News and Good News

Three devastating hurricanes have struck the United States and/or the islands of the Caribbean since late August. A gunman massacred concert-goers in Las Vegas only this week, killing at least 59 image bearers of God and injuring more than 500 others.

In response, some Christian pastors and leaders have spoken and written biblically -- displaying wisdom and compassion while making much of Jesus and His gospel. In our own church, Jim Smith preached a message Sept. 17 in which he showed us from Luke 13 how Jesus taught us to respond in the case of such tragedies. I commend his sermon, which you can listen to here.

Regarding the killings in Las Vegas, author Jared Wilson of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary wrote here what I consider a helpful piece on what God is saying when such evil occurs.

We have heard and read about a lot of bad news recently -- and there is a lot more we probably have not paid attention to. When we receive such news, may we not take long to think about God through the lens of the gospel. The good news that never changes is the supreme and holy God loves the world and has sent us a Savior who took our place in absorbing the punishment that we deserved. His life, death and resurrection have purchased perfect justice and peace.

Here are articles on some other recent news items of interest to evangelical Christians:

1. Half million people flee Burma -- More than 65 million people in the world are refugees, according to the latest report from the United Nations. The causes for their displacement from their homes and sometimes their countries are war, violence and persecution. Ethnic cleansing by the Burmese army has forced about 500,000 people, primarily Rohingya Muslims, from the country also known as Myanmar. This is the story of a man and his family who fled their home and finally reached a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

2. Nabeel Qureshi dies -- Nabeel Qureshi, a Christian apologist whose three books focused on Islam, died Sept. 16 at the age of 34 following a year-long bout with stomach cancer. This tribute by Justin Taylor, an executive vice president with Crossway, serves as a helpful retrospective on Qureshi's life. The excerpts of Qureshi's testimony about how his conversion from Islam to Christ brought pain to his family and him are particularly poignant. Videos are included.

3. China's unregistered churches prepare for crackdown -- Churches that refuse to register with the Communist regime are making changes in response to increased pressure from government officials, and they are expecting greater restrictions in the months ahead.

4. The Village Church changes course -- The Village Church, the multisite megachurch in the Dallas/Forth Worth metroplex, will turn each of its campuses into an autonomous church in the next five years, lead pastor Matt Chandler announced Sept. 24. This appears to be an important development. The multisite approach that uses such slogans as "One church, four campuses" does not seem to match what we see in the New Testament, where each body of believers appears to be treated as an autonomous church. With Chandler's status as president of the Acts 29 church-planting network, The Village Church's action could influence other multisite congregations to go to the Scriptures regarding their practice.

The church: The Christian remedy for isolation

Americans increasingly can live their lives without leaving their homes and without coming in contact with other human beings. And in this reality exists both a temptation and an opportunity for the church of Jesus.

Many of us in the workforce are able to do our jobs from our homes all or part of the time -- even in our pajamas. By and large, we don't have to go to the store for groceries, clothing, housing supplies, books, toys or most other items. Blue Apron and Hello Fresh will deliver meals to our door, and Amazon will send us food and nearly everything else. As consumers, we can get along just fine, thank you, with little, if any, human contact.

We don't have to go to someone's home, meet them at a coffee shop or talk to them on the phone to carry on what might be a meaningful conversation. Instead, we can communicate via desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

And our neighborhoods -- especially in suburbia -- often remain miniature ghost towns of empty streets, yards and porches as a result of the decades-long prevalence of air-conditioning and television.

As Christians, this culture of isolation can easily mold us into its image. It is a temptation especially enticing for the introverts among us or those who have been deeply wounded by others.

We must resist this pull toward separation from others. We are intended to have in-person relationships with other image bearers of God. After all, our Creator sent us not just a message but a Savior. God the Son came to us. His was an incarnational ministry. He grieved with the grieving. He embraced and blessed children. He touched and healed the afflicted. He spoke to individuals and massive crowds. He listened to His followers and those who were not His followers. We are to be incarnational in our ministry as well, spending time with friends, strangers and all other neighbors -- incarnating the gospel of our Servant King to others and being affected for good by them.

As followers of Jesus, we also must recognize the indispensable role of the church in responding to this challenge. It is as a church we learn what it means to be the family of God. It is as a church we grow together toward likeness to Jesus. It is as a church we agree to be held accountable and to hold others accountable -- even if it means being disfellowshipped because of a lack of repentance. It is as a church we remember Christ's death in the Lord's Supper and proclaim the gospel in believer's baptism. It is as a church we bear one another's burdens and share our burdens with others. This requires being present with others of the same fellowship.

Jesus has promised to build the church. It is unique. A community on Facebook or other social media can be good, but it is not the church. An inter-church mom's group can be good, but it is not the church. An interdenominational men's breakfast can be good, but it is not the church. A community-wide Bible study can be good, but it is not the church. A nondenominational Christian youth ministry can be good, but it is not the church.

In light of this truth about the church, what should a Christian do? Here are two steps every follower of Jesus should take:

1. Join a church. To become a member of a church is to signify I am making at least these statements: I demonstrate I love Jesus by loving His church enough to be identified with a local body of His followers. I see the other members of this church and myself as united not by our mutual interests but by our mutual Savior and Lord. I submit myself to this specific church for the benefit of my growth and ministry as a follower of Jesus. I agree with what this church says in its confession of Christian faith. I pledge to live as a member of a committed, sacrificial community according to this church's membership covenant. I agree I am willing to have others confront me graciously in my sin. I commit to help make disciples as a part of this church's fulfillment of its commission from Christ. I promise to consider others in the church as more important than myself and to look out for the interests of others and not just my own.

2. Be actively engaged in the church you join. The gathering of the church for corporate worship each Sunday is essential for a Christian. It is the weekly time we confess with one voice the truth about God and His gospel. It is the weekly time we sit under the preaching of the Word that gives life and corrects us. It is the weekly time we encourage one another in person. It is the weekly time we are together as the forever family -- hopefully from before the opening song until the closing of the last class and prayer time. Being actively engaged in the church you join also means participating in the fellowship's Bible studies, small groups and service efforts when possible, as well as spending time together as individuals and households. This may often be uncomfortable or inconvenient, but it is called for and crucial in the life of each Christian.

In these ways and more, the church can be the remedy for seclusion and loneliness in a Christian's life.

The church of Jesus has the opportunity in this increasingly isolated and fragmented society to show a watching world what it means to have deep, meaningful relationships based not upon our tribal preferences but upon an unchanging relationship with one another as children of an unchanging Father by the power of an unchanging gospel. The church of Jesus has the opportunity to show a hurting world of disenfranchised people how true grace and love are lived out. May we do so joyfully and sacrificially because God the Son became a member of the community of humanity to make us members of the community of heaven.

-- Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

Why say, 'Black lives matter'

Post-Charlottesville, the time seems right to respond to one aspect of this country's disturbing divide in black-white relations.

Some white people, including some conservative Christians, have reacted negatively in recent years to the use of the term "Black lives matter." (What I refer to in this post is simply the phrase, not the activist movement by that name.) Critics of the term have reacted by championing such slogans as "White lives matter" and "All lives matter."

A recent email from the head of a conservative, Christian organization said, "[I]f a group of white Senate and House members established a 'White Caucus' for white elected officials in Washington, D.C., the 'race-baiters' would go bananas. If the Left is to be consistent, they should speak out against the Congressional Black Caucus. If a group of 'Big Business' representatives established the National Association for the Advancement of White People, the Reverends Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would have a field day."

This type of reaction -- asserting "White lives matter" and decrying the existence of organizations affirming African-American causes -- might be understandable if our history were different. We cannot change our history, however.

If all of those who came to this country did so freely and lived freely, there might be no need to assert the lives of a specific group of people matter. If the laws and law-enforcement officials of this land had always treated all Americans equally, there may be no need to profess the importance of a particular group. There also might be no need to create organizations that defend the rights and express the experience of a distinct group.

Context is critical on this issue. The context for Americans is this: The forced enslavement of black people by white people in this land began nearly 400 years ago. Slavery was finally abolished in law about 250 years later, but the legal subjugation of African Americans continued in at least part of the country. The Jim Crow laws of the South made black people second-class citizens for decades. Dixie's white-controlled society made possible a reign of terror against blacks that trampled upon human dignity, resulting in thousands of lynchings and multitudes of other grievous offenses. Racism and bigotry were not limited to the South. Angry white protesters in Boston -- yes, the one in the liberal state of Massachusetts -- used bricks and bottles to bombard buses carrying black students to desegregate the city's schools in the mid-1970s.

The racism and unequal treatment continue today against image bearers of God. All those of us who are white need do is ask a black friend or fellow Christian about the racial profiling he has experienced from law enforcement or the racial profiling she has undergone in retail stores.

When the shooting deaths of unarmed black teens or men by police or civilians are reported by news outlets or displayed in online videos, it should be no wonder the cry of "Black lives matter" goes forth. To say, "Black lives matter," is not to assert other lives don't matter. It is to declare in this country at this time without equivocation "Black lives matter" just as much as the lives of whites or any others. It is to refute this shameful part of our country's history and too much of the practice within this country even to this day.

Barely 50 years ago, there seemed no need for Americans to assert the right to life of unborn children. No states had legal abortion. That all changed by 1973. The Supreme Court's decision that year to strike down all state laws prohibiting abortion resulted in the legalization of the lethal procedure effectively for any reason at every stage of pregnancy. Most conservative Christians would have no problem now proclaiming: "Unborn lives matter." To make that judgment is not to judge other lives as unequal or less worthy.

So should it be in our country when African Americans are repeatedly given evidence their lives are not treated as equally worthy. We all should proclaim this together: "Black lives matter."

-- Photo by Ryan Holloway on Unsplash

News and Good News

The evangelical church is not without challenges to its unity on various issues. One of those challenges regards sexuality and marriage.

Evangelicals have been at the forefront of defending the biblical views that marriage is a covenant relationship only between a man and a woman and sexual intercourse is an expression solely for a husband and wife. Yet, some self-identified evangelical individuals -- such as popular author/speaker Jen Hatmaker -- and churches -- such as GracePointe in the Nashville, Tenn., area -- have decided in recent years Christians should affirm same-sex relationships. Others in evangelicalism have recently declared the issue should not divide evangelicals. They have proposed an "agree-to-disagree" approach that would prevent evangelicals from breaking fellowship over the matter.

A coalition of evangelical leaders has stated unequivocally that is unacceptable biblically. The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood announced today (Aug. 29) release of The Nashville Statement, a document of 14 affirmations and denials regarding the biblical view of sexuality. Among its articles, the statement says:

“WE AFFIRM that it is sinful to approve of homosexual immorality or transgenderism and that such approval constitutes an essential departure from Christian faithfulness and witness. WE DENY that the approval of homosexual immorality or transgenderism is a matter of moral indifference about which otherwise faithful Christians should agree to disagree.”

In other words, this document's signers -- and they include many well-known heavy hitters in the evangelical world -- are saying the biblical view of homosexual practice and gender identity is not an issue to be minimized or compromised. All who belong to Christ by grace through faith should affirm the truth that an endorsement of homosexual behavior or transgenderism clearly contradicts Scripture.

As a church, we added an article to our Confession of Faith last year that briefly spells out the Bible's teaching on marriage, sexuality and gender identity. Each membership candidate must affirm the confession, including this article, to enter into a covenant with our current members. The Nashville Statement's guidance provides helpful guidance to Christians and churches as we navigate a sexually confused culture.

Here are articles on The Nashville Statement and other recent news items of interest to evangelicals:

1. Evangelicals say view of homosexuality and transgenderism is essential -- Southern Baptist and other evangelical leaders strongly endorsed The Nashville Statement on sexuality. By the way, Jen Hatmaker criticized it today in a series of tweets.

2. Acceptance of polygamy on the ascent -- More Americans consider polygamy "morally acceptable" then ever, according to a Gallup poll released in late July. The survey found 17 percent of Americans say it is acceptable for a person to have more than one spouse, an increase of three percent from the previous year. The percentage may seem harmless, but the fact nearly one in five Americans has no problem with polygamy does not bode well for our future.

3. Iceland has almost totally eliminated Down syndrome babies -- Iceland has used prenatal testing to prevent nearly completely the births of children that test positive for Down syndrome. This CBS report offers a sad look at the mindset of a country practicing the quality-of-life ethic.

4. Turkish ordeal continues for American pastor -- Andrew Brunson, who has lived in Turkey for 23 years and served as a pastor there, not only remains in prison but now is facing additional charges that could result in four life sentences. Brunson was arrested last fall for alleged connections to a group blamed in a failed overthrow of the government. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson recently said the United States continues to seek Brunson's release.

5. Iranian Christian convert released after 4 years -- Maryam Naghash Zargaran, a convert from Islam to Christianity, was released from a Tehran prison Aug. 1 after serving four years. She was arrested in 2013 at the same time as Iranian-American pastor Saeed Abedini, who was released last year.

The blessing of marriage separated only by death

August 13 is a special day in our family.

It was 39 years ago yesterday I asked Linda Stark to marry me. Fortunately, she said, "Yes." Unbeknownst to me at the time, I had proposed on the same date her maternal grandparents were married. They remained husband and wife for 57 years until death separated them. In 2005, the wedding of our daughter and our now-son-in-law took place August 13.

At the time we were first engaged, then married about four months later, I could not envision all it would mean. I can say after nearly four decades, however, I not only am thankful for my bride but for the institution of marriage. It is God's exceedingly good gift to human beings. A marriage separated by nothing but death brings blessings a husband and wife likely never could have foreseen. I know that is true of me.

This reality dawned on me six years ago. Our daughter was experiencing difficulties with her heart after giving birth to their second child. As her parents, Linda and I were deeply concerned and called out to God for her welfare. I was driving home from the train station one evening when a thought strongly affected me: "I cannot imagine going through this burden over Catherine without my wife." What if we were no longer married? What if I did not have the mother of my children with whom to share this weight as my wife? What if we related to our daughter as two people no longer united as her parents in marriage? Thankfully, God restored our daughter's health through the means of a heart procedure.

I remain grateful in other ways for the permanence God designed for marriage and the gracious blessing that Linda and I are still united. I am thankful we truly share in all the joys and concerns regarding our children now that they are adults and have families of their own. I am thankful our children, their spouses and their children don't have to divide time between two households when they visit us. Linda and I are able to welcome them into our home. We share the same experiences and memories of them from their visits here, our visits in their homes, family vacations and holidays.

That was not the experience of my parents, who divorced when I was in college. My children, and my brother's children, did not know Granddad and Nannie as a unit. They had to go to separate homes hundreds of miles apart to see them. Our parents never welcomed them into the home they shared and experienced the joy of life together with grandchildren the way God intended. I wonder what unspoken regrets they harbored as a result.

Of course, keeping the covenant of marriage for life is not primarily about the benefits it brings. Marriage is, first and foremost, a display of the gospel -- of Christ coming for a bride He will love and keep forever. Marriage is established by a vow to God and to another person that is to be fulfilled come what may. That picture and that promise provide all the reasons we need to persevere through the trials marriages typically experience.

Yet, it is encouraging to know God has backloaded marriage with benefits a young bride and groom could never anticipate.

(Addendum: Some of you who have read this post might say, "I wanted a life-long marriage, but my spouse ultimately did not. So I have no way of sharing in these benefits." I am sorry for your spouse's sin and the consequences it has had for you. This was true in my parents' marriage. Please know, however, marriage -- as wonderful as it is -- is not a substitute for the greatest treasure in life. If you have trusted in Jesus to save you from your sins, He is your life and joy. In Him is the deepest delight, and He has placed you in a family that will bless you and be yours forever.)

News and Good News

Many ethical, moral and social issues continue to confront evangelical Christians as this latest edition of "News and Good News" arrives, and the sanctity of human life remains at the forefront.

As followers of Christ, we respond to questions about such matters as abortion, gene editing and care for disabled children with this biblical foundation we are introduced to in Genesis 1 -- every human being is an image bearer of God and possesses a life that should be valued and protected regardless of:

-- His or her stage of development from conception to natural death;

-- His or her condition physically, mentally and emotionally;

-- His or her ethnicity, skin color, nationality and legal status.

This means the embryonic child, the baby two months into an unwanted pregnancy, the Down syndrome newborn, the discarded orphan, the permanently disabled teenager, the terminally ill adult, the Alzheimer's patient and the minority person out of fashion with the majority are all as valuable as the epitome of health, power and popularity in any culture.

Such a worldview provides surety when others depend on subjective and qualitative judgments in ethical debates involving life issues.

Here are some recent news articles of interest to us as evangelicals:

1. Charlie Gard dies after parents' long battle on his behalf -- The British infant whose case gained international attention died only days short of his first birthday. His parents surrendered their battle with a hospital and the courts when they learned it was too late for the experimental treatment they had been seeking for months.

2. Human embryos edited for first time in United States -- Oregon researchers edited human embryos for the first time on American soil to correct a genetic mutation in what might be described as the first step on the path to the original genetically modified human beings. The research not only raises ethical questions but is unethical itself, a Southern Baptist bioethicist said. here.

3. Abortion still divisive after all these years -- A Pew Research Center survey demonstrates the divide that continues among Americans 44 years after the legalization of abortion. Overall, 57 percent of Americans think abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances, while 40 percent think it should be illegal in all or most cases, according to the survey. The poll does not appear to have asked for opinions on abortion at certain stages or for certain reasons or by specific methods.

4. President Trump announces ban on transgender military members -- People who identify as a different gender than their biological sex will be unable to serve in the armed forces, the president tweeted in a move that apparently caught the Pentagon off guard.

5. Christians receive long prison sentences in Iran -- Christians continue to face persecution in Iran, one of the world's most severe violators of religious liberty. This report says 11 converts to the Christian faith have received lengthy prison sentences in the last couple of months.

Despite the attacks on human life and religious belief, the Good News of Christ's life, death and resurrection for sinners makes us free no matter where we live.

The need for confessions of faith to address sexuality

(This is a revised post in light of the clarification today [July 13] by Eugene Peterson that he does not support same-sex marriage.)

I have not read anything by Eugene Peterson, retired pastor and well-known author of The Message paraphrase and many other books. Many evangelicals I respect testify they have benefited greatly from his writings.

In an interview published Wednesday (July 12), Peterson is quoted saying he now supports same-sex marriage. A day later, he issued a retraction and clarification, saying he does not support same-sex marriage. By doing so, he removes his name from being likely the best known person identified with the evangelical movement to change his mind about this contentious issue. Instead, other individuals -- such as author/speaker Jen Hatmaker -- and churches such as GracePointe Church in Nashville, Tenn., continue to lead the way among those identified with evangelicalism in adopting a position on human sexuality contrary to the Bible and millennia of church teaching.

Undoubtedly, they will not be the last to abandon Scripture and Christ's church on this issue. It is possible theirs could eventually be remembered as the early faces of what turned out to be a wave of professing evangelicals who departed from orthodoxy on marriage and sexuality. I hope no such wave develops, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for Christians to withstand the cultural pressure to compromise.

For now, such desertions by people and congregations regarded as evangelical constitute part of the reason for churches to make clear what they believe about marriage and sexuality. That is why the members of our church, Covenant Community Church of Fredericksburg, Va., adopted last year a new article in our Confession of Faith to explain what we believe based on the Bible.

Here is our article on "Gender, Marriage, and Sexuality," with Scripture references included:

God has created each person as either male or female. Rejection of this biological state is a rejection of the role of each person in bearing the image of God. Marriage is the uniting of only one man and only one woman in a lifetime covenant, providing a picture of the union between Christ and His church, the exclusive context for sexual expression, and the means for procreation of the human race. (Gen. 1:27-28, 2:18-25; Ex. 20:14; Ps. 127:3; Prov. 5:15-20; Mal. 2:13-16; Matt. 5:31-32, 19:1-9; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18; Rom. 1:18-32; I Cor. 6:9-20, 7:1-16; Eph. 5:22-33; Heb. 13:4)