m only going to boast in what you see Christ doing in my life (verifiable) or the gospel I preach (verifiable)”.

The Spirit loves the light. He loves truth. The gospel isn’t afraid of the microscope. If the foundation of your faith isn’t something verifiable (falsifiable) then it’s something different than what Paul preached….

This is why I say if there is not a culture of this in your context, it is more cultish than Christian. Cults major on making unfalsifiable claims the foundation of their faith. Their culture is inundated with these types of claims.

I say this because I’m hearing all sorts of claims these days related to politics by those claiming the name of Christ. And I urge you to consider whether these claims are falsifiable and if there is a context of consequence related to these claims. I am concerned that many folks are being drawn into cultish thinking.

If it’s true it’ll survive a microscope. And if it’s real prophecy the folks making these claims are willing to put their livelihood and even their own blood on the line. There are no take backs with biblical prophecy.

We cannot surrender the claims of Christ so easily and pretend that the absolutely astonishing (and yet falsifiable) claims of a resurrected Messiah are on par with “I don’t care about the evidence I know in my heart that this unverifiable thing happened”.

Cults thrive amidst bloodless claims made in the dark. Whereas Christianity thrives upon the shed blood of witnesses to under-the-microscope and plain for all to see truth. Be careful about which one you’re giving your life to.

**I am speaking here of biblical culture and not intending to debate cessationism or charismatic theology.

The Essence of Jesus (According to Jesus)

Scott Sauls

January 2, 2021

The Essence of Jesus (According to Jesus)

Starting the first Sunday of 2021 (January 3), our church will begin a series called “Jesus,” based on the Gospel According to Mark, on Sundays. If you live in Nashville and don’t already have a church family, we welcome you to join us at any of our four locations. If you’re not from Nashville, I hope you’ll benefit from what follows…and that you’ve also found a good church in your own hometown.

There may be no better and more complete summary of who Jesus is and what he is like than his seven “I AM” statements from John’s gospel.

These seven statements are an autobiography of sorts, as well as a blueprint for how he insists on relating to us – and us to him. I encourage you to read each brief description below slowly. As you do, allow enough time for each one to travel from your eyes into your head, and then from your head into your heart.

His statements about himself, as I hope you’ll see, are also statements about who you are to him.

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” As the bread of life, Jesus provides the sustenance we need for survival and flourishing. Every bit of food, shelter, and clothing we have received can be traced to his merciful heart and caring hands. Jesus goes even further and becomes our sustenance as he offers his body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, shelters us beneath the shadow of his protective, nurturing wings, and clothes us with the beauty of his hard-fought, blood-bought righteousness (John 6:35, 48, 51; Luke 22:19; Psalm 57:1; Isaiah 61:10).

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” As the one who created and sustains the sun and stars, Jesus illuminates truth, makes beauty, and creates hospitable space from an otherwise dark, cold, impersonal universe. In the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, he provides us with “a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path” to help us walk in the grace, truth, and wisdom. In his own self, Jesus unveils to us what God is like. If we have seen him, we have seen the Father (John 8:12, 9:5; Psalm 119:105; John 14:9).

Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep.” This is one of two I AM statements in which Jesus identifies believers as his sheep. The metaphor is not a flattering one. Rather, it is a realistic assessment of our helpless estate. Sheep are characteristically needy, temperamental, wayward, and vulnerable creatures. Jesus responds to the frail estate of the sheep by offering himself as their gateway to the care, comfort, healing, and guidance they (we) sorely need (John 10:7, 9).

Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.” As the good shepherd, Jesus again offers himself as provider and protector of his sheep (John 10:11, 14). In him we find rest from our weariness, a balm for our wounds, and the cure for whatever ails us. As the Good Shepherd, he lays down his very life for us to ensure our care, protection, and flourishing. He is the definition of a servant-leader and a heroic, self-donating champion.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” In his historic and bodily resurrection from the dead, of which over five hundred of his contemporaries claimed to be eyewitnesses, Jesus demonstrates his power and resolve to conquer death, which is also our greatest fear and enemy. In Jesus, death is put to death, and with it, the spirit of slavery that leads to fear. His resurrection becomes a foretaste of our future, in which there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain and everything will be made new. This promised future will be without end. Every day we will feel younger and stronger, wiser and more capable, happier and more satisfied, than we did the day before. It will be an abundant life whose chief feature is one of everlasting momentum. Our judgment day having been relocated from the future to the past, our best days are forever ahead of us, never behind us. Our long-term worst case scenario is to become like him, because we will see him as he is. Our long-term worst case scenario is resurrection, wholeness, life to the full, and elimination of all guilt, sorrow, and fear (John 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:6; Romans 8:15; Revelation 21:1-8; 1 John 3:2).

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Nowhere does Jesus present himself as one way to God, as if there were multiple options and pathways. Rather, he presents himself as the way to God, as the only qualified mediator between a holy God and a sinful humanity. He is the one name given by which we can be saved from the wearying effects of guilt, sorrow, and fear. Jesus, and only Jesus, can provide ultimate refuge from all that is broken and horrid and tragic in the world, in human systems, in other people, and in ourselves (John 14:6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Acts 4:12).

Jesus said, “I am the true vine.” As the true vine, Jesus is our life source, the well from whom we draw, our sustaining nourishment and strength. Apart from him, we can do nothing. But with him, we can run against a troop and leap over a wall. Whether living in plenty or in want, in joy or in sorrow, in sickness or in health, we can do all things through Christ the vine, who gives us strength (John 15:1; Psalm 18:28; Philippians 4:13).

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus makes one additional I AM statement to the sheep, who he also affectionately calls his little children. The I AM statement is also an invitation—not just any invitation, but the most hopeful one ever offered. Long before Jesus ever tells us to go or to do for him (that comes later), Jesus begins with an invitation to come to him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,” said the Maker of heaven and earth and everything that is in them, “and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:25, 28-30 – NIV).

If these things are all true about Jesus (and they are, I’m here to tell you), what would stop us from wanting to know him more? If you do want to know him more, may I suggest that you begin by reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? And if you don’t already have a church family where Jesus is preached and made much of every single Sunday, may I suggest that you find and join one?

If you do, it will be an excellent beginning to 2021.

I think you’ll really be glad you said “yes” to such things.

This article originally appeared here.

Worshiping With a Broken Heart

Rachel Coulter

January 1, 2021

Worshiping With a Broken Heart

I looked across the table at my boyfriend and replayed his words in my mind. “I just don’t enjoy spending time with you.”

I never knew a heart could break so suddenly, so rudely—in only one sentence. I was desperately grasping for anything to help soften the sharpness of those eight words. I could only muster three, “Take me home.” As we drove, my thoughts were as blurry as the trees going by. How can a three-year relationship end in three minutes?

The term “broken heart” is so widely used in our society that it often sounds romantic. In those moments, I learned just how terribly unromantic it is—the kind of tearing, ripping brokenness that demands your full attention, the kind of pain that won’t let up.

A broken heart might be a woman who gets the call from her doctor that she has miscarried. It’s the child who learns that his father has cancer. It’s broken relationships, debilitating depression, dreams dying and crumbling in our hands.

I walked into church the day after my heart broke. Broken, aching hearts fill the pews in each of our churches every Sunday. Although surrounded by community, the pain still felt intensely personal. “The heart knows its own bitterness” (Proverbs 14:10). The deep ache can feel as isolating as a prison cell. The enemy wants nothing more than to lock believers in that cell of pain, and keep us trapped in isolation. But God wants the opposite. Here are three things to remember when you are tempted to stay home on Sunday morning with a broken heart.

Broken Hearts Are Open Hearts

There are many sorts of broken hearts, and Christ is good at healing them all. —Charles Spurgeon

Imagine your heart is failing and you require a very risky open-heart surgery. At the hospital, there are several doctors who claim to be proficient at this surgery, but only one has a spotless record—nothing has ever gone wrong with his procedures. Everything he does is perfect.

Would you then choose a doctor with lesser experience, or a poorer record? Not if you value your life.

God is the only Physician who can fully heal a broken heart, and he has never failed in his ability to heal. Sarai, David and Hosea all suffered broken hearts for different reasons—a barren womb, a shameful trail of sin, unrequited love—and God healed them all. A broken heart is an open heart, and an open heart is vulnerable. In this time of vulnerability, let him be your refuge. Let him fill you with healing through the singing, praying and teaching of your church family.

Pain Is Personal, Healing Is Corporate

Have you ever had a close friend going through a great deal of pain, and they didn’t tell you? It’s painful when you finally learn about it. It’s painful for at least two reasons: 1) It hurts you that they are in pain, and 2) it hurts that you were not trusted to carry their burdens alongside of them.

As believers, we are called to carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). No one would argue that one man can lift more than ten men lifting together. So why do we often ignore the hands extended to help us carry our burdens, and try to bear the weight on our own? We may always bear the heaviest portion, but encouragement and support from brothers and sisters will significantly lighten the load. Battle hurt with heartfelt singing, loneliness with community and discouragement with the ministry of God’s word.

Surround yourself with God’s people, and you will see that healing does take a village—and that the village is stronger for it. We must combat resounding pain with resolute worship to the Father, alongside brothers and sisters who can pray with us and for us.

Worship Creates Perspective

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in his wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.

Though suffering is never a small thing, God is always greater. Worship refocuses our minds on God’s greatness, and puts our pain in its rightful place—under the reign of an already victorious Father.

As strange as it may feel in the moment, lift your hands in praise and remember that the victory has been won. Remember that the God who holds your life in the palm of his capable hand is leading the victory march. “He will not leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

Standing at the top of the mountain of adoration, we are suddenly aware of our smallness. And it’s not offensive to us at all. We find joy in knowing that Christ is glorious beyond our imaginations and gloriously in control of all things, including every inch or second of our heartache. Nothing can touch you except that which has been carefully filtered through his loving fingers.

Let heartfelt praise remind you of his great love and absolute sovereignty, and let these reminders bring healing to your broken heart. Worship is a balm for even the deepest of wounds.

4 Reasons to Set an Exercise Rhythm for 2021

Eric Geiger

January 1, 2021

Lots of people will set exercise goals as a new year begins, and these goals can be good and useful. Goals can motivate and keep you going when you have discouraging moments or want to quit. But vastly more important than exercise goals is an exercise plan. Someone who has goals but no plan will opt out far more quickly than the person who has a plan for exercise without goals. Actions produce much more results than aspirations. In fact, aspiration without action actually results in nothing – only another goal that was talked about but never acted upon.

You should schedule exercise right now for 2021. By schedule, I mean look at each week and choose times that you will protect for exercise. You may need to get up earlier than you did in 2020. You may need to block off a few lunch times a week. You may need to decide you will not watch TV a few nights a week. But way more important than setting an exercise goal is setting times for exercise. Here is why:

1. Your mental health.

Gallup recently reported that American’s mental health in 2020 reached a twenty-year low. No one is surprised by this data as 2020 has been a very stressful and challenging year for lots of people. While there are lots of factors to declining mental health, exercise rhythms being disrupted in 2020 surely contributed to the decline as gyms were closed and sports leagues were suspended. Research has continually showed that exercise lowers stress and anxiety and helps you sleep better at night – which also lowers stress and anxiety. The stress of 2020 is not magically disappearing when the calendar turns, so setting a realistic exercise rhythm now is one way to wisely lead yourself.

2. Your mental grit.

When you stick to an exercise rhythm you will exercise plenty of days you do not feel like it. You will train your body to push through moments of discouragement and fatigue. This helps in other places in life. For example, over Christmas I preached a lot of Christmas services. For a few of the services my body felt fatigued, but exercise has made me used to that feeling. I have learned I can still do what I have committed to do in the midst of that feeling. I have experience pushing through that feeling. Sticking to an exercise rhythm helps you learn how to persevere in areas of your life that are more important than exercise.

3. Your longevity.

Research has shown that exercise extends your life. It extends the amount of time you have to invest in others and throw yourself into the work the Lord has called you to. One day I asked Jim Randall, who is the CEO of Auxano (a consulting group), about common factors he observed in leaders in their sixties who were still filled with passion and vision for their roles. Among several factors he mentioned was that all the leaders that were still leading with passion and vigor were leaders who exercise regularly.

4. Your physical health.

Yes, exercise is great for your physical health. I don’t mean so you can take a selfie for Instagram but so you can steward the one body the Lord has given you. Exercise lowers blood pressure, combats weight gain, reduces the risk of heart attack, strengthens your bones and muscles, etc. Exercise is really good for you. Better than binge-watching. Better than scrolling social media.

Goals are great. But more helpful will be looking at your calendar, talking to people in your life who help you keep dates on your calendar, and setting times when you will exercise in 2021.

This article originally appeared here.

The New Years Resolution We All Need

J.K. Wall

January 1, 2021

The New Years Resolution We All Need

The most helpful book I read in 2020 was written by a Mormon. Even though we’re divided by faith, the author had wisdom to offer that transcended our categories.

The book is well-known—Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People—which has been so influential in business circles since it was first published in 1989. Some of the habits have been cited so pervasively as to become cliches: “be proactive,” “win-win,” “synergy.”

But Covey’s fifth habit, “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood,” has received less attention. That’s a shame. In our world today—amidst cancel culture, political polarization and growing divisions along racial, geographic and economic lines—this is a habit we all need. I know I do.

Long before Twitter or the Trump presidency, Covey wrote this: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply. They’re either speaking or preparing to speak. They’re filtering everything through their own paradigms, reading their autobiography into other people’s lives. … We’re filled with our own rightness, our own autobiography. We want to be understood. Our conversations become collective monologues, and we never really understand what’s going on inside another human being.”

Covey’s words hit me hard. I immediately thought how as a parent, I’m often too quick to discipline my kids for disobedience—yet sometimes find that I misunderstood why they failed to obey me. Sometimes they had a conflicting instruction from their mom, which I wasn’t aware of. Sometimes they hadn’t heard me. Sometimes their disobedience was more out of weakness than out of willfulness. Yet I often assume they’re defying me.

Or at work, where my job involves giving communications advice to executives, I’ve often been too focused on what makes good communication, than on how communication fits into the larger task those executives are trying to accomplish. Covey wrote that “unless you understand me and my unique situation and feelings, you won’t know how to advise or counsel me. What you say is good and fine, but it doesn’t quite pertain to me.” I need to learn that lesson.

Christians should be the best at the habit of seek first to understand. After all, the Bible voices a similar idea in Proverbs 20:5: “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” Or in James 1:19: “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” How many of us practice such verses on social media? Or when we discuss politics?

Too many of us—myself included—focus on telling people what we think, rather than truly trying to understand what they think and why. We get angry at others for not agreeing with us. But as Christians we know—because the Bible tells us—that getting angry does not cause our own views to happen—even if they are right. James, in the very next verse after the one I quoted above, writes this: “for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Too many of us—myself included—live as if only people with similar views to mine have anything worth hearing. We watch FOX News or MSNBC, or listen to our preferred podcasts that cater to our existing biases, or read only those writers with the labels we agree with. But such habits of media consumption make it almost impossible to seek first to understand.

I can read and benefit from a Mormon writer because, as Augustine said, “All truth is God’s truth.” Or, if you prefer a more recent theologian, John Frame wrote in his book The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God: “all knowledge, as we will see, is a recognition of divine norms for truth; it is a recognition of God’s authority. Therefore, in knowing anything, we know God. Even those without the Scriptures have this knowledge.” That’s not the same as personal, saving knowledge of God, Frame explains. But it is something even non-Christians can have and from which Christians can benefit.

So my challenge—to myself first, but also to other Christians—is to make 2021 a year when we seek first to understand, before we try to make ourselves understood. Doing that will make us more faithful to scripture and more effective in our witness to a divided world.

This article originally appeared here.

Thom Rainer – Nine Tech Trends Every Church Should Master

Thom Rainer

December 31, 2020

For too long, many churches have not only been technologically deficient, but technologically averse. But many churches are now catching up through several different methods. Tech trends aren’t just news, they should be part of a church’s tool kit. Churches today must be aware of tech trends — and they should master them.

There are people who will never attend some churches because the church websites are bad or lacking basic information.
Every church should be on social media to some degree.
Your church will miss a lot of stewardship opportunities if it does not have online giving available.
Customized curriculum is just another way the digital revolution is taking place in our churches.
Customized curriculum used to be cost prohibitive, but SmallGroup.com has made it accessible to all churches.
The technological world is a mission field for churches, and we need to be there.

Here are 9 tech trends every church should master

An effective, well-designed church website
Involvement in social media
Using the internet to find staff
Communication through targeted email and mass texting
Virtual staffing
Online giving
Customized curriculum
Training leaders
Video announcements

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Report: World Vision Unwittingly Funded Org. With Ties to Terrorism Using U.S. Grant Money

Megan Briggs

December 31, 2020

A report released by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley indicates the evangelical relief organization World Vision unwittingly funded an organization with links to terrorists in Sudan using grant money from the U.S. government. An investigative committee into World Vision’s actions concluded that instead of willfully funding terrorists, the Christian organization was guilty of relying on “flawed logic” and failing to perform even an “elementary level of vetting” of Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA), the organization it funded.

“This failure occurred because World Vision’s system for vetting prospective sub-grantees was borderline negligent and ignored elementary level investigative procedures, such as failing to conduct basic secondary research that is widely available to the public on the internet via free search engines,” the Senate report reads.

Sen. Grassley (R, Iowa) is the chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Unit, Finance Committee, which was tasked with looking into World Vision’s partnership with ISRA between the years 2013-2014. World Vision paid ISRA for services rendered as a part of its Blue Nile Recovery Program, the purpose of which was “to provide food security, sanitation equipment and health services to the conflict affected areas in the Blue Nile region of Sudan,” according to the Committee’s report. World Vision applied for and received a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the amount of $723,405 for this project. Some of this money World Vision used to pay ISRA to carry out certain aspects of the program.

The report states that World Vision became aware there may be a problem with partnering with ISRA in 2014 when it attempted to partner with another relief organization, International Organization for Migration (IOM). As is standard operating procedure for most relief organizations, IOM looked into World Vision’s partners and raised a red flag concerning ISRA. The report states IOM was able to identify ISRA as an organization on the U.S. government’s Specially Designated Nationals And Blocked Persons List (SDN) relatively easily and quickly.

World Vision could have also found the information, the Committee believes, before partnering with ISRA, if an “elementary level of vetting of ISRA had been performed by World Vision.”

In its defense, World Vision stated that it had used a software program called “Watchdog” to search for information about ISRA. While Watchdog did search the SDN list and ISRA did come up in the results, World Vision claims the fact that ISRA was listed as being based in Missouri in the United States instead of Khartoum, Sudan led them to dismiss the search result. Still, the Committee points out that the list clearly states “‘all [ISRA] offices worldwide’ are sanctioned.” Additionally, on the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) website, a description of ISRA states it is headquartered in Sudan. The Committee provided screenshots of this information from OFAC’s website.

Even after being given the tip, the report states that World Vision spent several weeks attempting to verify what IOM had discovered.

In September 2014, World Vision’s legal department was notified of ISRA’s status on the SDN list. They immediately stopped payments to ISRA, although they didn’t completely cut ties with ISRA. World Vision reached out to the OFAC requesting confirmation of ISRA’s status and also requesting permission to complete its contract with ISRA. When they didn’t receive a timely response, World Vision came to the conclusion they couldn’t verify the claim about ISRA. In the meantime, World Vision says they were under “intense” pressure from ISRA and the Sudanese government to pay for services already rendered. This request to pay for these services was eventually approved by the Obama administration.

World Vision also said they believed the U.S. government should have warned them about ISRA because in previous applications, World Vision had listed ISRA as a partner or what is known as a “sub-grantee.”

Despite what it described as “borderline negligent” behavior on the part of World Vision, the Committee’s report said it “did not find any evidence that World Vision intentionally sought to circumvent U.S. sanctions by partnering with ISRA.” Additionally, the Committee found “no reason to doubt World Vision’s assertion that the funds in their entirety were used by ISRA for humanitarian purposes.” However, the Committee points out that any money going to an organization with ties to terrorism “inevitably aids their terrorist activities.”

World Vision implemented changes to its vetting process after the incident with ISRA, which the Committee acknowledged. Still, the Committee says it “has reservations concerning World Vision’s ability to avoid situations similar to the ISRA – Blue Nile Recovery Program incident in the future.” This is due to what the Committee describes as World Vision essentially abdicating its responsibility to vet the organizations it partners with to others, such as the U.S. government.

Who Was Thomas Becket and Why Is President Trump Honoring Him?

Stephanie Martin

December 31, 2020

To mark the 850^th anniversary of the murder of St. Thomas Becket, President Trump issued a proclamation this week honoring the 12^th-century martyr and calling for an end to faith-based persecution. Calling the Catholic archbishop “a lion of religious liberty,” the proclamation notes, “Before the Magna Carta was drafted, before the right to free exercise of religion was enshrined as America’s first freedom in our glorious Constitution, Thomas gave his life so that, as he said, ‘the Church will attain liberty and peace.’”

Thomas Becket’s Place in History

Becket, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162, had numerous conflicts with King Henry II about church-state issues. When Becket rejected the Constitutions of Clarendon, which would have limited clergy rights, he fled to France. After six years in exile, he returned to England with the help of Pope Alexander III, but the truce didn’t last long. Frustrated by Becket’s repeated defense of religious liberty, the king reportedly asked, “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”

On December 29, 1170, four of the king’s knights murdered Becket in Canterbury Cathedral after he refused a final ultimatum. The martyr’s last words were, “For the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.”

Becket’s stand “changed the course of history,” the White House proclamation notes. “It eventually brought about numerous constitutional limitations on the power of the state over the Church across the West.” These include the Magna Carta, issued in England in 1215, and “the establishment of religious liberty in the New World.” Remembering Becket’s legacy, says the proclamation, shows that freedom “is not a mere luxury or accident of history.”

Proclamation: ‘End religious persecution’

As part of the commemoration of Becket’s “courageous stand,” Trump emphasized America’s commitment to defend religious freedom. “We reaffirm our call to end religious persecution worldwide,” the proclamation reads. “Crimes against people of faith must stop, prisoners of conscience must be released, laws restricting freedom of religion and belief must be repealed, and the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed must be protected.” It concludes, “A society without religion cannot prosper. A nation without faith cannot endure—because justice, goodness, and peace cannot prevail without the grace of God.”

Trump’s proclamation requests prayer for persecuted believers, specifically naming Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong and Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu, China.

With 2020’s pandemic, religious liberty has been a hot topic not just overseas but throughout America. Lockdowns and worship restrictions have led to claims that churches are being unfairly targeted. Becket Law, a D.C.-based nonprofit firm named for the martyr, has defended some congregations in cases regarding virus-related orders.

Ahead of Joe Biden’s presidency, some people are expressing fear that religious freedoms are at risk. John Daniel Davidson, political editor of The Federalist, warns about “how diametrically opposed” Biden’s views on that subject are from Trump’s. “Under a Biden-Harris administration,” he writes, “it’s not hard to imagine the president and vice president saying, as King Henry II did of Becket, ‘Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?’”

With the upcoming leadership transition, Davidson adds, Americans “should expect persecution of the church. And when it comes, we should be ready to say, like Becket, ‘God is the supreme ruler, above Kings… we ought to obey God rather than men.’”

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The heavens proclaim the glory of God.

The skies display his craftsmanship.

Day after day they continue to speak;

night after night they make him known.

They speak without a sound or word;

their voice is never heard.

Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,

and their words to all the world.

(Psalm 19:1-4)

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7 Things to Do After You Look at Pornography

1. Know your Enemy

2. Fight self-hatred

Broken Hearts Are Open Hearts

Pain Is Personal, Healing Is Corporate

Worship Creates Perspective

1. Your mental health.

2. Your mental grit.

3. Your longevity.

4. Your physical health.

Here are 9 tech trends every church should master

An effective, well-designed church website

Involvement in social media

Using the internet to find staff

Communication through targeted email and mass texting

Virtual staffing

Online giving

Customized curriculum

Training leaders

Video announcements

Thomas Becket’s Place in History

Proclamation: ‘End religious persecution’

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