For many years I’ve said that, when it comes to America, I’m more concerned with the absence of light than with the presence of darkness. In the same way, I’m more concerned with our failure to speak freely than with those who are trying to silence us.

This, of course, is not to deny that there is a frontal assault on our most fundamental freedoms. I’ve witnessed this firsthand and documented it for years.

Just this week, media researcher Brent Bozell sounded the alarm about this concerted attack. He said, “This is the emerging of the greatest censorship of free speech worldwide in the history of man. Now, let me explain this, the left is on a jihad against conservative thought. It’s happening in academia, entertainment, business, religion, everywhere.”

His warning follows on the heels of the release of a major study done by Bozell’s Media Research Center (MRC) titled, “CENSORED! How Online Media Companies Are Suppressing Conservative Speech.”

According to this study: Twitter Leads in Censorship; Facebook’s Trending Feed Has Been Hiding Conservative Topics; Google Search Aids Democrats; YouTube Is Shutting Down Conservative Videos; Tech Firms Are Relying on Groups That Hate Conservatives; Liberal Twitter Advisors Outnumber Conservatives 12-to-1; Tech Companies Rely on Anti-Conservative Fact-Checkers.

In short, the MRC study confirms what we knew to be true already: There is a war against conservative and religious speech. And it is not just in the realm of online media, as Bozell rightly observed.

But, to repeat, that’s not my greatest concern today, as weighty as these developments are.

Instead my focus is on our failure to stand up and speak out, especially as religious conservatives.

Who’s stopping pastors from speaking freely from the pulpit? I’m not talking about endorsing political candidates. I’m talking about addressing abortion and LGBT activism and racial division and more. Who’s stopping us from being socially and culturally relevant?

Why must we dance around these issues with the constant fear of stepping on people’s toes? How can we possibly take gospel-worthy, moral stands if we are such people-pleasers and if we are so ambiguous in our declarations? Why are we more concerned with not offending people than with genuinely helping people?

And what about the rest of us who are not preaching behind pulpits (or speaking over the airwaves)? Who’s stopping us from speaking the truth in love on our social media outlets? Or in our social circles? Why are we more concerned with the opinions of people than with the opinions of God? Why don’t we share our faith and our convictions more clearly and boldly and publicly?

A young man once reached out to me on Facebook. He wrote, “I shared one of your articles recently, and I was shocked at the negative comments I received. Some folks even unfriended me. So, what do you think I should do? Should I pull the article?”

Seriously? Pull an article you agree with because you got some flack? Delete a post you feel is important because some people unfriended you? Our fellow-believers around the world are being tortured and killed for the gospel, and we’re afraid of losing friends on social media?

No wonder we’re losing our freedoms. We’re handing the jailer the keys.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for being sensitive and compassionate. I’m all for using wisdom. But true compassion speaks the truth. Love warns. Wisdom doesn’t waver.

Unfortunately, so much of what we call sensitivity and compassion and wisdom is nothing more than cowardice and compromise. Let the truth be told.

Again, I’m not downplaying the very real assault on our freedoms. We are getting hit on every front. I don’t deny this and I don’t minimize it.

But if we all started to speak up together, things would change. If pastors and leaders took their clues from the Word of God rather than from what’s trending, the nation would be rocked. If we used the freedoms we do have and used them to the fullest, those freedoms could not be taken from us in 100 years. (I’m speaking in particular of the situation here in America.)

Jesus urged us to let our light shine, to put it on a lampstand where everyone could see it rather than hiding it under the bed. It’s time we let our light shine for America to see.

If we do, our nation will be blessed and our freedoms will be preserved. If we don’t, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

So let your light shine!

This article originally posted at Townhall.com.

Every day the established media and pop culture assault traditional Christian beliefs and values with messages in direct opposition to the precepts conservative Christians hold dear.

But even less overtly hostile people and organizations in our modern world seek to mold minds with messages which contradict biblical principles.

How can you, your children and grandchildren identify and challenge the false ideologies and agendas dominating the day? How do we respond to politically correct claims with gracious, unequivocal and sound argument? Are we prepared to filter out wrong thinking and courageously and respectfully engage the culture with the truth?

John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center for Worldview, offers this description of culture:

[C]ulture is the sum of everything we as human beings create, write, say, do, and think—the marks we leave on our world. In that sense, “engaging the culture” isn’t really optional. It’s human. It’s as much a part of being alive as breathing is. We don’t decide whether we’ll engage the culture. Just how.

Illinois Family Institute’s mission is “to bring a biblical perspective to public policy.” If we truly believe that every square inch of human existence belongs to Christ, the public square is included. As Christ followers, we are called not just to care about our fellow churchgoer but also to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:26-40).  We are to care about the lies and injustices being promoted in our local neighborhoods as well as the lies and injustices being promoted in the state and national legislatures, government schools, the media, in the arts, the corporate world, sports and throughout Illinois.

Romans 8 tells us that all of “creation groans and suffers” because of the fall. Yet Christians are called to spread the gospel truth to all the nations, “teaching them to observe all things” commanded by God (Matthew 28:19-20).  How do we do this in a culture that is hellbent on revolution and rebellion? After all, not only are we calling evil good and good evil, but we are also now calling boys girls and girls boys.

The Apostle Peter admonished us:

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

To that end, we want to encourage you to join us for our Fourth Annual Worldview Conference featuring the aforementioned John Stonestreet.  And please, bring your older children and grandchildren.

Mr. Stonestreet has a passion “to illuminate a biblical worldview for today’s culture.” He’s an amazing speaker, writer, cultural commentator, and collaborator of worldview initiatives.This event is a rare opportunity to hone your skills of both defending the faith and fending off false teaching.

Consider Francis Schaeffer, one the the twentieth century’s great apologists. Todd Kappelman writes this about Francis Schaeffer, one of the 20th Century’s great apologists:

Schaeffer’s greatest gift, like that of C.S. Lewis, was his concern for the average Christian. He believed philosophy, theology, and ethics should not be reserved for the conversation of learned academics; rather they should be the daily concern of the man on the street. The price for ignorance of the subjects could be our life, or more importantly, our very souls. The Scriptures are very clear concerning the price of ignorance. The prophet Hosea said that God’s people perish for lack of knowledge.

. . .

Schaeffer believed that man has a natural inclination to desire the reasonable. Schaeffer argued that the Christian faith is not only true, but that it is the most plausible account for the existence of man and his place in the universe. He contended that an irrational faith is not what God intended to communicate to man. (emphasis added)

IFI is excited to offer this opportunity for you to become better prepared to follow the admonition of the prophet Hosea by augmenting your knowledge in the service of being prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks.

Please sign up now to join us for one day that we believe and pray will dramatically change your approach to education, news, entertainment and interactions with family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, teachers, and lawmakers.

One short day could prepare you to be salt and light, to touch hearts and minds with the truth in a world that desperately needs the truth, the life and the way.

Saturday, May 5, 2018

Medinah Baptist Church
900 Foster Ave, Medinah, IL 60157 (map)

Click here for flyer

Group pricing available!
Call the IFI office for details: (708) 781-9328

Written by Dave Olsson

Several years ago, I stood in a hospital room by my father’s bedside. He was alive, but only because of modern technology, which did the work his body could no longer do. With his assent, we had decided to take him off life support. My mother, my siblings and I watched as technicians removed the tubes, fluids, and devices connected to his body. For a moment everything remained as it was: his breathing, the beeping of the monitors, the sterile air, the fluorescent lights, the white sheets, the quiet bustle of the medical staff.

And then his vitals began to sink, green numbers on a black screen retreating toward zero. I stood near his head, watching the inevitable approach. There was nothing he could do. There was nothing I could do. Within moments, my dad would cross that razor thin line between life and death.

Every one of us will have to endure that involuntary moment when our lungs draw a final breath, our heart gives a final contraction, our eyes go dark, and we are separated from life as we know it. The moment that has come for millions and millions of people is coming for you. For me. It is inescapable.

***

The ultimate enemy of life is death. None of us will get out of here alive, as the macabre saying goes. Death is the undefeated champion over life, having the last word, batting one-thousand, dancing, as it were, on our graves. No one beats death.

Unless.

Unless the Scriptures are true. They tell us that Jesus, betrayed by a friend, exchanged for a rebel, beaten by soldiers, mocked by the crowds, nailed to a cross — this Jesus died and was buried in a sealed tomb. But death was destroyed when God raised Christ from the dead and brought “life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

Death is no longer permanent, but temporary. It has been defanged, declawed, and collared. It has been overthrown, vanquished, obliterated. Jesus crushed it. Paul says, “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.”

This accomplishment is so central to the Christian faith that Paul writes elsewhere, “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith … If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”

This, to me, is one of the strongest arguments for the reality of the Christian faith. Paul acknowledges that the entire edifice of Christian belief falls apart if its most inconceivable and improbable claim did not happen. If Jesus didn’t come back to life, he says, then his followers are to be pitied — pitied as hopeless fools for clinging to a pointless and powerless belief.

But Paul, the apostles, and hundreds of other eye witnesses say it did happen. “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.”

This is why we celebrate Easter. Jesus defeated sin and death, and by His life, we also can live. “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.'”

“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God demonstrated his love for us “while we were still sinners,” giving us “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Through what He endured, Jesus validated his life, his teaching, God’s love, and his offer of eternal life. My dad knew this. Even though death took him for the moment, there is coming a day when he will live again, just as Jesus has.

Death is coming for you and me, too, but it doesn’t have to be the final word. Jesus proved it.

 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” ~Mark 16: 5-7

Although the subject of worldview has become a hot topic among Christians, there are many in the church who still don’t understand what a worldview is and why it matters. At best, it can often seem like an entirely theoretical topic with little bearing on the practical realm. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

What is a Worldview?

A worldview is simply a framework of beliefs we use to interpret the world around us. Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey, in their book How Now Shall We Live?, write that any worldview addresses three issues: Creation, Fall, and Redemption. In other words, they say, a worldview answers these fundamental questions:

1.) Where did we come from, and who are we?

2.) What has gone wrong with the world?

3.) What can we do to fix it?

It’s easy to see that different worldviews will answer these questions in very different ways. Christianity teaches that sin is the problem in our world. Marxism, on the other hand, teaches that private property is the problem. While the first two questions above are largely philosophical in nature, they lay the foundation for the third question which is intensely practical.

The Impact of Worldview

Worldviews aren’t simply theoretical constructs that have no impact on the world around us. Hitler had a worldview and used it to wreak havoc on the world and exterminate millions of people for no better reason than their ethnicity. William Wilberforce had a different worldview and used it to stop the slave trade in England and put an end to untold human suffering. These two men—with their different worldviews and world-changing legacies—show us that when worldviews are put into action, they can either do great harm or tremendous good.

Why Your Worldview Matters

It’s easy to see why the worldviews of leaders and influencers—whether in business, politics, the arts, or education—matters intensely. These individuals wield enormous influence over the culture and impact the destinies of men and nations.

But what about you and me? Most of us don’t hold the fate of the world in our hands. Why does our worldview matter? Let’s look at a few reasons.

Because You Can Vote. In a representative republic like ours, we have the freedom to help decide who governs us. An understanding of a Biblical worldview will help us understand the proper role of government, which will help us stand up for these principles at the ballot box. If the worldviews of our leaders matter, our worldview also matters.

Because We’re Raising the Next Generation. I don’t know what my children will grow up to be. Perhaps one will be a future president or Supreme Court justice. Perhaps one will become an extraordinarily successful entrepreneur. Perhaps one will write books or make movies that will influence millions. If so, I want them to have a Biblical worldview, and it’s up to me to teach them. But even if they grow up to occupy quietly ordinary roles, it’s important for them to have a Biblical worldview because they’ll still have some level of influence on those around them.

Because We’re Supposed to Live Out Our Faith. If we believe that Christianity is separate from the practical realm—in other words, that some things are sacred and other things are secular—we’re not going to successfully live out our faith on a daily basis. Implementing a Biblical worldview essentially means bringing our faith into our daily lives in every area—from family life, to finances, to the workplace, and so on.

The Bottom Line

Our worldview matters because, as the saying goes, ideas have consequences. If they didn’t, it wouldn’t matter what we believed or what worldview we held. But if we really want to live out our faith on a consistent basis, we need to understand a Biblical worldview.

The balanced Christian life consists of both a personal relationship with a personal God and a proper understanding of how His truth impacts everything in our lives. Having a Biblical worldview is an indispensable part of that equation.

IFI Worldview Conference

To help equip Christians to think and live out our faith in the public square, the Illinois Family Institute is hosting their Fourth Annual Illinois Family Institute Worldview Conference with John Stonestreet – President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

What:  IFI Worldview Conference with John Stonestreet

When:  Saturday, May 5th, 10 AM to 3:30 PM

Where:  Medinah Baptist Church, 900 Foster Avenue, Medinah, IL 60157 (map)

How much:  $20 per person/$50 per family

Click HERE for a flyer for this event.

You don’t want to miss this!

Hollywood stands as an eclectic, self-congratulatory private club, whose mainline members flaunt wealth and hedonism, pontificating re guns and violence and the #MeToo scandals, while simultaneously producing films overflowing with guns and violence and promiscuous and perverse sex.

That coastal and SoCal enclave, brimming with egos, yet, for the most part, devoid traditional and biblical values, produces movies full of anti-faith, anti-values messages and themes. Week after week films debut that gleefully plumb the depths of depravity, cheered on by jaded critics who only wake up mid-viewing if an envelope-pushing movie grabs their attention.

Hollywood and its Lefty members and supporters, deride film efforts produced by people of faith, expecting only failure and inferior art simply because the creators espouse a belief system that Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members disdain and don’t understand.

Given that background of low expectations, the Erwin Brothers shocked Tinsel Town’s who’s who with their recent offering, I Can Only Imagine, after the song of the same name.

Jon and Andrew Erwin started their unlikely careers as sports camera men working for the likes of ESPN and Fox NFL. They started their own production company in 2002, producing music videos, garnering Music Video of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards for three years running.

Next the Erwins moved to documentaries before finally, in 2010, changing course to produce feature length films. Their second feature film, Moms’ Night Out, a comedic romp infused with faith, starring Patricia Heaton, Sean Astin, and Trace Adkins, earned a decent box office and tremendous DVD/Blu-Ray sales. Jon and Andrew’s third offering, Woodlawn, based on the true story of God’s love overcoming the racist climate of early 1970’s Alabama football, starring Sean Astin and Jon Voight, racked up over $14 million at the box office and another $9+ million in video sales.

With I Can Only Image, Jon and Andrew Erwin raked in $17 million, coming in a very respectable third in the opening weekend box office, competing with the new Lara Croft Tomb Raider blockbuster, the pro-gay teen movie, Love, Simon, and Disney’s faith-sanitized Wrinkle in Time (in its third week).

But unlike those other Hollywood offerings, the Erwins’ film only had a $7 million dollar production budget and was shown on at least 800 fewer screens (2,000 screens will be added on March 23). In addition, I Can Only Imagine scored an A+ from CinemaScore patrons.

Why did this modest budget, faith-filled film resonate?

To start with, the 2001 song, “I Can Only Imagine,” written and performed by Bart Millard with his band Mercy Me, touched millions and was a hit on, not only Christian charts, but crossed over to “the Billboard Adult Contemporary (where it peaked at No. 5)” and received multiple awards.

The movie employed good marketing efforts, both Christian and secular venues ran the trailer and the early buzz was palpable.

But the real proof was the movie itself.

Starring J. Michael Finley (who made his Broadway debut in Les Miserables in 2014) as Bart Millard, veteran actor Dennis Quaid as Bart’s abusive father, Arthur, all-star performer Trace Adkins (who also had a key comedic, if deadpan, role in Moms’ Night Out) as the craggy agent, Brickell, and film icon Cloris Leachman as Bart’s “Memaw,” I can Only Imagine grabs the viewer emotionally early on and never lets go.

The movie follows the tough as Texas dirt childhood of Bart Millard, and the part music and faith played in sustaining and healing him. We learn of Bart’s childhood and lifelong sweetheart, Shannon (played by Madeline Carroll), who reminds Bart that she’s praying for him through it all. There’s a smaller, but significant, part of the drama coach, Mrs. Fincher (played by Priscilla Shirer, of War Room) who discovers Bart’s beautiful voice and casts him in the lead (Curly) of their high school musical, Oklahoma.

Quaid plays Bart’s dad with a gritty realism that makes him easy to despise: young Millard is physically, emotionally and verbally abused. Forgiveness comes hard. How can any son forgive a son-of-a-gun (Arthur deserved the saltier permutation of the colloquialism) like Arthur Millard?

A father is supposed to love his son, his children. A father is supposed to encourage their great aspirations. A father is supposed to protect his wife and children.

But Arthur Millard, an aging man steeped in decades of disappointment, permeated with acerbic bitterness, does none of that.

In one gut-and-heart-wrenching scene, Arthur asks, “If God can forgive everyone else, why can’t he forgive me?”

Bart, wrapped in a well-deserved wall of angry protection, spits out, “God can forgive you. I can’t.”

Viewers are left wondering where the story will take them…will Bart forgive his father? Is that the key to breaking down all the other emotional walls in his life?

Along the way, the story captures the era and includes the critical parts of Amy Grant (played by Nicole DuPort) and Michael W. Smith (played by Jake B. Miller), and the soundtrack includes ELO’s Don’t Bring Me Down, and Keith Green’s, Oh Lord, You’re Beautiful, and more.

Families will be relieved to know that, though Dennis Quaid plays wife and child beater, Arthur Millard, to a “T,” the amazingly talented Erwin brothers elicit the sucker-punching emotion with a dearth of actual violence — thank God. The film is enough of a tearjerker, bringing the movie watchers to tears and sniffles by sheer creativity, powerful acting, and music.

I Can Only Imagine, like several other soon-to-debut faith-themed movies, was perfectly timed to open a mere two weeks before the pivotal Christian “holy day” marking the triumph of death over life, of blessing over cursing, and of hope over despair.

As my friend Elizabeth Johnston, aka “The Activist Mommy,” posted:

What an incredibly powerful story. The depth of pain and joy and forgiveness in this movie is sure to change thousands of people’s lives! Please, please, please load your car up with people and go see this incredible film this weekend!

Thank you so much to The Erwin Brothers for your tireless work on this project! You’ve got a winner here!

And thank you to Bart Millard of MercyMe Music for showing us all what it means to forgive like Jesus.

And the crux of the matter is forgiveness. Bart Millard learned the priceless lesson of real love and forgiveness.

Think of the words of the John:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

Add to that Paul’s admonition to the church at Corinth:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

Jon and Andrew Erwin, along with Producer Kevin Downs (who starred in Courageous and Moms’ Night Out) and Executive Producer Cindy Bonds, have done the near-miraculous: created a movie which moves audiences to laughter and tears and applause AND achieves box office success without insulting our faith and values. Indeed, I Can Only Imagine paints a dramatic picture of faith and forgiveness and reconciliation on the big screen.

Thank-you Jon and Andrew for this movie, a cinematic work of art which serves as a beacon of light in this dark, dark world! Here’s hoping you have long careers, honoring Truth and Life, using the big screen for the biggest message the world has ever known.

Written by Apostle Bishop LeRoy Smith

Christian believers in Illinois are never at a loss for issues to pray about. With the upcoming election and yet another opportunity to affect change in our state, we invite you to join us in 3 days of fasting and prayer just prior to and including March 20th.

The apostle Paul reminds us not to get discouraged or anxious, but rather in every situation, to pray and petition God. We are also told that our weapons are not of this world and that the battle is a spiritual one that is taking place in the heavenly realm NOW.

You might recall the story of Esther.

The people of God were in a time of great desperation. A province wide decree has been set in place that all Jews would be killed and eradicated from existence. So a plea to the only person that could turn the heart of the king concerning this situation is given to Queen Esther, who, unbeknown to the king, is herself a Jew.

Mordecai, the cousin of Queen Esther, sent her a message, “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13-14)

God has always worked through His people – specifically through their prayers and fasting. What might seem to us an impossibility, is but a simple task for God.

Just as Esther called for a three day fast for the people of God throughout the province (Esther 4:15-17), I am asking the people of God in Illinois to do the same. I am calling this the Esther Movement 2018.

During the days of March 18^th, 19^th and 20th, I am asking the body of Christ to fast and pray specifically for:

 Victory for God-fearing candidates across the state of Illinois (Exodus 18:21)

Defeat of the Cook County referendum for the legalizing of recreational marijuana

Many are unaware of the harm recreational marijuana will bring to Illinois families. Other states that have legalized marijuana are reaping the consequences.

We, the body of Christ, are faced with a great opportunity to seek after God, the King, to change the direction of the present day political system. We are here for such time as this!

You may fast on those three days any way the Holy Spirit may guide you. One suggestion for fasting may be the Daniel fast, which is mainly eating only fruits and vegetables. You may also fast drinking only natural juice and water or not eating from 6AM to 6PM, only drinking water. Whatever you are led to do by the Lord, do it to the best of your ability.

Let’s bring these scriptures relative to our present day. We must, to the best of our ability, preserve our culture for our progeny. I pray that all the body of Christ will take on this important endeavor of calling on the Lord to change Illinois for the better.

Spiritual motivator, anointed Man of God, visionary, and faith walker are just a few words that describe Apostle Bishop L. Smith. He serves as a senior pastor for Fulfilled Purpose Church International in Chicago, IL to educate and train in all areas of Christian living.  He has the vision to bring forth life into barren communities by fostering life and power into ministries. Apostle Smith believes in leading a dedicated remnant of God’s people to change families, communities, regions, and the world. Apostle Bishop L. Smith has over 26 years of counseling and teaching experience in promoting growth and development for individuals, teams, communities, and churches.

Homosexual head honcho in the country music industry, Jason Owen, threw a tantrum over the appointment of Mike Huckabee to serve on the board of the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association (CMA). Owen was furious that Huckabee holds the theologically orthodox belief that homosexuality is a sin and that Huckabee supports the NRA.

Owen and his equally intolerant allies were successful in forcing Huckabee to step down less than 24 hours after his appointment, with Owen threatening to take his money and his musicians and go home if Huckabee stayed:

“It is with a heavy heart that I must let you know moving forward, Sandbox and Monument will no longer support the CMA Foundation in any way (this includes everyone we represent collectively) considering the heartbreaking news shared today regarding Mike Huckabee appointee/elected to the CMA Foundation. Further, we find it hard to support the organization as a whole as a result. As you may know I have a child and two on the way. This man has made it clear that my family is not welcome in his America. And the CMA has opened their arms to him, making him feel welcome and relevant. Huckabee speaks of the sort of things that would suggest my family is morally beneath his and uses language that has a profoundly negative impact upon young people all across this country. Not to mention how harmful and damaging his deep involvement with the NRA is. What a shameful choice. I will not participate in any organization that elevates people like this to positions that amplify their sick voices. This was a detrimentally poor choice by the CMA and it’s [sic] leaders.

I only wish the best for you and I know how hard you work for the foundation but a grossly offensive decision like this only makes your job harder and diminishes the foundation’s purpose.

In Owen’s perverse world, homosexuality and intentionally motherless and fatherless children are in. The Bible, the Constitution, and diversity are out.

Let’s not forget that it was Jesus who established marriage as a man-woman union—not Mike Huckabee. While Owen and his allies may not be theologically orthodox Christians, many Americans—including many country music fans—are. And let’s not forget that for theologically orthodox Christians, their faith is as central to their identities as homoeroticism is to the identities of “gays” and “lesbians.”

Owen believes that those who express the theologically orthodox Christian view that marriage is a male-female union are also saying that homosexual couples are “not welcome in America.” So, does Owen apply that principle consistently?

When Owen says it’s “grossly offensive” and “shameful” for an organization to hire someone who holds theologically orthodox biblical views on marriage, does he make theologically orthodox Christians feel “not welcome in America”? Are his words, therefore, “grossly offensive,” “shameful,” and “sick”?

What about all the homosexuals who, before Obergefelle, said that marriage is the union of two people who love each other? Are they guilty of making polyamorists who would like to marry feel their families are “not welcome in America”? Are their voices “sick”?

What about men and women who experience “Genetic Sexual Attraction” and are in love with close blood relatives (remember, love is love)? Is it “grossly offensive” and “shameful” to express opposition to adult consensual incest?

More broadly, is helping people feel good about all their life choices some sort of moral principle that subsumes all other moral claims? Does everyone have an obligation to refrain from expressing moral propositions with which others may disagree? If so, does that apply to Owen and his ideological co-conspirators?

Like all homosexual tacticians, Owen appeals to emotions by referring to his children, saying that Huckabee’s beliefs suggest Owen’s “family is morally beneath” Huckabee’s.” Huckabee’s beliefs concern types of family structures, and yes, theologically orthodox Christians believe that a family headed by two men or two women in a homoerotic relationship is morally inferior to a family headed by a man and woman. That idea too comes from Scripture, which speaks in unequivocal and plain language about homoerotic activity, marriage, the roles of mothers and fathers, and the needs of children. If Owen has a beef with those beliefs, he should take it up with the Almighty.

Singer and lesbian Chely Wright self-righteously chastises Huckabee: “[Y]oung people will be shattered, yet again, to hear someone with so much power saying the things you’re saying about who God made them to be.” It’s preposterous to claim that God “made” anyone to desire that which He condemns. I don’t know where Wright gets her theology, but it’s not from Scripture.

So, what’s the end game for those disciples of diversity and teachers of tolerance like Owen, Wright, and their allies? Do they want to rob theologically orthodox Christians of their ability to make a living? Do they want to impose a religious test for holding office? Do they want the state to take children away from theologically orthodox Christians? Do they want the state to prohibit theologically orthodox Christians from adopting? Do they want to nullify the speech rights of theologically orthodox Christians?

Word to Owen et al.: Love is inseparable from truth. If it’s true that homosexual activity is immoral, if it’s true that marriage has a nature central to which is sexual complementarity, if it’s true that children have a right to be raised by a mother and a father whenever possible, then expressing those views is not only permissible but also good. If the Bible is true, the ideology of Owen and Wright will have a “profoundly negative impact upon young people”—eternally.

P.S. Our get-out-the-vote campaign is up and running. We are distributing the IFI Primary Voter Guide to hundreds of churches, civic groups and tea party organizations. Will you financially support our endeavor to educate Illinois voters and promote family values?

To make a credit card donation over the phone, call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.

The year that was, 2017, is now fading in the rearview mirror. As we look out on the unfolding expanse of 2018, as far as the eye can see, the culture war rages – a hard-pitched battle between a culture of life and a culture of death.

Our opposition in this world is visceral and cunning. If we dare to stand for Biblical principles, our opponents stoop to ridicule and tweet or stream a noxious spew of profanities.

When we turn on the nightly news, we are assaulted with reports of gang violence, road rage, and terrorist attacks. Even nature batters us on all sides with a whirlwind of one natural disaster after another, after another.

Taking into account all of these pressures, it is understandable that our passion flags and we grow weary of fighting an unending cascade of immorality, evil, and death. And yet, as believers, followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to live joyful, light-filled lives in our ever-darkening world.

How can we live a victorious life in the midst of this struggle? In Philippians 2:14-16, the Apostle Paul exhorts us to “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”

As the culture in which we live grows further away from God and His principles, the world grows darker, becoming more chaotic, unkind, and tyrannical. Yet in spite of this downward spiral, we are instructed to proceed in our lives without mumbling and grumbling in this warped and crooked generation! Paul tells us if we have a thankful attitude, rather than being dissatisfied cranks, we will shine like stars!

A thankful attitude flies in the face of a culture that finds reasons to complain about everything. But, as Christ followers, we have received God’s unmerited favor instead of the well-deserved consequence of our sin. How can we be anything but grateful? When our lives are marked by thankfulness and gratitude, rather than moaning and groaning, we shine like stars!

Additionally, in Philippians 4:4 Paul tells us to “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Not only does Paul ask us to go about our lives without grumbling, but we are also instructed to rejoice! Unlike the off-putting persona of a cranky complainer, someone who displays gratitude and joy in all circumstances is like a cup of cold water to a thirsty, dying world.

So, how can we live with joy and thanksgiving in this dark world? First, we must intentionally make deposits in eternity! When we pray, read God’s Word, and share the good news of Jesus, we are showing love to a lost world. We are effectively holding “firmly to the word of life” and making priceless deposits into God’s kingdom.

The Gospel of Matthew reminds us “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Once we re-order our priorities in life and choose to focus on the long view, to become eternity-minded, the petty stuff of this world that tempts us to grumble and complain will become unimportant.

Second, we must determine, with our hearts firmly anchored in eternity, to NOT look back, but press forward. Paul sets the example for this behavior in Philippians 3:13b-14 as he declares, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

This is the mindset of a believer – one who knows with certainty that their treasure is in heaven, therefore their heart yearns for heaven. With our sights set on eternity, we are able to forget the baggage of the world we have chosen to put behind us and press on to “win the prize” – eternity with the Savior.

Third, we must remember we are not alone! In the 6^th chapter of 2 Kings, we read how the Lord protected the city where the prophet Elisha was staying. The army of the King of Aram had surrounded the city and when Elisha’s servant saw the forces that were massed against them, he was terrified. But the prophet told him, “Do not be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then he prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” The Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw that the hills surrounding the city were filled with horses and chariots of fire! An army of God’s angels, bright and shining like fire, had surrounded the enemy’s army.

Now, it is not likely that we will see or need – or be allowed to see – a heavenly host of angles standing by to do battle. But it is tremendously encouraging to know that we are not alone, and that God the Father has given all followers of Jesus the Holy Spirit — the Helper. And He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world! (1 John 4:4)

This is vitally importantly.  We are not alone because God has given all followers of Jesus the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel of John we read:

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16)

Thanks be to God, we have the power of the Holy Spirit within us always!

Looking ahead, the trajectory of 2018 is uncertain. Will Planned Parenthood be eviscerated and Roe v. Wade overturned? Will the cultural bullying of Christians become outright persecution? Will activist judges continue to push a radical agenda via the judicial system?

Yes, uncertainty abounds, but despite the darkening culture and fear of the unknown, we above all people have every reason to live victorious, joy-filled lives. When we are tempted to be fearful or worry, we need to remember these four points:

• We are the unworthy recipients of God’s grace and mercy and, as such, ought to live lives of exuberant gratitude, devoid of grumbling, and overflowing with joy.
• With great joy and as a sign of our deep gratitude, we must make deposits in eternity to advance the kingdom of God.
• If our heart and affections are anchored in eternity, our eyes will be focused forward, fixed on the prize of Christ Jesus that awaits us in heaven.
• We are never alone. We are surrounded by God’s heavenly host, mighty warriors who are ready to do battle for us and we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

Will you join me in striving to make a difference in the new year? I challenge you to be salt and light in your families and communities, to be that vital cup of cold water that brings refreshment and life to our thirsty, dying culture.

Each one of us can make a tremendous difference. We can be used by God to impact the eternal destination of our fellow human beings – what an amazing privilege!

Finally, I challenge you to “do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.”

In 2018, I pray we will all shine like stars in the sky to the glory of God!

RESCHEDULED: IFI Worldview Conference May 5th

We have rescheduled our annual Worldview Conference featuring well-know apologist John Stonestreet for Saturday, May 5th at Medinah Baptist Church. Mr. Stonestreet is s a dynamic speaker and the award-winning author of “Making Sense of Your World” and his newest offer: “A Practical Guide to Culture.”

Join us for a wonderful opportunity to take enhance your biblical worldview and equip you to more effectively engage the culture.

Click HERE to learn more or to register!

America’s founders believed in God and His word, and predicated our founding documents on those immutable, biblical principles.

Though Leftists love to spout revisionist nonsense about many of the Founders being deists or worse, those accusations don’t hold water when faced with the weight of those early patriots’ own words and actions.

Thomas Jefferson, often upheld as vying for the least religious spot amongst the Founders, wrote:

I am a real Christian – that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.¹

And Jefferson’s worship habits speak even louder:

Many people are surprised to learn that the United States Capitol regularly served as a church building; a practice that began even before Congress officially moved into the building and lasted until well after the Civil War.

On December 4, 1800, Congress approved the use of the Capitol building as a church building.

The approval of the Capitol for church was given by both the House and the Senate, with House approval being given by the Speaker of the House, Theodore Sedgwick, and Senate approval being given by the President of the Senate, Thomas Jefferson. Interestingly, Jefferson’s approval came while he was still officially the Vice- President but after he had just been elected President.

Jefferson attended church at the Capitol while he was Vice President and also throughout his presidency. The first Capitol church service that Jefferson attended as President was a service preached by Jefferson’s friend, the Rev. John Leland, on January 3, 1802.

Significantly, Jefferson attended that Capitol church service just two days after he penned his famous letter containing the “wall of separation between church and state” metaphor.

Now, just over two centuries later, many Americans maintain a post-Christian worldview. As written at IMB.org:

In a Christian culture, the majority of people have been shaped by Christianity, and it shows in how they live their lives. Post-Christianity, just as it sounds, is a culture that was once shaped by the Christian faith and worldview, but has since moved away from the primacy of such a worldview.

In a post-Christian society the Biblical story that once shaped culture is no longer the narrative that gives meaning to life.

The Barna Group conducted studies beginning in late 2016 and ending in mid-2017 concerning young people and their faith worldview; the findings are especially troubling.

The study sampling and definition:

Two nationally representative studies of teens were conducted. The first was conducted using an online consumer panel November 4–16, 2016, and included 1,490 U.S. teenagers 13 to 18 years old. The second was conducted July 7–18, 2017, and also used an online consumer panel, which included 507 U.S. teenagers 13 to 18 years old. The data from both surveys were minimally weighted to known U.S. Census data in order to be representative of ethnicity, gender, age and region.

One nationally representative study of 1,517 U.S. adults ages 19 and older was conducted using an online panel November 4–16, 2016. The data were minimally weighted to known U.S. Census data in order to be representative of ethnicity, gender, age and region.

GEN Z were born 1999 to 2015. (Only teens 13 to 18 are included in this study.)
MILLENNIALS were born 1984 to 1998.
GEN X were born 1965 to 1983.
BOOMERS were born 1946 to 1964.
ELDERS were born before 1946.
NO FAITH identify as agnostic, atheist or “none of the above.”

Some of the findings?

Gen Z is the first purely Post-Christian generation — the percentage of Gen-Z identifying as atheist is DOUBLE the U.S. adult population.

The article presenting the findings (with a related book available for purchase), “Atheism Doubles Among Generation Z,” notes:

For Gen Z, “atheist” is no longer a dirty word: The percentage of teens who identify as such is double that of the general population (13% vs. 6% of all adults). The proportion that identifies as Christian likewise drops from generation to generation. Three out of four Boomers are Protestant or Catholic Christians (75%), while just three in five 13- to 18-year-olds say they are some kind of Christian (59%).

The decline in a Christian-based worldview is illustrated in the graphic posted to the right.

Appallingly, over one third of Gen Z don’t believe it’s possible to know if there really is a God.

What happened to the country whose motto is “In God we trust”?

Noah Webster, the “Father of American Scholarship and Education,” wrote:

The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His apostles… This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government.²

The Christian religion… is the basis, or rather the source, of all genuine freedom in government… I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of Christianity have not a controlling influence.³

And, George Washington, the Father of Our Nation wrote:

While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.⁴

Yet in the span of just over 200 years, the youth of America knows next to nothing about God and the Bible. Church attendance, at least in mainline Protestant and Catholic churches, is declining precipitously.

What is the answer? Is it too late?

The Apostle Peter admonished us:

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)

“Always be prepared to give an answer” — the underlying precept of apologetics, the defense of the faith.

And a vital part of Apologetics is knowing your worldview.

Gen Z may be overwhelmingly lost and devoid of hope, but we believers have the answer that restores hope. We must be ready to give that answer to a generation that sorely needs hope.

With that dire need in mind, Illinois Family Institute presents the Fourth Annual IFI Worldview Conference Featuring John Stonestreet.

10 AM – 3:30 PM 

Medinah Baptist Church (map)
900 Foster Avenue, Medinah, IL 60157

$20 per person/$50 per family 

Just who is John and why is he a tremendous resource for such an event?

As President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, John’s passion is to illuminate a biblical worldview for today’s culture. He’s a speaker, writer, cultural commentator, and collaborator of worldview initiatives.

John directs conferences and curriculum projects, speaks to groups nationally and internationally, consults on worldview education for schools and churches, and appears frequently on web and radio broadcasts.

John is the co-host with Eric Metaxas of Breakpoint Radio, the Christian worldview radio program founded by the late Chuck Colson.

Don’t miss this tremendous opportunity to “study to shew thyself approved…”!

The Founders invested their hope and their faith into this burgeoning Republic, infusing our Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution with biblical precepts and a Judeo-Christian worldview.

Now is the time to recapture the explicit understanding of that worldview, and to share that hope and understanding with a lost and hopeless generation.

_____________________

¹ – Thomas Jefferson, The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Albert Ellery Bergh, editor (Washington, D.C.: The Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association, 1904), Vol. XIV, p. 385, to Charles Thomson on January 9, 1816.
² – Noah Webster, History of the United States (New Haven: Durrie and Peck, 1832), p. 300, ¶ 578.
³ – K. Alan Snyder, Defining Noah Webster: Mind and Morals in the Early Republic (New York: University Press of America, 1990), p. 253, to James Madison on October 16, 1829.
⁴ – George Washington, The Writings of Washington, John C. Fitzpatrick, editor (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1932), Vol. XI, pp. 342-343, General Orders of May 2, 1778.

If you are involved in the pro-life battle, you are most likely already on fire over the barbarity of abortion.  The natural response of any compassionate heart to the destruction of these little ones is rage, and anything less seems criminal.  All we need to know is that these innocent ones are precious to Him to steel our resolve!  However, as in any “war,” one’s strategy is critical to success, and the Word of God reminds us that our first responsibility is to wage this war with His methods and means.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” Isaiah 55:8 and “human anger does not produce the righteousness of God,” James 1:20.

It is frustrating to see this battle rage on not just for years, but decades, and at times one’s natural inclination is to despair.  However, in God’s sovereignty many of earth’s evils will be finally and fully adjudicated only in eternity.  We should neither expect final justice here nor become weary of the fight.  Success has clearly not come quickly, so we must be in for the long haul, and improper methods or motives may lead to weariness.  We will not be judged for the apparent success of God’s enemies, but for our own faithfulness to the particular assignments we are each given by the Lord.

One side bar in all the cultural mess that is 2018 America is the manifold grace of God.  While it is manifestly clear that God must bring judgment upon this nation and the world for the atrocity that is abortion, yet here we sit, over 40 years after the abominable Roe-v-Wade still existing as a nation, and even prospering!  God’s grace is beyond words, and is a reminder that “the goodness of God leads one to repentance,” or at least should!

I don’t believe there is really anything new to be said about this war we fight, but, I would like to remind Believers that it is incumbent upon us to look on these things through God’s eyes as much as He has shown us.  We must unwaveringly trust Him to one-day set all things right; Justice will be done in His way and in His time.  We must seek His will for our personal involvement in the battle, and serve faithfully without regard to our apparent success or failures.  We must always, regardless of the barbarity or offensiveness of the opposition, do what is right: that which honors and pleases God.  We should remind ourselves of the blinding nature of sin and understand that many cannot see or grasp the enormity of this sin.  Christ noted such in His dying prayer, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Therefore, let us pray as Paul challenged his young aid, Timothy to pray, that “God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,” II Tim. 2:25.  If we are honest we know that many of us came late to this particular battle, and should be patient with others’ tardiness to the fray, or simple apathy.  And, let us “pray without ceasing!”

All this being said, we have no guarantee of God’s continued mercy toward this Nation with its state-approved slaughter of the innocent.  The Word of God is clear: He claims all children as His own, and, according to Exodus 22:22 has a special wrath toward those who afflict, oppress and slaughter them.  Therefore, more than ever we must call America to its collective knees in repentance, and warn them to not be deceived by the false prophets who cry “peace and safety,” or “health and wealth” while innocent blood is wantonly shed. We are told that “the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” James 5:16. If we do not soon let go of our hunger for “the good life” and seek instead His glory, we will certainly deserve any judgment He deems appropriate.

God has been teaching me an important lesson lately. Life is busy, but sometimes we need to slow down and invest the time to bless others in real, tangible ways. It’s rarely easy or convenient, but we’re called to share the love of Christ with those around us.

Too often, Christians have an image problem. The world sees us as angry and judgmental. Hollywood and the news media certainly don’t help matters with their portrayal of us, but the truth is, we’re often known more for what we’re against than what we’re for. That’s not entirely bad since there are, in fact, things that we’re against and we shouldn’t hesitate to say so. (The prophets were pretty outspoken in that regard, as was Jesus Himself.) Yet at the same time, we shouldn’t be so busy telling the unpopular truth that we neglect the very human side of our Christian faith—showing love to others not just through our words, but through our actions as well.

What would happen if all of us as believers were known as people who really cared about others—not just because we say we care, but because we show it? What if we were known as the most caring folks in other people’s lives? The media wouldn’t be nearly as successful in portraying us as hateful bigots, and we might actually succeed in winning more people to Christ.

There’s a balance to strike here. Some Christians are so concerned about being “loving” that they end up softening the truth so much that it doesn’t mean anything anymore. But on the other hand, some Christians seem so concerned with telling the hard truths that they forget that one of our ultimate goals is to win people, not just debates.

As God’s people, we’re called to stand up for the truth. No doubt about it. And sometimes that means saying unpopular things, and taking unpopular stands. People won’t always like us (and that shouldn’t be our goal anyway). But we should never give people a reason to question our basic decency, integrity, and love for others.

Let’s take a basic example. Just yesterday I read a statement online from a former restaurant server (who happens to be a believer) who made the observation that some Christians go out to eat and then leave a gospel tract on the table instead of a tip.

Ouch.

What does it say to the server—perhaps a single mom earning minimum wage, tired from being on her feet for hours, with three kids to take care of at home—when a Christian shows “concern” for her soul, but no concern for her overall wellbeing? When she turns on the news later that night and sees a negative story about Christians, she’s going to be all too willing to believe it because she just saw the same thing at work. To her, Christians aren’t kind and loving, they’re just angling for a convert.

If you want to leave a gospel tract when you leave, perhaps it would be better to be especially friendly, treat the server as a real person instead of as your personal servant, and then leave the tract along with a good tip and a note thanking them for their cheerful service. See the difference? The first scenario might be motivated by genuine concern for the server’s soul, but they’re not going to see it that way. The second scenario flows from the same concern, but will connect on a far deeper level because there’s a kind of love and care that they can see and understand.

Jesus was busy, but not too busy to see and meet the needs of the people around Him. Yes, He had strong words for some and never hesitated to speak the truth, but He also didn’t hesitate to do good.

One of my desires in this new year is to do a better job of being the love of Christ to those around me, believers and non-believers alike. Whether it’s treating the checkout person at Walmart with an extra dose of patience and kindness, mowing my elderly neighbor’s grass, taking a meal to someone, or visiting a nursing home, there are many ways I can show the love of Christ to others. As I said before, it’s rarely easy or convenient, but it’s always important. I don’t want to be so busy or preoccupied with my own life that I’m not paying attention to the real people all around me.

In Acts 10:38, while preaching at Cornelius’ home, Peter tells his audience that Jesus “went about doing good.” Jesus Himself said that He came not to be served, but to serve. We can’t claim to be Christ-like if we’re not serving others.

Let’s follow in His steps—both in telling the truth, and in showing love.

Jonathan Lewis is husband to Linnea, and Daddy to Patrick, Timothy, and Katherine. He is a writer, speaker, and self-employed graphic designer. You can reach him at jonathanlewis@writeme.com.

Two years ago on BreakPoint we told you about a promising young Christian football player. On Monday, he was the hero of Alabama’s national football championship win.

Alabama’s stunning come-from-behind NCAA championship victory over Georgia was fueled by freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. In a remarkably humble interview after the game, especially given what he’d just accomplished on national television, he said: “I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With him all things are possible.”

Now two years ago, on BreakPoint, I talked about Tagovailoa’s faith—back when he was still in high school. Here’s a part of that broadcast from 2015:

Sports Illustrated recently told the story of Tua Tagovailoa, who is considered to be the best high school football player in Hawaii. The junior quarterback at Honolulu’s Saint Louis High School is drawing comparisons to the school’s most famous alum, Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota.

On the surface the comparison is understandable. Besides playing for the same high school, both quarterbacks share a similar style that makes them a threat on the ground and in the air. And like so many great players in Hawaii, they share a Samoan heritage.

And it’s this last bit that’s the most intriguing and inspiring part of the story, at least for Christians.

At the heart of the Sports Illustrated story about Tua is his relationship with his late grandfather. It’s a story about a Christian from one generation passing a spiritual legacy to the next generation. The article is filled with Bible verses. It tells readers that the entire Tagovailoa clan gathers “every evening for prayer and teaching,” and to sing a Samoan hymn that “asks God to be present in everything they do.”

This is something that Tua has in common with his hero, Marcus Mariota. Mariota, as we’ve said before on BreakPoint, is also a Christian whose goal is “to go out and show the world that Christ lives.”

Football fans have long noted the disproportionate number of Samoan players in the NFL and in big-time college football. By one estimate, “a Samoan male is 56 times more likely to play in the NFL than an American non-Samoan.” Football greats like the late Junior Seau and Troy Polamalu are only two members of this illustrious line.

Less known, and even more important, is the role that Christianity has played in the lives of so many of these players and in Samoan society as a whole. Stories like that of Tagovailoa, Mariota, Polamalu, and former Raiders quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo are a testimony to the extraordinary success that 19^th and 20^th century missionaries had in converting the Samoan people to Christianity.

When the first missionaries from the London Missionary Society arrived in 1830, they found that there were already some Christians on Samoa. In keeping with Polynesian culture, it arrived via longboat, probably from places like Tonga and Tahiti, where Wesleyan missionaries had already been at work.

Western missionaries then built on the Samoans’ attraction to Christianity. By 1855 the entire Bible had been translated into Samoan. And before long, native Samoan religion had been replaced by Christianity.

Today, virtually every Samoan self-identifies as a Christian of some sort. More than 60 percent describe themselves as “very religious.” Prominent Samoans frequently refer to Samoa as a “Christian nation.” The preamble to Samoa’s constitution describes Samoa as “an independent State based on Christian principles and Samoan custom and traditions.”

What’s more, 91 percent of all Samoans agree with the statement that Samoa is “one of the most religious nations on Earth.”  Thus, Christianity’s influence on Samoan life and culture is hard to dispute. This legacy and heritage are on display in stories like that of Tagovailoa’s. The missionaries who brought Christianity to the Polynesian world wound up transforming an entire society.

Now, I’ve got no idea whether Tua Tagovailoa is the next Marcus Mariota on the field. But what matters is that he seems to be following an even more important Samoan tradition off of it. And that is worth celebrating.

This article was originally posted on BreakPoint.org.

There’s something rotten in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). It’s rotting from the inside due to the presence of wolves in sheep’s clothing like Peter Hawkinson, pastor of Winnetka Covenant Church; Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom, North Park Theological Seminary professor; and Judy Peterson, the recently removed chaplain of North Park University. Their theological drift away from orthodoxy is indicative of what is taking place in many denominations that are supplanting Scripture with personal experience and desire as the lens through which to read and interpret Scripture.

Hawkinson has been drifting in the direction of heresy for several years, but kinda, sorta started “coming out” in baby steps—always wearing sheep’s clothing—over the past two years beginning with the church leadership presenting to the congregation “a motion inviting the church leadership to propose to the congregation a specific program of purposeful discernment for addressing the issue of LGBTQ inclusion.” I kid you not. That’s what a December letter to the congregation said.

It’s a dense thicket of ambiguous, evasive double-talk rhetoric through which to wade in order to purposefully discern the heretical end game toward which Hawkinson has been leading his congregation, but I’ll give it the old college try.

Please note the use of distinctly unbiblical rhetoric. Rather than using biblical language to refer to erotic relations between two people of the same sex or to people who assume an opposite-sex persona, this statement uses Leftist jargon (i.e., “LGBTQ”) that embodies affirmation of these behaviors.

After the approved motion, came a 6-member task force to organize the “program of purposeful discernment,” a series of 7 meetings to which all church members were invited but only a minority attended. Then the task force organized a pack of 12* to write the “Welcome Statement” that Hawkinson all along desired. Here is that heretical statement, a statement that violates the ECC position, which calls homosexuality “sexual sin”:

We welcome you to Winnetka Covenant Church. We are a community of diverse history and ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation, status, ability, and challenges. We invite you to join us wherever you are on your spiritual journey and to participate fully in the life of the church.

So many things wrong, so little time.

First, please note again the secular “progressive” terms “gender identity” and “sexual orientation.” These are devious rhetorical constructs intended to confuse, deceive, and muddy the theological waters.

“Gender identity” is intended to render equivalent the experience of men and women who accept their biological sex and those who reject their sex. The Bible is clear that men and women are not to adopt the cultural conventions of the opposite sex in order to pretend to be the sex they are not.

The term “sexual orientation” is similarly intended to confuse, deceive, and muddy ideological and theological waters. It is intended to suggest that heterosexuality and homosexuality are flipsides of the sexuality coin, whereas, in truth, homosexuality is a disordering of the sexual impulse resulting ultimately from the Fall. The Bible is clear that God abhors homosexual activity and relationships even as he loves those who experience disordered same-sex attraction.

Second, Hawkinson (et al.) includes the sins of sexual impersonation and homosexuality in a list of non-behavioral and, therefore, morally neutral conditions like history, ethnicity, and disability. In doing so,  he reveals his view that homoeroticism and sexual impersonation are morally neutral acts, whereas, according to Scripture, they are serious sins that if not repented of jeopardize one’s eternal life.

Third, churches should welcome all people, but welcoming people does not—indeed, must not—include affirming sin as good. Moreover, inviting people to “participate fully in the life of the church” must include calling them to repent of their sins.

Hawkinson has suggested in the past that these are issues on which Christians can disagree. Theologically orthodox religious leaders beg to differ—strenuously. The morality of sexual impersonation and homoerotic activity and an understanding of the nature of marriage are to theologically orthodox faith leaders theological deal breakers.

Sam Allberry, British theologian who works for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and the Gospel Coalition UK and who experiences same-sex attraction, writes this:

[Homosexuality] is a gospel issue. When so-called evangelical leaders argue for affirmation of gay relationships in the church, I’m not saying they’re not my kind of evangelical, I’m saying they are no kind of evangelical…. [W]e must never allow ourselves to think of this as just another issue Christians are free to differ over.

Theologian Denny Burke shares Allberry’s view:

A church either will or will not accept members who are practicing homosexual immorality. A church either will or will not discipline members for homosexual immorality. A church either will or will not ordain clergy who are practicing homosexuals. There is no middle ground between these practical polarities. If you are in a church that allows both points of view…, then functionally your church is no different from a fully “affirming” congregation.

Even former evangelical/current heretic David Gushee believes that churches cannot sensibly maintain mutually exclusive views on homosexuality:

I now believe that incommensurable differences in understanding the very meaning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the interpretation of the Bible, and the sources and methods of moral discernment, separate many of us from our former brethren…. I also believe that attempting to keep the dialogue going is mainly fruitless. The differences are unbridgeable.

Hawkinson isn’t the only heretical religious leader in the ECC. North Park Seminary, the seminary affiliated with the ECC, has professor Michelle Clifton-Soderstrom, who teaches young seminarians that homoerotic activity and relationships please God. And at the end of April 2017, North Park University chaplain, Judy Nelson, officiated at a same-sex faux-wedding between two men in defiance of the ECC’s (and Jesus’) position that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

In my mind’s ear, I can hear the gasps of some who will find it unseemly that I would refer to people as “nice” and “kind” as Hawkinson, Clifton-Soderstrom, and Nelson as wolves. The real problem, however, is that too few Christians recognize that these faith leaders are wolves. It’s as if Christians who have read Scripture still do not recognize that ravenous wolves will look like sheep.

A ravenous wolf may be someone who knows that his or her teachings are false, or it may be someone who believes that what he or she is teaching is true. What distinguishes a wolf (or false prophet) is that he or she teaches lies. You can recognize them not by how they appear but by whether their teaching or preaching comports with Scripture.

If Christian leaders who affirm that which Scripture says is an abomination to God are not wolves and false prophets, who are? If Christian leaders who affirm a form of marriage that contradicts the very words of Jesus Christ are not wolves and false prophets, who are?

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” ~ (Col. 2:8)

*Pack of 12:

Karen Bowen
Peter Hawkinson (pastor)
Gary Isaacson
Nadia Jimenez
Gladys Johnson
Brian Madvig (church chair)
Mary Beth Molenaar
Maria Moreno
Arthur A.R. Nelson (pastor emeritus)
Mary Olson
LoAnn Peterson
Sue Samuelson

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Heresy-Infecting-the-Evangelical-Covenant-Church.mp3

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There are some battles in which all Christians and all who are committed to truth are called to engage: all Christians should have opposed slavery; all Christians should have fought for the civil rights of blacks; all Christians are called to oppose abortion; and we are all called to oppose the rancorous, pernicious demands to affirm the pro-homosexuality/pro-“trans” ideologies.

In his book Kingdoms in Conflict, Chuck Colson writes about the failure of the church to oppose the extermination of Jews and the government usurpation of control of the church in Nazi Germany. Immediately following the naming of Hitler as Chancellor of Germany, the persecution of the church began in earnest. In response, a resistance movement sprang up headed by Martin Niemoller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Initially, they had the support of the dominant Protestant group, the German Evangelical Church, but as the persecution increased, so did the cowardice and concomitant rationalization of cowardice on the parts of most church leaders. In Germany only a remnant, who came to call themselves the Confessing Church, remained standing courageously in the gap for truth.

The German Evangelical Church acted in ways virtually all Christians now view as ignoble, selfish, and cowardly:

• Pastors resigned from the resistance out of fear that they might lose their positions in the church.

• Frightened by the boldness of the resistance movement, church leaders issued public statements of support for Hitler and the Third Reich.

• Some pastors believed that a “‘more reasonable tone would be more honoring to those with different views.'” One bishop told Martin Niemoller that those pastors who refused to join the resistance were “‘trying to bring peace to the church'” rather than “‘seem like… troublemakers.'” In response, Niemoller asked “‘What does it matter how we look in Germany compared with how we look in Heaven?'” The bishop responded, “‘We cannot pronounce judgment on all the ills of society. Most especially we ought not single out the one issue that the government is so sensitive about.'”

• In a conversation with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one young pastor justified capitulation like this: “‘[T]here are no pastorates for those of us who will not cooperate. What is the good in preaching if you have no congregation? Where will this noncooperation lead us? We are no longer a recognized body; we have no government assistance; we cannot care for the souls in the armed forces or give religion lessons in schools. What will become of the church if that continues? A heap of rubble!'”

What is alarming about the account of the German Evangelical Church’s reprehensible failure is its similarity to the ongoing disheartening story of the contemporary American church’s failure to respond appropriately to the spread of radical, heretical, destructive views of homosexuality and biological sex. Don’t we today see church leaders self-censoring out of fear of losing their positions or their church members? Don’t we hear churches criticizing those who boldly confront the efforts of homosexual and “trans” activists to propagandize children and undermine the church’s teaching on sexuality? Aren’t the calls of the capitulating German Christians for “a more reasonable tone” and a commitment to “honor different views” exactly like the calls of today’s church to be tolerant and honor “diversity”? Don’t pastors justify their silence by claiming they fear losing their tax-exempt status (i.e., government assistance)? Don’t they rationalize inaction by claiming that speaking out will prevent them from saving souls?

What is even more reprehensible in America, however, is that church leaders don’t currently face loss of livelihood, imprisonment, exile, or death, as they did in Germany, and yet they remain silent.

The church’s failure to respond adequately to the relentless and ubiquitous promulgation of profoundly sinful ideas reveals an unbiblical doubt in the sovereignty of God; an unconscionable refusal to protect children; a willful ignorance of history; and a selfish unwillingness to experience the persecution and hatred that God has promised the followers of Christ that we will experience and that we should consider joy.

But who do we look to for inspiration today? Is it the cowardly, apostate, accommodationist, jejune, impotent, emasculated church that feebly attempts to justify its refusal to speak, or is it God’s church, that which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., William Wilberforce, Martin Niemoller, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer loved and sacrificed their comfort and lives to defend?

We reassure ourselves that if we had lived during the age of slavery or in Germany during the rise of Nazism or during the post-Civil War era when virulent racism still poisoned American life, we would never have stood idly by and done nothing, but I’m not so sure. Look at the church’s actions today when homosexuality and gender confusion are affirmed to and in our nation’s children through our public schools using our hard-earned money. Where is the church when confused and deceived men are being castrated? Where is the outrage when teens are being chemically sterilized and children are forced to share locker rooms with opposite-sex persons? Where are the church leaders who rejoice in being persecuted?

I’ve asked this question before and I will ask it again: How depraved do the ideas have to be and how young the victims to whom these ideas are disseminated before the church, starting with those who have freely chosen to assume the mantle of pastor or priest, will both feel and express outrage at the indecent, cruel, and evil practice of using public money to affirm body- and soul-destroying ideas to children?

Will the contemporary American church rise to this occasion to defend children and biblical truth, or will we become like the acquiescent church that failed to help William Wilberforce battle the slave trade, or the atrophied “moderate white church” that failed to help Martin Luther King Jr. battle racism, or the apostate Protestant church in Nazi Germany that failed to help Martin Niemoller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer battle Nazism?

I have learned over the past nine years that many “progressives” are inept at thinking analogically or logically, so I want to make clear what I’m saying and not saying. I am not comparing homosexuals and “trans”-identified persons to Nazis. I’m comparing cowardly, rationalizing religious leaders in Germany during the Nazi reign of terror to cowardly, rationalizing religious leaders in America today who would face little to no persecution for speaking truth to power.

The question as to why so many Christians, including church leaders, refuse to engage in this battle is a vexing question. Leon Podles provided one answer to that vexing question in an article entitled “Unhappy Fault: on the Integration of Anger into the Virtuous Life” that  appeared in Touchstone magazine in 2009. Podles, author of the books The Church Impotent: The Feminization of Christianity and Sacrilege, senior editor of Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity, and founder of the Crossland Foundation, argues that “Christians have a false understanding of the nature and role of anger. It is seen as something negative, something that a Christian should not feel.” This false understanding infects the church and prevents it from being salt and light in a fallen, suffering world and that renders the church complicit in the destruction of countless lives.

He expresses what should be obvious: we should “feel deep anger at evil, at the violation of the innocent, at the oppression of the weak.”

Podles describes the suppression of hatred and anger as “emotional deformation” and exhorts the church to remember that “growth in virtue,” which must include the integration of “all emotions, including anger and hate,” is the “goal of the Christian’s moral life.”

Dr. Podles quotes Catholic psychiatrist Conrad Baars who had been a prisoner under the Nazi regime:

‘[T]here is a difference between a person who knows solely that something is evil and ought to be opposed and the one who in addition also feels hate for the evil, is angry that it is corrupting or harming fellow-men, and feels aroused to combat it courageously and vigorously.’

How often do we hear in our churches anything akin to the idea expressed by early church father John Chrysostom: “‘He who is not angry, whereas he has cause to be, sins. For unreasonable patience is the hotbed of many vices, it fosters negligence, and incites not only the wicked but the good to do wrong.'”

And wouldn’t the church and society look very different if they embodied Dr. Podles’ conviction that “sorrow at evil without anger at evil is a fault.”

Please read his critical article, forward it to friends, and send it to your church leaders.

Listen to this article read by Laurie:

https://staging.illinoisfamily.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Anger-and-the-Church.mp3

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